Sometimes I think my muse, my inspiration has vanished…yet somehow tidbits emerge which I hope will inspire you to commentary. I just finished with being disconnected since the modem Comcast provided me could not handle software they rolled out just as I was cross posting yesterday's post to Care2 so am trying hard to catch up on communication, et al!
Transgender Day of Remembrance was last week:
As 2015 Sees A Record Number Of Documented Transgender Murders, A Glimmer Of Hope
http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2015/11/20/3724165/trans-day-of-remembrance-police-reporting/
Sure wish we had better data on hate crimes—do you think there a glimmer of hope though?
How did I miss it when demographers raised the top for their definition of middle class?
Pew used what I knew and now the twilight zone and:
Hillary Clinton's Strange Definition of "Middle Class"
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/11/hillary-clinton-middle-class
What world is she in if not ours?
Since we’re taking mega-moolah, how about this type of making money:
How Prison Reform Could Turn the Prison-Industrial Complex Into the Treatment-Industrial Complex
The private prison industry is exploiting prison reform efforts by shifting from brick-and-mortar carceral facilities to outsourced social services.
Would this be an improvement if it happens?
I find I learn from hearing things from different perspectives so I share a comedian who is probably new to you:
“Azhar Usman performs polished standup at the Muslim Funny Fest 2015 at Comic Strip Live in NYC. Tackling a hacky premise–Muslims in airports–he manages to make it fresh and insightful.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=httoVsQYiAo
7 Responses to “Terse Tuesday Tidbits November 24, 2015”
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Nicely done. What middle class? We have the 1%, the struggling class, and dirt poor.
In my volunteer work, I have seen that, given the opportuniry, many prisoners will work their butt off to cvhange.
Thanks-cross posted to Care2 at:
http://www.care2.com/news/member/663679641/3930108
and will fix the disappeared linkl
Transgender – There is always underreporting when something starts getting recorded – and sometimes it persists long after the start of recordkeeping. Look at all the people who still think sexual abuse of children is increasing when in fact it's only the reporting that is (still) increasing. I also suspect resistance to accurate reporting due to not wanting to admit a problem exists. These are growing pains. I would say this is about as hopeful as it can get at this point.
Middle class – Well, apparently that quarter-mil figure goes back to Bill. And there was quite a lot of noise about it a couple of years ago. Sorry you missed it – I now can't remember exactly when it was. I suppose if all earnings had kept pace with inflation it might be reasonable. I agree it isn't as things stand.
TIC – I couldn't find the link – is this it? The short answer is "No." As long as privately owned "enterprise" is allowed to handle any public function – any finction that rightly belongs to government – the result will be greater costs for smaller benefit. And if anyone thinks it might be harder to turn something medical into junk, just look at the cockamamie stuff coming from "authorities" on TV who seem to think they know what they are talking about.
Azhar – "This is probably not the disguise I would choose." Well, no kidding. Our interpretation of what we see tends to leavi something to be desired. Quite a lot, actually.
Sadly 21 new names were added to the list of those killed this year.
Think Progress: I sincerely hope there is some progress. Too many trans gender people are harmed physically and emotionally by people who don't understand or even try to understand.
Motherjones: I want to be in Clinton's middle class!
The Nation: Prison reform is long over due, and turning it into another shil for privatization is no solution. CCA operated a prison near here several years ago. There were constant problems at the prison involving prisoner abuse.
Youtube: Thanks for that perspective.
Nice smorgasbord of tidbits, Judy. Thanks.
Transgender: Hate is in the air and it's rising everywhere. Free-floating anxiety is carefully channeled into hate and attached to anything "different", LGBT people, refugees, socialists, libruls, that quirky neighbor…and transgender people are so easily identified and harassed, attacked, sexually assaulted (yes, that happens a lot too) or murdered. And let's not forget their high suicide attempts (up to 41% attempt suicide against 4.6% overall in the USA), not because they regret their life-style choice as Republicans maintain, but out of despair.
No, I don't think it's going to get better soon, not with so many countries turning back the clock. Yesterday I read an article from a correspondent in Israel on the case that is before the highest courts. A 31-year old transgender woman has taken her life this week, but not before going to a lawyer to put in her will she wanted to be cremated, knowing her mother, who still spoke of her son after so many years, wanted to eradicate her identity and gender by giving her a traditional Jewish burial. The mother indeed tried it but was rebuked by a lower court. The mother has now taken it to the High Courts, which are extremely religious biased and the fear is that its ruling will endanger the self-determination of transgender people in Israel.
Hillary's Middle Class: The Dutch call this a clear case of saving the cabbage and the goat; Hillary wants to keep both sides happy so she doubles the top income of the middle class to give a portion of the 10% a exemption from this higher new tax. Halfhearted and has been tried before: typical Hillary Clinton.
Prison Reform: That's not reform, that's just having the terrible prison industry expanding it's exploitation beyond the prison walls, and doing more of not doing anything to rehabilitate prisoners. They're not doing it prison and they will certainly not do anything more than rake up the money and make life miserable for ex-prisoners. If anything this "reform" will make it all worse.
Thanks for Azhar Usman, he's very funny and very good at making light of his own experiences. Humor is the best way to counter hate.
Thanks Lona. I agree about the value of humor in countering hate.