Just Sniping

Marriage equality does garner the thought that somebody is going to get shot in a wheat field, right?  North Carolina's Family Policy Council wants everybody to think that.  They want everybody to believe that if an upcoming vote on a constitutional ban on gay marriage doesn't go their way, gays are just going to shoot unsuspecting heterosexual couples. (JoeMyGod)

Now the council says it is a "nonpartisan, nonprofit research and education organization dedicated to the preservation of the family and traditional family values."  But they also say they support values "which are embodied in the Ten Commandments and in the founding documents of our nation."  That sort of sounds like a Christian organization.  When you use the commandments to make your point, it makes it seem that.  (NCFPC.org)


Haven't heard of any sniping in states where marriage equality is legal.

Christmas Cards

They go out every year about this time (or actually a bit earlier if you are prepared).  But, not everybody is happy with every card.  Sarah Palin has some things to say about The Obama Family holiday card in an article on Fox News Radio.  (HuffPost)


The card has a picture of Obamas' dog, Bo, sitting in a very Christmas-like setting, with a fireplace decorated with wreaths and red ribbons, and a table with a poinsettia plant and presents. Sarah says that it is "odd".  She is wondering why the president's Christmas card highlights his dog instead of traditions like 'family, faith and freedom.'"


Doesn't having a nice, warm hearth and a cozy dog show something about freedom and family?  Inside the card it says "From our family to yours, may your holidays shine with the light of the season," signed by the Obamas and Bo. There's some family for you.


But, Sarah is entitled to her opinion.  Makes you wonder what her opinion about the Fox News holiday card is.  Not a whole lot of family, faith or freedom on that one.  A picture of a fox, racing competitors (ABC, CBS, NBC) on sleds being pulled by sheep - with Fox in the lead.As for the poem inside, this year it is to the tune of Joy To The World and features lyrics like:

“We are the ones to beat
Defeat we shall not meet
So into the background the rest do retreat.”
(Deadline.com)

I guess Fox and Sarah will just let this one slide.

Oh, the Hypocrisy of it all...

So, let's talk politics.  Today, Newt Gingrich won an endorsement for his political attempt from the American Family Association, well their chairman emeritus, anyway.  (TheHill.com)  That says a lot.  It says a lot of hypocrisy.


Look at "About AFA" on their website, they say they spur activism directed to the Preservation of Marriage and the Family.  They also try to "convince individuals of sin and challenge them to seek Christ’s grace and forgiveness."  (AFA)


Maybe, Newtie has sought Christ's grace and forgiveness.  But he hardly seems the "right guy" to be endorsed by this group.  "Gingrich is currently married to Callista Gingrich, his third wife. He divorced Jackie Battley, his first wife in 1980, after having an affair with Marianne Ginther, whom he later married in 1981. They got divorced in 2000 following a long-term affair with his current wife, whom he married later that year."  (HuffPost)

Now, he did get another endorsement...  Ashley Madison, a "pro-adultery" website whose slogan is "Life is short. Have an affair," seems to endorse him too.  (HuffPost)


Fits better

Marriage is NOT the Thing

So, in the U.S. less than half of those over the age of 18 are married.  Those getting married in 2010 were 5% less than those who got hitched in 2009.  And "the overall number of married couples has declined by more than 20 percentage points since 1960."   (HuffPost)


Now, Rick Santorum (go ahead, google his name) blames this marriage decline on allowing same-sex marriage and redefining marriage.  His tweet “Here is 1 effect of changing definition of marriage “@HuffingtonPost: Marriage rate in America drops to new low”. (LezGetReal


But good ol' Rick might just be wrong.  There has been a drop since 1960.  Well, then something else must have been going on between 1960 and 2004.  "Until 2004, same-sex couples couldn’t wed anywhere in the country." (StateLine) The definition of marriage didn't change until then.

ThinkProgress points out, the survey does not attribute the decline to same-sex marriage, but to a variety of other social factors: "other kinds of living arrangements that are socially acceptable: living on your own, or even living as a single parent; getting an education done and launching a career before marriage.”


But leave up to good ol' Frothy to blame teh gays.

Faux News and its War on...

Well, just about anything.  But this week it seems it is on kids and, for goodness sake, Christmas.  First - the kids.  On the network's "Follow the Money" program, host Eric Bolling has deemed that the Muppets are commies.  He says that Kermit and Miss Piggy are following the so-called liberal agenda with their new Disney-released movie. (HuffingtonPost.com)


The story line features an evil oil baron, Tex Richman. And show guest Dan Gainor of the conservative Media Research Center, says that it is manipulating the kids and "give(s) the anti-corporate message." Now, in the movie, there is no mention of actual oil drilling.  Good Ol' Tex is trying to destroy the Muppets' Theater and they are just trying to save it.


On another Faux News front, Gretchen Carlson, the co-host of the Fox News morning show Fox & Friends, hosted a debate on the show between George Giuliani, professor of special education at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University, and Brad Stine, the conservative stand-up comedian about... Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. 


Stine was trying to take down Rudolph because he is a "positive image of a kid who overcomes bullying and adversity."  (NetworkedBlogs)  Stine pointed out that at least Rudolph didn't sue Santa Claus because it was a hostile work environment.  (Mediaite.com)


What's next, Faux News?  Are you gonna attack the Bible? 

If a Picture Paints a 1,000 Words

Then this one of Michelle Bachmann at least has to say one.  And the words she is saying also say a lot about her.  "Every American citizen has the right to avail themselves to marriage but they have to follow what the laws are.  And the laws are you marry a person of the opposite sex," Ms. Bachmann told some folks in Iowa.  (JoeMyGod)

Now, she said this in Iowa.  Same-sex marriage is the law in Iowa.  So, the words that are painted here?  Crazy?  Stupid? Wrong?  Lyin' Ass Bitch?

Scary as all hell?

What to Call This Time of Year

There is a thing going around on Facebook about whether to say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays".  Mostly it is a "don't take the 'Christ' out of Christmas" meme.  Lawmakers in Rhode Island are upset with the Governor for calling the blue spruce erected in the Statehouse a "holiday tree" instead of a "Christmas tree".  He states that maybe the lawmakers "should focus their energy on feeding the poor."  (MSNBC.com)


But what is the month of December?  Obviously it is not just Christmas.  A Google search of "December Holidays" brings up a nice calendar that shows what holidays there are in December:  Islamic Ashura, Nat'l Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, Human Rights Day, Wright Brothers Day, Pan American Aviation Day, Hanukkah, Forefather's Day, Boxing Day, Kwanzaa and of course Christmas Day. (HolidaySmart.com)

So, perhaps the better greeting this time of year is "Happy Holidays."  Now, if you are a member of the Scottsdale Gun Club, perhaps there is no 'Christ' in Christmas.  Unless you think Christ would pack heat:

The Truth Hurts

Sometimes, it really does.  Maybe that is why Michelle Bachmann stays away from it so much?  She has told wonderful lies, a whole list of them shows up in a Google search:  "George Washington said 'So Help Me God' at the end of his oath of office." (TheNewCivilRightsMovement.com)  She has lied about the dangers of the HPV vaccine and then lied about saying it.  (Mediaite.com)  There are also a few things about her own past that she claimed that have been proven lies:

Not a Doctor
No Post-Doctorate Degree
Not Descended from a Long Line of Iowa Prairie Preachers
Not a Devoted Family Reunion Attendee
Not an Accidental Candidate
Not From a Swing District
Never in Charge of 23 Foster Kids at Once
(DailyPaul.com)

So, it is painful and true then that she is a "Lyin' Ass Bitch".  And when Jimmy Fallon's band played that song when she was on his show, they were just paying tribute to her true self.  But, she didn't like it much.  She wants NBC to offer an apology and fire the drummer of the band.  She says "if that song had been played for Michelle Obama, I have no doubt that NBC would have apologized to her."  (HuffingtonPost.com)

But, when has Michelle Obama lied?

