Michael Mineo is a Brooklyn resident who has charged that he was assaulted and sodomized with an object by New York City police officers while being arrested on a subway platform on Oct. 15, 2008.

The police say the assertion is not supported by civilian witnesses.

But a grand jury and the Brooklyn district attorney are investigating what happened to Mr. Mineo at a Brooklyn subway station, and additional witnesses have surfaced. Investigators say that medical records support Mr. Mineo’s assertion that he suffered internal injuries, and a transit officer has come forward to say that he saw a colleague jab a baton into Mr. Mineo’s buttocks.

Mr. Mineo has had multiple arrests, mostly on minor drug possession charges, but also one on an assault charge. That sprang from an April case in which he is accused of hitting a teenager over the head with a wooden stool in the tattoo parlor where he works as a body piercer.

Read More...

Tags: Politics,GODIAN

This is so ACCURATE and FUNNY
Marc Shaiman, Jack Black, Margaret Cho & More

Tags: 700m,Politics,Comedy,GODIAN

We lost on Prop 8 Because of the quote un quote Christial Morality Police who are so far away from being Christ like it aint funny... but they won PROP 2 In Florida...hope ur happy Religious WRONG, u just took away the rights of other americans...are u sure u believe in this country?
ON A BRIGHTER NOTE.....
OBAMA WON...and we will CELEBRATE
please send the following video around.....great commercial about how the MORMONS and others want
into your bedroom and want their own form of communism to rule

Tags: Politics,GODIAN,THURSDAYS,DL,TORPEDO

if you have a friend who is for McCain Palin
please have them watch this...and PRAY for them...

Tags: Politics

THIS IS SO SCARY..HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYBODY!!! (sarcasm)
these people cannot call themselves Christian!
Long-time gay journalist Rex Wockner covered "The Call," the antigay rally in support of Prop 8 that took place in San Diego Friday. Michaelangelo Signorile played a clip last week from James Dobson's radio show where he claimed God grabbed him by the back and sent him there. Rex describes, it took a lot of guts to stand in the middle of that stadium. Pretty scary. Clearly these people have a lot of issues, and they scapegoat gays as the cause of all their and the country's problems. This is what we're up against in California on Tuesday.
clik here for the full story
and please donate your time and resources to
DEFEATING PROP 8 in California and in Florida VOTE NO ON 2!!!

Tags: Politics,GODIAN

U MUST VOTE
it is really Scary how many uninformed Republicans still want to vote Sarah Palin 4 President
WE CANNOT LET THIS HAPPEN
IF YOU ARE A McCAIN PALIN SUPPORTER WE FOUND SOME SLOGANS 4 U

Tags: Politics

please reference the above HEADLINE / LINK
as i will update this conversation when I receive responses.


Alaska's largest newspaper endorses Obama
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - The Anchorage Daily News, Alaska's largest newspaper, endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama Sunday after declaring Gov. Sarah Palin "too risky" to be one step away from the Oval Office. "Like picking (Republican presidential candidate John) McCain for president, putting her one 72-year-old heartbeat from the leadership of the free world is just too risky at this time," The Daily News said. The newspaper said Obama "brings far more promise to the office. In a time of grave economic crisis, he displays thoughtful analysis, enlists wise counsel and operates with a cool, steady hand." The Daily News said since the economic crisis has emerged, McCain has "stumbled and fumbled badly" in dealing with it. "Of the two candidates, Sen. Obama better understands the mortgage meltdown's root causes and has the judgment and intelligence to shape a solution, as well as the leadership to rally the country behind it," the paper said. The Daily News said Palin has shown the country why she is a success as governor. But the paper said few would argue that Palin is truly ready to step into the job of being president despite her passion, charisma and strong work ethic. "Gov. Palin's nomination clearly alters the landscape for Alaskans as we survey this race for the presidency - but it does not overwhelm all other judgment. The election, after all is said and done, is not about Sarah Palin, and our sober view is that her running mate, Sen. John McCain, is the wrong choice for president at this critical time for our nation," the paper said.


>>>>>>>
REPUBLICAN RESPONSE
Regardless of that papers' opinion, Obama has less experience overall and no executive experience, plus more information comes out just about everyday about his marxist/socialist tendencies, ties, and influences.  He has done a good job of packaging and selling himself though!  Many Americans are confused about the distinction between being an eloquent speaker and presenter and a good leader with America's best interest at heart.  Today I heard about Obama talk about our negative, flawed Constitution from back in the 1990's. He really thinks the things that have made America the greatest country on earth (Founding Fathers wisdom, Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, The Bill of Rights) have problems and that he has been sent to deliver us into a new age)  If you would like to live in Venezuela under a Chavez type of government that's ideally where Obama would like us to be in the U.S.  I heard that when oil goes under $70 a barrel Venezuela can hardly keep the country's lights on and they're one of the richest oil producing nations.


>>>>>>>
INDEPENDENT RESPONSE
the quote making it's way around the web about Obama and the constitution was actually a conversation about it's origins and the founding fathers and slavery. How there were flaws in the Constitution because it really wasn't written FOR ALL PEOPLE, which is why there are AMMENDMENTS TO INCLUDE and why people still try and make it not FOR ALL PEOPLE by trying to AMMEND PEOPLE OUT (such as with marriage) This is not a Socialist or Communist desire to overthrow our GOV this is a thoughtful discussion about our heritage.


He does not think a Chavez GOV is the way to go, lol...and i know you are more intelligent then 2 believe that.


What happened to the man that introduced me to "New World Order"
(most of which came true under the Reagan-Bush Years)?

TRUE PATRIOTS?
"The original American patriots were those individuals brave enough to resist with force the oppressive power of King George. I accept the definition of patriotism as that effort to resist oppressive state power. The true patriot is motivated by a sense of responsibility, and out of self interest -- for himself, his family, and the future of his country -- to resist government abuse of power. He rejects the notion that patriotism means obedience to the state." -Ron Paul

The McCain camp keeps throwing around MARXISM and SOcialism...
want to know what marxism really is?

the interesting thing an educated man finds is that REGULATION in capitalism comes from the tenants of Socialism and Marxism. Yet NO REGULATION would breed ANARCHY thereby not allowing CAPITALISM to flourish.

Who wanted to de-regulate de-regulate de-regulate?
McCAIN...maybe even the healthcare system?
[   In the current issue of a magazine for the American Academy of Actuaries, McCain discussed a change he wants to bring to the health care market: allowing people to buy plans across state lines. "Opening up the health insurance market to more vigorous nationwide competition, as we have done over the last decade in banking, would provide more choices of innovative products less burdened by the worst excesses of state-based regulation," he wrote in the magazine called "Contingencies."   ]

The REAL "redistribution of wealth" has already happened with 
• the TRILLION DOLLAR WAR in IRAQ and no bid contracts
(with Halliburton and associates reaping the benefits)

• More Money going to private contracted soldiers then our own Military...

• the BAILOUT for corrupt banking system
(which all happened by repeating the illegal GAMBLING of the 1920's)

CREDIT DEFAULT SWAPS? WHAT???

Watch CBS Videos Online
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4546583n


while we are on the war and
the election and
Halliburton...

[   A report by the Congressional Research Service undermines Vice President Dick Cheney's denial of a continuing relationship with Halliburton Co., the energy company he once led, Sen. Frank Lautenberg said Thursday.   The report says a public official's unexercised stock options and deferred salary fall within the definition of "retained ties" to his former company.   Cheney said Sunday on NBC that since becoming vice president, "I've severed all my ties with the company, gotten rid of all my financial interest. I have no financial interest in Halliburton of any kind and haven't had, now, for over three years."   Democrats pointed out that Cheney receives deferred compensation from Halliburton under an arrangement he made in 1998, and also retains stock options. He has pledged to give after-tax proceeds of the stock options to charity.   Cheney's aides defended the assertion on NBC, saying the financial arrangements do not constitute a tie to the company's business performance. They pointed out that Cheney took out a $15,000 insurance policy so he would collect the deferred payments over five years whether or not Halliburton remains in business.   Lautenberg, D-N.J., asked the Congressional Research Service to weigh in.   Without naming Cheney or Halliburton, the service reported that unexercised stock options and deferred salary "are among those benefits described by the Office of Government Ethics as 'retained ties' or 'linkages' to one's former employer."   Lautenberg said the report makes clear that Cheney does still have financial ties to Halliburton. "I ask the vice president to stop dodging the issue with legalese," Lautenberg said.   ]

More evidence of Corruption on the Republican side?
HOW ABOUT BEING ANTI-GAY yet HAVING A GAY CHIEF OF STAFF?
HYPOCRITICAL?
Mark Buse is not just a Chief of Staff for a homophobic United States Senator, but he is helping that Senator get elected to the White House.
Does Mark Buse fit the Barney Frank rule? Without a doubt. While McCain voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment, he supports amending state constitutions defining marriage as between a man and a woman. McCain knows our country needs everyone who wants to serve in the military and he knows that DADT is wrong, yet he swings to the right on repealing it.
Worst of all, and a demonstration of his inability to act rationally and with the country's best interests at heart, he picked someone who, if she becomes president (very likely), will be the most homophobic in American history.
With that in mind, and after confirming the information with two other sources, I decided it was time to present Buse the Roy Cohn Award for working against the interests of the lesbian and gay community while living as a gay man.
TAKE ACTION!
Does the McCain campaign truly support LGBT Americans? Let's see when FOCUS ON THE FAMILY weighs in. TAKE ACTION and CALL FOCUS ON THE FAMILY and THANK THEM FOR SUPPORTING JOHN MCCAIN even though he has gay Americans in high places on his staff, including his Chief of Staff.
You can reach FOF at 1-800-A-FAMILY (1-800-232-6459)! Call and thank them today


MCCAIN STRAIGHT TALK EXPRESS DERAILED
Key McCain advisors were lobbyists for shady lender

When Sen. John McCain addressed the nation's burgeoning mortgage mess last week, he insisted it was time for a little "straight talk."
"I will not play election-year politics with the housing crisis," the GOP presidential hopeful insisted while unveiling his plan, which many have since described as friendlier to the mortgage industry than the Democrats' proposals.
What McCain did not say - which some believe smacks of politics - is that two of his top advisers were recently lobbyists for a notorious lender in the mortgage meltdown.
John Green, the senator's chief liaison to Congress, and Wayne Berman, his national finance co-chairman, billed more than $720,000 in lobbying fees from 2005 through last year to Ameriquest Mortgage through their lobbying firm, disclosure forms reviewed by the Daily News show.
Ameriquest, which since has been bought out, was forced to settle suits with 49 states for $325 million. More than 13,680 New York homeowners got taken for a ride by the company, records show.
"They would be defined as the most blatant and aggressive predatory lenders out of everybody," said Bruce Marks, head of the nonprofit Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America.
Despite their past familiarity with the issue, neither Green or Berman had any input into McCain's plan for dealing with the lending crisis, aides to the Arizona senator said last week.
"Sen. McCain has never done anything that would violate the public trust and he has never done favors for special interests or lobbyists," said McCain spokesman Tucker Bonds.
While far from a bailout for the mortgage industry, McCain's plan focuses on less regulation for lenders - in sharp contrast with proposals by Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama - and suggests as a first step convening a big meeting of top mortgage lenders.
But the migration of Green and Berman to McCain's campaign comes as the Arizona senator faces criticism on other fronts for aligning himself with lobbyists, whom McCain often derides - but relies upon to staff his campaign.
They include McCain campaign manager Rick Davis, a former telecommunications lobbyist, as well as Thomas Loeffler, McCain's national finance co-chairman, who recently helped Europe's Airbus consortium land a deal for Air Force tankers.


DIEBOLD
try googling DIEBOLD to find out the percentage of machines used in the electoral process...Cant find...yet every pic we see in magazines has a Diebold machine and Diebold even has the Camera's and security equipment at the majority of commercial Banks (which we just bought). This company is a company that was invested in by Halliburton which used to be chaired by...????)

[   Stephen Spoonamore is a registered Republican, leading cybersecurity expert, and a whistleblower. In early September he gave an explosive deposition on the means and methods by which the 2004 presidential election in Ohio was stolen, and identified specific individuals with first hand knowledge of who carried out these thefts.  Stephen Spoonamore details his objections to electronic voting, and explains howDiebold voting machines such as those used in Ohio and a number of other states, can be hacked. Among other things, Spoonamore explains the several ways that a Diebold voting machine can be hacked from a remote location. How the chain of custody of  voting results can be easily hacked, and how electronic voting systems are capable of subtracting as well as adding votes. Spoonamore reviews the "Georgia patch" which was used to flip the 2002 US Senate election in Georgia. "There is no electronic system in the world that cannot be hacked... Diebold is lying." "Diebold machines are brilliantly designed to steal elections..." "People do not want to believe that Americans would  steal elections..."    ]
DIEBOLD PATCHES ELECTION  IN GEORGIA


On a lighter note...but please watch because i know my REPUBLICAN friends are not Pre-schoolers, yet Sarah Palin and John McCain insist that being intelligent is elitist. I am insulted for the Republican party that (A) McCain would stop being the MCCain of 4 Years ago and ride the Bush train and (B) Pick such an ill equipped running mate as Sarah Palin who feels she needs to "Talk down to" those americans she feels are the "Real Americans" in the "Heartland" not the "Real Americans" who live where the constitution was written on the north east coast...but ya know, wink wink...
Bob the builder,
cindy the citizen,
jim the jailman,
joe the plumber,
susan the storeclerk...etc...

here's the clip...

http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=189162&title=the-candidates-labels


I thought the american dream was that a young poor child could have his parents work hard, he could go to school, graduate with honors, become a lawyer, choose to give back to the community and maybe one day even become president...



THIS IS THE CHOICE

an ill tempered,
hypocritical,
894th out of 899 Graduate
who seeks Wealth to the top 2% Only Ticket

-versus-

an even tempered,
inspired,
intelligent,
First in His Class,
Wealth to the 95% of us Ticket

Learned people can only pick OBAMA
if you are voting because of ABORTION...Obama is not PRO ABORTION
READ CATHOLICS FOR OBAMA
the only other reason you could choose McCain ...
racism...and racists are stupid...we all used to be black
get over it...
HERE

Tags: Politics

SUPPORT HALLMARK CARDS

...WE NEED TO STAY AWARE OF THE HATERS...

Antigay activists are targeting Hallmark because of the decision to create greeting cards for same-sex couples. The Family Policy Network in California is urging people to write Hallmark. Pam Spaulding's got a bunch of the the twisted letters up. You should go see them all, but here are a few:

* Dixie in Watsonville, CA writes, "God created Adam and Eve to marry not Joseph and Steve or Mary and Eve!"

* Kathy in Mission Viejo, CA writes, "You are putting the dollar over principle. How many cards will you sell to homosexuals vs. non homosexuals? Do the math!"

* Sherrie in Carmichael, CA writes, "I have been collecting Precious Moments figurines for many years now. I won't be buying them from your stores anymore."

* James in Cobb Mountain, CA writes, "Please remove all cards & greetings that support the homosexual lifestye; as it is SIN; and against The Word Of God; Our Families; and Nation."

Tags: GODIAN,Politics

Todd Palin Was Registered Member of Alaska Independence Party Until 2002
By Kate Klonick - September 2, 2008, 3:25PM

The McCain camp today disputed rumors that presumptive vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin was ever registered with the secessionist Alaska Independence Party by releasing years of voter registration history . . . but it looks like that doesn't apply to her husband.

