"Agreement struck. Ghostbusters will not go after the Man In Black."—Lost Producer Carlton Cuse, pictured here with Bill Murray. [Via.]
Photo of the Day
"Agreement struck. Ghostbusters will not go after the Man In Black."—Lost Producer Carlton Cuse, pictured here with Bill Murray. [Via.]
Two and a Half Million Metric Fucktons of Fail
Seriously, why the fuck does Charlie Sheen still have a hit television series with a ginormous $2 million-per-episode paycheck and a successful movie career which still nets him multimillion dollar deals?
Oh. Right. Thank you, Wolf.
Quote of the Day
"Most people believe that Al-Qaeda is one of America's biggest security threats, I think it's time to add liberal activist judges like Judge Phillips to that list."—Alabama Supreme Court Justice Tom Parker, suggesting that US District Judge Virginia Phillips, who ruled Don't Ask Don't Tell unconstitutional and issued an injunction to halt the policy, is as great a threat to national security as a radical terrorist organization.
Sure. That's reasonable.
Project Runway Finale Open Thread
Spoilers below, including discussion of the winners and losers last night.
Dipshit of the Day
[Trigger warning for violence.]
Jonah Goldberg. I know that's some low-hanging fruit, right there, but he's really earned it today.
I'd like to ask a simple question: Why isn't [WikiLeaks' editor-in-chief] Julian Assange dead?No, it's not a serious question. It's a bullshit question from a vile mind housed in a brainpan filled with garbage.
...Why wasn't Assange garroted in his hotel room years ago?
It's a serious question.
Also see: Athenae, BTD, and DougJ.
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.]
A Conservative Halloween. Or: Check Out This Totes Hip Counter-Culture, Yo.
One of my favorite parts of Halloween is all the evidence of conservative Christian projection. They whinge incessantly, with precious little evidence (that is, none), about how pro-choice advocates lie and fearmonger to try to talk pregnant women into abortions, but then they celebrate Halloween with Hell Houses, which are nothing but mendacious fearmonging on steroids. They routinely accuse queer people of trying to recruit children, but then they spend Halloween handing out Christian propaganda instead of candy.
Six years ago, my nephew came home from trick-or-treating with two books in his bag o' goodies, which my sister was appalled to discover (and removed from his sight before he read them). When she showed them to me, I begged her to let me have them, and she kindly agreed, since they were otherwise destined for the rubbish bin. Apparently, some of their neighbors felt that kids didn't need candy so much as a lesson on Christianity and Evil in the form of a strange little hardback comic book.
I can't even imagine how many of these things were handed out to unsuspecting kids, many of whom (like my nephew) were raised Christian, but a decidedly different flavor.
You'll have to forgive the quality of the images; I took photos of the pages when I first posted them five years ago, because I didn't (and still don't) have a flat scanner, and I didn't want to destroy the books to share them. (Not all the pages have been posted, but you'll get the gist.)
A Storybook for Kids
[cover of book with title and image of gunslinger]
Warrant
enters the saloon and makes plain his plan…
[image of gunslinger saying: "Satan, bite the dust!"]
Satan and his gang of wicked henchmonsters (identified in the
book as his "unholy herd") are having none of Carman's B.S.
[image of swarthy nogoodniks]
Cartman knows the only way to deal with evildoers is to…
…beat the shit out of them!
[images of gunslinger violently beating up the swarthy nogoodniks]
Carman, who announces he represents "a whole new breed of Christian today,"
knows that a good, old-fashioned ass-whuppin' won't take care of the devil
himself, so he pulls out his gun…
[image of gun labeled "THE WORD"]
…and his bullets…
[image of bullets labeled "THE WORD" and "TESTIMONY"]
…and blows the devil clean away!
[image of devil being shot and killed]
The End.
But this little tale of Christian murder and mayhem does come with a warning for the kiddies…
That's right. Guns are dangerous, but they have no power in the spirit realm. So you should only use them to kill heretics, not the devil. Happy Halloween!
* * *
A Storybook for Kids
[cover of book with title and image of grown-up Carman]
Our story begins with Young Carman watching a scary movie, all alone…
only has the crazy lunatic on the teevee to keep him company.
[image of Carman being scared by "crazy lunatic" on TV]
Carman gets it in his head that the crazy lunatic is after him!
[image of Carman explaining he thinks the "crazy lunatic" is after him]
In spite of his disturbing relationship with
horror movies, Carman continues to watch them…
[image of Carman scared and watching another horror movie]
…including one about an alligator man…
[image of "alligator man," which just looks like a crocodile]
[image of scared child in movie]
Carman gets very scared when he goes to bed…
[image of scared Carman in bed with sheets pulled up]
…and he sees an evil spirit float by his bed, but…
[First image: "I got righteously indignant! I was gonna make that demon pay! I could hardly believe the nerve of this little punk demon. I thought, Heyyyy...all right! That's it, you're dead!" Second image: Carman holding out a Bible and saying: "I am the temple of the Holy Ghost! And I'm protected by the Lord of Hosts! Get out in the name of Jesus Christ!" Third image: "Don't want no monsters in my house tonight! Don't want no monsters in my house! You won't get me screamin', you're nothin' but a demon! It's time for you to go now!"]