People are Strange

And not just in the Doors version of it... It is amazing what some people will think.  From some GOP candidates thinking that being gay is a choice: Herman Cain: "I respect their right to make that choice. I don’t have to agree with it." (ThinkProgress.org) And others who think prayer is the answer:  Michele Bachmann with a Christian counseling clinic she co-owns with her husband Marcus offering "reparative" therapy to patients seeking to "cure" their homosexuality. (HuffingtonPost.com)


Now, in Peru, the mayor thinks that gay is in the water.  Huarmey Mayor Jose Benitez noted high levels of strontium in the tap water.  The water comes from Tabalosos, a town which a Lima-based television station once claimed was inhabited by 14,000 gay men.  (HuffingtonPost.com)  Dr. Robert Castro Rodriguez, dean of the College of Pharmaceutical Chemistry of Lima says that large amounts of strontium in the body eventually lead to bone cancer, anemia and cardiovascular complications –- but not homosexuality.

Then, right here in America - well, in Iowa - Michele Bachmann's new Iowa campaign Co-Chair, Tamara Scott says that legalizing gay marriage will lead to women marrying the Eiffel Tower.  (HuffingtonPost.com)With the phallic shape of the tower, though, that should be ok with Ms. Scott. 

Only straight women would want to marry it.

Lower Funding = Lower Standards

That is about all that can be said to explain the House GOP.  Now, this has nothing to do with the lowliness of the current House GOP... It all has to do with food.  The food that kids in school can get and the less money that the Government wants to pay for it.


Just like back in the hey-day Reagan years, when the USDA was tasked "with coming up with a solution that maintained nutritional requirements for school lunches in spite of the lower funding," the current House GOP is doing the same thing.  In 1981 the Secretary of Agriculture proposed classifying ketchup and relish as vegetables.  And today, Republicans have a bill that would allow the tomato paste on pizzas to be counted as a vegetable. (Pam's Houseblend)

So, the low standard is setting in.  Let's not give our school kids nutritional lunches and spend more money. 
Let's call pizza a vegetable.  Is that like calling a cat a dog?


Bet good ol' pizza man, Herman Cain is just thrilled to death.

Protect the Definition of Marriage

That is what the Catholic Bishops want to do.  There are some things wrong with that vow, however.  First, what is the definition of "marriage"?  "According to the Cain Lanamna, which is the Ancient Irish text dealing with marriage" there are several definitions of marriage, and "that marriage is contractual and it is set at a certain number of years before the contract lapses."  So it is a contract. (Lez Get Real)

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, then, want to protect a contract that will expire.  "There is a difference between civil marriage equality and religious marriage."  But, the USCCB wants everybody to live by the definition - their definition - of a religious marriage, and if you ain't a good Catholic, you can't get married.


Makes one wonder, though, if the Catholic church also wants to set the definition of pedophilia.  "Roman Catholic church's pedophile investigator jailed for possessing thousands of child porn images" was a Joe My God Headline of the Day.  The father-of-four was responsible for children's safety at 120 churches and community groups for nine years.  And police found 4,000 child porn images  on his church supplied computer.


Hmmm... what will the church try to define next???

Do They Know Who the Victims Really Are?

It is an interesting world we live in.  The people of this country (not all, but some) have the wrong vision of victims.  Children who are abused by a football coach.  Women who are harassed by a restaurateur.  Those are the true victims.  Not the coach or the restaurateur.  But obviously this is not apparent to the people in this country.


When another coach was let go because of the charges of sexual abuse on children while he was in charge, people went crazy.  There were "several violent scenes in which protesters flipped over a media van and destroyed other property."  (FoxNews.com) Doesn't sound right.


When the restaurateur was asked at a political debate about his involvement in the harassment accusations, the audience booed the moderator.  (Reuters.com)   He also "noted the issue had not dented voter enthusiasm for his campaign to face President Barack Obama." Maybe it should have.


We need to remember the real victims in these stories.

Do Away the Gay

It is surprising that none of the anti-gay, homophobes out there didn't come up with this great idea.  Maybe the fact that this story proves that homosexuality is natural in all species makes them shy away.  But all the gay-haters have to do is tell everyone that the human race is in jeopardy of extinction and then *presto* do away the gay.


So, at a zoo in Canada, there are these two penguins.  Pedro and Buddy were brought to the zoo to hook up with a couple of eligible females.  Instead the two male penguins bonded with each other.  Now, the zoo is going to isolate them from each other to see if they can get the "boys interested" in looking at the girl penguins. (TheNewCivilRightsMovement)


All that NOM and AFA have to do, then, is convince the world that the human population is going to go bye-bye if we don't stop all this gay-ness.  Make the gays and the lesbians all get together so that the world doesn't lose the wonderful human race.  But, wait!  Several of my homosexual friends have - or are going to have - babies...


Oh, and the Duggars are expecting their 20th baby... they won't let extinction happen.  (MSNBC)

My Mom Could Have Been Convicted of Murder

So, today the state of Mississippi is voting on the "Personhood" bill that would designate inseminated human eggs as legal persons from the "moment of fertilization."  This would make any end to pregnancy (they are pretty much saying abortion and the morning-after pill) legally equivalent to murder.  (MotherJones.com)  But there maybe more to this then meets the eye.


Let's take for example an ectopic pregnancy.  "In an ectopic pregnancy, a fertilized egg has implanted outside the uterus, usually in the fallopian tubes."  And when the fetus grows, the tubes burst and the fetus is lost.  (KidsHealth.org)  Some time ago, my mother had an ectopic pregnancy that led to a miscarriage.  According to Mississippi, that's murder... or maybe manslaughter.


What might be more scary, though, is not that a miscarriage could be considered murder in Mississippi.  Republicans in congress are endorsing three similar bills that would extend the rights of legal personhood—including equal protection under the law—to a zygote.  This would make it a Federal law, so no matter where you live, you'd be going to jail.


Maybe Mom will get past the statute of limitations...

The Right Sometimes Don't Think Right

For some, sexual assault would be a bad thing.  But for the potential Republican voters out there, allegations of sexual impropriety against Herman Cain aren't all that bad.  In an ABC News/Washington Post poll, 23 percent support Cain with 24 percent leaning towards Romney.  (ABC News)


Now in other right-wing inconsistency...  U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh announced Thursday that the Family Research Council Action committee commended him on his "support in defense of life and the family."  They did this because he "voted to repeal Obamacare, de-fund Planned Parenthood, end government funding for abortion within the health care law, uphold the Defense of Marriage Act, and continue support for school choice."  He has a "commitment to uphold the institutions of marriage and family."  (HuffingtonPost.com)


On the other hand, talking about his own family, his ex-wife sued him for $117,437 in allegedly unpaid child support.  Is that upholding the institutions of marriage and family?  A divorced, father of three who doesn't pay child support.  Don't think so.


Earlier this week, Walsh dismissed Cain's sexual harassment allegations, telling every body to grow up. He and the FRC have some growing up to do...

'Cause That is What God Would Do!

Of course God is a bully, right?  An overbearing person who habitually badgers and intimidates smaller or weaker people.  It must say that somewhere in the Bible.  Maybe in Leviticus?  Well, that is what the Michigan GOP want you to believe.


"Michigan Senate Republicans have passed bill that actually gives license to bully."  (New Civil Rights Movement)   Yep, that's right.  The bill allows anti-gay bullying if you can provide a so-called religious or moral reason.  So you can bully a gay kid into suicide as long as you are doing it for God.  Because really, that is what God wants, right?


The other bad part about this bill? It is named for Matt Epling, a young man who killed himself in 2002 after being bullied.  His father calls the bill "Government-sanctioned bigotry."


Thank God the religious right can continue to bully people to death...

It's the "Christian" Thing to Do

At least that is what the Christians have started doing. And yes, it is just some Christians, not all of them. These particular "Loving Christians" have sent threats and hateful words to a San Diego-area high school because the students voted two lesbians in as the Homecoming King and Queen.  Not sure where in the Bible that is ok.


The school superintendent interrupted a news conference on the district's financial troubles to comment on it.  "What is essentially disappointing is that adults who have contacted the school, many not even San Diego residents, are demonstrating such a lack of tolerance and such a negative role model for children with their hateful comments."  (JoeMyGod.com)


The haters are saying that allowing this is wrong.  Although, saying some of the things they said, is even more wrong.  Hypocrisy.  "This is disgusting. It’s deviancy on display, and our kids have been trained to approve." "The Principal should be brought up on charges and be made to register as a sex offender."  "Children who attend godless socialist schools will learn to think and reason godlessly!"


