Mama wants vigilante justice

So for the 4th- fourth fucking time- the Kid got mugged. But this time they pinned him, beat him and stole his phone.

Last time I was forgiving- this time I want fucking blood. I want a gun. I want to kill the assholes who would hurt a 13 year old boy. And I want the police to get off their collective asses and do something.

The entire left side of the Kid's face is gonna swell up. He took their punches, got in one of his own. He got free and he got home. He shouldn't have to keep dealing with this shit. He won't let me take him to the emergency room, though I think I should. I'm gonna give him an hour to collect himself.

I used to love my neighborhood. At the moment I would firebomb the whole thing and start clean.

It makes me feel dirty

really really dirty. That I agree with everything in this video. And it's from Fox News.



This election, it's seriously fucking with my head.

When in doubt- check the primary source

My favorite History Proff never assigned a text book. He wanted us to look at primary sources of where history comes from instead. I learned a lot of stuff in his classes, which he started at the beginning of the quarter by showing the movie Roshomon. The primary source thing is the most important.

So while everyone is screaming about Hillary making assassination remarks about Obama with her RFK comment, I think it's time we took a look at the primary source, in context.



Huhm, that doesn't sound like a veiled threat to me. Doesn't sound like she's hoping for an Obama assassination so she can step in. Nope- sounds like she is describing the historical context of other primaries that went on until June.

But wait, maybe I'm just a bit too biased towards my own candidate. Let's take a look at what RFK's son said about Hillary's comment. I mean if anyone was sensitive to veiled assassination threats, it would be a Kennedy, right?

It is clear from the context that Hillary was invoking a familiar political circumstance in order to support her decision to stay in the race through June. I have heard her make this reference before, also citing her husband’s 1992 race, both of which were hard fought through June. I understand how highly charged the atmosphere is, but I think it is a mistake for people to take offense.”

Wait- she's made this statement before? How can that be? Is the media sleeping on the job and let her get an assassination dog whistle out there without calling her on it?

Perhaps it's because she made the statement in March, when Obama thought he had the race sewn up, before Pennsylvania. Before West Virginia and Kentucky and a super close race in Indiana.

Perhaps this uproar over nothing is merely yet another cog in the WWTSBQ machine. Obama didn't need to use fake assassination threats in March, but things are a bit more desperate now.(And for the love of Pete, with either a black man or a woman who is going to end up being the Dem nominee, there are enough REAL threats to their lives and safety without making them up).

Contrary to popular Blogger Boy opinion

I don't think they can rely on the AA community to be their street rioting war fodder should the Precious not be nominated. And I'll tell you why.

I live in an AA community, that's no secret. We're poor, we live where the housing is used to be cheap. I would imagine that I have wayyyyyyyyyyyyy more daily interaction with AA folks than the Blogger Boyz do, simply by,you know- actually living near, working with and talking to them every. single. day.

And for I don't know what reason, grandfatherly type AA men like to talk to me. Not in a creepy way, but in a friendly neighbor way.

One of those men is the janitor at work. He likes to come hang out in my lab and we talk politics and poverty and violence (both of us have noticed the increase in violence in our neighborhood). He knows my feelings on Obama, I know his feelings. Yet I have not heard a single riot threat. Huhm. Perhaps the Blogger Boyz are using a racist stereotype of black people being excessively violent to bolster their candidate's claim to the thrown.

So if it were just a sample of one black guy, who I happen to have a friendly relationship with, that would be too small of a sample.

So let's go to today. I'm waiting on the corner for the bus when the grandpa equivalent of the coffee clatch is hanging out. One of them snuck up and tapped his cane on the widow of the bus shelter and nearly gave his friends a heart attack. When I started cracking up with them over the joke, this lovely old man with a cane decided to show me his basketball moves. And then he asked me what I do and I have taken to calling myself a writer (unpaid-except for generous donations, but I always said I wanted to grow up to yell at people, travel and write stuff- since I'm doing that I'm calling myself a writer) on politics, election stuff came up again.

