G+ Migration Blog

Glaringly obvious. And yet. https://www.teenvogue.com/story/black-marjory-stoneman-douglas-students-feel-like-prisoners-school-police https://www.teenvogue.com/story/black-marjory-stoneman-douglas-students-feel-like-prisoners-school-police

Happy Easter and Passover to all and sundry.

Can't deal with hair cuts. Can't get a good one around here, and the industry insists that all women's hair products must try to kill you with inescapable chemical warfare*. Guess I will have to get used to hating my hair and how I look. * Last 5-10 years increasing fashion trend of heavily over-scented with persistent, time-release, unremovable/washoutable perfume chemicals. Inescapable asthma attack inducing miasmas. Option: do not wash or style hair. Like, why no fragrance free hair products? I can't even go in some hair places because on top of all the hair products, they have air freshener, fragrance oil, incense burning stuff going on. I know they don't all have allergies and asthma, but can't these people smell?

AUGH. Either all the coffee company lawyers are terrible at their jobs, or this is a signal example of why lawyers and judges need to be educated on how science and health research works. For example, I can kill you with either water or oxygen (and I don't mean by drowning), but no one would say that bottled water and air need warning labels because they contain either water or oxygen. Honestly, people. "While plaintiff offered evidence that consumption of coffee increases the risk of harm to the fetus, to infants, to children and to adults, defendants' medical and epidemiology experts testified that they had no opinion on causation ," Berle wrote. "Defendants failed to satisfy their burden of proving by a preponderance of evidence that consumption of coffee confers a benefit to human health." It's almost never possible to prove causation. So why does this judge believe the unprovable causation claimed by the plaintiff and not the factual statement that...

I might quibble about details, but the overall message is Truth. Stop judging women by their reproduction or lack thereof. You can't win. https://slate.com/human-interest/2018/03/childless-women-are-not-necessarily-workaholics.html?google_editors_picks=true https://slate.com/human-interest/2018/03/childless-women-are-not-necessarily-workaholics.html?google_editors_picks=true

People who restore faith in humanity. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43569049 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43569049

I'm sure this has nothing to do with her being black. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/texas-felon-voting_us_5abe5ad4e4b0f112dc9bd00f https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/texas-felon-voting_us_5abe5ad4e4b0f112dc9bd00f

None of this is awesome, but then I saw this tidbit: And Border Patrol head Harlon B. Carter—a convicted murderer who killed a Latino as a teenager in 1931 and who later headed the National Rifle Association (NRA) —was frustrated by the sheer numbers of Mexican immigrants, both legal and undocumented, in the United States. He convinced President Eisenhower to ramp up immigration enforcement efforts. What?! Man, this is messed up history and yet totally consistent with what is going on now. https://www.history.com/news/operation-wetback-eisenhower-1954-deportation https://www.history.com/news/operation-wetback-eisenhower-1954-deportation

Same stuff, another day. We've successfully convinced ourselves, especially since the 80's, I guess, that black people are so dangerous it's ok to train police and other law enforcement to shoot first and then stand there. Maybe we could try something else from now on. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/30/us/stephon-clark-independent-autopsy.html https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/30/us/stephon-clark-independent-autopsy.html

So much better. https://www.boredpanda.com/cute-miniature-baby-donkeys/ https://www.boredpanda.com/cute-miniature-baby-donkeys/

I'm sure it was all completely innocent. Everybody asks their friends for recommends on where to live. #sarcasm http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/380967-pruitt-paid-50-a-night-to-live-at-condo-co-owned-by-top-energy http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/380967-pruitt-paid-50-a-night-to-live-at-condo-co-owned-by-top-energy

Oh, horrors. The FDA considered cigars to be smoking and thus regulated them. But the huge amounts of money and efforts at lobbying to rectify this political travesty don't care about all those cheap, common cigars. No, we only want them to stop regulating the "premium" cigars. Whatever that means. https://www.medpagetoday.com/pulmonology/smoking/71964 https://www.medpagetoday.com/pulmonology/smoking/71964

Space junk. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/03/29/you-know-that-chinese-satellite-crashing-to-earth-within-days-its-not-alone/?utm_term=.6b9e206f00c7 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/03/29/you-know-that-chinese-satellite-crashing-to-earth-within-days-its-not-alone/?utm_term=.6b9e206f00c7

An app for penguin stalkers. https://www.calacademy.org/explore-science/pocket-penguins-for-android-iphone https://www.calacademy.org/explore-science/pocket-penguins-for-android-iphone

Yeah. https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2018/03/29/pope-francis-misses-a-big-opportunity-by-not-apologizing-for-residential-schools.html https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2018/03/29/pope-francis-misses-a-big-opportunity-by-not-apologizing-for-residential-schools.html

Seriously unexcited about the whole holiday thing this year.

