Then, on Tuesday, this happened (via WBEZ):

Illinois State Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady resigned Tuesday morning, following months of GOP infighting sparked by his public support for same-sex marriage.

Brady planned to email his resignation letter to party officials early Tuesday.

…

Brady rankled his more conservative rivals on the GOP’s State Central Committee in early January, when he unexpectedly released a statement announcing his “full support” for a pending same-sex marriage bill in Springfield, a stance that contradicts the Republican Party platform. But he also ostracized some more moderate party bosses who complained that Brady didn’t even notify them before he made his bombshell announcement.

What did Brady’s offending statement say? Just this:

More and more Americans understand that if two people want to make a lifelong commitment to each other, government should not stand in their way. Giving gay and lesbian couples the freedom to get married honors the best conservative principles. It strengthens families and reinforces a key Republican value –that the law should treat all citizens equally.

And that, apparently, was enough for his fellow Illinois Republicans to call for his head.

I’m not a Republican and I have no connection to the Illinois Republican Party. (Shocking, I know.) Just the same, I take this kind of personally.

In the past, I’ve regaled readers of my regular blog with tales of my father’s involvement in the local civil rights movement in our little suburb just outside Chicago. So I won’t repeat myself other than to say that a little over 40 years ago, my dad, along with a colleague, drafted our public schools’ first diversity policy, and, as a member of the elementary school board, helped to implement that policy for the 1972-1973 academic year. That original policy, modest by today’s standards, challenged our public schools “to educate children in an atmosphere free of the narrowing and stifling influences of social, religious, and ethnic prejudice” and “to take positive steps to ensure that the children of this community are exposed to the real world of people, both historical and contemporary, that they develop a respect for cultural and racial differences and a full appreciation for the contributions which all races and people have made to the advancement and enrichment of humanity.”

While most of our community supported my father’s work, he was not universally heralded for it. I learned only later in life that he received hate mail and threatening phone calls – along with a significant amount of support – which he kept from us kids, some of whom were still quite young. In the Catholic parish were we attended church regularly (where, in fact, many of us kids were baptized, made our first communion, and were confirmed), he and my mother were treated coolly for my dad’s involvement in integrating the public schools. Eventually, my father broke with the church altogether, but, to his credit, he never said a harsh word about it. That must have pained my dad, though, given that he’d attended a seminary high school and even contemplated the priesthood – that is, before he met My Sainted Irish Mother™ and sired (ahem) eleven children.

So, my dad paid a price for doing what was right forty years ago. Remarkably, though, it didn’t change him. In fact, in the late 1980s when the public high school held hearings to consider expanding its diversity policy (which was nearly identical to the one my dad wrote for the elementary schools) to encompass and protect sexual orientation, my old man, child of the depression, World War II combat veteran, marched his retired self down to the high school auditorium one Saturday morning and spoke eloquently and at some length (Dad always spoke eloquently and at some length) in favor of the proposed change. I’m embarrassed to say that at the time, I wasn’t quite sure how he viewed gay rights, but of course he supported them. Of course he did.

But I digress.

The point is, by the time my dad went to that meeting to advocate in favor of protecting the rights of gay and lesbian high school students, our town had changed dramatically. There was no hate mail; there were no threatening phone calls. Instead, he was greeted as something of a village elder. The proposed changes passed (not without some raised voices and consternation, mind you, but they passed), and my dad returned to blissful retirement.

So it’s sad to see Pat Brady ousted from the chairmanship of the Illinois Republican Party – the party of Everett McKinley Dirksen – for nothing more than supporting civil rights. What Brady said about marriage equality is exactly correct: It does, in fact, honor the best conservative principles. The best liberal principles too. So it ought to be non-controversial, and it most certainly shouldn’t have cost the man his job.

Well, Pat, if it’s any consolation, my old man is on your side. And that might be the only time my old man would be on the side of an Illinois Republican.

The post Pat Brady: The Price Of Being Right appeared first on This Week in Blackness.

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Now this was a romp I could get behind.

Strax:  I’m gonna go play with my grenades.

