This could happen to you.

This is so sad.

Even though Tami and I are legally married, it means nothing in the eyes of the law. While my family will not be a problem if something happens, her family may be.

Cover your ass..ets.

I am misty. It is sad to see the end of an Era.

Mom kept us home to see the first man on the moon. We watched every thing we could about space flight. We all love science. We are all Trekers ( I know )

While we watch the last flight of the Space Shuttle Enterprise lets hope we will be around for the first launch of the Starship Enterprise.

We Need Help

How do I begin...

We need help.

My wife had an accident 20 years ago when her knees were badly damaged. She has suffered 14 surgeries that kept her on her feet but are now failing to support her. She needs both knees replaced to get her back to school and back to work.

My legs have always had problems walking too far and that distance has become shorter over the last few years. Now I can't make it thru the grocery store with out pain and weakness. It may be blockage in the artery that leads to my legs. I inherited the bad cholesterol and can not take the current medications to lower it. It is getting harder to stand for long and now my left knee is swollen and painful.

We both have worked full time jobs but have never been able to afford health insurance so there is no coverage and the cost is far beyond our reach.

We are part of a wellness plan at a clinic but they can not even order an X-ray or MRI to look into the problem. They can refer us to doctors that can give us a good price for the tests but again, the cost is out of reach.

The clinic can prescribe pain medications and monitor the basics but is unable to help.

I was sent home after confirming a problem with blockage in my left corroded artery because they could not do anything more for me. 2 weeks later I had 2 mini strokes.

Neither of us can work at this point and she had to drop out of school because it became such a problem getting around. Now we are both signing up for SSI/SSD.

It seems to me that rather than spending money on medications, medical monitoring, and SSI/SSD while we suffer and can not work, that the money would be better spent on fixing the problems and getting us both back on our feet so we can work and she can finish school.

The situation is growing worse every day. It is depressing and painful to have our quality of life slow to a halt when there are ways to repair the problems.

Can someone please help?

R-rating prevents kids from seeing anti-bullying documentary

From America Blog Gay comes this news.

ByNick Seaver

I’m a little late to this story, but there is a new documentary coming out from The Weinstein Company entitled, Bully. While it would seem a movie about the problem of bullying wouldn’t be too controversial given it's about what kids deal with everyday, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has given it an R rating.

Here’s the problem – kids are the ones who need to see this and an R rating stops it from being played in a lot of schools. It’s rated R for the language, which fails to recognize that every word in this movie has been heard in every high school in America.

The irony here is that the MPAA seems to be trying to protect kids from seeing what bullying looks like while the movie is trying to show the impact of bullying in an effort to elevate efforts to stop it. These kids don't need to be sheltered - they see it or live it every single day. Looking the other way doesn't stop kids from bullying, it doesn't reduce the damage done by those words and actions, and doesn't stop kids from seeing suicide as a reasonable escape from bullying. Sticking our heads in the sand isn't the solution (it clearly hasn't worked so far).

There’s a petition at Change.org that you can sign telling the MPAA to reduce the rating to PG-13. Take a second and sign on and share it.

Here’s the trailer:

"8" The Play

I just finished watching "8". The play based on the Prop 8 trial.
I can't say enough. Watch it and learn what happened. Please pass this on to everyone you know and love no matter which side they are on.
Thank you to everyone involved.

Surfers riding the biggest waves on the planet

From thechive.com comes this beautiful video.

Don't Go To Russia

OHIO: Gay Activists Work To Place Repeal Of Marriage Ban On November Ballot

From joemygod.com

This my home state. Good luck. I don't think it will pass. Lived there, done that, only go back for a funeral.

Activists in Ohio have launched a drive to place a repeal of the same-sex marriage ban on the November ballot.

The Freedom to Marry Coalition expects to file more than 1,700 signatures of registered Ohio voters; 1,000 valid signatures are required in the first step of placing a constitutional issue before Ohio voters this fall or possibly next year. The proposal would change the Ohio Constitution — amended in 2004 to block same-sex marriage — to say that the state and political jurisdictions define marriage as “a union of two consenting adults, regardless of gender.” It also would stipulate that “no religious institution shall be required to perform or recognize a marriage.”

The proposed amendment will be submitted to Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today. (Tipped by JMG reader Arthur)

Labels: 2012 elections, LGBT rights, Ohio 

Davy Jones RIP

He was very cute, compact, could sing and had a funny dance. The accent topped it off. 
I watched the Monkeys. Can't say it was my favorite show but then there was not 1000+ stations.
Cable had not been invented. I did listen to their music on the radio all the time. It was so exciting that Davy Jones was going to be on the Brady Bunch!
There was no VCRs or DRVs then so you were parked and ready when the TV warmed up.
The Partridge Family was the one I loved. I saw David Cassedy in concert but I was in love with Shirley Jones. I had a thing for her ever since I saw her in Oklahoma. I have a thing for musicals too.

I watch as another piece of me slips away....
Good-by Davy Jones........and Thanks for sharing.

Here is a great site posted For Davy Jones.

Bill Maher’s New Rule: "If you’re a working-class American who still votes Republican ... you’re stupid"

I think he nails it!

Homecoming Kiss Draws Nasty Comments

 

This picture of the marine homecoming kiss has gone viral. It was picked up by network news programs and the response has been mixed. I went to several papers and read pages full of comments. I found them to be about a 60/40 split between the lovers and haters.
I did not see death threats but then many of the threats and really bad things were taken down. There were some nasty things left up. Here are a few samples.
 Click here for full story


Sir_Drinks_Alot (Name says it all)
Feb 27, 2012

Personally, this makes me sick to my stomach, and I hope an IED comes his way.

Feb 27, 2012

The Taliban will probably post this on the walls of their caves, as evidence that their opponents are a troop of limp wristed, pickle-smoking, girly-men. And, in the case of these two exhibitionists, they would be right.

