Here There Be Monsters

I (and many others) have been accused of "politicizing" the recent murders of 26 people in Newtown, CT.  I have been berated for not showing sufficient deference to the victims and their families by not talking about the "gun issue."  I am told that I should set this aside in favor of simply feeling badly for them, of offering thoughts and prayers and sympathies to them, that "now is not the time" to discuss the reasons for this bloodbath.  What kind of person am I that I could put my own feelings above those of the people most directly affected?  Have I no shame? 

First of all, I do feel badly.  I feel incredibly badly.  As a woman, a mother, a grandmother, hell, as a human being, my heart absoutley breaks for each and every one of those gunned down, for their parents, their grandparents, their husbands and wives, their families, friends and neighbors.  I simply cannot conceive of the level of pain and suffering that comes with such a thing.  How will they ever mourn?  Will they ever stop mourning?  But how can my offers of sympathy, my empty prayers, ever offer any consolation?  What good will they do?  The bile rises as I think of those 26 coffins, 20 of them far too small, being rolled down the aisles of places of worship and placed in cold December graves.  I look at the bright faces of those children, the obvious love and dedication to them on the faces of their teachers, those who died trying to protect them, and the tears well up in my eyes.  What good are my tears?  Will they comfort the survivors?  Will they bring back the dead?

Secondly, this issue was politicized long before the rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary.  It has been politicized for decades by people like Wayne LaPierre, and the organization he heads.  Under their influence, millions of people have been convinced that their absolute right to own any sort of weapon, with no regulation whatsoever, outweighs the right of children and their teachers to be safe in schools, of people to go see a movie and come out alive, of Christmas shoppers to buy gifts for their loved ones without being gunned down where they stand.  When I see that Merchant of Death give a speech, even before the latest bodies have been buried, encouraging, no, demanding, that the only solution to such mayhem is more mayhem, in the form of yet more weapons in the hands of yet more people, under the guise of "security," the bile that had been rising reaches its destination, and I retch.   When he stands in front of the nation and dares to put the blame on movies, or music, or video games, instead of where it belongs, on him and people like him, who peddle fear to the masses, offering the comfort only of weapons of mass destruction against it, I scream in my head, and sometimes aloud. It makes me physically ill that monsters like this are taken seriously and given a place in our discourse.  The only place for men like this is in  a locked ward where they can't do any more damage.

 I think to myself how different peoples' reactions might be if, instead of being shown the smiling faces of the victims, before their young lives were snuffed out, they were shown the results of decades of fear-mongering and lobbying for the gun industry.  What would gutless politicians and babbling talking heads say if they had to see the bullet-ridden bodies, the blood-stained party dresses, the brains of their precious children splattered on walls and floors?  These are the things we ask people like those police and rescue crews to look at.  They had to see that.  Why are we spared?  How different would our discourse be if people were forced to face the bloody, violent ends of their pontifications about "rights?"

You're damned right I'm going to talk about this, and I will do it in the strongest terms I can muster.  Because this never should have happened.  It could have been prevented.  And I don't want it to happen again.

Sunday Funnies

Fun joke going around... Cannot find the original origin.

Snow White, Superman and Pinocchio are walking along.
They see a sign: "Contest for World's Most Beautiful Woman." Snow White goes in, later comes out smiling, wearing a crown.

They walk along and see another sign: "Contest for World's Strongest Man." Superman goes in, later comes out smiling, wearing the belt.

They walk along and see a sign: "Contest for World's Greatest Liar." Pinocchio goes in, later comes out with his head down crying.

"Who the hell is Mitt Romney?" Pinocchio sobs.

My Time of Year

Here, have a tree.  My pretty little maple.  I love Fall.

 

That time of year thou mayst in me behold
When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,
Bare ruined choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.
In me thou see’st the twilight of such day
As after sunset fadeth in the west;
Which by and by black night doth take away,
Death’s second self, that seals up all in rest.
In me thou see’st the glowing of such fire,
That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,
As the deathbed whereon it must expire,
Consumed with that which it was nourished by.
This thou perceiv’st, which makes thy love more strong,
To love that well which thou must leave ere long.

