We fanned the flames of something that was already here, in Albuquerque, in our barrios. Compassion, love and heartbreak. Even for women who use drugs, even for women who sell sex to buy them.
And we saw a change. After we called attention to the language the officials were using in the case, we saw a powerful shift in their words. Instead of prostitutes and addicts, they became women, mothers and daughters. The investigation remains open, if slow. The families have been connected, and can draw on each other for support.”"
Let’s hope this killer gets caught soon. I covered the West Mesa murders here.
From Moveon.org: Rally to Save the American Dream
“In Wisconsin and around our country, the American Dream is under fierce attack. Instead of creating jobs, Republicans are giving tax breaks to corporations and the very rich—and then cutting funding for education, police, emergency response, and vital human services.
On Saturday, February 26, at noon local time, we are organizing rallies in front of every statehouse and in every major city to stand in solidarity with the people of Wisconsin. We demand an end to the attacks on worker’s rights and public services across the country. We demand investment, to create decent jobs for the millions of people who desperately want to work. And we demand that the rich and powerful pay their fair share.
We are all Wisconsin. We are all Americans.
This Saturday, we will stand together to Save the American Dream. Be sure to wear Wisconsin Badger colors—red and white—to show your solidarity. Sign up today to join in!”
More info here. Their page We Are WI has live blogging on today’s rallies. There’s also two Twitter hashtags you can follow- #WeAreWI and #UnitedWeStand.
From the New Yorker: Paul Haggis vs. the Church of Scientology
“n August 19, 2009, Tommy Davis, the chief spokesperson for the Church of Scientology International, received a letter from the film director and screenwriter Paul Haggis.
(snip)
“The process of induction is so long and slow that you really do convince yourself of the truth of some of these things that don’t make sense,” Haggis told me. Although he refused to specify the contents of O.T. materials, on the ground that it offended Scientologists, he said, “If they’d sprung this stuff on me when I first walked in the door, I just would have laughed and left right away.” But by the time Haggis approached the O.T. III material he’d already been through several years of auditing. His wife was deeply involved in the church, as was his sister Kathy. Moreover, his first writing jobs had come through Scientology connections. He was now entrenched in the community. Success stories in the Scientology magazine Advance! added an aura of reality to the church’s claims. Haggis admits, “I was looking forward to enhanced abilities.” Moreover, he had invested a lot of money in the program. The incentive to believe was high.”
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As much as I’m getting sucked into reading about the current news (so many links just check out Democracy Now! for now) I had to pause and read the above New Yorker article. I have a fascination with cults. The weirder the better as far as I’m concerned. And Scientology certainly has a high freak factor with that whole Xenu storyline.
There’s so many crazy gems in this article-the empty soup can E-meters, L Ron pretending to be a pirate, the billion year contracts. If you haven’t yet read this article check it out. It’s a great read.
And if you have a bit of a cult fetish like me tell me your favorite cult in the comments.
From Moveon.org: Top 10 Shocking Attacks from the GOP’s War on Women
“1) Republicans not only want to reduce women’s access to abortion care, they’re actually trying to redefine rape. After a major backlash, they promised to stop. But they haven’t yet. Shocker.
2) A state legislator in Georgia wants to change the legal term for victims of rape, stalking, and domestic violence to “accuser.” But victims of other less gendered crimes, like burglary, would remain “victims.”
3) In South Dakota, Republicans proposed a bill that could make it legal to murder a doctor who provides abortion care. (Yep, for real.)
4) Republicans want to cut nearly a billion dollars of food and other aid to low-income pregnant women, mothers, babies, and kids.
5) In Congress, Republicans have a bill that would let hospitals allow a woman to die rather than perform an abortion necessary to save her life.
6) Maryland Republicans ended all county money for a low-income kids’ preschool program. Why? No need, they said. Women should really be home with the kids, not out working.
7) And at the federal level, Republicans want to cut that same program, Head Start, by $1 billion. That means over 200,000 kids could lose their spots in preschool.
8) Two-thirds of the elderly poor are women, and Republicans are taking aim at them too. A spending bill would cut funding for employment services, meals, and housing for senior citizens.
