Showing posts with label Religion and Its Discontents. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Religion and Its Discontents. Show all posts

Thursday, April 16, 2026

As long as its AI slopaganda anyway, WHY can't it be audio described too????

 Is it okay to admit that the barrage of AI "slopaganda" related to the war in Iran are a bit of a guilty pleasure?


Some of the videos are so dead-on that RantWoman wonders where the authors are getting their cultural insights?


In some cases, RantWoman would be just fine with the content if it were not for the certainty that the content is coming from forces that probably do not have US interests at heart and are happily playing into multiple fractures in US society.


Never mind all that.


RantWoman has one simple question: as long as all the videos are all AI-generated anyway, can't SOMEONE add an audio description track for all the viewers who can't follow the frenzy and probably couldn't stand some of the imagery even if we could follow it?


Pretty please.


Here are a few examples just to fire up everyone's literary instincts and try to tackle the visual complexity.



Nice music. What is on screen?

RantWoman realizes that the audio experience is a little less frenetic if RantWoman listens at noraml speed than if she were to listen at her usual 1.5x



A collection of the Lego Iran War Movie bangers

At least some of the clips here have subtitles but RantWoman is thinking of Bad Bunny's halftime show and all the different rounds of cultural examination she has seen about it. Do some of these clips need that much cultural interpretation too? OR based on subtitles RantWoman manages to read, is it safe to just file it as dueling war propaganda in the same bucket as the Secretary of #WarCrimes praying?



TRUMP Blocked IRAN.. But Tankers KEEP COMING 🚨 - LEGO EDITION

Who did this one. Several comedy lines.



Iran Answers Trump’s Blockade With a LEGO Diss Track



US Blocked the Strait… Then Everything Went Wrong


The U S Blocked the Strait… Until This Happened



HE SAID HE WAS CHOSEN… Then Lost Everything

Thursday, April 2, 2026

Video meanderings for Holy Thursday.

 Does RantWoman have other things she is SUPPOSED to be doing, up to and including some formal way of observing Holy Thursday / Maundy Thursday / the version of Passover sometimes observed by Christians contemplating events leading up to Easter.


RantWoman went looking for info about Easter witches, a custom in Finland and Sweden.


Please enjoy the fruits of RantWoman's internet peregrinations.

RantWoman apologizes: she has not been keeping up with the ins and outs of sharing content across different platforms. Blogger may ask readers to click on a link and go directly to YouTube. The link works great.


Easter traditions in Finland and how you can take part of them - Nallikari


How to Celebrate SWEDISH EASTER | Traditions and Folklore


Swedish Easter tradition - Weird things Swedish people do - Learn Swedish in a Fun way!



10 Well-Known Passover Rituals That Are Surprisingly Profound





Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Every White-haired protestor and lots of others: protesting one person

 If you watch one #NoKIngsDay video, go for Lawrence O'donell.


From Glenn Kirschner



Bernie Sanders and others in Minneapolis






And from random red state media

12 news in Phoenix


ARKANSAS
with a segment on soccer / futbol and Latinos


Great clips!


Omaha


Iowa City


Rockford IL




Boise / Twin Falls (oops: No Kings 2.0, a few months ago.)







The dangerous ones

Stephen Colbert


Jon Stewart

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

Nope. Not COVID, but...

    

#pandemic #COVID19 #COVID 

A beautiful blue urn with a pattern of flowers and butterflies
What's left of RantMom
in her new home


Possibly of interest:

RantWoman and the RSOF: Jessie Cornwell Memorial Invitation, updated


RantMom "departed for other realms exactly two months ago. Therefore, we interrupt the daily war coverage for...


--meditations on obituary writing process wrangling a whole life story into plausible obituary versions for different platforms


--effort both to collaborate with Little Sister and to tread among family religious and other emotional landmines.


--inchoate ranting about one popular obituary platform whose accessibility for RantWoman SUCKS.


Uhhh, how about just do the COVID piece?


Ding! Ding!


