Elaine Donnelly, an anti-gay activist, made a fool of herself in front of a Congressional committee discussing the status of "don't ask, don't tell."
Donnelly treated the panel to an extraordinary exhibition of rage. She warned of "transgenders in the military." She warned that lesbians would take pictures of people in the shower. She spoke ominously of gays spreading "HIV positivity" through the ranks.
[...]
Inadvertently, Donnelly achieved the opposite of her intended effect. Though there's no expectation that Congress will repeal "don't ask, don't tell" and allow gays to serve openly in the military, the display had the effect of increasing bipartisan sympathy for the cause.
Rep. Vic Snyder (D-Ark.) labeled her statement "just bonkers" and "dumb," and he called her claims about an HIV menace "inappropriate." Said Snyder: "By this analysis... we ought to recruit only lesbians for the military, because they have the lowest incidence of HIV in the country."
Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.), a veteran of the war in Iraq, called Donnelly's words "an insult to me and many of the soldiers" by saying they "aren't professional enough to serve openly with gay troops while successfully completing their military mission."
Sometimes the best thing you can do with people like Ms. Donnelly is hand them a shovel and let them keep digging.
Rep. Chris Shays (R-Conn.) pointed a finger at [retired Navy Capt. Joan] Darrah and glared at Donnelly. "Would you please tell me, Miss Donnelly, why I should give one twit about this woman's sexual orientation, when it didn't interfere one bit with her service?"
Donnelly said something about "forced intimacy."
Shays cut her off. "You're saying she has no right to serve her country because she happens to have a different sexual orientation than you."
[...]
Shays, his voice rising with Yankee indignation, continued to lecture Donnelly: "I think the 'don't ask, don't tell' policy is unpatriotic. I think it's counterproductive. In fact, I think it is absolutely cruel."
Donnelly said something about her respect for the service of gay veterans. "How do you respect their service?" Shays demanded. "You want them out."
Donnelly seemed to have unified the lawmakers -- against her. The next questioner was Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.), a retired Navy vice admiral. "I couldn't ask it better than you did," he told Shays.
When DADT is repealed, as it will inevitably will be, we should send a dozen roses and a box of candy to Ms. Donnelly for all her help.
HT to Space Cowboy for the clip and for posting it.
The Fat Princess thread has proven enormously amusing, as the fat-hating, homophobic, misogynist dancing monkeys have boogied to the sound of my organ grinding [insert your own double entendre here] without a hint of irony or self-awareness all day, but my email has been providing me with lots of treats, too. This one was too good not to share:
Thanks, Sean. Not only was I enormously worried, but I totally give a shit what you think—so your email came just in time.
And I'll be sure to pass on the good word to my husband, too.
How Not to Help Barack Obama Get Elected by Melissa McEwan
Don't use the phrase "tar baby."
The End.
* * *
Now, someone in the senate office of Senator John Kerry (D-MA) put my new book on his summer reading list, 'k?
I'll just repeat what I said when Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) used the term back in May:
Cue the usual excuses about how Davis Kerry "didn't know" and "didn't intend" and blahbity-blahbity-blah. Except that Davis Kerry really, really, really should have known, given that almost exactly two years ago to the day, Tony Snow made his grand entrance as White House Press Hack by using the term tar baby not once, but twice, to a resulting shitstorm. Snow was followed soon thereafter by Mitt Romney using the term and being forced to apologize. And, if that weren't enough, the GOP nominee, John McCain, found himself apologizing for using the phrase just over a year ago.
[And, of course, ADD HERE what Davis pulled in May.]
So, unless Davis Kerry is completely and utterly detached from what's going on with prominent members of his own the opposition party, he ought to have, at some point, gotten the memo that "tar baby" is not a turn of phrase that has any place in public discourse in modern America. (Or private discourse, quite frankly.)
It's not enough that the current Democratic nominee is giving me reasons not to vote for him or his stinking party; now the former nominee is, too.
[H/T to Renee of Womanist Musings, whose post you should read as well. "Six-Word Novel" concept nicked from The Heretik.]
Don't get any ideas, boys—Johnny Mac is spoken for!
Republican presidential candidate U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) (L) arrives for a news conference with former U.S. President George Bush on a golf cart at former President Bush's residence on Walker's Point in Kennebunkport, Maine July 21, 2008. REUTERS/Brian Snyder (UNITED STATES)
The recipe this week comes from Shaker datacine for all the sashimi lovers out there:
Hawaiian Ahi Poke (Hawaiian Sashimi)
1 lb. Sashimi Grade Tuna 1/2 Cup Soy Sauce 1/2 cup sliced Scallions 1 TBS Sesame Oil 1 1/2 TSP Toasted Sesame Seeds Crushed Red Peppers to taste 1 TBS finely chopped Macadamia Nuts
Cut tuna to 1/2" to 3/4" cubes. This can be done more easily if you put the piece of tuna (this works or any meat you need to cut raw) into the freezer for about 20 to 30 minutes. The meat will get just frozen enough to be easily cut. In a medium size ceramic bowl, combine Ahi, soy sauce, onions, sesame oil, sesame seeds, chili pepper, and macadamia nuts, and mix well. Chill at least 2 hours before serving.
