T-Mobile Royal Wedding Video

Wedding entrances have become a big deal ever since the You Tube of the dancers that appeared a year ago.  Now come the Royal version just in time for the Royal Wedding.

Dancing Chimps - Saturday Silliness

From the sublime to the ridiculous. Strange dancing Russian chimps clip. Good trick photography.

Yo-Yo Ma Meets Lil Buck - Video

It isn't often a video will bring me to tears, but this one is so beautiful it had me weeping with joy.  Director Spike Jonez videoed this performance as two distinctly different worlds meet and rather than colliding, they create something new and wonderful.  The performance was part of the opening ceremony of an initiative to bring art back into schools in LA.  With amazing art like this, it has to succeed!

Fur Coat at Circus Roncalli

My friend Paul sent me this clip.  I saw Circus Roncalli when I was in Vienna a few years ago, but sadly this act was not part of the performance.  Really funny trick!  And after learning how it was done, no animals were harmed in this performance, so don't even start with me.  Enjoy!

Senator Kyl Now "Misspoke" About Planned Parenthood

OK the press secretary for Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-AZ) is taking one for the team.  Previously he said that when Senator Kyl said Planned Parenthood's business consists of 90% abortions, it was "not intended to me a factual statement".  In other words he lied.  But wait there's more.

Now he says that actually made no sense and that the Senator merely "misspoke".  In other words lied.

No matter how they spin it, it's big fat lying. He stated, "If you want an abortion, you go to Planned Parenthood, and that’s well over 90 percent of what Planned Parenthood does."

The truth is almost exactly the opposite, a whopping 3% of their funds go toward abortions. 

I suspect Kyl thought he could just read his lie into the Congressional Record with impunity.  One hitch, Steven Colbert started a hash-tag flurry on Twitter "#notintendedtobeafactualstatement" and thousands of tweets followed.  Kyl looks like the liar he is and now he has to weasel his way out. 

Here he is on the floor of the US Senate MISSPEAKING the truth.

State Rep. Leo Bermann Wants to Pass Laws Based on What He Heard on the Radio!

I really think it's time for Texas state Rep. Leo Berman (R) to retire.  He actually tried to get an anti-sharia law passed because he heard something about Sharia on the radio.  Either he is a gullible idiot or he is just plain daft.

Berman alluded to his belief that judges in Dearborn Michigan "are using and allowing to be used Sharia law.”

The clueless Berman went on to say, "I heard it on a radio station here on my way in to the Capitol one day... I don’t know Dearborn, Michigan but I heard it (Sharia is accepted law here) on the radio. Isn’t that true?“

Well Rep. Berman, it's not true.  The mayor of Dearborn debunks this clap-trap regularly.

Infamous Words? In 2001 Bush Promised the National Debt Would Be Paid Off in 10 Years

Ah, those were the days.  When we blindly listened to a supply-side president who actually believed his own rhetoric and promised the national debt would be gone in 10 years. I didn't believe it then and I was right.  The Bush years and tax cuts have put us where we are today.  Here is the man in his own words:

"My budget has funded a responsible increase in our ongoing operations. It has funded our Nation’s important priorities. It has protected Social Security and Medicare. And our surpluses are big enough that there is still money left over.

Many of you have talked about the need to pay down our national debt. I listened, and I agree. We owe it to our children and our grandchildren to act now, and I hope you will join me to pay down $2 trillion in debt during the next 10 years. At the end of those 10 years, we will have paid down all the debt that is available to retire. That is more debt repaid more quickly than has ever been repaid by any nation at any time in history."

Yeah, right!

Glowing Pork Found In China

Now there is a dish that I have never seen on any menu, glowing pork.  Apparently a woman in Shanghai left some pork chops out overnight and notice a blue glow coming from them in the darkened kitchen.  First, I have to wonder why you would leave pork out overnight, but aside from that the news story, which was obviously translated by a machine, gives the details.

My bet is it's bacterial contamination.  Just to give you an idea of how cavalier Chinese authorities are in these cases, they have already stated that the glowing pork is safe to eat.  What? 
To quote the story in Chinenglish:

This reporter, by method of several checks from the dim and light, in actuality do see the pork emit a faint blue light, that apart by method of the pig’s skin, the whole product of pork was suffused with blue light, as well as a faint blue glow could be also observed on fingers that experienced handled the pork. This reporter afterward intentionally washed this product of pork with consuming water and once more checked in a really dim place, however the pork nevertheless emitted a blue glow, only just slightly extra faint.

Activists Create Guerilla Leather Bar in Straight Bar

The Eagle Tavern in San Francisco is in danger of folding and becoming yet another straight bar. Owners of the Skylark have offered more for the space than the curent tennant, the Eagle and so the landlord is taking the money without regard to the legacy or the community. In protest a group of folks are planning to turn the Skylark bar into a leather bar for the evening. They want to show the owners what happens when you try to take over "queer space". Wish I was there to participate!

Worst Religious Painting Ever?

OK, I am not a big fan of contemporary religious paintings. Most of them are sappy or just plain weird. This one takes the cake.  Found on Jesus Needs New PR blog.

The challenge?  Write a caption for this mess.

More Dangerous Heterosexuals - Child Molesters!

The former pastor of Midway Assembly of God Church in Fairview, Oklahoma is sitting in jail right now.  He is just another example of the dangers posed to our children by heterosexuals.  Yes this "straight" man is charged with molesting his 3 adopted daughters.

In a story from Channel 9 News:  

According to the affidavit, the girl told her mother Pitts had touched her private parts. Pitts' wife then questioned the couple's 12-year-old adopted daughter. She initially denied anything was happening, but when her adoptive mother said the youngest child had already told her the truth, the 12-year-old broke down and admitted Pitts had molested her, as well.

Pitts faces 15 counts of first-degree rape, 15 counts of rape by instrumentation, 20 counts of lewd acts with a child under 16, and 20 counts of forcible sodomy.

Once again it seems obvious that heterosexuals are dangerous predatory beings and should be denied their rights.

(Though I wrote that last sentence with a keen sense of irony, it makes about as much sense as any of the arguments against LGBT rights.)

Donald Trump - Brither

I have long believed that Donald Trump was a narcissistic megalomaniac, but not until today did I believe he is either stupid or just liar.  My bet is on liar since I doubt he is as stupid as he sounds.

Why>?  Well Trump in his silly bid for the presidential nomination has jumped on the "birther" bandwagon and is drinking as much of the kool-aid as he can stomach.

His latest interview is just silly.  He claims President Obama's grandparents "planted" the birth announcement to secure him citizenship and welfare.  Problem is the hospital made the announcement and having a mother with US citizenship makes his access to public programs in the US a given. 

My suspicion is the whole "welfare" angle is intended to play into the right-wing narrative about "welfare queens" and is a less than subtle dig at his race.

Trump is pretty much a jerk, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised at this kind of crap form him, but most encouraging was that someone in the press actually called him on the lie.  In this interview his lies are refuted and all he can say is "well that was 50 years ago...."  As if 1960 was a time when we kept records with cave paintings that were open to interpretation.

It's time for "the Donald" to go back to investing and get out of the limelight.  Yeah, that will happen!

A Different Light Bookstore in San Francisco Closing?

