What's the last book you read that you adored?
I just started Breathers, and I'm really enjoying it.
Question of the Day
Fort Hood Memorial
President Obama spoke today at the Fort Hood memorial service and eulogized the soldiers who were killed. The transcript is here.
Quote of the Day
"I think we should treat [Islam] as [a political system] and treat its adherents as such as we would members of the Communist Party or members of some fascist group."—Pat Robertson, cynically using the shootings in Fort Hood as an excuse to engage in his usual brand of hateful, bigoted blame-gaming in which an entire group is scapegoated for the actions of one (or a few, a hurricane, or whatever else he can use to unleash a torrent of his typical mouth-diarrhea).
Being an atheist, I'm more than happy to treat every religion as its own political ideology. Let's start with charging a religious organization the same taxes that, say, a feminist blog gets charged for doing business.
Somehow, I'm guessing P-Rob won't be on board with that idea, once it includes him.
Today's Edition of "Conniving and Sinister"
Strips One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65. 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.
You Know Who's Really Ruining Soccer?
Just sayin'.
UPDATE!!: As Liss notes in comments, this landed in my email box about three minutes after her post on Elizabeth Lambert.
UPDATE!! (AGAIN)!!: So, yeah, I told her about it and I said I'd totally post it if I weren't at work. To which she asks "why can't you do this from work?" I patiently explain the last thing I need is a screen full of twink cock on my monitor when my boss strolls by. So she agrees to find the cover image and upload it for me, after which she sends me the link. Only there's a big problem with it:
"I can't use that! There's a giant boner in it!"
"OMG I didn't even notice it!" she says.
Sure. Sure.
This is a real thing in the world.
Because it's that time of day...
[If you cannot view the picture, it's a photo of Jon Gosselin and Levi Johnston standing next to one another looking awkward as hell, captioned with: "Jon Gosselin (l.) of 'Jon & Kate Plus 8' and Bristol Palin ex-Levi Johnston are photographers' faves in Times Square on Sunday night."]
This picture is from a NY Daily News article headlined: "Picture this! Levi Johnston, Jon Gosselin together in Times Square." Newsworthy! I naturally had to instantly email it to Spudsy and Deeky upon seeing it last night.
Liss: Why does this exist?
Deeky: Please tell me they're hosting tomorrow's open thread.
Liss: Surely there is a greater destiny for them than an Open Thread. But what is it...? I haven't figured it out.
Spudsy: "I asked him what kind of girls he's into." Uh, really?
Liss: I love that you read the article, lol! I got as far as the picture caption.
Spudsy: I just had to know what fates had brought these two buttholes together.
Liss: I'm totes posting that.
Phelps and Co. Still A Bunch of Douchebags
The renowned hate-mongers at Westboro Baptist Church have staged their latest "protest" outside Sidwell Friends, Sasha and Malia Obama's school. Why? Because the only thing god hates more than fags is a decent education.
Woman Ruins Soccer
So, you may have heard about Elizabeth Lambert, the New Mexico University soccer player who effectively assaulted other players on the field during a recent game with Brigham Young. Her coach has suspended her indefinitely as a result, and Lambert has apologized, saying:
I am deeply and wholeheartedly regretful for my actions. My actions were uncalled for. I let my emotions get the best of me in a heated situation. I take full responsibility for my actions and accept any punishment felt necessary from the coaching staff and UNM administration. This is in no way indicative of my character or the soccer player that I am. I am sorry to my coaches and teammates for any and all damages I have brought upon them. I am especially sorry to BYU and the BYU women's soccer players that were personally affected by my actions. I have the utmost respect for the BYU women's soccer program and its players.Which is frankly about the best possible outcome after a situation like that.
But Lambert being rightfully punished for her unsportswomanlike behavior, and subsequently owning her actions and apologizing for them, isn't good enough. She needs to be shamed—for ruining soccer.
[Transcript below.]
"On soccer fields across the country, many kids, parents, and coaches had seen the video and wondered what had happened to the beautiful game." LOL! This is a joke, right?
Is that the same "beautiful game" in which Vinnie Jones famously crushed Paul Gascoigne's nuts?
The same "beautiful game" in which Zinedine Zidane headbutted…well…someone. Who knows? He headbutted a lot of people.
