[Content Note: Misogyny.]
It sure is amazing how people who are obsessed with Hillary Clinton's tone—who can tell you that she's lying, that she's conniving, that she's "soulless," that she's sinister, that she's a manipulative bitch, all on the basis of her tone—are suddenly feigning mystification at the fact that it wasn't the exact words Bernie Sanders used to shush her—"Excuse me, I'm talking"—but his tone that was the fucking problem.
And, yes, it matters that it was a man talking to a woman that way, because of how identity-based power differentials work.
But it also matters that it was a Senator talking to a former Secretary of State. His disrespectful tone also showed zero respect for the office she's held.
And if you think that also isn't related to her gender, welp.
An Observation
In the News
Here is some stuff in the news today...
RIP former First Lady Nancy Reagan, who died at age 94 over the weekend. My condolences to her family, friends, and admirers.
Do you want to see US gymnast Gabby Douglas amazing floor routine at the American Cup? Well, here it is! She is terrific and that routine is outstanding! Yayayayay!
[Content Note: War; terrorism; death] "Tunisia's government said Monday that 45 people have been killed after extremists attacked a town near the border with Libya. The Interior and Defense ministries said in a statement that the Tunisian government has closed its two border crossings with Libya because of the attack. ...The gunmen targeted a police station and military facilities at dawn in the border town of Ben Guerdane in eastern Tunisia, Interior Ministry spokesman Yasser Mosbah told the Associated Press. ...The Tunisian military sent reinforcements and helicopters to the area around Ben Guerdane, and authorities were hunting several attackers still at large. Authorities urged residents to stay indoors. The violence comes amid increasing international concern about Islamic State extremists in Libya."
[CN: Terrorism] Relatedly: "The UK is facing the threat of 'enormous and spectacular attacks' by Islamic State as the extremist group attempts to wage war on western lifestyles, the national head of counter-terrorism has warned. The Metropolitan police assistant commissioner, Mark Rowley, said in a briefing to journalists on the UK terror threat that while in recent years Isis had urged would-be jihadis to attack the police and military, its mission had since widened. ...Rowley said Isis was encouraging supporters who had received military training in Syria to enter northern Europe to stage attacks."
[CN: Refugee crisis] Meanwhile: "European Union leaders are holding a crucial summit with Turkey on ways of dealing with Europe's worst refugee crisis since World War Two. The EU is pressing Turkey, through which many migrants transit, to take some back in return for $3.3bn in aid. ...Turkey is currently sheltering more than 2.5 million refugees from the civil war in neighbouring Syria. The EU wants it to take back thousands of migrants who do not qualify for asylum. In return Turkey is seeking full access for its citizens across the EU's visa-free zone and accelerated talks on EU membership."
[CN: War on agency] In domestic news: "The Supreme Court on Friday blocked a law that would have left Louisiana with only one doctor to perform abortions in the state. The law at issue, Act 620, was signed by former Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) in June 2014. It mandates doctors who provide abortion care must obtain admitting privileges at a local hospital. The law was scheduled to begin on September 1, 2014" but the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR) sued in August 2014 to keep the doors open. Finally, after more back-and-forth legal wrangling: "CRR sought emergency relief from the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that because of the Fifth Circuit's ruling, all but two doctors in the state have been forced to stop providing abortions and have been turning away women with scheduled appointments. ...In a brief order, the Court nullified the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals' ruling that permitted the law to go into effect, providing a last-minute reprieve for patients in Louisiana seeking abortion care." A huge relief, but goddammit this fight for basic reproductive healthcare. FUCK.
[CN: Homophobia] In other SCOTUS news: "The U.S. Supreme Court overturned an Alabama court order that had prohibited a lesbian from having contact with the three children she adopted and helped raise in neighboring Georgia while in a long-term relationship with their biological mother. The ruling, without published dissent, reinforces gay rights less than a year after the court legalized same-sex marriage across the country. The justices didn't hear arguments in the case, instead summarily reversing the Alabama Supreme Court."
[CN: Animal endangerment] This is very good news, but only so long as the population is protected: "An international team of researchers has discovered 8,000 Sumatran orangutans which were as yet uncounted. The huge number of this critically endangered species of large apes was found living in mountains, as well as in areas west of Lake Toba. With this discovery, the population of the Sumatran orangutan is now estimated at about 14,600. ...'It was very exciting to find out that there are more Sumatran orangutans than we thought, but this does not mean that we can be complacent,' says Serge Wich of Liverpool John Moores University. 'Numerous development projects are planned in the area that—if they are not stopped—could sharply reduce the number of orangutans over the coming years.'"
