Massachusetts Dems Take Crazy Pills, Destroy Labor

What in the name of grilled Cheezus is going on in Massachusetts?

In a clear betrayal of their base and one of the Democratic Party's major backers, the Democrat-led Massachusetts House voted to strip public employees of their collective bargaining rights with a vote of 157 to 1. 

Just to be clear:  the same action that HRM Scott Walker I of Wisconsistan took that resulted in protests crippling his government and perpetrated by Republicans on hardworking Americans in that state just got pulled off without a hitch in one of the most liberal (and thus, one would think, pro-labor) states in the Union.  While it still needs to be passed in the Senate and approved by the governor to become law, this is a shocking turn of events.

"'These are the same Democrats that all these labor unions elected,' Massachusetts AFL-CIO president Robert J. Haynes said in a media advisory. 'The same Democrats who we contributed to in their campaigns. The same Democrats who tell us over and over again that they’re with us, that they believe in collective bargaining, that they believe in unions.'"

Wow.  Rough week. 

[TheRawStory]

Oh, That Cheeky Bryan Fischer

The things he says! 

In his latest attack on Muslims, Bryan Fischer outlines a bizarre and rambling plan in which the American armed forces convert Islamic populations by the sword.  Yeah.  Because evidently the only way we can build democracies in Middle Eastern nations is by sending in the Marines and then the missionaries. 



This guy just makes me gag.

Indiana House Votes to Defund Planned Parenthood

The Legislature of the great state of Indiana has voted to strip Planned Parenthood of its federal funding, with the bill doing so passing the House late Wednesday.  It is now awaiting the signature or veto of governor Mitch Daniels, a presidential contender who has called for a "truce" on social issues. 

"It's uncertain whether he will sign or veto, but if he does nothing it will come into law a week after hitting his desk. 

"The bill, which passed the Indiana State House late Wednesday afternoon, would bar the state from entering into contracts with abortion providers, making an exception for hospitals and ambulatory centers. Planned Parenthood of Indiana operates 28 clinics in Indiana, eight of which are Title X funded clinics. The group received about $3 million in federal funding last year. State officials have speculated that the bill, if passed, would lead to the state losing all $4 million in federal family planning dollars that it received last year.

"Groups on both sides of the issue tell POLITICO they expect Daniels to sign the bill, despite his reluctance to engage in social issues."

So essentially Indiana is shooting itself in the foot in order to prevent poor women from getting mammograms.  Good job, Indiana!  Aces!

[Politico]

This is All You're Getting

I didn't watch the royal wedding and I didn't much care either.  The other blogs I read exploded into a Willgasm but I shan't.  This is all the coverage you're getting from me. 

Princess Beatrice and her AMAZING HAT.

OneAngryCultist: This Week in Religion

In a far cry from the apparent unity exhibited above by Muslims and Christians during the protests against Mubarak this past January, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom recommended Egypt be included in their list of countries of particular concern (CPCs)for violations against religious freedom along with Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.

“CPCs are nations whose conduct marks them as the world’s worst religious freedom violators and human rights abusers," said USCIRF Chair Leonard Leo. “In the case of Egypt, instances of severe religious freedom violations engaged in or tolerated by the government have increased dramatically since the release of last year’s report, with violence, including murder, escalating against Coptic Christians and other religious minorities. Since President Mubarak’s resignation from office in February, such violence continues unabated without the government’s bringing the perpetrators to justice. Consequently, USCIRF recommends CPC designation for Egypt.”

Despite being one of the foremost secular nations in the Arab world, followers of the world's two largest religions continue to have issues playing nicely in the sand-box.



In another "come to Jesus moment", there's been a some very vocal outcries taking place regarding the slated May 1st beatification of late Pope John Paul II by (now Pope) Benedict XVI in particular surrounding the former pope's blindness and inactivity regarding clerical child abuse cases that have scandalized the church. The Nation Reports:

"Moreover, on the greatest internal crisis facing the church, [John Paul II] failed, time and again, to take decisive action in response to clear evidence of a criminal underground in the priesthood, a subculture that sexually traumatized tens of thousands of youngsters. Despite a 1984 warning memo from the Rev. Thomas Doyle, then a canon lawyer in the Vatican Embassy in Washington, and a ninety-three-page report on the problem co-written by Doyle in 1985, which was sent to every American bishop, John Paul ordered no outreach to victims, no binding policy to rid the priesthood of deviants. In 1989 the US conference of bishops sent experts in canon law to Rome, seeking a streamlined process for defrocking child molesters rather than waiting for the byzantine Vatican bureaucracy and final word from the pope. John Paul refused. Litigation and prosecutions spread, but the pope remained passive."

Interestingly, and much to the contention of the more anti-Ratzingers reading this blog, during his curate as prefect for the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, then Cardinal Ratzinger did much to try and handle the emerging child-abuse problems and make sure that offending priests were brought to justice... unfortunately he didn't get far and was met with some hostility by other cardinals and the late pope for his actions. Maybe he's not such a bad guy after all.



Stepping away from monotheist drama, did you know that May 2nd is Pagan Coming Out Day? Neither did I - at least until I read the update from my favorite Pagan blog The Wild Hunt, which conveniently links to the official site for International Pagan Coming Out Day:

Coming out to someone is a decision only you can make and it’s a decision best made when you are ready to do so. IPCOD encourages Pagans who are ready to come on out!

There are benefits, personally and for our religious community as a whole, as more Pagans come out. Some of these benefits include the reduction of anxiety caused by living a double life and creating a climate of greater acceptance for all Pagans.

While I personally have some issue with the appropriation of the term "coming out" on this particular and other issues, there are a lot of benefits to coming out pagan, particularly if you're queer such as:

1.) No angry, lightning-flinging sky fairies (unless you're into that sort of thing).

2.) You can quit having to find excuses or lie in order to to avoid church or awkward holidays with the family if there's an overt religious cover.

3.) Pagan festivals can be pretty fun...

