Given my answer to last night's QotD, and this sassy nerdery, the obvious question is: What is your favorite television theme song?
Putting both the Golden Girls and Laverne & Shirley themes in a league of their own, and noting that Deeky is, as per usual, full of shit, I will declare a three-way tie between Good Times, The Greatest American Hero, and Hill Street Blues, the last two of which were composed by Mike Post, whose résumé pretty much reads like a list of the Greatest TV Themes Evah.
Question of the Day
From the Mailbag
Shaker Marked Hoosier sends on this article, which he aptly describes as a CNN anchor concern trolling about Plan B being made available to 17-year-olds. He does a hell of a lot of hand-wringing over the idea of a 17-year-old managing her own reproduction for someone who never mentions that the age of consent is 17 or younger in all but 8 states, even as he whines: "In most states, minors can't get a tattoo, body piercings or go to a tanning salon without a parent's permission, but we are going to leave them alone to take Plan B."
Shaker Hillevi sends this article with the note: "I don't know whether to weep that giving up sex for a week is described as 'the ultimate sacrifice' or whether to celebrate women organizing in a country where they are grossly marginalized." As for me, I just can't get beyond my angst that sex is still the best bargaining chip most women have.
Shaker InfamousQBert forwards this post about the Australian Harper's Bazaar featuring "plus-sized" model Crystal Renn. The images are really amazing, just for the sheer fact that it's revolutionary to see a woman of her size in fashion photos. (One note of warning: There's some "real woman" stuff in comments there.)
Shaker David sends this interesting op-ed from the Boston Globe positing that women's involvement in the legislature is behind the (incomplete) progressive agenda there.
Shaker ksfeminist emails: "I was listening to NPR on my way to work today and 'The Walt Bodine Show' had Lily Ledbetter as their guest. If any Shakers are interested in hearing the interview, the audio should be posted tomorrow here."
And Shaker Siobhan sends along this article (with a trigger warning) about Tyra Banks testifying against a stalker and headlined: "Supermodel and Her Admirer Meet, Face to Face in Court." Notes Siobhan dryly: "Because, as we all know, stalking is a compliment." Sigh.
Daily Kitteh
The girls pose with the DVD that Misty, Maude bless her,
sent me as an early birthday present—Season One of Maude:
We can't WAIT to watch it. Well, maybe Sophie can.
Girls Suck!
Everyone in the multiverse has emailed me this shitpile of an article at CNN, and I can't even bring myself to spend the sort of time with it that a serious rebuttal would require. It's crazymakingly infuriating.
All I could think as I read it was: "This is how misogynist men are made."
Have at it in comments, Shakers.
Feel the Homomentum!
Today Maine, tomorrow Main Street! (I know that sort of makes no sense, but you know what I mean, right?)
This morning, April 30, the Maine Senate voted 20-15 in favor of LD 1020, a marriage equality bill. It now moves to the House of Representatives. The Senate defeated an amendment to the bill that proposed putting the question of marriage equality for same-sex couples before voters.Gov. James Baldacci will sign it? Maybe? Hopefully?
...Maine currently provides same-sex couples with access to limited rights and benefits through a domestic partner registry. But, as did Vermont's Legislature, which pioneered civil unions, this was considered a half-measure, which didn’t provide all of the rights and responsibilities of full marriage equality. Similarly, New Jersey, which has civil unions, is considering full marriage equality, which will probably come up sometimes this year. And neighboring Connecticut, faced with the same situation, became the third state (after Massachusetts and Iowa) to grant full marriage equality.
...When and if Maine grants marriage equality, the only two remaining states [in New England] will be New Hampshire, where marriage equality made a giant step yesterday with passage in its legislature; and Rhode Island, where marriage equality is expected to be taken up by legislature sometime this year.
"Just as spring is coming to New England, so is marriage equality and it is just as welcome and just as sweet," GLAD Executive Director Lee Swislow said in a statement.
Fingers crossed. Go, Maine!
Ladies: Want to Be A Sports Reporter for Nike?
File your video application on the NikeWomen website.
Just two little stipulations.
1) You "gotta be an 18-to-24-year-old girl."
2) Judging from the video of one of last year's finalists, including lots of sweaty cleavage shots doesn't hurt.
Hrmph. Nike "women," indeed.
Edited to include a very grateful h/t to Shaker Ethel, with my apology!
Presenting ¡PRESENTE!
**ETA Scroll to the bottom for pre-made tweets to spread the word**
Presenting Presente.org:
Our goal is to create a broad-based online community of Latinos and our allies strong enough to make the United States honor its promises and protect our people. We’re starting with immigration, but we won’t stop there—we’ll provide you with ongoing opportunities to make change on the issues that most affect our communities.And from Nezua:
[O]ur voices have yet to be utilized and enjoined in a way that can efficiently organize around the issues that affect our communities. Don’t mistake what I say: the Latina/o (or “Hispanic”) community is famous for its ability to organize on the local level, and we are proud of this. And that is why it is time to continue to tie this ability and history together and bring it to an even higher level. ...[W]e should have a way to centralize and engage the politics that affect us on so many levels.That is one of the goals Presente.org hopes to achieve.
For more information, or to take part, please visit Presente.org.
And spread the word via twitter:
To direct people to Presente.org Please TWEET:
Stand and be counted, Latinas, Latinos, Hispanos, Gente, Amigos and Amigas! Join http://presente.org today. #latino #hispanic #immigration
Or TWEET:
Stand and be counted. Empower the Hispanic/Latin@ Community. Join http://presente.org today. #latino #hispanic #immigration
To direct people to Nezua's post
TWEET:
The Unapologetic Mexican: Presenting ¡PRESENTE! http://tinyurl.com/cw6fyp #immigration #latinas #latinos #hispanic
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Para dirigir personas a Presente.org Por favor
TWEETEA:
Ponte de pie y seas contado, Latinas, Latinos, Hispanos, Gente, Amigos y Amigas! Unete Hoy! http://presente.org #latino #hispano #inmigración #migrantes
O TWEETEA:
Ponte de pie y seas contado. Apodera a la comunidad Hispana/Latin@. Unete Hoy! http://presente.org #latino #hispano #inmigración #migrantes
Para dirigir personas a este post,
TWEETEA:
El Unapologetic Mexican: Presentando a ¡PRESENTE! http://tinyurl.com/cw6fyp #latino #hispano #inmigración #migrantes
Quote of The Day
"But don't kid yourself. For millions of teenagers around Britain and everywhere else, it is still 1973. Taunts, beatings and punishment await gay people the world over in playgrounds and execution grounds (the distance between which is measured by nothing more than political constitutions and human will). Yes, you will grow to be a very, very, very, very lucky man who is able to express his nature out loud without fear of hatred or reprisal from any except the most deluded, demented and sad. But that is a small battle won. A whole theatre of war remains. This theatre of war is bigger than the simple issue of being gay, just as the question of love swamps the question of mere sexuality. For alongside sexual politics the entire achievement of the enlightenment (which led inter alia to gay liberation) is under threat like never before. The cruel, hypocritical and loveless hand of religion and absolutism has fallen on the world once more."— Stephen Fry, actor, comedian, author, etc..., writes in a letter to his 16-year-old self.
