Discussion Thread: My Song

You are aware how sometimes you hear an audio lesson, and also you pay attention to the lyrics for that first time—which is not even always the very first time you heard and loved the song, but certainly the very first time you actually compensated focus on the lyrics—and all of a sudden you are all, "OMG THIS SONG Is All About ME!" through which you do not really mean the song was discussed you, individual individual, but it seems like it might have been discussed you, individual individual, since you relate so darn difficult to individuals lyrics? Are you aware that feeling? If you do not, skip this thread with apologies that this doesn't have relevance for your existence.But when you need to do realize that feeling, then inform us: What's that song, or are individuals tunes, for you personally?

DOMA Arguments

This is an excellent review of the DOMA arguments made prior to the Top Court yesterday, and just how everything went lower.It's incredible the Court and also the country can experience all this, and that we may emerge out sleep issues still with no ruling that determines "a particular constitutional standard for knowing laws and regulations that allegedly discriminate according to sexual orientation." Allegedly. Ahem.

In The News

[Content note: Homophobia, racism, gun culture, gun violence]Thurston Howell Day:A suggested bill in Kansas is asking for those who have Aids or Helps to become quarantined.Meanwhile: The Brand New You are able to City Helps Memorial's Board of Company directors revealed new renderings for that final style of the memorial.For those individuals bothered through the term vagina in science class: An audio lesson! [CN: Cissexism.]An guy charged with stealing 21 a lot of Wisconsin cheese continues to be arrested. A brand new musical stage show inspired through the atrocities completed by Norwegian mass-killer Anders Breivik would be to open within the U.K. this summer time.Winny Puhh won't the Eurovision finals this season. TruFact™: Liss continues to have her Menudo lunchbox. She eats from it every single day.[Image via Andy. Again.]

Get to Know a Contributor

Listed here are the very best Five A Few Things I Wager You Did not Learn about Deeky W. Gashlycrumb:1. He loves puns. Like, loooooooooves them. Should you ever possess the chance to create a pun for his enjoyment, you need to certainly get it done.2. He'll only consume food prepared from the Guy Fieri cook book or in a Guy Fieri restaurant. His dream is to consume a plate of Red-colored-Hot Blazin' Chicken Dingers having a side of Kickass Cheese-n-Cheese Slaw personally made by Guy Fieri.3. He's a commissioned portrait of Ray the Cable Guy hanging over his mattress.4. His safe word is "Guttenberg."5. His favorite actor is Travolta Qantas Video, and the favorite Travolta Qantas Video film is Michael. This really is his favorite scene:Video Description: Travolta Qantas Video, playing the archangel Michael, hits a jukebox inside a bar to create "Chain of Fools" play, then does an awesome choreographed dance with a few ladies.BONUS FUN-FACT!I chose to make this collage and e-mailed it to Deeky late last evening, so it might be waiting to greet him each morning:He was very appreciative, and sent us a thank-you email which read: "Dear Liss: You're so thoughtful, and also you know me very well! I'm lucky to possess a friend as if you. My Love, Deeks."

Today in Fat Hatred

[Content Note: Body fat hate disordered eating.]My friend Erica Barnett sent me another terrific (through which I am talking about terrible) article about another prominent scholar posting some swell ideas about how exactly we ought to cope with the cost of body fat people:An financial aspects scholar in Norwegian has suggested that air ticket costs be calculated based on a passenger's weight.Dr. Bharat P. Bhatta, connect professor of financial aspects at Sogn og Fjordane College College, Norwegian, is suggesting three models he states, "may provide significant advantages to air carriers, people and society in particular.InchWord play here intended?I usually love articles discussed the advantages to "society in particularInch available in demonizing and mistreating body fat people, as as not ourselves a part of society."I am talking about negligence society that means something!Inch—Dr. Bharat P. Bhatta, most likely.In the paper, released within the Journal of Revenue and Prices Management, Dr. Bhatta noted "a discount of 1 kilo weight of the plane can lead to fuel savings worth US$3,000 annually along with a decrease in CO2 pollutants at the same time.Inch...InchGetting based on weight and space is really a globally recognized principle, not just in transportation, but additionally in other services," Bhatta states. "As weight and space are much more essential in aviation than other modes of transport, air carriers should bear this in mind when prices their tickets."His three "pay while you weigh” models are:Total weight: A passenger’s luggage and the body weight is calculated, using the fare composed of a per kilo cost. Within this scenario a passenger weighing 100 kilos with 20 kilos of bags (120 kilos total) would pay two times what passenger of fifty kilos with 10 kilos of bags (60 kilos total).Base fare +/- extra: Basics fare is placed, having a per-kilo discount using for “underweight” people along with a per-kilo surcharge using to “overweight” people.High/Average/Low: Basics fare is placed, having a predetermined discount using for individuals below a particular weight threshold along with a predetermined surcharge using for individuals over a certain weight threshold.Bhatta favors the 3rd of those options. He continues to state that weight might be determined through passenger self-declaration, with 1 in 5 people at random selected and considered to dissuade cheats (with penalties for cheaters) or by weighing all people at sign in.I haven't got the desire or inclination to detail all of the many ways that dealing with body fat like a moral choice that needs to be "taxed" is completely fucked up (but here is a useful series if you want some info!), and so i only will observe that the suggestion of the public weigh-was not basically contemptible but deeply ignorant: People associated with a size who've disordered eating are in position to be triggered by even the possibilities of a public weigh-in. This proposal isn't just biased and cruel, but disablist.

