Golden Arches

I snapped this biking to work yesterday. The Memorial Bridge at the fool of the Lincoln Memorial just as the sun is coming up...I see this on clear days...the light fills the arches of the bridge.

Progressives in the White House

The Obamas invited a group of "progressives" over to the White House the other night (seriously, how do we come up with these labels?). The point? to ask for help. According to this account:

"The gist was, `We’re gonna need people out there telling the story of the stimulus and telling the story about how much we need big health care reform and clean energy and green jobs,’” the attendee says.

Among those on the guest list: Labor leaders Jimmy Hoffa, Gerry McEntee and Andy Stern; MoveOn’s Eli Pariser; Sierra Club’s Carl Pope; Planned Parenthood’s Cecile Richardson; and Joe Solomonese of the Human Rights Campaign."

Joe Solomonese of the Human Rights Campaign?

Well, kudos to Joe HRC and good for the community that he was part of that group.

But Joe, you do remember that HRC exists to advance gay rights, not health care reform and green jobs, right? I mean, I understand how we need to help the President get what he wants in a you scratch my back kinda world, but at some point, you are going to say, "Mr. President, we're happy to support you, but we need some indication -- action, even -- to show that you are putting a priority to fulfilling your campaign promises to the gay community."

I mean, the HRC wouldn't place the interests of the Democratic party above the gay community.

Right?

War Crimes and Truth Commissions

I believe the Bush Administration engaged in war crimes.

Yet I am dubious about the desire by many on the left to prosecute or hold "truth commissions."

I am not unswayed by arguments that the United States isn't above the law and that if what the Bush Admin did was done by another country against us we would be seeking war crimes prosecutions. I'm not agnostic to the fact that punishing those who committed the crimes would restore some of America's moral authority.

I just don't know if I trust the Democrats in charge of Congress to conduct the hearings seriously and fairly in today's partisan-charged environment. Any attempt to use the proceedings for partisan gain or retribution for political slights would risk de-legitimizing the outcomes and further divide this country. And I just don't know if leaders in Congress (in either party) could rise to the level of seriousness such proceedings would demand.

I know, it's not a satisfactory position.

Thoughts?

A Giant Explosion in Space

"The US space agency's Fermi telescope has detected a massive explosion in space which scientists say is the biggest gamma-ray burst ever detected, a report published Thursday in Science Express said."

Somewhere, at some observatory, some geek like me is surely saying, "I can confirm the location of Praxsis, but...I can no longer confirm the existence of Praxsis."

Pakistan and Islamic Law

Some are concerned that Pakistan has agreed to assert Islamic Law in certain parts of that country.

Why not? We legislate (selected parts of) Deuteronomy here in America.

Pope Benedict on the Horns of a "Bizarre Optical Illusion."

Oops.

NASA Image of the Day

A Magnetar cracks and spews Gamma Rays.

A Magnetar is not a character in the X-Men. NASA says its a neutron star with a super-duper magnetic field.

Kenny Chesney Loves the Babes

Kenny Chesney is straight and loves banging the babes and he's quite anxious to tell you about it. In a recent interview in Playboy he claims to have gotten more booty than A-Rod and to have bedded 100 women. It's unclear how many of those were during the two days the Country Island Boy was married to Renee Zellweger.

Look, Kenny, here's some free advice. Drop it. Gay or straight, the more you talk about your sex life the more scrutiny you invite and the more you tempt some ambitious reporter to start looking up those women you claim to have shagged and to have them say your tractor really isn't all that sexy -- or to follow you around to see if you have a wide stance or like to get massages from gay escorts.

Frankly, you remind me of my father's behavior when I came out to him -- he went out of his way to make "look at the tits on that one" comments to assert his sexuality, as if mine were some sort of threat. I understand it, but it's a bit ridiculous, don't you think? And how do you think that comment makes the women you've been with feel? Just one more notch on your belt.

I understand that if you are gay that it's a threat to your career. Well, hello, join the club. At least you've made your millions; there are gay people who lose their jobs because of it and have nothing to fall back on.

If you are gay and came out, think about how freeing that would be for you as an artist. In a recent album, you sing a lyric, "be as you are." Well...what better place to start than admitting to yourself and your friends and family who you really are instead of trying to live a life of lies? Think of the inspiration you could be to all the gay kids in places like Tennessee and Oklahoma who would see in you that all the garbage they are fed about gay people is a lie. Sure you might lose the good ol' boys in your fan base, but you won't lose the girls and you stand to gain a lot of gay fans. Just look what we've done for Madonna, Cher and Bette.

One final thing. If you want people to stop speculating you are gay, stop wearing skin tight jeans and muscle shirts.

Although if you do, I will be very, very dissapointed.

Dybul Trouble: HRC

Remember Mark Dybul, and Bush Admin Global AIDS Coordinator who was asked to stay on for an interim period by the Obama folks, only to be sent suddenly packing (literally) two days after the inauguration? What happened?

The answer appears to be: Hillary.

No Gays on Stage: School Cancels Rent

Via Queerty, a high school principal bans the school's production of Rent. Not because of the drug use of one of the key characters, but because there are homosexuals in it. Never mind that the most stable romantic relationship portrayed in the show was between two gay men (did the principal even SEE Rent?). Here's an account from an alumnus of the school:

Mrs. Asrani (the principal) is firmly against the portrayal of
homosexual characters in RENT, despite the fact that all displays of
affection have already been edited out of our script. Of course, a gay
couple kissing on stage should not be inherently more offensive than a
straight couple kissing, but that's beside the point (sort of). The
fact that the administration would not even allow a positive PORTRAYAL
of these gay characters, whose romantic tendencies have already been
neutered in Musical Theater International's "RENT: School Edition", is
appalling.

Maybe the principal would be happier with a play about dysfunctional straight couples, like Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Oh wait, there's a gay in that one too. But then again, he's conflicted and closeted. So maybe that's okay.

Hurt: Johnny Cash

This is How We Treat Our Veterans

Amy Brian served honorably in the Kansas National Guard, re-enlisted and served a tour in Iraq. Returning to the states, she was working a desk job for the Guard, was putting herself through school with her Guard benefits. Until someone outed her to her commanders. She got kicked out, lost her benefits and had to drop out of school.

Yes, she served her country, put her life on the line in Iraq and this is how we treat her:

"Brian's life since her military discharge has been stressful. She went without work for two months and dipped into her 401(k) savings to get by. She couldn't finish her master's degree because she had lost her educational benefits."

Meanwhile, Andoni at Citizen Crain highlights a positive op-ed in the New York Times where straight veteran Owen West details his change of heart in "allowing" gays to serve in the military. It's a good piece, but this paragraph is telling:

"Most military jobs are office-based and provide sufficient individual privacy. Even in Iraq many of our fighting forces are comfortably housed with compartmentalized showers."

So that's what it comes down to...to keep a few bigots comfortable in the showers we give decent Americans like Amy Brian the boot.

Somehow I think most men and women serving are bigger than that. I just wonder if their leaders are.

Things You Don't Want to Hear

When the car you are riding in is being driven in heavy, fast-moving traffic by someone having trouble driving stick-shift:

"I'm going to try and pull out in front of that bus..."

Especially when "the bus" in question is called a "diablo rojo" (Red Devil) by the locals because it's been involved in so many fatalities.

