News Flash: The Koch Brothers Have Co-opted Kittywampus!

Did you know that this blog is a minion in the Koch brothers’ astroturfing? I was shocked to hear it, myself! According to Mark Ames and Yasha Levine at Alternet, all of us progressives who got outraged about the TSA naked bodyscanners and grope-downs were mere pawns in a right-wing game – dupes to an [...]

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Is It Anti-Feminist to Question Palin’s “Wild Ride” Story?

In my previous post, I promised I’d deal with feminist ethical objections to delving into the veracity of Palin’s claimed pregnancy with Trig. Is it illegitimate to ask questions about a candidate’s reproductive history? Are we invading Palin’s privacy, down to her very uterus? The arguments for backing off from the tale of Palin, Trig, [...]

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The Mysteries around Trig Palin’s Birth: Why Should We Care?

Did Sarah Palin really give birth to Trig Paxson Van Palin – and should we care? The case for Trig’s birth being a hoax has been revived in a scholarly paper penned by a Northern Kentucky University professor, Brad Scharlott. Luckily for him, Kentucky is very far from Alaska – and he’s tenured – so he’s [...]

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A Caturday Easter

I know Easter always falls on a Sunday, but it can still be a Caturday, too. Thanks to Tim (in comments to the previous post) for enlightening me! (Click here if you can’t see the clip.) I like the message of mercy.

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The Easter Bunny Stoops to Potty Humor

Dear Bear and Tiger, The Bear baskets are on the left. The Tiger baskets are on the right. The presents not in baskets are to be shared. If you fight over Hello Kitty I will only bring you vast amounts of bunny poop next Easter. Seriously. Love, Your Easter Bunny This missive was left by [...]

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Setting Mama Straight about Mother Earth

Just now, after I turned out the lights for my two sons, I said: “I love you guys more than the whole world.” The Tiger, who’ll be eight in June, retorted: “But that doesn’t make sense, Mama. We wouldn’t be here without the world.” Happy Erf Day, everyone! (And yes, you should absolutely follow that [...]

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Swedish DIY Caturday

As usual, we at Kittywampus are happy to bring you yesterday’s warmed-over news, along with viral videos that have been around so long they’ve caused people to develop antibodies. Especially if cats are involved. This Ikea commercial has been around for a while, but I only saw it a few days ago, so here you go! [...]

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Can We Stop Penalizing Pregnancy Already?

I’ve got to disagree with Clarissa on this one: It’s not fair to equate pregnancy with a hangover (even if the nausea can be similarly overwhelming). Specifically, a student who misses class for pregnancy-related disability should not be treated the same as one who misses due to oversleeping or a hangover. But let’s back up. [...]

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Can You Picture This Hair in the White House?

I’ve been seeing this frightening ad all over the intertubes the past few days. Since it appeared around April Fools’ Day, I thought it might be a spoof. But evidence to the contrary is mounting. Donald Trump is evidently taking the role of Birther CEO. Now, a new WSJ/NBC poll finds him tied with Mike Huckabee in [...]

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Let’s Party Like It’s 1995!

As of this writing, our so-called leaders are still engaged in budget brinksmanship. Alternet called it correctly: This is the Republicans applying shock doctrine. They are doing their damnedest to break democracy. They’re such patriots that they’re willing to delay paychecks reaching our already-underpaid rank-and-file troops. The Tea Partiers, in particular, are willing to hold [...]

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In Memoriam: Plain(s)feminist

Yesterday I heard through non-blogging channels that breast cancer has claimed the life of Plain(s) feminist. Those of you who followed her blog know that she wrote with wry wisdom and understated courage about her struggle with the disease – on what chemo feels like, the politics of breasts and wigs, and (my favorite of [...]

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Noise Ordinance Caturday

It’s been one of those loud Saturday evenings in my neighborhood. All those wild professors, acting out! Actually, the students living near us have been pretty reasonable this year. It’s just that it’s the first Saturday of spring quarter, and even though spring weather is nowhere in sight, they need to party on principle. I [...]

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Why Are Ohio Faculty Furious When They Just Got a Massive Promotion?

You wouldn’t think I’d be angry, would you, given that I’ve just been declared part of management? In less than three years, I’ve gone from a lowly adjunct teaching position to a “managerial” function. The real magic? I might have been a management employee all along! Next year: world domination! This great gift comes via [...]

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