Woman-hours.
Womanpower.
Woman the phones.
Male doctor.
Female nurse.
[One, Two, Three, Four.]
About your border control...
A week ago, when I was driving the thruway on my way back from Canada, I was listening to Deee-Lite and making a very compelling argument to myself about why the way nations control the flow of people through their borders is deeply problematic. Then I went to a fourth-of-July party, had a few beers, and promptly forgot what I had mind-written.
Maybe I'll remember the most amazing essay evah, maybe not.
In the meantime, here's a story about lacrosse that includes a phone number for the White House: 202.456.4771
Headline of the Day
"Red Hot Chili Peppers Stored In Cool Arctic Doomsday Vault." It's a relief to know, should the unspeakable happen, future generations will be able to enjoy the dulcet tones of America's finest white-guy rap-rock funk band.
Polanski Goes Free
[Trigger warning.]
The Swiss Ministry of Justice has announced that Roman Polanski, who has been under house arrest since late last year, will not be extradited to the US to face charges related to his 1977 rape of a 13-year-old girl.
There are not many great English-language stories on this yet, but Shaker The Bald Soprano forwarded this article, which includes a statement from the Swiss Ministry of Justice: "In Anbetracht der nicht ausgeräumten Zweifel bezüglich der Sachverhaltsdarstellung ist das Ersuchen abzulehnen." My German is pretty rusty, but that approximately translates to: "In consideration of the unresolved doubts regarding the facts of the case, the request is to be rejected."
It's not really clear from what I've read so far whether they're questioning the evidence of the crime, or the motives of pursuing extradition now. In any case, they appear to be releasing him because they think the whole thing is bullshit, and, hey, he's a Swiss VIP!
Swiss Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf said she had decided against extradition because of potential technical faults in the U.S. extradition requests but also because Polanski had for years come to Switzerland in good faith.Well. That's inappropriately gleeful.
"He is a free man since 1130 today," she told a news conference in Switzerland's capital Berne.
"He can go to France or to Poland, anywhere where he will not be arrested," she said.
Pawned
It's really quite amazing how 12-dimensional chess looks so remarkably like the same old politics as usual being played by craven opportunists so desperate to get reelected that they'll pursue policies virtually indistinguishable from opponents so terrible anything must be done to defeat them.
Meanwhile, here's another fun story: Scientists expected Obama administration to be friendlier.
When he ran for president, Barack Obama attacked the George W. Bush administration for putting political concerns ahead of science on such issues as climate change and public health. And during his first weeks in the White House, President Obama ordered his advisors to develop rules to "guarantee scientific integrity throughout the executive branch."Garsh. It's also really quite amazing how reforming the culture of Washington looks so remarkably like totally not doing that.
Many government scientists hailed the president's pronouncement. But a year and a half later, no such rules have been issued. Now scientists charge that the Obama administration is not doing enough to reverse a culture that they contend allowed officials to interfere with their work and limit their ability to speak out.
"We are getting complaints from government scientists now at the same rate we were during the Bush administration," said Jeffrey Ruch, an activist lawyer who heads an organization representing scientific whistle-blowers.
Twelve-dimensional chess is so confusing!
But what the fuck do I know? I'm in the bag for Hillary.
Open Thread
Hosted by stamped souvenir coins.
This week's open threads have been hosted by things that were unveiled at the Chicago World's Fair, 1893. Tip of the Energy Dome to Shaker picaflor for the theme!
The Virtual Pub Is Open
[Explanations: lol your fat. pathetic anger bread. hey your gay.]
TFIF, Shakers!
Belly up to the bar,
and name your poison!
DOJ to Review Grant Verdict
[Trigger warning for violence.]
As I mentioned this morning, former police officer Johannes Mehserle was found guilty of involuntarily manslaughter for shooting and killing Oscar Grant. Today, the US Department of Justice has said it "will conduct an independent review of the Johannes Mehserle case in order to determine whether or not the shooting merits federal prosecution."
"The Justice Department has been closely monitoring the state's investigation and prosecution," the department said in a statement.I find it amazing that the linked story did not even mention Oscar Grant's name once in its entirety.
"The Civil Rights Division, the U.S. Attorney's Office, and the FBI have an open investigation into the fatal shooting and, at the conclusion of the state's prosecution, will conduct an independent review of the facts and circumstances to determine whether the evidence warrants federal prosecution."
