03/30/2007
News: Bono, Andre Boisclair, Dolly Parton, Texas Triangle
Anti-gay group MassResistance taking predatory photos of gay youth? More...
Bono is knighted. Just don't call him Sir.
Saudi King Abdullah publicly condemns "illegitimate foreign occupation" of Iraq. Crooks and Liars: "Wow, talk about Bush really losing his base."
Winner or loser? Kevin Federline to walk away with a cool million in Britney Spears divorce settlement.
Daily Kos on the threatened Bush veto: "Bush's veto sends troops to Iraq without rest, without armor, and without training. No president in American history has ever abandoned troops in the field to die. But George W. Bush is about to show you he's "man enough" to do it, just to prove he can."
Patti LuPone to headline Gypsy revival in New York. Arthur Laurents to direct.
Openly gay Parti Quebecois leader Andre Boisclair criticized after party has worst election showing in decades: "PQ Leader Andre Boisclair is openly gay and his sexuality became an issue during the campaign when a radio host proclaimed the PQ 'a club of fags' and said local factory workers wouldn't vote for a gay leader." Candidate Rachel Gagnon: "We have to ask ourselves whether Quebecers, generally, are ready to live with homosexuality."
American Family Association pissed that Allegheny College is holding a two-day colloquium that begins today on gay, lesbian and transgender issues.
More reasons to love Dolly Parton: "When I have sex with my husband these days, I fantasize I am with someone like Keith Urban or a petite, hot young woman."
Lesbian journalist Kay Longcope, who started the Texas Triangle newspaper when she moved to Austin in 1992, has died of pancreatic cancer.
Tortilla artist Joe Bravo is a sensation in Mexico, breaking gallery attendance records.
Australia's first gay cruise hit by drug bust: "Police and sniffer dogs inspected all passengers before boarding and five people were detected with drugs on them. A 38 year-old Surry Hills man was found with 20 tablets and charged with supply, while three others – a 26 year-old from Wantirna in Victoria, 35 year-old from Glenmore, Victoria and a 37 year-old from Darlinghurst – were charged with possession of GHB, speed and LSD. A fifth man, 55 years-old, was cautioned for possessing a gram of cannabis."
Video highlights from the Sampson hearing on the firing of U.S. attorneys.
Madonna plans retrospective of her 25 years in show biz: "The singer also mentioned that she would love to throw a party for all of her friends that would, 'celebrate all the designers', such as Jean Paul Gaultier and Christian Lacroix, who have created famous and groundbreaking designs for Madonna over the years."
Conservative groups in Minnesota fighting gay hospital visitation rights: "What we object to is the creation of these domestic partner statuses, which is really marriage by another name and that's what we see they are attempting to do."
Posted 1:25 PM EST by Andy Towle in André Boisclair, Austin, Australia, Canada, Dolly Parton, George W. Bush, Iraq, Madonna, Massachusetts, Mexico, Mexico City, Minnesota, News, Quebec, Texas, Travel | Permalink
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The AP is reporting that Bush knew about the real reason Pat Tillman died seven days BEFORE Bush made a big spectacle about Tillman. Bush loses his Saudi partner, his country, and his cred. One of the the reasons I like being gay is because I'm so much butcher than he is. BTW, he's not good enough, smart enough and gosh darn it, no one likes him.
Posted by: woodroad34 | Mar 30, 2007 7:18:57 PM
Wood
LOL
^5 Do you have a link to the Bush/ Tillman thing?
Posted by: jimmyboyo | Mar 30, 2007 8:17:23 PM
Griffin: Silly yourself--Bono's Irish! and for all his talk, now elitist as heck. (I think you meant 'Dr. Seuss', too.)
Sharia:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4215182.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4236762.stm
Older and less reliable sources:
http://www.youmeworks.com/sharia_canada.html
http://www.nosharia.com/
Posted by: anon | Mar 30, 2007 9:27:48 PM
King Abdullah as protector of Mecca and Medina and leader of a really big sunni arab country just gave new motivation to the anti-american sunnis in Iraq. The shit is going to hit the fan.
I wonder if Bush called up Prince Bandar Bush and yelled.
