David Bowie: "Diamond Dogs"
This is a real thing in the world.
[Image Description: Screen capture of item for sale in the Obama 2012 store: A $20 mug with an image of the president on one side, and an image of his birth certificate on the other. The product description reads: "There's really no way to make the birth certificate conspiracy completely go away, so we might as well laugh at it—and make sure as many people as possible are in on the joke. Get your Made in the USA mug today."]
LOL FOREVER. Well played, President Obama and Team. Well played indeed.
Related Reading: Obama at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.
[H/T to @bluegal.]
Occupy Everywhere & Economic News Round-Up
David Crosby, left, and Graham Nash perform at the Occupy Wall Street encampment at Zuccotti Park, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011 in New York. [AP Photo]The Atlantic—Occupy Wall Street Gets Its Generators Back: "Occupy Wall Street got its confiscated generators back on Tuesday after its legal team pressed the Fire Department of New York to release them. The machines were picked up from the New York City Fire Academy at Randall's Island by the Wikileaks truck, which has been stationed next to Zuccotti Park since the protest's inception. The vehicle with the generator on board made its way back to Zuccotti Park hours before a planned concert by Graham Nash and David Crosby."
The Guardian—Occupy protesters plan 300-mile march from NYC to Washington:
A group of Occupy protesters plan to march nearly 300 miles from New York to Washington DC in a bid to end tax cuts which they say benefit the richest 1% of Americans.In US domestic news...
The group will set off from Occupy Wall Street on Wednesday and walk 20 miles a day en route to the capital, their arrival planned to coincide with the Congressional deficit reduction super-committee meeting on 23 November.
Protesters will pass through other occupations during the course of the 'Occupy the highway' action, which they say will encourage people in rural communities to get involved in the movement.
AP—Ohio Voters Reject Republican-Backed Union Limits: "The state's new collective bargaining law was defeated Tuesday after an expensive union-backed campaign that pitted firefighters, police officers and teachers against the Republican establishment. In a political blow to GOP Gov. John Kasich, voters handily rejected the law, which would have limited the bargaining abilities of 350,000 unionized public workers."
Reuters—Fannie Mae taps $7.8 billion from Treasury, loss widens: "Fannie Mae, the biggest source of money for U.S. home loans, on Tuesday said it needed a further $7.8 billion in federal aid to stay afloat as a shaky housing market widened its third-quarter loss to $5.1 billion. The government-controlled firm also attributed the deeper cash drain to losses on derivatives used to hedge its exposure to interest-rate swings and on expenses related to home loans made prior to the 2008 financial collapse. In the year-earlier quarter it had a loss of a $1.3 billion. Fannie Mae has now drawn $112.6 billion in bailout funds from the Treasury Department since being seized by the government in 2008 as mortgage losses mounted, and it has returned $17.2 billion to taxpayers in the form of dividends."
Think Progress—GOP Rep. Joe Walsh Melts Down, Screams at Constituents: 'Don't Blame Banks!…I Am Tired of Hearing That Crap!': "[D]uring a recent meeting with constituents in his Chicago-area suburban district, Walsh lost his cool when several attendees asked about why banks have so much power in government. At one point, Walsh even threatened to eject a man who asked Walsh about the revolving door of bank lobbyists infiltrating Congress and financial regulatory agencies. Walsh at one point screamed, 'Don't blame the banks … this pisses me off!' After several constituents accurately pointed out that bank lobbyists occupy key positions within Congress, the SEC, and other oversight bodies that are supposed to supervise bank practices, Walsh began sticking his finger close to his constituents' faces, yelling, 'Quiet for a minute or I'll have to ask you to leave!'"
CNN Money—2012 candidates slip on Econ 101: "America's Econ 101 professors say...the candidates continue to offer ideas and policies that wouldn't pass muster in their classes—populated by 18 year-old college students. ... Michele Bachmann promised to bring back $2 gas. Tim Pawlenty suggested sustained 5% GDP growth was a realistic target. Rick Perry would balance the budget with lower tax revenues. ... Stephen Golub, who is teaching Econ 101 at Swarthmore College this semester, said some of the ideas floated by Presidential candidates would earn a failing grade in his class. 'I think it's grossly irresponsible what they are saying,' Golub said, [adding that candidates are 'promising things that are impossible to deliver or make little sense']."
