Shakesville

Want some Jesus With Your Birth Control?

No? That may be too bad if you live in Shelby County. Shelby County, Tennessee, is recommending that a religious organization, Christ Community Health Services (CCHS), get a $400,000 contract to provide family-planning and related services to its low-income & uninsured residents. Instead of Planned Parenthood (or Memphis Health Center).

CCHS seems like a nice enough organization focused on service, employing competent people, and they believe all people deserve health care and services. All of which are good things, yes.

Now let's look at their mission statement:

Christ Community Health Services will provide high-quality health care to the underserved in the context of distinctively Christian service. We recognize that Jesus Christ is the true healer of individuals and their communities and the source of our ability to serve.

Comparatively here is the mission statement from Planned Parenthood Greater-Memphis:

Planned Parenthood Greater Memphis Region's mission is to ensure broad public access to reproductive and related health care through health center services, education, advocacy and community partnerships in serving 42 counties in West Tennessee, North Mississippi and East Arkansas.

and Memphis Health Center:

Memphis Health Center's mission is to provide safe, quality, affordable, effective and comprehensive health services to the citizens of Shelby and Fayette counties.

I'm fairly comfortable with saying that both PP and MHC are also nice organizations who believe in service to all people and employ competent care givers. So what makes CCHS different? I think it's pretty obvious in just the mission statements.

Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell said a six-person team that included health professionals and members of his administration evaluated proposals from Christ Community, Planned Parenthood and the Memphis Health Center. They gave Christ Community Health the highest cumulative score.

Uh-huh.

The low-income and under- or uninsured residents of Shelby County should not be forced to be a captive audience of a religious organization--even a competent medical one--in order to access necessary health care services.

An Open Letter to Gillette

Dear Gillette,

This morning, as always, I was shaving my face with one of your razors. I can't tell you the specific model, but I'm pretty sure you market it by alluding to the type of powerful jet aircraft that defends our freedom by dropping ordinance on unsuspecting foreigners. Actually, maybe it was one of the models that involves allusions to nuclear energy, lasers, or other hallmarks of masculine precision.

To be honest, I've been a shitty customer in the past. There was a point in my life where I thought I'd eventually quit shaving my face twice daily, and when I was really tired of slicing my face open with new razor blades. Consequently, I went through a period where I'd use the same cartridge for multiple years, wearing its space-age indicator strip down to the sort of insecurity inducing nub that your product is supposedly designed to compensate for.

Two months back, I had not only used the last of the cartridges, but had made such extensive use of my fifteen-year-old razor that its chrome had developed its own patina, and its very masculine essence was irreparably compromised. Since I didn't plan on using your products on my face forever, and given that you charge somewhere between $10 and $5000 for a new razor, I decided to scrimp by buying a sack of your entirely disposable models. You know, the one with the nondescript name that says nothing about the respect with which society should accord my tool.

I'm sure you know damn well how that worked out.

Since it was clear that I was living in your world, I decided I'd cowgirl up and play by your rules. I bought a new razor, the one I was using this morning. I paid $10 for it, which could have bought me either a week's worth of beans, rice, and ramen, or Leatherwolf's debut import cassette.

Now while I'm not the kind of lady who writes pointless five hundred word screeds decrying the sorry state of the latest consumables, when I buy a razor that's name suggests moves across my face with the speed of a bullet, I have expectations. These expectations do not include having the edges of the plastic cartridges snap off, making it impossible to attach it to my intimidatingly chromed-out death razor. Twice. In two weeks.

A lady more inventive than I would undoubtedly devise a means whereby duct tape could be used to attach expensive, yet broken, cartridge to lonely razor. It goes without saying that she would upload a video of said technique to the Internet, in order to demonstrate her rightful place in society. A lady more patient than I would simply grasp the cartridge in her bare hand, slicing off any and all offending hairs in the same way one imagines ancient women used crude hand tools to skin wild animals.

Alas, I am neither of these women. Thus, I regret to inform you that I am considering joining the good Dr. Benjamin Grumbles in purchasing a Merkur, the only razor suitable for a woman of my station.

Good day, Sir,

Katie
xox

PS I said good day!

