Saturday Male Beauty

San Diego Union-Tribune Opposes Proposition 8

In an interesting about face, the San Diego Union-Tribune has come out and urged the defeat of Proposition 8 on the California ballot on November 4, 2008. What makes the newspaper's about face all the more interesting is the fact that the San Diego area has been the source of a disproportionate amount of the funding for the anti-gay marriage fruit loops to date. One can only imagine the spittle flying as Christianist haters call the paper to say they are canceling their subscriptions. In making the case for why it has done this about face, the Tribune-Union illustrates the absurdity of the Christianist arguments. Anti-gay marriage laws have NEVER been about "protecting marriage." Rather the real agenda has always been to demean, disparage and treat gays as less than full citizens. All because they do not follow the Christianist religious belief. Here are some highlights from the editorial:

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The right of gay and lesbian couples to wed on an equal legal basis with heterosexual couples has long stirred opposition not only among social conservatives but also among a much broader swath of society. But in the four short months since a landmark California Supreme Court ruling legalized gay marriage, a significant social shift seems to have occurred.

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As gay couples have gone to the courthouse and entered into matrimony, usually surrounded by champagne, family and friends, the worst fears of gay marriage opponents suddenly seem greatly inflated. For instance, Christian conservatives have asserted for years that allowing gays to marry would undermine heterosexual unions – hence, such laws as the Defense of Marriage Act. In truth, however, there has been no discernible impact on traditional marriage between a man and a woman now that gay couples in California have the same right. With gay marriage a fait accompli, society has not crumbled. The long-standing institution of marriage is not in crisis.

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Our guess is that even voters who may have reservations about gay marriage will be reluctant to repeal a right that now exists as a matter of law. To do so would smack of singling out a particular group for discrimination, a move that offends many Californians' sense of fairness.

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Supporters of Proposition 8 make two arguments. The first is that, for thousands of years, marriage has been defined as between a man and a woman exclusively. Considering how Californians historically have been wide open to change, this appeal is not likely to carry much force.

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The second argument made by supporters is that children should be raised solely by a father and a mother, not by two fathers or two mothers. Yet the debate over child-rearing is entirely beside the point, because Proposition 8 is about marriage only. It would do nothing to prevent gay couples from adopting children or from having children through artificial means. Indeed, all Proposition 8 would do is ensure that the children of gay couples would be raised in households where the parents were unmarried. Would that be a healthier situation for children?

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In the past, this page has advocated civil unions for gay couples rather than marriage. But our thinking has changed, along with that of many other Californians. Gay and lesbian couples deserve the same dignity and respect in marriage that heterosexual couples have long enjoyed. We urge a No vote on Proposition 8.

Friday Male Beauty

Christianists Whine Over Pacific Gas and Electric Company Donation to “NO on 8″

In my view, there are few bigger hypocrites on the face of the earth than the Christianists - especially the "professional Christians" who make a living disseminating a message of hate and then living off the moneys contributed by the sheeple they prey upon. It's all about them and to Hell with the rights of anyone else. A case in point is Brad Dacus, the president of the Pacific Justice Institute (pictured at left - looks like a likely closet case in my opinion, btw). Dacus' personal piggy bank, Pacific Justice Institute, has filed a complaint with the California Public Utilities Commission over the $250,000 contribution by Pacific Gas and Electric Company to the group fighting to maintain the right for gays to marry. Here's what they whiner had to say according to 365gay.com:

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“It is outrageous that a mammoth utility used my money to undermine the values of families in my community,” said Brad Dacus.

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I guess it is beyond Dacus' bigoted and feeble mind to imagine how gays feel being compelled to pay taxes to local, state and federal governments that either pretend that LGBT citizens have no equality under the law or actively take away our rights - e.g., the Virginia Marriage Amendment passed through the efforts of professional haters like Dacus, Don't Ask, Dont Tell. The list goes on and on. But then, for false Christians like Dacus, freedom is a one way street that only gives rights to the self-anointed. Here are some more details on Dacus' whining from 365gay.com:

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“Proposition 8 has no relevance to the supply and distribution of energy services to its customers. As a corporation which has been given near monopoly status, its use of money extracted from customers to influence an item appearing on the ballot that does not promote the welfare of customers relative to energy is an abuse of trust,” the complaint states.

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It asks the Public Utilities Commission to conduct an investigation and hold hearings as to the lawfulness of the contribution. In addition, the complaint requests that the “Commission take all appropriate actions to remedy this matter, including fines, available under the law.” Under the California constitution, the commission has the power to conduct such an inquiry. The commission has not yet responded.

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Hopefully, the Commission will tell Dacus to put it where the sun doesn't shine.

Outer Banks Weekend

My posting over the next few days will be reduced since the boyfriend and I are headed down to the Outer Banks of North Carolina later today. As a result computer/Internet access will be reduced. We will be staying at a friend's ocean front vacation home and helping her set up for a weekend house party in a few weeks where a whole bunch of us gay boys and gay friendly straights will descend upon her place. The photo above is a recent one that my son took of a sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean. To me, early morning on the beach or out in the water surfing is such a beautiful and magical time.

