John McCain, who at 63.8% missed votes has ditched out on work more than any other member of the 110th Congress, has taken to complaining that Congress should come back to session early in order to let him “drill here and drill now,” already. But he has “not missed any crucial vote.” Oh, the irony, it burns!

Liveblogging the McCain/Obama/Warren/skydaddy wankfest.

“Measuring the ‘Colbert Bump’: Do politicians raise more funds after appearing on “The Colbert Report” comedy show?”

Debra at RAN wonders, “Why don’t the environmental & animal rights movements work together?”

Meat Spaghetti? “You know how some parents resort to tricking their kids into eating certain foods when they’re little? Try not to gag: ‘Meat scientists’ have come up with a way to make meat into spaghetti to trick kids into eating meat.”

Look who’s in the April-June edition of the Vegetarian Society of Hawaii’s newsletter, The Island Vegetarian! (Hint: jump to page 17.)

Last-but-not-least, via Black Canseco @ Racialicious: Why We Want Our Kids Back Too:

Nancy Grace doesn’t have an aneurysm on camera when LaToya goes missing. Dan Abrams doesn’t get outraged when Marcus or Jamar vanishes. Katie Couric and Barabara Walters don’t break down in tears when kids from South Central are murdered. Bill O’Reilly and Keith Olbermann don’t interrupt your program when Jaunita is found chopped up into pieces. Magazines and newspapers aren’t tracking those cases. They’re just not news enough or “human interest” enough for all of that.

Ironically, according to the FBI, the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children and other orgs, most of missing children (those under 18) in America are neither white nor female. In fact 33% of all missing children under 18 are African American girls; overall, it’s believed that Black, Hispanic and Asian Americans account for over 40% of all missing children under 18. As for missing adults (those over 18), the National Center of Missing Adults, FBI, and other orgs have report similar findings.

Lastly, the Amber Alert, which was originally designed for missing children under the age of 18, yet has no set national criteria for use (guidelines vary by state) has been under attack from critics claiming it’s used mostly for white female adults, many of whom haven’t been abducted but have “runaway” or have voluntarily left their environments.

These kinds of hypocrisies and disparities drove me to look for ways to help. That’s how I discovered great child advocacy sites like Missing Minorities, What About Our Daughters? and Black And Missing. Since I used to write ads for a living, I figured I could do something they could use—and the We Want Our Kids Back, Too campaign was born.

Read the whole thing, and then download a poster (or two or three) here.

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Tagged: link love link dump links john mccain barack obama 2008 elections racism race missing children msm environment animal rights movements activism meat spaghetti mad science colbert bump

**sob**

Oh no he didn’t. Well, at least I didn’t vote for the man in ‘04. Note to fauxgressives: who’s the asshole now?

Elsewhere in politics, *happy dance*: Barack Obama to adopt dog. As in “adopt,” not “buy.” Still not voting for him, tho.

What with all the dream team circle-jerking over which villains will battle with Batman in the next installment of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight series, Catwoman is, predictably, the villainess receiving the, um, lion’s share of the attention. But she’s been done. Well. (And no, I’m not talking about the prepubescent wankfest that was Catwoman. That was just…sad.) Poison Ivy, on the other hand (paw? leaf?), could use a good revamping. Besides, green is the new red. And the new black. Could there be a better time to resurrect and reimagine Batman’s eco-terraist foil than now?

So what would a Poison Ivy circa 2010 involve? Well, she definitely needs some VHEMT and hooded animal liberationist tats. And wouldn’t it be cool if her costume wasn’t a costume at all, but a living, breathing (possibly semi-intelligent) plant? If the filmmakers want to sex her up a little, they can always put rose buds over her nips…just as long as she has an Audrey head to hover over her shoulder. And, erm, no cartoon red hair, please. She’s a redhead, not a fucking clown.

It goes without saying that Ms. Ivy will be the heroine of the story, no?

Speaking of villains and heroes, “The hammer is my penis.” Best superhero line, or best superhero line evah?

(I’ve been bouncing around the house, yelling this all week. Seriously. It’s temporarily replaced IBTP as my refrain of choice whenever Dude Nation sticks, pokes, or jams something in my crabby feminist craw.)

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Tagged: link love batman poison ivy catwoman john kerry barack obama dr. horrible joss whedon

C’mon, you know you want it.

Support Rep. Kucinich’s Articles of Impeachment @ Democrats.com:

We’ve waited years to find one Member of Congress brave enough to stand up for our Constitution, for which generations of Americans have fought and died. We are thrilled and honored that Dennis Kucinich has chosen to be that one genuine patriot.

