...to Female Impersonator, celebrating one year of bloggrrlin' goodness!
Number of the Day
92: The number of interrogation tapes destroyed by the CIA.
New documents show the CIA destroyed nearly 100 tapes of terror interrogations, far more than has previously been acknowledged.
The revelation Monday comes as a criminal prosecutor is wrapping up his investigation in the matter.
The acknowledgment of dozens of destroyed tapes came in a letter filed by government lawyers in New York, where the American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit seeking more details of terror interrogation programs.
"The CIA can now identify the number of videotapes that were destroyed," said the letter by Acting U.S. Attorney Lev Dassin. "Ninety two videotapes were destroyed."
Quote of the Day
"I think that probably President Obama is somewhat more analytical, and he makes sure he hears from everybody in the room on an issue. And if they don't speak up, he calls on them. ... President Bush was interested in hearing different points of view but didn't go out of his way to make sure everybody spoke if they hadn't spoken up before."—Defense Secretary Robert Gates, on NBC's Meet the Press yesterday.
Obama more analytical than Bush? No!
I wouldn't have guessed.
Impossibly Beautiful
Forget Impossibly Beautiful; how about Alien Chic?
Now that's a fuckneck!
This image (by way of our friends at Photoshop Disasters) can currently be found at the Nordstrom's website, selling the pictured Alice + Olivia Beaded Collar Shift Dress. The best part about the use of this image, aside from its brazen "Fuck you" to all notions of female self-esteem, is that it is accompanied by a (less prominent) back-of-garment image, in which they didn't bother to recreate the Neck of Improbable Longness:
—which suggests that perhaps her neck is actually robotic, and conveys her head toward the heavens when she pushes the "go-go-gadget neck" button on her right shoulder.
For a moment, just consider how truly fucked up our ideas of What Women Look Like are that thousands of women will look at that image and not notice something profoundly wrong with it, but sigh wistfully and wish for a slender, elegant neck like that.
[H/T to Shaker Angelos. Impossibly Beautiful: 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.]
A caution about abuse…
Cross-posted from AngryBlackBitch.com.
A certain someone who shall remain anonymous sent a bitch an email asking for my thoughts on the alleged assault of Rihanna by Chris Brown. Anonymous said that she is a teen who has a friend in an abusive relationship and that she is angry over recent news reports stating that Rihanna has reunited with Brown. She expressed worry that her friend would do the same thing and confusion over why anyone would stay in a relationship that was abusive.
Sigh.
I have avoided posting about this because so much is unclear and what little is clear has been exploited by the press.
But what I won’t avoid is the following caution about abuse.
Shall we?
I have never been the victim of physical abuse…but I was the victim of emotional and verbal abuse by my mother.
I spent years blaming myself for not being perfect…then blaming society for not seeing what we worked so hard to disguise, for not sensing what I had been trained to distract attention away from. I thought I deserved the rants, the tantrums, the cruel words and the vicious taunts.
Even when I decided that enough was enough…it wasn’t. I left home at 16 to attend college, but a predictably sick connection remained.
And with a simple phone call or over a week during break the pattern was re-established.
I…the wrong, the flawed and the one who called down criticism upon myself.
She…the authority, the parent and the one burdened with imperfect children in need of discipline.
I didn’t break from my mother until I was thirty and that final break wasn’t the result of another incident.
It was just time and right and then ‘twas done.
And I’m sure there are people who say that it must not have been that bad…that I share responsibility because I stayed or returned or blah, blah and blah.
Sigh.
Whatever may come of this single news story, I caution folks to try to understand that leaving isn’t the easy part.
Staying is not an admission that things aren’t that bad.
I have known abuse and I have known the struggle to get away, the pressure that is still tossed my way to forgive and forget and the guilt that flares at the strangest times.
And I know that there isn’t a damn thing easy or simple about it…
…even as I know it was the right thing for me to do.
National Domestic Abuse Hotline
1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
TTY 1-800-787-3224
Info. for teens is available here
Sebelius to HHS
Kathleen Sebelius, governor of Kansas, has accepted President Barack Obama's nomination as secretary of Health and Human Services, White House sources are reporting this evening.
