First Yes on 8 Ad Set to Air

Protect Marriage released its first "Yes on 8" advertisement. The 30-second spot opens with San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom at a press conference on May 15, the day the California supreme court ruled to recognize marriage equality in the state. "This door's wide open now," says Newsom, jubilantly. "It's gonna happen, whether you like it or not." The ad serves to emphasize three key points: activist judges have imposed gay marriage on 4 million California voters, who in 2000 voted against marriage equality; gay marriage will lead to people being sued for their personal beliefs, churches losing tax exemption, and same-sex marriage being taught in schools; and the voters don't have to accept it if they vote "yes" on Proposition 8.

The advertisement, while not compelling, will likely speak to the concerns of people already supporting the ballot initiative.

GOOGLE COMES OUT AGAINST CALIFORNIA SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BAN

The company's founder Sergey Brin, posted this statement on the company's blog Friday afternoon:

"As an Internet company, Google is an active participant in policy debates surrounding information access, technology and energy. Because our company has a great diversity of people and opinions -- Democrats and Republicans, conservatives and liberals, all religions and no religion, straight and gay -- we do not generally take a position on issues outside of our field, especially not social issues. So when Proposition 8 appeared on the California ballot, it was an unlikely question for Google to take an official company position on.

"However, while there are many objections to this proposition -- further government encroachment on personal lives, ambiguously written text -- it is the chilling and discriminatory effect of the proposition on many of our employees that brings Google to publicly oppose Proposition 8. While we respect the strongly-held beliefs that people have on both sides of this argument, we see this fundamentally as an issue of equality. We hope that California voters will vote no on Proposition 8 -- we should not eliminate anyone's fundamental rights, whatever their sexuality, to marry the person they love."

It's unclear what further action by the company might be taken in the battle against Prop. 8.

Levi Strauss Pairs With PG&E to Fight Proposition 8

San Francisco-based Levi Strauss & Co. said Thursday that it will cochair with Pacific Gas & Electric a group designed to encourage businesses to oppose California's proposed gay marriage ban, Proposition 8.

According to the Associated Press, the move is in keeping with the philosophy of Levi Strauss, the first Fortune 500 company to ever offer health benefits to the domestic partners of gay employees.

In July public utilities company PG&E donated $250,000 to the No on 8 campaign. Levi Strauss has pledged $25,000 to Equality for All, the coalition leading that campaign, company spokesman E.J. Bernacki told the AP.

The companies' support for marriage equality was met on Thursday with a vow of support for the No on 8 campaign from the Valley Industry and Commerce Association, a business advocacy group in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles. The organization's board voted "by a significant margin" to oppose the ballot initiative, said its president, Stuart Waldman. "The most eloquent argument we got from an employer is they spend so much on human resources dealing with different benefits under domestic-partnership rules versus married employees," he said.

Thanks, Sarah! Planned Parenthood Gets Upsurge In Donations

Planned Parenthood is suddenly a lot richer because of Sarah Palin. And the Republican vice presidential nominee will soon be receiving tens of thousands of thank-you notes.

A three-week-old Internet campaign is asking abortion-rights activists to send donations to Planned Parenthood in honor of the Alaska governor.

One e-mail making the rounds on the Internet says: “Instead of (actually, in addition to) all of us all sending more e-mails about how absolutely horrible she is, let’s all make a donation to Planned Parenthood in Sarah Palin’s name.”

Katie Groke Ellis, field manager for the Planned Parenthood of the Rockies Action Fund, predicts that the five-state chapter of the group alone could draw $100,000 in donations.

Planned Parenthood sends a handwritten thank-you card to the donor. If a donation is made in someone’s name, he or she gets one, too. In this case, the Palin cards will go to Republican presidential nominee John McCain’s national headquarters.

[Okay, I think this is funny!]

Religious leaders call for fast in support of gay marriage ban

Hundreds of pastors have called on their congregations to fast and pray for passage of a ballot measure in November that would put an end to gay marriage in California.

The collective act of piety, starting Wednesday and culminating three days before the election in a revival for as many as 100,000 people at the San Diego Chargers’ stadium, comes as church leaders across California put people, money and powerful words behind Proposition 8.

Some pastors around the state and nation are encouraging their flocks to forgo solid food for up to 40 days in the biblical tradition.

Alarmed by a California Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage, churches of many faiths have banded together in support of a measure that would amend the state constitution to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. They have become the single largest force behind the measure, recruiting volunteers, raising money, registering voters, manning phone banks and distributing campaign literature.

Under federal law, religious organizations cannot endorse political candidates but are free to campaign on social issues without endangering their tax-exempt status.

[I am fine with them fasting and praying! They will be too weak to vote!]

Ellen Takes to Her Blog to Fight Prop. 8

There is no doubt that after her recent marriage to Portia de Rossi, Ellen DeGeneres is vehemently opposed to California’s Proposition 8, which seeks to invalidate the state's recently legalized same-sex marriages. But it wasn’t until the blog posting September 24 that she made her “Political Point” clear.

