Wow, how to begin?

Through a series of interesting happenings, I came back to LJ to look around. It turns out that this is quite an effective way to share one's past with new friends who were also hip to LJ. I find myself that it has helped me remember so many things about myself and friends and life from years ago.

My departure was precipitated by some fairly catastrophic events followed by many moves and changes. To quote Logan Echolls: "Spanning years and continents. Lives ruined, bloodshed. EPIC." And one result of that was me completely flaking out and disappearing, probably leaving some of my fellow moderators and community leaders in the lurch. I hadn't seen any inquiries in email, and I was frankly too embarrassed to peek back after I picked up the pieces of my life. So I apologize to anyone I hurt or abandoned; if you were not privy to the events, I will happily supply information on that privately.

I am not sure I am ready to journal regularly. I need to suss out where LJ is and who owns it and how it is managed before I can make that decisions. A lot has changed on the Internet since 2008, and I find myself cranky and dismissive of most current platforms for their lack of ability to field substantive content and an effective sense of community. I keep coming back to LJ as my gold standard for discourse.

A bit about where I'm at now: I am currently a visiting professor at a tech-oriented university in upstate New York. I am also writing my dissertation with the intention of graduating in the spring or summer (this would be my fourth year of grad school, so not bad). I finished a M.S. in Bioethics back in 2010 but didn't have enough oomph to land a good job in nonprofits, so I went back to grad school in Science and Technology Studies. I currently do research on the limits of the human and the natural - so biomedical/biological issues and online interactions/gaming. I still game, I still watch anime and follow politics; I cook more, bike to work, and stay in shape. I spent a year in WoW at a time when I needed it, I've been unemployed, I've caused trouble and kept my head down.

I also appreciate the great things I have learned here - the moderating experience I've had here has set me up well in dealing with people in all sorts of situations; the arguments I've had to develop here are regular tools I use in teaching; the technological knowledge I've used to blog here effectively inform my current use of tech. The friends I've had here gave me support and confidence at a time when I needed it, and I would not be where I am without all of you.

Those of you who still are hear, I would love to reconnect with you. If you're not active here, I may ping you to see what you're up to. No obligation to respond immediately or ever, but it would be nice to be able to thank each of you in semi-real time at some point. It would be nice to hear how you are and congratulate or support you as needed. If we're in the same area at some point, I'd consider a meetup. I still wish to keep some things semi-private, and will probably post largely friends-only if I get rolling here again. I will set up a friends-only post after this one for those who want to reconnect in a more quiet living room instead of this, my porch.

So again, thank you for your past friendship, and I look forward to hearing from you!

Dammit. NBC ends contract with iTunes; iTunes responds by pulling distribution of early season episodes.

There goes "Heroes", "Battlestar Galactica" and "Psych". Stupid NBC. I'm going to write them a letter telling them how much money they just lost from this fan by being greedy. I wanted to support those shows by actually buying them given how many people just pirate the eps, but this is making it really hard for me to do that now.

And this happens just as I get a video iPod (from my online Masters program) so I can WATCH eps on it. Grrrr.

Edit: Here's a list from NBC Universal's website of the shows they distribute. My guess is that none of these would be available on iTunes. "House" is also on that list.

NBC Universal contact info. I wrote to the "Home Video/DVD" section. Not sure if it's right, but I think I'll send a snail mail to them too.

Politics

Iowa Republican Straw Poll boosts Romney, boots Tommy Thompson. I got all excited this morning when I heard "…Thompson has dropped" because I was hoping it was Fred Thompson (ie: Reagan II). But no, it was the former four-time Governor of Wisconsin (which really makes me wonder what the Republican base is looking for, if not someone who appears to have executive experience). Oh well; one down. Romney could prove to be more of a threat than we thought.

And consider my moratorium on bashing Romney for being Mormon cancelled: Romney asserted that only a person of faith should lead America, even as he takes flak for his belief system. What a fucking hypocrite. Okay, bring on the "Magic Underwear" jokes; it's Open Season.

Rove to resign as Bush aide. Hey, someone's gotta hide the dead bodies and not get caught by a subpoena.