The same "beautiful game" in which Eric Cantona launched himself into the stands with a flying kung-fu kick at an abusive fan?
The same "beautiful game" in which Wayne Rooney casually stomped on another player's balls?
Et cetera. These are some of the biggest names in football/soccer. What they did isn't right and it doesn't excuse what Lambert did. But these images should serve to underline the manifest absurdity of this hand-wringing over Lambert as if she's single-handedly tarnished the entire sport.
The problem is that when men are aggressive to the point of violence in sports, it's frequently seen as a good thing—at worst, evidence of a player who's mad, reckless, not to be messed with. But when a woman is aggressive to the point of violence, she's a monster.
Men who are violent give the "beautiful game" character. A woman who is violent destroys it.
[H/T to Shaker Peggy Sue.]
------------------------------
Meredith Viera: And now to that ugly scene during a women's college soccer match. NBC's Kevin Tibbles has the rough play caught on tape.
[Video of Lambert pulling another player's hair and yanking her down to the ground; sportscasters briefly heard with shocked commentary.]
Tibbles, in voiceover: It was a ponytail takedown. This hair-raising hair-pulling infraction came during a women's soccer tournament between the University of New Mexico and Brigham Young. Cameras zeroed in on New Mexico's number 15, Elizabeth Lambert, a junior who'd been involved in a series of rough plays, including this one-two punch to the head of an opponent.
[Video of Lambert punching an opponent; sportscasters briefly heard with shocked commentary.]
Tibbles, in voiceover: And this blow with her fist after receiving an elbow.
[Video of Lambert punching an opponent; sportscaster is heard saying, "The referee missed that one."]
Tibbles, in voiceover: But it was this move [footage again of the ponytail grab and throw-down] that has made her the center of attention for all the wrong reasons, as she grabbed hold of opposing player Cassidy Shumway's ponytail, and yanked her to the ground. Lambert was not penalized at the time for the hair-pulling, but afterwards her coach suspended her indefinitely. In a statement, Lambert says, "I let my emotions get the best of me in a heated situation. I take full responsibility for my actions and accept any punishment felt necessary."
Young unidentified female player being interviewed: I thought the girl was absolutely insane, and I just can't believe she did that.
Tibbles, in voiceover: On soccer fields across the country, many kids, parents, and coaches had seen the video and wondered what had happened to the beautiful game.
Rachel Matthews, 17-year-old soccer player: You're just supposed to play the game; have fun; you're not supposed to go out there and just beat other players like that. That's not right.
Alex Preston, 16-year-old soccer player: To think that someone could have that amount of anger, and, like, that, like, amount of aggression in the game…? Like, it's ridiculous.
Mary Matthews, soccer mom: The fact that coaches and referees allowed that style of play is a shame.
Tibbles, in voiceover: Lambert's coach calls her a good student, but adds her actions crossed the line—something many young soccer players clearly agree with. For Today, Kevin Tibbles, NBC News, Chicago.
The Glenn Beck Seal of Approval
If we ever needed proof, for all time, that TARGTSNBN* isn't anything like a progressive organization, how about having the Glenn Beck seal of approval?
Guh.
* The Animal Rights Group That Shall Not Be Named, for their various and sundry uses of misogynistic and women-objectifying imagery in their campaigns.
The Not-Quite-Daily Teaspoon Report
(Edited: I had this scheduled for 3:30 LST - Liss' Standard Time - but decided with the crappy day everyone's having it might be better moved forward, so here it is. Teaspoons up!)
I'll admit: I'm inspired here by my young namesake, waywardtapper, whose teaspoon-wielding skill has given us all a big uplift around here recently.
Seeing how much people were uplifted by that incident, it occurred to me: we could use more of that. So I had an idea, which I ran by Liss this weekend, that maybe we could run a thrice-weekly post in which people could report acts of teaspooning*, however small, that they've encountered recently. They can be your own or someone else's.
The idea is for it to serve two purposes: one, as general inspiration, that you're not alone in wielding your teaspoon; two, as specific inspiration, that you can gain ideas about how you can add more teaspoon to your daily life.
