MadProfessah also wore purple today.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Errybody Wearing Purple Today For #SpiritDay
MadProfessah also wore purple today.
DADT Update: Federal Judge Refuses To Lift Stay
The Department of Justice has appealed her ruling, and is expected to appeal her injunction, to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. I support the appeal of the ruling, but not of the injunction. A single federal judge should not be making public policy for the entire federal government. I suspect the government will lose on appeal as well. I would NOT support an appeal to the United States Supreme Court at that time.
Meanwhile, since DADT is no longer in effect right now and the Pentagon has told recruiters they can accept LGBT recruits, Dan Choi has apparently successfully reenlisted in the military, this time the Marines.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
MadProfessah Endorsements for CA's November 2, 2010 General Election
Finally, the moment you have been waiting for! Here are MadProfessah's positions on how I will be voting in the November 2 Statewide General Election, compared with endorsements from other organizations like the Los Angeles Times, Calitics.com, CA Democratic Party, Los Angeles County Democratic Party, Stonewall Democratic Club (LGBT group), CA League of Women Voters and Courage Campaign's Progressive Voter Guide. Previously, I had posted my endorsements for the June 8, 2010 primary election.
Jerome Horton is an African-American incumbent, but when he was in the state legislature he was an unreliable vote on LGBT issues. He has since tried to make amends, but MadProfessah can not in good conscience endorse him, although I will note that the Stonewall Democrats have.
There are several judicial races on the ballot for which it is often hard to get information on.
There are numerous openly LGBT people running for elected office. John Noguez for Los Angeles County Assessor. In statewide legislative districts there is Ricardo Lara (AD-50) and John Perez (AD-46).
Proposition ME LAT CALITICS CA DEM LA DEM LWV 19 (Marijuana) YES NO YES --- YES --- 20 (Redistricting) NO YES NO NO NO NO 21 (State Parks) YES NO YES YES YES --- 22 (Local Funds) NO NO --- NO NO --- 23 (Suspends AB-32)NO NO NO NO NO NO
24 (Ends Tax Cuts) YES NO YES YES YES YES
25 (Majority Vote) YES YES YES YES YES YES
26 (2/3 Fee Vote) NO NO NO NO NO NO
27 (Undoes Prop 11)YES NO YES YES YES NO Statewide Races ME LA TIMES DEMOCRATS Governor Brown Brown Brown
U.S. Senator Boxer* Boxer* Boxer* Lieutenant Governor Newsom Newsom Newsom Attorney General Harris Cooley Harris Secretary of State Bowen* Bowen* Bowen* Treasurer Lockyer* Lockyer* Lockyer*
Controller Chiang* Chiang* Chiang* Insurance Commissioner Jones Jones Jones Supt. of Public Inst. Torlakson Aceves Torlakson
Bd. of Equalization, #1 Yee* --- Yee*
Bd. of Equalization, #2 --- --- Parker
Bd. of Equalization, #3 --- --- Christian-Heising
Bd. of Equalization, #4 --- --- Horton*
Jerome Horton is an African-American incumbent, but when he was in the state legislature he was an unreliable vote on LGBT issues. He has since tried to make amends, but MadProfessah can not in good conscience endorse him, although I will note that the Stonewall Democrats have.
There are several judicial races on the ballot for which it is often hard to get information on.
Other Races ME LA TIMES DEMOCRATS CA Sup. Crt. Chief Justice ---- Cantil-Sakauye
CA Sup. Crt. Justice Moreno Moreno Moreno
CA Sup. Crt. Justice ---- Chin ---
Superior Court, No. 28 Ameli Hammock AmeliSuperior Court, No. 117 Schneider Schneider Schneider
L.A. County Assessor Noguez Yong Noguez
Additionally, every Court of Appeals Justice and three State Supreme Court justices are up for re-election (or re-appointment). The Los Angeles Times basically says that every incumbent justice is worthy of re-election. However, Justice Carlos Moreno is the only State Supreme Court justice that thought Proposition 8 violated the state constitution. Ming Chin was in the minority of the 2008 In Re Marriage Cases decision and should NOT be re-appointed. Tani Cantil-Sakauye is Governor Schwarzenegger's nominee to replace Chief Justice Ron George; if approved she'll be the first female and Phillipine-American to head California's highest court. Since we know so little about her, I can't support voting to confirm her. I think it's silly that George didn't wait until the new Governor to be elected before retiring earlier this year anyway.There are numerous openly LGBT people running for elected office. John Noguez for Los Angeles County Assessor. In statewide legislative districts there is Ricardo Lara (AD-50) and John Perez (AD-46).