"There's a California proposition on the ballot that's a little confusing.... It's called 'The California Marriage Protection Act' -- but don't let the name fool you," she wrote under the heading “My Political Point ... and I Do Have One.” "It's not protecting anyone's marriage. Not yours. Not mine."

Adding her signature comedic style to the blog, DeGeneres likened Prop. 8’s confusing wording to that of deciding on dessert.

“The wording of Prop. 8 is tricky. It’s like if someone asked you, 'You don’t want dessert, right?' But you do want dessert, so you say yes, which really means you don’t want dessert. And if you say no, which means you do want dessert -- it sounds like you don’t. Either way, you don’t get what you want. See -- confusing. Just like Prop. 8.”

DeGeneres and De Rossi, who have been together four years, were married in an intimate ceremony at their Beverly Hills home in August. Since their wedding, Hollywood heavyweights have begun to speak out against Prop. 8. Brad Pitt and Steven Spielberg have each donated $100,000 to the No on 8 campaign, but several gay bloggers posed the question "Where's Ellen's donation?"

DeGeneres ends with a plea to fans to vote no on the ballot measure so she doesn't have to return all her wedding gifts.

“So, in case I haven’t made myself clear, I’m FOR gay marriage. And in order to protect that right -- please VOTE NO on Proposition 8. And now that you’re informed, spread the word. I’m begging you. I can’t return the wedding gifts -- I love my new toaster.”

[Ellen still hasn’t publicly donated to No on 8… What’s up Ellen?]

California Pastor Warns of Threat to Religious Freedom

FRC national campaign to defend marriage needs your immediate support: If marriage loses, religious liberty is next

I want you to hear something a California pastor said to me recently: "If we lose, we go to jail."

It's just that simple, says Pastor Jim Garlow-if marriage loses in California, religious liberties everywhere will be next.

Family Research Council has been pouring resources into a national campaign to defend marriage and religious freedom, and . . . I'm writing today to ask you again to stand with us. We still must raise $600,000 before the close of our fiscal year on September 30. I know many Americans are feeling the pinch of a tight economy. As you prayerfully consider a gift, rest assured that FRC carefully stewards every dollar you give to the defense of marriage, religious freedom, parental rights, and human life.

The stakes are enormous. We face a national menace to religious liberty:
· In Boston, a Christian adoption agency was shut down for refusing to place orphans with homosexual couples.
· In New Mexico, a Christian-owned studio was fined more than $6,000 for refusing to photograph a lesbian commitment ceremony.
· In San Francisco, the city council officially condemned Christian opposition to homosexual adoption as hateful and discriminatory rhetoric.

By God's grace and with your help, we can win this fight.FRC has been protecting marriage during its 25-year history, and we've been voicing your values ever since activist judges in Massachusetts and California legalized counterfeit marriage and triggered a national debate.

Your prayers and generosity are enabling FRC to use our national platform to make the forceful case for traditional marriage in the media, in the churches, and at the grassroots. In less than two months, voters in California, Florida, and Arizona will have the chance to place marriage out of the reach of activists and liberals.

Twenty-six states already have constitutional protections for marriage.

We pray that California, Florida, and Arizona will be added to that list once voters learn the truth about the lies the Left uses to justify counterfeit marriage.

The fight for marriage in the states is our first priority.But we can't take our eye off Washington, D.C. politicians. Your support is vital as we stand up to liberals who want to criminalize your religious speech . . . threaten the religious liberties of employers . . . silence conservative and Christian broadcasting . . . raise taxes . . . and impose taxpayer funding of abortion and embryonic stem cell research. Thank you for sacrificially giving whatever you can at this critical moment for faith, family, and freedom in America.

-Tony Perkins, family Research Council


[Seriously, they can’t actually believe this crap. They just use this to scare people and people are ignorant to believe it. The bill the California legislature passed twice, and vetoed by the Governator, specifically protected religious organizations... as state marriage is a CIVIL right. The "activist" judges in California they refer to were mostly Republician appointees - stupid!]

‘Yes, I’m gay’

Clay Aiken comes out: ‘Idol’ runner-up says ‘I cannot raise a child to lie or to hide things’

Clay Aiken appears on the cover of the latest People magazine holding his infant son, Parker Foster Aiken, with the headline: “Yes, I’m Gay.”

The 29-year-old former “American Idol” runner-up, multiplatinum recording artist and Broadway star credits his son, conceived by in-vitro fertilization with friend and producer Jaymes Foster, with making him realize that he could no longer hide his homosexuality from the world.

“It was the first decision I made as a father,” Aiken told the magazine, which arrives on newsstands Friday. “I cannot raise a child to lie or to hide things. I wasn’t raised that way, and I’m not going to raise a child to do that.”

[I’m shocked! No one ever suspected it! Okay, seriously, I think it is good when anyone comes out. Best to him.]

New Poll: ZERO PERCENT say economy is getting better

[Okay, I know… This really isn’t a big surprise.]

Buse: John McCain's Gay Chief of Staff?

