Afternoon View - The Beekman

The 76-story Frank Gehry-designed Beekman is almost finished in downtown Manhattan. It's presently the ninth-tallest building in the city, however six much taller buildings will soon push the Beekman out of the top ten. It contains 903 "luxury" apartments, all rental. Hello recession. These pics embiggen nicely. (I'm quite pleased with the zoom on my new camera.)

Porno Pete Vs. Glenn Beck

"Looks like Glenn Beck could have benefited from attending the AFTAH Truth Academy I Hate Faggots Academy [order DVDs or CDs of the Academy HERE; order online through AFTAH's donate page]. Beck is a doing incredibly important work in helping to save America from the misnamed 'progressives' — but evidently he is woefully ignorant about the real threat that homosexual activism poses to this nation and our precious freedoms. Memo: to Glenn: people of faith — like Matt Barber and Julea Ward — already have been fired or discriminated against for defending the historic Judeo-Christian sexual ethic. And this began happening before 'same-sex marriage' became the dominant issue in this cultural debate. The oppression will only get worse if homosexual 'marriage' is legalized nationally through an activist court ruling." - Porno Pete LaBarbera, clutching his pearls after Glenn Beck shrugged off same-sex marriage as an unimportant issue.

PORNO PETE'S LIES:

1. Matt Barber was NOT fired for his Christian beliefs, as debunked here on About.com's Urban Legends site.
2. Julea Ward was NOT discriminated against for her Christian beliefs, she flatly refused to abide by the secular rules of a government-funded university.

Morning View - Grand Central Terminal

Today's New York Post

Rep. Alan Grayson Rips Robert Gibbs

"He knows Fox's talking points and little else."

Mash-Up Of The Year

Tired Old Queen At The Movies #44

Lana Turner in 1957's Peyton Place!

And The Teabaggers Lose Their Minds

You don't even want to visit Free Republic tonight.

Here's AG Brown's Opposition To The Stay Request From Protect Marriage

Are you dizzy yet from all these legal docs? Protect Marriage has until 9am Monday to deliver their final response.
CA9Doc 8

Ninth Circuit Responds To Stay Motion

Things are moving VERY quickly. Brian Devine reports at Courage Campaign:

The Ninth Circuit just issued an Order stating that the Plaintiffs’ response to the Motion to Stay is due by 11:00 p.m. tonight. The Prop 8 supporters’ reply, not to exceed 15 pages, is due by 9:00 a.m. on Monday, August 16, 2010. This suggests that the Ninth Circuit is preparing to rule on the Motion to Stay before Judge Walker’s temporary stay expires on August 18th at 5:00 p.m. It’s surprising that the Court only gave the Plaintiffs about 9 hours to file their brief, and gave the Appellants until Monday to Reply. But I wouldn’t read too much into this. They know that everyone anticipated the Motion and that everyone’s briefs are essentially written already.

Sounds like everybody wants to get to Hawaii.

UPDATE: THE BAN HAS BEEN LIFTEDGays Banned From NYC India Day Parade

UPDATE: The ban on SALGA has been lifted.

SALGA, a non-profit organization dedicated to serving New York's queer desi (South Asian) community, today announces that the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) has granted SALGA permission to march in New York City's annual India Day Parade (August 15). Just over two hours after announcing that SALGA would protest FIA's non-response and presumed denial of SALGA's application to march in the India Day Parade, FIA President Nirav Mehta confirmed in writing that SALGA's application has been approved and that SALGA will be allowed to march in the parade from now on.

While the LGBT community in India is making historic advances of late, NYC's gay Indian-American association has apparently been banned from marching in this Sunday's India Day Parade. Again. Via press release from NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn:

The South Asian Lesbian and Gay Association (SALGA) has once again been excluded from marching in the annual Indian Day Parade. This week my office was contacted by SALGA, which submitted its application on July 29th to the parade organizers, the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA). Despite submitting its application in advance of the deadline, SALGA has received no response from FIA. We reached out to the parade organizers several times to discuss this matter. When an acceptable solution was not reached, Council Members Danny Dromm, Jimmy Van Bramer and I sent them the attached letter. As we said in our letter, it's absolutely unacceptable if SALGA is being excluded from the India Day Parade because it represents community members who are LGBT. The FIA has a history of barring SALGA from its parade, and this unfair exclusion must stop this year. It's my firm belief that any event that celebrates the rich ethnic history of our city should embrace and honor the fact that we are all, each and every one of us, a part of that history.

Several hundred thousand spectators are expected to attend Sunday's parade.

RELATED: Gays also continue to be banned from NYC's St. Patrick's Day Parade, which is the world's largest such celebration.

