Nec Hoc Nec Ilud

* How to help Flood victims in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh: http://gwydionmisha.tumblr.com/post/165235609582/woke-up-on-derse-f-f-f-fight

* How to help Caribbean victims of Irma: http://gwydionmisha.tumblr.com/post/165240981876/hedaclara-hedaclara-hedaclara-guys-the

* "Sputnik, the Russian news agency, is under investigation by the FBI:" https://www.yahoo.com/amphtml/news/sputnik-russian-news-agency-investigation-fbi-090024231.html

* "Pope: Rescinding DACA is not 'pro-life':" http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/11/politics/pope-daca-trump/index.html

* "Senate report slams Trump foreign policy as 'apparent doctrine of retreat':" http://thehill.com/policy/defense/350055-senate-report-slams-trump-foreign-policy-as-apparent-doctrine-of-retreat

* "Trump administration appeals to Supreme Court on refugee ban:" http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/trump-administration-appeals-supreme-court-refugee-ban-49768994

* "Scoop: Jeff Sessions' lie detector idea:" https://www.axios.com/scoop-jeff-sessions-lie-detector-idea-2483756611.html

* TW: Lynching. This article contains pictures of injuries to an 8 year old who survived an attempted lynching in New England. ":" http://www.theroot.com/new-hampshire-police-refuse-to-release-information-on-c-1803054596?utm_source=theroot_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

* Guardian's live blog of Irma: https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2017/sep/10/hurricane-irma-millions-brace-for-impact-as-superstorm-reaches-florida-live
-cut>

* "Climate Change Is a Crisis We Can Only Solve Together:" https://www.thenation.com/article/we-can-only-do-this-together/

* During my appointment, I complimented my Doctor on the PreP adverts, being a huge fan of harm reduction in all it's forms. The poking and prodding part of the appointment allowed for conversation, so we got into the medical ethics of things like Prep and needle exchange. My Doctor is about a decade younger than me, and the clinic does a lot in the way of HIV+ and addiction services. She is a fierce advocate for harm reduction. (Seriously, I adore my Doctor. She's enthusiastic about trans community health outreach, and she's really on top on my ridiculously complicated medical history. As someone who spent a huge chunk of my adult life fighting Doctors to convince them to actually, you know, provide medical care instead of ignoring shit, a Doctor who is cheerful and willing to help and non-discriminatory is a huge fucking deal.) Anyway, the Plague came up, by logical extension, and the lives saved by the aggressive needle exchange program in Seattle that has slowed HIV and Hep c transmission amoung users to next to nothing. For me, the AIDs epidemic was a horrifying disaster unfolding in real time coinciding roughly with my adolescence. When we were talking about Seattle during the worst of the pre-protase inhibitor days before needle exchange took hold,she said in this soft, sad tone, "So many bodies."

Yes. So many bodies. Anything that stops that, I'm all for. I never want to see that happening again, to any community. Even with modern drugs, long term survivors remain at risk of early death, depression, and dementia. It is so much better than when the young were falling like leaves in Autumn, but please, please, take care of yourselves out there. I would much rather live in a world where no one gets HIV any more and those who have it are well cared for.

* As I wrote this, I was watching Lily Tomlin gently, charmingly, but firmly calling Dick Cavett out for his sexism over and over in the course of an interview, keeping her tone light, but absolutely refusing to give way in a mid-’80′s interview.

* Want to donate to the windshield wiper fund? (32$ Needed). Paypal Lethran@gmail.com

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

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

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

* How to help Flood victims in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh: http://gwydionmisha.tumblr.com/post/165235609582/woke-up-on-derse-f-f-f-fight

* How to help Caribbean victims of Irma: http://gwydionmisha.tumblr.com/post/165240981876/hedaclara-hedaclara-hedaclara-guys-the

* "How to Help Hurricane Harvey Victims:" http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2017/08/27/how_to_help_hurricane_harvey_victims.html

* "Disaster Relief and Support for Libraries:" http://www.txla.org/news/2017/08/disaster-relief-and-support-for-libraries

* How to help the protesters and ordinary people in Venezuela: https://thewynne.tumblr.com/post/163738805241/softestjohn-fiftyeightminutes-softestjohn

