Remarks

 Someone named kishke (no caps, and I don't know why anyone would want to be called kishke) recently commented on another site, thusly:

"People over the age of 12 who join in responsive chants, with the exception of counselors in summer camp, are idiots. People who chant mindless slogans whose purpose is to avoid reasoned discussion are idiots. No surprise, then, that the OWS people are idiots."

Funny, my first exposure to responsive chants was in church. I think most religions have responsive chants.

I may break my arm patting myself on the back

...realistic, moderate progressives always face the challenge of portraying a more complex reality than extremists recognize.
Gershom Gorenberg

Michelle Bachmann

From Slate Magazine:

Two nights ago on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Fallon's house band, The Roots, played the Fishbone song "Lyin' Ass Bitch," while Michele Bachmann walked on stage (full lyrics from Weigel here). Yesterday, The Roots drummer Questlove made a classic non-apology to Bachmann. You see, he apologizes if her "feelings were hurt," but not for playing the song in the first place:

"The performance was a tongue-in-cheek and spur of the moment decision. The show was not aware of it and I feel bad if her feelings were hurt. That was not my intention."

Jimmy Fallon Tweeted the following real apology: "I'm honored that @michelebachmann was on our show yesterday and I'm so sorry about the intro mess. I really hope she comes back." But this was only after he joked that "@Questlove is grounded," giving the whole thing a colluding frat boy air.

I can't believe I even have to make this point aloud, but it's never ok to call a woman a bitch, especially not in such a public way, when she is an invited guest. I don't care if she spreads misinformation about HPV or has insane ideas about women's bodies. It's not clever or cute, and Bachmann deserves a real apology from The Roots--not the same "I'm sorry if your feelings were hurt," bullshit. I'm pretty surprised more prominent women aren't coming to Bachmann's defense, so kudos to Rep. Nita Lowey, Democrat of New York, who says it best:

“I do not share Michele Bachmann’s politcis....but she deserves to be treated with respect. No female politician — and no woman — should be subjected to sexist and offensive innuendo like she was last night.”

My take on this? You know I don't care to hear women attacked about their appearance as an alternative to substantive criticism. However, this looks like a bunch of musicians who probably don't like the politician who happens to be a woman, and play a rude, pointed song. Offensive, yes, sexist, yes, innuendo, not at all.

And she is lying.

UPDATE:
I'm on the fence about this entire entry...very close to my personal edge...until...Glenn Beck has LEAPED to  Michelle Bachmann's defense. If that doesn't prove I'm OK, I don't know what will.

What's the difference?

What's the difference between the right to an abortion and the right to circumcision?
Recently a couple towns in California voted on bills which would outlaw circumcision. These bills didn't go too far, in fact in Santa Monica the bill's sponsor regretted her action once she learned how far it would go in curtailing rights now claimed by both religious and secular people. Anyway, most people opposed limits on circumcision, believing it a personal decision (although one generally imposed on very young babies). 
Many of these same people would probably NOT oppose limits on abortion. And I wonder why? Although some might say that's it's a life on one hand and a relatively minor procedure on the other, others would disagree.

Good tired

I went for a walk this afternoon that turned into a hike over the hills around work. Wa-a-ay more tiring than a stroll on the sidewalk. Now I'm pleasantly fatigued and serene.

Some people write better than I do, so I let them.

Limbaugh's Attacks on Michelle Obama

by jjstrakaFollow

I don't know why this isn't getting more attention......maybe we are so used to it that it doesn't phase anyone anymore. But in a career that is based on saying something horrible at least once every 45 seconds, his recent reaction to Michelle Obama being booed at a Nascar event has to take the prize.

Can we first state that Limbaugh calling Michelle Obama "uppity" is as far was you can go to calling her a n****r on the airwaves without doing so. It's like say "frickin" instead of "fuckin" or "shoot" instead of "shit".
What got me to post a diary on this was driving back from the gym today I flipped on the local conservative talk station to get a 90 second sampling of Limbaugh (I often do this, as you are guaranteed to hear something completely false and disgusting if you listen for more than one minute). He actually called the First Lady "Moochelle".
First off, let's just get to the point that someone who looks to be about 5'8 whose weight seems to fluctuate between 250-350 lbs making fat jokes about ANYONE is so absurd as to be laughable. But are conservatives actually SEEING things that aren't true now instead of just believing them??? In what universe is Michelle Obama overweight?? In what universe would she not be considered in excellent shape?? Why is a man whose BMI is probably pushing near 40 (as likely is the majority of his audience, the kind of people you see using the motorized scooters at Wal-Mart) trying to imply that she is somehow overweight??
Conservatives coming out against Michelle Obama's health initiatives has got to be the asinine thing we have ever heard of. You know what is costing this country so much money?? It's not the people who receive welfare checks, or food stamps, or unemployment insurance. It's fat-asses like Limbaugh whose disgusting obesity, smoking habits, and general gluttony,who need blood pressure and cholesterol medication just to stay alive, taking up the largest chunk of health care expenses in this country. We are truly through the looking glass when bullshit like this is allowed to run free as an accepted narrative.

OK, folks, all of this post was copied from Daily Kos. Can't seem to manage a link.

Cruel, heartless Feminists

So here are the descriptions of feminists from an unsympathetic writer and his choir:

Cruel and Heartless

A gentler singer says we are deluded but at least we don't murder our own offspring.

A woman, I believe, says we don't murder our offspring   because we "usually Don't Have offspring!"  I"ll have to explain that to my kids, and theirs.

I must admit there have been days when I've FELT like murdering my offspring.

I knew it!

According to Slate.com, a person who wants to know what is going on is better off avoiding newspapers and other news altogether than watching Fox News.

Unless they like the whole creative writing thing the Republican candidates have going on, then they're sitting pretty.

Nice to meet you

I don't expect people to read this blog. Its purpose is to help me blow off steam after reading the idiocy and hatefulness on other sites.
Par-tic-u-lar-ly irritating to me are (generally very conservative) sites which make mean-spirited  remarks about women's appearance. Somehow these remarks don't seem to extend to those women who are conservative.
Most of us who are not angels make immature, mean remarks about others at times. Most of us who are serious about what we think do not include those remarks in public discussions.
Wasn't it nice to meet me?