The Sorensen Monologues
Pop Culture Periscope: New Food Shows
For my birthday a couple months ago, I went to a farm-to-table restaurant that served a dish called “Pulled pig face.” More recently, I found myself reading an article touting the sustainable virtues of hunting, and the hunter’s philosophy of respecting the animal. I support the humane treatment of farm animals and am as much of a fan of The Omnivore’s Dilemma as anyone, but there is some comedic disconnect in how we talk about caring for the animals we find so delicious — i.e., if you really, really respect your dog, you probably won’t eat its face. Just saying.
Shoppers Go Wild For Walmart Strike
I guess I could have had the shopper trampling a bunch of Walmart managers to help the cashier, but given the news about the Walmart security officer who apparently killed a shoplifter with a chokehold, I didn’t want to make light of Black Friday-related violence. Personally, I find staying home and working instead of going shopping on Black Friday to be the best way to save money.
Unclear on the Contraception
This notion that birth control pills are now “free,” as Romney claimed in his conference call to donors, needs to end. They are now simply covered by health insurance, which many of us pay for via hefty monthly premiums. We’re actually getting something for our money. Imagine that!
AlterNet Launches Comic Section
Some very cool news: AlterNet has begun publishing political cartoons, and today is my debut on the site. Check it out! And if you’re feeling spunky, share or leave a comment.
Post-Election Chitchat
Romney was roundly mocked when he insulted 47% of the country, yet that didn’t stop Bill O’Reilly from saying that half the country voted for Obama because they wanted stuff and things. Perhaps it’s time O’Reilly directed his crusade against laziness toward his own intellect.
This week’s cartoon: “Incorporate the vote!”
Still absorbing the amazingness of Election Night as I type this. I keep thinking of the contrast with 2004, when Bush and Cheney swiftboated their way to a second term, and how none of this seemed possible then. But as we celebrate, let’s not forget the grave threat posed by big money in politics. Yes, we beat the Koch Brothers and Adelson and corporate dark money this time. But really, this race should not have been even remotely close. Four years after Republicans and Wall Street left the country in ruins, we nearly elected a private equity shark who dismissed half the country as leeches. That’s screwed up. Money talked, and it confused a lot of people. Fortunately, the messenger was often Donald Trump, but he won’t always be around.
Fair Pay Poster
Here’s the latest in my series for the National Women’s Law Center.
Printable version here. You can share on Facebook here.
This week’s cartoon: Handy Candidate Comparison Chart
I find that people who spew the platitude that “the candidates are the same” tend to be the ones who have the least to lose if the wrong candidate is elected. At risk of sounding melodramatic, these elections truly are a matter of life and death. If you end the Affordable Care Act and millions of Americans lose their health insurance, people will die as a result. A recent estimate puts the number at 26,000 deaths per year due to lack of insurance; that’s more than a few September 11ths. Then there’s the Global Gag Rule, which Romney would reinstate. It rarely gets mentioned, but this policy wreaks havoc on women in impoverished nations. Romney would also end contributions to the U.N. Population Fund, which combats the spread of HIV and prevents 22,000 deaths annually.
These are but a few examples. Turning Medicare into a voucher program, radicalizing the Supreme Court for a generation, and displaying an open hostility toward science probably won’t help things either. Obama isn’t perfect, but as far as I’m concerned, voting is a moral arithmetic problem with a clear answer.
This Week’s Cartoon: King of Zing
Once again, my weekly cartoon deadline fell before the debate, which I thought Obama won handily. Romney seemed Nixonesque — sweaty, uncomfortable, and oleaginous-haired. But really, this whole process of declaring winners based on zingers and memes leaves me with the feeling that the debates are, well, dumb.
National Women’s Law Center Poster: Do Your Duty!
Here’s the second installment of my vintage poster series for the National Women’s Law Center. You can get a printer-friendly PDF here.
If you’re feeling social, you can share it on Facebook here.
This Week’s Cartoon: “Lunchtime Liaisons”
October being Anti-Bullying Month, this comic is about a program created by the Southern Poverty Law Center called “Mix It Up at Lunch Day.” The American Family Association objects to the program on the grounds that — according to them — it’s actually about promoting the “homosexual lifestyle” in public schools. Sometimes these people make it easy for me.
