there's no revolution anymore.

[hotvampireadjacent]

[silver-millennial]

[egyptiann]

Casual reminder that the “America is a nation of immigrants” rhetoric 

a) erases Natives and their history 

b) erases African-Americans and the history of the slave trade and 

c) frames European settlers and settlement through a benevolent immigrant perspective instead of a violent colonialist perspective, which is another form of erasure and history revisionism. 

[s-leary]

Fascism Watch, January 24

(@USARedOrchestra tweet)

The Media Failed to Prepare Americans for the Trump Whiplash: “The policy stakes of this election were never adequately conveyed by the political press.”

Trump

Congratulations, America — you did it! An actual fascist is now your official president

Trump signed an executive order resurrecting both the Dakota Access and Keystone XL Pipelines. Trump is still an investor in Energy Transfer Partners, and Rick Perry is still on its board of directors.

Trump dogged by insecurity over popular vote, media coverage

Trump claims that between 3 and 5 million people voted illegally in the presidential election. This is a lie, but Sean Spicer wouldn’t refute it, and Mitch McConnell backed him up, saying, “It does occur. There are always arguments on both sides about how much, how frequent and all the rest.”

The USDA can no longer publish its research any “public-facing documents”

The EPA’s grants have been frozen and its staff can no longer speak to the public. Also today, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality said that Flint’s water system no longer has levels of lead exceeding the federal limit. Since staff can’t speak to the public, we don’t know whether lead levels actually dropped or the limit was quietly changed.

NIH staff have been told to cease communications with the press and Congress. WTF.

Badlands National Park Twitter account goes rogue, starts tweeting scientific facts. Let that headline sink in for a minute. Communicating facts to the public is “going rogue.” The Golden Gate National Park Service and NASA Climate accounts followed suit. A Scientists’ March on Washington is now being organized.

Trump–back to using his personal Twitter account–says he’ll send in feds if Chicago doesn’t fix ‘horrible carnage going on’

Congress

House Science Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) suggests people bypass the media and get their news “directly from the president.”

Senator Ed Markey and Representative Ted Lieu have filed identical bills that would prevent the President from launching a nuclear first strike without a declaration of war by Congress

The Most Dangerous Bill You’ve Never Heard Of Just Passed The House

Last, week, under the cover of a media bliss-out except among Koch funded right-wing channels, the House of Representatives passed a bill which would effectively repeal future standard setting under every important environmental, public health, consumer protection, labor standards, occupational safety and civil rights law on the books.

The bill, called the REINS Act, requires that any future major regulation adopted by an Executive Agency — say a new toxic chemical standard required by the recently enacted Chemical Safety Act, or a new consumer protection rule about some innovative but untested kind of food additive — must be approved by a specific resolution in each House of Congress within 70 days to take effect.

Cruz introduces bill letting states bar refugees

Cabinet & Federal Appointees

“Propaganda minister”: Carl Bernstein slams Kellyanne Conway after she picks a fight with CNN, Anderson Cooper

James Comey is keeping his job as FBI director. Surprise, surprise.

Carson, Chao, and Ross have made it through committee, not surprisingly.

Health Secretary nominee Tom Price proposed bill benefiting his Puerto Rico investments.

Price had no idea that women paid more for health insurance pre-ACA until his hearing today.

Betsy DeVos will not get a second hearing.

Protests

Anti-fascist protester shot by Trump fan during brawl outside Breitbart editor’s speech at the University of Washington

Six journalists covering inauguration protests have been charged with felony rioting

N.C. state lawmaker says shouting at current or former gov’t officials should be punishable by 5 years in prison.

The Minnesota House wants to allow state agencies to sue peaceful protesters for police overtime costs.

Other Fascist Nonsense

At GOP leaders’ urging, Texas Supreme Court will consider undoing gay spousal rights

The Public School and Employee Retirement Systems of Missouri has more than $118 million worth of investments in Russian companies

Good News

The Arizona bill banning classes on social justice is dead

Corrections

Yesterday, I’d said that both Tillerson and Pompeo were confirmed, but Tillerson merely cleared the committee vote and still faces a floor vote.

