Tavares: "More Than A Woman"
Spring
Spring has been more than a little reluctant this year. We've not had a string of beautiful days, and the temperatures keep creeping up, only to drop back down again. But the other night, Iain called me out to the front porch to point out the tiniest wee baby bunny, who was sitting just beyond the bushes along the front side of the porch, munching contentedly on the grass. Zie's so small, zie would easily fit in the palm of a hand.
This morning, the baby bunny was out again, and had been joined by a sibling.
Can you spot them?
They were very disinterested in the baby carrot I provided for them. They did, however, give a glance of passing interest to the baby squirrel who came darting across the lawn, pausing to consider running up a tree, but bounding off beneath my car instead. It's fun under there! Apparently. I always have to pause for a moment after starting, to make sure any lazy squirrels have time to make their exits.
Can you spot hir wee fuzzy red tail?
The emergence of the babies means spring has finally sprung.
Quote of the Day
[Content Note: War on agency.]
"Closing its doors would—as the state seems to concede in this argument—force Mississippi women to leave Mississippi to obtain a legal abortion... [This] would result in a patchwork system where constitutional rights are available in some states but not others."—US District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III, in his opinion after extending a temporary injunction which prevents Mississippi from closing the Jackson Women's Health Organization, the last abortion clinic in the state, "as it tries to come into compliance with a 2012 law requiring all doctors who perform abortions at the clinic to have admitting privileges at local hospitals. The injunction was extended until the constitutionality of the law can be determined in a current pending lawsuit against the state. So far, no hospital within 30 miles of the clinic has granted admitting privileges to any of the doctors."
It is a temporary reprieve, but a crucial ruling.
Being a Marathon Spectator
by Jessica Luther, who can also be found at her own blog, Speaker's Corner in the ATX, and blazing trails of righteous fury on Twitter, among other places.
[Content Note: Terrorism; violence; injury.]
My husband, Aaron, has run 14 marathons over the last 8 years.
In many ways, our lives are structured around his running: He runs with a team on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings and they all do an ab workout on Wednesdays. I stay home, sleep, and take care of our child. He runs one to two marathons each year and we plan family vacations around them, trying to pick locations that are both good marathon spots (fast courses or fun courses) and nice places to visit. Our son is the unofficial mascot of the running group; they gave him a team running jersey when he was born and they all cheer him on now when he participates in 1K runs.
And so, over the last 8 years, one of the things I have become is an expert marathon spectator. I study the map of the course the night before, I calculate when Aaron expects to be at what spot and if I can beat him there taking whatever transportation is available, and then on race day I venture through cities I have never even been in before so that I can cheer him on as many times as possible. I have navigated the El in Chicago, pushed a stroller through the streets of Philadelphia, driven a long stretch of the coast of Lake Superior, volunteered at a water stop during our hometown race in Austin, dealt with a flat tire and bored child at mile 20 in Houston, propped Aaron up on my body and nearly carried him back to the car after he completed a poorly-organized marathon in Atlanta that left him severely dehydrated, stood in the pouring rain in Sacramento, and, while pregnant and exhausted, ran alongside him at the finish line in Arizona when he qualified for the first time to run the Boston Marathon.
And I went to the Boston Marathon with him five years ago, months into my pregnancy, and I stood in the spot where those people were yesterday when the explosion occurred.
I keep thinking about the spectators who crowd the finish line, waiting for a glimpse of their runner. When Aaron ran Chicago in 2007, it was so incredibly hot that they ended up cutting the race off because the city was running out of ambulances helping the dehydrated and sick runners. Someone died that day on the course. Everyone was running much slower than expected which caused concern, almost near panic, by the time I made it to the finish line area. No one knew where their runners were. I had seen him at mile 16, where I also saw an elite male runner wobble to a medical tent, barely able to stay on his feet under the intense glare of the sun that day. About .1 miles from the finish line, I pushed my way to the front of a tight, packed crowd. Everyone around me was trying to figure out why their runner wasn’t there yet. Marathoners who could run 26.2 miles in under 3 hours were walking in the final steps of the race. And then, about 100 feet down on the other side of the street, a runner went down. I'll never forget thinking over and over again as I bounced on my toes, trying to see past everyone, "please don't let that runner be wearing blue shoes, please don't let that runner be wearing blue shoes," because Aaron had on bright blue shoes that day. In the end, it wasn't Aaron and that man had needed an ambulance to remove him from the race course.
