China's Gleaming Towers Stand Empty!

The miracle that was Beijing during the Olympics seems to be a distant dream now. The Bird's Nest stadium with it's incredible architectural design sits empty. This year there was one event scheduled for it, a soccer game whose teams decided to change venues since the 90,000 seat stadium would feel empty with the 10,000 people attracted for an average game.

The stadium built for baseball that opened last spring is being demolished to make way for a shopping center. The Aquatic Center has become a site for sound and light shows, with dancing fountains in the pool where the events took place.

Everywhere in downtown Beijing the shiny new buildings that pierce the sky may sparkle at night with computerized light shows, but during the day they are empty husks. Some have no tenants whatsoever according to an article in the Los Angeles Times.

The scene sounds like downtown Houston a few years back when the first oil bust happened. Many of the skyscrapers are literally "see through" buildings, with completed outer walls and windows but nothing inside. The Chinese boom has ended with a thud.

The sad part is that 1.5 million people were displaced from their homes to build the venues for the games. Equally as bad is the fact that many of the entrepreneurs who spearheaded these projects saw the problem approaching and simply took the money and fled the country.

I guess there are Bernie Madoffs everywhere?

Fashion Week In New York - What A Bunch Of Crap!

OK guess I gotta turn in my gay card? I just watched a video of some of the shows at this years "Fashion Week" in New York and I almost threw up. I have never seen such a pile of unmitigated crap in my life.

Let me qualify this. First the designs could have been pulled fro the pages of Vogue in 1966. Hats and dresses that would make Emilio Pucci cringe. The whole show I watched might have well have been the Braniff stewardess collection, and if you remember that you are both old and... well just old!

The day-glo fake fur coats and hats look like something rejected by the Muppets and the feedbag hat with eye holes for the model to see from reminds me of the episode of "I Love Lucy" where the girls go to France and their husbands give them gunny sacks and horse feedbags as "high-fashion" originals.

What a joke these designers are playing on the public, They dress a bunch of sickly aneorexic women up like clowns and pass it off as fashion. The critics rave, because if they don't they won't get invited to next years show and the public is told crap is genius. Sheesh!

Watch the video and try not to throw up.

Further Proof Sarah Palin Is A Jerk

If you ever needed proof that Sarah Palin was a jerk, the new biography of her, "Trailblazer" gives this interesting detail when it came to banning books. Back in 1996 she grilled the local library director about the appropriateness of certain books.

"Daddy’s Roommate," was one she felt should be hidden behind the desk and distributed only if a special request was made. According to an entry on Thinkprogress.org her campaign manager had this to say.

I found it to be a sensitive book about showing love for additional family members. I took the book to show the other council members and said I felt it was inoffensive and suggested for everyone to read it, but there were not takers. I said, ‘Sarah why don’t you take it home and read it.’ I could tell by her body language she cringed at the idea.I was shocked. It blew my mind that she wouldn’t look at it. [p. 77]

Ah, condemning something before even looking at it, true Trailblazer behavior!

Fingers Crossed

I’ve got my fingers crossed. For a lot of reasons .

First I am hoping that the economy can turn around. I know we often speak of the economy as something separate and apart from our lives, but it really is our lives, at least the way they relate to the world of commerce and finance. Until that time when we all board the Enterprise and money is no longer an issue, we will continue to be part of the economy.

Specifically the LGBT economy, and yes there really is one, has ground to a crawl just like the rest of the country. If you don’t believe me, talk to a few friends about how secure they feel in their jobs, or with their current financial position. If you are like me, you will hear the same kind of trepidation that is reflected in the stock market and on the news.

That fear is the real problem. Roosevelt was absolutely right about “nothing to fear but fear itself”. In this age of 24 hour blather that passes for news the fear meter is really ratcheted up. It is that fear that slows everything down. If you are afraid of losing your job, you pull back on spending. When you do that stores where you shop pull back on things like new orders and employees, the salon you patronize lays off a stylist, the café drops a couple of waiters, the bookstore closes and the newspaper gets fewer advertisers and sooner or later it affects you. It’s a downward spiral that is driven somewhat by big factors like tight credit and a lot by small factors like fear.

I am no Pollyanna, though I think I might look pretty good in gingham. I do not believe we can just all go out and start spending and crank up the local LGBT economy as if my magic. I do believe we can minimize the effects by being rational and perhaps turning off FOX or CNN for a while and just calm down.

There is about to be almost $800 billion flowing into the nation’s economy for projects like rebuilding roads and fixing our infrastructure. Additionally, there are plans afoot to help out people who are crushed by mortgage debt left over from the housing bubble.

It’s not going to be a quick fix, but it is a start. Getting money flowing again is what it is all about. That’s why the banks are being rescued and why automakers are working out plans to stay in business. ON a local level, we haven’t been hit as hard as many communities, but still people are in financial trouble and their problems affect us all.

The LGBT community has traditionally been in a better position to whether recessions better than our straight friends, but that was before we started having gaybies and buying homes in the suburbs. Still many LGBT people have a bit more disposable income than those with large families and the financial obligations they bring.

Why does this matter and what the heck can we do about it? Well, here is my suggestion.

First don’t be foolish. Have a prudent reserve of some kind. I once heard a figure that showed most American’s are one paycheck away from the street. Perhaps having a couple of months rent saved up is a good idea.

Second, don’t cower in fear. If you succumb to the fear the news is selling you will find yourself in a state of inertia. That does no one any good.

Third, find a way to help others. A little volunteer work goes a long way, and local LGBT service organizations are hurting from lack of donations. They can always use extra hands and that costs you nothing but a little time. You’d probably spend that time watching the news and being afraid.

Fourth, when you do spend money, patronize LGBT and LGBT friendly businesses. There are lots of them in Dallas both in the gayborhood and elsewhere.

Finally, take a few minutes to find those things in your life that really are important. I know I am often caught in a whirlwind of meaningless minor irritations that blind me to the good things that I have. A loving partner, a large family of choice, a couple of enigmatic cats, and an outlet for my creativity.

If all this sounds like a recipe to avoid depression, it is. The economy can sink or float on how we feel, and why should we let ourselves or our economy sink into depressions. As Auntie Mamie said, “Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death! “

Peanut Butter Recall Information

So many products have to be recalled from the contaminated peanut products of Peanut Corporation of America that the FDA built this widget to help you search. Enjoy!
FDA Product Recall List

Time For A Real Health Care Program

Let's talk about health care. Now there is a conversation stopper, at least in Congress. Seems no one wants to seriously approach the issue for fear of being attacked by lobbyists and the health care industry. And there is the problem. Health care has become an industry not a healing profession.

I was raised in a hospital. My father was a director of the laboratories at a local medical center and a microbiologist and hematologist. I spent much of my formative years hanging out at the lab and the hospital and seeing the work that was done there.

At that time, in the bucolic past, hospitals were concerned with healing not making money. Oh sure, they had administrators who made sure they didn't go broke, but most hospitals were supported by non-profits like denominations or charitable foundations. They concerned themselves with doing the work.

Somewhere along the way, that all changed and hospitals became big business. Now they are no longer owned or supported by the churches or charities but by large health services firms who still hide behind the charity name but in reality are in it for the bucks.

What that leaves is a big gaping hole into which millions and millions of Americans are falling, there they become, "the uninsured"! 14,000 a day are losing their insurance and that is bad news for all of us.

It's time Congress moves beyond the stimulus package and gets on with the real reform of the health care system we have in our country. It is so badly broken that we are receiving the kind of care you would expect in a third world country in many cases. We pay more for health care than almost any other developed country and get less for our money. Why? The elephant in the room is "profit".

Insurance companies spend millions to deny coverage to maximize profits. Hospitals spend millions building luxury rooms and fancy lobbies to impress the wealthy who can afford the best and latest treatment and the poor are relegated to overcrowded ER's where they often wait until they die from life threatening complications. It's all about money. If you have it, you can have good health care and if not, too bad.

It's high time our health care system got back to providing health care and got out of the business of generating profits for investors. There are better things for people to invest in.

How about this? We set up a National Health Insurance Fund. Everyone is eligible and they can either join it , the payments for this are taken out of taxes and or payrolls just like payroll tax. If they opt out, they can buy their own health insurance and deal with a private company.

