(no subject)
May. 6th, 2013 01:24 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gwydion* A group of neo-NAZIs have been gruesomely killing innocent people of Turkish ethnicity in Germany. They are trying the first defendant now in Munich: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22165242
* As I wrote this 15 were dead in Dhaka, Bangladesh in a fight between People demanding Islamic Law and police. (It sounds like it is not connected to the labour protests for safe working conditions that I've been talking about here). Rioters were throwing bricks and the like at police and demanding all atheists be hanged. It sounds like dead on both sides. The rioting sounded like it was slowing down. Fingers crossed that that is the case. I don't think anything good can come of religious extremists demanding the overthrow of secular law and the murder of atheists or any other minority regardless of which company it's happening in.
* You may have noticed I haven't really weighed in on the Sarin and Syria issue beyond mentioning things like the mutual finger pointing. The reason is, it's a very serious accusation, that is hard to prove under the conditions prevailing in Syria. After the fact, you need things like soil samples and blood samples with clear provenance to prove the gas was used at all. (The blood samples need to be close to exposure. With soil samples they are looking for break down products). It is extremely hard for scientists to collect samples what with the genocide going on. Similarly, it's hard to get blood samples from victims out to labs with clear chain of custody. Then there's the establishing of source, which is hard to do with journalists being targeted by the government, so thin on the ground. The footage of victims is suggestive, but I am assured that other things could cause those symptoms and that they need samples to be definitive. Does this mean it's not happening? Of course not. What it means is that I don't know whether it's happening or not. A number of governments say they think Assad's people are using sarin, but they aren't publishing proof. A UN inspector said she thought the Opposition is using it, but other members of the delegation are saying things that undermine her statements. Again, no proof has been published yet as the delegation was ready to make a statement etc.. In matters such as this, I am not in a position to make a judgement and must trust to the scientists examining the samples and other expert investigators. As with last week's accusations, I'm noticing the actual statements suggesting sarin use are way more tentative than the reporting. In other words, the primary sources are all "may" and "might" while the reporting translate that into "is." I'm going to wait for more definitive proof. Do I have my suspicions? Yes, but I can imagine multiple scenarios fitting what facts we have, so I'm leaving it alone for now.
* Martina Navratilova on Coming Out:
* Intersectionality and Coming Out:
* Inviting In vs. Coming Out:
Discussion as to why this formulation might be problematic here: http://gwyd.livejournal.com/1365795.html#comments
* "In the last decade, the Neanderthals have been given a major rethinking." http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/03/opinion/global/Who-Are-You-Calling-a-Neanderthal.html?_r=0
* "Richard III team makes second Leicester car park find:" http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-22404032
* Alternate Viking Sun Compass Theory: http://phys.org/news/2013-04-errors-viking-sun-compass-hint.html
* "Mystery of 200-year-old British soldier found in the dunes of Holland:" http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22340193
* "Words Expressing the Human Costs of our Mass Incarceration System," Bryon Bain - "Lyrics From Lockdown:" http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22340193
* Am I the only one horrified by the Mythbusters carving up that beautiful vintage impala?
* As I wrote this 15 were dead in Dhaka, Bangladesh in a fight between People demanding Islamic Law and police. (It sounds like it is not connected to the labour protests for safe working conditions that I've been talking about here). Rioters were throwing bricks and the like at police and demanding all atheists be hanged. It sounds like dead on both sides. The rioting sounded like it was slowing down. Fingers crossed that that is the case. I don't think anything good can come of religious extremists demanding the overthrow of secular law and the murder of atheists or any other minority regardless of which company it's happening in.
* You may have noticed I haven't really weighed in on the Sarin and Syria issue beyond mentioning things like the mutual finger pointing. The reason is, it's a very serious accusation, that is hard to prove under the conditions prevailing in Syria. After the fact, you need things like soil samples and blood samples with clear provenance to prove the gas was used at all. (The blood samples need to be close to exposure. With soil samples they are looking for break down products). It is extremely hard for scientists to collect samples what with the genocide going on. Similarly, it's hard to get blood samples from victims out to labs with clear chain of custody. Then there's the establishing of source, which is hard to do with journalists being targeted by the government, so thin on the ground. The footage of victims is suggestive, but I am assured that other things could cause those symptoms and that they need samples to be definitive. Does this mean it's not happening? Of course not. What it means is that I don't know whether it's happening or not. A number of governments say they think Assad's people are using sarin, but they aren't publishing proof. A UN inspector said she thought the Opposition is using it, but other members of the delegation are saying things that undermine her statements. Again, no proof has been published yet as the delegation was ready to make a statement etc.. In matters such as this, I am not in a position to make a judgement and must trust to the scientists examining the samples and other expert investigators. As with last week's accusations, I'm noticing the actual statements suggesting sarin use are way more tentative than the reporting. In other words, the primary sources are all "may" and "might" while the reporting translate that into "is." I'm going to wait for more definitive proof. Do I have my suspicions? Yes, but I can imagine multiple scenarios fitting what facts we have, so I'm leaving it alone for now.
* Martina Navratilova on Coming Out:
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
* Intersectionality and Coming Out:
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
* Inviting In vs. Coming Out:
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Discussion as to why this formulation might be problematic here: http://gwyd.livejournal.com/1365795.html#comments
* "In the last decade, the Neanderthals have been given a major rethinking." http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/03/opinion/global/Who-Are-You-Calling-a-Neanderthal.html?_r=0
* "Richard III team makes second Leicester car park find:" http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-22404032
* Alternate Viking Sun Compass Theory: http://phys.org/news/2013-04-errors-viking-sun-compass-hint.html
* "Mystery of 200-year-old British soldier found in the dunes of Holland:" http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22340193
* "Words Expressing the Human Costs of our Mass Incarceration System," Bryon Bain - "Lyrics From Lockdown:" http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22340193
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
* Am I the only one horrified by the Mythbusters carving up that beautiful vintage impala?
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(no subject)
Date: 2013-05-06 12:32 pm (UTC)I come out. I am me. I am not inviting people to share my experience, my world view, my struggles; my coming out isn't about them and their understanding - I am openly displaying who and what I am and demanding I be accepted. It's a demand and an expression of how things are, not an invitation for them to partake or not. Similarly, to refer to people expressing support - and opposition - as "coming out" is pretty belittling of the personal experience and growth of coming out - yes it's good that people are exposed as bigots or revealed as supporters (well, willing to make a speech anyway) without trying to make ti an act of heroism or do down the very power of coming out, especially when also discussing why coming out is still important.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-05-06 12:51 pm (UTC)(Edited for clarity as I should have goon to bed a couple of hours ago.)