If you’re not following my friend Dave’s MY YEAR OF EVERYTHING project, here’s a good example of why you might want to start:
The Enemy Of My Enemy Is Kind Of A Dick:
This morning, I found out that Glenn Beck is simulcasting his Christmas show ‘The Christmas Sweater: A Return To Redemption’ in theaters nationwide this Thursday, and that one of those theaters is not far from my new house. I think Glenn Beck is a jackass, so I immediately emailed three good friends and made plans to go. I mean, how can you miss a return to redemption? You sneak in a flask of bourbon, and you’ve got material for weeks. Comedy writer heaven. Better than ‘New Moon.’
I posted my intention to go on Twitter, figuring the more the merrier, and went to work. A couple of hours later, I logged back on and found reply after reply to the effect of: ‘your a looser!’/’boy, glenn beck gets all the brainiacs!’/’your so stupid!’ Huh? Anyone who even sort of knows me knows I’m kidding, right?
Reading back, the mishegoss started with a message from the Twitter account of an anti-Glenn Beck website: ‘It’s not just Scott Baio, now Former MTV VJ @DaveHolmes has come out as a Glenn Beck fan!’ And since this account doesn’t follow me, it would appear that he just does Twitter searches for ‘Glenn Beck’ and rolls his sleeves up for a slapfight. Even with political kingmakers like Scott Baio. This is how we define ‘activism’ in 2009. Fantastic.
I don’t mind being called names. (I do mind the misspellings, but what are you gonna do?) Here’s what galls me: this guy sent out incorrect information with my contact info on it, a clear incitement for his followers to send me vitriolic messages, and his bio reads: ‘I’ve had enough of Glenn Beck’s vitriol, misinformation, race baiting, & incitement of violence – and so should you.’ Too bad I’m white, because we had a good shot at an irony grand slam.”
(Via My Year Of Everything.)
Per Dem Watch:
- John Temporiti (MO)
- Yolanda Wheat (MO)
- Leila Medley (MO)
- Hon. Robin Carnahan (MO)
- Hon. Maria Chappelle-Nadal (MO)
I’m going to try and find some addresses and drop them each a line asking them to back Obama. Can’t hurt.
Originally uploaded by Barack Obama
I want so badly to live in a country led by President Obama I could bite my toes.
(Also: the guy in the yellow safety shades is kind of hilarious.)
…We’re big Obama supporters in this house.
As such, Fraction and I have decided to forgo Valentine’s Day baubles this year and make a donation to the campaign instead. If you’re as excited about the possibility of President Obama as we are, perhaps you’ll consider doing the same…?
I’m tempted to make a chocolate joke, but I’ve decided it would be in bad taste. Le sigh.
I’m so disappointed in people today.
Apparently Susan Patron’s Newbery Award-winning book, The Higher Power of Lucky, is being kept off the shelves of school libraries because the word “scrotum” appears on the first page.
Details: NPR, Publisher’s Weekly, NYTimes, and the LA Times.
I just heard something on the radio so outlandish and infuriating I think I must have misunderstood. I’m hoping, anyway:
Apparently, rape victims in Missouri are billed for their rape kits. They have to pay for their evidence collection.
Could this be true…?
THIRD EDIT: From Senator Michael Gibbons’ website:
“Imagine how you would feel if your home were burglarized and you were told you would have to pay for the evidence collection necessary to identify, arrest, and prosecute the burglar. That’s what happens to rape victims,” Bennett [Barbara Bennett, Executive Director of Women’s Support and Community Services in St. Louis] said. “I am very grateful to Sen. Gibbons for sponsoring this important legislation. I hope people will pick up their phones today and call their State Senators and Representatives to urge them to vote for this bill.”
SECOND EDIT: Warren Ellis passed along this link and message from Steven Perez:
Yep, Kelly Sue is right. In fact, there’s a bill up in the state senate right now concerning this: http://www.senate.mo.gov/07info/bills/sb429.htm
EDITED TO ADD: I haven’t found a definitive answer to my question yet, but I did find this bit, which appears to be from a Truman State University newspaper in 2003:
An added challenge is that rape
victims have to pay for the evidence
to be collected when they report the
crime, LeBaron said.
“I don’t know how this crime got
to be treated so differently from
other crimes,” LeBaron said. “When
rape victims go to the hospital, they
are billed for that. State programs
can help pay for the testing, but only
as long as the victim agrees to pros-
ecute.”