Washington Post—Republicans offer tax deal to break debt impasse; Democrats dismiss it: "Congressional Republicans have for the first time retreated from their hard-line stance against new taxes, offering to raise federal tax collections by nearly $300 billion over the next decade as part of a plan to tame the national debt. But Democrats rejected the offer Tuesday—along with the notion that Republicans had made a significant concession that could end the long-standing political impasse—leaving a special debt-reduction committee far from compromise with less than two weeks until its Thanksgiving deadline." What a refreshing surprise! Good job, Dems!
And in Eurozone news...
The Guardian—Greece's squabbling politicians fail to pick new prime minister: "The struggle to appoint a new prime minister at the helm of an interim coalition government in Athens dragged on as squabbling politicians darted across the capital in frantic negotiation while EU leaders looked on nervously. ... The unexpected length of the negotiations combined with their fractious nature, despite the looming threat of bankruptcy, raised fears over the ability of Greece's sparring politicians to forge consensus at all. In a nation so bitterly divided by left and right, where memories of brutal civil war and military dictatorship still run deep, coalition governments are almost non-existent. Attempting to douse concerns of political instability exacerbating the debt-stricken country's economic plight, officials insisted that the appointment of a new prime minister was 'very close'."
New York Times—Crisis in Italy Deepens, as Bond Yields Hit Record Highs: "Italy's financial crisis deepened on Wednesday despite a pledge by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to resign once Parliament passes austerity measures demanded by the European Union. ... Mr. Berlusconi, cornered by world markets and humiliated by a parliamentary setback, appeared to have become the most prominent victim of the broader European debt crisis. But his decision did not remove wide uncertainty about Italy's ability to tackle the crisis, and some analysts said the prospect of a protracted period of political wrangling could exert further pressure for a quicker exit from the impasse."
CNBC—IMF Chief Warns World Economy Risks 'Lost Decade': "Christine Lagarde told a financial forum in Beijing that European plans to bolster a rescue package for Greece were a 'step in the right direction', but that the outlook for the world economy remained dangerous and uncertain. ... 'Our sense is that if we do not act boldly and if we do not act together, the economy around the world runs the risk of downward spiral of uncertainty, financial instability and potential collapse of global demand... we could run the risk of what some commentators are already calling the lost decade.'"
The Guardian—The emergence of the Frankfurt Group has turned back the democratic clock: "The European Union has always had problems with democracy, a messy process that can interfere with the grand designs of people at the top who know best. When Ireland voted no to the Nice Treaty, it was told to come up with the right result in a second ballot. The European Central Bank wields immense power, but nobody knows how the unelected members of its governing council vote because no minutes of meetings are published. That said, the latest phase of Europe's sovereign debt crisis has exposed the quite flagrant contempt for voters, the people who are going to bear the full weight of the austerity programmes being cooked up by the political elites."
Mississippi Personhood Amendment Is Defeated
What truly excellent news:
A constitutional amendment that would have defined a fertilized egg as a person failed on the ballot in Mississippi on Tuesday, dealing the so-called "personhood" movement another blow.Phew.
Mississippi would have become the first state to define a fertilized egg as a person, a measure which was aimed at outlawing abortion in the state but, opponents contended, would have led to all kinds of unintended consequences.
In the end, those concerns won out in a strongly anti-abortion state. The amendment trailed 59 percent to 41 percent with more than half of precincts reporting.
In less good news, Mississippi's Initiative 27, which will require photo IDs to vote and will thus disenfranchise voters, passed. For the potential effects of photo ID laws, see here.
Indiana also led the way in photo ID voting laws (of course we did), and, unfortunately, the Supreme Court has already upheld the constitutionality of such laws after it was challenged in Indiana.
History Made in Gary, Indiana
Karen Freeman-Wilson takes the podium for her acceptance speech during her election party at the Genesis Center in Gary, Ind. Tuesday November 8, 2011. With her victory, Freeman-Wilson has become the first female mayor of Gary. | Stephanie Dowell for Sun-Times MediaLast night, Democratic candidate Karen Freeman-Wilson won the mayoral election in my neighboring town of Gary, Indiana, making her the city's first female mayor in its 106-year history. Freeman-Wilson, 51, handily won with 86% of the vote.
Making history came easy Tuesday for Democrat Karen Freeman-Wilson who now faces the tougher challenge of resurrecting a city ravaged by crime, corruption and lost tax dollars.Rock on Mayor-Elect Freeman-Wilson.
Voters overwhelmingly elected Freeman-Wilson, 51, [daughter of a steelworker and community activist, valedictorian of her Roosevelt High class, and graduate of Harvard Law School,] as the city's first woman mayor in its 106-year history.
