Saturday, December 29, 2007
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Benazir Bhutto (1953–2007)
Benazir Bhutto excelled at asserting her right to rule. In a male-dominated, Islamic society, she rose to become her slain father's political successor, twice getting elected as Prime Minister of Pakistan. She would also be exiled twice. In the end, Bhutto was better at rallying people to the idea of her power than at keeping them inspired by her use of it. (READ)
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Five reasons why I loved/hated my TV in 2007
Whenever I see someone with one of those “Kill Your Television” bumper stickers, I feel two distinct emotions. One, shut up, Smuggy McSmugerson. I bet you don’t read the copies of The New Yorker in your bathroom either. And two, yeah, sometimes I do feel like taking a 12-gauge to the old idiot box. This year I got my usual mix of joy and pain from my television. The highs were so very fantastic. The lows so very sucktastic. Here's a rundown of my top and bottom five TV shows for 2007. (READ)
Britain's Queen Takes Up YouTube
Britain's 81-year-old Queen Elizabeth II, considered an icon of traditionalism, launched her own special Royal Channel on YouTube Sunday. (view her 2007 message)The queen will use the popular video-sharing Web site to send out her 50th annual televised Christmas message, which she first delivered live to the nation and its colonies on Dec. 25, 1957.
Buckingham Palace also began posting archive and recent footage of the queen and other royals on the channel Sunday, with plans to add new clips regularly.
YouTube, which allows anyone to upload and share video clips, was founded in 2005 and bought by Google last year.
"The queen always keeps abreast with new ways of communicating with people," Buckingham Palace said in a statement. "The Christmas message was podcast last year." (READ)
--- personal comment.. the 81 year old Queen of England has a YouTube page, and our president calls it the "internets".. and thinks he might have used the maps thing one time.
Review: Fun 'Wilson's' at war -- with itself
Mike Nichols' undercover history of the liberation of Afghanistan, "Charlie Wilson's War," is so witty and light on its feet, it's a pity it pulls its punches.A society matron (Julia Roberts) gets a congressman (Tom Hanks) involved in the Cold War in "Charlie Wilson's War."
1 of 2
A deft condensation of George Crile's nonfiction best-seller, this is the story of how an obscure Texan congressman helped bring down the Soviet empire and -- indirectly -- the World Trade Center.
Universal seems at a loss as to how to market this truly tall tale -- but don't blame the publicity guys. The combined smarts of director Nichols, writer Aaron Sorkin, Tom Hanks and Co. haven't pinned down how they feel about Wilson or what he did.
The movie's tone is all over the place: sincere and celebratory one minute, caustic and ironic the next. There's nuance and complexity here, but it's doled out with broad farce and knee-jerk populist rhetoric. It's as if they want it to play inside the Beltway and hit below the belt, both at once.
Set during the Reagan era and resonating uneasily with current events, in many ways this is a deeply Clintonian movie: astute, pragmatic, equivocal and likely to prove highly contentious. (That's what you get if you put the director of "Primary Colors" with the writer of "The West Wing.")
It is fun, though. (READ)
First-Lady Extinction?
IF IT'S IMMINENT, HALLELUJAH.
By Timothy Noah, the Slate.com
In almost any campaign you may still see the wife in the skirted blue or red suit, the sensible pumps, accepting her wrist corsage from the 4-H club winner. But, behind its impregnable smiles and circle pins, the entire institution has been slowly crumbling. Increasingly, politicians' wives have jobs of their own or, cleanest of all, careers that have absolutely nothing to do with politics. Another reason political wifehood is dying is that men now are trying to be political spouses too, and they can't stand it. ... Sometime, in the not-too-distant future, we will acknowledge the passing of [the first lady's] role with the same amazement we felt at the fall of the Berlin Wall, crashing down so easily after standing for decades as an unbreachable certainty. Boy, we'll think; that sucker wasn't as strong as it looked. (READ)
By Timothy Noah, the Slate.com
In almost any campaign you may still see the wife in the skirted blue or red suit, the sensible pumps, accepting her wrist corsage from the 4-H club winner. But, behind its impregnable smiles and circle pins, the entire institution has been slowly crumbling. Increasingly, politicians' wives have jobs of their own or, cleanest of all, careers that have absolutely nothing to do with politics. Another reason political wifehood is dying is that men now are trying to be political spouses too, and they can't stand it. ... Sometime, in the not-too-distant future, we will acknowledge the passing of [the first lady's] role with the same amazement we felt at the fall of the Berlin Wall, crashing down so easily after standing for decades as an unbreachable certainty. Boy, we'll think; that sucker wasn't as strong as it looked. (READ)
Monday, December 17, 2007
N.H. Gay Group Endorses John Edwards
One of New Hampshire's leading gay rights groups has endorsed former North Carolina senator John Edwards for president. The New Hampshire Freedom to Marry Coalition cited Edwards's commitment to equal rights and fighting discrimination in all forms, according to a press release.
"We took a long look at all of the candidates, we met with many of them, and in our judgment, John Edwards's sincere commitment to battling discrimination and ensuring equal rights for every American is unparalleled," the group's executive director, state representative Mo Baxley, said in the release. "He and his wonderful wife, Elizabeth, have spent their entire lives fighting for those without a voice and standing up for what is right. John Edwards will be the kind of president we can trust to stand up for everyday Americans."
The coalition quotes Edwards as saying he supports the repeal of the military's ban of gay service members as well as the full repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act. He also quoted as saying he would expand hate-crimes legislation and prohibit job discrimination against LGBT workers. The coalition acknowledges that while Edwards support civil unions for same-sex couples, he is not in favor of same-sex marriage. (The Advocate)
"We took a long look at all of the candidates, we met with many of them, and in our judgment, John Edwards's sincere commitment to battling discrimination and ensuring equal rights for every American is unparalleled," the group's executive director, state representative Mo Baxley, said in the release. "He and his wonderful wife, Elizabeth, have spent their entire lives fighting for those without a voice and standing up for what is right. John Edwards will be the kind of president we can trust to stand up for everyday Americans."
The coalition quotes Edwards as saying he supports the repeal of the military's ban of gay service members as well as the full repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act. He also quoted as saying he would expand hate-crimes legislation and prohibit job discrimination against LGBT workers. The coalition acknowledges that while Edwards support civil unions for same-sex couples, he is not in favor of same-sex marriage. (The Advocate)
The Best Joni Mitchell Song Ever
I was just talking about Joni Mitchell today and then I came across this article. Is there anything better or sadder than her Christmas song, River. "Oh I wish I had a river to skate away on." They don't make poets like Joni anymore.
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AN ODE TO OBSESSIVE LISTENING.
By Ron Rosenbaum, Slate.com
Posted Friday, Dec. 14, 2007, at 10:56 AM ET
This is a love letter. To a love song. One I keep returning to. One I keep feeling I need to do justice to. I don't know if I can, but I'll try.
A couple of months ago, I'd gone back to playing it. Only I can't play it just once. I have to play it over and over again for hours on end. I can't get enough of it. It's not just a love song: It's a road song, it's a motel song, it's a Southwestern desert song, it's a disappearance and death song. It's a Joni Mitchell song. It's "Amelia." (READ)
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AN ODE TO OBSESSIVE LISTENING.
By Ron Rosenbaum, Slate.com
Posted Friday, Dec. 14, 2007, at 10:56 AM ET
This is a love letter. To a love song. One I keep returning to. One I keep feeling I need to do justice to. I don't know if I can, but I'll try.
A couple of months ago, I'd gone back to playing it. Only I can't play it just once. I have to play it over and over again for hours on end. I can't get enough of it. It's not just a love song: It's a road song, it's a motel song, it's a Southwestern desert song, it's a disappearance and death song. It's a Joni Mitchell song. It's "Amelia." (READ)
The Road Warrior
Newsweek
Even if he loses in Iowa's bigger cities, Edwards can still win by wrapping up smaller, far-flung precincts. (READ STORY)
Friday, December 14, 2007
I love looking at our stats
We have viewers from all over the world. Comment on this open thread... where are YOU? List your state or country
!
!
HEY, QUEEN LATIFAH: WE ARE FAMILY
Rumors are abound of Queen Latifah's supposed nuptials to her trainer, Jeanette Jenkins. In case you hadn't heard, Queen Latifah is not an out lesbian, and has recently done all she can to prove that she's straight (short of dating an actual, um, man). (READ)
Dr Susan Love and the L Word
I don't remember seeing Dr. Susan Love on the L Word in the cameo listed below but I do know she is one of the most respected minds in breast cancer research.
via AfterEllen.com
NOW THAT'S A POWER LESBIAN!
