Follow Me

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Vegas Death Ray Chars Tourists

Las Vegas has a pyramid, the Eiffel Tower, and now with the opening of the Vdara hotel, a replica of Archimedes Death Ray.  The South facing tower, with it's reflective glass exterior, produces a 10X15 foot "death ray" directly on the hotel pool below.  The temperature of the beam is so hot, it has been causing 2nd degree burns, singeing hair and melting plastic bags, cups and flip flops.

Temperatures in the hot spot have been said to be between 120 and 160 Fahrenheit.  A spokesman for the MGM Grand, the company that owns the property, say they're currently working on a solution.  They have tried to downplay the recent incidents, but recent reports cannot bode well for the hotel, as it already has a disadvantage over other hotels on the Strip.  The Vdara has no casino, no nightclubs and is completely smoke free.  It is a beautiful hotel though.



Support The Trevor Project

In the month of September, four young men have committed suicide to escape the relentless anti-gay bullying from other students.  Billy Lucas, a 15 year old high school Freshman from Greensburg, IN, took his own life in the family's barn on September 9th.  Friends say the abuse from other students was constant, and that he just wasn't able to fight back.

Asher Brown, a 13 year old Houston eighth grader, shot himself in the head the same day that he came out to his parents.  He was the target of bullies for the last 18 months.  They even went so far as to perform mock gay acts on him while in Phys Ed.  


Seth Walsh, a 13 year old from California, was the third gay youth to take his life this month.  He died yesterday afternoon, after being on life support for the last nine days.  He was found in the backyard of his home after hanging himself.  Like the others, he had been bullied for a considerable amount of time.  The school did nothing to protect him.  According to local station KGET:
“Tehachapi police investigators interviewed some of the young people who taunted Seth the day he hanged himself and determined despite the tragic outcome of their ridicule, their actions do not constitute a crime."


Tyler Clementi, an 18 year old Freshman from Rutgers University, is presumed to have jumped off the George Washington Bridge last week.  His car, cell phone and computer were all found next to the bridge but his body has yet to be recovered.  On September 19th, his roommate broadcast a live webcam video of him having sex with another male student.  His roommate even posted the following Tweet:
"Roommate asked for the room till midnight. I went into molly's room and turned on my webcam. I saw him making out with a dude. Yay."
Two days later, he posted an IChat link of the video broadcast.


The Trevor Project is a California based organization that provides suicide prevention counselors for LGBT youths, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  It's possible that, had these young men knew about this outlet, they would still be alive today.

Last week, The Trevor Project, with the help of Dan Savage, has sponsored a series of Youtube videos called It Gets Better.  In it, gay and lesbian adults tell their personal stories and assure young LGBT people that things will get better if they just hang in there.  Here is one of the more touching and inspiring videos I've seen:


The Trevor Project runs solely on donations.  They are a charitable organization.  You can get more information about how to donate here.  Or, you can make a $5 donation right now using your cell phone.
TEXT "TREVOR" TO 85944, and $5 will go to The Trevor Project and be billed on your next cell phone bill.

***If you are thinking about hurting yourself or committing suicide, please get help.  Call The Trevor Lifeline at 866-488-7386.***



I'm Smarter Than The Average Atheist

....and blow Christians away with my knowledge.  Yesterday, I posted a story about a new Pew survey testing American's knowledge of religion.  Today, the Christian Science Monitor has published the 32 questions the were asked in the survey.  According to the study, atheists scored higher than any other religious affiliation with an average score of 20.9 correct answers.  The average participant scored 16 out of 32 correct.

I took the test earlier today and had a score of 29.  Not bad, considering I was forbidden to investigate any other religions growing up.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Please Be Patient With The Ads

I have recently started to incorporate ads in my blog, in a step towards making it a professional website.  The ad software takes some time to get to know my posts and respond accordingly.  At the moment, it's showing ads for bulimic treatment centers and Autotrader.com, even though I've never posted anything about cars or bulimia. As time goes on, it should start displaying ads relevant to my posts.

Thanks for your patience.

Fascinating Quote By Green Day's Billy Joe Armstrong

From an interview in 1995 with The Advocate magazine:
"I think I've always been bisexual. I mean, it's something that I've always been interested in. I think people are born bisexual, and it's just that our parents and society kind of veer us off into this feeling of 'Oh, I can't.' They say it's taboo. It's ingrained in our heads that it's bad, when it's not bad at all. It's a very beautiful thing."

 

Transgendered Teen Denied Homecoming Crown


A trans high school student in Michigan was denied his crown as homecoming king, even though he had legitimately won the crown.  Oakleigh Reed (known as Oak), was told by his school principal that all votes for him had to be invalidated since he registered in school as a female.  This is despite the fact that school staff and students all refer to Oak as "he".  The school seemed to be comfortable with his status as a transgendered male.  Sadly, it appears that things are different when it comes to the race for homecoming king and queen.  The runner up was given the crown. 

Survey: Atheists Know Most About Religion

A survey from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life shows that atheists and agnostics know more about religion than Christians.  The study found that atheists and agnostics tend to be generally well educated, and that the most knowledgeable people were also the best educated.  However, atheists and agnostics outperformed equally educated Christians in the survey.