9) Congress just voted for a Republican amendment to cut all federal funding from Planned Parenthood health centers, one of the most trusted providers of basic health care and family planning in our country.
10) And if that wasn’t enough, Republicans are pushing to eliminate all funds for the only federal family planning program. (For humans. But Republican Dan Burton has a bill to provide contraception for wild horses. You can’t make this stuff up).”
The link above has links for all these stories. As much as the Democratic party pisses me off this sort of shit is why I’ll never be a registered Republican. Arghghghgh!!! This list is disgusting and the politicians that push this agenda need to be voted out of office.
From Moveon.org: Save NPR and PBS (Again)
“With Republicans back in charge of the House of Representatives, funding for NPR and PBS is in grave danger. Again.
The Republicans just released their budget proposal, and it zeroes out funding for both NPR and PBS–the worst proposal in more than a decade.
We need to tell Republicans that cutting off funding was unacceptable last time they were in charge, and it’s unacceptable now.
A compiled petition with your individual comment will be presented to your Senators and Representative.”
From Benton Foundation: Republicans Propose Zeroing Out CPB Funding
“The chairman of the House Appropriations Committee has released a draft of a bill that would cut out federal funding for public broadcasting. The bill is the Republican’s version of the continuing resolution that would keep the government operating but take $100 billion out of its budget, including all the funds for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting not already obligated to be spent.”
From B&C: President’s Budget Preserves CPB
“As expected, the president preserved funding for the Corporation For Public Broadcasting in the 2012 budget released Monday. That is funding Republicans are trying to zero out in their version of a continuing resolution to continue funding the government through the rest of this year.
The president’s own bipartisan budget-cutting advisory committee co-chairs suggested noncom funding might need to be zeroed out as one of the hard choices in tough economic times, but the president had indicated he did not agree with all the recommendations, and that was obviously one of them.”
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Though I don’t own a TV I have found memories of PBS and signed the petition. The Muppets were a huge influence on me. The above video is of Mister Rogers defending PBS to the Senate. Interestingly it’s as relevant today as it was then.
He has also confessed to killings of commercial sex workers Hellen Nyambura and Jackline Wambui, 25, whose bodies were found in lodging rooms at Rwambogo Bar and Restaurant and Suitable Bar in Thika.”
From All Africa: Police Chiefs Summoned On Serial Killer Blunders
“Top police officers summoned to a meeting by Internal Security minister George Saitoti to discuss a series of chilling serial killings told him they were powerless to stop such crimes because the force does not have sufficient resources.
(snip)
But the position of the force is likely to trigger outrage from a stunned nation because self-confessed serial killer Philip Onyancha could have been stopped in his tracks if the police force had undertaken even elementary detective work.
(snip)
Had the officers at Karen and Lang’ata police stations shown interest in tracking down the killer’s mobile phone number through which he was demanding and receiving ransom money, the suspect could have been arrested as early as 2008 and the lives of many of his victims been saved.”
From Hairpin: How to Know If You’ve Been Raped
“A handy checklist based on the federal government’s (FBI, UCMJ) — recently updated — definition of “forcible rape.”
1. Are you a man or a woman?
-If you are a man, you have not been raped. Stop here.
-If you are a woman, and have always been female, proceed to the next question.”
Update from Ms. Magazine: “Forcible Rape” Clause Removed from Chris Smith Bill
“Following an outcry from women’s rights groups and others, House Republicans have removed the “forcible” to describe the rape exception in H.R. 3, an anti-abortion bill introduced by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Congressional Pro-Life Caucus Co-Chair, with the support of House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA).
The bill, which purports to prohibit taxpayer funding of abortions and ensure that healthcare reform law does not cover the cost of abortions, had provided for an exception only when the woman’s life is endangered, in cases of “forcible” rape, or in cases of incest if the woman was a minor. The exemption in the bill will now cover all forms of rape.”
I love the snarkiness of the fake rape test. It completely sums up the anti-woman stance of the Chris Smith bill.
Also from Gawker: Married GOP Congressman Sent Sexy Pictures to Craigslist Babe
“Rep. Christopher Lee is a married Republican congressman serving the 26th District of New York. But when he trolls Craigslist’s “Women Seeking Men” forum, he’s Christopher Lee, “divorced” “lobbyist” and “fit fun classy guy.” One object of his flirtation told us her story.
