Blame It on Gays, Republicans

Repent America, a viciously bigoted bunch of fundies just this side of the right Reverend Phelps, appears to be the first hate group to blame the New Orleans levee breaches on homos. (According to an item Ben found at Good As You.) Michael Marcavage, the group's leader, is careful not to give us a Falwell soundbite, though. His press release instead cites an "act of God" that "destroyed a wicked city."

But surely it's no coincidence, Marcavage implies, that the devastation comes just days before Southern Decadence, the gay party described as an "annual celebration of sin." And lest straights think they are off the hook, the good preacher also blames "Mardi Gras parties where thousands of drunken men revel in the streets to exchange plastic jewelry for drunken women to expose their breasts."

"Let us pray for those ravaged by this disaster. However, we must not forget that the citizens of New Orleans tolerated and welcomed the wickedness in their city for so long," Marcavage said. "May this act of God cause us all to think about what we tolerate in our city limits, and bring us trembling before the throne of Almighty God," Marcavage concluded.

I have an altogether different observation, however. The fact that New Orleans was vulnerable to this kind of disaster has been well known for years. Scientists have raised warnings and the local paper has published extensive, award-winning explainers. In fact, Congress did take some action to shore up the levees. However, in recent years, the Bush Administration hasn't produced the money to fund protection projects. Any guesses why?

"At least nine articles in the Times-Picayune from 2004 and 2005 specifically cite the cost of Iraq as a reason for the lack of hurricane- and flood-control dollars."

That's according to today's Editor & Publisher, who says reports also blamed homeland security priorities and tax cuts. I guess George Bush has found his weapon of mass destruction somewhat closer to home.

(Photo credits: Reuters/Mannie Garcia, AP/Susan Walsh)

Update: Knight-Ridder has an article out Thursday on the lack of preparations for natural -- as opposed to terrorist -- disasters, including this factoid: Last year, the Army Corps of Engineers, facing budget cuts, stopped major work on the levee system for the first time in 37 years. Even the WSJ noted that Bush fired his own Corps chief in 2002 after he sided with congressional supporters of greater flood control funding. With other angles yet to be explored -- like the weakened state of the National Guard and estimated rebuilding costs comparable to those in Iraq -- this story is going to have legs, trust me.

The Grind

A silly little article in the Washington Post reveals that, *gasp* you can put ingredients inside a burger instead of on top of it. But my favorite sentence is this one:

"People were getting tired of the plain old hamburger," explains Theo Weening, meat coordinator for Whole Foods Markets.

Hey, I want my title to be "meat coordinator."

Move Over, Simon Cowell

American Idol ain't got nothing on the King of Swaziland, whose audition for his lucky 13th wife brought "fifty thousand bare-breasted virgins" dancing through the royal stadium yesterday. The 37-year-old monarch is criticized for promoting teenage sex and polygamy in a country where 40 percent of the population is HIV+, but that doesn't stop girls from across the poor nation who dream of gaining their own palace and a BMW. (Wow, think of the sponsorship tie-in!)

You Can't Handle the Truth

American Family Association (in association with Tim Todd Ministries) presents, this week only, National "Truth for Youth" Week. Yes, as kids head back to school, some of their holier-than-thou classmates will be toting the Truth for Youth Bible and distributing them to "lost students" throughout the public school system:

"The Truth For Youth" consists of the entire New Testament in the God's Word version, along with powerful full color comics that are packed with "absolute truths" regarding issues young people are faced with, such as: Evolution, Sexual Purity, Homosexuality, Abortion, Pornography, Drugs, Drunkenness, Peer Pressure, School Violence and Secular Rock Music. God's wonderful plan of salvation is incorporated into each of the stories.