Definitely go read the lengthy excerpt at the Guardian. The full letter appears in the Gay Times 25th anniversary issue.
Lost Open Thread
Last night's episode will be discussed in infinitesimal detail, so if you haven't seen it, and don't want any spoilers, move along...
Shaker Gourmet: Chocolate Toffee Crackers
Our recipe this week comes from Shaker puellasolis who warns that it is addictive and she takes no responsibility for any stomach ache that may occur after you've inhaled the whole batch.
If you'd like to participate in Shaker Gourmet, email me at: shakergourmet (at) gmail.comChocolate Toffee Crackers
Modified from Smitten Kitchen, and others
Makes one sheet pan of candy
Ingredients
1. matzoh or saltine crackers to fill a rimmed baking sheet, matzo cut to fit if necessary
2. 1 cup (1/2 pound, or 2 sticks) unsalted butter
3. 1/2 cup granulated sugar
4. 1/2 cup brown sugar (light or dark, as you wish)
5. large pinch of salt
6. 2 tablespoons water
7. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8. 1 1/2 cups semi- or bittersweet chocolate, chips or chopped
9. 3/4 cup nut(s) of your choice, sliced or chopped as appropriate, toasted if desired (I recommend almonds or pistachios)
10. coarse salt for sprinkling (probably overkill if you're using saltines)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Line a large (11x17") rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, including the sides, then place a sheet of parchment paper over the foil.
3. Arrange matzoh or crackers so that they cover the bottom of the baking sheet, breaking if necessary to fill the sheet. I recommend Deb's tip of pressing a serrated knife between perforations, not on them, in order to create neat edges.
4. In a medium heavy saucepan set over medium heat, combine butter, sugars, water, and pinch salt, stirring occasionally until butter has melted.
5. Bring mixture to a boil. Affix candy thermometer to side of pan, ensuring that the thermometer's tip does not touch the bottom of the pan. Boil gently, stirring only rarely and brushing sides of pan with a wet pastry brush as needed, until thermometer reads 300F, or hard crack stage. Meanwhile, measure out the vanilla and have it handy.
6. Remove mixture from heat and stir in vanilla, being careful of hot splatter.
7. Quickly pour mixture over matzoh on baking sheet, using spatula to spread it more or less evenly.
8. Bake matzoh and caramel until caramel starts to bubble, 5-10 minutes. Keep an eye on it--you don't want the caramel to burn.
9. Remove pan from oven and scatter chocolate over caramel. Let stand 5 minutes, or until chocolate has melted, then use an offset spatula to spread chocolate evenly over caramel.
10. Sprinkle with coarse salt and nuts, and let cool.
11. When chocolate has set, break crackers into pieces. Store in an air-tight container for up to 10 days.
Notes
1. If you're feeling impatient, you can help the chocolate along by placing the pan in the fridge after you've added the nuts and such.
2. I've used nuts here, but you could use all sorts of things: David Lebovitz suggests cacao nibs, and I bet some dried fruit would be lovely.
Still Pissed at Perez Hilton...
...Miss California to campaign against gay marriage.
Carrie Prejean told NBC's "Today" show Thursday that she'll be working with the National Organization for Marriage to "protect traditional marriages."I'm amused by the idea that marriage is "very dear to [her] heart" (like orphaned puppies or her Grandma Mima) and that "traditional marriage" needs saving, not from divorce, or abuse, or philandering, but from queers seeking just a sliver of equality.
The 21-year-old says that marriage is "something that is very dear to my heart" and she's in Washington to help save it.
Go, Miss California, fight the good fight in the name of bigotry and intolerance! I'm sure you'll make your home state proud.
Laverne, Surely
In yesterday's QotD, I noted that I loved the show Laverne & Shirley "so much that, I shit you not, a childhood friend and I performed the theme for a school talent show when we were in third grade. And Mama Shakes even stitched an L (for Liss/Laverne) onto my blouse for the occasion!" Which, naturally, prompted Mama Shakes to find and scan the image for me.
There is nothing we won't try;
Never heard the word "impossible."
This time there's no stopping us—
We're gonna do it!
Which is more awesome, do you think? My sassy pose, or that orange and brown shag carpeting? I'm going to call it a draw.
We Matter
by Shaker Lena Dahlstrom, a crossdresser from the San Francisco Bay area who also performs as a drag queen under the stage name "Joie de Vivre."
Yesterday was a bit of an emotional roller coaster for me.
I took grim satisfaction that the Library of Congress was ordered to pay Diane Schroer nearly $500,000 in what is the largest award in transgender job discrimination case. (Short version: Schroer, a former Army Special Forces commander, was widely agreed to be the most qualified applicant for a job as a terrorism analyst, but when the woman who offered the job found out that Schroer was transitioning from David to Diane, she had a blatantly transphobic freak-out and yanked the job offer the next day. We're still waiting to see if the Obama administration will appeal the decision.)
I was pleased to see the U.S. House of Representative once again passed a bill expanding anti-hate crimes laws to include both sexual orientation and gender identity/expression. (The real test will be when the Senate votes on it.)
I was ecstatic when the New Hampshire Senate unexpectedly passed a marriage equality bill, making that state poised to become the fifth one to allow same-sex marriages.
But there was also some news you probably didn't hear about. That same morning, the New Hampshire senators unanimously—let me repeat that, unanimously—voted to kill a bill that would have extended housing and employment anti-discrimination protections to trans people.
This came after the fundamentalist haters used a campaign of bearing false witness lies to portray it as a "bathroom bill"—a nickname picked up and used by the local media—that would allow male sexual predators in dresses into women's bathrooms. (Never mind that there's been no bathroom incidents in the 13 states that have similar laws. Or that trans people are already in bathrooms, because you know...sometimes we have to pee too.) Now evidently there was some sort of political maneuvering behind the vote, since even the sponsors voted against their own bill. One of the sponsors said that passing it now would only worsen the situation for trans people because of the way the bill was portrayed. (I guess they had to destroy the village to save it....) But whatever the good intentions, the 24-0 vote wound up sending the message: You don't deserve the same rights as everybody else. You don't even deserve a valiant-but-losing effort. You just don't matter.
