Saturday, September 1, 2007

My President Will Be...

This is a neat commercial by Senator Russ Feingold. What would YOUR words be?

How many celebrities does it take to make you change a lightbulb?


I admit, I have replaced almost all the bulbs in my house to these eco-bulbs.. it's a pretty easy thing to do. Have you done it yet?

Watch this National Geographic PSA starring Natalie Portman, Kyra Sedgwick and Chloe Sevigny, music by Aimee Mann.... HERE

Larry Craig's Real Mistake

Posted September 1, 2007 , Huffington Post, Blogger: Alec Baldwin

I feel sorry for Larry Craig. Truly. Even though Craig voted to censor Barney Frank for Frank's tryst with a male prostitute. Craig has been behind some of the most intolerant and anti-gay legislation that a US Senator could put his mark on. Now the very condition that drives countless gay men and women into the closet, the bathroom stall or the hospital may have claimed Sen. Craig himself. That is not a cause for gloating. That is sad. Pathetic and sad. (READ)

Bush Apologizes to Wiccan Soldier's Widow for Meeting Slip-Up

I thought this was kinda interesting...

Washington Post
Saturday, September 1, 2007

President Bush has apologized to the widow of a Wiccan soldier after she was excluded from a Nevada meeting this week that the president held with the families of soldiers killed in combat. (read more)

"We Are Going To Hit Iran. Bigtime"

Daily Kos
Sat Sep 01, 2007 at 03:50:24 PM PDT

I have a friend who is an LSO on a carrier attack group that is planning and staging a strike group deployment into the Gulf of Hormuz. (LSO: Landing Signal Officer- she directs carrier aircraft while landing) She told me we are going to attack Iran. She said that all the Air Operation Planning and Asset Tasking are finished. That means that all the targets have been chosen, prioritized, and tasked to specific aircraft, bases, carriers, missile cruisers and so forth.

I asked her why she is telling me this.

Her answer was really amazing... click here to read

Friday, August 31, 2007

Can you hear me now?

New FBI Network Allows Instant Wiretaps on Any Communication Device
Wired Magazine is reporting the FBI has quietly built a sophisticated, point-and-click surveillance system that performs instant wiretaps on almost any private communications device. The network allows an FBI agent in New York to remotely set up a wiretap on a cell phone based in Sacramento, California. This would allow the FBI agent to immediately learn the phone's location, then begin receiving conversations, text messages and voicemail pass codes in New York. The surveillance system is called the Digital Collection System Network. It connects FBI wiretapping rooms to switches controlled by traditional land-line operators, internet providers and cellular companies. Experts say the system is far more intricately woven into the nation's telecom infrastructure than previously suspected.

read more

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Iowa court rules same-sex couples can marry

(CNN) -- An Iowa district court ruled Thursday that same-sex couples can marry based on the state constitution's guarantee of equal treatment, court documents show. The ruling was in response to a December 2005 lawsuit brought by six same-sex couples seeking to wed. They were denied marriage licenses and claimed such treatment violates equal-protection and due-process clauses in the Iowa constitution. (read more)

Go Hawkeyes! My home state!!

John Edwards - A Survivor's Question

I like Edwards too. And Elizabeth is the only one among the top four candidates/spouses who voice being in favor of gay marriage.

Monday, August 27, 2007

Five Ways to Go Green from Al Gore

(Oprah.com) -- You can become a part of the fight against global warming. Former Vice President Al Gore shares the five things you can buy now that will help solve the climate crisis -- and save you a few bucks! Plus, more of his easy going green tips!

Former Vice President Al Gore speaks onstage during Live Earth New York at Giants Stadium on July 7.

Five things you can buy

1. Compact fluorescent lightbulbs

These energy-efficient bulbs cost less than $4 and are produced by major corporations like GE. If every household in America switched five regular light bulbs for five fluorescent bulbs, it would be the equivalent of taking 1 million cars off the highways for a full year.

2. Outdoor solar lighting

These yard or patio lights cost less than $20, and they don't burn any electricity or produce any CO2.

3. Programmable thermostats

Though these thermostats cost from $50 to $100, they can actually cut your heating and cooling costs. Set the setting so it's a little bit cooler in the winter and warmer in the summer when you're not in the house. A difference of 2 degrees can reduce a home's CO2 emissions by up to 9 percent over the course of a year.

4. Air filters

Changing the air filters in your heating and cooling systems regularly can knock 2 percent off of your CO2 output each year.