Congresswoman Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, said she has been in touch with the justice department.
"I remain in close contact with the Department of Justice and will continue to work with them, the family and the community in the days ahead," she said in a statement.
Today's Edition of "Conniving and Sinister"
See Deeky's archive of all previous Conniving & Sinister strips here.
[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 (Liss) and a biracial queerbait (Deeky) telling it like it actually is from their perspectives. Hilarity ensues.]
Photo of the Day
I love absolutely everything about this picture, but mostly her expression, which slays me.
This photograph is the Mona Lisa of our time. That is all.
[Commenting Reminder: The usual rules apply. No misogyny. No negative commentary about her ethnicity or state of residence. No body policing. Not liking someone isn't a license to throw out the rules. Etc.]
Spain Will Win World Cup
How do I know? Because Paul the Psychic Octopus says so!
Paul, from Oberhausen, Deutschland, has accurately predicted winning matches in this year's World Cup by choosing mussels branded with competing nations' flags. Whichever of the tasty tasty molluscs Paul gobbled has gone on to win. (That's the same method Criswell used in his heydey, by the way.)
Next week Paul is scheduled to decide who will win in the Prince vs. Kenny G Internet-Dead-or-Maybe-Not showdown.
More sports news tomorrow, Shakers!
Why I need to find a better source for US News
Last night the NYT posted an online "Room for Debate" round-up on the topic of benefits for veterans with PTSD.
Of course, they invited someone from the American Enterprise Institute. (Spoiler: her views on PTSD were pro-business).
Maybe Brooks was right after all. The Internet is broken.
Puncturing Our Balloon of Self-Love
...I'm speaking to my fellow Canadians, here. While the Harpertron* visits flood-ravaged areas of Saskatchewan for the usual photo-opps, and promises assistance, strangely, other flooded areas don't seem to get the same amount of attention.
Now, a cynic would suggest that the secret ingredient of this foul brew is an oldie but a goodie, racism. I'm sure you all know I'm much too nice for that.
I'm sure it's completely coincidence that the Harpertron is visiting areas where white Canadians are the majority, and ignoring the areas where, say, First Nations people** are the majority. Totes coincidental.
Totes post-racial, ain't we, Canada?
Contact your MP (ou ici, en français) to suggest that the PM might show we give a damn about our First Nations citizens too.
* AKA Stephen Harper, our Prime Minister, a white, apparently cisgender and hetero man.
** "People" instead of "Canadians" in this line because not all First Nations people identify as Canadian citizens, rather than because of any doubt on my part: my Canada includes the First Nations.
Friday Blogaround
This blogaround brought to you by Shaxco, proud distributors of Deeky Brand Sensible Trousers. Now with lasers!
Recommended Reading:
I highly recommended reading back-to-back this post by Echidne and this post by Renee, both on the nature of celebrity. The juxtaposition is rather wonderful. A trigger warning applies to Renee's post, for discussion of violence/sexual assault.
Charlotte: Fat Art and Fetish Objects
[TW] Cara: Illinois Passes Law Requiring That All Rape Kits Be Tested
Historiann: The value of college: great for me, not so much for thee!
Well-Rounded Mama: Will I Feel My Baby Move If I'm Fat?
Quadmoniker: The Sims Just Did This Totally Racist Thing
Leave your links in comments...
Quote of the Day
[Trigger warning for sexual assault.]
"The teen was not hurt in the incident."—The final line of a news story on ABC's Boston affiliate, about a man charged with assault after approaching a 16-year-old girl on a train, reaching out and pulling her shirt down, exposing her breast, before running from the train.
What they mean to convey, of course, is that the girl was not physically injured. But saying she "was not hurt" is a piss-poor way of saying that, especially since two of the key narratives of the rape culture are: 1. Sexual violence isn't real violence; and 2. Sexual assault only counts as a serious trauma if a survivor is left with physical injury.
Neither of those are true.
Which is not to suggest that every woman who was assaulted in the manner described above would be traumatized or have lingering effects. But that's just the point: Every survivor of sexual assault reacts differently. "Hurt" is an emotional description as well; I daresay the survivor hasn't even quite processed yet whether she is hurt, or hurt how, yet.
It's not the media's job to decide that for her.
[H/T to Shaker Phlebotnum.]
