I've long thought Hobby Lobby was a wart on the ass of the United States. Now here's additional proof that their hypocrisy really has no limits. Camel, meet eye of needle.
H/T Sister NeuronDoc
_________
Yes, yes, a thousand times "yes." I came to my Atheism in mid-life, and it took a while for me to come to terms with the agnostic portion of my disbelief. While I still have a huge stick up my ass when it comes to people's faith butting up against my empirical reality (*cough*young earth creationism*cough*), for the most part I don't really care much about what you believe. As long as your faith doesn't lead to bigotry or other forms of asshattery, we're all good.
_________
A woman stabs her boyfriend to death because he threw her cat against a wall in a fit of anger. While I'm not condoning the murder of another human being, I find I'm oddly sympathetic to this women's feelings. Don't mess with Miss Jackson Pi.
H/T Tempest
_________
The Justice Department is looking to prosecute the plutocrats who tanked the economy in 2008. Whatevs - I'll believe it when I see it.
H/T Paul
_________
Colorado will have single payer health care on the ballot in 2016. I'm a fan of single payer healthcare as a general principle, although I haven't yet done the research on this specific proposal. However, Colorado is a purple state at best, and such rampant socialism will probably be a non-starter here.
_________
Video of my Heart: British journalist Jonathon Pie has an outtake on the state of British Journalism and the "news."
Link Me Up, Scotty - Mind Yer Bidness Edition
Monday, October 26, 2015
Why is it so fucking hard for people to just mind their own damn business and quit trying to force their religious beliefs into the public sphere? Florida joins the ranks of states attempting to pass one of those ridiculous "religious liberty" laws. Angels and Ministers of Grace, defend us.
________
Climate change and hurricane strength. It's a complex system with many variables, but the evidence for a connection is very, very strong.
________
Apparently cheese is as addictive as drugs. I knew it!
________
Being the President of the United States isn't like being a CEO. And I'm sick to death of people assuming it is.
________
I love this idea, and not just because I come from a family with a tradition of military service. It's a question of honor, damnit - we should take care of our own.
H/T Brother Seth
_________
Mechanics recreate Renaissance paintings for photographer. I really, really, like these.
H/T Debbie the Librarian
_________
I'm against the death penalty for a number of reasons, and here's one more: It's an administrative nightmare, and the states that allow it have no comprehensive plan to resolve their issues.
_________
Officials from Texas raid Planned Parenthood and demand the home addresses and salary information of their employees because reasons? Texas, your obsession with the uterus is legendary. And I don't mean that in a good way.
_________
In case you thought we lived in a "post-racial world."
H/T Tempest
_________
Video of my heart: Two of my favorite musical groups - The Piano Guys and The Hollens Family singing What Are Words.
________
Climate change and hurricane strength. It's a complex system with many variables, but the evidence for a connection is very, very strong.
________
Apparently cheese is as addictive as drugs. I knew it!
________
Being the President of the United States isn't like being a CEO. And I'm sick to death of people assuming it is.
________
I love this idea, and not just because I come from a family with a tradition of military service. It's a question of honor, damnit - we should take care of our own.
H/T Brother Seth
_________
Mechanics recreate Renaissance paintings for photographer. I really, really, like these.
H/T Debbie the Librarian
_________
I'm against the death penalty for a number of reasons, and here's one more: It's an administrative nightmare, and the states that allow it have no comprehensive plan to resolve their issues.
_________
Officials from Texas raid Planned Parenthood and demand the home addresses and salary information of their employees because reasons? Texas, your obsession with the uterus is legendary. And I don't mean that in a good way.
_________
In case you thought we lived in a "post-racial world."
H/T Tempest
_________
Video of my heart: Two of my favorite musical groups - The Piano Guys and The Hollens Family singing What Are Words.
Conversations with Karma - Trey Gowdy Edition
Saturday, October 24, 2015
* ring, ring *
Trey Gowdy's Office: Hello, Trey Gowdy's office, how can I help you?
Karma: Hello, I'd like to speak to the Representative, please. Hehe.
TGO: May I say who's calling?
K: Karma.
TGO: Karma who?
K: Why does everyone say that? Just tell him it's "Karma Chameleon" calling.
TGO: Isn't that a Culture Club song?
K: Just get him.
Trey Gowdy: Hello? What is this, some king of joke?
K: No joke, Congressman. This is Karma.
TG: I thought this was Boy George.
K: No, that was a joke. This is Karma. The Eastern idea that you will receive your punishment or reward for your deeds. You know...what comes around goes around, people get what they deserve? Karma.
TG: I don't like that sound of that.
K: Wise of you. I'm actually doing a favor for my friend Schadenfreude.