That's the rumor. Sometime this spring the beacon of independent LGBT booksellers will disappear and with it an era of LGBT literature might just fade as well. In Dallas, our local LGBT bookstore, Crossroads Market shuttered last year and the gayborhood has not been the same since.

Not only are these niche bookstore important outlets for LGBT literature, they are a nexus of community activity. A Different light and Crossroads Market fulfilled much the same purpose as the Country Store in a small town. It was an outpost offering necessities but equally as important it offered a place to convene and connect with others in the community. It was an outpost of civility on the frontier. The LGBT bookstore/coffeeshop was an outpost of friendliness in a hostile straight frontier.

Now we can indeed find books much faster on Amazon.com, but we will lose yet another connection to the age of networks, and though we might be wired, we are essentially alone. Online communities are illusions not realities, and few things compare with chatting face to face.

Orgasm for Jesus?

As a gay man you would think I might be clueless when it came to female orgasms, but I can tell the big "O" when I see it.  This faith healing is nothing more than a hypnotic suggestion for an orgasm and downright strange.  I am about as pro-sex as anyone, but getting fingered by Jesus is just creepy.

The Real Cost of Nuclear Power - Chernobyl Photos

I ran across Paul Fusco's portfolio online. He is a wonderful photographer who documented the after effects of the Chernobyl disaster and these photos are a tour of the horror radiation can cause. For anyone who believes the benefits of nuclear power outweigh these life destroying mutations and disabilities, think again. The people in Paul's pictures did nothing moe than happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I warn you that these pictures are at times unbelievable, but you need to see them. With Fukushima fresh in our memories, we need to take all the money funneled into nuclear power and divert it to wind and solar and other sustainable fuels. End of sermon.

Condoms = Satan

A really twisted message about condoms and preventing STDs from the folks who brought you abstinence only sex education. No wonder so many fundamentalist kids get knocked up!

Sarah Palin - Michele Bachmann - The Opera!

Glenn Beck Leaves TV - Maybe It Is The End Times?

It's official, Glenn Beck is out of here. As his ratings skid and his advertisers jump ship, Beck is left looking more like a nut-job and less like a successful TV personality. Fox News apparently even sees this through its ideologically rose colored glasses. The official word is ..."Glenn intends to transition off of his daily program." In real English that means, "spending more time with his family".

Personally I will miss Glenn if only for the spot-on impressions done by Jon Stewart on The Daily Show.

James Inhofe - Supports Dictator in Ivory Coast - Really!

In a speech on the House floor Rep. Jim Inhofe Republican of Oklahoma, actually defends the brutal dictatorship of Laurent Gbagbo in Ivory Coast.  Gbagbo is a man who lost the election yet refuses to relinquish power and is accused of heinous war crimes. He is being pinned down by the UN peace-keepers and most likely will be forced from office and surrender, yet Inhofe sees him as a "good guy"? Amazing, even for a Republican!

Free Speech vs. Rev. Terry Jones

What a triumph for free speech!  Our courts defend the rights of corporations to behave as “persons” in their spending orgy to finance political candidates, Fred Phelps and his cult can protest at funerals of anyone because “God hates America”, and trailer park pastor Terry Jones can burn a Koran and insight murder in Afghanistan.  What a wonderful gift our founding fathers gave us that allows the current state of affairs!

Well I am a big advocate of free speech, but that extends only so far.  Consider the man who yells “fire” in a crowded theater.  That is not protected speech, it is just plain dangerous and potentially lethal.  So why is it any different from the trailer park prophet whose actions have inflamed the masses in Afghanistan and have been cited as the cause of the killings of now upwards of 20 people including American soldiers?

For the life of me I don’t know, but I do know that he needs to sit down and shut up.  Jones latest despicable publicity stunt is putting the Prophet Muhammad “on trial”. Never mind what kind of court and who will be the judge, it’s just plain egregious for him to continue to try to gain publicity at the expense of other people’s lives.  Jones may be a bigot and a hick, but he is not an idiot.  He knows full well what any more of his hi-jinks will cause and he relishes it. 

Driven by what I imagine is some kind of twisted “end times” scenario, I suspect Pastor Jones wants to hasten the apocalypse in any way he can.  After all it eventually leads to the reign of Jesus, right?  So I guess in his sick mind the ends justify the means, and so what if a few dozen, or hundred or thousand people get slaughtered because of his stunts?  I suspect he would say something to the effect of “kill them all and let God sort them out.”

Meanwhile the press is whipping the whole thing up into an even bigger media event.  Jones, not to waste the momentum is heading to Dearborn, MI, home to the one of the largest concentrations of  Muslim citizens.  He plans to stage a protest at a huge mosque there and doubtless will cause a stir.  That is his intent, I suspect, to get people hurt in an attempt to prove that Muslims are dangerous people.

Sadly, when the American’s who have been killed in Afghanistan over Rev. Jones stunt return home, their funerals will undoubtedly be picketed by the Phelps clan and the Westboro Baptist Church!  Makes you proud we live in such a free country, don’t it?

Monday Morning Meditation Video - Japanese TV Ad

Charlie Sheen - Live Show Gets Boos and Walk Outs

After burning his Two and a Half Men shirt and showing some old film clips, Charlie Sheen's Violent Torpedo of Truth is a Bomb. Audiences booed and ended up walking out.  LOSING!

Belarus Rip Off of Big Bang Theory - Теоретики

It's Eastern Block Rip Off Weekend! Enjoy детей!

Russian Remake of How I Met Your Mother

Got this in a Tweet from Neil Patrick Harris.  It's a Russian knock off of "How I Met Your Mother".

Enjoy!

Hate Pastor Terry Jones - Blood On His Hands!

The backwoods Reverend, Terry Jones who caused a firestorm with his planned "Burn a Koran" day finally followed through, and the result was bloodshed.  The offices of the UN in Afghanistan were attached by angry citizens, embittered by Terry Jones publicity stunt.  Now 11 staffers are dead and all because Jones refused to let his insipid publicity stunt go.

Jones held a "trial" of the Koran in his church and pronounced it guilty, then proceeded to burn the book.

OK, this sounds like a really bad joke, but it is not.  Jones is unrepentant and blames the rest of the world, meanwhile there are 11 people to ship home in coffins that need not have died.  Jones has little idea of the passions his act inflamed and his self-serving stunt is about as far from a Christian act as I can imagine.

UK Citizen Threatened With Execution in Saudi Arabia for Being Gay

The lesson he learned is, you don't mess with the culture in Saudi Arabia.  Perhaps he also could have learned not to work in a country where your very existence is a crime.  According to an article in The Sun:

A British man feared for his life after being arrested in Saudi Arabia on charges of homosexuality, it has emerged. The male nurse, Stephen Comiskey,  said he was savagely beaten and tormented with the threat of being decapitated.

He had moved to the socially-strict state in order to work for the King Fahad National Guard Hospital in Riyadh.

Illinois Sheriff Learns A Lesson?

When Schuyler County Sheriff Don Scheiferdecker posted a comment on a subordinates Facebook page he felt it was just a joke.  Perhaps he learned something from that "joke". 

The sheriff noted next to a picture of a young boy on a coworkers page, "Look, I found a fag...Yup and his mouth is open, his glasses are off, he's ready, little fag Jew boy."

