odinsblog:

liberalsarecool:

First Rule of GOP Fight Club: completely f#ck something up, blame someone else.

people keep acting like PBO is a king and not the head of one of the threeeee branches of government

Almost everything people accuse President Obama of failing to do is because of obstruction from Congressional Republicans. Not only that, but Republicans in the House have wasted so much time and tax dollars trying to repeal one of the president’s actual achievements.

Instead of focusing on employment or actually trying to reduce the deficit, House Republicans have voted to repeat the Affordable Care Act.

37 times.

Sometimes, I wish President Obama had more leeway in achieving his legislative agenda, but this country doesn’t work that way. The only thing we can do is throw the Republicans out in 2014 (and 2016, with regards to some Senate seats, and during the plethora of state and local races in the coming years).

(via recall-all-republicans)

Before Don’t Ask Don’t Tell was repealed, as many as 114,000 service members were discharged because they were gay, and many of those were dishonorable or other than honorable discharges. The damage those dishonorable discharges have done can’t be undone, but the status of the discharges themselves could be, and two House Democrats—Wisconsin’s Mark Pocan and New York’s Charlie Rangel—have proposed a bill to do just that.

Explaining that many states treat dishonorable discharges as felonies, and that service members discharged for being gay may have had trouble getting work or even been prohibited from voting or getting unemployment benefits or veteran benefits, Pocan details the remedies of the proposed bill.

A long overdue bill. I doubt it’ll make it out of the House, but one can hope.

(via recall-all-republicans)

odinsblog:

I imagine I’m like most people and have seen baby sonograms dozens and dozens of times before on television, in magazines or in movies… but, raise your hand if you’ve never, ever seen a baby’s sonogram and it made you think about anything sexual, let alone…

For a political party that’s so adamant about heteronormative sex within the context of marriage and procreation, the Republicans sure do think and talk a lot about types of sex that don’t fit in that incredibly narrow definition.

Something tells me I don’t wanna see what’s in most of these people’s private collections. Or maybe I do, simply for the purposes of potential prosecution.

A prominent Senate Republican issued a blunt warning Wednesday about the prospects of getting proposed immigration reform legislation through both chambers of Congress.

All the more reason to give the House back to the Democrats in 2014.

concertoinc4:

apostrophiee:

concertoinc4:

questionall:

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Fast-food-workers-striking-in-Seattle-to-protest-of-low-wages-209523981.html

I just need to say that the people in this article are asking for $15/hour.  FIFTEEN DOLLARS.  A receptionist will make like $12, and they actually have to know how to use certain computer programs.  And the fast food workers on strike are already making at least $9.  Sweetie, I know it’s not a living wage, but fast food doesn’t require any real skills.  I have a bachelor’s degree and can barely find employment.  AND I worked in fast food for FLORIDA’S minimum wage, which was $7.25 (and went up to $7.31 while I was working there whoa).  Fast food isn’t a particularly fun or lucrative line of work for the average person, but it’s not MEANT to provide a living wage.  You need skills for that.  I can understand maybe asking for $10, but even that’s bordering on entitled for a no-skill entry-level job, especially when people in your line of work in other areas are making almost $2 less than you are.  plus, it’s a minor pay raise and a large cost for the employer, so they cut back hours and raise prices to compensate.

tl;dr I get wanting more money, truly I do, but there are other jobs out there and yo need to understand your job’s place on the employment scale.

Sweetie, I know it’s not a living wage, but fast food doesn’t require any real skills.

it’s not MEANT to provide a living wage.  You need skills for that. 

You need skills for that.  I can understand maybe asking for $10, but even that’s bordering on entitled for a no-skill entry-level job, especially when people in your line of work in other areas are making almost $2 less than you are.

You need to understand your job’s place on the employment scale.

Oh dear.

And you tagged it with #entitlement. /sigh.

I WORKED FOR MINIMUM WAGE.  I know what it’s like.  It stinks.  but also you don’t need many qualifications to work at a fast food joint.  I don’t mean to come off as heartless, but asking for $15/hour is actually crazy.

Now.  Would I like for minimum wage to be a living wage?  Yes.  I have expressed that desire in the past.  But it would take a long time for the economy to adjust to such a standard.  Fast food companies would have to like double their wages - and as I said before, they cut hours and raise prices to compensate for increased expenses.

$15/hour is crazy? Reality check: federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 an hour. That wage is actually lower than when the minimum wage was decades ago, when adjusted for inflation. If the minimum wage had been adjusted over the decades to account for inflation and several other economic realities, including worker productivity, the minimum wage would be just over $21/hour — so your “crazy” estimate is still too low.

As for the “cut hours and raise prices” nonsense — as well as the conservative argument that raising the minimum wage would lead to lost jobs — San Francisco has one of the nation’s highest minimum wages (at more than $10 an hour), and it also has California’s lowest unemployment rate.

So there goes that talking point.

nametags:

pagangirl:

dythetiern:

And….go fuck yourself.

Has he ever actually BEEN to and LIVED in the south? What a dick. I just cannot even.

As someone who lives in the “bible belt” I can honestly say if it wasn’t for the USA’s Federal Government, we probably WOULD be that fucked. Look at the laws that they try (and some that they do!) pass in this area.

Besides, “filled with uneducated religious fanatics” is different from “everyone who lives in the Bible Belt is an uneducated religious fanatic.” Obviously, the latter isn’t the case, but the former is true — and many of them are in positions of power (i.e., state and local government).