* "Ten Ways to Fight Hate: A Community Response Guide:" https://www.splcenter.org/20170814/ten-ways-fight-hate-community-response-guide

* A list of links to Charlottesville charities if you want to give the NAZIs a financial fuck you: https://twitter.com/SaraJBenincasa/status/896260623905861633

* How white Protesters can weaponize their whiteness: http://gwydionmisha.tumblr.com/post/164390645622/alvaroarbeloa-vaspider-okay-friends-lets

* List of places to donate to help trans service members and fight the planned attack on active duty trans soldiers: https://vaspider.tumblr.com/post/163475550346/moonbian-hey-i-know-reblogging-posts-about-how

* Red Cross is taking donations for Western Wildfire Relief: http://www.redcross.org/local/oregon/ways-to-donate/wildfires

* (This is here as a reminder to me for later). "Can you recommend me some good books, essays, etc. about witches, witchcraft, witch trials in England?:" https://laughingacademy.tumblr.com/post/164664427028/dear-pauline-can-you-recommend-me-some-good

* 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

* "The Real Reason College Tuition Costs So Much:" http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/05/opinion/sunday/the-real-reason-college-tuition-costs-so-much.html?smid=fb-share&_r=2

* "President Obama racks up some more hits:"

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* "This One Tweet Highlights A Disturbing Irony Between the McKinney Cop and Bree Newsome:" http://www.attn.com/stories/2235/bree-newsome-confederate-flag-mckinney-police?utm_source=tumblr&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=internal

* "The White Problem:" https://medium.com/message/whiteness-3ead03700322

* This is Important. "How White People Got Made:" https://medium.com/message/how-white-people-got-made-6eeb076ade42

* "I used to lead tours at a plantation. You won’t believe the questions I got about slavery.:" http://www.vox.com/2015/6/29/8847385/what-i-learned-from-leading-tours-about-slavery-at-a-plantation

* "He'd rather go to jail than issue same-sex marriage licenses:"

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* "John Oliver nails this moment for transgender Americans: “Let’s not get too complacent about how far we’ve come”:" http://qz.com/440346/john-oliver-nails-this-moment-for-transgender-americans-lets-not-get-too-complacent-about-how-far-weve-come/

* "DOJ To Virginia School Board: Transgender Students Just Need To Pee:" http://www.towleroad.com/2015/07/doj-virginia-school-board-transgender-students-just-need-pee/

* "Is It OK To Out Someone As Transgender If They're Not Around?:" http://www.mtv.com/news/2200523/tyler-ford-column-outing-transgender-friends-voice/

* Personal Clarification: while it is never okay to out trans people, I am as out as I can manage. In all my social media I am clearly labelled non-binary trans. Therefore, it is okay to point someone to me on social media as a non-binary trans person. Similarly, I am completely out RL and walk around wearing buttons to that effect all winter long. (I would wear them in summer, but they do not stick well to my messenger bag). My pronouns are ze, zir, zim. (If I owned buttons with my pronouns on them, I'd wear those too.) I don't mind you correcting pronouns when I'm not around. I generally don't bother with the pronoun thing with service workers as it's frankly exhausting to everyone involved, but otherwise, have at. Again, this is just me. I have next to nothing to lose. I'm federally disabled and so can't get fired for transness. I live in one of the safest places a trans person can live, and what danger there is I willingly accept. Most people are not in my position so best to be checking individually with your trans friends as to their preferences.

There is one exception to my open door policy: I prefer people not cross the streams on my RL and online persona. I prefer that random internet people not be given my last name or information about my specific address, etc.. I like to decide which identifying details I give out. This is because I have been tracked that way before, and while it turned out all right, there is a chance it might not next time. Some of you know me rl and on the Internet. A handful of you who I've known a long time on the Internet have my personal details. I like to be the gatekeeper of who has my legal name and physical address. Beyond that? Again, have at it. I live a very transparent sort of life.

Just keep in mind that the the outness/safety balance is one every single LGBTQIA person has to decide for themselves and robbing people of safety (Except in the case of rabidly anti-gay gay public figures, where it becomes a community safety issue) is never okay. Never out private people. Never out public figures who are not posing a clear and present danger to the rights and safety of the rest of us.

