Diaries
Imagine
Submitted by burnt out on Fri, 09/11/2015 - 4:29amWe celebrated our grand daughter's 8th birthday this evening and watching the joy in her face and hearing the laughter in her voice as she opened her presents was almost enough to get my mind off the world situation for a little while, if it hadn't at the same time magnified my concern for her future.
The 14th Anniversary of the War on Terror
Submitted by gjohnsit on Thu, 09/10/2015 - 4:14pmAs the nation looks back on that terrible day, we should spend some time looking back on what's been done and what we are doing in the 14 years that have followed. The act that started this war is no more important than the acts that have followed.
What does this say about us as a nation?
The Evening Blues - 9-10-15
Submitted by joe shikspack on Thu, 09/10/2015 - 3:42pmHey! Good Evening!
This evening's music features slide guitarist, cousin of Elmore James, Homesick James. Enjoy!
Homesick James Williamson - Dust My Broom
Feudalism, Peasant Revolts, and History Repeating
Submitted by gjohnsit on Thu, 09/10/2015 - 2:19pmTony Blair, senior adviser to JP Morgan and former British prime minister, felt it necessary to defend his current and former employers:
A day at the Louisiana OMV
Submitted by Robyn on Thu, 09/10/2015 - 2:06pm
Alexandra Glover of Denham Springs, LA needed to update her drivers license. That's not a fun thing to do for anyone, but it was worse for Alexandra. You see, Alexandra is transgender and she lives in Louisiana.
Transgender advocates say Louisiana is one in a minority of states that are behind when it comes to accommodating transgender and gender non-conforming people in ID laws. Recent efforts by transgender people in South Carolina and West Virginia have helped to change driver’s license practices in those states.
After being denied at a couple of OMV offices, Alexandra's friend thought she should document a visit with video.
You can’t present as a woman if you’re listed as a man.
If you have makeup on or anything like that you’re supposed to take all that off, because you are actually a man.
--OMV worker
OT 9/10/15 - The End of Politics
Submitted by Shahryar on Thu, 09/10/2015 - 6:00amAt the end of 2014 I met Don Midwest here in Portland. I had to cut our discussion short because I was coming down with a two week flu. I wondered if I'd survive it. Apparently I did. In any case, Don talked about Naomi Klein, about being involved, and working for change. I felt then that there was little hope that anything would ever get better unless the whole structure fell apart.
Now, 8+ months later, I feel that even more.
The Evening Blues - 9-9-15
Submitted by joe shikspack on Wed, 09/09/2015 - 3:03pmHey! Good Evening!
This evening's music features Piedmont blues and gospel singer Rev. Gary Davis. Enjoy!
Rev. Gary Davis - Slow Drag / Cincinnati Flow Rag
The social costs of denying health care for transfolk
Submitted by Robyn on Wed, 09/09/2015 - 2:12pmFor background you might read Joan McCarter's How bad is health insurance for trans people? Really, really bad.
A new nationwide survey measures the social cost of health care providers denying care to transgender people.
As a result of being denied insurance coverage for transition-related medical care, 35% of survey respondents reported needing psychotherapy, 23% became unemployed, 15% attempted suicide, 15% ended up on public assistance programs and 14% became homeless.
The report also discovered that 37% of respondents who were denied care turned to drugs and/or alcohol and 36% developed other physical symptoms.
Open Thread - Wednesday September 9, 2015
Submitted by gulfgal98 on Wed, 09/09/2015 - 7:00amAs we are starting into early fall, I have noticed that my bird feeders need refilling more often. The shorter days trigger an internal body clock in the migratory birds and even for those that do not migrate, it seems as though they eat more from the feeders than during the summer. Here is a good article on bird migration from Cornell University which is my go to site on birds.
