Blogging From Las Vegas - Back To Big D Tomorrow!

Heading back to Big D tomorrow morning EARLY! Gee, I wish air travel was fun like it used to be, no arrive at the airport an hour early so you can undress and be screened. No crowded tiny seats with no food or refreshments. Ah the good old days.

You can really tell how old I am by that rant.

Well, the Stonewall Democrats training session was great! Looks like the DNC has finally figures out that it’s not about the next heroic candidate to magically fix the party, it’s about the party! We are really trying to build an effective infrastructure and that’s what we need to do.

As for Vegas, well there was fun to be had. Friday night we all attended a party at La Cage here in the Riviera Hotel. Frank Marino and a gaggle of fabulous drag queens. Even though I am so over drag, it was big fun.

Last night I went out on my own and saw Steve Wyrick’s Real Magic at the Aladdin Hotel, (soon to be Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino and no they are not blowing it up, just refacing the whole building!) The show was fast paced and very clever. Steve is a Garland, TX boy who made good, and his act is one of the best magic reviews in Vegas. He starts by appearing onstage magically along with a full sized helicopter. Later he jumps through the spinning fan blades of a jet engine!

And my luck, he ended up pulling me onstage for a card trick and ended up stealing my watch! Of course he gave it back much to my embarrassment. All in all a fun night. My complaint was the audience. They seemed dead. They were smiling and enjoyed it but they wouldn’t clap. What is that? I can only guess it is from too much TV watching and they don’t know how to react to a real live performance.

Overall, Las Vegas is Las Vegas, and I am ready for Dallas again.

Blogging From Las Vegas - Bill Richardson & Dennis Kucinich Speak At Stonewall Democrats Luncheon

The day is not yet half over and I am already spinning with new information. I am attending the National Stonewall Democrats Western Training Session in Las Vegas this weekend and it has been very informative.

This morning I had to decide between going to the Health Care form sponsored by the Center for American Progress and the training sessions. I opted for the sessions and it was a good choice. Many members of the DNC are present and very active here. The session I sat in on this morning was on becoming a presidential delegate to the Democratic Convention. There is so much more involved that I would have ever thought. Seems every state is different in the selection process and navigating that maze was most of the session.

For lunch we had the traditional rubber chicken, (except here in Vegas it’s really good, kudos to the Riviera Hotel catering staff on that), and lots of speeches. Notably Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexica, a presidential candidate. Gov. Richardson sat at the table right next to me, so I had a chance to at least see and chat with him. Additionally the mayor of Las Vegas was on hand and left everyone with a favorable expression.

The surprise was Dennis Kucinich who showed up unexpectedly and made an impromptu speech. He unabashedly stated that he supports Gay Marriage and left everyone to a standing ovation. I got a picture with him that I will post once I get home.

This afternoon it is more workshops and maybe a few minutes to rest and schmooze with fellow gay democrats.

Blogging From Las Vegas - National Stonewall Democrats

Well I have been in Las Vegas a day now and it seems like a week already. This is the city that never sleeps!

I am here for the National Stonewall Democrats Training Sessions. These are a series of workshops to help budding queer activists have a real impact on the party and the campaigns, as well as little tips on raising funds, etc. The other big draw here is Vegas is the Health Care Roundtable being hosted at UNLV and attended by most of the Presidential Candidates (all Democrats by the way). Seems Republicans don;t want to talk about the health care crisis almost as much as they loath talking about global warming.

Last night I took time off to attend a show. The Fashionistas. John Stagliano, famed porn director tried his hand at an adult Vegas show and he hit a home run. It's filled with fetish wear, beautiful women and hunky bare chested guys. Needless to say, I loved it. Lots of leather and bondage and all set to a rock beat. It is a dance extravaganza, with amazing performers and even a couple of aerialists thrown in above the audience. Very kinky, but not as much skin as you might expect. Seems since they are not in a major hotel, their venue has restrictions as to the amount of nudity allowed. Still plenty of bare butts and lots of manflesh.

I met John and his wife Karen a couple of years ago at the AVN awards. A couple of films I photographed got nominations for awards and I attended. Though you might not like some of his stuff, all that gonzo video, he has successfully been able to create some truly erotic visions both on the stage and in his film, The Fashionistas. See it if you can in Vegas.

Bye for now, we are off to a party at Le Cage at the Riviera Hotel, drag of course!

White House Secrecy Wall Is Cracking

The latest scandal involving Alberto Gonzales is just a distraction.. Face it, Gonzo is going to be another fall guy just like Scooter and Kyle Sampson. The recently released emails fron the White House show that the real brains behind this an pretty much every underhanded political scheme at the White House comes from Karl Rove, Bush and Cheney. This axis of deceit lays the blame on their loyal underlings and still manages to get away with their activity.

No surprise that Sidney Blumenthal lays out the "crime family" scenario in his latest piece for Salon.com. The surprise is that more American’s haven’t figured this out sooner. As the White House twists and spins to avoid Karl Rove and Harriet Myers from testifying under oath before Congress, it is painfully obvious that they are hiding something. To turn the line used by the Bush administration around when they began illegal wiretapping, "if you aren’t guilty, then you have nothing to worry about."

The real truth is that they have a lot to hide, and their guilt wreaks like a rotten stew of deception and lies. Bush and his cronies are expert at lying and getting away with it, until now and it’s time they were brought to justice.

Senator Inhofe - A Prick & A Fool?

Senator Inhofe comes from a state that is feeling the direct consequences of Global Warming. Drought, and higher temperatures have hurt crops and cattle in Oklahoma, not to mention the possibility that future warming might even spawn more sever weather which lays waste to the Sooner State each year. It is amazing that he refuses to understand or even listen to testimony given by Al Gore in Washington this week.

Inhofe interrupted, bullied and tried to prevent any answers from the former Vice President to the point that Barbara Boxer had to remind him that the GOP was not making the rules anymore. She enforced the time limits and let Gore speak.

Inhofe tried to bully Gore into signing a vague energy use statement that totally ignores the use of solar or wind and other green energy sources which Gore and my family use. Overall, Inhofe is a prick, and he apparently is in the pocket of Big Oil, since he tried desperately to skew any testimony or just prevent it.

He surely cannot believe that global warming is a myth. If he does, he is not just a prick; he’s a fool.

18 Days Of E-mails Missing From White House Evidence

I woke up this morning and saw the ghost of Rosemary Woods standing in my room. She kept saying the number 18 over and over again. Then I sign onto my computer and see that FireDogLake.com is reporting that there seem to by 18 days of emails missing from the document dump the White House laid on congress yesterday. Hummm? 18 Days, and Rosemary woods accidentally erased 18 minutes of tape for Nixon?

I wonder if it is an omen?

North Carolina Castrators Get Convicted

I have had a lot of people ask me if I hurt people for fun. I usually reply with a quip, "Only if they ask politely". In reality, SM is something much more difficult to describe. We participate in activities most people would consider as painful, and yet we find enjoyment in them. We do lots of things that would shock most "vanilla" folk, but still we have a code of behavior that keeps us safe. We often speak of "safe, sane and consensual" as our bywords. These were invented years ago as a way to explain what we do, not so much as rules. That being said, they are not bad bywords and in fact make pretty good rules.

The safe part is quantifiable. Any activity which causes life threatening harm or irreversible damage is probably not safe. Consensual is an easy definition as well, but the "sane" thing is a gray area. What would constitute "insane behavior"? We as the judge said about pornography, "I can’t describe it, but I know it when I see it." In other words it’s a little subjective.

Well the news story that came out a while back about the three guys in North Carolina that were doing backyard castrations and calling it SM, really looked insane to me. After reading more about their activities, I believe that it still qualifies as insane. More to the point, it is a case of people with a real pathological problem finding a willing practitioner to harm them. These guys had people flying in from other countries to have their balls cut off. They are not surgeons and the operation is about as irreversible as it gets. For me that is very hard to understand.

I have thought long and hard about this and still come to the same conclusion. They either were just plain crazy bubbas who wanted to cut guys balls off and post them on the internet (which they did). Or they were people dabbling in SM who got caught up in the role-play and just went too far. Either way what they were doing was not safe or sane though it may have been consensual.

They were convicted of felony castration and maiming. That charge carries some jail time but I think they need something more than that. They need a little real education in SM and some serious counseling to find out what the hell they were thinking! People like these guys make it harder on all the rest of us who are sincere about our BDSM and wish to continue to enjoy ourselves and our partners in safe sane and consensual play.

