A baby giraffe and her mother snuggle each other in their enclosure at Tama Zoological Park in Tokyo. The baby giraffe was born on August 6 at the zoo. [Getty Images]
Photo of the Day
Community Project: Operation Get Loved Up!
by Shaker BrianWS
Hey, everyone!
So here's the thing – I need the help of Shakers who are or have been in meaningful romantic relationships.
Liss and I came up with an idea for what we think could be a neat community project that challenges conventional models of romantic love, but it's dependent on your participation; I'm hoping that some of you would be willing to share some super adorable photographs of you and your sweetie - pictures of you and your spouse, partner(s), boyfriend, girlfriend, or whatever name or label you and your love choose to embrace. Please note that we ask you obtain your sweetie's consent to send the photo.
Anyone is welcome to participate - and of course pictures with partners who have passed are welcome, too. The end goal is to create a little project for the community that celebrates love between people of all sexualities, all genders, all ages, all races, all shapes.
Here are the terms, so to speak – I'll use as many photographs as I possibly can, in the order in which I receive them. No photographs will be altered aside from possibly being resized. The final product will be posted on YouTube, so don't send anything that you wouldn't want available for public viewing by anyone who happens to find it.
So if you're interested in participating, go ahead and attach your favorite photograph of you and your love to an email, and fire it over to me at ShakerBrianWS@gmail.com – I'll put something together with the photographs I receive and then share it with you all when the project is finished.
Looking forward to seeing your lovely, happy pictures!
[Note from Liss: I realize this particular community project will not be applicable for all members of the community. Many community projects won't be. I hope that anyone who would like to see a different kind of community project will feel invited to suggest their own.]
Daily Dose of Cute
Because he's sweet like that, Iain brought me home from Scotland an Aero bar, which is a British candy bar I really like but can't easily get around here. I've been eating it like one bite a day, because it's such a rare treat. I left the 3/4 of it that's left sitting out on the end table in the living room last night, like I always do. You see where this is going...
A few minutes ago, I walked into the living room and the EMPTY WRAPPER WAS ON THE FLOOR!!! I turned around to see Zelda looking at me with a wagging tail and a grin on her face that seemed to say, "O HAI! I discovered chocolate! It is very tasty! I LOOOOOOOVE ETT! I LOVE ETT SO MUCH!"
[Representative Image: A picture taken the day we brought Zelda home.]
Immediately, I panicked, because chocolate is poisonous to dogs. I rang the vet, and one of the many awesome vet techs there assured me that even with the amount she ate, its being milk chocolate and Zelda being 40 pounds means that the absolute worst that will happen is a case of the butt-squirts. (I'm paraphrasing.)
My panic gave way to relief, which gave way to I'M GOING TO MURDER THAT DOG FOR EATING MY AERO BAR! (Not really.) I told Zelda she had worried me and asked her kindly to please not eat anymore chocolate bars. By which I mean, I made a mental note not to leave any more chocolate bars within Zel's reach.
[Representative Image: Despite appearing to hang her head in shame,
Zelda was actually, at the time this picture was taken, staring at an ant.]
Meanwhile, Dudley surveyed the goings-on with a smug self-satisfaction that betrayed his attempts to convey disinterest.
"I'm the GOOD dog, you know."
I know, Dudley. I know.
Today in Christian Supremacy
A municipal judge in southern Alabama is giving folks who commit misdemeanors a choice: either go to church, or go to jail. According to WKRG TV:
The city judge will either let offenders work off their sentences in jail and pay a fine or go to church every Sunday for a year.First of all, electing to not worship will land you in jail (despite, I might add, having only being convicted of a misdemeanor). Second, to elaborate on one comment on the original story, "every Sunday" and "the pastor" don't appear to be inclusive of religious folks who happen to not share the judge's particular Christian faith.
If offenders elect church, they're allowed to pick the place of worship, but must check in weekly with the pastor and the police department.
According to WKRG,
[Bay Minette Police Chief Mike] Rowland says the program is legal and doesn't violate separation of church and state issues because it allows the offender to choose church or jail...and the church of their choice.Of course, not church is not a choice. I suppose jail (:cough: for a misdemeanor) is choice, in a way. You know, 'go to church every Sunday or go to jail.' It kinda has a Spanish Inquisition vibe to it, when you think about it.