Deeky's Garbage Treasures

As you may recall, Deeky is a closet hoarder who sends me his garbage treasures. Basically, the way this works is that Deeky saves useless garbage like we're beyond Thunderdome and useless garbage is now a form of currency and he's a garbageaire. Then, instead of throwing it away, he throws pieces of his collection of strange bits of paper and other detritus into an envelope and pays money to ship it to me—priority mail, so he can track his garbage treasure's path across the country—where it sits in my mailbox until he harangues me to collect it. Then, I empty the garbage contents of the garbage envelope, laugh at it with him until tears are rolling out of our eyes, and throw it away. I mean, put it a special garbage treasure reservoir for safe-keeping!

But not before taking a picture of it so that I can post it, obvs.

image of the latest collection of garbage treasures

[Click to embiggen.]
Some of the contents of the latest package of Deeky's Garbage Treasures: A copy of Roald Dahl's The Witches, illustrated by Quentin Blake, a tag from a Michael Kors shirt, a "How to Use a Condom" guide in English and Spanish from LifeStyles Condoms, a "Jody Landers for Mayor of Baltimore City" flyer ("Together...we can - and we will make a difference."), a green bumper-sticker reading "Go Green Eat Pickles," an STD Facts pamphlet, the 23rd edition of the Baltimore Water Taxi Guide, good from March 2011 through March 2012, a green toothbrush reading "BRACES by DR. BONEBREAK," and a Justin Bieber action figure from the Mini Collection. It's "Red Carpet Justin," for all you curious collectors out there.

I have to admit, however, that the item which made me laugh until I was crying was actually a sealed envelope, addressed to Deeks in one of those fonts that's supposed to fool recipients into thinking it's a hand-written letter. In the same font was printed, "We Miss You." The cynicism of that plaintive marketing message combined with Deeky's undiluted contempt, picturing him dumping the thing unopened into the package destined for me, just sent me into gales of relentless laughter.

image of aforementioned envelope

image of aforementioned envelope

Add Your Voice to Vice President Joe Biden's Anti-Rape Campaign

by Shaker KaterTot

[Trigger warning for discussion of sexual violence.]

Vice President Joe Biden, who has long lent his support to programs and policies combating violence against women, launched a new campaign, 1 is 2 Many, in honor of the 17th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act. In the accompanying video, he cites a bunch of statistics (also available in text at the site) that mostly make me want to throw up, so I'm not going to repeat them here. (Spoiler Alert! Sexual assault and dating violence on campus is incredibly pervasive.) Then he asks for public input on how to make campuses safer for all students and requests ideas for how to prevent dating violence and sexual assault.

Please take a minute to fill out the form (or you can use the grammatically-incorrect hashtag #1is2many on Twitter) and teaspoon a bit for appropriate violence prevention tactics. In other words, let's be quite clear about who is responsible for preventing these types of violence: Those who are at risk of perpetrating such violence.

There is, as Shakers well know, a whole world out there where potential victims are tasked with the prevention of sexual violence. Let's advocate an alternative solution.

Some of my ideas include: Education on consent as a mandatory part of sex education (for those school districts that still provide it...sigh); campaigns that give folks tools to educate each other when they hear violent and/or degrading rhetoric against women, members of the LGBTQI community, people of color, people with disabilities, and other marginalized populations at higher risk for sexual violence; introducing reinventions of prevention strategies like the "buddy system" to task men with holding their male friends accountable; and centering concepts that go beyond "no means no" and reach the realm of enthusiastic consent (silence might mean no, consent must be repeatedly given for each sexual act, etc).

Although the campaign is US campus-specific, college campuses are steeped in rape culture just like everywhere else, so awareness-raising ideas that are not campus-specific will be valuable, too.

Please feel free to borrow my ideas and/or add your ideas in comments, too. Let's raise our voices and our teaspoons and use this opportunity to send a strong message about appropriate ways to address the staggering rates of assault on campus.

Non USian Shakers, go for it; you'll just need a US zip code for the form.

The form can be located here. Thanks folks!

Two-Minute Nostalgia Sublime

Galaxie 500: "Blue Thunder"

Concrete Jungle Where Dreams are Made of

From NPR:

A calico cat named Willow, who disappeared from a home near the Rocky Mountains five years ago, was found on Wednesday on a Manhattan street and will soon be returned to her family, where two of the three children and one of the two dogs may remember her.

