Suggested by Shaker kiwi_a: "Puppy-sized elephant or elephant-sized puppy?"
LOLOLOLOLOL! This question delights me! And my answer is 100% puppy-sized elephant. Because I know with unyielding certainty that I could not handle an elephant-sized puppy!
Question of the Day
Your Best Photograph
If you're a photographer, even if a very amateur one (like myself), and you've got a photo or photos you'd like to share, here's your thread for that!
It doesn't really have to be your best photograph—just one you like!
Please be sure if your photo contains people other than yourself, that you have the explicit consent of the people in the photos before posting them.
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Here's one I took not long ago of the eaves of a local restaurant, at dusk, on a particularly gorgeous summer day:
LOL WHUT
[Content Note: Intersectionality fail.]
Bernie Sanders is going to be a magical president:
Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont whose policies are left of mainstream liberals, told David Axelrod that Obama made a "mistake" by expecting he could easily charm the other party into negotiating with him. "He thought he could walk into Capitol Hill and the Oval Office and sit down with John Boehner and Mitch McConnell and the Republicans and say, 'I can't get it all. You can't get it all. Let's work out something that's reasonable,' because he's a reasonable guy. He's a pretty rational guy," Sanders said on the debut episode of "The Axe Files with David Axelrod" podcast.I'll stop there for a moment in order to say I agree with Sanders on this point. One of my major criticisms of President Obama when he ran for president in '08 was that I felt like he was tremendously naïve/arrogant about his capacity to change Washington by sheer force of will, and I was critical of his approach reflecting that belief for the first few years of his presidency. But President Obama isn't that guy anymore, and hasn't been for a long time.
"These guys never had any intention of doing [serious] negotiating and compromising," Sanders added, according to a Politico report. "I think it took the president too long to fully appreciate that."
But okay. I don't disagree with Sanders' criticism that it took Obama too long to get on that page. The problem begins when Sanders is asked how he's going to succeed where Obama failed:
When pressed further about it, Sanders didn't offer an explanation of how he would successfully compromise with GOP lawmakers. The only way things will get done with a divided Congress is if voters pay more attention and demand it, Sanders told Axelrod.Is Sanders suggesting that President Obama didn't have "tens of millions of people [ready] to stand up and be involved in the political process the day after the election"? Because whooooooooooooops. I described being in Chicago literally the day after President Obama was first elected thus:
"I don't have any illusion that I'm going to walk in -- and I certainly hope it is not the case, but if there is a Republican House and a Republican Senate -- that I'm going to walk in there and say, 'Hey guys, listen. I'd like you to work with me on raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour,'" Sanders said. "It ain't gonna happen, I have no illusion about that. The only way that I believe that change takes place…is that tens of millions of people are going to have to stand up and be involved in the political process the day after the election."
Wednesday, the day after the election, the Space Cowpokes, Iain, and I were in Chicago all day, and something incredible had happened. (The same thing was happening in New York, too, as noted by Jon Stewart on The Daily Show, and I've gotten emails from people saying they found the same thing.) It was, like, Crazyhappyland. Everyone was laughing and smiling and being extra nice—spontaneous conversations about music, art, food, life, the election with strangers in elevators, in restaurants, in cabs, on the sidewalk. It was like every single person in Chicago had been told they had 100 years to live. Black, white, gay, straight, woman, man, everybody. People were happy and inspired and excited. A cloud had lifted. In one of the most politically cynical cities in the world, where the people know better than most that policians are fallible beings who often fail to deliver and fuck up in myriad ways, there was still a tangible, beautiful sense of the possible. The entire city was enveloped in great expectations.There was a palpable feeling of excitement and engagement, all over the country. If that didn't translate into enough energy and involvement to overcome the Republicans' gross obstructionism, welp.
Right now, let's believe we can do this.
And because, as I've said no fewer than a nonillion times now, this election is not just about Barack Obama, and his presidency will not be just about Barack Obama, but about us all, there's just this huge chance for something big in that optimism blanketing Chicago on Wednesday.
And I get that Sanders is arguing that he's going to harness what he imagines will be an even greater level of enthusiasm after his hypothetical victory; that he won't squander this precious resource the way he believes Obama did.
Except: It's (almost) eight years later. And no one can walk into Capitol Hill and sit down with John Boehner and say anything anymore, because John Boehner has been pushed out of his party for not being conservative enough.
