In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

[Content Note: Racism; death] Franchesca Ramsey, aka chescaleigh, reflects upon the Ferguson grand jury decision and black lives mattering in a very good and very sad video: "To Mike Brown on My 31st Birthday." H/T to Shaker aforalpha.

[CN: Racism; police brutality] The St. Louis Police Officers Association is pissed off because five St. Louis Rams players—Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey, Chris Givens, Kenny Britt, and Jared Cook, all of whom are black men—walked onto the field Sunday "during pre-game introductions with their hands raised above their heads in the 'Hands Up, Don't Shoot' pose that has become a fixture of the protests that followed the police killing of teenager Michael Brown in August. ...Now, the St. Louis Police Officers Association wants the NFL to take action against the players, saying in a statement that it was 'profoundly disappointed with the members of the St. Louis Rams football team who chose to ignore the mountains of evidence released from the St. Louis County Grand Jury this week and engage in a display that police officers around the nation found tasteless, offensive. and inflammatory.'" Shut the fuck up. Just shut. the fuck. up.

[CN: Misogynist terrorism; violence; death] RIP Tuğçe Albayrak: "Thousands of German citizens are mourning a 23-year-old student who was murdered for sticking up for two teenage girls getting sexually harassed by a group of men. ...Earlier this month, Tuğçe Albayrak heard the screams of two girls being harassed in a McDonald's bathroom in the city of Offenbach. She confronted their attackers, allowing the teens to escape the situation. But later, in the parking lot of the fast food restaurant, the same men attacked her and allegedly beat her with a baseball bat—an assault that was captured on grainy video footage. Albayrak suffered a traumatic brain injury from the blows to her head, and has been in a coma for the past two weeks. After doctors told her parents that she would never recover from her injuries, they chose to take her off of life support on Friday. It was her 23rd birthday." Sob.

[CN: Sexual assault; rape culture] Jian Ghomeshi, who was arrested and charged last Wednesday with with four counts of sexual assault and one count for choking, is intending to plead not guilty, according to his attorney. In other news: "Certain CBC managers were aware back in June of allegations of 'assault'—including punching and choking—involving a 'series of women' by [Ghomeshi]. ...Chris Boyce, the head of CBC Radio and a central figure in the story, said 'in hindsight' it is a 'good question' whether CBC should have gone to the police at that time." It shouldn't be a "question" at all. For fuck's sake.

I loved First Daughters Sasha's and Malia's total contempt for the hokey White House Thanksgiving Turkey pardon SO MUCH. I laughed for fully one million years.

[CN: Racism; slut-shaming] Someone who DID NOT agree with me is this asshole Republican staffer, who has now resigned. Buh-bye!

Finland has legalized same-sex marriage. Huzzah! Finnish same-sex couples "have been able to enter into registered partnerships since 2002, but until now the country was the only in the Nordic region not to allow same-sex marriage. Finland is now the 12th European state to do so. ...The measure will end the distinction in Finland between same-sex unions and heterosexual marriages and give such couples equal rights to adopt children and share a surname."

[CN: Racism] Because OF COURSE a bunch of racist dipshits objected to a black Stormtrooper in the new teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, John Boyega, the actor cast in the role, responded thus: "To whom it may concern ... Get used to it. :)" Perfect.

Do you love Girl Scout cookies? Well then you might be excited to hear that Girl Scouts will now be able to sell their cookies online!

And finally! Dogs understand human language in ways we never expected. Well, I mean, we kind of expected it. At least those of us who can't say words like "walk" or "out" or "food" in any context at all ever without our dogs suddenly materializing at our sides with expectant looks on their adorable faces.