Queer Rising Protests Sen. Ruben Diaz

Queer Rising's protest at Sen. Ruben Diaz' fundraiser in the Bronx last night was primarily meant to shame Democratic state Senate leader John Sampson for aligning himself with the state's most vile homophobe. However Sampson didn't show up, even though he was a co-sponsor of the event. Does Sampson finally get it? Or was he just afraid of being photographed while being screamed at by angry LGBT activists? Note how Diaz makes his entrance accompanied by a much younger woman who disdainfully blows kisses to the protesters.

San Diego Is Taking Appointments

"The ARCC has started taking appointments for issuing licenses and performing ceremonies for same-sex couples starting August 19, 2010. Demand for marriage license services may increase as a result of the ruling. We encourage couples to plan ahead in order to obtain an appointment on their desired day and time. To schedule an appointment for a marriage license and/or ceremony please call (619) 237-0502."

Might Mean Something, Might Not

If Protect Marriage's emergency motion to stay the overturn of Prop 8 is denied by the Ninth Circuit Court, they are expected to immediately appeal to the Supreme Court. The justice assigned to hear cases from the Ninth is swing voter Anthony Kennedy.

Interestingly, as the clock ticks down on Judge Walker's stay extension, Justice Kennedy will be in Hawaii to appear at the annual Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, which runs Monday through Thursday next week. Kennedy is the scheduled speaker at 10:45am the day after Walker's stay expires. The three judge panel that will hear Protect Marriage's motion has not yet been assigned (I don't think), but at least some of the Ninth Circuit judges will also be at the conference.

I don't what, if anything, this could mean for the case.

Kate Clinton On Maggie Gallagher And NOM's Hate Tour Finale In Washington DC

The anti-NOM rally in DC is this Sunday.

Family Research Council Election Advisory: Lincoln Wants You To Vote For Christians

A YouTube commenter on this clip provides these quotes to the contrary:

Lincoln: "The Bible is not my book nor Christianity my profession. I could never give assent to the long, complicated statements of Christian dogma." Lincoln: "My earlier views of the unsoundness of the Christian scheme of salvation and the human origin of the scriptures have become clearer and stronger with advancing years, and I see no reason for thinking I shall ever change them."

Florida GOP Candidate Marg Baker Calls For Internment Camps For Immigrants

GOP Florida House of Representatives candidate Marg Baker wants to round up undocumented immigrants and put them in internment camps "like what happened in the 40's or 50's." Only that never happened, except in Baker's racist-fevered dreams. The Japanese interned in the 1940's and the Cubans interned in the 1980's were in the country legally.

(Tipped by JMG reader Band)

Karate Lessons Will Butch Up Your Nellie Son, Says Florida Martial Arts Academy

Above is one of the images from an ad campaign for the Academy Of Martial Arts in Key Biscayne, Florida. Via Copyranter:

Yeah, Pops. Nip that gaiety in the ass, and get junior kicking some ass and karate-chopping some wood, all while listening to Eye of the motherfucking Tiger. That'll knock those show tunes out of his head and some sense into him. Other tips: Make him change the oil in your pickup, naked. And take him deer hunting, naked. Better yet, queer hunting. You and your drinking buds can go to a local Miami gay bar and show him how to pound the dust out of some fairies, who hopefully haven't taken martial arts classes at Key Biscayne's RDCA.

And if karate doesn't work, you can always beat him to death for acting like a girl.

Hot Topix With Michele Bachmann

"I like to be close to the word of God, whereas whores need hide themselves from the Lord's Holy Eyeball."

Scissor Sisters - Any Which Way

Dancing on the speakers, are you peaking with the tweakers, the bigots and the breeders on the scene? The night don't last forever, so get your shit together. Open arms are never what they seem.

Protect Marriage's Prop 8 Appeal Quotes Homocon Writer Jonathan Rauch

The work of homocon writer Jonathan Rauch, co-founder of the Quisling site Independent Gay Forum, is cited in Protect Marriage's emergency motion to maintain the stay on Judge Walker's overturn of Proposition 8. Because even "same-sex marriage advocate Rauch recognizes the wisdom" in holding some states back from full equality. From page 58 of their petition.

Bedbug Panic Goes Upscale

After bedbug infestations closed Manhattan outposts for Hollister, Abercrombie, and Victoria's Secret, Fifth Avenue's fancy-schmancy Bergdorf Goodman isn't taking any chances.

The Fifth Ave. shopping mecca is the first high-end retailer to acknowledge it's worried about the city's bedbug infestation - and has even hired an insect-sniffing beagle to root any out. Swanky Bergdorf Goodman staffers, though, openly say they hope to catch the critters before an outbreak ever occurs. "We haven't had any reported cases of bedbugs, but it seems to be something everybody is concerned about," said Ginger Reeder, vice president of corporate communications for Bergdorf Goodman. "The anxiety level is clearly high in New York. It seemed important to go the extra mile." The pooch has been on regular patrols around the men's and women's departments for several weeks.

Last month several Times Square movie theaters quietly canceled morning shows for massive fumigation efforts.

