Did You Support the Writer’s Strike?

If you found yourself on the side of the strikers, if the move industry’s anti-piracy measures strike you as draconic, or if you just like web musicals that are awesome in the traditional sense then you owe a blood debt to yourself:  Check out Dr Horrible’s Sing Along Blog.

Its a pretty easy way to put a little action behind a political position.

(ps they should probably add a paypal link)

Fat Princess: I’m Not Offended (And Neither Are You)

Not to be outdone by nintendo’s awesomogyny (mysiogyny that’s totally rad cause its in video game form), Sony has delivered a subtle fuck you to positive body images (Feministing).  Shakespear’s Sister has had a little back and forth with Jim Sterling of Destructoid:

Finally, the brilliant Jim Sterling of Destructoid manages to exemplify the perfect, hilarious irony of most of the responses to my original post:

Even worse is a writer at Shakesville, who took time out of doing her husband’s laundry to write this: “Congrats on your awesome new game, Sony. I’m positively thrilled to see such unyielding dedication to creating a new generation of fat-hating, heteronormative assholes.” As you can see, she uses “words” like “heteronormative” to sound clever and informed, a tactic which invariably fails and makes one look presumptuous and pretentious. … Word to the wise: Sarcastic fat girls don’t go to the prom!

Genius. If there’s one way to counter my charge that this game will reinforce fat-hating and heteronormativity, it’s to mock me for being fat and note I “took time out of doing [my] husband’s laundry” to write the post. Boy, was I ever wrong, huh? Consider me sufficiently chastened!

I decided to take a look at Jim’s article.  One line stood out:

It should be no secret to anybody that I’m a fat guy myself, and I’m certainly not offended by this game.

Its true.  He is fat.  What’s intriguing though, is this idea that because he’s not offended, no other fat people ought to be.  It isn’t a stretch of the imagination to imagine counter examples to this kind of argument.  But its one we see again and again.  So let’s recognize it for what it is, a rhetorical trick to strip the targeted group of people of a legitimate voice.  “After all”, the argument intones, “if I’m not offended and I’m [in the group], no one [from the group] should be offended either”.

UPDATE:

Ben Silverman, Douchebag extraordinaire of Yahoo, weighs in:

Sony has yet to issue an official response, although Joystiq did receive a particularly informative update from James Green, Fat Princess’ lead art director, who clued gamers in on the origins of the game:

“Does it make it better or worse that the concept artist (who designed the look, characters, everything) is a girl?”

Hmmm…hope the game’s detractors don’t mind eating a bit of crow.

Ben continues the magical logic of the “not offended exception”: since a girl did it, its ok.

Good Reads 07-27

Today’s Good Reads are brought to you by the letter COOKIE:

Been arguing with people who think free market health care will solve everything?  This is a caustic counterpoint (The Unapologetic Mexican).

Bloggernista exhorts us all to stand up for Gay rights and fight hard come November.

It is a deeply compassionate wisdom which invites us to remember that because the world is so violent we have the fire to change it.  It always always pays to remember that (docstrangelove).

CNN misleadingly quotes A pro-eugenics racist in a column on race and Barack Obama (Hatewatch).

Newscat clues us on in the dribbling insanity passing for opinion at the Wall Street Journal (hint: major Bush worship is still very much in fashion, but comparing him to batman?!  WTF?!!)

McCain’s Shopping for an Image

If John McCain is trying to make his image more “common folksy”, why is he wearing a suit while grocery shopping?  (via WhiteNoiseInsanity).

Is Karl Rove Above the Law?

Karl Rove skipped out on a subpoena.  Will he be held accountable for breaking the law?  From a Brave New Films advisory (emphasis mine):

LOS ANGELES – A coalition of organizations has launched a new campaign urging the House Judiciary Committee to hold Karl Rove in contempt and send him to jail.  In a clear violation of the law, Rove has refused to comply with a Congressional subpoena calling on him to testify under oath about his involvement in the prosecution of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman.  Brave New Films, The Nation magazine, Campaign for America’s Future, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, Progress Now Action and CREDO Mobile will host a press conference in Washington DC next Tuesday, prior to delivering a petition to the House Judiciary Committee urging committee members to “let Rove know he can’t decide which subpoenas he obeys and which he ignores.”

The online petition, created by Brave New Films and housed at SendRoveToJail.com, has amassed almost 100,000 names in less than six days.  The website also includes a short YouTube video outlining Rove’s involvement in the Siegelman case and making the case for holding Rove accountable.

http://sendrovetojail.com

“Karl Rove is not above the law,” said Robert Greenwald, founder and president of Brave New Films.  “Rove’s refusal to comply with a Congressional subpoena makes a mockery of the justice system.  Even former high government officials like Rove are accountable to the law. Rove needs learn that we live in a democracy, not a dictatorship.”