* "Science Bob's Rube Goldberg Machine:"

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* I am so glad I didn't pay to see Birdman. The commercials did not look promising, and if I'd had money for movies I still wouldn't have bothered. Still, it had a lot of critical acclaim, so when i ordered award season stuff from the library last spring, I tossed it in on the off. I can see why industry people liked it. It is clever, well acted, and I'm pretty sure it's the most brutal thing about show business I've ever seen made. It was not my thing, and I could barely drag myself through it. So not for owls. Also painfully white and straight.

* "The World's Only Parrot-Fronted Death Metal Band Just Released a New Album:" http://www.vice.com/read/twelve-years-later-hatebeak-remains-the-worlds-only-death-metal-band-fronted-by-a-parrot-666?utm_source=vicefbus

* Ebay Time:
AUTUMN FANCIES 2013 (LE, Halloweenies): (Company says: Dry grasses bathed in amber light, muted by gentle shadows.) Top of label.:http://www.ebay.com/itm/-/301667294922?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

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

* My RL oldest continuous friend is doing a fundraiser: http://www.gofundme.com/x9g7q2k

* Trying to stay afloat until August: http://www.gofundme.com/cuovws or Lethran@gmail.com

* Happy 150th Anniversary to the London Sewer System, an important public health measure designed to fight cholera and "The Great Stench" of the polluted Thames. I am a huge fan of separating drinking water and feces, and while such ideas were common in civilized places like China and Japan going way back, this was the first serious attempt to deal with the poop in the drinking water situation in the English Speaking world since Rome pulled out. Good on you, London sewer system, may you continue separating poop sand drinking water for centuries to come!

* "President Obama: Anti-Muslim bigotry has no place in US:" http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/watch/obama-anti-muslim-bigotry-has-no-place-in-us-401221187568

* This one is really important. "Why is Bill O'Reilly talking about 'holy war'?:" http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/why-is-bill-oreilly-talking-about-holy-war--401198659655

* "Scott Walker makes latest GOP flub in London:" http://www.msnbc.com/melissa-harris-perry/watch/scott-walker-makes-latest-gop-flub-in-london-399275075762

* Jeb Bush has picked 21 out of 22 people on his foreign policy team who served under his father and or brother as proof he is his "own man" and not going to do exactly what his father and brother did as elected. *side eye*

* "Democrats see advantage in running on Obama economic record in 2016:" http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/democrats-see-2016-boon-in-obama-economics-401714243740

* "ND oil train safeguards too little, too late:" http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/watch/nd-oil-train-safeguards-too-little-too-late-400706115523

* "Oil accidents cause another day of distress:" http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/oil-accident-cause-another-day-of-distress-401208899909

* "Public sector unions dealt huge blow in Illinois:" http://www.msnbc.com/melissa-harris-perry/watch/public-sector-unions-dealt-huge-blow-in-il-399281219644

* "Gov. Scott Walker vs. Higher Ed:" http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/gov.-scott-walker-vs.-higher-ed-400672323785

* "Suit alleges jails operate as debtors prisons:" http://www.msnbc.com/melissa-harris-perry/watch/suit-alleges-jails-operate-as-debtors-prisons-399547971713

* This is really about punishing poverty, also racism and classism. "Chicago little league team stripped of title:" http://www.msnbc.com/melissa-harris-perry/watch/chicago-little-league-team-stripped-of-title-399551043975

* "'The Washington Generals of activism':" http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/the-washington-generals-of-activism-400662595950

* "At Least 6 Trans Women Murdered in the U.S. in 2015:" http://janetmock.com/2015/02/16/six-trans-women-killed-this-year/

* "Another Week, Another Trans Homicide - RIP Kristina Gomez Reinwald:" http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2015/02/another-week-another-trans-homicide-rip.html

* "Vast 5,000 year-old underground city discovered in Turkey's Cappadocia region:" http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/vast-5000-yearold-underground-city-discovered-in-turkeys-cappadocia-region-9951911.html

* "Van’s Iron age castle new ancient discovery:" http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/vans-iron-age-castle-new-ancient-discovery-.aspx?pageID=238&nid=76241&NewsCatID=375

