The Christian Civic League of Maine's Mike Hein calls Pam's House Blend: "a leading source of radical homosexual propaganda, anti-Christian bigotry, and radical transgender advocacy."
He is "praying that Pam Spaulding will "turn away from her wicked and sinful promotion of homosexual behavior."
(CCLM's web site, 10/15/07)
Ex-gay "Christian" activist James Hartline on Pam:
"I have been mocked over and over again by ungodly and unprincipled anti-christian lesbians."
(from "Six Years In Sodom: From The Journal Of James Hartline," 9/4/2006, written from the "homosexual stronghold" of Hillcrest in San Diego).
"Pam is a 'twisted lesbian sister' and an 'embittered lesbian' of the 'self-imposed gutteral experiences of the gay ghetto.'" -- 9/5/2008
Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth Against Homosexuality heartily endorses the Blend, calling Pam:
A "vicious anti-Christian lesbian activist." (Concerned Women for America's radio show [9:15], 1/25/07)
"A nutty lesbian blogger." (MassResistance radio show [16:25], 2/3/07)
Pam's House Blend always seems to find these sick f*cks. The area of the country she is in? The home state of her wife? I know, they are everywhere. Pam just does such a great job of bringing them out into the light.
--Impeach Bush
who monitors yours Bevis ?? Just thought I would drop you a line,so the rest of your life is not wasted.
As a Christian, a political liberal, and a gay man, I often find myself chagrined when leaders claiming to speak for one group I am part of say something negative about another group that I am part of. That is part of why the Manhattan Declaration is so disturbing. The full document is set to be released at noon today, but excerpts and commentary have been popping up around the blogosphere ahead of the release.
The document is signed by multiple Catholic bishops; James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Anus Family; the president of the National Assoc. of Evangelicals; and various seminary leaders, pastors and professors. In it, the signers are stating their continued opposition to abortion, stem-cell research, same-sex marriage, and anti-discrimination statutes, among other issues.
Ol' Lou was actually tame at the ENDA hearing two weeks ago. I sat behind him and, had I not recognized him, I wouldn't have known he was there.
Its sounding as though he - and his daughter, Andrea 'I put the Laff in' Lafferty - were apoplectic today.
The Senate HELP Committee had the nerve to consider the appointment of someone who is both a lezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzbian and a Jeeeeeeewwwwww:
November 19, 2009 – Chai Feldblum, the activist lawyer who has been nominated for a post on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, (EEOC) just finished her testimony before the Senate Health, Education, Labor And Pensions Committee.
Proving our point, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) introduced Feldblum to the Committee. In his introduction of her, he laid the foundation with his description of her as having an “unsurpassed judicial temperament” --- an odd way to describe a non-judicial nominee.
Justice Feldblum? Assuming so, are we to believe that, on her worst day, she wouldn't be better than the christianist clowns who were appointed to the federal bench from 2001-2009?
Never mind...
To believe the Sheldon Shack, no Republican has ever nominated an activiist for anything. I guess John Bolton, Clarence Thomas, Lino Graglia, Jeff Sessions, et. al. are figments of liberals' imaginations.
Now don't get me wrong. I have plenty of christian friends. I love them, and totally respect their faith. It's just that I have a deeply held conviction that their belief system is unnatural and results from a form of insanity. So when I try to commit them to the mental health ward or support legislation restricting their ability to have children, it isn't because I don't totally respect their beliefs - its just that I think their beliefs (which I totally respect) are unhealthy and insane, and a danger to any offspring they might conceive. I feel it is my duty to not look the other way while they continue to harm themselves with unhealthy behavior - what kind of loving friend would I be to just allow them to wallow in their delusions?
Now, some people might think that I am out of line when I argue that christians should undergo intensive treatment to cure them of their unnatural and unhealthy lifestyle. But again, it is my deeply held conviction that they are doomed if they don't turn away from this illness. It is my duty to make sure they are lovingly belittled and shamed, and to make sure that their children are taunted sufficiently as well as taught that their parents are sick. after all, someone has to think of the children.
Even more disturbing, these people flaunt their beliefs. everywhere you look, there they are - shoving their existence down your throats. I was horrified to find that there are several television shows - even networks - devoted to spreading this illness - during prime time! when children could be watching! Now if they want to pray in the comfort of their own homes I guess that would be ok, but there are militants intent on not only existing, but go over the line expecting people to tolerate -no- accept their beliefs. Even worse, they are not content to practice their delusions privately - they are actively recruiting others. They even have established schools devoted to indoctrinating children. I lovingly disapprove, and am devoted to helping them get well.
As I said, I totally respect their beliefs, and it is only out of this deep respect and love that I have to tell them what they are doing is not natural - have you ever seen a "christian" cat or dog? They need to understand that what they are doing is a choice - but there is hope. And for a substantial fee I will be happy to help them.
I'll let the press release/open letter from Californians Against Hate speak for itself, as it's pretty damn entertaining.