With the reality that the Sherlock mini-seasons are getting harder and harder to produce due to the skyrocketing careers of Martin and Cumberbatch, don’t we think there’s room for a Madame Vastra spin-off? I’m not saying The Paternoster Gang (because clearly, that’s what we should call it) could hang for a full 13-episode season, but if Sherlock can run three installments and call it a season, I don’t see why The Lizard Woman From The Down Of Time and Her Wife (and their Potato Butler) couldn’t easily do the same.

Strax: Horse! You have failed in your mission! We are lost with no sign of Sweetville. Do you have any final words before your summary execution?
Horse: [snorts]
Strax: The usual story! [Pulls out gun.] Fourth one this week…and I’m not even hungry.

But for the record? I do draw the line at Thomas Thomas.

Strax: If this weak and fleshy boy is to represent us, I strongly advise the issuing of scissor grenades, limbo vapor, and triple blast brain splitters.

The opening of this episode proves that a spin-off would work just fine. The Doctor does not show up until a good third of the way through this episode, and Vastra, Jenny and Strax carry it just fine on their own until then. Jenny does most of the heavy lifting this week as she is the one doing the infiltrating. She’s listening to the sermons, getting information from locals, and finding herself in empty factories where all the industrial noise is just gramophones. As always, Strax spends the entire episode being a font of quotable moments, but unlike the other times we have seen him, he is given the chance to save the day at the end of the episode. Just in case we wondered why Vastra keeps him around, since he is clearly the world’s worst butler.

Strax: If she hasn’t made contact by nightfall, I suggest a massive frontal attack on the factory, Madam. Casualties can be kept to perhaps as little as eighty percent.

As a side note, I can get behind the fainting-as-a-running gag with her clients, though I would hope that some of them would be a little more memorable than the guy this week. Other moments I would happily see put into regularity in a spin-off: Jenny the ass kicker, which gave me everything I needed in this episode. Does anyone else want to know what vault that is that Strax puts everything in? (Might it be Warehouse 12? Or is that a crossover too far?) Oh, and I loved (LOVED!) the creepy undertaker. I would want him to be a regular side character in a The Paternoster Gang spin-off. Not to mention the use of Victorian bullshit science (like Optigrams) that just happen, in this particular case, to be real.

Doctor: Would it be impolite to ask why you and Mr. Sweet are petrifying your workforce with diluted prehistoric leech venom?

The other part of this delightful episode was Diana Rigg chewing the scenery as the demented Mrs. Gillyflower, and her real life daughter Rachael Stirling as Ada, Mrs. Gillyflower’s adult daughter. Poor blinded and abused Ada, accidentally saving the Doctor’s life as her “Dear Monster.” One couldn’t help but cheer when she finally gave into her suppressed rage, started taking things into her own hands, and beating her mother with her cane. The two of them were a delight in their scenes together as a peddler of a faux temperance movement and her hapless helper. Moral decay! indeed. Sweetville! This shining city on the ‘ill! There were these idealised Mill communities towards the end of the Victorian Era where industrial misery was painted over with false promises of a perfect life. Exactly the sort of thing that works for a horror episode.

Mrs. Gillyflower: Forgive me, my child.  Forgive me.
Ada: Never!
Mrs. Gillyflower: That’s my girl.

Even so, I was with the Doctor this week: ”Yucky red parasite from the time of the dinosaurs pitches up in Victorian Yorkshire? Didn’t see that one coming.” Even with the moment where Rigg put sugar down the neck of her dress, I didn’t see it coming until she pulled away the neckline. The “Crimson Horror” is really a Parasitic Repulsive Red Leech? That’s almost as left field as a time-travelling, shape-shifting robot operated by miniaturized cross people.

The Doctor: Mrs. Gillyflower, you have no idea what you’re dealing with.  In the wrong hands that venom could wipe out all life on this planet.
Mrs. Gillyflower: Do you know what these are?  The wrong hands!