Just at the very moment that John Boehner is becoming too liberal for the GOP, Sanders thinks he's going to magic a Republican-majority Congress into working with him, with the help of progressive activists like the ones over whose work the GOP is currently threatening to shut down the government?
SOUNDS LEGIT.
I'll also just note that it's pretty hard to build a progressive coalition when you bellicosely stick to a message tailored very particularly to straight white cis working class men and ignore criticism around a failure of intersectionality and instead just keep insisting that your class-based message should appeal to everyone, because you're an undeterrable subscriber to the notion of trickle-down social justice.
If Sanders genuinely imagines he's going to achieve what President Obama could not (and I'll just mention here that President Obama has hardly failed in toto to promote and oversee meaningful transformation during his presidency, even if he has not succeeded and deserves criticism in other areas) by engaging tens of millions of activists, he'd better start making some serious moves to bring those activists to the table.
Because, right now, the whole "stop playing identity politics and get on board" shtick just feels like another variation on the same old "where else ya gonna go?" chestnut. Which is about as uninspiring as politics gets.
But also? Whether Sanders manages to successfully build a huge coalition is frankly irrelevant in terms of executive branch politics. This is not a serious answer to a very important question. It's a vague concept that relies on an increasingly outdated notion about how much influence average people (without endless amounts of cash and access) have over Congressional legislators.
Disengagement is indeed a big problem, but so are disenfranchisement and disillusionment. And lobbyists. And Citizens United.
If Sanders is betting his presidential efficacy on a people's uprising, we have a big problem.
Especially when some of the people are still trying to stop others from rising.
[H/T to Shaker Aphra_Behn.]
The Wednesday Blogaround
This blogaround brought to you by cough drops.
Recommended Reading:
Shena: [Content Note: Abortion stigma. NB: Not only women need access to abortion] Shattering the Stigma of Abortion
Leah: [CN: Anti-choice trolling] Pink Out! (Also, Deftly Handling Some Trolls)
Miriam: [CN: Racism; class warfare] Navajo Midwives in New Mexico Plan First-Ever Native American Birth Center
stavvers: [CN: Rape culture; victim-blaming] Walking Home Alone: A Manifesto for Preventing Rape
Asam: [CN: Transphobia; gender policing; racism; classism] An Interview with Panmai, a Trans and Mixed-Caste Theatre Troupe from India
David: [CN: Disablism] A Day in the Life at Chicago Public Schools: Special Ed
Fannie: [CN: Homophobia; Christian Supremacy] Christian School Denies Entry to Child of Same-Sex Couple
Teresa: Jennifer Lopez Becomes United Nations' First Global Advocate for Women and Girls
Leave your links and recommendations in comments. Self-promotion welcome and encouraged!
Daily Dose of Cute
"Where's Matilda? I can't see her at all!"
"Oh there she is! I was totally fooled!"
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...
[Content Note: Misogyny; war on agency] Yesterday I posted a short representative clip of the rude-ass rude behavior of rude-ass rude Republicans toward Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards during her Congressional testimony, but if you'd like to see every single time a Republican interrupted Richards, here you go!
[CN: Death penalty] The state of Georgia has executed convicted killer Kelly Gissendaner despite appeals for a commutation of her sentence to life in prison, making Gissendaner the first woman executed in Georgia in 70 years. Gissendaner was convicted of conspiring with her former boyfriend to kill her husband. Her former boyfriend is the one who actually killed her husband, but he "was given life in prison as part of a plea bargain." Even Gissendaner's children with the victim begged for clemency, but to no avail. My condolences to them. End the death penalty now.
[CN: Guns; death; injury] The extraordinary number of shootings in Chicago has Mayor Rahm Emanuel (whose garbage policies are entrenching the poverty and desperation and marginalization in the communities in which most of these shootings are happening) calling again for stricter gun laws: "Fourteen people, including two young boys, were shot in Chicago over a 15-hour period from Monday night to Tuesday morning. Six people were killed and at least eight were wounded, following two consecutive weekends when more than 50 people were shot in the city. Chicago's mayor, Rahm Emanuel, and police officials repeated their calls for stricter gun laws and a more robust criminal justice system. 'I'm angry about what happened here and I think I speak for everybody,' Emanuel said on Tuesday. 'And I think I speak for everybody when I say enough is enough.'" Yes. But also? Stop investing in tourist garbage and start investing in neglected communities, Mr. Mayor.
