Today in Mitt Romney Is Terrible

Here's a fun new ad from the American Bridge to the 21st Century PAC, succinctly detailing what a privileged, insulated, corporatey, plutocratic one-percenter Mitt Romney really is:

Text Onscreen: Mitt Romney's Thoughts on the Middle Class.

Cut to a clip of the infamous video of Romney at a private fundraiser: "The president starts off with a 48, 49—he starts off with a huge number. These are people who pay no income tax. Forty-seven percent of Americans pay no income tax. So our message of low taxes doesn't connect. So he'll be out there talking about tax cuts for the rich. I mean, that's what they sell every four years. And so my job is not to worry about those people. I'll never convince them that they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives."

Text Onscreen: Romney's Plan for the Middle Class.

Cut to a montage of clips of Mitt Romney at various events and in interviews saying:

1. "I'm not concerned about the very poor."

2. "Let Detroit go bankrupt."

3. "Corporations are people, my friend. ... Of course they are."

4. "Don't try to stop the foreclosure process; let it run its course and hit the bottom."

5. "One last thought, you guys: When I was a boy—when I was a boy, I used to think that becoming rich and becoming famous would make me happy. Boy, was I right! Thanks, you guys."

Text Onscreen: americanbridgepac.org | @american_bridge
What a d-bag.

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Monday Blogaround

This blogaround brought to you by telephones.

Recommended Reading:

Cora and Blair: Where Obama and Romney Stand on the War in Afghanistan

Tim: How to Exclude Women Without Really Trying [Content Note: The post at this link includes discussion of misogyny and harassment.]

Syreeta: Romney Tells Uninsured USians to Use the ER (and Other Gaffes)

Mónica: Latino Stereotypes Thrive in the Media, Negative Attitudes Dominate

Andrew: Paul Ryan Says DADT Reversal a 'Step in the Wrong Direction'

Ragen: Fat People Are Not Political Punching Bags [Content Note: Fat bias.]

Riese: 150 Years Of Lesbians and Other Lady-Loving-Ladies

Helen: What Got Eugene Debs Arrested [video]

Leave your links and recommendations in comments...

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In The News

[Content note for: homophobia, police brutality]

Trader Joe's Valencia Creamy Salted Peanut Butter has been linked to salmonella infections that have sickened 29 people in 18 states.

Headline of the Day: "Romney Blames Obama for His Campaign Challenges." LOLOLOLOLOL!!! Good lord. This guy. What a fucking dildobrain.

A Houston police officer shot and killed a one-armed, one-legged man in a wheelchair Saturday inside a group home after the double amputee threatened the officer with a pen.

Hey, queers, guess what? The Pope thinks you're defective. That Pope guy doesn't seem like a very nice person.

Just to be clear: Chick-fil-A COO Dan Cathy spoke with Mike Huckabee last week and assured him that nothing has changed about his restaurant chain's bigoted ways.

Intel has said it could no longer fund Boy Scouts of America troops that follow the bigoted policy barring gay troops and leaders. (Boy Scout troops and councils that reject the BSA's policy would still be eligible for Intel's funding.)

The Baltimore Book Festival is this weekend. Neat! Enjoy some: author appearances and book signings, cooking demos by celebrity chefs, poetry readings and workshops, panel discussions, live music, and a delicious variety of food, beer and wine. If you see me there, say hi, but please, no autographs.

In 1851 Charles Dickens wrote to a bookbinder with a list of imitation book-backs to be created specially for his bookshelves. See the clever titles he came up with.

If someone told you Smash Mouth did a cookbook with Guy Fieri you wouldn't be surprised. Why would you be?

Is this real? I don't know: A hands-free automatic Sperm Extractor, AKA a Blowjob Machine. (Coincidentally, Blowjob Machine was my nickname in college.)

Hey, Wax Trax! fans, check out this weird commercial for a bank starring Chris Connelly.

"Oh my god, he's a freejack!" I was watching the Emilio Estevez/Mick Jagger sci-fi time-travel body-snatch epic Freejack over the weekend. It was set in the future. Know how you could tell it was the future? Jesus Jones was playing in a nightclub. Very realistic!