Radio Host Stephanie Miller Comes Out

Nationally syndicated radio host Stephanie Miller came out on her program about an hour ago. Judging by the comments on her blog (linked above), her listeners are being very supportive. The news began on her Twitter feed with the cryptic message, "There may be a lot of crying next hour."

Gingrich & Pawlenty: Voters Should Toss Out Any Gay-Friendly Judges

Newt Gingrich and Tim Pawlenty, both of whom may run for president in 2012, are supporting a campaign in Iowa to toss out the state Supreme Court judges that ruled in favor of marriage equality. The effort to oust the judges was launched last week by former GOP candidate for governor of Iowa, Bob Vander Plaats.

Gingrich: "Iowans are unique in that they have the ability this fall to send a very clear and simple message that the court’s behavior is unacceptable by just voting ‘no’ on the three judges who are up for reappointment. If a majority of Iowans vote ‘no,’ that will send a signal to the whole country that there is a citizens revolt under way.”

Pawlenty: “The notion that judges stand for election is embedded in the Iowa Constitution. It’s embedded in the Minnesota Constitution. It’s the right and privilege of the citizens of this state and my state to weigh in on whether they like or don’t like the job that a judge is doing and to agree or disagree with him.”

Archbishop Joseph Kurtz: Walker Has Defined All Marriages As Unconstitutional

"In a sense, he has declared marriage to be unconstitutional, because there is no such thing as ‘gay marriage’,” since true marriage requires a man and a woman."

In This Week's People

Ellen DeGeneres Performs On SYTYCD

George Takei On Prop 8 Overturn

Today In Mildly Interesting Trivia

(Source)

TONIGHT: DJ Rich Morel In DC

DJ Rich Morel (one-half of the wildly popular Blowoff team) debuts a new party tonight in Washington DC at Club Liv. Doors open 10pm, $7. Facebook page. Guaranteed to be a sweaty furry mess! In a good way!

JMG EXCLUSIVE!!! Here's DJ Rich Morel's brand new mix for Yoko Ono, Wouldnit (I'm A Star). This is Rich's fifth production for Yoko and three of them have gone to #1 on Billboard's Hot Dance chart. Loving it!

Save California: Thomas Jefferson Would Have Imprisoned Walker For Treason

"Walker knows that his ruling will be appealed all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and could be overturned, yet he seems to care little about a peaceful process. By demanding that homosexual 'marriages' begin Aug. 18, Walker is demanding his own way, despite normal legal processes, despite his oath of office, and despite the written words and contextual origins of the U.S. Constitution. If these were the days of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, federal marshals would arrest and imprison Vaughn Walker as a traitor and domestic enemy of the United States Constitution." - Save California president Randy Thomasson, upping the hate another notch.

World Net Daily Covers Prop 8 Stay Lift

In typical fashion, the nation's most widely read Christofascist site covered yesterday's Prop 8 news with bile, contempt, and a lovely photo of two Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Because the only thing more repulsive than a man in a dress is a man in a dress wearing kabuki makeup. And note the insulting subhead "Homosexual Told State..."

And The Next Seven Too

Family Research Council Election Advisory: There Is No Morality Without Religion

Rep. Louis Gohmert: Zombie Mexican Terror Babies Are Going To Kill Us All!

If you can get past Lady Skeletor at the beginning of this clip, hang on for a positively feisty Anderson Cooper taking on Texas racist Rep. Louis Gohmert. Silver Fox FTW!

Protect Marriage Files 95-Page Emergency Motion For Stay Pending Appeal

Note that the first citation is an article from San Diego's Gay & Lesbian Times.
Protect Marriage Appeal

Broadway Friday

-New attitude! Patti Labelle will join the cast of the Tony-winning Fela! on September 14th and will perform there until the show's scheduled closing in January. She will replace Tony winner Lilias White in the role of Fela's mother.

-A Broadway version of Glee will definitely happen, according to the show's co-creator Ryan Murphy, who says he is already auditioning the cast. No opening date has been disclosed. Murphy is also slated to direct the movie version of Larry Kramer's The Normal Heart.

-Hairspray Tony winner Marisa Winokur will co-host the coming CBS talk show about motherhood with openly lesbian Rosanne star Sara Gilbert.

-Patti Lupone and Brian Stokes Mitchell will star in the musical version of Pedro Almodovar's Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown, which begins previews at the Belasco Theatre on October 2nd.

-Turn around bright eyes: Tony nominee Justin "Kiki" Bond will perform a series of dates at Joe's Pub beginning on September 12th. If you haven't seen Justin Bond, you are missing one of the truly unique theatrical experiences of our days.

-Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark will finally begin previews on November 14th after almost a year of delays related to its record-breaking $50M production cost.

-Tony winner Beth Leavel (Drowsy Chaperone) and George Wendt (Cheers) have been cast in the musical version of Elf, set to open at the Hirshfeld on November 14th. Wendt will play Santa, the lead role of Buddy has not yet been cast.

The Next Susan Boyle?

