Nec Hoc Nec Ilud

* Oscar Pistorius has been found guilty of murder after all. Good!

* The Pentagon is opening all combat jobs in all branches (even the Marines) to qualified women. Remember, women are already in combat and have been throughout these wars, but they were barred from elite forces, from getting combat pay to compensate them when they are in combat, and from combat related promotions. Now they will actually be paid for the danger they are in, and have opportunity to join special forces and the like. It's a huge deal when it comes to fairness both in pay and in career advancement. Look, I was against the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq back before we went, and have been opposed throughout. I don't think we should be in either place now. I do think that the military should be merit based and as fair as we can make it. Removing all these gender barriers is a step towards that.

* "A Former Planned Parenthood Employee Just Tweeted All the Horrifying Acts of Terrorism She Survived:" http://mic.com/articles/129329/a-former-planned-parenthood-employee-tweeted-this-list-of-acts-of-terrorism-she-survived?utm_source=policymicTBLR&utm_medium=main&utm_campaign=social#.HRJ3QB2hF

* "There Have Been More Mass Shootings Than Days in 2015:" http://usuncut.com/news/there-have-been-more-mass-shootings-than-days-in-2015/

* "Chicago Bulls**t - Laquan McDonald Police Shooting:"

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* "Don't Mess with Tex Books:"

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* I was so ill I went to bed way early last night. Hector let me get decent sleep. I finished the delightful Chimera, though I have some lingering questions, and even finished my Privilege of the sword reread. I went out for Hector food and a few things I needed, which ended up taking forever, but I did get out the ebay that was ready to go. Two more have paid in and I'm in communication with the last of them. There is a bid on Nothing Gold. Yay! I need to make gifts for my surviving family and mail them, which is next week's plan. Tomorrow I go to collect my meds. There's not enough money for a soup flat, but I think I have enough soup to last me until next month. I will likely try for cat litter, light bulbs, toothpaste, and some things I really need from the pharmacy next week if my luck holds. One of the strings of blue I use as supplemental light in the livingroom is dead for real and one of the bedroom ones is half gone. Let us hope January is good to me.

* The Women's half of the NHK Final had a lot of excellent skaters, most of whom had disappointing performances. I am very happy to see Mao Asada back, even if that wasn't the skated she and her fans wanted. Courtney Hicks had a good skate despite a wobble and a fall. I wish her routine was better designed to make use of her strengths, because she clearly could be amazing with the right choreography. Satoko Miyahara though? Wow, just, wow! She was so far ahead that she switched out one of the hardest combos for something simpler, but the skate was clean and gorgeous and full of beautifully executed jumps. She is so fast and graceful and expressive. I always have favored all around skaters over the ones who only can jump, and I thing I'm going to love watching her work for the next decade or more.

* "A Defense of Tyrion’s ADWD Storyline, Part 4: Keep Your Dragon Close:" http://poorquentyn.tumblr.com/post/134219626098/a-defense-of-tyrions-adwd-storyline-part-4-keep

* Supernatural: Is it just me or was Sparkle kind of hot?

* EBAY:

NOTHING GOLD CAN STAY 2010 (LE, Halloweenie): (Company says: Dewy green leaves colored by Moroccan amber, ginseng, and rooibos.) Just Below Label. http://www.ebay.com/itm/301814539367?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

* "Free Celtic knotwork coloring page:" http://thestorydragon.com/2015/11/free-downloadable-coloring-page-celtic-knotwork-wheel-by-owen-wills/

* Donate to help refugees "UN Refugee Agency:" http://donate.unhcr.org/international/general

* Organizations helping with the refugee crisis: http://captainofalltheships.tumblr.com/post/128790538169/an-updated-list-of-organizations-to-donate-to-help

* A list of LGBTQA Charities: http://awkward0w1.tumblr.com/post/126399233673

* Want Game of Thrones without the creepy? We desperately need new players. We are very inclusive. "Game of Bones MUSH:" gobmush.wikidot.com

* "US citizen arrested for funding Maldivian terrorist in Lahore bombing:" http://minivannews.com/politics/us-citizen-arrested-for-funding-maldivian-terrorist-in-lahore-bombing-54230

* Systematic conservative misreading of constituents by politicians of both major parties:

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* The Important filibuster last week you likely never heard about:

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* Republicans move to not only force women to give birth, but to force them to stay married against their will:

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* Mayor Bloomberg shames, uses racist imagery, and tells lies about single parents at a time when teen pregnancy is at an historic low:

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* "Researchers: We may have found a fabled sunstone:" http://news.yahoo.com/researchers-may-found-fabled-sunstone-103151097.html

I don't think this is proved either way but it's intriguing.

