Obama Speaks

Some quotes from the inauguration and comments from Time Magazine, February 2, 2009

Regarding the fallacy of the wonders of free enterprise:

"This crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control. The nation cannot prosper when it favors only the prosperous." (Take that, Dick Cheney, who exited the scene in a wheelchair, looking grim, as if he were about to foreclose on someone.)

Regarding the wisdom of earlier generations:

"They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please."

And he denounced the "false...choice between our safety and our ideals."

Happy Holidays

This is the Christmas card I got from my friend RonDeena. Best card ever!

This is the free sticker I got from MoveOn.org.

Honk if you want to stop the H8

DEMONSTRATION AGAINST PROPOSITION 8 IN CALIFORNIA, HELD ON THE HIGHWAY IN FRONT OF HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY.

Lots of honking with scattered "Drop dead you fucking faggots!"

Keith Olberman on Prop 8

THANK YOU, MR. OLBERMAN!

We have NOT reached the end of racism

"You Can Forget My Taxes" by Melissa Etheridge

Singer Melissa Etheridge rails against the passage of the gay-marriage ban in California—and she won't be paying the state a dime.

from the The Daily Beast

Okay. So Prop 8 passed. Alright, I get it. 51% of you think that I am a second class citizen. Alright then. So my wife, uh I mean, roommate? Girlfriend? Special lady friend? You are gonna have to help me here because I am not sure what to call her now. Anyways, she and I are not allowed the same right under the state constitution as any other citizen. Okay, so I am taking that to mean I do not have to pay my state taxes because I am not a full citizen. I mean that would just be wrong, to make someone pay taxes and not give them the same rights, sounds sort of like that taxation without representation thing from the history books.

Okay, cool I don't mean to get too personal here but there is a lot I can do with the extra half a million dollars that I will be keeping instead of handing it over to the state of California. Oh, and I am sure Ellen will be a little excited to keep her bazillion bucks that she pays in taxes too. Wow, come to think of it, there are quite a few of us fortunate gay folks that will be having some extra cash this year. What recession? We're gay! I am sure there will be a little box on the tax forms now single, married, divorced, gay, check here if you are gay, yeah, that's not so bad. Of course all of the waiters and hairdressers and UPS workers and gym teachers and such, they won't have to pay their taxes either.
Oh and too bad California, I know you were looking forward to the revenue from all of those extra marriages. I guess you will have to find some other way to get out of the budget trouble you are in.

…Really?

When did it become okay to legislate morality? I try to envision someone reading that legislation "eliminates the right" and then clicking yes. What goes through their mind? Was it the frightening commercial where the little girl comes home and says, "Hi mom, we learned about gays in class today" and then the mother gets that awful worried look and the scary music plays? Do they not know anyone who is gay? If they do, can they look them in the face and say "I believe you do not deserve the same rights as me"? Do they think that their children will never encounter a gay person? Do they think they will never have to explain the 20% of us who are gay and living and working side by side with all the citizens of California?

I got news for them, someday your child is going to come home and ask you what a gay person is. Gay people are born everyday. You will never legislate that away.
I know when I grew up gay was a bad word. Homo, lezzie, faggot, dyke. Ignorance and fear ruled the day. There were so many "thems" back then. The blacks, the poor ... you know, "them". Then there was the immigrants. "Them.” Now the them is me.

I tell myself to take a breath, okay take another one, one of the thems made it to the top. Obama has been elected president. This crazy fearful insanity will end soon. This great state and this great country of ours will finally come to the understanding that there is no "them". We are one. We are united. What you do to someone else you do to yourself. That "judge not, lest ye yourself be judged" are truthful words and not Christian rhetoric.
Today the gay citizenry of this state will pick themselves up and dust themselves off and do what we have been doing for years. We will get back into it. We love this state, we love this country and we are not going to leave it. Even though we could be married in Mass. or Conn, Canada, Holland, Spain and a handful of other countries, this is our home. This is where we work and play and raise our families. We will not rest until we have the full rights of any other citizen. It is that simple, no fearful vote will ever stop us, that is not the American way.

