Hosted by a walrus.
Question of the Day
Suggested by Shaker Constant Comment: "If you had access to a time-travel machine and could go anywhere for a week, where would you go and why?"
A Perfect Idea, Obviously
Australian billionaire Clive Palmer is building a replica of the Titanic, because that is just a great idea and who can believe some other billionaire hasn't already done it? (Everyone. Everyone can believe that.) Except for eccentric future billionaire Butch Pornstache, who is just relieved that Clive Palmer didn't steal his idea to build a replica of the Hindenburg, just as soon as one of his many fine inventions strikes it big in the Shark Tank.
Anyway. Now that the icecaps are all melting, it should be smooth sailing for Titanic II. Huzzah for global warming! One ticket for me, and one ticket for my friend Al Gore, please!
[H/T to my friend M, provider of many good things.]
Rosa Parks Statue Unveiled at Capitol
President Obama, standing at a podium near the statue of Parks, which depicts her seated with her purse on her lap, as in the iconic photo of her on a bus: This morning, we celebrate a seamstress, slight in stature but mighty in courage. She defied the odds, and she defied injustice. She lived a life of activism, but also a life of dignity and grace. And in a single moment, with the simplest of gestures, she helped change America and change the world.That is only a portion of Obama's address at the dedication of the statue. The Hill has an article on it which quotes another piece that I really like: "We make excuses for inaction, and we say to ourselves, that's not my responsibility, there's nothing I can do. Rosa Parks tells us there's always something we can do."
Rosa Parks held no elected office [camera zooms in on statue]; she possessed no fortune; lived her life far from the formal seats of power. And yet today she takes her rightful place among those who've shaped this nation's course. I thank all those persons—in particular, the members of the Congressional Black Caucus, both past and present, for making this moment possible.
[applause; edit]
Rosa Parks would not be pushed. When the driver got up from his seat to insist that she give up hers, she would not be pushed. When he threatened to have her arrested, she simply replied, "You may do that." And he did.
A few days later, Rosa Parks challenged her arrest. A little-known pastor, new to town and only 26 years old, stood with her—a man named Martin Luther King, Jr. So did thousands of Montgomery, Alabama, commuters. They began a boycott. [edit] Three hundred and eighty-five days after Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, the boycott ended. Black men and women and children reboarded the buses of Montgomery, newly desegregated, and sat in whatever seat happened to be open.
[applause]
And all the high fives in the world to Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) who noted in a statement: "How ironic that on the same day we honor Mrs. Parks in our nation's Capital, right across the street the United States Supreme Court hears arguments on whether or not Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act is still relevant and necessary. This is the very core of the cause to which Mrs. Parks devoted her life and it is once again being questioned."
Right on.
Quote of the Day
[Content Note: Guns.]
"If we are going to wet our proverbial pants over 0.3% in annual spending cuts when we're running up trillion dollar annual deficits, then we're done. Put a fork in us. We're finished. We're going to default eventually and that's why the feds are stockpiling bullets in case of civil unrest."—National Treasure Sarah Palin, making lots of sense as usual while engaging in some more totally responsible rhetoric.
Reminder: Antonin Scalia is a Racist Asshole
Antonin Scalia argued today that a key provision of the Voting Rights Act is a "racial entitlement."
He further argued that the increasing popularity of the Act (reauthorized by the Senate in 2006 by a vote of 98-0) reflected the rising fear of being called racist, not a rising general consensus that limiting voting rights by race is a proundly undemocratic and shitty thing to do.
One question: if the fear of being *called* a racist is so intimidating that people will stop *doing* racist things, then exactly how often do we need to call Antonin Scalia a HUGE fucking racist before he changes his ways?
(Answer: Cannot compute at this time. We're going to have to invent some entirely new math, Isaac Newton style, because Scalia's racist assholery is truly beyond the measurement of our current science.)
In The News
[Content note: Homophobia, transphobia]
Wednesdays and Such:
An Illinois marriage equality bill cleared a Democratic-led committee and now moves to the full House.
A Colorado school has barred a transgendered first-grader from using the girls' restroom.
Is this the world's cutest frog. Probably.
I can't tell if this is a hoax or not: The Titanic II will set sail in 2016.
A federal judge will determine whether or not Larry Craig improperly spent campaign funds to defend his airport bathroom buttsex arrest.
Parallel universe Wolverine is gay.
Federal transportation officials have declared Fung Wah Bus an imminent hazard and shut down the operation.
The Pope is totally going to steal the stapler off his desk when he leaves today.