Who is being godless now?

Let's Just Add More

So sometime on Halloween, Monday October 31, 2011, the world's population will hit 7 billion people.  The United Nations Population Fund has a few things to say about that.  It is a good sign, because it shows that we are living longer and more children are surviving world wide.  But not everybody has benefited.  "In some of the poorest countries women are having more babies, stymieing development and perpetuating poverty."  (MSNBC.com)


The state of Mississippi doesn't look at things that way, it seems.  Ballot Measure 26, if passed, would say that “human life would begin not at birth but at the moment of fertilization."  This would completely outlaw abortion and could possibly make birth control - pills, IUDs, even condoms - illegal.  All sex would be in trouble, because "fertilized eggs on their own have full legal rights, anything that could potentially block that implantation—something a woman’s body does naturally all the time—could be considered murder."  (PamsHouseblend)


Looks like there could be 7 billion people in Mississippi soon.  Don't know if murder will increase or not, but definitely poverty will increase.

Cuz that Rainbow Could Kill Ya

Hospital employees with "rainbow identifiers" might just kill you.  That is according to the founder of a "Christian pro-family organization" and executive of Ohio State University Hospitals.  She thinks that America doesn't need anybody with rainbows on their work clothing to care for the sick and injured in hospitals.  (CBSNews.com)


Now, this has nothing to do with any "somewhere over the rainbow" reference.  Or the optical and meteorological phenomenon seen in the sky.  Nothing to do with ROYGBIV.  Nope, what this is parents needing to "think long and hard" about whether kids should be cared for by hospital workers who "proclaim a homosexual lifestyle."


So, Linda Harvey thinks teh Gays can't properly take care of the children in hospitals.  Although Dr. Desi Bailey, president of the Gay & Lesbian Medical Association says, "Sexual orientation, gender identity and other personal characteristics do not determine a health care provider's competence."  And a 2005 Gallup poll found that 78% of Americans believe lesbians and gay men should be hired as doctors. (They really had to poll that?)


Don't need to worry about rainbows... Maybe just that wicked witch: "I'll get you my pretty...and your little dog too!!!"

Wouldn't it be More "Auto" Than "Homo"?

That's what one would think.  But leave it to the "church-folk" to get it wrong.  Mark Driscoll, Pastor of the Mars Hill Church in Seattle says that "Masturbation can be a form of homosexuality."  He also is against "premarital sex, feminism, modern interpretations of the Bible, and viewing Jesus as... a neutered and limp-wristed popular Sky Fairy."  That's off topic, however.


Driscoll says that "any man who does so [masturbate] without his wife in the room is bordering on homosexuality activity, particularly if he's watching himself in a mirror and being turned on by his own male body."  Now, if he does it, either while his wife is watching/participating or with a picture of her lusting after him, then that is ok. (HuffingtonPost.com)


Women who do it (and there must be some women out there who do <wink-wink>), aren't in any trouble with Driscoll, because "masturbation is more widely practiced among men." He attributes this to the "more convenient and visible external nature of male genitalia."  Don't know if he has seen the shape of most "toys" that are sold to some women...  kinda external and convenient, really.


Oh well, what can you expect from a pastor in a church on Mars...

The People Who Will Probably Vote Republican

They are kind of scary people.  Well, the people who watch GOP debates are anyway.  It certainly gives a view of the things that they like or dislike.  "Past audience members have booed a gay soldier and cheered at the thought of letting a hypothetical uninsured man die."  Last night they cheered when Herman Cain blamed the unemployed for being unemployed.  (HuffingtonPost.com)


"Don't blame Wall Street. Don't blame the big banks. If you don't have a job and you're not rich, blame yourself."  So no wonder the GOP doesn't have a jobs plan.  Why should they bother with one if it's just the unemployed people's fault.  And why should they support LGBT?  Or the uninsured?  Those voting for them have shown which way they should go.


Now, they do love the silver haired man from CNN.  They booed Rick Perry when he got testy with the moderator, Anderson Cooper.  (HuffingtonPost.com)


Good to have your priorities straight.

A Double Standard

There are people out there who definitely live by a double standard.  First off, everybody is in an uproar over Academy Award winning actress Susan Sarandon calling the Pope a Nazi.  Faux News reported "Actress Susan Sarandon called Pope Benedict XVI a Nazi during a discussion session at the Hamptons Film Festival over the weekend." (FoxNews.com)

Now, the Pope "was conscripted at the age of 14 into the Hitler Youth" reports Faux News, but evidently he didn't stay in the youth group.  But, he is German and was part of Hitler's group.  So, calling him a Nazi might not be that far off.  Although, the Catholic League of America gets to call Sarandon's comment "obscene". And "Sadly, it’s what we’ve come to expect from her."

And then the double standard.  American Family Association spokesman Bryan Fischer says that the Occupy Wall Street group is "Welcoming Nazis".  He says that "the Nazi parties in the United States all endorse the Occupy Wall Street movement."  (RightwingWatch.org)  Tea Party Nation president Judson Phillips also made a similar claim.

It is ok for hate groups and Tea Partiers to call people Nazis, but not ok for a Hollywood actress too?

Really, What is Bullying?

Well, Rick Santorum - or Frothy Mix as some call him - thinks that political satire is bullying.  In a sketch on Saturday Night Live, he was shown to be not a viable candidate in their debate setting - as only viable candidates were sitting at the table.  Where was Santorum? He was shown sitting on a bar stool at a gay bar.  (JoeMyGod)

Santorum is known for his strong anti-gay rhetoric.  The way he says it is "standing up for the traditional family".  Yet some of his words have been very harsh towards the LGBT community.  Which is why he is called Frothy Mix in the first place. Just google search his last name, and you will see why.


Dictionary.com defines bullying as being "habitually badgered and intimidated" and it is directed primarily to "smaller or weaker people."  Denying rights to a certain group of Americans sounds more like badgering and intimidating then a skit comedy show poking fun.


But, really what is bullying?  Perhaps it is feeling sadness and despair at being called a "fag" and finally getting to the point where you say you can't take it anymore.  That is what happened to a gay 15-year-old Ottawa, Canada teen Jamie Hubley.  He killed himself on Friday because he was bullied and just couldn't take it anymore. (TowleRoad.com)

So, Rick... go the gay bar and have yourself a drink.

Respect for Marriage

Some do, some don't.  Now there are some polygamists who are protesting same-sex marriage, saying “Marriage should be only for a man and his wives.”  Right that's plural.   Not sure if polygamist and bigot Dr. Martin Bell realizes that polygamy is illegal. (JakeKaplan.hubpages.com)  Not sure, with his sixth wife being only 14 when he married her, if that is a respect for marriage.  Bell is being investigated for fraud, rape of a minor, false imprisonment, and polygamy.  But let him protest.


The Veterans Affairs office in Hartford doesn't seem to respect marriage either.  A disabled Navy vet is suing because she can't get the same type of benefits that many straight couples get, because she is married to a woman.  The Defense of Marriage Act does not respect Carmen Cardona, an 18 year veteran, and her spouse's marriage.  Obama has stopped defending DOMA, but House Speaker John Boehner is hell bent to defend it, even if it means bankrupting the United States. (LezGetReal.com)


However, there is some Respect for Marriage.  And this is surprising.  Not that a Senate Committee is going to vote on repealing DOMA, but the first place I read about it was on Faux News.  (FoxNews.com) "Sen. Patrick Leahy says the Senate Judiciary Committee he heads will vote next month on legislation to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act."  And the legislation is called Respect for Marriage.


About time we get some respect.

Coming Out

I was married for 10 years, and had two kids, and suddenly decided that marriage wasn't right for me.  I, of course did all the blaming, and we went through mediation and the divorce and all the papers and deciding what to do with those two kids.  I got divorced at 33...  I lived the 'divorcee'life for five years, got myself settled, dated - even slept with some men - and then at 38 I emailed a friend "I think I might be gay". Thankfully for me, she responded "Then do something about that!" 