Now since I don't know him well, when he asked me who i was supporting I said I didn't know if I wanted to tell him. HE said "Not that McCain" with big terrified eyes. "No, Hillary's my girl." "Well what do you think about Obama?"

"I can't vote for him either, it's either Hillary or Cynthia McKinney".

Guess what- no riot threats. Huhm.

Now coming home on the bus I got into another chat with a less elderly black man. It started cause he thought the fact that I can read ebooks on my phone is cool (OMG Blogger Boyz- there's another of your deeply held stereotypes blown to shreds- black people DO like to read!) And once again things came around to the election. I told him I can't vote for Obama cause he's a sexist. He said "You're not voting for McCain"

Which I responded to with a "Hell no! It's Hillary or Cynthia McKinney for me".

And then he asked me the most important question "who you think is gonna win?"

"Honestly," I said, "McCain. And he's a fuckwad."

"Tell me something I don't already know".

But once again- no threats of riots. Huhm, I'm sensing a pattern here.

Could it be that the O'bots are using racial stereotypes to their advantage? OMG. It's not like they haven't been doing that with sexism since forever.

So all I have heard from black men so far is that they hate McCain as much as I do. And unlike the Blogger Boyz, when I point out the sexism in the campaign they neither deny it or minimize it.

I starting to think the Blogger Boyz think of the AA community as their own army of Orcs. What do you think will happen when they discover that African Americans are real, thinking people and not an easy manipulated army out of LOTR?

Their heads may just explode.

Carry Tennis is a Giant Sack of Shit

Ugh.

I used to read Salon daily, hourly even. But over the last year or two (or three) it's become, with a few exceptions, crap. A flaming bag of crap.

And Carry Tennis is the brightest glowing shit ember in that flaming bag of crap.

Salon's resident tool advice columnist decided this week to tell a survivor of incest at the hands of her older brother that she should go to her parents 50th wedding anniversary and "by seeing your brother once more, finally extinguish the remaining embers of power he holds over you."

Maybe, if he wasn't a rapist. Maybe is if she didn't have kids of her own that she was worried about. Maybe if her mother (the grand manipulator behind this scheme) had ever truly acknowledged the hurt this caused her and she felt like someone was on her side.

But in Carry Tennis' formerly booze addled brain- he spouts a fairy tale about slaying dragons. Get off the WOW Carry, and maybe go take some psych classes.

Therapists (you know, professionals) would say that if she doesn't feel safe or comfortable with the idea of being stuck with a manipulative mother and a rapist brother for several hours of family pictures and chit chat, then she should skip it.
Only bad therapists ever tell someone to suck it up and prove their toughness by hanging out with abusers. Bad therapists, and FDLS Church leaders that is.

It's Friday- Shake Your Groove Thang!

I am a So You Think You Can Dance Junkie.

And I am creating more SYTYCD junkies. It's the best reality tv show in the history of reality tv shows, and the only one I watch on purpose.

And I have a ginormous crush on Cat Deely.

So here are some of my favorite dances from the last 2 seasons.

Heidi & Ryan do the Cuban Rhumba- sexiest dance ever



Pasha (OMG sexy Pasha) and Sarah- my favorite hip hop girl EVAH



Lauren & Pasha do the transformer dance (Yes, sexy sexy Pasha- again)



Benji & Travis do Geek Hop



Benji and Donyelle- Hip Hop. I LOVED Donyelle. She's gorgeous and she moves it and she's not a frail little flower.

Family News

My darling cousin Wing, sister to the fabulous Wonder,is in the hospital with unknown stomach problems.

Wing has had more than her share of crap thrown at her, but she has always handled it with a devious sense of adventure and giant, wide open heart. (Whenever she and I are together we like to go "bowling for people"- there are some benefits to being in a wheel chair).

So send happy thoughts, well wishes, and prayers if that is your thing in their direction.

