Monday, July 27, 2009

Take Action Monday

It's still Monday for another 40 minutes.

Urge Senators on the Foreign Relations Committee to ask Special Envoy Gration for tough measures in the upcoming plan for peace.

Ask the United Nations to end violence in schools.

Call on CNN to address Lou Dobbs' paranoia.

Tell Texas not to exclude Cesar Chavez and Thurgood Marshall from its history textbooks.

Urge Congress to include reproductive healthcare in healthcare reform.

Help protect Alaska's national parks.

Sign the petition to abolish nuclear weapons.

Demand justice in the murder of human rights activist Natalia Estemirova.

Stop California from exposing pesticides to pregnant farm workers.

Urge the Senate to ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Top 6 Ways to Deflect Accusations of Racism

Part of the reason why I haven't been updating is because I'm pretty addicted to this Facebook game called Typing Maniac. You have to type words that fall from the top of the screen before they reach the bottom. It's much more fun than I'm making it sound. There are a bunch of words, some from different languages, some with double meanings. Facebook users can discuss the game on the message board, and someone posted a topic called "Racist words." He says,

Why on earth is the word CHINK on it???? What kind of BS is this?

"Chink" has more than one meaning, and a few people informed the OP of this. Still, there's no denying that the word is triggering, since it is also a racist term used to refer to Chinese people. And then comes the deluge of "it's not racist because I say so" replies. These comments come in many forms.

First, there's the "You're racist because you notice racism" response:

What kind of racist initially thinks of that as a racist word when it has existed as a benign word for much longer?

Uh, the kind of racist who's been called a chink before? What a bitch, and I mean that in the most benign way possible.

Then there's the "playing dumb" response:

chinks?

1 : a small cleft, slit, or fissure
2 : a weak spot that may leave one vulnerable 3 : a narrow beam of light shining through a chink

I don't see it as a racist word and I'm chinese

Except you know it can be used as a racist term against Chinese people. Why else mention at the end that you're Chinese? Which segues nicely into the next response, the "I'm not offended, so it's not offensive" response:

I'm not offended by it at all.

Where's the "Have a Cookie" application when you need it? I love this one, because it basically tells others how they should feel, like they're the normal standard and everyone else deviates from it. I bet if I kicked this kid in the balls, he'd scream in pain. And I'd tell him, "If it hurts as much as you say it does, wouldn't it hurt me too?"

Then there's the "words mean nothing" response . . . :

I think if someone is offended by words, he can stay at home, close his pc his tv and his ears. Black people get offended when you say the word negroes but they say it all the time, homosexual people are offended if you say fug but they always say it. Life is like a south park joke for them.

. . . Made by someone who hates the fact that he can't use racial slurs because he's an oppressed White man. Now where did I put that tiny violin . . . . Oh, well. Let's get on with it. Probably my favorite response to a racist accusation is the "Speaking of racism, let's not speak about that" response:

lets just start posting all the weird words you get here~

Here's a word for you: FAIL.

And finally, there's the "You're a victim of racism, so there's something wrong with you emotionally" response:

Secure people don't make a fuss about words. I'm sick of hearing about it all from INSECURE people who've been taught insecurity in their childhood. GROW UP!

Yes, why can't we all be secure in our Whiteness like you? Oh, that's right. Because we're not all White. It's all part of our pathology.

Let's Get a Couple Things Straight

This is funny stuff.



Now what would you file this under?



via Pandagon

Monday, July 20, 2009

Take Action Monday

Protect women's reproductive healthcare from anti-choice attacks.

Tell Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano to stop supporting racist Sheriff Arpaio.

Apply for a job at Senator Grassley's office so that you can have the same great healthcare he has.

Support the Global Food Security Act.

Urge Republicans to denounce Rush Limbaugh.

Tell Congress to support single-payer healthcare.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Stephen Colbert Explains the Myth of Neutrality

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
The Word - Neutral Man's Burden
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full EpisodesPolitical HumorJeff Goldblum


This segment of The Word on The Colbert Report from last night is probably the best thing that's ever aired on the show, possibly ever in the history of television.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Important Question

Could that baby be any more uncomfortable?

Monday, July 13, 2009

Take Action Monday

Fair Trade Certified's blog held a fair trade haiku contest over the weekend, and my haiku was one of the winners! Mine is the eleventh one in comments, if you want to read it.

Tell Attorney General Holder to prosecute the architects of torture.

Not that he'll ever do it, but tell John McCain to apologize for shining the national spotlight on Sarah Palin.

Demand that Senator Hatch stop telling lies about Planned Parenthood.