It was yet another Prop. 8-like moment for trans issues, particularly given the contrast to the same-day marriage equality vote. I feel the same sort of bitter aftertaste to sweet success that I felt on Election Night. I'm beginning to feel like we trans people are human shields, taking the brunt of the anti-LGBT hatred out there while marriage equality is becoming mainstreamed. We're "those people," the ones who can be demonized, the ones who by comparison make the shiny, happy sex-same couples waiting to walk down the aisle looking ever so "normal." Because after all, they're the ones who matter.
You probably didn't hear about the vote, not even in the LGBT media/blogosphere. I guess having a ghost at the banquet is a bit of a downer. (FYI, I know a number of these sites knew about the story because I personally alerted them to it.) The thing is, it's just latest incident in their all-too-frequent deafening silence when it comes to trans-related issues and news. Schroer's victory was also MIA today. A week ago, a jury in rural Colorado took less than two hours to convict the killer of Angie Zapata of first degree murder and committing a hate crime—the first U.S. hate crime conviction ever in the murder of a trans person. It was the trans communities' equivalent of the Matthew Shepard murder and attracted hordes of attention from the mainstream media. The gay and lesbian media...not so much (with a few notable exceptions)—even on the eve of the federal hate crimes bill going to a vote. Because apparently the T in LGBT doesn't seem to matter.
But I wouldn't give the MSM a cookie either. All too often their coverage began: "A man who claimed he snapped after discovering a transgender woman was actually male..."—repeating as fact the exact same self-serving "trans panic" defense, the same "deceptive tranny" victim blaming, that the jury specifically rejected. Nor did they bother to mention that the evidence showed Zapata's killer knew she was trans 36 hours before she died, that there was no evidence that Zapata had sex with him that night she died, that he returned to finish her off when he realized she wasn't dead yet. Because we don't matter enough to get the story right.
I'll admit it, my nerves are a bit raw about this. In the past few weeks, we've seen a feminist blogger crack a tranny "joke" and then tell people who objected to lighten up (and STFU). Because after all, it was about "Mann Coulter" so it was OK. We've seen similar "you're just being too sensitive" comments posted over at Bitch Magazine directed toward those who thought a cartoon about lesbians who fetishize trans men was embodying the very attitudes it supposedly was critiquing. We've seen a series of problems with trans people being silenced in the comments discussions at Feministing and Feministe. (Though to their credit both sites are trying to address the problems.)
These problems ranged from plain old privileged cluelessness—"stop the discussion until someone explains what 'cisgender' means because I can't be bothered to figure it out for myself," to "I want to talk about how I deserve a cookie for being so enlightened about those exotic trans people," to "I know the post was about trans rights, but I want to talk about how I don't like sharing bathrooms with men"—to insisting that people's lives conform to someone's pet ideology, to outright transphobic attacks. When men engage in this sort of silencing behaviors, especially in feminist spaces, many feminist women are quick to anger and quick to call them on their shit. But when some of these very same women do the exact same thing to trans people...well, not so much. Because we don't matter.
Except, we do.
Obama Still Not Getting It on Abortion
Obama on abortion in his presser last night (emphasis mine):
QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President. In a couple of weeks, you're going to be giving the commencement at Notre Dame, and as you know, this has caused a lot of controversy among Catholics who are opposed to your position on abortion.Let's take this point by point.
As a candidate, you vowed that one of the very first things you wanted to do was sign the Freedom of Choice Act, which, as you know, would eliminate federal, state and local restrictions on abortion. And at one point in the campaign, when asked about abortion and life, you said that it was above -- quote, "above my pay grade."
Now that you've been president for a hundred days, obviously your pay grade is a little higher than when you were a senator. (Laughter.) Do you still hope that Congress quickly sends you the Freedom of Choice Act, so you can sign it?
MR. OBAMA: You know, the -- my view on -- on abortion, I think, has been very consistent. I think abortion is a moral issue and an ethical issue. I think that those who are pro-choice make a mistake when they -- if they suggest -- and I don't want create straw men here, but I think there are some who suggest that this is simply an issue about women's freedom and that there's no other considerations. I think, look, this is an issue that people have to wrestle with, and families and individual women have to wrestle with.
The reason I'm pro-choice is because I don't think women take that -- that position casually. I think that they struggle with these decisions each and every day, and I think they are in a better position to make these decisions, ultimately, than members of Congress or -- or a president of the United States, in consultation with their families, with their doctors, with their clergy.
So -- so that's -- that's been my consistent position.
The other thing that I said consistently during the campaign is, I would like to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies that result in women feeling compelled to get an abortion or at least considering getting an abortion, particularly if we can reduce the number of teen pregnancies, which has started to spike up again.
And so I've got a task force within the Domestic Policy Council in the West Wing of the White House that is working with groups both in the pro-choice camp and in the pro-life camp to see if we can arrive at some consensus on that.
Now, the Freedom of Choice Act is not my highest legislative priority. I believe that women should have the right to choose, but I think that the most important thing we can do to tamp down some of the -- the anger surrounding this issue is to focus on those areas that we can agree on. And that's -- that's where I'm going to focus.
Obama doesn't "want create straw men here," so instead he just creates a straw-woman, that mysterious yet ubiquitous pro-choice activist who "suggest[s] that this is simply an issue about women's freedom and that there's no other considerations." You know, the funny thing about that straw-woman is that she always seems to be invoked by ostensibly pro-choice men who seem to regard women's freedom—or, more accurately, women's autonomy, agency, and ownership of their own bodies—as the least important part of the abortion debate.
And if you're wondering if our president is one of those men, note his deeply unthrilling juxtaposition between "abortion is a moral issue and an ethical issue" and "those who are pro-choice make a mistake when they ... suggest that this is simply an issue about women's freedom and that there's no other considerations." He invokes that straw-woman who only cares about "women's freedom" specifically to lecture her on centralizing the moral component of abortion, because he has not internalized the idea that women's autonomy, agency, and ownership of their own bodies is itself a moral issue central to the abortion debate.
