Somewhere, George III is laughing at us.

So apparently the Michigan and Florida delegate issue is resolved? I can honestly see both sides of this issue. I mean, votes should be counted, but there are plenty of people who would have voted for Obama if they had been able to. It's all a huge stupid mess that I don't see any good reason for creating in the first place.

But this is my favorite part of this article.

Proponents of full seating continuously interrupted the committee members as they explained their support of the compromise, then supporters of the deal shouted back.

"Shut up!" one woman shouted at another.

"You shut up!" the second woman shouted back.

Democracy in America folks!

Krispy Kremes are better, anyway.

So by now everyone's heard of the completely inane objection to a Rachael Ray Dunkin' Donuts ad and a paisley fringed scarf it pictured. Well, in response to the bigotry and, well, sheer willfully uninformed stupidity of Michelle Malkin's readers, Dunkin' Donuts has pulled said ad.

As skippy says, two can play that game. I will be boycotting Dunkin' Donuts until said ad is restored. Skippy has the contact information if you'd like to send a pointed letter.

Also, I'm waiting for the right-wing bloggers to expose these other terrorist-sympathizing scarf-wearers:


Meghan McCain.


Sexee Pirates.


And James Goldstein, whoever that is.

Note: of all of these scarves look as much like a keffiyeh as Ray's paisley scarf. Heh, at least Sexee Pirate has it on his head, fer christ's sake. And that's not even mentioning that only a raging bigot (like, say, Michelle Malkin) would paint an entire group of cultural practices (like wearing a particular kind of scarf) as the the actions of terrorists. I mean, Hitler was a vegetarian, but I'll still eat tofu.

Absolutely Fucking Gobsmacked.

Presented with little comment, because what the fuck else is there to say.



I mean, is there hope for this country? Seriously, I'm asking.

Via George at skippy.

Ha! I knew it!

I always thought Scott McClellan had a look in his eye like the lies he was being forced to tell were making him die inside.

McClellan, whose job it was to promote the policies of his boss, calls the Iraq war in his soon-to-be released memoir a "serious strategic blunder" and "grave mistake" and chastises the president for his "decision to turn away from candor and honesty when these qualities were most needed."

Of all the Press Secretary blustering assholes, he was the one I kind of felt the most sorry for.

Beautiful People

Inspired by Natalia.


Djimon Hounsou


Ewan MacGregor


Isabella Rossellini


Miriam Makeba

YouTubing

AKA anyway, back to the fluffiness.

Thank you, Yo Gabba Gabba, for teaching my child cleanliness, because she wasn't going to learn it from watching me.

Hey you guys

This post by Cara on The Curvature is awesome, but this comment by Ashley on said post is even better.

Just thought you should know.

And more on that 1968 thing

I know I promised things would be more fluffy around here lately, but I'm sorry, this is really irking me.

In reference to Hillary Clinton's remarks suggesting that in 1968 the primaries went until June (which we all remember, because RFK was assassinated, but never you mind that)so it's ridiculous for her to drop out of the race at this point:



People have short memories these days, but fortunately they also have Wikipedia. Let's specifically note that in 1968, the primary season did not begin until the New Hampshire primary on March 12. In 2008, the season started with the Iowa caucus on January 3rd. So for the analogy to even be correct, RFK would have to have been assassinated in August.

Also, hello? 1968? Clinton is bringing up 1968 when trying to suggest that a prolonged primary battle isn't bad for the Democrats? The year that the Democratic convention was overshadowed by anti-war demonstrators getting beaten by police live on TV? When Hubert Humphrey, a vaguely racist, hawkish man whom I'm sure also appealed to "hard-working, white Americans", was beaten by Richard freaking Nixon?

In 1992, I believe the primaries did actually begin in January, just like in 2008. So why not just mention her husband's securing the nomination in June that year? Why bring up the RFK thing at all?

You know, I do think she should stay in the race if she so chooses. She's actually correct in what she says (which is the frustrating part), in that a prolonged primary fight isn't historically unprecedented or anything.

I just wish she didn't display a Bushlike fondness for utilizing proverbial memory holes. To overlook the assassination angle entirely, which is tough, didn't she think it was a bad idea to mention a year that was terrible for the Democrats? Didn't she think anyone would remember?

This, I think, bears repeating.

In light of yet another "Whoops, did I say something fairly creepy and probably racist?" gaffe by Hillary Clinton this morning, I'd like to reiterate a point that really, really bugs me.

When Hillary Clinton mentions that "hard-working, white voters" support her she is relying on a racist culture to further her campaign.

No, really.



Seriously, she is.

Instead of beginning with analysis, let's begin with some sad facts; When Kentucky Representative Ben Chandler endorsed Barack Obama, over 500 phone calls flooded his office, the vast majority of them using the word "nigger."

