Current Events Watch

George Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act signed into law in January, 2002 certainly seemed like a good idea. Of course, it has turned out to be an enormous failure. Not such a bad idea in theory, though, and the proposition, during campaign season, no doubt won Dubya some votes. I guess that’s all that matters. Once the votes are tallied and you have a winner (I won’t even get started on that), there’s really no compelling reason to fulfill the promises made to fund such programs, I suppose.

According to what I’ve read from various sources:

The Republican budget for 2006 cut funding for No Child Left Behind by $1 billion.

In the four fiscal years following No Child Left Behind being enacted into law, Bush and the Republican Congress underfunded the law by $40 billion.

Republican funding cuts left three million disadvantaged children behind in public schools; and left over 1.6 million children out of after-school programs.

No big surprise. Anyway, you can do your own research. If you don’t know where to start, feel free to let me know, and I’ll send you some links. I’m really not here this evening to point out why this particular program has been such a major failure. Because, like I said, it’s not a bad idea, if executed properly. (Too bad about that lack of funding thing, but, c’est la vie. Or, more appropriately, c’est la Bush. I guess the money is best spent on, well, illegal wars and stuff.)

The NCLB program should, however, possibly be revisited, revised, and re-prioritized. It certainly needs funding! Because if children are our future, and this is what the current educational system is cranking out, we’re in serious trouble! This video is from the Miss Teen USA pageant that aired earlier this week. Believe it or not, Miss South Carolina, Caitlin Upton, still managed to snag fourth place in the pageant. She did attempt to redeem herself, of course. Her explanation follows the video.

So to prove she’s not really an idiot, she agreed to appear on NBC’s Today show this past Tuesday morning to explain her response:

“Personally, my friends and I, we know exactly where the United States is on a map. I don’t know anyone else who doesn’t. If the statistics are correct, I believe there should be more emphasis on geography in our education so people will learn how to read maps better.”

Great save, Miss South Carolina! Jeez.

caitlin upton, miss teen usa, no child left behind, george bush

DENIAL. That’s the “River in Egypt” part of the title, of course. I know, old joke, but still relevant, and I couldn’t resist.

Twenty-dollar blow job Florida Representative Bob Allen, evangelical leader meth-head and male prostitute picker-upper Pastor Ted Haggard, and now just days after BJ Bob’s published indiscretion, enter Idaho Senator Larry Craig, trying to hook up with guys in an airport restroom.

I can’t include (former) NJ Governer Jim McGreevey in the mix, because he at least had the balls to admit he was gay after his relationship with his young, male, totally-unqualified advisor Golan Cipel was discovered. I think Cipel is kind of cute, though, so I don’t blame Jim for hiring him despite his lack of credentials. I’d have done him, too. Of course, McGreevey tried to hide it just like the rest of the gang, but when caught, he at least ‘fessed up. With wife by his side (well, ex now), so I’m cutting him some slack.

Bob, of course, was just afraid of too many black folks in the public restroom and thought it would make him somehow safer to offer $20 for, well, you know, certain services. Even though he’s as straight as an arrow. That’s his story and he’s sticking to it. Pastor Ted spent weeks denying buying meth from a male prostitute. Then, well, maybe he did buy some meth, but didn’t intend to use it, and threw it away. (That was a waste of last Sunday’s collection!) But he certainly didn’t have sex with the guy! Okay, well, maybe just a little bit. So at least he finally admitted it, even wrote a letter to his flock. A little too late, I’d think, after all the lies. But, hey, he’s all better now. And totally heterosexual! He’s got himself all fixed up and “straightened” out. Praise the Lord!

I’m sure both of their wives are so proud!

Guys, I don’t blame you for trying to hide your little secrets. The wives and kids wouldn’t be happy, I understand. Nor would your political constituents or congregations, particularly when you’re all about the sanctity of marriage, man and woman only, no gays allowed. Kind of like Seinfeld’s Soup Nazi. “No soup for you!” The thing is, I deserve soup, too. Let’s discuss it in the restroom, I’ll meet you there.

So, here we go again. Larry Craig isn’t gay, ask his wife and kids. He just has a wide stance when he poops, apparently. It’s unfortunate, then, that when nature called while at the Minneapolis airport, he made the mistake of choosing the stall next to an undercover cop.

Perhaps Craig should have taken a laxative. If you have to struggle so hard that you’re kicking the guy next door, you definitely need some Metamucil. Read on.

“Let me be clear, I am not gay, I never have been gay,” Mr. Craig said. “I did nothing wrong at the Minneapolis airport. I did nothing wrong,” he said.

Why he pleaded guilty to the following, then, is a mystery.