Time To Talk Seriously About Impeachmet

Dennis Kucinich is urging a genuine conversation about impeachment. It is about time!

Dallas Looses Two Famous Rays - Ray Nasher & "Crazy Ray"

Two Rays passed away this weekend in Dallas. I was lucky enough to know them both, at least for a short time.

I had a chance to interview Ray Nasher several years ago as part of an industrial film for a PR group working for The Limited. That retailer was getting ready to open their new Northpark store and Ray was delighted. The interview ranged widely from the original topic and much of it was about Mr. Nasher’s views on not only retail but also civic responsibility and politics.

Nasher was an unapologetic liberal. The liberal part of his politics was seen in the way he ran his business. Anyone who has ever been to Northpark Center in Dallas, knows what I mean. The mall, one of the first and best malls in the country is beautiful. It is not overblown and showy, but built with persistent cream colored brick and an uncluttered design that gives the stores the featured attention, not the mall’s architecture. The other thing that makes Northpark so great is the abundance of public art. Drawn from Nasher’s personal collection walking through the mall, you are exposed to modern sculpture from Alberto Giacometti to Frank Stella. Round one corner and you see a huge steel piece by Mark Di Suvero soaring into the atrium before the food court. Sit and relax by in the courtyard outside and you can see a giant safety pin by Claus Oldenburg. Make a trip to Neiman-Marcus and you pass a giant mechanical sculpture by Jonathan Borofsky.

Nasher believed in sharing his art with everyone. He believed it was a joy to posses a world class collection of modern sculpture, but more of a joy to bring it to the citizens of Dallas to enjoy. The museum that bears his name, The Nasher Sculpture Center is one of the finest museums of it’s kind in the world and will be a lasting legacy to the man for whom it is named.

The other Ray who died was a man known to millions of Dallas Cowboy’s fans as Crazy Ray. Wilford "Crazy Ray" Jones was a local celebrity since my childhood. I first met him at a little shop in downtown Dallas called Magicland. It was the only magic shop in the area, and as a budding amateur magician, it was my favorite hangout.

Ray, though when I first met him he was shining shoes, was a magician, too. He wasn’t the kind of magician who needed expensive props and lots of assistants. Ray did magic with the kind of things you could find in your pockets or even on the street. His favorite trick involved a cheep noisemaker hat he bought by the dozens at Magicland. It was simply a metal crescent with a piece of waxed paper attached. When held in the mouth, it was invisible and with practice, a skilled operator could make it emit the sounds of everything from birds to small dogs. Ray’s favorite trick was to carry a paper bag around and make the sounds of a whining puppy. He would flick the bag with his finger; hidden inside to make it twitch and it was so convincing that once he got on a bus with the bag. A passenger told him he couldn’t ride the bus with a dog in that bag, so he threw the bag out the window to the horror of the passenger.

Ray was an illusionist of the first class. He once taught me a trick where he borrowed a dollar bill. Tearing a corner off, he gave it to me for safekeeping, and then he lit the dollar on fire and proceeded to use it to light a cigarette. As the last of the bill turned to ashes, Ray watched my surprise. He simply sad, " now don’t you worry. Gimme some of that soda you are drinking."

I handed him the bottle of Dr Pepper and he took the cigarette and laid it on his outstretched palm. Pouring the soda over the cigarette to extinguish it, he plopped the soaked cigarette into my hand and told me to roll it between my palms. As I did the wet cigarette began turning green, and soon it was a soaked dollar bill between my hands. Of course there was a corner missing. The one I had saved from the bill in the first place!

David Blaine could learn volumes from Ray.

He later became the unofficial mascot of the Dallas Cowboys and was seen at almost every home game. His antics and magic brought smiles to millions of people and he was a Dallas icon. He selflessly shared his humor and talent with anyone who would stop and watch and like Ray Nasher, he gave a lot to the citizens of Dallas. I will miss them both.

Bush Still Not Explaining His Plan For Iraq

Bush and company are hoping people will forget about the fourth anniversary of the war, but we won’t. Bush’s mother Barbara won’t even watch the TV News about the war, especially any coverage of how many Americans have died. I guess her cold imperiousness has been passed down to her arrogant son?

Today Bush will spend 5 minutes on the war in a press conference with no questions allowed. He will present no new ideas, no success examples and no recipe for success in Iraq. He is out of ideas and imagination and his policies are a disaster. His administration is cracking at the seams and it looks like Alberto Gonzales will not last the week.

What does it all mean? It means that Bush & Co. are teetering like Enron on a tower of lies and deceit and someone needs to push them over. Time for Congress to stand up and make Bush take responsibility for his crimes and mistakes. Impeachment is the solution.

More Bush Lies - No Probe Launched As Promised Of Plame Leak

I get really tired of writing about Bush’s lies, but he just can’t stop lying. After the Valerie Plame scandal, he swore he would launch a full investigation of who leaked her name as a covert CIA agent to the press. Guess what? He LIED!


In testimony before the house oversight committee, James Knodell, Director of the Office of Security at the White House, stated that the Bush administration never launched an internal probe to find the source for the leak in 2003. Why is no one screaming for Bush’s resignation for being a lying dirtbag?


Clinton lied about getting a blow job and it’s impeachment time! Bush lies about treasonable acts committed by his staff and it’s business as usual. What the fuck is wrong here?


What is wrong is that for too long the GOP controlled Congress has been complicit in the crimes of the White House. It is now the day of reckoning.

Christians March On White House To Protest The War In Iraq

It warms my heart to see people who call themselves Christians actually doing something Jesus would be proud of. Last night thousands of protesters met at the National Cathedral to pray for peace and then marched to the White House, where many were arrested when the stopped and stood silent witness to the immoral war President Bush is conducting.

There is an area of the sidewalk in front of the White House where you cannot stop, and that is where they stopped and waited to be arrested. It reminds me of the 1970’s and the protests of the Vietnam War. I participated in those, though not in Washington, and I am delighted to see that kind of action again. It is about time someone did this. Tomorrow I am participating in a similar march here in Dallas.

Iraq Veterans Memorial- Sgt. Sherwood Baker

Finally a use for YouTube that is a good thing. There are more at www.iraqmemorial.org.

Gonzales Scandal Has Roots In The White House - But Bush Can't Remember It!

It is amazing how bad memories are in Washington, specifically in the Bush administration. The latest firestorm involving Alberto Gonzales has ties leading directly into the White House, and now as usual, the folks at the top have had a memory lapse.

Tony Snow today said regarding Harriet Myers involvement, "At this juncture, people have hazy memories." Asked if Bush himself might have suggested the firings, Snow said, "Anything’s possible … but I don’t think so." He said Bush "certainly has no recollection of any such thing. I can’t speak for the attorney general. I want you to be clear here: don’t be dropping it at the president’s door,"

It makes you wonder how these people remember to tie their shoes in the morning. More importantly, it makes you wonder why they are still in office.

Kucinich Shows Some Balls - Uses The "I" Word

Finally a Democrat with BALLS! Dennis Kucinich has used the "I" word on the floor of the House. It's about time someone stood up and said that the Emperor has no clothes!

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's Confession Under Torture Is Useless

Finally a news story I can speak to with some authority. Let’s talk about torture. Now the kind I am familiar with is a kind of "play" torture. It is consensual, and for the most part safe. I have done interrogation "scenes" quite often, and though the people I am interrogating are not terrorists or criminals, they do their best to avoid giving me the information I want. That is they way we play our game.

They know that if they tell me what I want to know, the torture will stop. Usually, we have prearranged some bit of information that is the goal, but sometimes they may not realize I planted that information until the scene begins. For example, one person who wanted to do this kind of scene met me for dinner one night. I began talking about the events of WWII and specifically the research being done by German physicist Werner Heisenberg. They seemed interested and I gave them lots of details about his work in quantum physics as well as a possible conversation he may have had with Niels Bohr on a visit to Denmark during the war.

My friends know I have a variety of interests but I suspect this conversation seemed a little out of place, so it stuck with them. When we did the interrogation scene a few days later, I assumed the persona of a Nazi and the whole scene was done in a combination of German and English. What I wanted to know was whom Heisenburg had spoken to when he visited Denmark.

OK, so we had a little theatrical role-play going on, but the interrogation session was far from theatrical. I used real posture techniques and very painful torture in my questioning. The partner who I was playing with was very stubborn and the game was to see if they would break and tell me the info. After several hours which included such activities as electrical shocks with a cattle prod, rough body play including slaps to the face and punches to the body, and a variety of other nasty and painful techniques, they broke.