Obama plans to announce the selection on Monday, according to the Associated Press, citing a source. The Washington Post reports the same word.
Sebelius has long been seen as a likely prospect for the Cabinet post, since former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle withdrew from consideration after paying more than $100,000 in back taxes and penalties for limousine services. (Link)
The Virtual Pub Is Open
Enter at your own risk! [Cue ominous music.]
Thanks to everyone's who inquired after me. I'm feeling a wee bit more energetic, now that I've got an appetite back, but I still feel like I've been hit by a truck; my sides and back are so sore—and I kind of look like I've been hit by a truck, too, since, thanks to my immune system drones busily battling the Plague, no one's manning the acne battle station. I fear being carted away to a leper colony by the end of the weekend after a mistaken diagnosis based on my current complexion.
A leper colony, or possibly a middle school. On yearbook picture day.
TFIF, Shakers. Belly up to the bar and name your poison…
Skillz
So for my birthday today I was planning on having cheesecake. I loves me some cheesecake and make a pretty darn good one. Typically I don't have to make my own cake but I insisted because I really like making cheesecake. Whilst in the middle of making it this morning, the phone rang. After the brief conversation, I went back to mixing then got it in the crust and put it in the oven. While my youngest and I were enjoying the remains of the batter I thought we probably shouldn't have too much because of the raw eggs. EGGS! *@&%$&!!@^*#$*! I forgot the damned eggs! And it was already baking in the oven! So, we bought a cheesecake from a local bakery this afternoon (because we were out and didn't have time to remake one). Normally I can put together a cake just fine, it's the decorating where my Real Skillz™ come into play. So here's a brief look at my complete inability to be crafty and a bit of humor for this Friday afternoon.
First up is one of my favorites. From my third kiddo's fourth birthday last year:
Our youngest kiddo's third b-day last year:
From our daughter's recent birthday last weekend:
Another favorite memory is my attempt at a "bunny cake" for Easter '04, which ended up resembling a slaughtered rabbit on a platter for a period of time:
You can read the full story about that bunny cake. Sadly I cannot find any pictures of the final result. It was somethin', let me tell you. LOL!
I'm sure Charm City Cakes will be calling any day now.
Friday OMG Shoez Blogging
[Inspired by Crowfoot.]
I figured I'd feature a pair of my flat favies this week, for those whose knees go wobbly at the mere sight of heels like these or these. Below are the Merrell Paris, in black—which can be seen in more detail (and purchased) here (though, as usual, I got mine from a reseller at a much lower price; they can definitely be found on eBay, if you're patient).
A post-apocalyptic Mary Jane fit for a Mad Max extra, they have lots of cute detailing, like this seam across the toe and the button closure, and they're extremely comfortable, although they tend to run big. (The 9s hang on my feet okay, but if I'd bought them in-store, I definitely would have gone down half a size.) They are also Sophie-approved.
Lying Liars
Jindal's spokesperson admits, finally, that his Katrina story is the puddle of curdled codswallop we all knew it to be.
Liars, bigots, thugs, and perverts.
Quite the party of Moral Values you've got there, GOP.
I Also Write Letters
Dear Joe Wurzelbacher:
While John Bolton is busy fucking himself, I cordially invite you to do the same.
No Love,
Paul the Spud
Okay, snark aside, wtf is with this:On Wednesday, Joe "the Plumber" Wurzelbacher said that if he were in Congress, he would "probably be in jail" because he'd be charged with "slapping some member." He added, "And that's not [bull] either." ThinkProgress asked Joe at CPAC yesterday which members he would most like to slap. "Pretty much anybody that's stood there and said anything bad about our troops, pretty much anybody who sat there and talked treasonous talk about America," Joe said. He then implied that some members of Congress should be shot:
1. I challenge Wurzelbacher to name one member of Congress "saying anything bad about our troops," or saying anything treasonous, with examples. And be able to prove that this is actually anti-troop, or treasonous talk, not "sounds treasonous to me!" bullshit filtered through wingnut spin. Basically, prove you're not talking out of your ass, "Joe."Back in the day, really, when people would talk about our military in a poor way, somebody would shoot 'em. And there'd be nothing said about that, because they knew it was wrong. You don't talk about our troops. You support our troops. Especially when our congressmen and senators sit there and say bad things in an ongoing conflict.