 

Sgt. Brandon Morgan thank you for your service to our country. Many of your fellow Americans wish you and your partner Dalan Wells the very best.

 

I am appalled that ABCNews would post this kind of trash. Especially when there are more news-worthy things happening in the world. These people should keep that crap in their bedrooms. For all the good they have done, it is worth nothing after the focus is put on their sexuallity. Just plain nastiness!!!!!!!!

 

This is disgusting and sick!!!!!! Send him back and put him on point!!!! Need to get America back to the values that once made it great!!!

 

Absolutely disgusting…and on top of it, a Marine no less…I always thought Marines were real men but now I see some are just ‘girls’ in men’s bodies…time to update their slogan: “The Marines: the few, the proud, the gay”

Gorgeous Time-Lapse Video - The Best So Far

Found at Buzzfeed.com

SCOTUS Refuses NOM Appeal

Just in from joemygod.com...

The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal of a lower court ruling that NOM must disclose its donors in their successful battle to repeal same-sex marriage in Maine.

Via SCOTUS Blog:

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear a constitutional challenge to a Maine law that requires those seeking to raise and spend money in state election campaigns to organize as a political action committee for that activity, and make significant disclosures about their financial operations. That was challenged in a petition, National Organization for Marriage v. McKee (11-599), after the state law was upheld by the First Circuit Court. The NOM is an organizations set up to promote the traditional view of marriage as being reserved solely for opposite-sex couples. It argued in challenging the PAC requirement that states do not have the constitutional authority to impose such obligations unless an organization has election campaign activity as its “major purpose.”

Is this finally the end of the road for NOM's flouting of Maine's campaign finance law? Will they now comply? Will we at last see the bejeweled Catholic hands pulling the strings at NOM? Experts? (Tipped by JMG reader Glenn)

SHOW US ! Nothing has happened to them so far but I think they are at a dead end. If the CC is behind it....well...... TAX THEM!!!
I would love to see Brian Brown Behind Bars!

Lastest BS from NOM and Brian Brown

This was in my mail today.

Monday, February 27, 2012 Dear Barbara, Same-sex marriage advocates claim they are just asking for their rights and want to be left alone...that there are no consequences to redefining marriage. But tell that to the 14-year-old girl who is getting death threats because she dared to stand up and tell the Maryland legislature to vote no on same-sex marriage. And if you think it's bad now—just wait until after the bill is signed into law. This Barbara, this is what NOM stands up to and fights against every day. HELP FIGHT BACK AGAINST THE TYRANNY OF "TOLERANCE" BY MAKING A DONATION TO NOM TODAY! 14-year-old Sarah Crank testified before the Maryland Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee on January 31st. She urged the committee to give her "the best birthday present ever," by "vot[ing] no on gay marriage." She continued: "I really feel bad for the kids who have two parents of the same gender. Even though some kids think it's fine, they have no idea what kind of wonderful experiences they miss out on. I don't want more kids to get confused about what's right and okay. I really don't want to grow up in a world where marriage isn't such a special thing anymore." CLICK HERE to listen to Sarah's complete 60-second testimony. She is brief, polite, and totally non-threatening. Just a happy, smart young girl. But it obviously struck a chord because within minutes after her testimony was posted online, the comments quickly turned vicious and ugly. As documented by TFP Student Action responses to her testimony included: "And now everyone knows her name, so hopefully she will feel what its [sic] like to be harassed and bullied..." "My god I hate people like this. Most (not all) Americans are [expletive] retards. If I ever see this girl, I will kill her. That's a promise." I do think that any threat is wrong. The people that wrote the bad comments should be ashamed. That said.....NOM and this 14 year old lamb is full of S##T. That girl got up and said what she has been programed to say due to her indoctrination into the crazy end of Christendom. Just because you feel bad or that your God does like LGBT people or that it is your birthday is not a reason for those kids and their loving parents should have to suffer. If you really want to feel bad think of the extra taxes, lack of health insurance, no Social Security benefits, or the people like you who make them feel like they don't count or their families are not good enough. How about one parent dies and the kids are ripped away from the other parent because the law sees them as legal strangers. How about the surviving parent losing the house because they can't pay the extra taxes a REAL spouse would not and no SS to help out. I feel sorry for the kid. She does not have a clue to the damage her words have.

Obama is a Snob for Wanting an Educated Country-Santorum is a FLIP FLOPPING ASS!

Santorum is a FLIP FLOPPING ASS!
Watch this and check out this other info then we'll talk

Supported Headstart: He's now against
Worked with Joe Lieberman for more affordable college: Now says it's not for everyone
Supported Pell Grants: Now supports cuts to the program
Click anywhere and go to buzzfeed.com for more info. They have a great list!

I attended Kent State University for a total of 8.5 years and it was the best thing I ever did for myself.
I learned alot about myself and the world. I know that I can do anything I want if I work at it. I found focus and passion for my craft. I became part of .....the world.

This guy and the asshats that cheered want to keep people from learning about their part in the bigger picture. They need to keep them dumb so they can control them. Any crowd that would listen to this and cheer can NOT have had an education past high school.

The enrollment in colleges by "Non-traditional" has increased by 50% since the recession and the government is paying for most. New jobs ARE coming and by the time these people graduate, there will be a job market for the educated. People that can think and solve problems. People who will question and find solutions.

They want and need are drones who will not have a clue. Who will listen to this drivel and cheer.

Is that the kind of country you want?

Bob Green, former DJ and ex-husband of Anita Bryant, dies at 80

From the Washington Post comes this gem.

It was rumored he was gay. She seems cold.
Here is just part of the article. Click on the Post to read the whole thing.