Naturally, I'm happy to bring you a link to the (curiously anime-style) comics covering the Gay. It's the heartwarming story of a brother and sister -- a violent skinhead homophobe and a bleeding-heart good girl, respectively -- warring over the soul of their androgynous kid brother who thinks he might be queer. Big bro gets injured in a confrontation with a dyke-y gay protester who swings her "Love Thy Neighbor" sign like a battleaxe. Thankfully, the EMT turns out to be an ex-gay who helps all the kids see the light about the "choice not to sin." A link at the end suggests contacting Exodus International if you need "freedom from homosexuality."

iGod

Last night's Simpsons was brilliant, with Homer and Bart blundering into a showing of "Left Below," a spoof on the Left Behind phenomenon of Christian futurist novels set during the Rapture. (This was a re-run from Season 16 I'd never seen before.) Among many great lines and sight gags was a poster in the Christian bookstore for "iGod" in the style of the campaign for Apple's digital music player.

Today's NYTimes article on the growing popularity of church podcasts proves that fundamentalists truly lack the gene to perceive irony. Better yet is this older WaPo article on Left Behind: Eternal Forces,

a real-time strategy game set in New York during the End of Days, which will allow gamers to choose between the angelic Tribulation Forces and the demonic Global Community Peacekeepers in a multiplayer online mode.

You almost can't make this stuff up.

Flying Fur

If you are proud enough to enter a "Hairiest Back at the Ballpark" contest, why would you want the first prize -- complimentary laser hair removal? (Hat tip Jimbo.)

Consumers Reaction to Dome-shaped Packaging: Doh!

John, have you purchased your copy of the sixth season of The Simpsons on DVD yet? It seems as though the special Homer-shaped packaging has some people in a tizzy.

Therefore, a special deal for more traditional packaging, matching the previously released five seasons, is available for $2.95 and the acknowledgment that you are anal retentive.

Tag. I'm It.

Following an invitation from Brian, here's my offering on the meme making the rounds. Since I co-author this blog, I'm only doing a list of five songs and leaving the other five to John.

The instructions are: List ten songs that you are currently digging...it doesn't matter what genre they are from, whether they have words, or even if they're no good, but they must be songs you're really enjoying right now. Post these instructions, the artists, and the ten songs in your blog. Then tag five other people to see what they're listening to.

• Kelly Clarkson - Behind These Hazel Eyes
• Gwen Stefani - Cool
• Kristin Chenoweth - Popular (from Wicked)
• Mariah Carey - We Belong Together
• RuPaul - Back to My Roots

And for my two-and-a-half other people, I tag Kevin, Scott, and Wesley.

Mother and Child

Alexis Stewart, the only child of domestic doyenne Martha Stewart will serve as "her Carolyn" on this fall's newest iteration of The Apprentice.

And here I was, kinda hoping that Big Martha was gonna be the one to get bitchy in the boardconference room. Three generations of Kostrya women giving the smackdown to potential apprentices sounds like damn good television to me.

Butterstick or Be Damned

So the five proposed panda cub names on the National Zoo's web survey do not include "Butterstick" as an option. Did they really think that would stop the blogosphere?

Tom at Unrequited Narcissism has tinkered with the survey to add the blog-world's preferred name. Apparently, the UN web form will actually post your choice to the zoo's page and thus give feedback to the powers-that-be. Says Tom: "Depending on how badly the survey is coded, there's a slim but real chance this will actually show up in their results."

Please vote early and vote often!

But Will It House a Jamba Juice?

Exciting news for our U.K. readers: Austin-based Whole Foods Market, a catalyst for gentrification throughout the Washington region, has announced plans to open its first European store in central London.

California Lesbian News

Gay moms in California have to pay child support too. And gay rights groups rejoice.

Meanwhile, the LA Times profiles Latasha Byears, a lesbian who was in the WNBA, who was accused of sexual assault, comparing her case to that of Kobe Bryant.

A Cartographer's Work is Never Done

Ben, remember when you and Kevin first moved into your place in Natomas, and your street couldn't be found on any map -- printed or online? Seems you're far from alone, according to this LATimes front pager. Set in and around America's second-fastest growing city, the article covers the harried mapmakers who are "running woefully behind schedule at the same time that technological advances are raising travelers' expectations" about situational awareness. So much for the new car's GPS navigation system, eh?

Wire Reports: Now We're Cooking!

File this one under "A life of its own."