Whatever his shortcomings, this sounds completely plausible. https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/29/david-shulkin-responds-firing-491272 https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/29/david-shulkin-responds-firing-491272

This is an old article but I was looking up the breed of pig because, apparently, you can get the meat around here, now? https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/08/03/208348598/bringing-home-the-woolly-bacon-from-hungary https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/08/03/208348598/bringing-home-the-woolly-bacon-from-hungary

Oh, great. g+ is back to refusing to show comments properly, if at all.

I seriously love this guy's snark, and hey, he does a decent job of reporting on science and medicine, too. Also, you must watch the youtube video he has linked in the article. It is absolutely worth 6 minutes of your life. Also also, I may have a warped sense of humor. https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2018/03/28/here-is-how-yucky-your-rubber-ducky-may-be/#49d7c98b4c74 https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2018/03/28/here-is-how-yucky-your-rubber-ducky-may-be/#49d7c98b4c74

- mild lock - The mama drama, it's like junior high without the logic. My niece was one of the seniors at her college (christ, I feel old) to be invited to give a talk/presentation. It's a thing they do. Anyway, my sister decided to go because it's an opportunity to pack up some stuff prior to the mayhem of graduation. All along, when my sister would visit my niece she'd stop here overnight and since she had another front seat and already had a hotel room, our dad would go with her. Mom never went because mom initially kept refusing invites. So the invites stopped. Well, through convoluted processes, mom managed to get herself invited (technically not really but that's a whole 'nuther drama) to this 20 minute talk and a couple days of packing. But no, that is not sufficient. Mom wants certain lodgings and certain vehicles and certain other travel arrangements, and so on. Also planned entertainments. She tried to press me into going and that didn't work. She ...

There's a part 2. At which point I'm pretty sure the translation for the dog is: omg, why, WHY??? 'm trying to sleep, here. please learn another song please . omg staaaaahp you're killing me over here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1khvZBQjOa8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1khvZBQjOa8

Some of these are quite funny. https://www.boredpanda.com/im-a-cartoonist-who-decided-to-post-my-rejected-new-yorker-submissions/ https://www.boredpanda.com/im-a-cartoonist-who-decided-to-post-my-rejected-new-yorker-submissions/

Omg, so FLUFFY! https://www.boredpanda.com/fluffy-black-cat-ink-drawings-kamwei-fong/ https://www.boredpanda.com/fluffy-black-cat-ink-drawings-kamwei-fong/

Hello hunters who are into conservation. Thinky thoughts. https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/03/27/596998154/new-study-finds-mother-bears-are-sticking-around-with-their-cubs-longer https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/03/27/596998154/new-study-finds-mother-bears-are-sticking-around-with-their-cubs-longer

It was predictable that this would happen. We are reactive and panicky, and we do not do well at all with science, even science people. I say that because I guarantee you that there were medical and science people involved in this decision. You don't make long term decisions based off short term recommendations, among other things (key point noted in the article). Also, frankly, there is no question that there are people out there, including people in positions of influence, who think that anyone who is an addict is a lesser form of life and it's all about their own bad decisions and it's somehow their own fault and if they kill themselves by trying street drugs out of desperation, well, good. One less addict to burden the rest of society. As if the rest of us are so bloody perfect and marvelous. “We did say that established, high-dose patients might consider dosage reduction to be anxiety-provoking, but that these patients should be offered counseling to re-evaluate,” he a...

Cool. (augh, won't show picture - click through, it's worth it - Mansa Musa was the King of Mali.) https://www.history.com/news/who-was-the-richest-man-in-history-mansa-musa https://www.history.com/news/who-was-the-richest-man-in-history-mansa-musa

If there was any question that voting is based on emotions, fear, and ignorance, this guy is the poster boy. We used to at least pretend we were voting for people who were role models of our potentially best selves. Not that that's always who we voted for. But come on. P.S. I'm pretty sure that Mr. King speaks none of the following, which are reportedly part of his heritage: German, Welsh, Irish Gaelic. Further, I'd be very curious why his ancestors came to this country. (Just for economic advantage? Throw 'em out.) Not to mention his rabid anti-communist stance is backed up by his carefully avoiding service during the Vietnam War. https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/26/politics/steve-king-facebook-post-emma-gonzalez/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/26/politics/steve-king-facebook-post-emma-gonzalez/index.html

Bastards. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-kentucky-abortion-house/kentucky-house-passes-bill-restricting-abortions-idUSKBN1H330O https://www.reuters.com/article/us-kentucky-abortion-house/kentucky-house-passes-bill-restricting-abortions-idUSKBN1H330O

This sounds like fun. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2018/03/27/heres-how-to-download-all-your-data-from-facebook-it-might-be-a-wake-up-call/?utm_term=.c09b6a770089 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2018/03/27/heres-how-to-download-all-your-data-from-facebook-it-might-be-a-wake-up-call/?utm_term=.c09b6a770089

Those of you who pointed it out are correct. Clinton could die and Fox et al would continue to talk about her as if she was Lady Stoneheart. Although, in that case, they wouldn't keep talking for very long. But there is no misogyny. Nope. None. Like, it wasn't even worth their time to disparage a professional sex worker given an opportunity to make up something to say about Hillary Clinton. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/03/27/the-most-important-woman-in-the-news-recently-hillary-clinton-at-least-at-fox/?utm_term=.305be70bf070 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/03/27/the-most-important-woman-in-the-news-recently-hillary-clinton-at-least-at-fox/?utm_term=.305be70bf070

Well, I was kinda productive for a few days in a row, there. Today, however, has not been that day. It started out ok, but then it more or less ground to a halt. It happens, I guess. Maybe I will be productive this evening. It could happen.

