What's the biggest threat to our democracy today? Terrorism, domestic or otherwise? Our struggling economy? The crumbling and under-funded public education system? No; according to Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), the biggest threat to democracy is.... liberal media bias.
Smith added, "I want the American people to get the facts and then be allowed to make up their own minds, not be told what to think."Okay, Mr. Smith, I've got the facts, and I've made up my mind: you're an idiot.
What are you reading these days? I just opened up Hungry Monkey*. You can read an excerpt from it here. The author is, so far, a man after my own cooking parenting heart. Just started it though and haven't really read the recipes in depth, so no real review on my part yet.
*Houghton Mifflin Harcourt did send me this book
Since we're talking about PSAs lately.
Let's keep things simple.
What is your viewing pleasure at the moment?
I am watching Torchwood season one again. After I finish that, I will watch the last three episodes of Doctor Who season three because Captain Jack ran off at the end of TW season one and strapped himself to the Tardis. Then, I will watch Torchwood season two in anticipation for Torchwood: Children of Earth. WHEW!
Intermingled with all that viewing are episodes of Designing Women season one, finally released on DVD.
I have an urge to watch some Gloria Swanson silents, but that will wait for now.
I wane all the time about posting. Often I am in mood to do so. Here lately, I don't care. So, in order to post something (HA!) I will babble about food. In my Random Photo post at PR for today, I posted photos of dried veggies.
I bought a new dehydrator and had some carrots and celery in the bin that would rot before I used them. Other than a fondness for Vidalia onions, I haven't had an appetite. Booze excluded. What can a boy do? I created my own dried veggie concoction à la Lipton. I pulled out the trusty mandolin and sliced the carrots. I chopped every bit of the celery and added some precious Vidalias. I turned the dehydrator on and waited. Hours later, I had dried veggies. I tossed them all in the food processor for a course chop; then added some freshly grounded pepper and Lawry's seasoning salt. Voilà!
During this time, I brought some cream cheese to room temperature and defrosted some frozen spinach and artichokes. I prefer frozen artichokes than the canned variety. I tossed everything in the mixer with half a cup of my dehydrated veggie mix, a big old dollop of Duke's mayonnaise and a hefty dose of cayenne pepper. Scraped it all in a bowl and tomorrow, after sufficient refrigeration, I have a lovely dip for snacking.
Simple times.
What is my spirit of choice for this upcoming snacking session? Decisions, decisions.
(Cross-posted)
From Kyle Ryan at A.V. Club:
In Chicago, it's easy to take Koko Taylor for granted: The "Queen of the Blues" seemed immortal, always performing or just about to head out on the road. Here's hoping you had a chance to see her at one of those thousands of performances, as the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting Taylor has died at 80.
Taylor had been in the hospital for surgery to repair a "gastrointestinal bleed," and as recently as a couple weeks ago was expected to make a full recovery. Details are sketchy at this point, but it appears her death was due to complications from the procedure.
New Hampshire is the sixth state in the United States to legalize same-sex marriage.
Traditionally conservative New Hampshire today became the sixth state in the nation to legalize gay marriage, after a bill was enacted by both the state House and Senate and then signed by Governor John Lynch.
"Today we're standing up for the liberties of same-sex couples by making clear they will receive the same rights, responsibilities and respect under New Hampshire law," Lynch said before signing the bill at about 5:20 p.m.
Lynch said it was a New Hampshire tradition "to come down on the side of individual liberties and protections and that tradition continues today."
I move like a slug today. I pause, reflect, pause, brain goes numb, then stare into oblivion. The world revolves.
Osama releases an audio tape as President Obama says "thank you" in Arabic. Oh noes! He's a terrorist! Secret agenda! Hide the children!Newt Gingrich is a tool. (AP)Maine's topless coffee shop gutted by fire. (AP)As if it was ever lost, 'Rediscovering God in America.'Nancy Reagan unveiled a statue.Obama merchandising continues. (Spiegel)Marilynne Robinson wins Orange prize. (Guardian)Air France tragedy deals a blow to the arts. (LA)Madame Bovary goes interactive. (Prospect)The official site of Benny Goodman.Catalogue of Digitized Medieval Manuscripts.Exene Cervenka, of the legendary band X, diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. (Spin) How to unleash your brain's inner genius.
(Cross-posted at Petulant Rumblings)
Ever wondered how to get those fabulous onion strings? Wonder no more! These are so freaking good on top of a homemade bacon cheese burger or grilled chicken sandwich, or grilled portobella! Whatever you like. Heck, they're good just right off the plate!
If you get them really, really thin, it'll probably take more like a minute and a half versus three minutes--just make sure to watch for when they turn golden brown since they still cook for a bit after you've taken them out of the oil. Enjoy!Crispy Onion Strings
1 large sweet onion
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1/2 cup milk
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon kosher salt
ground pepper
chili powder
(other spices...chipotle chile powder, cayenne pepper, etc...)
Canola oil
--Slice the onion as thin as humanly possible without slicing some finger strings and separate out the rings.
--Put rings in large bowl, top with ranch and milk, toss to coat. You may need more milk/ranch to make sure all rings are covered (but they don't have to be floating in it). Put in fridge for at least an hour.