"If more men were homosexual, there would be no wars." — Morrissey.
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation is teaming up with state assemblyman Isadore Hall to ban bareback sex filming in California.
The Walking Thread
I told you about the plaid flannels!
(Spoilers are lurching around undeadly herein. CN: Violence; rape culture.)
When last we left our totally trepid band of depressing protagonists, Governor Cyclops had unleashed a clown-car of zombies on Grimes Jail and everyone except Mustache Prisoner had survived the shittiest shoot-out of all time. RIP Mustache Prisoner.
This episode starts with Governor Cyclops & Co. back in Unplesantville and Grimes Gang safely tucked away back in Grimes Jail, bickering about how terrible Grimes is. FINALLY. Except for Glenn, who is still on Team Grimes: "If Rick says we're not running, we're not running!" Be quiet, Glenn. If Grimes told you to go jump in a zombie well, would you?! Because he probably will, so get ready!
Hershel finally says something sensible and yells at Grimes: "You're slipping!" Which is frankly far too generous. Once you're out in Zombie Woods making out with a knothole you imagine to be your dead wife, you've officially slipped. And then Hershel immediately stops saying sensible things and tells Grimes to "get your head clear and do something!" I'm no professor of medicine, nor even a country vet and master Jesus-quoting machine, but I'm pretty sure that shouting at someone having a psychotic break to "get your head clear" doesn't usually work.
In any case, Grimes takes Hershel's advice to "do something" and goes out on the garbage balcony to hunt for Ghost Lori through his magic binoculars. He doesn't spot her, though, so maybe I'm wrong and shouting at someone to "get your head clear" does work. Does everyone currently working in the mental health field know this crucial information? Stop giving people therapy and START YELLING!
"THANK YOU. This is what I've been saying FOR YEARS."—Dr. Phil.
Anyway. Carl the Hat joins Grimes outside and tells him to abdicate the Ricktatorship and take a nap. And then he takes his hat off for the first time in fully two years, because IMPORTANT METAPHOR OF PATERNAL HERO-WORSHIP.
Meanwhile, over in Unpleasantville, Governor Cyclops is assembling a child army because he is the coolest. Melvin Nerdly is helping him crunch the numbers, because Governor Cyclops doesn't have time to plan a pointless war AND do math. (See also: George W. Bush.) Andrea strides in and offers to serve as a diplomat to the Great Nation of Grimes Jail on behalf of the People's Republic of Unplesantville, but Governor Cyclops is all, "If you go to Grimes Jail, you can STAY at Grimes Jail, girl!"
And then Andrea says these actual lines of dialogue: "I'm sick of the lies!" and "Enough is enough!" Solid writing. Following is a very esoteric reference, but if you get it, you will soooo get it: That whole exchange reminded me of the scene in A Few Good Men where Tom Cruise—who is a lawyer and an officer in the United States Navy and you're under arrest, you son of a bitch, because he CAN handle the truth OH SNAP!—is shown to be a Nice Guy and Totes Not Racist by having fun banter with an elderly black man who runs a newsstand, and that banter consists entirely of their swapping idioms and clichés at each other. "A rolling stone gathers no socks!" "Catch a frog with a honey pot!" or whatever. Aaron Sorkin, ladies and germs.
Back at Grimes Jail, Hershel pays Merle a visit, and Merle greets him with, "You're the farmer—Hershel," and Hershel replies, "And you're the black sheep—Merle." It's like Canterbury Tales, only with fewer nuns and more flannel shirts! Merle does not address the irony of being called a black sheep when he is a white supremacist, and instead they start quoting Bible verses at each other, because you know how every person in the South has the Bible memorized. It's a fact. Ask Hollywood.
Elsewhere, Daryl is being a real Eeyore, and Carol cheers him up by reminding him that his brother is a garbage nightmare. Later, Merle tries to clear the air with Michonne by leering at her while she works out and then not actually apologizing for trying to murder the fuck out of her. Michonne glares at him, because Michonne.
Back in Unplesantville, Andrea conspires with Melvin Nerdly to leave town to go visit Grimes Jail against Governor Cyclops' wishes, and Melvin Nerdly snitches to the Governor because he was totally that kid. Governor Cyclops tells him to assist Andrea and blah blah something something they end up in the woods with Melvin Nerdly holding down a zombie while Andrea curb-stomps him to knock his teeth out so she can put him on a dog-catcher's pole and use him to help her navigate through Zombie Woods.