Why hello there! "In the ocean near Hawaii, more than 2 1/2 miles underwater, scientists have discovered a small, delicate-looking and ghostlike little octopod—possibly a new species. The animal was discovered by Deep Discoverer, a remotely operated vehicle, or ROV—picture a small, unmanned submarine equipped with cameras and a robotic arm—that was working to collect geological samples. Michael Vecchione, of the National Marine Fisheries Service, described the Feb. 27 discovery on the NOAA website: 'As the ROV was traversing a flat area of rock interspersed with sediment at 4,290 meters, it came across a remarkable little octopod sitting on a flat rock dusted with a light coat of sediment. The appearance of this animal was unlike any published records and was the deepest observation ever for this type of cephalopod.'"
And finally! "Dog from Australia Makes Adorable Real Estate Agent." Awwwww lol!
Primarily Speaking: Primaries & Dem Debate
[Content Note: Racism; misogyny; disablism.]
Over the weekend, the Democrats held primary contests in Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, and Maine. Hillary Clinton won Louisiana; Bernie Sanders won Kansas, Nebraska, and Maine.
The Republicans held primary contests in Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, and Puerto Rico. Ted Cruz won Kansas and Maine; Donald Trump won Kentucky and Louisiana; Marco Rubio won Puerto Rico.
Next on the schedule: The Republicans hold contests in Hawaii, Idaho, Michigan, and Mississippi tomorrow. The Democrats hold contests in Michigan and Mississippi tomorrow.
So, after the latest round, nothing has changed substantially. Clinton is still leading the Democratic nomination, and Trump is still leading the Republican nomination.
* * *
Last night, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders met in Flint, Michigan, for another debate. Time has a complete transcript. I live-tweeted the debate and have Storified those tweets.
One of the major topics of the debate was the water crisis in Flint, Michigan—and because the crisis is largely a result of environmental racism (which neither of the candidates successfully identified), systemic racism was another major topic. They were asked, among other questions, given their policy histories and their white privilege, "why should black people trust you to get it right this time?"
It's kind of a bullshit question, because it treats trust like an on-off switch, when trust is something that has to be earned every day. But neither of them gave a particularly great answer.
This was an opportunity for Clinton to give a full-throated repudiation of the language she's used, and the associated policies, which engendered mistrust, and she did not do that. What I think she should have done is acknowledged that history, apologized for it, and turned the question on its head with something like, "I don't think the question is whether black people should trust me, but whether I earn their trust. And that is something I will have to do every day, during this primary, during the general election, and during my presidency."
Sanders also failed on the topic of race, on several occasions, but perhaps none more so than on the question of "what racial blind spots do you have?" He first told a story about a black man being unable to get a cab, and then a story about a Black Lives Matter activist telling him he doesn't understand the terror in black communities, and then he said:
So to answer your question, I would say, and I think it's similar to what the secretary said, when you're white, you don't know what it's like to be living in a ghetto. You don't know what it's like to be poor. You don't know what it's like to be hassled when you walk down the street or you get dragged out of a car.There are a lot of problems there, starting with the implication that all black people are poor and live in ghettos, and that no white people know what it's like to be poor—even though, as Propane Jane noted, "the majority of Americans receiving government assistance are White," and erasing them serves to uphold racist narratives about who is poor in this country.
And I believe that as a nation in the year 2016, we must be firm in making it clear. We will end institutional racism and reform a broken criminal justice system.
And, of course, there are a lot of white people who know what it's like "to be hassled when you walk down the street," like women, like trans people, like LGB people, like fat people, like people with visible disabilities. Even if he meant "hassled by cops," lots of those people get hassled by cops, too. And it's important not to engage in erasure of those identities for a lot of reasons, not least of which because black people share those identities. A black trans woman, for example, may not only be harassed on the street because she's black.
Sanders also had a bad night on the subject of mental health, twice referring to mass shooters as "lunatics"—even though most mass shooters are not, in fact, mentally ill—and making this reprehensible joke: "You know, we are, if elected president, going to invest a lot of money into mental health. And when you watch these Republican debates, you know why we need to invest in that."