There was quite a bit to love about this episode, including the Yorkshire accents and the moments poking fun at regional dialects. Of course, we had the classic “‘Aven’t you ‘eard, love? There’s trouble at Mill!” but also moments like ”Ooh ‘ellfire, that’s put me right off me mash.” We now have had all three modern Doctors produce northern accents on demand, but this is the first companion who has been able to keep up.

The Doctor: I once spent helluva long time trying to get a gobby Australian to Heathrow Airport. (Reference to Tegan, FTW!)

Speaking of Clara, Jenny and Vastra both demanded explanations of how Clara was here when Clara was dead just last Christmas. Thankfully, they just never did it when Clara was in the room. Perhaps this was why there wasn’t much Clara to be had? The Doctor didn’t show up until a third of the way in, but Clara didn’t appear (except in flashbacks) until we’d already gotten over halfway through the episode. At least she wasn’t a damsel in distress this week, instead showing up the Doctor’s sonic screwdriver with a far more powerful weapon–a chair.

The Doctor: Hang on, hang on. I’ve got a sonic screwdriver.
Clara: Yeah? I’ve got a chair!

Perhaps the reason for keeping Clara to a minimum this week was because of the ending twist where the Doctor drops her off home again. I can’t be the only one who feels like the Doctor is treating her like a date this season instead of a full-time companion. Apparently her nanny charges, Artie and Angie, have been doing some Google Image research and figured out she’s been time traveling. More importantly, they are all-too-ready to use blackmail to get to come along on the next ride. There’s only one problem. That last picture, showing her in Victorian London? They weren’t in Victorian London. They were in Victorian Yorkshire. That was the other Clara–Clara Oswin. Oops.

Jenny: But Doctor. That girl, Clara. You haven’t explained.
Doctor: No. I haven’t.

So how long until Clara Oswald starts asking about Clara?

(xposted from IShouldHaveBeenABlogger. For more of anibundel’s Doctor Who posts, including previous recaps, click here.) 

The post Doctor Who Recap: “The Crimson Horror” appeared first on This Week in Blackness.

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The theme this year was “Punk: Chaos to Couture.” There were rumors that the stars were struggling to fit the theme. In the end, most gave up and just wore gorgeous gowns to the red carpet, but a few had the nerve to dress appropriately.

Those Who Went For It:

Miley Cyrus

You know, I don’t give Miley nearly enough credit, and it’s all her dad’s fault. (I blame being alive in 1993.) She was the only star to go full out for us this evening, and she managed to make ripped-up fishnet look glam. Love the hair.  Love the paired down accessories. Top of the list.

Ann Hathaway

Hathaway haters, to the left. What really makes this outfit is the commitment to it with the bleached blonde hair. I’m not sure the dress would read “punk” nearly as well without it.

Madonna

$20 says she just dug into her storage unit from all her early 80s outfits and had some fun. This Gala was made for her.

Rooney Mara

It’s got the zippers, it’s got the plain sleeves, and yet it’s really pretty. The dark hair and lips add to the effect. It’s skirting the line, but it works.

Christina Ricci

There’s always been a plaid element to punk, and that’s what Ricci decided to go with. It’s semi-effective, though it also looks a bit like wrapping paper. The hair is too refined though; it would have worked better if she’s dirtied it up, along with her makeup.

Katy Perry

Trust the former evangelical singer to take punk on the catholic route. Love the crown accessory that’s straight from the runway show where it walked.

The Mushy Middlers:

Kerry Washington

She didn’t quite have the nerve to go there, but she tried. She gave us little details: ripped-up train, the long black gloves, the hint of fishnet at the bodice. But in the end, she just had to wear a pretty dress.

Florence Welsh

I’m not 100% sure if this counts as punk or country in need of a haircut.

Katie Holmes

Someone please explain to this girl that “goth” and “punk” are two different genres.

Those that just dressed:

Beyoncé

Did she need to go punk? Beyoncé decided, no, she didn’t. But that’s OK. She’s Beyoncé. She’s allowed. With a train like that, I’m not going the argue. I was not a big fan of the boots though.

Uma Thurman

No, it’s not punk; it’s Zac Posen. It’s also stunning.