--Bring oil (enough that you're able to drop onions completely into it) in deep pan (or deep fryer) to 375. Mix flour with salt and spices.
--Dredge onions in flour mix, shake off excess. Drop into hot oil for about 3 minutes/until golden. Drain on plate covered w/paper towel.
This Blogaround is brought to you by Shaxco, makers of Shaxe World Spray. Shaxe binds to molecules of Axe body spray and associated particles of desperation, thwarted entitlement, and Niceguyonium* and pulls them from the atmosphere. A sort of Febreeze of the Soul, if you will.
Shaxe World Spray: Standing up for yourself and your friends is omg way betterer like whoa!
(advertising slogan borrowed from shaker SugarLeigh in comments. Thanks!)
----
*a newly-discovered element that has likely been around for millenia.
But seriously, let's get down to it:
Melissa has a new piece up at The Guardian's Comment is free America about the murder of Dr. George Tiller: A murderous wake-up call
Zuska: Silence Is The Enemy
Latoya Peterson: Of Thin Blue Lines, Race, and Stereotypes
Wired: China Censors: The Tiananmen Square Anniversary Will Not Be Tweeted
Laila Lalami: Department of WTF
AmandaW: Let's talk about sex
Barbara Fisher: And The Beet Goes On...My Wrist (And in My Salad)
Passive Aggressive Notes: blowing smoke
Sociological Images: Geez, What a Tool!
President Obama told a French TV station that the United States could be considered one of the largest Muslim countries in the world.
Now, the flip side is I think that the United States and the West generally, we have to educate ourselves more effectively on Islam. And one of the points I want to make is, is that if you actually took the number of Muslims [sic] Americans, we'd be one of the largest Muslim countries in the world. And so there's got to be a better dialogue and a better understanding between the two peoples.The point he was making was that since there are a lot of different faiths and practices here in the US, we Americans need to open ourselves up to understanding other countries.
Crossposted from AngryBlackBitch.com.
Let’s jump right on in, shall we?
A bitch read this piece about a new poll that found that just over half of Americans think torture can be justified as a tool to “thwart” a terrorist attack and it made my soul ache.
Actions have consequences and, in this case, the campaign to amplify fear while at the same time twist reality has apparently resulted in more than half of Americans having lost their motherfucking minds.
I don’t give a hot damn if knees jerk at this…trusting the integrity of information gleaned from torture is no different than an employer trusting feedback on a project from an employee she just threatened to fire for not being a team player. Odds are Person B is gonna tell Person A what he thinks she wants to hear because Person B knows his ass is on the line.
When Person B’s ass is literally on the line, the motivation to toss out bullshit that will please Person A increases and the integrity of the words that come out of Person B’s mouth is diminished.
But we know that shit.
Yes, we do…and this bitch is tired as hell of pundits and others acting like we don’t have over 100 years of terror, war and torture to examine and deduce that TORTURE DOES NOT FUCKING WORK…cough…and, therefore, is both a waste of time and a dangerous way to get data. I’m not even going to mention that it’s morally wrong because clearly our moral compass has been shot to hell. So fuck morality – torture is unreliable and, if more than half of Americans want to reliably thwart (Gawd, what a word?!?) another attack then they should turn to their Nation Handbook of Guaranteed Ways to Prevent Future Violence (‘tis a quick read, trust) where they will discover that there is no chapter titled Torture.
Lawd, give me strength.
If we the people were to examine moments when torture, along with general violent oppression, was used as a means to prevent attacks we’d see the error of that thinking. A bitch would like to direct more than half of we the people to the award winning movie The Battle of Algiers. The film is based on events that took place during the eight year Algerian War against French colonial rule in North Africa (1954-1962). They should prevent themselves from falling into the intellectually lazy pattern of thinking French torture was different from American torture and that the French didn’t torture Algerians enough. Trust that the French gave torture a solid multi-year run during the Algerian War…and it was successful - Algerians coughed up all manner of information as a result. Algeria also won the war and independence from France.
The Pentagon screened The Battle of Algiers in 2003 because it provides a lot of insight into insurgent opposition to an occupying power, so this bitch isn’t the only one who thinks the film is a useful learning tool. Unfortunately, the film was not viewed prior to the Bush Administration setting their course and fixing those blinders upon their relatively empty heads.
Anyhoo, the failure of torture and brutal oppression during the Algerian War is but one of many examples of how TORTURE DOES NOT FUCKING WORK.
But this bitch gets that torture is less about using a proven tactic and more about frustration on the part of the torturer over the reality that determining the plans of the torturee is fucking hard to do.
Be that as it may, more than half of Americans need a reality check. Even if a body is able to dismiss the moral complications of torture one cannot argue with the history of that shit failing to thwart.
Pause…consider…continue.
Well, one could argue with history but then you’d be debating the un-debatable.
Speaking of debating the un-debatable...
During recent Senate hearings…lost in the political storm over what Speaker Pelosi knew about American use of torture and when she knew it…former FBI interrogator, Ali Soufan, and a Bush State Department deputy, Philip Zelikow gave testimony on how fubar our use of torture has been.
