Addition to the Blogroll

I was looking at my Sitemeter stats, and noticed someone had come to my blog from Pride Press, a gay-rights blog. I discovered that they (it's a group blog) have me blogrolled on their site, so I'm adding them here. I have not had a chance to read a lot at Pride Press, but from what I have read, it appears to be a very well-written, thoughtful site.

As you folks know, I'm straight, but both the lovely yet talented Mrs 618 and I have lots of gay friends (oh, sh!t, I'm starting to sound like a rethuglican, aren't I?). If you have someone who makes you happy, who completes and fills your life, all the more power to you. I don't care if your partner is the same gender, the opposite gender, transgender, or purple with green polkadots. If you're happy, that's all that matters.

I don't know when Pride Press added me to their blogroll, but thank you, folks, and I'm sorry for the delay in adding you here.

Arizona - the New Kansas?

Arizona, fresh from the ridicule of the "possession of dark skin" law, now has another claim to infamy: a law banning "ethnic studies" classes "that advocate ethnic solidarity, that are designed primarily for students of a particular race or that promote resentment toward a certain ethnic group."

Of course, the honors KKK program will not be affected.

Coupla Updates...

First, to the post entitled "Republican Family Values: The Gift That Keeps on Giving." This post, written last October, discussed some of the "Family Values®" displayed by the rethugs.

• Ted Alvin Klaudt, in a transparent attempt to keep himself out of the news (after being sentenced to 44 years for raping two of his foster daughters and 10 years for witness tampering) has claimed a "common-law copyright" on his name. Good try, but no. Ted Alvin Klaudt is still a pedophile rapist.
• Mark Sanford, whose hike on the Appalachian Trail turned out to be galavanting with his mistress in Argentina, celebrated being cleared of civil and criminal charges in connection with his adultery by partying in Florida... with his Argentinian squeeze.
• Vito Fossella, caught driving drunk while en route to his mistress' house, finished out his term and did not run for re-election. His Wikipedia article has lots of interesting info on "Ol' Family Values® Hisself."

Second, I have taken the opportunity to remove some dead links from the blogroll. 42, Welcome to the Revolution, and Mike's Column are going to be missed. All three were very good. A couple of others -- Dear Leader's Daily Thought and Cut to the Chase -- were deleted in that they haven't been updated in over two years, but both were good.

Jeez...

Six months since my last post? My, how time flies when one is truly disgusted.

Part I - Obama, Son of bush?

First off, we have President Obama, who seems bent on becoming bush Dark. His administration -- campaign promises to the contrary notwithstanding -- has failed to do anything about Gitmo, has tried to support the bush junta's claims to "zeckative privalige" in dealing with secrecy, and has now proposed weakening -- they call it "adjusting" or "tweaking" -- the Miranda warnings, saying that alleged terrorists should be questioned without being informed of their Constitutionally-guaranteed rights. The last time this horrific idea popped up was during the regime of St Ronnie; back then, everyone -- even the police -- opposed weakening the Miranda ruling.

For those not old enough to remember 1966 (and who have never seen any of the ubiquitous cop shows on TV), the Miranda warnings are a recitation of Constitutional rights that a police officer must give a criminal suspect, under certain circumstances (not, as seen on TV, each and every time a cop arrests someone). The warnings were initially criticized by then-President Richard M Nixon (who certainly knew a bit about criminal behavior) as "handcuffing" the police. Research since then has shown, however, that the conviction rates actually increased post-Miranda, in that cops actually had to, you know, investigate and gather evidence and all that good stuff, instead of relying on a coerced confession.

The far Reich-wing fanatics seem to have found a new ally in their effort to demonize anyone darker than Edgar Winter.

Part II - The Watch List and the Second Amendment

Now this one is just too bizarre to believe, yet it is really happening. The NRA's Congressional butt-kissers are fighting a proposal to ban folks on the terrorism watch list from buying firearms. Yup, Lindsey Graham and his gun-nut lunatic friends want to ensure that even though the United States demonizes anyone darker than Edgar Winter (see above), those Allah-lovin' terrists will still be able to pack heat.

And they claim to "love America..."

Part III - Palin & Co

Good God, is this woman still around? Why hasn't she been indicted?!?

And I just LOVE the way Bristol -- who is only 19 years old -- was spotted in a bar after giving one of her patented "let's all be nice and moral now, shall we?" speeches. Even the flippin' Free Republic(!) was annoyed.

I wish the Wasilla Hillbillies would go the hell away.

Part IV - "Family Values" and MC Steele*

Lordy, Lordy, where to start? Yet another "Family Values" Rethuglican has been busted with his boytoy, in this case George Alan Rekers. Rekers, a Baptist minister and anti-gay activist, got caught with a professional rentboy who touts his " 'smooth, sweet, tight ass' and 'perfectly built 8 inch cock (uncut)' and explains he is 'sensual,' 'wild,' and 'up for anything' — as long you ask first. And as long as you pay.' as the Miami New Times put it.

And Mikey Steele asked the party of fiscal responsibility to get him a private plane, like the rest of the rich kids, before he got caught splurging (and perhaps splooging) at a lesbian B&D club.

(* I'm not sure who dubbed him thus, but I first saw it at Dependable Renegade)

Part V - Arizona Wants Me...

...but only if I'm white. The great State of Arizona, the state where Sheriff Joe Arpaio houses inmates in a "tent city" and issues pink underwear, has a new law, allowing the Arizona Schutzstaffel (or ASS) and the Redneck Gestapo to stop anyone darker than Edgar Winter to verify that such "messican bandito" is in the country legally. Now, you just know that only the brown/black/red crowd will be stopped under the provisions of this law since, as one blogger pointed out, there aren't many illegal Canadian or Polish nationals in or around Phoenix.

And what about McCain's adopted daughter Bridget? How many times is she gonna get stopped before Daddy pitches a fit?

__________

And so, in conclusion, let me say that I am disgusted at the current political climate in this country, I am disgusted at the level to which personal responsibility has sunk, and I am disgusted at what has become of our nation of laws.

I wonder if Firestarter 5 will let me crash with him for a few days...