Nec Hoc Nec Ilud

* In South Sudan, a town has been completely depopulated and another emptied and burned with the exception of a hospital and a couple of other especially fire resistant buildings. It's all rubble and corpses. Both sides of the Civil War are getting more and more brutal. It's sounding like the peace talks haven't accomplished much at this point, what with zero progress on even a temporary cease fire.

* A rocket attack on Arsal Lebanon has killed seven civilians, mostly children. Syria has been blamed for completely logical reasons, but I'm seeing some disagreement on that.

* The Hoboken aspect of the bridge scandal adds another wrinkle to the Christie administration's abuse of power.

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* Proof I am not a proper grown up: My brain automatically translates alleged Bridge scandal/Hoboken shakedown artists "Wolf and Sampson" into "Wolfram and Hart."

* TW "Republican congressional hopeful doesn’t think spousal rape should be a crime:" http://www.salon.com/2014/01/15/republican_congressional_hopeful_doesnt_think_spousal_rape_should_be_a_crime/

As long as Republicans keep demanding we legalize rape, I do not understand why any women vote for them.

* "North Carolina ‘wacko bird’ GOP candidate Greg Brannon compares food stamps to slavery:" http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/01/14/north-carolina-wacko-bird-gop-candidate-greg-brannon-compares-food-stamps-to-slavery/

As long as Republicans keep demanding we legalize rape, I do not understand why any women vote for them.

* "America Black Ops Wars in 134 Countries:" http://www.juancole.com/2014/01/america-black-countries.html

* "Texas Public Charter Schools Are Teaching Creationism:" http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2014/01/creationism_in_texas_public_schools_undermining_the_charter_movement.html

* "In our quest to appease superstitious neanderthals and short-sighted plutocrats we are abandoning the future:" http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2014/01/in-our-quest-to-appease-superstitious.html

* "How Did Toast Become the Latest Artisanal Food Craze? :" http://www.psmag.com/navigation/health-and-behavior/toast-story-latest-artisanal-food-craze-72676/

"How did toast become the latest artisanal food craze? Ask a trivial question, get a profound, heartbreaking answer."

* "Rand's little white slip:" http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2014/01/rands-little-white-slip.html

* "A Whitewashed Earthsea: How the Sci Fi Channel wrecked my books:" http://medievalpoc.tumblr.com/post/73628842758/a-whitewashed-earthsea-how-the-sci-fi-channel-wrecked

* "About Time SNL You Addressed The Lack Of Diversity:" http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2014/01/about-time-snl-you-addressed-lack-of.html

* On cultural appropriation and Frozen. "Thoughts on ‘Frozen’:" http://medievalpoc.tumblr.com/post/73718849319/thoughts-on-frozen

* "Belize Trans Teen Killed:" http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2014/01/belize-trans-teen-killed.html

* "TED Talk: Ending Gender by Scott Turner Schofield:" http://youtu.be/TWubtUnSfA0

* "Jon Stewart's Thumbs Up, Women:"

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* "Gaywatch: Red Weddings:"

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* I was trying to take today fairly easy, as my arms and hands are still messed up from driving and I am tired. Most of the housework involved discovering and cleaning up cat messes. I also put together my stereo. The new component is as excellent as promised, though some of my equipment is too antiquated to hook up, but luckily it was secondary stuff I got free over the years and mostly use as back ups. The important pieces remain and now I can haz music.

* Attn: Greenwick. Hiram McDaniels: http://gwydionmisha.tumblr.com/post/73454280442/the-city-council

* "9 Scandals that Rocked the Figure Skating World:" http://mentalfloss.com/article/54492/9-scandals-rocked-figure-skating-world

* TW: Blurred crime scene photo in video clip. Yet another innocent black man appears to have been murdered and the police are covering it up and refusing to investigate properly, this time in Texas. "Mystery surrounds Texas man's death:"

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* "Chemical spill contaminates WV water supply:"

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* "North Carolina ups the ante on voter suppression:"

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* So it looks like the Christie Administration might have also punished the Jersey City and Hoboken Mayors and his city by denying them Sandy Aid likely because they didn't endorse Chris Christie. Why am I not surprised that this is looking like a pattern?

