Fall of Afghanistan Omnibus
Aug. 19th, 2021 08:34 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gwydion* "SOS: Stranded and shattered seafarers threaten global supply lines:" https://www.reuters.com/world/sos-stranded-shattered-seafarers-threaten-global-supply-lines-2021-07-20/
* "The return of shell money: PNG revives old ways after Covid's blow to economy:" https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/22/the-return-of-shell-money-png-revives-old-ways-after-covids-blow-to-economy
* "Zambia election: Hakainde Hichilema beats President Edgar Lungu:" https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-58226695
*********************************************************************************************************
* "Delta Is Bad News for Kids:" https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/08/delta-variant-covid-children/619712/
* "Smoke and soot from wildfires may be causing more Covid-19 cases and deaths, study finds:" https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/13/health/wildfire-smoke-coronavirus-climate-change/index.html
* "Amid shortages, Africans scramble to be fully immunized :" https://apnews.com/article/africa-health-coronavirus-pandemic-coronavirus-vaccine-4223767b41b3c7b6cd81ead14d6c04e7
* "US reports nearly 1 million vaccinations in past day, most since early July:" https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/567814-us-reports-nearly-1-million-vaccinations-in-past-day-most-since-early-july?rl=1
* "U.S. to Advise Boosters for Most Americans 8 Months After Vaccination:" https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/16/us/politics/vaccination-booster-shots.html
* "Feds aim to save Covid-flooded hospitals with antibody therapy facility:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/feds-aim-to-save-covid-flooded-hospitals-with-antibody-therapy-facility-118683717782
* "U.S. to Advise Boosters for Most Americans 8 Months After Vaccination:" https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/16/us/politics/booster-shots.html
* Good. Squirrel and I have been quietly freaked out about unvaccinated people risking nursing home denizens since early February at least. "Biden says US will require nursing homes get staff vaccinated or lose federal funds:" https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/18/politics/nursing-homes-federal-funding/index.html
* Good. At minimum unmasked schools looks like a serious ADA violation to me. "The Biden administration will use a federal civil rights office to deter states from banning masks in classrooms.:" https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/18/us/politics/biden-masks-schools-civil-rights.html
* "'We are on fire': Five U.S. states set new records for Covid cases as hospitalizations rise:" https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/16/we-are-on-fire-five-us-states-set-new-records-for-covid-cases-as-hospitalizations-rise-.html
* "Over 5,000 students quarantine or isolate because of Covid in Florida school district:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/over-5-000-students-quarantine-or-isolate-due-covid-single-n1276933
* "More than 400 students quarantined since first day of school because of COVID-19 in Palm Beach County School District:" https://www.wpbf.com/article/440-palm-beach-county-students-in-quarantine/37296839#
* "3 Broward County, Florida, educators died within about 24 hours from Covid-19 complications:" https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/13/us/broward-county-florida-covid-deaths/index.html
* "With the delta variant spreading, Texas COVID-19 hospitalizations have increased over 300% in the last month:" https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2020/texas-coronavirus-cases-map/
* "Multiple regions across Texas now completely out of ICU beds as COVID-19 cases spike, data shows:" https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/multiple-regions-across-texas-now-completely-out-of-icu-beds-data-shows/287-aaffc3f1-5d3b-4fa7-911d-bfd56bc174c9
* "The Texas Covid crisis worsens – why is the governor resisting masks?:" https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/aug/15/texas-covid-coronavirus-crisis-austin-greg-abbott
* "Siding with Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas Supreme Court temporarily halts mask orders in Dallas and Bexar counties:" https://www.texastribune.org/2021/08/15/texas-coronavirus-supreme-court-school-mask-mandate/
* I hope it works. "Texas school district makes masks part of dress code to get around Gov. Abbott's order:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/texas-school-district-makes-masks-part-dress-code-get-around-n1277040
* "As COVID-19 Surges, Mississippi Hospital 'Days Away' From Turning Away Patients:" https://www.npr.org/2021/08/14/1027756573/as-covid-19-surges-mississippi-hospital-days-away-from-turning-away-patients
* "Field hospital opens in parking garage as Mississippi sees 'skyrocketing' crush of COVID patients:" https://abcnews.go.com/Health/field-hospital-opens-parking-garage-mississippi-sees-skyrocketing/story?id=79433418
* "Doctor laments amount of 'young death' as Covid patients jam Mississippi hospitals:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/doctor-laments-amount-of-young-death-as-covid-patients-jam-mississippi-hospitals-118683717858
* "'Save our babies': As another Mississippi child dies of COVID-19, communities beg for help:" https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/local/2021/08/16/fifth-child-mississippi-dies-covid-19/8150426002/
* "DeSoto County COVID cases rise 151% as Mississippi cases surge toward new peak:" https://www.wreg.com/news/coronavirus/desoto-county-covid-cases-rise-151-as-mississippi-cases-surge/
* "As COVID surges, Mississippi sets up second field hospital:" https://apnews.com/article/health-coronavirus-pandemic-mississippi-edbfe1ae66fc3d15a73d9962b284a9f6
* "Metro Atlanta school districts report over 4,000 cases of COVID-19 in first weeks:" https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/metro-atlanta-school-districts-report-over-3700-cases-covid-19-first-weeks/KO37EA3M5NDRFPGCGVEY6OIA4U/
* "Louisiana's health care system nearing 'major failure' under COVID surge, says Gov. John Bel Edwards:" https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/article_35d58738-fc87-11eb-a14c-cb993c0fdd54.html
* "Louisiana lawmakers hold contentious hearing on COVID-19:" https://apnews.com/article/business-health-louisiana-education-coronavirus-pandemic-082e94c98144f3dfa2005e6f43f6cd32
* "'No beds anywhere': As COVID wards expand, Louisiana's small hospitals have nowhere to turn:" https://www.nola.com/news/coronavirus/article_2dc75078-fc7b-11eb-a04d-8f9b3ec919cf.html
* "COVID in Louisiana schools: As students return to campuses, infection rates are worse than ever:" https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/coronavirus/article_88df9674-fb80-11eb-b4fb-93a296642845.html
* "Nearly 1,000 confirmed COVID cases in Middle TN schools; hundreds quarantined for exposure:" https://www.wkrn.com/news/nearly-1000-confirmed-covid-cases-in-middle-tn-schools/
* "Oregon governor orders National Guard to help frontline workers in Covid-19 battle:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/oregon-governor-orders-national-guard-help-frontline-workers-covid-19-n1276817
* "Nearly 4,400 new COVID-19 cases in Oregon over the weekend, health officials say:" https://katu.com/news/local/nearly-4400-new-covid-19-cases-in-oregon-over-the-weekend-health-officials-say
* "Fueled by delta variant, 500,000 coronavirus cases now tallied in Washington state:" https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/fueled-by-delta-variant-washington-state-surpasses-500000-covid-19-cases/
* "Inslee announces vaccination requirement for most state employees, private health care and…:" https://medium.com/wagovernor/inslee-announces-vaccination-requirement-for-most-state-employees-private-health-care-and-7c765161cbb6
* "Whatcom sees 300 confirmed COVID cases last week, as hospital sets pandemic record high:" https://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/coronavirus/article253520639.html
* "Supreme Court rejects challenge to Indiana University's vaccination requirement:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-rejects-challenge-indiana-university-s-vaccination-requirement-n1276714
* "Curfew could be implemented as hospitalizations, cases continue to soar:" https://www.khon2.com/top-stories/curfew-could-be-implemented-as-hospitalizations-cases-continue-to-soar/
* "27 people aboard Carnival cruise test positive for COVID-19:" https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-business-health-travel-caribbean-4dd34f14b6a6365f48b3375c57ba4fb4
* My community knows from plagues. "Overwhelming majority of LGBT+ adults have been vaccinated against COVID in the US:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/16/lgbt-adults-covid-cavvine/
* "Man stabbed near L.A. City Hall as vaccine mandate protest turns violent:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/08/15/la-vaccine-protest-stabbing/
* "Jen Psaki shuts down Fox reporter with reminder Trump suggested injecting bleach as COVID cure:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/13/jen-psaki-trump-covid-disenfectant/
* "Gov. Greg Abbott tests positive for COVID after jam-packed, maskless GOP event:" https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/No-mask-no-social-distancing-no-problem-for-16393209.php
* "Vaccinated Texas Gov. Abbott Covid positive after heedless hobnobbing at maskless GOP fete:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/vaccinated-texas-gov-abbott-covid-positive-after-heedless-hobnobbing-at-maskless-gop-fete-118920773640
* "Antivaccine, Anti-LGBTQ+ Texas Politician Dies After COVID Diagnosis:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/2021/8/05/antivaccine-anti-lgbtq-texas-politician-dies-after-covid-diagnosis
*********************************************************************************************************
* Remember way back at the beginning of this when I wrote extensively in livejournal during the lead up to the Afghan war, that we shouldn't invade Afghanistan because there was very little chance of us achieving any long term good? Remember how I wrote about the long history of resistance their and the then recent Russian occupation? Remember how I said we had no clear exit strategy and that it looked to me like a potential forever war as we suck at things like nation building? That this sure looked like the recipe for another Vietnam? Remember I said we, as a country are not nearly bright enough to meddle with that part of the world. Yes, there are experts who are, but US foreign policy is a blunt instrument mostly wielded by the willfully ignorant with agendas that have nothing to do with working with locals to actually fix things.
Yeah.
My father was against the Vietnam war and at the same time we abandoned all those people who helped us to horrors. I was raised on images of the fall of Saigon, people desperately grabbing on to helicopter legs. I had a Vietnamese friend at my second college who'd been in a camp as a young child after the war and went through horrible trauma before she got out. Most of her family wasn't as lucky. They were mostly tortured to death.
I am furious we went in knowing we were only going to make things worse, kill and maim so many people, waist so many resources. I am furious zero effort is being made yet again to save people who risked everything to help us. Terrible things are going to happen and the second we invaded that became our fault the same way the terrible things we did there are all fault.