By Elinor J. Brecher and Steve Rothaus, Published: February 23

Bob Green, a onetime radio DJ who married pop singer and Miss Oklahoma Anita Bryant, was found dead Jan. 26 at his home in Miami Beach. He was 80.
Mr. Green managed his wife’s rise to stardom as an entertainer and Florida citrus spokeswoman, then followed her into anti-gay activism, which ultimately destroyed their careers — and marriage in 1980. For more than 30 years, Mr. Green lived quietly, alone and resentful.

“Bob internalized a lot of his own anger and frustration and disappointments,” said Bryant, 71, on Wednesday from her home in Oklahoma City. That’s what happens “if you don’t let your faith rise up and you give into all those anxieties.
“The trouble with life is that it’s so daily,” she continued. “You have to have a mind-set that you’re going to work out your problems and God is going to help you. But he’s not going to lay it all in your lap.”

I was in my last days of high school when she was telling lies in Florida. I remember when this happened!

I knew I was different but still had not connected the dots. We did not talk about it then. I did know that what she was doing was wrong and I should be paying more attention to this issue. Getting information was hard in the pre-computer age and the public library did not have the info I was looking for. I would have come out at a much earlier age if I was young today. I knew I was different since kindergarten.
All this talk of "homosexuals"  cut her stardom short. No one wanted to have her as a spokesperson.

Petition: Banks Should Condemn Uganda

Found at joemygod.com

Over 170,000 people have signed a petition demanding that two major international banks issue condemnations of Uganda's pending "kill the gays" bill.

With the “Kill the Gays” bill looming in Uganda’s parliament, Citibank and Barclays have unique and necessary voices that could help stop this bill in its tracks. Their presence in Uganda is significant, and their voices in opposition to the Anti-Homosexuality Bill could have a profound impact in keeping LGBT people safe in Uganda. Ask Citibank and Barclays to publicly condemn Uganda’s “Kill the Gays” bill, and send a loud message to Ugandan legislators that criminalizing homosexuality with lifetime prison sentences and the death penalty won’t be supported by major international businesses.

For a ton of info on the "Kill the Gays" bill click here.

People! We are all connected and the World has to speak up about this. People have already been killed and raped because of the fear and lies.
Lies,  junk science, and religious zealotry that came from American Hate Groups.
These Hatemongers are losing the "culture war" THEY started here so they spewed their vomit on a less informed and under educated country to create such fear and hatred of LGBT people that they want to pass the bill to kill them!
LGBT people live it fear for their lives. If they don't get killed in the streets first, they could spend their life in prison or die. Plus, if a person knows of or harbors a gay person, they could go to jail for not reporting them.
Sign the petition and pass the word.
No one should have to live this way and we must speak up!

Quote Of The Day - Sgt. Brandon Morgan

From joemygod.com. Click on the link for the warm fuzzy article.

"I'm glad I can be an inspiration to someone." - USMC Sgt. Brandon Morgan, upon learning that his "homecoming" photo had gone viral yesterday. Click on the link for the warm fuzzy article.

Hypocrisy Among Friends and Family

Hypocrisy as defined by Merriam-Webster : a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not.
We often accuse people of being a hypocrites. Politicians that say one thing and vote another. The person in the next cubical that is friendly to your face but whispers bad things under their breath.  The religious folks that attend church every Sunday but go home and kick the dog, pop a beer, and beat their wife or have sex with their kids. The religious leaders that protest against gays but later get caught with a "Rent Boy"
It is one thing to know a stranger is a hypocrite. It is easy to stay away from them and/or vote them out of office. It is another to be friends or have family that are.

Dealing with family that are hypocritical can be amusing at times. Pointing it out to them can be helpful or start a huge fight. Either way, they are your family and you just suck it up.
 My baby brother does not take a stand on anything nor does he vote. I am a Democrat. The rest are  conservative Republicans. I find this to be a great source of sad amusement.

I don't have health care. I have not had a job that offered a plan I could afford. I think health care should be affordable or free for everyone. It is necessary to the growth of our nation to have healthy productive people and no one should die from something treatable. They do not. To them it is a privilege and if you don't work hard enough to afford health care then suffer. Sounds cruel to me. So they suffer.  I find a clinic that can help or point me in the right direction. They don't want socialized medicine yet my folks are on Medicare/Medicaid as well as paying for health coverage.

The biggest problem I have is that they will all be voting for one of the GOP clowns this November. They will support the GOPers platform and issues because most of them will not touch their lives.  They don't have health care because they don't want it I guess. My brothers will not be getting abortions and they all think immigrants should go home. If they do stay, speak English. This is a tough bunch to love sometimes.
The kicker is that every GOPer wants to repeal every right and protection from us gay, lesbian, bi, and transgender folks. They do not want us married or even civil unionized. This is where my amusement ends.  I am a married lesbian.

Ya see...it is not okay to say you love me and respect my "commitment" but vote for people that do not. It is not cool to be okay with my marriage but vote for people who want to take it back.
It is much easier to deal with my family now that I don't live so close but religion and politics are still forbidden subjects to discuss when we talk on the phone or Skype. We are family and we have to agree to disagree.

So what happens when you find out that a friend has proven to be a hypocrite? We choose our friends for many reasons and as friends we often look the other way when they make a bad choice. It is not our place to tell our friends what to do but to support them if the bottom falls out. I have had many friends. Some for a short time and some for decades. The short ones just fizzled out for one reason or another. The long ones  become more like family because you are there come thick or thin. Not that I have not had issues with some of the bad choices they made but their choices don't affect me so much as it affects them. I am out spoken and honest with my friends and I expect that in return.

A friend does not say one thing to your face and another on facebook. A friend does not seem to be on your side of the issue then post the opposite on their wall. A friend is one who comes when you call crying. Is one who will not hesitate to offer a kidney. Is one who is there when your spouse dies. Who has said they love you. Who said they love your kids. Who sits with you in the ER. Who is thrilled it is nothing to worry about.
I can be friends with people that don't think we should be married if they are honest about it from the start but a friend does not say that they think our marriage is cool for years then facebook it isn't when equal marriage comes to town.
I am not sure what to do. I do know my wife is hurt. She has been friends with this person for 20-25 years.
Maybe I'll do what friends do. Talk about it over a cup of coffee.