The Republican candidates are not mentally ill. They are indecent. And this "joke," such as it was, suggests that white supremacy, patriarchy, heterocentrism, warmongering, nationalism, etc. are the result of mental illness, when they are absolutely not. Naturally, it also harms all of us with mental illness by catching us in the rhetorical buckshot.
Finally, this was the perhaps the most talked-about moment after the debate last night:
Clinton: —I voted to save the auto industry; he voted against the money that ended up saving the auto industry!When I saw that exchange, with Sanders using a tone that suggested he was reprimanding a naughty child, my heart started pounding in my chest. It was only the first of several times he used that tone with Clinton, and I was furious watching it.
Sanders: Whoooooooa.
Clinton: I think that is a pretty big difference.
Sanders: Well, I— [chuckles] If you are talking about the Wall Street bailout, where some of your friends destroyed this economy—
Clinton: You know—
Sanders: Excuse me, I'm talking. [applause]
Anderson Cooper [offscreen]: Let him [inaudible]
Clinton: If you're gonna talk, tell the whole story, Senator Sanders.
Sanders: Well, let me tell my story; you tell yours.
Clinton: I will.
I tweeted: "Even if you've been a First Lady, Senator, Secretary of State, and presidential candidate, you're still Just a Woman when a man is speaking."
Naturally, my mentions are a shitshow as a result. Because Clinton is a bitch. Because Sanders said "excuse me," which is obviously polite. Because Clinton isn't even a woman. Because it's demeaning to women to suggest she can't take it. Etc.
Of course she can take it. The point is that she shouldn't have to.
* * *
I don't think the debate was a homerun for either candidate. Clinton's biggest failure was another missed opportunity to be more fully accountable for her '90s record. It's apparent that she's tired of relitigating the '90s, but part of the reason these questions keep coming up is because she hasn't provided responses that feel like sufficient accountability.
Sanders' biggest failures were his tunnel vision and temperament. He is a one-issue candidate, and he gets visibly annoyed when people disagree with him, especially on the subject of that one issue being the solution to all problems. But Sanders is himself a case study in the bankruptcy of the idea that economic equality solves oppression. Wealth doesn't magically make you not racist or misogynist or ableist. Clearly.
I'll say once again: The more I see of Bernie Sanders, the less I like him.
The Virtual Pub Is Open
[Explanations: lol your fat. pathetic anger bread. hey your gay.]
TFIF, Shakers!
Belly up to the bar,
and name your poison!
Weekend Primary Schedule
Here's what's going on in the US presidential primaries this weekend...
Saturday, March 5: The Democrats will be holding primaries or caucuses in Kansas, Louisiana, and Nebraska. The Republicans will be holding primaries or caucuses in Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Maine.
Sunday, March 6: The Democrats head to Maine, and the Republicans hold their primary in Puerto Rico. Also Sunday night: Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders will debate at the Whiting Auditorium in Flint, Michigan. It will start at 8pm ET and will be broadcast on CNN.
Come On
[Content Note: Misogyny.]
Here is a thing I am tired of seeing: Hillary Clinton shouldn't be the nominee because Donald Trump and his supporters and the Republican Machine will unleash ungodly amounts of vicious misogyny against her and she'll lose.
Fuck that forever.
Is the argument that we're seriously supposed to wait until we eradicate misogyny to nominate a woman, without a trace of irony that keeping women out of visible positions of power because they are women is a key tool in ongoingly facilitating misogyny?
Haha of course not! It's always just an argument about this woman. And by that I don't even mean Hillary Clinton; I mean any woman who is qualified and competent and ready to assume a role previously held exclusively by men.
It's just Hillary Clinton in this situation. But there are endless situations in which projected misogynist blowback is reason to just stick with a dude for now.
'Til some vague and mysterious time in the future when misogyny won't be an issue anymore. Apparently.
And in the meantime, let's just keep limiting women's opportunities because of misogynists who want to limit their opportunities.
And if arguably the most privileged woman in the world isn't given the chance because people will try to use bigotry against her, what of all the woman without her privilege? Whose identities provide multiple avenues of attack? When the fuck will they get a chance?
If there is a heaping fuckton of misogyny unleashed on Clinton if and when she's the nominee—and there will be!—that won't be her fault. That will be the fault of the people unleashing it.
Let's keep that in perspective.
