gwydion | 12/8/23 - 12/15/23 Surface Barely Scratched (Reply)

* Blood is absolutely on our hands too. This is a war crime and we are complicit. "Israel used U.S.-supplied white phosphorus in Lebanon attack:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2023/12/11/israel-us-white-phosphorus-lebanon/

* "Palestine Children’s Relief Fund:" https://pcrf1.app.neoncrm.com/forms/gaza-recovery

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* "US vetoes Israel ceasefire resolution at the UN:" https://www.politico.com/news/2023/12/08/us-vetoes-un-israel-ceasefire-resolution-00130911

* "U.N. General Assembly votes in favor of cease-fire resolution 153-10; U.S. and Israel vote against:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/live-blog/israel-hamas-war-live-updates-us-israel-increasingly-isolated-growing-rcna129223#rcrd27851

* "Former US ambassador to Israel says Netanyahu is a ‘clear and present danger’ to Israel :" https://www.politico.com/news/2023/12/10/martin-indyk-israel-says-netanyahu-is-a-clear-and-present-danger-to-israel-00130992

* "Israel-Gaza live updates: Israel pumping seawater into some Gaza tunnels:" https://www.yahoo.com/gma/israel-gaza-live-updates-idf-054343233.html

* "US still unclear on what happens when the fighting between Israel and Hamas ends:" https://www.politico.com/news/2023/12/10/blinken-fighting-between-israel-hamas-ends-00130977

* "Biden says Netanyahu must change, Israel losing global support:" https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/biden-israel-starting-lose-support-over-indiscriminate-bombing-gaza-2023-12-12/

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* "A Russian missile attack on Kyiv wounds at least 53 as Ukraine pleads for more European support:" https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/multiple-injuries-reported-nighttime-missile-attack-ukrainian-capital-105609551

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* "Maddow: 'This Congress is pitiful.'; Historically weak output from a vital institution :" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/maddow-this-congress-is-pitiful-historically-weak-output-from-a-vital-institution-199993413869

* "Reject online censorship. Tell lawmakers to oppose KOSA!:" https://www.stopkosa.com/

* "TELL CONGRESS, SAY NO TO BAD INTERNET BILLS:" https://www.badinternetbills.com/

* "You Can Help Stop These Bad Internet Bills:" https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/07/you-can-help-stop-these-bad-internet-bills

* Have something you want to tell your Congress Critters? If you can't safely contact them 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.

Here is one that will send your reps a fax: https://resist.bot/

* The Indivisible Guide: "A Practical Guide to defeating MAGA:" https://indivisible.org/sites/default/files/2023-01/20220104_Indivisible_%20A%20Practical%20Guide%20to%20Defeating%20MAGA.pdf

* I hope they clean him out. He ruined their lives. "Giuliani's race to rock bottom sets stage for pending Trump trials:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/giuliani-s-race-to-rock-bottom-sets-stage-for-pending-trump-trials-200291909682

* "'Be bold': Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz shares his advice ahead of 2024:" https://www.msnbc.com/jonathan-capehart/watch/-be-bold-minnesota-gov-tim-walz-shares-his-advice-ahead-of-2024-199875141967

* "'Viewing their faith through the prism of politics': How Evangelicals ended up in the Trump camp:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/-viewing-their-faith-through-the-prism-of-politics-how-evangelicals-ended-up-in-the-trump-camp-200091205556

* "Critics sound the alarm over the possibility of a second Trump term:" https://www.msnbc.com/jonathan-capehart/watch/critics-sound-the-alarm-over-the-possibility-of-a-second-trump-term-199840837614

* CW: Sexual Harassment "Trump's Worst Lawyer, Alina Habba, May Be Disbarred For This:"

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* "'The need for speed': Jack Smith adds specialist to shortcut Trump delay tactic:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/-the-need-for-speed-jack-smith-adds-specialist-to-shortcut-trump-delay-tactic-199993925535

* "‘Bizarre whining’: Trump lawyers call Jack Smith the Grinch in new court filing:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-bizarre-whining-trump-lawyers-call-jack-smith-the-grinch-in-new-court-filing-200182853629