After the Butterstick campaign made Wonkette and Express early last week, momentum behind the online effort seemed to run out of steam. Then, out of the blue, we get recognition from Bloomberg, of all places. In a story datelined today, the wire service matter-of-factly adopts the culinary moniker for Mei Xiang's cub:

Web logs, such as dcist.com, nicknamed the cub "Butterstick" because zookeepers described him at birth as being "about the size of a stick of butter." According to Chinese tradition, the cub won't be officially named until he's 100 days old.

Butterstick, born through artificial insemination, now weighs more than four pounds. He no longer resembles a "terrible, furry spaceworm," as one blogger wrote, but a chubby miniature panda with the trademark black and white markings.

They even included the name in the headline: "Washington Says 'Ahhh' to New Celebrity, Butterstick the Panda." Hey, Chris, Michael and Tom: Go us!

(Photo credit: Furcafe)

Explore This

Hey, Ben! If you are feeling guilty about the ecological damage your SUV is doing, you can now make contributions to several different organizations which will purchase emissions credits to offset the environmental toll. (Some are even tax deductible!)

Unfortunately, none of these groups do anything to reduce America's dependence on petroleum from the Wahhabi nutcakes in Saudi Arabia.

Get Well Soon

Speedy recovery wishes to Mrs. Madonna Louise Veronica Esther Ciccone Penn Richie of Bay City, Michigan!

The singer/dancer/actress/model/entertainment mogul broke several bones while horseback riding as part of her birthday celebration.

We hope that the 47-year-old is fully healed by November for the release of her new album, Confessions On A Dancefloor.

Confidential to Madge: Hey, never say never to Vegas...that $82M may come in handy someday.

No XoXo for .xxx

Shocker! The Bush Administration hopes to put a halt to proceedings to create a new top-level Internet domain for hard-core pr0n. ICANN, the technical body that approves TLDs was slated to turn over registrations to a private Florida company this week, but all parties have agreed to a delay. As in the real world, this fight pits reasonable people who think a designated "red-light district" would actually protect children (since it could be easily blocked) versus moralistic abolitionists who have no respect for freedom of speech. Anyone could have guessed which side Dubya's drones would favor, but I have to say I'm suprised that the Brazilian government is also upset -- I mean, have you seen their websites? (Hat tip to Andy.)

Bear Fair

The San Francisco Chronicle weighs in with a heavy-hitting investigation into bears, the gay men with a "preference for flannel" (uh, really? I'd say more t-shirts.) What prompts the article is that the success of events like Lazy Bear has spawned the Hairrison Street Fair, a San Francisco event held in the time between the Dore Alley Fair and the Folsom Street Fair that is entering into its second year.

Designer Vaginas

Cootchie is not usually a topic of much discussion here at the Bhaus. However, when a Toronto-based member of my gay alum listserv recently posted an article on the vaginal "rejuvination" surgery, I couldn't resist. (Naturally, the clinic is based in West Hollywood.) Services range from vaginal tightening and labial reduction to the non-surgical "G-shot," an $1,800 collagen-based injection that reportedly "amplifies orgasms" for about four months.

Question if you will the motivations of women seeking these procedures, at least they seem to do the trick, which is more than you can say for all those male enhancement scams out there.

News on Logo

Corporate synergy abounds as the new gay channel from Viacom names Jason Bellini to anchor the "CBS News on Logo."

The former CNN correspondent also worked on MTV's election coverage and was an embedded reporter in Iraq.

Legal Defeat for "Hotties" Everywhere

The high court in California has extended legal protections to employees who oppose orders that could be discriminatory, ruling in the case of

a supervisor at a cosmetics and perfume company who resisted her boss's order to fire a woman who was not "good-looking enough" and to replace her with someone "hot." The court ruled 4 to 2 that the supervisor could sue the company for allegedly retaliating against her with poor evaluations and new job requirements.

Sounds like we're getting one step closer to holding that discrimination on the basis of looks is illegal, and I couldn't be more disappointed. Monday, I nearly walked into a wall oggling the A&F "greeter" at Chicago's Water Tower Place. What will become of the world if corporations can't enforce a strict "aloof, straight-acting jock" look for their tight-bodied sales-models!? While lookism isn't illegal in California yet:

The court nevertheless agreed that an appearance standard that is applied to one gender and not the other is sex discrimination unless the different treatment can be justified as a legitimate occupational qualification.