60% of Protestants did not know that Martin Luther was the driving force behind the Protestant Reformation.  40% of Catholics didn't understand the symbolism of holy Communion.  Talk about "blind faith".  However, eight in ten surveyed knew that Mother Teresa was Catholic, and seven in ten knew that Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt.  Surprisingly, Mormons were the most knowledgeable regarding the New Testament.

The survey also tested people's knowledge in general.  Can you believe 4% of people actually said that Stephen King wrote Moby Dick?

Depressing Lottery Simulator

I found this Mega Millions simulator online today.  You pick your numbers, and then the simulator generates 1024 pseudo lottery drawings.  That would be like playing Mega Millions twice a week for ten years.  The results were depressing.  Over the course of "ten years", I only won $105.  Give it a shot and see how lucky you are.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

This Song Says It All

Personally, September has been a really shitty month.  Couldn't help but think of this song.

Food For Thought

Every time you masturbate, Christine O'Donnell sacrifices a kitten.

Insane Mashup From Norway - Please Listen

I just come across this mashup from a group called Norwegian Recycling.  They have taken 16 tracks and put them together to create a new song.  I have never heard anything like it.  It gave me chills.  They even have artists harmonizing on the same line, even though the voices come from different songs.  It's hard to explain.  Just watch:



In case you missed it, the 16 tracks included in the mix were:
1. Bruno Mars - Just The Way You Are
2. B.O.B. feat. Bruno Mars - Nothing On You
3. Gnarls Barkley - Crazy
4. Britney Spears - Hit Me, Baby, One More Time
5. Jason Derulo - In My Head
6. Justin Timberlake - My Love
7. Lady Gaga - Just Dance
8. Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love
9. Ne-Yo - So Sick
10. Michael Jackson - Black Or White
11. Snoop Dogg - Sexual Eruption
12. Survivor - Eye Of The Tiger
13. Taylor Swift - Fifteen
14. Taylor Swift - Fearless
15. Savage Garden - The Animal Song
16. Snoop Dogg feat. Justin Timberlake - Signs

The Three Worst Commercials To Play In A Row

I was watching Attack of the Show on G4 at 2 in the morning, and, no lie, these three commercials played in a row.  It was disgusting, but I couldn't stop watching.







It's time to go to bed.

DILDO FIGHT!!!

Easily the funniest thing I've seen all day:

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Is This Lindsay Lohan Shooting Heroin?

Some really damaging pictures coming from the site x17online.com.  It apparently shows Lindsay Lohan shooting heroin into her left arm.  The undated pictures recently surfaced and possibly show an addiction problem worse than most people thought.


Tune into your favorite entertainment gossip show tomorrow, as I'm sure all of them will be running the pics and speculating beyond belief.  What I wanna know is this:  She's an international celebrity.  Why the hell was she doing this in front of a camera?  She didn't think that these pictures would eventually see the light of day?  Stay tuned next week for new pics of Lindsay smothering an old lady with a pillow.

Gay Community To Ann Coulter: "Don't Speak For Us"

Last night, HomoCon held a fundraiser hosted by GOProud and Pay-Pal co-founder Peter Thiel.  Their keynote speaker was conservative pundit Ann Coulter.  What followed was some of the most offensive comments toward gays in recent memory.

Coulter started by telling the group of wealthy gay conservatives that she has "never failed to talk a gay out of gay marriage".  And then she did.  She told the crowd that she was opposed to gay marriage because it is strictly for procreation.  Here is a highlight of some of the more offensive things she said over the course of the evening:

"Marriage is not a civil right.  You're not black."

Liberals are trying to teach kinder gardeners "fisting", and that parents don't want their kids to learn about "homosexual lifestyle" in classrooms.

"As soon as they find the gay gene, you know who's being aborted."

"Blacks must be looking at gays saying, "Why can't we be oppressed like that."

The folks over at GOProud are defending Coulter, saying that although they disagree on gay marriage, they see eye to eye on a number of conservative issues.  What I personally don't understand is this:  How can your desire for government to be fiscally conservative override the fact that YOU'RE FUCKING GAY? Don't they realize that the Republican party hates them?  They are insisting on being part of a club that wants nothing to do with them, and they're willing to have their rights take a back seat to the club's agenda.  The Log Cabin Republicans have stood out as a gay Republican organization that tends to make social issues just as important as fiscal issues.  GOProud and Gay Patriot have had a history, especially recently, of taking steps to put the gay community back in the closet.  Saturday night was no exception.

Flagstaff Woman Sues Recorder Office Over Tea Party Shirt

Diane Wickberg, a 55 year old grandmother and Tea Party member, is suing the Coconino County Recorder over a t-shirt she tried to wear into a polling place.  The t-shirt, which says "Flagstaff Tea Party:  We The People Reclaiming our Constitution", was worn into a polling location on May 18, the day of a state wide sales tax vote.

State voting laws state:  "no political or electioneering materials are to be displayed" within 75 feet of a polling location.  When Wickberg entered the facility to place her vote, she was quickly told that she would either have to change her shirt or cover it up to enter.  Although there is no definition for electioneering in Arizona state statues, County Recorder Candace Owens insists the shirt was not appropriate.  Via AZCentral.com:
"Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis," she said. "It's a fine line.""My determination was that they are political in nature," she said. "They've been organized for that very purpose, and there were a number of candidates that were endorsed by the tea party or said they were."
Wickberg attempted to wear the shirt again when voting in the August 24, primary.  Again she was told to cover up or leave.  She put on a sweater to cast her vote.  Her lawsuit is asking a judge to deliver an injunction, allowing her to wear the shirt again on November 2, during the general election.