This is pretty much the cutest thing ever: Mechanical Kitty Coin Bank. Watch the video!

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Generally Dreadful

image of Mitt Romney on his campaign plane, speaking to reporters and gesturing to himself, to which I've added text reading: 'One thing you definitely need to know about me is that I am THE WORST.'

Are you all maintaining maximum enthusiasm for this general election in which USians will reelect a Democratic president who is more corporatey and less progressive than any of us would ideally like him to be, especially when it comes to foreign policy, where he is continuing many of the same grossly illiberal policies practiced by the previous administration; or in which USians will elect a Republican president who is a total garbage nightmare in every conceivable way? I HOPE SO! If you are still maintaining MAX ENTHUSIASM, please check this box: □

This Guy:

Ashley Killough for CNN—Obama: I Bear 'Full Responsibility for Everything':
President Barack Obama discussed his frustration with gridlock in Washington, saying his "biggest disappointment" in his nearly four years in office has been the failure to oversee change in the nation's political climate.

"My biggest disappointment is that we haven't changed the tone in Washington as much as I would have liked," Obama said in a CBS News interview that aired Sunday.

Asked if he bears any blame for the stalemate, Obama said the buck stops at his desk.

"I think that, you know, as president I bear responsibility for everything, to some degree," he said on CBS' "60 Minutes."
As you may have heard, this comment, along with his comment about having realized that Washington can't be changed from the inside, has been criticized by both conservatives and liberals alike, with conservatives crowing that Obama has "admitted defeat" and liberals wondering why the eff President Obama would take responsibility for Republicans' obstructionism and calling his "can't change Washington" comment a huge gaffe.

I will only say this: One of my major criticisms of President Bush was that he rejected accountability and could never admit mistakes, and one of my major criticisms of President Obama when he ran for president in '08 was that I felt like he was tremendously naïve/arrogant about his capacity to change Washington by sheer force of will. So, frankly, I like what the President said, and I respect him for saying it. The end.

That Guy:

Holly Bailey for The Ticket—Romney Says His Campaign Doesn't Need a 'Turnaround':
Mitt Romney insisted his campaign is not in need of a "turnaround" in spite of polls showing President Barack Obama expanding his lead in battleground states.

In an interview with CBS's "60 Minutes," the Republican presidential nominee rejected criticism from conservative pundits who have called his campaign incompetent.

"It doesn't need a turnaround," Romney insisted, pointing to national polls that have him "tied" with Obama. "I've got a very effective campaign. It's doing a very good job."

Asked about GOP worries over a hidden video that caught him dismissing Obama supporters—which he estimated to be 47 percent of the country—as having a victim mentality and being too dependent on the government, Romney said he was responsible for those comments, not his campaign.

"That's not the campaign," Romney said. "That was me, right?"
HA HA WHUT. Oof, this guy. Does Mitt Romney understand that his "campaign" isn't running for president? Somebody tell Mitt Romney that his campaign isn't running for president.

I'll concede he's right about one thing: His campaign doesn't need a turnaround. It needs a one-way ticket to Yikesville.

Polls!

Gallup: Swing-State Voters Trust Obama More to Address Medicare.

Reuters/Ipsos: For Romney, Some Troubling Signs Among Older Voters.

And in related news...

Paul Krugman for the NYT—The Optimism Cure: "Mitt Romney is optimistic about optimism. In fact, it's pretty much all he's got. And that fact should make you very pessimistic about his chances of leading an economic recovery. As many people have noticed, Mr. Romney's five-point 'economic plan' is very nearly substance-free."

Patricia Zengerle for Reuters—Voting Laws May Disenfranchise 10 million Hispanic US Citizens: "New voting laws in 23 of the 50 states could keep more than 10 million Hispanic US citizens from registering and voting, a new study said on Sunday, a number so large it could affect the outcome of the November 6 election. The Latino community accounts for more than 10 percent of eligible voters nationally. But the share in some states is high enough that keeping Hispanic voters away from the polls could shift some hard-fought states from support for Democratic President Barack Obama and help his Republican rival, Mitt Romney. The new laws include purges of people suspected of not being citizens in 16 states that unfairly target Latinos, the civil rights group Advancement Project said in the study to be formally released on Monday."

