Hosted by Maysoon Zayid.
In The News
[Content note: Homophobia, violence]
Friday News:
Rep. Tina Kotek of Oregon will become the first out lesbian to lead a state legislative chamber after being elected House Speaker by her Democratic colleagues yesterday.
Ian McKellen has narrated a new video highlighting the plight of kids bullied because of their sexuality.
Hostess, the makers of Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Wonder Bread, would rather go out of business than settle with striking workers. Douchebags.
Speaking of douchebags: IKEA used forced prison labor in communist East Germany two decades ago.
Two people were killed, two were missing and four were airlifted to a nearby hospital after an explosion at an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico.
Four people died and 17 others were taken to a hospital when a train crashed into a parade float honoring veterans in Midland, Texas, yesterday.
Out Magazine's annual Out 100 issue is here. TruFact™: I was number 101.
This commercial inspired me to buy some Fresca. Then I mixed it with vodka. It was gross.
Blog Note
I was ill last night (the same garbage nonsense that's been going on for ages) and it kept me up all night. It's starting to subside again now, but I didn't sleep at all, so I'm shattered. I'm going to take the day off and try to get some rest.
My apologies for the inconvenience. I'll see you Monday.
(And I will do the Parks & Rec Thread then!)
Question of the Day
Suggested by Shaker Bellspice: "What habit did you pick up as a kid that you now realize is ridiculous, but maintain into adulthood anyway? For example, as kids, my sister and I always saved the white Smarties for last (because they were somehow more awesome). To this day, if I'm eating Smarties, I eat the white ones last!"
Photo of the Day
From the Telegraph's Pictures of the Day for 13 November 2012: Tank the tiny tortoise is dwarfed by a computer mouse at Paradise Wildlife Park, in Broxbourne, England. The Hermann's tortoise is six months old, and will not be fully grown until the age of six, when he should weigh about 3kg. [Alex Smale / Barcroft Media]Teeny tiny tortie!
My grandfather kept two box turtles as pets—Tommy and Matthew. They lived in my grandparents' backyard in Queens until my granddad died, and then we brought them back to Indiana to live out their days.
My granddad was so fond of those turtles. And they were great wee beasties, each with his own distinct personality.
I am a fan of tortoise-and-turtlekind.
Another Star in the Republican Party
[Content Note: Consent issues; reproductive coercion.]
Meet Republican Congressional Representative from the great state of Tennessee Scott DesJarlais:
A decade before calling himself "a consistent supporter of pro-life values," Tennessee physician and Republican U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais supported his ex-wife's decision to get two abortions before their marriage, according to the congressman's sworn testimony during his divorce trial.Now, it was at this point in the linked story that I thought: Mutual decision, my ass. Reproductive coercion red flags all the fuck over the joint. And then, later in the story, this:
Obtained by the Chattanooga Times Free Press, the couple's 2001 trial transcript also confirms DesJarlais had sexual relationships with at least two patients, three coworkers and a drug representative while he was chief of staff at Grandview Medical Center in Jasper, Tenn.
...DesJarlais, a family-values conservative who rode 2010's tea party wave to Washington, testified his ex-wife's earlier abortion stemmed from medical concerns.
"...[She] was on an experimental drug called Lupron and was not supposed to have gotten pregnant. There were potential risks. It was a therapeutic," he said.
DesJarlais backed a second abortion after she returned from a military stint in Saudi Arabia a few years before they married in 1995.
"[It] was after she had gotten back from Desert Storm and things were not going well between us and it was a mutual decision," he said.
The 679-page transcript reveals new details about DesJarlais' interactions with a 24-year-old-patient, who claimed she became pregnant with DesJarlais' child during a short fling in 2000 and that the doctor later pressed her to have an abortion.Sexual contact with patients is not merely seriously unethical; it suggests a pretty distant relationship with meaningful consent. Sexual coercion red flags all the fuck over the joint. And then, later in the story, this:
In further proceedings, DesJarlais acknowledged that the woman was not the only patient he had a sexual relationship with that year.Wow. Suffice it to say I think it's problematic for a doctor to be engaging in sexual contact with a patient to whom he has prescribed an opioid drug.
DesJarlais stated in testimony that he carried on a four-month sexual affair with another patient, a woman he prescribed pills for during their relationship. He stressed that there was "nothing wrong" with the prescriptions he wrote, which included the painkiller Darvocet, and was indignant when asked about claims he had handled medication improperly.
"I don't feel real obligated to respond to that. I think it's ludicrous," he said. "I've never been challenged or questioned in terms of my integrity before."
This story will almost certainly play out as just another "Moral Values Hypocrite" tale, but this guy is a predator who at the very least has engaged in emotional abuse. Will the Republican Party close ranks around this misogynist nightmare? They certainly did during the election.
DesJarlais "cruised to re-election past Democratic challenger Eric Stewart, persevering through October media reports of sleeping with patients and urging one to get an abortion. The Tennessee Democratic Party had attempted to obtain the transcript before the Nov. 6 election, but the court delayed the process because the document was not typed up in its complete form."
Huh.
This guy is currently sitting in the US Congress making reproductive decisions for women and other people with uteri. He shouldn't be.
Contact the Republican National Committee and politely inquire if they will continue to let a man who preys on, exploits, and abuses women to be a part of their caucus. Send them a message here. Leave them a message on their Facebook page here. Tweet at them here.[H/T to my pal Richard.]
Number of the Day
[Content Note: Christian Supremacy; homophobia.]
$2 million: The amount of money spent by the Roman Catholic Church and its affiliate, the Knights of Columbus, during the last election cycle funding anti-marriage equality efforts.
Just like Jesus would do.
It's a good thing there are no more people going without food or shelter or healthcare in the world, so the Catholic Church can spend metric fucktons of its tax-exempt collections on hatred.
The Problem with the Republican Party, for the Foreseeable Future
[Content Note: Racism.]
Politico—Bobby Jindal Rejects Mitt Romney's 'Gifts' Theory: "Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal [who is Indian American] forcefully rejected Mitt Romney's claim that he lost because of President Barack Obama's 'gifts' to minorities and young voters. Asked about the failed GOP nominee's reported comments on a conference call with donors earlier Wednesday, the incoming chairman of the Republican Governors Association became visibly agitated. 'No, I think that's absolutely wrong,' he said at a press conference that opened the RGA's post-election meeting."
Portland Press Herald—Maine Republican Chairman Questions Black Voters: "Maine Republican Party Chairman Charlie Webster is once again alleging possible voting irregularities, this time claiming that groups of unknown black people showed up in some rural towns to vote on Election Day. ... 'In some parts of rural Maine, there were dozens, dozens of black people who came in and voted on Election Day,' he said. 'Everybody has a right to vote, but nobody in (these) towns knows anyone who's black. How did that happen? I don't know. We're going to find out.' When Carrigan pressed Webster on where it happened, Webster provided no specifics or proof of his claims, but said the party would investigate further."
Think Progress—Fox News Captions Footage of Illegal Border Crossings with 'The Hispanic Vote': "Since Mitt Romney lost the Hispanic vote in record numbers on Election Day, some Republican lawmakers and conservative pundits have openly conceded that the party has a 'rhetoric' problem when it comes to the Latino vote and have begun advocating for comprehensive immigration reform. However, the GOP's new-found eagerness to appeal to Latinos took a hit on Thursday afternoon when Fox News ran a segment about 'The Hispanic Vote in 2012' and proceeded to show stock footage of people crossing the border illegally."
