September 2008 Archives

Oy! So today was catching up on domestic chores (a bit.) I then dash off to the rigatoni dinner for Cindy Purvis, who is running for PA State Senate. I saw my friend Jeff as I was leaving. I then dashed off to grocery shop, and got home in time to head off to the GLBT block at the Great Lakes Film Fest. Jeff was there as well. I smiled as the next thing on the agenda was a Drenched Fur committee meeting, which was at Jeff's house. (Jeff is the roommate of Gary, the organizer.)

A few more domestic tasks to do, and I may check out a computer issue for a friend. It's never dull here.

A friend of mine who was the original convener for Pagan Pride Day here in Erie has been facing some very tough times. She is dealing with some serious health issues and things are quite scary on that front.

Her son just started at a new college on Monday. He was moving to study surveying/GPS stuff and seemed to be really moving towards an exciting part of his life, just full of promise. He came with his mother to Pagan Pride Day 2 weeks ago, and it was great seeing them.

Last night, he was driving with 3 friends in his car. There was a head on collision with another car, and both drivers died. The 3 friends were flown to the hospital. When she checked, one was in serious condition, one was still in critical condition, and the other person they couldn't find on the computer, which my friend was worried meant that they didn't make it.

I cannot even begin to imagine what it must be like to lose your son unexpectedly while facing a life-threatening illness. I called her as soon as I could, and contacted the other board members of the United NeoPagan Council of Lake Erie, who were all deeply saddened. We are trying to figure out how to handle this.

I had a call from work at about the same time that this was all going down. I figured that my friend's situation was a tad more dire, but I did call the customer back as soon as I could.

It would appear that the GOP is having a bit of buyer's remorse. Kathleen Parker, the conservative columnist, is calling for Sarah Palin to step down as a candidate as she is "out of her league." Even the GOP is getting that she is unqualified and that McCain choosing her as his running mate was a mistake of epic proportions.

So, what happens now? Does McCain stick to his guns and go on with a running mate who has already become a laughingstock? Does Sarah leave the ticket, which will just point out that it was a mistake in the first place?

McCain apparently is deciding that he will go to the debate tonight. Heck, he has already prepared an ad claiming that he won it! Of course, if he thought that Sarah Palin as VP was going to hand him the election, how good can his crystal ball be?

As a Democrat, I am pretty close to overdosing on schadenfreude. Let's pop some corn and catch this trainwreck of a campaign!

I am still working on registering voters, but I think we have this one already. McCain has screwed up and shown appalling judgment.

Palin should step down, conservative commentator says

Posted: 02:27 PM ET

From CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney

Palin was in New York City Thursday.

(CNN) – Prominent conservative columnist Kathleen Parker, an early supporter of Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin, said Friday recent interviews have shown the Alaska governor is "out of her league" and should leave the GOP presidential ticket for the good of the party.

The criticism in Parker's Friday column is the latest in a recent string of negative assessments toward the McCain-Palin candidacy from prominent conservatives.

It was fun while it lasted," Parker writes. "Palin’s recent interviews with Charles Gibson, Sean Hannity, and now Katie Couric have all revealed an attractive, earnest, confident candidate. Who is clearly out of her league."

CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - Palin should step down, conservative commentator says « - Blogs from CNN.com

Wow! This sounds like the initial promising compromise did not pan out at all. How embarrassing it must be for Paulson to have to beg from someone, and then admit it was the other side that was blowing up the deal.

It also sounds like McCain's plan to come back and "help" only served to derail the process. What a complete tool!

The New York Times highlights the defining moment of yesterday's White House meeting on the bank bailout bill when Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson "got down on one knee as he pleaded with Nancy Pelosi, the House Speaker, not to 'blow it up' by withdrawing her party's support for the package over what Ms. Pelosi derided as a Republican betrayal."
Said Pelosi: "I didn't know you were Catholic. It's not me blowing this up, it's the Republicans."
Paulson sighed, "I know. I know."

Paulson Begs
Fri, 26 Sep 2008 15:38:42 GMT

This makes me feel really good! I found a portal site that lets folks verify that they are indeed registered to vote, and I sent an email to the Erie GLBT News and Events list to alert folks. There are just under 1,000 addresses on the list.

Someone on the list emailed me back that they went and checked to find out that there was more than 1 person with that name and date of birth listed and to contact the County Voter Registration office. That is now being taken care of.

I feel very happy that I helped make sure that someone could rely on being able to vote on November 4.

Here is what I sent:

Hey all!

Are you unsure whether you are registered to vote in the election on November 4? Have you moved since you last registered and aren't sure whether you are registered at your current address and in the party you want? Maybe you haven't voted in a while and you are not sure if you are active? Not sure where you go to vote?

There is a portal to check this. It only takes a few minutes and it's really easy. All that you have to do is browse to

http://www.CanIVote.org

Choose your state. The info that you fill out after that will vary with what state that you are in. For Pennsylvania, you need to supply your county, first name, last name and date of birth. It will tell you whether you are active, what your current affiliation is, and where your polling place is. You can even get directions from your home or another location to your polling place.

Bear in mind that for Pennsylvania and Ohio, the paperwork for new voter registration or changes to an existing voter registration has to be at your county courthouse by the close of business on Monday, October 6. That's not much more than a week away!!! New York has until October 10.

I will be out doing voter registration this weekend. Anyone up for helping?

Also, our help has been asked by some political campaigns. If you can spare even a small amount of time, we can make a huge difference in what happens. Please contact me for more details.

I don't ask for much, but I am asking all of you to turn out and vote in this election. We will be having a voters guide in the next issue of Erie Gay News.

Any help is appreciated!!!