Now, here's the thing. I want to make sure that this post remains tightly focused on the teaspooning, so I'm asking people not to post congratulating one another for their acts/reports. If we find that's too onerous, we'll have to find some way of allowing it that still allows people who don't want to read long comment threads to get to the core purpose, but for now, I'd like to start off without congratulatory comments.
So: have at it, Shakers, tell us how your teaspoon shines! My own is raised in salute to you!
ô,ôP
The Not-Quite-Daily Teaspoon Report brought to you by Shaxco, Royal Teaspoon Artisans, by appointment to the Queen Cunt of Fuck Mountain, since 2005.
*If you don't know what teaspooning is, then I'd like to say two things. First, welcome to Shakesville! Second, the answer (as to so many others around here) can be found in Liss' wonderful and informative FAQ, right here.
Staggering Display of Privilege
by Shaker GimliGirl, a 25-year-old mom, wife, student, and teaspooner at a Canadian University trying to get her Bachelor's of Education without losing her mind.
[Trigger warning.]
Today in my Science/Social Science class I came up against such a staggering display of male privilege that I was literally left jaw agape and shaking. We had been discussing the gang rape that happened in Richmond, which naturally led into discussion of rape in general (but thankfully no victim blaming!). We began to discuss the media influence vs. parent influence on what sexual assault is and what is acceptable and what our role, as future teachers, can and should be. It was a lot more than our teacher wanted to discuss but that's where we went and I'm glad it was brought up before we start our placement next Monday.
As a part of the discussion, I brought up the repeated and persistent commoditization and objectification of women through the media and society in general. It was supposed to be a final point, so I made sure to give it my best; the headless women in advertising being used to sell everything from makeup to cars to their very selves, and how we're seen as nothing but an object to be consumed, and how important it is for us, as future teachers, to be all in with our students and our community, to be good role models. I reiterated the objectification and commodification of women point and finished.
A young man that I've butted heads with a few times already this semester raised his hand and he was given the floor. He said "I don't think that's true. I don't think that the objectification of women is as widespread as that. That's not true." My jaw, if it could have, would have literally hit the floor.
I wanted to leap out of my seat and shout at him "WHAT?! Are you stupid?! BULLSHIT!" But I didn't. I've already set myself quite apart from my classmates through other discussions and don't really need to become completely alienated. Instead I said, loudly, "I respectfully disagree." A few people snickered and repeated what I said because I was obviously very upset, and our prof. dragged us back on topic.
After a few minutes I was still so livid I had to leave the room; water bottle in hand I left and went down the hallway to get a drink. Not yet ready to return to class I paced the hallway for a few minutes and decided to call my hubby, but a friend from class caught up with me first, asking if I was alright. Honestly, I wasn't sure what to say. I'm still shaking as I write about this. We talked about it-well, I ranted about it for a few minutes, and went back to class, wondering and shaking our heads how someone could be so completely out of touch with reality to say such a thing.
Later on, having called home to say goodnight to my son, I got the chance to tell my husband about my day. I was going over the afternoon again with him when I realized; not only did this man's comment in class completely nullify my experiences as a woman, as a person, living in this world and its rape culture and its constant media portrayals of sex and violence and the very objectification I was talking about, it nullifies those of every other woman, of every other person, who HAS experienced it.
Through his one comment, "That's not true." he attempted to wipe out the experiences, thoughts and feelings, of thousands of people. He called everyone who didn't agree with him a liar.
One thing I am not is a liar, and I know Liss is not a liar, and I know Shakers aren't liars. Our words are too precious to be used to lie; our words are sacred, they are our teaspoons, our chants, our songs, our fists in the air against the daily oppression that surrounds us and tries to beat us down from nearly every side. Our words, so often disbelieved and pushed aside and simply not heard, cannot be lies because we can't waste time with lies, we can't waste breath with lies. Truth is our ally as much as we are each others' allies. We are not liars; we are truth-tellers in a world that hates the truth, that doesn't want to hear it, that possibly can't handle it because the truth about the world we live in is sometimes so horrifying that I wonder how any of us rolls out of bed in the morning.
If You Really Mean It...
...about moving to Canada, I mean, here's your starting point.
I've had (no kidding) a half-dozen e-mails in the hour or so since I offered to a Shaker who declared she was moving to Canada that I would be happy to help her with job-finding resources, immigration resources, that kind of thing.
