Here is some stuff in the news today!
[Content Note: Racism; violence] Marissa Alexander will find out next week if she'll be allowed out on bail during her second trial.
[CN: Hostility to reproductive rights] This is what a "pro-life" state looks like.
[CN: Sexual violence; rape culture] Protests are happening in Kenya and elsewhere in support of "Liz," a 16-year-old Kenyan girl who was gang-raped and left for dead in June, but survived and reported the names of her attackers, who were ordered by police "to cut grass as their only punishment; the men were then let go—even though under Kenya's Sexual Offences Act they should receive no less than 15 years in prison. ...[T]he global campaigning network Avaaz launched an online petition calling for immediate arrest and prosecution of the rapists and disciplinary action for the police officers."
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has ordered states to provide couples benefits to national guard members in same-sex couples, irrespective of whether the state recognizes same-sex marriage. Right on.
Ha ha here's a neat headline: "US surveillance has gone too far, John Kerry admits." Naw, ya think?
[CN: Misogynoir] More on SNL's lack of black female performers: "When Kerry Washington hosts this week, the show will have someone who can credibly play Beyoncé for the first time this season. There hasn't been a cast member to portray Michelle Obama for her husband's entire presidency. That matters."
In the News
Republicans Think People Aren't Entitled to Food
[Content Note: Food insecurity; class warfare.]
Earlier this year, a recession-era boost in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps) benefits was allowed to expire, because the economy is perfect and everyone is doing great. Just ask any Romney. They'll tell you. I mean, if we were still in a recession, who could afford a fifth mansion with a secret room? Case closed, your honor.
Granted, millions of USians, many of whom are working full-time in foodservice or retail jobs for corporations that refuse to pay their staff liveable wages and are allowed to get away with that bullshit because the federal minimum wage is a cruel joke, are dependent on food stamps in order to survive, but members of the Republican Congressional Caucus just literally pretend that this reality does not exist while they talk endless shit about "makers and takers" and "producers and parasites" and people who will never "take personal responsibility and care for their lives," while themselves living extremely well off the taxpayer dime and governing on behalf of the insatiably avaricious tycoons who shamelessly exploit an unfettered capitalist system to create the permanent underclass that toils in their service, the very existence of which the Republican Party insistently denies.
Every single thing conservatives (generally) believe about privilege, opportunity, hard work, compensation, and the social safety net is wrong. They govern from a place of wrongness that acts in service to plutocrats and denies the lived experiences and needs of the most economically vulnerable citizens and residents of the nation, from a place of wrongness that is unfathomably cruel.
And, as a result, today, food stamp benefits will be cut by $5 billion (= 20 Romneys), leaving millions of families with a reduction in benefits.
Enrollment in food stamps, formally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, has soared.The bitter irony is listening to Republicans hollering about the Affordable Care Act and the cost of healthcare. Not for nothing, assholes, but first item on the Keep Healthcare Costs Down checklist is making sure that your populace has enough nutritional food to fucking eat to stay healthy.
Some 47.6 million people, or nearly 15% of the population, get them, according to September federal data. That compares to 26.3 million, or 8.7% of the population, in 2007. The average benefit per person is $133.19 a month.
Needless to say, many of the millions of people who are suffering from "food insecurity," the euphemistically named catch-all that includes everything from the occasional missed meal to constant hunger to malnutrition to outright starvation, are children. Members of the United States Congress are okay with letting children starve. Members of the United States Congress think children aren't entitled to food.
(Many of them children born into the world only because those same members of Congress also believe women and other people with uteri aren't entitled to bodily agency and access to abortion, especially on the government dime.)
There aren't words to convey the depth of my contempt for a party whose official position on hungry children is essentially: "Sucks to be you, kid. You shoulda been born a Romney."
So Broken
In case you somehow managed to forget for two seconds that the US government is profoundly broken and utterly dysfunctional, Republicans have reignited the nomination wars:
Just minutes after the swearing-in of New Jersey Democrat Cory Booker, the Senate dove headfirst back into a standoff over executive and judicial branch nominations.How rare? Nancy Zirkin, Executive Vice President of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, says: "The Senate has not filibustered a sitting member of Congress since before the Civil War."