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The Outer Banks - Hatteras Island in particular - are among my favorite places. It's a desolate beauty in the winter and pure sea, surf and sand in the summer. I have been down countless times, including the "boys' surf trips" I did with my son and various of his friends over the years. Other favorite places are the lake house at Brantingham in the Adirondacks and places in British Columbia that I visited with my son back in 2004. Once one hits the Outer Banks, it is as if the real world has been left behind. I suspect that we will have a wonderful time.

Final Thursday Male Beauty

Evangelical Bat Shit Insanity

If one needs further reason to run screaming from the McCain/Palin ticket, the complete insanity of the GOP base which controls the GOP - and which WILL influence and control McCain/Palin if the nation is insane enough to elect them - adds yet more justification. Salon has a story on an e-mail circulating among evangelical circles that demonstrates that these folks are not in touch with reality and should not be in charge of ANYTHING. I consider myself fairly religious, but religious belief should not totally annihilate reason and sanity. I continual am amazed how a supposedly modern society can produce such crazies. Here are some highlights from Salon:

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If you need a good reason to vote for John McCain and Sarah Palin in November, here it is:

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"Sarah is that standard God has raised up to stop the flood. She has the anointing ... Back in the 1980s, I sensed that Israel's little-known Benjamin Netanyahu was chosen by God for an important end-time role. I still believe that. I now have that same sense about Sarah Palin."

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That's a quote from an e-mail that's now circulating in the evangelical community; a friend passed it on to me. As best as I can tell, the text of the e-mail was originally written by Jim Bramlett, an author and former vice president with the Christian Broadcasting Network. (You can read more about him in this WorldNetDaily article about his claim that he's obtained recordings of angels singing.)

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This e-mail isn't the only instance of Palin being seen this way. Sarah Posner, who has an interesting article about Palin's time as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, in Salon today, previously wrote about this phenomenon on TAPPED: "Many evangelicals are talking about Palin being like the biblical Queen Esther, who saved the Jews from the genocidal Haman, and believe that Palin has come, like Esther did, 'for a time such as this.' (The same narrative built around George W. Bush when he was running.)

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And these folks claim gays have mental health issues? I don't think so!!

Is John McCain Going Senile?

In light of McCain's selection of Christianist "witch hunter" believing Sarah Palin as his VP running mate, the state of McCain's health and mental functioning is utterly critical should he be elected. There have been numerous reports of McCain's gaffes on citing incorrect facts and information, but a recent gaffe is downright scary. Terrifying in fact if it accurately shows that McCain's losing it mentally. Do we want a man holding the office of president who doesn't know where Spain is located? Here are some highlights from Talking Points Memo:

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Well, we've heard the interview now. And John McCain either doesn't know who the Prime Minister of Spain is, thinks Spain is a country in Latin America, or possibly both.

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In case, you haven't seen our updates from last night, yesterday John McCain was interviewed on the Florida affiliate of Spanish radio network Union Radio. And in the interview McCain appeared not to know who the Prime Minister of Spain was and assumed he was some anti-American leftist leader from South America.

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After the interviewer presses him a couple times on the point and tries to focus him on the fact that Prime Minister Zapatero isn't from Mexico and isn't a drug lord either McCain comes back at her saying, "All I can tell you is that I have a clear record of working with leaders in the Hemisphere that are friends with us and standing up to those who are not. And that's judged on the basis of the importance of our relationship with Latin America and the entire region."

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Then there's a moment of awkward pause before she says. "But what about Europe? I'm talking about the President of Spain." McCain: "What about me, what?

Thursday Male Beauty

Poll: McCain Less Likely to Bring Change

The poll results should be no surprise to anyone with a brain, but nevertheless it is good to see that perhaps American voters are beginning to finally wake up. If so, it's a case of better late than never, although I have to wonder why has taken so long. The New York Times is reporting on a new poll that shows that 65% of voters believe that Barack Obama would bring about change where as only 37% believe such would be the case under a McSenile/Palin regime. In short, a McCain presidency would be a a third Bush term and more of the same - which would be pretty bad indeed based on what the Chimperator and the GOP have brought upon the country. I suspect that the 37% who believe in McCain are mostly Christianists and racists who currently support the Chimperator or who cannot get past their bigotry. Here are some story highlights:

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Despite an intense effort to distance himself from the way his party has done business in Washington, Senator John McCain is seen by voters as far less likely to bring change to Washington than Senator Barack Obama. He is widely viewed as a “typical Republican” who would continue or expand President Bush’s policies, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

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The contest appeared to be roughly where it was before the two conventions and before the vice-presidential selections: Mr. Obama had the support of 48 percent of registered voters, compared with 43 percent for Mr. McCain, a difference within the poll’s margin of sampling error, . . .

