Shakesville

Question of the Day

2012-02-02T18:00:00.001-06:00

What's your favorite scary story?

I'm quite partial to Richard Matheson's entire body of work, but I have to give the honor to Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House.

Daily Dose of Cute

2012-02-02T13:00:00.003-06:00

"What? Like your butt has never been cold before."

Quote of the Day

2012-02-02T11:16:00.003-06:00

"Just like a pro-abortion group to turn a cancer orgs decision into a political bomb throw. Cry me a freaking river." -- Jade Morey, on Twitter. Who is Jade Morey? I do not know. However I do know who retweeted, and thus supported and endorsed that sentiment: Karen Handel (that's a link to the screenshot, as Handel tried to scrub it later by deleting it).

Karen Handel is the Senior Vice President of Public Policy at Susan G. Komen For The Cure. She is also a failed gubernatorial candidate for the state of Georgia, anti-choice, and a supporter of de-funding Planned Parenthood (as she promised to do so if she became governor). Incidentally, she was hired on less than a year ago.

Number of the Day

2012-02-02T11:14:00.000-06:00

5.6 Million: The number of Americans who have switched their banks in the last 90 days.

Javelin noted that this pace of account closing is three times the normal rate. While 11 percent of people moving their accounts cited Bank Transfer Day, one quarter said they moved their money because their old institution charged too many fees. Account closures at Bank of America, the nation’s second largest bank, actually jumped 20 percent in the fourth quarter of last year, potentially driven by the bank’s ill-fated decision to implement a $5 monthly fee for its debt cards.

Two-Minute Nostalgia Sublime

2012-02-02T10:30:00.001-06:00

2wo: "I Am A Pig"

Directed by Chi Chi Larue. This video is NSFW.

Top Chef: Texas Open Thread

2012-02-02T09:30:00.004-06:00

Guest judge Jimmy (A Unicorn) thinks your pork chops taste like farts!
Remember the Alamo? It's a famous place in Texas that now rents cars. So I guess that's why they gave everyone a bicycle and told them to cook for Pee-Wee Herman in any old restaurant they could find on the street. Huh. Sure! Why not? What a weird challenge. Did anyone else think it was weird? You thought it was weird. So weird! Also, Mexican restaurants don't stock couscous. Is that weird? Probably very normal!

Primarily Awful

2012-02-02T08:26:00.000-06:00

"I am SUCH a bad bet."
Frontrunner (ha ha good luck with that, Republicans!) Mitt Romney continues to get hammered for his "I'm not concerned about the very poor" comment, and rightfully so. His insistence that the comment not be taken out of context, as Greg Sargent notes, is pretty rich coming from a dude whose campaign opportunistically (mis)quoted the President out of context in a wildly mendacious campaign ad, then had the audacity to justify it with: "He did say the words. That's his voice."

And, frankly, the whole context of Romney's comment doesn't make it any better, since it egregiously misrepresents the extent of poverty in the US, and incredibly suggests that the very poor are being sufficiently served by the social safety net his party endeavors to subvert at every conceivable opportunity.

Nor is his comment improved by his absurd clarification: "You've got to take the whole sentence, all right, as opposed to saying, and then change it just a little bit, because then it sounds very different. I've said throughout the campaign my focus, my concern, my energy is gonna be devoted to helping middle income people, all right? We have a safety net for the poor in, and if there are holes in it, I will work to repair that. And if there are people that are falling through the cracks I want to fix that."

Yeah, that's still just as epically stupid as the first time.

Newt Gingrich is getting in on the Get Mitt! action, and highlighted the fact that Romney additionally said: "We will hear from the Democrat party the plight of the poor, you can focus on the very poor, that's not my focus." (Oof. "Thanks, Mitt Romney!"—Barack Obama.) Gingrich's criticism might be more valuable if it weren't coming from a guy who himself does not give a single fuck about the very poor, the kinda poor, the slightly poor, the poor, the almost poor, the soon to be poor, the useda-be poor, the working class, the lower middle class, the middle middle class, the upper middle class, and/or anyone else who is not a bazillionaire conservative donor and/or a corporation and/or Ronald Reagan.

Gingrich is, however, reportedly about to get very lucky today when former sorta-candidate Donald Trump endorses him. (Or announces a third-party vanity candidacy. Watch this space!) That's how you know he's a real Man of the People—multimillionaire mogul Donald Trump's support.

Personally, I'm surprised that Trump isn't endorsing Mitt Romney, since they both love to fire people so much.

Anyway! It's great to see Donald Trump getting involved in the Democratic process again, because he is both a gentleman AND a genius, but I'm really holding out to see who Tronald Dump endorses.

Good times.

I'm sure there is political news about Rick Santorum available somewhere on the planet, because Rick "Man on Dog" Santorum's presidential candidacy is still a Real Thing in the World, but I cannot be arsed to find it, because who cares.

FUN FACT! Rick Santorum, who is Catholic, once blamed the Catholic Church's institutional sex abuse problem on liberalism.

^ Also a fun fact.
Something something Ron Paul. Liberty, freedom, liberty, freedom, forcible pregnancy. It's in the Constitution! Look it up.

Talk about these things! Or don't. Whatever makes you happy. Life is short.

Blog Note

2012-02-02T08:05:00.002-06:00

Posting will be very light from me today and tomorrow, as I've got a friend visiting from out of town.

Please remember that when I'm not around, we're down one moderator, so take extra care in commenting, and be patient with and respectful of the other mods who will be picking up my slack.

Open Thread

2012-02-02T08:00:00.000-06:00

Hosted by a UPC code.

Question of the Day

2012-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00

Bouncing off yesterday's question: What word do you find hilarious, even if it's not a "funny" word?

I laugh every time I hear "sasquatch." Come to think of it, "squash" is funny, too. And as I've said to Melissa a kerbrillion times, if the word "butt" ever stops being funny to me, I'll be officially bored with life.

Funny, That

2012-02-01T15:00:00.000-06:00

Atrios, aka economist Duncan Black: I Could Have Told You That a Couple of Years Ago:

Suddenly everyone's jumping on the idea that maybe jobs and economic growth are a wee bit important. But, you know, all the Very Serious People were wrong for the right reasons while the hippies were right for the wrong reasons, so the VSPs were really right and the hippies were really wrong.

It's amazing how that always works.

See also: The Iraq War.

Rinse. Repeat. Forever.

Quote of the Day

2012-02-01T14:20:00.001-06:00

"My understanding is that it is virtually impossible to contract AIDS through heterosexual sex." — Stacey Campfield, Tennessee State Senator, while appearing on the Michelangelo Signorile Show late last week to discuss his "Don't Say Gay" bill.

Ummm... yeah. No. See also: Africa.

Whoooooooooops!

2012-02-01T14:00:00.008-06:00

Hey, remember how Mitt Romney said he doesn't concern himself with "the very poor," because they've got our awesomely robust social safety net to provide for them...?

Of course you remember! I only told you this morning!

Well, he tried to fix it. And obviously failed.

To paraphrase my associate Kanye, Mitt Romney doesn't care about poor people!

Photo of the Day

2012-02-01T13:00:00.006-06:00

More Scenes from the Conservative Legislation Lab: Last month, I wrote about the Orwellian-named "right to work" bill in the Indiana state legislature, a piece of gross, anti-worker legislation which Governor Mitch Daniels (R-Ancid) has said "is at the top of the state's agenda."

And by "the state," naturally he means the Republican legislature and definitely not the people of Indiana, nor any of their Democratic representatives, even though there are millions of us who do not support this legislation, or the way it's being rammed through the legislature.

You will not, however, hear about this on the news, because Mitch Daniels is a hero and Indiana is his Fortress of Fuckitude.

Do not let the media silence fool you: Hoosiers are making noise.

[Photo via @ThinkProgress.]

Daily Dose of Cute

2012-02-01T12:15:00.002-06:00

Dogs + Sunshine Edition

Besties

Dudz

Zelly

Wednesday Blogaround

2012-02-01T11:30:00.001-06:00

This blogaround brought to you by lavender soap.

Recommended Reading:

IMPORTANT RECALL NOTICE: Pfizer Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Lo/Ovral®-28 and Norgestrel/Ethinyl Estradiol Tablets Due to Possibility of Inexact Tablet Counts or Out-of-Sequence Tablets (Also see: Misty's post below.)

Tami: How Finger Wagging Is Like Hair Touching: Lessons in Privilege

Resistance: In Which the President Is Asked to Dance a Jig by a White Lady in the Year 2012

Fannie: This Is What An Anti-Feminist Looks Like [Content Note: See advisory at link.]

Gary: Whitewashing Black History Month

shinobi42: Southwest Loses Another Customer [Content Note: The post at the link includes discussion of fat shaming and fat-related airline policies.]

Adrienne: Drew Barrymore Sports a Headdress (Not a Hat)

Andy: 'Priscilla' Director Stephan Elliott: I'm Gay

Hey—know who else does good blogarounds (by other names)? Tigtog and Mike the Mad Biologist! You should read them!

Leave your links and recommendations in comments...

Pfizer Recalls Birth Control Pills

2012-02-01T11:28:00.000-06:00

Pfizer has recalled 28 different lots of birth control pills because they were not made correctly and/or not packaged correctly and may not prevent pregnancy. The affected pills are Lo/Ovral-28 and the generic version, Norgestrel and Ethinyl Estradiol tablets. From Pfizer:

Pfizer Inc. announced today that it has voluntarily recalled 14 lots of Lo/Ovral®-28 (norgestrel and ethinyl estradiol)Tablets and 14 lots of Norgestrel and Ethinyl Estradiol Tablets (generic)for customers in the U.S. market. An investigation by Pfizer found that some blister packs may contain an inexact count of inert or active ingredient tablets and that the tablets may be out of sequence. The cause was identified and corrected immediately.

These products are oral contraceptives indicated for the prevention of pregnancy in women who elect to use oral contraceptives as a method of contraception. These tablets were manufactured and packaged by Pfizer Inc., commercialized by Akrimax Rx Products and labeled under the Akrimax Pharmaceuticals brand. This product is distributed to warehouses, clinics and retail pharmacies nationwide.

As a result of this packaging error, the daily regimen for these oral contraceptives may be incorrect and could leave women without adequate contraception, and at risk for unintended pregnancy. These packaging defects do not pose any immediate health risks. However, consumers exposed to affected packaging should begin using a non-hormonal form of contraception immediately. Patients who have the affected product (lot numbers are provided below) should notify their physician and return the product to the pharmacy.

These products are packaged in blister packs containing 21 tablets of active ingredients and seven tablets of inert ingredients. Correct dosing of this product is important in avoiding the associated risks of an unplanned pregnancy.

At the link above is Pfizer's list of affected lots.

I know what Pfizer meant by "not [posing] any immediate health risk", as in "the wrongly made pills themselves won't harm you if you take or took them"...but really now. Wrongly made and packaged birth control pills pose a health risk that's pretty damn high for many people. Apparently one million pill packs are being recalled.

Two-Minute Nostalgia Sublime

2012-02-01T11:00:00.003-06:00

Coldplay: "Viva La Vida"

Alcatraz Open Thread

2012-02-01T10:04:00.000-06:00

I am sorry I forgot to post this yesterday! Whooooooooooooops! Did you watch Alcatraz Monday night? What did you think of it? Did you love it? I did! I LOVED IT.

Here are the Top 5 things I loved about it (some minor spoilers):

1. I love Jorge Garcia! I love his character, Dr. Diego Soto, soooooooooo much! And the first scene, in the restaurant, you know the one I mean, where his partner asks him how a guy with two PhDs ends up running a comic book store? And he tells her? And she's all, "That's pretty close to adorable." And it was! OMG. Jorge Garcia, you are awesome.

2. I love Sarah Jones! I love her character, Det. Rebecca Madsen, soooooooooo much! She is very smart and competent and brave! And cheeky and nice! I cannot even begin to describe how much I am enjoying a female character who is allowed to be tough and vulnerable and smart and silly, and isn't just a caricature. Also: "Know what they didn't have in the 1960s...? Seatbelt laws!"