Marathoning is a brutal sport to which athletes give almost everything they have each time they attempt the race. And spectators at these races reward them with endless cheering, hand slaps, fun signs, clapping hands, and broad smiles.
I have taken our son with me to cheer on his father at the finish line. In St. Paul one year, as Aaron was just making it in under the cut off for the Boston Marathon qualifying time, I put my toddler on my shoulders so he could see over the crowds. As I began to jump and cheer for Aaron, our son began to cry and freak out. I had scared him with my jubilation.
Yesterday at Boston, a family of five was standing at the finish line, probably cheering, clapping, holding signs, and smiling. They were waiting for their friends to cross the finish line. The explosion killed Martin Richard, an 8 year old in the group. His mother has suffered a brain injury and his sister reportedly lost her leg. His father and brother were uninjured in the blast. Two others died in the attack, another 170 wounded, many severely.
We already have plans to travel to New York in November when Aaron will run the marathon there. He has waited years to run this race and we celebrated when he officially got in this year. I will be there, navigating through the boroughs, cheering him and other runners on, standing on the sidelines as I have done so many times before. I will be there in crowds, bumping shoulders with other proud family members and friends. We already planned to leave our son with his grandparents for our NYC trip and I feel a sense of relief that at least this time, as I wait to see my runner come by, my fear for my safety and the safety of those around me will not include a worry for my child. I will be glued to my phone for updates on the race to make sure there is no news. I am sure we will not linger at the finish line once Aaron crosses it.
For the rest of our lives, as we travel to marathons, we will think of Martin and his family, of everyone hurt and killed. We will never move past or forget the horror of yesterday.
But we will be in marathons and on the sidelines. Aaron will continue participating in the sport that has given him so much and at which he is very good. And I will continue to attend because it is a rush and thrill to watch so many people conquer such an amazing physical feat. There is little that gives me greater joy than seeing the person I love so deeply do something that he loves so much. He marathons, I spectate, as it was and as it will be.
In The News
Tuesday News and Updates:
New Zealand will likely approve marriage equality tomorrow. Yay! Go, Hobbits!
Johnny Marr talks about his new solo album. Yay for jingle jangle guitars!
A commission charged with reforming the Irish constitution overwhelmingly approved a recommendation to include marriage equality. Yay!
Want some cute? Yay for love!
California vintners have created Same Sex Meritage wine with part of the proceeds going to Freedom To Marry. Yay for wine!
A gay-inclusive scouting organization has doubled its membership in the last year. Yay for inclusion!
Torture
[Content Note: Torture; war.]
A nonpartisan, independent review of interrogation and detention programs used by the United States following the 9/11 attack has concluded that the US practiced torture (no shit):
[The study, by an 11-member panel convened by the Constitution Project, a legal research and advocacy group] concludes that "it is indisputable that the United States engaged in the practice of torture" and that the nation's highest officials bore ultimate responsibility for it.There is much, much more at the link. I encourage you to read the whole article, because I am only going to highlight one other bit:
The sweeping, 577-page report says that while brutality has occurred in every American war, there never before had been "the kind of considered and detailed discussions that occurred after 9/11 directly involving a president and his top advisers on the wisdom, propriety and legality of inflicting pain and torment on some detainees in our custody."
...The use of torture, the report concludes, has "no justification" and "damaged the standing of our nation, reduced our capacity to convey moral censure when necessary and potentially increased the danger to U.S. military personnel taken captive." The task force found "no firm or persuasive evidence" that these interrogation methods produced valuable information that could not have been obtained by other means.
..."I had not recognized the depths of torture in some cases," [James R. Jones, a Democrat] said. "We lost our compass."