Monday, October 18, 2010
Eye Candy: Christopher Villa (reprise)
Here are some more shots of insanely hot model Christopher Villa, who was a featured Eye Candy model before, and is appearing on MadProfessah.com for the second time (but probably not the last). Enjoy!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Murray Beats Down Federer 6-3 6-2 To Win Shanghai Masters
The win was the Scot's second title of the year and in his second consecutive win over Federer this year after losing to him in the 2010 Australian Open final earlier this year. Federer regained his World # 2 ranking behind Nadal by dispatching Novak Djokovic in the semifinals, who had won last week's tour event in Beijing. Murray's win may signal a return to firm for the indoor hardcourt season which culminates in the season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London November 21-28.
Federer Beats Djokovic; Faces Murray in Shanghai Masters final
World #3 Roger Federer beat World #2 Novak Djokovic 7-5 6-4 in the semifinals of the Shanghai Masters tournament to set up a final showdown with Andy Murray. Djokovic last beat Federer in the semifinals of the 2010 US Open after saving two match points, and went on to lose that final to World #1 Rafael Nadal last month.
Murray still sports a 7-5 head-to-head lead against Federer, and beat the 16-time major champion this summer to defend his Canadian Masters title but lost to him in this year's Australian Open final.
Neither Federer nor Murray have lost a set in Shanghai. If Federer wins it will be his 64th career title, tying him at 4th best overall with Pete Sampras, and his 3rd of the year. In 2009, Murray won a record 6 titles but if he wins on Sunday this would be his 2nd title of the year.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Celebrity Friday: Dean Hamer
MadProfessah, with scientist Dean Hamer
Last weekend I attended the Out To Innovate conference as a panelist and moderator; it was held at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles on October 10th. Organized by NOGLSTP, the national organization for gay and lesbian scientists and technical professionals, the conference is the LGBT's community response to President Obama's Educate to Innovate initiative.
Dean Hamer, the author of the famous Science article "A linkage between DNA markers on the X chromosome and male sexual orientation" which demonstrates that sexual orientation has a genetic component, gave the keynote speech at the Out to Innovate conference during lunch.
Afterwards, he graciously agreed to take a picture with me.
Afterwards, he graciously agreed to take a picture with me.
Shanghai: Melzer Upsets Nadal; Federer in Quarters Against Soderling
Still in the tournament are Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
BOOK REVIEW: Tana French's Faithful Place
Tana French's Faithful Place is the sequel to her mystery novels The Likeness and In The Woods (see MadProfessah's A/A+ review).
Unlike other popular mystery writers like Ian Rankin, Julia Spencer-Fleming or Sue Grafton, Tana French does not just ave one main protagonist in her murder mystery novels. Since Faithful Place is her third book and all three of her books share in common that the main character works for the Dublin Police Department, people have started calling her books the Dublin Murder Squad series. Her first book In The Woods featured Rob Ryan as the main character, while The Likeness featured Ryan's partner Cassie Maddox as the main character while her third book Faithful Place features Cassie's former boss Frank Mackey. It's an interesting gimmick, "chaining" her novels together by switching point-of-view by promoting formerly supporting characters in one novel to main character status in the next.
Unlike other popular mystery writers like Ian Rankin, Julia Spencer-Fleming or Sue Grafton, Tana French does not just ave one main protagonist in her murder mystery novels. Since Faithful Place is her third book and all three of her books share in common that the main character works for the Dublin Police Department, people have started calling her books the Dublin Murder Squad series. Her first book In The Woods featured Rob Ryan as the main character, while The Likeness featured Ryan's partner Cassie Maddox as the main character while her third book Faithful Place features Cassie's former boss Frank Mackey. It's an interesting gimmick, "chaining" her novels together by switching point-of-view by promoting formerly supporting characters in one novel to main character status in the next.