This afternoon, the director of Division of Elections in Alaska, Gail Fenumiai, told TPMmuckraker that Todd Palin registered in October 1995 to the Alaska Independence Party, a radical group that advocates for Alaskan secession from the United States.

Besides a short period of a few months in 2000 when he changed his registration to undeclared, Todd Palin remained a registered member of AIP until July 2002 when he registered again as an undeclared voter.

Tags: Politics

Peter Rauhofer Press Release about White Party Miami!

In response to a recent press release from Miami White Party promoter Hilton Wolman, I would like to take this opportunity to shed some light on several facts which White Party has chosen not to acknowledge. This is a classic case of 'pot and kettle', as it was Hilton Wolman himself, who two years ago (as Twilo's promoter) chose to have two competing events (Saturday and Sunday) against White Party, with shuttle buses going all night from the official location at Nikki Beach to Twilo, where Twilo kept 100 percent net profit. This was after weeks of on-going negotiations for the official White Party event at Twilo had fallen apart.

Over the past 10 years, I've supported my services and donated lots of money to White Party only to continuously get mistreated and disrespected by Ric Siclari, who runs that questionable organization. I've experienced numerous instances of extremely unprofessional treatment in the form of bounced checks, hotels not booked/not paid, flights & ground transportation not provided, and it has even gotten to the point where I've had to have my lawyer chase them (for 8 months!) for non-paid deejay fees.....Still, after all the consistent mis-treatment, I've continued to spin for White Party as I wanted to contribute to the good "cause" and not disappoint my fans.

Each year White Party blatantly takes advantage of the power of being a "Charity organization for HIV/AIDS" to make people feel guilty for not participating or contributing. They've burned bridges through their never-ending pattern of ignorance and disrespect towards countless deejays/artists, clubs, promoters, and even volunteers (their revolving-door volunteer staff quits year after year as they are always getting blamed for White Party's mishaps). This consistent mis-treatment sadly reflects in their heavily falling number of attendance throughout the last years.

For the past 10 years, White Party has never officially issued an annual report about income or portion of proceeds donated for their "White Party Events". Even to this day, when logging into their official site I find it strange that an organization of this nature does not disclose the amount donated. Even AFTER having all costs covered by sponsorships, they find every avenue possible to increase their net profit through scams such as ticket price-gouging and short-changing their DJs (I know from first hand experience).

Every charitable organization in the world opens their books and reveals exact numbers in order to inform the public of how much money they made/donated. White Party has left EVERYTHING in the dark for years and continues to do so (while conveniently lining their pockets at everyone's expense). The most you can find on their website or in advertisements is the phrase "Benefiting Care Resource". Benefiting whom? Their CEO?

When making a simple request for information that should be provided by default, people such as Ric Siclari only seem to produce run-around excuses and never disclose the actual facts. Perhaps this is another reason why he changes his staff every year as too much information can be collected by his "volunteers" (who all have horror stories to tell as they face this unprofessional organisation first hand).

When White Party approached me again this year to participate, I decided to do so only if they finally revealed where the profit distribution goes or at least how much of a percentage they actually donate. They again refused to give out ANY information and threatened to "destroy my image" if I did not participate on their terms. It had come to a point for me where this is behavior was no longer acceptable for a "Charity" organization. I decided to refrain from ever working with White Party until they choose to open their books (like any other reputable organization would) and show more respect to the talent that actually makes their tickets sell.

After White Party announced the official deejay line-up for 2008, I received numerous emails from disappointed fans as to WHY I am not participating this year. In addition to the initial frustration I have with the White Party Organization, this is one of the main reasons I decided to have my own event. Plenty of people suggested I do my own "charity" event after they also discovered all of White Party's questionable facts.

With no malicious intent, I've decided to throw my own event in Miami. Without the benefit of sponsorships or charging outlandish entry fees, I'm providing top level DJ's/Live acts and a great venue/party atmosphere. Not only am I donating proceeds but I am also covering all costs out of my own pocket to provide a great event that is backed by honest motives.

This event will be featuring, besides myself, DJ Offer Nissim, DJ Tracy Young and Suzanne Palmer Live. This will be the first WORK Party in Miami @ Mansion with a portion of the proceeds going to the Elton John Aids Foundation. This is reputable organization that allows everybody to track for themselves what money is being donated (www.EJAF.org). If you compare this charity's website with White Party's website, you will notice the difference between a genuine charity and one that is extremely untrustworthy.

At the end of the day, we are not forcing anybody to attend our event. I find more comfort in the fact that I am STILL contributing to people with HIV/AIDS and at the same time giving everyone a choice to decide for themselves which organization is more reputable and where their money should go.

Peter Rauhofer

Tags: Politics,WhiteParty,GODIAN,SUNDAYS

The box office king this weekend was a lil dog...(click here for wallpapers)


The underdog in limited release, Bill Maher's documentary "Religulous" opened well, placing No. 10 with $3.5 million in 502 theaters, averaging $6,972. The Lionsgate release follows Maher as he travels the world to mock one of his favorite topics, organized religion. This per screen average ACTUALLY PLACES THE MOVIE AT #3 for the weekend. Out-shining 7 major release films with much bigger backing. Seems to be a thirst for TRUTH and KNOWLEDGE.

By comparison, "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" averaged $9,020 in 3,215 theaters; "Nick and Norah" pulled in $4,957 in 2,421 locations; "Appaloosa" did $4,799 in 1,045 cinemas; "An American Carol" took in $2,325 in 1,639 sites; and "Flash of Genius" did $2,120 in 1,098 theaters.


1. "Beverly Hills Chihuahua," $29 million.

2. "Eagle Eye," $17.7 million.

3. "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist," $12 million.

4. "Nights in Rodanthe," $7.4 million.

5. "Appaloosa," $5 million.

6. "Lakeview Terrace," $4.5 million.

7. "Burn After Reading," $4.08 million.

8. "Fireproof," $4.07 million.

9. "An American Carol," $3.8 million.

10. Religulous, $3.5 million.

Tags: Movies,Comedy,Politics

RELIGULOUS
...opens friday oct 3 watch the trailer here

Tags: Movies,Comedy,Politics,GODIAN

I'm glad I didn't have to fight in any war. I'm glad I didn't have to pick up a gun. I'm glad I didn't get killed or kill somebody. I hope my kids enjoy the same lack of manhood.
Tom Hanks

Tags: Quotes,Politics,Celebrity

MADONNA’s VOGUE...McCain Style

Tags: Politics,Comedy,Balls

Levi's joining to defeat Calif. gay marriage ban
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) | Sep 26, 9:49 AM

Levi Strauss & Co. is putting its famous pockets behind defeating a ballot initiative that would outlaw same-sex marriage in California.

The San Francisco-based jeans maker said Thursday it will co-chair with Pacific Gas & Electric a group trying to drum up opposition to Proposition 8 in the business community.

Chief Executive Officer John Anderson said the move is consistent with Levi's long history of supporting civil rights causes.

The company ended racial segregation of its California factories in the 1940s and was the first Fortune 500 company to offer health benefits to the domestic partners of its unmarried employees.

In July, PG&E donated $250,000 to the campaign to defeat the gay marriage ban and announced it hoped to persuade other corporations to do the same. Because PG&E is a public utility, though, taking a controversial political stand is less risky for the company than it might be for businesses with greater competition.

Levi Strauss has pledged $25,000 to Equality for All, the coalition leading the No on 8 campaign, says company spokesman E.J. Bernacki. Robert Haas, the company's chairman emeritus, and his wife have given $100,000, Bernacki said.

Two labor unions, the California Council of Service Employees and the California Teachers Association, each have given $250,000. Telecommunications company AT&T has given $25,000.

The referendum seeks to amend the state constitution to overturn the May state Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage here. The amendment's sponsors so far have raised more money in the race than its opponents, who hope that recent $100,000 contributions from actor Brad Pitt and director Steven Spielberg will motivate Hollywood celebrities and moguls to give.

Also Thursday, a Southern California-based business advocacy group came out against Proposition 8. The board of the Valley Industry and Commerce Association, which represents businesses in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles voted "by a significant margin" to oppose the measure, said President Stuart Waldman.

While a few board members argued against VICA taking a stand, maintaining that Proposition 8 was not a business issue, many more directors said it would cost them money and talented workers if the amendment passed, Waldman said.

"The most eloquent argument we got from an employer is they spend so much on human resources dealing with different benefits under domestic partnership rules versus married employees," he said.

unrelated but hysterical
FREE LEVI.org
a new website from Bill Maher hoping to FREE LEVI from the grips of hypocrisy, the rpublican party and the Palin family.

Tags: Politics,Comedy,GODIAN

Palin pushes 'fence sitters' to the left .

The St. Petersburg Times published a report showing state voters were actually turned off by Sarah Palin, who made appearances in Florida this weekend:

"The one thing that frightens me more than anything else are the ideologues. We've seen too many," said 80-year-old Air Force veteran Donn Spegal, a lifelong Republican from St. Petersburg, who sees McCain's new running mate as the kind of "wedge issue" social conservative that has made him disenchanted with his party.

Her visit to Florida was meant to energize voters—Florida is the largest "swing state" in the country, where Obama and McCain are within one or two percentage points of each other in the polls—and her rally reportedly drew approximately 60,000 attendees. But undecided voters surveyed for the story said even though they hadn't supported Obama, they were "turned off" by Palin's ideas and would vote for the Democratic ticket as a result.

Palin was originally praised by the Log Cabin Republicans, as she appeared to be moderately supportive of GLBT issues. She even went so far as to say "I don't judge" about the lives of gay people, when interviewed by Charles Gibson for ABC News. However, it was revealed that she has repeatedly spoken out against the community when it comes to issues such as domestic partnerships.

Tags: Politics

Tags: Politics,Health,Environment

QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“You know how many people came to me calling me gay ‘cause I wear my jeans the fresh way? Or because I said, “Hey, dude, how you gonna say “fag” right in front of a gay dude’s face and act like that’s OK?’ That shit is disrespectful.”


HIs latest Hot Song From The VMA’s (better live)

Tags: Quotes,HIPOP,Politics,Pop

Be Careful People....
It’s kool to feel we have come so far with rights and acceptance, but there are still those who hate us enough to kill. Also, while I’m at it, can I just mention that while you read this article please catch the killers movie choice. Some of my friends have said that I’m stupid for not watching or liking horror films. My response is that when you have seen Horror first hand and you are mentally stable, you have no need to experience it again for fun...




Man Confesses to Weekend Murder of Gay NYC Student in Chelsea

A suspect has confessed to the murder of Kevin Pravia, a 19-year-old gay student who was killed in his apartment on 15th street in the Chelsea district of Manhattan over the weekend following a party near the city's South Street Seaport.

Report: Neighbors, friends pay respects, mourn.

PraviaAccording to the NY Daily News, Pravia's body was discovered — a cord around his neck and a plastic bag shoved down his throat — by his roommate Josephine Madonna, when she returned from a weekend trip:

"Police sources said they were testing theplastic bag, sheet and cord for forensic evidence and looking through surveillance video to see who came in and outof the building. The student's death has not been officially ruled a murder. An autopsy was inconclusive and further tests were needed. As cops dug for clues, Pravia's mother, Paula, made a grim pilgrimage to New York from Peru, Mass., to identify her son. Police said there was no evidence of forced entry or sexual assault. A neighbor, who asked not to be identified, said Madonna and Pravia, friends from Massachusetts, moved into the Chelsea building just two week ago. He was gay and Madonna is straight, the neighbor said. 'His [moving boxes are] still in the hallway,' she said. Another neighbor, Teresa Hicks, 41, was startled when Madonna, who was away for several days, screamed when she found the body in the fifth-floor apartment. 'The girl was shouting, 'My God! My God! He's dead,'' Hicks said."

The NY Post reports: "A 22-year-old Queens man has confessed to killing a Pace University student, who was found strangled in his Chelsea apartment Sunday, police sources said today. The unidentified suspect told cops that he choked and robbed victim Kevin Pravia, 19, after meeting him in Union Square at about 6 a.m. Sunday and accompanying him back to his home. The suspect allegedly told investigators that he bought drugs from Pravia before they went to the apartment - though police sources said they doubt the drug buy claim. Exactly why they went back to the apartment was unclear. But after arriving there and hanging out for a while, Pravia fell asleep, the suspect told cops. That when he allegedly tried to rob the student. The suspect told cops that he punched the sleeping teen, put an electrical cord around his neck, stuffed a plastic bag in his mouth and strangled him."

pictured here...the killer


Killer of Gay Teen's Gloating Explanation: 'Because I Wanted To'

Jeromie Cancel, the killer of gay NYC student Kevin Pravia in his Chelsea apartment over the weekend has shown no remorse over the killing following his confession:

Cancel Soto, 22, brutalized 19-year-old Kevin Pravia, sat near the honor student's corpse to watch the horror movie 'Saw' and then bragged about the murder to his father, the sources said. Asked why he did it as he was marched out of the 10th Precinct stationhouse Tuesday night, Cancel shouted, 'Because I wanted to. You got a problem with that?' Cancel's father, Jesus Soto, said his son had turned up to boast after the killing. 'All the time he was gloating, like it didn't mean nothing to him,' Soto said, recounting Cancel's bizarre appearance at his Queens apartment. 'He was not remorseful, like he was happy with what he did,' said Soto, 40. 'He had this big smile on him.'"

After the Killing...Cancel stole a cell phone, iPod, and laptop before leaving the apartment. According to the NYDN, "Cancel has been arrested four times in Florida, including for drug possession and for stealing a car, officials said. He was charged with murder and manslaughter in Pravia's death."

Tags: GODIAN,700m,Politics

I just watched the Film THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS...it got me thinking about that famous line from our Declaration....I have not read it since i was a kid. Funny how much it applies to our current situation and our current President “who would be king”....

THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

— John Hancock

New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton

Massachusetts:
John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery

Connecticut:
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott

New York:
William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris

New Jersey:
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark

Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross

Delaware:
Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean

Maryland:
Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia:
George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton

North Carolina:
William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn

South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton

Georgia:
Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

Tags: Politics

Sarah Smiles...
Must be painful to tell all those lies and breed all that hate and keep your pitbull lipstick on.
I want to like her because her relatable skills are such. I will just pray in terms she will understand.
“One Day Soon Sarah Palin, I Pray that you see the light of the human race. This light is not the color of your skin, or the prosperity of your own individual party, or the denial of being to other humans who are just trying to BE.
Let us BE. Help heal the world, not separate. Speak of the issues not shady rhetoric.
The light comes from inclusion not separation. Lord, help her see the light”

Do you feel better isolated or adored?

Exactly!

Your welcome.



Sarah Palin: Experience vs Pregnancy vs the Female Vote vs the GOP


A note to all from Alaskan housewife Anne Kilkenny: "So many people have asked me about what I know about Sarah Palin in the last 2 days that I decided to write something up . . ."



"Sarah Palin admitted yesterday her "beautiful daughter" Bristol was five months pregnant and would marry Levi. The baby is due in late December"....Self-described "f---in' redneck" Levi Johnston is baby's father...

McCain's lousy record on teen pregnancy: "Republican John McCain, whose running mate disclosed that her unmarried 17-year-old daughter is pregnant, has opposed proposals to spend federal money on teen-pregnancy prevention programs and voted to require poor teen mothers to stay in school or lose their benefits."