* "Only Congress member to vote against Afghanistan war in 2001 speaks out:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/only-congress-member-to-vote-against-afghanistan-war-in-2001-speaks-out-118830661619
* "Chaos is unfolding in Afghanistan. Here's what you need to know.:" https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/15/politics/taliban-kabul-afghanistan-explainer/index.html
* "Mapping the advance of the Taliban in Afghanistan:" https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-57933979
* "‘Game over’: Westerners rush to leave Kabul, rescue Afghans:" https://apnews.com/article/business-kabul-3bf5dcb07bb97ab8851cadce9336574b
* "Afghanistan in chaos as thousands try to flee Kabul after Taliban takeover:" https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2021/08/16/chaos-afghanistan-thousands-flee-amid-taliban-takeover-kabul/8147024002/
* "Frantic exodus from Afghanistan ties U.S. in logistical knot at Kabul airport:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/frantic-exodus-from-afghanistan-ties-u-s-in-logistical-knot-at-kabul-airport-118920773749
* "Ousted Afghan President Ashraf Ghani resurfaces in UAE after fleeing Kabul, Emirati government says:" https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/18/afghan-president-ashraf-ghani-is-in-uae-after-fleeing-afghanistan.html
* "'I stand squarely behind my decision': Biden holds firm on Afghanistan drawdown:" https://www.politico.com/news/2021/08/16/joe-biden-afghanistan-drawdown-decision-505179
* "Full speech: President Biden addresses nation on Afghanistan:" https://www.nbcnews.com/video/full-speech-president-biden-addresses-nation-on-afghanistan-118814277554
* "What Biden lost in Afghanistan:" https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-nightly/2021/08/16/what-biden-lost-in-afghanistan-493977
* "6 Political Takeaways For President Biden From The Chaotic Afghanistan Withdrawal:" https://www.npr.org/2021/08/17/1028329119/biden-kabul-withdrawal-political-consequences
* "The awkward Trumpy truth about Afghanistan's likely new Taliban leader:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/the-awkward-trumpy-truth-about-afghanistan-s-likely-new-taliban-leader-mullah-baradar-118918725748
* "Afghan security forces’ wholesale collapse was years in the making:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/afghan-security-forces-capabilities/2021/08/15/052a45e2-fdc7-11eb-a664-4f6de3e17ff0_story.html
* "Maddow: Vanishing Afghan army disproves premise of U.S. presence in Afghanistan:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/maddow-vanishing-afghan-army-disproves-premise-of-u-s-presence-in-afghanistan-118836293933
* "Billions spent on Afghan army ultimately benefited Taliban:" https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-army-taliban-995b069a9008690582cb34f4cacd8515
* "U.S. investment in Afghanistan bought infrastructure, corruption and a lot of weaponry:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/u-s-investment-in-afghanistan-bought-infrastructure-corruption-and-a-lot-of-weaponry-118836293710
* "Journalist asks on Afghanistan: What were we doing for the last two decades?:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/watch/afghanistan-under-taliban-u-s-withdrawal-of-troops-president-biden-s-address-analyzed-by-experts-118832197827
* "'Every second is a life or death': Marine encourages expediting Afghan evacuations:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/-every-second-is-a-life-or-death-marine-encourages-expediting-afghan-evacuations-119009861577
* "Americans at home tap every resource to help colleagues escape Afghanistan exodus gridlock:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/americans-at-home-tap-every-resource-to-help-colleagues-escape-afghanistan-exodus-gridlock-119006789555
* "Statement to President Biden from The Washington Post, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/pr/2021/08/16/statement-president-biden-washington-post-new-york-times-wall-street-journal/
* "Afghan women journalists stalwart in face of Taliban takeover:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/afghan-women-journalists-stalwart-in-face-of-taliban-takeover-118919749714
* "CNN’s Ward says Kabul colleague nearly pistol-whipped:" https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/cnns-ward-says-kabul-colleague-nearly-pistol-whipped/
* "The Taliban’s Return Is Catastrophic for Women:" https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2021/08/the-talibans-return-is-awful-for-women-in-afghanistan/619765/
* "Taliban's terrifying treatment of LGBT+ people is no longer a horror of the past:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/18/taliban-afghanistan-lgbt-sharia-law/
* "The Dire Plight of LGBTQ+ Afghan Refugees:" https://www.advocate.com/commentary/2021/8/16/dire-plight-lgbtq-afghan-refugees
* "'Everything is gone' for LGBT+ Afghans, says bisexual man who escaped the Taliban:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/19/taliban-afghanistan-lgbt-kabul/
"He is deeply worried for LGBT+ people in his home country, but he is also terrified for his atheist friends who he fears will face persecution from the Taliban. When he still lived in Afghanistan, Mehrshad used to meet with a group of fellow atheists once a week where they would discuss what books they were reading and talk about different ideologies. Because many of them were visible and vocal about their atheism, Mehrshad fears they could be at the top of the Taliban’s list for persecution."
* "How You Can Help LGBTQ+ Afghans in Crisis:" https://www.advocate.com/world/2021/8/17/how-you-can-help-lgbtq-afghans-crisis
* "As Taliban widens its grip, Afghans reckon with life under militant rule:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/08/13/afghanistan-taliban-rule/
* "Evacuations continue in Afghanistan – in pictures:" https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2021/aug/17/the-fall-of-afghanistan-in-pictures
* "Afghan woman to Biden: ‘Please save the families’ :" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/afghanistan-s-first-female-air-force-pilot-niloofar-rahmani-begs-biden-to-save-the-families-118829125656
* "Engel: Despite peaceful rhetoric, Taliban hasn't changed:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/engel-despite-peaceful-rhetoric-taliban-hasn-t-changed-118839877714
* "'There's no one to help. They're stuck there.': Afghan women look for escape from Taliban:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/-there-s-no-one-to-help-they-re-stuck-there-afghan-women-look-for-escape-from-taliban-118840901912
* "Rep. Jason Crow: You just can't deal with the Taliban:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/watch/afghanistan-deteriorating-rapidly-as-taliban-seizes-control-and-u-s-withdraws-analyzed-by-rep-jason-crow-nbc-s-richard-engel-118676037522
* "On the Ground in Kandahar as the Taliban Closed in:"
* "The Taliban Was Never Going to Share Power:"
* "Inside the Taliban's Takeover of Afghanistan:"
* "David Corn: I’m not surprised to see Republicans using Afghanistan for political points:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/watch/biden-being-blamed-for-botched-afghanistan-withdrawal-called-out-by-politics-experts-118833221792
* "Fox News, Stephen Miller fan anti-refugee flames amid Afghanistan crisis:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/fox-news-stephen-miller-fan-anti-refugee-flames-amid-afghanistan-crisis-says-mehdi-hasan-118912069559
* "Rep. Omar responds to radio host saying Biden wants ‘a couple hundred thousand more Ilhan Omars’:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/watch/republicans-saying-they-do-not-want-afghan-refugees-to-come-to-u-s-slammed-by-rep-ilhan-omar-118913093985
* "Fearless advocate Tori Cooper is first Black trans woman appointed to presidential HIV council:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/16/tori-cooper-presidential-hiv-council/
* "DeJoy bought up to $305,000 in bonds from USPS board chair’s investment firm:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/08/13/dejoy-usps-bloom-bonds-brookfield/
* "Louis DeJoy finance entanglements with supportive USPS board member raise ethics questions:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/louis-dejoy-finance-entanglements-with-supportive-usps-board-member-raise-ethics-questions-118682181957
* "House Moderates Say They Won’t Back Budget Vote Until Infrastructure Bill Passes:" https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/13/us/politics/house-democrats-budget-infrastructure.html
* "Pelosi seeks to advance bipartisan infrastructure bill and $3.5 trillion budget plan at same time:" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pelosi-infrastructure-bill-buget-resolution-house/
* "Biden Administration Prompts Largest Permanent Increase in Food Stamps:" https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/15/us/politics/biden-food-stamps.html
* I am frightened if we lose this time we lose for generations, the way it happened when Radical Reconstruction ended. We lose the right to vote, we lose everything.
* Have something you want to tell your Senators? If you can't safely protest in person, here are some other options:
Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to the representative of your choice.
This App phones your rep for you: http://takeastance.us/
Here is one that will send your reps a fax: https://resistbot.io/
* "New intel reports indicate fresh efforts by Russia to interfere in 2022 election:" https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/13/politics/intel-report-russia-election-interference-2022/index.html
* "After Threats And Pressure, Fulton County Voter Registration Chief Resigns:" https://www.wabe.org/after-threats-and-pressure-fulton-county-voter-registration-chief-resigns/
* "FBI joins criminal probe in Colorado voting equipment breach:" https://apnews.com/article/technology-colorado-voting-hacking-1b6cf27c95b376edcf91bb53af4a4d40
* "Report Shows Big Spike in Mail Ballots During 2020 Election:" https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2021-08-16/report-shows-big-spike-in-mail-ballots-during-2020-election
* "She risked everything to expose Facebook. Now she’s telling her story.:" https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/07/29/1030260/facebook-whistleblower-sophie-zhang-global-political-manipulation/
* "Federal officials press GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert over apparent personal use of campaign funds:" https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/18/lauren-boebert-questioned-over-personal-use-of-campaign-funds.html
* "Rand Paul discloses 16 months late that his wife bought stock in company behind covid treatment:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/08/11/rand-paul-gilead-stock/
* "Rand Paul reveals his wife bought stock in Covid treatment in February 2020:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/rand-paul-reveals-his-wife-bought-stock-in-covid-treatment-in-february-2020-118671941792
* "Kevin McCarthy Hawks ‘Moron’ T-Shirts In Spectacular Self-Own:" https://www.huffpost.com/entry/kevin-mccarthy-t-shirt_n_611611c4e4b07c14031367c6
* "Lindsey Graham Clicks Up His Heels at Mar-a-Lago:" https://www.advocate.com/commentary/2021/8/16/lindsey-graham-clicks-his-heels-mar-lago
* "Trump not back in office Aug. 13 despite QAnon, MyPillow predictions:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/trump-not-back-in-office-aug-13-despite-qanon-mypillow-predictions-118671429765
* "Former U.S. attorney in Atlanta says Trump wanted to fire him for not backing election fraud claims.:" https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/11/us/politics/byung-pak-trump-atlanta-election-fraud.html
* "'Relevant and useful': Criminal probe of Trump keen on new Georgia coup plot reporting:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/-relevant-and-useful-criminal-probe-of-trump-keen-on-new-georgia-coup-plot-reporting-118684741869
* "Former AG Holder on whether Trump should be ‘held accountable if found to have committed criminal acts’:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/watch/trump-facing-prosecution-for-allegations-of-seeking-to-overturn-election-discussed-by-former-ag-eric-holder-118675525570
* "Trump pardon worthless to Kushner pal facing new state charges:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/trump-pardon-worthless-to-kushner-pal-facing-new-state-charges-119009861883
* "Kushner friend Ken Kurson charged in N.Y. eavesdropping case after Trump pardon:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/ken-kurson-kushner-friend-charged-trump-pardon/2021/08/18/d670ef70-ffac-11eb-a664-4f6de3e17ff0_story.html
* "Rep. Hakeem Jeffries recounts Jan. 6 moment when the ‘jackets came off’:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/rep-hakeem-jeffries-recounts-jan-6-capitol-riot-moment-when-the-jackets-came-off-118909509862
* "Multiracial population grew in almost every county in the US. It doesn't mean racism is over:" https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/15/us/census-2020-multiracial-nation/index.html
* "NRA Must Be Dissolved After Failing to Clean Up Misconduct, New York Says:" https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-17/nra-failed-to-clean-up-misconduct-must-be-dissolved-n-y-says
* "More Cubans try dangerous trip to US across Florida Straits:" https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-joe-biden-travel-cuba-caribbean-cacce3184f5d48460967d89536042670
* "Senators Press State Department on Support for LGBTQ+ Asylum Seekers:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/2021/8/06/senators-press-state-department-support-lgbtq-asylum-seekers
* "‘Warrior mindset’ police training proliferated. Then, high-profile deaths put it under scrutiny.:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/08/11/police-training-warrior-mindset-killology/
* "Phoenix police officers passed around a coin to celebrate shooting anti-Trump protesters in the groin. The police chief got a 'written reprimand' for it.:" https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/phoenix-police-officers-passed-around-131704848.html
* "Is This Man Serving a Life Sentence Because of a Mistaken Identity?:" https://www.gq.com/story/thomas-james-tragic-murder-case
* "Stopping Violence Over Prison Phone Time? There’s an App for That.:" https://mailchi.mp/themarshallproject/cbpj1etnns
* "Prisons Are Increasingly Banning Physical Mail:" https://slate.com/technology/2021/08/prisons-banning-physical-mail.html
* "Hate crime charges for man who allegedly launched racist, homophobic attack on Asian family:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/12/gay-asian-washington-dc-homophobia/
* "Pride flags banned at school. So, a neighbour decided to pick up their paintbrush:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/13/pride-flags-blm-newberg-oregon/
"School board director and vice chair Brian Shannon, who believes Pride flags are “divisive”, even suggested that the board look at drafting “replacement language” for the districts anti-racism policy and repealing the Oregon Department of Education’s Every Student Belongs policy, which bans hate symbols including swastikas and the Confederate flag."