The lesson I learned from this is that the sheriff feels it is just fine to make sexual orientation and religion an object of scorn and derision, "just in fun".   He has since apologized but that apology rings hollow and here's why.  The fact that he believed it was OK to call someone a "fag Jew boy" and more importantly someone who he really didn't know, since it was a picture of someone other than his subordinate, shows his contempt for whole classes of people.  Worse yet it shows that he believes society also has universal contemt for those classes and therefore would see the "joke".

It isn't funny, sheriff.  According to a story in AOL:

Scheiferdecker has been the sheriff of Schuyler County for over 30 years.
He told AOL News he was "extremely sorry" for the comment. "I have spent over 30 years of my life here giving public service, and I have never intentionally done anything to hurt anyone for any reason. ... All I can do is say I am sorry. ... I am extremely sorry [and] I beg people's forgiveness."

I suspect it will take a whole lot of begging, and more importantly some kind of reeducation, maybe even choosing a new career path.

Shocking! Mormons Use Electro-Shock to "Cure" Gays

They called it "electric aversion therapy" in 1976 at Utah's Brigham Young University. What it was was a kinky attempt at "curing" a condition that most psychologists consider normal.  Gay students at BYU signed up voluntarily for the therapy to change their sexual orientation by delivering an electric shock to their penis when they became aroused at visual images of men.

According to an ABC News report:

A mercury-filled tube was placed around the base of the penis and the students were shown alternating slides of men and women in various stages of undress.
When participants responded to images of men with an erection, the closed electric circuit was broken and they received three-second electrical shocks at 10-second intervals. Each session lasted an hour. Participants set their own pain levels.

One participant, playwright John Cameron explained experiencing the "therapy" in an interview.  He enrolled in the study and found himself delivering the highest levels of pain.

"I was always turning it up to get the most pain because I was desperate."

Homosexuals were seen as a "prurient, expendable population," according to Cameron. "To admit homosexuality in 1976 was the kiss of death. You could be targeted, lose your job, lose your income, lose everything."

 The entire article is here.

On a personal note, I think this kind of "therapy" is pure quackery.  Being into the kinky side of sex, I can tell you that just delivering a painful electric shock is not necessarily an aversion.  I have friends who regularly endure this kind of thing for fun, and that shows just how the brain often mixes the pain and pleasure responses.  Luckily this "therapy" has been discarded at BYU. 

Now I wonder if they have the equipment for sale?

It is a Haboob!

That's a sandstorm in Arabic, nothing dirty.  We get these in Texas from time to time, but thankfully none lately!

Found this at Towleroad.com.

Fox News Exec Admits Lying On-Air About Obama

Prior to the 2008 election Fox News was the source of a lot of silliness, but the most egregious lie being foisted upon viewers was that Barack Obama advocated socialism. This admission comes from Fox Washington managing editor Bill Sammon who admitted the lie in the following audio obtained by Media Matters.

Over and over again Fox News has been proven to be a propaganda factory not a new outlet, yet they continue to get the same access accredited press gets to officials and events.  That needs to end.  If they are going to be a PR firm for the GOP, then they need to be treated like one and have their press credentials lifted.

Newt Gingrich - Enemy of LGBT Rights

Funny how the fight for LGBT rights has become twisted by the right-wing into the fight for religious freedom.  Say what?  Yup on this interview Newt Gingrich, serial adulterer and possible GOP presidential candidate uses the twisted logic that not being able to discriminate against gays is limiting free speech?  Would anyone seriously make that argument against civil rights?  Of course not, it has no bearing.  you can speak about being a hateful bigot all you want, but when that speech becomes acts that deny LGBT people their rights, then it's no longer speech, it's discrimination.

Watch it and you will understand how dangerous this logic is.

Angry Birds - The Movie!

Towleroad found this and it's way too funny not to share.

Geraldine Ferraro Dead at 75

The first woman to be nominated as Vice President by a major party has died at 75 due to complications of multiple myeloma, a cancer she has battled for a dozen years.

Ms. Ferraro was the Democratic VP Nominee in 1984 with Walter Mondale. She also served as a Representative in the US House and as Ambassador to the UN Human Rights Council among other positions.

Her groundbreaking work and campaigns cleared the way for many women in p0litics and she will be missed.

Keith Olbermann - A New Worst Persons in the World!

Fukushima - All Fukued Up

The story just keeps getting worse.  The crippled Fukushima Nuclear Power plant in Japan may now have a broken reactor vessel leaking radioactive material.  This was determined after several workers at the plant waded through a pool of water with 10,000 times higher than normal radiation levels.  The workers are now hospitalized and under observation.

Meanwhile the Japanese government has expanded the evacuation zone from 12 to 19 miles.  Even this seems far to close, since the US government is warning its citizens to stay at least 50 miles from the reactor.  Experts have urged Japan to expand the evacuation zone for several days and only now are they taking heed.

Though the reactors and the crisis have faded from the headlines here in the US, the situation is still very critical and bears watching.

Elizabeth Taylor Shrine at Favorite Gay Bar

The Abbey in West Hollywood was a favorite hang out for Elizabeth Taylor.  It is a large gay bar and a place she was always welcome. One a week, she would hold court in a smaller room in the sprawling bar, sitting in her wheel chair and chatting with friends and patrons.

Taylor was generous to the gay community and instrumental in many AIDS charities including her own, the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. Her many friends in the Hollywood gay community have made pilgrimages to The Abbey and set up what could only be described as a shrine to the late actress.

Phelps Cult Threatens Pickets at Taylors Funeral

Well it was only a matter of time intil the hate filled minions of Fred Phelps did this.  According to a report in the Advocate, the Phelps family, (AKA, Westboro Baptist Church) is threatening to picket Elizabeth Taylor's funeral.

The reason is obvious, Taylor was a gracious woman, a humanitarian and a supporter of AIDS charities, therefor a "sinner" in the eyes of WBC.  Again, the reason they are doing this is for publicity and I urge anyone who considers a counter-protest to NOT do so.  You might end up contributing to the coffers of the Phelps clan when you are sued for some frivolous reason. 

Happy Birthday Harry Houdini

Most people know the name Houdini but very few actually know about the man behind the name.  Though not a scholar on the subject, I grew up admiring the plucky little guy who worked his way into national fame and became almost a brand name when it came to magic.  I think learning about him inspired me to start performing magic, which I still do today, though not professionally. It also helped that there were lots of pictures of him naked in chains, but I have no idea how that would have affected me.

It's 137 years since he was born and his performances and his creativity changed entertainment forever.  I would trace today's fascination with "reality-based" programing to Houdini.  His escapes and escapades were followed by the newspapers and media of the day every bit as much as the doings of the Kardashians today.

Every bit as interesting is his lone surviving assistant Dorthy Young died today at 103 years old. One of the many coincidences in the life and times of Harry Houdini (born Erich Weisz).  Another coincidence was Houdini's death, it occurred on Halloween 1926.  Spooky?

Elizabeth Taylor RIP

News of her passing stirs emotions all over the world as this video clip suggests.

Triangle Fire - Sad Reminder of Why Unions Were Needed & Still Are

The fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory back in March 25, 1911 killed 146 garment workers who were essentially locked in a crowded fire trap of a factory. One reason why the Ladies Garment Workers Union was created.

