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Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Currently Marching, or Meanwhile on Broadway

Posted by on Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 7:54 PM

A mini-parade of anarchists, maybe 40 strong, is currently marching up Broadway, in the middle of the northbound lane, trailed by cops on bikes (on the sidewalk) and cops in cars. The marchers are shouting—slowly, sing-song-y—"All cops are bastards! All cops are bastards!" The cops on bikes look bored and capable. A trash can just clattered to its side. There are at least three police cars and a larger police vehicle following them, slowly, at the speed that anarchists walk. It looks like a reverse procession.

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Tuition Skyrockets as Incomes Stay Flat

Posted by on Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 5:21 PM

As I pointed out yesterday, it's not the cost of a public university education that's skyrocketing in Washington state, it's the price. For example, in constant dollars, spending per student at the University of Washington has remained relatively flat over the past couple decades. At the same time, the legislature has slashed higher education funding, forcing the UW and our other public college and universities to make up the difference through higher tuition.

In 1990, the state subsidized almost 80 percent of the cost of a resident baccalaureate degree. Today, the state's share has fallen to 30 percent.

So, how much of an impact has this funding shift had on the typical Washington family? Well, with median family income almost completely stagnant, it turns out, quite a lot:

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  • Economic Opportunity Institute

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Conservative Conference Welcomes White Supremacist Speaker

Posted by on Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 4:20 PM

Right Wing Watch points out that this weekend's CPAC Conference, in which all of the major Republican presidential contenders will speak, is hosting a lecture titled "The Failure of Multiculturalism: How the pursuit of diversity is weakening the American Identity.” The speaker is Peter Brimelow, a founder of VDARE, which is a white supremacist website.

(I'm not going to link to them, but as a side note, I'd like to mention that VDARE is proud to announce on their home page that "VDARE.com's Amazon connection has been restored! Remember to enter Amazon via the VDARE.com link and we get a commission on any purchases you make—at no cost to you!")

VDARE hosts ant-Semitic essays, as well as thought-pieces about how the Republican Party needs to give up on the "colored" vote and focus exclusively on the white vote, among other arguments. Republicans aren't even trying to hide their associations with these people anymore.

This Saturday: A Short-Term Extension

Posted by on Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 4:17 PM

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Hello! A couple weeks ago I slogged about my new solo play upcoming at Hugo House.

This past weekend brought the final Hugo House performances, which were sold out to the point that a lot of people who wanted to see the show couldn't, so we're doing an encore Hugo House show this Saturday at 8 pm.

Full show info and tickets available here.

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This Week's Concessions: Lindy West Vs. 3-D Jar Jar Binks!

Posted by on Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 3:31 PM

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In this week's Concessions 90210, Lindy revisits the about-to-be-rereleased-in-3D Star Wars: Episode 1—The Phantom Menace and is shocked by what she finds:

If you're like me, you probably haven't watched Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace since its original release in 1999, because you've had literally anything else to do. And you probably think, in your hazy hindsight, that it's just "not that good" or "pretty bad" or some other relatively gentle descriptor that lets George Lucas off the hook for being an affably clumsy old billionaire man-frog. However, having recently rewatched Phantom Menace to prepare for its upcoming 3-D rerelease (do you like the Star Wars prequels but just wish you could also have a headache???), allow me to say this: HOOOOOO MY GOD FUCK US ALL BECAUSE THIS MOVIE GOT BIT BY A RADIOACTIVE GARBAGE AND IT IS A FUCKING MONSTERPIECE THEATER THAT TRANSCENDS BAD AND GOOD-BAD TO COME BACK AGAIN TO BAD AND REDEFINE COMEDY ITSELF. Seriously. Seriously. Drinking game: Take a shot every time something hella dumb happens and/or every time Jar Jar Binks makes you want to personally send tear-soaked reparations to 110 percent of the black people on earth. Oops, sorry about how you're dead now (alcohol poiz).

Read the whole thing here.

The Trashcans of the Future

Posted by on Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 3:31 PM

Gizmodo yesterday reported on the new trashcans London is installing in time for the Olympics:

For London 2012, new bombproof trash cans that have dual giant LCD screens and Wi-Fi hotspots will brighten up the dreary London fog.