Interesting links from other people. https://medium.com/@IjeomaOluo/the-anger-of-the-white-male-lie-6f9a6e646d47 https://medium.com/@IjeomaOluo/the-anger-of-the-white-male-lie-6f9a6e646d47

Interesting links from other people. https://vimeo.com/260457590?from=outro-embed https://vimeo.com/260457590?from=outro-embed

Not a socially acceptable poster child, and yet still true. Women who are competitive or ambitious or want to make money, etc. are bad. Men who are the same things are good. https://work.qz.com/1237804/stormy-daniels-why-is-she-criticized-for-being-ambitious/ https://work.qz.com/1237804/stormy-daniels-why-is-she-criticized-for-being-ambitious/

It's his reasoning behind the headline that I find interesting. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/27/opinion/john-paul-stevens-repeal-second-amendment.html https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/27/opinion/john-paul-stevens-repeal-second-amendment.html

This is kinda cool! I'm thinking this could explain the arguments about yes there are lymphatics, no there aren't lymphatics in various parts of the body. If you are interested in the study itself, it's here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-23062-6 https://www.livescience.com/62128-interstitium-organ.html https://www.livescience.com/62128-interstitium-organ.html

I mean, we could always just dig up the old Nazi census methods. Those worked really well. Because this administration only wants that question for reasons that are not hyperbolically linked to the mentality typical of regimes like the Nazis, Stalin, and other famous purges. Not that we haven't had some special moments of our own, coincidentally around that same period of history (rounding up Japanese Americans and putting them into camps, various "repatriations" of Mexican Americans, not to mention the charmingly named Operation Wetback of the 1950s). https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/Citizenship-question-on-2020-census-may-result-in-12783055.php https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/Citizenship-question-on-2020-census-may-result-in-12783055.php

First thoughts: You go, clergy people who get it. Second thought: I hope nobody decides their pro-life views include attacking these clergy. https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/columnists/iowa-view/2018/03/15/66-iowa-faith-leaders-we-support-womans-right-abortion/428543002/ https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/columnists/iowa-view/2018/03/15/66-iowa-faith-leaders-we-support-womans-right-abortion/428543002/

American history. https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/26/us/linda-brown-dies/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/26/us/linda-brown-dies/index.html

The world is getting uglier again. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/26/world/europe/france-holocaust-survivor-murder.html https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/26/world/europe/france-holocaust-survivor-murder.html

Shocking no one - Iow, they're lying to deliberately stir up an emotionally fear driven mob. It's a classic technique used throughout history. Unfortunately, it usually works. https://www.vox.com/2018/3/26/17163680/fox-news-gun-march-for-our-lives-data https://www.vox.com/2018/3/26/17163680/fox-news-gun-march-for-our-lives-data

I made Moroccan food. The main dish was mrouzia, which is a super rich lamb shank kind of stew with honey and nuts and spices. Evidence of shank, meat having fallen off due to low and slow cooking in second picture. The sides included carrots with ras-el-hanout. Not really authentic, in that there are carrot dishes and ras-el-hanout is authentic, but I just threw some spice on the carrots. I did use those multi colored carrots, though, for pretty. Also a variant of the chopped fresh tomato, cuke, herbs type salad (authentic), a roasted red pepper salad, aka mechwiya (authentic - except I had roasted pimentos so I used those), and a version of orange and olive salad, for which I hunted down oil cured olives (authentic - there are lots of slight variations in recipes). Tasty, if some work.

I got stuff to de-oxidize my headlights. Now I just have to wait for a couple of days when I can get the car washed (needs to be clean and dry) followed by a minimum 24 hour period when it is warm, dry, and not blowing dust and dirt around. It might be a while before I get to use it. #spring

At least something is out there for people. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/03/26/595387963/birth-control-apps-find-a-big-market-in-contraception-deserts https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/03/26/595387963/birth-control-apps-find-a-big-market-in-contraception-deserts

Much of my skepticism, as well. The merging companies have claimed huge cost savings will flow to consumers from these deals, but I'm skeptical. Research suggests costs can actually end up rising in some cases of health-care consolidation. Less competition means more pricing power for the companies that remain. Markets with more insurers have lower premiums, while prices rise when hospitals buy physician groups. Though these are vertical deals, they will add to the market power of major players in already heavily consolidated industries, which seems like a recipe for monopolistic behavior. https://www.bloombergquint.com/business/2018/03/26/amazon-s-health-care-threat-is-already-reshaping-the-industry https://www.bloombergquint.com/business/2018/03/26/amazon-s-health-care-threat-is-already-reshaping-the-industry

