Tag: News

Links, News, Politics

Weekend Link Addendum: The Fall of Cromwell

Rookie mistake, C., posting the links before the end of the day…

Bannon is out. I’m not sorry to see him go, but I’m highly aware that this man still has the ear of and media arm around a large number of angry, empowered, militantly armed people. He’s mobilised them. He rose to prominence and put a president in power by channeling their rage and resentment. I’m worried he may still have influence over them.

I’m equally worried that he doesn’t or soon won’t. I believe that he has incorrectly judged that he could coalesce and control these groups long term to achieve his political ends–that a devil’s bargain was made. They have unleashed forces and brought to the sunlight what had been festering underground, online, on message boards, in chat rooms, but less seldom dared to show its face in public. I’m very aware that the younger generation of white supremacists chose deliberately to wear no face coverings.

This administration rose to power by rousing the rabble, as I once said. It’s roused. I don’t think they can control or check it. And we are all of us less safe, our morals in question, our national security compromised, because of it.

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History, Links, News, Politics, Weekend

Weekend Links

“Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness. ”
– Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

The American political news this week was appalling and, as a citizen abroad, cripplingly humiliating. The history of the American nation is one of a country constantly falling short of its own ideals, and yet striving tirelessly towards them anyway. We’ve backslid, we’ve divided, we’ve pushed for better, we’ve linked arms and moved forward together. I trust that will continue. But the current moment feels really, really dark. There are astonishing moments of light and brightness, yes, but I find myself constantly dismayed at my own naivete in thinking so many of the forces I see ascendant now were–not dead (I’m not that dumb), but were at least on the down and out. I was wrong. I was ignorant. I won’t make the mistake of complacency again.

To put your money where your mouth is in condemning white nationalism (code of white supremacy), BossedUp has put together an excellent list of causes you can support here. I will be donating, I encourage you to do the same.

The whole Charlottesville story is awful so let me be clear: if you are a purpose who purports to stand against people mobilized by dangerous ideology (political and religious) happening “elsewhere,” I damn sure expect you to oppose it on home turf. At time of adding this story, the photos look inches away from an actual Jim Crow South style lynch mob.

Added over the weekend: it got worse. Rest in power, Heather Heyer.

It got even worse. Seth Meyers, of all people, summed up my feelings on the president’s statements on the matter. Which he then tried to walk back with a scripted statement, which he later overturned again to confirm that his first statements that “both sides” were to blame truly reflected his views. I will concede that both sides threw punches; only one was able to show up armed better than the actual police (thanks to decades of paranoia-rousing and the systematic arming of civilians with military grade weaponry, and entrenched racism–I dare anyone to argue that a para-military group of black men armed to the teeth in an identical way would not have been met with swift and deadly force). Only one side is embracing an ideology that necessitates the subjegation or extermination of millions. There is no moral equivalency, and “both sides” arguments will not hold water here.

Seth Meyers nailed it again. I feel out of ways to say that Mr. Trump is unfit for the office he holds. I am not calling for his impeachment because that is a legal process that must be done in the right way for reasons within the boundaries of law…that or our laws are meaningless. But he is morally, intellectually, temperamentally unfit for the role he has been awarded, and I believe he is causing damage to the office and both the functionality and perception of the American government.

Vice produced a compelling, informative, and frightening mini-documentary almost in real time that should be required viewing in this moment.

This thread about the, let’s be frank, false victimhood of the American white male is required reading.

 

I legitimately had to read this article a couple of times and sit with it, because it’s so self-descriptive. I am horrible at taking holidays, and I am trying to take advantage of them (seeing as how I’m legally entitled to them, and all…) but the guilt I often feel for putting in a time off request is corrosive.

I am not the biggest fan of Taylor Swift, but I read this story of her testimony against a man she accuses of assault with great satisfaction. When questioned how she feels about him losing his job due to the incident, the cool response was: “’I am not going to allow your client to make me feel like it is any way my fault, because it isn’t,’ she said. Later, she continued: ‘I am being blamed for the unfortunate events of his life that are a product of his decisions and not mine.’” Amen and amen.

Sir, could you just not?

Wealth is a strange thing.

Disrupt away, ladies!

