* "Protests Spread Across Indonesia Over Jobs Law:"
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/08/world/asia/indonesia-protests-jobs.html* "QAnon Is Thriving in Germany. The Extreme Right Is Delighted.:"
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/11/world/europe/qanon-is-thriving-in-germany-the-extreme-right-is-delighted.html* "Middle Eastern countries arrested, deported exiled Uighurs to China: report:"
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2020/10/2/arab-countries-arrested-deported-exiled-uighurs-to-china-report* "Afghan-Taliban conflict: Families flee fresh fighting in Helmand:"
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/world-asia-54522304* "SARS ban: Nigeria abolishes loathed federal special police unit:"
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-54499497* "How Greece’s democracy withstood a fascist threat:"
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/10/09/golden-dawn-verdict-greece-fascist-threat/************************************************************************************************
* "Pain Relief Caused by SARS-CoV-2 Infection May Help Explain COVID-19 Spread:"
https://uahs.arizona.edu/news/pain-relief-caused-sars-cov-2-infection-may-help-explain-covid-19-spread* "Johnson & Johnson pauses Covid-19 vaccine trial after 'unexplained illness':"
https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/12/health/johnson-coronavirus-vaccine-pause-bn/index.html* "Coronavirus Reinfections Are Real but Very, Very Rare:"
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/13/health/coronavirus-reinfection.html* "Spain's PM defends Covid emergency lockdown in Madrid:"
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/11/spain-pm-sanchez-defends-covid-emergency-lockdown-in-madrid* Total confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S.A for 10/13/20 are 7,848,000. The official death toll is 216,000. The real number is likely much higher.
* "New COVID-19 cases hit 2-month high in U.S., as 10 states report record one-day rise in infections:"
https://www.nydailynews.com/coronavirus/ny-coronavirus-cases-hit-two-month-high-united-states-20201010-n6o5khrswvgava6ua4fpuoshh4-story.html* "Coronavirus cases set new single-day records in 6 U.S. states:"
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/coronavirus-cases-set-new-single-day-records-six-u-s-n1242828* "Covid spike, looming flu season, staff shortages: Hospitals feel pressure in North Dakota:"
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/covid-spike-looming-flu-season-staff-shortages-hospitals-feel-pressure-in-north-dakota-93725253717* "White House Blocked C.D.C. From Requiring Masks on Public Transportation:"
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/09/health/coronavirus-covid-masks-cdc.html* "Trump's doctor says the President has tested negative on consecutive days:"
https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/12/politics/trump-health-coronavirus/index.html* "9 more dead, 56 hospitalized in Wisconsin due to COVID-19 since yesterday:"
https://wkow.com/2020/10/12/covid-19-in-wisconsin-monday/* "North Dakota has fewer than 20 staffed ICU beds available as Covid-19 cases surge, public health official says:"
https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/coronavirus-pandemic-10-12-20-intl/h_2bac44b4d0485a2c9b722e7219eaa5ec*********************************************************************************************************
* "The Swamp That Trump Built:"
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/10/10/us/trump-properties-swamp.html* "Trump’s children brought Secret Service money to the family business with their visits, records show:"
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/secret-service-spending-trump-kids/2020/10/12/ffc1c330-ff31-11ea-9ceb-061d646d9c67_story.html* "Old grudges hang over first day of Barrett hearings:"
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/12/amy-coney-barrett-confirmation-hearing-428935* "Trump team feigns ignorance of Amy Coney Barrett's stance on Roe v. Wade:"
