sundries

[rm]

The couple imprisoned in Malawi for 14 years for being gay have been pardoned by Malawi's president. But I want to make one thing very clear Monjeza and Chimbalanga, while certainly members of the LGBT community, are not a same-sex couple. Chimbalanga identifies as a woman and it has been an act of trans erasure by the western press, and, sadly, many parts of the gay community, to insist on making this case about the equal marriage rights battle in the US. Chimbalanga and Monjeza are expected to be released from prison on Monday. May they be happy and safe.

Operation Write Home is a collection of cardmakers who make handmade greeting cards and send them, along with notes of encouragement and thanks, to deployed service members. There aren't any Hallmark stores in the deserts of Afghanistan. via kathrynrose

Update on the female marines trying to connect to the women of Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, some self-described "libertarian and anti-feminist blogger" has a bizarre and APPALLING screed on how rape is the reasonable, justifiable and obvious way for men to achieve equality with those thieving women demanding their rights. pecunium has a write up.

The challenge of cooking out in the city.

If I hang out with you in RL and you are going to the vintage beach picnic tomorrow, get in touch. I've just been to Costco and there will be big cooking tonight. If you want to pitch in with a few bucks or other goodies, we are willing to include you in our food plans.. I've just found out we're not allowed to bring our own food and drinks, and because of my celiac disease I can't eat anything on the menu. I've left a comment about my frustration on the event's facebook page and Patty and I are currently planning a plan B. If you're interested, let us know.

DanceAfrica, what we went to at BAM last night, was THE BEST THING EVER and since it happens in many cities around the country, if you have a chance, you should go. We are so totally going every year now. Also, all the tributes to our ancestors stuff was seriously on point to my current work and was a huge bonus.

Like many of you who are about my age and remember Gary Coleman as someone other than a punchline, I find myself surprised at how sad I am at this passing.

I have just heard about Dennis Hopper's passing, and am gutted.

The BP oil spill terrifies me. I fear we won't be able to stop it. Ever. That it will keep going for however long it takes for all the oil to come out. That this is how it happens, how the earth winds up looking like every post-apocalyptic story or movie that I love(d). Even if we do stop it, I think this much is true: there is no going back from here.

Today I got mistaken for an alcoholic because someone on the street mistook the mini hand sanitizer bottle half sticking out of my pocket for booze.

Comments

[phaetonschariot.livejournal.com]

There are already fires that have been going for years and years - most recent one I read about was Centralia where there's a coal fire burning under the town, which is pretty much abandoned now because of the danger. I can easily believe that the oil spill could go in that direction too.

I don't understand how there are people who don't think we're ruining the planet.

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

Funnily enough I was recently reading about the Centralia mine fire - apparently the anniversary of its beginning (thanks to some ill-advised dumping in the local garbage pit in 1962) occurred in late May.

I don't understand how there are people who don't think we're ruining the planet.

Here's the thing. Short of fully nuking the planet and all its works, the damage we're creating can probably be routed around by the processes of changing ecosystems and whatnot: climate change is not unknown in Earth history. It's not so much that we're ruining the planet, it's that we're ruining the planet for ourselves. And yeah, one of the few reasons people aren't getting it is that the brunt of it is currently being borne by "other" people - the First and Second World poor, and the Third World.

[heavenscalyx.livejournal.com]

I remember seeing the news specials about Centralia when I was a kid (I'm from Delaware originally, so we were close enough for it to be of interest on the Philly news). I found it terrifying -- the town burning from beneath and the town slowly collapsing into the gaps left by the burned coal. It was nightmare fodder for many years.