Utah Legislature Considers Dropping 12th Grade

Ah yes, seems the legislature in Utah is trying to out-stupid Texas again. (Being from Texas I can say that with impunity.) Now they have decided that since they are facing a deficit the best way to cut that down is to eleminate 12th grade in public schools. Yup! Drop the Senior year of high school and you save big time!

What the heck? Well, here is the spin the GOP is trying to put on this proposal:

"The bottom line is saving taxpayer dollars while improving options for students," said state Sen. Howard A. Stephenson, a Republican and co-chairman of the Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee. "The more options we give to students to accelerate, the more beneficial it is to students and taxpayers."

You see when a Republican wants to eliminate a critical service, they call it an option. Like having kids that are ill-prepared for college is an option. Although, I guess considering the average IQ of the Utah Legislature, 12th grade seems like a luxury!

If these guys were selling cars they would tell you that brakes and steering are options. Oy vey!

The Best Lernin' is Home Lernin'!

Well I just couldn't resist this lovely photo posted over at Joe My God. I think it really sums it up as far as the IQ of the Perry/Palin folks.

Cheney Reconsiders DADT?

And as the earth shifts on it's axis, our old friend Dick Cheney has decided that it is time to take a second look at "Don't Ask Don't Tell". Will wonders never cease?

The Three Musketeers and Black History Month?

When I was younger I loved swashbuckling stories. I read the The Three Musketeers and Count of Monte Cristo albeit in the Classics Illustrated edition after finding the novels a bit beyond my reading level. In later years I tackled them in the original version and found them riveting.

I even studied them in high school along with other classics of European literature and never once did I learn that the author, Alexander Dumas was black! That little nugget was conveniently ignored in my white-centric schooling, though I expect it is not today. So, as my contribution to Black History Month, I encourage you to find out a little more about Dumas and the next time you consider one of the many versions of his novels that have made it into film and television, remember his heritage.

The French writer was from an aristocratic Hatian/Creole family, though his widowed mother had long lost any wealth and raised Alexander as best as she could. His love of books and admiration for his fathers military career lead to his later storylines of daring do.

Enjoy!

KD Lang Wows The Olympics

If you missed the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, you missed a lot of high-tech theatrics and visuals. The biggest thing you missed was KD Lang, everyone's favorite "cow-punk" lesbian crooning a knockout version of "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen. Watch it here and try not to get shivers up your spine!

She stood on a high platform in a stunning white suit and belted it out as the whole crowd lit battery operated candles and swayed to the tune. It was so simple and yet so powerful. Canada should be proud!

Surviving the Great Dallas Blizzard

Some have called it Snowpocalypse, others Snowmageddon, but no matter what you call it it sucked!

Dallas received over a foot of snow, and though to folks in the great white north that is just a mild annoyance, to us here in Dallas it's a record breaker. Dallas has no snowploughs, no snow emergency routes and no real provisions for tons of heavy wet snow. The show broke tree limbs across the area and as they sagged or fell they in turn broke power lines. Voila! A full fledged mess.

Over 250,000 homes without power including ours! So, we toughed it out for a night and then wimped out and moved to a hotel. The first hotel, a friendly La Quinta on Central Expressway had rooms available, even though the town is packed for the NBA All-Star game Friday night. We arrived, My aging Aunt and Cousin in tow, since their house was dark and cold as well, only to find the hotel had lights but no heat. That is a deal breaker for sure.

The folks at La Quinta were very helpful and they did find us a room for the night...in Irving, Texas. So we trucked across town and ensconces ourselves in the hotel. After a nice dinner at the Outback with my Aunt and cousin we spend a warm cozy night in Irving.

This morning we called our house and the answering machine failed to pick up. Making an exploratory trip we found the house fully powered and warm, the cats serenely asleep on the bed greeting us with insouciance. But hey they are cats and that is what they do. We checked my Aunt's house and she did not have power, so I treated them to another night at the hotel should they need it.

All in all quite a little adventure and all because of the pretty white stuff that falls from the sky.
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow, my ass!

Update 2/14/10 - Not so fast! Well we had a nice dinner out and returned home last night to a dark street. Power out yet again! So, we spent the night with friends and finally today the electricity is back on. Hopefully, it will stay that way.

Homosexual vs. Gay - Words Color Poll Results

I just read a new study that said that more people polled support "gays serving in the military" than "homosexuals serving in the military". The numbers are astounding, 70% in favor versus 57% even though both terms are accurate and neither is a slur.

It is absolutely wierd how a simple change in semantics can color a poll. This is a good thing to remember in the future and especially when it comes to minorities. I suspect if the term "negro" is used instead of "African American" in a poll you'd get similar results.

Now that our community has started adding letters to LGBT such as QQIA (queer, questioning, intersex,allied) I have to wonder how that poll would work with those terms. My suspicion is that if you askede people if they wanted "queers to serve openly in the military" they would be overwhelmingly against it. That word, though many in our community have embraced it, still carries a big emotional wallop.

The lesson here is when speaking with the general public, use non-inflamitory words to get better results. Does this mean we should assimilate? Hell no, just refraim from using our jargon with the unenlightened.

Online Sex Game for Teens!

OK, that's a pretty inflammatory headline, but it is mostly true. The Middlesex-London Health Unit, a Canadian public health service has launched a new online video game called Sex Squad. It's aimed at teens who are starting to become sexually active and it just might work. Meanwhile the graphic was too good to pass up, especially the guy with the big penis for a fist. Talk about Freudian!

Quantum Mechanics Friday Blog

Yup time to expand or possibly blow your mind with a little quantum theory tidbit.

Some physicists in Hanover, Germany have been doing a little experiment (GEO600) to try to detect gravitational waves. There are ripples in space-time thrown off by super-dense astronomical objects like black holes. Funny thing. So far no gravitational waves have been detected, but in the tradition of many physics discoveries, they might have found something even more nifty.

In a story that reminds me of the discovery of cosmic microwave background radiation, (remnants from the Big Bang, Edwin Hubble's theory) they have been getting noise in their detector. They just couldn't find an explanation until a coolleague at Fermilab, Craig Hogan, postulated that they might have stumbled upon the fundamental limit of space-time. That is the point where space-time stops behaving like the smooth continuum Einstein described and dissolves into "grains". Think of a photo in a newspaper when you examine it under a magnifying glass.

In a quote by Hogan that is sure to either puzzle you or make you say "what the f*&k?" the doctor makes the copmparison, "if the GEO600 result is what I suspect it is, then we are all living in a giant cosmic hologram."

Can I get another "what the f*&k?"

Ah again physics reaches a level that sounds more like either The Matrix or religion or maybe both. Alas, that is the kind of strangeness you get when space-time is examined at this kind of level. Which brings me to my next revelation. Our whole universe is quite likely just a construct of our consciousness that makes our existence easier to comprehend. The recent theory of "bio-centrism" pretty much say time and reality are simply the way our minds understand existence. This means where we should be looking to understand the universe is in our cognitive processes as well as in what we perceive as the physical world.

So to make a very very long story short, relax your reality is only an convenient illusion and eventually it will be replaced by another one. And no I haven't been smoking wacky tabaccy.

Cheers!

