Using the Enemies Weapons Against Them - I Love Doing This

Once again I recieved a hate and lie filled rant for Brian Brown at NOM to sent an irrgent letter to everyone. This time about the repeal of DOMA. Below is the subject and letter they provided. Below that is the letter I sent after editing.

Vote NO on DOMA repeal bill

I am writing to urge you to oppose Sen. Feinstein's bill to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), recently approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee (S.598).
If enacted, this bill would jeopardize the marriage laws of 44 states, removing the only federal law that protects the rights of states to marriage as the union of a husband and wife.
Voters in 31 states have had the chance to vote on marriage. And 31 times in a row, they have rejected same-sex marriage. Forcing same-sex marriage when the American people have resoundingly and repeatedly said no is bad policy and bad politics.
I have seen reports indicating that, lacking votes to pass it outright, this bill may be attached to the 2012 Defense Authorization bill. This is inexcusable, and the American people deserve better than redefining marriage under cover of darkness. If the bill can't stand on its own, it shouldn't be enacted. Don't try to slide it through under the radar attached to a "must-pass" piece of legislation. It's no wonder the American people are so fed up with Washington.
Don't let a handful of states force same-sex marriage on the entire nation. Support DOMA to protect the voice of the people on marriage.
Please vote no on S.598. Thank you.

What I sent from their site....

Vote YES on DOMA repeal bill

I am writing to urge you to support Sen. Feinstein's bill to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), recently approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee (S.598).
If enacted, this bill would support equal marriage and would have the federal governments support for all legal marriages like mine.
Over 52% of the people feel that Gay and Lesbian couples should be treated the same as every other American.  
Repeal DOMA to protect the voice of the people on marriage.
Please vote YES on S.598. Thank you.

31 Photos Of Occupy Wall Street Vs. The Police

31 Photos Of Occupy Wall Street Vs. The Police   from Buzzfeed.com

This is SOOOOOOO Wrong!

This is beyond outrageous.

UC Davis Police Lt. John Pike

Here's confirmation of who the cop is, and his contact info:
Lieutenant John Pike
530-752-3989
japikeiii@ucdavis.edu

Much better picture of this neanderthal assaulting the students. Clearly not justification whatsoever for what he did.

This is outrageous. Oh my God, watch this video, you'll see in the first seconds all you need to see. The cop walks up to a line of students just siting down on the ground, having a sit-in basically, and he pepper-sprays them, one by one, in the face at point blank range.

I'm sorry, this has gone too far. This has happened in police department after police department, and it has gone too far. Our police look like the goons in Russia and China. Please watch this video and send it to everyone you know. This has gone too far.

Take This Test and Read the Lies

Click here to take the Quiz at the Family Research Council. See what lies they have posted as answers.

FRC is listed as a Hate Group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Hate Group Leader " Gays Are Less Than Animals"

Found at joemygod.com

"This is a measure of sanity that has overcome last year's nonsensical and biased ruling of the homosexual Judge Vaughn Walker, who viciously attacked the sacred institution of marriage between a man and a woman. He arrogantly struck down the people's vote. He even denied the people of California the basic right to be represented in court. The constitution, the statutes, and the official oath of office make it abundantly clear that it is the duty of the attorney general and the governor to enforce and defend the California Constitution." - Save California head Randy Thomasson, who last week characterized gay people as "less than animals."

Labels: assholery, bigotry, hate groups, Proposition 8, Randy Thomasson, religion, Save California

Mister Chase - Fuck You Very Much- Very Cute

A Must See From Rachel Maddow on OWS

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

A Protest Song For Occupy Wall Street

Found at joemygod.com.....

Performed last night to an audience that included President Obama. From the Honolulu Star-Advertiser:

Slack-key celebrity Makana used his performance at an APEC dinner last night at the Hale Koa Hotel as an opportunity to get his pro-Occupy Wall Street movement views out to President Barack Obama and other world leaders. Makana wore an "Occupy with Aloha" t-shirt under his black blazer and sang his newest song, "We are the Many," an anthem of sorts for Occupy protestors. The lyrics include, "Ye come here gather 'round the stage; The time has come for us to voice our rage."

This is GREAT !!!!