A ten year-old opera singer blew away the competition on America's Got Talent on Tuesday night. She so scarily good, half of the commenters on YouTube are screaming, "Fake! Lip-sync!"

Family Research Council Election Advisory: Make Sure You Only Vote For Christians

Tweet Of The Day II

DISCLAIMER: While my mole in the SF courthouse did allow me to scoop everybody by 20 minutes or so, it was not until at least ten minutes later did I learn that the lift order doesn't go into effect until Wednesday. I quickly updated my posts here and on Facebook and Twitter, but I must apologize to everybody for my premature ejacutweeting. This is why bloggers aren't considered "real" journalists, I'm afraid.

UPDATE: The National Gay & Lesbian Journalist Association's Michael Triplett has weighed in on this post.

UNRELATED: You should totally add Armistead Maupin to your follow list on Twitter. The musical version of Tales Of The City is on the way with music/lyrics by Jake Shears and Jeff Whitty!

Tony Perkins Rides The Waambulance

"Once again, Chief Judge Walker has disregarded the will of the people of California by interpreting the U.S. Constitution in a way that imposes his own personal beliefs. We support Protect Marriage's immediate appeal to the Ninth Circuit to stay this decision until the conclusion of the case.

"Voters in 30 states have protected marriage in their state constitutions because they understand the importance of a mom and a dad to children. The social science data is overwhelming and clear - children do best when raised by a mom and dad. Judge Walker's opinion completely stepped over these findings by the international research community. Now, by refusing to stay his ruling until all appeals are adjudicated, Judge Walker is cynically attempting to limit the options of the appellate courts by creating a legion of same-sex couples whose marriages could be nullified. In essence, Judge Walker is presenting an unnecessary challenge to the U.S. Supreme Court." - Tony Perkins, douchenozzle-in-chief of the Family Research Council.

NOM Rides The Waambulance

Reactions To Lifting Of Prop 8 Stay

Equality California

Monumental! U. S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker has denied Yes on 8 proponents their request that he stay his decision which declared that Prop 8 unconstitutional, paving the way for couples to get married. This is an incredibly joyful moment in our history, not only for all of the committed couples who will finally be able to get married, but also because a fundamental constitutional freedom has been restored in our great state. Our victory today is due in no small part to the State of California’s stance on the case. Governor Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown both asked the court to lift the stay and allow marriages to commence. Both have refused to defend Prop. 8 in court, preventing the State’s talented attorneys and vast legal resources from playing a role in this case.

National Gay & Lesbian Task Force

“We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the same-sex couples who will again be free to experience the joy and celebration of legally marrying in California. This is a remarkable moment, stemming from the landmark ruling declaring Proposition 8 unconstitutional. That decision came down to a simple yet profound principle: People should be treated equally under the law. Lifting the stay puts that principle into practice. We thank the judge for his continuing sense of fairness and sound reasoning in this case.”

Stonewall Democrats

"At a time when a majority of the American public believe that same-sex couples should have the legal right to marry, Judge Walker’s decision to lift the stay on marriage for same-sex couples is simply a natural expression of a Constitution that guarantees equality for all Americans,” said Michael Mitchell, Executive Director of the National Stonewall Democrats. “It only seems radical to a shrinking minority of people who are on the wrong side of history.” “As we head into midterm elections, it’s important to remember that in large part, it’s been the Republican party that has used marriage equality as a wedge issue, Republican governors who vetoed marriage equality measures and Republican Members of Congress who pushed for a Constitutional amendment that would forever keep LGBT people as second-class citizens. We, of course, welcome and applaud any elected official of either party who supports marriage equality, but time and again, it’s pro-equality Democrats who are doing the lion’s share of the work that will ultimately result in full marriage equality.”

Faith In America

"We applaud Judge Walker's responsible handling of the stay regarding Prop 8. Clearly his ruling that Proposition 8 violates Constitutional rights is a landmark opinion and it deserves careful deliberation. No longer will religious-based objections to marriage be a justification for the government to keep the right to marriage away from same-sex couples,² said Mitchell Gold, founder of Faith in America. Judge Walker¹s ruling last week in which he found that banning marriage between same-sex couples was unconstitutional, also acknowledged that religion has been misused to justify harm to gays and lesbians and their families. "We are so happy for the LGBT couples in California who wish to marry the love of their life, just as I was able to do a few short weeks ago in the State of Iowa," Gold continued. "Same-sex couples deserve the same freedom and rights allowed by the Constitution. Today is another historic day."