* "Osiris tomb discovered in Luxor:" http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/119421/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/Osiris-tomb-discovered-in-Luxor.aspx

* "Parasite eggs from the Celtic period found:" http://phys.org/news/2014-12-parasite-eggs-celtic-period.html

* Ebay time, no bids on Brood XIX:

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* Our Financial Situation continues Scary: http://www.gofundme.com/cuovws or Lethran@gmail.com

* A really good long interview about current Egyptian politics starts here: http://thedailyshow.cc.com/videos/goaw64/exclusive---gigi-ibrahim-extended-interview-pt--1

* "Edward Said on Orientalism:" http://medievalpoc.tumblr.com/post/88668484988/edward-said-on-orientalism

* "Charles Schumer discusses the need for changes in veterans' health care and the cost of college.:"

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* "The Mississippi Freedom Summer turns 50:"

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* "Man Walks Into a 7-Eleven Carrying an AK-47:"

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* "A Magnificent, Wonderful Story:"

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* "Operation Deserter Storm:"

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* "An Inquiry Into Unionized College Football:"

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* I hate that "Chicken Fat" commercial so much. It isn't just the song being annoying and body shaming, but that for several years they forced us to excercise to it.

* "Engage! LeVar Burton Announces Several Generations of Star Trek Actors Will Kick Off Reading Rainbow:" http://www.pajiba.com/trade_news/engage-levar-burton-announces-several-generations-of-star-trek-actors-will-kick-off-reading-rainbow.php

* The Clutch:

* "Trouble in paradise for Chile's Easter Island:" http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-26951566

* "Nesting storks may end 600-year wait:" http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-norfolk-26833379

* I know what Elizabeth Warren is doing in the Senate is necessary and important, and we can not clone her. We can not spare her now, but I would very much like her to be President one day.

* "Neanderthal Children Played With Toy Axes, Say Experts:" http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/neanderthal-children-played-toy-axes-say-experts-1444607

* "Neanderthals and Cro-magnons did not coexist on the Iberian Peninsula, suggests re-analysis of dating:" http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140414092000.htm

* "Baboon mummy analysis reveals Eritrea and Ethiopia as location of land of Punt:" http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/history/baboon-mummy-analysis-reveals-eritrea-and-ethiopia-as-location-of-land-of-punt-1954547.html

* "Research traces the genetic print of the Asturian people:" http://phys.org/news/2014-04-genetic-asturian-people.html

* "Siberian Mummies in Copper Masks Pose Mystery:" http://news.discovery.com/history/archaeology/siberian-mummies-in-copper-masks-post-mystery-140416.htm

* "1,500-Year-Old Chilean Mummy Had Arsenic Poisoning From Toxic Rivers:" https://uk.news.yahoo.com/1-500-old-chilean-mummy-had-arsenic-poisoning-145930936.html#51gHddh

* "Severe Scurvy Struck Christopher Columbus's Crew:" http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/04/140415-columbus-crew-town-scurvy-science/

* "Historian explains how 'conquered' indigenous Brazilians shaped their own histories:" http://phys.org/news/2014-04-historian-conquered-indigenous-brazilians-histories.html

* "Wealthy landowner’s gold mourning ring found in south Norfolk by metal sleuth:" http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/wealthy_landowner_s_gold_mourning_ring_found_in_south_norfolk_by_metal_sleuth_1_3562928

* "Ludlow massacre spurred New Deal labor reforms:" http://www.seattlepi.com/business/energy/article/Ludlow-massacre-spurred-New-Deal-labor-reforms-5412674.php

* "Masterpiece of silent film recovered:" http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-26848905

* "A Trove of Old Film Footage, Now Online:" http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/04/18/a-trove-of-old-film-footage-now-online/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_php=true&_type=blogs&ref=arts&_r=1

* Monday was kind of terrible in stressful, time consuming ways. I did manage to solve all of it today to my own surprise on Tuesday. I'm going to take another run at the paperwork tomorrow.