The cop in the adjacent stall, the kickee, Sgt. Dave Karsnia said:

At 1216 hours, Craig tapped his right foot. I recognized this as a signal used by persons wishing to engage in lewd conduct. Craig tapped his toes several times and moves his foot closer to my foot. … The presence of others did not seem to deter Craig as he moved his right foot so that it touched the side of my left foot which was within my stall area.”

The report said that Craig swiped his hand beneath the stall divider several times and that Karsnia showed his police identification under the stall.

Craig told police he just has a “wide stance” in the bathroom. Well, that’s a pretty wide stance, when you find yourself playing footsie with your stallmate! Of course, he still pleaded guilty to lewd behavior after his subsequent arrest.

And the hand-swiping under the stall? Craig said he was trying to pick up a piece of paper.

“It should be noted that there was not a piece of paper on the bathroom floor, nor did Craig pick up a piece of paper,” Karsnia wrote in the police report.

The toe-tapping thing, yeah, that is a signal, for those who may not be aware. Strike one. Of course, he may have just been jamming to his iPod while he was sitting on the toilet, but, nah, I doubt that. The foot intrusion into the next stall, well, that’s just wrong, and unnecessary, regardless of your stance. That’s a pretty wide stance indeed! So, strike two. And flailing your hand under the stall wall to pick up a piece of paper that isn’t there? Well, pretty obvious, so strike three. Three strikes and you’re gay.

Not to mention his history since 1982 of similar behavior. Read the “Sexual Orientation” section in the linked article. And those are only the incidents that are known. Believe me, there are many more unknowns. I speak from personal experience. (Not proud of it, just being honest.)

So no wonder he pleaded guilty. There can really be no doubt about his intentions. Whoops, never mind. He wants to take that back! He really didn’t mean to plead guilty after all. One of those spur of the moment things, I suppose.

Finally, I don’t particularly care for most cops. Especially those involved in these kind of sting operations, so I am certainly not a fan of Sgt. Dave Karsnia, either. For all I know he’s a closeted homo himself, perhaps even volunteered for the queer sting. It’s always good to enjoy your work. Bottom line is that this “breaking news” story would never have been news at all, had Larry simply chosen a different stall. Now all of his conservative, Republican friends are calling for his resignation. Rightly so, probably. Not because he likes the boys, or has a “wide stance”, I don’t care about either of those issues, but because hypocrisy should not be tolerated in our political and spiritual leaders.

So, guys, if you’re going to cruise for gay sex in a public restroom, fine. Go for it. (Word of advice, pick your stall carefully.) Just don’t condemn and publicly categorize others as evil and wrong, while striving to pass policies, laws and judgements against, well, others who are, after all, the same as your closeted selves.

P.S. Always maintain a narrow stance! A wide stance will only get you into trouble. Just ask Larry.

larry craig, bob allen, jim mcgreevey, ted haggard, gay sex scandal

My religion is better than yours. My country is better than yours. My race is better than yours. And certainly, my sexual orientation is better than yours, you pervert. You all deserve a good bombing, beating, bashing, thrashing, and in some cases, should just be eliminated altogether.

What is wrong with humankind? From ancient times to current times, it’s always been this way. And I’m not speaking about Bush, for a change. The atrocities occur from both sides of the table. War, hate crimes, you name it. It’ll never end, but it’s a shame. We’re all on this same tiny speck of a planet floating in space, which won’t last forever, by the way, all sharing the same atmosphere. I’m just saying. You’d think at some point throughout the centuries that lessons would have been learned from history, but I guess it must apparently be inherent to hate. We’ll all just need to watch our backs, whichever side of (pick an issue, any issue) we are on, because there will always be someone out to get us.

As Depeche Mode sang back in the day, so succinctly:

“People are people, so why should it be you and I should get along so awfully? So we’re different colors and we’re different creeds, and different people have different needs. It’s obvious you hate me though I’ve done nothing wrong. I’ve never even met you so what could I have done?

“I can’t understand what makes a man hate another man. Help me understand.

“Now you’re punching and you’re kicking and you’re shouting at me. I’m relying on your common decency. So far it hasn’t surfaced but I’m sure it exists, it just takes a while to travel from your head to your fists.”

war, hate crimes, hate, religion, politics, humanity

Jerry Falwell would roll over in his grave, might even resurrect (now that’s a scary thought), if helicopters spontaneously began flying over our neighborhoods bombarding residents with soccer balls with images of Jesus Christ. Kicking Jesus in the face? Well, that would be very disrespectful, I suppose. Not to mention tossing JC out of a helicopter in the first place. No doubt gays, lesbians, anti-abortionists, non-Christians and perhaps even teletubby Tinky Winky would be to blame for such a blasphemous scheme.

