Bring On the Asteroid

Todd Palin’s Alleged Prostitute Releases “Tell All” book.

Boys Will Be Boys: Media, Morality and the Cover-up of the Todd Palin Shailey Tripp Sex Scandal is the true story of how Shailey Tripp (Wait, what?), a young single mother of two special needs children became sexually involved with Todd Palin, husband of former Alaska Governor and 2008 GOP Vice-Presidential nominee, Sarah Palin.

This book explains the many factors that culminated in Shailey becoming not only the mistress of ” Alaska’s First Dude” but also a prostitute working for him which ultimately resulted in Shailey being arrested in March of 2010.

I mean it.  We, the human race, deserve to die a fiery, pulverized death if so much as one tree is killed for this abomination.

Also too, open thread.

Fight the real enemy

After reading ABL’s post on the new front in the Global War Against Women and Zandar’s post on the sad-sack establishment pearl-clutching over the Evil of leaking a few documents from a right-wing propaganda outfit, I feel compelled to come out with something that’s been on my mind for a while: I view the American right in more or less exactly the same way that the American right views (or viewed, they probably have new Hitlers by now) “the Islamofascists”.

I don’t mean everyone on the right here. I don’t mean Mitt Romney but I do mean Rick Santorum. I don’t mean Kathleen Parker but I do mean Charles Krauthammer. I don’t mean Matt Welch but I do mean Charles Murray.

In my professional opinion, a certain segment of the right hates us for our freedoms, and would round all of us up and send us to re-education camps (or worse), given the chance. And, yes, the way the right views the decadent left in its enclaves on the coasts as the nation’s fifth columnists, I view tote-baggers as the left’s fifth columnists.

I’m not suggesting that the left adopt the tactics the American right favors in its struggles—no bombing, no torture, no wire-tapping, please. But leaking a few documents from the Heartland Institute? ‘Bagger, please.

ESPN Owes Jeremy Lin an Apology [updated]

This is outrageous.

(via)

Open thread, if you like.

UPDATE: Looks like I’m late on this story. Here’s ESPN’s apology:

Last night, ESPN.com’s mobile web site posted an offensive headline referencing Jeremy Lin at 2:30 am ET. The headline was removed at 3:05 am ET. We are conducting a complete review of our cross-platform editorial procedures and are determining appropriate disciplinary action to ensure this does not happen again. We regret and apologize for this mistake.

Um, yeah—you’re going to need to do better than that, ESPN. “Conducting a complete review of our cross-platform editorial procedures.” What the what? What does that even mean? How about “the use of the term ‘chink’ was racist and offensive,” or “we apologize to Mr. Lin and to the Asian-American community for use of an ignorant and racist term steeped in historical racism against Asian-Americans, racism that is rarely if every discussed” or “Wow. We’re assholes. Can you believe we thought that referencing an Asian-American as “chink” was a good idea?”

And then maybe talk about what proactive steps you are taking to ensure that this doesn’t happen again and that the persons responsible are held accountable. Babbling about “cross-platform editorial whosywhatsits” isn’t going to cut it.

Hell, at least pretend you’re going to make your editorial department take a diversity seminar. Fail.

Paint a Vulgar Picture

Here’s Sullivan’s pathetic defense of Pat Buchanan:

There is so much I disagree with Pat Buchanan on – from World War II to marriage equality to immigration to my love of a multi-racial and multi-cultural society – that I could write a book in it. But let me say something in his defense: however repellent some of his views, he is intellectually honest. Yes, publicly bigoted, sometimes outrageous, a flame-thrower, a reactionary who flirted at times with what only can be called neo-fascism.

With friends like that… But, wait, this is Sullivan. You just know it can’t end there, can it? Of course not, let’s zero in on the real villains:

The idea that he was not the target of much subterranean leftist outrage and pressure to fire him, as my colleague Howie Kurtz reports, seems highly unlikely to me. Yes, as Howie rightly reports, Buchanan’s latest inflammatory book was the casus belli. But Phil Griffin’s views of the book and an underground campaign to fire him from the professional left are not mutually exclusive explanations. I believe Pat on this. The pressure on MSNBC management to get rid of this fly in their propagandistic ointment must have been intense – and came in part from two of the more pernicious liberal interest groups in DC, the Gay Human Rights Campaign and the ADL.

Maybe, just maybe, Andrew, people protested him not because they are just mean-spirited haters out for a scalp or to “get rid of this fly in their propagandistic ointment” (WTF DOES THAT MEAN?), but they protested him because he was, and I quote, “publicly bigoted” and a “reactionary who flirted at times with what only can be called neo-fascism.” I understand you liked Uncle Pat, and I admit to thinking he produced good tv (in the sense that you never knew what kind of shit he would say), but if you think the world needs these kinds of ideas discussed and promoted, why hell- use your platform. You have a webcam. I bet David Duke and Randall Terry and all sorts of Stormfront and Klan leaders would love the exposure. There are a ton of intellectually honest bigots out there. Hell, you could have Santorum on.

