John McCain Was Never a Maverick?

Okay, John McCain is either dangerously senile, or lying in the stupidest way possible. See, John, there's this thing called videotape. And transcripts. And the internet. He's not a maverick. He's an idiot.

Movies I Can't Wait to See: The First Avenger: Captain America

Classic superhero? Check. Tied in to other superhero movies like Iron Man? Check. Leading up to a big superhero teamup movie, The Avengers? Check. Chris Evans? Check! (and droool.) I may be a DC Comics fan, but I'm so up for this one.

Source: Bam! Kapow!

The United States Seven Deadly Sins of America

After the liberal talk radio network Air America Radio expired, my usual routine of listening to The Ron Reagan Show at the end of the day was over. So, while seeking out something else to provide background noise, I stumbled upon The Karel Show, on Green960 out of San Francisco (I have to do this on the computer, as there are only conservative talk radio stations in Las Vegas). I recognized Karel by his picture, but I'd no real idea who he was.

It turns out he's a long-time California radio personality, and a writer, and has something of a tumultuous employment history. His program is at turns entertaining, off-putting, funny, irritating. . .I'm really not sure what to make of it yet. The production values seem kind of low, like they're still working the kinks out, and Karel himself--an out gay man who makes no bones about it--is rather mercurial. But when he has a point, he really has a point.

[Excerpt]

A Sinful Nation

. . .on a recent Saturday afternoon [I] found the Brad Pitt/Morgan Freeman movie Se7en on IFC. I've seen the film a few times, but it's so well acted and directed that out of the 546 channels it seemed the best option.

Well, that was a bad idea. Because as I watched the film and watched Kevin Spacey's killer kill his way through these medieval constructs I realized that these seven "deadly" sins are not only no longer "sins," but have replaced the very fabric of our nation. America is "Guilty!" as charged of almost every one. . .

Read on at: Huffington Post

Star Trek's George Takei & Husband Take the Census

George Takei has an awesome voice, and great sense of humor about himself. This is a fun and instructional video about what to do if you're in a same-sex relationship, and are filling out your census form. You do your civic duty, you get to be counted, and you get to set conservatives on stun. Heh.

Frivolity Break: Weird Baby Names

Photo of Frank Zappa's kids from source, ParentDish

In recent years, baby names seem to be trending toward the rather odd, or perhaps more charitably, unique. My sister named her little boy Lux ("light"), which has grown on me, and doesn't seem odd to me any more. And at least there are others out there with the name, it's short, has that nifty "x" in it, and is a real word. Now, if Sis has a daughter and names her Lumens. . .well, that would be awesome, but Mom will have a spaz.

Anyway, we all know there are celebrities who have given their babies strange names. They come up again and again (Gwyneth Paltrow's Apple, Penn Gillette's Moxie CrimeFighter). But there were some here I never heard. For instance, what would inspire Dan Cortese to name his kid Tabooger?

[Excerpt]

ParentDish's 100 Weirdest Celebrity Baby Names

Something strange seems to happen to your decision-making skills when you're a celebrity thinking up baby names.

A nice Emily or Sarah or Melissa? Soo not Hollywood. Names like Brian, William or Ken? Yeah, right. Because, apparently, when you're a big-time star -- be it actor, musician, model or athlete -- it seems there is a weird-quotient that must be factored in when it comes to your child's name. Whether you borrow from the supermarket (Apple, Sage, Thyme), an atlas (Bronx, Brooklyn, Memphis) or superhero-sound-alikes (Kal-el, Moxie CrimeFighter, Pilot Inspektor), stars are guaranteeing their offspring will stand out in one way or another. . .

Read the list at: ParentDish

Science is Cool: "Missing Link" Found?

Image from source, Telegraph

I really wanted to use a photo of Glenn Beck for this story. . .

[Excerpt]

Missing link between man and apes found

The new species of hominid, the evolutionary branch of primates that includes humans, is to be revealed when the two-million-year-old skeleton of a child is unveiled this week.

Scientists believe the almost-complete fossilised skeleton belonged to a previously-unknown type of early human ancestor that may have been a intermediate stage as ape-men evolved into the first species of advanced humans, Homo habilis. . .

Read more at: Telegraph

Photo of the Day: Most Expensive Car Wrecks

Holy schnikies! This is a group of the most heart-rending pictures a car lover will ever see.

[Excerpt]

The World's Most Expensive Car... Wrecks

Now the London Telegraph has compiled a list of the world's most expensive car wrecks, following Jackie Stewart's trashing of a Pagani Zonda supercar in Scotland, which my colleague Noah Joseph reported on last week. Here's the paper's list of flaming Ferraris, burned-out Bugattis and other smashed-up supercars. The values given are those at the time the crashes occurred as calculated by the Telegraph. Let's hope all the insurance was in order. . .