3. I did NOT love the violence, because gross. But what I did love is that the show, which is, after all, about violent criminals, does not encourage us to elide the reality of violence. It is hard to watch a widow scream with the agony of loss, and to watch Dr. Soto's face contort with pain at the sight of violence, and it is also important. I think it's really kind of brave to do a show about violence that doesn't approve of violence.

4. I loved this exchange between Det. Madsen and Dr. Soto: "Thanks for having my back." "Always."

5. Everything else!

Primarily Stupid

2012-02-01T09:28:00.000-06:00

Congratulations! You are the least barfiest!
Wowee wow! What a come from ahead! (That's what zie said.) Mitt Romney, as predicted by seriously everyone anywhere ever, won the Florida primary last night. This morning, I am reading lots of articles with headlines like "Why Romney Won" or "Why Gingrich Lost," and all of them are hundreds of words too long, because the reason why Romney won and why Newt Gingrich lost is because Mitt Romney isn't Newt Gingrich and Newt Gingrich is Newt Gingrich the end.

Speaking of headlines, this is my favorite primary headline of the day, care of ABC News: "Can Mitt Maintain the Mo?" Snicker.

The biggest takeaway from the Florida primary is that Mitt Romney is running a very negative and very dishonest campaign. Failing a chunk of errant meteor falling on his head, he will be the Republican nominee, and, although there is not much enthusiasm for him among primary voters, there is hella plenty of enthusiasm for getting Barack Obama out of office. Come the general election, Romney is going to be flush with silly amounts of cash, and he is going to use every last penny of it to go hard negative on Obama without a modicum of regard for fairness or honesty.

Mitt Romney has zero integrity and even less shame. His ads will be breathtakingly inappropriate. And I hope like hell that the Obama campaign team are ready for it, and have a strategy of counter-attack at the ready, because staying above the fray ain't gonna work.

Anyway!

Newt Gingrich did not call Mitt Romney to congratulate him last night, because he is a jerk no doy. Also: He is getting sued for using the song "Eye of the Tiger" without permission. LOL. What a total jackass.

Speaking of jackasses, something something Ron Paul.

Back to Mitt Romney for a moment now, so I can bring you this great story about how he doesn't give a fuck about poor people because they've got the social safety net to help them! LOL! For realz! "I'm not concerned about the very poor. We have a safety net there. If it needs repair, I'll fix it. I'm not concerned about the very rich, they're doing just fine. I'm concerned about the very heart of the America, the 90 percent, 95 percent of Americans who right now are struggling."

Got that? It's not the poor who are struggling—they're fine! Everyone knows they WANT to be poor! Buncha lazyasses who sold their bootstraps for an xbox. And if (LOL FOREVER) the social safety net needs repair, Mitt Romney will totes fix it! So no worries. Those layabouts will have great lives on the government dime forever, no problem.

Where Mitt Romney needs to focus his energy is on the middle class, which constitutes fully 95% of America, apparently, because they are struggling to make it.

True Facts: In 2010, 16% of the population of the United States, or 49.1 million people, were living in poverty. The younger one is, the more likely to be in poverty: 20% of the US's juvenile population were living in poverty by 2009.

Let me reiterate: Dude's a wild liar.

Rick Santorum, who is definitely still in the race, is also a liar. FYI.

Finally in Primary News, President Obama is still pretty darn popular.

Talk about these things! Or don't. Whatever makes you happy. Life is short.

Komen Follow-Up

2012-02-01T08:33:00.000-06:00

On Monday, Shaker Jane wrote a guest post about Susan G. Komen for the Cure's new funding guidelines that signaled the end of their funding to Planned Parenthood. The story is now getting wider attention, as Komen has confirmed they will no longer fund Planned Parenthood.

Komen says the key reason is that Planned Parenthood is under investigation in Congress — a probe launched by a conservative Republican who was urged to act by anti-abortion groups.

Pro-life. Sure.

To quote Jane: "Call your local Komen office (find yours here) and let them know what you think of their new funding guidelines. Donate to your community's Planned Parenthood (find yours here) and ask that your gift be put toward unfunded breast health care."

Open Thread

2012-02-01T08:00:00.000-06:00

Hosted by licorice allsorts.

Question of the Day

2012-01-31T18:15:00.004-06:00

We've done this one before, but not for a very long time: What are your favorite and least favorite words, based solely on their sound?

I have lots of words I really love, and I'm not sure I have a single favorite, but the first one that came to mind is tintinnabulation.

I can't think of anything off the top of my head that I don't like based solely on its sound, but I know a ton of people who hate the sound of moist.

Florida Primary Night Open Thread

2012-01-31T17:52:00.000-06:00

OMG, y'all! Are you as firmly ensconced in the compelling grip of excitement as I am?! I HOPE YOU ARE! It's gonna be another real nail-biter to see whether it will be the super rich and super privileged white guy, or the OTHER super rich and super privileged white guy who wins in Florida tonight! I CAN'T WAIT!

(Full Disclosure: I can totally wait.)

Just to give you some idea of HOW EXCITING things are in Florida right now, here is a picture of Mitt Romney ON THE PHONE!

Get out the vote...with GREAT JOKES!
Anyway! I can't wait to see what happens tonight! So many possibilities... Mitt Romney could win and go on to get the Republican nomination! Mitt Romney could lose and go on to get the Republican nomination! What a wild ride we've got ahead of us, Shakers!

Bring it on, ~~Iowa~~ ~~New Hampshire~~ ~~South Carolina~~ Florida!

Photo of the Day

2012-01-31T17:29:00.000-06:00

Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich holds a sign made by a supporter in the crowd, as he speaks at the Tampa Jet Center, on January 30, 2012, in Tampa, Florida. [Getty Images]

Is Mitt Romney the Joker in that graphic? Did he just eat a cherry lollipop? What is going on?

I like to imagine the text, with its interesting spacing and lack of punctuation, actually says: "Make no mistake, Obama. Care! Is Romney care?" An exhortation to compassion followed by a rhetorical question to which the answer is no.

News I Don't Want to Write About

2012-01-31T16:14:00.000-06:00

[Content Note: War, reproductive rights legislation, rape culture, violence, misogyny.]

Here is all the news I don't want to write about today!

There is the BIG NEWS that Iran is totally going to attack the US! It's true! Or not! It seems like I've heard this story before: The administration of a first-term president before a hotly contested election says that US intelligence has found that ~~Iraq~~ Iran is developing nuclear capabilities with intent to attack the US and/or US interests, and there are UN weapons inspections, with which ~~Iraq~~ Iran is cooperating, but the belligerent rhetoric of preemptive self-defense keeps getting ratcheted up nonetheless, including accusations of ~~Iraq's~~ Iran's noncompliance with those inspections. THIS IS A FAMILIAR TUNE, SHAKERS!

"Wolf!"—The Boy.

In good news, the New York Times is partying like it's 2003, because they've already got a year of reporting covered c/o search and replace.

There is the news that Michele Bachmann exited the presidential campaign one million dollars in debt. And the news that Rick Perry blew through $15 million in the final months of his campaign, for presumably no purpose other than raising awareness about what a douche he is so he could LOSE FASTER! This is yet another golden opportunity for USians to consider how utterly fucked up it is that we do not have publicly financed elections or limited electoral seasons, and very rich people spend enormous amounts of money to get elected while other politicians who have already been elected argue in fancy buildings about how we don't have any money to provide healthcare, food, and housing to everyone in the country.

There is the news that former Florida Governor Charlie Crist might someday run again for office as a Democrazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Huntsman-Crist for President-VP of Napping!

There is the story about Janet Howell, a Virginia State Senator, who, to Make A Point, attached an amendment to a state mandatory ultrasound abortion bill "that would require men to have a rectal exam and a cardiac stress test before obtaining a prescription for erectile dysfunction medication." Hardy-har. Suffice it to say I don't find proposing the equivalent of a forced trans-vaginal sonogram law to be amusing, since it's little more than a sophisticated rape joke. I am, I trust it is evident, sympathetic to Howell's intentions, but I cannot get on board with fighting the nonconsensual control of the bodies of women and other people with uteri with a proposal for more of it, rather than less. Coercing a person to undergo an unnecessary vaginal probe to acquire a legal medical procedure is rape, and compelling an anal probe is no different.

There is news about ladies! The US women's soccer league's 2012 season has been cancelled less than 24 hours after the US women's national team qualified for the Olympics. If there's one thing we know how to do in America, it's treat women's sports like absolute shit!

There is the story of a man in Afghanistan, where we've been SPREADING FREEDOM for ten years and counting, who has reportedly strangled his wife after she failed to bear him a son. Three healthy daughters, though. Who now have no mother. Rage. Seethe. Boil.

There is this story about "three regulators [who] did indeed ring warning bells [about the subprime financial crisis]—at the right time, in the right places, and loud enough for other banking and financial system overseers," but were all ignored. Guess what they all have in common? Go on—guess! If you said they were all ladies, give yourself 1,000 points, redeemable at Shakesville's OMFG the Absurd Misogyny in the Year 2012 Shop!

Ladynews Trifecta!

There is, because I want to end on a hopeful note, this story about a potential breakthrough in cancer research and one patient's view of a future.

Talk about these things! Or don't. Whatever makes you happy. Life is short.

Daily Dose of Cute

2012-01-31T15:00:00.000-06:00

Kittehs!

Matilda

Olivia

Sophie

Quote of the Day

2012-01-31T14:28:00.000-06:00

[Content Note: Homophobia.]

"I Believe in Adam and Eve!"—A sign seen at a rally held by "opponents of same-sex marriage rallied in front of the Maryland State House in Annapolis Monday night, calling on lawmakers to abandon legislative efforts to allow gays and lesbians to enter into civil marriages."

That old canard.

I guess it's a waste of time to point out it's possible to simultaneously "believe in Adam and Eve" and also believe that Adam and Steve (who are definitely the most popular gay couple in history, right?) are entitled to the same rights you have.

Zanytalk!

Blog Note

2012-01-31T13:52:00.002-06:00

Comments are working again. My apologies who those whose comments were lost during the last hour.

ETA. And the Tree of Life is back. Woo.

The Morals and the Ethics of it

2012-01-31T13:36:00.006-06:00

[Content Note: medical procedure descriptions]

Last Wednesday, Newt Gingrich engaged in some ridiculous hyperbole in order to woo anti-science fundamentalists in today's Florida primary. Which is not particularly news, true. The topic Gingrich was speaking on was Embryonic Stem Cell Research (ESCR) and he said that ESCR is “the use of science to desensitize society over the killing of babies” (unsurprisingly this is contrary to what he's said in the past, as WaPo points out). Gingrich wants a commission to investigate IVF clinics in regards to embryos, storage, and disposal--to overall "investigate their ethics". Gingrich's is an opinion shared by not a few people--and thus why he trotted it out to try and garner votes. Also, rather ironically, that same week, news broke that there are signs of promise in using embryonic stem cells in the treatment of blindness.

For all the talk about ESCR and other embryonic research, it seems not many know just what can occur or what can be studied or what real outcomes have the potential to be. Well, here is one concrete example, of which Gingrich would no doubt--now, for conservative votes-- regard as wanton "baby killing".

At the start of this month (January), I became a participant in a research study regarding mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) disease; I started the process of being an egg donor*.

For further explanation (from my paperwork from the study):

In human cells, including a female’s egg cells, there are two main types of genetic materials present. These materials, called genes or DNA, are passed on from parent to child and help determine the make-up of the child’s body and mind.

Nuclear Genes/DNA are housed in structures called chromosomes in a cell part called the nucleus. The vast majority of a cell’s DNA is this type. Humans have about 25,000 nuclear genes per cell.

Mitochondrial (mt) DNA is found in mitochondria, a different cell compartment than the nucleus. This type of DNA is passed only from mother to child. The father normally does not pass it on. This type of DNA ensures that the mitochondria are able to do their job as the energy makers of the cell. Humans have only 37 genes in their mitochondria.

When there are mutations (defects) in the mtDNA and the mother passes it on to the child, very serious human disorders can result, including seizures, strokes, dementia, liver failure, muscle weakness, blindness, deafness and diabetes. Available treatments can only improve symptoms and slow down the diseases. There are currently no cures for mitochondrial disorders.

