Friday, July 3, 2009
Books Things Are Looking Up
Posted by Paul Constant on Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 4:23 PM
The Millions has a look ahead at the next year's worth of books scheduled for release, and the prospects actually look quite good: 2 from Dave Eggers, a giant non-fiction book that William Vollman refers to as "my Moby Dick," Lorrie Moore, Thomas Pynchon, Audrey Niffenegger, Margaret Atwood, Jonathan Lethem, R. Crumb, J.M. Coetzee, Philip Roth (shocking!), Jonathan Safran Foer, Sam Lipsyte, Rachel Cusk, and many, many more.
This is an exciting look ahead. Good job, The Millions; way to focus on the bright side.
Politics Re: Palin to Step Down as Governor
Posted by Eli Sanders on Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 3:58 PM
I know she's resigning, but... What the fuck did she just say for seven minutes? Love the bird sounds, though.
City Support Jason—Wait, Who's Jason?
Posted by Dan Savage on Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 2:30 PM
"Sorry for the crappy photo," says Slog tipper Andi, "but there are people protesting outside of Jimmy John's on 3rd Ave with signs that say 'Don't eat here! Support Jason!' Who is Jason anyway?"
No idea. Labor dispute? Viral marketing? Anybody?
Politics Wailin' For Palin
Posted by Paul Constant on Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 2:10 PM
Sarah Palin's announcement that she's resigning just made Mitt Romney's decade—he's the one to beat in the 2012 Republican primaries now.
But we don't need to speculate about elections right now, do we? It's July 4th weekend! It's time to celebrate! And what better way to celebrate than heading over to Conservatives4Palin.com and reading Palin fan reactions to her announcement?
Jane Austen said...what?!?!?!??! I don't understand. Is this a good thing or is she giving up politics for good????
July 3, 2009 3:26 PM
Anne said...GUYS - HELP ME HERE.
Why would she resign???
Seriously, I need insight!
July 3, 2009 3:26 PM
Jane Austen said...we need to pray.
now.July 3, 2009 3:27 PM
Chappy said...Chris Wallace on Fox can't understand why she would make this announcement just before the 4th of July weekend......but think about it......what will everybody be talking about at their BBQ's and at their Tea Party's?
They'll be talking about Sarah!
Smart lady!
July 3, 2009 3:30 PM
Tim said...guys.. I don't think she is resigning.. she is just saying that she is not seeking relection...
why are you trusting a liberal media source.. they make up stuff as they go along..
(and I say this as a liberal supporting Governor Sarah Palin)
July 3, 2009 3:32 PM
Much, much more schadenfreude after the jump.
Politics Palin to Step Down as Governor
Posted by Lindy West on Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 1:17 PM
Via MSNBC:
WASILLA, Alaska - Sarah Palin announced Friday she plans to resign as governor of Alaska in a few weeks, saying she will try to "affect positive change" from outside government.She is handing the reins over to Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell, who will be sworn in on July 25. Parnell and most of Palin's cabinet were present at the announcement.
"We know we can affect positive change outside government at this moment in time on another scale and actually make a difference," she said, adding that politics had become a "superficial, wasteful bloodsport."
Palin plans to leave behind the "superficial, wasteful bloodsport" of politics for more wholesome activities such as, say, AERIAL WOLF MURDER.
Retail My Favorite Blog Today
Posted by Paul Constant on Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 12:22 PM
Slog Commenter and all-around great guy NaFun Twittered this blog yesterday, but I think today's a great day to explore it a little further: Not Always Right is a blog collecting particularly hellish interactions with customers.
I'm sure that some of you commenters (probably the ones who never worked retail before) are already getting huffy and pre-imagining your comments: "Why don't they get a better job instead of working retail like a punk?" I can hear you huff, before you huffily add, "People who work in retail deserve what they get and need to stop whining!"
To which I say: Calm down, Huffy. It's not a particularly whiny blog. I especially like this post:
Always Right, Even When Shooting Down A Helicopter
Golf Course | Finland(At the golf course where I work, it’s been a very a hot day and an older man unfortunately has a stroke/heart attack in the middle of the range. The course is at a remote location, so a medical helicopter is called in and lands in the middle of the range. Another golfer comes over, obviously upset.)
Golfer: “It’s my tee! I want to take my shot but the helicopter is blocking it.”
Me: “Sir, there’s a medical emergency on the range so you’ll have to wait for a little while.”
Golfer: “But it’s my shot! I pay good money to play here and it’s my shot!”
Me: “Sir, someone may be dying over there. Please have some patience. It shouldn’t take long until they lift off.”
Golfer: “If they get hit, it’s their own fault.”
(The man then pulls a club out and before I can stop him, he swings and hits the helicopter.)
Me: “Sir! For God’s sake, stop!”Golfer: “It’s my tee! They can just blame themselves for being in the way. I don’t have time for this!”
(I ended up reporting him to the caddie master and range supervisors. His license was revoked and was banned from playing there ever again. Thankfully, the helicopter was not damaged and the patient was saved.)