* When can we start treating literal NAZIs as the terrorists they are? "Nazi flags and SS history book found in Ohio Walmart shooter's house, records show:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nazi-flags-ss-history-book-found-ohio-walmart-shooters-house-records-s-rcna126700

* "Black trans and gender non-conforming victims remembered after Ohio shooting:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/12/12/black-lgbt-remembered-ohio-shooting/

* "Federal judge prohibits separating migrant families at the border:" https://www.npr.org/2023/12/08/1218336878/immigration-family-separation-judge-settlement-border

* "Migrant families separated by Trump win major court victory though indelible trauma remains:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/migrant-families-separated-by-trump-win-major-court-victory-though-indelible-trauma-remains-199824453997

* I never liked Adams, but he gets worse and worse. ACAB. "Exclusive: 'The new Ellis Island': Migrant influx tests New York City's humanitarian ideals:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/-the-new-ellis-island-migrant-influx-tests-new-york-city-s-humanitarian-ideals-199823429527

* "‘Way wrong’: Chris Hayes debunks the myth of ‘organized’ shoplifting:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-way-wrong-chris-hayes-debunks-the-myth-of-organized-shoplifting-199816773504

* "The Drag Queens Fighting Performance Bans in Texas:" https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-the-southwest/the-drag-queens-fighting-performance-bans-in-texas

* "Right-wing fake history is making a big comeback — but it never went away:" https://www.salon.com/2023/11/04/right-wing-fake-history-is-making-a-big-comeback--but-it-never-went-away/

* CW: Rape. "Sex scandalized GOP official reportedly cites Trump values as new Republican standard:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/sex-scandalized-gop-official-reportedly-cites-trump-values-as-new-republican-standard-199825477984

* "Supreme Courts in 3 states will hear cases about abortion access this week:" https://www.npr.org/2023/12/11/1218357869/state-supreme-courts-abortion-wyoming-new-mexico-arizona

* Exceptions in the bans are lies. Republicans continue to win their war against freedom and bodily autonomy. "Texas Supreme Court rules against woman who sought abortion hours after she says she’ll travel out of state:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/texas-woman-sought-abortion-court-order-leave-state-rcna129087

* "Reality of women and pregnancy complications leaves GOP flummoxed:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/reality-of-women-and-pregnancy-complications-leaves-gop-flummoxed-200290885902

* "Texas abortion ban, Republican politics drive woman out of state for life-saving care:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/texas-abortion-ban-republican-politics-drive-woman-out-of-state-for-life-saving-care-199998533754

* "Texas woman ultimately had to flee state for abortion:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/texas-woman-ultimately-had-to-flee-state-for-abortion-200076357984

* "A Man Plagiarised My Work: Women, Money, and the Nation:"

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* "Russia declares ‘international public LGBT movement’, which does not exist, an extremist group:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/11/30/russia-supreme-court-lgbtq-activism/

* "Russian riot police raid another gay bar under ongoing crackdown on ‘LGBT movement’:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/12/13/russian-riot-police-gay-bar-lgbt-movement/

* "Odhrán Kelly: Police keeping an ‘open mind’ in murder investigation:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/12/07/odhran-kelly-murder-investigation-northern-ireland/

* "Brianna Ghey trial: Murder suspect admits ‘dark fantasies’ about torture and serial killer obsession:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/12/09/brianna-ghey-trial-dark-web-accused-torture-fantasies/

* "Man Fatally Shot Transgender Women in the Head Moments After Sex Act, Police Say :" https://www.advocate.com/crime/transgender-woman-killed-minneapolis

* "Loved ones remember trans woman Savannah Ryan Williams killed in ‘hate crime’ shooting:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/12/08/trans-woman-killed-hate-crime/

* "Another Man Is Charged in Torturing and Brutally Murdering an Arizona Gay Man:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/bernardo-pantaleon-alleged-killers-fourth

* "Florida Murder Trial Begins of Marriage Equality Pioneer Whose Body Was Found in a Landfill :" https://www.advocate.com/crime/jorge-diaz-johnson-murder-trial

* "Five things I wish I knew before starting hormones as a trans person:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/12/10/hrt-hormone-therapy-trans-gender-affirming-healthcare/#page/2

* "Ricky Gervais’ ‘heartless’ Netflix special sparks a fierce backlash over ableist language:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/12/07/ricky-gervais-heartless-netflix-special-sparks-a-fierce-backlash-over-ableist-language/

I hated him for decades over the fatphobia and misogyny. Then I hated him for the transphobia. I am not surprised in the least he's ablest.