Mother Jones—Top Georgia GOP Lawmakers Host Briefing on Secret Obama Mind-Control Plot: "President Obama is using a Cold War-era mind-control technique known as 'Delphi' to coerce Americans into accepting his plan for a United Nations-run communist dictatorship in which suburbanites will be forcibly relocated to cities. That's according to a four-hour briefing delivered to Republican state senators at the Georgia state Capitol last month."
Think Progress—McCain Skipped a Briefing on Benghazi to Hold a Press Conference: "Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) is demanding a special select committee to investigate the events leading up to the deaths of four Americans in Benghazi, Libya and has held around-the-clock television appearances pressing for a complete review of the incident. But all of the senator's media interviews and press availabilities may be interfering with his ability to gather information about the event. On Thursday morning, CNN's Dana Bash reported that McCain chose to hold a joint press conference with Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) rather than attend a closed-door briefing about the attacks."
If you think that state Republicans accusing President Obama of insidious mind control and Republican US Senators shirking their duties to try to frame as a cover-up what good money says was a pretty typical intelligence clusterfuck after a terrorist attack on the other side of the globe don't belong on a list of racist shenanigans, I will just briefly observe that Republicans didn't seem too concerned about propaganda and bad intel when a white guy was in charge. And I'm thinking that's not just because he played for their team.
Here We Go
Yesterday, I said: "I am trying to imagine Bill Clinton's second term in the age of the internet, and I am suddenly overcome with involuntarily shudders of grim dread."
Welp, the "Impeach Obama" robocalls have begun.
A man picks up the phone and says, "Hello?" and then the following recorded messages begins...Nine! Nine! Nine!
This is an urgent update from the Conservative Majority Fund. If the thought of Obama's next four years makes you cringe, you need to hear this! We just learned that Obama's immediate plans are to close Guantanamo, give full amnesty to illegal aliens, and give the United Nations the authority to tax Americans. And this is just in the short-term!
Our only recourse now is to move forward with the full impeachment of President Obama. We suspect that Obama is guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors and that there may be grounds for impeachment as is laid out in the Constitution. Further, he may not even be a US citizen—because nobody, I mean no one, has seen an actual physical copy of his birth certificate! Impeachment is our only option. And Republicans are already considering Obama investigations.
As the nation's most effective conservative group, we are launching the official Impeach Obama campaign. So please, press one now to donate to Impeach Obama! For your generous support, we'll send you a a free "Don't Tread on Me" flag as a way of saying thank you for your support.
Again, press one to donate to Impeach Obama now, or press nine to be removed.
In The News
[Content note: Homophobia, transphobia, violence]
News From Beyond:
"I find it difficult to believe that Lincoln was banging anybody." — Tony Kushner, Pulitzer Prize winner and screenwriter for the new film Lincoln.
The Family Research Council is still a bunch of shitbags. Surprise.
New figures from Trans Murder Monitoring show 265 trans people were murdered across the world in the last 12 months, higher than previous years.
Anti-gay activist and former Navy chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt says growing support of marriage equality is a sign of the End Times. Neat!
Welp.
One thing I've learned this election: American businessmen are total douchebags.
BP will pay a record U.S. fine of $4.5 billion to settle criminal claims arising from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
A Kansas City man has proof of Bigfoot's existence.
Hey nerds: Listen to the entire soundtrack of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey!
Star Wars action figures have been inducted into National Toy Hall of Fame.
Today in Mitt Romney Is Still Terrible
Mitt Romney lost fair and square because he is terrible and his policies are garbage. But he has other ideas about why he lost the election to President Barack Obama, and—spoiler alert!—they do not include his being terrible and hawking garbage policies:
Mitt Romney on Wednesday attributed his defeat in part to what he called big policy "gifts" that the president had bestowed on loyal Democratic constituencies, including young voters, African-Americans and Hispanics.None of this, of course, is remotely surprising from the guy who thinks people aren't entitled to food, and whose running mate was blaming "urban voters" for their loss two days ago. These are highly entitled, titanically privileged, and voraciously greedy bigots who wouldn't accept personal accountability if it were dipped in gold and hand-delivered by Jesus.
In a conference call with fund-raisers and donors to his campaign, Mr. Romney said Wednesday afternoon that the president had followed the "old playbook" of using targeted initiatives to woo specific interest groups — "especially the African-American community, the Hispanic community and young people."
"In each case, they were very generous in what they gave to those groups," Mr. Romney said...
"With regards to the young people, for instance, a forgiveness of college loan interest was a big gift," Mr. Romney said. "Free contraceptives were very big with young, college-aged women. And then, finally, Obamacare also made a difference for them, because as you know, anybody now 26 years of age and younger was now going to be part of their parents' plan, and that was a big gift to young people."
..."You can imagine for somebody making $25,000 or $30,000 or $35,000 a year, being told you're now going to get free health care, particularly if you don't have it, getting free health care worth, what, $10,000 per family, in perpetuity — I mean, this is huge," Mr. Romney said. "Likewise with Hispanic voters, free health care was a big plus. But in addition with regards to Hispanic voters, the amnesty for children of illegals, the so-called Dream Act kids, was a huge plus for that voting group."
And they manifestly refuse to learn. This sneering contempt for people who do not share their privileges is why they are losing. And instead of stepping back to reassess whether maybe "Bootstraps, losers!" isn't a winning strategy, they obdurately reject empathy and bridge-building in favor of doubling down on rank hostility and scapegoating.
It's just the worst bunch of sour grapes being smashed into bitter red whine.
And it would be awful to watch, if only I weren't so pleased by the evidence of their increasing inability to effectively conceal the personal cruelty that underwrites their reprehensible policies.
Perhaps Reagan's rosy-cheeked mask of affability has finally and forever fallen from the ugly face of modern conservatism.
Top Five
Here is your topic, suggested by Shaker Gina: Top Five Most Annoying TV Commercial Jingles. Go!
Please feel welcome to share stories about why your Top Five picks are what they are, though a straight-up list is fine, too. Please refrain from negatively auditing other people's lists, because judgment discourages participation.
Israel-Gaza Conflict: News & Open Thread
A couple of notes: We have managed to have thought-provoking and civil threads in this space on previous skirmishes between Israel and Hamas, and I trust that can happen again. If the thread gets ugly, it will just be closed. Please comment thoughtfully—and bear in mind that neither Israelis nor Palestinians are monolithic groups; among Israelis are people who agree with the Netanyahu administration's actions and people who condemn those actions; among Palestinians are people who agree with Hamas' leadership's actions and people who condemn those actions. There is not consensus among diaspora populations, either.
I don't have much to say, except this: My position remains, as it has always been, one of frustration with leaders and sympathy for all involved. It's not that I don't care (or have an opinion on) who's intrinsically got the more principled position; it's that sometimes, at a certain point, being right becomes less important than doing the right thing.
Below, some recommended reading (please note some of the stories below include images of war and injuries; as many of them are being updated, specific content notes aren't feasible, so proceed with caution):
The Guardian had excellent live coverage yesterday, if you need to get caught up. You can follow live coverage of today's events here.
Al Jazeera has a round-up of international reactions here.
Christiane Amanpour's coverage at CNN: Israel: 'All options on the table in Gaza.'
This is where things were a few days ago—Haaretz: Egypt Mediating Israel-Hamas Truce as More Than 100 Rockets Hit South.
This is where things are now—Guardian: Egypt Condemns Israeli Air Strikes in Gaza and Demands Ceasefire.