Debra Medina Backtracks on 9/11 Comment

So if you ever want to know what the Tea Party is about,it's about quotes like this one by Debra Medina, Republican "Tea Party" candidate in the GOP primary for Governor of Texas. She was on Glenn Beck and he asked her if the US Government was behind 9/11 to wit she replied:

"I don't have all of the evidence there, Glenn," Medina said. "I think some very good questions have been raised. In that regard there's some very good arguments and I think the American people have not seen all the evidence there."

I suspect that answer wasn't written on her palm, because once her opponents got hold of that she backed away like she had just touched a hot stove. Her official tune is now: "There is no doubt in my mind that Muslim terrorists flew planes into those buildings on 9/11...."

That's a far cry from "good arguments".

So, like I figured, the Tea Party folks are populists without a clue.

Video Footage of the White House in the Snow

For those of us in Dallas, at least it isn't as bad as Washington, DC. Here are clips from the White House.

APA Issues New Guidelines & BDSM is Still a "Disorder"

Well, so much for lobbying the American Psychological Association. The new DSM-V is about to come out and guess what? Anything but missionary position for sex is pretty much a disorder.

This means that even though the fine print clarifies that Paraphylia, or what the real world calls fetishes are not a disorder unless it causes "distress and impairment", few shrinks are likely to read past the heading. This has been an ongoing problem and a lot of time and money has been expended to try to get fetishes tossed out completely, since it is not the fetish that is the problem in most cases. However, the folks at the APA are very, very, very conservative and wouldn't budge.

After all, it took years to get them to declassify homosexuality as a disorder, so what do you expect?

Meanwhile people with Asperger's Syndrome, many of whom I am very familliar with, are now classified as Autistic. Poof! A whole disease is dismissed. My guess is that Asperger's Syndrome doesn't get the same kind of money from insurance companies that Autism does, so the APA, following the money just enriched their members with full coverage!

Call me cynical? Maybe just suffering from Life Irony Disorder?

AFA Unhealthy Fixation With Showers

The old bigots at the American Family Association are up to their same tired tricks. They are railing about the repeal of DADT. Their cry is the same as always, "gays in the shower"!

Here is a bit of news for them. There are gays in the showers now in gyms, military and colleges. The military does not deny that LGBT people already serve, they just have to lie about being straight. That means that LGBT people are already naked and cleaning themselves alongside straight counterparts. That won't change under a repeal of DADT.

And here's another buliten for the AFA. According to a Zogby poll, 73 percent of military members are comfortable with lesbians and gays. 73%! So why is the AFA so fixated on the showers?

I figure it's because they are the ones who want to be in that steamy environment leering at the other naked men and women, and they are just projecting that onto the LGBT service members.
Time for some serious soul searching AFA folks!

Iowa Republicans Propose Pro-Bullying Laws Against LGBT Students

Take a good look. This is the face of a bully. He is the guy that might have pushed you to the ground in the schoolyard and called you "fag". He is the guy who might have robbed you of your lunch money or slammed you into a locker and he is trying to do it again in Iowa, but with the this time he wants to do it with a law.

His name is Matt Windschitl, and he is a state representative in Iowa. He and his bullying friend, Jason Schultz have introduced a bill entitled, "Exclude Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender (LGBT) Students from Safe Schools Law ".

These assholes actually have the nerve to actively push a law that encourages bullying and harassment of LGBT kids. Now perhaps you think my language is a bit strong. You're God damned right it is! This is the kind of thing I would expect form the American Nazi Party not the Republicans, but perhaps I have forgotten that the GOP is now run by jackbooted thugs!

This is going to take a national effort to bring these bigots to their knees. I propose a letter writing campaign to flood their offices with mail. Not EMAIL either, real honest to God letters.

The bullies addresses are:

Matt Windschitl
222 West Huron
Missouri Valley, Iowa 51555

Jason Schultz
18 Valley View Circle
Schleswig, Iowa 51461


Let these two know how you feel and why they are the problem not the solution.

Here is the bill!

A Big Thank You To Everyone at Creating Change

To all the folks who made Creating Change such a success, I do not have enough words to thank you. I saw so many excited and energized LGBTQ activists this weekend I feel a whole lot better about the state of our movement.

I also wanted to thank the NLGTF for their unexpected award for Leather Leadership. I will cherish this for the rest of my life and I will try to live into the expectations such an honor means. I hope I am up to it.

I thought I would print my thank you speech here, in case some of my friends might want to read it.

I am incredibly honored to receive this award. I want to thank the task force for their bravery in continuing to present this award every year. I well understand that the Leather community is often used by our enemies as that boogie man that can drum up fear in their followers. They portray the LGBTQ community and more specifically the leather community with half truths and inflammatory lies.

It is sad that they cannot see people like us as simply another facet in the jewel that is God’s gift of sexuality. Now I also understand there are those here who will get uncomfortable when I bring God into the discussion, but I can find no better explanation for the intense and rewarding relationships I have found in the LGBTQ leather community but a gift of the divine.

On a hopeful note, I want you to know that in my travels and presentations at leather, BDSM and Fetish events across the continent, I find that we leatherfolk have a unique ability to unite people of many sexual orientations including heterosexuals. These people have found common ground in the leather BDSM fetish realm and have come to understand the unique difficulties being a sexual minority. The knowledge we share with one another, the principals of safety, consensuality and negotiation in our activities contributes to a richness and authenticity in their lives and relationships. That can only be a good thing.

I sincerely hope that the work of the task force continues, but not for too long. The goal of any organization that works to end discrimination and intolerance is to work itself out of a job. My fondest dream is that someday we will no longer need to dedicate so much time and money and effort to enjoy the freedoms and rights that most Americans take for granted. Until that time, we all have a lot of work to do.

Dallas Morning News Favors Repeal of DADT.

The Dallas Morning News is a bastion of conservative opinion in Dallas and has been all of my life, that's why it is so surprising that they have come down on the side of repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell.

Long out of touch with the changing political demographic of Dallas the News often rails against anything that even resembles progressive, so this move is huge. I can only imagine that even the DMN inderstands that DADT is just plain bad policy and encourages dishonest behavior. I would think honesty is something you would want in people serving in the military.

I know several military men who are not LGBT and all of them favor the repeal. They have seen good officers and specialists discharged when the military needs all the expertise they can get. Even General Colin Powell is in favor of doing away with this crappy policy.

Creating Change Notes - Friday Afternoon

Well, after a short tri to the X-ray guys, I made it to Creating Change. The keynote by Rea Carey was great. She took a few well needed jabs at President Obama and then acknowledged the passage of the Hate Crimes Bill. More to the point she encouraged everyone to become ambassadors for the movement. Talking to people each week about who we are and why we need to have the same rights as everyone else.

I also attended a workshop on Sexual Liberation that was interesting. I am glad to see sex becoming part of the LGBT movement again. For a long time activists seemed like eunuchs and it was not PC to talk about sex. Assimilation was the vogue, but I am glad to say that detour is behind many of us.

Tomorrow much more in the way of workshops and speeches, and then Sunday I get an award! (download the nifty poster with me on it here.)
Anyone interested, please attend the Leather Caucus this Saturday at 6:00 pm. It should be fun and enlightening.

Obama Calls Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill "Odious"

Well it is a start anyway. Today at the National Prayer Breakfast, President Obama dropped a bomb when he called the pending Ugandan legislation "odious". It is significant since that event is sponsored by the Fellowship Foundation, a far right religious group.

From Think Progress come these quotes:

CLINTON: And I recently called President Museveni, whom I have known through the Prayer Breakfast, and expressed the strongest concerns about a law being considered in the parliament of Uganda.

