Good News

A step in the right direction to end the travel restrictions on HIV-postitive people.

Change is coming...slowly, but surely.

60!

Yes! http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that Al Franken is the winner of the Senate election from November 2008. Finally! Coleman has conceded and Gov. Pawlenty is supposedly signing the certificate this evening. Franken should be sworn in after the Senate's fourth of July break.

That, my friends, gives the Dems a filibuster-proof majority (if those weasly Blue Dogs and moderates keep their butts in line).

Happy.

New lingo

Urban Dictionary's word of the day is: take a digger.

Defintion: commonly used to describe an ungraceful fall.

Usage: Vicki is brilliant at taking a digger.

True that...and I bruise like a peach.

MJ too?

Now reports that Michael Jackson has died today.

Pride

This is so great! Nettlehorst School will be marching in this weekend's Pride Parade.

Acceptance starts at a young age.

Hat tip: Markwa

Farewell Farrah

Farrah Fawcett died today of complications from anal cancer. Here is a nice tribute from Newsweek.

I was a huge Charlie's Angels fan - and my brother, a big fan of the poster (me too).

Here He Comes to Save the Day!

Here is JibJab's latest creation.

Love it.

Tax Dollars at work

What the hell?

Obstructionists.

And babies makes five

Sarah Jessica Parker and hubby Matthew Broderick (love him) are the proud parents-via surrogate- of twin baby girls!!

Congratulations!

I call BS...

again.

The Chicago cop that is on video beating a female bartender that refused to serve him another cocktail got probation...oh, and has to take anger management classes. I'm sure that will work.

What's wrong with this picture?

LOL funny

The thing I miss most about getting rid of my extended cable...Colbert.

Watch this clip of him attending basic training before heading to Iraq.

CHEERS

Sometimes you do want to go where everybody knows your name...where they're always glad you came. For me, that place is SideTrack the famed video bar in Boystown. After four days of being literally bored out of my mind (is it really possible that the girl who used to have more friends than anyone couldn't find one person to do anything with?), I decided a needed a little gay pick-me-up. So off I went, dragging my new gay (Hi Parker!) with me to show tune night. Luckily the back bar wasn't crowded and Todd (my frist gay) was tending. He always makes me happy.

Jorge, Tedd, Norbert, Matthew, Walter and Nathan...and part of the cast from Fiddler on the Roof, along with Parker, picked up my mood and kept me company as I set forth to drink all the Captain Morgan. Thanks boys!

Sensory overload

Since I was overserved (again) at my fave watering hole last night, I thought I'd treat myself to a Big Mac before work - yeah, my "diet" lasted about 2.3 days. I found a nice corner to sit and relax and eat my 29 grams of fat, but the sounds in the new Rock-n-Roll Micky D's did nothing to sooth my tired nerves. Downstairs had on Lite Rock - upstairs was some kind of old-style piano music. You could hear both! I continued to focus on my heart-healthy lunch when the music changed. Yay! No...now it was country downstairs and jazz improv upstairs. Really? That added to the voices in my head was too much to bear and I quickly shuffled off to work. (At least the 3-year-old sitting next to me had the decency to quietly eat her fries.)

Depp in make up

again. Here are some pics of character in make up for the new Alice in Wonderland movie to be directed by Tim Burton. Should be creepy and good! Johnny Depp will play the Mad Hatter!!

A long engagment

The LA Times reports that Ryan O'Neal and Farrah Fawcett are finally going to get married. I think that's lovely.

A fellow "apologist"?

Here is an interesting OPINION of how Obama thinks and why he's governing the way he is right now by Marc Ambinder.

Thoughts?

Beuller?

Does anyone read this damn blog anymore...

Another bone

for the GLBT community. The White House says it intends to include same-sex couples in the much anticipated (and debated) 2010 census - something the former administration refused or failed to do. Here is the WSJ article in full.

And speaking of the census, had this clip from wing-bat Rep. Bachman. I hope she gets fined.

What's up with Minnesota anyway? They've got Bachman ranting like the crazy person she is all the time (this is an example of the crazy fringe). Coleman who still refuses to concede the Senate election he lost LAST NOVEMBER and now Senator Ensign who is embroled in an affair scandal that FOX allegedly may have had a hand in covering up.

Remind me never to move there.

*Update: Oops, Ensign is from Nevada. My bad. Still, they have some nut jobs up there in MN.

And, if you want to get your geek on with all kind on info on the upcoming census, go here.

Tone deaf

Here is one of the many problems to overcome in dealing with an overhaul of the healthcare system. Really? If the insurance industry won't make any concessions at all - then I hope whatever new bill passes, it screws them hard core financially.

Ouch!

SOS Clinton fell and broke her elbow! Yipes! That had to hurt. My eyes tear up when I hit my funny bone (still not sure why they call it that).

Let's all wish Hillary a speedy recovery.

Update: Madam Secretary had a two-hour surgery on Saturday and is expected to make a full recovery.

Throwing the gay dog a bone?

I checked Facebook this morning - just to pass the time before work - and came across an update that really kind of pissed me off. A friend of a friend's friend (yep, that's right) was wondering what it would be like if Hillary had won. Fair enough - I used to ponder how different life would be if Gore had won. My issue is that it was a direct attack on Obama and his supposed throwing-the-gays-under-the-bus. He later posted a link to a Daily Kos post on the Prez's response to the GLBT backlash.

