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Nov. 3rd, 2012 07:26 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
coldblossom.livejournal.comSorry to throw up two posts in such a short time, but I was thinking we should have a chat room on Election Day. I found a few sites that I think could work for us. I can start it, however I am AZ time and won't be able to start it until at least 7:45 EST after I get home from work. I am checking to see if any East Coasters would like to start it up earlier, or if not I'll plan to do it. You can name it whatever and set a password and post the info here as a "members only" post so we don't get any uninvited guests.
Good idea? Takers? Bueller?
Edit: I am updating the list of possible chat hosts. If you're thinking of starting the chat, please check these sites out.
https://chatstep.com/
http://www.chatzy.com/faq.htm
http://www.disposablechat.com/
There is also LJ Talk/Jabber, which is something that comes with LJ but everyone has to install a chat client (such as Trillian) to use it, and I'm not sure how setting up chatrooms would work.
Good idea? Takers? Bueller?
Edit: I am updating the list of possible chat hosts. If you're thinking of starting the chat, please check these sites out.
https://chatstep.com/
http://www.chatzy.com/faq.htm
http://www.disposablechat.com/
There is also LJ Talk/Jabber, which is something that comes with LJ but everyone has to install a chat client (such as Trillian) to use it, and I'm not sure how setting up chatrooms would work.
(no subject)
Nov. 3rd, 2012 12:47 pmcoldblossom.livejournal.comMaybe this isn't the right time, or maybe its the perfect time, but a thought occurred to me about what's happening now in the Northeast, and what happened in Katrina, etc. This thought is how woefully unprepared the USA is to handle the loss of our first-world resources.
Its a bit crazy, I know, but look at shows like "Revolution" or reality-based shows like "Doomsday Preppers" (or even "Survivor" to an extent) which try to address this topic. People probably thing the "preppers" are crazy, but I'll bet there were many "preppers" who were caught in this storm (and Katrina, LA earthquake, etc) who did just fine because they were ready for it. Not a catastrophic storm specifically, but just the general idea that they could be cut off from all of the resources most people take for granted.
And it doesn't even have to be a natural disaster, something that we can see coming for the most part. It can be anything, from a foreign country hacking and disabling our electrical grid to an EMP attack. I cannot fathom Hurricane Sandy/Katrina etc on a national scale. The USA simply wouldn't survive the anarchy.
There are "prepper" conventions here in AZ. I am not sure if they're fueled by the large population of Mormons we have (I was first alerted to their existence by a Mormon friend) or the "wild west" independent nature that Arizona still claims. Arizona isn't prone to natural disasters but we are extremely vulnerable to having our water and electrical supply disrupted. Say someone attacked the Hoover Dam or the Palo Verde nuclear plant...it would be crippling. Things like this make me take a second look at the "prepper" conventions. In fact, even in the local supermarkets they're starting to sell home "survival" kits, such as dehydrated meals for a family of four that will last for several months, or seed kits, etc. Again, not sure if this is just to appeal to the local Mormons or if it is in response to a more general demand for these things.
So anyway, as we move further and further from our "roots" of living off the land, without electricity and modern medicine, etc, I am starting to think it becomes increasingly important that we all learn basic survival skills. The Boy Scouts used to cover this (I was a Girl Scout and I don't remember learning anything about tying knots or identifying toxic plants versus beneficial ones, etc) but I think that Scouting in general is nothing like it used to be and fewer people are participating. If people knew how to live without electricity, how to find food where it seems there is none, and how to create shelter from your environment, I think that there would be less of this panic that we see around natural disasters.
So what do you think? Should basic survival skills perhaps be added to school curricula, right next to history and PE? Or should there be a "public awareness" campaign to promote more "be prepared" thinking? Or maybe we just look the other way and pray that nothing bad ever happens?
Feel free to tell me I'm paranoid/crazy.
Its a bit crazy, I know, but look at shows like "Revolution" or reality-based shows like "Doomsday Preppers" (or even "Survivor" to an extent) which try to address this topic. People probably thing the "preppers" are crazy, but I'll bet there were many "preppers" who were caught in this storm (and Katrina, LA earthquake, etc) who did just fine because they were ready for it. Not a catastrophic storm specifically, but just the general idea that they could be cut off from all of the resources most people take for granted.
And it doesn't even have to be a natural disaster, something that we can see coming for the most part. It can be anything, from a foreign country hacking and disabling our electrical grid to an EMP attack. I cannot fathom Hurricane Sandy/Katrina etc on a national scale. The USA simply wouldn't survive the anarchy.