I'm not in love with the idea of LCD screens on trashcans—one more thing that will stop tourists dead in their tracks on busy city sidewalks—but I totally adore the idea of wi-fi hotspot trashcans. It's a smart way to double up on two important urban necessities. One of these necessities has always existed, and one of them developed over the last decade. This is something I'd love to see in Seattle.

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The Eagle Dad

Posted by on Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 2:44 PM

China Daily:

BEIJING / NANJING - A man calling himself "eagle dad" recently stirred up a public controversy after he uploaded a video of his 4-year-old son, whom he had forced to run naked in the snow, to the Internet.
The father He Liesheng, 44, considers himself a new Chinese parental archetype in the tradition of the so-called "tiger mom".
"When the old eagle teaches its young, it takes the young eagles to the cliff side, beats them and pushes them to teach them to use their wings, and I believe I am helping my son in this way - to force him to challenge limitations and exceed his own expectations," said He.
There is also a "wolf father" in Hong Kong. The "wolf father" supports the "eagle dad" in Nanjing. Next? A "grasshopper grandmother"? What kind of grandmother would that be?

After Gay Controversy, Romance Writers Contest Canceled

Posted by on Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 2:32 PM

Galleycat tells us about a dumb contest with a dumb name that got cancelled because of a dumb rule:

The Romance Writers of America has cancelled its “Where the Magic Begins” writing contest after their refusal to accept same-sex entries created a controversy...The cancellation comes after authors around the blogosphere expressed anger about the new rules. Author Courtney Milan blogged: “You can write about aliens from another planet who have tentacles, or barbed sexual organs. You can write degrading rapes. None of those things are barred from entry in the More than Magic contest, and if you write them, they’ll try to find judges who are predisposed to like your books. But they won’t do that if you write same sex romance–even if it’s a sweet romance with no sexual contact whatsoever.”

On their blog post announcing the end of the contest, Romance Writers Ink seems to not get the point. As an excuse for ignoring same-sex romance, they say, "we also opted not to accept YA entries." Because barring young adult fiction from your contest is the exact same thing as discrimination.

The Art After Dinner Party: Mass Public Clitoral Action

Posted by on Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 2:30 PM

The clit of Lynn Schirmer.
  • Courtesy Lynn Schirmer
  • The clit of Lynn Schirmer.

Seattle artist Lynn Schirmer today announced a new project called After Dinner Party. The title is a reference to Judy Chicago's early feminist masterwork The Dinner Party, which is on long-term display at the heart of the Elizabeth Sackler Center for Feminist Art at the Brooklyn Museum. The Dinner Party is a vagina thing. After Dinner Party is clitoral, a body part that's inherently more politicized, more feared, more misunderstood, more ignored, more attacked, more everythinged. It's time to clitoralize.

At this point, After Dinner Party is just a web site—but one with drawings of the clitoris that already make you remember its shape when you close your eyes. (I did not already have a 3D projection of the clitoris in my brain; maybe you did.)

The project has two upcoming (ahem, upcoming) phases, set to begin during Pioneer Square's First Thursday Art Walk in May:

At present, After Dinner Party consists of two kinds of activities: a curated art exhibit and celebration; and a loosely coordinated series of individual and/or mass public actions. The form and scope of the second portion is entirely dependent upon the energy and creativity of participants. The goal is to represent the shape of the clitoris, in as many art forms and in as many venues or public spaces as possible, all over the city.

You've really gotta check this out.

Now Open: New Places for Stuffing Faces

Posted by on Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 1:52 PM

Look—it's tons more new Seattle restaurants and bars! Currently, we can recommend going to Five Fish Bistro and eating the Peacemaker, which is a po'boy with deep-fried oysters (with not-too-heavy cornmeal breading), bacon, and cheddar cheese. (The lore of the name is that this is the sandwich that drunk guys who stayed out late in New Orleans would bring home to their wives to make the peace.) It is all put on the right kind of roll, and the results are fairly gigantic and very good. Five Fish Bistro is also having a grand-opening party with free snacks today from 4 to 8 p.m. Anyways...