"It's an honor to make history, any way you make it," said Freeman-Wilson shortly before she met supporters at the Genesis Center. "You can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Now, the real work begins."
Question of the Day
Originally suggested by Shaker RedSonja: What's your favorite pet name (not necessarily your own pet)?
A friend of mine in college had grown up on a farm, and, as a wee lad, was given a pet cow, whom he named Mrs. Steak. That is, by far, the greatest pet name I have ever heard.
He was a vegetarian, btw.
And, for the record, Mrs. Steak lived a very long and happy life until her natural passing.
FYI
White House: There's no sign of E.T. or UFO cover-up. Just so's you know. [Via Andy.]
The White House has responded to two petitions asking the U.S. government to acknowledge formally that aliens have visited Earth and to disclose any intentional withholding of government interactions with extraterrestrial beings.That new "online engagement feature" is going great, then.
"The U.S. government has no evidence that any life exists outside our planet, or that an extraterrestrial presence has contacted or engaged any member of the human race," Phil Larson from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy reported on the WhiteHouse.gov website. "In addition, there is no credible information to suggest that any evidence is being hidden from the public's eye."
The petition calling on the government to disclose any knowledge of or communication with extraterrestrial beings was signed by 5,387 people, and 12,078 signed the request for a formal acknowledgement from the White House that extraterrestrials have been engaging the human race.
I'm glad that our Democratic president's administration is taking time to respond to the concerns of 17,465 people (a generous figure, considering it presumes no crossover signatures) about alien contact, but continues to diligently maintain its silence on the all-out legislative assault on the reproductive rights and bodily autonomy of 52% of the population. Cool. Neat priorities!
[Related Reading: Alien Skull Found on White House Lawn.]
Give This Man a Gold Medal in Explaining Stuff
Via The Daily What, An Irishman Abroad gives "a thoughtful yet succinct explanation of why so people are so mad at Wall Street, which, naturally, requires the employment of myriad swear words."
Jason Calibri, interviewer: I'm Jason Calibri, with the financial news, here in Limerick, Ireland, talking to an Irishman about Wall Street. [turns to Denis Ryan, the Irishman Abroad] Sir, what do you think is happening on Wall Street right now?LOL!
Denis Ryan, the Irishman Abroad: I'll tell you what's happening on Wall Street right now—total fucking chaos, sir! We've had this bunch of fucking wanking bankers on Wall Street, who, for the last ten or fifteen years, have created or produced these hocus-pocus bunch of products like complicated derivatives and sub-prime mortgages that are bundled together, sold them to you and I with the blessing of the credit agencies, and of course we all know what happened in, around, two thousand and seven—all these airy-fairy schemes began to unravel! And, you know, these fuck-shites had gone to the hills with billions of dollars in bonuses, and of course, two thousand and eight, the government had to bail out the Wall Street crowd to the tune of approximately one-point-three trillion dollars.
Calibri: And by "the government," you mean...?
Ryan: By the government, I mean the hardworking people of the United States of America—the trades, small business[people], the fire[fighters], the police [officers], the nurses, and of course the future foundation of our society: teachers! And—do you know this, sir?—one of these banks that was bailed out on Wall Street in two thousand and eight to the tune of approximately seventy billion dollars, this year these greedy fuckers put aside for their employees a bonus pool for the first six months of two thousand and eleven to the tune of eight and a half billion dollars. That's what happening on Wall Street, sir. Greed, greed, and more fucking greed.
Calibri: I'm just curious—you mentioned Wall Street, um, is there a Wall Street in Limerick?
Ryan: Ah, piss off, sir. I'm going for a pint.
Quote of the Day
"If we don't take a stand, who will?"—Diona Murray, a neighbor of Tawanna Rorey, who, with her law enforcement officer husband and their children, was scheduled to be evicted from their foreclosed-upon suburban Atlanta home by the sheriff's department, until Occupy Atlanta showed up to protest.
A Sheriff's Department spokeswoman said the foreclosure process for the Roreys was still ongoing and that no eviction had been scheduled for that address.It may just be delaying the inevitable, but if we don't take a stand, who will?
Experts were doubtful that the protest could do much to help the family. Misty A. Oaks, an Atlanta lawyer who specializes in foreclosure, said sitting in at an foreclosed home won't be effective legally.
"But it certainly will make for an interesting story and bring attention to the issues surrounding foreclosures and the enormous ramifications foreclosures are having," she said.