* "We're Screwed: 11,000 Years' Worth of Climate Data Prove It:" http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/03/were-screwed-11-000-years-worth-of-climate-data-prove-it/273870/

* "What happens when Mississippi paper covers a lesbian wedding?" http://gaymarriedcalifornian.blogspot.com/2013/02/what-happens-when-mississippi-paper.html

* "Why Modern Depictions of Pre-Modern Chinese Heterosexuality Upsets Me:" http://arsmarginal.wordpress.com/2013/02/26/why-modern-depictions-of-pre-modern-chinese-heterosexuality-upsets-me/

* "Good People, Racist People:" http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/03/good-people-racist-people/273843/

* I'm still struggling with particularly bad chronic pain. I'm still fighting in infection. I'm also having a titanic test of wills with the Butt over where he can and can't go do to his tendancy to sew chaos and destruction in his wake.

* "The Harlem Shake, You’re Doing It Wrong:" http://arsmarginal.wordpress.com/2013/03/04/the-harlem-shake-youre-doing-it-wrong/

* "Harriet Tubman: Vampire Huntress:' http://dennisupkins.com/2013/02/26/harriet-tubman-vampire-huntress/

* Hamlet's Tragic Flaw: http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=2909

* The Supreme Court is going to rule on Section 5 of the Civil Rights Act:

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* To Rep. Jimmy Duncan on his opposition to VAWA:

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* Redefining American Masculinity:

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* Anna Julia Cooper was born a slave and became a teacher and activist in her 105 years of life.

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* Athlete Kenneth Faried standing up for Marriage Equality:

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* Watching Melissa Harris-Perry's discussion of Detroit, I kept thinking of 14th Century cities. This isn't a slam on Detroit. Hear me out. Detroit is a city that had 1.8 million people in 1950. It is now a city of half that, with a quarter of it's 1950 population leaving in the last decade. They lost all that tax base, services are spread thin. People are living on blocks full of vacant houses. Houses are burning and no one is coming to put it out as there is no one to report it and the fire department is spread thin. The murder rate is scary high and there aren't close enough to enough police.

Now think about Medieval England for a minute. Before the Great Pestilence, the life span of a family in the city was three generations. The Death rate was so high do to the prevalence of vermin, sewage in the water supply, higher exposure to contagion, etc. that cities needed a constant large influx of folks from the countryside to make a fairly stable population. Then came the Famine, the influenza epidemic, and the sheep and cattle murrain of 1315-17, which killed a lot of people, and slowed the influx to cities. Things started picking back up, but then the Great Pestilence of 1348-50, which killed 30%-60% of the population depending on where you lived. Then there was the particularly heartbreaking outbreak of 1360–1363 that disproportionally killed children and teens, who then failed to live to help replace the numbers lost in the previous outbreak, further depressing the population numbers. Then it came back a decade later, and again in 1400, when Europe's population hit it's lowest point in centuries. Whole villages and small towns simply disappeared. There was a massive labor shortage everywhere, which had all sorts of effects I've written of elsewhere.

It also had the effect of dramatically shrinking cities. After all, urban populations were hit hard for the same reasons that epidemics are always worst in Medieval cities. Even with some folks fleeing serfdom in the countryside trying to move somewhere new where no one will know they weren't born free choosing cities instead of different rural areas where the Lord/Lady, Abbot/ess, or manager is offering better terms than on the home farms, there literally were not enough people to fill all those houses and shops that the Pestilence depopulated. Out in the countryside, people were abandoning the less arable land, Nobles were switching from farming to sheep, and the forests were regrowing to fill areas that had been farmed for centuries. What did the cities do when in the course of a few years or decades (depending on which city), there were half as many people as there had been a generation before? People moved to the center, where there were still markets and shops and neighbors to help in case of fire or break ins. It wasn't safe being the only family on your block when the looters or a fire came through. People upgraded their living quarters. If they inherited a better house further in, all to the good. Alternately, there were all these abandoned building to cannibalize to build a better house or upgrade an existing one. Survivors had lived through a series of horrific events. They were not used to letting resources go to waste in the lean times, and many of them were suddenly better off so they reconfigured the shape of the city where necessary, but they ultimately rebuilt and carried on. The cities contracted, but they survived for the most part.

