Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Fox News Channel - The Good with The Bad

Fox News Channel. Something good:
Fox News host Bill O'Reilly will pick up the legal tab of the father of a fallen U.S. Marine after a judge ruled that he must pay the court costs of the members of the controversial Westboro Baptist Church, who he sued for protesting his son's funeral.

And something bad:
Fox News has an unlikely adversary: rapper LL Cool J.

After the network announced that Sarah Palin would host a special Thursday called "Real American Stories" -- featuring interviews with LL Cool J, Toby Keith and other celebrities -- the rapper and country singer both hit back claiming they were lying.

"Fox lifted an old interview I gave in 2008 to someone else & are misrepresenting to the public in order to promote Sarah Palins Show. WOW," he tweeted.

Likewise, Toby Keith never sat down with Sarah Palin, Keith's spokesman told HifFix. "We were never contacted by Fox," Keith's spokesman said. "I have no idea what interview it's taken from. They're promoting this like it's a brand new interview."

Fox News responded Wednesday morning, saying they would cut the footage of LL Cool J (aka James Todd Smith) from the special. Keith's old interview is still slated to run.

"Real American Stories features uplifting tales about overcoming adversity and we believe Mr. Smith's interview fit that criteria," a network spokesperson told TVNewser. "However, as it appears that Mr. Smith does not want to be associated with a program that could serve as an inspiration to others, we are cutting his interview from the special and wish him the best with his fledgling acting career."

No, Mr. Network Spokeperson, it is not that Mr. Smith does not want to be associated with a program that could serve as an inspiration to others. It's that he doesn't want someone claiming that old interview footage is an exclusive new interview with Sarah Palin. And your attempt to spin this as him not wanting to help others is petty and dishonest. Worse, your dismissal of his acting career as "fledgling" is just stupid and childish. A check of his credits at IMDB shows that not only is he the star of a current network series, he has also appeared in many other movies and TV shows.

But really, that doesn't surprise me coming from Fox News. The surprisingly rare good news is way offset by the continual bad.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Not My Drama.

I've all but abandoned most of the mainstream media news channels and websites. I'm tired of the drama. I don't care if Demi Moore and Kim-Khloe-Kourtney-Kookoo Khardashian are fighting over the word "pimpin'." I don't care if Jesse James' mistress number elebenty bazillion has a tattoo or a website or the cure for cancer. I don't care if the Harcourts are divorcing and I don't care if Jennifer Aniston wears a short skirt or a snuggie. 

Enough with the scandals and the "shocking" revelations and the inside scoops. Enough with the gossip and the rumors and the inane prattle of "those close to the star." These people are not the least bit concerned with my life, and I think it only fair that I offer the same degree of concern for the trials and (faux) tribulations of theirs. 

Going forward, I will spend far more time focused on things that improve my life. Borrowed drama does not. 

No soldiers killed in Iraq in the last three months?

Any idea what John McCain is thinking here? Because this is shockingly wrong.

McCain falsely claims no American servicemembers have been killed or wounded in Iraq in the past three months.




At a town hall meeting on March 13 in Nashua, NH, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) talked about the war in Iraq, celebrating the fact that “there has not been a single American service member killed or wounded in Iraq”:

There’s a lot of other issues that I, we’d like to [inaudible], but I’d just wanted to say again because our veterans are here, that I’m happy to tell you that elections in Iraq went okay. Look, democracy is a hard thing, but it was a contested election and there’s no other country in the Middle East besides Israel where there’s a contested election. And the most importantly than that, now for three months, there has not been a single American servicemember killed or wounded in Iraq.



He's wrong. Sadly, completely wrong.
As BarbinMD at DailyKos points out12 U.S. servicemembers had died in Iraq in 2010 as of March 13, and at least 93 had been wounded. Since that time, there have beenfour more deaths and six more people wounded.

I won't ask what we already know, which is how this sort of comment would be trumpeted across every rightwing blog and website if it had been made by President Obama. I'll just say that this is further evidence of McCain's march to Crazy Town, and I am glad that I did not vote to put him into the highest office in the land.

Monday, March 29, 2010

They are terrorists. Simple as that.

This in the news today:
(CNN) -- Nine people federal prosecutors say belong to a "Christian warrior" militia were accused Monday of plotting to kill a Michigan law enforcement officer and then attack other police at the funeral.

A federal grand jury in Detroit, Michigan, indicted six Michigan residents, two Ohioans and an Indianan on charges of seditious conspiracy, attempted use of weapons of mass destruction, teaching the use of explosive materials and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence, U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade and Andrew Arena, FBI special agent in charge, announced.