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.

Talk about these things! Or don't. Whatever makes you happy. Life is short.

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Um

[Content Note: Racism.]

So, Ad Age has picked "the Top 10 Female Ad Icons of All Time." And their list includes 9 white girls/women and "Miss Chiquita," which has been featured on other lists like "12 Uncomfortably Racist Vintage Brand Mascots."

Ad Age did not even include the current iteration of "Miss Chiquita," which is a human woman dressed like Carmen Miranda, but instead included the original "sexy banana" version.

So their list is basically 9 white girls/women and one racist banana.

Partly, that's because women of color are rarely used in non-racist ways in US advertising. See: Aunt Jemima; Mrs. Butterworth; Land O' Lakes' Native American icon; etc.

But, given the inclusion of "Miss Chiquita," Ad Age wasn't excluding icons based on their racist connotations, so.

Yuck.

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Top Five

Here is your topic: Top Five Favorite Nonfiction Books. Go!

Please feel welcome to share stories about why your Top Five picks are what they are, though a straight-up list is fine, too. Please refrain from negatively auditing other people's lists, because judgment discourages participation.

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Open Thread

The Tabanga, a tree monster with a face.


Hosted by The Tabanga.

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Sunday Shuffle

Playing For Change; Don't Worry

You?

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Open Thread

The cover to the Ike Quebec album
Hosted by Blue & Sentimental. 
This week's open threads have been brought to you by (some of) my favorite Blue Note label albums.

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Autumn!

Today is the first day of Autumn (here). Happy Equinox and/or Mabon!

Autumn is my very favorite season. The world feels so alive to me at this time. It's also my favorite, in no small part, because of the delicious foods that come with the cooler weather. Several years ago I received this book and in it came this great recipe that I like to make on the first day of Autumn.

Spicy Autumn Apple Bread

2.5 cups grated (peeled & cored) apple
2 cups raisins
1.5 cups boiling water
3 tablespoons oil
1 cup + 2 tablespoons honey
1.5 tsp. cinnamon
1.5 tsp. allspice
1.5 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
3 cups whole-wheat flour
1.5 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Place apples and raisins in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Pour oil on top and allow to soak for 10 minutes. Add honey, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and cloves and allow to cool. In another bowl, sift together flour and baking soda. Combine with fruit mixture and stir in walnuts. Pour into two greased loaf pans. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for approximately one hour.
If you would like to vegan-ize the recipe, here is a honey-to-sugar tip.

A few others, posted over the years: Apple Crisp, Pumpkin Banana Pudding, Bavarian Apple Torte. Feel free to share your favorite Autumn recipes!


P.S. If there is a recipe of yours that you would like to have featured as a post, you can email me at shakergourmet [at] gmail.com. Please include your Shaker handle and/or a link to your own site, if you have one.

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Open Thread

The cover for the Dexter Gordon record
Hosted by Dexter Calling.

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The Virtual Pub Is Open

image of a pub Photoshopped to be named 'Kickass Leslie's Kickass Pub'
[Explanations: lol your fat. pathetic anger bread. hey your gay.]

TFIF, Shakers!

Belly up to the bar,
and name your poison!

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What I'm Listening To



Johnny Cash, "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"

There are a lot of versions of this song, but Johnny Cash's is probably my favorite. The slowed-down tempo paired with his inimitable delivery captures the ache of profound love in a way I find incomparably beautiful.

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Friday Blogaround

This blogaround brought to you by pretzels.

Recommended Reading:

David: Redistribution for Me But Not for Thee

Benny: Not a Funny Joke [Content Note: The post at this link contains descriptions of confronting a sexual harasser.]

Jessica: Proof [Content Note: The post at this link includes discussion of misogyny.]

Brie: Evaluating Game Groups–Member Roles and Norms

Maya: Native American Students Protest Racist Anti-Choice Posters in New Mexico

Andrea: What Is Transphobia? [Content Note: The post at this link, in answering the titular question, includes some examples of transphobia.]