November 16, 2009
Ms Maggie Gallagher
President
National Organization for Marriage
1100 H Street, NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20005
Dear Maggie --
It looks like you fired former Miss California, Carrie Prejean, just like Donald Trump did back in June.
She is no longer on your web site: nationformarriage.org I called your Washington, DC - PR firm, Mary Beth Hutchins at 703-683-5004 ext. 105, but no one was there to tell me why.
What happened to *"the future of our movement, and the future of America," as you referred to Carrie just two months ago? Was it because she lied again? This time she said in numerous interviews that she "made only one sex tape." Now it appears to be more like 15 or 20. We just heard that from the guy she met on My Space.
He also said that Carrie asked him to lie and say that she was only 17 when she made the sex tapes. In an interview with TMZ's Harvey Levin, her ex said that she made the tapes when she was from 19 to 21, so not that long ago like Carrie insists.
Listen for yourself, it's really interesting how the two stories are so different. Here's a link: TMZ
Wonder if her attorney, Charles LiMandri, knew that she was asking her ex to lie? That is not looked kindly upon by the California Bar Association.
In the past week, Carrie was uninvited from her speech at the Conservative Capitol Hill Club. Then she kept calling CNN's Larry King "inappropriate," and ripped her microphone off on live TV! It's up on YouTube and has had over 1.5 million visitors so far - huge!
It's an open thread! Pleeeeease feel free to chat, blogwhore, and link-share in the comment thread...
Well, Thursday was fun. I spent eight-and-a-half hours at the VA. I went to the Dental Clinic for an emergency appointment -- one of my two front teeth is a cap, and it fell off Wednesday night. The dentist just cemented the fake tooth back in place. Then I went to Urgent Care to get my toe looked at as I stubbed it so bad on Tuesday morning that my nail technician and I thought it was broken. Well, it's not, but it took about seven hours before it got looked at. So, Thursday was a long day, essentially spent mostly in VA Medical Center waiting rooms. But hey, I'm fine!
So anywho, below is what my cartoon sockpuppet Bookworm Bob & I have been looking at news-wise late this week.
TEXARKANA, Arkansas - A federal judge on Friday sentenced Evangelist Tony Alamo to 175 years in prison for child sex crimes.
Several of the child "wives" who helped convict evangelist Tony Alamo of federal sex charges took the witness stand during his sentencing hearing.
The 75-year-old leader of the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries was convicted in July on a 10-count indictment accusing him of taking young girls across state lines for sex...
...In court filings, federal prosecutors said three of the women Alamo "married" at ages as young as eight had submitted written statements for Alamo's sentencing report...
The argument that the moon is a dry, desolate place no longer holds water.
Secrets the moon has been holding, for perhaps billions of years, are now being revealed to the delight of scientists and space enthusiasts alike.
NASA today opened a new chapter in our understanding of the moon. Preliminary data from the Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, indicates that the mission successfully uncovered water during the Oct. 9, 2009 impacts into the permanently shadowed region of Cabeus cater near the moon's south pole.
The impact created by the LCROSS Centaur upper stage rocket created a two-part plume of material from the bottom of the crater. The first part was a high angle plume of vapor and fine dust and the second a lower angle ejecta curtain of heavier material. This material has not seen sunlight in billions of years.
I love planetary astronomy!
[Below the fold: The President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary talks about transgender people & clothing; school sanctioned cash for grades, and our Wiener Story Of The Day involves ex-gay Pastor Ted Haggard.]
Remember the promises of Pastor Marc Grizzard, of Amazing Grace Baptist Church in Canton, NC? He was going to hold a BBQ and book burning of non-King James versions of The Good Book, including the Good News for Modern Man, the Evidence Bible, the New International Version Bible, the Green Bible and the Message Bible -- all deemed as "Satan's Bibles" by the church.
Right Wing Watch reports that the best laid plans by these reality-challenged fundies...FAIL. In fact, RWW has nominated this for Worst.Book.Burning.Ever. Here's the rip-roaring backup plan (keyboard protection on, please).
[W]hen the big day came around, a combination of rain, protesters, and a state law against burning paper all conspired against them.
Amazing Grace Church had this to say about people who noted that God must intervened to stop the insanity.
We wanted to say that the Book Burning was a great success[.] We wanted to thank all the Bible doubters who prayed for rain with us. All the protestors and media got wet; we were inside where it was nice and dry[.] We are not glad people got wet, we are glad that His Word was honored. Some have written praising God that he intervened and stopped the Book Burning because of the rain, protestors, and state laws about burning paper. Nothing was stopped. Our goal was to destroy garbage as noted below, and we did just that. We didn't care how it was destroyed; only that it was destroyed. These same people must have never heard about "Paper, Rock, & Scissors." Scissors cut paper, and paper tears real easy. We destroyed everything as planned. Praise God! God answered every prayer that everyone prayed, but they don't like the answer.