Carman's Christianity takes care of the imaginary demon once and for all, and he finally gets a good night sleep! Yay!
Or so one imagines. The book ends there. Maybe the monsters killed him. Who knows? Kind of anti-climactic, to be honest.
The one good thing about No Monsters, though, is this:
["Just 4 Kidz Product Order Form"]
An order form right in the back! I can order music, videos, more books—and I just might, so I can keep educating all you filthy heretics and hopefully save your eternal souls from, uh, alligator men.
Happy Halloween!
Friday Blogaround
This blogaround is brought to you by ZOMBIE RATS, which are brought to you by Toxoplasmosa gondii:
scicurious: Friday Weird Science: HALLOWEEN MAD SCIENCE EDITION. The Zombiefying Parasite!
Image description: a fluorescence micrograph of T. gondii in blue and yellow, enhanced and resized from the one in scicurious' post.
Stacy Bias: Big Fat Kiss-In TOMORROW in NYC, in response to Marie Claire article
Fannie: There, I Fixed It and Stuff Progressives Do: Use Very Edgy Rhetorical Devices (That Marginalize the Marginalized)
Historiann: Teaching while non-white and female
Diane Shipley at FWD/Forward: Guest Post: Stuck and tired: How universities are failing disabled students (like me)
Angry Asian Man: an extra in the "chinese professor" ad speaks out. This post is a follow-up to political ad: future china will laugh at your downfall, america.
[TW for references to violence, both in the article and the embedded video] Steve Silberman of NeuroTribes: I’m Right Here: Rudy Simone on Life as an “Aspergirl”
Take Back Halloween! Blog: We’re going to be on the radio!
Sociological Images: [TW fat hatred] Men Dressing Up as Fat Women: Hilarious and Disgusting! and, since people have mentioned this ad in comments here, Beer, Sex, and "The Hunt".
Share your links in comments!
Arkansas School Board Member Update
Last night Clint McCance, the bigoted ignoramus school board member who posted a whole lot of fetid bullshit on his Facebook page, was on Anderson Cooper. He says he's sorry his comments hurt people and he's resigning:
"I'm sorry I've hurt people with my comments," Clint McCance, vice-president of the Midland School District in Pleasant Plains, Arkansas said. "I'm sorry I made those ignorant comments and hurt people on a broad spectrum."He then went on to say the exact opposite of what he said on Facebook:
"I would never support suicide for any kids," he said. "I don't support bullying of any kids."I see. So now you don't "enjoy the fact that they often give each other aids and die"? So "if they all commit suicide" is now not the only reason you'll wear purple? So you won't plan to "absolutely run them off", if your kids are gay? Uh-huh. Color me cynical.
"I'd like to extend apologies to those families that have lost children, for all those children who feel that suicide is the only way out, especially for the five families who have already lost children," he said, referring to a rash of recent suicides by gay teens. "I brought more hurt on them... they didn't deserve that and I do feel genuinely bad for them."
Though he disapproves of homosexuality, McCance said that "I give everyone a chance and try to love everyone."
He said he would resign from the school board to spare the district the bad press and distractions of dealing with the fallout from his comments. "If they decide after five or ten years to vote me back in, then I'll run again," he said.Well, at least he won't be on the board anymore. Hopefully he never will be again.
(h/t Liss and shaker sloeburn)
B-b-but TROOP READINESS! And OTHER THINGS!
Someone get me to the fainting couch—stat!
A majority of active-duty and reserve service members surveyed by the Defense Department would not object to serving and living alongside openly gay troops, according to multiple people familiar with the findings.Probably because "Oh CRAP" isn't exactly a PR winner.
The survey's results are expected to be included in a Pentagon report, due to President Obama on Dec. 1, regarding how the military would end enforcement of the "don't ask, don't tell" law that bans openly gay men and lesbians from serving in uniform.
Some troops surveyed - but not a majority - objected strongly to the idea of serving with gays and said they would quit the military if the policy changed, said the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly share details of the survey.
Defense Department officials did not respond to requests for comment.
Texting! With Liss and Deeky!
Deeky [texts below picture]: Gummi worm!
Liss: I ain't eatin' anything that's been in your butt.
Deeky: That hasn't been in my butt!
Liss: I just assume everything in your house has been in your butt.
Deeky: LOL!
Liss: Frankly, I assume everything in MY house has been in your butt.
Deeky: Used the remote control lately?
Liss: Yes, but it's still safely entombed in the hazmat material in which I encased it after you left.
Deeky: LOL for real.
Liss: Know who's cute? Patrick Wilson.
Deeky: The Mormon from Angels in America?
Liss: He's in that new garbage film with Indiana Jones and Annie Hall.
Deeky: That movie looks like it should be up my butt.
Liss: That movie looks like it originated in your butt.
Deeky: LOL! P.S. Why do you hate pubic hair?
Liss: I only like gingepubes! The end!