But, nonetheless, we thought it would be a great idea to do some gifting to the children of Afghanistan by doing just that. Not with the Jesus pic, of course, they probably wouldn’t care. No, we dropped soccer balls from helicopters, displaying flags of countries from all over the world, including Saudi Arabia, which features the shahada, a verse from the Koran, recited in prayer daily, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, and includes the name Allah.

Afghan MP Mirwais Yasini said: “To have a verse of the Koran on something you kick with your foot would be an insult in any Muslim country around the world.”

I’ll admit I don’t really understand why the ball caused such outrage or led to the subsequent protest demonstration. Even as a Christian, I’d scrum with a Jesus soccer ball. Wouldn’t necessarily appreciate it having been dropped on my head from a helicopter, but once here, yeah, I’d play with it.

However, I do think we literally “dropped the ball” in this case. Muslims, we should know by now, are an extremely dedicated religious bunch. Moreso, I’d daresay, than most Christians in the US of A. I would think that had we really been making “significant efforts” to work with the mullahs and Islamic leaders, as we claimed, to understand and respect their culture, we should have known that this was a bad idea. Despite our best intentions.

Heck, even I knew, and I’ve never spoken with a mullah, that Saudi Arabia had complained in the past to the World Cup committee about their flag being on the soccer balls because it was blasphemous to Muslims.

Nice try, though. I know it’s the thought that counts, but better luck next time. However, I’d suggest a change in distribution methods. Haphazardly dropping anything from a copter seems, well, hazardous! You could take out small pets, or even small children, perhaps one for whom the gift was intended. That wouldn’t be good. On the other hand, when the Afghans see a US helicopter overhead they probably run for cover, anyway, since that usually means “Bombs Away!” Not so often “Balls Away.” Still, fly-by gifting isn’t really such a good idea. It certainly wasn’t this time.

afghanistan war, muslims, helicopter soccer balls, afghan children

I am very confused. For whom should I cast my next Presidential vote? Frankly, just about anyone would be better than the smirking chimp. But still, I want my vote to count and, at least at this point, I think only the front runners, Hillary and Barack, will have any chance of winning for the Democrats.

I’ll admit I am beginning to get a bit annoyed with the feuding between the two. Of course they both know they’re the most likely candidates as it stands now, so they make a point to bicker with one another. Still, a bit annoying. And although I do like both of them, between the two, I would probably punch Hillary’s chad if I had to choose today, although neither one of them has totally won me over. Too much typical and predictable political rhetoric.

All campaigning politicians spew the same, I know. But even when I agree with something either Clinton or Obama say, I get the impression it’s just another banal platitude.

Here’s the dilemma. When it comes down to the wire, I think I’ll be left to decide between one or the other. Because, like I said, I want my vote to count, and not waste a vote for someone who doesn’t stand a chance in hell. Remember Ralph Nader? I could just as well vote for myself as a write-in, but that wouldn’t be wise.

The two candidates in the race that I agree with most, and both of which I think speak most honestly (probably because they know they really don’t stand a chance and feel free to do so), are Dennis Kucinich and, well, it pains me to say it, but a Republican, Ron Paul. I think he needs to switch parties.

Kucinich is the only candidate who has voted against the war in Iraq and against funding its continuation. I like that. As I’ve pointed out before, he’s also only one of two Dem candidates who support full marriage rights for same sex couples, not just civil unions. I like that, too. The rest of his platform seems pretty spot on, also, in my opinion.

Ron Paul, well, is a Republican, as I said. That pains me, because I do like him. And there are some issues on which I completely disagree with him, like his adamant pro-life stance. But I’ll cut him some slack, he was an OB-GYN for 40 years, delivered lots of babies, so I’m sure that would probably have some pretty major influence on his opinion. However, for the record, those of us who are pro-choice, well, that doesn’t mean that we are pro-abortion or anti-life. We’re simply pro-choice, and want that right protected. Is it that difficult to understand? I am pro-choice but personally anti-abortion. The concepts are not mutually exclusive.

The thing I do like about Ron Paul, though, is best said in his own words in this video, from Real Time With Bill Maher, about this country’s need to rethink international policy. By the way, Bill Maher is one of my heroes, probably more liberal than I am (if that’s possible), and yet even he has become a Ron Paul fan.

ron paul, bill maher, presidential election, election 2008, foreign policy

Well, yet another study. At least those in the studious professions have job security. There’s a study for everything, but sex seems to be quite a prominent subject. Most of the “research studies” are so totally irrelevant, I can’t even get my head around how much money is spent on these studies that mean absolutely nothing. Where does the money come from? Then again, I probably wouldn’t want to know. Anyway.

