good morning, internets!

i have been absent lately because i've been moving (from one apartment to another just down the street, most annoying of moves ever) while simultaneously attempting to kick what seems like the most persistent case of upper respiratory death plague in human history. it is the gift that keeps on giving, if you consider fevers and coughing and, yesterday, an absolutely prostrating migraine to be gifts.

anyway, there's been a lot on the docket that i would have liked to post about, if i hadn't been too busy packing and/or being sick, but being as how i am already totally fucking miserable, i will refrain from commenting on these topics (i.e. chris brown, scott adams, and gerard way and bonus hypocrisy) and instead point you to two awesome, awesome instances of jerks getting called out.

first, following an incident at sxsw in which ben foster of the punk band screeching weasel punched a lady audience member, the other four members of his band quit because they don't want to deal with his bullshit anymore:

The un-calculated act put forth by Ben Foster leading up to and including the violence that erupted on stage is seen by the band as shameful and embarrassing. The sentiments and actions expressed were completely out of our control and in no way represent the band members' view points or moral compasses. As a result, the band has discussed at length and has come to the conclusion that as a group we will not likely be able to muster the dignity to attempt a live performance as "Screeching Weasel" in the for-seeable future. We each look forward to re-evaluating our involvement in the band as we move forward if we are given the opportunity.

and second, a senior writer at bioware by the name of david gaider responded to privileged whining from a self-described "straight male gamer" who doesn't think that dragon age 2 caters to him enough with the following:

The romances in the game are not for "the straight male gamer." They're for everyone. We have a lot of fans, many of whom are neither straight nor male, and they deserve no less attention. We have good numbers, after all, on the number of people who actually used similar sorts of content in DAO and thus don't need to resort to anecdotal evidence to support our idea that their numbers are not insignificant...and that's ignoring the idea that they don't have just as much right to play the kind of game they wish as anyone else. The "rights" of anyone with regards to a game are murky at best, but anyone who takes that stance must apply it equally to both the minority as well as the majority. The majority has no inherent "right" to get more options than anyone else.

and thirdly: officially -- that is, according to Science -- abortion is safer than having a baby. or at least it is in the UK!

and fourthly, because it is awesome, i have added no more lost to my blogroll.

stay gold, friends, i'll be back in full-on rage mode ASAP.

today in lols

a stunning bit of inadvertent self-awareness from al cardenas, chair of the american conservative union:

“If you are a group, and this has got nothing to do with your orientation,” said Cardenes, “of straight couples, and you advocate gay marriage, that’s not within the scope of what we believe the three legs of the stool of the movement are.”

(emphasis mine)

i love it when they just lay it out for us like that. who says there's no straight talk (lol) in politics anymore?

republicans are dumb, film at 11

from the los angeles times, dateline about a month ago:

"We want to promote economic freedom, a strong national defense and social conservativism. We think these policies are indivisible," said Mike Gonzales, the think tank's vice president for communications. "It's not a boutique. You can't pick one and not the other."

translation: "we want the government to enforce an inflexible and oppressive social status quo so that nobody will whine as we steal their money and kill brown people."

alright, but seriously, folks...

actually, i can't think of a more charitable way to translate that statement. possibly i'm not creative enough. or maybe the dude is just that big an asshole. your call.

boldly going!

reason #2837461827361 why sir patrick stewart is awesome:

"The entertainment industry has been extremely irresponsible in perpetuating and stereotyping the violent attitudes of men to women," said Stewart, best known for his portrayal of Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek.

"I condemn utterly films like Kill Bill. We are told it is about empowering women. All it does is empower a woman to kill other women."

from the guardian