[teratomarty]

All the links from the White House website are gone, but the Affordable Care Act is still in effect, and you can sign up for health insurance until January 31.

Trump and his cronies may want to kill it, but that takes time (especially now that key players are waffling and the insurance industry have noticed that it will rain chaos down upon them). So sign yourself up. Get in a free checkup, a round of antibiotics, a birth control implant, while you have the chance.

If anyone needs help applying, ping me.

Todavía puede inscribirle en Obamacare. Si necesita auyuda, pídame.

[teratomarty]

Would you all mind boosting this? I don’t usually ask, but Obamacare is a big deal for me. I haven’t had to dose anyone with veterinary antibiotics in years, and I really want to keep it that way.

[vaspider]

Please signal boost this, friends.

[exceedinglyemily-blog-deactivat]

“This bill repeals the United Nations Participation Act of 1945 and other specified related laws.

The bill requires: (1) the President to terminate U.S. membership in the United Nations (U.N.), including any organ, specialized agency, commission, or other formally affiliated body; and (2) closure of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.”

This isn’t the first time this has been proposed; Ron Paul put forward a bill in 2009, and Rand Paul wanted to do the same in 2015. But both of those times saw either a Democratic-majority Congress or a sitting Democratic president, and both of those times came when 8/10 Americans favored the U.S.’s participation in the U.N.

With a Republican-majority Congress, a Republican president, a wave of nationalism, and the new precedent of Brexit, this bill has more of a chance than previous attempts.

The U.S. is one of five members of the U.N. Security Council with veto power, along with China, France, Russia, and the U.K. We use our veto power more than any other country, save Russia, on the council. (Russia has used their last two vetoes to: (1) veto the resolution demanding an end for the bombing of Aleppo; and (2) veto a resolution to set up a criminal tribunal to investigate the MH17 air disaster in Ukraine.)

U.N. missions prevent specific countries from stepping into environments or conflicts that are a danger to the world’s safety. The U.N.’s peacekeeping force can go places and do things to attempt to uphold peace that the U.S. or another individual country is incapable of doing. The U.N. can also use sanctions as a non-violent deterrent or reprimand, as well as help monitor nuclear programs and combat terrorism. The World Health Organization and UNESCO provide public safety, cultural awareness, and health services worldwide that aim to better the world as a whole.

Trump’s inaugural address explicitly laid out an isolationist view of our nation that’s contradicted years of precedent, years in which the U.S. (at least publicly) believed that a safer, healthier, more prosperous world was to the benefit of us all. Instead we’re now facing the prospect of a world where we will not–and perhaps will not be able to–respond, in words or in actions, to international health or ethics crises. We will leave Russian and Chinese economic and military influences basically unchecked, particularly if Marine le Pen takes power in France.

It may sound out there. It may sound unlikely, or silly, or ridiculous. But so did Brexit. And so did Trump.

Call your representative today, and on Monday, and the days after.

[protestification]

ivei got new glasses this past saturday, which proceeded to break on monday, then i woke up tuesday morning to a $105 parking ticket, then wednesday morning there was a flash flood that fucked up my car. i spent the morning thinking it was totaled, figured out it only really got into the floorboards, and i had to get it towed to the mechanic so they could replace the floorboards and the various fluids in the car. expensive, i figure maybe around 5-600, but my mom will probably cover the costs until i can pay her back, but i still owe her from when i had to get my tires replaced and wasn’t working because of the holiday season (i work at my high school, so no school means no work). i found out yesterday that my car isn’t turning on, and there may be something in the console near the floor that got wet and needs replacing, i have no idea how much thats gonna cost but i cant imagine itll be cheap. 

i thought the school was gonna give me full-time since i am not going back to college this semester but that’s not happening. i was actually gonna go out job hunting to fill out the morning hours on wednesday morning until my car got fucked. i am trying to move out in march with two roommates since my mom is gonna cancel the lease on this apartment and move into a one bedroom by herself. i need around $900 for that, probably. there’s a chance my car is fucked and it’s real hard to do much of anything in houston without a car. idk. this isn’t even all of it. i feel very hopeless and like everything is falling apart. all the things i had to look forward to after the shit show of last year and especially last semester don’t seem to be working out. idk. i don’t feel good at all. thanks for letting me vent.

