Chef Tom Colicchio will drink. your. milkshake!!!
He will also, if you are have a consenting and otherwise agreeable palate for such a thing, introduce you to his patented tapioca swirl.
Top Chef Open Thread
Chef Tom Colicchio will drink. your. milkshake!!!
He will also, if you are have a consenting and otherwise agreeable palate for such a thing, introduce you to his patented tapioca swirl.
Question of the Day
Suggested by Shaker Xiaolongnu: What books/movies/other narratives do you think do a good job of representing the real experience of adult relationships and sexuality (of any flavor or orientation) in a positive way? What did you see/read and think: They really get it? There are so many weird and twisted* models of sexuality out there: What are the good ones?
* As in skirting (or disregarding) enthusiastic consent, for example, not as in merely "outside the mainstream."
Blogginz Semi-Daily Dumpus
I will be getting a replica of this tattoo on my back, and it will have an inscription under it that says, "Wolves! Wolves! Wolves!"
Once I get the tat, on the rare occasions when I remove my Three Wolf Moon Shirt, like to take my weekly gentleman's bubble bath, I won't have to worry about being wolfless and vulnerable against the elements.
Rape Reports Hit Two-Decade Low
[Trigger warning.]
Shaker Koach emails about USA Today's front-paged article, "Reported rapes hit 20-year low (which I post with her permission):
That seems like good news. The actual reporting, however, certainly leaves a lot to be desired:The emphasis on DNA evidence is indeed disheartening, particularly when coupled with claims like this:Rape prosecutions have improved dramatically over the past two decades because of advances in DNA testing to pinpoint a rapist rather than forcing prosecutors to rely solely on a victim's identification of her attacker, says Kim Gandy, past president of the National Organization for Women and a former prosecutor.Oh yes, god forbid we have to rely on the testimony of a victim, of a woman. No wonder conviction rates were so low! Thank god we have rational science now instead of hysterical, over-accusing women!
"You don't see the nightmarish trials of the 1960s where a woman's reputation would be brought into question and people would conclude she deserved it," [Michael Males, senior researcher for the Center on Juvenile & Criminal Justice in San Francisco] says.Excuse me?! I can't even imagine the number of posts I've written about victim-blaming in the media and during rape trials over the last five years, no less the posts about rape survivors being threatened with prosecution or threatened with contempt of court. Males is living on another planet if he thinks women's reputations—along with what they were wearing, how they were wearing it, how they were carrying themselves, where they were, when they were there, why they were there, with whom they were there, what they were doing, why they were doing it, with whom they were doing it, what they were drinking, how much they were drinking, whether they made eye contact, whether they talked, whether they flirted, whether they danced, whether they spoke, whether they breathed, and every other conceivable question designed to tease out how being raped is YOUR fault—doesn't happen anymore. It sure as shit does, brootha.
Meanwhile, at the top of the associated content ("You might be interested in") box at the end of this article, linking to related stories, is this—1-year rape sentence raises concerns:
Two state lawmakers are questioning a plea agreement that will allow a man to serve only one year in jail on a conviction for raping a 4-year-old girl.Which only underlines the point that lower reported rapes is a small part of the vast, ugly picture that is the rape culture.
Nineteen of the 20 years of a sentence against 64-year-old David Harold Earls were suspended as part of a plea agreement reached with Pittsburg County prosecutors.
…District Attorney Jim Bob Miller says prosecutors did not have any DNA evidence and determined after two days of working with Earls' accuser that the girl — who is now 5 years old — was not able to testify.
"She was not mature enough or able to sit still long enough," Miller said. "We had a real risk of losing at trial and him walking out scot-free."
I guess fake, or incomplete, good news about rape is great front-page news, though. Especially if you leave out of it any examination of whether increasing emphasis on physical evidence as a requisite for a prosecution can be a strong deterrent to victims of rape with nothing but their word and will and longing for justice.
[I encourage every survivor of sexual assault to report any and all crimes against them, irrespective of the presence of physical evidence, if they feel comfortable and safe doing so. If you are discouraged by police or prosecutors, I will be happy to help you try to locate a victim's advocate in your area.]
New Flaming Lips
First Listen: The Flaming Lips, Embryonic. Via Ta-Nehisi.
I love the Lips, especially Wayne. I've rung in several New Years with the Lips, and spent a few other delightful evenings with them and about 2,000 other folks. Sometimes only 200. One on weird occasion, about 12. I've listened to The Soft Bulletin more times than I can count, and "Waitin' for a Superman" still makes me cry every time I hear it live.
Daily Kitteh
Monitor Cat is sleepy.
Someone always asks when I post pix of Sophs curled up on top of my monitor, "Isn't that a flat screen?!" Why, yes it is...
But it doesn't stop her!
She is in my way constantly; I have to lift her legs out of the way just to get to my menus all the time. If I remove her, she just jumps right back up again. When Iain's home and sees the annoying routine, he asks me every time how the hell it doesn't drive me totally trucknutz. Honestly, I don't know. It sure seems like it should. I'm just used to it now, I guess, lol!
[Previously in Monitor Cat: One, Two, Three.]
Today's Edition of "Conniving and Sinister"
Strips One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44. In which Liss reimagines the long-running comic "Frank & Ernest," about two old straight white guys "telling it like it is," as a fat feminist white woman and a biracial queerbait telling it like it actually is from their perspectives. Hilarity ensues.