So, in order to get back a bit of time in my day, I'm centralizing my response. The intent for this post is to be a place to gather up a whole whack of useful links for those Americans who really do feel they'd be happier north of the border. You certainly won't be alone! In my personal monkeysphere of 150 or so friends, I can think of probably twenty who were, as the man said, Born in the USA. Maybe more, as I ponder it.
I will offer one warning: it's not instant. On average, the Immigration Canada website says it takes about 22 months for American immigrants to arrive in Canada after application, and you can expect the application itself to take several months to assemble. Note that there's a fair old bit of privilege at work here: immigration from other parts of the world is frequently much, much slower, despite Canada's world-high immigration rate. As an example of that rate, the company I'm currently contracting with has 15 employees. Not one (including me) was born in this country.
I'll encourage my fellow Canucks to pitch in with any links or resources they can offer, and will be editing the post to move things into a more visible place as links come in. A quick sample of ones I have of my own, to start us off*:
Immigration-related:
Immigration Canada: the ministry responsible for (duh) immigration.
General Employment:
HRDC Job Bank: the Job Bank of Human Resources Development Canada, the ministry responsible for employment.
Monster.ca: The Canada-focused version of the popular jobseekers' site.
Bilingual Source: A job agency specializing in placing bilingual people.
Workopolis: Another useful site, with plenty of Canadian positions to look at.
Regional employment:
Gary Will: a site focused on high-tech employers in the Kitchener-Waterloo region (about an hour west of Toronto, this is Canada's San Jose Valley, the home of a good chunk of our high-tech industry, including Blackberry-makers RIM)
Industry-specific:
Society for Technical Communicators: The Canadian technical writers' professional organization, which maintains a job bank for both permanent and temporary positions - I believe you have to get membership to access their bank, but if you're a tech writer moving here, you'd want to do that anyway.
Charity Village: a site focused on employment in the non-profit sector.
Our Mendacious President
I really want to impart what total, unmitigated horseshit President Obama's contention that the House bill with the Stupak Amendment "[isn't] an abortion bill" is. Certainly, what he means is that it's not a bill that supports abortion (because that would be terrible!), but the fact is that it is an anti-choice bill, and that makes it an abortion bill as far as I'm fucking concerned, in the same way that the assault weapons ban is considered "gun legislation" by both its supporters and its opponents.
D-Day notes that, despite the claims by its proponents that the Stupak Amendment "merely extends the Hyde Amendment about public funding for abortion to the new health care bill" (which I cannot believe there are Democrats defending as if it's not an utterly heinous piece of misogynist and classist shit), the reality is that "over time this amendment would end reproductive choice insurance coverage entirely."
The amendment designates two areas where abortion coverage could not be offered – the public option, and on any plan receiving subsidies in the exchange. Because insurance companies would have to take all comers and not deny anyone coverage under the new bill, they would not be able to restrict customers who receive subsidies. So effectively, every plan in the exchange would not allow abortion coverage.McJoan puts it in further perspective:
Right now, the exchanges are restricted to the self-employed, the uninsured, and certain small businesses. But there are provisions in both the House and Senate bills to open the exchanges over time.
...[W]ith the Stupak amendment, every one of those expansions, to mid-size and then large employers and possibly even individuals who are offered employer coverage, would further restrict coverage for reproductive choice services. If the exchanges do expand – and they should – the result would be making all abortions purely an out-of-pocket scenario.
Once again, just like in the pre-Roe days, the wealthy will have access to abortion, those who can't scrape several hundred dollars together won't. Because of how the exchange is structured, most of people covered through it will be receiving credits or subsidies. Therefore, most of the participants will not have access to a legal medical procedure. ... Right now, nearly 90 percent of private, employer-based plans cover abortion services. This legislation could result in many of those plans dropping it, to make administration of plans simpler and more cost-effective.This is the most expansive restriction on access to abortion Congress has passed.
...This is the most expansive restriction on access to abortion Congress has passed. It goes well beyond Hyde, which has never been codified and which only governs federal, public plans. It's particularly galling that it comes under the umbrella of healthcare "reform."
Tell me again how this isn't "an abortion bill," Mr. President.
Fort Hood Open Thread
There's more information now coming out about the shooter at Fort Hood, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, and speculation about the ways in which the military may have failed to connect the dots about him.