Bring ‘em on, and enlighten us with your bizarre festival of ideas. You could even have Charles Murray on to provide them some statistics.

GOP Justification for State-Sanctioned Rape in Virginia

blink

Apparently, once vaginally-penetrated, always vaginally-penetrated:

During the floor debate on Tuesday, Del. C. Todd Gilbert announced that “in the vast majority of these cases, these [abortions] are matters of lifestyle convenience.” (He has since apologized.) Virginia Democrat Rep. David Englin, who opposes the bill, has said Gilbert’s statement “is in line with previous Republican comments on the issue,” recalling one conversation with a GOP lawmaker who told him that women had already made the decision to be “vaginally penetrated when they got pregnant.” (I confirmed with Englin that this quote was accurate.)

Them’s the rules now.

Welcome to the 18th 21st century.

[via Slate; Feministe; RH Reality Check]

RELATED POST: Happy Valentine’s Day, Ladies of Virginia! Your GOP Hates You and Your Uteri (by asiangrrlMN)

[cross-posted at ABLC]

Fox News’s Liz Trotta on Sexual Assault in the Military: Men Get Rapey Sometimes. Get Over it!

Jesus take the wheel

During a segment about new rules regarding women in the military, Fox News contributor Liz Trotta attacked the Department of Defense for increasing spending on support programs for victims of sexual assault. Trotta also reacted to a Pentagon report showing a 64% increase in violent sexual assaults since 2006 by stating: “Well, what did they expect? These people are in close contact.” More »

All Komen, All The Time

Thanks to Tbogg, who has been so much more than a snark blogger on this issue—really, go over there and read his posts over the last week as this mess developed and see the marketing perspective on how this disaster unfolded and what it means for SGK in the long run—we get word that it appears that Horrible Human Being Karen Handel is about to spend a LOT more time with her family.  Nothing definitive yet, but SGK is looking for a new “Director of Public Policy” and Handel’s title (in addition to Horrible Human Being) is “Vice President of Public Policy.”

Just how bad is this whole thing?  Well, SGK turned down a demand by Curves, the ladies-only gym chain to sever ties with Planned Parenthood in 2004.  Nancy Brinker wrote about it in her book, Promise Me, in 2010:

“The grants in question supplied breast health counseling, screening, and treatment to rural women, poor women, Native American women, many women of color who were underserved—if served at all—in areas where Planned Parenthood facilities were often the only infrastructure available. Though it meant losing corporate money from Curves, we were not about to turn our backs on these women.”

Oh, and open thread for those who need such.  Note—seeing Blake Shelton singing Prince on The Voice—fucking awesome!

Little fluffy clouds

I’m trying to understand.

I managed to put my back out somewhere in Portugal, then picked up a dread lurgy in Amsterdam, and have therefore spent the last week making my way home to Shady Pines, swathed in a haze of Tiger Balm, vaIium, codeine and champagne, while alternately lying on the floor of hotels and groaning, lying on aeroplane seats and groaning, or sitting on toilets and groaning while squirting from every orifice. It was like a Katharine Hepburn movie, except one where Katharine knees Tracy in the balls in the first five minutes and is handcuffed to her seat for the rest of the film. My fond regards to the staff of KLM and Singapore Airlines for their sterling service and their heavy hands with the gin.

Having arrived home, I have been appropriately cleaned and medicated, and now the world is like a big, warm ball of pink marshmallow with me in the middle like a particularly unpleasant (although exquisitely perfumed) jammy filling.

I know there are important events going on outside. I’m reading my blogs and trying to take it all in but, with the bucketsful of painkillers I am on, my brain has self-deported.

As far as I can tell, lots of people are complaining because the President made a speech in which he talked about creating jobs and improving education and the unremarkable (yet rarely spoken of) idea that the rich should pay at least the same rate of tax as the non-rich, while sounding like a calm, responsible adult.

This after a week which the chosen exemplars of Republicaniness (a morally-compromised blowhard, a rich herbert with the likeability of a sanitary napkin full of blue ink, an insane gnome and an obnoxious wowser whose name is inextricably linked to lubey, shitty suds) spent flinging poo at each other, fellating the rich and otherwise saying dumb shit, while arguing about how little tax they all pay.

President Obama clearly has no idea what he is doing.

Also, Nancy Pelosi. No idea. Why on earth would she say of Newt that:

I think he’s done plenty of dumb things and there’s stiff competition for what is the dumbest thing he’s done, of course, including his violations of the ethics rules of the House of Representatives.

when she knows that it will make the 27 percent squeal at her for the next week like piggies in a sack about how unfair it is for Nancy to mention stuff for which God has personally forgiven Newt?

