...when I donate a toy to a holiday gift drive for needy children is: Are they here legally?! Because I don't want my hard-earned money being used to make some NON-AMERICAN child happy for a fleeting moment!
That's the spirit of the season, bitchez.
What I Really Care About...
The Ladies, Continued
My Aunt Betty, a couple of years before she died. Do I even need to tell you how much I loved this woman?
I was terrified of her when I was a little girl; she was stubborn and brusque and quirky and fiercely individualistic. She never had children of her own, and talked to me like an adult, rather than a child, which I adored even as it intimidated me. The older I got, the more I admired her and appreciated her idiosyncrasies.
She lived in Florida, and I remember sitting on her patio one morning and watching a lizard run over my bare toes. "You didn't flinch," she said. It wasn't a question, but an observation. She nodded. "That's good. It's good you're not scared of them."
The first time we visited her, I was maybe seven years old. I asked for ketchup to put on my chicken. "I don't eat ketchup, I don't like ketchup, and I don't keep it in my house!" I shrunk. The chicken was accompanied by things I didn't like then—squash, stringbeans. Aunt Betty expected clean plates; I didn't know how I would choke them down. My mom snatched them off my plate when Aunt Betty wasn't looking, and said, "What a good girl! You ate all your vegetables!"
The second time we visited her, Aunt Betty took me shopping with her. She never said a word to me about not eating those vegetables, but she asked me what I wanted at the store. I told her mac & cheese, and she bought it, without a comment or sideways glance.
In the condiment aisle, she grabbed a bottle of ketchup and held it out for me to see. "I'm buying it just for you!" she said. And I felt very loved.
Update to Amy Goodman vs. CBSA
From SpaceCowboy, I got a link to an update to this story, which I posted here at the weekend.
AMY GOODMAN: Yeah, this was, to say the least, extremely jarring. I felt completely violated, I mea, personally and professionally. You know, and for journalism overall. Because this is not only a violation of freedom of the press, you know, the idea that, you know, the state is going into your papers, your documents, your sources, everything—but also a violation of the public’s right to know. Because if journalists feel there are things they can’t report on, that they’ll be detained, that they’ll be arrested, or they’ll be questioned, they’ll be interrogated; this is a threat to the free flow of information. And that’s the public’s loss, that’s democracy’s loss.Democracy's loss indeed. Full transcript, as well as the video itself, can be found here at Crooks and Liars.
I would urge Canadians to write to your MPs about this, and tell them you want to know why the CBSA is detaining and searching journalists, in blatant disregard of the Canadian Charter of Rights. Remember that snail-mail to an MP within Canada is postage-free.
World AIDS Day
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton yesterday, on the eve of World AIDS Day:
We are gathered on the eve of World AIDS Day to renew and recommit ourselves. It is obvious to those sitting in this audience, as I look out at you and see people who have been involved in this struggle for a long time, that you know that we have made progress, but we face an unending pandemic, one that spares no one, that unfortunately disproportionately affects the most vulnerable, and which is the defining health challenge of our times. And we have to address it through a series of broad and cross-cutting global partnerships and a whole-of-government approach. And that is exactly what we are attempting to do."Obviously, our efforts are hampered whenever discrimination or marginalization of certain populations results in less effective outreach and treatment. So we will work not only to ensure access for all who need it but also to combat discrimination more broadly." She's looking at you, Uganda.
...Obviously, our efforts are hampered whenever discrimination or marginalization of certain populations results in less effective outreach and treatment. So we will work not only to ensure access for all who need it, but also to combat discrimination more broadly. We have to stand against any efforts to marginalize and criminalize and penalize members of the LGBT community worldwide. It is an unacceptable step backwards — (applause) — on behalf of human rights. But it is also a step that undermines the effectiveness of efforts to fight the disease worldwide.
We will also redouble our efforts to address the needs of women and girls who are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS in many parts of the world. Promoting the health of women strengthens families and communities and has positive spillover effects in areas like poverty reduction and education. Since we know the most effective health programs are integrated with functioning local and national governments, we will work with partner governments to assess capacity, identify gaps, and make customized plans to meet each country's needs.