No Freedom In China - Gay Porn Writers Arrested

Now that headline offers both a "no surprise" and a chance to make a wrong assumption.  First "no freedom in China" goes without saying, it's a totalitarian country.  The "gay porn writers" part is what's interesting. They were women.  They wrote gay fiction because it was popular and because it paid.  Thirty-two women were arrested for writing "with illegal porn descriptions" and for spreading pornography.

It seems in China the word is not protected, or at least some words are not protected.  Police in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan Province, detained the website owner and his writers for spreading obscene materials, the local Orient Today reported today. The women were contracted to write the stories and paid less than $16 for each one.

Leave it to China to find a faster and cheaper way to do anything!  Unlike American writers, some of the Chinese actually got paid by the publisher, too.

"Pray Away The Gay" Pastor Had Sex With Teens To Cure Them!

The whole ex-gay thing is crazy, and here is further proof.  Youth Pastor Brent Girouex used his position to coerce teens into sexual contact while he was a youth pastor for Victory Fellowship Church in Council Bluffs, Iowa.  Girouex claims he did it  “to help (the teen) with homosexual urges by praying while he had sexual contact with him.”  


The whole strange story is here.

America The "Igorunt"!

I have officially given up on any illusions of an age of enlightenment.  Our country it would seem is intellectually incurious and perhaps just plain stupid.  In a recent Newsweek poll some basic questions about American history and government brought surprisingly poor results.

Here are some highlights:

• 33% of American's polled didn't know when the Declaration of Independence was adopted.  I guess that inscription carved in five foot letters on the tablet Lady Liberty holds in New York harbor is not big enough.
• Only 35% know that during the Constitutional Convention the Constitution was written.
• Only 20% could name Woodrow Wilson the president during World War I but more surprisingly only 60% could name our enemies during World War II!
• Short term memory loss?  Only 27% knew that during the Cold War our chief concern was about Communism.
• On the civics front we do no better, sadly only 39% know a Senator's term is 6 years.
• Only 1/3 of those polled knew our economic system was Capitalist or Market Economy.

So next time you believe the American public can be swayed by truth and knowledge, remember that they probably don't have a clue.  No wonder Sarah Palin manages to still draw an audience, we see her and realize we are every bit as stupid as she is.

Ann Coulter Claims Radiation is Good for You!

Someone please tell Ms. Coulter her 15 minutes of fame was up years ago.  She is "kicked in the head" stupid or just an amazing delusional liar  I suspect both.

Debate In Montana Over Sodomy Law Goes Off The Rails

Spewing not only outright lies, but just plain disgusting crap the hearings on trying to reconcile Montana's criminal code with the law, the lawmakers of Montana go on a rampage.  The testimony is disgusting and filled with not just half-truths but downright lies and bigotry.  From the folks at Bilerico comes this clip of the testimony.

Hang on to your hats if you listen to this crap.

Inspiring New Video From Tsunami In Japan

Ramos May Be Ousted By New Bill

So fellow termites, the DINO (Democrat In Name Only) that is Dan Ramos may be turned out of his office as Democratic Party Chair in Bexar County by a new law.  A bill introduced by Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, (D-San Antonio), would let the state executive committee of any political party remove a county chairman for incompetence or official misconduct.Though the measure says nothing abouty Ramos by name, we all know what it is about. 

More about it here on MySanAntonio.com.

Foreign Citizens Leave Japan In Droves

Too Little, Too Late - Spent Fuel May Pose Greatest Risk In Japan

Tokyo Electric was planning to build an off-site storage facility for spent fuel rods from its reactors.  Unfortunately those plans were not finished before the situation at Fukushima Daiichi deteriorated into what it is now.

The pools containing the spent fuel rods have lost a lot of water and the rods may be exposed to air. This means they will heat, a lot.  If the zirconium shielding around the fuel oxidizes or catches fire the fuel will be exposed to the open air and that is a bad thing.

According to experts from Tokyo Electric there is a chance the rods may reach “recriticality”.  This means fission may start again, in the open air!  Should that occur, the fuel would likely melt down and eventually contact water causing an explosion that would send molten uranium into the atmosphere.  The other problem may be that just pouring water on them might not help, it would take large quantities of water laced with boron to absorb the neutrons being radiated and stop the chain reaction.

There probably won't be a Hiroshima style explosion, but a steam explosion that shoots radioactive material into the atmosphere would be devastating.  Call me a pessimist, but I don't see a happy ending on this one.

Texas Representatives Co-Sponsor Homophobic Bill

So out of the 95 Republicans who co-sponsored a bill to force President Obama to defend DOMA are the following Texans.  If they are your representatives, call them and let them know in detail how you feel about their homophobic bill.

Rep Barton, Joe [TX-6]
Rep Burgess, Michael C. [TX-26]
Rep Canseco, Francisco "Quico" [TX-23]
Rep Carter, John R. [TX-31]
Rep Conaway, K. Michael [TX-11]
Rep Flores, Bill [TX-17]
Rep Hall, Ralph M. [TX-4]
Rep Johnson, Sam [TX-3]
Rep Marchant, Kenny [TX-24]
Rep Neugebauer, Randy [TX-19]
Rep Olson, Pete [TX-22]

Cindy Jacobs Blames Disaster On God!

OK actually this odd preacher Cindy Jacobs, blames Japan's idolatry for the tragic events of last week.

"In the early nineties, the Lord gave me a prophecy for Japan that it was a "sickle in the hand of the Lord" that will be used for great harvest. The physical geography of the islands look like a curved sickle with the handle being the island of Hokkaido in the north. One could also say that it looks like a curved sword. Where Japan has historically been a sword of war across Asia. I see God raising up young revivalists from the nation who will impact Asia and the world for the gospel.

On the other hand, if you look at it another way, this island, Hokkaido, looks like the head of a dragon with the body being the rest of Japan. The people of Asia have worshipped the dragon for 5,000 years. If one looks at the place where the earthquake took place, it looks like the soft underbelly of most vulnerable part of the dragon. Let's pray that the deep idolatry and the worship of hundreds of idols under the guise of Shintoism, Buddhism, and allegiances to being "sons of the dragon" will be broken and thousands will turn to the Lord.

My interpretation of this is that while God did not want people to perish, He is going to use this to "pierce" the darkness surrounding the Japanese people if we will cry out to God for them in the midst of this crisis ..."

So the god Cindy Jacobs worships sends tsunamis and earthquakes killing thousands of people because they have a different religion.  Of course there are Christians and Jews and Muslims in Japan, and I feel pretty sure some of them were among the victims, but to Cindy Jacob's god they must just be "collateral damage".

There is so much wrong with this kind of psychopathic image of a hate-filled god I can't even begin to start picking apart the theological issues.  It's beyond belief that someone could look at the tragic events and instead of showing compassion and actually doing something to help, they sit back clucking and shaking their head saying "well they had it comin' 'causin they was idolaters you know".

May the God of love have mercy on her hate-filled soul.

Video - Detroit Gay Bashing Victim Speaks Out

"What happened to decency?" That is the question the 23 year old victim of a hate crime asks in this video. Really poignant question.

AssHat Parade- GOP on Nuclear Power Safety, Before the Meltdown

A nice montage of the Republicans defending the safety of nuclear power and belittling detractors, prior to the Japanese meltdown. Enjoy, and please don't spit at the screen.