See them all at: Luxist

That's What Weekends Are For. . .

No blog time to speak of for Saturday. First on the agenda was. . .well, coffee and lazing around for the first couple of hours. But once we got moving, we got moving. First a 4-mile walk for some much needed exercise. Chat with the neighbors. Then, washing and vacuuming my new car. Then The Other Half's car (which was filthier than I've seen it in a long time). Meanwhile, The Other Half tended to the front and back yard, doing the things the yardscapers didn't do yesterday. And now, we're off to a hockey game at the Orleans Arena, otherwise known as "the place music goes to die" or "Home of Hannity's Freedom Scam Concert!"

Stupid Monkey Planet invited us to join him and 11-12 other friends for the last game of the season for the Las Vegas Wranglers, and we thought that sounded like a nice change of pace. So, if there is any blogging to be done, it will likely be late at night for Sunday morning. In the meantime, have a good weekend.

Captain Obvious: President Obama is Not a Radical Liberal

Captain Obvious is a new feature at Greenlee Gazette, where I get up on my soapbox and opine on issues that should be obvious but for some reason aren't. I'll make an attempt to be brief and pithy, but I have a tendancy to get windy, so please bear with me while I hammer out the format.

Do you ever listen to right-wing talk radio? How about FOX "News"? If you've dabbled in either, you know that you can't partake of the offerings of either without hearing that President Barack Obama is a radical liberal. Or a Marxist, socialist, communist. . .name it. They think (or rather, they want to convince you) that Obama is out there. . .wayyy out of the main stream.

After the eight years of Rovian reality-bending we got before 2009, conservatives are used to getting to set the agenda. Truth became "truthiness" (thank you Stephen Colbert), or something that feels true, facts be damned. FOX & Rush, et. al, didn't get the memo that times have changed, and they're still trying the same old tactic. It works on tea baggers, but I'm convinced (or at least hoping really hard) that fewer people are buying it these days.

One of the talking points that has been repeated endlessly is that the "vast majority" (actually a slim majority) of Americans are against "ObamaCare­­™". This is true, but usually devoid of context. Yes, conservatives are by-and-large against it. Independents are divided. And liberals are often against it. That's right, liberals too. But for vastly different reasons from conservatives. Liberals think the health care reform bill didn't go nearly far enough. This opposition is hardly homogeneous for those on the right and left.

And that's just the thing. While conservative conventional wisdom says that Obama is a radical leftist, actual leftists think he isn't any where near left enough. Those like me, converted Republicans now just a few ticks left of center, still feel to the left of Obama. When I hear that Obama is a crazy far left moonbat, I think, "Holy cow, what does that make ME?" He simply isn't. He's a centrist. He even dabbles on the right. The caricature painted of him by Glenn Beck is just that: a cartoon. It isn't real.

Doubt me? Then tell me why the reform bill is practically a rebranded version of the Republican health care proposal from the 90s? Why is Obama protecting the Bush Administration? Why has the Obama Administration continued so many--unpopular to their base--Bush Era policies? Why is Obama opening up off-shore drilling? Why was the public option tabled? Why was single-payer squelched? Why are gays still unable to serve openly in the military? There are countless popular liberal agenda items that are being rebuffed. And Obama's a radical? As Rachel Maddow might say, bull pucky.

Right Wing World: A Rare Glimpse of Funny Right Wing Humor

I've lamented the sorry state of conservative "humor" in this space many times (here, for instance). Usually, the attempts are strained, confusing, mean spirited and just not funny. Here is a rare exception. I don't agree with the sentiment, but this is an almost unheard of case of a joke that comes from a right-wing bent, and pays off. Twice! Very good. Hey, credit where it's due.

Source: Free Republic

Rachel Maddow Calls Bull Pucky on GOP/FOX "News" Talking Points

It turns out that much of the outrage and faux outrage burning up the airwaves on talk radio and FOX "News" are bogus. Death panels. Acorn helping pimps. Countless others. The problem is, the stories make a big splash, take root in right-wing world, and then after they are disproved, nobody notices. And there are real consequences, such as the folding of Acorn, an organization for helping poor people vote. For no good reason.

Check out this edition of Rachel Re: Let Them Eat Fake, for a lengthy list of bogus stories you may not have known are bogus.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

John Forsythe Dead at 92

Image from source, TV Squad

It would be odd to say that John Forsythe had an "untimely death," living well past the average human life-span and all. But I'm still sad. It's yet another reminder of my own mortality, and that of my generation (Generation X) moving on up from "middle aged" to "old." Forsythe was a presence in my "tween" and teen years as the voice of Charles Townsend, the horn-dog boss of Charlie's Angels (who oddly never even met any of the gorgeous girls he employed). And he was a fixture every week of my late teens and early adulthood as Blake Carrington on Dynasty. A program of which I never missed an episode.