So, I was 38 when I finally realized what "I" was.  Looking back at my life - I spent prom night with a girl friend at her house drinking daiquiris and smoking pot - had such a crush on her, but it never went anywhere - I had actually divorced my husband because I wasn't good at marital sex.  I finally knew I was gay.  I came out...  I found a "new" friend on some dating site and it turned out she went to high school with my sister and was married.  We were in a long term (5 years) relationship that ended abruptly and I was on my own again. 


During my "coming out", my son, who at 16 was comfortable with himself, came out.  He posted on his MySpace page that he was gay.  I commented "I am happy for you and remember... men suck". (HA HA)  We all have our places.  We, my kids and I, have had a terrific relationship - before and since.  Both my kids - the straight daughter and the gay son were in GSA way before any of this happened.  My son, almost reluctantly, had to tell his Dad.  And was very well accepted. 

I have a better relationship with their father than I ever had before, and both kids understand the "divorce" so much better.  Being honest with yourself actually does make life easier.  Being able to finally tell the world that you are who you are is the best thing. My family and friends are very comfy with who I am.  It is very much a relief.

Homophobia is stupid.  Why be afraid of something that is as natural as lactose intolerance.... some people got it, and some don't

Just Need to Save the Money

Yesterday, it was pointed out that in an effort to create jobs, the government in Florida was going to allow dwarf tossing so the little people could get work.  Today, in an effort to save money, the government in Kansas is taking another step.  Topeka is going to legalize Domestic Violence.  "Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor announced ... that he isn't going to prosecute misdemeanors anymore, which includes those for domestic violence, because he's too broke to deal with it."  (MotherJones.com)


The county commission has voted to cut the DA's budget by 10%.  So, in order to just save some money, the Topeka City Council decided to repeal the city code that makes domestic battery illegal.  That has allowed dozens of domestic violence case to be turned away and three alleged offenders released from jail.


Smart move.  And as pointed out by Kari Ann Rinker, the coordinator of the Kansas chapter of the National Association for Women, the DA's problem is with funding in 2012... and this is only 2011.


Oh, and October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.  Nice job.

Just Toss it Over There...

It seems some Republicans do have a "jobs" plan.  Maybe not the Republicans in Washington, D.C., but the ones in the state of Florida.  Now, this little plan for jobs is only for a certain group of people.  That being dwarfs.  Rep. Ritch Workman (R) is spearheading an effort to repeal a longstanding ban on "dwarf-tossing."  (HuffingtonPost.com)


Workman says  "All we really did by passing that law was take away some employment from some little people."  And the little people?  They labeled the activity as an event where "the person with dwarfism is objectified and dehumanized in the name of 'entertainment.'"  But, really, why should Workman worry about that?  He is not a dwarf.


Workman says "I'm on a quest to seek and destroy unnecessary burdens on the freedom and liberties of people."


Wonder what he thinks about same-sex marriage?

Hot Girl or Maverick?

Well, in her own eyes, Sarah Palin is a maverick.  At least that is what she told Greta Van Sustern:  "someone like me, who's a maverick -- you know, I do go rogue and I call it like I see it" when she was asked if she was going to make a decision soon on running for president.  (FoxNews.com)  And this was on Faux News. 


But elsewhere in Faux News news, Fox News president Roger Ailes has a different view of Mrs. Palin.  In a recent interview with the Associated Press concerning his 15th anniversary at Faux News, he told them "I hired Sarah Palin because she was hot and got ratings."   He also has said that he thought Good Ol' Sarah was "stupid" and "an idiot".  (VanityFair.com)

That does say a lot about Faux News.  It really isn't just "Fair and Balanced" political reporting.  It's all about high ratings and Hot Girls....


Got it.  And she ain't that hot...

Picking a Fight

What is the definition of Congress?  This week it might be hypocrisy.  On one hand the GOP lawmakers are fighting for eliminating federal aid for family planning and covering abortions. (Forbes.com)  They are demanding that federal money to Planned Parenthood be stopped.  They yell at the top of their lungs that things like NPR and FEMA should not receive any money either.


And here is the hypocrisy.  No spending money, unless...  "House Republicans have agreed to a new contract to pay a private law firm up to $1.5 million to defend the Defense of Marriage Act." (HuffingtonPost.com) The Attorney General had decided back in February that DOMA was unconstitutional and would no longer fight to support it.  But, House Speaker John Boehner thinks this is something that the money should be spent on.


This seems to no longer be just a fight over money.  This is definitely a fight over social policy.  And it looks like the right-wing, homophobic, anti-women's rights group is going to win the fight.

Something's are Enormous

Maybe it is his ego or maybe his ass, but Newt Gingrich is aiming for enormous and saving America.  Newt unveiled his new set of policy proposals, a “21st Century Contract With America,” and said that  “The scale of change I am suggesting is so enormous."  It is the same type of  Republican solutions and campaign boilerplate that we have seen from other candidates who are trying to save the world. Time.com

But, there is more to good ol' Newt then just his saving of America.  He also thinks that same-​sex marriage is a “temporary aberration,” because really marriage is supposed to be between one man and one woman.  And gay marriage equality "fundamentally goes against everything we know."  He must know, right?  He has been married three times, divorced twice and left his cancer-stricken wife to marry his third wife. The New Civil Rights Movement

That is some scale of change.  Did he make a contract with any of his wives?  Were any of them surprised at his enormous change.

Probably the only thing enormous for Newt.

Oh the (Not So) Friendly Skies

Earlier this week, an actress was "kicked off" a Southwest Airlines flight for an "excessive" display of affection to her girlfriend.  She and her girlfriend were reportedly kissing.  While being escorted from the plane, the stewardess informed Leisha Hailey that SWA was a "family" airline and the multiple complaints from other passengers prompted the kicking off. (LezGetReal.com)


That does sound a bit homophobic and just a tad hateful.  What kind of "family" doesn't like to see kissing?  The National Gay Pilots Association (NGPA) opposes any premature boycott measures against Southwest Airlines, though.  They say that SWA "has strict non-discrimination policies [and] is actively working ... to enhance their policies and employee training."  (JoeMyGod)


But there is still that feeling of hate.  It seems to be prevalent in this world towards those who are not "straight".  Even the Catholic church has a bit of hate towards people in same-sex relationships.  Timothy Dolan of New York, the head Archbishop, yelled at President Obama for not defending the Defense of Marriage Act.  He says it would "precipitate a national conflict between church and state of enormous proportions."  He reiterated the feeling that "traditional marriage is best for society."  (USAToday.com)


And Gay Marriage is horrible?  And probably two girls kissing on a plane is icky?


The Archbishop rants about the "conflict between church and state" but where oh where is that "separation" that is supposed to be there?

Maybe it's Good News?

The Associated Press tweets today that Maggie Gallagher, the chair of the National Organization for Marriage, has been replaced.  So that may be good news, the Magster will have to stop her bigotry and hate.  Maybe.  The replacement may not be too much better.  The failed Attorney General wannabe for California, John Eastman.  He attempted to have the repeal of Prop 8 overturned while the Gov (Ahnold) was out of the country.  (JoeMyGod)

One would wonder, why was Maggie let go?  Did she need to stay at home and be the good wife?  Or has she changed her stance on equality?  She did attend the reading of Dustin Lance Black's play "8", which re-enacts the Prop. 8 trial.  She maybe now playing with the enemy, as the ticket dollars went to "AFER and Broadway Impact to secure full federal marriage equality."  Or maybe it is just her eating habits.  Obviously she has been through the buffet line a few too many times, and she did munch on some loud food during the reading. (TheAtlanticWire.com)


Now, she says she is going to finish her book "Debating Same-Sex Marriage".  But it probably is more for being the good wife and over-eater.

If the Search Result Fits...

Then of course Google has to list it.  Now, some folks might complain about that.  But Google's PageRank is how it works.  Every time somebody adds a link to a web site, Google interprets this as a vote for that site. The more links to the site, the more votes it gets.(SwitchIt.com)

Then of course, there is the Google Bomb.  "Google's search-rank algorithm ranks pages higher for a particular search phrase if enough other pages linked to it using similar anchor text." (Wikipedia.org) Examples of such bombs would be like a search for "more evil than Satan himself" resulting in the Microsoft homepage.  Or "dumb motherf*cker" leading to a site selling George W. Bush-related merchandise.  Google has developed an algorithm to catch and remove these.