Utah House Bans Birth Control Education - Bad Idea

Yesterday at joemygod.com was this article

The Utah House has passed a bill banning any mention of contraception in sex education classes. If a school does offer sex ed, it has to be abstinence only.

The state House passed HB 363 in a 45-28 vote following extensive debate. The bill -- which now goes on to the state Senate -- would lift the current requirement that all public schools must teach sex ed in grades 8 through 12. If the bill passes, districts would decide whether to offer sex ed classes that teach an abstinence-only curriculum, or not offer the course at all. Republican state Rep. Bill Wright sponsored the proposal. "We've been culturally watered down to think we have to teach about sex, about having sex and how to get away with it, which is intellectually dishonest," Wright said, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. "Why don't we just be honest with them upfront that sex outside marriage is devastating?"

Rep. Wright say his bill was prompted by Planned Parenthood materials which "promote promiscuity."

Abstinence only does not work.  Teenagers WILL have sex, Sex ED or not, and there is nothing you can do about this given.  Not giving them the tools and education to make better choices WILL cause more teen pregnancy and STDs including AIDS.
I am all for abstinence as one option but not the only one. It will be interesting and sad to watch the stats climb in Utah. It is sad to know that their kids are going to suffer because their leaders are so afraid of sex themselves that they want to keep their kids in the dark about the many dangers of having unprotected sex.

The GOP clowns all want to end abortion even from rape, no gay adoptions, and end prenatal care with insurance coverage. First, they are all men! They do not have to carry an unwanted child. They will not be the ones adopting those unwanted children. No prenatal care means more sick and dead babys.  Second, who is going to pick up the tab for all those sick, dead, and unwanted children?

I don't understand how "Small Government" can crawl into every womb and tell women what to do as if we don't understand what is going on. We are not stupid or in the dark about our bodies. (Unless you live in Utah). Sounds like "BIG" government to me.

How about the GOP get their collective heads out of the bedroom, quit thinking about others sex lives, and get on with the business of jobs and the economy like you said you were going to do.
Get rid of the red noise and floppy shoes too.

Newt, NOM, and the Catholic Church Have Their Say About Marriage in Maryland

As you know Maryland will have Equal Marriage  60 days after Gov. O'Malley signs the bill into law.
Naturally those that think this is a sin is crawling out to have their say about it.

Newt Gingrich, cheater and 3 times married, is not happy about it. Like he should talk about how others live their lives. "I think at least they're doing it the right way, which is going through voters, giving them a chance to vote and not having a handful of judges arbitrarily impose their will,” Gingrich said when asked about the votes in Washington state and Maryland. “I don't agree with it. I would vote no if it were on a referendum where I was, but at least they're doing it the right way."
At least it was done democratically.  I am guessing he does not talk much to his sister, the lovely Candice who happens to be a married lesbian.

NOM is buzzing now they have another state to invade with their lies and hate. From their web site comes this URGENT message....

NOM is a member of the Maryland Marriage Alliance, the official committee that has already begun the effort to collect signatures to put the bill on the ballot this November. But time is short—we have just three months to collect 56,000 valid signatures needed to qualify the referendum for the statewide ballot. Over the next three months, we will be taking our message to voters from every walk of life—from college campuses to African American churches, from the Eastern Shore to Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in suburban D.C.
Maryland has a reputation as having some of the most stringent signature requirements in the nation, so we will need several times the required 56,000 signatures to ensure we are not disqualified at the last minute due to signatures that are thrown out.
They better stay away from my neck of the woods because every single person I have talked to since we moved here thinks Equal Marriage is a good idea. Only one exception was a very Christian neighbor who is a sweetheart. We have talked about "gays" and marriage many times and she likes us. Her husband likes us. They will think twice when at the polls because they see that we are not all the bad things they have been told. I am sorry they moved last fall.

The Catholic Church seems to think they own Baltimore. Yes they are big here but they have been loosing ground.
"Now, Maryland’s politicians unconscionably have chosen political expediency over the good of society–the fundamental charge of their office–by daring to redefine this sacred union between one man and one woman. Their action poses a grave threat to the future stability of the nuclear family and the society it anchors. The Archdiocese will continue to advocate for the preservation of both and will eagerly and zealously engage its 500,000 members in overturning this radical legislation, and will join with the hundreds of thousands of others in this Archdiocese and throughout Maryland in aggressively protecting the God-given institution of marriage." - Cardinal Edwin O'Brien, Archdiocese of Baltimore, quoted on Good As You.
I am guessing that the good Cardinal has not seen this.....

It’s a popular stereotype that Catholics are more conservative than their Protestant counterparts, but a new report reveals that Catholics are more supportive of gay and lesbian rights than the general population and other Christians. But, depending on how one reads the numbers, the study could be a mixed blessing for marriage equality supporters.

On the issue of marriage, the report [pdf], compiled by the Public Religion Research Institute using past polls and studies, showed “nearly three-quarters of Catholics favor either allowing gay and lesbian people to marry (43%) or allowing them to form civil unions (31%). Only 22% of Catholics say there should be no legal recognition of a gay couple’s relationship.”
This is surprising and welcome news.

In fact many people of every faith are coming forward to say they think gay is okay and are joining the growing percentage of Americans that think the same way. Many have spoken about their personal struggle with this issue in testimony after testimony in several states.  Some have come to the conclusion that God loves everyone and we should all be equal. Some have separated church from the secular and realized they can not impose their beliefs on the rest of us so as a secular nation, all should be equal. Good for them and us!

