What is your favorite song with a person's name in the title?
It's not my favorite, but Paper Lace's "Billy Don't Be a Hero" is (inexplicably) stuck in my head at the moment. Hence the question.
Question of the Day
RIP Fairness Doctine
As promised in June, the FCC has officially killed the Fairness Doctrine:
The FCC gave the coup de grace to the fairness doctrine Monday as the commission axed more than 80 media industry rules.Unnecessary regulations LOL FOREVER.
Earlier this summer FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski agreed to erase the post WWII-era rule, but the action Monday puts the last nail into the coffin for the regulation that sought to ensure discussion over the airwaves of controversial issues did not exclude any particular point of view. A broadcaster that violated the rule risked losing its license.
While the commission voted in 1987 to do away with the rule — a legacy to a time when broadcasting was a much more dominant voice than it is today — the language implementing it was never removed. The move Monday, once published in the federal register, effectively erases the rule.
Monday's move is part of the commission's response to a White House executive order directing a "government-wide review of regulations already on the books" designed to eliminate unnecessary regulations.
Wanna hear something funny? Many, many times during the Bush administration, I wrote about how great it would be if that long national nightmare, which so glaringly highlighted the inherent problems with media deregulation and the failure to enforce the Fairness Doctrine, was succeeded by a Democratic presidency during which the president would advocate for reinstatement of the Fairness Doctrine.
Instead, the Fairness Doctrine has been relegated out of existence, no less while rightwing media mogul Rupert Murdoch is under investigation for criminally unethical journalism.
Awesome.
St. Ronnie would be so very proud of you, President Obama.
Breaking DSK News
[Trigger warning for rape culture.]
Prosecutors trust* rich white man's account of totes not raping slutty brown foreign lady.
--
*Note: I'm not certain what the prosecutors think about DSK's guilt or innocence. What I do know is that they don't think that a judge or jury will convict him, because they're pretty sure nobody's going to believe Nafissatou Diallo's account of things, especially given that she's probably had sex before. As we say in the Midwest, same difference.
This is so the worst thing you're going to read all day.
Care of Cosmopolitan, the premiere woman-hating magazine for women: We Know Why You Didn't Get Promoted.
And, no, it is not because of any kind of systemic prejudice. It's because your nails look like garbage, sister! Etc.
Obviously, being indifferent toward your company's dress code/culture or bringing rank coffee breath into a meeting can be problematic, sure, but are these the primary reasons women are getting passed over for promotions? I'm guessing not.
I'm also guessing, ahem, that encouraging women to unquestioningly respond to body policing with more compliance, without so much as a passing criticism of how shitty it is, is possibly not the best suggestion for women, if women ever want to not be denied promotions on the basis of their appearance. I'm not suggesting women burn a bra on their boss' desk, but there's a middle ground that can (and should) be staked out in which women who are obliged to conform to body/hair/clothes policing at work are challenged to think about the justness of that obligation, so that they might change the rules, once they're in the position to do some rule-changing.
Or never mind wheeeeeeeeeeeeee we can all pretend we make our patriarchal-complaint choices in a void! Yay! I would totes high-five all of you about how post-feminist we are, but I don't want to break a nail and risk my big promotion to Vice President of Garbage!
[H/T to @scatx.]
Um.
This weekend, I saw an advert for Marie Callender's Steamers, which are microwavable pasta meals.
Is there really no one in Marie Callender's marketing department who knows that "steamer" is a colloquialism for turd...?
Well. Maybe we should just assume it's truth in advertising.
In any case, I'll pass on the steamers.
Pun definitely intended.
Quote of the Day
by Shaker Moderator Aphra_Behn
"My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful, and optimistic. And we'll change the world."—From Jack Layton's last letter to Canadians.
[Earlier: A Serious Loss for Canadian Progressives.]
Monday Blogaround
This blogaround brought to you by beanbag chairs.
Recommended Reading:
Yves: Corrupt Obama Administration Pressuring New York Attorney General to Support Mortgage Whitewash
Cara: [TW for sexual violence, prison violence, transphobia, rape apologia] Trans Woman Transferred to Male Prison After Being Raped by Cis Guard
Andrew: Hoorah for Maine Gay Activists
Andrea: Quoted: Gloria Steinem on Flo Kennedy
Veronica: Book Review: Cambodian Grrrl by Anne Elizabeth Moore
Pam: Best Journey Fangirl Post Evarrr
Leave your links and recommendations in comments...
Number of the Day
511%: The percentage student loans have grown since 1999.
Obviously the number of students didn't grow by 511%. So why are education loans growing so rapidly? One reason could be availability. The government's backing lets credit to students flow very freely. And as the article from yesterday noted, universities are raising tuition aggressively since students are willing to pay more through those loans.[Via Liz.]
This student loan growth sure looks unsustainable. But it's hard to see how this bubble's inevitable pop might look. Ultimately, it might look more like a balloon slowly deflating, if a large portion of college graduates decide to strategically default on their debt over time.