Here is breaking news, though, from one of our most recent studies! We now know that old people, according to CNN:

“routinely engage in vaginal intercourse, oral sex and masturbation.”

Holy cow! No way! I can certainly see why this would be CNN newsworthy.

Good to know, though. And research funding well-spent, no doubt. By the way, thanks for putting the disturbing images of bonking seniors in my head. I may never be able to masturbate again with such things invading my thoughts, while apparently the old guys, according to the study, are still capable of taking care of business. Oh well, at least I’m well-informed.

I’d prefer to not think of old people in any sort of sexual activity, even though I know it probably happens. I think we all know, but choose not to think about it, and it doesn’t really warrant the expense of a research study to prove that they’re still doing it. But, hey, at least having the official results of the research will help us cure … well, never mind. I don’t know. World hunger? Probably not.

All I know is that apparently some (most) seniors probably are getting it more often than I do.

To be honest, I hope I’ll still be going gung-ho when I’m old, too, that would be great. But I don’t think it’s really necessary for anyone else to know about it.

There are too many studies these days, about things that don’t matter, that aren’t even worth researching or reporting, and for which money is being spent that could be much better used for far more important issues and causes.

That said, at least we know that old folks are still enjoying their vaginal, oral and self-pleasuring sexual activities. It’s just something, though, that I really didn’t need to know. TMI.

research studies, research funding, seniors, senior’s sex life

We invaded a country we had no business attacking in the first place. The country posed no threat, our leaders lied to justify an invasion, and now we have created the quagmire of a full-blown civil war in Iraq.

Then there are the insurgents! The suicide bombers, the bad guys. Yeah, they are bad guys, actually. And gals. Extremism always brings out the worst in folks. George W. Bush comes to mind, as well. But the constant bombardment of the term “insurgents” in the media pisses me off. In countries that are, or were, our friends (there are so few anymore), or even in our own country, folks that would be willing to sacrifice their own lives for sake of country or cause would probably be labeled “freedom fighters” in the media. The difference? Per Merriam Webster:

Insurgent: a person who revolts against civil authority or an established government; especially, a rebel not recognized as a belligerent.

Freedom Fighter: a person who takes part in a resistance movement against an oppressive political or social establishment.

Hmm. Well, the “insurgents” in Iraq have certainly proven to be belligerent, that goes without question. Doesn’t really fit the definition of an insurgent, but it’s as good a name as any to pin on the bad guys by the media and the administration. Sounds evil. Other than the media spin, though, I really don’t see any difference between the two. Except that the insurgents “revolt.”

Revolt: 1: to renounce allegiance or subjection (as to a government)
2 a: to experience disgust or shock b: to turn away with disgust.

So call me an insurgent. Against my own government. Doesn’t mean I’m going to blow myself up and kill innocent people. That would be wrong, and somewhat belligerent, which is very uninsurgent-like according to Merriam-Webster. Probably painful, as well. But I’m not an extremist, unlike this country’s leaders, and a few crazy folks across the pond.

Still, I don’t understand the difference between an insurgent and a freedom fighter. I guess only Republicans know, so I apologize for my ignorance.

The 8 years Reagan was in office represented one of the most bloody eras in the history of the Western hemisphere, as Washington funneled money, weapons and other supplies to right wing death squads. And the death toll was staggering - more than 70,000 political killings in El Salvador, more than 100,000 in Guatemala, 30,000 killed in the contra war in Nicaragua. In Washington, the forces carrying out the violence were called “freedom fighters.” This is how Ronald Reagan described the Contras in Nicaragua: “They are our brothers, these freedom fighters, and we owe them our help. They are the moral equal of our founding fathers.”

iraq war, george bush, insurgent, freedom fighter, suicide bombers, ronald reagan

I was going to write today about Bush and Hitler. I was going to title this one “Bushitler.” Has a nice ring to it, I think. Well, at least I thought it was clever. Bush, and Hitler, and the combo kind of sounds like a dyslexic “bullshiter.” Bushitler. Get it? Okay, I’m too easily amused. Never mind.

So many similarities (neither won their elections but somehow ended up in power, terrorist attacks at Reichstag and WTC, possibilities or probabilities that their own administrations allowed or were responsible for said attacks, identifying immediately the attackers, Communists and Muslims respectively, the subsequent Hitler’s Enabling Act and Bush’s Patriot Act, both enacted to take away civil liberties, monitor all communications of regular citizens, keep detainees imprisoned without charge or representation, on and on…). So anyway, history repeats. This article does a better job than I would have done anyway, if you’re interested in more details. And he does it without my manic ranting.