I tried reading Mitch Daniels’ reply but as far as I can tell he just went “Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Why won’t you do what we want you to?” for ten minutes, crapped his pants and fell off his chair.

None of it is making sense.

Perhaps I need another drink….

I believe he’s gonna work me into the ground

Gnoot has a post up about his proposal to prepare kids from poor families for the low paying, menial jobs they will often be forced to take after leaving school by giving them low paying, menial jobs while they are at school.

Wouldn’t it be great if New York City schools served their students as well as they serve some of their custodians?

Students—especially those from very poor families—would be better served if they had the opportunity to earn money part-time at school by doing some of the tasks custodians are now performing so expensively.

Dozens of poor students could have part-time, paying jobs for the $100,000 a year New York schools pay some custodians. For that amount, more than 30 children could work just two hours each school day and each take home $3,000 a year by the time they are 12 or 13 years old.

Some of this work could be clerical; other tasks could be janitorial, such as cleaning the cafeteria, or emptying the trash, or vacuuming the classrooms. These are similar to the chores many parents require their kids to do at home, and it would allow 12- and 13- year olds to make money they desperately need. Giving children the opportunity to earn money would help teach work habits, and letting them do so in their schools would build a stronger commitment to that community.

Here’s the thing, Gnoot, you crap-filled, sociopathic blowhard.

I may be a fictional, sweary old lady who knows two fifths of fuck-all about poverty and the challenges facing inner city kids, or about how we could improve their financial position while increasing their self esteem and encouraging them to learn.

However, I’d be willing to bet quite a lot of money that the answer is not making them stay back after school to clean up other students’ shit for six bucks an hour.

Arsehole.

Open thread – With vilest worms to dwell

It’s about time we had an Open Thread…

Despite the title, this is not the story of the three months I had to share a toiletless bedsit with Mitt Romney in Paris in the late sixties. I know you would thrill to the tales of the adversity we suffered – like the time the Bollinger ran out and Mitt had to buy some more, or when the cook took time off for her mother’s funeral in Normandy and we were forced to live without her truffled coq au vin for three whole days.

However, I am on holidays and, like most people on holidays, I really just want to tell you what I have been up to. Moreover, jet lag has struck and I am wide awake when I should be having my pre-dinner nap. As such, as another quite warm Lisbon winter day draws to a foggy close, let me take the chance to tell you a little more about our visit to Tokyo.

As I may have mentioned, my nephew Charles and his husband Kevin are accompanying me on this leg of my Grand Tour. Kevin is a public health physician – an honourable career that seems to consist entirely of visiting foreign countries for conferences and (if Contagion is to be believed) occasionally peeling Gwyneth Paltrow’s face off her skull. Which is nice.

When I met the boys at our hotel in the Ginza, therefore, the first thing they wanted to do was whisk me off to the Meguro Parasitological Museum to look at worms.

I do warn you – some of the pictures that follow after the jump are not for those posessed of a weak stomach. More »

This Deceased Equine Quadriped Has Been Pretty Well Whacked, But…

Christian Paramilitary Group Members Arrested for Home Invasion

Burgling for Jesus

Two members of a Christian paramilitary group called “The Savior Unit” were charged with kidnapping and burglary for allegedly conducting a home invasion while clad in ski-masks, military garb and bullet-proof vests.

Michael Shaun Schaffran, 32, and Cody Jacob Rogers, 18, were arrested after allegedly breaking into a home on Tuesday night in Gautier, Mississippi. They were each charged with three counts of kidnapping and burglary of an occupied house, the Sun-Herald reports.

According to police, Schaffran and Rogers dressed up in military gear, ski masks and bullet-proof vests, broke into the house, and attacked the three people who lived there. At the time of the arrest, Schaffran had a knife, though Rogers was unarmed. More »

Let Newt Get His Geek On

I didn’t watch the debate last night, but I gather that this fell flat for Mitt Romney:

Asked where he and Gingrich differed, Romney said, “We could start with his idea to have a lunar colony that would mine minerals from the moon. I’m not in favor of spending that kind of money to do that.”

... On moon mining, Gingrich doubled down—“I’m happy to defend the idea that America should be in space and should be there in an aggressive, entrepreneurial way” ...

Amazing—Gingrich not only defended this, he wrapped it in the last refuge of a wingnut scoundrel, entrepreneurialism.

But that’s the thing about people like him: if you have that particular combination of screws loose, yes, you’re going to make manic, half-schizophrenic pronouncements about space colonization and the like, but you’re also going to have the cornered-rat instinct to jujitsu any direct attack on such pronouncements, so the attacker is the only one who winds up flat out on the mat. What I’m saying is that, with Gingrich’s particular brand of crazy, it’s futile to go at him head-on.