Gaman - A Message from George Takei

Japan Reactors Monitored, but Abandoned

The government of Japan and the owners of the crippled power plants are speaking in well parsed words when they describe having to remove all workers from the nuclear plant because of high levels of radioactivity.  What they are saying is that they are abandoning the melting plant and hoping for the best.  With no people on-site to do anything if needed, the plants are on their own.  Already damaged by the earthquakes and tsunami, the plants have been rendered useless by the seawater used as a last ditch attempt to cool the reactor cores.

Now, with radioactivity levels spiking and fires breaking out near spent fuel containment ponds, things look like a worst case scenario. Still the government and officials will not give any details except measurements from detectors and what they have observed on video of the plant. 

I find it inconceivable that they pulled the last crew from the area before the situation is under control.  That is basically throwing your hands up and walking away and waiting for the cores to melt down and things to get even more disastrous than they already are.

I understand the need to keep the workers safe, but I would think in Japan, home of robots and high-tech, they would have at least one more trick up their sleeve.  The sad truth may be that the operators of the plant just didn't plan for a worst case scenario.  This is a worst case scenario if there ever was one.

UPDATE:

Just an hour ago this story appeared in the NY Daily News - Workers going back in to the troubled plant.  Hopeful sign.

The Face Of A Real Bully - Andy Blom

Andy Blom explains how anti-bullying campaigns are just another part of the "homosexual agenda". Blom is the executive director of something called the American Principles Project, and he is closely aligned with the Tea-baggers. Why do these people spend so much time and money making sure we are miserable? I guess the growing number of LGBT suicides as part of that agenda as well? Watch this clip and get a good look at one of the biggest enemies of LGBT people. A real bully!

Charlie Sheen Tries a Geographic Cure

That's what they call them in 12 Step programs, geographic cures. That's the belief that moving to a fresh location can leave the old addictive behavior behind.  It rarely works, but apparently Charlie Sheen is going to try.  He's leaving "Sober Valley Lodge" his mansion on Mulholland Drive to move just a few doors down from Paris Hilton.  


I am guessing the neighborhood must be called "Crisis Management Heights".  All that area needs is Lindsay Lohan to make it perfect!

Kansas Steps Further Back Into The Dark Ages

From the state that teaches "Creationism" comes this gem.  State Lawmaker, Rep. Virgil Peck (R) has come up with an amazingly Middle Ages solution to the illegal immigrant problem.  Shoot them from helicopters like wild pigs.

I am not joking here.

The Lawrence Journal World reports that Peck refused to apologize for the remark. “I was just speaking like a southeast Kansas person,” he said. The Kansas blog Dome on the Range has the audio clip and direct quote of Peck’s remarks. “It looks like to me if shooting these immigrating feral hogs works maybe we have found a [solution] to our illegal immigration problem,” he said:

Ukrainian Gaga?

This is a video from the Eurovision Song contest, sort of a European Idol show.  Nice video, and apologies to Lady Gaga for that headline.

Interesting that most the songs are in English. Enjoy?

Can Japan Trust Its Government?

After the continued stream of platitudes and "there is no danger" coming from the Japanese government, I have to wonder if its citizens will ever trust it again.

A few days ago, the official spokesperson said the situation at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex was serious, but controllable.  They also noted that three of the six reactors were already shut down prior to the quake and tsunami.  Well, not so much.

After the first explosion, the situation was declared more serious, but still official voices urged calm and assured everyone that steps were being taken to prevent further damage, besides it was a hydrogen explosion outside the containment vessel, so not as disastrous as it could have been. 

After the second explosion, the evacuation zone was widened, but the situation was being monitored.  That's when they began using sea water in the cooling effort.  That means the plant will never be used again since sea water corrodes things pretty fast.

After the third explosion, the one that is most mysterious, now the government is serious.  They have asked people living closer than 19 miles to the plant to stay indoors. One report also showed government officials preparing to distribute iodine tablets, used to minimize radiation sickness.

Now there is a fire in one of the reactors that was supposedly shut down.  What next?

CBC News Reports:

Yukio Edano, chief cabinet secretary, warned that the fire had helped release more radiation.
"Now we are talking about levels that can damage human health. These are readings taken near the area where we believe the releases are happening. Far away, the levels should be lower," he said.

"Please do not go outside. Please stay indoors. Please close windows and make your homes airtight. Don't turn on ventilators. Please hang your laundry indoors."

"These are figures that potentially affect health, there is no mistake about that," he said.

 This continued stream of half truth and parsed words may lead the Japanese people to begin mistrusting their government.  That would be a cultural shift for Japan and something that might make recovering from the effects of this disaster more difficult than expected.

By trying to retain calm by not giving the extent of the governments knowledge they have undermined confidence.  If the officials didn't know how bad it was, they should have said that.  The Japanese people are intelligent and value truth and candor.  They have behaved exemplary in the face of the worst natural disaster ever faced by their country.  Now it's time for the government to do the same.

Tsunami Video - Heartbreaking

Watching this 7 minutes of home video, it's hard not to cry as a whole town is inundated. The power of the internet!

Take 2 Bexar and Call Me In the Morning

Bexar County in Texas has an interesting figure as Chair of the Democratic Party.  Dan Ramos, the bearded curmudgeon who holds this post sounds much more like a right-wing wacko than a Democratic Spokesperson.

His recent statements in the San Antonio Current may give a clue to who he is.  Speaking about the Stonewall Democrats ( LGBT Democrat Organization) he says:

“I liken them to the Tea Party — the Tea Party and the fucking Nazi Party — because they’re 90 percent white, blue-eyed, and Anglo, and I don’t give a fuck who knows that. Just like the blacks … they’re American, but you can’t get your way just because you’re black.”

How statesman-like!

Ramos shows his true colors as a bigot of the highest order, and proves that you don't have to be white to be prejudiced.  I suspect that Ramos is under a lot of stress as well, considering the former treasurer of the Bexar County Democrats is being prosecuted for embezzlement of $200,000 from the party coffers. 

Ramos, in my opinion represents the dichotomy that is Texas.  Urban centers in Texas tend to be more liberal and rural areas more conservative.  Bexar county is both and perhaps this is why such a polarizing figure as Ramos heads the Democratic Party there. 

Ramos is a problem for Democrats and specifically Bexar, and my guess is he will not be head and headache of that organization for much longer. 

Yet Another Explosion At Japanese Nuclear Power Plant

This is pretty startling video.  Amazing how much power hydrogen has when ignited in a confined space.  Officials continue to play down the "China Syndrome" scenario for these plants, but as a third plant has developed similar problems, I am not putting much stock in the official statements.

Republican Lawmaker Calls Republican Backed Bill, "The crazy, give-a-handgun-to-a-schizophrenic bill." Video.

This is directly from Think Progress, and though I rarely cut and paste entire chunks, it's too good to miss.

In a “snafu” on the House floor yesterday, House Speaker Pro Tem Jeff Kaugmann (R) was caught privately acknowledging the danger of the bill while speaking near a microphone he thought was off, but was in fact turned on:

REP. STEVE LUKAN (R): The Alaska bill – what’s the Alaska bill? [...]
KAUFMAN: The crazy, give-a-handgun-to-a-schizophrenic bill.
AIDE OFF CAMERA: His microphone is on.
[Microphone goes dead]

Meltdown A Real Possibility In Japan

The earlier post about the Fukushima Nuclear Plant in Japan having problems was an understatement.  The cooling system powered by batteries is not keeping up with the heat produced by the core of the reactor.