So, which is the case for "Santorum"? 


It all started when sex advice columnist, author and activist Dan Savage didn't like what Senator Rick Santorum had to say about homosexuality.  He equated it with bestiality and pedophilia.  So Savage asked his readers to come up with a new definition of "Santorum" and they picked:  The frothy mix of lube and fecal matter that is sometimes the byproduct of anal sex.  And it pops up on Google.  (HuffingtonPost.com)


Well, now Rick has asked Google to fix the problem, and they said "no."  Google does not “remove content from our search results, except in very limited cases such as illegal content and violations of our webmaster guidelines.” (PamsHouseblend) Dan Savage has re-defined Santorum and he has created a website that has lots of links to it that fit the PageRank guidelines, so it is the "frothy mix" that wins.


Looks like Rick is stuck - literally and figuratively.

Things We are Supposed to Hate

And today, those things are Schweddy Balls and AARP.  Now, Schweddy Balls started out as a Saturday Night Live sketch involving Alec Baldwin's balls... or some that were sold as a Christmas treat at his shoppe Season's Eatings.  Now, Schweddy Balls are a line of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream flavors.  (SNL Transcripts)


"AARP is a membership organization leading positive social change and delivering value to people age 50. Since 1958, AARP has been leading a revolution in the way people view and live life."  (AARP)


So, why are we supposed to hate either of these?  According to the American Family Association www.afa.net, a "pro-family action site promotes traditional family values, focusing primarily on the influence of television and other media on our society," both are bad. Although, to some AFA is bad... Right Wing Watch


With Schweddy Balls the AFA says that the "vulgar new flavor has turned something as innocent as ice cream into something repulsive."  They are calling for a boycott.  Because they don't want kids walking into the grocery story asking for something offensive.  AFA also took a stand against another Ben & Jerry's flavor - Hubby Hubby which celebrated gay marriage.  "It seems that offending customers has become an annual tradition for Ben & Jerry's."  (JoeMyGod)


The AARP one might be a bit more confusing.  Helping older people is wrong?  Oh wait of course there had to be a reason, and AFA points it out:  "AARP uses member resources to advocate same-sex marriage and pro-homosexuality military policy."  (JoeMyGod)

Guess Old Schweddy Gay Balls is just bad and need to be hated.

It's War!!

Well, that is probably what the GOP will think.  President Obama says it is not "Class Warfare just math" when it comes to his new deficit reduction plan.  Most of the rich people out there, however, are going to think that it is a warfare against the upper class.  "Obama's plan would end Bush-era tax cuts for top earners and would limit their deductions."  (HuffingtonPost.com)


But the Republicans have already cringed at the plan.  They have insisted that tax increases should play no part in taming the nation's escalating national debt.  They want to cut Medicare payments.  But Obama said: "I will not support any plan that puts all the burden for closing our deficit on ordinary Americans."  And he plans to veto any such plans.


So, what are the wealthy to do?  Oh, no!  How is it possible that they will survive having to pay their fair share?  Rep. John Flemming (R-LA) is a victim of class warfare, or so he says.  (PamsHouseBlend)  After he pays taxes he only has .... wait for it.... wait for it.... $400,000 to feed his family.


$400,000 to "feed his family".  Well, for those of us who make 10% of that - before taxes, or less... how the hell are we supposed to feed ours?


The war has begun.

What is 12%?

When you do a Google search on "12 Percent", you can get some interesting returns:  12 percent = 0.12, 12 Percent - Importer of Fine Ales, Rams TV rating down 12 percent vs. 2010 opener, Violent crime plunges 12 percent in US in 2010.  Now if you are not into calculators, beer, St. Louis Football or violent crimes, then this information isn't going to do you any good.


Another interesting return from this little search does bring up something interesting.  "Poll: Just 12% happy with Congress."  Yep, that's it.  The current congress got only a 12% thumbs up.  This is the "lowest percentage [since] ...October 2008." (CBSNews.com)  And it is pretty much everybody.  "Dissatisfaction with Congress cuts across party lines. Republicans, Democrats, and independents all overwhelmingly disapprove of the job Congress is doing."


On some better(?) news, it seems the overwhelming winners in 2010 aren't doing so well, as "most Americans disapprove of Republicans more."  Not that this is overwhelming - 72% disapprove Reps vs. 63% disapprove Dems.  (Doubt too many Dems are going to write home about that number).


So, 14 months to go and only 12% happiness.  Maybe we need some beer and football to get us through...  Google that.

Bringing the Vagina into the Run for President

Yep, it was only a matter of time.  With all of the "dicks" running for the GOP ticket, it is now time to bring a "bearded clam" into the race.  Michele not-a-scientist Bachmann had to mention something at the last debate about Gov. Rick Perry's order that girls in Texas need to get an HPV vaccination when they turn 12.  Now, there are many parts of this that are wrong.


HPV, or Human papillomavirus, can lead to cancers of the cervix, vulva, vagina, and anus in women. (Wikipedia.org)  So, while it sounds very nice for Perry to require that young girls are protected from a potential cancer causer, his intentions may not have been as noble.  It seems that Mr. Perry received political donations from the firm that created the vaccine (WashingtonPost.com) And although HPV can also affect males with anal or penal cancer, they weren't required to get the shot.


Now, on the other side, good ol' Michelle sees this as governmental meddling into the lives of "innocent little 12-year old girls".  She even insinuates that the vaccine would put girls at risk for mental retardation (which is not true, to say the least). And another good ol' girl, Sarah P., praises Bachmann for going up against the "big guns". (CNN.com)  But, just as the Washington Post suggests, would Mrs. Bachmann or Mrs. Palin be against other governmental meddling like preventing polio, chicken pox or the measles.


So, now besides Michele - and maybe someday Sarah, we have a vagina in the race.  More important than deficits, unemployment and poverty levels, I am sure.

Where is the love?

Obviously it is not with the Tea Partiers or the Right Wingers.  It is amazing how they like to throw around all the holy words of Leviticus (18:22), yet are really not reading the entire book.  In Leviticus 19:18 and in 19:34 it does say that you got to love the neighbors and love the strangers as you would love yourself.  Not seeing that recently among the TP or the RW.


Back on September 8, 2011, there were stories about how the crowd at a GOP-hopefuls debate loudly cheered when Rick Perry brought up his record 234 being executed.  The state of Texas and their governor don't love everybody above themselves.  (Telegraph.co.uk) Then last night at another such debacle - er debate - Wolf Blizter asked Ron Paul, another Texas lovely, if a man went into a coma and didn't have health insurance, should society just let him die?  And members of that TP crowd yelled "Yeah!" (Huffingtonpost.com)

So where is the love?  And then there is the "sanctity of marriage".  The North Carolina General Assembly just approved a bill that will ban gay marriage.  But, Pat Robertson, the 700 Club Christian advises a man whose wife is suffering from Alzheimer's to just divorce her and marry somebody else.  Real Nice.  (RightWingWatch.org)

Kill the sinners, kill the uninsured and forget marriage if you can get some somewhere better.  That is the definition of the love that the Tea Partiers and the Right Wingers have.


Oh, for the Love of...

Terror In America

On this day after, terror is definitely on people's minds.  The terrorist attacks on the U.S. in 2001 were awful.  There have been quite a few of those in the history of America.  In 1920 there was a TNT bomb on Wall street.  In 1993 there was a bomb in the World Trade Center.  In 1975 there was one the Fraunces Tavern in New York.  And then there was that one outside the federal office building in Oklahoma City.  (InfoPlease.com)


The one happening in OK makes the next story sound just a little odd.  Oklahoma Republican state legislator Sally Kern thinks that homosexuality is "the biggest threat our nation has, even more so than terrorism..."  (RightwingWatch.org) One would think that folks like Tim McVeigh are more of a threat then say Elton John or Ellen DeGeneres.


She thinks that "bombarding" young people with a "homosexuality is normal" message is more dangerous than car bombs.  Or perhaps more dangerous than planes flying into tall buildings.


Maybe she should be bombarded with something.

Leave it Faux News

Yesterday on this blog, the story of Chaz Bono's scheduled appearance on Dancing with the Stars and the reaction of some in the comments sections of different publications was addressed.  Today's topic is similar.  A contributing writer to Faux News has written his own take on Dancing with Chaz Bono.  He is instructing the world to not "let your kids watch".