* "New sickle cell treatment sparks feelings of hope and some hesitancy among Black patients:" https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/new-sickle-cell-treatment-sparks-feelings-hope-hesitancy-black-patient-rcna128116

* This was likely the coolest year I will experience for the rest of my life. "UN weather agency says 2023 is the hottest year on record, warns of further climate extremes ahead:" https://apnews.com/article/climate-changetemperature-increase-424df9320b443a311727f0733631974b

* "Nations made bold climate pledges. They aren’t close to meeting them.:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/11/15/un-climate-cop26-pledges/

* "Climate change affects your life in 3 big ways, a new report warns:" https://www.npr.org/2023/11/14/1206506962/climate-change-affects-your-life-in-3-big-ways-a-new-report-warns

* "Study warns about climate change misinformation during extreme weather:" https://www.axios.com/2023/11/30/misinformation-climate-change-latin-america-extreme-weather-study

* "Rising sea levels threaten hazardous waste facilities along U.S. coast:" https://www.axios.com/2023/12/10/sea-levels-hazardous-waste-climate-change

* "The Solar-Panel Backlash Is Here:" https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2023/10/solar-power-duck-curve-waste/675842/

* "Elon Musk's Thermonuclear Defamation Suit Is a Dud:"

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* "Elon Musk reinstates conspiracy theorist Alex Jones on X:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/12/10/elon-musk-conspiracy-theorist-alex-jones-x-twitter/

* "Elon Musk has boosted the 'pizzagate' conspiracy theory five times in the last two weeks:" https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/elon-musk-boosted-pizzagate-conspiracy-theory-rcna127087

* "The Washington Post Will Pause Its Advertising on X:" https://www.washingtonian.com/2023/11/28/the-washington-post-will-pause-its-advertising-on-x/

* "Oops! Elon Musk’s AI chatbot is proving him wrong about trans people:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/12/11/elon-musk-ai-chatbot/

* "Trans woman warns of dating app danger after Tinder abduction:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/12/09/south-africa-dating-app-abduction-grindr/

* "One in five Women’s World Cup players has faced sexist abuse online:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/12/12/womens-world-cup-online-abuse/

* "How Vikings Buried Their Dead:"

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* "The London History Show: Pocahontas & John Smith:"

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* "45 Years Ago, Gay Activist Anthony Adams Was Murdered. Utah Police Are Still Missing Evidence:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/anthony-adams-murder

* "Remembering Norman Lear and His Pioneering LGBTQ-Inclusive Shows:" https://www.advocate.com/people/norman-lear-remembered

* "Andre Braugher, star of ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ and ‘Men of a Certain Age,’ dies at 61:" https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2023-12-12/andre-braugher-dead-brooklyn-nine-nine

* "Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Andre Braugher Is Dead at 61:" https://www.advocate.com/obituaries/andre-braugher-dead-61

* "The Gävle Goat: A Struggle Of Tradition and Mischief:"

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* Torture appointment actually let out early because my shoulder was being a douche. I was still pretty chewed up when I set out for MRI in full dark of Northern winter morning. It ended up being a drama because the branch location is so new I've only been once so was unclear on it's location which i discovered after I left. Morning rush hour traffic jams in the dark are the worst in my opinion. In an evening in the dark traffic jam people are properly awake and respond better to sudden breaking after going 50-60 for a while. I got there ten minutes after check in time, which put me ahead of the appointment time and in any case there was the usual wait on the person ahead of me.

