Different Day, Same Shit.

"Fetus" and "masturbation" are two words you normally wouldn't see together in a sentence. Thank the GOP for making the seemingly impossible...possible:

The House's proposed ban on late-term abortions is justified because fetuses masturbate as early as 15 weeks, proving they experience physical feeling, according to a member of the GOP Doctors Caucus.

Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas), a former OB/GYN, suggested Monday that he has witnessed "movements that are purposeful" in fetuses entering the second trimester.

“Watch a sonogram of a 15-week baby," Burgess said. "They stroke their face. If they’re a male baby, they may have their hand between their legs. If they feel pleasure, why is it so hard to believe that they could feel pain?”

Burgess made the comment during debate in the House Rules Committee over Rep. Trent Franks's (R-Ariz.) abortion bill, which is due for a floor vote Tuesday.

The measure would ban nearly all abortions after 22 weeks of pregnancy on the disputed premise that fetuses can feel pain at that stage of development.

According to Burgess, if a fetus entering the second trimester is capable of masturbating, then it's capable of feeling pleasure. Ergo, it's also capable of feeling pain. Therefore, it would be wrong and immoral to subject the fetus to the pain that abortion would cause.

According to research from the Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, evidence that a fetus is capable of such stimuli is fleeting, at best:

Most endocrinological, behavioral and electrophysiological studies of fetal pain are performed in the third trimester, and they seem to agree that the fetus in the 3rd trimester can experience pain. But the presence of fetal pain in the 2nd trimester is less evident. In favor of a 2nd trimester perception of pain is the early development of spino-thalamic pathways (approximately from the 20th week), and the connections of the thalamus with the subplate (approximately from the 23rd week). Against this possibility, some authors report the immaturity of the cortex with the consequent lack of awareness, and the almost continuous state of sleep of the fetus.

Conclusions: Most studies disclose the possibility of fetal pain in the third trimester of gestation. This evidence becomes weaker before this date, though we cannot exclude its increasing presence since the beginning of the second half of the gestation.

Normally, I'd be surprised that the moral fundamentalists within the GOP aren't calling for fetuses to be fitted with tiny little anti-masturbation devices. But this is different. Convincing the public that fetuses are already going on dates with Rosy Palms is merely a means to an end, with the end being that of abortion. Baby steps, literally.

The bill, officially known as the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, passed the House 228-196 but it's destined to die an ignoble death in the Senate. President Obama promises to veto the bill and others like it if they ever come across his desk.

The irony is that while the GOP does all it can to "protect" the life of the unborn, all bets are off once the unborn become born. With massive cuts to federal education funding and the WIC program due to Sequestration and 13 GOP-led states opting out of the Affordable Care Act, seems the GOP has no interest in investing in the future of the already-born, unless there was something in it for them.

This past Fourth of July, the fine folks in Winfield, Alabama woke up to the handywork of their friendly neighborhood "Christian organization", that left flyers encouraging the town's white Christians to join them for a Negro-free holiday gathering full of good food, great music and plenty of pro-white propaganda.


Gee, I thought Christ's love didn't recognize any ethnic boundaries. Or many religious ones, at that. Then again, when your Jesus looks like this, you kinda expect him to stay on the right (or is that white?) team.


The city is a bit miffed. They don't want to be associated with any of this shit, and I don't blame them. The only thing that sucks more than a closeted Klansman in a Hardee's bathroom is a bunch of "Christians" using the faith as a cover for their bigoted tendencies. Speaking of which:

According to the flier, the three-day conference, being held in a rural area, will end with a "Sacred Christian Cross Lighting Ceremony."

Welp, at least they saved on the laundry bills. And I'm done.

The above comes courtesy of otherwise charming gentleman George Tierney Jr. of Greenville, South Carolina. Poor George figured he could get away with calling someone a "dick sucker" and a "cunt" without any repercussions. Being this Twitter, George Tierney Jr. of Greenville, South Carolina's scathing rant was quickly made available to all 36,882 (as of 5/22) of Sandra Fluke's followers and millions of Tweeters all over.