TG: What do you want?
K: Well, you know how you've been using the tragic death of the Benghazi Embassy staff as a partisan lever to try and bring down Hillary Clinton in her bid for the U.S. Presidency?
TG: I have no idea what you're talking about.
K: Of course you don't. Well, guess what, Trey Gowdy? Turns out those nasty liberals have discovered that you (gasp!) use your own e:mail server for your treygowdy.com domain name. Hehe.
TG: So what? It's for personal use - my re-election, and personal e:mail.
K: Are you sure? Because really, at this point the Democrats have no reason to take your word for it.
TG: What do you mean?
K: I mean, you raging hypocrite, that even if your e:mail server is pure as the driven snow, that the Democrats will most certainly try and prove you used it for Congressional business. Which is why I'm making this little visit as a personal favor to my colleague Schadenfreude.
TG: But my server doesn't have anything to do with Hillary's! And she DID use hers for her State e:mails!
K: Yes, I know, and reset assured I'll be paying her a little visit in my own right over that debacle. But that's not really the point, is it? What comes around, goes around. You started a witch hunt, and now the torches and pitchforks are coming for you. I love my work.
TG: I need to call my attorney.
K: Good move.
* click *
Trey Gowdy's Office: Hello, Trey Gowdy's office, how can I help you?
Karma: Hello, I'd like to speak to the Representative, please. Hehe.
TGO: May I say who's calling?
K: Karma.
TGO: Karma who?
K: Why does everyone say that? Just tell him it's "Karma Chameleon" calling.
TGO: Isn't that a Culture Club song?
K: Just get him.
Trey Gowdy: Hello? What is this, some king of joke?
K: No joke, Congressman. This is Karma.
TG: I thought this was Boy George.
K: No, that was a joke. This is Karma. The Eastern idea that you will receive your punishment or reward for your deeds. You know...what comes around goes around, people get what they deserve? Karma.
TG: I don't like that sound of that.
K: Wise of you. I'm actually doing a favor for my friend Schadenfreude.
TG: What do you want?
K: Well, you know how you've been using the tragic death of the Benghazi Embassy staff as a partisan lever to try and bring down Hillary Clinton in her bid for the U.S. Presidency?
TG: I have no idea what you're talking about.
K: Of course you don't. Well, guess what, Trey Gowdy? Turns out those nasty liberals have discovered that you (gasp!) use your own e:mail server for your treygowdy.com domain name. Hehe.
TG: So what? It's for personal use - my re-election, and personal e:mail.
K: Are you sure? Because really, at this point the Democrats have no reason to take your word for it.
TG: What do you mean?
K: I mean, you raging hypocrite, that even if your e:mail server is pure as the driven snow, that the Democrats will most certainly try and prove you used it for Congressional business. Which is why I'm making this little visit as a personal favor to my colleague Schadenfreude.
TG: But my server doesn't have anything to do with Hillary's! And she DID use hers for her State e:mails!
K: Yes, I know, and reset assured I'll be paying her a little visit in my own right over that debacle. But that's not really the point, is it? What comes around, goes around. You started a witch hunt, and now the torches and pitchforks are coming for you. I love my work.
TG: I need to call my attorney.
K: Good move.
* click *
Conversations with Karma - Martin Shkreli Edition
Friday, October 23, 2015
* ring, ring *
Martin Shkreli: Hello, Turing Pharmaceurticals, Martin here.
Karma: Hello, Martin. This is Karma.
MS: Karma? Karma who?
K: Karma. The Eastern idea that you will receive your punishment or reward for your deeds. You know...what comes around goes around, people get what they deserve? Karma.
MS: Oh, Karma! Yes, I'm familiar with that. I have excellent Karma. Otherwise I wouldn't be so darn rich!
K: I'm afraid it doesn't work like that. "Through the eye of a needle" and all that.
MS: Whatevs. I'm a busy dude - what do you want?
K: Well, remember back in August when you decided to acquire a drug called Daraprim® that's used to treat opportunistic, parasitic infections with people with compromised immune systems?
MS: Yeah! That was great. I raised the price from $13.50 a pill to $750 a pill. I didn't have a single R&D dollar invested in that shit, but I have to, you know, "make sound business decisions." I've decided to "invest" the profits from that little gem into a PRIVATE ISLAND. Hows' THAT for stimulating the local economy!
Martin Shkreli: Hello, Turing Pharmaceurticals, Martin here.
Karma: Hello, Martin. This is Karma.
MS: Karma? Karma who?
K: Karma. The Eastern idea that you will receive your punishment or reward for your deeds. You know...what comes around goes around, people get what they deserve? Karma.