(William Shakespeare)

The Fat Lady Sings

News Anchor Calls Out Asshole

Very nice. Speaking as a "fat" woman, I can tell you, I'm probably healthier than many of my "slim" peers. I don't eat processed foods.   My blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol are enviable. I exercise. I'm beautiful. Fuck you.

I'm sick to fucking death of people thinking that fatness is the last refuge of discrimination.  It's none of your motherfucking business how I look, what my habits might be, or what my relationship status is.  I don't drink soda or eat or drink any foods or beverages that contain high fructose corn syrup. I can't tell you the last time that I ate at McDonald's or Burger King or Wendy's. Sure, I eat a cookie now and then. I like ice cream. I enjoy my food damned near as much as I enjoy my sex life, which, I assure you, is goddamned fucking fabulous.  I don't buy into this Puritan notion that one shouldn't take too much pleasure at the table, as this might lead to taking too much pleasure in other areas.  And I'm sick to death of feeling like I have to justify my life and my "fatness" to assholes who wouldn't know a frozen chicken nugget from a splendid coq au vin, because they never fucking learned to cook for themselves.

I'm also sick to fucking death of the "obesity epidemic" being blamed on individuals.  Our food system, like our "health care" system, is sick.  Americans are constantly being marketed to and fed a constant diet of food that, literally, makes them sick.  Even if you weigh 120 pounds, if you eat the Average American Diet, I can pretty much assure you that you will die ten years before I will.  I can guarantee you that your fat, sodium, and sugar intake is ten times mine.  We need to make it easier, not harder, for people to have access to fresh, healthy food.  We need to encourage folks to grow their own gardens, which has the benefit of exercise as well as fresh food.  We need to stop telling young girls and boys that "skinny is pretty," because, it isn't, always.  And it isn't always possible.  And it isn't always healthy.  I was once a Size 8, but I got there through taking dangerous drugs and starving myself.  I passed out often.  I had hypoglycemia.  I was malnutrioned to the point of being almost fatal.  Is that healthier than being a Size 16 and perfect by the numbers? I don't fucking think so.  If you do, if you prefer skinny girls with cancer to healthy girls with fat thighs, well, then, and I repeat myself, fuck you.

A Poem

I am getting old
I have my Mother's hands
Weary from work
Scarred by life
Tired and sore
Chapped and red
From washing dishes and floors
Scrubbing sinks and toilets
Typing all day
Carrying bags
Tending to wounds
Cleaning up messes
Burned and blistered
From cooking the meals
Wrinkled and dry
From too many years of neglect
Too busy to tend to their needs
Too many other important things
It can wait
Why put on lotion
When in five minutes
My hands will be wet again
I am getting old
But I do not mind
I have my Mother's hands

(Photo credit:  Aging Hands )

Feeling Down in the Dumps?

So, you're sitting around, doing not much of anything, really, and you decide that you've gotten a raw deal, that Life hasn't treated you kindly.  You sort of think that you're in a unique situation; no one likes you, you have no life, you're broke, no one cares, you're struggling with life issues, and you feel like you don't matter at all and wouldn't the world be better off without you, really.  Well, I'm here to tell you to get off your ass and Do Something about it.  Here are some things, in no particular order, that you can do that will make you feel better about Life, in general, and Your Life, in particular.

1.  Do something nice for someone, without being asked, and without expecting anything in return.  Do a Good Deed.  Be a Good Deed Doer.  You won't become rich or famous, but you may make someone smile or make their heart skip a beat or turn a shitty day into a good one.

2.  Go for a walk around your neighborhood.  Look at every house you pass, and realize that there are people inside who have problems, just like you.  Maybe some of those problems are worse, maybe some not as bad, but, rest assured, every house has people in it who are struggling with something.  You are not alone.  Recognizing this fact helps you to put your own  problems into perspective, sometimes.

3.  Spend some time with little kids.  Spend some time with elders.  Spend some time with animals. 

4.  Spend a little time, even just a couple hours a week, volunteering.  There are loads of people out there who are way worse off than you are, and with the economy the way it is, charities are strapped for funds and help. Find a soup kitchen, a food bank, a homeless shelter, a literacy program, a shelter for victims of domestic violence, a hospital, a prison, whatever.  Not only does this go into the Good Deeds category, it will help you to appreciate how good you've really got it.

