I've Been Voted Off the Island

I found out this afternoon that my position will be eliminated as of October 1, 2010.  In other words, I've been laid off.  I work with good people and it's been a great experience.  I survived last year's round of budget cuts, but this year I wasn't so lucky.  My employer is very generous to give me so much advance notice, but it still sucks.   

I've been an attorney for over 20 years and have done everything.  I was in the Army JAG Corps for many years before moving to Dallas and taking a public sector position here.  If anyone knows of any opportunities, please let me know through comments, or through my email address which is is my profile.  Thank you! 

I am now having a cocktail.  A big one.

Maggie Gallagher Defies Gravity

Maggie and her National Organization for Marriage have been on a summer Hate-a-Palloza tour, playing to literally tens of people at their stops.  Pro-gay counter-protesters have greatly outnumbered the haters consistently.  The real reason for the NOM tour has been to compile carefully edited clips of evil, mean, nasty homos harassing the innocent, loving "pro-family" folks.  Here's one of the latest, styled as if it's breaking news:



Notice how they keep going back to the angry black woman?  Funny how that works.  What an ugly mix of homophobia and racism.  NOM will use these clips to raise money and to strengthen their legal efforts to keep secret the names of anti-gay petition signers and contributors.

I wonder if they'll make a video about this guy?   Or this guy? 

I find it fascinating that NOM is working so hard to keep the names of their supporters secret.  It wasn't very long ago that gay organizations and publications struggled to keep names secret because of shame and fear.  Now it's the anti-gay groups who shrink in shame and fear of public condemnation.

Iowa: Marriage is Up, Divorce is Down

The Iowa Department of Public Health has released findings regarding the first year of marriage equality in the state.  Marriage rates are up and divorces are down:

- Iowa posted the lowest number of divorces since 1970.


- 21,139 marriages occurred in Iowa last year – the most since 2000 and the first increase since 2005. The 1,573 jump in marriages over 2008 included the first-ever same-gender unions.

- 2,020 same-sex couples – 728 male partners and 1,292 female partners — were married during that time span while 16,869 opposite-gender marriages were recorded.

It's not just Iowa.  Massachusetts has the lowest divorce rate in the country.  Wait a minute, Don't we "tear at the fabric of society?"  What about the horrifying threat to marriage people! 

Santorum is Running

For president, that is.  Former Senator Rick Man-on-Dog Santorum is reportedly running for the GOP nomination for president in 2010, despite loosing his re-election to the Senate by 18 points in 2006.  This is great news for the Democrats, if only for the pleasure of Ricky's anti-gay supporters Googling "Santorum" and finding this NSFW result.   Expect Santorum to start oozing out after the mid-terms.

Elizabeth Hasslebeck Explains Lesbianism for You

The View's resident right-wing dumbass and reality show loser explains where lesbians come from:



Got that?  Old gals turn to women when they can't find men. 

Actually, I don't believe Hasslebeck is consciously anti-gay, I think she's just stupid.

UVA Study: Kids Raised by Gays are Fine

A University of Virginia study, published in the August issue of the journal Applied Developmental Science, has found what we all knew anyway, that kids raised by gay and lesbian couples fare as well as kids raised by straights. 

"We found that children adopted by lesbian and gay couples are thriving," said U.Va. psychology professor Charlotte J. Patterson, who led the study. "Our results provide no justification for denying lesbian or gay prospective adoptive parents the opportunity to adopt children. With thousands of children in need of permanent homes in the United States alone, our findings suggest that outreach to lesbian and gay prospective adoptive parents might benefit children who are in need."

Amen.

Ted Haggard: "I Have Over-Repented"

Ted Haggard is back with a new church, and it's growing.  In fact, it's outgrown it's original location and is moving into a new, bigger space.  Haggard has re-discovered his mojo and his ego.  From the Wall Street Journal:

"Tiger Woods needs to golf. Michael Vick needs to be playing football," Mr. Haggard said as his new congregation joined him and Gayle in their backyard for a post-worship picnic. Little kids, shrieking with joy, splashed in the pool. Men grilled burgers. Women set out chicken salad.


"Ted Haggard," Mr. Haggard said, "needs to be leading a church."

He acknowledged grave lapses of judgment in the episode he refers to as "my crisis." But Mr. Haggard also said that in his sorrow and shame, he accepted too much guilt after the scandal broke. 

"I over-repented," he said.