Maono: Chef Mark Fullers family on Kauai back in the day.
  • Ma'ono
  • Ma'ono: Chef Mark Fuller's family on Kauai back in the day.

· MA'ONO FRIED CHICKEN & WHISKY in West Seattle: In Hawaiian, "ono" means "delicious," and "ma" is a prefix that means going toward, facing, or making. Ma'ono in West Seattle is the reincarnation of the great Spring Hill, meaning now you can get chef (and Kauai native) Mark Fuller's extremely popular fried chicken (formerly just Mondays) and awesome saimin (formerly just brunch) every night. The new menu also has lots of "mid-Pacific-inspired" dishes that look very delicious-making.

· OFF THE REZ on the road: Off the Rez is a food truck serving fry bread (naked or with honey, or cinnamon sugar, or homemade lemon curd...), Indian tacos (chili verde, 10-hour-smoked pulled pork, etc.), quinoa succotash, and more...

MORE MORE MORE > > >

Pacini Lubel

Posted by on Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 1:50 PM

Tip Tolands 5-foot-tall ceramic Boy, Oh Boy (2008)
  • Pacini Lubel Gallery
  • Tip Toland's 5-foot-tall ceramic Boy, Oh Boy (2008)
After eight years in Pioneer Square, many-media gallery Pacini Lubel—representing painters but, as often, 3D artists in jewelry, ceramic, and glass—is moving to Palm Springs.

Pacini Lubel's Seattle incarnation was voluptuous and uncalculating. It felt uneven, but I saw works of art there that stunned me into adoration.

And since it never seemed like the gallery was jockeying for position in the scene, when you found something great there, it felt like a discovery.

Fare well in Palm Springs, Pacini Lubel.

Watch What You Tweet

Posted by on Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 1:44 PM

In case you, like I, missed this story...

Two British tourists were barred from entering America after joking on Twitter that they were going to 'destroy America' and 'dig up Marilyn Monroe'.
Leigh Van Bryan, 26, was handcuffed and kept under armed guard in a cell with Mexican drug dealers for 12 hours after landing in Los Angeles with pal Emily Bunting.

The Department of Homeland Security flagged him as a potential threat when he posted an excited tweet to his pals about his forthcoming trip to Hollywood which read: 'Free this week, for quick gossip/prep before I go and destroy America?'

...Despite telling officials the term 'destroy' was British slang for 'party', they were held on suspicion of planning to 'commit crimes' and had their passports confiscated.


...Bar manager Leigh, from Coventry, and Emily, 24, from Birmingham, were then quizzed for five hours at LAX before they were handcuffed and put into a van with illegal immigrants and locked up overnight.
They spent 12 hours in separate holding cells before being driven back to the airport where they were put on a plane home via Paris.

What did these tourists get to see? The real America. What did they learn? Homeland don't play that.

Cop Charged with Embezzling Money from Families of Fallen Officers

Posted by on Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 1:35 PM

Lakewood police officer Skeeter Timothy Manos was arrested today and charged with ten federal felonies for allegedly embezzling more than $150,000 from a police fund meant to benefit the families of four Lakewood Police Officers who were fatally gunned down at a Lakewood coffee shop in November 2009. Manos, who was arrested today at Lakewood's City Hall, served as the Treasurer of the Lakewood Police Independent Guild, which managed the fund.

“This is a sad day for our community,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan in a statement. “These acts betrayed the memory of our fallen heroes, their families, fellow officers and all who supported the fund. I commend the Lakewood Police and the Pierce County Prosecutor for coming forward promptly with evidence of these crimes.”

According to the criminal complaint, Manos set up a secret bank account—separate from the primary account established by the Lakewood Police Independent Guild—for donations to the Lakewood Police Officers’ families. From there, Manos allegedly diverted $151,000 from the $3.2 million in public donations for the families.

Manos is accused of spending $120,000 on items at Costco and Home Depot, and on airplane tickets to Las Vegas, Nevada. While in Vegas, investigators say that Manos made cash withdrawals at various casinos, including the Bellagio, in April 2010. He also allegedly took out cash at the Hawks Prairie Casino in December 2010.