The Story of Broke - Great Video to Explain Our Broke Economy

Weekly Art 9

Obsessively Detailed Doodles  

Image Nation: 50 Nifty Forced Perspective Photographs

11 Sculptures Made From Books
Joan Of Arc Armor Made From Tire Tubes 

To All Our Brave Troops - Past, Present, and Future.

When a family has a child in service, they hang a red star in the window.
The day a gold star went up in the window across the street 10 years ago, I did not know what it stood for. I do now.

The boy that died was the first in my home town to loose his life in this war. He was the same age as my boys. A good kid with his life all planned out. Was engaged to a nice girl, wanted to be a police officer after being a juinor officer for a year, and just graduated from high school.
He had not been there long before he was killed.

The news media clogged the street wanting interviews with his parents while the neighbors sat on their porches watching and weeping. We all knew him.

Every officer in town stopped by when the news of his death was announced and the entire police force turned out for the funeral.

Today we are reminded of the brave men and women who have fought and died for freedom. I have family who served. An uncle, brother, and son. They served their country and returned changed men.

We dearly miss those fighting today. I have friends in service today. Some openly LGBT for the first time in our history.

We watch our children and Grandchildren play and hope they never have to fight. I can only hope I never see my nieces, nephews, or grandchildren off to war.

It is a day to be greatful for what we have and what we have given others. A day to remember those who died  with honor and be proud through the pain of losing them.

We don't live there now but I can still see the gold star framed in the window when I close my eyes and am thankful for all who have served, are serving, and with all my hope, never will.

Michigan's Kids Speak Out - Don't Give Bullies an Excuse

To My Dear Readers, I've Been at This a Whole Year Now

My Dear Readers,

I was just thinking I had been at this blog thing a while and maybe should check to see when I started posting. You will be pleased to know I have been at this 1 full year and have posted 834 news and information pieces as well as commentary.

I began a blog as a way to pass information and cool stuff to friends and family because sending it through email was getting to be a chore. Little did I know what a commitment this was.

I have always been on top of what is going on in my gay world and things have been moving quickly this past year. My wife and I celebrated 6 years together. DADT is history as well as a host of other LGBT related good news too numerous to mention today. My mother turned 70 and still looks good, feisty too.

There have been setbacks for us too. DOMA is still in force and hurting families. Maryland has had to start the fight for marriage AGAIN. The wife's knee gave out and needed surgery but is doing much better now. We had an earthquake and a hurricane in the same week. Thank Goddess we did not have near the problems others did. We gained a great roommate and I am learning alot about our transgender brothers and sisters. The world watched when Chrissy Polis was beaten at a McDees not far from our home and I got to give her a hug at Pride this last June.

When I began blogging, I copied from others news feeds and made little or no commentary. I still do that from time to time. Now I comment on most pieces and often discuss or rant at length.
There are times when I can't look at one more piece of bad news and wonder if anyone is reading or cares. Then I get a comment from a reader and it makes it all worth it.

I try to find funny stuff and I started the "Weekly Art" pages to keep up with the art work I find interesting. There are some very talented people in this world. There have been music videos that excited or touched me and amazing voices from children across the globe. I enjoyed finding all the holiday videos last December.

Because of the Internet news travels fast and far.  Nothing has escaped the fact that everyone has a camera so we have seen things that otherwise would not have been on the nightly news. We have seen images from this war that have made us weep and cheer. We are watching as Occupy Wall Street spreads across the globe and the way the authorities have handled it so far.  We have had count downs to the Rapture and count ups to the global population of 700 billion people. Thanks in part to the late Steve Jobs.

The world is smaller and people everywhere are demanding to be treated with respect for their diversity and hard work. We are demanding respect for our collective humanity.
Because of this, I will continue to write and post and bitch and spread the truth as I see it.