[NB: There are legitimate policy reasons to not support Hillary Clinton. That, however, is not on-topic for this post.]
The Friday Blogaround
This blogaround brought to you by pillows.
Recommended Reading:
Bina: [Content Note: Misogynistic violence] A Pro-Woman Stance or a Political Agenda?
Chanelle: [CN: Misogynoir] Black Women Are #NotYourMules
Prison Culture: [CN: Misogynoir; violence; carcerality] AAHS Publishes Laura Scott's Story
Ragen: [CN: Fat hatred] What to Do When a Kid Is Fat Shaming Themselves
Monica: Meet the Woman Who Founded "Bharat Babies," a Children's Book Company Centred on Indian Culture
Fannie: Well Isn't That Clever
Peter: How This Little Symbol (?) Gives the Media License to Assail Hillary's Integrity
Leave your links and recommendations in comments. Self-promotion welcome and encouraged!
Daily Dose of Cute
We have this end table in the living room that's fashioned from metal, to look like vines with wee birds sitting on them, and Sophie loves to sit inside the "cage" it creates. I call it Sophie putting herself in bird jail.
"What? I like it in here!"
As always, please feel welcome and encouraged to share pix of the fuzzy, feathered, or scaled members of your family in comments.
In the News
Here is some stuff in the news today...
[Content Note: Murder] So, allegedly, almost two decades ago, a construction worker found a knife buried on a property owned by O.J. Simpson and turned it over to a police officer, who only now has handed it over to investigators. Whut? LAPD spokesman Andrew Neiman says "the knife would be tested for DNA evidence, but added it was possible that 'the whole story is bogus from the get-go.'" Oh ya think?
[CN: Privilege] BERNIE SANDERS, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU EVEN DOING? "Fox News is not usually the destination of choice for Democratic candidates seeking to spread their message, but Bernie Sanders has agreed to participate in an hour-long town hall hosted by the network here on Monday. ...Sanders spokesman Michael Briggs said there had also been discussions about having Republican front-runner Donald Trump appear at the same forum, an idea Sanders welcomed." (Clinton was also invited, but declined citing a scheduling conflict, which is the polite way of saying FUCK YOU, FOX NEWS.) Rinse and repeat everything I said about Sanders' visit to Liberty University. I'm frankly even more annoyed that Sanders "welcomes" the idea of a town hall with Trump. Sure, let's bolster that shitlord's candidacy even more. Between this crap and Jane Sanders having said on CNN yesterday that running against Trump would be "fun," I am beyond the beyond with this campaign at this point.
Former Republican turned failed Democratic presidential candidate Jim Webb says that he won't vote for Hillary Clinton if she's the Democratic nominee, but might vote for Donald Trump if he's the Republican nominee. "'I would not vote for Hillary Clinton,' Webb said on MSBNC's Morning Joe. When asked whether he'd vote for Trump, Webb said he wasn't closed to the idea. 'I'm not sure yet. I don't know who I'm going to vote for,' he said. ...'If you're voting for Donald Trump, you may get something very good or very bad,' Webb said. 'If you're voting for Hillary Clinton, you're going to be getting the same thing.'" This fucking guy.
[CN: War on agency] Meanwhile, while abortion hardly figures in the public conversation during this presidential election: "West Virginia Republicans this week passed a bill that would criminalize a medical procedure often used after a miscarriage and during second-trimester abortions. SB 10, sponsored by state Sen. Dave Sypolt (R-Preston), would prohibit someone from performing or attempting to perform a 'dismemberment abortion' unless it is necessary to prevent serious health risk to the pregnant person. The bill targets the dilation and evacuation (D and E) procedure, commonly used in second-trimester abortion care. During the procedure, a physician dilates the patient's cervix and removes the fetus using forceps, clamps, or other instruments. ...D and E bans are the latest chapter in a decades-old strategy by the anti-choice movement to target specific abortion procedures. Health and medical professionals criticize these bans as substituting politicians' agendas for the judgment and expertise of doctors." Any physician who violates the West Virginia law would be "guilty of a felony and may be fined $10,000 and imprisoned for up to two years. The physician may also face injunction and civil damages." You know—to protect "women's health."
