The AP reports: "Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens has hired fewer law clerks than usual, generating speculation that the leader of the court's liberals will retire next year. If Stevens does step down, he would give President Barack Obama his second high court opening in two years."
Justice Stevens is 89 and has been on the court since 1975.
I wish he'd take Scalia and Thomas with him. But the conservatives aren't going anywhere with a Democrat in office.
SCOTUS Watch
Shaker Help Request
by Shaker MzBitca
Hey, everyone.
I am teaching a class referred to as "abnormal psychology". I hate the term and have already discussed why with my class but I want to make sure that my class is as progressive as possible and includes the voices of those who are dealing with the symptoms of mental illness. I am working on eliminating harmful language from class discussions such as "psycho" and "crazy" and I have read pieces from those that talk about their PTSD symptoms or other such things. I also generated a discussion about the recent clusterfuck that was the Salon article. I want to make sure that the reality of mental health treatment is discussed in this class and I have a decent enough concept of how frustrating it is from my end of being a provider and trying to get people services but would love input on how it can be on the other side. I also am looking for feedback and suggestions from others, either blogs or on-line communities or even just helpful feedback about how to best present the information.
I have already stressed to my students that we are talking about real individuals and that they need to be cognizant that we are discussing situations that their fellow peers or family members deal with on a daily basis and so these discussions are not purely academic but very personal to a large number of people. I have also encouraged them to come to me privately about any concerns they have or any topics that may be triggering to them. I want to do the best to make my classroom both a safe and educational space.
Any help from my fellow shakers would be greatly appreciated.
Wednesday Blogaround
This blogaround brought to you by Shaxco, makers of Deeky's Casual Slacks for the frugal fashionista in every man.
Recommended Reading:
Marcella: Carnival Against Sexual Violence 77
Lindsay: Carnival of Feminists 3
Susanna & Jennifer: Women are not a "Niche" Market: We Demand Female Condoms Now
Andy: Minnesota Teachers Who Mocked Student for Being Gay Are on Leave
Alaya: The Bechdel Test and Race in Popular Fiction
Angry Asian Man: A Box of Ugly Ass Asian Family Dolls
Bill: Haggard Logic
Leave your links in comments...
Dynasties and Double-Standards
I've got a new piece up at The Guardian's CifA, "Dynasties and Double-Standards," about the Today show hiring Jenna Bush Hager as a correspondent and how the decision is yet another example of erupting anger to dynasties and nepotism only or particularly once it's a daughter (or wife) who wants to get in on the action.
It was, even in many liberal circles, considered an impudent thing to complain in the 2000 presidential election that both candidates were legacies from prominent American families, resoundingly unfair to suggest a man couldn't, or shouldn't, be president just because of the family from which he came. What about the Kennedys?!Read the whole thing here.
Yes, what about them indeed. There was very little uproar when Joe Kennedy and Patrick Kennedy brought a new generation of Kennedys to Congress, because the Kennedys are, after all, the good American dynasty. And so we never raised a fuss about any of them sliding into politics on their family name.
Until, of course, it was suggested that Caroline Kennedy be picked to fill the US Senate seat from New York vacated by Hillary Clinton when she moved to the US state department. Then came the chorus: Enough of this dynasty! Caroline Kennedy, an extremely accomplished, well-informed and intelligent woman, was suddenly being discussed as though she were Paris Hilton – just some heiress with a fancy name who pranced in with an oversized sense of entitlement. Whether she was the best person for the job was a secondary concern to the abruptly omnipresent assertion that she was undeserving by virtue of her genes.
And then there is the woman whose shoes she eventually did not fill: Hillary Clinton – the former first lady whose Senate run, presidential campaign and nomination to secretary of state were plagued with charges of dynasty and nepotism (and worse), the equivalent to which George Bush the younger was never subjected during his illustrious career executing people in Texas, ruining the country and breaking the world.