Bristolroad.jpg Washington Post's Sally Quinn: "McCain claims he knew about the pregnancy, and was not at all concerned. Why not? Not only do we have a woman with five children, including an infant with special needs, but a woman whose 17-year-old child will need her even more in the coming months. Not to mention the grandchild. This would inevitably be an enormous distraction for a new vice president (or president) in a time of global turmoil. Not only in terms of her job, but from a media standpoint as well. McCain's cynical choice has created a dilemma for many women. For still-angry Hillary Clinton voters, they will have to decide if they want to vote against their concscience and political interests by voting to elect a Republican woman who's even more conservative than McCain."

POLITICO: New Palin details may help...

Baltimore Sun columnist: "So this is what being pandered to feels like..."

Palin sets off mommy wars: "When Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska was introduced as a vice-presidential pick, she was presented as a magnet for female voters, the epitome of everymom appeal. But since then, as mothers across the country supervise the season’s final water fights and pack book bags, some have voiced the kind of doubts that few male pundits have dared raise on television. With five children, including an infant with Down syndrome and, as the country learned Monday, a pregnant 17-year-old, Ms. Palin has set off a fierce argument among women about whether there are enough hours in the day for her to take on the vice presidency, and whether she is right to try.

DailyKos: Palin candidacy 'Death Watch'...

Obama on Palin 'experience': "My understanding is that Gov. Palin’s town, Wassilla, has I think 50 employees. We've got 2500 in this campaign. I think their budget is maybe 12 million dollars a year – we have a budget of about three times that just for the month...Our ability to manage large systems and to execute I think has been made clear over the past couple of years and certainly in terms of the legislation I’ve passed in the past couple of years, post-Katrina."

Obama: Palin's family off-limits. "Let me be as clear as possible. I think people's families are off-limits, and people's children are especially off-limits. This shouldn't be part of our politics. It has no relevance to Gov. Palin's performance as governor or her potential performance as a vice president. How a family deals with issues and teenage children, that shouldn't be the topic of our politics, and I hope that anybody who is supporting me understands that's off-limits."



Republicans try to brush off pregnancy "tempest" at Convention: "Finally, Cindy McCain walked onstage Monday night in a yellow dress that looked like a rain slicker, to something of a hero's welcome from the crowd. (Her daughters, Meghan and Bridget, and her mother-in-law, Roberta McCain, watched from the VIP box just off the floor.) 'As John has been saying for the last several days,' McCain said, 'this is a time when we take off our Republican hats and put on our American hats.' It's an odd line for a party that claims to have the market cornered on patriotism; if they're not Americans when they're being Republicans, what are they? But if things work the way the McCain campaign hopes, the public will forget that Obama asked the 5 million-plus people on his own campaign's e-mail list to send money to the Gulf (and redirected his Web site's donation pages to the Red Cross)."

John McCain turns on the media, his onetime "base": " As the relationship has deteriorated, McCain has stopped hosting his once-famous 'straight talk' get-togethers on his campaign plane. He also has abandoned regular press conferences. Instead, he stops occasionally to read short written statements in front of cameras, like he did Aug. 31 in Jackson, Mississippi; then walks away from questions shouted by reporters. His campaign plane is custom configured with a lounge area designed for hosting question-and-answer sessions with the press. McCain inaugurated the lounge on one of the plane's first flights and hasn't used it since."

Tags: Politics

Why the media should apologize By: Roger Simon

September 4, 2008 10:50 AM EST

ST. PAUL, Minn. — On behalf of the media, I would like to say we are sorry.

On behalf of the elite media, I would like to say we are very sorry.

We have asked questions this week that we should never have asked.

We have asked pathetic questions like: Who is Sarah Palin? What is her record? Where does she stand on the issues? And is she is qualified to be a heartbeat away from the presidency?

We have asked mean questions like: How well did John McCain know her before he selected her? How well did his campaign vet her? And was she his first choice?

Bad questions. Bad media. Bad.

It is not our job to ask questions. Or it shouldn't be. To hear from the pols at the Republican National Convention this week, our job is to endorse and support the decisions of the pols.

Sarah Palin hit the nail on the head Wednesday night (and several in the audience wish she had hit some reporters on the head instead) when she said: "I'm not a member of the permanent political establishment. And I've learned quickly, these past few days, that if you're not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone.”

But where did we go wrong with Sarah Palin? Let me count the ways:

First, we should have stuck to the warm, human interest stuff like how she likes mooseburgers and hit an important free throw at her high school basketball tournament even though she had a stress fracture.

Second, we should have stuck to the press release stuff like how she opposed the Bridge to Nowhere (after she supported it).

Third, we should never have strayed into the other stuff. Like when The Washington Post recently wrote: "Palin is under investigation by a bipartisan state legislative body. … Palin had promised to cooperate with the legislative inquiry, but this week she hired a lawyer to fight to move the case to the jurisdiction of the state personnel board, which Palin appoints.

Why go there? What trees does that plant?

Fourth, we should stop making with all the questions already. She gave a really good speech. And why go beyond that? As we all know, speeches cannot be written by others and rehearsed for days. They are true windows to the soul.

Unless they are delivered by Barack Obama, that is. In which case, as Palin said Wednesday, speeches are just a "cloud of rhetoric.”

Fifth, we should stop reporting on the families of the candidates. Unless the candidates want us to.

Sarah Palin wanted the media to report on her teenage son, Track, who enlisted in the Army on Sept. 11, 2007, and soon will deploy to Iraq.

Sarah Palin did not want the media to report on her teenage daughter, Bristol, who is pregnant and unmarried.

Sarah Palin thinks that one is good for her campaign and one is not, and that the media should report only on what is good for her campaign. That is our job, and that is our duty. If that is not actually in the Constitution, it should be. (And someday may be)

The official theme of the convention's third day was "prosperity," but the unofficial theme was "the media are really, really awful."

Even Mike Huckabee, who campaigned for president this year by saying "I am a conservative, but I am not mad at anybody," discovered Wednesday night that he is mad at somebody.

"I'd like to thank the elite media for doing something," Huckabee said, "that, quite frankly, I didn't think could be done: unify the Republican party and all of America in support of John McCain and Sarah Palin."

And could that be the real point of the attacks on the media? To unify the Republican Party?

No, that is simply the cynical, media view.

Though as Lily Tomlin says, "No matter how cynical I get, it's just never enough to keep up."

I couldn't resist that. For which I am sorry.

Tags: Politics

Ex-Nanny Fran Drescher is throwing a benefit to fight Proposition 8 (the ballot measure that would define marriage as between a man and a woman in California) with her ex-husband Peter Jacobson tonight for $100 a head. It's sold out.

Drescher told E!'s Marc Malkin: "I don't know if you realize this, but I'm a gay icon. But even if I weren't, I'm a political activist who believes in preserving the American dream which is tolerance of diversity and the separation of church and state…It's simply un-American not to be tolerant of different lifestyles. If you wanna live in a single-minded, religious-based country you're in the wrong place. It's not about being gay or straight…If two people are in love and they want to be married, they should have the right to do this."

Tags: 700m,Politics

Dennis Gets no Airplay, this was only shown on CSPAN...
America can’t handle Dennis cause he don’t play, there’s no political BS, just straight TRUTH.
He’s a little nervous (and rightfully so, cause you know what the current P and VP are capable of)
yet in his nervous rushed stance he still delivers the best speach

WAKE UP AMERICA

Tags: Politics,GODIAN,700m

Official sues: Don't tell voters about same-sex law
By Howard Fischer
Capitol Media Services
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 08.23.2008

PHOENIX — Secretary of State Jan Brewer has gone to court to avoid having to tell Arizona voters that state law already bars same-sex marriage.
In a lawsuit filed Friday, Brewer said the only thing she needs to explain on the ballot is approval of Proposition 102 would amend the state constitution to define marriage as a union of one man and one woman
She wants to limit the legally required explanation of the effect of voting "no" on the measure would "have the effect of retaining the current laws regarding marriage."
And she wants Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Mark Aceto to block efforts by Attorney General Terry Goddard to expand the explanation to say existing laws already include "a statutory ban on same-sex marriage."
Brewer said she believes the measure is clearer without the language Goddard wants. She also said one reason she wants the shorter version is she heard from the group pushing Proposition 102 that it believes mentioning the existing law would confuse voters and cause many to vote against the measure.
Goddard, however, said voters are entitled to know what laws already are on the books.
He contends that adopting the limited description Brewer wants actually could cause more confusion, that some people might conclude that if they vote against Proposition 102 they would be allowing gays to marry.
Goddard also pointed out that the language he wants is exactly the same as was used two years ago, when a similar measure was on the ballot. Goddard said neither side filed legal protests to that wording.
This time, however, Peter Gentala, attorney for Arizonans for Marriage, is objecting.
In a letter to Brewer, Gentala said a poll conducted after voters defeated the 2006 proposal shows some people who voted against it — voters who were exposed to the language about existing state law — said they thought they were voting for the constitutional ban.
Gentala also said telling people same-sex marriages already are against the law "includes an argument against the proposition." He cited comments by Gov. Janet Napolitano, who, in announcing her opposition to Proposition 102, said it is unnecessary because "we already have a statute that defines marriage."
Gentala, staff attorney for the Center for Arizona Policy, which worked to convince legislators to put the issue on this year's ballot, refused to comment on his letter to Brewer.
The fight comes as proponents, stung by the defeat two years ago, seek to get it approved this time. One thing they did is narrow the scope.
The 2006 measure would have not only constitutionally banned gay marriage but also barred state and local governments from recognizing civil unions or providing benefits such as health insurance to the domestic partners of their employees. It lost by 54,000 votes out of nearly 1.5 million ballots cast.
This proposal, rewritten by the Center for Arizona Policy, deals only with marriage.
Proponents of Proposition 102 agree the Legislature made same-sex marriage illegal in 1996, a law that was upheld by the state Court of Appeals, a decision the Arizona Supreme Court declined to review.
But backers point out that California also had a law banning gay marriage until that state's Supreme Court ruled in May that gays are constitutionally entitled to the same rights as heterosexual couples, including the right to wed.
Brewer said mentioning existing Arizona law "confuses people."
"The bottom line is, we're dealing with the constitution, and they want to kind of muddy it up with the statutes," she said. "And I don't agree with that."
The California decision was based on a conclusion that constitutional rights trump state statutes.

Tags: Politics,700m

Family Affair: Miami attorneys Jeff Hearne and Mark Balzli are among the first gay couples to register as domestic partners in Miami Dade County. They are raising a son, Aidan.
(Photo by Juan Carlos Rodriguez)
By JUAN CARLOS RODRIGUEZ
AUG. 14, 2008, FLoridai Blade

One step toward equality
Miami Dade’s DP registry brings assurance to countless unmarried couples.

August 18 promises to be a landmark day in Miami-Dade County for the multitude of unmarried couples living in long-term, committed relationships.

At 10 a.m. the Miami-Dade community services department will open the county’s first domestic partnership registry. County commissioners approved the measure May 20, with an 8 - 4 vote.

The decision was hailed as a thorough, if not long overdue, victory for the gay community and for countless unmarried straight couples.

As the department prepares for what could be dozens of gay and straight couples lining up on the ninth floor of the county building to be among the first to register, Amendment 2—the statewide measure to recognize only one-man-one-woman marriages—looms on the Nov. 4 ballot.

If 60 percent of Florida voters approve it, Amendment 2 could render the county registry null and void.

That threat, however, is not enough to scare off as many as 30 couples whom GLBT organizers expect to register Monday.

Sonya Perez, a spokesperson for the community services department, said the county will provide the couples a waiting room and an on-premises notary Monday to help finalize the documents of those couples who have not yet finished their paperwork. County workers will be specially assigned to handle the amount of applications on Monday as well, Perez said.

For two Miami couples, attorneys Mark Balzli and Jeff Hearne, and gay activist Kirk Arthur and chemical engineer Alfredo Iglesias, the event is more than just a photo op.

Both couples say the registry is a small step toward a larger goal: that of marriage equality.

Both couples have children. Balzli and Hearne, together for six years, are raising their son Aidan, who, at 8 years-old, is obsessed with dinosaurs. Arthur and Iglesias’ 19 year-old son Alfie lives on his own in San Diego, Calif.

Together the couples represent two successful gay families at different points in their lives. And each have taken measures to get some form of legal recognition for their union. The attorneys were among the first couples to register as domestic partners in Miami Beach in 2003. Arthur and Iglesias were married July 11 in California. Their marriage, however, is not legally recognized in Florida due to current state laws.

Both couples said they were determined to step forward to be officially recognized here at home.

“The legislation says the county will honor our partnership,” Balzli said. “It’s not going to hurt. We have an eight-year-old boy and we don’t want to have issues.”

The registry is especially beneficial to GLBT families with children: Florida is the only state in the U.S. that specifically outlaws gay couples from adopting together, and while the registry does not overturn that law, it does provide limited legal recognition of guardianship for both parents.

The Miami-Dade registry will also give couples more leverage in emergency circumstances to deal with their finances and property in case one of them passes away.

“It’s not marriage, but it’s a start,” said Orlando Gonzales, SAVE’s interim executive director. “After we achieve [marriage] then there will be another celebration.”

For the meantime, Gonzales said, the new registry provides an opportunity for the public to break through preconceived notions about the gay community. He said the registry will help “quantify” how many GLBT people are in serious committed family relationships. That information, he said, will help inform future policy making.

Like most gay couples who’ve built lives together, Arthur and Iglesias say they don’t need a certificate to define their relationship, after 13 years together in a committed relationship.

But Arthur and Iglesias said the new registry provides an extra measure of security. Aside from establishing a legal recognition of their bond, being registered will serve to keep things, “straight” with the public.

“It solves a lot of the ambiguities,” Iglesias said.

“It just feels good,” Arthur chimes in. “You have a word that people understand, and there’s no question.”

Miami-Dade’s registry is the latest controversial issue to swing in the gay community’s favor. In 2002, SAVE was instrumental in beating a repeal of the county’s Human Rights Ordinance which barred sexual orientation discrimination. The county was at the center of the 1970s gay movement when county commissioners defeated Anita Bryant’s Save Our Children campaign, which would have repealed a local Dade county ordinance that prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Heddy Peña, SAVE’s former executive director, played a key role in winning commissioner’s support for the Miami-Dade registry. She said while she recognizes the historic nature of the inaugural date, she is not quite ready to celebrate.

“For the moment it’s a step forward,” she said. “But in the long run, depending on what happens with Amendment 2, it could be a step back.”

Peña stepped down from SAVE last week to focus her efforts on the campaign to defeat Amendment 2, which threatens to disband the registry if approved by voters Nov. 4. She said she will be “showing up” to the county building Monday.

SAVE’s board of directors will likely announce its choice for its next executive director, Gonzales said. In the meantime the organization will focus on defeating Amendment 2, and thus protecting the rights that the Miami Dade registry provides.

Tags: Politics,Family,700m

BEIJING — Two elderly Chinese women who applied to hold a protest during the Olympics were ordered to spend a year in a labor camp, a relative said Wednesday.

The women were still at home three days after being officially notified that they would have to serve a yearlong term of re-education through labor, but were under surveillance by a government-backed neighborhood group, said Li Xuehui, the son of one of the women. Li said no cause was given for the order to imprison his 79-year-old mother, Wu Dianyuan, and her neighbor Wang Xiuying, 77. "Wang Xiuying is almost blind and disabled. What sort of reeducation through labor can she serve?" Li said. "But they can also be taken away at any time."

