Oh it's going to be repeated over and over, but how can you avoid it when it's the truth. Mitt Romney lies. And I know there are those who will say, "all politicians lie", but not like this.
Romney filed government documents that show he remained CEO of Bain Capital three years after he says he did. Why does this matter? Well these are SEC documents showing he was the firm's "sole stockholder, chairman of the board, chief executive officer, and president." Meanwhile in a Massachusetts financial disclosure he filed in 2003 showed he was executive in control in 2001 and 2002.
That contradicts what the Romney campaign and Bain have been feeding to the press. Like this one:
"Mitt Romney retired from Bain Capital in February 1999. He has had no
involvement in the management or investment activities of Bain Capital,
or with any of its portfolio companies, since that time."
Except according to legal documents filed with the SEC it isn't true. A lie!
Why does this matter? Well if someone saw the SEC filings and invested in Bain because they believed Romney was CEO then it is deliberate misrepresentation by the company and Romney and that is not legal.
The intricacies of the lie are myriad, but the substance is simple. Romney stayed around at Bain while it bankrupted companies and outsourced thousands of jobs. He either maintained control of Bain Capital or he lied about it. He lied to the SEC or to the Massachusetts Ballot Law Commission and either way it's serious.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Fixing Beliefs - Texas GOP Promotes Ignorance in Their Platform
I was raised to be intellectually curious. My family encouraged me to investigate, explore and learn both with their guidance and on my own. As some of you know, my father was a research scientist, microbiologist and hematologist, so I spent a lot of time hanging around laboratories growing up. Asking “why” was a natural to me as breathing.
Most of my friends when I was a child also shared some of that intellectual curiosity; it was taught to us in school and at home. Critical thinking skills were as important as learning facts and figures. It is what an education is all about, teaching children not just to recite their ABC’s but to actually reason and think on their own.
That is why this clause in the GOP platform struck me as uniquely bone headed and inconceivable.
The idea that challenging students “fixed beliefs” is something bad really floors me. I believe it was Socrates who taught his students by asking questions. Questioning their “fixed beliefs”. That is a technique that worked very well over 2000 years ago and seems to have been the foundation for science, philosophy and even theology for lo these many years. That’s why when the great State of Texas GOP want to toss out the entire purpose of scholarship I get a little testy.
If we abandon critical thinking, we might as well stop innovating and doing any research and development at all. Why question the “fixed beliefs” of anyone? Some people believe the Earth is flat, I suppose the school system under the GOP platform would stop teaching the fact that the Earth is round, to avoid the behavior modification of having a student understand that they will not fall off the edge of the earth if they travel too far east or west.
What is this plank in the otherwise wacko platform really about? Well it is a concession to the folks who are convinced that schools are trying to teach kids all manner of un-biblical facts like the Earth was not created in just 6 “literal” days. Or that all humankind did not descend from Adam and Eve!
What’s worse is that the folks who wrote this tripe most likely have kids that will never attend a public school. Their kids will go to private academies where they are protected from minorities and other undesirable rabble. And that brings me to the real reason for this plank.
For years the GOP has been actively trying to gut the public education system in our state. Their continued call for “vouchers” points to this. They believe in a two tiered education system, though they will never come out and say it that clearly. One tier is private education for the privileged kids who will become the leaders and the other is the public system for the kids who will most likely grow up to be serviceable workers in society. Now before you go calling me a socialist or worse, hear me out.
In South Africa during apartheid, they had a very well organized two tier education system. For whites, a good public education will all the bells and whistles and for blacks and “coloreds” they had the “Bantu Education System”. This appalling system was designed to give its students only enough education to make them useful as low paid workers and underlings. It was one of the most reprehensible components of the apartheid system yet was very effective for its evil purpose.
Transpose that to today, and you see the same mentality being woven into the GOP platform for public education. It is insidious and potentially devastating for our education system which used to be one of the best in the world. Now it is but a shell of that and a large part of it is due to changes imposed by politicians in the guise of “improving accountability” and the latest ploy, preventing the education system from challenging “fixed beliefs”.
You will be hard pressed to find any politician who will admit to this systematic dismantling of public education, but if you look at the facts it is undeniable. Of course that is unless you are already a product of a system that doesn’t challenge your “fixed beliefs”, in which case you most likely never finished this blog.
Most of my friends when I was a child also shared some of that intellectual curiosity; it was taught to us in school and at home. Critical thinking skills were as important as learning facts and figures. It is what an education is all about, teaching children not just to recite their ABC’s but to actually reason and think on their own.
That is why this clause in the GOP platform struck me as uniquely bone headed and inconceivable.
Knowledge-Based Education – We oppose the teaching of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) (values clarification), critical thinking skills and similar programs that are simply a relabeling of Outcome-Based Education (OBE) (mastery learning) which focus on behavior modification and have the purpose of challenging the student’s fixed beliefs and undermining parental authority.Read that gobbledygook again and let the meaning really sink in.
The idea that challenging students “fixed beliefs” is something bad really floors me. I believe it was Socrates who taught his students by asking questions. Questioning their “fixed beliefs”. That is a technique that worked very well over 2000 years ago and seems to have been the foundation for science, philosophy and even theology for lo these many years. That’s why when the great State of Texas GOP want to toss out the entire purpose of scholarship I get a little testy.
If we abandon critical thinking, we might as well stop innovating and doing any research and development at all. Why question the “fixed beliefs” of anyone? Some people believe the Earth is flat, I suppose the school system under the GOP platform would stop teaching the fact that the Earth is round, to avoid the behavior modification of having a student understand that they will not fall off the edge of the earth if they travel too far east or west.
What is this plank in the otherwise wacko platform really about? Well it is a concession to the folks who are convinced that schools are trying to teach kids all manner of un-biblical facts like the Earth was not created in just 6 “literal” days. Or that all humankind did not descend from Adam and Eve!
What’s worse is that the folks who wrote this tripe most likely have kids that will never attend a public school. Their kids will go to private academies where they are protected from minorities and other undesirable rabble. And that brings me to the real reason for this plank.
For years the GOP has been actively trying to gut the public education system in our state. Their continued call for “vouchers” points to this. They believe in a two tiered education system, though they will never come out and say it that clearly. One tier is private education for the privileged kids who will become the leaders and the other is the public system for the kids who will most likely grow up to be serviceable workers in society. Now before you go calling me a socialist or worse, hear me out.
In South Africa during apartheid, they had a very well organized two tier education system. For whites, a good public education will all the bells and whistles and for blacks and “coloreds” they had the “Bantu Education System”. This appalling system was designed to give its students only enough education to make them useful as low paid workers and underlings. It was one of the most reprehensible components of the apartheid system yet was very effective for its evil purpose.
Transpose that to today, and you see the same mentality being woven into the GOP platform for public education. It is insidious and potentially devastating for our education system which used to be one of the best in the world. Now it is but a shell of that and a large part of it is due to changes imposed by politicians in the guise of “improving accountability” and the latest ploy, preventing the education system from challenging “fixed beliefs”.
You will be hard pressed to find any politician who will admit to this systematic dismantling of public education, but if you look at the facts it is undeniable. Of course that is unless you are already a product of a system that doesn’t challenge your “fixed beliefs”, in which case you most likely never finished this blog.
Monday, July 09, 2012
Another Multimillionaire Denounces Citizenship to Horde Money
It's becoming a trend, the ultra rich denouncing their US Citizenship in order to horde more cash. They escape taxes when they leave the country, even though they continue to make money from US investments and from US sources. Some like billionaire Facebook part-owner Eduardo Saverin. He denounced his US citizenship in favor of one from Singapore where he can stash his profits from the sale of Facebook's stock and pay no US taxes.
Second case is Denise Rich, yes the songwriter Denise Rich, whose husband Mark Rich fled the US in 1983 for tax evasion, has decided to take the legal way out. In November, she renounced her citizenship and stashed much of her wealth in the Cook Islands. That tiny South Pacific country has become the new Switzerland for hiding massive amounts of wealth.
The trend has seen 1800 ultra-rich US citizens bail the country to avoid paying their fair share of taxes to the country where they made their billions. Add to this the many companies who shifted their "headquarters" to off shore locations like the Cayman Islands. Because of a nice tax loophole companies having "headquarters" offshore get big tax breaks. There is a building on Grand Cayman housing what some estimate as 12,000 corporations including Coca-Cola and Halliburton. Though not illegal, the practice is a sham and needs to be stopped.
The idea that the super-wealthy are above our laws and are "Citizens of the World" is not new, but when their businesses and investments make their fortunes here, they need to pay their taxes here. Just because they are obscenely rich does not give them any more rights than any other US citizen....oh wait, they are no longer US citizens! See how it works?
Second case is Denise Rich, yes the songwriter Denise Rich, whose husband Mark Rich fled the US in 1983 for tax evasion, has decided to take the legal way out. In November, she renounced her citizenship and stashed much of her wealth in the Cook Islands. That tiny South Pacific country has become the new Switzerland for hiding massive amounts of wealth.
The trend has seen 1800 ultra-rich US citizens bail the country to avoid paying their fair share of taxes to the country where they made their billions. Add to this the many companies who shifted their "headquarters" to off shore locations like the Cayman Islands. Because of a nice tax loophole companies having "headquarters" offshore get big tax breaks. There is a building on Grand Cayman housing what some estimate as 12,000 corporations including Coca-Cola and Halliburton. Though not illegal, the practice is a sham and needs to be stopped.
The idea that the super-wealthy are above our laws and are "Citizens of the World" is not new, but when their businesses and investments make their fortunes here, they need to pay their taxes here. Just because they are obscenely rich does not give them any more rights than any other US citizen....oh wait, they are no longer US citizens! See how it works?
Friday, July 06, 2012
GOP as Organized Crime
Provocative post title isn't it?
Well I came to the realization this morning that it is most likely pretty accurate. Let me explain.
Back in the 1940s just after the war the mob, aka Mafia ran most of the gambling in Cuba. Under the Batista government gambling was a major source of income for the island and Batista took a healthy cut of the profits. In effect the mob controlled some if not all of what the government did in Cuba. They played the long game, slowly gaining more and more influence until they could operate without fear and run casinos and narcotics as they pleased.
Today, corporations have made significant inroads into our government. They write laws under the guise of the American Legislative Exchange Council or ALEC. The GOP has been known to take ALEC documents almost word for word and create laws.
Corporations now have "personhood", a gift bestowed on them by GOP justices on the Supreme Court. A "long game" tactic from the Bush era. The Citizens United ruling allows corporations to slush as much money into political campaigns as they want. Super Pacs are another result of GOP strategy that was set in place by the corporate controlled Supreme Court in 2010.
The GOP once seen as favorable to big business is now completely controlled by big business and is no longer a political party but a policy arm of large corporations. Don't believe me? Can you name a law recently that did not benefit big business directly or indirectly? If you say the Affordable Care Act, you are wrong, it is favorable to insurance companies and in my opinion should have been a federally supervised healthcare insurance program instead.
Meanwhile Mitt Romney, a candidate no GOP pollster wanted is the party's standard bearer. He is a multimillionaire businessman who is not just controlled by big business, he IS big business.
See my point?
I have no problem with corporations, heck I even was on the board of one. But my problem is when these businesses start infiltrating our government to run it for their benefit, not just influence it, but RUN IT!
This has to be stopped, and for now we have the ballot box. You can vote for a corporate takeover of our country or against it. What will you decide?
Well I came to the realization this morning that it is most likely pretty accurate. Let me explain.
Back in the 1940s just after the war the mob, aka Mafia ran most of the gambling in Cuba. Under the Batista government gambling was a major source of income for the island and Batista took a healthy cut of the profits. In effect the mob controlled some if not all of what the government did in Cuba. They played the long game, slowly gaining more and more influence until they could operate without fear and run casinos and narcotics as they pleased.
Today, corporations have made significant inroads into our government. They write laws under the guise of the American Legislative Exchange Council or ALEC. The GOP has been known to take ALEC documents almost word for word and create laws.
Corporations now have "personhood", a gift bestowed on them by GOP justices on the Supreme Court. A "long game" tactic from the Bush era. The Citizens United ruling allows corporations to slush as much money into political campaigns as they want. Super Pacs are another result of GOP strategy that was set in place by the corporate controlled Supreme Court in 2010.
The GOP once seen as favorable to big business is now completely controlled by big business and is no longer a political party but a policy arm of large corporations. Don't believe me? Can you name a law recently that did not benefit big business directly or indirectly? If you say the Affordable Care Act, you are wrong, it is favorable to insurance companies and in my opinion should have been a federally supervised healthcare insurance program instead.
Meanwhile Mitt Romney, a candidate no GOP pollster wanted is the party's standard bearer. He is a multimillionaire businessman who is not just controlled by big business, he IS big business.
See my point?