In fact, suggestions of dynastic intrigue during the 2000 election – which came down to a single state, Florida, in which Jeb Bush, brother of candidate GWB, was then governor – were dismissed as sour grapes at the time. And Clinton's recent mention of that fact, as an example of how the mere appearance of impropriety during an election can strain a democracy at its seams, was still considered "controversial".
Today's Edition of "Conniving and Sinister"
Strip One, Strip Two, Strip Three, Strip Four, Strip Five, Strip Six, Strip Seven, Strip Eight, Strip Nine, Strip Ten, Strip Eleven, Strip Twelve, Strip Thirteen, Strip Fourteen, Strip Fifteen, Strip Sixteen, Strip Seventeen, Strip Eighteen, Strip Nineteen, Strip Twenty. In which Liss reimagines the long-running comic "Frank & Ernest," about two old straight white guys "telling it like it is," as a fat feminist white woman and a biracial queerbait telling it like it actually is from their perspectives. Hilarity ensues.
Sanford Still Hanging In There
"Embattled" (I love that word) South Carolina Governor King David Mark Sanford, who has not resigned because it's part of God's plan for him to stay in office, now says that God is on his side, even if no one else is:
Sanford acknowledged Tuesday that he has been shaken by the failure of a single fellow Republican to back him in his fight to save his job, but vowed to fight on for conservative causes and for "what God wanted me to do with my life.""And let's not forget my voracious sense of entitlement! I mean, what am I—just supposed to quit because I'm a cheat and a liar and an ethics-challenged wankstain? Geez!"
The governor, trying to survive a scandal involving a widely publicized extramarital affair, also ... vowed not to quit despite growing pressure from South Carolina lawmakers and Republican Party officials to resign or face impeachment. He said he intends to complete his term, not to hold on to power but to fight for conservative principles of governance.
"I feel absolutely committed to the cause, to what God wanted me to do with my life," he said in an interview. "I have got this blessing of being engaged in a fight for liberty, which is constantly being threatened."
That's not what Jesus wants, people.
Meanwhile, Mike "100% Track Record" Rogers has outed South Carolina Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, which could explain why Sanford, despite getting no support, hasn't been shoved kicking and screaming out of office yet, either. The GOP leadership in South Carolina is sitting in a smoky room somewhere, trying to decide if they want to stick with the coop-flying adulterer with a Messiah complex and ethics violations or "take their chances with the queer."
The fact that they even need to deliberate that question says everything you need to know about the modern GOP.
What The Hell?
Shaker em_and_ink
Nice fishnets, Gothie McGothersmith.
[See also: Deeky, Liss, evilsciencechick, katecontinued, ClumsyKisses, Mistress Sparkletoes, Liiiz, Reedme, Mama Shakes, Mustang Bobby, RedSonja, MomTFH, Portly Dyke, SteffaB, Icca, Christina, Orangelion03, Car, Siobhan, InfamousQBert, Maud, Rikibeth, MishaRN, CLD, Cheezwiz, MamaCarrie, Temeraire, somebodyoranother, goldengirl, Liss (again), summerwing, yeomanpip, Susan811, bbl, Deeky (Part II), A Daily Shakesville Fan, Sami_J, liberalandproud Temeraire: Redux, Mama Shakes II, Bonus Deeky, OuyangDan, J.Goff, Iain, Talonas, The Great Indoors, gogo, and kiwi_a.]
Question of the Day
Following up on this thread:
What film franchise would you like to see rebooted/re-imagined?
I'd love to see the Smurfs hit the big screen in a live-action post-apocalyptic epic à la The Road Warrior.
Random YouTubery
[Transcript below.]
Thanks to Shaker Neintales for sending that along.
I ain't got no home, ain't got no shoes
Ain't got no money, ain't got no class
Ain't got no friends, ain't got no schooling
Ain't got no work, ain't got no job
Ain't got no money, ain't no place to stay
Ain't got no father, ain't got no mother
Ain't got no children, ain't got no sisters or brothers
Ain't got no earth, ain't got no faith
Ain't got no church, ain't got no god
Ain't got no love
Ain't got no wine, no cigarettes
No clothes, no country
No class, no schooling
No friends, no nothing
Ain't got no god
Ain't got no, one more…
Ain't got no earth, no water
No food, no home
I said I ain't got no clothes
No job, no nothing
Ain't got long to live
And I ain't got no love
Ohhhhh ahhhhh…
But what have I got?