I get that it's more complicated now to simply move people into the areas where the resources are, especially with unofficial segregation still in effect there, but still, if you shrunk Detroit, it would be easier to supply water, sewage, power, schools, police, and firemen. But of course it won't happen that way, and I have a good ideas of the legal and political obstacles involved. Still, I couldn't help thinking of all those ahell shocked plague survivors loading their possessions onto carts and shifting house in all those 14th century cities and towns.

* "Disabled Sea Turtle Gets 27th Pair of Artificial Fins:" http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/02/22/disabled-sea-turtle-gets-27th-pair-of-artificial-fins/#ixzz2Lng6ySJ7

* On sexual harassment. "Opera Muliebria:" http://www.puristbleedspinstripes.com/2013/02/opera-muliebria/

* Yesterday was a bad pain day, but a bunch of stuff needed doing including a med run, gerdening related purchases, actual gardening, animal maintenance, and assorted house work. I only manged about half the gardening, but the rest did get sorted. Today and tomorrow are rest days, as the spoon count is low.

* Am I watching the Oscars? No. I find awards ceremonies deadly dull for the most part, so I only watch if there's a really good reason, such as an interesting presenter or important movie. I hate Seth McFarlane's transphobic as and watching him smarm and smug for that long would make me all stabby. It doesn't mean there aren't specific awards I care about. After all, I'm still angry Gabourey Sidibe lost to Sandra Bullock that time. It just means that I'd much rather go see the results compiled on a website than sit through all the boring. I'm sure if someone does something particularly interesting or heinous, I'll hear about it. Similarly, I'll see the really elegant and ridiculous fashions Monday and/or Tuesday. so no Oscars for me.

* "The New and Improved Leading Man:" http://www.gq.com/entertainment/movies-and-tv/201303/the-new-and-improved-leading-man-march-2013?currentPage=1

Note Bene: Fassbender actually is a douche, not an exception.

* It's ebay time again:

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* North Korea is claiming they just had a third nuclear test.

* Pope Benedict XVI is resigning. He says he hasn't the strength to fulfill his duty. Good riddance to the pedophile coddler.

* The Man who Shot Bin Laden is Screwed:

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* DOMA is harming soldiers and Their Families:

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* "The Search for the First Bowl of Soup:" http://www.archaeology.org/news/533-130208-cooking-soup-hunters

* "Over 3,500-year-old sarcophagus found in Egypt:" http://gulfnews.com/news/region/egypt/over-3-500-year-old-sarcophagus-found-in-egypt-1.1140630

* "3D Printing Brings Ancient Egyptians to Life:" http://www.rapidreadytech.com/2013/02/3d-printing-brings-ancient-egyptians-to-life/

* Roman Silver. This journalist uses inappropriately loaded terms, but the reconstructions are interesting: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-21244147

* "On Pins and Needles: Stylist Turns Ancient Hairdo Debate on Its Head:" http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324900204578286272195339456.html

* "Ancient Rome In Libya: A Suppressed History Resurfaces After Revolution:" http://www.ibtimes.com/ancient-rome-libya-suppressed-history-resurfaces-after-revolution-photos-1069658

* "Qom’s Parthian fire temple left at her own devices to be destroyed:" http://www.cais-soas.com/news/index.php/component/content/article/65/370-qoms-parthian-fire-temple-left-at-her-own-devices-to-be-destroyed

* "Wadham’s Skeletons in the College:" https://www.oxfordtoday.ox.ac.uk/page.aspx?pid=2671

* "Curses, musical scores and a fisherman swallowed by a whale: Archaeologists' fascinating quest to decipher medieval graffiti scrawled on cathedral walls:" http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2274401/Archaeologists-fascinating-quest-decipher-medieval-graffiti-scrawled-cathedral-walls.html#ixzz2KameAKa6

* "Why the princes in the tower are staying six feet under:" http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2013/feb/05/princes-in-tower-staying-under

* This is more common than you likely think. We imagine decor of that period in pastels because they faded with age. When they find protected strata the paint and wallpaper are often bright, bold colours. "Brontes’ colourful tastes revealed:"

* Today I was meant to make phonecalls, mail packages, and do a med run. My body vetoed all but the phonecalls, which ended up being a maze of waiting on hold, voicemail, and various people forwarding me to incorrect numbers. Sigh. Tomorrow, I really have to mail, go to the Doctor, and I have an RP date. This weak is RP heavy what with a plot wrapping up and a special Valentine's event. That's why yesterday was light, actually. I had an rp date. This isn't mission creep. They normally are once a week as promised, but it's climax time, so I'm making room.