Adapted from the current draft of the obituary:


(RantMom) became good friends with the first Ida Culver Ravenna Resident to die of COVID. She tested positive herself cleared the virus and did not develop symptoms. The pandemic lockdown was very hard for everyone. The staff's meticulous observance of rules and safety practices as well as use of vaccines as soon as they became available ensured that COVID did not hit that community nearly as hard as other retirement facilities. 

(RantMom) and several other residents of Ida culver Ravenna moved to The Lakeshore, along with numerous other residents of Ida Culver Ravenna. At the Lakeshore, residents enjoyed an expansive view of Lake Washington and resident bald eagles nesting in a tree near the dining room. Art shows, special speakers,  music and dance performances and other activities kept life as lively as (RantMom)  wanted. 


The last year of RantMom's life at the Lakeshore was rough: Her younger brother died of prostate cancer. She had a lingering bout of actual COVID, not just testing positive and clearing the virus without symptoms as she had done previously. 

Other chronic issues were becoming more and more draining. Even so, she continued to volunteer weekly at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center. To RantMom, this was a means to pay forward the excellent medical care she had received during her multiple battles with cancer.

RantMom's last few weeks were a blur of hospital, skilled nursing, and ultimately placement at the Agape Senior Care at Montlake -- with its extremely loving directors and staff -- where she passed away peacefully thirty years and six months to the day after (RantDad).


Reprise on the topic of RantMom and #COVID

Adventures of RantWoman: Dinner and Plague

Adventures of RantWoman: Tested Negative!

(Part of RantWoman's own experience with "the 'rona."


There are probably other posts that reference both COVID and RantMom but this has to be enough for now


Adventures of RantWoman: Virus plus car ride plus pastor plus pandemic and worship plus pentecost

Adventures of RantWoman: Today in Corona Virus News

Adventures of RantWoman: Data Dump plus Neil Degrasse Tyson suggesting people listen to Science

precautions at a different retirement community

Adventures of RantWoman: Pollen or Plague? With a side of #DigitalInclusion


Saturday, February 28, 2026

May Mr. Nurun Amin Shah Alam rest in peace.

 First #RamadanMubarak to all who are observing the fast

Second, Heartfelt condolences to the family of Nurul Amin Shah Alam and the entire Rohingya community living through the nightmare of his death during ramadan

Trump’s ICE Hits HORRIFYING NEW LOW After DEADLY Decision

Clear reporting about issues with cause of death determination


Comment RantWoman posted

1. Mobility aids are NOT Weapons. WTF with the weapons charges for what multiple sources have said are CURTAIN RODS? Thank you for the description of two poles. I could not make that out in the body cam video released by Buffalo PD. Curtain rods are, of course, not standard white canes many people use, but other people do use walking poles for all kinds of reasons. 2. LOTS of blind people, even blind professionals with excellent travel skills get lost sometimes. It seems like Mr. Shah Alam is charged for: --getting lost while brown --getting lost while Muslim --getting lost while blind --getting lost while not speaking English. --accidentally trespassing 3. The body cam video of the original arrest you mentioned featured a female officer SCREAMING at Mr. Shah Alam to drop the poles or she was going to taser him, like he has any clue what a taser is. Then there is a melee, reportedly by two officers who somehow could not de-escalate the situation.

In other words, Mr. Shah Alam was WAY overcharged for what should have MAYBE been a simple trespassing issue. What is the source for hearing that Mr. Shah Alam's family and attorney were waiting for him when he was released? Reporting I have seen says there were no efforts to contact family or attorney. This case is heartbreaking and infuriating on so many levels, and so much worse for the Muslim communities because it's Ramadan. And unfortunately, except for the extra issues because of blindness and medical fragility, this case is all too similar t DHS general Deport First and due process be damned policies.


Scott Jennings' DEPRAVED Take On Refugee Death STUNS CNN Panel

TYT reporting with more details of situation and perspective from Cenk Uygur and TYT voices. And Cenk makes the case about why would any jurisdiction tell ICE / CBP about immigrants in custody if they are going to be treated this badly.


