Here is some stuff in the news today! (Your daily shutdown thread is here.)
A philanthropic billionaire couple pledged $10 million of their personal fortune in an effort to fund seven Head Start programs in six states that have closed as a result of the government shutdown. Wow.
[Content Note: Racism; police brutality] Jack Lamar Roberson, a black man from Georgia, was shot and killed by police after his fiancé called 911 requested medical assistance because Roberson overdosed on his diabetic meds. I don't even know what I can say that I haven't already said literally a dozen or more times before. "Shoot first and ask questions later" is reprehensibly irresponsible behavior from law enforcement. The officers are currently "on administrative leave."
[CN: Racism; Islamophobia] Republican Representative Michele Bachmann is the worst. This isn't politics. This is rank racism against the President of the United States.
Scientists at the National Ignition Facility in California "have passed a crucial milestone on the way to their ultimate goal of achieving self-sustaining nuclear fusion," which I guess is awesome if you are not scared of nuclear power, which I am, despite being told constantly that it's definitely SO SAFE and every time there's a meltdown it's just because of human error, something I don't find particularly reassuring given that humans kind of run the place.
Contaminated chicken is making people sick. Too bad the government is shut down and "food-safety personnel and disease detectives [have been] sent home and forbidden to work."
[CN: Racism] The Oneida Indian Nation challenges the Washington NFL team to change its racist name.
Were you just thinking "I wish I could stream Pearl Jam's new album NOW" even though it doesn't come out until the 15th? Welp, looks like you're in luck, my friend!
In the News
TV Corner: The Blacklist
[Content Note: Violence; spoilers from the latest episode of The Blacklist.]
"Wujing doesn't exist." "That's what they said about Deep Throat. And the g-spot."
Oh, James Spader. You make this show so much better than it should be! Everything you say and every expression you make is priceless! You have turned the art of the contemptuous laugh into a perfected science! You are a character named Red Reddington who buys fedoras in bulk from a trusted personal haberdasher, and you are THE BEST!
In last night's episode: Something something Chinese spy killer. Agent Elizabeth Keen and Evil Genius Red Reddington are GOING IN. Meanwhile, Agent Keen tests her secret-spy husband's gun by shooting it into a barrel of water-soaked telephone books ("Hey, we need those to look up phone numbers!" — No one.) and then takes the bullet and casing to FBI HQ to have them tested against outstanding cases. Something something hats.
Agent Meera Malik, who came onboard in Episode 2 and is played by the amazing Parminder Nagra and is already bending it like Beckham as a kickass FBI colleague, puts a tracking device that looks like a Nicotine patch on Agent Keen. It won't be picked up by the Bad Spies' sensors, but it doesn't even matter, because the Bad Spies' HQ is an impenetrable steel cave in the earth's core or whatever. WE'VE LOST HER. No worries—she's with Red Reddington, who will do anything to protect her.
Something something computers. Something something guns. Something something fast talking Reddington. Agent Keen is a quick thinker who sticks her patch tracker on Wujing's car, and the FBI totally bust him. Huzzah!
The report comes back on Agent Keen's secret-spy husband's gun. CLASSIFIED. Damn. But at FBI HQ, Mike from Homeland gives the unredacted report to Lock from The Matrix and they don't tell us what it is but OH SHIT WHO IS THIS GUY THAT HAS PRANK-MARRIED OUR LOVELY AGENT KEEN?!
In other news, Agent Keen and Red Reddington have another awkward and totally fake conversation that would never happen in the real world in infinite years of monkeys typing conversations for humans to have about her father. IS HE HER DAD? He's her dad, right? Surely, he's her dad. But isn't that too obvious? Is it a DOUBLE-BLUFF? It's so obvious that he's her dad that it can't be that obvious so he's not her dad but HA HA GOTCHA he's her dad?!
If he's not her dad, what's the deal? Did he kill her dad? Does he owe his life to her dad? Is Blane McDonnagh her dad?! I bet it's Blane McDonnagh.
Whoops the US Government
For much of the 20th century, America's two major political parties were ideologically diverse. The Republican Party included both Barry Goldwater and George Romney. The Democratic Party included both Strom Thurmond and Eugene McCarthy. The spread of political opinions in each party made it cross-aisle deals easier and organized, extended party warfare harder. Bipartisan votes were common. Filibusters were rare.—Ezra Klein, in "The 13 Reasons Washington Is Failing." Emphasis mine.
