Nec Hoc Nec Ilud

* "Inner-city living makes for healthier, happier people, study finds:" https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/oct/06/inner-city-living-makes-for-healthier-happier-people-study-finds

* "Briton caught up in Dubai public indecency case 'happy to be home':" https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/oct/25/briton-jamie-harron-dubai-public-indecency

* "State Department Issues Russia Sanctions Guidance After Delay:" https://www.thedailybeast.com/corker-state-department-to-issue-russia-sanctions-guidance

* "Scott Brown investigated over comments at Peace Corps event:"

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* Hint: How to tell you do not “have a good brain:” You constantly have to tell pople how good your brain is and how intelligent you are. "Trump Says Soldier’s Widow Must Be Wrong Because He Has “One of the Great Memories of All Time”:" http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2017/10/25/trump_says_myeshia_johnson_s_recollection_is_wrong_and_he_has_one_of_the.html

* Meanwhile Republicans are out arguing that “Just say no” entirely solved the Reagan era drug epidemic and the best way to help addicts is to tell them to not take drugs while dramatically cutting medicaid to prevent them being able to go to rehab. Oh, and also if we build the incredibly expensive border wall it will stop American drug companies from manufacturing and marketing opiods and American doctors from prescribing them. Like, I literally watched a Republican congress critter make the first argument, 45 has making the second, and various of his officials are making one or both arguments. O.o "Trump declares opioid epidemic a public health emergency:" http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/26/politics/donald-trump-opioid-epidemic/

* Look, I'm a Xer and was sick to death of the Boomer JFK assassination obsession by some point in Middle School, and I don't really care unless something of major historical interest turns up, but the incompetence here combined with the bragging and time traveling 45 nonsense (45 claimed recently thathe went back in time to get a Clinton era law passed mandating release. He did not say the time travel part, but how else could he be solely responsible as he claims? I'm assuming he has hold of the time machine that President Obama was always using to do things Republicans claimed like going back in time to the early 20th Century to get an "O" on the Ohio state flag, going back in time and using mind control powers to get republicans to pass deregulation he opposed at the time so as to crash the world economy, etc..) is worth noting, so I'm posting the outcome. "JFK files: Thousands released but Trump holds back others:" https://apnews.com/3814a426ab4c4295abb014bfb48da4d2/Trump-coy-on-what

* Republicans did this to you on purpose to sabotage health care access. "Premiums rising 34 percent for most popular health plan:" https://apnews.com/18eafd0af90d4638be180cdfa6a4ada0/Study:-ACA-silver-plan-premiums-up-average-of-34-percent

* "GAO to investigate Trump voter commission:" http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/26/politics/trump-voter-commission-gao-investigation/index.html

* "Trump official sidesteps questions about pregnant detainees:" http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/national-politics/article181067846.html

* "Undocumented immigrant teen has abortion in Texas, ending weeks-long court battle:" http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-immigrant-abortion-texas-20171025-story.html

* "Lawmakers seek probe of power contract to Zinke neighbor:" https://apnews.com/82a076d092724b27bb80cb59c42d328e

* "Refugee office pressing anti-abortion agenda on minors in custody:"

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* "Trump, the Russians & Fox News:"

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* "Grassley staffer ran private investigation into Clinton e-mail:"

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* "Warren on bill she calls “giant wet kiss to Wall Street”:"

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* Remember how I said we should protest the shit out of the tax cut for the rich? "House narrowly passes budget, paving way for $1.5 trillion tax cut:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/house-narrowly-passes-budget-paving-way-for-15-trillion-tax-cut/2017/10/26/49867544-ba50-11e7-be94-fabb0f1e9ffb_story.html?utm_term=.4bf44964fd0d

* "Days after activists sued, Georgia’s election server was wiped clean:" https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/10/days-after-activists-sued-georgias-election-server-was-wiped-clean/

* "Ed Gillespie's alt right makeover:"

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* "Women Aren't Nags—We're Just Fed Up:" http://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a12063822/emotional-labor-gender-equality/

* "Why you should give money directly and unconditionally to homeless people:" https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2017/10/why-you-should-give-money-directly-and-unconditionally-homeless-people

* "Alarm over disease as much of Puerto Rico still lacks clean water:"

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* "The Fight for the Right to Eat Seal Blubber:" http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2017/10/the_fight_for_the_right_to_eat_seal_blubber.html

* "What if we get through this?:" https://deardesignstudent.com/what-if-we-get-through-this-5fc3914d4aa3

* "Mountainside gallery where all civilisations added their own art from Bronze Age to medieval times:" http://siberiantimes.com/science/casestudy/features/mountainside-gallery-where-all-civilisations-added-their-own-art-from-bronze-age-to-medieval-times/

* "Amazon's Home-Invading Delivery Service:"

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* "Natural Disasters: The Greatening:"

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* "Pruitt vs. The World:"

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* "Full Frontal's (Hot As) Hell House:"

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* "Trump Comes Through on the Opioid Crisis (But Not Really):"

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* "Reminder: Race Is Not a Costume:"

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* "Miles Teller & Jason Hall - Humanizing Veterans in "Thank You For Your Service" - Extended Interview:"

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* "Donald Trump's Ambitious Tax Plan:"

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* "Bruce Bartlett - Putting a Stop to Fake News in "The Truth Matters":"

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* "Our President Is An Old Man Yelling On His Lawn:"

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* "In The Cabinet: Scott Pruitt:"

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* Wednesday Night: It's getting about time to get out that warm black wrap thing Skye's Step Monster gave us that I wear around the house when it get's chilly, now that I've gotten rid of all the old army shirts.... Wonder where I put it?