* "The Panther Is Here:" http://dennisupkins.com/2013/02/11/the-panther-is-here/

* "Now and Then. A ruined school juxtaposed with how it was when in use:" http://detroiturbex.com/content/schools/cass/thenandnow/index.html

* Four days left to help my friends make art: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sheilaruth/rekindling-the-fire-rathas-creature-graphic-novel

* Cmdr_Zoom found, "Is one of YOUR loved ones at risk?:"

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* "As Extremists Invaded, Timbuktu Hid Artifacts of a Golden Age:" http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/04/world/africa/saving-timbuktus-priceless-artifacts-from-militants-clutches.html?google_editors_picks=true&_r=1&

The rumors are true! I have no words for how happy I am. Those manuscripts were irreplaceable. It's terrible to have lost even 5%, but I had imagined so much worse.

* Looks like Marriage Equality is moving forward in England and maybe France! Yay progress! It's not for sure yet in either place. The house of Lords gets it next in the UK and the French thing is more a first step than a full push.

* Even though things like the Superdome power outage, the service outages after Sandy and other storms in the past few years are more evidence we need to upgrade to a 21st century infrastructure for basic utility services, Republicans continue to argue that a modern infrastructure is a waste of time and money because the jobs it would create are somehow not "real" even though the pay checks, the economic stimulus those paychecks would generate, and the hardened infrastructure all would be. Riiiiight.

* I am having trouble taking the skeet shooting tempest in a tea cup both because it's pointless, but also because I know what skeet means in slang. Every time I hear it mentioned on TV, I hear David Chapelle yelling "Skeet! Skeet! Skeet!" with the hand gesture....

* Re: Alabama kidnapping case. I am, of course glad the child is safe again. The thing I keep thinking is that the kidnapper has been allowed to go around threatening to kill his neighbors and their pets, killing people's pets, and shooting guns off indiscriminately in the middle of the night. His neighbors were terrified and had begged authorities to do something, but his second amendment right to be as violent as he wanted with his gun trumped the safety of everyone around him. As a white man in Alabama he literally had to murder someone and kidnap a child for the authorities to decide they should maybe consider intervening. Just saying.

I keep thinking of Victorian London, whether it's this case or the huge list of young men like Trayvon Martin hunted and killed by white men because of ALEC's "stand your ground" laws making it essentially legal for white men to murder unarmed black people, and all the women imprisoned for defending themselves from violent attackers. Part of what made it so hard to find Jack the Ripper was because there were so many violent men who had beaten and/or stabbed women in public places in the East End that they had a suspect pool of literally hundreds of proved to be violent misogynists in their suspect pool and no means to narrow that down. After all, the authorities didn't care if men went around stabbing women in pubs and the streets as long as it the women being hurt were working class. It took something as terrible and as flashy as the Ripper murders for people in charge to decide maybe the laws against assault and murder should protect to lower class women and not just the well off. Since they couldn't catch the Ripper specifically by name, the police went into the slums and simply collected all the men known to have seriously harmed women with knives, teeth, or fists and sent them either to prison or a sanitarium. It didn't do a thing about domestic violence, but it literally made the streets rather safer as assaulting a poor woman was now considered a crime for which you might be arrested rather than clapped on the back. It's too bad our country believes white men should be allowed to get away with this sort of violent and dangerous behavior.

* Stephen Colbert on the Skeet Shooting fracas:

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* Stephen Colbert on immigration reform:

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* "It's Trayvon Martin's 18th Birthday:" http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2013/02/its-trayvon-martins-18th-birthday.html

* "On Police Conduct & Collateral Damage:" http://yaseen101.livejournal.com/55690.html

* "What Will You Do In a Dystopia?" http://www.fangsforthefantasy.com/2012/12/what-will-you-do-in-dystopian.html

* Yet another horrifying old timey medical idea you should not try at home. "The most uncanny look." http://thequackdoctor.com/index.php/the-most-uncanny-look/

* Brain Food - Episode 28: Robopocolapyse:

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* O.o: http://thedevilspanties.com/archives/8379

This entry was originally posted at http://gwydion.dreamwidth.org/279720.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

* There has been a catastrophic explosion during shift change at the headquarters of the Mexican State oil company Pemex. Twenty Five are confirmed dead with at least a hundred wounded. Rescue workers in Mexico City are very experienced there which very much helps, and they are still searching the rubble for survivors. There is no official statement as to cause as investigations are ongoing. Red Cross joined rescue workers quickly on the scene and they are a good bet if you are moved to help.