Beijing announced last month that it would allow protests in three parks far from the Olympic venues during the games but they had to be approved in advance. Of the some 77 applications lodged so far, none has been approved, and rights groups have called the zones a charade.

The elderly women, Wu and Wang, small and gray-haired, make unlikely activists. Wang, who used to sell ice cream, walks with a wooden cane, one hand holding onto Wu for support. But Li said they have been fighting since being kicked out of their Beijing homes in 2001 to make way for redevelopment. They complained to district officials, then to city authorities, and finally demonstrated 16 times this year in two of Beijing’s most sensitive areas — Tiananmen Square and Zhongnanhai, the compound where China’s leaders live and work. After Beijing announced the Olympic protest zones, Wu and Wang applied repeatedly for a permit but failed to get one.

The cases of Wu and Wang "show that while China has now proven it is able to host international events to perfection, it still has a long way to go before it respects even minimal international human rights standards," said Nicholas Bequelin of the New York-based Human Rights Watch.

"China is riding roughshod over its promises to allow lawful protests during the games," he said.

Wu Dianyuan, center, and Wang Xiuying wait to apply for a protest permit
as an officer asks them to move on. . AP/NG HAN GUAN

my thought
-I ONLY HOPE THAT THE INTERACTION WITH SO MANY RATIONAL FREE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD HAS INFECTED THE GROSS IRRATIONAL GOVERNMENT OF CHINA. CHANGE COMES THROUGH EXTENDING A HELPING HAND, UNFORTUNATELY, AT THE MOMENT, CHINA SEEMS MORE LIKELY TO CUT THAT HAND OFF, RATHER THAN ACCEPT IT.

Tags: Politics

I think we agree, the past is over.
George W Bush

I think there is a Trojan horse lurking in the weeds trying to pull a fast one on the American people.
George W Bush

I think war is a dangerous place.
George W Bush

I understand small business growth. I was one.
George W Bush

Tags: Quotes,Comedy,Politics

Whats all this “NO HOMO” shit?
If you need to say NO HOMO, U probably are...i do not agree with CAMRONS take on it. because even if it’s not about somebody being gay but someone saying something gay its still so GAY of you, lol. PS, how does one thats not a homo really know what is homo...and we didn’t forget bout your pink suits Camron (no homo, right....)
While were on it, the guys who dis him, D-BLOCK and DiPLOMATS talkin so much shia and walkin around doing the GAYEST THING OF THE LAST 10 YEARS, the Hip Hop Fashion of SAGGING.
The funniest thing about these “Straight Hard Thug’s” wearing their jeans this way is 3 fold.
1. If you really gangsta you would know enough that you may need to run from popo sometime and ya jeans being half off would slow that exposed ass down,
2. Most people, think rappers started the trend of baggy jeans and pants falling and hanging off your waist, but Judge Greg Mathis says that's not the case. According to his Honor, this trend started in prison as a result of inmates not being allowed to wear belts. Because their pants would hang and sag, this style came to be known as saggin'. When these young men would be released back into society, they brought saggin' with them and other young black males in the neighborhood copied the style as something that says macho or cool. This is a prison thing, young man, is this something you want to identify yourself with? Do you want to be like criminals? That's what saggin' reflects! Judge Mathis went on to say embracing prison practices creates a prison mentality. Case in point, I saw one young black man at the festival with pants down below his waist and a chrome replica of a .45-caliber pistol on the front of his jeans. What message is that symbol sending about him and what does it say about how he sees himself? Rappers made saggin' popular and somewhat mainstream with our youth as well as with whites, Asians and Latinos, but what rappers didn't do was start this trend. Prisoners did, and that's who our young men are imitating by wearing their pants the way they do.
3. It has often been argued that showing your boxers in jail has a very particular meaning. "You're letting another man know that you're available," It seems that the only reason you would expose your ass on the street, is because you want someone or something in your ass. So if your selling your ass in this way to a “GIRL” because your “STRAIGHT”, what’s she gonna do with it? Seems very DL, no?

That shia is seriously GAY and i mean GAY how straight people say Gay when they are being shady, not Gay like “i am a Homo Gay”.
So this new fad of NO HOMO is just another way to discriminate against Gays and make fun of em...
This Shia is NOT meant as kind to “HOMO’s” although i do like the ideas thrown out in one of these below...lol...(which one, hmmm) ...
Im not saying loking at saggers aint cute, just saying, if u think about it, its STUPID.

NO HOMO is more stupid than funny... which would make it hella STRAIGHT, as in, “I made another No Homo Video for YOUtube today, but i called NO STRAIGHT, so it’s o.k.””







Ok, i need to lighten up,



SATISFACTION?


Last word...
TAKE IT LIKE A woMAN


Ok, One More Word,
If you keep wearing ya jeans past yo ass its gonna drive ya crazy. If you don’t believe me, just ask the very first man who ever rocked that style PRESIDENT CHARLEY seen below

Tags: Politics,Comedy

The American Family Association, a group of misguided folks, hate the word GAY. So much so that they have a filter on their news feed website which changes the word GAY to HOMOSEXUAL (every instance). So here’s what happened.
Tyson Gay who won the 100-meter trials for the Bejijing Olympics got filtered to become, TYSON HOMOSEXUAL. The story read, “Tyson Homosexual clocked in at 9.68 seconds”....(lol). It furthered, “Wearing a royal blue uniform with red and white diagonal stripes accross the front, along with matching shoes...Homosexual dominated the competition.”
The funniest part is that their news stories go to the Associated Press wire and it’s policy states that stories not be rewritten once published, so....they had to stick with their version of events and become the laughingstock of the news world.

Tags: Politics

While they FIRE gay Linguists left and Wrong,
the idea is to now beg and spend TAX money for...

Army Linguists Net $150,000 Bonus
James Joyner | Tuesday, August 5, 2008
The Army is looking at paying incredibly large bonuses to people fluent in Arabic and other strategically important languages.

The Army may begin paying a retention bonus of as much as $150,000 to Arabic speaking soldiers in reflection of how critical it has become for the US military to retain native language and cultural know-how in its ranks.
Only one other job in the Army, Special Forces, rates such a super-sized retention bonus. Now, as the military makes a fundamental shift toward rewarding the linguistic expertise it needs the most, it is expanding a program to train and retain native Arabic and other speakers from the same regions in which it is fighting.
[..]
After the invasion of Iraq and the insurgency that followed, the US military recognized its dearth of linguistic competence in the country it had just toppled, and it scrambled to identify Arabic and other linguists. The military’s conventional language training program, the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, Calif., could not churn out enough American soldiers proficient in Arabic, Kurdish, Dari, Pashtu, and Farsi, and the military quickly turned to private contractors to fill the gap. Numerous programs have sprouted up, including one at Fort Lewis, Wash., where soldiers are given a 10-month immersion program in language and culture.
But the Army has also been quietly growing its own capability to recruit and train Arab-Americans and others as American soldiers to do high-level work overseas. The Army now has more than 600 such linguists, known by their military job designation as “09 Limas.” They come from places like Morocco, Egypt, and Sudan, but are recruited by the Army wherever there are large Arab-American populations, including Dearborn, Mich.; Miami; Dallas; Los Angeles; and Washington, D.C. The Defense Department is now authorized to put green-card holders on a fast track to US citizenship. The 09 Lima linguists are in so much demand that the Army is raising the number it will recruit next year, from 250 to 275.
But as the US government recognizes the long-term commitment it is making to Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, the competition for these native speakers is fierce among other government agencies such as the FBI and CIA, as well as other military services and private contractors.
This was inevitable if largely a problem of the Defense Department’s own making. Many of us recognized this need in the early 1990s, when it was obvious that we had far too few linguists and that Southwest and Central Asian languages would be in high demand. The fact that DoD will hire private contractors at princely wages, thereby essentially bidding against itself on this front, isn’t helping.
The obvious downside of the bonus approach, aside from it being expensive, is that it could radically skew the pay structure of the force. Depending on how many years the bonus is spread out over, you could have private E-1s making more money than bird colonels.

Tags: Politics

Tags: Comedy,Politics

Sen. Obama Responds to Jennifer Chrisler’s Questions on Family Policy
Just three weeks ago, presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain said in a NYTimes interview that he does not “believe in gay adoption.” The Family Equality Council immediately responded, issuing a statement questioning McCain’s grasp on the reality of American families.
A great deal of press ensued, including this AP article that generated interest in the issue nationwide. Even though our efforts to raise the visibility of McCain’s divisive statement resulted in increased attention to LGBT family issues, we didn’t think that a press statement went far enough.
On Wednesday, July 23 Jennifer Chrisler, Executive Director of Family Equality Council, issued identical letters to Sens. McCain and Obama, outlining the vast array of family types in this country and asking both candidates to explain how their administrations would work to recognize, respect, protect and celebrate all loving families in the US. One week later, Sen. Obama issued the following statement in response to Jennifer:
Dear Jennifer,
While we live in a nation that is enriched by a vast array of diverse traditions, cultures and histories, it is our commonality that most defines us. The desire to build a life with a loved one, to provide for a family and to have children who will grow and thrive — these are desires that all people share, regardless of race, sex, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity. My own experience has taught me this lesson well. I was born to a single mother, my devoted grandparents helped raise me, and then I married the woman of my dreams and had two beautiful daughters. The love that has blessed each of those households has been strong and sure, and I know that millions of families across this nation share the same blessings.
We know that the cost of the American dream must never come at the expense of the American family. For decades we’ve had politicians in Washington who talk about family values, but we haven’t had policies that value families. Instead, it’s harder for working parents to make a living while raising their kids. It’s even harder to get a break.
That’s why I’ll double spending on quality after-school programs - so that you can know your kids are safe and secure. And that’s why I’ll expand the Family Medical Leave Act to include more businesses and millions more workers; to let parents participate in school activities with their kids; and to cover elderly care. And we’ll finally put federal support behind state efforts to provide paid family and medical leave. We’ll require employers to provide seven paid sick days each year. We’ll enforce laws that prohibit caregiver discrimination. And we’ll encourage flexible work schedules to better balance work and parenting for mothers and fathers. That’s the change that working families need.
But we also have to do more to support and strengthen LGBT families. Because equality in relationship, family, and adoption rights is not some abstract principle; it’s about whether millions of LGBT Americans can finally live lives marked by dignity and freedom. That’s why we have to repeal laws like the Defense of Marriage Act. That’s why we have to eliminate discrimination against LGBT families. And that’s why we have to extend equal treatment in our family and adoption laws.
I’ll be a president that stands up for American families – all of them.
Sincerely,
Barack Obama
The Family Equality Council applauds Sen. Obama for his timely and thoughtful response to serious questions that define the health and safety of millions of American families. As of today, we have heard nothing in return from Sen. McCain.

Tags: Politics

Coral Reefs Face Extinction
Friday, Jul. 11, 2008
By BRYAN WALSH

You don't have to be a marine biologist to understand the importance of corals — just ask any diver. The tiny underwater creatures are the architects of the beautiful, electric-colored coral reefs that lie in shallow tropical waters around the world. Divers swarm to them not merely for their intrinsic beauty, but because the reefs play host to a wealth of biodiversity unlike anywhere else in the underwater world. Coral reefs are home to more than 25% of total marine species. Take out the corals, and there are no reefs — remove the reefs, and entire ecosystems collapse.

Unfortunately, that's exactly what appears to be happening around the world. According to a comprehensive survey by the Global Marine Species Assessment (GMSA) published Thursday in Science, one-third of the more than 700 species of reef-building corals are threatened with extinction. Compare that to a decade ago, when only 2% of corals were endangered. Using criteria established by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature — a group that publishes an annual Red List of threatened animals — that makes corals the most endangered species on the Earth. The assessment's results, presented at the annual International Coral Reef Symposium in Fort Lauderdale, come just a week after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that more than half of the coral reef ecosystems in U.S. territory are in fair or poor condition. "We're losing the coral in the coral reef," said William Platt, a coral reef expert with NOAA.
The causes of the coral's demise are manifold, but they all come back to one culprit: us. Overfishing — especially the kind that uses dynamite or poison to kill whole schools of fish — destroys the coral directly, while polluted runoff from agriculture simply chokes them. Development in booming coastal economies from the Caribbean to Southeast Asia further threaten the delicate reefs. Tourism — in the form of diving and snorkeling — can also cause damage. As with so many other endangered species around the world, there doesn't seem to be enough space for healthy coral reefs and unchecked human development. "It's just a litany of bad actions," says Brian Huse, the executive director of the Coral Reef Alliance. "Over the past 35 to 50 years, we've lost 25% of our reefs worldwide. Put it altogether, and you can see why."
Disease plays a role as well, with whole coral colonies wiped out by sudden sickness. That rise in illness may be linked to warmer sea temperatures, which is caused by climate change. And it's global warming that poses the most serious threat to the survival of coral. Corals have a symbiotic relationship with a kind of algae that provide nutrients and energy through photosynthesis — not to mention the vivid colors we associate with coral reefs. When corals are stressed by rising temperatures, the algae are expelled by the coral, turning the reefs bone white. That's a "bleaching event," and bleached coral are left weakened and defenseless against disease. Increased carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere also lead to more acidic seas, which impairs the ability of corals to form their skeletal reefs. (In acidic water, the reefs simply dissolve.) "Corals appear to be particularly sensitive to the buildup of CO2," says Kent Carpenter, the lead author of the Science study and the director of GMSA. "The corals will be the canary in the coal mine in terms of the effect climate change will have on our oceans."
In one way, protecting the coral is not that different from protecting any endangered species. First, we need to cut back on activities that ruin their habitat, the shallow waters close to our coast. Agricultural runoff — already responsible for the oceanic "dead zones" seen in the Gulf of Mexico and other heavily built up coasts — has to be curtailed, as does the senselessly destructive fishing practices that have us tossing dynamite or poison into the waters. One of the best strategies is to expand the range of territory protected by marine reserves — national parks of the deep. And here the Bush Administration — usually anything but environmental — deserves real credit. With a stroke of a pen in 2006, President George W. Bush created the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, a 140,000 sq. mi. protected area northwest of Hawaii. Larger than every other national park in the U.S. combined, the monument protects 10% of the shallow coral reef habitat in U.S. territory. These kind of reserves need to be expanded, to limit the influence of human activity on delicate corals.
But we could make the entire ocean into a marine park and still lose the coral, if we can't stop climate change. As temperatures rise in the ocean, bleaching events will become more and more common. According to a study published in Science late last year, if CO2 levels continue rising unabated, by 2100 coral could be utterly extinct. "If we can't contain the CO2 problem and enact strong coral reef conservation measures, we will lose them," says Carpenter. The depressing fate of the coral could be a reminder that climate change has the power to undo all the work of wildlife conservation over the past century — if we let it.

Tags: Politics,Environment

Oral arguments set in Sen. Craig sex-sting appeal

Craig will attempt to withdraw guilty plea
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) | Aug 1, 10:27 AM
Idaho Sen. Larry Craig will get his next day in Minnesota's courts on Sept. 10. That's the date for oral arguments on his attempt to withdraw his guilty plea in a sex sting at the Minneapolis airport.
Craig was arrested last summer in a bathroom stall by an undercover officer who said Craig solicited sex. Craig pleaded guilty, but later said that was a mistake.

A Hennepin County judge refused to allow Craig to withdraw his plea. Now a three-judge panel of the Minnesota Court of Appeals will consider the Republican's case.