Soufan also said that his use of psychological manipulation did result in solid data but torture didn’t.
When Senator Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) argued that… “One of the reason these interrogation techniques have survived for 500 years is because they work.”
Soufan replied… “There are a lot of people who find it easier and aren’t smart enough” to interrogate someone without torture.
Blink.
Abortion provider George Tiller has barely been dead two days, and those fucking worthless bottom-feeders at PETA are already using his death in an ad campaign: 
Get it? Because in PETA members' tiny brains, EATING MEAT IS MORALLY EQUIVALENT TO MURDERING A HUMAN BEING IN COLD BLOOD. And, hey, everybody's talking about that abortion guy, so why not use his death as a nifty tie-in for our anti-meat propaganda?
These ads are running, by the way, in Wichita, where Tiller's many friends and family members are still grieving his death.
God, I wish there was some way to give an anti-donation to those fuckers. Maybe I'll just go buy some foie gras instead.
Via Feministe.
We've done this one often, but it's always fun:
What's for dinner?
I've got some ribeye steaks that I took out to defrost last night; if they're defrosted when I get home, we're having those with sprouts. Maybe a salad, too.
If they're not defrosted yet, hello spaghetti.
I can't for the life of me imagine why the Republican party is dwindling into a handful of angry, obnoxious white guys.
Wait a second... maybe I can.
Rick Santorum Tells Obama How To Be a Role-Model for African-Americans And you have an African-American community, particularly in the poor inner city areas, we’re looking at out of wedlock birthrates in three quarters to 75 percent (sic) of children being born out of wedlock. Marriage is an institution that’s a bridge too far for too many African-American woman and is not desirable among African-American males.
Here we have a president of the United States who says that marriage is cool. You have respect for your wife, and you treat her with the respect and dignity that she deserves. And she is part of this team. And it’s not just part of professional team, but it’s also part of a personal, romantic team. I think that’s all great. So I think it’s important that he keeps having his date night. [...]
I think he has to realize that flying to New York is…self-indulgent. Go down to the corner bar and have a drink, a shot and a beer. It does not matter where you go with your wife, is that it’s with your wife.
White Supremacist Group Posts Doctored Photo of Sotomayor With KKK HoodJohn Aravosis at AMERICAblog notes that the Council of Conservative Citizens — a group the Southern Poverty Law Center calls a “brazenly racist group” — has put up a doctored photo of Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor. In the picture, Sotomayor is wearing a KKK-type hood. On her robe is a raised fist and the words “La Raza”:
Photo at the link, including this delightful punchline:Last week, former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke also embraced the position that Sotomayor is racist, while claiming that he, on the other hand, has “consistently supported true equal rights.”
They're all just too, too delightful.
1. Dr. George Tiller is shot.
2. Michelle Malkin lectures anyone that would politicize the event.
3. A man shoots two at a military recruiting center.
4. Michelle Malkin politicizes the event.
5. I await her inevitable, snorting, "But they did it first" post.
Update: Image below the fold.
[Trigger warning.]
Nicholas Kristof: Silence Is the Enemy
On my last trip to Congo, I was interviewing a rape victim and tried to give her a little privacy by stepping off and sitting under a tree with her. Then pretty soon a crowd of women came near, and I grew irritated at their voyeurism and asked them to leave. "We're all rape victims," the woman in front said. "We're all here to tell our stories."Tara C. Smith: Silence Is the Enemy
What to do about this? That's what's kept me from writing more about this, I suppose--the sheer magnitude of what is happening, and the helplessness one feels when reading about it. With infectious diseases, though some of them are equally overwhelming, at least there is the hope of prevention via relatively simple devices (bed nets for malaria; condoms for HIV; isolation and medical treatment of TB, and of course the hope for vaccines, etc.) With systematic rape, there is no drug or vaccination to look for in the future. What is needed instead are shifts in attitude: more respect toward women; societal intolerance of such crimes by men; empowerment of women and girls; an understanding by family members of those who were raped; cessation of femicide. These are overwhelmingly difficult things to ask for, especially in countries fragmented by years of war and violence. How does one help to accomplish these things in far-off countries, when it's hard enough to be respected as a woman right here in the U.S.?Sheril Kirshenbaum: Silence Is the Enemy
Today begins a very important initiative called Silence Is The Enemy to help a generation of young women half a world away. Why? Because they are our sisters and children–the victims of sexual abuse who don't have the means to ask for help. We have power in our words and influence. Along with our audience, we're able to speak [with] them. I'm asking all of you–bloggers, writers, teachers, and concerned citizens–to use whatever platform you have to call for an end to the rape and abuse of women and girls in Liberia and around the world.Previously at Shakesville: Corrective Rape in South Africa, Congo Rape Epidemic I, Congo Rape Epidemic II, More, Please, Rape in the Ivory Coast, Rape "Integral" Weapon in Darfur; We Yawn.
Actual Headline: Tiller's Killer: Is it wrong to murder an abortionist?