Solange Knowles

The dress is not punk, but the Afro is both gorgeous and of the era. We’d put her in mushy middle, but she always wears her hair like that. So instead she’ll just have to settle for being best dressed in the  non-themed category.

Honorable Mention (Hat Division)

Sarah Jessica Parker

Because when you need a mohawk and don’t have the nerve to eggwhite your own hair, call Phillip Tracey.

Worst Dressed:

Kim Kardashian

How does one dress badly for a “punk” show, considering that anything goes? Try showing up dressed like a couch. Now, this is not a dig at her weight as much as it is the atrocious floral design. We’ve seen stars show up at the red carpet pregnant to the nines before. During the feminist backlash years of the Bush Presidency when 50s designs were in and motherhood was well nigh fetishized, it was standard practice for star to show up with enormous bellies to advertise their latest project. So we’ve seen that it can be done, and it can be sexy. There’s no reason for Kim to have done this. The right stylist and designer could have made it a couture maternity wear moment. Unfortunately, instead, she chose to shop somewhere where her options were ponchos, muumuus, capes, jumpsuits, uni-sheets, muslin body rolls, or academic and judicial robes. In that case, not wanting to look like a weirdo, she took the muumuu. I’m so sorry.

(xposted from IShouldHaveBeenABlogger. For more of anibundel’s fashion posts, including previous recaps, click here.)

The post Top Twelve Looks From The 2013 Met Costume Institute Gala appeared first on This Week in Blackness.

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Now I don’t know what happened in Cleveland, but I couldn’t help but make the connection. I mean, if everybody else in the low-information crowd is going to use what happens on TV for reality, why can’t I? – Rush Limbaugh

Of course, with the Hawaii Five-0 plot and Cleveland leaning Democrat, clearly this was a welfare scam all thanks to Obama. Limbaugh is some kind of bullshit alchemist. He takes nothing and makes it into droll anti-Obama rhetoric.

Also, on today’s #TWiBRadio we discuss Charles Ramsey rescue of 3 kidnapped women, rape pamphlets are completely useless, and a Harvard Professor says economic philosophy isn’t for the Gays. Listen here:

Subscribe on iTunes | Subscribe On Stitcher| Direct Download | RSS

And on #amTWiB, political strategist L. Joy Williams and the morning crew cover Fox Broadcasting’s cancelation of ‘Cops’ after 25 years, Grammy award winner Lauryn Hill’s tax evasion conviction, and over 5,000 children products contain carcinogens.

Subscribe on iTunes| Subscribe On Stitcher| Direct Download| RSS

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Chaos is a ladder. Many who try and climb it fail….. The fall breaks them. And some who are given a chance to climb, they refuse. For the gods or love. Illusions. Only the ladder is real. The climb is all there is. – Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish

This week, we had characters metaphorically climbing their way through the chaos of war, juxtaposed with Jon Snow and the wildlings climbing the Wall on their mission to attack Castle Black. Only one of these may seem like a life or death affair, but by the end of the hour, ascending the ladder of chaos turned out to be more dangerous than scaling a sheer wall of ice. At least those on the ice had a buddy.

Everyone needs a buddy. Bran reminded us that inter-fighting can be a poison as Osha attempts to compete with Meera. Meanwhile, Jojen’s vision is of Jon prepping to climb the Wall.

Jon and Ygritte in the cave was a dud last week due to the lack of build up. But now that they’ve slept together, the relationship is growing. Ygritte informs Jon that she’s his woman now and there can be no betrayals. “We’re just soldiers in their armies, and there’s plenty more to come when we go down.” No one else will look out for them but them. It saves their lives when halfway up the wall, there’s a “wallvalanche.” Several teams fall. Both Jon and Ygritte, at the bottom of their team, find themselves dangling by a rope. The Warg begins to cut them loose to save his own skin. Jon manages to catch a pick into the ice and saves them both just as the rope comes away. Without each other, one or both would be dead. Instead, they make it to the top together. The sun comes out, and green pastures await. It is an emotional moment. We’ve seen them survive and bond.

