Since you're gone my empty arms have nothing left to hold

Originally posted by zelda_zee at All U.S. Internet Providers will be policing downloads by July 12, 2012

My ETA: JFC. I can't even.

I usually cut politics related things but I'm not doing it this time. And I know that probably most Italians on my FL are voting tomorrow and Monday, but I still want to state a couple things about it. I'll try to be brief.

So, tomorrow and Monday we're having a referendum here. It's about:

a) Whether to keep water supply a public business or not;
b) Whether nuclear energy should be an option;
c) Abrogating or not a law which states that the PM and people in charge of a ministry can't go on trial while they're in charge.

Especially because of B (which is a main point for this stupid government, who's stuck on building nuclear centrals in a country where we still haven't disposed of the nuclear waste from the eighties, where we can't dispose of trash and where it takes a 6.0 earthquake to destroy a city because we build cheap, not safe) and because of C (since the PM has currently four trials going on and other about to start, including the one about paying underage girls to have sex with him), they gave this no space in the news. The public broadcasting received fines because they didn't air information about the referendum in the right spaces, and a bunch of politicians including the PM are being like 'this is useless, I'm not going to vote'. Clearly they don't want people to go - if 50% of the people who can vote do it and -yes- wins, PM = fucked. Nuclear program = fucked. Privatizing water = fucked. If we don't reach the quorum, it's for nothing and they do whatever the hell they want. And this had also happened years ago with a referendum about artificial impregnation and researching on embryos - same government and Church said not to go voting, it didn't reach the quorum, and the consequences weren't that great (at least for people trying to have children using that kind of technique - now they have to go outside the country).

Now. There are campaigns around to promote awareness for said referendum, and it looks like it might be possible to reach the quorum in spite of the fact that the information about it has been close to zero; but the point that really annoys me is that these idiots are trying to pass a message which consists in, if you don't want it, DON'T VOTE instead of going and saying no. Because you can say no if you don't agree with it. And this is what's pissing me off to insane degrees. It basically means that voting is optional. And it's not just in these cases - I heard enough people saying that they can't be bothered to vote because they don't like anyone particularly or because 'it's all the same anyway' or because 'politics suck so there's no point'.

Actually? Sorry, but no. If you went to school they taught you that voting is a right and a duty, not just a right. You can also go in and leave it blank, if you really don't like anyone. But voting is the only way you have to change how your country is run, and if you want to keep things as they are, good. Wake up, go voting and say NO. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I won't be the one saying you should vote yes even if that's what I think you should do, but please, for the the love of everything that's dear to you, wake up and exercise your goddamn right to vote. Because if you don't and you think that it's not worth anything, then it'll come a day when maybe you won't be allowed to at all and you'll miss it. People died to allow others to vote. Here, women couldn't vote until 1946. And I do realize that politics mostly suck ass and that half of the time you don't like everyone, but case is, there's always someone who's less bad than the others. And saying that 'you don't understand it' isn't an excuse - buy a newspaper and read it regularly, because these people run your country, and their decisions have consequences (also for you), and if you don't care about that, then you don't care about your own benefit either. And that's why I can't stand politicians saying that you shouldn't vote. Because any politician who says that is someone who should go home asap, and who doesn't know what doing his job means. And I'll be very happy if this round the quorum is reached, however it goes. But please, if you're Italian and you can vote, just DO IT. You can leave it blank if you don't have an opinion, you can say no, you can say yes, you can also vote for one issue and refuse to vote for the others. But please, just do it. At least, if your side doesn't win and it turns that whoever won was wrong, you have all the rights to complain later.

Okay, that was it. Thanks for the attention and sorry for the spamming. Also sorry if it sounds somewhat preachy, but I feel pretty strongly about this, if it wasn't clear already.

No one probably needs me to tell them the current world situation, so I'll go straight to the point. I can't participate with offering in any of these because I already have charity stuff from last year that I need to finish, but I might bid or just donate money. Or to the lightening rounds if I manage. Anyway, I'll re-post links here because it can't hurt, right?

a) I think there's still time for bidding on help_nz:



b) I also think auctions should start tomorrow here:



c) Also, is anyone in my friendlist raising money for the Random Acts hope for Haiti project? I'd love to help out and for once I'm not broke and I can donate some (I'd probably go for small sums for as much people as I can), so if you're raising money and I didn't notice it/comment at you link me to that page y/y?

( this one is strictly for Italian related matters so just skip if you want. )

Alright, all for now. I realize it's not much but better than nothing, right?

[premise: the only thing getting seriously hurt was thankfully the other guy's car. Well, it was his fault, but still. Everyone got out of it without hurting themselves, at least.]

You know when you start the day and you get the feeling it's going to utterly suck? Well, that was today. Or at least, that's what I thought when I got into the post office and the machine giving numbers was broken, and it was just a long, huge line. Anyway, I was supposed to run some errands with my mom and so I called her after I was done working in the library, and I was like, 'do I get to your workplace?' and she, 'well, take the car so we can do this and that', and I was like 'do I really have to?', but then I realized she had a point so I was like fine, let's take the car.

Then before getting out of the house to go, I though that dammit, I really didn't feel like driving or using the car. Next time I'm taking the goddamn bus.

( cut because it gets longer. )

Okay. Just one thing. I always think that this country can't possibly get worse, and then it does. And I can't even rant because seven hours of Heidegger are enough for my patience. And I usually cut politics related post but this time I'd rather not.

This evening, I am watching a couple of newscasts on tv. In the least important one, they gave two piece of news.

The magic octopus predicting the World Cup results was aired before this small, insignificant piece of news which I'm sure everyone in this country could do without.

Best thing, though? Same thing in the main newscast. Actually, I don't think that they talked about news number two. And yesterday they said that at that demonstrations there were one hundred people.

Uhm. That's good information, isn't it? How am I not surprised that meanwhile this is going on, too?

I don't think I need any further comments. Also I'd really like to know if this happens also in other countries, but I suspect the answer would be no. Freedom of information/press, I'm sure that you're awesome, but I am starting to suspect that we never really knew each other that well.

That said, I'm off with Kant because I need to read something I actually understand and to see if I can whip something up for the luau because I already fell behind. Thank fuck my last final is on Monday and then I can stop cramming. /rant

Reposting from at least three people on my FL, whom I should thank for posting in the first place because of course this didn't make the news here, or not that I know of.

You know when you read stuff that makes you lose a good deal of faith in humanity?

Sonoma County CA separates elderly gay couple and sells their home, possessions.

I positively teared up while reading it. Seriously, this is the 21st century, but I guess it isn't enough. And I know that it has been posted a bunch of times already but the more you see it around, the best it is. Also, here is a petition for the story to be printed in what I think is the county's Democratic paper? I'd say consider signing it if you haven't already. Jesus. At least reading the comments on that page makes you partly re-gain the faith in humanity you lost while reading the article, but still, it's insane.

Or, I did two threads at help_chile because I still don't know how much I'll be able to donate and I want to raise something anyway.

1) Fic thread (1000 words minimum fic);
2) Graphics thread (20 icons + 1 wallpaper, negotiable);

and that's it for now I think. Go have a look around there? *nudges*

I'd have done this yesterday but I had to cram *sigh* and I'm sure you've seen it all over the place but it can't really harm. This is my thread at help_haiti, I'm offering a 1000 words minimum fic and there are a lot of awesome other people there, so go bid! Otherwise, links for donating to the Red Cross and Doctors without Borders. Or you can also do it on behalf of being a minion, which I'm sure everyone has linked all over the place already too but one more time won't hurt.