May 13, 2005
Sticking with First Impulses
I mentioned I was feeling a little bit bad for Jim West, the GOPer who voted against gay rights during the day, and sought men in chat rooms at night.
Of course, that was before Jim started to wrap himself in the blanket of ‘poor [not-gay] me, stop picking on me because I’m gay’.
Jim, there were a lot of opportunities you could have taken to stand up for protecting gay people from abuse and discrimination. You chose not to, selfishly, because you felt it would hurt you politically. Now, with your secret out, you’re crying for protection – again selfishly.
Of the many bills you voted against, I’m guessing none of them would have protected gay people from criticism if they traded jobs and other items for dates.
WTF?
Okay, help me here. A Christian phone company. I swear, I thought this was joke – but apparently it’s not. Take a peek. They even have a ‘One nation under god plan’.
Wonkette has links to some MP3s of people who have been contacted or have themselves contact the company to figure out what the deal is:
Mr. Mirman: MCI has hardcore child pornography?
United American Technologies: Yes, they are. They have a pedophile Web site for men who love boys. It's a Montréal based Web site....
Mr. Mirman: And so MCI basically has a child pornography ring?
United American Technologies: That's correct.
Mr. Mirman: What about the others? What does Verizon do?
United American Technologies: Okay. Verizon, what they do is they train their employees to accept the gay and lesbian lifestyle.
For a more amusing look, here’s a link to someone who called asking if the service would ‘block the homos from calling me’.
Rock and a Hard Spot
After spending weeks criticizing the Bolton nomination process as ‘playing politics’ (a phrase which always seemed asinine to me. Everything they do in Washington is, by definition, playing politics), There are now GOP members who are critical of Bolton’s nomination.
Which lead to this nifty question and response:
MR. McCLELLAN: No, I was referring to some of the Democratic members.
So :
Democrat + Opposition = Playing politics.
Republican + Opposition = Difference of opinion?
Nebraska Ruling
Law Dork has some reactions.
Comments:May 12, 2005
Family Values
Losing County Republican Chairperson, Jim Stelling, is suing the former County Republican Chairperson for defamation for claiming in a ‘smear campaign’ that Jim had been married six times, which caused him to lose the election.
The correct number, as Jim points out, is 5.
Is this covered by the new tort reform laws?
Darn activist courts
A US judge has over turned Nebraska’s gay marriage ban.
I haven’t read the opinion yet, but here’s the money shot...
The judge said the amendment’s “broad proscriptions could also interfere with or prevent arrangements between potential adoptive or foster parents and children, related persons living together, and people sharing custody of children as well as gay individuals and people inclined to align with them to promote changes in legislation.”
Conservatives losing their minds in 5...4...3…
Hmmmm
Has Pat not been getting enough attention lately? Sure seems like it.
May 11, 2005
The Near Tragedy of 5-11: Hour 3
The networks are all a flutter about this morning’s narrowly averted disaster. We here at JLOC have been able to get a transcript of a breaking CNN interview with one of the survivors:
Judy Woodruff: We’re joined right now by John Q. Public, who just happened to be at the capital building when the horrifying events took place. Mr. Public, than you for being here.
JQP: Sure.
Judy: Can you tell us what happened ?
JPQ: Sure. It was a little after noon and I had gone down to the cafeteria to get some lunch. There was a small line, so I was waiting to pay for my patriot burger and fries, when a guard came running in and told us we had to leave. So, I put my tray down and left.
Judy: Did they tell you, at all, what the danger was?
JPQ: Ummm, not really. You know, just that we had to leave. Which we did.
Judy: So, Mr. Public, you were unaware that at the time you were heading out of the building, a deviant plane was hurtling – very possibly- towards the capital building, being chased by US fighter planes?
JPQ: Not really. Just that we had to leave.
Judy: I’m sorry if this is difficult for you – I can see that you’re still a little shaky.
JPQ: Well, Judy, I still haven’t eaten. I had to drop my burger when I left, and you guys grabbed me on the way back and asked if I would do the show. I figured there be some chips or something, but pretty much there was only water in the waiting room. I get hypoglycemic sometimes.