* "The Unmaking of Biblical Womanhood:" https://www.newyorker.com/news/on-religion/the-unmaking-of-biblical-womanhood
* "Buck Angel: When Trans Folks Weaponize Transphobia For Themselves:"
* "Bigot banned from store for putting 'gay pervert' signs up loses 'vexatious' discrimination case:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/13/evangelical-discrimination-case/
* "Bi Olympic hero Jack Woolley battered by gang of 12:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/15/jack-woolley-attack-dublin/
* "Couple beaten with glass bottles in brutal homophobic attack in Birmingham's Gay Village:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/16/birmingham-gay-village-homophobic-attack/
* "Two teenage girls beaten and robbed in ‘unprovoked homophobic hate crime’:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/15/homophobic-attack-hertfordshire/
* "Children beaten and spat on by gang of youths spouting homophobic and transphobic hate:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/17/children-homophobic-attack-liverpool/
* "Liverpool to ‘reclaim Pride’ after spate of violence with defiant, anti-capitalist protest:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/12/liverpool-reclaim-pride-lgbt/
* "Man on jet ski hurls foul homophobic abuse at beachgoers:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/12/jet-ski-homophobic-mudeford/
* "Black Trans Woman Miss CoCo Killed in Dallas:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/2021/8/13/black-trans-woman-miss-coco-killed-dallas
* "Arkansas Man Gets 50-Year Sentence in Death of Trans Teen:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/2021/8/16/arkansas-man-gets-50-year-sentence-death-trans-teen
* "Catholic school can legally fire teacher for being in same-sex marriage, court rules:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/12/catholic-roncalli-lynn-starkey/
* "Human Trials to Begin for Moderna's HIV Vaccine:" https://www.hivplusmag.com/treatment/2021/8/17/human-trials-begin-modernas-hiv-vaccine
* "Gilead: Two of Our HIV Drugs Were Tampered With:" https://www.hivplusmag.com/news/2021/8/12/gilead-two-our-hiv-drugs-were-tampered
* CW: Eating Disorders. "‘We are all suffering in silence’ — Inside the US military’s pervasive culture of eating disorders:" https://taskandpurpose.com/news/military-eating-disorders/
* "Deaf Children in Developing Countries Are Getting Inferior Cochlear Implants:" https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/deaf-children-in-developing-countries-are-getting-inferior-cochlear-implants/
* "A Surprising Side Effect of Giving Birth:" https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2021/07/link-between-giving-birth-and-getting-cavities/619576/
* "‘He Thought What He Was Doing Was Good for People’:" https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2021/08/health-care-sherman-sorensen-pfo-closures/619649/
* "Haiti quake death toll rises to 1,419, injured now at 6,000:" https://apnews.com/article/health-caribbean-coronavirus-pandemic-united-nations-haiti-a625e4406ffa26e43d8b42cb71c9ba7f
* "Death toll from Haiti’s weekend earthquake raised to 1,941:" https://www.live5news.com/2021/08/16/quake-injured-wait-help-new-disaster-overwhelms-haiti/
* "Desperation, pressure for aid increase in Haiti after quake:" https://apnews.com/article/business-health-caribbean-coronavirus-pandemic-haiti-7901eacc8e6901885d6e6cd0b115bb40
*****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
The World is basically on Fire/Melting. I'm putting stuff to do with it here.
* "Greenhouse gas emissions must peak within 4 years, says leaked UN report:" https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/aug/12/greenhouse-gas-emissions-must-peak-within-4-years-says-leaked-un-report
* "Droughts shrink hydropower, pose risk to global push to clean energy:" https://www.reuters.com/business/sustainable-business/inconvenient-truth-droughts-shrink-hydropower-pose-risk-global-push-clean-energy-2021-08-13/
* "Flooding in China kills 21, as thousands escape to shelters.:" https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/13/world/asia/china-flooding-evacuations.html
* "Flash Floods in Turkey Kill 59, and Dozens Are Still Missing:" https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/15/world/europe/turkey-floods.html
* "North Africa Fires Spread to Libya and Tunisia:" https://www.voanews.com/middle-east/north-africa-fires-spread-libya-and-tunisia
* CW: Lynching "Algeria: 61 arrested after mob kills man falsely accused of starting deadly fires:" https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/18/algeria-61-arrested-after-mob-kills-man-falsely-accused-of-starting-deadly-fires
* "Morocco Deploys Canadair Water Bombers to Manage Chefchaouen Fires:" https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2021/08/343913/morocco-deploys-canadair-water-bombers-to-manage-chefchaouen-fires
* "Wildfire in Jerusalem hills sends smoke clouds over city:" https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/wildfire-blazes-jerusalem-hills-2021-08-15/
* "Greece wildfires: Winds fan 2 new blazes outside of Athens:" https://apnews.com/article/europe-middle-east-fires-environment-and-nature-greece-c20f44f43e116b7afbbca28fed802348
* "Hundreds are evacuated as tinderbox Spain tackles wildfires:" https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/hundreds-evacuated-tinderbox-spain-tackles-wildfires-79467665
* "‘All that’s left are ashes’: Italian communities count cost of wildfires:" https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/13/all-thats-left-are-ashes-italian-communities-count-cost-of-wildfires
* "105 forest fires burning in northwestern Ontario on Sunday morning:" https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/forest-fire-update-1.6141726
* "Kananaskis, Canmore have worst air quality in Canada after wildfires:" https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/air-quality-wildfire-canmore-kananaskis-1.6142459
* "Crews battle Western wildfires that have caused thousands of evacuations:" https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/16/weather/us-western-wildfires-monday/index.html
* "Thousands Evacuate as Wildfires Ravage Utah and Northern California:" https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/15/us/utah-california-wildfire-evacuations.html
* "Northern California wildfire triples in size, forcing thousands to evacuate:" https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/18/weather/us-western-wildfires-wednesday/index.html
* "California Drought Takes Toll on World's Top Almond Producer:" https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2021-08-17/california-drought-takes-toll-on-worlds-top-almond-producer
* "He Wrote a Gardening Column. He Ended Up Documenting Climate Change.:" https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/28/magazine/gardening-column-climate-change.html
*****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
* "Why Are Farmers in Senegal Creating Gardens That Look Like Crop Circles?:" https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/tolou-keur-circle-garden-senegal
* "Shift away from earthen homes ‘environmentally damaging’:" https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210809144043.htm
* "40 Million People Rely on the Colorado River, and Now It's Drying Up:"
* "First-ever water shortage on the Colorado River will bring cuts for Arizona farmers:" https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-environment/2021/08/16/colorado-river-shortage-bring-water-cuts-arizona-farmers/8150901002/
* "How Your Cup of Coffee Is Clearing the Jungle:" https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/11/magazine/indonesia-rainforest-coffee.html
* "Meet the 'seed detective' on a mission to save our rarest vegetables:" https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/03/europe/seed-detective-heritage-seed-library-spc-intl/index.html
* "The Ingenious Ancient Technology Concealed in the Shallows:" https://www.hakaimagazine.com/features/the-ingenious-ancient-technology-concealed-in-the-shallows/
* On so called 'Smart Cities:' https://laughingacademy.tumblr.com/post/659441941482733569/smart-cities-are-neither-2021-edition
* "Studland Bay 'eco-moorings' set up to protect seahorses:" https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-dorset-57999730
* "What Animals See in the Stars, and What They Stand to Lose:" https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/29/science/animals-starlight-navigation-dacke.html
* "There and back again: The epic adventures of China's wandering elephants:" https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-58196663
* "How ancient people fell in love with bread, beer and other carbs:" https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01681-w
* "This 3,700-Year-Old Tablet Shows The Oldest Known Example of Applied Geometry:" https://www.sciencealert.com/this-3-700-year-old-tablet-shows-the-oldest-known-example-of-applied-geometry
* "For Centuries, England's Go-To Apple Utensil Was a Sheep Bone:" https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/antique-apple-scoops
* CW: Suicide Mentions. "The Poisonous Romance of Madeleine Smith:"
* "A Toolbox in Your Pocket: The History of the Swiss Army Knife:"
* CW: Child Murder "Leopold and Loeb: The "Genius" Killers:"
* CW: Suicide Mention. "The Lead Masks of Vintém Hill:"
* "Black Nite Brawl: 60 Year Anniversary of Pre-Stonewall Bar Uprising:" https://www.advocate.com/news/2021/8/05/milwaukee-marks-60th-anniversary-pre-stonewall-bar-uprising
* CW: Pedophilia, Child Death. "Cropsey: The Boogeyman of Staten Island:"
* "Dr Death: Modern History's Worst Serial Killer:"
* "Robert Pickton: The Pig Farmer Killer:"
* "Nagasaki marks 76th anniversary of atomic bombing:" https://apnews.com/article/europe-business-bombings-63b48fdaf8e219c62663d48c138b6a3d
* "Mark Twitchell: The Dexter Killer (Part 1):"
* "What Should You Do With a Captured Nazi Flag?:" https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/captured-nazi-flags
* "How Blind Activists Fought for Blind Workers:" https://daily.jstor.org/how-blind-activists-fought-for-blind-workers/
* "She was the only member of Congress to vote against war in Afghanistan. Some called her a traitor.:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2021/08/17/barbara-lee-afghanistan-vote/
* "Breivik survivors keep fighting for their vision of Norway:" https://apnews.com/article/europe-norway-34f288881c5f26364d38f651a928649e
* "Mary Cunningham Simpson, the UK’s forgotten lesbian pioneer, tragically dies aged 74:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/19/mary-cunningham-simpson-lesbian-death/
* "'River Dave' Doesn't Think He Can Go Back to Being a Hermit:" https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/new-hampshire/articles/2021-08-11/river-dave-doesnt-think-he-can-go-back-to-being-a-hermit
* "When Pets Need Lawyers:"
* "Opioids III: The Sacklers: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver:"
* "Andrew Cuomo, Don't Let The Door Hit You On The Way Out:"
* Can we bring nuance back? "Fandom's Biggest Controversy: The Story of Proshippers vs Antis:"
* "Therapist Reacts to KNIVES OUT:"
* "The Conjuring: A Proper Movie Trilogy:"
* "Marlon Brando Stars As "The Covid One":"
* "The Vaccine Conspiracy Train Makes Stops At Ivermectin, Chimpanzees, And "I Am Legend":"
* "All The Nudes That's Fit To Print - The New York Times Has A New Motto:"
* "Therapist Reacts to A QUIET PLACE:"
* "Can I Pee Here?:"
* Saturday some friends drove up to visit. It was excellent, but looking at the PNW COVID numbers, I'm going to have to go back to stricter protocols, I think.