Like the still-secret Senate interrogation report, the Constitution Project study was initiated after President Obama decided in 2009 not to support a national commission to investigate the post-9/11 counterterrorism programs, as proposed by Senator Patrick J. Leahy, Democrat of Vermont, and others. Mr. Obama said then that he wanted to "look forward, not backward."Welp. Looking forward, it doesn't appear that we're doing a whole lot better.
Pope Francis: Nuns Still Need to Shush About Feminism, Gay Rights
[Content note: misogyny, homophobia, anti-choice]
Welp, looks like all that Popey-Changey stuff has yielded us more of the same:
The Vatican said in a statement Monday that Francis had reaffirmed the doctrinal evaluation and criticism of U.S. nuns made last year by the Holy See under his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI. The assessment accused the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, an organization that represents most U.S. female Catholic orders, of promoting "radical feminist themes" and ignoring the Vatican's hard line on same-sex marriage and abortion....Kenneth Briggs, the author of a book about the Vatican's clash with U.S. nuns, said Francis' backing of the Holy See's unyielding line was "a major blow" to prospects for more dialogue. "It seems like the Vatican has put a more appealing salesman in charge of the same old product," Briggs said.
That's right ladies! It's New Coke Pope! Shiny new package, same old shit!
I really don't know what to say about this. Father James Martin, a Jesuit supporter of the nuns, is quoted in the article as being hopeful that the nuns will receive "a sympathetic hearing" from Francis, because, as a Jesuit, he's a member of a religious order himself. Perhaps.
But is it really too much for a member of an order with the highest intellectual reputation to not only be sympathetic, but to intellectually engage with the questions raised by feminism? That he could, instead of adding it to the list of the nun's sins, see that feminism and feminist theory play an important role in analyzing social justice concerns? That in aiding the poor and needy, an understanding of the systemic ways gender-based oppression plays into poverty and abuse is helpful?
And yeah, I know: serious engagement with feminist theory is going to raise the problem of truly respecting women when they have been doctrinally forbidden the highest leadership roles (including the highest roles in defining and teaching doctrine) all of which require ordination. And that's going to be uncomfortable, especially in light of the work that nuns do for the Church. But if any Catholic Pope has the intellectual courage to explore that, I'd think it would be a Jesuit.
As someone who is the product of a Catholic education, it saddens me to see Church leadership increasingly turn its collective back on intellectualism and especially on the insights of the social sciences. It's as if the Curiae have their fingers stuck in their ears, eyes shut, yelling "I CAN'T HEAR YOU LALALALALALAAAAAAAAA!" with each new piece of evidence. No, homosexuality is not the cause of pedophilia. Reproductive rights can be key to women's economic and physical well-being. Families can take on many different forms and still raise perfectly happy children. Ad infinitum.
This isn't the Catholic intellectual tradition in which I was schooled, in the post-Vatican II window where reason and experience shone new light on doctrine, tradition, and faith. Unfortunately it's a window that, for now, Francis is keeping firmly shut.
[Commenting Note]: Please take care in comments to distinguish between the actions of church leadership and of other Catholics who may not support their leadership in its actions.
Dog Wants a Kitty
by Shaker BrianWS, who may or may not become a full-time contributor someday based on our next visit to The Oracle with Neo. FINGERS CROSSED!
Well, here goes my day...because I'm totally going to watch this another hundred times.
Owner (male voice; off-camera): Hey hey hey, remember how you wanted a kitten?
Dog (a black and white hound mix, trotting around back and forth in front of the unseen cameraperson sitting on a couch, making silly faces and barking and stuff, but its sounds have been replaced with the voiceover): Yep.
Owner: I went to the pet store today.
Dog: No way.
Owner: Yep, I did.
Dog: (excitedly walking) Well come on, let's go. I want to see!
Owner: Hang on, keep your collar on. You wanted a girl?
Dog: Yeah!
Owner: A tabby?
Dog: Yeah, that's right! (jumps up in the air) Oh, I can't believe it, you got me a cat! (looks around)...Where is she? Is, is she out here?
