Saturday, February 09, 2013

Armisted Maupin Settles Super Bowl Bet

Famed gay novelist Amistead Maupin made a Super Bowl bet with fellow writer Laura Lippman in which the loser would pen an ode to the winner's hometown. Here's Maupin's tribute to Baltimore.
The Virtues of Baltimore (After Pondering Weak and Weary)
Who makes Baltimore so fine?
The Duchess of Windsor or Divine?
Poe and his Raven or Mama Cass?
The great John Waters or Ira Glass?
Thurgood Marshall or Adrienne Rich
Barry Levinson or – sonofabitch—
That linebacker who took a stand
For marriage equality in Maryland?
I lift my glass with a way-to-go
To Brendon Ayanbadejo.
Hit the link for Baltimore Fishbowl's illustrated version.

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Quote Of The Day - Matt Barber

"Motive to kill? Fomented. Who to kill? Provided. Where to kill? Pinpointed, with easy access to driving directions. The only thing the SPLC did not do was purchase Corkins’ gun and drive him to the crime scene. Here’s why, to my own aghast bewilderment, I’m left with little choice but to believe the SPLC may be intentionally inciting anti-Christian violence. Is the SPLC a left-wing extremist group? Absolutely. Are they anti-Christian? Without a doubt. But few would have believed, until now, that they might intentionally, with malice aforethought, seek to incite anti-Christian bloodshed." - Matt Barber, writing for World Net Daily.

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WestboroMingle.com


(Tipped by JMG reader Drew)

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Jesse Jackson Jr Signs Plea Deal

Former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) resigned from Congress three months ago amid corruption accusations and after being treated for depression. NBC News reports today that he has signed a plea deal that may result in prison time.
Jackson’s case is being handled by the US Attorney’s office in Washington DC. While no public announcement is expected today, those with knowledge of the investigation believe the loose ends now deal with Jackson’s wife, former Alderman Sandi Jackson, and whether or not she is ultimately charged. Under the terms of the deal Jackson signed, he pleads guilty and his fate – as to jail time – would be in the hands of a federal judge, not yet assigned. He would repay the government hundreds of thousands of dollars – for items like the $40,000 Rolex watch, travel expenses for a woman he described as a “social acquaintance” and furniture purchased for his home. Converting campaign contributions for personal use is strictly prohibited by federal law. It opens Jackson up to “not more than 5 years” in prison.

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HomoQuotable - Brian Sims

"The truth is I was gay my whole life. I had dated girls in high school. I think I knew I wasn't straight long before I knew I was gay. I knew by the time I got to college that I was gay. My team actually came to me to ask me whether I was gay. They wanted to talk about it. They asked me about the struggle and when I was going to tell people. I didn't go through the same struggles as people today. Today, you have 14-15-16 year olds so confident and secure in their sexuality. I was not. I wasn't a gay 17-year-old ready to come out to the world. When I got to college, I realized I was gay. I just didn't know how to go about it. My college didn't have a LGBT group to give me the language to come out. It was my quarterback who asked me first."- Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims, whom ESPN calls  "the only college football captain to ever come out."

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Friday, February 08, 2013

Bread & Milk


(Via JMG reader AJ)

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Obama Is An Anti-Christ

Not THE anti-Christ. Just an anti-Christ.

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NOW It's Worth Watching

I much prefer Dame Shirley's trademark number This Is My Life to her Bond stuff, but I'll gladly take what I can get.  I've only seen her once in concert and even though I'd fallen and broken six bones in my hand and wrist that morning, I still made it to the San Francisco Opera House, where I was admonished for applauding by banging my cast on the armrest since I couldn't clap. Thank you, Vicodin.

(Tipped by JMG reader Vincent)

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COLORADO: Civil Unions Bill Advances

Colorado's civil unions bill took another step closer to becoming law today. Via Zack Ford at Think Progress:
Just now, the Colorado Senate voted 21-14 to approve Senate Bill 11, which would create civil unions for same-sex couples. This was the second of two readings, with a final vote expected on Monday. During the debate, several Republicans attempted to add various amendments that would create special religious protections for adoption agencies to discriminate against same-sex couples, but none of them passed.
One Colorado reacts via press release:
“Committed gay and lesbian couples in the state have been waiting for years — 10, 20, even 40 years — to have their relationships protected. It's well past time that these families have equal protection under the law,” said Brad Clark, Executive Director of One Colorado, the lead organization advocating for passage of the bill. “We applaud the bipartisan passage of civil unions in the Senate and look forward to the debate in the House.”  If signed into law, SB-11 will provide committed gay and lesbian couples with critical legal protections and responsibilities, such as the ability to inherit property, to take family leave to care for a partner, to visit a partner in the hospital, and to make medical and end-of-life decisions for a partner.
Easy passage is expected in the Colorado House, where the bill's sponsor is openly gay Speaker Mark Ferrandino. Zoom, zoom, zoom.

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Grammy Nominees Speak Out For Marriage

Visit Freedom To Marry for more quotes from Grammy nominees Carrie Underwood, Pink, Carly Rae Jepson, Jay-Z, Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine, and Fiona Apple. The 2013 Grammy Awards air this Sunday.