But they aren’t the only buddies climbing together. We check in with Sam and Gilly as they also make their way to Castle Black. Gilly teaches Sam to make a fire, and Sam sings a song about the Seven Gods to get the baby to sleep. It’s a short interlude, but it’s good to know their climb to safety is going well. We also looked in on buddies Jamie and Brienne. I don’t know which was worse – Brienne being stuffed into a dress or Jamie trying to cut a steak with one hand. At least she leans over and forks it for him rather than watch him struggle. Lord Bolton has not sent them back to Robb because he is afraid of Tywin blaming him for Jamie’s hand. Instead, he’s sending Jamie home, but without Brienne. Buddies divided? That can be a death sentence.

Gendry learns that the hard way. If he’d run away with Arya instead of joining the Brotherhood, he might have escaped. When Melisandre shows up, it seems she’s here to meet Resurrecting Beric. Thoros’ tale of going from atheist to true believer when he resurrected Beric was very moving. Who wouldn’t find himself believing in a one true god when words said over the body of a friend turn out to be more powerful than you’d imagined? (Is it important that Beric says there is no other side, just darkness?) But Melisandre set out to obtain “the blood of a king.” The brotherhood may talk pretty about “family,” but when gold appears, they sell her Gendry, the poor bastard. Arya tries to stop it, but in the end she’s just a kid, and a hostage at that. Instead we get our first foreshadowing of Arya’s fate: ”I see darkness in you. In that darkness, brown eyes, blue eyes, green eyes, eyes you’ll shut forever.”

Robb is climbing in an attempt to outrun fate. He’s losing the war, which he’ll admit outright. This alliance with the creepy Freys is a desperate move. In exchange, they want Harrenhal, and Robb is fine with that. More importantly, they want Lord Edmure to marry a Frey, and marry her *now,* lest he go marry someone else first like Robb did. Edmure tries to refuse, but he’s a pawn, and when told “move to this square,” he best do as he’s told.

Marriage negotiations between Lady Tyrell and Tywin Lannister were made by two  master players. (Unlike last week, where she had a Scholar’s mate on Tyrion in four moves.) The Lady came out swinging, calling Cersei “old,” and proudly announcing that the Tyrells don’t tie themselves in knots over “a bit of buggery.” She admits Loras is “a sword swallower, through and through,” negating that argument, and then one-ups him: “Brothers and sisters–where I come from that stain is hard to wash out.” But Tywin holds the trump card.  He’ll send Loras to the Kingsguard, ensuring that he can never marry, and the Tyrell line will die out. (It should be noted that unless Tywin is willing to name Tyrion his heir, this is his own problem with Jamie, but never mind.) The Lady concedes. “It’s a rare thing, the man who lives up to his reputation.” Tywin wins.

Poor pawns. Loras seems bored by Sansa, but they do have one thing in common–a love of fashion. Cersei is less than thrilled. “We’re all be shipped off to hell together.” It turns out it was Joffrey, not she, who tried to have Tyrion killed. He shouldn’t worry, though. With Tywin around, Joffrey won’t try anything. “Seven kingdoms united in fear of Tywin Lannister,” muses Tyrion. He’s right about Sansa getting the worst of the deal. Not because she’s marrying him, but because she’s having her dreams shattered. No one else, not even Shae, had such illusions.

Varys may not have illusions, but he does have a love of Order. His early experiences with magic caused that, and it’s why he’s so married to the idea of serving “the Realm.” But Littlefinger is right, “The Realm” is merely an agreed upon lie we tell ourselves. There is no “Realm” anymore. This world is in chaos. To Littlefinger, chaos is opportunity. But a little opportunity can be a dangerous thing, as poor Ros can attest. Or would, if she were not dead, filled with crossbolts from Joffrey’s new toy. (One has to wonder if Margaery was part of that game? She did say she wanted Joffrey to teach her to use it.) Order is insisting that something like that happens for a reason. The truth is, it’s all accident. Joffrey was born first, and some rule somewhere says the firstborn is King. Therefore, he has the power to kill Ros, just for fun. If only she’d had a buddy.