Well, this is immensely reassuring.  Thomas Muthee prayed over Sarah Palin in 2005 that she would be protected from several things, including witchcraft. I guess that the Sarah turned down the Bridge to Nowhere because of an apparent previous commitment to build a Bridge to the 17th Century.

She doesn't say anything in the video. I must admit to being speechless myself.

And speaking as a Pagan/Witch, we tend to be a fairly mellow crowd, for the most part. ;)

Hmm, this sounds initially encouraging.

However, how unfortunate for poor John McCain't! Now it would seem that he doesn't have a legitimate excuse to dodge tomorrow night's debate. Personally, I think that this makes him look like a fool. He pulls a drama queen stunt to duck out of an engagement that the entire country was planning on seeing and which the host college had spent $4.5 million in preparations.

Congress has a plan

Lawmakers agree on bailout principles to protect taxpayers and ensure oversight.

By Tami Luhby, CNNMoney.com senior writer

Last Updated: September 25, 2008: 1:48 PM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Lawmakers have reached agreement on a bipartisan counterproposal to the Bush administration's $700 billion financial bailout plan.

Both parties and both houses agreed Thursday to a set of principles on revisions to the rescue plan, which calls for the Treasury Department to buy up bad mortgage securities from banks in an effort to get them to lend again.

The proposal will help homeowners, curb executive pay packages at participating firms and provide oversight of Treasury's actions, said Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., a key architect of the congressional effort. He did not provide details but said lawmakers will sit down with Treasury officials to discuss it.

"We've reached a fundamental agreement on a set of principles, one, for taxpayers, which is tremendously important," Dodd said.

Americans should "legitimately feel better about the overall approach," said Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., who heads the House Financial Services Committee.

Taxpayers will be protected under the Congressional version of the bailout, said Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Ala., the top Republican on the House Financial Services Committee.

Congress reaches bipartisan bailout proposal - Sep. 25, 2008

This is painful to watch. I almost feel sorry for Sarah. She seems hopelessly lost and scared. She seems to know a couple of buzzwords and stock phrases and seems terrified that someone will ask her what she really means.

And the last line, "I'll try to find some and I'll bring them to you" just sounds like a high school girl who is panicking over having forgotten to do her homework and trying desperately to cover her tracks.

I wonder if they used the mnemonic of having her use the phrase "track record" because her son's name is Track.

So, dreams can come true. Or at least nightmares. Specifically the nightmare where one is on stage in some play and has no clue what one is doing or supposed to say.

Sarah Palin is woefully unprepared to be president and deep down, she knows it. Who would have thought that the self-proclaimed pit bull would turn out to be a scared bunny rabbit?

This is why McCain canceled the debates. Watch Sarah Palin on CBS tonight. Utter disaster.
John Aravosis (DC) · 9/24/2008 07:49:00 PM ET · Link

A grander pattern is emerging as to what was motivating McCain's Hail Mary publicity stunt today. For starters, we now have the first look at Sarah Palin's interview with Katie Couric. Palin is in so far over her head, it isn't even funny. Watch especially at 4 minutes 30 seconds into the interview (video is below) when they have the following exchange after Couric asks Palin for examples of John McCain leading the charge for oversight of Wall Street:

Couric: You've said, quote, "John McCain will reform the way Wall Street does business." Other than supporting stricter regulations of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac two years ago, can you give us any more example of his leading the charge for more oversight?
Palin: I think that the example that you just cited, with his warnings two years ago about Fannie and Freddie - that, that's paramount. That's more than a heck of a lot of other senators and representatives did for us.
Couric: But he's been in Congress for 26 years. He's been chairman of the powerful Commerce Committee. And he has almost always sided with less regulation, not more.
Palin: He's also known as the maverick though, taking shots from his own party, and certainly taking shots from the other party. Trying to get people to understand what he's been talking about - the need to reform government.
Couric: But can you give me any other concrete examples? Because I know you've said Barack Obama is a lot of talk and no action. Can you give me any other examples in his 26 years of John McCain truly taking a stand on this?
Palin: I can give you examples of things that John McCain has done, that has shown his foresight, his pragmatism, and his leadership abilities. And that is what America needs today.
Couric: I'm just going to ask you one more time - not to belabor the point. Specific examples in his 26 years of pushing for more regulation.
Palin: I'll try to find you some and I'll bring them to you.

This is why McCain canceled the debates. Watch Sarah Palin on CBS tonight. Utter disaster.

First off, I think that John McCain's sudden urge to cancel the debates just reeks of desperation.  McCain is still going to another event tomorrow. Why didn't he propose changing the debate when the news broke? Why is McCain only talking about this when the polls show his numbers dropping? How does he get from "the fundamentals of our economy are strong" to "Wow. Dude. This is like, way bad. I totally have to cram for something else."

If he can't multi-task during the campaign, how can he multi-task if he were to be in the White House??

McCain is a joke.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid issued a statement on Sen. John McCain's effort to postpone the first presidential debate, stressing it "would not be helpful at this time to have them come back during these negotiations and risk injecting presidential politics into this process."
He added: "If there were ever a time for both candidates to hold a debate before the American people about this serious challenge, it is now."
Joe Klein: "Perhaps, if he's really interested in this financial stuff, McCain should propose that he and Obama change the topic from foreign policy to economics this Friday night -- they could even stage the debate in Washington, so they wouldn't have to stray far from the bailout negotiations. I'm sure their fellow members of the Senate won't mind if McCain and Obama spend a few hours enlightening the public on this crucial subject."
CNN reports Obama is "inclined" to go ahead with the debate.

An Alternative to Delaying the Debate
Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:06:07 GMT

My good friends Laurie and Janice were at folding tonight. This would be the same couple that was on the front page of Erie Times News and Erie Gay News a while back as a couple.