We're basically going to defy the law, and challenge it. We're going to declare the whole counsel of God, including those parts that some may consider 'inciting a hate crime'
Of course, we all know that the Hate Crimes Law has nothing to do with speech or religious freedom, but don't try any of that pesky logic on Cass and his cohorts.
Well, it looks like the putrid party of hate is getting a little bigger now with support from all the usual suspects in the "hate on gays" army...
BY now, most high school dress codes have just about done away with the guesswork.
Girls: no midriff-baring blouses, stiletto heels, miniskirts.
Boys: no sagging pants, muscle shirts.
But do the math.
"Rules" + "teenager" = "challenges."
If the skirt is an acceptable length, can a boy wear it?
Can a girl attend her prom in a tuxedo?
In recent years, a growing number of teenagers have been dressing to articulate - or confound - gender identity and sexual orientation. Certainly they have been confounding school officials, whose responses have ranged from indifference to applause to bans...
The article goes on to talk about High School dress codes across the country. Recommended read.
The Senate held a hearing on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) this week. ENDA would enshrine special rights for homosexuals in the workplace, based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Craig Parshall, senior vice president and general counsel for National Religious Broadcasters, was the only witness to speak against the bill, although a number of pro-family groups are campaigning against it. Throughout the hearing, Parshall heard cries for fundamental fairness and rights.
"What about the civil rights, the civil opportunities and privileges of private enterprise," he said, "to conduct its business free of these exotic new value systems?" ...
Exotic? About half of the states in the country have nondiscrimination laws based on sexual orientation, and about a quarter of the states have nondiscrimination laws based on gender identity. Hardly exotic laws.
• Los Angeles Times' California's best years have passed, voters sayIn a survey of 1,500 registered voters, 80% say the state is on the wrong track. Respondents express little confidence in state politicians and candidates, even as support for Obama remains high.:
Frustrated at California's woes, voters are sharply pessimistic about whether the next governor will be able to move the state in the right direction, and most believe California is in the midst of a long-term decline, a new Los Angeles Times/USC poll shows.
...There was little confidence that the next governor, whoever he or she may be, would be able to successfully battle California's problems. Voters were split over whether the winning candidate would be able to bring about "real change." More than half of voters said that California's problems are long-term in nature and will not ease substantially when the national economy recovers.
"I just feel like we are spinning our wheels," said Tracey Blair, a mother of two from Mar Vista who described herself in a follow-up interview as an independent-minded Democrat. "I don't feel like it's going anywhere at the moment. . . . It's a feeling of -- like we've peaked." ...
...Asked whether California was headed in the right direction or was on the wrong track, only 14% said the state was moving in the right direction. That was the lowest such finding since October 1992, when an equal percentage expressed dismay. It was statistically equivalent to the 17% level reached just before the 2003 recall swept out Democratic Gov. Gray Davis and installed Schwarzenegger. Altogether, 4 in 5 Californians surveyed said they felt the state was headed down the wrong track -- slightly worse than in 2003...
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Men who eat a lot of red meat and processed meats may have a higher risk of developing prostate cancer than those who limit such foods, a large study of U.S. men suggests.
Researchers at the National Cancer Institute found that among more than 175,000 men they followed for nine years, those who ate the most red and processed meats had heightened risks of developing any stage of prostate cancer, or advanced cancer in particular.
The findings, reported in the American Journal of Epidemiology, add to a conflicting body of research on meat intake and prostate cancer risk. Because studies over the years have come to different conclusions, experts generally consider the evidence linking red and processed meats to the disease to be limited and inconclusive.
These latest findings do not settle the question. But they do suggest that processed red meats and high-heat cooking methods -- namely, grilling and barbecuing -- may be particularly connected to prostate cancer risk, according to Dr. Rashmi Sinha and her colleagues at the NCI...
So...I'm confused. Are wieners -- as processed red meat -- evil, or not so evil? Engh, never mind. Most are too fatty anyway.
The Queen of Hot Dog's in Vermont was honored Saturday.
Lois Bodoky, known to most as "The Hot Dog Lady", received red carpet treatment today.
For 28 years Bodoky operated a hot dog cart on Church Street.
She retired in 2005.
Saturday, the city unveiled a plaque outside Homeport, honoring her years of service to hungry customers. The location is where she operated the cart after her beauty shop burned down in the 70s.
Bodoky says she misses her customers, especially feeding the needy for free...
So anywho...It's an open thread! What are you thinking about today, or what books or articles have you been reading the past few days? Wanna share?
And again, please feel free to chat, blogwhore, and link-share in the comment thread because...it's an open thread! Woo-hoo!
Our old fundie friend, Pastor Gary Cass of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission (yeah, that's clue number one about his point of view), is back at his gay hating ways. But this time he's taking it to a whole new level. Cass and crew are headed to DC on November 16th to protest the Hate Crimes Act in front of the Department of Justice. Their tactic?