I have no problem with corporations, heck I even was on the board of one. But my problem is when these businesses start infiltrating our government to run it for their benefit, not just influence it, but RUN IT!
This has to be stopped, and for now we have the ballot box. You can vote for a corporate takeover of our country or against it. What will you decide?
Thursday, July 05, 2012
"Romney=Liar" Keep it Simple!
As a liberal, I am often tempted to try to persuade people with facts and figures. I make the assumption that most liberals and progressives do that "knowledge=enlightenment=voting".
This equation is flawed, fatally. This is a fact that the right-wing found years ago and have abandoned facts for "gut-level" messaging that tugs at peoples hearts and instincts. Truth may or may not be part of it, but all that matters is results.
How do you fight that kind of strategy without succumbing to the same "win at any cost" mentality? You don't. You modify the strategy and use it to your benefit.
We need to keep our messages as simple as possible. Here is a great example.
Romney held a press conference to express his opinion about the Supreme Court decision upholding the Affordable Care Act, something the right-wing has successfully dubbed "Obamacare".
(First rule, never use their framing or you have already lost the argument. So, from here on out I will refer to the law by it's name, the ACA or Affordable Care Act. Whenever you hear someone call it Obamacare, correct them. Simple and direct. Can this make a difference? Sure it can, but wait there's more.)
In that press conference he began by spouting 6 big lies. You can read the details of them here in Lee Saunders column in the Huffington Post.
Now, once you have armed yourself with those facts, and there are many. stash them away and just remember the main point of the whole thing, Romney lies.
Let me make that a simple equation: Romney=Lies.
If you need to back it up with facts, you now have them, but don't start with the facts, start with the premis, Romney=Lies. Once people hear that they will not listen to too much else anyway, and when you start going into details you will loose them completely.
Are people stupid? No, they are not, but they are not used to digging into a detailed analysis of statements by politicians. They don't have time or energy since most folks have real jobs and lives that require most of their attention and energy. That is why sound-bites are so effective. So, keep it simple.
Romney lies. About the ACA, about his job-killing outsourcing, about pretty much everything in order to get elected. Now what do you remember about this blog entry?
Romney lies.
This equation is flawed, fatally. This is a fact that the right-wing found years ago and have abandoned facts for "gut-level" messaging that tugs at peoples hearts and instincts. Truth may or may not be part of it, but all that matters is results.
How do you fight that kind of strategy without succumbing to the same "win at any cost" mentality? You don't. You modify the strategy and use it to your benefit.
We need to keep our messages as simple as possible. Here is a great example.
Romney held a press conference to express his opinion about the Supreme Court decision upholding the Affordable Care Act, something the right-wing has successfully dubbed "Obamacare".
(First rule, never use their framing or you have already lost the argument. So, from here on out I will refer to the law by it's name, the ACA or Affordable Care Act. Whenever you hear someone call it Obamacare, correct them. Simple and direct. Can this make a difference? Sure it can, but wait there's more.)
In that press conference he began by spouting 6 big lies. You can read the details of them here in Lee Saunders column in the Huffington Post.
Now, once you have armed yourself with those facts, and there are many. stash them away and just remember the main point of the whole thing, Romney lies.
Let me make that a simple equation: Romney=Lies.
If you need to back it up with facts, you now have them, but don't start with the facts, start with the premis, Romney=Lies. Once people hear that they will not listen to too much else anyway, and when you start going into details you will loose them completely.
Are people stupid? No, they are not, but they are not used to digging into a detailed analysis of statements by politicians. They don't have time or energy since most folks have real jobs and lives that require most of their attention and energy. That is why sound-bites are so effective. So, keep it simple.
Romney lies. About the ACA, about his job-killing outsourcing, about pretty much everything in order to get elected. Now what do you remember about this blog entry?
Romney lies.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Right Wing War on Sex
It's become common to hear politicians talk about the GOP "War on Women" and though it makes for a great sound bite, the truth is much deeper.
In our country there is actually a war of sex. Since the 1920s women have asserted their rights to choose who they have sex with and when they have it. It started with the "free love" movement and really came into blossom after oral contraceptives became readily and legally available in the 1960s. When the Supreme Cort ruled in Griswold v. Connecticut that citizens had a right to privacy and essentially removed any barrier to obtaining contraceptives.
Everyone knows about the 1960s, when the sexual revolution really began. Not only were women exercising their new found freedom, but LGBT people stood up and proudly proclaimed they were going to take the fight for sexual freedom to the streets.
The problem is the whole idea that sex could be something more than an act for procreation angered and scared a lot of people, mostly men. If women could control their own bodies, that meant men could not control women. Moreover it meant that women could enjoy and explore their own sexuality with or without men. Scary stuff for some people!
This battle against sex has deep roots and it is driven by the insecurity and immaturity of a lot of men and some women. Until we begin realizing what the real motive is from the right wing, to "stop sex for any other reason than procreation", we will be tilting at windmills.
The fundamentalists, the right wing politicians and the like are threatened by your sexual freedom, and they want to gain control over it once again. They see your sexual freedom as a vital link towards gaining more power and power is an amazing aphrodisiac for them. Think about it.
If you want more information about your sexual freedoms and the continuing fight go to Woodhull Sexual Freedom Alliance and get much more information.
In our country there is actually a war of sex. Since the 1920s women have asserted their rights to choose who they have sex with and when they have it. It started with the "free love" movement and really came into blossom after oral contraceptives became readily and legally available in the 1960s. When the Supreme Cort ruled in Griswold v. Connecticut that citizens had a right to privacy and essentially removed any barrier to obtaining contraceptives.
Everyone knows about the 1960s, when the sexual revolution really began. Not only were women exercising their new found freedom, but LGBT people stood up and proudly proclaimed they were going to take the fight for sexual freedom to the streets.
The problem is the whole idea that sex could be something more than an act for procreation angered and scared a lot of people, mostly men. If women could control their own bodies, that meant men could not control women. Moreover it meant that women could enjoy and explore their own sexuality with or without men. Scary stuff for some people!
This battle against sex has deep roots and it is driven by the insecurity and immaturity of a lot of men and some women. Until we begin realizing what the real motive is from the right wing, to "stop sex for any other reason than procreation", we will be tilting at windmills.
The fundamentalists, the right wing politicians and the like are threatened by your sexual freedom, and they want to gain control over it once again. They see your sexual freedom as a vital link towards gaining more power and power is an amazing aphrodisiac for them. Think about it.
If you want more information about your sexual freedoms and the continuing fight go to Woodhull Sexual Freedom Alliance and get much more information.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Ex-Gay Group Slinks Back from Reparative Therapy
It seems that Exodus International, the Christian extremist group that is best known for their "pray away the gay" ideals, is distancing itself from the idea that individuals can change their sexual orientation. Seems strange for an "ex-gay ministry" but apparently reality has caught up with them.
Alan Chambers, president of the group, told The Associated Press on Tuesday, "I do not believe that cure is a word that is applicable to really any struggle, homosexuality included."
He continued with this significant line, "For someone to put out a shingle and say, `I can cure homosexuality', that to me is as bizarre as someone saying they can cure any other common temptation or struggle that anyone faces on Planet Earth."
Wow! I feel the ground shifting and have to wonder if the next step in the Exodus saga is their final acceptance of being gay as a God-given gift, just like heterosexuality. The jury is still out on that one.
Alan Chambers, president of the group, told The Associated Press on Tuesday, "I do not believe that cure is a word that is applicable to really any struggle, homosexuality included."
He continued with this significant line, "For someone to put out a shingle and say, `I can cure homosexuality', that to me is as bizarre as someone saying they can cure any other common temptation or struggle that anyone faces on Planet Earth."
Wow! I feel the ground shifting and have to wonder if the next step in the Exodus saga is their final acceptance of being gay as a God-given gift, just like heterosexuality. The jury is still out on that one.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Cities Sell Out To Corporations
Seems Brazil, Indiana was out of money and couldn't afford to keep up parts of its infrastructure, so they turned to the private sector and the result was sponsored fire plugs with KFC buckets on top of them.
Now though it might be seen as an innovative way to support the fire department, I find it pretty sad. At this rate every single inch of space in public parks, buildings and infrastructure will be plastered with advertising. If the quality of our lives any better because of this? Personally, I think it's just sad. The result of outsourced jobs and industries, refusal to raise taxes and overall economic malaise has led to the sell out of America.
Happy 160th Birthday Antoni Gaudi
As a teenager I was fascinated with architecture, especially modern architecture. I read everything I could about Frank Lloyd Wright, and Mies Van De Rhoe, but the man who intrigued me was one of the forerunners of these men. Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi was a product of the 19th century, but his work still inspires today.
His style had elements of the Art Nouveau school while maintaining his own quirky and richly organic style. His crowning masterpiece, a structure still being completed was the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia. It soars like a cathedral, but seems to have grown from the earth like some kind of living organism. Words fail to describe it.
The website for the building is here. It's in Spanish, but the images are universal. Enjoy!
His style had elements of the Art Nouveau school while maintaining his own quirky and richly organic style. His crowning masterpiece, a structure still being completed was the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia. It soars like a cathedral, but seems to have grown from the earth like some kind of living organism. Words fail to describe it.
The website for the building is here. It's in Spanish, but the images are universal. Enjoy!
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Monday, June 18, 2012
The Myth of the Gay Agenda - Video
I saw this on Joe.My.God and had to share it. LZ Granderson gives a TED talk about the "evil gay lifestyle". Watch it!
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
TSA and the Growing Cream Cheese Threat
I had overlooked this little gem. Seems TSA or at least some TSA agents now feel that cream cheese is uber-dangerous. The story about a traveler who was bringing home bagels and cream cheese and had her cream cheese confiscated is another example of the TSA theater that is doing so much to convince us they are protecting us, without doing much to really protect the flying public.
Silly procedures like removing shoes is another example of the useless measures taken by TSA. Adults have to remove shoes when traveling and have them screened. Kids get a pass. Why?
And what about underwear? The reason for shoe removal has been given as the thwarted "shoe-bomber" a few years ago. We had an "underwear-bomber" too, but I don't see TSA demanding we remove undergarments before flying. Why? Because they know it doesn't matter. The whole screening is a good thing, but the measures taken by TSA are not effective. Time and time again news stories surface of people beating the security measures by doing something as simple as moving a metal object to their side instead of front pocket.
And then there is the 3 ounce rule. How does a zip lock plastic baggie provide any protection against some kind of chemical mischief in three containers under 3 ounces? Mix them together and you have 9 ounces, is that a critical mass for something? Nonsense. Why can I buy 12 ounce bottled drinks inside the airport? Are you telling me every one of those is removed from it's container and analyzed prior to sale?
I do believe we need rational screening at airports, the bad guys have already shown us that, but the expensive machines that don't work and silly rules that are absolutely arbitrary do nothing to enhance our safety and just make the TSA and the whole program look foolish and annoying.
As I travel tomorrow, I feel pretty sure I will have to remove my belt and boots and who knows whatever before boarding the plane. Does it make me feel safer? Nope. Because I know if someone with a nasty plan ends up getting all the way to the airport, they are more likely to be stopped by the passengers than TSA. Check the records, the last few major plots were foiled by passengers not official security and that is both comforting and disturbing.
Pleasant flights!
Silly procedures like removing shoes is another example of the useless measures taken by TSA. Adults have to remove shoes when traveling and have them screened. Kids get a pass. Why?
And what about underwear? The reason for shoe removal has been given as the thwarted "shoe-bomber" a few years ago. We had an "underwear-bomber" too, but I don't see TSA demanding we remove undergarments before flying. Why? Because they know it doesn't matter. The whole screening is a good thing, but the measures taken by TSA are not effective. Time and time again news stories surface of people beating the security measures by doing something as simple as moving a metal object to their side instead of front pocket.
And then there is the 3 ounce rule. How does a zip lock plastic baggie provide any protection against some kind of chemical mischief in three containers under 3 ounces? Mix them together and you have 9 ounces, is that a critical mass for something? Nonsense. Why can I buy 12 ounce bottled drinks inside the airport? Are you telling me every one of those is removed from it's container and analyzed prior to sale?
I do believe we need rational screening at airports, the bad guys have already shown us that, but the expensive machines that don't work and silly rules that are absolutely arbitrary do nothing to enhance our safety and just make the TSA and the whole program look foolish and annoying.
As I travel tomorrow, I feel pretty sure I will have to remove my belt and boots and who knows whatever before boarding the plane. Does it make me feel safer? Nope. Because I know if someone with a nasty plan ends up getting all the way to the airport, they are more likely to be stopped by the passengers than TSA. Check the records, the last few major plots were foiled by passengers not official security and that is both comforting and disturbing.
Pleasant flights!