An anonymous man found Willow on East 20th Street. I don't care what the fashion industry says, Willow, I think you've got talent. Just look at that face!

Quote of the Day

[Trigger warning for racism, sexism, ablism.]

"I can't really tell for sure, but a number of people are abuzz about this video of Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Hussein Obama Idi Amin Dada. The consensus seems to be that the First Ms. Thang is saying to hubby Barack, 'All of this for a damn flag.' (She said this about the American flag—you know the one brave men died for.) Wouldn't be surprised if that's what she said because we know she hates America and previously said she wasn't proud of our country until Obama had a chance to become Prez. Looks like that's what she said, but I can't tell for sure. I would need a deaf person or other expert lip reader to confirm. Watch and see if you agree (like I said, even if she didn't say exactly that, we know she's thinkin' it)."—Rightwing asshole Debbie Schlussel, on the latest pearl-clutcher scandalizing the conservative blogosphere. Media Matters has more here.

Hey, Debbie—don't look now, but in the middle of your sneering racist screed at the First Lady, you also managed to slight every female soldier who has fought and died for her country. Whoooooops!

P.S. Not all hearing impaired people are "expert lip readers." FYI.

[H/T to @BenDimiero.]

Oh, Rick Perry. Don't Ever Change.

There is a lot of good stuff (where "good stuff" means terrifyingly stupid stuff) in this interview with Rick Perry at Time, but this is definitely my favorite:

Now that you've been in the race for while, do you feel pressure to temper some of your rhetoric, like calling the Obama administration socialist?

No, I still believe they are socialist. Their policies prove that almost daily. Look, when all the answers emanate from Washington D.C., one size fits all, whether it's education policy or whether it's healthcare policy, that is, on its face, socialism.

1. Rick Perry has no idea what socialism means. 2. If only!

[H/T to Steve Benen.]

Top Chef: Just Desserts Open Thread

Comcast sucks monkey ass. Last night they refused to actually air Bravo. All I got was the message "This channel should be available shortly." Whut? Ummm, yeah, fuck you, Comcast. So, instead I watched Matlock. Basically out of spite. Matlock did make a pretty tasty looking sandwich, and maybe I was better off. If you happened to see "The Cover Girl" ep on the Hallmark Channel last night, you can discuss that, too. Or talk about the Wonka disaster that was Top Chef. Either or. I don't care.

As per usual, last night's episodes will be discussed in detail, so if you haven't seen it, and don't want any spoilers, pack your linen suits and go...

Great Jobs Plan. Very Cool.

Liberal Democrats fear payroll-tax holiday will undermine Social Security:

Liberal lawmakers in both chambers are hammering the Obama administration for pushing a payroll-tax holiday they say threatens Social Security.

The lawmakers fear Obama's proposed 2012 payroll-tax break — included as part of his newly released jobs package — could become permanent, stealing from Social Security's lone funding stream and eventually eroding senior benefits.

"Over a period of years — if you do it one year, and then you do it two years, and then you do it three years — then it becomes permanent," Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) told reporters Wednesday in the Capitol. "And somebody's going to say that if you don't do it, then you're raising taxes."

Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) sounded a similar warning, noting that the loss of revenue created by the payroll-tax holiday makes Social Security necessarily reliant on general funds. That, in turn, makes the program much more susceptible to cuts, he added, particularly in a political environment in which deficit reduction has become a top priority.

"Suddenly, someone will say, 'Wait a minute, we can't afford to subsidize this thing anymore,' and the Republicans will say, 'Well, you can't raise the tax,'" DeFazio said.

...Meanwhile, Obama has adopted the popular GOP argument that allowing a tax cut to expire constitutes a tax hike — a message he delivered last week in challenging Republicans to support his payroll-tax cut.

"If we allow that tax cut to expire — if we refuse to act — middle-class families will get hit with a tax increase at the worst possible time," Obama said last Thursday night in his address to a joint session of Congress. "We can't let that happen."

The odd dynamics weren't lost on DeFazio.

"A little ironic, isn't it?" DeFazio said. "What he's done is create the [question] of, 'What do we do after that?'

"If this becomes permanent, then Social Security would be exhausted in 2021, instead of 2037. Now, that's a big problem."

