#the country between us

[book51ut]

Review of The Country Between Us by Carolyn Forché

Carolyn Forché was a poetry professor of mine during college and I saw this book of hers at a bookstore and decided to get it. I knew she was a renown poet but i wasn’t super familiar with her work. And wow, how beautiful her work is. I feel almost silly that i took a class with her years ago not appreciating that I was in the classroom of a true artist. it’s also so interesting to see how people change as they age. Her disposition today doesn’t match the disposition of someone who would write these poems. Anyway, the writing is excellent. She writes and the words come alive on the page. They breathe and move in ways i’ve never imagined words could move. Her writing of her time in El Salvador is a wonderful eulogy to many of the people who suffered from violence in the late 1970s. It is also a wake-up call to those sitting and reading from their living rooms. There are things that we will never be able to comprehend, violence that is so far beyond our understanding of human nature. It is a warning to us, to not believe what our news is telling us, because the story is much more human. I’m going to read her memoir at some point but I just bought 10 books and start law school in three weeks so it’ll probably be awhile.

[halorvic]

The danger is clear and present: COVID isn’t merely a respiratory illness; it’s a multi-dimensional threat impacting brain function, attacking almost all of the body’s organs, producing elevated risks of all kinds, and weakening our ability to fight off other diseases. Reinfections are thought to produce cumulative risks, and Long COVID is on the rise. Unfortunately, Long COVID is now being considered a long-term chronic illness — something many people will never fully recover from. Dr. Phillip Alvelda, a former program manager in DARPA’s Biological Technologies Office that pioneered the synthetic biology industry and the development of mRNA vaccine technology, is the founder of Medio Labs, a COVID diagnostic testing company. He has stepped forward as a strong critic of government COVID management, accusing health agencies of inadequacy and even deception. Alvelda is pushing for accountability and immediate action to tackle Long COVID and fend off future pandemics with stronger public health strategies. Contrary to public belief, he warns, COVID is not like the flu. New variants evolve much faster, making annual shots inadequate. He believes that if things continue as they are, with new COVID variants emerging and reinfections happening rapidly, the majority of Americans may eventually grapple with some form of Long COVID. Let’s repeat that: At the current rate of infection, most Americans may get Long COVID.

[...]

LP: A recent JAMA study found that US adults with Long COVID are more prone to depression and anxiety – and they’re struggling to afford treatment. Given the virus’s impact on the brain, I guess the link to mental health issues isn’t surprising. PA: There are all kinds of weird things going on that could be related to COVID’s cognitive effects. I’ll give you an example. We’ve noticed since the start of the pandemic that accidents are increasing. A report published by TRIP, a transportation research nonprofit, found that traffic fatalities in California increased by 22% from 2019 to 2022. They also found the likelihood of being killed in a traffic crash increased by 28% over that period. Other data, like studies from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, came to similar conclusions, reporting that traffic fatalities hit a 16-year high across the country in 2021. The TRIP report also looked at traffic fatalities on a national level and found that traffic fatalities increased by 19%. LP: What role might COVID play? PA: Research points to the various ways COVID attacks the brain. Some people who have been infected have suffered motor control damage, and that could be a factor in car crashes. News is beginning to emerge about other ways COVID impacts driving. For example, in Ireland, a driver’s COVID-related brain fog was linked to a crash that killed an elderly couple. Damage from COVID could be affecting people who are flying our planes, too. We’ve had pilots that had to quit because they couldn’t control the airplanes anymore. We know that medical events among U.S. military pilots were shown to have risen over 1,700% from 2019 to 2022, which the Pentagon attributes to the virus.

[...]

LP: You’ve criticized the track record of the CDC and the WHO – particularly their stubborn denial that COVID is airborne. PA: They knew the dangers of airborne transmission but refused to admit it for too long. They were warned repeatedly by scientists who studied aerosols. They instituted protections for themselves and for their kids against airborne transmission, but they didn’t tell the rest of us to do that.

[...]