An anonymous L Word fan has just made a $1 million donation to the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation — the largest private donation in the Foundation's history — in honor of actors Erin Daniels and Leisha Hailey. As many of you well remember, Erin Daniels' character, Dana Fairbanks, died of breast cancer in Season 3 of The L Word.
The donor, according to the press release, "wanted to honor these two actresses and the intense love and friendship that existed between the characters they played." The $1 million will establish the Erin Daniels and Leisha Hailey Fund for Breast Cancer, and the mysterious benefactor has also pledged to match every dollar donated to the fund in 2008 and 2009.
"It is an honor that our breast cancer story line touched someone in such a tremendous way that she so generously gave to such a tragic illness," said Leisha Hailey in the press release. "I am awed by her gesture and it inspires me to act with my conscience and give of myself."
According to Dr. Susan Love, who made a guest appearance on The L Word after Dana's diagnosis: "After I was on the show, the donor visited our website and began to educate herself about the intraductal research we are doing. In our work, she saw the potential for cure, and she recognized the difference a significant donation could make."
And by "significant," she wasn't kidding! What a way to turn a devastating story line into something much more positive. If you'd like to make a donation to the Erin Daniels and Leisha Hailey Fund, visit the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation.
Even CNN noticed Jodie Foster's OUT comment
OUT OF THE CLOSET, INTO THE FIRE
It's been over a week since AfterEllen.com wrote one of the first stories about Jodie Foster sort of outing herself at the Women in Entertainment Power 100 breakfast on Dec. 4 by thanking her partner, Cydney Bernard, when accepting the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award, but the mainstream media is only just starting to take serious note of this story. (READ)
It's been over a week since AfterEllen.com wrote one of the first stories about Jodie Foster sort of outing herself at the Women in Entertainment Power 100 breakfast on Dec. 4 by thanking her partner, Cydney Bernard, when accepting the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award, but the mainstream media is only just starting to take serious note of this story. (READ)
Amazon buys J. K. Rowling Book
We're incredibly excited to announce that Amazon has purchased J.K. Rowling’s The Tales of Beedle the Bard at an auction held by Sotheby’s in London. The book of five wizarding fairy tales, referenced in the last book of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is one of only seven handmade copies in existence. The purchase price was £1,950,000, and Ms. Rowling is donating the proceeds to The Children's Voice campaign, a charity she co-founded to help improve the lives of institutionalized children across Europe.
The Tales of Beedle the Bard is extensively illustrated and handwritten by the bard herself--all 157 pages of it. It's bound in brown Moroccan leather and embellished with five hand-chased hallmarked sterling silver ornaments and mounted moonstones. (READ)
The Fight Is On and You Are In It
Nadine Smith, Bilerico.com
The far right now has the signatures... Another spiteful amendment is heading to the ballot.
This time Florida will face a deceptively named and dangerous "Marriage Protection Amendment." They picked a fight in Florida in 2008 for one reason - Florida is a must win Presidential battleground. This is yet another cynical attempt to elect the most right wing candidates by ensuring prejudice drive their voters to the polls. That is why this isn't just a battle for Floridians. Everyone reading this has a stake in what happens at the polls in Florida come November.
But here's the good news. We can win and you can be a part of this historic victory. (READ)
The far right now has the signatures... Another spiteful amendment is heading to the ballot.
This time Florida will face a deceptively named and dangerous "Marriage Protection Amendment." They picked a fight in Florida in 2008 for one reason - Florida is a must win Presidential battleground. This is yet another cynical attempt to elect the most right wing candidates by ensuring prejudice drive their voters to the polls. That is why this isn't just a battle for Floridians. Everyone reading this has a stake in what happens at the polls in Florida come November.
But here's the good news. We can win and you can be a part of this historic victory. (READ)
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Bush: Pathological liar or idiot-in-chief?
Dec. 6: Special comment: In light of the NIE, “Countdown’s” Keith Olbermann gives a Special Comment about what President Bush knew about Iran’s nuclear ambitions and when he found out about it. Watch the video below.
Jon Stewart's Greatest Lesbian Moments
Since taking over as host of Comedy Central's Daily Show in 1999, Jon Stewart has made "fake news" a part of the cultural vernacular. He has demonstrated that there's a market for smart, political commentary — as long as it also makes people laugh. And he has shown that being really angry can also be really funny. (READ)
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Friday, December 7, 2007
HuffPost's "The Bush Years" Posters: A Powerful Political Stocking Stuffer
huffingtonpost.com
Three weeks ago, we launched HuffPost's Posterizing the Modern GOP project to graphically capturing the lunacy of the Bush years. And we asked for your help adding to the names, events, and slogans depicted. (view posters)
Three weeks ago, we launched HuffPost's Posterizing the Modern GOP project to graphically capturing the lunacy of the Bush years. And we asked for your help adding to the names, events, and slogans depicted. (view posters)
Women, who do YOU want in the White House?
via AfterEllen.com
An excellent new PSA encouraging women to vote that features OUT actress Sarah Paulson (Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip).
In it, Paulson, along with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Christine Lahti and others deliver some sobering statistics about single women voters (47 million single women are eligible to vote, but only 20 million do), as women of all makes and models stand before — and, most importantly, behind — the presidential desk in what looks like the Oval Office. The PSA was created by Women's Voices. Women Vote, an organization whose goal is to "turn unmarried, uninvolved women into active voters who are influencing debate."
Watch the clip below:
An excellent new PSA encouraging women to vote that features OUT actress Sarah Paulson (Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip).
In it, Paulson, along with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Christine Lahti and others deliver some sobering statistics about single women voters (47 million single women are eligible to vote, but only 20 million do), as women of all makes and models stand before — and, most importantly, behind — the presidential desk in what looks like the Oval Office. The PSA was created by Women's Voices. Women Vote, an organization whose goal is to "turn unmarried, uninvolved women into active voters who are influencing debate."
Watch the clip below:
Thursday, December 6, 2007
George Clooney's Craig-Mocking Skit For Julia Roberts
George Clooney and surprise guest Brad Pitt congratulated Julia Roberts during AMC's American Cinematheque Tribute. It aired on AMC Wednesday night.
Tina Fey talks to "Playboy"
Tina Fey and why she is the coolest straight woman on the planet. Bold statements. In an interview for the January issue of Playboy, the 30 Rock star is her usual delightfully candid self.
Paula Abdul “was awful” on Saturday Night Live. Paris Hilton is “a terrible role model and a terrible young woman.” Jessica Alba “has an amazing, gorgeous body.” It’s like she is quoting from the Declaration of Independence: We hold these truths to be self-evident. (READ)
Meeting the Iranian Challenge
Joe Biden, Huffington Post
If the President takes us to war with Iran without Congressional approval, I will call for his impeachment. I do not say this lightly or to be provocative. The Constitution is clear. And so am I. (READ)
If the President takes us to war with Iran without Congressional approval, I will call for his impeachment. I do not say this lightly or to be provocative. The Constitution is clear. And so am I. (READ)
Jodie Foster Thanks Cydney in Accepting Sherry Lansing Leadership Award
In a moving speech, Foster thanked "my beautiful Cydney" when accepting the award Tuesday.
In a surprising and moving speech on Tuesday, Jodie Foster, 45, thanked "my beautiful Cydney who sticks with me through all the rotten and the bliss" when she accepted the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award at the 16th annual Women in Entertainment Power 100 breakfast.
The award is named after the former chief of Paramount Pictures, Sherry Lansing, who told the Associated Press that she was "overwhelmed to be presenting it to Jodie."
The L.A. Daily News reporter covering the event, Greg Hernandez, noted surprise "at the public acknowledgment of who I presume is Cydney Bernard, the woman who is widely reported to be her life partner," because Foster has always been "so intensely private." (READ MORE)
Monday, December 3, 2007
Big Kitty
A WOMAN IN COLUMBIA FOUND A LION CUB, WHO WAS WOUNDED AND HUNGRY. SHE TOOK HIM HOME AND RAISED HIM TILL HE WAS TOO BIG TO KEEP AT HOME.
SHE THEN BROUGHT HIM TO THE LOCAL ZOO, BUT SHE VISITS HIM EVERY DAY.
LOOK AT HOW HE GREETS HER.!!
SHE THEN BROUGHT HIM TO THE LOCAL ZOO, BUT SHE VISITS HIM EVERY DAY.
LOOK AT HOW HE GREETS HER.!!
Friday, November 30, 2007
A darker view of 'The Wizard of Oz'
No dancing down the yellow brick road for Zooey Deschanel, star of Sci Fi Channel's new Emerald City adaptation, "Tin Man." And no warbling "Over the Rainbow" a la Judy Garland, either.
"Tin Man" offers a different vision of the "Wizard of Oz" crew.