Wow. Lord Saletan, reproductive choice's #1 concern troll, has really outdone himself this time, talking about how he thought Tiller was brave, even though "His work makes me want to puke." Seriously, dude, we get it. You hate abortion and the women who actually have the unmitigated temerity to exercise their legal right to it, and somehow that's supposed to make you superior to pro-choicers who don't find abortion some kind of icky moral conundrum. Wevs, dude.
Also see: Suzie and Jill.
Like Michelle Malkin, Bill O'Reilly has identified the real victim in the Dr. Tiller murder. Well, there's the "unborn babies," of course, but the real victim here is... Bill O'Reilly. Oh, and Fox news.
At the top of his Talking Points segment, O’Reilly did briefly say, “Americans should condemn the murder of Dr. George Tiller,” but he then quickly segued into more attacks on Tiller. He also used the opportunity to attack his critics, saying they were trying to “exploit” the incident to attack Fox News.So, when violence and murder occur as a direct result of eliminationist rhetoric, and when someone has the temerity to point that out, it's "exploitation." Got it.
When I heard about Tiller’s murder, I knew pro-abortion zealots and Fox News haters would attempt to blame us for the crime, and that’s exactly what has happened. [...]Poor O'Reilly. All this viciousness directed towards him and his network. I'm sure he's being harassed coming to and leaving his office. He's probably got to wear a bulletproof vest to work every day and drive an armored car. And I'm sure he's been stalked to every business he patronizes, not to mention having his every daily movement posted on the internet so these "pro-abortion zealots" can monitor where he is at all times.
No backpedaling here, madam [Mary Mapes]. Unlike you, I report honestly. Every single thing we said about Tiller was true, and my analysis was based on those facts. [...]
Now, it’s clear that the far left is exploiting — exploiting — the death of the doctor. Those vicious individuals want to stifle any criticism of people like Tiller. That — and hating Fox News — is the real agenda here.
Finally, if these people are soooo compassionate — so very compassionate, so concerned for the rights and welfare of others — maybe they might have written something, one thing, about the 60,000 fetuses that will never become American citizens. Or am I wrong?American citizens. I'll leave you to vomit over that in comments.
I compile the morning readings the night before as Tuesday might be another internet-free day. MIGHT is always the important word with me. Any action is contingent on if care enough to even bother. Most of the time I say, "fuck it."
The readings are brought to you by the Petulant Music Update for June. It is a bit somber, as is my mood of late, with a few noisy tunes.Roadie claims manager killed Hendrix. (Digital Spy)Judge: Gitmo legal documents must be public. (AP)Christian News Wire has a bounty of condemnation for the murder of George Tiller, but then there is Gingi Edmonds, a 23-year-old pro-life activist for seven years, and her press release. If one has a computer, one has a press release."Christian conservatives who would not have defended Tiller in life were among the quickest to acknowledge his right to live after he was killed." (CQ)Geithner: "Chinese assets are very safe."Momentum? Bull markets on the horizon? Shivering anticipation for the glory days. Do I need garters?Obama: Nationalization of GM to be short-term.A bit slow to the rebuttal, but Obama finally gets around to Master Cheney's chicanery.Newsmax to the rescue. Cheney: Execute Terrorists If Cuba Prison Must Close.MINNESOTA! STILL! STATE SUPREME COURT! JEEBUS!Let me look at shoez for a moment to gather my senses.Plants can recognize themselves. (BBC)Squid 'sight': Not just through eyes.Fashion and porcupines.Uh-oh! Why is the Earth moving away from the sun?New technique promises BILLION-Year storage. (Wired)It's a problem for many of us, Portly. O' the burns I could share. Julian Eltinge. If anyone knows how I can get copies of ANY of his films, please let me know. Most of his films appear to be in archives away from the public eye.
C'est dans l'air.Laura Ling and Euna Lee, the freelance Current TV journalists detained by North Korea in March, face trial on June 4th. With the increase of North Korean nuclear hostility, the fear is that these women will be nothing more than pawns or merely examples of the evil west. The North Korean government is often like an unruly child, sensitive to any comments that paint it as anything but superior. That is putting it lightly.
The families have remained silent until now hoping that some backdoor diplomacy would help. So far, only the Swedish ambassador has attempted access. In today's State Department press briefing there is a brief mention.
QUESTION: Just related to that. On the Today Show this morning, the families of the journalists spoke out, and the sister, Lisa Ling, actually urged the two governments to communicate better. So is there any response to that request from --
MR. WOOD: Well, we're in communication through, as I've said, the Swedish protecting power. And I know that the Swedish ambassador has been trying over and over and over again to gain access, and it was only recently that he was able to get that second visit that we were trying to arrange.
So, look, we've made very clear, and other countries as well have spoken to this issue, that these two journalists need to be released. And that's what our efforts are geared toward right now. And we'll continue to do that.
"It has been nearly three months since their arrest," a statement from the Ling and Lee families begins. "We have been holding our breath everyday as we've watched the political situation on the Korean Peninsula grow increasingly tense. Our loved ones sit in the midst of it. We desperately urge the governments of the United States and North Korea to keep our issue separate from the larger geopolitical stand-off. We hope that our two countries can come together to secure the expeditious release of Laura and Euna on humanitarian grounds. Euna Lee is the mother of a four-year old daughter. And Laura was being treated for an ulcer prior to her departure, and in our limited communication with her we fear it has become more serious since her detainment and requires immediate medical attention."