Jerusalem Post: Egypt Calls on US to Stop Israeli Aggression.
CNN: Hundreds of Strikes Across Gaza Border Stoke Fears of Ground War.
Jerusalem Post: United Nations Security Council Divided on Response to Gaza Operation.
Brent E. Sasley for The Daily Beast: Playing Politics.
News from Shakes Manor
Iain went out for a smoke last night and forgot to leave the front door unlocked. He came to the front window to petition for assistance.
Zelda looked dubious. I asked her, "Zelly, should we let the dadsy back in the house?"
She considered. She decided we should. I walked very slowly to the door, to the sound of Iain's laughter, and let him back in.
[Images shared with Iain's permission.]
Question of the Day
Inspired by Shaker RedPandamonium: What was the last personal eureka moment you had?
This is so the worst thing you're going to read all day.
HA HA did I say WORST thing? I mean the BEST thing!
Bill Bennett: Republicans Lost the Culture War. Do me a favor, Shakers: If you don't know who Bill Bennett is, which you probably don't if you're younger than 35 and don't have a fetish for irrelevance, read some Wiki background on this insufferable nightmare to get a sense of who he is before you delve into the CNN piece. It will make it so much more enjoyable.
Everything about it is perfect, obviously, but this is definitely my favorite part:
This was the drumbeat of the Obama campaign. To women they said: Republicans are waging a "war on women," trying to outlaw abortion and contraception and would take them back to their rights in the 1950s. To minorities they said: Republicans are anti-government services, cold-blooded individualists, and cannot represent minority communities. To middle and low income Americans they said: Republicans are the party of the rich, who will slash taxes for only the richest Americans and cut social safety nets for the poor.HAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHA
Rather than offer a broad sweeping vision for the country, Democrats played identity politics.
HA!
Petraeus and Benghazi Stuff
I am not even doing a news round-up today on Petraeus, because the news, such as it is, is getting increasingly silly, misogynist, and policey.
I am also not going to write about John McCain and Lindsey Graham, those shameless old shitbirds, attacking Susan Rice on the Benghazi attacks in Libya. There may be legitimate criticisms to be made about the administration's handling of Benghazi, but it's virtually impossible to extricate them from the amount of mud conservatives are splattering all over anything in sight, hoping some will stick.
These two stories are an indication of the ugliness to come during President Obama's second term. It will just be an incessant cacophony of hyperbolic caterwauling from conservatives, which will not only serve to obstruct the President's agenda, but also serve to distract from valid criticisms of that agenda.
I am trying to imagine Bill Clinton's second term in the age of the internet, and I am suddenly overcome with involuntarily shudders of grim dread.
Anyway. Talk about L'Affaire Petraeus and Benghazi here, or media coverage of either/both, or whatever. Or don't. Whatever makes you happy. Life is short.
Top Five
Here is your topic: Top Five Worst Television Theme Songs. For the record, we can all take this one as a gimme. Go!
Please feel welcome to share stories about why your Top Five picks are what they are, though a straight-up list is fine, too. Please refrain from negatively auditing other people's lists, because judgment discourages participation.
In The News
News and Important Stuff:
An Idaho scientist plans to float a blimp over Idaho in search of the mythic, ape-like Bigfoot.
Related: There's a high likelihood that hairs recovered during a state-sponsored expedition in a southern Siberian cave came from a yeti.
The incoming House is more diverse on the Dem's side. Much less so on the GOP side. Surprise.
Also: This is a neat map of what red states actually look like.
Check out this trailer for new Sam Raimi-directed Oz the Great and Powerful starring James Franco.
Here is an interview with author Wilum Pugmire.
Glenn Beck's new novel sounds great!
Quote of the Day
"Let's for a moment honor it as a legitimate question—although it's quite offensive, but you don't realize it I guess. The fact is that everything that I have done in my almost decade now of leadership is to elect younger and newer people to the Congress. In my own personal experience it was very important for me to elect young women. I came to Congress when my youngest child Alexandra was a senior in high school and practically on her way to college. I knew that my male colleagues had come when they were 30. They had a jump on me because they didn't have to—children to stay home. Now, I did what I wanted to do; I was blessed to have that opportunity to sequentially raise my family and then come to Congress. But I wanted women to be here in greater numbers at an earlier age so that their seniority would start to account much sooner. ... No, the answer is no."—House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, responding to a question during a press conference today, posed by media nepotism posterboy Luke Russert, on whether Pelosi feels like she shouldn't step aside to allow for younger leadership in Congress.
Now Luke Russert knows what it feels like to get a major media job handed to him right out of college AND what it feels like to get his ass handed to him by an "old lady."
Russert, to Pelosi, who is standing at a podium surrounded by many female members of Congress, most of whom are older women: —colleagues privately say that your decision to stay on prohibits the party from having a younger leadership and hurts the party in the long term. What's your response?
[So much grumbling dissension from the women onstage. Some of them shout: "Discrimination!"]
Pelosi: [laughs mirthlessly] Next! Next!
[The female reps mutter and shout: "Age discrimination!" and "Boo!" and "Wow!"]
Pelosi: Oh, you've always asked that question—except to Mitch McConnell!
[Pelosi chortles and there is scattered applause; mumbles of agreement.]
Russert, in a shitty tone: No, but, excuse me, you, Mr. Hoyer, Mr. Clyburn—you're all over 70. Is your decision to stay on prohibiting younger leadership from moving forward?
[So many groans from the women onstage.]
Pelosi: So you're suggesting that everybody step aside?
Russert: No, I'm simply saying that to delay younger leadership from moving forward in the House— [crosstalk]
Pelosi: I think that you'll see—and, let's for a moment honor it as a legitimate question, [laughter] although it's quite offensive, but you don't realize it, I guess. The fact is that everything that I have done in my almost decade now of leadership is to elect younger and newer people to the Congress. In my own personal experience, it was very important for me to elect young women. I came to Congress when my youngest child Alexandra was a senior in high school and practically on her way to college. I knew that my male colleagues had come when they were 30. They had a jump on me because they didn't have to—children to stay home. Now, I did what I wanted to do; I was blessed to have that opportunity to sequentially raise my family and then come to Congress. But I wanted women to be here in greater numbers at an earlier age so that their seniority would start to account much sooner.
And it wasn't confined to women, though. I—we wanted to keep bringing in younger people, and some of the decisions that we made over the years to invest, when we won the House in 2006 and in races before and since, was to encourage people to come, and when they come here, to give them opportunity to serve. So I don't have any concern about that.
And as I've always said to you: You've got to take off of that 14 years for me because I was home raising a family, getting the best experience of all in diplomacy, interpersonal skills. [she laughs; people applaud]
[Russert tries to interject]
Pelosi, leaning forward over the podium, sternly: No, the answer is no. [laughs]
Tweet of the Day
(Actually two days ago, but I didn't see it until yesterday and forgot to post it until today. H/T to Jess.)
BREAKING: White House officially responds to secession petitions at whitehouse.gov: twitter.com/BoloBoffin/sta…
— Joseph Nobles (@BoloBoffin) November 13, 2012
[The image in the tweet is the image of President Obama taken while he was phone-banking before Election Day and making a whoopsface after getting a wrong number.]
Wednesday Blogaround
This blogaround brought to you by veggie burgers.
Recommended Reading:
Tara: Wisconsin Lawmakers Seek to Arrest Officials Who Implement Obamacare
Morgan: Stand Up and Be Counted
Marcy: The Sexy-Time Exception to Retaining Classified Information
Susana: Terry Pratchett to Leave Discworld in His Daughter's Hands
Frederick: Lee Atwater Breaks Down the GOP "Southern Strategy" in 1981 [Content Note: The post at this link contains racist slurs discussion of racism.]