Of course, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA-8), Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (MD-5), and Democratic Caucus Chair Rahm Emanuel (IL-5) all remain adamantly opposed to impeachment - despite the overwhelming evidence of High Crimes, including the “Phase II” report by the Senate Intellligence Committee and Scott McClellan’s new book.

And when Rep. Robert Wexler (FL-19) called for Judiciary Committee hearings on Kucinich’s Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Cheney in January, only 17 Democrats joined them: Neil Abercrombie (HI-1), Tammy Baldwin (WI-2), Michael Capuano (MA-8), Yvette Clarke (NY-11), Lacy Clay (MO-1), Steve Cohen (TN-9), Peter DeFazio (OR-4), Keith Ellison (MN-5), Sam Farr (CA-17), Raúl Grijalva (AZ-7), Luis Gutierrez (IL-4), Barbara Lee (CA-9), Gwen Moore (WI-4), Jim Moran (VA-8), Mike Thompson (CA-1), Ed Towns (NY-10), and Lynn Woolsey (CA-6).

So Kucinich’s heroic efforts will be in vain unless we inundate Congress with emails and calls (202-224-3121) showing our full support for Rep. Kucinich’s 35 Articles of Impeachment.

(More below the fold…)

I’ve been alternating between busy and lazy (and more than a few fits of blubbery sentimentality); consequently, I almost missed these June celebrations:

Over at their Blog of Rights, the ACLU has been hosting a week-long symposium on LGBT rights. Melissa links to her favorites; though I haven’t been able to read ‘em all yet, I loved Bitch Ph.D.’s How the Gays Taught Me to Stop Worrying and Love Marriage. You can find all the entires filed under LGBT Symposium.

Also via Shakesville, Happy Juneteenth! As only 29 states recognize the holiday, Melissa offers a fine suggestion for belated Juneteenth celebrations. Hint: it involves chastising your state legislators.

Finally, a little ghost reminds us that today is the National Fourth Amendment Defense Day. May I direct you to this post at the ACLU Blog for further “celebrating”?

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Tagged: link love aclu fourth amendment juneteenth slavery holidays observances glbt

I’m seriously (SRSLY!!!!1!!!1!) getting burned out on politics, but this shit is too good to pass up. At the risk of blowing the same horn ad nauseum, some link love. Or hate, would probably be a more accurate description.

Let the blaming commence!

And the Hillary Sexism Watch rolls on! Part 107: Just a Pair of Titz Edition

The Obama Racism/Muslim/Unpatriotic/Scary Black Dude Watch is at Part 55. I’ll send you to Part 54 for the backlinks.

Also, from Gina of What About Our Daughters?, Michelle Obama Watch:

Michelle Obama Watch is a nonpartisan effort to monitor the media’s treatment and depiction of Michelle Obama, the most visible African American woman in popular culture. Michelle Obama Watch will become the repository of the good, the bad, the ugly and the indifferent.

I’d like to close my eyes and think that they’ll only be able to fill the site with unicorns, soy ice cream, talking puppies and other good stuff, but we all know that ain’t gonna be the case. More likely a whole lotta of bad and ugly.

Exhibit #1: Michelle is “Obama’s Baby Mama!”, according to Faux Newz. (Via.)

I’m a low-hanging fruit. No, for reals:

I’m surprised they missed the opportunity for a melon joke.

(The time was ripe, you know what I’m sayin’?!? As in girls have boobies! ZOMG breasteses! Wait, what was I saying again?)

Trying to keep it classy, I guess.

For calling out the media’s misogyny vis-à-vis Hillary Clinton, douchebag extraordinaire Keith Olbermann hits Katie Couric with a nice dose of…

…misogyny! How fitting.

Jay Leno - who, despite not being a member of the MSM, is a fuckwit all the same - “quipped that Senator Hillary Clinton would offer Obama a lap dance in exchange for the Vice Presidency.” NOW has more. (Via.)

Finally, in a slightly more uplifting piece, Dr. Socks writes about teh wimmins’ newfound leverage. Go, read, now.

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Tagged: 2008 elections hillary clinton barack obama michelle obama misogyny racism msm politics video link love

Indecision ‘08 ed. Democralypse now or Republigeddon? - Take your pick.

How right-wing crap polluted Democrats’ political waters @ Ornicus:

That’s how right-wing crap works. It’s not meant to advance or even partake of discourse; it’s meant to end it. One can argue the worth of Hillary’s policies or her voting record or her position on the war till the cows come home; but when she’s reduced to being a bitch, that pretty much ends the discussion. And when it’s as pervasive as it’s become in the past decade, its effects are paralyzingly toxic.

And it’s important to remember that the same holds true regarding right-wing attitudes about a black man like Obama winning the White House. The most polite versions of right-wing cant hold that Obama’s not experienced enough to be president, but the underlying drumbeat of this meme has been all about his foreign-sounding name or his supposed Muslim ties or his “weakness” on national security … about his being a black man.