But in recent decades the parties have polarized. According to the respected DW-Nominate system, which measures party polarization, the two parties have never been further apart in Congress.
There's nothing inherently wrong with that. It makes sense for Republicans to agree more with each other than they do with Democrats, and vice-versa. But our political system wasn't built for polarized parties. (In fact, it wasn't built for parties at all — the Founding Fathers hated political parties, even though they went on to start a few of them.) The result is deep governmental dysfunction as a system that requires bipartisan cooperation collides with political parties that can't cooperate.
...Look around. Almost no other countries have our system of government. That's because our system of government is pretty unstable. "Aside from the United States, only Chile has managed a century and a half of relatively undisturbed constitutional continuity under presidential governments," the late, great sociologist Juan Linz wrote. "But Chilean democracy broke down in the 1970s."
Systems like our own have a broad tendency toward instability and partisan conflict because a democratically elected executive can come from one party and a democratically elected legislature from another. Both sides end up having control over some levers of power, a claim to be carrying out the will of the public, and incentives that point in opposite directions. That's very different than the kind of system you see in, say, the United Kingdom, where only one party controls the government at any given time.
"We can say with at least some certainty that if highly divided countries adopt executive-centered presidential systems, then they are probably making a mistake," Robert Elgie of Dublin City University concludes.
The secret to the American political system's stability was that our political parties were unusually mixed and so they didn't have the typical incentives toward flat-out conflict. In other words, we weren't a highly divided country. But that's no longer true. And so our system is beginning to exhibit the predictable, and terrifying, tensions of all presidential systems.
Shutdown, Day Wev
Boehner: Obama gambling with economy by refusing to talk.
Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Monday that President Obama is putting the economy at risk by refusing to negotiate with Republicans over spending and the debt ceiling.!!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!!
"The president's refusal to negotiate is hurting our economy and putting our country at risk," Boehner said on the House floor.
Meanwhile, seemingly every major news agency has yet another story about what polls are showing about Who's to Blame. And every last one of them is complete bullshit, because none of them contain this sentence: "And it doesn't really matter who people blame, because Congressional districts are so goddamn gerrymandered that most seats aren't remotely competitive."
The worst that can happen to most congressmembers is that they'll get primaried, and lose their seat to another member of their own party, which doesn't matter to the party leadership, as long as they've still got the right color vote in their caucus. Which leaves us with no way to meaningfully hold accountable the people who are supposed to represent us, except over long periods of generational demographic change, which is certainly slower than the Republicans can gerrymander more seats for themselves.
And on and on we go.
Question of the Day
Suggested by Shaker AmeliaEve: "What's your favorite food and beverage pairing? ('Cookies and milk' is just as acceptable as 'oysters and champagne.')"
It Continues to Be a Real Mystery Why There Are Women Who Don't Feel Safe Gaming
by Shaker masculine_lady, who has over 15 years of experience in the field of ending gender-based violence. She shares her home and life with her wife, three children, an elderly dachshund, and a badass cat named Eartha Kitty.
[Content Note: Domestic violence; violence against women.]
I like to play games on my phone, but sadly, I have a Windows phone and the games marketplace is sorely lacking when it comes to old standbys like Candy Crush. So, I peruse the marketplace at least once a day to see what new and interesting time wasting crap is available.
Today, I found this: (insert picture, obvs).
What a perfect game to debut in October, which is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. I am definitely feeling acutely aware of intimate partner violence after having seen that on my phone this afternoon.
I get that there are violent video games where characters and avatars get killed, where even the object of the game is killing, and I'm not inclined to get into a whole discussion about video game violence in general, on which there is no consensus even among people of good faith.
This, however, is categorically indefensible. This is targeted violence against wives—wives who are nagging, and not attractive. The player's goal is to prevent the wives from leaving by smashing them into hotter and more appealing wives.
"If you didn't nag me so much…" is an excuse that batterers use. "If you would just be the way I want you to be," is an excuse that batterers use. "If you try to leave me, I will kill you," is something batterers say. "WifeSmash" is real fucking life for as many as 25% of women in the United States, many of whom are assaulted most brutally or even murdered when they try to escape their abusive partners.
