Periodic Table of Irrational Nonsense

(Click for bigger. Via This isn't happiness.)

One Last Thing...

I have one last thing to say about losing my job:

Can anyone out there recommend a good breakfast whiskey?

Kraken Mare

A chilly lake of methane, ethane and nitrogen as photographed by NASA's Cassini probe. The first evidence of bodies of liquid on another world.

300 degrees below zero sounds pretty damn cold to me.

(Hat tip to Dr. Snickerdoodle.)

News 7/31/10

(Today in public domain wedding photography: Ron and Nancy Reagan slicin' up the nup' cake, Toluca Lake California, March 4th 1952.)

• Chelsea Clinton heterosexually marries a person of the opposite sex in Upstate New York. Madeleine Albright catches bouquet, squeals with glee. Congrats.

• Male Argentinian couple celebrates 27 years together by marrying under that nation's new equality law. Catholic Church still being a bunch of dicks about it.

• Speaking of dicks: Senator John Cornyn (who opposes marriage equality and the repeal of DADT) will speak at the next gathering of Log Cabin Republicans.

• Study shows gay teens in gay relationships experience higher self esteem and lower internalized homophobia. Isn't that nice?

• (PS to the screaming hordes who can't get enough of The Flaming Chef: Guess who's unemployed again? Sometimes you just can't stop people from flushing diamonds down the toilet. I prefer to look on the bright side: This means I have more time to write ...and drink heavily.)

News 7/30/10

(Now that's a collar. Vice-President of the United States of America (Under Calvin Coolidge): Charles Dawes.)

• Italian government in a tizzy. Firings and resignations and disagreements, oh my!

• Ethics charges against Rep. Charles Rangel heading toward trial, to the delight of Republicans.

• "Aloha, and I'm suing you." Gay couples sue state of Hawaii for equal rights.

• Episcopal Church gets to work drafting a whole new rite for the blessing of gay couples.

• More layoffs at Focus on the Family. What are those poor unemployed bigots going to do with all that free time? (Via Joe My God.) Without beating a dead horse, I'd like to say one more time: 

"Homophobia is a business, and as much as we are fighting to change the law, we are fighting to make that business model unprofitable."

News 7/29/10

(...and the diamonds in the hair. Have you ever seen anyone so fresh and unspoiled? The Pope via buzzfeed's 15 gayest pictures of the Pope. Thanks again Wicker Parker.)

• Andrew Sullivan: "The Vatican is Super-Gay!" Short and interesting comments about church hypocrisy from the mouth of a real-live Catholic. (Via Joe My God.)

• President appears on telly today with the ladies of The View. Stage fright not an issue.

• Journal of Applied Developmental Science comes out forcefully in favor of adoption rights for gay couples. Hey Maggie Gallagher, you and your buddies don't have a lot left to talk about, do you?

• Who is Elisabeth Hasselbeck and why is she such an idiot? Try this one on for size: "I think people turn out straight because they're not cute enough to be gay." Does that statement insult straight people? You decide.

7/28/10 Special News Update via Mikey!

The jerk who is running for governor of Florida explains why he hired a homophobic jerk at great taxpayer expense.

You all remember George "Long Stroke" Rekers?

Well, he's the best the republicans can dig up to bash the gays in court. Have a look, he has a go at single mothers too.

(Special hat tip to Wicker Parker.)

7/28/10 Pedicure!

My pedicurist didn't believe me at first so I had to ask twice.

"Yes, I want my toes painted lots of different colors."

I told her I wanted them to look like a bunch of jelly beans.

She did great and my toes feel like candy.

(With special thanks to my Mom who bought me the pedicure. We had a gay old time, didn't we?)

News 7/26/10

(95 Theses updated to include some basic human rights. Thanks Lutherans!)

• Lutherans decide that gay people aren't so icky after all, ordain seven pastors. "...all people are loved unconditionally by God."

• Samuel Steward's life as a tattooist, writer, researcher and sexual outlaw brought to the page in Justin Spring's new book. Gay before there was even a word for it.

• Wikileaks gushing sensitive information annoys several big governments.

• Catholic Church still annoyed at revelations of gay priests in the heart of Rome.

• (Today's news update is brought to you with an enormous hat tip to Dr. Snickerdoodle.)

News 7/25/10

(Today in breakfast: The Ulster Fry)

• Harry Reid and Dan Choi share a manhug onstage at the Netroots Nation conference in Vegas. Reid promised recently discharged Choi that DADT repeal will pass. Unless we'd rather have ENDA.

• (Via Towleroad) All forward motion on gay rights depends on how well the Democrats do in the mid--terms.  How uneasy I feel.

• That's enough news for this morning. What are you having for breakfast? Bloody Marys, mimosas? Eggs, waffles, fruit? Something porky?  It's Sunday and the world still rolls merrily along.

News 7/24/10

(My favorite Man of Steel: 1985 photo of Christopher Reeve by Jbfrankel.)

• Judge stops Arizona's skanky governor from taking away domestic partnership rights.

• Catholic church in Rome upset about revelations that some priests are gay. Duh.

• Everyone's all aflutter over Casey Donovan's posthumous claim to have bagged Superman. Reeve will always be my favorite man of steel and I think it is a charming idea. But I think the story is a little flimsy.