2. When, exactly, is "back in the day?" When exactly could you shoot someone for "talking about our military in a poor way," without repercussions? Give me one example where this has actually happened. Basically, prove you're not just conjuring up some masturbatory, cowboy/vigilante fantasy for chickenshit, gun-fetishist wingnuts. This has never happened and you know it, you dumb fuck.
3. How exactly do you, Joe, "support the troops," that isn't simply saying "support the troops?" Have you given donations to soldiers in combat? Sent anything overseas? Donated any money or time to a local Veterans hospital? Basically, show me actual "support" that isn't simply "feeling good about our troops." This wingnut "troops" fetish is fucking disturbing.
I'll just wait until the end of time.
If anyone actually has difficulty understanding why the GOP is a complete irrelevant dinosaur of a failure, they need look no further than Joe Wurzelbacher. I've never seen someone talk so much out of his ass and be taken so seriously. This is the longest five minutes I've ever experienced. "I'd be in jail for slapping someone, and that's no bull, either." OOoooooOOoooooOOoo. How butch.
Christ.
Racist Mayor To Resign...
...Still denies being a racist.
According to this article "[Los Alamitos Mayor Dean] Grose said he didn't mean to hurt or offend anyone and claimed he was unaware of the racial stereotype linking black people with eating watermelons."
"Grose apologized by e-mail [and] said he did not send the joke to hurt or offend anyone."
The only thing I'm wondering is what, if he was "unaware of the racial stereotype linking black people with eating watermelons," he thought the "joke" was exactly. Oh, yeah, there is no joke. Unless you're a racist.
Grose will step down Monday. See ya, Dino.
Looks Like Meat Family Planning is Back on the Menu, Girls!
As you'll no doubt recall, funding for family planning was one of the first items jettisoned from the stimulus bill as a sop to the great and powerful sky-god Bipartisanship. Well, now it's back—in the proposed 2010 federal budget:
To congressional Republicans, one of the most objectionable parts of an early version of the House's economic recovery package was funding for family planning services. Conservatives cried that spending "hundreds of millions on contraceptives" wouldn't stimulate the economy. (Even though it would.) President Obama agreed to drop the provision from the recovery package. However, he has reinserted it into his FY 2010 budget. On p. 127, there is a provision to "[e]xpand availability of family planning services under Medicaid," which is estimated to save the government $190 million over 10 years. Here are statements from Planned Parenthood and NFPRHA.I'm cautiously optimistic. Call it the Hesitancy of Hope, in which I hope that it's not being inserted merely as a bargaining chip to be traded away in another public trimming of "chaff."
ETA: 1,000 points to the first person who gets the title reference.
Friday Blogaround: Rare Disease Day Edition
February 28th is Rare Disease Day. The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) is the U.S. coordinator, working together with EURORDIS in Europe and other organizations around the world to raise public awareness of rare disorders.
Not every disorder listed by NORD is rare in the strictest sense. The National Institutes of Health explains at their Office of Rare Disease Research page:
A rare (or orphan) disease is generally considered to have a prevalence of fewer than 200,000 affected individuals in the United States. Certain diseases with 200,000 or more affected individuals may be included in this list if certain subpopulations of people who have the disease are equal to the prevalence standard for rare diseases.I have Sjøgren's Syndrome (SS), a systemic autoimmune disease first described by Swedish ophthalmologist Henrik Sjøgren. A Swedish-born acupuncturist once spent a painfully long time teaching me to pronounce "Sjøgren" correctly—[ˈxøgɾɛn] using the IPA. Most Americans pronounce it "Show-grin".
Sjøgren's syndrome is in the NORD database as rare, even though up to 4 million Americans have the disease according to the Sjøgren's Syndrome Foundation. However, 50% of those people also have other autoimmune diseases, so their SS is classified as secondary (the other half of us have Primary SS). The hallmark signs of SS include autoimmune destruction of salivary and lacrimal glands, joint pain, and fatigue. But the disease is always systemic and about 30% of all SS patients have more extensive symptoms and signs which may involve the nervous, vascular, and/or digestive systems; the skin, the kidneys, and more. I belong to this delightful 30%. The Sjøgren's Syndrome Foundation website does a pretty good job of listing the various systems that may be affected* (pdf here). Also, 5-10% of SS patients develop lymphoma, so I think the NORD is recognizing these subsets of people in their classification.