This story in the Los Angeles Times gives more insight including the following:

The six reactors at the site use some of the oldest nuclear technology, dating back to the 1960s.

The reactor uses a single cooling loop and does not have a containment dome, but rather uses a smaller containment vessel around the reactor core.

"These first-generation boiling water reactors have the least margin of safety of any reactor design," said Frank N. von Hippel, a Princeton University physicist and former White House advisor.

Without electrical power to circulate water inside the core, the cooling water would begin to boil off, he said. But operators still should be able to add new cooling water and keep the core fully immersed while it cools down.

"It doesn't sound like we are in meltdown mode," he said.

Nuclear Meltdown Possible In Japan

One of the damaged nuclear plants in Japan is unable to pump coolant. This is causing the temperature of the core to rise steadily and is causing some alarm.

From the Daily Planet Dispatch:

People living within three kilometers of the power plant have been evacuated as the engineers struggle to control the cooling of the reactor core. The nuclear plant automatically shuts down as the first line of defense in these kind of circumstances, but the failure of the water coolant flow to the core is supposed to be the second line of defense, and this appears to have failed, causing international concern of a vast scale nuclear accident.

Japan has long been sighted as a model of safe nuclear power, building their plants to withstand earthquakes, but apparently this one was bigger than expected and no one is sure what will happen.  A meltdown if it burns through the containment building, which is likely in that event, could reach the water-table and cause steam explosions.  These would send radioactive particles into the atmosphere and into the jet stream...which flows from Japan to North America.  Welcome to the global village!

Tsunami Video From Kamaishi - Amazing

I have only been able to see spotty coverage of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, but this video from Kamaishi looks more like a Japanese horror film than reality. Unfortunately, it is all too real. Reports are still coming in of casualties, but I expect this will be an epic tragedy for Japan.



Sendai City

John Cryer Responds to Charlie Sheen

Draconian Nebraska Abortion Law Forces Woman To Watch her Baby Die.

Say what? Yup that's just what happened to Danielle Deaver whose baby ran into complication at 23 weeks of her pregnancy. Her water broke early and, without amniotic fluid, the fetus would not develop lungs to survive outside the womb. She and her husban decided to ask the doctor to terminate the pregnancy to avoid the fetus and the mother suffering any more trauma.

Not in Nebraska. It is now a law that terminating a pregnancy after 20 weeks is a crime. The doctor could do nothing but tell her to wait. She did and when the baby was born it gasped for breath and died with under developed lungs.

Pretty frigging cruel if you ask me, but I guess if you are a holier than thou abortion foe you don't give a damn about suffering, just your self-righteousness.

Thanks "right to Life" idiots.

Hell Hath No Fury Like A Drag Queen

I use the term Drag Queen because these girls are definitely dressed for a show not the street with the sequined cocktail dress and over the top wigs. The whole cat fight was caught on tape.  Apparently one of the group insulted the appearance of another and the rumble began.

The news report uses the term transvestite, but that sounds so clinical.  Those who wish to flame me may begin now.

 

Kinko's for Kidneys - Organic 3-D Organ Printing?

OK, it's really FedEx Office for Kindeys, but that doesn't sound as catchy.

This one falls somewhere between reality and sci-fi.  A company called NovoGen has created a 3-D printer which uses organic material to create copies of organs.  Right now they are printing blood vessels using cells from the recipients body to create the organs. 

If this actually works out it could change the face of organ transplants forever. For now I am skeptical but hopeful.

Tyler Clementi Scholorship for LGBT Youth Announced

The college student who committed suicide after his tryst with another man was broadcast by cyber-bullies will be remembered long after those idiots are forgotten.  Tyler Clementi now has a scholarship named in memory of him.

The Point Foundation a national  LGBT student organization, announced yesterday it is honoring Clementi's memory through the scholarship. Their aim is to further efforts to end the bullying of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth.

In an interview in CentralJersey.com Tyler's parents are quoted:

"Our son Tyler was a kind and gentle young man who enjoyed helping people,'' Joe and Jane Clementi said in a statement issued in a release by the organization. "This scholarship will help college students, and it will raise awareness of young people who are subject to abuse through malicious bullying -- and so it will help people in Tyler's memory. We are happy to be supportive of Point Foundation, and we thank them for establishing this scholarship.''

Newt Cheated On Wife On Patrictic Grounds - Best Lie Ever!

In an amazing demonstration of over the top rationalization Newt Gingrich actually says he cheated on his wife because of his patriotic zeal.  I am sure she forgave him after that explanation.

AC 360 - Diagnoses Charlie Sheen - Mentally Ill? Duh! Losing!

Kansas Moves Backwards In Time - Refuses To Repeal Sodomy Laws

Like one of those mysterious tachyon particles, the state of Kansas has started moving backwards in time. According to Equality Kansas:

State Representatives Jan Pauls (D, Hutchinson), and Lance Kinzer (R, Olathe) said yesterday that being gay or lesbian should remain a crime in Kansas. Pauls made, with Kinzer’s support, the successful motion in the Kansas Legislature’s Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee to keep the criminalization of gay and lesbian relationships on the books. Their action removed key language from HB2321, proposed by the Kansas Judicial Council, which would have resolved inconsistencies in Kansas criminal code, as well as remove unconstitutional laws.

Nice to know that there is at least one state where I can still be a criminal just for who I love.  Ironic that Dorthy Gale, patron saint of gay men, was from this backwards moving place.

Ex Gay - There's An App For That

Exodus International, the discredited and highly controversial ex-gay organization has released an iPhone app so you can get podcasts and a calendar of ex-gay meetings and other such tripe delivered directly to your pocket.  I would love to see how many Exodus folks have Grindr on their iPhones as well.

21 Priests Removed From Philadelphia Archdiocese - More Pedophile Priests!

If this were about any organization other than a church, people would have long ago shut the place down.  It is amazing how prevalent the problem is in the Catholic Church.  The latest news is the suspension of 21 priests in Philadelphia for suspected child molestation.

If I were the Pope, I would be doing some serious thinking about the organization and exactly what it is that attracts these predators to it. 

According to Huffington Post:

The two-year grand jury investigation into priest abuse in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia resulted in charges against two priests, a former priest and a Catholic school teacher who are accused of raping young boys. And in an unprecedented move in the U.S., a former high-ranking church official was accused of transferring problem priests to new parishes without warning anyone of prior sex-abuse complaints.

Fixation With The Anus - Colorado Grandma Testifies Before Senate

The level of ignorance spewed by this old biddy is amazing. Rosina Kovar testifying at a Colorado Senate committee hearing on civil unions legislation, filmed March 7, 2011. The footage has been edited, but the words are hers!

Charlie Sheen Music Video

Ok, I promise this will be my last Charlie Sheen post, but damn he is such a mess I just can't turn away!

Enjoy!

Charlie Sheen - Winning? Nope, Fired!

Warner Brothers announced today that they are officially terminating the train wreck that is Charlie Sheen.  CBS Television had no comment.

Considering "Two and a Half Men" is the #1 rated show on CBS, this decision was not taken lightly.  My regret is for the other actors and crew.  I hope CBS and Chuck Lorre can come up with a plausible plot line and keep the show going.  Though, without the morally bankrupt Sheen, it just won't be the same.