Friday, June 08, 2012
UN Monitors Note "Smell of Burnt Dead Bodies" in Syria
While we have been busy here in the US watching the burlesque show that is our political primary season, the citizens of Syria have been suffering under the heel of a tyrant. Bashar Hafez al-Assad, current president of Syria will most likely go down in history along side such illustrious company as Hosni Mubarak, Saddam Hussein and Adolph Hitler.
His response to the populist uprising in Syria has brought untold suffering to the citizens, and as the conflict between rebels and the government forces continues, hundreds are dying each day. In April, the United Nations estimated that more than 9,000 people have been killed, but activists say the number is closer to 13,000.
The latest outrage comes as UN monitors entered a farming village of Mazraat al-Qubair this week to find almost 80 people dead and body parts strewn on the ground. "You can smell the burnt smell of the dead bodies," said Sausan Ghosheh, spokeswoman of the U.N. observers.
This confirmation of the carnage being wrought by the Syrian government should move the world into action. al-Assadmust be forced to step down and stop the needless killing. Sign the petition to ask President Obama to send aid and try to intervene.
His response to the populist uprising in Syria has brought untold suffering to the citizens, and as the conflict between rebels and the government forces continues, hundreds are dying each day. In April, the United Nations estimated that more than 9,000 people have been killed, but activists say the number is closer to 13,000.
The latest outrage comes as UN monitors entered a farming village of Mazraat al-Qubair this week to find almost 80 people dead and body parts strewn on the ground. "You can smell the burnt smell of the dead bodies," said Sausan Ghosheh, spokeswoman of the U.N. observers.
This confirmation of the carnage being wrought by the Syrian government should move the world into action. al-Assadmust be forced to step down and stop the needless killing. Sign the petition to ask President Obama to send aid and try to intervene.
Wednesday, June 06, 2012
Cool Time-Lapse of Venus Transit
Very nifty NASA footage of the transit of Venus across the face of the Sun.
Monday, June 04, 2012
Chasing Voter Fraud a Fraud Itself
The whole "we're purging voter roles to prevent voter fraud" is in itself a fraud. Recently when conservative think tank "expert", Brian Darling was asked to cite specific examples of this activity, he couldn't. The truth is voter fraud is pretty rare and the "purge the roles" initiatives especially in Florida is a political dirty trick to disenfranchise potential Democrat voters.
The urban myth that there are hundreds of dead people still voting is BS. Conservative "gotcha" video producer James O'Keefe supposedly exposed voter fraud in North Carolina. He "exposes" non-citizens like Zbigniew Gorzkowski who have voted in recent elections. The problem: Gorzkowski is an American citizen.
This and other examples are canards being used by the GOP to fire up the base and demand stronger laws against voter fraud. The problem is, voter fraud is not widespread and is very rare. Odds are higher being struck by lightning!
The urban myth that there are hundreds of dead people still voting is BS. Conservative "gotcha" video producer James O'Keefe supposedly exposed voter fraud in North Carolina. He "exposes" non-citizens like Zbigniew Gorzkowski who have voted in recent elections. The problem: Gorzkowski is an American citizen.
This and other examples are canards being used by the GOP to fire up the base and demand stronger laws against voter fraud. The problem is, voter fraud is not widespread and is very rare. Odds are higher being struck by lightning!
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Department of Justice Stops Florida From Purging Eligible Voters
The GOP, party of illegal and very dirty tricks has been foiled in their latest dirty plot. The Secretary of State of Florida was trying to purge eligible voters form the roles. This process is targeted at minority voters and people who would potentially be voting Democratic. Despicable and they have been caught in the act. The letter from the Department of Justice is here.
This could have thrown the election into question and tilt things to favor the GOP in normally Democratic districts. They have been foiled, for now.
This could have thrown the election into question and tilt things to favor the GOP in normally Democratic districts. They have been foiled, for now.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Is Disco Dying Out?
The light show was really hitting it’s stride and music was pounding out of the massive sound system. Dancers twirling fans had jumped atop the subwoofer boxes and were working up a sweat. My leather jacket was way too warm for dance apparel but it didn’t matter, the music and the motion of the crowd drove me to the dance floor.
Could have been last weekend, but it was 1979 and Donna Summer was singing “Bad Girls” over the speakers of the old Village Station disco. Yes, leathermen did dance back then.
Now, the voice that drove the mood of dance floors across the country is stilled. Donna Summer, the Queen of Disco died of lung cancer at age 63. That was a couple of weeks ago, then came news of Robin Gibb, one of the last two of the BeeGees had died as well. Another voice from the Disco era gone.
Some would be quick to declare Disco is now officially dead, yet with the exception of the songs, the beat of the music hasn’t changed much. The sound and lights are more sophisticated, but the dance floor is still crowded on most weekend nights and occasionally a voice from the past electrifies the crowd as Cher belts out another hit.
Disco is not dead, it just changes. The basic formula for disco is the same, great sound system, popular music, dazzling lights and the company of hundreds of sweaty dancing bodies. When that dies, the Mayans may be right.
Could have been last weekend, but it was 1979 and Donna Summer was singing “Bad Girls” over the speakers of the old Village Station disco. Yes, leathermen did dance back then.
Now, the voice that drove the mood of dance floors across the country is stilled. Donna Summer, the Queen of Disco died of lung cancer at age 63. That was a couple of weeks ago, then came news of Robin Gibb, one of the last two of the BeeGees had died as well. Another voice from the Disco era gone.
Some would be quick to declare Disco is now officially dead, yet with the exception of the songs, the beat of the music hasn’t changed much. The sound and lights are more sophisticated, but the dance floor is still crowded on most weekend nights and occasionally a voice from the past electrifies the crowd as Cher belts out another hit.
Disco is not dead, it just changes. The basic formula for disco is the same, great sound system, popular music, dazzling lights and the company of hundreds of sweaty dancing bodies. When that dies, the Mayans may be right.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
NOM Strategy Not Working - African American Support for Same-Sex Marriage Growing
I hope Maggie Gallagher is in a tizzy. The National Organization for Marriage - a hate group dedicated to denying LGBT people equal rights, is failing. Their strategy, detailed in previously secret documents, was to drive a wedge between the African American community and LGBT community. According to the latest ABC/Washington Post poll it isn't working. Support for same-sex marriage has risen to 59% in the African American community.
For the first time, the number of Americans who “strongly” support marriage also (39 percent) outweighs the number who “strongly” oppose it (32 percent).
For the first time, the number of Americans who “strongly” support marriage also (39 percent) outweighs the number who “strongly” oppose it (32 percent).
Sunday, May 20, 2012
CBS News Finally Reports How Dire Climate Change Situation Really is
When CBS news, a tool of the Viacom conglomerate is reporting how dire the situation for climate change is it's time people took notice. We are at or perhaps past a tipping point in global warming. State Farm wont sell insurance in coastal areas, because they know it will get worse for those living along endangered coastlines. We just lived through the hottest 12 months on record... ever! Wake up and smell the oven!
Friday, May 18, 2012
Nutty Former Navy Chaplin Says Gay Demons Can Infect Animals
Occasionally I have to have a chuckle at the hate mongers out there. Take this guy for example,
former Navy Chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt, who put forth a strange argument on a progressive talk show. His twisted logic goes this way. Gays get that way because they have been persuaded by a "marketing scheme" and are recruited to homosexuality.
When asked why there are over 4000 other species that display homosexual traits he uses the example of Jesus casting out demons into Swine.
When asked why there are over 4000 other species that display homosexual traits he uses the example of Jesus casting out demons into Swine.
"It is entirely possible — we know from the Bible, for example, when Jesus cast the devil out of Legion, he went into a herd of pigs,” Klingenschmitt said. “So, it is possible for demons or the devil to inhabit or invade animals just the same way they invade humans, and that causes the sin of lust"Watch and please restrain yourself from throwing a brick through your screen.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Mississippi Lawmaker - Coat Hanger Abortions are OK
Mississippi proudly marches backwards in time as Mississippi State Representative Bubba Carpenter tells his audience when talking about poor women performing self-abortions with coat hangers, "We have to start somewhere." These yokels will do anything to get the fundamentalist vote, even sacrifice the lives of pregnant women, but only if they are poor. Appalling!
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Christmas in New York - 2035
As I sit here on the Battery Dikes and look out over New York Harbor, I am amazed I am still alive. At the ripe old age of 85, I am still traveling and speaking and sometimes even playing tourist with my boy, a senior himself.
My eyesight is not as good, but I can still see the Statue of Liberty rising from the waters of the harbor, her pedestal now converted to a dock for the tour boats that visit the aging monument. I still remember taking the J train to Coney Island for a dinner at Garguilos on West 15th. Of course that is all gone now. What land is left there is mostly estuary and marsh and the wind turbines that power much of Brooklyn slowly spin in choreographed motion.
My boy hugs my shoulder as I reminisce and soon we decide to head uptown for dinner. The walled lower Manhattan area is busy during the day, but not much good for an evening meal. “If only the people in these buildings had listened to scientists and not Fox News,” I say as I shrug my shoulders.
The boy clucks and shakes his head. “Greed always seems to win out.” He is still a bit of a cynic and frankly so am I.
It’s getting colder and for us desert dwellers from Dallas the chill in the air is unfamiliar. It reminds me of my youth, when we had all four seasons in Texas and the dusty plains were lush with vegetation and grazing cattle. Now just a distant memory.
Tomorrow, we will watch the Macy's Parade as they carry the big balloons down the street like huge beach balls past the crowds. Most of the kids never saw them when they flew overhead filled with the rare gas we wasted so quickly.
(Sorry to be so morose, but I have come to believe that we have passed the tipping point on climate change, so we had better adapt or we will not survive. The truth has become not just inconvenient but entirely conceivable.)
My eyesight is not as good, but I can still see the Statue of Liberty rising from the waters of the harbor, her pedestal now converted to a dock for the tour boats that visit the aging monument. I still remember taking the J train to Coney Island for a dinner at Garguilos on West 15th. Of course that is all gone now. What land is left there is mostly estuary and marsh and the wind turbines that power much of Brooklyn slowly spin in choreographed motion.
My boy hugs my shoulder as I reminisce and soon we decide to head uptown for dinner. The walled lower Manhattan area is busy during the day, but not much good for an evening meal. “If only the people in these buildings had listened to scientists and not Fox News,” I say as I shrug my shoulders.
The boy clucks and shakes his head. “Greed always seems to win out.” He is still a bit of a cynic and frankly so am I.
It’s getting colder and for us desert dwellers from Dallas the chill in the air is unfamiliar. It reminds me of my youth, when we had all four seasons in Texas and the dusty plains were lush with vegetation and grazing cattle. Now just a distant memory.
Tomorrow, we will watch the Macy's Parade as they carry the big balloons down the street like huge beach balls past the crowds. Most of the kids never saw them when they flew overhead filled with the rare gas we wasted so quickly.
(Sorry to be so morose, but I have come to believe that we have passed the tipping point on climate change, so we had better adapt or we will not survive. The truth has become not just inconvenient but entirely conceivable.)
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
Detroit Dungeon Party Taped on Hidden Camera by TV Station
What happens when you invite a TV reporter to a dungeon play party? You end up on TV and in the middle of a real media circus.
In Detroit, a reporter for the NBC affiliate, WDIV got invited to a local play party as he was investigating a murder. The suspect in the case was a participant in the BDSM community, but the murder was not BDSM related and in fact may be a murder for hire committed by a third party. The story is still developing, but the damage to the local BDSM scene has already happened.
The report which played last night on Detroit TV had little to do with the murder or the suspect other than to lean heavily on his involvement with BDSM. The majority of the piece was blurry video with lurid descriptions of the activities that take place at the party. Now to those in the community, these are almost commonplace, but when sensationalized, and in this case really sensationalized it seems dangerous and scary, especially to vanilla folk.
To make things worse the report gave the address of the party, a local VFW hall. All the footage of the event was shot with a hidden camera, so the participants did not know they were being filmed. Luckily the TV station blurred out all the faces but to the participants it must have felt like a violation of their privacy, and it was just that.
The report added no new information to the story of the suspect murder and was designed specifically to scare people with the “debauchery” going on in the peaceful suburban neighborhood. Never mind the fact that this party has been happening on a regular basis for a long time with no complaints, it is great stuff for ratings and TV news is all about ratings.
Now lots of people who attended that party are frightened, perhaps more than the viewers who saw the shadowy figures and blurred video on TV. They are afraid of being “outed” as kinky. Sadly in this country “kinky” is not a protected class and often people lose their families and jobs by being exposed.
The fears of the BDSM community in Detroit may be unfounded, but the hubbub this incident has caused should give people a few valuable lessons. If you are not “out” as kinky, then you need to make sure any event you attend is really a private party. That means invited folk only and/or all participants have signed some sort of release that assures they are not offended by the activities taking place and agree not to photograph or reveal names and identities of any other attendees. These are pretty standard at most play parties, but apparently in Detroit they were not used.