RantWoman now can't locate her reply comment rant about assertion that Mr. Shah Alam was able to make known his wishes via some kind of translation device. Hopefully Gov. Hochul, AG James, and Congress will add questions about validation of any such system used to questions about this outrage.


Nearly blind refugee found dead in Buffalo after Border Patrol drop off miles from his home 


Blind Refugee "Abandoned By Border Patrol" in Buffalo Dies in the Cold; Family Demands Answers

Blistering comments from mayor of Buffalo abotu why Buffalo does not cooperate with administrative warrants


Discussion by immigration attorney of Rohingya refugee situation, many elements of immigration law including efforts by Mr. Shah Alam's attorney to negotiate a plea deal.

How the System Intentionally Killed Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a Rohingya Refugee


Reuters report after funeral



Near-blind refugee found dead in Buffalo after release by US Border Patrol | Reuters

RantWoman means to add links to accounts from Reuters of community and family comments as well as items from several other sources.



Saturday, November 29, 2025

Rebellion: refuse to hate the person next to you.

An initial compilation of YOuTube items about the shooting of the National Guardswoman in Washingto DC the day before Thanksgiving. Enough said.

A word from Belle of the ranch


Pete Hegseth Requests ONLY CHRISTIAN PRAYERS for Victims in National Gua...


Senior Military commanders WARNED #CadetBoneSpurs that deployment of the national guard in Washington DC had high risk of making guard members targets of grievance based violence.







CBS News

Early CNN report
description of problems with the vetting process




How to fracture a nation without declaring war


specimen of bizarro and uninformed take

Tuesday, November 25, 2025

Ice Cream Putinism Trumpism, Fascism, Monarchism

True Confession: RantWoman was seduced into these essays by mention of ice cream. Long ago when RantWoman was a graduate student studying in Leningrad / St Petersburg, ice cream bought from street vendors on Nevsky Prospekt in downtown Leningrad / St. Petersburg was basically a major food group. And in some kind of dietary magic, RantWoman lost about 30 pounds on her study abroad trip.

Ice cream nostalgia should not be mistaken for strategy in the modern era of billionaires and onrushing AI.

The Lesson I Learnt in the USSR That Still Fools Millions


Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Spidey on Erika Kirk

This YouTube channel fascinates RantWoman. 

RantWoman definitely does not look at entire videos in full detail. RantWoman tends to listen and only occasionally invest enough eye focus to see detail.

So the channel is fascinating because it spells out a LOT of things that are happening visually. Sometimes it feels like reason 320 zillion why blind people and sighted people miscommunicate, although RantWoman could be vaguely interested in seeing how much of the same info could be picked up by voice.


First, this video points out lots of visual specifics in Erika's speech at Charlie Kirk's funeral.

What Changed With Erika Kirk? Body Language Analyst Reacts to funeral



YouTube is full of opinions about whether Erika Kirk is grieving appropriately. RantWoman would just leave the poor woman alone. RantWoman's experience with grief is that it comes and goes unpredictably for a long time. 

As far as the state of national dialog about Charlie's death:
--RantWoman was part of a conversation where one participant made the fascinating point that it doesn't matter that lots of Charlie's detractors are disgusted by #MAGA comparisons between Charlie Kirk and MLK. What matters is that is how Kirk's followers see him.

--In that conversation, RantWoman pointed out that MLK never helped raise millions of dollars to help elect a corrupt pedophile as President. It will take some maneuvering to keep the gravy train running but the other question is what messaging will remind people that their presence in the national conversation is valuable as they HOPEFULLY come to grips with some disagreeable realities.

--Apparently #SecDef Pete Hegseth is terribly shaken by Kirk's assassination.
Somewhere in this line of thinking MIGHT be some threads Erika Kirk is thinking about.

RantWoman does not share Erika's theological certainty about what happens after death. RantWoman has enough faith not to worry about that until she gets there. RantWoman remembers one family hiccup after RantDad passed away about cremation. RantDad's younger sister was worried that if RantDad were cremated, he would somehow miss out on the Rapture. RantWoman's view: any deity that can pull off the Rapture can give people whatever corporeal presence they need for the situation.