As the Tea Party is not a legally recognized political party, the lawsuit may present a challenge to the judicial system and will likely become a precedent referred to in future cases.  Expect an update as the story develops.

Badass Bathroom Floor

I came across this post on Apartment Therapy that showed an innovative use for nickels to create a bathroom floor.


Using $682.50 worth of nickels(that's 13,650 coins), this project took 30 days of gluing the coins to mesh.  The result was a creative alternative in flooring a bathroom with a grey and white color theme.  Don't try this at home if you live in an apartment.

The Gossip's Singer Launches Battle Against Skinny Chicks

Beth Ditto, lead singer of the band The Gossip, recently has taken issue to the fact that heavier people are stereotypically seen as being unhealthy.  As a well known advocate for positive body image, Ditto has been making the case for quite a while that overweight people can still live healthy lives.  Though her size 28 body is on the high end of the BMI scale, she says in her recent interview chronicled in The Independent:
 "I'm not an unhealthy person and... one of the most tiring parts of being fat and being proud of it is... you do a lot of proving yourself all the time."
She added: "It's really interesting to me that people will look at a thin person and go, 'That's a healthy person'. I want to go: 'Come, open my refrigerator and look, and then let's talk about what you think is so bad.' To be thin and to stay really thin... some people literally do coke all the time. Some people smoke cigarettes instead of eating. That's crazy. But that's OK, because you look healthier."

Ditto has recently released her second plus size collection for retailer Evans, to rave reviews.  As a lesbian, she has also garnered attention for her outspoken support of LGBT and feminist causes.  Her band, The Gossip, released their fourth studio album, titled Music for Men, last year.  Here is their latest video for the single Heavy Cross.  Until now, I've known of Beth Ditto, but never really gave her band a listen.  I like it.

Bakery Refuses To Make "Gay" Cupcakes

A bakery in Indianapolis recently refused an order for rainbow colored cupcakes.  The order, placed by a local student group for National Coming Out Day, was turned down by the Just Cookies bakery due to "family values".  They said they have "two impressionable daughters", and that making the rainbow confections would be akin to making a cupcake with obscenities on it.

The student group found another Indianapolis bakery, The Flying Cupcake Bakery, that accommodated their order.

From the local Fox affiliate in Indianapolis:

  

Friday, September 24, 2010

Claim Token

PJZUMSGFTYA5

Freaky Fridays

Hey everyone.  I have decided to start a weekly post about strange, interesting and quirky videos or stories I find on the web.  I'm calling it Freaky Fridays.

This weeks post:  A viral sensation from two Irish dancers.  The video has almost 1.8 million hits so far this week on Youtube.  There is no camera trickery, no computer graphics, just really fast hands.  Check it out:



I really dug the song in the video.  If you did too, it's called We No Speak Americano (Original) by Yolanda Be Cool & Dcup.  If you have any suggestions for future Freaky Fridays posts, please comment and let me know.

Hard Rock Cafe Sues Hard Rock Hotel

The Hard Rock Cafe filed a lawsuit Tuesday in federal court, claiming the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas has damaged it's image enough to warrant breaking their 14 year old licensing agreement.  The Hard Rock Hotel has a reputation of being a hotel and casino where you can get away with things that wouldn't fly at, say the Bellagio.  The HRC claims that Tru TV's show, Rehab: Party At The Hard Rock Hotel, a reality show that chronicles the Sunday afternoon pool parties at the casino, paints it's brand in a bad light.

The lawsuit says the show portrays the hotel-casino as a place that "revels in drunken debauchery" and other actions that most would find offensive.

The Hard Rock Hotel has yet to issue a statement regarding the lawsuit.  Here's some video of what a typical Sunday afternoon is like at Rehab:

Joe Arpaio's Office Misspends $80 Million In Taxpayer Money

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors concluded today that Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his office spent as much as $80 million inappropriately.  The money, which comes from a voter approved sales tax, was earmarked to be spent on improving conditions in County jails.  Instead, findings reveal that the money was spent on questionable anti-immigration sweeps, investigating political enemies and thousands on vacations for Sheriffs Office officials.

Arpaio seemed hesitant to answer allegations to the press, but he had no problem making sure his book was in plain view of the cameras.  The County Board of Supervisors agreed to forward on their information to federal prosecutors, who are already investigating allegations of illegal racial profiling taking place during traffic stops and immigration sweeps.  This isn't the first allegation of illegal activity pointed at the Sheriff.

Last month, it was determined that Arpaio broke state voting regulations by airing a commercial, not asking people to vote for him, but telling people not to vote for Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley.

Arpaio has been called both "The country's toughest Sheriff", and "The country's most corrupt law enforcement offical".  Since 2007, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office has been responsible for deporting 26,146 immigrants, almost a quarter of the 115,000 people deported nationwide.

Olbermann Blasts Liz Cheney

Who the hell does she think she is?