[CN: Sexual harassment] OMFG I couldn't make this shit up: Indiana State Representative Jud McMillin, a "rising star" in the Republican Party and chair of the House Courts and Criminal Code committee (lololol), abruptly resigned yesterday "after a sexually explicit video was sent via text message from McMillin's cell phone. It's unclear who sent the text or how broadly it was distributed. [McMillan] sent a separate text message apologizing to his contacts for "anything offensive" they may have received after he said he lost control of his cell phone. ...McMillin said in a text message last week, 'My phone was stolen in Canada and out of my control for about 24 hours. I have just been able to reactivate it under my control. Please disregard any messages you received recently. I am truly sorry for anything offensive you may have received.'" LOL OKAY PLAYER. McMillan said he is resigning "to focus all of my attention on making my family's world a better place." Lucky them!
[CN: Infertility; fat bias; ageism; relationship policing] This is pretty amazing: "Ten British women without wombs will get the chance to carry their own babies after approval was granted by a special research committee which covers Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. A clinical trial will launch in the spring and more than 100 women have been identified as potential recipients of donor wombs. ...If the trial is successful, the first British baby born as a result of a womb transplant could arrive in late 2017 or 2018, with more in the future." Although naturally, fat women, older women, and women who don't want a partner need not apply: "The 10 women who will be selected for the trial must all meet strict criteria, which includes being 38 or under, having a long-term partner, and being a healthy weight."
What is Lawrence Lessig even talking about? "If you support Bernie, you're not going to get Hillary. If you support Hillary, you're not going to get Bernie. But if you support me, you could get Hillary or Bernie or Elizabeth Warren or somebody. This is two for the price of one." That assumes we want him. Facts not in evidence, Your Honor.
Here's a cool headline today: "Bill Gates Named America's Richest Person for 22nd Straight Year." Neat! How's everyone else doing?
[CN: Domestic violence] Good grief: Lena Dunham has had to apologize (sort of) for comparing being attacked online to an abusive relationship. "I wasn't making a joke about domestic violence—I was over emphatic in my attempt to capture how damaging the Internet can be (not just to celebrities.)" The thing is, internet abuse is bad enough and real enough on its own. There's no need to use metaphors that appropriate other types of abuse.
Cool: "Nicki Minaj is set to executive produce and appear in a scripted comedy series for ABC Family based on the rap star's life growing up in Queens, New York. The project, from Aaron Kaplan's Kapital Entertainment, will film a pilot episode in Minaj's hometown this winter, with the intention to continue to series."
Awesome: "Alden Kane, a Detroit high school student, created a custom adaptable stroller that will allow new mother Sharina Jones—who uses a wheelchair—to take her baby for a walk... The 16-year-old is a senior at the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and began developing the apparatus in his STEM class in the spring, after receiving an assignment to create a device that would let a mother in a wheelchair easily carry her baby, according to a news release from the university. Jones was to be the recipient of the prototype. ...Kane consulted Jones during the design process, using her July due date as the motivating force to efficiently complete the project."
[CN: Injury; bullying] What a lovely story: "For 38 years, a few black-and-white photographs of a nurse cradling a baby provided comfort to a woman who suffered terrible burns and endured years of playground taunts and painful surgeries thereafter. For all that time, until Tuesday, she dreamed of meeting her again. The photos [shot for the Albany Medical Center's 1977 annual report] show Amanda Scarpinati at just 3 months old, her head thickly wrapped in gauze, resting calmly in the nurse's arms. ...'Growing up as a child, disfigured by the burns, I was bullied and picked on, tormented,' she said. 'I'd look at those pictures and talk to her, even though I didn't know who she was. I took comfort looking at this woman who seemed so sincere, caring for me.'" Scarpinati finally found the nurse, Susan Berger, via Facebook. "Preserved by the photos, their encounters in the pediatric recovery room turned out to have a lasting impact on both their lives. ...Both women were thrilled to see each other again Tuesday, sobbing and embracing as cameras clicked all around them in a medical center conference room. ...Someone asked if their reunion might be the start of a lifelong friendship. Scarpinati had a quick answer to that: 'It already has been a lifelong friendship. She just didn't know.'"