As of Monday, I've been threeish weeks without a properly working nebulizer motor. With the air quality as bad as it was last week, I should be doing three doses a day. My normal amount is two. I can just coax oneish dose out in two partial doses a day. I feel like shit, frankly. I'm pretty sure the air filtering is the only way I function at all.
* I got my flu shot today. It was a bit of an odyssey as they made me wait more than half an hour before realizing that even though I get it there every year they randomly no longer take Medicare advantage. Sigh. At least they were kind enough to tell me which pharmacy chain still takes it.
Why didn't I go to my Doctor? Pharmacies get it a month earlier than poverty clinic and I try to go as early in season as I can manage so that I don't turn out to be too sick to get it at appointment time.
Both pharmacies had covid vaccine patients ahead of me. I was the only flu shot that day at either place and it was already evening. Yay, people getting covid shots! Seriously, if you haven't got yours go! Go right away! If you already have been vaccinated? Please go get your flu shot. I know it's likely not a serious risk to you unless you are about my levelish of sick or worse, but it is way nicer not getting flu at all, and it is a risk to people around you. Save your grandmother. Save the cashier with underlying health condition. Save the kid with cancer living on your block. The mild inconvenience of a flu shot is nothing compared to actual flu.
Please, I beg you every year, but CDC is really worried about how flu season is going to go this year given the givens.
* "Sunday Sweets: Grandma's Kitchen Counter :" https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/2021/8/15/sunday-sweets-grandmas-kitchen-counter
* "What Are Your Preconceptions of Disability and Sexuality?:" https://www.advocate.com/photography/2021/8/12/what-are-your-preconceptions-disability-and-sexuality#media-gallery-media-8
* "Just Enough Rain:" http://giganotosaurus.org/2021/05/01/just-enough-rain/?fbclid=IwAR2LTT7udjMOKc5k_0J1i5efsOiwo4hG17f-0THXGZvCmbGaCIycCdbTo_E
* ToS: Season 2 Rewatch:
- 3.1: Spock's Brain.
*facepalm* This one is infamous. A mysterious ship shows up. A woman beams aboard. Everyone is knocked out. She takes Spock to sick bay and steals his brain. Somehow they get him on life support. They have to get his brain back before his body dies. Uhura asks the important question: why do they want Spock's brain.
Anyway, they follow the ion trail back to the planet where they think they took the brain. Some barbarians, who definitely were not the sort to have higher tech than the federation, attack. They stun one to question. The Barbarian thinks they are small, "Like the the Others, the givers of pain and delight." The Barbarians are all men; the others are women with some male barbarian servants. The Barbarian doesn't want to go to the buried city where the Others are and runs away.
The Landing Party finds a cave of supplies that may be a trap. Kirk sends for Spock and Bones. The brain nappers are confused, with minds like children. They contact Spock on the communicators. The Women capture them and question them. One is the brain abductor, but she doesn't remember at all. They serve the Controller. Bones explains brains to the women. Kirk works out that Spock's brain is the Controller.
The women give the Landing Party a long pain zap and go to work out what to do. They say a lot of sexist things, particularly Scotty. The Landing Party beats up the guards and escape. They explain to Spock he's a disembodied brain. Spock points out Bones doesn't have the technological knowledge to put his brain back in. Spock tells them how to get the pain bands off.
They find the Brain chamber. Head woman zaps them. Kirk uses his remote control to get Spock's body to release them. The Woman says if they take Spock's brain they will all die. It clearly runs their city. They find out their is a taped archive of the knowledge of the city builders they can access through "The Teacher" which is how the woman stole the brain in the first place.
They force the woman into the machine. She threatens them with the phasor, now she's bright. They steal the phasor back. The Teacher only gives three hours of knowledge. She refuses to put the brain back. Bones wants to try despite the brain damage risk. Bones hopes he can retain the knowledge. (Side note: The teacher looks like a crown to match the Iron Throne.)
Bones starts putting the brain back. The women is distressed by the coming civilization collapse. Kirk basically tells her she can trade sex for food and warmth. Eeew. Bones starts to forget how to do the operation. They connect Spock's vocal cords so he can help, instead of putting him under again for some reason. Spock talks him through it. Apparently the split happened during a glacial age. Bones is a jerk about the exposition.
This whole episode.... Sigh.
*****
* Full list of Resistance and charity links has been migrated to my profile as it was getting out of hand.
The help links are at the bottom under the cut.
* "How You Can Help LGBTQ+ Afghans in Crisis:" https://www.advocate.com/world/2021/8/17/how-you-can-help-lgbtq-afghans-crisis
* Hey! Want to propose Washington State geographical features to be renamed? "Committee on Geographic Names:" https://www.dnr.wa.gov/about/boards-and-councils/board-natural-resources/committee-geographic-names
* Want to help get Rand Paul out of the senate? Support Charles Booker:" https://secure.actblue.com/donate/cb-ads-dd-google-senate-launch?source=ads_ms_CHB_20210701-DD-GS-SenateLaunch_brandedkw-Natl-1865U-MF_a003-CHB-cbfuss-gstxt-txt&gclid=Cj0KCQjwxJqHBhC4ARIsAChq4auMxkyB4EqbiJYINuvQfZwWndHRj6juSW_B_MPhbIc8BhM8dJPkZbEaArBaEALw_wcB
* Want to help Chris Jones against Sarah Huckabee sanders in Arkansas? https://secure.actblue.com/donate/chrisjonesar
* Chicksaw bead artist and cool person has Kiamichi Beading suitable for non-native sale: https://www.instagram.com/kiamichi_beading/
* My oldest continuous friend made this. "Echoes of Kyrill:" https://www.dmsguild.com/product/366097/Echoes-of-Kyrill
* Mutual Aid Link Round Up: https://laughingacademy.tumblr.com/post/645696532415447040/popss-great-big-mutual-aid-masterpost
* Want to help the Asian Community?
https://nymag.com/strategist/article/where-to-donate-to-help-asian-communities-2021.html
https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/stop-aapi-hate
https://www.advancingjustice-atlanta.org/
* Cat Rescue Fundraiser: https://gwydionmisha.tumblr.com/post/642429918533304320/design-a-tea-where-tea-leaves-dream-custom
* "The Midwest Immigration Bond Fund!:" https://secure.actblue.com/donate/midwestibf
* What to help fight for queer people in Africa? Try the Initiative Sankofa D’Afrique de l’Ouest www.ISDAO.org
* Organizations to help trans folk: https://gwydionmisha.tumblr.com/post/620857152453640195/about-us
* "How to Safely and Ethically Film Police Misconduct:" https://www.teenvogue.com/story/how-to-film-police-safely
* Master Post for how to help organizations fighting Police violence: https://gwydionmisha.tumblr.com/post/620861026680881152/oberynmartell-list-of-black-lives-matter-and
* How to donate to Doctors Without Borders: https://donate.doctorswithoutborders.org/onetime.cfm?source=ADD200U0U00&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=googlepaid&utm_content=brand&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIz8D9kYu46QIVqh6tBh2WogxQEAAYASAAEgK4FfD_BwE
* Register to vote: https://vote.gov/
* A list of organizations to help you run for office: http://lovingmyselfishard.tumblr.com/post/167330144634/psst-hey
* The Indivisible guide exists to help you organize effective resistance: https://indivisible.org/
* Have something you want to tell your Congress Critters? If you can't safely protest in person, here are some other options:
Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to the representative of your choice.