But while I was writing excessively, no doubt, my ever-so-clever “Bushitler” post, I got an email notification that Miles Levin died yesterday, six days before his 19th birthday. I’ll admit, I cried when I read that. He knew he was going to die, he kept us all posted on his blog which he maintained from his hospital room. He had a rare type of pediatric cancer (alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancer that strangles the muscle tissues…I had to copy and paste that, I couldn’t begin to remember how to spell it), but his blog was somehow inspirational. Miles blogged on the Web site of Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, and talked about his emotional and physical ups and downs, but he always had a sense of humor and an obvious appreciation of the life he had, even when he knew it was to be short-lived.

When he started the blog in 2005 it was simply to keep his family and friends informed of his progress. He turned into some sort of cancer celebrity along the way. I obviously became a fan.

I set out on a 19-month course of treatment, chronicling the journey on an online blog. Little did I know that my little Web site intended to keep extended family and friends informed would find readers all across the country and even the world, including such countries as Japan, Australia, Germany, Brazil.

Now he’s gone, much too soon. But the following excerpt from his blog kind of sums up his perspective, and is why he was an inspiration. Written in May 2007. Indeed, as I quoted him in the title of this post, “Whatever We Get Is Bonus”. Probably better than the “Bushitler” title anyway. The bold font in the following block is mine, not his. I just thought some things really stood out about what he had to say.

A recurrence of my kind of cancer has been hitherto incurable, although I still cling to a slim ray of hope. But in all likelihood, I am in the last few months of my short life.

Unlike many cancer patients, I don’t have much anger. The way I see it, we’re not entitled to one breath of air. We did nothing to earn it, so whatever we get is bonus. I might be more than a little disappointed with the hand I’ve been dealt, but this is what it is. Thinking about what it could be is pointless. It ought to be different, that’s for sure, but it ain’t. A moment spent moping is a moment wasted.

I accept what is to come, but I cannot rid myself of a deep mourning for all those experiences — college, marriage, children, grandchildren — that will probably never be mine to celebrate. What solace I do find is in the knowledge that I have done everything I can to transmute this terribleness into something positive by showing as many people as I can how to endure it with a smile.

I don’t believe you can ask for any more, but if I could ask for something, it would be to be able to go outside into the glorious spring air, feeling healthy and blissfully clueless as to how lucky I was for it, if only just for an hour.

miles levin, cancer survivor, george bush, adolf hitler, tributes

Thank God this week is over. We’ve got dead miners (come on, by now you know they are), dead rescue workers, Flossie in Hawaii, Dean in Jamaica (more dead folks there, and headed for Texas. Wonder if Crawford is in its path, and if George W. might be taking yet another of his many vacations? If so, maybe next week will be better after all…), a massive earthquake in Peru (lots of deaths there), and the deadliest month in Iraq with the suicide bombings in the northern Kurdish territory (despite Bush’s “troop surge”, keeping things more secure. Yeah, that’s working out really well.)

We still have to cross our fingers about the early Endeavor return on Tuesday because of Hurricane Dean, too, because there is that nasty gash on the shuttle’s belly. Of course, a similar gash killed the entire Columbia crew a few years ago, so maybe next week might not be any better, we’ll just have to wait and see. But, hey, the powers that be decided it wasn’t worth repairing, despite the ability to do so. That’s okay, we should always trust authority.

Pick a finger.

So the world, in general, sucked last week. So did mine. The cat puked on my pillow, and peed on my bedspread. I don’t know why, never happened before. And my washing machine is out of commission. A bit of advice, don’t ever try to handwash a bedspread in the kitchen sink. It doesn’t work out so well. If your washer breaks, grab some quarters and head for the laundromat. I learned my lesson.

Godspeed to the Endeavor crew. Hopefully next week will indeed be better. And if anyone wants a cat, let me know.

Elizabeth Edwards is getting on my nerves! Big time. When she and her husband, presidential candidate John Edwards, of course, made the public announcement a few months ago that her cancer had returned, I think most of us sympathized with both of them, and their family. I was surprised that he (or they) decided to continue with his campaign. I’m glad he’s in the race, though, because he is a contender.

But she needs to just shut up. I like John Edwards, and as I said, I think he might be a potential candidate. I’m not completely on board with him at this point, but he’s certainly not out of the question. Liz, though, I think is doing more harm than good when she opens her mouth to slam the other candidates. John’s a big boy, playing in a big game, and I’m sure he’s quite capable of speaking for himself. He’s been here before.

Are they trying to play the sympathy-vote card because she has the big “C”? If so, it’s certainly not working. Let John speak, but, someone, please make Elizabeth shut up. Duct tape might work. She’s already been dissing Hillary for “lack of leadership”, and Barack for being “holier than thou”, because they’re both ahead of Johnny-boy in the polls.