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/trump-team-feigns-ignorance-of-amy-coney-barrett-s-abortion-views-93724229848* "Amy Coney Barrett fails to fully disclose some past anti-abortion activism:"
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/amy-coney-barrett-fails-to-fully-disclose-some-past-anti-abortion-activism-93724229949* What would Jesus do? Infect as many people as possible. "Sen. Mike Lee appears in person at Barrett hearing after Covid diagnosis:"
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/12/mike-lee-coronavirus-amy-coney-barrett-428937* "Senator Joni Ernst calls for Judiciary Committee to get COVID tests, while Lindsey Graham refuses:"
https://www.newsweek.com/senator-joni-ernst-calls-judiciary-committee-get-covid-tests-while-lindsey-graham-refuses-1538104* "Chris: GOP doesn’t seem to care who gets Covid—so long as Barrett gets on the Supreme Court:"
https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/chris-gop-doesn-t-seem-to-care-who-gets-covid-so-long-as-barrett-gets-on-the-supreme-court-93712965652* "Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse: If Supreme Court overturns ACA, we will ‘restore it bigger and stronger’:"
https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/watch/sen-sheldon-whitehouse-if-supreme-court-overturns-aca-we-will-restore-it-bigger-and-stronger-93706821572* "Jaime Harrison: Lindsey Graham ‘doesn’t have an urgency’ to pass pandemic relief:"
https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/watch/jaime-harrison-lindsey-graham-doesn-t-have-an-urgency-to-pass-pandemic-relief-93704773926* "Trump Makes First Public Appearance Since Leaving Walter Reed:"
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/10/us/politics/trump-white-house-coronavirus.html* "Trump taps U.S. Marine Band for White House event and raises questions about employing the military for political purposes:"
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/marine-band-trump-politics/2020/10/11/cdee31ee-0bf3-11eb-bfcf-b1893e2c51b4_story.html* "Trump Hits The Trail With Florida Rally, A Week After COVID-19 Hospital Stay:"
https://www.npr.org/2020/10/12/923050101/trump-hits-the-trail-with-florida-rally-a-week-after-covid-19-hospital-stay* "Trump takes his Covid misinformation machine back on the road:"
https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/12/politics/donald-trump-coronavirus-election-2020-joe-biden/index.html* "MN health officials tie nearly two dozen COVID cases to presidential campaign events:"
https://www.twincities.com/2020/10/12/minnesota-health-officials-tie-two-dozen-covid-19-cases-to-presidential-campaign-events/* "Iowa tops 100,000 coronavirus cases as Trump plans rally:"
https://www.kcrg.com/2020/10/12/iowa-tops-100000-coronavirus-cases-as-trump-plans-rally/* "Fauci Calls Out Trump Campaign Ad That Used Him Without Permission:"
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/10/11/world/covid-coronavirus* "‘Hypocrisy 101’: Ex-Covid Task Force aide on Trump ad using Fauci out of context:"
https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-hypocrisy-101-ex-covid-task-force-official-on-trump-ad-using-fauci-out-of-context-93708869522* "Masks optional: Packed Mike Pence retirement village rally risks becoming a superspreader event:"
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/10/10/mike-pence-holds-packed-mask-optional-rally-florida-retirement/* "Microsoft takes down massive hacking operation that could have affected the election:"
https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/12/tech/microsoft-election-ransomware/index.html* "Getting involved in the 2020 election? Time to hit the 'go' button!:"
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/getting-involved-this-election-time-to-hit-the-go-button-93721157976* I want to thank all of you voting early, and especially those of you who have volunteered to be poll workers.