In case it's not clear: I am not offended; I am contemptuous.
[If you have a Windows phone (bless your heart), you can report the app from inside the marketplace. You have to search for the game, and then you'll have the option to report just like in the picture above.]
This Is Rape Culture
[Content Note: Rape culture; sexual assault; coercion.]
The next time some joker tries to tell you the rape culture doesn't exist, just point them in the direction of this email penned by Phi Kappa Tau's social chair of the Georgia Tech chapter, which he fired out to all his frat bros under the subject line: "Luring Your Rapebait."
"NO RAPING," he admonishes them, in the middle of his "Luring Your Rapebait" instructions on how to ply women with alcohol, manipulate them into physical contact, and sexually assault them.
Rape is not a "misunderstanding." There are not men who "accidentally" rape women. Rape is not a "mistake."
This is rape culture.
[H/T to Shaker MMC.]
Both Sides! Blame Game! Blah Blah Fart!
Me, in comments, earlier today:
It would be really swell if our garbage media could spend as much time talking about the possibilities of what might happen with a default as they do talking about which party the country is likely to blame for it.CNN's current front page:
I honestly don't give a fuck what percentage of respondents will blame whom when I'm freaking the fuck out about how we're going to avoid it and what will happen if we don't!
From the linked article:
According to the poll, 63% of those questioned say they are angry at the Republicans for the way they have handled the shutdown.GEE I WONDER WHY THAT COULD BE? I'm sure it has nothing to do with the media's insistence on framing this as a "both sides are unwilling to negotiate" situation, a mendacious bit of garbage of which CNN is one of the worst purveyors.
"But the Democrats are not getting off scot-free. Fifty-seven percent of Americans are also angry at the way the Democrats are dealing with the shutdown. And a 53% majority say they are also angry at President Obama," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "It looks like there is more than enough blame to go around and both parties are being hurt by the shutdown."
Liss and Ana Talk About Elementary
[Content Note: Discussions of violence and hostility to agency. Spoilers for the most recent episode of Elementary.]
Holmes & Watson: In sync and color coordinated!
Liss: Welp, it's Monday, so it's time to talk about Elementary! What did you think?
Ana: This one felt more like a last season one, though I still didn't think it was AS GOOD as the older ones. (Maybe I'm just burned from last week.)
Liss: Agreed. On both counts.
Ana: I did find the mystery more engaging this time. I was a little torn on the ending; I liked the return to the domestic violence angle (because that is a Real Thing), but then it was a Law & Order SUPER SECKRIT TWIST where it was all the conniving woman's fault and she was trying to frame a blameless man by framing herself. Which made no damn sense because if that video had gotten erased or the police weren't very good at their job, they could have steamrolled her on the initial framing of herself. And if you're going to go to that much trouble to fake-frame yourself, why not just NOT LEAVE EVIDENCE. On the other hand, it meant that a lady was the world's greatest mathematician, so I guess that's something?
Liss: Ha ha! Yeah, the story was a little tepid this week. And, uh, Sherlock? I'm pretty sure holding out a picture of the suspect on your mobile won't fly in court as a legit line-up for witness ID, lol. But I did enjoy the concept of high-intrigue maths! What I liked a lot less was Joan's interaction with the son of her dead patient. I knew something was up when he coerced her into a cup of coffee at the cemetery—"Come on, just one cup." And although I don't think she should have let him guilt her, I wasn't as big a fan of her solution as Sherlock was.
Ana: The Watson plotline I'm conflicted on. I couldn't help but think about all the TV chefs we've seen compete and how they talk about some life tragedy or something made them realize that college was a waste of their money and that their passion was cooking. So when Joan offered him 22k to go to college… I have to say I was kind of with him on the whole, "So you're willing to give me money to help, but only if I spend my life in the career YOU want?"
Liss: Right. Particularly because she didn't even seem to consider the possibility that his dad wanting him to be an engineer is not the same thing as HIS wanting to be an engineer—and that maybe he only felt free to pursue something else once his dad died. Which, hello: She's been through precisely that kind of tension with her own mom over her current career choice.