Donald Trump - A Chump! "No Civil Rights for Gays"

The Donald in what may be his greatest act of hubris yet is considering running for President.  In that vein, he has made a sharp right turn to appeal to the basest of the base.  He makes his opposit8ion to same-sex marriage in a recent interview with the Des Moines Register when he was quoted as saying, "they should not be able to marry."  He went on to say he hasn't developed a "fully formed" opinion on extending medical and civil benefits to gay couples, but he added: "As of this moment, I would say no and no."

So The Donald has spoken. Now I wonder what his hair/toupee dresser has to say?  It's time for this rich asshat to be out of the public eye.  His 15 minutes of fame were up years ago and had it not been for a tawdry "reality" TV show he would be off the stage.  It's time to ring down the curtain on him and let him play with his billions in private.  I suggest stop watching any chow with Donald Trump in it, and letting the networks know why you are turning to another channel.

Charlie Sheen Unplugged

The slow motion train wreck that is Charlie Sheen got even worse.  Saturday night he hosted a "webcast" of what he called Sheen's Korner.  As one commenter put it perhaps it should be called Sheen's Coroner.

Sheen rambled without making any sense for an hour and showed off his new tattoo.  Across his left wrist is the word, "Winning".  If his life is winning, I would hate to see what losing is.

Sheen and his cast of misfits, who I can only assume are paid staff and "buddies" who have attached themselves to him made fart sounds, laughed at non-jokes and generally looked like a room full of people who would much rather be boozing it up than talking on the internet. 

As Craig Ferguson noted, in England there used to be a mental asylum called Bedlam where for a penny you could peep through holes at the insane people inside.  Well Charlie Sheen is giving it away for free.

It's a sad journey he is on and he has decided to let the whole world watch as he self-destructs.  Having been around a whole lot more addicts and drunks that I would have ever imagined, I can tell you he is in a manic "dry-drunk" phase if he has indeed stopped drinking. The anger, megalomania and blather coming from him is a dead give away.  He is in trouble and I sincerely hope he can get help before it's too late.

Glenn Beck, Obsession With Fists?

Glenn Beck discovers Fisting!

Shhhh! Rupert Murdoch May Be Listening!

Seems the folks at News Corp have been busy, busy tapping into mobile phones of important people, in the UK at least.

According to the Guardian:

Scotland Yard announced a fresh inquiry into allegations of widespread phone hacking at the Murdoch-owned News of the World in January. The Met also told Prescott there was evidence his phone may have been targeted by Glenn Mulcaire, a private investigator who was employed by the paper.

More information is starting to come out.  I imagine that should these allegations prove true, the FBI will start making a few inquiries of it's own.  I cannot believe that only the UK branch of the Murdoch disinformation giant was alone.  Could FOX news be far behind?

Remembering Jane Russell

In all the craziness I forgot to post this in memory of Jane Russell one of my favorite performers of the 1950's.  This number is about as homoerotic as it can be, but I suspect that was lost on the audience of the day.  Enjoy!

Anti-Gay Preacher Arrested for Obscenity Near School Yard

Talk about your Southern Decadence!  Seems like one of the most vocal critics of New Orleans annual gay summer party has gotten caught with his pants down, literally!

The Rev. Grant Storms was arrested for obscenity after witnesses told police they saw him touching himself while watching children on the playground at Lafreniere Park in Metairie.  

Storm and his minions show up with bullhorns at Southern Decadence every year and harangue visitors with shouts of "perversion and sinners".  Personally, I never considered gay sex a perversion, but jerking off to kids on a playground?  Aw heck that's just plain creepy!

Charlie Sheen on the Today Show - Wow! No Wonder CBS is Not Happy.

I rarely give a crap about celebrities and their personal lives, but when they go way off the deep end it's kind of sad.  Charlie Sheen, who I think is a great actor in the CBS show, "Two and a Half Men" apparently isn't acting.  From this interview on NBC it seems that the man is every bit as wacked out as his character on the sitcom.  Worse, he is obviously not real stable, so no wonder CBS is canning the show for now, and I suspect for good.

Watch the slow motion train wreck and just try to turn away!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Libya Teeters on the Verge, Gadhafi Moved to Desperate Measures

This video from Anderson Cooper 360 last night is very good.  One of the most telling comments by the woman reporting is that Libyans are disappointed that Obama hasn't been more strident against Gadhafi.

Comet Fly-by Audio and Video - Amazing!

Last week NASA held a press conference about the Stardust NExT mission to comet Temple1.  The video and audio of the fly-by is awesome. When you consider how many miles the mission fly and how close to the comet it got, it's amazing. Kudos to the team at NASA for a great mission and wonderful images.

Obama DOJ Won't Defend DOMA!

Just moments ago the Obama Administration announced it believes that Section 3 of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) — which prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages — is unconstitutional. This means the Department of Justice will no longer mount defenses of this bill.

More on Think Progress.

Amazing Video from Chinese World's Fair Closing Ceremonies

The following link shows the closing ceremonies at the Shanghai World's Expo in China.  Really nice pageantry and some pretty slick magic tricks as well.  Enjoy!

Wikileaks Confirms African Dictator Threatened Gays with Decapitation

Ah, what fun it must be to live in Africa!  I say that with a giant dose of irony.

Recently the Wikileaks cache of diplomatic cables have exposed Gambian President Jammeh as saying he would "cut off the head" of any homosexual caught in his country.  Though the President now says that was a rhetorical statement, he also confirmed the country's rigid anti-gay stance.

And remember this is the same dictatorial president who claims he has a cure for AIDS.  It involves bananas and herbs and  there are videos of him applying it to "cure" AIDS patients. 

At the risk of being insensitive, this is where the stereotypes of African's being "savages" comes from. Maybe it's time the Facebook revolution reached Gambia as well?

Westboro vs Hackers - A Hoax

OK, I was taken in by it as well.  Looks like there will be no battle of the internet nerds after all.  According to an anonymous press release about Anonymous the whole thing was a WBC fake.  Who knows?  With all the anonymity going around how can you tell?  Here is thelatest release fromthe Hackers:

Dear Phred Phelps and WBC Phriends,
So we've been hearing a lot about some letter that we supposedly sent you this morning. Problem is, we're a bit groggy and don't remember sending it. Our best guess is that you heard about us on that newfangled TV of yours and thought we might be some good money for your little church. You thought you could play with Anonymous. You observed our rising notoriety and thought you would exploit our paradigm for your own gain. And then, you thought you could lure some idiots into a honeypot for more IPs to sue.

This is not so foreign to us; as you may have heard, we trade in Lulz. You just do not have enough to offer right now.

While Anonymous thanks you for your interest, and would certainly like to take a break and have some fun with you guys, we have more pressing matters to deal with at the moment.
But, we will keep this application on file, and will certainly contact you if any openings become
available in future.
Next time, don't call us. We'll call you.
Additionally, as your "Press Release" failed to understand: When Anonymous says we support free speech, we mean it. We count Beatrice Hall among our Anonymous forebears: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
Do some among our number hate you and your cynical exploitation of your human rights for monetary gain? Of course. But the MoralFags are also the first to admit that they are, in fact, your rights to exploit.

In closing, let us assure you: We are not BAWWWING sissies, nor are we afraid of your false god; we're just really busy. Stay tuned, and we'll come back to play another day.
We promise.