Friday Blogaround
This blogaround brought to you by a chubbly white cat who keeps knocking things on the floor in search of the most ridiculously awkward napping space possible.
Recommended Reading:
chrisdonia: Mysterious Paper Sculptures
Shark-fu: [TW for murder] 100 Years of the Mob
Brad: [TW for murder] Georgia Parole Board's Decisions on Troy Davis vs. Samuel Crowe Cases Almost Like Black and White
Katharhynn: [TW for fat hatred and body policing] First They Came for Your Fat Kids...
Tim: Weekly Standard on GOP Debate: "Yikes"
Fannie: New Word of the Day: "Same-Sex Enthusiast"
Epic Ponyz: Note to Police
Leave your links and recommendations in comments...
Recommended Reading
The Hidden Hands in Redistricting: Corporations and Other Powerful Interests:
Their names suggest selfless dedication to democracy. Fair Districts Mass. Protect Your Vote. The Center for a Better New Jersey. And their stated goals are unarguable: In the partisan fight to redraw congressional districts, states should stick to the principle of one person, one vote.Read the whole thing here.
But a ProPublica investigation has found that these groups and others are being quietly bankrolled by corporations, unions and other special interests. Their main interest in the once-a-decade political fight over redistricting is not to help voters in the communities they claim to represent but mainly to improve the prospects of their political allies or to harm their enemies.
The number of these purportedly independent redistricting groups is rising, but their ties remain murky. Contributions to such groups are not limited by campaign finance laws, and most states allow them to take unlimited amounts of money without disclosing the source.
Want to Get a Gander at My Garbage Governor?
Welp, here ya go: Republican Indiana Governor Mitch "The Blade" Daniels was on The Daily Show last night (thanks for the heads-up, Shaker Sarah), and he spoke with Jon "Both Sides Are Stupid and I Am the Perfect Center" Stewart about how the Republican Party's rhetoric is definitely terrible, mostly because it's too honest about how terrible their policies are.
Once again, I'll note that the reason Daniels is so scary is because he has the capacity to sound so reasonable, even though his politics are just as extreme as Rick Perry's. He talks a good game about how he cares about the social safety net and providing access and opportunity to poor folks, but he was the first governor in the nation to sign a bill defunding Planned Parenthood. And he can brag about "growth" in Indiana all he wants, but the fact remains that our infrastructure is crumbling to pieces. He is a snake. And we are in real trouble if he changes his mind about running in 2012.
Anyway, here he is. (My apologies for not providing a transcript: If anyone can locate a transcript of the episode, please drop a link in comments. If there's anyone able and willing to provide a transcript, please let me know in comments.)
Because Chicken Fried Steak Doesn't Grow on Trees
This morning, NPR is reporting that at the request of a state legislator, Texas will no longer honor the tradition of giving inmates their choice of a last meal before they are executed.
I believe somewhere near the back of the Bible, Jesus's son (Chip Christ), told the Israelites "If you're gonna kill a man, don't go being all polite about it."
Obama Campaign Office Vandalized
Obama's Westside campaign office vandalized: "Los Angeles police were investigating a Thursday night incident in which someone shot BB-gun pellets and threw an object into President Obama's Westside campaign office, authorities said. ... The incident comes days before the president is due to visit Los Angeles [for fundraising events]."
Fortunately, no one was there at the time and no one was injured. Just some shattered glass. Oh, and the ominously threatening message that we might call terrorism if we didn't reserve that for other people.
I guess it's because of our liberal media who's totally in the bag for Obama that I have barely heard a peep about this. Huh.
Don't Bother Grading Those Physics Exams
Grab your towels, yo. A clique of European scientists think they've measured sub-atomic particles moving faster than the speed of light.
Obviously, physicists throughout the world are wetting themselves in terror, disbelief, and complete and total skepticism. Probably, some body or some thing fucked this up. Besides, everybody knows CERN's accelerators are total party accelerators.
If this is a real deal and not just some Antonio guy messing with us, then Einstein's view of the universe (ahem, our version of the universe) will come crashing down like so many baby carriages down the Odessa Steps. (Obviously, now that Einstein's just some dude with a broken theory, I get him confused with Sergei Eisenstein, just like I confuse Wayne and Issac Newton.)