Once an eviction notice has been entered into the system, a homeowner no longer has title to the property, and anyone on it can be forcibly removed as a trespasser, Oaks said.
That reality did little to dampen the spirit of the protesters. They set up two tents in the front yard, draped a "This Home is Occupied" sign over the porch railing.
Good question.
[Via Zaid.]
The Walking Thread
Image altered for the non-zombiephiles among us.
I'm sorry I forgot to post a The Walking Dead open thread until now! I am so forgetful it's almost like a zombie has been eating my braaaaaaaaaaaains!
Let us commence discussion of the last episode in which the plot was advanced AT LEAST two inches!
(Spoilers lurch undeadly herein.)
United States of Austerity
WASHINGTON (AP) - Just as 55 million Social Security recipients are about to get their first benefit increase in three years, Congress is looking at reducing future raises by adopting a new measure of inflation that also would increase taxes for most families - the biggest impact falling on those with low incomes.Who are some of the taxpayers making $1 million a year (or more)?
If adopted across the government, the inflation measure would have widespread ramifications. Future increases in veterans' benefits and pensions for federal workers and military personnel would be smaller. And over time, fewer people would qualify for Medicaid, Head Start, food stamps, school lunch programs and home heating assistance than under the current measure.
Taxes would go up by $60 billion over the next decade because annual adjustments to the tax brackets would be smaller, resulting in more people jumping into higher tax brackets because their wages rose faster than the new inflation measure. Annual increases in the standard deduction and personal exemptions would become smaller.
Despite fierce opposition from seniors groups, the proposal is gaining momentum in part because it would let policymakers gradually cut benefits and increase taxes in a way that might not be readily apparent to most Americans. Changes at first would be small - the Social Security increase would be cut by just a few dollars in the first year.
[...]
The proposal to adopt a new Consumer Price Index was floated by the Obama administration during deficit reduction talks in the summer. Now, it is one of the few options supported by both Democratic and Republican members of a joint supercommittee in Congress working to reduce government borrowing.
The committee of six Democrats and six Republicans is struggling to come up with a plan to reduce government red ink by at least $1.2 trillion over the next decade. Changing the inflation index alone would put them a sixth of the way there.
"I think the thought process behind this is, slip this in, people won't understand it," said Max Richtman, president and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare.
[...]
In all, adopting the chained CPI would reduce Social Security benefits by $112 billion over the next decade. Federal civilian and military pensions would be $24 billion lower, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
If adopted across the government, fewer people would be eligible for many anti-poverty programs because the poverty level also would increase at a lower rate each year. That would result in fewer people living below the official poverty line, despite having the same income.
The tax increases would hit low-income families the hardest, while high-income taxpayers would see smaller changes. The wealthiest taxpayers already pay taxes at the highest marginal rate, currently 35 percent.
For example, by 2021, taxpayers making between $10,000 and $20,000 would see a 14.5 percent increase in their federal taxes with a chained CPI, according to an analysis by the Joint Committee on Taxation. Taxpayers making more than $1 million would get a tax increase of 0.1 percent.
The number of Americans who are millionaires is pretty low — about 1 percent of the population. Members of Congress who are millionaires? Nearly 50 percent.
That's according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan watchdog group that tracks money in politics.
Of the 435 members of the House, "244 current members of Congress are millionaires — that's about 46 percent and that includes 138 Republicans and 106 Democrats," says Center for Responsive Politics spokesman Michael Beck.
Beckel is talking about net worth, the total amount of money and assets lawmakers have, according to their own financial disclosure forms. In fact, there are probably many more millionaires in Congress, since lawmakers don't have to include the value of their family home and other details.
Sorry apple pie, you are being replaced by bootstrap pie.
Good
President Obama issues veto threat on attempt to repeal net-neutrality rules:
President Obama will veto an attempt to repeal the Federal Communications Commission's net-neutrality rules if it passes the Senate, the White House said in a news release Tuesday.
"TheAdministration strongly opposes Senate passage of S.J. Res. 6, which would undermine a fundamental part of the nation's Open Internet and innovation strategy — an enforceable, effective but flexible policy for keeping the Internet free and open," the White House said.
..."It would be ill-advised to threaten the very foundations of innovation in the Internet economy and the democratic spirit that has made the Internet a force for social progress around the world," the White House said in its release. "If the President is presented with S.J. Res. 6, which would not safeguard the free and open Internet, his senior advisers would recommend that he veto the Resolution."