This is Where I Am

In case you're wondering why blogging is light. This is near Colon, Panama. We spent the day on the east coast of Panama. Some things I've noticed:

Prime, oceanfront realestate that would be snatched up by developers and the wealthy is inhabited by the poor and in many places was pasture.

There are exceptions, and where there are developments they are so close to the water in a way I can't imagine would be legal in the U.S.

If you wonder how infrastructure is related to the economy, try driving here. Traffic and road conditions are so bad that a cross-town or cross-country trip is difficult and dangerous. And of the four Latin American countries we've traveled in, this one seems to be the wealthiest.

But you still have the incongruity of soem of the world's preetiest scenery combined with terrible litter. The United States is always cast as the world's worst polluter, but we've done much to clean up our act compared to what I've seen here (and elsewhere in the third world).

In fact, driving back from the beach yesterday, we were behind a car of nuns, one of whom was throwing the litter from her snack out the car window.

We dubbed her "Sister Mary Basura."

Bill O'Reilly vs. Christian Bale

Warning: Foul language and lots of it.

A Sign

I want to hang a sign around the LTR's neck for all to see (especially his colleagues) that says:

"Hello. I am a paranoid hypochondriac. Any comment you make that implies -- intentionally or not -- that I don't look 100% A-OK will send me in a panic to my doctor."

Comments like, "Hey, are those dark circles under your eyes?"

Palin/Plumber Ticket in 2012?

Why not...the GOP says Palin is who they most want to be like and they're listening to Joe today to get his advice on the Stimulus package.

Sarah Palin & Joe the Plumber...Palin/Plumber 2012. You heard it here first.

The GOP Guvs Want the Money

The Republican governors want the stimulus money, even as their Congressional brethren vote -- and campaign -- against it. Says LA Gov Bobby Jindal:

"Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, a former member of the House, said he would accept the stimulus money but would have voted against the bill if he were still in Congress"

Um, "I was against the money before I spent it?"

This Old Guitar

I bought a new guitar today to replace the one I've had since high school. The old one had become damaged, beyond repair and it was a cheap one in the first place and not worth the cost of repair even if repair could be effective.

I'm going to keep the old guitar, but it's become unplayable, and I feel I've lost an old friend. This is the guitar I got from my parents at Christmas when I has a high school freshman. One of my best friends in college showed me how to play it. It helped me pass many lonely nights, entertained the LTR first, and ultimately his family. The day Ranger died I played and sang for her, to comfort her. I used it to sing lullabyes to my newborn son.

I will miss my old guitar.

Log Cabin Happy with Steele; McConnell Okay with Anti-gay Label

The Log Cabin club of optimists are excited about Michael Steele as the new chair of the GOP. In an email I received today, they say:



"He is the right man at the right time to lead the GOP. Steele is an inclusive leader who will bring a new energy and a new vision to the GOP at a critical time."



Let's hope. Look, I was a Republican once. Back when the GOP was about limited government and fighting Commies. Reagan went after the Commies and the Commies are gone. And today's GOP wants to go after gays.



Sen. Mitch McConnell got some publicity recently for his saying the GOP risks becoming a permanent minority party. In a summation by Politico, McConnell was reported as saying:



"McConnell called on the GOP to push back against labels that have hurt the party in the past — anti-immigrant, anti-union and anti-environment — and to regain taxpayers’ trust that they support limited government spending. "



Well, what about the anti-gay label? Worried about that one, Senator?



Reagan went after the Commies. George W. Bush went after the gays and terrorists and the Constitution. For a whole generation of new voters, the GOP will be seen as anti-freedom and anti-gay (most young people, even Evangelicals, aren't hostile to gay people).



That's your problem, Senator.



But I don't think those religious zealots who run your party will let you change.



That's why I had to.

What NOT to Say To the Hardware Store Guy

"Excuse me, can you show me your nuts?"

Which I had to stop the LTR from doing today.

We were looking for a wingnut....and the Republican National Committee members had already left town.

The Steve Martin Defense

First Geithner, now Daschle?

I agree, they're trying to use the Steve Martin defense.

I have to pay all my taxes. And you think you don't? Well Excuuuuuuuuuusssssseee Meeeee!!!!

Obama should be just as outraged at this as he is about the Wall Street bonuses. Mr. President?

Earl Scruggs and Steve Martin

Here's a little Saturday morning Foggy Mountain Breakdown for you.

They Were Late Because of Traffic?

I heard on WTOP today (can't find the story on the Web site yet) that some gates on Inauguration Day were opened late because the Secret Service staff who were supposed to staff them were stuck in traffic.

Wait. What?

The officials who for weeks have been telling people not to drive into the District on Inauguration Day were, uh, driving? Workers who had to be in the District to work on Tuesday slept at their workplaces on Monday night so they would be there on time, but the workers who made the rules that forced the office sleepovers went about business as usual?

And failed to do their duty?

The Secret of the Obamas' Happy Marriage

And the Seagulls Danced

When the John Williams piece began, a flock of seagulls gracefully rose from the pond in front of the Capitol near where I was standing. They rose and circled higher, in perfect choreography with the music. It was if music was bringing nature and man together to celebrate a moment. It was not lost on the crowd as everyone near me marvelled at the sight (and speculating that the gulls were "doves" they had released or "geese." Haven't you people ever been to the beach?)

Ultimately it was the seagulls that made that moment of the ceremony. I doubt anyone will ever hear the Williams piece again.

Rick Warren: Coda

I saw two people -- apparently a husband and wife -- turn their backs on Rick Warren during the invocation. Given the moment, the feeling of hope and togetherness in the crowd (despite the near mob conditions to get in) the act seemed petty. Small. One can deplore some of the thing the man espouses without becoming smaller than he is.

As Obama said in quoting scripture, we must put aside childish things.

The Silver Crush at the Obama Inaugural

For the record, I was one of the many people who was trapped outside the Silver gate on Independence and 3rd...I saw the line collapse and people were generally trapped for more than an hour next to the HHS building. People kept pouring into that block, then tons of people started coming back on to 3rd from the Mall, saying they had closed the gate. It wasn't just crowded. We were squeezed against each other and only moved when the force of the crowd moved one way or another. It was scary, and only the fact that everyone seemed in a jubilant mood kept it from getting ugly. Despite the crowding and the sheer mass of people there was zero police or security presence. Rumors kept swirling that they had closed the Mall. There was no order.

Prior to this we had been in line for three hours. The much advertised port-a-potty shortage was evident, there were none for those of us in line, they were all inside the secure zone. This caused a member of my party to, uh, take the matter into his own hands.

Finally, something gave...the crowd poured across Independence...and then a security barrier went down and we rushed out onto the Mall. I saw no police. No checkpoint. No effort by security to stop hundreds of unscreened people from getting on the Mall several hundred yards from where the most heavily protected man on the planet was standing.

Everything the police has said about why people couldn't get on the Mall doesn't make sense to me. There was room, as satellite pictures show. We were clearly barred from getting on the Mall, and then security just vanished and the unscreened masses ran onto the "secure" zone.

The fact that there were no injuries is somewhat a miracle (though my bladder may be permanently stretched, I held it for four hours). But it wasn't the smooth operation they are spinning it to be.

It was not crowd control we could believe in.