For the Record: Follow-Up @ Shakespeare’s Sister:

The post was not about Clinton losing. In fact, it wasn’t really about the election at all, per se, except insomuch as Clinton’s candidacy served as a big fat target for public misogyny. That’s why it’s really, really, really not about Clinton supporters being sad that Clinton lost, or even about Clinton supporters at all. It was about the women specifically (and feminists/womanists generally) who had seen this spectacular display of Misogyny: Unleashed! and, irrespective of whom they were supporting, were upset at how the primary had played out with regard to sexism.

(More below the fold…)

Hey! It’s World Environment Day!

Gee. What an Honor! @ ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES

We Need You @ Shakesville

60,000 Perish In Boston Blaze @ VeganBits

Corporate-Sponsored “Slacktivism”: Bigger and More Dangerous than the Urban Dictionary Realizes @ PR Watch

Oppression, Revolution, and “the Other” … Doctor Who-style @ the Lantern Books Blog

REPRESENTING HEROINES IN THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES @ Sociological Images

Also via Sociological Images, I see that Project: Canadian Club continues to grow! Check out the newest kick-ass ads here.

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Tagged: link love

Democralypse Now edition!

Hillary Sexism Watch, #104:

Says Melissa: “Chicago Priest, Father Michael Pfleger, guest ministering at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, gives a sermon on white privilege and entitlement (cool) and uses the occasion to tear into Hillary Clinton with wanton misogyny and accusations of racism (not cool).”

Jim Webb as Obama VP? Not quite as bad as eating succulent puppy flesh, but it still might drive me to the Green Party for the third consecutive presidential election cycle.

“Sexist, racist, wingnut bullshit” attacks on Michelle Obama are not ok.

And, um, wtf is up with Geraldine Ferraro?

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Tagged: link love

Your Mom wasn’t a Stepford. She fought for the right to vote, for equal pay, against gender and racial discrimination. She drank from a well that gave us all strength.

Well fuck you very much, Keiffe & Sons Ford of Mojave, California.

Via American Humane: Tips for Reporting Internet Animal Abuse

Make Your Own O’Reilly Tantrum Remix!

Chicago City Council Repeals Foie Gras Ban; Political subterfuge reverses popular humane law approved in 2006

Go, Oprah! Go Vegan!

And a few reflections on Memorial Day:

Mourning and Mobilization @ SuperWeed

A Memorial Day memory… @ AngryBlackBitch

He Loved Horses @ ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES

That’s all I’ve got for now. If y’all will excuse me, I’ve got to haul some gravel while the weather’s still somewhat bearable.

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Tagged: link love

The 2007 Femmostroppo Awards are up!

Oh, yays! TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES is coming back for a second season! Don’t fuck this up, Fox.

ZOMG! Oprah is going vegan! Errr, wait. Oprah is going vegan?

Headline of the day: “Psycho Christians and the media; Why the press gives McCain a pass for consorting with batshit holy men, but condemns Obama to talk-show hell for the same sin.”

What’s so bad about “sweetie,” anyway? I was *this close* to writing my own post on the topic (working title: “Don’t call me sweetie, sugartits.”), but Rebecca Traister nailed it, so go read her instead. While you’re at it, this too, via.

In addition to causing cervical cancer in women, researchers have found that HPV may also lead to oral cancers in men. PZ wonders, “Shall [the religious right] encourage this vaccination to protect their precious boy-children, or will it be sufficient to scream against the sin of heterosexual oral sex from the pulpit? And can they even bear to talk about such ‘bizarre’ sexual practices in church?” Tough call.

In Myanmar, where at least 134,000 people dead or missing, and 2.5 million survivors are in need of aid, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is expected to meet with head of state Senior General Than Shwe during his trip there this week. The goal? “To convince the country to accept a full-scale cyclone relief operation.”

Wiki has a helpful entry on Cyclone Nargis, including a section on relief organizations working in the area. If you’d like to make a donation, start there.

Meanwhile, the death toll in China is at 40,000, with 250,000 people injured and 5 million homeless. CN Reviews has a list of 24+ ways to give here.

And, shockingly (not - that was sarcasm, people), misogyny flourishes in the wake of a natural disaster:

A Chinese magazine has been shut down for printing pictures of scantily clad women posing in rubble for a special report on the country’s devastating earthquake, officials said on Wednesday.

The New Travel Weekly, a small lifestyle magazine, ran photos of sultry models in their underwear amid the debris in an issue that hit the stands on Monday - the first of three days of national mourning.

Way to keep it classy, New Travel Weekly.

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Tagged: link love