But most recently, she did an interview slamming Barak Obama in Progressive Magazine:

“You listen to the language of what people say, particularly Obama, who seems to be using a lot of John’s 2004 language, which is maybe not surprising since one of his speechwriters was one of our speechwriters, his media guy was our media guy. These people know John’s mantra as well as anybody could know it. They’ve moved from ‘hope is on the way’ to ‘the audacity of hope.’ I’m constantly hearing things in a familiar tone.”

So what? Is “hope” off-limits now? I remember during Bill Clinton’s campaign the phrase “a place called Hope” being used quite frequently. Maybe during John Edward’s last failed run for office in 2004, he might have been blamed for the same sort of copycat rhetoric.

By the way, Barack Obama used the phrase “audacity to hope” in his 1995 memoir “Dreams From My Father“, the phrase taken from a sermon preached by Rev. Jeremiah Wright titled, well, “The Audacity To Hope.” Nearly ten years before Edwards’ own “hope is on the way” mantra.

Maybe John Edward’s speechwriters in 2004 took a page from Barack? Hmmm.

Elizabeth needs to step back and let John run his campaign. He can speak for himself. Do her opinions matter, anyway? Hardly. I don’t dislike her, but she should really just be concentrating on taking care of herself and getting well. And on learning how to keep her mouth shut.

john edwards, elizabeth edwards, barack obama, hillary clinton, election

Lesbians drive Subarus, gay guys drive Saturns. Both are equally likely to drive a Jeep Wrangler. While drinking a Bud Light. (Not condoning such behavior, just trying to make a point.) Subaru, Saturn, Chrysler, Anheuser Busch, have all made a concerted effort to market to the gay community. That’s why we buy their cars, drink their beer. And now Levi Strauss is targeting the gay community. I’m happy, because I love my 501s.

Like I said in a previous post about the Democratic Presidential candidates courting the gay vote in the Logo debate, we are a loyal bunch. It’s worth the effort to market to us, because in general, the gay community is an affluent demographic (good for business!) and a community that appreciates the recognition. Advertise in our magazines, and on the channels we’re known to watch. We certainly notice, and we will buy your cars, and drink your beer. And wear your jeans.

I liked the Bud Light commercial that aired on television a few years ago, the one where a hot woman was hitting on a hot guy at the bar… and then his boyfriend shows up and they walk away holding hands, much to her dismay. Well, that commercial didn’t last too long. Conservative folks seem to be able to shut down such nonsense fairly quickly.

I don’t drive a Saturn. Or a Jeep. Certainly not a Subaru, lest I be mistaken for a lesbian. But I do love my Levi’s 501s, and my Bud Light.

We’ve all seen this recent commercial on TV.

I like it. But here’s the alternative version airing on Logo and certain other channels. Thanks, Levi Strauss & Co., for recognizing that we are here, too. We also buy your jeans. And thanks, also, for casting this guy. I’ll buy whatever he’s selling.

gay commercials, levis commercial, levi’s commercial, gay marketing, gay audience

Hypocrites are everywhere, in politics, in religion, and we probably ought not trust any of our “leaders”, politically or spiritually. That’s not true, I know, there are some real and honest leaders out there. Somewhere. Cross your fingers and hope for the best.

But when I read yesterday the official White House statement about the multiple suicide bombings in the Kurdish territory of Iraq which killed at least 250 people (and no doubt the number of casualties will continue to rise) as being a “barbaric attack on innocent civilians” I could hardly believe it. This administration is responsible for more than 650,000 innocent Iraqi deaths since we invaded Iraq.

So who’s barbaric?

Of course, George W. Bush refutes that number, only acknowledging 30,000. Even at 30,000, is that acceptable? Not to mention the 3,500 plus of our own soldiers who have been killed. I am supposing that the administration is not considering the numbers of innocent civilians killed due to the civil war we have created within the country, so we’ll only tally the 30,000 or so that we are directly responsible for killing.

Man, you’re as responsible for the deaths of every Iraqi who has died from every Shiite, Sunni or Kurdish attack since your invasion of that country. Thanks for the civil war, George. You’re the man. We’re talking 650,000 deaths, not 30,000, that you are responsible for. You can’t even justify your numbers without stumbling over your own answer to the question. Of course, that’s really no surprise.

Okay. That said (got that off of my chest), it prompted me to consider the hypocrisy of our other political, religious and media figureheads. So I put together a slide show of some that immediately came to mind, at the end of this post.