I got not only Neils Bohr’s name but they agreed they were part of the conversation and knew details they could never have known. Later, after we had a chance to decompress and come down from the scene, my friend told me they didn’t even know what they were saying. They were just agreeing to anything to make the pain stop.

For those of you who may be already questioning the sanity of this kind of play, I can assure you that both my partner and I had a great time. We were both very exhausted but happy afterward, and agreed to do it again sometime, albeit in a different kind of arrangement.

The point of this story is to let you know that even the kind of torture dished out in a consensual SM scene, which is mild compared to "water-boarding" and other CIA nastiness can elicit a confession that is completely false. Granted what we were doing was a "scene" but while it was going on, the body’s fight or flight mechanisms were working at full capacity and the reactions were identical to someone in a real torture situation.

CIA operatives who have been through torture situations to understand what they might be up against usually break in a few minutes. That word "break" is key. A person being tortured enough will confess to kidnapping the Lindbergh baby if put under enough stress. After a while, your mind screams, "tell them whatever they want you to say to get them to stop!"

That said, the confessions of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed are pretty much useless. He was tortured and we will never know how much since the government has redacted the details. Confessions made under torture are useless, and every military expert knows it. That is why the recent announcement that Mohammed has admitted to everything from 9/11 to plots to blow up the Sears Tower is not only useless, but also way too convenient. This comes as the Bush administration is beginning to undergo the scrutiny it deserves for its dirty dealing involving the use of torture and various misdeeds including scrutiny of Alberto Gonzales. This is another example of the Bush tactic of "look over there". It’s misdirection from the real story and should be treated as such until all the facts come out, if they ever do.

Presidential Records Bill Will Prevent Rewriting Of History

There is an old saw that says, "history is written by the winners". Today that might be better stated that "history is re-written by he President". Ever since the Presidential decree by President George W. Bush that gave current and former presidents and vice presidents broad authority to withhold presidential records or delay their release indefinitely, historians have been denied access to the documents that were generated during a presidency.

Traditionally, presidential papers were put in the archives of Presidential libraries for historians to access. This made the legacy of each president public record, as it should be. Bush changed all that and his forst act was making his father’s papers secret. This denies scholars any access to an important period of American history. It also keeps any wrong doings secret and protects the legacy of George H. W. Bush.

No doubt the proposed George W. Bush library at SMU will contain lots of sealed rooms of secret documents. This will keep historians, and lawyers from looking at what really is going on in the administration behind closed doors. Before Bush, presidents papers were used to study how history was made. After Bush historians will have to guess and take the administrations spin on events.

That is why Henry Waxman (D-CA) is co-sponsoring the Presidential Records Act Amendments of 2007. This act will open all the records and keep history in the hands of scholars and the public, instead of holding our heritage hostage to the whims of spin-masters. History belongs to us, the American people, that way we are all the winners.

Republicans Break Ranks And Call For Gonzales Resignation

Raw Story is reporting that in a recent interview John Sununu (R-NH) has stated that Bush should fire Alberto Gonzales. I am hoping that more Republicans will break ranks and act as boldly as Sununu. He is stating the obvious. Gonzales has been a disgrace as Attorney General and now looks like he is directly involved in the questionable Justice Department firings.

As the momentum builds it will be harder and harder for Bush to avoid this move, as will the effort to block Karl Rove from testifying before Congress.

Senator Tim Johnson Continues His Recovery

Most people in this 30 minute-attention-span country have forgotten Tim Johnson, the Democratic Senator from South Dakota who had a brain hemorrhage. His condition was subject of speculation for weeks from the right-wing about shifting the balance of power back to the GOP.

He has made his first public statement on his web site and I will include it in its entirety below.

"I want to thank the people of South Dakota and all of our dear friends for their support and prayers. This has been an unexpected journey and there is a long road in front of me. I am determined and focused on my recovery, and I look forward to returning to the Senate on behalf of South Dakota," said Senator Johnson.

The medical staff at the rehabilitation center has informed the Johnsons that the Senator continues to progress as expected. The attending physician states, "Senator Johnson is making significant and regular gains. He is doing very well cognitively. We are focusing on standing and balance training as the foundation upon which to base
the course of his ongoing physical recovery."

Our prayers and wishes for speedy recovery go out to Senator Johnson.

Justice Department Scandal Widens

So it looks like the White House urged Alberto Gonzales to fire several attorneys on political grounds. Not that this should come as a surprise, but considering that the administration first claimed that was not the case, this is more newsworthy. Gonzales now is taking responsibility for the firings yet he has refused to resign, as did his assistant Kyle Sampson.

Responsibility to these guys means saying yes we did it now let’s have a lengthy investigation until the public forgets. That is the problem. America has a collective attention span of about 30 minutes and because of that the Bush administration has been getting away with murder. People forget Bush has lied dozens of times in everything from press conferences to State of the Union speeches. Somebody has to wake America up and remind them that we have criminals at the helm of the Ship of State.

Poll Shows GOP Voters Dissatisfied With Choices For 2008

Why is this news? The GOP has long ago sold its soul to the neocons and now they are wondering why the party faithful are dissatisfied with the presidential candidates for 2008. It’s not rocket science. The GOP has strayed from its principals to court a new "base" of far right fundamentalists and neocon business types. The party of Lincoln is long dead and yet people still wonder where it went?

When Regan entered the White House the change started. The GOP became a party of more and more extreme right-wing ideologues. By pandering to the Christian fundamentalists and focusing solely on God Guns and Gays, they left their principals behind in favor of expedient political alignments. The days of fiscally conservative Republicans ended with the election of George W. Bush. Spending has exploded and it’s all going into the pockets of the businesses that got him elected. From the party of cautious fiscal policy the GOP has become the party of big pork and corruption. No wonder GOP voters feel they have no choices, they don’t!

Israeli Ambassador Caught In Kinky Wardrobe - Drunk On The Street!

Jews in bondage? Sounds like a bad Mel Brooks parody, but it’s apparently true. The Israeli Ambassador to El Salvador was found dressed only in leather bondage gear wandering the streets blind drunk. Personally I have nothing against bondage, which should be obvious to anyone who knows me, but taking it out in public does cross the consensual space line.

The Israeli government is not amused and has recalled him. I wonder if he has a leather yarmulke?

McCain's Weird TV Ad - What Were They Thinking?

This has got to be the worst campaign ad ever. McCain making a bunch of disjointed statements over some music that could be Darth Vader's theme from Empire Strikes Back. What the heck were his spin-meisters thinking? Just found the music, it's from Pirates of the Caribbean, the Black Pearl. Now that is what you want to be associated with, pirates! I thought that was what we already had in the White House?

Halliburton Escapes To Dubai - Watch For Cheney To Follow Soon

A few months ago I made a prediction and I stand by it. Within the next 2 months Dick Cheney will step down as VP for "health" reasons. Afterwards, Condi Rice will be made Vice President and have a secure seat for an incumbent run in 2008.

Cheney’s clot in his leg a couple of weeks ago is the start of the cover story. The rest will play out as follows. Cheney will step down just prior to investigations by Congress into illegal activities by the administration. He will move out of the country just in time to escape embarrassing prosecution and questions. Bush will follow as soon as he is impeached. OK hat last bit is wishful thinking.

It should come as no surprise that Cheney’s former company has pulled up stakes and moved to Dubai. That surprising announcement caught everyone but me by surprise. Of course, and Cheney will have unfettered access to his stock and fortune since the company will be trading on a foreign exchange.

Sound far-fetched? Not really, remember Bush buying all that land in Paraguay? A get away after he is impeached or perhaps before he is convicted of criminal charges. Same goes for Dick Cheney. Halliburton has looted the coffers of our treasury with bogus no-bid contracts and shoddy quality work and now they are running away before they are found guilty of a crime. With congress in control of Democrats, they have little chance of continuing their crime spree and a move to Dubai; a country built by and for billionaires makes sense for them.

For us, we need to move quickly to seize Halliburton’s assets in the US before they can make a clean getaway. Write your Congressperson.

Ann Coulter Dropped From More Newspapers

Seems like Ann "Mad Dog" Coulter is going the way of Dr. Laura. After her tasteless comment about John Edwards, the public has been demanding she be removed from print. So far 6 newspapers have dropped her column in response to the heavy load of emails against her.

Truth is she is carried by very few publications anyway and most of them are in small markets. Here in Texas none of the really big cities carry her writing, you have to get to towns like Waco to find her in print.