The five-count indictment unsealed Monday charges that since August 2008, the defendants, acting as a Lenawee County,Michigan, militia group called the Hutaree, conspired to oppose by force the authority of the U.S. government.

Read the indictment (PDF)

Attorney General Eric Holder called it "an insidious plan by anti-government extremists."

The group says on its Web site that Hutaree means "Christian warrior" and proclaims on its home page, "Preparing for the end time battles to keep the testimony of Jesus Christ alive."

In the Web site's "About Us" section, the group says, "We believe that one day, as prophecy says, there will be an Anti-Christ. All Christians must know this and prepare, just as Christ commanded."

The Southern Poverty Law Center, an Alabama-based nonprofit organization that monitors hate groups and other fringe organizations, lists the Hutaree as a "Patriot" group militia.

"Generally, Patriot groups define themselves as opposed to the 'New World Order,' engage in groundless conspiracy theorizing or advocate or adhere to extreme anti-government doctrines," the Southern Poverty Law Center said in a report, "Rage on the Right: The Year in Hate and Extremism."

The law center also defines Patriot groups as "militias and other organizations that see the federal government as part of a plot to impose 'one-world government' on liberty-loving Americans."

Call them what you want, but to me, they are terrorists. And they should be treated as such. And I wonder if those who disagree with civilian trials for Muslims accused of terrorism will argue that these people be treated the same way, spirited away through rendition to a foreign country and tried in a secret military trial.

A Perfect Weekend

I can only describe this weekend as the Perfect Storm of Good. I've spent the few days with the most amazing people. Our friend, Eric Himan, was our houseguest for a couple of days. I went to Riverside Saturday and had a four hour dinner with Lisa and Craig, two friends that I had not seen for nearly 20 years. I also... finally... told Craig that a promise I made to him a lifetime ago was the one and only reason that I didn't take my own life when I was at my lowest point. I had never shared that with him, never let him know the difference he made in my life. He knows now.

After dinner, I caught back up with friends for Eric's show. And there, a dear friend from high school joined us and I was able to spend time visiting with her. And Sunday night, Ric and I met up with a Marine Corps buddy that I had not seen since 1989. We met he and his wife for dinner in Old Town, and they are an amazing couple. Dinner started at 6, and we left sometime after 10. Yep, we sat there for hours talking and laughing, catching up on twenty years and finding out who we have become since.

It's been a nearly overwhelming rush of emotion, seeing people that were so important to my life over the years. These are the people that helped me through my darkest hours, celebrated my joyful moments... they were by my side when I was living my life. I am so blessed to have them, still, and this weekend has almost been an overdose of good things.

Life, as I have lived it, out loud. Yeah, that's what these people help me remember.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Sneaky Gays

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Friday, March 26, 2010

Tim McGraw in The Blind Side?

How did I not know this? I haven't seen the movie yet, but I'm surprised that I didn't hear anything about him appearing in the movie.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="450" caption="Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw"][/caption]

Now I have another reason to see what is supposed to be an amazing film.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Father of the Year - Puck or Dwight?

One father drives while drunk. One father drives under the influence of drugs. Both have their young sons in the cars with them. Both crash and nearly kill those sons. First up, David Rainey, better known as Puck from the Real World San Francisco.

Puck, One of the TV's first reality stars, is hospitalized in San Diego and will charged with driving while intoxicated, according to the California Highway Patrol.


David Rainey, who was known as Puck on 1994's "Real World: San Francisco," was seriously injured in the wreck, which took place at about 9:20 p.m. on Friday on state Route 79. CHP officer Brian Pennings said Rainey, 41, was headed north, not far from the community of Descanso, just before the crash.


"Due to his level of intoxication, he was unable to negotiate a curve in the roadway," Pennings said.


The Ford Fiesta went off the roadway, down an embankment, where it came to rest on its roof in a streambed.


Also injured in the crash was Rainey's 8-year-old son, Bogart, who was able to climb out and up the embankment, where he flagged down a passing motorist. Both Rainey and his son were taken to UCSD Medical Center by air ambulance. The boy's injuries were not as severe as his father's, according to the CHP.

Source: Reality TV Star Faces Charges After Crash: CHP | NBC San Diego

Next up, former Mets Pitcher Dwight Gooden.
Former New York Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden was driving under the influence of drugs with a child in the car when he was arrested Tuesday after a car crash, police said Wednesday.

Gooden was arrested after the two-vehicle crash about 8:50 a.m. ET Tuesday, police in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, said in a statement. Gooden, 45, lives in Franklin Lakes, authorities said.

Detective Lt. John Bakelaar told CNN that the child in the car was Gooden's 5-year-old son.

So, which of these shining examples of maturity and parental wisdom should be Father of the Year?