This is just one signal French is sending that her books are not your everyday mystery novels. French has an amazing gift for characterization and dialog. Some reviewers think her latest book is her best one to date, despite all the awards won for her debut book. I was more impacted by her second book, probably due to the fact that Cassie is her most attractive protagonist of the three.
I've previously stated that In The Woods is about the intense, emotional platonic relationship formed between a man and a woman who work together, while The Likeness is about the intense emotions which arise between adults who have formed a relationship like a surrogate family. Well, Faithful Place is about the intense emotions which always exist between siblings who have grown up in a dysfunctional family headed by a violent alcoholic father and an emotionally vicious mother.
This family is the one that Frank Mackey bailed out of at age 19 when he was stood up by his sweetheart Rosie Daly after they had made plans to run off to England and start a life together. He decided to leave his vaguely criminal, financially depressed and depressing neighborhood named Faithful Place on his own and never looked back.
Twenty-two years later Rosie Daly's suitcase shows up and Frank is drawn back to his old neighborhood and the remnants of his family and acquaintances who still live there. This being a murder mystery, bodies do start to show up, which shatters Mackey's world forever. Because of obvious conflicts of interest, Mackey is banned from working on the case but as we already know, rules and regulations are not his strong suit. So, he convinces a young, earnest "floater" policeman named Stephen Moran to be his eyes and ears into the official investigation while he uses (and abuses) his multiple emotional and familial connections to the crimes to get closer and closer to the devastating truth.
Title: Faithful Place.
Author: Tana French.
Length: 400 pages.
Publisher: Viking Adult.
Date: July 13, 2010.
OVERALL GRADE: A/A+ (4.07/4.0).
PLOT: A+.
IMAGERY: A.
IMPACT: A.
WRITING: A.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
DOJ Appeals Rulings Against DOMA To 1st U.S.Circuit
As Chris Geidner of PoliGlot reports:
In a move expected by most legal observers, the U.S. Department of Justice this afternoon filed notices of appeal in two cases striking down the federal definition of marriage, contained in the Defense of Marriage Act, as unconstitutional.
[...]
The White House issued no comment on the filing and directed questions to DOJ.
The filing of the notice means that the record of the trial court case will be sent to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Once the record is complete, DOJ will have 40 days to file its brief. GLAD or Massachusetts, depending on the case, will then have 30 days to file its brief. The government then has 14 days to file a reply brief.
The full statement by Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) is:
Today, the Department of Justice filed a notice of appeal in the case of Gill v. Office of Personnel Management, the challenge brought by Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) to Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Representing seven married same-sex couples and three widowers, GLAD filed Gill in March 2009. The case was heard in May 2010 by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph L. Tauro, who issued a decision finding DOMA Section 3 unconstitutional on July 8, 2010.
“We fully expected an appeal and are more than ready to meet it head on,” said Mary L. Bonauto, GLAD’s Civil Rights Project Director. “DOMA brings harm to families like our plaintiffs every day, denying married couples and their children basic protections like health insurance, pensions, and Social Security benefits. We are confident in the strength of our case.”
The case is now before the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. The next step will be for the government to file its brief to that court arguing that Judge Tauro’s ruling was wrong. GLAD will then file its brief in opposition to the government, and finally the government will file a reply brief. At that point, the appeal will be scheduled for oral argument. Briefing could be concluded by the spring of 2011 with oral argument to follow by the fall of 2011.
The government also today filed its notice of appeal in the related case Commonwealth of Massachusetts vs. Department of Health and Human Services.
Co-counsel in the Gill case are attorneys from the firms Foley Hoag LLP, Sullivan & Worcester LLP, Jenner & Block LLP, and Kator, Parks & Weiser, PLLC.
Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders is New England’s leading legal organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, HIV status, and gender identity and expression.
MadProfessah supports the appeal by the Administration and fully expects GLAD to be successful at the 1st Circuit appellate level and U.S. Supreme Court.
Outed Ill. Senate Candidate Kirk (R) Caught Discussing Voter Suppression
U.S. Representative Mark Kirk, who has recently been outed as a gay man by blogger Mike Rogers, and is currently in a very tight race with Alexi Giannoulias for the Illinois Senate seat once held by Barack Obama has been caught on tape discussing the long-running, illegal Republican practice of minority vote suppression.