“While I am disappointed that such a serious breach of trust was committed, I am very proud that the Lakewood Police Department was able to ‘police’ its own," said Lakewood City Manager Andrew E. Neiditz. "The investigation was initiated by a Lakewood officer, and the Chief responded decisively in referring the matter on to prosecutors without delay.”

The case is being investigated by the FBI with the assistance of the Lakewood Police Department and the Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office. Manos will make his initial appearance on the charges in U.S. District Court in Tacoma at 2:30 today.

The Republican Race Is Getting Democrats Excited About Voting

Posted by on Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 1:30 PM

Take this with a grain of salt, but Public Policy Polling posted some interesting numbers last night:

Our last national survey for Daily Kos found that 58% of Democrats were 'very excited' about voting this fall, compared to 54% of Republicans. Six months ago the figures were 48% of Democrats 'very excited' and Republicans at the same 54%.

Self-described teabaggers aren't as excited about voting as they were in July, a quarter of conservatives are not excited at all about voting, and African-Americans are more excited about voting than any other group of voters.

So I'm Facing Off With This 200-Year-Old Emaciated Guy on the Front Page of This Morning's Paper

Posted by on Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 1:12 PM

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  • Courtesy of the British Museum, London
your picture on the front page of the local section of the times nice work

This was the text message from a friend that I received at 7:25 this morning. I loved this text message, because my picture in the paper is just the sort of thing that makes my Mom happy, and I love every single thing that makes my Mom happy.

The picture in the Times is by the great photojournalist Alan Berner. He caught me unwittingly mirroring the early/mid-19th-century cadaverous male figure on display at Seattle Art Museum. He is the first piece of Polynesian art you see in the big new show Gauguin & Polynesia: An Elusive Paradise, and he bends you down to him—at which point his shocking visage smacks you, and keeps you riveted there. He is seriously fierce.

He's carved out of wood, and the gaping pupils of his eyes are made of obsidian. His irises are formed from shark bone. He was found on Rapa Nui (later called Easter Island), and taken into the British Museum in London, where he still resides. Back on the island, he would have been carried around rather than standing on any kind of pedestal; hunched, he can't stand on his own.

This is the picture I was taking while Alan Berner was taking his picture of me.

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Liveblogging the Washington State House Debate and Vote on IN FAVOR OF GAY MARRIAGE

Posted by on Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 1:03 PM

Representative Jamie Pederesen (D-43), doing some last-minute typing on the house floor before the debate began.
  • E.S.
  • Representative Jamie Pederesen (D-43), doing some last-minute typing on the house floor before the debate began.

Watch the livestream here.

1:07 p.m. We begin with attempts—once again—to add another amendment that would protect people whose "conscience" prohibits them from supporting gay marriages. Rep. Roger Goodman (D-45) notes that the bill already includes such protections, and that this new proposed amendment would sneakily blow a hole in Washington's equal protection laws. The proposed amendment is voted down.

1:11 p.m. A Republican attempt to add the text of the First Amendment to the bill. Rep. Larie Jinkins (D-27) says there is no need to "recodify" the U.S. Constitution by adding it to this bill. It's already the law of the land. The amendment is voted down.

1:15 p.m. A Republican attempt to force gay couples to marry using the "traditional" terms of "husband and wife." The amendment is voted down—just like the others—53 to 45.

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  • E.S.
  • Republican State Senators Steve Litzow and Cheryl Pflug.

1:19 p.m. Watching from the wings: Cheryl Pflug and Steve Litzow, the first two Republican state senators to come out in favor of gay marriage.

1:30 p.m. More unfriendly amendments voted down, these dealing with attempts to change "inconsistencies" in the bill's language and an attempt to send the bill immediately to a public vote.

1:33 p.m. And now we're into the speeches by legislators explaining how they'll vote and why. First up, Rep. Jamie Pedersen (D-43). "Our children deserve to grow up in a state that treats their family with equal dignity," he says. (And notes that he's a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, and goes to services with his family every week.)