Every state that has Equal Marriage has had to put up with the lies, junk science, and just outright hate from those who will be on the wrong side of history. This year has seen a majority of Americans on the side of freedom and equality for all. Prop 8 has been called unconstitutional in several courts and the federal government does not want to defend DOMA. They are talking about how unfair it is that our married service members are not getting the same benefits as other married couples and families.

It is coming folks! The ball is rolling faster everyday in our favor because it is the right thing to do.
Those who don't like it need to get out of the way of progress.

WikiLeaks Suspect Bradley Manning Formally Charged

Found at Alternet.org 

WikiLeaks suspect Bradley Manning was formally charged on Thursday ahead of a court-martial that could see the US soldier sentenced to life in prison.

Manning was charged with 22 counts, the most serious of which is "aiding the enemy," for allegedly turning over a trove of classified US documents to WikiLeaks in one of the most serious intelligence breaches in US history.

The 24-year-old Manning is accused of passing hundreds of thousands of military field reports from Iraq and Afghanistan and US diplomatic cables to WikiLeaks between November 2009 and May 2010, when he was serving in Iraq.

The leak of the military documents shed light on civilian deaths, while the diplomatic cables sparked a firestorm by disclosing the private remarks of heads of state and candid observations by senior US officials.

Manning's supporters view the site as a whistleblower that exposed US wrongdoing and see Manning as a political prisoner.

Sourced from AFP

Posted at February 23, 2012, 4:17 pm

Statement from Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley

"I'd like to thank Senate President Miller for his leadership and our legislators in the Senate for their hard work and their vote today for human dignity. All children deserve the opportunity to live in a loving, caring, committed, and stable home, protected equally under the law. The common thread running through our efforts together in Maryland is the thread of human dignity; the dignity of work, the dignity of faith, the dignity of family, the dignity of every individual. Thanks to our elected leaders, clergy and faith-based leaders, community leaders, civic organizations, civil rights groups, and citizens from across our state, Maryland will now be able to protect individual civil marriage rights and religious freedom equally." - Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley.

Who is Making Money at the Pump?

Who is making money at the pump?

FRC "Stop Fake Marriage"

by Jeremy Hooper at goodasyou.org
The Family Research Council is once again fundraising around the idea that we, those "trapped in homosexuality," have "fake marriage" that "ruin lives." Or, stated in another way: They are now justifying the Southern Poverty Law Center's decision to add the org. to its highly selective list of anti-gay "hate groups":

[SOURCE]

But then again, this is the same organization whose senior policy fellow has suggested we gay folk should be either "exported" or criminalized. So maybe painting us as fake, trapped, and ruinous is a sign of the group going moderate?

*Reminder: All four GOP presidential candidates spoke at this group's annual event

I am neither trapped nor in a fake marriage and our lives are just fine thank you.

Maryland Debate and Vote - YES!!! 25 to 22

4:00pm
I am listening to the Maryland Senate debate and argue the amendments to the equal marriage bill.
They passed it last year and nothing has changed since. I hope they get to the vote quickly.

4: 30pm
So far All I have heard is how to keep religious liberty from being attacked.
Basically they want the right to discriminate against gays where ever and when ever they want.

It is sad that religion has produced so many that show "Christian love" by discriminating against same sex couples and their families. I really hate that " Love the sinner, hate the sin" crap.

They are so much more concerned about their "beliefs" than the welfare of those who deserve and need the protections that marriage brings to the family.

6:00
All have spoken well. For and against have given A LOT of thought and the vote should be coming up soon. This Senate has heard this before and they all have had more than enough time to know what their personal views are. After hearing many, many testimonies in several states, it is getting old.
Religion should have no bearing but it does. Yet some religious leaders have stepped up to support equal marriage.
Why can't people believe we have happy monogamous lives. That we have kids and what the best for them too. That it is not a choice ( no one would choose to be LGBT). It just is and we are fine with it. We just want the same thing they have for the same love and caring of our partners and children.
The next generation does not care and think it is stupid that we are still fighting about this. Thank Goodness. I would just like to see all Americans equal.

Hear it goes.....25 - 22

Now off the the desk of Gov. O'Malley!

The Ultimate Barack Obama Video Timeline

For all you fans here is a great time line of Obamas public and political life .

To most Americans, Barack Obama seemed to appear out of nowhere, fully-formed, in 2008. This rarely-seen footage from 1991-2004 captures lesser-known moments in the future president's life — as law student, community organizer, local politician, failed Congressional candidate, and Democratic nominee for Senate — and offers a glimpse into his political and personal roots.



Click Here

Skateboards: How to Get Straight

I found this at Bilerico.com

I imagine most of those ex-gay "therapy" sessions go pretty much like this. Why is that all the ex-gay "therapists" always look like they're the ones holding down a regular bar stool at a drag bar? Liam Sullivan (better known as "Kelly" from the Shoes viral video) skewers these stupid "reparative therapy" treatments for what they are - nonsense.

Dutch Outraged Over Santorum's Euthanasia Claim

I picked up this clip at Buzzfeed.com where they have posted an article stating that the Dutch media is making a joke about the "facts" Santorum has.
"Public statistics, which have been reported since the practice was legalized in 2002, cite 3,136 reports of euthanasia out of a total of 136,000 in the Netherlands in 2011, a bit more than 2%."
"The Dutch were also flummoxed by Santorum's claim that Dutch elderly wear "Don't Euthanize Me" bracelets."
As for the abortion issue...Yes women used to get abortions in back alleys and it was dangerous. If he becomes President and stops all abortions, women will go back to the alleys like before. Is that what he really wants?
What a DICK.

Amazing ambidextrous painter

Saw this at The Chive. Awesome

I Have Tattoos Too

A friend posted this on his face book. I know what this feels like.
For those of you who do not know what or how many tats I have....Click here!