This App phones your rep for you: http://takeastance.us/
Here is one that will send your reps a fax: https://resistbot.io/
* Help pay for cat food, litter, meds, medical copays: Paypal Lethran@gmail.com or paypal.me/Gwydion
* Birthday/Solstice master list: https://gwydion.dreamwidth.org/2108835.html
* "The return of shell money: PNG revives old ways after Covid's blow to economy:" https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/22/the-return-of-shell-money-png-revives-old-ways-after-covids-blow-to-economy
* "Zambia election: Hakainde Hichilema beats President Edgar Lungu:" https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-58226695
*********************************************************************************************************
* "Delta Is Bad News for Kids:" https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/08/delta-variant-covid-children/619712/
* "Smoke and soot from wildfires may be causing more Covid-19 cases and deaths, study finds:" https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/13/health/wildfire-smoke-coronavirus-climate-change/index.html
* "Amid shortages, Africans scramble to be fully immunized :" https://apnews.com/article/africa-health-coronavirus-pandemic-coronavirus-vaccine-4223767b41b3c7b6cd81ead14d6c04e7
* "US reports nearly 1 million vaccinations in past day, most since early July:" https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/567814-us-reports-nearly-1-million-vaccinations-in-past-day-most-since-early-july?rl=1
* "U.S. to Advise Boosters for Most Americans 8 Months After Vaccination:" https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/16/us/politics/vaccination-booster-shots.html
* "Feds aim to save Covid-flooded hospitals with antibody therapy facility:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/feds-aim-to-save-covid-flooded-hospitals-with-antibody-therapy-facility-118683717782
* "U.S. to Advise Boosters for Most Americans 8 Months After Vaccination:" https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/16/us/politics/booster-shots.html
* Good. Squirrel and I have been quietly freaked out about unvaccinated people risking nursing home denizens since early February at least. "Biden says US will require nursing homes get staff vaccinated or lose federal funds:" https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/18/politics/nursing-homes-federal-funding/index.html
* Good. At minimum unmasked schools looks like a serious ADA violation to me. "The Biden administration will use a federal civil rights office to deter states from banning masks in classrooms.:" https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/18/us/politics/biden-masks-schools-civil-rights.html
* "'We are on fire': Five U.S. states set new records for Covid cases as hospitalizations rise:" https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/16/we-are-on-fire-five-us-states-set-new-records-for-covid-cases-as-hospitalizations-rise-.html
* "Over 5,000 students quarantine or isolate because of Covid in Florida school district:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/over-5-000-students-quarantine-or-isolate-due-covid-single-n1276933
* "More than 400 students quarantined since first day of school because of COVID-19 in Palm Beach County School District:" https://www.wpbf.com/article/440-palm-beach-county-students-in-quarantine/37296839#
* "3 Broward County, Florida, educators died within about 24 hours from Covid-19 complications:" https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/13/us/broward-county-florida-covid-deaths/index.html
* "With the delta variant spreading, Texas COVID-19 hospitalizations have increased over 300% in the last month:" https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2020/texas-coronavirus-cases-map/
* "Multiple regions across Texas now completely out of ICU beds as COVID-19 cases spike, data shows:" https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/multiple-regions-across-texas-now-completely-out-of-icu-beds-data-shows/287-aaffc3f1-5d3b-4fa7-911d-bfd56bc174c9
* "The Texas Covid crisis worsens – why is the governor resisting masks?:" https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/aug/15/texas-covid-coronavirus-crisis-austin-greg-abbott
* "Siding with Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas Supreme Court temporarily halts mask orders in Dallas and Bexar counties:" https://www.texastribune.org/2021/08/15/texas-coronavirus-supreme-court-school-mask-mandate/
* I hope it works. "Texas school district makes masks part of dress code to get around Gov. Abbott's order:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/texas-school-district-makes-masks-part-dress-code-get-around-n1277040
* "As COVID-19 Surges, Mississippi Hospital 'Days Away' From Turning Away Patients:" https://www.npr.org/2021/08/14/1027756573/as-covid-19-surges-mississippi-hospital-days-away-from-turning-away-patients
* "Field hospital opens in parking garage as Mississippi sees 'skyrocketing' crush of COVID patients:" https://abcnews.go.com/Health/field-hospital-opens-parking-garage-mississippi-sees-skyrocketing/story?id=79433418
* "Doctor laments amount of 'young death' as Covid patients jam Mississippi hospitals:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/doctor-laments-amount-of-young-death-as-covid-patients-jam-mississippi-hospitals-118683717858
* "'Save our babies': As another Mississippi child dies of COVID-19, communities beg for help:" https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/local/2021/08/16/fifth-child-mississippi-dies-covid-19/8150426002/
* "DeSoto County COVID cases rise 151% as Mississippi cases surge toward new peak:" https://www.wreg.com/news/coronavirus/desoto-county-covid-cases-rise-151-as-mississippi-cases-surge/
* "As COVID surges, Mississippi sets up second field hospital:" https://apnews.com/article/health-coronavirus-pandemic-mississippi-edbfe1ae66fc3d15a73d9962b284a9f6
* "Metro Atlanta school districts report over 4,000 cases of COVID-19 in first weeks:" https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/metro-atlanta-school-districts-report-over-3700-cases-covid-19-first-weeks/KO37EA3M5NDRFPGCGVEY6OIA4U/
* "Louisiana's health care system nearing 'major failure' under COVID surge, says Gov. John Bel Edwards:" https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/article_35d58738-fc87-11eb-a14c-cb993c0fdd54.html
* "Louisiana lawmakers hold contentious hearing on COVID-19:" https://apnews.com/article/business-health-louisiana-education-coronavirus-pandemic-082e94c98144f3dfa2005e6f43f6cd32
* "'No beds anywhere': As COVID wards expand, Louisiana's small hospitals have nowhere to turn:" https://www.nola.com/news/coronavirus/article_2dc75078-fc7b-11eb-a04d-8f9b3ec919cf.html
* "COVID in Louisiana schools: As students return to campuses, infection rates are worse than ever:" https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/coronavirus/article_88df9674-fb80-11eb-b4fb-93a296642845.html
* "Nearly 1,000 confirmed COVID cases in Middle TN schools; hundreds quarantined for exposure:" https://www.wkrn.com/news/nearly-1000-confirmed-covid-cases-in-middle-tn-schools/
* "Oregon governor orders National Guard to help frontline workers in Covid-19 battle:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/oregon-governor-orders-national-guard-help-frontline-workers-covid-19-n1276817
* "Nearly 4,400 new COVID-19 cases in Oregon over the weekend, health officials say:" https://katu.com/news/local/nearly-4400-new-covid-19-cases-in-oregon-over-the-weekend-health-officials-say
* "Fueled by delta variant, 500,000 coronavirus cases now tallied in Washington state:" https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/fueled-by-delta-variant-washington-state-surpasses-500000-covid-19-cases/
* "Inslee announces vaccination requirement for most state employees, private health care and…:" https://medium.com/wagovernor/inslee-announces-vaccination-requirement-for-most-state-employees-private-health-care-and-7c765161cbb6
* "Whatcom sees 300 confirmed COVID cases last week, as hospital sets pandemic record high:" https://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/coronavirus/article253520639.html
* "Supreme Court rejects challenge to Indiana University's vaccination requirement:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-rejects-challenge-indiana-university-s-vaccination-requirement-n1276714
* "Curfew could be implemented as hospitalizations, cases continue to soar:" https://www.khon2.com/top-stories/curfew-could-be-implemented-as-hospitalizations-cases-continue-to-soar/
* "27 people aboard Carnival cruise test positive for COVID-19:" https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-business-health-travel-caribbean-4dd34f14b6a6365f48b3375c57ba4fb4
* My community knows from plagues. "Overwhelming majority of LGBT+ adults have been vaccinated against COVID in the US:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/16/lgbt-adults-covid-cavvine/
* "Man stabbed near L.A. City Hall as vaccine mandate protest turns violent:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/08/15/la-vaccine-protest-stabbing/
* "Jen Psaki shuts down Fox reporter with reminder Trump suggested injecting bleach as COVID cure:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/13/jen-psaki-trump-covid-disenfectant/
* "Gov. Greg Abbott tests positive for COVID after jam-packed, maskless GOP event:" https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/No-mask-no-social-distancing-no-problem-for-16393209.php
* "Vaccinated Texas Gov. Abbott Covid positive after heedless hobnobbing at maskless GOP fete:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/vaccinated-texas-gov-abbott-covid-positive-after-heedless-hobnobbing-at-maskless-gop-fete-118920773640
* "Antivaccine, Anti-LGBTQ+ Texas Politician Dies After COVID Diagnosis:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/2021/8/05/antivaccine-anti-lgbtq-texas-politician-dies-after-covid-diagnosis
*********************************************************************************************************
* Remember way back at the beginning of this when I wrote extensively in livejournal during the lead up to the Afghan war, that we shouldn't invade Afghanistan because there was very little chance of us achieving any long term good? Remember how I wrote about the long history of resistance their and the then recent Russian occupation? Remember how I said we had no clear exit strategy and that it looked to me like a potential forever war as we suck at things like nation building? That this sure looked like the recipe for another Vietnam? Remember I said we, as a country are not nearly bright enough to meddle with that part of the world. Yes, there are experts who are, but US foreign policy is a blunt instrument mostly wielded by the willfully ignorant with agendas that have nothing to do with working with locals to actually fix things.
Yeah.
My father was against the Vietnam war and at the same time we abandoned all those people who helped us to horrors. I was raised on images of the fall of Saigon, people desperately grabbing on to helicopter legs. I had a Vietnamese friend at my second college who'd been in a camp as a young child after the war and went through horrible trauma before she got out. Most of her family wasn't as lucky. They were mostly tortured to death.
I am furious we went in knowing we were only going to make things worse, kill and maim so many people, waist so many resources. I am furious zero effort is being made yet again to save people who risked everything to help us. Terrible things are going to happen and the second we invaded that became our fault the same way the terrible things we did there are all fault.