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But the Times/CBS News poll suggested that Ms. Palin’s selection has, to date, helped Mr. McCain only among Republican base voters; there was no evidence of significantly increased support for him among women in general. . . . . By contrast, at this point in the 2004 campaign, President Bush was leading Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, the Democratic challenger, by 56 percent to 37 percent among white women.

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Among other groups, Mr. Obama had a slight edge among independents, and a 16-percentage-point lead among voters ages 18 to 44. Mr. McCain was leading by 17 points among white men and by the same margin among voters 65 and over.

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This poll found evidence of concern about Ms. Palin’s qualifications to be president, particularly compared with Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware, Mr. Obama’s running mate. More than 6 in 10 said they would be concerned if Mr. McCain could not finish his term and Ms. Palin had to take over. In contrast, two-thirds of voters surveyed said Mr. Biden would be qualified to take over for Mr. Obama, a figure that cut across party lines. And 75 percent said they thought Mr. McCain had picked Ms. Palin more to help him win the election than because he thought that she was well qualified to be president,

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The poll suggested the urgency of Mr. McCain’s task: The percentage of Americans who disapprove of the way Mr. Bush is conducting his job, 68 percent, was as high as it has been for any sitting president in the history of New York Times polling. And 81 percent said the country was heading in the wrong direction.

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More than twice as many said an Obama presidency would improve the image of the United States around the world, 55 percent, compared with those who believed a McCain presidency would do so. Mr. Obama also gets high marks for “sharing the values most Americans try to live by,” despite concerted Republican efforts to portray him as elite and out of touch with average voters. Sixty-six percent said Mr. Obama shared their values, compared with 61 percent who said that about Mr. McCain.

Final Wednesday Male Beauty

How We Got Here: It's Housing, Stupid

Long time readers know that I have been talking about the collapse of the U. S. housing market for many months and had predicted that the ripple effect and larger impact on the U. S. economy would be huge. Time and events have proved me right. Unfortunately, as yet there seems to be no consensus as to how to stop the market deterioration from further worsening. Meanwhile, John "Twelve Homes" McSenile still has not grasp the depth of the problem as he claims the "fundamentals of the economy are sound." CNN Money has a story that looks at the way the housing collapse has fueled so much of the current economic free fall. Here are some highlights"

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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The nation's financial system is in the midst of a massive shakeup and many on Wall Street and in Washington are pointing fingers and looking for someone to blame. But in the end, it all comes back to one issue - housing.

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Earlier this decade, it was much easier to get a mortgage. Home prices soared about 85% from 1996 through 2006 in inflation-adjusted dollars, creating a bubble. Then the bubble popped. And the fallout isn't over yet, experts say. In the past two weeks, the government took over Fannie Mae (FNM, Fortune 500) and Freddie Mac (FRE, Fortune 500), Lehman Brothers (LEH, Fortune 500) filed for bankruptcy and Merrill Lynch (MER, Fortune 500) sold itself to Bank of America (BAC, Fortune 500).

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None of this would have happened if the housing market had not imploded, leaving all these firms with staggering losses from their investments tied to mortgages. "These institutions, which weathered all kinds of calamities before, including depressions, are being knocked out," said Lakshman Achuthan, the managing director of the Economic Cycle Research Institute. "It's a testament to the significance of the problem we have here."

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But because of the depth of the housing problems, it may take a long time before real estate prices head higher again. Here's why. Home prices, while sharply off from the 2006 peaks, are still high in comparison to long-term gains in income, rents or overall prices, suggesting that they still have a way to fall, according to experts.

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The reason housing is wreaking havoc even on insurers like AIG and big investment banks, who do not make mortgage loans, is that during the boom, trillions of dollars of mortgages were packaged together into securities that promised to pay investors with the proceeds of those loan payments.

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This credit crunch in of itself slowed the economy, leading to job losses and more defaults, feeding a downward spiral that has been difficult to stop. "A really bad situation -- a home price bubble bursting -- was made significantly worse when the recession began," said Achuthan. "Now we have to let this thing play out."

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So even with perhaps hundreds of billions of tax dollars going to AIG, Fannie and Freddie, one expert said the only real solution to the housing problem is for the correction in housing to finish running its course. "We want home prices to return to normal," said Barry Ritholtz, CEO of Fusion IQ and author of the upcoming book "Bailout Nation."

Just How Whacked Out is Sarah Palin? Very!!

Between the almost non-stop series of lies and the wingnut fundie views of her church, one can only wonder about just how extreme are the depths of Sarah Palin's whacked out religious insanity. Each new day seems to reveal some new whacked aspect to Palin's religious fanaticism. Now the London Times is reporting an even more bizarre account of just how crazy Ms. Palin seems to be. Apparently Ms. Palin believes in "witch hunters" and other religious kooks outside the mainstream of rationality. Here are some story highlights:

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The pastor whose prayer Sarah Palin says helped her to become governor of Alaska founded his ministry with a witchhunt against a Kenyan woman who he accused of causing car accidents through demonic spells. At a speech at the Wasilla Assembly of God on June 8 this year, Mrs Palin described how Thomas Muthee had laid his hands on her when he visited the church as a guest preacher in late 2005, prior to her successful gubernatorial bid.