Chandler's aides (who were white) went home shaken, crying, in utter disbelief. They didn't think racism still existed.

...Why are we skirting around this issue? Why are we coming up with excuses? It seems as though people are more afraid of being called racist than they are afraid of actually being racist. (ed note - hooo boy, does that sound familiar)

... Thus Hillary's use of code phrases -- designed to be direct and easily understood by those with animosity towards blacks, resentful of blacks, distrustful of blacks -- those who are ... let's face it -- racists.

Dee Davis says Obama should have visited rural voters more. Why? So that he can change the mind of the Marietta, GA man who portrayed Obama as Curious George? So he can expose his two daughters to possible death threats, so they can witness the panoply of black lawn jockeys?

I mean, can you imagine Barack Obama referring to Clinton's lack of appeal amongst 'the hardworking men of America' or something similar as a reason why she couldn't win a general election? Not really.

I'm sure there are a lot of Obama supporters who are only behind him because they couldn't stomach voting for a woman (in fact, I'm sure Chris Matthews is firmly in that camp). But he's not openly using that misogyny to court superdelegates.

If Barack Obama has been making statements like this, please let me know. Please.

And yes, it's a big deal to bring up the specter of assassination in this campaign, even it it was accidentally.

Her advisers quickly explained that Clinton merely intended to note that this was not the first primary campaign to stretch into the summer, not to suggest that Obama might be assassinated. Clinton later apologized to the Kennedy family while speaking to reporters, saying she did not mean to offend anyone.

But in a campaign where Obama's safety has been a subtext and in which critics have blamed Clinton for exacerbating racial tensions, her words added a new element of tension to the Democratic contest. Obama began receiving Secret Service protection about 18 months before the general election because homeland security officials were concerned about potential threats against him.

Emphasis mine. Also, note that she felt the need to apologize to the Kennedy family but not the Obama family.

And on a related note, can we please, please, please stop with the Obama-elitist meme (skewered pretty well awesomely here)? I mean, after 8 years of President "Have-a-Beer-With-Me" Bush, we're really going to play the anti-elitism game? Really?

Meh.

I'm not really going on hiatus. I just don't think I'm up to any real-topic, heavy hitting blogging for awhile.

I mean, I've been blogging to a long time. And it's the same old shit, over and over again.

I mean, from the "Progressives" in this thread who think that children should be punished for the actions of their parents (actions which are hardly a crime in the first place), to the people who make an amazing woman feel like this, to Hillary Clinton championing a racist culture as her "base" (yes, I know that there are people voting for Barack Obama who are too sexist to vote for Hillary Clinton, but you don't see him touting that proudly), to tens of thousands killed in natural disasters (and their avoidable aftermaths), I'm just kind of, meh. Whatever, blogtopia.

I mean, so-called progressives hating on children and poor women? Slut-shaming? Wink-wink nod-nod racism and/or sexism? I was so there way back in 2002, but now, it seems like such a retread.

Don't worry, I'm mostly joking. Also, read this post by Daisy and thank her she never got as jaded as I apparently am.

Actually, I've always had a theory on that. The American people of my generation, born in the late seventies. grew up at a time when outright nuclear destruction in the next decade or so was a virtual guarantee. Pop culture was saturated with this idea. Probably like 80 percent of the movies and TV shows I watched as a child (my dad, bless him, was probably a little lax on the whole "Rated R" concept) were either action movies set in the present where scary Soviets were trying to annihilate us, or dystopian science fiction where scary Soviets already had. Even Star Trek: The Next Generation, the one scifi universe where humanity apparently managed to get their shit together, talked about a post-World War III dystopia.

I used to have nightmares about ICBMs. I used to tatter my Barbie's outfits and play post-apocalypse bug-huntress in the backyard. Didn't anyone else in their 30s now do this as a kid? Is it just me?

So when this specific impending doom vaporized just when we were entering high school I think we suddenly had to figure out what the hell to do with our lives, I think we went all jaded and sarcastic and became Nirvana fans who could care less about the world because it could explode tomorrow...except it never got around to doing so.

Which is why I think the response amongst my circle of friends to things like Global Warming and never-ending war with Iraq and hitting peak oil and suchlike has been kind of, "Oh. There's that apocalypse I was looking for." And which is why, I think, I'm finding it difficult to blog about the same thing over and over again for going on seven years. Because The End, probably, finally, is nigh.

Or, it's summer and I have a wonderful little family to enjoy it with and there's much more fun things to do.

To sum up, I'm not taking a hiatus. This blog has turned into a great way for me to keep in touch with distant friends, not to mention a nice outlet for when I want to share my *koff* brilliance *koff* but my husband is bored of hearing me go on about stuff. But if you're looking for up-to-the-minute, in depth analysis or something, best to look at one of the blogs in my blogroll.

Cheers.

Kittens!!!