Dr. Keith Ablow is a psychiatrist and member of the Fox News Medical A-Team (do they have a "B-Team"?).  He insists that we not applaud Chaz for taking the step to finally realize who he is.  Dr. Ablow likens transgender surgery to the "woman who believes she will be happier without arms, has them removed and then continues to assert that she was right all along—her self-concept was that of a double amputee."  Or he says the one who "believes that his species, rather than gender, is what is amiss and asks a plastic surgeon to build him a tail of flesh harvested from his abdomen."  (FoxNews.com)

These are absolutely preposterous examples.


Dr. Ablow also says the "last thing vulnerable children and adolescents need to watch is a captive crowd in a studio audience applaud on cue for someone search[ing] for an identity."  Although he did write a book "Living the Truth: Transform Your Life Through the Power of Insight and Honesty."  Perhaps that is just what Chaz did.


Makes you wonder if the good doctor has ever seen Russian Dolls, Jersey Shore, Dr. 90210, Bridalplasty or The Biggest Loser.  All of the participants on these shows, and countless others, are searching for a new identity.  But obviously, money-grubbing, plastic surgery and weight loss are so much better than sexual identity.


Primarily, Faux News is merely perused during the day to offer a laugh - reading some of the nonsense that is posted there. 

This is one of those that really takes the cake.  Should be on the Food Channel

Dancing with the Stars

A lot of people are really pissed that ABC has decided to cast Chaz Bono in the upcoming season of DWTS.  Comments on the ABC site says things like "I am sick and tired of the homosexual agenda being shoved in my face!"  And "I will not accept sin no matter how “popular” it is in hollywood."  They accuse ABC of throwing junk in "our faces" and forcing "liberalism down our throats."  (WebProNews.com)

Now, there are some who support the casting.  One of course being Chaz's mom, Cher. @Cher "I support him no matter what he chooses 2do! God! will there always be haters! It took COURAGE 2 do dwts ! TG Chaz has an Unlimited supply."  And WebProNews does state that the supporters outweigh the detractors.


If I remember correctly there was another person who was on the show who may or may not have been suited for it.  Actually, it has been noted that this particular person had "an evident lack of natural dancing talent." (NPR.org)


Where were complainers when she was on the show?  Why did we have to endure having conservatism being shoved in our faces and shoved down our throats?


Bet Chaz does better than Bristol

It's Just Like Paying Taxes

There is that fight in the government that to help with the U.S. deficit, all they need to do is raise taxes.  Now the fight continues since the GOP tax pledge doesn't sit well with raising taxes.  Even Republican Candidate leader Rick Perry says he’d push for a tax system that would be “as light on the job creators as you can be". (DeathAndTaxesMag.com) The job creators (are there really any of those out there?) need to be protected?  The country needs to be in debt so that the corporate leaders of America would have it easier?


Well, it seems that the would-be job creators are already benefiting from that, yet the jobless rate increases.  "Of last year's 100 highest-paid corporate executives in the United States, 25 earned more in pay than their company recorded as a tax expense in 2010." (CBSNews.com) So, these corporations average global profits of $1.9 BILLION and yet they aren't hiring anybody.  Places like Verizon, GE, eBay are dodging taxes, and rewarding their CEOs for the evasion.


Maybe it is time to raise those damn taxes!  The ratio of CEO pay to the average U.S. worker's compensation is 325 to 1.  With those kind of odds, one would think they can afford it!

How Much?

Basically, that is the question that Presidential Hopeful Michele Bachmann is asking.  How much does God have to do to prove His point?  What does he have to do to "get the attention of the politicians"?  Obviously this thing that is happening right now (Hurricane Irene) should be enough to get the current political farce - er force - to realize that things are bad and God has delivered the message that things have to be changed!  (HuffingtonPost.com)


Michele says that the "government is on a morbid obesity diet" and the hurricane is a warning to watch what the Government eats.  Not sure that a 'different' government was any better off, say, oh six years ago, but obviously those in power then, didn't listen to the voice of God. And He sent a larger message -- a little thing called Hurricane Katrina.


And maybe what happened over the weekend in D.C. and New York wasn't really the big message that Michele thinks it was.  Below is a comparison of some of the attention getting statistics. 

Deaths Total 1,836 Missing 135

Cost refers to total estimated property damage Rank Hurricane Season Damages
Katrina 2005 $108 billion (Wikipedia.org)


Now, on the other side of the fence, Irene's early totals are not nearly as intense:


Hurricane Irene has led to the deaths of at least 31 people in 10 states
(CBSNews.com)

The total damage inflicted by Hurricane Irene may reach $7 billion
(NYTimes.com)

There seems to be a big, BIG difference between the two messages.  Perhaps God doesn't agree with Michele.  Or maybe the message was that God was pissed off at the odd candidates that are running for the next election.

What is the Gay Agenda in Valdez, Colo?

There must be one.  A 5.3 magnitude earthquake struck just hours before the 5.8 temblor in Viriginia.  And of course  the Amazon region of Peru must have one heck of a gay agenda.  Their earthquake today was even larger then either the Colorado one or the Virginia one at 6.8.  The gays must just be running the streets in both places.


Why, you ask?  Well, Rabbi Yehuda Levin, a New York City-based rabbi, has blamed “homosexual marriage” as the cause of yesterday’s east coast earthquake. He's also the guy who blamed the dismemberment killing of an eight-year old New York City Jewish boy on gay marriage.  (New Civil Rights Movement)


But maybe it is just Virginia that is deserving the wrath of God.  Although it seems that the gay agenda isn't really all that big there either.  You see, "this earthquake hit in one of the most anti-LGBT states in the union." (LezGetReal.com)  And of course, the hurricane aimed at North Carolina?  Must be the gays fault too.  Although NC is currently debating a Constitutional Amendment to ban same-sex unions. 


Maybe God really likes the gays and is trying to stop the homophobia?? 

P.S.  The best way to explain the earthquake though might be what was posted on Facebook last night:

Seismologists have determined that the earthquake in Washington, D.C. was not caused by a fault line, but by our founding fathers rolling over in their graves.

Judicial Activism

Found this article on the Unicorn Booty Facebook page.  Pretty much a Houston, TX judge has ordered that a man cannot leave his children with male doctors, male teachers, or male pastors.  The actual wording was that he can't leave "his children alone with any man not related to them by blood or adoption". (Advocate.com)


You see, it all revolves around a custody issue and a divorce which probably resulted from one of the parents "coming out."  William Flowers divorced his wife in 2004 and wanted custody of the children.  He married Jim Evans last year in Connecticut. And the court has decided that the ex-wife still gets custody, but Flowers can continue his visits as long as he doesn't leave the kids alone with anybody not blood related, including his husband - the kids' stepfather.


Now, "lawyers who practice family law in Houston (and requested anonymity) described the order as patently anti-gay,” according to an article in the Houston Chronicle by Geoff Berg. An Austin family law attorney, Jennifer Cochran, who was willing to be quoted, says "it’s judicial activism, legislating from the bench.”


There may never be equality in this country.

A Square Circle

It must have something to do with fitting a square peg in a round hole, maybe?  But, no, it is what the National Organization of Marriage said today about "same-sex marriage".  According to Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse of the Ruth Institute, saying "same-sex marriage" is like saying "square circle" because "such an entity is not possible." (NOMBlog.com)

Now, granted, it is obvious that a square can't be a circle and a circle can't be a square.  But a marriage can be with the same sex (and not the kind where you just do it the same way every time).  She also doesn't think that "genderless marriage" works real well either.  She says "Gender is essential to marriage."  Well, ok, it is.  Female is a gender.  If two females get married then you have two genders and that is essential to the marriage.  If you only have one female married, well, then that is whole nother term entirely.


Ok, Dr. Morse, don't say "Same-Sex Marriage" anymore.  If I have dinner with a girlfriend, I don't call it "Same-Sex Dinner".  I just call it Dinner.  (Thanks to a comment on the I-bet-this-turkey-can-get-more-fans-than-NOM facebook page for that one).

So, just call it marriage.