Shannon: I Once Was Obese. And Now I'm Not. Please Don't Applaud Me for Losing the Weight. [Content Note: The piece at this link contains diet talk; discussion of fat bias and disordered eating.]
Peter: The Climate Change Compendium: Tracking Our Planetary Calamity in Real Time
Sean: Top Ten Amazing Higgs Boson Facts!
Ariel: A Crowdfunding Primer: Feminist Media Producers Engage a Community of Backers
Jorge: Infographic: How White Is the New Fall 2012 TV Season?
Mustang Bobby: Now You Know
And Pete Wells' review of Guy Fieri's new restaurant is pretty amazing. [CN for one instance of disablist language.] Enjoy!
Leave your links and recommendations in comments...
Random Nerd Nostalgia: 70s TV Comics!
[Image description: a comic book page advertisement for Saturday morning cartoons. "Watch out readers! A new star is rising in the DC galaxy of greatness! We've shocked you with our super-star heroes! Now we're going to thrill you again! With the--DC SERIES! -SHAZAM! A collapsing schoolhouse... a mystic mystery in Egypt... The world's wickedest villain out to destroy America and Captain Marvel. Even with the Mighty Isis making a guest appearance, can our hero survive? ISIS! Springing from the pages of Captain Marvel into her own mag-- and into deadly danger from the sinister scarab! Will Andrea Thomas' secret be revealed to the world-- and will she live long enough to find out? WELCOME BACK KOTTER! The Sweathogs are sweating it out! They're about to lose their leader! No Mr. Woodman hasn't canned Kotter--he's quitting! Will James Buchanan High ever be the same? SUPER-FRIENDS! Super-heroes have super-helpers--but so do the super villains! Five furious foes--backed by a sinister second team. But there's a greater danger still-- a threat within the Hall of Justice!" Information follows about when these issues will be available.]
So, the Welcome Back, Kotter comic was A Thing. Discuss. (Or not!)
Two Facts
1. If you do not actually give a flying fuck about my opinion about what my life should look like, my right to self-governance over that life, and my choices to make sure my life is what I want it to be as much as that is within my control, then you are not, in fact, pro-life.
2. Life is valuable because it has meaning to the people living it. If you take that away from me by trying to impose your idea of what my life should be in place of my own, you are not, in fact, pro-life.
Two-Minute Nostalgia Sublime
[Content Note: The lyrics of this song include storytelling about surviving violent racism and misogyny.]
Nina Simone, "Four Women."
Her Name Was Savita Halappanavar
by Jessica Luther. Crossposted from KYBOOMU. Follow Jessica on Twitter.
[Content Note: Reproductive coercion; death.]
Her name was Savita Halappanavar.
She was 31.
She was a dentist.
Her husband was Praveen Halappanavar, 34, an engineer at Boston Scientific.
She was 17 weeks pregnant in Galway, Ireland.
She presented with back pain at University Hospital Galway on October 21st, was found to be miscarrying.
She asked several times over a three-day period that her pregnancy be terminated.
This was refused because the foetal heartbeat was still present and the doctors told her, "this is a Catholic country."
She spent a further 2½ days "in agony" until the foetal heartbeat stopped.
She died of septicaemia a few days later.
Mr. Halappanavar took his wife's body home on Thursday, November 1st, where she was cremated and laid to rest on November 3rd.
There are now two investigations are under way into her death.
* * *
This is the Galway Pro-choice statement on her death.
* * *
According to the World Health Organization, 26.1 million people seek unsafe abortions every year in the world because they do not have access to safe ones. 47,000 die from those unsafe abortions.
I have been unable to find a stat of how many people, like Savita Halappanavar, die because they are denied abortion as a medical option.
* * *
Her name was Savita Halappanavar.
So many people will die in situations similar to hers and we will never know their names.
This is unacceptable. It is morally bankrupt. It is the definition of tragic.
Her name was Savita Halappanavar.
What Happens to Turnaways?
[Content Note: Reproductive coercion.]
Over at io9, Annalee Newitz has a great piece on a new study that investigated what happens to turnaways—women who are denied abortions. Although there have been lots of discredited claims about what happens to women who get abortions—mental illness, trauma and shame, breast cancer—there has been precious little research about what happens to women want abortions but can't access them. [NB: Not only women need access to abortion, but I am using the term advisedly here because other people with uteri have not been studied, although it is probably safe to assume the outcomes would be very similar.]
The new longitudinal study, which was done by public health researchers at the UC San Francisco group Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH), "reveals what happens to their economic position, health, and relationship status after seeking an abortion and being denied it."
[ANSIRH] used data from 956 women who sought abortions at 30 different abortion clinics around the U.S. 182 of them were turned away. The researchers, led by Diana Greene Foster, followed and did intensive interviews with these women, who ran the gamut of abortion experiences. Some obtained abortions easily, for some it was a struggle to get them, and some were denied abortions because their pregnancies had lasted a few days beyond the gestational limits of their local clinics. Two weeks ago, the research group presented what they'd learned after two years of the planned five-year, longitudinal "Turnaway Study" at the recent American Public Health Association conference in San Francisco.Their discoveries will not surprise anyone who has a passing acquaintance with the realities of reproductive healthcare: Women who are forced to carry to term pregnancies they do not want are more likely to face a greater health risk from giving birth, more likely to stay or end up in poverty, and more likely to stay in a relationship with an abusive partner.
Annalee:
If you look at all this data together, a new picture emerges of abortion and how the state might want to handle it. To prevent women from having to rely on public assistance, abortions should be made more widely available. In addition, there is strong evidence that making abortions available will allow women to be healthier, with brighter economic outlooks. By turning women away when they seek abortions, we risk keeping both women and their children in poverty — and, possibly, in harm's way from domestic violence.State-sanctioned reproductive coercion has demonstrable negative consequences for women. We need to fundamentally change our national conversation about abortion in this country to center that fact, so anti-choicers (and their Oh So Eminently Reasonable abettors) cannot continue to get away with framing abortion as a simple difference of opinion.
Further, every time someone who identifies as "pro-life" defends their inherently violent position on the basis that they value "the sanctity of human life," by which they mean the potential life of fetuses, we need to vigorously challenge why it is they do not appear to believe that women's lives, bodies, and free will are not sacred.
Because denying women bodily agency, increasing their risk of harm, consigning them to poverty, and forcing them to be dependent on abusive partners does not suggest evidence of an unyielding belief in the sanctity of women's lives.
That is, in fact, the opposite of a respect for life, if the definition of "life" is to have any meaning at all.
[H/T to @silveraspen.]
Commenting Policy
Please take a moment and refamiliarize yourself with Shakesville's Commenting Policy. These are not suggestions. These are the guidelines for participation in this community.
* * *
Required Reading Before Commenting: Everything in the Feminism 101 section, all links below, and "My Vote. Mine." Please also familiarize yourself with Shakesville's Email Policy.
Culture: This is an advanced feminist space. We don't do newbie education on demand here, and we don't do flamewars with people who treat discussion of progressive feminist ideals as an abstract academic exercise or want to play "devil's advocate." If you have a question, ask it in the daily Open Thread, with the hope but not expectation that someone will be around who has the time and inclination to answer it and engage in discussion with you.