[CN: Disablist language] And finally! "25 Hilarious Tweets That Perfectly Capture Your Feelings About Animals." LOL.
Russia Launches Airstrikes in Syria
[Content Note: War.]
Ohhhhhhhh fuck:
Russian warplanes began airstrikes in Syria on Wednesday, adding an unpredictable new element to a multi-layered conflict that has already drawn in the United States and allies, created millions of refugees, and opened room for gains by the Islamic State.There is so much potential clusterfuckery here. Obviously, there are a lot of ramifications for international relations, particularly between the US and Russia, and that concerns me, but my primary concern at the moment is for the average people of Syria who are suffering mightily at the hands of both IS and the Assad regime, as well as being threatened by external intervention under the auspices of helping them. People who stay are in danger; people who leave are in danger.
Washington quickly criticized the airstrikes — warning it brings added risks to Syria — but said Moscow's moves would not change the U.S.-led air campaign targeting the Islamic State in Syria.
In Moscow, a statement from Russia's Defense Ministry said airstrikes were carried out "against positions held by the Islamic State in Syrian territory," state news agencies reported.
It gave no further details, but the missions follow a Russian military build-up in Syria to support its longtime ally President Bashar al-Assad. Earlier Wednesday, in a surprise vote, the Russian parliament gave President Vladimir Putin authorization to use military force in Syria.
...The introduction of Russian military power is certain to deepen concerns by the United States and allies over escalations in the Syrian battle fronts and bolstered strength for Assad's government, which the West and others have demanded must eventually step aside.
...Amid the fast-moving developments, Secretary of State John F. Kerry told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that the Russian airstrikes are "not helpful," according to a senior State Department official speaking anonymously about the Russia military activity.
Kerry also told Lavrov the airstrikes run counter to Russia's stated intention to cooperate on so-called "deconfliction," or making sure that mishaps do not happen inadvertently in the air.
The official said Kerry insisted deconfliction talks must begin immediately.
And more airstrikes from additional interlopers is only going to make that insecurity and risk of harm even worse.
I'm SHOCKED (I Am Not Shocked)
[Content Note: War on agency; harassment.]
After those garbage "sting" videos of Planned Parenthood were released by an anti-choice organization claiming to have "proof" that Planned Parenthood sells fetal tissue for profit, 11 states launched investigations into Planned Parenthood's fetal tissue sales. Six states—Pennsylvania, Georgia, Massachusetts, South Dakota, Indiana, and Florida—had already concluded their investigations and found no evidence of any wrongdoing, and yesterday Missouri made it seven.
In a statement released Monday, Missouri's Attorney General announced that there was "no evidence whatsoever to suggest that Planned Parenthood's St. Louis facility is selling fetal tissue." The findings came after an audit of every procedure performed by the state’s only authorized abortion facility over a 30-day span.Welp.
Good luck, Arizona, Texas, Ohio, and Louisiana. I'm sure you'll definitely turn up THE PROOF! that none of these other states could find during your politically motivated investigations that are nothing but, and are never going to be anything but, intimidation of people who provide (and seek) abortions.
Assholes.
Your Progressive Pope, Part Wev in an Endless Series
[Content Note: Homophobia.]
So, homophobic Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis says that she met the Pope in a secret meeting during his trip to the United States:
Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis says a private meeting with Pope Francis has inspired her — and given her a renewed sense of purpose.There are, at this point, no photos of the meeting—which is causing lots of people to question the veracity of the story. And the Vatican isn't exactly helping, as a statement from from the Vatican Press office reads: "The Holy See is aware of the reports of Kim Davis meeting with the Holy Father. The Vatican does not confirm the meeting, nor does it deny the meeting. There will be no further information given."
"I was crying. I had tears coming out of my eyes," Davis said in an exclusive interview with ABC News.
"I'm just a nobody, so it was really humbling to think he would want to meet or know me."
Davis, who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, says the private meeting occurred during the pope's historic trip to the United States. After receiving a surprise phone call from a church official, the Kentucky county clerk says she traveled to Washington, D.C., where she and her husband Joe met the pope Sept. 24 at the Vatican Embassy.
"I put my hand out and he reached and he grabbed it, and I hugged him and he hugged me," Davis said. "And he said, 'thank you for your courage.'"
Um, okay.
We do know that Pope Francis held a secret meeting while he was here with the Little Sisters of the Poor, the religious order of Catholic sisters who are suing the Obama administration over the contraception provision in the Affordable Care Act.
