I watch the ripples change their size
But never leave the stream
Of warm impermanence
And so the days float through my eyes
But still the days seem the same
And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They're quite aware of what they're goin' through

Friday, July 3, 2015

Linkee-poo wishes you a Happy Fourth

Some things about the previous post. I'm ashamed that I was so relieved when he put the gun in the trunk that I didn't memorize the license plate. I'm also ashamed that I didn't have presence of mind to check for other potential collaborators and gave him all of my attention. This is also why I don't have a firearm, besides that I wouldn't have time to properly keep up with training.

The Hot Chicks Smart Men Summer Reading Program is up and running.

Pledging allegiance in America.

How to recognize gaslighting. Named for the famous movie, but good to know so you can see if it's happening to you or to someone else you know. (Grokked from Janiece)

Brandie Tarvin, on the things you know when you're poor. Emoji like a Canadian, eh. Courtesy of Tim Hortons, because. (Grokked from Dan)

"The stars of the The Big Bang Theory will be putting their very big paychecks to good use. Actors on the sitcom… members of the crew and the CBS show’s co-creator Chuck Lorre, have created a scholarship… for science students seeking financial aid." (Grokked from Janiece)

How Queen conquered America and then went away. Freddie, we miss you. I was a stupid kid and didn't get it then, I do now. Fortunately I got a clue before he passed. (Grokked from Dan)

My jetpack.

"Cup-peeing and mouth-swabbing are Reagan-era relics that frequently do little more than boosting the revenues of companies that analyze samples." For both of my current drugs I had to pee in to little cups. But, for the most part, it is pretty useless. Especially if it's not actually followed up with a truly random screening afterward (but that's more expensive). So why do companies do it (well, of my two employers one is a government contractor and the other is in healthcare, two heavily regulated and ethics based businesses)? "(T)here are three main reasons why drug testing remains so common. One is that companies still mistakenly believe in its effectiveness. Another is that some insurance companies might give discounts to employers who test. But the third is more political, more symbolic: Some companies use it to project a clean-cut, anti-drug image." I have a feeling the insurance part, including discounts on workman comp, has a lot to do with it. (Grokked form Janiece)

A AbsoluteWrite post on that whole hammer clause in Leviticus. So when someone tells you, "The Bible says," you can respond with, "Well, actually it doesn't…" And back it up. (Grokked from AbsoluteWrite)

Conservatives don't understand Civil Rights. Take Mikee Hucklebees, please (rimshot). Civil Rights was a movement, mainly lead by African-Americans, and while they stood to gain significantly, it wasn't just for them. We all have Civil Rights (no matter what our heritage). Including WASPs. The Civil Rights Movement was done to extend those basic civil liberties and rights to African-Americans because they had been denied them. As to Mikee's assertion that gays weren't hosed, or had dogs sicked on them, or beaten by police, or denied jobs, discriminated against, etc. He's right, in this country they haven't been enslaved. But for all the rest, do I really have to say Stonewall or Matthew Shepard? But it's not about Mikee (and his ilk) not knowing their history (they know it full well, Hucklebees is not an ignorant person), it's about trying to divid the liberal base (set the gays and the blacks at each other's throats). Dear Log Cabin Republicans, conservatives don't believe you exist in their ranks. You might want to remind them. (Grokked from Dan)

"However, Judge Collier did not go along with that arrangement and directed the attorneys to file within 21 days 'briefs addressing whether the factual basis in the proposed plea deal agreement contains communication on defendant's part amounting to a true threat as required under' one section of federal law." Yea, I'm sure he didn't really mean to recruit "gunners" to go with him into an Islamic community and shoot the place up and destroy the mosque. So let's let him go. After all, he's Whitey McWhiterson, so I'm sure he's good. And our justice system is color-blind, and there's no racism going on. Also, the government really didn't prove it's case by entering the phone taps, Facebook posts, actual attempts at recruitment and his own statements about how he really wanted to do this. (Grokked from Saladin Ahmed)

Apparently filipinos aren't especially happy with us this July 4th Friendship day. The lingering effects of American colonialism and empire.

Tweet of my heart: @leeflower Hey folks: please be considerate of combat veterans and other folks with PTSD this weekend. Fireworks sound like bombs.

For me, the explosions don't trigger me so much, it's the sounds of launch that sets off my anxiety.

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