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Question of the Day
This one is always fun...
What's for dinner?
I've got some leftover ham; trying to figure out what to do with it. I think it's Breakfast for Dinner time.
It'd be a shame if the employees I supervise didn't go to strip clubs together.
[Trigger warning for homophobia]
This news cycle the media is revisiting "the other side" of Don't Ask, Don't Tell-- the large minority of military personnel that aren't so hot on teh gayz.
In a sense, the stories annoy me: The military's got combat troops who the Defense Department has selected to not be women or (openly) homosexual and bisexual men, and the military's cultivated that bigotry with official policy. We're supposed to be surprised that a little more than half of these troops are bigots? All-and-all, I'd say I'm more impressed by the just less than half of those troops that are supportive of a more inclusive military.
I see why this is an important story, however. The selected quotes I hear from selected troops give a glimpse of a culture that has to either change or collapse under the weight of its contradictions.
Here are some real winners from a story that ran yesterday in The New York Times:
"There’s no doubt in my mind that openly gay Marines can serve, it’s just different in a combat unit. Maybe they should just take the same route they take with females and stick them to noncombat units.”
And we're off!
"Concerns about the ability of combat units to integrate openly gay troops has also been raised repeatedly by the commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. James Amos, who told reporters recently that having gay Marines in combat units would be a 'distraction.'
'Mistakes and inattention or distractions cost Marines’ lives,' General Amos said."
Uh-huh. Distractions like bigotry.
“Showers will be awkward”
Do tell. I don't take showers with in public places (mostly because I don't want to get arrested). That makes it pretty awkward for me. I don't really care how awkward/educational/hawt is the for anyone else. Don't mind me, I'm mostly about cleaning my epidermis.
“Being gay means you are kind of girly. The Marines are, you know, macho.”
Totes! We want macho, macho men in the Marines, not some sort of overplayed gay stereotype. By the way, if gay means you are kind of girly, what does that say about lesbians on the front lines? I guess I already know the answer to that one-- women are all diminutive and weak. They all totes cry like some sort of Boehner.
“'They were kicking people out for being homosexual, and now they will be kicking people out for picking on homosexuals,' [an anonymous] sergeant said."
I think that's the idea. I know it's confusing, but so is war.
"An Army officer who is now leading troops in Afghanistan said he expected that swift and stern disciplinary measures would stamp out harassment. But he said he still anticipated that many openly gay soldiers would feel alienated at first from their straight colleagues.
'They will not be going to all of the events, strip clubs and bars that the other soldiers attend, and soldiers will almost certainly not be going out of their way to sample the gay culture.'"
Sure, good point. Gay soldiers might feel uncomfortable in a workplace where going to strip clubs was an expectation. This could be a problem. Also: You have got to be fucking kidding me.
I'm not sure what sampling the gay culture entails. I'm thinking of using tongs to sift pull a John Waters video out of a vat of glitter, but maybe I'm wrong. I guess it for some gay guys it might involve getting together with a bunch of guys to watch the game and then taking your pickup trucks out to play paintball. You know,
This whole "culture" thing strikes me as an issue. You've got a group of people who are living and working together in a stressful environment. There's going to be a culture. One would think that focusing on one's job, one's role as part of a team, and respecting one's colleagues would be part of that culture.
Yes, there are going to be cliques, but in my experience in healthy, successful communities people are allowed to express their differences as long as those differences do not directly conflict with the mission. Perhaps this has never been a strong point for a military that strikes me as suppressing diversity in the name of protecting freedom. Which is a minor problem when one starts unpacking the whole "protecting freedom" thing.
Net Neutrality Fail
President Stooge of the Corporations strikes again: Bye-bye net neutrality.
Senator Al Franken explains.
As a source of innovation, an engine of our economy, and a forum for our political discourse, the Internet can only work if it's a truly level playing field. Small businesses should have the same ability to reach customers as powerful corporations. A blogger should have the same ability to find an audience as a media conglomerate.The FCC is meeting today to discuss the current proposal. It is likely they will approve it as is.
This principle is called "net neutrality" -- and it's under attack. Internet service giants like Comcast and Verizon want to offer premium and privileged access to the Internet for corporations who can afford to pay for it.
The good news is that the Federal Communications Commission has the power to issue regulations that protect net neutrality. The bad news is that draft regulations written by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski don't do that at all. They're worse than nothing.
...Here's what's most troubling of all. Chairman Genachowski and President Obama -- who nominated him -- have argued convincingly that they support net neutrality.