The Moment

The moment I will remember most profound will be the firing of the cannon after the oath...it was at that moment an old era passed and a new one began. An era where we don't win political victories by appealing to our baser natures, an era when it is possible to be of a racial minority and be democratically elected to the highest office in the land.

It was an exclamation point in time. One moment, George W. Bush was president. Boom. Now Barack Hussein Obama is president. We didn't get to that moment by magic, but it felt magical.

Yes, yes, I know Obama became president at noon, before the 21 gun salute even started, before he and the chief justice stumbled over the words of the presidential oath.

It's just that, in that moment, change arrived. And announced itself with unyielding certainty.

Washington Post Alerts

I signed up for "INAUGURATION & NEWS" alerts (all caps the Post's) to my phone, but so far, other than the confirmation text the only thing I've gotten from them is text asking me for information.

How Many Times Will I Stand in Line for Obama?

I stood in line to see him in Las Vegas, in line to vote for him in Columbia Heights, stood in line at the Rayburn House Office building to pick up my tickets today (pictured) so I can stand in line tomorrow so I can stand up next to a gazillion other people to watch it on a giant outdoor TV screen while being careful to not drink anything so I won't have to stand in line to go pee.

You'd think this was an historic event, or something.

The line down 1st St, SE, around the Cannon House Office Building.

Meet Dixie

The newest addition to our little family. She's a chocolate lab and, well, pit-bull mix. Supposedly only 1/4 pit but her face is clearly pit bullish. The Goldenish eyes are quite stunning.

She is also quite timid but welcomes attention and is starting to come when called.

The Pet rescue people called not two hours after we got her home and said "whoops, we just noticed in her medical records, she's got heartworm." I'd smell a rat if it weren't for the fact they are going to pay for her treatment, making me accept it as an oversight and not deception. Rescue dogs come with issues and Ranger had hers and Buster did too. Heartworm treatment is no picnic and it's not going to help her calm down and get acclimated.

Reading is Fundamental

I was looking for some online advice in bringing a new dog home and came across this nugget:

Remember: Many adopted dogs have not had the luck to be socialized yet. Their baggage may include unacceptable behavior. Re-educate your dog with the help of books and qualified professionals.

Okay. I just hope my new dog knows how to read!

Big Paws

Tomorrow we get a new companion, a new dog. I will of course fill you in on that, but tonight I am full of reflection of the friend we leave behind, Ranger, 1993 -2008.

It's been just over 5 months.

I found Ranger at the animal shelter on the west side of Jacksonville, Fl. The LTR and I were split up, he was living on his family's farm in eastern Ohio and I had just moved to Florida to start a new aspect of my career with corporate America.

(The LTR and I would of course reunite in Jacksonville, but that's a story for another post).

I was lonely, did some desperate things, then decided to get a dog so I would have someone to care for.

Of the three dogs I have had as an adult, Ranger was the most destructive initially but ultimately the most obedient. She loved to chew. Pens, especially. She turned my apartment carpet into a Rorschach test. My kitchen pantry didn't have a door, and once she pulled out an entire bag of instant mashed potatoes and went running through the apartment making it look like it had snowed. If I had had a leaky pipe that day I could have set a world record for the largest mashed potato.

She loved to run and jump. She stood about half a foot high and could jump as high as my shoulders. In Florida, there is a weed that grows in grass that produces a sharp spur. It hurts when stepped on by human or canine. When she would step on it she would levitate straight up in the air, all four legs pressed together. I'm sure it was painful to her, but it sure was funny to see.

She always had to be a part of everything. The LTR would say, "you've got a nose problem, girl" because she was always sticking her nose into everything, be it a social gathering or those two hornet's nests she found during our hikes (and we all got stung. Both times).

Of Golden Retriever mix, she played against type and hated the water. We almost lost her to water, twice. Once, on our boat, I saw her walking the gunwale as we were leaving the dock. I looked back a second later and she was gone. I jumped down from the bridge, and she was in the water, panicked, and I quickly fished her out. I have shuddered many times thinking what would have happened had I not looked back that second time as we were leaving the dock.

She was finicky when it came to food and was not a dog who begged. But one time on the boat the LTR was about to grill and set a huge steak out. She was able to reach it and the LTR caught her with the raw steak in her mouth, weighing almost half her weight and she had a "oh, I don't have a steak in my mouth" look to her. Ignore the dog behind the curtain.

She had a stage debut in Florida...she played Max, the Grinch's dog. The LTR was the Grinch. She looked like Max, and was brilliant in the role.

There's much more I could tell you about my friend Ranger. She was a loving, loyal companion. I don't expect the new dog to fill her paws. The new dog will create her own space in my heart.

It's just hard not to feel the absence of those beloved paws as we eagerly await the sound of new ones in our home.

Goodnight, girl. We miss you.

Directions to the Kennedy Center

A woman in an SUV calls to me (on my bike) on 14th and Penn by the Treasury building on my way home from work.

"Which way to the Kennedy Center?" she asks.

My first thought was "hell if I know, I play it by ear each time I drive there, do you think I can give you directions?"

My second thought was "why didn't you say, 'how do I get to the Kennedy Center?' so I could say, 'practice, practice, practice'."

What I said was, "go to K Street, turn left and look for a sign." (It's actually pretty well marked off K Street. After that, though, well, good luck!

The lady and her companion had no clue where in the City Kennedy Center is. In fact, at one point she asked me if the Treasury Dept. was the Kennedy Center.

Which leads to the final thought: In this age of Google Maps and Mapquest you came into Washington on a Friday night on Inaugural weekend during rush hour with no friggin' clue where you were going?

Do we think she made show time?

Maybe I should have told her the Treasury Building was the Ken Cen and let the Secret Service sort it out...

What They Really Meant Was..

So, it was like 9 this morning, with a stiff wind out of the North-northwest. Perfect day for biking to work! Which I did.

Normally I remove my helmet and other gear before coming inside but I had so much headgear on and it was, well, 9, I decided to remove said gear in the warmth of my office.

Walking in, bedecked in bike helmet, two different co-workers asked me, "Oh, did you ride your bike today." To which I wanted to say, "No, I was afraid I'd bump my head so I decided to wear this bike helmet all day."

Upon reflection, I have decided that when they saw me in my bike helmet, they didn't mean to ask, "Did you ride your bike today?" What they really meant was, "Are you really so stupid to ride your bike to work when it's so freakin' cold?"

That question makes sense.

Help and Compassion: US Airways in the Hudson River

Once in a while, it seems like humanity might have a fighting chance. And actually deserve to survive:

Ferry, tour boat and tugboat crews tossed life vests to the stranded passengers and began hoisting them up ladders. Soaked and shivering, Schugel had to plunge back into the river and swim a few feet to reach the first arriving boat. On deck, she then turned her attention to a fellow passenger who had suffered a deep gash in her leg and was bleeding heavily.
Grabbing a belt from one of the men, she recalled: "I tied it as tightly as I could, and we elevated her leg to stop the bleeding. The most amazing part was, I saw no pushing, no shoving. I saw nothing but help and compassion."

Closing the On-Ramps to the Beltway on I-Day

BTW, I'm getting tired of trying how to remember to spell "Inauguration."

This in, courtesy of WTOP:

"[MD State Highway Admin. Spokesperson] says it may be necessary to temporarily close ramps on the Beltway.

'If [traffic] starts backing up onto the Beltway, that's a safety issue,' Edgar says. "

Wait. What? Traffic backs up every day on the Beltway. Now it's a safety issue?