And we know that Pope Francis made comments in support of conscientious objection on his flight back to Rome.
And we know that Pope Francis is very aware of the optics of his papacy and the Church in the modern age. I have been saying for two years that the primary difference between Pope Francis and his predecessors is not that he's more liberal, but that he's more invested in PR.
So I wouldn't be shocked if it is indeed true that he met with a reviled figure of US liberals in order to congratulate her on her bravery, but did so in secret so as not to undermine the glowing coverage of how amazing he is. Saying/doing one thing publicly, only to quietly reverse course or have the Vatican issue a "clarification" days later, has been a feature of his tenure since Day One. All the fawning media over his "radical" positions of basic decency on climate change, poverty, and the death penalty might have been overshadowed if he held public meeting with the Little Sisters of the Poor and (supposedly) Kim Davis.
Anyone who imagines it's not even possible for the Pope to have met with Kim Davis hasn't been paying attention.
This Pope isn't a liberal. His positions aren't even particularly better, especially on social issues, than his predecessors—he's just a much more sophisticated spinmaster. And he cunningly exploits our habits of not paying close attention, if we hear something that suits our hopes.
I will observe once again: Progressives' fascination with Pope Francis is mystifying. It is beyond the soft bigotry of low expectations. It is an epic failure to expect more.
Question of the Day
Suggested by Shaker ericacbarnett: "What is the name of your imaginary band?"
I call "new band name!" about a biebillion times a week, and they are all AMAZING (they are not amazing), so it's impossible to choose just one.
The Make-Up Thread
Here is your semi-regular make-up thread, to discuss all things make-up.
Do you have a make-up product you'd recommend? Are you looking for the perfect foundation which has remained frustratingly elusive? Need or want to offer make-up tips? Searching for hypoallergenic products? Want to grouse about how you hate make-up? Want to gush about how you love it?
Whatever you like—have at it!
* * *
No foundation or eyes today: I tried out a product I got in my Birch Box, a sample of Laqa & Co's Cheeky Lip pencil in "Humble Brag." It's a color stick that can be used for both lips and cheeks, and, I have to admit, I was kind of dubious, but I really like it! It goes on nicely on both lips and cheeks, and I dig how it creates a whole cohesive look with one item.
It doesn't have terrific staying power (for me) as a lip color, but I still like it and will definitely use it again.
Anyway! What's up with you?
* * *
Please note, as always, that advice should be not be offered to an individual person unless they solicit it. Further: This thread is open to everyone—women, men, genderqueer folks. People who are make-up experts, and people who are make-up newbies. Also, because there is a lot of racist language used in discussions of make-up, and in make-up names, please be aware to avoid turns of phrase that are alienating to women of color, like "nude" or "flesh tone" when referring to a peachy or beige color. I realize some recommended products may have names that use these words, so please be considerate about content noting for white supremacist (and/or Orientalist) product naming.
Rage. Seethe. Boil.
[Content Note: Misogyny; war on agency.]
Today, Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards testified in front of the House Oversight Committee as part of the entirely ridiculous Congressional investigation launched by Republicans after an anti-choice group released highly-edited gotcha videos purporting to show Planned Parenthood employees doing something wrong, even though those discredited videos showed no illegal or unethical behavior at all.
It is an absurd indignity that Richards would even be dragged through this farce, but here is just a short clip of House Oversight Committee Chair, Republican Utah Representative Jason Chaffetz, questioning Richards in the most aggressively disrespectful manner, to give you some idea of how Richards was treated during her testimony.
Richards: —every year. Thank you.This is not a serious inquiry being done by serious people. It's a witch hunt being carried out by unethical shitlords who don't even have the common decency not to interrupt the answers they're allegedly seeking. Because, of course, they don't want answers. What they want is a spectacle. What they want is to discredit Planned Parenthood. What they want is to limit abortion access. What they want is control over women and our bodies.
Chaffetz: Thank you. I'll now recognize myself for five minutes. Um, Ms. Richards, Planned Parenthood has sent thirty-two plus million dollars in grants overseas. Does any of these funds [sic] go to the Democratic Republic of the Congo?
Richards: Congressman, let me tell you—
Chaffetz: No no no. No. We don't have time for a big narrative.
Richards: I'm not going to give you— You asked me—
Chaffetz: Yes or no.