I guess Abercrombie better make sure its female brand-reps are equally hot. (I can't say I really noticed one way or the other in Chicago.)

Virtual Witchhunts

"Note to self: erase profile entitled USMCJock."

The SLDN is spreading the word that identifying yourself as military and gay in an online profile is a violation of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. According to the organization, it knows of ten cases since May 2004 of service members discharged based on such evidence, including

a Farsi linguist, a doctor, an intelligence analyst and a communications officer. Three of the ten have served in Iraq or Afghanistan, including Jeff Howe, an Army artilleryman who served two tours of duty in Iraq before being outed by a profile posted at Connexion.org, an online LGBT community site.

The advocacy group has also released precautions for service members using online sites. Tips include not accessing such sites using a military computer, posting photos, or "using terminology ... which may reveal that the poster is a service member." They might also add not appearing in pornos entitled Bareback Barracks Buddies 3 (NSFW, duh).

Meanwhile, in other news about cyber-warefare, CNet's police blotter snares a 24-year Navy veteran for running "two Web sites in which he posted photos of himself and his ex-wife (who had married another naval officer) having sex and, in the words of the court, engaging in fetish activities."

Meth-Mouth A Myth?

You've seen it in the New York Times.

You read about it in Newsweek.

You may have even heard about it on NPR this morning.

But Slate admonishes you...meth-mouth is a myth! Well, not really. More likely, Slate's headline writer is trying to be provocative in getting you to read an article that points out that technically "meth mouth" is caused by a lack of saliva, combined with poor hygiene, poor blood flow to the gums, and an overindulgence in sugary beverages. In other words, "It's a lifestyle issue," not that the corrosive acid from methamphetamines are actually eating away at tooth enamel. In fact, argues the Slate article, "abstinent grandmothers and grandfathers, many of whom who couldn't spell methamphetamine if their lives depended on it, are sometimes victims of meth-mouth!"

Alright, so technically meth-mouth may not be caused by the chemicals in meth. But does that really matter to anyone besides the author and some periodontists? It all still boils down to cystal mess = bad teeth, if you ask me.

Moon Shot

Jamie and I were up early (Chicago time) yesterday to watch the successful conclusion of space shuttle Discovery's "return to flight" mission. But while questions linger about NASA's manned spaceflight program in the post-Columbia era, the NYTimes reports today on a private company that proposes to use Russian technology to send two paying customers on a flight around the moon. (Basically by adding a booster rocket to a Soyuz capsule -- described as a 14-day trip for three in an SUV, without the rest stops.) If there's a market for $100 million tickets on that ride, I gotta believe the future of space exploration is assured, regardless of the direction Congress and the President drive our space agency.

Big Time for Butterstick

Congrats to Chris for getting our baby panda naming campaign into the Express's BlogLog this morning. With this kind of momentum, nothing can stop "Butterstick" now.

(After Wonkette showed us no link-love, DCist picked up the meme with attribution thanks to some big help from Michael and Tom.)

Not Just a Traffic Circle on the Way to Rehoboth

I don't believe there's an intersection called State & Main in Georgetown, Delaware, but the small-town seat of Sussex County has experienced that same sense of invasion by Hollywood moguls of late. That's because the local courthouse has been hosting one of the biggest shareholder lawsuits in recent memory, a high-stakes battle against the Disney board of directors, for having approved a massive severance package for CEO Michael Ovitz, a one-time friend of Chairman Michael Eisner. For months, the sleepy ville was the site of fevered attention from the legal and business community. Explained the LATimes,

Set in Delaware, where Disney is incorporated, the three-month trial last year attracted scores of national media to the tiny, 5,000-person community ... where [Chancellor William] Chandler hears cases. In Hollywood, the trial's webcast turned into popular entertainment, showcasing one of the most embarrassing episodes in the careers of two men who were once among the industry's most powerful and feared executives.

And now, the tiny waypost on the road to the mid-Atlantic's gay beach can return to normal, as the judge finally rendered his decision yesterday -- refusing to hold outside directors liable for a hasty decision to approve a contract providing $140 million in severance (triggered when Ovitz left after just over a year on the job). From here, the action on any appeal now moves to Wilmington.

A Panda By Any Other Name

Since we here in DC got our butterstick before San Diego got theirs, Washington should officially lay claim to the name.

Now, therefore, let us start a blog campaign to petition the Chinese (who have naming rights) to call Washington's male panda cub by the Mandarin translation of the tasty metaphor. In the tradition of transnational tradenames, we could also choose pleasing Chinese words that just sound like "butterstick."

Any foreign language experts out there who can help, please contribute a pithy suggestion to our noble cause.

WiFi Wants to be Free

Do you have the right to set up a free WiFi node if someone nearby is trying to sell the service? That's the novel question presented by a dispute between the operators of Logan Airport and Continental Airlines over the perk offered in their frequent flyer lounge.

The Massachusetts Port Authority receives a sizeable paycheck from a company that sells WiFi in the airport for $7.95/day, so they've attempted to stop the airline, citing terms of their lease. Now the airline has invoked obscure FCC rules originally intended to give apartment dwellers the right to put satellite dishes on their balconies. MassPort contends the regs don't apply to indoor hotspots. As the FCC attempts to resolve the issue, you're invited to share your two cents with the regulators.

Grasping: Part II

In a follow-up, the LATimes says there's been some handwringing by the bigot brigade over Judge John Roberts' behind-the-scenes participation in his law firm's Romer v. Evans prep. The paper alleges:

Some conservative activists have expressed concerns that Roberts may become an "unreliable" justice like David H. Souter or Anthony M. Kennedy, who were appointed by Republican presidents but who have not consistently supported conservative positions on the bench. Roberts' role in the Colorado case could fuel such worries.

On the other hand, the LATimes could find no such partisans who would go on record. (The best quotes the NYTimes managed were "not welcome news" from James Dobson and "cause for more caution and less optimism" from the RNCFL.) For the most part, both sides are none too swayed, believing the staunch conservative was just being a good hired gun. Of course, if Roberts had actually declined to assist his colleagues on an important case in his area of expertise (SCOTUS arguments) just because it was about gay rights, that would be a clear sign of a far-out ideologue unfit for the bench.

The DL Perspective

An Atlanta preacher has started a blog to share his real feelings about gay rights issues:

Since there are countless sources online and offline which sing the praises of the gay movement, I thought it was high time for a little black boy to point out that the gay emporer [sic] is butt naked. And has a big pimple on his butt, too.

Nice. He's recently launched a prolonged attack smear campaign on a Richmond-based group for gay youth, citing "man-boy love hookups." All this from someone who goes by the initials "DL."

Grasping at Straws

Don Wildmon might reconsider his urgent grassroots lobbying for Bush SCOTUS-nominee John Roberts when he finds out the Judge helped gay activists win the landmark 1996 equal protection case Romer v. Evans. The story broke in today's LATimes.

(Lest the Log Cabin get too excited, please note that Roberts, who was an appellate litigator for Hogan & Hartson at the time, was merely helping a colleague prep his argument for a pro bono client. Wrote the Times: Roberts "has stressed, however, that a client's views are not necessarily shared by the lawyer who argues on his or her behalf.")

The Times suggests that, while Roberts seemed enthusiastic to assist -- offering advice and serving as "Scalia" on a moot court panel -- the story probably only illustrates "his allegiance to the credo of the legal profession: to zealously represent the interests of the client, whoever it might be." Other than this tidbit, there is precious little in the stealth nominee's record to suggest how he really feels about homos.

Little Boy Black & White

DC's newest cub cutie gets a positive review: "I was really impressed with how sturdy this little fellow was -- like a little rugby player," said his doc.

Daytime TV and The Ex-Gays

Yesterday, Scott Davis, Director of Exodus Youth, and Mike Ensley, a "graduate" of a reparative therapy program in Southern California, appeared on the talker. The two discussed how they had overcome their homosexual impulses...blah, blah, blah...boys, you don't make the most convincing argument for appearing straight when you have such stylish haircuts, dress in such a trendy manner and cross your legs like that.