– OBAMA: We may disagree about gay marriage, but surely we can agree that it is unconscionable to target gays and lesbians for who they are, whether it’s here in the United States or as Hillary mentioned, more extremely in odious laws that are being proposed most recently in Uganda.

I have criticized the President for attending this fake official event, but if he uses it to give these guys a nice verbal spanking, then I recant!

"National" Prayer Breakfast Includes the President

Sad, but true. Obama succumbed to political pressure and spoke at the fundamentalist propaganda fest, the National Prayer Breakfast. This event, which masquerades as some sort of official gathering is actually sponsored by the Fellowship, a shadowy fundamentalist group. The Fellowship has had it's fingers in the Uganda Anti-Homosexual laws, as well as numerous scandas in the infamous "C Street House".

It is politically difficult to not attend, since it would immediately garner attacks from right winders, but still to have Obama, Biden and Clinton at this gathering is disturbing.

I have no problem with prayer, I pray daily. I have a problem with associating with far-right fundamentalists who have worked to spread their radical brand of Christianity through our military and government. I put them right up there with the radical Islamists who have infiltrated Middle Eastern governments.

It's time Christians took their religion back from the far right.

Colin Powell Comes Out - In Favor of DADT Repeal!

General Colin Powell, once mentioned as a possible Republican candidate for VP and former top military officer in the 1990's has come out in favor of repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell.

“In the almost 17 years since the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ legislation was passed, attitudes and circumstances have changed,” General Powell said in a statement issued by his office. He added: “I fully support the new approach presented to the Senate Armed Services Committee this week by Secretary of Defense Gates and Admiral Mullen.”

More from the NY Times.

Why President Obama Should Not Attend The National Prayer Breakfast

It is no secret, I am a Christian. Now, before you go imagining fire breathing evangelists, let me assure you I am not that kind of Christian. The Bible thumping fundamentalists have hijacked the word "Christian" and it's almost impossible to identify as one without the negative stereotypes getting in the way.

Well here is one reason those stereotypes exist. It's a group known as the "Fellowship Foundation" or sometimes "The Family". They are a strange group of people who hang out at the infamous "C Street House" in Washington DC and their members include Senators and Congressmen. My problem with this bunch is their subversive attempts to integrate religion with the government.

For example, Senator James Inhofe(R-OK)evangelizes while traveling at taxpayer expense. That is pretty clearly a violation of that whole church/state separation. More importantly, this group sponsors the National Prayer Breakfasts which have become almost mandatory for politicians wishing to score points with the fundamentalist right.

It is because of that group and their activities that CREW, the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington is urging everyone from the President on down to avoid the breakfast. You can read their letter here.

If you want more proof of the Fellowship Foundation's dirty deeds, look to Uganda and their anti-homosexual law that is before the Ugandan legislature. It was inspired by a visit from Fellowship members.

Scott Roeder Convicted of Murder

The man who killed Dr. Tiller in the foyer of the church where Dr. Tiller was serving as an usher has been convicted of murder. Scott Roeder saw himself as a champion of unborn children. Instead he was just a murder with delusions of grandeur.

Roeder was steeped in the anti-abortion rhetoric that fuels such violent acts, and his own statement, "those children were in immediate danger if someone did not stop George Tiller", shows how he has continued to try to justify murder.

The jury deliberated only 37 minutes to convict Roeder, and now he will serve a mandatory life in prison sentence.

In my opinion, the verdict should go further and should find that the radical organizations who fueled Roeders delusion should be included as accessories to this crime, but that won't happen.

No matter whether you are pro-choice or anti-abortion, such acts of violence and insanity should not go unpunished. A degree of justice has been handed out by the Kansas jury, the real injustice of Dr. Tillers murder can never be righted.

I am no fan of abortion, but I am certainly no fan of terrorists like Scott Roeder. The tough decision to seek an abortion should be between a woman, her physician and her family. Nobody rejoices over abortion, but it is a choice that should still be available as a last resort.

Jon Stewart Nails It Again!

How come a comedian can see the truth and our elected officials can't?

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Blues Clueless
www.thedailyshow.com
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Ted Haggard - White Knuckle Straight

In a recent interview with Oprah Winfrey, allegedly "ex-gay" evangelist Ted Haggard said he stays on the straight and narrow by checking in with his wife, constantly!

He calls this being "super accountable", but I really think it is something else. Let's try "white knuckle". This kind of continuous monitoring sounds an awful lot like Ted still wants to "lay with men as with a woman" to me. Like most "ex-gays" he is fighting his real nature. It is the same thing a lot of LGBT people do before they come out. They try tactics to "stay straight" even though their minds, their bodies and their souls are gay.

Eventually Ted might either learn to accept his true nature and live that "abundant life" spoken about in the New Testament, or he will continue to be a gay man on house arrest. That never turns out well.

I am praying for you Ted.

Face Zippers And Other Fashion Disasters!

Ever need proof that fashion designers are putting a big one over on the women of the world? Check out the "face zippers" that addorned the models at this Paris fashion show. Face zippers? Oh puleeze!

Right Wingnut O'Keefe - Watergate Redux?

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose. The famous words of Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr are loosely translated as, "the more things change, the more they remain the same." They are quite apropos in the case of the recent break in of Democrat Sen. Mary Landrieu’s office by right-wing activist James O’Keefe. His arrest looks an awful lot like the Watergate break-in from many years ago. O'Keefe was doing dirty work, trying to polant a bug in the Senators office.

His previous adventures include impersonating a pimp and secretly taping an interview with an ACORN worker. Guess this arrest will pretty much stifle his "activist" career at least for a while. Funny how federal crimes do that?

He has already been pulled from the GOP speaking tour and dissinvited to address a group of conservatives in Salt Lake City. I suspect when the full involvement of others is discovered, things will really get interesting. Even Glenn Beck was outraged...well maybe that isn't so unique?

Working Toward Sexual Freedom

Last weekend I spent the time working with a group of hard core activists.The experience was both invigorating and humbling. Some of the people there were high powered legal types and other celebrities. And then there was me.

The group was the board and advisory committee for the Woodhull Freedom Foundation. Named after Victoria Woodhull, an early pioneer for women's equality and a champion for human sexuality. She is not often listed in the history books but she worked alongside Susan B. Anthony and even was nominated as a Presidential candidate long before women even had the right to vote.

The foundation focuses on a simple and elegant premise, "sexual freedom is a basic human right". The nice thing about that mission statement is that people across the political spectrum can get behind it. The advisory board encompassed people of a wide variety of sexual orientations and political background. That is encouraging.

The direction we, and I say we because I am now on the advisory board, are taking the group is an exciting one. You can expect to here more specifics soon. Until then you can find more about the organization at Woodhullfoundation.org. You can also make a donation there as well to continue and expand the organizations work.

While you are at it, mark the date September 23 on your calendar. It will be the first "sexual Freedom Day", and we are planning several events to commemorate it. The date just happens to be Victoria Woodhull's birthday!

Scott Brown's Wife In Racy Video

Over the weekend I was in Washington, DC working with a non-profit I am associated with. At one of our lunch breaks I spoke with a wonkish friend about the whole Scott Brown thing. He rolled his eyes and said, "there is a scandal there, and it just hasn't broken." I figured he was just postulating but this guy smells more and more like someone who has a past and I don't mean a clean one.