Lambda Legal

"Although we're disappointed that Judge Walker elected today to give the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals a chance to consider the issue of the stay, we are gratified that he has denied the request to put his historic ruling on hold during any appeals. He has applied the standard legal tests in the standard way and reached the only logical conclusions given the overwhelming evidence produced at trial: nobody is harmed - especially not the backers of Prop 8 - by restoring equality in marriage to California's same-sex couples. Nobody suffers when everyone is treated equally. There's enough equality to go around. "To maintain the stay, the Ninth Circuit will have to find that Prop 8's proponents are likely to win on appeal or will suffer irreparable harm if same-sex couples again are allowed to marry. But at this point, the truth is crystal clear, as last week's decision explains: the only people suffering harm are lesbian and gay couples whose constitutional rights are violated every day that Prop 8 remains in force, and who simply seek the same rights everyone else already enjoys."

Tweet Of The Day

Source.

Here's The Ruling Lifting The Stay

Final Stay Order

Wedding Bells To Ring! Proposition 8 Stay LIFTED By Judge Vaughn Walker!!! Marriages To Resume On August 18th

IMPORTANT UPDATE: The stay does NOT expire until August 18th.

The stay is LIFTED. California's same-sex couples may begin marrying on August 18th. Stand by for the ruling, photos, videos and reactions!

LIVE VIDEO: San Francisco City Hall

UPDATE: As many of you noticed, both the USTREAM and ABC feeds have abruptly switched to an unrelated story. I'm not finding any other embeddable live streams from SF at the moment, dammit all to hell. Stand by.

UPDATE II: The below feed is back, for now.

UPDATE III: The live stream is concluded.

F5 F5 F5 F5 F5

The stay ruling will come here. Although last time the site crashed and this here website thingy scooped most of the blogosphere thanks to our courthouse insider.

Gay Couples Lining Up At SF City Hall

From the San Francisco Chronicle:

Lesbian and gay couples were lining up this morning at the San Francisco clerk's office, hours before a judge is expected to rule on whether same-sex marriages can resume while his landmark decision in the case is appealed. Ron Wood and his boyfriend of seven years, Roger Hunt, were the first in line at San Francisco City Hall. The San Francisco couple said they wanted to be there in case the window of opportunity to wed was small. Wood proposed to Hunt two days ago, and if they get married, they plan to celebrate their honeymoon by taking a motorcycle trip to the Sierra. "I'm trying to remain calm, but I don't want to be devastated if the stay is lifted," Hunt said.

Sovereign Citizens

Today the Southern Poverty Law Center issues a report on the growing "sovereign citizen" movement, a growing group of about 300,000 Americans who declare themselves completely exempt from the laws and controls of all governments, local, state and federal.

They call themselves sovereign citizens, U.S. residents who declare themselves above state and federal laws. Many don't register children's births, carry driver's licenses or recognize the court system. Some peddle schemes that use fictional legal loopholes to eliminate debt and avoid foreclosures. A few such believers are violent: Two police officers in Arkansas died in a shootout in May after stopping an Ohio sovereign citizen and his son. Hate group monitors say their numbers have increased thanks to the recession, the foreclosure crisis, the growth of the Internet and the election of Barack Obama in 2008. Adherents expect the current American system of government to end one way or another. "I'm the Patrick Henry of the 21st century. I'm here to regain our freedom," James McBride said in a jailhouse interview. "I'm going to, or die trying." At the heart of their belief system: The government creates a secret identity for each citizen at birth, a "straw man," that controls an account at the U.S. Treasury used as collateral for foreign debt. File enough documents at the right offices and the money in those accounts can be used to pay off debt or make purchases worth thousands of dollars.

From the wacko Restore America Plan's Declaration of Independence:

We the People inhabiting the North American continent, free men and women convened under God, having been granted by the Creator dominion over all the earth, to restore the blessings of liberty for ourselves and the posterity, do hereby invoke our sacred right to alter or abolish destructive government as memorialized in The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, c. 1776 by declaring herewith this solemn declaration to the people of the earth and all governments and nations derived there from.

PhoboQuotable - Maggie Gallagher

"American politics are in a quasi-revolutionary phase. The people, symbolized first in the eruptions of Tea Parties, are rebelling against elites who believe they can ignore our voices and our values.

"Rush Limbaugh had his finger on the truth. In the nearly half-hour speech he gave after the Proposition 8 ruling ("the American people are boiling over!"), Rush said that Walker "did not just slap down the will of 7 million voters. Those 7 million voters were put on trial -- a kangaroo court where everything was stacked against them. ... Those of you who voted for Prop 8 in California are guilty of hate crimes. You were thinking discrimination. That's what this judge has said! Truly unprecedented."

"Yes, it is. We are entering into a new phase in the battle not only for marriage, but for self-government, for the legitimacy of the views and values of the Ameircan people. This is a fight we cannot dodge, and must and will win. Buckle down, it's going to be a ride!" - Maggie Gallagher, calling for revolution over same-sex marriage.

Maddow On DADT: Why Aren't We Holding Off On The Ruination Of Careers?

Last night Rachel Maddow devoted nearly her entire show to the repeal of DADT, interviewing several of its most high-profile victims, including Lt. Colonel Victor Fehrenbach, who has just filed suit to stop his dismissal. Here's how Maddow closed out the show.