For Wing- I hope you are back to causing trouble and flirting outrageously soon. We need your kind of spirit in the world.

Love as Always,
RQ

Enlightenment

Sometimes, even Royalty has to admit when they are wrong.

And I've been wrong. I was kinda working up to an apology to Nader voters, but today while warping yet another student, I had an epiphany.

And it's dumb cause I should have had the epiphany when I was writing the first Hillary Racism Obama Sexism post, or at least by the second, But no, it came to me in a flash mid-argument.

I still owe the Nader voters and apology. Sorry and all that. You were right, vote your conscious, etc.

But this is an apology to all the poor or working class whites who voted Republican ever who I thought were stupid for "voting against their own-self interest". You weren't. I get it now.

You were voting for the party that would let you maintain what little bit of competitive edge you had (racism).

And when you had a viable non racist candidate that acted in your best interest, you voted for him twice (Clinton).

You don't want to be racist. You just want to keep your families fed and housed. When neither party is offering you a better way, you go with the party that at least will keep the status quo.

I get it now.

I should have gotten it sooner.

And more people in the Democratic party should get it, but there is only one candidate in this entire race, Republican or Democrat, that gets it now. It's not a coincidence that she also happens to be a Clinton.

More Music

So in my job as glorified tutor I often get the chance to shape (or warp) young minds.

And today, when my favorite student came in to happily tell me about a conversation she'd had with a bible thumper- I introduced her to XTC (and also the sexism of the Obama campaign, but that is another story). So dear friends, here's a triple does of XTC awesome.

Peter Pumpkinhead- this came out during Bill CLinton's first campaign. I know it's about Kennedy, but I always think it applies better to the Big Dog than to JFK, what with the lies and sex scandals.



Dear God- the song I showed to my (now) corrupted young student. She loved it.



And a two-for for Ouyangdan. Joss Whedon set to I'm the Man Who Murdered Love

Hillary, Racism, Obama, Sexism part 2

So yesterday I wrote all about how practical privilege is what is driving the "racism" against Obama.

But does it work the same way for the sexism against Hillary. Only sort of.

Racism is not part of Hillary's campaign strategy (despite the O'bots crying). She is not endorsing it, she has apologized when someone, herself even, has made a comment that seemed racist. All she has done is appeal to working class and poor voters, many of them white working class voters.

Sexism is a part of Obama's campaign, whether being dished out by him and his campaign personnel (99 problems but a bitch ain't one?) Or whether he is using the sexism in the media to further his candidacy.

And women, to the liberal elite boyz who get all tingly over the koolaid, are a much bigger threat to them than AAs are. AAs aren't directly competing with them for college admission and graduate programs. And AAs aren't their biggest competition in the workforce. Women are. Well educated white women.

But once again, Obama misses an opportunity. He could be talking about making things easier for everyone. He could be talking about more access to college educations for everyone or fostering industries that will create more creative class jobs for everyone. Instead he lets the boyz and their anger loose. And he sells out the rest of us.

Racism and sexism are real and awful, but whether the candidates try to improve the situation for everyone (like Hillary) or use those things to their own advantage (Like Obama) says a whole lot about what kind of president they will be.

I don't want a president who will pit struggling people against each other for political gain.

Appropriating Comments

Cause it was just that damn good:

So if anyone thinks that someone with a rather non-accomplished career, no experience, generally a poster child for those holding the money, makes a deal with the devil to buy a mansion he couldn't afford while the poor under his watch went through a winter with no heat and no trash removal is qualified to keep track of the country when he could not keep track of his own district..go vote for him.
If those are the qualifications one's seeks to be a leader and a president, vote for Obama. No use trashing Hillary Clinton or John McCain to make Obama look better. Vote for Obama on his experience, connections, record and judgment. No one has yet told me why I should vote for Obama. Everyone tells my why I shouldn't vote for the other candidates.

I believe the criteria for GWB was that he ran a "better campaign". I fail to see how that translated to being a better president.