Furthermore, "Laura and Euna are journalists who were simply doing their job," the statement continues. "They have been charged with 'illegal entry,' and 'hostility to the Korean nation.' We aren't certain of the details of what happened on March 17, but we can say with absolute certainty that when the girls left U.S. soil, they never intended to set foot onto North Korean territory. If at any point a transgression occurred, we sincerely apologize on their behalf."
The statement concludes, "We desperately hope that at the conclusion of the June 4 trial, the government of North Korea will show clemency and allow the girls to return home to their families. Our families have been comforted by the unexpected and overwhelming support for Laura and Euna. We would like to thank all of those individuals who are organizing to secure the release of the girls. We are humbled and deeply touched by your well-wishes and efforts."
The creative team at Axe Body Spray—the stinky man-goop that supposedly makes any guy instantly irresistible to beautiful (and powerful) women—wrapped a women's dorm in a "calendar" labeled "Axe schedule" for a recent ad campaign. Because if you wear Axe, you can have every woman in this dorm, get it? Looking at the photo, I don't know what's more disturbing—the idea that the aim of wearing Axe is to screw (and ditch) as many women as possible, or the fact that all the women in the photo are posed by their windows in various stages of undress, putting the viewer in the position of peeping Tom. Either way, it's an epic advertising fail.
Who (or what) is your favorite movie monster?
Usually I'm not so "stick to the classics" (wait, yes I am!), but I'll have to go with the Gill Man, more commonly referred to as "The Creature from The Black Lagoon." (Kind of like how Frankenstein's monster is referred to as "Frankenstein." No, he's the monster, dammit!) All of the famous classic Universal monsters are great, but that movie is just fantastic. That scene when he walks towards the camera, claws raised, and you can see his gills moving as he gasps for air... wow.
Honorable mention goes to The Blob, because I love the concept, and Burt Bacharach wrote its theme song.
The White House released a proclamation recognizing Pride Month.
h/t to Shaker Afroacademic in comments.
Via the Advocate:
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release June 1, 2009
LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER PRIDE MONTH, 2009
- - - - - - -
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
Forty years ago, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn in New York City resisted police harassment that had become all too common for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Out of this resistance, the LGBT rights movement in America was born. During LGBT Pride Month, we commemorate the events of June 1969 and commit to achieving equal justice under law for LGBT Americans.
LGBT Americans have made, and continue to make, great and lasting contributions that continue to strengthen the fabric of American society. There are many well-respected LGBT leaders in all professional fields, including the arts and business communities. LGBT Americans also mobilized the Nation to respond to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic and have played a vital role in broadening this country's response to the HIV pandemic.
Due in no small part to the determination and dedication of the LGBT rights movement, more LGBT Americans are living their lives openly today than ever before. I am proud to be the first President to appoint openly LGBT candidates to Senate-confirmed positions in the first 100 days of an Administration. These individuals embody the best qualities we seek in public servants, and across my Administration -- in both the White House and the Federal agencies -- openly LGBT employees are doing their jobs with distinction and professionalism.
The LGBT rights movement has achieved great progress, but there is more work to be done. LGBT youth should feel safe to learn without the fear of harassment, and LGBT families and seniors should be allowed to live their lives with dignity and respect.
My Administration has partnered with the LGBT community to advance a wide range of initiatives. At the international level, I have joined efforts at the United Nations to decriminalize homosexuality around the world. Here at home, I continue to support measures to bring the full spectrum of equal rights to LGBT Americans. These measures include enhancing hate crimes laws, supporting civil unions and Federal rights for LGBT couples, outlawing discrimination in the workplace, ensuring adoption rights, and ending the existing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in a way that strengthens our Armed Forces and our national security. We must also commit ourselves to fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic by both reducing the number of HIV infections and providing care and support services to people living with HIV/AIDS across the United States.
These issues affect not only the LGBT community, but also our entire Nation. As long as the promise of equality for all remains unfulfilled, all Americans are affected. If we can work together to advance the principles upon which our Nation was founded, every American will benefit. During LGBT Pride Month, I call upon the LGBT community, the Congress, and the American people to work together to promote equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2009 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to turn back discrimination and prejudice everywhere it exists.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.
BARACK OBAMA
As much as I felt loathe loath (thank you, grammar patrol!) to do, this weekend I finally gave in and got a cell phone. Now I can rest assured that should I show up at a bus depot outside Chicago on a snowy, shivery day, Liss and company will be waiting curbside to greet me, trusty car heater pushing back the frost, all because I'd called ahead to let them know my arrival time. Such are the conveniences of the 21st century.
Of course, I immediately sent my new number to Melissa, and a short while later her inaugural text message hit my screen: "Ur an asshole." I respond with the equally clever and mature "You are!"
Now I totally feel like Buster Crabbe, living in a future where messages are beamed through time and space in the blink on an eye, and I am told, once again, that I'm an asshole. Welcome to the 21st century.