God knows Theon wishes he’d had one. But as the Bastard says as he tortures him, just for fun: “If you think this has a happy ending, you haven’t been paying attention.”

(xposted from IShouldHaveBeenABlogger. For more of anibundel’s Game of Thrones posts, including previous recaps, click here.)

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“I think it’s nobody else’s business but our town’s,” said a woman leaving a store, who like many people here declined to be interviewed. A woman who answered the phone at the office of John A. Phelps Jr., the chief executive of Cumberland County, whose seat is Burkesville, said, “No, I’m sorry — no more statements,” and hung up.

Nobody else’s business but our town’s.  Having grown up in and around towns like Burkesville, I’ve seen my share of tragedies.  The problem is when something like this happens and happens because a rifle specifically manufactured and marketed to parents to be a “child’s first firearm” was in the house, you don’t get to make that claim that it’s not anyone else’s business.

The Crickett rifle fired in the fatal shooting is all of our business, all of America’s.  We have to ask ourselves if rural culture in the US is being used as a convenient excuse to avoid the responsibility of the gun culture marketing and selling pink and blue .22 caliber rifles to kids.  That’s not the fault of the people of Cumberland County, Kentucky.  That’s the fault of the gun manufacturers and their nearly unbeatable lobby creating a situation where it’s permissible to make real working firearms for kids who should be playing with squirt guns and aren’t old enough to know the difference between the two.

I don’t blame the people of Burkesville for being horrified and defensive while burning in the national spotlight, but frankly this should have never happened in the first place.  The NRA exists to sell firearms, and they’ve gotten so powerful now we have gender-coded rifles for your little hunters.  This was apparently going on without too much issue, either.  The company that sold Crickett Rifles made a pretty penny over the years, because it was a popular product.

The issue of course is why it was popular.  I’m betting it still is, hell the NRA is telling parents for safety they need to keep a gun in your kid’s room, because that’s where you’re going to barricade yourself in when the inevitable jackbooted thugs come for you.  I can’t think of an outfit that has successfully leveraged the paranoid style better than the NRA, and in rural America, that means there’s no way we’re going to make any headway with gun control.  Not unless the culture changes, and that’s going to take another generation or two.

It’s a shot in the dark at best.

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This roller coaster of an episode starts with Joan, Pete, and Bert working in secret to take the company public.  Can I say, that’s a really odd group? In fact, the whole thing was really left field, but I didn’t have time to not believe it since it got scooped before it could happen. In some ways I felt bad–Joan was looking to be a millionaire and to have all her single mommy problems solved with money. Pete just wanted to double the size of the company. But the banker is right: ”It’s a common mistake to not ask questions when you want something because you’re afraid of the answers.”

Of course, half of the deal relied upon nothing going wrong. So, of course, everything goes wrong. Pete runs into his father-in-law at a whorehouse, resulting in Vick pulling his business from SCDP. So much for Ken’s theories about “mutually ensured destruction.” Let us all be very thankful that Vick and Pete do not run countries with nuclear capabilities.

I’m not sure what Pete thought he was going to gain by telling Trudy about it. Whatever he thought was going to happen doesn’t. I have to face it–Mad Men’s once most partner-like couple is totally kaput.

If this wasn’t bad enough, Don, at a dinner with Jaguar Herb that made very little sense to me, tells the Jaguar exec *exactly* what he thinks of him. Bye bye, Jaguar account. I think we’re supposed to accept that this is partly Roger’s fault for not showing up, but I doubt Roger could have really reined Don in. Don is still going to bat for Joan in his mind. Too bad Joan was long past needing it and instead feels like what she did was all for nothing. Her explosion the next day in the office was a tour de force for Hendricks: “Just once, I would like to hear you use the word ‘we.’ Because we’re all rooting for you from the sidelines, hoping you decide what you think is right for our lives!”

Besides, Roger’s busy hustling for the first time in a long time. Not just with the airline stewardess, but with Chevy. He thinks he’s coming back with great news, only to have everything fall apart.

