Sidetrackedery

(From September 18, 2009)

Sidetrackedery, n.: the weird, interesting, and/or fun stuff I find via my ever-behindness in my LJ flist, from Twitter, emails, going back through friends' LJs, and elsewhere.

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:: From @natthedem, You Lie (from ta-nehisicoates.theatlantic.com)
:: ARGH. From @USArmy, Free health care available to those willing to sacrifice Why should you have to sacrifice (outside of, yanno, paying taxes) for something that should be a right of citizenship?
:: From @militaryavenue, Soldiers take 'Extreme Makeover' to Afghanistan (from militaryavenue.com)
:: Jerry Nadler, Fuck Yeah. From @ontd_political, Dems To Intorduce DOMA Repeal in House. It's about fucking time!
:: Ugh. Stay classy, Blue Cross. From @ontd_political, Blue Cross Blue Shield Execs Profited From Bogus Bonuses (via HuffPo)
:: From @natthedem, Probable beltway evolution of Wilson's "You Lie" :P (from dailykos.com)
:: *sigh* on so many levels. From @linktv, Frankfurt Book Fair revokes invitations to dissident Chinese writers. (from dw-world.de)
:: From the above link to the main page, Post 9/11, has Europe paid too high a price for security?
:: Another: Brussels to pump billions into helping poorer nations fight global warming.
:: From @newsminer, Alaska board denies appeals of Palin ethics complaints. (from newsminer.com)
:: Freaking cool. From @marlaerwin, The Trash Project: An evening of dance performed by the employees and machinery of Austin's Solid Waste Service Department. (from forkliftdanceworks.com)
:: Neato! From @linktv, Obama reverses the way the world sees America. (from dw-world.de)
:: RIGHT ON. From @ontd_political, Scrubs + Rock the Vote = Rock the Healthcare :D
:: Intawestink. From @ontd_political, It's against House rules to call President a liar. (from bluestateredhead at dailykos)
:: The specificity that it's okay for Members to refer to unnamed officials as "our half-baked nitwits handling foreign affairs" is fucking hilarious, though. XD

(From September 12, 2009)

Sidetrackedery, n.: the weird, interesting, and/or fun stuff I find via my ever-behindness in my LJ flist, from Twitter, emails, going back through friends' LJs, and elsewhere.

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:: From athiesm, Stupid Dinosaur Lies. It is win.
:: Ugh. From an atheism comment thread, Vegan Couple Sentence [sic] to Prison for Baby's Death. What. The. Fuck.
:: Ooh, this is COOL. From antitheism, Amazon tribe converts missionary. :D :D
:: This invective-filled fic awesomeness from shakti at rahmbamarama: Tea Baggin' It. XD
:: From a_tergo_lupi, FreedomWorks Orchestrates 'Grassroots' Movements To Serve Dick Armey's Corporate Clients. O hai ASTROTURF. (from thinkprogress.org)
:: This awesomeness from lavenderfrost explaining #teabagging.
:: From a_tergo_lupi, The Rotting Racist Underbelly of the Tea Party Protests.
:: From antitheism, Cenk Uygur: If You're a Christian, Muslim or Jew - You are Wrong. Originally published at Huffington Post.
:: From antitheism, Chick tracts make witnessing easy! Lulziness is lulzy. Poe's Law? Prolly not, alas.
:: From antitheism, This I Believe: There Is No God by Penn Jillette at npr.org
:: From rahmbamarama, Yunnan: My New Favorite Tea by Zeke Emanuel at food.theatlantic.com.
:: From curriejean at atheism, from a link at Pharyngula, The 50 Most Brilliant Atheists of All Time (Douglas Adams is at 43, and PZ Meyers is at 45.) (from brainz.org)
:: Fuck ye, Sarah: From @newsminer, Sarah Palin blasts health care reform in editorial (from newsminer.com)
:: From the 50 Most Brilliant Atheists page, The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science, and it's chock full of useful text and video. :D
:: This gem from metaquotes about the sometimes-contradictory nature of Harry Potter fandom.

(From August 13, 2009)

Sidetrackedery, n.: the weird, interesting, and/or fun stuff I find via my ever-behindness in my LJ flist, from Twitter, emails, going back through friends' LJs, and elsewhere.

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:: From friendlyatheist at tumblr, 10 Worst Evolutionary Designs (from wired.com)
:: From Chris via Gtalk, this catgirls-and-ninjas goodness from Yosh! Comics. (from yoshsaga.com)

From HuffPo:
:: James Rucker: GEICO Pulls Its Ads from Glenn Beck Show
:: Bob Cesca: Keep Your Goddamn Government Hands Off My Medicare!
:: Bob Cesca: Republicans Lying to Old People About Euthanasia, Robots
:: After "Death Panel" Claim, Palin Now Calls For Civility
:: Cenk Uygur: The Last Gasp of the Angry White Man
:: Kathleeen Reardon: The "Death Panel" Already Exists! It's called private insurance.
:: Dean Baker: Governor Palin's Crazed Health Care Rant: Blame the Washington Post You mean EX-Governor.