Interesting perspective. https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/26/health/lose-weight-where-does-it-go-partner/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/26/health/lose-weight-where-does-it-go-partner/index.html

This is way too long, but it's mostly pretty sensible, and I love Bittman's snark sprinkled throughout. http://www.grubstreet.com/2018/03/ultimate-conversation-on-healthy-eating-and-nutrition.html http://www.grubstreet.com/2018/03/ultimate-conversation-on-healthy-eating-and-nutrition.html

Fat lot of good CPR is going to do for someone bleeding out, internally or externally, from a gun shot wound. Does he even know what CPR is? https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/25/politics/rick-santorum-guns-cnntv/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/25/politics/rick-santorum-guns-cnntv/index.html

Sadly, yes. https://www.salon.com/2018/03/22/american-scam-my-kid-and-i-are-both-supposed-to-go-broke-paying-for-college-forget-it/ https://www.salon.com/2018/03/22/american-scam-my-kid-and-i-are-both-supposed-to-go-broke-paying-for-college-forget-it/

Privileged sites are privileged, but they're not impermeable. This is important research. Not so cool for this family, but could be important for a lot of people going forward. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/07/when-the-body-attacks-the-mind/485564/ https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/07/when-the-body-attacks-the-mind/485564/

There's so much wrong with this. I would be interested in asking some of you about the technical side of dealing with algorithms and creating software and user interfaces, etc., but I don't really think that's the main problem. Even though it seems to be what decided whether or not the courts made some changes in the one case. I am appalled by the arrogance of the university professor who supposedly does research on quality of life, among other things (I looked it up), and yet is absolutely sure that because his algorithm is evidence based, it's unassailable. And while the quotes in the article may misrepresent him, they come across with a distinct lack of compassion or humanity. Further, I'd like to suggest to him that his apparent inability to deal with 3D mechanical objects in this dimension is not analogous to a 20 page algorithm. Even a fancy, new, computerized washing machine is still basically a mechanical object that a surprising number of people could figur...

Offs. I can't tell whether this is Trump or Pence or both, but you'd think they'd realize you really don't want to decrease your potential pool of troops when you're trying to get us into a war. #sarcasm https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/23/trump-transgender-troops-ban-483434 https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/23/trump-transgender-troops-ban-483434

Today was almost productive. That is all.

So why isn't one of the suggestions to decrease or stop the subsidies on what ends up as junk food and start subsidizing healthier fruits and veggies? But the US government also doesn’t subsidize leafy vegetable crops in the same way it supports wheat, soy, and corn, vital ingredients in a lot of junk food. https://www.vox.com/videos/2018/3/22/17152460/healthy-eating-expensive https://www.vox.com/videos/2018/3/22/17152460/healthy-eating-expensive

It was nice having plastic while it lasted. Which is apparently literally forever. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-22939-w https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-22939-w

Commercial agriculture at its finest. #sarcasm https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/tech/science/environment/2018/03/22/lost-valley-mega-dairy-oregon-used-loophole-tap-aquifier-allowed-state-officials/426738002/ https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/tech/science/environment/2018/03/22/lost-valley-mega-dairy-oregon-used-loophole-tap-aquifier-allowed-state-officials/426738002/

Hm, we are having the occasional mallard pair quack and fly by this evening. It seems the birds are determined to make spring happen, regardless of weather.

AHRQ generally does good and useful work that affects patient care. It sounds nice to say that we should get rid of "all that government stuff", but nobody else is doing a lot of it. Especially these days, when there is too much information changing too frequently for anyone to keep up with all of it, it is important to have places to go for summaries that are informed and thoughtful. They aren't perfect, you still have to read with a critical eye, but you just have to read one, not potentially hundreds of reports. http://commonsensemd.blogspot.com/2018/03/once-again-agency-for-healthcare.html

People with enough money can already access pretty much anything they want, as long as it is obtainable somewhere in the world. This will not help anyone without that access. Not to mention, one of the reasons the FDA exists is because people died from medications that were supposed to help them. In addition, it is already an issue that rare situations lead to random reports of success or failure that can have at the minimum a confusing and delaying effect on real clinical scientific development. These people are assuming that doing something is better than nothing, that an experiment is better than accepting that sometimes we die. They are also ignoring the fact that a great many things never even get close to clinical trials because for-profit companies don't see a way to make money on them. This is not the way to address that problem, either. https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/21/drugs-right-to-try-congress-434677 https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/21/drugs-right-to-try-...