"It's postmodern, more like Indiana Jones than a fairy tale," said Deschanel, whose Dorothy -- the role immortalized by Garland in "The Wizard of Oz" -- is a disaffected, motorcycle-riding waitress called DG.
Based on L. Frank Baum's novel "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," which inspired the 1939 film classic, Sci Fi's six-hour "Tin Man" is not a musical but a brooding, special effects-driven fantasy.
"The book was written in 1900 and its story still lives," said Robert Halmi Sr., one the executive producers.
"It's a coming-of-age story," Deschanel said of the miniseries airing December 2 through December 4. (MORE)
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Gore in the White House.. oh... he looks so good there... and he's taller.
Al Gore slipped out the side door of the West Wing.
In his private Oval Office meeting with President Bush, the former vice president insisted that they had spoken about global warming "the whole time.'' It wasn't clear if the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, who shared the honor for his work on climtate change, was serious.
"Of course,'' they had spoken about global warming, Gore said, strolling down a rain-slick Pennsylvania Avenue with wife Tipper Gore after a private session with the president. For Gore, who had gone into the White House for a reception for the American winners of the 2007 Nobel Prizes, this was his first return to the Oval Office since leaving office. (MORE)
In his private Oval Office meeting with President Bush, the former vice president insisted that they had spoken about global warming "the whole time.'' It wasn't clear if the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, who shared the honor for his work on climtate change, was serious."Of course,'' they had spoken about global warming, Gore said, strolling down a rain-slick Pennsylvania Avenue with wife Tipper Gore after a private session with the president. For Gore, who had gone into the White House for a reception for the American winners of the 2007 Nobel Prizes, this was his first return to the Oval Office since leaving office. (MORE)
Friday, November 23, 2007
Five Reasons Kucinich Should be Taken Seriously
1.) Dennis Kucinich was right on Iraq. The Congressman stood up to ideological war hawks, refusing to submit to the constitutional calamity of a preemptive invasion.
2.) He was right on the Patriot Act. Kucinich lambasted the serpentine piece of legislation acting as a gateway to eroding our cherished civil liberties.
3.) The Congressman is right on health care. Unlike slipshod “universal coverage” plans proposed by Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Barack Obama (all of which attempt to incurably fix a broken, private system by virtually mandating that every American buy into it) Kucinich knows first hand that the only morally and economically satisfying version of health care is the one beginning with the words: not-for-profit.
4.) Strength through Peace: The hallmark of the Congressman’s presidential campaign would end using war as an instrument of policy. Haters call him a peacenik devoid of reality. I submit that the intellectually curious might see a president who would embody unparalleled leadership in nuclear non-proliferation and in tackling global warming (mother nature’s WMD) to bridge frayed international alliances, combat climate change and, in effect, revive the plummeting dollar.
5.) Kucinich is right on impeachment. Dennis, as it currently stands – along with 22 courageous signatories – has been the only Congressman brave enough to officially propose articles of impeachment against the dangerously dark Vice President Richard B. Cheney. And on this, he hits the bull’s eye too.
(MORE)
2.) He was right on the Patriot Act. Kucinich lambasted the serpentine piece of legislation acting as a gateway to eroding our cherished civil liberties.
3.) The Congressman is right on health care. Unlike slipshod “universal coverage” plans proposed by Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Barack Obama (all of which attempt to incurably fix a broken, private system by virtually mandating that every American buy into it) Kucinich knows first hand that the only morally and economically satisfying version of health care is the one beginning with the words: not-for-profit.
4.) Strength through Peace: The hallmark of the Congressman’s presidential campaign would end using war as an instrument of policy. Haters call him a peacenik devoid of reality. I submit that the intellectually curious might see a president who would embody unparalleled leadership in nuclear non-proliferation and in tackling global warming (mother nature’s WMD) to bridge frayed international alliances, combat climate change and, in effect, revive the plummeting dollar.
5.) Kucinich is right on impeachment. Dennis, as it currently stands – along with 22 courageous signatories – has been the only Congressman brave enough to officially propose articles of impeachment against the dangerously dark Vice President Richard B. Cheney. And on this, he hits the bull’s eye too.
(MORE)
Young warned over social websites
BBC
An ICO website aims to help young people protect personal details
Millions of young people could damage their future careers with the details about themselves they post on social networking websites, a watchdog warns.
The Information Commissioner's Office found more than half of those asked made most of their information public.
Some 71% of 2,000 14 to 21-year-olds said they would not want colleges or employers to do a web search on them before they had removed some material.
The commission said the young needed to be aware of their electronic footprint. (READ)
An ICO website aims to help young people protect personal details
Millions of young people could damage their future careers with the details about themselves they post on social networking websites, a watchdog warns.
The Information Commissioner's Office found more than half of those asked made most of their information public.
Some 71% of 2,000 14 to 21-year-olds said they would not want colleges or employers to do a web search on them before they had removed some material.
The commission said the young needed to be aware of their electronic footprint. (READ)
Thursday, November 22, 2007
I'm thankful for... Mel B.
She's so yummy, I had to go buy the new Spice Girls CD. Enjoy some Dancing Highlights while your turkey coma is wearing off:
Green Thanksgiving: Get Smart, Don't Be a Turkey
HuffingtonPost.com
In 1621 the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag Indians stuffed their faces in an autumn harvest feast, the first Thanksgiving. Although historians aren't certain of the menu, it's safe to say the pilgrims weren't gobbling up pesticide-smothered potatoes and antibiotic-infused turkey.
Fast forward nearly four centuries, and this Thursday the majority of American's will sit down to a copious table of factory-produced food. With few exceptions, 50 million turkeys will come from animal factories, while the vast majority of our fruits, vegetables, even vino will travel hundreds of miles from farm factories with little regulation or regard for environmental best practices. While raising turkeys in a factory setting, or growing corn in a pesticide patch might make our food cheaper and available to a large number of consumers, factory farming comes with seriously negative consequences for Mother Earth. (MORE)
In 1621 the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag Indians stuffed their faces in an autumn harvest feast, the first Thanksgiving. Although historians aren't certain of the menu, it's safe to say the pilgrims weren't gobbling up pesticide-smothered potatoes and antibiotic-infused turkey.
Fast forward nearly four centuries, and this Thursday the majority of American's will sit down to a copious table of factory-produced food. With few exceptions, 50 million turkeys will come from animal factories, while the vast majority of our fruits, vegetables, even vino will travel hundreds of miles from farm factories with little regulation or regard for environmental best practices. While raising turkeys in a factory setting, or growing corn in a pesticide patch might make our food cheaper and available to a large number of consumers, factory farming comes with seriously negative consequences for Mother Earth. (MORE)
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Turkey This, Bush
Reid Cancels Senate Thanksgiving Break To Avoid Bush Recess Appointments
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has decided to keep the chamber in session over the Thanksgiving break to block President Bush from making any unsavory recess appointments while Senators are out of town. (READ)
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Sarah Michelle Gellar strips down, but would Buffy approve?
Sarah Michelle Gellar is the Woman of the Year. But wait, wait — before you get all excited, let me clarify. She is the 2008 Maxim Woman of the Year. Yeah, kind of puts a damper on your wooing and hooing, doesn't it? (READ)
Frank Joins Baldwin in Backing Hillary for President
Bilerico, Filed by: Steve Ralls
November 14, 2007 1:24 PM
It's official: Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) now has the support of both openly gay Members of Congress. Clinton's campaign announced yesterday that Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) has joined Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) in supporting Hillary's bid for the White House. Frank, who is Chairman of the House Financial Services Commitee, will also serve as an economic adviser to the campaign. (READ)
November 14, 2007 1:24 PM
It's official: Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) now has the support of both openly gay Members of Congress. Clinton's campaign announced yesterday that Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) has joined Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) in supporting Hillary's bid for the White House. Frank, who is Chairman of the House Financial Services Commitee, will also serve as an economic adviser to the campaign. (READ)
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
If only you knew what you knew...
I think it was an ex-CEO who recently bemoaned, "If only we knew what we knew..."
He was talking about his sprawling, multinational organization with tens of thousands of people, thousands of projects ... and hundreds of wheels being reinvented on a daily basis.
But the lament rings just as true for you and me as it does for a big company. If only you (yes, you) and I (yes, me), when faced with one of our daily challenges, stopped for a moment to remember what we already know.
===============
First-idea-itis
===============
When does this amnesia show up? Pretty much each and every time we need to decide to do something, it happens.
We get infected by first-idea-itis
Here are the symptoms:
When a challenge comes up we immediately think of one, just one response and we run with it so long as...
-it's possible
-it's familiar
-it's not too challenging
So your idea is not awful. But it doesn't come close to tapping into what you know and what you are capable of doing.
