US Flag Patches On Uniforms - Made In Thailand?

Made in the USA? Well in the case of the flags on our soldiers’ uniforms, not really. Even though the tags on these embroidered patches says they were manufactured in the United States, the company who got the contract for 3 million of them decided the profit margin was just not as high as they would like, so they had them made in Thailand.

Now company owner Brian Moritz is being charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States. Not a nice thing to have on your resume.

Bush Claims Exemption From Oversight - A Dictator Yet?

Lots of people suspect that Bush has always considered himself above the law, now we have proof. In a recent article in the LA Times, Bush is claiming he is exempt from oversight assigned to the Executive Branch of the government. I guess he is right, he considers himself in the Dictatorial Branch of the government.

Dick “The Penguin” Cheney earlier has claimed this exemption of oversight in how he handled classified documents and now Bush does too. We have to demand accountability in these guys, otherwise we are living under a Monarchy not a Democratic Republic.

Can you say IMPEACHMENT?

News Flash - Gonzales Still Arrogant!

You have to hand it to Gonzo, he’s one plucky little jerk. When faced with overwhelming distrust of the American public and Congress, Alberto Gonzales defiantly states he will finish his term. At a meeting of the National Association of Attorneys General, Gonzales reaffirmed his arrogant stand amid his peers. His keynote speech focused on more prosecution of online child predators and other topics unrelated to his scandalous involvement in the firing of US Attorneys for political reasons.

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Terrorist Stopped From Bombing Gay Pride Parade In Jerusalem

Once again crazy fundamentalists are causing trouble. Seems this time they are not crazy Christian fundamentalist or Muslim fundamentalists, but Ultra-Orthodox Jewish fundamentalists!

All the anti-gay rhetoric being spewed by the Ultra-Orthodox in Jerusalem against gays finally paid off in the form of a terrorist bomber. Police stopped a 32-year-old religious Jew who was carrying a homemade explosive device. I have to wonder where in the Talmud it says "a wise man bombs his countrymen"?

Every time anti-gay rhetoric cranks up, violence against gays increases. It happens here with our own home grown fundamentalist wackos and it happens overseas. The common thread is the fundamentalist part of the equation. These people have a really poor grasp of theology and an even worse handle on reality.

Bush Approval Rating Plumets Again

Just when you think he can't sink any lower, either in his ethics, disregard for the Constitution or approval ratings, Bush surprises us again! A recent Newsweek poll has the president's approval rating as a pitiful 26%. That is almost worse than Nixon!

Come on Congress, impeach the criminal already. The whole country will be behind you!

What's That Smell? Sewage On The Plane!

I find myself unable to refrain from making Samuel L. Jackson jokes with this one. I am reminded of his line in "Snakes on a Plane" where he say something to the effect, "I want these motherf***ing snakes off this motherf***ing plane!" Well substitute the word "turd" and it seems appropriate for Continental Airlines flight 71 from Amsterdam to Newark.

The lavatory apparently malfunctioned in a major way and raw sewage flowed down the aisle of the cabin. Now there is really unusual in-flight entertainment. Aside from the "Ewww" factor the malfunction earned passengers a $500 voucher for their inconvenience and loss of dignity.

The unfortunately named Continental spokesman Dave Messing said, "We deeply regret the serious inconvenience to our customers and are apologizing to them and compensating them for the poor conditions on the flight as well as the diversion and delay."

No shit! (Apologies for the crude language.)

Austin Mob Bludgeons Driver To Death

Juneteenth started as a Texas holiday commemorating the emancipation of the slaves in Texas. Seems it took us here a little longer to get the news, or at least until it couldn’t be contained any longer. Today it has become a national holiday and with good reason. I find it very disturbing that it has become the date of one of the most hideous murders in recent memory.

A car pulled into a parking lot and accidentally struck a small child. The driver got out to see what he could do for the child when he was attacked by a crowd of Juneteenth revelers. His passenger, David Rivas Morales tried to protect him and was killed by the mob. No weapons were used, they simply bludgeoned him to death.

The child was treated for non-life threatening injuries and the driver is in custody cooperating with police to identify the murderers.

Wow! What a way to mark such a joyous holiday? In my previous text I had mused about the possibility of the crowd having racial or hate motives but according to eyewitness reports the celebrants who numbered in the thousands were not part of the mob who killed Morales.

Take Action against Hate Crimes

Watch this video by Cindi Lauper and then do something. Write your Representative, call your Senator get out in the streets and scream. Don't just sit there!

Bush To Veto Stem Cell Bill

It is no surprise that Bush is vetoing the latest stem cell research bill. He is playing to what little base he has left, and he and the GOP cannot afford to alienate their last vestiges of support. The problem is in how he states his opposition. According to a spokesperson the President supports stem cell research “as long as it does not involve creating, harming or destroying embryos”. He objects to forcing the American Taxpayer to support the destruction of life.