But one of my favorites of Forsythe's TV career was as Senator Powers on a little-remembered The Powers That Be, a hilariously subversive sitcom by Norman Lear. It was a deeply warped show, with tragically flawed characters, and many fantastic character actors. David Hyde-Pierce (Frasier), Valarie Mahaffey (Northern Exposure) and Holland Taylor (Two and a Half Men) all had prominent roles in the show. It's a shame that it didn't catch on. Anyway, thanks to Mr. Forsythe for the memories, and RIP. Go be with the "real" Angels.*

[Excerpt]

'Dynasty' Actor John Forsythe Dead at 92

The distinguished actor and television leading man, John Forsythe, passed away yesterday at his home in Santa Ynez, California, following a year-long battle with cancer. According to his publicist, Harlon Boll, the 92-year-old actor succumbed to complications of pneumonia. . .

Read more at: TV Squad

*Asterisked because I'm agnostic and don't believe in actual angels. But it's a good line.

Blogiversary! 34 Months, Over 6,300 Posts

Time for another small pat on the back to myself for reaching yet another month of bloggyness. When I started the blog, I had no way of knowing whether I'd be around a month or even a week later. So, almost three years later, I still am impressed with my own follow-through. And if you knew me, you'd understand why: I get distracted.

I very often--especially if lubed up with alcoholic spirits--volunteer to take on projects, as a favor to friends, or just "drunk talk" projects I vow to undertake. Often they do get done, but grudgingly, and only if there is a deadline. With no cutoff time, I'm likely to lose interest, sometimes even before I get started. Most of the time, I have to set a schedule, sometimes on paper, just to make sure I get done what I set out to do. So, an infinite, sprawling, daily commitment to a public forum? One with (by contrast to other blogs) scant readership? Doomed to fail. But I've done it!

And scanty as you are, I'm glad to have you stop by. This past month wasn't one of the best, but it wasn't one of the worst either. With RSS readers thrown into the mix, I averaged about 100 sets of eyeballs per day. That's low enough to keep me from getting a swelled head (or stage fright), and high enough to keep me at it. I've tried to keep up with some themed posts like "What Happens in Vegas," with middling success. I'd still like to try a scheduled, weekly feature, and will keep brainstorming on that. One regular feature I'd like to revive is "Shameless Gossip," which is always fun. And I'll likely be starting a new one, "Captain Obvious," which will feature something that should be so obvious it need not be said. . .but needs to be said anyway.

Meanwhile, I'll keep plugging away as usual. With warm weather here, I have a feeling The Other Half will be demanding evening activities, which will probably limit the amount of blog time I have available. But I'll still be here. Hey, I have to hit that 3-year blogiversary, and the 100,000th visitor! So, thank you once again for reading and as always, bring your friends!

Palin on the Prairie: Tea Baggers in Rock Ridge!

I already used the "Welcome, Sheriff" clip from Blazing Saddles to depict the right-wing response to the election of President Barack Obama. It's funny, but it's apt. What I'd forgotten is how much the Rock Ridge council meeting looks like a tea bagger rally! There's even a frontier version of Sarah Palin to rile up the crowd!

What Happens in Vegas: A New Gay Republicans Group?

Image from source, Las Vegas City Life

This morning on my short drive to work, I listened to part of an interview between the leader of a new gay Republicans group and Alan Stock of KXNT. Stock and I tangled a few times, back when the station's online message board allowed such things. I can say from personal experience that a) Alan Stock is a staunch Republican and b) he is not a fan of gay people. When I got to work, I couldn't help but write a short email (sorry, boss) expressing my befuddlement with the new group, Right Pride. How could they claim that the Republican Party is open, accepting and tolerant?

If you've landed at this blog, you have undoubtedly also stuck a toe in the rest of the vast internets, and have seen for yourself that by-and-large, the Republican Party is none of those things. In fact, if you seek out members of "the base" of the party--say, at a site like FreeRepublic.com--you'll find outright hostility. And that is putting it very, very mildly. Ordinarily, I'm a champion of underdogs, and Right Pride would seem to fall into that category. But there are underdogs, and then there are hopeless causes.

Several years ago, when we were in the thick of the Bush era, I was friends with a gay couple who were steadfast Republicans. I enjoyed their company, but whenever conversations would stray into politics, things would get prickly. "Well, we don't vote on social issues," was the common excuse. Hmm. Okay. So you only vote your pocket book then (or purse, as the case may be. . .ha!). I'm not sure that is very noble, and it surely seems self defeating. Especially when this particular social issue affects our pocket books in a very real way.

