In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

[Content Note: Terrorism; war] ISIS has released a new high-production video "in which the terrorist group appears to threaten U.S. troops and the White House. The 42-second spot—complete with gun battles, explosions and footage of President Obama—is called 'Flames of War.' At the end of the clip, the words 'fighting has just begun' shows up and is followed by 'coming soon.' ...The latest video was released just hours after Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testified in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday and acknowledged that sending ground troops into Iraq isn't out of the question."

[CN: Police brutality; racism] Officer Darren Wilson, the Ferguson police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown, still has not been arrested. Protestors continue to demand his arrest.

[CN: War on agency] Jeffrey Toobin on "The Disappearing 'Undue Burden' Standard for Abortion Rights." Fuck.

[CN: Death penalty; abuse; neglect; sexual assault; misogynoir] Texas is set to execute Lisa Coleman, who was convicted of kidnapping and murder for the death of nine-year-old Davontae Williams. It was a horrible death, from abuse and neglect, and Coleman deserves to be in prison. But to secure the death penalty, the murder charge was aggravated by a kidnapping charge, using a very unusual interpretation of the kidnapping statute. Further, Coleman is bipolar and a survivor of extensive abuse herself. Coleman's partner and Davontae's mother, Marcella Williams, pleaded guilty and was given a life sentence. John Stickels, one of Coleman's attorneys, says: "The state singled Lisa out and figured some way to get her the death penalty because she was black, a lesbian, and an easy target...it was a slam dunk. The facts of the case were horrible. We are not asking for her to be released, we are just asking the state to be fair and follow the law." End the death penalty now.

Something something Scotland? JUST KIDDING. Suffice it to say, this has been discussed A LOT at Shakes Manor.

Awesome: "The Woman Who Created the Bechdel Test Is Officially a Genius." My friend (and Shaker) masculine_lady said of this year's fellows (a complete list of whom is here): "The MacArthur Genius Class of 2014 is full of lesbians (& perhaps other varieties of queer too), feminists and advocates for racial, gender and economic justice! Social justice work is the work of geniuses!" Right on. (Quoted with permission.)

This is a really remarkable time-lapse video of a South Korean digital artist known as Stonehouse "live painting" a woman from birth to death. Absolutely extraordinary.

Do you need some underwater puppies? Here are some underwater puppies.

And finally: I was just watching this video of a baby and a husky having an important conversation, and it made Zelly jump up from a deep sleep and fart so loudly it scared Sophie, who went leaping off my desk like a bat out of hell. Quite the commotion, lol!