===============
The pause button
===============
Luckily it doesn't take too much to hit the pause button and give yourself just a little more time and space to remember what you already know.
The shamanic saying is, "The wisdom enters through the wound," and we've all collected our share of scars along the way to ensure we have a healthy quotient of wisdom.
Slow down, hit the pause button and ask yourself a couple of questions to generate new possibilities and remember what you already know.
===============
Do these questions help?
===============
Next time you are facing a challenge, don't fall for the first idea-itis.
Give yourself a little time and space, and see what new possibilities get created with these five questions:
1. What do you need to remember about yourself? What do you know? What have you learned? At your best, what are you capable of doing?
2. What do you know to be true about this situation? About situations like this? About you in this situation?
3. What's the wise thing to do?
4. What does your intuition tell you to do?
5. If you remembered yourself at your most generous, most confident, most bold - what might you do?
-----
Michael Bungay Stanier is a professional keynote speaker, the author of the best selling coaching tool, Get Unstuck & Get Going ...on the stuff that matters and the creator of Eight Irresistible Principles of Fun and The 5.75 Questions You've Been Avoiding. A certified coach and Rhodes Scholar, he works with teams and organizations to help them do less Good Work and more Great Work.
He was talking about his sprawling, multinational organization with tens of thousands of people, thousands of projects ... and hundreds of wheels being reinvented on a daily basis.
But the lament rings just as true for you and me as it does for a big company. If only you (yes, you) and I (yes, me), when faced with one of our daily challenges, stopped for a moment to remember what we already know.
===============
First-idea-itis
===============
When does this amnesia show up? Pretty much each and every time we need to decide to do something, it happens.
We get infected by first-idea-itis
Here are the symptoms:
When a challenge comes up we immediately think of one, just one response and we run with it so long as...
-it's possible
-it's familiar
-it's not too challenging
So your idea is not awful. But it doesn't come close to tapping into what you know and what you are capable of doing.
===============
The pause button
===============
Luckily it doesn't take too much to hit the pause button and give yourself just a little more time and space to remember what you already know.
The shamanic saying is, "The wisdom enters through the wound," and we've all collected our share of scars along the way to ensure we have a healthy quotient of wisdom.
Slow down, hit the pause button and ask yourself a couple of questions to generate new possibilities and remember what you already know.
===============
Do these questions help?
===============
Next time you are facing a challenge, don't fall for the first idea-itis.
Give yourself a little time and space, and see what new possibilities get created with these five questions:
1. What do you need to remember about yourself? What do you know? What have you learned? At your best, what are you capable of doing?
2. What do you know to be true about this situation? About situations like this? About you in this situation?
3. What's the wise thing to do?
4. What does your intuition tell you to do?
5. If you remembered yourself at your most generous, most confident, most bold - what might you do?
-----
Michael Bungay Stanier is a professional keynote speaker, the author of the best selling coaching tool, Get Unstuck & Get Going ...on the stuff that matters and the creator of Eight Irresistible Principles of Fun and The 5.75 Questions You've Been Avoiding. A certified coach and Rhodes Scholar, he works with teams and organizations to help them do less Good Work and more Great Work.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
John Edwards and LGBT
Just wanted to revisit Edward's gay positions after seeing it in his "plan to build one america" pdf. (page77)
He also has them on his website. I think he has the most honest answers on his position. He has said he personally has trouble based on his upbringing in the south but he's working on it. And Elizabeth is pro-gay marriage.
View his clip from the HRC presidential forum.
He also has them on his website. I think he has the most honest answers on his position. He has said he personally has trouble based on his upbringing in the south but he's working on it. And Elizabeth is pro-gay marriage.
View his clip from the HRC presidential forum.
Spice Girls - the blast from the past is back.
My mistake.. Sporty didn't come OUT. My bad. Just five hot straight women. I still like Scary best.. she grew up nice, huh? Talk about MILFs.
Sporty is still the main one who can sing, but they do all seem hotter with age. If I remember correctly, Posh and Ginger can't sing (thus they are the most naked) and Sporty came OUT didn't she? Thanks to Dancing with the Stars, I'm now a Scary Spice Fan. She's yummy.
Go Girl Power!
Monday, November 12, 2007
I'm thinking he's not going to run.
Al Gore's next act: Planet-saving Venture Capital
The recovering politician is teaming with a legendary venture capitalist and bigtime moneyman to make over the $6 trillion global energy business. A Fortune exclusive.
(Fortune Magazine) -- It's lunchtime on Sand Hill Road, and Al Gore wants answers. "How does the efficiency decline with latitude?" he asks. "What size community could be served by one plant? If a manufacturer like GE wanted to make smaller turbines, would the technology support a smaller scale?" (READ)
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Holy Crap
Intelligence deputy to America: Rethink privacy
WASHINGTON (AP) -- As Congress debates new rules for government eavesdropping, a top intelligence official says it is time that people in the United States change their definition of privacy.
Privacy no longer can mean anonymity, says Donald Kerr, the principal deputy director of national intelligence. Instead, it should mean that government and businesses properly safeguard people's private communications and financial information. (more)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- As Congress debates new rules for government eavesdropping, a top intelligence official says it is time that people in the United States change their definition of privacy.
Privacy no longer can mean anonymity, says Donald Kerr, the principal deputy director of national intelligence. Instead, it should mean that government and businesses properly safeguard people's private communications and financial information. (more)
Saturday, November 10, 2007
If you missed Gore on 30 Rock.. you must see.
I already love 30 ROCK but this week's GREEN episode was awesome and my boy, Al Gore even popped in. Get caught up fast with the 2-Minute Replay or watch Full Length Episodes here!
Friday, November 9, 2007
How the Giullani/Robertson evil alliance happened... via IM
Pat Robertson, one of America's most influential conservative religious figures, announced Wednesday morning he's supporting Rudy Giuliani's presidential bid. With his endorsement, the Christian Coalition founder and "700 Club" host gives Giuliani a major boost, disappoints former Massachusetts governor/Mormon GOP rival Mitt Romney, and thwarts evangelicals who would support a third-party candidate if Giuliani gets the nomination.
Clearly, Robertson will keep a Republican in the White House by any means necessary. But how did it all go down? (READ)
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Barney Frank on ENDA
Yes, Barney talks funny and yes he left our Trans brothers and sisters out, but I still get a great feeling watching Barney Frank or Tammy Baldwin, our gay and lesbian representatives, speak. I never thought I'd see the day that we'd have OUT representatives. Gives me a little hope.
House Approves Broad Protections for Gay Workers
WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 — The House on Wednesday approved a bill granting broad protections against discrimination in the workplace for gay men, lesbians and bisexuals, a measure that supporters praised as the most important civil rights legislation since the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 but that opponents said would result in unnecessary lawsuits. (MORE)
Senate overrides Bush's water bill veto
Sen. Barbara Boxer, a Democrat from California who was responsible for shepherding the bill through the Senate, said the Senate was sending the president a message."You should respect the Senate, the House, the Congress and American people because we are elected, too," Boxer said. "We are close to the people. We know what their needs are." (READ)
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Kucinich pushes impeach Cheney resolution
Politico, November 05, 2007
Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) plans to take to the floor of the House Tuesday and introduce a privileged resolution to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney. The privilege approach allows him to circumvent Democratic leadership, which opposes voting on the measure.
His resolution will be met with a motion to table it. A vote against the motion will be a vote in favor of impeaching Cheney – as Kucinich explains over and over in this YouTube clip taken from a presidential campaign stop.
An American Research Group poll this summer found more than half of Americans support his impeachment.
Regardless, the measure is expected to fail by a wide margin.
Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) plans to take to the floor of the House Tuesday and introduce a privileged resolution to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney. The privilege approach allows him to circumvent Democratic leadership, which opposes voting on the measure.
His resolution will be met with a motion to table it. A vote against the motion will be a vote in favor of impeaching Cheney – as Kucinich explains over and over in this YouTube clip taken from a presidential campaign stop.
An American Research Group poll this summer found more than half of Americans support his impeachment.
Regardless, the measure is expected to fail by a wide margin.
Cable Channel Nods to Ratings and Leans Left
Riding a ratings wave from “Countdown With Keith Olbermann,” a program that takes strong issue with the Bush administration, MSNBC is increasingly seeking to showcase its nighttime lineup as a welcome haven for viewers of a similar mind.