I have no phobias, which is helpful. It still really fucks up my body because immobilized and squeezed into a tube where it is very loud and sound chaotic is rough on my joints and my sensory system. So I don't like it, but I can handle it fine, if you follow. It is boring as I can't think properly in that sound environment, and there is a dramatic increase in pain and fall risk afterword. It is not even close to the worst thing that happens medically in a given year.

This one wasn't to bad as these things go, says a person who had their entire spine surveyed more than once. Fifteen minutes. I lucked out a little on the music as three of the five songs were actually both good and very familiar, if not things I'd pick myself.

My arm was too fucked up for home physio before bed and in any case I was too tired. I was good and did a little phone bureaucracy, but I was in extreme pain and completely worn out when I went to bed to try to catch the fivish hours of sleep I was allowed today.

Bwahahaha! No. Every time I tried to drift off the phone rang for the next twoish hours. One required me to get dressed and let people in, since I'm the person on my floor Amazon can reach. It was at this point I gave up and slept in my clothes even though the seams and confinement and wrinkles make it so much harder to sleep. I feel like eight phone calls in two hours is really excessive, but this is what sleeping while disabled is like.

I was so exhausted I ended up going back to bed after errands to sleep until dinner.

I had one of my complicated speculative fiction dreams. The special effects were Amazeballs. Good on you subconscious CGI!

This just in: The really elaborate surgery is now off the table. They think a classic total joint replacement is enough. So go me!

* My car broke yet again in late October and again in early December. As I feared in October, it was the hose that keeps the engine cool. Why feared? It's in the middle of all the gear under the hood. Hose and fluid replacements are cheap. an hour and a half of labor to take it all apart then put it back in is incredibly expensive.

As I suspected the December failure has turned out to be a different part of the computer/sensor system going with similar results as to one of the breakages last spring. This is also about an hour of labour and a part they need to order that costs about as much as the labour. It is again, a part hidden in the middle of the car. Sigh.

The good news is two generous donors turned up Thursday and Friday with the result that I not only have enough to cover the repair when the part arrives, but I can pay the most urgent and largest of the non-housing bills I pay every month, plus the car insurance auto withdraw. I'm about $100 short for the month, but that's dramatically less dire. (Thank you donors! I went to bed Friday terrified I wouldn't be able to pay the mechanic and woke up rescued.) Yes, this is the fifth repair this year. My car is about 25ish years old. I can't afford to replace it, nor can I do without it, being disabled.: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/Gwydion

* I would like to thank people for sending Squirrel gas money. He should be okay until his first paycheck comes.

* An old friend of mine's beloved dog needs money for vet bills and special food. They are $75.00 short of goal: https://www.gofundme.com/f/pay-rosies-dental-bills

* Regulations are written in blood. We need a lot more of them, not less. "Freight Trains: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver:"

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* "GOP’s Evidence-Free Impeachment | Milk Debate In Congress | Oprah Surprises Stephen’s Audience!:"

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* "‘Doctor Who’ Gets More Than 100 Complaints Over “Inappropriate” Transgender Character:" https://deadline.com/2023/12/doctor-who-complaints-bbc-transgender-character-1235658283/

* Side Note: I found the show entirely unwatchable and bailed fast. I admire his fortitude in dragging himself through the whole thing. "We Need to Talk About The Winter King: A "Gritty" King Arthur TV series...👀:"

Watch on YouTube

* "Jane Eyre to go (Brontë in 10.5 minutes):"

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* "The Great Gatsby to go (Fitzgerald in 10 minutes, English version):"

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* "It's A Wonderful Life (1946) - James Stewart - George Bailey's Speech to Potter & the Loan Board:" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4ne13Zft9Q

* "‘Good Omens’ Renewed for Third and Final Season at Amazon:" https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/good-omens-season-3-renewed-final-season-amazon-1235837682/

* "Gigi the Christmas Snake:"

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* "ShopTV Christmas - SNL:"

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* "Old Friends - SNL:"

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* "Is Christmas Turning Gay? Grace Kuhlenschmidt Investigates The Gay Nutcracker | The Daily Show:"

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* "Macho Nutcracker:"

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* "Drink Mammal Milk:"

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