RantWoman is interested in one moment in particular, the clip in the post here right at the beginning of her speech when the President summons her to the stage.

The way the President summoned Erika creeped RantWoman out a little bit because of something about the President's voice. Erika strode out like someone used to the kind of summons that bothered RantWoman Erika won Miss Arizona in a beauty pageant run by the not-yet-President and perhaps is used to the kind of kiss on two cheeks that Spidey called out.

Something in the second video, from a different angle made RantWoman wonder about a really gross possibility. RantWoman just naturally assumes the President is a pervy lech who will grab every chance he gets to paw at beautiful women. Watching the President Embrace, RantWoman wondered whether there was some over-the-line pawing going on. Even worse, RantWoman found herself wondering whether the President tried to kiss Erika on the lips rather than on the cheeks. RantWoman can't really tell, but the question adds a possible interpretation. Did Erika pull away a little and bury her face in the President's shoulder far away from his lips.

All of this gets RantWoman to another #TPUSA irony: TPUSA preaches "tradwife" values about women's relationships with their husbands. But Erika has now become the head of the entire #TPUSA empire.

This also harkens back to CO Congresswoman Lauren Boebert's appearances at TPUSA events. Lauren in her spiky heels and scary red lipstick pranced around talking about Biblical values in marriage while she was busy divorcing her husband. So THANGS are not always what they seem, and there is probably room for LOTS of people to think carefully about what matters to Gen Z.

Monday, September 22, 2025

3I/ATLAS or 3I/ALPHA

What? Never trust the YouTube headlines of the morning? No little green men. No jumping on the TikTok rapture bandwagon? No crashing into Mars? No disappearance. Just low-key presentation of science.



There ARE ways to study and some telescopes will burn their lenses tuned for distance observation if they point at the sun.


Have I been reading 3iIALPHA wrong?
3I/ATLAS Interstellar Comet Update for September 22, 2025










Not exactly 3I/ALPHA but



Charlie Kirk has been dead a week and already the women are in power?

RantWoman likes strong opinions.

RantWoman would prefer fewer F-bombs.

And RantWoman is deeply amused that according to #Charlie Kirk logic--which RantWoman DOES NOT agree with--Erika Kirk should find herself a new husband to submit to and not stress her pretty head about running a big organization.


Hilarious TROLLING & MAGA Meltdowns in the News Today | The Daily Meltdown


RantWoman also appreciates threads of advice:

"Drink water. Touch Grass"

"See how the narrative evolves over 24 hours."

Wednesday, September 17, 2025

Two Corinthians and other moments

 In honor of what President #StableGenius says is his favorite part of the Bible, tonight's Bible Study

2 corinthians 3 NIV - Are we beginning to commend ourselves - Bible Gateway

RantWoman has NO idea whether it will help the President but maybe it will help someone.


THE CHARLIE KIRK CASE JUST GOT WAY WEIRDER | The Kyle Kulinski Show

Officials give update on accused Charlie Kirk killer

Despite UT Governor Cox's prayers that the shooter be someone from outside, any brown-skinned person would probably have stuck out like a sore thumb. 

Ken Klippenstein Obtains Leaks From Alleged Charlie Kirk Shooter's Discord

They’re LYING TO YOU About Kirk’s Shooter

There is another Luke Beesley that debunks various gamer theories.


Obama Exposes INSANE Charlie Kirk VIDEO

RantWoman's posted comment.

Weirdly, I believe that one of the Black women Charlie Kirk referenced DID say that they benefited from Affirmative Action. Almost every Black person I met at Princeton somewhere along the way had to deal with crap about them not deserving to be there.


When the Skull and Bones society at Yale started to admit women, there was a quote about that was the way to ensure they were looking forte smartest people at Yale. I know it probably smarts to hear that looking outside of entitled circles is a good way to find the smartest people available, but there we are.

And Charlie Kirk is still a bizarre human being whose appropriation of the Bible does not at all line up with what I understand.