Sesame Street Opts To Not Air Katy Perry Video

On Tuesday, I posted a piece called Brought To You By The Letter I...For Inappropriately Dressed.  It showed a parody of Katy Perry's Hot and Cold featuring Perry and Elmo.  Apparently, I wasn't the only parent that felt she was dressed inappropriately for a show with a target audience of preschoolers.  Sesame Street received thousands of emails and comments on their Facebook page regarding the video.  They decided Thursday not to air it.  Their official statement is posted on their Facebook page:
Sesame Street has a long history of working with celebrities across all genres, including athletes, actors, musicians and artists.  Sesame Street has always been written on two levels, for the child and adult.  We use parodies and celebrity segments to interest adults in the show because we know that a child learns best when co-viewing with a parent or care-giver.  We also value our viewer’s opinions and particularly those of parents.  In light of the feedback we’ve received on the Katy Perry music video which was released on You Tube only, we have decided we will not air the segment on the television broadcast of Sesame Street, which is aimed at preschoolers.  Katy Perry fans will still be able to view the video on KatyPerry.com.
This isn't the first time Katy Perry has received negative press this month.  Last week, Perry put herself in the doghouse with the gay community, after dedicating the song Ur So Gay to a guy she had a crush on in high school.  You see, she was performing a concert at her old high school, and saw him standing in the crowd.  He's now the school's football coach.  Here's how it went down:
“Is that Shane Lopes? Holy shizza. You were the most popular kid in my class! But you never wanted to date me, it was always Amanda Wayne. Oh yeah, you really chose right honey. What’s up? What’s up now, playa? I’m going to dedicate this next one to Shane Lopes everyone. It’s called ‘Ur So Gay.’”

Isn't that adorable?  Calling someone gay because they didn't like you in high school?  Never mind the  fact that roughly 90% of all gay and lesbian students get bullied at school.  Or that gay and lesbian youths are four times as likely to commit suicide than their straight counterparts.

As a parent, I think Sesame Street made the right decision.  I don't want this woman to have any part in educating my preschooler.  We teach diversity and tolerance in our house.

Shia LaBeouf: The Epitome Of Dumbass

Here's a clip of Shia LaBeouf on Access Hollywood, promoting his new movie, the sequel to Wall Street.  In it he says that Michael Douglas is the "epitome of strength", but listen to how he.....hell....just watch this:



This isn't the first interview I've seen in which he has mispronounced or misused a word in his vocabulary.  To think, he was actually accepted into Yale University at one point.  Then again, so was George W. Bush.

New Gay Character On Glee?

Vanity Fair recently interviewed Chord Overstreet(yes, that's his real name) for the scoop on his role as Sam on this season of Glee.  Sam is the new kid in school who becomes quarterback of the football team after Finn gets booted.  He's also the new recruit for the school's glee club.

The rumor floating around the web is that Sam is also going to be Kurt's new love interest this season.  If true, they're poised to be TV's most prominent gay characters since Will Truman and Jack MacFarland.  They would also be good role models for young people in the LBGT community.

Here is an excerpt from the interview:

Now, of course, the question everyone wants to know is if the rumors that you will become Kurt’s boyfriend on the show are accurate?
I actually don’t know that yet. We get everything an episode at a time. As of what we’ve shot now, they haven’t revealed anything about my character in a relationship way. But I think we’ll find out soon enough.
What about off the show? Any chemistry between you and Chirs Colfer?
(Laughs.) There’s a chemistry between everybody on the show. It’s weird because they’ve kind of all known each other for a year, there’s a bunch of inside jokes that I don’t get yet. You feel a little on the awkward side about jumping in with a new cast that really know each other. But everyone’s been cool. Chris has been really cool. Dianna (Agron), Corey (Monteith), Mark (Salling), Kevin (McHale). They’ve all been super cool.
So we don’t know what future episodes hold, but what if that is the case? When I spoke to Dianna Agron recently she said that one of the joys of working on the show is opening the scripts and discovering all the crazy stuff that’s about to happen. How would you feel if you opened up a script and found out you’d be playing a gay love interest?
It would just be one of those things where you have to do what the material says. The writers have a different twist for each episode. I signed on to do my job, so I need to do my job the best I can. I don’t know if I necessarily would take my work home with me! But if that was the case, I’m sure it would be fun. I mean, I’ve done a couple scenes with Chris so far, and he’s a talented guy, so I’m sure it would be a fun thing. Acting wise.
There is rumored to be man-on-man kissing. You’d be down with that?
I don’t know if I would be totally down with that outside of work. I’ve never kissed a guy before. But it’s acting. It’s kind of one of those things. Currently you have to kiss a bunch of strange people in the world of film and television.
You have to kiss a bunch of strange people?
Throughout your whole career, there’s a bunch of people you might have to kiss. Say there’s this character opposite you, and you might not be into her—or him, personally. You just gotta’ do it. That’s your job.
And beyond? You’re willing to go full Brokeback?
I have no idea. I’m going to say, no comment. I’m going to dig myself in a hole.

He's totally straight in real life....LOL.  Here's a clip featuring Chord from Tuesday's episode.  He's a pretty good singer.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

True Blood Spoofed On Sesame Street

Even down to the show's theme song, the folks at Sesame Street were faithful to the original.  Keep an eye out for Lafayette bussing tables at the beginning of the clip:

Whoa....



Happy Celebrate Bisexuality Day!!