Come to think of it, I should get a federal tax break too...

Melissa Etheridge is an Academy Award-winning and Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter.

Politics, Palin, and Project Runway!

My new friend Brooke turned me on to this PERFECT analysis from the Huffington Post. Check it out:

WHY HEIDI KLUM SHOULD MODERATE THE DEBATE

Perfect!

Dear Red States

Source: Unknown (received by email)

Dear Red States,

We’ve decided we’re leaving. We intend to form our own country, and we’re taking the other Blue States with us. In case you aren’t aware, that includes California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and all the Northeast. We believe this split will be beneficial to the nation, and especially to the people of the new country of New California.

To sum up briefly: You get Texas, Oklahoma and all the slave states. We get stem cell research and the best beaches. We get the Statue of Liberty. You get Dollywood. We get Intel and Microsoft. You get WorldCom. We get Harvard. You get Ole’ Miss. We get 85 percent of America’s venture capital and entrepreneurs. You get Alabama. We get two-thirds of the tax revenue, you get to make the red states pay their fair share.

Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22 percent lower than the Christian Coalition’s, we get a bunch of happy families. You get a bunch of single moms. Please be aware that Nuevo California will be pro-choice and anti-war, and we’re going to want all our citizens back from Iraq at once. If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals. They have kids they’re apparently willing to send to their deaths for no purpose, and they don’t care if you don’t show pictures of their children’s caskets coming home. We do wish you success in Iraq, and hope that the WMDs turn up, but we’re not willing to spend our resources in Bush’s Quagmire.

With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control of 80 percent of the country’s fresh water, more than 90 percent of the pineapple and lettuce, 92 percent of the nation’s fresh fruit, 95 percent of America’s quality wines, 90 percent of all cheese, 90 percent of the high tech industry, most of the U.S. low-sulfur coal, all living redwoods, sequoias and condors, all the Ivy and Seven Sister schools plus Stanford, Cal Tech and MIT. With the Red States, on the other hand, you will have to cope with 88 percent of all obese Americans (and their projected health care costs), 92 percent of all U.S. mosquitoes, nearly 100 percent of the tornadoes, 90 percent of the hurricanes, 99 percent of all Southern Baptists, virtually 100 percent of all televangelists, Rush Limbaugh, Bob Jones University, Clemson and the University of Georgia. We get Hollywood and Yosemite, thank you.

Additionally, 38 percent of those in the Red states believe Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale, 62 percent believe life is sacred unless we’re discussing the war, the death penalty or gun laws, 44 percent say that evolution is only a theory, 53 percent that Saddam was involved in 9/11 and 61 percent of you crazy bastards believe you are people with higher morals then we lefties.
Finally, we’re taking the good pot, too. You can have that dirt weed they grow in Mexico.

Peace out,
Blue States

Constitutional Ammendment

CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO VIEW LARGER

The Heaviest Element Known to Science

Lawrence Livermore Laboratories has discovered the heaviest element yet known to science.

The new element, Governmentium (Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.

These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.

Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A tiny amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second, to take from 4 days to 4 years to complete.

Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2- 6 years. It does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places.

In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes.

This characteristic of morons promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass.

When catalysed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium, an element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.

Source: Unknown (but they are brilliant)

A Link from the The American Prospect

- A Link for you from The American Prospect -

Dear Jma blog,

Jonathan (jmartin@marfan.org) wants you to see this page, http://www.prospect.org:80//cs/articles;jsessionid=aOj0pY-DgD0-Sqie6Y?article=palins_record_on_violence_against_women on The American Prospect.

The sender also included the following message for you:

(Note: the sender's e-mail address above has not been verified.)