Here is another superfun inconsistency in this terrible show: The zombie's skulls are so soft that they can be crushed into oblivion almost instantly by almost any hard surface, but simultaneously still hard enough that they can withstand Andrea stomping on them. WHAT A GREAT SHOW THIS IS!
Tyreese and Sasha and two white dudes show up and head back to Unpleasantville with Melvin Nerdly, where they agree to help Governor Cyclops plan his attack on Grimes Jail. Andrea makes her way to Grimes Jail with her corndog zombie (get it? because he's on a stick!), where Grimes greets her with his usual hospitality. Andrea asks after Shane and Lori, but not T-Dog HA HA OF COURSE, but Carol tells her that he died, too. I ♥ Carol.
Then Andrea has THE MOST AMAZING exchange with Grimes about the Governor's attack on Grimes Jail, in which Andrea is completely shocked!!!eleventy! that the Governor lied about Grimes Gang having shot first. (This, right after she shouted at the Governor that she was "sick of the lies!" A line so forgettable even she forgot it!) Yes, it would certainly be difficult for ANYONE to believe that the Governor's intentions were anything but good-hearted when he showed up with a van full of zombies.
"I just thought they'd enjoy a ride in my cool van!"—Governor Cyclops.
"Makes sense! Let's bone!"—Andrea.
Andrea reveals that Governor Cyclops' name is Phillip, and she can't imagine why anyone would have a problem moving into his lovely gated community. Maggie just glowers at her, but does not say, "Yeah, um, dude sexually assaulted me, so I'm good, thanks."
Once it's established Grimes Gang is not keen to relocate to Unpleasantville, Andrea goes for a walk with Michonne and blames her for "poisoning" Grimes Gang against Governor Cyclops. Michonne tells Andrea she's totes dickmatized, and then gets the most lines she's had ever (?) only to reveal that under that seething exterior, she's really just a Mean Girl who wants to get back at Andrea for being a bad friend.
WRITERS OF THE WALKING DEAD: I HATE YOU.
Michonne's exposited motivation could have been, and started to be, that she was more intuitive, more insightful, and more decent than Andrea. There was no need to veer into this INCOMPREHENSIBLY STUPID AND PETTY territory where Michonne, who has always been powerfully motivated by self-preservation, YOU KNOW THAT THING THAT MAKES HER A KICKASS CHARACTER, really returned to Unpleasantville to spite Andrea for ditching her for a boy, not because of the revenge-seeking against a man who harmed her and the justice-mindedness to stop him hurting others. GROSSSSSSSSS!
Anyway. Andrea takes leave of Grimes Jail, but not before Carol tells her to fuck the Governor and then kill him, which is the best plan anyone has had in ages. Grimes sends her on her way with a car, a knife, and a gun, which is stupidly generous. Andrea goes back to Unpleasantville and carries out the first part of Carol's plan, but not the second! OH WELL!
Blonde Sister Whose Name I Will Never Know starts singing around the camp candle in Grimes Jail, and it turns out Grimes Jail has TERRIFIC acoustics. #silverlinings
The End.
Random Nerd Nostalgia: Enter the Forgotten Realms!
[Image Description: a paperback cover is reproduced on the page, for "Forgotten realms: The Crystal Shard" by R. A. Salvatore. In the cover art a white man with blonde hair, a white male dwarf with a beard, and a third person race and gender indeterminate, stand or crouch in the snow. Next to the book cover is a blurb: "The Unfathomable Crystal Shard. A forgotten fragment from some other time and place, with the ability to shatter the Forgotten Realms Forever. A force ten times more powerful than anything the people of Ten Towns could have imagine.But,there is a shard of hope, too. A fearless young warrior named Wulfgar, who had been left for dead, can revive himself, and reunited his barbarian tribe in time to save Ten Towns from certain destruction. From TSR, publishers of the bestselling DRAGONLANCE Saga, comes the most memorable FORGOTTEN REALMS novel, THE CRYSTAL SHARD. Now you can join the horde of over 100,000 who have already ventured into the Realms by way of the first FORGOTTEN REALMS novel, Darkwalker on Moonshae. Begin the search for THE CRYSTAL SHARD today at your local book or hobby store. The time to enter the Forgotten Realms has never been more crystal clear.]
Really, what else are you going to read while you're waiting for the next weekly D&D session, amirite?
Wednesday Blogaround
This blogaround brought to you by me. Because.
Adaobi: African Women to Watch in 2013. Because you can nominate African women who are making a difference in the world!
Carla: Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s Oscar-nominated “Invisible War” Has Done “more than Congress” to Address Military Rape Epidemic, Lawmaker Says. Because it is more than “just a movie.” [CN: rape, Military Sexual Trauma].