Reproductive Rights Updates: North Dakota, Kansas, Iowa, Texas, Washington

A great deal happening within the anti-autonomy front, a lot of it earlier this Friday.North Dakota made large news over the past weekend using what happened Friday--three from four anti-abortion bills passed. Certainly one of individuals as being a resolution to create "personhood" to ND voters.Senate Concurrent Resolution 4009, passed and will also be around the 2014 general election ballot.Underneath the resolution, North Dakota voters will decide if the condition metabolic rate ought to be amended to safeguard an individual at each stage of existence, which some say often means at conception.[...]Senate Bill 2368, which defines existence as beginning at conception and would stop abortions after 20 days of being pregnant, undergone the home with a 60-32 election. It had been backed by Sen. Joe Burns, R-Park River.The balance would not increase confirming needs for abortions and stop a public greater education institution from contracting by having an entity that works or counsels in support of abortions.It will exempt an abortion within the situation of the medical emergency.[...]Senate Bill 2305, which may need a physician carrying out an abortion to possess acknowledging rights in a hospital within 30 miles from the abortion facility, passed 58-34 in the home.The TRAP legislation is especially dangerous: there's just one clinic in North Dakota and, as noted within the article, a physician will have to admit ten patients each year to retain rights. The clinic only has needed to admit one individual previously decade.The only defeated legislation last Friday was one which was more "personhood"-esque nonsense which may have defined an individual as “as a person person in the species homo sapiens at each stage of development.” It just lost by six votes.***Kansas, going to 't be surpassed by North Dakota, moved on more legislation on Friday, too.TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas Senate committee approved legislation on Friday to bar regulations for abortion companies and bar public schools by using sex education instruction from abortion companies.[...]The measure bars groups supplying abortions from receiving tax exemptions or credits which go with other nonprofit groups or healthcare companies. It might also stop ladies who claim tax breaks for medical expenses from including the price of abortion services.[...]The Kansas bill includes policy claims that every human existence starts "at fertilization" which "unborn children have interests in existence, health insurance and well-being that needs to be protected."Another abortion bill removed the home Federal and Condition Matters Committee on Friday that will turn it into a crime for doctors to do abortions exclusively just because a lady or her family does not desire a baby of the certain gender.Now after i find out about this, I possibly could swear the entire "no tax credits for companies" part seemed familiar--and lo and behold, they'd incorporated that within the ginormous omnibus bill this past year. ***In Iowa, an invoice made to help inmates receive humane treatment throughout pregnancy and birth has been tanked because of a republican legislator affixing an anti-abortion amendment into it:A legislative proposal to limit the shackling of pregnant inmates is “basically dead” within the Iowa Senate, states Sen. Jesse Petersen, the bill’s floor manager.Petersen, a Des Moines Democrat, states she won’t proceed with Senate File 399 due to an amendment suggested by Sen. Kent Sorenson, a Milo Republican. Sorenson really wants to stop using condition money to “perform or facilitate” inmate abortions.[...]The balance reducing using handcuffs along with other vices for pregnant inmates continues to be approved with a Senate committee and it is qualified for debate around the Senate floor. Advocates say shackling pregnant inmates is unnecessary and brutal, and they would like to limit the practice in condition prisons and county jails. A companion bill delayed in the home after condition prison authorities assured congress these were addressing the problem.Sorenson stated Friday that whenever congress discuss maternal healthcare for criminals, they should also think about the existence from the inmate’s unborn baby. He suggests most Iowans accept him, and stated he's no aim of obstructing Petersen’s legislation.Twenty-four Senate Republicans and Sen. Joe Seng, a Davenport Democrat, are co-sponsoring the anti-abortion amendment. Sorenson suggested another Democratic lawmaker will even endorse the measure, which may assure the amendment could win approval.“I believe it is sad that Jesse is accusing me for killing the balance. I'm just a minority member with a group of values, also it searches for certain 24 other people accept me,” Sorenson stated. “This is one thing that should be worked with, which is a legitimate conversation that people must have.”"I'm just a minority member with a group of values"--isn't that probably the most disingenuous bullshit EVER? Also, authorities in the Iowa Condition Sheriffs’ & Deputies Association and also the Iowa Department of Corrections are not aware associated with a inmate getting an abortion And they're already not permitted to make use of any public money to help an inmate from getting an abortion unless of course the individual's existence is threatened. ***In Texas, they have taken the TRAP position and made the decision to operate completely by using it:An invoice evolving with the Texas Legislature could drastically decrease the amount of legal abortion facilities within the condition. [...]The balance [SB 537] would require abortions, including individuals caused by drugs, to become carried out in so-known as ambulatory surgical centers. The rules for such facilities include specific dimensions for rooms and entrance doors, and extra infrastructure like pipelines for general anesthesia and enormous sterilization equipment.The Senate Committee on Health insurance and Human Services approved the balance on Tuesday, delivering it fully Senate for approval.[...]Thirty-seven abortion treatment centers in Texas wouldn't be in compliance underneath the new rules. From the 416 ambulatory surgical centers in Texas, five perform abortions.Abortion privileges advocates say Texas women will have to seek harmful and illegal abortions simply because they will no more have ready accessibility procedure.Ambulatory surgical centers are more expensive to construct and operate than abortion treatment centers, which boosts the price of abortions for patients. Whole Woman’s Health, for instance, states it stays $40,000 more every month to function its surgical center of computer does to have an abortion clinic. Its patients pay $1,277 to have an abortion in the surgical center in comparison with $540 in a clinic.Individuals who need care will need to travel from condition or, oftentimes because of insufficient funds and transportation and time, have to continue getting pregnant. That is, obviously, the aim of these legislators (not too they would like to expand and fund a functional social back-up, either).***Finally, a little of excellent news! In the condition of Washington, legislators are seriously thinking about mandating that insurance providers be forced to pay for abortion services just because they are needed to cover maternity services:The Reproductive Parity Act, as supporters refer to it as, would require insurance companies in Washington condition who cover maternity care — which all insurance companies should do — also to purchase abortions.The balance passed the condition House earlier this year with a election of 53-43, although it faces an uncertain future within the Senate. [...]“It’s not growing abortion coverage,” stated Democratic Repetition. Eileen Cody of West Dallas, the bill’s primary sponsor. “It’s making certain the privileges of ladies to obtain what they’re having to pay for the time being and also to continue their freedom of preference.”The bill is scheduled for any public hearing within the Public Healthcare Committee on April first.