For what it is worth, I do not smoke hopium and I have not yet had an obotomy. So one's argument needs to be more compelling for me to support Obama.

From Linda C on the Dear Blogger Boyz thread.

Anglachel Makes Me Feel Dumb

In the best possible ways.

Go read Legitimacy or Unity (and BTW- I actually knew the Machiavelli stuff, but the Rousseau stuff is new to me)

ETA: Hey I said sort of the same thing here. And I also said it to the Kid, who then went and said it to his social studies teacher. Who didn't get the point. Sad really the a 13 year old boy can understand that democracy needs opposition but a 40 something teacher of US History and government does not.

Will this make my future wife believe in God?

Hey Soopermouse- this one's for you, you gypsy goddess

Winners don't yap

Via Riverdaughter

Escape planning

After reading this scary post

And seeing this scary graph

I decided to brush up on my Spanish so that I am really fluent when I elope with Soopermouse and run away to Spain. So I've been watching Spanish commercials and stuff on youtube.

And now this song is stuck in my head.

Hillary, Racism, Obama, Sexism

I can't embed CNN's videos- so you all are gonna have to be old fashioned about and click this link.

The question of the day is- Should Hillary reject the votes of racists?

I dunno- Should Obama reject the votes of sexists? Should Kos and the Obamabots have their votes disenfranchised because of the raging sexism? Has Obama been called on to denounce the sexism of himself (other than an apology for his "sweetie" moment")his campaign, and his blogger boyz?

Nope.

I don't think I've heard a single Hillary supporter say that Obama should ignore say all the white male votes in Oregon (Oh I am way too familiar with the particular Northwest form of misogyny- it's the "But I can't be a sexist cause I'm a democrat- BITCH!" form).

Because a vote is a vote is a vote. Racists get to vote, sexists get to vote, southerners get to vote, northerners get to vote.

So Obama can't win working class white votes. He can't win southern white votes. Why might that be?

Partly it might be racism- but let's go back to that practical privilege idea I keep talking about. Poor, working class whites are much more likely to be in regular contact with poor, working class AAs. In that situation, AAs become their direct competition for jobs and being on the thin edge of the poverty line makes it difficult enough. They don't have room for competition. Losing a job means homelessness and hunger. One of the ways the elites keeps their power is by keeping the poor fighting each other in groups. Hello Obama! Riling up the poor whites been working for you as an election strategy so far? Huhmm?

So Obama could have gone a long way towards making ALL working class people; black, white, yellow, brown, feel more secure. He could have offered up an economic plan for creating more middle class jobs. He could offer up a real health care plan. But instead of giving people the impression that he wants to increase opportunities for everyone, he gives fuzzy visions of hope and unity. But neither of those things put bread on the table. And to scared, working class and poor whites, unity sounds a whole lot like they are about to be screwed. To them, Obama's vision of unity means another round of pushing one group of poor people ahead at the expense of another group of poor people. They've seen that before, it's part of the reason why they loathe affirmative action. (Note that I am pro affirmative action- I am explaining a mindset folks)

Hillary actually has the background in creating opportunities for every race at the bottom of the ladder. We know it. Before Obama, the Clintons were dearly beloved by both poor AAs and poor whites. Both Bill and Hillary understand that the only way to overcome racism in this country is by increasing opportunities for everyone.

I don't fault AAs for voting for Obama (duh! First truly viable black candidate. They should vote for him if that's what they want) but it is up to Obama to make himself viable to the entire country, even to voters he personally detests. That means working class whites. That means Latinos. That means middle aged (and younger- hello!) women who think sweetie is condescending and would rather have more bodily autonomy than "some".

And he has failed.

Miserably.

So when they say Hillary should reject the votes of racists, they mean that they want to cut off poor white southerners from the voting process. That is a mistake not just for the party- who will create a permanent Republican majority by ignoring such a huge voting block, but for the advancement of our country as a whole. We will never get past racism as long as it's a black or white question. We will only get past racism when it's a black AND white solution.