Judy: Well, this has been a trying time for us all. Your country appreciates your sacrifice.
JPQ: It was just lunch…
Judy: Next up: President Bush was biking when the terrible events of today unfolded near the White House, but his wife was inside. Wolf Blitzer asks the question: ‘Where were you when they announced the evacuation?’. He’ll get answers from James Carville and Bob Novak. After that, We’ll look at how today’s events have shaken Wall Street to it’s very foundation. Stay with us for continuing coverage of the near disaster.
Our media. Words can not do them justice…
Oh, for pete’s sake
Yes, a plane accidentally violated restricted air space today. Buildings were evacuated – but it appears to all been a mistake.
Do they have to waste the entire White House press briefing on it?
Here are some of the stellar questions asked (As I remember them. I'll update when transcript is available):
- Can you explain the alert system? Is it the same as homeland security's?
- What did the president [who was biking] do when he heard?
- Did the jets have permission to shoot the plane down?
- Exactly when was the president informed?
- Why was the Vice President evacuated, but not the first lady?
- Where was the president biking?
Hello – Press? There’s war and deficits and jobs and freedom and a whole slew of things that, really, you can be asking about as opposed to whether the ‘alert’ system was copied from Home Land Security.
A moment of pity
I have to admit it. Following my admittedly snarky initial post, the more I read about mayor west to more bad I feel for him. Well, let me qualify that briefly: I don’t feel bad if he’s in trouble for using his position to get sex or for molesting kids (neither of which has been proven – just alleged – but certainly the position for sex/relationship looks bad for him).
That said, if you read the chat transcripts, you see a man lost in a world between who he is, and who he is expected to be. And that's sad.
This is why recognizing gay relationships and fighting gay discrimination is so important. People like West work so hard to convince themselves they’re not gay simply because the can’t be gay. It’s not allowed. Of course, their body has different thoughts – so they end up living secret lives, flitting from one sexual encounter to the next because they’re afraid any real commitment would eventually out them and ruin their lives.
None of this excuses West for any abuses he may have committed – but I think it’s too easy to miss an important part of this story.
Some things are predictable II
Hmmm…a gay man who hated high school. There’s a revelation.
Is there ANY gay man, older than 25 who didn’t hate high school?
Side note of limited interest: Fred Schneider is pretty much my only brush with someone famous. I ate at Club Cafe in Boston many years ago and was seated at the table next to his.
I had the chicken – I can only assume he had rock lobster.
Some things are predictable
No, I’m not talking about the Stone’s new world tour, but that the homeland director was over-ruled at times when he objected to raising the color-coded threat level.
Ridge was part of a group that consisted to Ashcroft, Mueller, Tenet, Powell, and Rumsfeld who all voted to decide if/when the level is raised and (one assumes) lowered. Ridge claims that he was more often less inclined to raise the level. Assuming you needed a majority to do so, any guesses as to what three may have been pro-threat raising?
Curious.
May 10, 2005
Radio Jim
Jim Infantino, of Jim’s Big Ego has a flash based radio on the JBE site where you can listen to all his music. He’s a boston based folk/fusion sort of guy.
For those of you who aren’t in the know about Jim.
That didn’t take long
The Vatican has, via a cardinal, given a wide ranging statement pretty much vilifying gay people and any attempt they make at happiness.
Gay Marriage:
Same-Sex Adoption
Conscientious Objection
I’m sure the church will say the same about people who work in matters of divorce, and adultery, and other of the other sins the bible discusses. See, it’s a big book – there’s bound to be some coverage of non-homosexual sins.
I’m sure they will be equally as strong.
Any time now...
(Hypocrites)
O’Liely
Bill has a talking point today called Hillary Clinton and the Left-Wing Press. It starts off like this:
Then moves on to talk about how the liberal media is out of touch with main stream America. That’s pretty much the only mention Hillary gets. No discussion about her views, no analysis of anything. Did he really need her to make a point about the (so-called) liberal media?
He then goes on to make a list of made-up observations – Most Americans don’t like the ACLU, most Americans think Abu Ghraib was over played, how the press loved John Kerry.
It’s nice work if you can get it…
