Archive for January 2009

A Resurrection: My J Spot

January 22, 2009 Dating, Lesbian Podcast, Women's Issues No comments

Last month I did a radio interview with a woman who helps single women find their “J” spot. I’m resurrecting this interview because it has significant meaning for me in my life at this very moment.

Shoshi is a lifestyle coach who helps single women live luscious lives. This is an interview that everyone would benefit from. She offers some really good advice for single women, women who don’t want to get married, and women who finally decide to settle down. Even if you’re not a woman, I think her advice is worth listening to because relationships and love are universal.

Chicago Police Officer Beats Up Man in Wheelchair

January 22, 2009 WTF? 2 comments

I had to create a new category for this post: WTF!?

Chicago, Illinois, police officer who was videotaped beating a man restrained in a wheelchair at a hospital emergency room pleaded guilty Thursday to using “excessive or unreasonable force” against the victim, Justice Department officials announced.

Veteran police officer William Cozzi, 51, entered his plea in a federal court in Chicago more than three years after the beating of Randle Miles. [source]

See, this is why I dislike police and I refuse to date a woman who says she’s a police officer. I know they’re not all like that, but I’d rather not take my chances.

My question: why did it take 3 years to address this gross abuse of power?

ht: donghotti

Just Because She’s Beyonce, Doesn’t Mean She Should Perform ‘At Last’

January 22, 2009 Music, Politics 5 comments

Honestly, I’ve heard Karaoke singers do a better job at the song “At Last.” Beyonce should stick to what she does best: pop dance music.

It was still a pleasure to watch President and First Lady Obama dance to a beautiful song.

Update: A Twitter buddy informed me that Etta James, the original performer of ‘At Last’ is still alive. It’s our opinion that she should’ve performed the song. Here’s what the original version sounds like:

Gay Marriage and Gambling Rights for Hawaii Residents?

January 22, 2009 Politics No comments

Hawaii may soon become a must-stop on a tree-huggin’ gay gambler’s vacation list:

Hawaii lawmakers convene a new session Wednesday in which they expect to consider legalizing gambling, recognizing gay marriage and preserving Hawaiian lands. The session runs through May 7.

In a year with the economy in the tank and the state budget short by hundreds of millions of dollars, lawmakers will spend much of their time finding ways to save money.

Social issues that don’t require cash will take the rest of their attention. [source]

Hawaii might actually become popular for something other than how it handled President Obama’s birth certificate issue.

Ashton Kutcher Makes the Twitter Leap

January 22, 2009 Social Media, Twitter No comments

In a MySpace bulletin yesterday, Ashton Kutcher announced that he was on Twitter:

fyi I’m on twitter now.

just so you don’t get any fakers.
my handle is

aplusk

I’m not quite sure why I have Kutcher in my MySpace “friends” list, other than the fact that he seems to be very politically active and a staunch supporter of the Democratic platform.

Anyway, a lot of Kutcher’s Myspace friends have no clue what Twitter is, but he already has over 2700 Twitter followers. I think we can expect to see a large influx of MySpacers on Twitter pretty soon. If Kutcher is on Twitter, how soon before we start seeing more and more celebrities using the service?

I’m not sure how I feel about celebrities taking over Twitter – mostly because it will encourage a large influx of teenagers to the site. Right now, Twitter doesn’t have an option that allows us to filter members by age. The system doesn’t ask your age and it doesn’t require that you use a valid email address. How long before Twitter is overwhelmed with phishing scams? My bet? Pretty soon.

Update: It appears that Kutcher is really updating his own Twitter page. If he ever decided to pay someone to do it, I’ll throw my hat in the ring for that gig.

Religious Coalition Addresses Abortion Rights During Tough Economic Times

January 22, 2009 Politics, Religion, Women's Issues No comments

The Reverend Dr. Carlton W. Veazey, President and CEO, of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice made the following statement on reproductive health and poverty.

In today’s economic crisis, which is hitting the most vulnerable hardest, it is an ethical imperative to serve the common good. In marking the 36th anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, I call on the faithful to protect the lives of women and children by fighting to ensure that reproductive health care is accessible and that abortion services are safe, legal, and available.