Thanks For Making it Clear

It is so nice when you are unsure of what you are supposed to be and someone comes along and just clears it all up for you.  Thankfully there were two such "clearers" today.  Both of them must know exactly what it means, since they are so vocal with their opinions and stance on the issue.  What is it to be gay?  Well, let's find out.


Allen West is a Republican U.S. Representative who represents Florida's 22nd congressional district.  He says that being gay is like preferring chocolate chip ice cream.  Or it could be compared to riding a scooter. He chooses to ride a motorcycle, why should he choose to ride a scooter?  Now, he has also said that gay marriage will lead to the end of society (although last I looked Massachusetts and New York were still there).   OnTopMag.com

On a different tack, Rick Santorum, a lawyer and a former United States Senator from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (not the frothy mix that pops up in some google results), wants to ensure that we all know that calling gay marriage a marriage is like calling a napkin a paper towel.  "You can call it whatever you want but it doesn't change the character of what it is to the metaphysical," he continued.  So, metaphysically, gay marriage is a paper towel... not a napkin. (MSNBC.com)

Allen West also said “Now everyone has the same basic rights, and no one is telling people in the gay community that they don't have the same basic rights that any American has." Not sure he actually meant that one.  And Rick Santorum also stated that "water is water and marriage is marriage."  He said you could try and call water beer, but it was still water.  Gay marriage is like a beer, got it.


Anybody want a beer? 

Can You Pray Away the Weigh?

Now, there are some out there that think you can pray for or against anything.  Just Google Pray Away the Gay and you get a list of articles (mostly about Michele Bachmann and a few with Sarah Palin).  Then there is Rick Perry's attempt this past weekend to "Pray Away America's National Decline".  But, is it possible to pray away fat people?  Well, maybe it is -- pray away the fat in people.


A pastor in Mississippi "is now urging fellow African-American congregations nationwide to make the health of their members a priority." (FoxNews.com) This after he banned fried chicken from the fellowship hall at the church.  What?? No fried chicken in a Southern church?  Wow.


Now it takes more than just long-winded sermons on the sin of gluttony.  And sometimes people listen more to their pastor then they do their doctor.  "A pastor can tell someone what to do, and they'll take it as a scientific fact," says director of the Office of Preventative Health, Victor Sutton.  (Seems like an odd title for a department -- preventing health??)


But it is scary.  Just think of all the Right-Wing presidential hopefuls who like to preach politics.


Can somebody pass the chicken??

Is it Sexist?

Or is she just crazy and raging?  The media world is up in arms with a preview pic of Michele Bachmann on the cover of Newsweek. 

Conservative blogs are screaming that it is just Newsweek's anti-Republican bias that made them post the picture.  Never would they do that to a male running for office (UNTRUE )

Now maybe Newsweek is just reporting things how they are.  They posted this picture of John McCain:

And it shows that he is old.


So maybe this one is also just reporting the true news.  Bachmann is crazy.

Makin' Your Truck Look More Manly

No, really.  "Truck nuts, fake bull testicles made of plastic or metal that drivers hang on the back of their pickups to make a truck look more manly".  (FoxNews.com)


But are they indecent?  The South Carolina code of laws says that they might be.  And a woman there was given a $445 ticket for violating the obscenity laws.  The woman's attorney will argue whether these large, red, plastic testicles are “really an accurate depiction of a human body part.”  So they are going to court.


David Hudson, a First Amendment attorney and scholar thinks they may have a case.  They just might be able to prove that the South Carolina law is “unconstitutionally vague and unconstitutionally board, and it violates the First Amendment.”


Now, on the other hand... Jay Bender, a lawyer and professor at the University of South Carolina thinks the police chief who issued the ticket is... well... “He is nuts”


Apropos...

Clothes Make the Man...

Or the woman, I guess.  Back on July 9th, a woman went to Dollywood with her partner and their family.  She was wearing a t-shirt on that said "Marriage is so gay" in support of gay marriage.  A park worker asked her to turn the shirt inside out so as not to offend anybody at the "family park".  The woman did as she was told but sent a letter afterwards asking that Dollywood be a tad more inclusive of LGBTs and all kinds of families. (ABCNews)

Now, this past weekend, Walmart was not thrilled with the clothes that a particular Oregon woman chose to wear to the store.  She was at the store shopping in her bikini top and was asked to put a shirt on over it.  The store employee claimed she "may be violating health regulations".  (CBSNews)

The Oregon woman actually has an attorney over the dress-code violation.


Dolly Parton has apologized to the lesbian, saying she is "truly sorry for the hurt or embarrassment."  If you click on the link to CBS you can see the picture of the bikini-clad Oregon woman.  And really, doesn't Walmart know who shops in the stores?  Have they never heard of PeopleofWalmart.com?

The Headline Says it Best

Cottony Cushion Scales 'Could Eliminate The Need For Males'.  Yep, that's what was on The Huffington Post today.  Now, a Cottony Cushion Scale is an insect.  And they have some genetic make-up that allows them to conceive all by themselves.


"The insect, which occupies a female body, is left with a parasite by its father which produces sperm." The Parasitic Sperm (Parasitic Sperm!  How poetic) infects offspring after conception.  So the cycle of self-reproducing females continues on.


Now according to Wired.co.uk, the future disappearance of the male insect has only been predicted with a mathematical model, since the trend has only been observed in the past 3 years.  But, hey there are some of us out here who have already eliminated the need for males.

It's All in the Polls

According to Fox News President Obama "Could Lose In a Landslide" based on his current approval rating in the polls.  He's only getting between 42% (Gallup) and 47% (ABC News/WAPO).  Now that is better than House Speaker John Boehner and both Republicans and Democrats in Congress, all of whom are only getting 33%. (PublicPolicyPolling.com)

Public Policy Polling asked the questions, and the people answered.  42% feel the Republicans are doing a worse job now that they are "in power" than the 39% who feel they are doing a better job.  Rupert Murdoch of News Corp and the hacking scandal is only get a 12%-49% approval/disapproval rating (Fox News didn't report on that one, now did they?)


But, the most shocking part of the poll might just be the part that says that God is only getting 52% approval.  That's right.  The Almighty is not quite at 100%. (CNN.com) God got a 71%-5% on universe creating, 56%-11% on handling the animal kingdom and a 50%-13% on the handling of natural disasters.


So, we know what the middle class thinks of the government obviously.  And as far as creating universes, the numbers might be just right.  The little girl who got bit by the shark might just disagree with that 56% though.  She did forgive the shark.  (DailyMail.co.uk)

The Christian Terrorist

We all have heard of the tragic events that happened over the weekend in Norway.  Anders Behring Breivik, the perpetrator of these ghastly murders, identifies as a conservative Christian.  And having "terrorized" the people in Oslo and the children at the camp, he obviously identifies as a terrorist.  That would make him a Christian Terrorist.  He has said that he killed all these people because of their allowing Muslims in the country and for the "cultural annihilation" that has happened.


He may not be the only Christian Terrorist in the world today.  Brian Fischer, from the American Family Association, agrees with Mr. Breivik.  "Much of his analysis of cultural trends in Europe and the danger created by Islamic immigration and infiltration is accurate," he says, but perhaps using public policy rather than mass murder to resolve the issues is better (?) (RightwingWatch.org)


Mr. Fischer has already identified danger areas.  He honestly believes and has said "Number one perpetrators of hate crimes in America: homosexual activists, gay activists, the homosexual lobby."  But as far as a terror group?  Well, the Southern Poverty Law Center classifies the American Family Association as a “hate group” right up there with the Ku Klux Klan.  (LGBTQNation.com)

Fischer terrorizes people. He has proposed criminalizing homosexual behavior and has advocated forcing gays into “reparative” therapy.  He thinks that gays are Nazis.  He also says 'Homosexual activist groups are pushing a lifestyle that kills'.


So, the definition of a Christian Terrorist.  Will have to see if Mr. Fischer sets a bomb or starts shooting.

Do it for the Children

Most of the time, the right-wing/evangelical folks use the children to change things: stopping Happy Meals, censoring television shows.  But today, it seemed that the kids just weren't on their side.  Today there was a congressional hearing about overturning the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).  And there were a bunch of the right-wing/evangelical folks to tell the world how DOMA is just so bad.