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In video footage of the speech, she is seen saying: “As I was mayor and Pastor Muthee was here and he was praying over me, and you know how he speaks and he’s so bold. And he was praying “Lord make a way, Lord make a way.” "And I’m thinking, this guy’s really bold, he doesn’t even know what I’m going to do, he doesn’t know what my plans are. And he’s praying not “oh Lord if it be your will may she become governor,” no, he just prayed for it. He said “Lord make a way and let her do this next step. And that’s exactly what happened.” She then adds: “So, again, very very powerful, coming from this church,” before the presiding pastor comments on the “prophetic power” of the event.

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An African evangelist, Pastor Muthee has given guest sermons at the Wasilla Assembly of God on at least 10 occasions in his role as the founder of the Word of Faith Church, also known as the Prayer Cave. Pastor Muthee founded the Prayer Cave in 1989 in Kiambu, Kenya after “God spoke” to him and his late wife Margaret and called him to the country, according to the church’s website. The pastor speaks of his offensive against a demonic presence in the town in a trailer for the evangelical video “Transformations”, made by Sentinel Group, a Christian research and information agency.

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According to accounts of the witchhunt circulated on evangelical websites such as It was during that these sermons that Mrs Palin, who was then preparing for her gubernatorial run, was anointed by Pastor Muthee. His intercession, she says, was “awesome”., after Pastor Muthee declared Mama Jane a witch, the townspeople became suspicious and began to turn on her, demanding that she be stoned. Public outrage eventually led the police to raid her home, where they fired gunshots, killing a pet python which they believed to be a demon. . . . Pastor Muthee has frequently referred to this witchhunt in his sermons as an example of the power of “spiritual warfare”.

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It was during that these sermons that Mrs Palin, who was then preparing for her gubernatorial run, was anointed by Pastor Muthee. His intercession, she says, was “awesome”.

More Wednesday Male Beauty

Brad Pitt and Bruce Bastian Making Donations to Stop Proposition 8

I have always thought Bad Pitt was gorgeous (he was so hot as Louis in Interview with a Vampire - see photo at left), but he's more than that based on various political positions and pro-gay statements he has made in the past. Now, he is putting his money where his mouth is and has announced that he is making a sizable donation to fight passage of California Proposition 8. Hopefully, his courage will both prompt other celebrities to make contributions and perhaps make others to think about the cruelty that Proposition 8 would inflict upon same sex couples. Here are some highlights from the Los Angeles Times:

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Brad Pitt announced Wednesday that he's donating $100,000 to fight California's Proposition 8, a November ballot initiative that would eliminate same-sex couples' right to marry."Because no one has the right to deny another their life, even though they disagree with it, because everyone has the right to live the life they so desire if it doesn't harm another and because discrimination has no place in America, my vote will be for equality and against Proposition 8," the actor said in a statement. Pitt's donation marks the largest thus far to the anti-Prop. 8 campaign by an A-list celebrity.

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Political strategist Chad Griffin, who is helping coordinate efforts in the entertainment industry to defeat the controversial initiative, said he is hopeful that the move will prompt others to get involved.

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Making a far larger contribution is Bruce Bastian, WordPerfect co-founder and a former Mormon and openly gay man, who said he, too, would be making a $1 million donation to defeat Proposition 8. Bastian said he was was prompted to make the donation by the Latter Day Saints Church a/k/a Mormon Church's heavy involvement in supporting Proposition 8. Here are some highlights from The Salt Lake Tribune:

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With the LDS Church prodding its members to give of their "means and time" to help eliminate same-sex marriage in California, many Utahns have funneled cash to the Golden State's Proposition 8 campaign. And not all of them favor the constitutional amendment.

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Orem resident and WordPerfect co-founder Bruce Bastian has trumped their efforts - almost tenfold. He gave a whopping $1 million to the Human Right Campaign's "No on Prop. 8" committee. Bastian, a former Mormon and openly gay man, said he, too, was prompted by the LDS Church to donate - but to the other side. He gave a more modest $5,000 check to the cause in May, but upped the ante in July after the church issued a formal statement, backing the ballot measure.

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"The LDS Church has no business stepping their big nose in something that's a legal matter, not a religious matter," Bastian said. "Constitutions are meant to protect minorities - not to take rights away from people."

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The Web site, Mormonsfor8.com, tracks contributions to ProtectMarriage.com . . . So far, the Web site has determined that about a third of ProtectMarriage.com's donors are LDS, with their contributions totaling close to $5 million. "If we could identify every Mormon, I think that probably 85 to 90 percent of the donors would be Mormon," said Cedar City resident Nadine Hansen, creator of Mormonsfor8.com.

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Thankfully, Pitt and Bastian understand the concept of separation of church and state envisioned by the U. S. Constitution even if the LDS Church does not. As I have said many times, anti-gay initiatives like Proposition 8 are not about "protecting marriage" but rather about punishing LGBT citizens for not knuckling under to Christianist and LDS religious beliefs.