People can be so incredibly awful sometimes, and often that awfulness is extra-hilarious. Take a look at the blog when you get a chance.
Homo / News Fort Worth: Mayor Calls for Federal Investigation
Posted by Dan Savage on Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 12:04 PM
After initially defending "his" officers—and in the most offensive possible way—the chief of police in Fort Worth now says that Chad Gibson, who he accused of groping an officer, wasn't in the custody of the FWPD when he was seriously injured, but in the custody of officers from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. The FWPD and the TABC have both announced independent investigations into the raid on the Rainbow Lounge—and now the mayor of Fort Worth is calling on the feds to investigate:
Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief called on federal prosecutors Friday to look into last week’s bar raid that resulted in a serious head injury to one patron.Parallel investigations—one by Fort Worth police and another within the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission—are already under way into what happened Sunday at the Rainbow Lounge.
And, police chief Jeff Halstead has announced the indefinite suspension of bar checks conducted jointly by his department and TABC.
Sounds like Fort Worth is trying to throw TABC under the bus. Let's wait and see what the feds find out.
UPDATE: The mayor isn't calling for a federal investigation, as the report above suggests. The mayor's is calling on the feds to review the investigations currently being conducted by the FWPD and TABC once they're completed. Not sure what that accomplishes. Full text of the mayor's statement after the jump.
Video of the Day Lunchtime Quickie
Posted by Kelly O on Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 12:00 PM
God Bless This Mess! Happy (almost) 4th of July... and I love you, YouTube, forever and ever.
Two-Block Radius / Chow For Your Stomach's Consideration: Dinner on a Hot Day
Posted by Bethany Jean Clement on Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 11:15 AM
Have you been to the Tin Table yet? It's upstairs in Odd Fellows Hall, it's dim and cool and stylish (but not trying-too-hard stylish), they have lovely icy cocktails, the food is generally great, and it's almost weirdly inexpensive (and not for tiny portions, either). More on all that here.
If you're feeling a little more flush, the crudos—like an Italian version of sashimi, it's raw fish dressed with olive oil, salt, maybe citrus or vinegar—at Anchovies & Olives are a perfect summer supper. They're around $15 a dish; start with one per person (you might be surprised by how filling it is.) Most awesome right now: fluke with cold watermelon broth. And now they have sidewalk seating.
Photo of the Tin Table by Victor Ng for The Stranger.
Stranger Suggests Today The Stranger Suggests
Posted by The Stranger on Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 11:00 AM
Music
Dirty Projectors
Dirty Projectors are the rotating-cast project of Dave Longstreth, a prodigious guitarist, acrobatic singer, and adventurous composer. Longstreth's guitar playing is something like Deerhoof relaxing into a Malian safari; his singing is an ideal, airy falsetto; his compositions are difficult to explain but easy to appreciate. Dirty Projectors' latest album, Bitte Orca (the follow-up to the deservedly lauded Black Flag reinventions of Rise Above), includes his stunning collaborators Amber Coffman and Angel Deradoorian, whose voices are like so many butterflies fluttering in Longstreth's nets. (Chop Suey, 1325 E Madison St, 324-8000. 8 pm, $12, 21+.)
ERIC GRANDYConflict of Interest / Architecture / Film Suddenly in Seattle
Posted by Charles Mudede on Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 10:57 AM
If you are free in a couple of hours, my film Police Beat will make an appearance on a screen in the Northwest Film Forum. Afterward, I'll talk about cities and stuff with the novelist Matthew Stadler and the German urban planner Thomas Sieverts.
One Pot also has a Sievert's event this evening at the opening of the Suddenly Exhibition in Pioneer Square. These are things you might like to do.
Health Today in Posthumanism
Posted by Charles Mudede on Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 10:46 AM
The future of human health:
The salamander is a superhero of regeneration, able to replace lost limbs, damaged lungs, sliced spinal cord — even bits of lopped-off brain.The motto of a future biotech corporation: Less Human than Human.But it turns out that remarkable ability isn't so mysterious after all — suggesting that researchers could learn how to replicate it in people...
...Based on experiments on genetically modified axolotl salamanders, the researchers show that cells from the salamander's different tissues retain the "memory" of those tissues when they regenerate, contributing with few exceptions only to the same type of tissue from whence they came.
Standard mammal stem cells operate the same way, albeit with far less dramatic results — they can heal wounds or knit bone together, but not regenerate a limb or rebuild a spinal cord. What's exciting about the new findings is they suggest that harnessing the salamander's regenerative wonders is at least within the realm of possibility for human medical science.
Pic by furryscalyman.
Drunk World of Warcraft Freakout… Now with a Convenient Remix!
Posted by Wm.™ Steven Humphrey on Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 10:44 AM
Remember the kid who completely lost his marbles when his mom took away his World of Warcraft privileges? Well, he's back… thanks to this HEEEEE-LARIOUS remix starring the Kirby music from Super Smash Bros.! (I'm telling you, this tune is the Benny Hill/"Yakkety Sax" of the new century!)