The "Rally for Religious Freedom" in front of the Department of Justice in Washington is intended to force Attorney General Eric Holder either to address the issues or be put in a position of ignoring those who say they are violating the provisions of the federal law, Cass said. "We're basically going to defy the law, and challenge it," Cass told WND. "We're going to declare the whole counsel of God, including those parts that some may consider 'inciting a hate crime' to see if the attorney general is going to come down and arrest a group of peaceful clergy exercising their First Amendment rights
The City Council on Thursday gave unanimous preliminary approval to expanding its human rights ordinance to protect transgender people from discrimination.
But does that mean cross-dressers are protected, too?
Specifically, the ordinance prohibits discrimination on the basis of "gender identity and expression." ...
So the answer would be "Yes." Realistically, cross-dressing is so stigmatized in our society that not extremely few people would be going to work one day as Albert, the next day Alice, and the next day as Albert again. As a rule, trans people just don't alternate in their work presentations like that.
Despite long lines at health clinics around the country prompted by widespead shortages of the vaccine for H1N1, some on Wall Street may have made their way to the front of the line, a public health watchdog group charged Thursday.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) has demanded an investigation into why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved small amounts of H1N1 vaccine for distribution at 13 companies including Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and JP Morgan Chase.
CREW executive director Melanie Sloan wrote a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. "Although CREW has been unable to uncover the demographic makeup of [these companies], surely it is safe to assume the vast majority of their employees are not pregnant women and children, young adults up to 24 years old, and healthcare workers," Sloan wrote. "Under these circumstances, it is the height of irresponsibility for the CDC to approve distribution of the vaccine to anywhere other than where it is most likely to be provided to those at the greatest risk." ...
Well, this can't be seen as good optics for the CDC and financial banking giants.
A controversial play which portrays Jesus as a transsexual woman was defended yesterday by its writer who has herself crossed the gender barrier to live as a woman.
Jesus, Queen of Heaven, has caused a storm of protest from Christian evangelical groups, who picketed the Tron Theatre in Glasgow when it opened this week.
However, their attacks have caused deep offence to the play's author, who also acts the leading role. For Jo Clifford -- formerly the playwright John Clifford -- wrote the piece in an attempt to create greater understanding of transgendered people like herself.
The play's opening night was attended by about 300 demonstrators. Roman Catholics joined evangelical Christians for a two-hour protest during which they waved placards and sang hymns...
I feel the Christian love.
[Below the fold: Trigger Alert for today's Washington DC Tea Party event sign, and the Wiener Story Of The Day.]
Mainers came out in droves for fairness; volunteers from around the country flocked to the state to educate, inform and appeal for equality. There were long dedicated hours spent to preserve the civil right of gay and lesbian couples to marry.
But even in the great state of Maine, there are far too many people who cannot move past the word "marriage" because of its ties to religion and cultural norms. The result is that the filthy hog of homophobia continues to be fed with lies and deception. Witness the reaction of Matt "Bam Bam" Barber. Read it; I know you don't want to, but you need to see the level of hate that propelled discrimination to a victory - historians will pore over this filth decades from now, and wonder how could anyone find satiety in this level of bigotry:
Matt Barber, Director of Cultural Affairs with both Liberty Counsel and Liberty Alliance Action, issued the following statement on news that the voters of Maine have rejected counterfeit "same-sex marriage" by 53% - 47%:
"There's good news and bad news here," said Barber. "The good news is that even in one of the most liberal States in the Union, Maine, the people have once again rejected the ridiculous and oxymoronic notion of 'same sex marriage.' The momentum has again shifted - hopefully for good this time - in favor of protecting legitimate marriage. A counterfeit is a counterfeit. An orange is an orange no matter how much you want it to be a turnip. This isn't about 'marriage.' It's about hurting and broken people desperately seeking affirmation of an objectively deviant lifestyle. One that, even in their heart of hearts, they know to be a dead end. As for the militant 'No on 1' homosexual activists? I'm reminded of spoiled children dressing up and playing house, refusing to come in when mom calls for dinner.
"Here's the bad news. The margin of victory could have been greater. Many behind the 'Yes on 1' campaign, rather than simply telling the truth, chose the Neville Chamberlain approach. They merely circled the wagons around the word 'marriage,' even suggesting that 'domestic partnerships' ('gay marriages' by another name) are acceptable. This makes no sense. If that's a viable compromise, then why not simply allow 'gay' duos the word 'marriage'? It's an incongruity that demands an explanation. This is an historic battle for the minds and souls of our children - for our very culture. The mealy-mouthed approach must end. This is not just about 'marriage.' It has everything to do with forced affirmation of homosexuality - under penalty of law. Indeed everyone who fought hard to defend marriage in Maine is to be congratulated, but if it weren't for a brave group of truth tellers - Paul Madore, Peter LaBarbera and Brian Camenker - who came to Maine in the final hour to hold a press conference and address the pink elephant in the room - homosexual deviancy and the radical 'gay' agenda - counterfeit marriage might have prevailed."
