TampaYankee

Just reported by Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC that Franken has increased his lead to a total of 312 votes after the count of the additional 400 votes that the MN court validated. 1:25 PM That is an increase from 225. The ball is now in Republican Gov. Pawlenty's court. Let's let the MN Supreme Court have it's say before the Gov.

Vermont Legalizes Gay Marriage, Overrides Governor's Veto http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/07/v...r_n_184034.html DAVE GRAM | April 7, 2009 12:16 PM EST | AP MONTPELIER, Vt. — Vermont on Tuesday became the fourth state to legalize gay marriage _ and the first to do so with a legislature's vote. The House recorded a dramatic 100-49 vote _ the minimum needed _ to override Gov. Jim Douglas' veto. Its vote followed a much easier override vote in the Senate, which rebuffed the Republican governor with a vote of 23-5. Vermont was the first state to legalize civil unions for same-sex couples and joins Connecticut, Massachusetts and Iowa in giving gays the right to marry. Their approval of gay marriage came from the courts. Tuesday morning's legislative action came less than a day after Douglas issued a veto message saying the bill would not improve the lot of gay and lesbian couples because it still would not provide them rights under federal and other states' laws. House Speaker Shap Smith's announcement of the vote brought an outburst of jubilation from some of the hundreds packed into the gallery and the lobby outside the House chamber, despite the speaker's admonishment against such displays. Among the celebrants in the lobby were former Rep. Robert Dostis, D-Waterbury, and his longtime partner, Chuck Kletecka. Dostis recalled efforts to expand gay rights dating to an anti-discrimination law passed in 1992. "It's been a very long battle. It's been almost 20 years to get to this point," Dostis said. "I think finally, most people in Vermont understand that we're a couple like any other couple. We're as good and as bad as any other group of people. And now I think we have a chance to prove ourselves here on forward that we're good members of our community." Dostis said he and Kletecka will celebrate their 25th year together in September. "Is that a proposal?" Kletecka asked. "Yeah," Dostis replied. "Twenty-five years together, I think it's time we finally got married." Craig Bensen, a gay marriage opponent who had lobbied unsuccessfully for a nonbinding referendum on the question, said he was disappointed but believed gay marriage opponents were outspent by supporters by a 20-1 margin. "The other side had a highly funded, extremely well-oiled machine with all the political leadership except the governor pushing to make this happen," he said. "The fact that it came down to this tight a vote is really astounding." Also in the crowd was Michael Feiner, a farmer from Roxbury and gay marriage supporter, who took a break from collecting sap for maple syrup-making to come to the Statehouse. "I'm taking a break to come and basically make sure that I was here to witness history," he said. The House had initially passed the bill last week with a 95-52 vote.

Your deleted comment in post #13 was a political rant about Obamazombies, skin color, misdirected ideas about GB, the ignorance of whomever you were addressing, your displeasure with his appointments and his handling of the economic crisis. Also the separate thread you started, which was removed, was more political diatribe about the Obama's abroad. You cleaned it up and posted again, but it didn't change the fact that it is a post to provoke political discussion. Clearly, you are hellbent to use these forums for political discussion. It just isn't welcome here.

This is only political opinion designed to invite political discussion. We all get the idea where you are coming from. Mission accomplished. You seem hellbent to flaunt forum policy. It isn't welcome.

My personal line of thinking is: no food fights whether instigated from the left or right. Look, we are not going to countenance political food fights. If you are unhappy with forum policy then you are free to vote with your feet.

No, this is about a cable channel personality and his particular flavor of showmanship. As long as we talk about the man, his demeanor, his showmanship, ratings etc., it is an acceptbale discussion. The fact that his venue is an outlet considered to be conservative in tone and opinions, and many of his opinions align with some conservatives tends to cause some posters to stray across the line to argue the substance of his opinions and opposing views or, more broadly, liberal vs conservative policies, and even more extreme, engage in diatribes about Obama or Bush. I see a difference.

Your answers will have to wait for Oz to come up for air.

Mezzininu sauna

William, front and back

he's 24! I have known Daniel over 3 years and is one of the most fun guys Brazil!! , view is out the window of the Sheraton Hotel there

Porto Alegre

my hotel!

Club117

Tomcal requested that I post these photos for all to enjoy. TY Here are pics of some of the guys from both Rio and Porto Alegre I met this last trip. Rio Pointe Sauna

Canada is very relevant to my interests. Selfishly, I like it best when it's dollar has plunged relative to the greenback.

If that's the case then why aren't California, Gates and Buffet there?

LOL...

Adam, thanks for the post. Both entertaining and informative. Pretty shrewd idea for the G7/8 to bump up the number to 20 + groupies. Those extra bodies may provide some cover if shooting breaks out.

Yes, it does. He was the conservative Bill Moyers before Bill Moyers was Bill Moyers. His loss has left a vacuum on the right of a principled reasoned conservative voice. Unfortunately, he could not exist today as conservative principle has been replaced by conservative dogma. One needs only see how the 'popular' conservatives denigrate their own principle-driven voices: Kathleen Parker, David Frum, Pegg Noonan, George Will, to name a few.

Don't take them too seriously. These cable guys are entertainers, not journalists - whether Beck or Matthews, O'Reilly or Obermann. The make their dinner plate by putting on a show not too elevated above a food fight, not by thoughtful illumination of issues. Sometimes they shed light but that is incidental to their imperative. The show must go on... and to stay on, ratings are paramount. The classic example: the late CNN's Crossfire where heat was much more prized than light. It's all about building and keeping a niche audience. Else, these 'icons' would pen their issues and arguments in thougtful essays online or in print instead of screaming at, or stroking persons on the other side of their desk. The only problem is that doesn't satisfy their ego or pocket book and it overexposes their native intellect to thoughtful scrutiny. For serious discussions see Charlie Rose or Bill Moyers. I can't think of a conservative conterpart to Moyers. You may not agree with his views but he does present thoughtful discussion with a guest on a point of view.

Who asked you to feel guilt? Certainly not I or anyone else that I noticed in this thread. As an aside, one can feel compassion about travesties of history without feeling guilt. As for immigrants, we are all immigrants or from immigrant stock.

That's not at all how I interpreted the message. As an aside, I think the broader view of history is that the vast majority of native peoples didnt sell their lands.

Great experience!! Thanks for sharing, Tomcal. Look forward to the sequel.

I am unaware of any deliberate changes. As another poster mentioned, go to options (upper right in thread) and toggle the settings.

A well-known study familiar to any social psych student. The GOP is searching for its identity and effective leadership at this time. Not so much due to high density living as in the rat study, rather the opposite I'd say. They need more participation, not less. They will find their bearing eventually. Sorry but this topic falls under political discussion, thus out of the scope of this forum.