...Republicans blocked President Barack Obama's pick of Rep. Melvin Watt, D-N.C., to become the top housing finance regulator, and Patricia Ann Millett's nomination to fill one of three vacant seats on the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals. Watt was blocked on a 56-42 vote for cloture, while Millett failed on a 55-38 vote. Sixty votes are needed to avoid a filibuster. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid voted "no" to preserve his right to reconsider the vote.
...The votes drew a quick rebuke from the White House and revived talk of using the "nuclear option" to get around filibusters.
"We really hope there's an opportunity for these nominees to move forward," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said, calling both nominees highly qualified and dismissing the opposition as "politics."
...As a sitting member of the House, the filibuster of Watt is extremely rare.
Still Ill
Morning, everyone. I'm still really under the weather, as the flu seems to be causing complications with my autoimmune disorder. So I'm out for at least another day. I'm really sorry. I'll be back as soon as I can.
Out Today
I have some kind of horrendous flu that came on very suddenly yesterday afternoon, so I'm taking at least today off. Hopefully I'll feel better by tomorrow, but, if not, I'll let you know.
Question of the Day
Suggested by Shaker Harriet_The_Spy: "What's something you have made lately (with photos if appropriate)? I want to see the wonderful baking/art/building/craft/knitting projects that people keep mentioning!"
This will be my favorite show, on one condition...
[W]e need to get serious for a second because there is a sentence coming up after this colon that demands your full attention: NBC has ordered a script for a new procedural about a Boston private investigator who (a) is an angel and (b) can talk to animals.Ohhhhh but I DO. Who has ALREADY successfully played an angel who "chose to embrace earthly life and develop a deep appreciation" for Meg Ryan and her terrible bike riding skills...?
Let's back up. One does not simply order a series about a heavenly private dick who can chit-chat with wildlife. It has to come from somewhere. In this case, that magical place is Thomas Sniegoski's Remy Chandler novels, which Deadline describes as a series "about an angel who, having grown weary of celestial warfare, chose to embrace earthly life and develop a deep appreciation for humans and their vices." And he's not just here deeply appreciating us and our vices, either. He's also fighting crime using his special angel powers, which include things like invisibility, mind reading, the ability to speak any language, and, as I mentioned once in the headline and twice in the text already, the ability to talk to animals. I don't see how this can possibly get any better.
THIS GUY.
His former angel-man clearly had the ability to talk to animals, too. Or, at least appeal enough to dogs that they would sniff his bits, which is practically the same thing.
NBC, I promise this will be my new and forever favorite show, if only you convince Nicolas Cage to be its star. Let's make this happen.
Transcript Update!
Folks, I kept holding off on this update because I really wanted the next update to be "surprise, we're done!!" but that's not going to happen, so here is a "surprise, we're getting super close to the end" update instead. Partly because I want to keep up the excitement and participate (TRANSCRIBE! TRANSCRIBE LIKE THE WIND, LOVELIES!) and partly because I know that ya'll aren't sitting in my study watching me work and I want to reassure everyone that progress is still happening.
SB5 Transcript (Also known as filibuster night.)
This one is almost done. We have literally 4 more videos to transcribe, and 11 videos to proof before going up. I have pinged the volunteers and asked them to try to complete the work by this weekend.
Google Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1c0xuAFFc_6klQ1nrnQ72Qd9Y-o_uG8rSykO4wDgNqFQ/edit
HB2 Transcript
This one is close. We have 21 videos left, but they're mostly short ones. (And 10 videos out for proofing, plus those 21 will need proofing when they're transcribed.) I have asked the volunteers to try to complete these by the end of November.
Google Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1m189STaj8pnOMm73HHwaaw74Yd6BGooyFHYLki8qRMc/edit
SB1 Transcript
This one is also close. We have 19 videos left to transcribe, with 11 videos out for proofing right now. I have asked the volunteers to try to complete these by the end of November.