He then asserts that the reason he is pro-choice "is because I don't think women take that—that position casually," except, apparently, the pro-choice activist straw-women he just needed to scold in front of the nation to make sure everyone understands what a bipartisan hero he is. Suffice it to say I'm not happy that he feels obliged to invent heartless pro-choice activists who don't care about women who get abortions when they don't want to—because they have no other choices, because they're under- or unemployed, because they lack healthcare, because they lack daycare, because they lack the ability to care for themselves or existing children—just so that he can construct a false balance between pro-choicers who are wrong on the issue and anti-choicers who are wrong on the issue and cast himself as the Great Bipartisan Unaffected Observer Who's Going to Find the Common Ground.
"I would like to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies that result in women feeling compelled to get an abortion or at least considering getting an abortion," he says, as if that's not already the inevitable result if the comprehensive reproductive rights policies advocated by pro-choice activists were adopted. And he says it as if it's a new idea, and not one promoted and shared by reproductive rights activists. (And, very importantly, not promoted and shared by anti-choice activists.) He has to position himself outside both camps, in order to look like King Fucking Solomon, which is positively infuriating, given that he deliberately misrepresents the pro-choice reproductive rights movement to do it.
"So I've got a task force within the Domestic Policy Council in the West Wing of the White House that is working with groups both in the pro-choice camp and in the pro-life camp to see if we can arrive at some consensus on that," sayeth King Solomon. Great. Congratulations. Of course, pro-choice and women-centered pro-life groups have been holding summits for the past few years specifically to find common ground on issues like rights of pregnant incarcerated women, state-sponsored healthcare for pregnant women, making contraception affordable and accessible, requiring comprehensive sex education in schools, etc., but don't let us real women get in the way of your straw-women, captain.
And then the coup de grace, as he declares: "Now, the Freedom of Choice Act is not my highest legislative priority." Oh, really? Shocking.
I know I'm just a silly woman made out of real fleshy bits, and Obama tends to favor women made out of straw on the pro-choice side of this issue (women who, conveniently, can't get pregnant, heh), but I wonder why it is that the Freedom of Choice Act isn't one of his highest legislative priorities, given how inextricably linked economic resources (or the lack thereof) and abortion is.
Just sayin'.
Playing for Change
Something to make you smile this morning:
According to their site: "Playing for Change is a multimedia movement created to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music."
Two-Minute Nostalgia Sublime
In honor of President Obama's 101st day. Luckily, all the women (Hillary Clinton) the rightwing has ever (Nancy Pelosi) called Cruella De Vil are (Barbara Boxer) already on his (Dianne Feinstein) side.
Read These Now Before The World's Fastest Camera Exposes The GOP
O' bully! It's rebranding time for the GOP. The National Council for a New America is "not a Republican-only forum." What about "traditional America?" This "New America" might frighten the children. (CNN)" Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman (R), seen by many as a potential top-tier presidential candidate in 2012, has been uninvited from a local Michigan Republican club after announcing his support for civil unions between gay couples." That Gay Agenda sure is popular.Swine flu: Egypt orders cull of all pig herds. (Telegraph)British troops officially end combat operation in southern Iraq. (Guardian)Credit-Card Bill Progressing, But 'Cramdown' Is Doubtful.The "world's fastest camera" takes six million pics in a second. (Discover)Ed Koch is upset over the new documentary, OUTRAGE.Pet Airways to Offer Pet-only Flights. (Modern Cat)Pompeii and the Roman Villa: Art and Culture around the Bay of Naples. (LACMA) (LA Times)Remembrance Of Things Past Influences How Female Field Crickets Select Mates.Op-Ed: Reversing the Congressional Science Lobotomy.Ice Baby
(Cross-posted)
Assvertising
I just saw this commercial and it took me a long few seconds to register that I had in actually seen it:
Mayflower movers are easy to spot. They're the ones that always go the extra mile to protect what's precious. Even on their days off. That's why we've been protecting your belongings since 1927. Mayflower--we were made to move.Because the women designated as "brides" are precious belongings, get it? Although I usually avoid YouTube comments, I noticed that "MayflowerMoving" left a defense of the ad in comments:
MayflowerMoving says:Wow. That's love, folks, amirite? I mean, to be loved as much as some other people's stuff? Is it getting hot in here?
It's not meant to be sexist at all. Just meant to show that he loves her and wants to protect her as much as he loves protecting people's stuff for work.
Seriously, though, if you are reading this and thinking it's just a sweet and light-hearted little ad, think some more. It only seems romantic because of our deeply ingrained ideas of romance: woman as property, and man as its protector.
It's all part of what Zuska calls "the gender smog we breathe" (see also her follow-up here). The fact that so many reflexively move to defend these light-hearted ads, comic strips, and so forth is just more proof of how insidious our ideas of gender relations are, not a defense against the ubiquity of sexism.
Finally, it simply doesn't matter that the ad is not "meant to be sexist". Intent is irrelevant. the ad promotes retrogressive gender roles. If one has thoroughly internalized retrogressive ideas of gender roles, one doesn't have to "intend" to express sexist behavior--it just comes naturally.
[Assvertising: Parts One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty, Twenty-One, Twenty-Two, Twenty-Three, Twenty-Four, Twenty-Five, Twenty-Six, Twenty-Seven, Twenty-Eight, Twenty-Nine, Thirty, Thirty-One, Thirty-Two, Thirty-Three, Thirty-Four, Thirty-Five, Thirty-Six, Thirty-Seven, Thirty-Eight, Thirty-Nine, Forty, Forty-One, Forty-Two, Forty-Three, Forty-Four, Forty-Five, Forty-Six, Forty-Seven, Forty-Eight, Forty-Nine, Fifty, Fifty-One, Fifty-Two, Fifty-Three, Fifty-Four, Fifty-Five, Fifty-Six, Fifty-Seven, Fifty-Eight, Fifty Nine, Sixty.]
Question of the Day
We've done this one before, but not for almost (gack!) four years, so here it is again: What should be the theme song of Shakesville?
My submission is the theme from Laverne & Shirley, a show I loved so much that, I shit you not, a childhood friend and I performed the theme for a school talent show when we were in third grade. And Mama Shakes even stitched an L (for Liss/Laverne) onto my blouse for the occasion!
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight:
Schlameel! Schlamazel! Hasenpfeffer Incorporated!
We're gonna do it!
Give us any chance, we'll take it.
Give us any rule, we'll break it.
We're gonna make our dreams come true—
Doin' it our way!
Nothin's gonna turn us back now.
Straight ahead and on the track now.
We're gonna make our dreams come true—
Doin' it our way!