Funktionide
So, I'm watching this video for the Funktionide [via]:
—and there's a part of me thinking that this could be incredibly useful in some forms of touch therapy for people with certain neurological disabilities or survivors of abuse or anyone who's dealing with a challenge that makes physical intimacy difficult...and then there's this other part of me going, "Lordy begordy. I'm looking at the future of Real Dolls."
The designer, Stefan Ulrich, says that the Funktionide
is an amorph object whose intention is to provide the owner with an atmosphere of presence thus counteracting the feeling of loneliness. In the visions future people are lonely and with all the new dimensions products offer, humans will eventually turn to "robots" for emotional satisfaction.Very interesting. Given that I was torn between feeling compelled and disturbed at the possibilities, I'd say that Ulrich's attempt to provoke multiple reactions was a success. At least for me.
This gives rise to a number of questions: What happens if products that were proposed as a relief against social isolation begin to become the solution?
...In this way the works intention is to create a provocative picture for discussion, which enables us to question how much we want technological products to satisfy our emotional needs. To ask these questions will become part of the responsibility of future product design.
The ambiguity of this scenario is, that it could be understood as a solution to a wide range of different kinds of loneliness. But it might as well be understood as a scenario which should be avoided by all means possible.
Discuss.
[You can visit Ulrich here.]
Glenn Beck: Superstar
It turns out that, among his many other delightful qualities, Glenn Beck is also an unapologetic sexist!
Some of those nasty liberal types will surely suggest this is further evidence that Glenn Beck is bad for America. But I ask you: How can a man who looks so good in a patriotic sweater be bad for America?
Answer me that!
Go, Senator Franken!
[Trigger warning.]
Jamie Leigh Jones, the Halliburton/KBR employee who reported being gang-raped by her co-workers, only to then be held hostage by her employer, has been denied anything even resembling justice ever since because her employment contract stipulated that sexual assault allegations could only be addressed by private arbitration. That absurd (and implicitly rape-minimizing) contractual agreement was recently rendered irrelevant to her case, helping clear what will still likely be a very long path to justice.
As a result of Jones' case, Senator Al Franken proposed
an amendment to the 2010 Defense Appropriations bill that would withhold defense contracts from companies like KBR "if they restrict their employees from taking workplace sexual assault, battery and discrimination cases to court." Speaking on the Senate floor yesterday, Franken said:Jones, who appeared with Franken after the vote, said: "It means the world to me. It means that every tear shed to go public and repeat my story over and over again to make a difference for other women was worth it." Blub.
The constitution gives everybody the right to due process of law … And today, defense contractors are using fine print in their contracts do deny women like Jamie Leigh Jones their day in court. … The victims of rape and discrimination deserve their day in court [and] Congress plainly has the constitutional power to make that happen....On the Senate floor, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) spoke against the amendment, calling it "a political attack directed at Halliburton." Franken responded, "This amendment does not single out a single contractor. This amendment would defund any contractor that refuses to give a victim of rape their day in court."
In the end, Franken won the debate. His amendment passed by a 68-30 vote.
[H/Ts to Shakers Constant Comment and Ivyceltress.]
Random YouTubery: What Cats Are Really Thinking
[Transcript below.]
My cats don't think it's funny at all. Matilda was all, "Nice documentary. Hey, Two-Legs, you could learn something from that, you know."
Person [off-camera dude, speaking in the baby voice frequently used to speak to pets]: Hi, kitteeeeeeee!
Cat [speaking in a dude voice: Hey. 'Sup?
Person: Hi!
Cat: What's goin' on?
Person: Were you having a nap?!
Cat: Yeah.
Person: And what did my kitty do today?!
Cat: Eh, nothin' much.
Person: Who's my kitty?! Who's my kitty?!
Cat: Don't do that.
Person: Who's my kitty?! Who's my kitty?!
Cat: Stop it.
Person: Who's my kitty with the pink little nose?! Who's my kitty?!
Cat: Urrgghh.
Person: Who's my sweet little white fluffy little ball?!
Cat [long-sufferingly]: I am.
Person: That's right! That's right! You're my sweet little KITTEEEEEEE!!!
Cat: [sighs; mutters] You'd better not put this on YouTube.
Person: What did you say? What did my kitty say?! Hmm?
Cat: Nothing!
Person: I think you said something!
Cat: Mmmph.
Person: I think my cute little kitty said something!
Cat: [mutters] Leave me aloooooone!
Quote of the Day
[Trigger warning.]
"If you're oriented toward animals, bestiality, then, you know, that's not something that can be used, held against you or any bias be held against you for that. Which means you'd have to strike any laws against bestiality, if you're oriented toward corpses, toward children, you know, there are all kinds of perversions, [...] pedophiles or necrophiliacs or what most would say is perverse sexual orientations but the trouble is, we made amendments to eliminate pedophiles from being included in the definition. [...] But people have always been willing to give up their liberties, their freedoms in order to gain economic stability. It happened in 1920 and 1930's. Germany gave up their liberties to gain economic stability and they got a little guy with a mustache, who was the ultimate hate monger. And this is scary stuff we're doing here when we take away what has traditionally been an important aspect of moral teaching in America. - Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) speaking out last night on the floor of the United States House of Representatives against the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell.
Yeah, someone has issues.
Polanski Business: In Which Emma Thompson Breaks My Heart
[Trigger warning.]
Last week, when Shaker Mathilde emailed me about more heartbreaking signatories on Bernard-Henri Lévy's pro-Polanski petition, she said, "Perhaps tomorrow Emma Thompson and Ang Lee will pop up on the list. Then the nightmare will be complete."
To which I replied, "That gave me an enormous, cathartic lolsob." Because, of course, the idea that Emma or Ang would ever sign such a thing was absurd!