Google Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VSNRpYtS_uNeHCCl74neHPh1tM6MrAaxuZr2cv_YMeA/edit
The two Citizen Testimonies are still being listened to and spliced. We're about 7 hours into one and 9 hours into the other, which is about halfway done for each.
For awhile, I'd hoped to get this out more formally (i.e., on Kindle and Nook) before the November 5th election day in Texas, but that's not going to happen at this point. That's honestly okay; back when I was expecting to do these by myself, I was sure that the project wouldn't finish in 2013, so we're still way ahead of where I thought we'd be and I'm so proud and grateful to you all. THANK YOU.
My plan forward right now is to start formatting SB5 for a Kindle edition and "update in" the new material (HB2, SB1, and the Citizen Testimonies) as they finish. I'm not sure if that's an option, so I'm going to have to play around a little with the Kindle settings. I was really hoping to do a Kindle Serial with the material, but that takes special permission and I've still not received authorization from Amazon for that.
In addition to the organizing on my end, I also need to contact my cover artist and my editor and speak to them about the project; I want to make sure the finished version is something we can all be happy with. What you can do to help is to complete your videos as quickly as possible (assuming you have any) and/or contact me if you'd like to be added to the list of transcribers -- I NEED MOAR, especially for the upcoming citizen testimonies.
Thank you all!
Daily Dose of Cute
Cat Sandwich!
As always, please feel welcome and encouraged to share pix of the fuzzy, feathered, or scaled members of your family in comments.
Two Americas
[Content Note: Misogyny; racism.]
Gary Langer for ABC News: Poll Finds Vast Gaps in Basic Views on Gender, Race, Religion and Politics.
An almost unfathomable gap divides public attitudes on basic issues involving gender, race, religion and politics in America, fueled by dramatic ideological and partisan divisions that offer the prospect of more of the bitter political battles that played out in Washington this month.Et cetera.
A new ABC News/Fusion poll, marking the launch of the Fusion television network, finds vast differences among groups in trust in government, immigration policy and beyond, including basic views on issues such as the role of religion and the value of diversity in politics, treatment of women in the workplace and the opportunities afforded to minorities in society more broadly.
While these issues divide a variety of Americans, this poll, produced for ABC and Fusion by Langer Research Associates, finds that the gaps in nearly all cases are largest among partisan and ideological groups – so enormous and so fundamental that they seem to constitute visions of two distinctly different Americas.
Consider:
• Among all adults, 53 percent think women have fewer opportunities than men in the workplace. But that ranges from 68 percent of Democrats to 38 percent of Republicans, a difference of 30 percentage points. Comparing the most unlike groups, liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans, it’s 76 vs. 35 percent.
• Forty-one percent overall think nonwhites have fewer opportunities than whites in society. Fifty-six percent of Democrats say so, as do 62 percent of liberal Democrats (more than the number of nonwhites themselves who say so, 51 percent). Among Republicans that dives to 25 percent.
• Forty-three percent of Americans say it would be a good thing if more women were elected to Congress – but the range here is from six in 10 Democrats and liberals alike to just 26 percent of conservatives and 23 percent of Republicans. Instead two-thirds or more in these latter two groups say it makes no difference to them.
Two Americas: One interested in social justice, and one that believes it's already been achieved—or imagines their privileged selves to be the victims of profound injustice.
That feels overwhelming. It is difficult to not become hardened and despondent, reading something like that. I resist it with the resolve to invite my twin countrypersons to empathy, and hope that they affirmatively RSVP.
In the News
Here is some stuff in the news today!
NBC News Investigations published what it clearly feels is a BIG STORY about how the Obama administration knew that millions of people would not be able to keep their health insurance once the Affordable Care Act rolled out. Over at Think Progress, Igor details what's wrong with that story. What's really at issue is not so much that some people will lose their current health coverage (generally for better health coverage), but that Obama sold the plan with the lie (and, ahem, some people pointed out it was a lie at the time) that anyone who loved their health coverage would definitely be able to keep it. The truth is, as Jon puts it so well here: "The scandal is not that reform will change people's insurance. After all, the point of any 'reform' is to change things. The scandal is that Obama lied the whole time and kept lying even after his administration set the rules making sure this impossible promise would never be kept."