LP: How would you grade Biden on how he’s handled the pandemic? PA: I’d give him an F. In some ways, he fails worse than Trump because more people have actually died from COVID on his watch than on Trump’s, though blame has to be shared with Republican governors and legislators who picked ideological fights opposing things like responsible masking, testing, vaccination, and ventilation improvements for partisan reasons. Biden’s administration has continued to promote the false idea that the vaccine is all that is needed, perpetuating the notion that the pandemic is over and you don’t need to do anything about it. Biden stopped the funding for surveillance and he stopped the funding for renewing vaccine advancement research. Trump allowed 400,000 people to die unnecessarily. The Biden administration policies have allowed more than 800,000 to 900,000 and counting.

[...]

LP: The situation with bird flu is certainly getting more concerning with the CDC confirming that a third person in the U.S. has tested positive after being exposed to infected cows. PA: Unfortunately, we’re repeating many of the same mistakes because we now know that the bird flu has made the jump to several species. The most important one now, of course, is the dairy cows. The dairy farmers have been refusing to let the government come in and inspect and test the cows. A team from Ohio State tested milk from a supermarket and found that 50% of the milk they tested was positive for bird flu viral particles.

[...]

PA: There’s a serious risk now in allowing the virus to freely evolve within the cow population. Each cow acts as a breeding ground for countless genetic mutations, potentially leading to strains capable of jumping to other species. If any of those countless genetic experiments within each cow prove successful in developing a strain transmissible to humans, we could face another pandemic – only this one could have a 58% death rate. Did you see the movie “Contagion?” It was remarkably accurate in its apocalyptic nature. And that virus only had a 20% death rate. If the bird flu makes the jump to human-to-human transition with even half of its current lethality, that would be disastrous.

[vela-pulsars]

not enough stonjourner art out there

[aashiqeddiediaz]

you know, after watching day 3 of the democratic national convention, i need to say something, especially to other muslims like me.

most of the muslim communities that i'm a part of have chosen to vote uncommitted, or independent, or sometimes, even trump. they refuse to give their vote to kamala harris and tim walz, because of the way the us has handled the war in gaza, and how they have been careless with acknowledging palestinian lives lost, how it was american bombs and american tax money that went towards funding this genocide. it's fucked up, and it's wrong, and there shouldn't be any debate on that.

and i am 100% in support of that anger. i am 100% in support of forcing america to stop funding this genocide. no one wants to keep seeing palestinian lives suffer. no one is free until we're all free, and i believe that to my very core.

my only concern is that where this anger is being placed, from 1 year to 11 weeks before the presidential election, is so scary. because the reality of the situation is that america has a bipartisan outlook. whoever gets the presidency is either democrat or republican. and every vote that doesn't go towards democracy (i.e. voting for kamala harris) inadvertently goes towards trump's big plan of project 2025, which is basically dictatorship. Even voting uncommitted, even voting independent. we cannot afford to elect trump for a second term, and voting anything other than democrat draws that line way too close, especially in swing states like michigan, pennsylvania, wisconsin, georgia.

yes, there are many issues that we wish joe biden would handle better. there are many ways that the democratic party has fucked up beyond repair. there are many ways the democratic party has refused to acknowledge the pain of people affected by their military people throughout the years, and we've been seeing it for years. this is not a new thing. this did not start on october 7th. we see it during pretty much every administration.

however, voting for your candidate should never be based on a singular issue. no political candidate is ever going to check every single box. and its so unfortunate that we have to always take the "lesser of two evils" approach when nominating our president, but that's the reality of the situation at this very moment. there are many other rights to be considered that are at stake this election, all of which trump is trying to remove. abortion bans, women's rights, healthcare, social security, climate change, to name a few.

(and, somehow, there's a belief that trump will lead to a ceasefire deal where biden-harris didn't? let me tell you that is never going to happen.)

does this mean we just stop protesting or pressuring? absolutely not. you NEVER stop, because if our votes are the ones that put the candidate in their position of power, then we expect results. we expect them to work towards what they promised. and we can't let up on reaching out to our local county offices and our state governors and escalating these issues further until someone takes notice and does something about them. we don't elect them and just leave them to do what they want. we keep them accountable. use that anger i was talking about.

but it also means not having tunnel vision. the election in november could very well mean the end of democracy if kamala harris doesn't win. this post is not me all giggly-happy over the democratic party, because trust me, i have my fair share of issues with them as well. this post isn't to tell you what to do, because i can't force you to vote blue. i can't force the community i'm in to change their minds about toss-up votes. but what i can do is put down plainly what's at stake this election. and that is, very simply, our right to choose everything.

so if you are eligible to vote and haven't registered, please do. if you haven't voted before because "what's the point", please see above what the point is. a handful of votes is enough to flip the outcome of an election, especially with the electoral college.

and if you're still on the fence on whether to vote for kamala or trump, hopefully this post gives a little bit more perspective in the most streamlined way i could manage without bogging you down with statistics and numbers.

the choice is yours.

