I’ve been super busy and am very tired. This is my night:
Apparently I am not being interesting enough.
by John Cole| 75 Comments
This post is in: Open Threads
I’ve been super busy and am very tired. This is my night:
Apparently I am not being interesting enough.
by Betty Cracker| 113 Comments
This post is in: Artists In Our Midst, Birdwatching, Open Threads
First, check out this fabulous Red-Shouldered Hawk who visited earlier this week and was kind enough to hang around for a photo-op:
I think it’s a juvenile. It was engaging in obnoxious youngling behavior like flying at similarly-sized wading birds and generally disrupting its fellow fauna. Plus, I think I spotted a helicopter-parenting adult nearby.
Anyhoo, holiday gifts: Since I put out a call for gift ideas the other day (and thank you for the many great suggestions), I’ve had a couple of requests to put up a thread where people can discuss gift ideas and where jackals who create nifty things can HAWK their wares. (Get it? No need to jostle; I’ll show myself out, thank you.)
So, have at it. Also, open thread!
Gift Ideas and Jackal Maker Showcase Open ThreadPost + Comments (113)
by TaMara| 182 Comments
This post is in: Open Threads
Here are two of my crew chillin’
The little monsters wouldn’t let me make the bed.
This is a good article a FB friend linked to this morning:
Peter Kruger’s Answer To Political Correctness Complaint
The fact of the matter is that it wasn’t everyone saying whatever they wanted, and the fact of the matter is that there were many eyes batted.
It wasn’t all that long ago that there was a lot more social pressure on various minorities to shut up, sit down, and “know their place.” This was legally codified in Jim Crow against African-Americans, but it was socially accepted against all sorts of other groups as well, from ethnic and racial discrimination to discrimination on the basis of gender and sexual orientation.
Those in power could say whatever they wanted. Those not in power? They faced severe consequences for saying whatever they wanted. The people in power didn’t bat their eyes, they took baseball bats to those they didn’t like.
It was only twenty years ago that Matthew Shepard was beaten to a pulp, tied to a fence, and left for dead because he was gay. He was not the first to be beaten to death, discriminated against, or otherwise marginalized.
Gay people couldn’t say whatever they wanted. They faced threat of physical harm and death to even be. They sure batted an eye at that. Every gay joke told at their expense?
Eyes were batted at those.
===============
Microaggressions are the little interactions that the people in power don’t even think about, that don’t even register on their radar, that communicate to people not in power that they are not welcome, not part of the privileged class, not equal. That they are lesser. That are just based on various assumptions that may or may not have any validity to them.
================
Society didn’t shift abruptly. Microaggressions aren’t new.
You’re just hearing about it more, because the people who have been suffering it for a long time have decided that they aren’t going to suffer it anymore. The disempowered recognize that it’s time for them to be heard.
Read the whole thing here. There is so much more…
Open thread
This post is in: Election 2018, Open Threads, Politics, Republican Stupidity, Assholes
One of the few bright spots in Florida’s 2018 election results was the passage of Amendment 4, the ballot initiative to automatically restore voting rights to ex-felons (excluding those convicted of murder or sex crimes) who complete their sentences. Amendment 4 won in a landslide — nearly 65% voted for it. It brought Florida’s draconian eligibility restrictions in line with the sane states.
The current, Republican-authored system effectively disenfranchises a staggering number of African American citizens, something like one in five, IIRC. Many of those Floridians were convicted long ago on bullshit charges based on racist laws that let white kids off for possession of powered cocaine but threw the book at black kids busted with crack.
The current system requires ex-felons to grovel in front of (Republican) governors and (Republican) cabinet officials for a tiny chance of regaining their rights, and they can’t apply for clemency until five years after they complete all of their sentence, including parole, etc.
It’s a terrible system — even a large portion of the drooling yahoos who voted for Trump recognized that. But regardless of the clear will of the people of Florida, the incoming Republican governor and statehouse Republicans are in no hurry to implement the law:
In an interview with the Palm Beach Post’s George Bennett, Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis said that Amendment 4, which was approved by 64.6 percent (or 5.2 million) of Florida voters, shouldn’t go into effect as intended by the people who wrote the ballot measure.
Instead, DeSantis said the amendment, which would restore voting rights for most ex-felons who have served their sentences, should take effect after state lawmakers pass “implementing language” in a bill that is then sent to him for his signature.
That means at least a two-month delay in restoring voting rights. Conveeeeeeniently, that delay could help Republicans in special elections, like the Tampa mayoral race. And I have a feeling the Republicans will find ways to slow-walk it even more or fuck with the language to their advantage given the opportunity. Here’s a sample of the bad-faith “concerns” statehouse Republicans are raising to delay implementation:
“How do you evaluate eligibility?” [Dennis] Baxley [R-Ocala] told the Times/Herald last week. “I still have some questions … What were the terms of their sentence? Do they have to meet probation? Did they complete their debt to society or not?”