Laurie told me a cute story: apparently, some Jehovah's Witnesses had stopped by. Janice told the granddaughter to go get the newsletter. So, when the Jehovah's Witnesses were trying to push their literature, Janice said that she would take theirs if they took hers and proffered a copy of Erie Gay News. The Jehovah's Witnesses demurred that they were just trying to educate/enlighten. Janice said that was all that she was trying to do.

My friends totally rock!

Okay, so this does potentially kill some of Kathy Griffin's material (although I always kind of got the sense that Clay got the humor), but good for Clay for finally doing this. (Although I think that in terms of shocking, this is right up there with the sun rising in the east.)

However, it is heartening that Clay made the connection that raising a child means that being honest is important. Ultimately, telling the truth counts. The simple act of being open and honest can change the world.

My mom was VERY big on always telling the truth when we were growing up. It is an important lesson that I am glad that she stressed and held us accountable for.

Clay Aiken has officially come out of the closet as a gay man in the new issue of People magazine.

Welcome to the gayborhood, daddy!

Celebrity gossip juicy celebrity rumors Hollywood gossip blog from Perez Hilton » Blog Archive » Finally!!!!!

I am not sure if this is original to the DataLounge (probably not), but this is an inspired parody of the Nigerian email scam.

Subject: REQUEST FOR URGENT CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP

Dear American:

I need to ask you to support an urgent secret business relationship with a transfer of funds of great magnitude.

I am Ministry of the Treasury of the Republic of America. My country has had crisis that has caused the need for large transfer of funds of 800 billion dollars US. If you would assist me in this transfer, it would be most profitable to you.

I am working with Mr. Phil Gram, lobbyist for UBS, who will be my replacement as Ministry of the Treasury in January. As a Senator, you may know him as the leader of the American banking deregulation movement in the 1990s. This transaction is 100% safe.

This is a matter of great urgency. We need a blank check. We need the funds as quickly as possible. We cannot directly transfer these funds in the names of our close friends because we are constantly under surveillance. My family lawyer advised me that I should look for a reliable and trustworthy person who will act as a next of kin so the funds can be transferred.

Please reply with all of your bank account, IRA and college fund account numbers and those of your children and grandchildren to wsbailout@treasury.gov so that we may transfer your commission for this transaction. After I receive that information, I will respond with detailed information about safeguards that will be used to protect the funds.

Yours Faithfully,

Minister of Treasury Paulson

DataLounge: Subject: REQUEST FOR URGENT CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP

Sigh. Is anyone surprised by gay Republicans actively working to support a candidate who would allow them to be discriminated against and made second class citizens?

The mental contortions that these folks must go through is simply mind boggling.

Hypocrisy Bombshell: Antigay John McCain has a Gay Chief of Staff

What does John McCain’s loyal chief of staff – a man who apparently is in a long-term relationship with another man, and appears to be open about it to John McCain -- think about the fact that Sarah Palin devoutly worships at a church that promotes “converting” gays to heterosexuality? What, conversely, does she think of him? More importantly, what does John McCain think about all of this? And don’t we deserve some answers from the American media?
Over the past month I’ve been contacted by three different individuals (two of them members of the Log Cabin Republicans) claiming that McCain’s Senate chief of staff, Mark Buse, is gay. None of these individuals would be quoted by name, though each described Buse as being rather “open” to those around him and to his family – in a “glass closet” rather than deeply undercover or trying to appear heterosexual.

...

The Gist: Hypocrisy Bombshell: Antigay John McCain has a Gay Chief of Staff

Still kind of a marathon weekend. After coming back from the wedding and crashing into a coma, I went out later to do voter registration at the 2 bars. I didn't get anyone at Craze, although there was a large crowd there visiting from a church who were all already registered and strongly for Obama.

I did get a fair number of people over at the Zone Dance Club. At one point, I was pretty much ready to figure it was a no go, but there were a few. At one point, I went outside and bumped into my friend Jeff. We chatted for a while about local GLBT stuff and also some about politics. A young guy who had been at Pagan Pride Day walked by and asked if there were any groups in the area, and I told him that there were 2 Druid Groves having observances for Mabon/Fall Equinox today. I then had someone ask about getting a sling, so I told him that I would be up for selling the 2nd one currently in my attic since I only end up using the one in the front bedroom. I then realized that I had lost my keys, and went back into the bar, where I found them. I bumped into a friend, who came outside, and we ended up talking with Jeff about political activism. I imagine that most folks could get conversational whiplash if they listened to me for very long.

This morning was the wrap up meeting for last Saturday's Pagan Pride Day, which went well. We did more than break even, which was great given how bad the weather was last Saturday. We all feel very good about what the community has been doing.

I also ended up having a very nice chat with Gary about Drenched Fur stuff. (Next Sunday also looks to be a possibly overbooked day. Sigh.)

It's been a pretty busy weekend. Friday, I went down to Vertigo, the GLBT dance party in Butler, They had been without a site for a year or so. It was very nice. I did some voter registration and took some photos for the newsletter that we are putting to bed this weekend. I didn't get to sleep until 2:30 AM.

I was up early to go to the Obama campaign meeting at 9 AM, which went fairly well.