The obvious comment here is obvious. I have no doubt whatsoever that far more offensive and threatening things are said directly and indirectly to government officials and their staffs, elected and unelected, multiple times a day, every single day, everywhere from the tiniest hamlet on up the White House itself. Heck, try being a customer service rep of any type, or a waitress, or basically anyone who has to interact with the public. You are not so special, delicate staffer flower. In light of which, this was 100% some officious twit thinking I'll show that under-age whippersnapper what happens when you challenge the authority of your betters! "You owe this student a public apology for retaliating against him by enlisting the school to punish him on your behalf." They absolutely enlisted the school and were hoping something would happen. It's totally unnecessary for them to have called anyone, but if they were going to, why didn't they call his parents? Oh, right,...

Enjoy some pretty frost pictures from this morning.

Omg no, summer is ruined! Don't panic. To save several of you some time, I know you will immediately dismiss any of this once you read: lead author of the study and a postdoctoral research fellow in the department of nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. Not to be unfair to the state of nutritional science. This may not be entirely a nothing-burger, however: 1) Sounds like retrospective data analysis. Even though it's from several well regarded large (like, huge) population studies, I cannot believe this was part of the study design beforehand. 2) You can find papers (about human diets) noting that PAHs (Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) exist in grains and veggies. Raw. Same? Different? What if you grill veggies? Not the veggies! 3) What kind of grilling? Gas, charcoal, wood? Were chemicals involved in starting the fire, baked into the briquettes? Inquiring minds. (There's a lot of papers about the PAHs in charcoal for cooking, fyi). 4) The...

Business and industries change over time, that is true. But I note this particular sentence about the two chains that have declared bankruptcy: The two companies carry enormous debt loads, the result of management by private equity firms Gee, that sounds awfully familiar. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/03/22/the-amazon-whole-foods-era-of-grocery-just-claimed-its-first-victims/?utm_term=.2d941cf9c0db https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/03/22/the-amazon-whole-foods-era-of-grocery-just-claimed-its-first-victims/?utm_term=.2d941cf9c0db

"Only slightly" https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=90&v=XXRBLyQQ78A https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=90&v=XXRBLyQQ78A

Nice try, hooman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=37&v=blSl487coFg https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=37&v=blSl487coFg

And yet, so much less controversial than your average appointee ... for now. Also, sounds like he and Pence would be a right pair of buddies. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2018/03/21/longtime-aids-researcher-robert-redfield-picked-to-lead-cdc/?utm_term=.2b4e7546f69c https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2018/03/21/longtime-aids-researcher-robert-redfield-picked-to-lead-cdc/?utm_term=.2b4e7546f69c

Again. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/21/us/stephon-clark-police-shooting.html https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/21/us/stephon-clark-police-shooting.html

Only $1.4 million? That's crazy cheap. 60 bedrooms and 13 baths is even bigger than we'd need for a DFS. http://buffalonews.com/2017/11/03/new-owners-plan-destination-wedding-site-at-former-st-columban-center/ http://buffalonews.com/2017/11/03/new-owners-plan-destination-wedding-site-at-former-st-columban-center/

There is a very loud bird outside right now. I think it is a cardinal because it has that "pew pew pew pew" thing going on. Nobody is answering it.

While I am torn about this invading people's privacy business, because I really don't think it's ok as standard acceptable behavior, it is certainly interesting to read the letter posted on BuzzFeed. I really have to wonder what finally made such a difference to the gentleman, and whether it will actually have any effect on him that changes anything substantive he does, considering his history. Or if he will be like the handful of GOP members in Congress who say nice things and then vote with their party anyway. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/20/business/media/fox-news-analyst-ralph-peters.html https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/20/business/media/fox-news-analyst-ralph-peters.html

That's right, folks. Human reproduction requires sloughing of a bloody mass of cells and tissues about once every month or so. At least until that sack they grew a sheep in starts to work better. #BraveNewWorld https://www.npr.org/2018/03/20/594966524/talking-about-periods-in-public https://www.npr.org/2018/03/20/594966524/talking-about-periods-in-public

As a pure statement of statistical reality, duh. But way to be negative, NPR! That headline sure sounds like they're all gonna lose. https://www.npr.org/2018/03/20/594096515/the-wave-of-female-candidates-is-set-for-a-wave-of-losses-come-november https://www.npr.org/2018/03/20/594096515/the-wave-of-female-candidates-is-set-for-a-wave-of-losses-come-november

Basically, we have decided this is not a public health issue so we do not provide the vaccines to the public. Iow, you're on your own. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/03/20/594956495/shingles-is-nasty-and-the-new-vaccine-works-well-why-do-adults-avoid-shots https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/03/20/594956495/shingles-is-nasty-and-the-new-vaccine-works-well-why-do-adults-avoid-shots

I was going to rant a lot more. tl;dr Bullshit 1) Dear media and journalists and everybody else - Stop being complicit in this sick twisting of the phrase "religious freedom". This is NOT what it means. It has never been what it means. Stop actively validating it by using it the way they want it used. For example, try "Religious Dogma Counts First" with this article. 2) "America's doctors and nurses are dedicated to saving lives," he says. "And they shouldn't be bullied out of the practice of medicine simply because they object to performing abortions against their conscience." Bullshit. Not one single health care provider has been "bullied" out of medicine for not performing abortions. And their practice damn well should be restricted if they refuse to provide appropriate, valid medical care (see: emergencies in pregnancy, only available hospital has staff who think it's 1950, guess what happened to the women). But Severin...