4.) ...and there's a lot of hot pagan guys and gals...

5.) ...and sometimes nudity...

6.) ...and, generally speaking, sex and sexuality are celebrated.

7.) You can say, "No" to guilt, shame and Hell.

8.) NUDITY!!!

9.) You can have a big party every six weeks in honor of the god/s/esses of your choice.

10.) MOAR NUDITY!!!

The Supreme Court Once Again Rules in Favor of Corporate America

Thanks to the conservative majority on the Supreme Court of the US, a ruling has been handed down that has the potential to end ALL class-action lawsuits.

A California couple's case against AT&T sparked the ruling, which allows companies to opt out of getting sued by large groups and instead settle the case individually in arbitration.  This option avoids the costly large settlements typically awarded to the winners of class-action of suits and prevents consumers from banding together in potentially damaging media-blitz large suits.


"Deepak Gupta, an attorney at the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen who represented the couple, denounced the decision and said class actions had been an essential tool to achieve justice in U.S. society.  'The U.S. Supreme Court dealt a crushing blow to American consumers and employees, ruling that companies can ban class actions in the fine print of contracts,' he said.

"AT&T had argued that a federal law that encourages the use of arbitration, the Federal Arbitration Act, trumped a California consumer protection law at issue in the case.

"In its ruling, the Supreme Court's conservative majority agreed.

"'The California law in question stands as an obstacle to the accomplishment of the purposes and the objectives of the FAA. It is accordingly preempted,' Justice Antonin Scalia said for the majority in reading his opinion from the bench."

The Roberts court has long been a favorite of corporate America, notably awarding corporations the ability to contribute without limits to political campaigns.

IE:  To the Roberts court, corporations are more important than consumers.  Thanks guys!

[TheRawStory]

T-Punk Threatens to Take Coca-Cola On

Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council issued some vague threats and ultimatums today.  Yaaaaaawn.

What's he in a snit about?  Law firm King and Spalding pulling out of the DOMA defense case at the behest of Coca-Cola.  My question is, what the hell does Tony fucking Perkins of the FRC think he's going to do against one of the largest multinationals in the world? 


"While this form of corporate terrorism may have paid off temporarily, even the press is chiding HRC for its own intolerance toward the legal process. But that doesn't faze homosexual activists. They were all too eager to take credit for their campaign of intimidation. 'We did all of this, and we're proud to have done it,' Sainz bragged. According to the email traffic, King & Spalding 'was starting to hear from companies that... they might have to rethink their relationship with [the firm].'

"Rumors are flying that one of those companies was Coca Cola. People closest to the story are suggesting that the soda king did most of the arm-twisting. 'Sources... confirm that one of King & Spalding's top clients, Coca Cola, also based in Atlanta, directly intervened to press the firm to extricate itself from the case.' A spokesman for the company refused to comment. But if the allegations are true, I guarantee that FRC won't hesitate to!"

Hmmm.  I'm thirsty for a Coke all of a sudden. 


[JoeMyGod]

Trailer: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2

Ooooooooooooh yeah.

The Afterbirther Fallout

There's a lot of cranky birthers today, as two of the biggest proponents of the birther conspiracy were at the end of some very pointed questions last night.

Orly Taitz was a particularly tasty treat as Lawrence O'Donnell brought her on his show in order to get her to apologize for perpetrating the media circus that she practically gave birth to three years ago.  Naturally, she pretended like the birth certificate-- what she's been howling about for years-- was a non-issue.

"She's crazy. I invited a crazy person on the show to see if a crazy person faced with the thing that the crazy person was trying to get for the two and a half years could say something responsive, something human to the document that was released today."



There you have it, folks, the "Queen of the Birthers."

Now for the Birther King!

Donald Trump got real snippy on CNN, as John King pinned the President's "sideshows and carnival barkers" label directly on his lapels.  How about those tax returns, Donnie T? 



2012 is going to be an exciting election year.

Screw Acceptance! Glee Teaches Kids To Be Gay!

Completely ignoring the actual message of last night's episode of Glee, Bryan Fischer (one of my favorite assholes) went on Fox News and decried the episode as evidence of the indoctrination of our children. 

The episode was written around Lady Gaga's hit song, "Born This Way," and taught the Gleeks that they were awesome no matter how they were born.  Whether they could sing or not, were gay or straight, or even if they have a huge Jew nose, they owned who they were and felt better about themselves for it.  Naturally, this was a sneaky conspiracy on the part of dirty AIDSy gays handing out heroin syringes!

"Keith: Bryan, what do you think of the homosexuality storylines that we’re having in more shows now?

"Fischer: Well I’m deeply concerned bout this because what these television programs are doing is glamorizing homosexual behavior, glamorizing homosexual conduct. This is conduct that carries enormous psychological and physical risks to those who engage in it. It’s just not a lifestyle, it’s not behavior that ought to be glamorized or presented in a way that makes it idealistic.

"Keith: And we all know about product placement. You throw a soda in a movie and within a few seconds later everyone in the theater is thirsty for that particular brand. Ray, what do you have to say to the people who say that this is propaganda, that this isn’t just storylines but the people have an agenda."




You're right, Keith!  We do have an agenda.  Our agenda is that you stop comparing our youth to AIDS-ridden IV drug users.

What asshats.

[RightWingWatch]

BP's Profits Soar to $7.1 Billion

This is kinda gross.

 
As gas prices approach 3.89 a gallon on average, BP has been pulling in huge profits, with a 17 percent increase in the first quarter. 

"BP PLC posted a 17 percent increase in net profit for the first quarter as higher oil prices helped to offset continued costs stemming from the Deepwater Horizon oil-spill disaster last year. The U.K.-based energy giant said Wednesday net profit for the quarter was $7.12 billion, compared with $6.08 billion a year earlier. Total revenue for the quarter rose 18.7% to $88.31 billion from $74.42 billion."

Of course, all this while dolphins and sea turtles are still dying off in droves due to oil-poisoned waters from the oil rig disaster perpetrated by shoddy safety standards. 