After the meeting, I dashed to pick up a veggie tray to bring to Rowan and Charles' wedding. Because of Rowan moving and some other issues, this was the 3rd wedding ceremony. It was lovely! Vikki, Salem and Willow officiated the ceremony and they sort of went with a Hindu theme. Rowan had made chocolate cupcakes (sort of that kind of thing) for dessert which had orange buttercream frosting and a chocolate bark garnish that was flavored with ancho, chipotle and cinnamon. Very good and rich! She had extra of the little chocolate bark garnish and was giving them out. She ended up placing them on folks' tongues, which she said made her feel like a priest giving out Eucharist. (Hmm, well except I guess for being a bold belly dancing woman and the things she was giving out tasted really good. Say what you will about Pagans, but our snacks tend to be better. ;) )

We were also taking photos (which I should clean up and post to Flickr.) When we were on the beach, Vikki was wearing a necklace, which ended up following down her cleavage. We took a picture and someone remarked on only getting her cleavage area and no face that they "weren't getting any head." Chris responded with he had that complaint. (Someone went for the lowest common denominator and it wasn't me for once.) Well, that is until we were taking photos of some of the women's hands. Several of the women had put on henna that was incredibly dark, so we were snapping photos after someone said "Henna hands! Henna hands!" I pointed out that we could all rest easier now that the Henna hand job was over.

A friend of ours had also very recently lost her mother to cancer, so some of us had a small ritual and threw small amounts of food and rice into the pond. It was kind of cool watching the fish descend on it like so many piranha. So, with the wedding done, and the small memorial observance, we talked with one of the attendees, who described herself as Pagan-Catholic, who was wondering what to do about christening or wiccaning her 3 month old. Her husband was there, but he didn't have a particular spiritual orientation. It felt appropriate to do a wedding, then a funeral sort of thing , then talk about a baby thing. It was sort of a Maiden, Mother and Crone thing, ending on the Maiden/rebirth.

All in all, a pretty good day, if a tad tiring.

How odd! I got the mail and there was an envelope addressed to "News for Gays" and no return address. (But a Providence RI postmark.) Inside was an anti-gay tract with Bible verses and pseudo-scientific "facts." One of the "facts" claimed that straight men and women lived to be 75 and 79 respectively, but that gay men and women are 42 and 45. Hmm. I am 45 right now. My inner bar fly queen took a drag off the imaginary Bette Davis cigarette and sneered, "Well then, where are all of these tired old queens coming from?"

There was also a newsletter called the Berean Call from September 2003. Note to ditzes who mail out unsolicited junk: you might want to consider something less than 5 years old. A publication talking about the new shows "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" and "Boy Meets Boy" is a dead giveaway.

At no extra cost, there was a vacation itinerary of "your first six days in Hell." I was surprised not to see a mention of cocktails by the Lake o' Fire Resort with Hitler and the thoroughly taken-aback Jerry Falwell. Dress is casual!

I am quite joyfully and proudly Pagan, as I think is fairly common info. I have many good friends and family members who are Christian. We respect each other. This rather poorly done tripe that was foisted on me is just amusingly lame.

Ouch! That's got to hurt about others coming just to gawk at Sarah, apparently.

However, it sounds like they aren't sure whether Sarah is capable of handling questions from people who are not part of her base. As Sen Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska) noted, it is a "stretch" to say that she is qualified. Screening attendees at a townhall meeting just reflects that McCain's campaign knows that she is not ready for primetime yet.

Radio Iowa attends a McCain-Palin rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa where Gov. Sarah Palin spoke for the first 12 minutes and then Sen. John McCain spoke.
"I look up, about five minutes into McCain's address and see a steady stream of people walking out of the rally. They just came to see Palin apparently."

McCain Can't Keep a Crowd
Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:31:13 GMT

Sen. John McCain's town hall style meetings "are generally open to the public where anyone may wait in line on the day of the event and come in without an advanced invitation," according to Fox News.
However, at last night's 3,500 person townhall in Michigan -- "the first time Palin is taking questions from the public -- only ticketholders are allowed in. People had to pick up their tickets at local GOP offices after RSVPing for the event."

McCain Town Hall Was Screened
Thu, 18 Sep 2008 14:55:29 GMT

Yay! Things are looking good for this horribly unfair amendment to be defeated. The change in the wording doesn't seem to be the factor; half of the people surveyed got the original wording and the other half got the more accurate newer wording.

(San Francisco, California) A new poll of California voters shows that a proposed amendment to ban same-sex marriage in the state continues to evaporate. The Field Poll released this week finds that only 38 percent of likely voters support the measure, known as Proposition 8. Fifty-five percent of those polled say ...

Poll: Support for Calif. anti-gay amendment wanes
Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:12:10 GMT

Is this some kind of twisted performance art piece?!?! What kind of person actually thinks that a human being is justified in killing a house cat that poses no threat. Yes, I could see if someone was being threatened by a possibly rabid animal that one might have to take extreme measures.

But killing someone's pet and then saying that the animal provoked the human being? Last I checked, human beings had superior decision making skills.

Seriously, this is either some kind of elaborate put on or this columnist is a vile person. Maybe both. I have heard that the NY Post tends to be rather sensationalistic, but this is totally nuts.

Any time you attack an innocent animal, a child or someone who is incapacitated, it is never good.

FELONIOUS BALL OF FUR DESERVED EVERY BLOW

THE stupid cat had it coming.

Forgive me, all you animal- rights nuts, you freaky lovers of things furry, fierce and woefully incontinent. I've got something to say to all assorted people who've got nothing better to do with their days than stick their noses in another man's litter box.

The dead cat at the center of a whacked-out catricide trial now eating up precious court time and tax dollars in downtown Manhattan is no innocent wittle victim.

PHOTOS: Man On Trial For Cat Killing

Norman the Cat, who was pummeled to death last year at the age of 8 by an inarguably hot, allegedly drunk, former Met minor leaguer and bit-part actor named Joseph Petcka, had serious issues.

The first of which may have been his name.

Owner Lisa Altobelli testified yesterday that she named Norman after the zhlubby character Norm from "Cheers" - "my favorite show." Norman Bates sounds more accurate.