Richards: You asked me a question. Any of the money that Planned Parenthood raises and is given by foundations and individuals to support family planning services around [I think she meant "outside"] the country is in Africa and in Latin America, and they go to individual organizations. I'm happy to provide you a list of those organizations, but I did not bring them with me today—
Chaffetz: If you could give us a list of those organizations... Does Planned Parenthood have any ownership in foreign—foreign companies?
Richards: I don't believe so. I don't know what you mean by ownership—
Chaffetz: Well, in your 2013 tax return, it lists three point three million dollars marked as, quote, investment, unquote, in Central America and the Caribbean. I'm just asking if that investment was an actual investment.
Richards: We don't own anything in those countries. What our global—
Chaffetz: Okay. We can keep going.
Richards: Well, I—
Chaffetz: I have to keep going. I need—I would appreciate a list—and you've been very cooperative so far—
Richards: We have been extremely cooperative.
Chaffetz: Yeah, and I just cited that. If you can give us a listing, as you said you would, of where those dollars go overseas, we would very much appreciate it. Your—your compensation in 2009 was three hundred and fifty-three thousand dollars. Is that correct?
Richards: I don't have the figures with me, but I—
Chaffetz: It was. Congratulations. Um, in 2013, your compensation went up some two hundred and forty thousand dollars. You—your compensation we're showing at baseline tax returns as five hundred and ninety thousand dollars, correct?
Richards: That's not my annual compensation. I actually—my annual compensation is five hundred and twenty thousand dollars a year. I believe there was a retirement—there was a program that the board, um, a sort of—put together for a three-year—
Chaffetz: Okay.
Richards: I'm happy— Again, I think we've been extremely forthcoming with all of our documents, so—
Chaffetz: Let me go to the next one.
A female representative offscreen: Will the gentleman yield?
Chaffetz: No I won't. Planned Parenthood and its lobbying arm, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, uh—
And that should be manifestly obvious to anyone watching a male congressman assert his control over the female president of an organization that primarily provides healthcare services to women.
This is an exercise in the assertion of patriarchy, being funded by the taxpayers' dime.
He Seems Nice
[Content Note: Misogyny; rape culture.]
Now that the extreme rightwing of the Republican Party has successfully ousted that liberal rabble-rouser John Boehner, they've got their sites set on a supercool replacement: Florida Representative Daniel Webster, who is affiliated with the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), a ministry founded by Bill Gothard, whose name you might recognize from his association with the Duggars.
[University of North Florida professor Julie Ingersoll] writes that Webster's speeches to Gothard's group emphasized that "God is on his side and that God opposes his opponents," even "attribut[ing] the fact that he has often run unopposed to God's intervention as a result of these prayers."And he's the BFF of the favorite choice of Congressional rightwingers to be Speaker of the House.
Most controversially, Webster spoke at one IBLP event about the need for wives to submit to their husbands and for husbands to be the heads of their households, which, as Sarah Posner notes, is strongly in line with Gothard's views about the dominance of male authority.
...Last year, Gothard faced accusations of sexual harassment from 34 women and charges that he engineered a cover-up of abuse claims.
House Majority Leader and California Representative Kevin McCarthy is still more likely to succeed Boehner, and this is the voting record of the more "moderate" choice. Anti-choice, anti-gay, anti-parental leave, anti-universal healthcare, anti-amnesty, anti-affirmative action, pro-corporation, pro-death penalty, pro-gun, pro-war. And he's not conservative enough for many Congressional Republicans.
They want to go with a guy who believes women are the property of their fathers and/or husbands. In the year of our lord Jesus Jones two thousand and fifteen.
I don't even know what to say anymore.
Daily Dose of Cute
Says Zelly: "IT'S A DAY!!!"
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...
Good, now let's make some shit happen! "This weekend, on the 20th anniversary of the fourth world conference on women in Beijing, leaders from around the globe met in New York City to discuss concrete and measurable plans for eliminating discrimination against women. ...'The highest leaders in the land are taking personal responsibility for their commitment to gender equality and the empowerment of women,' UN Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said. 'Now the world looks up to them to lead the game-changing actions that secure and sustain implementation. Today we take the first firm steps towards 25 September, 2030.'"