Ana: And that was ESPECIALLY JARRING given how many times Joan has changed her career and how many people have tried to (wrongly) convince her otherwise.
Liss: Exactly! Joan's famous empathy just seemed to disappear. Buried beneath all her guilt, I guess. Or the writers forgetting how they've written her up until this point, lol.
Ana: Did the writers even watch Season 1?? Like, I liked that the point was made that she didn't owe him anything and that it was her choice how to invest in him—she doesn't have to fund him backpacking through Europe, for example—but it felt really out of character for her to not respect a job decision.
Liss: Yup. And, hey, there was always the option of just saying, "No, thanks—I don't want to invest in your bar. Byeeeeeeeeeeee!"
Ana: But I did like the bits in the Watson plotline which talked about her past and which had Sherlock asking and supporting her in non-asshole ways—I liked where he said he didn't mean to pry, and I blubbed when he said he would like to visit with her next time.
Liss: That was very nice. It was no NEW BEE NAME, but it was nice.
Ana: And I liked that he tried to protect her from Jason, although I cringed when he first put forward the "pay him off!" plan because it seemed like he was telling Joan how to spend the money. Which, while in character for him, seemed all the more reason for her to NOT turn around and do that to Jason. I dunno, it just felt… off, somehow. I would have liked to see Joan use her Powers of Empathy to solve the problem a little better.
Liss: Me, too. And finally: I repeatedly commented about how I loved the costuming in this show last season, but Lady Mathematician's "sexy librarian" look was just too clichéd for words. What is happening?! Come on, Elementary! Let's get it together!
Monday Blogaround
This blogaround is brought to you by cereal.
Recommended Reading:
Mike: Conservatives and the Poor: That Which Very Serious People Shall Not Discuss [Content Note: Class warfare.]
FMF News: Nebraska Supreme Court Denies 16-Year-Old Foster Child an Abortion [Content Note: Hostility to agency.]
Jess: An Open Letter to David Pollack [Content Note: Misogyny.]
David: The Housing "Recovery" That Isn't [Content Note: Use of disablist language.]
BYP: Waitress Receives $10,000 after Going Viral about Racial Slur [Content Note: Racism; slur.]
Andy: First LGBT Pride Parade Held in Indian State of Gujarat
Kerensa: Halle Berry Heading to TV with CBS Series
Ms. Purple: Pablo Jurado Ruiz's Incredibly Detailed Portraits Created Exclusively with Black Ink Dots
Leave your links and recommendations in comments...
Quote of the Day
[Content Note: Rape culture.]
"I'm thrilled with [The Fifth Estate, the WikiLeaks film]. I'd seen it in the States and I was terrified. I cannot watch myself for the first time, especially playing someone who is so removed from me—because of everything, the appearance, the accent. Everything about him is different."—Actor Benedict Cumberbatch, on playing Julian Assange in The Fifth Estate.
The appearance, the accent, the fact that Julian Assange has been publicly accused of multiple sexual assaults...
Gross. This movie is gross, and the promotions for it are gross, and this quote is gross.
[Previously: Film Corner: The Fifth Estate.]
I Get Letters
Whenever I get an email addressed to "Shakesville," I know it's going to be a doozy. This one was too enjoyable, ahem, to keep to myself, so now I share it with all of you. Enjoy!
Dear Shakesville,Apparently, one of the things my correspondent hasn't "checked in on" is the Commenting Policy: "Content Notes are provided to give readers the option to assess whether they've got the spoons (pdf) to process material that is potentially triggering to them. The provision of Content Notes is an exchange in which readers must participate: We communicate the information, and readers must assess their own immediate capacity to process content in the noted categories, then proceed accordingly."
I haven't been perusing your website for long, but recently I've been checking in on it. I would like to register my disapproval of one of your practices. Most of your articles and links are prefaced by a "content note," eg. "Content note: this link discusses misogyny." I believe this trend, on your site and others, stemmed out of the newly common "trigger warnings" which give advance notice of discussions of graphic violence. While trigger warnings seem courteous and promote a safe space for people who have suffered trauma, your content notes seem to have an effect contrary to what your website, and feminism in general, ought to be pursuing. You seem to be trying to protect your readers from coming across anything which might upset, bother, disturb, or worry them. You seem afraid to let someone accidentally stumble upon any reminder that the world is dark and imperfect, that there are unpleasant, backwards, or ignorant folks out there. Even when the discussion itself is presented in the most accepting possible language, you insist on pre-warning your readership about exactly what they will be facing.
