[Content Note: War; terrorism] Goddamn: "Internal administration deliberations over a response to Isis continue, and US officials predicted that there would be little departure from the strategy of limited airstrikes launched since 8 August. One said the military plan 'may ultimately evolve'. ...Army general Martin Dempsey, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, told reporters in a Pentagon briefing that while Isis would eventually have to be defeated, the US should concentrate on building allies in the region to oppose the group that murdered an American journalist, James Foley. 'It is possible to contain them,' Dempsey said, in a Pentagon press conference alongside the defence secretary, Chuck Hagel. 'They can be contained, but not in perpetuity. This is an organisation that has an apocalyptic, end-of-days strategic vision which will eventually have to be defeated.'" I know it's the height of gauche to say this, but fuck George W. Bush and his entire administration and the architects of the Iraq War, which created the chaos in which this is happening.
[CN: Racism] Republican Iowa Representative Steve King continues to be a reprehensible shitlord, calling Rev. Jesse Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton "race hustlers," accusing the Congressional Black Caucus of " always looking to play the race card," and saying, without a trace of irony, "our culture and civilization was built on a number of things but it was certainly built on reason and our ability to reason," in order to call what's happening in Ferguson "irrational."
[CN: Natural disaster] Major landslides caused by the collapse of mountainsides on the outskirts of Hiroshima, Japan, have necessitated the evacuation of more than 4,000 people from their homes. "The confirmed death toll on Friday stood at 39 but the number of missing was raised to 52, having risen steadily over the last two days from initial single figures." Fuck.
[CN: Misogyny] Of course: Men who request flexible work schedules for childcare are more likely to get it than women. "Whereas men are rewarded at work for trying to help out at home, women continue to be penalized. The reason? Entrenched gender stereotypes. People continue to believe that men will meet their obligations at work—because they are men. In other words, according to Dr. Munsch, 'We think, What a great guy.'"
[CN: Transphobia] Despite promises to support Pfc. Chelsea Manning in her transition, the military is failing to deliver. "For example, in my daily life, I am reminded of this when I look at the name on my badge, the first initial sewed into my clothing, the hair and grooming standards that I adhere to, and the titles and courtesies used by the staff. Ultimately, I just want to be able to live my life as the person that I am, and to be able to feel comfortable in my own skin."
[CN: Misogyny] Fark says it's going to stop tolerating misogyny in its forums. Well, I hope they're serious about it, and I am already annoyed by the cookies they're getting for doing what should be considered a basic bit of decency.
An interdisciplinary team of researchers at Arizona State University have discovered "the genetic 'recipe' for lizard tail regeneration," which may aid in the development of "ways to stimulate the regeneration of limbs in humans" as well as "new therapeutic approaches to spinal cord injuries, repairing birth defects, and treating diseases such as arthritis." Neat!
A team of scientists from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan have detected traces of one the universe's first stars. Wow.
And finally! Hank Aaron meets Hank the Dog: "Hank the Dog was a stray when the Brewers found him at their training camp in Arizona this past February. The team then adopted him as their new mascot—complete with a jersey bearing his own special number, 'K9'—and gave him a new home with the team's general counsel Marti Wronski. The Brewers also donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of Hank-related merchandise to the Wisconsin Humane Society, and they have held other events with him to promote rescue-pet adoption. And of course, right from the moment he first arrived at the Brewers camp, the staff and players there named him in honor of Milwaukee's greatest sports legend."
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