Today, Mathilde emailed: "Hello, it's me again, ready to ruin your day. Just in case you didn't know: Emma Thompson signed [the] petition. And the nightmare is coming true!"
And so she has.
I really don't understand what the hell is going on in these signatories' heads; I really don't. Although... Last Saturday, I asked Kenny Blogginz if he'd happened to watch the previous night's episode of Real Time, on which Janeane Garofalo was a panelist. He said he had—and immediately knew about what I was going to ask him, because it was so weird. And it may be a clue.
Maher has been one of the few celebrities to speak out about Polanski, the hypocrite that he is; in fact, I tuned in just to see if he'd make a rape joke in the same week he lambasted Polanski, and of course he did. In his New Rules segment, he actually did a child rape joke, comparing putting a "smart choice" healthy label on Froot Loops cereal to "a creep in the park carrying a puppy so kids will know he's friendly." Yes, eating Froot Loops and being raped as a child—exactly the same.
But I digress.
In the segment he dedicated to Polanski on the episode [that link comes with its own trigger warning], he says that the widespread support for Polanski in Hollywood is "why Hollywood gets a bad rap," which prompts Garofalo to jump in and point out Hollywood is not a monolith, and then it gets wacky from there [starting at 0:50]:Maher: I mean, this is why Hollywood gets a bad rap—
Richard Dawkins then jumps in with a rape joke wrapped in a blanket statement about Muslims, and then the segment ends, so there was no follow-up on Garofalo's evident misunderstanding of the facts in the case.
Garofalo: It isn't Hollywood! You're talking about people who are supporting him— Hollywood's not this monolith of like-minded people—
Maher: A lot of people signed that petition.
Garofalo: Yeah, and a lot of people didn't. It's a—you know, Hollywood, like I said, it's not this entity that moves with one mind. You're talking about Roman Polanski and a bunch of people who, I guess, know him or admire his work. I, uh, you know, would, would I sign it? But, you know, a pedophile—I'm not gonna sign a piece of paper supporting this guy. But I guess they feel that he has been, you know, paying for this for years—
Maher: Paying for this? He lived in France!
Garofalo: Well, he couldn't come back here, right? Isn't it that he could not, he couldn't—
Maher: [snorts] Where he's from. Oh, what a—
Garofalo: Yeah, but Roman Polanski has been not allowed to work in certain places. That's what I was led to believe.
So I was left wondering who it was, exactly, that led her to believe Polanski has been "not allowed to work in certain places." I mean, technically, that's accurate—but it's because he's been a fucking fugitive, not, as it's made to sound here, because he's been "banned" from working in America in some sort of extralegal punishment unique to him.
I said to KBlogz, "Did you get the impression we were getting a glimpse behind the curtain at the narrative that's being circulated about Polanski among his industry peers?" And he said that was exactly the same impression he got when he watched it.
Which is certainly no excuse whatsoever for anyone who's put their name to that despicable petition. The facts of the case are incredibly accessible—practically unavoidable for anyone who wants to find them. It's just an observation about how deeply insulated from reality a lot of celebrities really are if they're being told and unquestioningly believe that "Free Polanski" is merely about allowing a guy to work where he's been banned by virtue of some exorbitant and extraordinary retributive gesture by the provincial and puritanical US.
I suspect that a good number of the people whose names are on that list would be utterly mortified if they learned the actual facts of the case. As well they should be. By both their public support for an unapologetic rapist, and the idiocy or ignorance that landed them in that position.
It's a sickening ledger of conscious rape apologists and the easily led fools who jumped on their mendacious bandwagon.
Clinton: Guinea's Military Leaders Should Step Down
[Strong trigger warning.]
Last week, in a rampage that got next to no media coverage in the US, Guinean soldiers in Conakry went completely haywire at a protest rally formed in opposition to Guinea's military government led by Captain Moussa Dadis Camara, who seized power in a coup last December. Dozens of people were killed in the brutally violent melee, and hundreds were wounded.
And women were particularly targeted for torture and humiliation, their clothes torn off, their bodies violated with fingers, hands, penises, rifles, gang-raped in the streets by marauding soldiers. I was, quite honestly, sobbing as I read the accounts of what happened there.
I was all set to recommend emailing our Secretary of State to urge action—but she is already on the case. (Emphasis mine.)
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Tuesday Guinea's military leaders should quit after soldiers went on a rampage at a protest rally, killing more than 150 people and raping women.Clinton noted that the US will take action against Camara's regime if he does not abide by the African Union's demand that he stay out of a January election or face sanctions. Additionally, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State William Fitzgerald have "urged Camara to restore order, control his troops, and allow an international investigation."
"We were appalled and outraged by the recent violence in Guinea," Clinton said during a news conference with Pakistan's foreign minister. "The indiscriminate killing and raping ... by government troops was a vile violation of the rights of the people of that country."
…"The leadership of Guinea owe a profound apology to the people, who had gathered in peaceful protest against the military takeover," she said. "They owe not only that apology in words, but in a recognition that they cannot remain in power, that they must turn back to the people the right to choose their own leaders."
Clinton said U.S. diplomats had spoken to Guinea's leaders in the "strongest possible terms." The State Department said U.S. officials had expressed "deep outrage" and "condemned the massacre and egregious human rights violations."
…Clinton said she was particularly appalled by the violence against women.
"In broad daylight in a stadium, it was criminality to the greatest degree," she said. "Those who committed such acts should not be given any reason to expect that they will escape justice."