Of course he needs to be leading a church.  He has no marketable skills.  All he knows how to do is exploit other people's faith in God for profit. 

"If I was arrogant, I would have gotten a job in a farm bureau co-op somewhere in Iowa, changed my name and never been heard from again."

No.  If you were humble and contrite, you would have gotten a job in a farm bureau co-op somewhere in Iowa (if you were lucky enough to get hired) and lived an anonymous life.  Instead, like an arrogant, delusional ego-maniac, you returned to Colorado Springs, started a church, and courted the media. 

But wait, there's more:

"He portrays his encounter with the prostitute as a massage that went awry and said he doesn't have same-sex attractions."

Oh really, Mr. over-repented?  What about this?  And this? And a whole lot more.   Repentance involves scrupulous honesty.  All Missy Ted has done is continue to lie.  He's not man enough for true repentance.    

Monday's Man: Hugh Dancy

It's a cute Brit repeat! 

Now with fresh pictures!  You're welcome.

Thanks to Netflix, I saw Confessions of a Shopaholic over the weekend, featuring Hugh as a the youngest magazine editor since Andrew Sullivan. He hired Isla Fisher for no reason other than the movie would end at 20 minutes if he didn't.  Oh yeah, and he had expertly tousled hair.

He kept his clothes on the entire time, but don't worry, I scoured the Internet for a rare shirtless pic.  Again, you're welcome.

Quote of the Day

"Ladies and gentleman, it's a pleasure for me to present to you a mainstream American who is an articulate and bright and clean and a nice looking guy."

--Congressman Jim Clyburn, Democrat of South Carolina, introducing Vice President Biden and reminding all of us that he has a wicked sense of humor.  Biden got the joke.

Dan Choi on his Discharge

1LT Dan Choi was formally discharged from the New York Army National Guard earlier this week for the "homosexual conduct" of stating "I am gay."  He received an honorable discharge.  Here, he discusses it with Rachel Maddow and speaks eloquently of the closet:



In case you were wondering what Dan was doing in Vegas, here's the answer:



To quote Dan Savage, "you're not a bad person for thinking Dan Choi looks good in handcuffs. He spends a lot of time in 'em and he wears 'em better than most."

Equality in Argentina

This is the moment when marriage equality became real in Argentina.  If only our own country would erase second-class citizenship and embrace equality for all of its people. 

Salty Dog

Brad Pitt was looking good at Angelina's Salt premiere.  The grey-flecked stubble is a big improvement over the Pirates of the Carribbean look he's been sporting lately.

picture source.

Was I Too Quick to Ridicule Lindsay?

Sady Doyle has a fascinating Salon post on our obsession with celebrity scandal and our limited tolerance for female trouble vs. male trouble.  Excerpt:

"Still, when you compare the sins of Mel Gibson (racism, threats of violence and rape, sexism, allegedly punching his girlfriend while she held their child) to the crimes of Lindsay Lohan (doing drugs, drunk driving, being generally unprofessional) it seems clear that one of them has had to work a bit harder to become infamous."

Certainly bad boys can get away with more than bad girls and keep their careers going (Robert Downey Jr., anyone?), and Mel is getting plenty of deservedly harsh criticism for being a gigantic, gaping asshole.  It'll be interesting to see if he recovers and does Passion II,Tokyo Drift or whatever. 

Mel is ugly and disgusting and needs to go away permanently while Lindsay is tiresome, shallow, and self-centered but she could still grow up and overcome her incredibly stupid life choices.  She's very young and frankly, sheltered while Mel is an old man who has had a half-century to learn some life lessons.

I was certainly disgusted when Hollywood rallied around Mel after his anti-semitic,misogynistic outburst during  his drunk driving arrest a few years ago, not to mention his homophobic rants of the 90s.  His career should have been over long ago.  I haven't bought a ticket to one of his movies since that one with Tina Turner.  You can forgive me for that.  I will never buy another.  If Lindsey bounces back and her Linda Lovelace biopic lives up to its potential (and what a great story that could be), I wouldn't mind seeing it. I don't dislike her, I'm just bored by her. 

Doyle points out that convicted rapist Mike Tyson was on stage at the Golden Globes when The Hangover won Best Whatever.  She goes on:

 "The stories of badly behaved women, on the other hand, tend to end in obscurity or early death. The most a girl who's made some unfortunate choices can hope for, it would seem, is to become a joke, along the lines of Elizabeth Taylor."