#IAskedPolitely

So, in reaction towards the ubiquitous admonishment that Adria Richards must have nicely requested the males who have been creating a professional conference a hostile atmosphere with sexually inappropriate jokes to impress, sirs, stop being so gross, I began a hashtag: #IAskedPolitely, for individuals to document the reactions they have reached nicely requesting anyone to stop bothering or doing harm to them.The thing is to not begin a conversation about whether you should be polite or otherwise. #IAskedPolitely isn't concerning the validity to be polite. It comes down to the futility.

Question of the Day

[Content Note: Scatological humor.]What's your preferred euphemism for getting a bowel movement?Honestly, I've found nearly any expression more enjoyable than "getting a bowel movement," lol. "Going for a shit" is most likely the main one I personally use probably the most, even though the best I have heard, also it still makes me laugh, happens when Spudsy, covering his anxiety about shitting in public places, stated: "Maude forbid, if I am out in a bar and I must punch a irritated, I'll go the fuck home."Punch a irritated! *falls over laughing*

Question of the Day

[Content Note: Scatological humor.]What's your preferred euphemism for getting a bowel movement?Honestly, I've found nearly any expression more enjoyable than "getting a bowel movement," lol. "Going for a shit" is most likely the main one I personally use probably the most, even though the best I have heard, also it still makes me laugh, happens when Spudsy, covering his anxiety about shitting in public places, stated: "Maude forbid, if I am out in a bar and I must punch a irritated, I'll go the fuck home."Punch a irritated! *falls over laughing*

Cherry Life Saver

All of the blubs. These:A lady in Indiana has made the decision to consider your dog she was fostering after she saved her existence.Amy Donaldson was fostering a ginger root dog named Cherry following a family made the decision to not adopt her. She was sleeping when Cherry frantically attempted waking her up. She leaped and licked Amy's face until she came about. When she woke up, she observed that her space heater had ignited, and her home was rapidly filling with smoke."She's my personal favorite flavor of Existence Saving idea, now. She's Cherry Existence Saving idea," Amy stated.She only meant to promote your dog, but after her gallantry, Amy recognizes that Cherry was intended to be a part of her family."I believe she demonstrated me yesterday that they wants to get along with me," Amy stated.From another article about this story: Last summer time, Donaldson states she desired to really make a difference, so with the Indiana organization, 'Bullie Nation,' she began fostering dogs, helping them look for a forever home."Having seen a lot of pictures, it's like somebody needs to step-up, and that i do not understand why that can not be me. So, we did, and that we began fostering, and it appears as though fostering might just have saved my existence," stated Donaldson.&hearts

La La La

Listed here are more pictures in the group of the film Animal Save, starring Tom Sturdy, Noomi Rapace, as well as an awesome puppy (or two). You are welcome.

In The News

[Content note: Racism, homophobia, ablism]Relax, Do Not Do It:Vocalist-songwriter Michelle Shocked has shocked fans after starting an anti-gay rant onstage in Bay Area on Sunday evening.Bauhaus singer Peter Murphy was arrested Saturday on hit-and-run charges and suspicion of driving while impaired.Rocky Horror Show author Richard O'Brien has stated he's now 30% lady after taking female hormone oestrogen for ten years.Dinesh D'Souza is creating a new movie, and boy, will it look awesomes. A clip is simply perfect!Seven Marine corps from the New York unit were wiped out and many hurt inside a training accident in a military depot that works as a storage site for munitions.Senator Ted Cruz (R-epugnant) has opposed a Senate resolution commemorating Ms Awareness Week. Clearly.Natura Pet Items has introduced it's remembering four of their most widely used brands of dry dog, cat and ferret meals because of possible contamination with Salmonella bacteria.

Monday Blogaround

This blogaround introduced for you through the color gray.Suggested Reading through:Benjy: CPAC Event on Racial Tolerance Turns to Chaos as 'Disenfranchised' Whites Arrive [Content Note: Racism.]Jess: Beyond Bodice-Rippers: How Romance Books Found Embrace Feminism [Content Note: Rape culture.]Sophia: The Rape of Mission Impossible: On Sexual Assault and "Realism" in Popular Culture [Content Note: Sexual violence and rape culture. Additional notes available towards the top of the publish in the linked page.]Maya: New Poll Finds nearly all Women Voters Consider Themselves FeministsJorge: Obama's New Labor Nominee Gave Him a Lengthy Thanks en EspañolSean: What "The God Particle" Hath WroughtEchidne: Feminism Is Dead. Take 4358. [Content Note: Gender essentialism evo psych.]Andy: Panel of Well known Homophobes Advised Mark Burnett around the History Channel's 'Bible' Small-Series [Content Note: Homophobia.]Leave your links and proposals in comments...

Open Thread

Located by Tik-Tok, Dorothy, and Billina.

In The News

[Content note: terrorism, homophobia]Thursday Balloons:Your Pet Shop Boys introduced their twelfth studio album. It will likely be created by Stuart Cost. Yes!Did anybody watch out for The Record last evening? Me either!Leader Obama's trying to push Republicans to utilize him on the grand deficit bargain beginning with guaranteeing them he's prepared to cut entitlements. Great!The Leader also states he isn't badly as Dick Cheney! Great!New polling has proven that 64 percent of People in america now believe marriage equality is inevitable. 58 percent now agree the problem is really a civil privileges problem.Among the nation's leading gay cure groups has lost its tax-exempt status due. Thank heavens.Physicists say they've found a Higgs boson. That's pretty neat. I believe.An additional day, another poop cruise.The remains of the medieval dark night have been located underneath a carpark in Edinburgh. Whut.