Lest there be any doubt that the cable channel believes there is ratings gold in shows that criticize the administration with the same vigor with which Fox News’s hosts often champion it, two NBC executives acknowledged yesterday that they were talking to Rosie O’Donnell about a prime-time show on MSNBC. (MORE)
It's Hard to be a Democrat
Nora Ephron: It's Hard to be a Democrat, Huffington Post
It's hard to remember that the real enemies are the Republicans when the Democrats tend to break your heart and the Republicans are just the boys you'd never go out with anyway. (READ)
It's hard to remember that the real enemies are the Republicans when the Democrats tend to break your heart and the Republicans are just the boys you'd never go out with anyway. (READ)
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Trying to turn California RED
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 2 — Republican donors are pumping new life into a proposed ballot initiative, considered all but dead by Democrats a month ago, that would alter the way electoral votes are apportioned in California to the benefit of Republican presidential candidates. (MORE)
Possible Gay Romance on Grey's Anatomy?
Smith plays Seattle Grace's new chief heart surgeon, Erica Hahn. Now that she's going to be around more often, Smith is pondering some possible romantic entanglements for her character. (MORE)
Like there was ever any doubt?
Readers Say She's Hottest Of All
Winner named!
She beat out Raquel Welch (2nd place), Marilyn Monroe (3rd), Jessica Alba (4th), and 21 other contenders (VIEW GALLERY)
Friday, November 2, 2007
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Catholic Principal Cited for Prostitution Charge
The principal at a Kentucky Catholic school is taking personal leave from his job after police in Louisville allegedly found him dressed as a woman and wearing bondage gear inside his car in a seedy part of town.
Paul A. Schum, 50, was cited for loitering for the purpose of prostitution late Tuesday by Louisville Metro police. Officers allege that they came across the educator inside his parked car when patrolling the neighborhood known for prostitution and narcotics. (MORE)
Rowling Completes Book of Fairy Tales
Only seven copies of the handwritten book have been made, Rowling said Thursday. One will be auctioned next month to raise money for a children's charity, while the others have been given away as gifts.
Rowling drew the illustrations herself and provided the handwriting for the five stories that make up the collection of fairy tales.
"The Tales of Beedle the Bard" is mentioned in the final Potter book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," as a gift left by headmaster Albus Dumbledore to Harry's friend Hermione, and provides clues that help destroy evil Lord Voldemort. (MORE)
See female stars who hit 40
PEOPLE.com
Julia Roberts and Pam Anderson are among the ladies who are proving that age ain't nothin' but a number. (VIEW)
Julia Roberts and Pam Anderson are among the ladies who are proving that age ain't nothin' but a number. (VIEW)
NBC Developing The Office 2
How does NBC hope to replace “Scrubs” after it burns off its 15 final half-hours?
A spinoff of the highly rated “The Office,” featuring characters we’ve not yet met, is in the works.
The stars of “Office II” will be introduced on “Office I” this season.
A spinoff of the highly rated “The Office,” featuring characters we’ve not yet met, is in the works.
The stars of “Office II” will be introduced on “Office I” this season.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Eliza Dushku Lures Joss Whedon Back to TV!
Short of a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reunion movie, this is just about the best news you could ask for: Eliza Dushku and Joss Whedon are reteaming for a new series! (Told ya it would be worth tearing yourself away from the candy corn to drop by The Ausiello Report.) Here are the five things you have to know about the show, and I mean now: (READ)
"My So-Called Life" finds new life in a new box set
via Afterellen.com
The long lusted-after, dreamed-about and angsted-over My So-Called Life: The Complete Series DVD box set is here. It’s finally here. I think Rickie’s World Happiness Dance is in order here. Who knows the steps? Geez, where are all the gay boys when you need them? (READ)
Biden: Rudy's Sentences Consist Of "A Noun, A Verb, And 9/11"
October 30, 2007 11:18 PM
Sen. Joe Biden nails Rudy Giuliani during Tuesday's MSNBC debate: "And the irony is, Rudy Giuliani, probably the most underqualified man since George Bush to seek the presidency, is here talking about any of the people here. Rudy Giuliani... I mean, think about it! Rudy Giuliani. There's only three things he mentions in a sentence -- a noun, a verb, and 9/11. There's nothing else! There's nothing else! And I mean this sincerely. He's genuinely not qualified to be president."
Watch..
Sen. Joe Biden nails Rudy Giuliani during Tuesday's MSNBC debate: "And the irony is, Rudy Giuliani, probably the most underqualified man since George Bush to seek the presidency, is here talking about any of the people here. Rudy Giuliani... I mean, think about it! Rudy Giuliani. There's only three things he mentions in a sentence -- a noun, a verb, and 9/11. There's nothing else! There's nothing else! And I mean this sincerely. He's genuinely not qualified to be president."
Watch..
Church ordered to pay $10.9 million for funeral protest
BALTIMORE, Maryland (AP) -- A grieving father won a nearly $11 million verdict Wednesday against a fundamentalist Kansas church that pickets military funerals in the belief that the war in Iraq is a punishment for the nation's tolerance of homosexuality.
Albert Snyder of York, Pennsylvania, sued the Westboro Baptist Church for unspecified damages after members demonstrated at the March 2006 funeral of his son, Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, who was killed in Iraq.
The jury first awarded $2.9 million in compensatory damages. It returned later in the afternoon with its decision to award $6 million in punitive damages for invasion of privacy and $2 million for causing emotional distress.
U.S. District Judge Richard Bennett noted the size of the award for compensating damages "far exceeds the net worth of the defendants," according to financial statements filed with the court.
Church members routinely picket funerals of military personnel killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, carrying signs such as "Thank God for dead soldiers" and "God hates fags." (READ MORE)
Google and Friends to Gang Up on Facebook
By MIGUEL HELFT and BRAD STONE
Published: October 31, 2007
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 30 — Google and some of the Web’s leading social networks are teaming up to take on the new kid on the block — Facebook.
On Thursday, an alliance of companies led by Google plans to begin introducing a common set of standards to allow software developers to write programs for Google’s social network, Orkut, as well as others, including LinkedIn, hi5, Friendster, Plaxo and Ning.
The strategy is aimed at one-upping Facebook, which last spring opened its service to outside developers. Since then, more than 5,000 small programs have been built to run on the Facebook site, and some have been adopted by millions of the site’s users. Most of those programs tap into connections among Facebook friends and spread themselves through those connections, as well as through a “news feed” that alerts Facebook users about what their friends are doing. (MORE)
Published: October 31, 2007
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 30 — Google and some of the Web’s leading social networks are teaming up to take on the new kid on the block — Facebook.
On Thursday, an alliance of companies led by Google plans to begin introducing a common set of standards to allow software developers to write programs for Google’s social network, Orkut, as well as others, including LinkedIn, hi5, Friendster, Plaxo and Ning.
The strategy is aimed at one-upping Facebook, which last spring opened its service to outside developers. Since then, more than 5,000 small programs have been built to run on the Facebook site, and some have been adopted by millions of the site’s users. Most of those programs tap into connections among Facebook friends and spread themselves through those connections, as well as through a “news feed” that alerts Facebook users about what their friends are doing. (MORE)
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Leopard weekend sales "far outpaced" Tiger at 2 million copies
Ars Technica By Jacqui Cheng | Published: October 30, 2007 - 08:07AM CT
Mac users around the world waited in "nerd lines" last Friday in order to grab a copy of Mac OS X Leopard the moment it went on sale. Many more preordered it so that the big cat would come right to their doors. Ken, Jade, and I covered a few Apple Stores in the US, but how representative was that of the overall Mac-using population? How many copies were actually sold?
About 2 million, according to Apple. During its debut weekend, Mac OS X 10.5 "far outpaced" sales of Tiger in its first weekend. (By comparison, Tiger took over a month to sell its 2 millionth copy once it was released.) "Leopard’s innovative features are getting great reviews and making more people than ever think about switching to the Mac," said Steve Jobs in a statement. Well, I wouldn't exactly say that they're all great, but Leopard is still reviewing well despite its flaws.
2 million is apparently Apple's number of the year. The company just hit its first 2 million Mac quarter, and has now already crossed 2 million copies of Leopard. Given the pace that the iPhone is going at, it won't be long before we see 2 million iPhones sold. And hey, we haven't even hit the holiday season yet. Merry Christmas, Apple.
Mac users around the world waited in "nerd lines" last Friday in order to grab a copy of Mac OS X Leopard the moment it went on sale. Many more preordered it so that the big cat would come right to their doors. Ken, Jade, and I covered a few Apple Stores in the US, but how representative was that of the overall Mac-using population? How many copies were actually sold?
About 2 million, according to Apple. During its debut weekend, Mac OS X 10.5 "far outpaced" sales of Tiger in its first weekend. (By comparison, Tiger took over a month to sell its 2 millionth copy once it was released.) "Leopard’s innovative features are getting great reviews and making more people than ever think about switching to the Mac," said Steve Jobs in a statement. Well, I wouldn't exactly say that they're all great, but Leopard is still reviewing well despite its flaws.