* Re: Why so many AIDS stories in the media right now: http://gwydionmisha.tumblr.com/post/73269070746/lettersfromtitan-i-keep-going-why-are-we-ready

* Snerk. "Teach the controversy:" http://jlake-feed.dreamwidth.org/369814.html

* As inconvenient as it is for my body to choose tonight for one of it's incredibly unpleasant little melt downs, as things stand, this is the least terrible day this week for it to pick. Let's just hope I have already had whatever Squirrel has, since I don't have time for more sick on top of the thing I've had since November.

* I have lived with a lot of cats over the years. I am used to a cat in the process of dying being obviously ill. I am used to the other cats knowing the sick cat is sick. It is a blessing that Mache likely doesn't know she is sick. She sleeps more in the Winter generally, so the amount she sleeps is not odd. She trots around patrolling, following me about to cadge pettins as I unpack. She hops in and out of bed naturally if clumsily because of the arthritis. She eats heartily when given things she can swallow. She has discovered that she can peer out the patio door without straining and has already started signalling she would appreciate a walk, but it is too cold, wet, and, windy for elderly cats or my screaming joints for a walk to be pleasant. She is exuding the rich delicious head musk she makes when she is content. It makes it harder for me to get my head around her being ill, but it is kinder to her, I think. Hector is already spoiler by having such culinary riches and yells at me to produce new delights whenever I am in the kitchen. He saw me go out the front door to check on mail and would like to know what is out there, please. This is the fourth apartment they've lived in since I rescued them and they have never in that time had an interior door to space we didn't own. I suspect one or both will try to escape that way at some point and I will be curious to see how they handle it. There is a dog in one of the apartments a bit further down the hall that barks furiously at passers by. We can't hear it in our apartment, but Hector is terrified of dogs on TV, let alone in person. Mache historically treats smallish dogs as if they were enemy cats. I don't think she's seen a large dog, but our complex only allows smallish ones.

* Last night I bathed for the first time in our new place and I already hate the tub. If what little money I have left wasn't already spoken for, I would pay someone to rip this out and replace it with something safer and more comfortable. I nearly did myself a serious mischief trying to get out and my feet are injured. (Squirrel has the ADA sit down shower for a variety of logical reasons). Also, I can't get the water hot enough to really soak the pain out of my bones and I can't see any way to adjust the temperature on the water heater.

* "Sunday Sweets: Mythical Beasts & Where to Devour Them:" http://www.cakewrecks.com/home/2014/1/12/sunday-sweets-mythical-beasts-where-to-devour-them.html

* The President of the CAR has resigned at a regional meeting intended to stop the violence, as a result of him not being able to put an end to it.

* I'm not going to get into military specifics in either country at this point, but the results are that the refugee crisis in both the Central African Republic and South Sudan continues to worsen as more and more civilians flee for their lives from the fighting.

Want to help?
Doctors Without Borders: refugee camps: http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/
The Red Cross (South Sudan): http://www.redcross.ca/where-we-work/worldwide/africa/sudan-and-south-sudan
Central African Red Cross: http://www.ifrc.org/en/what-we-do/where-we-work/africa/central-african-red-cross-society/
The World Food Program for South Sudan: http://www.wfp.org/countries/south-sudan/food-security
or for Central African Republic: http://www.wfp.org/countries/central-african-republic

* TW: Child Abuse. "The Pakistani servant girl tortured to death:" http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-25588565

* This is the best explanation for why the Christie Administration caused that traffic jam I saw all week. "An alternate theory of the Christie scandal:"

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* "America's real problem: Too much bipartisanship:" http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/06/opinion/zelizer-too-much-bipartisanship/

* Bill Nye Explains Climate Change and Defends Evolution/Science in General:

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* "Should Men’s Products Fear a Woman’s Touch?" http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/7149.html

"Recent research shows that loyal customers often get upset when a brand associated with men expands to include products perceived as feminine. "

* "Bullied Trans Teen Girl Being Charged For Defending Herself:" http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2014/01/bullied-trans-teen-girl-being-charged.html

* "Jahaira's Mission- Let's (Not) Talk About My Crotch:" http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2014/01/jahairas-mission-video-lets-not-talk.html

* "UH-Downtown SGA Unanimously Passes Gender Neutral Restrooms Resolution:" http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2014/01/uh-downtown-sga-unanimously-passes.html

* "Holder propelling the country toward equality:"

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* Rule of three time again. The brain is an organ. We do not expect people to justify their arthritis or will away a heart murmur. We do not stigmatize a broken leg. Depression happens. I think we'd all be better off if we stopped treating mental illnesses as somehow less legitimate than kidney disease. All this extra baggage makes it harder for people to get the help and support they need when they most need it. Let's not make things harder for people who are already using pretty much everything they have just to hang on, okay? Let's all try to be gentler to ourselves and each other.