Gays in Obama's Inaugural

You can look for LGBT musical organizations in the Obama Inaugural.

Gay Band to March in Inaugural Parade

The Lesbian and Gay Band Association (LGBA), a musical organization comprising marching and concert bands from across the United States and around the world, is proud to announce the five musical selections it will perform during the parade for President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration on January 20, 2009. LGBA is the first lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender group in history to be invited to march in a President’s Inaugural Parade.

More info here.

Gay Men's Chorus of Washington to Perform at Opening Concert

The Gay Men's Chorus of Washington (GMCW) will perform at the Opening Celebration for the 56th Presidential Inaugural, on Sunday, January 18, 2009. The event will take place from 2:00-4:00 pm with an exclusive broadcast on HBO the same day (7:00-9:00 pm ET/PT). The event is free and open to the public, kicking off the most open and accessible Inauguration in history.

More info here.

I have friends in both organizations and am proud of them all.

(Living in DC and watching the Secret Service putting a vice grip on things to shut the city down, I would have to quibble with "Most open and accessible...")

Gay Leaders Setting the Bar Too Low

David Mixner asks if in this era of "yes we can" the gay community is setting its sights too low:

We have nothing to lose as a community to carefully and respectfully discuss what makes sense as our agenda this coming year. Just simply to pass a civil rights bill that was written decades ago, while symbolic, might not be the correct course. Clearly Hate Crimes continue to escalate in the country but quite honestly with our margin in the senate and President-elect Obama in the White House, the passage of such legislation should be a slamdunk for the LGBT community. If it isn't, then we have to seriously question our Democratic friends.

LGBT Leaders Meet with Obama Transition

Kudos to the Obama transition for holding this meeting.

But if the repeal of DADT or DOMA was brought up by our community's leaders, it's not in this video.

Obama has promised both; both would be a watershed moment in our quest for full equality that would ultimately have tidal wave pro potion ripple effects on everything. The right sees this, that's why they are so afraid of it.

These are all good people, at that table, and I recognize all they have tried to do for our community. But it absolutely makes me cringe when I hear them asking for "protections." ENDA? Census questions? That's it?


As Andoni on Chris Crain's blog notes, the top LGBT vote-getting question to the Obama transition on the change.gov site has to do with our civil marriage rights, not ENDA or Hate Crimes. Marriage rights in top ten issues. ENDA and Hate Crimes, Not. It would be a great lost opportunity if our "leaders" didn't re-enforce that message.

I wish our leaders would stop begging for protections, and start demanding our rights.

The Art of Rock, Paper Scissors

Really, it's an art. You can brush up on your skills and strategic RPSing while you wait in line to get to the National Mall to watch the swearing in on Tuesday.

"Promise"

"Promise." That's the subject line of an bulk e-mail I got from Bill Clinton. Without any hint of irony.

To Republicans: Really? This is Your Guy?

Ken Blackwell, the leading contender for the GOP chairman, is coming under justifiable fire for stating that homosexuality is a "compulsion" that can be "resisted."

Really? You guys take this guy seriously? And do you have any idea how arrogant this is:

"I've never had to make the choice because I've never had the urge to be other than a heterosexual," Blackwell added, "but if in fact I had the urge to be something else I could have in fact suppressed that urge."

Really? You're going to make this Neanderthal your leader? Do you have any idea how dismissive and condescending his attitude is of our lives and our relationships?

And could someone please ask him if he could resist the "urge" to be in a meaningful relationship with someone he desired to spend his life with?

Should anyone really expect to take the Republican Party seriously anymore?

Gibbs: Yes We Can Get Rid of Don't Ask Don't Tell

So says Obama spokesperson Robert Gibbs in responding to popular questions on the Obama transition Web site, change.gov. Will the new administration get rid of "don't ask don't tell?" is the question. An unequivocal "yes" is the answer. We've got to hold them to this, but it's an encouraging sign.

Policies, not prayers.

The question and answer are about 4:17 into the video.

Good Panties Make Good Neighbors

At first we thought that Bill, our new next door neighbor, was just a repressed homosexual.

Problem is, gay guys who wear drag wear women's clothes to perform in, not get off in.

Bill liked wearing women's panties. And there was definitely something sexual in it for him. His girlfriend left him when she woke up one morning to find him in her G-string.

Later Bill also began painting his toenails. I always thought his choice of colors was a bit garish, I must admit. Even if he did try to coordinate his panty selection with the latest nail color.

Bill also loved pot. And brewing his own beer. Bill's parties were fun.

Bill was bright - a chemical engineer with a highly paying job with the U.S. Patent office. We were all surprised one day when he announced one day he had quit his job to enroll in beauty school. Bill had decided to become a hairdresser.

That didn't last very long, though. A few months later he announced he had quit school -- a beauty school dropout -- because, "it was all too focused on fashion and looks and stuff." I swear that's what he said.

We all wondered what was next for Bill. It turned out to be Jesus. Bill found God, and he renounced pot, beer, panties and, well, us. I said to the LTR, "I liked Bill more when he was a pot-smoking cross-dresser." We rarely saw Bill at this point, he mostly kept to himself, sitting in a small room on his second floor, reading the Bible and staring at a picture of Christ on the wall.

Bill eventually sold his house and bought land in southern Virginia to become an organic farmer...at least that was the plan. Haven't seen him since.

Our new neighbors are terrific...a typical family. How disappointing.

At least the former stripper still rents the basement apartment next door.

Gay Men's Chorus of Washington to Perform for Obama

At an Inaugural event (according to a little bird I know). Don't know which one, but I doubt Rick Warren will be there.

Obama's Inauguration: New Security Requirement

The Presidential Inaugural Committee is planning on releasing a new security provision for the swearing-in ceremony on January 20th. All persons witnessing the event on the West Front of the Capitol and the National Mall are required to exhale only on even-numbered seconds if their Social Security number ends in an even digit and on the odd-numbered seconds if their SSN ends in an odd digit.

This is to prevent the Inaugural Party from being smothered by CO2 from the breathes of millions of people or from being blown off the platform should everyone exhale at once.

(Those of you turning your backs on Rick Warren are exempt from this rule for the duration of the Invocation).

Obama's Inaguaration: Sealing Off DC

It appears that all the bridges from VA will be closed on Inauguration Day. It's not clear to me why this is necessary. Does anyone know?

My guess is that this will be the most isolated DC has been since the Civil War.

2008 in Review (Uncle Jay Explains for Your Kids)

Thanks to Stevo for sending this to me.

Grief

If grief is a process of stages then I think it's not linear...it's circular. It comes back.

What They Say and What They Mean

After being in a relationship with someone for more than two decades you really do almost learn to read minds.

For example, I came home tonight and, while changing from my bike clothes, plugged my iPod into the radio alarm next to the bed and turned it on. On random play it was Julie Andrews singing "If I Loved You" from Carousel. The LTR comes in and says, "I need to set the alarm, I'm sleeping in tomorrow...oh I can't set it while that bitch is singing" and walked out.

Actually, he verbalized "while she is singing." The "that bitch" was silent.

Bear Hunting

No, not the kind you'd find wearing chaps and a leather harness at the Eagle that can be lured with a "woof." The four legged, Yogi variety.

The LTR and I witnessed bear hunting during our trip to the mountains, and we were appalled.

