Earlier, I wrote about women getting blamed for men's sexual, and sexually violent, behavior; relatedly, there is a new study (yay, science!) which claims that women (but only beautiful ones) are responsible for men hurting themselves:
Research shows that just looking at an attractive female makes [men] more likely to indulge in 'physical risk-taking' which results in embarrassing failure or even injury.Oh, evo psych. How I do adore thee—and your simple belief that everything we do can be traced along a single, inerrant, heterocentrist, gender-normative line back to our genitals.
The change in behaviour is triggered by a surge in the male hormone testosterone which makes men 'throw caution to the wind', according to psychologists at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
They made the finding after a studying young male skateboarders. ... Saliva tests confirmed they had 'elevated testosterone levels' while a good-looking woman was around.
Professor Bill von Hippel, who led the study, said there was an evolutionary reason for the behaviour, explaining it was a 'sexual display strategy' aimed at impressing a potential mate.
Relevant Transcript:Free emergency room care? Well, then I guess we don't really need health insurance anymore if that's the case! Take that insurance companies!
Romney: Oh, sure. Look, it doesn't make a lot of sense for us to have millions and millions of people who have no health insurance and yet who can go to the emergency room and get entirely free care for which they have no responsibility, particularly if they are people who have sufficient means to pay their own way.
Dear Highly-Decorated Winter Olympian Shaun White and Rolling Stone:
[Trigger warning.]
In Bristol, Virginia, a religious group is handing out a leaflet entitled "Women & Girls" that blames women in tight-fitting or revealing clothing for men's sins and claims such clothing is why women are raped:
"You may have been given this leaflet because of the way you are dressed," it begins. "Have you thought about standing before the true and living God to be judged?"Oh dear. It's the Magical, Mysterious, Mighty Power of Uncovered Meatdom argument again: Women have a supernatural and inescapable power over men, wielded primarily through their bodies—a power so irresistible and total that men cannot be held accountable for their actions, because they are rendered helpless, defenseless, morally vulnerable (yet somehow have nonetheless managed to simultaneously hold the upper hand in virtually every culture since the beginning of recorded history). Don't try to understand it! It's magical! The black magic of wicked women!
It continues with one essential theme: The sins of men are, in part, the fault of women, specifically women in tight-fitting clothing. [Pam Yates, whose 19-year-old daughter Keshia Canter was handed the pamphlet by a woman who told her, "Even though nothing is showing, you're being ungodly. You make men want to be sinful."] was annoyed. Then she got to a section on page two:
"Scripture tells us that when a man looks on a woman to lust for her he has already committed adultery in his heart. If you are dressed in a way that tempts a men to do this secret (or not so secret) sin, you are a participant in the sin," the leaflet states. "By the way, some rape victims would not have been raped if they had dressed properly. So can we really say they were innocent victims?"
The hand-out is signed "anonymous."
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 (theoretically) weekly post providing a spot for Shakers to network a little with one another, see if we can help each other out some. Despite that it's only B&T 24, it occurs to me that this is about six months we've been running this. Hope it's still helpful to folks? Is there a way or ways in which it could be more useful/helpful? I'm explicitly inviting discussion on this topic this week.
***NB*** I have added a bit to the guidelines for what’s on-topic here, to allow the posting of useful job resources for progressives. See 2) for details.
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.
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.
In addition to that, I’ve decided to welcome also appropriate job resource sites for progressives, e.g. Canada’s Charity Village, which specializes in jobs with non-profits and NGOs.
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: Eighteen. Nineteen. Twenty. Twenty-One. Twenty-Two. Twenty-Three.
If the world were to suddenly and irrevocably split into three dimensional realities—one being Utopia, one being Armageddon, and one being something between those extremes—and you could choose which world you wanted to inhabit, which one would you choose (and why)?
Now, I'm a Utopian-leaning dyke, but believe it or not, this is the kind of question I have actually asked people I know, and the answers have not always been as unified as I expected. (One friend said they worried that Utopia would be boring.)