No one likes to see a little frisky drowning in a pool of his own blood. Well, not many.

...

FELONIOUS BALL OF FUR DESERVED EVERY BLOW - New York Post

Whoa! When someone in who is a Republican Senator realizes that Gov. Sarah Palin is not qualified, I think that is fairly significant.

I also find it disturbing that they seem to be restricting Palin from the press. Everything seems to be tightly controlled and the vigorous vetting that the other principals in the race have faced is something that Palin is exempt from. If Palin can't handle dealing with the press less than 2 months before the election, how confident can we be that she would be capable of serving as president??

GOP senator: A 'stretch' to say Palin is qualified

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Originally published 10:47 a.m., September 18, 2008, updated 10:43 a.m., September 18, 2008

WASHINGTON (AP) - Nebraska Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel said his party's vice presidential nominee, Sarah Palin, lacks foreign policy experience and called it a "stretch" to say she's qualified to be president.

"She doesn't have any foreign policy credentials," Hagel said in an interview published Thursday by the Omaha World-Herald. "You get a passport for the first time in your life last year? I mean, I don't know what you can say. You can't say anything."

Could Palin lead the country if GOP presidential nominee John McCain could not?

"I think it's a stretch to, in any way, to say that she's got the experience to be president of the United States," Hagel said.

Washington Times - GOP senator: A 'stretch' to say Palin is qualified

Too cool!  It is very heartening that folks outside the LGBT community get that this horrible legislation is an attack on equality.

Confused anti-equality folks: the argument that allowing same-sex couples to have the same rights that you do somehow threatens your marriage or who you are is pretty dumb. If you can't remember what gender you are attracted to, then maybe you need to carry flash cards or something. I mean, how many folks were taken aback when Lily Tomlin finally came out? If you can't reliably even identify gay folks, it's a lead pipe cinch that you won't be affected by us. Do I freak out when I see wedding announcements in the paper? Does it make me reconsider who I am attracted to? Of course not.

If you don't believe in same-sex marriage, then don't marry someone of the same gender. Was that too hard to grasp? If you don't embrace Judaism, don't go to a synagogue. If you don't approve of eating meat, then be a vegetarian. But that doesn't translate into forcing everyone else to live according to the standards that you impose on them.

Brad Pitt donating $100,000 to fight gay marriage ban

By Tina Daunt, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
September 18, 2008

Brad Pitt announced Wednesday that he's donating $100,000 to fight California's Proposition 8, a November ballot initiative that would eliminate same-sex couples' right to marry.
"Because no one has the right to deny another their life, even though they disagree with it, because everyone has the right to live the life they so desire if it doesn't harm another and because discrimination has no place in America, my vote will be for equality and against Proposition 8," the actor said in a statement.
Pitt's donation marks the largest thus far to the anti-Prop. 8 campaign by an A-list celebrity.

Brad Pitt donating $100,000 to fight gay marriage ban - Los Angeles Times

I called the coordinator for the Erie Gay Business Alliance to check on meeting dates for next month. He happened to be out, but I spoke with his receptionist. It turns out that the receptionist and his mother know my mom from church. Since mom remarried, our last names are different, so he wasn't aware at first.

I have always been a very big believer in getting word about events and resources out to multiple sources. It's very important to have stuff on your own web site, but that probably doesn't do as much to getting to people who don't know about you already.

So, I have been posting some events for the Obama campaign and numerous other groups at Eventful.com, which can post to upcoming.org and other online event/calendar sites. I was sort of vindicated when I got an email from upcoming.org from someone who wanted to know if they could get credit for required community service hours for their college if they volunteered for the Obama campaign. I wasn't sure, so I called them.

Yup, that is possible. While I was talking with campaign headquarters, the woman who answered the phone asked if I had gone to Strong Vincent High School. I said that I had indeed. It turns out that she had been my 10th grade English teacher. Small world! It was nice to catch up.

Most cool! George Takei, known to most of us as Mr. Sulu from Star Trek, is now legally married to his partner of 21 years. Good for them!

Also cool about the actor who is on webTrek being married as well

NEWS: George Takei Marries Partner Brad Altman

In wonderful bit of symmetry, George Takei, Sulu from STAR TREK, married Brad Altman today in Los Angeles.This comes hot on the heels of webTREK actors JT Tepnapa and Adam Browne,  full-on, legal, State-sanctioned marriage. (Tepnapa plays Sulu on the on-line PHASE II series.)

Together for 21 years, the 71 year old Takei and 54 year old Altman, were married in Buddhist ceremony. The Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles performed.Best Man at the event was Walter Koenig (Chekov). Nichelle Nichols was also an honored guest.

Takei reportedly declared "May equality live long and prosper!" on leaving the ceremony.

"We have a relationship that's been stronger and longer-lived than some of our straight friends, and yet we were not equal," Takei told an interviewer at The Associated Press. "What this does is give us that dignity; (it's) being part of the American system and being whole. We're making the American system whole as well, as America is becoming more equal.

"To Boldly Go....

Source: George Takei Marries - Koenig and Nichols Attend | TrekMovie.com

DoorQ.com [ - www.doorq.com]

We had a few winners in the silent auction at yesterday's Pagan Pride Day that weren't present. My friend Paul won a hand knitted/crocheted bag (not sure which) and Raven won a very lovely pottery tea set from Hughes Pottery. As it so happened, Raven wanted to talk about an upcoming event he was planning today and suggested that the 3 of us get together for coffee.

I thought this would be a great opportunity to spend some time with friends and also get them the prizes. I didn't have a container for the tea set, so I just carried it.

It was slightly odd walking down the street to Starbuck's carrying a tea set. However, everything worked out just fine.