* ""No one knows 'oo they were...or wot they were doin'!":" http://metaquotes.livejournal.com/7592444.html

* I've got circular swaps with openings.
Hot drinks: http://www.bpal.org/topic/83154-spring-drink-swap-open/
Scented Products: http://www.bpal.org/topic/83239-spring-scented-products-kitchen-sink-circular-swap/

* 90 people are still missing and believed dead in the Oso disaster.

* I support the right of NCAA athletes to organize in Unions, to get proper health benefits and compensation, for the players to have a right to benefit from their own likenesses, etc..

* "Teen to government: Change your typeface, save millions:" http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/27/living/student-money-saving-typeface-garamond-schools/index.html

* Greenwick found. "What If I Ate Only One Type of Food?:" http://www.livescience.com/18161-food.html

This happened to a lot of Trappers during the 19th century. They'd live almost exclusively on rabbits for most of the year and get sick and often die.

* The Feds are recognizing the marriages made in Michigan last Saturday.

* The Maryland Legislature passed a trans inclusive non-discrimination bill which the governor promises to sign.

* Greenwick found, "5 Places Trans People Exist:" http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lauren-lubin/5-places-trans-people-exist_b_5024830.html

* I had my first group scene on Game of Bones. I am definitely rusty.

* Fish Update: I am changing out water twice a day. It still smells like dishsoap. The water is still not right, but I periodically spot live fish. Ideally, I would rather catch and move them to another tank, but the water quality is such I haven't a hope of catching them.

I am pretty sure I found out what happened with the water being tainted. It looks like it was a genuine accident caused by miscommunication.

* "Sorting 19th Century British Novelists Into Hogwarts:" http://the-toast.net/2014/03/24/sorting-19th-century-british-novelists-hogwarts/

* Nairobi Airport is a major transportation hub for East Africa, serving 49 destinations in 23 countries and five continents, with modern, recently upgraded facilities. As a result, it's a big fucking deal that it just burned down. Travelers are stranded, obviously, but it's seriously messing up air traffic and transport across the region. It sounds like they've resumed Domestic service as of last night, but the International service was still out as of this writing. The footage was horrifying what with the multiple explosions, and it taking a couple of hours for emergency vehicles to arrive to fight the blaze. It sounds like the evacuation itself was fast, for which I am grateful.

* Epidemic Watch: There seems to be an outbreak of a strain of bird flu capable of passing person to person in China. 43 are dead so far. It's too early to panic, but this one bears watching.

* The President has cancelled his one on one with Putin.

* As is generally the case in summer, the Red Cross is running low on blood just generally, and if you can legally donate, now would be a really good time regardless of which country you reside in. http://www.redcrossblood.org/make-donation

* New York is not Detroit:

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Short form: Detroit is what happens if you do extreme austerity like the Republicans want. New York didn't do the austerity and is in way better condition, and imposing Detroit style austerity will be terrible for it. On the macro-level, if we dismantle the county's financial system as Republicans are saying we should do, New York will become Detroit what with the financial industry collapsing.

* "Did Mussolini use castor oil as an instrument of torture?:" http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/965/did-mussolini-use-castor-oil-as-an-instrument-of-torture

* "Cece McDonald Talks About Trayvon And The Justice System:" http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2013/08/cece-mcdonald-talks-about-trayvon-and.html

* "San Antonio City Council Considering Adding Gender Identity To Non-Discrimination Ordinance:" http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2013/08/san-antonio-city-council-considering.html

* O.o. Lake Bell's been getting a lot of misogynistic questions from reporters on her film junket. John Oliver, to his credit, asked her about the experience of getting misogynistic questions on her press junket instead of asking her one.

* Rich White Guys Agreeing with Each Other Alert - Neil Cavuto:

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* I would have gotten more sleep if it weren't for telemarketers, but I got reasonable sleep anyway and got to take the getting my shit together phase at a leisurely speed. I feel much better. I did go out to get my meds, but it was on my terms.

* "If You Have Coulrophobia Go Ahead And Skip This One:" http://www.epbot.com/2012/05/if-you-have-coulrophobia-go-ahead-and.html

* Nothing to Prove - Geek Girls & The Doubleclicks:

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* Dragon Cave:

* Widespread mainstream republican Racism:

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* The number one Republican political goal remains stripping women's constitutional rights:

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* On the class system:

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* "The Cooch" is trying to outlaw cunnilingus in Virginia between consenting adults. I just thought you needed to know that.