Sometime later she emails me "Btw, please tell me that 'ur an asshole' was the first text message you got."
"It was the first one I got calling me an asshole." I love the 21st century.
Republican Base Heavily White, Conservative, Religious: Gallup finds that 89% of Republicans are white, and 63% of Republicans identify specifically as white conservatives.
These data reinforce the basic challenge facing the Republican Party today as it ponders how best to remedy a situation that finds Democrats in control of the White House and both houses of Congress. Republicans have a clear monopoly on the allegiance of white conservative Americans, but the GOP's challenge is figuring out whether this is enough of a base on which to build for the future.Sure it is. If by "future," you mean building a time machine and going back to the eighteenth century.
"Freedom means freedom for everyone. Many of you know one of my daughters is gay - something we've lived with for a long time in our family. I think people ought to be free to enter into any kind of union they wish, any kind of arrangement they wish. The question of whether or not there should be a federal statue that governs this, I don't support. I do believe that historically the way marriage has been regulated is at the state level. This has always been a state issue. And I think that's the way it ought to be handled today, on a state-by-state basis. Different states that make different decisions. I don't have any problem with that. I think people ought to get a shot at that, and they do at present."— Dick Cheney, at the National Press Club, responded to a question about same-sex marriage.
There has been some stirring whether President Obama would issue a statement regarding Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. The State Department did it for him. The Presidential Proclamation recognizing Pride is here.
In Recognition of Gay and Lesbian Pride Month 2009
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
June 1, 2009
Forty years ago this month, the gay rights movement began with the Stonewall riots in New York City, as gays and lesbians demanded an end to the persecution they had long endured. Now, after decades of hard work, the fight has grown into a global movement to achieve a world in which all people live free from violence and fear, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
In honor of Gay and Lesbian Pride Month and on behalf of the State Department, I extend our appreciation to the global LGBT community for its courage and determination during the past 40 years, and I offer our support for the significant work that still lies ahead.
At the State Department and throughout the Administration, we are grateful for our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees in Washington and around the world. They and their families make many sacrifices to serve our nation. Their contributions are vital to our efforts to establish stability, prosperity and peace worldwide.
Human rights are at the heart of those efforts. Gays and lesbians in many parts of the world live under constant threat of arrest, violence, even torture. The persecution of gays and lesbians is a violation of human rights and an affront to human decency, and it must end. As Secretary of State, I will advance a comprehensive human rights agenda that includes the elimination of violence and discrimination against people based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Though the road to full equality for LGBT Americans is long, the example set by those fighting for equal rights in the United States gives hope to men and women around the world who yearn for a better future for themselves and their loved ones.
This June, let us recommit ourselves to achieving a world in which all people can live in safety and freedom, no matter who they are or whom they love.
[Trigger warning.]
Rare is the day when you will find me mounting a vociferous defense on behalf of Eminem, who, despite the fact that I find him an extremely talented performer, regularly makes my skin crawl with his insistence on using that talent to pen tracks rife with misogyny, homophobia, fat hatred, and rape fantasy. But here's the thing: That doesn't give anyone the license to molest him for comedy.
(I can't actually believe I have to write that sentence, but that's the sort of thing I've had to write a lot during the "Rape is Hilarious" series, the latest installment of which can be found here, with the rest linked at its bottom.)
If you can't view the video, it's a clip from the 2009 MTV Music Awards in which Sacha Baron-Cohen (aka "Borat"), in his Bruno (a gay fashionista) persona, is swinging out over the audience on a harness dressed as a "dove of peace" in feathered wings and skirt (under which he is wearing only an ass-bearing jockstrap) when his harness appears to get caught and tangled. He is lowered face-down on Eminem's lap, at which point his (clothed) balls and (naked) ass are directly in Eminem's face. Eminem looks horrified and, in my estimation, scared, as he asks, "Are you serious?"
Eminem and his entourage roughly shove Baron-Cohen off of him, as Baron-Cohen says, "Hey, don't touch me, guys! I've already got a boyfriend!" and the audience roars with laughter while Eminem walks out.
All of this, of course, is hilarious—and has further been justified because it "exposed Eminem's hypocrisy" since he can "dish it out, but can't take it." ("It" being his habit of being an asshole to other people, which he is, but I've not heard he routinely molests people in public for yuks, so it's a pretty weird construction.)
The rationale also goes back to the ostensible raison d'être for the Bruno character, which is exploiting people's homophobia and holding it out for ridicule—a dubious proposition given that Baron-Cohen is not himself gay, thus allowing homophobes the opportunity to laugh unironically at the gay stereotype being played by a straight man. It's a caricature which, by the way, relies heavily on "the predatory gay" narrative, which is in conspicuous evidence here, and not only demonizes gay men as rapists, but casts straight men as the primary targets of rape (thereby also effectively disappearing the reality that they are the primary perpetrators of rape).
That alone would make it a total clusterfuck, but then there's this: Eminem has alluded to, on multiple occasions, having been molested as a child. (His new album contains a widely discussed track in which he imagines a child being raped by a stepfather.) I don't know for certain whether he has been, although I suspect it's likely given his fascination with the subject and his evident anger surrounding it. It's really incidental, except insomuch as how much worse this will have been for him if he is a survivor of sexual abuse.