Because I just need to do something when I read about a situation like this, and because I know there are other Shakers who feel the same, I am recommending making a donation to Doctors Without Borders, who are treating rape victims of the attack in Guinea.A note of thanks to our Secretary of State may be in order, too.
Guess What?
Jonah Goldberg has written the finest column ever written in the history of column-writing. It's called "In defense of Glenn Beck," and I defy you to locate a better example of writerings in America today.
I do note one wee problem in his intro, though.
For a self-described rodeo clown who frequently admits he isn't that bright, Glenn Beck must be doing something right. A de facto leader of the populist backlash against President Obama, he made the cover of Time magazine, with his tongue sticking out no less. His books are immediate best-sellers. His radio and TV shows have stratospheric ratings. His one-man comedy performances draw packed audiences, and the proceeds from his numerous ventures have him making north of $20 million a year.By Goldberg's own measure—popularity, media attention, wealth, magazine covers—I can think of a few other people who "must be doing something right," too: Al Gore, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama...
Goldberg, being the free marketeer he is, might begrudgingly admit I've got a point. If the market's buying, you must be doing something right!
Except, of course, there's always the possibility you're doing something wrong, too. Just sayin'.
The rest of the column's flawless, though. Ahem.
What the Hell?
Shaker Electrasteph
With her hand, literally, in the cookie jar.
(If you've a ridiculous and/or embarrassing photo of yourself from your youth, please send it to shakerwhatthehell_at_yahoo_dot_com. I'll post them up as part of our series called What The Hell? so everyone can laugh
[See also: Deeky, Liss, evilsciencechick, katecontinued, ClumsyKisses, Mistress Sparkletoes, Liiiz, Reedme, Mama Shakes, Mustang Bobby, RedSonja, MomTFH, Portly Dyke, SteffaB, Icca, Christina, Orangelion03, Car, Siobhan, InfamousQBert, Maud, Rikibeth, MishaRN, CLD, Cheezwiz, MamaCarrie, Temeraire, somebodyoranother, goldengirl, Liss (again), summerwing, yeomanpip, Susan811, bbl, Deeky (Part II), A Daily Shakesville Fan, Sami_J, liberalandproud Temeraire: Redux, Mama Shakes II, Bonus Deeky, OuyangDan, J.Goff, Iain, Talonas, The Great Indoors, gogo, kiwi_a, em_and_ink, Tik_bev, phdintraining, Deeky Freakhands, busydani, Jenny Anne, rowmyboat, DesertRose, Steve/Pido, Anne Onymous, phredrika, The Last of the Famous International Deekys, Iain, Another Mustang Bobby, mkp-hearts-nyc, Arvan, and Norbizness.]
Question of the Day
So the other day, Deeky was bringing up the song "MacArthur Park," and it got me to thinking of another 60's/70's era song that, for whatever reason, seems to be a bit of a joke to many people (even though they were both huge hits), "The Windmills of Your Mind." It's a nice tune; I particularly like the Petula Clark version. But there's one lyric in the song that I really like; I even geekily made it my Facebook update quote the other day:
Past the minutes on its face
And the world is like an apple
Whirling silently in space
It has nothing to do with the meaning of the words; I just love the sounds the words make; these words, arranged just this way, are lovely to me. Even saying those words together I find incredibly pleasurable. Those lyrics are my "cellar door."
So, Shakers, what phrase, lyric, stanza, wev are you completely enamored with simply by the sounds they create, regardless of meaning?
Today's Edition of "Conniving and Sinister"
Strips One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43. In which Liss reimagines the long-running comic "Frank & Ernest," about two old straight white guys "telling it like it is," as a fat feminist white woman and a biracial queerbait telling it like it actually is from their perspectives. Hilarity ensues.
ACORN!!! SOCIALISM!!! AIIIIEEE!!!
Global Survey Says U.S. Rises to Most Admired Country in the World
The United States is the most admired country globally thanks largely to the star power of President Barack Obama and his administration, according to a new poll.Yeah?? SO?!?
It climbed from seventh place last year, ahead of France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Japan which completed the top five nations in the Nation Brand Index (NBI). “What’s really remarkable is that in all my years studying national reputation, I have never seen any country experience such a dramatic change in its standing as we see for the United States for 2009,” said Simon Anholt, the founder of NBI, which measured the global image of 50 countries each year.
When asked about why he believes the United States shot up to the top of the list, Anholt explained that it likely is because of the election of Barack Obama. “There is no other explanation,” he said.Yeah, but... honor and dignity to the White House! It's left over from the Bush years! He didn't put his hand over his heart during the pledge! Czars! TEABAGS!!!! TEH CENSUS!!! FUCKING ACORN!!!!
(All joking aside... hey Mr. President... how about we start earning some of that admiration, hmm?)
Her Place
CNN Still Doesn't Know How to Cover Sexual Assault
[Trigger warning.]
Tyler Perry, the actor/writer/director/producer best known for his "Madea" character, has done something very brave: He has talked openly and without shame about having been abused as a child.
The message on his website, which is a bit overwhelmed with traffic at the moment, recounts emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. It is hard to read, but is deeply meaningful for lots of other survivors (myself included), many of whom are sharing their own stories on his message board.
Perry tells of having been molested by both a man and a woman, the details of which are provided only in the latter case. I won't post them here, but suffice it to say there is no mistaking that he is describing being a 10-year-old boy molested by his friend's mother.