The great blogger Jon Swift, who, in addition to writing his own amazing blog, was a contributor to Shakesville and my colleague at newcritics, and whose real name was Al Weisel, has died.
I found out via our mutual friend Tom Watson, who reports that Al's mother posted a comment to the Jon Swift blog sharing the circumstances of his death:
I don't know how else to tell you all who love this blog. I am Jon Swift's Mom and I guess I'm going to OUT him. He was Al Weisel, my beloved son. Al was on his way to his father's funeral in VA when he suffered 2 aortic aneurysms, a leaky aortic valve and an aortic artery dissection from his heart to his pelvis. He had 3 major surgeries within 24 hours and sometime during those surgeries also suffered a severe stroke. We, his 2 sisters, his brother, his partner and his best friend since he was 9 years old were with him as he took his last breath. We have all lost a shining start who warmed our hearts, tormented us and made us laugh as he giggled at our pulling something over on us. He passed away on February 27, 2010. My beloved child will live on in so many hearts. I miss him more than I can say. If you are on Facebook, go to organizations and join "Friends of Al Weisel, Unite!" It will give you just a taste of how special he was. Farewell, Jon (Al)I had emailed Al, Jon as I knew him, a few days before, and hadn't heard back from him, which was a little unusual, but not terribly so. He drifted in and out of blogging, when real life accommodated or got in the way. I was a genuine fan of his writing, and he was an absolutely delightful guy in every conversation I had with him.
Deeky: You know what? MC Hammer is kind of a shitty MC.
Liss: He's 2 legit 2 quit!
Deeky: He's 2 shit 2 quit. He was just on the radio. And I think this was the first time I listened to U Can't Touch This all the way through. It was shit.
Liss: He's 2 legit 2 submit 2 ur crit!
Deeky: LOLOLOLOL!
Liss: He's 2 legit 2 submit 2 ur hit on his shiznit u nitwit!
Deeky: That's a better rhyme than anything he ever spit out.
Later...
Deeky: If the last six of your twelve albums suck, have you failed as an artist? I'm talking to you, Ministry.
Liss: And u 2, U2.
Deeky: LOL! Yesterday's frozen custard trivia question was what is Bono's real name.
Liss: Bono's real name is "The Edge."
Deeky: LOLz for real.
This blogaround brought to you by Deeky Brand Strap-Ons, preferred by Competitive Assfucking Champions the world over.
Recommended Reading:
Steve: First Same-Sex Marriage Licenses Issued in DC
Maha: Politicians Behaving Badly
Dorothy Snarker: A League of Our Own
Denis: Madison Paige Does Pull Triggers
Angry Asian Man: The Worst Movie Trailer I Have Ever Seen
And Happy One-Year Blogiversary to Akimbo!
Leave your links in comments...
Shaker cheezwiz emails: "Et tu, Salon?"
I'll leave you to fisk in comments, and simply point out that my favorite passage has to be:
If I'd heard someone making this argument four years ago, I probably would have rolled my eyes. What's changed between then and now is a 2-year-old (mine), two pregnancies (I'm currently in my third trimester for No. 2), and 15 pounds of excess weight that have made my second pregnancy a lot more uncomfortable than my first."Because my personal circumstances changed, now my position for everyone has changed! So now I totes support the shaming of women so that they'll lose weight after pregnancy!"