Secondly, do not invite the press to a play party! News folk look for sensational images, specifically TV journalists and whips and crosses make for sensational images, even if the reality of a play party is far from the imagined images vanilla people might have in their minds. Additionally, once the press splashes something like this all over peoples TV screens, some folks will complain to local authorities and next thing you know, the police are visiting any event that looks remotely out of the norm. In most cases what we do in a dungeon might not be illegal, but police will arrest first and ask questions later. I would not be surprised if a wave of “vice” operations followed closely on the heels of this report in Detroit.
The unintended consequences of this might be very severe for some people and that is what makes this even worse.
Now, to be honest, most cities have some kind of BDSM activity going on, and the police and authorities are not blind to it. I have spoken with law enforcement people about this and to a great extent their attitude is, if no one is getting hurt and there is not any prostitution going on they have bigger fish to fry. The difference in Detroit may be the murder investigation and just how much involvement BDSM may play in the crime. My suspicion is it is completely tangential, but that is for the police and courts to find out.
Meanwhile, kinky folk in Detroit should take a deep breath and then use some common sense next time they get an inquiry from a reporter about attending a party.
We don’t want to scare the Muggles!
In Detroit, a reporter for the NBC affiliate, WDIV got invited to a local play party as he was investigating a murder. The suspect in the case was a participant in the BDSM community, but the murder was not BDSM related and in fact may be a murder for hire committed by a third party. The story is still developing, but the damage to the local BDSM scene has already happened.
The report which played last night on Detroit TV had little to do with the murder or the suspect other than to lean heavily on his involvement with BDSM. The majority of the piece was blurry video with lurid descriptions of the activities that take place at the party. Now to those in the community, these are almost commonplace, but when sensationalized, and in this case really sensationalized it seems dangerous and scary, especially to vanilla folk.
To make things worse the report gave the address of the party, a local VFW hall. All the footage of the event was shot with a hidden camera, so the participants did not know they were being filmed. Luckily the TV station blurred out all the faces but to the participants it must have felt like a violation of their privacy, and it was just that.
The report added no new information to the story of the suspect murder and was designed specifically to scare people with the “debauchery” going on in the peaceful suburban neighborhood. Never mind the fact that this party has been happening on a regular basis for a long time with no complaints, it is great stuff for ratings and TV news is all about ratings.
Now lots of people who attended that party are frightened, perhaps more than the viewers who saw the shadowy figures and blurred video on TV. They are afraid of being “outed” as kinky. Sadly in this country “kinky” is not a protected class and often people lose their families and jobs by being exposed.
The fears of the BDSM community in Detroit may be unfounded, but the hubbub this incident has caused should give people a few valuable lessons. If you are not “out” as kinky, then you need to make sure any event you attend is really a private party. That means invited folk only and/or all participants have signed some sort of release that assures they are not offended by the activities taking place and agree not to photograph or reveal names and identities of any other attendees. These are pretty standard at most play parties, but apparently in Detroit they were not used.
Secondly, do not invite the press to a play party! News folk look for sensational images, specifically TV journalists and whips and crosses make for sensational images, even if the reality of a play party is far from the imagined images vanilla people might have in their minds. Additionally, once the press splashes something like this all over peoples TV screens, some folks will complain to local authorities and next thing you know, the police are visiting any event that looks remotely out of the norm. In most cases what we do in a dungeon might not be illegal, but police will arrest first and ask questions later. I would not be surprised if a wave of “vice” operations followed closely on the heels of this report in Detroit.
The unintended consequences of this might be very severe for some people and that is what makes this even worse.
Now, to be honest, most cities have some kind of BDSM activity going on, and the police and authorities are not blind to it. I have spoken with law enforcement people about this and to a great extent their attitude is, if no one is getting hurt and there is not any prostitution going on they have bigger fish to fry. The difference in Detroit may be the murder investigation and just how much involvement BDSM may play in the crime. My suspicion is it is completely tangential, but that is for the police and courts to find out.
Meanwhile, kinky folk in Detroit should take a deep breath and then use some common sense next time they get an inquiry from a reporter about attending a party.
We don’t want to scare the Muggles!
Friday, May 04, 2012
Don't Say Gay - A Plot to Make LGBT People Invisible
My family roots go back to “The Old Country” on my father’s side and the hills of Tennessee on my mother’s side, so it is no surprise that my ears perk up whenever news comes from the Volunteer State. Lately that news has been disturbing. The legislature of Tennessee has crafted what is being called the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. It is a measure that would eliminate any discussion of LGBT people in Tennessee classrooms of any discussion of sexual activity that is not related to “natural human reproduction science”. The good thing is it won’t become law because it will not come to a vote.
Now the Show Me state has taken up the cause and is pushing a similar bill that would make LGBT topics illegal in public schools and prohibit teachers from addressing bullying based on sexual orientation. You can expect Texas to follow suit if these bills are signed into law.
Though they would seem just another attempt by the prudish people to impose their stiff morality on everyone else, they are actually something much more insidious. The people writing these bills, and trust me it is not the legislators themselves, are trying to erase LGBT people from history.
It’s no secret that the younger generation of American’s is much more accepting of LGBT people than their parents. They have been raised in a world where they can see everyday examples of lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgender folk all around them. Because more and more LGBT people choose to live openly and proud, their lives are visible examples to everyone. That growing acceptance sticks in the craw of bigoted people, who realize that their prejudices are going to die off with their generation. That’s what these new laws are really about, perpetuating prejudice.
They are trying to make LGBT people invisible again, just as they were in the 1950s and 60s. They want to marginalize us in the minds of their children so that we will seem strange and frightening.
It’s all about loosing one of the last bogeymen the right wing has left and that is vitally important to their survival. The movement which masquerades as “conservative” today is in actually a far-right fear-based religion. They cling to a belief that the world is one of evil and good, black and white and for that kind of system you need clearly defined roles.
Naturally, they assume that they are the good and righteous folks, therefore anyone who is remotely different or outside their norm must be evil. It requires a scapegoat, someone to embody the bad and since it has become culturally impossible to use racial minorities like they once did, they turn to us. To the people writing these laws, LGBT people are a threat and we must be eliminated, of not in reality at least in perception. They have to keep us invisible to continue to affirm their righteousness.
If you want proof, just listen to Representative Joey Hensley (R), the Tennessee bill’s sponsor. “I have two children - in the third and fourth-grade - and don’t want them to be exposed to things I don’t agree with.”
The key word there is “agree”. Teaching about LGBT people means believing we are part of the fabric of our nation. He doesn’t agree with that idea. The problem is we are here and a constant reminder that whether he believes we exist or not, our rights are every bit as “self-evident” as any other American’s. He wants his children to live in the same cognitive dissonance that he does. Rep. Hensley and others like him want to make our very existence a matter of opinion.
The good news is that if this whole thing is boiled down to opinions, the more LGBT people who are visible, the harder it will be to maintain the illusion that we don’t exist. The good news is that children are a lot smarter than these yokels think and no matter how much smoke and how many mirrors they try to throw up, we are not going away. Kids know this and eventually they will begin asking why mommy and daddy can’t see the gay people like they can.
Now the Show Me state has taken up the cause and is pushing a similar bill that would make LGBT topics illegal in public schools and prohibit teachers from addressing bullying based on sexual orientation. You can expect Texas to follow suit if these bills are signed into law.
Though they would seem just another attempt by the prudish people to impose their stiff morality on everyone else, they are actually something much more insidious. The people writing these bills, and trust me it is not the legislators themselves, are trying to erase LGBT people from history.
It’s no secret that the younger generation of American’s is much more accepting of LGBT people than their parents. They have been raised in a world where they can see everyday examples of lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgender folk all around them. Because more and more LGBT people choose to live openly and proud, their lives are visible examples to everyone. That growing acceptance sticks in the craw of bigoted people, who realize that their prejudices are going to die off with their generation. That’s what these new laws are really about, perpetuating prejudice.
They are trying to make LGBT people invisible again, just as they were in the 1950s and 60s. They want to marginalize us in the minds of their children so that we will seem strange and frightening.
It’s all about loosing one of the last bogeymen the right wing has left and that is vitally important to their survival. The movement which masquerades as “conservative” today is in actually a far-right fear-based religion. They cling to a belief that the world is one of evil and good, black and white and for that kind of system you need clearly defined roles.
Naturally, they assume that they are the good and righteous folks, therefore anyone who is remotely different or outside their norm must be evil. It requires a scapegoat, someone to embody the bad and since it has become culturally impossible to use racial minorities like they once did, they turn to us. To the people writing these laws, LGBT people are a threat and we must be eliminated, of not in reality at least in perception. They have to keep us invisible to continue to affirm their righteousness.
If you want proof, just listen to Representative Joey Hensley (R), the Tennessee bill’s sponsor. “I have two children - in the third and fourth-grade - and don’t want them to be exposed to things I don’t agree with.”
The key word there is “agree”. Teaching about LGBT people means believing we are part of the fabric of our nation. He doesn’t agree with that idea. The problem is we are here and a constant reminder that whether he believes we exist or not, our rights are every bit as “self-evident” as any other American’s. He wants his children to live in the same cognitive dissonance that he does. Rep. Hensley and others like him want to make our very existence a matter of opinion.
The good news is that if this whole thing is boiled down to opinions, the more LGBT people who are visible, the harder it will be to maintain the illusion that we don’t exist. The good news is that children are a lot smarter than these yokels think and no matter how much smoke and how many mirrors they try to throw up, we are not going away. Kids know this and eventually they will begin asking why mommy and daddy can’t see the gay people like they can.
Wednesday, May 02, 2012
Pastor Who Endorsed Child Abuse Now Backtracks
Most everyone has heard the angry words of Pastor Sean Harris as he screeched against children who appeared the least bit gay. Apparently the media spotlight is too hot for Sean and he has tried to distance himself from what he actually said. First of all here is a transcript of the particularly fiery portion of his "sermon".
So your little son starts to act a little girlish when he is four years old and instead of squashing that like a cockroach and saying, “Man up, son, get that dress off you and get outside and dig a ditch, because that is what boys do,” you get out the camera and you start taking pictures of Johnny acting like a female and then you upload it to YouTube and everybody laughs about it and the next thing you know, this dude, this kid is acting out childhood fantasies that should have been squashed.Lets compare that with his apology in which he lies about not having said the previous statements.
Can I make it any clearer? Dads, the second you see your son dropping the limp wrist, you walk over there and crack that wrist. Man up. Give him a good punch. Ok? You are not going to act like that. You were made by God to be a male and you are going to be a male. And when your daughter starts acting to Butch you reign her in. And you say, “Oh, no, sweetheart. You can play sports. Play them to the glory of God. But sometimes you are going to act like a girl and walk like a girl and talk like a girl and smell like a girl and that means you are going to be beautiful. You are going to be attractive. You are going to dress yourself up.”
You say, “Can I take charge like that as a parent?”
Yeah, you can. You are authorized. I just gave you a special dispensation this morning to do that."
For the record, I want to ensure everyone that I do NOT believe physical force is capable of fixing effeminate behavior or homosexual behavior. Parents should not punch babies or children....Funny, when I read these statements they directly contradict each other. Either he meant it or not. Seems like he is breaking one of the Ten Commandments here....wonder which one?
I would never advocate for such discipline or actions on behalf of a father or mother. I misspoke. Hopefully, you understood that I was speaking in a forceful manner to emphasize the degree to which gender distinctions matter to God; and therefore, must matter to each of us and especially parents.
Tuesday, May 01, 2012
Role Play Abduction Mistaken for Real Thing
This is something I warn people about in my "Abduction and Interrogation" classes and now I have a real-world example to point to. A Portland couple wanted to spice up their love life with a little role play. Nothing wrong with that, but when the police found her naked and bound in the back of the car, well they naturally assumed there was a crime in progress.
The charges of kidnapping were dropped after a judge heard their story, but they still got a charge of disorderly conduct and hefty lawyer fees. Take this story to heart if you are planning to play on this edge. Though this happened back on Valentine's Day, it is a timeless story.
The charges of kidnapping were dropped after a judge heard their story, but they still got a charge of disorderly conduct and hefty lawyer fees. Take this story to heart if you are planning to play on this edge. Though this happened back on Valentine's Day, it is a timeless story.
Mitt's Swiss Bank Account - New Obama Ad
This ad is about as hard hitting as they come. Glad to see it, too! If you want to talk about class warfare, look no further than the Republican nominee and the reality of it becomes clear.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Republican War on Women is Real
Deny it if you will but the latest vote to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act is dramatic proof of the intsitutionalized misogyny in the GOP. The bill passed with 31 nay votes and all of them came from Republican men. If anyone asks you for proof of the War on Women, give them that statistic.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Pennsylvania Will Get First Openly Gay State Legislator
Brian Sims tonight has won the Democratic primary in his
Philadelphia district and will become Pennsylvania’s first openly gay
state representative. He won over a longtime incumbent and faces no Republican challenger in November.