2 million is apparently Apple's number of the year. The company just hit its first 2 million Mac quarter, and has now already crossed 2 million copies of Leopard. Given the pace that the iPhone is going at, it won't be long before we see 2 million iPhones sold. And hey, we haven't even hit the holiday season yet. Merry Christmas, Apple.
How green is your bottle of red?
At long last: A guide to calculating the carbon footprint of wine.
Andrew Leonard, Salon.com
Oct. 30, 2007 | And now for a truly important question: What is the greener option, in terms of carbon footprint, for a hypothetical wine-drinking citizen of Ohio: a California merlot from Napa county, a cheap Australian bottle of Yellow Tail shiraz, or a French bordeaux?
To answer this query, we first need to know whether you live east or west of Columbus, Ohio. Because, as explained in the fascinating new working paper, "Red, White and 'Green': The Cost of Carbon in the Global Wine Trade," the most important factor involved with calculating the carbon footprint of wine is the energy cost of transporting glass bottles around the world. Unrefrigerated container shipping by sea is best, air freight is worst, and trucks trundle on somewhere in between. (MORE)
Andrew Leonard, Salon.com
Oct. 30, 2007 | And now for a truly important question: What is the greener option, in terms of carbon footprint, for a hypothetical wine-drinking citizen of Ohio: a California merlot from Napa county, a cheap Australian bottle of Yellow Tail shiraz, or a French bordeaux?
To answer this query, we first need to know whether you live east or west of Columbus, Ohio. Because, as explained in the fascinating new working paper, "Red, White and 'Green': The Cost of Carbon in the Global Wine Trade," the most important factor involved with calculating the carbon footprint of wine is the energy cost of transporting glass bottles around the world. Unrefrigerated container shipping by sea is best, air freight is worst, and trucks trundle on somewhere in between. (MORE)
Mirren marked the Queen of 'mashups'
From
DAME HELEN Mirren’s hitherto hidden talent for kung fu, alongside swearing like a sailor and unapologetic smoking, has propelled her to another accolade — the queen of “mashups”, home-made videos spread by largely American fans across the internet.
Mirren is the number one star in the world of mashups, compilations of film clips edited together for fun or social comment, which have blossomed since the video-sharing website YouTube was founded in 2005. (MORE)
Student has a nice chat with Rather during three-hour flight
Daily Texan
Caroline Page sat next to Dan Rather on an Austin-to-New York flight and, after thirty minutes, got up the nerve to begin a conversation. "He was candid, intelligent and spoke to me as though we weren't 54 years apart in age," she writes. "We touched on what seemed like every issue from our personal backgrounds, including relationship struggles due to the strain of reporting and the importance of a woman in the field remaining true to herself. He told me stories of young female reporters losing themselves and 'sleeping their way to the top,' only to ultimately crash and burn." During their chat, "the real Dan Rather made a Dan Rather-fan out of me."
(more)
Caroline Page sat next to Dan Rather on an Austin-to-New York flight and, after thirty minutes, got up the nerve to begin a conversation. "He was candid, intelligent and spoke to me as though we weren't 54 years apart in age," she writes. "We touched on what seemed like every issue from our personal backgrounds, including relationship struggles due to the strain of reporting and the importance of a woman in the field remaining true to herself. He told me stories of young female reporters losing themselves and 'sleeping their way to the top,' only to ultimately crash and burn." During their chat, "the real Dan Rather made a Dan Rather-fan out of me."
(more)
Kucinich questions Bush's mental health
Kucinich, with wife Elizabeth, questioned the president's mental health.
(CNN) — Strong words from Democratic presidential contender Dennis Kucinich may be nothing new, but his comments to a newspaper Tuesday questioning President Bush’s mental health are raising a few eyebrows.
“I seriously believe we have to start asking questions about his mental health," the Ohio congressman told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "There's something wrong. He does not seem to understand his words have real impact." (MORE)
Sunday, October 28, 2007
READ before you SIGN
Anti-Gay Marriage Petition Fraud Caught on Camera
Workers make up to $1200/day stealing signatures. Whistle-blower exposes anti-gay marriage petition fraud in Massachusetts.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Wildfire evacuee shelter offers lesson in volunteerism
Welcome to Qualcomm Stadium, home of the San Diego Chargers and, for the time being, thousands of people who have fled the California wildfires that destroyed nearly 1,600 homes and burned some 679 square miles. (MORE)
Facebook Continues to Soar!
Microsoft Buys Facebook Stake for $240M
SAN FRANCISCO — Rapidly rising Internet star Facebook Inc. has sold a 1.6 percent stake to Microsoft Corp. for $240 million, spurning a competing offer from online search leader Google Inc.
Culminating weeks of negotiations, the investment announced Wednesday values Palo Alto-based Facebook at $15 billion _ a stunning figure for an online hangout started in a Harvard University dorm room less than four years ago.
Microsoft also will sell Internet ads for Facebook as the site expands outside the United States, broadening a marketing relationship that began last year. (MORE)
Italians make better.... activists.
Posters of a rosy, puffy cheeked newborn baby have provoked controversy in Italy because the infant is shown wearing a wristband name-tag with the word "homosexual" written on it.
The photograph of the baby is part of a anti-discrimination campaign launched by Tuscany's regional government and is accompanied by the slogan: "Sexual orientation is not a choice."
"Homosexuality is not a vice and hence should not be condemned nor marginalised, or worse still persecuted," the Tuscany region's civil rights councillor Agostino Fragai told Milan-daily Corriere della Sera in a interview published.
Thousands of copies of the poster have been printed, and will go up on city walls and public offices around Tuscany with the sponsorship of Italy's centre-left government's Equal Opportunities Ministry.
"That's not a knife...THIS is a knife!"
by Michael Bungay Stanier
You might recognize one of the great quotes from Australian cinema - Crocodile Dundee - in the subject line. (It was when my Canadian wife could say that in a perfect Australian accent (and sounded like she meant it) that I knew our relationship was here to stay...).
But the inspiration for this week's article wasn't Mick Dundee, but a short article on what knives you need to have in a properly stocked kitchen.
===============
This isn't turning into the Cookery Channel
===============
It was a perfectly interesting article, and should you be looking for tips on how and what to wield in the kitchen, I can recommend it.
But what was really interesting was the problem it helped me to solve - how to fine tune my new office space.
As some of you may recall, I moved into a new office a couple of months ago, leaving behind the comfort and familiarity of my home office. The move has been great ... and it's also clear that the office isn't yet what I hoped it might be.
===============
Danger! Creativity at work
===============
And this of course is one of the genius things about our brain - our capacity to make connections.
In fact, someone one defined creativity as making new connections between known things.
If you're stuck, what that means at its heart is you can only see one way to do what you need to do - and you don't like what you see.
If you can generate new possibilities, then you have choice. If you have choice, you have your freedom back - and you're unstuck.
And one of the best ways to create new possibilities is to add "new stimulus" into the mix, and shake your brain up.
Let me give you an example, combining the article on knives with my challenge to make my office space more successful.
===============
Knife tips
===============
==> Knife tip #1 You only need two, a chef's knife and a boning knife
The question underneath that: "What if the solution was "two"?"
My insight/idea: I only need two types of "space" in my office, one for efficient "good work", and another for more creative, planning, ambitious "great work"
==> Knife tip #2: Use your steel and keep your knives sharp
The question underneath that: "What need sharpening?"
My insight/idea: Clutter is already dulling the space. I need to sharpen up the "put stuff in my inbox" process
==> Knife tip #3: Find a knife your hand really likes
The question underneath that: "What's the best fit?"
My insight/idea: The room doesn't yet feel comfortable. What about a radio, so I can listen during the day? And a heater, now that winter's setting in. And put some art on the walls
==> Knife tip #4: Expensive doesn't necessarily mean better
The question underneath that: "What's the cheap and cheerful solution?"
My insight/idea: Buy flowers every Monday for the table, so I've got something living in the room (besides me!)
===============
What's your challenge?
===============
Think of a challenge you're facing, one you'd like to bring some creative thinking to. (It's worth spending some time on this - the art of thinking creatively about a problem starts with making sure you're working on the right problem).
First, jot down ideas you've already got. (That way you're clearing out the brain, ready for some new ideas).
Then spend a couple of minutes per question - and see where they take you. Aim to have at least five new ideas per question.
1. If the solution was "two" - one to do one thing, one to do another - what would it look like?
2. What's needs sharpening? What has got dull?
3. What's the best fit? What would be comfortable?
4. What's the "cheap and cheerful" solution? What's the "over priced" solution?
You might recognize one of the great quotes from Australian cinema - Crocodile Dundee - in the subject line. (It was when my Canadian wife could say that in a perfect Australian accent (and sounded like she meant it) that I knew our relationship was here to stay...).