Of course, George Tierney Jr. of Greenville, South Carolina's outburst was bound to hit the blogs. And once George Tierney Jr. of Greenville, South Carolina found that out, he promptly lost his shit:

Whoever runs this site needs to take my damn comments off of it. I did not give you permission, nor did you ask me for it. It shows up on google and I will see a lawyer if this doesnt disappear. Ask me before posting bullshit about me. You fuckers had no right.

Sincerely,

George Tierney Jr

You dont get to make the rules. I am the george tierney that made the comments to sandra fluke, not to you..take it off google. If it goes to a lawyer, it will be settled in court, with me getting paid.

Sincerely,

George Tierney Jr

George Tierney Jr. of Greenville, South Carolina has no idea how blogs work, how the Internet works or how people don't necessarily need your permission to put your stupidity on display. Teenagers who post naked photos of themselves on Facebook only to find them strewn across the Internet can attest to the impossibility of having Internet content taken down. Perhaps George Tierney Jr. of Greenville, South Carolina should incorporate his person and secure legal and monetary backing from RIAA/MPAA/etc., but lets not give George Tierney Jr. of Greenville, South Carolina any ideas.

George Tierney Jr. of Greenville, South Carolina claimed he was using his "inside voice" and didn't deserve being outed. His "inside voice" is the kind of voice that'd get his mouth washed out with soap as a kid or his teeth punched out of his mouth under some circumstances. Twitter and the Internet in general is usually a safe place for keyboard cowards like George Tierney Jr. of Greenville, South Carolina to safely mouth off.

That's the thing about wielding your First Amendment rights: not only can other people do it, too, but you also have to consider the consequences that follow. George Tierney Jr. of Greenville, South Carolina simply didn't know how that worked, nor did he really know how the Internet worked. And how his name and location will most likely pass on as a slightly memorable meme and as an example of how SEO spam can wreck someone's shit on Google and other search engines. Sucks for George Tierney Jr. of Greenville, South Carolina.

George Tierney Jr. of Greenville, South Carolina should know when to fold and not double down on the stupid, as shown below:


Poor, poor taste, George Tierney Jr. of Greenville, South Carolina. If he issued a half-assed apology about being sorry if Sandra Fluke was offended, closed his Twitter account and stayed off the Internet for a few years, people might forget about George Tierney Jr. of Greenville, South Carolina. Or maybe not. George Tierney Jr. of Greenville, South Carolina is pretty popular on the Internet now that this is out in the open. Maybe George Tierney Jr. of Greenville, South Carolina can get a reality TV show out of this or something.

George Tierney Jr. of Greenville, South Carolina
George Tierney Jr. of Greenville, SC
George Tierney Jr. of Greenville, S.C.
George Tierney Junior of Greenville, South Carolina

And on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, no less.


This is some bullshit. Tacky, tasteless, coon-ass bullshit.

And it makes this all the more appropriate:



It's like some people have absolutely no concept of "taste."

Conservatives have some weird ideas about what constitutes humor. Humor's supposed to be light-hearted, self-depreciating and most of all, genuinely funny. Instead, conservatives have a knack for creating bitter shtick that makes no one but their own equally bitter audience laugh. Everyone else kinda groans and start heading for the exits. Or the bar.

Very much like seeing this nearly made me find the nearest liquor cabinet, and I don't even drink.


This is what passes for humor in the conservative world. Courtesy of the Loudoun County Republican Committee, as a part of an mass email. Among the images of zombies and a nightmare fuel Nancy Pelosi, we have President Barack Obama, portrayed as a zombie with a rather large hole in his head, suggested to be a gunshot wound. We all know the message being sent here.

First off, I thought zombies' heads exploded upon their acquaintance with jacketed projectiles. And besides, the best weapon for a zombie offense is a shotgun. This wound looks like it was made with a large caliber handgun, probably one of those damn-near-useless .500 caliber phallic showpieces.