Statistics suggest that the number of sex partners reported by men is inaccurate. Who woulda thunk? Here's the problem: men statistically report having had approximately 75% more partners than women report. But, assuming that the men are reporting heterosexual partners, there is then a disparity between the numbers of sexual couplings reported if women report so few and men report so many. This means either 1) men are turning to women outside the surveyed population ("prostitutes" is given as an example), or 2) the men are exaggerating and/or the women are underestimating. I personally prefer 3) there's a lot more hawt slashy action going on than dudes are admitting to.

NJ school district reverses position to allow school play on Matthew Shepard beatings and murder. Good on them; the more public dialogue about such shameful acts are allowed, the more we as a society can come to more understanding and tolerance.

Meanwhile, in the modern world: Title changes considered for transgender people in Thailand. What is more interesting is ruminating on the potential problems of deciding which gender a transgendered person should be allowed to affiliate with, and in what contexts. What is also interesting is the apparent bias that puts genetic males in a more threatening position than genetic females – ie: people have more of a gut reaction against allowed a male-to-female into a female restroom than the converse. Same with sports. I don't have an answer for this, but it is an issue that should be discussed more to nail down exactly what gives us the irrational, emotional reactions and figure out what we can do to mitigate such concerns.


Religion

It is refreshing to read about Catholics supporting environmental issues, especially when they are holding industrial corporations to higher environmental standards through shareholder power.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America approves pastors who are in openly gay relationships. Bravo!

I wish other denominations would follow these examples rather than being dickwads about their pet issues of bigotry: Mega-church cancels veteran's funeral service on the day before after learning deceased was gay.

But that's okay: Militant Atheism is overrunning America because "feisty" atheists aren't going to shut up and take it up the ass from religious extremists who criticize atheism.

On the other hand, there are nice Christians out there who recognize that atheists and other Brights deserve a voice in society as well.

Besides, even for practicing Christians, religion can be a drag. Ouch.

Other

Demand skyrockets for cage-free eggs. Can producers keep up? And is this just a fad, or is the demand here to stay? While there are some legitimate concerns about the welfare of hens in crowded conditions in barns, there are distinct advantages to the increased demand for cage-free. ( Read more...Collapse )

Not only is a private company collecting and selling access to your cell numbers, but the information is often incorrect. I didn't think it was possible to screw both the exploiter and the exploited, but apparently it is.

10 Things Your Restaurant Won't Tell You. This is a useful article to read if you go out to eat a lot. Even though some of the topics may refer more to fancier establishments, the general ideas are often the same. Or you could read Kitchen Confidential and get more dirty jokes in the mix.

Also: 10 Things Your Bartender Won't Tell You.



In recognition of laughter being the best medicine: Israel pioneers degree in "Medical Clowning".

While white vinegar can prove as effective as normal pap smears at detecting cancerous and precancerous lesions on a woman's cervix, it only highlights the need for better access to gynecological care in Third World countries.

Recent studies have indicated that women who get cosmetic breast implants have a three times higher risk of committing suicide. Now, I admit to being a part of the group that thinks the type of woman who wants a cosmetic implant is inherently at a higher risk of mental instability and extreme actions based on emotional state, but it seems that there could be more to it. "Beauty and the Breast" blogs about some of the medical complications that occur after breast augmentation surgery and posits some external causes for suicidal behavior. I'm not completely convinced, but I do agree that there is, as in most industries, undue influence by those with a direct interest in how many implants are sold and who may not have the health of the customer completely at heart.

The states and private philanthropists are putting large amounts of funding into stem cell research. As anticipated, Bush's attempts to block research by denying federal funding isn't really stopping progress; it is apparent that people across a wide swath of society wants to at least investigate this medical option rather than blatantly reject it on face. The people are speaking.

**Airforce Airman gets charged with "indecent act"… for being gang-raped.

I am furious. I am astounded. I knew that the military still has a ways to go in improving respect for women, but this… this is utterly ridiculous and infuriating. She was interrogated without access to legal counsel and the three accused rapists have been granted immunity to testify against her.

I am working on getting a point of contact to organize a letter-writing campaign on this issue. (thanks to zannechaos for the link)

Take Action on this: ( Read more...Collapse )

On to your regularly scheduled news links:

Hate grapefruit? Check out this article about "supertasters" – people with extremely sensitive taste buds. I do think that besides screening for a particular gene expression, it's a little tough to set up a binary system, so I would prefer a spectrum approach to classifying tasters. But it is interesting nonetheless.