MY NOTE:
Michaelangelo Signorile (best known for his show on the
GAY satellite chanel of SIRIUS sattelite radio) is going on an
un-official LARRY CRAIG TOUR
following around McCain to cities that Larry has had public sex in...lol

Tags: Politics

Tags: Politics,Comedy

Two days before a shotgun-wielding Steven Kazmierczak shot 21 students inside a lecture hall on the campus of Northern Illinois University, taking the lives of five people as well as his own, 15-year-old Lawrence "Larry" King was shot in the head at the E.O. Green School in Oxnard, California, reportedly for being gay. He was in the eighth grade.
Three days after the shooting, on February 15, King was taken off life support and pronounced dead.
King's killer, 14-year-old Brandon McInerney, apparently targeted the student because he was openly gay and sometimes dressed in women's clothes. King also wore makeup and jewelry to class on occasion. It's possible that McInerney, who has been charged with murder and the commission of a hate crime, will be tried as an adult, which means he could face 50 years to life in prison if convicted.
King's death came 10 years after the brutal murder of University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard, who was also killed because of his sexual orientation. But for some reason, King's murder generated just a fraction of the media coverage that follows most school-shooting incidents. In fact, most of the initial reports about the killing were turned out by local news agencies, and the national media didn't catch up until several days later.
A series of candlelight vigils have been held throughout the U.S. in the wake of the student's death (an estimated 1,000 people marched in Oxnard the weekend following the murder), in an effort to raise awareness of what many feel was a largely underreported case. MTV News attended one such vigil on Friday night, just outside of Los Angeles, where dozens gathered — not with candles but glowsticks — to remember King.
Now the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), a leading gay-rights student organization, has decided to make King's murder one of the central themes of this year's annual Day of Silence on April 25.
"This year, we're going to incorporate, within the Day of Silence, a way for students to remember Lawrence King and sort of use it as a day to honor him and to bring attention to what happened," said GLSEN spokesperson Daryl Presgraves. "The overall themes will include King and the immediate need to address anti-LGBT harassment. If ever there were a sign that schools need to realize how far such harassment can go, and why it's important to address it now, it's Lawrence King."
Since King's murder, there have been 30 candlelight vigils throughout the country, with one planned for Washington, D.C., early next week (a complete list of these events can be found at GLSEN.org). Presgraves wasn't sure exactly how the national Day of Silence would commemorate King's passing, but said the theme of the day will be remembering the slain student.
"It's a prevalent and pervasive problem in all of our schools," he said of anti-LGBT violence and bullying, adding that he's not quite sure why King's death was all but ignored by the national media. "For whatever reason, there's still a lack of willingness to address the anti-LGBT bullying that goes on in schools. We don't know why, but there's still sort of this sense of having our heads buried in the sand. What happened to Lawrence King is a much more isolated incident, but what happened leading up to his death happens to youth every day, all the time. He was just expressing himself, and we're seeing more of this — youth are being open at an earlier age, and they are proud of their identities, but that doesn't mean someone won't bully them for it. In this case, King was bullied to such an extreme ... you can't get worse than that."
In addition to organizing the national Day of Silence, GLSEN pushes for anti-LGBT-bullying legislation, and works with schools to tackle the problem. Currently, there are only 10 states that protect students from bullying based on sexual orientation: California, Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. Five of those states protect students based on gender expression and identity (California, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota and New Jersey).
"We encourage all states that it's something they can start addressing," Presgraves said. "In almost every state, there is something that can be done right away."

In memory of Lawrence "Larry" Fobes King1/13/1993 - 2/13/2008
Do not stand at my grave and weep,I am not there. I do not sleep.I am a thousand winds that blow,I am the snow on the mountain's rim,I am the laughter in children's eyes,I am the sand at the water's edge,I am the sunlight on ripened grain,I am the gentle Autumn rain,When you awaken in the morning's hush,I am the swift uplifting rush of quiet birds in circled flight,I am the star that shines at night,Do not stand at my grave and cry,I am not there, I did not die.

If we all do what we can regarding Hate Crimes Legislation...Then the spirit of this senselessly slain child will definitely not die. We must keep diversity alive and protected in our nation and in the world.
___________________________________________
What actions youth can take:
1. Request this page as a My Space friend: Make sure Lawrence King is not forgotten.
2. Organize an action within your own school to fight again anti-LGBT bullying, harassment and name-calling. Here's how:
A. Organize a Day of Silence to raise awareness of the silence that LGBT and ally students face every day - www.dayofsilence.org.
B. Find and support allies in your school - www.dayofsilence.org/ally.
C. Find out about your school's safe schools policies by setting up a meeting with your principal.
You can reach out to the GLBT NATIONAL YOUTH TALKLINE 1-800-246-PRIDE (1-800-246-7743). The GLBT National Youth Talkline provides telephone and email peer-counseling, as well as factual information and local resources for cities and towns across the United States.
If you need any additional support or would like to talk to someone, please contact the TREVOR PROJECT HOTLINE at 1-866-4-U-TREVOR (866-488-7386).
Things Adult Organizers Can Do Right Now:
1. Partner with local organizations to organize a community action or vigil in memory of Lawrence and other youth who were lost to violence based upon sexual orientation and gender identity/expression. The Ventura County Rainbow Alliance organized a vigil Friday night, February 15, in Ventura County, where Lawrence lived. Many other vigils are expected to take place in California and the rest of the country over the course of the next week.
2. Help others learn about Lawrence. Share his story with your peers, friends and family, and through media such as blogs, listserves, letters to the editor, press releases and more.
3. Prepare resource information, such as community organizations and counseling/wellness services, for LGBT youth and allies to contact. This is an emotional and scary time for a lot of people, and it is important to know where to go for support.
4. Get involved with local organizations that work to create safe schools for all students, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity/expression. If there is not one in your community, start one!
Actions Educators can take:
Here are some resources available for educators to use around this issue.
Ten things Educators can do... To ensure that their classrooms are safe spaces for ALL students. You can download this resource and more here: Ten things Educators can do
Zero Indifference: A How-to Guide to Ending Name-Calling in Schools. You can download this resource here: Zero Indifference


Additional Links
GLSEN - Remembering Lawrence
Lawrence King Memorial
1,000 march in Oxnard in tribute to slain teen - Los Angeles Times

Tags: Politics

"I will work hard to make sure Americans aren't deceived by an eloquent but empty call for change," said McCain.

Really?
Jealous of the eloquence of Obama? Not surprised. He not only speaks eloquently, he also thinks eloquently. Funny how the republican best suited to continue in George W’s footsteps would find fault with such an inspiring figure. Who are you inspiring Senator McCain? Talk about the issues. Barack Obama can hold his own in an issue debate with you. So stop playing so LCD (lowest common denominator). Personal attacks show your ineptitude, not your opponents.

I hope Obama continues his string of wins and has face to face DEBATES with John McCain. We will see who the intelligent countrymen choose as president. We shall see your true colors Mr McCain as you get tongue tied and change your response to more personal topic and going on the attack.

Even your wife makes our country look inept. The recent comeback to Michelle Obama was so unnecessary. Michelle said "for the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country." This is not a negative comment. She was being GENUINE. She further explains "What I was clearly talking about was that I'm proud in how Americans are engaging in the political process," she said. "For the first time in my lifetime, I'm seeing people rolling up their sleeves in a way that I haven't seen and really trying to figure this out -- and that's the source of pride that I was talking about.".Does she have many other comparative reasons for such pride in the past 20 years? There is real CHANGE afoot. I say that the LEAST GENUINE AWARD GOES TO CINDY MCCAIN (Johns Wife)...for her “comeback” to this statement by Michelle.

“I am proud of my country. I don’t know about you? If you heard those words earlier, I am very proud of my country,” Mrs. McCain said while revving up the crowd and introducing her husband. “I just wanted to make the statement that I have and always will be proud of my country,” ....REALLY
your PROUD of our war with IRAQ?
your PROUD of our DEFICIT?
your PROUD of fixed elections?
your PROUD of our president who stumbles nearly every speach?
your PROUD of REGAN selling arms to the very people we are now at WAR with?
your PROUD of our insatiable WASTE and over-consumption?
your PROUD of our ranking as number 18 out of 24 for EDUCATION Worldwide?
your PROUD of our ranking as 53rd in the WORLD for FREEDOM of The Press?
your PROUD of AMERICA’s HEALTHCARE SYTEM?...out of the six nations studied... Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States—the U.S. ranks last.

I could go on like this for hours but I am tired of being the logical, intelligent, caring American today... leave the ball in your court. Forward this info. Expand on these ideas. Point out the hypocrisy When you see it.
We’ll all be better off...
oh, and btw...
VOTE OBAMA

Tags: Politics

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 24 MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WILL GATHER to watch the 80th annual Academy Awards Show. This year like the last several will be no exception, the best picture category will go to something mediocre and hardly worthy. Still, fun to watch the famous squirm in their seats waiting uncomfortably for the winner is....NONE OF THESE....Atonement,ok. JUNO heartwarming, but best picture?? MICAHAEL CLAYTON, great picture, not BEST picture. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, mildly entertaining, totally fucked up story and an ending no one understands except for the old men voting apparently. THERE WILL BE BLOOD, perhaps for best Actor, NOT best picture.
these are your nominees
ATONEMENT
JUNO
MICHAEL CLAYTON
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
THERE WILL BE BLOOD
i say fuk that....i saw a ton of great movies last year...any of these tips the oscars list
300
ACROSS THE UNIVERSE
BLADES OF GLORY
BOURNE ULTIMATUM
EL CANTANTE’
LAST MIMZY
LA VIE EN ROSE
PERSOPOLIS
RATATOUILLE
SHOOT EM UP
SICKO
SMOKIN ACES
TRANSFORMERS
FEEL FREE TO ADD MORE TO THE LIST...

THEN WATCH ON FEB 24 AND BE DISAPPOINTED WITH THE REST OF US.
On the bright side,, at least they didnt nominate SWEENIE TODD
which was OK but DEFINITELY NOT PICTURE OF THE YEAR. Although the Golden Globes thought so...lolololololololol
critics....ha, what do they know.

CLIK HERE FOR THE FULL LIST

Tags: Politics,Tv,Movies

Ladies and Gentleman...
On Day 1, we need a President who is not in the pocket of Special Interest, does not agree with the War, cares enough about Gay Rights to make them a major part of his Campaign Speech given in a southern CHURCH....

Some of you are scared of what could happen if we don’t have the status quo in office,
well look at what has happened with it...
I like Bill Clinton as much as the next guy, but can you say that u TRUST Hillary with not being a corporate push over?

read
The Buck Stops Here, Unless You Marry It (Or Were Sired By It, Or Are Its Cousin...)

Skull & Bones

If you are still a Republican (with the party not standing up for Republican values)
I have no way to help you, because you have already decided to just vote along party lines
by still calling yourself a Republican through the last 30 years of Non-Republican Republicans.
BUT
if you are Independent or Democrat, I urge you to be an idealist for once.
Don’t pick Hillary because you feel it is the safe choice.
Everyone wanted to have a beer with George W and how much money has been made off this War in no bid contracts by Mr B and Mr C?


I firmly believe that Obama should be the next President Of The United States.
This is why...
GAY RIGHTS
If you were to discuss Gay Rights with Hillary, she will do what is politically correct.
If you were to discuss Gay Rights with Obama he will do what is Morally correct. (and has already stated so).
WAR
If Hillary makes a mistake (like voting for the war) she can’t even admit it...and tries to blame others
(just like George W)
ECONOMY
The Economy will get better with ANY president who isn’t trying to line their pockets with LOBBY money, INSURANCE money, WAR money....can you say that For Hillary?
LEADERSHIP
Much like my lead in story where Barack speaks for Gay Rights In a conservative Church, He continually shows this mark of Leadership. All along the campaign trail, if there was mis-information aimed at him, he responded honestly and with facts. Hillary gets asked a question and somehow turns it around to be about something else.
HEALTHCARE
This one looked tough at first glance especially with recent articles....HOWEVER
the real facts are:
OBAMA’s plan provides for realistic changes and honesty about what is required.
Hillary’s plan (although “universal&rdquo mandates everyone just PAY, there is no idealism in a universal plan that does not attack the Premium rates, Realistically look at why we pay 50% more for prescriptions than nearly EVERY OTHER COUNTRY, etc, etc,....
So to that article that says you must AIM high by trying for “Universal Coverage”
I agree, but not
“AIM FOR HIGH INSURANCE PREMIUMS THAT ARE HIGH BECAUSE INSURANCE COMPANIES PAY OFF SENATORS...”
IN GOOD COMPANY
list of supporters for BARACK OBAMA
As of January 17, 2008
 Public and Elected Officials 
 
1.   Thomas Daschle, Fmr. Dem. House Majority Leader
2.   Adrien Fenty, Mayor of Washington DC
3.   Rod Blagojevich, Illinois Governor
4.   Dick Durbin, US Senator of Illinois
5.   Richard Daley, Mayor of Chicago
6.   Ted Sorenson, JFK Advisor/ Speech Writer
7.   Zbigniew Brzezinski, Fmr. Pres. Carter’s NSA
8.   Tim Keane, Governor of Virginia
9.   Phil Leventis, SC State Senator
11.Kay Patterson, SC State Senator
12.Arthur Davis, Alabama US Congressman
13.Bill Beck,  Mayor of Durham, NC
14.Frank Cownie, Mayor of Des Moines, IA
15.Harris Woffard, Fmr. PA Senator
16.Glenn Reese, SC State Senator
17.Carol Shea-Porter, US Congresswoman NH
18.Barbara Lee, California Representative
19.Betty MacCollum, NM Congressman
20.Dave Loebsack, IA Congressman
21.Jim Hodges, Fmr Governor of South Carolina
22.Douglas Wilder, Mayor of Richmond VA
23.Paul Hodes, US Representative of NH
24.Steve Rothman, Representative of New Jersey
25.Gwen Moore, Representative of Wisconsin
26.Willie Hines, Chairmain/ Council of State-Wisconsin
27.Jim Doyle, Governor of Illinois
28.Cory Booker, Mayor of Newark, NJ
29.Jeremiah Healy, Mayor of Jesrey City, NJ
30.Ned Lamont, US Senator, Connecticut
    (Fmr candidate Chris Dodd’s aide)
31.Dave Bieter, Mayor of Boise, Idaho
32.Mike Burket, Idaho Rep.
33.Edgar Malepeai, Idaho Rep.
34.Nicole Lefavour, Idaho Rep.
35.Les Bock, Idaho Rep.
36. James Ruchti, Idaho Rep.
36.Wendy Jacquet, Idaho House Minority Leader
37.Gary Hart, Colorado Senator ( Twice Pres. Candidate)
38.Ethel Kennedy, Senator Bob Kennedy’s Widow
39.Jesse Jackson Jr. Rep. Illinois
40.Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. -Civil Rights Leader, Rainbow Coalition
41.Bobby Rush, Illinois State Rep.
42.Emil Jones, Illinois State Rep.
43.Michael Fitzgerald, IA State Treasurer
44.Tom Miller, Iowa Attorney General
45.Tim Johnson, South Dakota Senator
46.Bill Perkins, NY State Senator
50. Ben Nelson, Nevada Senator
51. Janet Napolitano, Governor of Arizona
      (seen as potential VP in any Dem. Admin.)
52. Bill Bradley, US Senator, NJ
53. Hank Johnson, Georgia Congressman
54. Jim Doyle, Governor of Wisconsin
55. Patrick Murphy, PA Congressman
56. John Kerry, Mass US Senator, 2004 Pres. Candidate
57. Deval Patrick, Governor of Massachusetts
58. Shirley Franklin, Mayor of Atlanta
59. Kasim Reed, Georgia State Senator
60. Claire McCaskill, US Senator from Missouri
61. John Conyers, US Congressman, D Michigan
62. Patrick Leahy, US Senator, D Vermont
63. Tony Knowles, Fmr Governor of Alaska
 
    Celebrities, Public Figures  
 
1.   Andrew Sullivan, Commentator
2.   Oprah Winfrey, TV Show
3.   George Clooney, Actor
4.   Will Smith, Actor
5.   Halle Berry
6.   Scarlett Johanson
7.   Zach Brafff
8.   Chris Rock, Comedian/Actor
9.   Usher, musician
10. Larry David
11. Cornel West, Professor Princeton Univ.
12. Kal Penn
13. James Whitmore
14. Ken Burns, NH Filmaker
Hill harper, CSI’s tv series Actor
David Geffen, Geffen Records (former Clinton supporter)
  
 
        Civil Rights / Religious and Community Leaders 
 
1.   Rev. Joseph Lowery, Civil Rights Leader
2.   Dr. C T Vivian, Civil rights Leader
3.   Dr. Michael Battle, interdominational Theol. Sem.
4.   Rev. Dr. Lawrence Carter Sr, MLK Int’l Chapel, Morehouse college
5.   Rev. Gerarld Durley, Progressive Baptist Church
6.   Dr. Robert Franklin Jr, Emory Univ.
7.   Rev. Dr. Cynthia Hale, Ray of Hope C. Church
8.   Rev. Dr. Mathew Johnson, Christ. Fellowship Bapt. C.
9.   Rev. Lester McCorn, Faith AME Zion Church
     10.  Rev. George Moore, St Philip AME Church
     11.  Rev. Anthony Motley, Lindsay Street Bapt. C.
     12.  Rev. Keneth Samuels, Victory Bapt. Church
     13.  Rev. E Dewey Smith Jr, Greater travelers Rest. BC
     14.  Dr. T. Dewitt Smith Jr, Progressive Ntl Bapt. Conv.
 