More from Gay Politics.
More from Gay Politics.
Andrea Bocelli - Con te Partiro (Video)
I heard this again this morning in the car on the way to work and had forgotten how stunningly beautiful his voice is. Enjoy!
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Amendment One in North Carolina Will Hurt More Than Just LGBT People - Video.
The amendment being voted on in North Carolina was designed by ultra-conservatives to stop anything that resembled same-sex marriage. In the haste and hate the writers of the amendment forgot that people other than LGBT folk can be hurt by this bill, but their hatred is blind to that. Luckily there is a campaign to stop the amendment. This TV ad is one part of it. Watch it!
Thursday, April 19, 2012
President of Uganda Lies On CNN - Why Am I Not Surprised?
I usually reserve the term "lying sack of poop" for those special folks who can be so blatant in their lies that I have to wonder how they keep a straight face doing it. Apparently in Uganda it is a way of life. President Yoweri Museveni demonstrates just how big a sack of poop he is and does it on CNN.
Watch and be amazed!
Watch and be amazed!
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Tony Perkins Wants Ban on Day of Silence
So the Family Research Council's Tony Perkins wants a ban on the Day of Silence protest, a day when students in many schools remain silent to draw attention to anti-gay bias and bullying. Considering Perkins and his organization are recognized hate groups it is amazing they still get the press they do.
What if the Imperial Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan made a similar statement about the observation of Black History Month. Would the press even bother to mention it? No they wouldn't and I can say that because the delightful folks at the KKK have made similar protests in the past and only get coverage if they show up in their lovely white outfits.
It's time the press stopped using its double standard of reporting every word groups against LGBT causes say, but ignoring other hate groups. Let's press the press to start ignoring these yokels and get back to reporting real news.
What if the Imperial Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan made a similar statement about the observation of Black History Month. Would the press even bother to mention it? No they wouldn't and I can say that because the delightful folks at the KKK have made similar protests in the past and only get coverage if they show up in their lovely white outfits.
It's time the press stopped using its double standard of reporting every word groups against LGBT causes say, but ignoring other hate groups. Let's press the press to start ignoring these yokels and get back to reporting real news.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Saudi Arabia Cracks Down on Gays and "Tom Boys"
The unenlightened kingdom of Saudi Arabia, whom our country considers a strong ally had enlisted the aid of its "Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice" to make the lives of LGBT people there more miserable.
In the words of the new service Sharq Arabic, "“Instructions have been issued to all public schools and universities to ban the entry of gays and tom boys and to intensify their efforts to fight this phenomenon, which has been promoted by some websites."
This is the kind of pronouncement that signals open season on gay bashing in Saudi Arabia. Of course that is not a far stretch since it is something that occurs regularly there, but this kind of official condemnation sanctions that abuse.
It's time we told our "oil pusher" that we are kicking the habit. We need clean energy independence not just for the good of the planet and our country, but to cut off the cash flow we pour into this barbaric country, propping up their monarchy and abusing their people.
In the words of the new service Sharq Arabic, "“Instructions have been issued to all public schools and universities to ban the entry of gays and tom boys and to intensify their efforts to fight this phenomenon, which has been promoted by some websites."
This is the kind of pronouncement that signals open season on gay bashing in Saudi Arabia. Of course that is not a far stretch since it is something that occurs regularly there, but this kind of official condemnation sanctions that abuse.
It's time we told our "oil pusher" that we are kicking the habit. We need clean energy independence not just for the good of the planet and our country, but to cut off the cash flow we pour into this barbaric country, propping up their monarchy and abusing their people.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Oklahoma Personhood Bill Will Have Dire Consequences
If lawmakers in Oklahoma have their way, the zygote will become a person in the eyes of the law. This back-door challenge to a woman's right to choose was tried in Mississippi and failed, but that won't stop the anti-abortion foes from using it wherever they can.
The problem of making a fertilized egg a "person" means that in cases of rape or incest, the "person" in the victims womb has more rights than she does. Since zygotes cannot survive outside the body for long, the woman could be forced to carry the pregnancy to full term.
Then comes the matter of fertilized eggs in fertility labs. Parents wanting children may have in-vitro fertilized ovum frozen as part of their attempts to have children. Under Oklahoma law will these frozen embryos become people? If so do we hold the labs as perpetrators of kidnapping, since the embryos are being held against their assumed will?
This whole thing is just silly and a full blow assault on women and their right to choose. It will even make some forms of contraception illegal if it can be proven that the contraception somehow prevents a fertilized ovum from implanting in the womb.
The huge can of worms this bill would open is something far beyond the comprehension of the opportunistic lawmakers who are proposing it. They see an easy vote getter from anti-abortion folks and they don't care what havoc it might cause. Their real agenda is to crank the clock back to the 1950's or before. Not good for women and not good for America!
The problem of making a fertilized egg a "person" means that in cases of rape or incest, the "person" in the victims womb has more rights than she does. Since zygotes cannot survive outside the body for long, the woman could be forced to carry the pregnancy to full term.
Then comes the matter of fertilized eggs in fertility labs. Parents wanting children may have in-vitro fertilized ovum frozen as part of their attempts to have children. Under Oklahoma law will these frozen embryos become people? If so do we hold the labs as perpetrators of kidnapping, since the embryos are being held against their assumed will?
This whole thing is just silly and a full blow assault on women and their right to choose. It will even make some forms of contraception illegal if it can be proven that the contraception somehow prevents a fertilized ovum from implanting in the womb.
The huge can of worms this bill would open is something far beyond the comprehension of the opportunistic lawmakers who are proposing it. They see an easy vote getter from anti-abortion folks and they don't care what havoc it might cause. Their real agenda is to crank the clock back to the 1950's or before. Not good for women and not good for America!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
GOP Rep. Alan West Riding the Crazy Train Again
Alan West, Republican Representative from Florida has once again gone off into crazy territory when he told a group of constituents at a Tuesday town hall event that he's "heard" that dozens
of his Democratic colleagues in the House are members of the Communist
Party.
"Heard"?
Well if that is all it takes to make wild accusations, the I have heard that Alan West is a "secret child molester and supporter of cannibalism". Of course that is not true and I would never accuse West of either of those things, but I did hear it when I asked a friend to tell it to me.
Hearing something doesn't make it true Mr. West.
This kind of nutty statement is West's stock and trade as the clip included in the link shows during his speech at CPAC.
"Heard"?
Well if that is all it takes to make wild accusations, the I have heard that Alan West is a "secret child molester and supporter of cannibalism". Of course that is not true and I would never accuse West of either of those things, but I did hear it when I asked a friend to tell it to me.
Hearing something doesn't make it true Mr. West.
This kind of nutty statement is West's stock and trade as the clip included in the link shows during his speech at CPAC.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
TSA Body Scanners a Fraud
This video confirms what I have long believed about these silly machines. TSA Theater at it's best!
Why Santorum is Dropping Out
And this is the real reason why Rick "Frothy Mix" Santorum is dropping out. He was about to be spanked in Pennsylvania.
Monday, April 09, 2012
Rick Warren Cherry Picks Bible Verses Again, Puleeze!
The pastor of Saddleback Church, Rick Warren has once again emphasized his opposition to same-sex marriage, and he uses the same old tired argument that "God said so"! He is quoted in an interview on ABC This Week saying, "Well, if the Bible is the word of God, then I don’t have the right to change it."
So he is falling back on Biblical Literalism as his argument and that is a big problem for me and most thinking people of faith. If the Bible is the literal "word of God", then God really is inconsistent and capricious. I could spend days noting inconsistencies in the Bible but lets just cut to the chase. The Bible as it is known in the Saddleback Church is the King James Version. That was translated at the behest of King James from a Greek version that was essentially agreed upon by committee after committee. The actual books we now include in our Bible were agreed upon by a committee during the Council of Nicaea under Emperor Constantine. If you believe the actual "word of God" managed to filter through all those translations and committees without being altered, I have some land in the Negev Desert you might be interested in.
Beyond his silly assertions of divine guidance in his opposition to same-sex marriage, Rick makes the astounding statement supporting a conservative church, "history shows that when the church accommodates culture, it weakens it."
Perhaps Mr Warren would like to tell that to Jesus who actively sought to include cultures other than Jews in him ministry. Remember those Samaritans, Rick?
Warren just shows his personal biases and tries to find justification in Bible verses and it is getting really old. It's time the media began treating him like any other slightly off-kilter sidewalk preacher and stop giving him the bully pulpit of television.
So he is falling back on Biblical Literalism as his argument and that is a big problem for me and most thinking people of faith. If the Bible is the literal "word of God", then God really is inconsistent and capricious. I could spend days noting inconsistencies in the Bible but lets just cut to the chase. The Bible as it is known in the Saddleback Church is the King James Version. That was translated at the behest of King James from a Greek version that was essentially agreed upon by committee after committee. The actual books we now include in our Bible were agreed upon by a committee during the Council of Nicaea under Emperor Constantine. If you believe the actual "word of God" managed to filter through all those translations and committees without being altered, I have some land in the Negev Desert you might be interested in.
Beyond his silly assertions of divine guidance in his opposition to same-sex marriage, Rick makes the astounding statement supporting a conservative church, "history shows that when the church accommodates culture, it weakens it."
Perhaps Mr Warren would like to tell that to Jesus who actively sought to include cultures other than Jews in him ministry. Remember those Samaritans, Rick?
Warren just shows his personal biases and tries to find justification in Bible verses and it is getting really old. It's time the media began treating him like any other slightly off-kilter sidewalk preacher and stop giving him the bully pulpit of television.
Thursday, April 05, 2012
God Bless Anita Bryant
Let me explain. If Anita Bryant hadn't been so virulently anti-gay in her interview with Playboy Magazine the nascent Gay Rights movement might have never taken off. Her bile and hatred, such as calling for 20 year prison sentences for being homosexual gave gay men a rallying point. Her "Save Our Children" activities in Florida did more for gay self-awareness than anyone could have imagined.
That spark ignited a whole generation of activists and this lovely clip shows just how some of them responded. The famous "pie assassination" on national television got cheers in LGBT households across the country. Enjoy!
That spark ignited a whole generation of activists and this lovely clip shows just how some of them responded. The famous "pie assassination" on national television got cheers in LGBT households across the country. Enjoy!
Wednesday, April 04, 2012
Private Security Forces - Terrorists Best PR Tool
Private security forces like Blackwater are the worst diplomatic nightmare our country has ever had. They operate outside the laws of our country and the countries where we have troops stationed and deliver a clear impression of Americans as cavalier and dangerous. In a recent video released by Harper's Magazine Blackwater forces are seen running over civilians in Iraq, crashing civilian cars and threatening the populace for no apparent reason.
The video which was apparently posted by a Blackwater employee features a heavy metal soundtrack and was undoubte3dly considered "cool" by the people who posted it. It is anything but cool.
If our enemies ever wanted a better PR tool to use against the US it's the actions of these paid thugs. We must stop outsourcing security to private companies who are international scofflaws. Watch the rest of the videos here and you'll see these guys firing randomly into traffic and shooting out the windows of passing cars.
This makes me physically sick!
The video which was apparently posted by a Blackwater employee features a heavy metal soundtrack and was undoubte3dly considered "cool" by the people who posted it. It is anything but cool.
If our enemies ever wanted a better PR tool to use against the US it's the actions of these paid thugs. We must stop outsourcing security to private companies who are international scofflaws. Watch the rest of the videos here and you'll see these guys firing randomly into traffic and shooting out the windows of passing cars.
This makes me physically sick!
Monday, April 02, 2012
Turn the Wheel Thelma!
It seems to me like someone riding in the car we call the Republican Party, grabbed the wheel and swung it so far to the right it has careened off the road of mainstream American politics.
Consider this. Back in the days of my childhood, a guy named Barry Goldwater was the Republican nominee for President. He ran against Lyndon Johnson and a lot of people felt he was far too radical and right-wing for the country. He lost the election in an avalanche for Johnson. Barry Goldwater favored a woman’s right to an abortion. Later a Texan named George Bush helped author the Family Planning Act of 1970.
Today, we have Republican candidates not only calling for an end to abortion, but denigrating the idea of birth control completely. Rick Santorum has stated publicly that he feels states have the right to ban contraception. Meanwhile, a Republican governor in Virginia backed the now infamous “trans vaginal ultrasound” bill that forces an invasive procedure some women compare to medical rape.
My concentration on women’s issues in regard to the GOP is intended to give a graphic example of how far right the Republican Party has veered. When it comes to LGBT issues, it’s much worse. Both Romney and Santorum favor a constitutional amendment limiting marriage to “one man one woman”, though Romney does favor certain civil rights for LGBT couples, Santorum compares gay marriage to bestiality.