Elizabeth Taylor is no joke in my book.  Her AIDS work has earned her a place with the angels and her two Oscars earned her all the Hollywood cred anyone could hope for.  She never did anything that could compare to Lindsay's drug abuse and law breaking.  I think Sady needs a better analogy.  Interesting article though.  Worth a read. 

Lindsay Lohan Goes to Jail...Brought to You By Fashion Bay!

Lindsay Lohan is Twittering her way to prison today and getting in some last minute celebrity endorsements.  Apparently, celebrities will tweet for a fee about super awesome companies like Fashion Bay.  Hey, a girl's got to pay her legal fees, right? 

Lindsay had the world and threw it all away on nothing.   It's somehow fitting that, as she's being hauled away to prison, her last messages to her fans encourage them to bid on Louis Vuitton coin purses. 

More "Ex-Gay" BS

From LC NY Bureau Chief Doug, comes this story of yet another "ex-gay" scam artist.  This one, Alan Downing, a "therapist" with Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality (JONAH), is particularly creepy.  Apparently Alan likes to watch attractive, barely legal boys undress and grab their genitals.  Wayne Besen of Truth Wins Out broke this story:



Notice that Mr. Levin was only 17 when this happened.  17 also happens to be the age of consent in New York.  I'm not an expert in New York law, but in Texas, causing a child under the age of 17 to expose his genitals is the crime of Indecency with a Child, if it is done with the intent to arouse or gratify sexual desires.  I wonder if Downing knew he couldn't leer at boys younger than Levin and get away with it?  Is that why he chose a 17 year old for this particular form of "therapy?"

One day, people will realize that "reparative therapy" is snake oil peddled to vulnerable people.  Mr. Levin and Mr. Unger were young and troubled and turned to Downing for help.  He exploited them.

Quote of the Day

"You provide a choice: immigration reform or mass deportation? a peace process in Israel/Palestine or a civilizational war with Islam?; abandoning the long-term unemployed or finding a way to keep them afloat?; war with Iran or containment?; more settlements on the West Bank or a negotiation to get rid of them?; repeal or keep health insurance reform?; repeal or keep financial re-regulation; tackle climate change or deny it's happening? ratchet up the war on drugs or relax laws against pot? continue to demonize gay couples or find a better way to integrate them into society? propose some serious long-term tax-and-cut compromises to deal with the debt - or keep playing the partisan blame-game?"


--Andrew Sullivan, from a terrific post on how the Democrats should address the mid-terms.  Read it all here. 

The Truth About Cats and Dogs

Cosette and Trevor enjoy dinner together. 

Monday's Man: Joe Manganiello

Catch your breath guys, it's True Blood's Joe Manganiello. 

 He plays the good guy werewolf, Alcide.  I hate to quibble with perfection, but shouldn't a werewolf be hairy below the neck as well as above?  With that wavy hair asking to have hands run through it and the dark, heavy beard, imagine what that chest would look like in its natural state.  Take a few minutes and contemplate that.  I'll wait.

 Here he is (mostly) shaved and dressed.  Not his best look (naked is his best look), but dreamy all the same.

Number of the Day

$100,000.  That's the amount that Us Weekly paid Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston for the engagement exclusive, according to the New York Post.  Add in a possible reality show (that would no doubt make The Newlyweds seem like See it Now) and the surprise engagement begins to make a lot of sense. 

Question of the Day

Do lesbians really get off on gay male porn? 

I saw the excellent The Kids are Alright over the weekend and was really confused by that scene.  Of course, I was more confused by...

SPOILER ALERT...SPOILER ALERT...if you haven't seen the move yet and haven't read any feminist blog reviews, don't read any further.  Seriously.  Stop.  If I could do that after-the-fold thing I would but I can't, so don't read any further...

...Julianne Moore's affair with a man.  Granted I'd do Mark Ruffalo in a heartbeat if he appeared at my door (and I wasn't madly in love with my husband), but why does Hollywood insist that all lesbians secretly want dick?  They really don't.  Maybe some do on occasion, female sexuality being such a mystery and all, but my (not exactly hands-on) experience is that most lesbians are quite happy without it.

Otherwise, it was a great movie and I highly recommend it.  It just would have made more sense if Julianne Moore had had an affair with a woman.   