Here's the kicker that not everyone knows:  BP's expensive cleanup of the mess they caused?  They were able to write it off on their taxes-- essentially adding them to the list of companies that got through 2010 practically tax free.

"BP, on the other hand, just scored a nearly $10 billion dollar credit on their 2010 federal tax return, by writing off their 'losses' incurred from the tragedy.

"That's the equivalent of the entire annual budget of the EPA, whose funding was just slashed in the continuing resolution. It is almost one third of all the cuts in the continuing resolution."

Doubleyou Tee Eff?  How the hell is BP, after severely changing the enviro-economic landscape of the Gulf, writing off the damage they've done?

[ThinkProgress]

Geek Shit Wednesday Vol. IX

I'm kind of a space case today, as is Geek Shit Wednesday.  Enjoy!

SETI is Broke Just Like Everyone Else

The SETI Institute announced that its primary facility, the Allen Telescope Array, has run out of funds and will be suspending operations.

While data for the program can be collected from any facility, the Berkeley funded installation of 42-dishes will be put into "hibernation" until the money to reopen operations can resume.

From SETI's website:

"In an April 22, 2011 email (PDF) to Allen Telescope Array stakeholder level donors, SETI Institute CEO Tom Pierson described in detail the recent decision by U.C. Berkeley, our partner in the Array, to reduce operations of the Hat Creek Radio Observatory (and thus the Allen Telescope Array) to a hibernation state effective this month. NSF University Radio Observatory funding to Berkeley for HCRO operations has been reduced to approximately one-tenth of its former level and, concurrently, growing State of California budget shortfalls have severely reduced the amount of state funds available for support of the HCRO site."

I guess ET will have to wait just a little longer to give us a call.  And how will Jodi Foster resolve her daddy issues?!

[SETI] 

Bill Introduced:  NASA!  Get Off Yo Asses, We Goin' To Da Moon!

In a reversal of the Obama administration's stance that long term missions to Mars and the Moon are too costly, a group of US House members have sponsored a bill directing NASA to build a permanent base on the Moon.

"Most of the bill they have sponsored is spent providing justification for a strong US presence in space, with military (space is called the 'ultimate high ground'), economic, and educational reasons highlighted. The meat of the bill, however, states, 'the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall plan to return to the Moon by 2022 and develop a sustained human presence on the Moon, in order to promote exploration, commerce, science, and United States preeminence in space as a stepping stone for the future exploration of Mars and other destinations. The budget requests and expenditures of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall be consistent with achieving this goal.' Currently, it has four sponsors."

In related news, this is perhaps my favorite moment in 30 Rock, one of my favorite shows:

[Ars Technica]

Action Comics' 900th Issue

Superman hits another milestone today as the 900th issue of Action Comics hits the newsstands.  What's in the 96-page issue?  Some juicy stuff-- the Man of Steel renounces his American citizenship, has a pizza party with his Kryptonian pals, and discusses philosophy with an interstellar deity racked with guilt.  Now in stores.

[Wired]

Tony Perkins Thinks Gay Activists Are Cowards

Tony Perkins, or as I like to call him, "T-Punk," just up and decided that GetEQUAL and their ilk are cowards.

"The people who avoid a debate are the ones afraid of losing. That's why the groups like GetEQUAL and others are forming what is basically a mobile protest unit. Yesterday, its activists rallied outside the offices of King & Spalding--only to learn that its attorneys had bailed on the case. So what did they do? Hopped in the car, drove across town to Paul Clement's new firm, and started demonstrating there. 'I think Bancroft PPLC just bought itself a world of pain,' wrote one blogger. 'Go get them!!!' As far as they're concerned, the Constitution doesn't decide who gets lawyers--homosexuals do. FRC's Peter Sprigg was on target in a message he tweeted earlier today: Being falsely accused of bigotry may not be as bad as proving beyond all doubt that you're a coward!"

You're right, Tony.  We're being cowards when we face injury and arrest.  Yeah.  This is one of my more cowardly moments:

You know.  When I was getting hogtied by the DC Police for shackling myself to the White House fucking fence.  Enlighten us, how much bravery does it take to stand at a podium and call people names? 

[JoeMyGod]

Donald Is Just SO Honored

Donnie T's response to the President's release of his birth certificate.  Essentially?  Trump is just SO honored that the President listened to him on this issue.  Then he proceeds to say "we need to examine this closely!" about fifty times, ya know, just in case the President of the United fucking States is a liar.

Suck It, Birthers

The President released imagery of his long-form birth certificate this morning on the official White House blog, along with this statement:

"The President believed the distraction over his birth certificate wasn’t good for the country. It may have been good politics and good TV, but it was bad for the American people and distracting from the many challenges we face as a country. Therefore, the President directed his counsel to review the legal authority for seeking access to the long form certificate and to request on that basis that the Hawaii State Department of Health make an exception to release a copy of his long form birth certificate. They granted that exception in part because of the tremendous volume of requests they had been getting. President Barack Obama's long form birth certificate can be seen here (PDF):

"At a time of great consequence for this country – when we should be debating how we win the future, reduce our deficit, deal with high gas prices, and bring stability to the Middle East, Washington, DC, was once again distracted by a fake issue.  The President’s hope is that with this step, we can move on to debating the bigger issues that matter to the American people and the future of the country."

We can only hope this puts this effing circus behind us.  It's unlikely, of course.  "What?!" cries Donnie T, "Does that certificate say that he was born... in Honolulu, Mars?!  I have private investigators on the case!"

[TheWhiteHouse]

DOMA Defense Update-- HRC Under Fire for Pressuring Law Firm

When I last touched on Boehner's vow to defend DOMA no matter what the cost (to taxpayers), we learned that the House had hired the law firm King and Spalding at an estimated cost of $500k.  Since then, a couple key developments have taken place.