Not only did he pose nude in Cosmo, but his wife starred in a racy music video below for Digney Fignus. Enjoy now before it gets yanked from YouTube.

New Pro LGBT Film - Written for Teens

Below is a trailer for the upcoming film, FIT. It is a film about bullying, teenagers and being LGBT designed to be seen by teens. Needless to say, it won't be seen in the US anytime soon, but it will be shown in schools in the UK.

GOP Defrauds Citizens With Fake Census

Imagine this scenario. You open your mail and there is a very official form from the government that looks like the census. As you read it and answer the questions you come to a part that solicits money for the Republican party. What the hell?

Yup, you have been duped by the GOP. Michael Steel and the rest of the shysters at the RNC have created a fake census form that is actually a fund solicitation. Ben Smith at Politico describes it and AmericaBlog actually has one of the forms posted on their site. It is very convincing and the worry is that it will confuse residents when the real census comes out.

Already complaints have been filed with the Postmaster General's office and I expect this dirty trick to end up in congressional hearings.

One Nation of Corportations, for Corporations and by Corporations

Well the legacy of the Bush years continues to haunt our country. Now the Supreme Court has ruled essentially that corporations can pour as much money as they want into the political arena.

This opens the flood gates for political contributions that will shape the laws of this country in unprecedented ways. If you thought companies ran the country before, just wait!

The whole thing stems from a ruling that gave corporations the same rights as individuals. According to Bush ideologue, Chief Justice John Roberts, "The text and purpose of the First Amendment point in the same direction: Congress may not prohibit political speech, even if the speaker is a corporation...."

Now the saying that we have the best government money can buy will no longer be just a cynical jab, it will be the truth. God save America.

More Terror Panic - Is it a Bomb, No It's Tefillin!

OK this is just silly, but I suspect it reflects the growing xenophobia that has infected our citizenship.

On a US Air flight a Jewish teenager was reciting a prayer and practicing the orthodox ritual of "wrapping Tefillin". The ritual which is practiced by many orthodox Jews involves a literal enactment of a Torah verse that states, "And you shall bind them as a sign upon your arm, and they shall be a forefrontlet between your eyes.".

Leather straps are wrapped around the arms and forehead to attach small boxes with scripture verses inside. It is a beautiful process but strange to some, therefore it MUST BE TERRORISM!

The teenager was escorted off the plane by law enforcement officers. Sheesh! If a fundamentalist Christian was speaking in tongues would they be arrested as well? Good God folks, caution is one thing but just downright ignorance is another. As long as we remain so domned jumpy the terrorists have won. We are terrorized! Get it?

Morgan Stanley Execs Try to Drain the Company Dry

Morgan Stanley suffered a really bad year last year. The firm lost money, the first time in it's 74 year history. You'd think things would be tight there, but not for the high paid executives. They set aside $14.4 billion for salaries and bonuses. Needless to say, this has the folks in Washington fuming. It should have the shareholders in Morgan Stanley fuming as well.

I guess these guys are not content with being extremely rich, they feel the need to be super-rich. Somehow, all these obscene salaries and bonuses make me not so much envious as sick to my stomach.

The Simpsons in Stained Glass!

Just found this in the Telegraph. An artist in England, Joseph Cavalieri produced a series of amazing works based on the long-running animated series. Check them out.

Martin Luther King - Dreams and Action

Dr. King did not just have a dream, he was a man of action and contrary to what many think, the speech on the National Mall during the March on Washington was not all about hopes and dreams, it was about injustice and what must be done to right the wrongs.

Here is a very little quoted passage from that great speech:

"In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt"

Now imagine if you will that he had substituted the acronym LGBT for "Negro". In reality, I believe Dr. King wanted freedom and justice for ALL people. Some may remember that one of the men who organized the march back in 1963 was Bayard Rustin, a black gay man.

Where are the leaders like Dr. King and Bayard Rustin today?

IE6 Source of Chinese Hack Attacks?

Microsoft products have long been seen as Swiss cheese by the hacker world. This was made abundantly clear this week when the Chinese hacker attacks on US companies found a nice convenient entry point in Microsoft IE6. According to BetaNews IE6 was given the official thumbs down from the German government who told its citizens they should stop using the popular browser. Further smoking guns come from McAfee's blog which specifically enumerates the vulnerability in the browser.

Should you stop using IE6? No, stop using any Microsoft browser. Their security issues are ongoing and there seems to be a systemic weakness in their products. Opera. Chrome, Safari and my favorite FireFox have much better security records.

CNN Reporter Joins the Rescue Effort

I watched CNN last night as hey covered the ongoing tragedy in Haiti. Dr. Sanjay Gupta was reporting from an area where volunteer doctors had been working with survivors. The doctors were told to pull out because of security concerns. The doctors let, but the CNN reporter, Gupta remained behind to treat people who needed help desperately. That is dedication and he deserves high praise for ending to his work as a doctor above his reporting duties.

I know lots of you are tired of me blogging about Haiti, but the situation there is worse than anything we have seen in the western hemisphere in a long time. Even the earthquake in Mexico City in 1985 was not this bad. Mexico City is a highly developed place with lots of infrastructure. The devastation there was heavy and 10,000 dead, but it was localized in fewer areas than Haiti. Haiti is dirt poor and so many people are affected in the capital it will be difficult to rebuild not just the buildings but the countries political structure as well.

Again, please donate to the legitimate organizations trying to help out.

Navy Hospital Ship on Route to Haiti

The Navy hospital ship, Comfort is steaming toward Haiti at this moment to bring much needed medical aid and hospital facilities. The ship has 250 beds and a staff of 560.

Wyclef Jean's Relief Fund for Haiti

Yele Haiti is a movement led by Wyclef Jean, Haitian Hip-Hop artist, that is helping to bring hope back to Haiti. Projects are designed to make a difference in the fields of education, health, environment and community development. Yele Haiti (previously known as the Wyclef Jean Foundation) is a 501 (3) tax exempt charitable organization.

Wyclef is actually in Haiti right now helping to extract survivors and bodies from the rubble. His effort and that of many folks like him may help bring Haiti much needed relief.

Dallasites Return from Haiti

A group of 10 members of the Highland Park United Methodist Church have safely returned from Port au Prince. A few are receiving medical treatment for injuries received during the earthquake. The 10 were members of a medical missionary group sent by the church. Two other members of the group are in Guadeloupe receiving medical attention.

Bodies Piled in the Streets in Haiti

The nightmare that is the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake continues. Bodies are piled in the streets and aids is slow in arriving because of logistical problems with the infrastructure.

Sarah Palin Even Amazes Glenn Beck With Her Stupidity

This clip speaks for itself. Beck even says "bull crap" when Sarah says her favorite founding father was "all of them".

Nightmare in Haiti

Aid agencies all need funds. Help has been arriving but the devastation is so widespread it will take years to rebuild what is left of the Haitian capital.

The clip below was taken just minutes after the quake. Warning:it's pretty graphic.

Teddy Pendergrass - Dead at 59

Another recording great from the 70's and 80's has passed into history. Teddy Pendergrass, the soulful voice that sang with Harold and the Blue Notes and later had a very successful solo career died from complications of colon cancer.

Pendergrass' career was almost cut short in the late 1980's when he was paralyzed from a car accident, but he continued singing from a wheelchair. His deep velvet voice will be missed.

