Thursday, May 28, 2009
Party like a ROCKSTAR?
Or not.

When I was growing up we didn't have bottled water. No, seriously, no bottled water for sale. I know, it's crazy.

But the latest craze in bottled refreshment are those "energy drinks". I don't drink them but they're pretty pervasive. You see the cans, like a big ol' Colt littering the streets where young'uns hang out. I've heard they're just heavily caffeinated sugar water - like JOLT cola. Some of them have minor amounts of vitamins in them just so they can say they will help your focus or concentration or some shit like that.

Anyway, my point is that Rockstar is one of these energy drinks. You've seen the black can with the gold star on the front. Who knew that this kid friendly, rock star approved drink is actually made by a bunch of racist, anti-queer, anti-immigration douchenozzles?

The founders and owners of Rockstar69 (stay classy guys!) is none other than right-wing conservative radio shock-jock Michael (Weiner) Savage, his son, Russell and his wife Janet. That's right, the people who brought you Rockstar are the same people that founded the Paul Revere Society to:
1. Support Traditional Marriage
2. Close the Borders now.
3. Deport all illegal immigrants now.
4. Eliminate bilingual education in all states.
5. Require health tests for all recent foreign born
6. Make tax cuts permanent.
7. End Affirmative Action
8. Tort Reform - Stop Class Action Lawyers.
Fabulous.

Esquire describes Savage thusly:
If you thought Rush Limbaugh was bad, try Michael Savage, the talk-radio host whose racist, homophobic psychobabble isn't just fueling the car stereos of eight million Americans. It's fueling the priorities of the GOP.
Savage on autism:
"You know what autism is? I'll tell you what autism is," according to a copy of the broadcast captured on mediamatters.org. "In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out. That's what autism is."

On Muslims:
To "save the United States," lawmakers should institute "outright ban on Muslim immigration" and on "the construction of mosques"

On immigrants:

Savage on immigrant students' hunger strike: "[L]et them fast until they starve to death. ... Go make a bomb where you came from"

And on gays:
"You've got to explain to the children ... why God told people this was wrong. You have to explain this to them in this time of mental rape that's going on. The children's minds are being raped by the homosexual mafia, that's my position. They're raping our children's minds."

And my personal favorite -- on the Nobel committee:
"90 percent of the people on the Nobel Committee are into child pornography and molestation, according to the latest scientific studies"

I, for one, would very much like to see these studies to which you refer. I have looked on the PubMed and LexisNexis and cannot find that of which you speak. Perhaps you have misspoke? /snark

You know what to do folks. Raise a teaspoon and boycott Rockstar.

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Tuesday, May 26, 2009
My favorite photo
From the Prop 8 protests outside of the Supreme Court building in San Francisco.

Via Towleroad taken by Brian and Brandon

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Prop 8. What it's really about.
The California Supreme Court, one year ago, affirmed the right of same sex couples to marry. We already know that our Supreme Court believes that this right is ours. I want to remind people of this before we get into gear for protests if need be. It's important that we always know who we're angry with and why we're angry. Barking at cars is not effective in advancing our political and personal agendas.

Today's decision is not about the right to marry technically - and in this case, technically is all that really matters.

Technically, this decision is about whether or not Proposition 8 on November's ballot was constitutional. Whether it was a revision or an amendment. If it was a revision, then the referendum process is not sufficient. This decision isn't about same sex marriage but about the referendum/initiative process in California - even though it is deciding the fates of millions of California couples.

Arguments made on both sides were not about whether marriage should be allowed but whether the people of the state of California get to decide on certain rights and how that should work -- whether by legislation or by referendum.

We'll know in about 2 hours what the Supreme Court decides. I hope people remain non-violent if the court does not decide to overturn the amendment. While anger is important and useful, violence never is.
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Friday, May 22, 2009
The messages we send.
Today, May 22 would have been Harvey Milk's 79th birthday. Happy birthday Harvey, and thanks for everything.

This same week that a sixth grade child at Mt. Woodson Elementary School in San Diego County was asked to give her report at lunch hour rather than during class. Students had to take home and have permission slips signed to listen to the report. Natalie Jones decided to do her report on the first openly gay politician, Harvey Milk.

The ACLU is charging that Natalie had her free speech rights violated. There is nothing in the life of Harvey Milk, from his upbringing to his life and political campaigning to his assassination that is inappropriate for a sixth grade classroom. Did the principal, who sent letters to parents giving them the option of not allowing their child to listen to the presentation, think that the 6th grader was going to discuss his sex life? Or was it just because this important and historical political figure might bring up more questions than the principal could handle.

Doubtless, a small but significant percentage of the children in Natalie's class are gay. They have received a message this week. A message that their lives are inappropriate.

They may receive another one on Tuesday. The California Supreme Court will rule to maintain or overturn Prop 8.

What message will they receive.
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Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Prop 8 Decision Possibly Tomorrow
I've written a post over at Shakesville.