Nonetheless, CNN gets it very wrong:
Perry goes on to relate accounts of being seduced by a friend's mother at age 10, to being molested by another friend's father, to finding out that his own father was molesting a friend.Ten-year-olds cannot be "seduced." It's no coincidence that the assault in which the victim was male and the perpetrator female is being misrepresented as a "seduction," while the other two are being correctly represented as "molestation." The key feature of rape apologia when the perpetrator is female is to imply that women cannot sexually victimize men, even though victims of female predators are disproportionately male children, not adult men.
This is a consistent problem for CNN. Here is not one, but two, three, four, five, six instances of CNN's failure to correctly identify sexual assault, instead substituting some sort of minimizing euphemism (even though they are capable of getting it right).
I almost can't think of a way to more casually dishonor the bravery of coming out as a survivor of sexual abuse than by denying what a survivor experienced was, in fact, sexual abuse.
Bravo, Mr. Perry. Shame on you, CNN.
Bipartisan Clusterfuckery
President Obama will "confer with a bipartisan group of congressional leaders on the Afghanistan war at the White House on Tuesday as he weighs a decision on whether to send more U.S. troops there."
This is a brilliant idea, because the Republicans have proven themselves excellent decision-makers when it comes to war in the Middle East. We definitely want their input.
The Latest "Renew America" Wingnut Column About "Obama's America" is Entitled:
"A Return to the Planet of the Apes."
No, really. (Not a link to the column; you can follow this post if you want to see it.)
Before I begin to share why I believe this country is going to the apes (self-deserved destruction), which I am sure will make the fur fly among many who would falsely infer my assessment is focused somehow on race, instead of policy, and accuse me of crossing into the forbidden zone, let’s look at the overall message that the Planet of the Apes movies tried to convey.Of course, the ape reference couldn't possibly be about race.
The United States has elected a president in Barack Obama, who when not busy fomenting racial conflict among the people who voted him into the most powerful position in the world, works with every ounce of his strength to destabilize the traditional pillars of this country.That's right, if Barack Obama hadn't had the temerity to be born black, he wouldn't be formenting all this racial conflict. Racism is his fault.
Wow.
Feel the Homomentum!
Following on the heels of Washington DC's having voted to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states, DC Councilman David Catania has introduced legislation that would legalize same-sex marriage in the nation's capital. The bill—which preemptively steals the thunder of a popular (if bullshit) argument of the opposite by explicitly stating "religious leaders and institutions are not required to perform the marriages or rent their space for same-sex ceremonies"—is almost certain to pass the DC council, but is subject (as is all DC legislation) to Congressional review and approval.
At least one Republican congressman has said he will work to have the bill defeated if it passes the D.C. council.Indeed. If there's anything worth fighting for in America, it's to preserve institutional inequality and deny people their democratically-conferred rights.
"Some fights are worth fighting for," said U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah, who thinks Democrats in Congress would likely block any vote on D.C.'s measure. "This is one of them."
The Catholic Church and Washington's archbishop, Donald Wuerl, have been vocal in opposing the legislation. And a group led by Bishop Harry Jackson, the pastor of a Maryland church, had previously asked D.C.'s board of elections to authorize a ballot initiative defining marriage as between a man and a woman.Of course you are.
The board will consider the request later this month.
"We are prepared to go to court," Jackson said.
But back to the exciting stuff!
D.C. Councilman David Catania introduced the new bill at a standing-room only council meeting. The independent and one of two openly gay council members said he hopes for a vote in December.Blub.
"There is no question that we are about to embark on an exciting journey here in the district," he said.
...Same-sex marriage supporters cheered the bill's introduction. D.C. residents Juan Rondon and Edward Grandis came to the meeting wearing T-shirts that displayed copies of their California marriage license.
I know I'm a broken record, but I'll say it once more nonetheless: Every one of these challenges brings us closer to the day when DOMA is repealed and marriage inequality on the basis of sexual orientation is merely a historical fact.
Winner: Most Pathetic Letterman Apolgia
Tom Shales: Let's Remember That Letterman's a Clown, Not a Cleric or Congressman—"One of many sad things about recent stanzas in the ballad of David Letterman is that now, in all media, Dave will be lumped in with other sexually misbehaving celebrities, even though he stands head and heart above most of them."
It only goes downhill from there.
Assvertising
[Straight couple are walking down the street after a date and arrive at woman's house. They stand on the stoop to talk. Curiously, tree leaves block the man's face, and then he turns his back, so his face is never visible.]Does this even need any commentary? Criminy.
Woman: Well, I'm not gonna lie—this was a nightmare. You made me pay for dinner, you told me my political views were "cute," and, uh, thanks for the flowers. [holds up raggedy, wilty flowers] By the way, it's Lily, not Lucy. [looks as though she's about to tell him to get lost, then glances at his suit and reconsiders; her face breaks into a smile] Do you wanna come up for a nightcap? [inviting grin]
Voiceover: [over image of suit on headless mannequin] You get what you're suited for. Get suited at Syms for forty to sixty percent off today's retail prices. With top-brand suits starting at ninety-nine dollars.
[Via Margaret. Assvertising: Parts One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty, Twenty-One, Twenty-Two, Twenty-Three, Twenty-Four, Twenty-Five, Twenty-Six, Twenty-Seven, Twenty-Eight, Twenty-Nine, Thirty, Thirty-One, Thirty-Two, Thirty-Three, Thirty-Four, Thirty-Five, Thirty-Six, Thirty-Seven, Thirty-Eight, Thirty-Nine, Forty, Forty-One, Forty-Two, Forty-Three, Forty-Four, Forty-Five, Forty-Six, Forty-Seven, Forty-Eight, Forty-Nine, Fifty, Fifty-One, Fifty-Two, Fifty-Three, Fifty-Four, Fifty-Five, Fifty-Six, Fifty-Seven, Fifty-Eight, Fifty-Nine, Sixty, Sixty-One, Sixty-Two, Sixty-Three, Sixty-Four, Sixty-Five, Sixty-Six, Sixty-Seven, Sixty-Eight, Sixty-Nine, Seventy, Seventy-One, Seventy-Two, Seventy-Three, Seventy-Four, Seventy-Five, Seventy-Six, Seventy-Seven.]