The fact is that it was, yet again, not yet time to test equality when put to a popular vote. It is proof, yet again, that civil rights should never be decided by mob rule -- but the hateful people behind Yes on 1 capitalize on spreading fear -- suckling pigs at the teat of dying, mud-covered sow of homophobia.
The hog is going to die. Hate alone cannot sustain that beast.
We should find solace in the fact that the children and grandchildren of those who voted to rollback the rights of fellow Mainers will be embarrassed that their relatives were so short-sighted, duped by entities that exist solely to discriminate using the ballot box as a weapon -- and making money off of the hate with great gusto.
I want to thank barista Louise for her tireless citizen journalism during this journey; her reporting and enthusiasm exposed us to the wonderful teamwork of all of the No on 1 efforts, she captured the local faces and voices. She opened our eyes to the work that it takes to educate, motivate and GOTV. And a hat tip to barista Lurleen as well there's much to celebrate in Washington state (still so close!), she illuminated the hard work it took to battle the right-wing haters on the ground there on Referendum 71 in her reporting. It's a coup that the Blend had the perspective of local contributors to show readers the inner workings of activism.
All of those people fighting to kill Yes on 1 are to be heralded for making us see what outreach and organization can do to pull voters to our side -- and the limits of effecting change in firmly held beliefs despite using every tool in the tool box.
It's simply not time, not in this place. What this loss in Maine (and the victory in Washington State) says to me is that I am so grateful that my civil rights, as a person of color, were not put up to a popular vote. As we've seen over and over in the last year, the emergence of naked racism lives despite laws on the books banning discrimination based on race. Reality-based arguments to people who are raised with bias have little motivation to change their thinking outside of keeping their bigotry out of the realm of law-breaking (and even then -- it still occurs!). The feelings simply go underground.
That public expressions of racism have re-emerged and been cultivated by a major political party shows the work the LGBT community has to do as it waits for equality at the federal level. Changing hearts and minds every day is necessary -- not just when there's a pending bigoted mob rule ballot measure.
LGBTs -- and more importantly, allies -- need to come out of the closet advocating for equality in ways large and small. It's the only way to move many voters, particularly the ones who think they don't know someone who is gay. Too many politicians who support us privately still don't have the spine to step up their game when our rights are under attack. That has to change.
I'm sure I'll have more to say later, but I just wanted to thank everyone for putting so much energy into fighting what is an unfair, unconstitutional battle.
It's an open thread! Pleeeeease feel free to chat, blogwhore, and link-share in the comment thread...
So, my cartoon sockpuppet Bookworm Bob & I had a real hard time with the graphics and links for our top story, so we're giving our Thursday This And That: Open Thread diary for yesterday a real late shove off! So we renamed Early Friday Morning This And That: Open Thread.
So anywho, here's what sockpuppet Bookworm Bob & I have been looking at into this Halloween weekend.
• Kimberly Daniels gives us a take on Halloween on the Christian Broadcasting Networks's (jpeg/cache) and Charisma Magazine's (here): The Danger of Celebrating Halloween:
Halloween --October 31 -- is considered a holiday in the United States. In fact, it rivals Christmas with regard to how widely celebrated it is. Stores that sell only Halloween-related paraphernalia open up a few months before the day and close shortly after it ends. But is Halloween a holiday that Christians should be observing?
The word "holiday" means "holy day." But there is nothing holy about Halloween. The root word of Halloween is "hallow," which means "holy, consecrated and set apart for service." If this holiday is hallowed, whose service is it set apart for? The answer to that question is very easy -- Lucifer's!
The article gets better. Here's just one gem that's included in all versions of the article (emphasis added):
During this period demons are assigned against those who participate in the rituals and festivities. These demons are automatically drawn to the fetishes that open doors for them to come into the lives of human beings. For example, most of the candy sold during this season has been dedicated and prayed over by witches.
I'd just love to know what the reference is for that assertion! (I smell a factoid!) A follow-on paragraph for that on wasn't in the CBN version of the article, but is in the Charisma version (emphasis added!):
I do not buy candy during the Halloween season. Curses are sent through the tricks and treats of the innocent whether they get it by going door to door or by purchasing it from the local grocery store. The demons cannot tell the difference.
Egads! Teh Demons are EVERYWHERE!
Hey, Kimberly Daniels even makes Peter LaBarbera and Matt Barber look sane!
The homosexual movement gained a barrier-breaking victory Oct. 28 when President Obama signed into law a measure extending hate-crimes protections to homosexuals and transgender people.
The president's signature on the 2010 National Defense Authorization Act put into effect not only an annual bill for the U.S. military but enshrined into federal law the most significant legislative advance to date for homosexual activists.
...The hate-crimes language in the new law adds "sexual orientation" and "gender identity," as well as disability, to the current categories -- such as race, religion and gender -- protected from hate crimes. "Sexual orientation" includes homosexuality and bisexuality, while "gender identity," or transgendered status, takes in transsexuals and cross-dressers.