[Content Note: War on agency] Good news—for now: "An El Paso clinic shuttered by Texas' tough 2013 abortion law reopened Tuesday, the first in the state to do so since the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily blocked enforcement of some of the key restrictions three months ago. The Reproductive Services clinic, so close to the Texas-Mexico border that its windows offer views of Ciudad Juarez across the Rio Grande, is now taking appointments and should begin performing abortions next week. The reopening brings to 20 the number of abortion clinics in America's second most-populous state. But that's still down from 41 in 2012, and the facility could close again soon. A June 29 Supreme Court order only created a temporary block that will hold until the high court decides whether to hear an appeal of a lower court ruling refusing to suspend the Texas restrictions. It's not clear when that decision will come, but the summer ruling is a strong indication that the Supreme Court eventually will hear the full appeal—which could be the biggest abortion case in decades. 'We're so excited about the reopening, but the discouraging part is we could be closed down at any time,' said Marilyn Eldridge, president of Nova Health Systems, which operates Reproductive Services."
[CN: Moving GIFs at link; discussion of transphobia] Blub foreverrrr: "Erica Maison, a mother of five from Detroit, surprised her transgender daughter Corey with her first dose of hormones—something the 14-year-old had been waiting over two years to receive. She managed to capture the emotional moment on video." THE LOOK ON COREY'S FACE!!!
[CN: Rape culture; sex abuse] "Lawyers for Dennis Hastert are reportedly in negotiations about a possible guilty plea to charges the former House Speaker was paying to cover-up alleged sexual misconduct with a former male student." I'm sure he'll get a terrific deal, because of course he will. In the meantime: "Hastert remains free on his own recognizance."
Here's just a real story on CNN today: "The Chuck Norris-Mike Huckabee bromance is alive and well." For fuck's sake.
Rush Limbaugh, at maximum Limbaugh: "Okay so there's flowing water on Mars. Yip yip yip yahoo. You know me, I'm science 101, big time guy, tech advance it, you know it, I'm all in. But, NASA has been corrupted by the current regime. I want to find out what they're going to tell us. OK, flowing water on Mars. If we're even to believe that, what are they going to tell us that means? That's what I'm going to wait for. Because I guarantee, let's just wait and see, this is September 28, let's just wait and see. Don't know how long it's going to take, but this news that there is flowing water on Mars is somehow going to find its way into a technique to advance the leftist agenda." Blink.
RIP Catherine Coulson, who most famously played the Log Lady on Twin Peaks. Said David Lynch: "Today I lost one of my dearest friends, Catherine Coulson. Catherine was solid gold. She was always there for her friends—she was filled with love for all people—for her family—for her work. She was a tireless worker. She had a great sense of humor—she loved to laugh and make people laugh. She was a spiritual person—a longtime TM meditator. She was the Log Lady." She was the Log Lady.
Awwwwwww: "The newly discovered Angustopila dominikae is a really tiny snail. With a shell height of just .86 millimeters, nearly 10 of the creatures could fit into the head of a sewing needle."
And finally! "The Happiest Cats Who Show the Best Smiles." I can't be arsed setting up an account to submit a picture, but, if I could, this picture of Olivia is definitely the one I'd submit!
Today in Rape Culture
[Content Note: Sexual violence; child abuse; death; malicious prosecution.]
This is one of the most catastrophic police failures in a rape case about which I've ever read, which is really saying something.
Lara McLeod was raped by her sister's fiancé Joaquin Rams, who himself conveyed to police that the rape had happened by denying it before they even asked. The police compelled Lara to file a report, then they disbelieved her, despite the fact that Rams had a criminal history that included being suspected of two murders and abusing his older son, based largely on "evidence" in the form of a recording of the rape which was provided by Rams and was clearly edited. So they charged her with making a false report and accused her of conspiring with her sister Hera McLeod, who had a son with Rams, to invent the accusation to assist in a custody battle (that wasn't even happening until after Rams raped Lara). That eventually aided Rams in getting visitation with his younger son with Hera, who subsequently died while in Rams' care.
It continues to be a real fucking mystery why lots of rape survivors don't want to report the crimes against them to police.
And after destroying this family, the police defend their actions and refuse to apologize:
In a private meeting with the McLeods, the chief of police admitted the department bungled aspects of the investigation...but he stressed that women do lie about rape, so it was important for officers not to be too credulous — and that it was only his "personal opinion" that police shouldn't have pressed charges.Let me just say for the eleventy millionth time: That a rape cannot be sufficiently "proven" to authorities does not mean a rape didn't happen. That even many police officers evidently believe that if they can't "prove" a rape happened it means the report must be false is terrifying. And hardly consistent with the "cutting edge" training the officers handling Lara's case are supposed to have had.