 
       Newspapers and Workers Unions
 
1. MinesotaBrown, Newspaper
2. Portsmouth Herald, NH
3. Boston Globe, Mass
4. Marshalltown-Republican Newspaper, Des Moines
5. Nevada Culinary Union ( 30,000 local affiliates)
6. Nevada SEIU; part of 450,000 nationwide members coalition of unions called  “Unite-Here”
7. Las Vegas- Review Journal (Nevada’s largest paper)
8. Nashua Telegraph, NH
9. Valley News, NH

Tags: Politics

Outing campaign roils D.C. black Baptist churchMore than 100 members named as gay in e-mails to pastor, congregationBy LOU CHIBBARO JR. | Jan 30, 2:14 PM
One of Washington’s largest black Baptist churches was rocked by a female member of its choir who sent separate e-mail messages to the pastor in December and January outing more than 100 church members as gay, mostly male choir members. The outings added to the inner turmoil experienced by a large number of gays who attend services at the 7,000-member Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church, located on Rhode Island Ave., N.E., according to a gay former member who provided copies of the e-mails to the Blade. “I will be leaving the choir at the top of the year because 80 percent of the tenors are homosexuals and act more like a female in choir rehearsal than I do,” the church choir member said in one of her e-mails to Bishop Alfred Owens Jr., the church pastor. The e-mail, sent in December, identifies about 45 fellow church members as gay. She sent a second e-mail to Owens on Jan. 2 identifying another 62 church members as gay. “The following people I am asking you to monitor very closely and my prayer is that you will sit them down from their ministries,” she told Owens in the December e-mail. “Because they are ushering in the presence of sin, lies, a spirit of homosexuality and sexual spirits.” She sent a copy of her e-mails to a Yahoo list group that goes to more than 300 church members, the gay former church member said. The gay former church member redacted all of the names from the copies of the e-mails he sent to the Blade, including the name of the choir member who orchestrated the outings. Officials with the National Black Justice Coalition, a Washington-based group that advocates for African-American gays, and the D.C. Coalition of Black Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Men & Women, said they have seen or spoken with people who have seen un-redacted copies of the e-mails. “There’s no doubt that these e-mails included all those names and they were read by a lot of people,” said Brian Watson, president of the D.C. Coalition.Owens and Greater Mount Calvary Associate Pastor T. Cedric Brown did not return calls seeking comment by press time. Owens became the subject of media attention in April 2006 when he used the word “fag” in a sermon on Palm Sunday. “It takes real men to confess Jesus as Lord and Savior,” Owens said in the sermon, which was recorded by the church. “I’m not talking about no faggot or no sissy,” he said. “Let the real men come down here and take a bow — all the real men. I’m talking about straight men … praise God that you’re straight.” The church’s web site includes a listing of twice-monthly sessions of a ministry called “Breaking the Chains of Homosexuality,” which it says helps gays change their sexual orientation through counseling and prayer. Minister Dennis Sawyers, an expert in “ex-gay” ministries, is listed as the leader of the church’s efforts to counsel gays. The former gay member of Greater Mount Calvary who provided copies of the outing e-mails to the Blade, has withheld his own name. He used the pen name “Jeff Hammer” in his own e-mail correspondence with the Blade. He said Owens responded to the first e-mail by calling a meeting of all members of the church’s numerous singing groups. The groups include the Alfred Owens Chorale, the Sanctuary Choir, the Celebration Choir, Voices of Calvary and the Male Chorus, among other groups. “He said he only wanted to help people who wanted help to not be gay and that he was willing to help anybody change from being gay,” the former church member said. The former member quoted Owens as telling people attending the meeting, “The Bible says that wheat and tares grow together but there are too many tares. When the tares outnumber the wheat I got to do something.” According to the former church member, Owens said, “I’m going to meet with all the people mentioned in the e-mail and use my discernment to figure out who needs to be monitored or sat down from what they do …” “My name was not on the list in any of these e-mails, but I think it is horrible,” the former church member said. “We give, pay tithes, dues and whatever, and this is how we are treated,” he said. “This is discrimination, humiliation and just mean.” Sylvia Rhue, director of the National Black Justice Coalition’s religious affairs program and a licensed clinical therapist with a doctorate in human sexuality, said she was troubled but not surprised to hear that a large number of gays continue to join and worship at a church like Greater Mount Calvary. “We know that many of the gays that go there like the traditional setting of a church like that,” she said. “It tears at your soul. It has the potential of causing depression, drug use and other harmful effects.” Rhue said the NBJC recently released a publication called “Guide To Welcoming Congregations in the African-American Tradition,” which offers suggestions on how traditional black churches can be open and supportive of gays while remaining faithful to biblical teachings. Watson of the D.C. Coalition said he knows a number of gays who remain members of Greater Mount Calvary, something Watson said he finds difficult to understand. As someone one who was raised in a church-going family in Oklahoma City, Watson said he attended services at Greater Mount Calvary when he moved to D.C. “I did not join because the views there are clearly homophobic,” he said. “But it seems to be one of the more popular churches among black gays … I don’t know why these people keep going back there.” Rick Rosendall, a spokesperson for the D.C. Gay & Lesbian Activists Alliance, said he, too, was troubled over why so many gays would continue to attend and support a church that is less than welcoming to them. “Our city has several welcoming and affirming congregations,” he said. “In the end, there is little that can be done for people who utterly refuse to respect themselves enough to stand up for themselves. If this particular incident wakes up some people and causes them to reevaluate their association with anti-gay churches and ministers, that could be the start of a salutary movement.” The choir member who initiated the outing campaign at Greater Mount Calvary introduced herself to Bishop Owens as a deeply concerned member of the church. “I am a female who has been a member of the Alfred A. Owens Chorale over five years,” she wrote in the first e-mail. “I have many friends in all of the choirs. However, people talk in my choir and I have overheard so many conversations, and pictures tell no lie.” She added, “90.9 percent of the tenors in Sanctuary choir are homosexual. 99.9 percent of all the tenors in Celebration Choir are homosexual, including xxxxxx, but he is very undercover, aka, down low with his sex life.” After naming more than a dozen men she claims are gay, she pointed to someone else she said was gay who “serves on the ushers board” and who “is always at gay parties drinking and drugging and is currently living with his boyfriend, Deacon xxxxx.” She said another choir member “visits the gay clubs in the area weekly, i.e., the Bachelors Mill, the Delta, the Fireplace and Halo. He also attends private sex parties that male members of your choirs are having at their homes and hotels.” The gay former church member who sent the outing e-mails to the Blade also sent a copy of a separate e-mail from an outraged gay church member who was among those named in the first two e-mails as gay. “I do not believe that someone would [have] the nerve to put my name to a list of known gays,” he wrote in an e-mail sent to Owens and members of the church Yahoo group. “This has gone too far, I am not going down by myself.” He went on to name other gays, including some in high-level church positions. “It is so bad that in the last e-mail we are turning on each other,” the gay former church member, who sent copies of the e-mails to the Blade, said. “Although I wanted to remain anonymous, someone has to do something.” Leaders of two of D.C.’s largest gay churches, acting Pastor Mark Byrd of Metropolitan Community Church of Washington, and Bishop Kwabena Rainey Cheeks of Inner Light Ministries, did not respond to requests for comment on the Greater Mount Calvary outings by press time.

Tags: GODIAN,Politics

by Kilian Melloy
EDGE Boston Contributor
Tuesday Nov 6, 2007


A Union City, NJ, gay couple were allegedly beaten by Burger King employees after asking for a refund.

The jersey Journal reported on Nov. 3 about the crime and subsequent indictment of Angel Carabello and Christopher Soto, two Jersey City men who were working at the Burger King at the time and who faces charges of aggravated assault, along with a first degree hate crime charge.

The July 22 incident reportedly began with the couple, two men in their 40s, requesting that they be given a refund when an item they had ordered turned out not to be available.

As reported by the Jersey Journal, two employees then engaged in an exchange in which one asked the other who had requested the refund, and was answered with an anti-gay epithet evidently meant to indicate the gay couple.

This sequence of events was reported initially by a press release issued by the GLBT organization Garden State Equality.

The press release also said that when the couple attempted to leave the restaurant, they were followed outside by a number of workers from the establishment and beaten "mercilessly." The release further said that the attackers uttered anti-gay epithets as the beating was in progress.

Steven Goldstein, the GLBT group’s chairman, said, "Even in New Jersey, arguably the most progressive state in the country, a state we call the state that doesn’t hate, too many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people live in fear."

If convicted, the two suspects could receive between 10- 20 years of prison time.

Burger King representatives could not be reached immediately for comment on the indictment, according to the article.

Garden State Equality will organize a rally in association with Hudson Diversity Action Council.

The rally is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 7, at the Pride Connections Center in Jersey City.

related story
Burger King Secrets


Now On 2 More VEG News (u should really try reading)

GoVeg.com // Vegetarian 101

PETA Media Center > Factsheets > Vegetarianism and the Environment

FREE VEGETARIAN STARTER KIT

Take Action: Speak Up for Exotic Birds Suffering at Florida Bar!

PETA // PetSmart's Big Suffering for Small Animals

DeadlyDennys.com: What's Wrong With Denny's?

Kentucky Fried Cruelty

Tags: Politics,Vegetarian

Maximum PC intercepted the following memorandum from a high-level Comcast executive to the company’s Board of Directors. We suggest you read it once, and then immediately delete all traces of this text from your PC. This is seriously twisted stuff.

MEMORANDUM
Date: October 6, 2007 To: Comcast Board of Directors From: Alexis Luthoré, COO, Comcast Internet Services Subject: Bandwidth Filtering; next plans of attack
 
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Board,
You're undoubtedly aware of the brouhaha growing over our new traffic filtering software. By limiting the traffic of heavy users, we’re improving performance for the majority of our customer base, while protecting our bottom line. The complainers are upset because our methods forge packets that appear to originate from the user; in effect we pretend we’re the user, then transparently disconnect them from the offending services. It also seems we’ve been inadvertently filtering other, more legitimate applications as well. To offset the extreme financial liability of impending litigation by the offended parties, I propose further cost-saving measures. It’s all wrapped up in a simple, easy-to-implement, three-phase plan that should solve all our problems. We've recruited Hollywood legend Christopher Walken to help us introduce our customers to the "Comcast Happy Bandwidth Initiative" on its November 15 launch.
Phase One: Cap Unlimited BandwidthWe need to establish reasonable bandwidth limits, especially among our greediest customers. By capping our generous unlimited plans with a 150GB Monthly Usage Limit (or MUL), we can minimize the impact of the our most rapacious users—the so-called “outliers”—on our bottom line. Typical users should never notice the MUL, ensuring that the vast amounts of revenue we exact from them remains intact. (After all, unlimited bandwidth only feels “unlimited” once you begin to thoughtlessly consume more than your fair share.)
Phase Two: Good Citizen IncentivesPhase two hinges on the rollout of a new Comcast toolbar. In addition to tracking our users' web surfing habits and favorite pornographic sites, this toolbar also alerts customers before they download any file larger than 75KB. A helpful pop-up bearing the question “Are you sure you really meant to do that?” appears, and if the user does the right thing, and opts out of his bandwidth-intensive download, he’ll be greeted by a clever multimedia ad unit for a free webcam. The Happy Bandwidth Initiative team will be using the webcams to track user eye movements, allowing our research department to identify the content that users enjoy most, so that we can charge them a modest premium to access these high-traffic pages. The toolbar will be a mandatory download for all of our customers.
Phase Three: Pay More for Popular ProtocolsOur current pricing structure is needlessly oversimplified. Even the dimmest mouth-breathers understand that “faster” connection speeds are “better,” and it’s currently much too easy for customers to determine exactly what level of service they need. Users can immediately tell whether they should drop to a less expensive plan, or if the features of the higher-priced plan give them real benefits. You'll all agree that this policy has a negative impact on our revenue picture and long-term profit forecasts.
To fix this problem, we propose shifting to a per-protocol pricing structure. By implementing a sliding-scale pricing structure based on the popularity of various protocols, we can ensure that every customer pays for his or her fair share. For example, telnet makes up just 0.0001% of overall network traffic, so users who subscribe to our telnet service will pay a relatively minor $0.02/month fee for access. More popular protocols, such as HTTP and BitTorrent, will cost more. We’ve run some numbers, and are projecting that the average monthly fees for users of mainstream protocols would range between $10/month and $3,275/month.
BitTorrent, in particular, represents a large potential revenue stream. Modeling out the current traffic of customers who use BitTorrent to "download the latest version of Linux," we are looking at a minimum monthly spend of $135. More enthusiastic users would pay between $25 and $3,275 monthly to download their regular faire of what we must assume are license-free movies and music--which are all really quite entertaining. No, they really are. There’s some really good copyright-free content out there. Seriously.
In closing, we of Comcast Internet Services believe the Comcast Happy Bandwidth Initiative is a modest proposal that exposes us to virtually no liability, while promising exponential returns in revenue. We happily await the Board’s comments on this plan.