• Sonoma County California pays $600,000 to gay man kept from his dying partner's bedside.

News 7/23/10

(Your daily nerd: John Glenn. PS Nerds Rule!)

• Dan Choi fired from military under Don't Ask, Don't Tell. You remember DADT, Bill Clinton's wonderful legislative compromise/victory for gay rights?

• Environmental protection effort defeated because the Democrats only have a 59 seat majority. If only the Democrats had real power, they could do what they promised.

• President calls Shirley Sherrod on the phone, which is just like an apology so now, everyone's happy.

• Westboro Baptist church counter protested by Comic-Con nerds bearing signs explaining "Superman loves Fags," and "God hates Jedi." (Via JoeMyGod)

News 7/22/10

(Today in mustaches and Edwardian attire: David Lloyd George in 1908, Chancellor of the Exchequer and future Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.)

• Kosovo independence upheld by International Court of Justice. Russia, China and Spain not happy.

• All--around fabulous guy Desmond Tutu announces retirement. I'll drink a toast to Tutu tonight, won't you do the same?

• House votes today on Senate unemployment extension. President expected to sign. Christian Science Monitor answers some frequently asked questions, or FAQ's to you young 'uns.

• Queers get consultative status at United Nations. President Obama describes the victory as bringing "the United Nations (...) closer to the ideals on which it was founded, and to values of inclusion and equality to which the United States is deeply committed." Isn't that nice?

News 7/21/10

(The brown suit. The paternal gaze. Everybody love Dwight D. Eisenhower.)

• Constance McMillen wins the suit against her stupid Mississippi school board. A hug and a kiss to Ms. McMillen. Some days the bigots lose.

• Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack reconsidering the firing of Shirley Sherrod after White House intervenes. Trumped up charges of racism may not be enough for her to lose her job.

• Chinese oil spill not as big and impressive as BP oil spill. Do we win a prize?

• Roy Ashburn apologizes for his past bigotry and urges the Republican party to stand up for what it claims to believe in: minimal government intervention in the private lives of people and the American ideal of equality for all people. Good luck in your noble effort senator. Seems like a pretty heavy lift for today's GOP.

News 7/19/10

 (Today for no good reason: Dancing Cowboys of unknown origin.)

• Tea Party Express guy turns out to be a racist dimwit. National Tea Party representative "correctly identifies" racist "satire" as "clearly offensive."

• John Marcotte cleared to gather signatures for his California ballot measure banning divorce. I am really excited for all those "sanctity of marriage" folks to throw their support behind his noble efforts.

• BP's victory over leaking well may be in jeopardy. Something to do with seepage.

• Don't Ask, Don't Tell announced 17 years ago today. Thanks a lot Bill Clinton! Oh yeah, and for DOMA too! Towleroad has posted some original TV coverage.

News 7/18/10

(Zsa Zsa "cop slapper" Gabor in 1954 with international playboy and glamorous man of mystery Porfirio Rubirosa Ariza. I love public domain photographs.)

• Veep Biden thinks the Dems are going to surprise us all in the mid - terms by not getting their asses kicked as badly as everyone predicts.

• I just killed a mosquito. They've been unusually aggressive here in Portland this year.
  

• Nate Silver over at fivethirtyeight.com has some great statistical analysis and commentary regarding the upcoming elections and how 2010 is and is not like 1994.

• 93 year - old Zsa Zsa Gabor has fallen and broken her hip. Ouch.

Everyone Wants a Kitten...

(...even a lion kitten.)

Special Bonus Non News Related Post!

(Leonard Nimoy enjoying a lollypop. Once again I have no idea where this is from. No copyright infringement intended.)

News 7/15/10

(Today in not-takin'-any-more-of-yer-damn-crap: Divine. Congratulations Argentina!)

• Argentine Senate passes marriage equality while the President already vowed to sign the bill. Thousands erupt in joyful dancing.

• BP ready to test new oil cap with lots of conditional phrases.

• Arizona's new law against brown people who don't talk good English heads to federal court in Phoenix today.

• Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D - Illinois) puts forward LGBT inclusive immigration reform bill. GOP decidedly chilly to the idea.

• Skanky, professional hater of gays Anita Bryant returns from the dead. Vows to terrorize children, drink blood and consume the flesh of the living. (Via Towleroad.)

News 7/14/10

(Today in shoes: The Oxford. Photo courtesy of A Suitable Wardrobe.)

• God damned federal appeals panel strikes down f*cking FCC ban on foul language.

• Bristol Palin and Levi Johnson announce their plans to belly up to the hitchin' post.  Aren't straight people adorable?

• Ahead of mid - term elections, Democrats suggest Obama criticize the GOP, rather than "Washington culture," in light of grumpy public. (The Democrats ARE Washington culture you see.)

• Tea Partiers "traumatized" by NAACP condemnation of Tea Party racism and bigotry.

• Self - righteous, hate - filled gasbag indignant that due process and equal protection apply to gays. I won't link to Maggie Gallagher's whiny, scuzzy essay. If you really want to read the thing go to "Human Events" online and search under her name. You'll be sorry.