Erie's 4th Annual Pagan Pride Day went fairly well. We had smaller attendance than last year, but since it rained all day for the most part, it wasn't that surprising.

I was helping to set up, and Rae noticed that there was a spider, which I helped to get rid of. I also helped lift heavy things and generally felt useful and happy. On at least 2 occasions, I said something along the lines of "Yay! I feel so butch." Apparently, I was flailing my hands more than I thought, because I got a few gentle laughs, as in " Um. Maybe next time, try saying that WITHOUT the jazz hands. Mary!"

My friend Sharon had a car battery that needed a jump. I told her that I could jump, if she could set it up. We waited a long time (at least a half hour) and it was only partially charged. Then TJ stopped by (since he and his family needed to get going), and found out that we didn't have quite the right connection. Her car started, and she was on her way.

It was a long day, but a pretty good one. I went to some friend's party after that, and then did some voter registration.

So, I got an email from CODEPINK about volunteering on September 20.

Very cool, but I read the subject line "A million knockers for peace." I realized later that they meant canvassing/people to knock on doors. But seeing that the group is largely run by women, I thought first about 500,000 women.

Yeah, going to hell for that one. Sorry.

The United NeoPagan Council of Lake Erie had a board meeting last night to finalize details for Erie's 4th Annual Pagan Pride Day tomorrow. (Event details below.) We met at Rich's house, as per usual. Rich is the very pleasant and hunky straight dude power lifter. At one point, he got out some cocoa dusted almonds and set them out. "Why, Mike," he said with an arched brow, "would you like to sample my dark salty nuts?" Actually, they were good. The snacks, that is. ;)

We went off on a tangent, and Raven was talking about discussing gay porn titles at some event with 5 gay men, and they had quite a few giggles. There were some tangents. Rich said that we should get back on topic, and leaned back and tried to steer the conversation to the bonfire at the end of the event. "I will have wood!" he said. (He meant for the fire, I guess. We parsed it a mite differently.) We all laughed.

One of the things that I like about being Pagan is that I really feel like being gay is just part of the background. I don't have to fight to be recognized as being fully equal to other folks.

Wow. Lynda Carter really nails it to Sarah Palin. I am also very much bemused that she referred to the Divine using male and female pronouns. Lynda rocks!

The REAL Wonder Woman on Sarah Palin: “America Should Be Very Afraid”

In an interview this morning about her three-week run at an Atlantic City casino, I offhandedly asked “Wonder Woman” Lynda Carter how she felt about the media calling VP candidate Sarah Palin the “new Wonder Woman.” I wasn’t expecting her no-holds-barred response:

Don’t get me started. She’s the anti-Wonder Woman. She’s judgmental and dictatorial, telling people how they’ve got to live their lives. And a superior religious self-righteousness … that’s just not what Wonder Woman is about. Hillary Clinton is a lot more like Wonder Woman than Mrs. Palin. She did it all, didn’t she?

No one has the right to dictate, particularly in this country, to force your own personal views upon the populace — religious views. I think that is suppressive, oppressive, and anti-American. We are the loyal opposition. That’s the whole point of this country: freedom of speech, personal rights, personal freedom. Nor would Wonder Woman be the person to tell people how to live their lives. Worry about your own life! Worry about your own family! Don’t be telling me what I want to do with mine.

I like John McCain. But this woman — it’s anathema to me what she stands for. I think America should be very afraid. Very afraid. Separation of church and state is the one thing the creators of the Constitution did agree on — that it wasn’t to be a religious government. People should feel free to speak their minds about religion but not dictate it or put it into law.

What I don’t understand, honestly, is how anyone can even begin to say they know the mind of God. Who do they think they are? I think that’s ridiculous. I know what God is in my life. Now I am sure that she’s not all just that. But it’s enough to me. It’s enough for me to have a visceral reaction. And it makes me mad.

People need to speak up. Doesn’t mean that I’m godless. Doesn’t mean that I am a murderer. What I hate is this demonization of everybody but one position. You’re un-American because you’re against the war. It’s such bullshit. Fear. It’s really such a finite way of thinking about God to think that your measley little mind can know the mind of God. It’s a very little God that way. I think that God’s bigger. I don’t presume to know his mind. Or her mind.

Philly News - Philly Mag

Huh! I recall reading some of Maurice Sendak's books as a child, but I never picked up on his being gay. The full article is linked from the headline.

He sounds like a rather nifty curmudgeon with some great deal of sadness.

Concerns Beyond Just Where the Wild Things Are

Joyce Dopkeen/The New York Times

Maurice Sendak, shown in 2006, has had a year of loss.

Maurice Sendak’s 80th year — which ended with his birthday earlier this summer and is being celebrated on Monday night with a benefit at the 92nd Street Y — was a tough one. He has been gripped by grief since the death of his longtime partner; a recent triple-bypass has temporarily left him too weak to work or take long walks with his dog; and he is plagued by Norman Rockwell.

Technorati Tags: Maurice Sendak

I was driving back from lunch and had flipped onto the local PBS affiliate and caught something that sounded like Beethoven. I was trying to recall which symphony it was. It hit a familiar passage, and I recognized it as the last movement from Symphony No. 5. It brought back some memories. I think that Perkins had used a section in their ads in the late 70's or early 80's, so I ended up visualizing pancakes and eggs.

I also had to take an arts elective my last year at Mercyhurst College, and I went for music appreciation. Since I tended to listen to a fair amount of classical music, it was fairly easy. At one point, the teacher played the last movement from Symphony No. 5. The very end of the movement has what struck me as a number of teaser endings. "Done! Okay, there's more. Done! Well, a little bit more. Finished! Hmm, not quite." It struck me as funny and the teacher caught on, and we both were smiling.