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Late PFLAG Founder Jeanne Manford To Receive Presidential Citizens Medal

PFLAG founder Jeanne Manford, who died last month at the age of 92, will be posthumously honored with the Presidential Citizens Medal, the second-highest honor the government gives a civilian. Twelve others will receive the medal at an upcoming White House ceremony. Paul Schindler reports at Gay City News:
When Manford died last month at the age of 92, Jody Huckaby, PFLAG’s national executive director, said, “Jeanne Manford proved the power of a single person to transform the world. She paved the way for us to speak out for what is right, uniting the unique parent, family, and ally voice with the voice of LGBT people everywhere.” President Barack Obama will honor the Medal winners at a White House ceremony on February 15. The recipients were announced on February 8. Manford is only the second Citizens Medal recipient honored for her work on LGBT causes. A 2011 Medal went to Janice K. Langbehn, a lesbian who sued a Miami hospital after she and her three young children were denied the right to visit her partner of 18 years, Lisa Marie Pond, as she lay dying after suffering a brain aneurysm while on vacation there in 2007. Despite having been told that they were in “an anti-gay city and state” by a hospital official, Langbehn’s suit was dismissed.
Others to receive the Presidential Citizens Medal have included Elizabeth Taylor, Colin Powell, and AIDS researcher David Ho.

UPDATE: PFLAG has issued a statement.
“When Jeanne Manford publicly stood up for her gay son in 1972, she had no idea that her actions would spark a movement that would change the lives of so many individuals and families,” said PFLAG National Executive Director Jody M. Huckaby. “It started out as a simple act of love, but Jeanne’s legacy lives on, as straight allies continue to stand alongside their LGBT loved ones, united by their collective belief in a better—and more equal—tomorrow. Her voice has been joined by millions of others who have raised their voices and will continue to do so in support of acceptance, fairness, and equality.” “I was able to share the news of this honor with my mom before she left us and I only wish the President could have seen the amazing smile that spread across her face,” said Suzanne Manford Swan, daughter of the late Jeanne Manford. “My family is deeply touched by this honor and to represent the PFLAG family values of love and acceptance.”

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Petition Of The Day

Failed presidential candidate and probable vampire Ralph Reed is ever so pissed about gay marriages at the National Cathedral.
In recent years, the National Cathedral has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal grants. The Episcopal Church is one of the richest denominations in the United States and the oldest. According to Richard Ostling of the Associated Press, “the 7,364 congregations of the Episcopal Church receive $2.14 billion in offerings a year: Their buildings and liquid assets are worth untold billions." Why is a church with untold billions in assets and asking American taxpayers to fund their church? With this policy change, taxpayers are being asked to subsidize gay marriage ceremonies for a church that can readily access millions of their own funds. Pro-family and Pro-freedom Americans cannot sit idly by. We believe the definition of “marriage” to be the union of one man to one woman. If the National Cathedral wants to continue to receive taxpayer funding from Congress, they should respect Congressional action like the Defense of Marriage Act.
From the petition page: "Send a powerful message to Washington today by signing the petition below and making a contribution to the Faith & Freedom Coalition."

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The Matt Barber "Story"

Truth In Action Ministries (formerly Coral Ridge Ministries) profiles hate group spokesman Matt Barber with this notation: "Conspicuous by her absence is Sarah Barber, Matt's wife. Note what one of our VOs says in the feature: Our TV crew asked Matt if we could videotape his family, but he declined — because of the constant death threats he receives from the forces of 'tolerance'."

RELATED: Regarding Barber's claim to have been fired for writing an anti-gay article, Urban Legends provides a statement from Allstate: "Allstate would not terminate an employee for expressing personal religious views on his or her own time. Any allegation suggesting otherwise is false."

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RuPaul & Big Freedia - Peanut Butter

RuPaul enlists the help of Big Freedia, the queen of the New Orleans "sissy bounce" scene. I wrote about sissy bounce and Big Freedia a couple of years ago.

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New Flyer From NOM

Jeremy Hooper writes at Good As You: "It's really kind of funny that they are showing the logos from five groups that all have direct ties to NOM (Ruth Institute is a NOM offshoot; ActRight is Brian Brown's side project; APP is NOM co-founder Robby George's org, where Maggie Gallagher now works; NOM Comm. Director Thomas Peters works at CatholicVote."  Don't forget that at NOM's last hate march in the Bronx, attendees were treated to one pastor declaring that gays "are worthy of death."

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Beyonce Is A Pawn Of Satan

"Her [Super Bowl] performance was soft porn. I wouldn’t want my (future) sons and daughters to ever see a performance like that. My sons, because it was completely sexual, and I don’t want those images in their minds. My daughters, because I don’t want them to think that to be an attractive women you have to look, dress or act like that. I want to say to you, young women, that what Beyoncé did at the halftime show is not something you should praise, or strive to imitate. Sure, she knows how to dance and she can sing like nobody’s business, but she is not doing it for the glory of the Lord. She is doing it for a paycheck. Everything we do should be for the glory of the Lord. Beyoncé has this beautiful gift, that the enemy (Satan) has twisted to use for his kingdom." - Alyssa Shull, writing for Charisma Magazine. Shull also runs a website where she advises young women on how to "walk in purity."  (Via Right Wing Watch)

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Christian TV On Boy Scouts Delay

"Bishop" Harry Jackson appeared on the 700 Club yesterday to say that the Boy Scouts "probably have dirty laundry that is being held over their heads" by gay activists.

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The Nor'Easter From Space

Source.

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FLORIDA: Court Approves Listing Of Three Parents On Baby's Birth Certificate

A circuit judge in Florida's Miami-Dade County has ruled that a gay man should be listed on the birth certificate of a child born to a married lesbian couple.  The man donated his semen to the couple and later sued for parental rights. All three are now listed as the child's parents.
“We’re creating entirely new concepts of families. If you have two women seeking to be listed as Parent One and Parent Two, that does not exclude listing a man as father,” said Miami family lawyer Karyn J. Begin, who represented dad Massimiliano “Massimo” Gerina in a two-year paternity case involving lesbian friends who had his baby. Maria Italiano and Cher Filippazzo, who married in Connecticut, asked that their attorney, Kenneth Kaplan, speak on their behalf. "There are three parties involved. I agree that makes the case unique," Kaplan said Thursday. "People have to understand, the case is really a second-parent adoption, meaning that there are not three equal parents. There are three involved but there are two people who have sole parental responsibility," Kaplan said. "Under Florida law, they make all the decisions for the child. This is an adoption by two women, with him receiving certain rights."
Judging by the comments on the above-linked Miami Herald article, we can expect our enemies to leap upon this case.

