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New York Shitty
2007-12-04 00:13:00
So, continuing my practice as a professional flaneur I am meandering around Manhattan this week. Here is some random labeling I noticed while browsing in the basement of The Strand bookstore just off Union Square Park which is a great place to spend an hour or two on a cold day...
More About: New York , York , New-York

Buenos Aires Morning
2007-10-24 17:35:00
This was the view I woke up to this morning at my new apartment in Buenos Aires . Since I got here Day before yesterday I have been in two separate taxi accidents, walked about 15 miles, and drank 1.5 bottles of wine. Besides getting ripped off a couple of times (namely on rent and an incredibly expensive taxi from the airport) life is good. I will take some more pictures and post again soon.
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Study: Absitnence Education Is Useless
2007-04-16 01:11:00
A new study - commissioned by congress - has found that "students who took part in sexual abstinence programs were just as likely to have sex as those who did not." This goes one step further in the confirmation that teens, just like everyone else, are going to explore their sexuality no matter what. (Study : American's Fucking) From the Washington Post: Those who attended one of the four abstinence classes that were reviewed reported having similar numbers of sexual partners as those who did not attend the classes. And they first had sex at about the same age as other students - 14.9 years, according to Mathematica Policy Research Inc. The federal government now spends about $176 million annually on abstinence-until-marriage education. Critics have repeatedly said they don't believe the programs are working, and the study will give them reinforcement. However, Bush administration officials cautioned against drawing sweeping conclusions from the study. They said the four pro...
More About: Education , Cat , Useless , Less

Gay Shame, Pt. 2
2007-03-21 07:31:00
That's right, it's that time again. Every once in a while I come across a story that has slithered it's way out from underneath the seedy underbelly of gay-ville and I immediately try to pretend it doesn't exist. Back in December, though, I decided to embrace the shame and rewrite these stories here in the hope that we could overcome them together by admitting they happened. With that in mind, here we go: This past February Patrick Gillease, 41, got into a heated argument with John Kloepfer, 56, over a relationship Kloepfer was having with his boyfriend, Adam Lalavase, who is 22. The argument escalated until Gillease pulled out a .38 and fired at Kloepfer, missing him by a few inches. Gillease was arrested and charged with attempted first-degree assault and second-degree menacing. All three of them live at the same Poughkeepsie house but were on vacation together at Kloepfer's home in Assembly Point, near Lake George, at the time of the shooting. I guess if I was goin...
More About: Sham , Shame

SC: Sonograms Before Abortions
2007-03-21 05:47:00
Legislators in South Carolina are likely to pass a proposal later this week that would require women who are seeking an abortion in that state to view a sonogram of the fetus before the procedure. The legislation is popular among most lawmakers, including the Republican Governor, but a few Democrats are voicing opposition. According to Dem. Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter: "This train is on the track, and only two or three of us are standing in front of it." Doctors who perform abortions in South Carolina are already obligated to comply with an "informed consent" law that requires them to describe the exact age and stage in development of the fetus then provide information about alternatives, such as adoption. Afterwards, women have to wait a minimum of one hour before the procedure can begin. "Let's give patients the information they need to make an informed decision," U.S. Rep. Bob Inglis said in a statement Tuesday. "Requiring ultrasounds may slow down the process a little, but shou...
More About: Abortion , Fore , Sono , Grams , Gram

Patrick Wolf: The Magic Position
2007-03-16 05:02:00
I don't know how it slipped by me, but Patrick Wolf released a new album about a month ago. His previous albums didn't really do a lot for me, but this one is different. You could say that his self-absorbed lyrics and unconnected arrangements have been supplemented, and in some cases replaced, by a more listener friendly pop sound. I like it. It was hard to pick between two of my favorite tracks, so I posted them both below. Accident And Emergency - Patrick Wolf Get Lost - Patrick Wolf
More About: Magic , Rick , Trick