Advocates of freedom of religion and of speech, as well as of the biblical view of sexuality, expressed dismay at the development, even though they oppose violence against homosexuals. They fear the measure, combined with existing law, could expose to prosecution Christians and others who proclaim the Bible's teaching that homosexual behavior is sinful. For example, if a person commits a violent act based on a victim's "sexual orientation" after hearing biblical teaching on the sinfulness of homosexual behavior, the preacher or teacher could be open to a charge of inducing the person to commit the crime, some foes say.
Barrett Duke, vice president for public policy of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, added this quote:
"I am disappointed that President Obama has signed the hate-crimes bill into law, but I am not surprised. The President has been clear, even before he was elected, that he intends to champion the homosexual agenda. This is merely one of a number of steps he will take in fulfilling that commitment."
Mr. Duke apparently has more faith in the President following though with promised LGBT legislative agenda than the grassroots of the LGBT community does!
When it comes to beauty products, sometimes ignorance is bliss. Snake venom, bird droppings, snail serum, cow dung and whale vomit are but a few of the industry's extreme and off-putting ingredients that one might be shocked to know can be slathered about your body.
Hair products are no exception to this somewhat creepy phenomenon. Consumers hoping for a hair miracle are willing to pay extra for deep conditioners and conditioning "treatments" that promise an enviable crowning glory -- even when they contain rather odd-seeming ingredients such as placenta, caviar and hemp. Pushing the limits, Hari's, a well-known "celebrity" salon in London that claims clients including the Rolling Stones and Margaret Trudeau, had the beauty world abuzz earlier this year with owner Hari Salem's Aberdeen Organic bull sperm treatment. The promise was that the protein in the treatment (called "Viagra for Hair" on Hari's website) would repair, restore and brighten hair.
But is there really any reason to go for such exotic treatments?
Go read the rest of the article if you're curious.
Thursday, October 29 iz National Kitteh Day! We know that everyday is Caturday, but on National Cat Day we git to show our kittehs sum extra speshul lurv and give them the much deserved attention they demand.
I always treat Kitty Bon-Bon and Maggie like royalty!
Inspired by last weekend's famous sideline "hot dog incident," Hebrew National would like to show its appreciation by offering football fans free hot dogs the next time a uniformed professional U.S. football player snacks on a hot dog, anytime during a game this season. The company hopes that a player out there answers its call and boldly takes a bite that could satiate the hunger of thousands of football fans.
"For us here at Hebrew National, it's always thrilling to see a quarterback sneak executed flawlessly -- especially when a hot dog is involved," said Angela Joyner, Vice President and General Manager, Hebrew National. "The next time a player tries this, we hope they'll go for one of our 100 percent kosher beef franks. At least one thing's for sure...if this happens again, every fan in attendance will certainly 'relish' the moment."
To kick things off, Hebrew National will immediately reward all fans who attended last weekend's Oakland game and bore witness to "hot dog-gate" in person...
So anywho...It's an open thread! What are you thinking about today, or what books or articles have you been reading the past few days? Wanna share?
And again, please feel free to chat, blogwhore, and link-share in the comment thread because...it's an open thread! Woo-hoo!
How influential is Peter LaBarbera? Well if the proponents of Question 1 were thinking, they could have saved whatever cash they laid out to ship him up to Augusta to present yet another flaccid appearance by the head of Americans for Truth Against Homosexuality.
The head count:
Yes supporters 9 NO supporters 15 Press 10
1 Capital Secuirty guard
Louise was on the ground reporting and has sent in audio of both The Peter and mASSresistance's Brian Camenker. These clowns cannot possibly add credibility to the other side.
First up is The Peter's bleating. I'll have Brian's up in a few.
It's Brian's flaccid turn to motivate the handful of the "pro-family" people who bothered to show up.
Christians who believe they'll vanish from Earth in the rapture can now hire an atheist to care for their pets.
For $110, Eternal Earth-Bound Pets offers a 10-year contract guaranteeing that an atheist will adopt the pet that's left behind by its raptured owner. Additional pets can be covered for $15.
Eternal Earth-Bound Pets has guaranteed atheist reps in 22 states (NC is a new addition, as is GA).
We are a group of dedicated animal lovers, and atheists. Each Eternal Earth-Bound Pet representative is a confirmed atheist, and as such will still be here on Earth after you've received your reward. Our network of animal activists are committed to step in when you step up to Jesus.
You've committed your life to Jesus. You know you're saved. But when the Rapture comes what's to become of your loving pets who are left behind? Eternal Earth-Bound Pets takes that burden off your mind.
...Unfortunately at this time we are not equipped to accommodate all species and must limit our services to dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, and small caged mammals. [Please note: we can now offer rescue services for horses, camels, llamas and donkeys in NH,VT, ID and MT ]
Oh, and if God takes you prior to the Rapture, there's no refund: "In the event of the death of the subscribing pet owner prior to the Rapture the contract will remain in effect. EE-BP will continue to honor the contract for the remainder of the contract period. We do not adopt / rescue animals except as a result of the Rapture occurance."