Please stop putting that in your butt, and hat tips to Buzzfeed.
Books Reading Tonight
Posted by Paul Constant on Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 10:22 AM
There is only one reading today, at Fremont Place Book Company. S.G. Browne reads from Breathers: A Zombie Lament, a book about a "nebbish" of a zombie named Andy who finds a lady zombie named Rita and falls in love. You can read a preview of the book above.
I really like Fremont Place Book Company, and, to my knowledge, this is the first reading they've hosted in at least a year, so we should support this sort of behavior by attending the reading. And also hit up Ophelia's Books across the street, too. It's a bookventure!
The full readings calendar, including the next week or so, is here. And if you're planning on staying in and you're looking for personalized book recommendations, feel free to tell me the books you like and ask me what to read next over at Questionland.
Homo / Sports / Theater / The Ladies Overheard in the Office
Posted by Bethany Jean Clement on Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 10:06 AM
Yesterday I had a sad conversation with Dan Savage. "Do you know what the term 'triple threat' refers to?" I asked him (ungrammatically). "It's a person who can sing, dance, AND act," he said. It's not a sports thing? I wondered; no, he was sure. Then I had to go and check, after which I had to inform him that heteronormative Merriam Webster is at odds with his rainbow-colored worldview.
Religion So How's Your Creepy Christian Pedo-dar?
Posted by Dan Savage on Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 9:46 AM
Yesterday I tested your creepy Christian pedo-dar. I asked Sloggers if this teacher—arrested for soliciting one of his 12-year-old students for sex—solicited a male student or a female student.
The results of the vote...
And a majority of Sloggers got it right: It's a girl...
A First Baptist Church School teacher is accused of soliciting a 12-year-old student for sex. Charleston County Sheriff's investigators charged Charles "DJ" Fishburne Rhodes III of Charleston with criminal solicitation of a minor.An affidavit says the victim told investigators that Rhodes began text messaging her on her cell phone after school let out for the summer. The two talked through texts for about two to three weeks when Rhodes wrote and asked her to "come over." One text asked her to perform oral sex on him, the affidavit says.
Rhodes waived his rights and admitted in a statement that he engaged in the sexual conversation with the student, the affidavit says.
So it turns out that Sloggers' creepy Christian pedo-dar is pretty accurate. Congrats!
Politics California Here We Come
Posted by Dan Savage on Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 9:22 AM
Bankrupt budgets, political paralysis, collapsing schools, shuttered parks: Tim Eyeman's latest assault on state government—Initiative 1033—makes the ballot and could remake Washington state in the image of California. Goldy breaks it down:
I-1033 is a “TABOR” initiative, one of many, similarly constructed spending-cap measures that have been peddled in the initiative states nationwide, and have been funded by a shadowy network of ultra-wealthy, right-wing extremists. Thus, unlike most of Eyman’s initiatives, don’t be surprised to see a fair amount of out of state money flooding into Washington to fund the “Yes” campaign.The Washington State Budget and Policy Center has a great analysis of I-1033 and its consequences, and I encourage you to watch their slideshow, but don’t think it an exaggeration to summarize the measure as the end of Washington state government as we know it.
I-1033 caps government spending at the previous year’s spending, plus population growth and inflation, and while that may appear to be a formula for fiscal stability, it is in fact entirely and intentionally the opposite.
Read the whole thing here.
Housekeeping Light Slogging Today
Posted by Dan Savage on Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 9:09 AM
It's a holiday and our offices are closed, so Slogging is going to be light today. That's bad news or good news, depending on your feelings about Slog. But we can all agree that the impending return of Pony—picture via CHS—is damn good news.
News The Morning News
Posted by Lindy West on Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 8:09 AM
Yeah. Great Idea, Assholes. Iran plans to try British embassy employees for "fomenting and orchestrating protests."
Are You Talking About Afghanistan or Wizards of the Coast? "Nawa is quiet, too quiet. Something is eerie. The enemy has gone to ground, shuras [councils of elders] are being set up."
I'LL PAY YOU BOCK. Arnold Schwarzenegger begins issuing I.O.U.s to California taxpayers.
There Is Absolutely No Local News Today: Sonics, still gone. Green Day, coming. Zombies, coming. Traffic, coming. Water taxi, scoot scoot scoot.
Do You Like Claustrophobia AND Dizzying Heights? Good news! Statue of Liberty hot sardine can of death crown observation deck to reopen on July 4th.
Reject This Friend Request. That mom who cyber-bullied that girl to death gets acquitted.
My Parents Are Flying to Romania Next Week on a Goddamn Air France Airbus. "Investigators said the Airbus 'descended vertically' and dropped 35,000ft in a matter of seconds, hitting the water in its exact flying position."
Hottie With a Naughty Body. Mark Sanford's soulmate-mistress-lady REVEALED!
Not everything is stupid. Some things are gay. What the internet feels like sometimes:
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