Faith in humanity ticking back up.

WAY behind the times but worth celebrating.

Oh man. I’ve given myself permission to buy from this collection when it launches, but now I fear it will take ALL of my money…

I might need to arrange to be on Westminster Bridge next Monday.

Pro tip: be a dick in public, get dragged in public. It’s the brave new media world.

Why white people don’t get to say, “This isn’t us.”

This story could have been handled in a tabloid-y and gross way. In McKay Coppins’ capable hands, it’s done very well.

Another tiny bright spot.

This week in Mormon news, another thing to warm your feeds!

What the **** is wrong with people?! (trigger warning on this one, but a number of -isms are on display here and need to be confronted)

And then, on Thursday, there was another terrorist car attack, this time in Barcelona. Waking up this morning, there was more bad news in Spain. My heart hurts.

Album of the week: Silk and Soul, by Nina Simone

Humor, Links, News, Weekend

Weekend Links: Leave Guam Alone!

“Un nota na tentashion nahoñg rason.”
[Transaltion: A very little temptation is enough.]
– Chamorro proverb, from pre-WWII Guam

My island of birth is caught between a despot and a reality TV star. What could possibly go wrong? Here are your weekend links, dropping on a Friday to help you kick off the weekend. If we all survive to Monday, let’s reconvene.

If my own trajectory is Cool Girl to Bitch to Broad, I will consider my life a success.

Relevant to my interests.

In news that shocks no one, Caitlin Moran continues to be brilliant.

This is just bloody adorable.

This story of this man’s dragging has been satisfying.

Janssen of Everyday Reading, who I’ve known since university days and with whom I’ve had the pleasure of touching base every few years, is starting an exciting new project!

This week in Mormon news, woah. This guy is the head of a pretty significant committee within the church structure responsible for the streamlining and dissemination of teaching tools, policy, and a wide range of official materials. At time of typing it’s a developing story, but it’s been a long time since a person of his rank has been kicked out of the church.

The world has seen this, sir. The guy who helped invent it could only quote, “I am become death,” when he saw what his fire could do.

As of Thursday, this story just keeps getting deeper and weirder.

…go on…

This thread, lit AF.

Album of the week: Early Grey, by Girl Ray

Humor, News, Politics

Emotional Journey: The Mooch

“When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”
-Maya Angelou

Ducklings, it’s only Monday. Between the start and finish of our Game of Thrones watch party, Mr. Scaramucci was fired. My full throated laugh in response to this particular sounded not entirely unlike one of the highest and greatest of villainesses in reaction. Gifs of the Grand Evil Dame turned out to illustrate my emotional arc pretty well.

My initial petty reaction:

 

Seriously. Probably enjoying this a bit too much.

 

My internal rendering of Mr. Scaramucci’s surprise.

Not wanted?!

The President, who mistakes attention for progress and infighting for evidence of strength.

Dance, my minions.

 

Me, remembering every time that the Republican party thought he was on their side, or that he could be persuaded to act in their interest or advance their agenda.

Fools.

 

…Then remembering that a guy with an actual nuclear arsenal is treating the global community like an actual elimination style reality TV show.

Three competent generals stand before me, but I have only two slots in my cabinet….

 

Because we elected a guy who literally has never been successful at anything else besides cheap celebrity and getting views, and we gave him a political platform. Yes, we; because we all have to deal with the consequence of this now.

 

Meanwhile, I can only assume somewhere in the bowels of some sanctum somewhere, actual grownups in the Republican party are weighing their options.

Well, I’ll be going…unless you want to talk about cutting taxes for the rich…

 

And finally, my initial burst of malicious mirth subsiding because we are barely six months into this presidency and not a week has gone by without some kind of upset, coarsening of the office, massive gaffe, betrayal of a supposedly trusted subordinate, or a failure of competence.

That evil laugh may have been in poor taste. Let’s dial it down to a cackle, maybe.

 

Jokes aside, let’s now consider the somewhat sobering idea that this guys= might have been brought on board just to get rid of two other characters that the president didn’t like. Characters who, love their politics or hate them, served as the political tie to the Republican party that the president nominally heads. Mr. Scaramucci was a human plot device and he served his purpose. He was then expendable. He’s leaving the scene with a broken marriage, no job, and something of a laughingstock–as did a couple of guys before him. And if that’s not stark warning to anyone cheering on this administration, much less taking a job in it, I don’t know what else I can say about that.