Tragedy in Tanzania

From my dear friend and colleague Rick Guidotti, currently in Tanzania speaking out about a despicable assault on human rights:

Here is the information about the trip to Tanzania and why we are going with the link to the petition. We need lots of signatures. Thank you so much for your support.
Love, Rick

We write to advise you of disturbing human rights violations against people with albinism in Tanzania that call out for action by the genetic community and ask for a few minutes of your time to make a difference.

Recent reports from Tanzania published by BBC News, New York Times and the Washington Post tell of the murders of persons with albinism, including children, on the orders of witchdoctors peddling the belief that potions made from the legs, hair, hands, and blood of people with albinism can make a person rich.

In mid-October, Positive Exposure's Rick Guidotti (http://www.blogger.com/www.positiveexposure.org) will be traveling to Tanzania in partnership with Under the Same Sun
(http://www.blogger.com/www.underthesamesun.com) to collaborate with national and local government officials, authorities and interests groups to develop effective strategies to end these crimes against humanity.

Please sign the online petition which the team will present to the government of Tanzania. We need 10,000 signatures for this to be effective.
http://www.underthesamesun.com/petitions.php

This petition will also let the albinism community in Tanzania know that they are NOT ALONE and that many throughout the world are standing with them in defense of their fundamental human right to safety, security and freedom.

Positive Exposure is a non-profit organization that challenges stigma associated with difference by celebrating the richness and beauty of human diversity.

Here is a link to the NY Times Story...
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/08/world/africa/08albino.html

McCain Women's Clinic

Be afraid, be VERY afraid!

Across Cliques and Clubs and Classes

Adrienne Hurley, and old friend from high school, and I reconnected a while back after 20ish years. We pretty much stay in touch now through each other's blogs. Hers is much more oriented on political activism than mine, which focuses more on pop-culture observations and what's happening in my own life. Adrienne was always the one to stir things up in high-school, marching to the beat of her own drum, to the admiration of people across cliques and clubs and classes. She's a good person to know--- she forces thought, and respects action. There should be more people like her. Fierce and unwavering in her convictions, refusing to conform to the expected.

Anyway, I got a kick out one of her recent posts about Sarah Palin and wanted to share it here... (scroll down to the bottom of her post for the photos.)

ABC News Coverage of Palin Book Banning Inquiry

Lipstick On A Pig

Ok, ok. Barack Obama has crossed the line with the "Lipstick on a Pig" comment. I don't think I can vote for him any more. Watch the above video to see my new candidate... It comes abotu 35 seconds in.

GIVE IT A REST PEOPLE! Is McCain really so senile that he will get all outraged about Barack's "lipstick" comment when he said the same thing about Hillary last year? REALLY?!?!

Obama 2008!!!

Cindy McCain on Palin's Internatioinal Experience

Really?!??!

It's Not her Lack of Experience...

I think that it could be argued that NOBODY is "ready" for the job of POTUS. It's about leadership and motivation and being able to surround yourself with trustworthy and intelligent advisors.

What I hate about her is her demonstrated ultra conservative social platform. I despise almost everything she stands for.

Dad said that if the liberal media continues all the unjust and irrelevant coverage of Sarah Palin, it will only serve to mobilize the republican base. Ummm... I think that was the point in McCain's choosing her as a running mate. It is a direct move to pander to the extreme right. And I am pretty sure that it will also serve to moblize liberals AND pull moderate voters away from the republican ticket. (Cross your fingers!) I can't believe that a year ago I could be overheard (apparently in a moment of weakness) whispering that I could almost consider looking at McCain as a reasonable choice, although I was still pretty firmly planted in the hope for a Clinton/Obama or Obama/Clinton ticket.

From MoveOn.org:

Did you watch Sarah Palin's speech last night? The speech told us a lot
about her.

It told us that she can distort the facts and deliver mean-spirited zingers
with the best of them.

It told us that if Rush Limbaugh or Ann Coulter ever need a stand-in, she'd
be a great pick.