But grassroots supporters of net neutrality are beginning to wonder if we've been had. Instead of proposing regulations that would truly protect net neutrality, reports indicate that Chairman Genachowski has been calling the CEOs of major Internet corporations seeking their public endorsement of this draft proposal, which would destroy it.
Additional reading:
New York Times—F.C.C. Is Set to Regulate Net Access: "The Federal Communications Commission appears poised to pass a controversial set of rules that broadly create two classes of Internet access, one for fixed-line providers and the other for the wireless Net."
Guardian—Net neutrality: US expected to ratify new rules on internet access: "The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is today expected to formally approve controversial new rules on how internet users access content such as YouTube and Skype. Dubbed by one US senator as 'the most important free speech issue of our time', the rules drawn up by the country's media and telecoms regulator would effectively create two levels of internet access – one delivered by traditional fixed-line broadband, and another by wireless and mobile providers."
Reuters—US FCC set to back Internet traffic rules: "The rules would ban high-speed Internet providers like Comcast Corp and Verizon Communications from blocking lawful traffic, while recognizing the need to manage network congestion and perhaps charge based on Internet usage. The rules, to be somewhat looser for wireless Internet, could help cable companies in competition with plans by Microsoft Corp , Google Inc and Amazon.com to deliver competing video content over the same Internet lines the cable companies run to customers' homes."
This is so the worst thing you're going to read all day.
by Shaker AnnaAnastasia
[Trigger warning for sexual assault and rape apologia.]
Even the title is awful: Assange, Morality, and Desire.
The article is positively craptacular. It's from yesterday's Chronicle of Higher Education, which, for those who don't know, is the premiere journal for higher education professionals.
The author, a recently tenured professor, basically attempts to make the case that Assange shouldn't be faulted for rape because of cultural and age differences with his victims. Because older Australian men have different sexual ideas than young Swedish women. Or something. Plus, Assange was "seduced" by the Swedish summer at the time.
I can't even write it without shaking my head.
The Chronicle is aimed at higher ed professionals, many of whom work with students 18-25 who are at residential campuses. I'm sure I'm not the only Chronicle reader who has worked with far too many students who have been recently raped, and no doubt a few who have raped someone, because it's easy to get away with rape on a residential college campus.
How will this article shape, change, or even reinforce the views of higher ed professionals who so often deal with rapists and their victims...?
Question of the Day
What is your favorite mythological creature?
In addition to literal answers like "unicorn," cheeky retorts like "a genuinely progressive US president" are also welcome.
Quote of the Day
"You're trying to paint the governor as a racist. And nothing could be further from the truth."—Dan Turner, spokesperson for Gov. Haley Barbour (R-Acist), who recently waxed nostalgic for the Citizens' Councils which were "the respectable face of white supremacist political activism" preceding and during the Civil Rights Era, which Barbour recalls as a time that wasn't "that bad."
So nothing is further from the truth than "Haley Barbour is a racist"? Cool! Let's think of some things that are closer to being true than "Haley Barbour is a racist." I'll start...
Haley Barbour is an alien from Planet Yeahright.
Haley Barbour is totes into eating poop sandwiches every afternoon at 3pm.
Haley Barbour's favorite show ever is Saved by the Bell. He hearts Screech.
Haley Barbour is half komodo dragon.
Haley Barbour's head is filled with garbage farts.
What I'm Listening To
Video Description: Aloe Blacc performs "I Need a Dollar" with The Roots on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last week. (The video should start right at the beginning of the musical segment, but, if not, jump to minute 37.)
Or, watch the music video here. The music video ends with "Life So Hard," the lyrics for which don't seem to be available online, but are:
The key to everything, everybody, here in America is the money / Some say that it's the root of all evil / Brings wars and [can't make this out] / These families in the street, with nothing to eat / These baby boys and girls with no shoes on their feet / All the men who leave or die in a war zone / And the women do it all on they own / It reminds me of the ghettoes right here and the hoods that I see / Everywhere that I've been in this country / Stop bailing out the banks and give the [?] to me / I guess my piece of the pie ain't free.Lyrics to "I Need a Dollar" are available here.
Daily Dose of Cute
Video Description: Olivia plays with everyone's favorite toy in Dudley's bed. Dudley snoozes on the adjacent couch, completely unaware of Olivia's Epic Battle with the Fuzzy Thing going on in his bed. Set to a section of Aaron Goldberg's "OAM's Blues."
Dudley and Sophs (and Iain's sugar-free cookies)
Dudley and Matilda
Olivia in Dudley's bed. Which is, of course, only fair.