In any case, can we just declare that Annette Benning will get the Oscar this year?  Finally?  She was funny and subtle and heartbreaking and very, very real.  She deserved it for "jerk yourself a soda" alone, much less Being Julia and The Grifters and American Beauty.  Don't even talk to me about competition from Hilary Swank's Marie rehash.  She stole that statuette from La Benning twice.  Third time belongs to Annette.

UPDATE:  Jacob Bernstein of The Daily Beast took the gay male porn question to some real-life lesbians and came up with some interesting answers. 

"The Good News About Mel Gibson"

If you haven't read Frank Rich's column in today's New York Times, you should.  He takes us back to 2004, the year of The Passion of the Christ, the insanity over Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfuction, and the Bush/Rove engineered gay marriage panic. 

"The death throes of Mel Gibson’s career feel less like another Hollywood scandal than the last gasps of an American era."

Read it all here.

Quote of the Day

"First, 'culturally modern' refers to a lot more than just the abortion/stem cells/same-sex marriage cluster of issues.  A culturally modern party is one comfortable with science and technology, with women's equality, and with a globalized economy. It's a party that regards New York City and Silicon Valley as just as much 'real America' as Kentucky and South Dakota. 

But as to those hot-button issues ... if the Democrats can accommodate both investment bankers and unionists, the GOP should be able to find room for differing views on issues pertaining to sexuality. We always say we're a "big tent." But when was the last time we allowed a pro-choice Republican a slot on a national ticket? 1976, that's when. One reason we got stuck with Sarah Palin for VP in 2008 was that when McCain (wisely) decided he wanted a woman running mate, he bumped into this constraint: all the other Republican female senators and governors were pro-choice, and therefore were excluded from consideration from the start."

--David Frum, conservative writer, posting on Andrew Sullivan's blog about his vision of a " reality-based, culturally modern, socially inclusive and environmentally responsible" Republican party.  Good luck.

Aaron Schock is Yesterday's News

Meet the new Senator from West Virginia, Carte Goodwin, Gov. Manchin's 36 year-old General Counsel and all around hottie. 

What Women Want...Mel Gibson!

From Slate comes this reminder that Mel Gibson starred in the ironically-named What Women Want. Here's the very NSFW recut trailer.   

GA GOP Candidate for Gov. Opposes Gay Adoption, Marriage, Civil Unions. Can't Explain Why

Watch former Georgia Secretary of State and gubernatorial candidate Karen Handel react badly to questions about gay issues.  It gets particularly interesting when she's asked why she believes marriage should be between one man and one woman.  She's apparently never had to question her dogmatic beliefs and clearly has no idea what to say.  Keep watching as she awkwardly avoids a question about single parents as a "nuance."  At the end, she is absolutely unable to answer why she doesn't believe gays should adopt. 



"Because I don't."  I picture Lucy Van Pelt folding her arms in a huff.  

Maybe her "beliefs" are so paper-thin because she used to be somewhat moderate on gay issues.  Now that she wants to be governor, she's become a hard liner. 

Equality in Argentina!

The Argentine Senate passed a marriage equality bill last night adding Argentina to the community of nations that respects all of its citizens.  The bill passed after 14 hours of debate.  Argentine President Cristina Fernandez is a strong supporter of marriage equality and is expected to sign the bill.  Sen. Norma Morandini, a member of the president's party, put it well when she said "what defines us is our humanity, and what runs against humanity is intolerance."

Towleroad posted a clip capturing the moment when gay Argentines realized they would be full citizens of their country:



From Joe.My.God comes this map of Marriage equality around the world.  The quickly spreading dark blue represents full marriage rights.  The lighter shades represent lesser forms of legal recognition of our humanity.

Who Do I Write Like?

Here's a good time waster!  Plug in a bit of your writing at this site and find out what famous writer you write like!  I put in a few paragraphs of an unpublished story I wrote called Pageant Girl, about the Miss Texas Pageant.  It said I write like Margaret Atwood.  What a compliment!  Then I put in a few paragraphs from my story The Trick, which you can buy here (I never miss an opportunity to plug it), and it said I write like Steven King.  Not exactly Atwoodesque, but I'll take it.  Then I put in my blog post about Anita Bryant and it said I write like J.R.R. Tolkien.  Really?  Tolkien?  Either I'm totally schizophrenic or this whole thing is like the Sara Palin Baby Name Generator. 

The Years Have Not Been Kind To...