Class wars: MySpace vs. Facebook. I am seeing this trend myself in my recently graduated students who trumpet the superiority of Facebook over MySpace. And I do remember my brother using Facebook when he was in college. Both are still lame in my book, but the STS* dynamics involved are interesting.

*Science, Technology and Society – my major in college

Reza Aslan reviews "The Al-Qaeda Reader" and tries to answer the question, "Why do they hate us?" starting with defining "they."

MSN Careers: 5 careers that make a difference. No surprise here.

On the flip (but not mutually exclusive) side: 5 careers that satisfy your wild side.

* An unsettling post by dogemperor describes extreme Dominionist religion factions allowed on LJ, despite their advocacy of hurting children for religious reasons.

* Slashdot journal entry on the 6A fiasco.

(changed link 1 to an unlocked entry)

I wish I could have caught the Democratic debate hosted by Keith Olbermann last night. It's one of a handful of events that made me wish I had full cable (or a friend who had it). Maybe I'll be able to catch it on YouTube.

Now that you know the 12 types of advertisements, check out the worst of the bad ads. The best part has to be the chat transcript at the top. It's disturbing how often someone I know has had to say, "Asia is not a country; it is a continent." to people.

It's getting' chilly Down There: Netherlands considers a 'shroom ban. What is the world coming to???

Raw milk becoming more popular, but controversy lingers. I see no reason to categorically ban its sale and consumption overall – people are allowed to eat raw meat and other potentially hazardous foods, with the only requirement being a visible warning about the potential danger. And if we are going to operate under a "Mom and Dad know best" ethos, it is ridiculous to restrict them giving it to their children if we're not going to restrict them feeding other hazardous food products to them (fast food, preserved meats, fatty stuff, etc).

Efforts are underway to utilize the byproducts of biodiesel production. Nifty.

"Girly men" favored over "macho men" for fidelity and long-term partnering, study shows. Or it could be the increasing demographic of manga and anime fangirls in society…

Inmates sue over limited offerings of religious texts. I think the restriction is pretty stupid, given how much hateful material radical Islamists and Christianists are able to glean from their traditional texts. As long as it has some connection to founding or supporting a recognized religion (ie: no Chick Tracts), I don't see why they shouldn't be allowed.

Japan presents fourth-generation cloned pig. Apparently, the researchers found that a large mammal could be cloned for several generations without apparent genetic degradation (shortened telomeres). I'm still skeptical, and really don’t see the purpose of this research except as an exploratory bookend (ie: "we know we can go up to four iterations safely, so two is fine for industrial use").

"From Yuck! To Awesome!" – the mouse with the ear on its back has become a t-shirt logo. I am sad.

"Competitive Birthing" is becoming a trend with some people as a form of Conspicuous Consumption. But the trend is reversed in China, where having fewer children is still seen as a positive thing.

This is a really cool analysis of why Right-Wing-Authoritarian men are so messed up. (via Pharyngula)

Come see the new sleek and sexy Apple iMac. *drool*

Edit: Court rules against a patient's right to choose to be treated with a drug still pending FDA approval. This is a very interesting case, and I have not yet wrapped my brain around all of it, but I hope to see this hit a bioethics blog soon.

bad_wolf_bitch posted some great information on how to file a complaint with the State of California and urge an enforcement of good business law on SixApart for unsatisfactory business practices.

Some links mentioned:

http://www.ic3.gov/ - Internet Crime Complaint Center
http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp/smallclaims/ - Small Claims court if you're in CA
http://www.dca.ca.gov/consumer/cic/index.shtml – CA customer complaint information center

http://ag.ca.gov/contact/complaint_form.php?cmplt=CL – Complaint form to the CA Attorney General – I filled this one out.

Here's what I sent in: ( Read more...Collapse )

"Oh 6A, You're So Lame"
(Songspoof of "Hey Mickey" by B-Witched)

Oh 6A, you're so lame you're so lame you're such a pain,
Hey 6A! Hey 6A!
Oh 6A, you're so lame you're so lame you're such a pain,
Hey 6A! Hey 6A!
Oh 6A, you're so lame you're so lame you're such a pain,
Hey 6A! Hey 6A!
Oh 6A, you're so lame you're so lame you're such a pain,
Hey 6A! Hey 6A!