Monday Blogaround
Today's blogaround brought to you by Shaxco, publishers of Iain McEwan's Guide to the Olive Garden, Best Restaurant in the Multiverse.
Recommended Reading:
Sady: #MooreandMe, Five Days and Running: Run It All The Way Down (A Timeline of Relevant Quotes) [TW for sexual assault and rape apologia]
Arturo: Epic Fail Of The Week: Youth Football Coach Says Racist Rants Were 'Taken out of Context' [TW for racism]
Tasha: What I Learned About Fat and Feminism in 24 Posts or Less [TW for fat hatred]
Historiann: "I'm Not a Feminist, But..."
Fannie: Another Wise Latina Takes Bench: Immediately Ensures All She's Not Racist, Sexist, or Heterophobic [TW for intersectional privilege]
Andy: Citing States Rights, Virginia Lawmaker Seeks to Ban Gays from National Guard [TW for homophobia]
Leave your links in comments...
Just LOL
Actual Headline: Obama reaches out to liberal groups to shore up Democratic base after tax deal.
Much of the White House's interaction with liberal groups has taken place at a weekly Tuesday meeting at a downtown Washington hotel. The "common purpose" gatherings are closed-door sessions between top Obama aides and officials from dozens of left-leaning interest groups such as unions, youth voting groups, women's organizations, gay rights advocates and civil rights activists. Attendees are required to keep all proceedings secret and off the record.Reach out and shove someone.
Some liberals have criticized the gatherings, saying the White House uses the sit-downs to steer the left instead of taking its advice. Jane Hamsher, publisher of the liberal Fire Dog Lake blog, has likened the meeting to being in a "veal pen."
I'm no highly-paid Democratic strategist, but it seems to me that the administration's constant need to "reach out and shore up the base" would be significantly diminished if the president stopped governing like a Republican.
Today in "Special Rights"
[Trigger warning for homophobia and violence]
So there's this story on the AP's tubes. And it's depressing. The events the story covers are depressing, but from my perspective, so is the story.
Here are the opening paragraphs of the story as of this writing:
"A culture war has broken out at the United Nations over whether gays should be singled out for the same protections as other minorities whose lives are threatened.
The battle will come to a head on Tuesday when the General Assembly votes to renew its routine condemnation of the unjustified killing of various categories of vulnerable people.
It specifies killings for racial, national, ethnic, religious or linguistic reasons and includes refugees, indigenous people and other groups. But the resolution, because of a change promoted by Arab and African nations and approved at committee level, this time around drops 'sexual orientation' and replaces it with 'discriminatory reasons on any basis.'" [Emphasis mine]
There's a difference between "making explicit" and 'singling out.' Singling out implies, well, singularity, uniqueness. 'Singling out' is part of the narrative of specialness, of special rights, of special, and therefore presumably undeserved and extraneous rights.
I can think of a variety of reasons for holding various positions on the wording of this particular resolution, (although IMO it's pretty clear that removing the reference to sexuality is a way to erase and ultimately justify violence against the sexually underprivileged). But that's not what's at issue here.
The UN resolution explicitly condemns the killing of members of a significant number of groups. Confusing the explicit inclusion of "[having a] sexual orientation [that society oppresses]" to a list of reasons the UN really abhors seeing people persecuted with a singling out of "gays" supports a culture that sees civil rights for LGBTQ people as extraneous.
And let's be clear about where we stand-- this resolution is about condemnation. If the UN can agree upon that, then maybe they'll be able to start discussing protection.
Senate Passes Food Safety Legislation
I don't know a hell of a lot about this bill, but I'd be more impressed if it didn't appear to be yet another of the increasingly popular pieces of regulation legislation that requires and relies heavily on self-policing (because government is icky, or whatever):
The legislation would affect all whole and processed foods except meat, poultry and some egg products, which are regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.Um, okay.
...Unlike the current system, which relies on government inspectors catching contamination, the new measure would require manufacturers and farmers to come up with strategies to prevent contamination and then continually test to make sure they work.
Now how about a "food safety" bill that stops the US government from subsidizing corn to the tune of billions of dollars every year, thus insuring high-fructose corn syrup is in everything, from yogurt to pasta sauce to bread?
Blog Note
Posting will be light this week, as many of our contributors/mods are traveling or preparing for holidays, sick, or just need a much-deserved break. Iain's off this week, so I'm going to try to take some time, too, here and there, and we're going to be sorting out my computer situation.
Please remember that at times when we're short-staffed, it may take longer than usual to clean up hairy threads.
Open Thread
Hosted by rye bread.
This week's open threads have been brought to you by bread.
Bread: it's what's for dinner.
