Sarah Palin has accepted a job at Fox News providing "some type of commentary," says her attorney. No other details were available.
UPDATED: Fox News has slightly more info:
[Palin] has signed a multi-year deal to offer her political commentary and analysis across all Fox News platforms, including Fox Business Channel, FoxNews.com and Fox News Radio.
She will also participate in special event political programming for Fox Broadcasting.
"I am thrilled to be joining the great talent and management team at Fox News. It's wonderful to be part of a place that so values fair and balanced news," Palin said in a written release.
"Governor Palin has captivated everyone on both sides of the political spectrum and we are excited to add her dynamic voice to the FOX News lineup," said Bill Shine, executive vice president of programming.
[
Cross-posted.]
Open Wide...
Shut Up!
After a mere six months on the air, NBC is cancelling The Jay Leno Show.
Leno's low ratings were "leading fewer viewers into [affiliates'] late news programs, costing them significant advertising revenue." His final show will air February 12.
The bad news is Leno will be given a new half-hour show at 11:30, pushing Conan O'Brien's Tonight Show to midnight.
[Cross-posted.]
Open Wide...
Shut Up!
This Blogaround is brought to you by Shaxco, not yet producers of petri dish cookies--not yet. But soon, dear readers, soon.
Health Skills: Getting through it. ( H/T Dave Munger's latest research blogging round up.)
Working With Chronic Illness: 3 traps you can avoid
The Design Blog: ASUS Waveface Ultra: Wear your computer around the wrist like a bracelet (Slow-loading link, but very cool.)
Columbus Museum of Art Blog: CMA Executive Director Nannette Maciejunes and Bruce Harkey of Franklin Park Conservatory discuss their respective Dale Chihuly exhibitions on All Sides with Ann Fisher (Streaming audio available at the link. No transcript as far as I know; please leave a link in comments if I'm wrong.) Here are text links about the Franklin Park Conservatory's Chihuly Reimagined exhibit and the CMA's Chihuly Illuminated exhibit.
Tayari Jones: Upstate Girls. Jones discusses video essay "The Women of Troy" by Susan Sommers-Willet and Brenda Ann Kenneally. Jones labels the images in the video to which she links NSFW:
...not because they are sexually graphic, though there is a lot of skin. The photgraphs [sic] sort of give me the feeling that I am looking into people's private lives and I am not sure if it's okay for me to watch. [...] My real question is about the images. Are they too much? [...] Or does it matter who's looking? It seems that this is the precious question of 2010.
Maud Newton via
Laila Lalami on Twitter lets us know that
The Boston Review has a 1975 interview with Susan Sontag up in celebration of its 35th anniversary.
Ben Zimmer:
"Tweet" Named Word of the Year, "Google" Word of the DecadeThree-Toed Sloth:
Books to Read While Algae Grow in Your Fur, December 2009Not So Humble Pie:
Science Cookie Round Up #1
Open Wide...
Shut Up!
"I'm blacker than Barack Obama." — Rod Blagojevich , reality show star and one-time Illinois governor, in a recent interview with Esquire. He continued, "I shined shoes. I grew up in a five-room apartment. My father had a little laundromat in a black community not far from where we lived. I saw it all growing up."
Open Wide...
Shut Up!
Hiya, Shakers, time for another Discussion Thread for the Not Quite Daily Teaspoon Report!
This is the thread in which you may offer congratulations or admiration for a teaspoon or teaspooner. If you're posting with just congrats or admiration, though, do take a moment and check the thread to see whether other people have said so a number of times already. Remember that no one is required to read here just because they posted over there, so there's no guarantee you'll get a response to a given comment.
Open Wide...
Shut Up!
Time for another Teaspoon Report. Leave comments here that describe an act of teaspooning you encountered or committed. They don't have to be big, world-shaking acts; by definition, a teaspoon is a small thing, but enough of them together can empty the ocean.
If you would like to discuss the teaspoons here reported, or even offer congratulations or your admiration to a fellow Shaker, we ask that you do so over here in the Discussion Thread for today's NQDTR.
Shaker bgk has been kind enough to get a Twitter-pated version out there for you young twittersnappers (and by the way, get off my lawn, you meddling kids! *shakes cane*). You can find the details about the Tweetspoons project right here. That runs all the time, as far as I'm aware (*grumblenewtechnologygrumble*), and we encourage you to let other people know that there's at least one tweetstream talking about just going out and doing good things for the human species.
Teaspoons up, let's hear 'em, Shakers!
ô,ôP
Open Wide...
Shut Up!
Opening today is the first ever federal trial to determine if the U.S. Constitution prohibits individual states from outlawing same-sex marriage.
Among the questions [Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn] Walker plans to entertain are whether sexual orientation can be changed, how legalizing gay marriage affects traditional marriages and the effect on children of being raised by two mothers or two fathers.
It boggles my mind that such ridiculous questions are being asked in a court of law. Of courwe, we all know these arguments can so easily be dismantled with facts. (Not that logic, reason and sense enters into it all.)
As Jennifer Pizer, marriage director for Lambda Legal says:
Can the state reserve the esteemed language and status of marriage just for heterosexual couples, and relegate same-sex couples to a lesser status? Are there any adequate public interests to justify reimposing such a caste system for gay people, especially by a majority vote to take a cherished right from a historically mistreated minority?