Welp, the Republican Party of Virginia is out in front of the story with the usual "We don't condone this crap" spin. If it sounds like I'm being dismissive, just keep in mind how well people tend to behave when they're thrown in CYA mode.

There's something about conservatism that makes for crappy comedy. I guess being bitter gun clingers does no favors for the funny bone.

Next time you decide to send a care package to the troops stuck in a remote Afghan outpost, try sending them stuff that's actually worth using (i.e. toiletries, snacks, etc).

The last thing they need is political proselytization via conservative blowhard, in hardback form. But at least it's good for heating fuel.

Hat tips to Everqueer and Military.com.

- It's good to see the "Occupying Wall Street" movement going on strong, even though I have the distinct feeling it will peter out at some point and die with a whimper. I hope it spreads to other cities -- people need to let it be known they won't tolerate being drained and discarded for financial and political gain.

Not everyone's supportive of "Occupying Wall Street." This fucking guy or gal thinks they're all "a bunch of spoiled brats":

This bunch ought to get down on their knees in thanks that America's capitalist Founding Fathers saw fit to protect the privileges of the dumb and obnoxious along with everyone else.

They should also salute the NYPD and all its officers for paying diligent attention to ensuring that peace and harmony reign in their daze of rage. But no.

Blindly directed pseudo-patriotism and an equally blind subservience to authority, no matter how brusque that authority can be. No name on the op-ed piece, but the tone of it suggests someone who likes their brew in bags, if you get my drift.

- I guess all of the "SUPPORT ARE TROOPS" rhetoric goes out the window when it comes to GLBT servicemen. It really showed how classless the Tea Swillers can be. And the President wasn't about to stand for any of it.

Some people are wondering why Obama can't be that impassioned when it comes to standing up for the black community. And others are wondering if Obama would tell any other group to essentially "stop bitching and sack up" like he told the CBC.

- For those who think the anonymity of the Internet is ironclad, read this. Saying the ongoing drug wars in Mexico are "out of control" would be the understatement to end all understatements.

- The Department of Homeland Security is scheduled to move its headquarters into the western campus of St. Elizabeth's Hospital. There's a metaphor in there, somewhere, I know it.

- The way things are going, most sex offender listings won't be worth much. Not when 16-year-olds and guys like these are being thrown on the list. Once you're on that list, it's pretty much "Game Over" as far as your career and livelihood is concerned.

Stay safe out there. It's not just the meat and pork that's killing folks -- it's the gatdamned fruit, too.

"They had reduced all of who I am and the history of Jamaica and culture of Jamaica to these negative connotations of weed smoking, black skin, rastas. In this instance, it was meant to be ridiculed and seen as something that was fun and acceptable. It was humiliating as though your race is somehow a costume for baffoonery, as though somehow I was invisible or less than a person. It was really tough to have to walk by that. It’s a very painful reminder of a time when we weren’t considered people. I don’t think that was anyone’s intention but it was still deeply disturbing."

When one of the group members noticed Morgan, he allegedly yelled: "Look guys, we’ve got a real black!" He then turned to the crowd and continued chanting: "Smoke some weed! Yeah mon! Yeah mon!"

I had to take time out and make sure this was Herman Cain's real YouTube account, because any tool with a computer can make a fake account on behalf of a real person, nowadays. So far, nothing indicates the sort.

Which makes this all the more painful to watch.


Herman, what the fuck were you thinking?

What if this very same video had an Islamic prayer dubbed over it? Could you imagine the shitstorm that would cause?

When you get both of your legs broken by a pregnant woman you just robbed, maybe it's time for you to hang up the career criminal racket. Granted she studied a bit of kickboxing, but still. Vaughn Matthews thought he found an easy target and his legs paid the price.

Good thing this wasn't Texas -- someone would have found a good excuse to justifiably "center mass" a Negro.

And good thing this guy wasn't packing a knife or a gun. Things could have gone much, much worse for this woman.

