Your Monday Random-Ass Roundup: Now With More Wednesday! (And a PBer Jumps the Broom!)

"You rang?"

You’ll notice that the roundup is waaaaay later than normal.That’s because blackink12, our usual roundup guy, is kinda swamped with uber-important life stuff (something about “getting married this weekend…”). So into the breach I step, as your substitute aggregator. But don’t be forgetting yourself and writing all sorts of funny names on the attendance sheet. I am not above drop-kicking motherfuckers.

Wait, where was I? Ah, yes. The roundup. Let’s go.

The votes needed in the House to pass health care reform (which a plurality of voters now support) are trickling in. Ann Kirkpatrick and Mike Doyle, who had previously been undecided, have now said they will vote for the bill, putting the Democrats at 207 — nine short of the magic number for passage.  Tim Kaine, the head of the DNC, is trying to use the power of the purse to win over undecideds and nail down over the skittish by offering financial support in this fall’s races.

The Dems say they may try to pass the bill via self-executing rule, Your Arcane Parliamentary Procedure of the Week!  Republicans, of course, are opposed to it, calling it unconstitutional and yadda yadda yadda, even though they used it 35 times during the last Congress in which they controlled.

Michelle Goldberg says HCR is a less-than-ideal piece of legislation for feminists, but they/we should support it nonetheless. “The simple fact is that health-care reform, even with its awful provisions on abortion, will hugely improve the health of American women. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, more than 17 million women are uninsured, and millions more are underinsured…Women are more likely to rely on their spouse’s insurance coverage, leaving them vulnerable if they’re divorced or widowed, if their husband becomes old enough to qualify for Medicare, or if their partner’s employer decides to drop dependent coverage, which is happening with increasing frequency.” (From a RaceWire piece that illustrates Goldberg’s point: “African-American women are nearly four times more likely to die of pregnancy-related complications than white women. These rates and disparities have not improved in more than 20 years.”) (G.D.)

According to the NYT, a Pentagon official has been running what sounds like an off-the-books spy operation using private contractors to hunt down and kill militants in Afghanistan. (G.D.)
Gen.  Petraeus calls for the end of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. (G.D.)The anonymous Mrs. Q at the School Lunch Project is worried she might be laid off like so many other teachers.  (G.D.)

If you’re interested in that kind of thing, John Edwards’ mistress Rielle Hunter spills the beans to GQ. The nearly 10,000-word Q&A is accompanied by a photo spread fit for movie star shoot. In one of the photos, Hunter is holding her and Edwards’s daughter. (blackink12)

Cornell is stressing the importance of mental health counseling after the suicides of three students in the last month. (G.D.)

A look at some of the many, many black families in the South who do not have access to water. (G.D.)

The New Yorker profiles John Paul Stevens, the Supreme Court’s 90-year-old liberal stalwart, who many think will retire soon, putting Obama in position to select another justice (but not changing the Court’s ideological makeup). (G.D.)

NYU has a list of nominees for best journalism of the 2000s. Some pieces are long overdue their praise and others, are, well, let’s just say they’re not favorites. (Monica)

Sady at Feministe reviewed the “The Most Important Film of the Year or Perhaps of All Time,” otherwise known as the massively-hyped Lady Gaga music video for “Telephone.” Sample line: “Anyway, Lady Gaga’s vagina. There it is.” (blackink12)

Junot Diaz, a favorite here at PostBourgie, has a new piece of fiction in this week’s New Yorker. (Alisa)
Fascinating series on Slate about signage and “wayfinding” from the history of signs to their fate in the era of GPS.

Over at Racialicious, an important distinction between Canada’s multicultural nature and the existence of racism. (Alisa)

And are we over flipping the bird? (Alisa)

Got links? Share ’em. And, of course, be sure wish blackink12 (but we just know him as Joel) the most ridiculous nuptials in human history and connubial bliss with The First Lady. Joel is funny as hell and equally smart, and I’m sure I speak for all of the PB crew when I say that we’re lucky to know you.

We’re wild happy for you, family!

*Cues up the Luther:*

G.D.

G.D.

Gene "G.D." Demby is the founder and editor of PostBourgie. In his day job, he blogs and reports on race and ethnicity for NPR's Code Switch team.
G.D.
  • *writes “Hugh Jass” on the attendance sheet, then ducks*

    .

    Felicitations to Joel and the First Lady! 😀

  • Congrats Family.

    Grown Folks Business.

  • “Cornell is stressing the importance of mental health counseling after the suicides of three students in the last month. (G.D.)”

    Before clicking through I thought Cornell West, yea he needs some of that. 😛

    Felicidades and best wishes for your wedding Joel. Single smartest move I’ve ever made and so I wish you and yours the same happiness and success. -mike

  • Congrats Joel!!

  • Felicadades Joel! And many wishes for continued happiness together with your missus.

  • “According to the NYT, a Pentagon official has been running what sounds like an off-the-books spy operation using private contractors to hunt down and kill militants in Afghanistan.”
    WOW. That article is insane. I’m not exactly surprised but I’m still a little taken aback at this.

    Another cool link: All Nighters, a NYT blog dedicated to insomnia. Love.

    And finally, major congratulations to Joel (so that’s blackink12‘s real name!) on getting married. Glad to hear it and best wishes!

  • Heck yeah blackink, or should I just say Joel? Congratumalatations!

  • R.

    Felicidades a Joel y la Primera Dama!

    And good looks to Danielle for the All-Nighters link. (It’s 3:30am in this part of the world!!)