* "Only Congress member to vote against Afghanistan war in 2001 speaks out:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/only-congress-member-to-vote-against-afghanistan-war-in-2001-speaks-out-118830661619
* "Chaos is unfolding in Afghanistan. Here's what you need to know.:" https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/15/politics/taliban-kabul-afghanistan-explainer/index.html
* "Mapping the advance of the Taliban in Afghanistan:" https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-57933979
* "‘Game over’: Westerners rush to leave Kabul, rescue Afghans:" https://apnews.com/article/business-kabul-3bf5dcb07bb97ab8851cadce9336574b
* "Afghanistan in chaos as thousands try to flee Kabul after Taliban takeover:" https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2021/08/16/chaos-afghanistan-thousands-flee-amid-taliban-takeover-kabul/8147024002/
* "Frantic exodus from Afghanistan ties U.S. in logistical knot at Kabul airport:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/frantic-exodus-from-afghanistan-ties-u-s-in-logistical-knot-at-kabul-airport-118920773749
* "Ousted Afghan President Ashraf Ghani resurfaces in UAE after fleeing Kabul, Emirati government says:" https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/18/afghan-president-ashraf-ghani-is-in-uae-after-fleeing-afghanistan.html
* "'I stand squarely behind my decision': Biden holds firm on Afghanistan drawdown:" https://www.politico.com/news/2021/08/16/joe-biden-afghanistan-drawdown-decision-505179
* "Full speech: President Biden addresses nation on Afghanistan:" https://www.nbcnews.com/video/full-speech-president-biden-addresses-nation-on-afghanistan-118814277554
* "What Biden lost in Afghanistan:" https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-nightly/2021/08/16/what-biden-lost-in-afghanistan-493977
* "6 Political Takeaways For President Biden From The Chaotic Afghanistan Withdrawal:" https://www.npr.org/2021/08/17/1028329119/biden-kabul-withdrawal-political-consequences
* "The awkward Trumpy truth about Afghanistan's likely new Taliban leader:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/the-awkward-trumpy-truth-about-afghanistan-s-likely-new-taliban-leader-mullah-baradar-118918725748
* "Afghan security forces’ wholesale collapse was years in the making:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/afghan-security-forces-capabilities/2021/08/15/052a45e2-fdc7-11eb-a664-4f6de3e17ff0_story.html
* "Maddow: Vanishing Afghan army disproves premise of U.S. presence in Afghanistan:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/maddow-vanishing-afghan-army-disproves-premise-of-u-s-presence-in-afghanistan-118836293933
* "Billions spent on Afghan army ultimately benefited Taliban:" https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-army-taliban-995b069a9008690582cb34f4cacd8515
* "U.S. investment in Afghanistan bought infrastructure, corruption and a lot of weaponry:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/u-s-investment-in-afghanistan-bought-infrastructure-corruption-and-a-lot-of-weaponry-118836293710
* "Journalist asks on Afghanistan: What were we doing for the last two decades?:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/watch/afghanistan-under-taliban-u-s-withdrawal-of-troops-president-biden-s-address-analyzed-by-experts-118832197827
* "'Every second is a life or death': Marine encourages expediting Afghan evacuations:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/-every-second-is-a-life-or-death-marine-encourages-expediting-afghan-evacuations-119009861577
* "Americans at home tap every resource to help colleagues escape Afghanistan exodus gridlock:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/americans-at-home-tap-every-resource-to-help-colleagues-escape-afghanistan-exodus-gridlock-119006789555
* "Statement to President Biden from The Washington Post, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/pr/2021/08/16/statement-president-biden-washington-post-new-york-times-wall-street-journal/
* "Afghan women journalists stalwart in face of Taliban takeover:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/afghan-women-journalists-stalwart-in-face-of-taliban-takeover-118919749714
* "CNN’s Ward says Kabul colleague nearly pistol-whipped:" https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/cnns-ward-says-kabul-colleague-nearly-pistol-whipped/
* "The Taliban’s Return Is Catastrophic for Women:" https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2021/08/the-talibans-return-is-awful-for-women-in-afghanistan/619765/
* "Taliban's terrifying treatment of LGBT+ people is no longer a horror of the past:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/18/taliban-afghanistan-lgbt-sharia-law/
* "The Dire Plight of LGBTQ+ Afghan Refugees:" https://www.advocate.com/commentary/2021/8/16/dire-plight-lgbtq-afghan-refugees
* "'Everything is gone' for LGBT+ Afghans, says bisexual man who escaped the Taliban:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/19/taliban-afghanistan-lgbt-kabul/
"He is deeply worried for LGBT+ people in his home country, but he is also terrified for his atheist friends who he fears will face persecution from the Taliban. When he still lived in Afghanistan, Mehrshad used to meet with a group of fellow atheists once a week where they would discuss what books they were reading and talk about different ideologies. Because many of them were visible and vocal about their atheism, Mehrshad fears they could be at the top of the Taliban’s list for persecution."
* "How You Can Help LGBTQ+ Afghans in Crisis:" https://www.advocate.com/world/2021/8/17/how-you-can-help-lgbtq-afghans-crisis
* "As Taliban widens its grip, Afghans reckon with life under militant rule:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/08/13/afghanistan-taliban-rule/
* "Evacuations continue in Afghanistan – in pictures:" https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2021/aug/17/the-fall-of-afghanistan-in-pictures
* "Afghan woman to Biden: ‘Please save the families’ :" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/afghanistan-s-first-female-air-force-pilot-niloofar-rahmani-begs-biden-to-save-the-families-118829125656
* "Engel: Despite peaceful rhetoric, Taliban hasn't changed:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/engel-despite-peaceful-rhetoric-taliban-hasn-t-changed-118839877714
* "'There's no one to help. They're stuck there.': Afghan women look for escape from Taliban:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/-there-s-no-one-to-help-they-re-stuck-there-afghan-women-look-for-escape-from-taliban-118840901912
* "Rep. Jason Crow: You just can't deal with the Taliban:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/watch/afghanistan-deteriorating-rapidly-as-taliban-seizes-control-and-u-s-withdraws-analyzed-by-rep-jason-crow-nbc-s-richard-engel-118676037522
* "On the Ground in Kandahar as the Taliban Closed in:"
* "The Taliban Was Never Going to Share Power:"
* "Inside the Taliban's Takeover of Afghanistan:"
* "David Corn: I’m not surprised to see Republicans using Afghanistan for political points:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/watch/biden-being-blamed-for-botched-afghanistan-withdrawal-called-out-by-politics-experts-118833221792
* "Fox News, Stephen Miller fan anti-refugee flames amid Afghanistan crisis:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/fox-news-stephen-miller-fan-anti-refugee-flames-amid-afghanistan-crisis-says-mehdi-hasan-118912069559
* "Rep. Omar responds to radio host saying Biden wants ‘a couple hundred thousand more Ilhan Omars’:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/watch/republicans-saying-they-do-not-want-afghan-refugees-to-come-to-u-s-slammed-by-rep-ilhan-omar-118913093985
* "Fearless advocate Tori Cooper is first Black trans woman appointed to presidential HIV council:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/16/tori-cooper-presidential-hiv-council/
* "DeJoy bought up to $305,000 in bonds from USPS board chair’s investment firm:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/08/13/dejoy-usps-bloom-bonds-brookfield/
* "Louis DeJoy finance entanglements with supportive USPS board member raise ethics questions:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/louis-dejoy-finance-entanglements-with-supportive-usps-board-member-raise-ethics-questions-118682181957
* "House Moderates Say They Won’t Back Budget Vote Until Infrastructure Bill Passes:" https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/13/us/politics/house-democrats-budget-infrastructure.html
* "Pelosi seeks to advance bipartisan infrastructure bill and $3.5 trillion budget plan at same time:" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pelosi-infrastructure-bill-buget-resolution-house/
* "Biden Administration Prompts Largest Permanent Increase in Food Stamps:" https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/15/us/politics/biden-food-stamps.html
* I am frightened if we lose this time we lose for generations, the way it happened when Radical Reconstruction ended. We lose the right to vote, we lose everything.
* Have something you want to tell your Senators? If you can't safely protest in person, here are some other options:
Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to the representative of your choice.
This App phones your rep for you: http://takeastance.us/
Here is one that will send your reps a fax: https://resistbot.io/
* "New intel reports indicate fresh efforts by Russia to interfere in 2022 election:" https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/13/politics/intel-report-russia-election-interference-2022/index.html
* "After Threats And Pressure, Fulton County Voter Registration Chief Resigns:" https://www.wabe.org/after-threats-and-pressure-fulton-county-voter-registration-chief-resigns/
* "FBI joins criminal probe in Colorado voting equipment breach:" https://apnews.com/article/technology-colorado-voting-hacking-1b6cf27c95b376edcf91bb53af4a4d40
* "Report Shows Big Spike in Mail Ballots During 2020 Election:" https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2021-08-16/report-shows-big-spike-in-mail-ballots-during-2020-election
* "She risked everything to expose Facebook. Now she’s telling her story.:" https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/07/29/1030260/facebook-whistleblower-sophie-zhang-global-political-manipulation/
* "Federal officials press GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert over apparent personal use of campaign funds:" https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/18/lauren-boebert-questioned-over-personal-use-of-campaign-funds.html
* "Rand Paul discloses 16 months late that his wife bought stock in company behind covid treatment:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/08/11/rand-paul-gilead-stock/
* "Rand Paul reveals his wife bought stock in Covid treatment in February 2020:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/rand-paul-reveals-his-wife-bought-stock-in-covid-treatment-in-february-2020-118671941792
* "Kevin McCarthy Hawks ‘Moron’ T-Shirts In Spectacular Self-Own:" https://www.huffpost.com/entry/kevin-mccarthy-t-shirt_n_611611c4e4b07c14031367c6
* "Lindsey Graham Clicks Up His Heels at Mar-a-Lago:" https://www.advocate.com/commentary/2021/8/16/lindsey-graham-clicks-his-heels-mar-lago
* "Trump not back in office Aug. 13 despite QAnon, MyPillow predictions:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/trump-not-back-in-office-aug-13-despite-qanon-mypillow-predictions-118671429765
* "Former U.S. attorney in Atlanta says Trump wanted to fire him for not backing election fraud claims.:" https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/11/us/politics/byung-pak-trump-atlanta-election-fraud.html
* "'Relevant and useful': Criminal probe of Trump keen on new Georgia coup plot reporting:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/-relevant-and-useful-criminal-probe-of-trump-keen-on-new-georgia-coup-plot-reporting-118684741869
* "Former AG Holder on whether Trump should be ‘held accountable if found to have committed criminal acts’:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/watch/trump-facing-prosecution-for-allegations-of-seeking-to-overturn-election-discussed-by-former-ag-eric-holder-118675525570
* "Trump pardon worthless to Kushner pal facing new state charges:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/trump-pardon-worthless-to-kushner-pal-facing-new-state-charges-119009861883
* "Kushner friend Ken Kurson charged in N.Y. eavesdropping case after Trump pardon:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/ken-kurson-kushner-friend-charged-trump-pardon/2021/08/18/d670ef70-ffac-11eb-a664-4f6de3e17ff0_story.html
* "Rep. Hakeem Jeffries recounts Jan. 6 moment when the ‘jackets came off’:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/rep-hakeem-jeffries-recounts-jan-6-capitol-riot-moment-when-the-jackets-came-off-118909509862
* "Multiracial population grew in almost every county in the US. It doesn't mean racism is over:" https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/15/us/census-2020-multiracial-nation/index.html
* "NRA Must Be Dissolved After Failing to Clean Up Misconduct, New York Says:" https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-17/nra-failed-to-clean-up-misconduct-must-be-dissolved-n-y-says
* "More Cubans try dangerous trip to US across Florida Straits:" https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-joe-biden-travel-cuba-caribbean-cacce3184f5d48460967d89536042670
* "Senators Press State Department on Support for LGBTQ+ Asylum Seekers:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/2021/8/06/senators-press-state-department-support-lgbtq-asylum-seekers
* "‘Warrior mindset’ police training proliferated. Then, high-profile deaths put it under scrutiny.:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/08/11/police-training-warrior-mindset-killology/
* "Phoenix police officers passed around a coin to celebrate shooting anti-Trump protesters in the groin. The police chief got a 'written reprimand' for it.:" https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/phoenix-police-officers-passed-around-131704848.html
* "Is This Man Serving a Life Sentence Because of a Mistaken Identity?:" https://www.gq.com/story/thomas-james-tragic-murder-case
* "Stopping Violence Over Prison Phone Time? There’s an App for That.:" https://mailchi.mp/themarshallproject/cbpj1etnns
* "Prisons Are Increasingly Banning Physical Mail:" https://slate.com/technology/2021/08/prisons-banning-physical-mail.html
* "Hate crime charges for man who allegedly launched racist, homophobic attack on Asian family:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/12/gay-asian-washington-dc-homophobia/
* "Pride flags banned at school. So, a neighbour decided to pick up their paintbrush:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/13/pride-flags-blm-newberg-oregon/
"School board director and vice chair Brian Shannon, who believes Pride flags are “divisive”, even suggested that the board look at drafting “replacement language” for the districts anti-racism policy and repealing the Oregon Department of Education’s Every Student Belongs policy, which bans hate symbols including swastikas and the Confederate flag."