Keep in mind, we both come from hunting traditions in our families and are not opposed to hunting. But this type of bear hunting is disgusting.

It's done with dogs. And radios. And hunters sitting in trucks until the game is cornered.

Each hunter sets bait ("breads, cereals, jams, and other sweets" according to one bear hunting Web site).

Then they loose the dogs (up to six per hunter, according to one online source, although I did not witness that many at once and the size of the team may vary state to state).

The dogs root out the bears, then chase it up a tree. The hunter then shoots the bear with a high powered rifle.

And what are the hunters doing while the dogs are ganging up on the bear? Again, according to a bear hunting Web site, the hunters are out in the woods with the dogs...but I didn't see a single bear hunter in the woods...but I did see them sitting in their pickup trucks at the trailheads, monitoring their dogs through the radio collars they have on their necks.

Look, if my family's subsistence depended on my hunting skills, damn straight I'd use dogs and radio technology to bring the food home.

But they call this a "sport."

But in my view, there's no sport in this.

The video below shows dogs treeing a bear. There is no kill shot. It's possible the hunters in this video let the bear, which appears to be a cub, go. But it gives you an idea of the "sport."

"You Will Know We Are Christians By Our _____"

When the LTR and I checked into our cabin here in Love, Virginia, we both saw the Holy Bible on the nightstand in the bedroom. The LTR brought it up later, and it turned out we both had the same gut reaction. As the LTR put it, "I thought, 'I hope I don't meet the mean, intolerant, judgemental person who put it there.' And then I felt sad that I felt that way."

But, given how many Christians behave, it's no wonder we each had that reaction.

A family member who is a devout Christian, teaches Sunday School, leads the family in prayer and regularly spouts bible verses found out about the true nature of the LTR's and my relationship this year. This year, she failed, for the first time, to send a Christmas card.

"And they'll know we are Christians by our love," I used to sing in Vacation Bible School. Either that was a lie or the Christians today running around passing laws and generally foaming at the mouth have no concept of what Jesus actually meant. Like when He said "Love one another as you would yourself."

New Year's in Love

The LTR and I are in a cabin in Love, Virginia., near the George Washington National Forest and on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We arrived last night around 5 p.m. and spent New Year's at 2500 feet in front of a roaring fire after relaxing in the jacuzzi.

Today we hiked Humpback Mountain, a short warm-up 5 mile hike before tomorrow's 11-miler. We had stunning views from the peak of the mountain, under pristine skies. The trick on the trail today was wading through mounds of leaves on the trail in places. The leaves obscured the path and the roots and rocks on it, causing me to fall -- the first time I've fallen on a trail since, well, I can't remember. The key to not getting lost on the trail covered by leaves is to keep your focus not just on the step in front of you, but on the trail farther ahead so you can get a perspective of where you are going. Sort of like life...if you focus just on the day before you and not see the longer road ahead you can lose sight of where you are going.

And so 2008 ends. It was a good year and a sad year. We mourn the loss of the LTR's father and the loss of our companion of nearly 16 years, Ranger. She is still sorely missed, especially when we can still see her on the trail with us, racing ahead and then racing back to urge us on.

2008 saw some great professional milestones for me; I loved the program I managed and it did great.

2009 promises to be a year of change...for our nation certainly as the candidate who promised change takes office. For us, the LTR and me, I see changes coming in our lives. We will get a new dog this year. And changes are likely for both of us professionally. When 2007 turned into 2008 I had a pretty good sense of the road to come. As 2008 changes to 2009, I know the road is about to turn...but I know not where.

And the adventure continues...I will try and see where the trail leads ahead, obscure though it may be, while keeping my balance over the unseen obstacles that find my feet.

Ay Yam What Ay Yam

Turns out Popeye was right.

I've been having problems with muscle fatigue while biking and cramping while swimming -- a sure sign of potassium deficiency according to a Web search (though the LTR points out that it's easy to be convinced you have anything when you look up the symptoms online. He's right -- I may have a potassium deficiency or I may be pregnant).

And so I need to eat more bananas, a great source of potassium. Problem is, I hate bananas (but love banana bread, go figure). Another source of potassium: potatoes. Problem is, I avoid carbs like some people want to avoid Rick Warren.

But one food on the list I like and will eat is: spinach!

So I'm about to up my spinach intake and see if that helps. I can't wait to see the lifeguard's face when I pop open a can of the green stuff and guzzle it before hoping into the pool.

Oh, and Mom -- that thing about waiting an hour after you eat to avoid cramps is well, popeye-cock.

Happy Holidays

A little tardy holiday greetings from me to you...I've had limited access to the Internets.

My best wishes to all of you. I hope 2008 gave you many things to celebrate and 2009 offers hope of better things to come.

My thanks to all of you who stop in here and read or share your thoughts. You have helped enrich my life.

This photo is a stand of sycamore trees near my parent's home in Southern Illinois, which I took on Christmas Day

Eva Cassidy -- Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Just when I thought this song couldn't move me anymore...

Melissa Etheridge: The Choice

Sister Melissa writes this after she meets and talks to Rick Warren:

Brothers and sisters the choice is ours now. We have the world's attention.
We have the capability to create change, awesome change in this world, but
before we change minds we must change hearts. Sure, there are plenty of hateful
people who will always hold on to their bigotry like a child to a blanket. But
there are also good people out there, Christian and otherwise that are beginning
to listen. They don't hate us, they fear change. Maybe in our anger, as we
consider marches and boycotts, perhaps we can consider stretching out our hands.
Maybe instead of marching on his church, we can show up en mass and volunteer
for one of the many organizations affiliated with his church that work for
HIV/AIDS causes all around the world.

Maybe if they get to know us, they wont fear us.

I know, call me a dreamer, but I feel a new era is upon us.

Yes, we can.

Rick Warren, Obama and Race

A reader writes me a hypothetical: What would Barack Obama have thought in the 60s if a president had included a preacher in his inaugural who preached that interracial marriage was a sin?

Most likely the preachers who spoke at inaugurals in 50s or 60s DID think interracial marriage was sinful. They surely must have thought and preached that premarital sex was sinful, so Obama's parents were likely doubly condemned.

Warren's religious beliefs lead him to declare homosexuality and gay marriage sinful. That's his right. And Obama has declared he does not share this view. I don't think we gays win anything by demanding someone be excluded from the inaugural because of what he or she believes. We can and should oppose them on the policy front. But prevent him from saying a prayer?

These blessings don't have the import you give to them. Who gave the invocation at Clinton's inaugural? What did he or she say? How did it shape the outcome of the Clinton Administration?

There is a double standard here and it seems to me to be this one: We supported Obama and were willing to overlook the fact that his pastor claimed white people invented AIDS to kill black people. We believed Obama that Rev. Wright didn't inform his views on that topic. Why are we so unwilling to accept Obama's denunciation of Warren's view of sinful homosexuality? His relationship with Warren is far less substantial than his one with Wright. And on the subject of gay marriage Warren and Obama do agree: one man, one woman. We knew Obama's position on this (sadly) before the election. His reaching out to Warren doesn't surprise me, especially given Warren's work in other areas (aid to Africa, which is important to the President-elect)and that fact that Warren's views on homosexuality are (also sadly)part of the Christian mainstream.

It also doesn't surprise me as I re-read Obama's speech on race.