Thank you dear readers,
BJ

102 Things NOT To Do If You Hate Taxes

By Stephen D. Foster Jr. at AddictingInfo.org

So, you’re a Republican that hates taxes? Well, since you do not like taxes or government, please kindly do the following.
1. Do not use Medicare.
2. Do not use Social Security
3. Do not become a member of the US military, who are paid with tax dollars.
4. Do not ask the National Guard to help you after a disaster.
5. Do not call 911 when you get hurt.
6. Do not call the police to stop intruders in your home.
7. Do not summon the fire department to save your burning home.
8. Do not drive on any paved road, highway, and interstate or drive on any bridge.
9. Do not use public restrooms.
10. Do not send your kids to public schools.
11. Do not put your trash out for city garbage collectors.
12. Do not live in areas with clean air.
13. Do not drink clean water.
14. Do not visit National Parks.
15. Do not visit public museums, zoos, and monuments.
16. Do not eat or use FDA inspected food and medicines.
17. Do not bring your kids to public playgrounds.
18. Do not walk or run on sidewalks.
19. Do not use public recreational facilities such as basketball and tennis courts.
20. Do not seek shelter facilities or food in soup kitchens when you are homeless and hungry.
21. Do not apply for educational or job training assistance when you lose your job.
22. Do not apply for food stamps when you can’t feed your children.
23. Do not use the judiciary system for any reason.
24. Do not ask for an attorney when you are arrested and do not ask for one to be assigned to you by the court.
25. Do not apply for any Pell Grants.
26. Do not use cures that were discovered by labs using federal dollars.
27. Do not fly on federally regulated airplanes.
28. Do not use any product that can trace its development back to NASA.
29. Do not watch the weather provided by the National Weather Service.
30. Do not listen to severe weather warnings from the National Weather Service.
31. Do not listen to tsunami, hurricane, or earthquake alert systems.
32. Do not apply for federal housing.
33. Do not use the internet, which was developed by the military.
34. Do not swim in clean rivers.
35. Do not allow your child to eat school lunches or breakfasts.
36. Do not ask for FEMA assistance when everything you own gets wiped out by disaster.
37. Do not ask the military to defend your life and home in the event of a foreign invasion.
38. Do not use your cell phone or home telephone.
39. Do not buy firearms that wouldn’t have been developed without the support of the US Government and military. That includes most of them.
40. Do not eat USDA inspected produce and meat.
41. Do not apply for government grants to start your own business.
42. Do not apply to win a government contract.
43. Do not buy any vehicle that has been inspected by government safety agencies.
44. Do not buy any product that is protected from poisons, toxins, etc…by the Consumer Protection Agency.
45. Do not save your money in a bank that is FDIC insured.
46. Do not use Veterans benefits or military health care.
47. Do not use the G.I. Bill to go to college.
48. Do not apply for unemployment benefits.
49. Do not use any electricity from companies regulated by the Department of Energy.
50. Do not live in homes that are built to code.
51. Do not run for public office. Politicians are paid with taxpayer dollars.
52. Do not ask for help from the FBI, S.W.A.T, the bomb squad, Homeland Security, State troopers, etc…
53. Do not apply for any government job whatsoever as all state and federal employees are paid with tax dollars.
54. Do not use public libraries.
55. Do not use the US Postal Service.
56. Do not visit the National Archives.
57. Do not visit Presidential Libraries.
58. Do not use airports that are secured by the federal government.
59. Do not apply for loans from any bank that is FDIC insured.
60. Do not ask the government to help you clean up after a tornado.
61. Do not ask the Department of Agriculture to provide a subsidy to help you run your farm.
62. Do not take walks in National Forests.
63. Do not ask for taxpayer dollars for your oil company.
64. Do not ask the federal government to bail your company out during recessions.
65. Do not seek medical care from places that use federal dollars.
66. Do not use Medicaid.
67. Do not use WIC.
68. Do not use electricity generated by Hoover Dam.
69. Do not use electricity or any service provided by the Tennessee Valley Authority.
70. Do not ask the Army Corps of Engineers to rebuild levees when they break.
71. Do not let the Coast Guard save you from drowning when your boat capsizes at sea.
72. Do not ask the government to help evacuate you when all hell breaks loose in the country you are in.
73. Do not visit historic landmarks.
74. Do not visit fisheries.
75. Do not expect to see animals that are federally protected because of the Endangered Species List.
76. Do not expect plows to clear roads of snow and ice so your kids can go to school and so you can get to work.
77. Do not hunt or camp on federal land.
78. Do not work anywhere that has a safe workplace because of government regulations.
79. Do not use public transportation.
80. Do not drink water from public water fountains.
81. Do not whine when someone copies your work and sells it as their own. Government enforces copyright laws.
82. Do not expect to own your home, car, or boat. Government organizes and keeps all titles.
83. Do not expect convicted felons to remain off the streets.
84. Do not eat in restaurants that are regulated by food quality and safety standards.
85. Do not seek help from the US Embassy if you need assistance in a foreign nation.
86. Do not apply for a passport to travel outside of the United States.
87. Do not apply for a patent when you invent something.
88. Do not adopt a child through your local, state, or federal governments.
89.Do not use elevators that have been inspected by federal or state safety regulators.
90. Do not use any resource that was discovered by the USGS.
91. Do not ask for energy assistance from the government.
92. Do not move to any other developed nation, because the taxes are much higher.
93. Do not go to a beach that is kept clean by the state.
94. Do not use money printed by the US Treasury.
95. Do not complain when millions more illegal immigrants cross the border because there are no more border patrol agents.
96. Do not attend a state university.
97. Do not see any doctor that is licensed through the state.
98. Do not use any water from municipal water systems.
99. Do not complain when diseases and viruses, that were once fought around the globe by the US government and CDC, reach your house.
100. Do not work for any company that is required to pay its workers a livable wage, provide them sick days, vacation days, and benefits.
101. Do not expect to be able to vote on election days. Government provides voting booths, election day officials, and voting machines which are paid for with taxes.
102. Do not ride trains. The railroad was built with government financial assistance.
The fact is, we pay for the lifestyle we expect. Without taxes, our lifestyles would be totally different and much harder. America would be a third world country. The less we pay, the less we get in return. Americans pay less taxes today since 1958 and is ranked 32nd out of 34 of the top tax paying countries. Chile and Mexico are 33rd and 34th. The Republicans are lying when they say that we pay the highest taxes in the world and are only attacking taxes to reward corporations and the wealthy and to weaken our infrastructure and way of life. So next time you object to paying taxes or fight to abolish taxes for corporations and the wealthy, keep this quote in mind…
“I like to pay taxes. With them, I buy civilization.” ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