Pat Robertson Claims Haiti Earthquake Due to "Pact With the Devil"

Yes Pat Robertson, that old fart of an evangelist is bringing "good news" again. (I am being sarcastic here, just in case you can't tell.) He has laid blame for the Haitian disaster at the feet of the Haitian people! He claims they made a pact with the devil and now they are paying their due.

Oh puleeze!

Pat claims Haitians were originally "under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon the third, or whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil.... They said, we will serve you if you will get us free from the French. True story. And so, the devil said, okay it's a deal."

Leave it to a money grubbing televangelist to ignore the suffereing and lay blame on the victims. He needs to just go away!

Bodies Piling Up in Haiti

Latest reports say there may be as many as 100,000 dead in Haiti after the massive earthquake yesterday.

Prime Minister Jean Max Bellerive said after touring the rubble, "I've seen so many buildings, so many neighbourhoods totally destroyed, and in some neighbourhoods we don't even see people."

More here from ABC News.

More News from Haiti

This blogger has updates from the scene in Haiti. It is not good, and according to his reports the National Palace, Government Buildings, a Boys Home, Hospital, UN Headquarters are all destroyed.

Livesay Haiti Blog

Video from Haiti

Just found this raw video post from Haiti. News is sketchy but it looks really bad.

Helping Haiti

If you are like me you have wondered how you could help the devastated people of Haiti. Relief is beginning but it will take days. I suggest the following organizations who have mounted Haitian relief campaigns:

Doctors Without Borders

International Red Cross

UNICEF

United Church of Christ Relief Effort

From the White House this morning:

You can also help immediately by donating to the Red Cross to assist the relief effort. Contribute online, or donate $10 to be charged to your cell phone bill by texting "HAITI" to "90999."

Families of Americans living in Haiti are encouraged to contact the State Department at 888-407-4747.

From FedEx:

FedEx is working with our designated charitable relief organizations to help ensure aid is on the way to Haiti. We plan to provide transportation services for the American Red Cross, Heart to Heart International, Direct Relief International and Water Missions as soon as conditions allow.

Glad to see American corporations pitching in so fast!

Pictures from Haiti

This just posted on HaitiFeed, The presidential palace in Haiti is gone!

Pray for Haiti - 7.3 Earthquake

Haiti, the poorest country in the hemisphere was devastated by a 7.3 magnitude earthquake this afternoon. The US envoy to the country calls the event a "catastrophe of major proportions".

Hospitals and other emergency buildings have collapsed and one official from the US who was on the scene says the sky is gray with dust from the destruction. The Haitian Ambassador to the US said, "I just hear a tremendous amount of noise and shouting and screaming in the distance".

More as this tragedy unfolds.

Earth to Get Close Shave Tomorrow!

How about a really close shave? Astronomically speaking we are going to dodge a bullet tomorrow, Wednesday, January 13, 2010. An asteroid about 50 feet across called "2010 AL30" was located by the NASA Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research program, and announced Monday by the Minor Planet Center at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.

It will pass closer than our moon to our little blue planet, in fact only about 1/3 the distance of the moon to be accurate. That is close!

Read more here.

Pope Calls Gay Marriage Threat to Creation

And once again the Pope wades into the cesspool of bigotry and takes a stand with the cesspool!

In his address to a group of diplomats, Pope Benedict the 16th framed gay marriage as a threat to civilization. His Holiness joins a long line of fear mongers in trying to demonize same sex marriage.

"Creatures differ from one another and can be protected, or endangered, in different ways, as we know from daily experience. One such attack comes from laws or proposals which, in the name of fighting discrimination, strike at the biological basis of the difference between the sexes,"

This veiled reference is every bit as offensive as the tired "Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve" drivel that flows from the fundamentalist pulpits. The Catholic church made a calculated decision when it chose Cardinal Ratzinger as Pope. It decided to turn its back on the tide of history and becomf even more fossilized. Now in an effort to maintain that dusty position, the Pope must resort to name calling and fear. Sad for the "Vicar of Christ" who many call the Prince of Peace to sew the seeds of hatred.

Oh Joy! Sarah Palin is Going to Fox News.

As though her 15 minutes of fame was not up months ago, Ms. Palin, the quitter-governor of Alaska is going to appear regularly on Fox News. I have to assume they will teach her to read a teleprompter, otherwise America will be treated to even more blithering idiocy.

Of course that is assuming Fox viewers can tell the difference between news and crap...oh yeah, they are Fox viewers after all!

Do I sound uncharitable? You betcha!

Simpsons at 20 - Even the Vatican Likes Homer!

So who would have though that the little animated bumpers used between segments on the Tracy Ullman show wold become the worlds longest running animated sit-com? The Simpsons marked its 20th anniversary this month. That is a milestone for any show, much less an animated one.

Most surprising was the comment by the Vatican, congratulating the show and mentioning a Simpson take on theology that is enlightening and provocative. Homer's numerous struggles with God and his relationship to religion are often a theme on the program.

The Vatican's L'Osservatore Romano said of the show's lead character, "Homer finds in God his last refuge, even though he sometimes gets His name sensationally wrong....But these are just minor mistakes, after all, the two know each other well."

That last quote referred to one of the several episodes where Homer and God have a chat.

Congratulations Homer and Matt Groening for an incredible and praise-worthy achievement.

Michael Jackson's Doctor to be Indicted

Looks like Conrad Murray, doctor of Michael Jackson, will finally be indicted on involuntary manslaughter charges. This after an extensive investigation and much speculation may put a final chapter to the story.

The coroner ruled Jackson's death as a homicide. His death was caused by acute intoxication of the powerful anesthetic propofol along with other sedatives. The trial will most likely prove to be as spectacular as the singers life itself.

Rudy Giuliani Tries to Rewrite History Again!

It's amazing how the GOP manages to live in their own reality. The latset delusion comes from Rudy Giuliani who made the amazing statement,

"We had no domestic attacks under Bush; we've had one under Obama."

Dang, I could swear there was some kerfuffle about a couple of airliners striking some tall buildings in New York, but heck maybe that was just a bad dream?

Make no mistake, 9/11 happened on Bush's watch. I don't blame him, but the way he handled the crisis was amazingly bungled. Now I wonder where Rudy Giuliani was during that time....oh yea, he was Mayor of New York!

Prop 8 Vote May Have Been Corrupted

Reading an abstract of a study that says the Proposition 8 vote in California does not mesh up with exit poll results. There may have been tampering. More as it develops.

Goodbye Kiss Triggered Airport Shutdown

Seems a traveler and her friend just couldn't say goodbye before screening, so he slipped through the security checkpoint to give her a goodbye kiss. That activity was caught on video, yet the breach triggered the shut down of Newark International Airport for hours.

The TSA officer in charge had left his post when the incident happened. That officer is on administrative leave.

Body Scans and Going Deeper

OK, I have already blogged about going through the Full Body Scanner in Indianapolis Airport during the holidays. Personally, I don't have a problem with it. It is preferable to a frisking, that is unless the guard is really good looking, and I don't have a problem with an official being able to see under my clothes. Invasion of privacy? Maybe, but if not carrying a bomb is a prerequisite to flying, then there have to be ways to check. The Nigerian guy understood you are not supposed to carry a bomb on a plane and yet he did.

My biggest problem with the scanners is the immediate jump to an untested technology in favor of something that works time and again. I am talking about dogs. Man's best friend has a really good track record at detecting explosives, drugs and just about anything that smells. Our friends at GE who made the ill fated puffer gadgets that were supposed to detect explosives can't make that claim. Those big bucks machines are now basically huge paperweights, paid for by the general public's hard earned dollars.