Ahn...

Ahn, so tie tie.

No, I will not promise to stop speaking in cute-overloadese. Don't be redonkulous.

Of a greater importance

I'm mulling over whether or not I want to use my extra free time (ha! as if) now that the semester's over to blog about some of the stuff that's burbling around in my brain, or if the internets and I are on a break for awhile.

While I am trying to sort my sorry shit out, Plan(s)feminist has compiled a series of links, and really this is of greater importance. So go investigate.

Woowoo!

Semester's over, whoo hoo!

Now all I have to do is wait for my college girl privilege checks to come in the mail so I can be properly elitist all summer long mwa haha!

Procrastinaton, ohh yeaaahhhh!

It's 1:15 in the morning. I have had a lot of Mountain Dew and two glasses of Cabernet. I have written five and a half pages of a nine page final paper that is due by four tomorrow.

I am taking a short break.

From Jack, this is an awesome idea for a meme, and I'm picking it up.

I'm on a mission. People have to do this. There is no escape. LolBaby. For realsies. The meme is you find an embarrassing baby picture of you, and you caption it! On Icanhascheezburger.com.

Jack's is hilarious. This is mine.



More people have to do this. I could use a laugh.

Um, yeah, holy crap.

Holy shit. Kevin Boyar was in my Russian class.

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Police say a tipster told them a student was carrying a gun on the University of New Mexico campus and had spoken of the Virginia Tech and Columbine shootings.

Kevin Boyar, 19, had admitted to carrying the gun onto campus, according to a criminal complaint, but had claimed the he didn't know guns aren't allowed at UNM.

I'm kind of torn, not knowing him outside of class that well. I feel like either a nice kid did a stupid thing that he didn't mean anything scary by, or maybe a kid with problems was taken into custody thereby averting a disaster.

Who knows. Either way...holy crap.

Small town girl makes good

Heh. The Albuquerque Journal recounts my moment of glory.

Jason Zuffranieri and John McCulloch got a little nervous in the milliseconds after their teammate rang in on the "Jeopardy"-style challenge this past weekend.
The answer— given by Vanessa Gatsch— would determine whether the University of New Mexico team would make it to the playoff round of the National College Bowl, affectionately called the varsity sport of the mind. UNM's team would move forward if she answered the sudden-death question correctly— or walk away empty-handed if she got it wrong.
Neither Zuffranieri nor McCulloch had ever heard of the Stone of Scone.
"That was kind of a long pause. It made me really nervous," said McCulloch, a 25-year-old UNM nuclear engineering major.
Gatsch, an anthropology major, knew that it was used in the coronation of Scottish monarchs.
Gatsch's answer got the team to the national championship playoffs, where it came in second behind the University of Rochester.

Dude. Stone of Muthafuckin' Scone.

One more thing.

While we're on the subject of movies, umm...is this Mike Myers in brownface?

Because, dude, that is not okay. HELLO!!! PEOPLE!!! THIS TYPE OF THING IS NOT OKAY!!!

Okay, so

It's heading into finals week, and I might be under a pile of books for awhile.

Mostly I'm wishing it would all just be over soon. I'm burned out on school, blogging, socializing, et al.

Mostly I just want to go see Iron Man, play some video games, and not be a responsible adult. Which is probably some sort of dumb 1/3 life crisis I'm having. It's those college kids, they're starting to rub off on me.

But really, it looks kind of badass, no?


(Also, it kind of makes you realize how badass and ahead of their time Black Sabbath was, yeah?)

Also there's this movie coming out soon, which I want to watch right now please please please.

But, you know, in a weird way, one of the enjoyable things about being an adult is fondly and wistfully wishing for the days when you weren't. And then do all the stuff you're supposed to do anyway.

Aaaanyway, I'll probably be scarce(r that usual) until the semester's over.

A conversation

Me: Hey, Abbie, smile for the camera!

Abbie:


Me: Snort! Umm, okay, let's try that again! Abbie, smile for mama!

Abbie:

Also, laughs at mama.

Me: Hahaha! Abbie! Smile nicely!

Abbie:


Me: ***dies***

On Living with a Majority Minority

New Mexico is the only Minority Majority state in the U.S. Which is a phrase that doesn't even make any sense, actually. But it's something you notice when you go to a state like Minnesota, walk into a business establishment meant to cater to tourists or business travelers (or, college students attending a trivia competition) and silently wonder to yourself, "Hmm, where are all the brown people?"

(This is something you often find yourself doing when you're usually the only brown person in a particular place. Or at least, I do. Is that bad?)

And then you look around and notice. Oh. Oooohh, I get it. They all work here. They're the employees.

When you're from a place where class distinctions are not so much marked by skin color, it's kind of weird to go somewhere where they are.

Anyway, I've uploaded some of the pictures I took at College Bowl, here.