Talking Points Memo reports:
Kirk's campaign confirmed the candidate was secretly taped last week as he was talking about his anti-voter fraud effort.
"These are lawyers and other people that will be deployed in key, vulnerable precincts, for example, South and West sides of Chicago, Rockford, Metro East, where the other side might be tempted to jigger the numbers somewhat," he said in the audio posted on YouTube.
As TPMMuckraker has reported, accusations from conservatives that ineligible voters are fraudulently stealing elections for Democrats have continued to fly in the 2010 campaign cycle, despite the lack of evidence of widespread voter fraud. "Voter fraud" has been the rally cry for conservative groups seeking to make it more difficult to cast ballots and suppress minority voter turnout.
Kirk is widely considered the most moderate of the potential Republican senators to take office in January 2011. What's interesting here is that despite being known as a closeted homosexual, he is still a Republican at heart, with the opposition to minority voting that that entails. Another example of the surprises intersectionality can produce!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Federal Judge Issues Injunction Suspending DADT Worldwide
The text of the order is:
1) DECLARES that the act known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" infringes the fundamental rights of United States servicemembers and prospective servicemembers and violates (a) the substantive due process rights guaranteed under the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, and (b) the rights to freedom of speech and to petition the Government for redress of grievances guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
(2) PERMANENTLY ENJOINS Defendants United States of America and the Secretary of Defense, their agents, servants, officers, employees, and attorneys, and all persons acting in participation or concert with them or under their direction or command, from enforcing or applying the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Act and implementing regulations, against any person under their jurisdiction or command;
(3) ORDERS Defendants United States of America and the Secretary of Defense immediately to suspend and discontinue any investigation, or discharge, separation, or other proceeding, that may have been commenced under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Act, or pursuant to 10 U.S.C. § 654 or its implementing regulations, on or prior to the date of this Judgment.
(4) GRANTS Plaintiff Log Cabin Republicans' request to apply for attorneys' fees pursuant to the Equal Access to Justice Act, 28 U.S.C. § 2412; and
(5) GRANTS Plaintiff Log Cabin Republicans' request to file a motion for costs of suit, to the extent allowed by law.
A number of organizations (HRC, Equality California, Courage Campaign, Servicemembers United) are calling for the Obama Administration's Justice Department not to appeal the judge's ruling. MadProfessah is not one of them. I think the Department should not appeal the injunction, but should appeal the decision. I think it is very bad precedent to set that a single federal judge can make a final determination of law for how the United States needs to enforce or not enforce a federal law. Besides, there are literally hundreds of district court judges that have been appointed by Bush who I would not want their interpretation of the law to be the final one. To me, that is why we have appellate courts, and why appellate court appointments are so important. I would strongly not encourage the government to appeal a loss from the 9th Circuit to the United States Supreme Court.
What do YOU think?
Serena (And Venus) Out For Rest Of 2010
"I am likely out for the year now," Williams said on her website. "I was really looking forward to beginning my comeback in Linz, followed by the year-end championships in Doha, [Qatar]. I feel completely heartbroken, and devastated, but knowing I will never be given more than I can handle I plan on coming back stronger and better."Serena's sister Venus had previously announced that she would not be playing again in 2010.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Gigantic Pew Poll Confirms Public Opinion Shift Towards Marriage Equality
More good news on the polling front for supporters of marriage equality. A new Pew Research poll of nearly 6,000(!) Americans again reveals the extent of the rapidity of the shift in public opinion towards marriage equality.
There are several points to highlight from these results, but the main ones are:
For the first time in 15 years of Pew Research Center polling, fewer than half oppose same-sex marriage.
[..]
There are substantial age and generational differences in opinions about same-sex marriage. Millennials, born after 1980, favor allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally by a 53%-to-39% margin. Support for gay marriage among Millennials has changed little in recent years, but is up from 2004 when opinion was more divided.
Among Gen Xers (born 1965 to 1980), 48% now favor allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally while 43% are opposed. Support is up from 2009 when 41% favored this and 50% were opposed, but is on par with levels in 2001.