Today is the 19th annual Celebrate Bisexuality Day.  It was started in 1999, by three bisexual rights activists.  The bisexual pride flag, above, was actually created a year earlier.  This year is also the 25th anniversary of the Bisexual Resource Center as well as the 20th anniversary of BiNet USA.

So, go out and celebrate.  Call your boyfriend and let them know, then call your girlfriend.

Study: 19% Of Gay/Bisexual Men Are HIV+

According to a study released Thursday  by the CDC, as many as 1 in 5 gay or bisexual males in urban areas are HIV positive.  The study, involving 8,153 men in 21 major U.S. cities, highlights that the fear of AIDS has waned in recent years.  The urgency of regular HIV testing seemed to especially be lacking with younger males.  The study found that 63% of infected men between the ages of 18 and 29 had no idea they were infected, compared to only 37% of those over 30.

HIV infection was more prevalent in black men than white or Hispanic men, with a 28% infected rate.  The CDC also found that blacks were less likely to know of their HIV positive status.  Only 41% of black men in the poll were aware that they were infected.
"This alarming new data provides further evidence that prevention efforts for gay men have not been adequate to meet the growing epidemic and should be dramatically scaled up," said Carl Schmid of the nonprofit AIDS Institute.

"The severity of the impact of HIV in the gay community is nothing new. What has been missing is an appropriate response by our government, at the federal, state and local levels, and the gay community itself."
The CDC recommends getting an HIV test every year.  For gay and bisexual men that have multiple partners, they suggest testing every 3 to 6 months.

On a personal note:  It's frightening to think that HIV is so widespread in the gay community in 2010.  Scarier still is the thought that more than half of those infected don't know it.  I personally had my last test about five months ago.  I've been in a monogamous relationship for the last five years.  It really gives me something to think about though if and when I start looking for another male partner.

Glee - Journey Medley

One of my favorite numbers from season 1.  It takes place at the regionals.  Just before they start the number, Rachel tells Finn to break a leg, and Finn responds by telling Rachel he loves her.

Slow News Day

Hasn't been much to talk about today.  I've been keeping my eye on the news and the web, but it's just been a slow news day.  So I've been catching up on Weeds season 5 and the first season of Glee.

If you'd like to talk about Shane killing Pilar, or Finn and Rachel being together now, or if you'd like to sing some Journey with me, just let me know.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Immigrants' DREAM Smashed By Senate

The gay community isn't the only demographic to feel slighted today.  Hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants lost their path to citizenship with the Republican led filibuster.  So much attention has been focused on the repeal of DADT, that hardly anything has been said about the DREAM Act.

The DREAM Act is a provision that allows as many as 64,000 graduating high school students a conditional path to citizenship, provided they continue their education and get a college degree or complete two years of service in the armed forces.  The young men and women affected by the DREAM Act want nothing but to legally be what they've been raised to be, Americans.  Most of them have been in this country since they were little kids.

The DREAM Act was one of three amendments attached to today's defense spending bill.  Since debate on the bill was shot down in the Senate, it will likely be next year before this amendment is taken up again.

Goddard Closing Gap On Brewer

As little as a month ago, Terry Goddard trailed incumbent governor Jan Brewer by as many as 20 points.  A new poll released today by Project New West, shows Goddard with 45% of the vote, 7 points behind Brewer at 52%.

Quoting Goddard:
“Jan Brewer has failed to bring new jobs or new business to Arizona. She has failed us on education – and is willing to cut even more from the education budget. Times are bad, and voters are recognizing that Jan Brewer is not the kind of decisive leader we need, to lead us out of this mess.”
In November, vote for education.  Vote for sanity.  Vote for Terry Goddard.

 

McCain Defends DADT

In an interview immediately following the Senate vote, John McCain insists that DADT works.  According to McCain, gay servicemen and women are not singled out and proactively investigated.  Despite a grocery list of examples of discharged soldiers, some of whom have had private emails and phone records gone through, McCain sticks to his guns. "It is not the policy."

A Message For Senate Republicans:

From the gay community:



Thanks for considering our rights, fuckers.

National Anthem Fail

For his sake, I hope the singer isn't American.  At least he got the first line of the song right:

Brought To You By The Letter I...For Inappropriately Dressed

And the number 2 (as in shit):

O'Donnell: Gays Suffer From An "Identity Disorder"

Christine O'Donnell has a history of making ignorant, homophobic claims.  In the past, she has said that the government spent too much money on AIDS and that "gays get away with so much".  She's blamed many of her early quotes on "youthful excesses".  However, in 2006, O'Donnell made perhaps the most anti-gay comment of her political career.  In an interview with the Wilmington News Journal, she said the following:
"People are created in God's image. Homosexuality is an identity adopted through societal factors. It's an identity disorder."
Implying that being gay or lesbian is a psychological disorder shows a level of ignorance that hasn't been seen in decades.  Until 1973, the American Psychiatric Association considered homosexuality to be a disease.  Since then, they have come to the realization that homosexuality is not a disease.  In fact, one cannot choose whether they are gay or not.

Comments like this are akin to lumping homosexuality in with pedophilia and bestiality.  They are the views of an extremist, and do nothing but alienate people while instigating fear and intolerance.

With all the media attention on Christine O'Donnell,  her opponent, Chris Coons, has practically been forgotten about.  For those interested, I have posted one of Mr. Coons' TV ads below.  Remember to vote and send the extremists home this November.