The WaPo Is Helpful
In case you forgot that Justice Sonia Sotomayor was a fiery Latina, staff writer Robert Barnes is here to help:
Justice Sonia Sotomayor displayed no reticence on the first day of her first term on the court; in the two cases on the docket, she asked as many questions and made as many comments as Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.Ooh, uppity! I mean doesn't know her place! No, wait, I mean fiery! It's a compliment!
The only sign of her newness was that she at times forgot to turn on her microphone before posing a question.Ha ha! Silly lady!
Sotomayor's active questioning was in tune with her reputation on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in New York.I heard she had a reputation for being fiery!
Sotomayor is also described as "an inquisitive new justice" and "far more active Monday than in her first hearing as a justice," as though she might be a dew-eyed extraterrestrial just learning to make her way on the lovely blue planet she now calls home.
Oh, pardon me: A fiery dew-eyed extraterrestrial.
More Letterman
Last week, David Letterman announced on his show that he'd been sexually involved with an unspecified number of female staffers. Since then, several women have been identified as and/or come forward about having been sexually involved with Letterman.
To recap: My issue with Letterman's behavior is that one of the richest, most powerful men in television making a habit of sleeping with female subordinates is not only a major ethical breach, but also raises (what ought to be) obvious questions about coercion. If there is an expectation, even an implicit or oblique expectation, that sleeping with the boss may be part of your job, whether there can be genuine and undiluted enthusiastic consent is a serious question.
Last night, Letterman apologized on-air to his wife (which is none of my business or concern, and I won't be discussing that part here) and to "his staff."
I'm terribly sorry that I put the staff in that position. Inadvertently, I just wasn't thinking ahead. And, moreover, the staff here has been wonderfully supportive to me, not just through this furor, but through all the years that we've been on television and especially all the years here at CBS, so, again, my thanks to the staff for, once again, putting up with something stupid I've gotten myself involved in.Here's the interesting part of that: The women with whom Letterman was sexually involved were staffers—and yet, quite evidently, he's not apologizing to them; he's not even including them in his definition of "staff."
It's not a clear-cut male/female divide, as one might assume, because Letterman reportedly also "apologized because he now realized that people would speculate he was involved with women on the show with whom he had no sexual relationship."
There's his "staff," and then there are the women he employs who he sleeps with.
CBS really ought to have a problem with that.
[Related: The casting couch is all too real, but no one will discuss it. Thanks to Shaker KO for sending that one.]
This is a real thing in the world.
[sigh] I'm done. I'm gonna go back to living the life of luxury—I miss my drivers, I miss my limo, I liss my—I miss my car-dee-err of, uh, uh, excuse me, my snifter of car-dee-, uh, uh, snifter of… [someone yells from audience] Oh! Macallan. [snorts] And for you of those that don't know, Macallan is a ten thousand bottle of whisky. And I really love giving myself footbaths—I pour about three of those bottles with a pound of saffron in there. At the same time, I let my concubines work me, you know, deep tissue massage—oh, god, I miss it so much. [laughs; looks down at his notecards and flips through them]The transcript does not even begin to convey how awkward this "set" actually is. Although I would like to point out that his spoonerized "for you of those that don't know," which was not my typing error, and his "ten thousand bottle of whisky" (ten thousand what—hot dogs?!), which was also not my typing error, should give you some idea. As should the fact he's onstage with a cheat sheet.
That way, I can go back to, uh, you know, I can go back to life of luxury, like I was saying, and, you know, I can hang out with my, uh, two cocker spaniels, uh, Goldwater and Reagan. I could watch my, uh, filly run the derby next year; her name's Oppress the Poor. I could watch her on my hundred-and-nine inch plasma screen TV, so… [breathes heavily; flips through note cards furiously]
So, that's what's been weighing on my chest, so, you know, hey, listen— [takes a deep breath and exhales] I'm Joe the Plumber no more—I'm Francis W. Rove, rich Republican, and I'm happy to be out of the closet. And you know what gives me the most pleasure of all? Is Keith Olbermann's somewhere out there right now screaming, "I knew it! I knew it!" And he's gonna have a stroke and life will be good. Thank you guys very much.
I love that his entire routine seems to be based around the ABSURDITY that people might think he's a wealthy Republican, despite the fact that he's spent the last year insinuating himself into the Republican media machine, from which even dodo-brains like Jeff Gannon can make a hot buck.
[H/T to Chris.]
Ohwhattadooshiam
Hey, Shakers! Remember this? Good times. Well guess what? If you didn't like Whole Foods CEO John Mackey's little fat hate/socialism scare belch, you'll absolutely love his response to the reaction it caused:
"I honestly don't know why the article became such a lightning rod," says John Mackey, CEO and founder of Whole Foods Market Inc., as he tries to explain the firestorm caused by his August op-ed on these pages opposing government-run health care. "I think a lot of people who got angry haven't read what I actually wrote. There was a lot of emotional reaction—fear and anger. I just wanted to get people to think about whether there was a better way to reform the system."Yes, we're all just frightened, angry children, too hysterical to actually consider the words of such a big, smart businessman. Or too fucking stupid to read. The fact that his op-ed boiled down to "Our shitty health care system is the fault of fat people. Oh, and by the way, "BOO! SOCIALISM!" and some people might be, you know, a little put off by that, ahem, doesn't enter his inflated (knuckle)head. What an egomaniacal teabagging asshole.