* "More than 6.6 million Americans have already voted, suggesting record turnout:"
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-early-vote/more-than-6-6-million-americans-have-already-voted-suggesting-record-turnout-idUSKBN26T3PC* "The Case for Wearing a Mask and Voting Early In Person:"
https://inthesetimes.com/article/vote-in-person-presidential-election-2020* "Here are some of the people trying to help Trump sabotage the election:"
https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/here-are-some-of-the-people-trying-to-help-trump-sabotage-the-election-93713477522* "Late night court decision rules Texans will only have one ballot drop box per county:"
https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/13/us/texas-election-ballot-drop-box-ruling/index.html* "Massive lines mar start of in-person early voting in Georgia:"
https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/12/politics/georgia-early-voting-lines-election-2020/index.html* "After Complaining About Voter Fraud, the California GOP Commits Election Fraud:"
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/10/california-republicans-drop-boxes-ballot-harvesting-fraud.html* "Volunteer lawyers will advise military personnel who question the legality of orders during protests, election disputes:"
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/volunteer-lawyers-will-advise-military-personnel-who-question-the-legality-of-orders-during-protests-election-disputes/2020/10/09/f4a04682-0a64-11eb-9be6-cf25fb429f1a_story.html* "1 dead after gunfire erupts near dueling Denver protests:"
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/1-dead-after-gunfire-erupts-near-dueling-denver-protests-n1242838?cid=ed_npd_bn_tw_bn* "Families seek new investigations into old police killings:"
https://apnews.com/article/new-york-shootings-police-oklahoma-virginia-81848a05576f5f4f34e53e0271fad916* "When Police Violence Is a Dog Bite:"
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2020/10/02/when-police-violence-is-a-dog-bite* "She Was Afraid of Her Lawyer. Then the Text Messages Started.:"
https://www.propublica.org/article/she-was-afraid-of-her-lawyer-then-the-text-messages-started* CW: Domestic Violence. "Stalked for 11 years: one woman's fight for freedom from an abusive ex-boyfriend:"
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/sep/29/stalked-11-years-abusive-ex-boyfriend* "Killings of trans Americans reach all-time high, rights group says:"
https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/killings-transgender-americans-reach-all-time-high-rights-group-says-n1242417* "Adam Rippon on Coming Out: "You Gain a Family":"
https://www.advocate.com/commentary/2020/10/09/adam-rippon-coming-out-you-gain-family* "Nurses suffer burn-out, psychological distress in COVID fight:"
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-mentalhealth/nurses-suffer-burn-out-psychological-distress-in-covid-fight-association-idUSKBN26V0BJ* "Babies' random choices become their preferences:"
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201002091027.htm* "Choice blindness: Do you know yourself as well as you think?:"
https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-54349897* "Can "Am I the Asshole?" Actually Help Make People Better?:"
https://www.theringer.com/2020/10/7/21503068/am-i-the-asshole-reddit-2020* Seriously, I want to be composted when I die after everything else useful is extracted. "The Newly Legal Process for Turning Human Corpses to Soil:"
https://onezero.medium.com/the-newly-legal-process-for-turning-human-corpses-to-soil-d82ba1e4c05f* "Inside the climate battle quietly raging about US homes:"
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/oct/09/climate-change-building-code-emissions-us* "Secretive national oil companies hold our climate in their hands:"
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/09/secretive-national-oil-companies-climate* "Hurricane Delta leaves one dead in Louisiana and brings tornado threat to Carolinas:"
https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/11/weather/hurricane-delta-sunday/index.html* "Reconstruction and 1876: Crash Course US History #22:"
( Embed: )* "Alaska's Unique Civil Rights Struggle :"
https://daily.jstor.org/alaskas-unique-civil-rights-struggle/* "We're in the Midst of a Mason Jar Shortage and the Culprit Is Shockingly Obvious:"
https://www.thrillist.com/news/nation/mason-jar-shortage* "Fungi, Folklore, and Fairyland:"
https://publicdomainreview.org/essay/fungi-folklore-and-fairyland* "With Americans anxious to go out, walking tours pick up pace:"
https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-travel-mlb-air-travel-cincinnati-d075115340677f2a8b7e6566508f13f7* "Why Sweden’s Ancient Tradition of Calling Home the Herds Is Women’s Work:"
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/why-swedens-ancient-tradition-calling-home-herds-womens-work-180975904/* "This Artist Sculpts Animals and Flowers From Grains of Rice:"
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/making-art-with-rice-china* "VP Fly Debate Cold Open - SNL:"
( Embed: )* Tavy gave me an ouch:
https://gwydionmisha.tumblr.com/post/631941905745395712/the-emperor-was-rutching-around-climbing-around* I had library curbside and another trip to the hardware store for a surprise light bulb emergency. (The big specialized light bulb in the bathroom burned out, which causes serious problems for me, and we ran out of regular ones early in the pandemic. Yes I should have got light bulbs when I went to get Tavy an emergency piss tarp, but I forgot). That's two high risk things in a month, but at least hardware store is super strict about masks and distancing. I saw one other customer total and no one crowded me. They have a way bigger check out sneeze guard than I see in pictures anywhere else, as it covers the while front of the counter with a pass through for items. If I have to be in a store for ten minutes this was not a bad choice. Anyway, I can read labels and the like in the bathroom again, which is helpful. Still I hate taking risks when other people are risking for me.