[CN: Child neglect and abuse] I don't even have words: "Immigrant children trying to stay in the United States are often left to defend themselves against a team of skilled government lawyers in court proceedings because they are not entitled to legal counsel. Now, one immigration judge is claiming that three and four-year-olds can learn immigration law well enough to represent themselves, the Washington Post reported. 'I've taught immigration law literally to 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds,' Jack H. Weil, an immigration judge, said in sworn testimony in a deposition in Seattle, Washington federal court, according to the publication. 'It takes a lot of time. It takes a lot of patience. They get it. It's not the most efficient, but it can be done.' He made the claim twice more in the deposition, stating, 'I've told you I have trained 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds in immigration law. You can do a fair hearing. It's going to take you a lot of time.' Weil's statement are part of a lawsuit spearheaded by the American Civil Liberties Union and other immigrant advocacy groups calling on the government to provide appointed legal counsel for children who are unable to afford one themselves in court proceedings. He insisted that the comments were taken out of context in a follow-up email with the Washington Post." Of course he did.
[CN: Police misconduct; misogynoir] GOOD: "Nearly eight months after he violently arrested Sandra Bland—who subsequently died in police custody—Brian Encinia is now jobless. Former trooper Encinia was indicted for perjury on January 6, when a grand jury decided that he made false statements about his actions while arresting Bland. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) immediately announced that it would 'begin termination proceedings to discharge him.' Encinia challenged the decision, but DPS announced yesterday (March 2) that his termination is now final, effective immediately."
"Mark Hamill is very keen on the idea that Luke Skywalker could be gay. It's a notion he's brought up before. But his thoughts are being given new legitimacy given director JJ Abrams recent remarks that 'it seems insanely narrow-minded and counterintuitive to say that there wouldn't be a homosexual character' in the Star Wars universe. Said Hamill, according to a new report in The Sun: 'I just read online that JJ is very much open to that. In the old days you would get fan mail. But now fans are writing and ask all these questions, 'I'm bullied in school… I'm afraid to come out.' They say to me, 'Could Luke be gay?' I'd say it is meant to be interpreted by the viewer. If you think Luke is gay, of course he is. You should not be ashamed of it. Judge Luke by his character, not by who he loves.'" ♥
Neat! "The Hubble Space Telescope just calculated the distance to the most far-out galaxy ever measured, providing scientists with a look deep into the history of the universe. The far-away galaxy, named GN-z11, existed a mere 400 million years after the Big Bang, or about 13.3 billion years ago. Because the light from such a distant galaxy must travel huge distances to reach Earth, scientists are seeing the galaxy as it looked over 13 billion years ago."
Oh nooooo, lol! "Wading birds in the Everglades prefer to nest near resident gators for protection. And the arrangement appears to be mutually beneficial." But: "There is one drawback for adult birds who stray too close to their bodyguard: Gators are not discriminating diners. 'I liken it less to a bodyguard situation, more like keeping some psychopathic murderer in your yard, to keep out cat burglars.'"
And finally! "Photographer Photoshops His Dog into a Giant." Exactly as advertised. I can't stop laughing!
Quote of the Day
"You saved my life. I want that to sink into your ears and mind. My President, you saved my life, and I am eternally grateful. I have a 'pre-existing condition' and so could never purchase health insurance. Only after the ACA came into being could I be covered. Put simply to not take up too much of your time if you are in fact taking the time to read this: I would not be alive without access to care I received due to your law. ...Thank you for serving me even when I didn't vote for you. Thank you for being my President."—Brent Nathan Brown, a lifelong Republican who had been "very vocal" in his opposition to the President and the Affordable Care Act, in a letter to President Obama.
Love.
Republicans, We See You
[Content Note: Bigotry; warmongering.]
In his New York Times column today, Paul Krugman basically summarizes everything I've been writing about the Republican primary for the last eight months:
So Republicans are going to nominate a candidate who talks complete nonsense on domestic policy; who believes that foreign policy can be conducted via bullying and belligerence; who cynically exploits racial and ethnic hatred for political gain.If I have said once, I have literally said two dozen times that Trump is not an outlier, but the unfiltered id of the Republican Party—and that Republicans who feign horror at the specter of his getting the nomination are full of shit, because his policies are not, as they continually insist, outside the mainstream Republican platform, but centered firmly within it. That, if anything, he is less extreme in some ways than his current competitors.
But that was always going to happen, however the primary season turned out. The only news is that the candidate in question is probably going to be Donald Trump. Establishment Republicans denounce Mr. Trump as a fraud, which he is. But is he more fraudulent than the establishment trying to stop him? Not really.
