Though I’ve reviewed a few animal themed books for www.easyvegan.info, my AR/enviro blog, I’ve only sporadically posted book reviews over here. Now that I’m really into audiobooks - hey, what better to help work through the mind-numbing boredom of rote web editing? - I’m flying through my library. That, and a sudden influx of to-be-read-and-reviewed books via Library Thing and teh internets, and methinks I’m going to be drowning in reviews soon. What better place to post them than here?

I’ll start off with I Am America (And So Can You), by Dr. Stephen Colbert, DFA. Since the writer’s strike is still going strong, I’ve yet to watch a new episode of The Colbert Report in ‘08. Luckily, the audio version of I Am America has helped to ease the pain somewhat. In all seriousness (and in direct contrast to my review), I do own both the hardcover and audio versions of I Am America, and the audio book is way better than the print version. Don’t get me wrong; the book is quite amusing, but Colbert’s reading gives it an extra pop that’s lacking in the book. It’s just like The Colbert Report, only without the visuals. Four stars for the hardcover, five for the audio book.

If you like the review, hop on over to Amazon.com and/or Library Thing and give me a thumbs up.

Ralphie likes his Truth hot and hard.

(More below the fold…)

choreplay

When a woman is turned on by the sight of her husband/boyfriend/partner doing regular household chores, that she would normally be doing.

“Last night, it was all about choreplay. I was all ‘OH YEAH, fold that laundry. Oh yes, just like that! In half and, then in half again. OHHH’”

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Tagged: housework choreplay urban dictionary

More post-Roe electoral goodness!

Planned Parenthood Action Fund Kicks Off Program To Bring One Million Voters to Polls

On 35th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Reproductive Health Organization Flexes Political Muscle

January 22, 2008

Washington, DC — Today, the Planned Parenthood Action Fund celebrated the 35th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision with a bold and ambitious announcement: the political and advocacy arm of the nation’s most trusted reproductive health care provider will bring one million voters to the polls on Election Day 2008. Calling their program the “One Million Strong Campaign,” Planned Parenthood leaders outlined a grassroots effort that also seeks to elect a pro-choice president and win key elections up and down the ballot.

“Under President Bush, women have seen access to basic health care like birth control become increasingly unaffordable and inaccessible. They watched as the president appointed an anti-birth control hardliner to run the nation’s family planning program. And they’ve now seen the White House and the state governments pour more than $1.5 billion into ineffective and dangerous abstinence-until-marriage programs that do nothing to prevent unintended pregnancies,” said Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund.

“To keep our doors open and continue serving the millions of Americans that come to Planned Parenthood every year for information and health services, it’s clear that we need to step into the electoral arena. That’s why we’re going to bring one million voters who care about women’s health to the polls to change things in 2008,” continued Richards. “Women voters and young adults already trust Planned Parenthood’s health information — and this year they’ll be able to rely on the Planned Parenthood Action Fund for election information.”

Sign up here to keep track of the campaign’s activities:

The Action Fund’s work is crucial to protecting Americans’ reproductive health and rights. Here’s what we’re doing now:

* Focusing on key state races to elect legislators who will fight to protect the right to privacy and a woman’s right to choose. (The South Dakota abortion ban passed the State Senate by only three votes — proof that elections have consequences.)

* Targeting governor’s races, so that we can elect statewide representatives who will have the courage and wherewithal to oppose and veto legislation like this.

* Mounting aggressive grassroots political efforts in key states like Colorado, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin.

and have your voice counted among the 1,000,000+.

(Hopefully more like 10,000,000, but them’s wishful thoughts!)

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Tagged: action alerts planned parenthood abortion reproductive rights repro rights 2008 elections feminism politics activism contraception get out the vote Roe v. Wade George W. Bush

The resemblance is uncanny.

Incidentally, I loathed Teddy Ruxpin as a child.

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Tagged: wolf blitzer the situation room cnn msm mainstream media, the media lol lolz teddy ruxpin

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Tagged: Jerry O’Connell Tom Cruise Scientology religion godbags video

Get blogging, bitchez!

A few weeks ago, I was chatting with my little sis online while the (seemingly never ending) CNN campaign coverage droned on in the background. At 24, Michelle is only five years younger than this featherhead - but sometimes, the gap seems so much wider.

