Plastic In the Afterlife

Even rats leave a sinking ship.

Well, you never know what surprises each new day will bring.  Today Pennsylvania Republican Senator Arlen Specter announced that he would be switching his party affiliation and joining the ranks of the Democrats, potentially giving them the magic number of 60, which would give the Democrats control of the Senate (that is, once defeated Republican Norm Coleman's lawsuit challenging the count result in Minnesota that gave the victory to Democrat Al Franken is resolved).  Said Specter of his shocking decision:  "Since my election in 1980 ... the Republican Party has moved far to the right...I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans."  Ever since his election to the Senate, Specter has been a moderate faction of the right-leaning Republican Party.  He faced recent ire from his Republican colleagues when he and two other moderate Republican Senators (lonely souls that they are) voted for Obama's $787 billion economic stimulus plan.  Said Senator Olympia Snowe, another beseiged Republican moderate: "Many Republicans feel alienated and disaffected from the Republican Party."  Well, c'mon over to the Democrat side, lady---the weather's just fine.

Specter made it clear that Democrats have been making overtures to him to switch sides for "the past five years", and ever since his supportive vote of Obama's stimulus plan, Vice President Joe Biden has had 14 separate conversations with Specter.  Oh, Joe, you crafty 'ol buzzard, you! 

On a related note, Rush Limbaugh became the first human being to actually shit a brick! 

 

A 10-year-old girl divorces a 30 year-old man? WTF?!?

According to the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), there are 60 million child brides in the world today, a number expected to reach 100 million over the next decade.  USA Today reports that one in three girls in developing countries marries before the age of eighteen, and in countries like Niger, "more than three-quarters of girls are married before 18, most at age 15", while in Nepal, 40% of 14-year-old girls are married off.  Even India, a burgeoning worldwide economic force and major trading partner of the United States, practices arranged child marriages, marrying off half of their girls before the age of 18, even though it violates their national law.  A lot of this has to do with tribal tradition.  There is this perception in many developing countries that a daughter must be married off early so that she does not have time to do something that will bring dishonor to the family.  Of course economics also comes into play, as families may financially benefit from an arranged marriage, or at the very least will not be burdened with the cost of raising a daughter in a world where employment opportunities for women are severely limited.  It is also custom that brides be virgins, so girls are married off long before sex is something that even has crossed their minds, let alone MARRIAGE!

That brings us to Nujood Ali, a brave 10-year-old girl from Yemen who demanded that she be granted a divorce from her 30-year-old husband.  How did this happen?  Well, when her parents agreed to marry Nujood off to this winner, the father was adamant that the husband not have sex with Nujood until she was 20.  Needless to day, the husband violated this wish and forced her to have sex with him, using violent means to subdue her.  It is amazing how "tradition" can blind parents to the horrid realities that they are thrusting upon thier daughters.   This is no cute "matchmaker" scene from Fiddler on the Roof---this is sanctioned statutory rape.  The ultimate irony of this story is that while Nujood was granted her request, thus becoming the world's youngest divorcee, her husband was not only not prosecuted for forcibly raping an underage girl, but he was compensated under tribal law for his loss of a wife, which amounted to $200. 

Needess to say, Nujood does not plan to get married in the future---EVER.   

Porno goes "Green"

First of all, put away those tissues---you won't need them---that is, unless it is to sop up the tears of laughter you cry as you watch Isabella Rossellini's artsy vignettes entitled Green Porno.  Green Porno is basically a bunch of internet shorts available on Sundance Channel's website that deal with the sex lives of insects (season one) and of sea creatures (season two). 

I must say, from the goofy and amateurish costumes to the whimsical descriptions of these organisms' sexual escapades, I couldn't wipe the smile off of my face.  Rossellini perfectly understands the advantages and limitations of her internet medium, all episodes of which were intended to be downloaded onto cell phones and i-pods, and she teases us with just enough innocent, yet lascivious humor, where our appetites have been whetted, but we are left wanting more.  So, I guess the real "money shot" here is Rossellini's child-like exuberance for her unique and often strange subject matter.  Enjoy.