Participation here requires that you respect and remember that this space is built and its content authored by individual people. In a space dedicated to social justice, we believe it is important to center the humanity of both its users and its architects.
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Commenters are also asked to make a similar good faith effort to note potentially troubling or triggering content in comments, as has become community habit.
Short Rules: Be nice. Be thoughtful. Be open to correction in response to unintentional expressions of privilege. Respect the mods. Hold yourself to the same standards you hold the contributors and other commenters. Have fun. And expect to get whatever you give: If you respect the guidelines and the community culture, you'll get the same in return.
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Differences of opinion are welcome; no one has ever been nor will ever be banned on a difference of opinion alone.
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It is eminently possible to bring a mistake to my attention, or the attention of another contributor or commenter, and/or to register a disagreement, without engaging in ad hominem attacks, using silencing tactics, jumping to unfounded conclusions about allegedly reprehensible motives, or in some other way accusing me (or anyone else) of acting in bad faith. Failing explicit evidence I have acted to the contrary, I expect to be afforded the benefit of the doubt that I move and act in this space with good faith. I believe I have earned that after eight years.
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If you are unwilling to extend good faith to the contributors to this space, you make it an unsafe space for us, and your commenting privileges will be revoked as a result.
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This blog is meant to be a refuge from the entire rest of the world where people who deviate in some way from arbitrary norms are ridiculed, marginalized, turned into punchlines, silenced, targeted, treated as less than, made to feel not good enough, put at real risk of physical harm, and denied rights, opportunities, access, equal pay, friendships, votes, equality.
We're all going to make mistakes occasionally—and for that, we need to make allowances. Everyone trips up now and then, even with the best of intentions, which is why we are resolved to endeavor always to be aware of our privilege, and, in moments of failure, remain open to criticisms and suggestions, think twice before responding defensively, and apologize when we fuck up.
We also expect the same of those who want membership in the community—which includes addressing others' mistakes in a productive and considered way, because no one is expected to be perfect. Everyone is expected to be willing to self-examine and learn, and therefore everyone must be willing to provide the space, the room to breathe, in which that reflection and growth can happen. A failure to support the provision of room to fail is a failure to respect the rules of the safe space.
And everyone is expected to respect the rules.
If you take issue with a blogmistress who wants her teensy weensy part of the world to be a sanctuary from the oppressions of the kyriarchy, if you feel that impinges on your freedoms, then off you go. You've got an entire world waiting who won't hold you to the same standard.
We expect more.
Question of the Day
Suggested by Shaker Mirta_S: "What makes you unique or different or weird? Do you celebrate it or hide it?"
Number of the Day
45: The number of awesome photos of President Barack Obama's greatest expressions, collected here. (I know it says 44, but trust me.)
They are all amazing, but you know I love me some Presidential nose-wrinkle.
[H/T to Shaker Constant Comment.]
USPSFU
[Content Note: Harassment; misogyny.]
I hate our mail carrier SO MUCH.
I don't genuinely hate people very often, but I hate this guy.
He smokes cigars in the mail truck, so all of our mail smells like cigar smoke. Now, I don't much care if my bills and catalogs smell like cigar smoke, but if I order a gift for someone or a piece of clothing for myself or Iain, I don't love having to air it out to get rid of stink when it's brand new.
Which would be bad enough.
But he also screams at me if I don't empty the mailbox for a day or two. I have explained to him, several times, that I have a disability that can make even walking to the mailbox difficult. He responds, at best, by sneering at me. Once, as he was putting mail in the box, because it wasn't even full so who fucking cares, he started screaming at the end of my driveway about what a fat bitch I am.
Which would also be bad enough.
But he also loathes and fears dogs. That is not unusual, but he has now been to our door bringing packages like ten thousand times over the last few years, and he knows they are friendly dogs. They don't jump on him or bark or do anything but sniff at him curiously, no less menace him. They're just there.
Still, okay, I get it, if it's a phobia, it doesn't matter if my dogs are nice.
So, despite the fact that he has never once said to me, "Hey, you know, I'm not a fan of dogs, so can you make sure your dogs are away before you open the door?" but has instead snarled, "Keep your fucking dogs away from me," I have tried to accommodate him.
The way our house is laid out, there's nowhere to quickly put the dogs away, so I call them to the kitchen for a treat. That takes about 30 seconds. If I take that 30 seconds, he LEAVES, even though I say I'll be just a minute.
And if I don't take the time to put them in the kitchen, they come to the door with me, and he screams at them and at me. He has literally screamed at me while I'm standing there apologizing for my perfectly behaved dogs.
Which is what just happened not a half hour ago, when he came to the front door. I went to the door after he knocked, and I told the dogs, "Back. Wait." and held up my hands. We are literally on the other side of the door at this point. He can see me through the window. He can see me trying to get the dogs to wait so they don't get near him. AND HE RINGS THE FUCKING DOORBELL AND POUNDS ON THE DOOR.
So the dogs run to the door. And I say, "Back. Wait." Loud enough for him to hear. "Just a second!" AND HE POUNDS ON THE FUCKING DOOR AGAIN.
I open the door then, because he clearly wants me just to open the door. And Zelda steps out on the porch beside him. Not hyper. Not touching him. Just next to him. And he yells at me, "GET IT AWAY!"
It took every ounce of my willpower not to scream at him. I just took the package, said to Zelda, "Come here, good girl," and then closed the door behind her and he glowered at me.
Every time he comes to the door, this happens. And every time he comes to the door, I get more anxious.
Because no matter what, he always seems to find some reason to bully me. Funny, that.
Recently, when the dogs peered out to greet the weekend mail carrier, I began my usual, "Oh my god, I'm so sorry," as she bent down to snorgle them. She told me not to apologize. "They're so lovely!" she said, burying her face in Zelda's coat.
"Ah, it's just a reflex," I said. "Our weekday carrier yells at me about them all the time."
She narrowed her eyes. "He is one mean dude," she said. "Really scary. I'm sorry you have to deal with him."
So his coworkers know what he's like, and they're scared of him. Presumably, his bosses then also know what he's like, and they're probably scared of him, too. Which makes me pretty reluctant to report him.
Since, ya know, he knows where I live.
[Note: I am not soliciting advice. I know what my options are, and I'm weighing them.]
These Are Just Some Very Solid Quotes from a Really Super Guy
1. Paul Ryan says Team Romney/Ryan didn't lose because their policies are crap and they are garbage nightmares, but because of
I don't think we lost it on those budget issues, especially on Medicare; we clearly didn't lose it on those issues. I think the surprise was some of the turnout, some of the turnout especially in urban areas, which gave President Obama the big margin to win this race.Better luck next voter suppression!
I love the idea, by the way, that "urban" voters don't vote on the issues. That is definitely the way to convey your respect for "urban" voters! If "urban" voters actually did reflexively vote against you without even the tiniest consideration for any of your contemptible policies, I WOULD NOT BLAME THEM.
Oh well, at least you can console yourself with the knowledge that you definitely won the white bigot vote! GOOD JOB! You and your party have totally SEALED THE DEAL with the most endangered and grossest demographic in the country! Congrats.
2. Paul Ryan says that losing the election was really tough, especially for a couple of privileged specimens who are used to having everything handed to them.
It was an unusual election day for Ryan, his first loss. He said losing was "a foreign experience. It's tough to describe it."Hear that, birthers? Losing is a foreign experience for Paul Ryan. Looks like Barack Obama is the REAL AMERICAN after all!
Somebody bring me the birth certificates of those two losers STAT!
And their college transcripts, too. Just to be safe.