But the inspiration for this week's article wasn't Mick Dundee, but a short article on what knives you need to have in a properly stocked kitchen.
===============
This isn't turning into the Cookery Channel
===============
It was a perfectly interesting article, and should you be looking for tips on how and what to wield in the kitchen, I can recommend it.
But what was really interesting was the problem it helped me to solve - how to fine tune my new office space.
As some of you may recall, I moved into a new office a couple of months ago, leaving behind the comfort and familiarity of my home office. The move has been great ... and it's also clear that the office isn't yet what I hoped it might be.
===============
Danger! Creativity at work
===============
And this of course is one of the genius things about our brain - our capacity to make connections.
In fact, someone one defined creativity as making new connections between known things.
If you're stuck, what that means at its heart is you can only see one way to do what you need to do - and you don't like what you see.
If you can generate new possibilities, then you have choice. If you have choice, you have your freedom back - and you're unstuck.
And one of the best ways to create new possibilities is to add "new stimulus" into the mix, and shake your brain up.
Let me give you an example, combining the article on knives with my challenge to make my office space more successful.
===============
Knife tips
===============
==> Knife tip #1 You only need two, a chef's knife and a boning knife
The question underneath that: "What if the solution was "two"?"
My insight/idea: I only need two types of "space" in my office, one for efficient "good work", and another for more creative, planning, ambitious "great work"
==> Knife tip #2: Use your steel and keep your knives sharp
The question underneath that: "What need sharpening?"
My insight/idea: Clutter is already dulling the space. I need to sharpen up the "put stuff in my inbox" process
==> Knife tip #3: Find a knife your hand really likes
The question underneath that: "What's the best fit?"
My insight/idea: The room doesn't yet feel comfortable. What about a radio, so I can listen during the day? And a heater, now that winter's setting in. And put some art on the walls
==> Knife tip #4: Expensive doesn't necessarily mean better
The question underneath that: "What's the cheap and cheerful solution?"
My insight/idea: Buy flowers every Monday for the table, so I've got something living in the room (besides me!)
===============
What's your challenge?
===============
Think of a challenge you're facing, one you'd like to bring some creative thinking to. (It's worth spending some time on this - the art of thinking creatively about a problem starts with making sure you're working on the right problem).
First, jot down ideas you've already got. (That way you're clearing out the brain, ready for some new ideas).
Then spend a couple of minutes per question - and see where they take you. Aim to have at least five new ideas per question.
1. If the solution was "two" - one to do one thing, one to do another - what would it look like?
2. What's needs sharpening? What has got dull?
3. What's the best fit? What would be comfortable?
4. What's the "cheap and cheerful" solution? What's the "over priced" solution?
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Dear Al Gore,
Americans want you to run and we can be sooo annoying at times, I know. But I doubt any of us will shut up anytime soon - you know how we can be.
The Blue States are yours already, the Purple States are yours too because they look back at what could have been if things had gone differently in 00, that and they feel bad - they feel you need your chance to pull us out of the Hell-hole we are currently in. The Red States (what there is left of them) are a toss up. Nothing you can do about the blind political rage they have.
I know another run for the Presidency may not seem like a fun thing to do right now and in a strange sort of way WINNING the election will totally suck. It will be on your shoulders to fix the multi-layer putrid mess we are in. (MORE)
Iraqi Gay Safe Houses to Close
bilerico.com
At a time when billions are being spent in Iraq, a small group of Iraqi gay safe houses might have to close their doors due to lack of funding. LGBT Iraqis have increasingly faced violence from Shia death squads, especially since the 2005 fatwa from Iraq's leading Shiite Muslim cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, which declared that gays and lesbians should be “killed in the worst, most severe way.” (READ MORE)
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Obama Got it Right and Wrong on Gay Bashing
Huffington Post, Earl Hutchinson 10.23.07
In direct response to my column, "Obama Should Repudiate and Cancel His Gay Bash Tour, and Cancel it Now," Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama quickly issued this statement:
Obama's response to my call for him to reject support of Grammy winning singer and anti gay crusader, Donnie McClurkin was a big, bold, and direct claim that he will fight anti-gay phobia, and aggressively challenge religious leaders to do the same. One of those at the top of the list of religious leaders that he says that he challenged is McClurkin. But one line missing from his disavowal of gay bashing was this: (READ)
In direct response to my column, "Obama Should Repudiate and Cancel His Gay Bash Tour, and Cancel it Now," Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama quickly issued this statement:
"I have clearly stated my belief that gays and lesbians are our brothers and sisters and should be provided the respect, dignity, and rights of all other citizens. I have consistently spoken directly to African-American religious leaders about the need to overcome the homophobia that persists in some parts of our community so that we can confront issues like HIV/AIDS and broaden the reach of equal rights in this country.
I strongly believe that African Americans and the LGBT community must stand together in the fight for equal rights. And so I strongly disagree with Reverend McClurkin's views and will continue to fight for these rights as President of the United States to ensure that America is a country that spreads tolerance instead of division."
Obama's response to my call for him to reject support of Grammy winning singer and anti gay crusader, Donnie McClurkin was a big, bold, and direct claim that he will fight anti-gay phobia, and aggressively challenge religious leaders to do the same. One of those at the top of the list of religious leaders that he says that he challenged is McClurkin. But one line missing from his disavowal of gay bashing was this: (READ)
Monday, October 22, 2007
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Dumbledore is Gay
NEW YORK - Harry Potter fans, the rumors are true: Albus Dumbledore, master wizard and Headmaster of Hogwarts, is gay. J.K. Rowling, author of the mega-selling fantasy series that ended last summer, outed the beloved character Friday night while appearing before a full house at Carnegie Hall.
After reading briefly from the final book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," she took questions from audience members.
She was asked by one young fan whether Dumbledore finds "true love."
"Dumbledore is gay," the author responded to gasps and applause.
She then explained that Dumbledore was smitten with rival Gellert Grindelwald, whom he defeated long ago in a battle between good and bad wizards. "Falling in love can blind us to an extent," Rowling said of Dumbledore's feelings, adding that Dumbledore was "horribly, terribly let down."
Dumbledore's love, she observed, was his "great tragedy."
"Oh, my god," Rowling concluded with a laugh, "the fan fiction."
Potter readers on fan sites and elsewhere on the Internet have speculated on the sexuality of Dumbledore, noting that he has no close relationship with women and a mysterious, troubled past. And explicit scenes with Dumbledore already have appeared in fan fiction.
Rowling told the audience that while working on the planned sixth Potter film, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," she spotted a reference in the script to a girl who once was of interest to Dumbledore. A note was duly passed to director David Yates, revealing the truth about her character.
Rowling, finishing a brief "Open Book Tour" of the United States, her first tour here since 2000, also said that she regarded her Potter books as a "prolonged argument for tolerance" and urged her fans to "question authority."
Not everyone likes her work, Rowling said, likely referring to Christian groups that have alleged the books promote witchcraft. Her news about Dumbledore, she said, will give them one more reason.
Friday, October 19, 2007
‘Daily Show’ gets own Web site
Preserving the show’s nine-year archive online
Updated: 8:13 a.m. CT Oct 18, 2007
NEW YORK - After more than a decade on the air, Comedy Central's "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" has its own online home.
The new Web site, DailyShow.com, goes live at noon EST Thursday, presenting nearly the entire video archive of the show for the past nine years.
The site contains more than 16,000 video clips spanning headlines, correspondent pieces and such regular segments as Lewis Black's "Back in Black" or Stephen Colbert's "This Week in God." (READ MORE)
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Military inadvertently recruits gays
The Army, Navy and Air Force unwittingly advertised for recruits on a website for gays, who are barred from military service if they are open about their sexual orientation.
When informed Tuesday by USA TODAY that they were advertising on GLEE.com, a networking website for gay professionals, recruiters expressed surprise and said they would remove the job listings. (MORE)
When informed Tuesday by USA TODAY that they were advertising on GLEE.com, a networking website for gay professionals, recruiters expressed surprise and said they would remove the job listings. (MORE)
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
The Ultimate Self-Adjusting Office Chair
(PopSci.com) -- Your mother was wrong: Sitting up straight is bad for you.
Is this the office chair of the future?
Scottish radiologists confirmed in a study last year that a 130-degree angle of recline between torso and thighs reduces pressure on the discs in the lower back.
This (and its sleek design) is why the ubiquitous Aeron chair was so ahead of its time in 1994. It deeply reclined by pivoting at the hips.
But designers find that the features of chairs like the Aeron are lost on most sitters. The array of levers and knobs -- recline tension, lumbar support, seat-pan depth, forward tilt -- are commonly ignored by users, who only think to change the chair's height.