Owner: Wait, wait you didn't let me finish. So I went to the pet store and I looked at the snakes.
Dog: Snakes? Oh. Blech! I'm gonna just go over here.
Owner: Well, I didn't get one.
Dog: Okay, um....
Owner: No, no, then I went and I took a look around, right, and I looked at the, uh, guinea pigs. You know what guinea pigs are, right?
Dog: Yeah.
(dog continues to nod along and say "yeah" in between each animal on the owner's list)
Owner: Yeah, I looked at the mice, gerbils, parrots, newts, hamsters, kittens –
Dog: (interrupts) Oh oh, that's it! That's where you stopped because that's what you're gonna get me, a...
Owner: And the hermit crabs.
Dog: (tosses head around) OH COME ON!
Owner: Can you calm down now?
Dog: You better get me a kitten or I'm gonna chew this couch's arms right off!
Owner: Oh, you will, huh?
Dog: Now tell me what's going on!
Owner: Went to the pet store.
Dog: Yeah.
Owner: Saw the turtles –
Dog: OH COME ON!
(kitten meows in the background)
Dog: What...was...that?
Owner: Well, let me tell ya. You listening?
Dog: Yeah.
Owner: I went to the pet store. There were shelter kittens. So I picked one up.
(text onscreen says "pets need a pal to talk to")
Dog: Oh, no way! You got me a cat! Yeah! Oh! Oh! Oh! What does she look like? What does she look like?
Owner: You wanna go see her?
Dog: Um, yes. Yeah! Let's go!
(Owner stands up and follows dog into the next room; as the screen fades to black, the kitten mews and the dog says excitedly: "OH!")
Terrorism
[Content Note: Terrorism; violence.]
There are no new developments this morning in the Boston Marathon Bombing, but if and when any additional information becomes available, we will be sure to share it here.
I'm not going to engage in speculation about who did it, or why, or make any kind of political statements, aside from this one observation: I am extremely unhappy with the number of times I have seen members of the media, and various people on Twitter, call this "the first act of terrorism on American soil since 9/11."
Sure it is. If you ignore every single incident of anti-choice terrorism—including the 2009 murder of Dr. George Tiller, and a number of clinic bombings and acts of vandalism, including one as recently as last week.
This flagrant, shameless campaign of intimidation, harassment, and threats and acts of violence against healthcare providers who offer services to women and other people with uteri, and the spaces in which they offer them, in defense of an inherently violent ideology, is a comprehensive terrorist movement which, from just 1977 to 2011, has included multiple assassinations, multiple attempted assassinations, and over 200 arsons and bombings.
This is not the first act of terrorism on US soil since 9/11. And every time someone says that, what they're really saying is: "This is the first act of terrorism on US soil against People Who Matter."
Which is deeply wrapped up in the outrage preoccupying conservative writers the past week, about the alleged "media blackout" on the case of Kermit Gosnell, the Philadelphia doctor who, despite having no certification in gynecology or obstetrics, was offering abortion services to low-income women, including illegal terminations well beyond the legal limit of 24 weeks, inducing labor in his unsanitary clinic staffed with people who had no medical training and killing viable newborns by severing their spinal cords. He also left many women maimed and several dead.
A couple of liberal men were happy to concede the point about liberal media bias: Conor Friedersdorf and David Weigel. Because if they hadn't heard about the case, ain't no one heard about it!
Except: Here I am writing about the case in 2011, at the end of which are links to five other feminist writers weighing in, and that hardly constitutes a comprehensive list of people who concern themselves with reproductive rights who wrote about the Gosnell case, making the point Irin Carmon made in Salon this week, that the Gosnell case speaks to the need for safe and accessible legal abortion, not tighter abortion restrictions.
There's no goddamn cover-up: It's just that the People Who Matter weren't writing about it.
And of course abortionists, abortion advocates, and abortion-seeking people are not the only people who have been terrorized since 9/11. The mass shooting at a Sikh temple was last August, for fuck's sake. And what about the guy who flew his plane into a federal IRS building in Austin in 2010? Or the white supremacist who attempted to bomb an MLK Day Parade in Spokane in 2011? Etc.