* Wow, Seriously?:

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* How were you talking about the George Zimmerman Verdict?:

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* Yet another journalistic hate crime against a murdered trans woman: http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2013/07/nefertiti-read-your-ap-stylebook.html

* "Cameron's new internet filter:" http://www.sparkindarkness.com/2013/07/camerons-new-internet-filter.html

* Minimum Wage & McDonald's Spending Journal:

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* Yesterday I not only ate two cherry tomatoes grown in my garden, but there was a ginormous, strongly scented lily open. Seriously, we are talking a diameter longer than my hand long ways. There are lots of nearly mature buds on other plants. Lilies, y'all! In my garden!

Picture is posted here, if you are curious: http://gwydionmisha.tumblr.com/post/56203943422/the-ginormous-lily-from-my-garden-are-we-sure

Are we sure this isn't a baby triffid?

* "Foodie Treats:" http://www.cakewrecks.com/home/2013/7/21/sunday-sweets-foodie-treats.html

* I am haunted by this Owlbear (NWS): http://oglaf.com/owlbear/

* SDCC Loki'd:

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I suspect we know what Tom Hiddleston's "o" face look now.

* My Scented Home Products Circular Swap is looking for people to sign up: http://www.bpal.org/topic/81082-summer-scented-home-products-circular-swap/

* The Clutch:

* A neighboring town has offered Newton an empty Middle School that just closed. The building is to code and furnished. They will likely need to swap in elementary sized toilets etc., but the important thing is that the students and teachers all don't have to go back to that school. They have not decided when to restart, but are already talking to teachers about how to help the kids deal with it. It's important. I was teaching the day after Columbine, the day after 9/11, and the day after the Anthrax attacks. Even at this physical distance and with my students being older, they were freaked the fuck out and needed help processing for a long time after. I have some idea of how messy it's going to be with kids who had to hide, who heard gunshots, who lots friends and siblings. The thing the Monroe school district doing is incredibly kind.

I keep thinking about the teachers. I've done my share of lockdown drills. Even with Middle Schoolers who have individual emergency jobs and and know exactly what they are meant to do, it is hard to keep them organized, to get them packed behind the teacher desks or wherever your room's spot is, how hard it is to keep them quite and still. I am imagining trying to do that with crying, terrified little people in a real emergency where silent and still can mean life or death. I keep thinking about the incredibly brave teacher who stepped out of hiding to try to divert him away and died for it, and the kids that panicked and broke cover and died with her. The thing that teacher did, is what every one hopes they would have the courage to do and is so difficult in the moment. It's so easy for kids, or anyone really, to panic in a situation like that. During a lockdown drill, even if it's not a surprise drill and you know there's no threat, you crouch there gaming it out thinking through scenarios, trying to think what to do in various contingencies. Every school shooting, you picture your own school lay out, your own classroom, and your own kids, even if like me, you don't teach anymore.

* Unions can be literally a life or death issue:

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* Republicans are fundamentally opposed to protecting Native America Women and immigrants from domestic violence and sexual assault in general, which is what's holding up reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act. That's right, the Republicans are insisting on the absolute right of white men to rape Native women and immigrantts without fear of prosecution. No War on Women my ass.:

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* "Alabama police kill 2 suspects after separate shooting incidents; 3 others found dead:" http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/police+kill+suspects+after+separate+shooting+incidents/7705642/story.html#ixzz2FJpxNryg

* Looks like I'm not the only person who's actually taught kids and tried to get them through lock down drills who thinks arming teachers is an incredibly bad idea for perfectly practical reasons: http://joycemocha.livejournal.com/342009.html

* "Twelve facts about guns and mass shootings in the United States:" http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/12/14/nine-facts-about-guns-and-mass-shootings-in-the-united-states/

* I'm not sure if this has been clear in my recent writings: Reasonable limits has been the most common left position for pretty much my whole life. The Right has been claiming the Left's position is to take everyone's guns, but that's not so. It's a strawman at worst and a taking of the fringe for the center at best.