5. Electric water heater blanket

Water heaters use a lot of energy and generate a lot of CO2. A blanket costs less than $18 and can cut your home's CO2 emissions by almost 4½ percent.

Keep green in mind!

Gore says that when you're shopping for major home appliances, look for the Energy Star label. "This is a signal that you're getting an environmentally efficient appliance that's going to save you money at the same time," he says.

During a simple trip to the grocery store, you make hundreds of decisions that can have real environmental impacts. With just a few easy changes, you can make a positive difference in the world.

Instead of regular aluminum foil or plastic wrap, buy recycled aluminum foil. It uses just 1/20th of the energy needed to produce regular foil.

Look for items without extensive packaging. Most food packaging material uses some petroleum-based plastic. There are several ways to cut down on the energy and waste this produces. Look for minimally or unpackaged items instead. Experiment with bringing your own packaging or buying in bulk. Purchase brands that use bio-based instead of petroleum-based plastic. Recycle or reuse packaging materials you end up having to buy.

Bring a cloth bag to the grocery store instead of using its plastic bags. An estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide each year. That's 1 million bags used per minute.

And, according to the EPA, more than 380 billion of those are discarded in the United States. Less than 1 percent of those are actually recycled. Instead, these bags will clog landfills, create litter, choke streams and harm marine wildlife, like whales, seals and sea turtles.

Buy local and organic. Buying seasonal, locally produced food helps in a number of ways. Most food travels 1,500 miles from "farm to fork." But buying local food drastically reduces the energy spent on food shipping. Local goods also tend to use minimal packaging, are fresher and come in more varieties.

The best place to track down local food is at your local farmers' markets or through the Community Supported Agriculture Department. Farmers who grow produce organically use less fossil fuel and release fewer greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. Organic farming is better for the land, for the farmers and for the consumers.

angry mother defends gay son

Aug 23rd 2007
The following letter has been circulating in a few LGBTQ listservs and we thought it appropriate to share with our blog readers. It’s written by the mother of a gay child in Vermont, in response to a letter to the editor.

Many letters have been sent to the Valley News concerning the homosexual menace in Vermont. I am the mother of a gay son and I’ve taken enough from you good people. I’m tired of your foolish rhetoric about the “homosexual agenda” and your allegations that accepting homosexuality is the same thing as advocating sex with children. You are cruel and ignorant. You have been robbing me of the joys of motherhood ever since my children were tiny. (read more)

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Simpsonize yourself (or anyone else)

Have you ever wondered what you’d look like as a Simpsons character? Have you ever wondered what your favorite celebrity would look like as a Simpsons character? Have you ever been bored at work? If you answered yes to any or all of those questions, consider today your lucky day. The clever marketers for The Simpsons Movie have created “Simpsonize Me,” a site where you can transform yourself (or anyone else) into a cartoon denizen of Springfield. TRY IT!

My new Favorite Blog

Too many great things to mention here. Just browse for yourself over at Dorothy Snarker's Blog

DNC Strips Florida Of 2008 Delegates

No Convention Slots Unless Later Primary Is Set
Washington Post Sunday, August 26, 2007;


The Democratic National Committee sought to seize control of its unraveling nominating process yesterday, rejecting pleas from state party leaders and cracking down on Florida for scheduling a Jan. 29 presidential primary.

The DNC's rules and bylaws committee, which enforces party rules, voted yesterday morning to strip Florida of all its delegates to the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver -- the harshest penalty at its disposal. (read more)

YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH ABOUT KELLY MCGILLIS


via AfterEllen.com

According to Variety, actress Kelly McGillis has just joined the cast of Showtime's The L Word for its upcoming fifth season.

McGillis will play a military attorney working on a Don't Ask, Don't Tell case. Though Showtime was unable to confirm further details about her character, my guess is that her story line will involve Tasha (Rose Rollins), but she probably won't be involved with Tasha romantically (at least not if Alice has anything to say about it).

READ MORE

Warner To Bush: "I Most Respectfully Suggest That You Put Some Teeth Behind Your Words"

Senator John Warner (R-VA) appeared on "Meet The Press" Sunday to discuss his call for a beginning to US troop withdrawal from Iraq by Christmas 2007. Warner, the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told host Tim Russert that his announcement was meant to "respectfully suggest" to President Bush that he "put some teeth behind [his] words." (read more and view video)

What is your home's WALK SCORE?

Walk Score™ helps people find walkable places to live. Walk Score calculates the walkability of an address by locating nearby stores, restaurants, schools, parks, etc. Being in a walkable neighborhood is good for your health and good for the environment.

take the test

(mine got a 40)