Now the body scanner enters the picture and yet another big company gets richer.

Doesn't Alpo have a lobbyist? A bomb sniffing dog would be faster and less intrusive than one of these peeping scan things, but since no one gets rich from dogs they remain on the sidelines.

This article in Mother Jones says pretty much the same thing, so I am not the only one with this nagging question. Mentioned in the piece is a British device that does a virtual body cavity search. If it's expensive, you can bet it is in our future as we remove every last bit of fun from flying.

Partner of Freddie Mercury Dies at 61

I have been humming Queen songs for a week, then today I find that Freddie Mercury's former partner, Jim Hutton died. Coincidence? Who knows?

Hutton lived with Freddie for the last six years of his life as he died of complications of AIDS. Hutton died of cancer, though no word has come of exactly what the cause was Hutton was also HIV positive.

Mercury's music will probably be remembered for a very long time.

Dolphins Should be Treated as "Non-Human Persons"

That alarming headline came directly from a research study by scientists looking at the cognitive capacities of dolphins. Though it sounds like something PETA might publish the study seems authentic and according to the Times, dolphins brains are second only to humans even outstripping greater apes when it comes to intelligence.

Now I am no fan of animal rights folks. Most I have met are certifiably wacky, but when it comes to dolphins, that is a different matter. I had the distinct privileged of working with these amazing animals in several live performance venues and in films. They are indeed not just clever, but they have distinct personalities and even understand humor. Humor? Indeed.

To illustrate my point, here is a story that is true and telling.

While working at a sea life park directing several non-animal shows, I spent a lot of time passing the dolphin tanks. I got in the habit of stopping to watch, and the animals regularly popped up from the water to check me out. I sincerely believe their smiles are genuine expressions of their attitudes, and they were not present every day.

They would often come over to the side of the pool and even let me pet them a few times. I had no fish or other treats, so this was voluntary on their part. What's more they seem to recognize that I was unassuming and laid back. A quality not present in some of the folks I dealt with.

The case in point was when a business associate accompanied me. He was dressed in a suit and was pretty much out of place at the laid back park. The dolphins noticed this and very accurately managed to squirt a stream of water onto his freshly pressed trousers, missing me and the others standing around the pool. They then quickly retreated to the far side and bobbed up to watch the reaction.

Everyone but the man in the suit was laughing, including the dolphins with their taunting chuckles.

This happened time and again and they were uncanny in finding the exact person who would be most ruffled by a splash. To me that was a sign of not just perception, but the abstract principal of humor expressed in a slapstick manner. Now what was that about Flipper being unrealistic?

Co-conspirators in Ugandan Genocide

Three advocates of the widely discredited practice of "curing" homosexuals spoke in Uganda and are being implicated as part of the motivation for the new anti-homosexual laws there.

Scott Lively, Caleb Lee Brundidge and Don Schmierer all spoke at a conference attended by thousands of Ugandans, including police officers, teachers and national politicians. Today, they are all trying to distance themselves from the issue, but luckily the press is keeping the ties crystal clear. The far-right fundamentalists fuled the hatred in Uganda and as the saying goes they are "inheriting the wind."

From a story in the New York Times, a minister who attended the conference states:

“What these people have done is set the fire they can’t quench...."

Mr. Kaoma was at the conference and said that the three Americans “underestimated the homophobia in Uganda” and “what it means to Africans when you speak about a certain group trying to destroy their children and their families.”

“When you speak like that,” he said, “Africans will fight to the death.”

These rabble rousers must be held accountable for what they are doing on foreign soil. If they were Muslim, they would be called terrorists.

Say "I Do" In New Hampshire!

At midnight January 1, the state of new hampshire began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. A couple who had been together 19 years was the first to wed, Linda Murphy and Donna Swartwout tied the knot at 12:01am.

Now, if the bigots don't come out of the woodwork and try to overturn this just and fair law, perhaps the momentum might once again build to give full and equal rights to all Americans.

Toys I want next Christmas

OK it's he new year and time to start making those Christmas lists. Right at the top is this great Japanese toy robot that was made during the 1980's. I seem to remember seeing it at a great store here in Dallas called Modern Toys. Alas, Modern Toys is gone but just maybe the toy is still around on Ebay.

Naughy or nice? You decide.

Is the Cotton Bowl Still the Cotton Bowl?

Lured away by visions of luxury suites and big screen video, the Cotton Bowl is playing in a domed stadium in Arlington, TX instead of it's namesake venue. Kind of strange and to me, very sad.

Football has always been a rougher sport that it's more genteel brethren like Baseball. It is played in the winter and fall and that has always been part of the game. Inclement weather made games less predictable and made fan loyalty a real statement of fortitude. Yes games were often played in snow, rain or sometimes blazing heat (after all it is Texas here) but the Cotton Bowl has always been played in the Cotton Bowl.

The venerable old stadium has gotten yet another face lift, additional seating and amenities. It's still in Fair Park, the crown jewel of the Dallas Park system and it's got history. I wonder if the fans will feel the same way about Jerry Jones hi-tech glitterdome?

Most people know, I am not big fan of football, but college ball is a different story. The games have more heart and the fans go through hell and high water to cheer their teams to victory. This year they will watch most of the action on a humongous TV screen and dine on snacks served in luxury suites instead of popcorn and cotton candy.

It just won't be the same.

Portrait of Dorian Gray - Hot Gay Movie?

This film was released back in September and I never saw it. I am trying to track down whether it was released in the US or just the UK, but this scene is wonderfully hot.

Cheney Has A Big Mouth & The White House Says So!

From the "it's about time file", the White House has issued a response to the criticism lodged by Dick Cheney about President Obama's measured response to the attempted airline bombing.

"There has been a lot of discussion online and in the mainstream media about our response to various critics of the President, specifically former Vice President Cheney, who have been coming out of the woodwork since the incident on Christmas Day. I think we all agree that there should be honest debate about these issues, but it is telling that Vice President Cheney and others seem to be more focused on criticizing the Administration than condemning the attackers."

The post on the White House blog goes on to say:

"...for seven years after 9/11, while our national security was overwhelmingly focused on Iraq – a country that had no al Qaeda presence before our invasion – Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda's leadership was able to set up camp in the border region of Pakistan and Afghanistan, where they continued to plot attacks against the United States. Meanwhile, al Qaeda also regenerated in places like Yemen and Somalia, establishing new safe-havens that have grown over a period of years. It was President Obama who finally implemented a strategy of winding down the war in Iraq, and actually focusing our resources on the war against al Qaeda..."

An then the best line in the whole post:

"To put it simply: this President is not interested in bellicose rhetoric, he is focused on action. Seven years of bellicose rhetoric failed to reduce the threat from al Qaeda and succeeded in dividing this country. And it seems strangely off-key now, at a time when our country is under attack, for the architect of those policies to be attacking the President."

Read the whole thing and you will probably feel like I did... it's about fucking time!

More States Allow First Cousins to Marry than Gays

While researching same sex marriage I found this disturbing map. It was generated by the New York Times and published in Chicago Now. The map shows a comparison of states where same-sex marriage is legal vs. states where you can marry your first cousin. Go figure!

I will have to apologize to my friend from Mississippi, looks like Ole' Miss is not a Cousin Marryin' state!