Over at CGC, the G (Gleason) is dying of cancer, and Teddy is freaking out about having to buy him out, especially because he just dumped Alfa Romero for that same shot at Chevy that Roger got for SCDP. Peggy, whose job half the time seems to be soother-in-chief to her male bosses gets the kiss from him we’ve been expecting.

She doesn’t respond at first, but her sex fantasy later was hilarious: Ted’s reading SOMETHING by Ralph Waldo Emerson. (So educated!)

The night before the Chevy presentation, Don and Ted end up in the same bar together feeling the same little fish syndrome. Let’s face it, these two are really alike. And that’s when the idea is hatched. Joan’s line about using “we” for once has unintended effects. Sterling Cooper Draper Cutler & Chaough, I presume? Cutler seems to be about as pleased with Ted’s pulling this sort of thing as the partners at SCDP are with Don. ”Unless this works, I’m against it.”

Together, they nail it. But far more importantly for us is seeing Don excited by work again and seeing Roger back in the game after seasons of drift. (Also Cutler vs Sterling. Every week, please.) But as everyone celebrates, all I could hear was Faye, as she looked at Megan: ”I hope she knows you only like the beginnings of things.”

Poor Megan. What was once a character I looked forward to every week is starting to feel like a loose end. She’s lost Don’s interest, and therefore she’s lost the show’s interest. Like Betty, but without the years of backstory to keep her afloat. She’s not part of his life anymore, and if they divorce without kids, I wouldn’t be surprised if she disappears altogether, sooner rather than later. (At least the Doctor husband quit, so we can maybe stop watching Don sleep with Sylvia.) I probably would have been bored by her scene this week if it wasn’t for her embittered French mother boozing all the way through the experience. She’s right though: Megan’s ascending the ladder of success a little too quickly for Don’s taste. If Don wanted them successful, he would have married Peggy.

Oh Peggy. The expression on her face was priceless when she called on Ted, expecting a flirtatious second chance at a kiss and ran right into a wall of Happy Don. As she said: “I don’t like change. I just want everything back the way it was.” Too bad girl. You’re back to Dealing With Draper. Actually, if you think about it, for the rest of us, that’s putting it all back the way it was. Now you’ll just have to serve two masters. Thanks!

(xposted from IShouldHaveBeenABlogger. For more of anibundel’s Mad Men posts, including previous recaps, click here.)

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Remember a couple months ago when schools were suspending kids over Baauer‘s “Harlem Shake?” These mother truckers are back it again laying down the law on 33 students fromScripps Ranch High School in San Diego, California.

The students violated Scripps Ranch High‘s zero-tolerance sexual harassment policy which does not allow “verbal, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual nature made by someone from or in the educational setting.”

Full disclosure: We didn’t call it twerkin’ when I was a kid, but what the kids are doing in this video? Nothing new folks. Entire proms should’ve been suspended for the past 30 years at least. I’m not arguing that there shouldn’t be some sort of action — especially if this was done on school property — but 5 days of suspension and some folks not being able to go to prom and other harsh punishments?

Relax folks.

Young folks tend to shake what their parents gave them. All of this, however, does not stop me from laughing hysterically at this nonsense. Oh and <insert random blame on hip-hop for these poor white girls. Without negroes where would they ever learn to do such things?>.

Well maybe that’s right. They sure didn’t learn what they did there from this horrendousness.

The post Apparently We Need To #FreeTheTwerkTeam appeared first on This Week in Blackness.

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On @amTWIB: Fighting on Mount Everest.

The Morning Crew of Blackness (#MCoB) talk climatic battles on Mount Everest, washing your hands before mass, and a missed teachable moment.

Featuring: L. Joy Williams, Imani Gandy, Elon James White, and Aaron Rand Freeman

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The post @amTWIB #67 | Mimosas on Mount Everest appeared first on This Week in Blackness.

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The post New Music: Lauryn Hill – Neurotic Society appeared first on This Week in Blackness.

Related posts:

Rand Paul: Negro Whisperer The Scary Ethnic Pyramid [infographic] MI DEM: Some of My Best Friends Are Niggers