Anita Bryant.  According to this source, she recently returned to the stage at some sort of wingnut hate-fest.  The poor dear used to be so pretty.  That's what years of hate will do to you.  Here she is loosing the 1958 Miss America pageant with a Miss Teen South Carolina caliber answer to a soft ball question about education:

Pretty but dumb.  She lost the crown to Miss Mississippi, Mary Ann Mobley who still looks like this:

Now, that's what a Miss America ought to look like. 

Bastille Day!

Today is Bastille Day in France, otherwise known as La Fête Nationale.  Celebrate appropriately. 

Too Crazy for Alabama

Remember Rick Barber, the Teabagger Congressional candidate from Alabama who got tons of media attention with his incoherent "Gather Your Armies" ad?  Here it is in case you need a refresher:



The founding fathers must be turning over in their graves because Barber lost badly in yesterday's runoff to Republican establishment candidate Martha Roby.  Both are trailing in the polls to incumbent Democratic Rep. Bobby Bright. 

The press cannot shut up about the Teabaggers even as they continue to loose.

Half-Baked Alaska

Look for the ugly divorce to start about 3 months after Palin 2012 runs aground.

Prop 8 Proponents Want More Money

Rob Tisinai has a talent for cutting through crap: 

Charges Abruptly Dropped Against Choi, Pietrangelo

Charges against 1LT Dan Choi and CPT Jim Pietrangelo for chaining themselves to the White House fence were dropped today, moments before trial was to start.  All parties were in the courtroom,  including arresting officers from the Secret Service and the DC Police who were apparently ready to serve as witnesses.  The prosecutor, Christina Chang, was asked if the decision to drop the charges was due to her readiness for trial, and she responded flatly, "I was ready."  

Ordinarily, charges are dropped at the last minute due to a plea deal or previously-undiscovered flaw in the Government's case.  There was certainly no plea deal as Choi and Pietrangelo were simply set free.   Further, Chang's words make clear that she had confidence in her case.  Choi and Pietrangelo subpoenaed President Obama, who was unlikely to be forced to appear, but clearly they were going to make every effort to put Don't Ask/Don't Tell on trial.  Now, they won't have that opportunity.

The White House incident was featured in last night's episode of Kathy Griffin, My Life on the D List in which Choi and Pietrangelo turned HRC's staged celebrity rally into the real thing through an act of civil disobedience.   

Quote of the Day

"They filmed a building in the poorer section of New York with some broken windows and they said, `Oh, this is how the poor in America lives, but it backfired on them because the Soviet citizens looked at that video closely and they saw flickering color television sets in all those windows." 

--Rand Paul, GOP nominee for the Senate from Kentucky, arguing that we shouldn't be such crybabies about poverty because 40 or 50 years ago people in New York tenements had color TV and people in the Soviet Union had to watch black and white.  Or something.

25 Years Ago Today

Monday's Man: Adrien Brody

I've discovered that if you Google "Adrien Brody shirtless" and hit images, you get a ton of hits.  He apparently likes going topless and frankly, I'm not complaning. 

He does not have classic movie star looks, but that's what I like about him.  It's all wrong, but it's so right.  The abs don't hurt. 

He and Laurence Fishburne are currently starring in a re-make of the Schwarznegger film Preditors about aliens hunting humans or whatever.  I would rather sit through the entire Twilight saga in a theater full of 12 year olds than endure it.  I hope the Oscar winner and Oscar nominee are getting paid really, really well.

Alvin Greene Has His Day in Court

South Carolina Democratic Senate nominee Alvin Greene is due to appear in court tomorrow on an obsenities charge.  He allegedly showed pornography to a University of South Carolina co-ed.  The girl's mother, Susan McCoy, says she sought restitution for the $1500 expense of moving her daughter to a more expensive dorm.  She said “We were told by the solicitor’s office that he was destitute, that he had said he had zero income and zero assets.” Yet, he came up with the $10,440 filing fee. He also qualified for a public defender, although he is now represented by a private attorney.  An investigation by the State Law Enforcement Division concluded that there was:

"'no evidence of wrongdoing, criminal intent or deception to the court when Greene applied for a public defender last year' It also determined that he paid for the filing fee with his own savings from the Army, as he has said all along. (The base pay for an E-4 in 2009 with at least six years of service was $2,219 per month.)"



In an interview with the New York Times, he seemed most concerned about what he feels was his improper discharge from the Army, although he won't discuss details or release his military records. 

