News 8/28/10

 ("Hi! Remember me? Let me tell you about Gay Bashing for Fun and Profit.")

I don't want to talk about the news today.

Brent and I are headed out on our bikes to some second hand stores and maybe Andy and Bax. Just for fun.  Just to get out in the nice weather and hang together.

PS: Dear Ken Mehlman:

My marriage was annulled at the voting booth on Tuesday, November 2nd 2004 and It was your hard work and professional gay bashing (for profit) that made it all possible.

Good luck on the whole coming out and making amends for the past thing. I'm totally pissed off at you and the damage you've done, but I am glad you are taking steps to make amends.

You've got a long way to go before I forgive you, but I hope that day comes.

News 8/27/10

(You'll be swell! You'll be great! Gonna have the whole world on a plate!

Mehlmania album cover via the ever fabulous Dr. Zaius. "Only 1,968 years until the reign of Zaius!")

• Kenya has a sparkly brand new constitution!

• Former President Peanut, the right honorable Jimmy Carter, has freed and American from captivity in North Korea.

• The Associated Press reports the trapped Chilean Miners have dominoes and playing cards way down in their hole. Whew!

• Towleroad has video of Keith Olberman and Dan Savage discussing the Karma of Ken Mehlman. Congratulations on coming out Mr. Mehlman (we all knew you were gay by the way) and good luck in the long hard fight you have ahead of you. You have done an enormous amount of evil in the world and I applaud you for setting yourself on the path to making things better.

News 8/26/10

(Your morning purgative: A big, ugly sack of Karl Rove.)

• Joe My God has an excellent refresher course on newly out, former chair of the Republican National Committee and manager of Dubya's homophobic 2004 reelection campaign: Ken Mehlman, who is trying to make amends for the 21 states that passed marriage amendments during his tenure. I'm really glad Mehlman wants to make amends, I'm just saying it's going to be a really heavy lift. Oh, and he still supports all sorts of anti-gay republican candidates.  Mehlman also thinks gays should unite with the GOP in a shared hatred of Muslims. I think I'll pass on that...

• In related news: NY cab driver Ahmed Sharif is recovering from the knife attack that left him with slashes across his neck and face.

• Sarah Palin and Tea Party favorite Joe Miller leads Lisa Murkowski as Alaska senate race comes down to the last few thousand votes.

• With Jimmy Carter knocking on the front door, North Korean leader Kim Jong Il slips out the back.

• Getting those Chilean miners out of the ground is going to be a long, slow, dangerous process. Good luck and best wishes to the whole team and the waiting families.

News 8/25/10

(Photo of all around kick ass singer and civil rights maven Nina Simone by Roland Godefroy)

• Homophobic Putz loses bid for Governor of Florida. Bill McCollum is the hatenozzle who paid George "long stroke" Rekers over $100,000 to testify in court to keep gay adoption illegal. (Via Joe My God.) McCollum's loss in the GOP primary means the Democratic candidate will go toe-to-toe with some other hate-filled scuzzwad.

• John "Where's my Gin!?" McCain defeats JD Hayworth in Arizona. Lisa Murkowski and Tea Party candidate Joe Miller still too close to call in Alaska. Nate Silver did some super live blogging last night covering the primaries. He will certainly have up-to-date coverage and analysis this morning.

• Carlos A. Ball over at Huffpo: "Without factual support for their arguments, it is becoming less and less tenable for opponents of same-sex marriage to argue that their positions are not influenced by a dislike of gay people and their intimate relationships." His whole essay is worth reading and, for the record, I still think Jonathan Rauch is wrongedy-wrong-wrong.

• Wyoming couple brings federal suit against that state's law barring marriage equality. Good luck guys.

• Ball Memorial hospital to begin training staff about how not to be a bunch of trans phobic dicks.

• Jimmy Carter arrives in North Korea to chat with the bat-shit crazy ruler of that desperate, starving, totally nuts nation.

News 8/24/10

("Get off of my lawn!" Won't you help the crustiest crank in the senate keep his seat? We're rootin' for ya Johnny!)

• California lawmakers pass bipartisan resolution asking Congress and the President to repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act.

• Chilean miners survived for seventeen days on rations meant for 48 hours. Rescuers are sending emergency nutrition, oxygen and toothbrushes.

• Pakistani flooding has destroyed over four million acres of crop land and only a tenth of those affected are receiving aid. Prime minister and legislators not doing so well in public opinion. Military getting some good press.

• Capitalism thrives in China, where they've invented the world's largest traffic jam. Villagers selling expensive food and water to stranded motorists.

• Establishment Republican John McCain may be righty-tighty enough to win primary fight against JD Hayworth. But is McCain teabaggy enough? Primary voting is today.

News 8/23/10

("What's so special about the cheese makers?"

"I can't hear a thing. C'mon, let's go to the stoning.")

• Richard Just, Executive Editor of the New Republic has written an excellent opinion piece about Obama's contradictory and disgraceful stance on Marriage Equality. He "is already leading on gay marriage; he is just leading in the wrong direction." (Via ABC News.)

• Archbishop Timothy Dolan wants you to know that some hate crimes make "God sad" while other hate crimes are just fine. (The Catholic Church is always good for a chuckle.)

• Protesters of Muslim community center: "Religious tolerance is all about tolerating the many different ways we have of worshiping Jesus Christ." Fear and hatred of Muslims is still a popular pass time.

• Australians try to figure out who will form new government. Financial markets wobble amidst uncertainty.

• Quarter of a million Chinese evacuated from area near border with North Korea as Yalu river swells past the friendly stage.

• Thirty-three Chilean miners trapped for seventeen days are alive and well. May be out by Christmas. (What are they doing to keep from going crazy down there?)

News 8/22/10

(Most of the clan is headed to Jin Wah restaurant in Beaverton this morning for dim sum. In the meantime here's a nifty picture of Niu za mian noodle soup courtesy of Jason545889.)

• Australians facing a hung parliament for the first time in 70 years. Green Party may be the key to a new distribution of power.

• Irish human rights activists march for full civil marriage equality. They explain the new Civil Partnership bill "fall(s) far short of providing full equality.”

• No plans for now to move proposed Islamic center further away from Ground Zero. Welcome to America where religious tolerance, due process and equal protection are "controversial."

• World Net Daily and Ann Coulter slashing away at each other over Ms. Coulter's appearance at GOProud.