Mississippi
As you may know, today is election day in the United States. There are some ballot issues that have gained national attention, like Ohio's anti-union measure, Issue 2 (Vote no, Ohioans! Vote no!). And there's Mississippi's "personhood" issue, Prop. 26. Both Liss and I have written on the personhood nonsense previously (here and here and here and here, for example). Generally, a group called Personhood USA is out to amend constitutions everywhere to give full-person rights to fertilized eggs. In Mississippi, they have gained enough momentum to get Prop 26 on the ballot to do just that.
Mississippi voters are, apparently according to polling, nearly evenly split on the issue.
According to Public Policy Polling, Initiative 26, the so-called "Personhood" amendment in Mississippi, is currently tied, with 45 percent of voters supporting the measure and 44 percent of voters opposed to it.If you're in Mississippi, please go vote!
That leaves over 10 percent of Mississippi residents unsure of how they will vote, and they could swing the election in either direction.
In the end, it could just come down to who shows up at the polls.
In my Twitter feed this morning I noticed that NPR reported that Mississippi is the state with the most people who rely on SNAP (nutrition assistance).
The state of Mississippi has the highest percentage of its population — 24 percent — on food stamps of any state in the country.Now, people who have abortions do so for different reasons, given everyone has individual circumstances that lead to their decision. However, generally speaking, there is a significant commonality (emphasis mine):
• About 61% of abortions are obtained by women who have one or more children.Sometimes people just cannot afford a(nother) child. Period. How the pregnancy occurred is irrelevant (for those who may be inclined to argue only some circumstances are worthy). And, as NPR points out, Mississippi in particular has a lot of people who already need assistance--how is the state going to help these people who they will force to give birth to more children if Prop 26 passes? I'm sure the voters who approve of Prop 26 will totally be on board with paying a tax increase to be able to support a needed increase in the social safety net. Totally. Or not.
• Forty-two percent of women obtaining abortions have incomes below 100% of the federal poverty level ($10,830 for a single woman with no children).
• Twenty-seven percent of women obtaining abortions have incomes between 100–199% of the federal poverty level.*
• The reasons women give for having an abortion underscore their understanding of the responsibilities of parenthood and family life. Three-fourths of women cite concern for or responsibility to other individuals; three-fourths say they cannot afford a child; three-fourths say that having a baby would interfere with work, school or the ability to care for dependents; and half say they do not want to be a single parent or are having problems with their husband or partner.
The problem with most of these people who support bullshit initiatives like Prop 26 is that they don't fucking THINK. They parade around with blinders on and fingers in their ears yelling about "BAAAAABIES!" and yet don't actually follow any logical process to look at everything else about life beyond a fetus going from conception to birth--like eating (or any of the other questions I raised in my post here or that there will be consequences like this). The rest of the people who support things like Prop 26 have thought it out and generally don't care: "Hey, eat some bootstraps kid--guess your mom should have kept her legs shut!". Bootstrap chastity belts for everyone!
It's not going to stop. Personhood USA's goal is to amend all state constitutions. MoJo has a map of where they're going and how 2012 is shaping up. I am not going to link to Personhood USA but they also have state-by-state listings on their site, if you're so inclined to wade into that cesspool.
As I said before: to Personhood USA and those who support it, I look forward to seeing you be the first one in line (if your measures pass) at the government's new Mandatory Organ Donation & Harvesting Office. After all, everyone should be forced by the government to donate their organs to "give life" to a person who needs said organ(s) to live, right?
#mencallmethings
Yesterday I mentioned the #mencallmethings hashtag that Sady Doyle of Tiger Beatdown had started on Twitter so female bloggers could share some of the vitriol they receive from a seemingly never-ending cavalcade of thunderfucks in their inboxes and comments sections. It's still going strong, and, again, I encourage you to check it out and participate, with the note that much of the stuff people are submitting is triggering.
For those who aren't on Twitter and/or can't view Twitter from work, I've published below the fold (on most browsers) my contributions in chronological order to #mencallmethings. If you can't (or don't want to) participate on Twitter, but have experience(s) you'd like to share, please feel welcome and encouraged to submit your own experience(s) in comments.
[Trigger warning for rape culture, threats, violence, misogyny, fat hatred, disablism.]