* The various sides are arguing over what exactly happened yesterday between Israel and Syria. It's sounding like Israel hit a military research center in Syria, though there is an alternate claim that they hit a military convoy moving missiles to Lebanon. I'll let y'all know more when I hear more. Israel also just refused to turn up for Human Rights Review at the UN in regards to their actions on the Gaza Strip. A UN report understandably accuses them of violating the human rights of Palestinians.

* Yet more attempts by republicans to strip away women's basic rights:

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* We need to answer more hard questions about sexual assault in the military:

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* Myths about women and guns:

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* "Being Fearlessly Out And Trans Is A Revolutionary Act:" http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2013/01/being-fearlessly-out-and-trans-is.html

* John Stewart looks at contradictions, illogic, and out right fantasy in right wing arguments against sensible gun regulations:

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* Stephen Colbert on the KKK attempting to rebrand themselves:

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* Stephen Colbert's comments on the fight against marriage equality:

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* We've been having a conversation elsewhere about the need to overhaul our military just generally and put in reality based job requirements and minimums rather than relying on traditional ones that don't fit the needs of a modern force with modern weapons and needs. I'm reposting my remarks here as they may be of general interests. I have made small corrections, mostly for clarity as I was responding to someone else:

The Canadians rehauled their whole system when they decided to open all jobs to women. They decided to go with reality based testing. For example, infantry people don't actually need to do X number of push ups in Y amount of time. Instead they need to be able to carry a hundred pound pack for a long march or jog and the ability to carry a wounded soldier their approximate size to safety. They decided yo base the strength and endurance tests on real world tasks like the latter instead of arbitrary measures like the former and it's not done them any harm as far as units fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I've been arguing for us doing a similar overhaul of our system since the late '80's. What are the actual skills and physical attributes you need for the job? Let's test those.

Re: Disabled folks in the military: I do not see why a stateside drone operation or person doing computer data entry stateside needs legs, for example. We should get realistic about this. Sure, you likely don't want someone in a power chair in front line infantry combat, but I do not see why the same person couldn't do logistical support type jobs. You'd need to reclassify certain jobs as being for non-combatants entirely, but it would really help with the person power issues they are currently experiencing.

Again, this isn't a new idea and historically, various militaries including our own have made use of disabled soldiers and sailors for jobs they were still fit for. The loss of one or body parts was so common in tall ship combat that if they kicked out everyone who'd lost something, there wouldn't be enough experienced seamen to field a reasonable number of vessels. Again, they were sensible about it. You don't want someone with a missing leg climbing rigging, but there's no reason a man missing an eye or only a couple fingers couldn't do it, and there were jobs you could do that didn't involve climbing.

* Do not take the above as an endorsement of our drone program as I have serious problems with it. It is merely a statement that if we are going to have stateside drone operators, there is no reason it has to be a job only for able bodied people.

* "It Takes Planning, Caution to Avoid Being 'It'. Group of Men Have Played Game of Tag for 23 Years; Hiding in Bushes, Cars:" http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323375204578269991660836834.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Look, laugh all you want, but part of how I survived my childhood was through skills I learned playing tag and hide 'n Seek. I'm betting the extended game keeps them tactically and strategically sharp in ways that could help in adult life.

* I went to bed way early, hoping to make up some of the sleep I lost. Hector decided about half way through that I needed to wake up. It went on for hours. Of course. By the time I finally convinced him to shut up and sleep, I was too awake to go back to sleep. Sigh. Instead of my hoped for ten hours, I got less than eight. I ended up doing some reading and continuing my rewatch of a beloved movie I will talk about in a bit. I then dragged myself out to get for juice and OTC meds. (I realized when it was much too late, I should have gone to get prescription meds too while I was out.) Anyway, I went to check mail before going in and there was a package of the maximum size that could fit in the package bin. It was also heavy. So I have to balance stuff on tp of the box and carry it down stairs one handed on a day when feeding my fish leaves me winded.