* I actually packed a massive amount of stuff today. Progress!

* More than 600 people are confirmed dead from flooding and mud slides in India. It is believe the real figure is more than a thousand, with several thousands more trapped, many without food.

* Nelson Mandela's condition is deteriorating.

* A grown up discussion about "Gideon's Army" and the Injustice System starts here: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/46979745/vp/46419672#52289038

* The Gov. of North Carolina is collecting the names, addresses, and pictures of Moral Monday protestors and publishing them online in the hopes of intimidating them into stopping their demands for voting rights for black people.:

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* Melissa Harris-Perry addresses Paula Deen's Racism:

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* The argument Texas Republicans made to justify their plan to force rape and incest survivors to bear their rapist's genetic material against there will is that one of the Republicans has a fantasy that collecting forensic evidence magically prevents pregnancy even though it doesn't. No really. That's their argument:

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They are endangering the health of millions of women based on something they made up.

* More on the Texas attempt to deny women medical care if they miscarry after 20 weeks. "Is The Texas Special Session Over Yet?:" http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2013/06/is-texas-special-session-over-yet.html

* So it looks like the IRS was also targeting groups with "Progressive" in the title for extra scrutiny just like they rightly did the Tea Party. This is because Political group key words might indicate prohibited political activities for 501C4 groups. So they were doing their job and not discriminating against one side or the other.:

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* The Immigration Bill keeps getting more pointlessly cruel and expensive:

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Want to know how much Republican racists hate brown people? They actually wrote in that the government can steal from immigrants by taking taxes, but denying services they paid for.

* Justice Thomas likens Affirmative Action to Slavery. *facepalm*:

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I can’t wait to hear what Melissa Harris-Perry has to say about this, because I am pretty sure it will be Amazing.

* "The Iceman, Death by Blood Clot?:" http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2013/06/-scienceshot-the-iceman-death-by.html?rss=1

* "Bulgaria’s 2013 season underway with new discoveries:" http://sofiaglobe.com/2013/06/14/archaeology-bulgarias-2013-season-underway-with-new-discoveries/

* "Serbia: ancient tombs discovered from 2,500 years ago:" http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/sections/generalnews/2013/06/12/Serbia-ancient-tombs-discovered-2-500-years-ago_8860238.html

* "Excavation uncovers ancient Egyptian town in northern Egypt:" http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/74350/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/Excavation-uncovers-ancient-Egyptian-town-in-north.aspx

* "Roman townhouse 'underneath Lincoln Castle':" http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-23004369

* "Unique gold figurine of naked woman found in Denmark:" http://sciencenordic.com/unique-gold-figurine-naked-woman-found-denmark

* "Archeological Find: A Thousand Year Old Church:" http://www.icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news/Archeological_Find_A_Thousand_Year_OldChurch_0_400750.news.aspx

* "This Castle’s Toilet Still Holds Parasites From Crusaders’ Feces:" http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/science/2013/06/this-castles-toilet-still-holds-parasites-from-crusaders-feces/

* "Florence’s Powerful Medici Family Suffered from Rickets Because of Too Much Time Spent Indoors:" http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/smartnews/2013/06/florences-powerful-medici-family-suffered-from-rickets-because-of-too-much-time-spent-indoors/

* "The Medici and the Art of Power:" http://www.historytoday.com/alexander-lee/medici-and-art-power

* "Archaeologists find evidence of Highland Clearance violence:" http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-22970566

* "Son and Heir? In Britain, Daughters Cry No Fair:" http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/23/world/europe/son-and-heir-in-britain-daughters-cry-no-fair.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

* "National Gay And Lesbian Sports Hall Of Fame Announces Its First Class:" http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2013/06/national-gay-and-lesbian-sports-hall-of.html

* The Daily Show looks at how much better the Canadian banking system is than ours:

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* Where in the World Is Edward Snowdiego?:

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* The Word - Truthinews :

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* The Clutch:

* The flooding in central/Eastern Europe continues scary. While the water is going down in Germany, they had to open the dams on the Vltava worsening the flooding south of Prague. Villages and towns have been evacuated in areas under threat. Things remain scary in the Czech republic and Austria.