You'll notice when I write about this, I talk about things like background checks, putting the ban on assault weapons and extended magazines in place, closing the gun show loop hole (where about half of criminals get their guns), limits on mass purchases (how the cartels are arming up). I think waiting periods are a good idea, but I'm not as wedded to that. I also advocate universal health care with mental health coverage parity which would solve a lot of problems.

I personally don't like guns, but I grew up in a house with them. It's not fear, but simply that I'm bad with loud noises close to my head even with ear protectors and I don't enjoy the physical sensation of the kick. Guns are not for me personally, and they have done a lot of harm to people in my life, but I don't favour total prohibition, just reasonable limits.

I definitely agree a change in the culture as a whole would be a good thing. I just don't know how to make that happen.

* Want to help folks in the wake of the shooting in Newton? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/14/connecticut-elementary-school-shooting-how-to-help_n_2302760.html

* Now for something cheerful: Some of the first same sex marriages in my town. That's the front of the courthouse, across from the library. I don't know the gentlemen or the ladies, but I wish them long life and lasting love.: http://youtu.be/miJKJhX86jk

* I was doing marginally better, so I took the good lung meds, slapped on a mask and Squirrel took me to see the late night showing of the Hobbit. We reasoned that a late night 3-D IMAX showing on a Sunday night might be comparatively sparse. We were right. My guess as to the location of the new theater was correct and they were even handing out free popcorn and soda as an opening week special, which is good considering the alarmingly high ticket price. This theater as been literally open since Friday. My seat was already damaged. It worked out though as it was a little like a rocking chair and I found at least four reasonably comfortable positions, despite us sitting in the handicapped row. (I was having enough trouble with the ramp and my lungs, no way was I trying the stairs, especially given the number of times I've started falling and had to grab furniture in the last week).

First off I should explain that my house growing up was full of books. My Mother had custom built a whole wall of shelves in the dining room and my father's den. She'd built smaller book cases in most of the other rooms of the house. My parents were readers. They worked hard, but they always found time to read both for themselves and to us. My Mother mostly read library books to us off and on during the day. My Father read the bed time stories. Before my Sister was born, we'd read not only the obvious things like Milne, Wind in the Willows, and the while OZ series, but also a lot of Stevenson and Dumas, and the Hobbit. Around the time my sister was born, we reread the Hobbit then did LOTR. When she was old enough, she got her own story time at her earlier bed time, and I would sit out in the hall and listen. This was before the animated ones were made. To this day, when I think of Gandolf's voice, it is my Father's. Part of what I love about Andy Serkis' Golem is it's closeness to my Father's version. He sung me the songs to tunes of his own devising. When I think of the Hobbit, I think of the wall of story book picture my my Mom put up behind my bed when I was born, the original yellow paint in my childhood bedroom, the smell of cigarettes and coffee, the way the big skin tag wiggled under my Father's eye as he read. He read me bedtime stories long after I learned to read myself, long after my sister's restlessness and complains led him to give up reading to her. Until I was old enough to not just read myself LOTR, but Silmarillion. After my sister got sick, she spent a lot of time in bed, and I read her the Hobbit and LOTR after all. I get all the ways this stuff is deeply problematic, but it's also really tied up with some of the best bits of my childhood, even as Silmarillion got tied to some of the worst for reasons i don't want to get into here. That's my baggage going in.

( There's going to be spoilers in here: )

* Here's rm's review, with which I am substantially in agreement, "The Hobbit: … and back again:" http://lettersfromtitan.com/2012/12/15/the-hobbit-and-back-again/

* "Lord of the Rings Movie of 1940:"

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* Re: Tumblr: it continues to be utterly bizarre to me that more than 2200 people read anything I wrote, like ever, let alone had strong feelings about it. I am running out of energy for response at this point.

* I'm way behind on my TV watching for a variety of reasons. Like a month behind. I just watched Leverage's "The White Rabbit Job." Get this, they named two of the characters "Mr. Dodgson" and "Mr. Liddell." OMG!!! This is one of the things I love about Leverage.

* It looks like the only reason more people didn't die yesterday is that the weapon jammed. He had multiple magazines and intended to kill more. My thoughts are with the family of the teenaged grl in the hospital and with the families of the dead.

