Thanks for the laughs, GOP

The satirists are out in force.  Thanks for the laughs, GOP.

In response to Donald Trump's offer of a $5 million dollar donation to a charity in return for the release of the president's college records and passport, Stephen Colbert makes an offer of his own:  "Mr. Trump, I will write you a check for one million dollars from Colbert Super PAC (you know I've got it) to the charity of your choice...if you will let me dip my balls in your mouth."

Giving real news coverage (or even Fox News coverage) to Trump's idiotic and racist demands is like saying his ideas have ANY value in a political discussion.  Colbert shows us the right way to deal with this kind of ridiculous nonsense.  That's right, dip some balls in his mouth to shut him the hell up.

Colbert also has to reset the "Days without a GOP Rape Mention" board after Indiana Republican Senate candidate Richard Mourdock asserted that "...life is a gift from God.  And even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen."

I realize there are people who think that "Dick" is absolutely correct.  To you, I say, "Good for you.  Don't have an abortion, then.  And I truly hope that you do find that new life a blessing." Believers must in turn realize that not everyone else believes in the same God (or even in any God at all).  Thus, limiting access to abortion, the morning-after pill, or even birth control, based on your personal religious beliefs, is not appropriate in a country that was based on religious freedom.

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And here's another fake news source that makes you think more than the real thing.  John Stewart weighs in on Dick Mourdock's rape comments.  Here is the crux of the issue for me and why, even as I laugh at Stewart's remarks about "Fetus Club," I am also seriously afraid of the GOP vision for America.  Jon Stewart says, "In other words, according to the Republican party platform and the man who wants to be a heartbeat away from the presidency, if a woman wants to have a baby--In vitro fertilization?  She cannot.  Rape?  She has to."  That, my friends, is some scary shit.




Another hilarious clip was about undecided voters.  There is such an incredible difference between the president and his challenger that I can't imagine how anyone who hasn't been asleep for the past several months could possibly still be undecided.  SNL explains here:




Here is Tina Fey, talking about Todd "Legitimate Rape" Akin.


Hey, GOP members, look down.  If you have a penis, SHUT UP!  As entertaining as it is to watch everyone make fun of you, it would be much more productive (not reproductive) if you stopped trying to fit government in my uterus and did something about creating jobs.

Celebrating Banned Books Week 2012

I celebrated Banned Books Week by reading two books that have made the ALA's most challenged list for more than one year, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (which I've read before) and Deadline by Chris Crutcher.

I read Perks a couple of years ago, but wanted to reread it before going to see the movie (Emma Watson as Sam--yay!).  If a frank treatment of homosexuality, sexually active teens who use drugs and/or alcohol, and child abuse offends you, then you will probably hate both the book and the movie.  I love this book because it definitely pushes the envelope of YA literature and takes on some serious topics.  Charlie is an academically gifted, but socially awkward high school freshman who becomes friends with two seniors, Patrick and Sam.  Their friendship helps Charlie learn to live his life, rather than to simply observe others, and to come to terms with trauma in his past.

As I would with any book to movie adaptation, I strongly suggest that you read the book before seeing the movie.  For a reminder to do just that, try out this website to receive a monthly newsletter:

I started read Deadline several months ago and then got interrupted when Bill and I had to drop everything, pack up the house, and make yet another cross-country move.  I finally found it again while unpacking one of my many boxes of books and happily curled up with it this afternoon.  The main character, 18-year-old Ben Wolf, goes in for a sports physical and finds out that he has a terminal disease that will kill him in a year.  He decides to try to live an entire lifetime during his senior year and takes all kinds of risks that he would have only dreamed of before (like going out for football and finally talking to his dream girl).  As he prepares to die, Ben examines his relationships and finds it ever more difficult to keep his secret from those he loves.  As always, Chris Crutcher takes on a multitude of issues--racism, child abuse, teen pregnancy, censorship, suicide--that some will find offensive.  The scene where Ben's favorite teacher burns a book is one I found especially delightful.  Add to that some mildly explicit sex scenes and some profanity and the book banners start pulling out their torches.

To see Chris Crutcher's awesome responses to multiple attempts to ban his books, check out his website here.

I went to John Green's website after noticing his wonderful book, Looking for Alaska, on one of the ALA's top challenged lists.  I found this nerd warrior response video that made me go, "Whoa, I need to read more of this guy's books."  Check it out!