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:: From a link at HuffPo, Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog! Go! (bobcesca.com)
:: From another link at HuffPo, Anti-Reform Group takes Credit For Helping Gin Up Town Hall Rallies (from theplumline.whorunsgov.com)
:: From Fizzy via Gtalk, Are US healthcare protests genuine? (And she showed me this before I mentioned my getting TVTropes'ed by HuffPo.) (from news.bbc.co.uk)
:: AWWWWW. Chris just sent this to me, with "How i feel about you" (only he doesn't share the pictures I send him). (Also, this.)
:: Another from Chris: Overlord 2: Minions at a Glance Best. FAQ. EVER. (warning: bit of automatic audio when you first get there) (from overlordgame.com)
:: From @USArmy, A class act: Army Prep School graduates 2,000 in first year (from army.mil)
:: From @jorajo, Rachel Maddow is my sweetie Awwwww. (from sfgate.com)
:: Twister Duvet Cover. DO WANT.
:: From military.com, Russia Holds US Humvees as Trophies:: Neato! Also from military.com, GI launches recycling effort in Iraq 

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(From June 22, 2009)

Sidetrackedery, n.: the weird, interesting, and/or fun stuff I find via my ever-behindness in my LJ flist, from Twitter, emails, going back through friends' LJs, and elsewhere.

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:: From zevshir, Under the Hood: Oleo Strut History

The coffeehouse was given the name "The Oleo Strut." An oleo strut is a shock absorber, and we saw this as a metaphor for what we hoped the place would be for the soldiers we hoped to work with. We had no idea what a shock we were about to absorb.

Within a week of opening, soldiers were coming in at night to tell us of riot control training they were taking part in during the day. They'd been told they were going to Chicago to "fight the hippies and the commies" who were going to show up for the Democratic Convention the next month. They were terribly upset at the thought of having to possibly open fire on Americans who they agreed with about the war and the need for change here in America. Soldiers were talking about deserting, about running away to Mexico, about "doing something."

Our response was a little yellow sticker, two inches by two inches. On it was a white hand flashing the "peace sign," backed by a black fist. We printed up 1,000 of them and passed them out. GIs said they would put these on their helmets if they were called into the streets, to identify themselves to the protestors. At this point, the Army got very upset with us.

The Monday of the convention, 5,000 troops were ordered to board the transports. They were headed for the Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Chicago, as backup for the Chicago Police Department. As the soldiers were preparing to board the airplanes, the bravest act of antiwar protest I ever knew of happened.

43 Black soldiers, all combat veterans, refused to board the airplanes. Due to the self-separation of the races on the base, we had no idea this was going to happen. The Black troops had organized themselves. They knew what they were going to get for this. The minimum qualification to be one of those who would refuse was the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart, so the Army wouldn't be able to call them cowards.

:: From @ObamaNews, A Town Hall on Fatherhood
:: Cheesy title, good article. From @PaulReikhoff, Hey Lindsay Lohan! Did You Hear About the Major Victory for Thousands of Stop-Lossed Troops?
:: From ontd_political, this made me cry for reals (and not just because I'm a crybaby).
:: Accessibility FAIL. Man, service dog turned away at fairgrounds (from wthr.com)
:: From @USArmy, Alaska supports Army kids, NCOs Right on! :D
:: From @zestylime, Shep Smith Mocks 'Glenn Beck Friday,' 'I Don't Even Know What The Heck the Thing Is' (YouTube) THAT is fucking awesome. And so, clearly, is Shep Smith. His hour is the only hour of FNC I can watch without my blood pressure going through the roof.
:: Also from @zestylime, Smith gives Fox News even-tempered voice
:: WHAT THE PFFUCK? From @Meggion, Senator: 'We're allowing gays to exist' (from thenewcivilrightsmovement.com) **FUMES**
:: From trialia via Facebook, How to Be a Good Friend to Someone With Chronic Pain (from thetramadoldiaries.com) tl;dr: be there, and don't be a jerk.
:: From postsecret.com, Anonymity Project: The PostSecret Effect. (YouTube) Warning: tearjerker.
:: Awesome! From @Scoop44, Texting for Humanity.
:: Well, fuck. From @newsminer, Fewer jobs in Alaska than a year ago
:: From @newsminer, List of ethics complaints filed against Alaska Gov. Palin
:: From (I can't remember) on Twitter, With Plan and a Rope, Captives Fled from Taliban (from nytimes.com)

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