MS: Oh, Karma! Yes, I'm familiar with that. I have excellent Karma. Otherwise I wouldn't be so darn rich!
K: I'm afraid it doesn't work like that. "Through the eye of a needle" and all that.
MS: Whatevs. I'm a busy dude - what do you want?
K: Well, remember back in August when you decided to acquire a drug called Daraprim® that's used to treat opportunistic, parasitic infections with people with compromised immune systems?
MS: Yeah! That was great. I raised the price from $13.50 a pill to $750 a pill. I didn't have a single R&D dollar invested in that shit, but I have to, you know, "make sound business decisions." I've decided to "invest" the profits from that little gem into a PRIVATE ISLAND. Hows' THAT for stimulating the local economy!
K: Hm, yes. I believe the quote was, "This isn’t the greedy drug company trying to gouge patients, it is us trying to stay in business. This is still one of the smallest pharmaceutical products in the world. It really doesn’t make sense to get any criticism for this.”
MS: And I was RIGHT. Those people whining about the price increase just don't know how to manage a business. Not like ME.
K: Except when you don't.
MS: What is that supposed to mean?
K: Well, it turns out that a company called Imprimis Pharmaceuticals has decided to make available a customizable compounded formulation of pyrimethamine and
leucovorin for physicians to consider prescribing for their
patients as a low cost alternative to Daraprim®. The drug you bought.
MS: So?
K: So, they're charging less than a dollar a pill.
MS: WHAT? They can't do that!
K: They can. And they did. Because their CEO is an effin genius who understands that taking
advantage of other company's greed for their own PR benefit is a sound
business practice.
MS: I'll sue!
K: Yeah, good luck with that. Everyone already thinks you're the biggest douche in the free world. Go ahead and sue a company for undercutting your business plan by manufacturing a generic version of your drug and see what that gets you.
MS: This is unacceptable! And I'm not a douche!
K: Actually, you are. Why don't you console yourself by diving into a pile of your money a la Scrooge McDuck?
MS: You have no respect. I'm calling my attorney.
K: You do that. I have to leave anyway - I have an appointment with that lying sack of shit Bibi Netanyahu. Can you believe he tried to blame the Holocaust on the Palestinians, and then got corrected by the Germans? I couldn't have set that up better myself.
* click *
Link Me Up, Scotty - Sweetums Edition
Thursday, October 22, 2015
I've been following Jack Bogle for a number of years, and following his investment advice, as well. I have an investment adviser over at Fidelity (an entitlement from my 401K), and it drives her nuts that I insist on Index Funds and none of those fancy-shmancy financial instruments with the high fees. Get off my lawn, investment advisers, I have JACK BOGLE on my side!
_________
From the Bizarro-World files: Jewish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims that a Muslim Cleric named Haj Amin al-Husseini was responsible for Hitler's decision to annihilate the Jews, and had to be corrected by the Germans. While history shows that al-Husseini was in fact a violent anti-Semite, I never, ever, thought I'd see the day when a Jewish leader would try to revise Holocaust history to demonize their enemy and feed their anti-Islam bigotry. Is nothing sacred?
P.S. Kudos to the Germans, who will not tolerate any revision of this part of their history, even to their benefit.
_________
Engineering for the ages. Humans, we amaze me.
H/T Judi
_________
I really want to try one of these "Escape Room" outings. I just need to make sure I bring a bunch of really smart people with me. Like pretty much any of my friends.
_________
You totally need to watch this. Right now.
_________
Being a 15 year old girl is hard.These young women explain why.
_________
Apparently Republicans lie more than Democrats. I find this amusing, because really - saying that Republicans lie "more" than Democrats is like saying that Jeffrey Dahmer was "worse" than Ted Bundy because he ate his victims.
_________
When it comes to death by firearms, suicide, not homicide, claims more victims. So instead of being douchey to each other about this indisputable fact, suicide prevention professionals and gun enthusiasts here in Colorado have teamed up to try and reduce this horrifying statistic.
_________
Video of my Heart: The Swedish Chef, rapping. I love the "look" on Sweetums' face at the beginning.
_________
From the Bizarro-World files: Jewish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims that a Muslim Cleric named Haj Amin al-Husseini was responsible for Hitler's decision to annihilate the Jews, and had to be corrected by the Germans. While history shows that al-Husseini was in fact a violent anti-Semite, I never, ever, thought I'd see the day when a Jewish leader would try to revise Holocaust history to demonize their enemy and feed their anti-Islam bigotry. Is nothing sacred?
P.S. Kudos to the Germans, who will not tolerate any revision of this part of their history, even to their benefit.
_________
Engineering for the ages. Humans, we amaze me.