Perhaps the biggest is that the aforementioned law firm has dropped the case altogether and the Speaker has been forced to find other attorneys to represent the State's interest in the matter.  Why?  Because the HRC (and many other groups, my pals at GetEQUAL included) set their crosshairs on the firm and their clients, asking them to not further the cause of discrimination.

"Far from being abashed about this campaign, Fred Sainz, a spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign, shared new details about it. He confirmed to me that his group did indeed contact King and Spalding clients to let them know that the group viewed the firm’s defense of DOMA as unacceptable.

"Sainz said his group did not ask any of the firm’s clients to drop the firm in retaliation for taking the case, as is being assumed by conservatives who are alleging an untoward pressure campaign. Rather, he said, his group informed the firm’s clients that taking the case was out of sync with King and Spalding’s commitment to diversity, which it proudly advertises on its Web site.

"'King and Spalding’s clients are listed on its web site, so we did what you would expect us to do,' Sainz told me. 'We are an advocacy firm that is dedicated to improving the lives of gays and lesbians. It is incumbent on us to launch a full-throated educational campaign so firms know that these kinds of engagements will reflect on the way your clients and lawschool recruits think of your firm.'"

It looks like one of King and Spalding's major clients, Coca-cola, was the one to directly intervene in the matter when approached by the HRC.

"Sources with knowledge of the backlash confirm that one of King & Spalding's top clients, Coca Cola, also based in Atlanta, directly intervened to press the firm to extricate itself from the case.

"A Coca Cola spokesman declined to comment on or off the record for this story, but pointed TPM to the company's long public history of support for equality and diversity."

Some are not happy about HRC's interference in the matter, with right-wing supporters attacking HRC's involvement as un-American, while some lefty bloggers are criticizing the HRC for being unliberal:

"To put pressure on lawyers defending clients or laws because lobby groups don't like them is deeply illiberal. It remains disgusting, for example, that rightwing groups targeted lawyers defending terror suspects and Gitmo prisoners. When the far right did this, it was despicable. Now that the left is doing it, it remains just as despicable.

"Memo to the gay rights leadership: the ends do not justify the means. Let DOMA have the most robust defense it can possibly muster and let us argue just as passionately for its unconstitutionality. When civil rights groups bully, they lose the moral high-ground. When you have men like David Brock leading the charge - and there are no means he has ever eschewed to achieve his ends - the danger is that we prove the far right's point. We must be better than them."

Okay, we all know I'm no big fan of the Human Rights Campaign.  I think they are essentially a bunch of Democrat apologists who spend more time fundraising than actually assisting the process of real change.  I think their abandonment of the trans community is despicable.  However, actions like this?  Where they use their corporate and political clout to wage war against the religious right's insistence that gay Americans are second-class?  Hell yeah, you go HRC!

Because here's the thing:  This isn't a criminal trial.  If it were a criminal trial and we were bullying people into not representing defendants who could be sent to prison for crimes they may not have committed, this would be inexcusable.  But it's not.  This is a civil case, being paid for by American tax dollars in defense of a policy the majority of Americans now do not want.  DOMA doesn't have the right to an attorney in civil cases.

If we can weaken the public perception of the DOMA defense by establishing a media narrative showing that the policy is, in essence, indefensible?  That's not only our right as advocates for the gay community, that's our prerogative and our responsibility.

Congratulations, HRC.  You've shown the LGBT community what you're good for.

[Towleroad]

Donnie T Wants to Commit War Crimes

Donald Trump recently stated that the US should forcibly reimburse itself with Iraqi oil in payment for its liberation of that country from dictator Saddam Hussein.  I really don't have to say more about how that would be a disaster, right?

Can we talk about the OTHER war crime in the room?  Like what kind of cruel and unusual punishment Donnie is performing on his poor scalp?

Well, just to be sure you know, this plan to save our economy is a little thing the 1907 Hague Convention calls "pillaging," which is a war crime.  Just FYI.

"The startling claim went without controversy until today, when Good Magazine pointed out that Trump's 'plan' to seize $1.5 trillion from Iraq's oil profits to 'reemburse ourselves' for the invasion and subsequent occupation would actually be an explicit violation of international law -- a violation considered to be a war crime.

"'According to the 1907 Hague Convention, "pillaging," the stealing of valuable goods from a locality, especially during combat, is a war crime, regardless of what you feel you deserve,' noted Cord Jefferson, Good's senior editor. 'In the Hague's exact words: "The pillage of a town or place, even when taken by assault, is prohibited."'"

In other news, in a February poll hypothesizing a Presidential grudge match between Barry O. and Donnie T., Trump came in second only by a hair. 

[TheRawStory]

Tennessee House to Nashville: You Have to Hate Queers Just Like the Rest of Us!

Earlier in the month the fine city of Nashville passed a law barring companies that discriminate against LGBTs to do business with the city.  The GOP-led Tennessee House said "Aw Hail Naw!" and passed a bill preventing city governments from enacting anti-discrimination laws that are stricter than the states.

"Under state law it is illegal to discriminate against a person because of race, creed, color, religion, sex, age or national origin.

"The Nashville ordinance prohibits companies that discriminate because of sexual orientation or gender identity from receiving city contracts. It does not apply to local governments' hiring policies for their own workers.

"Casada said having a different set of laws on the state and local level would hurt commerce and that his legislation seeks to 'make sure we are homogenous.'

"However, Democratic Rep. Jeanne Richardson of Memphis said 'what this bill really is is anti-gay.'"

What is it about haters that they insist everyone hate just as much as they?  The Tennessee GOP:  Against big government, except for when it comes to hating the gays.

[WSMV]

Budweiser's (B)Romance?

The latest Budweiser commercial-- ambiguous gay thing?  Another sign that bromances are taking over popular media?  Or just bad beer?  You decide.

Required Reading Updated

I've put three new blogs up on my "Required Reading" list which you can see to your left on this here handy-dandy website. 