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Photo Of The Day

I've blogged quite a bit about the construction of the Second Avenue Subway here on the Upper East Side, but haven't said much about the project to connect Long Island Railroad to Grand Central Terminal.
Buried 16 stories beneath Grand Central Terminal a new commuter rail is being blasted and tunneled out of solid bedrock as part of an audacious $15 billion development that will span 14 miles throughout the city. The grand concourse, seen at a massive eight stories high surrounded by dripping stone walls and lapping puddles, will provide more floor space than New Orleans' Superdome stadium when finished. It is just one of three monumental projects underway beneath New York City's streets to expand what's already the nation's biggest mass transit system transporting 5 million riders a day.

But even with blasting and machinery grinding through the rock day and night, most New Yorkers are blithely unaware of the construction or the eerie underworld that includes a 160-foot cavern, miles of tunnels and watery, gravel-filled pits. Down below them, engineer Michael Horodniceanu says it's an astonishing sight that gets him every time. 'I look at it and I'm in wonder, I'm in awe,' said Horodniceanu, president of capital construction for the state Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 'I feel like when I went to Rome and entered St. Peter's Basilica for the first time. ... I looked at it and said, "Wow, how did they do that?"' 
Hit the link for many more very cool photos. So far the digging under Grand Central has removed enough material to cover all of Central Park under a foot of rock.

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Liberty Counsel: The SPLC Has Made Us The Target Of Violent Homosexuals

"The Southern Poverty Law Center has a long history of maliciously slandering pro-family groups with language and labels that incite hatred and undermine civil discourse. In the issues of family and marriage, Christians are literally in the crosshairs of radical homosexual activists, and the SPLC is fueling the hatred and providing the targets. The SPLC should be held accountable for its reckless acts. Even more disturbing than the SPLC’s irresponsible behavior is the fact that the Obama Administration is in bed with this group. What the SPLC and other homosexual activists are doing is intentional and dangerous. It is time to end the dangerous rhetoric and resume a civil discourse on the subject of natural marriage and morality." - Liberty Counsel president Mat Staver, responding to yesterday's guilty plea by the FRC shooter.

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Ellen Degeneres On Boy Scouts Delay

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Matt Moore: I Sold My Computer So That I'm Not Tempted By Hot Hot Men

"I have sold my computer and have had someone put a lock on my phone where I cannot download apps or access the Internet through a non-filtered browser. Ultimately, this isn't the solution. My heart being captured by the grace of God and brought into humble obedience is the solution. But not taking precautions is dumb, so these are the precautions I have taken.  The same thing I have always said: Jesus is better than sin. It doesn't matter what the specific sin is, Jesus is better. He is more valuable, comforting and satisfying than homosexual behavior, and I can say that from experience. If you fall, get back up and keep pursuing Him. If Jesus went as far as to die for your sin, why would He not help you up when you stumble? The world will tell you to embrace your homosexual desires because it'll make you happy in this life. Jesus tells you to deny yourself and follow Him and promises to give you eternal life if you do. You must decide everyday who you will believe and who you will follow: the way of the world or the Way of Jesus Christ." - "Ex-Gay" activist Matt Moore, in an interview with the Christian Post.

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Brian Brown: It Could Have Been Me

"It could have been me or my staff. That crossed my mind when I learned the deeply disturbing breaking news: The Family Research Council shooter told the FBI he used the Southern Poverty Law Center's 'hate group' designation on their website to ID and target his victims for a would-be mass murder rampage. So far, according to the Associated Press, the SPLC has refused to comment on what it now knows about the damage its hate list caused.

"An innocent man was shot because a killer openly and admittedly used the SPLC's list to pick out and target his victims — and SPLC has no comment? No comment on the chilling revelation that this disturbed man, inspired by the SPLC's hate group list, walked into FRC with 50 rounds of ammo and Chick-fil-A sandwiches that he intended to smear on the mouth of each of his victims!

"Let me make something clear here: I do not blame gay people for this shooting. Most homosexual people are law-abiding fellow citizens, equally appalled by violence. I do blame the Southern Poverty Law Center for taking organizations of other decent, law-abiding fellow-citizens, and lumping them in with neo-Nazis, labeling them 'hate groups,' as part of a deliberate strategy to marginalize, stigmatize, and repress the speech and democratic rights of conservative Christians." - Hate group leader Brian Brown, again denouncing the SPLC, which does not list his group.

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The Predicktor

Oh brother.

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Empire State Building Run-Up

Yesterday 724 runners raced up the 1576 steps to the top of the Empire State Building. The winners in both the men's and women's races were Australians. Via Gothamist:
The top spots went to two folks from Down Under. Mark Bourne, 29, was the winning man with a time of 10 minutes and 12 seconds while Suzy Walsham, 39, clocked her fourth win with a time of 12 minutes and five seconds. For reference, last year's winning climbs were 10:10 (men) and 12:39 seconds (women). The record for the fastest to the top—which raises money for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation—remains 9:33, a time that was achieved in 2003.