Bad Follows Bad

Ann Coulter makes me glad that I am not a conservative nor a Republican. But the comments posted here at Think Progress about Coulter - calling her a man, a trannie, leathery old skank, encouraging violence against her - make me embarrassed to call myself a Progressive. Here's just one example:
Hate and ignorance doesn’t sell well in Canada…
…but we sure have an audience of racist, hateful, ignorant pig conservatives for mAnn to spew her crap at.

So when conservatives say these things, they are being racist, hateful, ignorant pigs. But when it's a liberal saying it about Ann Coulter, it's okay? Bullshit. Shame on the members of Think Progress for being so hateful, hypocritical, and flat out nasty. That's no way to spur true debate and discussion. And it certainly doesn't make me want to be associated with the website or the organization.

Perspective. Or, Yes, Size Matters.

Wow.



Oh, For Pity Sake.

The Democrats are running amok. The Tea Party offers nothing but hateful rhetoric. And the GOP? Well, they have their own special brand of stupid.
On the heels of health care, a new Harris poll reveals Republican attitudes about Obama: Two-thirds think he's a socialist, 57 percent a Muslim—and 24 percent say "he may be theAntichrist."

To anyone who thinks the end of the health-care vote means a return to civility, wake up.

Obama Derangement Syndrome—pathological hatred of the president posing as patriotism—has infected theRepublican Party. Here's new data to prove it:

67 percent of Republicans (and 40 percent of Americans overall) believe that Obama is a socialist.

The belief that Obama is a “domestic enemy” is widely held—a sign of trouble yet to come.

57 percent of Republicans (32 percent overall) believe that Obama is a Muslim 45 percent of Republicans (25 percent overall) agree with the Birthers in their belief that Obama was "not born in the United States and so is not eligible to be president" 38 percent of Republicans (20 percent overall) say that Obama is "doing many of the things that Hitler did" Scariest of all, 24 percent of Republicans (14 percent overall) say that Obama "may be the Antichrist." These numbers all come from a brand-new Harris poll, inspired in part by my new book Wingnuts.  It demonstrates the cost of the campaign of fear and hate that has been pumped up in the service of hyper-partisanship over the past 15 months. We are playing with dynamite by demonizing our president and dividing the United States in the process. What might be good for ratings is bad for the country.

It's one thing to disagree with the President. It's another to convince yourself that he is foreign-born, a Socialist-Marxist-Communist-Fascist, an anti-American terrorist, and, literally, the Anti-Christ. What is wrong with these people? I fear for the unbelievable stupidity and sheer ignorance on display here.

This is just so, so wrong.

This is Snopes crazy sort of stuff, but here it is:

Terrorists Could Use Explosives in Breast Implants to Crash Planes, Experts Warn


Female homicide bombers are being fitted with exploding breast implants which are almost impossible to detect, British spies have reportedly discovered.

The shocking new Al Qaeda tactic involves radical doctors inserting the explosives in women's breasts during plastic surgery — making them "virtually impossible to detect by the usual airport scanning machines."

It is believed the doctors have been trained at some of Britain's leading teaching hospitals before returning to their own countries to perform the surgical procedures.

MI5 has also discovered that extremists are inserting the explosives into the buttocks of some male bombers.

"Women suicide bombers recruited by Al Qaeda are known to have had the explosives inserted in their breasts under techniques similar to breast enhancing surgery," Terrorist expert Joseph Farah claims.

I don't know what to make of this. It sounds plausible, but wouldn't there be a rash of successful plane bombings already? It's not like this requires a lot of lead time. I'm really not sure if this is tabloid nonsense or a credible security concern. It sounds crazy enough to be a hoax, but is there a reason that this CAN'T be true? I'm going to remain skeptical about this until the story appears somewhere besides The Sun, Fox News, and World Nut Daily.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Reason Elebenty Bazillion We Love Betty White

From Entertainment Tonight:
Sandra Bullock and Betty White became friends when they filmed 'The Proposal' together last year, and with a touching speech Sandra presented Betty with her lifetime achievement SAG award in January. Now Betty is "deeply saddened" for her friend and former costar.

Entertainment Tonight's press release:

March 23, 2010 (Los Angeles, CA)-- ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT sat down with Betty White last Friday in Los Angeles as she taped a guest appearance on "The Middle," for a new interview to air tonight, March 23rd.

Betty tells ET she grew very close to Sandra Bullock as they filmed 'The Proposal' last year, but does not want to get caught in the marital rift between Sandra and husband Jesse James. "I think that's Sandy's business; that's not mine," she says. "I love her with all my heart. [She's] one of the greatest human beings on the planet."

She goes on to say, "We're all deeply, deeply saddened. At such a high-point in her life, it's tough, but I think the less other people have to say about it and let her work it out, it is [for] the better."