The boys who live above me are the one I think of as Tall Paul Ryan and a boy who is one of those poor unfortunate fellows who got his secondary sexual characters late. I'm not mocking him. It can really suck socially to be in college but to look like a 9th grader, and I feel for him on that one. I haven't interacted with him much, but everything I've seen of him speaks well of him. He has the room directly above mine. This means that every time my head clears the stair top, I am looking into his room whether I want to or not. (I can not navigate stairs with my eyes closed, especially ones that steep and cementy). He's clearly working hard in school, he has an interesting goth girlfriend, and he's got a window decoration suggesting a geeky sense of humor I approve of. He and his roommate are quiet, considerate upstairs neighbors and invariably polite in person. So like I said, I root for him. It makes me happy he's finally losing that unformed look and his adult features are starting to show through. I'm glad he and his girlfriend seem happy when I see them together out and about or doing their homework in quiet compabnionship.

The thing is, like I mentioned, he lives at the head of the stairs and works with the blind up, so he can see everyone who goes past, just like they can see him. He looked up from his homework, likely alerted by the thump of my crutch and my wheezing to see me trying to balance my box and groceries with one hand while trying to navigate the purgatorial stairs without tumbling to my death.

Gentle readers, he was out the door in a flash and reach me as I was maneuvering to attempt the third stair. He asked if he could help rather than grabbing like some people do when they try to help someone with a disability. He carried my gear to my door, making pleasant conversation on the way and waited until I got it open.

I love it when I run into someone who lives up to one's best image of them. Hurray for well mannered, likable neighbors! Some of you may remember some of my past terrible neighbors, including the bad drummer, the meth dealer, the people who were always having fights on the lawn, and the guy who tried to get Squirrel to sell him my meds. The Complex isn't perfect, but it's the nicest place I've lived since I came North. Just saying.

* I am big on mulling. My brain is always doing something one way or another and as I go about my business, I'm usually mulling something if my brain isn't being used for something specific. (I also generally have a soundtrack playing in my head if there is no music externally, but that's a whole other thing.) An example of the sort of thing my brain does when it's left to wander is me, in the course of eating lunch, developing a whole hundred and fifty year alternate history of my family, transposing the real circumstances into analogous Roman Empire situations. It was surprisingly soap opera like. Picture my father as a scruffy Aventine lad, with a huge collection of sisters with complicated personal lives. Picture him scraping pennies to educate himself and his desperate desire to get away from the Aventine and propel himself into the Equestrian class. Imagine My great Great Grandmother as a strong willed British Celt, outliving three husbands, first a local man, then a Germanic auxiliary, and the third a one armed Roman soldier, pensioned off by the military. Imagine my Mother's father the Centurion marrying my thoroughly Romanized Grandmother etc., etc.. It works, doesn't it?

Anyway, today I was mulling shawls for men. No really. Shawls are very sensible and useful articles of clothing. They were also ubiquitous in the mid 19th century. They are rather like blankets after all, a logical variation on cloaks for people who wear overcoats. You can toss them over your coat if it's not thick enough for the current weather, or if your coat is cut too expose more of your chest and neck than is comfortable in the cold. You can toss one over your suit or dressing gown against drafts indoors. Skye's stepmonster gave me a garment rather similar to a 19th century man's shawl, only in black and without the fringe. I don't generally wear it out, but I wear it all the time at home, being cheaper than turning up the heat, less constricting than a sweater, and more versatile than a fitted garment. The fabric has enough friction to easily hold in place around my shoulders ad chest, I can wrap it around by waist if my legs are cold, or drape it over my lap. It does not constrict my neck like a scarf would.

So: shawls are useful garments and used to be worn by both men and women. Here is my question: When did shawls stop being men's wear? Did the shift coincide with the introduction of modern (non-fireplace related) heating systems? If not, what was the cause of the abandonment of shawls for men? I honestly don't know and I'd very much like to.

* The Corsican, by Tina Shelton:

( Some mention of premise and some mild spoilers, but nothing key to the plot: )

* The Diviners: OMG! This book is amazing!

( No plot spoilers, just discussion of setting, premise, and themes: )

* I stumbled on Totally Biased News by accident. I have only seen two, but I think I'm in love.

* I have this complicated relationship with the movie Another Country. ( The movie and how it relates to my personal baggage under here: )

This entry was originally posted at http://gwydion.dreamwidth.org/278434.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

* In real life, women are already in combat in the US military. For example, Tammy Duckworth lost her legs when the enemy shot down her helicopter. The thing is that they are officially banned from combat, so women in combat aren't given are denied the combat related promotions they would otherwise be entitled to. They are already taking the risk; lifting the ban gives them the rewards that go with that risk. The President is expected to lift the ban later today. Finally. It's been a long time coming.

