You can either lead, follow, or get out of the way

[sovay]

Thank you to rosefox for pointing me toward Radical Dreams; their Black Lives Matter lapel pin was sold out in November, but it came back into stock at the beginning of December and now I have one next to the safety pin on my corduroy coat. I want to be clear about the messages I am sending.

One good result of asking the internet about fascism at five in the morning: handful_ofdust and teenybuffalo introduced me to Jidenna, whose "Classic Man" is one of the loveliest music videos I have seen in a long time. It has sartorial style, a roomful of gorgeous black people having fun with music and fashion, and the idea that kids should learn science. I'm for it.

I don't care if the Pizzagate shooter does not like the term "fake news"; it is the correct way to refer to a falsehood being presented as a real story in order either to deceive or provide an excuse. No one should ever again complain about the bogeyman of political correctness who wants to be allowed to refer to lies and misinformation as "reports carried by alternative media" and neo-Nazis and white nationalists as the "alt-right." Language has always mattered, but I am beginning to feel it's going critical now.

[edit] I just read that John Glenn has died. 2016, come on.

[edit edit] And dinosaur feathers have been discovered in amber. That is a marvel. Everything that makes me feel better lately is either art or science. I'd like to keep having both, you know?

Comments

[umadoshi]

That's an excellent pin.

[sovay]

That's an excellent pin.

I am very happy to have it.

[heliopausa.livejournal.com]

Language has always mattered, but I am beginning to feel it's going critical now.

Yes! Precision in language, and serious truth-telling.

(And public lies as "pranks" are vicious and destructive.)

[sovay]

Yes! Precision in language, and serious truth-telling.

I don't like seeing people misuse language anyway (which is different from playing with it), but seeing people misuse it for deliberately deceptive, destructive ends makes me actually angry. Name things what they are it. It is the only way the world works.

(And public lies as "pranks" are vicious and destructive.)

Yes. "Just joking!" is not an excuse for causing pain and it never was.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

The dinosaur feathers have such a sense of graceful movement to them. They look like faerie hair blowing in the wind.

I agree with you 100 percent about the term "fake news." Furthermore--thinking about the story you link to, people who think they can "do some good" by storming into a place armed with a guy are very exactly literally dangerously naive.

[sovay]

The dinosaur feathers have such a sense of graceful movement to them. They look like faerie hair blowing in the wind.

They look alive. That's the amber. It doesn't stop time in the sense that we feel it should, but it's close enough for mythology.

I agree with you 100 percent about the term "fake news."

Does what says on tin!

Furthermore--thinking about the story you link to, people who think they can "do some good" by storming into a place armed with a guy are very exactly literally dangerously naive.

Armed with a gun and information that the person admits was "wasn't 100%," but decided to barge ahead with anyway. I feel like this is some kind of terrible epigram of America in miniature.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

I feel like this is some kind of terrible epigram of America in miniature.

Yup, 100 percent agreement on that, too (sadly).

[nineweaving.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the amber. It dwindles this damned year.

Nine

[sovay]

Thank you for the amber. It dwindles this damned year.

You're welcome. It made me happy.

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

Something about the words 'dinosaur tail feathers in amber' made me think of you when I heard the radio report this morning - I'm glad you found them!

[negothick.livejournal.com]

All I could think of was Ray Charles admonishing us to "bend over/ let me see you shake your tail feathers" in The Blues Brothers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jK33V7FGjd8

[sovay]

Something about the words 'dinosaur tail feathers in amber' made me think of you when I heard the radio report this morning - I'm glad you found them!

Thank you! The fossil record never ceases to make me happy.