There are "prepper" conventions here in AZ. I am not sure if they're fueled by the large population of Mormons we have (I was first alerted to their existence by a Mormon friend) or the "wild west" independent nature that Arizona still claims. Arizona isn't prone to natural disasters but we are extremely vulnerable to having our water and electrical supply disrupted. Say someone attacked the Hoover Dam or the Palo Verde nuclear plant...it would be crippling. Things like this make me take a second look at the "prepper" conventions. In fact, even in the local supermarkets they're starting to sell home "survival" kits, such as dehydrated meals for a family of four that will last for several months, or seed kits, etc. Again, not sure if this is just to appeal to the local Mormons or if it is in response to a more general demand for these things.
So anyway, as we move further and further from our "roots" of living off the land, without electricity and modern medicine, etc, I am starting to think it becomes increasingly important that we all learn basic survival skills. The Boy Scouts used to cover this (I was a Girl Scout and I don't remember learning anything about tying knots or identifying toxic plants versus beneficial ones, etc) but I think that Scouting in general is nothing like it used to be and fewer people are participating. If people knew how to live without electricity, how to find food where it seems there is none, and how to create shelter from your environment, I think that there would be less of this panic that we see around natural disasters.
So what do you think? Should basic survival skills perhaps be added to school curricula, right next to history and PE? Or should there be a "public awareness" campaign to promote more "be prepared" thinking? Or maybe we just look the other way and pray that nothing bad ever happens?
Feel free to tell me I'm paranoid/crazy.
dustybinx.livejournal.comI've been thinking about presidents lately. How's that for an obvious statement? Many feel Romney would not be good for women. So, what kind of track record do recent Dem presidents have? Remember the Waco incident of President Clinton's administration? Remember when his Attorney General, Janet Reno took responsibility for the siege? President Clinton couldn't back away fast enough. He claimed he knew nothing about it. Fast forward to Benghazi. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton took the blame for the results of the attack there. President Obama (and the vice president) claimed they knew nothing about it. So, 2 Dem presidents, leaders of the free world, champions of women's rights are only too happy to let the women in their administrations take the fall when something goes bad. The buck stops.....with others when the President won't take responsibility.
The "family debate"...
Nov. 1st, 2012 09:29 ambrendala.livejournal.comI recently saw this article that trashed Mitt Romney and the Republicans' "family values" platform and said that it's invalid because the author's parents just happened to be abusive, unfit monsters.
I see this argument peddled out ALL THE TIME when the subjects of gay marriage and "traditional family values" come up and it just drives me up the wall! NOBODY on the right is claiming that ALL heterosexual married couples are inherently better suited to raise kids than ANY single mom or gay couple. And, if given the choice between handing an orphan off to Neil Patrick Harris or Phillip & Nancy Garrido, no right winger would ever choose to give the child to the crazy rapists just because they're straight and married.
( Read more... )
The Crusades
Oct. 30th, 2012 09:40 pmlady-lirenel.livejournal.comI don't usually post here, but I was so pleasantly surprised by this documentary that I had to share, for any of you who might be history fangirls as well.
Usually, I never watch anything about the Crusades because it's always about the 'evil' Christians who fought the innocent, 'good' Muslims for greedy, manipulative reasons. However, I was bored and decided to watch a BBC programme called 'Crusades' narrated by Dr. Thomas Asbridge.
I was extremely impressed. First of all, Dr. Asbridge made sure to differentiate Western and Eastern Christians (there wasn't a lot of detail on the Byzantine Empire and the Eastern Christians, but at least he made it clear that the Western Christians were the ones Crusading). Secondly, while he talked about the atrocities committed by the Crusaders (and they did happen), he then calmly went on and talked about the atrocities committed by the Muslims, taking care to put to rest the myth that Saladin was a peaceful diplomat. There was no demonizing on either side, just talking about what actually happened.
What I found most interesting was that Dr. Asbridge derided the idea that the Crusaders were only in it for the money. He made it clear that most of them truly believed in the righteousness of what they were doing, that they were devout believers who sacrificed a lot for what they believed was right. He didn't condone the actions, but he also made them understandable.
Interestingly, too, while at the very end he mentioned the upswing in the use of 'crusade' and 'jihad' in modern speech, Dr. Asbridge just said that using those terms in modern times was ridiculous, that they described specific times in history, and that they should stay in history, and we should really just get over it (my paraphrase). Which, personally, I thought was nice. Sometimes I think we don't think beyond the past. While history does shape our present, it doesn't have to shape our future, and we sometimes tend to hide behind it.
Anyway, thought I'd share in case there are others who enjoy medieval history but are sick of the highly politicized, or highly liberal readings of that time period.