* Anderson Cooper Interviews Shin Dong-hyuk, the only person born in a North Korean prison camp to escape. Life in Camp 14: http://www.allthingsandersoncooper.com/2012/12/anderson-cooper-interviews-shin-dong.html

* They've rushed through that Union stripping bill in Michigan:

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* On Justice Scalia's homophobia:

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* On Justice Scalia's Homophobia:

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* Republicans, furious that the recent elections were too fair are now moving to dramatically increase the corruption in our electoral system:

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* "Yesterday people died in my neighborhood for your guns:" http://jaylake.livejournal.com/3028284.html

* "'Like lesser Americans': Atheists face discrimination, persecution, report says:" http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/10/15814394-like-lesser-americans-atheists-face-discrimination-persecution-report-says?lite

* "When is a religion not a religion?:" http://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2012/12/10/when-is-a-religion-not-a-religion/

* "New global report on discrimination against the nonreligious:" http://www.iheu.org/new-global-report-discrimination-against-nonreligious

* "Black swans and blue tarantulas: ‘Without’ and ‘despite’ are not the same:" http://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2012/12/10/black-swans-and-blue-tarantulas-without-and-despite-are-not-the-same/

* "Yale scientists name Obamadon, a slender-jawed lizard, after the President:" http://www.boston.com/news/science/blogs/science-in-mind/2012/12/10/yale-scientists-name-obamadon-slender-jawed-lizard-after-the-president/8VELtuwNDxWjbOciIsYphM/blog.html

* Marriage Equality (State of play in the UK): http://www.sparkindarkness.com/2012/12/marriage-equality.html

* Sage Smith is still missing on her 20th Birthday: http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2012/12/happy-20th-birthday-sage.html

* "Dominican Republic Trans Org COTRAVEDT Demands End To Anti-Trans Discrimination:" http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2012/12/dominican-republic-trans-org-cotravedt.html

* John Stewart's take on the Union stripping in Michigan:

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* Stephen Colbert on North Korea's Unicorn technology and our Foreman Barbie:

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* Stephen Colbert on Reparative "Therapy:"

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* Today really fucking sucked. I spent all morning dealing with yet more insurance crap with multiple insurance companies to the point where there was no getting back to sleep after. I gave up and got dressed for my noon appointment with the damage assessor. Then there were some necessary errands (other car damage assessor, foraging, and I was out of tissues and orange juice and some cleaning supplies.) I got home to discover they'd changed my rent yet again this month only this time without telling me, meaning we were $25.00 delinquent and collecting fees since the beginning of the month. There were also more insurance calls. Oh, and someone stole at least one of my checks out of the mailbox last month and cashed it of course, so that's delinquent and gathering fees. It took two hours on hold o confirm it was stolen and another half hour starting a claim with my bank. I'm betting it's the same with the power bill as I generally pay them at once. All this together literally took all day. Did I mention that the cats all have the vomits? And I'm still quite sick and should probably be in bed and I still hurt from the accident?

* I'm still sick. It's not quite as bad as yesterday, but just sitting up is still exhausting.

* I was unreasonably pleased when the young man helping me at the grocery store started speaking. He was tall and skinny. I'd guess college age. He'd started to fill out, but wasn't there yet. I'd say twentish. He had one of those surprise bass voices, always a startle on someone that gangling. The bit that made me smile though was that he had one of those Bronx accents that's as thick and strong as turkish coffee. I didn't ask if he transplanted himself or if his family moved here, but I transplanted myself out here at his age, and I have sympathy for that if he came out here for college or to make a better life, and for all the weird little culture shock moments one gets the first few years, from having trouble ordering at restaurants to body language differences to dating. As trapped as I sometimes feel in Bellingham, I still have that sense of wonder at the beauty of the land and the way the culture here lets you spread out and be yourself. Even if his adventure was involuntary, it's still and adventure and I can still taste the excitement of that even though my adventures are mostly over. Good luck, grocery store clerk, may your road be as exciting and intense, an wonderful as mine was.

* 1876 notes on that medieval women thing. People who haven't read properly have started to turn up. Also people who think I had room to write a whole book with references in one Tumblr post. Sigh.