Today in Rick Perry's Colossally Stupid Campaign
Last November (just in time for Christmas!), Texas Governor and Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry published a book called Fed Up, in which he essentially argues that the social safety net is unconstitutional, along with lots of consumer protections that are unpopular with corporate polluters and opportunists, but tend to be, like the social safety net, pretty popular with voters.
Whooooooooooooooooooooops! Perry's communications director, Ray Sullivan, now says that Fed Up "is not meant to reflect the governor's current views." HA HA excellent comeback! Very well thought out by a professional communications director, obviously.
Ian at ThinkProgress points out: "Fed Up is not some 20-year-old graduate school thesis that Perry wrote before he served in elected office. It is a substantial, nationally published manifesto that Perry was proudly signing at book tours just a few months ago. Indeed, as recently as last Monday, Perry was on the campaign trail citing Fed Up for the unusual proposition that 'I don't think the federal government has a role in your children's education.' After just a few days of embarrassing press, however, Perry now expects the country to believe that his entire book was not intended to be a factual statement."
Great candidate. Terrific campaign. Way to go.
WHAT
Just WHAT?! Pasco couple fear losing home to foreclosure for paying mortgage too early:
Seventy-year-old Sharon Bullington may lose her home because she paid her mortgage a week early.I should fucking hope so.
That may not make much sense to the thousands of homeowners who are behind on their mortgages in Florida. But it seems it does to Bank of America, which has filed to foreclose on Bullington and her husband, James, 78, who is terminally ill.
"It's like death to me," Sharon Bullington said, her voice quivering on the phone Friday. "My husband is bedridden. It's almost more than I can bear."
...When James became ill, the couple encountered financial difficulties because of high medical bills. The couple asked Bank of America to modify the loan.
...Sharon Bullington made the January payment on Dec. 23, and the bank accepted the money, according to court records. ... In March, the bank kicked the couple out of the modification plan.
Bullington pleaded for help in a June letter to Bank of America president Brian Moynihan and U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor.
One of Moynihan's aides, Ana Olivera, told Bullington the foreclosure could not be stopped. She wrote in a two-page letter that the payment due on Jan. 1, 2011, had been made in December.
"In accordance with the Trial Payment Letter dated December 15, 2010, it indicates that if you are not able to make each payment in the month in which it is due, you will not be eligible for a modification under the Home Affordable Modification Program," the letter said.
Olivera told Bullington she could avoid a foreclosure by selling the home in a short sale or by signing it over to the bank. The letter said the bank values Bullington's business and strives to provide exceptional customer service.
"I understand that you may be disappointed with our final resolution and appreciate the opportunity to clarify this matter," Olivera wrote. "While this may not be the response you were hoping for, I trust I have addressed your concerns."
Olivera, a California-based employee, declined to comment about the case when reached by the Times on Friday. Bank of America replied in an e-mail: "We are going to re-review the Bullington's case."
Again I ask: Anyone else got a problem with the Obama administration proposing profit-making opportunities for corporate owners on foreclosed homes while this sort of dodgy land-grabbing by financial institutions is ousting people from their homes?
I sure as shit do.
This weekend, I watched Inside Job, Charles Ferguson's film, which deservedly won the Oscar for Best Documentary last year, about the causes of the economic crisis. I highly recommend it. The control over the US (and, by extension, global) economy, and the control over people's lives, with which corporations have been empowered is breathtaking.
And the abdication of responsibility of the US government to protect its citizens, in favor of subsidizing the profiteering of international conglomerates which have absolutely no patriotism, no loyalty to this country, no affinity for its people, no allegiance of any sort to anything but for-profit exploitation, is amazing and terrible to see in all its naked grotesquery.
We have truly been abandoned by the people "we" elect to represent our interests.
A Serious Loss for Canadian Progressives
Woke up to find the dreadful news this morning that federal NDP* leader Jack Layton has succumbed to the cancer that made him step down recently.
I would like to extend my sympathy to the brilliant Mr. Layton's family, friends, and colleagues, and of course specifically to Ms. Chow, his talented and hard-fighting wife and fellow MP.
He was an outstanding progressive, and a fine leader for our party.
“If I’ve tried to bring anything to federal politics, it’s the idea that hope and optimism should be at their heart. We can look after each other better than we do today,” Layton said as he announced that he would be stepping down – temporarily, he assured everyone – to focus on fighting cancer.Thanks for everything, Jack. Enjoy your well-earned rest, though it came far too early. We'll try to take up the torch.
“As I am hopeful and optimistic about all of this, I have to say I am as optimistic as when I started out my life in politics. And so I’m hopeful and optimistic about the personal battle that lies before me in the weeks to come,” Layton said. “I am very hopeful and optimistic that our party will continue to move forward, that we will replace the Conservative government in a few short years from now and that we will work with Canadians to build the country of our hopes, of our dreams, of our optimism, our determination, our values and our love. Thank you very much."