I mean, look at the laws. Strict anti-choice measures. Turning down Medicaid funding those states desperately need. Gov. Perry in Texas vetoing legislation to allow equal pay for women. Abstinence-only education. Education cuts.

Study after study shows the Bible Belt states disproportionately depend on federal tax dollars as opposed to other states. The Bible Belt states often have some of the worst instances of poverty, homelessness, and teenage pregnancy.

That’s not a coincidence. This is also not an indictment of people who live in those states — just the ones who make the decisions.

theuppitynegras:

socialismartnature:

The battle at Seattle’s Center School raises the question—how should schools teach students about tolerance and discrimination?

===

wooowww. so how come a teacher leading an anti-racist discussion should have to warn parents beforehand that white children may find the conversation “distressing,” yet teachers talking about slavery, christopher columbus, andrew jackson, the mexican-american war, etc, in the usual apologetic or glorified manner, don’t have to warn parents beforehand that children of color may find the conversation very distressing???

“How are we supposed to brainwash these kids if you’re busy actually teaching them things? Don’t they have a standardized test they need to pass?”

(via vegannvagina)

npr:

rollingstone:

RS contributing editor Michael Hastings has died in a car accident at 33. We will miss our friend and colleague.

Our sincerest condolences to friends, family and colleagues of reporter Michael Hastings, best known for his work at Rolling Stone and Buzzfeed. Rest in peace, Michael.

If you haven’t read Hasting’s piece on General McChrystal, called “The Runaway General,” it is an absolute must-read. This is the piece that, essentially, ended McChrystal’s career.

alifeofrandomness:

kristinastewartcolbert:

liberalbutnotpartisan:

kristinastewartcolbert:

in-the-midst-of-a-url-change:

kristinastewartcolbert:

That’s 5 months along, though… I actually agree with that. It’s cruel at that point to even abort, nobody should have the option to at 5 months. Correct me if I’m misunderstanding.

Women are getting abortions more far along because people keep limiting their choices. I can get a gun within an hour, but god forbid I can’t get an abortion asap. I must go through extensive counseling to change my mind, get a trans-vaginal ultrasound, and plus weekends don’t count as part of the waiting period. What about the cases of rape and incest though? And some doctors will probably take advantage and not make any exceptions. But, who am I kidding? There’s no way this is constitutional. 

Hey, in-the-midst…this isn’t about how far along or anything like that; it’s about depriving a woman of her bodily autonomy, and getting between a health care decision that should be between her and her doctor (besides, if abortion is an option at that stage, it’s likely due to a serious medical problem with the fetus or the mother — or both).

Secondly, and more to the point of why I wanted to reblog this — the exception for rape and incest has a HUGE caveat: women who are victims of rape/sexual assault MUST report the attack to law enforcement in order to qualify for the exception.

Think about that: if you’ve been raped, and you’re pregnant, before you get an abortion, you have to report the attack to the police. On the surface, reporting a sexual assault/rape makes sense, but the reality is nowhere near that easy. Women who report such crimes are ostracized, ridiculed, not always believed, blamed for the attack (victim-blaming) — and if such cases go to court (rare), they seldom result in convictions.

Long story short: this provision makes a rape/sexual assault victim’s life even harder. It adds stress to an already stressful time in the woman’s* life. There’s a reason many rape/sexual assault victims stay quiet, and it’s not because they’re making it all up.

Giving you a standing ovation right now. 

*bow* Thanks.

Look, this won’t go beyond the House; the Senate likely won’t put it up for a vote (let alone pass it), but even if that did happen, there’s no way President Obama would never sign it into law.

However…we need to make sure this sort of thing isn’t happening at the state level. Which…spoiler alert…it kinda is.

Shit, I meant to put that on this blog, not the other one.

kristinastewartcolbert:

in-the-midst-of-a-url-change:

kristinastewartcolbert:

That’s 5 months along, though… I actually agree with that. It’s cruel at that point to even abort, nobody should have the option to at 5 months. Correct me if I’m misunderstanding.

Women are getting abortions more far along because people keep limiting their choices. I can get a gun within an hour, but god forbid I can’t get an abortion asap. I must go through extensive counseling to change my mind, get a trans-vaginal ultrasound, and plus weekends don’t count as part of the waiting period. What about the cases of rape and incest though? And some doctors will probably take advantage and not make any exceptions. But, who am I kidding? There’s no way this is constitutional. 

Hey, in-the-midst…this isn’t about how far along or anything like that; it’s about depriving a woman of her bodily autonomy, and getting between a health care decision that should be between her and her doctor (besides, if abortion is an option at that stage, it’s likely due to a serious medical problem with the fetus or the mother — or both).

Secondly, and more to the point of why I wanted to reblog this — the exception for rape and incest has a HUGE caveat: women who are victims of rape/sexual assault MUST report the attack to law enforcement in order to qualify for the exception.

Think about that: if you’ve been raped, and you’re pregnant, before you get an abortion, you have to report the attack to the police. On the surface, reporting a sexual assault/rape makes sense, but the reality is nowhere near that easy. Women who report such crimes are ostracized, ridiculed, not always believed, blamed for the attack (victim-blaming) — and if such cases go to court (rare), they seldom result in convictions.

Long story short: this provision makes a rape/sexual assault victim’s life even harder. It adds stress to an already stressful time in the woman’s* life. There’s a reason many rape/sexual assault victims stay quiet, and it’s not because they’re making it all up.