John McCain's gay chief of staff who Buse describes his jobs over the 17 years he's worked for McCain:
"Started as an intern, worked in the mailroom, answered the phones, legislative correspondent, legislative assistant -- anything that he wanted you to do, I did. You know, sort of just plugged away in the trenches for year after year. And that's sort of the way that he runs things. You know, just, if you are willing to work for him and stick around, he believe in that sort Navy mentality of you work your way up in the ranks."

DailyKos writes:
"If John McCain keeps this guy on as his chief of staff, does Sarah Palin still get to be raptured? Honestly. Who is the bigger hypocrite here? Mark Buse, an openly gay man who is spending his life helping John McCain block important gay civil rights issues like marriage and adoption? Or John McCain, who obviously has no problem with gay folks, but has adopted an anti-gay platform out of political expediency and a desire to court people like Sarah Palin, who think that if they just hate enough, they'll be Raptured into the love of Jesus when the End Times come. Ridiculous. Mark Buse is obviously a man of some ability. It ain't nothing to get yourself a position as chief of staff to a powerful senator and presidential candidate. A pity that he is wasting his talents fighting against his gay and Lesbian brothers and sisters. And against everyone else who stands in solidarity for civil rights for all. It's also a pity for us. Because his efforts have contributed to the endless delays, damages and humiliations caused to gay and Lesbian Americans as we wait to achieve a full and equal status as citizens of the U.S."

[At least he doesn’t “look” gay! Come on!]

McCain Chief of Staff Outed?

Republican presidential candidate John McCain's chief of staff was outed Monday after radio host Michelangelo Signorile quoted additional sources to confirm the long-blogged-about rumors. Mark Buse, 44, previously served as a lobbyist for several large corporations including AT&T and ExxonMobil, the only Fortune 10 company without a nondiscrimination policy covering sexual orientation, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

Signorile said on his blog that he had previously been contacted by three sources, all wishing to remain anonymous, claiming Buse is gay. The radio host says he was then contacted by 46-year-old Brian Davis, who claims to have had a past intimate relationship with the McCain staffer.

Davis claims he first met Buse at a Phoenix bar called Connections in 1986, around the same time Buse started work as a McCain intern during the presidential hopeful's tenure in the House of Representatives. Davis said Buse asked him to move to Washington, D.C., with him after a long-distance courtship taking place over several months. A year after moving to Washington, Buse left Davis for his current partner.

Steven Spielberg Donates $100,000 To Gay Marriage Fight

Steven Spielberg and wife Kate Capshaw have followed Brad Pitt as the latest big-name donors to join the fight to defeat California's Proposition 8, the initiative to ban same-sex marriage. The Spielbergs have cut a $100,000 check for the fight, as did Pitt last week.

In a statement, the Spielbergs said:
"By writing discrimination into our state constitution, Proposition 8 seeks to eliminate the right of each and every citizen in our state to marry regardless of sexual orientation. Such discrimination has NO place in California's constitution, or any other."

"American Beauty" producer Bruce Cohen, who is a finance co-chair on the campaign to defeat Proposition 8, said in a statement:

"It's phenomenal that Kate and Steven are affirming their unwavering commitment to equality in such a significant a way. More than 15 years ago, Steven was the first person in Hollywood who I came out to, news which he greeted with his full love and support then and ever since. It is my fervent hope that other entertainment industry leaders will follow the lead of Brad Pitt and the Spielbergs and fight to maintain equal rights for all Californians."

6 Sexy Hybrids You Can't (yet) Buy

Aptera's Typ-1 to bring space-age looks to Earth
Mere Earthlings will likely do some serious rubbernecking when the Aptera Typ-1 three-wheeled vehicle hits the road, perhaps as early as this year. The vehicle, shown here, is officially classified as a motorcycle and looks more like something out of "The Jetsons" than Detroit. The California-built machine will come in all-electric and hybrid flavors, the latter getting more than 300 miles per gallon of gas. Top speed exceeds 85 mph, and the vehicle goes from 0 to 60 in under 10 seconds, the company says. About four hours plugged into a standard socket recharges a drained battery.

Unnamed Honda hybrid to duel the Toyota Prius
Next April, Honda will release a yet-to-be named gas-electric hybrid-only five-door hatchback priced at less than $20,000. The gambit aims to steer market share away from the popular Toyota Prius. An official name and full details of the car will be released later this year, though the company says the exterior will employ a design evocative of the FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle, shown here. Honda hopes to sell 200,000 of the cars worldwide next year, including 100,000 in the U.S.

Is a hybrid-only Lexus on the horizon?
Lexus, the luxury arm of Toyota, already makes hybrid versions of its GS and LS sedans and RX utility, but will a hybrid-only model akin to the hot-selling Prius ever join those on the showroom floor, shown here? Katsuaki Watanabe, the company president, reportedly announced at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show that the answer is yes. Plans for the hybrid-only Lexus will be unveiled at next year's gathering of auto enthusiasts in Motown. Stay tuned.

Chevy Volt, the resurrected electric car
The production model Chevy Volt is slated to charge onto showroom floors sometime in 2010. A concept model, shown here, was unveiled to much fanfare at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show. General Motors Corp. is banking the car will rev up the company's "green" cred, which suffered for putting the kibosh on its EV1, a tale told in the 2006 documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car?". The Volt will use a battery-powered electric motor that can run the car for about 40 miles on a single charge. After that, a gasoline-powered engine kicks on to keep the car rolling and re-charge the battery. Top speed is estimated between 100 and 120 mph. It recharges in about six hours with a standard 110 volt wall plug.