Monday, March 22, 2010

Stupid Scale

I weighed in on Saturday morning at 206.5. I weighed in this morning at 211.5. Now, if you can tell me how I gained 5 pounds over the weekend, I'd sure like to know. 

I ate fairly well all weekend, did an hour of Zumba Saturday, indulged in 3 light beers Saturday evening, walked for 90 minutes at the zoo on Sunday, and enjoyed a tasty French Toast breakfast and a healthy light dinner on Sunday. 

Did I eat perfectly? No. Did I eat enough to pack on five pounds? No way. Not even possible. So I don't know what is going on with my scale, but I'm not going to waste any more time stressing out about it. 

I feel good. I feel strong. And my clothes fit better this week than they did last week. So I say pffft to the scale. My obsession with weighing a specific weight ends right here. I will weigh myself once a week to track my progress, but this weighing myself often through the week stops now. 

I am not defined by a number on a scale. I measure myself by how I feel. And I feel great. So take that, stupid scale. You're not the boss of me. 

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Dealing With Stress.

I posted this originally in a message thread, but I wanted to post it in my own blog as a reminder to myself. I know this is true, but sometimes, it helps to read it over so I don't forget.) 

Someone posted that when they get stressed out, they turn into junk-food eating machines. She asked what others do to handle that without emotional eating. This was my answer: 

"To answer your question, I can only tell you how I deal with stressful situations. If I already have one problem to handle, why would I purposely invite another one to join it? It's like fighting with one friend and saying, you know, I should call up another friend and totally pick a fight with them, too. 

Now, that works for me because I do not see gorging myself on all kinds of junk food as comforting. I see that sort of behavior as negative and problematic. So I avoid it, especially when I already have other things to worry about. 

Perhaps this is a better way to ask. If you are struggling with a problem, would you call a real friend that you know cares about you or would you call a fake friend that pretends to care but actually hurts you? The real friend, of course. It's the same thing with food. When you are most in need, why turn to the junk food that brings problems? Turn to the healthier food to give you real strength to face adversity." 

It helped me to write this out. It helps me to read it. And maybe, it will resonate with someone else, too. 

The Tea Party - Thanks, But No Thanks

I know members of the Tea Party. I know that they are decent people who only want the best for this nation. Unfortunately, we will never really hear from them, because too many of their fellow Tea Party members are complete and total jackasses.

Exhibit A:



The message is loud and clear. If newly elected Senator Scott Brown cannot stop the health care bill, then the alternative is to use a Browning pistol and shoot those voting for it.

Does anyone really wonder why those of us on the outside looking in at the Tea Party think you are hateful, anti-American, and... yeah, I'll say it... complete retards? How anyone can attend a rally with a sign like this and NOT say, "hey, dude, we don't think assassinating a sitting Senator or Congressman is a good idea," I'll never know. But someone made this sign and proudly displayed it for the whole world to see.

I'm sick of it. I've given all the time and energy I'm going to waste trying to see something good in the Tea Party. Whatever positive impact you may have had is far, far outweighed by the complete and total batshit crazy things you say and do.

For The Right Reason

People start (and end) physical fitness programs for many different reasons. And ultimately, our reasons are our own and we do not have to justify them to others. That said, choosing to share something so personal and private is an important decision. 

I'm choosing to share my own reason because putting it down in writing makes it real. I'm choosing to share it in a public forum because it makes me accountable to others for the promises I am making. 

I am a good person. I love my husband, family and friends. I am dependable and stand by my word. I am someone that others look to for encouragement and support, lean on in times of trouble, and want to celebrate with in good times. I am proud of the person I am and make no excuses or apologies. I say this not to boast but to be clear that I consider myself a happy person living a great life. 

So why do I want to lose weight, get healthier, and become more physically fit? It's not because it will make me a better person. It won't. Physical changes won't improve who I am. I want to lose weight BECAUSE I am a good person. I want to get healthier because right now, the outside doesn't match the inside. I want to be more physically fit because I want my body to reflect all the good that is in my heart, my soul, my spirit. 

I am not improving the outside to make me a better person. I am improving the outside because the inside deserves it. 

(And a tip of the hat to my Marine buddy and friend, Jeremy, for helping me talk through all of this until it was clear in my own mind.) 

Saturday, March 20, 2010

New Pope. New Shame.


Pope Slams Irish Church Over Sex Abuse Scandal, But No Mention of Vatican Responsibility


VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI rebuked Irish bishops Saturday for "grave errors of judgment" in handling clerical sex abuse cases and ordered an investigation into the Irish church. But he laid no blame for the problem on the Vatican's policies of keeping such cases secret.