Honestly, at this point, I'm not sure that a Republican president would have been more successful at advancing a Republican fiscal agenda and more deeply entrenching Republican fiscal memes than Obama has been.

That he's staring down a real unemployment rate of about 16%, wage stagnation, a foreclosure crisis, the highest poverty rate in half a century, etc. and his jobs plan consists of tax cuts that will undermine the social safety net, is manifestly absurd. It's frankly no wonder that Sen. Harry Reid is refusing to prioritize the president's proposed legislation. That may be the smartest thing he's ever done as Senate Majority Leader.

Open Thread

Question of the Day

What would you like to see asked as a future Question of the Day?

Daily Dose of Cute

Zelda the Mutt sits on the couch by the window, getting sun on her face; she's sitting upright like a person

Zelda is people.

Dame Gwyneth Paltrow Thinks My Life Is Meaningless

Not only am I fat, which obviously makes me human garbage, but I am also not a mother and have no plans to be one, which, no doy, renders my life a hollow shell with no "real meaning."

Paltrow is so "happy" that her good friend Jay-Z and his wife Beyoncé are expecting and admits that becoming a parent really puts everything in perspective.

"I think motherhood is the biggest blessing of all time and it give your life real meaning," she points out. "It's always interesting when you're a woman with success and you've achieved a lot, and then you have a baby and you realize everything you thought was an achievement really is nothing until you have a kid, and I think that will be [Beyoncé's] experience."

Someone needs to introduce Gwyneth Paltrow to the concept of "I language." It's fine and dandy if she finds motherhood to be her "biggest blessing of all time," the thing that gave her life "real meaning" and rendered all of her previous achievements relatively insignificant, but it is gross and offensive to universalize that experience and thus suggest that any woman's accomplishments pale in comparison to motherhood, that every woman's life is devoid of "real meaning" unless and until she becomes a mother.

And, you know, it's not just gross and offensive to women who cannot have children, and to women who choose not to have children, but it's also gross and offensive to the millions of women around the world who are not fortunate enough to have a choice about motherhood at all, the women for whom motherhood is not a carefully planned option in a lifetime of available options, but an inescapable fate, by virtue of forced marriage, rape, lack of access to free or affordable birth control, lack of access to safe and/or legal abortion.

Motherhood is not always a blessing. And, for many women, choosing to not be a mother is one of the most radical, self-defining, meaningful acts they will make in a life full of meaningful acts.

It is evidence of privilege to not know these things.

Speak for yourself, Gwyneth Paltrow. Please.

[Related Reading: Nope!]

There's An App For That

Wanna Shrug (it's capitalized because it is important) and Twitter at the same time? There's an app for that! Looking to annoy your Facebook "friends" with Ayn Rand quotes while watching videos of her talks? There's an app for that! Need to play Wesley Mouch Said WHAT? with your kids on your next train trip? There's an app for that!

New American Library is proud (maybe?) to announce the Amplified Edition of Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. It's like a book, but since it's for your iPad it has a bunch of other garbage thrown in for free! (Not really, since the Amplified Edition is two bucks more than the regular e-book. "There's no free in Objectivism!" - Tom Hanks.)

Amplification materials include:

Full length audio lectures, including a Q&A on Objectivism, an outline of its basic principles, and commentary on the state of business and government
Illustrated, revealing timeline of the author's life and major works, including personal documents, letters, and correspondence
Photo gallery of early images of the author at work
Endorsements and testimonials from celebrities and business leaders on the enduring power and influence of Atlas Shrugged

Neat! So get yours today. Because books are dead.

(H/T to Shaker Ethyl.)

We Should Talk About This

[Trigger warning for trans*/homophobic violence, applies to all links]

This Monday, a trans* woman of color was shot in Washington DC. The latest victim was at least the fifth trans* woman to be shot (or shot at) in DC over the past two months.

On Saturday, DC police found the body of a trans* woman of color.

In late August, drunk, off-duty police officer Kenneth Furr fired at a crowd group of women, at least two of whom were trans*. I haven't seen any reports on the victims' races, FWIW.

On the last day of July, a suspect shot at and missed a trans* woman of color in Northeastern DC.

A day before that incident, two men attacked five lesbian women of color at a D.C. metro station.