The Graying of Gays

OK, I am no spring chicken anymore, in fact I doubt I ever was, so the prospect of growing older concerns me. I know it is inevitable, but it is what will happen to me and my friends as we age that bothers me.

Oh I am well aware of the physical problems, but it's the prospect of geriatric care that is my real concern. A recent article in an Australian publication details the problems facing gays as they age. Discrimination and unreasonable treatment by nursing home staffs is certainly a biggie. I know there are speical facilities for LGBT people, but they are few and far between. The general public needs to understand the challenges of the aging sexual minorities.

Once upon a time, I was involved in a project to create a retirement community for leatherman and leatherwomen. Unfortunately, that project stalled when the dot com boom busted. I sincerely believe it is still a very necessary project and hope it can be resurrected before I am old enough to need it.

I will continue to write about this as I find out more, but in the mean time, I urge you to seriously think about what you will do when you get too old to care for yourself.

Canada Bans Carry-on Luggage

Well, if anything good has come from the latest terrorist attempt is that Canada is banning carry-on luggage with the exception of purses, laptops, medical devices and camera bags. This will ease long backups at screening checkpoints and inspections.

The good thing for us travelers is we don't have to put up with people trying to cram full sized suitcases into the overhead bins. People travel like refugees carrying so much junk they take forever to board. We also won't have to wait in line inside the airplanes while people try to unjam their bags.

I check my luggage because I don't like lugging it around inside the airport and hoisting it in and out of the plane. Now the airlines will also get the benefit of extra luggage fees, which they surely won't reject.

Battlestar Galactica Rhapsody

OK, I admit it I am a scifi geek. That's why this video cracks me up. The whole plot of the series condensed into a single video set to Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. Great satire!

Full Body Scans and Other Fun Flying Events!

As I entered the passenger screening area of the Indianapolis Airport, I noticed devices I thought were the infamous "puffer" machines. Puffers or whiffers or whatever supposedly smell explosives on a person and wonder of wonder, they don't work very well. Still some airports spent millions to buy the fluky machines and now most sit idle because of problems.

Nope, these were not what I thought, instead these were the body scanner machines called "millimeter wave scanners" and essentially they are a virtual strip search. Images from these can see details including a person's gender and just about every detail of what is beneath your clothing.

I stepped into a booth and was told to spread my legs and hold my hands over my head. A device swung around me and then I was asked to do the same facing a different direction. It was painless, but mysterious in that no one told me what it was doing.

To my surprise not everyone was asked to go through this gadget and that is what bothers me. The TSA is playing an odds game. They figure a random screening will either deter or catch any suspected bad guys, but as has been shown over and over it doesn't work. The man with the bomb on the plane to Detroit when through screening both in Nigeria and the Netherlands and still managed to get explosives on the plane. Perhaps these body scanners would have seen the material he carried in his crotch, maybe not.

The whole point is, there is no such thing as absolute safety. If we are going to screen passengers, then screen them all, otherwise it's a coin toss. My partner and I wondered if a few good old-fashioned bomb sniffing dogs would have been more efficient. Probably so, but they don't make millions for technology companies and in the end I still think it's all about money.

Airports may end up looking like armed camps and passengers may be asked to submit to body cavity searches and still a clever terrorist will figure a way to disrupt things. They might simply switch to car bombs or something not related to transportation at all. The point is Terrorism is something we are going to have to live with unless someone figures a way to get at the root cause. That is not a simple solution and one that may have no answers.

Meanwhile, the Obama administrations statement that the system worked is silly, almost as silly as the Bush administration's assurances that we would defeat the terrorists by attacking Iraq.

This one is going to take real strategy and most likely its solution will not involve warfare and bluster, but negotiations and PR. The terrorists have already won, but we don't realize it. We are a nation that seems to be pretty much terrified, and unless we get over that and start dealing with our fears, you can count on more high tech gadgets that make our lives less enjoyable.

Terrorists Aided by New Media

Listening to CNN today as they ranted and conjectured about the failed incendiary bomb attempt, I realized that they are complicit in the plot. The 24 hour news cycle delights in these kinds of events. This one, in particular must have been disappointing to them, but they are making the best of it.

Disappointing in these respects. First it was a failure. They guy tried to light something chemically and it fizzled or just burned and ended up setting his leg on fire. Secondly, there was little panic in the air or on the ground. Passengers and the crew, from all reports and the crew acted quickly to put the fire out and restrain the guy. The passengers in the rear of the plane didn't really know what happened and from first interviews were not very upset. A few thought it was firecrackers and in fact some news reports called it fireworks.

CNN was not content with this and kept on pushing in heir interviews asking eyewitnesses over and over if they were terrified. They weren't. They asked if the plane was in a state of panic, it wasn't, but that didn't stop them from trying to put words in the passengers mouths.

Finally they found one susceptible woman who used the word terrified and that is the quote that is used over and over in the press today.

The news media aids and abets terrorists when they try to milk these events for ratings and sensationalism and it's time someone said so. Terrorists mission is to what? Terrorize! Without CNN and Fox and others marching a parade of alleged experts past their cameras giving conjecture about what if and maybe...well they create the very fear the terrorists want.

This was a failed attempt and a pretty bad one at that. There will be more of these and undoubtedly some may be successful, but if the news media continues to blow everything even remotely resembling terrorism into a major story we will continue to be a country paralyzed by fear.

The truth is terrorists will continue to attack us. The genie is out of the bottle and they know how easy it is for a determined individual or small group to wreak havoc, and with the help of the voracious appetite of the new media they will undoubtedly succeed beyond anything they could have expected.

Bill James - Mecklenburg County Bigot, and Proud of it!

When commissioner Vilma Leake had finished her impassioned story about her son who dies of AIDS during a debate on including same-sex partner benefits to county workers in Mecklenburg County, South Carolina, her colleague leaned over and asked, "Your son was a homo, really?"

The bigot who said this was Bill James, a county commissioner. It is amazing how insensitive and cruel people can be, particularly bigots like Bill James. People's capacity to be heartless amazes me.

Just so any of my readers from Mecklenburg County might wonder, this picture is what a bigot looks like.

Two Brave Gay Men Marry - in Uganda!

Somehow I am reminded of the Jews who amidst the cruelty of Nazi Germany managed to survive when I read about this story. Two men in Uganda, with the blessing of their parents were married in a traditional tribal ceremony. It sounds beautiful and more than that it is amazingly brave.

With the Anti-homosexuality laws there, which carry penalties including death for just being gay, these two and their families take a grave risk. Still the description in a blog I discovered bears reading.

Mexico City Recognizes Same-Sex Marriages

OK, USA, you are falling behind. Mexico City just announced it is recognizing same-sex marriages. DC, Mexico City...hey why not Dallas, TX?

Dubai Gay Scene? Not So Much.

Speaking of places not likely to show up in the Dameron guide, Dubai makes the list. This really great story of a visit to the Emirates "gay scene" takes a lot of the luster off this oil rich, but financially strapped oasis of excess.

Franken Does the Unthinkable - Acts Like a Democrat!

Wow! Al Franken acting like an actual Democrat and like a real Senator! If only he could get his colleagues to do the same!

His amendment prohibiting defense contractors from barring their employees from pursuing legal remedies for workplace crimes passed and was signed into law by President Obama. It's about time!

The GOP blocked this bill which allows an employee who is abused or threatened on the job to use the courts to seek remedies, just like any American can. The GOP doesn't like this because their Master, Halliburton/KBR will now be liable for a gang rape of a contractor by other employees.