Photo of the Day
Above: Misa and her cat Fukumaru, who have been companions since Misa found Fukumaru as a kitten, abandoned in a shed, thirteen years ago. Their story has been documented by Misa's granddaughter, photographer Miyoko Ihara, and compiled for publication in a book called Misao the Big Mama and Fukumaru the Cat. More photos can be seen here.
[H/T to Shaker Westsidebecca.]
Sing It, Sister
[Content Note: Misogyny.]
Actress Keira Knightley on picking complex female characters and how the female film audience is underserved by the dearth of interesting female roles:
It is very difficult to find really interesting roles and there are very few, so I feel incredibly fortunate that [Anna Karenina is a role I got to play].Another interesting observation from the same interview: "I think in a lot of modern films, the female characters mainly always have to be likeable." Which is something Melissa Martin and I were talking about on Twitter just the other day.
I think, in general, the female audience is a massive one, and actually it's one that's rarely really tapped into. Everybody is after that very famous and rather elusive demographic of men, age 18-24. Well, actually, I'm not in that demographic and I want to see women who are complex and strange and people who I can relate to and be terrified of and want to be and all the rest of it.
So, I guess, as an actor, that's what I'm looking for: those people that interest me the most.
It's not just in the movies, that, either, is it? There is an extraordinary amount of pressure on women to be uncomplicated and likable in real life, too.
Bitch is really just a slur that means a woman who wants possession of her full humanity.
Daily Dose of Cute
Sophie: "Somebody pet me!"
Zelda: "I will give you nudges and kisses!"
Sophie: "Now I share the love with you."
Fin.
In The News
[Content note: Racism, domestic violence]
News and Things:
An Idaho scientist plans to float a blimp over Idaho in search of the mythic, ape-like Bigfoot. Good luck!
UPS has confirmed that it will disqualify groups like the Boy Scouts of America that discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. Good.
On streets of Athens, Greece, racist attacks increase.
An Arizona woman ran her husband down with an SUV after he failed to vote against Obama.
Following last week's wins, everyone seems to be looking forward to see where marriage equality will strike next. Some ideas here.
Work began to exhume the body of PLO leader Yasser Arafat amid an investigation of his 2004 death. It appears he may have been murdered.
Google is being pressed to resolve the FTC's antitrust probe in the next few days or face a lawsuit.
Need an Xmas gift idea? Severed Wampa Arm Ice Scraper!
And finally: 3D-printed jet car from Buckaroo Banzai. Neat!
Five Abolition Movies I'd Like to See
Dear Hollywood:
So it seems you're making a movie about abolition, specifically centering around Lincoln and the 13th Amendment. That's great!
Unfortunately, it seems that you have managed to make this exciting story about the end of slavery almost entirely about white people, with African-Americans reduced to symbolic, supporting characters in their own story. That's.... not so great. Telling the story of a genuine triumph against racism while perpetuating the racist stereotype that only white people really mattered in that triumph is a pretty big problem.
So! Because I know that sometimes fresh ideas are elusive, let me give you five ideas for 5 big, epic, blockbuster-type movies about abolition and the Civil War era that I'd like to see:
1.The Frederick Douglass Epic.
2.The Sojourner Truth Saga.
3.The Robert Smalls Story. (Special bonus: I already have the pitch: "Glory at sea!")
4.Harriet Tubman, Spy and Scout.
5. Incidents in the Life of Harriet Jacobs.
You're welcome!
Love,
Aphra
P.S. I have more ideas too if you're at all interested in reading some of them.
Quote of the Day
"And to think that the guy who coined the phrase 'axis of evil' is now the moral conscience of the Republican Party."—Brad DeLong, on David Frum's recent appearance on "Morning Joe," in which Frum detailed the problems plaguing the Republican Party, from the top to the bottom and back again. Like:
I believe the Republican Party is a party of followership. The problem with the Republican leaders is that they're cowards.... The real locus of the problem is the Republican activist base and the Republican donor base. They went apocalyptic over the past four years. And that was exploited by a lot of people in the conservative world. I won't soon forget the lupine smile that played over the head of a major conservative institution when he told me that our donors think the apocalypse has arrived.As you may recall, Frum was last seen sounding like a feminist compared the rest of his garbage party.
Republicans have been fleeced and exploited and lied to by a conservative entertainment complex.... Because the followers, the donors and the activists are so mistaken about the nature of the problems the country faces the nature--I mean, it's just a simple question. I went to Tea Party rallies and I would ask this question: "have taxes gone up or down in the past four years?" They could not answer that question correctly. Now it's true that taxes will go up if the President is re-elected. That's why we're Republicans. But you have to know that taxes have not gone up in the past. And "do we spend a trillion dollars on welfare?" Is that true or false? It is false. But it is almost universally believed.
[H/T to Iain.]
Love Prevailed
by Shaker GoldFishy
[Content Note: Heterocentrism; privilege.]
On Tuesday, November 6, 2012, Minnesotans made history. Ours is the first state to defeat a proposed state constitutional amendment aimed at defining marriage as "solely between one man and one woman." Thirty states have implemented similar bans, and we stopped the trend. Much of that was because of factors I described a couple of weeks ago (and one I didn't: we had a full 18 months to campaign against it—truly a luxury of time compared to the more typical 4-6 months), but I think we couldn't have done it without a massive coalition known as Minnesotans United for All Families. In the last seven days before the election, Minnesotans United for All Families made 900,000 phone calls, knocked on 400,000 doors, and had 27,000 volunteers working to defeat the amendment.
The Captain and I had the opportunity in the weeks preceding the election to participate in the "Vote NO" effort as volunteers (in addition to the seemingly endless requests we made via email, Facebook, and letters). We made phone calls, knocked on doors, and we even distributed literature on the eve of Election Day in our little town of 5,000 people. It was all very exhilarating, frightening, and draining. After those emotional days (I cried almost every night on my way home from phone-banking, and sometimes on the way in), to have stopped that hurtful amendment in its tracks…well, it was overwhelming. Even today—a week and SEVERAL viewings later—I cannot watch the video of the "moment of victory" without tearing up.
[Video Description: The video should begin at 2:33. Campaign Manager Richard Carlbom of Minnesotans United for All Families is speaking to campaign staff and board members at 1:45am, just before they have to vacate the room for the night, thanking them for their hard work and telling them the vote is still too close to call. Just as he's wrapping up and sending everyone home to get some sleep, he is interrupted by the campaign's communications director Kelly Schwinghammer, who tells him that the AP has called it in favor of equality. He lifts his arms in the air and shouts joyously, and the room erupts into a celebration of cheers and hugs.]
I'm so very proud that we made our small contributions to a truly staggering community effort put forth by lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, trans* folks, college kids, people of faith, people of color, coworkers, teens, veterans, widows, PFLAG parents, siblings, union members, business owners, physicians, Democrats, Republicans, and so many others. It was a broad coalition working together on behalf of equality.
In our local office, there was even a man from Utah who told me that he knew his state was nowhere near being able to have marriage equality, so he took vacation time, flew to Minnesota and volunteered with our efforts for a couple weeks. He alone made thousands of phone calls on our behalf. More than a couple times, I was the only self-identified gay person in my volunteer group, and I was almost always in the minority. So many of my fellow volunteers expressed that they were volunteering because even though they didn't identify as LGBT, they knew that this amendment was hurtful and they had to stand up against it. That kind of support and love was immensely humbling.