Bye bye, Ann, it's been bad to know you.

Newt Gingrich Had Affair While Impeachnig Clinton For His

Of all the slimy hypocritical bastards, Newt Gingrich is the slimiest. In an interview with Focus on the Family he admitted he had an affair, even while he was spearheading the impeachment proceeding against Bill Clinton for his lying about this own affair.

Now come on! If this country can’t see the problem with this, there is no hope. We have a sitting President who has lied to Congress and the American people about a war we didn’t need to start. A President whose office intentionally leaked the name of a covert CIA operative, a treasonable offense. A President who has a history of drug and alcohol abuse. Yet, no impeachment? Come on people! Wake the f*#k up!

Our country is being run by hypocritical criminals and we have to take it back. Write your congressperson and demand investigations and legal action before it’s too late.

Matt Sanchez, GOP Marine Poster Boy - Gay Porn Star!

Anybody remember Jeff Gannon? Well it seems that the specter of him has appeared again in the form of the Marine Corporal, Matt Sanchez. The reservist is making the rounds on the right wing talk show circuit. He even appeared with Ann Coulter at the CPAC event that caused all the uproar with her "faggot" comment.

What's so special about a conservative Marine? Well he has a lengthy resume as Rod Majors, porn star! Yup, another GOP poster boy who has a past of money shots and escort services.
He is cute, no question about it, and from the pictures I have seen, his body is quite a sight as well. No wonder he gets $1200 a day.

"Slave" Turns On "Master" In NY Courtroom

Sometimes I wish there was some sort of registration process for people in our community. It seems every Tom, Dick and Harry who wants to can just tape on a "Master" tag and claim to be involved in safe sane and consensual BDSM activity. My case in point is a guy named Glenn Marcus from Brooklyn. He gets a couple of women as his "slaves" over the Internet and starts a web site with photos of them in bondage.

Funny thing is, the government sees the pictures and because they are targeting SM related porn, they haul the guy up on charges. His "slaves" turn government witnesses and the whole thing becomes a sideshow for the press and bad press for the rest of us.

Now I have ranted before about how the current administration is out to stop us in general from enjoying our lives but this is a real graphic example. Personally, I don’t think this "Master" has much to go on for defense. He was playing way over the edge by posting the photos online, and it seems to me his motive was profit not mutual enjoyment.

The real problem comes from the fact that one of the slaves says everything was consensual and the other one says it was against her will. Tricky stuff this Master/slave relationship, and one that takes some serious thought before entering into. His defense attorney says he had a contract, but the last time I checked "forced labor" was a crime in most states and that is the charge they brought him up on.

I suspect the reality of the situation is that one slave became jealous and decided to get even by turning states witness. Now the whole matter is playing out in a courtroom and in from of TV cameras and the press is having a field day. The moral of the story? Know who you are playing with, know their motives and never, never post pictures of your scenes on the Internet!

Pain, CBT And Writing About It

I guess it has been too long since I blogged about what I am up to and let the politics settle for a while. At the encouragement of several friends, I am working on another book. My first book, Family Jewels is in its second printing and has been very popular with both the gay and heterosexual kink communities. What I am working on now is a bit different.

Family Jewels was pretty much a how-to guide for CBT. Since its publication I have received many requests to present educational workshops on that subject. Though I am a very enthusiastic player in the CBT area, much of my passion in BDSM lies in a larger subject. The new book has a working title of Playing With Pain and it includes a lot of my personal journey through the world of leather.

I hope to give the reader an idea of not just the how, but the why in this book. For me, the application of intense sensations in a controlled and precise manner has been a passion since childhood. I know, sounds like a warped childhood, but really it was pretty normal. I just discovered my kink early in life. The fact that it only blossomed as an adult is probably a good thing.

So I have been hard at work writing and sometimes avoiding writing for the past weeks. Writing for me is a painful experience in itself. The words don't flow fast enough onto the screen, and I sometimes wish I had a direct interface with my brain and my computer. Of course that would make me Borg wouldn't it? Oh well, give a little and take a little.

More later.

Neocons Already Calling For Pardon Of Scooter Libby - Big Surprise!

Libby is not even in jail yet and already the neocons are calling for his pardon. An editorial appeared in the National Review only 2.5 hours after the verdict was announced.

I suspect the right-wing talk shows will be full of this crap and soon the White House will announce the pardon of Scooter. After all, if they don't pardon him he might finger the real villains in this drama, and everyone including the jurors know it's a higher-up in the White House.

If a pardon does come, America must speak out! Taking to the streets to protest would be a good first move, then demanding that the entire administration step down would be a good second move. There has never been a more corrupt and inept bunch of criminals in the White House.

Scooter Is Guilty!

MSNBC is reporting that Scooter Libby has been found guilty on four charges of perjury. This puts the spotlight on Dick Cheney's office in a big way. No doubt Fitzgerald will want further investigations into the questions raised by the testimony in this trial.

It is also interesting that Cheney suddenly showed up in the news as being treated for a blood clot in his leg. The man is frail, no doubt, but this would conveniently add a reason for him to resign for poor health. My question is where will he retire to? My bet is South America!

Also it would open the VP slot for a potential Republican incumbent to run for President in 2008. Watch for Guilliani, McCain or Condi Rice to get this post.

Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream - Patriotic Ice Cream!

As I leaked here over 2 months ago, Ben and Jerry's has indeed produced a Stephen Colbert ice cream flavor. Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream is the latest celebrity flavor from the ice cream moguls.

Shown on The Colbert Report last night the new flavor featured bits of real ice cream cone and swirls of caramel. Sounds really good and patriotic! If this weren't Lent, I'd be having myself a big bowl of it right now. Guess I will have to just buy a couple of pints and let them age in the freezer until Easter?

Halliburton Involved In Walter Reed Scandal

I thought the Walter Reed scandal was missing something and today it comes out. Halliburton! Yup, VP Cheney's only buddies are involved because of the privatization of the services at Walter Reed to the tune of $120 million . The services provided were through the same company IAP (a Halliburton subsidiary) that had so much trouble delivering ice during the Katrina recovery efforts.

As this story develops it will be interesting to see just how deeply involved the ideology of privatization has affected this situation. My guess us that it is the root cause.

Ann Coulter Calls John Edwards Faggot - Why Is She Still On The TV?

Ann Coulter, the most disgusting woman in America has now taken to using gay bashing terms against political candidates. She called John Edwards a "faggot" today and yet she still has a TV show on Fox. If she had called someone a "nigger" do you think she would still be on?

Face it, she is a complete provocateur and speaks only to raise eyebrows. She has no real talent or valid opinions, she is simply a loud-mouthed side show freak for the right wing. I have to say I think even this is too much time to devote to her crap.

1000 Employees At US Embassy In Iraq - 6 Speak Arabic!

Want further proof that the Bush administration is clueless? How about this?

Our embassy in Baghdad has almost 1000 people working in it. First of all that is a crazy number of people at an embassy, and second here is the kicker...only 6 speak Arabic!

Make sense? Not to me or anyone else! What is really sounds like is either an amazing boondoggle or a shadow government for Iraq. Either was it shows lack of planning and a complete lack of understanding of the purpose of an embassy.

The State Department is as intellectually bankrupt and incompetent as the rest of the Bush folks. Enough is enough!

Bush Loosing Support Among GOP

You know it’s getting bad when your own party stops supporting you. Bush’s approval numbers among the GOP are down 13% since last fall. According to a CBS/NY Times poll the President’s approval rating is continuing to plummet.

On specific issues, Bush does even worse. His big strength, the alleged War on Terror sees only 40% of those polled approving of his handling of it.

Congress needs to take heart from these figures. They show an administration that has lost its momentum and is very vulnerable to prosecution for illegal activities. Now if we can just get a few Congresspeople with balls, we might be able to oust the criminals from Washington and get our country back on track.

Boy Dies For Lack Of Health Insurance

Here are the rules: If you have money you get to live and if you don’t you die.

Sound alarmist? You betcha! Here is proof just how uncivilized we are in this country and why we need universal health care.

A 12 year old boy in DC, died from a toothache that spread an infection to his brain. Why? Because his mother could not find a dentist to see him without health insurance.

This has to stop. The insurance companies are running our country and we must take it back. Every other major industrialized country in the world has universal coverage. We have some of the worst and most expensive health care in the world and yet the hospitals and insurance companies continue to tell us otherwise. Time to stop this has long past. This is the stuff of revolutions, and we had better address it soon before more people die for lack of insurance.