Following on the heels of Spudsy's post about the explosion of right-wing extremist groups in the last year, this story in the Texas Observer is even more terrifying: A conservative militant group called Repent Amarillo has spent the last year terrorizing a swingers club, gay bars, and liberal churches, among others. Led by David Grisham, a security guard at nuclear-bomb facility (!) who moonlights as a pastor, Repent Amarillo's "special forces" have protested and harassed everyone who makes their way onto the group's enemies list by virtue of being insufficiently right-wing conservative Christian (as defined by them, natch):
Jobs have been lost, families estranged, assault charges filed and businesses shuttered. So far, no public official has stood up to defend these businesses, which operate legally. To the contrary, Repent Amarillo has managed to turn the city's own laws and employees into an effective weapon. Amarillo, it turns out, doesn't have the stomach to stick up for gays, swingers, strippers or even Unitarians.Repent Amarillo's website (to which I won't directly link, but it's easy enough to find if you're so inclined) explains that the group is "comprised of two groups…working together to compliment [sic] and support one another for the purpose of spiritual warfare." The groups are the Intercessory Prayer Group, who are tasked with "do[ing] battle within the spiritual realm to prepare the ground for the planting of God's seeds, tear down demonic strongholds, and cast out demonic spirits that harass our efforts," and the Soldier Group, staffed with "bold believers willing to confront the world," and tasked with "plant[ing] God's seeds in the ground" after being "schooled in the 'Way of the Master' method of witnessing to the lost."
…Repent Amarillo became an almost-constant presence [at the swingers club, Route 66], shouting through bullhorns, blasting Christian music, haranguing club members, following swingers in vehicles and sticking video cameras into people's faces. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission has been called out twice. Police records show that nearby businesses have called frequently with noise complaints. Repent even showed up on occasion when the Route 66 building was rented out for non-swinger events. "They have been here every time we open our doors, regardless of what kind of functions we have, whether I'm down here doing maintenance, cleaning, whatever," Mac [one of the club owners] says.
…Perhaps the most insidious tactic Repent uses is trying to destroy the reputation of the swingers. In Amarillo, people can be ostracized over a whiff of impropriety. On one tape, Grisham directs followers to get the license-plate numbers in the Route 66 parking lot. "A new couple can be here three or four hours," says Mac. "Whenever they leave, the Repent Amarillo group will call them by first and last name, know where they live, know where they work, just within a very few hours."
Randall Sammons says he was fired from his job of 13 years in August after his boss learned Sammons was a swinger from another employee, a Repent member. … Russell Grisham, David's 20-year-old son who has a conviction on his record for hacking the computer system at his high school, has posted the names, photos and workplaces of swingers on the Internet, including one man whose wife works for a school district. … In at least two instances, Repent members called swingers' employers.
1. Gay pride events.I utterly fail to see how this is not being regarded as a terrorist manifesto.
2. Earth worship events such as "Earth Day"
3. Pro-abortion events or places such as Planned Parenthood
4. Breast cancer events such as "Race for the Cure" to illuminate the link between abortion and breast cancer.
5. Opening day of public schools to reach out to students.
6. Spring break events.
7. Demonically based concerts.
8. Halloween events.
9. Other events that may arise that the ministry feels called to confront.
These large events may involve both the intercessory prayer AND the soldier groups. Some of the smaller events that can be accomplished in between the larger events may be:
1. Sexually oriented businesses such as pornography shops, strip joints, and XXX-rated theaters.
2. Idolatry locations such as palm readers, false religions, and witchcraft. Many of the smaller missions listed above may be just prayer oriented missions for tearing down demonic strongholds or they may involve more aggressive use of soldiers and prayer warriors. Some other missions occasionally employed may be "undercover operations" where the groups show up together but are not publicly visible together to effect the outcome of a public meeting such as city commissioners meetings, etc.
A new report by the Southern Poverty Law Center states that right-wing extremist groups have grown 244% in the last year.
Repeated for emphasis. Two hundred forty-four percent. In the last year.
I'm sure the title of the report, "Rage on the Right," will cause the predictable mouth-frothing by the usual suspects, sending this straight down the memory hole to join the Department of Homeland Security's report.The radical right caught fire last year, as broad-based populist anger at political, demographic and economic changes in America ignited an explosion of new extremist groups and activism across the nation.
Hate groups stayed at record levels — almost 1,000 — despite the total collapse of the second largest neo-Nazi group in America. Furious anti-immigrant vigilante groups soared by nearly 80%, adding some 136 new groups during 2009. And, most remarkably of all, so-called "Patriot" groups — militias and other organizations that see the federal government as part of a plot to impose “one-world government” on liberty-loving Americans — came roaring back after years out of the limelight.