Gay Fetuses on Evangelical Hit List
2007-03-15 09:30:00
Both gay rights activists and conservative religious leaders are flipping their shit over board member of Focus on the Family, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and all-around killjoy Rev. R. Albert Mohler Jr.'s decision to set his sights on an easier target earlier this month: Gay fetuses. In a post on his website he argues that if scientists prove that homosexuality is biologically based it would be the moral obligation for Christians to use hormonal treatments to rid fetuses of the "defect." "If a biological basis is found, and if a prenatal test is then developed, and if a successful treatment to reverse the sexual orientation to heterosexual is ever developed, we would support its use as we should unapologetically support the use of any appropriate means to avoid sexual temptation and the inevitable effects of sin." The media whores over at the HRC were all over his ass, of course. "He's more than willing to let homophobia take over and be the determ...
More About: Angel , Evangelical , Evan , List , Fetus

Chiquita In Bed With Terrorists
2007-03-15 07:16:00
The Chiquita Banana Company has pled guilty to paying an estimated $1.7 million to terrorists for protection of their farms in Colombia. From Yahoo! news: The settlement resolves a lengthy Justice Department investigation into the company's financial dealings with right-wing paramilitaries and leftist rebels the U.S. government deems terrorist groups. In court documents filed Wednesday, federal prosecutors said the Cincinnati-based company and several unnamed high-ranking corporate officers paid about $1.7 million between 1997 and 2004 to the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, known as AUC for its Spanish initials. The AUC has been responsible for some of the worst massacres in Colombia's civil conflict and for a sizable percentage of the country's cocaine exports. The U.S. government designated the right-wing militia a terrorist organization in September 2001. Prosecutors said the company made the payments in exchange for protection for its workers. In addition to payi...
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Wis. Sex Offenders May Go Green
2007-03-13 09:20:00
Wisconsin Rep. Joel Kleefisch introduced a bill today that would require some sex offenders to use bright green license plates on their cars and trucks. Rep. Kleefisch claims that the public should be able to spot predators who often use their cars to commit crimes. He picked green because children associate it with Mr. Yuk, a symbol used to warn children of poisonous substances. He's also considering emblazoning each plate with a sex offender warning. I'm just going to come out and say it: This is fucked up. I know this is exactly the kind of thing that people use to hate the ACLU but that doesn't change the fact that it's wrong. I don't understand why we need to punish criminals who have already served their debt to society. If Rep. Kleefisch wants to take an easy shot at crime maybe he should try to change sentencing guidelines. What does this say about the Wisconsin Department of Corrections? Ohio lawmakers are working on similar legislation, and Gov. Ted Stricklan...
More About: Green , Offender , Ender , Enders , Fender

Teens Hate Loud And Proud
2007-03-13 08:17:00
23,000 teenagers and youth leaders gathered again this year in San Francisco to celebrate their hatred of gays and pop culture in one giant Jesus loving orgy this past Saturday. "Battle Cry", one part of a weekend organized by a Christian group called "Teen Mania", got together at the AT&T Park stadium and, from what I can tell, yelled a lot about how much they love Jesus and hate gays, Paris Hilton, and Harry Potter. Some organizers of the event stood outside holding signs that declared homosexuality a sin and reminding church followers that the "Real Church Battles Evil." As if we could forget. Apparently the organizers of the event were pissed because the City refused to allow them to use the gigantic PA system of the stadium before 10 in the morning. In what I assume was an effort to give the kids something to get all rowdy about, they told the teenagers that they were trying to be silenced and made having their voices heard the theme of the event. The President and Founde...
More About: Teens , Hate , Hat , Loud , Proud

Teens Hate Loud And Proud
2007-03-12 17:17:00
23,000 teenagers and youth leaders gathered again this year in San Francisco to celebrate their hatred of gays and pop culture in one giant Jesus loving orgy this past Saturday. "Battle Cry", one part of a weekend organized by a Christian group called "Teen Mania", got together at the AT&T Park stadium and, from what I can tell, yelled a lot about how much they love Jesus and hate gays, Paris Hilton, and Harry Potter. Some organizers of the event stood outside holding signs that declared homosexuality a sin and reminding church followers that the "Real Church Battles Evil." As if we could forget. Apparently the organizers of the event were pissed because the City refused to allow them to use the gigantic PA system of the stadium before 10 in the morning. In what I assume was an effort to give the kids something to get all rowdy about, they told the teenagers that they were trying to be silenced and made having their voices heard the theme of the event. The President and Founder o...
More About: Teens , Hate , Hat , Loud , Proud