In The News

[Content note: Homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, domestic abuse]Friday I am For Each Other:This really is super sweet.Don' harm (unless of course it's to fags): College students training to become advisors might be permitted to legally refuse choose to individuals same-sex associations.A brand new department memo requires NYPD officials to operate warrant and criminal record inspections on any domestic violence accuser brave enough to law enforcement.A Maryland condition Senate committee has struck lower an invoice that will have banned anti-transgender discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodation.Colin Trevorrow will direct Jurassic Park 4. Best of luck, Colin Trevorrow!Xi Jinping continues to be chosen leader of China. Best of luck, Xi Jinping!

The Rhetorical Power of Pig Pain

[Content Note: Hostility to Reproductive Privileges, Appropriation of Slavery and also the Holocaust, Animal Cruelty][NB: Not just ladies have uteri, conceive, and/or need use of abortion.]On Wednesday March 13, 2013 at roughly 4:42 am Central Standard Time, Richard Dawkins made the decision to weigh in on women's reproductive privileges using his twitter account @RichardDawkins.I wish to explain that reproductive privileges are really a really relevant factor to weigh in on following 2 yrs people states enacting record amounts of abortion limitations in condition legislatures this year and 2012, as well as in light to the fact that afterwards that very same Wednesday, a brand new pope that has in comparison abortion towards the dying penalty could be chosen. And considering that I am writing from the political climate where a lot of allegedly-progressive males happen to be quiet for a lot too lengthy around the problem of women's reproductive privileges, I believe it's potentially a really positive thing to possess a famous left-leaning speaker and author standing on twitter for women's to bodily autonomy.Aside from the small little problem that Richard Dawkins' opening position managed to get obvious this wasn't likely to be an argument about women's to bodily autonomy a lot because it would actually cover why anti-abortionists are totes hypocrites when they eat pork sausage in the morning.Regarding individuals meanings of "human" which are highly relevant to the morality of abortion, any fetus is less human than a grownup pig— Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) March 13, 2013My qualifying criterion for "highly relevant to morality of abortion" is standard consequentialist morality. Competitors follow absolutist morality. Simple.— Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) March 13, 2013"Right but that does not mean fetus will get zero weight." Irrrve never stated it did. I stated less weight than the usual pig. I really hope that's not zero?— Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) March 13, 2013The most significant moral question in abortion debate is "Will it feel discomfort?" Late abortuses may, but it's not necessary to be human to feel pain— Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) March 13, 2013Unlike many professional-choice buddies, I believe fetal discomfort could over-shadow woman's to control her very own body. But pig discomfort matters too.— Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) March 13, 2013Everything I have stated within this argument assumes consequentialist moral philosophy. If you are an absolutist you clearly will not agree. Simple.— Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) March 13, 2013Woman's privileges over her very own body are very important. Same with discomfort. When can fetus feel discomfort? Can pig feel more?— Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) March 13, 20132 types of absolutist: abortion is simply wrong lady has absolute right over own body. I believe woman's right important, but discomfort matters too— Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) March 13, 2013Yeah. *that face*(You can observe the entire tweet stream, with awesome commentary, thanks to Znikki at Storify. I encourage you to definitely browse the whole factor, since it is particularly relevant that Znikki sent actual research to fix Dawkins' position and that he overlooked both her and also the studies while reacting to her husband.)Right now it isn't really obvious why Richard Dawkins choose as he did to weigh in about this problem, neither is it entirely obvious why he felt the whole of his position might be summarized using the words "pig discomfort" as if which were some type of miracle response to the fight against women's reproductive privileges. Rebecca Watson at SkepChick has noted that this isn't the very first time Richard Dawkins has linked abortion with pig discomfort: a relevant video submitted to YouTube in November 2011 shows Richard Dawkins and Peter Singer talking about food options whilst in the, ahem, context of abortion privileges, the Holocaust, and slavery in Thomas Jefferson's America.But when I'm able to put aside that vast mound of appropriation and false analogizing at the moment, I wish to concentrate on why it's not good ally behavior to "defend" women's reproductive privileges while concurrently undermining the fuck from them by maintaining like a respected biologist a significant tenet from the anti-abortionist position as valid even to the stage of outweighing womens' privileges well next tenet continues to be scientifically destroyed even though also saying that the woman's to bodily autonomy is definitely an "absolutist" position that can't be reconciled with "consequentialist" morality. To begin with, I wish to get these terms taken care of, because I'm not going any bullshit rules-lawyering clouding up this publish. Dawkins is declaring to parse a noticeable difference between Absolutism (which thinks that particular actions are wrong or right, no matter consequence or intent) and Consequentialism (which holds that it's the results of an action that causes it to be ultimately wrong or right). Therefore the built-in troll defense for the suggestions above is the fact that Dawkins did