Posted by: pacificoceanboy | Mar 31, 2007 12:47:42 AM
Zeke, I don't think you need to worry too much about Harper. At least half of the Conservative party members are socially quite liberal and actually privately detest the more radical Reform wing. Besides, the way things stand post-Mulroney era, Quebec's national representation will continue to consist of MPs from the Bloc or Liberal parties, both of which have very socially-progressive platforms. Without significant representation from Quebec, Harper's Conservatives will have a difficult time winning a majority in the next election. As others have mentioned, the Conservatives didn't so much win the last election as the Liberals lost it, due to their arrogance and corruption while in power.
As for the Tampa Bay Lightning, I was under the impression that most of their fans are transplanted Canadians anyway. Perhaps you're getting funny looks because you sing our national anthem with a strong southern accent? :)
Posted by: RJ | Mar 31, 2007 5:06:09 AM
Why would you say Bono is elitist? I don't recall any situations where he has behaved in an arrogant or snobbish manner. Quite the contrary, in fact. His acceptance of an honorary knighthood does not make him elitist. His tremendous humanitarian work speaks for itself.
Posted by: RJ | Mar 31, 2007 5:18:39 AM
What I find hilarious, and shake my head at, is Stephen Harper's 'pitbull' (so named by the Canadian press)his go to guy when he needs to rumble, is the new Environment Minister, John Baird. Who is gay.
Posted by: secretagentman | Mar 31, 2007 9:42:24 AM
RJ, I don't think the recent vote in the Commons, about revisiting the marriage issue, quite backs up your claim that more than half of the Conservatives are socially liberal; at least not the elected ones. I understand parliamentary procedure pretty well and understand the pressure to vote with your party/coalition, but even still, with a free vote allowed, the vast majority of Conservatives voted to reopen the marriage debate.
As for my singing "Oh Canada" at Lightning games, you're probably right there. Alot of local hockey fans are native Canadians. I don't think ANY of them are used to hearing it sung so loudly, out of tune and with a Mississippi accent. My intent is to honor it and the nation it represents, but my tone deafness combined with my Southern accent is enough to make the most patriotic Canadian cringe.
My husband (who has a Southern accent too, but paired with a beautiful singing voice) and son sing it too but they move away from me and act like they don't know who I am until well after the last "thee".
Oh well, it's the thought that counts.
Posted by: Zeke | Mar 31, 2007 12:23:09 PM
"Scary Stephen Harper and his band of Troglodytes have officially sworn off the homophobic legal agenda and are now focusing on adopting a stronger Canadian version of the PATRIOT Act."
Posted by: Myron |
Scary man indeed.
I just read a couple of articles stating that Harper is openly attempting to replicate the American model into Canadian politics. For this task he is aided by his conservative strategists, which include GOP advisor Frank Luntz, and right-wing media moguls.
PM HARPER SETS MEANER TONE IN CANADA
http://www.rabble.ca/politics.shtml?x=53396
Says the article:
"Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper even brought in Republican advisers, such as political consultant Frank Luntz, to give pointers on how the ruling Conservative Party could become as dominant in Canada as the GOP is in the United States. [...]
Frank Luntz, who helped Gingrich draft the “Contract With America,” which became the centrepiece of the Republican victory in the U.S. Congress in 1994. Luntz was a specialist at the take-no-prisoners-style of politics that envisioned permanent conservative control of Washington.
Harper picked up other tips from Bush's political adviser Karl Rove (!), such as the importance of transforming the Christian evangelical movement into an activist base for conservative politics."
________________________
In other words, Harper is slowly (but surely) attempting to move Canada towards the right. And you should never underestimate the patience of politicians to get the job done..the conservatives probably know that in Canada it'll be hard to get people to accept any governement involvment of a christian cohalition, but if anti-muslim fear rise enough in the population then you never know what can happen.
Regarding a Canadian version of the Patriot Act, that doesn't seem to be happening. At least for now..The Anti-Terrorist Act, which was hastily drafted after 9/11, was defeated in Parliamant by a 159-124 in favor of termination in March.
But the fact Canada's Supreme Court already shown it was willing to suspend the civil rights of individuals (ie allow them to be spyed on, arrested without warrants or imprisonned for unspecified reasons), in the interest "national security" is still a frightening thought..When authorities are granted such extraordinary powers, who knows what they'll chose to do with it? As it is there are already enough abuses involving the police that are being reported; now imagine if the authorities could arrest anyone and ship them off somewhere without trial, or their family knowing why they are there..Not a good thing.
I think Canada should watch itself, as all Western countries at this point. Cause abuses in the name of 'anti-terrorism' abound everywhere.
Posted by: Da | Apr 2, 2007 1:35:22 AM