“Karl Rove has built a career out of bending the law, but now he seems to feel entitled simply to break it,” says Michael Kieschnick, President of CREDO Mobile.  “We expect the House Judiciary Committee to agree that Karl Rove is in contempt and should be sent to jail if he persists in his flagrant disregard for the laws of this country.”

This isn’t civil disobedience.  This isn’t an unjust law.  Rove is acting above the law to cover up deeper crimes committed by the Bush administration.

Karl Rove should go to jail.

The Evidence Against Diebold

I saw this a while back.  The press doesn’t seem to be picking it up.  Evidence of tampering, the ex-McCain advisor says.  In a country that elects its leadership, that is really up there on the list of severe crimes.

And no one will do a damn thing about it.

I know I’ll feel confident casting my ballot in the fall.

Lebanon is Fucked

This makes my stomach churn.  Via XX Factor, Mona Charen at the Politico writes:

Smadar wrote later, “I will never forget the joy and the hatred in their voices as they swaggered about hunting for us, firing their guns and throwing grenades.” As police began to arrive, Kuntar and the others dragged Danny and 4-year-old Einat down to the beach. With Einat watching, Kuntar shot Danny in the head and then threw his body into the surf. Kuntar then repeatedly smashed Einat’s head against a rock with his rifle butt, killing her, too. Yael did not survive the attack either. In an effort to keep the baby from crying and betraying their hiding place, Smadar had accidentally suffocated her.

He was recently released in the prisoner exchange.

This week, Kuntar, dressed in fatigues and sporting a Hitlerian mustache and haircut, walked down a red carpet arrayed for him in Beirut. The government closed all offices and declared a national day of celebration. Tens of thousands of Lebanese cheered, waved flags, threw confetti, and set off fireworks as Hezbollah staged a rally to celebrate their “victory” over Israel. Mahmoud Abbas, the “moderate” leader of the Palestinian Authority, sent “blessings to Samir Kuntar’s family.” PA spokesman Ahmad Abdul Rahman sent “warm blessings to Hezbollah … on the return of the heroes of freedom … headed by the great Samir Kuntar.”

Vile.

Mona asks at the start, “What can you say about a people who welcome a child murderer as a hero?”.

That might be an unfair question.  A better question would be what can you say about a culture that welcomes a child murderer as a hero?  And the answer is, that culture is fucked.  Perhaps even worse than fucked.  Because our own culture is fucked in the way our wars kill massive numbers of children, in the way blood is spilt daily, and we only react to news of whats happening to our own soldiers.  But this…  Imagine if the US threw a national holiday for a soldier accused of shooting an Iraqi man and beating his 4 year old daughter to death.

Violence might become necessary in the gravest situations, but worship of violence will always be the deepest kind of civil disease society can inflict upon itself.

Daffy Duck: You Smug #(+)($*

Daffy Duck is the king.

Awesome Comics vs No Health Care

Aaron Diaz makes comics.  Really awesome comics about transhumanism and ethics.  He got into a freak bicycle accident, and has no health insurance.  This bites.

If you like cool stuff, you can help while scoring swag.  Like a Tiny Carl Jung t-shirt.  This is textbook win-win.  You can also donate directly from his site.

Lieberman, McCain and End Times Christianism

Lieberman spoke before the group “Christians United for Israel”, a far right group lead by disgraced pastor Hagee, who McCain’s campaign sought belatedly to distance itself from after his disgusting remarks about the Holocaust:

Mr. Hagee’s support for Mr. McCain had been seen as a boon to Mr. McCain’s outreach to evangelical voters until the disclosure of earlier remarks in which Mr. Hagee said, “Hitler and the Nazis were sent by God, to chase Jews back to the land of Israel.”

In the face of opposition from Jewish Peace Group J Street, why did Lieberman buck McCain’s leash and whatever good sense he possesses to go speak?  (Emphasis Mine):

Asserting that Mr. Hagee had worked hard to fight anti-Semitism, Mr. Lieberman said: “I don’t agree with everything Pastor Hagee has said, and I can safely say that the pastor doesn’t agree with everything that I’ve said. But there’s so much more than that that we agree on.”

Now thats an interesting statement.  Especially in light of this(emphasis mine):

J Street and its allies note that the vast majority of American Jews support a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians, something Hagee believes God opposes. Hagee believes an end-time narrative that requires Jews to relocate to Israel before Jesus returns and they convert to Christianity.

Is this what Lieberman and Hagee agree on?

It certainly throws Lieberman’s support for the Christian right and his efforts to erase boundaries between Church and State under a new light.  So far the McCain campaign is declining to comment.  They must figure there won’t be enough public awareness and pressure to force them to back off.

Gays in the Military: Allowed to Die but not to Marry

Its encouraging that 75% of Americans reject McCain’s dangerous stand against Homosexuals serving in the military.  Temper that with the knowledge that the majority of Americans oppose Gay Marriage.

Allowed to die for your country, but not marry the one you love.  A large chunk of my fellow Americans have the polar opposite of “make love not war” shoved ironically up their collective asses.