There is nothing we won't try;
Never heard the word "impossible."
This time there's no stopping us—
We're gonna do it!
On your mark, get set, and go now.
Got a dream and we just know now,
We're gonna make that dream come true.
And we'll do it our way, yes, our way,
Make all our dreams come true,
And we'll do it our way, yes, our way,
Make all our dreams come true—
For me and you.
Meet David Horsey, Pulitzer-Prize-Winning Cartoonist
David Horsey won two Pulitzers, in 1999 and 2002, for his political cartoons for the now-defunct Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Now the P-I's successor, seattlepi.com, has given him a blog. Needless to say, it won't be winning any Pulitzers.
(BTW, the title of this post, "The skinny on beauty queens," refers to the fact that Horsey prefers his beauty queens with "a healthy bit of meat on their bones.")
The saving grace of Barbie is that she could never open her mouth and say something that would reveal the empty space in her little plastic head.Hmmm, I always thought the saving grace of Barbie was that you could pop her little plastic head off, make her little plastic boyfriend wear girl clothes, and put her little plastic body in the microwave. But maybe Horsey didn't play with his Barbies the way I did.
Moving on:
Lately, real life BarbiesWait a minute. "Real life Barbies"? I'm no fan of beauty contests, but I do think their contestants are, you know, human.
Lately, real life Barbies have been making news for opening their mouths and letting their deepest thoughts spill out. Last year, a Miss Teenage USA contestant gained instant Youtube notoriety with a rambling, utterly nonsensical monologue about world affairs that made Sarah Palin look like a genius in comparison. More recently, at the climax of the Miss USA pageant, Miss California was asked to share her opinion about gay marriage and, when she expressed the view that marital bliss is intended for Kens and Barbies, not Kens and Kens, she was pilloried.On the one hand: Human Barbies shouldn't open their silly little mouths--they're in a beauty contest, not the National Merit Finals! On the other hand, isn't it hilarious when beauty queens try to think because good-looking women are so stupid!
... Personally, I'm not especially upset when a beauty queen expresses an opinion with which I may not agree. Thank the Lord for the First Amendment. And, like every other smarty-pants cultural elitist in the country, I am hugely entertained when one of them proves incapable of expressing any coherent opinion whatsoever.
Unfortunately, Horsey's utter lack of a coherent point, unlike making Ken play dress-up, isn't "hugely entertaining." However, it certainly proves that he's "incapable of expressing any coherent opinion whatsoever." Maybe cartoonists, like beauty queens, ought to keep their mouths shut and do what they're good at.
Via my friend Stephanie, who notes, "Men compete in stupid, degrading contests, too. I'd say professional footballers aren't exactly the brightest bulbs in the bunch, but you don't see David Horsey gleefully cheering at their stupidity."
Quote of the Day
"I do think it's important for young women to know that magazine covers are retouched. People don't really look like that. In films I might look glamorous, but I've been in hair and make-up for two hours; someone's been lighting a scene for three hours. With the nudity in The Reader, for example, even I was like, 'Damn, I look good.' And that was the lighting—it was a bit of body make-up. I don't believe in pretending those things don't go on."—Kate Winslet, in a new interview with Marie Claire.
Number of the Day
20. The percentage (pdf) of American adults who identify as Republican, according to the new NBC/WSJ poll. And 7% of those identify as "not very strong Republican." Ouch.
[Via.]
Daily Kitteh
Today's Daily Kitteh is political and Progressive because Miss Delia hugs a tree.
Mister Dashiell sleeps amongst plants.
Feel the Homomentum!
Shaker JR_JR emails: "New Hampshire Senate passes gay-marriage bill: Since they made some changes, it has to go back to the House for reapproval, but they will likely pass it. Yay, New Hampshire!"
There is still an outside possibility, however, that the governor will veto the measure. But proponents of the law have done everything they can to squelch every possible objection:
[A]n amendment was added that prohibits polygamy and marriage of family members, among other measures. ... The last-minute changes to the legislation would [also] allow clergy to decline to marry homosexual couples and give couples the freedom to either keep the words "bride" and "groom" on marriage licenses, or simply use the word "spouse" instead.New Hampshire has already had civil unions since 2007.
Every state that legalizes same-sex marriage puts more pressure on the federal government to recognize same-sex marriages, so let's go, New Hampshire! Woot!
Tonight's Viewing at Casa Petulant
Since the World Health Organization raised the pandemic alert level to five, I will watch:
I had thought about The Stand, but I watched it not too long ago.
(Cross-posted)
100 Daze
I've got a new piece up at The Guardian's CifA in which I imagine the first 100 days of a McCain presidency in an alternate universe:
Day 1: Having spent the nearly three months between election day and inauguration day being brought up to speed by Dick Cheney on effective concealment strategies for the Bush administration's plethoric dirty secrets and giving Vice President Sarah Palin a crash-course in introduction to government, President McCain does not hit the ground running. He is stunned to find out that the September suspension of his campaign did not magically solve the financial crisis and that the fundamentals of the economy are not strong.Read the whole thing here.
Day 2: President McCain nominates the only Republican willing to accept the position as secretary of the Treasury, whose appointment is fast-tracked through Congress in light of the growing economic crisis.
Day 3: Treasury secretary Ron Paul promptly disbands the department of the Treasury.
Days 4-18: The stock markets crash, precipitating a run on the banks, which in turn hastens the financial collapse. Mass chaos erupts across the country. Vice President Palin blames the economic catastrophe on University of Illinois professor William Ayers and calls for his execution. Texas announces its secession from the union. Chuck Norris is elected president of Texistan.
Day 19: President McCain tries to restore order by giving a televised speech which will later become known as the "My Friends, We're Fucked" debacle.
And check out the rest of the great "100 Days" coverage at CifA.
Pedal to the Metal, Jesus
Florida lawmakers rammed a crucified Jesus license plate as a "specialty" option in a bill.
Gov. Charlie Crist said: "If people don't want one they don't have to buy one. What does it say, in 'God we Trust' on every piece of monetary coins and paper we have? I think it's fine." Of course a man who is one H away from the lord thinks it is okay. I won't mention the rumors.
The ACLU in Florida issued this release:
The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, which has expressed opposition to the two religious license plates being rammed through the Florida Legislature, issued the following statement today, which can be attributed to Howard Simon, Executive Director:Enough said.
"It should not require a federal judge to tell the Florida Legislature and Gov. Charlie Crist that there is a difference between 'In God We Trust' on our money and the state's endorsement of the symbols of one particular religion.