(snip)
“By modern day standards, the conversation was relatively banal: No prostitutes, escorts, or madams were involved. Just good old fashioned lying and an apparent willingness to cheat on one’s wife”
This really is a tame scandal. If our representatives didn’t try to police our sex lives then maybe they could have their own kinks.
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From Tristan Taormino’s site: Sex Educator Tristan Taormino Will Speak At Oregon State University And The University Of Oregon
“Three weeks ago, Tristan Taormino’s keynote for Oregon State University’s Modern Sex Conference was cancelled by administrators, who cited her involvement in pornography as the reason. Response from local and national media, bloggers and sex educators, and on social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook was extensive, and the University received hundreds of emails and calls criticizing its decision to un-invite Taormino.
In response, OSU students organized to raise funds from student activity dollars, and they have succeeded: Taormino will give her original talk, “Claiming Your Sexual Power,” on Tuesday, February 15 at 7:00 pm in LaSells Stewart Center at Oregon State University.”
This is great news. Congrats to the organizers who raised the funds.
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From People For The American Way: Another Attempted Smear of Planned Parenthood
“Live Action, the anti-choice group that has been attempting to smear Planned Parenthood with heavily edited videos of its activists posing as sex traffickers in Planned Parenthood offices, has released another video. And this one, according to a Planned Parenthood press release, has also been heavily altered”
(snip)
Multiple media organizations have analyzed Live Action’s videos and found them to be fraudulent, and the claims that they are meant to back up misleading.
Although the mainstream media has for the most part recognized Live Action’s smear campaign as the fraud it is, Live Action isn’t giving up. Last week, a coalition of progressive groups, including People For, sent a letter to members of Congress supporting Planned Parenthood as the organization faces continued right-wing smears.”
This is such a shitty move. I don’t see atheists sneaking into churches pretending to be molested in an attempt to smear the pastors. Actually, what if some atheists and pro-choicers snuck into churches and video taped some conversations? How do you think they’d like that?
Planned Parenthood is one of my favorite organizations. They are the only medical establishment that consistently supported my childfree status. You can donate to them here.
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From Scarlot Harlot’s site: Sluts Unite T-Shirts
“Do you have a transgressive sexuality? Are you ‘Slut Identified?’ Then join the ‘Sluts Liberation Army’ today! (A slut is any who it more or differently, or even thinks of it more or differently. Or a slut may be someone who has simply been called a slut!) If you are ‘Slut Identified,’ then you can wear this T-Shirt.”
I don’t know how long these shirts have been around but they’re new to me. Super cool but sizes are limited.
Jesse Cox told me I had to watch the Puppy Bowl this year. I was skeptic at first but tuned in today. ZOMG the cuteness!!! They have chicken cheerleaders too. Plus they promote animal adoption. I’m a fan.
What started seven years ago as a network space-filler is now an annual event watched by more than 8.6 million people. Executive Producer Melinda Toporoff said no one expected such a tremendous public reaction.
(snip)
Aside from boosted ratings, the Puppy Bowl — a mock football game played by puppies drafted from shelters across the country — offers help for homeless animals.”
Part 2 in my Remembering Our Fallen posts. During last year’s Red Umbrella Day event I picked Nicole Piacentini from the jar of names to read aloud. While researching her name I was surprised to see a man had already been arrested and charged. Let’s hope this means Philadelphia sex workers will now be safer.
From NBC Philadelphia: Charges Approved in Kensington Strangler Case
“Charges were approved Wednesday night for the arrest of Antonio Rodriguez, the alleged Kensington Strangler, for the murders of Elaine Goldberg, Nicole Piacentini and Casey Mahoney.
The 22-year-old alleged rapist and murderer would face a judge later in the night for charges including murder, rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and abuse of corpse, police said.
DNA links Rodriguez to the murders in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia.”
(snip)
Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said that he also confessed to other crimes.
“He spoke about others but we’re not confident if those are actually homicides or just sexual assaults,” said Ramsey.”
