I actually have nothing further to say about new shoes, other than my vague plans to pack up my old ones (along with a number of my tops which I can't wear to work any more as they're either too worn or not appropriate) and take 'em to the nearest clothing drop for someone else who needs them more than me. But that involves going through my closet, not part of my plans for the rest of the day. Today's for blog catch-up -- finally done! -- and probably comics reading, in prep for the 4-day work week ahead. It's so great not to have that dread feeling in the pit of my stomach any more when I hear the word "work." May everyone who labors someday feel such joy.
• If all has gone well, Gustav will not have done anywhere near the damage that Katrina and Rita did a few years ago. Thank goodness, because our current administration is just about as ill-equipped to deal with somelike like that today as it was in 2005. Paul Krugman notes:
• See, here's the thing -- Republicans are so great at capturing media attention in part because their opposition is so accommodating. Take this supposedly subliminal shot from a McCain ad that skippy discusses. Now, I'm not saying it's impossible that the visual is deliberate, but are the Republicans really this competent at smearing, or is it just that they have no opposition? Time and again the Democrats squander opportunities to remind Americans just what the last eight years have meant, and they continue to be vague and nebulous and even coy. And liberal bloggers go searching for dirty tricks even where they don't necessarily exist, thus pretty much doing Karl Rove's work for him. No wonder he's considered such a "genius," with all the help he gets from the other side! You don't want these people to be in power? Stop empowering them.
• That said, I must admit some of the humor regarding the presumptive Republican VP nominee amuses me, like JC Christian's interpretation of Palin posing with a bunch of animal skin-clad cronies and RJ Eskow's brilliant retort to Republicans whining that she has foreign policy experience because Alaska is "so close" (um, like 4400 miles?) to Russia. On a more serious note, Alaskan davenoon at Lawyers, Guns and Money examines his governor. And isn't it Republicans who keep saying it's not the sex, it's the lying? If Palin has no personal qualms about premarital sex, and the way she's been proudly publicizing her daughter's (second?) pregnancy she doesn't seem to (although, then again, there's evidence to the contrary), then hypocrisy doesn't enter into it, but misrepresenting yourself as a child's mother when you're actually the grandmother does have legal implications. Aside from that, and the phrasing of the pregnancy as a "choice" coming from forced-pregnancy fanatics (remember yesterday's link to the Hullabaloo post about how they change the meanings of words?), my main reaction to something that doesn't really affect me at all is pretty similar to Kevin Hayden's: Mazel tov, kids. And please consider naming the baby something normal so he or she doesn't have to go through what you and your siblings must have endured.
• I would be remiss, while we're on the subject of forced-pregnancy fanatics, not to cite Amanda's very interesting analysis of why they seem to feel "today abortion, tomorrow feminism" is the way to go.
• Speaking of Palin, just a reminder that Shakespeare's Sister has started a Palin Misogyny Watch (they're up to #5 already) because, as they say, "We defend Sarah Palin against misogynist smears not because we endorse her or her politics, but because that's how feminism works." This newest Watch joins their Michelle Obama Racism/Sexism Watch (currently at Part 14), the Barack Obama Racism/Muslim/Unpatriotic/Scary Black Dude Watch (up to Part 74 now!), and of course the Hillary Sexism Watch, which I'm willing to bet just won't go away after part 109. The best thing about these chronicles is that each of them references all those that came before it, to provide a very handy record of media critique during this important time in our democracy.
• Also at Shakesville, Melissa examines an "estrogen-fest" remark and I must say I'm in almost complete disagreement with her here. I've done at least two years of "Estrogen Month" posts when I do March round-ups touting female bloggers, and I consider stuff like that to be positive commentary, not mocking at all. I think this may be another case of looking for offense where none's intended (thus doing Karl's job for him again!). However, I completely concur with her grumbles about the Republicans cynically stealing the Democrats' thunder by rolling out their new product in August.
• Meanwhile, little things go unnoticed like the oil deal Iraq just signed with China (via Thers at Whiskey Fire).
• More praise for Rachel Maddow (via Creature at The Reaction) with this nice write-up in the Washington Post (hang on, isn't Howie Kurtz in the MSNBC company of players?) as well as from her patron Olbermann's own blog (via Foiled Goil at Big Brass Blog).
• A nice overview of (and rallying cry inspired by) the Democratic convention from Athenae at First Draft,
• Which secretive group is scarier, the Council for National Policy or the Blue Dog Democrats? Two sides of the same coin, really. Much like this remark passed along from a conservative blogger by a liberal blogger.
• Nicole Belle at Crooks and Liars finds a good roundup of local Twin Cities cartoonists gearing up for RepubliCon. Also at C&L, Jon Perr gives us a handy chart showing what each of the two major Presidential candidates' tax cut proposals would really mean for different income levels, and John Amato reminds us that Joe Lieberman was for Obama before he was against him.
• Miriam at Feministing wants to know who your favorite female graphic novelists are. With any luck and/or discipline, this time next year I may be one of them. :)
• Jesse Taylor reviews Tropic Thunder.
• We don't usually feed fish to our cats, so you can't lay this one at our feet.
• Mark Kleiman has an interesting post about Exploitation, kashrut, and global warming.
• Dang, I'll miss you, Vastleft! Please keep emailing me!
• The season finale of No Reservations is this evening and, as it's a behind-the-scenes thing, Tony Bourdain takes the opportunity on his blog to get even wonkier. Pretty good reading, but then Tony usually is.
• Finally, I have no idea if you'll be able to see the Take Back Labor Day festival, but the lineup sounds pretty cool. And Dr. Sardonicus at Corrente has gathered some nice quotes about Labor Day from Abraham Lincoln.