Wisconsin Catholic Church Music Director Fired for Being Gay

A reader in Minneapolis sent me a link to a story out of Wisconsin yesterday. In response, all I can say is that the hypocrisy of the Roman Catholic Church seems to know no limits. While bishops and cardinals who shuffled around known predators to unsuspecting parishes and/or who covered up their misdeeds go unpunished, the falsely pious Bishop Robert Morlino (pictured at left) supported the dismissal of Charles Philyaw as full-time director of music liturgy at St. Andrew Catholic Church in Verona. Philyaw's sin? Being gay and not hiding it like countless phony closeted members of the Catholic Church clergy. As a member of my Lutheran parish pointed out on Sunday after the parish discussion group on the draft ELCA social statement on human sexuality, the Catholic Church's hypocrisy is even greater when one considers that so much of the priceless art owned/hoarded by the Church - and commissioned by numerous popes - was created by gays.

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One of the best things I have done in my life is to leave the Roman Catholic Church, a faith that until it rids itself of the corrupt and morally bankruptcy hierarchy is anything but truly Christian. I truly hope more people will "vote with their feet" because only a loss of members (translation: money) will cause needed change to occur. As for gay Catholics, my advice is to investigate other denominations and leave a Church that basically preaches that gays are garbage. Here are some story highlights from Twin Cities.com:

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After decades of honing his musical skills, Charles Philyaw landed his dream job in 2004 as the full-time director of music liturgy at St. Andrew Catholic Church in Verona. The church, with 1,643 adult members, was more than just a place to work for Philyaw. He and his partner, James Mulder-Philyaw, joined the parish and participated fully in the religious community. Then in June, it all collapsed. Philyaw said he was told by the parish priest, the Rev. Dave Timmerman, that he would no longer be retained because he was living an openly gay life. He was given two weeks' notice.

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Philyaw later learned that five parishioners had raised concerns about him and his partner being so prominently involved in church activities. Bishop Robert Morlino's office became involved, leading to his dismissal, Philyaw said. His firing has divided parishioners, pitting friends against friends and spawning a sharp debate over Christ's teachings. More than 100 church members signed a petition — sent to Morlino — praising Philyaw and bemoaning his dismissal.

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[T]he diocese made available the Rev. Monsignor James Bartylla, director of vocations, who is helping to coordinate locally a program called Courage, a national Catholic initiative that counsels people with same-sex attraction. While same-sex attraction is considered a disorder by the Catholic Church, it is not a sin in and of itself, Bartylla said. "It is acting on the attraction that makes it a sinful act, a grave depravity," he said. People with same-sex attraction must control their desires and live chaste lives, he said. If they do so, they can participate fully in church life, including in leadership positions, he said.

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Philyaw, who earned $41,000 a year, now works a part-time temp job with no benefits. He and his partner face the likelihood of foreclosure on their house within two months, he said. "It's been devastating," he said. "These five people didn't think through how they were going to be impacting our lives." Regardless of their motives, "their actions did not positively contribute to spreading the word of the Gospels or the love that Jesus taught us," he said.

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Life has not been pleasant for the five who pressed the issue, either. Kilkenny said she's received hate mail and has been called a "Judas" and "a vigilante." Heyde said people he thought were friends no longer speak to him.

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Choir member Beth Homb said Philyaw's firing and some tenets of the Catholic faith have caused her to step back from regular attendance at St. Andrew. "It's hard to be there, but it's hard not to be there," she said. Philyaw said he believes he was born gay and that God led him to the Catholic Church. "We ended up opening the eyes of many people in the church." His firing has not shaken his faith in God, he said. He and his partner now worship with a United Church of Christ congregation.

Wednesday Male Beauty

McCain Clueless On the Economy

With a swirl of devastating financial and economic news all around him, John McSenile is demonstrating that he's utterly clueless on the dire straits of the U. S. economy. As brokerage house/investment banking firms go under and AIG teeters on the brink he makes stupid statements that everything is fundamentally sound. As the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports, pension funds and retirement plans are likewise being devastated. Here are some highlights:

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The Dow Jones industrial average lost more than 500 points, more than 4 percent, its steepest point drop since the day the stock market reopened after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. About $700 billion evaporated from retirement plans, government pension funds and other investment portfolios. . . . We are in the middle of a deep, dark recession, and it won't end soon. Here it is, and it is pretty nasty," said Barry Ritholtz, who writes the popular financial blog The Big Picture and is chief executive officer of research firm FusionIQ. And the fallout was far from over. American International Group, the world's largest insurer, was fighting for its very survival.