All hospitals and doctors are required to accept the NHIF insurance and the government pays the going rates for care. Meanwhile, rich folk can see whatever expensive specialist they want and stay in whatever spa/hospital they want at their own expense, but those institutions will not receive any government money or tax breaks.

To facilitate the transition, the government will have to hire lots of people who will be put out of work when the private health insurance companies get out of the business.

It works for Medicare, for the Veterans Administration and for every other civilized country, why not ours. Meanwhile businesses, freed from having to provide health care can become competitive in the world market again and unions can stop having to spend funds managing health care programs thus lowering their dues. Everybody wins, but the middle men making big bucks off the poor health of Americans. I weep for them, but only a little.

Japanese Finance Minister Shows Up Blotto At Press Conference

If you wondered how bad things were for the economy of Japan, all you had to do was take a look at the Japanese Finance Minister, Shoichi Nakagawa at a press conference yesterday. I was watching Rachael Maddow's show and I didn't even have to wait for her comment to know that Mr. Nakagawa was sloshed!

The guy claimed he took an overdose of cold medicine, but I think he was drowning his sorrows at one too many Karaoke bars. Nakagawa, today resigned! Cold medicine or Johnny Walker?
You decide.

Space Debris Rains On Texas

NASA says it isn't but after having watched the space shuttle disintegrate a few years ago, this sure looks like space debris burning up in the atmosphere. My guess is it is the remnants of the Russian communications satellite and the Iridium satellite that collided over Siberia. Why NASA isn't owning up to it is a mystery, the FAA issues a warning to pilots about debris.

Watch it yourself and decide. The video is from near Austin in Williamson County.

Dubai Starts To Crumble

I love playing the game Jenga. In it players try to remove as many blocks from a stack as possible and then place them on top making the tower higher and higher. The game ends when someone pulls one too many blocks from the tower and it falls.

Well I have long thought Dubai was a big-money version of that game. The fantastic architecture and obscene lifestyles of its residents always made me nervous. I wondered when someone would pull the last block out and the whole thing would come crashing to the ground.

Cover your head, because it looks like the blocks are falling.

People from all over the world who flocked to Dubai to live the high-life are fleeing the emerate and headed home. According to a report in the TimesOnline, more than 3000 cars have been abandonded at the Dubai airport, many with keys in the ignitions. Mostly big SUV's and a few Mercedes were abandonded by foreigners buried in debt on their lavish new homes. The value of those has plumeted in recent days and the once-booming economy slowed to a snail's pace.

According to the report, Christmas was the worst day. Over a dozen abandonded cars in the parking lot of the airport that day!

Bubye Dubai!

Bush Ranks In The Top Ten WORST Presidents In History

Here's a surprise, a group of historians were asked to rank the greatest and the worst U.S. presidents in history and George W. Bush was right in there. In the bottom 10!

C-SPAN released its second Historians Survey of Presidential Leadership made by a cross-section of 65 presidential historians who ranked the 42 former occupants of the White House on ten attributes of leadership. The top? Abraham Lincoln.

Down at the bottom was, no surprise, James Buchanan. Dubbya ranked right above Millard Fillmore, number 7 from the bottom.

US Military Censors Details Of Torture Information From The President!

Seems the military has been playing lots of non-consensual games in their little dungeon at Gitmo. The problem is, other than they have been torturing people, is they are refusing to give an uncensored account of their SM games to the Commander in Chief!

For the faint at heart I will warn you to read no further.

Lawyers for Binyam Mohamed a British resident and current Guantanamo Bay detainee have been trying to prove his innocence and prove that the techniques used by the US Military were torture. The problem comes when a British High Court ruled against releasing documents describing torture techniques used against Mohamed while in U.S. custody, reportedly because the documents also prove British collaboration in his torture.

The Center For American Progress has more.

Here is the kinky part. According to a source with the London Telegraph,

The 25 lines edited out of the court papers contained details of how Mr Mohamed’s genitals were sliced with a scalpel and other torture methods so extreme that waterboarding, the controversial technique of simulated drowning, “is very far down the list of things they did,” the official said.

It's time these amateur sadists got out of the SM business and left it to real sadists like me. Guess they never heard of "safe, sane and consensual"?

Satellites Collide Over Siberia

Back in the 1960 a movie came out titled, "The Crowded Sky". It was about a military aircraft that collides with a civilian airliner. The implication was that though things look clear over our heads, it's actually quite a busy place.

The same can be said for space, or at least the space surrounding our planet. Thousands of satellites and various bits of space debris orbit the earth and amazingly are tracked by scientists on the ground. Those small bits of used rocket boosters and chunks of old space craft that have not fallen into the atmosphere and been incinerated pose a threat to space travelers. Think of that space junk as the pellets of a shotgun. The speed they travel makes them lethal to other spacecraft.

Today comes news that two satellites have collided. The event took place about 500 miles above Siberia when a dead Russian communications satellite smashed into an operating "Iridium" communications satellite. Iridium was the system of low orbiting satellites Motorola put into orbit back in the late 1990's. Economically unsuccessful due to the high cost of Iridium phones the system was later resurrected and forms a big part of our communications network, especially the military.

Luckily, the Iridium system has spare satellites in orbit to take up the slack, some 60 in all. However, the cloud of debris caused by the violent impact will bear watching. Another couple of hundred chunks of space junk must now be tracked and it all makes getting off our small blue planet just that much more difficult.

The craft weighed about a ton each, far from the Sputnik sized image many of us have of what satellites look like. Imagine a couple of Volkswagens colliding at a few hundred miles an hour and you get the picture.

Citi Group President Contrite To Congress While Co-President Hands Out Bonuses!

Vikram Pandit was telling Congress today that "I get the new reality and I will make sure Citi gets it as well" at the same time his Co-President James Gorman was having a conference call reassuring top management that they would receive fat bonuses discuised as "Retention Awards".

See my previous entry.

Nice to see these guys know how to lie with a straight face. "I'll take $1 in salary"...of course they have already fleeced their corporations for millions in "awards" and "bonuses" before the current fad of fiscal responsibility!

Bailed Out Banks Hand Out Bonuses Disguised As "Retention Awards"

The Ultra-rich who run America's failing financial institutions are once again sticking their hands in the lucrative cookie jar. The firms, Morgan Stanley and Citigroup's Smith Barney which are soon merging following the huge losses on their balance sheets, are planning to distribute to their top managers, "retention awards". Never heard of this? Well it would be called a bonus in English, but in the corporate double speak of the board room it's considered an award to keep top employees at the companies.

Now considering how many people including "top financial experts" are out of work, retention would seem to be something that would be of little concern. The award would be keeping your 7 or 8 figure a year job!

In a recorded conference call obtained by Huffington Post one senior executive described the "very generous" awards and then urged all the listeners "Please do not call it a bonus." The quote was from James Gorman, co-president of Morgan Stanley.

"It is not a bonus. It is an award. And it recognizes the importance of keeping our team in place as we go through this integration."

I have to wonder if I were someone like a board member who actually had the interests of the company in mind, would I want the same bad management who got us into hot water to stay in place? Hell no! But I am not a Wall Street boys club member.

You and I gave this firm $60 billion to save its collective butt, and now they are handing out jumbo party favors in the tune of MILLIONS to the bad management who drove the company into near failure?

Excuse my righteous anger, but the hell you say!

This is being done just in advance of any kind of salary cap imposed by the government on these bums and so , now, they are taking a big grab from the cookie jar before pretending to suffer the same economic deprivation as the rest of us.

Listen to the audio on Huffington Post and don't slug your computer!

Obama's First News Conference A Masterful Display

I am watching the Presidential New Conference and smiling with a broad grin. President Obama is doing a masterful job of taking control of the conference and keeping his answers on point. I have never seen a president give such complete and comprehensive answers. He is not letting the press set the agenda or guide him into a framing that works against his agenda. What's equally amazing is that he is actually answering questions without dodging them in a cloud of platitudes

Now it's a more structured conference since he is calling on the reporters by name rather than just pointing at waving hands in the crowd. The outstanding thing is that he is speaking in complete sentences with thought and genuine intelligence. What a refreshing break from the half sentences and psuedo-English of President Bush.