He notes: "You may play with the amounts of soy to oil. More oil less soy, whatever your taste requires. NO RULES!!!! Use Tamari or any other good soy sauce. Enjoy with a nice lager of your choice."
John and Linda Johnson, parents of PFC LaVena Lynn Johnson, were interviewed on Democracy Now! by host Amy Goodman. Activist and retired Army colonel Ann Wright was also part of the program.
Three years ago, on July 19, 2005, Army Private First Class LaVena Johnson was found dead in Balad, Iraq. Her body was found in a tent belonging to the private military contractor KBR. She had abrasions all over her body, a broken nose, a black eye, burned hands, loose teeth, acid burns on her genitals, and a bullet hole in her head. The Army labeled Johnson’s death a suicide. But her parents never believed that story. They think she was raped and murdered and are now demanding a full congressional investigation into their daughter’s death.
The program is available at the Democracy Now! site for viewing or listening in a number of formats: Real Video stream, Real Audio stream, MP3 download, and others. A partial transcript is up as well; I expect a full version will be made available later.
Politico reports that conservative pundit Robert Novak "was cited by police after he hit a pedestrian with his black Corvette in downtown Washington, D.C., Wednesday morning." Novak initially "drove away from the scene," but turned around when "a bicyclist stopped him and said, 'You hit someone.'" Novak claimed: "I didn't know I hit anybody."
But Washington DC's local ABC affiliate interviewed the bicyclist who saw the incident. WJLA's Suzanne Kennedy reported live from the scene:
I just spoke with the bicyclist about three minutes ago. He tells me that the pedestrian was actually splayed across the front of Novak's convertible, and that there would be absolutely no way Novak would have not known that he had hit someone.
...Politico notes that in a 2001 interview with the Washington Post, Novak said, "I really hate jaywalkers. I despise them. Since I don't run the country, all I can do is yell at 'em. The other option is to run 'em over, but as a compassionate conservative, I would never do that."
While Bush may be unaware of many things, he was specifically unaware of his being recorded recently at a fundraiser when he thought it was safe to act like a complete ass:
I take particular pleasure in the fact that Bush made it abundantly clear that he intends to move to Dallas once his bullshit is over and done. Did you hear that, all of you stupid fucking jokers who wanted to have a beer with him and thought he was a kewl dude for doing cowboy stuff like clearing brush in Crawford? That's right! He couldn't give a RAT'S ASS about Crawford. In January, he doesn't have to impress you gullible oafs anymore and get you to think that he's one of you.
He never was.
Don't worry, I know it'll hurt for a little while but you'll come around at some point to realize you've been thoroughly duped. Until then, I hope you don't mind if I just laugh a little though.
Oh, and George? It's not Wall Street who got drunk. America did. And with your approval ratings heading deeper in the shitter, along with others trying to distance themselves from your precious legacy library, it would appear that America's starting to sober up.
First: Holly takes the time in a great post to patiently explain exactly what's problematic about "Fat Princess," since my contempt was so absolute I couldn't be arsed.
Secondly, there are about eight zillion pathetic rejects who are insistently emailing links to this picture and this picture, both fine examples of both the superb cleverness and mad Photoshoppin' skillz endemic to the fanboyz madly forwarding my Fat Princess post as fast as their wee fingers can fly. So, note to my new penpals: I've seen 'em. Congrats; you're awesome. And I don't care what the haterz say—spending the past 24 hours feverishly dropping links into emails and comments threads totally doesn't make you pitiable losers.
Finally, the brilliant Jim Sterling of Destructoid manages to exemplify the perfect, hilarious irony of most of the responses to my original post:
Even worse is a writer at Shakesville, who took time out of doing her husband's laundry to write this: "Congrats on your awesome new game, Sony. I'm positively thrilled to see such unyielding dedication to creating a new generation of fat-hating, heteronormative assholes." As you can see, she uses "words" like "heteronormative" to sound clever and informed, a tactic which invariably fails and makes one look presumptuous and pretentious. ... Word to the wise: Sarcastic fat girls don't go to the prom!
Genius. If there's one way to counter my charge that this game will reinforce fat-hating and heteronormativity, it's to mock me for being fat and note I "took time out of doing [my] husband's laundry" to write the post. Boy, was I ever wrong, huh? Consider me sufficiently chastened!
Ditto the plethoric comments calling me a "fat lesbo bitch." Love it. Anyone who thinks I consider "fat," "lesbo," or "bitch" an insult obviously hasn't spent much time at Shakesville. And anyone who uses those terms as insults is saying a lot more about themselves than they are about me. Namely, that they're fat-hating, homophobic misogynists...and now we're back to my original post again! Wheeeeeeee!