Tesla Model S to come with hybrid option
Tesla Motors, maker of the all-electric Tesla Roadster shown here, announced in February that its next project will include a gas-electric hybrid option. While most details of the car are under wraps, executives have let slip that the four-door sedan will cost around $60,000 and get in the neighborhood of 225 miles per charge. This June, the company also announced it will manufacture the sedan in its home state of California, not New Mexico as earlier planned.

Porsche Panamera to have hybrid option
Porsche, the German car company more known for brawn than environmental sensitivities, is jumping on the hybrid bandwagon. Its Cayenne, an SUV, will come with a gas-electric hybrid option by 2010. And in January, the company announced its upcoming four-dour Gran Turismo, the Panamera, will also have a hybrid option that uses the same drive concept as the Cayenne's. A schematic, shown here, indicates the battery will be positioned below the luggage compartment and the hybrid module is sandwiched between the engine and transmission. Drivers will have the option to use one or both drive systems, depending on conditions. A release date for the hybrid Panamera is not yet known.

“I thought, if I were to ever build a house on the coast, I'm going to contact the guy who built this.”

AARON REED, spokesman for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, marveling at a lone house that withstood Hurricane Ike

[Obviously, the hurricane that hit Texas was horrible… but this is kinda funny.]

No on Prop 8 - new commercial

A ’stretch’ to say Palin qualified

Nebraska Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel said his party’s vice presidential nominee, Sarah Palin, lacks foreign policy experience and called it a “stretch” to say she’s qualified to be president.

“She doesn’t have any foreign policy credentials,” Hagel said in an interview published Thursday by the Omaha World-Herald. “You get a passport for the first time in your life last year? I mean, I don’t know what you can say. You can’t say anything.”

Could Palin lead the country if GOP presidential nominee John McCain could not? “I think it’s a stretch to, in any way, to say that she’s got the experience to be president of the United States,” Hagel said.

100 goats turned loose on a downtown L.A. plot

Surrounded by buildings, about 100 goats being used in a downtown Los Angeles brush-control project enjoy a meal today courtesy of the Community Redevelopment Agency.

Leaders of the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency hired 100 goats to nibble away thick weeds on a steep slope at the corner of 4th and Hill streets, next to the Angels Flight funicular.

Agency officials said the goats were cheaper and more environmentally friendly than two-legged brush-clearers armed with gasoline-powered weed-whackers. And they are much more fun to watch, downtown office workers and other passersby quickly decided, as the animals fanned out over the 45-degree slope and chowed down.

Commuters emerging from the Red Line subway who came face-to-face with the goats reached for their cellphones and snapped pictures." My friends won't believe this unless they see it," said Vicky Bravo, a student who lives south of downtown.

Sam Vera, an auto repairman, pulled a digital camera from his backpack to photograph the grazing goats with the glass-walled California Plaza high-rise gleaming above them." This is absolutely beautiful. It's a wonderful contrast to the big buildings around here," he said.

Some wondered whether the goats were part of a movie scene or some kind of performance art, while others made jokes about the approaching lunch hour and goat barbecue.On the hillside above, goat-keeper George Gonzales dismissed such talk."

These just came from Monrovia and Duarte, and they have poison oak all over them. You don't want to touch them," he said of the goats.

He said his crew would work long hours over the next week to 10 days and "won't collect a pension or charge for working overtime and won't call in sick." If any of them lose their appetite, his wife, veterinarian Liz Gonzales, will tend to them, he said.

An electrified fence helps corral the goats and keeps them from falling over a retaining wall at the base of the slope. Security guards will be on duty when he is not there to watch over the herd, said Gonzales, 71, of Chino.Most of the South African Boer goats are female, Gonzales said. To keep them focused on their eating, males in the herd have been castrated, he said.

Redevelopment agency head Cecilia Estolano said the goats were being rented for $3,000. The cost of hiring workmen to clear the 2 1/2 -acre hillside would have totaled as much as $7,500.

Brazil president calls for action on same-sex unions

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva says it is time Congress acted to legalize same-sex unions.

Brazil is in the midst of elections and the popular president used the bully pulpit in a TV interview this week to chastise Congress. A proposed law that would give same-sex couples rights equal to those enjoyed by married opposite-sex couples has been stalled in Brazil’s Congress for more than a decade.

“There are men living with men, and women living with women [who] build a good life together,” the President said in an interview on the government-run TV Brazil.

Why Bush Can't Find Bin Laden

Attacking McCain?

No Criminal Charges in Mark Foley Case

Mark Foley, disgraced congressman whose political career abruptly ended amid allegations he had sent sexually explicit instant messages and emails to teenaged boys, will not face criminal charges in the state of Florida.

Todd Palin Refusing To Testify In Troopergate

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's husband has refused to testify in the investigation of his wife's alleged abuse of power, and key lawmakers said Thursday that uncooperative witnesses are effectively sidetracking the probe until after Election Day.