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Ukraine Considers Gay Rights

Back in October, the Ukrainian Parliament overwhelmingly approved the first reading of a bill that would ban "gay propaganda."  But final passage of that bill has since been stalled after it appeared to threaten Ukraine's long-desired membership in the European Union.  Yesterday Ukraine flip-flopped.
Ukraine’s foreign minister Leonid Kozhara stated that a law prohibiting discrimination against gays will be adopted soon, in order to speed up visa entry harmonization with the European Union. During an interview with the Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza, Kozhara stated yesterday (7 February): "The issue of homosexuals is now generating strong controversy in Ukraine, but our government has already prepared a draft law and will soon submit it to the parliament. Without a law that prohibits discrimination against gays, we cannot move on the road to abolition of visas. I think that the will to further integration with the European Union outweighs the resistance, and the law will be passed."
Next week Ukraine will submit their proposed bill to the European Union.

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Broadway Bares: Coming Attractions

Possibly not work-friendly.

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Headline Of The Day

The Los Angeles Times breaks the story:
In the midst of renewed public outrage over its handling of the priest molestation cases, the Los Angeles Archdiocese is considering a $200-million fund-raising campaign. The archdiocese has hired a New York company, Guidance in Giving, to study the feasibility of a capital campaign that would shore up the church’s finances.

The archdiocese is $80 million in debt, according to a recent church financial report. In 2007, the archdiocese agreed to a record $600-million settlement with more than 500 alleged victims of priest abuse. The consultants conducting the six-month study are interviewing every pastor in the archdiocese, as well as lay leaders.

A spokesman for the church said initial feedback has been “very positive.” The funds used would “be put into various endowments earmarked to support the pastoral priorities of the archdiocese, as well as for the general repair and upkeep of our parish churches and schools,” spokesman Tod Tamberg said in a statement. The campaign would be the archdiocese’s first in 60 years.

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Tired Old Queen At The Movies #111

Clip description:
For Valentine's Day, here's a touch of Hitchcock. Psychiatrist Ingrid Bergman treats and falls in love with an amnesic and possibly homicidal doctor played by Gregory Peck in David O. Selznick's lavish production of Alfred Hitchcock's SPELLBOUND (1945). With Oscar nominated support from legendary Russian actor Michael Chekhov and a haunting -- and Oscar winning score -- by Miklos Roza, SPELLBOUND proves that "the master of suspense" was the master of romance as well.

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Thursday, February 07, 2013

LOS ANGELES: Lesbian Officers Targeted By Fugitive Ex-Cop Suspected Of Murder

Multiple law enforcement agencies across southern California are conducting a joint manhunt for a former Los Angeles cop suspected of murdering three people, including a member of the LAPD. Local news outlets have published a lengthy manifesto from Christopher Dorner, 33, in which he vows revenge on lesbian, Latino, and Asian members of the police. An excerpt:
Those Hispanic officers who victimize their own ethnicity because they are new immigrants to this country and are unaware of their civil rights. You call them wetbacks to their face and demean them in front of fellow officers of different ethnicities so that you will receive some sort of acceptance from your colleagues. I’m not impressed. Most likely, your parents or grandparents were immigrants at one time, but you have forgotten that. You are a high value target.  Those lesbian officers in supervising positions who go to work, day in day out, with the sole intent of attempting to prove your misandrist authority (not feminism) to degrade male officers. You are a high value target. Those Asian officers who stand by and observe everything I previously mentioned other officers participate in on a daily basis but you say nothing, stand for nothing and protect nothing. Why? Because of your usual saying, ” I……don’t like conflict”. You are a high value target as well.
Dorner claims to have been fired in 2011 after he filed an excessive force complaint against a fellow police officer.

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Code Pink Forces Suspension Of Senate Confirmation Hearing For CIA Director

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1000+ Flights Canceled For Blizzard

This afternoon major airlines announced the cancellation of over 1000 flights in advance of the arrival of tomorrow's nor'easter.
Already, as of 2:45 p.m. ET on Thursday, more than 1,000 U.S. flights have been canceled for Friday, according to FlightAware. The bulk of that total comes at Northeast airports that are likely to see severe weather. Among those is Newark Liberty, which tops the list with more than 490 of its Friday flights already canceled. United Airlines, which operates a major hub at Newark, has axed 365 mainline flights Friday as well as dozens of others operated by its regional affiliates, as of 3 p.m. ET. "We expect all the majors to have announced a significant chunk by this evening," FlightAware's Duell adds.
United, American, JetBlue and Delta have waived flight change fees at dozens of the affected airports.  Boston Mayor Tom Mennino has ordered the closing of public schools for tomorrow.  The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard watch for Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Long Island. Amtrak has cancelled some trains from Boston to Maine and local news reports that changes that affect service to New York City might be announced later today.

Via New York Times:
By the time the storm has passed through the New York area, sometime on Saturday, forecasters predict it will have dumped as much as a foot of snow in the area, while delivering blistering winds reaching 50 m.p.h., and flooding coastal areas. If the current models hold, the storm could rival the blizzard of 1978 in New England, when more than 27 inches of snow fell in Boston and surrounding cities. That storm, which occurred on a weekday, resulted in dozens of deaths and crippled the region for days. Peter Judge, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, said more than 20 agencies had gathered at the agency’s operations center in Framingham, Mass., where they were preparing for a historic storm.
UPDATE: Boltbus has cancelled all service to Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston for tomorrow. Megabus has cancelled all service to Boston.