Ahhhhhhh what have I got?
Let me tell ya what I got
That nobody's gonna take away
Unless I wanna…
I got my hair, on my head
My brains, my ears
My eyes, nose, and my mouth
I got my smile
I got my tongue, my chin
My neck, my boobies
My heart, my soul, and my back
I got my sex
I got my arms, my hands
My fingers, my legs
My feet, my toes, and my liver
Got my blood
I got life
I've got laughs
I've got headaches, and toothaches
And bad times, too
Like you
I got my hair, my head
My brains, my ears
My eyes, my nose, and my mouth
I got my smile
I got my tongue, my chin
My neck, and my boobies
My heart, my soul, and my back
I got my sex
I got my arms, my hands
My fingers, my legs
My feet, my toes, and my liver
Got my blood
I got life
I've got my freedom
I've got life
Do Over!
20th Century Fox is the latest studio to start the process of overhauling one of its big Marvel Entertainment franchises, "Fantastic Four," which has already hatched two films. The studio has hired Akiva Goldsman to oversee the re-boot as producer.Ha ha! Just kidding about those first two! We know they sucked. That was, uh, deliberate! Yeah! PSYCH!!!
The 2005 "Fantastic Four" and 2007 sequel "Rise of the Silver Surfer" were directed by Tim Story, and starred Ioan Gruffud, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis. Since the deals are just getting made, it is unclear at present if any of them will return.Hey, 20th Century Fox—I have an idea! How about keeping Jessica Alba but hiring a Latino actor to play her brother, instead of sticking her in a blond wig in a truly stupid attempt to erase her ethnicity?
That one's on me.
Healthcare Update/Open Thread
So now the Dems are planning to go it alone, as they should have been doing all along, but of course they wouldn't be the Democrats if they didn't waste every last precious bit of momentum and progressive goodwill before half-assedly attempting to do the right thing.
51 Vote Rules May Force a Public Option Too Liberal for Some Dems:
As Senate leaders begin work on a Democrat-only health care bill, they're finding themselves confronted with an unexpected irony: Though the caucus has reached an uneasy consensus around a public option that's modeled in many ways after a private insurer, it may be necessary to make the public option more liberal, and thus, more politically radioactive, if it's to overcome a number of unique procedural hurdles.Other recommended reading:
This is the needle Democrats may have to thread if they want a public option, and at the same time, want to bypass a Republican filibuster. And the key for them will be keeping conservative Democrats on board.
GOP readies wave of objections to stall healthcare bill in Senate: "Sen. Judd Gregg has hundreds of procedural objections ready for a healthcare plan Democrats want to speed through the Senate. Gregg (N.H.), the senior Republican on the Budget Committee, told The Hill in a recent interview that Republicans will wage a vicious fight if Democrats try to circumvent Senate rules and use a budget maneuver to pass a trillion-dollar healthcare plan with a simple majority."
(That's the guy Obama wanted to be in his cabinet! Wheeeeeeeeeeee!)
WaPo/Norm Ornstein: Obama's Health-Care Realism
WaPo/Ezra Klein: Has Obama Played Health Care Exactly Right? Does It Even Matter?
CBS: Poll: Two-Thirds Confused by Health Reform
Steve Benen: The "Goverment-Is-Bad Paradigm" Lingers
Discuss.
In Shows We Totes Need to Talk About
...but I keep forgetting: Nurse Jackie.
Below the fold, you will find a conversation Deeks and I had about the show after its season finale. Be warned: This is a spoiler thread.
For those who want to know whether it's worth watching without risking spoilers, my short answer is: Yes. Hell yes.
Deeks: Hey, where are you with Nurse Jackie?
Liss: I've finished the season.
Deeks: What did you think of that ending? Jebus. I just watched it last night.