Constituents got mad about this and let the GOP know in no uncertain terms they had better not block this bill and now it has become law! Way to go Senator Franken! Now get your fellow Democrats to grow a pair and actually act like the majority party not a bunch of sempering wimps!

Questions About Prostitution? Call David Vitter!

Christian Terrorists In UK

A group calling itself Christian Voice in the United Kingdon is advocating the same kinds of genocidal laws as Uganda for the UK. The movements spokesperson, Stephen Green, quotes a few carefully picked lines of scripture to justify the Uganda law and he advocates the same kind of penalty in England.

So what about terrorists? Well, someone who advocates killing people because of a few dusty and often mistranslated verses in a Holy Book, are exactly the kind of people we have been calling terrorists, at least as long as they have Arab names. Well, it's time we called a spade a space, this radical group is no better than the radical Islamic groups who would kill innocent people as part of their holy war. The only difference is that they are using the King James Bible and not the Holy Koran.

Green has been arrested before for distributing homophobic pamphlets at the Cardiff Mardi Gras celebration back in 2006. He sees the law in Uganda as just and the worlds condemnation of it as wrong.

"I hope and pray... that the Western homosexuals and abortionists who are trying to corrupt their youth will be sent a firm message to stop their wickedness."

Wickedness indeed!

Climate Change Treaty? What Climate Change Treaty?

Like the bandits in Treasure of the Sierra Madre, the political leaders have been sitting around the big smoky campfire of the worlds fossil fuel economy saying, "Climate change treaties? We don't got no climate change treaty. We don't need no stinkin' climate change treaty!" (that was paraphrased for all you Bogart purists)

The problem is it's not a joke. The industrialized countries of the world came together and after days of childish bickering failed to get a binding treaty hammered out. Essentially the whole thing was an exercise in finger pointing. "No you pollute more than us!"

Developing countries want cash to curb their emissions, the biggest polluters can't agree on how much to cut the emissions and the entire world looses!

Much of the rancor is about transparency. China, no surprise, want's non of it when it comes to monitoring actual carbon emission levels. Seeing China's track record this is no surprise. Try to find real data on defective products manufactured in China...you won't.

At best this will be a political agreement that might set the stage for a future treaty. Very disappointing and sad for all of us mere humans.

Now, guess I better look into that beach front property in Waco.

O'Reilly Calls Laura Ingrahman "Blind Ideologue"

Well even Bill O'Reilly can see through this crap. Media Matters caught this nifty interchange as she scolds Bill for actually liking Michelle Obama.

Fox News - Subversive & Anti-American

I have just about had it with Fox News. It's time to call it like I see it with them. First of all, they are owned and controled by a foreign national. They are propogandistic arm of a political movement that seeks to destroy the American government. Let me ellaborate.

Though the followers of Fox are most likely American citizens who would be outraged if they saw a foreign country taking over say, our ports and shipping as Dubai World corp tri3ed to do a few years ago, they seem perfectly content to have a foreigner, Rupert Murdock, controlling the press in this country. Funny that double standard, or do they even know it?

Beyond that Fox is effectively and perhaps actually a propaganda arm of the far right wing. These people will tell you that they do not like government and feel almost every government program and office should be dismantled. That sounds pretty much like someone seeking to destroy the infrastructure of our government.

Lastly, Fox has been caught using fake photos and downright lying on poll numbers in recent months.

It all adds up to an organization that if looked at objectively could be considered anti-American and subversive.

Why am I bringing this up? Because Fox and it's parent company News Corporation are about to hold up the cable companies for ransom. They seek to drastically raise their rates for programming. So, I ask you, how much are you willing to pay to support this anti-American group? I would write or call your cable company and ask them to cancel the contracts with Fox or make it an optional pay-per-view service. And while you are at it tell them why!

Pepsi Says "No Thanks" To Super Bowl Ads.

Pepsi joins FedEx on the sidelines at this year's Super Bowl. Siting costs both companies have decided the exposure is not worth the exorbitant outlay of cash necessary for those golden Super Bowl seconds. Last year spots (30 seconds) went for an astounding $3 million a pop.

Pepsi has decided to spend its money doing something good for the country. They are offering $20 million in funds to "refresh" communities. What a concept! A big corporation actually giving back to the community?

I have to wonder if the Super Bowl hasn't gotten too expensive for the return in exposure. After all, Tivo has turned expensive ads into blurs as people pause the action and head for the John during commercial breaks.

Digital Magazine Concept Has Potential

The idea of replacing books with a Kindle has absolutely no appeal to me, however this conceptual piece for a possible future of magazines resonates with me a lot. I like magazines, but tossing them into the recycling bin seems wasteful and they do take up way too much room on my coffee table.

The work by Bonnier working with design agency BERG makes me want one NOW!

Mag+ (video prototype footage only) from Bonnier on Vimeo.

Microsoft Steals Code And Admits It!

For years folks in the geeky set have suspected that Microsoft appropriates code from other developers and finally someone has proven it. Juku, Microsoft's new micro-blogging software turns out to be an exact copy of Plurk. To be fair it turns out a Chinese vendor hired by Microsoft copied the Plurk code to build Juku.

On the good side, Microsoft has fessed up to the theft and has shut down Juku indefinitely. I suspect they will just buy Plurk instead, that's the Microsoft business model from what I can tell.
Now if they can just find a way to replace Vista on my computer with a good operating system I would be content.

This once again shows that the term "R&D" in China means "receive and duplicate".

Oral Roberts Dead at 91

Oral Roberts, for all his hell fire and brimstone, faith healing and mumbo jumbo did start a really nice hospital in Tulsa. Though the university that bears his name is suspect in my book, at least he tried to give back to the community....the straight community. Deep in his bible thumping heart, Oral was a homophobe tried and true. He also had some pretty strange views about sex, as he entones below in this priceless clip from YouTube posted by Queerty. May he rest in peace.

Senate Close to Health Care Reform - And If You Believe That...!

As the Holidays approach, the Senate has decided to gift wrap a turd and call it Health Care Reform. Bowing to the whiner from Connecticut, the Senate is gutting the Medicare extension that would cover folks like me 55+ and essentially have a bill that is "better than nothing".

Why do we always have to lower the bar when it comes to legislation? Perhaps because the Senate is so concerned with some kind of non-existent voter backlash that they would rather do "nothing" and call it "something". All so they can say the delivered on Health Care Reform. What they delivered was a steaming bag of crap, served up hot and burning on the doorsteps of American citizens.

One Tough Nut! S&M Pistachio Ad

This was way too cool not to share.

Write Harry Reid NOW! Tell Him to Keep Medicare Expansion in Health Care Bill

Harry Reid is starting to buckle to Joe Lieberman and he has to be convinced to stop. Politico reports that the White House is urging a deal with Lieberman which might involve dropping the extension of Medicare to 55+ which is one of the biggest parts of the bill.

Write, call, fax email Harry Reid and tell him to grow a pair and stop cratering to Joe Lieberman. Lieberman will only have another thing he wants after the Sentae drops the Medicare expansion. He is a deal breaker and thinks only of himself, so guess what? It's time the democrats get over Joe and start getting the right bill passed. F*%K Joe Lieberman, and pass this already hobbled reform bill. If the Senate doesn't stop cutting it there will be no reform except in the name of the bill.

Now get out there and start calling!