There is less support for same-sex marriage among Baby Boomers -- those born 1946 to 1964 -- than among younger age groups. Currently, 38% favor allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally while 52% are opposed. Still, support among Baby Boomers has increased over the past year (from 32%).
The Silent Generation (born 1928 to 1945) continues to oppose same-sex marriage; just 29% favor allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally while 59% are opposed. Even among the Silent Generation, however, there is somewhat more support than in 2009 (23% favor) and substantially greater support than in 2003, when just 17% backed gay marriage.
[...]
Whites are now evenly divided over gay marriage; in polls conducted this year, 44% of non-Hispanic whites favor allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally and 46% are opposed. In three surveys between August 2008 and August 2009, 39% of non-Hispanic whites favored same-sex marriage compared with 52% who were opposed.
By contrast, blacks continue to oppose same-sex marriage by a wide margin. In 2010, just 30% of non-Hispanic blacks favor gay marriage while 59% are opposed. From 2008 to 2009, 28% of blacks favored same-sex marriage and 62% were opposed.
Simpsons laugh: Ha-ha! The heterosexual supremacists must be shaking in their boots.
National Coming Out Day: MadProfessah is on BoingBoing!
MadProfessah's alter ego Professor Ron Buckmire provides one of the featured stories, which they entitled "Race, Sexual Orientation, Academia--Bringing It All Together."
Go check me out!
New Report Estimates LGB Population In U.S. At 9%
From the Executive Summary:
Data from the 2008 General Social Survey (GSS) indicate that nearly 9% of adults either identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual or report having had same‐sex sexual experiences as an adult. Although 90% of LGB people are out about their identity to other people, only 25% report being out to all of their coworkers in the workplace. The data show that bisexuals differ in several ways from those who identify as gay or lesbian, including being much less likely to be out or have a high school diploma and being much more likely to be women and/or racial or ethnic minorities.
Surveys that ask questions about sexual orientation and behavior are rare. Among the few surveys that ask these questions, few are representative of the US population. Even rarer is information about the coming out process from such surveys. As a result, little is known about how and if thinking of oneself as gay, lesbian, or bisexual, or experiencing same‐sex sexual behaviors and telling others about one’s sexual orientation or behavior varies by sex, age, race/ethnicity, and educational attainment.Other results that are included in the report are:
The General Social Survey (GSS), conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, has monitored social and demographic changes in the United States since 1972. The 2008 GSS marks the first time that survey participants were asked about their sexual orientation (prior surveys had only asked about same‐sex sexual behavior). The 2008 survey also includes a module of questions (added with the financial support of the Williams Institute) directed at sexual minorities that ask about the experience of coming out, relationship status and family structure, workplace and housing discrimination, and health insurance coverage.
· 1.7% of adults self-identified as gay or lesbian and 1.1% self-identified as bisexual
· More than 3 in 4 lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) adults say that they were first attracted to someone of the same-sex before they were 18 years old.
· Women are more likely than men to be LGB (4.6% vs. 2.9%). They are twice as likely to be bisexual than men (1.9% v. 0.7%, respectively).
· Younger people are more likely to be LGB. 7.2% of those aged 18-30 are LGB compared with 3.8% of those aged 30-54 and 1.4% of those aged 55 and older.
· Gay men and lesbians are more likely than bisexuals to be out to at least some people (96% vs. 75%, respectively).
· Older people are much more likely to be in the closet . Adults over the age of 55 are 83 times more likely than those under 30 to have never come out to another person.
· Bisexuals are more likely to be a racial/ethnic minority than heterosexuals, gay men, or lesbians. More than half of bisexuals are non-white compared to approximately 30% of heterosexuals, gay men and lesbian. The racial and ethnic characteristics of gay men, lesbians, and heterosexuals are similar to each other.The author of the report is Williams Distinguished Scholar Dr. Gary Gates who says:
"These provocative findings demonstrate the challenge in understanding the
complex relationship between sexual orientation identity and behavior.
Given that nearly half of Americans still believe that homosexual
relationships are morally wrong, it is not surprising to find ambiguity
between how people behave sexually and how they identify their sexual
orientation."
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Succulent Sunday: Kalanchoe luciae
Kalanchoe luciae
On today's Succulent Sunday we are featuring Kalanchoe luciae; my husband annotates the above picture with:
Kalanchoë luciae subspecies luciae or "Paddle Plant" showing the large flapjack leaves, powdery blue-green color, and reddish blush which make this species such a standout.I just think it looks cool.
