Livejournal apparently has begun redirecting a subset of outgoing links through an affiliate-revenue-generating alteration site. This is not necessarily bad, but if you think that LJ can be trusted unconditionally, given its track record, I have some sub-prime mortgage-backed securities to sell you. See posts by shatterstripes(link), ysengrin(link), and caffeinepuppy(link) for ( Read more... )

That's from a video called "The Largest Street Gang In America," which is making the rounds for a good reason. It was disturbing to watch: I had to pause many times while watching so that I would stop shaking. It has one of the things that make documentaries compelling: footage that speaks for itself. One clip after another shows police ( Read more... )

I'm pretty fucking crankypants about a recent court decision, so today it's (more than slightly relevant) poetry again. This is Marc Smith's "Pull The Next One Up," which I'm transcribing here from the excellent collection The Spoken Word Revolution.

When you get to the top of the mountain ( Read more... )

Dr. Alex Halavais recently released a book, Search Engine Society, and is teaching a course on the same topic this year. He's also broadcasting half-hour talks that accompany his course: this is one of them.


The rest of the series so far.Most of the content is strictly audio, so that makes for a good radio-like stream of information. I want to ( Read more... )

All right, time for more snippeting.

QotD:
"I've built a summer cottage on the edge of full-blown psychosis and I grudgingly acknowledge others' right to not visit me.

It doesn't mean I don't get lonely way out here."

The reliably delicious Making Light brings us a unique Bush remembrance: the Bush Years as seen through the lens of The Onion. ( Read more... )

If you write and talk about it, someone has probably told you to read Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down The Bones. Unlike The Elements of Style and Writer's Market, Goldberg's book is something that's great to keep around even if writing isn't a major part of your life. Like Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance earlier, the author wrote it ( Read more... )

For bossgoji, and because "to thine own self be true" will still get you punched in the head in most places:Melissa McEwan:
Today marks the 10th Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance, which is set aside to memorialize those killed as a result of anti-transgender hatred or prejudice resulting from fear and ignorance.
...
This year, we remember: Kellie ( Read more... )

I have been doing much snarling lately, especially about politics. There will be more. In the meantime, though, kitten!

( the whole household has been rendered useless from cute )

So, at this point you should all have heard that Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) has pled guilty to misdemeanor lewd conduct as a result of apparently soliciting homosexual sex in a Minneapolis public bathroom.

Take a brief pause to note that this is about the fourth time in the last month that some Republican who has built electoral success on insisting ( Read more... )

( Hello, I Would Like To Have An Argument )