The point of the study is to see if it is possible in humans--as has been proven possible in rhesus monkeys--to transplant nuclear DNA from an affected egg to a healthy egg and thus enable a child to be born who is not affected by mitochondrial disease. If this is hard to imagine, think of a chicken egg where the nuclear DNA is the yolk and mitochondrial DNA is the white. It's a yolk transplant into a non-affected egg white. Eventually the egg would then be fertilized and potentially (hopefully) develop into a non-mtDNA disease affected person.

The study is the first ever of its sort in humans. Gene line therapy is not yet approved by the FDA, the goal now is to: 1. see if the procedure works in human genetic material; 2. make sure that it is safe and effective. None of these donated eggs will ever become part of a pregnancy. After fertilization in the lab, some will be destroyed and others will go on to:

...[B]e used to derive embryonic stem (ES) cells. ES cells are a type of cell that have the ability to form many different types of cells. They also do not stop regenerating. ES cells are made by growing embryos with feeder cells in a Petri dish. These special feeder cells cause the embryo to keep growing as a cluster of cells instead of developing into a human fetus. Because the ES cells do not stop regenerating themselves, they will provide a renewable source of cells that will allow us to conduct a variety of safety studies on germ line gene therapy. We hope that this study will generate the critical information needed to obtain the FDA’s approval of germ line gene therapy and to support future clinical trials

To Newt's current opinion and those people he's trying to court votes from, all of this is terrible. Evil. "Playing God". "Killing babies". They do not see if for what it is and can be: helping save babies. Save people. Many children born with mtDNA disease do not live long; they are born seemingly typical and their bodies shut down slowly over time. To Newt et al, I say watch this video:

You can also read the Shaprio family's story here. From Stephanie Shaprio:

I am aware my children will die some day in the near future. I have attended the funerals of far too many children. I have sat during services praying my children won't be next.

For us, every day is a gift. Through awareness and research, I do see a day where parents will receive a diagnosis and continue to save for college rather than their child's funeral.

I pray for a cure. I hope and pray other families do not have to go through the heartache we have endured. Currently there is no cure for mitochondrial disease.

It is a nasty, progressive monster. In the five years since my family has begun this journey, I have watched research towards a cure increase, as well as awareness. This is the proof of a better future for children and adults struggling with this disease. It is proof tomorrow can be a better day.

Now let's talk about who is ultimately "killing babies", Newt.

Video transcript:

Dr. Sanjay Gupta: Playing god is a criticism often directed at those pushing the boundaries of genetic science. You could say these baby monkeys are the product of just such a push. You could say they’re the next frontier to prevent genetic disease in humans.

Stephanie Shapiro: We never in a million years though that we would be in this type of a situation. We just thought that we would have this houseful of these beautiful, healthy children and that would be the end of it.

Dad (taking son): Hey buddy.

Stephanie: (picks up food & medical equipment) All right, I got his food. You lead the way.

(Stephanie voiceover as they show part of day routine) Hannah and Jake are on twenty-four hour feeding tubes. They’re fed through a tube in their stomach.

Stephanie: (talking to Jake) Awww, it’s ok. (to camera) That’s a seizure.

(Stephanie voiceover) They can have 300 to 500 seizures a day.

Stephanie The rule in our house is “is she pink? is she pink? has she turned blue yet?" .... That’s basically our idea of how bad the seizures are.

Gupta (voiceover): This is what parenting looks like when your children have mitochondrial disease.

Stephanie: When we got the official diagnosis on Hannah, I was eight months pregnant with our son. I said: “Mito-? Mito-what? This is what she has?”. And the doctor pointed at my belly and he said: "If you had known then what you know now, would you have made different reproductive choices? Because that child probably has it too." And...and that’s when we knew that it’s genetically linked.

Gupta (voiceover during Jake’s play therapy): Mitochondrial diseases sometimes pass from mother to child, as in Stephanie’s case. It affects multiple organs because mitochondria, that’s the part of the cell that generates energy, are found in almost every cell in the body. Without mitochondria, the body would stop functioning. The disease is under-diagnosed because the symptoms are extremely diverse and often mistaken for other diseases.

In fact, Stephanie has the disease but does not have any symptoms.

Stephanie: We have a room that is our Medical Supply Room. (opening cabinets) And these are all of our daily things that we need to have: formula, syringes, suction equipment... (holds up package) This is a g-tube kit. Gauzes...

Gupta (voiceover): Treatment only reduces symptoms and there is no cure. It is a progressive disease which means you get sicker as you get older.

(At Oregon Health Science University; Portland, Oregon)

Dr. Shoukhrat Mitalipov: So how many [garbled] today?

Research Assistant: About sixty.

Doctor: Wow.

Gupta (voiceover): Scientists in the state of Oregon recently pioneered a breakthrough technique with women like Stephanie in mind.

Dr. Mitalipov (Lead Scientist): What’s exciting for me is that even if we find treatment that will cure one disease--or even just one person--I think that’s a really big achievement.

Gupta (voiceover, monkeys): Baby monkeys, Mito and Tracker, were made from the genetic material from two mothers. That’s an advance that could one day help women with mitochondrial disease have healthy children. The technique allowed Mito and Tracker’s mother to pass on most of her genetic material minus that damaged mitochondrial DNA.

Dr. Mitalipov (on smartboard or similar): What we have is egg from a patient...

Gupta (voiceover): If this were ever possible in humans, it would mean a mother with a mitochondrial mutation could still pass on inherited genetic characteristics like eye color, hair color, and range of intelligence without passing on the disease.

(animated depiction of procedure) Here’s what the procedure looks like....

A mother’s egg has it’s healthy nuclear DNA removed and transplanted into a healthy donor egg. The donor’s egg nuclear DNA is eliminated because it’s not needed but its mitochondrial DNA remains intact. Now since the mother’s mitochondrial DNA is damaged, it’s not transferred. The egg is then fertilized by the father’s sperm and will become the biological child of the parents free from internal mutations.

Dr. Mitalipov: This is main embryology lab. This is where the...all...magic is done.

Gupta (voiceover): Here monkey eggs undergo the mitochondrial gene replacement procedure. The manipulated eggs are then fertilized and in a few days, those eggs are ready for transplantation.

Dr. Mitalipov (pointing at slide): You can see the small, tiny drop? There’s actually about 20 eggs there.

Gupta (voiceover): Tiny tools hold the eggs steady. A laser penetrates a microscopic hole in the egg. And then a micro-pipette enters and removes the egg’s nucleus for the genes that are being transferred to the donor egg.

Dr. Mitalipov: Every disease...it is better to prevent it. To treat before it actually happens.

Gupta (voiceover): The work is not without controversy. And if it’s one day applied to humans, there could be children with three genetic parents. And that could create the potential for legal and social conflicts. And critics worry that genetic manipulation could give rise to a market in elective genetic enhancements.

(Back to Stephanie reading Where the Wild Things Are)

But for Stephanie, the possibility is enticing.

Stephanie: We definitely want to have more children. But it’s a really difficult choice for our family to make.

I just can’t risk it. It scares me. It scares me, so we have to look at other alternatives to having a child.

The idea that we could take my DNA and make it healthy....is really exciting. Certainly people are going to say that there’s moral issues and there’s ethics issues in that and and a part of me says you know what? Come spend a day at my house and then we’ll talk about the morals and the ethics of it.

* I did not finish the donation cycle because, unfortunately, the stimulation medication did not stimulate egg production enough (there were plenty of them but they weren't growing fast enough), at the very end.

Today in Kyriarchetypes

2012-01-31T12:31:00.000-06:00

In case you'd forgotten (ha ha how could you even if you wanted to?), Hollywood is steeped in white privilege. And thin privilege. Also sexual objectification. And Photoshop. Plus other things that are in various ways Not Good!

The cover of Vanity Fair's 2012 Hollywood issue:

[Click to embiggen.]
I will just quickly note, once again, in spite of its being an unceasingly vomitous font of racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ageism, ablism, fat hatred, rape jokes, violence, bullying, and other sundry bigotries and hostilities, Hollywood (meaning the entertainment industry, not the town) is nonetheless yet regarded as a bastion of liberalism.

It's funny how much "Hollywood liberal elitism" looks like an Ayn Rand wank-fantasy.

Blog Note

2012-01-31T11:38:00.003-06:00

Commenting is FUBARed at the moment. I'm trying to restore it, but Disqus isn't cooperating at the moment. I'll let you know as soon as it's fixed. My apologies.

UPDATE 1: And now my Tree of Life template got fucked trying to get rid of the commenting glitch, so we're back to pie. Comments still broken. Disqus support still not responding.

UPDATE 2: Well, I'm pretty well stuck until Disqus decides to respond to requests for help, so, in the meantime, I'm just going to keep posting, but please be advised that any comments left at the moment might be lost later. I will let you know when normal commenting is restored.

UPDATE 3: I think comments are in working order again. Apologies for the inconvenience, and my thanks to Ryan at Disqus who explained how to resolve it.

The Not-War in Yemen

2012-01-31T11:05:00.000-06:00

[Content Note: This post discusses drone strikes and war.]

In addition to our mostly-over war in Iraq, our still-definitely war in Afghanistan, and not-wars in Pakistan, Iran, Libya, and various other parts of Africa, we are also at not-war in Yemen.

And the not-news from the not-war in Yemen is that one of our recent drone airstrikes killed at least 12 people. Those people, we are told, were "al Qaeda militants, including four local leaders." Sure. Okay. And we've got no reason to disbelieve this not-official story of a not-confirmed US drone strike in the not-war in Yemen which is being not-waged without Congressional oversight or anything resembling meaningful accountability, because US intelligence has always definitely been flawless and the US government never lies to cover its ass and FUCK YOU WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO KILL WHOEVER WE WANT WITHOUT THE INCONVENIENCE OF EVIDENCE OR THE BURDEN OF CONSEQUENCE.

A local tribal leader says no civilians were hurt "and, unlike previous attacks, it did not result in civilian casualties." That is very good news, if true.

It is still very bad news that there is a war being prosecuted by the US about which there has been, and will continue to be, no public conversation.

Even the Republican candidates aren't making hay out of the fact that our Democratic president is prosecuting multiple not-wars without individual war resolutions, oversight, or accountability. Which is terrifying. Because they want that power, that illusion of transparency while waging clandestine war using taxpayers' money without seeking their permission, too.

And, of course, there's the fact that nobody seems to care, anyway.

Welcome to America 2.0.

Two-Minute Nostalgia Sublime

2012-01-31T11:00:00.003-06:00

Janis Ian: "At Seventeen"

Primarily Terrible

2012-01-31T09:38:00.002-06:00

I think she's a Ron Paul supporter.
OMG y'all—are you SO EXCITED about the Florida Primary today?! I AM SO EXCITED! I can barely contain my barf!

Ron Paul and Rick Santorum are still running, but let's not even pretend that either of them has a chance of winning this primary, the Republican nomination, or Bumblefuck, Indiana's 61st Annual Chili Cook-Off. Neither Ron Paul's isolationist antiwar rhetoric nor Rick Santorum's extremist pro-rapist rhetoric have any appeal to the Republican Establishment nor to Republican primary voters, so their radical positions aren't pushing the leading candidates further left or right in their positions.

There are candidates who won't win who can still serve a purpose: Howard Dean's humanist antiwar rhetoric definitely pushed the other 2004 Democratic candidates further left on the war, because he proved there was a well of support for an antiwar position among Democratic primary voters. But neither Ron Paul nor Rick Santorum are serving this purpose. They're just making noise.

And the more noise they make, as background din to the garbage yammering of Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich, the more dissatisfied Republican voters get. Which is just fine by me.

Know what fits perfectly into a cavernous void of conservative enthusiasm? The second term of President Barack Obama.

Anyway! Mitt Romney is totes going to win today. Double-digit lead, etc. And even if by some unexpected twist of fart, he doesn't win today, he's still going to win the nomination. I am so sure of that I would bet fully ONE BILLION DOLLARS of Mitt Romney's personal fortune on it!

True Fact: Mitt Romney is not currently worth one billion dollars. But he will be, once his upcoming book reaches every bestseller list after the Conservative Book Club buys EVERY COPY.