The NSA is in hot water, now that Congressional Republicans are pretending to care about surveillance since they calculate it might hurt President Obama. I'd prefer it if they were concerned about it because they have integrity and decency, but we'll have to settle for the principle of Whatever Hurts the Democratic President!
[Content Note: Guns] Sybrina Fulton, Trayvon Martin's mom, is an amazing woman. Today, she will testify before the US Senate Judiciary Committee as part of a hearing on clarifying "Stand Your Ground Laws." Fulton will have to speak in front of Senators who defend these heinous laws. In prepared testimony, she will tell them that Stand Your Ground "in its current form is far to open to abuse."
Fingers crossed: "As lawmakers gather in Honolulu for a special session to consider marriage equality legislation, Hawaiian news outlets are reporting that both chambers have secured the votes necessary for passage."
John McCain definitely thinks Hillary Clinton will run for president and win, because he's already angling for a spot in her cabinet. He's also throwing a bone to Biden, just in case.
This is not good: "Scientists said Monday they have for the first time documented that an Asian carp species has successfully reproduced within the Great Lakes watershed, an ominous development in the struggle to slam the door on the hungry invaders that could threaten native fish."
A Golden Girls Lego Set. WANT.
Liss and Ana Talk About Elementary
[Content Note: Violence; harassment; misogyny. Spoilers for the most recent episode of Elementary.]
"Elementary, my dear Watson! This show has obviously gone right out the window!"
Liss: All right, I just need to start this entire thing by saying I HATED THE ENTIRE SUBPLOT ABOUT SHERLOCK AND JOAN'S FRIEND. I hated it SO MUCH! Everything about it was terrible! And Sherlock DOESN'T WEAR CONDOMS?! WHUT. Nope. No. Nope. Fail.
Ana: OMG, lady, the Friend Subplot. I was going along really side-eying the whole thing because it seemed like we were supposed to be proud of Joan for forging her own path, etc. except that I was wondering if Joan has any friends who AREN'T terrible stereotypes of women, because Friend A makes a match-making profile for her and Friend B has her track down a one-night stand in a way that was setting off my stalker- and privacy-alarm bells right after an episode arc wherein Joan got to find out how it feels to be hacked and tracked down and victimized?? Like, remember when it was creepy because that Nice Guy showed up on her doorstep and I wanted to give the writers cookies for (maybe) recognizing that it was creepy? I TAKE IT BACK. I WAS TOO CHARITABLE. "Hi, I'm the girl you slept with; I had my detective friend find you" is NOT OKAY. Give me my cookies back, Elementary.
And then the Reveal that it was Sherlock All Along was SO awful. He was spying on her? We're going to retcon that in now, even though they were so rarely apart that it was a HUGE plot point and her friends staged an intervention and NOPE NEVERMIND JOAN DIDN'T NOTICE HIM BEING OUT ALL NIGHT LONG WHILE HE WAS SLEEPING WITH HER FRIEND! AND MAYBE DRINKING, EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS TESTING HIM AFTER EVERY ABSENCE! I did sorta cheer a little when she said an apology wouldn't smooth things over (because if they're going to serve us a shit sandwich, I want Joan to at least point out that it's stinky as butts), only I guess she was lying to us, because that seemed to smooth everything over perfectly. *that face*
Liss: It was so bad. SO BAD. And I hate that every time we see Joan with one of her female friends, they're talking about Some Dude. It's like the writers of Elementary are deliberately laughing at the Bechdel Test. "What completely contrived interaction can we conceive in order to make Joan talk about nothing but a dude with any lady to whom she speaks?"
Sure
[Content Note: Hostility to agency; eugenics.]
Republican Senator Rand Paul continues to be a delight:
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Monday warned that the combination of abortion and scientific advances could one day lead to the practice of eugenics.Of course he did.