Humor, Links, News, Politics

Weekend Links

“You have to remember one thing about the will of the people: it wasn’t that long ago that we were swept away by the Macarena.” 
― Jon Stewart

I GIVE UP, 2017 IS THE DARKEST TIMELINE. Let’s recap.

Monday: POTUS reaches out to the kids. Massively inappropriate speech, sir.

Tuesday: Congress votes to move ahead to debate on a bill none of them have seen. Senator McCain returned to the floor from recent surgery…to vote to proceed with this nonsense and then try and fingerwag at his colleagues for their misbegotten tampering of process and hyperpartisanship. As much as I do like the guy, mixed messages there, sir. You’ll also forgive me for still holding you responsible for part of this mess when you gave Governor Palin and her ilk a spotlight, so the fingerwagging does come with some caveats.

Wednesday: a hideous trash tweet from the president stating that trans people will no longer be able to serve in the military (at time of writing, there was plenty of push back on this and no actual Pentagon policy so I’m hoping this is just Mr. Trump being an ass online per usual and speaking without the foggiest idea of how to bring his word vomit to fruition). Ostensibly this is to keep the government from bearing any costs associated with various surgeries or other medical conditions. Newsflash. What garbage.

Thursday: The Pentagon weighs in. The Mooch might have turned out to be a bit of a mistake.  God damn it, there’s even another Kardashian West in the making?! Secretary Clinton dropped some thoughts. And fuck this noise! Oh…wow…The Mooch story…um…got worse?

Friday: The healthcare repeal bid failed (for now). Senator McMain got a lot of credit for casting a “deciding” vote, which was rather obnoxious to some observers who were quick to point out that Senators Murkowski and Collins had held their position line consistently from the get go. Not a great week for The Mooch. HOLY SHIT.

Annnnnd with that, I’m calling it. No more news updates for the week. Everyone go home. I’m tired. Here, have a few more links for your enjoyment and go take a nap this weekend, kittens. I sure as hell intend to.

She’s back!

I mean, how could you not want a retrospective of her work?

I still remember my dad reading me this book as a kid.

This would be sad and not frightening but for the fact that I’ve just finished The Handmaid’s Tale.

Album of the week: Everything Now, by Arcade Fire.

Humor, Links, News, Weekend

Weekend Links

“Nobody knew healthcare could be so complicated.”
– President Donald J. Trump

It was ironic when Republicans had to delay a vote on their healthcare initiative because one of their senior members had to undergo surgery–his healthcare is of course taken care of due to his position in the Senate. It turned tragic when it was later revealed that the surgery exposed the fact that Senator McCain has brain cancer. Senator McCain is one of the elder statesmen of both his party and the country, a veteran of not just military service but the civic process that guides our governing bodies. Despite disagreeing on many positions, I admire him a great deal and was dreading the day that age or health would bring him to retirement, so to see him diagnosed with something so serious is a bit frightening politically as well as personally. Wishing him and his family the best as they gear up for a fight!

The other news was much of the usual recent nonsense, but I’ve included some of the standout stories in the links this week–which are extra long for your enjoyment! Go forth and enjoy the summer weekend, kittens!

I don’t know if I need pink tigers or green pineapples, but I know I need these pyjamas.

My childhood is coming for you and it looks gorgeous.

Keep dreaming, sir. I’m more chilled by the request that the Prime Minister “fix” the media.

Reporter Tamara Keith (of NPR and PBS) pieced together a fascinating and helpful timeline of the Trump campaign as new facts and unreported meetings have come to light.

A single drop or the first of a cascade? I foresee many a book deal after this administration.

The next Doctor Who is a woman and at the announcement, Twitter resounded with the gnashing of teeth of a million dudebros, and the full bodied cheers of women who, in addition to Jedi knights, Ghostbusters, and their own superhero movies, now get to be timelord protagonists. This after the Wrinkle in Time trailer…I could weep with how great pop culture is right now.

Eats, Shoots and Leaves goes next level.