On July 20th, Lashai Mclean (also a trans* woman of color) was shot and killed in Northeastern DC.

Don't get me wrong-- a lot of the usual suspects have been covering this. Moreover, I'm not naïve enough to think that violence against queer women of color is going to garner much coverage in the mainstream media (although the DC media has grudgingly acknowledged the existence of said violence).

To point out what I think is obvious, the disinterest society shows towards these crimes is both a cause and symptom of the violence.

I'm honestly not sure if I can say that I'm surprised that this level of violence is being witnessed. I don't see very many of our cultural and civic leaders (including those at DC's Metropolitan Police Department) acting in ways consistent with acknowledging that queer women's lives matter. This needs to change.

Number of the Day

46.2 million: The number of people living in poverty in the United States, according to the annual income and poverty snapshot released yesterday by the US Census Bureau.

That is the highest poverty rate in half a century.

The report also notes that an additional one million USians are now without health insurance, and household income has had a precipitous decline over the last year.

Know what won't fix any of that? Tax cuts.

Blogcation Piccies

As requested, some piccies from my blogcation. We did actually make it out of the house—we went on a great forest hike with the dogs, ate at my Iain's and my favorite restaurant, where Deeks ate the best mac and cheese he's ever had, saw Rise of the Planet of the Apes because James Franco, had lunch with Mama and Papa Shakes at a local diner whose giant mascot is a balloon-loving hobo (?), etc.—but I continually failed to bring my camera with me anywhere. Sad trombone. But here are the pictures I did take!

Dudley and Uncle Deeks, power-lounging.

Deeks and Zelda

Deeks and Zelda

Zelda and Uncle Deeks are totes BFFs now.
Deeks and Zelda

Deeks and Zelda

See?

Deeks lying on the floor of my office with Zelda and Sophie

Deeks lies on the floor of my office, surrounded by the Cuddle Gang.

Deeks and Sophie

Deeks and Sophie

Sophie's got her eye on Deeks.

Deeks and Matilda

Deeks and Matilda

Tilsy hangs out between Deeks and Spudsy.

Sophie in Spudsy's lap

Sophie in Spudsy's lap

Sophie makes herself comfy in Uncle Spudsy's lap.

Zelda getting pet by Kenny Blogginz

Zelda getting pet by Kenny Blogginz

Zelda snuggles up with Kenny Blogginz.

a contestant from Top Chef: Just Desserts

a contestant from Top Chef: Just Desserts

Our favorite Pink Donut!

two Talisman character pieces in a compromising position

two Talisman character pieces in a compromising position

Our Talisman avatars engage in a little consensual oral play while we eat pie.

(That's what everyone said.)

Livy looks at Deeks

Livy looks at Deeks

Livs wonders why Uncle Deeks would ever stop brushing her when she loves it so much.

Zelda and Dudley asleep on the couch

Zelda and Dudley asleep on the couch

Sleepy Dogs after a trip to the dog park with Uncle Deeks.

Dudley in Deeky's bed

Dudley in Deeky's bed

Dudley appreciates Uncle Deeky making the bed all nice and warm for him.

Zelda in her soccer neckerchief

Zelda in her soccer neckerchief

Zelda is pooped from all the cuddling!

Fin.

Breaking Bad Open Thread

Hank wants a vanilla shake. Walt not so much.
Sunday's episode will be discussed in infinitesimal detail, so if you haven't seen it, and don't want any spoilers, take your chicken batter and move along...

Wednesday Blogaround

This blogaround brought to you by fennel. So enjoy!

Recommended Reading:

David: Changing the Rules

Akimbo: Tell Your Senators Not to Wage War Against Women

David: MA-Sen: Warren Officially Announces

crunktastic: [TW for racism] Refereeing Serena: Racism, Anger, and US (Women's) Tennis

Adrienne: [TW for cultural appropriation] Oh, (Miss) Canada.

Peter: Progressive Bloggers and Activists Will Determine President Obama's Political Fate

Fannie: A Meta-Mansplanation

Andy: Group Demands NY Town Clerk's Resignation for Breaking Law, Refusing to Sign Same-Sex Marriage Licenses

Tigtog: [TW for misogyny] That "Feminist Whore" Code in Dead Island Game: Nice to See a Proper Apology

Leave your links and recommendations in comments...