(I'm grateful that I'm not in a position that I would ever have to spend money in his store, because I'll be damned if I drop a dime in there ever again. That said, I recognize that due to food allergies or other challenges, some people may need to go to Whole Foods, and that's perfectly OK. Let's keep that in mind in comments, please.)
Bread and Teaspoons Nine
Good morning (unless it isn't where you are, in which case I wish you Good $TIME_PERIOD), and welcome to this week's installment of Shakesville's networking post, Bread and Teaspoons*.
This is a weekly post, usually Tuesdays, providing a spot for Shakers to network a little with one another, see if we can help each other out some.
Here's how it works: There should be four sorts of comments here.
1) You comment here with any details of work you're seeking: where, what, that sort of thing. You give an e-mail address at which you can be reached - feel free to set up a special e-mail for it, if you don't want to post your regular one for the world to spam - and if another Shaker has a lead, they can contact you directly to pass it along.
A work-seeking comment should include:
Please do NOT include information such as your full name or telephone number, as this is and will remain a public post, and once posted, there's no taking it back (because it'll be spidered by a search engine, not because we don't want you to).
It is explicitly alright to comment to this each week with similar info.
For example, I might post a comment saying:
I'm a professional translator of French, German and Russian, with nearly 17 years of experience. I'm looking for basically any translation job, academic, commercial, personal, genealogical, you name it, with one exception: I do not currently have certification, so if you need a certified translator (usually for legal docs: birth certificates, divorce decrees, wills), you need someone else.
I am also available as a writer or editor, for academic, journalistic, creative, marketing-oriented or any other type of written communication. Basically, if you'll pay me, I'll write or edit it.
You can contact me for business purposes through my business address, translatey.caitie@translateycaitie.com.**
2) The second type of comment would be task offering: if you've got a job you think might suit someone here, consider posting it as a comment. Use the same guidelines as above: give general information here, and specific information when you exchange e-mails. An offered task might look something like this:
I have a doctoral thesis which needs proofing and editing by Thursday, is anyone available? You can reach me at ABDShaker@shakesville.miskatonic.edu.
3) The third kind of comment I'd love to see is success stories! We’d love to know when this works out, and people actually find some employment through our efforts. If you feel like sharing, tell us how it worked out for you. :)
**NEW CATEGORY ADDED**
4) If you’re a progressive working for or running a small business and would like to include a pointer to your business, you may do so. If you’ve never otherwise posted before here (i.e., you’re a lurker), I may check in with you to be certain you’re a Shaker and not a spammer. If it turns into a spamfest, or we start getting businesses that are of dubious progressive credentials, we may need to revisit this one, but let’s give it a try.
So, that's what we'd like to see.
What we do NOT want to see:
So there. Have at it, Shakers, for Bread and Teaspoons!
Important disclaimers: Shakesville makes no endorsement or claim as to the capabilities of anyone commenting to this post, and anyone considering hiring someone should be prepared to treat it like any other business situation: DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE. We're not doing any screening of this, so you'll want to make sure you check references, use safe-payment procedures (e.g., ask for a deposit), all the things you'd do when working with any stranger on the Internet. While this is intended for Shakers in general, remember that there is no real obstacle to being able to comment here, and do the things you need to do to keep yourself safe.
* As might be evident, this is an intentional reference to Bread and Roses, a longtime slogan of the left. In this case, though, my hope is that if we achieve steady bread, we will use it to power our teaspoon use.
** Now, don't go writing to that one yet, because that's not my actual domain name (which I've not got running yet, but should soon), and I'm only using it as an example (though it happens to be true). The e-mail listed for me under Contributors works just fine for now, if you've got something for me.
The last several Bread and Teaspoons: Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight.
What the Hell?
Shaker Norbizness
A real American patriot.
(If you've a ridiculous and/or embarrassing photo of yourself from your youth, please send it to shakerwhatthehell_at_yahoo_dot_com. I'll post them up as part of our series called What The Hell? so everyone can laugh
[See also: Deeky, Liss, evilsciencechick, katecontinued, ClumsyKisses, Mistress Sparkletoes, Liiiz, Reedme, Mama Shakes, Mustang Bobby, RedSonja, MomTFH, Portly Dyke, SteffaB, Icca, Christina, Orangelion03, Car, Siobhan, InfamousQBert, Maud, Rikibeth, MishaRN, CLD, Cheezwiz, MamaCarrie, Temeraire, somebodyoranother, goldengirl, Liss (again), summerwing, yeomanpip, Susan811, bbl, Deeky (Part II), A Daily Shakesville Fan, Sami_J, liberalandproud Temeraire: Redux, Mama Shakes II, Bonus Deeky, OuyangDan, J.Goff, Iain, Talonas, The Great Indoors, gogo, kiwi_a, em_and_ink, Tik_bev, phdintraining, Deeky Freakhands, busydani, Jenny Anne, rowmyboat, DesertRose, Steve/Pido, Anne Onymous, phredrika, The Last of the Famous International Deekys, Iain, Another Mustang Bobby, mkp-hearts-nyc, and Arvan.]
Question of the Day
Stealing from the Quote of the Day, what do you still not understand about yourself?
It doesn't have to be profound. Silly always welcome.