not call professional-choice activists like myself "absolutists" as with extreme left-wingers but instead "absolutists" meaning that people think ladies have the right to bodily autonomy since it is a fundamental human right rather than a adding step to the higher good. Which Dawkins' perspective may be the consequentialist look at morality and for that reason naturally disposed to develop another answer compared to absolutists. Which is wrong. Richard Dawkins' statement he thinks "fetal discomfort could over-shadow woman's to control her very own body" isn't the consequentialist side from the abortion debate. It is the "side" from the abortion believe that coldly invisibles the lady involved to be able to concentrate on the fetus inside her -- which would be to say, it is the side from the abortion debate behind all individuals record amounts of abortion limitations in US condition legislatures. The particular consequentialist side from the abortion debate can very handily finish up at the same location because the absolutist side as lengthy as women aren't deliberately taken off consideration.From the consequentialist perspective, a ladies to bodily autonomy exceeds fetal discomfort because we reside in a society that doesn't pressure individuals to use their physiques to aid others -- not their organs, not their bone marrow, not their bloodstream, not their skin. We don't pressure individuals to sacrifice areas of their physiques in order to save others not because we do not worry about a patient's discomfort, but because we notice that bodily autonomy is a valuable part of the functioning free society. To point out that people ignore might make the best if this involves forcing women that are pregnant have a pregnancy to term indicates that people pressure women that are pregnant to undergo a breach of the privileges that people impose on nobody else. That isn't consequentialism it's hypocritical inconsistency.From the consequentialist perspective, a ladies to bodily autonomy exceeds fetal discomfort not since the fetal discomfort is or perhaps is not perhaps less important than pig discomfort, but since the fetal discomfort is demonstrably under the girl discomfort. Abortion is safer than giving birth. If Dawkins wishes to help make the point that discomfort matters when talking about the morality of abortion which relative discomfort is relative, he then should concentrate on the discomfort from the women transporting an undesirable and potentially unsafe pregnancy instead of invisibling that lady to be able to concentrate on farm creatures. To point out that people once more effectively erase women that are pregnant in the discussion concerning the privileges of women that are pregnant would be to suggest that they're the most unimportant entity within this on-going debate. That isn't consequentialism it's rank marginalization.From the consequentialist perspective, a ladies to bodily autonomy exceeds fetal discomfort not because fetal discomfort is or perhaps is not less important than pig discomfort, but because fetal discomfort is really a myth. Richard Dawkins is really a biologist, a broadly read author, and -- Personally i think safe hazarding this guess -- has a minimum of just as much spare time and electronic assets open to him much like in my experience if this involves searching for abortion details online. If he wishes to help make the point that discomfort matters when talking about the morality of abortion, he then could perform the minimum of research essential to uncover set up hypothetical fetal discomfort under discussion is even physically possible. Particularly if he will then quantitatively measure it to the quantity of discomfort a grown pig can seem to be under different conditions. If we are likely to unscientifically compare apples to watermelons to be able to score rhetorical points, we can at any rate do a comparison in ways that indicates we have done a modicum of research. And when we -- by "we" I am talking about "Richard Dawkins" -- don't invest that effort, then that isn't consequentialism, either it's mendacious demagoguery.    In the finish during the day, Richard Dawkins did not speak on twitter in support of abortion privileges which wasn't one particualr well-meaning progressive guy attempting to stand it solidarity with females. Lip-plan to a ladies to bodily autonomy being "very important" aside, Richard Dawkins outright mentioned he does not think a lady comes with an absolute right over her very own body (because this is the absolutist position that his competitors follow) which he thinks that the mythological phenomena that's been roundly destroyed as false may potentially over-shadow a ladies real and genuine discomfort. And just what lukewarm support he allegedly provided to abortion activists wasn't with different woman's to safety and bodily autonomy, but was rather in line with the privileges extended to barnyard creatures -- therefore implying that pigs tend to be more important as well as greater relevance within the fight against women than actual women are.No, what this really was -- within my frank opinion -- is an additional illustration of Richard Dawkins coldly appropriating the marginalization of ladies to be able to score rhetorical points and generate attention for themself. Like a gesture of solidarity for reproductive privileges, his tweets fail like a statement of support for ladies, his tweets really are a travesty like a gotcha argument against religious anti-abortionist meat-people, his tweets are often defeated but satisfyingly (to him, I am sure) smug as click-bait to usher in your eyes and frantically make an effort to maintain relevance, his tweets have accomplished their purpose.So thanks, Richard Dawkins, for thus appropriately showing how you can appropriate and commodify ladies and their privileges to be able to benefit yourself. And that is the funny factor about consequentialism: while I am sure you believe this specific consequence makes your appropriation of my privileges a moral act, Personally, i believe that the identical consequence makes how you behave pretty fucking immoral.

