This is where Tom rants

[myjetpack]

My latest cartoon for @GuardianBooks.

[neil-gaiman]

This is what will happen when I die if I am good.

[saywhat-politics]

Texas governor pardons ex-Army sergeant convicted of killing Black Lives Matter protester

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has issued a full pardon to a former U.S. Army sergeant convicted of murder for fatally shooting an armed demonstrato

BY  JIM VERTUNOUpdated 1:41 PM MST, May 16, 2024Share

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a full pardon Thursday for a former U.S. Army sergeant convicted of murder for fatally shooting an armed demonstrator in 2020 during nationwide protests against police violence and racial injustice.

Abbott announced the pardon just a few minutes after the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles announced that it unanimously recommended that Daniel Perry be pardoned and have his firerams rights restored. Perry has been held in state prison on a 25-year sentence since his conviction in 2023 in the killing of Garrett Foster.

Abbott, a Republican, had previously previously ordered the board to review Perry’s case and said he would sign a pardon if recommended. Under Texas law, the governor cannot issue a pardon without a recommendation from the board, which the governor appoints.

[wilwheaton]

The guy the little piss baby pardoned is the white guy who drove past a BLM protest, turned around and went back, got out of his car, and murdered a Black man who was legally carrying a rifle as you do in Texas. He claimed he felt threatened, and the jury was like hey you're a racist and a murderer so go to jail for at least 25 years and no more guns for you. Piss Baby Abbot gave him a full pardon and he gets all his guns back. The message Piss Baby wants to deliver is that white people can murder Black people in Texas and it's fine, no worries. And he's not wrong, which is sickening.

[drinkyourjuiceshelby]

Scalped and beheaded multiple times

[mini-wrants]

“If a woman is an analogy to you, you’re not ready to be talking to a woman” omg you’re so right bestie

[imgoingtodeactivatethisblogsoon]

Queen.

[geographically-challenged-deact]

.☝🏻☝🏻

[thomasmasterson]

amazing

[neil-gaiman]

How to prevent Netflix from cancelling Dead boy detectives? I'm already attached to this series, it will be a pity if another good show just gonna be cancelled after first season

Tell everyone you know, in real life and online, to watch it. Word of mouth is incredibly effective. Be an evangelist for the show.

[dbdhypetrain]

[ralfmaximus]

Cancer Vaccine Triggers Fierce Immune Response to Fight Malignant Brain Tumors in Human Patients

In the first human trial, an mRNA cancer vaccine at the University of Florida triggered immune systems to fiercely attack glioblastoma.

The discovery represents a potential new way to recruit the immune system to fight treatment-resistant cancers using an iteration of mRNA technology and lipid nanoparticles, similar to COVID-19 vaccines, but with two key differences: use of a patient’s own tumor cells to create a personalized vaccine, and a newly engineered complex delivery mechanism within the vaccine.

Within 48 hours, the four human study participants showed remarkable results: their immune systems went into turbo cancer-destroying mode. And without surgery, radiation, or dangerous chemotherapy.

Folks, we may have a cure for cancer within your lifetime.

[dduane]

May it perform as (so far) advertised.

[always-coffee]

Holy shit. This would be incredible.

[thomasmasterson]

It certainly would.

[seance]

DEAD BOY DETECTIVES + the onion headlines

[wilwheaton]

(via Cartoon: Life in a dystopian satire)

[blackchildrensbooksandauthors]

Born On This Day…

April 4, 1928: Maya Angelou: Poet, Author, Activist: 

“Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” 

Books:

Poetry for Young People: Maya Angelou - Dr. Edwin Graves Wilson Ph.D. (Editor), Jerome Lagarrigue (Illustrator)  

Kofi and His Magic - Maya Angelou, Margaret Courtney-Clarke (Illustrator)  

My Painted House, My Friendly Chicken, and Me - Maya Angelou, Margaret Courtney-Clarke (Illustrator)  

Life Doesn’t Frighten Me - Maya Angelou, Paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat 

Find more children’s and young adult books by Black authors here 

<> Follow BCBA on Twitter <> Subscribe to Our Newsletter <>

[thomasmasterson]

Trump's odd softness toward his greatest rival by digby

I’ve felt for a while that Russia must have something on Trump. Seems like less of a conspiracy theory now.