Obama "Personally" Against Gays
2007-03-09 23:59:00
Over the past couple of months there has been a trickle of stories and posts about the GLBT community supporting Obama rather than Hillary (like this one from the Washington Blade) and they are causing me to slowly loose my mind. Barack Obama may support some gay rights, but he supports them for the wrong reasons. Consider the following quote from the one-term Senator given during his floor speech just last year during the FMA debate: "I should say that personally, I do believe that marriage is between a man and a woman."(Obama.Senate.Gov) Now compare that to what Hillary Clinton had to say during a speech given at the HRC last week: "We want to make sure that all americans in committed relationships have equal benefits: From health insurance and life insurance to social security and property rights and more. It is wrong that so many people are unable to care for those they love, to leave them their homes and belongings, to ensure they can see a doctor, to visit them in the...
More About: Personal , Gays , Bama , Again

No Recruit Left Behind
2007-03-08 05:21:00
Just when you think that recruitment for the armed services couldn't get any more underhanded, another disturbing layer presents itself. Apparently the No Child Left Behind Act has a sneaky provision that requires high-schools turn over the contact information of all new students to the Department of Defense which maintains a national database of children's addresses and phone numbers. The DOD uses this database regularly to target students for recruiting purposes often without the consent or knowledge of their parents. Parents who don't want to have their children hounded by recruiters have to opt-out of the program by submitting a form that schools are supposed to provide to the families of new students. A new bill introduced by CA Dem. Rep. Michael Honda yesterday (The Student Privacy Protection Act) would restore the privacy of families by requiring them to opt-in instead of having to opt-out. He has the endorsement of the National Education Association (NEA), the Nation...

Greeks to Repeal Gay Blood Ban
2007-03-07 02:55:00
Organizers of a greek week event at Iowa State University have decided against awarding points towards a community service trophy to fraternities and sororities that participate in this weeks blood drive on campus because current FDA guidelines prevent gay men from being able to participate due to an "increased risk of receiving blood that contains HIV." The Blood Center of Iowa is expected to loose up to 500 units of blood, which is particularly bad news for Iowans considering that recent bad weather has resulted in the cancellation of several blood drives and stored blood levels are low. "We don't want to endorse events that don't give equal opportunity to all of our members," said ISU senior Courtney Knupp, the general co-chairwoman who oversees activities during Greek Week. Not surprisingly it was the gay fraternity Delta Lambda Phi that petitioned the organizers to withhold points usually given for blood donations. "We've been trying to raise this issue for a long time,...
More About: Greeks , Repeal

Boys Beware!
2007-03-04 10:33:00
This is one of the most disturbing videos I have ever seen. I have such a hard time understanding what it must have been like to be gay before the 60's. This just adds to the respect I have for the generations of homos that have come before me. On a personal note, the first time my father told me to watch out for gay men the warning sounded a lot like this video. Now I know where he got it. Maybe we should cut our elders a little slack considering this is the kind of popular attitude that existed toward homosexuality during their childhoods and try to provide some education instead.
More About: War , Ware , Beware , Boys

Dead Kittens Revenge Of Choice
2007-03-03 08:18:00
A 30 year old man in Pittsburgh is going to trial on charges of stalking and animal cruelty after mailing his ex-girlfriend the decapitated head of a kitten in a gift wrapped package this past January. According to his ex he was not happy that the relationship was over. I guess not, huh? What is it with guys thinking that dead kittens will solve relationship problems? (You can read the last story I posted about this exact topic less than two months ago here.) The man's attorney is suggesting his ex orchestrated the kitten head incident herself in order to punish him. Solid defense. Get the rest of the story from AP on Forbes here.
More About: Dead , Choice , Kittens , Revenge , Choi

New Modest Mouse
2007-03-03 07:45:00
Modest Mouse is finally releasing a new album on March 20th. A single is already available on iTunes, but I don't really care for it all that much. I managed to find a leaked version of the entire album and gave it a few listens today. I have to say I'm not that impressed. The Lonesome Crowded West is one of my favorite albums, but even with similarly smart lyrics this album sounds boring and flat which is surprising considering they added Johnny Marr of the Smiths last year. Below is one of the tracks I don't hate. Let it go a little before shutting it down, it takes a few minutes to get interesting. Spitting Venom - Modest Mouse
More About: Modest Mouse , Modest , Ouse , Odes