Terrorists Are Bad - Unless They Contribute To The GOP

Terrorists are bad, m'kay? Well not so bad when they give lots of money to the Republicans. Abdul Tawala Ibn Ali Alishtari , was arrested in NY for "on attempt charges of terrorism financing, material support of terrorism, and international money laundering, as well as additional charges of conspiracy and wire fraud." Yet he is a major contributor to the National Republican Campaign Commitee.

Do you think the GOP is going to give the blood tainted money back? Think again. No way!

Latest Buzz - Vanishing Bees!

Next time you sit down to a cup of tea sweetened with honey, savor it. That honey may soon be in short supply. Seems bees are vanishing. Beekeepers who raise and maintain hives for crop pollination are opening their hives to find sometimes more than half of the colony AWOL. The bees have disappeared.

Where did they go? Scientists suspect they have traveled far for food and failed to return. The exact reason is still unknown, however a likely culprit may be the bee business itself. To stay profitable, beekeepers truck their hives from farm to farm to pollinate the crops. The fees paid by farmers keep them in business. The bee business has been consolidating recently and keepers are trucking their bees further and further and this might be putting too much stress on the hive.

The problem is prevalent in several states prompting a serious investigation. Without bees, many food crops would have to find alternative means to pollinate, and that may be tricky.

Meanwhile the Africanized bees creep further and further north. African HoneyBees were introduced in Brazil by accident when they escaped from a research project. The highly aggressive bees have thrived in the Western Hemisphere and are steadily moving north. Texas already has them and they are becoming a problem in other southern states. Not such a sweet deal.

Laura Bush Wants $10 Million Divorce Settlement - Or Not?

I guess Bat Boy must be dead, otherwise why would the Globe keep running stories on the Bush divorce? I saw the screaming headline today that Laura wants $10 million as a settlement. As usual with the Globe no sources are sited and the whole thing smacks of fiction, but its persistence is interesting.

As I mentioned in an earlier post this kind of tabloid story indicates that the Bush family is now fair game in the minds of the average tabloid reader, (AKA Americans). It also might, just might contain a smidgen of truth.

Several months ago a story circulated in Washington that Laura was staying at the Mayflower hotel. That’s down the street from the White House. Several bloggers including Wonkette and myself speculated that this might be a result of the rumor about George Bush and Condi Rice. If you remember she has on occasion referred to him in a Freudian slip as "my husband".

So do I really believe it? I will if I see the divorce papers, but otherwise it’s just the Globe doing the Bat Boy story with a different name, in other words fiction. Does it amuse me? You betcha! Bush is a pretty poor president, but he can be a source of endless amusement.

Al Gore - The Talk Of The Oscars

Though it will no doubt add fodder to the neocon-global-warming-deniers guns, it was great to see Al Gore on the Academy Awards last night. I know I may have to turn in my Gay Card, since I watched it on Tivo instead of live, it still thrilled me when "An Inconvenient Truth" won the Oscar for Best Documentary.

Gore has several moments onstage last night and took the time to promote reversing climate change at every opportunity. He also began to announce what everyone assumed was his candidacy for President when he was "played off" by the orchestra in the interest of time. A very funny bit!

The seriousness of climate change is not a political issue. It is a global reality that will affect everyone, rich or poor, Republican or Democrat. The people denying its existence do so for reasons that are strictly financial. They are paid by energy companies, funded by industry think tanks or supported by powerful political contributors who have a vested interest in the causes of pollution. It's time to expose their fraud and begin to take this as a serious crisis.

Fitzgerald Hints At Further Prosicutions - Is Cheney Next?

As Patrick Fitzgerald concluded his arguments in prosecution of I. Lewis Libby he said there is a "dark cloud over the White House". Few people would miss that reference to Dick Cheney and his staff who seem to be at the heart of the leak of secret information about Valerie Plame’s CIA job. This bodes well for people wanting to see an end to the intrigue and deception of this administration.

My guess is it is an opening salvo in what will become a deeper investigation into the White House dirty tricks and perhaps an indictment of Cheney himself. Already many in the media including most recently a writer for GQ have made the case for VP impeachment. My hope is that these kinds of inquiries will lead to a full purging of the criminal activity going on in the highest levels of our government.

Payday Lenders Under The Gun

Want to get buried in debt really quickly? Go to one of those "payday lenders" you see popping up all over. How do they work? Well to those who have never fallen a little short just before payday here’s the deal.

You go in and see the rates no the wall. They are in dollars and cents, not percents. Typical rates run about $15 for $100 lent until payday. This is also typically a two-week loan. When you think of it on the dollar only level it doesn’t sound so bad, but that $15 represents an annual interest rate of 390%. How many people would pay that?

Payday lenders prey on low-income people who lead a cash existence. These people often times do not have bank accounts and live only with the cash in their pockets. If you have ever tried this, and I have, it is almost impossible especially if an unexpected expense comes along. For many that means a health emergency or car repair or other necessity that is unavoidable. If you make $300 or $400 a week, and need a $250 car repair, things get tight real quick. So you go to the payday loan store and borrow the money.

Here’s the catch. Payday rolls around and you pay off your loan with the interest at $287.50 and you have $12.50 to get you through the week. If you want to eat and feed your kids and have a roof, you head over to the next payday loan store and borrow another $250. Get it? In no time you are working for the loan store and stacking up debt at a phenomenal rate.

These guys used to be called "Loan Sharks" and they were strictly regulated until recently. The GOP mantra of deregulation was a windfall for these guys. Sensing the turning tide with the new congress they are taking a defensive posture and trying to appear self-regulating. In reality they are just covering their collective asses. They see the writing on the wall. About 13 states have effectively banned payday lending; the other 37 regulate the practice to varying degrees. State regulation is pretty much all that protects consumers from these sharks and now it looks like congress is going to take action and they are scared.

They should be. I have no problem with making an honest dollar. But, the payday loans just like the rent-to-own business make money on the ignorance of their consumers and that is just plain wrong.

Denmark and Britian Set To Pull Troops Out Of Iraq

The coalition of the willing seems to be unwilling to continue ad nauseum the crusade George Bush has started in the Middle East. Yesterday, Britain announced it would have all its troups withdrawn from Iraq by 2008 and now Denmark is following suit. Though the tiny Scandinavian country only has 460 Troops there, it will withdraw them all by August of this year.

Once again the rest of the world sees the reality and Bush does not. The Neocon idea of creating reality is really wearing thin and soon we will be so isolated by our illusions they we will become completely alone on the world stage. The biggest problem with that is that as a solo act, Bush just doesn’t play well.

NYT Paints Picture Of Cheney As Center Of Intreague In White House

So an article in the NY Times confirms the suspicion I had all along about Dick Cheney. The article draws a very unflattering picture of Mr. Cheney from the Lewis Libby trial testimony. The picture is of a manipulative, underhanded and backroom dealing VP with unprecedented power in the White House.

Those who have pointed to Cheney as the true power may have been right. Specifically the days leading up to and after the start of the Iraq war were busy for Cheney. His office worked hard to push misleading information and defend flawed intelligence.

Excerpt from the article:

The evidence in the trial shows that Vice President Dick Cheney and Mr. Libby,
his former chief of staff, countermanded and even occasionally misled colleagues
at the highest levels of Mr. Bush’s inner circle as the two pursued their own
goal of clearing the vice president’s name in connection with flawed
intelligence used in the case for war.

Group Lobbies UN To Launch Asteroid Rescue Mission

Here’s a riddle. What is 460 feet long, spinning in space, and is on a very near collision course wit hearth in 2036?

If you guessed Apophis the asteroid, you’re right!

Seems there is a potential killer hurtling toward us and it just might collide in 2036. Now the odds are 1in 45,000 but every day millions of people risk worse odds trying to win the lottery. Luckily a group of former astronauts and cosmonauts are lobbying the UN to do something about it. They have proposed a "Gravity Tractor" mission to tug the asteroid further away from its collision course.

The cost of such a mission? Only around 300 million, and that would be a drop in the bucket compared with the end of an entire city or region of the earth. Sounds like a really good use of our tax dollars.

Wounded Vets Treated Like Animals By Bush Administration

The Bush Administration really loves our troops, as long as they are fighting. The real problem comes when they get home. Recent stories of the house of horrors Walter Reid Medical Center has become make my stomach turn. Rehabilitation for some maimed vets takes place in rat infested sub-standard buildings and without proper medical care.