In a letter to the Irish faithful read across Europe amid a growing, multination abuse scandal, the pope apologized to victims but doled out no specific punishments to bishops blamed by Irish government-ordered investigations for having covered up abuse of thousands of Irish children from the 1930s to the 1990s.

Ireland's main group of clerical-abuse victims, One in Four, said it was deeply disappointed by the letter because it failed to place responsibility with the Vatican for what it called a "deliberate policy of the Catholic Church at the highest levels to protect sex offenders, thereby endangering children."

It's not surprising to me that this is what we get when the head of the church has his own degree of responsibility in the very mess he is investigating.
In particular, the so-called Murphy report faulted the 2001 secrecy letter penned by then-Cardinal Ratzinger, who headed the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for a quarter-century before becoming pope, making him the most informed Vatican official about the global scale of clerical abuse.

Shame on the Pope for this blatant attempt to deny true responsibility. When friends ask, I point to actions like this to explain why I feel that the Church is moving farther and farther away from me.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Reality bites.

I'm feeling great after this past week of being active and eating healthy. So what do I do? I try on a stack of workout gear that I had long ago grown out of. Hello, reality. I might feel like a million bucks, but I'm not yet as slim on the outside as I feel on the inside. Most of the stuff I tried on is still too small. 

I know this is just a temporary thing, and I will get back in shape and be able to wear all of this cool workout gear. But right this moment, it sucks. I'm bummed and... well... that's okay. I can feel like this for a while. Everyone deserves a little pity-party time, right? 

But one thing is for sure. This is not enough to knock me out of my groove. Tomorrow morning, I will be sweating my butt off at my first Zumba class, and Sunday morning I'll be power walking through the zoo. And then, Monday morning, I'll begin the pushup challenge and then get in an hour of cardio at the gym. 

I will not be detoured from my path. I will not be distracted from my journey. And I will not be denied my goal. 

Bite that, reality. 

Police Officers Targeted

Saudi Arabia is a Western Ally?

No, it's not. It's a nation stuck in the Dark Ages and we should treat them like any other backass shithole.

TV presenter gets death sentence for 'sorcery'


Amnesty International is calling on Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah to stop the execution of a Lebanese man sentenced to death for "sorcery."

In a statement released Thursday, the international rights group condemned the verdict and demanded the immediate release of Ali Hussain Sibat, former host of a popular call-in show that aired on Sheherazade, a Beirut based satellite TV channel.

According to his lawyer, Sibat, who is 48 and has five children, would predict the future on his show and give out advice to his audience.

The attorney, May El Khansa, who is in Lebanon, tells CNN her client was arrested by Saudi Arabia's religious police (known as the Mutawa'een) and charged with sorcery while visiting the country in May 2008. Sibat was in Saudi Arabia to perform the Islamic religious pilgrimage known as Umra.

Sibat was then put on trial. In November 2009, a court in the Saudi city of Medina found Sibat guilty and sentenced him to death.

Really? Wow, I suppose Saudia Arabia is the new Salem.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Sean Hannity Screws Over The Troops

Sickening news from conservative blogger Debbie Schlussel:

Sean Hannity’s Freedom CONcert Scam: Almost None of Charity’s $ Went to Injured Troops, Kids of Fallen Troops; G5s for Vannity?


For the last several years, Sean Hannity and the Freedom Alliance “charity” have conducted “Freedom Concerts” across America. They’ve told you that they are raising money to pay for the college tuition of the children of fallen soldiers and to pay severely wounded war vets.  And on Friday Night, Hannity will be honored with an award for this “Outstanding Community Service by a Radio Talk Show Host” at Talkers Magazine’s  convention.

But it’s all a huge scam.

In fact, less than 20%–and in two recent years, less than 7% and 4%, respectively–of the money raised by Freedom Alliance went to these causes, while millions of dollars went to expenses, including consultants and apparently to ferret the Hannity posse of family and friends in high style. And, despite Hannity’s statements to the contrary on his nationally syndicated radio show, few of the children of fallen soldiers got more than $1,000-$2,000, with apparently none getting more than $6,000, while Freedom Alliance appears to have spent tens of thousands of dollars for private planes.  Moreover, despite written assurances to donors that all money raised would go directly to scholarships for kids of the fallen heroes and not to expenses, has begun charging expenses of nearly $500,000 to give out just over $800,000 in scholarships.

There's more at the site, including details of the spending for Hannity's personal planes, luxury vehicles and high-end hotel suites and links to documents that back up the allegations.

I have long thought Sean Hannity was a douchebag, and this just cements my opinion. So, lest there be any confusion, I'll make it very, very clear.