Liss: Which part? When she falls on the floor?
Deeks: When she gobbled enough morphine to kill a horse.
Liss: LOL!!! I was all: She's DRINKING IT?! Oh Christ!
Deeks: I thought "She's going to kill herself. Damn."
Liss: That would have made for a short series.
Deeks: I know, I know! I mean, I thought she was trying to, but someone would find her or whatever.
Liss: Totes. Can I just say that Edie Falso is a goddess? And I love all the other nurses. Especially Mo-Mo and Zoe. And Gloria Akalitus (GREAT character name!) is made of WIN. The actress who plays her, who was awesome in "Rachel Getting Married," too, btw, plays that character with such gusto. She really goes for it, and I love her endlessly for committing so thoroughly. When she accidentally drugged her own coffee with Jackie's spiked sweetener, and then mooshed her face up against that window? OMG. I laughed my tits off.
Deeks: Anna Deavere Smith. I love Zoe! All the characters on that show are really well written. And Akalitus is totes awesome. You want to hate her, but you can't, because she's not your typical one-dimensional hospital admin character. Like when everyone was giving her shit for letting the pharmacists go, she was "I hired him myself 15 years ago, this is the hardest day I've ever had here."
Liss: Uh-huh. And I loved her little flirtation with Victor Garber. Rock. The actress who plays Zoe has such a great, expressive face. She's just too adorable for words, and her physical comedy is outstanding. Whenever she has to spin midstep because Jackie barks at her about something—OMG. Or when she does that sort of harrumphy swinging-arms socially awkward doofus stuff? OMG. She kills me. That show's so good I even like Peter Facinelli and his tired-ass Tom Cruise impersonation.
Discuss.
Heaven's Tail Rotor
Louisiana Governor and Future of the Repubilcan Party™ Bobby Jindal has racked up about $45,000 in transportation costs. Flying to Sunday services. In a helicopter. Taxpayers of the Creole State are footing the bill for use of the State Police chopper, and its two pilots. According to Jindal, church "visits give him a chance to talk to citizens." Oh, okay then.
Quote of the Day
"This [health care reform] cannot pass…What we have to do today is make a covenant, to slit our wrists, be blood brothers on this thing. This will not pass. We will do whatever it takes to make sure this doesn't pass…Right now, we are looking at reaching down the throat and ripping the guts out of freedom. And we may never be able to restore it if we don't man up and take this one on."—Representative Michele Bachmann (R-Assholvia), who is, evidently, a dude.
Important Announcement
If I have to hear or read one more person talking about how revoltingly, disgustingly, grotesquely ugly Rumer Willis is, I'm going to go totally trucknutz.
This is not an ugly girl.
Let me repeat that: This is not an ugly girl. And the reason that's important to say is not because it would somehow be okay to talk about how ugly she is if she weren't an attractive young woman, but because there are girls in this world who conform far less to the beauty standard than Rumer Willis, who barely deviates at all—and they're looking at this lovely young woman and thinking, "Oh god, I wish I looked like her, and even she gets called ugly! I must be hideous! I AM PRACTICALLY A MONSTER!"
And they hate themselves because adults can't collectively get our shit together and stop being unbelievable fucking assholes who engage in publicly passing judgment on young women using ridiculously impossible standards and then absurdly pretending this pastime is somehow innocuous and doesn't reverberate through the culture and wind up a charred lump of self-loathing in the soul of every girl.
Today's Edition of "Conniving and Sinister"
Strip One, Strip Two, Strip Three, Strip Four, Strip Five, Strip Six, Strip Seven, Strip Eight, Strip Nine, Strip Ten, Strip Eleven, Strip Twelve, Strip Thirteen, Strip Fourteen, Strip Fifteen, Strip Sixteen, Strip Seventeen, Strip Eighteen, Strip Nineteen. In which Liss reimagines the long-running comic "Frank & Ernest," about two old straight white guys "telling it like it is," as a fat feminist white woman and a biracial queerbait telling it like it actually is from their perspectives. Hilarity ensues.