Hey 6A!
You've been online all week and that's a little long
You think you're in the right but we know you've got it wrong
Why can't you say, "Sorry" so you can go to sleep, 6A?

'Cause when you say you won't, it always means you will
You're pissin on my art, Frankie, please Frankie don't
Each Friday you stab a fan in the night, 6A

Oh 6A, art and lit are just so hard to grasp
You suck our wallets* dry while you fuck us in the ass**
Oh 6A, you're so fickle, can't you understand
It's goats like you 6A
Oh, how you wank 6A, whine 6A
Don't bold my name, 6A!

Hey 6A!
Now when you stomp your pretty hooves, everyone's gonna know
Each blog you bahleet, we will crosspost even more
There's plenty we can do, so don't you shrug, 6A

So come on and bring it using logic so remote
Any way you squirm, we will always get your goat
Oh please, Frankie, please, don't weasel out on us, 6A

Oh 6A, art and lit are just so hard to grasp
You suck our wallets* dry while you fuck us in the ass**
Oh 6A, you're so fickle, can't you understand
It's goats like you 6A
Oh, how you wank 6A, whine 6A
Don't bold my name, 6A!


* wallets not of animal origin to avoid beastiality
** all asses are over-18, because you wouldn't screw kiddies, would you, 6A?

LJ_Biz has spoken. Here's my comment.

1) They're so afraid of us that they made a sockpuppet especially for

2) proclaiming a load of bullshit and more lies to us

3) and trying to cover their asses in light of the law, but completely ignoring good customer service,

4) their attitude apparently conveyed accurately by burr86,

5) who is not even getting a slap on the wrist for his breaching a reasonable code of conduct for his job,

6) unlike paid and permanent users who were not even given a chance to correct their apparent trespass.

Go figure.

I'm tempted to write some Completely Legal and Non-Child-Porny yet Highly Kinky Slashfic with a main character named... "rubb69". Anyone want to join in? Fanart ideas?

It's a good thing they no longer have Flaming Bags of Dog Poo available as Virtual Gifts, or I'd break the bank buying some.

Post made of win.

Funny: Harry's trouser-snake is named Tom Riddle. I'm tempted to re-read the series with this lens in place.

Edit:

* This is a good collection of the "official" comments made by 6A drones.

* Penny Arcade hits it on the head. (from jchaos)

* Also, a metaquote about Fandom's Horcruxes.

If it's in a McDonald's wrapper, it's tastier to young children. Those are some scary scary effects of brand marketing. On the skeptical hand, I have to criticize them for not going further with this study to see if any sort of common logo makes food seem tastier, or if it is a piece of Ronald McDonald magic.

Genetic component found to ADHD. Just as discussed in Survival of the Sickest, I wonder what the original purpose of such a gene was (or is, in methylated form).

Federal judge orders halt to Navy sonar off Southern California, citing marine mammal harms. Good. I have never been satisfied with the Navy's attitude towards marine mammal harm from sonar, and it is good that the government is stepping in on this matter, because sadly, the Navy does not care and is not willing to take the necessary steps to reduce harms.

Cops seek special treatment in traffic violations using symbols like bear stickers. Kudos for the police who are against this practice; we need more honest cops like this.

One side effect of having a woman as a nation's leader: rape is actually treated as a crime and prosecuted effectively, even in war-torn, Third World countries. Bravo.

Microbes preserved in polar ice could be viable if thawed out. This increases the scope of the impacts of global warming to greater bacteria proliferation, of genetic strains that have not been active in the biosphere for eons.

Women who are obese before pregnancy have higher chance of severe birth defects in their babies. For example: double chance of spina bifida, 60% greater risk of viscera outside the belly, 40% increase in heart defects, and 36% higher chance of shortened arms or legs. Maybe America should forcibly put all women on diets since they're all considered "pre-pregnant". *rolls Resurrection Check on Old Wank*

Washington Law allows children to go to the courts to get their parents back. Interesting; I'm not sure if I have a position or specific opinion on this yet.

Targeted Genetics defends fatal test incident. Yup, I think I will have plenty of work out here when I complete my Bioethics degree.

So apparently, Caroline Giuliani (Rudy's daughter) is an Obama girl. Guess who's not getting invited to Thanksgiving this year…

This is a transcript of a focus group survey on the generation gap and women in the workplace.