It told us that she can be condescending and dismissive of the real work
Barack Obama did helping real people on the South Side of Chicago. It told us
that she can uphold the long Republican tradition of lying about Democratic tax
cuts—even though Obama's plan would give Americans a bigger break than
McCain's.

But the speech—written by one of President Bush's speechwriters—didn't tell
us the truth about Sarah Palin's extremist positions. And the more that people
know her far-right views, the less they support her. (There's a partial list
below.)

Palin's speech and the reaction to it also made clear why McCain picked
her. It wasn't a decision about who's most qualified to serve a heart-beat away
from the presidency—it was a political decision about pleasing the far-right
base of the Republican party.

Palin recently said that the war in Iraq is "God's task." She's even
admitted she hasn't thought about the war much—just last year she was quoted
saying, "I've been so focused on state government, I haven't really focused much
on the war in Iraq." 1, 2

Palin has actively sought the support of the fringe Alaska Independence
Party. Six months ago,
Palin told members of the group—who advocate for a vote on secession from
the union—to "keep up the good work" and "wished the party luck on what she
called its 'inspiring convention.'" 3

Palin wants to teach creationism in public schools. She hasn't made clear
whether she thinks evolution is a fact. 4

Palin doesn't believe that humans contribute to global warming. Speaking
about climate change, she said, "I'm not one though who would attribute it to
being manmade." 5

Palin has close ties to Big Oil. Her inauguration was even sponsored by BP. 6

Palin is extremely anti-choice. She doesn't even support abortion in the
case of rape or incest. 7

Palin opposes comprehensive sex-ed in public schools. She's said she will
only support abstinence-only approaches. 8

As mayor, Palin tried to ban books from the library. Palin asked the
library how she might go about banning books because some had inappropriate
language in them—shocking the librarian, Mary Ellen Baker. According to Time,
"news reports from the time show that Palin had threatened to fire Baker for not
giving "full support" to the mayor." 9

She DID support the Bridge to Nowhere (before she opposed it). Palin
claimed that she said "thanks, but no thanks" to the infamous Bridge to Nowhere.
But in 2006, Palin supported the project repeatedly, saying that Alaska should
take advantage of earmarks "while our congressional delegation is in a strong
position to assist." 10

The plain fact of the matter is that Sarah Palin did a bang-up job
delivering a Karl Rove-style political attack speech last night. That makes her
a skilled politician but it doesn't make her views any more palatable for
voters. Americans don't really want another far-right, anti-science ideologue in
the White House.

P.S. If you haven't seen it, check out the Daily Show clip on Palin. It's
worth a watch http://www.moveon.org/r?r=24753&id=13701-6654264-slYE0Qx&t=5
(I've also embedded it in my earlier Jon Stewart post).

Sources
1. "Palin: Iraq war 'a task that is from God'," Associated
Press, September 3, 2008 http://www.moveon.org/r?r=24701&id=13701-6654264-slYE0Qx&t=6
2. "Palin wasn't 'really focused much' on the Iraq war,"
ThinkProgress, August 30, 2008 http://www.moveon.org/r?r=24702&id=13701-6654264-slYE0Qx&t=7
3. "The Sarah Palin Digest," ThinkProgress, September 4, 2008 http://thinkprogress.org/palin-digest/
4. "McCain and Palin differ on issues," Associated Press, September
3, 2008 http://www.moveon.org/r?r=24703&id=13701-6654264-slYE0Qx&t=8
5. Ibid
6. The Sarah Palin Digest," ThinkProgress, September 4,
2008 http://thinkprogress.org/palin-digest/
7. Ibid
8. Ibid.
9. "Mayor Palin: A Rough Record," Time,
September 2, 2008 http://www.moveon.org/r?r=24704&id=13701-6654264-slYE0Qx&t=9
10. The Sarah Palin Digest," ThinkProgress, September 4, 2008 http://thinkprogress.org/palin-digest/

Jon Stewart Lets Their Own Words Demonstrate the Hypocrisy

Jon Stewart is FU%*ING B-R-I-L-L-I-A-N-T