Worse yet, stories are surfacing of semi-delusional soldiers who are being put out on the street. The Washington Post broke the story last week and it is just now coming to the general public’s attention. It shows the sad truth that the Bush administration, whose new budget proposes even more cuts in Veterans benefits, really cares about nothing but themselves. They show such disdain for our wounded troops that I have to believe their actions are not from administrative mistakes, but calculatedly cruel.

Americablog has an extensive story on what would qualify as abuse of our Veterans at the hands of the very people who should be helping them. Enough is enough. It is time to write your congressperson and demand accountability for these and other crimes against Americans by the Bush administration.

McCain Wants Roe vs. Wade Overturned

So much for any illusion that John McCain is a moderate. In Spartanburg, South Carolina last week he came out fully in favor of overturning Roe vs. Wade. He has come a long way from the moderate-sounding McCain who ran against Bush in the primaries and was smeared by the right-wing that he is now trying to woo.

More and more he comes across not as the voice of reason, but simply another sad politician trying desperately to be relevant to the southern block of hard line conservatives. It is a strategy that will ultimately fail him. By sacrificing his moderate image he will loose all but the most right-wing voters and will gain neither the nomination nor the presidency.

Father Of TV Remote Control Dies

Couch Potatoes of the world are in mourning today as one of the fathers of the TV remote control died at age 93. Robert Adler in vented the Zenith Space Command and TV was never the same.

For those who may not remember, Space Command was a futuristic looking hand held box with two buttons, one for channel up and one for channel down. What the buttons did was activate a spring that struck a small metal chime. This chime emitted a very high frequency ping that signaled the TV to move one channel up or down. Crude, yes by today's standards, but back in the 1950'a being able to click that button and watch the dial move was magic.

Adler shared the title with Eugene Polley who invented the flashmatic remote. It was an optical device that triggered a photo cell on the TV to do the same task.

Both received an Emmy in 1997 for their combined inventions which led to the modern remote control. So next time you reach for that remote rather then get up to change the channel, thank Adler and Polley!

The Word Scrotum Gets Book Banned - Librarians Have No Balls?

For Stephen Colbert it's "balls", for Carlos Mencia it's "Cajones" but the technical word "scrotum" is apparently off limits for reading in school. Librarians across the country have removed a Newberry Award winning book from their shelves because of the medically correct term.

The book, "The Higher Power Of Lucky" mentions the word in the opening chapter when a character in the book hears another character describing how a rattlesnake bit his dog on the scrotum. Apparently medicine is off limits for our youth.

Ridiculous? You betcha! This is a crazy as removing Huckleberry Finn from libraries because the characters use the term "nigger" in their speech. Never mind that the term was used colloquially at the time and that the books message is anti-racist. It's THAT word!

What will happen to our little sheltered kids when they go out into the real world and experience real slang and actual medical terminology? I guess they will be clueless, almost as clueless as their parents and librarians.

Another Heterosexual Child Molester - This One Is A Cop

Well those dangerous heterosexuals have now been employed as policemen and just as I predicted, they have begun their reign of terror and child molestation! (Sarcasm Filter Off)

OK, look. If the right-wing-nuts can make blanket statements about gays, then I can make them about straights, especially when the statistics are on my side. Most child molesters are straight. The latest case is amazing. A cop in New Jersey got a 15 year old girl to perform oral sex ion him and he gets off with a 10 day sentence. SAY WHAT?

Yup, seems in Ocean City, New Jersey as long as you are a straight cop you can have sex with kids and get a 10 day sentence. I almost shouted when I read this.

So my question is, how come if it had been a gay man the sentence would have been much longer and the outrage would have been greater? Guess there is still no equal justice in this country.

Secret Program Illegally Isolates Muslim, Middle Eastern Prisoners

US Department of Justice has secretly started segregating Muslim and Middle-Eastern inmates and is tightly controlling and restricting their communication apparent violation of federal law. According to an investigative piece in Raw Story, the "Communications Management Unit" (CMU) at a federal penitentiary in Indiana was started without notice even though such changes are supposed to be made public by federal law.

It is not much of a stretch to imagine that full scale Muslim prison camps will be the next step. The Department of Justice must be held accountable and watched closely. With people like Alberto Gonzales as Attorney General, everybody's rights are at stake.

Another Pacific Island Sinks Due To Global Warming

Another Pacific country is vanishing because of rising sea levels caused by global warming. The latest casualty is Kiribati, a small country in the South Pacific near Australia. Anote Tong, president of Kiribati said, "We can't out-move the changes in the weather and the sea level rise. We have to consider leaving rather than wait.''

The small country is comprised of several low lying islands whose population lives close to the shoreline. Government officials are trying to make plans to relocate the 105,000 people off the islands to safer locations. According to estimates the entire country will be uninhabitable by mid-century

The government is currently building retaining walls to protect the Taro crop, one of the primary foods of the islands, but that is only a temporary measure. In an interview with Bloomberg News Tong said, " Some villages have already had to relocate." Of one island he said, " If we keep moving back from the shoreline on the lagoon side then we will eventually get to the ocean side. We live on very narrow strips of land, so adaptation is not so relevant.''

So now Kiribati joins Lohachara as the latest in the line of islands now uninhabitable because of global warming. And what are we doing about it? Bush administration toadies continue to call for more research, etc, anything but do something about it! Maybe when Florida begins to sink, the White House might listen.

Fred Phelps Hates Larry The Cable Guy?

So Fred "God Hates Fags" Phelps now hates Larry The Cable Guy! Why? Well if you read his twisted press release, you still have trouble knowing why. Fred just hates anyone who has any sympathy toward Gay and Lesbian people, plain and simple. Personally I kind of like Larry in a big furry bear way.

Most interesting is a letter I found reprinted in the Topeka newspaper from one of Fred Phelps estranged sons. The letter says a lot about Reverend Phelps and his church of hate. It also says a lot about the character and honesty of his son.

I will not include a link to Phelps Westboro Baptist Church site, since it will only make you want to spit at your computer screen.

Wal-Mart Selling Nazi Themed T-Shirts

Wal-Mart is selling T-shirts with the Nazi SS Totenkopf (Deaths Head) on them. Nice touch from the folks who have single handedly managed to wipe out many US industries and ship them to China.

Now I am in favor of free speech, but teenagers are buying these and may not even realize what they are wearing. Let Wal-Mart know your views.

January 2007 - Hottest January Ever!

Want more evidence of Global Warming? How about this tidbit? January of 2007 was the warmest since records have been kept. The last such record was in 2002. The folks over at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said, "the presence of El Nino along with the continuing global warming trend contributed to the record warm January."

I am sure carbon emitting industries will deny this and point to the recent blizzard in the northeast, but the fact remains, it's getting hotter!

Al Franken Announces Senate Bid

Comedian Al Franken makes the formal announcement for his bid to fill the seat once held by Minnesota Democrat Paul Wellstone. His YouTube clip offers a sincere and well reasoned appeal to Minnesota voters.

It is refreshing to see a person with wit and intelligence running for Senate. Franken, a strong supporter of our troops and performer on numerous USO tours offers a well reasoned perspective on the Iraq war and on the problems facing middle class Americans.

State Farm Insurance - Like A Good Neighbor, Pulling Out Of Mississippi

Like a bad neighbor, State Farm Insurance turns its back on Mississippi. After fighting tooth and nail to avoid paying claims in the state that was ravaged by Katrina, they now decide to pull out completely. Having spoken with residents of Mississippi myself, I can tell you that there is a battle still going on long after the hurricane about insurance settlements.

Many homes that were swept clean of their foundations have still not been settled. State Farm insists that it was flood damage and they do not cover that, and the flood insurance folks claim it was wind damage and they don’t cover that. In the meantime, hundreds of families are without their homes and unable to do anything about it. Courts are clogged with lawsuits and more are on the way. Why? Because the companies that many residents trusted for their insurance refuse to pay up now that there are claims.

The company claims it is those lawsuits that prompted them to make the decision to discontinue writing new policies in the state. Funny how it is their own intransigence that caused the suits. What better way to take the money and run? Write policies you have no intention of covering and once the claims come in, refuse to pay. When you are hauled into court, just leave the state! Ah the joys of being a big corporation, all the benefits of corporate personhood (for political contributions) and all the protection of corporate irresponsibility.

Evolution Back In Kansas Schools Where It Belongs

Welcome back to the 21st Century Kansas! Looks like the long maligned school system of Kansas is finally throwing the "creationist" agenda out the window. In an Associated Press story:

"The Kansas school board, long ridiculed for its resistance to teaching evolution, prepared Tuesday to repeal rules backed by social conservatives and switch to science guidelines that embrace Charles Darwin's mainstream theories. "

About time! Now if we can only convince the home schoolers that teaching real science is necessary for their children to function in the 21st Century.