State GOP platforms make clear just what a conservative government would have in store for LGBT people. Take the infamous Texas 2010 GOP Platform and these chilling words.
The bigger question is what happened to the Republican Party? Well, my suspicion is that back during the Regan Revolution, the GOP made a deal. They saw the nascent “family values” movement within the fundamentalist church as an opportunity for an alliance. The “Moral Majority”, Jerry Falwell’s group was disillusioned with Jimmy Carter’s policies and seemed like a perfect fit to gain support in the conservative South.
This came on the heels of Anita Bryant’s “Save Our Children” publicity and soon the GOP actively sought the involvement of the Far-Right Evangelical movement with notable success. Regan even appointed one of the Moral Majority officers to the Department of Education in 1980.
The point of all this is that the GOP actively sought and entangled themselves with the religious right and now a good deal of Republican policy is being written by those same far-right factions. The deals they made back in the 1970’s and 80’s are coming due.
Though the Moral Majority and Save Our Children are long gone but their influence is still around and they are the folks who are actively making policy and platform decisions. They are decidedly homophobic and as such they are continuing to steer the GOP away from any position that supports LGBT rights.
As we see the primaries grind on, the struggle for control of the car may play out like the finale to Thelma and Louise with the GOP flying over a cliff and never recovering control of what was once a Grand Old Party.
Consider this. Back in the days of my childhood, a guy named Barry Goldwater was the Republican nominee for President. He ran against Lyndon Johnson and a lot of people felt he was far too radical and right-wing for the country. He lost the election in an avalanche for Johnson. Barry Goldwater favored a woman’s right to an abortion. Later a Texan named George Bush helped author the Family Planning Act of 1970.
Today, we have Republican candidates not only calling for an end to abortion, but denigrating the idea of birth control completely. Rick Santorum has stated publicly that he feels states have the right to ban contraception. Meanwhile, a Republican governor in Virginia backed the now infamous “trans vaginal ultrasound” bill that forces an invasive procedure some women compare to medical rape.
My concentration on women’s issues in regard to the GOP is intended to give a graphic example of how far right the Republican Party has veered. When it comes to LGBT issues, it’s much worse. Both Romney and Santorum favor a constitutional amendment limiting marriage to “one man one woman”, though Romney does favor certain civil rights for LGBT couples, Santorum compares gay marriage to bestiality.
State GOP platforms make clear just what a conservative government would have in store for LGBT people. Take the infamous Texas 2010 GOP Platform and these chilling words.
We believe that the practice of homosexuality tears at the fabric of society, contributes to the breakdown of the family unit, and leads to the spread of dangerous, communicable diseases. Homosexual behavior is contrary to the fundamental, unchanging truths that have been ordained by God, recognized by our country’s founders, and shared by the majority of Texans. Homosexuality must not be presented as an acceptable “alternative” lifestyle in our public education and policy, nor should “family” be redefined to include homosexual “couples.” We are opposed to any granting of special legal entitlements, refuse to recognize, or grant special privileges including, but not limited to: marriage between persons of the same sex (regardless of state of origin), custody of children by homosexuals, homosexual partner insurance or retirement benefits. We oppose any criminal or civil penalties against those who oppose homosexuality out of faith, conviction, or belief in traditional values.
The bigger question is what happened to the Republican Party? Well, my suspicion is that back during the Regan Revolution, the GOP made a deal. They saw the nascent “family values” movement within the fundamentalist church as an opportunity for an alliance. The “Moral Majority”, Jerry Falwell’s group was disillusioned with Jimmy Carter’s policies and seemed like a perfect fit to gain support in the conservative South.
This came on the heels of Anita Bryant’s “Save Our Children” publicity and soon the GOP actively sought the involvement of the Far-Right Evangelical movement with notable success. Regan even appointed one of the Moral Majority officers to the Department of Education in 1980.
The point of all this is that the GOP actively sought and entangled themselves with the religious right and now a good deal of Republican policy is being written by those same far-right factions. The deals they made back in the 1970’s and 80’s are coming due.
Though the Moral Majority and Save Our Children are long gone but their influence is still around and they are the folks who are actively making policy and platform decisions. They are decidedly homophobic and as such they are continuing to steer the GOP away from any position that supports LGBT rights.
As we see the primaries grind on, the struggle for control of the car may play out like the finale to Thelma and Louise with the GOP flying over a cliff and never recovering control of what was once a Grand Old Party.
Sunday, April 01, 2012
Synn Wins! Ms Texas Leather Wins International Ms Leather
It was a long grueling weekend for all the contestants in the 26th annual Internatiomal Ms Leather competition in San Francisco this weekend. Each woman gave a speech, answered pop questions before an audience of almost 1000 and went through personal interviews with a distinguished judging panel before performing a live fantasy onstage.
A field of seven contestants were in the competition from points as far as Austrailia and as near as DFW but when the judging was done our own hometown leather dyke, Synn took top honors.
She nailed her speech, talking about the spectrum of leather and her goal to bring a message of queer leather to the community. I understand from someone who was at the interview with the judges that she performed flawlessly and was relaxed and poised. hen came the fantasy, and it was a hit. I have attended a lot of leather contests and never saw an audience spontaneously give a standing ovation to the fantasy. With the help of her co-performers Lillity Grey and Lexa Lusty, Synn brought the house down.
My congratulations to a fine IMsL and a wonderfully butch leathe dyke!
A field of seven contestants were in the competition from points as far as Austrailia and as near as DFW but when the judging was done our own hometown leather dyke, Synn took top honors.
She nailed her speech, talking about the spectrum of leather and her goal to bring a message of queer leather to the community. I understand from someone who was at the interview with the judges that she performed flawlessly and was relaxed and poised. hen came the fantasy, and it was a hit. I have attended a lot of leather contests and never saw an audience spontaneously give a standing ovation to the fantasy. With the help of her co-performers Lillity Grey and Lexa Lusty, Synn brought the house down.
My congratulations to a fine IMsL and a wonderfully butch leathe dyke!
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Who is Carson Daily and Why Should I Care What He Says?
When I heard about a homophobic comment from some "personality" named Carson Daily I had no idea who he was. today, when I heard him make a homophobic joke about the recent Jet Blue incident where passengers subdued a crazed pilot and saved the plane I was moved to look him up.
Apparently, he is the host of a show that comes on NBC so late it's only competition is infomercials for gold retrieval schemes. With the exception of his Wikipedia entry, I would never have known who he was. Why is this important?
My suspicion is he has trouble getting publicity and so he has taken the Ann Coulter approach: say bat shit crazy stuff and the press will eat it up.
His latest "joke" was to say that if he had been on the Jet Blue flight, it would have been headed to a pride celebration in San Francisco. To emphasize the "joke" he lisped when he told it.
So here is why you should know who he is. Write NBC and tell them this clown is anything but funny, in fact he is so offensive you will make it a point to avoid any of his sponsors products and more precisely, stop watching late night NBC shows. It's not a boycott, just a statement of fact.
If the geniuses at NBC gets loads of these letters, they will think twice about putting no talent low life scum like Cason DaIily on their network. Wonder how he likes that name calling?
Apparently, he is the host of a show that comes on NBC so late it's only competition is infomercials for gold retrieval schemes. With the exception of his Wikipedia entry, I would never have known who he was. Why is this important?
My suspicion is he has trouble getting publicity and so he has taken the Ann Coulter approach: say bat shit crazy stuff and the press will eat it up.
His latest "joke" was to say that if he had been on the Jet Blue flight, it would have been headed to a pride celebration in San Francisco. To emphasize the "joke" he lisped when he told it.
So here is why you should know who he is. Write NBC and tell them this clown is anything but funny, in fact he is so offensive you will make it a point to avoid any of his sponsors products and more precisely, stop watching late night NBC shows. It's not a boycott, just a statement of fact.
If the geniuses at NBC gets loads of these letters, they will think twice about putting no talent low life scum like Cason DaIily on their network. Wonder how he likes that name calling?
Monday, March 26, 2012
Lighted Wheels for Bicycles - Very Cool!
These new LED lights for your bike wheels are amazing. Work as headlights and safety device. Watch!
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Cheney Gets a "New" Heart
I make light of this, but it is serious. The 71 year old Dick Cheney just underwent a heart transplant. He is resting in recovery after the operation. Perhaps now he will have a conscience transplant and he might be a nice guy to know.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Kevin Smith Defends Gay Brother on Piers Morgan
Kevin Smith has directed a few really funny movies and always seemed like a nice guy, and now I really believe that after this clip from Piers Morgan's show.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
European Court Of Human Rights Finds That Same-Sex Marriage Is Not A Human Right
This is absolutely stunning in it's prejudice and short sightedness. Ruling against same-sex marriage the court used as it's basis, "if gay couples are allowed to marry, any church that offers weddings will be guilty of discrimination if it declines to marry same-sex couples."
Once again the sticky subject of marriage being a religious institution gets in the way. When will governments get out of the marriage business and start conducting civil unions for everyone for legal reasons and let churches do the marrying part?
That was a rhetorical question, of course. So far, only a few governments have understood the distinction between religious institutions and civil ones. Until then LGBT people will be officially treated as second-class citizens in Europe and most of the rest of the world. This must be appealed.
Once again the sticky subject of marriage being a religious institution gets in the way. When will governments get out of the marriage business and start conducting civil unions for everyone for legal reasons and let churches do the marrying part?
That was a rhetorical question, of course. So far, only a few governments have understood the distinction between religious institutions and civil ones. Until then LGBT people will be officially treated as second-class citizens in Europe and most of the rest of the world. This must be appealed.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
Happy Birthday Bayard Rustin
Today marks his 100th birthday, (Rustin died in 1987)and I believe it is a day both African Americans and LGBT Americans should celebrate. The city of New Orleans has already done just that by declaring today LGBT Civil Rights Equality Awareness Day,
So, if you don't know much about Rustin, take some time to do a little reading and learn more about the man behind the scenes of one of the great social justice movements in American history.
Friday, March 16, 2012
"#ToMyUnbornChild" Hashtag Brings Out The Homicidal Homophobes
The Twitter hashtag #ToMyUnbornChild struck a nerve with a large number of homophobes. The tag was trending with some of the most disgusting tweets I have ever read.
Some of these delightful hate haiku include:
Some of these delightful hate haiku include:
"#ToMyUnbornChild u betta not be gay mi ahh fi kill u"Aside from the obvious grammatical errors, the unbridled hatred here is shocking. My hope is that none of the over 100 hateful tweeters will ever have children, gay or straight, but I fear that may already be just a pipe dream.
"#ToMyUnbornChild I Will Put A Bullet Through Your Skull If You Become Gay..."
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Santorum - "Teleprompters Should Be Illegal"
Of all the brainless comments made by GOP candidates this one takes the cake. Santorum in an attempt to smear his opponents has said he feels teleprompters should be illegal. So that means that every US president since Nixon should have not used teleprompters? Oh please!
In case you didn't know (Luddites and Amish are excused here) a teleprompter is a device which allows a speaker, usually on television to read his speech without looking down at his notes. It allows for better eye contact with viewers and is much easier to read that looking up and down from prepared notes.
Just in case you had no clue, every president, politician and official reads from a prepared speech sometimes. Hell, even Abraham Lincoln read the Gettysburg Address from his notes on the back of an envelope. The ancient art of writing speeches is a time tested way to make sure your words are clear and concise.
I suppose Rick "Frothy Mix" Santorum would rather everyone just shoot from the hip, and though most politicians and public figures do that sometimes, when it comes to an important message reading it really assures you will get it right.
So next time you hear someone denigrate the use of the teleprompter, let them know that the great communicator Ronald Regan used them in almost every speech.
Sheesh!
In case you didn't know (Luddites and Amish are excused here) a teleprompter is a device which allows a speaker, usually on television to read his speech without looking down at his notes. It allows for better eye contact with viewers and is much easier to read that looking up and down from prepared notes.
Just in case you had no clue, every president, politician and official reads from a prepared speech sometimes. Hell, even Abraham Lincoln read the Gettysburg Address from his notes on the back of an envelope. The ancient art of writing speeches is a time tested way to make sure your words are clear and concise.
I suppose Rick "Frothy Mix" Santorum would rather everyone just shoot from the hip, and though most politicians and public figures do that sometimes, when it comes to an important message reading it really assures you will get it right.
So next time you hear someone denigrate the use of the teleprompter, let them know that the great communicator Ronald Regan used them in almost every speech.
Sheesh!
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Santorum Won Alabama and Mississippi, But Romney Still Far Ahead in Delegates
Though the media and the Santorum campaign would have you believe that he swept the south, he only garnered 31 delegates from the two states. Romney got 22 as well as Hawaii and Samoa putting his total at 495 to Santorum's 252. It is hardly a sweep.
Meanwhile Gingrich with 131delegates and Ron Paul with 48 are plugging away hoping to become king makers at the convention. Tampa should be interesting. I think there is a good chance it will be a rowdy event and the final decision may not be reached until the fight on the floor.