Todd Palin, who participates in state business in person or by e-mail, was among 13 people subpoenaed by the Alaska Legislature. Palin's lawyer sent a letter to the lead investigator saying Palin objected to the probe and would not appear to testify on Friday.

"The objections boil down to the fact that the Legislative Council investigation is no longer a legitimate investigation because it has been subjected to complete partisanship and does not operate with the authority that it had at the time of its initial authorization," McCain-Palin presidential campaign spokesman Ed O'Callaghan said.

Sarah Palin initially welcomed the bipartisan investigation into accusations that she dismissed the state's public safety commissioner because he refused to fire her ex-brother-in-law, a state trooper. "Hold me accountable," she said.

Breakaway Episcopal bishop ousted

Episcopal Bishop Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh, whose diocese is moving toward splitting from the national church, was ousted from ministry Thursday by his fellow bishops.

The House of Bishops voted 88-35, with four abstentions, to remove Duncan on a charge of “abandonment of the communion of this church.”

Duncan, who led the Pittsburgh diocese for 11 years, is a leader in a national network of theological conservatives who are breaking away from the liberal denomination in a dispute over Scripture. The long-simmering debate erupted in 2003, when Episcopalians consecrated the first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire.

The Pittsburgh diocese said in a statement it will move ahead with the Oct. 4 secession vote despite Duncan’s removal. If the diocese decides to split off, it will align with the like-minded Anglican Province of the Southern Cone in South America, which has already taken in Duncan as a bishop. The Episcopal Church is the U.S. branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion, a 77 million-member fellowship of churches that trace their roots to the Church of England.

The Rev. David Wilson, president of the committee that oversees the Pittsburgh diocese, called Duncan’s ouster “a very painful moment.”

“The leadership of The Episcopal Church has inserted itself in a most violent manner into the affairs and governance of our diocese,” Wilson said. “We will stand firm against any further attempts by those outside our boundaries to intimidate us.”

Jon Stewart on Drilling of Oil

FORMER MORMON BRUCE BASTIAN GIVES $1 MILLION TO FIGHT PROP 8

Orem Utah resident and WordPerfect co-founder Bruce Bastian has donated $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. '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.'"

"Close to 40 residents and businesses in Utah have made donations totaling $120,550 to support the marriage-between-a-man-and-a-woman ballot measure, according to public finance records for ProtectMarriage.com, which shows up as a link on the official Web site for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

Recent reports have shown funds pouring in from the Church of Latter Day Saints in support of Prop 8 following a call-to-action from church leaders.

Support for California’s anti-gay amendment wanes

A new poll of California voters shows that a proposed amendment to ban same-sex marriage in the state continues to evaporate.

The Field Poll released this week finds that only 38 percent of likely voters support the measure, known as Proposition 8. Fifty-five percent of those polled say they will vote against the amendment, the Sacramento Bee newspaper reported Thursday.

The last Field Poll, taken in July, found only a nine point spread, with 42 percent in favor of amending the constitution and 51 percent against banning gay marriage.

Jon Stewart: Generic Off

BRAD PITT DONATES $100,000 TO FIGHT SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BAN

Brad Pitt has donated $100,000 to fight Proposition 8, the November ballot measure that would ban same-sex marriage in California by declaring marriage between a man and a woman.

Said Pitt in a statement: "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."

It's not the first time Pitt has made a statement in favor of marriage equality. In December 2006, he told Esquire magazine: "Angie [Jolie] and I will consider tying the knot when everyone else in the country who wants to be married is legally able."

Pitt's donation is the largest to the anti-Prop. 8 campaign by a major celebrity, the L.A. Times reports.


Urgent: Marriage equality supporters in California lag in fundraising. "According to the most recent campaign contribution reports from the California Secretary of State, supporters of the anti-gay marriage November ballot measure have raised $16.2 million in their effort to pass Proposition 8. Opponents have brought in $10.8 million, which is still a sizable chunk of money. But Dale Kelly Bankhead, who signed the email as campaign manager of 'No On 8,' writes, 'We must match what is raised dollar for dollar with the right wing; if we do not, we are at serious risk of losing this November.'"

Palin Met By Over A Thousand Protesters In Anchorage

Despite overcast skies and a forecast for rain, there was a rally here today. Oh man, was there! In fact, it was by most accounts the largest protest rally in the history of Alaska. The Anchorage Daily News wrote that the rally drew an "estimated" 1500 people. Let me be clear: the organizers used a hand-clicker and counted at least 1,483 Alaskans, mostly women, who showed up to say that Sarah Palin does not speak for them.

About two hours after Palin's speech Saturday, hundreds of people protesting the policies of Palin lined a busy Anchorage street, waving signs and chanting "Obama!"

In addition to Obama supporters, the protesters included those who don't agree with Palin's positions against abortion, her support for the Iraq war and other issues. One woman held a sign that read, "I'm Bail'in on Palin!" Another said, "Pro Woman, Anti-Palin." Another read, "What About Healthcare?"