Tags: Politics

Washington, the old cliché goes, is Hollywood for ugly people—a mecca for ambitious strivers who lack the cheekbones or the glamour to make it to the silver screen. But that was before wall-to-wall media coverage turned presidential campaigns into lengthy spectacles as relentlessly contrived and overproduced as the Golden Globes. Managed by fleets of pricey handlers and professional writers, candidates have become as manufactured as movie stars: coached on every aspect of their dress and demeanor, and supplied with perky sound-bites for spontaneous delivery on Letterman. Which is why, as we set out to plan the cover of Radar's Politics issue, it seemed appropriate to do a little facile packaging of our own. What better way to underline the ego, excess, and artifice that dominate modern politics than to borrow a page from Vanity Fair's now-notorious 2006 Hollywood issue, which starred Tom Ford, Keira Knightley, and Scarlett Johansson in various states of undress? ASK AMERICA! Is the vice president on a highway to hell? Is George Bush less popular than Paris Hilton? With help from a D.C. polling firm, Radar's national survey asks the tough questions RADAR magazine does it again.   

Tags: Politics

Learn your history. George Bush 418 days on vacation, Bill Clinton 152, Jimmy Carter 79.
Of these 3, the least liked for some time has been Jimmy Carter, whom just happens to be one of our greatest Presidents ever, won the Nobel Peace Prize, is a brilliant author and still finds time for Habitat For Humanity. So,why then so unpopular? Change is painful. Under Carter we almost turned the tide with relation to foreign oil. There were plans to have our entire country solar, with no need for many past wars, but there was no “long term profit” if we created an industry that is self sufficient and needs no fossil fuel, right? So stupid were those who opposed his “radical attempts” at change. Now 30 years later look at us. Bush2 has gone on a “Christian Crusade” i use quotes because there’s NOTHING CHRISTIAN ABOUT IT, except for the name Christian which is thrown around to describe these people with a total lack of true morality or love-walk whom have for some reason self identified with a teacher who taught the polar opposite of how they live. But i digress....

Being a Great Leader is more than just knowing what’s rite. You must also posess the skills to sell what is rite to those who dont want to buy it. Which if u read history books, is about 90% of the population at any point in time.

And anyway...WHO’s AFRAID OF JIMMY CARTER (great link 2 article)


The following is a little self help article from my new fave magazine...all u future leaders...read on.

By: Steve Marzolf
for BestLifeOnline.com
To rule effectively, you have to find your assertiveness sweet spot

Whether you run a sales department or a crime syndicate, you’ll eventually have to tackle the same Machiavellian question: Is it better to be loved or feared? Model your managerial style after, say, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and you’ll achieve obedience through fear, but you won’t have your followers’ loyalty. But if you try too hard to befriend and appease them, your team will languish without direction. Assertiveness is the X-factor that can make or break a leader despite strengths such as intelligence, charisma, and self-discipline, report Columbia University researchers in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. “Truly effective leaders tend to tread a middle ground,” says Daniel Ames, PhD, the study’s coauthor, “pushing hard enough to get their way, but not so hard that they can’t get along.” Here’s how to follow their lead. Find opportunity in disagreement. “The most effective leaders engage in cooperative problem solving,” says Ames. Not to be confused with compromising (which entails losing ground by splitting the difference), cooperative problem solving begets novel solutions that meet everyone’s needs. Listen to yourself. Do you blame a lazy team for stalling your career? Perhaps you complain about subordinates’ not understanding your directives. “Such negative internal dialogue means you’re not being nearly assertive enough with a key team member: yourself,” says Carollyne Conlinn, founder of Full Spectrum Coaching, an executive coaching firm in Canada. “Get yourself back on track by creating a list of leadership goals and holding yourself accountable for meeting them.”
Speak with your body. “Fifty-five percent of communication is nonverbal,” says Joyce K. Reynolds, an executive business coach whose corporate clients have included Lucent Technologies and Noven Pharmaceuticals. Effective leaders use this knowledge to their advantage. To place someone at ease, assume a relaxed, open posture with your body leaning slightly forward to indicate interest. Before making a point, perform a decisive hand gesture; a recent Harvard study shows that doing so implies credibility and honesty. More generally, present an image of assertiveness with an erect, comfortable posture and maintain good eye contact. Read the situation. Effective leaders adjust their behavior as necessary. When a subordinate won’t take no for an answer, ratchet up. When an agitated client just needs to speak his mind, tone down. “Take cues from the situation and gauge how your behavior is playing with the other parties involved,” says Ames. “Sometimes you can push harder than you may have initially guessed. Other times, your behavior may be crossing a line and you need to step back and really rein it in.”

Tags: Politics,Health

Andy warhol said “I Want 2 Be Plastic”
Well, if he were alive today he would be very happy then....

A vast swath of the Pacific, twice the size of Texas, is full of a plastic stew that is entering the food chain. Scientists say these toxins are causing obesity, infertility...and worse.
The more invisible and ubiquitous the pollution, the more likely it will end up inside us. And there’s growing—and disturbing—proof that we’re ingesting plastic toxins constantly, and that even slight doses of these substances can severely disrupt gene activity. “Every one of us has this huge body burden,” Moore says. “You could take your serum to a lab now, and they’d find at least 100 industrial chemicals that weren’t around in 1950.” The fact that these toxins don’t cause violent and immediate reactions does not mean they’re benign: Scientists are just beginning to research the long-term ways in which the chemicals used to make plastic interact with our own biochemistry.
As if the potential for cancer and mutation weren’t enough, Dr. vom Saal states in one of his studies that “prenatal exposure to very low doses of BPA increases the rate of postnatal growth in mice and rats.” In other words, BPA made rodents fat. Their insulin output surged wildly and then crashed into a state of resistance—the virtual definition of diabetes. They produced bigger fat cells, and more of them. A recent scientific paper Dr. vom Saal coauthored contains this chilling sentence: “These findings suggest that developmental exposure to BPA is contributing to the obesity epidemic that has occurred during the last two decades in the developed world, associated with the dramatic increase in the amount of plastic being produced each year.” Given this, it is perhaps not entirely coincidental that America’s staggering rise in diabetes—a 735 percent increase since 1935—follows the same arc.

Please take the tme to read the full 6 page article HERE
you’ll be amazed (and a lil depressed) and then inspired

2 learn the truth about recycling? CLICK HERE

Tags: Environment,Politics

unlike the hysterical episode of South Park called “Trapped in the Closet”...Life is not fun in the closet.

IT’S 2007 AND HOW MANY MUST DIE AND CRY FOR U 2 LIE?

GET PISSED, THEN COME OUT.....
seriously, if u are over 18 and living on your own, coming out is essential 2 our survival.

Here’s what happened just this week.
...imagine how the world would change if all the closet cases came out!!!

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Court upholds Md. gay marriage banLegislature could still take actionBALTIMORE (AP) | Sep 18, 11:09 AM
Maryland's highest court on Tuesday upheld a state law defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman, ending a lawsuit filed by same-sex couples who claimed they were being denied fundamental rights.
Maryland's 1973 ban on gay marriage does not discriminate on the basis of gender and does not deny any fundamental rights, the Court of Appeals ruled. It also said the state has a legitimate interest in promoting opposite-sex marriage.

The decision left open the possibility that the Legislature could still take action on the issue.

"Our opinion should by no means be read to imply that the General Assembly may not grant and recognize for homosexual persons civil unions or the right to marry a person of the same sex," Judge Glenn T. Harrell Jr. wrote for the majority.
The Blade will be updating this story as it develops throughout the day. From the Blade archives, here is some background coverage on the Maryland marriage ban:

Profiles of Md. plaintiffs

Activists preparing for Md. marriage ruling

Md. gay couples sue to marry

Marriage fight erupts in Maryland
Md. gays anxious for marriage ruling

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Romney launches anti-gay marriage adWill set him apart from other Republican candidatesDES MOINES (AP) | Sep 18, 1:24 PM
Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney is launching a radio ad touting the strength of his opposition to gay marriage.
Romney, who has come under criticism from conservatives for his past support of some gay rights issues, says he is the only major GOP candidate backing a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.

"Not all Republican candidates agree, but defending marriage is the right thing to do," Romney says in the 60-second spot to begin airing Wednesday.

The ad is meant to set him apart from Fred Thompson, John McCain and Rudy Giuliani in the minds of conservative voters.

Giuliani, meanwhile, takes a different approach with his new Iowa radio spot — portraying himself as the Republican most likely to win over the more moderate electorate in the general election. Many conservatives are leery of Giuliani because of his views on issues including gay rights and abortion.

The ad Giuliani began airing Tuesday points to criticism of the candidate from the liberal group MoveOn.org and argues that Democrats fear Giuliani most as a potential GOP nominee.

"Why is MoveOn.org attacking Rudy Giuliani?" the ad asks. "Because he's their worst nightmare."

In contrast, Romney's new ad is targeted directly at evangelical Christians who are crucial to Republican politics in Iowa, where precinct caucuses traditionally launch the nominating season.

The ad, coming as Iowa is embroiled in a court fight over its gay marriage ban, points to Romney's role in battling a Massachusetts court ruling that paved the way for same-sex marriages there.

"As Republicans we must oppose discrimination and defend traditional marriage: one man, one woman," Romney says in the spot.

Romney's conservative critics argue that his position on gay rights was more nuanced as Massachusetts governor and during his 1994 bid to unseat Democratic Sen. Edward M. Kennedy.

In focusing on the "major candidates," Romney is separating himself from rivals such as Mike Huckabee and Sam Brownback, who favor the constitutional amendment against gay marriage but have come in behind Giuliani, Romney and Thompson in most polls.


________________________________________________________________________________

Schwarzenegger says he will keep vetoing gay marriage billVoters must overturn anti-gay marriage initiative from 2000, he saysSACRAMENTO (AP) | Sep 18, 10:44 AM
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Monday that he won't reconsider his decision to veto a bill legalizing gay marriage and will keep vetoing the measure as long as lawmakers send it to him.
The Republican governor said he won't change his position unless voters overturn an anti-gay marriage initiative that Californians adopted in 2000.
"It would be wrong for the people to vote for something and for me to then overturn it," Schwarzenegger said. "So they can send this bill down as many times as they want, I won't do it."
The bill would redefine marriage as a civil contract between two people, but would still let religious groups refuse to sanction the unions.
Schwarzenegger vetoed a gay marriage bill in 2005, citing the 61 percent of voters who favored Proposition 22 in March 2000.
He announced in February that he would veto the bill again if it reached his desk this year. Despite the announcement, lawmakers approved it before adjourning last week.
Schwarznegger has until Oct. 14 to act on the measure.
Geoff Kors, executive director of the gay rights organization Equality California, said Proposition 22 only bars California from recognizing same-sex marriages performed outside California.
The gay marriage bill, by Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, would amend a different section of law that covers marriages performed in California.
Kors said he hopes Schwarzenegger sticks by earlier comments that he will abide by the state Supreme Court's ultimate decision on whether California's ban on same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional. The high court's ruling could come next year.
"We're extremely disappointed he is taking a position on the bill without meeting with a single lesbian-gay family, as we have asked him to do the last two years," Kors said. "How would he feel if this was a bill affecting who he could marry?"
Schwarzenegger's comments were in response to a question during a Capitol news conference on an endorsement of his health care plan by the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce.

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Bathroom sting violates priest’s rights, lawyers say Boca cleric arrested after allegedly asking officer to have sex at a private location Thursday, September 13, 2007

The charge against a Boca Raton Episcopal priest who was arrested in a sex sting operation in a Waynesville, N.C. park restroom may violate his constitutional rights, according to lawyers for the ACLU and Lambda Legal.
Fr. Michael Penland was charged on June 28 with “soliciting for a crime against nature” in Waynesville Recreation Park after he allegedly asked an undercover officer to go home with him and have sex. On Sept. 5, Episcopal Bishop Leo Frade suspended Fr. Penland from his priestly duties at St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church in Boca Raton.
“The charge is brazenly unconstitutional,” said Robert Rosenwald, an ACLU lawyer with the Florida chapter’s LGBT project, who examined the police report.
Penland was issued a citation after he allegedly followed an undercover detective home in his car after soliciting him for sex in a public bathroom. He was among seven men arrested by the Waynesville Police Department in a summer-long sting operation dubbed Operation Summer Heat. Police did not release information about the arrests until Sept. 5 in order to avoid tipping off people about the sting, according to media reports.
 According to the arrest report, Penland followed Det. Tyler Trantham into a public restroom around 11:30 a.m. and asked Trantham to go home with him to have sex.
Penland allegedly got into his car and followed the officer to another location. He was pulled over by a second officer, Crystal Shuler, who issued a citation, took his picture and released him. Penland did not go to jail.
He was charged with “solicitation for a crime against nature,” a misdemeanor, and “banned from town property,” according to the police report.
The report does not depict any sexual behavior taking place in the bathroom, public park or in Penland’s vehicle. It only states that Penland propositioned the undercover detective to engage in anal sex at a private location.
The 2003 Supreme Court ruling Lawrence vs. Texas overturned sodomy laws. According Lawrence, sexual behaviors such as anal sex between men could not be considered illegal.
“What [Penland] did was not a crime,” the ACLU’s Rosenwald said. “It’s not wrong to proposition someone and then go home.”
Like many of the men who are arrested in bathroom stings, Penland does not identify as gay. He has been married for 17 years. He did not return calls from the Express to discuss if he would challenge the charge.
“In a case like this, what is unconstitutional is the investigation targeting gay people and arresting [them] for conduct that is lawful,” Rosenwald said.
News of Penland’s arrest comes as bathroom sex stings gain prominence in local and national headlines. Idaho Sen. Larry Craig is seeking to withdraw his guilty plea resulting from a sting at a Minneapolis airport bathroom. In July, Florida State Rep. Bob Allen (R-Sarasota) was arrested for offering an undercover police officer $20 to have sex in a private location.
Locally, Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle has incensed the gay community recently with statements deriding gay sex in city park restrooms.
Jon Davidson, legal director of Lambda Legal, says cases such as Penland’s are troubling. They are typical, he said, of public agencies implementing “selective enforcement” of laws in order to ensnare gay men.
“Unfortunately these cases are not uncommon,” he said. “A lot of people who get arrested don’t know the law, make a plea and hope that it will go away.”
His main concern, Davidson said, was that the misdemeanor arrests from public sex stings cause irreparable damage to the men’s lives, including job losses, ruined relationships and sometimes even suicide.
Davidson said Penland could sue the Waynesville Police Department for false arrest or for violating his constitutional rights. Chances are, however, that Penland and others who are caught in similar stings frequently choose not to challenge the charges because of the stigma associated with such an arrest.