There is Thomas Minnery, Senior Vice President for Public Policy, Focus on the Family.  He had written testimony that cited an HHS study that said "same-sex" families were bad for children or "opposite-sex" families were better for them.  Sen. Al Franken actually had the HHS study in his hand and it actually said that children did better in "two-parent" households and that the parents' gender had nothing to do with it. (ThinkProgress.org)

Franken then said that since Minnery had lied he didn't "know how we can really trust the rest of your testimony."


But Mr. Minnery gave more anyway.  Sen. Leahy brought up the issue of not having the "same financial benefits that an opposite sex family would have" without marriage rights.  Minnery went back to "certainly children are better off with parents in the home."   (PamsHouseblend.com)

But, Leahy wouldn't let it go:

• "if you have parents legally married under the laws of the state - one set of parents are entitled to certain financial benefits for their children, the other set of parents are denied those same financial benefits for their children..."

And Minnery had to say yep.  That would be yes.


But, really it is just that some of these whackos simply hate gay people.  And they throw that hate around and blame all kinds of things on gays and their marriages.  Rabbi Yehuda Levin now says that gay marriage is what caused the murder of an 8 year-old Hassidic boy in New York.  "This came in the very aftermath of the marriage bill, my dear friends," he says.  And really, had nothing to do with a heterosexual, divorced observant Jew? (JoeMyGod)

Do it for the children, Rabbi.

Since When...

does "preventative care" equal abortion?  Well, it seems anytime a women's health issue is discussed the anti-abortion people are right on top of it and complaining that it just gives women the right to kill babies.


Today, the Institute of Medicine recommended that birth control be free of charge under the new federal health care law.  As part of the Institute's task to determine what preventative care is, they deemed birth control as preventative.  Not just for preventing babies, but also care for "controlling hormone imbalances, reducing the severity of menstrual cramps, or dealing with acne." (MotherJones.com)

Now, Jeanne Monahan, director of the Center for Human Dignity at the Family Research Council, says that this means that the morning-after-pill will be free and that is not good since they "act as abortifacients." 

Although the National Institutes of Health and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have said that pregnancy does not begin until a fertilized egg has been implanted.  Morning-after-pills prevent the implantation.


But, since this is a women's health issue, the anti-abortionists will persist.  They would rather not have any abortions or any women avoiding pregnancy using birth control.  They would just want all the women to have to run after all those kids.

The End of the World as We Know It

That's sort of what Michele Bachmann preaches.  Back in 2006/2008 (when she said it/when it was broadcast), she said we were in the "last days" and she was ok with that, ready to give to the "Jehovah God" our "times".  (LezGetReal.com)

Also, in 2010 she warned that if the "United States turns its back on Israel" we will be cursed because in Genesis 12:3, God says to Abraham, "The one who curses you I will curse."  (MotherJones.com)


Bachmann has also asked for God to expand preacher Bradlee Dean’s ministry, which is incredibly anti-gay. Dean is, in fact, beyond just being anti-gay.  (He's the one who broadcast her "last days" rant in 2008) This is a man who believes that it is alright to execute lesbians and gays.  Which goes along with her husband, Marcus Bachmann, who has been "proven to practice a therapy aimed at turning gays straight."  (TheDailyBeast.com)

So, it might not be the end of the world as Michele knows it, biblically in fact.  It definitely is her aim to make it the end of the world as most LGBT people know it.

It's All About the...

Well, the first "E" word that might pop into mind would be "Economy" when we look at the debacle that is the debt ceiling discussions going on in Washington these days.  But, in reality it all comes down to another "E" word:  "Election".  The fight going on between the Dems and the GOP is definitely about who is going to get elected next year.


Most of the GOP thinks that Obama is not doing a good job.  He is going to cause Social Security Payments and Medicare coverage to end.  Which surprisingly doesn't really bother the people who would be receiving those benefits.  Obama did break records with "grass-roots support" and $86 million for his re-election campaign.  (Reuters.com)

But the big names in the GOP aren't really worried about grass-roots America.  They will not budge on tax increases and are just daring Obama to go ahead and cut Social Security and Medicare.  Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell doesn't want a revisit of the '90s when the threat of shutting down government helped Bill Clinton get reelected.  (Huffingtonpost.com)  And he says that he refuses "to help Barack Obama get reelected by marching Republicans into a position where we have co-ownership of a bad economy."


Don't they already have co-ownership??  He also says that his first "choice" was to do something good for the country, but his "obligation" is to his party to prevent them from "being sucked into a horrible position politically."


So all you SS recipients just have to wait and see.  As long as you know that Mr. McConnell has his "obligations" in order.

Equal Rights

Usually in this little box, when the title has the word "rights" in it, the story would be about LGBT rights.  Today, is different.  There is a story on the Huffington Post that points out that the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) that was passed by both houses of Congress in 1972, never became ratified and is not on the books.


As part of the rules, 38 states have to ratify an amendment for it to become part of the Constitution.  Only 35 states ratified it between 1972 and the deadline of June 30, 1982.  (Wikipedia.org)  So, these 24 words don't get in:  "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex."


I guess I was unaware that the amendment had never passed.  Although it might explain some things that are still going on in the country - certain cuts to programs for women's health.  And although it was staunchly supported by Republicans in its infancy, it seems it is the GOP who doesn't want to see it go forward now.


Looking at the comments on the HuffPost story, it seems most men don't see the need for it either.  They also think that women's rights would translate into co-ed professional basketball teams and communal showers and bathrooms.


Amazing.  Living in this male-dominated, white bread world, it is no wonder that not everybody but the male white breads get the rights.

A Vow

Now, vows are different all over the place.  In a civil union it might go something like this:
 

I take you to be my lawfully wedded (husband/wife).Before these witnesses I vow to love you and care for youas long as we both shall live.

In Muslim ceremonies it sounds like this:

Bride:  “I pledge, in honesty and with sincerity, to be for you an
obedient and faithful wife.”
Groom: “I pledge, in honesty and sincerity, to be for you
a faithful and helpful husband.”

And for the Christians it says some of the same things except there is this pledge from the Groom to "perform my headship over you even as Christ does over me" and the Bride promises to "submit myself to your headship as to the Lord."  Interesting... Headship... (MyWeddingVows.com)

Now, over in Iowa there is another type of vow being offered.  The Family Leader, an influential social-conservative Iowa group, has the “The Marriage Vow – A Declaration of Dependence upon Marriage and Family.”  And Michele Bachmann has already signed it.  So, good Ol' Michele has vowed her submission to somebody's headship.  She has signed on to insure that "the institution of marriage is only between one man and one woman."  (PamsHouseblend.com)

Some of the high points in this vow: 

• Vigorous opposition to any redefinition of the Institution of Marriage and recognition of intimate unions which are bigamous, polygamous, polyandrous, same-sex.
• Official fidelity to the U.S. Constitution, supporting the elevation of none but faithful constitutionalists as judges or justices.
• Recognition of the overwhelming statistical evidence that married people enjoy better health (and better sex).
• Recognition that robust childbearing and reproduction is beneficial to U.S. demographic, economic, strategic and actuarial health and security.
• Humane protection of women and the innocent fruit of conjugal intimacy (the kids) from (among other things) all forms of pornography.

Wonder how that pornography thing is going to sit with some of the constituents? 

There is a vow in there that rejects Sharia Islam, but that's got nothing to do with marriage.

I think I vow not to vote for her...

You Have the Right to Remain Silent

That is an option you get if you are a criminal.  And according to Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, women who want to get an abortion should be treated the same way.  He signed into law HB 636 that “requires women to be informed of their specific legal rights and options before they undergo an abortion procedure.”   This will require abortion providers in Louisiana to post signs letting these criminals know that coercing an abortion is illegal. (ThinkProgress.org)

Jindal doesn't understand why anyone would oppose the bill.  “Now if we’re giving criminals their basic rights and they have to be informed of those rights, it seems to me only common sense we would have to do the same thing for women before they make the choice about whether to get an abortion.”  Which would work, since Louisiana has some of the harshest anti-choice laws in the country.


So, ladies, not sure if you need to consult an attorney, or whether or not Bobby would provide on for you if you cannot afford one.  Just be careful in Louisiana, practice safe sex.