And because there was more reason than usual to stop and think about how fucked-up this "joke" really is.
Baron-Cohen certainly is aware of the same almost-but-not-quite admissions Eminem has made about his childhood that I am, and he went ahead with this stunt, anyway. Most of the people in that audience, and probably most of the people who have viewed the video and found it hilarious, are aware of the possibility that Baron-Cohen was sticking his genitals and butt into the face of someone who is very likely a survivor of sexual abuse.
Yet it's all so goddamned funny—because most of us won't even make the connection between what Baron-Cohen is doing and sexual abuse.
We are soaking in a rape culture where a dude sticking his balls in someone else's face without his consent as a "joke" seems normal.
This blogaround brought to you by Shaxco: "We're not negative; we're contemptuous."
Recommended Reading:
Dr. George Tiller: Why I Help Women and Families
Jill: Who killed George Tiller?
Media Matters: MSNBC runs graphic with Tiller's picture and "Abortion Doctors Under Fire"
Marcella: Carnival Against Sexual Violence 71
Renee: Classified Ad Calls for the Assassination of Obama
jozjozjoz: Racist Camera! No, I did not blink… I'm just Asian!
Leave your links in comments...
Shaker Aidan emails (which I am posting with her permission):
I have a question: what do you say to men who call you "negative"? I get called that more than I'd like, and it is frustrating for me to be so angry at things like marriage equality, anti-choice people, the fact that I'm related to these people, et cetera, and not have an outlet. Should I just shrug them off?One of the most common questions I get by email is how to deal with people who use that tired old silencing technique of calling progressives "negative," or some variation thereof, e.g. "hysterical" or "reactionary" or the ubiquitous "easily offended."
...when you were one of the people shrieking the loudest over the DHS report on right-wing terrorism, calling it a "hit job" and an "indictment of conservatives" (when it said nothing at all about "conservatives"), and it turns out to be scarily accurate?
Well, when you're Michelle Malkin, you go into full-on deny and misdirect mode and villify "the Left," of course, under the guise of a plea for "decency." Of course, she scolds people for making "political points" while making a political point without a trace of irony, but I suppose that just gives me more proof that irony is completely dead.Unfortunately, some are not content to leave it at that for now. They fail to respect that there is a proper time and place to indulge in political battle.
I don't know about you, but I think it's time for some "unhinged" discourse; it's about time these acts are labeled "terrorism." It's about time we started calling people like Malkin out for reprehensible shit like putting "hate" in scare quotes. It's about time sentiment like "both sides are just as bad" is dismissed as the lie that it is.
You can go here, here, and here for all that. Another round-up here.
Tiller's family is grieving. Those who have jumped to score political points before Tiller is even buried are no better than the Phelps family thugs of the "Westboro Baptist Church" who respect no bounds of civility.
Unfortunately, it's too much to ask the cable news networks and hyper-partisan snipers on the Internet to have the decency to restrain themselves.
Prepare for a wall-to-wall onslaught of gleeful finger-pointing on the Left and heated responses on the Right.
Prepare for whitewashed hagiographies of Tiller's career as an abortionist.
Prepare for DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano's defenders to gloat about vindication.
Prepare for collective demonization of pro-lifers and Christians — and more gratuitous attempts to tar talk radio, Fox News, and the Tea Party movement as responsible for the heinous crime.
Prepare for the continuing redefinition of any and all sharp political disagreement as "hate" — a ruinous trend that inevitably comes back to haunt the hysterical accusers decrying "hate" the loudest.
How unhinged has the discourse gotten already? Here's the left-wing Daily Kos going after the left-wing John Aravosis for going after Barack Obama because he didn't go after "right-wing extremism" hard enough.
The DHS report was, of course, correct. The media let "conservatives" shout it down. Their foot-stomping resulted in it being pulled. And now Dr. George Tiller is dead.
How are those "Right-Wing Extremist" t-shirts selling, you fucking assholes?
An unknown killer has been wiping out populations of six species of hibernating bats in the northeastern United States in what appears to be the biggest die-off on record. So far, scientists studying the problem have more questions than answers. The task is urgent. The disappearance of these bats could have larger impacts on ecosystems, as these night flyers hunt insects that annoy humans and damage crops. And last October, a group of more than 100 participants from a science strategy meeting concluded that if the problem continues to expand at its current rate, entire species—including the endangered big-eared bat in Virginia and Indiana—could be in jeopardy.Not only do bats eat insects that destroy crops, but they are also important as pollinators and seed distributors. In February 2006, researchers in New York state began noticing a drop in bat populations and an increasing number of dead bats. This bat die-off has now spread to Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Virginia.
Further tests by Blehert's group may settle the issue. Since last fall, researchers and recreational cavers have been collecting soil samples from more than 200 sites in almost 30 states. If Geomyces spp. turns out to be present in unaffected sites distant from the syndrome's epicenter, the fungus may not be the primary pathogen. Blehert expects results by the fall.Other researchers, including DeeAnn Reeder of Bucknell University and Marianne Moore of Boston University, are exploring whether the bats' immune systems are compromised in WNS. Immune compromise could lead to infection by normally benign fungi.