Chauncey: Moral Appeals are Nice, But Material Realities May Be More Compelling. Because racism and sexism are draining the economy, and the "free market" is anything but.[CN:systemic racism, sexism.]
Laura: Rennard, Sexual Harassment and Male Dominance. Because it’s not just a matter of women “standing up for themselves.” [CN:systemic misogyny, harassment.]
Rabble Staff:Babbling about Idle No More. Because the near-silence of the mainstream media doesn't mean you can't be part of the conversation about Indigenous People's rights. (See also: Idle No More's Call for Ceremony on March 21.[CN: racism]
Katie:Frat Bros for Trans* Rights! Because there are some really cool fraternity brothers out there. [CN: trans*phobia]
Heather: Respresentations of the Hollywood Witch: a Beginning Because Beautiful Creatures sparked a very interesting analysis. [CN: sexism, religious stereotypes.]
Jeanne: Superhero Underwear for Little Girls Are a Big Step Toward Gender Equality. Because it’s bullshit that little girls haven’t had any superhero underwear for themselves. [CN: sexism.}
Madam Premier and Said to Lady Journos: Because if you need a reminder of how fucking sexist the world is (as if! ha!) you can follow the shit said to/about women in journalism and female politicians.[CN: misogyny, sexism.]
And because you may need some fun stuff:
Lisa: 1967 Futurists Imagine 21st Century. Because watching Walter Cronkite walking through this strange thing called a “home office” is pretty awesome.
Mohi: Low Cost and Itsy Bitsy: Tiny Research Satellites Zoom Through Space. Because nanosatellites are freaking cool.
Peter: A Pair of Ostriches Haul a Thousand Pounds. Because the blog Weird Shit in Historic Newspapers always lives up to its name.
Please feel free to add your own links in comments. Because there are never enough feminist bloglinks!
Whoops My Garbage Body
As I've said before, the only thing I hate more than being sick is writing about being sick. I hate it for a lot of reasons—because it's more personal than I like to be, because there are people who hate reading about it, because it inevitably invites criticism that I'm attention-seeking, etc.—but I need to write about it, because this affects my ability to do this job.
Last Thursday, I started feeling really poorly. I had numbness in my face, hands, and feet; I had random shooting bolts of pain; I was nauseated and faint; and I had tics, particularly in my hands. On Monday afternoon, it had gotten so bad that I went to the doctor, who sent me to the emergency room, because, even though all my vitals were fine, they couldn't determine the cause.
I spent most of the day and night in the emergency room. In ten hours, I had a dozen different fluid tests, a chest x-ray, an EKG, a CT scan, a neuro assessment, and spoke to a doctor for a grand total of about five minutes.
The result is that I have a very minor infection that can be cleared with antiobiotics. Yay. The conclusion is that the reason my body is freaking the fuck out over a minor infection is that I have an autoimmune or inflammatory disorder. Boo. Yikes. Fuck.
This is not totally unexpected, as most people who have chondritis (inflammation of cartilage) get one episode, or the very occasional flare-up; they don't have it chronically for years on end, as I have. Still. Knowing it was a possibility hasn't actually made this any less shitty. I will soon have to start testing to try to determine what the underlying illness is.
What this means is that I still feel exactly the same as I did before I went to the emergency room, and will at least until the antibiotics do their job. Hopefully once the infection clears up, some of these symptoms will abate, but, in the meantime, it's like my nerve processors went on vacation.
It also means that I am going to really have to prioritize self-care. I will be here, but taking it very easy, over the next few days, which is easier than usual, because it's difficult to type when your hands are numb and twitching. And, in the future, I'm probably just going to have some garbage days where I can't do anything, and I'm just going to let you know that by saying, "I'm having a garbage day. I'll see you when I can." And no one need feel obliged on those days to wish me well, and no one needs to feel sorry for me. It is what it is, and I will carry on carrying on.
Now, for the most important information of all: I promise to do The Walking Thread this afternoon.
Happy Birthday, Misty!
Headline of the Day
Shaker Garden Thread: Late February Edition
Howdy Shakers! It's been a while since we've done one of these. How does your garden grow? Northern Hemisphere Shakers may be shivering under snow, perusing seed catalogues or watching those crocuses bloom; Southern Hemisphere Shakers might be harvesting fall crops or preserving their bounty. Whether your "garden" is an outdoor plot or a few plants inside, feel free to use this thread to discuss all your growing projects!