I'm having lung issues today, but the why is super obvious and a thing that happens with my level of lung damage. I really wanted to watch a few comedy specials because Jesus fuck the news! I know you mostly see doom and horror in here, but there is a reason I've been reading a lot of lighter stuff on my own time and I vary my tv/movie watching in the ways I do. Also a couple days ago I heard there was a Hari Kondabolu special on Netflix and righteously angry while being funny is kind of my jam. That wasn't the problem.
Last night I watched john Mulvaney and I had a laugh until I need medication moment, which is basically why I also have to limit laughter. Like, chuckle fine, small laugh fine, but a really big long laugh kicks up the endemic gunk in there and then I can't breathe. Annoying, but fine. It is entirely my fault that before getting up for errands, I put on a Trevor Noah special when looking for the Mulvaney. I'd heard about this special, but never seen because I only got on Squirrel's Netflix within the last year. So I'm medicated and dressed and have my body warmed up for moving around, and he hits the Bali section and the snake park end bit got me again. I had to hang my head over the bed side and struggle to breath, because if I cough too long bad stuff can happen that i don't want to clean up. So my throat's now sore from coughing and my lungs have been sandpapered, so I'm going to have to wait for more comedy for a while, but I figure I'm okay, I can do lungs after errands and the lungs will chill out.
The plan was fine, but I did not include raw fresh(ish)snacking peas from last week's food box. The treatment chilled out my lungs. I cleaned up the massive mess Tavy made over my long illness by his new hobby of throwing things off stuff in the living room, which needed to happen because hopeful the Millenials are coming to do the outside Gothmas display up. By which point Tavy had pissed on the sofa, which was fair, since literally the next thing on the to do was change the front box and check the others. He refuses to use any other box. So I did laundry and boxes and washed up.
I started trying to pull the tumblr links off the aggregate scaffold because I wanted to post Monday's aggregate right away, but it was a lot of links, since I had to get to bed early because I haven't had proper sleep since Thursday and I needed to hit my scheduled window at the library. Somewhere in there I discovered I was still hungry and was snacking on the peas while I worked. A rogue tip tried to escape up my sinuses. My lungs, already irritated from all the laugh coughing and still not recovered from the smoke even though it's been real autumn for about a week, completely fucking lost it. I couldn't stop. I nearly passed out, which is a thing that is also my kind of normal. And they kept not calming down. And they kept not calming down. I took the meds that usually sort that, which took it down a step, but my throat is shredded at this point and anything will set me off at this point because my lungs’re pissed.
I had to resort to the chloraseptic, which is a thing I hate. It was too close still to the previous lung treatment, so that was off the table. I did finally get it under control. Until Tavy deep clawed my neck and I couldn't get him off. (See bandaid pic above) Yelling in pain and surprise is not a good thing with the throat and barely under control lungs I'm dealing with. Which starts the cycle again....
Hence me posting the aggregate at nearly 5AM, with Tuesday's links all lined up because if I added them this was never going out and it already has three days in it. I promise, I read today mostly, but I just can't do it and this both.
* Someone reads Chuck Tingle's Harriet Porber:
https://bibliomancer7.tumblr.com/post/631200382008328192* The Dick of Death:
https://laura-australis.tumblr.com/post/631369210435698688/did-i-ever-tell-u-guys-about-the-time-my-ex* Magas at Salem:
https://twitter.com/Mr_S_Crane/status/1314421359414579200* "10 Sweet & Spooky Movie Cakes :"
https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/2020/10/11/10-sweet-amp-spooky-movie-cakes* The Midnight Society Presents Stephen King vs. J.K. Rowling:
https://twitter.com/midnight_pals/status/1315077286714961920* The Midnight Society Presents the Masque of the Red Death:
https://twitter.com/midnight_pals/status/1312478266624602112- 7.18 Eye of the Beholder. CW: Suicide. I'd forgotten this episode and it feels a little like stepping on a land mine. I started out trying to summarize it, but fuck that. the second and third scene are clumsy in an after school special way, and I reached the I want to punch somebody point during the third scene. (Not the actors, they are doing their best with the very special episode dialog they are given). I just... this is not the way to handle suicide in a TV show well, and yes, I get the mystery angle, but I just really don't think this is how to handle topics this complicated and sensitive, so I'm noping out of writing up the A plot of this one.