H/T Judi
_________
I really want to try one of these "Escape Room" outings. I just need to make sure I bring a bunch of really smart people with me. Like pretty much any of my friends.
_________
You totally need to watch this. Right now.
_________
Being a 15 year old girl is hard.These young women explain why.
_________
Apparently Republicans lie more than Democrats. I find this amusing, because really - saying that Republicans lie "more" than Democrats is like saying that Jeffrey Dahmer was "worse" than Ted Bundy because he ate his victims.
_________
When it comes to death by firearms, suicide, not homicide, claims more victims. So instead of being douchey to each other about this indisputable fact, suicide prevention professionals and gun enthusiasts here in Colorado have teamed up to try and reduce this horrifying statistic.
_________
Video of my Heart: The Swedish Chef, rapping. I love the "look" on Sweetums' face at the beginning.
My grief is a seditious little terrorist
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Sometimes I think my grief is a seditious little terrorist. I'll be going along, minding my own business, taking care of my physical and emotional health, and it will come up behind me like a guerrilla and cold-cock me, right in the heart.
The latest incident happened on Monday night, while I was sleeping. I had a dream where Moe did in fact die, but her brother was able to bring her back several years after her death. Imagine my joy in seeing my baby girl again, knowing that this time, I would be able to help her, I would be able to save her.
And imagine my heartbreak when I woke up and realized this will never be the case. She's gone, and nothing I or anyone else can do will ever bring her back, will ever help her, will ever save her.
I spent most of today feeling pretty shitty.
It's these types of incidents that crush me. I've learned to bear the day-to-day grief of not having Moe in my life, and knowing that I'll always have this hole in my heart. It still sucks, but most days I've learned to live with it. But every once in a while, grief attacks me from behind, and lays me low, with no warning and no recourse. It's like being stabbed in the heart all over again, and it takes my breath away.
I don't think these incidents are indicative of my depression, or occur because I've stopped taking medication for it. I think they're part of my normal grief process, since they occurred even when I was still on meds. But they're more intense now that I'm not on meds anymore, and they still drain the life out of me.
I miss you, Moe-Moe.
The latest incident happened on Monday night, while I was sleeping. I had a dream where Moe did in fact die, but her brother was able to bring her back several years after her death. Imagine my joy in seeing my baby girl again, knowing that this time, I would be able to help her, I would be able to save her.
And imagine my heartbreak when I woke up and realized this will never be the case. She's gone, and nothing I or anyone else can do will ever bring her back, will ever help her, will ever save her.
I spent most of today feeling pretty shitty.
It's these types of incidents that crush me. I've learned to bear the day-to-day grief of not having Moe in my life, and knowing that I'll always have this hole in my heart. It still sucks, but most days I've learned to live with it. But every once in a while, grief attacks me from behind, and lays me low, with no warning and no recourse. It's like being stabbed in the heart all over again, and it takes my breath away.
I don't think these incidents are indicative of my depression, or occur because I've stopped taking medication for it. I think they're part of my normal grief process, since they occurred even when I was still on meds. But they're more intense now that I'm not on meds anymore, and they still drain the life out of me.
I miss you, Moe-Moe.
Link Me Up, Scotty - Irony and Freedom Edition
I love Bernie Sanders, and here's a fine example of why. And I especially love how Martin Shkreli has become America's favorite Shitbird.
___________
NPR highlights "The Richness of Poor Places" from NatGeo's annual photography contest. It behooves me to remember that the richness of life is not determined by the money in my bank account.
___________
The government will soon require drone hobbyists to register their devices. There's a part of me that finds this deeply troubling, even while I can understand the rationale for doing so.
___________
I respect Gloria Steinem. Her work in the area of feminism was seminal, and I appreciate all she's done. But I don't always agree with her, and especially about why liberal women don't necessarily like Hillary Clinton.
___________
Video of my Heart: Neo-Nazis in Germany have their annual hate-fest walk re-purposed for charity. A charity that helps people leave the neo-Nazi movement. Irony, thy name is Wunsiedel, and I love you for it.
___________
NPR highlights "The Richness of Poor Places" from NatGeo's annual photography contest. It behooves me to remember that the richness of life is not determined by the money in my bank account.
___________
The government will soon require drone hobbyists to register their devices. There's a part of me that finds this deeply troubling, even while I can understand the rationale for doing so.
___________
I respect Gloria Steinem. Her work in the area of feminism was seminal, and I appreciate all she's done. But I don't always agree with her, and especially about why liberal women don't necessarily like Hillary Clinton.
___________
Video of my Heart: Neo-Nazis in Germany have their annual hate-fest walk re-purposed for charity. A charity that helps people leave the neo-Nazi movement. Irony, thy name is Wunsiedel, and I love you for it.
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