GOP Sues Florida Tea Party

World Net Daily has rescinded its sponsorship of the Florida Tea Party's 2010 convention after the GOP sued the group in state court. Because the Florida Tea Party is secretly full of Democrats. Via the Orlando Sentinel:

The state Republican Party launched an attack on the Florida Tea Party on Wednesday, paying for lawsuits against several Tea candidates with the hope of ejecting them from races for a congressional seat and three state House seats. It's the latest twist in an escalating battle that pits the Republican establishment and grass-roots tea-party activists against the Florida Tea political party and the firebrand Democratic congressman from Orlando, U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson.

The Florida Tea Party, established by Windermere attorney Fred O'Neal and political consultant Doug Guetzloe, has put up candidates in races across the state. Most are Florida House races, but Florida Tea Party candidate Peg Dunmire is running against Grayson. Some activists in the tea-party movement — who oppose establishing a formal political party — allege the Florida Tea Party is bogus, and meant to draw conservative votes away from Republican candidates to give Democrats an edge.

Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) responds: "I once saw a dying iguana with an arrow through its skull. It was thrashing around in a way very much like the Republican Party of Florida does today. As for all these whining Tea Parties factions, or fractions of factions, as Shakespeare said in Romeo and Juliet, 'a plague on both your houses.' ''

Gay Porn Company Sues BitTorrent Users

As part of the industry's continuing crackdown on piracy, gay porn outfit Lucas Entertainment has filed lawsuits against 53 users of the peer-to-peer file-swapping network BitTorrent. Lucas is asking the users' ISPs to disclose their names and addresses.

The time between the alleged infringement and the filing of the federal lawsuit was amazingly short: three or four days. The infringements were detected on August 5-6, and the Lucas lawsuit was filed on August 9. In addition, the company has already asked the judge to force ISPs to respond to subpoenas in 15 days or less. Clearly, speed is an issue. The suit also claims the copyright infringement here was "intentional," which opens the door to much higher statutory damages that top out at $150,000 per infringement. More defendants will be added to the case before it's over. Lucas suggests that "information obtained in discovery will lead to the identification of additional infringing parties," and its ongoing "monitoring" may contribute more names, too. These sorts of schemes generally rely more on settlement letters than actual trials to collect the cash, however; something that may be doubly true when gay porn is the issue.

JMG tipper Davecool notes that the final sentence of the story implies that Lucas feels that "gay porn shame" may force faster settlements.

More Double-Speak From Sharron Angle

In this ad Angle claims to want to save Social Security (from Harry Reid, of course), but that's certainly not what she's said in the past: "We need to phase Medicare and Social Security out in favor of something privatized. I'm saying it can't be fixed. It's broken."

Nate Silver On Marriage Polls

Nate Silver:

Something to bear in mind is that it's only been fairly recently that gay rights groups -- and other liberals and libertarians -- shifted toward a strategy of explicitly calling for full equity in marriage rights, rather than finding civil unions to be an acceptable compromise. While there is not necessarily zero risk of backlash resulting from things like court decisions -- support for gay marriage slid backward by a couple of points, albeit temporarily, after a Massachusetts' court's ruling in 2003 that same-sex marriage was required by that state's constitution -- it seems that, in general, "having the debate" is helpful to the gay marriage cause, probably because the secular justifications against it are generally quite weak.

I know you freaks are dying to comment on the shape of the graph.

(Via - Towleroad)

Restless People - Days Of Our Lives

Underworld meets Chicane.

Has Glenn Beck Changed His Tune On Same-Sex Marriage?

Last night Glenn Beck dismissed gay marriage as an unimportant issue.

Why doesn't Glenn Beck cover gay marriage? Because he doesn't believe it's a threat to the nation. In a conversation with Bill O'Reilly on why he avoids culture war issues, Beck admitted that he doesn't think marriage should be a political issue. "Honestly, I think we have bigger fish to fry," Beck said. "You can argue about abortion or gay marriage or whatever all you want. The country is burning down...I don't think marriage, that the government actually has anything to do with...that is a religious right." "Do you believe gay marriage is a threat to the country in any way?" O'Reilly asked. "A threat to the country? No, I don't," Beck said, laughing, adding mockingly, "Will the gays come and get us?" Beck quoted Thomas Jefferson: "If it neither breaks my leg nor picks my pocket, what difference is it to me?"

That's certainly not what Glenn Beck has said in the past.

R-71 Petition Names Remain Sealed

Even though the Supreme Court ruled in June that forcing Protect Marriage Washington to disclose the names on their petitions was not unconstitutional, yesterday a federal judge blocked the release of the names as the bigots continues their bid to show that violent homofascists will rain down retribution if R-71's signers become known.