● Everything @sadydoyle has already said, plus every variation on fat, ugly, and unfuckable under the sun and the moon. #mencallmethings (link)
● [TW] Also unrapeable, despite the fact that I have been raped. #mencallmethings (link)
● [TW] Here is Shakesville's famously unmoderated Opie & Anthony thread, for a breathtaking example of #mencallmethings: http://bit.ly/txe8KM (link)
● My most recent post on the subject of #mencallmethings: On Keeping On Keeping On. http://bit.ly/tzgdVf (link)
● [TW] "id have to rape her with 3 Popsicle sticks taped to my flaccid wang" http://bit.ly/tYspMG #mencallmethings (link)
● A "dumm bith." http://bit.ly/s45ah7 #mencallmethings (link)
● [TW] "No one wants to rape you, Shakes. Sorry to inform you." http://bit.ly/ltrQKM #mencallmethings (link)
● A steampunk abortion robot: http://bit.ly/uBoLLA #mencallmethings (link)
● [TW] "only tragedy is that a bullet didn't rip through ur brainstem after u were used 4 ur 1 & only purpose in this world" #mencallmethings (link)
● My "I Get Letters" section is a plethora of fun correspondence from anti-feminists: http://bit.ly/tbq5YN #mencallmethings (link)
● "What a raging, lunatic, hypocrite u are. And despicable. What a despicable person u are." This, b/c I criticized a movie. #mencallmethings (link)
● "gigantic feminazi pig" -- The subject heading on an email the entirety of which read, "How much do you weigh?" #mencallmethings (link)
● "Why you lazy dope smoking fat hog, sitting on your fat ass every day writing bullshit, you're so opressed." [sic] #mencallmethings (link)
● "wretched cum dumpster" / "rape-murder fail" / "cunt bucket" / "fat whore" / These are all from recent emails. #mencallmethings (link)
● "The problem is this there are soooooooo many liberals…and so few bullets." Sent by a gov employee from his gov email. #mencallmethings (link)
● When I start compiling this stuff, I do find it slightly worrying how inured I've become to vicious bullying & threats. #mencallmethings (link)
● "Oh, well, just another day being wished raped and killed, and called a fat stupid cunt! Totally normal job, I'm sure!" #mencallmethings (link)
● [Like @KateHarding] I've also gotten emails imagining in vivid detail my sex life, while calling me disgusting/unfuckable & pitying my husband. #mencallmethings (link)
● Wonder passingly if it's the same guy, then realize I don't actually care. #mencallmethings (link)
● An "anti-Catholic, vulgar, trash-talking bigot." http://bit.ly/v9XBVe #mencallmethings (link)
● "I know where you live." Also: My street address used as a commenting handle. #mencallmethings (link)
● [TW] "If you can look at her without wanting to punch her in the face, you're not looking hard enough" http://bit.ly/tYspMG #mencallmethings
● [TW] "she is just hoping someone will get pissed enough at all her feminist shit & revenge rape her." http://bit.ly/tYspMG #mencallmethings (link)
● "Please die, PLEASE??????????????????????? Fat and Ugly is noway to go through life." http://bit.ly/t3mK18 #mencallmethings (link)
● [TW] "I hope you whiny cunts find your way on top of a pinball machine in the near future." http://bit.ly/t2VER8 #mencallmethings (link)
● [TW] "too bad that terrible rapist didnt kill your fat ass…. Cunt" http://bit.ly/s3ZNGr #mencallmethings (link)
● [TW] "guess the guy who raped you somehow left his dick behind b/c you have a major pole up your ass." http://bit.ly/s09Ygk #mencallmethings (link)
● [TW] "lying pinko-commie-feminist-bitch complains abt the 1 time in ur life where u served a purpose!" http://bit.ly/samGyw #mencallmethings (link)
● [TW] "If you stopped being such a stupid bitch & accepted the raping, you wouldn't have gotten beaten" http://bit.ly/vIVuDD #mencallmethings (link)
● [TW] "Oh and that guy that raped you. Fucking owned your ass." http://bit.ly/t60iIp #mencallmethings (link)
● Also, I have been called a liar by rape apologists. Over and over and over. #mencallmethings (link)
● @mistyclifton was the 1st Shakesville mod (besides me). We could write an entire #mencallmethings book from deleted comments alone, lolsob. (link)
● A member of The Weaker Sex. LULZ. #mencallmethings (link)
● I do so love the irony of the women who put up with this shit day in and day out being called "oversensitive." #mencallmethings (link)
● Weak! Hypersensitive! Reactionary! Hysterical! Easily offended! Possessor of delicate lady fee-fees! LULZ. #mencallmethings (link)
● Whoooooooooooops turns out we're not weak or oversensitive; we do not crumble, even under 10 metric fucktons of harassment. #mencallmethings (link)
● [in response to @SadyDoyle tweeting: "'Self-absorbed/bragging/self-involved' thing might be my favorite #mencallmethings. Makes it clear that you liking yourself is the problem."] Liking and respecting other women seems to be a pretty big sticking point with these harassers, too. #gofigure #mencallmethings (link)