"We're not alone. A lot of people are worried about the nomination of Sarah Palin," said rally organizer Angie Doroff, 46, as cars drove by honking their horns in support.

"Brutal" Ad Targets Palin's Aerial Wolf Hunting

The Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund has put out an ad on Sarah Palin's promotion of (and personal fondness for) aerial wolf hunting, describing the practice "brutal." The ad features disturbing, graphic footage of a wolf's death.

Comedian faces prison for joke about Pope and gays

Italian stand-up comic Sabina Guzzanti is under investigation for “vilification” of the Pope for telling an audience that Benedict XVI would “go to hell and be pursued by two big, gay and very active devils.”

Benedict is known for his vocal opposition to LGBT rights and same-sex marriage.

Guzzanti was appearing at an anti-politics rally organized by satirist Beppy Grillo in Rome last July. If convicted, Guzzanti could be imprisoned for up to five years.

The Rome city prosecutor, Giovanni Ferrara, has asked the federal justice minister for permission to start criminal proceedings against Guzzanti. It is a criminal offense in Italy to “offend the honor” of the Pope or the Italian president.

The Union of Christian Democrats, part of the ruling conservative coalition government in Italy said it would support the charges.

“These gratuitous insults must be punished,” said Luca Volonte, a spokesperson for the party.

[Aren't you glad we live in America!]

Palin’s earmark requests called hypocritical

Republican presidential nominee John McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, equate lawmakers’ requests for funding for special projects with corruption - even though Palin herself has requested nearly $200 million in so-called “earmarks” this year.

Campaigning in Virginia, McCain suggested earmarks are particularly shameful at a time when families are struggling with rising food, gas and home mortgage costs. He vowed again to veto any bill that contains such funding.

“I got an old ink pen, my friends, and the first pork barrel-laden earmark, big-spending bill that comes across my desk, I will veto it. You will know their names. I will make them famous and we’ll stop this corruption,” McCain said during a rally at a park in suburban Washington, D.C.

Palin has sought $197 million worth of earmarks for 2009, down about 25 percent from the $256 million she sought in the 2008 budget year. As mayor of tiny Wasilla, Alaska, she hired a lobbyist to seek federal money for special projects. Wasilla obtained 14 earmarks, totaling $27 million, between 2000-2003, according to Taxpayers for Common Sense.

[whatever… you don’t slam other people for earmarks when you have been doing and are doing it all along. Stupid.]

Honda Unveils a New Hybrid

Next year, Honda and Toyota will go head-to-head with new flagship gas-electric hybrid cars. We all know what to expect from Toyota; its Prius is the best-selling hybrid to date, with over 180,000 sold in 2007 alone. The next-generation model will likely be better and more efficient.

Honda will counter the Prius with its new Insight — a five-door hatchback named after Honda’s first hybrid, discontinued in 2006 — which will be unveiled next month at the Paris Motor Show.
Honda Insight.

The Insight is labeled a concept car, but in photos recently released by Honda it looks very close to a production model, with bits and pieces taken from the FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle.

It is a five-door with room for five. The Insight features an improved Integrated Motor Assist system that relies less on the gasoline engine. The hybrid control unit and battery pack are located beneath the trunk, which allows for a lower center of gravity and greater interior space.
Honda expects to make the Insight the most affordable hybrid vehicle to date when it goes on sale early next year, around the same time the next-generation Toyota Prius goes on sale. Considering the heated competition, prices for both models could drop well below the $20,000 mark.

According to Auto Observer, Takeo Fukui, Honda’s chief executive, said in May that Honda plans on creating a family of hybrids, including a small sporty three-door hybrid based on the CR-Z concept and a hybrid version of the Fit.

Sarah Palin's Husband, 13 Others, Subpoenaed in 'Troopergate' Case

Alaskan legislators voted to subpoena 14 people in the so-called 'troopergate' scandal. The case revolves around allegations that Sarah Palin fired Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan because he refused to fire Palin's ex-brother-in-law Mike Wooten after a messy divorce.

"An Alaska legislative committee voted 3-2 to issue 14 subpoenas in all, including one to Todd Palin, 12 to the other individuals and one to a local telephone company for records of calls made by one of the governor's aides. The vote came on the recommendation of Steve Branchflower, a retired state prosecutor hired by legislators to investigate Monegan's dismissal. 'There is a risk that if subpoenas are not issued, there might be some other problem that will forestall the investigation,' said Branchflower, who recommended against a subpoena for the governor, because he was confident that she would submit to a voluntary interview. Earlier this summer, Palin pledged to cooperate with the legislature's investigation, but after she was selected as Sen. John McCain's presidential running mate, several Palin staffers have refused to give testimony to Branchflower."

Drill, Baby, Drill?

Since this election appears to be coming down to who's got the biggest drill, it is interesting to see from this graph what an impact it will have.

Saturday Night Live: Palin and Clinton!

Las Vegas Hummer Dealership Switches to SMART Cars and Vespa Scooters

Hummer Excessive Even for Bling City

Dan Towbin's Hummer dealership in Las Vegas is one of the biggest in the USA. It was even featured in the "King of Cars" documentary on A&E. But the time they are a-changin', and the Vegas Hummer dealership will soon shut down, making it at least the 8th Hummer dealership to close in the US.