He said:

"I chose to run for president at this moment in history because I believe deeply that we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together."

That's Obama's overriding goal. To achieve it he cannot afford to be governed by what he, we or anyone might consider moral purity. Common ground must be found even between fierce foes. This point becomes clearer as Obama talks about black rage -- which he thinks is justified. Nevertheless:


"The anger is not always productive; indeed, all too often it distracts attention from solving real problems...and prevents the African-American community from forging alliances it needs to bring about real change."

Another part of Obama's race speech also offers insight into how he might see Warren. Referring to the most divisive and and outrageous comments of Wright, Obama reflects:

"But the truth is, that isn't all I know of the man. The man I met more than 20 years ago is a man who helped introduce me to my Christian faith, a man who spoke to me about our obligations to love one another..."

You get the point. Obama is not the type of person who rejects someone completely if he finds one thing he is vehemently opposed to in a person. Human beings are complex animals and Obama recognizes this. That's a welcome relief from the us vs. them mentality that has been disastrous for our country.

Again, I do agree that we can't give the Obama Administration the benefit of the doubt on following through on policy. I'm more alarmed by Rahm Emanuel's lowering expectations on DADT. That's directly relating to policy, and its far more important than whatever prayer Rick Warren will say on Jan. 20.

It's the Confidence, Stupid

Fareed Zakaria says the key to rebuilding the economy is restoring trust in capitalism...and will be the biggest challenge he faces.

Divorcing 18,000

This is downright hateful.

But Jerry Brown's response is heartening,

Rick Warren II

You're either with us or against us.

Remember that? Wasn't that type of rigid "thinking" part of what we wanted to change from? The whole didactic "us vs. them" mentality that has made our politics poisonous and our government ineffective?

One of the comments I read was from a fellow traveller who whined, "After working so hard to get Obama elected, this is how he repays us?"

Actually, I would hope we wouldn't settle for a pro-gay preacher to say a prayer as "repayment." That's an awfully small reward. I'd hope instead for pro-gay policies, which Obama says he is in favor of and which I think we need to follow through with him to give him support and pressure to make it happen. If I thought all I was going to get from an Obama administration was symbolic gestures to make our community feel good, why, I would have voted for Hillary.

Obama said throughout the election (and I heard him say it several times throughout Nevada, personally) that he wasn't always going to tell us what we want to hear. Guess what? He's delivering on that promise. He's telling us that he is going to deal with all Americans, and that includes the mainstream who are opposed to gay marriage, many of whom, like my own family, believes it is a sin.

It also means he's going to deal with -- and work with -- us. If Obama were playing ideological identity politics, banishing from his administration or state events those who didn't meet a checklist of ideological purity that fit the politics of the moment, we might feel better. Today.

But while we might fit on the list today, politics can change and we might not fit tomorrow.

This is what the big tent feels like. It's full of things that we admire, things that fascinate us and things we fear. And if you're going to have a big tent, there's bound to be a few clowns.

Rick Warren is a clown and this controversy is a circus. Let it go -- there are serious things we need to focus on, like repealing DOMA and DADT.

Policies are what is important, not prayers.

Can I Just Write You a Check?

Conversation with a family member today, consulting on Christmas gifts. Without boring you with the whole conversation, it was essentially me saying, "what about X?" and the family member responding mostly in the affirmative then adding, "just get it at [large national chain store] so they can take it back if they don't like it."

Seriously, why am I not just writing checks or giving gift cards?

Thanksgiving with Eli

Thanksgiving this year was wonderful fun, primarily due to Eli's visit with us. It included snowball fights, sled riding, turkey (of course) playing with cousins, swimming, weight lifting (the LTR's competition) and long adventurous bed time stories. All things, you know, a part of the radical gay agenda. Here are some photo highlights.

Holiday Greetings

Sent to me by a friend:

My Democratic Friends:

“Please accept (with no obligation, implied or implicit) best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. We also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2009, with due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great (This is not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country, nor that America is the only country in the Western Hemisphere), and without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee. By accepting these greetings, you are accepting these terms. This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for himself, herself, or others. This greeting is void where prohibited by law and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.”


For My Republican Friends:

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The Other Preacher at Obama's Inauguration

The Rev. Joseph Lowery, civil rights icon (he marched with King) and co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He's an African-American pastor who has spoken out for gay rights and is in favor not only of gay clergy but of same-sex marriage (the latter making him more progressive than Obama).

And he's giving the benediction at Obama's inauguration.

And Lowerey's inclusion doesn't mean Obama's changed his position on gay marriage, any more than Rick Warren's inclusion means Obama's backed away from civil unions and the repeal of DOMA.

Policies matter more than prayers.

Rick Warren

An overblown issue. Calm down, people.

Do you remember the preacher who gave the invocation at the Clinton inaugural? And the influence exerted by that individual over the ensuing eight years? I don't either. In fact, that person wasn't even mentioned in the WaPo story of the Clinton swearing in.

I've seen no evidence that Obama is changing his mind about any of his pro-gay positions. And although I don't care for Rick Warren's positions on gay people, he probably doesn't care for my positions on gay people.

Frankly, I don't care which witch doctor casts his spells over the inauguration (why is a religious element a part of a matter of state, anyway?). I care about the policy positions of the guy being sworn in. And although I think we need to be taking nothing for granted and hold Obama's feet to the fire, this whole controversy is a sideshow. Not the main event.

Shallow Choices: Camenot

She was picked because she brought glamour, history and excitement to the ticket, could whip up the base and boost fundraising.

Yet Sarah Palin turned out to be a disaster.

Caroline Kennedy is being considered for the New York Senate City left by Hillary because....she brings glamour, history and excitement, can whip up the base and fundraise like nobody's businesss.

Okay, I've no doubt Caroline is a sharper cookie than Palin. But the reasons for picking her are the same...aren't they? And Palin at least had run a campaign and gone before voters of her city and state. Caroline wants to skip that part and get one the juicest offices in the land because...of who her family is?

Should we just apologize to Queen Elizabeth and tell her it was all a mistake?

No Bikes on Metro Inauguration Day

If you plan to bike to the festivities you can't take part of the trip on Metro.

Love Me, Hate My Diet

I've come to that conclusion about my family and friends. They just don't support my diet! (And by diet I mean small "d" diet, not like I'm on Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers or some such. I maintain a low carb, low fat diet and rarely consume sweets). But it seems everywhere I turn family and friends are trying to get me to eschew my diet and chew the carbs.

"Just this once" is the operative expression, justifying my straying from the plan that's helped me lose and keep 50 pounds off my "big boned" frame ("You're not "fat," my mom would say to me, just "big boned.") Well, if I ate every piece of cake, cookie or pie every time someone said "just this once" I'd be swelling past "big boned" and right into the "husky" category.

It's not that I don't occasionally go "off diet." I ate homemade pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, along with oyster stuffing (yum!). I'll eat my mom's Christmas cookies next week. I split a dessert at one of our favorite restaurants with the LTR last weekend...which is why I need to skip the stale chocolate that's in the kitchen at my office that everyone keeps telling me to eat.

Why is it other people feel they need to tell me what I need to put in my mouth (don't go there...)? Is it not enough that I'm obviously well-nourished and healthy, needing neither emergency lipo or an anorexic intervention anytime soon? I don't feel compelled to walk around telling friends and family what they shouldn't eat; why must they tell me what I should?