Here in Tennegeorgialina, the winter is mild and the ground doesn't freeze hard. Since fall-planted crops are a possibility. I tried some fall-planted broccoli, carrots, radishes, and peas, which are progressing fairly well as the weather warms slightly. I'm hopeful I'll actually have peas this year; last year I planted them in spring and didn't have enough cool weather for them to really thrive before summer. The broccoli even has a small head forming:
The peas look great. I sowed another few rows in January, so between the fall-sown (blooming below) and that crop, I'm hoping to get some peas before it starts getting beastly in May.
For spring, we've been preparing the beds. My Special Gentleman Friend hopped on the tractor and re-built this beauty, which is just waiting for the Seminole Pumpkins and Calypso beans I'm planning to plant there. We have several of these raised beds, and they work pretty well. I'll probably add some string and noisemakers to discourage the deer and birds. I also treated some of the beds this weekend with a Spinosad-based bait to (I hope) kill the fire ants that had built nests there. I hope it does the trick.
I've already ordered most of my seeds and a few live plants! This year I'm trying to grow more vegetables that are Southern heirlooms, like cushaw squash, that I hope will do better with the heat and humidity. I've ordered seeds from a number of companies; my favourites are definitely Southern Exposure Seed Exchange and Seed Savers, both of which have some very neat heirloom varieties. I've started a few of these seeds in pots already. This year, I've been trying to save some cash, so I tried making my own newspaper starting pots. (I also started seeds in egg cartons and two-litre soda bottles, cut in half.) For the pots, you take strips of newspaper (about 3 thickness) and wrap around a soda can or other cylinder:
Once they're wrapped around firmly, you fold up the bottom and secure with tape. Some people fold it so well that they don't need tape, but I am not one of those people. Also, a photo-bombing beagley dog is not actually necessary for the process:
Plant and label the seeds as you would with any starting pot. After a few weeks, here are some pepper seedlings of mine. They're a bit leggy, but that's my insufficient light, not the pots. (Note to self: next year, buy a grow lamp!)
In other garden-related activities, I've been reading up on historical gardens. I definitely recommend Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden if you have any interest in gardens, anthropology, the Hidatsa, or First Nations farming techniques generally. I've also been reading The Garden and Farm Books of Thomas Jefferson, which include most of Jefferson's agricultural records and correspondence. And I also browsed through Mary Randolph's The Virginia Housewife (1824) which contains some fascinating stuff on early food preparation and preservation.
So, Shakers, how are things looking for you? Are you ordering seeds and dreaming of warm weather? Are you tending your pots indoors? Are you harvesting something delicious? How's it growing, Shakers?
Commenting note: Please remember that different people have different needs and priorities in gardening; for some, organic methods are a priority, for others, space or budgetary concerns take precedence, and the like. Thank you.
Important Pope Type Stuff
[Content note: references to homophobia, Christian Supremacy, abuse, and rape.]
Just in time for you to get your conclave on, here are the answers to all the hottest pontifical questions:
What will he wear? Soon to be ex-pope Benedict will have to give up his trademark red shoes, but apparently he has taken a shine to "a pair of hand-crafted brown loafers made for him by artisans in Leon, Mexico," which he'll wear along with his white cassock.
What will he be called? Keep your cards and letter coming to "your holiness," aka Benedict XVI, pope emeritus, emeritus pope or Roman pontifex emeritus.
Will he still be infallible? Probably not, since he will no longer be able to speak ex cathedra, or "from the chair," meaning he cannot issue official statements as pope.
Will his Twitter still be infallible? Ex-popes don't officially tweet, but the @Pontifex account will remain open, in case the new Pope wants to snark on ladeez with Timothy Dolan continue to communicate to the faithful via social media. And, in theory, a Tweet could be ex cathedra, so don't unfollow just yet.
Where will he live? In a monastery inside the Vatican, with his secretary and his cats.
So is the Vatican just a great place to spend time with your cats, or what? Well, living in the Vatican also offers the pontifex emeritus legal immunity just in case he should need it.
Are there any hints about who the new pope will be? Although speculation is rife, any cardinal who actually breaks the code of silence has been threatened with excommunication.
Will cardinals who abetted abuse or committed other crimes also be excommunicated or excluded from the conclave? Ha ha ha! Nope! But the Vatican is not exactly discouraging scandal-ridden cardinals from staying away.
Won't the Cardinals take their troubles as a sign from God that it's time for a new direction? Yes. No. Who knows? Possibly. However, it is also possible that they wouldn't support change if God sent them a message on an Aldis lamp.