...President Obama is implementing the repeal of the "HIV entry ban," a longstanding policy that prevented people living with HIV/AIDS from entering our country. The repeal will take effect early in the new year, and we will be vigorously enforcing it.
Today, I am pleased to announce that, with the repeal of the ban, the International AIDS Society will hold the 2012 International AIDS Conference in Washington, D.C. (Applause.) This conference will draw together an estimated 30,000 researchers, scientists, policymakers, health care providers, activists, and others from around the world.
So as we look to 2012, we have to continue to seek a global solution to this global problem. On World AIDS Day, let us renew our commitment to ensuring that those infected and affected by HIV — the woman on treatment who is supporting her family, the child who dropped out of school to care for sick parents, the doctors and nurses without adequate resources — that all those who have joined together to fight this pandemic will someday live in a world where HIV/AIDS can be prevented and treated as a disease of the past.
You can read her full remarks here.
What the Hell?
Shaker PlusSizedFeminist.
Seriously, that hand gesture just may be the greatest thing in the world.
[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, kiwi_a, em_and_ink, Tik_bev, phdintraining, Deeky Freakhands, busydani, Jenny Anne, rowmyboat, DesertRose, Steve/Pido, Anne Onymous, phredrika, The Last of the Famous International Deekys, Iain, Another Mustang Bobby, mkp-hearts-nyc, Arvan, Norbizness, Electrasteph, SteffaB, molliecat, Aestas, catvoncat, Filthy Grandeur, Shelly, Mighty Doll, IraeNicole, sevenhelz, the Shaker Halloween Special, Mistress Sparkletoes, Neilleast, NapalmNacey, Rowan_Bristol, ChelseaWantsOut, and Phyllis.]
Here's the Dumbest Thing You'll Read All Day
Some asshole appropriates for his own purposes Chaz Bono's public transitioning to use as a springboard for a "hilarious" piece about how awesome being a dude is—which, because Western manhood is defined in contradistinction to the feminine, naturally entails "jokes" about how much women suck, too.
Remember this piece next time you read some transphobic shit about how it's trans women and men who perpetuate gender stereotypes.
[H/T to Shaker Kirsaram.]
"My Bounden Duty"
[Trigger warning for eating disorders.]
On satyagrahi Sharmila Irom, who, on November 5, "entered the tenth year of her superhuman fast" in protest of India's Armed Forces Special Powers Act, which "has been imposed in Manipur and most of the Northeast since 1980" and has resulted in countless state-sanctioned extrajudicial killings:
But, in a sense, the humbling power of Sharmila's story lies in her untutored beginnings. She is not a front for any large, coordinated political movement. And if you were looking for charismatic rhetoric or the clichéd heat of heroism, you would have been disappointed by the quiet woman in Room 57 in the New Private Ward of AIIMS in New Delhi. That 34-year-old's satyagraha was not an intellectual construct. It was a deep human response to the cycle of death and violence she saw around her — almost a spiritual intuition. "I was shocked by the dead bodies of Malom on the front page," Sharmila had said in her clear, halting voice. "I was on my way to a peace rally but I realised there was no means to stop further violations by the armed forces. So I decided to fast."Read the whole thing here. It is just an amazing piece, about a woman whose strength and resolve is simply breathtaking.
...In a complex world, often the solution to a problem lies in an inspired, unilateral act of leadership. An act that intuits the moral heart of a question and proceeds to do what is right — without precondition. Sharmila Irom's epic fast is such an act. It reaffirms the idea of a just and civilized society. It refuses to be brutalized in the face of grave and relentless brutality. Her plea is simple: repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act.
[H/T to Shaker Abhishek.]
Bread and Teaspoons Seventeen
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 Topic for additional discussion is Setting Boundaries: how do you go about setting boundaries with a workplace or situation that wants to intrude on your life more than you want it to?
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: Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen. Fourteen. Fifteen. Sixteen.
Question of the Day
What's your favorite "totes easy" recipe?
(It's OK if it includes something out of a package or a can; Deeky and I have a friend that calls that "Can-Opener Gourmet.")
I made this awesome Italian Beef in the slow cooker a few weeks ago. My co-worker related the recipe to me and it didn't even require writing it down.