Usually, I never watch anything about the Crusades because it's always about the 'evil' Christians who fought the innocent, 'good' Muslims for greedy, manipulative reasons. However, I was bored and decided to watch a BBC programme called 'Crusades' narrated by Dr. Thomas Asbridge.
I was extremely impressed. First of all, Dr. Asbridge made sure to differentiate Western and Eastern Christians (there wasn't a lot of detail on the Byzantine Empire and the Eastern Christians, but at least he made it clear that the Western Christians were the ones Crusading). Secondly, while he talked about the atrocities committed by the Crusaders (and they did happen), he then calmly went on and talked about the atrocities committed by the Muslims, taking care to put to rest the myth that Saladin was a peaceful diplomat. There was no demonizing on either side, just talking about what actually happened.
What I found most interesting was that Dr. Asbridge derided the idea that the Crusaders were only in it for the money. He made it clear that most of them truly believed in the righteousness of what they were doing, that they were devout believers who sacrificed a lot for what they believed was right. He didn't condone the actions, but he also made them understandable.
Interestingly, too, while at the very end he mentioned the upswing in the use of 'crusade' and 'jihad' in modern speech, Dr. Asbridge just said that using those terms in modern times was ridiculous, that they described specific times in history, and that they should stay in history, and we should really just get over it (my paraphrase). Which, personally, I thought was nice. Sometimes I think we don't think beyond the past. While history does shape our present, it doesn't have to shape our future, and we sometimes tend to hide behind it.
Anyway, thought I'd share in case there are others who enjoy medieval history but are sick of the highly politicized, or highly liberal readings of that time period.
Frankenstorm
Oct. 28th, 2012 06:00 amjacobs-muse.livejournal.comI'm sure some of you live in the path of this beast, so I hope 1) nothing major happens to you/your home, and 2) you guys will check in to let us know you're alright.
Sex and the Democrats
Oct. 27th, 2012 08:47 pmbrendala.livejournal.comConsidering the fact that the Democratic party now expects us girls to vote with our vaginas instead of our brains, I think this ad is timelier now than it was 4 years ago (the video can't be embedded. So you have to go to YouTube to see it)
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
litlover12.livejournal.comI'm starting to think Obama's PR people hate his guts. First the Dunham ad and now this.
ladyrogue79.livejournal.comHey, just wanted to give you guys this information just in case you didn't already know.
First, LJ is betaing a new "feature". Namely, All friendslist will look the same. Basically white and with infinite scrolling.
The second thing, LJ US office may be closing. They're basically down to 6 employees, which means we'd be left in the hands of the Russian office only. That... can't bode well. I already have a DW account, user name 'ladyrogue' if anyway wants to come add me.
First, LJ is betaing a new "feature". Namely, All friendslist will look the same. Basically white and with infinite scrolling.
The second thing, LJ US office may be closing. They're basically down to 6 employees, which means we'd be left in the hands of the Russian office only. That... can't bode well. I already have a DW account, user name 'ladyrogue' if anyway wants to come add me.
(no subject)
Oct. 26th, 2012 12:38 pmcoldblossom.livejournal.comI just thought I'd share with y'all really quick in case it develops into....something newsworthy (like the Chinese hacking our interwebs!).
If you live in the USA, you may have noticed that Facebook is down. Apparently so are many other sites as North America is experiencing widespread internet outages right now. [link]
If you want to keep updated on the outage, you can go here [link].
I am off today and am about to head out for some winter outlet shopping, but for those of you in the office...congratulations! You can be more productive today!
Also, my paper-shredder which is 1 foot away just randomly activated and scared the shinola out of me.
Carry on!
If you live in the USA, you may have noticed that Facebook is down. Apparently so are many other sites as North America is experiencing widespread internet outages right now. [link]
If you want to keep updated on the outage, you can go here [link].
I am off today and am about to head out for some winter outlet shopping, but for those of you in the office...congratulations! You can be more productive today!
Also, my paper-shredder which is 1 foot away just randomly activated and scared the shinola out of me.
Carry on!
(no subject)
Oct. 26th, 2012 09:53 amcoldblossom.livejournal.comA bit of unintentional education (irony) from the President of the American Federation of Teachers Union. Randi Weingarten is doing a "Ask Me Anything" segment on Reddit. [link] The top-rated question so far:
Randi's response?