Deeky: LOL! I'm gonna send you gingepubes from my taint.
Liss: LOL! I should make that the Quote of the Day, just to show what a twisted fuckbrain you are!
Deeky: LOL! YEAH!
Two-Minute Nostalgia Sublime
North American Hallowe'en Prevention Initiative: "Do They Know It's Hallowe'en?"
Discussion Thread: Halloween Costumes
Are you dressing up for Halloween this year? Are you looking for a costume idea? Can't find a good costume for your body shape? Need advice on how to execute a costume idea? Want to grouse about appropriative "costumes"?
This is the place! Have at it.
If You're An Economy Voter...
...you should be reading Paul Krugman. Hell, you should be reading Paul Krugman anyway, but especially if you're an economy voter.
Barring a huge upset, Republicans will take control of at least one house of Congress next week. ... This is going to be terrible. In fact, future historians will probably look back at the 2010 election as a catastrophe for America, one that condemned the nation to years of political chaos and economic weakness.lolsob. Read the whole thing here.
Start with the politics.
In the late-1990s, Republicans and Democrats were able to work together on some issues. President Obama seems to believe that the same thing can happen again today. In a recent interview with National Journal, he sounded a conciliatory note, saying that Democrats need to have an "appropriate sense of humility," and that he would "spend more time building consensus." Good luck with that.
Because of where I live and the options on my ballot, I am almost certainly going to vote a straight Democratic ticket. My only other options for me are voting for the GOP (yeah, right) and not voting, and I'm not personally feeling inclined to decline to use that right in protest (yet). The GOP will be, as Krugman quite rightly points out, devastating for the US economy, and I am an economy voter: I've always been, and always will be, an economy voter, in no small part because I genuinely believe with the whole of my being that the economy lies at the root of every. single. issue. that's important to me as a progressive.
If there were well-funded women's health clinics with affordable contraception, including emergency contraception, in every town in the US, abortion would not be the compelling issue that it is. If poor white conservative evangelicals weren't struggling to survive, same-sex marriage would not be the compelling issue that it is—and race- and gender-baiting wouldn't be the effective political strategies that they are.
Most people are most inclined to be generous when they feel like they have what they need. Contentment and personal security allows people to open their wallets, but it also allows them to open their hearts and their minds. Conferring cultural privilege—whiteness, maleness, straightness, able-bodiedness, cisgenderness, etc.—is a way of mitigating the insecurity bred by classism. When a poor white straight man has nothing else but his sense of entitlement, he is reluctant to yield equality to others. That's why wealthy conservatives tend to be way more socially liberal in their personal lives than their politics would suggest; it's why, during the last presidential election, John McCain figureheaded a platform of intolerance, but had an openly gay chief of staff.
Clearly, a more equitable and supportive economy would not alone solve every social problem, but it would render many of them virtually impotent, stealing away the frustrations and furious feelings of injustice in which support for intolerance is bred.
That's why I'm an economy voter. Because I am a feminist. Because I am disabled. Because I am queerish. Because I am an ally to people of color. Because I am a progressive. Because I care passionately about social justice—which is tied in big and small and inextricable ways to economic justice.
So long as the vast majority of the wealth is concentrated among a very few people, so long as corporations are granted personhood and workers' rights given short shrift, so long as we don't have universal healthcare and the other fundamentals of a solid social safety net, our economy is not as strong as it could, or should, be.
And the GOP will happily undermine what security our already precarious economy grants us, because chaos and desperation serve their goals. Their corporate masters are never happier than when people will work longer hours for less money and fewer benefits because they're in desperate fear of losing their jobs, and the healthcare coverage attached to them. Their cultural masters are never happier when the oppressive futility of our corrupt political system boils in fearful people's guts and comes steaming out in hot blasts of hatred and intolerance.
All of this serves the conservative elite agenda to dismantle what domestic security our government provides.
So I'll be voting defensively. And I'll be pissed that it probably won't make any difference, because the Democrats have not done enough to give lots of voters something to vote for, and too many people across this nation will thus give their votes to the other guys, with foolish hopes of something better.
While casting my vote, I will nonetheless understand the decisions of progressives who have the opportunity to vote for a third party and take it, and of progressives who don't vote at all, who argue that things have to get much worse before they can get better. I'll understand that because it's not people privileged enough to insulate themselves from disaster who make this argument to me, but people already on the precipice, or people who have already been left with nothing more to lose.
And because I am less certain with every election that they're wrong.
[Commenting Guidelines: Before commenting, please familiarize yourself with Shakesville's policy about voting discussions, and be sure to utilize "I" language. By way of reminder, "I think you should vote this way" does not count.]
Radio Shakesville
Halloweentown
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Question of the Day
Who is the last person that inspired you to make a positive change in your life?
An Observation
When I defend a conservative woman like Christine O'Donnell from misogynist attacks, inevitably I am accused of failing to see anything but her womanhood.
But the problem is not that I fail to see anything other than her womanhood; it's that her attackers fail to see her humanity.
Because she's just a woman.
That's a fun little bit of projection, now, isn't it?