● #mencallmethings: Stupid. At least, that is the implication when people feel obliged to inform me "not all men are like that." (link)
● #mencallmethings: Unfair. That, too, is the implication when people feel obliged to inform me "not all men are like that." (link)
● #mencallmethings: Mean. That, too, is the implication when people feel obliged to inform me "not all men are like that," as if I don't know. (link)
● It's not that I'm asserting "all men" harass women. I'm reporting that all the harassment I've received is from men. #mencallmethings (link)
● Deliberately eliding that distinction in order to call ME stupid, irrational, reactionary, etc. is a rich irony indeed. #mencallmethings (link)
● #mencallmethings just since this hashtag started: Head hog / Fat bitch / Cunt / Ugly / Whore / Liar / Evil / Hysteric / Easily offended (link)
● #mencallmethings just since this hashtag started: Hypersensitive / Toad / Unfuckable / Unrapeable / Every variation on fat imaginable. (link)
● Oftentimes, it's not that #mencallmethings. It's just that they don't link to me or support my work because they quietly agree [with the harassers]. (link)
● There are men who are ostensibly political allies who quietly call me "too strident, too hysterical, too FEMINISTY." #mencallmethings (link)
● They fancy themselves fundamentally different from trolls who want to silence by shouting, but silencing by marginalization is different only in that it lacks the honesty of its misogynist convictions. #mencallmethings (link and link)
Another Day, Another Allegation Against Cain
[Trigger warning for sexual assault/harassment; rape culture.]
As the stories to attempt to discredit Sharon Bialek start rolling off the presses (so to speak), a fifth woman has come forward accusing Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain of inappropriate behavior, asking her to set up a date for him with a woman in an audience before whom he was giving a speech.
Meanwhile, some conservatives are suggesting that the allegations against Cain are being orchestrated by the Obama administration. This does have the stink of oppo research all over it, but I hardly think it's the Obama administration who's feeding dug dirt on Cain to the press. Why would Obama want to undercut a frontrunner who could beat with one teleprompter tied behind his back? (Let it never be said that I never made a joke for rightwing readers.) No, this has Newt Gingrich's grubby little fingerprints all over it. Maybe Mitt Romney's.
In any case, Cain's finished.
Occupy Everywhere & Economic News Round-Up
People ride a stationary bicycle to generate electricity for laptops and mobile phones at the headquarters of the Occupy Wall Street movement in Zuccotti Park in the Financial District on November 4, 2011 in New York City. Despite a freak snowstorm last Saturday and the confiscation of their generators by the fire department, hundreds of young and old are staying put in the park. [Getty Images]The Guardian's live coverage of the most recent Occupy events is here.
In US domestic news...
CNN Money—Bank dumping: Do the megabanks even care?
Credit unions and small banks say they've seen big jumps in new account openings thanks to this weekend's "Move Your Money" and "Bank Transfer Day" initiatives, but do the big banks even care?This, then, is yet another effect of deregulation allowing banks to expand to massive, too-big-to-fail sizes: It becomes increasingly impossible for a consumer-driven protest to have any meaningful impact.
Digital Federal Credit Union, the largest credit union in New England with 330,000 total members, welcomed 133 new members on Saturday. That's 56% higher than the average 85 account openings it sees on a typical Saturday.
...But while the "Move Your Money" initiative provided a wave of new customers to these smaller institutions, the big banks that these customers are leaving are so big that many of them have barely felt a dent in account holdings.
Bank of America, for example, has 58 million retail and small business accounts.
TPMDC—Super Committee GOPers May Agree to Violate Norquist Pledge…With a Catch:
Super Committee Republicans are floating a trial balloon that would produce new tax revenue, in apparent contravention of Grover Norquist's taxpayer protection pledge, according to Wall Street Journal editorialist Stephen Moore.And they almost certainly will, because as soon as the Republicans start screaming, "WE MADE CONCESSIONS! THE DEMOCRATS ARE OBSTRUCTIONISTS!" the Dems will either cave on their own or face bipartipoop pressure from President Obama to cave. Sadly, the best hope we have of quashing this comes from the right, who will think the deal is too favorable to Dems.