UPDATE II: The blizzard warning has been extended to include New York City.
The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning from 6 a.m. Friday to 1 p.m. Saturday, meaning major travel delays from the 35 mile-an-hour wind gusts, heavy snow and rain, said Joe Pollina, a weather service meteorologist. “The city could see anywhere from 10 to 12 inches of snow,” he said, with a dusting overnight Thursday changing to rain and snow Friday, and then back to heavy snow overnight and into Saturday. New Yorkers started stocking up on supplies and shovels ahead of the storm. “We’re selling out of everything. The most popular item is the trunk shovel that fits in your car,” said Katherine Wankel, whose family has owned an Upper East Side hardware store for 117 years. If everything falls the way it has the potential to it could be among the top 10 snowstorms in New England history, said meteorologist William Babcock.
UPDATE III: NYC government has issued an alert.

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Indiana Drops Marriage Ban Referendum

The Indiana legislature will not ask voters to ban same-sex marriage. Not this year, at least.
Earlier today legislative leaders from both the Senate and House announced that they will not move forward a bill this year that would put a constitutional amendment on the ballot that would deny any recognition of gay and lesbian couples and their families. There remains the possibility that this could still come up in 2014, however. By tabling the discussion for this year, Indiana legislators recognize that this divisive issue takes away from other important issues facing Hoosier families. Many leading Indiana employers, including Eli Lilly, have publicly stated their opposition to the amendment. An Eli Lilly spokesperson recently stated, "We just believe that in order to attract the best and the brightest, we can't have this kind of legislation."

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These Nine People

Details.

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Satan Loves A Full Moon

That's when he activates his powers!

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Meh Mix

Copyranter notes the disappointed look of the cat on the generic bag. If I tried serving that stuff to Shelley, she'd punish me by scattering the contents of her bowl over every inch of the apartment.

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One Million Moms: Stop Sports F-Bombs

"Dear Joe, Together we will hold CBS accountable for airing profanity in front of children and families! The network did not keep their promise that the Super Bowl broadcast would be safe for children and families. CBS aired an unedited 'F-bomb' during the Super Bowl broadcast in front of an estimated audience of 108 million Americans - including tens of millions of children and families. CBS is to blame for not taking precautions against broadcasting it into every home in the country. The network has violated the law and shows no remorse. CBS has had ample time to apologize but has chosen not to. No apology for their error shows lack of responsibility and zero regret." - One Million Moms head Monica Cole, demanding that followers sign her FCC complaint against CBS.

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Freedom To Marry Pledges $2M To Marriage Battles In Multiple States

Chris Geidner has the news at Buzzfeed:
Freedom to Marry, which spent more than $4 million on state marriage efforts in 2012, announced plans Thursday to spend another $2 million on advancing marriage equality in the states in 2013. According to a statement provided to BuzzFeed, Freedom to Marry is starting the 2013 effort — called the Win More States Fund — by investing $800,000 in the six states where marriage bills are being debated: Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Rhode Island.

"Building on our 4 for 4 ballot victories in November, Freedom to Marry is calling on supporters to join us in continuing the momentum and winning still more states in 2013. With the clock ticking on the Supreme Court's review of marriage cases, we want to make as much progress as we can – and with battles already underway now in state capitals, we all need to put our money where our momentum is," Evan Wolfson, founder and president of Freedom to Marry, said in a statement.
Zoom, zoom, zoom!

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NYPD Gives Finger To NYCLU

I recently wrote about the smartphone app that allows users to record interactions with the NYPD and send the video directly to the NYCLU.  The app launches officially today and the NYCLU has posted the below response from two New York City cops.

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FL School Board: Ban All Clubs To Keep Out Gay-Straight Alliance

Several members of the Lake County, Florida school board have proposed banning all extracurricular clubs in order to prevent students from forming a Gay-Straight Alliance.
School Board members Bill Mathias, Debbie Stivender and Chairwoman Kyleen Fischer spoke in favor of a rule that would ban extra-curricular clubs in secondary schools while fellow board members Tod Howard and Rosanne Brandeburg favored banning extra-curricular clubs only in middle schools. Fischer said the district should focus on education and that "social engineering" is not the job of the School Board. "It is not our job to socially mentor students, but to educate them," she said. Howard said he was worried about the clubs that would be lost under stricter rules. "I am very concerned that one club would push out the remainder of the clubs that are doing good things," he said.
The issue arose after a 14 year-old middle school student was denied a permit to form a GSA in response to anti-gay bullying.  So goodbye chess club, drama club.  Them gay kids must be stopped at all costs.

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TODAY: Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

Today is the annual National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. From the website:
February 7, 2013 marks the 13th year for National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, a national HIV testing and treatment community mobilization initiative targeted at Blacks in the United States and the Diaspora. There are four specific focal points: education, testing, involvement, and treatment. Educationally, the focus is to get Blacks educated about the basics of HIV/AIDS in their local communities. Testing is at the core of this initiative, as it is hoped that Blacks will mark February 7th of every year as their annual or biannual day to get tested for HIV. This is vital for those who are sexually active and those at high risk of contracting HIV. When it comes to community and organization leadership, getting Blacks involved to serve is another key focus.
The program is funded by the CDC.

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God Sent The Super Bowl Blackout

The Super Bowl blackout was an act "by the hand of God" and was a warning about the timing of the rapture. So says the Third Eagle of the Apocalypse and Co-Prophet of the End Times. Also: God is working through Hyundai's ad agency.

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MTA Union Hands Out Bloody Cards

Members of NYC's subway workers union are handing out fake MTA cards today in a campaign urging to the city to act on the rising number of passenger deaths and injuries. Several riders have been murdered in recent months by being pushed onto the tracks by mentally ill people.
"The union is sponsoring the outreach to bring public attention to the grave dangers facing passengers every day on the tracks," said a union spokesman, who said that, while the MTA is investigating "numerous high-tech solutions that would cost billions of dollars and take decades to implement," the union already has "a quick, easy and no-cost solution." Subway deaths spiked in 2012, with 55 people killed, up from 47 in 2011 — the highest number of deaths since 2007, according to Metropolitan Transportation Authority stats.