He has a website up and running.  You may find it a bit, um, thin. Compared to Nevada GOP nominee Sharron Angle's old website, though, it first-rate and rational.

Seve Ballesteros Recovering from Brain Tumor, Partially Paralyzed

The 150th Anniversary British Open begins this week and one former champion who will be missed is Spanish great Severiano Ballesteros.  In 2008, after he fainted at the Madrid airport, he was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor.  His treatment has been grueling and today he is partially paralyzed on his left side and has lost more than 75% of the vision in his left eye.  Even so, he plays golf regularly on his private 9-hole course.  He had originally planned to play in the British Open, then hoped to at least tee off with 44 other champions in the Champions Challenge on Wednesday.  However, on his doctor's advice, the three-time winner he will not be at St. Andrews.

I was in the gallery at the Augusta National and watched as Seve won the 1983 Masters, his second victory there.  Here's how today's New York Times describes that amazing day:

"At his best, Severiano Ballesteros played golf in bursts of genius. At the 1983 Masters, he teed off in the final round a stroke behind Raymond Floyd and Craig Stadler, and a stroke ahead of Tom Watson, but with a birdie-eagle-par-birdie start (four holes, only 12 strokes, thank you), he soared into the lead, shot a 69 and won by four.


“It was like being knocked down twice in the first round with the three-knockdown rule,” Watson said later.

The details were even more dazzling. Driver, 7-iron to 8 feet, one putt on the first hole; driver, 4-wood to 15 feet, one putt on the second; 3-wood, 7-iron to 15 feet, two putts on the third; 2-iron to 2 feet, one putt on the fourth. That’s how the dashing Spaniard known worldwide as Seve played golf when he was slipping his arms into a green jacket twice at Augusta National and raising the claret jug three times at the British Open."

Quote of the Day

"To me it was more about eight years of bad policy before (Obama) got there that let this happen. It was Dracula running the blood bank in terms of oil and leases," he said. "I think that has more to do with it than how the president reacted to it."

--Jimmy Buffett on the oil spill in the Gulf.  He's Mississippi born, Alabama reared, and my frat bro.  He will give a concert on the beach in Gulf Shores tomorrow. 

DOMA Ruled Unconstitutional

A Federal District Court in Massachusetts ruled today that section 3 of the damnable Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional.  Section 3 prohibits the federal government from recognizing same sex marriages from any state.  From The Boston Globe:

"This court has determined that it is clearly within the authority of the Commonwealth to recognize same-sex marriages among its residents, and to afford those individuals in same-sex marriages any benefits, rights, and privileges to which they are entitled by virtue of their marital status," Tauro wrote. "The federal government, by enacting and enforcing DOMA, plainly encroaches upon the firmly entrenched province of the state."


Tauro drew on history in his ruling, writing that the states have set their own marriage since before the American Revolution and that marriage laws were considered "such an essential element of state power" that the subject was even broached at the time of the framing of the Constitution. Tauro noted that laws barring interracial marriage were once at least as contentious as the current battle over gay marriage.



“But even as the debate concerning interracial marriage waxed and waned throughout history, the federal government consistently yielded to marital status determinations established by the states,” Tauro wrote. “That says something. And this court is convinced that the federal government’s long history of acquiescence in this arena indicates that, indeed, the federal government traditionally regarded marital status determinations as the exclusive province of state government.”

From Bay Windows:

"In Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. Health and Human Services, Tauro considered whether the federal law’s definition of marriage -- one man and one woman -- violates state sovereignty by treating some couples with Massachusetts’ marriage licenses differently than others. In Gill v. Office of Personnel Management, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), a gay legal group, asked Tauro to consider whether DOMA violates the right of eight same-sex couples to equal protection of the law. Both cases were argued, separately, in May, and the decision released today is a relatively quick turnaround, given that some judges take almost a year to decide cases."


This decision makes complete sense.  If the states have the right to decide who can be married, then they have the right to decide that gay people can be married.  The Federal Government must respect that.  Now it's up to the Obama administration to decide if it will appeal. 

Emmys are Gleeful, Mad

The Emmy nominations were announced this morning and Glee and Mad Men were among the chosen.  Glee received 19 nominations, making it the most honored series.  Nominations include  Best Comedy Series as well as acting nods for Lea Michele (love her!), Matthew Morrison (hot!), Jane Lynch (Yay!) and Chris Colfer (Wow!).  This is Colfer's first professional acting job.  Plus, the Madonna episode was nominated for costumes and makeup!  