[highreevecain-deactivated202502]

Do not ever think we can wait out a Trump presidency. The time to act is now.

[thomasmasterson]

Already a movement to register as a muslim afoot.

[biscuitsarenice]

From Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali on Parkinson, 1971

[x]

[coalashchronicles]

The time to speak out about coal ash in North Carolina is now.

[becausebirds]

[becausebirds]

NHL webcam gets a surprise guest.

[thomasmasterson]

I think he’s saying “Nevermore!”

[alwaysbewoke]

for real. reading the history of the laws (the many laws) written to keep blacks away from anything empowering is quite dizzying and housing discrimination was a big one. laws keeping and taking land from blacks go way back (for example) and as society progressed, it morphed to fit the times. nowadays it’s housing discrimination and it’s rampant. 

[random-alias-deactivated2016020]

Shonda Rhimes needs to make a show for Black kids and let him star.

[vivaillajams]

How ironic. I was just talking about this.

This shit is serious. Gentrification is an issue. Housing discrimination is real. 

[amyleona-blog]

True stories: -A Black family moving into a suburban neighborhood actually would lower the prices of homes. Because all the White people would try to move out as soon as possible. -If the new suburb was next to a non-White neighborhood, a fence could be put up “for safety” to instantly raise property values. -Have you heard the term redline/-ing? It refers to the practice of corporations color coding a region and not investing in or refusing service to those from certain (red) areas. These were usually poor Black neighborhoods. This included refusing those in redlined areas access to jobs, loans, medical care, etc. -Many older developments that were predominately home to poor PoC were destroyed with the promise of a new development or a suburb. This almost never happened and left the country with a shortage of affordable housing that still exists today. -“Between 1934 and 1962, the federal government backed $120 billion of home loans. More than 98% went to whites. Of the 350,000 new homes built with federal support in northern California between 1946 and 1960, fewer than 100 went to African Americans.” http://newsreel.org/guides/race/whiteadv.htm

White people whose family has owned homes since the mid 20th century: The financial success and safety of our families and ourselves is completely based on racism. Never forget that.

Read more: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institutional_discrimination_in_the_United_States_housing_market http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redlining http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Housing_Administration http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelley_v._Kramer http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Housing_Act

[celestials7ut]

of course this is real, how tf you think we ended up with ‘barrios’ and ‘ghettos’?

[gingerbronson]

[rgiusjhdfngviefn-deactivated201]

woah

[dreaming-and-seeking]

THIS.

[mandaks]

THIS

[prardise]

Wow

[premium-xo-deactivated20170513]

It’s sad from this poster, we know exactly what happened.

[z4zen-deactivated20141005]

this makes me so angry

[rationallyparanoid]

Whenever I hear people defending rapists by making excuses such as 'they lead them on' or 'did you see what they were wearing' I casually interrupt them and ask if 'my six-year-old-self was asking for it by simply wearing a uniform to school?'. IT. SHUTS. THEM. UP. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

[lanaisqueen]

THIS MADE ME TEAR UP FOR REAL OMG WOW

[henrywillsetyouonfire]

This makes me really fucking angry

[natasha-romvnoff]

I set this queued for after the hate died down

[durnedscribblingwoman]

And this, incidentally, is why teaching boys and girls that it’s a girl’s responsibility to somehow dress in a way that doesn’t ‘distract’ boys at school, because boys are poor helpless slaves to their hormones who can’t possibly be expected to control their primal lusts, IS A FUCKING PILE OF SHIT.

[thomasmasterson]

If you haven't expressed your opinion yet, time's running out!

[kny111]

South African Superheroes - ‘Kwezi’ The New Comic Book From Artist Loyiso Mkize

Check out ‘Kwezi’, the new comic book series which is getting rave reviews over in South Africa and and now world wide. Created by acclaimed artist Loyiso Mkize, the series is centered on 19 year old Kwezi, a typical South African youngster - immersed in popular youth culture - who develops a connection with his traditional roots,. Mkize says, “It is the journey of a young man. He starts off as an arrogant, opinionated anti-hero who discovers and appreciates his superpowers … the cultural aspect brings him back to his roots.”