Book It! Burning
2007-03-03 00:08:00
The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood has joined several other groups to work towards ending the Book It program. Susan Linn, a Harvard psychologist and co-founder of the campaign had this to say: "In the name of education, it promotes junk food consumption to a captive audience ... and undermines parents by positioning family visits to Pizza Hut as an integral component of raising literate children." Let me stop you there, Susan. I don't usually disagree with whiney liberal intellectuals (I might even be one someday), but I think this crosses the line. I have very fond memories of reading my little heart out over the summers because, in part, I wanted to be invited to the pizza party with the rest of the nerdy kids who had a dozen pan pizzas coming to them. I might have gorged myself sick on the stuff that one day a year but it didn't stop me from growing up to be a regular reader, or a healthy vegetarian with 8% body fat. I understand how giving kids junk food and i...
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Episcopals Do Takesie Backsies
2007-03-01 21:47:00
The presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, asked members yesterday to support her decision to repeal support for gays after a meeting with leaders from the larger Anglican Church in Tanzania last week. She is agreeing to demands that the Episcopal Church, which represents Anglicanism in the United States, will no longer consecrate gay clergy or authorize official prayers for gay couples, whatever that means. During the live webcast on the issue she said ''To live together in Christian community means each member takes seriously the concerns and needs of other members. If we can lower the emotional reactivity in the midst of this current controversy, we just might be able to find a way to live together.'' Even though I realize Rev. Schori is a over a barrel I'm still very disappointed. Rev. Robinson, the gay bishop whose consecration started this whole debate, had this to say just before the decision: "How will we explain this 'forbearan...
More About: Take , Back , Opal , Pisco

This American Life
2007-03-01 20:52:00
My favorite radio show is going to television! This America n Life debuts on Showtime on March 22. Watch it. You can get current or past episodes of the radio show completely free here or just podcast it on iTunes.
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Check From God No Good
2007-03-01 06:00:00
A 21-year-old man was arrested in Indiana Monday for trying to cash a check for $50,000 from god. No joke. Kevin Russell now faces charges of check fraud, intimidation, and resisting arrest. What kind of person whips up some blank checks in Word, signs them "King Savior, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords," gets pissed when he can't get them cashed, then threatens police when he gets arrested? I love it. Read about it in the Washington Post here.
More About: God , Check , Good , No Good

Hawaii Civil Union Bill Dead
2007-03-01 05:24:00
In case you missed it, the House Judiciary Committee in the Hawai i an House of Representatives decided not to vote on the civil unions bill introduced late last month, killing it. (Hawaii to get Civil Union s?) None of the members gave any real explanation. Read more from the Advocate here.
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Ill Gets Gay Marriage Bill
2007-02-22 20:13:00
Openly gay State Rep. Greg Harris introduced a bill yesterday that, if passed, would make Illinois the second state to legalize gay marriage. "It would extend the same rights and obligations of marriage to same-sex couples in Illinois as are previously enjoyed, or not enjoyed, by heterosexual couples," Harris said. "If you look at recent polls ... people of Illinois very thoroughly understand that same-sex couples deserve the same rights and benefits" as heterosexual couples. Rep. Harris was also quick to point out that his bill does not require any religious organizations to bless same-sex marriages. "We want to make it very clear we are not forcing any faith-based organization to act outside of their faith and traditions. If your faith did not believe in same-sex marriage, you would not be required to consecrate those." Neither House Speaker Michael Madigan nor Senate President Emile Jones will say wether they will support or condemn the bill and the governor is on record as ...
More About: Marriage , Gay Marriage , Gets , Arri , Bill