McCain Thinks the War is Won

This guy is scary disconnected from reality.

August has a sharp one liner summing up McCain’s deranged view of Iraq (emphasis mine):

Meanwhile, on Earth, John McCain is now claiming that we won the war in Iraq. I know, I had no idea either, right? Especially since this victory is the type of one where the soldiers keep getting killed and don’t get to come home. I guess, like Barack Obama, I just don’t understand foreign policy at all.

We have got to keep this nut out of office.  The “confused” tag McCain is often pelted with isn’t a dig at his age, its a dig at his sanity.  And it hurts because its spot on.

Call to Investigate Army Murder Cover Up

On July 19, 2005, a US soldier was murdered.  The murder was literally covered up as a suicide, and glaring inconsistencies in the official autopsy with actual wounds ignored.  (Feministing):

Retired Army Col. Ann Wright explains what we all want investigated:

From the day their daughter’s body was returned to them, the parents had grave suspicions about the Army’s investigation into Lavena’s death and the characterization of her death as suicide. In charge of a communications facility, Lavena was able to call home daily. In those calls she gave no indication of emotional problems or being upset. In a letter to her parents, Lavena’s commanding officer Captain David Woods wrote: “Lavena was clearly happy and seemed in very good health both physically and emotionally.”In viewing his daughter’s body at the funeral home, Dr. Johnson was concerned about the bruising on her face. He was puzzled by the discrepancy in the autopsy report on the location of the gunshot wound. As a US Army veteran and a 25-year US Army civilian employee who had counseled veterans, he was mystified how the exit wound of an M-16 shot could be so small. The hole in Lavena’s head appeared to be more the size of a pistol shot rather than an M-16 round. He questioned why the exit hole was on the left side of her head, when she was right handed. But the gluing of military uniform white gloves onto Lavena’s hands hiding burns on one of her hands is what deepened Dr. Johnson’s concerns that the Army’s investigation into the death of his daughter was flawed.

They glued the white gloves onto her hands to hide burns. A literal cover-up. It’s so clear that this and other details of LaVena’s case don’t add up to suicide.

Her family and friends are pushing for justice. It is a stinging slap in the face of rule of law and the integrity of the armed forces that her murder is not being investigated.  It is a crime that the safety and well being of female officers in the US military is clearly off the radar of the top brass.  This is a case that has implications for all women serving:

And it’s sadly not exactly far-fetched that she was sexually assaulted: A full one-third of women veterans report rape or attempted rape during their time in the military. So it’s important to keep the pressure on Congress and the military to open an investigation into her death. For LaVena, yes. Absolutely. But also for other military women whose rapes and murders have been covered up. Wright writes,

The military has characterized each of the deaths of women who were first sexually assaulted as deaths from “non-combat related injuries,” and then added “suicide.” Yet, the families of the women whom the military has declared to have committed suicide, strongly dispute the findings and are calling for further investigations into the deaths of their daughters. Specific US Army units and certain US military bases in Iraq have an inordinate number of women soldiers who have died of “non-combat related injuries,” with several identified as “suicides.”

Please sign that petition today.

The petition is here.  The cover up (and other similar coverups) are a mark of the deepest shame on the military.  There is no honor there without justice.

Sean Tavis vs the Creationist

Via Majikthise, Sean Tavis is running a campaign for state representative in Kansas (inspired by xkcd and the 300) against a regressive fundamentalist.

He is running against this guy:

Arlen Siegfried (R), who is anti-choice, anti-gay, pro-creationism, anti-privacy, and pro-censorship.

His blog is here, and you can donate here (lower right).

Arlen Siegfried is a guy who ought to be defeated, Sean Tavis might be just the geek to do it.  (Dig the anti-regressive sales tax position)

Facebook and Your Data

Facebook is watching you.  From the article:

Berteau claims the results of the tests prove that Facebook is able to collect information about its members’ surfing habits on affiliate sites, regardless of whether permission has been granted.

Facebook replied to CA’s concerns in a letter describing the ease with which user’s can opt out of having the purchasing information listed on the “mini-feed” on their profile.

“I replied explaining that I was not particularly worried about the feeds, which are only shown to friends who I have previously vetted, but that I was more concerned about the silently collected data, particularly the possibility of that data being sold to third parties,” Berteau said.

Facebook has since released a statement claiming that it has no choice but to collect the data so that it can be used should the user decide to “opt-in” to the service.

This is Bullshit.  They could submit a list of users who opt-in to affiliates, and have them *only* transmit data for those users.  Which leads me to an interesting question.  Has Facebook submitted a list of users to collect data from?  (If so, their “no choice” argument is already a flat out lie on its part).  If not, do affiliate sites send data for *every* user, regardless of whether they have a Facebook account?

Facebook is saying they do not use the data.  They haven’t said they will not.  But they also fail to understand that sometimes people just don’t like the idea of a corporation tracking them, whether the data is erased and “never used” or not.