"It is entirely inappropriate for the state to sponsor and fund the production of license plates depicting the Christ on the Crucifix and another with a cross and a depiction of a church.
"Governor Crist is both a lawyer and a politician.
"As a lawyer, he should know the difference between 'In God We Trust' and the state's endorsement, sponsorship and funding of sectarian religious symbols.
"As a politician, it would be a grave mistake to offend members of Florida's minority religious communities as well as those Christians who understand how their faith is protected by separation of church and state and whose faith is strong enough not to need state sponsorship of their religious beliefs."
Shameless, Brainless, Heartless, Factless, Full of Absolute Shit
Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-North Carolina): The, uh, hate crimes bill that's called the Matthew Shepard Bill is named after, uhn, uh, a very unfortunate incident that happened where a young man was killed, but we know, uh, that that young man was killed in the, uh, in the commitment [sic] of a robbery. It wasn't because he was gay. This—the bill was named for him, the hate crimes bill was named for him, but it, it's, it's really a hoax!More here.
Text: FALSE. Fact: "According to local police and prosecutors, the two men lured Mr. Shepard out of a bar by saying they were gay. Then, the Laramie police say, the pair kidnapped Mr. Shepard, pistol-whipped him with a .357 Magnum, and left him tied to a ranch fence for 18 hours until a passing bicyclist spotted Mr. Shepard, who was unconscious."—The New York Times, 10/12/98
Just to be clear, although Rep. Foxx may well be dumber than a box of rocks (with my apologies to rocks), what she is doing here is itself not the result of stupidity, though it is appallingly coarse: It is a deliberate strategy, an attempt to play into the ubiquitous conservative talking point you hear in opposition to hate crimes legislation that giving specific consideration to crimes committed against people on the basis of some specific part of their identity amounts to "special rights" and some kind of preferential treatment.
This is, of course, bullshit: The prosecution of hate crimes requires special consideration because when someone is targeted for hir race, nationality, sex, gender, sexual orientation, religion, it has the potential to affect everyone who shares that identity in hir community, state, across the entire nation. Period.
The accusation that supporters of hate crimes legislation are "exaggerating" the circumstances of Matthew Shepard's death to justify the policy is part of a shamefully cynical effort to undermine that rationale.
In case you'd like to call one of Rep. Foxx's offices and politely let her know she's got her facts wrong and politely request that she not perpetrate lies about Matthew Shepard and the much-needed Hate Crimes Bill, you can call her Washington office at 202-225-2071 or her North Carolina offices toll-free at 1-866-677-8968. You can also contact the National Republican Congressional Committee at 202-479-7000 and politely let them know you disapprove of Republican House members disparaging victims of hate crimes and telling demonstrable lies on the House floor.
[H/T to Bill.]
News from Shakes Manor
Last night, while watching Zachary Quinto, who plays Spock in the upcoming J.J. Abrams-helmed Star Trek film, being interviewed by Letterman…
Liss: He's very dry. I like his sense of humor.
Iain: Aye. He's gooing tae be very famous soomeday. Well, I s'poose he already is, because oov "Heroos." [pause; scratches Matilda's head] Why am'nt I famous yet?
Liss: Never done anything. Never tried anything.
Iain: [laughs loudly] Ye wereny s'poosed tae answer that! [looks at Matilda] Yer mum's a right arse'ole.
[Possibly the funniest thing about this conversation is that if Iain actually ever were to inexplicably become famous, he'd probably implode with panic in approximately 3.7 seconds. Which, btw, I say with all due admiration, because I'd last less than 2.]
Maddy
[M]y two children and my wife and I were sitting around the kitchen table, eating dinner. I was mid-transition. My older son, Zach, gave me a look.Go read the whole thing. And maybe keep a tissue handy.
"What," I said. He was 7.
"We can't keep calling you 'Daddy'," he said. "If you're going to be a girl. It's too weird."
..."Well," I said to my sons. "My new name is Jenny. You could call me Jenny."
Zach laughed derisively. "Jenny? That's the name you'd give a lady mule."
I tried not to be hurt. "O.K., fine. What do you want to call me?"
"The important thing, boys," Deedie said, "is that you pick something you're comfortable with."
Zach thought this over. He was pretty good at naming things. For a while we'd had a hermit crab named Grabber. Later on, we'd owned a snake named Biter.
"I know," he said. "Let's call you Maddy. That's like, half Mommy, and half Daddy. And anyhow, I know a girl at school named Maddy. She's pretty nice."
[H/T to Shaker j0lt.]
Wednesday Blogaround
This blogaround brought to you by Shaxco, publishers of Shakesville: The Blog for People Smart Enough to Scroll.
Recommended Reading:
Jess: Female Journalists Expected to Humiliate Themselves for Column Inches
Mannion: A Party Held Together with Spit, Chewing Gum, Baling Wire, and Duct Tape
John: Obama on Science
Jenn: Secret Identities: Parry Shen Unmasked
Andy: Nothing Gay in Star Wars, Game Company Insists
Lauredhel: Actual Feminist Cookies
Leave your links in comments...
Thinkin' Deeply About The Big Issue
My horoscope for today:
Try to think more deeply about that one big issue that has been troubling you lately. It may not be all that easy for you to figure out the intricate details, but you can see the shape of the whole.Hmmm... I guess the one big issue that troubles me is how to utilize kitties into the Progressive Movement for the benefit of others.
Either that or how to achieve World Domination so the kitties have a "safe space."
More Non-Cat Blogging
Since my previous posts about cats cause "problems" and my posts about the dogs have gone unnoticed, I'm answering the call in comments for more inclusive-to-wants posts: babies.
Never say we don't take you seriously here at Shakesville.
I'm not able to link in comments, so I'll answer up here (because I can because I have the power! muwhahahahaha!). On the top is kiddo#1, Easter 2004 & just turned four. On the bottom is kiddo#4, a few months ago, so 3.5 yrs. Same sweater!
And We Have A Scapegoat!
Well, this is probably going to get interesting:
The government has identified Édgar as the first person in Mexico to have become infected with a virulent strain of swine flu, a notoriety that could raise questions about how Mexican officials reacted — or failed to react — to the early stages of what might become a global epidemic.Of course, as always, it's probably not that easy of an answer:
Édgar was one of hundreds of people in La Gloria who came down with flulike symptoms in an outbreak that federal officials say began March 9.