5.  Do something creative, even if you think you suck at it.  Draw a picture.  Write a poem or short story. Take up a musical instrument. You don't have to ever share it with anyone; just do it.

6.  Stop spending so much time in your own head.  Introspection is a good and necessary thing, but too much of it and pretty soon the only voice you hear is your own, and you may not be giving yourself the best advice if you're depressed.   Get out and talk to other human beings.

On Labor Day

My mother, the daughter of a farmer (later to become auto worker) and a housewife, both Lithuanian immigrants, was born on Labor Day, 1929.  As she tells it, her parents were to attend a Labor Day picnic that day, but had to cancel due to "unexpected company."   My family growing up was always working class.  Dad worked as a Union stagehand/lighting technician, and Mom worked as a librarian, and later, as a police dispatcher.  My Dad died when I was 8, and his Social Security Survivor's Benefits meant the difference between hunger and starvation, between housing and homelessness.  Paul Ryan and Eric Cantor and anyone else who means to disparage the worth of either Unions or essential social programs are cordially invited to kiss my big, white, working class ass.

Note to People, in General

I don't know what ever happened to manners and common courtesy. Maybe I'm a prude (I don't think so). But, just a couple of things to remember, if you wish to not be publicly dressed down and embarrassed:

1. The world is not your fucking living room. When out in public, unless you are at an event/venue where rowdiness is expected, such as a sporting event, a concert, a bar, etc., others think it considerate if you use your "inside voice." If I am seated across from you in a restaurant and can hear every word of your conversation, you are speaking too loudly.

2. Your children are precious to you, but not to me. I don't find every word they utter cute and/or insightful.

3. Regarding your children: There are times/places that are appropriate for children and families, and those that are not.

4. Further regarding your children: If you choose to take them with you to a place that is really not appropriate for them, it is up to YOU to supervise them/ensure that they behave properly. It is NOT appropriate for you to seat yourselves at one end of the table, so that you and your adult friends can carry on your too-loud conversation, while seating them at the other, unsupervised, so that they can behave like the children that they are absent your parental supervision/instruction.

5. If you wish to go out for an evening with your adult friends without the responsibility of looking after your spawn, get a babysitter. Otherwise, stay home. A large part of parenting is sacrificing your own desires so that your children get the time and attention that they need to grow into kind, considerate adults.

Failure to adhere to these principles will, on occasion, result in the ire of others. Don't be surprised, shocked, or offended by it.

You Didn't Build That

No, you didn't.  You really didn't.  No one is begrudging anyone their success or their fortune, except in the case of Vulture Capitalists like Mitt Romney, who made his money not through hard work or the sweat of his brow, but through manipulating finances and causing other people suffering.  No, what we are saying is, that in this country, we have something called The Commons.  The Commons are those things that we built together, that we support together through our tax dollars; things like roads, bridges, an education and court system, police and fire departments, regulatory and enforcement agencies such as the FDA and  the Department of Agriculture that keep products safe for consumers, agencies such as the EPA, which looks out for the environment that we must all live in, the Army Corps of Engineers, which does things like build levees to keep low-lying areas safe for citizens and businesses, etc.  You get the picture.  Without these things, "job-creators" wouldn't have workers educated enough or healthy enough to show up at work each day and perform the tasks necessary to earn profits for a business.  Without police and fire protection, businesses would either be raided by bandits or burned down by arsonists, or spend a pretty penny for private protection.  Without a Government-funded court system, there would be no one to mediate contract disputes, patent infringements, unfair practices and the like.  Without the Interstate Highway System, the railroads (built by the Evil Government) and the FAA, there would be no means by which to get products to market. This does not even include things like Federally-insured bank accounts, college loans, or help to small businesses. I could go on and on, but you get the picture.

Contrary to what assholes like Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan will tell you, there is NO ONE who has been successful in this country without having taken advantage of at least some part of The Commons.  No. One.  Whether you are a one-man operation or a Fortune 500 company, you have benefitted from the efforts of others.  If you employ people, your profits depend on them.  I am sick and goddamned tired of hearing The Commons villified.  The Commons are what make this country unique, they are what enable people to work hard and be successful, and they are what make, and keep, this country strong.  To deny the fact that we are all interdependent is to deny the very basis of our Constitution and our way of life.  So, FUCKING STOP IT, ALREADY.