Video Of Lady Gaga's Speech At DADT Rally

Courtesy of CNN:

OK Go...Now With Friends

Shot all in one take.  Check out the goat at the 2:50 mark:

I'll Take A Cheeseburger...Hold The Jesus

As a family, we tend to boycott companies that have business practices that we find deplorable.  For a short time, we boycotted Target because of their financial support of an anti-gay candidate in Minnesota.  Although we would have preferred to see them send a matching contribution to a gay cause, they have since apologized for their actions.

We boycott Whole Foods because of recent comments from their CEO.  He was quoted as saying that Americans "have no intrinsic rights to health care, food or shelter".  In a nutshell, he's a teabagger.  He refuses to keep his opinions to himself, and Whole Foods continues to stand behind him.

We boycott Chick-Fil-A, primarily because they're bigoted evangelical assholes.

And we also boycott In-N-Out Burger.  It's not that we don't like their cheeseburgers, it's the other stuff they try to shove down our throats.  Until recently, I thought the restaurant's Christian connection was an urban legend.  Then I did some reading.  In-N-Out has been printing Bible verses on their cups and burger wrappers for 25 years or more.  Here are some pictures:

On their cheeseburger wrappers:

Their Double Double wrappers:


Their shake cups:


And their soda cups:

In-N-Out has been privately owned by the Snyder family since the 40s.  They have no stockholders to answer to and they don't franchise out their restaurants.  They have a history of donating to GOP candidates and causes, but tend to keep their political views quiet.  They may not go all out guerrilla Christian like their Chick-Fil-A counterparts(playing Christian music in their locations and closing for worship on Sundays), but they like to proselytize in their own subtle way.

I'm not offended that a burger place is owned by a Christian family.  I'm sure the CEOs of Burger King and McDonalds are probably also Christian.  What does offend me is a company that refuses to keep their beliefs out of my food.  I don't want a Sunday school lesson with my dinner.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Father Of Disabled Teen Threatens Bullies

Found this on Boing Boing today.  A man in Florida was arrested after boarding a school bus and threatening the kids that were bullying his disabled daughter.  The boys had put open condoms on her head and smacked her repeatedly.  The fuckers got off easy.

What I can't believe about this clip is how upset the boys' parents are.  If it was my kid that was tormenting a girl with Cerebral Palsy, I would have told him that he got what he deserved.  Then, I would have beat the shit out of him. Somehow, the parent defending his kid is painted as the bad guy, and not the teenage boys that had been regularly assaulting a girl with a disability.  I don't get it.

Interesting PSA From Singapore

In 2008, the Singapore government released two public service announcements under their "Breathe" campaign.  The purpose of the campaign was to "encourage youth to choose (breathe in) life, truth and self-expression and not succumb to (breathe out) insecurity, pessimism, pressure and judgement. “Breathe” will also brand health as exciting, vibrant and an asset youth should treasure to help them achieve their fullest potential and ambitions in life."  It appears that Singapore's Health Promotion Board, the agency that aired the commercials, doesn't view tattoos and body piercings as "self-expression".  In fact, they liken it to binge drinking:



Those tattoos are obviously fake.  You would think they could have at least found someone with real tattoos.  Then again, maybe they weren't able to find an actor that was OK with the concept of being someone "that doesn't know when to stop".

Friday, September 17, 2010

Sacha Baron Cohen To Play Freddie Mercury In Biopic

Exciting movie news:  Sacha Baron Cohen has just signed a deal to play Freddie Mercury in an upcoming biopic.  Although it should be easy for him to look the part(he could be a ringer with the right makeup), it is unclear whether Cohen will actually sing Freddie's songs during filming.

The picture received a green light and promise of intellectual support from the surviving members of Queen.  In fact, this is the first time that Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon have licensed songs and music publishing rights for a movie about the band.  The rights package includes the use of We Are the Champions, Another One Bites the Dust, You're My Best Friend, We Will Rock You and Bohemian Rhapsody.  Production is set to start sometime in 2011.

The picture is scripted to cover the early days of Queen through their Live Aid performance in 1985.  At this time, there is no plan to make Mercury's final days a subject of the film.  He died from complications of AIDS on November 24, 1991.  It was his death that helped remove the stigma of those suffering with the AIDS virus.

Two Games I Might Buy A Wii For

 I don't own a Wii, but I do have a PS3 and an XBox 360.  The reason why I don't own a Wii is because Nintendo has had a history of neglecting the hardcore gamer and tends to focus their efforts toward the casual gamer and family demographic.  Their lineup for this holiday season is no exception.  There are two titles, however, that look like they may be worth investing in a Wii this Christmas.

First up is Michael Jackson: The Experience.  It's a dancing game(which automatically puts it in the "will probably be lame" stack), that has you move along with Michael on screen.  So far, Ubisoft, the game's developer, has announced ten original MJ tracks that will be featured in the game, including Smooth Criminal and Billie Jean.




Secondly, is Epic Mickey, a new game from Disney featuring Mickey Mouse.  The internet has been blowing up over this game for close to a year.  It's a Wii exclusive, and features an artistic style the likes of which have not been seen in a video game.  It's clean, fluid, and at times, dark.  Looks like it is geared more toward true gamers and not so much for the little kids.  It comes out November 30.




