In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

[Content Note: Misogynist terrorism] Shanley Kane, a tech culture critic who is founder and CEO of the terrific site Model View Culture, recently made some criticisms of the Linux community, and, in an all too familiar pattern, has now become the target of vicious retaliation. Her statement on what has been happening is here. We stand in solidarity with Shanley.

[CN: Class warfare] Charles M. Blow has a terrific piece on "How Expensive It Is to Be Poor." This is a good one for bookmarking, when you need a quick rejoinder to bullshit about how easy lazy government moochers have it.

[CN: Rape culture; descriptions of sexual assault; violent victim-blaming] Woven throughout this story about female survivors of sexual violence in Nepal increasingly raising their voices for justice, despite strong cultural disincentives, is the personal story of a remarkable 17-year-old girl named Pooja Bohara, who is taking her case all the way to the nation's Supreme Court. "The incident has totally affected my life. It was a turning point in my life. I want to study law and become a judge so I can seek justice for victims like myself." Blub.

[CN: Racism; class warfare] Goddammit: "For four years, civil rights advocates have struggled to keep the Supreme Court from eliminating a key prong of federal fair housing law. This year, their luck is probably going to run out. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. The Inclusive Communities Project, a case that could leave many victims of housing discrimination unable to win their case in court. Based on the justices' unusual eagerness to hear the issue presented by Inclusive Communities, their decision is likely to end badly for civil rights." Fuck fuck fuck.

[CN: War on agency] Katie Klabusich calls blue-staters to action in the fight against legislation that erodes abortion access. "And for those of us in progressives areas, our rallying cry must not simply be, 'Please don't let those restrictions creep across our state's border!' It's not just unconscionable for us blue-staters to breathe sighs of relief, confident that our access to safe, legal abortion care will hold as we watch it crumble for our neighbors in red and purple states; blue state access has been slowly and quietly eroded as well. If you've been one of those people waiting for restrictions to affect you before engaging, consider this your call to enlist: Your state is not safe, and your rights are not guaranteed."

[CN: Sexual assault; rape jokes] Samantha Allen discusses the concept of separating art from the artist and recalls that Woody Allen used to joke about his ex-wife being sexually assaulted.

Something about ballsport cheating? Under-inflated footballs.

Wowwwwwww: "Scientists at the University of Rochester have created a metal that is so extremely hydrophobic that the water bounces on it as if it were repelled by a magic force field. ...The applications can be revolutionary: From the construction of airplane surfaces—which will avoid water freezing of the fuselage—to non-stick pans to phones to computers to TVs to cars to whatever you can imagine made of metal."

And finally! Here is a sweet story about a man who rescued a dog from the side of the road, and ended up adopting her. A happy ending!