There have been other acts of terrorism in the US since 9/11. But because they are directed at women and/or at people of color, because they happen outside major coastal cities, because the people who write about them aren't doing it in columns at USA Today, these acts of terrorism don't count.
I have a problem with that.
And it makes me ache to see the invisibilizing of survivors of terror during coverage of another terrorist attack. Let's not do that. Please.
Question of the Day
What is one thing, big or small, for which you're feeling truly, profoundly grateful at this moment?
The President's Remarks on the Boston Bombing
Good afternoon, everybody. Earlier today, I was briefed by my Homeland Security team on the events in Boston. We're continuing to monitor and respond to the situation as it unfolds. And I've directed the full resources of the Federal Government to help state and local authorities protect our people, increase security around the United States as necessary, and investigate what happened.
The American people will say a prayer for Boston tonight, and Michelle and I send our deepest thoughts and prayers to the families of the victims in the wake of this senseless loss.
We don't yet have all the answers, but we do know that multiple people have been wounded, some gravely, in explosions at the Boston Marathon. I've spoken to FBI Director Muller and Secretary of Homeland Security Napolitano, and they're mobilizing the appropriate resources to investigate and to respond.
I've updated leaders of Congress in both parties, and we reaffirm that, on days like this, there are no Republicans or Democrats—we are Americans united in concern for our fellow citizens.
I've also spoken with Governor Patrick and Mayor Menino and made it clear that they have every single federal resource necessary to care for the victims and counsel the families—and, above all, I made clear to them that all Americans stand with the people of Boston.
Boston police, firefighters, and first responders, as well as the National Guard, responded heroically and continue to do so as we speak. It's a reminder that so many Americans serve and sacrifice on our behalf every single day, without regard to their own safety, in dangerous and difficult circumstances. And we salute all those who assisted in responding so quickly and professionally to this tragedy.
We still do not know who did this or why—and people shouldn't jump to conclusions before we have all the facts. But, make no mistake, we will get to the bottom of this, and we will find out who did this. We will find out why they did this. Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups, will feel the full weight of justice.
Today is a holiday in Massachusetts—Patriots' Day: It's a day that celebrates the free and fiercely independent spirit that this great American city of Boston has reflected from the earliest days of our nation, and it's a day that draws the world to Boston's streets in a spirit of friendly competition.
Boston is a tough and resilient town; so are its people. I'm supremely confident that Bostonians will pull together and take care of each other and move forward as one proud city, and, as they do, the American people will be with them every single step of the way.
You should anticipate that, as we get more information, our teams will provide you briefings. We're still in the investigation stage at this point, but I just want to reiterate: We will find out who did this, and we will hold them accountable. Thank you very much.
Blog Note
It's not just you. From Disqus' status page: "Disqus is currently intermittently available. We're working to resolve this as soon as possible and appreciate your patience."
BREAKING: Explosions At Boston Marathon
[Content note: Injury; death; possible terrorism]
Reports have just started coming in of at least two explosions (TW on the link) at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. There are injuries. More info as it comes.
UPDATE 1: Media appears to be on lockdown at the hotel near the finish line that serves as the Marathon's headquaters.
UPDATE 2: The first explosion was at 2:50 on Boylston Street, with a second blast (TW on the link) following about 15 seconds later.
UPDATE 3: CNN is reporting at least a half dozen injured. This number will undoubtedly change.
UPDATE 4: [From Liss; CN for violent images] Care of Shaker Mod Scott Madin, Igor at Think Progress has some images from the scene, which may be disturbing, showing the chaos after the bombing. He also writes: "The Boston Herald reports that at least 12 people are injured and Boston Police now says that at least 3 people have died. …Police scanner reports also indicate the presence of multiple suspicious devices."
UPDATE 5: Cell service in Boston is overloaded. Word is texts are going through.
UPDATE 6: The Post is reporting 12 dead.