More, from the FAQs:
Q: Is this a Joke? A: No. This is a serious offer to our Christian friends who believe in the Second Coming and honestly care about the future of their pets after the Rapture occurs.
Q: Do YOU believe in the Rapture. A: As atheists we do not hold beliefs in the supernatural or a divine being. Thus, we do not believe in the Rapture. However, we respect the beliefs of others and are open to the possibility that our perspective could possibly be wrong.
Q: How do you ensure your representatives won't be Raptured. A: Actually, we don't ensure it, they do. Each of our representatives has stated to us in writing that they are atheists, do not believe in God / Jesus, and that they have blasphemed in accordance with Mark 3:29, negating any chance of salvation.
Well I hope that acceptably-blaspheming owner Bart Centre receives some endorsements from Focus On the Family, the Family Research Council, and Pat Robertson and friends, who have membership lists full of true believers in the Rapture that will benefit greatly from this service.
Illinois's #1 anti-gay bigot Peter LaBarbera, principal creep behind two failed statewide anti-gay referendums, is hosting his annual "Americans For Truth About Homosexuality" banquet Saturday night with fellow bigot Matt Barber.
The Gay Liberation Network will be out there protesting not only against their anti-LGBT bigotry, but their more expansive hate agenda:
6:30 PM, Saturday, Oct. 24 The Christian Liberty Academy 502 W. Euclid Avenue Arlington Heights, IL
Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, a political analyst and associate professor of education at Teachers College in New York, is learning what we all have known for awhile: Fox News doesn't like any support of "the gays" or any criticism of the network.
Hill was a talking head on Fox News. Key word being "was."
By punctuating even the most sexually non-suggestive sentences with a homophobic disclaimer, we reinforce the idea that gay and lesbian people are worthy of ridicule, shame, and surveillance."
How did Hill find out about his firing by Fox? By google alert. Stay Classy, Faux News...
It's a bit hypocritical when that group was allegedly putting the petition on the ballot to protect women in bathrooms and then the manager of the store who was allowing the petition gathering was in fact preying on women in bathrooms.
~Terry Fleming, spokesman for Equality in Gainesville's Businesses (the political action committee created to oppose the charter amendment that failed at the ballot box)
The CVS Pharmacy manager who allegedly admitted Friday to filming women in his store's bathroom was an active participant in the 2008 charter amendment to "keep men out of women's restrooms."
Jonathan Matheny, 27, was charged with one count of video voyeurism after a customer told police she had discovered a cell phone equipped with a camera under a pile of tissues in the CVS bathroom at 125 S.W. 34th St.
Police are looking for other victims.
The petition drive in the summer of 2008 was aimed at a city ordinance that provided rights, including equal access to public accommodation, for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals.
Matheny signed the petition, according to records with the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Office, and opponents of the charter amendment say they received reports that Matheny allowed the petitions to be distributed and signed at his store. Those behind the drive said the amendment was essential to prevent men from using the public-accommodation portion of the law to enter women's restrooms and film, rape or otherwise prey on the opposite sex...
There is no case that the conservative "Christians" opponents can point to where a crossdressed or trans individual has engaged in predatory behavior against women or children in public restrooms, yet now we have a case where a supporter of one of these bathroom bills has engaged in predatory behavior -- voyeurism -- against women in a public women's restroom.
I hope our LGBT civil rights organizations note this story about a supporter of an anti-LGBT piece of legislation labeled a "bathroom bill." I believe we need to point to this voyeurism story as relentlessly as "Christian" conservatives would be pointing out a story of a trans or crossdressed individual preying on women or children in a public restroom -- They can't find such a story to point to.
However, now we find a bathroom voyeur in the ranks of the bathroom bill supporters. A campaign conservative "Christian" organizations financially supported.
Sickening.
F***ing Hypocrites.
By the way, CVS has just lost all business from me until they donate significantly to a campaign batting ordiances and legislation for a bill labled by conservative "Christians" as a "bathrom bill." CVS needs to donate significantly to an organization that lesbian, gay, bisexual AND transgender civil rights, and they need to donate significantly to an organization that provides direct services to needy, unemployed transgender people.
CVS needs to own the story of this CVS manager/bathroom predator who worked against trans people -- trans people like me. CVS needs to own this story by doing significant work for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and expecially transgender people their Manager sought to deny civil rights to in a business under the banner of their corporate CVS logo.
President Obama has nominated yet another radical, liberal activist to a key government position. His latest pick is Chai Feldblum, Georgetown University Law professor and chief author of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, to be commissioner for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Oh...
But it gets better.
Guess which 'conerned woman' is going to tell all the other 'concerned women' about the evil lezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzbian??
Peter LaBarbera, President of Americans for Truth, says this nomination is a warning shot for all traditional and religious-based businesses and para-church ministries, that untold legal battles are ahead for any that refuse to applaud gender confusion. Listen | Download
Its too early, so I haven't yet mustered up the energy to stomach listening to The Peter. But, I'm sure I can guess how The Peter is popping on this 'culture and family issue.'