* Meanwhile the Missouri is also flooding and the levees are in the process of failing around West Alton.

* Revised Oklahoma figures: 19 confirmed dead. The tornado is the largest on record and has been upgraded in retrospect to a EF5 rather than an EF3.

* Republicans are blocking legislation to put safe rooms in schools and trailer parks on the grounds that saving the lives of children and the poor is less important than corporate profits and generally a waste of money. A Democrat is planning to put it directly to the voters:

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* You know how FOX is saying the head of the IRS went to the White House 157 times? It turns out that they made that up. It was 11 times over the course of 4 years, which is completely reasonable given the Obamacare implementation. FOX News is continuing to repeat the lie often in hysterics because fictional stories are generally treated as news over there.

* Mostly old white men holding hearings on sexual assault in the military decided they don't need outside review while refusing to let the rape survivors speak:

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* This week in GOP Misogyny (TW: pro-Rape Republicans out in Force):

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* "As A White LGBT Person, You STILL Have More Privilege Than A POC TBLG Person Ever Will:" http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2013/06/as-white-lgbt-person-you-still-have.html

* "Combating Bossip Comment Thread Transphobia:" http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2013/06/combating-bossip-comment-thread.html

* "Ohio High School Lets Trans Latina Student Graduate Wearing Correct Gown:" http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2013/06/ohio-high-school-lets-trans-latina.html

* This is one of the more surreal "Better Know a District's" I've seen:

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* I had sleep stolen by movers coming for the neighbors, but I did get out and pick up meds, get a haircut, change books at library, and made it to my appointment with even newer Doc. She was running 45 minutes late, and as my file is the War and Peace of Medical Files I didn't get out until after 6PM. O.o. She seemed cool with the trans stuff and believes in AS and CF carrier syndrome. I got one of my meds back. I'm waiting to broach the other key one until I'm lower on them. It's important to keep the people controlling my chronic pain and anti-nausea drugs sweet. She seems nice and I got my other Hep A shot. I can work with her.

Of course the Doctor running so late meant I was too late to hand off the car which pretty much screws Squirrel. He was gone when I got back, so I'm hoping he got a ride. I'm "under the weather" and exhausted, so I may bring out the serious meds and crash in a bit.

Where is Archeology round up? Where was it last week? I'm wading through game research, queer fiction on ILL that needs to go back, and link spam, so I simply haven't had time for proper sorting on the archeology stuff.

After a year and a half of jerking my sister around to the point that she had to threaten to sue, Merrill Lynch has finally released our money. I'll know my fate in a week or two.

I am so excited about il_volpe coming that I've started dreaming he's here.

* Normally when I have a Scarlet Pimpernel yen, I get the Richard Grant one. This time on a whim I got the Anthony Andrews out. He was once my beloved Sebastian, after all and it's fun to contemplate the similar defense mechanisms while watching the actor do those things with his face. I had my usual fun spotting actors in various roles out of context. (I last saw this in the 80's, so the game is more fun than it might otherwise be). Prinny is Julian Ffellows who writes Downton! The ex-boyfriend from Victor/Victoria is Armand! The first Doctor from Poldark is Robbespierre! Look, I take my fun where I can get it. It's uneven compared to the Richard Grant version, being over acted and cartoonish in spots.

What was the real surprise? Sir Ian McKellen was way too sexy for Chauvelin. Oh, the acting is stunning, but one expects that for Sir Ian. No, it was the effect of those wicked cheekbones. Why did no one tell me he was such a hotty thirty years ago and how did I miss it? Add in the passion and yearning in those piercing eyes and dayumn. Watch him scheme, watch him fence, watch him smoulder. It's an inappropriate reaction to the character, but he gives the character a soul he doesn't generally have. He was by far the best thing in the film.

I submit the following as evidence in my defense:
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* The Clutch: