A site devoted to the musings and rantings of an unapologetic gay liberal expat living in London who has a whole lot of opinions, some even intelligent and well thought out, but most not.
A 62-year old woman became dizzy and nauseous after riding the Matterhorn Bobsled roller coaster at Disneyland, so they closed the ride for about a day to inspect it for safety reasons. I shit you not. They even took her to the hospital. Story here. Dizzyness and nausea - fucking hell, that's the stupidest reaction I've ever heard. What would you think riding a roller coaster at age 62 would do?
I really can't stand watching sports - there are a few I enjoy, but not watching them. Too much tribalism causing unecessary violence and stupidity. If kids today spent half as much time on academics as they do on sports, the world would be a much smarter place to live. And I don't believe for a second that a kid that can learn the batting averages of every player in the league isn't capable of learning English, maths, history, etc. It's a matter of social priorities. But I digress. I read news from a variety of sources, and the news feeds I subscribe to include News, Politics, World News, US News, etc. There is always the option of reading the sports pages, but I choose not to. I find it strange that Sports ends up on my News and World News pages, but I have yet to go to a Sports page and see anything about the Iraq war (that isn't Iraq soccer team related) or politics or poverty or whatever else you might find on a news page. Why is that? I want Sports out of my News sections, and I'll agree to keep News out of Sports - doesn't that seem fair?
The UN published a report on the illegal drug trade, stating that in 2003 the drug trade generated an estimated $321.6B, or 0.9% of the world's GDP or higher than the GDP of 88% of the countries of the world.
The argument is illogical. But the issue of violence is so ingrained in our culture, no one is able to think outside the box. Violence in our society is so pronounced that the right wing accuses the left wing of being pacifists, and the left wing denies it, as if it's not a noble cause or nobel objective. I'm flabbergasted at the treatment of pacifism as a hot potato. What is so fucking great about going out and killing people because you have an opinion, or even better, because you think someone's going to do something to you, or because they did something to you - that's justification, yeah. Has humanity not progressed or evolved beyond our caveman origins? I understand the concept of tribalism (isn't that what sports and religion are all about?) but we have a choice - I can't understand why we must continue choosing violence. When violence is an option on the table, violence is always the choice made. It's easy, it takes no brain power, imagination, strength or courage - it's so banal.
What a slap in the face to Bush this will be - the rest of the world is moving forward leaving America in the dust regarding civil rights. Holland and Belgium already allow gay marriages, Spain is getting close, Canada now. The land of the free is becoming the land of the not-so-free (except for one tiny state). Hooyah, Canada!
This is so fucking cool. iTunes has integrated podcasting into its latest version released today. I've been busy subscribing to podcasts I listen to and downloading them. What I think is significant about this move is that it makes it that much easier to download podcasts to your machine (and mp3 player if you have one). The significance in my mind about this is that it somehow legitimises even more the whole notion of podcasting. Integrated now into the iTunes music store is the ability to subscribe to podcasts. Now, not all the kinks are worked out... two of my favourite podcasts (anything from Air America Radio and Lucky Bitch Radio) are not available for subscription (but they both work fine in iPodderX). But, I found out about a few I hadn't subscribed to, which is cool.
Our friend and horrid enemy, Karl Rove, without makeup.
You should have seen by now news about Italy's anger over 13 CIA agents spending $150K on a trip through Italy - oh no, that's no one in the US' procurement department that is upset. No, Italy is upset over the kidnapping of an Egyptian from the streets of Milan without notifying the Italian authorities.
Iraqis thank US for poking its fucking oil drenched nose in areas it knows nothing about. "Thank you, Twig-Cheney and your fellow oil slimy friends," they say with heartfelt thanks.
Halliburton and Cheney declare, "Hooyah! It doesn't matter they don't have nuclear bomb capabilities, our pocketbooks are more important than any lives that may suffer. Iran and 9/11 - they were in cahoots! Now let's go take away more money from education spending so we have no educated Americans who may question our policy. The rest we will send to Gitmo-abusin and call them an-oh-me coam-bah-tuhnt - Americans are so stupid they'll not know the term and just bend over while we give it to them with our teenie weenies, hehehehehe!!"
The promotion of one religion is the attack on every other religion and non-religion. Fuck freedom of religion - what about freedom from religion?!?!
Inquiry into 'gay' minister hoax
Some good news appears, pushing my persistent case of pessimism a notch or two in the direction of optimism (the pendulum still has a long way to go, though).
IPC 2005. Check out that link - it's for a conference this week in London (Iraqi Petroleum Conference 2005). There is a protest organised, details at this link.
How fucking stupid do you think we are? First of all, these congress people have never been to Gitmo-abusin before and their comments are, "the Guantanamo we saw today is not the Guantanamo we heard about a few years ago." What a stupid fucking statement that is. The Gitmo-abusin we heard about a few years ago didn't reveal the abuse we know of today. So, that's my first comment.
I'm not an Isreal fan at all, but I'm also not an anti-semite. So, my cynical side is pleasantly surprised when I read positive stories about Israel concerning gays. Not sure if you've been watching, but Jerusalem's mayor was trying to stop the gay pride parade this year in the city. A Jerusalem court overruled that bastard and ordered him to pay court fees to the gay organisation that brought the matter to court. Fucking cool!
Interesting comments he made to faux news, "I would not make a big deal out of it... Meetings go on frequently with people... I think the attention to this is overblown."
I've been a big fan of Mother Jones magazine for years - it's one of the magazines I currently subscribe to, even living here in the UK. I remember one of the first issues I received when I first subscribed years ago was an expose on the Bushies and the utter corruption of that family. Surprise?