Representative Jay Rodne (R-5)
  • E.S.
  • Representative Jay Rodne (R-5)

1:39 p.m. Rep. Jay Rodne (R-5) says "this is not a civil rights issue." He also quotes the Washington State Supreme Court as saying there is no right to a same-sex marriage to be found in our state's constitution. (Of course, the court also said in its gay marriage ruling that nothing prohibited the state legislature from creating gay marriage rights via statute—which is what's about to happen today.) "Marriage is about life," Rodne continues. "It's not about self-validation or self-actualization." And: "This bill, Mr. Speaker, severs the unique and historical underpinnings of marriage, and it harms children." And! If this kind of bill can pass, Rodne says, "I don't know if I want to be here."

1:49 p.m. Well! One thing we learned from Rep. Rodne's speech: The time limits on speeches are longer in the house than they were in the senate (where senators' remarks were limited to three minutes). Rodne's speech seemed to go on and on... But was ultimately gaveled and cut off. Trying to figure out what the time limit on speeches is in this chamber.

1:54 p.m. Meanwhile, from the Secretary of State's office:

As you may recall, Stephen Pidgeon, an Everett attorney who has worked with national anti-gay marriage forces, filed I-1192 back on Jan. 9. The ballot title and summary were issued on Jan. 30, and that language is posted on our 2012 initiatives page (drill down on the yellow block at 1192), and pasted here for your convenience:

Ballot Title
Initiative Measure No. 1192 concerns the definition of marriage.
This measure would define marriage as a civil contract between one man and one woman and prohibit marriage when the parties are persons other than one man and one woman.
Should this measure be enacted into law?
Yes [ ] No [ ]

Ballot Measure Summary
This measure would define marriage as a civil contract between one man and one woman. It would also prohibit marriage if the parties to the marriage are persons other than one man and one woman.

This is separate and apart, however, from the referendum that's likely to be filed as soon as Gov. Gregoire signs marriage equality into law.

Rep. Laurie Jinkins (D-27)
  • E.S.
  • Rep. Laurie Jinkins (D-27)

2:01 p.m. Rep. Laurie Jinkins talks about her lesbian partner, and their family, and—contra Rodne—says she is voting yes to strengthen families.

Rep. Brad Klippert (R-8)
  • E.S.
  • Rep. Brad Klippert (R-8)

2:06 p.m. Rep. Brad Klippert (R-8) cites the testimony of the 13-year-old girl who I posted yesterday morning! (The one who spoke about how you need a left shoe and a right shoe, therefore no gay marriage.) Also he cites Genesis as proof of how God created woman as a "helpmate" for man, and Leviticus as proof that "man shall not lie with a man."

2:16 p.m. Anne Levinson, watching from the house gallery, e-mails:

Representative Hunt brought tears to all of us in the gallery here to witness this momentous day with his eloquent and moving description of standing up for the kids he saw grow up in his family rec room. Then he closed by saying his children, wife of 41 years and 91-year old mother all wanted him to vote yes. It was truly a wonderful moment.

2:19 p.m. Rep. Jim McCune (R-2) warns: "God will hold us accountable for what happens here today."

2:30 p.m. And... We've been here an hour and a half.

Rep. Maureen Walsh (R-16)
  • E.S.
  • Rep. Maureen Walsh (R-16)

2:34 p.m. The first Republican to speak in favor of marriage equality—and her lesbian daughter! and her own current lack of sex!—is Maureen Walsh (R-16).

2:42 p.m. Just found out what the time limit on each of these speeches is: 10 minutes. Settle in...

2:57 p.m. Sorry for the slow-blogging. WiFi is in and out in this chamber.

3:02 p.m. Entering our third hour. Openly gay Rep. Marco Liias (D-21) talks about his partner and the "justice" of this bill as Senators Ed Murray and Lisa Brown—as well as Governor Chris Gregoire—look on from the wings.

Gov. Chris Gregoire, keeping watch.
  • E.S.
  • Gov. Chris Gregoire, keeping watch.

3:17 p.m. More talk about all the florists and cake-bakers and tuxedo renters and wedding planners whose consciences are about to be crushed by this... "And they were florists," Rep. Matt Shea (R-4) says of his forebearers. "They raised tulips!"

3:24 p.m. VOTING...