This neglect has manufacturers such as Herman Miller and Humanscale looking toward the next frontier: a self-adjusting chair. (MORE)
ENDA update - go Tammy
Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) announced today that she has secured an agreement from the Democratic leadership to introduce an amendment to H.R. 3685 that would restore gender identity protections to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). The amendment would be considered on the House floor next week, after the bill moves through the House Education and Labor Committee this Thursday. After her announcement, the United ENDA coalition released the following statement:
Two weeks ago, our community was told that gender identity would not be included in any version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Congressional Leadership expected our community to acquiesce. However, United ENDA effectively communicated the strong opposition of hundreds of organizations and millions of members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community to leadership's efforts to advance a stripped down version of the bill.
It is because of our unprecedented efforts that new options, such as the proposed amendment by Congresswoman Baldwin, are able to come before Congress. Members of Congress responded to the successful strategy of our coalition and many expressed their strong desire to vote for an inclusive bill that protects all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
Clearly, our preferred strategy is to pass the original ENDA (H.R. 2015) out of committee. However, if we are faced with a non-inclusive bill following the committee vote, we will work with Congresswoman Baldwin to repair ENDA to include protections on the basis of gender identity. We appreciate that Congressional leaders like Congresswoman Baldwin continue to share our commitment to pass an inclusive bill, and we expect Speaker Pelosi and the House leadership will actively support the Baldwin amendment.
Two weeks ago, our community was told that gender identity would not be included in any version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Congressional Leadership expected our community to acquiesce. However, United ENDA effectively communicated the strong opposition of hundreds of organizations and millions of members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community to leadership's efforts to advance a stripped down version of the bill.
It is because of our unprecedented efforts that new options, such as the proposed amendment by Congresswoman Baldwin, are able to come before Congress. Members of Congress responded to the successful strategy of our coalition and many expressed their strong desire to vote for an inclusive bill that protects all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
Clearly, our preferred strategy is to pass the original ENDA (H.R. 2015) out of committee. However, if we are faced with a non-inclusive bill following the committee vote, we will work with Congresswoman Baldwin to repair ENDA to include protections on the basis of gender identity. We appreciate that Congressional leaders like Congresswoman Baldwin continue to share our commitment to pass an inclusive bill, and we expect Speaker Pelosi and the House leadership will actively support the Baldwin amendment.
Feminism And Romance Go Hand In Hand
Science Daily — Contrary to popular opinion, feminism and romance are not incompatible and feminism may actually improve the quality of heterosexual relationships, according to Laurie Rudman and Julie Phelan, from Rutgers University in the US. Their study* also shows that unflattering feminist stereotypes, that tend to stigmatize feminists as unattractive and sexually unappealing, are unsupported. (READ)
Green Peace
Did Al Gore deserve a Nobel Prize for his work on global warming?
By Stephan Faris, Slate.com Posted Monday, Oct. 15, 2007, at 5:30 PM ET
When Al Gore became a Nobel laureate on Friday, it was the second time in four years that the prize for peace had gone green. In 2004, its recipient was Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan politician responsible for planting millions of trees to combat soil erosion. The day after she was recognized, I asked Maathai what reforestation had to do with ending conflict. "What the Nobel committee is doing is going beyond war and looking at what humanity can do to prevent war," she answered. "Sustainable management of our natural resources will promote peace." (MORE)
Sunday, October 14, 2007
“Beowulf” update: Spawn of Angelina
via afterellen.comWell, that's the most tabloid headline I've ever written. But then again, what you're about to see will shock, amaze, make you laugh, make you cry, make you glad that CGI creations don't have an olfactory presence. (READ)
Steven Colbert writing Maureen Dowd's Column
via nytimes.com Published: October 14, 2007
I was in my office, writing a column on the injustice of relative marginal tax rates for hedge fund managers, when I saw Stephen Colbert on TV.
He was sneering that Times columns make good “kindling.” He was ranting that after you throw away the paper, “it takes over a hundred years for the lies to biodegrade.” He was observing, approvingly, that “Dick Cheney’s fondest pipe dream is driving a bulldozer into The New York Times while drinking crude oil out of Keith Olbermann’s skull.” (READ)
Friday, October 12, 2007
Why is Arnold such a dick?
First it was "activist judges".. that same sex marraige must come from the legislature!.. so we GET the legislature to pass it in California TWICE and Arnold once again vetos it.. leaving it up to "the courts". I guess every yahoo in existance must vote on approving my wedding. How many marriages should pass that entrance exam?
Governor Vetoes Bill Granting Same-Sex Couples the Ability to Marry
Governor Stands Alone in Preventing Equality Under the Law for Millions of Californians
Same-sex couples in California continue to be denied the dignity, benefits and responsibilities of marriage with the governor's veto today of legislation that would have given all committed couples the option to marry. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday vetoed the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act (AB 43), authored by Assemblymember Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, and sponsored by Equality California.
Statement by EQCA Executive Director Geoff Kors:
"Today, Gov. Schwarzenegger refused to lift the cloud of discrimination that hangs over millions of Californians and their families. With the people of California increasingly in support of marriage for same-sex couples and the Legislature once again affirming fairness and equality, the governor stands alone in perpetuating discrimination against same-sex couples. With the stroke of his pen, he has denied countless loving couples the joy and validation he and the First Lady experienced when they got married. Equality California will not rest until we have achieved full equality for the entire lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community."
The audacity of Fox News
Want a fun little project? Take a breaking news day and compare the home pages of CNN, ABCNEWS.com, BBC, Aljazeera ... and then Fox News. You will be AMAZED at the constant negative, misleading (sometimes dangerous) spin that Fox News takes on any topic.
Even today when the Al Gore photo and Peace Prize win was on every page... they did have the story up as their top for a few hours (now it's no where to be found) and a photo of terrorist dangers with a subhead of British judge argues wrong facts in An Inconvenient Truth.
Even today when the Al Gore photo and Peace Prize win was on every page... they did have the story up as their top for a few hours (now it's no where to be found) and a photo of terrorist dangers with a subhead of British judge argues wrong facts in An Inconvenient Truth.
Where is the love?
from Bilerico.com
And the GOP Smear Machine wasted no time going after Gore - the first volley shot by MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough. “Morning Joe” started with the lies about Gore’s use of private jets (fact, Gore uses airlines) and the rest of the show went downhill after that.
The only weapon the GOP has anymore are lies. And it is getting very hard to stand behind those lies when the climate is going to hell all around us. Atlanta only has 12 weeks of water supply left, many parts of the country are experiencing summer weather and most of the Arctic ice pack is gone. Should that be a surprise since the temperatures have hovered near the 70’s all summer? Now an adventure to the North Pole takes the same preparation as an April trip to Myrtle Beach - sunblock and a light windbreaker.
Lastly, someone should think about drafting Gore to run for President. Really.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Meryl Streep Quotable
Speaking to her own view of the upcoming election:
"I'm glad that there seems to be change. People are holding their breath. That's why you don't see masses on the streets — they know he's [Bush] going. I'll be relieved when the whole group is out. I think in a way things had to get this bad before they got better. It would be nice to have a woman president. I think half the Senate should be women, half of Parliament, half the ruling mullahs."
you go girl
"I'm glad that there seems to be change. People are holding their breath. That's why you don't see masses on the streets — they know he's [Bush] going. I'll be relieved when the whole group is out. I think in a way things had to get this bad before they got better. It would be nice to have a woman president. I think half the Senate should be women, half of Parliament, half the ruling mullahs."
you go girl
Draft Gore
An open letter to Al Gore appeared as a full page ad in the New York times today.
View: http://dove.he.net/%7Egore2008/DraftGore_ad2.pdf
Sign the petition:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/algore2008/
http://www.draftgore.com/
Radar Aims High
HuffingtonPost 10/11/07Well, no one is ever going to accuse Radar of elevating the discourse: For this month's issue they go lowest common denominator via the tried-and-true custom of superimposing heads on other people's bodies who happen to be naked. (READ)
Garden Wedding
Every so often there's a moment in history where we turn a corner - a "tipping point." It happens when regular people create enough ... all » momentum and visible support for social change through every day actions - like conversations at dinner tables, water coolers, and cocktail parties. We are experiencing one of those moments right now. Today, more people than ever support the freedom to marry for gay and lesbian people and we are very near the tipping point in California.
It's time to take advantage of this momentum - it's time for people like you to change the course of history by simply changing the hearts and minds of people you know. Here's how: join the Let California Ring campaign and make your support seen and heard between now and February 14, 2008. First step: complete our pledge and then we'll give you some great ways to start the conversation.
www.LetCaliforniaRing.org
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