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Diaries

Open Thread 11-01-15

Good morning 99percenters!
Morning news dump and music by Merle Travis.

With War Now Displacing 60 Million, Time for World to 'Reaffirm Its Humanity'
In rare joint call, head of both UN and International Red Cross say human conflict is reaching unprecedented proportions

Citing nearly unprecedent levels of conflict and instability across the world, the heads of both the United Nations and the International Red Cross on Saturday issued a rare joint call warning that nations and global leaders must dramatically step up efforts to scale back wars and miltary actions that are causing massive human suffering while ripping apart families, communities, entire nations, and regions.

Tara Hudson transferred to women's prison

From all outward appearances, Tara Hudson has a drinking problem.

 photo taramove-615904_zps8cilj1gy.jpgIt is not unusual to discover that transgender people self-medicate as we attempt to survive our dysphoria. Sometimes that continues to be a problem after we transition.

On a personal level, I will admit that I spent my entire transition stoned on marijuana 24/7.

Self-medicating can, of course, lead to encounters with the legal system. That appears to have generated a bunch of Tara's past history...which ended up biting her in the ass.

Tara is a make-up artist by trade. Last Boxing Day she imbibed too much, to the point that she was cut off by a bar manager. An argument ensued, during which Tara headbutted bar manager Christopher Dyer and was arrested. She admitted to the crime in Bristol Crown Court.

Despite the fact that she has lived her entire adult life as a woman and has had six years of sex-reassignment surgery, she was sentenced to serve twelve weeks in a prison for men because her passport still lists her as male.

Open Thread 10-31-15

Good morning 99percenters!
Morning news dump and music by Johnny Sansone

US Invasion of Syria Begins

As previously warned about in June of 2015, the United States has announced that it will officially begin ground operations in Syria through the use of special forces. The Washington Post in its article, "Obama seeks to intensify operations in Syria with Special Ops troops,"would report that:

Rural California town models support

I'm sure that very few of you have ever heard of Denair, CA. It's a "census designated place" in Stanislaus County, CA. Not enough of a hint? It's near Turlock. Doesn't help? That's between Modesto and Merced. Central Valley.

Population was 4404 in 2010. The town encloses a grand total of 2 square miles.

It really epitomizes the phrase "small town." Except the part about the government not thinking it is large enough to be called a town.

Denair calls itself "The Oasis of the San Joaquin Valley."

In 2010 Denair had 10 same-sex married couples/domestic partnerships. 22% of the residences were rentals. 32% of the residents identify as Hispanic or Latino. In 2000 16% of the population lived below the poverty line.

As the Wikipedia entry for Stanislaus County says,

Stanislaus County is not a great place, it's just a place in the Central Valley.

 photo anry-fuentes-x750_zpswls1aeat.jpgAnry Fuentes lives in Denair. She is a transgender teen. When she she told her mother last year that she was going to come out, her mother kicked her out of their home.

Well my mom kicked me out. I’m not mad at her or hate her. I understand where she’s coming from. She was raised differently, and I can’t judge her for that. If I did regret [coming out] then I wouldn’t be this happy. It's much harder to hide than to come out as yourself.

--Anry

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