So, I'm once again going on record to state that I simply don't understand gay Republicans. The Democratic Party may not be 100% behind us--and the Obama Administration has been greatly disappointing on a great many of "our" issues. But they're a damned sight better than the GOP. I don't feel the need to site specific cases to back myself up here, as they're all over this blog, and all over the web. Recently. But if you're interested, here's a little more about Right Pride.

[Excerpt]

Whose right is it anyway?
State's newest gay rights group could shake up the GOP

. . .Decades after groups like the Log Cabin Republicans began to shake up the right and yank it away from Christian conservatives who hijacked the party in the '80s, the ranks of gay Republicans continue to swell.

The latest group here in Nevada? Right Pride, the brainchild of Massachusetts native turned Las Vegan Mark Ciavola, an activist and college student who says he thinks his gay and lesbian brothers and sisters should, at last, have a permanent seat under the Grand Old Party's supposedly big tent. . .

Read more at: Las Vegas City Life

Tea Baggers: The Phantom Menace?

Image from source, The Daily Beast

The article excerpted below asks a very relevant question: is all the hype about the Tea Party movement just a lot of hot air? It's a good point. Remember before the 2008 election, how the "Pumas" were thought to be Barack Obama's Achilles heel? They turned out to be a paper tiger, utterly irrelevant in the scheme of things.

Here in Nevada, the 'baggers descended upon Sen. Harry Reid's tiny home town of Searchlight last weekend, and you'd have thought it was the largest political rally ever held. Baloney. There were more people at the Obama events I attended here in '08. Shoot, I'll bet there will be as many people in the crowd at this weekend's final Las Vegas Wranglers hockey game of the season. They're loud, they're colorful, and they can't spell worth a shit (TeaBonics: Crazy Tea Bagger Signs). But do they matter?

[Excerpt]

The Tea Party's Phantom Menace

For all the fountains of vitriol and frantic media coverage aimed at the Tea Partiers, the movement doesn’t have the money or sophistication to win anything, much less roll back the new health-care law.

Health-care reform, student-loan reform, momentum building toward significant financial reform—yet, day after day, all we seem to read about are the dangers the Tea Party supposedly poses to the republic. . .

Read more at: The Daily Beast

Sen. John Ensign's Doo-Doo Gets Deeper

Image from source, Las Vegas Now

Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) had yet another terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. The ethics complaints keep rolling in, and this one isn't even about the affair, and the stuff swirling around it. This is about the C Street investigation that is going on separately.

[Excerpt]

Senator Ensign Named in Another Ethics ComplaintSenator Ensign Named in Another Ethics Complaint

Nevada Senator John Ensign was one of three lawmakers named in a complaint alleging a cushy room rental deal in Washington, DC. . .

Read more at: Las Vegas Now

Thanks yet again to Stupid Monkey Planet for the link. Time for that blog of yours to bust out, Monkey!

Finally Revealed: Jeff Gannon's White House Lovers

Image of Jeff Gannon from Democratic Underground

Long forgotton GOP gay sex scandal star, Jeff Gannon--a faux-White House Press Corps reporter/male prostitute--has finally admitted just who his "client" was in the Bush Administration. Or, rather, who his clients were. In a cryptic press release, to be followed by a tell-all book, Gannon only referred to his customers by code names, such as "The Eagle," "Darth," "Turdblossom" and "Chimpy McCokespoon." More on this story as it develops. . .

Rush Limbaugh to Undergo Sex Reassignment Surgery

Sources tell us at Greenlee Gazette that thrice-married "traditional family values" conservative radio host, Rush Limbaugh, has finally come to terms with his transsexuality. According to well-placed sources (who prefer to go unnamed), Limbaugh does not intend to simultaneously undergo plastic surgery or liposuction, envisioning himself as a zaftig, Rubinesque future beauty. Rumor has it, Limbaugh will continue his radio program using his new name, Rachel Tension.

Sen. John Ensign in Deep Doo-Doo

Image from source, Las Vegas Now

It's not looking good for the Senator from Nevada. No, not Harry Reid. Captain Hairdo himself, John Ensign's sordid affair just might be leading to actual consequences. Finally.

Thanks again to Stupid Monkey Planet for the link (do I do anything myself any more?).

[Excerpt]

Email Trail Leads to Senator Ensign's Office

Wednesday is the deadline set by a federal grand jury in Washington for information about Nevada Senator John Ensign and what he may have done to steer work to his former aide, the husband of his lover.

The Department of Justice served subpoenas on at least six Las Vegas businesses, seeking any and all documentation about Ensign, his former friend and aide Doug Hampton, and assorted staffers and political operatives. The Senate Ethics Committee asked for the same evidence to find out if Ensign crossed a line in trying to get work for Hampton while also asking for campaign cash. . .

Read more at: Las Vegas Now