[araguaneys]

The worst is when another latino dehumanizes us as if they aren't the same or similarly mix of ethnicities as if they aren't also fucked, as if literally MOST if not all of us have a history of dictatorships from different political alinements and YES being fucked by western imperialism but also our greedy "leaders" and shitty politics, as if the left and right or center actually did all they could or helped anyone, as if it couldn't happen to them next...you are the most depressing of them all if you're not with us and you are the ones that sound like gringos.

It's time you all get educated and you see beyond the decisions of our governments and the past problems we've had because of them, or BEYOND THE XENOPHOBIA and migration crisis, all of latinamerica is filled with people of all races like you and me that deserve empathy and not to get abandoned by you all.

Lo quieren en español? dale pues.

Lo peor es cuando otro latino nos deshumaniza, como si no fueran la misma o similar mezcla de etnias, como si sus países no estuvieran jodidos támbien, como si literalmente la mayoría de nosotros no tuviéramos una larga historia de dictaduras de distintas alineaciones políticas, o SÍ no estuvieramos jodidos por el imperialismo estadounidense/occidental pero támbien nuestros "líderes" avaros y políticos de mierda, como si nuestras izquierdas o derechas o centros de verdad estuvieran haciendo todo lo que podrían o ayudaran de verdad, como si no les pudiera pasar a ustedes después... la falta de apoyo de uds son de lad que más me deprime, y son uds los que suenan como gringos.

Es momento de que se eduquen y vean más allá de las decisiones pasadas de los gobiernos o la historia de problemas que hemos tenido por ellos, O LA XENOFOBIA y crisis migratoria, toda latinoamérica está llena de gente como tú y yo de todas las razas que merecen empatía y que no se les abandone.

[mixelation]

there should be a ninjacon panel where 'experts' debate if fictional jutsu could be accomplished in real life or not

[neighbourhoodtwo]

usamericans please stop putting your "congrats uk!! hope this happens to us in november!!" posts in the uk politics tag please please you have no idea

[oceans-beloved]

Meme dump yayyy🥳✨️

(off to make more now muhahaha >:3)

[ask2ps]

I love 2p japan

CHINA: 日本さえ恋がしたいということ、考えられないことではないねぇ。(It’s not unthinkable that even Japan would want love, right?)

JAPAN: 闭嘴。(Shut up.)

[chronurgy]

It's the modernization it's the mechanization it's the way the old world has to die for the new world to be born and by killing gortash you've slowed it down but you haven't stopped it because ideas can't be stopped and the industrial world that will destroy your way of life is coming and you can't stop it by killing him any more than the luddites could stop it by smashing up a few factory machines

[hellosweetie99]

Well I guess the US government can see all the yaoi I read now

[one-sexy-fucking-toucan]

I was thinking about it today and there is enough similarity between The King and Siffrin for something. I don't know what but there is something.

[by-izz]

After recruiting Jaheira, the drow comments on the usefulness of the Harpers and whether they have a positive impact on the world by preserving 'the balance' or whether their actions impede world's progress. Anyway, here's recruitment poster for the Harpers.

Thank you @cheeserwinkle for the amazing and inspiring Jaheira photos!!!

[conop-8888]

dealing with the concurrent transgender feelings of "FUCK you I shall brand whatever name and gender is comfortable to me" vs "oh god am I making my life more difficult every step I take towards deviancy with this world's outdated bureaucratic systems"

[prettyboysdontlookatexplosions]

“i’m never going to tell latin americans how to feel but why would any bolivians disagree with me?” is a very funny take from someone getting defensive about the possibility of referring to US nationals as something other than americans