On behalf of every American hero that truly understands sacrifice and service and honor... fuck you, Sean Hannity.

Surprise Zoo Day

It's Ric and John's zoo day.

[gallery]

J.D. Hayworth is a liar.

Yes, it's really that simple. This from Politifact:
The Truth-O-Meter Says:
"The Massachusetts Supreme Court...defined marriage as simply, quote, the establishment of intimacy ... I guess that would mean if you really had affection for your horse, I guess you could marry your horse."
J.D. Hayworth on Sunday, March 14th, 2010 in a radio interview

My favorite part comes at the end, when we learn how Rachel Maddow bitch-slapped Hayworth with facts:
We might have chalked this one up to a one-time misstatement, a bit of hyperbole on the long campaign trail, and simply rated it False. But then Hayworth went on The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC on March 15, 2010, and doubled down.

Here's how that went:

Maddow: "Where does the establishment of intimacy thing come from? Where in Massachusetts law or in the Supreme Court ruling does it say the establishment of intimacy?"

Maddow said she had spent the afternoon looking for it, but couldn't find it anywhere.

Hayworth: "As we went back and reviewed that document back when the argument was made, the high court in Massachusetts defined marriage in a rather amorphous fashion, simply as quote, the establishment of intimacy. Now I think we all agree there's much more to marriage than that."

Maddow: "Sir, I'm sorry, it didn't."

Hayworth: "Ok, you and I have a disagreement."

Maddow then cited several uses of the word "intimacy" in the Supreme Court ruling.

Maddow: "The establishment of intimacy as the definition of marriage, it's just not there, let alone the horse thing. What you said about the establishment of intimacy being the definition of marriage in Massachusetts, I don't think it's true, sir."

Hayworth: "Well, that's fine. You and I can have a disagreement about that."

Maddow: "Well, it either is true or it isn't, it’s empirical."

Hayworth: "I appreciate the fact that we have a disagreement on that."

We're with Maddow here. This isn't a matter of legal interpretation. The Massachusetts Supreme Court did not define marriage "simply as quote, the establishment of intimacy." And when Hayworth inserts the word "quote," the expectation is that he's directly quoting the phrase "establishment of intimacy" from the ruling. He's not. The ruling doesn't contain that phrase.

Hayworth prefaced his statement by saying he was making an absurd point. We'll give him that. It's absurd, all right. It's also wrong. We give this one a, quote, Pants on Fire!

I try to ignore the stupidity of people like Hayworth, but sometimes, I need to point to it and call it out.

How I dropped 10 pounds in 1 second.

I've been giving a lot more thought to my weight goals over the last couple of weeks, and I made the decision today to adjust my loss goal from 160 to 170. As I'm losing weight, I am also getting a better feel for my body and what is truly healthy. 

Here I am at 220 pounds: 
 

And here, from 2006, is me at 189: 
 

And again at 185: 
 

I look at me in the last picture. I remember how I felt at that weight. I still had pounds to lose, sure, but 10-15 at the most. No way that guy in that photo needed to lose another 25 pounds. 

So, I'm adjusting my goal. And I am giving myself the freedom to adjust it again, up or down, as I continue to get healthier. I will not draw a line in the sand for a specific weight. I have a general goal of 170, but I will listen to my body and decide as I go if I still need to lose more weight or transition to a maintenance plan. 

And that, folks, is how I lost 10 pounds with a single keyboard stroke and a click of the mouse. 

NASA has a sense of humor?

Apparently, they do. I just read this over at Gizmodo.



Good for them. These guys really are incredible, and I think they deserve to have a little fun when they can.

Here's a couple of the posters. You can see more of these at the NASA site.

Ha.

Ben Franklin may have discovered electricity- but it is the man who invented the meter who made the money.

- Earl Warren

How Health Care Reform Was Lost

No notes, no references, no "experts," just me and my opinion.

It doesn't matter if Health Care Reform passes or not. Any meaningful and significant changes have long been removed. Now, the bill is more of the same-old, same-old Washington nonsense. It's a lose-lose for the Democrats. If it fails, the GOP can claim victory. If it passes, the hollowed out shell of a bill will do little for the country. Hell, it will be more of a rallying cry for Republicans and Tea Party members against Democratic politicians.

Yes, I'm a Democrat who believes that we have to fix the health care problem in our country. But it will require real solutions. And sadly, I have no confidence that this country is willing to do what it takes. Instead, we will just keep slogging along with high costs, lost coverage, and minimal care. So this bill can pass or fail, I don't care, anymore. I can't give any more attention or concern to something that is, at best, an illusion.

What a mess. I'm just glad I don't have children, because I think that moving forward, things in this country are just going to keep getting worse.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Don&#39;t mess around with Sandra

Sandra Bullock and Jesse James Having Marital Troubles, People Magazine Says - ABC News.