Meanwhile, researchers are taking measures to prevent the accidental spread of pathogens; gear is either new or thoroughly washed and disinfected. And on 26 March, FWS recommended a voluntary moratorium on all recreational caving in any state where white-nose syndrome has been found within or adjacent to its borders. Then, on 24 April, the U.S. Forest Service closed all caves and mines for 1 year in all national forests in the northeastern United States. A similar closure for the southeastern United States is expected before the end of May.The full text of the 29 May report is behind a subscription wall at Sciencemag.org for those with access.
Dear President Obama,
As you have no doubt heard, Dr. George Tiller was murdered yesterday. Mr. President, I can't yet say that sentence without crying. Partly, I am crying because I am sad—because of the hurt I feel for Dr. Tiller's family and friends; because Dr. Tiller was someone who I admired; because I have long feared the threats and murder attempts Dr. Tiller would inevitable yield this result.
Partly, I am crying because I am scared. This was a terrorist act, one in an ongoing campaign against Dr. Tiller, who was one target among many in a bigger campaign against women and the people who provide abortion services and safe havens for them—but no one in our government will call it terrorism. There are, in fact, a lot of things that don't get called terrorism in this country, but few of them approach the breadth of the long-term, flagrant campaign of intimidation, harassment, exhorted violence, attempted violence, actual violence, and murder of abortion providers and abortion-seeking women.
Still, our government is unwilling to call this orchestrated, overt, unapologetic campaign against women and their healthcare providers terrorism, even as increasing numbers of doctors say offering the legal service to their patients is not worth the risk—the very definition of effective terrorism. Even as physician champions of women's right to choose are murdered in cold blood. Even as "pro-life" groups openly celebrate his death and take the position that he deserved it. Mr. President, in the history of my blog, I've gotten death threats right in my comments threads by people who know that the government will not take them seriously, people who have left links to pictures of dead fetuses and pictures of Dr. George Tiller pictured in a sniper's crosshairs. I am scared for whoever will be next, if the government continues to fail to take this terrorist campaign seriously.
And partly, I am crying because I'm angry. Your statement, upon hearing of Dr. Tiller's death, was that you are "shocked" and "outraged," that you believe: "However profound our differences as Americans over difficult issues such as abortion, they cannot be resolved by heinous acts of violence." Mr. President, if you had been paying the slightest bit of attention to the realities of the front line of the fight to protect women's bodily autonomy, you would not be shocked. This wasn't even the first attempt on Dr. Tiller's life; it was the merely the first successful one.
I'm angry because you have been admonishing pro-choice advocates to respect the views of anti-choice activists, despite the fact there is very good reason not to afford a modicum of respect for a viewpoint that would force women to relinquish control over their own bodies to the state. I'm angry because you don't seem to get that both sides of this "debate" aren't equal, and it's not just because one side contains mainstream organizations who tacitly encourage the murder of doctors. I'm angry because you invited to do the invocation at your inauguration a man who equates abortion with the Holocaust, and you don't seem to have a problem with that, nor recognize how perilously inflammatory it is. I'm angry because you tell lies about pro-choice advocates in order to play your bullshit game of "both sides are just as bad."
Ann Friedman says Dr. Tiller's murder should be a wake-up call about clinic violence, and I see that Attorney General Holder has ordered increased security for "a host of unnamed individuals and facilities" as a result of his death. But I also hope that his murder will be a wake-up call to you, sir, to stop relying on dangerously dishonest rhetoric about abortion, its supporters, and its opponents.
Both sides are not just as bad, Mr. President, and it's high fucking time you figured that out.
Sincerely,
Melissa McEwan
No babble from me today. I have a serious case of the dumz.Air France plane missing. (Speigel)GM: bankrupt and another $30 billion from taxpayers. (NY)Chrysler sale to Fiat gets court approval. (WP)Biggest U.S. Chapter 11 cases.Sweden appoints lesbian bishop. (Pink)The continued brilliance of the Pope. (AP)O'Reilly's campaign against murdered doctor, George Tiller. (Salon)"The Christian Anti-Defamation Commission will not allow pro-abortionists or their accomplices in the media to exploit the cowardly act of one misguided individual in order to defame millions of peaceful pro-lifers," said Dr. Gary Cass of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission. "Tiller's death at the hands of a lawless vigilante must be unequivocally condemned," said Cass. "But we cannot allow pro-abortion activists and politicians to use this tragedy to manipulate public opinion or our laws." (CNW)A suspect jailed in Tiller's killing. (AP)My Favorite Mormon fights hard for recognition. (CNN)Legendary British drag act Danny La Rue has died at the age of 81. (Guardian)British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith to fight shock-jock Michael Savage's lawsuit. (TimesOnline)Meteorite bombardment may have made Earth more habitable.I concur and welcome our new Ant Overlords.Religious devotion does not impact abortion decisions of young unwed women.Triage Technology With A Star Trek Twist: Tricorder-like Device. (Science Daily)Slide Show: Top 10 New Species Discovered in 2008. (SciAM)
(Cross-posted)