Proponents of bigotry fall to their old stand-by: What about the children!?!?
Their witnesses will testify that governments historically have sanctioned traditional marriage as a way to promote responsible child-rearing and that this remains a valid justification for limiting marriage to a man and a woman.
Regardless of the outcome, the case is expected to be appealed to the Supreme Court.
[Proceedings can be viewed
here.]
UPDATE: The U.S. Supreme court has
temporarily blocked broadcast of the trial.
Open Wide...
Shut Up!
Went digging for a couple of pictures of the only cat who lives in this flat.
CaitieCat at 29, with the kids at the playground.
CaitieCat at 41, in the playground, no kids for an excuse.
Open Wide...
Shut Up!
Just a quick note: I just spoke to Liss this morning and I thought I'd let you all know she's planning to take a few more personal days.
Open Wide...
Shut Up!
Art Clokey, creator of The Gumby Show and Davey and Goliath, died Friday. He was 88.
A Gumby Adventure: In the Dough
Open Wide...
Shut Up!
"We had no domestic attacks under Bush. We've had one under Obama." — Rudy Giuliani, discussing terrorism in the U.S., and somehow forgetting September 11, 2001.
Open Wide...
Shut Up!
Brought to you by Shaxco, makers of FilthTech brand Shit-in-a-can: Spray it all over the thread of your choice, and watch the fun begin! Hours of trolly entertainment in every tin!*
Quixotess: It's not a diet, it's lifestyle activism.
Tiger Beatdown: Acts of Contrition: Feminism, Privilege, and the Legacy of Mary Daly (a typically thorough and self-searching response to the passing of seriously problematic feminist Mary Daly)
Sociological Images: On Avatar, the Movie (spoiler warning; also has links to other interesting critique of the movie)
The Sexist: Explain the Hillary Clinton Nutcracker Joke
Mongoose Chronicles: Nobody Does Racist Like KFC
WitchWords: The Bizarro World of Anti-Gay Activists
Womanist Musings: Being Transgender in Prison Should Not Equal Torture
BC Holmes: Viktim (post about her most recent trip to Ayiti with an NGO)
Small Strokes Fell Big Oaks: Teaching Feminism: What Are Commercials Really Selling?
Motivated Grammar: Pronouncing 2010
The Pursuit of Harpyness: Women of the World, Put Out or Die in a Terrorist Attack
Feminazery: I’m Wearing a Silky Leopard-print Pushup Number with Apricot Lace Trim and Peepholes
Leave your links in comments...
* Also available in portable, airplane-friendly one-ounce squeeze tube, and The MegaBucket, a five-gallon drum with sprayer attachment. Not suitable for persons with empathy, compassion, or other reasons for anti-troll prejudice.
Open Wide...
Shut Up!
An open letter to the white cisgender hetero man** who is Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper:
Dear Sir,
It has come to my attention, as a voting Canadian, that you have once again suspended my democratic rights, by proroguing Parliament to avoid having to answer questions you didn't want to answer. I voted in the last election to have a voice in Ottawa, not to pay politicians for not working. I see no urgent need for the abrogation of my right to political expression, save that you don't want to lose power. Allow me please to say, "boo-hoo, wah-wah." If you can't keep a minority government running, then you don't have the confidence of Parliament, and should step down and call an election.
Yes, I understand that you would like to avoid being grilled over the role our troops have played in Afghanistan, and the horrid allegations of abuse and misprision in our name in that troubled country. My children also liked very much to try and avoid facing the responsibilities they had, but had to learn that when you take on a responsibility, it is yours until you are relieved of it.
No one has relieved you of responsibility for governing our country, sir. It is your responsibility - your solemn sworn duty - to have a government in place, working on new or amending old legislation, not to go swanning off to Florida or Cuba for a few months while the rest of us sweat to pay your salary.
Your behaviour is irresponsible and selfish, and grasping at power this way (don't think we don't know about the Senators you plan to appoint, free of review because Parliament isn't sitting, how convenient for you!) will only lead to a more thunderous defeat in the next election.
I suggest you consult with one Kim Campbell, left holding the bag for the historically impressively hated Conservatives by Brian Mulroney, and winning only two, yes TWO, seats in Parliament, down from a sitting majority. If you annoy us, you could be left looking for work as "former Prime Minister".
Or if my luck turns. Either way.
In the end, sir, let me put it succinctly:
Get your wooden ass back in your Parliamentary seat, and face your responsibilities. Are you an adult, or a child? Children evade their unpleasant tasks. We grown-ups know we have to do the unpleasant stuff too.
Which are you, sir? Which?
With contempt and abjuration,
CaitieCat
* The "mace" in the subject line refers to the ceremonial one, held by the Sergeant-at-arms in the House, and which is only brought into the House when it (the ouse) is sitting (i.e., in session).
** I have decided that all of my blog posts, from now on, will mention this kind of information about everyone I write about, not least to point out the absurdly othering and odious practice of only identifying people who vary from the "norm", Norm being a short-cut to saying "white cisgender hetero man". Let's see how it goes. I think it'll be eye-opening.
ETA: Shaker Vetiver dropped a couple of good links in comments:
How to find your MP
A Facebook group for anti-prorogation rallies across the country
Open Wide...
Shut Up!