Dodgeball in the future is gonna be fucking intense. I plan on going there in my time machine to check it out. Well, that assumes that future president Calvin Coolidge doesn't fuck with my TARDIS.
Number of the Day
480%: The percentage by which "the income of the very rich, the top 100th of 1 percent of the income distribution" in the US grew between 1979 and 2005. Meanwhile, "between 1979 and 2005 the inflation-adjusted income of families in the middle of the income distribution rose 21 percent."
480% vs. 21%.
That is what real class warfare looks like.
So the GOP Had a Debate Last Night
You can read some shit about that here, among ten billion other places.
I'm sure there's an official transcript in existence that I can't be arsed to locate, but here is my totally accurate paraphrase of the debate: Blah blah blah taxes blah blah blah Ronald Reagan blah blah blah gay soldiers are stupid blah blah blah tax cuts blah blah blah bootstraps blah blah blah illegals blah blah blah Social Security is a ponzi scheme blab blah blah terrorism blah blah blah Jesus blah freedom blah taxes blah life blah tax cuts blah Reagan blah business blah Americans blah America blah country blah taxes blah fart. The End.
Question of the Day
[We've done this one before, but it's one of my favorites, so I'm doing it again…]
Who would play you in Shakesville: The Movie?
Looks-wise, the obvious choice is Dawn French, to whom I am nearly identical in height and weight, and probably not dissimilar in temperament. She's 17 years older than I, but I won't complain if she won't.
Number of the Day
Zero: The number of countries in existence that have succeeded with a Tea Party model, as observed quite rightly by former President Bill Clinton.
You know, there's not a single solitary example on the planet, not one, of a country that is successful because the economy has triumphed over the government and choked it off and driven the tax rates to zero, driven the regulations to nonexistent and abolished all government programs, except for defense, so people in my income group never have to pay a nickel to see a cow jump over the moon. There is no example example of a successful country that looks like that.Yup.
Dueling Quotes of the Day
"4:59 pm: It's a minute to show time, and I find my seat in the second row (right behind the cast of 30 Rock!) The seat filler before me was sweaty … so my chair was wet. Gross!"—Professional Barf Gwyneth Paltrow, in her "Emmys Scrapbook," from the latest edition of her insufferable newsletter GOOP—a revoltingly indulgent project in which she explains to the average peasant how very easy it is to be beautiful, fashionable, cultured, thin, and healthy, if only you put in a little effort, geez.
"That IS gross. But so are you for complaining about it. Just let it go, you're at the fucking Emmys in a million dollars worth of borrowed jewelry after a night in France for a friend's birthday dinner. Someone else has a human body. Fucking get over it."—Gabe, who has approximately as much contempt for Gwyneth's abundant disgorgements of privilege as I do, fisking her "Emmys Scrapbook" in his inimitable style.
Insured While Fat
by Shaker MaryAnn
[Trigger warning for fat hatred, body policing, disordered eating, and ableism.]
Attaining decent health care is no easy feat. Most of us know this, whether we have been denied coverage because of "pre-existing conditions," are forced to pay ridiculously high co-pays, or are simply unable to access care at all. I recently experienced a new, unexpected obstacle when it comes to accessing health care: The insurance plan offered by my employer through Blue Care Network of Michigan, requires that I enroll in a "weight management plan" in order to receive premium insurance. I am 5'4" and weigh 244 pounds. Anyone with a BMI over 30 must enroll.
So, this leaves me with a few choices (if you can even call them that): 1. I wear a pedometer and step a certain amount of strides every three months or I enroll in Weight Watchers and attend meetings once a week. 2. Choose the substandard plan, which has high premiums and co-pays and is barely worth the paper it is printed on. 3. I pay a boat-load of money for the "Cadillac plan." It offers relatively good care, but also with high, high co-pays and high, high associated costs. I work as a medical assistant. The last option would require that I give up half of my paycheck every two weeks. So that's out.
What did I opt for—my dignity or decent coverage? I tossed my dignity right out the window and opted to wear the pedometer. I am pretty active, so I easily walk the required amount, but that misses the point. People who are fat and not active—whether by choice or disability—deserve care, for one. And every time I put the pedometer on me, I am reminded that I am a fatty who does not deserve care unless I am always striving to be something that I am not. I am reminded of my past; I think about days spent throwing up everything I ate and counting calories until my head spun. I am reminded that the majority of people in this country think I am disgusting, worthless, and deserve to get sick and die. (This, too, is eliminationism.) Every time I touch that pedometer, that's exactly where my mind takes me. I cannot help but think this was part of the intention.