He is hammering home his intent to save or create 4 million jobs with this package. He also wants to see the credit markets operating again as they should. He isn't mincing words, when he assures the public that it's going to be a difficult year, but he offers hope for the future and that is what we must have.

On Afghanistan he gave a clear answer that he will not allow a safe haven for Al Quaeda and he will work with his advisiors and the other nations involved to assure that the outcome will be successful. No tough talk of bring it on, just honesty about the process and goals in the regions.

It's great to have a REAL president in this great country again!

More Sex Charges At Ted Haggard's New Life Church

Michelangelo Signorile sometimes makes me angry, but most of the time he has something interesting to say. That latter comment is certainly what he is saying today on his Sirius Radio show The Gist.

He has been speaking with people involved in the New Life Church scandal of Ted Haggard, former minister to the Colorado Springs Megachurch. According to his guest, a Colorado Springs bail bondsman, Haggard was implicated in ten more cases of sexual missconduct, some with minors that were hushed up by the church. To make matters worse, other pastors at the church have similar implications. According to what his guest said was a dectective's affidavit, "Stephen Evans, (a former pastor) was convicted in 1999 of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy and admitted to sexual contact with his own 14-year-old son and his own 15-year-old daughter."

Seems the New Life Church was a hot bed, (no pun intended...well, maybe) of illicit sex!

Ann Coulter Under Investigation On Federal Charges

The anorexic darling of the right, Ann Coulter is under investigation for voter fraud. Coulter is a resident of Connecticut but has been voting in New York. However the story is not so simple. Coulter actually has listed her parents residence in New Canaan as her home, but she really lives in New York. The details of this mess are myriad, but the real issue is whether she listed the address she actually live at on her voter registration in Connecticut. If not, she is committing fraud.

The investigation by Connecticut’s Elections Enforcement Commission should be interesting.

Don't Divorce Our Parents!

It's a pity this ad didn't run before the Prop 8 vote, but it still works. Even made me cry. Watch!


"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.

7.6% Unemployment, Rewards Of The Bush Years

I know I will hear a lot of Republicans start crying about the "blame game" but let me make this perfectly clear. It is no game, and the blame for the current economic mess can be lain directly at the feet of the failed policies of the Republican lawmakers and their president, George W. Bush.

The unemployment figures came out today and they were even higher than expected. A whopping 7.6%! All of those job losses are a result of a trickle down effect, and not the kind promoted by the GOP. Lack of adequate regulation prompted financial institutions to create more and more exotic instruments to create higher returns. Strange and impenetrable concepts like Credit Default Swaps and derivatives. These odd inventions were not even legal until 2000 and their effect on the economic decline is massive.

Take the lax regulation on Wall Street. That kid of laissez faire oversight bright us folks like Bernie Madoff. People who had no one looking over their shoulders while they fleeced their clients of billions.

The other part of the problem has been the policies that rewarded companies for outsourcing jobs and production as well as a general laid back attitude toward any kind of trade regulation at all. Free trade is a good thing if it has the kind of protections that do not make it a one way street.

But I am preaching to the choir. Now we have a president who is taking a common sense approach to the problem and perhaps he will be able to get things changed. That can happen only is the Congress stops playing games and starts trying to forge a new path. More blanket tax cuts will not fix this mess. It will take some wise spending and in the end a higher tax burden on everyone. Regressive taxes are not the answer, but carefully crafted moves perhaps in the direction of a Value Added Tax might help. Think about it, and write your congressperson and senator!

Hardware Store Offers Bush A Job As A Greeter

Our fair city is blessed with a very rare establishment. An independent hardware store that is perhaps the best in the world. Elliott's Hardware down on Maple Ave, and its sister store in Plano are the place to go when you just can't find it anywhere. I have found rare parts, odd size screws and just about every imaginable kind of oddball hardware there.

They have a staff that knows the store like a book and can easily direct you to the exact location of just about whatever you are looking for. It's also a pretty good place for finding kinky goodies as well. How many hardware stores in big cities have a "Tack" section complete with whips and riding crops?

Aside from being a great place, the owners understand great PR. Today they made an offer to our ex-president, Mr. Bush, to be a greeter at their store. What a great job for a guy who recently retired and is good at glad handing and smiling a lot, no matter what happens?

Though I doubt he will take them up on the offer, I have to say, that is one job I would feel OK about Bush holding. Heck, I might even say howdy on my next trip to the store?

Pete Sessions Admires The Taliban! Really!

I do not even have to wonder what would happen if a Democrat made the analogy that Republican Representative, Pete Sessions of Texas made in an interview today. Mr. Sessions actually said that the GOP should use the Taliban as a model.

“Insurgency, we understand perhaps a little bit more because of the Taliban,” Sessions said during a meeting yesterday with Hotline editors. “And that is that they went about systematically understanding how to disrupt and change a person’s entire processes. "

Yes, taking a page from terrorists would become all the rage for right-wing talkers if it was said by a Democrat, but one of their own is speaking here, and it's time we gave as good as we get.

Sessions should step down as Representative. His admiration of the Taliban, a terrorist group is tantamount to treason!

Obama Shows Rare Candor

I listened to President Obama on CNN last night in one of his many interviews for the day and I heard a phrase that was s refreshing I got chills. When asked about his choice of Tom Daschle as Health Czar he remarked, "I screwed up..."

When is the last time you heard a president speak with that kind of candor? For me it was Harry Truman, who I only remember as a vague shadow from my childhood. I do remember people talking about how he was frank and straightforward and had that famous sign on his desk, "The Buck Stops Here".

It is unfortunate that Daschle pulled out, since many feel he was ideal to bridge the gap between the health care industry and Congress but I feel sure another person with suitable credentials will be found. Daschle's tax payments and use of a limousine would have become the issue and I suspect little would get done because of the poltical hay that could be made of that, so I don't see this as a major roadblock, just a bump in the road.

Meanwhile Obama proposed salary caps for executives at companies we bail out at $500,000. Sounds reasonable to me, since the corporate governance of these firms got them into the mess, they should feel a bit of the pinch as well. Some will say these companies will lose their top talent, but in my opinion if those in charge got them into the mess, then losing them wold be a boon not a blow.

This presidency is getting really interesting, and I like that.

AG Holder Hints At Revealing Secret Bush Torture Memos

My partner and I have been straining our ears listening for that tell tail thud. The other shoe dropping!

As Bush and his criminal cronies left office, we both knew there would be some blockbuster revelations about the mischief they had been up to but I suspect the biggest revelations are about to come out. THUD!

Our newly confirmed Attorney General, Eric Holder has made not so subtle hints that he might make public some of the secret memos sent by the Bush administration about a bushel full of controversial practices including torture and illegal wiretapping.

This may be the reason Obama soft peddled any thoughts of holding Bush and his minions accountable for their crimes. Perhaps he didn't want Bush issuing preemptive pardons?

Wells Fargo Rewards The Guys Who Brought In All Those Bad Mortgages With A Lavish Holiday In Vegas, Baby!

I understand employee incentives. These are the perks that companies give their top sellers and best performing employees and that's fine. However, and you knew there was a "however".

Wells Fargo, the bank that you and I bailed out to the tune of $25 billion has decided to award it's top mortgage producers with a holiday in Las Vegas at the most expensive hotel on the strip, the Wynn Las Vegas. Now if you will remember, it was bad mortgages and sub prime loans that got Wells Fargo into the mess it is in. So how much reward do those top mortgage executives really deserve?

12 nights at the Wynn or the Encore, it's new glitzy sister hotel costs the average Joe about $400.00 per night. Considering these guys are staying 12 nights to the tune of $4800 per guest and all the other perks that would include, you would think they carried the company into record profits instead of the poor house.

I think the feeling I have is not so much outrage, and there is plenty of that to go around, but incredulity. I have to wonder how the executives in that company got where they are. The illusion of meritocracy has long vanished from my thinking. I know full well, the CEO and other fat cats at Wells Fargo got where they are by a rigged system that awards big payoffs to only the already ultra-rich and their buddies. As a stockholder, I think that should come to an end.