Pope Francis and His History in Argentina

[Content Note: Human privileges violations.]Flavia Dzodan (whom you need to know because the coiner from the phrase "My feminism is going to be intersectional, or it will likely be bullshit," despite the fact that not everybody continues to be great, ahem, about attributing it) is busily recording on her behalf Twitter timeline Pope Francis' history throughout the Argentinian dictatorship from the 1970's, throughout which "left wing activists were detained & tortured a priest was give give sacraments just in case of dying."This really is her resided experience, and that i encourage you to definitely visit her TL to determine everything, but here are a few highlights:The function from the Catholic Chapel throughout the dictatorship is extensively recorded plus they never were attributed&mdash Flavia Dzodan (@redlightvoices) March 13, 2013This is definitely an insult towards the memory of 30,000 individuals who were kidnapped, tortured and disappeared throughout Argentina's dictatorship&mdash Flavia Dzodan (@redlightvoices) March 13, 2013The role from the Catholic Chapel, which Bergoglio was Archibishop, is well recorded in individuals 30,000 deaths&mdash Flavia Dzodan (@redlightvoices) March 13, 2013Bergoglio "delivering" priests towards the military, a Protector feature from 2010 is.gd/0AtOyY&mdash Flavia Dzodan (@redlightvoices) March 13, 2013And another aspect of Bergoglio's role in providing activists to dictatorship is.gd/laxeg5 calls accusation "slander"&mdash Flavia Dzodan (@redlightvoices) March 13, 2013LA Occasions in 2005: Argentine Cardinal Named in Kidnap Suit (guess who had been the cardinal?) is.gd/OAwI3u ALL HAIL NEW POPE!&mdash Flavia Dzodan (@redlightvoices) March 13, 2013Guess the title from the cardinal? "Argentine cardinal accused in 1976 kidnaps" highstrangeness.tv/-799-argentin…&mdash Flavia Dzodan (@redlightvoices) March 13, 2013I saw my dad burn half his library while he was at fucking terror the dictatorship would find his books&mdash Flavia Dzodan (@redlightvoices) March 13, 2013Argentina resided in fucking terror inside a dictatorship that the nation has not retrieved fully and also the Chapel was fully complicit&mdash Flavia Dzodan (@redlightvoices) March 13, 2013In comments, Shaker BlueRidge shared this excerpt in the Protector piece Flavia links above:What one didn't listen to any senior person in the Argentine hierarchy was any expression of regret for that church's collaboration as well as in these crimes. The extent from the church's complicity at nighttime deeds was wonderfully put down by Horacio Verbitsky, certainly one of Argentina's noticably journalists, in the book El Silencio (Silence). He recounts the way the Argentine navy using the connivance of Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, the Jesuit archbishop of Buenos Aires, hid from the going to delegation from the Inter-American Human Privileges Commission the dictatorship's political criminals. Bergoglio was hiding them in nothing under his holiday home within an island known as El Silencio within the River Plate. Probably the most shaming factor for that chapel is the fact that such conditions Bergoglio's title was permitted to visit forward within the ballot decide the successor of John Paul II. What scandal will not have ensued when the first pope ever to become chosen in the region of the usa have been revealed being an accessory to murder and false jail time.Focal points. The Catholic Chapel leadership has them. They're terrible.

Daily Dose of Cute

"Have Fun With ME! Have Fun With ME! Take A Look At MY PURSE! Have Fun With ME!"Of course, please feel welcome and urged to talk about pix from the fuzzy, feathered, or scaly people of ones own in comments.

Two-Minute Nostalgia Sublime

Minnie Riperton & Peabo Bryson, "Let's Begin"

Sunday Shuffle

Eurythmics, Here Comes the Rain AgainHow in regards to you?

Two-Minute Nostalgia Sublime

[Content Note: The lyrics of the song include storytelling about making it through violent racism and misogyny.]Nina Simone, "Four Women."

Drones, Continued

So, this happened:Whitened House press secretary Jay Carney on Thursday attempted to offer relaxation a being applied debate over Leader Barack Obama's drone policy, stating in obvious terms the leader does not possess the legal authority to, hypothetically, order drone bombings of People in america on U.S. soil.Throughout his daily briefing, Carney read aloud a brief letter that went Thursday mid-day from U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who fought a 13-hour filibuster on Wednesday over Obama's secret utilization of drones to handle specific killings. Through the effort, Paul, together with twelve other Republican senators, required to understand whether Obama thought he'd the authority to order drone bombings of U.S. people on U.S soil.Carney stated the reply is no."It's arrived at attention you have now requested one more question: 'Does the leader have the legal right to make use of a weaponized drone to kill a united states not involved in combat on American soil?,'" Carney read aloud. "The response to that real question is no."Naturally, my immediate response was: However the leader comes with the legal right to make use of a weaponized drone to kill a united states who's really or assumed to become involved in combat on American soil? Because, um.I am sure I am just being silly. It isn't like the federal government would ever define "enemy combatants" so vaguely regarding seem to leave room for ideological competitors of the sitting administration to qualify. ' ' it isn't like there's have you been an administration, and I am there should never be again, who spoke people people to be traitors for dissenting having a (terrible) national policy decision. It isn't just like a leader saying "you are around or against us" was ever a fucking real factor on the planet.The Federal government is setting a precedent to have an authority no administration should have, plus some less so than the others.For that record: I oppose using drones on people outdoors america, too.

Open Thread

Located by Bengali.

Arkansas Now Has the Most Restrictive Abortion Law in the US

[Content Note: Hostility to agency and selection references to genocide.]The fight against agency got really fucking ugly in Arkansas:Within the sharpest challenge yet to Roe v. Wade, Arkansas adopted Wednesday what's undoubtedly the nation's most limited prohibit on abortion, at 12 days of being pregnant, at about the time that the fetal heartbeat could be detected by abdominal ultrasound. What the law states was went by the recently Republican-controlled legislature within the veto of Gov. Mike Beebe, a Democrat, who known as it "coldly unconstitutional." On Tuesday the condition Senate chosen to override his veto with a election of 20 to 14 on Wednesday the home passed the balance into law with a election of 55 to 33, with several Dems joining the Republican majority.What the law states opposes the limit established by Top Court choices, that provide women the right for an abortion before the fetus is viable outdoors the womb, usually around 24 days into pregnancy, and abortion privileges groups guaranteed a fast suit to bar it.Adoption from the law, known as the "Human Heartbeat Protection Act," may be the first state-wide victory for any restless emerging faction inside the anti-abortion movement which has lost persistence using the incremental whittling away at abortion privileges — the process of established groups like National To Existence and also the Catholic Chapel when they wait for more supportive Top Court."Just when was enough enough?" requested the bill's sponsor within the legislature, Senator Jason Rapert, a 40-year-old Republican and conservative Christian, who in comparison the greater than 50 million abortions within the U . s . States since Roe v. Wade, in 1973, towards the Holocaust and also the Rwandan genocide. "You're ready to have a stand." ...The middle and also the American Civil Protections Union have vowed to quickly bring a situation in federal court, striving to mind from the law before it requires effect 3 months following the legislature disbands within the next month approximately. For shits and grimaces, I'll, as it were, entertain Rapert's ostensible premise that the fetus has got the equivalent worth of the born uterus-getting person transporting it. Great. What exactly? My existence, at this time, isn't so precious that every other individual could have to use themselves to aid mine for the following nine several weeks (a minimum of). Not one other individual is obliged to stop a body organ for me personally, even when it might save my existence. Nor bone marrow, nor bloodstream, nor skin. Those who are instructed to carry an undesirable pregnancy to term are now being requested to behave no most people are requested to complete for an additional person, which exposes the reality from the anti-choice position: Fetuses are valued better than those who carry them.Here's another factor: We institutionally value lives in a different way, more than the others, constantly. We value lives people people a lot more than the lives of non-USians. We value the lives of inmates under the lives from the free population (among whom are lots of highly-compensated perpetrators of whitened-collar crimes). We value the lives from the wealthy a lot more than poor people. We value the lives of individuals we let it do without health care access under the lives of individuals who by fate or fortune have medical health insurance. Which are just the values that may and do routinely mean an obvious distinction between existence and dying.Which would be to say nothing of all of the kyriarchal values of lives which have consequences big and small and often deadly, too.(We sensibly value some lives over others for complex reasons, such as the existence from the highly-protected US Leader within the existence of the average citizen.)But those who are within the seats of energy that legislatively prioritize US, allegedly law-abiding, wealthy, health care-getting lives over other medication is largely very fortunate males. And we're likely to realize that their agreement to globally prioritize their very own lives over everybody else's is Moral Values, as well as an individual woman's option to value her existence on the fetus is murder.Even conceding Rapert's alleged frame, he's still totally fucking wrong.