This makes me me smile. And it also scares the crap out of me because it is all true.
This brilliant video parody of an iPhone App commercial takes aim at the bigoted, homophobic, fear-mongering, racist, misogynistic nut-baggery coming out of the Republicans in Congress:
Republicans sound like they're conducting a giant experiment in saying whatever they can get away with, and I suspect they're surprised as any of us by some of the results. That's probably too harsh, though. What's worse is that a good chunk of them might believe the stuff they say. That's the difference between, for instance, Glenn Beck and Michele Bachmann. Either way, the country loses.
So whoo-boy -- like we didn't see this barrage of unhappy commentary coming from the conservative "Christian" crowd! Here's some commentary from the "usual suspects":
Discription: A vote is imminent on the Defense Authorization Bill, H.R. 2647. However, liberal congressional leadership has added an amendment to the bill that would enact federal "hate crimes" legislation. Calling the addition of such unrelated measures in a time of war "blackmail," Congressman Todd Akin, R-Missouri, is asking listeners to call their representative right away and urge them to vote "NO" on the Defense Authorization Bill. Time is running out, the House will vote this afternoon.
Excerpts from the interviewed Rep. Todd Akin (R-Missouri) in the audio:
The Democrats are trying a strategy of holding our sons and daughters hostage, and wanting us to vote for our troops, and want us to vote for our troops and therefore pass one of their top items on their gay agenda -- That is the hate crimes legislation. Now the whole point of the matter is it's a form of blackmail. It's requiring us to say "Oh, well, we're not going to support the troops if we don't support the hate crimes." It's this kind of sleazy procedure which makes Americans disgusted and cynical about our government -- it's something we've seen now for nine months. And, something which I will have absolutely no part of.
I have a son going to Afghanistan in three weeks, and I will not have my support by my own children and for our sons and daughters who support freedom compromised by putting this hate crime legislation on. Which, by the way, threatens the free speech rabbis and pastors -- and anybody who wants to speak based on some religious convictions -- I won't have that threatened, and just have people try to say "Well, you're just not pro-defense." This just a procedurally dishonest thing that's been done. And, there are a number of us who are furious about it, and will have no part of supporting the Defense Authorization Bill -- even though I'm the ranking minority member on the Sea Power Subcommittee.
...[I]f we succumb to this tactic, and the liberals can put on their Hate Crimes Legislation on a Defense Authorization Bill -- with something that's totally unrelated -- what little piece of garbage will they put on the next bill that will have nothing to do with funding our troops? We cannot allow ourselves to be blackmailed by these kinds of amendments.
I guess I, as a disabled, Persian Gulf War, U.S. Navy veteran -- who also identifies as transgender -- am considered one of Congressman Akin's little pieces of garbage. Thank you, ranking minority member of the Sea Power Subcommittee, for seeing this disabled, retired, transgender sailor as a lesser, piece of garbage veteran. Would he even shake my hand and thank me for my 20-years of military service?
[Below the fold: the Traditional Values Coalition, Focus On The Family/CitizenLink, and the American Family Association weigh in on the federal hate crime legislation.]
Remember 
*Sigh*
Matt Barber, Director of Cultural Affairs with both Liberty Counsel and Liberty Alliance Action, issued the following statement on news that the voters of Maine have rejected counterfeit "same-sex marriage" by 53% - 47%:
The fact is that it was, yet again, not yet time to test equality when put to a popular vote. It is proof, yet again, that civil rights should never be decided by mob rule -- but the hateful people behind Yes on 1 capitalize on spreading fear -- suckling pigs at the teat of dying, mud-covered sow of homophobia.
I want to thank barista Louise for her tireless citizen journalism during this journey; her reporting and enthusiasm exposed us to the wonderful teamwork of all of the No on 1 efforts, she captured the local faces and voices. She opened our eyes to the work that it takes to educate, motivate and GOTV. And a hat tip to barista Lurleen as well there's much to celebrate in Washington state (still so close!), she illuminated the hard work it took to battle the right-wing haters on the ground there on Referendum 71 in her reporting. It's a coup that the Blend had the perspective of local contributors to show readers the inner workings of activism.
on the Christian Broadcasting Networks's (
During this period demons are assigned against those who participate in the rituals and festivities. These demons are automatically drawn to the fetishes that open doors for them to come into the lives of human beings. For example, most of the candy sold during this season has been dedicated and prayed over by witches.
I'd just love to know what the reference is for that assertion! (I smell a factoid!) A follow-on paragraph for that on wasn't in the CBN version of the article, but is in the Charisma version (emphasis added!):
I always treat Kitty Bon-Bon and Maggie like royalty! 
How influential is Peter LaBarbera? Well if the proponents of Question 1 were thinking, they could have saved whatever cash they laid out to ship him up to Augusta to present yet another flaccid appearance by the head of Americans for Truth Against Homosexuality.
