Of course, the best part was my nine year old’s exclamation upon seeing the rainbow, “It’s Gay Day!”

I’d rather not be a cop for language, and I, myself, have the tendency to say things that would offend plenty of people. I’m not all about political correctness. In fact, I think it has gotten out of hand. And, I realize that juveniles all across America are apparently limited in their vocabulary, and cannot find another way of describing things that are “not cool”, other than calling them gay. And, whatever, however ridiculous it may be, it is not really at the core of what has me completely disgusted at this moment. So, if you’re between the ages of 14 and 24, and you’re not my children, and you’re not at your place of employment, have at it, you can call things gay all day long, I’m not out to protest your use of the English language or to change your inept lexicon.

However, when I show up to work, and the Assistant Manager, who is supposed to be a leader with at least some professional etiquette, is standing within earshot of all employees and patrons, is stating not one time but three times, how “gay” something is…well, I have a problem with it. And, then later in the day when the same person calls two other employees “fags” and one of them turns around to express how much he HATES gay people…I have real problem with it.

I’m about as outspoken as one could be, but this isn’t the playground, and these aren’t my so-called friends. I have to work with these people and that changes things just a bit. I can let a lot of things roll right off, and maybe I shouldn’t give a fuck, but the truth is, it’s just not cool. And this why, I cannot imagine that these same people would ever have the balls to replace the word fag with nigger, or spick, or wetback, or kyke, or sandnigger… to name a few. Would they? Fuck no.

And I’ll leave it that, because I think I made my point.

Day of Silence

Day of Truth

Jeff Fecke, my favorite man feminist of Shakesville, hits the nail on the head with Obama and his latest slip of the tongue …here

Thought Theater jabs at the American Quasi-Christian Hetero-Families United in Pesky Cockblocking of People who do not live the prim and proper life of Donna Fucking Reed, also known as the American Family Association, and offers a Top Ten for keeping porn available at hotels…here

A pleasant surprise or has the evangelical movement realized their zenith is over…here

And, an interesting story of how two lives become one…here

Russ Feingold

As General Petraeus and Ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, presented the Bush Administration’s side of the story on the progress or lack thereof in Iraq, Senator Feingold of Wisconsin stood a cut above the rest on this long cumbersome afternoon. Here are just a few highlights:

FEINGOLD: But, General, Al Qaida’s safe haven is in Pakistan, not Iraq.

PETRAEUS: There is certainly a safe haven in Pakistan, as well. The safe havens they had in Iraq are very much under threat.

FEINGOLD: You would agree that the greater safe haven at this point, and their greater operability is in Pakistan or Afghanistan, rather than Iraq, correct?

PETRAEUS: I believe that’s so. Again, I’d go with the intelligence analysts because my focus is in Iraq.

PETRAEUS: What I said, Senator, was that Al Qaida views its central front and its global war on terror as being in Iraq. In other words, in a sense, their main effort. I can’t speak to what they have been doing in the FATA or how they have been growing there. Again, that’s obviously not my area of operation.

FEINGOLD: That’s interesting because Al Qaida said several things.

In fact, Osama bin Laden gave quite the speech in 2004, which I think bears reading. He says that his goal is to destroy the United States by bankrupting the United States. I would suggest what he’s doing to us in Iraq is really his goal: to suck our economic and military capacity. And for us to somehow believe that staying in Iraq is not playing into his hands I think is a mistake.

FEINGOLD: General, you have stated that Iran is backing militias that are targeting U.S. forces. According to the Congressional Research Service, Iran also backs Maliki’s political party as well as the Supreme — Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq and the Badr Brigade.

Isn’t it true that the Iraqi security forces we are arming, training and fighting alongside continue to be infiltrated by militias, including the Iranian-backed Badr Brigade?

FEINGOLD: Well, I see my time’s up. But let me just add the fact that the majority of Iraqi parliamentarians have called for a timetable for U.S. withdrawal. That’s a pretty significant group.

And Prime Minister Maliki was apparently so concerned that the parliament would not agree to a renewal of the U.N. mandate that he basically did an (inaudible) them and signed it without their consent, which, I think, may well have been a violation of Iraqi law.

The full transcript here from the Washington Post.

