“Austerity is the theme of Boehner’s ascendancy to House speaker this week, placing the start of this new Congress in stark contrast to the more lavish festivities that accompanied Democrat Pelosi’s swearing-in four years ago.” [WaPo]

Geraldine Hoff Doyle, who as a young woman was the model for the Rosie the Riveter image of WWII, died on Sunday from complications of arthritis.  She was a 17-year-old metal-presser at a factory outside of Detroit when an Associated Press photographer took a picture of her at work.

She quit two weeks after the photo was taken, as she was a cellist and didn’t want her hands crushed like another woman’s were in a factory accident. She took a job at a soda fountain, where she met her husband. They had 5 children and were married 66 years.

A few liberties were taken with the image by a graphic designer (she wasn’t flexing her guns in the photo), and was used by Westinghouse as part of a campaign to deter strikes. In the mid-70s it was embraced by the feminist movement.

[WaPo and NYT]

I wanted to post something about this story three months ago, and then forgot. An article in my fishwrap updating the story has reminded me to do so.

Texas takes its sports seriously, or at least football and basketball (the male version).  The role of the girls, of course, is to be the pretty cheerleader cheering on the jocks.

That is kopacetic, of course, until you’re asked to cheer for your rapist at a basketball game.

And you’re told to chant:

No, really. That was the chant. You can’t make shit like that up.

The Center for Public Integrity has a new report out about the incestuous ties between the incoming GOP committee chairs and Corporate America. The cynic in me is certain it would not be very hard to do a similar analysis of the current Democratic chairs.

But I was more mesmerized by the sea of Wonder Bread on the cover of the report. Check out the diversity! Some of the men even have brown eyes!

GOP New York candidate for Governor “Carl Has Two Families” Paladino’s family, er families, values rant on Sunday in front of a crowd of Hasidic Jews got more attention at the time for his anti-gay diatribe, but at the speech he also said:

“We must stop pandering to the pornographers and the perverts who seek to target our children and destroy their lives.”

Well you all know what comes next.  Assume the position for the hypocrisy drill, boys and girls. Assume the position.  In light of Carl’s fixation on pornography and teh gheyz, WNYMedia, the news outlet that in April released the obscene (horsefucking) and racist emails that Paladino had sent to half of Buffalo, has now released eight different completely NSFW pornographic videos and photos that he sent to practically every prominent businessman or politician in Western New York.  NSFW after the jump.

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Due to Nojo’s invitation on the Talibunny titty post, the Stinque Department of Lady-Bits presents our Jon Hamm drink of cool water for the afternoon.

Bonus: A little something-something for TommCatt after the jump.

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Since many feminist commentators often note the fixation the media and popular culture has on the attire of female politicians (I plead guilty), and given the recent ad nauseam attention to Elena Kagan’s attire, physical shape, and sexuality, the Stinque Department of Lady-Bits has chosen today to focus on two male politicians and their sartorial choices. Stinque Fashionistas, join me in the critique. Read more »