As a stockholder, so should you! Write President Obama and tell him the days of posh luxury for the executives of failed companies is over. I long for the day when the CEOs of major companies only made a few hundred times the salary of the average employee instead of several thousand times that rate. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

Iran Launches Satellite

For many of us the image in our minds of Iran is that of a country awash in sand and just coming out of the middle ages. Perhaps that could be true for some remote parts of the country but we too often confuse Iran with an Arabian country, and that it is not.

Yesterday, Iran joined the Space Age as they launched their first satellite into orbit. That may come as a shock to many, but personally I was not that surprised. I have long known Iran is, in reality, a technologically advanced country with aspirations to expand its technology and industry.

The Safir-2 rocket was launched and successfully inserted a satellite into orbit with the name Omid, meaning hope. According to the Iranian news agency the payload is a data processing device intended as "the first practical step toward acquiring national space technology.”

Why is this story important? Not for the knee jerk fear factor I feel sure it will be used as by the right wing, but as a wake up call to our government to begin seriously diplomatic relations with an emerging technological power in the East. We can only ignore Iran for so long, and now with a new administration it seems there might be a chance to bring Iran back to the international table of diplomacy.

Pittsburgh Steals The Super Bowl!

I am not a football fan, and I rarely watch the Super Bowl, but I caught the end of tonight's match up and I was amazed. This was the most nail biter finish I have ever seen! That Pittsburgh touchdown with 35 seconds left was AMAZING!

OK, so much for my testosterone rush.

Mother Of Octuplets Pregnant By Artificial Means, Now Has 14 Children!

When I heard the story about the woman giving birth to octuplets, I was amazed. My partner and I were talking about it and wondered how on earth the family would support 8 children. Then we found she already had 6 kids and it seemed even more insurmountable.

Well, today the rest of the story came out and it is stranger than fiction. It turns out the mother had been unable to conceive and had her first 6 children by artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization. She is unmarried and always obsessed with having children, according to her mother.

She succeeded 6 times but apparently that was not enough. Nadya Suleman, 33, gave birth to 8 babies Monday in Los Angeles. The 8 newborns are products of the same procedure and are from left over embryos from her previous pregnancies.

Her mother had been caring for the other children until she returns from the hospital, but apparently not after that. According to AP reports:

She said she warned her daughter that when she gets home from the hospital, "I'm going to be gone."

Gone indeed. My question is how can a doctor ethically assist in a pregnancy like this when the woman is unmarried, and already has 6 children?

Now with 14 kids she will be even less able to take care of her offspring than before and I guess no one mentioned that to her or bothered to question assisting in another pregnancy?

I am a big believer in the rights of the mother and that control of a woman's body should be up to her, but artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization takes the cooperation and active involvement of medical professionals. Where does their responsibility for this huge family begin and end?

I feel pretty sure Child Protective Services will end up involved in this mess and after that it will be a tragedy for the children and for the mother. Somebody should have told her "no" at some point and I am amazed it wasn't a doctor who did it.

Blagojevich Hides Out

Well Rob Blagojevich is finally out of office, but not out of the public eye. Why can't the press just let him fade away and save us from his ridiculous rants and protestations. Now the question is what will happen in the Federal case against him?

Rob hid out in his Chicago home all day, not surprisngly. His impeachment marks the first time in 20 years a state governor has been removed from office. Way to go Rob!

Fork Lift Safety - Video

OK, so today was the mini-ice storm here in Dallas and I had some time on my hands. As we all know "idle hands...."

So here is a little video a friend sent me on fork lift safety. It is in German, but no translation is needed. Warning: Contains comic violence and lots of fake blood.

Gay Pepsi Ad In UK!

Just saw this on the Dallas Voice "Instant Tea" blog and had to share it. Pepsi-UK's latest spot is a great breakthrough for gay rights, seriously!

PETA Goes Porn

Ever give money to PETA? Well here's what they are doing with your cash.


'Veggie Love': PETA's Banned Super Bowl Ad

This insipid commercial was rejected by the network for being too sexual for the Soper Bowl. I would reject it because it is ludicrous, much like most of PETA's claims.

Ponzi Scheme Epidemic Spreads - More Fund Managers Arrested

Durn rich people are stupid! They seem to give their money to anyone who promises big returns and never check these guys out. If I didn't have more ethics I'd buy a nice suit and start fleecing the rich, apparently it's easier than you'd think.

Another mini-Madoff has popped up in New York. Nicholas Cosmo, who runs Agape World Inc. is accused of taking investors to the tune of $300 million and pocketing $140 in the process. Sweet deal, huh?

Meanwhile that fund manager who disappeared in Florida, which many thought was a suicide, has turned up in police custody. Arthur Nadel, whose family reported him missing in early January, was arrested on Tuesday by FBI agents in Tampa.

Seems like in these cases as well as the Bernie Madoff magilla, people gave these charlatans their millions without so much as a, "So where are you going to put my money?". As we found out, Madoff may not have ever made a single trade with the Billions he scammed from gullible investors. He just kept moving the money around and skimming off the top.

I have to believe if I had a few million laying around I sure as heck wouldn't give it to a guy I played golf with on a handshake! But then again, I don't have that kind of dough to be careless with.

14 Year Old Boy Impersonates Chicago Policeman - Works Full Shift Before Getting Caught!

OK, many of you know I have a uniform fetish, but a 14 year old boy from Chicago has one that goes way beyond mine. The boy walked into the Grand Crossing police station in Chicago's 3rd district,reported for duty. He was given a police radio and ticket book, then went out on traffic stops with the officer whom he was teamed with for the day.

After a 5 hour shift when he was reporting back to the station he was unable to produce credentials and was busted for impersonating an officer. The kid had a full uniform, empty holster and a vest stuffed with magazines to appear like body armor.

The boy, who is said to have come from a troubled home is in detention, but the police who let him go on patrol are busy trying to explain how this could have happened. So much for Homeland Security!

Citi Group Uses Our Bucks To Buy New $50 Million Jet!

And as we taxpayers bail out Citi Group, the corporate execs there decided it's time for an upgrade in their corporate jet fleet. Seems like a prudent use of funds to me, huh?

$50 million for a new corporate jet that sits 12, the Dassault Falcon 7X, is the epitome of luxury. Leather seats, a new, more quiet interior and....hey!

What the F*&K?

I guess these guys asses are too delicate to sit in plain old First Class on a commercial jet? With the limited seating and the hefty price tag, they would have to be in the air a whole long time before they will use that 4.5 million a seat plus the fuel and staff.

I have to say the idea of nationalization is seeming better and better. Corporate America has run amok and these gilded CEOs need to be tossed out on their ear without that golden parachute.
As long as these kind of narcissistic idiots are allowed to manage these failing companies, we will continue to have trouble. I would be in favor of basing their salaries on a percentage of the company profits. There might be some incentive for them to actually do something to make their company more profitable rather than fretting over super-lux jets!

The Blagojevich Freak Show

When I was a child I remember seeing shows at the State Fair where people who were born with profound bodily deformities or those who could do strange and outrageous acts performed. The called these Freak Shows and with the exception of the sword swallowers and fire eaters, most of these shows faded into history. They were politically incorrect and considered exploitative and uncivilized.

Today we have a return of the Freak Show, but this time it's on TV. We call them things like The View and The Today Show. How else could you explain these programs booking a man who is clearly delusional and by all accounts a pathological liar.

Rod Blagojevich has been booked on all the morning shows instead of standing the the Illinois Senate and defending himself at his impeachment trial. That qualifies pretty freaky and personally I find it distasteful to have this poor creature trotted out for ratings on TV.

The man has been taped demanding bribbes, one would think he would at least try to defend himself instead of raving on about being some later day Nelson Mandella (his comparison, not mine). Personally, I think I will watch reruns of I Love Lucy.

House Republicans Jabber On For 40 Minutes About Bush The Lionhearted

I have heard people tell me that I live in a fantasy world to expect that things will change after the election of Barack Obama. They tell me Washington is always Washington and it will always be. Well, I choose to believe otherwise. I think I am living in the reality and the others have been blinded by the fog of fantasy. As proof I offer this note about the House Republicans yesterday.