In other OMG This Guy Is Your Frontrunner LOL News, Mitt Romney wishes he could claim he's Hispanic, because it would help him with Latin@ voters in Florida. Newt Gingrich says Mitt Romney hates old Jews, which is strangely not a card he played in South Carolina. Huh! He also says that Romney's campaign is "pathetic," but voters can't hear him over the seven million dollars in ads Romney has purchased in Florida.

And Mitt Romney may be pathetic (he is!), but he is also seen as "more presidential" and "more sincere" than Newt Gingrich. Which is a very low bar! But Mitt Romney has been vaulting over cracks in the sidewalk his whole life! His life of extreme privilege has been preparing him for this moment, this challenge of looking more presidential and more sincere than a disgraced congressman and world-class liar, since he was a mere twinkle in his father's balls! The trajectory of Mitt Romney's life SINCE THE MOMENT OF HIS CONCEPTION has been to arrive at this precise moment in history, where sheerly by virtue of being LESS OF A FUCKHEAD THAN NEWT GINGRICH, he can become a champion, a superstar, a future member of the Losing to Barack Obama Club!

John McCain is not only the president—he is also a member!

Talk about these things! Or don't. Whatever makes you happy. Life is short.

[Photo via.]

Happy Birthday, SKM!!!

2012-01-31T08:05:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday to youuuuuuuuuuuuuu!
Happy Birthday to youuuuuuuuuuuuuu!
You look like a purveyor of the radical feminazi agendaaaaaaa!
And you smell like one, too!

(Mmm, rosemary!)
Every year on her birthday, SKM gets a cake featuring a Very Manly Man Offering Very Manly Birthday Wishes for her: Tom Selleck, Chuck Norris, Mr. T. This year I figured it was time to go right to the source of modern virility: Ron Swanson himself.

He may not be able to bring himself to wish you a Happy Birthday, but I can! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SKM!!!

I adore you, lady. I hope you have a great day and a marvelous year.

Open Thread

2012-01-31T08:00:00.000-06:00

Hosted by a bass.

Question of the Day

2012-01-30T18:00:00.001-06:00

Suggested by Shaker theatomicgal: What or who gives you courage?

I don't know that I've ever demonstrated courage, but in times I've demonstrated anything resembling it, what has given it to me is necessity.

I guess that's a pretty boring and uninspiring answer, but it's honest.

Big Time Presidential Nooz!

2012-01-30T17:30:00.002-06:00

ABC: Donald Trump Staff in Talks With Financiers, Campaign Managers to Explore Third Party Bid.

Ha ha PERFECT.

Chipping Away at Breast Healthcare

2012-01-30T16:58:00.000-06:00

by Shaker Jane, a proud abortioneer who is grateful every day for her Planned Parenthood colleagues and their work to protect reproductive rights.

[Content Note: This post discusses reproductive rights (de)funding.]

Late last year, leaders from Susan G. Komen for the Cure met to discuss their decision to end the breast health care funding received by one of the foundation's largest grantees. There were no findings of patient dissatisfaction, clinical errors, or financial mismanagement, but the decision was final: Patients seen in 2012 will be the last to receive Komen-funded care.

Wondering why Komen will no longer support these lifesaving cancer screenings and breast health education sessions? Because they're provided by the highly trained doctors, nurses, and medical assistants at Planned Parenthood health centers.

Until now, Komen stood by the grants it gave to Planned Parenthood—over the past five years, between $500,000 and $700,000 that helped affiliates like mine to provide nearly 170,000 clinical breast exams and referrals for more than 6,000 mammograms. Komen grants funded care for people in rural, low-income, and underserved communities, where Planned Parenthood is often the only source of health care.

Opponents of safe, legal abortion care, who consistently put their narrow political agenda ahead of our health needs, have repeatedly threatened organizations that partner with Planned Parenthood. On January 1, Komen bowed to this anti-choice pressure and added the following criteria to its funding guidelines:

• Applicant is not currently debarred from the receipt of federal or state funding.

• No key personnel of applicant or any of its affiliates has been convicted of fraud or a crime involving any other financial or administrative impropriety within the last year.

• Applicant or any of its affiliates is not currently under a local, state or federal formal investigation for financial or administrative impropriety or fraud. ("Affiliate" means any entities that control, are controlled by, or are under the same control as applicant or independent entities operating under the same name or brand as applicant.)

Each of the new requirements clearly targets Planned Parenthood, referencing continued defunding efforts and the ongoing Congressional investigation launched by Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-[insert cleverly contemptuous "r" adjective here]).

Ironically, even by these politically motivated measures, we're still eligible, but Komen appears unwilling to discuss the issue, despite numerous requests from Planned Parenthood Federation of America president Cecile Richards, and donors and supporters of both organizations.

As the nation's largest reproductive health provider, our primary concern is always our patients, who desperately need the services Komen grants support. We're working with other funders to fill the gaps in care that Komen's decision creates, and our donors and advocates have pledged to support us as we try to replace these critical funds to ensure that our patients continue to get the care they need without interruption or delay.

So get out your teaspoons! Call your local Komen office (find yours here) and let them know what you think of their new funding guidelines. Donate to your community's Planned Parenthood (find yours here) and ask that your gift be put toward unfunded breast health care. And breast-havers, do your annual self-exam!

[Commenting Note from Liss: There are legitimate criticisms to be made about some of Komen's awareness- and fund-raising strategies. This is not the thread for that discussion.]

Photo of the Day

2012-01-30T16:10:00.001-06:00

I was interviewed today for a piece about Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and so I've spent much of my afternoon thinking about Clinton's capacity to inspire passionate support and visceral hatred, and what she's meant to and for women. I was reminded of this wire photo from last month, which is almost certainly worth my thousand words and then some.

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, center, is flanked by Lithuania's Foreign Affairs Minister Audronius Azubalis, right, and Lithuania's President Dalia Grybauskaite, left, as they attend an international conference of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2011, in Vilnius, Lithuania. [AP Photo]

The way President Grybauskaite is looking at her! She's Lithuania's first female president and naturally has been dubbed the "Iron Lady." I can only imagine standing beside one another, they both feel the world-vanishing intimacy of secret familiarity that only orphaned members of the same diasporic tribe can truly understand. TWO GELFLINGS!

Quote of the Day

2012-01-30T14:30:00.000-06:00

[Content Note: Reference to sexual violence.]

"Obama can sit there and let all the [Bush tax cuts] lapse, and then the Republicans will have enough votes in the Senate in 2014 to impeach. The last year, he's gone into this huddle where he does everything by executive order. He's made no effort to work with Congress."—Grover Norquist.

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By way of reminder, Grover Norquist is the fuckbrain who once famously said: "Bipartisanship is another name for date rape."

Now he's complaining that BARACK OBAMA isn't bipartisan enough. LOL. Okay, player.

[H/T to Mustang Bobby.]

Daily Dose of Cute

2012-01-30T13:58:00.000-06:00

Weekend Doggehs!

Lord Dudlington

Lady Zellyworth

Besties

Monday Blogaround

2012-01-30T13:34:00.000-06:00

This blogaround brought to you by beautiful portraits of Robert Pattinson.

Recommended Reading:

Joe: Hull House Dies After 122 Years

Eesha: Housing Department Introduces New LGBT Protections

Susie: Priorities

Philippa: 3 Days [Content Note: The post at this link includes discussion of disablism and includes a reference to self-harm. As it is a UK-centric post, it uses disability language that may sound discordant to non-UK readers.]

Garland: A Keen Observation about Leslie and Ron [for the Parks-n-Rec Headz]

Renee: Sometimes Mommies and Daddies Need Time Alone

Mary: The 44th Down Under Feminists Carnival

Sean: Mind = Blown

Dave: "He don't look like Torty."

Kelsey: Beautiful Day at the Dog Park

Leave your links and recommendations in comments...

Fat News!

2012-01-30T11:40:00.001-06:00

[Content Note: This post contains discussion of news items that include fat hatred and/or body policing.]

There's so much Fat News today, I can hardly stand it! (No, really. I can't stand it. Barf. Barf cake all over everything.)

First! Shaker Elky forwarded this item about a New York-based gym chain, New York Sports Club, taking out an ad in the New York Times, ostensibly addressed to Paula Deen, reading: "Paula, you made a fortune off of fat. Call us if you want to be around to enjoy it."

You know, one of the main criticisms of Paula Deen has been that she did not disclose her diabetes diagnosis immediately upon receiving it, and I will just reiterate, once again, that it might be worth considering whether Deen didn't disclose having diabetes because fat people who disclose "fat diseases" are viciously mocked.

And it doesn't matter if you're a "fat pusher," as Deen is erroneously accused of being, if you're a diet- and surgery-proponent, if you're a Health at Every Size advocate, and/or if you're a person who fervently believes that being fat is nobody's business but one's own: No matter what position you take on fatness, if you are yourself fat, your position will be exploited in some way to make hay about the fact that you're gonna die because of your fatty-fattitude.

Paula Deen had to know as well as anyone, and better than most, this would be coming whenever she did disclose her diabetes.

So the next time you hear someone snort derisively about how she only made public her illness after making a business deal that ethically required its disclosure, point them in the direction of that ugly-ass ad and say, "If I had to navigate that sort of shit, I'd wait until I was getting paid to do it, too."

Second! Shaker George sent along this article underlining the manifest absurdity of the labeling of children as "obese" according to arbitrary standards that don't properly account for the unpredictability and individuality of childhood growth spurts and fail utterly to account for natural variation across a population.

Four-year-old Logan Knowles's mother was stunned when she received a letter from the NHS saying he was 'clinically obese'. The letter warned that the little boy was so 'overweight' he was at risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

At 2st 12lb, Logan is three pounds outside the recommended weight range for his age, which is between 2st 1lb and 2st 9lb.

Logan's mother Stefanie Mrozowski, 29, said she was 'furious' he had been labelled obese... The stay-at-home mother, who also has two daughters Taiyla, 11, and Sydanie, ten, said labelling children obese while they were still growing was 'dangerous' and could lead to them developing eating disorders.

"Kids these days have enough pressure to be the right size from magazines and TV," Miss Mrozowski said. "They don't need it at school as well. After she was weighed, my eldest daughter came home saying, 'Mum, I'm the thinnest in my class.' I was furious. She is 11 years old. I don't want my kids coming home talking about how much they weigh, or thinking it's some kind of competition."

Right on.

Shades of the Georgia campaign targeting fat kids. Which brings me to...

Third! Some good news: Shaker Beth_in_Mpls emailed: "Marilyn Wann has created a Tumblr site 'Stand4Kids' and a poster template for personal photos and accompanying messages responding to the terrible Georgia campaign that shames fat kids. ... People who want to participate can send their photo and their message 'I Stand for...' to marilyn[at]fatso[dot]com."

Fourth! I wish I could end on an up-note, but I guess that just wouldn't be realistic, anyway, now would it? Shaker Heidi forwarded this piece in which a columnist for a local paper defends his fat joke about New Jersey Governor Chris Christie with a charming column delightfully headlined "Fat Guy Deserved Potshot." Oh, well, as long as he DESERVED it!

My favorite part of the piece has to be the closing shot:

Compared to the temporary gratification of tossing down a pack of Twinkies, cutting your risk of heart attack, stroke and cancer seems like the ultimate no-brainer.

Seriously, I cannot even begin to say how tired I am of people being SO GODDAMNED SURE they know what fat people eat, as if every fat person in the world is fat for exactly the same reason.

The best parts about this argument, by the way, are:

1. Lots of behaviors reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and cancer (including being slightly fat! but only in the right way!), and there are vanishingly few people who are engaging in all of them at all times. Singling out fatties is straight-up lookism. Your failure to be perfect is more of a problem because you're GROSS! It's also a way of futilely pretending we've got more control over preventing disease through diet than we probably really do.

2. If a fat person really can't prioritize hir health (and, no, possibly "reducing your risk" of things that some fat people get doesn't count) over "tossing down a pack of Twinkies," that is very likely evidence of disordered eating, making what this jackass is saying akin to saying to someone who is experiencing life-threatening medical complications because of anorexia, "Putting a sandwich in your face is the ultimate no-brainer!"

Which maybe this guy is insensitive enough to say in his column. But somehow I doubt it.