Hard

Complicated

Fragile

Reversible

To think this is the one conservative I didn’t despise. Sadly, Joe Scarborough, is acting more like an Abercrombie 14 year old.

Summary of my field trip to the town hall meeting starring the not-so-famous-in-da-region Tony Perkins: Truth be told, aside from myself and the moderately conservative couple that offered me a seat at their table, the only other guests who came out to listen and nod along were the sycophant parishioners of the Living Stones Church; the same church that Mr. Perkins had spoken at earlier that afternoon. I would hardly call this a success for the Cafe that already appears to be struggling. But, if nothing else, they can at least add “only queers believe in global warming” and “let the church take care of the illegals because we need that voting block” as new coffee flavors.

It was an open forum, ask and he shall answer, or buy his new book. A majority of the questions were asked by the youth block of Living Stones Church, ranging from “How do we get the teaching of evolution out of our schools?” to “How do we get involved in the government and make our voices heard?”

Pretty bland, with a few attempts at humor along the way. The slick and improved, redemptive voice of the evangelical movement minus the fire and brimstone. What fun is that? And then that one guy, you know that guy, but, he stands up and is undeniably emanating that “I am a closet homosexual” vibe and then goes on to list the most bogus of statistics on the gays, but never gets to a question. That was my in, and I had a pretty good feeling that after just one of my questions, I would be sneered at never to be called on again. This did in fact turn out to be the case. So, I asked, Mr. Perkins, do you stand by the recent statements made by Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council, that gays should be exported from the country? Peter was only trying to illustrate how damaging us gays are to society, however, the FRC loves the sinner and should help them find their way… you get the drift.

My only hope is that Tony Perkins will accept my invitation to return after the Conservative Cafe goes belly up and I turn it in to a gay bar.

Tony Perkins, the President of the Family Research Council and co-author of Personal Faith Public Policy, will be visiting the Conservative Cafe tomorrow for, what seems, will be a speaking engagement along with some book promoting. I have yet to drive by the Conservative Cafe and see very many cars in their lot, so it will be interesting to see just how many people show up for Mr. Perkins. I’ll be able to report back on that though, as I’ve decided to see for myself exactly what this appearance will be all about.

The Family Research Council is part of a larger lobbying effort, combined with the likes of other “pseudo” Christian organizations, that spend their time rallying against such things as abortion, stem cell research, and of course the boogey-man that is homosexuality. They are the Jerry Falwell/Sally Kern type evangelicals that claim that homosexuality is the cause of the terrorist attacks on 9/11 or that the “homosexual agenda” is a worse threat than that of terrorism. In fact, the vice president of the Family Research Council had this to say just a few weeks ago…

So, will the Catholic conservatives of Crown Point, Indiana come out in droves to hear Tony Perkins? Not sure, but I’ll be there with bells on (gay ones, of course) and a few questions. 1. Mr. Perkins, can you explain to my compassionate nine year old, straight A student how exactly his family is a threat to the hetero American families that he goes to school with? 2. Mr. Perkins, I read in one of your brochures online that since you feel that homosexuality is a choice, homosexuals should not be extended equal/civil rights, and so for the sake of argument, could you explain to me how religion is not a choice? I mean sir, you equated that race and religion are inherent, whereas you say that sexuality is not. But, people are not born with religion, so wouldn’t the logical extension of your argument be then that religious beliefs should not be protected as civil rights? 3. Can you explain the $82,000 given to David Duke of the KKK in 1996 in order to get your hands on his mailing list? Of course, I could list questions all day, but it will be tricky enough I suppose to get him to answer even one. The more likely scenario is that I will be asked to leave. We shall see.

Because, somehow, using just one federally decided upon formula to calculate graduation rates is going to make 30% look good? Really? Okay, the “alleged” intent here is to fix one of several boo- boos in the ever-brilliant Every Child Left Behind Act. The claim of the Bush Administration and U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings is that one single full proof formula to be used by all 50 states will make the data more comprehensive. Well, terrific, Margaret Spellings will be able to then see, without any room for uncertainty, that America’s student achievement is utterly abysmal, especially in the poorest of the nation’s cities.

But, where does that leave America’s inner city schools, with graduation rates purportedly at as low as 24.9% in Detroit, and 30.5% in Indianapolis?