And Reddit proceeds to call him out on his overspun bullsh~t. Now keep in mind that Reddit is extremely liberal. Unions should be welcome there (and somehow I don't think this guy was prepared for this response), but skimming the thread I don't see very many people defending unions at all, and many more are calling the unions out for being self-serving entities that just want money and control (someone even linked to the now-infamous "rubber rooms"), and most of all not serving children as they claim. When unions have lost support on a site like Reddit coupled with what's happened in Wisconsin etc it makes me wonder if its indicative of a greater change in the attitudes towards unions. If liberals are finally seeing that unions are resource leeches with almost zero accountability then it gives me some hope for the future.
I hear a lot of people slamming teachers unions because of how easy it is to get tenure and how hard it is to fire bad teachers. Are they correct or not and why?[link]
Edit: To clarify, are the people making the accusations correct?
Randi's response?
Thanks for asking this question so we can permanently debunk this myth. Teacher unions represent teachers. And it’s management (e.g. principals, school boards, superintendents) who hire and evaluate teachers and grant tenure – not teachers unions. But underlying your question is how to ensure that every student has a good teacher.[link]
So what we try to do as teacher unions is to make sure teachers get the support they need from day one to do their jobs. We also make sure that they are treated fairly. And that means that if they are struggling, they should get help. That also means that shouldn’t be fired for patronage, cronyism, age, political affiliation, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc.
But what it also means that if teachers can’t do their job, after some help, they shouldn’t be there.
Tenure should be about fairness and not an excuse for managers not to manage or an inadvertent cloak of incompetence. But we want to make sure that all kids have great teachers and that teachers have the support they need to do their jobs.
About four years ago, we stepped up and started working with affiliates and districts across the country to create meaningful, comprehensive evaluation systems that were about better feedback and continuous improvement.
Once you have really good evaluation systems, it’s never a concern about teachers being treated fairly (having tenure). It’s always an asset.
And Reddit proceeds to call him out on his overspun bullsh~t. Now keep in mind that Reddit is extremely liberal. Unions should be welcome there (and somehow I don't think this guy was prepared for this response), but skimming the thread I don't see very many people defending unions at all, and many more are calling the unions out for being self-serving entities that just want money and control (someone even linked to the now-infamous "rubber rooms"), and most of all not serving children as they claim. When unions have lost support on a site like Reddit coupled with what's happened in Wisconsin etc it makes me wonder if its indicative of a greater change in the attitudes towards unions. If liberals are finally seeing that unions are resource leeches with almost zero accountability then it gives me some hope for the future.
brendala.livejournal.comThis interview is a few years old. But I think it's worth posting here because the host embodies every stereotype we righties associate with smug, liberal douchebags. Seriously, he's so over the top he comes across like a right wing Colbert!
A recent post here got me thinking of a brave, amazing, and all around kick-ass lady named Ayaan Hirsi Ali. If you don't know who she is, this interview is a really good introduction to her and why she is one of the coolest people who will ever exist ever.
EDIT: The video doesn't seem to want to embed here. So here's the direct link to the interview on YouTube.
( Awesomeness under the cut.... )
A recent post here got me thinking of a brave, amazing, and all around kick-ass lady named Ayaan Hirsi Ali. If you don't know who she is, this interview is a really good introduction to her and why she is one of the coolest people who will ever exist ever.
EDIT: The video doesn't seem to want to embed here. So here's the direct link to the interview on YouTube.
( Awesomeness under the cut.... )
litlover12.livejournal.comCourtesy of Lena Dunham of HBO's Girls, the Obama campaign sinks to a new low.
Star Wars Day Is Wasteful Spending
Oct. 25th, 2012 07:14 pmlazypadawan.livejournal.comSen. Tom Coburn had listed a Star Wars Day event at a New England public library as an example of wasteful spending (it's not clear if it was a May 4th Star Wars Day or the recent Star Wars Reads Day held nationwide on Oct. 6). The event consisted of the usual trooping by the 501st and Rebel Legion, which are fan groups where people dress up like characters from the flicks, and fun stuff for the kids.
So a fan who had worked another event took umbrage to Coburn's umbrage. If you're not sure where this guy stands politically, the title of his blog entry, "REPUBLICAN LABELS STAR WARS DAY AS WASTEFUL SPENDING" ought to give it away. It's like me entitling an entry "Scum Sucking Commie Leftist Disses My Fandom!!"
http://andrewliptak.wordpress.com/2012/10/22/republicans-label-star-wars-day-as-wasteful-spending/
Notice in the URL he uses "Republicans" in plural, heh heh.