1 Beef Roast (mine was close to 3 pounds, he used a 4.5 pound roast. Oy.)
2 cans beef broth
1 Package dry Italian salad dressing mix
Quickly sear the roast for about 30 seconds on each side. Throw it in the slow cooker. Pour in the broth and seasoning. Cook on low around 8 hours. Take the beef out of the cooker, and either slice it, or shred it (I shredded it). Put the beef back in the cooker and cook on low another 3 to 4 hours. Eat on crusty rolls! (Add your own hot peppers, provolone cheese, etc.)
More on Catholic Church and Police Scandal in Ireland
[Trigger warning.]
Below is video/transcript of CNN's coverage of the story I wrote about Friday: A report investigating three decades of the Dublin Diocese found that the diocese colluded with police to cover up sex crimes committed by priests, even after the Church had acknowledged the problem and was publicly stating its resolve to confront the institutional failings that facilitated the endemic abuse.
I was struck by two things in this report: One, the poignant truth of survivor Andrew Madden's observation that the report, and its truth, is the closest thing to justice that many of the survivors of sexual assault by coddled priests will ever have. And two, the fact that the current Archbishop of Dublin doesn't even come close to making any promise that such a thing will never happen again. There are apologies, yes. But an apology for a chosen course (as opposed to an apology for an accident, like stepping on a toe) is meaningless without resolve to make certain that the thing for which one is apologizing will not happen again in the future.
This was no accident. This was a deliberate and carefully orchestrated strategy to conceal the abuse of children. The archbishop cannot guarantee that no priest will ever abuse another child, but he sure as hell can guarantee that no known crimes committed by a priest in his diocese will be hidden by the Church again on his watch, that he will not actively seek to collude with the police to conceal sex crimes.
How fucking dare he even say he's sorry, without a promise he will do everything he can to ensure it will never, ever, happen again—with nothing but a polite request to "the priests of the diocese and the Parish Pastoral Councils to ensure that the wide reaching measures introduced into our parishes and organizations regarding the safeguarding of children are rigorously observed and constantly verified and updated." How very…formal.
I'd be more impressed if he'd stop being so goddamn sorrowful and showed a little righteous fucking anger. I frankly don't trust anyone in a position of power who doesn't get visibly, demonstrably angry on behalf of the people who have been victimized by that power. Even Jesus got pissed—and over far less important shit than this.
Sue Saville, ITN Reporter, in voiceover: Cover-up, connivance, concealment were found in the Catholic Church and in its relationship with the authorities who should have been investigating allegations of child abuse. The Church was seen as being above the law, putting its own reputation before the protection of children, and being allowed to continue unchecked by a state fearful of scandal. The report covering thirty years in the diocese of Dublin found that four archbishops did not hand over information on abusers. One priest has admitted sexually abusing more than a hundred children. Some of those abused by priests gave their reactions to the report. Andrew Madden, Survivor: This report is a shocking indictment on the Catholic Church and Dublin. Its publication may bring closure for some victims; it may also serve as the only justice some victims ever receive. But its publication, if not acted upon, will have been a wasted opportunity to raise standards of child protection in this country. Marie Collins, Survivor: The institution came before the welfare of the children of this country, and all their denials are now proved to be false. Saville, in voiceover: The Irish government has promised to bring pedophile priests to justice for these shocking crimes. Dermot Ahern, Irish Minister of Justice: —as I read it, I felt a growing sense of revulsion and anger. Revulsion at the horrible, evil acts committed against young children. Anger at how those children were then dealt with, and how often abusers were left free to abuse. Saville, in voiceover: The current archbishop of Dublin responded for the Catholic Church. Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Dublin: I offer to each and every survivor my apology, my sorrow, and my shame for what happened. But I'm aware that no words of apology will ever be sufficient. Saville, in voiceover: The Irish police say they're deeply sorry for failing to protect children. The reputation of the Catholic Church in Ireland has been severely shaken. Sue Saville, ITV News.
Photo of the Day
President Barack Obama tours the Great Wall in Badaling, China, Nov. 18, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77. 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.
Daily Kitteh
Poor Ms. Matilda had a rough day Saturday. She spent the morning at the vet, where she had to get her rabies booster shot, and then spent the afternoon being groomed, since she's lately decided she neither wants to prevent mats on her own backside (which she hasn't done for years), nor let me sort it out (which she used to do without any fuss). So I called in professional help. Tilsy was a very good girl for her very nice groomer, and now she has a shaved arse and a new nickname: Lady Butthole Nudington.
