queer little tumbleweed
excursions into language, identity, politics, music, and being human
I’m not even going to talk about that anti-gay thing going on in Russia. Because it’s the same anti-gay thing that’s always going on. And because I’m sad. And because it’s getting more and more official and it’s gross. And because I’m tired.
But you can read about it, if you’d like. I’ll just go back to being sad. For now.
(In front of the Duma in Moscow.)
Also, this picture. It makes something shiver inside me, like the last breath you take before tears start rolling down your face, or maybe like when you sit your frozen body down in front of a fire. Not sure which.
“This group has been recognized as a hate group by organizations, such as The Southern Poverty Law Center, and has repeatedly displayed the actions typical of hate groups.
Their actions have been directed at many groups, including homosexuals, military, Jewish people and even other Christians. They pose a threat to the welfare and treatment of others and will not improve without some form of imposed regulation.”
so… why is it that people who live near water are consistently more liberal? (this scales up to the presidential election map, too)
oh, the mysteries of the universe.
Jill Stein, you guys. Look her up! Instead of voting for the lesser of two evils, vote for what you actually believe in. Especially if you live in a securely red state, she is the obvious choice.
J.K. Rowling speaking on the Daily Show (6:13 on in the link)
| J.K. Rowling: | You know, what you need is a monarch. Stay with me!... |
| John Stewart: | Oh, I'm with you. What would we call this monarch? |
| Rowling: | Well, I'd imagine she'd be happy to have you back. |
| Stewart: | Really? |
| Rowling: | Yeah! |
| Stewart: | Do you think? You don't think she'd consider us a drain? |
| Rowling (laughing): | No! |
| Rowling: | No, seriously, I feel like we split the functions, so we have head of state, clearly, who is the monarch, and then we are able to treat our politicians with utter contempt. And there's no duty on us-- |
| Stewart: | That is a fascinating statement! |
| Rowling: | You know, the head of state, people expect a certain amount of respect, and reverence, which really pisses off the people who don't want to give that respect and reverence, so you divide it in two: monarch, Prime Minister. |
| Stewart: | Like a figurehead, we create a figurehead that we play "hail to the chief" to, we do all the pomp and circumstance, and then we have a President that we can yell at every week. |
| Rowling: | exactly. Yep, you need a monarch! It shouldn't work, but it does. |
| Stewart: | I love the question time, when everyone just gets to yell, and then you have a real conversation. |
| Rowling: | every Tuesday, yeah. |
| Stewart: | Here... do you know, here, this is a crazy thing. The Vice President, the President, Romney's camp, Paul Ryan's camp... they have approval of quotes! From some of the reporters that are with them. And they give them access, but in return for access they get to say "show me the quotes!.. Nah, I don't like the one here where I say 'Jews should leave the country,' I'm just gonna..." and they get to take the quotes and change them! |
| Rowling: | I am... quite taken aback. |
| Stewart: | Thank you! |
| Rowling: | That was British understatement, I am very taken aback. |
| Stewart: | It's true! We've lost our minds when it comes to accountability to the public, really, we've lost our minds. |
So, first, let’s be clear that our jobs took a nosedive because Wall Street crashed the economy, because of Wall Street waste, fraud, and abuse, and our jobs went overseas due to NAFTA and other free trade agreements, which Barack Obama has expanded. So in fact it’s not immigrants that have caused problems in our economy, it’s rather these predatory economic policies fostered by an economic and political elite.
In fact, immigrants did not come to this country lured by jobs! The spike in undocumented immigrants occurred — massively spiked — after NAFTA basically put millions of small farmers out of business, and people were forced to migrate here as economic refugees in order to feed their families. So, we actually want to provide a welcoming and legal path to the immigrants who have always been the backbone of our economy, the backbone of the diversity that makes this country great.
"(Is it just me, or is she the only candidate who is willing to talk about the relationship between NAFTA and “American jobs”, NAFTA and immigration? And she tells the truth — the only flaw I could find is that the “immigrants did not come to this country lured by jobs” line primarily applies to Mexican immigrants, which she didn’t specify. But, for some reason most people assume that anyway.)
Green Party Candidates Arrested, Shackled to Chairs For 8 Hours After Trying to Enter Hofstra Debate
Yes, and also if Obama wins. His presidency has been one of the worst in terms of protecting the right to protest* (aka freedom of speech/expression/assembly), and I like to be able to speak my mind. We’ll see where this country takes us, but I am thoroughly disappointed with both main tickets this election. Jill Stein, please. Speaking of which, she was detained yesterday on her way to the second presidential debate. WTF, people.
*HR 347, huge increases in surveillance
(Source: bluhbluhhugedork, via brashblacknonbeliever)
“Mitt Romney suggested during the Presidential debate in Denver, Colorado, the dubious claim of the Affordable Health Care Act being a ‘government takeover of health care.’ That was the 2010 Lie of the Year by PolitiFact.
Paul Ryan repeated that lie — both are aware that this is false — in his closing statement, saying that President Obama “made his choices,” including “a government takeover of health care.”
The phrase is simply not true. “Government takeover” conjures a European approach where the government owns the hospitals and the doctors are public employees. But Obama’s health care law relies largely on the free market. We voted “a government takeover of health care” our Lie of the Year for 2010. “
