Armchair Punditry – Non Omnis Moriar

constantia — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 03:30:50 +0000

Surely this isn’t really a shock to anyone. If there’s one thing that Willard has been consistent on, it’s his contempt for anyone that doesn’t come from wealth and privilege, and his gross ignorance of the realities of living in the lower and middle classes.

He’s not backpedaling, either, and neither is the RNC. Reince Preibus feels Romney is perfectly on-message with this.

All of this notwithstanding — should Willard really be talkin’ taxes? I’ll show you my tax returns if you show me yours.

Fuck yeah, Girl Scouts.

constantia — Fri, 11 May 2012 02:21:20 +0000

I didn’t know much about the Girl Scouts before all the recent controversy. I bought cookies, and that’s pretty much it. (Mostly Thin Mints, for those of you who are curious.) Then comes all this controversy: first that rotten little bigot that wanted to instigate a boycott because the GS embrace transgender members, Indiana State Rep. Bob Morris accusing the Girl Scouts of promoting abortion and homosexuality, that they distribute pro-abortion sex pamphlets, and now this nonsense from the Cat’lics. So much nonsense and bullshit.

Well, I’ve learned a lot about the Girl Scouts ever since the screeching started. I’ve learned that they’re inclusive, open-minded, and philanthropic. I’ve learned that they really do a lot of good for their members and their communities.

Thank you, lunatics and bigots. I never would have bothered to research the Girl Scouts if you hadn’t bleated out your histrionics. I look forward to becoming a volunteer when I sign Lilith up to join the Daisies.

[ mirror ]

constantia — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 22:31:44 +0000

Fear of Sex: How America’s Absurd Oral Sex & Sodomy Laws Were Overturned

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Der Keuschheitsgürtel Woodcut: Heinrich Vogtherr II, Germany, c 1540.

Depressing.

constantia — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:03:53 +0000

A majority of people don’t know the name of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. More frightening? Eight percent named Thurgood Marshall, who not only was never the Chief Justice but also died in 1993. And let’s not even talk about the four percent who think Harry Reid, a Senator not a member of the Supreme Court, is the Chief Justice.

Yes, the data is from the summer of 2010, which is almost two years ago now. And yes, with the Court more front and center in the news — Citizens United, health care — of late, it’s possible those able to name John Roberts as the Chief Justice may be slightly higher today. But, only slightly.

What the above chart proves is that analysis about how what the Court does — whether it’s what they have already done on Citizens United or what they might do with the Affordable Care Act — will impact the political landscape amounts to something close to a guessing game.

Regular people are simply not engaged — they don’t know or care — about the intricacies of the government in a way that people who live inside the Beltway and spend their lives in politics are.

It’s a lesson we have to re-learn constantly.

[ source ]

constantia — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 00:03:20 +0000

Tom Tomorrow for Daily Kos: A new controversy erupts.

SOPA / PIPA Blackout

constantia — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 02:15:36 +0000

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab and Black Phoenix Trading Post will be going dark on January 18th in protest of H.R.3261 (SOPA) and S.968 (PIPA). The following links provide loads of information on these bills:

americancensorship.org
Stop the Internet Blacklist Legislation
How PIPA and SOPA Violate White House Principles Supporting Free Speech and Innovation
A Technical Examination of SOPA and ProtectIP
What is SOPA?
Cory Doctorow on SOPA and PIPA
Where Do Your Members of Congress Stand on SOPA and PIPA?
On-Record Statements and Actions by Members of Congress Re: SOPA & PIPA
Tumblr’s Call to Arms
The Colbert Report on SOPA
SOPA Strike

Please make your voices heard: contact your representatives –
House
Senate

constantia — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:36:57 +0000

Yesterday was great fun. Got loads of laughs from pundits saying things like “Santorum Surging in Iowa” and “Santorum Explodes Into Iowa” and “Iowa Republicans Love Santorum” and such and whatnot.

Because I am very mature, you see, and have a very sophisticated sense of humor.

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constantia — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 00:00:57 +0000

constantia — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 20:07:16 +0000

“I was there to take down the names of people who were arrested… As I’m standing there, some African-American woman goes up to a police officer and says, ‘I need to get in. My daughter’s there. I want to know if she’s OK.’ And he said, ‘Move on, lady.’ And they kept pushing with their sticks, pushing back. And she was crying. And all of a sudden, out of nowhere, he throws her to the ground and sta…rts hitting her in the head,” says Smith. “I walk over, and I say, ‘Look, cuff her if she’s done something, but you don’t need to do that.’ And he said, ‘Lady, do you want to get arrested?’ And I said, ‘Do you see my hat? I’m here as a legal observer.’ He said, ‘You want to get arrested?’ And he pushed me up against the wall.”

— Retired New York Supreme Court Judge Karen Smith, working as a legal observer after the raids on Zucotti Park this Tuesday

The full story.

The People’s Library

constantia — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:18:31 +0000

First wave of People’s Library / OWS Library donations bought from Dark Delicacies. They contributed a stack, too!