State of the LGBT Movement's Advocacy Organizations
Unfortunately, he only focused only on the organizations which are involved in the fight over "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," not every LGBT organization of national significance like the Washington Blade used to.
The main things to note are the relative sizes of Human Rights Campaign ($37 million, 142 employees), Lambda Legal ($15.6 million, 85 employees) and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force ($8.6 million, 47 employees) which are probably the three largest LGBT advocacy organizations in the country, with the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation either in 3rd or 4th place.
Hat/tip to Joe.My.God
Friday, October 08, 2010
Celebrity Friday: Caroline Wozniacki
Caroline Wozniacki will become the new World #1 tennis player in the world on Monday, dethroning Serena Williams, who has had the top spot for the last 49 weeks. Wozniacki has won 5 titles this year and reached the final of the US Open in 2009 and has never won a major title, while Serena won the 2010 Australian Open and 2010 Wimbledon titles and did not play the US Open this year.
Wozniacki, like Jelena Jankovic and Dinara Safina are just two recent top-ranked players who have yet to win a major title. It should be noted that Kim Clijsters became ranked World #1 without winning a major title, but has since won 3 US Open crowns. The question for the 20-year-old Dane is will she be like Jankovic and Safina, or like Clijsters? Or possibly, like Ivanovic, who won her sole major title in 2008 at the French Open and was ranked #1, only to see her rating plummet precipitously afterwards.
Serena, by the way, is returning to the tour on Monday, at the tournament in Linz, Austria. Venus Williams says she will not compete again in 2010.
Thursday, October 07, 2010
Black Gay Visibility Campaign In NYC: "I Love My Boo"
These are examples of posters going up around New York City as part of Gay Men's Health Crisis' ongoing I Love My Boo campaign, which it announced on Monday it was greatly expanding.
According to The Advocate, the posters will appear in over 1000 subway cars and 150 subway stations for the month of October.
GMHC has started a Facebook page for the campaign.
Hat/tip to LOL Darian
BOOK REVIEW: Alastair Reynolds' Revelation Space
Alastair Reynolds' Revelation Space is the first novel I read by this British author. His work is reminiscent of another British sci-fi author, the brilliant Peter F. Hamilton. Hamilton happens to be one of my favorite writers, so it is great praise from me to compare Reynolds favorably to Hamilton.It takes a while to get going but around page 50 or so it had sucked me in and I had great difficulty in putting the book down. By about page 200, I started looking to buy the sequels Redemption Ark and Absolution Gap on Alibris.com.
The main idea of the Revelation Space universe is that there is something, which eventually gets named the Inhibitors, that eliminates sentient species soon after they have demonstrated the ability to travel between stars. Once they have demonstrated that they can travel significant fractions of the speed of light, something completely annihilates the species and they become extinct. This explains why spacefaring humans have discovered the remains, fossils and artefacts of nearly a dozen technological species, but never a live alien. It's an intriguing premise, but it merely serves as background to the central storylines which are more character-driven.
Here is a great summary of the characters in Revelation Space written by Ryan Anderson at The Martian Chronicles blog
The main character, Dan Sylveste is a scientist studying that civilization, driven by an unstoppable compulsion to solve the mystery of what happened to the Amarantin. Meanwhile, Ana Khouri is an assassin who has been hired by the mysterious “Mademoiselle” to kill Sylveste and prevent him from discovering the answer. A third main character, Volyova, is one of only a handful of surviving crewmembers on a starship that holds some of the most powerful weapons ever concieved. The ship is gradually being consumed by a virus emanating from their captain, who is kept frozen in stasis to slow the spread of the infection.I think it is pretty significant that the two of the main characters are female. Some reviewers have complained that none of the main characters are very likable, but there is no question that they are interesting and intriguing.
I really liked seeing the world through the eyes of Irina Volyova and Anna Khouri. Dan Sylveste is the most important character in terms of the Revelation Space universe, but he was not the character that most appealed to me.