* Canada's mainstream leftist party.
Open Thread & News Round-Up: Libya
Well! A lot of goings-on over the weekend in Libya, with rebels continuing to move in the capital and declaring it "zero hour" for Qaddafi. Here's the latest...
The Guardian's live updates are here. Al Jazeera's live coverage is here.
AP—Libyan rebels claim control of most of Tripoli: "The international community called on Gadhafi to step down and moved ahead with post-war planning as euphoric residents celebrated in the Green Square, the symbolic heart of the Gadhafi regime. ... The Western alliance promised to maintain its air campaign until all pro-Gadhafi forces surrender or return to barracks. NATO warplanes have hit at least 40 targets in and around Tripoli in the past two days - the highest number on a single geographic location since the bombing started more than five months ago, officials said."
CNN—Gadhafi regime appears to be 'crumbling' as rebels advance in Tripoli: "An amateur league of ill-trained rebel fighters appears to be on the brink of toppling Moammar Gadhafi's 42-year rule after reportedly capturing two of the leader's sons and infiltrating the Libyan capital."
BBC—Scenes of joy as Libya rebels enter central Tripoli: "Fighting has continued overnight in some districts while the rebels and their supporters have been celebrating on Green Square - which they renamed Martyrs' Square. TV footage showed Libyans kneeling and kissing the ground of Tripoli in gratitude for what some called a 'blessed day'."
Al Jazeera—Fighting erupts near Gaddafi's compound:
Heavy fighting and gun battles have broken out in areas of Tripoli after opposition fighters gained control overnight of much of the Libyan capital in their battle to end Muammar Gaddafi's decades-long rule.Bloomberg—Libyan Rebels Sweep Into Tripoli as Qaddafi's Rule Nears End: "President Barack Obama said Qaddafi must recognize he 'no longer controls' Libya as celebrations broke out in Tripoli's Green Square, the location for pro-government rallies in recent months. Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said Qaddafi was ready to negotiate with Mustafa Abdel Jalil, the head of the rebel council, and asked for an immediate cease-fire."
Clashes erupted on Monday after tanks left Bab Azaziya, Gaddafi's compound in Tripoli, to confront the rebel assault
Many of the streets in the centre of the city, where anti-government supporters had celebrated hours earlier, were abandoned as pockets of pro-Gaddafi resistance and the presence of snipers and artillery fire made the area dangerous.
Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr, who advanced into the city with rebel fighters overnight, said the security situation in the city was "tenuous."
"There are some Gaddafi forces still putting up a fight," our correspondent said.
New York Times—Jubilant Rebels Control Much of Tripoli:
In the city's central Green Square, the site of many manufactured rallies in support of Colonel Qaddafi, jubilant Libyans tore down posters of him and stomped on them. The rebel leadership announced that the elite presidential guard protecting the Libyan leader had surrendered and that their forces controlled many parts of the city, but not Colonel Qaddafi's leadership compound.Mustafa Abdel Jalil, head of the Libyan rebel council is currently giving a press conference, during which he just said: "We are on the threshold of a new era [in which] we will work to establish the principles that this revolution was based on. Which are: freedom, democracy, justice, equality and transparency. Within a moderate Islamic framework. A nation in which all citizens are equal ... and which can include all factors and factions of society. From the east of Libya to the west. From the North to the south and the centre. We are all Libyans. We all have the right to live with dignity in this nation."
The National Transitional Council, the rebel governing body, issued a mass text message saying: "We congratulate the Libyan people for the fall of Muammar Qaddafi and call on the Libyan people to go into the street to protect the public property. Long live free Libya."
Officials loyal to Colonel Qaddafi insisted that the fight was not over, and there were clashes between rebels and government troops early on Monday morning. But NATO and American officials said that the Qaddafi government's control of Tripoli, which had been its final stronghold, was now in doubt.
President Obama said Sunday night that Colonel Qaddafi and his inner circle had "to recognize that their rule has come to an end" and called on Colonel Qaddafi "to relinquish power once and for all." He also called on the National Transitional Council to avoid civilian casualties and protect state institutions as it took control of the country.
"Tonight, the momentum against the Qaddafi regime has reached a tipping point," Mr. Obama said in a statement. "Tripoli is slipping from the grasp of a tyrant. The Qaddafi regime is showing signs of collapsing. The people of Libya are showing that the universal pursuit of dignity and freedom is far stronger than the iron fist of a dictator."
Discuss.
Open Thread
This week's open threads have been brought to you by ice cream toppings.
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!
Space Cowboy:1 Bachmann:0
As I previously stated:
Michele Bachmann is a well-known terrorist in certain circles, having terrorist ties going back before 9/11.Ta-da:
The evangelical organizer who helped Michele Bachmann win the Ames Straw Poll in Iowa Saturday was previously charged with terrorism in Uganda after being arrested for possession of assault rifles and ammunition in February 2006, just days before Uganda's first multi-party elections in 20 years.