These warnings have, to my mind, the effect of alienating the very people who ought to be reading the articles and would get the most out of them. A prefacing note which reads "Content note: article discusses racism, classism, homophobia, and trans-phobia" says to me (a straight, white, middle-class, cis woman) that the article does not apply to me. When of course, the reason we are interested in these problems is not because they need to relate directly to our own lives, but because we care about justice and freedom from hatred and discrimination for all people.
I believe that this trend of prefacing any discussion of the negative things in the world with an infantalizing warning needs to be discontinued. Trust your readers to boldly face the reality of human nature. The world won't get better by pretending that we can choose to hide from it.
Respectfully,
[Some Asshole]
But I don't guess I ought to be surprised that someone who imagines an article about oppression of groups to which she doesn't belong is something that does not apply to her (!!!) has as much a problem with the concept of "agency" that she does with the concept of "privilege." Providing content notes is the opposite of infantilizing: It recognizes and respects individual agency, lived experience, and immediate capacity to process.
A content note does not promise to protect readers, but provides them with the opportunity to decide whether they need to protect themselves.
We provide content notes because they give survivors of various trauma and oppressive harm the option to assess whether they're in a state of mind to deal with potentially triggering material before they stumble across it. It's a politeness. I don't feel inclined to apologize for that.
[Related Reading: I Write Letters.]
Daily Dose of Cute
This dog.
I didn't put that pillow on top of him. He must have just pulled it on top of himself. "Don't bother me. I'm napping."
As always, please feel welcome and encouraged to share pix of the fuzzy, feathered, or scaled members of your family in comments.
In the News
Here is some stuff in the news today! (Today's shutdown thread is here.)
Default News: The President Who Totes Won't Negotiate has signaled he would agree to a short-term debt increase to avoid default, instead of the long-term increase on the federal borrowing cap that he (and every other person with a shred of sense) wants. This isn't even a good idea, frankly, because it just kicks the can down the road, but here is further evidence that it is not President Obama who isn't willing to negotiate. Meanwhile, Republicans remained firm that they will not compromise, and are willing to cause a possible economic catastrophe in order to try to stop this administration from helping millions of uninsured USians.
Breaking News: It's hard to save for retirement when you don't have any spare cash.
US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia continues to be a delight. By which I mean: A terrible, mean bigot.
Meet your new $100 bill!
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says she has not made up her mind about running for the presidency: "I want to think seriously about it; I probably won't begin thinking about it until sometime next year." Chances this will stop the media from talking about her like she's definitely running for president? 0%. I'm rounding up.
Dogs are people, too. Sort of.
#Oct7ProClaim I Stand With Idle No More
Today, October 7, is a Day of Action for the Idle No More movement:
The Idle No More movement has plans for over 63 protests and actions across Canada today, with solidarity events expected in over 12 countries....Idle No More began a year ago with an email exchange between four women in Saskatchewan, growing very quickly into one of the biggest protest movements Canada has seen in years. Idle No More uses social media as a key organizing tool, as it has for today's events.
Oct. 7 was chosen because that's the date 250 years ago that King George III signed the Royal Proclamation, which, in its concluding paragraphs, sets out policy for the Crown's relationship with the "nations or tribes of Indians" and the lands "reserved to them."
A "purpose of Idle No More was to reinvent the relationship between indigenous peoples and Canada," movement activist Niigaan Sinclair told CBC News.
Idle No More also formed to oppose federal legislation they see as further eroding treaty and indigenous rights, and to push for emergency situations at some First Nations communities to be stabilized.
The Day of Action also coincides with the arrival of UN fact-finder James Anaya in Canada, as he takes stock of Aboriginal rights. His visit comes in the midst of Mi'kmaq protests against fracking, of outrage at the Harper government's continued indifference to violence against Aboriginal Women, and ongoing barriers to basics basics like clean drinking water, education, and health care.
If you have not already made plans to support Idle No More and wish to do so, here are some possibilities:
You can find events across Canada, as well as in the U.S.A., the U.K., India, and Croatia here.