- Dick Cheney writes a book. I can't say I could be bothered to give two fucks about this. It was hard enough gathering up the interest to bother posting this. Say, about that ticker...

...no wait, about his concerns that he may be put on trial some day for war crimes and other general fuckery during his time in the Bush Administration. No wonder he wanted to pave things over with his new book.

- The Justice Department cockblocks AT&T's planned merger with T-Mobile, citing many of the concerns that other people had about the merger's end result -- higher prices and fewer choices. T-Mobile was counting on being swept up by AT&T, as it's reportedly thrown in the towel on expanding and revamping their own cellular infrastructure. Cue conservatives claiming the Obama Administration is "interfering with the free market." There's a bit of fallout from merger not happening, too.

- The U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals has held that recording police officers performing their duties in public is a "clearly established First Amendment right". The ruling has yet to be contested in the U.S. Supreme Court, where it will invariably end up being struck down in a 5-4 decision. Or maybe it won't. Who knows?

- U.S. District Judge Sharon Lovelace Blackburn just put Alabama's immigration law on ice until September 29, or until a ruling is made on the controversial law.

- The HP TouchPad gets one last production run before it's consigned to the dust bin of history. It's still priced at $99, which means HP will lose money on every single one.

Anyone missing a foot? Because one just washed up on a Vancouver beach for the 11th time in four years. The police suspect foul play -- they'd be dense if they didn't.

The other day, I was nose-deep into Abagond's blog post on Frantz Fanon's "Black Skin, White Masks," a book that delves into the psychology of racism from a unique non-American perspective. In a sense, it looks into how European colonialism, the dominance of general culture by whites and rampant racism affected the black psyche, while also revealing a lot about Fanon's own psyche. Needless to say, it's an enlightening read.

Probably less enlightening is the backtrack link found at the very end of the blog comments. The backtrack leads to Unamusement Park, a blog that purports itself to be in support of "white rights, white racial consciousness and positive white identity." It's the sort of thing that makes you groan when you see it, more so when you see what one of the guest bloggers cooked up in his spare time.

The cultivation of "white rights, white racial consciousness and positive white identity" seem like odd concepts for a "majority" group to engage in. Whites are the majority power in many countries, so the idea of "white rights" is already codified into law, except that it's not known as "white rights" -- being the majority, the rights of whites are already assumed and are thus referred to in the general sense, without any racial identifiers needed. Whites are the majority in the world, in regards to socioeconomic and cultural terms, so the idea of "positive white identity" is unnecessary for a group that is not only automatically seen in a positive light by most, but can also manufacture a positive identity for itself with relative ease and force other groups to acknowledge said identity.

"White racial consciousness" seems a bit difficult to parse until it's explained in great detail. The term "white people" is used within the United States to describe people whose ancestry traces back to England, Ireland, France, Germany and other European nations. For Americans, its a way to describe yourself without wasting time explaining how you're Scots-Irish on your mother's side and Polish with a hint of some scarcely-known Moldavian ancestry on your father's side. The concept of "white racial consciousness" may seem innocuous until you read up on the history of so-called "white pride" groups and their track records for promoting and engaging in tactics designed to sew racially-motivated discord and violence against other races. In that regard, the concept of "white racial consciousness" sounds like a softer, dampened cry for "white pride."

With that said, it's amusing to see whites who feel threatened by the prospect of losing that feeling of cultural dominance attempt to reassert their own "whiteness" on the world with the following:

Guest poster "1951" has created no less than five flyers to support his “proud to be white” campaign, which promotes what he calls the “Three Truths”:

white people exist,
white people have the right to exist, and
white people have the right to exist as white people.

After all, as 1951 explains in a follow-up comment,

If we won’t even recognize our own existence, there’s certainly no hope of restoring our civilization. The task of creating an authentic white consciousness among the hoi polloi is therefore, in my opinion, Job One.


If we can get this message across to Joe and Jane Nascar, we will win the war. There will be too many of us to stop.