Nec Hoc Nec Ilud

* "Abortion referendum likely to put pressure on Northern Ireland politicians:" https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/26/abortion-referendum-likely-to-put-pressure-on-northern-ireland-politicians

* "U.S. reaches deal to keep China's ZTE in business: congressional aide:" https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-china-zte/us-reaches-deal-to-keep-chinas-zte-in-business-congressional-aide-idUSKCN1IQ2JY

* "‘He is not taking this guy’s s—’: Why Trump pulled out of the Kim meeting:" https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/24/trump-north-korea-kim-jong-un-strategy-607976

* "Russian oligarch met with Michael Cohen at Trump Tower during transition:" https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/25/politics/viktor-vekselberg-trump-tower-michael-cohen-meeting/index.html

* "Black Cube: Inside the shadowy Israeli firm accused of trying to undermine the Iran deal:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/black-cube-inside-shadowy-israeli-firm-accused-trying-undermine-iran-n877511

* "Roger Stone tried to get information on Clinton from Assange:" https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/24/politics/roger-stone-clinton-assange/index.html

* "Federal prisons director resigns amid Kushner, Sessions infighting over prison reform:" https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/25/politics/federal-prisons-director-jared-kushner-jeff-sessions/index.html

* "Trump admin picks immigration hard-liner for migration State Dept. post:" https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/24/politics/assistant-secretary-of-state-ronald-mortensen/index.html

* "New Push to Topple Affordable Care Act Looms:" https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-push-to-topple-affordable-care-act-looms-1527240601

* This explains so much. "Ex-aides say congressman made them his servants:" https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/25/tom-garrett-staff-servants-608665

* "Montana Dems call for probe of Rep. Gianforte:" https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/25/politics/montana-democrats-greg-gianforte-ethics/index.html

* This is so full of republican Conspiracy Theory nonsense it hurt my brain to read. "GOP House candidate in Illinois is a 9/11 truther, said Beyonce had ties to the Illuminati:" https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/25/politics/kfile-illinois-republican-nominee-illuminati/index.html

* "Suspect in custody after shooting at Indiana middle school:" https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/25/us/indiana-school-shots-fired/index.html

* "Border Patrol union calls Trump's National Guard deployment 'colossal waste':" http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-border-patrol-national-guard-2018-story.html

* "Chris Hayes on 'despicable' new Trump policy:" http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/trump-administration-separating-parents-and-children-at-border-1242280003606

* "Wyatt Cenac on his new show looking at issues of policing:" http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/wyatt-cenac-on-his-new-show-looking-at-issues-of-policing-1242283588000

* TW: Rape. "Harvey Weinstein arrested on rape, criminal sex act charges:" https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/25/movie-producer-harvey-weinstein-surrenders-to-police-following-sex-assault-charges.html

* TW: Rape, Violence against Women. It was good seeing Harvey Weinstein under arrest today, though it's only a baby step.

I keep thinking about London at the time of the Ripper Attacks. One of the measures the police took at the time was to sweep Whitechapel and take all the men known to have violently attacked women in public into custody. Like, some of these guys had gone after women with knives in front of dozens of witnesses and the police gave no fucks until the murders made them look bad in the press, so they changed policy and started treated violent assault and attempted murder against women in poverty as if they were actual crimes and not things that weren't worth the bother of taking a look at. They arrested dozens and confined them in prisons or institutions for the criminally insane, depending. Baby steps, but certainly better than letting men run around beating, biting, and stabbing women as much as they liked. It took a major change and massive public outcry for this change to happen. (A whole bunch of other things were going backward as far ass treatment of women in poverty at the same time, but that's several other rants). This one thing got a little better.

I would love for Harvey Weinstein to be the first of many. I think the world would be way the better off if we rounded up all the rapists the police have protected to this point as they clearly did in this case, if we actually processed the rape kits and arrested and prosecuted all those men, if we put proper dedicated investigative units in to handle sex crimes instead of letting a bunch of misogynistic knuckleheads ignore pretty clear evidence as they did in this particular case and have done in so many others. Will it solve the whole problem? Hell no, but I bet the women of Whitechapel were a lot happier after they swept up the known abusers than they were with all those offenders roaming the streets attacking women. Baby steps, but progress all the same.

* "Scotland’s Church Passes Law Allowing Same-Sex Marriage:" https://www.out.com/news-opinion/2018/5/21/scotlands-church-passes-law-allowing-same-sex-marriage

* "Michael Cohen's 'Taxi King' Partner Flips:"

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* "Profiles In Discourage: Joe Arpaio's Second-Wave Birtherism:"

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* "So, About That North Korea Meeting...:"

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* "Smooth Criminal (metal cover by Leo Moracchioli):"

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* I would like to thank everyone who contributed or reblogged during the crisis this year. I'm officially caught up on bills.

* "Amazon Officially Renews THE EXPANSE For Season 4:" https://nerdist.com/amazon-saves-the-expanse-cancellation-syfy/

* TW: suicide. "Elementary Gets Psychological In Our Time Is Up :" https://www.thefandomentals.com/elementary-gets-psychological/

* I've been wanting a sensory deprivation tank ever since I saw on on TV at the age of 10 or 11, because I think it would be the best thing in the world when my sensorium is turned up to eleven. I'd have likely killed for one as a teen during the horrible headaches after my concussion. Lucky, lucky Sherlock.