Another one gone. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/20/science/rhino-sudan-extinct.html https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/20/science/rhino-sudan-extinct.html

Happy Spring, I guess.

Is someone testing out the plot of their new political thriller? https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/19/us/cambridge-analytica-alexander-nix.html https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/19/us/cambridge-analytica-alexander-nix.html

Jiminy Xmas. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2018/03/19/trump-is-reportedly-hiring-a-conspiracy-theorist-for-his-legal-team-heres-what-joe-digenova-has-said/?utm_term=.327a51db736d https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2018/03/19/trump-is-reportedly-hiring-a-conspiracy-theorist-for-his-legal-team-heres-what-joe-digenova-has-said/?utm_term=.327a51db736d

Don't ditch the condoms at all unless you are absolutely sure that both of you (all of you?) are tested and disease free. Upticks in many age groups in many sexually transmitted diseases keep occurring. Many of them are resistant to treatment, some cannot be cured, only managed. Not to mention fun new things like Zika to add a little exotic rarity. http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/health/sc-hlth-male-birth-control-pill-0328-story.html http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/health/sc-hlth-male-birth-control-pill-0328-story.html

Cool. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-science-neanderthal-art/primitive-art-neanderthals-were-europes-first-painters-idUSKCN1G62LO https://www.reuters.com/article/us-science-neanderthal-art/primitive-art-neanderthals-were-europes-first-painters-idUSKCN1G62LO

Some people really do live in a world completely unrelated to the rest of us. I mean, this doesn't even sound like it would taste good. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-portugal-chocolate/worlds-priciest-chocolate-goes-on-display-in-portugal-idUSKCN1GS26P https://www.reuters.com/article/us-portugal-chocolate/worlds-priciest-chocolate-goes-on-display-in-portugal-idUSKCN1GS26P

Yep. Canada's gonna love us as a neighbor. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-trump-effect-canada-immigration/collateral-damage-how-trump-threw-canadas-refugee-system-into-turmoil-idUSKBN1GV0WQ https://www.reuters.com/article/us-trump-effect-canada-immigration/collateral-damage-how-trump-threw-canadas-refugee-system-into-turmoil-idUSKBN1GV0WQ

- locked - When I was little, my mom used to sing us to sleep. She has a nice voice and we used to really like that. She's recently started just singing around the house randomly and I hate it. It's like nails on a chalkboard. I'm sure there are reasons why that's my reaction, although I'm not keen on thinking too much about it at the moment. But I absolutely hate hearing her sing. #csbp

Well, that was fun. Spent last night dreaming about being attacked by rats, having some anxiety, and my eyes hurt this morning. I mean, I know it's Monday, but gee.

It's a start, I guess, since I gather Trump would really just like to run around randomly shooting people like the Philippines. reduce the threshold needed to impose mandatory-minimum sentences Yep. We all know how brilliantly mandatory sentencing has worked out for, what, decades? more aggressive policing of the Internet, ... and mail, With or without warrants? Not even gonna discuss the (lack of) utility of the death penalty. sharply reduce the number of painkillers that are prescribed nationwide, aiming to slash opioid prescriptions by one-third over three years By doing what? Just not allowing opioids? Are they going to require Medicare and Medicaid, not to mention private insurers to reimburse other pain management strategies? Are they going to force down the cost of other pain management meds so opioids are never the cheapest option? Are they going to fund pain and pain management research as if they were real medical conditions that needed extensive science? Are they going t...

There's a beautiful sliver of a moon rising in the west, with some nifty stars and planets. I don't have a camera that can take a picture, though.

SFINGE! This pic is from this awesome local (and long-standing) Italian bakery. I ate mine too fast to take a picture. They make huge ones, light, airy, crispy on the outside. While they do make the regular ones with the powdered sugar on top, kind of like a crispier beignet, they make these for St. Joseph's Day. Full of, well technically covered in, ricotta filling with chocolate chips with candied citrus peel. The jimmies are like bonus fun topping. Happy St. Joseph's Day (tomorrow)! https://www.facebook.com/romanositalianbakery1/photos/pb.171248269572488.-2207520000.1521414174./1816551995042099/?type=3&theater https://www.facebook.com/romanositalianbakery1/photos/pb.171248269572488.-2207520000.1521414174./1816551995042099/?type=3