Global Warming Conspiracy Theorist On The Daily Show

Christopher Horner, apologist for global warming with the Competitive Enterprise Institute was on The Daily Show last night and he looked like an arrogant asshole. Why? Because he takes the advancement of science as mere faddish trends. He pointed to previous climate changes and said that the "experts" had claimed global cooling and warming before. He compares scientists to kids chasing a soccer ball back and forth, constantly flip flopping on their opinions.

What he misses, and purposefully so, is that science advances. New data brings new theories and as research progresses we get a better picture of the natural world. For example prior to the discovery of bacteria, diseases were thought to be from various sources including bile and other body fluids. After the discovery of bacteria, science began to more accurately pin the cause of disease on bacteria and other microbes.

He also blames the whole global warming issue on the "greens" who he compares to communists. Indeed, he sounded like a loony, but he is not. He has an agenda, and that is to delay any regulations that would restrict industry in any way. That is his job. The think tank he works for is funded by big business and he dances to their tune. Stewart worked to cut through the bullshit Horner spouted but never managed to get a concise explanation from Horner as to why there was a "vast global conspiracy" to stop CO2 emissions.

Russian Soldiers Forced Into Prostitution

Apparently the Russian Army has the entrepreneurial spirit. Reports have surfaced that new conscripts were forced into male prostitution in St. Petersburg and older soldiers took their fees. Once soldier was even beaten and abused so badly he ended up having his legs and genitals amputated.

A coalition of Soldier’s Mothers has brought the abuse to the attention of the press and the government. These kinds of incidents are highly embarrassing to the Russian Government as it seeks a more prominent role in world affairs.

"Embolden Our Enemies" - The New GOP Talking Point

Well the new Republican catch phrase for the anti-war resolutions going through the House is "it will embolden our enemies". I was listening to NPR this afternoon and heard three different Republicans use the same phrase over and over again. They also spoke of al-Qaeda as the enemy and never mentioned the sectarian violence and religious civil war going on that endangers our troops and Iraqi's alike.

Talking points? You betcha! ThinkProgress.com uncovered a leaked letter to GOP representatives that tells how to couch debate in terms that never mention the war or Iraq. They insist that this is part of the "Global War on Terrorism" and send a clear message to stay on that issue.

No matter how they try to cloud the issue, the truth is we are in the middle of a Civil War we helped start but cannot finish. This is a no win situation for the US and the sooner we realize that the sooner we can start doing something productive. The real answer will come from diplomacy with Iraq's neighbors and real dialogue with the warring sides. Unfortunately that is a message Bush does not want to hear.

Bush Proposes Cuts To Veteran's Benifits

As further proof that the Bush supports our fighting men and women, he has proposed cutting Veteran’s benefits. Say what? Yup, the chicken hawk President is proposing cuts in benefits starting in 2 years. About the time they come home from Iraq by his timetable.

Nice way to balance the budget, on the backs of the people defending us. Of course this is part of his budget that also cuts Medicaid and Medicare so the rich can have even more tax cuts.

I have an idea, why not just give the country to the rich and make the poor work for nothing just to have the right to live here. Oh wait! It’s almost that way now. Maybe we can even bring in some "guest workers" who will pay us to work here? Aw heck why not just bring back slavery!

NY Times Assertion That 25% Of US Deaths In Iraq Due To Iranian Arms Not True

So this morning listening to NPR, I heard a story quoted from the NY Times saying that 25% of Americans killed in Iraq were victim of "penetrator" shells provided by Iran. The article blames Shiite malitas who are allegedly using the devices.

" In the last three months of 2006, attacks using the weapons
accounted for a significant portion of Americans killed and wounded in Iraq,
though less than a quarter of the total, military officials say."

Apparently the NY Times is taking everything the US Military sorces are giving them as absolute truth. Shades of Judith Miller!

Juan Cole, President of the Global Americana Institute, checks the facts and finds it's nothing of the sort. He states on Informed Consent, "This claim is one hundred percent wrong. Because 25 percent of US troops were not killed fighting Shiites in those three months. "

Joint Chiefs Of Staff Chair Finds No Iran Link Despite Administration Claims

Despite the Bush administrations assertions, General Peter Pace, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman finds no proof of Iranian involvement in the explosives that are killing American troops.

The faces at the White House must be very red right now, when their hand picked guy even says their intelligence is not convincing.

Since Lent Is Only A Week Away

Thought I would share this clip of last Easter at my church. As Lent approaches and many Christians begin a spiritual journey through weeks of contemplation and sacrifice, It's nice to know what awaits on Easter.

Hope you enjoy the clip and if you are ever in Dallas, join us for worship some Sunday.

Ex-Bush Official Says US Looking For Excuse To Attack Iran

An Ex-Bush official has come out with the obvious statement that Bush is trying to start a war with Iran. For those who have been asleep, look at the newspaper or any news program and you will see the word Iran splashed across everything.

Hillary Mann, former National Security Council Director for Iranian and Persian Gulf Affairs said in an interview on CNN this morning, "They're trying to push a provocative, accidental conflict."

She also said the US is trying to goad Iran into some sort of action that could be used as an excuse for a full-scale reprisal.

Once again Bush is trying to get us into a Middle-eastern conflict without any goal or plan. If you don’t think this is happening check the numerous stories on improvised explosive devices with Iranian markings. This may or may not be true, and because Iran is still a major trading partner with Iraq, any number of components could have Iranian markings without any specific intent. Additionally, any intelligence leaked by the Bush administration should be viewed as highly suspect. Remember the Niger yellow cake, or the Saddam ties with al-Qaeda? Phony stories are this administrations bread and butter and I hope Congress will see them as yelling wolf one time too many and cut off funding for any more wars in the area.

Another Dangerous Heterosexual Child Predator

A female counselor at a juvenile detention center in Glenwood Springs, Colorado was convicted of 5 counts of unlawful sexual contact with teenage boys as young as 15. Former child care counselor Charalene Bera was convicted of charges arising from sexual contact with three teenage boys in her care at the Emily Griffith Center.

Again the dangerous predatory behavior of heterosexuals shows how dangerous they are around children. We must not allow our children to be exposed to these kinds of dangerous lifestyles.

OK, irony filters off. Next time you hear some quack like James Dobson talk about child molesting gays, show him this article and the hundreds of others like it that happen each year.

Gonzales Moves To Replace US Attorneys WIth Political Hacks

In the brashest move by the Bush administration and what is being called a coup d’etat no behalf of Alberto Gonzales, the administration has forced at least 7 US Attorneys to resign. They are being replaced by lock-step political appointees who are unquestioning in their loyalty to Bush.

Among those being dismissed were several at work on high profile corruption cases. Earlier this week, Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty admitted that the U.S. attorney in Arkansas, Bud Cummins, was pushed out to make way for a "37-year-old protege" of Karl Rove.

If all this smacks of something shady, consider that Bush also cleared the way for heads of all government regulatory agencies replaced with political appointees. He is clamping down his hold on the government, consolidating power and to what end? I have to be suspect of his motives. Since his term is up in two more years, I have to wonder if he doesn’t intent to refuse to relinquish power after the next election.

Keep your eyes and ears open, because Congress is asleep at the wheel.

Pentagon Report Show Deception By Bush Administration

Once again a smoking gun has appeared showing that the Bush administration cooked the intelligence on Iraq prior to the invasion. The recent report by the Pentagon’s Inspector General has been described as “very damning” in its explanation of how the Pentagon manipulated intelligence to portray Saddam Hussein as an ally of al-Qaeda.


In an interview with the Washington Post, Senator Carl Levin, Democrat from Michigan states, "that was the argument that was used to make the sale to the American people about the need to go to war…which was wrong, which was distorted, which was inappropriate ... is something which is highly disturbing."


My question is just how disturbing is it? To ordinary Americans, this report is direct evidence that Bush lied to us to get us into a war. That is heady stuff. If that is not ground for impeachment, I can’t imagine what would be. As a result of his lie, thousands of Americans and many more thousands of Iraqis have died in a war that did not have to happen. How much more evidence must pile up at the doorstep of Congress before they take action?


I again suggest that anyone concerned about this write his or her Congressperson. Demand answers and an investigation and if necessary, impeachment. This whole thing has stunk to high heaven from day one and how much longer will we let it go on?