Two-Minute Nostalgia Sublime

2012-01-30T11:00:00.004-06:00

Colton Ford: "Losing My Religion"

Primarily Bored

2012-01-30T09:53:00.002-06:00

"Hurry! The bus to hell is here!"
Y'all, I am so tired of this primary. There is only so much enthusiasm that one Melissa McEwan can generate over a contest between two super privileged white dudes to determine which super privileged white dude will become the next Republican nominee in a race to see if their corporate shill can defeat the Democrats' corporate shill and accelerate the pace at which this nation will be brought to grim ruination at the avaristic hands of soulless corporations.

Social Security: Sponsored by Sprint!

You know what the worst thing about a joke like "Social Security: Sponsored by Sprint!" is...? That Sprint would never sponsor Social Security. It would just dismantle it and instead sponsor Sprint's Happy Funtime Work Camps for the Aged and Infirm!

Play in the news, Nero...

Frontrunners Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich are neck-and-neck in Florida, ahead of its primary tomorrow. Or they're not, depending on who you ask. If you ask me, Romney is totally ahead and he's going to win, and then this thing should be over, but it probably won't be, because some rich weirdo is going to keep funding Gingrich's SuperPAC, and Gingrich will keep running as long as he's got money he can't spend at Tiffany's.

Reporteth the Wall Street Journal : "Gingrich Predicts 'Straight-Out Contest' for Months."

See?

And when he inevitably keeps hanging in there, lobbing round after round of criticism at Mitt Romney, hoping to defeat him, and Mitt Romney starts stomping on sour grapes to make whine about how Newt Gingrich is hurting his chances in the general election by forcing him to run a long and contentious primary contest, let us remember that is not only evidence of Mitt Romney's bratty entitlement, but of his resounding contempt for democracy.

Speaking of hostility to authentic democracy, something something Ron Paul.

Rick Santorum is one of two Catholics in this now 50% Catholic content, the other being Newt Gingrich. (Ron Paul is a Baptist, and, as you may have heard, Mitt Romney is a Mormon. President Obama, is, of course, a Muslin.) So it was a cool boost for the Catholic candidates this weekend when Catholic bishops and priests read out letters of protest at mass this weekend, vilifying the Obama administration's policy of paid birth control coverage. Neato! I continue to be thrilled that religious institutions are afforded tax exempt status!

POP QUIZ: Is it possible for a man obsessed with biparisanship to be an effective president in an age of hyper-partisanship?

If you said no, give yourself 1,000 points, redeemable at Shakesville's Bitter Irony Shop.

Talk about these things! Or don't. Whatever makes you happy. Life is short.

[Photo via.]

News from Shakes Manor

2012-01-30T08:47:00.000-06:00

This weekend, while Kenny Blogginz was over and we were looking for a suitably terrible film for all of us to enjoy, Iain was scrolling through Netflix and put on a mystery film while I was out of the room, which I was to identify upon my return.

Within 10 seconds, I'd guessed it was a Nicolas Cage film.

Iain and KBlogz were impressed. "How'd you get it so fast?!" Iain exclaimed.

I shrugged. "Basic math: Jewel-encrusted book + fingerless gloves."

"She's a black magic woman!"

Open Thread

2012-01-30T08:00:00.000-06:00

Hosted by Beetlejuice.

Sunday Shuffle

2012-01-29T11:17:00.001-06:00

The Dream Academy; Life in a Northern Town

How about you?

Open Thread

2012-01-29T08:00:00.001-06:00

Hosted by the Absolute Beginners Soundtrack.

This week's open threads have been brought to you by more albums I bought in high school.

Open Thread

2012-01-28T08:00:00.001-06:00

Hosted by Various Artists.

The Virtual Pub Is Open

2012-01-27T17:00:00.000-06:00

[Explanations: lol your fat. pathetic anger bread. hey your gay.]

TFIF, Shakers!

Belly up to the bar,
and name your poison!

How to End the Week

2012-01-27T16:02:00.000-06:00

You need to go no further than a post dedicated to famous paintings improved by cats. Below is my personal favorite.

2FA, #9

2012-01-27T15:30:00.000-06:00

Quote of the Day

2012-01-27T14:48:00.001-06:00

"In a new Star Wars game, the biggest threat to the empire may be homosexual activists!" — Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council going all Bib Fortuna over the news that software developer Bioware will allow same-sex relationships in Star Wars: The Old Republic.

See also.

Number of the Day

2012-01-27T14:40:00.000-06:00

Zero: The number of shits I give about any defense of Ron Paul that tries to argue he didn't know full well what the content was of the racist newsletters that bore his name and signature.

I will say again: Does anyone seriously think that radical feminist literature could have been distributed under his name by an organization with which he was affiliated without his knowledge?

That's rhetorical.

And it puts paid to the lie that he was an innocent bystander to the distribution of that racist swill.

If You've Got Some Time...

2012-01-27T14:22:00.000-06:00

The Shelter Pet Project, about which I've written before (but with which I'm not affiliated in any way), shared this great pet adoption ad today:

Video Description: Pet adoption ad for a black lab named Patrick, aka Agent K9, done in the style of a secret agent movie trailer, complete with music that wouldn't be out of place in a Bond or Mission: Impossible film. Patrick, the ad tells us, is "on his most extraordinary mission yet...finding his forever home."

It's a really great ad, both funny and touching, and, as I was watching it, I was thinking how very lucky Patrick is to have someone with the time and talent to make that video on his behalf, since good marketing helps find homes for shelter and rescue pets. Even if it's just a great photograph.

Zelly, the quiet little shelter dog who didn't even have a name, had little hope of finding a home—a dark mutt with dark eyes in a dark corner of a sad place. She was hard to see in her cage; she had no picture on a website, not even a shitty one; she certainly had no engaging video encouraging potential adopters to see what she might look like as part of their family. No one paid her any attention that day except me.

But maybe they would have, if they'd first seen the sorts of photos and videos I post of her now, through which all sorts of people have fallen for her. (And oh how she deserves their affection!)

So, hey, if you've got some free time, a teaspoon itching to be used, and some basic photography and/or video skills, consider heading over to your local shelter or rescue to see if you can help save some lives, by showing what valuable lives they really are.

[Previously: Greyhound Rescue, Number of the Day.]

Daily Dose of Cute

2012-01-27T13:30:00.000-06:00

Today, Matilda's mobile groomer came to the house to give her a bath and trim her grody butt, since Tils can't be bothered to clean herself and would sooner destroy my soul than let me do it. She is now in her favorite corner of the loft, pouting and gazing upon the rest of us with haughty disdain.

In other words: Situation Normal.

The Parks and Rec Open Thread

2012-01-27T12:56:00.000-06:00

Ron Swanson, at his favorite restaurant in Pawnee.
By popular demand, here it is: The Parks and Recreation Open Thread! Yay! I am so excited to talk about Parks and Rec with other parksnrecheadz! Woo!

There are more spoilers herein than there is love for Li'l Sebastian in Pawnee. Which is A LOT, as I don't have to tell you.

I totes loved this episode silly, and I'm probably not as embarrassed as I should be to tell you that I blubbed my face off when April gave Chris the tickets, and there were three of them. You did it to me again, Parks and Rec!

Also: Hurt fingy!

VOTE KNOPE!

Friday Blogaround

2012-01-27T12:19:00.000-06:00

This blogaround brought to you by cheese.

Recommended Reading:

Shark-fu: Targets [Content Note: The link at this post discusses violent imagery.]

Brian: Do Apple, Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo Really Care? Do We? [Content Note: The post at this link contains discussion of worker exploitation and abuse.]

Avedon: But if the Democratic leadership is manifestly unliberal, as it certainly is, why would we want to defend them?

Tami: The Assumptions Behind the 'Black Marriage Crisis'

Adrienne: Complicating the 2010 US Census Native Data

Jim: By Axing Public Parks, Politicos Are Stealing the People's Property

Eric: Our Dog Giselle [Content Note: The post at this link contains discussion of animal neglect and illness.]

TDW: World's Longest-Running Experiment

Andy: 130 Years of Global Warming, Mapped

Lastly, Elle shares a mean scalloped potatoes recipe. Yum!

Leave your links and recommendations in comments...

Texting! With Liss and Deeky!

2012-01-27T11:48:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I changed my Twitter avatar from an image of a "shift" typewriter key to a picture of me. I realized as soon as I'd changed it that it made me harder to spot, among a sea of similar avatars, so I was going to have to change it again. But before I could, Deeky texted me this morning to register a complaint about it.

My new avatar.

Two-Minute Nostalgia Sublime

2012-01-27T10:30:00.000-06:00

Fischerspooner: "The Best Revenge"

Project Runway All-Stars: Open Thread

2012-01-27T09:38:00.000-06:00

(Spoilers are making it work herein.)

Primarily Horrendo

2012-01-27T08:48:00.001-06:00

[Content Note: This post contains discussion of disablism and of the Mormon practice of nonconsensual posthumous baptism.]

"I will keel you!"
So, the Republicans had ANOTHER DEBATE! last night, because, little known fact, standing in front of cameras with 6,000 CNN logos behind you has been found to extend life. Each of these men will live to be at least 200 years old.

Anyway! Mitt Romney went after Newt Gingrich like a full-tilt miffed machine, and delivered the world-class snippiness that only a wealthy white dude who's ordered chocolate chip cookies (effortlessly winning the Republican Primary) but gets served oatmeal raisin cookies (having to work for it) can produce. My favorite line of the evening was: "I spent 25 years in business. If I had a business executive come to me and say they wanted to spend a few hundred billion dollars to put a colony on the moon, I'd say, 'You're fired.' The idea that corporate America wants to go off to the moon and build a colony there, it may be a big idea but it's not a good idea." BURN!

He has a point, though. Corporate America doesn't even want to maintain the colonies here, so it doesn't seem very likely they'll want to build one on the moon.

"Inconceivably, we have even less interest in the moon than in Detroit."—Big Business.

If you want more Funtime Debate Action, Richard Adams' live coverage can be read here. It is, as usual, very enjoyable!

Back on the campaign trail, the Republican Establishment, who's decided Mitt Romney looks pretty good after all if Newt Gingrich is the only other viable option, has decided on its "Fuck Newt" strategy, and it's a doozy: Newt Gingrich is crazy.

The Romney campaign is sending out a print ad that seeks to "rais[e] doubts about Newt Gingrich's 'emotional stability'," and dog whistles cuckoo by calling him, in big block letters, ERRATIC and RECKLESS.

(The main picture of Gingrich, viewable at the link, is also cropped to make maximum hay of the fact that he is fat: "Look at the double chin on this guy!")

Elder GOP statesman and Viagra spokesboner, Bob Dole, who endorsed Romney, is doubling-down with the implications that Gingrich isn't of sound mind, releasing one of the most scathing statements against a member of one's own party I can recall. In the statement, Dole says that Gingrich's ideas as Speaker were "off the wall," and suggests Gingrich himself doesn't even understand why he does things. The statement is brutally honest about Gingrich's ethics problems, ego, and poisonous unpopularity, but there's definitely a troubling undercurrent of "bro be crazy!" running through it.

Meanwhile, on the "Fuck Romney" train, there's more natter about one of the more curious aspects of Mormonism—the practice of posthumous baptism, which is something Romney has said he's done. It's a controversial practice for several legitimate reasons, not just because it's "weird." It's an anti-Semitic practice for one, in habit if not design, as Jewish cemeteries are frequent targets for posthumous baptism, despite repeated requests by Jewish leaders to cease and desist.

I also find it really objectionable that Mitt Romney doesn't consider deeply problematic what is ultimately an issue of consent. Look, I don't believe that performing some ritual over a grave makes a blinking bit of difference in determining where some allegedly sentient soul that vacated the buried body spends its eternal retirement. But Mitt Romney does. He believes that person went into the ground with one belief, and he can change their infinite destiny for them. And he believes he has the right to do that. Which is pretty fucked up.

And it doesn't leave me with a whole lot of confidence that a President Mitt Romney would be very sensitive to other issues of consent that matter in the here and now.

That's something worth asking about. But won't be, because we live in a rape culture, where hostility to consent is the norm.

Also because how could they possibly make room for a question on such a SILLY TOPIC, ha ha, when there are only like 3,000 debates left?!

Moving on...

Something something Ron Paul.

