Zorral

Why are the pro-Israel protestors merely called 'counter-protestors' without identifiers, instead of pro-Israel protestors, while those who are calling for ceasefire, divestment of federal and university funding for death dealing corporations -- to the planet just generally as well as specifically people -- are called pro-Palestinian protestors? Really the blob media at the least should include identifiers for these 'counter-protestors' as 'funded by Billionaire so-and-so' and 'including Proud Boys' etc. Why does the WaPo headline a story that's supposed to be about Trump trials and all the issues that make These Times feel so drastic and foreboding focus almost all of the wordage on the campus protests (while saying nothing about WHY there are 'pro-Palestinian protestors', an issue, which by their own words involve so few people, and have been peaceful until the cops and 'counter protestors' arrive -- have a red filtered grainy foto of some kids standing somewhere that looks like the entire surroundings are on fire -- when there have been no fires? Anyway it's all gleefully distributed distraction from the murder, starvation and violence committed upon Gaza and the Palestinians even as I type and you read. We must never speak of the reasons -- or the history -- there are for protesting to this atrocity of a war. Not only students, not only US students, protest this war. In the meantime, of course, Israel insists that starvation is not occurring in Northern Gaza. And in the meantime as well, Israel is shutting down, within Israel, any coverage of what is going on in Gaza. Can we say 'gaslighting' boyz 'n girlz? Especially when we get to see the very occasional photo of Palestinians waiting for some food distribution, and the children and everyone else are skin and bones? While those who are trying to get some nutrition to the Gazans insist that starvation is rife? I mean, you, know, these people are there on the ground. They ought to know right?

Many commiserations. I'm so sorry. My dad suffered from that periodically. Not fun.

Giving an order to a decent human being as though you are a dog trainer to a dog does not win respect.

Well, when it comes down to it, historically, there is nothing about and at which primates are more inventive and creative and innovative and willing to accept than sexuality and everything that can be even remotely connected to it. Even when it isn't even remotely related or connected, trust primates to find a way. Even if the Church(s) say no in thunder (while the individuals within it exuberantly participate(.

Washington (AFP) – US President Joe Biden will host Jordan's King Abdullah II next week, the White House said Friday, as negotiations continue in the Middle East for a ceasefire in Gaza. Agence France-Presse https://www.rawstory.com/biden-to-host-jordan-s-king-next-week-amid-gaza-talks/

Kurt Urban appears to be brilliant in this. But Imma not going to watch it. The revelry in gore and grisly and gross has accelerated in every season, and I don't need 11 turned up to 15 in my life. There's enough of gore, grisly and gross -- not to mention cruel for cruelty's sake, and horror and terror of the future in my real life, that this isn't entertaining nor even acceptable to my precious snowflake fee fees.

This interview with Margaret Atwood was delightful. She has a novella out -- https://www.amazon.com/Cut-Thirst-Short-Margaret-Atwood-ebook/dp/B0CRJGKXBS Isn't it hilarious how everyone's conveniently forgotten that so many went apeshyte when The Handmaid's Tale was published, particularly in sf/f circles, because it was so unrealistic >sf/f, fuming not realistic!!!!!< full of it can't happen, it isn't true, men aren't like that, she's a paranoid and over the top -- and most of all, she isn't an sf/f writer and she doesn't know what sf/f is! And now, o my, just look at us. https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/may/04/i-can-say-things-other-people-are-afraid-to-margaret-atwood-on-censorship-literary-feuds-and-trump

I don't know about you all, but this farmer's daughter feels heartbreak looking through the photos here of what were fertile, carefully tended fields, with the variety of food crops they grew, deliberately turned into ash and mud. Israel’s offensive is destroying Gaza’s ability to grow its own food By Nilo Tabrizy, Imogen Piper and Miriam Berger Northern Gaza is in ‘full-blown famine,’ World Food Program leader says https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/interactive/2024/gaza-israel-agriculture-food-fisheries/? ~~~~~~~~~~~ That is the point -- Israel, by its ruling coalitions have made that choice. Things change. Which seems to be something the ruling coalition and its supporters are increasingly incapable of recognizing, i.e. it is 2024, not 1979. So much has changed since then including those who rule Israel. Also so much evil has happened since then by the ruling coalition's own choice. And the global communications networks know it.

Ha! The WaPo does a story on the WKCR, the Columbia radio station from which, for better or worse, I brought updates of the NYPD on campus, storming Hamilton Hall, earlier this week. Evidently one of the primary reason the WaPo (not the NYT!) seems to deem this worthy of its own coverage is its belief that the Columbia protests were a primary impetus for the spread of the protests to campuses all over the country. As police swarmed Columbia, its student radio station kept broadcasting More than 20,000 listeners across the world tuned in to the students’ report https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/05/04/columbia-radio-wkcr-protest-coverage/ At the time, as commented here, I found some irony in the fact that the Pulitizer had a place in the students' reporting, which was their and my coda to their coverage of the night: It was difficult and dangerous to the kids too, not to mention exhausting as they and WKCR had been on it since April 17th. Partner and I, safely here at home, listened to their coverage on an actual radio, though most, I think, did it via streaming, and then those -- like I did to here -- posted updates on various other online sites. Here's a photo of the kids who did it: https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?

Yes it did. I previously explained that the novel did that -- but very young me who knew nothing about Japan -- or much of anything else at the time except horses -- had to re-read the novel 2 - 3 times before I got that. The difference between the novel and the series is that a great deal dealing with the Europeans was deleted, for many reasons, including to make the point far more clear for a first watcher who never read the novel, much less re-read it in more mature years. It subverted every trope of adventure in exotic land historical fiction of English and USA novels. Just as Japan just shut the thing down for a good long time to keep out those who would be subverting the aspects of Japanese culture and autonomy if let to run rampant. They'd already seen what the Jesuits could do. Nobody said that the guy who succeeded was going to be or needed to be good. That too subverts even the foundational fiction forms of European fiction, at least anyway, starting with the Romances. El Cid is a great leader, a good man, a godly man, filled with honor. The man who became Shogun didn't need to worry his head or morality about that, anymore than Caesar did. But it was rather rushed, and too many connecting lines were absent to do it in an effective narrative. Thank goodness the show could fall back on aesthetics of vision to keep people going.

Isn't it just! There are reasons . . . . The NYPD busted out the few protestors here, while self-identified Jewish students stood around weeping about unsafe and cruel it's all been for them They skies are shredded by cop choppers.

Recall how many women died very early due to reproductive issues. That's half the population. Abigail Adams was doubtless saved by the fact she and John were apart for so many of her childbearing years. Whereas his son, John Quincy, by some miracle did not breed Louisa to death -- despite her multiple pregnancies of which few were carried to term. She was pregnant at least 17 times. Jefferson did indeed breed his wife to death. And these were the women who were at the top of the female ladder. Imagine what it was like for most women then.

Following from Jeet Heer's investigative piece where the violence comes from:

Eric Adams Is the Lying Face of the Campus Crackdown New York’s mayor is the right man for the job of standing up for the indefensible. The campus crackdown, at both Columbia and schools across the nation, is indefensible. But when you are defending the indefensible, you need a spokesman like Adams, as prolific an inventor of fables as Scheherazade.By Jeet Heer https://www.thenation.com/article/activism/eric-adams-israel-campus-lies/

Fixed that. Israel is no ally at all, and has nothing going without USA grace and favor. I wouldn't trust Saudi at all either, particularly when it comes to all sorts of things, just starting with women's autonomy, anti-slavery, and freedom of the press. But at the moment ... and it has loads more resources than Israel, whose only resource is grace and favor.