3:25 p.m. Marriage bill PASSES, 55 to 43, with two Republicans—Maureen Walsh and Glenn Anderson—joining the majority (and two Democrats—Christopher Hurst and Mark Miloscia—joining the minority).

The house gallery as the bill passed.
  • E.S.
  • The house gallery as the bill passed.

3:48 p.m. A statement from Governor Gregoire:

This is truly a historic day in Washington state, and one where I couldn’t be more proud. With today’s vote, we tell the nation that Washington state will no longer deny our citizens the opportunity to marry the person they love. We tell every child of same-sex couples that their family is every bit as equal and important as all other families in our state. And we take a major step toward completing a long and important journey to end discrimination based on sexual orientation.

I commend our House members and thank Rep. Jamie Pedersen for sponsoring this bill. Our legislators showed courage, respect, and professionalism. I look forward to signing this piece of legislation, and putting into law an end to an era of discrimination.

Sen. Ed Murray (D-43) hugs Rep. Maureen Walsh (R-16), who voted yea and spoke about her lesbian daughters right to marry.
  • E.S.
  • Sen. Ed Murray (D-43) hugs Rep. Maureen Walsh (R-16), who voted yea and spoke about her lesbian daughter's right to marry.

Tears, cheers, and lots of congratulations in the wings of the Democratic side of the chamber.
  • E.S.
  • Tears, cheers, and lots of congratulations in the wings of the Democratic side of the chamber.

House Vote on Gay Marriage to Begin Shortly

Posted by on Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 12:55 PM

And Slog will be watching.
  • E.S.
  • And Slog will be watching.

We Have Winners!

Posted by on Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 12:52 PM

Aaaand, the results are in! Congratulations April T, Barry P, and Jason G, for you are the lucky winners of the world's first Feminist KillJoy t-shirts, donated by ooshirts.com, as well as tepid bottles of Komen-themed Fuze Slenderize™, donated by my office desk.

Spread Joy as You Kill It!
  • Spreading Joy as You Kill It.


And finally: Thanks to everyone who donated to Planned Parenthood!

So Say Seattle DOES Finally Get a Hockey Team

Posted by on Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 12:51 PM

What do you think this team's goal song should be? Discuss over here! (Because it's gonna have to be better than what the Nashville Predator's have got.)

Santorum Says Obama Might Force the Catholic Church to Hire Female Priests

Posted by on Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 12:33 PM

Oh, no! This morning, Rick Santorum said that President Obama might force the Catholic Church into not treating women as lesser beings than men:


This is a president who, just recently, in this Hosanna-Tabor case was basically making the argument that Catholics had to, you know, maybe even had to go so far as to hire women priests to comply with employment discrimination issues. This is a very hostile president to people of faith. He’s a hostile president, not just to people of faith, but to all freedoms.

Okay, first of all, this is a bullshit scare tactic that's not based in any kind of reality. But second of all: It's clearly impossible for women to take on the priesthood. As everybody knows, women's bodies simply cannot handle the Word of God being delivered directly into them. Their little baby brains simply weren't "intelligently designed" for it! Only men's rugged frames can carry the immense weight of the Truth of Jesus. (Also, women probably would not enjoy raping children as much as male members of the clergy do, which could lead to some awkward breakroom conversations.) Let's leave the gold lamé gowns and fancy hats to the fellas, the way Jesus intended, okay?

Lunchtime Quickie: Today In White Guys In Black Face...

Posted by on Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 12:30 PM

... maybe this interviewing-students-on-video trend should just stop. And maybe it should stop with this guy in black face at Brigham Young University?

You've Got to Hand It to These Assholes

Posted by on Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 12:07 PM

No other assholes gape as wide:

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Meanwhile, in compassionately puckered sphincters, Occupy Seattle organizers are planning a counter-protest to shield funeral-goers from the sight and stench.

I Pick Rick!

Posted by on Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 12:01 PM

I know that Rob McKenna and other Republicans say I'm a "partisan hack," but I'm determined to prove them wrong. That's why I intend to caucus with Republicans on Saturday, March 3, and cast my vote for Rick Santorum. And I invite all of our readers here on Slog to do the same.