"I May Be Invisible, But You're Transparent" is one geek's commentary on media and the goings-on of the "culture war."  I especially liked his post about the J. Crew pink toenail polish fiasco.

If you like big words and the history of radical activism, then the first post of Chase Epoch Cameron's "An Incredulous Epoch" should titillate.  Don't tell him I said so, but the author is not only an insanely intelligent dude but a hot beast as well.

Finally, "You're A Bigot" is Michael Diviesti's new blog showcasing a rogue's gallery of anti-equality asshats in their efforts to oppress minorities in America (a blog that I've signed on as contributor and will start ranting on any day now). 

Enjoy! 

Rachel Maddow Thinks SOMEONE Should Man Up and Come Out

The Guardian interviewed out lesbian Rachel Maddow about her unique place in the talking-head circuit in America.  It's a long and fascinating piece about someone who is quickly becoming a mover and shaker in American political commentary. 

She notably, however, mentions that someone who shan't be named should probably give up the ghost and just admit that they are a big fat homo.

"Maddow is one of the very few gay news anchors in America – well, one of the very few openly gay news anchors. Does she feel frustration towards an equally well-known news presenter who is widely assumed to be gay but has never come out? For the first time, Maddow pauses: 'I'm sure other people in the business have considered reasons why they're doing what they're doing, but I do think that if you're gay you have a responsibility to come out,' she says carefully."

ANDERSON COOPER.  THAT'S WHO.

[TheGuardian]

Town Hall Attendees Get PO'd Over GE's Lack of Taxes

Representative Chris Gibson (R-NY) got tripped up in a town hall meeting by corporate America's refusal to contribute to society.

Last week he tried to illustrate the evils of illegal immigration by stating American's pay more in taxes because immigrants are collecting services but not paying taxes.  Forgetting the fact that this is blatantly untrue (ThinkProgress notes that immigrants pay $80,000 more per capita than they use in services), the audience got riled up and one person yelled "You mean like GE?"

To be fair to Gibson, he read the writing on the wall and agreed that big corporations need to pay taxes.





Click on the link below to see the numbers on how much undocumented workers pay in taxes.

[ThinkProgress]

Anti-Everything Legislator Busted for Pot

Robert Watson, a high-ranking GOP legislator in Rhode Island, has been busted for marijuana possession after making anti-gay, anti-immigrant, and anti-marijuana remarks in February. 

"In February, Watson said the Rhode Island legislature had their priorities right 'if you are a Guatemalan gay man who likes to gamble and smokes marijuana.'

"Watson was a guest on a radio show soon after the luncheon where he made the misstep, and in response to the outcry over his comments said, 'I reject the suggestion that it's insulting.' He went on to say that lawmakers were 'preoccupied with a number of issues, primarily social issues,' when Watson thought they should focus on the economy."

Then, of course, he got pulled over at an East Haven police checkpoint with clouds of the ganj wafting out.  He was booked and released and has not yet given a public statement on the legal snafu.

[TheRawStory]

GLAAD Issues Trump Boycott

Donald Trump is not only trying to remake his image on the unfortunate birther meme, but also as a conservative Christian who doesn't want the gays to have the same rights as everyone else.  Fine, Donnie!  You don't want us playing with your toys, we'll stay off your playground. 

GLAAD issued a boycott of his business holdings, and the Gay and Lesbian Travel Association is planning on issuing a ruling on the travel destinations that he has a stake in.  Here's GLAAD's list:

[GLAAD]

Edward Reid's Got Talent

Glaswegian Edward Reid wowed the audience and judges with his heartfelt ballad on Britain's Got Talent.  The 35 year old drama teacher busted out some serious tunes-- with nursery rhyme lyrics.  I didn't think I could get so excited by a rotund queer breakin' it down to Humpty Dumpty.  





[Towleroad]

AbFab: Reunited and it Feel So Good

After months of speculation, producers confirmed that AbFab will be returning to the small screen for three episodes. 

"Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley will reprise their roles as Patsy and Edina in three new episodes of the sitcom expected to begin filming later this year. The BBC said it was 'putting the finishing touches to the deal' and is expected to confirm it imminently.

"Lumley is reported to have told Hello! magazine that shooting will begin in the summer, but she said Saunders had not yet started on the script.

"'In late August I start filming on three episodes of Absolutely Fabulous, which we are all ecstatic about,' added Lumley. 'Miss Saunders has been so busy writing Uptown Downstairs Abbey for Comic Relief and also Spice Girls: The Musical, I don't think she's started [the script].'"

Bust out the Stoli!

[Guardian]

Bullying Claims Two More Victims

In one of the saddest stories I've read in a long time, two Minnesota girls, Haley Fentress and Paige Moravetz, hanged themselves in an apparent suicide pact due to the bullying they received in school.

They were only 14. 

They were so close that their families described them as "one," and in fact had hyphenated each other's names on Facebook to reflect their bond.  While there was speculation as to the nature of their relationship, it is not confirmed whether or not they had a romance.  Regardless, the family of one girl had strong words about the reasons of their daughter's death.

The Fentress family released a statement saying, "We need to stop pretending this isn’t happening or that is just a cry for attention because obviously it is not. It shouldn’t take more tragedies to realize this."

And how many tragedies will it take?  How many deaths?  With conservatives blocking ant-bullying efforts nationwide and removing the support in the classroom that gay kids need to survive-- how many people are going to die?

This isn't the first time that religious right has disregarded the death of gay people for their political ends.  I just hoped they had learned from the Reagan years.  But now...

Haley and Paige should be alive, and they should be loved, and they should not have felt that the only escape was death.  If I could say one thing to every conservative who is "protecting families" or "safeguarding children" it would be this: your efforts are killing 14 year old girls who just want to be accepted.  You are hounding them to an early death by their own hands.

But it's not their hands that will end up bloody.  You, ladies and gentlemen of the right wing, with your moral high ground and faith-based initiatives, your war on women and your campaign against gay youth, you killed these girls.  

How many of us have to die?