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Activists decry ‘slap-on-the-wrist’ sentence for basher in W. Palm Teen gets 18 weeks probation for bloody attack on transgendered woman
By JUAN CARLOS RODRIGUEZ Thursday, September 13, 2007

An 18-week probation sentence against a teenager who bashed a 39-year-old pre-operative transgendered woman in West Palm Beach was denounced this week by Florida’s leading GLBT human rights organization and a slew of concerned bloggers.
Equality Florida called Palm Beach County Juvenile Court Judge Peter Blanc’s  probation sentence a “slap on the wrist” for a violent, bloody assault against a victim who did not resist. The teen will serve no jail time and will emerge from the crime with a spotless record.
“At a time when hate violence against gay and transgendered people is an ignored epidemic in our state, Judge Blanc’s ruling sends a disgraceful and dangerous signal that the lives of trangendered citizens are held in less regard,” said Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida in a public statement.
The teen, whose name was withheld because he was 17 at the time of the crime, was arrested in Aug. 2006 for beating the transgendered woman during a late-night drinking jaunt and sexual encounter. A police officer who interrogated the teen the morning after the arrest testified in court that the teen beat the woman until his hands were sore.
The teen told police he picked up the woman at a bar while he and his friends were out looking for girls. He said the woman performed oral sex while his friend drove to Palm Beach. When the teen realized the woman had a male sexual organ, he began beating her, police said. He knocked out her teeth and repeatedly smashed her head against a lifeguard stand.
The woman said that she did not perform any sex on the teen.
Blanc threw out the state’s hate-crimes charges but charged the teen with aggravated battery. At the sentencing hearing Aug. 31, the tearful teen told the court that he was contrite having served a year of house arrest.
Blanc, who had previously said there were two victims in the case — the woman and the teen — ordered the teen to finish high school, get counseling and perform community service.
Bloggers on the website Pam’s House Blend posted messages calling Blanc’s ruling “abominable” and “disgusting.”
“There are indeed two victims,” one blogger wrote. “One is the woman herself and the other is the transsexual community at large.”
Equality Florida quotes the Florida Hate Crimes Report in its press release responding to the sentence. It states that physical assaults against GLBT people have increased in six out of the last seven years. During 2005, 62 percent of hate crimes against GLBT people were in the most violent categories. 


___________________________________________________________________________________


and last but not least

Black community’s opinions vary on Naugle Local NAACP president’s pro-gay rights stand draws praise and criticism
By JUAN CARLOS RODRIGUEZ Thursday, September 13, 2007

Standing before a group of activists, preachers and news crews, Marsha Ellison, president of the Fort Lauderdale branch of the NAACP, took a risk when she spoke out for gay rights at a press conference Sept. 5 on the steps of City Hall.
She was one of many featured speakers to protest Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle’s anti-gay statements, which have driven a rift throughout the community in recent weeks and brought gay rights once again to the headlines.
Ellison’s mission was clear: She would speak out against what she considered hate speech and discrimination, regardless of the fact that the offending words were aimed at the gay community, a community she is not charged with representing.
“Mayor Naugle’s message is about one thing — hate,” she said. “Homophobia is hate, and hate has no place in the beloved community.”
Ellison’s words were received with much praise among gay activists. They countered the actions of some local African-American ministers, such as the Rev. O’Neal Dozier, who have spoken out in favor of Naugle. Dozier appeared with Naugle and other right-wing religious leaders at an Aug. 21 press conference.
As Ellison expected, her remarks drew criticism from some parts of Fort Lauderdale’s black community, a community that has traditionally distanced itself from gay issues.
In an interview with the Express on Sept. 11, Ellison said she was aware of the risk she was taking before stepping into the fray, but she said she felt a great responsibility as the leader of the local NAACP to make a difference.
“It’s the position of our organization that gay rights are civil rights,” Ellison said. “When one group is singled out, that is discrimination, and I have no choice but to stand up against it.”
Racism, economic disparity and education, are among the NAACP’s main issues. In recent years, NAACP leaders have supported the gay rights movement, a position that has led many in the black community to challenge the NAACP’s position as the leading representative of black affairs.
Locally, Ellison is getting much of the same criticism.
Brad Bennett, executive editor of the Broward Times, a newspaper that covers the local black community, said it was “odd that she would speak out about gay issues.”
“Based on what I’m hearing from readers, I don’t think the Fort Lauderdale NAACP reflects the views of the larger black community,” he said. “Publicly, members of the community fall in line with the pastors.”
Ellison’s appearance at the press conference, he said, would only alienate Ellison and the NAACP. Issues such as education, housing and crime are among the most prevalent issues concerning Fort Lauderdale’s black community, not gay rights, he said.
But Ellison pointed out that the black community here is varied and that there can be no one person or group to represent all points of view.
“We are not monolithic,” she said. “It’s just a matter of right and wrong. Hate is hate.”
To understand what the black community thinks about gay rights, one needs to walk the neighborhoods in Franklin Park and Lincoln Park and engage people in conversations. What the Express found is that the fundamentalist preachers who are the most vocal supporters of Mayor Naugle’s campaign against the GLBT community do not represent what most black people in Fort Lauderdale think.
At Betty’s Soul Food & Barbecue Restaurant on Sistrunk and 22nd Road, regulars exchange opinions on everything from politics to football over barbecue ribs, collard greens and sweet tea. Recently customers expressed a range of opinions about Ellison, Naugle and gay rights.
“Everybody has somebody who is gay in their family or knows gay people,” said Larry Bowman, a used car salesman and regular at Betty’s. “I have to agree with [Ellison]. It’s hate speech. The mayor is asking for hatred to be cast upon him.”
Dorothy Jackson, who works the counter at Betty’s agreed.
Bowman and Jackson said they respect gays and lesbians, but they also pointed out that their neighbors don’t normally discuss gay issues.
“Gay people is not a top issue,” Bowman said. “There are more important issues like the relationship of police officers and citizens. How are you going to relate to officers if you can’t trust them.”
But there is rarely a consensus at Betty’s counter.
Elder Solomon Williams and his sister, who would identify herself only as Mrs. Williams, sat at the counter to order a plate of ribs and steamed cabbage. They had a heavy, dog-eared Bible with them from which they quoted scripture. The Williams reflected much of the black fundamentalist point of view at Betty’s, saying the gay community was asking for special privileges. 
Although Elder Williams agreed that a public official singling out one group amounts to discrimination, he said he considers Naugle as speaking “the word of God” against the unrighteous.
“Every man you see who loves another man, they knew God before they got into their condition,” Williams said.
 Ellison recognizes that black opinion is largely influenced by the church regarding gay rights, but she notes that Naugle’s backers are not representative.
“You need to take note of the churches that were not present [at the Sept. 5th press conference],” she said.
The communities “super churches,” such as New Mount Olive Baptist and Mount Bethel Baptist, did not attend, she noted. She said she has spoken with the leaders of those churches and they support her position.
African-American gays and lesbians view leaders such as Ellison speaking out as long overdue.
“It’s about time,” said Donnell Morris, managing director of Fort Lauderdale’s Black Gay Pride. “We need the support of righteous speaking people and let people know that hate will not be tolerated.”
Morris said much of traditional views in the black church gain power because many black gays and lesbians opt to remain quiet about their sexuality.
“One side believes you are an abomination,” Morris said. “A lot of us feel abandoned by the church, and it’s easier to hide in the pews or just not go at all.”
The answer, he said, lies in increased visibility.
“As more people are visible and coming out,” Morris said, “ it makes it easier for other people in the community to cross the tracks.”

__________________________________________________________________________

hey, glad u made it this far....I love you for caring about the community...
Now i have a question...
what’s the common thread in these stories?
Low Visibility = Low Power
Come Out...u can start HERE

Tags: GODIAN,Politics,Health

 
I recommend that the Homophobic artists and try meeting with some of these groups that they hate so much to see how much we have in common rather than different.

Ja Rule, who was recently arrested and has a lurid history of violence with MURDER inc. seems like hardly the one to be judgemental, yet, in his recent COMPLEX magazine interview says...

Did you see that report about Congress preparing to hold hearings??
Ja: (interrupts) Yeah, they got my man Doug Morris under fire and shit, they got him going down to go speak to Congress about hip-hop lyrics, are you fucking serious? There's a fucking black kid right now about to get 25 years for having a fight with some white kids over hanging the nooses over the white tree, lets get to that. Let's get into shit like that, because that's what's tearing up America, not me calling a woman a bitch or a hoe on my rap songs. And if it is, then we need to go step to Paramount, and fucking MGM, and all of these other motherfuckers that's making all of these movies and we need to go step to MTV and Viacom, and lets talk about all these fucking shows that they have on MTV that is promoting homosexuality, that my kids can't watch this shit. Dating shows that's showing two guys or two girls in mid afternoon. Let's talk about shit like that! If that's not fucking up America, I don't know what is. There's a lot of issues we can address besides hip-hop, but they want to put everything on us like we're the problem. But see, and this is going to be a shameless fucking plug, but I said, "when everyone wants to point the finger, and ask why there's so much corruption, they only need to look in the mirror." It starts with themselves.

I agree Ja, look in the mirror, think about your jugement of two people in loving embrace.
While u oppose this, u embrace violence and degredation against women (those whom u supposedly love).
So illogical and so sad.


IN A SOMEWHAT RELATED STORY
Reggae Artists Renounce Homophobia
BY KEITH BOYKIN, IN SEXUALITY
Three prominent reggae and dancehall performers have renounced homophobia and condemned violence against lesbians and gay men. Beenie Man, Sizzla and Capleton, each of whom have recorded anti-gay hate songs, have now signed onto a deal to stop the hate and stop the protests. The agreement, called the Reggae Compassionate Act, was brokered with top reggae promoters and Stop Murder Music activists.
The statement reads: "It must be clear there's no space in the music community for hatred and prejudice, including no place for racism, violence, sexism or homophobia...We do not encourage nor minister to HATE but rather uphold a philosophy of LOVE, RESPECT and UNDERSTANDING towards all human beings as the cornerstone of reggae. We agree to not make statements or perform songs that incite hatred or violence against anyone from any community."
I am cautiously optimistic about the agreement. As I recall, another agreement was reached years before and then violated. I can only hope that the artists will be true to their word this time. The agreement comes after a three-year campaign by a British-based group called Stop Murder Music. The campaign had resulted in the cancellation of hundreds of concerts and sponsorship deals in the U.K., and helped spurn the movement in the U.S.
As a result of the agreement, the campaign against the three artists will now be suspended, but organizers are urging journalists and other observers worldwide to monitor the performances and statements of Beenie Man, Sizzla and Capleton.
Meanwhile, five other artists who have recorded anti-gay music are still targeted. Elephant Man, TOK, Bounty Killa, Vybz Kartel and Buju Banton have not signed the Reggae Compassionate Act.
Gareth Williams, co-chair of the Jamaican gay group, J-Flag, hailed the statement as "a move in the right direction." He also said he hoped it was "not commercially motivated by the singers' desire to maintain their concert revenues, but a sincere commitment that will encourage an end to homophobic violence and to all violence against everyone."
I think that's optimistic. Actually, it would be ideal if the artists signed onto the agreement because they've seen the light, but in the end I'm not sure they have. On the one hand, I want the artists to do the right thing, regardless of what motivates them. If it takes money (or the loss of money) to inspire them, then so be it. On the other hand, money motivation only lasts so long.
The problem with being motivated solely by commercial interests is that those interests could change and their actions could change. The best solution is to keep pressing the artists by educating them and others so that they understand that violence against gays and lesbians, or against any group of people, is not acceptable behavior in society. The artists need to know that all humans deserve dignity and respect.

Tags: Politics,GODIAN,Music,HIPOP

Earn ya man, learn ya man

Tags: Comedy,Health,Politics

Not 2 compare my new home of Miami with my old home of NYC, but....
the drivers here SUK.
and that’s really saying something cause in NYC the cabbies are CRAAAAZY.

so i thought i would bitch and moan at the following few, and if u are one of the offenders, get your shia together and be a lil more considerate...please...

1. BLINKERS are there for a reason...
the rest of us have no idea that u are slowing down to turn, because u have not let us now this by putting on ur blinker...u SUK...please change this.

2. “2 the right, 2 the right...”
if u are going less than 70, get ur slow ass out of the fast lane (the left lane). There is an unwritten code in the USA, as the lanes move from Left 2 right, the speed expected of u decreases. In Europe however, where u can go any speed u wish and there is no speed limit...there are only 2 ways 2 get a ticket;
1=reckless driving and
2=going 2 slow in the left hand lane....
so MOVE IT 2 the right 2 the right. thanx.

3. If your doctor prescribed Glasses or contacts...
please use them so u can see where ur going.

4. If u need 2 use the cell phone, make it hands free or...
just make it later. u really are not as important as u think u are, and they can wait 10 minutes till u arrive at your destination for a call back.

5. Ladies and Drag’s...Do your makeup b4 u leave the house...
the rear view mirror is meant for u 2 view cars in the rear, not your face looking like a “rear end” prior 2 make-up. AND if your a natural beauty, use less or no make up and save all the Cow ligaments and shia that is totally gross that they put in makeup.
PS note (unrelated 2 driving, but) ...the new Doritoes flavor X-13D has Tarter sauce and beef flavorings on it...EWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.

6. Sit Up Straight MF...
U aint kool, just cause ur seat is reclined all the way back while u drive...hello, u are using the steering wheel 2 hold u up enough so that u can see the road...wouldn’t it be better 2 have the support of the seat that is now 4 feet from your back touching the floor of the car...lol...

7. TV’s were made for home or the viewers in the BACK of the car...
not for u while ur driving...and since u would even consider this ur a silly person...start some meditation rituals or read a good book like...
The Assault on Reason: by Al Gore



Thanx u for forwarding this 2 all the bad drivers u know...spread the love
remember
“Ignorance is only bliss because u think u’r not ignorant”

Tags: GODIAN,Politics,LEARN

porn is worse than murder....if u live in Iran

yes, it’s that fukd up

Story Highlights
• People involved in adult films are "corrupter of the world," Iran's parliament says
• Producers, directors, cameramen and actors could face the death penalty
• Distributors and producers of pornographic Web sites could also face death
• The vote follows the leaking of a sex tape allegedly involving an Iranian actress

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran's parliament on Wednesday voted in favor of a bill that could lead to the death penalty for persons convicted of working in the production of pornographic movies.
With a 148-5 vote in favor and four abstentions, lawmakers present at the Wednesday session of the 290-seat parliament approved that "producers of pornographic works and main elements in their production are considered corrupter of the world and could be sentenced to punishment as corrupter of the world."
The term, "corrupter of the world" is taken from the Quran, the Muslims' holy book, and ranks among the highest on the scale of an individual's criminal offenses. Under Iran's Islamic Penal Code, it carries a death penalty.
The "main elements" referred to in the draft include producers, directors, cameramen and actors involved in making a pornographic video.
The bill also envisages convictions ranging from one year imprisonment to a death sentence for the main distributors of the movies and also producers of Web sites in which the pornographic works appear.
Besides videos, the bill covers all electronic visual material, such as DVDs and CDs. Other material, such as porn magazines and books, are already banned under Iranian law.
To become law, the bill requires an approval by the Guardian Council, a constitutional watchdog in Iran.
It is widely believed that the drafting of the bill came about as a reaction to a scandal last year, when a private videotape, apparently belonging to Iranian actress Zahra Amir Ebrahimi and allegedly showing her having intercourse with a man, became available across Iran.
The videotape was leaked to the Internet and released on a black market DVD, becoming a full-blown Iranian sex tape scandal. Ebrahimi later came under an official investigation, which is still ongoing. She faces fines, whip lashing or worse for her violation of Iran's morality laws.
The unnamed man on the tape, who is suspected of releasing it, reportedly fled to Armenia but was subsequently returned to Iran and charged with breach of public morality laws. He remains in jail.
In an exclusive interview with the British newspaper The Guardian early this year, Ebrahimi denied she was the woman in the film and dismissed it as a fake, made by a vengeful former fiance bent on destroying her career.
In recent years, private videotapes have increasingly been leaked to the public in Iran, riling the government and many in this conservative Islamic country, where open talk of sex is banned and considered taboo.
However, pornographic material is easily accessible through foreign satellite television channels in Iran. Bootleg videotapes and CDs are also available on the black market on many street corners.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Tags: Politics