The Washington State Republican Party will choose all of its 40 national delegates via the caucus system this year (you can learn all the details at the Washington State Republican Party Caucus official Tumblr page), a caucus that's open to all registered voters regardless of party preference. And as the only presidential caucus or primary scheduled on that particular slow weekend news day, you can be sure that Washington's caucus will get a fair bit of national attention.

Can your vote really make a difference? Well, in many Seattle precincts, where Republicans are scarce, absolutely. For example, my caucus, along with those of God knows how many other precincts, will be held at Cafe Ibex, delicious Ethiopian fare, but not exactly a huge location. So just a handful of like-minded Santorum supporters could easily flip the precinct in his direction, plus guarantee that some of us enjoy the honor of being selected as delegates to the county convention (possibly my only shot at getting credentialed to an official Republican event).

No, petty, childish machinations like this probably can't cost Mitt Romney the nomination, but it sure is fun trying. So please join me in caucusing for Rick Santorum. Together, we can help turn Washington brown.

Pina: In Which the Man Who Made Wings of Desire Pays Tribute to a Choreographer Who Will Explode Your Brain. In 3-D!

Posted by on Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 11:59 AM

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Wim Wenders' Pina opens Friday at the Cinerama, and Jen Graves holds forth on its 3-D brilliance here.

Also, on Friday February 17, SIFF will be hosting a special screening of Pina featuring Wim Wenders, who'll introduce the film and participate in an onstage Q&A afterwards moderated by Spectrum Dance Theater's Donald Byrd. Tickets to this special screening are $30 and can be purchased here.

Sean Hannity Says If President Obama "had his way," Osama Bin Laden Would Still Be Alive

Posted by on Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 11:21 AM

Holy fuck. He's practically rewriting history as it happens, now:

“They’ve got a foreign policy that shows a lot of weakness,” Hannity said. “I know the President will say they got bin Laden, putting that aside.”

“And the public gives him credit for that,” Luntz interjected.

A reluctant Hannity replied, “But it wouldn’t have happened if he had his way, and I think that could be proven as well on tapes.”

What the fuck is wrong with this man? That is an out-and-out, bold-faced lie. That's the kind of shit that should get you publicly reprimanded by your superiors. Unluckily for us, I guess, nobody is superior to Sean Hannity.

"The law at the time required a prosecution."

Posted by on Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 11:18 AM

It was a crime in Switzerland during the Second World War for Swiss citizens help German Jews who were fleeing the Nazis—indeed, "the law at the time required a prosecution" of any Swiss citizen who helped a Jewish refugee escape from Germany:

In 1942, Jakob Spirig was arrested by Swiss police. The 23-year-old was charged with helping Jewish refugees, including four older women from Berlin, cross the border into Switzerland, where they would be safe from persecution by the Nazis.... But in the eyes of the Swiss government, helping the refugees was illegal and an offense against the state. Spirig, and many others like him, was sentenced by a military court to years in prison and he served the sentence to the last day.

In January of 2004 the Swiss government pardoned Jakob Spirig and all other Swiss citizens who had been prosecuted for helping Jews escape Nazi Germany:

Starting on Jan. 1, a new law went into effect that pardons people who were persecuted for helping refugees escape Nazi Germany. [The pardons were] important for repairing Switzerland's image, said Paul Rechsteiner, the Social Democratic member of parliament who sponsored the bill.

Yesterday the British House of Lords refused to even consider issuing a pardon to Alan Turing—one of the father's of the computer age and the man who cracked the Nazi's secret codes and helped win WW2—because "the law at the time required a prosecution." Turing's crime? He was a homosexual. Turing was arrested after to admitting to homosexual acts with another consenting adult, he was convicted of that "crime," and then he given a choice between prison and chemical castration. Turing chose castration. Shortly thereafter the man who helped win WW2 committed suicide by eating a cyanide-laced apple.

The law "at the time" required that Turing be prosecuted. The law in Switzerland "at the time" Jakob Spirig saved the lives of those "four older women" from Berlin also required that he be prosecuted.

Question for the House of Lords: Did the Swiss government err when it pardoned Jakob Spirig? Or did you err by not pardoning Alan Turing?

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The Late Wednesday Morning News

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