Anyway, $365 doesn't sound like very much but this guy misses the point. It's not the amount of money per se, even though little bits here and there add up, it's the principle. Why did they use taxpayer money beyond what's in the library's budget for this event? The 501st and Rebel Legion do not accept payment to troop events. They're not allowed to. While the event does have an arguably laudable goal of encouraging kids to read, the unspoken truth is it helps promote the Star Wars franchise too. Such things should never be subsidized by a federal grant! I'm all for spreading the word, but to steal from Mitt Romney, I don't want to borrow more money from China to do that. And what good will it do those kids if the aggregate of wasteful spending is crushing debt they'll have to pay eventually? If the library doesn't have the funds to host the event, it shouldn't host it. It's that simple.
Stop stealing!
So a fan who had worked another event took umbrage to Coburn's umbrage. If you're not sure where this guy stands politically, the title of his blog entry, "REPUBLICAN LABELS STAR WARS DAY AS WASTEFUL SPENDING" ought to give it away. It's like me entitling an entry "Scum Sucking Commie Leftist Disses My Fandom!!"
http://andrewliptak.wordpress.com/2012/10/22/republicans-label-star-wars-day-as-wasteful-spending/
Notice in the URL he uses "Republicans" in plural, heh heh.
Anyway, $365 doesn't sound like very much but this guy misses the point. It's not the amount of money per se, even though little bits here and there add up, it's the principle. Why did they use taxpayer money beyond what's in the library's budget for this event? The 501st and Rebel Legion do not accept payment to troop events. They're not allowed to. While the event does have an arguably laudable goal of encouraging kids to read, the unspoken truth is it helps promote the Star Wars franchise too. Such things should never be subsidized by a federal grant! I'm all for spreading the word, but to steal from Mitt Romney, I don't want to borrow more money from China to do that. And what good will it do those kids if the aggregate of wasteful spending is crushing debt they'll have to pay eventually? If the library doesn't have the funds to host the event, it shouldn't host it. It's that simple.
Stop stealing!
Colorado Rally
Oct. 25th, 2012 06:25 pmladyrogue79.livejournal.comMy sister posted this to Facebook and I wanted to share with you guys. The article was written by a guy who helped Obama win in 2008 and has now realized the mistake he made and is helping to fix his mistake. He works inside the White House and posts news under a fake name online. So far, everything he has posted has come true including things dealing with the economy to even Libya. This article is about a recent rally that happened in Colorado and the things he saw that night. Please be warned that I was in tears by the end of the article as it is very moving.
Mitt Romney’s Quiet Prayer Amidst The Sound Of Thunder
TISSUES RECOMMENDED!
Mitt Romney’s Quiet Prayer Amidst The Sound Of Thunder
TISSUES RECOMMENDED!
Swing States and the Electoral Map
Oct. 24th, 2012 07:56 amarkadelos.livejournal.comI watched Larry Sabato discuss the potential election outcomes for 2012. I wonder... what are the concerns that would convince Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, and Wisconson to vote for Romney? Pennsylvania is a coal-state if I remember correctly. Illinois has the auto-industry in Detroit.
I did a search through No Quarter because I remember it posted some pictures from Detroit that looked like a third world, war-torn country. However, I couldn't find them this time around.
Oh, and here is the current electoral map.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/election_2012
I did a search through No Quarter because I remember it posted some pictures from Detroit that looked like a third world, war-torn country. However, I couldn't find them this time around.
Oh, and here is the current electoral map.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/election_2012
Book Review: While Europe Slept
Oct. 24th, 2012 02:30 ambrendala.livejournal.comI read While Europe Slept as few years ago and I HIGHLY recommend it to everyone here. Mainly because it's a good, well-written book about the threat of radical Islam in the west. But also because it provides hope that even the most ardent, kool-aid drinking liberal can see the light and join us in the good fight against the forces out to annihilate us.
While Europe Slept is Bruce Bawer's autobiographical account of his immigration to Norway in the late 1990s. Bawer is a gay American journalist. And he decided to move to Norway back then because he felt that Europe would be a more tolerant and safe environment for him as a gay man than the United States (a place that he felt was controlled by homophobic Christians out to oppress him).
.....and then he learned the hard way that he was totally wrong.
( Read more... )
As cliché as this sounds; this book made me feel proud to be and American. Please go check it out!
While Europe Slept is Bruce Bawer's autobiographical account of his immigration to Norway in the late 1990s. Bawer is a gay American journalist. And he decided to move to Norway back then because he felt that Europe would be a more tolerant and safe environment for him as a gay man than the United States (a place that he felt was controlled by homophobic Christians out to oppress him).
.....and then he learned the hard way that he was totally wrong.
( Read more... )
As cliché as this sounds; this book made me feel proud to be and American. Please go check it out!