The Merry Life of an Escaped Rapist
[Trigger warning.]
Above is an image of Roman Polanski's Swiss ski chalet, where he will live under house arrest once he is released on bail. It's a hard-knock life.
The LA Times reports [via]:
A Swiss justice officials was quoted by AFP and Swiss news media as saying Polanski would be allowed to make unlimited phone calls and have full access to e-mail and the Internet. Although he cannot leave his house, he can invite friends over and throw parties at the tony chalet in the ski resort of Gstaad.And with all the celebrities who are defenders and fans of the escaped rapist, I'm sure the parties will be real star-studded events. Huzzah.
Quote of the Day
"As a pastor, my goal is to encourage, to support. I never take sides."—Pastor Rick Warren, on Meet the Press this weekend.
Warren—the minister who, you may recall, gave Obama's inaugural invocation—has indeed refused to "take sides" on the heinous anti-gay legislation proposed in Uganda and championed by Warren's friend and associate Martin Ssempa. When asked to comment on the proposed legislation, Warren responded with a noncommittal: "The fundamental dignity of every person, our right to be free, and the freedom to make moral choices are gifts endowed by God, our creator. However, it is not my personal calling as a pastor in America to comment or interfere in the political process of other nations."
Of course. Because he "never takes sides."
Except for when he supported Prop 8 and conflated same-sex marriage with polygamy, incest, and rape.
Or when he took the position that women don't have the "right" to leave abusive husbands, because the Bible does not identify physical abuse as grounds for getting a divorce.
Or when he compared legal abortion to the Holocaust.
Other than that, though, he never takes sides.
Interesting (Where "interesting" = "totally predictable.")
[Trigger warning.]
You might have heard that, over the weekend, Tiger Woods got into a car accident. His version of the story has Woods getting lacerations on his face from the accident and casts his wife as a hero for knocking out the windows of his vehicle with a golf club to rescue him. Another version of the story casts his wife as a domestic abuser who gave him the lacerations on his face during a fight and smashing the windows of his vehicle in anger at rumors he was cheating before he hurriedly drove off and quickly crashed.
I have no idea what the truth is. If it's true that Woods was abused, he has the same compelling reasons that every victim of domestic violence has to mask the truth, plus the added feelings of shame that men victimized by women frequently feel by virtue of our cultural narratives about manhood. If it's not true that he was abused, the salaciousness of the tall tale and its appeal to prurient gossip-mongers provides the requisite motivation for the tabloids to promote the lie, even if they know it to be a lie.
So I don't know—and neither does anyone else who's just reading along at home—and I'm not going to speculate. (Nor is such speculation welcome in comments.) The reason I am mentioning the story at all is because I find it interesting who suddenly has an interest in domestic violence, when it's a woman accused of doing it.
NQDTR Discussion Thread - M091130
This is the Discussion Thread for the Not Quite Daily Teaspoon Report (M091130).
This is not the place to report teaspooning acts. For that, you want to go to this thread over here.
Here you may discuss the acts you see on the main thread. For ease of reference, we recommend you preface your remarks with the username and perhaps the timestamp of the comment you're posting about. For a nonsensical example, your comment to one of mine might look like this:
-=-=-
@CaitieCat 11/18/2009 01:08 PM : I wrote this post!
And we're really glad you did! I've been able to use this thread as an example to my innocent schoolkids, and I'm so glad you thought of the children!
-=-=-
For now, we'll let this thread be pretty open, so to be more explicit, yes, "that was awesome!" comments are allowed. If we find this is becoming problematic in terms of signal-to-noise ratio, we may revisit that. If you're thinking of posting to say something congratulatory only, perhaps consider reading the thread first, and judging whether there are several people before you who've already done so. This make it harder to have a good discussion, in part because of the lack of threadedness in the comments here for most of us (if you go through Disqus directly, I believe it offers some threading).
Please remember to be polite and thoughtful in your comments, to respect the safe space provided here, and that no one is required to read this thread - so even if you've got something burningly important to say to a specific commenter, they may not see it here.