* "The Unmaking of Biblical Womanhood:" https://www.newyorker.com/news/on-religion/the-unmaking-of-biblical-womanhood
* "Buck Angel: When Trans Folks Weaponize Transphobia For Themselves:"
* "Bigot banned from store for putting 'gay pervert' signs up loses 'vexatious' discrimination case:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/13/evangelical-discrimination-case/
* "Bi Olympic hero Jack Woolley battered by gang of 12:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/15/jack-woolley-attack-dublin/
* "Couple beaten with glass bottles in brutal homophobic attack in Birmingham's Gay Village:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/16/birmingham-gay-village-homophobic-attack/
* "Two teenage girls beaten and robbed in ‘unprovoked homophobic hate crime’:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/15/homophobic-attack-hertfordshire/
* "Children beaten and spat on by gang of youths spouting homophobic and transphobic hate:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/17/children-homophobic-attack-liverpool/
* "Liverpool to ‘reclaim Pride’ after spate of violence with defiant, anti-capitalist protest:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/12/liverpool-reclaim-pride-lgbt/
* "Man on jet ski hurls foul homophobic abuse at beachgoers:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/12/jet-ski-homophobic-mudeford/
* "Black Trans Woman Miss CoCo Killed in Dallas:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/2021/8/13/black-trans-woman-miss-coco-killed-dallas
* "Arkansas Man Gets 50-Year Sentence in Death of Trans Teen:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/2021/8/16/arkansas-man-gets-50-year-sentence-death-trans-teen
* "Catholic school can legally fire teacher for being in same-sex marriage, court rules:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/12/catholic-roncalli-lynn-starkey/
* "Human Trials to Begin for Moderna's HIV Vaccine:" https://www.hivplusmag.com/treatment/2021/8/17/human-trials-begin-modernas-hiv-vaccine
* "Gilead: Two of Our HIV Drugs Were Tampered With:" https://www.hivplusmag.com/news/2021/8/12/gilead-two-our-hiv-drugs-were-tampered
* CW: Eating Disorders. "‘We are all suffering in silence’ — Inside the US military’s pervasive culture of eating disorders:" https://taskandpurpose.com/news/military-eating-disorders/
* "Deaf Children in Developing Countries Are Getting Inferior Cochlear Implants:" https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/deaf-children-in-developing-countries-are-getting-inferior-cochlear-implants/
* "A Surprising Side Effect of Giving Birth:" https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2021/07/link-between-giving-birth-and-getting-cavities/619576/
* "‘He Thought What He Was Doing Was Good for People’:" https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2021/08/health-care-sherman-sorensen-pfo-closures/619649/
* "Haiti quake death toll rises to 1,419, injured now at 6,000:" https://apnews.com/article/health-caribbean-coronavirus-pandemic-united-nations-haiti-a625e4406ffa26e43d8b42cb71c9ba7f
* "Death toll from Haiti’s weekend earthquake raised to 1,941:" https://www.live5news.com/2021/08/16/quake-injured-wait-help-new-disaster-overwhelms-haiti/
* "Desperation, pressure for aid increase in Haiti after quake:" https://apnews.com/article/business-health-caribbean-coronavirus-pandemic-haiti-7901eacc8e6901885d6e6cd0b115bb40
*****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
The World is basically on Fire/Melting. I'm putting stuff to do with it here.
* "Greenhouse gas emissions must peak within 4 years, says leaked UN report:" https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/aug/12/greenhouse-gas-emissions-must-peak-within-4-years-says-leaked-un-report
* "Droughts shrink hydropower, pose risk to global push to clean energy:" https://www.reuters.com/business/sustainable-business/inconvenient-truth-droughts-shrink-hydropower-pose-risk-global-push-clean-energy-2021-08-13/
* "Flooding in China kills 21, as thousands escape to shelters.:" https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/13/world/asia/china-flooding-evacuations.html
* "Flash Floods in Turkey Kill 59, and Dozens Are Still Missing:" https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/15/world/europe/turkey-floods.html
* "North Africa Fires Spread to Libya and Tunisia:" https://www.voanews.com/middle-east/north-africa-fires-spread-libya-and-tunisia
* CW: Lynching "Algeria: 61 arrested after mob kills man falsely accused of starting deadly fires:" https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/18/algeria-61-arrested-after-mob-kills-man-falsely-accused-of-starting-deadly-fires
* "Morocco Deploys Canadair Water Bombers to Manage Chefchaouen Fires:" https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2021/08/343913/morocco-deploys-canadair-water-bombers-to-manage-chefchaouen-fires
* "Wildfire in Jerusalem hills sends smoke clouds over city:" https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/wildfire-blazes-jerusalem-hills-2021-08-15/
* "Greece wildfires: Winds fan 2 new blazes outside of Athens:" https://apnews.com/article/europe-middle-east-fires-environment-and-nature-greece-c20f44f43e116b7afbbca28fed802348
* "Hundreds are evacuated as tinderbox Spain tackles wildfires:" https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/hundreds-evacuated-tinderbox-spain-tackles-wildfires-79467665
* "‘All that’s left are ashes’: Italian communities count cost of wildfires:" https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/13/all-thats-left-are-ashes-italian-communities-count-cost-of-wildfires
* "105 forest fires burning in northwestern Ontario on Sunday morning:" https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/forest-fire-update-1.6141726
* "Kananaskis, Canmore have worst air quality in Canada after wildfires:" https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/air-quality-wildfire-canmore-kananaskis-1.6142459
* "Crews battle Western wildfires that have caused thousands of evacuations:" https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/16/weather/us-western-wildfires-monday/index.html
* "Thousands Evacuate as Wildfires Ravage Utah and Northern California:" https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/15/us/utah-california-wildfire-evacuations.html
* "Northern California wildfire triples in size, forcing thousands to evacuate:" https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/18/weather/us-western-wildfires-wednesday/index.html
* "California Drought Takes Toll on World's Top Almond Producer:" https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2021-08-17/california-drought-takes-toll-on-worlds-top-almond-producer
* "He Wrote a Gardening Column. He Ended Up Documenting Climate Change.:" https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/28/magazine/gardening-column-climate-change.html
*****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
* "Why Are Farmers in Senegal Creating Gardens That Look Like Crop Circles?:" https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/tolou-keur-circle-garden-senegal
* "Shift away from earthen homes ‘environmentally damaging’:" https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210809144043.htm
* "40 Million People Rely on the Colorado River, and Now It's Drying Up:"
* "First-ever water shortage on the Colorado River will bring cuts for Arizona farmers:" https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-environment/2021/08/16/colorado-river-shortage-bring-water-cuts-arizona-farmers/8150901002/
* "How Your Cup of Coffee Is Clearing the Jungle:" https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/11/magazine/indonesia-rainforest-coffee.html
* "Meet the 'seed detective' on a mission to save our rarest vegetables:" https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/03/europe/seed-detective-heritage-seed-library-spc-intl/index.html
* "The Ingenious Ancient Technology Concealed in the Shallows:" https://www.hakaimagazine.com/features/the-ingenious-ancient-technology-concealed-in-the-shallows/
* On so called 'Smart Cities:' https://laughingacademy.tumblr.com/post/659441941482733569/smart-cities-are-neither-2021-edition
* "Studland Bay 'eco-moorings' set up to protect seahorses:" https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-dorset-57999730
* "What Animals See in the Stars, and What They Stand to Lose:" https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/29/science/animals-starlight-navigation-dacke.html
* "There and back again: The epic adventures of China's wandering elephants:" https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-58196663
* "How ancient people fell in love with bread, beer and other carbs:" https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01681-w
* "This 3,700-Year-Old Tablet Shows The Oldest Known Example of Applied Geometry:" https://www.sciencealert.com/this-3-700-year-old-tablet-shows-the-oldest-known-example-of-applied-geometry
* "For Centuries, England's Go-To Apple Utensil Was a Sheep Bone:" https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/antique-apple-scoops
* CW: Suicide Mentions. "The Poisonous Romance of Madeleine Smith:"
* "A Toolbox in Your Pocket: The History of the Swiss Army Knife:"
* CW: Child Murder "Leopold and Loeb: The "Genius" Killers:"
* CW: Suicide Mention. "The Lead Masks of Vintém Hill:"
* "Black Nite Brawl: 60 Year Anniversary of Pre-Stonewall Bar Uprising:" https://www.advocate.com/news/2021/8/05/milwaukee-marks-60th-anniversary-pre-stonewall-bar-uprising
* CW: Pedophilia, Child Death. "Cropsey: The Boogeyman of Staten Island:"
* "Dr Death: Modern History's Worst Serial Killer:"
* "Robert Pickton: The Pig Farmer Killer:"
* "Nagasaki marks 76th anniversary of atomic bombing:" https://apnews.com/article/europe-business-bombings-63b48fdaf8e219c62663d48c138b6a3d
* "Mark Twitchell: The Dexter Killer (Part 1):"
* "What Should You Do With a Captured Nazi Flag?:" https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/captured-nazi-flags
* "How Blind Activists Fought for Blind Workers:" https://daily.jstor.org/how-blind-activists-fought-for-blind-workers/
* "She was the only member of Congress to vote against war in Afghanistan. Some called her a traitor.:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2021/08/17/barbara-lee-afghanistan-vote/
* "Breivik survivors keep fighting for their vision of Norway:" https://apnews.com/article/europe-norway-34f288881c5f26364d38f651a928649e
* "Mary Cunningham Simpson, the UK’s forgotten lesbian pioneer, tragically dies aged 74:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/19/mary-cunningham-simpson-lesbian-death/
* "'River Dave' Doesn't Think He Can Go Back to Being a Hermit:" https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/new-hampshire/articles/2021-08-11/river-dave-doesnt-think-he-can-go-back-to-being-a-hermit
* "When Pets Need Lawyers:"
* "Opioids III: The Sacklers: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver:"
* "Andrew Cuomo, Don't Let The Door Hit You On The Way Out:"
* Can we bring nuance back? "Fandom's Biggest Controversy: The Story of Proshippers vs Antis:"
* "Therapist Reacts to KNIVES OUT:"
* "The Conjuring: A Proper Movie Trilogy:"
* "Marlon Brando Stars As "The Covid One":"
* "The Vaccine Conspiracy Train Makes Stops At Ivermectin, Chimpanzees, And "I Am Legend":"
* "All The Nudes That's Fit To Print - The New York Times Has A New Motto:"
* "Therapist Reacts to A QUIET PLACE:"
* "Can I Pee Here?:"
* Saturday some friends drove up to visit. It was excellent, but looking at the PNW COVID numbers, I'm going to have to go back to stricter protocols, I think.