When we had the final, she told us what the pieces would be used for questions ahead of time. When I walked in, I looked at the questions, and figured out what the music was likely to be on the basis of the questions and pretty much answered them all before she started playing the music.

Sometimes it helps to be a nerd/geek!

The belly dance class for men started up again after having been off for 2 weeks. Because of some scheduling conflicts, it was just me and Rich. I was weak on some stuff, but overall, I felt fairly good about how it went. I guess that we may be targeting having a recital in early December, and they may be thinking of having a theme, which they haven't had before. I quipped that we should call it the Butt Pirates of Penzance. It got a laugh.

Just wanting to spread the word about the Erie Bloggers get together this Tuesday. I have just about always had a terrific time at these, so I am really looking forward to this!

For quite a while, I had been meaning to add some kind of ticker to the Erie Gay News site for upcoming events. One of the things that I think is our strong points is that we have a fairly complete calendar of events, and I wanted to drive home the idea that we are a good source for what's coming up.

I wasn't sure about creating the animated ticker, but then I found a script that displayed an RSS feed. Hmm. I didn't have an RSS feed for the calendar, but I did have one for the articles. However, since I am maintaining the events in the database, it wasn't that hard to come up with an RSS feed for the Erie Gay News calendar. I also now have both feeds on FeedBurner.com, and added them both to the code for available feeds. In the process, I also found a few mistakes or less than optimal ways of generating the feed that I had done before, so I think that the code is tighter.

So, happy that there is now an animated ticker on the right sidebar of the Erie Gay News site for upcoming events. (I have a few include files, so it was easy to just make it part of the sidebar include file.) I wonder if that would be useful for other sites. Must think.

Sigh. I was out registering folks to vote and Deb was over working on the newsletter. Apparently, the dogs were outside and Hecate had an encounter with a skunk. Deb looked online and said that the best stuff to bathe a skunked dog was apparently baking soda and hydrogen peroxide and dish soap. So, I did that to her, although I substituted vinegar for the hydrogen peroxide, since I had the former, but not the latter. Sigh. So much for getting to bed somewhat early.

We had a very nice wiccaning for a covenmate's daughter today. Wiccans don't push a child to embrace a particular path, so it was fairly generic, and the sentiment was definitely "wishing you well, no matter what path you might take." We had it in the back yard, and I represented the East. Everyone had a good time, and we had a very nice potluck/buffet thing afterwards. So much good food and the company was great!

Oops! Probably not the best sound bite. When Brokaw asks former PA Governor Tom Ridge about why Americans should elect John McCain, he says, "Because John Bush, er, John McCain is his own man."

You just can't write them any better than that. So, in the past 48 hours, we have had Republicans indicate that they think that Sarah Palin is an abysmal, election-sinking choice for the vice presidential slot and that McCain is pretty much McSame. (Someone's Freudian slip is showing.)

How revealing! Republican commentators Mike Murphy and Peggy Noonan commented (when they thought that the microphone was off) on what a poor choice Sarah Palin is for McCain's vice presidential candidate. Yeah, people at the convention are pumped about her, but it seems that even other Republicans have some fairly significant doubts.

TRANSCRIPT:

Mike Murphy, former McCain advisor: You know, because I come out of the blue swing state governor work. Engler, Whitman, Thompson, Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush. And these guys, this is all like how you want to (inaudible) this race. You know, just run it up. And it's not gonna work.

Peggy Noonan, former Reagan speechwriter: It's over.

Murphy: Still, McCain can give a version of the Lieberman speech to do himself some good.

NBC's Chuck Todd: Don't you think the Palin pick was insulting to Kay Bailey Hutchinson, too (inaudible)

Noonan: I saw Kay this morning.

Murphy: They're all bummed out.

Todd: I mean, is she really the most qualified woman they could have turned to?

Noonan: The most qualified? No. I think they went for this, excuse me, political [B.S.] about narratives and (inaudible) the picture.

Murphy: I totally agree.

Noonan: Every time the Republicans do that because that's not where they live and it's not what they're good at and they blow it.

Murphy: You know what's really the worst thing about it? The greatness of McCain is no cynicism and this is cynical.

Todd: And as you called it, gimmicky.

Remember, these are Republicans rolling their eyes about choosing Palin. So, those happy faces are being shown on camera at the Republican National Convention might just be concealing some serious discontent and fear about a "gimmicky" and "cynical" choice.

Hmm. So Sarah Palin apparently isn't so much of an outsider/reformer as she appeared at first.

Palin's pork requests confound reformer image

By ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press Writer Tue Sep 2, 11:54 PM ET

ST. PAUL, Minn. - John McCain touts Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as a force in the his battle against earmarks and entrenched power brokers, but under her leadership the state this year asked for almost $300 per person in requests for pet projects from one of McCain's top adversaries: indicted Sen. Ted Stevens.

That's more than any other state received, per person, from Congress for the current budget year, and runs counter to the reformer image that Palin and the McCain campaign are pushing. Other states got just $34 worth of local projects per person this year, on average, according to Citizens Against Government Waste, a Washington-based watchdog group.

Palin's pork requests confound reformer image - Yahoo! News

Oh, the irony! So, Gov. Palin cuts funding for a program that benefits teenage girls exactly like hers. You know, not all teenage pregnant girls happen to have the current governor in their family.

How on earth did McCain vet this hot mess?? Apparently not much more than a Google search! So, we got dragged off into an unnecessary, costly and debilitating war because Bush apparently either goofed up on the intelligence reports on WMD or had them doctored, and now McCain picks his vice president apparently out of a hat! One would think a key indicator of executive preparedness is knowing how to pick the right people.