This will suck if it's true. I'm not all that concerned with celebrity drama, but I really like Sandra Bullock. She seems like real down-to-earth, could-be-your-neighbor sort of person, and I always hope people like that find true happiness.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

I See You Baby...

Up at 5:15am, out the door by 5:30, and at the gym and on the bike by 5:45. I cranked up the trusty iPod and started pedaling. An hour and 26.5 miles later, I was sweating like a whore in church and feeling pretty damn good. 

Now, back in my office, I'm listening to pumping, thumping, electronic dance music and dancing around in my chair. My energy level is through the roof, and I feel like I must be on some drug. 

Ah, yes. Hello, endorphins. I remember you. You are the rush that propels me through my day with an extra bit of pep in my step. You are the buzz that coffee can't match. You are the antidote to the doldrums and the drearies and to all the other "drag you down" crap that threatens to derail my good mood. 

Newsflash: This day is going to pass by me, and these next twenty-four hours are going to be gone forever. I will never have them again, just the memory of how I lived during them. And today... for this day alone... I am going to revel in the day and enjoy each moment and find reason after reason to stay happy. 

Some of you may think I just worked out. Some of you are are mistaken. I didn't just work out. I reset my body and my mind and my spirit. 

Amazing, wonderful, exciting day of opportunity and adventure? Oh, yeah. I see you, baby. And now, it's time for everyone else to see me. 

Courting Terrorism

I got this email from the ACLU. And I'm curious about the numbers. If what they claim is true, it certainly undermines the argument for military trials.

Ga. man running on beach was killed by plane on Hilton Head

Ga. man running on beach was killed by plane on Hilton Head; pilot is from Chesapeake, Va. | islandpacket.com.

Seriously, how unlucky do you have to be to hit by a plane while running on the beach?

Monday, March 15, 2010

Ken Cuccinelli is an idiot, or More Stupidity from Virginia

Ken Cuccinelli, Virginia Attorney General, Calls Obama Birther Charges Within 'The Realm Of Possibility'



Newly-minted Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli appeared to endorse the idea that President Obama may not have been born in the United States during an interview posted by blogger "Not Larry Sabato".

Not only did Cuccinelli appear to stand up for birther claims, but the Virginia Attorney General went on to lay the groundwork for a potential court case challenging President Obama's birth certificate.

Here's an excerpt from the interview:

Q: What can we do about Obama and the birth certificate thing?

Cuccinelli: It will get tested in my view when someone -- when he signs a law, and someone is convicted of violating it and one of their defenses will be it's not a law because someone qualified to be President didn't sign it.

Q: Is that something you can do as Attorney General? Can you do that or something?

Cuccinelli: Well only if there is a conflict where we're suing the federal government for a law they've passed. So it's possible.

Q: Because we are talking about the possibility that he was not born in America.

Cuccinelli: Right. But at the same time under Rule 11, Federal Rule 11, we gotta have proof of it.

Q: How can we get proof?

Cuccinelli: Well... that's a good question. Not one I've thought a lot about because it hasn't been part of my campaign. I mean, someone is going to have to come forward with nailed down testimony that he was born in place B, wherever that is. You know, the speculation is Kenya. And that doesn't seem beyond the realm of possibility.

Yes, Ken. It is beyond the realm of the possible. At least for those of us who are not complete fucking idiots.

Outsourced Tech Support

I'm not racist. I'm not xenophobic. And I don't hate foreigners.

That said, I admit that I have an immediate and strong reaction to calling technical support and realizing I have been connected to an outsourced tech. My previous experience tells me that the call will be completely and totally frustrating, I will understand little that is being said to me and the rep will understand even less what I am saying to him. And by the end of the call, I will be worse off than I was when I first realized I needed to call for help.

Yeah, that's my experience. And I'm no longer apologizing for my opinion of it. If I call your company and get connected to tech support in India, I'm going to hang up. I'm going to do whatever it takes to find a rep stateside that can assist me. And then, as soon as I can, I am going to leave your company for a local competitor.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Busy. But not too busy.

Yeah, I'm crazy busy right now. I could be at the office 24 hours a day for the next month and still not get caught up. But understanding that helps me say "enough is enough" when I need to leave work. I am doing all that I can do while maintaining my health and my sanity. 

Tomorrow morning I'll be back at the gym, enjoying an hour of quality me-time. If I don't make myself a priority, no one else will. 