[TheNewCivilRightsMovement]

Racists Get Crazy Over Black Viking

So, I'm totes way excited for the Thor movie, much like millions of comic book fans and Chris Hemsworth-lovin' pervs.  My number one search term (I'm not even joking) that leads random people to find my blog via Google is "Chris Hemsworth Sex God." 

Some aren't so excited, and are calling for a boycott of the movie.  Why? 

Because Heimdall, the Guardian of the Rainbow Bridge, is black.

*facepalm*

"As of Wednesday morning, 1,483 people liked the 'Boycott Thor (2011) by Marvel Studios' Facebook page. Among those showing their virtual disapproval of director Kenneth Branagh's upcoming comic book movie is Elmer Smith of Bradenton, Fla., a '47 year old proud son of the South' with a Confederate flag combined with skull and crossbones as his profile pic. On the Facebook page itself, Ian Tucker writes, 'I'll watch this when they remake "Shaft" with a white guy.' Nikola Brdja Spaskeh, assault rifle in hand in his profile image, adds, 'Jewlywood, more History, less Political Correctness and Liberal Agenda,' before wondering if Hollywood will make a movie with 'Will Smith as Adolf Hitler' and bemoaning the stealing of European heritage. There is also a link where you can buy 'Boycott Thor' T-shirts, bumper stickers and even aprons on zazzle.com."

Yes, that's right, they're pissed off because Idris Elba, known for his work on "The Wire," was cast in a minor role in a science fiction epic.

For one, there's a strong tradition in Hollywood of casting ethnic minorities in Viking movies (click the link below to see). 

More importantly, however, is this isn't a Viking movie.  It's a Space God comic book movie based on entirely fictional characters invented by Stan Lee.  I'm pretty sure Norse Gods from outer fucking space can be whatever the hell kinda color they want to be, thank you very much.

[Salon]

OneAngryCultist: Just Passing Over

So, yeah, it's been a while since OneAngryCultist has posted anything but in the spirit of the season (which from my vantage point is still Winter) there's a lot happening this week in the world of religion.

First off, according to a recent report published Public Religion Research Institute in partnership with Religion News Service, it seems that American Christians are starting to understand the message of the world's most famous stick-man and understand the value of putting one's money where one's mouth is.

Overall more Americans believe that Christian values are at odds with capitalism and the free market than believe they are compatible. This pattern also holds among Christians. Among Christians in the U.S., only 38% believe capitalism and the free market are consistent with Christian values while 46% believe the two are at odds. Religiously unaffiliated Americans look similar to the general population and to Christian Americans, with a plurality (40%) saying capitalism is at odds with Christian values, compared to 32% who say they are compatible; 14% say they do not know.

Next up, in the Holy Land even cows are expected to keep kashrut during the currently on-going Jewish holiday of Passover. According to the Christian Science Monitor:

Dairy farmer Ilan Reitich says Passover feed costs more and the cows produce less milk while they eat it. But Mr. Reitich, who is secular, must keep kosher cows to sell milk to Israel’s largest dairy cooperative, Tnuva. “If I don’t give them kosher feed, I will need to throw all the milk down the drain,” Reitich says.

In Iran however, man's best friend has been declared a threat to traditional Islamic values who may be in cahoots with the West... or Jews... or Snookie. CNN reports:

Lawmakers in Tehran have recently proposed a bill in parliament that would criminalize dog ownership, formally enshrining its punishment within the country's Islamic penal code. The bill warns that that in addition to posing public health hazards, the popularity of dog ownership "also poses a cultural problem, a blind imitation of the vulgar culture of the West."

Poor Fido...



And in Kansas, where crazy is in the ground-water, a Jehovah's Witness is suing the state for a bloodless liver transplant.

Suffering from the late stages of liver disease, Stinemetz, 64, needs a transplant. But the operation could cost more than $250,000, an insurmountable expense for her family... Living in the small western Kansas town of Hill City, Stinemetz could get a liver transplant, one that would be paid for by Medicaid, at the University of Kansas Hospital.

But she also would have to compromise her Jehovah’s Witness principles, because she would receive a blood transfusion, something she believes violates God’s law.

Stinemetz, however, could undergo bloodless transplant surgery in Omaha, Neb., but Kansas is refusing to pay for the out-of-state procedure when a transplant is readily available in Kansas.

Methinks that she doth protest too much - there are plenty of my friends who could use that liver.

And, finally, if you happen to be in San Francisco this Easter weekend, please do yourself a favor and check out (or participate in) the annual Dolores Park Easter Celebration w/ Hunky Jesus Contest hosted by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Great fun is to be had by all and you'll see more than your fair share of well hung saviors.

Tennessee Outlaws the Word "Gay" in the Classroom

I really don't have much to say about this, because it pretty much speaks for itself.  The Tennessee Senate has passed a bill that makes it illegal to even use the word gay in classrooms for fear of recruitment or some such thing.

"As introduced, the bill would have put into law a declaration that it is illegal to discuss any sexual behavior other than heterosexuality prior to the ninth grade.

"But when it came before the Senate Education Committee, Sen. Jim Tracy, R-Shelbyville, contended current law already prohibits such instruction by deeming it a misdemeanor to teach any sex education that is not part of the “family life curriculum” adopted by the state Board of Education.

"Campfield contends homosexuality is being discussed in classrooms. Spokesmen for the Board of Education and the state Department of Education told the committee they are unaware of any such activity."

Anybody who has grown up gay knows that sometimes the compassion of our teachers is all we have.  Good job, Tennessee Senate, for successfully isolating our gay youth and putting them further at risk to harm themselves.  Aces!

The awesomely named Unicorn Booty makes an impassioned plea for rationality and compassion.  Click the link below to read it.

[UnicornBooty]

Pastor Terry Jones Planning Armed Rally at America's Largest Mosque

Terry Jones, the guy even the KKK thinks is dangerous, announced a rally at the Islamic Center of America in a suburb of Detroit, which is our nation's largest mosque.  Not only is he planning on demonstrating in the heavily Muslim Dearborn area, he's planning on doing so armed.