Everyone likes to imagine him/herself as the Lone Wolf, struggling against adversity and overcoming it, all on their own, with no help from anyone, but I'm here to tell you that this just isn't so.  Whether you like it or not, we're all in this together. 

In Defense of Personal Liberty

So, you like "personal liberty," do you? Does that include the liberty to make your own medical decisions, including whether/when to become pregnant and what to do about it if you are pregnant and don't wish to be? Does that include the liberty to be able to get medical care if you are sick, whether you can afford it or not? Does that include the liberty to enjoy the right that most Americans enjoy, to be able to marry the person of your choice? Does that include the liberty to be able to get a decent education, regardless of your economic circumstances? Does that include the liberty to be able to go to sleep at night with a roof over your head and a belly not aching from hunger? Does that include the liberty to be able to practice the religion of your choice (or none at all) irrespective of what the majority of this country chooses? Or does it only include the "liberty" of others to believe and behave as YOU think they should?

Anntoinette Romney

Dear Anntoinette Romney:

You will never be First Lady, despite the fact that you very clearly feel that the position is your due. EVERY first lady, including Laura Bush, bless her heart for being married to that clod, exhibited the ability to conduct herself with a certain level of grace and decorum. It is the job of the First Lady (or First Gentleman, as the case may be), to act as a buffer for the President, to carry out the duties of the First Spouse in a dignified manner, and to exhibit kindness, thoughtfulness and diplomacy, irrespective of Party affiliation. Even if, by some longshot (or election fraud), your husband should somehow gain the office, I'm sure he will immediately demote you and appoint one of your more demure and graceful Sister Wives to the position.

Love,

TV

Dear Debbie Stabenow: Fuck You

No, seriously, fuck you.  Fuck you and the whores you rode in on.  You don't get to call yourself a Democrat and then vote to take food out of the mouths of children, you goddamned motherless whore.

Debbie says:

“I deeply care about protecting nutrition assistance programs I hope that that is not in doubt,” Stabenow said. “This is about accountability and integrity within the program, and I must oppose the amendment.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0612/77588.html#ixzz1yNvdqIhK

How about some accountability and integrity from the motherfucking Senate?   You bet your sweet bippy that your support of nutrition assistance programs is in doubt.  In fact, your support of nutrition assistance programs does not exist, as you just voted to boot thousands of families out of those programs.  Eat a big bag of dicks, Debbie Stabenow, but you'd better be prepared to pay cash.  Asshole.

Ode to My Vagina

I have a Very Scary Vagina
I keep it close to me
Whenever I talk about it
It makes Republicans flee

The Power of my Vagina
Must be more than I had thought
It's hard to comprehend
All the furor that it has wrought

To me, it's just a body part
Nothing to fear or hate
To Republicans it's a commodity
That they must legislate

Original image found here.

Friday Cat Blogging

Found on the Interwebs:

Original photo found here.

VAGINA!

If you're going to try to regulate it, you had damned well get comfortable talking about it. Thanks to Echidne for the link.

The Vagina Song

Friday Cat Blogging

Poor Vlad had an ingrown claw.  Got him all fixed up, good as new.

It Would Be Irresponsible Not To Speculate

From the "things that make you go hmmm" files.

Has the Romney family really given up the polygamist tradition practiced by Willard/Mitt's very own grandfather, or have they just learned to better disguise it?  I am informed by people who would know that it is not at all uncommon for polygamist Mormons to use a "surrogate" as cover for children born to anyone other than the First Wife.  And, then, comes this.

"This the second time that Tagg, 42, and his wife, Jen,39,  have used a surrogate. The same surrogate was used for the twins carried their youngest son Jonathan, who was born in August of 2010. Their other three children were not born via surrogacy."

So, two pregnancies, via the same surrogate, when clearly, the couple were able to reproduce on their own on three other occasions?  I don't know, but it seems that some enterprising journalist might find a good story there.  I'm just sayin'.