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Someone, please tell me what planet Mr. McCain is inhabiting. It's obvious that he's totally out of touch with the reality of what's happening. Worse yet, his ridiculour running mate is even more clueless and a pathological liar by all appearances. The New York Times has a timely editorial on McCain's cluelessness. I can only ponder how anyone with intelligence can be supporting McCain/Palin. I expect that things will get much worse before they get better. I hope that I am wrong, but suspect I won't be. Here are some editorial highlights:

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John McCain spent Monday claiming as he had countless times before — that the economy was fundamentally sound. Had he missed the collapse of Lehman Brothers or the sale of Merrill Lynch, which were announced the day before? Did he not notice the agonies of the American Insurance Group? Was he unaware of the impending layoffs of tens of thousands of Wall Street employees on top of the growing numbers of unemployed workers throughout the United States?

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On Tuesday, he clarified his remarks. The clarification was far more worrisome than his initial comments. He said that by calling the economy fundamentally sound, what he really meant was that American workers are the best in the world. In the best Karl Rovian fashion, he implied that if you dispute his statement about the economy’s firm foundation, you are, in effect, insulting American workers.

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[T]he economy is stressed to the breaking point by fundamental problems — in housing, finance, credit, employment, health care and the federal budget — that have been at best neglected, at worst exacerbated during the Bush years. And as a result, American workers have taken a beating. In clarifying his comments, Mr. McCain lavished praise on workers, but ignored their problems. That is the real insult.

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For decades, typical Americans have not been rewarded for their increasing productivity with comparably higher pay or better benefits. The disconnect between work and reward has been especially acute during the Bush years, as workers’ incomes fell while corporate profits, which flow to investors and company executives, ballooned. For workers, that is a fundamental flaw in today’s economy. It is grounded in policies like a chronically inadequate minimum wage and an increasingly unprogressive tax system, for which Mr. McCain offers no alternatives.

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The regulatory failure is rooted in a markets-are-good-government-is-bad ideology that has been ascendant as long as Mr. McCain has been in Washington and championed by his own party. If Mr. McCain adheres to some other belief system, we would like to hear about it.

Final Tuesday male Beauty

New York Times Supports gay Marriage

In an editorial over the weekend, the New York Times editorial board came out in favor of gay marriage in New York State and urged the Republican controlled New York Senate to pass legislation similar to that which has already passed the Democrat controlled Assembly. In the column, the Times directly challenges to Christianist untruth that same sex marriage threatens heterosexual marriage and/or families. Here are some highlights:

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Gov. David Paterson of New York did the right, fair and legally sound thing this year when he directed state agencies to recognize same-sex marriages performed outside the state. So we were heartened by the recent ruling by a state trial judge that upheld Mr. Paterson’s executive order.

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Gay couples still may not marry in New York. But the judge’s decision follows a string of rulings that same-sex couples married elsewhere have a right to have their marital status honored in New York.

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For more than a century, New York has recognized marriage contracts from other states, even if those couples could not legally marry here. Unlike many other states, New York has not enshrined bigotry by prohibiting the state from recognizing same-sex marriages.

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Marriage is “one of life’s most significant events,” Justice Lucy Billings of State Supreme Court in the Bronx wrote in her ruling, explaining the deeper reason for the state’s recognition rule. And she said that “nothing is more antithetical to family stability” than failing to respect “that solemnized commitment.”

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New York’s Democratic-controlled Assembly has passed a bill allowing same-sex couples to marry here. New York’s Senate, which has long been under Republican control, must also do the right thing.

Boltz Coming Out Shocks Christian Community

Over the weekend I did a post about gospel singer, Ray Boltz, who came out after 33 years of marriage and fathering four children. Not surprisingly, the wingnut, Kool-Aid drinkers are foaming at the mouth and bleating about Boltz's "fall" and "decision to engage in homosexuality." Why let mental health and medical knowledge get in the way of of one's fraudulent, deranged myth that gays CHOOSE to be gay. These people are pathetic and I believe that on Judgment Day, they and not LGBT individuals are going to find a day of reckoning for all the lies, hate and intolerance they have caused. Here's a sampling of the disingenuous things being said about Boltz at the Christianist outlet OneNewsNow (the comments posted by readers are truly illustrative of how crazy these people can be):

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There is shock and sadness in the Christian community over word that famed Christian music singer Ray Boltz has publicly announced he’s living a homosexual lifestyle.

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When asked about Boltz's homosexuality, The Gospel Music Association -- the group which gives out the Dove Awards -- told the Blade, "We do not comment on the lifestyle choices of people in our community." According to Quinlan [who is now with the New Jersey Family Policy Council], by making such a statement the GMA seems to be "enabling a behavior that is totally inconsistent, incongruent with the message of the gospel."

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"I’m absolutely shocked. . . . We now know there is no genetic cause for homosexuality."

More Tuesday Male Beauty

A European Reader's Thoughts on McCain/Palin

In response to my earlier post today about the importance of the U.S. presidential election, I received an e-mail from a reader in Europe who is aghast that there is even a possibility of someone like Sarah Palin being elected as Vice President of this nation. I agree with him - it is VERY, VERY frightening and says nothing good about America. Here's a portion of his message to me:

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I'm one of your European readers (living in Germany and Denmark) and I want to tell you, that I'm particularly interested in your political commentary, the way you put gay politics into the frame of party politics and church politics and make it to the crucial point of liberal and humanistic politics in both areas.