Of course, some people have seen that it might not exactly be a good plan and have filed legal action to try and stop it.

"Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said the threat of violence was too great to allow Terry Jones to hold the planned gathering on Friday near the Islamic Center of America -- the largest U.S. mosque -- in the heavily Muslim Detroit suburb of Dearborn.

"A hearing on Worthy's bid to block Jones and his supporters from holding the rally at the mosque will be held on Thursday in a Dearborn court. The petition is dated April 15.

"Prosecutors argue that the planned gathering by Jones could incite a riot, citing hundreds of email death threats against the preacher.

"Officials have asked the court to order Jones to hold his gathering away from the mosque in one of the four 'free speech zones' designated by the city of Dearborn for public demonstrations."

This is a disaster waiting to happen.  Guns are a great idea, Terry!  Because nobody ever gets violent over religion!

[TheRawStory]

But I Want My Toaster!

The Montana Supreme Court ruled that criminalizing homosexuality was unconstitutional in that state and, like so many other states, Montana has ignored that ruling.  Many times in the 14 years since the ruling, the legislature has attempted to pass laws decriminalizing gay sex acts and it failed, each and every time.  They failed again this year, and Republican state lawmaker Ken Peterson can tell us why it should keep on failing.

"The legislature's inaction was not, it turns out, another non-priority falling off the too-long to-do list. Rather, it's homophobic lawmakers subtly suggesting that homosexual acts should still be outlawed, the Supreme Court—and equal rights in general—be damned. In fact, at least one lawmaker, Rep. Ken Peterson, R-Billings, an attorney, argues that the archaic law may still apply in certain situations.

"Which situations? According to Peterson, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, there are at least two prosecutable offenses—felonies punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $50,000 fine. One is the 'recruitment' of non-gays. 'Homosexuals can't go out into the heterosexual community and try to recruit people, or try to enlist them in homosexual acts,' Peterson says. He provides an example: '"Here, young man, your hormones are raging. Let's go in this bedroom, and we'll engage in some homosexual acts. You'll find you like it."' Peterson hasn't actually seen this happen, he says, because 'I don't associate with that group of people at all... I've associated with mainstream people all my life.'"

Good for you, Ken.  Congratulations on being mainstream.  Plus!  Congrats on figuring out my master strategy and favorite pickup line:  "Here young man!  Let's go into the homosexual acts room!  Then we can perform some homosexual acts on each other.  Also, perhaps a spot of anal intercourse might be in order, after some fellatio!"

The recruitment myth is one the gays have had to deal with for years.  We kind of just roll our eyes and shrug it off, because we know it's inherently stupid.  Outside the realm of porn (which is fantasy), "Straight neighbor goes gay for a day" instead is really just a case of "Gay neighbor gets it on but doesn't want you to be an ass to him so pretends he is straight."

Because we're not capable of recruitment.  If you aren't intrinsically gay, you can't suddenly love same-sex relations.  Chances are, seeing the failure rate of ex-gay reparative therapy, you can't suddenly become straight either.

Speaking of which, isn't it your camp recruiting from ours?

Here's the difference, and here's why we can't recruit:  We're not the ones telling you that you are amoral, that you are wrecking our nation's culture (though you might be tearing it apart), and we're certainly not telling you that you're going to hell.  The only thing we do is encourage people who are already gay to be okay with themselves.  Because if we don't?  They jump off the fucking George Washington Bridge.  Your hate is killing people, your rhetoric is pushing them off bridges, and if you want to call the support we give people in loving themselves "recruitment?"  Well, hell yeah.  I'm a fuckin' recruiter.

I recruit people into being happy with who they are. 

So fuck off with your allegations of recruitment, Ken.  We don't want your young men, they sound like a handful.  And we've already got our hands full trying to heal the people that you have tortured trying to recruit them to your heteronormative agenda.

That's it.  We should introduce legislation putting a halt to heterosexual recruitment!  I have had it with their ex-gay nonsense, with their claims of my amorality, and with their shaming of a people who should be proud.  I am disgusted by the culture of hate and death that allows men like Ken Peterson to make foul allegations about a class of people that he proudly crows he doesn't even know. 

Lastly, I think it's a pretty tried and true trend in conservative politics that if you're afraid of gays recruiting, it's probably because you're afraid that you can be recruited.  What's in your closet, Ken?

[MissoulaNews]

Tom Ford is USED

Found via Back2Stonewall:  A Canadian used car dealer got creative with his ad campaign and used one of fashion's most recognizable faces to sell his "pre-loved" autos.  I wonder if notorious rake and all around sexpot Tom Ford approved the ad?

Rick Perry's Plan to Save Texas From Wildfires

Texas is having some of the worst wildfires in living memory due to record drought conditions.  In fact, Governor Rick Perry declared the state a disaster zone in December and hasn't lifted the declaration. 

Well, today he has a solution!  He has issued a proclamation urging Texans to pray for rain.

"NOW, THEREFORE, I, RICK PERRY, Governor of Texas, under the authority vested in me by the Constitution and Statutes of the State of Texas, do hereby proclaim the three-day period from Friday, April 22, 2011, to Sunday, April 24, 2011, as Days of Prayer for Rain in the State of Texas. I urge Texans of all faiths and traditions to offer prayers on that day for the healing of our land, the rebuilding of our communities and the restoration of our normal and robust way of life."

At least he doesn't urge people to sacrifice their firstborns to the baby Jesus or something, and it's a call to all Texans of any faith.

One must ask, though, what did Texas do that was so bad that God just wants to burn the shit out of it? 

[Office of the Governor]

Barry O. Hints at Future Push for Marriage Equality

The President has gotten flack in recent months for his "evolving" stance on gay marriage, with lefty advocates practically shrieking "evolve already!"