To the Media: Just because it was posted on AnonNews doesn't mean every single Anon is in
agreement, in fact in this case it doesn't even mean a single Anon is in agreement. Next time, if you could give us a few minutes to put all our paperwork in order, we'll be sure to let you know what we're up to. (LOL)

To Anonymous: It's a trap. They've got their ports wide open to harvest IPs to sue. Don't DDoS, and boycott Operation Westboro. If you really want to continue messing with them, just send them a few male prostitutes and faxes of goatse. Nothing more.

(Note: This letter was written by more than 20 Anons, at the same time, and none of them were inbred family members. Unlike that other, shitty "Press Release".)

We are Anonymous.
We are legion.
We do not forgive.
We do not forget.
Expect us.

Hackers and Westboro Baptist Church Square Off!

The Westboro Baptist Church, better known as the Fred Phelps family cult, never fails to raise ire in anyone who has even a cursory understanding of Jesus message of love, inclusion and compassion.  Fortunately, most of the folks I know whose blood pressure automatically rises when they see the utter crap these sad folks spew have learned to ignore them.  The Phelps cult thrives on publicity and deprived of it, they look exactly like what they really are, as sad little group of disturbed hate-filled people.

My friends and myself, though we have encountered the WBC folks on several occasions, now give them a wide berth.  Their whole trick seems to be to aggravate people to the point of assault and then sue for damages.  To seriously consider them in any way representing God's message makes me glad it is not a God that I believe in.

Meanwhile, their hateful web site has been hacked by a group calling itself "Anonymous".  It may or may not be the same group that disabled Hosni Mubarak's websites during the Egyptian revolt as they claim, but now they have chosen the Phelps cult as their latest target.  They temporarily disabled the WBC website and issued a letter which follows:

TO THE CONGREGANTS OF WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH:

    We, the collective super-consciousness known as ANONYMOUS - the Voice of Free Speech & the Advocate of the People - have long heard you issue your venomous statements of hatred, and we have witnessed your flagrant and absurd displays of inimitable bigotry and intolerant fanaticism. We have always regarded you and your ilk as an assembly of graceless sociopaths and maniacal chauvinists & religious zealots, however benign, who act out for the sake of attention & in the name of religion.
    Being such aggressive proponents for the Freedom of Speech & Freedom of Information as we are, we have hitherto allowed you to continue preaching your benighted gospel of hatred and your theatrical exhibitions of, not only your fascist views, but your utter lack of Christ-like attributes. You have condemned the men and women who serve, fight, and perish in the armed forces of your nation; you have prayed for and celebrated the deaths of young children, who are without fault; you have stood outside the United States National Holocaust Museum, condemning the men, women, and children who, despite their innocence, were annihilated by a tyrannical embodiment of fascism and unsubstantiated repugnance. Rather than allowing the deceased some degree of peace and respect, you instead choose to torment, harass, and assault those who grieve.
    Your demonstrations and your unrelenting cascade of disparaging slurs, unfounded judgments, and prejudicial innuendos, which apparently apply to every individual numbered amongst the race of Man - except for yourselves - has frequently crossed the line which separates Freedom of Speech from deliberately utilizing the same tactics and methods of intimidation and mental & emotional abuse that have been previously exploited and employed by tyrants and dictators, fascists and terrorist organizations throughout history.

    ANONYMOUS cannot abide this behavior any longer. The time for us to be idle spectators in your inhumane treatment of fellow Man has reached its apex, and we shall now be moved to action. Thus, we give you a warning: Cease & desist your protest campaign in the year 2011, return to your homes in Kansas, & close your public Web sites.
    Should you ignore this warning, you will meet with the vicious retaliatory arm of ANONYMOUS: We will target your public Websites, and the propaganda & detestable doctrine that you promote will be eradicated; the damage incurred will be irreversible, and neither your institution nor your congregation will ever be able to fully recover. It is in your best interest to comply now, while the option to do so is still being offered, because we will not relent until you cease the conduction & promotion of all your bigoted operations & doctrines.

    The warning has been given. What happens from here shall be determined by you.

 Well as I expected, Westboro Baptist Church will not be denied the added publicity this gives them.  Their response begins:

"Open Letter from Westboro Baptist Servants of God to Anonymous Coward Crybaby 'Hackers'             BRING IT!"

 So to those who follow this stuff, it should be interesting as the folks living in their mom's basement square off against the trailer park wackos with the storefront church.  Stay tuned.

Me, I am not taking sides, but if WBC disappeared from the web, it wouldn't upset me at all.

20% of People Don't Know Bareback Sex Can Spread HIV

All the work we did trying to educate gay and bisexual men about safer sex seems to have been for nothing, and that pisses me off.  I read a recent poll in the UK where one in five people did not k ow AIDS/HIV could be transmitted through bareback sex.  Though I haven't seen the figures here, I would hazard to guess it's even higher.

Furthermore only one in 10 adults could identify all the ways AIDS could be transmitted.  That's just sad.

AIDS could have been eradicated in a generation if people listened to the Safer-Sex message, but I guess human beings are just too damned stupid, or perhaps it's because the frigging fundamentalists don't want accurate information about condoms out there, and so the real message gets muddled in a fog of misinformation.

Either way, it's disturbing.

Leaked Memos Show US Awareness of Growing Uganda Homophobia

The march toward violence against LGBT people in Uganda is documented in leaked cables on Wikileaks.  The US Embassy in Uganda noted the worsening climate for human rights.  Memos show that embassy staff noted anti-gay hatred being used to scapegoat homosexuals for the country's "socio-political failings".

This anger eventually ended in the death of David Kato, a gay rights activist in Uganda.  Still the US government funnels $500 million in foreign aid to Uganda.  Why?  Ask your Congressperson that question!

CPAC Invited GOProud Back - If They Don't Advocate Gay Rights Issues

Now, if you ever wondered just how deep the amount of self-loathing the GOProud folks have, you will soon know.  Seems CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) who uninvited the allegedly LGBT Republican group has now changed their position.  Now they will welcome the GOPround folks if they will leave their "gay issues" at the door.

To quote CPAC Chairman Al Cardenas:

"It's got nothing to do with your orientation. It's got to do with the principles that you advocate. There are a number of gays in America who don't advocate gays in the military issue or gay marriage. And so they'll fit within the tent of what we stand for...It's not that easy. It's complicated. But we'll do our best to be inclusive while at the same time adhering to the principles that Ronald Reagan dreamed about and we've been following."

 So it basically comes down to the whole "straight acting" thing. Sure you can be gay or lesbian or whatever, as long as you stay quiet and don't actually ask for equal rights.  Imagine asking a black Republican to forgo any mention of Civil Rights or minority issues?  Oh yes, that would be Michael Steel or Alan Keys!

If GOProud accepts the re-invitation, I vote we take away their "gay cards".

Ouch! Australian Co-Anchor Belittles Co-Host

Sometimes a line is just too good to let go. Enjoy!

Priscilla Queen of the Desert Coming to Broadway

Preview clip posted on YouTube.  I am ordering tickets for next fall now! Thanks to Towleroad for finding this

Glenn Beck Conspiracy Theory Generator - Almost Like The Real Thing!

Ever vigilant, Joe My God found this great gadget which generates Glenn Beck style blackboards full of nutty ideas.  I wondered where Glenn got that crap?