Julian Bond Makes Marriage Equality Video for HRC

Sent to me by a friend I met at the 2009 National Equality March in Washington, D.C.

From the Advocate

By Julie Bolcer

Legendary civil rights leader Julian Bond contributes the third installment to Americans for Marriage Equality, a web video series and nationwide public education initiative from the Human Rights Campaign.

In the 30-second spot, the NAACP chairman emeritus positions marriage equality as part of his legacy of “fighting for what’s right and just.” A former Georgia state representative, Bond appeared at the 2009 National Equality March in Washington, D.C. and advocated for marriage equality legislation in the New Jersey and Maryland legislatures in recent years.

“Gay and lesbian couples have the same values as everyone else,” he says in the video. “Love, commitment and stable families. They should have the same right to marry as the rest of us.”

The third video in the young series also is the third to feature a prominent African-American following videos last month from Newark Mayor Cory Booker and Academy Award-winning actress Mo’Nique. According to Frank Bruni of The New York Times, the string of black voices is “no accident” and it shows that the HRC campaign “implicitly acknowledges the complicated relationship between gay Americans and another minority group not firmly on their side,” where polls indicate lagging support for marriage equality among African-Americans.

In an interview for his column on Tuesday, Bond told Bruni that the African-American community is “composed of many Biblical literalists” who “put a wrong and wrong-headed emphasis on certain Biblical references to homosexuality.” Wade Henderson, the president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, who also supports marriage equality, cautioned that African-Americans, as a people once enslaved for the color of their skin, have legitimate concerns about attempts by gay rights advocates to appropriate “civil rights” language too broadly and equate the respective struggles.

Bruni concludes that the Americans for Marriage Equality videos, which build on the highly successful New Yorkers for Marriage Equality campaign, address the considerable challenges with a new approach gained through experiences such as the painful failure of the marriage equality bill to receive a vote in the Maryland House of Delegates last session. Under the new playbook, Bond does not mention “civil rights” in his video, for instance, and Booker talks about values like love and liberty, but not being gay.

“The Americans for Marriage Equality ads don’t feel disrespectful,” writes Bruno. “They feel very, very smart, the product of a movement becoming ever savvier about precisely whom it needs to persuade and how best to persuade them.”

Upcoming marriage equality campaigns will test the messaging, particularly in Maryland and North Carolina, both states with African-American populations (29% and 22% respectively) far above the national percentage of 12.6%. The Baltimore chapter of the NAACP has joined the Marylanders for Marriage Equality campaign to pass a bill in that state, while the North Carolina state conference of the NAACP has denounced the proposed constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage.

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