Yoko Ono Is A Rad Senior
2007-02-22 19:42:00
In case you missed it Yoko Ono (who just turned 74) has released a new album this month which, frankly, is amazing. The Album features Yoko Ono with Peaches, The Flaming Lips, Le Tigre, Antony and the Johnsons, the Polyphonic Spree and Cat Power, just to name a few. If you don't know anything about her beside the fact that she is John Lenon's widow, I highly suggest you read her wikipedia bio here. She is insane in the best possible way. Below is a track from the album that I like a lot. Revelations - Yoko Ono featuring Cat Power
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Public School Teaches Hatred
2007-02-22 19:37:00
A public high school teacher in North Carolina asked an anti-islam group to come speak and distribute literature to classes of ninth graders earlier this month. The literature included a hand-out titled "Do Not Marry a Muslim Man," with sections that discussed Jesus and other information in a pamphlet describing Mohammed included the phrases "criminal," "demon possessed," and "inspired by Satan." This is not the first time representatives from the Kamil International Ministries Organization, the Christian group "dedicated to teaching the truth about Islam" with a mission "to raise an awareness of the danger of Islam," have gone to Enloe High School and gave the presentation, either. Fortunately, a muslim father of one of the students found out about the guest speaker and contacted groups that are now demanding an apology and for the teacher who requested the lectures to be reprimanded. An investigation is supposedly underway. Meanwhile, in Utah, legislators are trying to pass a...
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Catholic Bully Will Go To Trial
2007-02-22 19:08:00
A magistrate in Worcester, Mass. has found that there is enough probable cause to support charges of assault and battery and the violation of civil rights against Larry Cirignano, the former executive director of Cat holic Citizenship. You may remember he came down from a stage just after giving the pledge of allegiance and assaulted Sarah Loy, a gay rights supporter, at a rally to ban gay marriage back in December because she was holding a sign that read "No Discrimination in the Constitution." "I'm very glad that the city of Worcester and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts are taking civil rights seriously," she said in a phone interview. "It's good news, because my civil rights were violated." Larry Cirignano will be arraigned on April 11 in Worcester's Central District Court on the charges. You can get the background story here and here then the update here.
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Merck Bows To Conservatives
2007-02-21 06:10:00
Merck pharmaceutical company announced today that it would stop lobbying state legislators to require girls be immunized against HPV, a leading cause of cervical cancer, because of increasing pressure from conservative groups. Why wouldn't they want girls to be vaccinated? The short answer is because some politicians and parents are claiming that mandating a vaccine for an STD will promote promiscuity. I can't think of a more stupid reason to keep young girls from getting a vaccine that might someday save their lives. It sickens me that there are parents out there who are so vocal in "protecting their right" to use the threat of STD contraction to keep their daughters from having premarital sex, which we all know will likely happen anyway (see "Study: Americans Fornicating") Also, a number of prominent public health organizations, including the American Cancer Society and the American Academy of Pediatrics, have recommended that girls receive the vaccine. Groups who are oppo...
More About: Conservative , Merck , Conservatives , Bows , Cons

New Blonde Redhead
2007-02-20 21:52:00
After over two and a half years Blond e Redhead is going to release a new album titled "23" on August 10th. I did a little digging and found the leaked version yesterday. Check out one of my favorite tracks below. Top Ranking - Blonde Redhead
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National Gay Marriage Update
2007-02-18 06:02:00
I post about gay marriage and civil unions on here pretty often and can see how it might get confusing. It seems like every couple of weeks there is a new court case being heard or bill being voted on. With that in mind, here is the state of gay marriage in the US: Massachusetts is still the only place gays and lesbians can get hitched. Same-Sex couples can be civil-unionized in Vermont, New Jersey and Connecticut. In The Courts: Last year New Jersey, New York and Washington States' Supreme Courts all ruled that there was no right to marriage for same-sex couples under their respective constitutions. In New Jersey's case, however, the decision required that same-sex couples be offered all of the same rights which is where the civil unions bill in that state came from. The California State Supreme Court will hear a case this year charging that the state's ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional. Connecticut's State Supreme Court has not decided if it will hear a similar ...
More About: Marriage , National , Gay Marriage , Nation , Update

Happy Chinese New Year!
2007-02-18 04:10:00
I took this photo earlier today in Chinatown. I haven't seen so many people eating corn on the cobb since I left Virginia, seriously. Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
More About: New Year , Chinese , Happy , Chinese New Year , Chine