Hurray Kentucky!

Hillary gets 65%, Obama get 30.

But they are poor, rural, working class whites so the Democratic party doesn't really count them as voters.

For OuyangDan

Get your Whedon on here.

Are you salivating? Squirming in your seat a wee bit?

Cause we all know you have a giant girl boner for the Whedon.

Must read

Especially for the WWTSBQA (Why won't the stupid bitch quit already) club.

Hillary leads in the popular vote and after Kentucky's win tonight it will be a decided lead. She also tromps, tramples and smashed in electoral votes- you know, the ones that will count in November when we go up against McCain.

She also doesn't turn into a big whiny baby like Obama does when he realizes that Ahmygawd- politics is rough and dirty. (Does anyone else have a younger sibling? Does Obama remind you of that younger sibling when they would start a fight by say smacking you in the head and then yell for mama when you retaliated? Cause that's what he reminds me of).

Remember kids, come November it's the map not the math.

Hey Oregon and Kentucky

Go vote.

And BTW Oregonians, a good friend has made a promise that should you pick Hillary as the winner, she will give up cheese and start believing in god. While I think giving up cheese is taking things too far (dear gawd, what's next? Sex and booze?) you have the power to save her immortal soul.

Not to mention you can save the heart and soul of our party and our country with a vote for Hilary.

Think about it.

YAY CODE PINK!

Tody they interrupted McSame's Iran saber-rattling to sing:

**UPDATE*** Links to YouTube added

MCCAIN'S IN THE KITCHEN WITH GEORGE BUSH,
COOKIN' UP ANOTHER WAR!

Saw it live on Faux News

MSNBC played the speech 5 min later, disappearing the interruption.

Math and Girls

Echidne has an awesome post taking down yet another sexist take on "Why don't more women go into math, science and engineering?"

So I am going to tell the story of one of my closest friends. R is easily the most brilliant woman I know. I adore her, respect her and am occasionally in awe of her. The only reason our relationship hasn't fallen into hero worship is that she feels the same way about me. We very much compliment each other in weaknesses and strengths.

R has one of the most awesome feminist boyfriends ever- B. They are both math majors. They take all the same classes, do all the same tests, work on research projects together.

They had the same teacher for several classes. As usual, they did the same homework, etc. Their work was very similar, though not exactly the same because they didn't copy off each other, but did work together to find the right answers occasionally.

B got consistently higher grades on homework and tests. On one final the professor only graded a few of R's answers and then guessed what he thought her grade should be. B got his entire test graded and got a higher score. Their answers were similar.

So already, not even in grad school yet, and R is getting graded less fairly than a male with similar skills and abilities.

But here is where I have hope- and I brag a bit about B's feminist cred. They are applying to grad schools and want to stay together. Getting into a good grad program is difficult enough, but getting two people into a good grad problem is exponentially more difficult. B, before returning to school, was a successful programmer. He has said that if it came down to only one of them going to grad school, R will. And he will follow her. He can get a job making good money anywhere. He is very aware that as a woman R must have her grad degree to be able to work in her chosen profession.

But R is lucky in this. Most women don't have that option. It is normally the women who follow the men and their careers around.

So perhaps more women don't enter into math and science careers because 1) despite what you may think gender bias in education is still very real and 2) the responsibilities we put on women to maintain relationships through personal sacrifice preclude them from spending 8 years getting a degree in a place that may not allow their partner career or education options.

That and I've seen the kinds of work they have to do to keep their GPAs up. I don't know that if R & B had the responsibilities of children or even the necessity of working full time while in school, that they could keep up like they need to, despite their utter brilliance. But those kinds of responsibilities usually fall on the woman.

