In defense of the sanctimonious women's studies set || First feminist blog on the internet

Month: February 2007

Credit Where Credit Is Due

Well, how ’bout that. Texas’ governor, Rick “Goodhair” Perry, has bypassed the legislature and issued an executive order requiring all schoolgirls to receive the HPV vaccine.

By employing an executive order, Perry sidestepped opposition in the Legislature from conservatives and parents’ rights groups who fear such a requirement would condone premarital sex and interfere with the way Texans raise their children.

Beginning in September 2008, girls entering the sixth grade — meaning, generally, girls ages 11 and 12 — will have to receive Gardasil, Merck & Co.’s new vaccine against strains of the human papillomavirus, or HPV.

Perry also directed state health authorities to make the vaccine available free to girls 9 to 18 who are uninsured or whose insurance does not cover vaccines. In addition, he ordered that Medicaid offer Gardasil to women ages 19 to 21.

Perry, a conservative Christian who opposes abortion and stem-cell research using embryonic cells, counts on the religious right for his political base. But he has said the cervical cancer vaccine is no different from the one that protects children against polio.

“The HPV vaccine provides us with an incredible opportunity to effectively target and prevent cervical cancer,” Perry said.

Bravo, Governor Perry. I like to think that Molly Ivins, who gave you the “Goodhair” moniker, would be proud. By making sure that Texas is the first state to mandate the vaccine — and back it up with state health funds — you’ve made it easier for other states to follow suit. Even in states like my own, where money, but not godbags, are the problem.

Friday Random Ten

1. Kaki King – Magazine
2. Maxwell – This Woman’s Work
3. The Silver Jews – I Remember Me
4. Yo La Tengo: Shadows
5. Neko Case – Maybe Sparrow
6. Etta Jones and Springs – This Is My Beloved
7. Bob Dylan – I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight
8. Sigur Ros – Gloosoli
9. LL Cool J – Doin’ It
10. The Rolling Stones – Ruby Tuesday

Friday Bonus Video: Paris Hilton doesn’t want to touch your money:

Posted in Uncategorized

Well, I Have Been Told I Look Like Speed Racer’s Girlfriend

Via Shakes, the Face Transformer, which will suck your time away like nobody’s business.

Here’s me as a manga character:

And using a different photo, as a Botticelli:

And as a Mucha:

You can play with age, race, gender, species mixing and various artists. Some are more successful than others. The 3/4 shot’s masculinization looked freakily like my brother, who looks like a male version of me; the straight-on shot’s masculinization looked more like Seth Green. The racial transformations were more successful on the straight-on shot, though with the Afro-Caribbean option, my neck remained white, so I looked like I was wearing blackface.

Also? From these results, I don’t think Botticelli would have known what to do with my pug nose.

Evil.

U.S. soldiers admit to torturing and abusing prisoners, and repeatedly raping a 15-year-old girl until she finally killed herself. I can’t bring myself to watch the video “confession,”* but the transcript is enough. The army is apparently investigating, and if anything comes of it, I suspect that it will be framed as another “bad apple” incident, not something that is institutionally backed and reflective of the military culture at places like Abu Ghraib.

Thanks to Una for the link.

*I use the term “confession” loosely, since there don’t seem to be any feelings of guilt or culpability involved.

Why I’ve Been Quiet Lately

I know I explained a couple of weeks ago that I’d been quiet because weird things were happening at work. Now, I am here to tell you a little something about the weird things: I wound up being forced into choosing between going along with a substantial change in the terms and conditions of my employment or leaving. I decided to leave.

So I’ve been a little taken up with decompressing after that experience (read: napping and going to the gym), filling out paperwork for unemployment insurance, and trying to find a new job. No real bites yet, but it’s only been a couple of weeks.

Fortunately, once I get one more form, I can file my tax return, which means a pretty good refund (thank you, mortgage interest deduction!), so I can be comfortably unemployed for a few months even if my claim for unemployment is denied. And even if my former employer withholds my final paycheck, which might happen.

So. If anyone has any job leads or contacts, preferably in public-interest law, drop me a line at feministe (at) gmail (dot) (com). Thanks!

(p.s. I can’t yet discuss the details of what happened, so don’t ask)

Get Your Pre-Orders In

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to be published July 21.

Update: Via Misty at Shakespeare’s Sister: apparently, some parents are up in arms over Daniel Radcliffe’s upcoming appearance in a production of EQUUS on London’s West End. Because he’ll be NAKED!!!!! And Harry Potter can’t be NAKED!!!!

Look, people: Daniel Radcliffe is an actor. He’s not Harry Potter. Poor kid’s probably trying to avoid being typecast, and he’s a much better actor now than he was when he started playing Harry Potter. Don’t like the idea that he’s going to be naked and having a sex scene? Don’t bring your kid to the theater. It’s not like he’s fucking a horse on TV during primetime.