Way to prove me wrong, dudez.
[Note to moderators: Just leave up the idiotic comments. Let them prove the point even more. Ergo: Trigger warning in effect for comments.]
"This is the ninth presidential campaign I've covered. I can't remember a more scurrilous statement by a major party candidate. It smacks of desperation. It renews questions about whether McCain has the right temperament for the presidency. How sad."—Joe Klein, on John McCain's assertion that Barack Obama "would rather lose a war in order to win a political campaign."
Well, we're both feeling a little better. Last night, Iain was finally able to open his jaw wide enough to eat a proper meal of solid food without having to cut it into eensy-wee pieces first. And, not only that, he could curse at the Cubs at the same time!
My leg seems to be improving, too. Upon waking up and having some increased mobility and decreased pain, my first thought was, "Omigod, I never should have gone to the emergency room yesterday!" Then I had to remind myself that maybe the reason I'm feeling better is BECAUSE I WENT TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM (when, as with Iain, none the doctors' offices in our network could see me) and got an anti-inflammatory, a leg brace, and the directive to stay off my fucking leg.
(The latter of which I never would have done had I not been ordered to by a doctor, making the likelihood I'd have certainly felt better anyway vanishingly slim.)
Still, I can't help feeling slightly guilty, just because I feel a bit better. How weird is that? I'm an idiot. (This is not news, of course, lol.)
Based on all your recommendations, I've thoroughly searched the area for any signs of a bug bite, but there's nothing. No redness or swelling, either. No irritation on the surface of the skin. And there was no sign of infection during the ultrasound.
I'm still getting a bit of fever and cold sweats, about which I know a lot of you were concerned yesterday, but I had the same thing when I herniated a disk in my back years ago. It seems to be my body's way of dealing with any kind of serious injury; the doctor who saw me yesterday said that's actually pretty common. Who knew?
Anyway, I've managed to set up shop with the laptop in my chaise lounge, so onward we go...
Thanks very much to everyone for their concern yesterday and to the contributors who took care of all the garbage being spilled all over the blog. (My email is...interesting...at the moment, ahem.) And special thanks to Shakers TinaH and barbara_on_19th for the donations, which are hugely appreciated.
Do you smell that? What the hell is that? It's like... hot garbage. It's like ass and burnt hair. What is that?
Republican presidential candidate John McCain is launching a new television ad that blames Democratic rival Barack Obama for rising gasoline prices.
The ad, airing on national cable and in 11 battleground states, argues that the cost of fuel is rising because of opposition to oil drilling in the United States.
The announcer in the ad says, “Gas prices - $4, $5, no end in sight, because some in Washington are still saying no to drilling in America. No to independence from foreign oil. Who can you thank for rising prices at the pump?”
A photograph of Obama appears on the stage as a voiceover of a crowd chants: “Obama, Obama, Obama!”
Oh, that's it. It's only a ridiculous attempt to pass the blame for an old, ongoing problem onto a new player in the political arena. Silly me.
I know Zuzu did a QOTD earlier today, but since we're all so used to having them in the evening, I thought I'd add another. Do be sure to stop by Zuzu's thread and answer hers as well!
What's your current favorite outfit?
I have this combo that I love so much, I'm always looking for an excuse to wear it. It's a plain white, button-down shirt with green/grey chinos. I've got this very dapper black vest that I wear with it, and a very retro looking skinny burgundy tie with teeny yellow stripes from Penguin. I love Penguin. I'd wear their stuff all the time if it wasn't so expensive, and wasn't so hard to find stuff in my size. That said, I must have a dozen Penguin shirts. I'm weak. Thank goodness for Filene's Basement.
Hey, Shakers. I've just come home from the emergency room yet again. This time, however, it was for me. I've done something to my leg, not sure how or when, but last night it started with an excruciating pain in my calf, on the outside of the leg, just below the knee—and, by this morning, I could barely walk. I'm running a fever, getting cold sweats and shakes, and basically just feel like complete shit.
I've been through a battery of x-rays and an ultrasound. No breaks, no fractures, no blood clots, no signs of infection. At this point, it's being treated as a torn ligament, tendon, or muscle with inflammation.
I'm now on crutches, with a leg brace that extends almost from my hip to my ankle, a prescription for an anti-inflammatory, and a referral to an orthopedist.
Iain and I are both the kind of dopes who avoid doctors at all costs ("What's that? Severed finger? Put a band-aid on it!"), and neither of us hardly ever even gets a cold, so for both of us to end up needing healthcare in the same two-week period is just unbelievable. We've not been having a good couple of weeks at Shakes Manor.
Anyway, I'll be around as much as I can, but it probably won't be as much as usual the next few days at least.
Welcome to Shakesville, a progressive feminist blog about politics, culture, social justice, cute things, and all that is in between. Please note that the commenting policy and the Feminism 101 section, conveniently linked at the top of the page, are required reading before commenting.
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