Add to that the release of Rock Band 3 and DJ Hero 2, and I'm going to have a laundry list of games and systems to give to Santa this year.  Now if I can just be a good boy until Christmas.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Birth Control Lessons Withheld From Sex Ed Classes

A new study released today by the CDC finds that as many as one third of students do not receive birth control information during sex education classes.  While 97 percent of high school students have received some form of formal sex education class, 62 percent of boys and 70 percent of girls report being taught about condoms and other forms of birth control.  Interestingly, 92 percent of students were taught about STDs, and 87 percent of boys and 81 percent of girls were taught how to say no or abstain from sex.

The study found the main reason for this misinformation was because the Bush Administration had a thing for funding religious based, abstinence only programs to educate our children.  These programs have been proven to be ineffective at best.  Since the Obama Administration has been in place, funds have been redirected toward programs that teach both abstinence and how to use birth control.   

Studies show that after years of steady declines, the birth rate among teens rose between 2005 and 2007, only to dip in 2008, after new comprehensive based sex education programs came into existence.

Today, I Became A College Dropout

This afternoon, I signed the paperwork necessary to drop out of school.  It's something I've been debating over the last couple of weeks, and, upon the advice of my doctor, thought it was the best decision to make.  I was only going to class part time, but it was overwhelming.  I have been at such a high stress level over the last week that I can't eat a meal without getting sick.  That's not healthy.  It came to a point where I realized I had to lighten my load, and school was the easiest thing for me to drop.

I may go back in the future.  I don't know.  I do know one thing:  If I go back to school for massage therapy, it will be at a different campus.  I can't imagine having to start all over again with my Professional Development teacher.  He was such an asshole.  He did nothing but single out and degrade students based upon how they dressed, the tattoos and piercings they had, etc.  In Monday night's lecture he said, "Your commitment to help people should be more important than your tattoos and piercings."  He then told us that we should remove any artwork or piercing he found "unprofessional".  The following morning, I went to my local barber and got a mohawk. I couldn't stay in this guy's class until next March.

I liked what I learned, and I was good at it, but between the Tourette's and the PTSD, I'm not able to do this right now.  I haven't been myself for weeks.  I'm stressed out and pissed off all the time, and I am definitely not happy.

As to the future, my future, I don't know what I'm going to do.  I just had my interview for my third level appeal for Social Security.  It may take as long as 16 months to get a thumbs up or thumbs down on that.  The company I have been working with has a 91% benefits approval rate at this level, so odds are in my favor.  My long term disability is still set to expire next October.  If I am forced to go back to work at that time, I don't know if I can handle it or not.  I've been thinking about focusing on this blog and developing a following over the next year.  Hopefully, in another 12 months, I can make a living writing.  Hey, it can happen.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Prince Poppycock's Performance On AGT Finals

If you're following America's Got Talent this year, I am sure you have fallen in love with Prince Poppycock as much as I have.  In a sea of "seen it before" acts, he has continually delivered exciting, artistic over the top performances.  His costumes are second to none.  He is a visionary;  easily the only contender in the final four contestants that could bring a two hours, eight shows a week extravaganza on the Las Vegas strip.

Two weeks ago, he covered Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody better than anyone else that I've seen.  In fact, he may have even given Freddie Mercury a run for "most memorable performance":



Last night's performance at the finals wasn't as exciting but was nonetheless beautiful:



Without a question, I'll be glued to the tube for the results show.  I'm crossing my fingers for Poppycock.

Update:  I'm sad to say that Prince Poppycock did not win America's Got Talent.  With the notoriety and media attention he has received in recent months, I'm sure we haven't seen the last of the Prince.

Gaga Fans Rally To Repeal DADT

On Sunday's VMAs, Lady Gaga urged her fans to call Harry Reid and their local Senators to demand the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell.  Many people acted, but one group in particular has received some attention.  Two college students filmed themselves calling Mike Bennet, their local Senator from Colorado.  These two young ladies had to first find out who their Senator was. Once the call was made, they enlisted the help of the rest of their college dorm to call as well.  The Senator's voicemail was full the next morning.  Here is the clip they posted on Youtube yesterday:



Senator Bennet posted his own response video this afternoon.  In it he affirms that he IS for the repeal of DADT.



I'm sure the Senator had already made up his mind regarding the vote, but it's nice to see young people that wouldn't normally get involved politically lend their voice to the democratic process.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

This Is Your GOP Nomination For Senator In Delaware....

....Tea Party nutjob and abstinence activist, Christine O'Donnell.  O'Donnell won her primary tonight after easily defeating the candidate the GOP really wanted for the job.  This is a clip of Christine on MTV, back in '96, peddling her bullshit agenda:



Luckily, the Republican party has decided not to contribute toward her campaign, as she is, at last count 27 points behind her Democratic rival in the polls.  With a Democratic win in Delaware this November, it will be all but impossible for the GOP to attain a 60 seat majority in the Senate.

Glenn Beck On Morbidly Obese: "Let Them Die"

But don't take away his french fries:

If You Can't See The Videos.....

I apologize.  Youtube has been doing "scheduled maintenance" off and on all evening.  Any Youtube links at the moment are sort of hit and miss.  