"The Martyrdom of Charlie Kirk": How the Right Is Weaponizing Kirk's Killing


Roland & Joe Walsh: Stop Whitewashing Charlie Kirk’s Hateful Rhetoric

Christian Pastors REACT to Charlie Kirk's Death



And RantWoman's weirdo questions of the week:

RantWoman has done enough ushering at different kinds of events that at some point, questions of herding people around and what different event attendees might need wander through RantWoman's mind.


Tonight's questions:

RantWoman has lost track of a link featuring a young woman interviewing to guys who are probably about her age. The guys were at the #CharlieKirk UVU eventand both reported about what happened after the fatal shot was fired, basically panic and everyone trying to flee, including some people who fell. RantWoman's first question: has anyone tracked injuries among the people who fell? RantWoman can think of lots of reasons to ask about this. Enough said.


One of RantWoman's instincts in many crowd situations is to look for paths through or out. This is partly because RantWoman and Ambassador Thwack prefer not to plow into people. People who have been to active shooter drills also get taught to think of either places to hide or ways to get away. RantWoman got only a fleeting look at the crowd. It did not appear that anyone had done anything to ensure there were aisles in the crowd. One commentator commented about the number of officers possibly being too few for the event. RantWoman has no opinion about that except that perhaps 10 or 15 student ushers could have helped ensure that there were aisles.


Next since RantWoman is around lots of wheelchair users and people who need signlanguage interpreting, RantWoman wondered idly where wheelchair users would have been and whether anyone requested sign language interpretation.


RantWoman will simply leave the wondering questions here for now and try to go about the rest of her commitments at least for a bit..


Tuesday, September 16, 2025

GIve us this day our daily ragemongering.

RantWoman has of late been adding some of the local ragemongers to her media diet. The rage of the day around Seattle: should schools fly the flag at half-staff or not in reference to the assassination of #CharlieKirk?


The HORROR. There are schools who DO NOT choose to lower their flags.


RantWoman respectfully begs to differ with the rage mongers.


1. NO ONE approves of political assassinations


2. The President is absolutely allowed to be cheesed off that one of his giant fundraising gravy trains is going to have to regroup. That does NOT mean that communities properly honor what the flag stands for by kowtowing to a geriatric chaos agent.


3. It's school and it has to be okay to ask for help if one needs it. President #StableGenius unquestionably needs continual reminders about the Constitution he has sworn to uph.old.


4. We in the US not only do not have a state religion. We have struggled for centuries to maintain both separation of church and state and respect for religious pluralism. 


5. Many school districts strive to maintain respectful learning environments where students from a wide variety of faith backgrounds can learn with and from each other. #CharlieKirk theology, to be blunt, falls far short of cultivating such environments and far short of Biblical standards.


That said,  RantWoman also continues to offer prayers both for grieving widow and for all the other families left fatherless by the current deport-arama


RantWoman believes in a God who likes to be venerated, recognizes many forms of veneration, and, contrary to #MAGA assertions, would prefer we not kill each other trying to figure out how to get along.

Friday, September 5, 2025

Make a joyful noise. Kazoos. Christians

Full disclosure 1: RantWoman always finds Cal Anderson Park cramped and uncomfortable, for reasons she can't quite put her finger on. RantWoman thinks Gas Works Park sounds like a MUCH more fun place to hold a rally / worship service than Cal Anderson Park. Sun. Water. Rehabilitated industrial site. Sense of spaciousnes, the glory of God. 

Full Disclosure 2: statement from RantWoman's faith community, the North Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends about welcoming transgender people

Full Disclosure #3: RantWoman has not researched which other faith communities identify as open and affirming. RantWoman thinks it would be a very good idea for local faith communities to speak up frankly about free exercise of religion (for any faith or no faith) and respect for religious pluralism.

Full Disclosure #4: Ditto for anyone running for office, not just Mayor Harrell.

Worship rally sparks controversy in Seattle




Kazoos, Christians Segment intro 11:45. Story 14:45


And for background and great moments leading up to the event.
RantWoman is entertained by the thought of a potluck and sleepover at Cal Anderson Park.
Also quite critical comments from the "alphabet soup" people. 
And a clip from a Seattle LGBTQIA+ Commission.