First, my main takeaways: 1) If you are a cancer cell in a test tube, be careful what you bathe in. 2) Sex hormone disruptors affect girls, too, but that is only important when boys grow breasts. More importantly, this is probably one of the few sensible articles I have seen about this. Also? I But natural doesn't necessarily mean useful or safe. A yak may be natural. But in your bathtub while you are showering, a yak is neither useful nor safe. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does recognize and label many essential oils as GRAS (generally recognized as safe), when used as directed. This last qualification is important because all bets are off if you start using essential oils as ketchup. https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2018/03/18/will-essential-oils-like-lavender-and-tea-tree-make-your-breasts-larger/#6c6ce6153fc2 https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2018/03/18/will-essential-oils-like-lavender-and-tea-tree-make-your-breasts-larger/#6c6ce6153fc2

I'm sure Kushner isn't the only one in real estate who did this, but it's utterly unsurprising to me that he/his company is one of the ones that did. https://apnews.com/amp/002703e70347481cb993027d04f543cc?__twitter_impression=true https://apnews.com/amp/002703e70347481cb993027d04f543cc?__twitter_impression=true

Omg. I don't think I could eat 50 kinds of poutine in 4 days. I don't think anyone sane would spend whatever it would cost to buy 50 different kinds of poutine. And yet ... https://www.narcity.com/ca/on/toronto/things-to-do-in-to/torontos-first-ever-poutine-fest-is-happening-this-spring https://www.narcity.com/ca/on/toronto/things-to-do-in-to/torontos-first-ever-poutine-fest-is-happening-this-spring

Interesting. I'm going to say that society in general is bad about how they treat people with illness or issues. It makes it worse if they are supposed to be young and healthy, it makes it worse if they are women at any age - women are supposed to take care of others, not themselves, and the general subtext that questions women's place in the workplace (still) does not help any of this. As far as relationships are concerned, chronic or serious illness often also makes you vulnerable to controlling, abusive people, and that happens, too. Fortunately, it seems not to this young woman. However, I believe her experience with having difficulty finding a stable relationship. The feel-good stories of people getting married while they had cancer, or staying with their partner through MS, and so forth are wonderful and uplifting, but you never do hear much about the collateral damage to relationships, even sometimes where there are good intentions. Because illness is exhausting, to the ...

No, no, the other Russia. With whom we also do not have any history. Just ask the Mercers. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/17/us/politics/cambridge-analytica-russia.html https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/17/us/politics/cambridge-analytica-russia.html

Holy Fake News, Batman! https://apnews.com/01983501d40d47a4aa7a32b6afb70661 https://apnews.com/01983501d40d47a4aa7a32b6afb70661

KITTY! http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/state/california/article172865086.html http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/state/california/article172865086.html

D'aww. http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/article205528489.html http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/article205528489.html

Why let facts get in the way of a little indoctrination and imaginary nostalgia? We all know there was never any objectification, abuse, or slavery of women (especially not for sex, gasp!) before 1960. He's also been quoted elsewhere as saying that religion is why we don't have slavery - I'm guessing he missed the whole religion as justification for slavery thing. Inconvenient historical documentation, that. He also says the only reason women have the right to vote is - you guessed it - Jesus! Yep, sure, that's why. In fact, I'm waiting to hear him explain how Evangelicals (see: white) and Christians are the only reason anything good ever happened. The definition of "good" being modified as needed. I swear living in Missouri was more traumatic than living in North Carolina. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2018/01/31/gop-candidate-blames-human-trafficking-on-sexual-liberation-saying-it-leads-to-slavery-of-women/?utm_term=.bac4ee5c64c6 http...

Let me guess. Mr. Bostic is black. And as noted, Mr. Hawley is running for the US Senate. http://wivb.com/2018/03/16/missouri-defends-241-year-prison-sentence-for-16-year-old/ http://wivb.com/2018/03/16/missouri-defends-241-year-prison-sentence-for-16-year-old/

"I think it was really striking that so many of the regulations really have an effect of potentially compromising quality for women," Alina Salganicoff of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a member of the committee that wrote the report, said at the briefing. "I don't think that's the intention of the regulations, but that is the impact in many cases." Maybe you are that naive, or just not paying attention, but that is exactly the intention. Every time legislators are told science, health, and medical facts and every time they do this anyway. On purpose. In fact, I will be shocked if you can't find results with one easy internet search of anti-abortion groups and legislators quoted as saying they are, indeed, looking to punish women, make them suffer, or similar and related dog-whistles. Women's health is not their concern. http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-abortion-national-academies-20180316-story.html http://www.latimes.com/science/...

- extremely locked - I wish my mother were not a mentally and emotionally ill person. And everything that proceeds from that. It's not even worth explaining, except to be clear that this one didn't involve violence or threats. Just really disturbed/disturbing email that my sister got this evening. Which my mother very carefully did not send to me, btw. But my sister forwarded it with comments because. I'm amazed that all the accumulated damage didn't destroy my life sooner. Honestly, I wish it had, because it's a lot easier to get straight and start over the younger you are. Too bad, so sad.