[protestification]

literally everything is going wrong and i feel so hopeless 

[contron]

But ridiculous song title length aside, Contron is a short, sweet debut album of sad, lo-fi tunes in the vein of Teen Suicide and Crywank. Contron is amateur-ish only in its production. The songwriting and melodies are tight, and strangely reminiscent of poppier twee acts, such as Belle and Sebastian. Contron’s lyrics have that mix of sadness, nostalgia, and just a faint bit of hope that would be welcomed in the world of indie pop. It wouldn’t be unlikely to hear Stuart Murdoch udder a line like “Thank god for those people you’ll always love in some sad, strange way.” I can hear him belting it out over a sea of stringed orchestral instruments now. But the album’s lo-fi production aids in making the music sound somehow more familiar, more personal, rather than detracting from the overall quality of the release. But what’s the kicker? Why listen to this one particular sad, lo-fi bedroom-indie-folk-twee-pop-whatever album and not the hundreds of others just like it on Bandcamp right now? Well, I’d say it’s because I’ve always found that the best music is the most relatable, and the most relatable music is the saddest, and the saddest music is the most comforting. And Contron is comforting as hell. contron’s ability to build a satisfying and complete song that is either all verse or all bridge isn’t unique per se, but the fact that he has pulled it off rather flawlessly on multiple occasions on just about every one of his releases is proof that he has honed the most essential aspects of this short and not-so-sweet style.

funeral sounds blog

benzo’d out goin thru old review n gettin in my feels

it’s a bit of a struggle rn but it always lifts my spirit to see this stuff n know people fuck wit something i do

luv yall

(via contron)

dang RIP funeral sounds blog glad ppl still appreciate it

[funeralsounds]

Detroit's Mover Shaker defines their debut LP, Michigania, as "an exploration of Midwest space and time." Every possibility of that quotation is laid out on the 10-track record, premiering below, from the equal footing of vocalists Jack Parsons and...

Mover Shaker’s new album ‘Michigania’ is now streaming in full on Modern Vinyl! album releases tomorrow, December 9th, via us digitally and on cassette!

cassettes are almost sold out, grab one while you can! http://capitalism.funeralsounds.com/products/581700-mover-shaker-michigania

[riseofthecommonwoodpile-deactiv]

one of the main problems with the idea that the best way to defeat fascism is to respectfully show why it’s wrong and let people see that it’s wrong or whatever is that you cannot win in a debate with a fascist. a fascist will win every debate you let them into, because they have absolutely no responsibility to tell the truth, and no reason to. you feel like you have a responsibility to not lie, but the fascist does not. no matter how witty or smart or well-informed you are, you have ethical principles, while the fascist has none, and the less principled party can do whatever they want while you have to operate under the rules of debate, which invariably means you will lose.

[protestification]

so i have a crush on someone and that’s weird bc i haven’t had a crush in a while and it’s also weird bc i am dating someone and have been dating someone for a year and a half and i have been thinking about polyamory for the past year or so and i just Dont Know what to do about it all yk

[zanabism-deactivated20200529]

Chelsea Manning, the whistle blower responsible for providing classified material to WikiLeaks–including the captured video of U.S drone strikes purposely targeting Reuters journalist Saeed Chmagh, Namir Nool-Eldeen and several other civilian targets–has served 6 years of her 35 year prison sentence in military jail. this is more than any whistle blower in american history has ever served. she faced solitary confinement for one full year prior to her trial and has been returned to solitary confinement after attempting suicide. As a trans woman, Manning faced further persecution when seeking proper healthcare and treatment and was forced to protest in hunger strike in order to seek transition surgery.