Mad Men got 17 nominations including best drama and acting nominations for Jon Hamm (delicious!), John Slattery (more delicious!), January Jones (needs to eat a sandwich or two), Christina Hendricks (stacked!) Elisabeth Moss (not stacked).

Here are other significant nominations (and by significant, I mean people and shows I like):

The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien was nominated in the category of best comedy and variety series while the unfunny Leno was snubbed.  

Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series is totally gay.  In addition to Chris Colfer, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet, who play the gay couple on Modern Family, were both nominated.  LC NY Bureau Chief Doug keeps telling me I should watch that show.  Neil Patrick Harris was nominated again for How I Met Your Mother.  I always hope he wins so America can see him kiss his cute husband, but this time I have to support Colfer.  Wouldn't it be great if he won?  I wonder who he'll bring as his date?

Neil is also nominated for best guest actor for Glee.  He should totally win for that.  Alan Cumming was nominated for best guest actor in a drama for The Good Wife.  

In addition to Jane Lynch, Tony winner Jane Krakowski was nominated in the Supporting Actress in a Comedy category for 30 Rock.  Tragically, Vanessa Williams was not nominated for the recently cancelled Ugly Betty.  I love Krakowski, but this one has got to go to Jane Lynch.  She is way overdue for recognition. 

Lynch is also nominated for Guest Actress in a Comedy for Two and a Half Men.  Even Jane couldn't get me to watch that show.  Betty White is nominated for Saturday Night Live as well as Kristin Chenowith for Glee and Elaine Stritch for 30 Rock.  I really think this one belongs to Betty.  She's the hottest thing in show business these days.  

Guest Actress in a Drama Nominees include Ann-Margret (Law and Order SVU), Lily Tomlin (Damages), Shirley Jones (The Cleaner) and Mary Kay Place (Big Love)!  I can't pick one!  I love them all!  I guess Shirley will show up with her crazy husband.  Will Lily bring her wife?

Supporting Actress in a Drama nominees include the fabulous Christine Baranski for The Good Wife, which I've never seen, Hendricks and Moss from Mad Men, and Debbie Novotny/Christine Cagney herself, Sharon Gless for Burn Notice, another show I've never seen.  Maybe I need to watch more TV. 

In the Best Actor in a Drama category, Jon Hamm has handsome competition from Matthew Fox for Lost, a show I have never watched even though I understand he sometimes takes his shirt off. 

As usual, the acting categories in mini-series and movies are loaded with prestige stars.  A couple of dames, Maggie Smith (Capturing Mary) and Judi Dench (Return to Cranford), are competing with Joan Allen (Georgia O'Keeffe) for best actress.  Sir Ian McKellan (The Prisoner) will be battling it out with recent Oscar winner Jeff Bridges (A Dog Year) for best actor.  In the supporting actress category, Brenda Vaccaro, who loves tampons,  is nominated for You Don't Know Jack and her competition includes the under appreciated Catherine O'Hara for Temple Grandin.  Hey Brenda, isn't it enough to be featured in an exhibit in the Museum of Menstruation?

Seth Green and Anne Hathaway competing in the same category?  They've both been nominated for voice-over work. 

Kathy Griffin, My Life on the D-List was nominated again for Best Reality Program.  Come on Kathy, you know you can take Antiques Roadshow. 

Finally, Project Runway has been set up yet again to loose to the boring Amazing Race.  Heidi Klum got a nod as host so she can be robbed again. 

You can download the full list of nominations here.

Other than Vanessa Williams, who do you think was snubbed?  Who doesn't belong on the list of nominations? 

Did He Learn Nothing From Kathy Griffin?

Levi Johnston has apologized to the Palins for "youthful indiscretions." 

Inequality in Hawaii

GOP Governor Linda Lingle of Hawaii has vetoed a civil unions bill passed by the state legislature.  The twice-divorced Lingle waited until the last day to protect the sanctity of marriage.  She chose to pander to extremist elements in her party instead of respect the civil rights of Hawaiian citizens.  In 1993, the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled that dening the right to marriage to Hawaiians violated equal protection.  Gov. Lingle actually invited the judge who wrote that decision,  retired Justice Steven Levinson, to witness her defiance of the rule of law.  Here she is taking the cowardly bullshit position that civil rights should be decided by the voters: 


Bigotry Wins: Hawaii Gov. Lingle Vetoes Civil Unions from Joe Jervis on Vimeo.