But as Moore explains that the offer has a catch:
One positive development on taxes taking shape is a deal that could include limiting tax deductions, perhaps by capping write-offs on charities, state and local taxes, and mortgage interest payments as a percentage of each tax filer's gross income. That idea was introduced on these pages by Harvard economist Martin Feldstein.Neither Republican nor Democratic aides were immediately available to discuss the proposal. But if accurate as reported, it represents both a significant expansion of the growing rift between Norquist and the GOP, and a bad deal for Democrats.
In exchange, Democrats would agree to make the Bush income-tax cuts permanent. This would mean preventing top rates from going to 42% from 35% today, and keeping the capital gains and dividend tax rate at 15%, as opposed to plans to raise them to 23.8% or higher after 2013.
...This isn't offered as a concession Republicans are willing to make in exchange for entitlement cuts — a key Democratic demand. It's designed as a concession Republicans are willing to make if Democrats will agree to make all of the Bush tax cuts permanent — and thereby throw away an enormous amount of leverage they have over Republicans who are committed to extending them.
Democrats, thus, would be expected to agree to throw in entitlement cuts anyhow, just because.
CNN Money—Older Americans are 47 times richer than young: "According to analysis by the Pew Research Center released Monday, younger Americans have been left behind as the oldest generation has seen wealth surge since the mid-1980s. While it's typical for older generations to hold more wealth than younger ones who've had less time to save, the gap between the two age groups has widened rapidly. In 1984, households headed by people age 65 and older were worth just 10 times the median net worth of households headed by people 35 and younger. But now that gap has widened to 47-to-one, marking the largest wealth gap ever recorded between the two age groups." They weren't called the Me Generation for nothing.
The Guardian—Koch brothers: secretive billionaires to launch vast database with 2012 in mind: "The secretive oil billionaires the Koch brothers are close to launching a nationwide database connecting millions of Americans who share their anti-government and libertarian views, a move that will further enhance the tycoons' political influence and that could prove significant in next year's presidential election. The database will give concrete form to the vast network of alliances that David and Charles Koch have cultivated over the past 20 years on the right of US politics. The brothers, whose personal wealth has been put at $25bn each, were a major force behind the creation of the tea party movement and enjoy close ties to leading conservative politicians, financiers, business people, media figures and US supreme court judges."
Think Progress—Four Problems in Mitt Romney's Medicare Proposal: "Romney—who had leaked aspects of [his plan to partially privatize the Medicare program for future enrollees] during interviews—met with Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) before officially announcing his 'premium support' proposal at the end of last week, and Ryan, in turn, gushed the he is 'very pleased with these kind of entitlement reforms.' ... But this approach is still problematic. ... There is still no evidence that competition between private insurers and traditional Medicare will lower health care spending. ... Lower income seniors will pay more. ... Private plans will undoubtedly be encouraged to cherry-pick the healthiest beneficiaries and leave sicker applicants to traditional Medicare. ... Nothing in Romney's plan would actually reduce national health care spending."
Meanwhile, in the Eurozone...
The Guardian's live coverage of the day's events is here.
CNN—Italian lawmakers to take up economic reforms: "The Italian parliament is expected to face a crucial vote on budget reform measures Tuesday, as the country's prime minister comes under increasing pressure to resign amid unease over Italy's economy. Italy agreed to implement structural reforms during an European Union meeting in Brussels last month. Italian President Giorgio Napolitano said the reforms must be put in place or risk Italy's credibility in the international community. The budget vote comes after Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi denied Monday's rumors that he might resign. But his main coalition partner added fuel to the fire Tuesday, telling reporters he had asked Berlusconi to take a sideways step."
AP—New Greek premier expected to be named Tuesday: "Greece will get a new prime minister later Tuesday, a senior government official said, as the country's European partners ratcheted up the pressure for a swift resolution to the political crisis. Talks between current Prime Minister George Papandreou and opposition leader Antonis Samaras have dragged into a second day as they try to hammer out a power-sharing deal. The two agreed over the weekend to forge an interim government that will shepherd the country's new €130 billion ($179 billion) European rescue package through Parliament. Without the deal, agreed less than two weeks ago, Greece would go bankrupt, potentially wrecking Europe's banking system and sending the global economy back into recession. As yet, there are no precise details of when the new interim prime minister will be announced but the pressure is rising on Greek politicians to make decisions soon."
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