The book itself is paced pretty slowly, but is well worth the time invested to unwrap the intricate, overlapping plots. It is a great introduction to the gripping, very hard sci-fi universe of Alastair Reynolds, a place any fa of real space opera will enjoy.
Author: Alastair Reynolds.
Title: Revelation Space.
Length: 592 pages.
Publisher: Ace.
Date: May 28, 2002.
OVERALL GRADE: B+/A- (3.5/4.0).
PLOT: A-.
IMAGERY: A-.
IMPACT: B+.
WRITING: B+.
Wednesday, October 06, 2010
Senator DeMint (R-SC) Calls For Employment Discrimination Based On Sex
United States Senator Jim DeMint, Republican of South Carolina, has started taking a more prominent role as the standard bearer for ultra-conservatism in America. Recently, DeMint has called for openly gay or lesbian people and sexually active unmarried women to be barred from working as public teachers.
Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) says that even though "no one" came to his defense in 2004 after he said that gay people and unwed mothers should be banned from teaching, "everyone" quietly told him that he shouldn't back down from his position.
He also implied that not banning gay people and women who have sex before marriage from teaching would be an attack on Christians, and defended his position on banning gay teachers because he holds the same position on women who have sex outside of marriage.
"[When I said those things,] no one came to my defense," he said, the Spartanberg Herald-Journal reported. "But everyone would come to me and whisper that I shouldn't back down. They don't want government purging their rights and their freedom to religion."
So, basically Senator DeMint is calling for public employment discrimination on the basis of sex and sexual orientatiom.
Needless to say, he has been roundly criticized for these bigoted beliefs.
"Sexist bigots like Sen. Jim DeMint don't belong in the United States Congress," said National Organization for Women President Terry O'Neill. "He thinks gay women and men and sexually active single women should be banned from teaching, but he said nothing about sexually active, single straight men."
"It is salt in the wound in our community," said Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. "It's irresponsible for Sen. DeMint to reassert this position in this day and age. I would ask him to apologize."
"What matters in the workplace is your ability to do your job, yet you can be fired for your sexual orientation in 29 states and for your gender identity in 38. I can't imagine what people think is 'moral' about job discrimination," said the Human Rights Campaign in a statement.
Beliefs like DeMint (and his people who support him) are exactly why the Employment Non-Discrimination Act needs to become federal law.
Tuesday, October 05, 2010
WATCH: Cynthia Nixon Kicks NOM Butt For Marriage Equality
At the New Yorker festival this weekend there was a panel with the odious Brian Brown of NOM, Cynthia Nixon (Miranda on Sex in the City) along with other notables like Perry v. Schwarzenegger super-lawyer David Boies making the case for and against same-sex marriage.
Nixon demolishes the argument that gay and lesbian couples who want to marry are seeking to "redefine marriage" by saying something like: "When women got the vote, it did not redefine voting. When African-Americans were able to sit at lunch counters and get served it did not redefine eating out. Opening up marriage to same-sex couples will not redefine marriage!"
Watch the video yourself to see what she said exactly.
CA-GOV: Brown Endorsed By LA TIMES, SF CHRONICLE, SAC BEE
There are exactly four weeks until the November 2nd statewide election. Actually, starting today, vote-by-mail ballots can be mailed in. One of the most important races is for California Governor, where Jerry Brown is now leading Meg Whitman.
Additionally, many major newspapers in the state, specifically the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle and Sacramento Bee, all endorsed Brown for Governor this weekend.
Blaming The Victim For Gay Teen Suicide
Monday, October 04, 2010
WATCH: Mormon Leader Attempts To Increase Gay Teen Suicides
So much for that public relations makeover for the Mormon Church embrassed by the widespread reaction to their religious-based homophobic actions in the Proposition 8 fight to strip marriage rights from same-sex couples in California!
The leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Boyd. K. Packer, issued a sermon on Sunday which will likely lead to more early deaths of LGBT teenagers at their own hands as he reiterated heterosexual supremacist and virulently homophobic church dogma:
Same-sex attraction can be overcome and any type of union other than marriage between a man and a woman is morally wrong [emphasis added], an LDS apostle told millions of Mormons on Sunday.