Of course all that goes out the window once a baby is born. Cut child welfare, no problem. Support using taxpayers money to kill Iraqi’s, no problem. Using taxpayer money to execute human beings with capital punishment, no problem.

Bush is really good at talking from both sides of his mouth, now if he would just use both halves of his brain we might not be in such a mess. He wants everything his way, regardless of who it hurts, kills or impoverishes. He is a spoiled brat who has bumbled his way into the White House and now he throws tantrums when he can’t do anything he wants.

Maybe it’s time he got a time out? Like for the rest of his presidency in the form of impeachment!

Bush Is Trying To Break The Troops - Considering Extending Tour Again

Here's a great idea. You have a stressed out military force that has seen their tours of duty increased several times before. Let's give them another few months, what the hell?

So now the Bushies are saying this tour of duty extension is designed to give them more time at home. Say what?

I guess the sudden upsurge in violence means we're winning?

Lift The Ban On Gays In The Military

Bush Pressures Hurricane Center Director - "Don't Bring Me No Bad News!"

The Bushies love to manipulate reality. In their latest attempt to change reality they are putting pressure on the Director of the National Hurricane Center after he protested the government spending a bundle on a publicity campaign instead of needed budgets for the centers forecasts and equipment. I guess Bush figures if we feel good about the Hurricane season, we won't have to have any warnings or real data. I smell them trying to set the director up for a termination.

Now, if you live in Florida or the Gulf Coast, remember Bush the next time a killer Hurricane comes along. If you voted for the bastard, remember how long it takes to get aid and how you may not have any warning if they penny pinch the budgets of the Hurricane Center. Better yet, join the move to impeach this criminal before he can do any more damage to our country!

Remembering Leonard Matlovich

In 1979, I was part of the Dallas committee to attend the first March on Washington for Gay and Lesbian Rights. My biggest job was helping with the local publicity on the march. I designed and sold buttons, helped with media kits and had the opportunity to meet and get to know Leonard Matlovich.

Lenny was an Air Force Technical Sergeant who won the Purple Heart and Bronze Star in Vietnam...and was discharged for being gay. His face appeared on the covers of national magazines as the topic of gays in the military first reared its head. He became an instant celebrity when he appeared on the cover of Time Magazine and he agreed to lend our cause some of that cache by appearing to promote the march for our Dallas group.

He was a gentle and very bright man. He had already opened a business in California when I met him. His charm and wit as well as his enthusiasm for the topic of Gay Rights really made him a great spokesperson for our cause.

After the 1979 March on Washington, Lenny returned to California to his pizza restaurant and took up his normal life again. I got wind that he was sick in 1986, and later he announced he had HIV/AIDS. Like many gay men in the 1980's Lenny fell victim to the disease that decimated our community.

I was not a close friend of his, just a passing acquaintance, but he was an inspiration to me as an activist. He died on June 22, 1988. Ironically close to Gay Pride Day.

His tombstone bears the epitaph, "When I was in the military they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one." He will always be one of my heroes.

Tom Leppert Elected Mayor Of Dallas, Homophobia Part Of His Success

OK, guess I should put in my 2 cents on the Mayoral election. Ed Oakley, whom I supported ran a clean and good campaign, and as an openly gay candidate he made me proud. His ideas to improve the city of Dallas are tested and have been proven during his terms on the city council. Tom Leppert is an unknown factor. A Highland Park resident until recently, he out spent Oakley and essentially bought the election in South Dallas. North Dallas was assaulted with anti-gay robo-calls which he denies he placed, but who else would benefit from them?

The anti-gay thing was no surprise. It was an easy strategy for the homophobic North Dallas fundamentalist crowd. It’s the South Dallas money politics that bothers me. Look at the history of the black vote in Dallas. Often it was delivered as a bought and paid for commodity by power brokers who would “consolidate” votes in majority black districts. It was old school politics with a reverse Jim Crow twist. Seems like it still works today.

The difference is that this time, South Dallas voters were lured by promises of riches, with no actual proof on the table. Leppert is a businessman, and in today’s culture of the “Idol” rich, he has made promises to bring wealth and prosperity to the poor neighborhoods of Dallas. Strangely he also claimed to be able to improve education. Last time I looked Dallas has an Independent School District and the Mayor has zip for control of that.

Dallas voters have bought the pig in the poke, albeit an apparent rich one, but still a complete unknown quantity. What a pity. Ed Oakley would have been a great mayor for Dallas, but some folks apparently thought who he slept with in his bedroom was more important than the future of the city