"It is not uncommon for people to make false, malicious, salacious allegations of sexual assault," he said. "That does happen."
...The family had specific requests: Train officers on how to properly respond to sexual assault. Discipline the detectives that charged the sisters. Make a public statement, so someone who googles Lara — a potential employer, say — would not see the outlandish charges.
"A few of your concerns, I think, have been corroborated," Chief Hudson told Hera in the meeting, a recording of which was obtained by BuzzFeed News. He admitted that the decision to allow Joaquin to recover the video was "improper" and "violates our policies on handling evidence." Hudson said the police report was "sloppy" and he thought some aspects of the investigation had been "shortcutted."
"I think fatigue played a part in this," he said, "and not a good part."
Hudson admitted that the detectives had "reached a conclusion and didn't pursue it further" and that, "in hindsight," he would "prefer that the charges not have been made."
"One of the shortcomings in this case is the fact that they didn't do further investigation on the specific charge against you," he said to Hera. "To leap to the conclusion that you needed to be charged at the time you did I thought was cut short."
But he said there was nothing "technically improper" with the charges brought against Hera and Lara, as it was the detectives' "judgment call." And, he said, even if the police hadn't charged them, Joaquin still wouldn't have been arrested for rape. When Hera asked whether it was common for the department to charge women with falsely reporting rape, Chief Hudson said that he didn't know if he would "call it an aberration." The department deals with about 9 or 10 charges of false reporting a year out of 80–100 reports, he said.
As for the idea that his officers needed further instruction on handling sexual assault cases, he said their training was already "cutting edge." He said they would address some issues internally but could not elaborate on what or how.
"Is there nothing your department can do to say 'we made some mistakes and we're fixing them?'" Hera asked.
"I would certainly think that it would be possible for me to say, in this investigation we uncovered some concerns about the methods used in the investigation that we are addressing administratively and internally," Chief Hudson said, but he would have to ask their attorneys. "That's probably about as far as I'd be able to go." He couldn't say Hera and Lara should never have been charged at all, because that was just his "personal opinion," he said.
...In July, Prince William Detective Samuel Walker said it's standard protocol to arrest people for falsely reporting rape because the department tries "to deter false allegations," but "only if they can determine that the person is at fault." However, he said, the department does not track how often it arrests people for falsely reporting sexual assault to a police officer, making it impossible to know how big — or how small — the problem actually is. Walker also said the department would be unable to provide BuzzFeed News with data detailing the number of women who report sexual assault per year to the Prince William police, or with a clear breakdown of how many of those reports are deemed "unfounded" and why.
Would that we spent as much time talking about rapists who are fucking liars, cops who understand or care shit about the rape culture and rape victims, and the extraordinary courage it takes for survivors to report because of the colossal risk of being disbelieved and punished, legally and/or socially, for reporting, as we do talking about the vanishingly small percentage of false reports, most of which are actually not even truly false reports but accounts of actual rapes that are simply disbelieved by the people tasked with justice.
I take up space beside Lara and Hera McLeod, and I believe them.
Shaker Gardens: September Edition
Shaker Gardens is usually Aphra_Behn's beat, and there's a darn good reason for that—because I have the ungreenest thumb that has ever thumbed! But our lovely neighbor, who has enviable garden skills and an abundance of generosity, brought us some of the gorgeous yield from her garden, so Aphra consented to let me take over today so I could share a picture and invite you to share tales or pics of what's happening in your gardens during this season.
Mmmmmmmmmm veggies.
I love the fresh vegetables she brings us. She also brought us a bunch of cherry tomatoes, and they are beyond delicious. They taste like the essence of tomato and sunshine.
To quote Aphra: "How about you, Shakers? How does your garden grow? Please feel free to share your tales and trials. Whether your 'garden' is a pot on the windowsill or an acre in the country, post away! (And if you're in the Southern Hemisphere, please feel free to join in with whatever is appropriate to this season or past/future seasons!) As always, please respect that different gardeners have different goals and needs, whether those be saving money or water or space, gardening organically or with other goals, etc."