News Letter From Brian Brown

Because I really enjoy going to the oppositions websites and send edited letters from them, I have the pleasure of receiving their newsletters.  It keeps me up on what they are doing as well as questionable info like this.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Dear Barbara,

Looking back at the past week, I am overwhelmed by the generosity of Americans like you who are willing to stand up in defense of marriage. I can't thank you enough for your generous support. We successfully raised over $100,000 in just 7 days to help fund the appeal of last week's ruling striking down California's Proposition 8.

As of Monday morning, we had raised just over $40,000. But I was confident that we would hit our $100,000 goal because every time we have needed the means to defend marriage, God has provided and our supporters have stepped up.

Your response in the final 48 hours of our Prop 8 drive was simply overwhelming—almost 1,000 of you responded, donating over $60,000 in just 2 days, including someone who generously made a major gift to put us well past our goal!

Thank you.

One of those things that make you go hummmmmmm. That is a pile of cash in a short time.

It is huge gifts like this that they DON'T want us to know where it came from and they are fighting across the country to keep from the public. They have been ordered by the courts several times to make public the list of donations over $5000 to their PACs in several states but so far...nothing. Including putting anyone in jail for failure to obey the order.

It has been hinted that the Catholic Church has been a huge backer. That would be a No No for the tax exempt church. HUMMMMMMMM.

Pot Luck

The Late Movies: Stinking Badges
by Miss Cellania - February 17, 2012 - 10:00 PM

History of the "Stinking Badges". Very cool


i am bored.com has Amazingly Cool Toy, With No Name!

I followed the links to another cool site and I want one of these. Air Swimmers



 

The Earth-Sized Tornado Moving Across The Sun At 300,000 Miles Per Hour

From Buzzfeed.com

And you thought “Twister” was bad! Last week, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory satellite captured these stunning images of magnetically captured plasma moving like a tornado across the sun's surface. But even more stunning than this video of the solar tornado are its statistics: it's estimated to be about as large as Earth itself, with wind gusts approaching 300,000 mph and a temperature of 15,000 degrees fahrenheit. Uh… wow.    

BREAKING: DOJ Won't Defend Laws That Block Benefits For Gay Military Couples

Fresh from joemygod.com

Talking Points Memo has a major scoop from the DOJ.

The Obama Justice Department has concluded that legislation banning same-sex couples from receiving military and veterans benefits violates the equal protection component of the Fifth Amendment and will no longer defend the statute in court, Attorney General Eric Holder wrote in a letter to Congressional leaders on Friday.

“The legislative record of these provisions contains no rationale for providing veterans’ benefits to opposite-sex couples of veterans but not to legally married same-sex spouses of veterans,” Holder wrote. “Neither the Department of Defense nor the Department of Veterans Affairs identified any justifications for that distinction that would warrant treating these provisions differently from Section 3 of DOMA.”

Obviously this latest move will cause an immediate firestorm of condemnation and wailing from the enemies of civil equality. HURRAY!

Christie Vetos Equal Marriage

We knew it was going to happen but it is depressing none the less.
 All the major Orgs. are chiming in on what a shame it is to ditch good families in New Jersey.
Christie is an ass for doing this and will go down in history as one.
Shame on him.

Maryland Just Voted YES to Equal Marriage!!

Oh my goodness! I have been listening all day and it should be close.

The cheering that erupted kept me from hearing the final tally but I believe it was 71 to 67.

Now it goes to the state Senate....if it passes then.....
It will go to the Gov. desk and will be signed into law. !

Maryland Vote so Far

The opposition wanted to attach a bunch of amendments to the equal marriage bill. Most of them were to stall for time and were BS. All the BS was turned down and so was placing it as a referendum right away.
Because of all the amendments having to be reviewed, the vote will not take place until sometime after 4:30 today. Click here to listen.

The Blue Marble: Views of Earth From Far Away - Must See

You have to go to Mentalfloss.com to see more beautiful photos of our planet.

Really Gov. Christie? This is your team?

by Jeremy Hooper of Goodasyou.org
Via Yotuber LukeTVNow we get a good glimpse of what went down at the anti-gay protest that NOM and NY State Sen. Ruben Díaz led outside of the New Jersey Statehouse:

SOURCE and full vid: LukeTVNow [YT]

Stopping fairly-passed civil marriage in order to satisfy the faith-based condemnations of a shrinking few? Please, Gov. Christie: Don't perpetuate that crude Jersey joke!

Blessed Be to that !!!

Constitutional Logic 101

From Filed By Bil Browning  at Bilerico.com comes this piece of logic.

David Mixner shared this graphic his niece made on Facebook and the logic behind it is infallible. This should become one of our most regularly used arguments.

Web database documents everyone who support repeal of WA state domestic partners law

From America Blog Gay comes this interesting link.

And the bigots are officially exposed.

This Says It ALL

ATLANTA: SPLC AndTruth Wins Out To Protest "Ex-Gay" Conference

From joemygod.com

The Southern Poverty Law Center and Truth Wins Out are in Atlanta today to protest the Exodus International convention. Via SPLC press release:

Conversion therapy — sometimes known as reparative or “sexual reorientation” therapy — is a dangerous practice based on the premise that people can change their sexual orientation, literally “converting” from gay to straight. It has been discredited or highly criticized by virtually all major American medical, psychiatric, psychological and professional counseling organizations. In addition to the press conference, the groups will host a community meeting for survivors of conversion therapy and individuals contemplating the therapy. The meeting will also be attended by individuals planning to participate in a protest of Exodus International’s Ex-Gay conference outside of Atlanta Saturday.

Homophobes On Parade

Joe Jervis, owner the the award winning gay political blog joemygod.com, has reported on many closet homophobes over the years. I visit his site daily for news and updates and often pass along his work.
Thank you Joe.

Here is his report on the latest closet case and how it has developed so far. After reading and watching the video, be sure to click on the link that takes you to another very cool site that has been keeping track of the closet homophobes for years.