This dude is living his best life and I love him.

Ready for you, Jane.

Let’s just call it, the President doesn’t understand that conversations with Mr. Putin about adoption (off the record ones at that) are actually conversations about sanctions. The wider New York Times piece from which this snippet derives is fascinating.

Color me heartwarmed.

This write up of a “famous online” person, of whom I had never heard, was weirdly fascinating.

One for the fall calendar, if you live in London.

This article on how the beauty industry is being disrupted was catnip to me. I’m in marketing, I’m both a sucker for good branding and a devotee of the power thereof, but

One of NPR’s new podcasts is It’s Been a Minute by Sam Sanders (formerly of the NPR Politics podcast), and the episode containing his conversation with Anne Helen Petersen, author of Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud: The Rise and Reign of the Unruly Woman is a great listen!

Album of the week: Sounds From the Other Side, by Wizkid

 

Feminism, Humor, News, Travel

Four Days in Paris Part 1

“Cities have sexes: London is a man, Paris a woman, and New York a well-adjusted transsexual.”
― Angela Carter

I’ve been putting these posts together for a while now, and the day I was going to post the first part of the story, there was another attack in Paris. The information of this us still being pieced together.

The city of light is a resilient old girl, just as London is a crusty old guy, and both are holding it together spectacularly. And yet. It does feel like there are people who want to rip it to shreds because it’s beautiful and (at it’s best) it an be seen as a symbol of people getting along in spite of forces trying to rip it apart. Sometimes failing miserably, but still trying.

There’s a reason people fall in love with Paris. It revels in beauty and thought and language, which is dangerous to the harsh and the narrow. It’s sumptuous and gauche and luxurious and wretched all at the same time. It wears its age and its history well, and it doesn’t seem to be ashamed of even its own darker moments. It’s easy to love and so I think it must be easy to hate too.

It’s not surprising to me that Paris is considered female or feminine in its language or its characterization. It’s not safe to be beautiful, disappointing, sexy, boring, interesting, complicated, conflicted, contrary, romanticized, fetishized, put on a pedestal, found lacking, found transcendent, loved, or hated. Paris is all of these things. I’m always glad when go and I’m sorrowed that I or other people have to second guess whether or not it’s safe to right now. We need her romance and charm and pleasure and sober history more than ever.

Humor, Links, News, Weekend

Weekend Links

“If it could only be like this always – always summer, always alone, the fruit always ripe and Aloysius in a good temper…”
― Evelyn Waugh, Brideshead Revisited

Hi, kittens. It was another rattling week of news and the general sense of overwhelm continues. Between acts of violence, tragedies, media shenanigans, Twitter-happy trigger fingers, ongoing debate or outrage over American legislation, grumpiness over British politics, and goodness knows what else, there was a lot to absorb.

On the personal front, work continues to plug along and the benefits of my Paris break seem to be sticking around. I put to bed a yearly budget, sat down with some creative pals, am back to working on some of my 101/1001 goals, and Jeff is acting a personal training and nutrition coach as we try to get back to being healthy. You may imagine how the last bit thrills me.

Here is a nice batch of links for you, some funny and some serious, to help kick off your weekends. I’ll be at the gym. Crying.

I mentioned this last week, but this summarizes why the Comey Hearing had so many specific overtones to women.

HIDEOUS.

Summer street caller response prep.

There’s little I love more than a good disruptor story, particularly in the world of beauty!

When I first saw this story, I legitimately thought it was satire. It’s not.

Shut up and take my money!

Seriously, just take my money. I mean it.

Alas, poor J. Crew.

Having said that, I appreciate the kitsch quotient in this sweater.

After multiple mass shootings this past week, which were all horrible, let’s talk about it and some facts around it. Also, here’s an overview of the mass shootings of the last 18 months. In fact, here was an overview of all the shootings that happened that same day.

I indulged in some major vintage scouting while in Paris but at the moment, a lot of easily accessible vintage pieces are not from the eras or decades that I like and so I sat on my hands on all cases but one. But it got me in the mood to read more about vintage, so this article was right on target!

This piece from the Columbia Journalism Review is nicely thought provoking.

Album of the Week: How Did We Get So Dark, by Royal Blood