I mean, it's quite a bit after 5pm ... It would take a lot for me to believe that this was 100% not in any way motivated by Trumpian vindictiveness. https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/16/politics/andrew-mccabe-fired/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/16/politics/andrew-mccabe-fired/index.html

Takeaways: Cultures may need to change, but investors don't care as long as they make money. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/16/nike-exec-departures-reflect-a-larger-cultural-issue-retail-analyst.html https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/16/nike-exec-departures-reflect-a-larger-cultural-issue-retail-analyst.html

So who posted it, and why is it getting coverage from any media at all? https://www.10tv.com/article/district-post-saying-hilliard-student-suspended-over-walkout-refusal-fake https://www.10tv.com/article/district-post-saying-hilliard-student-suspended-over-walkout-refusal-fake

You read the weirdest things sometimes. https://www.thedailybeast.com/picked-apart-by-vultures-the-last-days-of-stan-lee https://www.thedailybeast.com/picked-apart-by-vultures-the-last-days-of-stan-lee

Oh, gods, omg. I'm living in 1950. What the hell happened to the timeline? You know, if he had just stuck to saying teachers are not the best people to arm and left out the 'cuz wimmin, I'd have been right there with him. He's a former teacher and he thinks it's a bad idea for several reasons. Meanwhile, predictably his objections to arming teachers were not enough to stop passage of the bill (in committee) to arm teachers in Alabama. I have no doubt it will pass the whole state legislature eventually. https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/16/us/alabama-lawmaker-women-guns-trnd/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/16/us/alabama-lawmaker-women-guns-trnd/index.html

"We have no expertise on it," he said. "How could we determine these groups are terrorists? We don't know the federal guidelines on terrorism." What!?! WHAT?!? "In the past two sessions, our Committee has had several resolutions from various political parties, aimed at special prosecutors, designations of terrorist organizations, condemnation of religious sites and practices, and celebration of controversial historical sites, figures, or organizations. These subjects seem simple but have initiated some of the most bitter decisiveness and debates I have ever witnessed. They usually result in a retaliatory resolution from the other side." Why yes of course, one would naturally conflate special prosecutors, terrorist organizations, religious practices, and controversial historical figures. Not least if some of those things meant you'd have to admit that some of your upstanding community defenders of the Noble Southern Heritage were actually racist ter...

This is a huge loss. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/16/obituaries/louise-slaughter-dies.html https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/16/obituaries/louise-slaughter-dies.html

My sister thinks I should write down some of what goes on around here. She thinks with enough time, it'll make an hysterical if dark sitcom or Bill Bryson type book. I question her wisdom in this, although I suppose if it is at least amusing her then it is an ill wind that blows no good. Or something.

Groups to which I am unsympathetic: Democrats for Life of America. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-illinois/in-chicago-a-democratic-incumbent-is-targeted-by-the-left-idUSKCN1GS15T https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-illinois/in-chicago-a-democratic-incumbent-is-targeted-by-the-left-idUSKCN1GS15T

Dude. She's American . https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/03/16/oh-konnichiwa-ryan-zinke-tells-japanese-american-lawmaker-discussing-internment-of-her-grandfathers/?utm_term=.3673a385cc0d https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/03/16/oh-konnichiwa-ryan-zinke-tells-japanese-american-lawmaker-discussing-internment-of-her-grandfathers/?utm_term=.3673a385cc0d

I approve of this, but am cynical enough to also think boy, this guy is really running for office, isn't he? http://wivb.com/2018/03/16/cuomo-probe-any-ny-schools-that-blocked-student-walkout/ http://wivb.com/2018/03/16/cuomo-probe-any-ny-schools-that-blocked-student-walkout/

Full title: Shepard Smith stays on at Fox: ‘I wonder, if I stopped delivering the facts, what would go in its place’ https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/03/16/shepard-smith-outlier-at-fox-news-signs-new-contract-knocks-fox-commentators/?utm_term=.ecc18bb3e447 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/03/16/shepard-smith-outlier-at-fox-news-signs-new-contract-knocks-fox-commentators/?utm_term=.ecc18bb3e447

Oh for crying out loud. https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2018/03/15/592283220/global-fund-pounded-for-partnering-with-heineken?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=nprstoriesfromnpr&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20180315&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20180315&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20180315 https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2018/03/15/592283220/global-fund-pounded-for-partnering-with-heineken?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=nprstoriesfromnpr&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20180315&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20180315&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr...

So this dog is a thing on the internet? Turns out it is a designer dog called a Shih-poo. Yep, somebody crossed poodles and Shih Tzus. One of the smartest breeds with one of the most stubborn. When I read that all I could think was what could possibly go wrong? On top of which, this particular example notwithstanding, they tend to be industrial strength Kawaii levels of cute. I'm pretty sure I see some sort of cartoon evil villain potential where the dogs sucker humans with their cute and then take over with their stubborn smarts. https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/5805470/dog-human-face-yogi-owner-chantal-desjardins-pets/ https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/5805470/dog-human-face-yogi-owner-chantal-desjardins-pets/