* Greenwick on lifting the ban: http://greenwick.livejournal.com/177272.html?mode=reply&style=mine

* The ban on women in combat in the historical context of segregated units:

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* Horrible things the NRA said about the President's Speech:

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* Republicans line up to say how proud they are of gerrymandering and other dirty tricks they are using to fix the next elections:

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* The GOP is out lying about the President and government spending despite the actual data showing the opposite of whjat they are accusing him of:

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* George Takei's personal reaction to the President including us in his inauguration speech:

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* Does any one know anything about Republican Adam Kinzinger? I'm not being ingenuous here. I'd never heard of him until today, but he was fascinating in the committee hearing questioning of Hilary Clinton, and I'd like to know more about his opinions and legislative record. (His military record is first class from what I'm hearing, but I want to know more about his political opinions, mostly because he sounds both moderate and intelligent. That sort of thing catches my attention just generally).

* If you asked me twenty years ago, or even five years ago how I felt about Joe Biden as Vice President, I would have said it was a terrible idea. It amazes me to say it, but I think he is legitimately good at it and I was wrong. I just thought I owed y'all that confession. I still don't want him as President, but Uncle Joe is a kick ass vice president and that's not easy to do.

* "Suds for Drugs:" http://nymag.com/news/features/tide-detergent-drugs-2013-1/

* The real victim in the Manti Te'o scandal: This woman has been stalked for five years and has now been humiliated by her stalker on a national scale:

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* It looks like YELP is corrupt and douchey: https://www.muckrock.com/news/archives/2013/jan/23/businesses-yelp-thug-of-the-internet/

* "What If We Responded to Sexual Assault by Limiting Men’s Freedom Like We Limit Women’s?" http://www.wrongingrights.com/2013/01/what-if-we-responded-to-sexual-assault-by-limiting-mens-freedom-like-we-limit-womens.html

* Greenwick found. Look, I know people mock the crocodile dung method, but there's reason to think it would be reasonably effective. Also, Ancient Romans had condoms, damnit. "Masters of the Uterus:" http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2010/05/masters-uterus

* "Obama's Second Inaugural:" http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/01/obamas-second-inaugural/267367/

* John Stewart looks at the media reactions to the Inaugural speech:

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* John Stewart mocks Climate Change deniers:

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* John Stewart points out it's not a straw man argument if you've actually said it:

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* John Stewart's take on the Israeli elections:

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* Greenwick was over and I'm still recovering from Tuesday, hence me being behind on the news still and not having done Archeology round up for the week. Apologies.

* "Yet More Appropriation around "Out":" http://www.sparkindarkness.com/2013/01/yet-more-appropriation-around-out.html

* Help my friends make art: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sheilaruth/rekindling-the-fire-rathas-creature-graphic-novel

* 5 people dead and approximately 600 are injured in Egypt as Morsey has sent in the army along with tanks against Democracy protesters. It’s heartbreaking and my heart is with the moderates who are desperate for a secular constitution and a real chance at moving their country forwards.

* 75% of the crops in Compestela have been flattened. They are still pulling injured survivors and the dead from the rubble. The death toll continues to rise. The desperately need food, clean water, and medical supplies. Given how many people have lost quite literally, everything, they will likely need help for some time. Want to help the Typhoon survivors in the Philippines? http://www.redcross.org.ph/

* Anderson Cooper weighs in on the lies Republicans told themselves so that they could feel good about their stand against wheelchair accessibility over seas.

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* Mitch McConnell filibusters his own bill. O.o

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* George Takei on Marriage Equality, Patriotism, Internment Camps and the Fiscal Cliff:

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* Child Slave Labour at the FLDS pedophile cult compound:

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* I got the car sorted. (Two trips as I had to circle back when something started dragging under my car. The nice mechanic bodged it back together free). I also saw Anna Karenina, about which I have thoughts, but I'm too tired to deal with. Tomorrow is not enough sleep and too much shit to do again. Sigh.

* Please Move The Deer Crossing:

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* Stephen Colbert interviews Peter Jackson:

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* "Fake Geek Girl:" http://dorktowerfeed.livejournal.com/345500.html

This captures how bullshit misogynistic fandom policing is.