This morning on CNN, I saw that Hasan had been under investigation late last year and early this year for making contact with a radical cleric, but investigators concluded he was just doing research related to his job and cleared him. He was promoted soon afterwards. The New York Times has more on that story here.
The Washington Post reports that Hasan "warned a roomful of senior Army physicians a year and a half ago that to avoid 'adverse events,' the military should allow Muslim soldiers to be released as conscientious objectors instead of fighting in wars against other Muslims," upsetting the physicians in attendance who had expected to hear a medical presentation.
Eugene Robinson notes that "fellow Army doctors told superiors of their concern that Hasan felt divided allegiance—both to the Muslims whom he felt were under attack and the country he had volunteered to serve."
If all this information is accurate, superiors apparently ignoring the concerns of Hasan's coworkers was the biggest failing. If fellow soldiers were raising the red flag, the Army should have listened.
In any case, it doesn't appear that Hasan was part of any kind of organized terrorist group, but was acting alone. Which, I feel obliged to point out, makes it a lot easier to craft a narrative about his motivation based purely on what news is released and what isn't.
Obama Refuses to Stand Up for Women
I can't put it any more plainly than that. And, no—it's not hyperbole. I wish it were.
The White House on Monday signaled it would keep its distance in the increasingly vocal debate over whether health insurance reform should include language related to abortion.FUCK THAT. There is no fucking "common ground" between people who believe in women's right to autonomy over their own bodies and people who believe that women's bodies are property of the government, or their doctors, or their husbands, or anyone else who gets a vote on whether they have to be pregnant even if they don't want to be. Either you stand on the side of women's equality and independence or you don't.
When asked whether the president supported Rep. Bart Stupak's (D-Mich.) amendment to prohibit the public insurance plan from covering abortion services, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs dodged the question -- multiple times.
"Well, ask me that right before Christmas and the end of the New Year," Gibbs said during today's press briefing, noting the president still expected to sign a healthcare bill before the year's end.
The press secretary later clarified, "We will work on this and continue to seek consensus and common ground."
It is fucking ludicrous that our DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT refuses to take a stand on this issue.
And this mealy-mouthed bullshit—"I laid out a very simple principle, which is this is a health care bill, not an abortion bill"—is contemptibly craven. I'm absolutely fucking livid that a man who had the audacity to claim to be a champion of women's right to choose would abandon women in this way. Not that I'm surprised. Of course I'm not surprised. I always knew this was bullshit. A lack of surprise makes me no less furious about the depth of his callous disregard for women.
That? Is also not hyperbole: "In case you are wondering about the real life effects of playing cheap politics with pregnancy, read this. And this. ... All women will be losing coverage for necessary abortions when a wanted pregnancy goes wrong. It only has an exemption for the life of the mother, but not for her her health, nor for severe and fatal fetal abnormalities. Click those links for what that means in real life."
Women's real lives—something our president evidently doesn't give a fuck about. Or might. Y'know, depending on which way the wind is blowing in December.
For the record: This isn't me hysterical. Nor overwrought. Nor upset. Nor reactionary. Nor irrational. Nor hypersensitive. Nor any other word one might use to dismiss a feminist in this moment. This is me angry and brimming with contempt.
-------------------
UPDATE: Oh, pardon me: He is taking a stand, after all—by asking the Dems do THE ABSOLUTE MINIMUM POSSIBLE for women:
President Obama suggested Monday that he was not comfortable with abortion restrictions inserted into the House version of major health care legislation, and he prodded Congress to revise them.Which, naturally, means fuck-all for the poor women currently without healthcare for whom government-subsidized health insurance will be the only option, i.e. the very health insurance at the center of the Stupak Amendment.
"There needs to be some more work before we get to the point where we're not changing the status quo" on abortion, Mr. Obama said in an interview with ABC News. "And that's the goal."
On the one hand, Mr. Obama said, "we're not looking to change what is the principle that has been in place for a very long time, which is federal dollars are not used to subsidize abortions."
On the other hand, he said, he wanted to make sure "we're not restricting women's insurance choices," because he had promised that "if you're happy and satisfied with the insurance that you have, it's not going to change."
So the president's Very Principled Stand is to firmly plant his feet in between expanding abortion rights for women who most need it and the status quo. Bravo.
