School, meet Life.

aknightlight: jackpowerx: acornfarm: defilerwyrm: AHAHAHA...

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:20:12 -0400

jackpowerx:

acornfarm:

defilerwyrm:

AHAHAHA NOT QUITE, OP, NOT QUITE

FUCKING NAILED IT

A+ commentary!

THANK YOU

Yup. It’s when you look past the individual interaction and look at long-standing trends that you can more accurately comment on what is actually happening.

What do you do when you’re a bystander witness to a heated discussion about systems of...

Mon, 13 May 2013 23:40:24 -0400

What do you do when you’re a bystander witness to a heated discussion about systems of oppression, but they’re getting it wrong? e.g., defending the UCLA student’s right to a racist youtube video?!, perpetuating internalized intragroup racism, calling oneself a minority instead of a POC, etc.?

Thoughts this morning

Mon, 06 May 2013 11:29:48 -0400

1. Nothing like running two blocks to catch your bus to wake you up and make you want to crawl back into bed at the same time.

2. Why is there so much traffic this morning? Because Los Angeles loses all ability to drive when the weather isn’t sunny and 70 degrees.

The NIMH Withdraws Support for DSM-5

Sun, 05 May 2013 17:05:59 -0400

The NIMH Withdraws Support for DSM-5:

The latest development is a humiliating blow to the APA.

Ohio Republicans Want To Punish Colleges That Enable Students To Vote

Sun, 05 May 2013 02:17:30 -0400

Ohio Republicans Want To Punish Colleges That Enable Students To Vote:

think-progress:

Ohio Republicans now want to punish state universities that encourage students to cast a ballot. Under a budget amendment filed by Republicans in the Ohio House, state universities that provide documents enabling students to register to vote in their college town, rather than in the state where their parents reside, will be forbidden from charging those students out-of-state tuition. Thus, the amendment would effectively reduce the funding of state schools that assist their students in registering to vote.

This is what Republicans consider protecting our freedoms?

Why do I always do this to myself?! Another day wasted away with distractions rather than focused...

Sun, 05 May 2013 02:14:42 -0400

Why do I always do this to myself?! Another day wasted away with distractions rather than focused paper-writing, despite sitting in front of the computer for most of the day.

Well, at least tomorrow’s another day.

Not studying although I should be.

Sat, 04 May 2013 15:48:10 -0400

Not studying although I should be.

Remembered my keys today, but forgot my lunch (w/ already-peeled bananas). It’s been a rough...

Fri, 03 May 2013 09:40:40 -0400

Remembered my keys today, but forgot my lunch (w/ already-peeled bananas).

It’s been a rough week.

healthfutures: Suicides Outnumber Auto Deaths in US This NY...

Thu, 02 May 2013 21:44:31 -0400

healthfutures:

Suicides Outnumber Auto Deaths in US

This NY Times article says that suicides spiked upward sharply after our economic downturn: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/03/health/suicide-rate-rises-sharply-in-us.html?hp&_r=0

More people died in 2010 from suicide (38,384) than from auto accidents (33,687), increasing an horrendous 31% in a decade. Researchers commented that suicide is “vastly underreported”, including, one might suspect, a lot of the auto accidents.

Baby boomers had the highest rate of suicides of any generation. The suicide rate for men in their fifties rose by 50% vs 1999. This is not surprising. In 2004, AARP reported that 72% of boomers thought their lives would be better in five years (e.g. 2009) and only 5% thought they would be worse. 48% said they would rather be spontaneous than plan their lives in detail.

So much for spontaneity… For boomers, the 2008 crash was like a Force V hurricane blowing off the roofs of a lot of shoddily constructed homes. Only now are the finding all the bodies…

Wow….there are just no words…

Fun Fact: The NRA's new president called the Civil War the "war of northern aggression"

Thu, 02 May 2013 17:55:13 -0400

Fun Fact: The NRA's new president called the Civil War the "war of northern aggression":

Holy fuck. Stop it. Stop it now. When did loyalty to the Southern Confederacy become a hallmark of modern-day Patriotism?!?!

27 Things You Had To Deal With As The Only Black Kid In Your Class

Thu, 02 May 2013 17:48:39 -0400

27 Things You Had To Deal With As The Only Black Kid In Your Class:

“You know, I don’t even see you as black.”

Watching this story of Clay Hunt, a Marine veteran who ended up...

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 17:51:54 -0400

Watching this story of Clay Hunt, a Marine veteran who ended up committing suicide, I can’t help but notice the stark similarities between his mentality and the mentality of other Marines I know. I can’t help but think that there is no safe zone after you’ve spent time in the service…

"I listened. I could not make her home life better. It was a rough road. I could, however, do..."

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 16:03:50 -0400

“I listened. I could not make her home life better. It was a rough road. I could, however, do everything in my power to make sure in this place, in my classroom, she was respected, listened to, supported, encouraged.”

- Corina Fiore at The Broad Side. As a social worker, I know these sentiments too well.

Why Failure Matters (h/t The Dish) That space between who we are...

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 15:34:12 -0400

Why Failure Matters (h/t The Dish)

That space between who we are and who we can be…

http://www.bodyofwar.com/

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 03:45:39 -0400

http://www.bodyofwar.com/:

to watch

Body of War is an intimate and transformational feature documentary about the true face of war today. Meet Tomas Young, 25 years old, paralyzed from a bullet to his spine - wounded after serving in Iraq for less than a week.