One of my favorites, and the latest fodder for the late night talk show comedians, is Republican Florida Representative Bob Allen, arrested this summer in a public restroom for offering a male undercover cop $20 if he would let him give him a blow job. Notice in his biography, he’s also into water sports. Wonder how much he’d be willing to pay for that?

Staunch family values supporter, of course, as are all Republicans. Married (I’m sure very happily!), token kid in tow, and so ultra-conservative he wanted to outlaw masturbation! Well, thank God that campaign wasn’t successful, or they could have just locked me up and thrown away the key. But, I guess blow jobs with anonymous men is acceptable, as long as you don’t touch yourself.

Seriously, dude, God gave you hands for a reason. You could have saved yourself $20. And have avoided that whole “being arrested” scene, which probably wasn’t a very pleasant experience.

I’m really sick of all of the two-faced “leaders” that have tried to shove their politics or beliefs down our throats, and govern right and wrong for the rest of us, while trying to hide the skeletons in their own closets.

So here’s what I put together today, my compilation of hypocrites that came to mind. I did the silent movie theme, well, just because I like it.

george bush, bob allen, undercover cop, hypocrites, iraq war

I never thought it would happen, but it’s official, Karl Rove is leaving the White House at the end of the month! It’s been like a parade of departures during this President’s lame duck second term, but I never thought Rove would leave. I thought he’d stick it out.

He’s one of many, of course, who have jumped ship including White House counselor Dan Bartlett, budget director Rob Portman, chief White House attorney Harriet Miers, political director Sara Taylor, deputy national security advisers J.D. Crouch and Meghan O’Sullivan. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, forced out immediately after the election as the war in Iraq dragged on. Finally, he was out of there. Not to mention the first term departures, Ashcroft, Fleischer, Powell.

But I didn’t expect Rove, also known as “Bush’s brain“, to leave. He’s been friends with G.W. and family since the early ’70s, and has been involved in every Dubya campaign from governor to President, calling the shots, making things run, spewing whatever BS it takes to get the job done. Hey, he managed to put an unelected idiot into the White House, so he probably is actually one of the brighter Crayons in the box, and obviously knows how to play the game. Not to mention protecting his own ass, getting off scot-free during the Valerie Plame CIA leak case, and most recently, avoiding the Alberto Gonzales fiasco subpoena because his good bud George W. rejected the subpoena citing “executive privilege.” As usual.

At least he’s leaving, thank God. Too late, of course, but at least one more arrogant, lying, cocky ass is gone. The two biggest arrogant, lying, cocky asses are, of course, still in charge. But I’ll take what I can get.

By the way, has any other President in history had such a mass exodus of cabinet members during their administration? I doubt it, but I could be wrong.

Rove isn’t stupid, he knows when to cut and run, and I’m just glad he’s out, even though his damage has been done. Mission accomplished. He looks like Jabba the Hut from Star Wars, kind of freaks me out.

Finally, Republicans should never rap. Or dance. Particularly Karl “MC” Rove. Valerie Plame and subpoena avoidance aside, this video is enough to justify his resignation. Might I suggest that all other Republican officials consider resignation as well, if this is representative of their party. Pun intended.

karl rove, george bush, iraq war, 2008 election, politics

I welcome Republicans and straight people into my house because, well, some of my friends and family are Republicans (still trying to convert them), and some of my friends and family are straight (despite rumors to the contrary, no, there is no gay agenda to convert others to switch teams. Get over yourself, you’re not that hot.) Everyone is welcome at my house, even if we’re different and don’t always agree.

I have just one house. God has many houses, of course. Churches everywhere! With so many, He of course needs caretakers, those charged to make sure everything is in order and that all of the rules are followed while He’s not there. They’re called pastors, preachers, reverends, the titles vary depending on which house we’re talking about. They are hired to welcome the visitors, and take care of their needs on God’s behalf. I think God wants everyone to feel welcome, too.

Some don’t do their caretaking jobs so well, however. Like Rev. Gary Simons of High Point Church in Arlington, TX. I think God would not be happy with Gary’s job performance, and his next performance review might be less than stellar.

His mega-church (one of God’s larger homes, apparently), canceled the memorial service of Navy veteran Cecil Howard Sinclair, who served in the first Gulf War, just 24 hours before the service, after they discovered that he was gay. Church officials apparently knew he was gay, according to his sister, but when the obituary listed his life partner as one of the survivors, they canceled the ceremony. The reverend says no one knew he was gay until the day before the service.

The guy died after a surgery to prepare him for a heart transplant. He was 46.

So when the family was putting together pictures and a video tribute for Sinclair’s memorial, the church officials noticed pictures of him and his partner engaging in clear affection, kissing and embracing, and decided to call off the ceremony. Whoa! We can’t have that!