Tuesday, June 17, 2025

A protest gesture at LAW SCHOOL graduation.

Lately RantWoman has been wading into some of the pronouncements from local commentator Brandi Kruse.

This is probably a thankless venture, but RantWoman is going there anyway, purely for spills and thrills. This post has been fermenting but still seems topical.




Oh please. The sign is not a call to violence. It's a statement of principle, two principles in fact. 1. Palestinians absolutely have a right to armed resistance which I am fine with for better or worse and "You can't be pro-Palestinian unless..." I do not agree with that assertion. I am not Palestinian. Based on people I know with a long track record of working for Palestinian human rights that the statement does not apply to all Palestinians. That said, I believe the UW is taking seriously a legal obligation under the federal Privacy act, which is probably wise considering they are dealing with a recent law school graduate. There is something to be said for just ignoring attention seekers. Also, in this case, the person left when politely asked, so I from a non-lawyer perspective do not think there is a disturbance to prosecute. HOWEVER hundreds of people heard the person's name so presumably if someone thinks something criminal, as opposed to merely disagreeable occurred, is anything stopping them from trying to file criminal charges? The last point: law school graduates still have to take bar exams and be admitted to the bar in order to practice law. Anyone who has an issue with the person's conduct at graduation is free to take the matter up with a bar association.


Wednesday, June 4, 2025

The UN, lies, lies, lies and then the humanitarian flotilla to Gaza

RantWoman offers the following slices of international media coverage.

RantWoman apologizes for not having energy to summarize key points. RantWoman is afraid her head will explode if she spends too much time on this coverage of #GazaGenocide, lies, lies, lies

Brave act by Pakistan; calls US veto blocking food for Gaza children ‘mo...












And from the other side




Monday, May 26, 2025

Prayer service????


Protest Curmudgeon erupts again, regarding the Christian rock performance and counter protest at Cal Anderson Park. The bottom of this rant has links to many of the sources RantWoman has interacted with.RantWoman apologizes for sometimes lacking precise citation and is trying to make clear which points are speculation and which are derived from long familiarity with the tiresome repetitiveness of protest dynamics in Seattle.

For background, RantWoman hails from a definitely open and affirming faith community and here is an example of a relevant statement.

RantWoman still has not connected with members of various faith communities who sent out an emergency email about an event later in the day. After hearing on Twitter / X about melees and arrest, RantWoman decided that bad eyes did not need to get mixed up in whatever was going on and that RantWoman needed to deal with mundane matters such as grocery shopping.

RantWoman believes strongly both in free exercise of religion and in religious pluralism. RantWoman just decided that social media is going to have to be her venue.

b-b-but RantWoman...

Yeah. RantWoman has skimmed the Mayday USA tour website, the website for the On Fire ministry. RantWoman is not sure we are reading the same bible, but does have, at least for Capitol Hill, a higher than average tolerance for diversity of religious messages.

Call RantWoman a cynic though: chances are pretty good that somewhere in the Mayday USA crowd there is someone struggling with their sexuality or their gender identity or some kind of abuse experience who might have caregivers completely unequipped to walk with someone, someone who might  DESPERATELY want some kind of emotional safety valve.

But No. NO! NO!
Nothing says safety for transgender youth like people sort of trying to speak up for transgender youth by just chanting "fascists go away," and getting tackled by police, by getting everyone drowned in pepper spray and raising questions about whether officers' body cams are even turned on.

B-b-but one of the Burner podcast staff was told that the praying group had rented the whole park.
Is this a thing? It's hard enough for people who live here to rent even one picnic shelter. How do people who bus in from out of town get to rent a whole park? RantWoman is also amused by a comment about a police officer telling a journalist just to pick a side. It's STILL A PUBLIC PARK.It's open worship with a come as you are message. Aren't people allowed just to come and watch?

B-b-but they weren't just watching.
Noted. Needs more investigation. 