Andy: Seattle Archbishop Says 'Society Would Be Harmed Beyond Repair' if Gay People Can Marry

refresh_daemon: PSY and the Acceptable Asian Man [Content Note: The post at this link includes discussion of racism.]

Helen: Trans Students' Resource

Remember awhile ago I wrote about the curious casting (ahem) of the Nina Simone biopic? Shaker jmegan tweeted me this morning the link to an audio interview (without transcript that I can find; my apologies) with Simone Kelly, Nina Simone's daughter, who shares her thoughts on the casting decision, as well as the choice to make the film without the input of Nina Simone's estate.

And Megan's got more on the subject of the Nina Simone biopic here.

Leave your links and recommendations in comments...

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It's Like You Think a Renaissance Man Could Be a Renaissance Man Without a Band or Something

image of James Franco looking at himself in a mirror

OBVIOUSLY James Franco now has a band called Daddy that has just released a Motown-inspired EP called MotorCity. What—did you think James Franco wasn't going to be in a band? You're so weird.

Here is a link to a story about Daddy, at which a video begins to automatically play, so be careful if you're in some kind of reprehensible hell where James Franco's art isn't considered a central part of human existence.

This is a scene from the life James Franco leads:
For that extra touch of Motor City authenticity, "Crime" features guest vocals by none other than Motown legend Smokey Robinson, whose keening falsetto found its way into the song after he and Franco had a chance meeting on an airplane.

"We were pulling into the gate, and I woke up, and there was this man standing over me saying 'Hey, I just want you to know I'm a big fan of your work,'" Franco recalls. "His eyes were so striking. I had just watched a documentary about the history of Motown on the drive to the airport, and there he was."
What—did you think James Franco doesn't conjure at his whim whatever he pleases from the farthest corners of the multiverse...? Get real.

[H/T to my friend Todd.]

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Mitt Romney Releases a Tax Return

image of Mitt Romney scowling, to which I have added text reading: 'Well, apparently nothing else is gonna get you jerks to stop talking about that 47% stuff.'
Desperate times call for desperate measures.

I have been saying for as long as Mitt Romney has resisted releasing his tax returns that eventually Mitt Romney would release his tax returns into the Friday News Hole. And because Mitt Romney is nothing if not a predictable punchline, today, Mitt Romney "will disclose his 2011 tax...along with a summary going back 20 years."

Per a preview of the numbers made available by the Romney campaign, in 2011, the Romneys' effective tax rate for 2011 was 14.1%.
Romney has previously defended his low tax rate — which, at 14.1% is significantly less than many middle class families pay — by saying he is simply being pragmatic in meeting his legal requirements:
I don't pay more than are legally due and frankly if I had paid more than are legally due I don’t think I’d be qualified to become president. I'd think people would want me to follow the law and pay only what the tax code requires.
If Romney had taken all of the deductions available to him under the tax code, he would have paid closer to a 9 percent tax rate in 2011. In attempting to match up his tax rate with his prior statement, Romney is paying more in taxes — and by his very own standard — disqualifying himself from the presidency.
Clearly, Romney hopes that finally releasing his tax returns (or a single tax return accompanied by a trust-us tax summary, anyway) will be a distraction from the 47% story that's currently burying his presidential hopes beneath a metric fuckton of hellno.

But I feel that is a terrible calculation. His stunningly low tax rate is only going to underline just what sort of comprehensive garbage nightmare he really is, going on about government moochers while he's paying a share that couldn't be called fair by anyone but a dipshit or a liar.

Good luck, Mitt Romney. You're gonna need it.

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The Parks & Rec Open Thread

image of Ben (Adam Scott) walking away from Leslie (Amy Poehler) and turning to talk to her over his shoulder
"Are you talking to my butt?"                      "Yes."

OUR LONG NATIONAL NIGHTMARE IS OVER! Parks and Recreation returned with a new episode last night, and the angels sang! It was a typically great episode, with lots of great stuff for every character, although Andy and Donna particularly tickled me last night.