His speech was in support of Republican Virginia gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli, and naturally it was delivered at Liberty University, that glorious bastion of conservative Christian matriculation founded by the late Jerry Falwell.
Paul looked to energize conservative supporters by warning that genetic tests could identify those who are predisposed to be short, overweight or less intelligent so that they could be eliminated. With one week remaining before Election Day, Cuccinelli is hoping the joint appearance with the U.S. senator from Kentucky will encourage the far-right flank of his party to abandon third-party libertarian spoiler Robert Sarvis.I always love this framing: This EXTREME THING could possibly happen, so let's ban SCIENCE! And ABORTION! Heck, while we're at it, let's not just defund Obamacare; let's ban DOCTORS and MEDICINE!
"In your lifetime, much of your potential - or lack thereof - can be known simply by swabbing the inside of your cheek," Paul said to a packed sporting arena on Liberty's campus. "Are we prepared to select out the imperfect among us?"
Conservatives are so great. They consistently govern expecting the worst of human nature on social issues, despite the fact there is a preponderance of evidence that we can, as a culture, agree to social progress and protections for vulnerable populations, and consistently govern in spite of the worst of human nature on economic issues, despite the fact there is a preponderance of evidence that people with wealth and power do not self-regulate to the benefit of the masses, nor do provide charitable subsidy when a public social safety net is decimated.
Sure, it's possible that we could go down a road where fetuses fated to be aesthetically deviant people are aborted. But, personally, I think we're capable of having that conversation and ultimately making wise decisions about limitations on science that could also save lives.
Of course, I have a terrible habit of expecting more.
Philadelphia Passes Sweeping LGBT Legislation
Here is some good news to start the day!
When Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter signed legislation Thursday to afford equal rights to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, he said he hoped Philadelphia would become "the most LGBT-friendly" city in the world.It would be helpful to many residents of Philadelphia if the state legislature of Pennsylvania legalized same-sex marriage, too. At the moment, Pennsylvania is the only remaining northeast state to have failed to legalize same-sex marriage.
...Nutter, city and state lawmakers and gay rights advocates said the legislation makes Philadelphia the first city in the U.S. to offer tax credits to companies that extend the same health care coverage to LGBT employees' domestic partners and their children as they provide to heterosexual spouses and their children.
Officials said the legislation also makes Philadelphia the first city to offer businesses tax credits as a way to encourage providing transgender-specific health benefits.
Mayor Nutter signs the legislation into law.
"My goal is for Philadelphia to be one of, if not the most, LGBT-friendly cities in the world and a leader on equality issues," said Nutter, adding that the signing struck a personal note because his friend, the late City Councilman John Anderson, was a gay man and a mentor who inspired him 30 years ago to pursue a life of public service.
In addition to the business tax incentives, which were backed by the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce as well as LGBT advocacy groups, and the gender-neutral restrooms, the legislation revises Philadelphia's anti-discrimination law to include transgender people, extends decision-making rights to life partners on medical and other issues, and changes city forms and websites to offer options for same-sex couples and transgender people.
..."This is a city that is truly respecting all its citizens," said state Rep. Brian Sims, a Philadelphia Democrat and the first openly gay candidate to be elected to the Legislature. "It is because of that respect that we are indeed a first-class city and we will continue to shine."
But back to the good news: In addition to the protections mentioned above, the legislation "requires that new or renovated city-owned buildings include gender-neutral bathrooms in addition to traditional men's and women's restrooms." Further: "For trans employees, the new legislation now means they have access to health benefits which include psychotherapy, hormone treatment, hair removal, and gender reassignment surgery." Which should be a basic benefit of any healthcare plan, but isn't.
Good for Philly for taking these important steps. Congratulations to all the trans, lesbian, gay, bi, and allied activists who worked so hard to make this legislation happen.
[Photo via.]
Question of the Day
Originally suggested by Shaker picaflor and requested again by Shaker gwyllion: What mystery would you like to see finally solved?