I can has husband now? Enjoy the rest of your long weekend, all!
• If all has gone well, Gustav will not have done anywhere near the damage that Katrina and Rita did a few years ago. Thank goodness, because our current administration is just about as ill-equipped to deal with somelike like that today as it was in 2005. Paul Krugman notes:
FEMA’s degradation, from one of the government's most admired agencies to a laughingstock, wasn't an isolated event; it was the result of the G.O.P.'s underlying philosophy. Simply put, when the government is run by a political party committed to the belief that government is always the problem, never the solution, that belief tends to become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Key priorities are neglected; key functions are privatized; and key people, the competent public servants who make government work, either leave or are driven out.I don't think the Democrats can emphasize this enough. I just wish they would!
• See, here's the thing -- Republicans are so great at capturing media attention in part because their opposition is so accommodating. Take this supposedly subliminal shot from a McCain ad that skippy discusses. Now, I'm not saying it's impossible that the visual is deliberate, but are the Republicans really this competent at smearing, or is it just that they have no opposition? Time and again the Democrats squander opportunities to remind Americans just what the last eight years have meant, and they continue to be vague and nebulous and even coy. And liberal bloggers go searching for dirty tricks even where they don't necessarily exist, thus pretty much doing Karl Rove's work for him. No wonder he's considered such a "genius," with all the help he gets from the other side! You don't want these people to be in power? Stop empowering them.
• That said, I must admit some of the humor regarding the presumptive Republican VP nominee amuses me, like JC Christian's interpretation of Palin posing with a bunch of animal skin-clad cronies and RJ Eskow's brilliant retort to Republicans whining that she has foreign policy experience because Alaska is "so close" (um, like 4400 miles?) to Russia. On a more serious note, Alaskan davenoon at Lawyers, Guns and Money examines his governor. And isn't it Republicans who keep saying it's not the sex, it's the lying? If Palin has no personal qualms about premarital sex, and the way she's been proudly publicizing her daughter's (second?) pregnancy she doesn't seem to (although, then again, there's evidence to the contrary), then hypocrisy doesn't enter into it, but misrepresenting yourself as a child's mother when you're actually the grandmother does have legal implications. Aside from that, and the phrasing of the pregnancy as a "choice" coming from forced-pregnancy fanatics (remember yesterday's link to the Hullabaloo post about how they change the meanings of words?), my main reaction to something that doesn't really affect me at all is pretty similar to Kevin Hayden's: Mazel tov, kids. And please consider naming the baby something normal so he or she doesn't have to go through what you and your siblings must have endured.
• I would be remiss, while we're on the subject of forced-pregnancy fanatics, not to cite Amanda's very interesting analysis of why they seem to feel "today abortion, tomorrow feminism" is the way to go.
• Speaking of Palin, just a reminder that Shakespeare's Sister has started a Palin Misogyny Watch (they're up to #5 already) because, as they say, "We defend Sarah Palin against misogynist smears not because we endorse her or her politics, but because that's how feminism works." This newest Watch joins their Michelle Obama Racism/Sexism Watch (currently at Part 14), the Barack Obama Racism/Muslim/Unpatriotic/Scary Black Dude Watch (up to Part 74 now!), and of course the Hillary Sexism Watch, which I'm willing to bet just won't go away after part 109. The best thing about these chronicles is that each of them references all those that came before it, to provide a very handy record of media critique during this important time in our democracy.
• Also at Shakesville, Melissa examines an "estrogen-fest" remark and I must say I'm in almost complete disagreement with her here. I've done at least two years of "Estrogen Month" posts when I do March round-ups touting female bloggers, and I consider stuff like that to be positive commentary, not mocking at all. I think this may be another case of looking for offense where none's intended (thus doing Karl's job for him again!). However, I completely concur with her grumbles about the Republicans cynically stealing the Democrats' thunder by rolling out their new product in August.
• Meanwhile, little things go unnoticed like the oil deal Iraq just signed with China (via Thers at Whiskey Fire).
• More praise for Rachel Maddow (via Creature at The Reaction) with this nice write-up in the Washington Post (hang on, isn't Howie Kurtz in the MSNBC company of players?) as well as from her patron Olbermann's own blog (via Foiled Goil at Big Brass Blog).
• A nice overview of (and rallying cry inspired by) the Democratic convention from Athenae at First Draft,
• Which secretive group is scarier, the Council for National Policy or the Blue Dog Democrats? Two sides of the same coin, really. Much like this remark passed along from a conservative blogger by a liberal blogger.
• Nicole Belle at Crooks and Liars finds a good roundup of local Twin Cities cartoonists gearing up for RepubliCon. Also at C&L, Jon Perr gives us a handy chart showing what each of the two major Presidential candidates' tax cut proposals would really mean for different income levels, and John Amato reminds us that Joe Lieberman was for Obama before he was against him.
• Miriam at Feministing wants to know who your favorite female graphic novelists are. With any luck and/or discipline, this time next year I may be one of them. :)
• Jesse Taylor reviews Tropic Thunder.
• We don't usually feed fish to our cats, so you can't lay this one at our feet.
• Mark Kleiman has an interesting post about Exploitation, kashrut, and global warming.
• Dang, I'll miss you, Vastleft! Please keep emailing me!
• The season finale of No Reservations is this evening and, as it's a behind-the-scenes thing, Tony Bourdain takes the opportunity on his blog to get even wonkier. Pretty good reading, but then Tony usually is.
• Finally, I have no idea if you'll be able to see the Take Back Labor Day festival, but the lineup sounds pretty cool. And Dr. Sardonicus at Corrente has gathered some nice quotes about Labor Day from Abraham Lincoln.
I can has husband now? Enjoy the rest of your long weekend, all!
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