Far better to lull him into making even crazier pronouncements on the spot. Try doing it like this:

Romney: “We’ve suffered greatly in the three years of the Obama administration, and, well, it would be nice if we could just go into a time machine and turn back the clock to a moment before all that damage was done. Unfortunately, going back in time is just impossible—right, Newt? It’s really a shame that we can’t reverse all this damage with a time machine—isn’t it, Newt?”

Gingrich: “Well, in fact, Mitt, there’s been some extraordinary work done on time travel at a laboratory in Belarus, and it’s my belief that the United States would benefit tremendously from a massive program of research not only into time travel, but also into related possibilities, including astral projection….”

Now you’ve got him going.

Newt’s going to ambush you (his attack last night on Romney as a would-be career politician who just couldn’t manage to build a lengthy career was, I see, quite effective), and Newt’s primed to rebuff most direct attacks (though attacking him for supporting child labor, as I see Romney did, is a waste of time, because the stance is one of punishing the weak, which means it naturally appeals to the right). In short, I’d say you can’t actually defeat Gingrich—you have to find a way to get him to defeat himself. Which really shouldn’t be all that hard.

(X-posted at No More Mister Nice Blog.)

Cooking with gasbag

Somewhere in Massachusetts, a cold shiver just ran up Tom Levenson’s back, for Megan McArdle has published her “Holiday Gift Guide 2011: Kitchen Edition“.

Now, I love cooking (my old English Fruit cake with propofol icing has won several awards) and I love gadgets (particularly the sort that are made by Germans out of latex and make the lights dim in three states when I turn them on), but McMegan’s list is truly terrifying.

Megan says that “Space is somewhat limited in our kitchen“, and given that she appears to own every piece of crap that has ever been flogged to the gullible and the taste-free, I’m not surprised. I have visions of her dessicated corpse being found some day, trapped between the piles of old copies of the New York Times that line the walls of her apartment, smothered beneath an avalanche of chicken-shaped spoon holders and fish spatulas, all liberally lubricated with rancid butter (salted and salt-free!) that has spilled out from her (now water-depleted) butter boats.

It’s hard to pick favourites from her list, but I’m particularly enamoured of the Salt Pig, which may be the ugliest piece of kitchenware I have ever seen:

At least it matches the colour of her salt.

Helpfully, Megan suggests several solutions to those global problems which bedevil us all, including the Kuhn Rikon Egg Separating Set because:

Separating eggs by hand is not hard, but it’s tedious…

and the Swivel Store Spice Rack because:

Like most people who like to cook, I am obsessed with finding a solution to The Spice Problem.

Thankfully, this last apparently flouts the laws of physics by holding all her spices:

happily (and neatly) over the microwave, where they’re paradoxically easy to get at, and safely out of the way.

If only Zeno had known about that he wouldn’t have had to do all that messing around with tortoises and arrows.

Megan even recommends not only a gravy separator, but also a warming gravy boat. Starving children in Eritrea can rest easy now, knowing that Megan’s guests will never be exposed to cold, fatty sauces.

She (of course) triples down on the fucking Thermomix, in its third mention in as many weeks. I’m pretty sure she’s angling for a freebie, so she can wedge herself between two of them and have them rhythmically whirl, whirl, whirl her towards orgasm.

The thing that stands out most of all for me, however, is this:

I’ll frequently make a pot of rice at night and melt some cheese on top, eat some for dinner, and the rest for breakfast.

Despite all Megan’s crapping on about her fantasy world of “shiny chocolate glazes” and custards and foams and perfect bechamel, buried in the middle of the article we get one solitary glimpse of the truth – sad, pathetic Megan, surrounded by her shelves and drawers and hills of tat and rubbish, shovelling cheese and rice into her face in a futile attempt to fill the aching void in her soul.

[H/t to commenter Trentrunner, who got there first.]

Just Rope and Throw and Grab ‘Em

Soon we’ll be living high and wide:

Patrick Sullivan was the kind of lawman Coloradoans loved: a straight-shooting, Republican sheriff who once crashed a Jeep through a fence to rescue two deputies from a deranged gun-toting man and pleaded with legislators to keep assault weapons off the street lest any more citizens get shot.

On Tuesday afternoon, though, investigators from the same sheriff’s department he oversaw for nearly two decades found themselves monitoring a home near Denver that Mr. Sullivan was seen entering.

Soon after, the police arrested Mr. Sullivan, now 68 and long retired from the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, on charges that he had been trying to exchange methamphetamines for sex with a man. He was booked that night at a local county jail that proudly bears his name.

What is it with meth and closeted gay right-wingers? Didn’t that one priest from a mega-church (I can’t remember his name, but he is blonde and also from Colorado) also have meth issues?