Thay held a 40 minute floor speech extoling the virtues of President Bush. One quote was particularly telling when Trent Franks (R-AZ) said, "President Bush often had to walk like a knowing lion — like a knowing lion, Mr. Speaker, through the chattering of hyenas. … [I]f those critics do not devour themselves in the meantime, Mr. Speaker, they may face the bared teeth of an enemy that will make us all wish the lion still walked among us."

Well Mr. Franks you got your spelling wrong, "Bush walked as a LIAR among us", would be a more correct quote.

Talk about living in a fantasy!

State Department Celebrates Arrival Of "Glinda"

A few days ago after the inauguration I posted the Wizard of Oz clip "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead". Little did I know it was an apt comparison, but this time it is from the State Department.
Word is they are having a "Glinda Party" next week, comparing Condi Rice to the Wicked Witch of the West.

Amazing!

NSA Spied On All Americans - Focused On Journalists

After watching an interview with Russell Tice, a former National Security Agency analyst on Rachael Maddow, I have to wonder when Cheney and Bush will be indicted. The NSA, so the latest revelations tell, was monitoring all, ALL electronic communications. That is not a typo, they were listening to it all, especially concentrating on journalists.

How illegal is this? Comletely and absolutely illegal and punishable by jail time.

Write your Congressperson and let them know how you feel about this!

White House Web Site Updated With Pro LGBT Agenda!

Here is real change we can believe in. The White House web site updated last night and includes this lengthy section on civil rights for LGBT Americans:

Support for the LGBT Community

"While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. It's about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect."

-- Barack Obama, June 1, 2007

• Expand Hate Crimes Statutes: In 2004, crimes against LGBT Americans constituted the third-highest category of hate crime reported and made up more than 15 percent of such crimes. President Obama cosponsored legislation that would expand federal jurisdiction to include violent hate crimes perpetrated because of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or physical disability. As a state senator, President Obama passed tough legislation that made hate crimes and conspiracy to commit them against the law.
• Fight Workplace Discrimination: President Obama supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and believes that our anti-discrimination employment laws should be expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity. While an increasing number of employers have extended benefits to their employees' domestic partners, discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace occurs with no federal legal remedy. The President also sponsored legislation in the Illinois State Senate that would ban employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
• Support Full Civil Unions and Federal Rights for LGBT Couples: President Obama supports full civil unions that give same-sex couples legal rights and privileges equal to those of married couples. Obama also believes we need to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and enact legislation that would ensure that the 1,100+ federal legal rights and benefits currently provided on the basis of marital status are extended to same-sex couples in civil unions and other legally-recognized unions. These rights and benefits include the right to assist a loved one in times of emergency, the right to equal health insurance and other employment benefits, and property rights.
• Oppose a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage: President Obama voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2006 which would have defined marriage as between a man and a woman and prevented judicial extension of marriage-like rights to same-sex or other unmarried couples.
• Repeal Don't Ask-Don't Tell: President Obama agrees with former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Shalikashvili and other military experts that we need to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. The key test for military service should be patriotism, a sense of duty, and a willingness to serve. Discrimination should be prohibited. The U.S. government has spent millions of dollars replacing troops kicked out of the military because of their sexual orientation. Additionally, more than 300 language experts have been fired under this policy, including more than 50 who are fluent in Arabic. The President will work with military leaders to repeal the current policy and ensure it helps accomplish our national defense goals.
• Expand Adoption Rights: President Obama believes that we must ensure adoption rights for all couples and individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation. He thinks that a child will benefit from a healthy and loving home, whether the parents are gay or not.
• Promote AIDS Prevention: In the first year of his presidency, President Obama will develop and begin to implement a comprehensive national HIV/AIDS strategy that includes all federal agencies. The strategy will be designed to reduce HIV infections, increase access to care and reduce HIV-related health disparities. The President will support common sense approaches including age-appropriate sex education that includes information about contraception, combating infection within our prison population through education and contraception, and distributing contraceptives through our public health system. The President also supports lifting the federal ban on needle exchange, which could dramatically reduce rates of infection among drug users. President Obama has also been willing to confront the stigma -- too often tied to homophobia -- that continues to surround HIV/AIDS.
• Empower Women to Prevent HIV/AIDS: In the United States, the percentage of women diagnosed with AIDS has quadrupled over the last 20 years. Today, women account for more than one quarter of all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses. President Obama introduced the Microbicide Development Act, which will accelerate the development of products that empower women in the battle against AIDS. Microbicides are a class of products currently under development that women apply topically to prevent transmission of HIV and other infections.

Ding Dong!

Thanks so much to the folks at AmericaBlog for this clip! I am sure a lot of us feel the same way!

Washington Bursting At The Seams - Inauguration Day

It's only 9:30 in DC and already the National Mall is at capacity. This shot from CNN really makes the point.

Bush Leaves As A Failure

I couldn't have said it better than this quote from a German news magazine:

"A weak leader, Bush was just overwhelmed in the job," said Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung under a headline: "The Failure." "He confused stubbornness with principles. America has become intolerant and it will take a long time to repair that damage."

I feel a lot like the Winkies must have felt when the witch melted.

Bishop Robinson's Prayer Absent From HBO Coverage

HBO for whatever reason did not include the invocation by Bishop Robinson for the Inaugural Gala last night. Here is a YouTube video of it.



Word from the Obama people is as follows:

"We had always intended and planned for Rt. Rev. Robinson’s invocation to be included in the televised portion of yesterday’s program. We regret the error in executing this plan – but are gratified that hundreds of thousands of people who gathered on the mall heard his eloquent prayer for our nation that was a fitting start to our event."

I really wonder if this is true? If so HBO really showed its ass, if not, well Mr. Obama, "you got some 'splainin to do".

On The Steps Of The Lincoln Memorial

I guess I am just sentimental, but watching the Inauguration Gala last night from the Mall in Washington, DC, I was crying. My partner and I started watching it not expecting to be as moved as we were, but the historic import of the events this week really hit us both.

As a kid, I remember watching the March on Washington on TV. That August I was sitting in my parents house watching Dr. King speak on a black & white TV. More than a little ironically, our housekeeper, a wonderful woman who came in once a week to help my mother out with ironing and cleaning was sitting behind me at the ironing board. She and I were talking about the incredible sight we watched.

Clara, our housekeeper, was African-American, in those days we called her colored, but she was almost a part of our family. She cleaned for my aunt, both my grandmothers and an uncle. Her life and our family's lives were intertwined. Though she worked for us, she was always treated like one of our family. She even ended up inheriting our family car when we bought a new one.

She told me once how her great grandmother had been a slave, and the stories she used to tell of that time. Her great grandmother had lived to almost one hundred years of age, and so Clara got the family history passed directly to her. Now, we both watched as 250,000 people crowded the mall and listened to Dr. King speak.

That day came rushing back to me as I watched Barack Obama speak from the very spot where Dr. King once stood. No wonder I was emotional.

On this anniversary of Dr. Kings birth, I am grateful I could see both these historic speeches and sincerely hope the years ahead fulfill King's dream. "Free at last, free at last. Thank God I am free at last."

Gitmo Going Out Of Business Sale!

Madoff Only The Tip Of The Iceberg

I sometimes find that real life is so fantastic it would never be believable as fiction. Take Bernie Madoff. Here is a guy who somehow got a reputation as a financial genius. He managed to get people to give him billions of dollars to invest without any oversight and as long as he returned profits they never questioned him.

We all know the rest of the story. One day people stopped investing and his Ponzi scheme came crashing down. Now it turns out he may never have invested a cent, he just sent out transaction statements showing the investors making a big profit and everyone slept well. The latest in this story came from an investigation hat says he may never have made any trades at all.

Red flags must have been going up all over the place but greed blinded the people who kept putting money into his hands. What they received was money from other investors in a giant pyramid scheme with Bernie skimming millions off the top.

Now comes word of a missing fund manager in Florida. Arthur Nadel left a cryptic note for his family and disappeared. Apparently his fund bilked $350 million out of its investors and he either went off to commit suicide or just went on the lamb. Either way it was another scheme where people were blinded by greed and never asked the right questions.

I guess it was only a matter of time before the super-rich were knocked back down to normal. I always figured it would be some sort of cosmic karma that did it but it apparently was their own negligence and greed. On second though maybe that was the karma at work?