More Terrible Republican Ideas

[Content Note: Domestic violence sexuality regulating.]This past year, when covering Congressional Republicans' objections towards the reauthorization from the Violence Against Women Act, I wryly noted the GOP was keen to safeguard the sanctity of traditional domestic violence.Showing that once more the Republican Party is beyond parody, an invoice being considered through the Iowa condition House would "stop [married] parents of minor children from obtaining a 'no-fault' divorce" and would require married parents of minor children "to exhibit a spouse was responsible for infidelity, have been delivered to prison on the criminal offence conviction, had physically or sexually mistreated someone in the household, or had abandoned the household not less than annually.InchNo-fault divorce is really a critical tool for mistreated partners, and/or children being mistreated by one parent, but there's a segment from the population—insert a Venn diagram protecting homophobic conservatives and MRAs—that routinely mischaracterizes no-fault divorce like a mechanism of egregious envy preferred by capricious, guy-disliking, vengeful moms that do not worry about their kids. Therefore we get stupid Think about the kids! rationalizations for attempting to unwind a vital legal victory for mistreated ladies and children. (And males, too.)A 3-member subcommittee debated the balance today. Representative Tedd Gassman, a Republican from Scarville, stated he's worried about the negative impact divorce is wearing children."For me, it's the perfect time to look for the kids rather than constantly fretting about the grown ups," Gassman stated.Not to mention, what Gassman strategies by "look[ing] out for him or herInch is tasking fathers with regulating their daughters' sexuality, so that they don't become dirty sluts."This essentially is definitely an attempt on my small part to help keep fathers in your home,Inch Gassman stated. "I sincerely think that the household may be the first step toward this nation which nation goes the direction in our families. If our families split up, same goes with this nation."…Representative Gassman stated the problem is "near and dear" to his heart because his daughter and boy-in-law lately divorced, putting his daughter in danger.InchThere is a 16-year-old girl within this whole mix now. You know what? Do you know the options of her being more promiscuous?" Gassman stated. "Do you know the options of other things surrounding her existence that the 16-year-old girl, with the body's hormones raging, could possibly get herself into?"I'd be so thrilled basically were Gassman's daughter or daughter, hearing this blowhard justify an invoice that will abet abuse by openly talking about my marriage and/or sexuality. Which would be to say nothing from the horrendo framework that 16-year-old women "get themselves into" challenge with their "raging the body's hormones."Anyway. Many people spoke sense in Iowa in reaction for this absurd proposal:Rachel Scott from the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence told congress the alterations suggested frequently make houses a far more harmful place."One thing that you've seen with places where there's fault divorce could it be gets worse tension and conflict backward and forward people," Scott stated.Representative Marti Anderson, a Democrat from Des Moines who opposes the balance, stated the strain in her own childhood home survived eight years, until her parents divorced when fault needed to be proven."The stay-together time was very, very harmful to my loved ones,Inch stated Anderson — the earliest of 4 children, "and even though we are all grown ups now, I am unsure anybody have ever really become past that."Karl Schilling from the Iowa Organization for Victim Assistance stated no-fault divorce would be a carefully crafted solution to cope with individuals type of problems.Bad Republicans haven't seen a carefully crafted solution they did not wish to annihilate the fuck from.

Sunday Shuffle

Goo Goo Dolls, NameHow in regards to you?Reward:I discovered this the 2009 week and it is Made from Awesome:1988 American Music Honours, Hungry Eyes - Eric Carmen / Time of My Existence - Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes / Johnny's Mambo - Kenny Ortega & Dorian Sanchez / Would You Love Me (from the Curves) - Kenny Ortega Ballroom dancers / Time of My Existence (reprise)

Friday Blogaround

This blogaround introduced for you by glass.Suggested Reading through:FMF News: Arkansas Abortion Prohibit after Twenty Days Becomes LawCharles: How Mother's Dying Transformed My Considering Finish-of-Existence CareFlyover Feminism: Black Pete, Zwarte Piet: The Documentary: A Job Interview with Shantrelle P. Lewis [Content Note: Discussion of racism/appropriation.]Chloe: New Protests over Sexual Violence in India [Content Note: References to violent crimes against ladies and women.]TDW: Space Shot during the day: A Protoplanet FormingStacy: Neil deGrasse Tyson Will the MoonwalkJorge: Prepare for Downton Abbey's First Black CharacterFrederick: Black Atheist Figures Revisited Leave your links and proposals in comments...