The deaths have sparked interest in potential protections for straphangers, including calls to install pricey platform screen doors, like the ones seen in some European cities and on the JFK AirTrain, plans to rig subway platforms with “intrusion technology” that would sound alerts when someone steps onto the tracks, as well as the union's slow-down plan. The union, which is currently in contract negotiations with the MTA, also wants the MTA to put agents on crowded platforms and install emergency shut-offs to tracks in station booths.
MTA officials have said that installing platform-long barriers and doors is unworkable because the system presently uses several different models of cars, meaning that the doors would not line up for some trains. The MTA is considering testing such a system on the L line, which does not share tracks with other lines and uses only one model of train.

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Quote Of The Day - MN Gov. Mark Dayton

"I believe that every Minnesotan should have the freedom to marry legally the person she or he loves, whether of the same or other sex. Last year, Minnesotans began a conversation about why marriage matters, and we found our common belief that it is about love, commitment, and responsibility. I want Minnesota to be a state which affirms that freedom for one means freedom for everyone, and where no one is told it is illegal to marry the person you love." - Gov. Mark Dayton, speaking yesterday in his State Of The State address to the Minnesota legislature. (Tipped by JMG reader James)

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Del & Xavier - Let Me Tickle Your Fancy

Alex Erickson writes at Paper Magazine:
Since the Scissor Sisters announced their indefinite hiatus at a London show last October the "Let's Have a Kiki" band members have been off working on projects of their own. Guitarist Del Marquis teamed up with Boys Choir of Harlem alumnus Xavier to record a new mixtape, Tickle, available for free download on Del's website. We've got the world premiere of the video for the über-sexy lead track, a cover of Jermaine Jackson's 1982 ditty "Let Me Tickle Your Fancy." The duo chose director Robin Comisar for his gritty, unpolished reel, and he delivered one sexy, '80s-inspired fantasy scene involving a disrobing tennis pro (whom you may recognize as a go-go boy from Daniel Nardicio's underwear parties) and an unlikely voyeur. Enjoy!
Xavier is a pal of mine!

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The Latest Issue of TIME

Rubio will be delivering the Republican response to this year's State Of The Union Address and some wingnuts are very unhappy that he'll be speaking in both English and Spanish.
The decision to name Rubio — the son of Cuban immigrants — to respond to Obama’s address comes as the GOP seeks to broaden its base with Hispanics. The GOP took a drubbing in the 2012 presidential election, as 71 percent of Hispanics voted to re-elect President Barack Obama. They were critical to Obama victories in three key battleground states — Florida, Nevada and Colorado — according to the Pew Hispanic Center.

Only 27 percent of Hispanics voted for the GOP candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, according to Pew. Latinos comprise about 10 percent of the electorate, Pew says. Since the election, Rubio’s profile has been steadily rising — furthering his stature as one of the nation’s best-known Hispanic leaders and an oft-mentioned candidate for president in 2016. In Congress, the first-term senator sits on both the Senate Intelligence and the Foreign Relations committees.

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Dan Savage On Joel Burns

In his latest Take Part clip, Dan Savage revisits the story of openly gay Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns (JMG reader!), whose emotional 2010 speech on bullying went viral, prompting Burns to take the lead in getting Texas to pass a statewide bill against bullying.

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Two Phelps Girls Defect From Westboro

Two of Fred Phelps' granddaughters have defected from the Westboro Baptist Church. One of the defectors is Megan Phelps-Roper, best known for her musical parodies mocking Lady Gaga and other pop stars.  She writes on Medium:
We know that we’ve done and said things that hurt people. Inflicting pain on others wasn’t the goal, but it was one of the outcomes. We wish it weren’t so, and regret that hurt. We know that we dearly love our family. They now consider us betrayers, and we are cut off from their lives, but we know they are well-intentioned. We will never not love them. We know that we can’t undo our whole lives. We can’t even say we’d want to if we could; we are who we are because of all the experiences that brought us to this point. What we can do is try to find a better way to live from here on. That’s our focus. Up until now, our names have been synonymous with “God Hates Fags.” Any twelve-year-old with a cell phone could find out what we did. We hope Ms. Kyle was right about the other part, too, though – that everything sticks – and that the changes we make in our lives will speak for themselves.
RELATED: Libby Phelps Alvarez, who left the cult in 2009, said yesterday that the church regularly prays for people to die.

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Alan Keyes: Gun Control Is A Plot To Murder Hundreds Of Thousands

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Brian Brown On The FRC Shooter

"Standing up for traditional marriage does not make anyone 'anti-gay' and it is deplorable that some reporters covering this issue allow mere opposition to redefining marriage to be labeled as such. It is even more reckless for news reports to allow the charge of 'hate group' to be applied to any organization because their beliefs affirm a traditional Judeo-Christian view of marriage and sexual morality. We hope that media organizations will seriously reflect on these issues knowing that irresponsible 'hate group' charges nearly led to a massacre at the Family Research Council." - Hate group leader Brian Brown, whose organization literally plotted to sow animosity against the African-American community.

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HomoQuotable - Matt Moore

"Despite my recent hypocritical behavior and disobedience to Christ, I stand firmly in saying that the Word of God, in totality, is true in every matter it addresses: including the sin of homosexual behavior. In all of this, the Word of Christ should not be questioned. It is not at fault, I am. Jesus is a good and loving Savior. He is gracious and forgiving to all of those who repent and ask Him for forgiveness. But sin and Jesus cannot be mingled together. I have sinned, and I believe that Christ has forgiven me because I am repenting….. but if I were to continue on in sin and refuse to repent, it would be evident that I have no part with Christ.