As of Monday, I've been threeish weeks without a properly working nebulizer motor. With the air quality as bad as it was last week, I should be doing three doses a day. My normal amount is two. I can just coax oneish dose out in two partial doses a day. I feel like shit, frankly. I'm pretty sure the air filtering is the only way I function at all.
* I got my flu shot today. It was a bit of an odyssey as they made me wait more than half an hour before realizing that even though I get it there every year they randomly no longer take Medicare advantage. Sigh. At least they were kind enough to tell me which pharmacy chain still takes it.
Why didn't I go to my Doctor? Pharmacies get it a month earlier than poverty clinic and I try to go as early in season as I can manage so that I don't turn out to be too sick to get it at appointment time.
Both pharmacies had covid vaccine patients ahead of me. I was the only flu shot that day at either place and it was already evening. Yay, people getting covid shots! Seriously, if you haven't got yours go! Go right away! If you already have been vaccinated? Please go get your flu shot. I know it's likely not a serious risk to you unless you are about my levelish of sick or worse, but it is way nicer not getting flu at all, and it is a risk to people around you. Save your grandmother. Save the cashier with underlying health condition. Save the kid with cancer living on your block. The mild inconvenience of a flu shot is nothing compared to actual flu.
Please, I beg you every year, but CDC is really worried about how flu season is going to go this year given the givens.
* "Sunday Sweets: Grandma's Kitchen Counter :" https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/2021/8/15/sunday-sweets-grandmas-kitchen-counter
* "What Are Your Preconceptions of Disability and Sexuality?:" https://www.advocate.com/photography/2021/8/12/what-are-your-preconceptions-disability-and-sexuality#media-gallery-media-8
* "Just Enough Rain:" http://giganotosaurus.org/2021/05/01/just-enough-rain/?fbclid=IwAR2LTT7udjMOKc5k_0J1i5efsOiwo4hG17f-0THXGZvCmbGaCIycCdbTo_E
* ToS: Season 2 Rewatch:
- 3.1: Spock's Brain.
*facepalm* This one is infamous. A mysterious ship shows up. A woman beams aboard. Everyone is knocked out. She takes Spock to sick bay and steals his brain. Somehow they get him on life support. They have to get his brain back before his body dies. Uhura asks the important question: why do they want Spock's brain.
Anyway, they follow the ion trail back to the planet where they think they took the brain. Some barbarians, who definitely were not the sort to have higher tech than the federation, attack. They stun one to question. The Barbarian thinks they are small, "Like the the Others, the givers of pain and delight." The Barbarians are all men; the others are women with some male barbarian servants. The Barbarian doesn't want to go to the buried city where the Others are and runs away.
The Landing Party finds a cave of supplies that may be a trap. Kirk sends for Spock and Bones. The brain nappers are confused, with minds like children. They contact Spock on the communicators. The Women capture them and question them. One is the brain abductor, but she doesn't remember at all. They serve the Controller. Bones explains brains to the women. Kirk works out that Spock's brain is the Controller.
The women give the Landing Party a long pain zap and go to work out what to do. They say a lot of sexist things, particularly Scotty. The Landing Party beats up the guards and escape. They explain to Spock he's a disembodied brain. Spock points out Bones doesn't have the technological knowledge to put his brain back in. Spock tells them how to get the pain bands off.
They find the Brain chamber. Head woman zaps them. Kirk uses his remote control to get Spock's body to release them. The Woman says if they take Spock's brain they will all die. It clearly runs their city. They find out their is a taped archive of the knowledge of the city builders they can access through "The Teacher" which is how the woman stole the brain in the first place.
They force the woman into the machine. She threatens them with the phasor, now she's bright. They steal the phasor back. The Teacher only gives three hours of knowledge. She refuses to put the brain back. Bones wants to try despite the brain damage risk. Bones hopes he can retain the knowledge. (Side note: The teacher looks like a crown to match the Iron Throne.)
Bones starts putting the brain back. The women is distressed by the coming civilization collapse. Kirk basically tells her she can trade sex for food and warmth. Eeew. Bones starts to forget how to do the operation. They connect Spock's vocal cords so he can help, instead of putting him under again for some reason. Spock talks him through it. Apparently the split happened during a glacial age. Bones is a jerk about the exposition.
This whole episode.... Sigh.
*****
* Full list of Resistance and charity links has been migrated to my profile as it was getting out of hand.
The help links are at the bottom under the cut.
* "How You Can Help LGBTQ+ Afghans in Crisis:" https://www.advocate.com/world/2021/8/17/how-you-can-help-lgbtq-afghans-crisis
* Hey! Want to propose Washington State geographical features to be renamed? "Committee on Geographic Names:" https://www.dnr.wa.gov/about/boards-and-councils/board-natural-resources/committee-geographic-names
* Want to help get Rand Paul out of the senate? Support Charles Booker:" https://secure.actblue.com/donate/cb-ads-dd-google-senate-launch?source=ads_ms_CHB_20210701-DD-GS-SenateLaunch_brandedkw-Natl-1865U-MF_a003-CHB-cbfuss-gstxt-txt&gclid=Cj0KCQjwxJqHBhC4ARIsAChq4auMxkyB4EqbiJYINuvQfZwWndHRj6juSW_B_MPhbIc8BhM8dJPkZbEaArBaEALw_wcB
* Want to help Chris Jones against Sarah Huckabee sanders in Arkansas? https://secure.actblue.com/donate/chrisjonesar
* Chicksaw bead artist and cool person has Kiamichi Beading suitable for non-native sale: https://www.instagram.com/kiamichi_beading/
* My oldest continuous friend made this. "Echoes of Kyrill:" https://www.dmsguild.com/product/366097/Echoes-of-Kyrill
* Mutual Aid Link Round Up: https://laughingacademy.tumblr.com/post/645696532415447040/popss-great-big-mutual-aid-masterpost
* Want to help the Asian Community?
https://nymag.com/strategist/article/where-to-donate-to-help-asian-communities-2021.html
https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/stop-aapi-hate
https://www.advancingjustice-atlanta.org/
* Cat Rescue Fundraiser: https://gwydionmisha.tumblr.com/post/642429918533304320/design-a-tea-where-tea-leaves-dream-custom
* "The Midwest Immigration Bond Fund!:" https://secure.actblue.com/donate/midwestibf
* What to help fight for queer people in Africa? Try the Initiative Sankofa D’Afrique de l’Ouest www.ISDAO.org
* Organizations to help trans folk: https://gwydionmisha.tumblr.com/post/620857152453640195/about-us
* "How to Safely and Ethically Film Police Misconduct:" https://www.teenvogue.com/story/how-to-film-police-safely
* Master Post for how to help organizations fighting Police violence: https://gwydionmisha.tumblr.com/post/620861026680881152/oberynmartell-list-of-black-lives-matter-and
* How to donate to Doctors Without Borders: https://donate.doctorswithoutborders.org/onetime.cfm?source=ADD200U0U00&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=googlepaid&utm_content=brand&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIz8D9kYu46QIVqh6tBh2WogxQEAAYASAAEgK4FfD_BwE
* Register to vote: https://vote.gov/
* A list of organizations to help you run for office: http://lovingmyselfishard.tumblr.com/post/167330144634/psst-hey
* The Indivisible guide exists to help you organize effective resistance: https://indivisible.org/
* Have something you want to tell your Congress Critters? If you can't safely protest in person, here are some other options:
Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to the representative of your choice.
This App phones your rep for you: http://takeastance.us/
Here is one that will send your reps a fax: https://resistbot.io/
* Help pay for cat food, litter, meds, medical copays: Paypal Lethran@gmail.com or paypal.me/Gwydion
* Birthday/Solstice master list: https://gwydion.dreamwidth.org/2108835.html