U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settle ruled Wednesday to extend a restraining order that bars public release of the signatures while the case moves forward. He said that if the names were disclosed before a hearing on the case, it would essentially make the case moot. "The release of the names and addresses could not be undone," he said. Stickney's attorney said that the case centered on how the public records act is balanced against First Amendment issues when people want to voice their opinion on a volatile issue. "If you're talking about a nonvolatile issue, like adjusting the sales tax, in most cases that's not going to rise to a constitutional challenge," said Steven Pidgeon, an attorney for Protect Marriage. "But when you have a situation where people are saying 'I'm not going to sign a petition because if I do, my car is going to get keyed, my windows will get broken,' it becomes a different issue."

Rep. Alan Grayson Calls On President Obama To Fire Robert Gibbs

Out-Doing Greg Gutfeld

Found on Tumblr by Dr. Jeff:

Continuing the chain of imaginary offensiveness to stereotypes, I plan to open a Babies R Us next to the gay bar next to the mosque next to Ground Zero. Next to the Babies R Us I will open a pornographic bookstore, and next to that I will open a police station. Next to the police station I will open a hip-hop recording studio, and next to that I will open an Applebees. Next to the Applebees I will open a TGI Fridays (those guys HATE each other) and next to the TGI Fridays I will open a methadone clinic. Next to the methadone clinic I will open a crack house, and finally, next to that, I will open a Catholic church adjoining a daycare center for attractive boys, adjacent to which I will just blow up whatever’s there so I can erect a memorial, and next to that memorial I will open a community center dedicated to a locally inconvenient ethnicity that I hired to blow up the original structure on the memorial site. Next to that I’m just going to put up some condos.

New From Denny's

The fried cheese melt. Not as gross looking as the Double Down or the Donut Burger.

Barney Frank On NOM Violence

“People have a constitutional right to express themselves as they wish, and that right obviously applies even to people who for some reason have dedicated much of their lives to trying to diminish the lives of others. I do not understand what it is that drives people to spend so much time trying to take away the rights of those of us who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, but they should understand that the freedom to do so in no way insulates them from those who disagree with their agenda from making their presence clear.

"For someone engaging in that right of peaceful counter-demonstration to be assaulted by a NOM attendee is wholly unacceptable and the leaders of this organization should be taking steps not simply to prevent any such behavior in the future, but to exclude from their ranks anyone who was engaged in it in the past.” - Rep. Barney Frank, responding to the news that a young lesbian was punched in the stomach by a NOM supporter at their Indianapolis rally.

Sam Seder On Net Neutrality

What do we have to fear from Google and Verizon?

Open Thread Thursday

Is legal marriage for you? Why or why not?

BREAKING: Prop 8 Stay Ruling Tomorrow

The announcement will come between noon and 3pm EST.

U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker will issue a Thursday morning ruling on whether to stay a decision in the Proposition 8 federal case pending appeal, according to a late Wednesday e-mail from the court. The ruling will be issued between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. Pacific Time. If Walker rules against the stay, the state of California will presumably allow same-sex couples to wed once again. Such unions have been illegal since voters in the state passed Prop. 8 in November 2008.

Here we go again!

California County Appeals Prop 8 Ruling With Backing Of Christianist Group

Imperial County, in far southern California, has filed an appeal of Judge Vaughn Walker's overturn of Proposition 8, thanks the help of an anti-gay Christianist legal group. But do they have standing to do so?

The County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 earlier in the day to approve the appeal, according to the Imperial Valley Press. Close to 70% of Imperial County voters approved Prop. 8, which enshrined a definition of marriage as between one man and one woman in the state Constitution. Attorneys for official backers of Prop. 8, ProtectMarriage, have appealed the ruling. Walker last week denied Imperial County's effort to intervene in the case, saying the county lacked sufficient interests in the matter to do so. The county, represented by the Christian legal group Advocates for Faith and Freedom, pledged to appeal that denial. Separately on Tuesday, the county filed an appeal challenging Walker's core ruling on Prop. 8's constitutionality. "The personal opinion of a single judge in San Francisco should not be substituted for the opinion of over 7 million voters," Advocates for Faith and Freedom General Counsel Robert Tyler said in a statement. The appellate court will determine whether Imperial County has a right to move forward with its appeal.

Imperial County is mostly desert and has only 140K residents.[Photo credit: Rex Wockner]

Elton John & Mrs. Limbaugh IV

Wingnut site World Net Daily has posted the just-released wedding photos of Rush Limbaugh and his wife du jour. Caption what Elton is thinking here.

Best Facebook Page (So Far)

Team Slater

On sale now. His Facebook fan page has 137,000 members already.

M.I.A. - XXXO

STOP! Mecca Time!