I seriously doubt if the family submitted any posthumously discovered home sex tapes for inclusion in the memorial video montage. That would indeed probably be inappropriate. But apparently the videos and pictures of him and his partner hand-holding, kissing and embracing were, well, I guess still a bit too much.

Simons said the church believes homosexuality is a sin, and it would have appeared to endorse that lifestyle if the service had been held there. Well, I believe Republicanism is a sin (I know, that’s not a word, just making a point), but I’ve never been known to kick a Republican out of my house. Or a straight person for that matter. I might draw the line at bigots, however.

“We did decline to host the service — not based on hatred, not based on discrimination, but based on principle,� Simons told The Associated Press.

Sounds like the typical “love the sinner, hate the sin” rhetoric. Whatever. They canceled his memorial service. I’m sure they wouldn’t have canceled his visit to a Sunday morning service with money in hand for the collection plate, and that he would have been welcomed with open arms. Even with his life partner in tow. I hate this phrase, but it is appropriate in this case, because sometimes we do need to ask “what would Jesus do?” The guy who hung out with prostitutes, thieves, all sorts of folks, even though He may not have agreed with their lifestyles. He turned nobody away.

Gary, you might want to re-read your job description. I don’t think the Boss would be pleased.

gay memorial, gay funeral, Gary Simons, High Point Church, Cecil Sinclair

Six of the eight Democratic presidential candidates had the first debate in history dedicated solely to queer issues for an LGBT audience and panel. It wasn’t really a debate, I guess, it was a forum, called The Visible Vote 08. It was kind of like a gay Oprah show.

Great idea, because I’ll tell you, if you win over us gay folks, we’re a loyal bunch, and we will turn out in droves on election day. Sure, we’re a low percentage of total voters. But I’ll guarantee it is worth it. There’s a pathetically low number of the other registered voters who bother to show up at the polls. We will be there en masse, though, because this group of Dems is willing to pay attention to our issues and concerns. It’s not that we don’t care about other issues, but we have questions that need to be answered about where the candidates stand on our community’s issues as well.

By the way, Senators Joe Biden and Chris Dodd declined to appear. Scheduling conflicts. I’m sure the other six, who did show up, have busy schedules, too, though. I would wager that if Biden or Dodd were courting the Hispanic vote, the black vote, or the Union Labor vote, they would find a way to resolve that scheduling conflict. Oh, that’s right, they’ve already found the time to do that.

I watched the forum on Logo last night, and notice they have posted the videos on their website if you’re interested. It was great, and I admire the candidates who agreed to come and address the questions and to let us know where they stand on the issues. They all did well, in my opinion, except for Bill Richardson. He actually seemed a little uncomfortable, particularly when he was asked whether he believed one is born homosexual or if it is a choice, and he blurted out that he thought it was a choice.

Dude. You should think before you speak when you’re being grilled by a gay panel, in front of a gay audience, all who know that that’s not true. The answer didn’t go over very well, but at least he was there, and he seemed to recover fairly nicely.

By the way, the gay panelists asking the questions were outstanding, too. Jonathan Capehart of the Washington Post, singer Melissa Etheridge (love, love, love her!), and Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese. Melissa’s questions seemed the toughest to me, but maybe that’s because sometimes lesbians scare me, and I wouldn’t want to be interrogated by her for fear of giving an unacceptable answer! I love you, Melissa. I just wouldn’t want you angry with me.

I’ll also need to humbly retract what I said about Dennis Kucinich in a previous post about the YouTube debates. I said:

“Dennis J. Kucinich, he just needs to stop. Of course, there are the others, he just came to mind because he’s so tiny and for some reason I remember his name. No offense to tiny people.”

No, he doesn’t need to stop after all. Not only from his responses to the issues addressed last night, but on other issues as well, he makes sense and seems to not dodge questions or avoid being up front about where he stands, as much as some of the other candidates. He is also only one of two candidates who support gay marriage. The others all apparently support civil unions, with partner’s rights. Well, is it the same? To our community, no, it’s not. And only Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel support full marriage rights for same-sex couples, so I give them much credit for that. I appreciate the other candidates’ reasoning for civil unions instead of marriage but, well, not so much.

Who knows, I might just vote for a tiny person after all. Black, female, or tiny, it’s kind of a draw at this point.

In the end, all did well, and it was outstanding to see the LGBT community’s issues publicly addressed by the candidates for the first time in history.

On a final note, the Republican candidates were invited to participate in a similar forum, but they all declined. Hmmm.

gay rights, gay debate, gay forum, democratic debates, LGBT, dennis kucinich, gay marriage