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It is so difficult not only for me to understand what is happening in the USA. Take for example Charlie Gibson's interview of Sarah Palin, about which I was really shocked. One of Scandinavia's leading newspapers, Politiken in Copenhagen, characterized her answers as those of a poor student who is falling through the exam, but it is still possible, that she will be elected! And it is not only her cranky Christianity, but her shocking incompetence, which I fear. Do the American electors have sense for their world-wide responsibility?

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It is very hard to explain to residents of other advanced nations how it can be that the USA is both a country of great knowledge and power and yet also a nation inhabited by many ignorant - often by their own choice - people who are utterly clueless on a host of issues and areas of knowledge. Part of the phenomenon may be due to the USA's great size - Texas is a large as France - and it's lack of proximity to other nations other than Canada (which in many ways is similar to the USA) and Mexico. Unlike Europe which has been much more outward looking for centuries and had much more movement between countries, too many within the USA look inward and really have no interest in the concept that there ARE other legitimate perspectives on issues.

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I hate to say it, but I also believe that religion is also an insidious cause for the ignorance and/or lack of curiosity on the part of many Americans. Europe for the most part has never had the fundamentalist and evangelical religious traditions that grew up out of the uneducated masses and often times self-styled "preachers" who had questionable levels of education themselves. For all its huge faults, at least the Roman Catholic Church historically had a somewhat educated clergy. It is no coincidence that today fundamentalists and evangelicals are most populous in the states that have the lowest levels of overall education and the poorest public education systems. In my view, it is difficult to believe in the literal interpretation/application of the Bible and the teaching of creationism if one has a modicum of quality education.

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The public education system in the USA is also woefully lacking when it comes to educating young people about (1) accurate history so that they cannot be duped by Christianist demagogues, (2) how government works and the interactions between the branches of government, and (3) patriotism not being an excuse to not question one's government. I was first drawn into politics due to my frustrations with public education which offered far too little for my intellectually gifted children. While myself and like minded people did force through some improvements in the Virginia Beach school system, so much more is need across the country. With the GOP and the Christianist depending upon the ignorance of voters, it is a constant battle to stem efforts to "dumb down" the system even more.

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Will McCain and Palin be elected? I truly hope not. If they are, I foresee further declines in the USA both in terms of knowledge and personal freedoms and liberty. I believe that gay rights are intertwined with both religion and politics in this country because anti-gay legislation and homophobia have one root cause: the desire to punish those who do not conform to the Christianist religious beliefs. But gays are not the only targets of these folks. Jews, Muslims, Hindu's and non-believers all are at risk if someone like Sarah Palin, an obvious religious fanatic is elected to high office. I hope and pray that Obama/Biden is victorious on November 4, 2008.

Why This Presidential Election is so Important

Some readers accuse me of talking too much about politics. Yes, it can be over done but in reality few things impact one's life in so many ways both on the large national scene and at the local level. For those who ignore politics and stay uninvolved/uninformed, in my view they forfeit their right to bitch and complain because all too often those who wear the PTA/soccer mom blinders are part of the problem because they all too often vote for liars like McCain/Palin based on sound bites as opposed to any true fundamental understanding of the issues.

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As for this presidential election, I believe that we are faced with the choice between two world views. One, represented by today's Christianist dominated GOP represents the worse aspects of the past (including a preference for ignorance and religious bigotry) and a mindset which, while giving lip service to equality under the law, etc., actually believes that civil legal rights should be dispensed based on who one sleeps with, the color of one's skin, one's native language and a host of other prejudices. To me that mindset is the antithesis of what America should be all about. On the other side stands a mindset that faces the future and, while not perfect in many ways, does represent a belief that all citizens have legal rights be they black, gay, Hispanic or non-Christian, etc. This country cannot afford to allow the forces of division and discrimination represented by McCain/Palin win on November 4, 2008. My fellow blogger Bob Felton at Civil Commotion (with whom I do not always agree, but whom I always respect) has an interesting take on McCain/Palin which somewhat dove tails with my thoughts on this. Here are highlights from Bob's blog:

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Unexpectedly, I’m finding myself with serious reservations about McCain, though up until about 15-days ago I expected to vote for him. The Palin selection is awful. She doesn’t appear to be very bright and, worse, she seems incurious. And she is definitely a serial liar: the ‘bridge to nowhere,’ the vendetta against her brother in law, the polar bear fiasco, on and on.

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The sheer awfulness of the Palin selection says something about John McCain, too, and with the recent advertisements we know what it says — he means to win, and he’s willing to saddle the country with an incompetent, and tell any lie that’s useful, to win.

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It probably seems a strange analogy, but bear with me. Recall Tiananmin square, back in 1989, the huge dramatic crowd scenes, that brave protester who stood in front of the tank. Recall afterward, after scores of protesters were killed, and the crowd dispersed, the old men of the Forbidden City insisted that there hadn’t been any disturbance at all, that the whole thing was overblown media excitement.