And all that effort worked. For the first time EVER, a state constitutional amendment to ban marriage equality (seriously, WTF? How can we still be putting up with this?) was defeated, and defeated soundly. (In Minnesota, a non-vote on a constitutional amendment counts as a "no," and we were planning on that to give us an edge. As it turns out, we had 52% of the vote, and didn't even need the 1% of non-votes!) And it was defeated not by focusing on how mean our opponents were (and they were truly mean, manipulative, and dishonest), but by talking about the importance of love. Love prevailed.
The day after the election, I received an email from our friend Rob, who lives with his partner in Boston, and he shared this anecdote (which I share here with his permission):
"Yesterday when [my husband] and I got a call telling us his family sat down together and they all discussed how and why they needed to vote no, I felt a great amount happiness to be part of an amazing family."This. So this. In Minnesota, people have been having conversations about what marriage means to them and others. These are conversations about shared values of love, commitment, and of belonging. These are conversations about how respecting individuals cannot exclude full participation, and how valuing your friends and family members means welcoming them into all the traditions they wish to enjoy. If we are to be valued, we must not be excluded. And these conversations aren't always easy—or even possible—but they were absolutely the key to this remarkable victory.
Now, I wouldn't say we really had a total "win," because we also learned how hurtful some of our families and neighbors are willing to be. And we don't yet have marriage equality in Minnesota. (I joked with my fellow volunteers that we sure were working hard to protect rights we don't have.) But we stood our ground, and we helped thousands upon thousands of people realize that it was our lives, our futures, our hopes at stake.
So please join me in thanking and honoring the many people who worked so hard to stop Minnesota's anti-marriage-equality amendment and preserve our hope for the future. Today Minnesota, my home, has embraced me. It is so wonderful.
(Also, HUGE congratulations to Maine, Maryland, and Washington for their successful passage of marriage equality. I have friends in each of those states, and I'm so happy for them! Yay!)
Petraeus Affair: The Latest
[Content Note: Harassment.]
I don't even know what's going on anymore. Maybe you can make head or tails of it. If you can, let me know! Thaaaaaaaaanks!
Reuters—Timeline of Events Surrounding CIA Director Petraeus' Resignation.
Wall Street Journal—FBI Agent in Petraeus Case Under Scrutiny: "New details about how the Federal Bureau of Investigation handled the case suggest that even as the bureau delved into Mr. Petraeus's personal life, the agency had to address conduct by its own agent—who allegedly sent shirtless photos of himself to a woman involved in the case prior to the investigation."
Washington Post—Petraeus Investigation Ensnares Commander of US and NATO Troops in Afghanistan: "The FBI probe into the sex scandal that prompted CIA Director David Petraeus to resign has expanded to ensnare Gen. John R. Allen, the commander of US and NATO troops in Afghanistan, the Pentagon announced early Tuesday. According to a senior US defense official, the FBI has uncovered between 20,000 and 30,000 pages of documents—most of them e-mails—that contain 'potentially inappropriate' communication between Allen and Jill Kelley, the 37-year-old Tampa woman whose report of harassment by a person who turned out to be Petraeus's mistress ultimately led to Petraeus's downfall."
Department of Defense—Statement by the Secretary of Defense on General John Allen: "On Sunday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation referred to the Department of Defense a matter involving General John Allen, Commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. Today, I directed that the matter be referred to the Inspector General of the Department of Defense for investigation, and it is now in the hands of the Inspector General. I have informed the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. The House Armed Services Committee has also been notified."
NBC—Emails on 'Coming and Goings' of Petraeus, Other Military Officials Escalated FBI Concerns: "What most alarmed the FBI, the source said, were references to 'the comings and goings' of high-level generals from the US Central Command, which is based at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, and the US Southern Command, as well as Petraeus—including events that were not on any public schedule. This raised the question as to whether somebody had access to sensitive—and classified—information."
AP—Petraeus Said to Be Shocked by Girlfriend's Emails: "CIA Director David Petraeus was shocked to learn last summer that [Paula Broadwell] was suspected of sending threatening emails warning another woman to stay away from him, former staff members and friends told The Associated Press Monday. Petraeus told these associates his relationship with the second woman, Tampa socialite Jill Kelley, was platonic, though his biographer-turned-lover Paula Broadwell apparently saw her as a romantic rival. Retired Gen. Petraeus also denied to these associates that he had given Broadwell any of the sensitive military information alleged to have been found on her computer, saying anything she had must have been provided by other commanders during reporting trips to Afghanistan."
ABC—FBI: Petraeus Affair Part of Criminal Probe: "The FBI withheld its findings about Gen. David Petreaus' affair from the White House and congressional leaders because the agency considered them the result of a criminal investigation that never reached the threshold of an intelligence probe, law enforcement sources said today. The sources said agents followed department guidelines that generally bar sharing information about developing criminal investigations. The FBI is also aware of its history under former director J. Edgar Hoover of playing politics and digging into the lives of public figures. As one official said, the rules are designed to protect people (both private and elected officials) when negative information about them arises in the course of a criminal investigation that is not a crime."
Echidne—The Petraeus Puzzle: "The nasty bits on all this attention are what you might expect: On The Other Woman. ... And did you start counting the time to the first evo-psycho article about why Petraeus, A Man With Everything, did something so stupid for sex? I haven't found one yet (though I'm confident that it is in the works), but I did come across this inane television conversation with one S.E. Cupp asking why great men are willing to sacrifice everything for sex, all through the times! None of the people point out that Paula Broadwell, the woman Petraeus admitted having had an affair with, seems to have sacrificed pretty much everything for sex, too. If we call an affair just sex. I doubt she can salvage her career as a biographer after this, and I'm not sure what the consequences are for her marriage. The only difference between her situation and that of Petraeus is that the society ranks his success much higher."
Discuss.
Top Five
Here is your topic: Top Five Favorite Television Theme Songs. Go!
Please feel welcome to share stories about why your Top Five picks are what they are, though a straight-up list is fine, too. Please refrain from negatively auditing other people's lists, because judgment discourages participation.
Question of the Day
Suggested by Shaker Secjwick: What do you order on your pizza?
As always, "I hate pizza" is a viable answer, too.
I'm pretty flexible about my pizza toppings. I'm not thrilled with black olives, which I don't fancy in any context, and I can pass on green peppers, which I do like raw but overwhelm other flavors for me when cooked, but otherwise I'll have what you're having.
My personal favorites are ham and pineapple, or chicken and spinach. Neither of which Iain likes, naturally.
Photo of the Day
From the Telegraph's Pictures of the Day for 9 November 2012: A Lord of the Rings fan has built a Hobbit Hole from 2,600 balloons. Jeremy Telford, 34, spent 40 hours over three days inflating the balloons using a hand-pump. And, thanks to a very understanding wife, the Tolkien fan was able to build the structure in his living room in Pleasant Grove, Utah. [Jeremy Telford / Rex Features]If Telford's "very understanding wife" managed to stay uninvolved in this project, I would be highly impressed. There's no way this level of nerdery could be going on at Shakes Manor without both of us having our noses way the hell up in it!
Important Announcement
I don't want to see Lincoln, the Steven Spielberg biopic of President Abe Lincoln. I was very excited to see Daniel Day-Lewis all dressed up as Lincoln, but it turns out that was the absolute zenith of my excitement for the film. Whooooops!
I'm sure Steven Spielberg is devastated at the thought of not getting my $8. Oh well. Better luck next biopic, Steven Spielberg!