Andy (Chris Pratt) lying on the stairs of the Lincoln Memorial
"Let's hit the national mall."       "There's a mall? That's awesome! I need to get some flip-flops!"

Donna (Retta) doubled-over with laughter
"Pig Tom!"

I loved the entire arc about Leslie, so used to being the big fish in a small pond, feeling like a little fish in a big pond when she visits Ben in DC, and navigating through her feelings of insecurity while still making sure Ben knows she's super proud of him. That was amazing.

Are Tom and Ann done? Finally? LET US HOPE SO!

I also felt weirdly moved (this show does it to me EVERY TIME!) at the scene in which Chris tells Ron, following his epic BBQ flounce, that if he wants to lead the department, he's got to occasionally lead the department, prompting: "Your work is appreciated. Here's some corn." Vegetable concession! Tremendous.

Some other favorite bits...

Ron Swanson head bullet-point "Not to worry. I have a permit." "This just says, 'I can do what I want.'"

Ron Swanson head bullet-point "You heard the boss. Scramway."

Ron Swanson head bullet-point "Tommy's got the tum-rums!"

Ron Swanson head bullet-point "Could we just real quick stop at the nearest place that has free pants?"

Ron Swanson head bullet-point "Do you have any plates or anything? I mean, how are we supposed to eat these rumps?!"

Ron Swanson head bullet-point "I thought you'd enjoy meeting numbers 4 and 26 on Leslie's List of Amazing Women."

Ron Swanson head bullet-point "Twinkle twinkle, big star!"

Ron Swanson head bullet-point "I'mma let y'all have this one. As someone who has lied A LOT about various aspects of a myriad of relationships, I respect the effort you've gone to. Let's call off the bet."

Ron Swanson head bullet-point "The point is: You're better than Hot Rebecca. You're Kickass Leslie. Long-distance relationships are never easy, but you never, ever, give up on stuff. That's what makes you an amalgam. Nailed it."

Discuss!

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Two-Minute Nostalgia Sublime

 
The Toadies: "Possum Kingdom"

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Daily Dose of Cute

All of the furry residents of Shakes Manor, in ascending age order:

image of Zelda the Black-and-Tan Mutt, sitting on the ottoman, looking regal
Zelda

image of Dudley the Greyhound, sitting on the chaise, looking goofy
Dudley

image of Sophie the Torbie Cat, sitting just inside the front door, looking out the window
Sophie

image of Olivia the White and Brown Tabby-Spotted Cat, lying on the chaise
Olivia

image of Matilda the Blue-Eyed and Long-Haired Sealpoint Cat, lying on the couch with her ears back
Matilda, Queen of All She Surveys

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Quote of the Day

[Content Note: Sexual violence on television.]

"The biggest public mistake I ever made was that I chose to do Criminal Minds in the first place. I thought it was something very different. I never thought they were going to kill and rape all these women every night, every day, week after week, year after year. It was very destructive to my soul and my personality. After that, I didn't think I would get to work in television again."—Actor Mandy Patinkin, on why he "abruptly left" the CBS procedural after only two seasons.

Patinkin was quick to note he isn't "making a judgment on the taste [of people who watch crime procedurals]. But I'm concerned about the effect it has. Audiences all over the world use this programming as their bedtime story. This isn't what you need to be dreaming about."

An interesting perspective from an actor who's been in such a show. And not a universal one: Mariska Hargitay, who has starred for many years on the similarly gruesome Law & Order: SVU, has spoken about how rewarding it has been for her to be on a show that encourages survivors to share their stories. Viewers' perceptions of these shows aren't universal, either.

What is evident in any case is that this subject matter affects people, including the actors who engage with the material week after week. Something worth recalling next time there's another round of "it's just a joke/movie/TV show."

Anyway!

Despite his fears that his principles would hurt his career, Patinkin now stars on the extremely successful Showtime series, Homeland.

The rest of the article is worth a read, if you're a Mandy Patinkin fan. True Fact: One of my first movie crushes was on Avigdor, because Yentl loved him so naturally I loved him, too.

[H/T to Shaker Yazikus.]

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