Fucking Bullshit

I've never been so disappointed in my life, and that's saying something.  After watching all of those tens of thousands protesting in the Capitol, after seeing so many people work so hard, to see that so many people in Wisconsin went out and voted against their own interests, voted for a man that is so obviously contemptuous of them, just breaks my fucking heart.  There will be calls of fraud, there will be protests about the monied interests swaying opinion, but the fact remains, the majority of people there were persuaded to vote in a way that very directly fucks them.  I will never understand it. What in the fuck is wrong with people? 

And Now, Some Good News

This is from May 22, but just now came to my attention.  After wondering for months why the Medical Establishment has remained silent on the issue of the Republican War on Women, finally, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has finally spoken out.

Not only does the deluge of anti-woman, anti-choice, anti-birth control legislation, both nationally and in the States negatively affect the health and well-being of millions of women, it also infringes on the rights of physicians to advise and treat their patients.  In effect, legislators are practicing medicine without a license, and it's high time that they fucking stop.  Kudos to the ACOG for speaking out.

Big Endorsement

On Wisconsin

I was going to try to write something insightful and inspiring regarding today's recall election in Wisconsin, but I think that part of being a good blogger is being able to recognize when someone else says what you want to say better than you ever could.  So, I will just send you on over to Athenae, who is one of the best writers I have yet encountered on these here InterWebs. 

Because "Fuck you," That's Why

First of all, go read this post. Go ahead, I'll wait...

Now, I doubt that Mr. Benmosche, while lounging around his seaside villa in Dubrovnik, Croatia, or any other of his seaside or non-seaside villas, has ever had much occasion to meet an actual working person.  I'm pretty sure that even the hiring of people like his gardeners, maids, chauffeurs, etc., is left up to some well-paid Personal Assistant, and that it is a condition of their employment that they never, ever, appear in the presence of Mr. Benmosche.  Had Mr. Benmosche ever actually met and/or conversed with an Actual Working Person, a person who earns their bread by the sweat of their brow rather than by sitting behind a desk, coming up with complicated formulae for derivatives used to bilk little old ladies out of their pensions and scam homeowners out of their homes, I'm sure he would realize that expecting a gardener, or a maid, or a construction worker or a cop to work until they're 80 is completely fucking insane.  Someone in Mr. Benmosche's position, who has never even broken a fingernail in the course of a day's work, and who also, by the way, is wealthy enough to have the very best of medical care, and has never had to eat ramen to make it through the end of the month, is not very likely to understand that.  I get this.  Unless you actually know folks who break their backs to feed themselves and their families, it's very hard to relate.

However, being the Financial Genius and MOTU that he is, one would think that Mr. Benmosche would understand that such a plan is not even remotely financially feasible.  You see, if older workers stay in their jobs ten or twenty years longer than they currently do, there is no room for the up-and-coming, younger job-seekers.  To this point, I would like to direct the following to Mr. Benmosche's attention:

Dear Mr. High and Mighty Prince of Upper Asscrack Living in Your Gated Palace in Dubrovnik:

If people are working until they're 80,  just what in the sweet mother of fuck do you expect the oodles and oodles of twenty-somethings trying to enter the workforce to do for jobs, you steaming pile of monkey shit?  If older workers do not retire, younger workers cannot replace them.  And if enough younger people do not have jobs and are not able to support themselves, you end up with a whole bunch of what are commonly called "radicals," and, they will be coming for you, you fucking dirtbag.

Love,

TV

P.S. By the way, you do realize, also, that by instituting your "plan," and thus contributing to already scarily high unemployment, you will be screwing yourself?  No workers equals no tax revenue; no tax revenue equals no funds available for those "crazies" in Congress to hand over to you the next time your financial wizardry causes a global financial meltdown.  You do know that, right?

Suggestions, Please?

I'm currently in the process of loading up my Kindle with Summer reading, and am looking for suggestions.  Fiction, non-fiction, gimme whatcha' got.

Taking the Supertrain

Well, not really, because I live in a country where we can't have nice things like Supertrains or National Healthcare due to the need for tax cuts for people like Mitt Romney. However, I am currently on an Amtrak train going to Chicago. Aside from relieving me of the hassle and expenses of driving, I'm impressed by the comfort and the courtesy and professionalism of the crew. It really is a great way to travel and it's a shame we can't find away to invest in more and better ways to do it, and get more people on board, so to speak. Too bad those Europeans are such dirty commie hippies, or we might learn something from them.