UPDATE 7: [From Liss; CN for violent video and images] MSNBC's video of the explosions as they happened is here. There is not, that I could see, any footage of injury, but people were injured and killed during the explosions, so it may be upsetting footage to watch.
UPDATE 8: Boston PD is reporting two dead, and 23 injured.
UPDATE 9: [From Liss] President Obama has directed federal agencies to assist in the investigation of the Boston explosions. NBC News is reporting that officials have told them that multiple explosive devices have been found, at least two of which exploded.
UPDATE 10: Intelligence official: Two more explosive devices found at Boston Marathon; being dismantled.
UPDATE 11: Here is a map of the explosions.
UPDATE 12: The mile marker at the 26th mile, near where the explosions took place, was dedicated to the 26 victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting.
UPDATE 13: [From Liss] CBS News is quoting a law enforcement official who believes they have a surveillance photo of a potential suspect.
UPDATE 14: [From Liss] Statement from Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick: "This is a horrific day in Boston. My thoughts and prayers are with those who have been injured. I have been in touch with the President, Mayor Menino, and our public safety leaders. Our focus is on making sure that the area around Copley Square is safe and secured. I am asking everyone to stay away from Copley Square and let the first responders do their jobs."
UPDATE 15: Google has put up a Person Finder for Boston.
UPDATE 16: [From Liss] Blub: "Reports of Marathon Runners that crossed finish line and continued to run to Mass General Hospital to give blood to victims."
UPDATE 17: [From Liss; CN for graphic image of injury at link] The AP is reporting that cell phone service "has been shut down in the Boston area to prevent any potential remote detonations of explosives."
UPDATE 18: [From Liss; CN for footage of bombing and injury] This video shows the explosions and immediate aftermath from the finish line. Unlike the above-linked video, there is brief imagery of blood and injury. It shows the fear and chaos, but also the extreme bravery of first responders (and runners and spectators) who ran toward the explosions in order to help.
UPDATE 19: [From Liss] President Obama will deliver a statement from the Briefing Room of the White House at 6:10 ET. You will be able to watch it live here.
UPDATE 20: [From Liss] Scott Madin: "BPD Commissioner Davis flatly says they have not detained a suspect."
UPDATE 21: [From Liss] The FBI has reportedly classified the explosions in Boston as a terrorist act. I should certainly hope so. Once it was established they were human-made devices with intent to harm, and not accidental mechanical explosions (e.g. an overwhelmed transformer), that's an act of terrorism, irrespective of the characteristics of the person(s) who did it.
UPDATE 22: [From Liss] The President's statement was short and to the point, no questions. He cautioned that we don't know all the facts, but "we will find out who did this and hold them accountable." Said: "Boston is a tough and resilient town. So are its people."
UPDATE 23: [From Liss; CN for graphic images and descriptions of injury at link] The AP is reporting: "Boston police said two people were killed. Hospitals reported at least 105 injured, at least 15 of them critically."
UPDATE 24: Among the two confirmed dead is an eight-year old. "Numerous other children were injured."
UPDATE 25: A third fatality is being reported.
Daily Dose of Cute
Dudley Q. McEwan: A dog I love more than I can possibly describe.
April is National Greyhound Adoption Month!
On April 28, 2010, Dudley came to stay at Shakes Manor. On the one hand, I can't believe it's already been almost three years since he arrived. On the other, I almost can't remember life without him, because he is so tightly woven into the fabric of our lives that it feels like he's been here forever, that we've always had a giant, two-dimensional dog strutting about the place and taking up egregious amounts of space on the furniture.
Dogs aren't for everyone, and Greyhounds aren't for every dog-lover. If you want a high-energy dog who can be your companion in cold-weather sporting and run around off-leash, the Greyhound probably isn't your dog. But if you want a low-key dog who can be your companion on the couch and is happy with a walk and the occasional breathtaking burst of speed at the dog park, the Greyhound may be just the dog for you.
In the three years we've had Dudley, I've had people occasionally express surprise that he is so sweet-natured, so friendly, so ebulliently full of life. There is some prejudice about Greyhounds that they are broken, that they are pitiable creatures who need a special kind of owner to love them despite their brokenness.