Tek Jansen - Stephen Colbert Alter Ego

I couldn't resist adding this latest Tek Jansen Adventure for your enjoyment.

Laura And George Bush Separation Story - Update

So far, I have been unable to confirm anything regarding this story. The only absolute is the dynamic increase in traffic to my blog. Since I posted the headline I saw in the Globe Magazine at the supermarket my traffic has increased 300%!

More importantly this increase means the public is not only willing to believe that Bush may indeed have feet of clay, but that they seem eager to find anything that shows him to be a fallible human being. Perhaps it is our societies odd notion that morality starts at the waist and ends at the knees.

Clinton was impeached for lying about having sex. Not a federal crime or treasonous, yet Bush commits dozens of serious acts , any one of which could be considered impeachable and nobody demands his prosecution. Looking at the referrals of a sample of the traffic to my blog, the search terms "Laura and Bush Trial Separation" are the most common. That means either a whole lot of people are fact checking the tabloids, or they want the dirt on the President.

Either way it is a hopeful sign. Either people have stopped taking everything they read for granted and are willing to do a little research to find the truth, or people are desperate to find anything incriminating on Bush so they can feel good about wanting him out of office.

Why wait? Write your congressperson now and demand investigations and impeachment now!

GOP Congressman Mentions Possibility Of Bush Impeachment

Though is seems the Democratic Congress is unwilling to discuss impeachment, the GOP is. Dana Rohrabacher, Republican from California, criticized the Bush administration in regard to a case where two border agents are imprisoned on charges of shooting a Mexican drug smuggler in the back and then attempting to cover it up.

Rohrabacher said in a fiery speech, "I tell you, Mr. President, if these men, especially after this assault, are murdered in prison, or if one of them lose their lives, there's going to be some kind of impeachment talk in Capitol Hill."

The mere mention of the "I" word by GOP Lawmakers sends a message that even those who march in lock step with the Bush administration are tiring of the inaction and incompetence. Though this case may not be anything Democrats want to get involved in, I would encourage them to take the lead and start making some noise. The magic spell has been broken, now you can say the word impeachment without being seen as a troublemaker. Come on Dems! Show your balls.

Ted Haggard Cured Of Homosexuality - Gets Payoff From Church To Go Away

So what was touted as taking maybe several years has ended up being a 3 week crash course on heterosexuality. Seems Ted Haggard, recently fallen evangelical pastor of the New Lief Church in Colorado Springs has been given a new life. After only 3 weeks he has been pronounced completely heterosexual.

The subtext behind this is that he has reached a settlement with the church. They paid him an undisclosed amount of money and he agrees to move out of the state. Sounds a lot like the Catholic Church's dealing with their pedophile priests. Move them out so they become someone else's problem.

First of all, I don't buy this cure for a minute. Homosexuality isn't a disease so there is no cure. Also, who is to say that Ted Haggard isn't just bisexual? Why does he have to come down on one side or the other? More importantly, why has the church put a gag order on him if he's cured?

The agreement apparently has a stipulation that he not speak of the affair again. That really sounds like the kind of thinking that many fundamentalists really fall prey to. If you don't talk about a problem, it goes away! Well guess what? Haggard will continue to have problems until he comes to terms with his sexuality and admits that he has at least some attraction to men. Big deal? For a fundamentalist it is. They need to live in a constant struggle between God and Satan in order to keep their faith going. It's all about good and evil and personal salvation. The problem is they get so bogged down in dispensationalism they forget to follow Jesus and do His work. That stuff about feeding the hungry, advocating for the prisoner and clothing the naked takes a back seat to securing my seat in heaven.

I really don't like to throw stones at someone else's beliefs, but when you build your house out of very thin glass and insist on throwing rocks at everyone else, what do you expect? Haggard and his kind have made life miserable for us gay and lesbian people for years. Using us as a cause du jour for fundraising and aiming lots of hatred our way. That's why Ted was outed in the first place. The guy he was paying for sex and drugs had a revelation. He saw the hypocrisy and decided to do something about it. Good for him! Some day he might even be considered a prophet, someone who speaks truth to power. If only we had more like him that would speak out and drive the homophobic hate mongers out of their closets.

Divine Strake Back In The News

A group of Nevada citizens is lobbying the Governor to demand an environmental impact statement before the Department of Defense can conduct their fake nuclear blast with the oddly apocalyptic name, Divine Strake.

The explosion, which is expected to produce a mushroom shaped cloud, was scheduled for last June but has been postponed indefinitely. However, today is the last day to file objections with the government, so I expect it to be happening in the near future. Objections come from a wide variety of people in both Nevada and Utah concerned about soil from the former nuclear test site being dispersed into the air. Of course the government says that won't be a problem, and of course everyone is skeptical of that claim.

Additionally, there is still a suit that was filed by the Western Shoshone tribe who claims the mammoth blast will contaminate their ancestral lands.

Divine Strake is a conventional blast, but is designed to simulate a bunker buster atomic weapon in its effect. The explosion is widely thought to be a possible prequel to resumed nuclear testing

Time To Investigate President Bush Says Chief Council Of Nixon Probe

According to an interview in Raw Story, the former chief council in charge of investigating Richard Nixon says it's time to investigate President Bush. Frederick A.O. Schwarz, was chief counsel to the Church Committee from 1975-1976 and their probe into illegal use of US intelligence agencies by the Nixon White House.

From the interview:

“Another thing that needs to be looked at is the theory that the Bush administration has that the president is entitled to break the law,” he said. “Because if that’s right, then much of what they've done with respect to warrantless wiretapping and torture, he's like a king, and he has the right, so you must take on that third subject to have a good investigation.”

Guess we will have to wait to see if anyone in Congress listens to him.

Stephen Colbert Ice Cream Flavor?

Could the folks at Ben & Jerry's be planning a patriotic flavor themed around the Nation's Truthiness Czar? Well the rumors on the Internet are flying and given the nature of the info, I suspect it's an early promotion for the real thing.

Colbert's No Fact Zone hints at it and even Salon.com has speculation. What could be more American than a rich creamy red, white and blue ice cream with a hint of political satire. Only thing better would be the same thing, topped with gummi bears.

Republicans Score As Worst Senators In Online Poll

Gotta love polls! The latest poll of America's Senators puts a couple of big loosers right where they belong, at the bottom of the heap. Leiberman and McCain are 98 and 99 respectively. Now that could change since it's an online poll. Not very scientific, but still very amusing.
Interetingly, the bottom 50 with the exception of Lieberman are all Republicans. The lone Republican to score in the top 50 is Chuck Haggle at number 48!

Log on and let's see if we can get them tied for last place.

Snickers Removes Gay Bashing Ads

Americablog reports that Mars Candy company has issued a statement in the NY Times regarding their homophobic commercials broadcast during the Super Bowl. They have removed the ads from their website as well as the offensive comments by NFL players about the ad which featured two mechanics working on a car. One is eating a Snickers bar and the other is drawn to try to bite it from the first guys mouth. They eat furiously like Lady and the Tramp on a piece of spaghetti and end up kissing. After they jump back in disgust, they decide they have to do something "manly" and proceed to rip out their chest hair.

The real problem was alternate endings that viewers could vote on including one where the two men beat each other brutally with a monkey wrench. I guess they consider violence against people perceived as gay a "manly" act.

Their statement is far from an apology and claims they were just going for the 18 to 25 year old male demographic. Guess they consider gay bashing appealing to that consumer group?

U.S. Soldiers Torturing An Injured Dog In Iraq

This is very disturbing video, and if you don't have a strong stomach don't watch it. I am posting it because this is what happens when you put soldiers in a war with no clear mission and no hope of success. We need to get our troops out of Iraq and back home. These particular troops I suspect are bored and fristrated and finding amusement in the torture of a wounded dog. This makes me very mad. These guys need to be home and this crap has to stop before we have worse scenes on our screens.

Snickers Not So Funny Gay Bashing Super Bowl Ads

Mars Candy company owners of Snickers brand presented a mildly amusing gay bashing ad in the Super Bowl this Sunday. The real problem aside from the idea of homosexuality being the punch line was their web site which features alternate endings for the spot including a hard core monkey wrench to the midsection attack.

This kind of homophobia disguised as "humor" only serves to encourage gay bashing in not so subtle ways. The website includes athletes reacting with disgust to the "gay kiss" punchline of the ad. Enough of this Mars. So far the Human Rights Campaign as well as thousands of others have let them know this kind of stuff is not OK. Let them know how you feel!