At a fundraiser last night (for his campaign) the President was giving a speech about future work needing to be accomplished.  An audience member interrupted, shouting "gay marriage!"  The President then said "our work is not finished."  The audience, of course, took this to mean... what?  That he is planning on "evolving" further?  How does one do that?  "I'm planning on changing my mind next week."

Anyway, they burst into cheers and everyone was happy, the end.



Of course, I'm not altogether surprised that he is starting up his "fierce advocate" spiel again-- he is, after all, fundraising and building up another Presidential campaign.  It's really time for him to shit or get off the pot-- either come out for marriage equality or stop scrabbling for our vote.

Geek Shit Vol VIII

All three of these posts made me angry!  Of course, given the name of the blog, perhaps I shouldn't be surprised.

iPhone 4 and iPad Tracking, Recording Your Every Move

Big Brother has been exposed yet again as hackers Peter Warden and Alasdair Allen discovered an unencrypted file on their devices with a long record of location and time stamps.  Warden has since provided an open source program that allows you to map these locations visually.  This begs the question:  Why the hell is Apple tracking this data, and what are they using it for?!


"The discovery is the latest in a series of alarming incidents that serve as cautionary tales about privacy in the always-connected mobile era.

"Recently, German politican and privacy advocate Malte Spitz sued his phone carrier Deutsche Telekom to get every piece of information it had about him. The carrier delivered to him a gigantic file containing 35,000 data points of his location for six months. Later, a German publication plotted Spitz’s data onto an interactive map.

"This iPhone and iPad privacy leak is eerily similar, and creepier, considering that Apple has sold over 100 million iPhones and 15 million iPads."

[Wired]

Government Cyber-attacks Against Citizens Increasing Worldwide

Freedom on the Net 2011 is a new report that has come out examining free speech online in 37 countries.  In almost two thirds of the countries surveyed, bloggers and other less-prominent users faced harassment for their views expressed on the internet.  On the more extreme end, cyber attacks from governments against their critics have intensified in 12 different countries.

"The report spotlights a quintet of countries that it sees as 'particularly vulnerable to deterioration' over the next 12 months: Jordan, Russia, Thailand, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe. China, Iran, Tunisia, and Belarus are highlighted when it comes to recent crackdowns on state critics. Now under new leadership, Tunisia's Internet status is in flux, but Freedom on the Net calls the Chinese government 'a major global source of cyberattacks.'"

The report in particular singles out China.  While not every cyberattack reviewed was traced directly back to the Chinese government, given the scope and organization of these attacks, the Communist Regime is the most likely perpetrator of the majority of attempts to limit free speech in the region.  You may remember my outrage over China's blocking of web searches of the term "Egypt" during the downfall of the Mubarak regime.

[ArsTechnica]

Twitter Users Have Shorter Relationships

OkCupid published stats this week that indicate that if you use Twitter regularly, you are likely to have less success in maintaining a long-term relationship.

"Among OkCupid‘s findings are two conclusions about Twitter users. The first one: People who use Twitter every day tend to have shorter relationships, and the problem gets worse as a person gets older, according to its analysis of 833,987 OkCupid users. The average relationship for an 18-year-old who uses Twitter is about nine months, while “everybody else” usually has a relationship average of nine-and-a-half months. At age 50, the frequent tweeter has a 15 month-long relationship, while the non-frequent Twitter user stays in a relationship for an average of almost 17 months.

"The dating website has another conclusion that is sure to catch some eyeballs. If someone is a frequent tweeter, he or she is more likely to masturbate (or at least report that he or she is masturbating). Based off data from 21,315 users, OkCupid concludes that there is a 2-to-1 chance that someone who tweets daily is masturbating on any given day, a higher chance than everybody else."

Shut up, OkCupid!  Just because I don't want to have any arguments that last longer than 140 letters doesn't mean I can't maintain a commitment! 

Though I'm not going to argue with the masturbation bit.  *shrug*

[Mashable]

Scott Walker Wants to be King of Wisconsin

Walker's descent into the insane has been stepped up a notch as he has introduced a plan that would grant him the power to essentially replace any financial manager he doesn't like in the State with someone he approves of. 

"The Walker legislation would empower the governor to insert a financial manager of his choosing into local government with the ability to cancel union contracts, push aside duly elected local government officials and school board members and take control of Wisconsin cities and towns whenever he sees fit to do so."

Is this guy serious?!  This can't pass.  This is ludicrous.  So, essentially, Walker is trying to turn into the dictator of a small, developing nation?  Is he trying to found the Republic of Wisconsistan? 

Cuz here's the thing:  This completely disregards the power of the people to choose their own government.  If he can just push aside any elected official in the state, the vote no longer means anything.  Next Walker move:  Secede from the Union and declare himself President-for-Life. 

[TheRawStory]

Kobe Bryant Issues PSA, Ted Nugent Could Probably Use a Valium

Kobe Bryant and the LA Lakers have made a PSA on the subject of slurs and respect.  There is as yet no word on where/when it will be aired.

"There are all kinds of different people in the world. That's what makes the world special. So whether someone is different than you in race, ethnicity, political beliefs, religion ... or sexual orientation ... Words could be hurtful. Replace them with understanding, compassion and acceptance. Let's make this a better world for all of us. Because we're all in this together."



Washed-up singer Ted Nugent got all persnickety about the whole thing and barfed up his own two cents to the Washington Times:

"If the NBA had any true gay convictions, the NBA should host a Homosexual Night. During halftime, the homosexuals could come down on the court, hold hands and prance around the court to music by the Village People. The NBA could then give each homosexual a pink basketball as a symbol of solidarity. Like other professional athletes, numerous NBA players have done all kinds of things on and off the court that do not cast a positive light on themselves or the NBA, but they have not been fined $100,000 by the league. Homosexuals are a protected class in America. If you think what happened to Mr. Bryant was a travesty, just wait until you see what homosexuals in the military do when they claim they have been mistreated because of their sexual orientation."

You know, that wouldn't be half bad.  I want my pink basketball!