In Mecca, Saudi Arabia is building the world's largest clock atop what will be the world's second-tallest building. The structure is meant to help further Saudi Arabia's goal to establish Mecca as the replacement for the global standard of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

Bearing a striking resemblance to both St Stephen’s Tower, which houses the bell of Big Ben, and the Empire State Building, the Saudi upstart aims to outdo its revered British rival in every way. The clock’s four faces are 151ft in diameter and will be illuminated by 2million LED lights along with huge Arabic script reading: “In the name of Allah”. The clock will run on Arabia Standard Time which is three hours ahead of GMT. When a glittering spire is added, topped with a crescent to symbolise Islam, the edifice will stand at nearly 2,000 ft, making it the world's second tallest building. The clock of Big Ben, by comparison, is just 23ft in diameter, while its tower stands at a mere 316ft.

Residents of Mecca will also be reminded that it is time to pray when 21,000 green and white lights, visible at a distance of 18 miles, flash five times a day. But Islamic scholars hope the clock’s influence will stretch far further than the sands of Saudi Arabia, as part of a plan for Mecca to eclipse the Greenwich Observatory as the “true centre of the earth”. For the past 125 years, the international community has accepted that the start of each day should be measured from the prime meridian, representing 0 degrees longitude, which passes through the Greenwich Observatory. A standard time by which other clocks were set was needed to organise global travel and communications, but in the Islamic world the idea that it should be centred on a part of London is seen as a colonial anachronism.

Saudi Arabia's leading cleric contends that Mecca is the correct choice because "it's in perfect alignment with magnetic north." The world's scientists disagree.

HomoQuotable - Jonathan Rauch

"Walker was right to say that separate isn't equal. Civil unions are hardly ideal. But his decision treats civil unions as if they were trivial or worthless. By refusing to give them any weight and declaring them not just inadequate as a matter of policy but prohibited as a matter of law, Walker uses the Constitution to put compromise out of bounds. [snip]

"So I think the decision is a radical one, but not, ironically, as it pertains to homosexuality or to marriage. No, Walker's radicalism lies elsewhere: In his use of the Constitution to batter the principles of its two greatest exponents - Madison and Abraham Lincoln, a Burkean who was steadfast in his belief that ideals must be leavened with pragmatism.

"History will, I believe, vindicate Walker's view of marriage. Whether it will see him as having done gay rights a favor is less clear. For all its morally admirable qualities, his decision sets the cause of marriage equality crosswise with moderation, gradualism and popular sovereignty. Which, in America, is a dangerous place to be." - Jonathan Rauch, writing for the New York Daily News. Rauch, who gay-married in Washington DC in June, is the co-founder of the homocon site, Independent Gay Forum.

Designing Women In The Park

One of the more unusual fundraisers to hit my inbox this week:

Men in dresses, drinks in hands... it's summer in Brooklyn as we take to the stage for our second summer production "Designing Women in the Park." Join us on August 15 for an evening of truly classic theater as we *drag* ourselves through an episode of Designing Women. The party starts at 7pm and runs to 10:30, with three shows. Your suggested donation of $10 gets you into the party, a seat (or a stand) to see the show, and a WHOLE LOT OF BEER, lovingly provided by Brooklyn Brewery. Our efforts this evening all benefit RightRides, an organization dedicated to building safer communities by ending gender-based harassment and sexual assault. We'll see you in Red Hook on the 15th!

About RightRides:

RightRides offers women, LGBTQ and gender queer individuals a free, safe, late night ride home on Friday and Saturday nights from 11:59 PM - 3 AM, (early Saturday or Sunday morning) in up to 45 NYC neighborhoods across four NYC boroughs. To call for a ride, the dispatch number is (888) 215-SAFE (7233).

West Hollywood: We Are Ready To Resume Gay Marriages If We Get The Word

As we all wait on Judge Vaughn Walker's ruling about a stay, West Hollywood City Hall is putting the word out that they are ready to resume officiating same-sex marriages at a moment's notice. Via Karen Ocamb:

West Hollywood Mayor Pro Tem John Duran says he is ready to start officiating again. “As soon as the federal judge lifts the stay, Weho is ready for the sequel ‘Summer of Love II.’ We will marry as many happy couples as we can until another judge tells us we can’t. Like drops of water becoming a mighty torrent…..” West Hollywood City Clerk Tom West says the five city councilmembers have been deputized but because of work schedules, it is imperative that couples call his office to schedule an appointment: 323-848-6409. Dean Logan, the Registrar-Recorder/ County Clerk for Los Angeles County, is prepared to “take immediate action to implement the court’s orders if the stay is lifted and judgment is entered.” That means county offices will issue marriage licenses to same sex couples as soon as they as the judge’s ruling is clear.

Walker's ruling could come at any time. Lambda Legal cautions that there may only be a very short window of legalized same-sex marriages before the Ninth Circuit Court issues a stay of its own.

Email Of The Day

"Hey, Joe. My name is Morgan Tepsic, I'm 20 years old and my dream is to jump around the world naked. Here's 2,600 shots in motion showing what I've done so far...it's not very long, and the music is really great. Thanks and have a good day, Morgan."

OK, then. NSFW, y'all.

The Potatoe Doesn't Fall Far...

(Via - Andrew Sullivan)