I get it. You're mad. You want what he promise you NOW! And because he hasn't redacted DADT and stricken DOMA off the books, as well as giving you all equal rights and nation-wide marriage options, your hot pants are in a bunch. I agree that it sucks and that it isn't fair. I don't see how -- because he hasn't done all of it in the 149 days he's been in office is throwing you under the bus or hanging you out to dry or being a traitor/liar/insert-pissy-queen-comment here. Yes, there is backlash. Yes, he hasn't changed any pertinent legislation yet. Yes, he does believe marriage is between a man and a woman. BUT - he also said he would be an advocate for equality and I take him at his word.

Congress has to repeal DOMA. Until they do, the DOJ has an obligation to uphold the law as it is written - no matter how flawed or offensive it is. This will take time. The states (ie. people) are declaring they want equal rights for gays. This shift is happening. It is only a matter of time before marriage will be legal everywhere. Take comfort in these victories, no matter how small, and be proud of what the movement has accomplished. Won't it be better if Obama takes his time to make sure good laws are written instead of just sweeping something in to make the LOUD and proud GLBT's happy?

Maybe I don't understand because I can get married. Maybe I'm defending the spin coming from the White House. Maybe I'm forgetting how fickle gays can be and how cut-throat they can be when they don't get there way. Maybe I'm being cold and unsympathetic to a cause because I'm hoping the end is near and all will be equal and rainbows will rule the land. Probably all of it.

On to the bone part: tonight Obama is signed in new benefits to same-sex partners of Federal employees. A gesture to be sure. One I know will not be "enough". It is something...an act in the right direction, a promise for more, a nod that "we" are not forgotten??? Considering the Fed is the largest employer in the US (not sure where I read this fact) - that ain't nothing to sneeze at.
Here is the white paper on the new policy.

Now to address the "if Hillary had won" portion of the offense.

1. I don't think she would have won.
2. She would have had to go through the same process and legal channels that Obama is, so how much sooner could she have gotten anything passed?
3. The Clintons signed DADT into law in the first place. An attempt that in hindsight was fatally flawed.
4. STFU - she didn't win, so get over it.

So...I got off on a rant there, didn't I? Gays, what do you think?

A letter for Iran

This letter was written by Ayatollah Montazeri. I find #4 paricularly poignant.

I find it heartbreaking, but not surprising, that people are being killed and beaten for standing up for their voting rights. As of last night (their time) the protests had become silent. A calm before...what?

Some pics of the protests in Iran

*Photos taken from The Atlantic and Huffington Post.

Helping Hand

Feeling like helping someone out? If you're in the mood to give - not just your money, but your time, here is a new site where you can find local charities/programs that need volunteers.

Who's a Rockstar?

This is one of the "outtake" photos from Adam Lambert's Rolling Stone photo shoot (c/o Perez Hilton).

Crazy, sexy, cool.

Yum, sigh...oh my.

New pics of Armani's new ad campaign featuring the one and only - David Beckham.


Photos courtesy of Just Jared.

Election Day

...in Iran. I'm pretty excited about the possiblity of Ahmadinejad getting his butt kicked. Even though the Supreme Leader is really in charge (not the President), whoever wins definitely influences what can happen (ie. continuing to enrich Uranium).

Just reading about such a high turn out in a democratic election there is a good thing.

Here is a rundown on possible outcomes and what that might mean for US from The Atlantic.

Along that same line...

I learned a new word yesterday...agitprop. Basically, politcal propoganda. It kept cropping up while reading op-eds about the Holocaust Museum shooting and the role some think the conservative pundits have had in exacerbating the right-wing fringe.

One in a million

On Wednesday, the millionth word in the English language was added to the Global Language Monitor according to a report from CNN.

The word: Web 2.0. Is that a word?

Best Acceptance Speech Ever

By The Onion at the Webby Awards (who limits the speeches to just 5 words).

And, since we're on the S. Street topic, I've been meaning to post this article that appeared in Newsweek a few issues ago.

And here is a link to a post I wrote about the show a while back.

Decrowned

It's about time. Just because you're pretty and have fake boobs doesn't mean you can not honor your contract. Sorry. I'm sure she will do just fine with all the publicity this will get her.

Look for her to be the face for NOM and maybe even a co-host spot on FOX News.

DB Watch - Rev edition

What an ass. Between Reverand Wright, Roland Burris and good old Blago, IL is getting run thru the DB ringer.

An Important Step

Here is the full text of President Obama's address in Cairo from Thursday.

I haven't read all of it yet, but after hearing and reading excerpts and reactions -- it seems like a good start. And it sure pissed of some Israeli's. It will be interesting to see how the settlements issue develops.

Cutest Couple of the Day

*picture c/o Getty

Great Program

Literally. I saw this segment on ABC News yesterday. The G.R.E.A.T program stands for Gang Resistance Education And Training. Local law enforcement officials teach classes to kids as young as 3rd grade on how to resolve conflicts and have a healthy relationship with police officers.

Misogynist Much?

The non-office-holding leaders of the GOP have been crowing all over the MSM about Prez O's nomination of Sonia Sotormayor to the Supreme Court for almmost 2 weeks now. They've covered affirmative action pick (so?), racist (what?), reverse-racist (wtf?), not that intelligent (uh...graduated from Princeton and Yale) and now this!

Seriously? First, I thought Liddy was dead - and second, seriously? No one even said that about Hillary. Rude, crude and stupid. She's been a high level judge for over 17 years, I think she can handle it. Plus, she's in her 50's. She likely doesn't menstruate anymore.

G. Gordon Liddy - db of the highest order.

Colbert

This is so cool. Newsweek EIC, Jon Meacham has asked Stephen Colbert to be the guest editor for next week's edition. How fun!

(BTW - I love the new revamp.)

Yes!

New Hampshire has voted to allow same sex marriage!! The Gov should be signing the bill tonight...

for Mark

breathe in light
so that you might
swim midst angels

Happy Birthday.