Cindy McCain and others have said that Palin is like, totally ready to go with the foreign policy stuff because, you know, Alaska is so close to Russia. So I guess that makes me an expert on Roman Catholicism since I live across the street from a church.

Pop some corn and enjoy the show, kids! This is showing all the signs of being a clusterfuck par excellence! McCain may face some not so happy choices because of his truthiness.

Palin Slashed Funding for Teen Moms

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin wrote in her line-item veto changes by hand in this copy of a 2008 spending bill obtained by The Washington Post.

By Paul Kane
ST. PAUL -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice-presidential nominee who revealed Monday that her 17-year-old daughter is pregnant, earlier this year used her line-item veto to slash funding for a state program benefiting teen mothers in need of a place to live.

After the legislature passed a spending bill in April, Palin went through the measure reducing and eliminating funds for programs she opposed. Inking her initials on the legislation -- "SP" -- Palin reduced funding for Covenant House Alaska by more than 20 percent, cutting funds from $5 million to $3.9 million. Covenant House is a mix of programs and shelters for troubled youths, including Passage House, which is a transitional home for teenage mothers.

According to Passage House's web site, its purpose is to provide "young mothers a place to live with their babies for up to eighteen months while they gain the necessary skills and resources to change their lives" and help teen moms "become productive, successful, independent adults who create and provide a stable environment for themselves and their families."

Palin's own daughter, Bristol, is five months pregnant and has plans to wed.

"Bristol and the young man she will marry are going to realize very quickly the difficulties of raising a child, which is why they will have the love and support of our entire family," Palin said in a statement released by the McCain campaign. "We ask the media to respect our daughter and Levi's privacy, as has always been the tradition of children of candidates."

Earlier today the Associated Press reported that Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, opposed funding to prevent teen pregnancies, a position that Palin also took as governor. "The explicit sex-ed programs will not find my support," she wrote in a 2006 questionnaire distributed among gubernatorial candidates.

Reporters asked McCain in November 2007 whether he supported grants for sex education in the United States, whether such programs should include directions for using contraceptives and whether he supports President Bush's policy of promoting abstinence.

"Ahhh, I think I support the president's policy," McCain said.

Palin Slashed Funding for Teen Moms | The Trail | washingtonpost.com

Um. Not good. At all. I am not sure who laid this out, but it does rather make Jesus look like a Peeping (not Doubting) Tom. Either ad is fine on their own, but definitely not a good way to arrange the 2 ads.

 

We all look up to Jesus. But who does Jesus look up to?

Apparently, a lingerie model in a Classic Comfort Bra.

Come on, Jesus, be polite. At least look in her eyes before your gaze wanders to her lovely lady lumps.

So this is a rather unfortunate ad layout, yes? No doubt some devilish production artists are behind this mishap. They will be punished in the afterlife.

Angels can give vicious wing spankings.

A halo to disciple K for sending this in.

 

Jesus of the Week 2008

Ouch. Bush probably isn't so very fond of the fact that he is box office poison and McCain is trying desperately to put as much distance between them as possible.

Why am  I now visualizing W as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard. "I AM big!!! It's the GOP convention that got small!!!"

Sidney Blumenthal says President Bush was "furious" at being bumped from speaking at the Republican National Convention.
"The McCain campaign and the Bush White House negotiated terms that unfolded as a script over the past several days, several sources told me. First, Bush announced he must oversee the preparations for dealing with the hurricane. He would not be able to attend the convention. Cheney, too, would drop out. In order that Bush and Cheney not seem to have been humiliated, McCain cancelled the entire proceedings for the first evening."

Bush, McCain Tangled Over Convention Appearance
Tue, 02 Sep 2008 18:42:01 GMT

Wow. Less than 6 months ago, the Republican Vice Presidential candidate warmly welcomed a political party calling for Alaska to secede from the United States, and apparently only left that party for the Republicans to further her political ambitions.

So, if she wears a flag pin, then all is cool, right? But hey, let's cut her some slack: as the end of July of this year, she wasn't even sure what a VP does all day.

I think it would be better for the US if she didn't get the chance to find out.

John McCain's 'Alaska First' Problem

Building on the great research of Liz Arnett and others, I've edited together a video showing why Sarah Palin's past membership in and current ties to the secessionist Alaskan Independence Party is going to be such a big problem for John McCain:

Here's the key details:

• In March, 2008, Sarah Palin recorded a video welcoming the convention of the secessionist Alaskan Independence Party (AIP), saying "we have a great promise to be a self-sufficient state, made up of the hardest working, most grateful Americans in our nation."
• In October, 2007, Dexter Clark, the AIP's vice chairman, was recorded on video saying that Palin had been a registered member of the AIP before switching to the GOP to be viable.
• In the same video, Clark says "the Federal goverment is just plain a monster" and "we don't say we are Americans, we say we are Alaskans."
• Clark's comments were delivered at "The Second North American Secessionist Convention" in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
• AIP's motto is "Alaska First. Alaska Always."

Big kudos to Arnett, who was the first to uncover Palin's ties to the AIP. georgia10 kept the heat on, and now both Jake Tapper and Marc Ambinder have covered the story.

John McCain's 'Alaska First' Problem - The Jed Report

I took the dogs over to Mom's for a very nice Labor Day dinner. Mom and I sat in the yard and chatted as all 4 dogs ran around and had fun. My brother and his girlfriend came over. Since my brother just moved into his new apartment, I took the opportunity to register him to vote at the new address.

It was very casual, which made me feel comfortable. The food was good and the company was excellent. The dogs were surprisingly well behaved. Mom and I just think that they have calmed down as they have gotten older. Hecate and Emily will be 5 next month.