The doubters and dividers have lost no time in demanding that reproductive health services be cut back – in the name of economy and righteousness. Cutting back services is wrong, morally and fiscally. The reality is that the cycle of poverty often revolves around unintended and unwanted pregnancy. A woman living in poverty is four times as likely to have an unintended pregnancy and five times as likely to have an unintended birth as her higher-income counterpart. The link between family planning and overcoming poverty is well established. Comprehensive reproductive health services contribute to better health for infants, children, and women and improve social and economic opportunities for women and their families.

Even before the current downturn in the economy, the discrepancy in reproductive health between the rich and poor was dramatic. Current economic problems will only increase the need for reproductive health services and, if cutbacks are made, add more barriers to access to services. This is unacceptable.

Let us put aside our differences and honor our shared values of accessible health care and intentional parenthood by supporting measures to ensure services are available. I call on people of faith to lead the way to greater understanding of the causes of unwanted and unintended pregnancies. Our faith communities can be the spark of justice that causes government to make available the resources that are needed to reduce these pregnancies. These resources include comprehensive and medically accurate sexuality education, increased funding for family planning services, expanded Medicaid coverage for family planning, accessibility of emergency contraception for rape victims, and insurance coverage for contraception. These and other measures are in the Prevention First Act introduced at the start of the 111th Congress. Congress should move forward to adopt this legislation, with the knowledge that a more just, caring and life-affirming America will emerge.

CONTACT: Marjorie Signer, Director of Communications of Religious
Coalition for Reproductive Choice, Office: +1-202-628-7700 ext 12,

Howard Dean’s Farewell Statement

January 22, 2009 Politics No comments

Howard Dean, former DNC Chairman, made the following statement in his farewell address:

At our Winter Meeting in 2005, you elected me as your chairman. Together we set out to rebuild our Party from the ground up in every neighborhood and every community in America.

Together, we pledged that we would never run another 18 state campaign. We promised to compete in every state, for every level of office. We promised to stand up for our Party and fight for an agenda that reflects our values. We promised to show up everywhere and ask everyone for their vote.

We promised to modernize our Party, renew our commitment to the grassroots, expand our donor base and draw young voters and new voters into the Party.

And that is exactly what we did.

Barack Obama won 9 states that President Bush won in 2004. We picked up 8 Senate seats in 2008 and 6 in 2006. We won in places like Alaska and North Carolina — states where no one thought Democrats could be competitive. But we knew better.

We picked up 24 House seats last year after winning 31 in 2006. We had 22 Democratic governors when you elected me your chairman. Today we have 29.

Our Party now controls at least 60 of the nation’s 98 state legislative chambers, which will not only impact redistricting, but will make our Party’s bench even stronger.

We brought in more than 1.1 million new donors and raised more than $330 million this cycle.

We created a national voter file for the first time in our Party’s history. We improved micro-targeting models and developed 21st century campaign tools that merged traditional organizing with new technology.

We reached out to people of faith and invested in regions of the country that hadn’t voted for Democrats in quite some time — places like the Southwest and the Southeast.

We reached out to young voters and new voters, and recommitted ourselves to seeding the grassroots of our party.

We registered millions of new voters, and brought approximately 24 million young Americans to the polls — with 66% percent of them voting for Barack Obama.

We responded to widespread electoral irregularities in 2000 and 2004 by creating a professional, year-round voter protection effort to make sure that every voter who wants to can cast their ballot and have their vote heard.

In other words, we rebuilt our Party and took our country back.

Governor Tim Kaine has been appointed by President Obama to replace Dean as DNC Chairman.

GOP Plays the Race Card, Looking for Minority-Friendly Leader

January 22, 2009 Politics, Race, Women's Issues No comments

This is almost laughable:

Race and ethnicity have become a central issue as the campaign for U.S. Republican National Committee chairman enters the final stretch, GOP operatives say.

“I have heard all the candidates talk about it,” Illinois National Republican Committeeman Pat Brady told Politico.

“That’s where we got killed in the presidential (election),” he said. Six contenders are competing to present themselves as “the most minority-friendly candidate” who would open up the party to new voting groups, Politico reported. [source]

Wait. This is the party that never wants to address anything related to race and minority issues because they adhere to a strict survival of the fittest platform (meaning, screw you if you can’t effectively compete with the white boys).

Suddenly, these rat bastards are concerned about finding a minority-friendly leader who will appeal to a younger segment of the population? I wonder why that is!