Crossing my fingers.

ETA: 12:30 p.m. - the rulings will not come out tomorrow. They were supposed to however SF mayor Gavin Newsom asked the court this morning not to release the verdict as it coincided with the White Night Riots of 1979 in San Fran after Dan White was given the most lenient sentence following his murder of Harvey Milk and Mayor Moscone.

Probably for the best but I think the rage would have been somehow cathartic.

ETA: 1:01 p.m.

Actually - I'm thinking now that Gavin Newsom is awfully paternalistic to be changing the date because the queers couldn't be trusted to behave themselves.
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Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Some required fun
Good morning - I did a mini guest post on Shakesville this morning with the most adorable and biggest queer FUCK YOU in all of recorded history.

Click on over and enjoy!!! RIGHT NOW!!!

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Monday, May 04, 2009
The cure for woo.
While I have written about the issue of vaccines here and here, I don't know if I've ever specifically made clear my contempt for the pseudo-scientific ramblings and dangerous tracts of Jenny McCarthy and her boyfriend Jim Carrey about the whole vaccine issue.

Jenny McCarthy believes that her son, Evan's autism was caused by receiving childhood vaccines. There is no science to back this up.

In June 2007, McCarthy began promoting anti-vaccination rhetoric. She has appeared on several television shows and has published multiple books advising parents not to vaccinate their children. This has led to a dramatic increase in the number of vaccine preventable illnesses as well as an increase in the number of vaccine preventable deaths.

Now mainstream media has picked up on this movement of unscientific claims by people utterly unqualified to utter them.

The HUFFINGTON POST
Recently, the Huffington Post published an article by Jim Carrey on how children should not be vaccinated and then last week Arianna published an article by woo-meister herself, Marianne Williamson on how we should pray away swine flu and how all of our "bad thoughts" about Mexico's drug cartels caused the swine flu to occur.

The head. It wishes to explode.

OPRAH
Oprah, that monster of the media, in addition to promoting the Secret, in which you shouldn't look at fat people as it will make you fat and in which disease is caused by thinking bad thoughts (mmm, I always thought it was viruses, bacteria, fungi, etc.) has now taken Jenny under her wing, inking a deal with HARPO productions and giving her a substantially wider audience to spread her misinformation.

I am furious with the spread of woo. Fine. Sell your product and make a mint off of people who are willing to believe that the universe will bring them a Mercedes. It's been done for millenia. But when you are blaming people for having diseases by not being cheerful enough, which causes them to smile and think good thoughts while avoiding any personal responsibility, not to mention shame for getting sick, not getting said Mercedes and encouraging people to ignore science and not get their children vaccinated, while putting other preschoolers at risk, I want to take some action.

Not one to rest too much on any laurels, I have started a new website. It's called "Is it Science?". I look forward to getting questions and when questions aren't coming in, I plan to have a few notes about things like the panic over the pandemic that wasn't and other problems with relying on mainstream media and "this guy I know" for news. ENJOY!

Also, if you want to do something about the Jenny/Oprah marriage made in hell, here's a suggestion from Skepchick, one of my favorite skeptical websites.

Since sending mail to Oprah herself has been futile in the past, at least in my experience, sending a letter to her target audience might be more effective so the following is their sample letter to your mom. Happy Mother's Day!!!

Dear Mom,

I know how much you enjoy Oprah, and I also know how much you enjoy children not dying. That’s why I’m sending you a quick heads-up that Oprah is about to make a big mistake by giving a lot of money and publicity to a terrible person: Jenny McCarthy, who is trying to convince people not to vaccinate their children because she mistakenly thinks vaccines are harmful. Her actions have directly led to injuries, deaths, and the spread of diseases like measles that were previously considered to be eradicated in the United States thanks to the vaccination program.

You may want to avoid McCarthy’s new ventures and maybe even let Oprah know how you feel about this.

Love,
Your loving daughter

I'll also be sending a letter to Oprah herself. Mostly because I'm a glutton for punishment. Or just a glutton.

Anyway, if you feel encouraged to do so, here's her address:

Oprah Winfrey
Harpo Productions
PO Box 909715
Chicago, IL 60690
USA

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Friday, May 01, 2009
Craft Challenge
In the spirit of being ALL THE FUCK OVER THE PLACE on this blog, I have a challenge for y'all.

I have old wooden spools. 17 of them in various sizes. They were my grandmother's. I just can't seem to get rid of them despite my willingness to get rid of just about everything else, and I'd love to make something fun with them.

Guidelines:
  • I'd rather not cover the advertising up as that makes them so special.
  • Project can include drilling and other power tools as I am very into my power tools.
  • Project must be something useful as well as decorative.

Submit your ideas by Friday, May 8th.

The winner (which I will pick based on my random tastes), will receive a yarn-a-licious gift. Mmmm. Yarny goodness.

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