Rick Santorum is still hanging in there, I guess because he believes he actually has a shot at becoming either the nominee and/or the nominee's veep choice? Oof, Rick Santorum. You do not have a shot at either of these things.

In totally unrelated news, ahem, a new study has found that "there is reason to believe that strict right-wing ideology might appeal to those who have trouble grasping the complexity of the world." Huh. Shocking.

In all seriousness, the study was examining correlation between IQ and prejudice, suggesting conservatism and prejudice is an innate intelligence issue. But we should all know by now that IQ tests don't meaningfully measure any kind of comprehensive intelligence. The issue underlying the appeal of right-wing ideology is intellectual curiosity, or the lack thereof, which is really not contingent on what's measured with IQ tests.

There are subcultures that actively discourage intellectual curiosity, by demonizing science, by romanticizing segregationist small-town life, by sneering at people perceived to be elite or over-educated, by framing education as the enemy of faith, by embracing isolationism. Even rape culture narratives are embedded with disincentives against adventure: Don't leave the safety of your home, neighborhood, town, county, state, nation because there are nefarious strangers waiting to get you! And for god's sake don't use the internet!

All of these things conspire to create a mind seized with fear, afraid to be curious. Curiosity is necessary for empathy, and empathy necessary for progressive positions.

Conservatives are not unintelligent by nature; they're incurious by design.

That's an important distinction.

Talk about these things! Or don't. Whatever makes you happy. Life is short.

[Photo via.]

Open Thread

2012-01-27T08:00:00.000-06:00

Hosted by Allee Willis and Pee-Wee Herman.

Question of the Day

2012-01-26T17:17:00.001-06:00

Which is your favorite Ewok movie? Caravan of Courage or The Battle For Endor?

I'd go with The Battle For Endor, because Wilford Brimley is in it. So, no doy. Also, check out this awesome poster:

See also.

Film Corner! Moses Time

2012-01-26T16:00:00.000-06:00

Hey, remember when I wrote about all those Bible-inspired movies that various Hollywood muckety-mucks had in their pipelines of totally unoriginal material that definitely needs to be put on the big screen...? Well, GOOD NEWS: Steven Spielberg is closing in on a commitment to direct an epic about Moses for Warner Bros.

With a working title of Gods And Kings, what's envisioned is "a movie like a Braveheart-ish version of the Moses story," an insider tells us. "Him coming down the river, being adopted, leaving his home, forming an army, and getting the Ten Commandments." ... But this film is as far from a remake of the Cecile B. DeMille-directed epic as you can get even though they cover similar ground. Instead Warner Bros wants Spielberg to direct it with the gritty reality of Saving Private Ryan, which is considered a masterpiece redefining battle movies. "There have been glossy versions of the Moses story but this would be a real warrior story," an insider tells us.

Perfect.

The only question now is who should play this Braveheart-like Moses. Can't be Mel Gibson, since he's busy making his movie about the story of Hanukkah. Oh, and also, he's a raging anti-Semite!

In the well-established tradition of casting the whitest white man who ever whited to play any Biblical character, I'm going to predict Sir Sam Worthington to be cast as Moses.

Fantasy Casting: Jeff Goldblum.

LOL!

2012-01-26T14:36:00.000-06:00

Igor at Think Progress: Romney Steps Up Culture War; Claims Obama Is Waging 'An Assault on Religion'.

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA GASP! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA GASP! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA GASP! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA SNORT!

Yes, everywhere I look there is evidence we are about to become a godless society, like: Our Christian president, our last Christian president, their almost exclusively Christian administrations who relentlessly pander to conservative and/or moderate Christians, the almost totally Christian Supreme Court, an almost entirely Christian Congress who start each session with a prayer, the millions and millions of other American Christians whose day of worship is still respected in various state laws across the country (like in Indiana, where you still can't shop for a car or buy booze on a Sunday), whose views are reflected in various federal laws (like denying same-sex couples the right of marriage in order to protect its "sanctity"), whose holidays are also national holidays, whose holy book must be sworn on in state and federal courts, and whose churches are not required to pay taxes, guaranteed freedom of religion, money that says "In God We Trust," a pledge of allegiance that describes us as "one nation under God," television networks who will accept advertising from conservative religious groups but not liberal political groups, schools who are incorporating a religious belief into science classes, conscience clauses for pharmacists and healthcare providers, religion-based residential communities being built, religious museums and amusement parks springing up all over the country, religious leaders being given diplomatic immunity, faith-based initiatives being federally funded, and our national media being constantly embroiled in a debate about in which god the president believes.

We are on the precipice, people!

*clunk*

You Know...

2012-01-26T13:53:00.000-06:00

...what I'm really tired of reading about? Some famous dude who's having all kinds of angst because his famous wife is more famous than he is.

If I had a dollar for every time I've read the construction, "He was the more famous of the two when they met, and now his career is on the wane while her star has continued to rise," I would have lots of dollars!

I'm sure in my history of reading things, I've read the reverse—wife can't take being eclipsed by husband's career. But I sure can't remember it.

(That is not, by the way, an invitation to offer up exceptions to the rule. I'm just making the point that it is, indeed, an exception to the rule. The very, very annoying rule.)

I'm not primarily directing my ire at the dudes about whom this is written, since who knows if it's even true, though it gets printed like it is; I know lots of straight/bi men whose wives are more well-known and/or make more money than they do who are super proud of their wives and not remotely threatened by a career disparity that doesn't conform to retrofuck notions of gender (im)balance.

A few famous dudes end up in "she's trouncing me!" stories, however, because they've said as much themselves in interviews, matter-of-factly, like, Of course it pisses me off and makes me feel small and kills my boner that my wife/girlfriend is more successful than I am. Have you not noticed that I am a man?

But it's more just that this shit gets printed at all, and the fact that it's still so easy for so many people to believe, in the year 2012, that OBVIOUSLY any man would be emasculated by a wife who surpasses him in any demonstrable way.

Oh, pardon me—not any demonstrable way. Straight/bi women are still allowed to be better than their husbands at "female" tasks, like changing diapers or cleaning the house. We're just not allowed to be better than our husbands at Man Stuff, like a career.

Daily Dose of Cute

2012-01-26T13:06:00.000-06:00

Dudley, as I may have mentioned once or twice or three thousand times, is a lazy git. The other night, he was lying on the loveseat, and Zelda wanted to play tug-o-war with him, but instead of getting up off his lazy ass to play with her, he stayed put, trying to play with her from his repose, while she valiantly struggled to convince him to get with the program.

(Set to a section of William Shatner's original self-authored track, "Struggle." Which, by the way, is amazing.)

Video Description: Zelly carries a long, stuffing-free plushy skunk in her mouth over to Dudley, who's lying on the loveseat. He takes the opposite end in his mouth and they wrestle with it, Zelly pulling backwards to try to get him off the couch. He drops the end. She picks it up and offers it back to him. Rinse. Repeat. She tries spinning in a circle. Another circle. Offers him the skunk again. She drops it and they nuzzle. She picks it up again. Circle. Offer. He takes it. He wrestles with her half-heartedly. Drops it. She offers it again. He licks himself disinterestedly, then flops over. He paws at her; she sneaks underneath his paw and gives herself butt-scratches using his lazy paws. (Hilarious.) Then she drops the skunk and walks away. "Welp, at least I got some butt-scratches out of the deal!"

Continuing on the theme of laziness, this is what I discovered when I walked upstairs into the loft last night:

He literally will not move ANYTHING that is in his way when he wants to lie somewhere. There was once a piece of paper, a single looseleaf piece of notepaper, lying on the downstairs loveseat, and instead of moving it, he sat in front of the loveseat and whined like the giant baby that he is until I got up and moved it for him.

Meanwhile, here's Zelly this morning, looking cute as she surveys the yard to make sure the homestead is safe from wind-caught plastic bags, squirrels, and other ne'er-do-wells.

Truly, I will never get over the irresistible cuteness of those Dorito ears. NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM!

Quote of the Day

2012-01-26T12:22:00.001-06:00

"Despite the anger of the homosexual community, the anus is not a vagina." — Patrick Wooden, in an interview with Peter LaBarbera of Americans For Truth About Homosexuality.

Okay then.

That's a Big Teaspoon

2012-01-26T11:34:00.000-06:00

Gates donates $750 million to fight AIDS, TB, and malaria.

Yeah, I know all the "drop in the bucket of his fortune" and "tax deductible" and "Windows stinks" stuff that inevitably goes along with anything good Gates does, but I don't give a shit. Anyone who doesn't think giving more than a billion dollars to fight global disease is fucking cool, irrespective of whatever legit and totally stupid caveats one might make, is too cynical for my comprehension.

Bill and Melinda Gates have a mighty big teaspoon, and they know how to use it.

Two-Minute Nostalgia Sublime

2012-01-26T11:00:00.007-06:00

Crackerjack Junction: "The Ewok Celebration Song"

Top Chef: Texas Open Thread

2012-01-26T10:00:00.009-06:00

Guest judges Robocop and Jimmy (A Unicorn) do not like your donuts!
Top Chef is an American reality competition show that airs on the cable television network Bravo, in which chefs compete against each other in culinary challenges. They are judged by a panel of professional chefs and other notables from the food and wine industry with one or more contestants eliminated in each episode. The show is produced by Magical Elves Productions, the same company that created Project Runway.

Number of the Day

2012-01-26T09:19:00.000-06:00

1.5 million: The number of women and other people with uteri seeking abortions who wouldn't have access to a safe one if Roe v. Wade were overturned.

Let's say, thought experiment. Let's say Roe v. Wade got overturned. There'd be 1.5 million women who had been seeking abortions who can't have a safe one. Someone will have an unsafe one and will die or be damaged for life; some women will have the child and not be capable of taking care of it. And we know that women who have unplanned pregnancies who go on to deliver have a higher risk of complications in pregnancy, high rate of pre-term birth, a higher rate of the children having behavioral difficulty, poor achievement, cycles of poverty, domestic violence. And the whole idea that somehow adoption can solve it all is just not how the American public thinks. Only 1% of women with an unplanned pregnancy go forward with adoption in the US—very, very small. And I hear it from my patients for all different reasons: they never could do it, the interesting thing they say is that they don't trust anybody else to raise their child. Will the child be loved? Will the child be well cared for? Again, it gets to the idea that they understand how important motherhood is—I don't necessarily see out there the American public ready to adopt 1 million babies. So just from a practical point of view, if you do a thought experiment of making it illegal or ridiculously more restricted than it is now, more women will die, more families will suffer, and that's not good. That is not a moral good.

—Dr. Nancy Stanwood, an obstetrician/gynecologist, abortion provider, mother, and board member with the Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health, in an interview with Lola McClure, a registered nurse, about what she does and why.

Primarily Awful

2012-01-26T08:43:00.000-06:00

Bert Shadowen of Port St. Lucie, Florida holds an American flag as he listens to remarks by Republican presidential candidate and former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum at a Treasure Coast Tea Party campaign rally in Stuart, Florida, January 24, 2012. [Reuters Pictures]

Awwwwwwwwwwwww LOL! How can we turn that frown upside-down, Mr. Shadowen? By electing Rick Santorum? Well, that's probably not going to happen. How about I get you a tin of peanuts and a nice cold soda?

That picture reminds me of this biology teacher I had in high school, Mr. Looft, who had the reputation of being a total humorless hard-ass. He was suuuuuuuuper grumpy, and he never smiled, and he always held his wiry body very rigidly under his ratty old lab coat. For some reason, my best friend and I suspected he was actually a very witty and fun-loving guy underneath that seemingly impenetrable exterior, and we undertook the challenge of unearthing his wild side.

We called him Loofty. We teased him good-naturedly about how grumpy he was. We screeched and hollered with delight when he'd do something that previous classes had received as evidence of his hardness—like the time a fish was floating belly-up in his classroom tank, and he responded to reports of its death from proximate students by marching to the tank like a drill sergeant, pulling up the sleeve of his lab coat, sticking his arm elbow-deep into the tank, and stirring so hard the fish began to swim again. "Fish ain't dead; just being lazy," he said, marching back to the front of the class. We told him he was a superhero.