The ACLU plans to sue based on the 1993 state Supreme Court decision.

Monday's Man: Jason Carroll

I wasn't aware of CNN Gunslinger Jason Carroll until this weekend.  I was watching CNN, which I rarely do, and there was a story of an urban garden in Atlanta.  Blah, blah, blah, up with people, blah, blah, I wasn't really paying attention until suddenly I saw this man with an extra small junior petite Lacoste polo stretched across his perfectly formed pecks.  The sleeves strained at his biceps in permanent flex.  Does he ever unbend his arms? 

  Other people know dreamy Jason Carroll from the CNN's tight t-shirt team in Haiti.  Does Anderson Cooper audition all the network's new talent?  Or is that Don Lemon's job? 

According to some probably thoroughly unreliable internet sources, this is a picture of Jason Carroll in a 2004 production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.  Apparently there was a "Jason Carroll" in the cast.  What do you think?  I don't believe it.  Actually, I think this is a white dude who looks nothing like Jason, but what the hell, when you Google "Jason Carroll hot" that's what you get.

All American Cocktails

What better way to celebrate American Independence than getting hammered with America's greatest invention, the cocktail?  OK, I have no idea if the cocktail was invented in America, but it was certainly perfected here during prohibition when bartenders had to add mixers to hide the horrible taste of the hootch.  What cocktail do I recommend today?  The one that honors America's greatest city, the Manhattan, made with American Rye whiskey.  Check out this article by Tony Sachs:

"With July 4th at hand, it's time to pay tribute to those uniquely American inventions that have made this country great. Baseball. Jazz. Blue jeans. Match Game '76. Loaded baked potatoes. Tina Louise. And perhaps the greatest of all -- rye whiskey."

Read the rest here.  Anyone who can tie together Match Game '76, Tina Louise and cocktails is my kind of guy.  Don't know how to make a Manhattan?  Let that great American Rachel Maddow show you:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Gimme a D!

I know I wasn't going to post anymore this weekend, but I had to share something fun that happened yesterday.  Wes and I took my dad on a tour of the massive new Dallas Cowboys Stadium (I have some thoughts about building a $1.4 Billion stadium when AIDS meds are being slashed and children don't have health insurance, but this isn't a Debbie Downer post).   It's a well-done tour of an impressive facility and highly recommended, but the best part was something totally unplanned.  Our little tour group was on a large elevator going down to the field level so we could get our picture taken on the 50 yard line when the elevator stopped on the wrong floor.  The doors opened and there were the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders!  In costume!  They were super nice and friendly and STUNNING.  Seriously.  STUNNING.  A security guy escorting them quickly ushered them back from the elevator full of peasants.  A guy behind me muttered "fuck you security dude."  Several chatterbox adolescent boys fell dead silent, staring.  My 85 year old dad started to walk off the elevator, but we managed to get him back on. 

When the doors closed and female perfection was no longer in our midst, my husband, God bless him, turned to me and said:

"I love the boots!"

Kick Up Your Heels for America!

I have some out-of-town company for the holiday weekend, so I probably won't be blogging.  Have a great 4th of July weekend and don't forget the sequins!

Lindsay "Ain't Gay"

SC GOP Senator Lindsay Graham has denied being gay...again.  From a NY Times profile on Miss Lohan Senator Graham:

"For his sins, Glenn Beck termed the senator Obama Lite, while Rush Limbaugh labeled him Lindsey Grahamnesty. Less tame are the blogosphere monikers, like 'Miss Lindsey,' that play off of Graham’s never-married status. During a South Carolina Tea Party rally this spring, one speaker created an uproar by postulating that Graham supported a guest-worker program out of fear that the Democrats might otherwise expose his homosexuality. (Graham smirked when I brought this up. 'Like maybe I’m having a clandestine affair with Ricky Martin,' he said. 'I know it’s really gonna upset a lot of gay men — I’m sure hundreds of ’em are gonna be jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge — but I ain’t available. I ain’t gay. Sorry.')"

First of all, the gay rumors do not "play off of Graham’s never-married status."  They play off what is plainly obvious to all sentient humans. 

Second, a "clandestine affair with Ricky Martin?"  At least he projects in good taste.