This is simply not true. Greyhounds are goofy, gangly packages of indomitable effervescence, whose capacity to give love and willingness to receive it, in spite of their beginnings, is extraordinary.
They are survivors. And given the chance, they'll rescue you right back.
If you're thinking about adoption, please consider a retired racer. And if you are contemplating adopting a Greyhound, and have questions, please feel welcome and invited to email me.
Video Description: A video I made December 2010 in association with a pro bono project on which I was working for local greyhound rescue, which documents the change adoption makes in dogs' lives. Footage and a still image of Dudley when he first came to us, followed by footage and still images of Dudley over the time he's been part of our family. Set to Angelo Badalamenti's "Love Theme" from the score for Cousins.
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Dudley, just off the track and after living with us for awhile: This is the difference that rescue makes.Important Announcement
[Content Note: Rape culture.]
Appropriate and necessary use of the word rape: To describe what has happened to someone who has been forced or coerced into a penetrative act of sexual violence.
Inappropriate and unnecessary use of the word rape: To describe what has "been done to you" by the IRS and/or US Government by requiring you to pay taxes.
Important Corollary, subject to same rules as Important Announcement #10: If you are a rape apologist and/or teller of rape jokes, you are not a progressive; you're a fauxgressive.
[This announcement will continue to be made annually on US tax day until further notice.]
Monday Blogaround
This blogaround brought to you by bidets.
Recommended Reading:
The latest in the naming series: Let's Talk About Names: Minna
Monica: On Guns, Fetuses, and "Pro-Life" Hypocrisy [Content Note: Guns; dehumanization; hostility to agency. NB: Not only women get pregnant.]
Rachel: The Long Political History of Increasing Access to Emergency Contraception
Jess: Inclusivity in Language [Content Note: Language policing of various sorts.]
Tressie: And a Child Will Lead Them: Aamira Fetuga and Suzy Lee Weiss [Content Note: Racism; classism.]
Jorge: Police Sergeant Caught with Trayvon Martin Shooting Targets Says Sorry I'm Not Sorry [Content Note: Guns; eliminationist racism.]
Brian: On Fat Bodies and Medical Equipment [Content Note: Fat bias.]
Susana: Here's the The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Trailer Because You Didn't Watch the MTV Movie Awards
Leave your links and recommendations in comments...
Discussion Thread: Wad vs. Fold
[Content Note: Scatological humor.]
As promised, here is the natural follow-up to the Great Sitters vs. Standers Debate thread, which is, of course, the Wad vs. Fold Debate.
Don't know what the Great Wad vs. Fold Debate is? Well, let me put it bluntly: It's a debate about whether you wad or fold the toilet paper to wipe your ass. (And/or whatever other parts may need wiping, depending on your individual plumbing.)
I am a folder. Iain was a wadder. Was. But after he witnessed my folding technique, he gave it a try and found it to be much more effective. So he gave up wadding forever and now considers himself a proud folder.
There are, naturally, variations on wad vs. fold. My paternal grandmother, for instance, was a wrapper—she wrapped the toilet paper around the four fingers of one hand, then slid off the wrapped bundle into an effective folded bundle.
And there are people in some parts of the world who use wiping implements other than toilet paper altogether, and anyone who does not use toilet paper on the regular, or didn't at some point in their lives, is welcome to share those techniques, too.
So: Do you wad or fold?
[As always, no judgment of other people's choices, please!]
In The News
[Content note: Racism, gun violence, anti-choice, gun culture, homophobia]
Fly Like An Eagle:
Deftone's bassist Chi Cheng died after after years of health trouble following a car accident.
Nike is eager to endorse an openly gay pro athlete.
A Florida police sergeant was fired for possessing several Trayvon Martin shooting targets. What the fuck.
Here's a suprise! (It's not.) Poor children do better academically at wealthy schools.
This is a real thing in the world. Whut.
Actual headline: Date set for Ikea monkey ownership trial.