I will mention some arc things that matter longer term. Early on there is an awkward scene in which Worf is trying to work up to asking Riker if it's cool if he asks Deanna out, but chickens out. Later while working on the investigation together, Worf and Deanna make out and sex is implied as he's making her breakfast in bed next scene. They later have a conversation about last night, which he definitely does not regret. so this is the episode where deanna/Worf became a thing.
- 7.19 Genesis. this one starts in sickbay. Riker has a sex injury. Barkley's got a mild flu, but has googled symptoms and is sure he is dying of assorted rare diseases. Spot is pregnant. Another crew member is expecting. Data puts Barkley in charge of spot while he's on an away mission.
Meanwhile, Worf is testing a proton torpedo upgrade and it goes dreadfully wrong. He is trying to sort it all out and going extra Klingon in was not great for his new relationship. Worf missed their lunch date and is wolfing food down. He's obnoxious to her and furious at himself, she's eating caviar for lunch and off as well, though not as obviously, craving salt and fussing about the environmental system. He takes a nap and wakes up feral, ripping blanket and bed to make a mest on the floor.
Later, Barkley is a mile a minute and futzing with the power system. Riker is having trouble following their report which Barkley delivers like he's on coke. It turns out to be under attack from an organic solvent while Geordi is exhausted. Deanna and Worf have a fight on the bridge about the temperature and humidity controls. Riker is having trouble remembering what's going on with the weapons system. Worf is creepy at Deanna in private, and strikes Deanna, who is now freezing. Other crew are either too hot or cold. Worf is non-verbal and growing an acid sac on his neck and sprays Crusher when she looks in his mouth. It turns out Worf has been spraying all over the ship. Human crew are growing tired and forgetful. They are struggling to get the sensor to pick up Worf. Riker can't remember his password to call for help.
Picard and data return from dealing with the stray torpedo and find the ship adrift and silent with odd power and life signs readings. Main power's shut down. There are creepy sounds up ahead as they explore. They find a large humanoid shaped shed reptile skin. Deanna's underwater in the bath, devolved and breathing through gills. ad is now an amphibian. Worf has bitten her. They find a dead crewman with a broken spine on the bridge. Lifeforms are all over, but a bunch are in arboretum and aquatics for obvious reasons. Proto-human Riker attacks them and has to be stunned.
It's the synthetic t-cell from the opening scene causing them to devolve. The virus can cross species. Picard also has it now. Barkley's infected them all, except data of course. Data has a separate computer in his quarters that's undamaged. Spot's kittens are hungry, but she's devolved and can't care for them. The kittens seem immune. Data's going to look into using the pregnant ensign's amniotic fluid as a cure for the human's, but first they need to fix a problem with the engines. Picard runs into a partially arachnid Barkley. Picard is afraid and in early stages of the symptomatic phase.
Worf was trying to mate with Deanna and is now trying to break in where they are working on trying to find a cure. The award for most awkward way for your coworkers to find out you are fucking goes to Worf Son of Mogh and Deanna Troi! Picard leads him off with her concentrated pheromones. Picard has to shock him in a Jeffrey's tube to stop him. data releases the cure into the ship's air system.
They name the disease after Barkley. So. Much. Therapy.
*****
* 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.
* "2020 wildfires in California and the west: Everything we know and how you can help:"
https://www.cnet.com/how-to/2020-wildfires-in-california-and-the-west-everything-we-know-and-how-to-help/* Want a quick way to donate money to close senate races in hopes of flipping the senate?
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ky_mcconnell_vid( Links Underneath: )![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