"I want to be clear as ever that a true Christian cannot embrace a lifestyle of sin—specifically here a lifestyle of homosexuality. I say this so that you all know I’m not changing my theology and disregarding what the Bible clearly says to make room for my sinful desires. Rather, I’m asking God to change my heart. And no, I don’t mean I’m asking him to change my sexual desires. I’m asking Him to change my heart—-so that whatever my desires may be, I choose Him over them." - Matt Moore, writing on his personal blog where he claims that he never hooked-up with any of those guys on Grindr.  Moore also tweeted me last night to say he "never supported or adopted the term 'ex-gay'."  He adds that he'll be telling his Grindr story on the Christian Post, where he blogs against the evils of homosexuality.

Matt Moore: Yes, I Was On Grindr.

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Open Thread Thursday

Tell us about your hometown. Still there? Ever go back?

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Al Jazeera On LGBT Rights In Asia

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Wednesday, February 06, 2013

New Banner At HRC Headquarters

You might need to embiggen to read it.

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Perkins Claims Boy Scouts Victory

"Last week, it was a done deal. Or so thought some of the Boy Scouts of America's national Board of Directors. The board was poised to revoke their longstanding policy against having openly homosexual leaders and Scouts. Only a perfunctory discussion this week stood in the way, and the board would make the decision, appeasing corporate elites and homosexual activists. A done deal. Then, America stood tall. Thanks to you and countless other Americans who espouse the Scouts' same timeless values, the board wisely decided that the repercussions of such a move made revoking the policy too hot for them to handle. Your countless phone calls, tens of thousands of emails, support in social media, and the half page ad placed in USA Today helped turn the tide." - Hate group leader Tony Perkins, taking credit for today's delay by the Boy Scouts.

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Quote Of The Day - IL Gov. Pat Quinn

"Marriage equality is coming to Illinois. Now, it's time to take the next step in achieving full equality.  Let's pass this bill for marriage equality and let's do it now.  Our Illinois is not a land of discrimination." - Gov. Pat Quinn, speaking today in his State Of The State address to the Illinois legislature. The marriage equality bill is scheduled for a vote before the state Senate on Valentine's Day.  The bill has the backing of state GOP chairman Pat Brady, who has become the target of resignation demands from anti-gay groups.

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Canadian Heritage Minute

I don't think this is an official episode in Canada's famed Heritage Minute series, which runs often on TV there. But it sure is lovely. Queerty has an earlier gay male version which features the filmmaker himself.

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Marc Jacobs For Diet Coke

Diet Coke's ad agency really loves the gay designers. Garth Johnston writes at Gothamist:
When catsh*t crazy designer Karl Lagerfeld was named Diet Coke’s creative director and released his custom Diet Coke bottles we smiled. Because c'mon...Karl Lagerfeld. But that was back in 2011—he was followed by Jean Paul Gaultier at the "helm" in 2012, and now it is time for a new celebrity designer. But did it have to be Marc Jacobs? Isn't it enough he has half the shops in the West Village at this point? And did the 49-year-old fashion mogul have to kick off his stint by taking his clothes off? We know he's been very proud of his new body and all, but still...
Hit the link for the new clip featuring Jacobs.

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IDAHO: State GOP Rep Intro's Bill Requiring Atlas Shrugged In High Schools

Idaho GOP state Sen. John Goedde has introduced a bill that requires high school students to read Ayn Rand's libertarian opus, Atlas Shrugs.  You don't graduate if you can't pass a test on the book.
The 1957 novel has been embraced by libertarians and the tea party movement, in part for its opposition to “statism” and embrace of capitalism, as Rand expressed her philosophy of “objectivism,” focusing on “the morality of rational self-interest.” In recent years, the novel has been touted by conservative commentators including Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck. “When I read Atlas Shrugged, and it’s been probably 30 years since I read it, but it certainly gives one a sense of personal responsibility,” Goedde said. Sen. Cherie Buckner-Webb, D-Boise, questioned the choice of the book for a graduation requirement. “We have a wide variety of children who will be trying to graduate and reading and grasping some of these things, and their cultural context may be different,” she said.
Goedde says he doesn't intend to lobby for the bill's passage, he's just trying to make a statement. After all, that's the book that "made my son a Republican."

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Fox Accuses Clinton Of Face Lift

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Ad Campaign Of The Day

Jezebel has more examples from the ad campaign for a new line of "personal hygiene wipes."

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BRITAIN: Christian Concern Is Concernstipated About Yesterday's Vote

Britain has their own version of Kalley Yanta and today we meet their take on Penny Nance. Here's Christian Concern's Andrea Williams bleating out all of the tired objections as openly gay radio host Neil Sexton rolls his eyes. Entertaining clip.

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Two Minutes Of British Hate #4

Britain's version of Kalley Yanta is back today with the fourth in the Coalition For Marriage's video series. Today C4M also posted seven YouTube clips of anti-gay MPs making speeches at the House Of Commons during yesterday's debate. In the clips' descriptions, C4M celebrates that "175 MPs voted against redefining marriage!"  They make no mention that the bill passed or that 400 MPs voted in favor.

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FRIDAY: Winter Storm Nemo

Forecasters are pondering airport and rail closures this weekend as the nor'easter Nemo bears down on New England. (Things sound so much more serious now that winter storms have names.) Anyway, if you've got travel plans, you might want to keep an eye on things.  This hasn't been much of a winter so far around here.