Urge Iran's leader to not seek the death penalty for political prisoners.

Tell your Senators that genetically modified organisms are not the answer to world hunger.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Latisse: For Women with Eyelash FAIL





When is having "inadequate or not enough eyelashes" a medical condition that should be treated with prescription drugs? When it's labeled hypotrichosis, a condition in which hair does not grow at all in places where it's supposed to. Eyelashes function as little brooms for our eyeballs that sweep away dust and dead skin cells. They also grant wishes*. That's why people with hypotrichosis need Latisse, a prescription liquid that people with this terrible affliction dab on their eyelids to make eyelashes grow where there were no eyelashes before.

Cue Brooke Shields. I bet you didn't even know that Brooke Shields never had eyelashes until about 16 weeks before the above commercial was filmed. That's because she uses Latisse, and also because she's always had eyelashes.

Now, there are diseases that cause people to not grow, (hypotrichosis), lose (alopecia), and pull out (trichotillomania) their hair, including their eyelashes. Hair loss is also a side effect of chemotherapy. This product could probably help people in those situations. But Latisse is not marketed that way. It's advertised as a cosmetic drug for women who are, apparently, supposed to feel insecure about their eyelashes. The company uses the term "hypotrichosis" and defines it so narrowly to only pertain to eyelashes that aren't long and thick enough (whatever that means), making eyelashes that don't conform to our society's beauty standards a disease. On top of all the other parts of our bodies we're supposed to hate (i.e., all of it), now we have to make a doctor's appointment to check the adequacy of our eyelashes. What the hell?



* Seriously, the company is donating $1 million to the Make a Wish Foundation.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Something Ain't Right with the Young Republicans

The Young Republicans recently elected 38-year-old Audra Shay as their president. Young Republicans across the country implored her to get out of the race after she engaged in some racist conversation on Facebook and other social networking websites. After one of her Facebook friends called Obama and African Americans in general "mad coons," Shay replied, "You tell em . . . ! lol" This is totally outrageous.



I mean, since when is 38 young?

Thursday, July 9, 2009

*sigh* Follow Me on Twitter

I did it. I got a Twitter account. You can follow me by clicking on "follow me on Twitter" in the little box over there. And I'm calling them Fweets in my feed, because I like alliteration.

Happy Bloggiversary!

It's my blog's birthday today! Yay! But I didn't get her anything! Eep! Anyway, can you believe it was 215 posts ago that I started this blog? I was hoping to get more posts in the second half of the year than the first half, but I missed by 15 posts or so. Oh well. I look forward to blogging for my second year. Thanks everybody for visiting!

Monday, July 6, 2009

Take Action Monday

Declare your independence from the insurance industry (if they didn't already declare their independence from you).

End abstinence-only education funding.

Help remove HIV/AIDS from the Health and Human Services list of travel restrictions.

Support the Clean Water Protection Act.

Protect reproductive healthcare in healthcare reform.

Urge your Senators to support the Afghan Women Empowerment Act.

Tell President Obama to end indefinite detention without charge or trial.

Friday, July 3, 2009

W . . . T . . . F: Governor Sarah Palin Resigns



I have no idea what she said, but she said it for nearly seven minutes. Governor Sanford sounded more coherent crying through his press conference.

Funny Stuff

I haven't posted any Funny Stuff in a while. Let's just say that the last month was so not funny. But it's a new month, and here are some funny videos for your enjoyment.



Betty Bowers on traditional marriage.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Burka Ban
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show
Full Episodes
Political HumorJason Jones in Iran


Damn, Kristen Schaal. Where has your hilarious ass been?



The latest from Sarah Haskins.



File this under WTF. The inspiration of Barack Obama's presidential victory with all the kitsch of a Chia Pet.



File this under WTF too. Rush Limbaugh claims there's some sort of significance to the fact that Michael Jackson died during Barack Obama's presidency. And it sounds like his producers are giving him the "Please stop talking! You sound like a weirdo!" hand gesture. But Rush doesn't listen and continues to repeat his insane theory. If there ever was a time for the man to shut the fuck up . . . .

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Important Question, Whatever You Are!

Retro Comedy posted the 15 Creepiest Vintage Ads of All Time, and this gem of an ad for postage meters came in 4th (Really? Only 4th?). It asks the important question, "Is it always illegal to kill a woman?" Apparently, it isn't if your bitchy holier-than-thou secretary refuses to use a postage meter as fine as this one.

Speaking of which, what the hell is a postage meter? I mean besides the perfect murder weapon?

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