“There are those today who not only tolerate but advocate voting to change laws that would legalize immorality, as if a vote would somehow alter the designs of God’s laws and nature,” Boyd K. Packer, president of the church’s Quorum of Twelve Apostles, said in a strongly worded sermon about the dangers of pornography and same-sex marriage. “A law against nature would be impossible to enforce. Do you think a vote to repeal the law of gravity would do any good?”
Packer, speaking from his seat because of his frail health, addressed more than 20,000 members gathered in the LDS Conference Center in downtown Salt Lake City and millions more watching the faith’s 180th Semiannual General Conference via satellite.
The senior apostle drew on the church’s 1995 declaration, “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” to support his view that the power to create offspring “is not an incidental part of the plan of happiness. It is the key — the very key.”
Some argue that “they were pre-set and cannot overcome what they feel are inborn tendencies toward the impure and unnatural,” he said. “Not so! Why would our Heavenly Father do that to anyone? Remember he is our father.”
Alluding to the Utah-based church’s support of laws such as California’s Proposition 8 that would define marriage as exclusively between a man and a woman, Packer said, “Regardless of the opposition, we are determined to stay on course.”
“We cannot change; we will not change,” the senior apostle declared. “We quickly lose our way when we disobey the laws of God. If we do not protect and foster the family, civilization and our liberties must needs perish.”It should be noted that there is a direct (positive) correlation between the percentage of people who feel that homosexuality is a choice (as declared by Packer) and the percentage who disapprove of same-sex marriage.
Additionally, the notion that homosexuality is a choice and that young people who can not "overcome" their same-sex attraction is a key factor in may teen suicides. It should also be noted that in America, of course, marriage is a civil, legal institution which is open to people of all faiths (and no faith). What one religion believes about marriage should be irrelevant to how the state decides who can get married to whom.
I can honestly say that the widely broadcast words of the Mormon head will lead to more deaths (by suicide) of LGBT kids in America. The blood of those children are on Boyd Packer's hands.
Eye Candy: David Costa
David Costa is a French model and fitness instructor/personal trainer who is 25-years-old and 5'9" and 180 pounds. Un beau mec, n'est çe pas?
Hat/tip to Wicked Gay Blog.
Sunday, October 03, 2010
Madprofessah is in Noo Yawk
Saturday, October 02, 2010
CA-GOV: Whitman Hit Hard On Maid Controversy in Spanish Ad
The translation via Huffington Post:
Meg Whitman says she's a different kind of Republican...
But Pete Wilson is in charge of her campaign.
Whitman attacks undocumented workers to win votes, but an undocumented woman worked in her home for nine years.
She says she'll create jobs - but wants to eliminate forty-thousand state jobs, including teachers and nurses.
Whitman says one thing in Spanish --- and something different in English.
The real Meg Whitman has no shame.
She's a two-faced womanOuch!
Friday, October 01, 2010
Education Sec'y Arne Duncan Releases Statement on Bullying
U.S. Department of Education Office of Communications & Outreach, Press Office 400 Maryland Ave., S.W. Washington, D.C. 20202 FOR RELEASE Oct. 1, 2010 Contact: Press Office (202) 401-1576 or press@ed.gov STATEMENT BY U.S. SECRETARY OF EDUCATION ARNE DUNCAN On the Recent Deaths of Two Young Men U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today released the following statement: "This week, we sadly lost two young men who took their own lives for one unacceptable reason: they were being bullied and harassed because they were openly gay or believed to be gay. These unnecessary tragedies come on the heels of at least three other young people taking their own lives because the trauma of being bullied and harassed for their actual or perceived sexual orientation was too much to bear. "This is a moment where every one of us - parents, teachers, students, elected officials, and all people of conscience - needs to stand up and speak out against intolerance in all its forms. Whether it's students harassing other students because of ethnicity, disability or religion; or an adult, public official harassing the President of the University of Michigan student body because he is gay, it is time we as a country said enough. No more. This must stop."###
Celebrity Friday: Ed Milliband Announces He Is An Atheist
Ed Milliband, newly declared head of the British Labour Party (which is now the main opposition party in England after it lost the right to form a government to a Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition in May 2010), has announced that he "does not believe in God."
Interestingly, the Deputy Prime Minister of England, Nick Clegg, who is the head of the Liberal Dems has also declared he is an atheist.
Hat/tip to Joe.My.God
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