One day, he came to class wearing, instead of his ancient, tattered, fatigues-green lab coat, a bright, crisp, new white lab coat. "Loofy, looking FOXY!" I said. C and I made exaggerative "sexy" gestures, hands against our foreheads as we pretended to faint, licking our index fingers and sizzling them against our butts. Loofty stopped in his tracks and looked us with his usual look of consternation, bewilderment, and disdain. I thought, for a moment, we might actually get in trouble this time. And then his face broke into a huge blushing grin, and he laughed and laughed and laughed.

He was secretly a fun dude. And also a great teacher. Loved that guy.

Anyway! To the candidates!

Heading into the Florida primary next week, Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney are now virtually tied, although we've got ANOTHER DEBATE! to look forward to, which is another chance for Gingrich to distinguish himself as not-a-Mormon. What will happen in Florida?! Will it be the super rich and super privileged white guy, or the OTHER super rich and super privileged white guy? IT'S A REAL NAIL-BITER!

Gingrich thinks he can win by channeling Ronald Reagan. Romney, who everyone definitely hates, thinks he can win by not being Newt Gingrich. Good strategies, both.

Money Talk! Romney brazenly bullshits about paying a "45 or 50 percent" tax rate. Okay, player. Gingrich's SuperPAC is being bankrolled by a billionaire Las Vegas casino tycoon. I know what you're thinking—that cannot be healthy for democracy! But just think of it like this: Money is free speech, and that guy can really bellow.

Is Ron Paul even campaigning anymore? Where is he? Somebody look inside his debate jacket—I think he might have gotten lost in there.

Rick Santorum's campaign strategy continues to be positioning himself as the grossest asshole on the planet, defending TSA profiling and accusing "the left" of indoctrinating people at universities. (Hey, it's not our fault that education tends to make people more progressive, dude.) These are two of the least offensive things he's said in ages. You're really losing your horrible, horrible edge, Rick Santorum!

In other news, Jeb Bush has some hot advice about how Republicans "can win Hispanics back." Here's my hot advice: Start with not using immigrants as a political football in gross campaign ads.

Meanwhile, Fidel Castro called this Republican primary "he greatest competition of idiocy and ignorance that has ever been." LOL! I guess "Work It" didn't air in Cuba.

Finally! According to the new NBC/WSJ poll: "Americans are growing more optimistic about the state of the economy and direction of the country...and President Obama is receiving better grades on his handling of the economy and job as a result." Too bad, Republicans! Looks like you just didn't ruin the country ENOUGH to beat this guy!

Sad trombones all around, I'm sure.

Talk about these things! Or don't. Whatever makes you happy. Life is short.

Open Thread

2012-01-26T08:00:00.001-06:00

Hosted by Pee-Wee Herman and Danny Elfman.

Question of the Day

2012-01-25T18:00:00.023-06:00

If you discovered a new planet, what would you name it?

I recently asked Deeky this question via text, which prompted the following exchange:

Anyway! I would totally name my planet something real snazzy and shit, like Alpha Cooter-69.

Quote of the Day

2012-01-25T17:38:00.000-06:00

"By the end of my second term, we will have the first permanent base on the moon, and it will be American."—Newt Gingrich, dreamer.

The permanent base on the moon is more likely than a two-term Newt Gingrich presidency.

News I Don't Want to Write About

2012-01-25T16:24:00.000-06:00

Here are all the news items I don't want to write about today!

[Please Note: This is sarcasm. I am actually writing about them! Mostly, I just don't have very much to say about them. Saying I don't want to write about them is just a literary conceit, which I find amusing! You are not obliged to feel the same.]

There is the news about Google's new privacy policy, which will probably be very scary and/or rage-making for some people and probably not scary and/or rage-making for others, owing to various individual thingies like privilege, personal history, and levels of cynicism regarding privacy in the technological age. I don't like it! For at least four different reasons! But I also feel very resigned about it. Google's probably counting on lots of people feeling that way, which makes me feel guilty. I'm sorry, the part of my brain that is very disappointed in me! I only have so many spoons!

There is the report, right from the Tim Geithner's mouth, that Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner prooooooobably won't be asked back by President Obama, if he is reelected. Tim Geithner says he'll do "something else." That's good. I don't really like Tim Geithner, but I would be sad if Tim Geithner just laid down on the ground and never did anything ever again just because he can't be Treasury Secretary forever.

There is the news that this jerk mayor in Connecticut has apologized "for saying that he would help Latinos in his town by eating tacos" in response "to the arrests of four East Haven police officers by FBI agents Tuesday for their alleged roles in abusing Latino residents and business owners, performing illegal searches, making false arrests and harassing immigrant rights advocates." He's very sorry. "Unfortunately, I let the stress of the situation get the best of me and inflamed what is already a serious and unfortunate situation." True Fact: Stress makes you racist, just like alcohol. No word on what Mayor Jerk T. Jerksworthy actually will do to help Latin@s in East Haven. (Resign, maybe?)

There is the terrible news that the Marine squad leader charged with alleged war crimes in connection with the Haditha massacre in Iraq has been sentenced by a US military judge to "a maximum of 90 days in prison and a reduction in pay and rank. But because of a plea deal with prosecutors, Staff Sgt. Frank G. Wuterich won't serve any time in the brig. The military judge was obligated to abide by the plea arrangement between prosecutors and the defense. In the end, Wuterich's sentence amounts to a reduction in rank—to private—and a pay cut." To paraphrase the othering parlance of my friends on the other side of the aisle, maybe "they" hate us for his freedom.

There is the settlement of $22 million for suffering inhumane treatment awarded to Stephen Slevin, who spent two years in solitary confinement in a New Mexico prison, without trial and denied necessary medical care, after being arrested in August of 2005 for driving while intoxicated. I can't decide whether it's our garbage priorities or our garbage prison system that's more screwed up. Let's call it a tie. Meanwhile, this story was filed under "Odd News."

And finally! There is the spectacular news that The Hangover 3 is close to being a sealed deal, with the impending trilogy's stars getting the big pay increases they definitely deserve. Handshake handshake backslap. Good negotiating all around, I'm sure. Couldn't happen to a nicer franchise. Barf bags for everyone!

Talk about these things! Or don't. Whatever makes you happy. Life is short.

Crazy For You

2012-01-25T15:12:00.002-06:00

An Observation: When one is a person with a psychological disorder, who has disclosed having a psychological disorder, the people who are the most inclined to invoke one's being "crazy" tend to be the least inclined to make accommodations for one's "craziness."

That is, acknowledging my "craziness" is not the prelude to addressing the specific needs my psychological disorder has created, but is instead a way of deflecting accountability for ignoring them.

"Well, you're just CRAZY!"

Uh, yeah.

Conversely, the people in my life who never even make reference to my PTSD manage to effortlessly accommodate it.

(Which basically boils down to: Don't trigger me by doing the things I have communicated are triggering.)

This ultimately means that the only time my "craziness" gets explicitly or obliquely mentioned is when someone is trying to make sure I know there's something wrong with me, in order to convince me—and reassure themselves—there's nothing wrong with them.

Thus, I try to bear in mind that being angrily dismissed as crazy is not personal.

Still. It stinks.

[Note: This has not been posted in solicitation of sympathy, but as an offer of empathy to those who have the same experience, in order that none of us need feel alone.]

Photo of the Day

2012-01-25T14:05:00.000-06:00

Lynn Coffin holds boxing hand puppets of Republican presidential candidate and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney during a campaign event at Dolphin Aviation on January 24, 2012 in Sarasota, Florida. [Getty Images]

Ha ha sure.

Daily Dose of Cute

2012-01-25T13:00:00.003-06:00

We've had quite the thunderstorm here in Ellis County, TX over the past 18 hours. On top of that, we are coming off of the worst heat wave/drought in 30 years or so. There is now a rushing river behind my parents' house, where before there was just a dry gulch. Storms after droughts spell flash-flood warnings, so that means even the kitties who usually stay outside get comfy indoor nesting areas during weather advisories. We don't want any casualties!

This was the scene at our place at 5:20 this morning, as lightning and sheets of rain raged over the floodplain outside:

Dougie, age 4: "You expect me to go squat where now?"

Frobozz, age 12: "I ain't going out there neither, human--I'm fine right here in my stroller. ANY QUESTIONS?"

Wednesday Blogaround

2012-01-25T12:33:00.000-06:00

This blogaround brought to you by fatsronauts.

Recommended Reading:

Elizabeth: Prince Fielder! [Content Note: There is discussion of weight issues and fat hatred at this link.]

Norman: Cynthia Nixon on Being Gay: "For Me, It's a Choice."

Angus: Undercover UK Police Fathered Children with Activists on Which They Were Spying

Renee: The Animal Rights Group Which Shall Not Be Named Hopes to Turn O.J Simpson's Home into a Meat is Murder Museum [Content Note: There is discussion of violence at this link.]

Anna: Booknotes: The Lives of Transgender People

Echidne: Meanwhile, in the New Egyptian Parliament [Content Note: There is discussion of institutional misogyny at this link.]

Brian: I am the 95% of dieters who regain the weight.

Leave your links and recommendations in comments...

2FA, #8

2012-01-25T12:00:00.000-06:00

Two-Minute Nostalgia Sublime

2012-01-25T11:00:00.005-06:00

Ace of Base: "The Sign"

For Liss and Newt.

Primarily Terrible

2012-01-25T09:48:00.000-06:00

People wait to listen to Republican presidential candidate and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich speak during a campaign event at Dolphin Aviation on January 24, 2012 in Sarasota, Florida. [Getty Images]

What, no Jesus? Obviously these people aren't Real Americans.

The Big News today is, of course, that President Barack Obama has started campaigning in earnest. But there's still some dribbly tidbits from the race to find out who will be losing to him later this year...

Frontrunner Newt Gingrich is now leading nationally, which means it's time to amplify the fuckitude! (True Fact: That is also what I shout when my Journey cover band, Tim Geitner Is Stoked, takes the stage.) Expect lots and lots of racism, everywhere he goes, along the lines of this uncovered gem during his time as Speaker: "For poor minorities, entrepreneurship in small business is the key to future wealth. This is understood thoroughly by most of the Asians, partially by Latinos, and to a tragically small degree by much of the American black community."

Newt Gingrich draws such pretty pictures of people who are different from him. I love his monolithographs.

Rick Perry is still definitely out of the race. *sadface*

Mitt Romney is, perhaps you've heard, very rich. Tax returns, tithing to the Mormon Church, multiple homes. I don't know how a Republican primary got to be about how one rich asshole among a field of rich assholes is SUCH A RICH ASSHOLE, but there you go. I guess that's what happens when it's considered inappropriate to say, "Ew—he's a MORMON!" as if Mormonism is SO GRODY, even though it's no weirder than any other religion but is somehow considered by most other religious people to be unacceptably weird.

In related Romney news, the detestable Jay Leno is being sued after making a Mitt Romney joke, because he took (yet another) swipe at Sikhs in the process, reminding us once again that he is being paid millions of dollars a year to be a gross schoolyard bully.

Something something Ron Paul. Hey, know what Ron Paul and Barack Obama have in common? Neither of them gives a flying flunderton about limits on reproductive rights when they say words like "freedom."

I'm sure there is some very scintillating news about Rick Santorum in the world. I bet he's out there ruining sock garters and bowler hats for everyone, just like he's giving sweater vests a bad name. TEAM SWEATER VEST!

Talk about these things! Or don't. Whatever makes you happy. Life is short.

So the President Gave a Speech Last Night...

2012-01-25T09:00:00.004-06:00

And I really hoped you watched it, because, if you didn't, you sure missed some exciting stuff! Like Speaker of the House John Boehner projectile vomiting chunks of half-digested star-spangled bald eagle at the OUTRAGEOUS suggestion that "shared responsibility" is an American Value. It was quite an alarming night.

Ha ha just kidding. It was a very routine evening of our Democratic president sounding more encouragingly populist than he'll ever actually be, Republicans being stony-faced monuments of contempt at the mere mention of raising taxes or federal spending to generate jobs for the working classes, and heaps of despair slowly engulfing every vaguely progressive viewer at the thought that even the President's discouragingly milquetoast proposals will be obstructed by the Republicans.

Yay for America!

The text of the President's address is here, and the text of my garbage governor's rebuttal address is here. Below are my Executive Summaries.