Meanwhile Gingrich with 131delegates and Ron Paul with 48 are plugging away hoping to become king makers at the convention. Tampa should be interesting. I think there is a good chance it will be a rowdy event and the final decision may not be reached until the fight on the floor.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Limbaugh in Limbo - All National Ads Pulled
According to reports, Premiere Networks sent a memo to the traffic managers at all its affiliate stations telling them that they were suspending all national advertising for the weeks of March 12 and March 19 on the Rush Limbaugh Show. This will leave the program without any national ads for two weeks.
Limbaugh's controversial comments have resulted in over 150 sponsors specifically questing that their ads not run in the shock-jock's program. One wounds how much longer he can survive on the air with no sponsors?
Limbaugh's controversial comments have resulted in over 150 sponsors specifically questing that their ads not run in the shock-jock's program. One wounds how much longer he can survive on the air with no sponsors?
Friday, March 09, 2012
South Plains and Esprit D'Corp in the same Weekend - So Many Choices
This weekend in Dallas we have two very hot leather events going on at the same time. south Plains Leatherfest, a nationally known BDSM event and Esprit D'Corp the annual run for Discipline Corps, the Dallas Men's Group. so, I have a embarrassment of riches as far as kinky activities this weekend.
More later!
More later!
Thursday, March 08, 2012
Angry Birds in Space - Footage from International Space Station
OK I admit it, I have an Angry Birds console that also gets phone calls. Here is a cute promo video and science explanation from the International Space Station that explains the physics of the new Angry Birds Space.
Mondrian's Birthday
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| Composition II in Red, Blue, and Yellow |
I have always loved his work and once had a conference room at my office painted with one of his designs. Mondrian was born March 7, 1872 and died in 1944 but his work is as timeless as any classical painter.
Wednesday, March 07, 2012
The Hobbit - Teaser Trailer - Video
Finally found this online. I am really looking forward to the films. Looks really good.
Exposed - How TSA Body Scanners Do Not Work to Prevent Hidden Explosives
I have said this before and now I have another bit of proof that the whole TSA Backscatter X-Ray and L3 ATD millimeter wave body scanner program is a massive boondoggle designed to make money for the companies building these machines and not to protect the air traveling public. This video shows another reason why.
More here.
More here.
Joe the Plumber Wins GOP Primary in Ohio
Like a bad Hollywood sitcom, Samuel Wurzelbacher, who gained the nickname "Joe the Plumber" back in the 2008 campaign has won the nomination for Ohio's 9th Congressional District. He will be pitted against Democrat Marcy Kaptur in a strongly Democratic district. Oy!
Monday, March 05, 2012
AOL Drops Rush
AOL has become the 8th sponsor to drop Rush Limbaugh from their advertising. With no sponsors how will he stay on the air.... I hope he doesn't!
Libertarian Cato Institute - Swings Far Right
Long time bastion of Libertarian values, the Cato Institute is going through a hostile take over by the Koch brothers. Using their money and power that have placed two of their operatives on the board, against the will of the organization. I believe the move will sharply turn this think tank to the right and make it into just another echo chamber for the far-right of the GOP.
More about the developments from Think Progress, including a quote from senior fellow Jerry Taylor at Cato.
More about the developments from Think Progress, including a quote from senior fellow Jerry Taylor at Cato.
"Why are they forcing out Cato board members, all strong, principled libertarians who have been heavily involved with Cato – financially and organizationally – for years? The answer was given in early November of last year when David Koch, Richard Fink (he of many Koch hats), and Kevin Gentry met with Cato board chairman Bob Levy. They told Bob that they intended to use their board majority to remove Ed Crane from Cato and transform our Institute into an intellectual ammo-shop for American for Prosperity and other allied (presumably, Koch-controlled) organizations. That statement of intent is certainly consistent with what we’ve been hearing from both Kevin Gentry and Nancy Pfotenauer. They’ve frequently complained during their short time on our board that Cato wasn’t doing enough to defeat President Obama in November and that we weren’t working closely enough with grass roots activists like those at AFP. "
Saturday, March 03, 2012
Six Advertisers Drop Rush Limbaugh Who will be next?
After his insulting rant against Sandra Fluke, Advertisers are dropping Rush Limbaugh's radio program. So far, Quicken Loans, Sleep Number, Legal Zoom, Sleep Train, Citrix Systems and now Carbonite have pulled their ad dollars from the show.
I encourage you to patronize them and send those companies a note of thanks for their support of civil conversation s and decency, at least for now.
I encourage you to patronize them and send those companies a note of thanks for their support of civil conversation s and decency, at least for now.
Donate to the Red Cross
In the wake of the disasters in Indiana and Kentucky and the rest of the South this week, please donate funds for disaster relief to the Red Cross. Click the "Donate Now" button on the home page.
Thursday, March 01, 2012
Republican Candidate Says Holocaust Never Happened
And this is the kind of person the GOP has running for office in the Third Congressional District of Illinois? A neo-Nazi Holocaust Denier has taken up the Republican cause and is running in the primary in Illinois. Funny from someone who considers himself a "National Socialist" to be running in the GOP primary but hey, it's a big bigoted tent! Arthur Jones has something for everyone to dislike.
“As far as I’m concerned, the Holocaust is nothing more than an international extortion racket by the Jews,” Jones said. “It’s the blackest lie in history. Millions of dollars are being made by Jews telling this tale of woe and misfortune in books, movies, plays and TV.
"The more survivors, the more lies that are told."
Opposition Of Same-Sex Marriage Isn't About Faith, It's About Sex.
As the battle over same-sex marriage heats up, the opponents of same-sex marriage are stepping up their rhetoric. It’s not surprising.
The idea of marriage for most people involves the idea of consummating that marriage and that means SEX. The idea of sex between two people of the same sex gives some people hives, and thus the fear of same-sex marriage. But here’s the deal, the problem is much deeper.
I think a lot of our opponents are afraid of us. They are scared not of our homosexuality, but our sexuality in general. Just like fundamentalist religions, their strict interpretation of scripture inevitably leads to a crisis of faith or a complete dumbing down of the eloquence of the ancient writings in the Bible and other holy books. These sexual fundamentalists see sex as strictly a means of procreation. Anything beyond that is “dirty” and “perverted”.
This is the attitude that makes the message against contraception resonate in some arenas. When politicians like Rick Santorum can actually find support for limiting availability of contraception, what they are really doing is giving voice to the fear that sex can be something other than breeding.
For sexual fundamentalists, if sex beyond conception is pleasurable, then it is wrong. They are locked in the same mentality that people like me rebelled against in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Though there was a lot wrong-headed about the Age of Aquarius mentality, there was some of it that was spot on. The fact that human sexuality is not a binary system and that there is a whole spectrum of sexual attraction and sexuality beyond the hetero-normative model is a fact.
For sexual fundamentalists that is a threat. Their world is ruled by simplistic order and bumper sticker wisdom. Critical thinking is not allowed. In their world the fact that LGBT people can find happiness and sexual fulfillment outside their rigid model threatens their belief system. Accepting same-sex marriage sends them into a panic because it triggers a crisis of faith. If there are more kinds of sexuality than just the heterosexual procreation version, they might have to examine their own sexuality more closely. Heaven forbid!
Just listen to people like Maggie Gallagher of the National Organization for Marriage and you can hear the fear. She consistently lies about LGBT people and what we do to support her cause and more deeply her belief system. It is little wonder that the right-wing has attached religious freedom to the issue. For sexual fundamentalists it is a tenant of their faith. It might as well be the eleventh commandment, “Thou shalt not have sex except to foster children. And under no circumstances shoulds’t thou enjoy sex, least ye suffer crushing guilt”.
On the flip side, so many LGBT people want to pattern their relationships and personal sexuality on the rigid hetero-normative model. They want to assimilate into the whole binary system and look just the same as everyone else. Relationships that fall outside the straight analog model are as much anathema to these people as gays are to sexual fundamentalists.
For us to actually achieve real freedom, it’s going to take a concerted effort to combat the belief that there is only one model for relationships. It’s going to take people becoming comfortable with their own sexuality, gay or straight. It’s going to take moving the conversation from allowing same-sex people to marry to providing legal rights for all people and their relationships. It’s going to be messy and difficult and it won’t be easy.
Finding a path to freedom rarely is.
We must begin to talk as adults, honestly and openly about sex in all its aspects if we expect to see any real change. We need to acknowledge that the spectrum of sexuality is indeed a rainbow, not just black and white.
The idea of marriage for most people involves the idea of consummating that marriage and that means SEX. The idea of sex between two people of the same sex gives some people hives, and thus the fear of same-sex marriage. But here’s the deal, the problem is much deeper.
I think a lot of our opponents are afraid of us. They are scared not of our homosexuality, but our sexuality in general. Just like fundamentalist religions, their strict interpretation of scripture inevitably leads to a crisis of faith or a complete dumbing down of the eloquence of the ancient writings in the Bible and other holy books. These sexual fundamentalists see sex as strictly a means of procreation. Anything beyond that is “dirty” and “perverted”.
This is the attitude that makes the message against contraception resonate in some arenas. When politicians like Rick Santorum can actually find support for limiting availability of contraception, what they are really doing is giving voice to the fear that sex can be something other than breeding.
For sexual fundamentalists, if sex beyond conception is pleasurable, then it is wrong. They are locked in the same mentality that people like me rebelled against in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Though there was a lot wrong-headed about the Age of Aquarius mentality, there was some of it that was spot on. The fact that human sexuality is not a binary system and that there is a whole spectrum of sexual attraction and sexuality beyond the hetero-normative model is a fact.
For sexual fundamentalists that is a threat. Their world is ruled by simplistic order and bumper sticker wisdom. Critical thinking is not allowed. In their world the fact that LGBT people can find happiness and sexual fulfillment outside their rigid model threatens their belief system. Accepting same-sex marriage sends them into a panic because it triggers a crisis of faith. If there are more kinds of sexuality than just the heterosexual procreation version, they might have to examine their own sexuality more closely. Heaven forbid!
Just listen to people like Maggie Gallagher of the National Organization for Marriage and you can hear the fear. She consistently lies about LGBT people and what we do to support her cause and more deeply her belief system. It is little wonder that the right-wing has attached religious freedom to the issue. For sexual fundamentalists it is a tenant of their faith. It might as well be the eleventh commandment, “Thou shalt not have sex except to foster children. And under no circumstances shoulds’t thou enjoy sex, least ye suffer crushing guilt”.
On the flip side, so many LGBT people want to pattern their relationships and personal sexuality on the rigid hetero-normative model. They want to assimilate into the whole binary system and look just the same as everyone else. Relationships that fall outside the straight analog model are as much anathema to these people as gays are to sexual fundamentalists.
For us to actually achieve real freedom, it’s going to take a concerted effort to combat the belief that there is only one model for relationships. It’s going to take people becoming comfortable with their own sexuality, gay or straight. It’s going to take moving the conversation from allowing same-sex people to marry to providing legal rights for all people and their relationships. It’s going to be messy and difficult and it won’t be easy.
Finding a path to freedom rarely is.
We must begin to talk as adults, honestly and openly about sex in all its aspects if we expect to see any real change. We need to acknowledge that the spectrum of sexuality is indeed a rainbow, not just black and white.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Get Ready for John Carter! VIDEO
I am a big fan of the Edgar Rice Burroughs Martian Novels. The first, "A Princess of Mars" was the inspiration for the new Disney movie, "John Carter". The marketing geniuses at Disney apparently thought actually using the real book title would interfere with their whole "princess" franchise and for some inexplicable reason dropped the word "Mars" from the title (originally John Carter of Mars). Now the marketing of the movie is adrift in a sea of effects shots that don't really give any idea what to expect.
Luckily, this fan-made trailer constructed from bits and pieces of footage available online is GREAT! If the movie lives up to this trailer, not only will I see it but it will be in my Blu-Ray collection before the year is over.
So, OK, forget what you know about Mars and reality, this is a different timeline and it will sweep you away. WATCH!
Luckily, this fan-made trailer constructed from bits and pieces of footage available online is GREAT! If the movie lives up to this trailer, not only will I see it but it will be in my Blu-Ray collection before the year is over.
So, OK, forget what you know about Mars and reality, this is a different timeline and it will sweep you away. WATCH!
Sunday, February 26, 2012
New Trailer for Angry Birds....SPACE
OK, I apologize but I love this silly game, and now it take one great step for Angry Birds.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
"Hand of Man" by Magnolia Mountain
Seems like Blue Grass and folk music are returning. Glad to see it. Great song about mountaintop removal from Magnolia Mountain. Meaningful and well worth watching.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Bohemian Rhapsody TV Ad for Cosmopolitan Las Vegas - Great Stuff!