Rare or not, SS is under-recognized and tricky to diagnose; the mean time to obtain a diagnosis is over six years (it was seven and a half for me). More awareness in both the medical community and in the general public could speed diagnosis and improve quality of life for patients.
Public awareness of autoimmune diseases in general is quite low even though such diseases are common, affecting 1 in 12 Americans. Rosalind Joffe of Working With Chronic Illness points out in her Rare Diseases Day post that statistical rarity is hardly the only reason for lack of awareness or research funds. So I want to broaden the discussion to include disorders that may not be statistically rare but are nonetheless chronically misunderstood. Also, I am only taking autoimmune diseases as an example from personal experience; there are obviously many other types of disorder that need attention.
Let's get to it, Shakers: what rare or misunderstood diseases/disorders/conditions would you like us to know more about? You don’t have to be a patient yourself to get involved, nor do you need to explain or “come out” if you have a chronic illness. Your health is your business. Please leave us links to pertinent info and blog posts!
To get us started:
rarediseaseday.org: Rare Disease Day 2009 Focus: Patient Care: A Public Affair! .The site includes photo and video stories from patients.
Rosalind Joffe: Does rare mean you don't need to know about it?
SNiPS, the Children's Rare Disease Network Blog: Rare Disease Facts and Figures: 1 in 10 Americans is living with a rare disease
Mary Kugler, R.N.: Rare Disease Day Video: Little Miss Hannah, about a little girl with Gaucher Disease.
Laurie Edwards: In Preparation: Rare Disease Day
Diana E. Lee: Announcing March Headache and Migraine Blog Carnival
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* Please note that they forget the thyroid gland, which is affected in about half of cases according to my rheumatologist. Kind of a glaring omission. Remember: be good to your thyroid, folks, even if it hasn't been good to you!
I Write Letters
Dear John Bolton:
How 'bout you go fuck yourself?
Love,
Liss
P.S. You, too, the rest o'ya CPAC wankstains.
Happy Birthday, Misty!
Question of the Day
Suggested by Shaker Betsy: What band or artist do you love that is (or just seems) totally out of character for your general musical taste? Betsy wants to hear from the hip-hop fan who loves Garth Brooks and the opera lover who adores the Village People!
I have pretty eclectic taste, but the ones that always seem to surprise people are Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson. I don't know there's a single other country artist I like, but I just love their voices. And my finding them both to be inimitably cool people probably has a little something to do with it, too.
That's Entertainment!
Last night during our typical Wednesday night Lost-Top Chef-a-thon, Kenny Blogginz (courageously braving the plague), Iain, and I saw a teaser trailer for the upcoming film, Miss March, a charming tale about a pro-abstinence teenage boy who succumbs to pressure to lose his virginity to his pro-sex teenage girlfriend after his best friend gets him drunk on liquid courage, but, before he can do the deed, falls down some stairs and goes into a coma—from which he awakens four years later only to discover his then-girlfriend is a Playboy centerfold. Zoinks! Naturally, he and his drunk-making BFF embark on a road trip so he can "win her back," i.e. get her to jump on his still-virginal willy.
The extended trailer provides even more snippets of hilarity you can expect from the film, including a black woman bouncing out the window of a moving vehicle while seducing one of the young white male protagonists, to his uproarious apathy!
I'd like it to be noted that this film not only has a character named Horsedick.MPEG, but also a character known only as "Horsedick's Homeboy."
All of which I share with you just to pass on this exchange at Shakes Manor when we saw the trailer:
Liss: WTF?
KBlogz: They're two of The Whitest Kids U' Know, who usually make fun of movies like that. Me and my friend were watching an episode of the show when we first saw that trailer. We thought it was a sketch.
He then gave me a very sad look.
It's probably about the same look I had when I read about John Cusack starring in Hot Tub Time Machine.