Did I mention I'm angry and brimming with contempt...?
Bread and Teaspoons Fourteen
Good morning (unless it isn't where you are, in which case I wish you Good $TIME_PERIOD), and welcome to this week's installment of Shakesville's networking post, Bread and Teaspoons*.
This is a weekly post, usually Tuesdays, providing a spot for Shakers to network a little with one another, see if we can help each other out some.
Also remember, if you’re running or part of a small business, you’re encouraged to drop links here for that. I’m happy to see Shakers makin’ their own way in whatever manner that is.
This week's employment-related discussion topic is Resumé Strategy: what tips do you have on setting up your resumé/CV to better reach the goal of employment?
Here's how it works: There should be four sorts of comments here.
1) You comment here with any details of work you're seeking: where, what, that sort of thing. You give an e-mail address at which you can be reached - feel free to set up a special e-mail for it, if you don't want to post your regular one for the world to spam - and if another Shaker has a lead, they can contact you directly to pass it along.
A work-seeking comment should include:
Please do NOT include information such as your full name or telephone number, as this is and will remain a public post, and once posted, there's no taking it back (because it'll be spidered by a search engine, not because we don't want you to).
It is explicitly alright to comment to this each week with similar info.
For example, I might post a comment saying:
I'm a professional translator of French, German and Russian, with nearly 17 years of experience. I'm looking for basically any translation job, academic, commercial, personal, genealogical, you name it, with one exception: I do not currently have certification, so if you need a certified translator (usually for legal docs: birth certificates, divorce decrees, wills), you need someone else.
I am also available as a writer or editor, for academic, journalistic, creative, marketing-oriented or any other type of written communication. Basically, if you'll pay me, I'll write or edit it. My company website is found here.
You can contact me for business purposes through my business address, cait@cogitantes.net.
2) The second type of comment would be task offering: if you've got a job you think might suit someone here, consider posting it as a comment. Use the same guidelines as above: give general information here, and specific information when you exchange e-mails. An offered task might look something like this:
I have a doctoral thesis which needs proofing and editing by Thursday, is anyone available? You can reach me at ABDShaker@shakesville.miskatonic.edu.
3) The third kind of comment I'd love to see is success stories! We’d love to know when this works out, and people actually find some employment through our efforts. If you feel like sharing, tell us how it worked out for you. :)
**NEW CATEGORY ADDED**
4) If you’re a progressive working for or running a small business and would like to include a pointer to your business, you may do so. If you’ve never otherwise posted before here (i.e., you’re a lurker), I may check in with you to be certain you’re a Shaker and not a spammer. If it turns into a spamfest, or we start getting businesses that are of dubious progressive credentials, we may need to revisit this one, but let’s give it a try.
So, that's what we'd like to see.
What we do NOT want to see:
So there. Have at it, Shakers, for Bread and Teaspoons!
Important disclaimers: Shakesville makes no endorsement or claim as to the capabilities of anyone commenting to this post, and anyone considering hiring someone should be prepared to treat it like any other business situation: DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE. We're not doing any screening of this, so you'll want to make sure you check references, use safe-payment procedures (e.g., ask for a deposit), all the things you'd do when working with any stranger on the Internet. While this is intended for Shakers in general, remember that there is no real obstacle to being able to comment here, and do the things you need to do to keep yourself safe.
* As might be evident, this is an intentional reference to Bread and Roses, a longtime slogan of the left. In this case, though, my hope is that if we achieve steady bread, we will use it to power our teaspoon use.
The last several Bread and Teaspoons: Eight. Nine.Ten. Eleven. Twelve.
Thirteen.
Question of the Day
What do you say, if anything, when someone sneezes? What do you like people to say to you when you sneeze?
I usually say "gesundheit," which is German for "good health." (Or occasionally "bless you.") I prefer "gesundheit," because it feels so practical and affable to me, wishing someone good health.
Iain got a terrible cold for his birthday and has sneezed approximately nine gazillion times (give or take a bajillion) in the last three days. I've never heard anyone sneeze so much in my life. I'm amazed he hasn't smashed his own rib cage to bits.
I'm going to start saying, "Shut the fuck up!" when he sneezes, and see if it helps.
Because I care.