Love me, love my diet. It's that simple.

Skip the HRC's Out for Equality Ball

Some people are mad that the HRC is planning an inaugural ball ("We should be marching instead of dancing") but I say let's take it further and urge everyone not to go. Why?

Well, setting aside for a second that HRC is an ineffective civil rights organization (it is) that doesn't deserve your donations (it doesn't), attending won't do us any good. Oh, the pictures will look fabulous in the Washington Blade and Metro Weekly (we clean up well). But if we stick to business as usual (love those Dems, let's all get together and give them our money and votes!!) we get what we've gotten, which is the shaft. What good will it do to ghetto-ize our participation at the Obama inaugural?

Instead, yes -- go celebrate Obama. But go to other inaugural balls and events. Wear your "No on H8" button. Take your partner or boy or girlfriend. Hold hands. Kiss and dance. Talk to people. Let them know you expect Obama to deliver on his promises to our community. Getting a Democrat into the White House wasn't the goal...repealing DOMA and DADT is. Let people know we are watching.

And to be fair, there are other organizations participating in the HRC Ball, ones that are worthy of your contributions. So contribute to them directly and skip the wasteful masturbatory HRC extravaganza.

Here's a list of inaugural events you can chose from. Why isolate ourselves when we don't have to?

Hang Up and Fly

Wonder how flying could possibly become more miserable than it already is? Here's how.

No On 8 Afterthoughts

Lots has been said and done since the disappointing defeat...the grassroots organized a massive protest and HRC organized a black-tie inaugural gala...and a lot of blaming the No on 8 campaign staff for missteps.

One of those criticisms is that they kept the gay out of the campaign. I tend to buy into that criticism, but Dale Carpenter makes the opposite point:

"This may have been the only strategy that had any chance of winning under the circumstances. If the campaign had frankly presented the case for gay families and marriage we might have lost by a much larger margin. No on 8 leaders were trying to dislodge in five months what people have been taught for a lifetime about homosexuals and marriage. Given the size of the task, it’s amazing we nearly succeeded."

I'd like to think he's wrong. But although I've been out to my family for a good many years now, and out to all my friends, I have family and friends who would have voted "yes" on 8. They accept me and the LTR in every other way. But they can't bring themselves to go for the "m" word. So giving our relationships and even just gayness a "face" may not in this case have worked (Sean Bugg makes the simple and elegant point that the mainstream press viewpoint is that gay people have sex, straight people have relationships. I think that viewpoint is sadly universal).

I'd like to think that being "out" is key to knocking down bigotry and fear. But at least as regard to acceptance to gay marriage in my own family, it has not.

Marriage may be the true glass ceiling.

The Power Donut

I think a shaved head is hot.

But some experts disagree.

Bike vs. Car. Again.

I witnessed an accident this morning. A cyclist was coming east bound in the crosswalk (with the light) across 24th street at Lincoln Circle. A car in northbound lane of 24th ran the light and blocked the crosswalk...and stopped because of traffic in front of him. The cyclist, a young woman, frustrated by being cut off, slapped the hood of the guy's car. Bad move. But wait...there's more.

The driver, enraged, gets out of his car and starts running toward the cyclist. Crap, I thought, he's going to attack her. Except he forgot one thing: to put his car in "park."

So he steps for the cyclist and his car keeps going down 24th street without him, edging over into the left lane (maybe it thought the cyclist was going to hit it again). In doing so, it nearly pinned the cyclist and the driver against another car. Fortunately the hothead driver was able to get back in and put the thing in park (not before howling in pain).

Luckily no one was really hurt, though I expect the car driver to have some nasty bruises.

I called 911 and filed a statement with the police once they got there and sorted things out. As I was leaving the car driver came to me and introduced himself (one wouldn't think that after you've almost crushed a cyclist under the wheels of your car that you'd turn it into a networking opportunity, but this is Washington). I politely told him to share the road...to which he began explaining to me it was the cyclists' fault.

Sensing that my work there was finished, I remounted my bike and made it (safely) to work.

O Holy Night

I heard my favorite Christmas carol today, O Holy Night. It's a shame the third verse isn't sung very often as it's the most powerful...and the most revolutionary:

Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother
And in His name all oppression shall cease.

Oops.

Don't think the church has quite got the ceasing oppression in His name part down. Maybe sometime in the next couple thousand years.

As Gilbert Chesterson said, Christianity hasn't failed...it just hasn't been tried.

Traditional Biblical Marriage

A commenter at Pam's House Blend Lays it out:

If we let the Bible define "traditional marriage" then these changes should be made (4.00 / 5)
If we are to let the Bible define what "traditional marriage" should look like, then our marriage laws should be amended as such: ~snark~

A. Marriage in the United States shall consist of a union between one man and one or more women. (Gen 29:17-28; II Sam 3:2-5)

B. Marriage shall not impede a man's right to take concubines in addition to his wife or wives. (II Sam 5:13; I Kings 11:3; II Chron 11:21)

C. A marriage shall be considered valid only if the wife is a virgin. If the wife is not a virgin, she shall be executed. (Deut 22:13-21)

D. Marriage of a believer and a non-believer shall be forbidden. (Gen 24:3; Num 25:1-9; Ezra 9:12; Neh 10:30)

E. Since marriage is for life, neither this Constitution nor the constitution of any State, nor any state or federal law, shall be construed to permit divorce. (Deut 22:19; Mark 10:9)

F. If a married man dies without children, his brother shall marry the widow. If he refuses to marry his brother's widow or deliberately does not give her children, he shall pay a fine of one shoe and be otherwise punished in a manner to be determined by law. (Gen 38:6-10; Deut 25:5-10)

G. In lieu of marriage, if there are no acceptable men in your town, it is required that you get your dad drunk and have sex with him (even if he had previously offered you up as a sex toy to men young and old), tag-teaming with any sisters you may have. Of course, this rule applies only if you are female. (Gen 19:31-36)

Many Bible passages don't make sense in todays society, but they are ignored by those who seek to keep all Gay people oppressed.

"Religion is a Lifestyle Choice"

Amen.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Mike Huckabee Pt. 2

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Inauguration Day: Be Prepared to Hold It

For all you out-of-towners worried about where you're going to stay on this historic Inauguration Day -- forget that. Worry about where you're going to pee.

DC Metro (our "subway" for the uninitiated -- and by the way, stand to the right on the escalators. If you actually encounter one in service, that is ) has announced it will be closing its bathrooms for security reasons (not that they were readily accessible to begin with).

Instead they will be setting up port-a-potties, about 1 for every 6,849 people according to one estimate.

So, although Obama is going to turn the page, I guess a lot of us will probably still be looking for a bush come Jan. 20.

Maybe that's what Obama meant by the "fierce urgency of now."

Bow Down Before the Power of Santa

I'm not in much of a Christmas spirit this year...I don't really have a good reason (other than perhaps the let down of not having Eli here. We had a truly wonderful visit but it just doesn't seem worth celebrating without a child around. I don't have a religious reason to celebrate it. When I announced the other day to the LTR I didn't think I'd decorate this year he was shocked...and disappointed. This surprised me greatly. Every year I talk of my grandiose plans for decorating, which always includes getting the largest tree I can fit under our 12 foot ceiling. Each year he ribs me for it, protesting and complaining. So can he possibly be surprised when I decide if I'm just going to decorate for my own edification it's not worth it? Apparently, he can be. So he says he's going to do some decorating which means I'm going to have to end up doing it anyway, because you know he just won't do it the right way. Sigh.