Finally RantWoman has had enough recreational blood pressure elevation and is not going to delve too far into the background and religious witness of Mr. Ross Johnson, of Spokane's On Fire ministries, but RantWoman has one thing to say to him:

No. NO NO!
Dear Mr. Ross Johnson

No, you DO NOT get to bus into town, demand to put your anti gay "worship service" in the gayest neighborhood in Seattle and then demand that Mayor Harrell resign. For one thing there is an election coming up. You don't get to vote unless you move to this hellhole one of your prayer service attenders basically in need of cleansing.

But thank you, RantWoman supposes for contributing to the latest rounds of:
--rage on the internet about what a godless hell hole Seattle is and how everyone involved in protests should be locked up
--Rantings on social media about protestors going unpunished
--complaints from the Seattle Police Officers Guild that Seattle PD is understaffed. (They are but many parts of town would probably prefer more ordinary neighborhood patrols and less pepper spray.)

PS. Maybe don't brag on X about starting a riot just by praying.

And now citations.





Shout-out to Mayor Harrell, quoted at the end of this video.












extremely produced propaganda recap
drone footage

No, RantWoman did not watch the whole video. After some testimonials, RantWoman skipped forward several times. At the end of the show, people who attended were exhorted to pick up their trash and guys were exhorted to walk women to their cars. RantWoman had an ick reaction but was fine with "don't walk alone."


Check out #DontMessWithOurKids on your favorite social media platform

Tuesday, May 20, 2025

Marco repeats "kill the village to save it" rhetoric and wants people in Gaza to self-deport to Libya.

Unthinkable act by US Senator as Marco Rubio reminded of violation by Ne...

Thank you, Senator Merkley for your frank questioning.



Random RantWoman observation: Israel has been stalling about anything to do with Right of Return for Palestinians for decades. Why should anyone belive Secretary Rubio now?


And in partial news of local protests

Monday, May 12, 2025

Today's #Gaza media sampler

RantWoman offers a sampling of today's Israel news items. RantWoman does not have energy to pull out every nugget to be had here, but does consider these items rich with points to ponder.

Trump completes Netanyahu’s insult with hostage release, spokesperson lo...




And a Poet wins the Pulitzer Prize






$GazaNeedsBread

Content warning: REALLY gross statements by Israeli polticians.

Israeli Politicians CHEER ON Starvation Of Palestinian Children



RantWoman continues to be baffled. HOW ON EARTH will starving 2 million children to death will do ANYTHING to cut back on global antisemitism.

Saturday, May 10, 2025

What did anyone expect? Here comes federal scrutiny!








Kids, kids, Kids


1. MAYBE if you are thoughtful, protestors detained in the recent protests at the UW Interdisciplinary Engineering Building MAY be able to negotiate some way to stay off campus and still finish classes. RantWoman has no opinion beyond that, or rather RantWoman has opinions that probably everyone is going to find problematic. More on that shortly.

2. Some or all of you are likely to face criminal charges. RantWman is not a lawyer and is not going to comment about that beyond the observation that there are plenty of voices demanding criminal consequences.

3. It is never a bad day to condemn the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. There have been abundant opportunities to do that for decades, since long before October7. Again, more on RantWoman's thinking, the role of the academy, job hunting, conscience and more separately..

Now back up a few steps.


Y'all have again aroused eruptions from Protest Curmudgeon. Protest Curmudgeon, aka RantWoman is old enough to be your mother and probably in some cases your grandmother. RantWoman is not up on every detail of student movements at protests at the University of WA, but back in the mists of last century, RantWoman graduated from college on disciplinary probation because of a protest about South Africa. RantWoman is probably taking some risks by putting together all of the comments below; RantWoman hopes the risks are worthwhile.

Say it loud. Say it again.Any day would be an excellent day to keep speaking out loudly and clearly about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. A really clear ask, needed for decades. A clear ask of whoever might make a difference is It's not just that 2 million people starving to death under Israeli watch seems to RantWoman VERY unlikely to lessen the level of anti-semitism in the world. RantWoman also does not understand how chasing campus anti-semitism is supposed to help when the ones braying most loudly are also sitting down to dinner with holocaust deniers and avowed white separatists. RantWoman can though agree that lots of people on many sides of Middle East conflicts are making piles of money in the arms business.