President Barack Obama: I killed Osama bin Laden! The American Dream is so dead, but I'm going to spend a long time now pretending with a straight face that I can revive it, if only the Republicans will behave like grown-ups and cooperate, because the one dream that ISN'T dead is my pipe-dream about radically changing the way our profoundly broken government works by scolding Congressional Republicans as if they have any shame, integrity, or decency. Taxes. Outsourcing. We'll stop outsourcing with MORE CORPORATE TAX CUTS! We'll fix unemployment with MORE EDUCATION, because the problem is definitely a lack of education and not that jobs which paid livable wages have been decimated by outsourcing, deregulation, the erosion of workers' rights to enable exploitation of skeleton staffs, and Wal-Mart running out of towns all over the nation any employer in manufacturing, production, distribution, or retail that prioritized community sustainability over ginormous profits. Teachers, amirite? Boots on the border! Clean energy. Let's do some nation-building at home. No more irresponsible homeowners! Oh, and irresponsible lenders, but DEFINITELY irresponsible homeowners. Freedom. I killed Osama bin Laden! Jesus.

Executive Notes: Barack Obama is definitely running for president! He also definitely does not think that a record number of restrictions on reproductive rights affecting more than half the nation's population is worthy of mention in a STATE OF THE UNION address. Does President Obama know that women are part of the union? I'm pretty sure he does, because I distinctly remember him noting that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is "a woman who ran against me for President." (GOOD DESCRIPTION!) See also: End Summary.

Governor Mitch Daniels: Welp, at least President Obama hasn't abandoned his wife and kids! I'm racist! President Obama is divisive! I am such a liar! "The plain truth" is something I would not recognize if knocked on my door begging to be privatized. Everything President Obama does is stupid, and I am obviously a genius because JUST LOOK AT INDIANA. President Obama stinks the end. Jesus.

Executive Notes: Mitch Daniels is a jerk.

I think Herman Cain also gave a rebuttal? On behalf of the Tea Party? Ha ha they are not a real party. And unlike CNN et. al., I'm not going to pretend like they are.

In Summation: It is very obvious, and disappointing, that the President still has not learned that Republicans cannot be reasoned with and convinced to do what is right for the country; he still believes they care about the quality of life of this nation's people (men) and just have good faith differences of opinion about how to achieve that goal. This is not the case. They exist only in service to profit-making corporations, and the nation's people (men) only matter insofar as they can be exploited to do the work from which their employers can reap profit.

A memo from the last election was revealed this week, in which Obama's senior adviser David Axelrod wrote of then-opponent Hillary Clinton: "She embodies trench warfare vs Republicans, and is consumed with beating them rather than unifying the country and building consensus to get things done. She prides herself on working the system, not changing it."

That was, of course, meant as A Terrible Thing, rather than evidence of her understanding a reality about the US government that its current president still has yet to embrace three years into his first term.

I don't know if Hillary Clinton would have been a better president than Barack Obama is, but, in some alternate universe where she is, it's probably because she is "consumed with beating them" instead of being consumed with a consensus that will never, ever, be built.

I can't be funny about this: If President Barack Obama is reelected, he has to give up the ghost of bipartisan dreams. He must instead consume himself with beating them, because this country, the people of this country, need him desperately to stop negotiating and start winning.

Open Thread

2012-01-25T08:00:00.000-06:00

Hosted by Boris Badenough.

State of the Union Open Thread

2012-01-24T19:30:00.014-06:00

The President's State of the Union address will begin shortly, so here's an Open Thread for all your SOTU-discussin' needs. I'll probably be live-tweeting it, by which I mean my usual commentary of snark peppered with the occasional serious policy analysis disguised as more snark.

You can watch it online here.

By way of reminder, if and when you watch my garbage governor, Mitch Daniels, deliver the GOP's rebuttal, which I don't advise, please bear in mind that he is an asshole.

[Photo via.]

Question of the Day

2012-01-24T18:00:00.009-06:00

What is the one accessory you can't live without?

Could be something practical (a belt to keep your trousers up) or something sentimental (your grandmother's ring), but in any case something that's most frequently on your person when you leave the house.

(Medical accessories that do double-duty as fashion accessories, e.g. eyeglasses or stylized canes, are of course welcome answers, but one need not feel obliged to mention them if one would rather talk about, say, one's favorite hat.)

Photo of the Day

2012-01-24T17:49:00.000-06:00

Y'all, don't tell anyone, but I'm pretty sure President Obama just sprouted Old Glory wings. I think our president might be an X-Man.

Alcatraz Open Thread

2012-01-24T16:28:00.000-06:00

Did you watch Alcatraz last night? What did you think of it? Did you love it? I did! I LOVED IT.

Here are the Top 5 things I loved about it (some minor spoilers):

1. I love Jorge Garcia! I love his character soooooooooo much! And the last scene, in the bedroom, you know the one I mean, where the kid says the thing, and he gets all teary? I was reelected as Mayor of Blubbington six times during that scene alone. Jorge Garcia, you are awesome.

Do you know how awesome Jorge Garcia is? I already don't even think about Hurley when I'm watching Dr. Diego Soto, and Hurley is one of my favorite things in the universe.

2. I love that Sarah Jones' character is a real female character—not a "generic" (read: male) character that's being played by a woman, but a female character who says things the way human beings socialized as women say things. That is very good writing!

3. I love that Alcatraz looks like Lost because Jack Bender is directing it. I am a fan of his directing!

4. I love that the only time any reference has been made to Jorge Garcia's weight, it was sneered out of the mouth of a horrible person. That's RIGHT! Fat hatred is a horrible thing that horrible people do!

5. Everything else!

News I Don't Want to Write About

2012-01-24T15:22:00.000-06:00

Here are all the news items I don't want to write about today!

Mitt Romney's taxes! #1 on the list of News I Don't Want to Write About! This day and every day! Who cares. He's rich, and he doesn't pay squat, because neither party has the spine to argue that filthy wealth should be taxed to blazes when there are people literally starving in the streets in this nation. "Let them eat bootstraps," says literally everyone in Congress, except Bernie Sanders.

There is the story about some fuckbrained Georgia judge who thinks that President Obama needs to show up in court to testify in a birther case. It's vanishingly unlikely that the decision will actually result in Obama's having to testify, but, if it comes to that, I vote that Obama just sends a life-sized cardboard cut-out of himself with a copy of his long-form birth certificate stapled to it.

There is the swell tale of the Oklahoma state legislator who has introduced "a bill to ban the making and selling of food or products that use aborted human fetuses." You know—just in case!

(Guess what party he's in! Go on—guess! Did you guess the Republican Party? Of course you did! You're so smart. Give yourself 1,000 points!)

There is the news that Warren Buffett's oft-invoked secretary, who has a name and it's Debbie Bosanek, will attend the State of the Union address tonight in Official Gimmick Capacity. That'll be fun!

There is the news that European financial crisis will slow the global economy this year, according to the International Monetary Fund, who (futilely) urges states to jettison austerity measures in favor of investment. That would require sensible people to be in charge. Oh well!

There is the scandalous report that Jim Carrey's daughter, Jane Carrey, got SPECIAL TREATMENT from the producers of American Idol, who allegedly allowed her to avoid camping out for days in order to get a shot on the show. Listen, everyone: We can't have it both ways. We can't treat famous people, or kids of famous people, like they're our public property to be harangued and mauled every time they step in public, but also expect them to behave like average people. The nature of the celebrity machine has made life unsafe for lots of celebrities, so it's time to quit whinging about line-jumping.

There is the news that Rick Warren is "fighting obesity" at Saddleback Church. Great. WWJD? Work out with a personal trainer twice a day, no doy.

Finally, there is allllllllll the coverage of candlelight vigils and undilutedly glowing remembrances of Joe Paterno, to none of which I'm going to link. You know what? If I kicked tomorrow, and none of the people who allegedly admired me mentioned that, among my many blogging exploits, was showing my ass on issues of race, trans*fail, having to publicly jettison misogynist and disablist language from my repertoire, and other embarrassing displays of privilege and ignorance, plus ten gazillion typos, it wouldn't be honoring me: It would be dehumanizing me.

[True Fact: Deeky would definitely share all the ways I am an asshole in private, too. Which just goes to show you what a great friend he really is.]

Talk about these things! Or don't. Whatever makes you happy. Life is short.

Quote of the Day

2012-01-24T14:34:00.000-06:00

"Tonight, the President will do what he does best. He will give a nice speech with a lot of memorable phrases. ... We'll also be treated to more divisive rhetoric from a desperate campaigner-in-chief. It's shameful for a President to use the State of the Union to divide our nation."—GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, who definitely did not pay taxes on a crystal ball last year, so I guess he's just psychic.

I myself am not able to predict the future, but I'm nonetheless going to go out on a limb and assert that Romney's prognosticator is broken.

Unless, of course, President Obama, who can hardly be said to be desperately campaigning, if the words "desperate" and "campaigning" still mean the same things they meant yesterday, breaks wildly from tradition and replaces his (frankly rather tiresome) rhetoric of unity, bipartisanship, and transcending ideological differences with "divisive rhetoric...to divide our nation."

It could happen!

Spoiler Alert: It won't.

Daily Dose of Cute

2012-01-24T13:30:00.001-06:00

"What?"
So, I'm out walking the dogs earlier, and they're doing their usual thing—trotting along, being no trouble, sniffing about at various Stinks of Interest as we move down the (new!) sidewalk. And we're walking, and we're walking, and, at one point, I look down to discover that the little Dorito-earned rapscallion pictured above has somehow acquired a GIANT PIECE OF FRIED CHICKEN and is just happily bopping along beside me with it in her mouth.

Where this piece of chicken came from I have no idea. It probably fell out of a garbage bin into one of the lingering piles of snow at the ends of driveways, and she managed to scoop it up without missing a step.

"Eww! Where did you find that?!" I laugh-exclaimed, reaching down for it. "Drop it." She spit it into my hand and grinned. I tossed it aside, and she gave me a pitiable look. "That's grody," I told her. "I'll give you a good treat when we get home."

And so I did.

* * *

Below, a quick little video of Dudley being lazy after our incredibly taxing 15-minute walk.

Video Description: In the backyard, Zelda spins in a circle in front of Dudley, trying to get him to chase her. She darts off, while he stands there looking goofy. "Dudley," I say, and he turns to look at me with perked-up ears. "Are you gonna go for a run? Go on!" He looks around nonchalantly. "Go on, stinker." He looks at me and then yawns. I laugh. "Is that a no?" Fin.

Study: Abortion Safer Than Childbirth

2012-01-24T13:00:00.000-06:00

In what will surprise absolutely no one who knows the first thing about the reproduction of women and other people with uteri, a study by Dr. Elizabeth Raymond from Gynuity Health Projects in New York City and Dr. David Grimes of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine at Chapel Hill has found that legal abortion is safer than childbirth, having a lower mortality rate and fewer complications.

The point isn't, of course, that women and other people with uteri who want children should be persuaded to have abortions instead.

The point is that all the anti-choice rhetoric that pretends pregnancy and childbirth are no big deal, and abortion is extraordinary dangerous, is comprehensive bullshit.

Pregnancy and childbirth do carry risks, and forcing pregnant people who want abortions to face them is cruel and violent.

This is a real thing in the world

2012-01-24T12:32:00.002-06:00

"Inspired by the iconic sleeve of Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures album, this Tee incorporates Mickey's image within the graphic of the pulse of a star." Okay then!

Number of the Day

2012-01-24T11:30:00.011-06:00

10 million: The number of jobs the US labor market still needs in order to return to pre-recession employment. Heidi Shierholz at the Economic Policy Institute:

The jobs deficit left from losses in 2008 and 2009 remains well over 10 million jobs; this takes into account both the 6.1 million fewer jobs we have now than we did before the recession started, and the fact that we should have added over four million jobs over that period just to keep up with normal growth in the working age population.

In December, the addition of 200,000 jobs was heralded as strong growth, but, as the figure shows, even at that rate the United States will not return to full employment until 2019. By way of comparison, to get back to full employment by the start of 2016 – four years from now – the labor market would have to add around 320,000 jobs a month. But expectations are that sustained robust job growth is at least one year away (pdf).

I hope President Obama's got one magical speech prepared for the State of the Union tonight.