Tony Blair's oldest son, Euan, is graduating soon from Bristol University and is starting as an intern for rubblecans in DC, working for the Committee on Rules in the House.
Just got back from seeing the movie, A Good Woman, based on Oscar Wilde's Lady Windermere's Fan. What a fantastically, enjoyable movie! No one writes dialogue like Oscar - how fucking witty that man was. All the one liners I wish I could remember and add to my repetoire. I've read bits of (and seen the movie) The Importance of Being Earnest, but I really must go out and get more of his works. I love Helen Hunt, and I'm sure Scarlett Johansson will be one of my favourites over the coming years. I won't say anything and give anything away in the movie, so go see it yourself.
Now I'm not a flag burner - it's not an act I'd choose to express my opposition to any policy. It's meant to inflame, incite, anger and generally to get someone's attention. I can think of other better ways to achieve the same, but that's my personal choice. I would never take away anyone's right to choose that act to make their statement. It's a form of speech, and it's wrapped up in this symbol which is nothing more than fabric and ink and thread. Does what the flag stands for not have the strength to survive desecration of its symbol? If it wouldn't survive, we're in trouble. But, I thought what the flag stands for was incredibly strong - perhaps I am wrong.
I know Ragan Fox hates it when people tell others about their dreams, but for some strange reason I had a dream last night about Woody Harrelson talking me into creating my own podcast. Then he let me kiss him. It was quite erotic. I think it was his first kiss with another man; I was Woody Harrelson's first man snog.
I'd like to know what Donnie boy's criteria are for success and failure in Iraq.
Inmates demanding improved prison conditions in Ecuador's jails have begun mutilating themselves in an effort to publicise their cause.
At least one man was voluntarily crucified, while two women sewed their lips shut to illustrate their support for a prison hunger strike.
Hundreds of other inmates in Ecuador's 34 jails have been protesting since Monday over sentencing and conditions.
They want electricity, running water and early release for good behaviour.
Rest of story here. Inmates require basic rights too, no?
Now for a little fun...
Italy's government has introduced a bill that would allow the state to castrate convicted rapists, in response to a string of rapes in the north of Italy, by suspected illegal immigrants. Story here.
Cajones - are the Dems growing them? I'm so thrilled to see Dems standing up and fighting back, not just lying there taking it time after time. I still don't agree that Durbin needed to apologise - he had nothing to apologise for, especially when leading rubblecans say far worse things, latest example, take that unethical, corrupt, immoral rubblecan, Karl Rove. I highly suggest reading this short expose on Karl Rove printed last year in the Guardian here in the UK - how can people support a man (Bush) that is in bed with this corrupt bastard? Where is integrity? Do not ethics and morals play a role anywhere in today's politics? I wouldn't associate with anyone that had that bad a reputation, especially if I were a politician, where the smallest hints of impropriety can lose an election. But I guess not when you're a rubblecan and your main tenets are corruption, greed, murder, theft, rape, pillage, deceit, hypocrisy, power and violence. How can anyone in their right mind vote rubblecan? I don't understand. We are worse off in every way imaginable, and rubblecans say they have your best interests at heart, when in reality they only care about their corporate crony buddies. Don't be fooled, and question everything.
Seems the Bushies' arrogant campaign to set the world to right is making them legends in their own minds (and pocket books), and nowhere else.
Paris store apologises to Oprah
Hermes said a private PR event was being prepared so it was unable to accommodate the star at the time.
Winfrey tried to access the store after closing time, while shops are known to make exceptions for celebrities.
Rest of story here.
Sometimes even the most powerful celebrity isn't the most important in the moment. Get over it, Oprah.
 Miss Alam is said to have sent a series of e-mails about her affairs |
Faria Alam, 39, resigned from her post at the FA last August after her affairs with the England coach and FA chief executive Mark Palios became public.
FA lawyers said she wrote: "I want to be...very very rich" in one e-mail.
Miss Alam denies resigning in order to make money from newspapers and is claiming unfair dismissal.
Rest of story here.
Why are we paying attention to these STUPID fucking stories? I don't give a shit who's buggering who, or who's sticking a fucking cigar up who's twat, or who's having an affair with which stupid nanny over the phone - FUCKING-HELL, let's stop paying attention to these stupid sex-based stories which invade private lives of people, most of which are silly girls wanting to make a buck. On the flip side, why can men not keep their fucking cocks in their pants and stop shagging stupid people? She fucking "bragged" about wanting to get rich - hello? Cock motivation? I guess there's no other reason to suck that ugly thing!
Like Rachel Maddow (although I'm not nearly as eloquent or intelligent or amazing as her) I don't like nazi or other war analogies when speaking about the current wars we are engaged in. But the most recent words of Illinois Senator Dick Durbin on the floor of the senate do NOT require an apology - this is the Dems again caving in to the fucking, "you called me a white Christian" conservative rubblecans. There is nothing that Durbin needs to apologise for - he spoke only the truth and used a poor analogy. The comparison (though one I would not choose) was accurate. And considering the right wing's penchant for Nazi analogies, it's hypocrisy for them to cry foul, but that's their middle name.
I'm so angry these days at the corruption and vitriol and lying and manipulation of the right wing that I've for the most part set civility aside because they aren't civil. They accuse, they condemn they spread lies and rumours and they are corrupt and they exploit those without money and those without education, and those without adequate access to unbiased (and the US is not an unbiased press country) news. I recently signed on to Move America Forward's Yahoo! group so I could get access to their readership - it's awful, it's just repeating the spoon fed lies that the right wing keeps on feeding their initiates. In an attempt to break through a little bit, I'm trying to be civil. I'm sure it won't last long, and I'm almost as sure that my post there won't be accepted, but here it is, in full...