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It was a lie. The whole world knew it was a lie — and those clowns had no idea that they had humiliated themselves and that the whole world knew they lied because they had no grasp of the reach of then-modern communications, couldn’t understand what it meant that the entire world had watched events in real-time.

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I keep thinking of McCain-Palin that way, that they are so out of step with reality that they don’t know every word they utter is fact-checked within minutes after they go public. You cannot lie any more. Obama missed the mark with his jibe that McCain doesn’t use e-mail, but only by a little.

More Tuesday Male Beauty

Catholic Church Again Seeks to Interfer with Civil Laws

The Nazi Pope and his corrupt and scandal tainted cardinals and bishops continue to act as if it is the early Medieval era when the Roman Catholic Church's power had totally permeated the civil laws. Time and time again they endeavor to interfere with the CIVIL secular laws in their effort to intertwine religion and secular life. Sadly, there are always some sheeple who will be led by these falsely pious hypocrites. This time Church is endeavoring to subvert a new constitution under consideration in Ecuador which - gasp - would give some civil legal rights to same sex couples. Oh the horror!! Cardinals and bishops who facilitated or covered up the sexual abuse of children and minors are fine. Meager civil legal rights for gays is unconscionable. As for "sacrificing innocent lives," how many gays have had their lives ruined because of the Church's homophobia? And people ask me what I left the Roman Catholic Church. Here are some highlights from PageOne Q:

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QUITO (Reuters) - Hundreds of Catholics Sunday celebrated mass on the streets of Ecuador's largest city, Guayaquil, following a call by local church leaders to challenge a new constitution up for vote later this month. Some church leaders in the deeply Catholic nation have repeatedly clashed with President Rafael Correa over a government-proposed constitution they say could pave the way for abortion and same-sex marriage.

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"We ask for the recognition of God's creation of men and women to complement each other and be the source of new families," Monsignor Antonio Arregui told the crowd during mass. "We will never accept that innocent lives be sacrificed."

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Pollsters say the charismatic ex-college professor should win the Sept. 28 referendum to pass a new constitution that would expand his authority over the oil-producing nation. However, experts warn his feud with the church could cost him some votes at the polls. Television images showed hundreds of faithful, some on their knees and others holding images of saints, attending mass on the main boulevards of Guayaquil, considered one of the last strongholds of a weakening opposition.

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If approved, the new constitution would allow gay couples similar inheritance and property rights as opposite-sex married couples.

The Ugly New McCain

Back in 2000 I supported John McCain's run for president and was disgusted when the Chimperator through lies and dirty tactics won the GOP nomination. Now John McCain has become such a liar and low life that at times I have to think his goal is to make the Chimperator look honorable. Admittedly, that'd be a hard task, but McCain surely seems to be doing his damnedest to pull it off. One has to wonder is it senility, a craven desire for power or what which would cause someone to utterly throw honor to the wind. Richard Cohen has a good column that looks at this slide into someone horrible in today's Washington Post. McCain has definitely sold his soul and become inherently dishonorable. Here are some column highlights:

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Following his loss to George W. Bush in the 2000 South Carolina primary, John McCain did something extraordinary: He confessed to lying about how he felt about the Confederate battle flag, which he actually abhorred. "I broke my promise to always tell the truth," McCain said. Now he has broken that promise so completely that the John McCain of old is unrecognizable. He has become the sort of politician he once despised.

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The precise moment of McCain's abasement came, would you believe, not at some news conference or on one of the Sunday shows but on "The View" . . . Last week, one of the co-hosts, Joy Behar, took McCain to task for some of the ads his campaign has been running. One deliberately mischaracterized what Barack Obama had said about putting lipstick on a pig -- an Americanism that McCain himself has used. The other asserted that Obama supported teaching sex education to kindergarteners. "We know that those two ads are untrue," Behar said. "They are lies."

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Freeze. Close in on McCain. This was the moment. . . . Until then, it was possible for McCain to say that he had not really known about the ads, that the formulation "I approve this message" was just boilerplate. But he didn't. "Actually, they are not lies," he said. Actually, they are.
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His dishonesty would be unacceptable in any politician, but McCain has always set his own bar higher than most. He has contempt for most of his colleagues for that very reason: They lie. . . . . No more, though.

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His opportunistic and irresponsible choice of Sarah Palin as his political heir -- the person in whose hands he would leave the country -- is a form of personal treason, a betrayal of all he once stood for. Palin, no matter what her other attributes, is shockingly unprepared to become president. McCain knows that. He means to win, which is all right; he means to win at all costs, which is not.

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And so McCain lied about his lying and maybe thinks that if he wins the election, he can -- as he did in South Carolina -- renounce who he was and what he did and resume his old persona. It won't work. Karl Marx got one thing right -- what he said about history repeating itself. Once is tragedy, a second time is farce. John McCain is both.