Reborn from the Ashes, Smaller & Smarter

But Mr. Towbin has plans. He wants to open a Smart car dealership, and he's already selling many other brands including Vespa scooters. From Hummers to Smarts and Vespas. Not bad.

'TROOPERGATE'

Good Morning America aired another ABC investigation into allegations that Sarah Palin fired Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan because he refused to fire Palin's ex-brother-in-law Mike Wooten after a messy divorce. It's become known as the "troopergate" scandal.

The investigation has inspired women's domestic abuse groups to get involved because Monegan had embraced their cause. They say Palin has failed to take action to help them, and Alaska is first in the nation for rape and second in the nation for domestic murders by men.
Palin praised Monegan effusively before the Wooten incident. The McCain campaign has attacked the investigation, saying its officials are Obama-supporters. ABC found that even more of its officials are McCain supporters.

[The investigation will set the record straight… however, she is trying to have the results of the investigation released after the election… does that tell you something?]

7 years

Larry Craig asks court to reverse gay sex sting plea

Lawyers for U.S. Sen. Larry Craig (R) asked a three judge panel on the Minnesota Court of Appeals to toss out his conviction for disorderly conduct that stemmed from a gay sex sting in an airport bathroom.

Craig wants the court to withdraw his guilty plea. A county judge already has rejected the request.

Craig, a three-term Republican from Idaho, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in August 2007 after he was accused of soliciting sex from an undercover police officer at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Sgt. Dave Karsnia said Craig tapped his feet and swiped his hand under a stall divider in a way that signaled he wanted sex. Craig has denied that, saying his actions were misconstrued.

After his arrest and guilty plea became public Craig held a news conference to say he is not gay and that he pleaded guilty only to avoid the scandal of a trial.

Since then Craig has been fighting to withdraw the plea.

County District Judge Charles Porter refused, saying Craig’s plea “was accurate, voluntary and intelligent, and … supported by the evidence.”

Craig appealed that ruling to the Minnesota Court of Appeals which heard arguments on Wednesday.

Craig was not in court for the hearing.? His attorney told the court that Craig wants to correct a “manifest injustice” and that against the senator failed to show he had participated in any criminal conduct.

Prosecutors maintained that Craig’s plea was entered voluntarily.

The court gave no indication when it would rule in the case.

Craig has a long history of voting against every LGBT issue that came before the Senate and of supporting two attempts to pass an amendment to the US Constitution to bar gays from marrying.

As publicity mounted Craig first promised that he would resign last Sept. 30, then reversed his decision saying he would stay in office until his term expires next January. Craig says he is not running for re-election.

The Senate Ethics Committee in February said that Craig acted improperly and had brought discredit on the Senate.

In a letter to the Republican senator, the ethics panel said Craig’s attempt to withdraw his guilty plea an effort to evade legal consequences of his own actions.

Police arrested 41 men last year between May and August in the sting operation but it did not come to light until Sen. Craig’s bust became public.

'I'M GAY'

For many years, children's book author Maurice Sendak lived in what OUT magazine recently described as the glass closet. But yesterday, in an interview with The New York Times, he publicly came out:

"Was there anything he had never been asked? He paused for a few moments and answered, 'Well, that I’m gay...I just didn’t think it was anybody’s business,' Mr. Sendak added. He lived with Eugene Glynn, a psychoanalyst, for 50 years before Dr. Glynn’s death in May 2007. He never told his parents: 'All I wanted was to be straight so my parents could be happy. They never, never, never knew.' Children protect their parents, Mr. Sendak said. It was like the time he had a heart attack at 39. His mother was dying from cancer in the hospital, and he decided to keep the news to himself, something he now regrets. A gay artist in New York is not exactly uncommon, but Mr. Sendak said that the idea of a gay man writing children books would have hurt his career when he was in his 20s and 30s."

Sadly, it's not an announcement centered around celebration. Sendak, who says a recent triple bypass has left him to weak to work or talk around easily, is also "gripped with grief" for Glynn, who died of lung cancer:

"The illness and setting up of round-the-clock care in their home were just 'so unbelievable,' he explained. Mr. Sendak is mostly finished with it, but he admitted that for the first time, 'I feel extremely vulnerable.' He is afraid — not of death, which is as familiar to him as a child’s teddy bear — but of not being able to finish his work: 'I feel like I don’t have a lot of time left.' After Dr. Glynn’s death, Mr. Sendak said he was 'still trying to figure out what I’m doing here...I wanted to take his place,. he said. His death became a demarcation. He added that he lost touch with many of his friends, unable to return phone calls and reply to e-mail messages."

Episcopal bishops to oppose ban on same-sex marriage

The Right Rev. Marc Handley Andrus, Episcopal bishop of California, and the Right Rev. J. Jon Bruno, Episcopal bishop of Los Angeles, are scheduled to join other faith leaders and gay couples Wednesday in speaking out against Proposition 8.

The measure, which would amend the state constitution to limit marriage to unions between a man and woman, is also being opposed by individual churches and clergy through a group called California Faith for Equality.