Actually, when you look at the people making those denunciations, you have to wonder: Can they really be that lacking in self-awareness?
Krugman again:
Mr. Ryan also declares that the "party of Lincoln" must "reject any group or cause that is built on bigotry." Has he ever heard of Nixon's "Southern strategy"; of Ronald Reagan's invocations of welfare queens and "strapping young bucks" using food stamps; of Willie Horton?Behold your roosting chickens, Republicans: "The political leadership taught their base too well whom to blame for what ails them, and thus cannot now move them from their fixed gaze and finger-pointing, even as it isn't helping the party anymore—and stands likely to hurt the party for the foreseeable future. They sowed the seeds of prejudice for decades, and now they reap nothing but the only crop such seeds can yield. ...And now the party elites have the temerity to publicly lament that the genie won't go back in the bottle. 'What happened to my party?' wonder the vanishing moderates of the Republican Party, shaking their heads gravely and publicly wringing their hands, before shuffling off to wash them of any responsibility."
Put it this way: There's a reason whites in the Deep South vote something like 90 percent Republican, and it's not their philosophical attachment to libertarian principles.
Krugman continues:
In fact, you have to wonder why, exactly, the Republican establishment is really so horrified by Mr. Trump. Yes, he's a con man, but they all are. So why is this con job different from any other?Behold your roosting chickens, Republicans: "Nothing is more dangerous to the GOP brand than a nominee who flatly refuses to pretend that their policies are anything but what they actually are. ...The challenge for Republican elites has always been how you convince people who aren't obscenely wealthy to vote for a platform designed to exploit them. So they developed a strategy based on appealing to bigotry, to othering and scapegoating and victim-blaming. And then they dressed it up in cynical language about morality. Donald Trump in particular has no use for this masquerade. He's quite content, proud even, thankyouverymuch, to blaze through the campaign trail without any of the requisite delicacy. Because he knows that decades of building a base by fomenting hatred doesn't require it anymore."
The answer, I'd suggest, is that the establishment's problem with Mr. Trump isn't the con he brings; it's the cons he disrupts.
First, there's the con Republicans usually manage to pull off in national elections — the one where they pose as a serious, grown-up party honestly trying to grapple with America's problems. The truth is that that party died a long time ago, that these days it's voodoo economics and neocon fantasies all the way down. But the establishment wants to preserve the facade, which will be hard if the nominee is someone who refuses to play his part.
...Equally important, the Trump phenomenon threatens the con the G.O.P. establishment has been playing on its own base. I'm talking about the bait and switch in which white voters are induced to hate big government by dog whistles about Those People, but actual policies are all about rewarding the donor class.
The entire narrative around Trump's ascendance is total rubbish. Deeply mendacious rubbish, fueled by Republican elites who want to deflect accountability for spending decades laying the groundwork for a candidate exactly like Donald Trump.
And the media not only fails to interrogate this narrative, but helpfully disseminates it.
Just this morning, I read this LA Times piece about the GOP elites' risky plan to stop Trump, in which was this passage: "[Mitt Romney] and other mainstream party leaders say the circumstances this time are extraordinary—citing Trump's sharp departures from long-held conservative policies and coarse rhetoric that is hurting the party's efforts to look more inclusive."
What "sharp departures from long-held conservative policies" are those, exactly? I see this framing over and over, without any evidence to back it up. We're just meant to take as read that Donald Trump diverges significantly from conservative policies, despite the fact that he clearly doesn't.
The real issue is that he's "hurting the party's efforts to look more inclusive." Look being the operative word. The Republican Party is not actually trying to be more inclusive, but merely to look that way. And Trump doesn't have any use for that pretense.
Truly, the only conservative policy from which he has taken a sharp departure is the policy of pretending to give a single fuck about the appearance of decency.
Anyway. Krugman's column is validating. Maybe now that an Important White Dude is saying it, the media heretofore insistent on repeating ad nauseum these bullshit talking points about Trump and his party will reconsider.
[H/T to syb on Twitter.]
Republican Debate Wrap-Up
[Content Note: Bigotry.]