The sad thing about these guys is that they have been or are in positions of power and have used it AGAINST the LGBT population. This is a direct result of all the hate and lies about our people. When a person discovers they are LGBT, it is hard to come to terms with it when all around are people saying how bad/nasty/evil they are. It is very easy to hate yourself and do and say hateful things to make the rest of us look bad. Makes one wonder about those that yell damnation the loudest like
Bryan Fischer, Peter Sprigg, Matt Barber, Brian Brown, and Pete LaBarbera. All speakers for Hate Groups.

Conservative Houston radio host Michael Berry has been identified on the security videos of a local drag bar shortly before he fled a hit-and-run incident in the club's parking lot. As I reported yesterday, Berry is known for fiery condemnations of minorities, with "crackheads and welfare queens" his most commonly-used expression to describe Houston's poor. Berry claims that his employers won't let him discuss the incident. Some say he fled the scene in order to avoid a DUI arrest, others say he left because he'd been in a gay nightclub.

On his radio broadcast Thursday, which was posted online as a podcast, Berry alluded to the controversy. "I've always said when you do what I do, the way I do it, you make enemies. When you poke your finger in as many people's eye as I do every day, you make enemies," said Berry. He said that his detractors "will accuse you of most anything" and he added, "You have to trust that in the end, the system works itself out, that there are checks and balances, there are people who will verify. But you also recognize that there are some people who want you to be crushed. There's some people who hate you. There are some people who privately would benefit from you not being on the air." He said he does not respond to reporters who question him "on their turf" because it is subject to editing. However, at no point in his broadcast did he deny being behind the wheel and at no point did he address his presence in the club. "You simply cannot go out there and chase down every nasty thing that is said about you. Just because someone says something nasty about you doesn't make it true," he said.

Local prosecutors have demanded that the Houston police charge Berry after public outcry that his fame had allowed him to evade investigation.

Click here for the Video

Click here for the cool Homophobe Tracking Site

Brian Brown *CONDEMNS* NJ, continuing state's recent trend of broadcasting phony drama

by Jeremy Hooper at goodasyou.org

Move over, Snooki and Teresa Guidice: You've got a theatrical rival hoping to usurp your thrones:

"Democrats in the New Jersey Assembly today walked off a cliff when they decided to redefine marriage to accommodate the political demands of same-sex couples," said Brian Brown, NOM's president. "They have ensured themselves of the united opposition of people of faith when they next face voters. We are grateful to have a principled Governor in Chris Christie who has pledged to veto this legislation."
...
"Redefining marriage is not going to happen in New Jersey," Brown said. "NOM will join with the community of faith and all conservatives to ensure that every legislator who voted to kick God's definition of marriage to the curb pays the ultimate political price when they face voters. We will not forget this betrayal of marriage."
National Organization for Marriage Condemns Legislative Passage of Same-Sex Marriage In New Jersey [NOM]

Personally, I wouldn't have used a suicide metaphor when talking about gay rights in New Jersey. But then again, I also wouldn't make a living standing in the way of people's deserved rights. So all bets = off, I guess.

Michelle Obama and Dog Greet Visitors

I want to hug Michelle Obama. I have seen her hug lots of people and they always look so friendly and warm.

Maryland to Vote on Equal Marriage Today

Maryland was going to vote on equal marriage yesterday but ran out of time.
Unlike Gov. Christy of NJ who will veto the bill, Gov. O'Malley of Maryland is ready to sign this bill into law.
You can watch and listen to the vote live here.

Pot Luck Again!

Wow! I know my creative juices are flowing and so are a few others. Check out these sites.

Thousands Of Flowers Planted In Abandoned Mental Asylum

The Art Of A 4-Year, 7-Year-Old & An Adult

Futuristic Animal Sculptures Made Out Of Broken CDs

Amazing Sound Paintings

Sean E Avery

Sexy One-Man Flash Mob Takes Over Australian Beach

New Jeresy Assembly Vote

We needed 41 votes to win, 54 to override the veto.

The vote was 41 to 33. The bill passed!

Gov. Christy will veto the bill. There was not enough to override the veto.

It is still a victory!

Pot Luck

Here are a few odd things I found surfing. Enjoy!

Amazing Photos of Shattering Figurines Caught Mid-Explosion
Very cool.

Buzzfeed does love their cats and dogs. They found a few who love each other. Nice warm fuzzy.
20 Cats And Dogs Hugging It Out

This is odd. I am not sure how I feel about it. It really does not hurt the cat. My dog is tattooed by the SPCA and has a chip. The tattoo is not bad. The photos are good with a few real good ones. The guy loves his cat.
Russian Artist Gives His Cat A Chest Tattoo

Maryland's Governor explains his evolution on same-sex marriage

From AmericaBlogGay comes this news from Maryland

The Governor of Maryland, who like Governors Gregoire and Cuomo is Catholic, expounded upon his evolution on the marriage issue publicly last night. The Baltimore Sun called it "his most detailed explanation to date for the evolution of his stance on gay marriage":

During the hour-long conversation in front of roughly 120 people, the governor said that his long-held private belief in civil marriage for same-sex couples was sacrificed for political goals. When running for governor in 2006, he said, he decided to publicly support civil unions because at the time most Marylanders supported a distinct form of union for gay couples.

"I was mayor of the city of Baltimore then and my political advisers and friends went absolutely nuts and said 'There is no such term as "civil marriage" … if you use the term "civil marriage" you are going to jeopardize whatever hope we have to defeat the current officeholder and make the sort of strides, in any number of areas, that [then-Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. is] opposed to on these things," O'Malley said.

In July, O'Malley announced that he would throw his support behind a bill to legalize marriage for same-sex couples in Maryland. When asked at the announcement why he changed his position on the issue, O'Malley declined to elaborate, except to say that growing up in the Catholic Church influenced his early thinking on the topic.

Wednesday night, he said, "So I stuck pretty much to civil unions, believing honestly that that was the place where a public consensus could be forged that could move us forward. ... I have since seen that this debate is moving much more quickly."