And what I'm really dreading most of all is the shopping. Basically my family just does each other's shopping at Christmas time. We trade lists and go to town, ticking off each item. It's just not fun. I tried suggesting last year to my mother that we just buy for the kids or, at most, the kids plus each buy for one adult whose name we pick out of a hat. She looked as if she had seen a Grinch. I feel like Charlie Brown at the beginning of his Christmas special...I just don't get it anymore. Thus ends the longest parenthetical in the history of Scott's Take).

But it doesn't matter. We must all bow down before the power of Santa.

Obama's Inaugural Parade to Include Gay Band

UPDATE II: A friend and reader points out to me that both Clinton inaugural parades included a large contingent from the Names Project, marching with quilt panels. That was a big deal, and in fairness to the Clinton administration, I should point that out (yes, folks, I'm actually acknowledging something positive about the Clintons. It must be Christmastime...).

UPDATE: Looks like the word is out. Go LGBA!

The Lesbian and Gay Band Association (LGBA) has announced that a marching contingent comprised of people from its members bands has officially been accepted to march in Obama's Inaugural Parade.

This is the first time in history an openly gay group will be in the parade (Clinton okayed gays taking part on the side lines in his two inaugurations).

I hope my friends at LGBA will make sure to get the word out, as the fact that our community actually has LGBT bands is a well kept secret. And some folks are already getting antsy about gay visibility in the festivities.

Blago's Greatest Hits

Politico provides us with a list of Gov. Rob's most salacious actions. My favorite, in the "are you out of your freakin' mind" category, is:

9. White House hopes: Being governor of Illinois, possibly appointing himself to the Senate or taking on a posh private-sector gig wasn’t enough for Blagojevich, who expressed “a desire to remake his image in consideration of a possible run for president in 2016.”

Gov. Blowjobovich Harts Himself

My home state Guv goes the route of Gary Hart and dares "anyone" to wiretap him. Remember Gary Hart daring the media to follow him?

Is it hubris or stupidity? Or all of the above?

If you can't remember recent political history maybe you can remember the cliche about glass houses?

And the people should remember their Lord Acton.

What NOT to Say to Your Personal Trainer

"Gee, could you make this any harder?"

Dem Deal Kills Marriage Equality Vote in NY

Democrats promised a vote on a marriage equality bill in the New York Senate if they got control. Joe says a backroom deal derailed that promise.

We keep giving Dems the benefit of the doubt because...?

Ripping Families Off in your Nation's Capital

Yesterday Eli and I ate lunch at Bertucci's in Old town. He had a grilled cheese focaccia sandwich and juice. I had a grilled chicken Caesar salad with anchovies (which is an extra charge) and a large soft drink. Hot rolls and a delicious garlic oil dip was thrown in gratis. I paid $16 before the tip. We had a friendly waiter and good service. It was a great lunch.

Today we ate at the National zoo's "Mane Restaurant (get it, cute...)". He had a hot dog and a juice. I had a grilled chicken Caesar and a large soft drink. We stood in line to get our food and the workers behind the counter were surly. I paid $21. And to say the food sucked would be doing the word "suck" a disservice (after all, the word can be applied in pleasing ways). Eli only ate a third of his hot dog. And I could only eat my salad because I was hungry and was pretty sure the lettuce hadn't been scraped out of the bottom of an old garbage can, although that was a matter of faith on my part and not a matter of taste. I think the Museum of Natural History must have sent over a mummified hen from their "ancient peoples" exhibit for the chicken in the salad. There was no way the flimsy plastic knife was going to hack its way through that wannabe football.

I've known tourist places like to price gouge families...but since I only infrequently take a child to dine in them it's a shock to the system to see it in action. During Eli's last visit we went to the Museum of Natural History (Eli wanted to see the Mummified Fowls of Ancient Egypt exhibit) and we ended up in the cafeteria there (keep in mind, when one thinks of the word "cafeteria" one expects modest food AND modest prices). Eli wanted a slice of pizza. They had single slices of pizza, in one size: huge (one could assume that all that grease wouldn't fit something smaller).

To be charitable, I thought, well, if we were a family with multiple kids we would split it up. Still, I wasn't the only single parent with one kid in tow. And as I predicted, he ate a small third of it (before his arteries clogged and he turned into a pillar of salt). I forget the cost of the "slice" but I do remember it wasn't cheap. I suppose I could have taken it home for leftovers, but if the Department of Homeland security didn't get me for transporting a bio hazard through the nation's capital then Child Protective Services would have taken me in for child abuse.

For all those politicians who talked about helping "working families" or protecting "family values" I'd say a good place to start would be in the national capital's government and quasi-government run tourist attractions. Guys: you're feeding trash to the families who visit them (and we're not talking Disney here, we're talking Smithsonian Institution and the National Zoo) and charging them an arm and a leg for it.

Hell, it'd be healthier just to close the junk joints down and let us gnaw off our own arms and legs if we get hungry. At least it would be fresh.

Coarse Society (Don't Read This One Out Loud at Work)

Riding on the elevator at the new Target/Best Buy/Washington Sports Club complex, Eli and I heard a mother with young children in tow say something like this to an older woman (I think her mother):

"My fucking hand still hurts. And that fucking doctor didn't do a fucking thing about it."

And she said it in a normal, conversational tone, in front of Eli, her kids and everyone. Now, I can let loose with an occasional "fucking" (though "goddamn it!" is my curse of choice) but never in public (unless I'm really losing it) and never in front of kids and DEFINITELY never in front of mother.

So I said, "Would you please watch your language in front of my child?"

Which got me cussed out. As I expected, but one shouldn't take rudeness lying the fuck down, right?

I don't have a problem with swear words but do think it's rude to spout them in public with strangers present. I usually save all my swearing for the LTR. And kids don't know when it's appropriate to use them...as in the case of a coworker who's husband said "Jesus Fucking Christ" in front of their three year old, who then proceeded to use that expression in front of his devout grandmother over the holidays.

That, I would have like to have seen.

Christmas Trees and Global Warming

Want to fight global warming by saving a real Christmas tree by going fake this year?

Think again. Our desire to celebrate the birth of Christ by going all pagan at by killing a pine tree and propping it up in our living rooms to watch them drop needles on our floors is helping to save the planet.

Christmas trees aren't wild. They are grown as a crop, with an estimated 446 million growing in the US today. For every tree cut, one to three are planted. A single tree on average absorbs 48 pounds of CO2 (greenhouse gas) a year. That's 21,408,000,000 pounds of global warming getting soaked up a year. That makes up for the CO2 emitted by 1,070,400,000 families and their cars per year. And if we weren't buying these trees, who would plant them?

Yes, yes, we use more electricity to light these trees...but if you're using a fake tree you're using the same extra electricity without the benefit of funding the CO2-absorbing tree farms. And don't those fake trees come in a cardboard box?

The other thing to know about fake trees is that 85 percent of them are made in China...a nation not known for its eco-friendly manufacturing practices. The real trees I'm talking about are grown right here in Sarah Palin's America, gosh darnnit.

So go head. Kill a tree and put it in your house. The planet will thank you.