I rarely succumb to TV ads since I produced and directed them for so long, but this one is great. Kudos to Fallon for this innovative use of the Queen hit.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Make a Difference You Can See With a Micro-Loan Through Kiva
A while back I found an organization that engaged in micro-loans to people trying to achieve their dreams. Kiva makes loans to people all over the world to help them build their businesses, plant crops and fulfill their potential. I love the idea of helping budding entrepreneurs no matter where they are, and it only took $25 to start. To date I have lent money to almost a dozen people and groups, all of which have repaid the loans and hopefully are on their way to achieving success.
I am not bragging, just telling a story about an organization that has affected me deeply. When I looked at the pictures of the people my loans helped, I was touched. It is rare that you can actually see what your money is doing. Try it, it doesn't cost you much and the small amounts of money add up to a big difference in so many people's lives.
Check it out here at Kiva.org. Your loans along with those of many other lenders add up to a major force toward self-sufficiency and and end of poverty. Let me know any stories you have after you try it. I would love to hear them.
I am not bragging, just telling a story about an organization that has affected me deeply. When I looked at the pictures of the people my loans helped, I was touched. It is rare that you can actually see what your money is doing. Try it, it doesn't cost you much and the small amounts of money add up to a big difference in so many people's lives.
Check it out here at Kiva.org. Your loans along with those of many other lenders add up to a major force toward self-sufficiency and and end of poverty. Let me know any stories you have after you try it. I would love to hear them.
Bonjour Paree - 50 Years Later
This silly but classic Fred Astaire and Audry Hepburn vehicle always makes me smile. It's corny but fun and always makes me long for Paris. Love that city!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Hand-Held Genome Sequencer - The Age of the Tricorder is at Hand?
Sequencing the human genome was a task that took major computers and lots of time. Like all technical advances the process got streamlined and became faster and faster. Now a company called Oxford Nanopore Technologies is starting trials of its MinION, a miniaturized disposable gene sequencer that will retail for under $1000.
Though I am not a scientist by a long shot, this excites me greatly. My dad was a researcher in the field of Microbiology and Hematology and I spent many hours in his lab watching the experiments and actually helping out once I was old enough. The idea that a hand-held device can do what once took a super-computer astounds me.
Considering the advances with such medical devices as a pocket sized ultrasound scanner and other miniaturized devices it seems that Dr. McCoy would be right at home. In fact the X Prize folks have set their sights on exactly that kind of idea. The latest award will be for a working Tricorder! I often tell my partner, we are living in Star Trek.
Though I am not a scientist by a long shot, this excites me greatly. My dad was a researcher in the field of Microbiology and Hematology and I spent many hours in his lab watching the experiments and actually helping out once I was old enough. The idea that a hand-held device can do what once took a super-computer astounds me.
Considering the advances with such medical devices as a pocket sized ultrasound scanner and other miniaturized devices it seems that Dr. McCoy would be right at home. In fact the X Prize folks have set their sights on exactly that kind of idea. The latest award will be for a working Tricorder! I often tell my partner, we are living in Star Trek.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
President Obama Sings Again! Sweet Home Chicago.
Blues Night at the White House ended with the President taking a few licks at the Blues Brothers theme song.
Laissez les Bon Temps Rouler! Happy Mardi Gras.
How can you have Mardi Gras without Iko Iko? This is a clip of the Dixie Cups in a revival show taped during the 1970's singing their hit from 1964.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Rick Santorum is Meddling in Women's Health Care Again! Opposes Prenatal Care and Testing.
Rick Santorum just can't keep out of women's vaginas, or at least what goes on in them. On a recent speaking tour he said Obama Care would provide prenatal care and that means prenatal testing and that equals more abortions! Nice to see a news person push back on his crap. Way to go Bob Schieffer.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Republican Hearing on Women's Health Had No Women on the Panel.
Surrealistic is the best description of this. A bogus GOP organized panel of witnesses testifying about reproductive health and contraception and no women are involved. This video shows how strange the whole thing is. It was an attempt to smear the Obama administration for their request that all employers providing health insurance provide contraception is requested. That was later withdrawn, but that didn't stop the GOP.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Terrorist Arrested with Bomb Headed To Kansas State Capitol
Terrorist? Do you imagine someone with a turban and beard? Guess again. This guy was not Muslim and drove a Pickup truck with Florida plates issued to qualified US Military Paratroopers only.
He had homemade live bombs filled with shrapnel and was stopped in a tunnel leading to the capitol. Anti-Immigration hearings were about to open. The man's truck had a bumper sticker reading "Welcome to America./ Now Speak English."
Can you guess which side of the debate he comes down on?
Now, My guess is the news media will not give this much coverage. After all the guy is an American and isn't a spooky Muslim terrorist! Oy!
He had homemade live bombs filled with shrapnel and was stopped in a tunnel leading to the capitol. Anti-Immigration hearings were about to open. The man's truck had a bumper sticker reading "Welcome to America./ Now Speak English."
Can you guess which side of the debate he comes down on?
Now, My guess is the news media will not give this much coverage. After all the guy is an American and isn't a spooky Muslim terrorist! Oy!
Santorum Backer Promotes The "Gay Recruitment" Myth
How many times does this crap have to be cleared out? The old myth that gays are "recruiting" kids is beyond silly it's a bald face lie intended to spread fear and loathing among conservatives. Now one of Rick "Frothy Mix" Santorum backers is trotting this out yet again. Bob Vander Plaats of the Iowa Family Leader is pushing for the governor of Iowa to pull his name from an upcoming conference on LGBTQ Youth and school bullying.
The reason?
Well Vander Plaatz says that the idea of "questioning" is just a recruitment tool for "the gays". Oh puleeze!
Here this bigot is on a radio interview joking about the subject with the host.
The reason?
Well Vander Plaatz says that the idea of "questioning" is just a recruitment tool for "the gays". Oh puleeze!
Here this bigot is on a radio interview joking about the subject with the host.
Monday, February 13, 2012
RIP - Whitney Houston
Her voice always sent chills through me, in later years her life did the same thing. It will probably come as no surprise that Whitney Houston may have died from alcohol and prescription drugs. Still, it makes the sad truth that she will no longer be heard except in recordings and movies all the more upsetting.
Whitney struggled with addiction for much of her adult life and if toxicology reports confirm the fact, she might have died in that struggle. I only hope her journey can serve as some kind of object lesson to burgeoning talent. Great talent like hers and Amy Winehouse and so many others brought us all such joy, yet their lives were plagued with troubles. If I sound like I am struggling with this I am.
Suffice to say, Whitney will be missed by all who loved her music. May she find the peace now she never could in life.
Whitney struggled with addiction for much of her adult life and if toxicology reports confirm the fact, she might have died in that struggle. I only hope her journey can serve as some kind of object lesson to burgeoning talent. Great talent like hers and Amy Winehouse and so many others brought us all such joy, yet their lives were plagued with troubles. If I sound like I am struggling with this I am.
Suffice to say, Whitney will be missed by all who loved her music. May she find the peace now she never could in life.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Ann Coulter Endorsess Mitt Romney Because He is a Square
Everyone' favorite media whore, Ann(orexia) Coulter was true to her style at the CPAC convention. The conservative fire brand made a case for Mitt Romney by comparing him to a Ken doll. In talking about Romney she said, "Well, he's kind of a Ken doll, sort of stiff. I think we have had enough of hip. Hip has nearly wrecked the country. Let's try square for a while."
She then followed this somewhat backhanded endorsement with a series of dirty jokes about Bill Clinton.
OK, what is it the right-wing sees in this woman? (And sorry about the anorexia thing, but she looks positively unhealthy and twig-like. )
She then followed this somewhat backhanded endorsement with a series of dirty jokes about Bill Clinton.
OK, what is it the right-wing sees in this woman? (And sorry about the anorexia thing, but she looks positively unhealthy and twig-like. )
Nancy Pelosi says "STOP COLBERT!"
Though the whole thing is tongue in cheek, the message behind both Stephen Colbert's Super-Pac and Nancy Pelosi's alleged opposition to Colbert is this:
There is too much big money anonymously controlling politics.
There is too much big money anonymously controlling politics.
Thursday, February 09, 2012
More Hillbilly Mischief in Tennessee - This Time Cutting HIV Testing Funds!
The Republican Governor of Tennessee, Bill Haslam has managed to cut off state funds to Planned Parenthood. Now you wouldn't think that would affect LGBT people unless they were trying to get pregnant or needed family planning services, but it does. You see Planned Parenthood funded after-hours HIV testing at the Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center. Without these funds the center can no longer afford the program, which means no after-hours testing.
In the words of center director Will Batts,
Seems the politicians in the Volunteer state are hell-bent on making LGBT people's lives as frigging miserable as possible. Really sad in when the rate of new infections for HIV in the southern states, including Tennessee is the fastest growing rate in the nation.
So if you have the the and inclination please contribute to the Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center and help them fill this shortfall.
In the words of center director Will Batts,
"Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center (MGLCC) will be unable to offer Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) testing tonight and for the foreseeable future. For more than three years, MGLCC has collaborated with Planned Parenthood to provide the only regularly-scheduled, after-hours HIV testing in the Mid-South. This afternoon, Planned Parenthood representatives informed MGLCC that they do not have the funds necessary to provide the HIV testing for the foreseeable future because the State of Tennessee has denied Planned Parenthood access to grants for HIV prevention. The cut in funding for Planned Parenthood has put MGLCC’s model HIV testing program in jeopardy."This addle brained move is either fallout from an ideological war against Planned Parenthood, or a direct assault on the health of LGBT people in Memphis. Either way it's short sighted and just plain mean.
Seems the politicians in the Volunteer state are hell-bent on making LGBT people's lives as frigging miserable as possible. Really sad in when the rate of new infections for HIV in the southern states, including Tennessee is the fastest growing rate in the nation.
So if you have the the and inclination please contribute to the Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center and help them fill this shortfall.
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
Old 1950's TV Ad, Radioactive Makeup?
Strangest product demonstration ever! Listen for the line, "we've added just enough radioactivity to register on this Geiger Counter".
Another Argentine TV Ad - This One for Transgender Rights!
The folks in Argentina are way ahead of us in the human rights department. America may be the home of the brave but not the free when Argentina leads the way in the Americas on this front. Watch and ask, why isn't this running on US television. Where is Human Rights Campaign on this? Come on folks, let's get some money together and flood the airwaves with stuff like this. Before long we would see a change that would be stunning. Advertising works!
Can You Believe This? - Great Equal Rights TV Campaign from Argentina
Thanks to Blabbeando for posting this wonderful Argentine TV spot. I wish US LGBT groups would run something like this in the Super Bowl next year. Yeah, like that will ever happen! By the way, Argentina granted same-sex marriage a year ago.
Tuesday, February 07, 2012
Whoop De Doo! Santorum Wins 3 Elections & Gets NO Delegates
There is a reason why Romney skipped the Missouri, Minnesota and Colorado primary races and caucuses. They don't count. The results are nice to look at but win no delegates until the later caucuses and votes after March 3. The GOP rules don't allow it and so these primaries are just a show piece for the state.
So congratulations Mr. Frothy Mix!
So congratulations Mr. Frothy Mix!
Anti-Abortion Komen Official Resigns
Oh, to have been a fly on the wall over at the Susan G. Komen Foundation headquarters. Karen Handel, former Secretary of State in Georgia, and the senior vice president of public policy for the Susan G. Komen submitted her resignation and it was accepted.
She has been at the epicenter of the quake that shook the charity to its roots. According to news reports, she was the person directly responsible for changing the rules for grants to intentionally to cut Planned Parenthood out of the picture. She alone, managed to politicize the charity that had until now remained neutral.
Good riddance, but the damage may be irreparable.
She has been at the epicenter of the quake that shook the charity to its roots. According to news reports, she was the person directly responsible for changing the rules for grants to intentionally to cut Planned Parenthood out of the picture. She alone, managed to politicize the charity that had until now remained neutral.
Good riddance, but the damage may be irreparable.
Monday, February 06, 2012
Komen Foundation VP Behind Politicization of Organization
If you have followed the story it should come as no surprise that Susan G. Komen for the Cure VP, Karen Handle was behind the overtly political move to boot Planned Parenthood from the group's grant recipients.
Now emails reviewed by Huffington Post show the smoking gun.
Now emails reviewed by Huffington Post show the smoking gun.
“The emails show that Karen Handel was behind the entire decision to defund Planned Parenthood,” The Huffington Post’s Laura Bassett told CNN’s Soledad O’Brien Monday. “She was behind the strategy to develop the new criteria for who can be funded and she’s been behind the PR effort to clean up what’s happened since the decision was announced.”What was once a non-partisan organization has been fatally corrupted by a covert GOP operative. I predict that the charity will wither and die, hopefully to be replaced by a non-partisan group that does the same work as the original mission of the Komen group.
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