I mean, the interviews on The View have never been of good quality, but it's especially disheartening to see a segment that seems designed to reinforce stereotypes and scare mothers into thinking the worst about "the homosexual lifestyle" when news about reparative therapy has been in the headlines recently.

Now, I know that the audience of the The View is mainly comprised of middle-aged, suburban moms, but I'm certain that there are snarky bloggers and my fellow homosexuals watching too. So, let's have a real discussion, instead of allowing the Focus on the Family talking points to be spouted off unchallenged. The ex-gays can save that sort of talk for the next Groundswell conference, coming to Seattle, Orlando and Boston this fall.



Mario Cantone, Bryant Renfroe -- we need to talk.

You see, Charlotte's best pal from Sex and the City and Barbara Walter's personal hairstylist both appear as regular guests on ABC's daytime talk show, The View. And therefore, we've got to get these guys into activist mode, because somebody has got to take a stand against segments that fawn all over cute ex-gays without making them answer any hard questions.

UPDATE: See a full transcript at Good As You and a great overview recap on Towle Road.

Power to Tax = Power to Destroy

Question: Would a proposed tax on Internet pr0n cover do-it-yourself sites like Manhunt or even gay.com? What about p2p software like ICU2?

P.S. Isn't it fun when Democrats decide they have to get conservative to regain control of the government? (We're looking at you, Hillary.)

Video PodCasting for Al

I had enough trouble getting TiVo to recognize the addition of LOGO and MASN to my DirecTV lineup. Is it worth all that effort to find out if I can stand Al Gore's new cable network, an interactive channel and Web site "aimed at the 18-to-34 set"? Hmm, maybe if he promises to feature smoking hot indie boys? (And gay bloggers, of course.)

Country Club Days

What's this, a gay marriage post? Ben, you must have thought I'd nearly forgotten about the subject! But while most of the country has been taking a revanchist tone towards same-sex nuptuals of late, California seems to be forging ahead. Not only is the state's high court poised to consider a constitutional challenge to Proposition 22, yesterday it ruled that private companies which extend discounts, special services or other privileges to married couples must extend the same benefits to registered domestic partners. (PDF decision here.) Activists are crowing.

You and Kevin better enjoy your family gym memberships while you can, though. The same reactionary forces that have been on the march across the Red States are stirring in California, and have taken their battle to your state's vaunted (vilified?) initiative process. AG Bill Lockyer has certified three anti-gay referenda that could appear in the November 2006 election, at least two of which would would gratuitously roll back all of your DP rights.

Seems like the Golden State's blue-state reputation will be on the line. Do you think these initiatives will garner enough signatures to make it onto the ballot, Ben? If so, what are the chances they could pass? Either way, it's surely no time for complacency on the issue.

Brand New

As previously expected, Federated has decided to rebrand almost all of its stores to the Macy's name:

In addition to converting 330 stores to the Macy's name, Federated will sell 68 sites where it already has competing stores, beginning next year. The Westfield Group, the owner of shopping malls, said yesterday in a statement that it was in talks to buy 12 of the stores in California, Connecticut, Ohio and Maryland.

Locally, Southern California's The Oaks mall, where I served a stint from 1988-1994 as a mallrat, will now have 4 Federated anchors, 2 Macy's and 2 Robinsons-May. My assumption is that one Robinsons-May will be sold off and the other will be demolished to faciliate a mall expansion and the addition of a Nordstrom. And over the grade, at Topanga Plaza, the loss of Robinsons-May could result in the addition of a Bloomingdales, as a new building for Nordstrom and the construction of a Neiman Marcus are in the works, as the two Westfields of Woodland Hills evolve.

In the Midwest, Federated seems stuck on what to do with the venerable Marshall Fields name, which enjoys a higher profile and better reputation than, say, Hecht's or Foley's. But I'm not sure what possessed them to retain the Lord & Taylor brand, which doesn't seem to have much market differentiation, from my perspective.