Body of War is Tomas’ coming home story as he evolves into a new person, coming to terms with his disability and finding his own unique and passionate voice against the war. The film is produced and directed by Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro, and features two original songs by Eddie Vedder. Body of War is a naked and honest portrayal of what it’s like inside the body, heart and soul of this extraordinary and heroic young man.

http://ptsdsurvivordaily.com/

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 03:40:38 -0400

http://ptsdsurvivordaily.com/:

Just found this personal blog of a veteran with PTSD documenting his road towards healing.

Everything We Know About What’s Happened Under Sequestration

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 03:39:34 -0400

Everything We Know About What’s Happened Under Sequestration:

So much good info.

stfuconservatives: we-are-star-stuff: How vaccines saved...

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 21:59:42 -0400

stfuconservatives:

we-are-star-stuff:

How vaccines saved millions of lives

Over 5.2 billion people died in the 20th Century. Although the 20th Century ended a mere 13 years ago, from a statistics standpoint, we know we will probably die of different diseases (and other less natural causes) than our forebears. The causes of death evolve over time as medicine improves, science ameliorates risk, lifestyles change, environments shift, and politics reshape our world. British data journalist David McCandless (of Information is Beautiful) created this fascinating infographic based on a project, commissioned by the Wellcome Trust, a U.K. charity devoted to human health, called Death in the 20th Century, which shows us, graphically, the leading causes of mortality from 1900 to 2000, worldwide.

Some of the numbers are shocking. Humanity is the cause of nearly 1 billion (or just short of 20%) of the deaths in the 20th Century. These numbers include war, murders, religious intolerance, suicide, and other deadly crimes that humans perpetrate against one another. Maybe the 21st Century will knock that number down, though I doubt any of us are optimistic given the way this century has started.

But the most interest information is in the Infectious Disease section. Nearly 1.7 billion people have died from infectious diseases. Some of the more interesting numbers are:

Diphtheria - 0.76 million deaths

Hepatitis B - 12.7 million deaths

Measles - 96.7 million deaths

Meningitis - 21.9 million deaths

Polio - 0.13 million deaths

Smallpox - 400 million deaths (yes, 400 million)

Tetanus - 37.1 million deaths

Whooping cough - 38.1 million deaths

In the 21st Century, the numbers of deaths from these diseases will probably be in the few thousand worldwide. Why? Because of vaccines. Not better sanitation. Not better health care facilities. But because of vaccines.

And in the 21st Century, as more vaccines are developed and brought to market, many of these infectious diseases will be less of a problem.

Vaccines saves lives. Literally hundreds of millions of lives.

A poll that more or less made me ashamed to be an American found that 20% of voters think there is a link between childhood vaccines and autism. This false belief is literally killing people. And not just the kids who are dying because they aren’t vaccinated - though that’s happening a lot too - but the people who catch these diseases from asymptomatic carriers. VACCINATE YOUR FUCKING KIDS.

quickhits: Liberal donors not giving up on gun regulation so...

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 13:12:06 -0400

quickhits:

Liberal donors not giving up on gun regulation so easily.

Greg Sargent:

With red state Democratic Senators remaining skittish about embracing Obama’s gun proposals, at least two top Democratic donors are stepping forward and vowing to withhold any and all future financial contributions from any Democrats who don’t support the centerpiece of Obama’s plan: Expanded background checks.

Kenneth Lerer, a New York businessman who is chairman of Buzzfeed.com, and David Bohnett, a technology entrepreneur and philanthopist based in Los Angeles, are both major financial supporters of Democratic candidates, having each given scores of large contributions over the years. They are both key players in the political fundraising world and wield influence among other donors and fundraisers.

Neither will give another dime to any Senate Democrat who does not support expanded background checks, I’m told — and both will suggest to other donors that they do the same. The move underscores the rising importance of gun control as an issue in Democratic politics — and the rising frustration in some Democratic circles with elected officials who continue to regard gun politics as a third rail, at a moment that presents a real opportunity to achieve serious reform, with a policy that enjoys near universal public support.

“At some point you have to draw a line in the sand — for me that time is now,” Lerer told me in an interview. “If candidates or officeholders can’t support something like comprehensive and enforceable background checks, then I wouldn’t think of giving them any money going forward.”

This sort of thing should happen more often. There’s no point in having a party if there’s no party discipline. If these people can’t be bothered to be anything other than Republicans in Democratic clothing, then we should focus on electing people to replace them. I’ve never been a big fan of blue dogs anyway and recent elections have shown that other voters aren’t either. As Harry Truman said, “Given a choice between a fake Republican and a real one, the public will choose the real Republican every time.” You have to be an alternative to the Republican candidate in order to be an alternative to the Republican candidate — you can’t just be the same guy in a different suit.

There have to be a least a few core Democratic values. Sensible gun regulation and standing up to the pro-criminal blood lobby should be one of them.

For law-abiding citizens, I don’t understand what’s so threatening about background checks. It seems a bit hypocritical that the people who oppose this protective measure are also often those who have justified illegal wiretaps and racial profiling in AZ or by TSA because they say “if you’re not a criminal, then it’s not a big deal.” Well, I want to turn it back on these overzealous gun owners - if you’re not a criminal, then what’s the big deal? My husband and I will gladly go through a background check because the check will confirm that we don’t have an unstable mental condition and that we don’t have a criminal record. It’s the least we can do to help make our communities a bit safer.

*schoolmeetlife note: Bohnett has done some great work for student development at UCLA.

mediamattersforamerica: CNN really got it wrong when they tried...

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 13:11:08 -0400

mediamattersforamerica:

CNN really got it wrong when they tried to characterize stimulus spending on high speed rail as a “boondoggle.” Their “investigative” report failed to identify the real obstacles to progress towards interstate high speed rail: Republican obstructionism and decades of neglect in favor of highway spending.

More of this journalism please!