Brave Little (Foot) Soldier
Oh dear. Looks like another Republican has lost all contact with anything resembling perspective:
I'm interrupting my career. It's not like I want my new career in politics. But I'm willing to interrupt it the same way that somebody interrupted their career and joined World War II and went off to fight the Nazis. I don't think that I'm that heroic, and I don't think I'm risking as much as a soldier. But it's the same principle.That was former Ron Paul economic advisor Peter Schiff, who is currently running for the US Senate in Connecticut. Because, y'know, Obama's Hitler and the Dems are Nazis. Or something.
Somebody get this guy a coveted Medal of Hubris, tout de suite!
[Via.]
You Go, Grrl: Allison Iraheta
Allison Iraheta, the teenage rocker who made it to the top 4 of last season's American Idol, and who was a favorite of many Shakers who watch the show, has released a new single, "Friday I'll Be Over U" (below), and gave an interview to Pop Eater about the new song and being on Idol:
What will your fans take away from the song?
It's a song everyone can relate to. It's a pretty simple song. It ain't too hard to understand. I think people will really just be like 'Yeah!' ... hopefully.
Do you think you were able to be yourself on 'Idol'?
Not really. It was pretty hard. Being on 'American Idol,' it's very hard to be who you are. You can try, but you're already portrayed as someone else. It's kind of hard to come out as who you really are. But, now people get a chance to know who we are, going to see us on tour and stuff.
...How did you deal with all of the criticism laid out on 'Idol'?
It's hard to take at first, but people should be prepared before they audition. The whole show of 'Idol' is not about your singing. It's pretty much... it's favoritism. I don't know, but that's pretty much what it is.
FlashForward
Is anyone else watching FlashForward, the new ABC series that was fashioned from leftover parts of Lost and the remnants of Joseph Fiennes' unremarkable career?
Well, I certainly hope so—because I want to talk about it! The thing is: I almost love this show...
[Spoiler warning! Spoilers below!]
Almost, but not quite. I love Courtney B. Vance and John Cho and Sonya Walger. I love the premise and the pacing so far. But I can't love the show because I HATE JOSEPH FIENNES AND HIS TERRIBLE AMERICAN ACCENT AND HIS DREADFUL EYEBROW ACTING! And the problem is that he's the main character. And he keeps getting in the way of my liking the show.
And then there's this other problem: The writers don't seem to understand how the time-space continuum works. See, if it's 10:00 in LA, that means it's after 10:00 in about 3/4 of the country, which means that most of the country is going to be asleep, especially kids, so this whole idea that Americans are feverishly sharing stories of what they saw themselves doing during the flashforward to 10:00pm Pacific time, no less that kids are "playing flashforward" on playgrounds, is just absurd.
Also: If it's 3am Pacific time, and Agent John Cho is talking to some lady in what appears to be an Asian or European city, it's not going to be nighttime where she is.
So that bugs me. As does the idea that Agent Token Lady is getting an ultrasound at 10:00 at time. On what planet is that happening?
Suspension of disbelief I can do, but that stuff just seems like lazy mistakes.
Anyone else got any love or hate or a little of each for FlashForward?
Quote of the Day
"There's plenty I don't understand about myself, but nothing nags. Paradoxically, the deeper I got into neuropsychology the less interested I became in the details of my own inner workings. I'm not sure why. It certainly is not because I arrived at any great insight or understanding. I still experience the almost visceral sense of puzzlement over matters of brain, mind and selfhood that first drew me to the field. What happened, I think, was a shift – let's imagine a neural switch somewhere in the frontolimbic circuitry – from one preoccupying question, What am I? to another, What should I do? It left me less inclined to bother about self-understanding than to consider the value of things, moral and aesthetic. How best to live? But here's a nagging thought: might those two preoccupying questions turn out to be one and the same, like the evening star and the morning star?"—Dr. Paul Broks, a clinical neuropsychologist at the University of Plymouth, one of a group of prominent psychologists asked by the British Psychological Society's Research Digest to "look inwards and share, in 150 words, one nagging thing they still don't understand about themselves." [Via.]
National Equality March
The National Equality March is in DC this weekend, on the 11th.
I know there are some Shakers in the DC area, and some who may be traveling to DC for the event, so I figured I'd open a thread, in case anyone wanted to organize a Shaker meet-up.
A Correction on "How to Apologize: An Example From Life"
I have a minor correction to make to a post I made last week, How to Apologize: An Example From Life.
The show's Technical Director reached me at Livejournal to let me know (emphasis mine):
I read your blog pointing back at Elizabeth's and while I am not part of the discussion (I couldn't agree more with Elizabeth and she's much better with words than I am) I realized in reading your post there were some minor details that appear to be a bit mixed up in your understanding. There were two noticeably black-appearing POC in the show, both female, one in the chorus and one as the evil fairy. There are other people who may or may not identify or be identified as POC for their Hispanic ethnicity who were also in the show two of which had more major roles (one the love interest and one the stable boy who was in love with the lead).And she was right - I do appreciate it, and I offer my apologies for my errors to the good folks at Theatre@First for being kind enough to point them out to me.
In the grand scheme of the healthy discussion bits, it's not all that important, but I thought you might appreciate the more accurate information.
Today's Edition of "Conniving and Sinister"
Inspired by an idea of Deeky's.
Strips One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42. In which Liss reimagines the long-running comic "Frank & Ernest," about two old straight white guys "telling it like it is," as a fat feminist white woman and a biracial queerbait telling it like it actually is from their perspectives. Hilarity ensues.