Quote of the Day

[Content Note: Racism racist imagery.]"Our cover illustration a week ago got strong responses, which we regret. Our intention wasn't to incite or offend. When we needed to get it done once again we'd get it done in a different way."—Josh Tyrangiel, editor of Bloomberg Businessweek, giving a vintage non-apology because of its horrifyingly gross racist cover that portrayed caricatures of individuals of color swimming in cash alongside the coverage story: "The Truly Amazing American Housing Rebound: Flicks. No-look bids. 300 percent returns. What might fail?InchShiny Yglesias observes from the cover: "The concept is the fact that we are able to know situations are really getting beyond control since even nonwhite people could possibly get financial loans nowadays! They should be ashamed." As well as the apology: "Observe that Tyrangiel does not say they regret posting the particular content from the cover, however the "strong responses" it incited. How hard could it be to consider responsibility for that cover, say sorry, and then leave it at this?InchNicely. I suppose that will need a thought that the coverage was wrong, which Tyrangiel and Bloomberg Businessweek obviously do not have.

Daily Dose of Cute

Dudley, hugging together with his raccoon.Of course, please feel welcome and urged to talk about pix from the fuzzy, feathered, or scaly people of ones own in comments.

Launder That Fat Away, Ladies!

[Content Note: Body fat hate racism classism.]So, there's research going online making the totally-fresh and completely-new declare that American women are body fat because we spend all day long working at desk jobs and through the night watching tv to wind down, instead of half a century ago when existence only agreed to be like Allow Beaver and ladies never labored outdoors the house and spent all day long wrestling with forty-pound vacuums: One good reason a lot of American women are overweight might be that we're cleaning and doing laundry less frequently, according to a different study that, while scrupulously even-handed, will probably stir debate and feelings...."Half a century ago, most women didn't work outdoors of the house,Inch stated Edward Archer, a study fellow using the Arnold School of Public Health in the College of Sc in Columbia, and lead author from the new study.So, together with most of the authors from the earlier study of work exercise, Dr. Archer set to find data about how exactly women had once spent their hrs both at home and whether and just how their designs of motion had transformed through the years.Correct from the softball bat, I am just likely to put aside the entire problematic facet of while using words "most women" when that which was really meant is "a area of the population, composed mainly of upper-class, wealthy, married, whitened women" when talking about what type of work women did or did not do within the sixties. I am just likely to place a little pin labeled "racist and classist presumptions" and hang that aside there. I am furthermore likely to put aside the absurdly terrible science of calculating one small part of the variations within the lives of yankee Women From The sixties versus American Women From The 2010s -- particularly, the length of time they report doing house work -- and taking advantage of that certain small aspect to try and explain a supposed trend of putting on weight as if a correlation forwards and backwards suggests any kind of causation and as if there cannot often be every other distinction between both of these categories of people, and as if controlling for individuals variations (which totes don't exist anyway!) is really much optional nonsense. And furthermore as if self-confirming articles are the epitome of accurate scientific measurement. I am just likely to stick just a little pin labeled "horrifically soft science" for the reason that bundle of awful and hang them back aside using the other. And I am also likely to put aside the laughable selection of thoroughly calculating the length of time an array of women allocated to "house work" while deliberately selecting to disregard time spent doing child care activities, as if the job made by women housewives consists entirely of "cleaning, cooking, and doing laundry" and little else and as if time that modern women save consequently of technological advances in laundry techniques is not and could not often be reinvested into other kinds of active house work beyond "cleaning, cooking, and doing laundry". That certain gets just a little pin known as "mendacious bullshit" and hang off aside using its cousins. So, okay? I am just likely to invest that aside for a second.Simply because I wish to share this anecdote from Barbara Ehrenreich (who I wish to acknowledge is completely problematic in places, although that's this is not on-subject with this thread), who really labored like a professional housekeeper included in her research on her book Nickel and Dimed, and who particularly noted how painful and physically harmful house work could be:So ours is an enormous amount of pain—managed by Excedrin and Advil, paid out for with cigarettes and, in a couple of cases after which only on weekends, with booze. Perform the proprietors be aware of from the misery which goes into rendering their houses motel-perfect? Are they going to be bothered when they did know, or are they going to have a sadistic pride in what they've purchased—boasting to dinner visitors, for instance, their flooring are washed just with the purest of fresh human tears? In a single of my couple of trades by having an owner, a pert muscular lady whose desk discloses that they works part-time like a fitness expert, I'm cleaning and she or he notices the sweat. “That’s a genuine workout, is it not?” she observes, not unkindly, and really offers us a glass water, the only real such offer I ever encounter. Flouting the rule from the ingestion of anything while in the house, I'm guessing, departing one inch undrunk to prevent the clumsiness of the possible refill offer. “I tell my clients,” the trainer notifies me, “‘If you need to be fit, just fire your cleaning lady and do-it-yourself.’” “Ho ho,” is I only say, since we’re not only talking during a workout session together and that i can’t explain this type of being active is totally asymmetrical, extremely repetitive, so that as prone to destroy the bone and joint structure regarding strengthen it.And I wish to take the time to notice how truly contemptible I've found the suggestion that activities which could destroy womens' physiques and that have been typically utilized by a misogynist society like a tool to oppress ladies and prevent them from attaining financial independence, support systems, and significant work -- You cannot hold employment, honey, because then wouldso would the home get clean? -- ought to be organized towards the readers as something which ladies have an obligation to complete to be able to be attractive and much more healthy and most importantly more socially acceptable towards the bigger community. That's some contemptible garbage.(Hat tip to Shaker Danielle.)