The debate has moved much more quickly. Even President Obama, who has yet to evolve, said on October 27, 2010, "The one thing I will say today is I think it’s pretty clear where the trendlines are going."

Let's not forget, it's a smart political move. O'Malley is often mentioned as a possible 2016 presidential candidate. Andrew Cuomo, who is also on that list, set a pretty high bar on marriage equality. In 2016, it will be politically untenable for any Democrat running for President to be on the wrong side of marriage. Given the polling and the momentum, that should be the case with our nominee in 2012, too. (Just #evolvealready, it is the right thing to do morally and politically.)

Help Me Answer This Question - IRS Are We Married or Not?

When 2 people fall in love and decide to marry they should be aware of each others debt. When 2 people get married they responsible for each others debt. We are fine with that. But.....

As 2 lesbians we do not receive the same benefits, 1300 of them, for being married. We are legal strangers to the federal government. So...

If the federal government does NOT recognize my marriage, how can they take my wifes tax refund to pay my debt?

I have sent this question to several Orgs. including the ACLU and have not received an answer.

It is not about the money. It is the principle. We are married or not.
Not viewed as married for taxes and not married for all the benefits.

They can't have their cake and eat it too.

FRC pushes 'freedom from sexual addiction and homosexuality'; still gets to play mere conservative pundit role on cable news

From goodasyou.com



Ask yourself: What other kind of conservative voice gets to so blatantly deny credible science for the purposes of condemning a minority population and still retain regular "Morning Joe" bookings? Then, upon realizing the answer, ask yourself what you're going to do to demand better.

Our efforts to expose the religious right lies needs a lot of work

From Holy bullies and headless monsters comes this call to arms.

From Faith in Public Life:

On Feb. 14th in New York, Faithful America members and faith leaders including Bishop Gene Robinson, Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire, gathered at MSNBC studios to deliver 20,000 signatures calling on the network to stop inviting hate group leader Tony Perkins onto their news programming.

MSNBC sent down representatives to accept the petitions but remained non-committal about their willingness to change their policy.

The above video is of their delivery combined with footage of Perkins on MSNBC.

I like what these folks did and I salute their efforts.

But I'm also going to be honest.

I feel a little reticent about news networks banning Tony Perkins on their shows. I hate for him to play the martyr. "Oh they are banning me because they don't want any discussion on homosexuality," Perkins would say. "Oh those intolerant homosexuals."

It is a sad truth that the news media treats Perkins like a legitimate source, regardless of the myriad of things his organization, the Family Research Council, has done to denigrate the lgbtq community. FRC has relied on junk science, cherry-picked studies, or out-and-out lies to demonize us. It is also a sad truth that very few in the media have questioned him on these things

When they do address it, they ask him general questions and allow him to go on a monologue about his supposed Christian values.

What we need is a 60 Minutes type investigation or a huge magazine expose on the Family Research Council and other groups like it. There needs to be a huge amount of detail as to how these groups pick their so-called experts, how they cherry-pick studies, and their tendency to rely on junk science. There also needs to be some exposure as to how deeply affiliated some members of Congress are to these groups.

And I have said this more than once - I can't believe that the lgbtq community have several magazines and our own network, but none of these entities, at least to my knowledge, have decided to undertake this initiative.

No matter how many petitions we hand in or how loud we gripe, FRC and groups like it will continue to get away with their phony veneer or respectability until WE rip it away.

And frankly we have not begun to do it yet.

 

I am going to send a copy of this out to several networks and see if anyone nibbles.

The Anti-Gay Not-Scouts _ Shame on Them

Because of the recent furor over the Girl Scouts' inclusive membership policy, an anti-gay alternative called the American Heritage Girls is seeing an explosion in membership.

The group started with 100 girls in Ohio, and in recent weeks has surpassed 18,000 members in 45 states and six countries. Nine groups with a total of 357 girls meet in the St. Louis area; there were five local groups at this time last year. They are based at private schools and churches in Jefferson, St. Charles and St. Louis counties. Founder Patti Garibay, who had been a longtime Girl Scout leader for her daughters, wanted a choice. "We are faith-based, and they are secular, and that's a change," she said. "We're not for everybody, but we're obviously for a lot of people." Garibay estimates that 90 percent of Heritage members have left the Girl Scouts. Shanna Stewart, who home-schools her two daughters in Wentzville, found American Heritage Girls after becoming concerned when she learned the Girl Scouts had invited a lesbian to speak at the national level. "They were encouraging girls to embrace whoever they were; it didn't matter what choices they made, as long as they were true to themselves. That was a concern."

Like the Boy Scouts, the American Heritage Girls ban atheists and gays from becoming members or leaders.

Having been both a Girl Scout and a Boy Scout leader as well as born and raised in Ohio, I have had my share of conflicting emotions.

I loved being a Girl Scout. It was also when I became aware I was different from my friends. It is very nice to know that the Girl Scouts will accept all girls, LGB and T.

I loved being a Boy Scout leader. Knowing my son would benefit from scouting and could give him a foot in the door as an Eagle Scout was reason enough to hide my orientation. It just so happened that the troop leader was a lesbian too so we paired up and had a great time. We won awards for more food collected 3 years in a row. We expanded our meetings to 1.5 hours because we were having so much fun and 3 of our boys went on to become Eagle Scouts, my son did not. That's OK.

When our boys went up to the next level of scouting, I dropped out. It was about the same time it became public that the Boy Scouts did not want LGBT kids or leaders. I was sad and angry that the government supports that BS.

Since when does "...encouraging girls to embrace whoever they were; it didn't matter what choices they made, as long as they were true to themselves." become a bad thing?

It is a shame that some kids can't be scouts because of who they are. It is shameful that some kids are being taught that being LGBT or not being Christian is so bad that they can't join.