Thursday Night: Okay, I really need the comfy wrap thing. I remember confiscating it from the cats last Spring and washing it.... Okay not in that closet. I know it's not in the bedroom closet because I've been through it twice in the last year and know exactly what is in there. Not on the hangers in the hall closet, which would be the obvious place to put it. Fuck, I am going to have to take this closet apart. The closet I didn't clean last spring as it was an exhausting prospect and the wheelchair is a pain in the ass, but also, I did want to see if the lovely soft hand woven scarf fell off in there and not while I was out and about last winter....

Me: Took the whole closet apart and swept starting at 4AM. Because of course. Neither thing was in there but it did need doing as I hadn't taken it all apart properly since we moved here. Somehow, properly organized it all takes up MORE SPACE. Of course it does.

Cat: Is WAY over stimulated.

Me: The fuck did I do with the comfy wrap?

* "Oaths and Promises at the Forbidden Pool:" https://www.thefandomentals.com/forbidden-pool-lotr-reread/

* It's an Olympic year, which is always exciting. People are pulling out the routines on which their fate's depend. The grand Prix in Russia was the first big event, and people were generally and completely understandably a bit rough. Much to my annoyance we didn't get short programs here. *Growl* I rather liked Dmitri Aliev, but I suspect he won't peak in time for PyeongChang. It looks to me like neither Ge, who skates beautifully but hasn't the jumps, and Kolyada, who the commentators like but to me never seems to connect properly with music or crowd, will be up to contending with the top men who have been skating at a level that is out of this world lately. Yuzuru Hanyu was having a rough night technically compared to his usual work the last three years, but I loved that routine two years ago and I think once he gets properly in the groove it will be exquisite. I had hoped last year that the brilliant jumper Nathan Chen would spend the summer working on getting his artistics up to level and I was not disappointed. Apparently he's been studying ballet and it really shows. He's so much more graceful than he was, even though he too was having a below average for him technical night. He's not as complex as Hanyu, who is the most beautiful on the ice of any man I've ever seen skate when he's having a good night, but he's now skating in a way that means their skate rivalry may very well be epic. I am looking forward to seeing what the other top level guys are bringing this year, because I already have chills thinking ahead to February and I haven't yet seen the other three I consider serious metal contenders. I'm a huge Hanyu fan, but there is no doubt in my mind Chen skated this one better.

The women's competition was also mostly rough skating as they are also shaking the bugs out. Mariah Bell was fun to watch but uneven as usual. I think Mirai Nagasu's program really suits her even if she was rather a mess technically at the event. I have hopes of her doing much better once she's shaken the bugs out. The commentators liked Elena Radionova's performance better than I did, but it has potential. I really enjoyed Wakaba Higuchi's performance. She's got a little technical work to do before February, but all the potential's there and i think her choreography suits her. Evgenia Medvedeva was delightful as usual, and except for a fall that startled me, the skate commentators, and from her expression Evgenia, flawless in every other way. There is a reason she is Queen not only of the most competitive women's program in the world just now, but women's skating generally. Carolina Kostner Really is a pleasure to watch on the ice. She hasn't the jumps to compete with the likes of Medvedeva, but I am a sucker for a mature rounded skating style, which is her forte. She earned her silver here fair and square.

I wanted to add that I wish Gracie Gold all the best. It is very brave of her to speak out about what she's struggling with given the stigmas our society imposes on people. It must be heart wrenching for her to have to decide to take time off for what may very well be her survival from the sound of it. I think she made the right choice however much it hurt. Skating's always been right up there with gymnastics as sports where incredibly unhealthy pressure is put on young women to have bodies that re unrealistic for the level of athleticism required to actually do the sport. I was furious with Dick button for most of my life for being a nasty, creepy old man talking publicly in the commentary about the bodies of often adolescent young women and mocking them for "baby fat" or not meeting his personal standards of attractiveness. I was glad when he retired and replaced by less horrible humans. My understanding is that, like gymnastics, there is an effort to improve, as so many people developed life threatening eating disorders and other mental illnesses, but that doesn't mean the pressure disappears or the culture magically changes over night. I wish her the best of luck and best of care in her recovery.

*****
* Full list of Resistance and charity links has been migrated to my profile as it was getting out of hand.

* How to help Rohingya refugees: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/29/world/asia/rohingya-aid-myanmar-bangladesh.html?emc=edit_nn_20171012&nl=morning-briefing&nlid=50784086&te=1&_r=0

* Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to the representative of your choice.

* This App phones your rep for you: http://takeastance.us/

* Here is one that will send your reps a fax: https://resistbot.io/

* Help pay for cat food, litter, meds, medical copays: Paypal Lethran@gmail.com

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