For most of us, the idea of giving millions to someone we hardly know to "manage" for us seems pretty crazy. I would figure people with that much money spent at least some time investigating and vetting any fund or asset manager extensively. I guess it just shows how little those who become rich really "deserve" their wealth. The myth of the hard working billionaires is fast being put to rest.

I always like listening to super rich peolle who speak of their fortunes as though they did something either incrediblly clever or somehow just worked hard enough to get the fortune they hold. In reality, most rich people either inherited their wealth or gained it through a series of fortunate events much of which they had nothing to do with. For the doubters, read Malcom Gladwell's "Outliers". The "self made millionare" is usually only a partial truth.

If hard work was all it took to get rich, then welfare mothers holding down two jobs and raising a family alone would be in the Fortune 500. Hard work only results in sweat. Success comes from both hard work, luck and circumstances more than anything and much of that is beyond our control.

Meanwhile, there are a lot of foolish rich folks out there just waiting to give you their millions and not ask questions. If you have no scruples and a good wardrobe, go for it! Maybe a few more Bernie Madoff tales will finally wake people from their slumber and get them to consider exactally what they are doing with their money.

Great Moments In Bush Speeches. Video!

These are the moments I will miss the most from the Bush Presidency.

Unique Ad Campaign - Bye Bye Mr. Bush!

I had to publish this, it's way too tasteless and funny.

PETA, Sea Kittens, And The Pets It Kills

To follow up on the ludicrous "re-branding" effort by PETA to call fish "Sea Kittens" (not a joke) I did a little research on these alleged animal rights activists. What I found was not all that surprising.

PETA exists to raise money. Like many non-profit organizations they survive on funds contributed by ordinary folks. It would be one thing if they really believed what they sell, but according to information released by the State of Virginia, a PETA facility there killed almost 90% of the animals in its care from 1997 to 2007. The local SPCA manages to get almost 70% of its animals adopted.

Now that doesn't sound very ethical to me, especially from a group who does not even want people eating fish!

Next time you see a PETA protester, ask them about these figures and look at their wardrobe. If they are wearing leather shoes or a leather belt, point out that it came from a cuddly bovine. Ask if they ever eat meat or fish. I'll bet few are really ethical vegans and most are just confused.

Sure I love animals, I have two delightful "land fish" (cats) at home and I care for them like they were my children. I do not support needless cruelty toward animals, but I also love a good steak and occasional sushi. I wear leather not just because it is my fetish, but also because it is ethical. People slaughter cows for food, why should the animal's skin be wasted. The world will never go vegan, meat is too efficient a source of protein and it's been part of our diet forever. Granted we probably eat too much of it, but that is a healt issue not one for animal rights.

My message to PETA: Spend some of that money on a "no kill" shelter. We have them here in my home town in Texas and surely you , a big organizatino that raises millions a year can do that!

Miracle On The Hudson And Basic Human Nature

Our soon to be ex-president is always a big one to highlight heroes in his speeches. He often uses them as props and human shields to mask his agenda of scamming the country's wealth and invading our privacy. It is puzzling that he didn't even mention the heroes in New York yesterday afternoon who without a second thought sprang into action to rescue the passengers of the US Airways flight that had crash landed in the Hudson River.

Ferry pilots, small craft owners and their passengers and crew headed toward the downed jet and immediately began taking aboard the stranded passengers on the wings of the plane. That act reminded me of how basically good people are. That goodness shined through and it betrays the basic political tennent of the conservatives.

Leave it to me to find political significance in this event, but it was so obvious I couldn't avoid it.

Here is the deal. Conservatives believe that the basic of human nature is to turn toward evil. Therefore people always need a strong paternal hand to keep the populous law abiding. It's the "strong father" model of government, and though the GOP rails against big government they love the paternalistic approach to governing. Father always knows best whether its Uncle Sam or big business, its a top down approach.

Liberals believe in the basic goodness of people. Government is there to create a safe place for them to thrive and grow. A nurturing parent model wold be the best analogy. If a populace is free from oppression and has its basic needs met, the good human nature of the people will make it a great country.

Both those definitions are very simplistic, but the underlying premise is true. What happened on the Hudson yesterday shows that basic goodness. It was not just a display of how New Yorker's pull together, but a display of how people care for each other even if they are strangers.

It is that basic goodness that makes us a great country.

Live Blogging - Bush Says Goodbye - Finally!

I am watching the LAST Presidential Address by George W. Bush and I am underwhelmed as usual. He is speaking before an invited audience, once again papering the house with assured positive responses.

He is giving best wishes to President Elect Obama and in the same breath thanks VP Cheney. Kind of makes me feel dirty hearing those two names in the same sentences.

He said he remembers the "first time I addressed you from this house, September 11, 2001". Funny that he didn't give any addresses prior to that day?

It is no surprise he mentions 9/11 since that is all he has going for him, and his response to it has been a dismal failure. The legacy is abridged human rights, less privacy, torture and an illegal war.
You betcha I will remember you Mr. Bush.

Update: Blah, blah, blah. Thank our military...blah, blah, blah...terrorists, fanatics...blah, blah!

Freedom, God, blah, blah, blah.

I could have phoned this speech in and done a better job.

Update: He just patted himself on the back for rescuing the economy! Say what?

Now he is saying he has always had the best interest of the country in all his decisions. Followed by more talk of terrorists and attacks. He is really a "one trick pony"!

Holder Intimates Possible War Crimes Investigation For Bush & Company

Looking at testimony from Eric Holder's confirmation hearing today I get the feeling the folks in the lame-duck Bush Withe House are preparing their pardons right now. Holder was asked the question if waterboarding qualified as torture, Holder didn't mince words.

"If you look at the history of the use of that technique used by the Khmer Rouge, used in the inquisition, used by the Japanese and prosecuted by us as war crimes, we prosecuted our own soldiers in Vietnam, I agree with you, Mr. Chairman, waterboarding is torture,"

When asked directly if the President could authorize torture he was pretty direct.

"No one is above the law," said Holder. "The president has a constitutional obligation to faithfully executive the laws of the United States. There are obligations that we have as a result of treaties we have signed and obligations to the Constitution."

That mention of war crimes should send a red flag up for Bush and Cheney. If Holder considers what the White House authorized as a war crime, then he as an obligation to investigate and prosecute as he sees fit. This sounds like potential good news for the thousands of people who have backed the idea of investigating the potential war crimes of the Bush administration.

Now if President Elect Obama will only let Holder do it!

Jan. 19 - National Day of Service

PETA Goes Off The Deep End - Fish Are Now "Sea Kittens"!

PETA, that wonderful group who goes around splashing red paint on fur has come up with the strangest idea yet. They have decided people would treat fish differently if they "re-branded" them as "sea kittens". I am not joking!

In a quote on Huffington Post:

"A lot of people don't realize that fish are capable of feeling fear and pain, that they develop relationships with each other, and even show affection by gently rubbing against one another," says Ashley Byrne, PETA's sea kitten campaign co-ordinator. "Knowing that the fish sticks in the school cafeteria are really made out of tortured sea kittens makes most kids want to lose their lunch."

Excuse me, but PETA makes me want to lose my lunch. I will remember this next time I have a California Roll with raw sea kitten. Puleeze!

These folks started out with good goals, preventing animals from being unnecessarily tortured for frivolous research. However, they have become militant vegans whose message is so muddled with ideas like "re-branding" fish that they are easy to dismiss.

Meanwhile I will continue to feed my real kittens, fish, not "sea kittens".

Bush Press Conference Filled WIth Fake Reporters

It's called "papering the house", and when I worked in show biz, it's what you did to assure the theater looked packed to the gills. You gave away a lot of free tickets to fill seats. Why? Nothing is worse than attending a show with a small audience in a big theater.

Well, Mr. Bush, the president who arguably has emphasized form over substance more than any other, took a lesson from Broadway. At his farewell press conference he ordered White House interns to fill empth seats so the room looked packed. I also assume it gave him an advantage when it came to applause or laughs. The working press has had their fill of Bush and his tired attempts at jokes often fall flat.