Chelsea Manning courageously declined a plea deal during her trial, stood by her actions, and accepted the full sentence when it was announced to her. Manning is a hero who undertook an immense personal cost to bring crimes committed by American military to public attention. During a time of uncertainty, speculation and overlooked concerns, Manning substantiated the claims of Iraqi and Afghan civilians with irrefutable proof. 

She is a hero who deserves a full and unconditional pardon from Barack Obama, but is only asking for release with time served for her 35 year prison sentence. 

You can read the formal commutation application sent to Barack Obama here 

You can donate to Chelsea Manning’s cause here 

You can sign Amnesty International’s petition to seek clemency for Chelsea Manning here. 

Chelsea Manning is a hero. She deserves freedom and safety and to live the life she is entitled to. 

[ohbrae-deactivated20170317]

Y'all gotta realize that some of us are weary because of the direct violence that comes with this presidency. Sure he can’t do x,y,z, but that’s not going to stop his supporters from harassing, murdering and discriminating against minorities. His election has given them the thumbs up to be openly prejudiced at a greater amplitude. The direct threat comes from his supporters, and that’s what’s terrifying. These people are all around us in positions of power and education. Their confidence in their bigotry has been restored and multiplied and that is extremely worrisome.

[honeyrococo]

[ch-cago]

In 2014, my mom, Stacey, was diagnosed with cancer of the kidney. She already battled with her respiratory, joint, and circulatory health, and the diagnosis was a crushing blow to my family’s financial stability. Due to her chronic health issues, she had no choice but to quit a job that required a 4-hour daily commute. My mom is a single parent, and thus the only one bringing in any income to support her two kids, and her mother. Her unemployment just ran out and my brother’s father is refusing to pay child support, and so she now has no income. The cherry on top? She was recently diagnosed with a heart condition and a badly broken leg. Currently, my family is facing eviction. Since there is no income, they have no means to pay rent. My mom is battling in court to get the child support that she’s due, but even this can’t cover my family’s rent and utility expenses. My mom is desperately seeking a job despite her fragile health, but because she lives in the [literal] desert Palm Springs, she’s struggling to find any kind of employment, especially employment that indiscriminately considers physical disabilities in their practices. So what do we need from you? We need to raise a daunting $10,000. My family needs to pay court fees for fighting their eviction, as well as obtain the means to pay for first and last month’s rent and a security deposit at a new place. This is all just on top of nightmarish medical expenses. We don’t have a lot of time – we have until the end of the month to get enough money together to move, making the urgency of this situation extreme. We have NO family to reach out to – No aunts, uncles, or cousins. Literally no one, making this my last and only hope. You might still be wondering why you should help, especially if you don’t know my family or my mom. I can’t offer many skills or services, but I can offer some morsel of an exchange for your help. I can teach and tutor English, music, psychology, and undergraduate-level liberal arts subjects. I can babysit anyone in the Chicago area, or walk your dogs. I can teach you to use technology and I can build you templates for websites. The fact of the matter is that I can’t now, nor will I ever necessarily be able to pay you back in dollars. But my family deserves your help. My mom has put others first for her entire life. She has always been there in others’ times of need. If I’m being blunt, my mom’s survival depends entirely on your help. We have no health insurance, and ten lifetime’s worth of medical debt with no foreseeable relief. Your help will secure my family a home somewhere with a better job climate, making it possible for my family to rebuild. I’m not asking anyone to drop $10,000 out of pocket. Even $20 makes all the difference. LITERALLY every penny helps. If all you can do is share, even that will sponsor progress. Please, I don’t have anymore swaying words. We need your help.

[protestification]

i feel like i’m experiencing a tragedy

[protestification]

damn i wanna die again lol