Fun With Google Instant

As you may know, Google recently introduced Google Instant, a new search engine format that displays results in real time as you type.  It's a little much for me, personally.  I prefer having my results given to me after pressing enter.  Google Instant can practically be seizure inducing, depending on the query.

A gentleman named Jason Newman posted a video showing Google Instant in all of it's glory.  Have you ever searched the lyrics to your favorite song?  Check this one out:

Monday, September 13, 2010

Is Lady Gaga THE Voice Of The Gay Community?

When it comes to pop culture, it seems so....   Last night at the VMA's, Gaga brought four former servicemen discharged under DADT as her dates.  Later that night, she called for the repeal of DADT during an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, saying "It is a law that violates so much of what we stand [for] as a generation, as free people, as America.”  This morning Harry Reid says he's going to include the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell in a defense legislation he will introduce next week.  Coincidence?  Probably, but you have to admit that Gaga has America talking about it today.  She has spoken at numerous rallies, and makes gay rights a centerpiece of each and every one of her concerts, but is she THE gay rights champion of our time?

I encourage you to participate in a new online GLAAD poll. It asks: Who is the reigning heavyweight champion of LGBT advocacy in pop culture today?  At the moment, Lady Gaga has over 70% of the vote, over other celebs Kathy Griffin, Margaret Cho, and Dustin Lance Black. 


 

Dude, Where's My Qur'an?

Protesters in Amarillo stopped a nutjob from burning a Qur'an on Saturday.  The hero was a 23 year old skateboarder that snatched the gasoline soaked Qur'an from the guy's hands and delivered it to a local Islamic center.  The news story is kinda funny:

Gaga Reveals Name Of New Album: "Born This Way"

Lady Gaga excited all of her Little Monsters last night by revealing the name of her new album.  It's called "Born This Way".  During her acceptance speech for Video Of The Year, her eighth award of the night, Gaga even sang a couple of bars from the upcoming single:



I see another "Beautiful".  Could this be the gay anthem of 2010/2011?  Can't wait to see.  From what I have read, the single is a duet with none other than David Bowie.  Should be interesting.

Just in case you've been asleep for the past year, here is the video that won a record eight Video Music Awards last night, Bad Romance:

New Bisexual Ad From Ikea

The following is an ad that recently started running in Austria, from furniture behemoth, Ikea.  I liked it...thought it was cute.  So far today, I've seen the ad on three blogs, all calling it a "gay" ad.  People are already calling it anti-gay and saying that it is a commercial about a "closeted heterosexual".  I see it differently.




The main male character in the commercial is bi.  He is not a closeted heterosexual, nor is he gay.  Infidelity is infidelity regardless of sexual orientation, but to me, this commercial would be no different if it were the lady's husband that came home early.  Ikea was trying to be clever and original.  In that way, they succeeded. I am proud to be one of their customers.

It has always been a pet peeve of mine the way that bisexuals are portrayed in the media, and in the LGBT community itself.  People try to force us to choose a side.  We have to be either gay or straight.  If you're bi, and especially if you're a female, you're portrayed simply as a slut.  And when it comes to the male bisexual, you would think they don't exist.  They seem to have a mythical reputation.  Let me tell you, they exist.  I am one of them, and I am happy to see us represented in mainstream advertising.  It's about time.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Weezer Sells Out

Below is the video for Weezer's new single, Memories, off their album titled Hurley, due out this week.  It's my guess that the song is part of the Jackass 3D soundtrack because it features all of the guys from the show singing with the band.

Don't get me wrong.  I love Weezer, but this song and video are SHIT.  Easily the worst Weezer single in their seven album history.

Shitty Weezer Song:



Great Weezer Song:


See the difference?  I own Weezer's previous six albums, but if Memories is a taste of what to expect from the rest of the record, I won't be buying Hurley.

John Lennon - Imagine

I thought this song was fitting in light of today's significance and recent events in the news.

Conservative PAC Calls Transgendered Democratic Candidate "A Confused It"

Brittany Novotny

An e-mail from the Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee, a group backing Oklahoma State Rep. Sally Kern, contained one of the sickest and most vile political attacks seen in recent memory.  In part, the email called Democrat Brittany Novotny, Kern's transgendered opponent, "a confused it".  Here is an excerpt:

Brittany used to be a “he”, had a sex change operation to make him into a “her” but turned out to become a confused “it.” Some have suggested that having a sex change operation is a person’s greatest act of rebellion and hatred toward God for His making them what they were.

It is truly sad to see people reject God’s love for them by being willing to mutilate themselves. If they would submit their life to God, they could find the true the joy in life that will forever elude them while on their path of rebellion. The hatred and rage toward Sally continues unabated in the homosexual community because Sally dared to declare their political agenda for what it truly is, more dangerous to the future of America than the threat of terrorism.

Kern has a history of making bigoted, anti-gay comments.  Here is one from 2008:

“Here in America we’ve had what, maybe three known real big terrorist attacks on our nation,” Kern told Fox 25 in Oklahoma City recently. “But every day our young people especially, all of us, but our young people especially are in a sense bombarded with the message that homosexuality is normal and natural.”

If you would like to speak to Sally Kern directly, and let her know that intolerance is never a campaign platform (in Oklahoma or otherwise), the home phone number for her listed on her website is 405-942-3504.  Thank you.