And Your Little Dog, Too

Well, now, here's something interesting.  See, there are Assholes on the Internet, like George Tierney, Jr., of Greenville, South Carolina, who took to Twitter to loudly and profanely denounce Georgetown College student Sandra Fluke, and then, there are assholes on the Internet who do little, less vulgar but no less damaging things to coarsen our discourse and pit us against each other.

My friend Hecate pointed me to this post, in which the author links to a post on her blog.  Now, Hecate is a Witch, and she happens to be a friend of mine, one whose wisdom and kindness has had a very positive effect on my life.  So, naturally, I was a bit taken aback by the fact that the author of this blog felt that her religion was something past which one must get to appreciate the content of her post.  I posted a comment on that blog, very nicely (I promise - no swears or anything - I do know how to conduct myself with decorum when it is called for) asking just that:  Why did he feel that it was necessary to "get past" her religion?  That's it.  This afternoon, upon returning to that blog, I noticed that my comment had been deleted.  Hmmm.  Interesting. 

Look, pally, if you're going to bring up someone's religion in a derogatory manner, I'm going to call you on it.  We either have freedom of religion, and that means ALL religions, or we don't.  I am not a believer of any stripe myself, and, frankly, I find the whole thing silly, but last I checked, it wasn't Witches who were trying to violate my right to privacy in my medical decisions by legislating their morality and passing countless bills to limit access to safe, legal abortions all across this country.    It's not Witches who are taking to court the matter of whether or not birth control pills should be covered by my insurance policy, based solely on their "religious consciences."  It's not Witches who are attempting to subjugate an entire segment of our population by forcing their religious beliefs about marriage on the rest of us.  I, and the Witches, and the rest of us who are not crazy Christian fanatics have to "get past" a whole lot of bullshit like this, every stinking day.  That's a lot more tolerance than overlooking the fact that someone finds peace in her garden or enjoys dancing naked in the moonlight.  So, a hale and hearty "fuck you" to you, sir.

And Salting the Earth..

Wow.  Nikki Haley, Governor of South Carolina, is actually campaigning for that snot-nosed, criminal asshole governor of Wisconsin, Scott Walker, currently up for recall, and touting herself as a union buster, as if that's a good thing?  What in the sweet mother of fuck is wrong with this country? You like your fucking weekend? You like your living wage? You like your forty-hour week? You like making overtime? You like having health insurance?   You like not having to compete with your twelve year-old for a job in the coal mine? Thank a motherfucking union, asshole.

Eating the Seed Corn

I would like to direct the five or six people who read this blog to Echidne, who has a wonderfully simple explanation of the Republican plan for education.

See, the thing is, in education, as in fiscal policy and so many other things, the Republicans take the short-sighted, corporate view:  What is good for the bottom line, right now?  Just as businesses have taken on the habit of slashing the workforce in order to improve quarterly profits, sacrificing our manufacturing base and shrinking our tax base, Republicans would have us sacrifice the education of our children for a short-term gain financially.  Doctors, lawyers, engineers, (gasp) teachers?  Who needs those?  Why should our kids be well-educated and our teachers be well-paid and respected?  They will not need these skills in the future, when the Magical Free Market will have them all working for two dollars a day in Uncle Mitt's Sweatshop. 

Dirty Deeds

In the comments to the previous post, Gummo spurred a memory.  This one is dedicated to George Tierney, Jr., of Greenville, South Carolina.

That Google Problem

It seems that George Tierney, Jr., of Greenville, South Carolina has a wee bit of a problem.  Actually, he has two problems.  The first is that he's a sexist asshole, and the second is that he has no understanding at all about how the Internet works.  In case no one told you, George Tierney, Jr., of Greenville South Carolina, the Internet is forever, so if you don't want people to Google your name and find out what a sexist fucktard you are, you probably shouldn't use Twitter, George Tierney, Jr., of Greenville, South Carolina, to call nice young ladies cunts and dick-suckers.