Oh, also? If you're wondering if this has anything at all to do with the fact that the trailers for the film are very heavy on Lincoln Freed the Slaves! without (m)any black people themselves actually appearing anywhere in the trailer, the answer to that would be yup!
I mean, sure, yes, very good job, Mr. Lincoln! All of that. But I am fast-forwarding one million years (give or take) until the Spielberg Cyborg Gen 5-L is making a movie about marriage equality called "Obama," all about Mr. Obama's brave personal affirmation that same-sex marriage may not technically end civilization, and I'm thinking IN THE FUTURE (complicated) about how the movie should maybe be about my friends who went door-to-door with their hearts in their throats asking their neighbors who have been given the opportunity to vote on their civil rights to please do the right thing.
I guess it's just that I already know Abraham Lincoln did some stuff. Is what I'm saying.
Monday Blogaround
This blogaround brought to you by hats.
Recommended Reading:
Digby: Someone Please Remind the President He Got a Progressive Mandate
Maya: Race and the Gender Gap: White Women Supported Romney by 56 to 42 Percent
Adrienne: Guess We Can Add Victoria's Secret to the List [Content Note: The post at this link includes discussion and imagery of racism and objectification.]
Helen: Beatie Divorce [Content Note: The post at this link includes discussion of transphobia and gender essentialism.]
Ragen: It's Not a Civil Debate [Content Note: The post at this link includes discussion of fat bias and eliminationism.]
Andy: Kyrsten Sinema Victorious in Arizona House Race; Becomes 1st Openly Bisexual Member of Congress
Jill: Just Look at This Ridiculously Awesome R2-D2 Vespa
Leave your links and recommendations in comments...
Discussion Thread: New to Me
This is a thread to share excitement about your recent discovery of Something Neat in the World. Could be a vegetable you tried for the first time, a type of shoe you never wore before and now love, a cooking technique you just heard of recently, an old band through whose back catalog you're currently pouring, whatever!
The inspiration for this thread comes care of black bean hummus, which I just had for the first time. I love traditional hummus, and the black bean variation knocked my socks off!
Whooooooops Never Mind
[Content Note: Fat hatred; food policing.]
BBC: Denmark to abolish tax on high-fat foods.
The Danish government has said it intends to abolish a tax on foods which are high in saturated fats.Why is the "fat tax" being rescinded? Because not only has it failed to magically turn all fat Danes thin, but the tax has "inflated food prices and put Danish jobs at risk," at least in part because "some Danes had begun crossing the border into Germany to stock up on food there."
The measure, introduced a little over a year ago, was believed to be the world's first so-called "fat tax".
Foods containing more than 2.3% saturated fat - including dairy produce, meat and processed foods - were subject to the surcharge.
...The Danish tax ministry said it was also cancelling its plans to introduce a tax on sugar, the AFP news agency reports.
There is precious little evidence that the existence of fat people have a significant impact on a national economy, despite claims to the contrary, but there is demonstrable evidence that foolish attempts to make fat people not-fat do. I'm just saying.
Here Are Some Fun Things to Read
Politico—The GOP's Media Cocoon: "A long-simmering generational battle in the conservative movement is boiling over after last week's shellacking, with younger operatives and ideologues going public with calls that Republicans break free from a political-media cocoon that has become intellectually suffocating and self-defeating."
Washington Post—GOP's Red America Forced to Rethink What It Knows About the Country: "Here in the heart of Red America, Cox and many others spent last week grieving not only for themselves and their candidate but also for a country they now believe has gone wildly off track. The days after Barack Obama's reelection gave birth to a saying in Central Tennessee: Once was a slip, but twice is a sign."
There has been a lot of postmortem analysis of What Went Wrong, and much of it has been amusing to read, because it is all avoiding the most obvious problem: The Republican platform is garbage.
The GOP doesn't need better rhetoric behind which to hide its grotesque policies, nor more diverse candidates to be the public face of them. It just needs better policies.
And until the party and its supporters are ready to deal with that fundamental truth, this is merely the beginning of a long slide into irrelevance.
Which, y'know, is fine by me.
In The News
[Content note: Racism]
News and Opinion:
Mitt Romney did slightly worse among Mormon voters this year than George W. Bush did in 2004. Whoops!
Obama to win Florida, CNN projects, sweeping all battleground states. Whoops!
This is fun: Go to Mitt Romney's Facebook page. Note the number of likes. Refresh the page. LOLOLOL!!
San Francisco becomes first US city to offer free trans surgery. Neat!
Were you waiting for a gay James Bond for some reason? Don't hold your breath!
A key part of American civil rights law is now in danger of being nullified by the Supreme Court. Good-bye, Voting Rights Act! Also: Are you fucking kidding me?!
The day after Barack Obama won his re-election bid, the chief executive of Murray Energy, Robert E. Murray, fired 156 people. Just like Jesus would do!
I still hate sports: Seattle Sounders soccer dude Marc Burch has been suspended for three games for calling another player an anti-gay slur at a playoff game last week.
The Walking Thread
^ This fucking guy, amirite?
(Spoilers are lurching around all grody and hissing herein.)
Ugh, this show. It is either definitely a comedy that is flying way under the radar or it is so terrible that even terrible is like, "I am insufficient to describe this show." Maybe both?
Okay, so in this garbage episode of this garbage show, Grimes Gang 1.0 are still holed up at Zombie Prison, where life is a nightmare and Grimes has become AN EMOTIONAL ZOMBIE. If you are ever in need of something to hold down a giant weather balloon before your incredible space jump, use one of the metaphors from this show.
Grimes doesn't even give a squirt about his brand new
Turns out that Grimes has been WRONG ALL ALONG in thinking that as long as he wanted everything to be okay and yelled at people enough and murdered the right people and the most zombies, it would indeed be okay. Terrible hypothesis, Grimes! CASE CLOSED. Turn over operations to Glenn promptly and go jump in a zombie well.
Also: Maggie and Daryl found baby formula, diapers, and a bottle in an abandoned daycare center. Good job, you two! Also it looks like Daryl found a sexy new serape. Nice!
Meanwhile, Grimes Gang 2.0 is all Truman Show 2: Beyond Thunderdome. The seemingly nice townsfolk enjoy a fun game of zombie gladiators in which Merle and some other dude fight in the middle of chained-up zombies while everyone cheers. Because obviously EVERY SINGLE PERSON would definitely be okay with that. Except newcomer Andrea, who is all, "Whoa, Gov'nuh!" And Governor Niam Leeson is all, "Don't worry—it's fixed! We pull their teeth out!" Which is definitely the perfect response because the only concern is how someone might be zombified and not that everyone is TRADING THEIR HUMANITY FOR THEIR FEELINGS OF SAFETY PATRIOT ACT.
During zombie gladiators, Iain looked up from his phone, on which he'd been doing important Fantasy Football research (or something) during most of the episode, and said, "What the fuck? Every time I look up, this show has gotten stupider." Pretty much!
Other things that happened with Grimes Gang 2.0: Michonne bailed, because she has a brain. Governor Niam Leeson combed his zombie daughter's hair until whoooooops part of her scalp came off and he put a cheese sack over her head and put her back in her giant aquarium or wherever he keeps her. And Andrea continued to behave like a garbage monster.
So, your basic Walking Dead episode, in which virtually everyone does stupid and unlikable things, and the plot moves forward in an increment of measurement too small to be calculated without the assistance of an electron microscope.
Finally! Just because it cannot be said enough: Rick Grimes is terrible. I would pay a zombie so many Ronpaulbuxxx to eat him.
Discuss.