La Gloria may not, in the end, be found to be the source of anything. The village has many immigrants in the United States. Mexican epidemiologists say one theory is that someone who had been in the United States brought the virus back to the community.But why should we let any of this stop us from our obsessive need to find a single person to blame? "From a Mexican Boy with the Flu, Coughs Heard Around the World." Wow.
Before Édgar fell ill, another person in San Diego may have been affected, said Dr. Miguel Ángel Lezana, Mexico’s chief government epidemiologist.
Even now, Édgar’s mother, María del Carmen Hernández, said she received conflicting accounts of the exact illness that kept her son in bed for three days. No one has explained what she should be doing to keep him and the rest of the family healthy, she said, signs that Mexico’s response effort may be spotty, especially in rural areas.
“Some people are saying my boy is to blame for everyone else in the country getting sick,” said Mrs. Hernández, 34, a blank stare on her face as she recounted the family’s ordeal. “I don’t believe that. I don’t know what to think.”
I expect Michelle Malkin will be hiding in the bushes outside his house any day now.
Review and Open Thread: Trouble the Water
Above is the trailer for Trouble the Water, Oscar nominee for Best Documentary Feature and winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at last year's Sundance Film Festival, which premieres this month on HBO and is available for rental at Netflix.
Its subject is loosely Hurricane Katrina, but the film is really about a group of people who survived the hurricane, without any help from the government—and frequently despite the government's intervention against them. One of the main protagonists of the film, Kimberly Rivers Roberts, shot footage of waiting out the storm in the Ninth Ward and of their journey to survive in the aftermath. The documentary intersperses her footage with that shot by the filmmakers, and the result is one of the best documentaries I've ever seen.
I watched the film last night; it is difficult to watch even as a distant observer of events because it is so upsetting, keenly evoking the feelings of rage and impotence and sadness and despair first experienced during those days and weeks immediately following the hurricane, and exposing an intimate view of the experience to which a distant observer never had access in the same way. We are in the attic with Kim and Scott and Brian and their family and friends. It is terrifying to watch, partly because one knows the horror that will follow.
And yet—there are things I had never heard. Terrible things. A Navy base with empty rooms turning away victims of the hurricane at gunpoint; our then-president awarding the base for averting a potentially violent confrontation. With the citizens the Navy is meant to protect! When you think you can never be shocked again, there is more, always more.
In the end, almost unimaginably, the film is incredibly inspiring. The people at the center of the film are just, at every turn, emblematic of what makes America great, even as America has withheld so much of what it has to offer from them. I won't say anything more of the film, lest I rob of its impact. All I will say is this: I urge you to see it.
If you have seen it, share your thoughts in comments.
Reiteration and Exasperation
Quixote rightfully suggested that I do an update to this post to (re)emphasize "it's the relatively wealthy and legal *air travelers* who are vectors" for swine flu. As Rana commented a few days ago on Quixote's post linked above:
[M]ost of the vectors into the United States have been U.S. citizens with the money and time to travel to Mexico. Some poor dude who is infected with swine flu is not going to be healthy enough to make his way across the desert to infect you. It's your wealthy globe-trotting neighbors who are more likely to be a problem.So I wanted to reiterate that.
At this point however, I'm not sure it makes a damn bit of difference to the "Ooh, blame Mexico!" crowd:
Via Renee, and see her whole takedown of this bullshit.
Random Non-Cat YouTubery: John Cleese and His Beloved Lemurs
As we know, we need to try harder around here to cater to the needs of manly men who are feeling emasculated by all the cat pictures. There seems to be some debate at Shakesville over whether lemurs are acceptable creatures about which to blog, or are merely "creepy". The following video illustrates where I stand on the matter. So, please enjoy a manly man cuddling manly creatures!
John Cleese, like SKM, is a lemur nut
I don't have time right now to transcribe a 7.5-minute video, but the voice-over is Cleese describing a project he helped to fund that released captive-born black and white ruffed lemurs back into the forests of Madagascar. The show aired on PBS about 10 years ago and the description is here, including details of the project.
Feeling Good
Last night was another completely absurd night on American Idol as the theme was "Rat Pack Standards" (way to pick a genre that has no women in it, AI!) and the professional mentor was Jaime Foxx. And, as every week, Adam Lambert came out and gave a spectacular middle finger to the show's preposterous, self-important wankery. I couldn't have loved this any more if he'd just walked out and took a crap on the stage and said, "lol your tiny little talent competition."
As usual, I don't think you have to love his performance to appreciate his ability to crush AI in his evil wee hands. He really camped it up this week, which, in the midst of such a frequently small-minded, misogynistic, homophobic, transphobic show, really amounts to a sort of confident swagger that I can't help but shamelessly adore. I often watch the show to hate it: Adam Lambert makes he watch the show to love him.
Simon: I love Randy talking about you being theatrical. It's like complaining that a cow moos. … I'll tell you what I love about this competition this year, is that normally every year we have people bleating on about how winning isn't important, et cetera, et cetera, but winning is important. And what I get from you … is the feeling that you want to win, and you want to prove a point every week and you want to entertain.Simon is totally one of those people who only really respects people after they've told him to go to hell. And Adam is happy to oblige him week after week.
Adam nods sagely.
Wednesday Non-Cat Blogging
In honor of the men who are sick of all the cats around here, I've snapped a few photos of my exceedingly non-feline piscatorial friends:
Reg peeks out from behind some plantlife. Tetra5 and Tetra-Four swim by.
RedTetra1 and 3Tetra as seen through the belly of the Buddha.
The red-tailed shark, who has yet to divulge its name, runs for cover. (Update: Otto attaches himself to leaf, far right. Sneaky devil!)
Ron, my other Bala shark, gazes at his reflection. Tetra-Four (again) and Tetra2 are a blur of speedy tetraness.
BADD Reminder
As I said a couple of weeks ago, May 1st is Blogging Against Disablism Day. That's this Friday, folks. All are welcome to participate. You can read more and sign up at Diary of a Goldfish.
People who may be hesitant to blog about ablism/disablism because they don't feel "qualified" or are afraid of using the "wrong" language shouldn't let that stop them. BADD has a language amnesty, so don't worry too much about whether "person with disabilities" or "differently-abled person" is the more acceptable phrase, for example. Your readers will cut you some slack--it's BADD policy.
That said, here are a few good links relevant to discussing disablism and talking with people who experience it:
Diary of a Goldfish: The Language of Disability
AmandaW: Open floor: What is the opposite of "disabled"?
Ricky Buchanan: An Open Letter to Those Without Invisible Disability or Chronic Illness
Lauredhel: 101: A note to able-bodied readers
See you on Friday!