* There has been a catastrophic typhoon in the Philippines, Survivors are starving and they are running low on medical supplies. Want to help? http://www.redcross.org.ph/

* At 12:01AM, I watched the live telecast of two women, who had been together 30 years, get their marriage licence, followed quickly by two men in suits. People were waiting up to eight hours in the cold for the doors to open. I think it's wrong that it's not everyone everywhere getting their marriage rights. I think it's wrong that we are putting the basic civil rights of a minority to a majority vote. Still, I wept like a baby watching all those people waiting in line, holding hands as they waited their turns. How could I not? It's one more step towards full citizenship for my people; one more step towards freedom and justice for all.

* Rick "frothy residue Santorum has been out spreading santorum again. This time he is telling lies bout the treaty to protect folks with disabilities internationally. I assume he is telling all these lies because the republican position is completely indefensible. all the treaty does is spread the freedoms people with disabilities have in this country to people with disabilities in other countries. Still the Rick Santorum is strongly in favor of cruelty and inequality just generally, so this is in keeping with his overall beliefs that only white able bodied straight cis men are fully human and deserve basic civil rights and to be treated with even a minimum of respect. Fuck you, Rick Santorum. You have a child with disabilities! How can you love your own child so little?

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* On the Republican choice to shame Bob Dole and insult him to his face by taking a symbolic stand against accessibility for the disabled.

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* Prohibition, Repeal, and the States:

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* "Congressman’s Restaurant Refused To Serve Muslim Couple:" http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/12/john_fleming_muslim_subway.php?ref=fpa

* "What's The 4-1-1 With The DSM-V And Trans People?:" http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2012/12/whats-4-1-1-with-dsm-v-and-trans-people.html

* John Stewart and Stephen Colbert's takes on the Republicans deciding that a treaty to grant the same accommodations to folks with disabilities in other countries that we have here will somehow magically harm American children despite that making no sense at all:

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* I'm having a terrible week from a physical perspective. ( Words, words, words: )

* Stephen Colbert interviews Andy Serkis:

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* More Random Election stuff. They voted out Joe "Women don't die from pregnancy" Walsh. House Republicans are claiming that people returning a Republican House is a mandate for them to not raise tax rates on the rich by even a penny. They claim that they are going to cooperate with democrats, but have vowed not to budge on any of the widely popular financial measures. Sigh. So Republicans will only reach across the aisle if they get everything they want and the Democrats don't get anything and this is what Republicans call "compromise." I don't see how this is different than the last two years. Equality passed in Maine and Mayland! Yay!

* Washington early returns (69% of the vote counted): My city voted to fund subsidized housing. My State (and Colorado) is likely legalizing pot. I'm for this BTW. I have no personal interest in marijuana and have never used it, but it's stupid to jail people for it thus ruining their lives forever. Pot Prohibition has caused way more societal damage and wasted vastly more money that alcohol prohibition, and if we took the money we waste on imprisoning non-violent offenders and spent it on health care and schools, imagine how much better off we'd be. I wish we'd legalize Federally, but I'll take what I can get. It's looking like my state's scary Rape Caucus guy, Koster, is losing to a Democrat, it's looking like we're getting the better Gubernatorial Candidate, and our Senator is heading towards landslide. It's also looking good for Marriage Equality. Unfortunately the Charter Schools thing is doing well. About half the finacial stuff is leaning the right way, and half not.

None of it's fixed, of course, but I have hopes for official tallies maybe tomorrow. *fingers crossed.

* Voting problems, featuring seven hour lines in Florida thanks to voter suppression shenanigans:

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* Landslide on Bullshit Mountain. (There's a lot of clips, so I'm just giving you the best one):

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* Stephen Colbert looks at Bill O'Reilly's racist comments regarding the election results:

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* "What gay marriage looks like:" http://seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com/475611.html

* "If I were a theist:" http://jaylake.livejournal.com/2990728.html

* BPAL is doing a Red Cross fund raiser.
Oils Scroll down to Gentlemen's Club: http://www.blackphoenixalchemylab.com/limited.html
Atmosphere Spray and Bath Oil: http://www.blackphoenixtradingpost.com/gentlemansDIRECTORY.html

* Today I made yet another attempt to sort out AAA. They assure me it really is fixed this time. I'm not holding my breath though. Afterwards there was bank, library, OTC meds and cleaners, and a haircut. (She kept messing up my bangs so they are way too short.)

* Spotted by a correspondent on the East Coast feed of Walking Dead: Back to back ads. First was that Miho squirt as much as you like ad. Next? Viagra! OMG! I can't get the image out of my head.

* Speaking of things I can't get out of my head. O.o http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/pets/2012/11/04/trick-or-treat-3/