So I go back to thinking about the recentering piece from Feminist Philosophers earlier today. We know there are fewer women in math and science. What can we do to make it easier and more tempting for them to go into that kind of study is a much better question to ask than why don't women like math. I can think of a few things right off the bat, like having more women math and science professors to begin with. Perhaps monitoring of grades to make sure professors aren't consistently underscoring female students so that the onus for calling out sexism isn't on powerless students who may have no idea that their classmates are getting graded easier than they are.

That's just a start.

For my entire family in Florida

whose votes don't count.



Count the fricken votes already.

Sunday Night Music

I'm in a mood. So you all get Elliot Smith videos. It's usually a bad sign when I start pulling out music by tragically dead rock stars. Sorry.

Baby Britain (feels the best floating over a sea of vodka)



Somebody That I Used to Know



And an almost cheerful song- Say Yes

Mushy Girl Movies

I usually hate (and I mean want to stab my eyes out with a fork and puncture my ear drums hate) what passes for a romantic movie nowadays. The girls are generally stupid and the boys are inept.

That said- I'm in a mushy girl movie kind of mood. So I rented Love Actually and spent this morning recovering from a hangover and getting all blubby. And I think later tonight I am going to watch (for the elevetymillionth time) Persuasion. And when I'm really in the mood to sob like a baby over love, I watch The Constant Gardener.

Then there are classics like Casablanca and my favorite Hitchcock, Notorious. ( You all might notice that I like my romance with a side of political strife)

So what do you all watch when you need to get your girly movie on?

Clarity

With the O'bots there seems to be this misconception that I am anti- Obama because I am a rabid vagina voter who is upset that a girl (any girl) might be beat to the white house by a boy.

Lemme clarify.

I will not vote for Obama because of his own failings. While the behavior of the Blogger Boyz and the O'bots and even Michelle Obama are ATROCIOUS, it is Obama himself who has made it impossible for me to vote for him. And that doesn't actually have anything to do with Hillary.

And I am not pro-Hillary simply because I want to see a woman in the White House (though I do very very much want to see that- if it was just a matter of getting a vagina in power then I would have supported Elizabeth Dole a few years ago). I like Hillary's policies. I trust her experience. And I think she is the only person in this campaign strong enough to pull our country through the coming shitstorm.

For every other election, I have not had a problem voting for someone who was not my original candidate of choice. This is the first time that the "presumptive" nominee has been such a miserable option that I cannot support him no matter what.

I believe that a President Obama would do damage to myself and my family. I believe this as a women, a parent, a member of the working class. I believe that Obama has repeatedly shown through his words and actions that the things that add to the struggle in my life are things he either doesn't care about or are things he will make more difficult for me. And being that we are so close to the edge all ready, I cannot afford that kind of ignorance or condescension from the leader of my own party.

I also know that Hillary has a long and established record of doing things that help people like me. And we need help.

I hope it's all clear now.

Recentering

An awesome post- go read.

A Perfect Day

Yesterday was one of those perfect days that go on forever. There was perfect weather, awesome food, great friends and much slurry drunk conversation (my favorite kind). Some of my friends are Obama supporters, not obamabots, but thoughtful people. We got to talk about the election with anyone throwing out sexist terms, which is so very rare in this election. My friends have no problem with voting for Hillary if she is the nominee, though they know that I will not vote for Obama unless he is Hillary's vp.

I miss that. I miss thoughtful discussion with people who are supposed to be on our side. I miss intelligent debate. While there is no way my opinion can be swayed towards Obama, it is still nice to see that we have much in common with those on the other side. After weeks of hearing nothing but screaming sexists crazies rail on about "that bitch" it made me happy.

Afterwards, a bunch of us packed up and continued the drinking at my house- where every single boy in the room had voted for Hillary in the primary. Every one. And contrary to popular belief, they were young (all under 35), well educated members of the creative class. (Actually I had a house full of Microsoft employees last night- not terribly uncommon here but still I feel a bit like I'm being absorbed by the borg).

I will still continue to mock the bots mercilessly, but it's good to know they are not all Kooliad cultists. And no one once mentioned the words hope or unity.

Which oddly enough, gives me hope.