We're So Winning
Those are the national numbers from a new CBS News/New York Times poll.
That's up nine points from last month, when 33 percent supported legalizing same sex marriage.Which illustrates something about which I've written before: Social progress has a point at which it becomes contagious, simply because there are lots of people whose views are shaped by not wanting to be different. As same-sex marriage is legalized in more places, and more people vocally, publicly support it, more people will say they agree with it just because that's the trend. We may be reaching that point.
Note that if support for full marriage equality and civil unions are combined, the total (67%) is nearly 2.5 times the total of people who favor no legal recognition for same-sex couples. That's quickly becoming a radical position—and sheep don't do radical.
*terrorist fist-bumps each and every Feminazi Cooter Cultist*
Won't Someone Please Think of the Grandmas?!
Liberty Counsel, a group comprised entirely of talking points (Restoring the Culture One Case at a Time by Advancing Religious Freedom, the Sanctity of Human Life and the Traditional Family), much to no one's surprise unleashes a press release decrying "so-called 'hate crimes' legislation," which also much to no one's surprise is full of lies, deceit and hate-mongering. Beside the usual anti-gay bigotry, what is the Counsel (ha! clever they) up in arms about? This bill includes no protection for veterans or the elderly! Seriously.
Last I checked, veterans and the elderly weren't groups commonly victims of hate crimes.
But what really gets their ire is that the law is just a way to protect pedophiles (emphasis mine):
H.R. 1913 (Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009) is not about stopping crime but is designed to give "actual or perceived" sexual preference or "gender identity" (which is still classified as a mental disorder) the same legal status as race. The DSM IVR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual used by psychologists and psychiatrists to diagnose mental disorders) lists more than 30 "sexual orientations" and "Gender Identity Disorders," including pedophilia. The hate crimes bill does not limit "sexual orientation" or "gender identity" and, thus, includes all these disorders and fetishes. The use of "actual or perceived" includes those with disorders or deviant sexual preferences and those who do not have such disorders or fetishes, so long as it is alleged that the person charged allegedly "thought" the other person had such disorder or fetish.Which is, of course, bullshit.
I'm gonna tell you something I hardly tell anyone, but since we're friends, and no one really reads this blog, I figure it's no big deal: I keep a copy of the DSM IV under my bed. I like a little light reading before I wander off to dreamland. Plus I'm trying to memorize all the codes because A) it's central to the plot of my as-yet-completed novel and B) I believe it will someday come in handy should I appear on Win Ben Stein's Money. Anyway, my point being is that pedophilia is not listed as a sexual orientation or a gender identity in the DSM IV. In fact, the DSM IV doesn't include a list of sexual orientations at all.
The closest this comes to truth is that the DSM IV contains a section titled Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders. This is broken down into two smaller groups, the paraphilias (wherein pedophilia resides) and the separate gender identity disorders (which would, presumably, be covered under the proposed statute) and are really only still considered mental health disorders so that trans people with insurance can get their treatment covered. It's only by applying a judicious dollop of mendacity that one can contend that the new Hate Crimes Prevention Act is a way for the government to protect "pedophilia and every imaginable deviant fetish" and promote "coercive pro-homosexual propaganda". (For those who don't keep their own copy, you can peek at relevant section of the DSM IV here.)
All of which is to say the Liberty Counsel are a bunch of lying, deceitful shitstains. A bunch of lying, deceitful shitstains using fear and bigotry to attack a group of people who desperately need protection. To wit:
Sexual orientation and gender identity include pedophilia and every imaginable deviant fetish. Cross-dressers and pedophiles find refuge in this so-called hate crimes bill, while veterans and grandmas are left to fend for themselves.If there is an ounce of truth anywhere in that statement I'll not only eat my hat, but I'll show up for communion on Sunday and eat that too.
Obviously, this bill is not about the prevention of crime but is all about pushing a radical sexual anarchy. This bill will crush free speech and trample free exercise of religion.As for radical sexual anarchy? We should all be so lucky.
Two-Minute Nostalgia Sublime
Happy 100 Days of Having a Real President Again, Shakers!
Read These Now as the TV Screen is The Retina of the Mind's Eye
Today is the 100th day birthday of the Obama Administration. O' joy! The teevee will be abuzz with "scorecards," bulleted talking point graphics and the wearisome exclamations of "Happy 100 days." Forgive me if I need to suck on a car battery by the end of the day. President Obama will pose with Sen. Specter, head to Missouri for a town hall, and take to the airwaves this evening. All you Lost fans better hope he doesn't exceed his allocated hour beforehand.
It is ridiculously early as I start the morning readings. I want to switch my system to farmer's hours. I am not a morning person. Thankfully, I have Miss Delia as an alarm clock. She enjoys meowing loudly and shoving her butt in my face at 5:30 every morning. A swishing, fluffy tail definitely wakes me.North Korea gets so tedious with another nuclear test threat. (Reuters)However, South Korea scientists say they cloned glowing dogs. (AP)Mexico City shuts down.American commanders in Afghanistan plan to cut off the Taliban's opium trade. (NY)A Russian warship seized 29 Somali pirates. (Telegraph)The Supreme Court upheld the FCC's authority to crackdown on 'fleeting expletives' and the 'foul-mouthed glitterati from Hollywood.' (LA)FUCK!Citigroup seeks permission from the US Treasury to pay retention bonuses and to free an energy-trading unit from government regulations. (CNBC)The Bank of America annual shareholder meeting today will decide the fate of the CEO and bank's directors. (Charlotte)Michelle Obama, Speaker Pelosi, and Secretary Clinton participate in the unveiling of a Sojourner Truth bust at Emancipation Hall. Update: The LA Times article about the artist.
One hundred and fifty-eight years ago, hundreds of women and men from across the country gathered in a church in Akron, Ohio to declare a simple but revolutionary idea, that the rights afforded to men, particularly the right to vote, belonged to women too.
Australian Prime Minister Rudd rejects civil unions for same-sex couples. (Sydney Star)UK Catholic charity withdraws case over gay adoption. (Pink News)Reuters article on Size Acceptance Movement. (Kate Harding) Fatties with heads! (Shapely Prose)Bolshoi ballerina Ekaterina Maximova dies at age 71. (NY)Universal will remake Cronenberg's Videodrome.Giant "Space Tornadoes" Spark Auroras on Earth.Missing planets suggest stars 'eat' their young. (New Scientist)A new study shows how scratching an itch may relieve it.(Cross-posted at Petulant Rumblings)