Here is just an actual thing that happened during a presidential debate:
Donald Trump, holding up his hands, which Marco Rubio had said were small: Look at those hands. Are they small hands? And he referred to my hands—if they're small, something else must be small. I guarantee you there's no problem. My guarantee.For those of you keeping count at home, this was the second time in a single day that Trump made an oblique reference to his dick. The first time was during an event in Iowa, when he was pushing back against Mitt Romney's critical speech:
Donald Trump: Mitt is a failed candidate. He failed. He failed horribly. He failed badly. That was a race, I have to say, folks, that should have been won. That was a race that absolutely should have been won. I don't know what happened to him. He disappeared. He disappeared. And I wasn't happy about it; I'll be honest. Because I am not a fan of Barack Obama, and that was a race— And I backed Mitt Romney. I backed him. You can see how loyal he is. He was begging for my endorsement. I could have said, "Mitt, drop to your knees." He would've dropped to his knees. He was begging. [makes a "yeah I said that" face] He was begging me!So this is where we are. Donald Trump has a perfectly adequate sized dick, and Mitt Romney would have sucked it, if only Trump had ordered him to do it.
Quite a party you've got there, Republicans.
Anyway.
The Washington Post has a complete transcript of the debate.
I live-tweeted it, and I have Storified those tweets. If, however, you'd prefer a one-tweet summary, this is probably as good as any of 'em:
This was the 11th Republican debate, and I've watched (I think) all but one of them. That's more than 20 hours of watching these dirtbags shout garbage at each other, and, I have to tell you, each one is worse than the last.
The total lack of empathy among these men is appalling, matched in abject horror only by their aggressive posturing about how they will wield the US' military might.
There isn't a more dangerous combination for a leader.
Question of the Day
What's the best nickname someone's ever given you?
I'm going to call it a tie between Iain calling me "Apple Cheeks" and Deeks calling me "Lint Trap," lol.
Fat Fashion
This is your semi-regular thread in which fat women can share pix, make recommendations for clothes they love, ask questions of other fat women about where to locate certain plus-size items, share info about sales, talk about what jeans cut at what retailer best fits their body shapes, discuss how to accessorize neutral colored suits, share stories of going bare-armed for the first time, brag about a cool fashion moment, whatever.
* * *
I recently got this sweatshirt from Torrid, and I love it so much!
RIP fucks.
Obviously, I still care about a lot of things, but it's absolute perfection for those "I'm not offended; I'm contemptuous" moments, lol.
Anyway! As always, all subjects related to fat fashion are on topic, but if you want a topic for discussion: Got any tops (or jackets, or shoes, or whatever!) that you love because of an overt message they convey?
Have at it in comments! Please remember to make fat women of all sizes, especially women who find themselves regularly sizing out of standard plus-size lines, welcome in this conversation, and pass no judgment on fat women who want to and/or feel obliged, for any reason, to conform to beauty standards. And please make sure if you're soliciting advice, you make it clear you're seeking suggestions—and please be considerate not to offer unsolicited advice. Sometimes people just need to complain and want solidarity, not solutions.
For the Tall Ladies
[Content Note: Misogyny; sizism; violent metaphors.]
One of the interesting things I've seen, on Twitter and here in comments, in response to the Ghostbusters trailer is tall women being very excited about Leslie Jones' evident tallness.
Jones, who is six feet tall, has talked about her tallness in interviews and in her stand-up. In the profile of her I recommended in December, she says: "I know I'm fly—don't get me wrong. But I don't look, like, standard Hollywood. As a comedian, it's something you learn to use."
Her Showtime special, "Problem Child," which aired in 2010, began that way:There's a certain defensiveness to it, by design: "Jones often begins her standup sets by 'taking away their bullets'—neutralizing anything that might distract an audience, so that 'they can stop looking at my outfit, stop worrying about whether I think I'm sexy, and just listen.'"
I know y'all already noticed that I'm a big bitch. ...When I walk in a Payless, it gets quiet than a motherfucker. ...I swear, men, if you can get past my big-ass feet and how tall I am, I'm a great fucking catch. ...I'm fine. I can fuck. I can fight. Oh, I ain't no damsel in distress, motherfucker. You can go get the car, baby, while I handle these three thug motherfuckers.The final line devolves into shadowboxing—Jones bobbing and weaving like a mean-mugging Buster Keaton.
I don't know the lived experiences of tall women, as, at 5'3", I'm pretty much the opposite of tall. But when I hear y'all speak about your experiences, I can certainly relate, as a fat woman, to the constant admonishments, oblique and overt, to take up less space.