His last press conference was filled with excuses and shrugs. Bush seems intent on frosting his legacy with as much misinformation as he can. Admitting that the "Mission Accomplished" banner was a mistake, (Something which previously he denied having any part in) was about it when it came to mia culpa's. No sorry about the wiretapping, torture and infringements of citizen's rights. No wonder the press was not buying it!

John Berry Appointed As Director Of OPM

Federal Times reports that John Berry, director of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Zoological Park, has accepted an offer by President Obama to become director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

Why is that so important? Well, John is an openly gay man and that makes him the highest office for an openly LGBT person. Now that is the beginnings of some real change.

Human Rights Campaign chimed in on it:

"The selection of John Berry to head the Office of Personnel Management, making him the highest-ranking openly gay official ever, is a meaningful step forward for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community."

"In his new role, John will make critical decisions regarding the implementation of fair workplace policies for millions of federal workers. We congratulate him on his remarkable achievements and look forward to his continued leadership for the LGBT community and the nation as a whole."

I Don't Like Spiders - But Maybe This One?

My partner is not a big fan of spiders. He doesn't have full fledged arachnophobia, but they bother him. Maybe he would like this cute little fellow?

So far I don't have the name of this little creepy-crawly but you can see more of him here.

Bush Makes Last TV Appearance, Finally!

Have you still got an analog TV? Well here is a fun idea for disposing of it as long as it's old and you have the replacement digital one already.

First, this Thursday night, set the TV up outside on a nice concrete surface, like your front driveway. Then plug it in with an extension cord. Make sure it's tuned to a network affiliate and wait until the network announces a special message from the president. (Bush is going to give his farewell speech on TV in prime time, if the networks give him the time. No exact timeslot has been set but Thursday night is the target. )

Next have a ready supply of large rocks or bricks available and stacked about 8 feet from the TV. Put on a pair of safety goggles or protective glasses. Take a brick or large rock in hand and as the president is introduced, well you already know what to do.

It will make his departure both enjoyable and poignant. Be sure to take pictures or video, so YouTube can be filled with clips of this truly historic occasion. Also send me a clip or two so I can post them here.

I call it, "Let's Send Bush Out With A Bang Night!" Feel free to tell your friends.

Bishop Gene Robinson Chosen For Inaugral Prayer At Lincoln Memorial

If anyone was going to accuse President Obama of shying away from controversy they would have a lot of explaining to do with his choice to lead the nation in prayer at the Lincoln Memorial inaugural concert. Bishop Gene Robinson, a man steeped in controversy as the first openly gay Episcopal Bishop was chosen to give the invocation.

Bishop Robinson's choice has been hailed by gay and lesbian leaders and human rights activists, in sharp contrast to the man chosed to give the inaugural invocation, Reverend Rick Warren. Robinson is a real superstar of LGBT rights and his appearance is comforting. For those who were panicing about Obama's "turning his back on the LGBT community" there is a sigh of relief.

The Dangers of Gay Marriage - Video

Watch and learn children!

Log Cabin Republicans Deep In Debt!

This one falls under the "My Heart Bleeds for You" category, and I mean that with all the irony I can muster.

Seems the Log Cabin Republicans are facing a financial crisis. They ended the year at least $100,000 in debt according to a report in the Washington Blade. The group faced a lackluster 2008 as far as fund raising goes.

Patrick Sammon, President of the group was quoted in the Blade:

“Really what we anticipated was that 2008 would be a better year fundraising-wise based on what we’ve seen in other presidential election years,” he said. “We just didn’t see the fundraising materialize the way that we expected.”

I really gotta hand it to the LCR's, they can do "denial" as well as their straight counterparts. Of course they came up short in fundraising. The GOP candidates were about as homophobic as they come. When will these Bozos quit living in their fantasy world where the GOP suddenly realizes that it has been dead wrong in its policies towards LGBT people? It ain't gonna happen!

If anything the Republicans are circling the wagons and becoming more rigid in their social idology than ever. It's all they have left.

So I will get out my little violin and play a sad song for the Log Closet Republicans and wish them well as they continue to beat their heads against the stone wall that is the GOP.

Electrial Votes Now Official - Obama Wins! VIDEO

It's official now that the Electoral College has voted. Watch the video as Cheney is interrupted numerous times by standing ovations from the entire Congress in joint session. Awkward, but stirring!

AIG Takes Another Luxury Junket - In Secret!

AIG, those fine fellows who got billions in bail out money from you and me, have done it again. Even as they are pleading the case for additional funds from the government, they sent their top executives on another junket. This time to a luxury resort and spa in Phoenix, AZ.

The tried to keep their meeting a secret, avoiding any logos or signs and even forbidding the hotel staff to mention their presence. Luckily, enterprising reporters for ABC15.com (KNXV) caught the AIG executives on hidden cameras poolside and leaving the spa at the Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort.

So why are these jerks getting away with this crap? I think it's high time we took an equity stake in AIG and a place in the board room. These crooks need to be fired without their golden parachutes. I am not one for nationalization but in this case, we have put $150 billion into this company and they still can't reign in these free-spending idiots who got the company into hot water in the first place.

Larry Craig Still Guilty - Still!

And so today we find that Larry Craig is still guilty! Big surprise. His lawyer announced he is dropping his appeal to the state Supreme Court and throwing in the towel.

So what does this mean? Not much for most folks, but for former Minnesota Senator Craig it means he will have to live with the conviction and some day come to terms with his sexuality. Or maybe he can just live in that land of make believe most Republicans inhabit?

Craig was seeking "public bathroom sex" which is a pretty good indicator in my book that he has a real sexuality struggle going on. I know a lot of people whose first homosexual encounters were in public bathrooms. Not a very good spot for developing a healthy attitude toward sexuality.

Now I also know guys who like this kind of sex because its kinky and risky. The big problem with this is, a lot of folks just go to the bathroom to "go to the bathroom"! This means they could stumble upon a couple of guys going at it and that puts it squarely in the category of non-consensual space. I have a real problem with that.

If Larry Craig is one of those guys, more power to him, but he needs to get his kicks in a consensual space not the airport bathroom. I suspect that is not the case. Craig is just a self hating gay man trapped in a straight life. Sad but it could be remedied by one simple step. COME OUT!

End of rant.

Cappuccino For Chicago Public Schools?

Boy, things sure have changed since I was in High School, especially in Chicago!

Turns out the Chicago School Board bought 30 cappuccino/espresso machines for $67,000. The purchase was a "no bid contract" no less.

According to a story in the Sun-Times:

In the case of the cappuccino machines, central office administrators split the order among 21 vocational schools to avoid competitive bidding required for purchases over $10,000. As a result CPS paid about $12,000 too much, according to Inspector General James Sullivan. "We were able to find the same machines cheaper online," he said.

"We also look at it as a waste of money because the schools didn't even know they were getting the equipment, schools didn't know how to use the machines and weren't prepared to implement them into the curriculum," Sullivan said.

Apparently, someone had the idea of educating a new crop of barristas for local coffee shops. Perhaps not such a great use of school funds?

Nuclear Waste and Somali Pirates - More Than A FIshy Tale

Why is it that I have never heard about the mysterious dumping of nuclear waste off the coast of Somalia? Most likely, neither have you. In a recent column on Huffington Post Johann Hari explains the intricacies of the whole "Somali pirate problem" and brings to light some amazing details that our news media has never mentioned.

Since Somalia's government has essentially collapsed, there are no officials to take care of things like patrolling the coastlines of the country. Without that protection, unscrupulous shippers discovered that they could dump nuclear waste with impunity and have done so with vigor.

Barrels of radioactive waste regularly wash up on shore and the local population is dying from radiation sickness. Why haven't we heard this? Probably because few if any journalists visit the unstable African country.

Additionally, foreign fisherman have been working in Somali waters illegally. This deprives the locals of their livelihood and so many turned to pirating. The majority of the Somali pirates were fisherman who no longer can support their families and have turned to crime.

Isn't it time someone did a little investigative reporting and brought this part of the story to light? Pirates are not heroes, at least not today, but knowing why they have turned to extortion instead of fishing is important. Stopping the dumping of radioactive waste on the coastline of Somalia is also a priority, and without a government to speak officially for these people, who is left to protest?

