Sorry, my mind is in a dark place today.

And, at least based on current events/headlines, not without reason.

Did a music thing happen today? My tumblr dash is full of people I don't recognise.

Oh, and Justin Bieber. I would like to be all "no comment" but over 50% of the pictures I see drive me into insta-shallow-rage. How so consistent, douchenozzle?

I am so glad that my Uncle Fuck Nut has been so quiet on the whole Zimmerman case. I'm telling myself it's not just him trying to be socially appropriate--as clearly he has few filters there--and that he actually finds the case too complex for a glib comment.

I play a fun game of wondering which of my relatives are pro-Zimmerman. I'm too pessimistic to posit an empty set.

My sister sent me a retelling of "public shaming" by my mother, but it was effectively that my mother heckled her at a talk, by fake whispering "why are social science questions so LONG???" after dear Sav asked her question.

They were sitting separately, and apparently people were surprised and then charmed to find out the relationship.

I am sometimes really glad my parents are nowhere near my life 358 days out of the year.

I'm trying to figure out why the verdict, this case felt so personal. This is one publicized case out of how many across the nation? There are too many people dying from the stupid behavior of others - both in racially charged situations and not.

it's like Rodney King, in my view. It was so cut and dried. Not really a lot of nuance. RK got a huge ass beating he didn't deserve and it was all on video.

TM was stalked & killed. His killer admitted this several times.

Both Black men, both set upon because they were Black men and use of force was not warranted.

Timelies all!

Yay sara for the re-fi.

And it's on show to not just the entire country, but the world is waiting to see what justice looks like, and unfortunately few people are surprised.

In really important news, I'm trying to decide if I should hold off going completely bald until my Christmas hols, or is it something I can try at work? I could shave my head Friday evening, and I'd have some stubble by Monday morning, it wouldn't be way different from my normal haircut.

Finally the baldblackbeauties tumblr posted a bald woman, so I feel encouraged.

I think the Zimmerman case is a complicated stew of politics and law. TM was stalked and killed, but that's not necessarily illegal under Florida law, which is crazy enough itself.

Gun rights advocates might see the trial as a trial of the ability to defend oneself with a firearm. So that makes them pro-Zimmerman in a way. Plus I think there's an underlying conceit the NRA pushes that there are two groups of people: honest law-abiding citizens who legally purchase and own firearms and outlaws whom gun control can't prevent from getting guns. A guilty verdict would have undermined that conceit, therefore it must be true that Zimmerman was only defending himself, and TM being black makes that all the easier to believe due to racism. So I think that's a reason some might have to be pro-Zimmerman.

I'm sure for some it's a purely racist thing, i.e. TM being black makes him a thug and therefore it's reasonable that Zimmerman was assaulted.

While the jury may have been swayed by the racist image of a black male youth being a thug, Florida's stand your ground law would made conviction very difficult. There was such little evidence of what exactly happened and the bar for the use of lethal force is set so low. How do you decide if Zimmerman felt in danger of his life beyond a reasonable doubt? Not was, but felt? Legally, I don't know much about Florida law, but I got the impression that Zimmerman provoking the situation doesn't play into it.

Racism and Guns. That's a toxic brew.