Though I took some women and gender studies courses while majoring in psychology in college, it was only in the years after graduation that I really discovered and embraced feminism. Not that was an anti-feminist in college, not at all; I just didn’t question, criticize, and examine the patriarchical culture in which I was - am - immersed. Like most women my age, I took hard-earned rights such as reproductive rights and the right to vote for granted, and casually threw around misogynistic terms such as “bitch” and “slut” - and not with the end goal of reclaiming them for the feminist side. Even though I was receptive to my feminist professor’s teachings, it took the internets to introduce me to patriarchy-blaming, I guess. Age and maturity most likely greased the old vagina, too.

Looking at Michelle, I see much of my teenage self in her; just, exaggerated. She’s also studying psych, but she’s veered towards more marketable psych skills - think occupational psychology. She’s never had the benefit of women or gender studies courses - not even a one! - and she’s not exactly politically active, either. In fact, she’s so indifferent to current events - particularly women’s issues - that it’s a little alarming, actually. Even as a little kiddo, I read the local newspaper.

Which brings me back to our conversation. At the time, the election issue de jour was the sexist attacks on Hillary and her subsequent “breakdown”. Half-listening to the coverage in the background, and suddenly a bit curious, I asked Michelle who she planned on voting for in the primaries. She was non-committal; “anyone but Hillary” was her reply. “Why not Hillary?” asked I, knowing full well what her answer would be. “Just don’t like her.” No reason, just a visceral reaction.

Assuming (ok, hoping!) that Michelle’s indecision only extended to the primaries, and that surely (please?) she’d vote Democrat in the national election no matter what, I asked her whether she’d vote for Hillary if she was the Democratic nominee…or if she’d rather vote Republican than support Hillary. “Eh…I’d probably vote for the Republican.”

(More below the fold…)

91% Mike Gravel
86% Dennis Kucinich
81% John Edwards
78% Chris Dodd
78% Barack Obama
77% Bill Richardson
74% Hillary Clinton
70% Joe Biden
39% Rudy Giuliani
36% John McCain
33% Mike Huckabee
30% Ron Paul
25% Mitt Romney
22% Tom Tancredo
18% Fred Thompson

2008 Presidential Candidate Matching Quiz

I knew there was something I liked about Mike Gravel, creepy campaign ads aside. Although, they really should add in a question on dietary restrictions, since our shared veganism certainly would have put my score more in line with Kucinich’s.

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Tagged: quiz 2008 elections dennis kucinich mike gravel the internets

moar cute puppy pictures

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Tagged: lol lolz lol dog 2008 elections hot dog wiener dog dachshund

So let’s get this all straight. Two activists board a ship, with a letter of intent, because the whalers refused to respond to radio communications. Whalers rough them up, tie them up, and then Yasuaki Sasaki, the captain, makes a series of demands, including activists must stop filming the whalers’ activities and not come within 10 nautical miles of the whaling ship.

But the anti-whaling advocates are the terrorists?

- Will Potter, commenting on the recent capture and subsequent release of two Sea Shepherd Conservation Society terrorists anti-whaling activists.

Is it just me, or does something stink?

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Tagged: will potter Sea Shepherd Conservation Society Sea Shepherd war on terra terrorism whaling whales whale meat activism scientific whaling quotes animal rights animal welfare flickr photos shit

My local radio station is doing a “My List Weekend” where they let listeners submit their top ten songs and, if ur realy realy lucky (*prays to FSM*), they’ll play your list back, like, live n stuff. I don’t usually participate in these sort of things, but I thought of ten songs off the cuff in the shower, and figured wtf.

1. American Idiot - Green Day

2. He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss) - Hole

3. Capital G - Nine Inch Nails

4. Pure Morning - Placebo

5. 99 Red Balloons - Goldfinger

6. Come On Eileen - Save Ferris

7. Can’t Hardly Wait - The Replacements

8. Want You Bad - The Offspring

9. Brand New Key - Rasputina

10. The Underdog - Spoon

alts:

Holiday - Green Day

She’s Got a Girlfriend Now - Reel Big Fish

Clearly, ’tis an election year.

The cool part is that you can view all the lists here. I’m waaay back - try page 67 -
and I suspect that all those empty lists before me are, um, my bad. I think I was one word over in the “describe yourself in twenty words or less” field. ‘Twas a tad embarassing until I realized that none of my info was saved. No harm, no foul.

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Tagged: music politics 2008 election my list my list weekend ks mo kansas missouri