Their work is designed to counter the huge organizational and financial push the amendment is receiving from leaders of the Roman Catholic and Mormon faiths.

Update:

The six most senior Episcopal bishops in California have announced their opposition to Proposition 8, the ballot measure that would undo marriage equality in the state if passed this Election Day. The bishops, including Rt. Rev. J. Jon Bruno, who leads the Los Angeles archdiocese, issued a joint statement and then held a press conference on the matter on Wednesday, The Los Angeles Times reports.

"We believe that continued access to civil marriage for all, regardless of sexual orientation, is consistent with the best principles of our constitutional rights," Bruno said at the press conference, according to the Times. He added: "We do not believe that marriage of heterosexuals is threatened by same-sex marriage."According to the Times, the bishops -- who include Marc Handley, Andrus, Barry L. Beisner, Mary Gray-Reeves, Jerry A. Lamb, and James R. Mathes -- concluded the statement by saying that marriage equality "promotes Jesus' ethic of love, giving, and hope."

However, not all the senior bishops agree on how, and even if, they should officiate at gay weddings. While some believe it's okay to conduct ceremonies for same-sex couples just as they would for heterosexual couples, others are seeking guidance from the church's governing body, the General Convention, which meets next summer, the Times reports.

According to the church's Book of Common Prayer, marriage is defined as between a man and a woman.

Florida Judge Rules Gay Adoption Ban Unconstitutional

A Florida judge has found the state's 31-year ban on gay adoptions to be unconstitutional, reports the Miami Herald. The ruling from Judge David Audlin Jr. will allow an openly gay Key West resident to adopt the teenage boy that he has raised as a foster parent since 2001.

Judge Audlin said that the adoption was in the child's "best interest" and asserted that barring gays from adopting conflicted with the state Constitution since it targets a specific group for punishment. Audlin had appointed the foster father to be the boy's legal guardian in 2006. At a hearing earlier this year, the order says the boy testified that he wanted to the man to be his "forever father... because I love him," the Herald reports.

''Contrary to every child welfare principle,'' Audlin wrote in his opinion, ''the gay adoption ban operates as a conclusive or irrebuttable presumption that . . . it is never in the best interest of any adoptee to be adopted by a homosexual.''

Florida and Mississippi are the only two state that currently forbid gays and lesbians from adopting children.

THE O.C. IS A 'FUNDING POWERHOUSE' FOR CALIFORNIA GAY MARRIAGE BAN

Donors in California's Orange County, despite being home to fading gay getaway Laguna Beach, have contributed nearly a quarter of the money collected to implement Proposition 8, the California amendment that would define marriage between a man and a woman, effectively banning gay marriage in the state.

"Orange County donors have contributed $1.6 million for Proposition 8, a November ballot initiative that would amend the state constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman, eliminating the right of same-sex couples to marry. Donations from here to support Prop. 8 constitute 24 percent of the $6.8 million raised statewide, according to campaign finance records filed with the California Secretary of State through Aug. 28. Orange County's portion accounts for 15 percent of the $10.9 million that had been raised nationwide in support of Prop. 8."

The San Jose Mercury News reports on the decision-making going on around the ballot measure, with many couples opting to get their marriage in before the vote and others holding off for fear of disappointment, although California Attorney General Jerry Brown has said that Prop. 8 won't be retroactive.

Palin church promotes turning gays straight

Gov. Sarah Palin’s church is promoting a conference that promises to convert gays into heterosexuals through the power of prayer.

“You’ll be encouraged by the power of God’s love and His desire to transform the lives of those impacted by homosexuality,” according to the insert in the bulletin of the Wasilla Bible Church, where Palin has prayed for about six years.

Palin’s conservative Christian views have energized that part of the GOP electorate, which was lukewarm to John McCain’s candidacy before he named her as his vice presidential choice. She is staunchly anti-abortion, opposing exceptions for rape and incest, and opposes gay marriage and spousal rights for gay couples.

Big labor urges NY to pass marriage equality

The New York State AFL-CIO is urging the Legislature is pass a bill that would allow same-sex couples in the state to marry.

It also wants lawmakers to enact legislation banning discrimination against transgender New Yorkers and provide a mechanism to end bullying and harassment of LGBT youth in public schools.
The call came in the form of three resolutions that passed without objection at the AFL-CIO’s annual convention.

“Beyond doing the right thing, there is a very basic need for us as union leaders to actually lead on these issues,” said AFL-CIO President Denis Hughes.

The Service Employees International Union, which is not part of the Federation, passed a marriage equality resolution in 2006.

The AFL-CIO vote brings to more than 2.3 million unionized workers in the state calling for the enactment of LGBT legislation.

“The assumption that some people make about organized labor being silent or opposed to LGBT rights is just wrong,” said Empire State Pride Agenda Executive Director Alan Van Capelle.

“Organized labor has been and continues to be a powerful and vocal partner in moving these three important bills in Albany,” he said.

All Cracked Up

The first four eggs: two green, one blue and a brown. Time to taste.


They are good! With 21 chickens, there are many more to come.