And I think it's great that Paul Feig lets Leslie Jones take up space on the screen. I can imagine how cool it is for tall women to look at that frame, and see a tall woman being allowed to be fucking tall.
Anyway. Here's a thread for the tall ladies to talk about the trailer, or their experiences generally with representation in pop culture.
And to my tall friends: Thank you for generously bending over all those times to give me hugs.
Daily Dose of Cute
Zelly and Duckie. ♥
As always, please feel welcome and encouraged to share pix of the fuzzy, feathered, or scaled members of your family in comments.
In the News
Here is some stuff in the news today...
Politico has the full transcript of Mitt Romney's jeremiad against Donald Trump, if you're interested. Donald Trump will no doubt be responding at his campaign event scheduled this afternoon. Shitshow-a-go-go!
[Content Note: War; video may autoplay at link] Fucking hell: "The Syrian government reported a nationwide power outage on Thursday—just the latest electricity problem in a country that has seen frequent outages during a five-year war between the regime, rebels and terror groups. Electrical workers determined the cause and had begun restoring power to some places by late afternoon, the country's ministry of electricity said without detailing what had gone wrong. It wasn't clear how many people were affected by Thursday's outage, as many cities outside of the government's control already weren't being served by the government-run power grid. The ISIS terror group and other militants groups control large parts of the country, and many cities in these areas use fuel-powered generators for electricity."
[CN: Misogynoir] Good grief the Republican Party is fucking terrible: "Naming post office buildings is a job that sometimes falls to the US Congress, and the often stalled body is surprisingly efficient at doing so. But yesterday (Mar. 1) was a surprising exception to their frequently unanimous vote: Nine congressmen, all Republican, voted against naming a new post office building in Winston-Salem, North Carolina after poet Maya Angelou. ...The measure still passed, with 371 'yes' votes." Good.
[CN: Assassination; misogyny; terrorism] My god: "Berta Cáceres, the Honduran indigenous and environmental rights campaigner, has been murdered, barely a week after she was threatened for opposing a hydroelectric project. Her death prompted international outrage at the murderous treatment of campaigners in Honduras, as well as a flood of tributes to a prominent and courageous defender of the natural world. The co-founder of the Council of Indigenous Peoples of Honduras (Copinh) was shot dead by gunmen who entered her home in La Esperanza at around 1am on Thursday. Some reports say there were two killers; others suggest 11. They escaped without being identified, after also wounding her brother. Police told local media the killings occurred during an attempted robbery, but the family said they had no doubt it was an assassination prompted by Cáceres's high-profile campaigns against dams, illegal loggers, and plantation owners." I tend to believe her family. My condolences to them, and everyone who knew and admired Cáceres. What a chilling message to Honduran activists who survive her.
[CN: Guns; murder] "South African athlete Oscar Pistorius has been denied leave to appeal against his conviction for murdering [Reeva Steenkamp, who was dating Pistorius at the time he killed her]. The Constitutional Court has made the ruling, meaning Pistorius will now be sentenced in April. ...Prosecutors are believed to be targeting a sentence of at least 15 years in jail for Pistorius."
[CN: Colorism; appropriation] Nina Simone's family continues to be deeply unhappy with the unauthorized biopic of the singer starring Zoe Saldana.
Actress Kaley Cuoco, who previously made some stupid comments about feminism that I'm too disinterested to look up, now says she's definitely a feminist: "Of course I'm a fucking feminist. Look at me. I bleed feminism. I get equal pay to my male costars on a big show, I have my own home, I'm as independent as you could possibly be." Okay then!
[CN: Image of insect at link] I love this: "Found all over the world, the wandering glider (Pantala flavescens) is aptly named. The dragonfly has truly global reach, and it is found on every continent except Antarctica. To get to all those far-flung corners of the planet, the winged insect (also sometimes called the 'globe skimmer') makes epic migratory flights: They have been seen, for example, traversing the Indian Ocean in the hundreds of thousands on their way from Asia to Africa. But just how far they go has shocked researchers. New research suggests that these dragonflies make transcontinental voyages on a regular basis, which is quite a feat for an insect less than 2 inches in length."
[CN: Video autoplays at link] And finally! This video is a few months old, but I only saw it for the first time today: A kitten tries to copycat (see what I did there?!) her mama's grooming routine. TOO ADORABLE!!!