Thursday, March 11, 2010

A &amp; B

Stumbled across this track and can't stop thinking about it. The lyrics, the voice, the music... it's been running through my mind the last couple of days. I'm anxious to find out more about Tom McRae and hear more of his work.






a & b song

a say's he's glad to be here, b's chasing storms in the lightning state,
where everyday above ground is a good day, and life is great.
a's got a cocaine body, b's got a benylin brain,
a knows he's gonna be some body, b don't believe in fame.


and all our time slips away

a's got a girl for each season, b's got a mail order bride,
a knows he's headed for salvation, b's afraid to die.
if hell is in the detail, babe, i'm a microscope,
i know i'll live to see you swinging, given enough rope.


and all our time slips away

a's growing tired of conversation, he's ready for his final scene,
b's whistling hotel california, and still living out the dream.
here we are together, let's roll the dice just one more time,
odd number says we walk away now, even says we die ...don't wanna die.


and all our time slips away
and all our time slips away

If God...

If God didn't want me to have nice things right away, he wouldn't let Amazon.com discount them and ship them to me for free.



(Thanks, Brenda, for the inspiration.)

Wheelchair-Bound Tourist Viciously Beaten At Train Station (VIDEO)


Is there no end to the depravity of some people?
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Mistakes.

We all make them. Some are small, inconsequential, and generally unseen by others. Some are large, significant, and prominently displayed for all to see.

Regardless, there is one thing all mistakes have in common. Your reaction to it can make all the difference. If you let it eat you up, consume you with guilt or anger, you will likely compound any problem caused.

But you can also choose to accept the screw-up, own up to it, and focus on minimizing the consequences and prevent it from happening again.

Mistakes happen. Accept that. Make the best of it and move on with your life.

Monday, March 8, 2010

I Said Yes.

Someone asked me to join him and other friends Friday after work. I said yes. And I had a fantastic time.



Someone else asked me to spend Saturday lounging around watching movies and playing games. I said yes. And I had a great day.



Someone else asked me to join them for breakfast Sunday morning. I said yes. And I had wonderful time catching up with friends.



Ask me. I'll likely say yes. And I'll be glad I did.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Another Closet Case?

Anyone else notice that the more vocal an anti-gay politician is, the more likely he is to be outed in a shameful public incident?

Sources: Lawmaker At Gay Club Before DUI Arrest


Sources tell CBS13 a state senator from Southern California was arrested for allegedly driving drunk after leaving Faces, a gay nightclub in midtown Sacramento, early Wednesday morning.

The California Highway Patrol pulled over Senator Roy Ashburn at 2:00 a.m. Wednesday after an officer noticed a black Chevy Tahoe swerving at 13th and L Streets.

When the officer stopped the state-issued vehicle, the driver identified himself as Senator Ashburn. He was arrested without incident and charged with two misdemeanors: driving under the influence and driving with a blood alcohol level higher than .08% or higher.

A male passenger, who was not identified as a lawmaker, was also in the car but was not detained.

Ashburn was booked into the Sacramento County Jail and released on $1,400 bond.

Ashburn, a father of four, is a Republican Senator representing parts of Kern, Tulare and San Bernardino Counties with a history of opposing gay rights.

Ashburn issued a statement on the arrest Wednesday afternoon:

"I am deeply sorry for my actions and offer no excuse for my poor judgment. I accept complete responsibility for my conduct and am prepared to accept the consequences for what I did. I am also truly sorry for the impact this incident will have on those who support and trust me – my family, my constituents, my friends, and my colleagues in the Senate."

Ashburn served six years as a state Assemblyman before being elected to the State Senate.

Good riddance to you, too, Mr. Ashburn. Perhaps you can join Capt. Graf in the halls of oblivion. More than likely, though, he'll suddenly disclose a problem with alcohol, go to some faux-rehab center, and emerge even more holier-than-thou.

Ah, Equality.

Congratulations, ladies. You have now reached a milestone in the push for gender equity.
The Rise and Fall of a Female Captain Bligh

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1969602-1,00.html#ixzz0hDtrO8WB

Pay attention to this part, Captain Graf. Your naval career is not finished because you're a woman. It's finished because you're a terrible sailor and a horrible leader. Good riddance.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Worst Liberal Ever?

Me.

Listening to the BBC in the car at lunch today. Heard them interview a woman at a bus stop in Baltimore. They asked her about health care. She bitched and complained about the poor coverage and care she received under Medicare for her pregnancy.

Her third pregnancy. With her boyfriend. All paid for by Medicare.

I'm not sympathetic at all. Stop having unprotected sex and getting knocked up until you are finally independent and can raise your children on your own dime. Why the hell are the taxpayers supporting your poor decisions?

Argh.

Panel Report: Don&#39;t Ask, Don&#39;t Tell (Just Laugh)

Lifted gratefully from The Banterist.

Panel Report: Don't Ask, Don't Tell.