Levi Johnston Quits North Slope Oil Field Job

It would be unfair to say Alaska is one of the backwaters of America, but the governor of that state, Sarah Palin, is acting like it is. She has been practicing the kind of nepotism that is common in small town and obscure county politics. The problem? Well she is the governor of Alaska for crying out loud!

Take the issue of her soon to be son-in-law, Levi Johnston. As everyone knows, he is the father of Palin's daughter's illegitimate child and was working in the oil fields as an apprentice. The problem is, to apprentice you have to have a high school diploma, which Johnston does not. So how did he get into the sought after job? Well, sources in Alaska think it was Palin's influence.

She has a record of awarding spoils to friends and contributors. As many as 1 in 4 appointments went to her family , friends and contributors. Why should Johnston be any different?

Now, Levi has quit his job to calm the waters. Meanwhile his mother, who was arrested on drug charges is fighting her own battle through the courts. Sounds like a lot of waves that need calming up in the Great White North.

Gay Man Named To Obama's White House Staff

Finally, an openly gay man has been named as one of President Elect Obama's top staff positions.

Brad Kiley has been named as the director of the Office of Management and Administration. According to the Obama team:

Kiley served as deputy assistant to the president for management and administration at the White House under President William J. Clinton. There he was responsible for all aspects of White House operations, including the travel office, the visitors office, and White House administration, which included finance, human resources and facilities. Among his many earlier roles with the Democratic National Committee, Kiley served as director of finance and administration for the 1996 Democratic National Convention. He has also held in leadership positions at NARAL and the International AIDS Trust. Kiley is a graduate of Texas Christian University.

Now if we can only get ENDA signed....

Franken Wins In Minnesota!

The Minnesota canvasing board has declared Al Franken as the winner of the Senate seat for Minnesota. There is a 7 day waiting period to allow for any legal challenges before Franken can be seated. Both he and Coleman have their legal teams ready to fight it out in court.

He held a 225 vote lead after the long and tedious recount. Coleman is expected to continue his battle to overturn the vote.

Laura Bush Signs Book Deal

It was announced over the weekend that Laura Bush the outgoing First Lady has signed a deal with Scribner to write a memoir of her years in the White House. This is a bit surprising since President Bush has not had any takers for his memoirs yet, but that may happen soon.

My guess is that Laura's story is more interesting to publishers because of its "tell-all" potential. In the past few months Bush has been polishing his legacy to such an extent any memoir by him would be dubious in content. However, if the rumors of marital unrest are true, a book by Laura could be a blockbuster.

Again, the stories of Laura and George separating have surfaced and it remains to be seen who really occupies their new house in Dallas and who stays on the ranch.

Franken Ahead By 225 Votes

Al Franken is ahead by 225 votes after the absentee ballots were counted in Minnesota. Now it is up to the State Supreme Court to make a final ruling about Coleman's request to alter the process and add more absentee ballots to be reconsidered. According to state law there can be no certificate of election until all legal challenges have been settled.

Meanwhile John Cornyn. Chairman of the Republican Senatorial Committee has said he would filibusterer any attempt to seat Franken by the Democrats until an oficial winner is announced.

Man Charged With Assault For Farting At Police

I remember a particularly funny passage in Monty Python and The Holy Grail when the French soldier who stands atop a fortress taunts the Python crusaders by saying "I fart in your general direction!" Well apparently that is a crime in West Virginia.

A man arrested for intoxication while driving was taken into custody. At the police station he lifted his leg and farted, then fanned the odor toward the police officers. He has been charged with assault.

“The gas was very odorous and created contact of an insulting or provoking nature with Patrolman Parsons,” the details of the complaint alleged.

Ann Coulter Still Spewing Venom

The anorexic looking Ms Coulter has written a new missive. This time it slams everything liberal, big surprise! One particularly bitter passage referrs to Michelle Obama and calls her a Jackie O imitator. In the same sentence she refers to the new First Lady as "Mother Teresa".

The substance of her attacks is basicly that Ms. Obama is pretty and she has done good huminitarian work, I guess both of these are sins in the Republican book. Seaking of which, please do not buy this piece of venemous crap!

Surviving the Great Digression

From the day of the Supreme Court ruling that put George W. Bush in office until today, I had the distinct impression that somehow the universe’s time line was interrupted. It seemed as if suddenly we were living in the “Bizarro World” where everything I had taken for granted suddenly changed. That got even stranger after September 11, 2001 and I have lived with that feeling of disorientation until the latest election.

So what does this mean for today and the past year for me and my friends? Well, the past year has brought some interesting asides but little major change. Oh yes, you can get married in Massachusetts and Connecticut and for a short time in California, but other than that, no major strides forward have been made in fundamental LGBT rights. It’s almost as if we were still where we were at the end of the Clinton Presidency in 2000.

The Bush years have been one long digression for LGBT Americans and it’s time that came to an end. Now with the new Obama administration poised to take office I have higher hopes, but I know nothing is set in stone and I suspect nothing will be handed to us on a plate.

LGBT people still lack some of the fundamental rights of being an American citizen, and now that we have exited the Bizarro World, perhaps we can get a few things done. First would be getting rid of the weird double-speak rule of “don’t ask, don’t tell” in the military. It was intended as a compromise for LGBT service people, but instead it has become a Catch-22 that makes it even more difficult to serve the country in the Armed Forces. My hope for the New Year is that DADT will be more closely examined and tossed into the dust bin of history as a “really bad idea” and one that was instituted by a previous Democratic President. (Bush has no lock on Bizarro!)

Next, eliminating the whole “State’s Rights” canard and making our country a more homogeneous place when it comes to having a relationship recognized and having legal rights. The DOMA, Defense of Marriage Act, must go. Ooops! Another Clinton ear hold over!

More fundamentally, we need a Civil Rights act for LGBT people. The struggle for ENDA, the Employment Non-discrimination Act was a start, but ultimately it failed to produce results. It’s time we started getting back to the real “gay agenda”, full citizenship with all the rights and responsibilities that entails. Now that we have a more sympathetic administration coming to Washington, perhaps it’s time for another mass civil action, like the previous Marches on Washington. This time, there will be a Democratically controlled Congress and a Democratic President and just maybe someone will take us seriously.

Whether by design or by accident, LGBT issues have been thrust into the news this year, and the stunning win for Proposition 8 in California might just have finally awakened the spirit that was embodied by the “Girls of Stonewall” and Harvey Milk. I find it inspiring that the wonderful movie about Harvey Milk’s life opened just after the election. Perhaps his life can inspire another generation of LGBT activists to get some changes made.

It’s time we got back to the real time-line and out of the Great Regression of the Bush years. Economically, we have been thrust back to almost the same point we were at when Bush took office. Spiritually, we have been distracted by divisive policies and manipulated by religious bigots using fear and outright lies to divert our journey. Diplomatically, we have squandered the once good name of our country in a profit motivated series of unjust wars. Politically, we have been diverted from our march toward democracy and justice for all that American ideal of “building a more perfect union.”

Perhaps, just perhaps, with continued work and the occasional gentle nudging, LGBT people can realize the full benefits of American Citizenship we were marching closer to prior to the Bush years. I harbor no illusions that the Obama administration will wave a magic wand and magically make everything better. I do believe things will change, but only if we help guide them.

Now, let’s put the Great Digression behind us and get out there and let our voices be heard. It may be time to once again carry the message to our lawmakers in person. Millions of LGBT voices all speaking for the same goal, all insisting on equality and justice. With luck, maybe someone in Washington will take us seriously for a change.

Happy New Year

Looking forward to the new year, I have to believe it can only be better than the past one. At least after January 20 the White House will be home to someone with intelligence and real leadership abilities.

As California moves in to the new year, Proposition 8 will be challenged in the courts and perhaps overturned before it can deny rights to LGBT citizens who have already married legally in that state.

As Texas moves into the new year, we have mixed blessings. On the down side, George Bush is moving to Dallas, or at least Laura is. His "library" will be built at SMU and most likely will become a white elephant, as most of his papers will remained locked away. On the positive side, at least he won't be president.

For me, I look forward to more writing and steady income! I will be lecturing and traveling less, since I only will be attending events that pay for my transportation. I have funded my own travel to these events in the past and it is way too expensive now.

Less travel mean I will be spending more time with my family and friends and sincerely hope they don't get tired of my company.