You can follow Idle No More on Twitter and Facebook. You can also follow Idle No More News on Twitter.
You can Tweet or Facebook your support with the hashtag #Oct7ProClaim.
You can read the Idle No More website for news, networking resources, a donation link, and much more, including a history of the movement.
If you are participating in the Day of Action, feel free to share your teaspooning in the comments below. If you have suggestions for other resources, feel free to leave those as well.
Film Corner: Gravity
[Content Note: Descriptions of panic; minor spoilers for the film Gravity.]
As you may recall, I was very, very, very excited about Gravity, aka AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH: The Movie, when the trailers first started airing this summer. So, when it finally opened, Iain and I immediately went to see it, because I can't even remember the last time I was genuinely anticipating a movie opening with such enthusiasm.
Neither of us is a fan of 3D, and there was only one non-3D showing, at 9:00, so we bought our tickets early and drank coffee beforehand, because we are old and sleepy. (At least by 9:00 on a Friday night after a long week we are.) And we were definitely not the only keen beans, because Gravity opened with a record $55 million October launch. Yowza!
Anyway, the movie was very good! But, as I've mentioned, I'm very much a fan of "adrift" movies—because they make me anxious in a way that feels within my control, which is very different from the anxiety I experience in my real life. It's that very panic-inducing thing that makes these sorts of films unenjoyable for some other people, so let me say flatly that if you don't like getting that sort of exhilarating panic that one might experience on a roller coaster, you might want to avoid this one. At least until you can watch it at home where you can pause it if you need a breather.
Because it is VERY INTENSE! It's shot in a way that makes it really immersive, and I felt like my entire body was empathizing with Dr. Stone (Sandra Bullock), feeling every emotion and tumble she did. I don't get motion sickness, but I could feel the tension throughout my body, and there were definitely times that I nearly had a sensation of falling.
A few friends have asked if it's gory, and it's not gory. (There is one moment of bloodless gore.) It is, however, definitely terrifying, in a "How can THAT be happening?! Oh god how is THAT happening?! HOW IS SHE GONNA GET OUT OF THIS ONE?! AHHHHH!!!" kind of way, lol. I've also been asked if I think it might trigger people who get motion sickness with hand-held camerawork, and, yes, I think it would—not because of shakiness so much as because of spinning. I've heard that seeing it in 3D enhances this effect.
It's also very beautifully shot, and although some of the science was stretched for the story, it's plausible enough. The special effects are tremendous, and, overall, the film felt fresh—like something I haven't already seen a thousand times. Which is the one of the highest compliments I can give any film in this era of reboots and remakes.
Anyway! I don't want to share too much of the story, because I went in largely not knowing what the story was, and that made it all the more fun. And I thought the more important thing was to address the watchability for people with certain viewing limitations. If you have any questions that might help you ascertain whether you can watch Gravity, ask away in comments!
If you saw it, what did you think?
Shutdown Update
Republicans still terrible. Government still shut down.
On ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos yesterday, Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner "said the nation would default on its debt later this month if President Obama does not agree to GOP's demands to cut spending and change parts of the Affordable Care Act."
Meanwhile, on CBS's Face the Nation, Bob Schieffer, who's about the only journalist with a modicum of gumption left in the national media, challenged Republican Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn on his party's bullshit narrative:
SCHIEFFER: The law has been passed. Why not keep the government running and then everybody can sit down and decide what they want to do about it.Meanwhile, while the Republicans hold the nation hostage ostensibly in order to save taxpayers money, the shutdown is costing at least $300 million every day.
CORNYN: Well, there should be a negotiation, and this government would still be up and running in full if President…if Harry Reid had allowed Democrats to vote to eliminate the Congressional carve-out which treats them favorably under Obamacare and to treat average Americans the same way the President has decided to treat business with regard to Obamacare penalties.
SCHIEFFER: Senator, isn't there something wrong when you say I won't fund the government unless I can attach my personal wish list to the legislation every time we vote? I'd love to see the government find a cause, uh, cure for cancer, but I don't think you can say I'm not going to pass and pass any funds for the rest of the government until [the National Institutes of Health] finds a cure for cancer. I mean, isn't that just kind of the same thing here?
Priorities. The GOP has them.