Next, we take massive property damage at a building called the "Interdisciplinary Engineering Building." As someone who spends a lot of time reminding engineers why humanities classes are good for everyone and redefining the scope of projects, the very idea of an Interdisciplinary Engineering Building sounds awesom to RantWoman. In fact, RantWoman has contributed as a community member to a number of different computer-science and transportation related projects at the UW I school. So RantWoman,  is definitely not charmbed by the scale of property damage seriously.and definitely does not think the current presidential administration is likely to offer anything good for what RantWoman considers extremely valuable and constructive projects.

RantWoman can imagine--but has NO INTENTION of penning--a manifesto about "Look at this mess! Does it remind you of any place, like say GAZA? Do you want to live in Gaza? Do you want to turn the whole campus into Gaza? How about we find a way to talk and do better?"

RantWoman is NOT volunteering to write any manifesto, butwhat to do? In the current humanitarian crisis, people are likely to starve to death in Gaza long before either Boeing or the U of WA respond to absolutist demands. But people can and should demand an end to the two-month total humanitarian blockade of Gaza. So, say it loud. Say it whenever and whereever you can, End the Total humanitarian blockade of Gaza.

Next, we have numbers. To some extent, RantWoman empathizes with people who just want to study and get a good job." But in the case of the college sit-in RantWoman knows best two things matter. The sit-in happened against a background of more than half the entire campus, undergrads and graduate students signing a petition calling on the university to divest from companies doing business in South Africa. The sit-in RantWoman's senior year was one of several from previous years. 

The sit-in  RantWoman's senior year was not exactly because of something new about South Africa. The sit-in happened because, after the umpteenth divestment resolution was turned down in the Board of Trustees, the President of the University said something in the campus paper about closing discussion. The campaign asked the President to find a way to restate whatever he meant to say. He said he was misquoted and would not correct that quote out of fear that in the future people go after him about anything that he said that got printed in the campus paper..

Before RantWoman's college sit-in one person involved in the campus campaign called RantWoman to say he supported the demonstration but did not feel able to participate out of concern not to endanger his commissioning due from his ROTC scholarship. That person has probably long retired. If he hadn't, he is the "wrong" color and at risk of being insultingly labelled "#DEIHire,"by a graduate of the same institution now working beyond his depth in the current administration.

The actual demonstration took place during finals week, at the best-known administration building, an edifice that briefly served as the nation's capital. The plan was just to blockade all the doors and not let anyone in until the university divested of its holdings in companies that do business in South Africa.. RantWoman imagines there may have been some chalk art but no other property damage. Also, little impediment to people needing to get around most of the campus.

The university did not of course immediately divest. Instead, 89 students, 49 seniors, out of a total campus of 4800 plus or minus were detained by campus police, delivered to the local police station, processed and sent home facing two charges. RantWoman had a final the afternoon of the sit-in and considers herself VERY fortunate to have gotten processed in time to go home, have lunch and then go to her final.

The sit-in got a lot of publicity including interest from lawyers who offered both legal help and suggestions. One lawyer suggested just having everyone plead guilty. RantWoman was part of the not guilty caucus who thought it was dishonest to plead guilty if one does not feel guilty. That stance let to a group conversation with a local firm. By that time, the protestors had already asked the university to drop charges against anyone who might have visa problems. The firm suggested that protestors could ask that for everyone. That team also noted that no one had any intention of suing the university, that the protest was about South Africa.

Happy ending sort of.

All criminal charges were dropped in fairly short order. At the next Board of Trustees meeting, there was an announcement of a divestment of a small holding which may just not have been doing well.

RantWoman's bottom lines:

The humanitarian crisis in #Gaza is NOW. Address that. End the humanitarian blockade. Peace in the Middle East is going to take longer, so buckle up.

Universities are vital spaces where people can come together and learn. That role must remain even when conversations get difficult.

Actions have consequences. Deal with them. Don't expect consequences to go away just because of more earnest pleas.