* "‘The Terror’: Unpacking the Curious Identity of Cornelius Hickey, the Series’ Greatest Mystery:" http://www.indiewire.com/2018/05/amc-the-terror-episode-8-cornelius-hickey-spoilers-1201960601/

* I am really angry about what Dolores did to Teddy on Westword. (Angry at the character, not the writing). It is a fundamental violation, as wrong as the things the humans have been doing to them. I suspected she was trending true villain. This is proof.

*****
* 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

* A list of organizations to help you run for office: http://lovingmyselfishard.tumblr.com/post/167330144634/psst-hey

* Have something you want to tell your congress Critters? 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 or paypal.me/Gwydion

* Birthday/Solstice master list: https://gwydion.dreamwidth.org/1925021.html

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

* Want to help the refugees on Manus Island?
"Help us stop the humanitarian crisis on Manus:" https://www.asrc.org.au/donate-now/
"RISE (Refugees, Survivors and Ex-Detainees):" https://www.givenow.com.au/riserefugee/donate

* "Saudi arrests show crown prince is a risk-taker with a zeal for reform:" https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/05/saudi-arabia-arrests-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman

* "Miss Peru contestants accuse country of not measuring up on gender violence:" https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/nov/01/miss-peru-2017-contestants-accuse-country-of-failing-to-measure-up-gender-violence

* It’s really laugh, cry, or scream in existential horror, isn’t it? "Trump Reportedly Can’t Understand Why Japan Didn’t Shoot Down North Korea Missiles:" http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2017/11/05/trump_reportedly_can_t_understand_why_japan_didn_t_shoot_down_north_korea.html

* "Mueller Has Enough Evidence to Charge Mike Flynn, Trump's Former National Security Adviser:" https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mueller-trump-russia-probe-mike-flynn_us_59ff48b5e4b0c9652ffff7eb

* "Ohio Republicans create winnable electoral districts by siting nonvoting prisons near friendly voters:" https://boingboing.net/2017/10/31/prison-gerrymandering.html

* "Gothamist, DNAinfo, LAist, And Other Local News Sites Have Suddenly Shut Down:" https://www.buzzfeed.com/briannasacks/gothamist-dnainfo-laist-and-other-local-news-sites-have?utm_term=.wjq5byMap#.bqjeqMDdj

* "At least 26 people killed in shooting at Texas church:" http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/05/us/texas-church-shooting/index.html

* "Archaeologists discover rare remains of pregnant woman in King Solomon’s Mines:" http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Archaeologists-discover-rare-remains-of-pregnant-woman-in-King-Solomons-Mines-510965

* I still get chills and end in tears after all these years. "An inch:" https://lettersfromtitan.com/2017/11/05/an-inch/#comments

* "Why Winona Ryder Doesn't Regret Opening Up About Depression:" http://www.refinery29.com/2016/08/119488/winona-ryder-depression-the-cut?utm_source=tumblr.com&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=end&utm_campaign=h2

* Vote!!! "The Struggle:"

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* "Sunday Sweets Welcomes A Slice Of Fall:" http://www.cakewrecks.com/home/2017/11/5/sunday-sweets-welcomes-a-slice-of-fall.html

* The Exorcist: I am impressed that they actually surprised me this time. So few things do.

I'm going to spoiler the discussion of plotty stuff, though I think we are past the required wait.

I keep thinking about why this season is working so well for me. I think the secret was in the slow burn. They spent all that time in the first few episodes establishing why the group home was both important and fragile. They gave up time to invest in all the characters and really care about them. Even though it wasn't obvious how the stuff the priests (the old wolf and the young + the stuff in Europe) were going to fit together, it hasn't felt like filler. as it turns out the stuff in Washington had direct bearing and the European stuff was both world building and I think long arc set up, but all of it was interesting and worked on it's own before the pieces started fitting together.

I also just really find Verity relatable, with her intelligence and anger and her relatively adult understanding of the stresses Andy might be under (even without the demon she doesn't know about yet infesting their home) and understanding of the bigger picture even with the weight of all she is going through and has been through herself. It's really subtly done and rare to see a character so perfectly balanced between her own issues on the one hand and what is obviously a fundamental sense of what is fair. It captures remarkably well how i was at that age, for example. It would be easier to make her precociously adult or brattily teenaged. Instead both the writing and the acting is conveying something much more real.

While I'm speaking of the acting, I wanted to mention how good and naturalistic so much of it is. The horror elements work so much better because the acting of the ordinary is so good, if that makes sense. I was going to start singling people out and then realized the list would be too long. I do think the realism of Marcus' internal struggle makes Andy's struggle with his realistic mourning process and the more extreme supernatural element work better because of how similar they both look on the surface, for example.

I admit to being pleased at both spotting in advance the fairly subtle pick up attempt by the Fish and wildlife guy and that it does seem to be leading somewhere both romantically and plot wise.

This whole season just seems really well woven together, all the little parts working well with the whole.

* I think there is a third reason for going back, but my attempt to put it into words have failed. The rest is pretty much where I am. http://granpappy-winchester.tumblr.com/post/167166926666/taking-a-little-break-from-all-the-screaming-ive

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

* "Help us stop the humanitarian crisis on Manus:" https://www.asrc.org.au/donate-now/

* "RISE (Refugees, Survivors and Ex-Detainees):" https://www.givenow.com.au/riserefugee/donate

* 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

* Resistance links for the tax cuts for the rich: http://gwydionmisha.tumblr.com/post/166977878817/fullhalalalchemist-the-gop-is-aiming-for-a-65vc

* Republicans are trying to kill library funding. Help us save the libraries. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/advleg/federallegislation/fight-for-libraries

* 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

* Birthday/Solstice master list: https://gwydion.dreamwidth.org/1925021.html

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