rm | sundries

54 years ago today Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat.

Today is also World AIDS Day. Everything

xtricks says about the impact of AIDS on our global society is true. Meanwhile, South African President Zuma (a source of controversy on a pretty large number of issues), seems to be addressing the AIDS crisis there, a significant break from the delusional and deadly policies of the previous president, Thabo Mbeki.

An image of West Point cadets reading while waiting for President Obama to speak. I note that the cadet in the far right of the picture is reading Gates of Fire, which, in its final pages makes the assertion that's worth the entire book, which is that the opposite of love is fear.

I'm getting really sick of this world where we just redefine words and decide facts aren't facts because we don't like them. When you show up to a party uninvited, that's called crashing, whether you like it or not. This is true even if the party is at the White House and you are an aspiring reality TV star.

Did you guys see Maziar Bahari on the Daily Show last night? Riveting stuff. For those of you who don't know Bahari is a Newsweek journalist who was recently released from prison in Iran. Part of what landed him there was participating in a Daily Show segment.

The Land That Never Was: A New York Times photo essay on Dubai.

When it comes to finding a job, a college degree doesn't close the race gap.

My book on Amazon is currently listed with a 3 - 5 week ship time, which means you won't get it before Christmas. This shouldn't be the case, and we're working to fix it. However, if you need a copy for the holidays, you can also contact me directly or order from B&N.

Actors, now older, pose as the characters they once were. via

fortysevenbteg.

The Berlin Wall has fallen but a forbidden zone lingers in the minds of deer.

Also in Deer News: One has apparently swum to Governors Island and is now in the process of being rescued.

I have received fabric swatches from Duchess Clothier for new shirts. This process mostly highlights how persnickety I am. I like the plum, but maybe the color is a little too bright. I like the more subdued plum, but I don't like the slight sheen to the cross-hatched pattern on it that only I would probably notice. I like the french blue, god do I like the french blue, but the fabric itself is so fine and delicate, and I never think of french blue that way (geez, I wonder why). I like the green and grey stripey thing, but how would I wear it? Not with a suit surely, I'd look like one of my old Italian relatives. Open at the nick with just slacks and maybe a waistcoat? Yeah, that would probably be awesome.... but really? Hrrrrr. Then there's the blue and white stripe, which in my head is way too casual for a suit unless I do it with white cuffs and collar, which would make a beautiful shirt, but yuck, so Wall Street. And then there's the white with the progressive blue pinstripes, and the swatch is just too small for me to tell. Really, the only thing I know is that I hate the red. I should just ask Seyta what she thinks. The peach pinstripe she steered me too last time was the one I was the least sure about and is now the one I like the most.

I've been having a lot of unpleasant dreams lately, all about pretty real-world things all involving my friends. In the end, we all always come out of the bad situation okay, but this is getting annoying. It's more real-world processing than I'm interested in remembering. Throw in stuff about fencing and Doctor Who fandom, and I'm apparently Working Out Some Issues.

Wow, someone just made a funny at me in email about the Warsaw pact. *Blink* My life is a bit odd.