UPDATE: Gawker is mocking the conflicting forecasts with the headline: "NYC Will Get Either 3 Or 30 Inches Of Snow This Weekend."

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Rep. Jared Polis Introduces Bill To Decriminalize Marijauna Possession

Openly gay Rep. Jared Polis today introduced a House bill that would decriminalize the possession of marijuana and allow states to collect taxes on legal sales.
Polis said he expects his measure could draw bipartisan support from fellow Democrats and from Republicans, especially those with Libertarian leanings. "The more states lead the way, the more pressure it puts on Congress to recognize that the drug war has failed policies," Polis said. Polis' act would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act; transfer the DEA's authority over marijuana to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Marijuana and Firearms, which would be tasked with regulating marijuana like it does alcohol; and require marijuana producers to purchase a permit. States could choose to continue to outlaw marijuana production or use of the drug in their states, and it would be illegal to transport marijuana to a state where it's not legal. Boulder attorney Jeff Gard, who has represented several medical marijuana businesses, said he will be traveling to Washington, D.C., in coming weeks to advocate for Polis' legislation.
Voters in Polis' home state of Colorado voted in November to legalize personal use of marijuana.

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FRC Shooter Pleads Guilty

The man who last October shot a security guard at the Washington DC headquarters of the Family Research Council today pleaded guilty to several felony charges related to the shooting.
Floyd Corkins pleaded guilty to one federal count of crossing state lines with guns and ammunition. He also pleaded guilty to one count of intent to kill while armed and one count of committing an act of terrorism with the intent to kill. Those last two counts are District charges. Prosecutors say Corkins, who had been volunteering at a center for gay, lesbian and transgender people, was carrying ammunition and Chick-fil-A sandwiches in his bag. Chick-fil-A was making headlines at the time because of its president's stated opposition to gay marriage.
Corkins' crime at the FRC office prompted several other anti-gay groups to claim to have been on his "hit list."  Thus far the FBI has not released any such list. Virtually every LGBT group in the nation strongly denounced the attack immediately after it took place.

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HomoQuotable - Evan Wolfson

"With France and Britain poised to become the next countries to embrace the freedom to marry, it's clear that the momentum we see here in the United States for ending marriage discrimination is, in fact, a global movement toward greater freedom and equality for all - and the U.S. should be leading, not lagging. America cannot afford to fall behind its closest allies and trade partners in this global economy, and needs to do right by its families, as a right-of-center British prime minister and left-of-center French president have called on their parliaments to do, with resounding success." - Freedom To Marry head Evan Wolfson, in a press release noting this week's victories in Britain and France.

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Suede - It Starts And Ends With You

From their first album in over a decade.

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Boy Scouts Delay Decision

UPDATE: Here's the official statement.
For 103 years, the Boy Scouts of America has been a part of the fabric of this nation, providing it's youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. In the past two weeks, Scouting has received an outpouring of feedback from the American public. It reinforces how deeply people care about Scouting and how passionate they are about the organization.

After careful consideration and extensive dialogue within the Scouting family, along with comments from those outside the organization, the volunteer officers of the Boy Scouts of America's National Executive Board concluded that due to the complexity of this issue, the organization needs time for a more deliberate review of its membership policy.

To that end, the executive board directed its committees to further engage representatives of Scouting's membership and listen to their perspectives and concerns. This will assist the officers' work on a resolution on membership standards. The approximately 1,400 voting members of the national council will take action on the resolution at the national meeting in May 2013.
UPDATE II: The HRC reacts.
Every day that the Boy Scouts of America delay action is another day that discrimination prevails,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “Now is the time for action. Young Americans, gay and straight, are hurt by the inaction associated with today’s news. The BSA leadership should end this awful policy once and for all, and open the proud tradition of Scouting to all.”

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USPS To Suspend Saturday Mail

Starting in August, you won't be getting mail on Saturdays.
The financially struggling U.S. Postal Service plans to stop delivering mail on Saturdays starting Aug. 1, the agency is set to announce Wednesday. This means that for the first time Americans will receive mail only five days a week, a significant shift for the storied mail agency, which has suffered tens of billions of dollars in losses in recent years with the advent of the Internet and e-commerce. USPS plans to continue Saturday delivery of packages, which remain a profitable and growing part of the delivery business. Post offices would remain open on Saturdays so that customers can drop off mail or packages, buy postage stamps, or access their post office boxes, officials said. But hours likely would be reduced at thousands of smaller locations, they said.

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It's National Gay-Straight Alliance Day

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Rep. Paul Broun To Run For Senate

Back in October, Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) announced that evolution is a "lie straight from the pit of hell" and that anybody who doesn't believe the earth was created in six days needs Jesus.  He further declared that his votes in Congress were done under "direction from the Holy Bible."  Today Broun will declare his candidacy to replace Saxby Chamblis in the Senate.  This is good news.
A Broun candidacy would likely be welcome news for Democrats eager to revisit the list of Broun's incendiary remarks and to paint Broun as extreme—a label establishment Republicans are fighting against this election cycle after their 2012 presidential loss. Broun has also openly questioned President Barack Obama's citizenship and, last month, suggested Obama abides by the "Soviet constitution." Broun would likely be challenged in the primary. Former Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel and Georgia Rep. Tom Price are among the Republicans regarded as potential candidates.
PREVIOUSLY ON JMG: Paul Broun calls for armed militias to revolt against the federal government. Paul Broun calls for Congress to declare it to be the "National Year Of The Bible."  Paul Broun says that President Obama is planning to create Gestapo-like force to impose a dictatorship.  Paul Broun authors a bill to block the sale of Playboy on military bases.

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