This particular insurance plan is cheap for my employer. I get it. Times are tough and money is tight. So Blue Cross offers a plan that is cheaper for big companies but punishes certain types of people for certain types of things. I have a dear friend and co-worker is a proud junk-food aficionado, not terribly active, and weighs 110 pounds. This insurance plan works wonders for her. She is all set. Folks with a BMI over 30, those with depression, and/or people who smoke are all required to jump through the hoops in order to access this care. So I jump. (Also: Why are we equating smoking, fat, and depression? So many issues here.)
It took me about three months to find a physician that would accept me as a new patient. I tried to make appointments with doctors who were recommended to me as fat-friendly, but I was unable to see any of them. Why? Because, within the first three months of Blue Care Network enrollment, enrollees must complete a "health assessment" and subsequently have a physician fill out a qualification form. I would have missed this deadline if I had made an appointment with my preferred physician. Most offices I called had a two- or three-month waiting list.
The online assessment took about an hour and asked me all kinds of questions about my lifestyle and ostensibly about my health. Did they want to know that I have terrible allergies? How about my intolerance to gluten and the severe reaction I have when I eat it? Nope. They wanted to know how much I am going to cost them. They asked me about my weight, if I was a suicidal drug user, and about my tobacco intake. They asked about my eating habits and activity level. These companies do not care about health. They tell us, over and over, how they care about wellness and preventive care. They care about money. That's it. End of story.
Luckily, when I went to see the physician, she was sympathetic about the hoop jumping and filled my form out quickly and easily. I then received emails and letters telling me YOUR BMI IS SO HIGH YOU ARE GOING TO DIE TOMORROW (paraphrased) and that I needed to select a pedometer or Weight Watchers. Truly, the thought of weekly attending meetings that would feel self-hating to me made my blood pressure and anxiety go through the roof. So I wear my pedometer everywhere I go.
And everywhere I go, I am reminded that I am viewed as a burden. I am reminded that, until I change, I am not worthy of decent health care. I am reminded that I am hated.
Of course, I know this already. I see it everywhere I go. Most fat folks do.
I see it on the faces of the people I try to push past in the restaurant, but my fat makes it harder to get through. I am reminded when I barely fit into airplane seats. I am reminded at the hospital, when the doctors and nurses give me glances containing equal parts disgust and pity.
Yes, it is just a pedometer. No, it is not a huge ordeal to attain my allotted steps. But every time I tuck that little pedometer into my bra or clip it to my pants, I am reminded of how much anger, pity, and disgust society has for me and folks like me. As if it were difficult to forget.
Introducing the Shakesville Complaint Line!
Do you think Shakesville is the worst blog ever? Do you think Melissa McEwan is the most terrible person alive? Do you hate feminists? Sure, we all do! That's why we've instituted the Shakesville Complaint Line, at which you can leave all your complaints!
641-715-3900 x 44515 Long distance rates may apply!
Do you have an accusation of bad faith that cannot be fully realized in all its hostile glory on a computer screen? Can you not believe this is happening at Shakesville, of all places? Would you like to explain to us in infinitesimal detail how the commenting rules don't apply to you?
641-715-3900 x 44515 Long distance rates may apply!
Are you a troll who's been banned? A disgruntled emailer who fears Liss may never have received your email calling her a fat cunt? An MRA who's run out of outlets to express your impotent rage at a world that hasn't delivered on its promise to provide you with subservient women?
641-715-3900 x 44515 Long distance rates may apply!
Are you a totes sardonic smart-ass who wants to leave us a hilarious faux complaint?
641-715-3900 x 44515 Long distance rates may apply!
We would LOVE to hear your complaint! We love complaints SO MUCH that your complaint may end up on the blog, so please don't leave anything in your complaint that you wouldn't want shared with everyone else who almost certainly shares your complaint! Your continued complaining is valuable to us! Thank you for your complaint, and have a nice day!
A Brief History of James Franco's Dramatic Whispering
[Video Description: A montage of scenes from various films and TV shows in which James Franco is delivering his lines in a dramatic whisper.]
Because James Franco, no doy.
[Via.]