Gee, what a mystery…until you look at the language on the ballot, which Baxley presumably had an opportunity to view as he was voting for himself and fellow Republicans:
This amendment restores the voting rights of Floridians with felony convictions after they complete all terms of their sentence including parole or probation. The amendment would not apply to those convicted of murder or sexual offenses, who would continue to be permanently barred from voting unless the Governor and Cabinet vote to restore their voting rights on a case by case basis.
Any other questions, Baxley, you goddamned nitwit?
Ballot initiatives in Florida are amendments to the state constitution. Initiatives require sponsors to collect more than 750K signatures for the amendment to appear on the ballot, and it must achieve a 60% or higher super-majority to become law. Those are high hurdles, and Amendment 4 cleared them all.
I’m an introvert, and I spent hours accosting strangers on street corners and in parking lots to collect signatures to get Amendment 4 on the ballot, so it pisses me off in a personal way to see these vote-suppressing goobers shit all over the will of the people. This is bullshit.
Voter Suppression: Rights Restoration EditionPost + Comments (54)
by David Anderson| 27 Comments
This post is in: Anderson On Health Insurance, Open Threads, Organizing & Resistance
Individual market open enrollment on Healthcare.gov closes in forty hours.
You must be in line on the phone or on the web with an open application by midnight Saturday to get covered for next year.
Put your questions in comments so the hive mind can help.
This post is in: C.R.E.A.M., Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat, World's Best Healthcare (If You Can Afford It), All Too Normal
stop this whole entourage with strung wires then kill every robot with sledges, ballbats and mallets. wear a mask and don’t bring your phone so your digital overlords can’t so easily identify and track you. practice for the war ahead. https://t.co/sA9ocSActE
— C.J. Chivers (@cjchivers) December 10, 2018
Friday the 13th fell on a Thursday this month, but there’s still plenty unfinished stories awaiting the Friday News Dump…
Congress left town today for a long weekend with no plan to avoid a government shutdown in 8 days.
Dems flatly reject Trump’s demand for $5b wall money; it can’t pass the Senate.
GOP leaders are waiting on Trump for a signal on what to do.
There are no negotiations underway.
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) December 13, 2018
— Brian Tashman (@briantashman) December 13, 2018
Some people aren’t gonna let him off lightly…
Nancy Pelosi on Trump being willing to do a shutdown: "Perhaps he doesn’t understand people need their paychecks. Perhaps that’s not the life he leads."
— Natalie Andrews (@nataliewsj) December 13, 2018
Speaking of deadlines, remember — Sharing is caring:
?YOU STILL HAVE TIME!#GetCovered at https://t.co/4BrCprEn4O! pic.twitter.com/RfPpyxsUb3
— Charles #GetCovered-ba (@charles_gaba) December 14, 2018
Friday Morning Open Thread: Skipping Town Before the DeadlinePost + Comments (257)
by Alain Chamot (1971-2020)| 11 Comments
This post is in: On The Road, Open Threads, Readership Capture
Good Morning All,
On The Road and In Your Backyard is a weekday feature spotlighting reader submissions. From the exotic to the familiar, please share your part of the world, whether you’re traveling or just in your locality. Share some photos and a narrative, let us see through your pictures and words. We’re so lucky each and every day to see and appreciate the world around us!
Submissions from commenters are welcome at tools.balloon-juice.com
And, for those who use Healthcare.gov or your local state-based Exchange, please ensure that you’re covered for 2019. The Trump fuckheads reduced the sign-up period, so come the 15th, it’s all over, man!
Please, protect yourself and your family by signing up before the 15th. It won’t take much time, and the sooner it’s done, the better.
Ok – back on message – Have a wonderful day and weekend, and enjoy the little glimpse of heaven.
Today, pictures from valued commenter JoeyJoeJoe.
I went last week in Hawaii, visiting for the first time. My friend went with me, and has now been to every state.
Taken on 2018-12-02 00:00:00
Kualoa Ranch
This was before the start of the race
Taken on 2018-12-01 00:00:00
Koko head
I got to the top as the sun was setting
Taken on 2018-11-30 00:00:00
Honolulu
Front of the building
Taken on 2018-12-04 00:00:00
Pearl Harbor
On deck of the ship
Taken on 2018-12-01 00:00:00
Diamond Head
On top of Diamond Head
Thank you so much JoeyJoeJoe, do send us more when you can.
Travel safely everybody, and do share some stories in the comments, even if you’re joining the conversation late. Many folks confide that they go back and read old threads, one reason these are available on the Quick Links menu.
One again, to submit pictures: Use the Form or Send an Email