JKane

Gen Silent Some article or study on this subject seems to come up in here every month or so, it seems to be something many of us worry about.

At least the pap boybands have a little vocal training and ability. Better than the endless waves of autotuned stupid spoiled whores, latest being Nicki Minaj!

Did anybody turn around?

Sometimes. There was a time when the worrying and anxiety got to be a bit much, discovered the magic of Ativan/lorazepam. It's kind of a magic drug--resets the give-a-shit o-meter to zero. But I haven't needed it in years. Not at all surprised on the story, there seems to be a general negative link between happiness and intelligence. Though that makes one start to wonder how Fox"THE LIBERALS WILL MURDER EVERYONE YOU LOVE"News works to panic its brilliant viewers...

Here's a story with details about the rape case, for a while there Halliburton was managing to keep it out of court entirely using some very dodgy provisions on immunity the Bush administration put in.

The federal government pays at least tens of thousands of people as or through contractors. But they don't want the lowest bidder winning by doing unethical things, so they set standards for citizenship, working conditions, etc. They've also had anti-discrimination stuff in there forever, same as any other public-sector worker, and this would've added sexual preference to that policy. It's not quotas or mandatory hiring, it's fairness in hiring and recourse for any firing that can shown to be related. Thing is, far worse has happened with some federal government contractors, including brutal employee rapes and civilian deaths. So while this would be nice (or better yet, maybe don't contract out every damn thing!) there are bigger problems at the moment...

Damn it, well, two steps forward, one step back is better than standing still or backpedling, but the article makes it sound like a win-win no-brainer. I could see maybe some troubles with security contractors and the like, especially in foreign lands, but otherwise it seems pretty innocuous.

That they disclosed who they worked for and/or tried to get freebies because of it is inexcusable. Very unprofessional and even if they aren't fired I bet there's some anti-counterfeiting postings in the ass-end of nowhere with their names on them! SS agents should be all about discretion. Scoring on the downlow is actually a pretty good test for that!

The damaged brands list didn't seem that damaged. Where the FUCK is BP? Walmart? HP is far more deserving than many of the companies on there too, when they wavered on being in the PC business it shook confidence in them to the core and that's after all the money they through out failing in the cell phone market! To this day finding what you to buy, configuring it how you want and actually completing the purchase is a near-impossibility on their fucking website. Carly was a fucking joke for Senate, obviously Caeron has more personal knowledge but I always got the impression a lot of problems at HP happened under "her watch" even if they weren't her. Like the spying business!

The thing that kills me is the average Fox "News" viewer fully in support of cuts that will directly affect them negatively, because they've been sold a bill of goods about how "one day" it could affect them too! Meanwhile middle class and lower benefits are routinely slashed. Because THE DEFICIT, BOOGA BOOGA! But tax cuts for the "job creators" will pay for themselves--even though they never have before!

I fully admit I had (and still have) a visceral HATRED of Bush II--but believe it is justified. The similar hatred of Obama from so many on the right and in the Tea Party fringe when he's not actually done anything is what's mystifying!

Yeah, I know the resources are out there, I even have a acquaintance who's tutored LSAT. I just haven't started to look into it at all... yet. It's kind of daunting since for the reasons I'd pursue it a Masters is mostly worthless. Not ready to start on a PHD quite yet!

I drove past a Dale Evans BLVD today and it kinda pissed me off, in light of this. I've seen them in other cities as well!

I'm just worried that the audience will be a cross between the Twilight audience and the usual male strip club audience (drunk entitled obnoxious bitches wall to wall). If that doesn't qualify as a circle of hell I don't know what does! But on the other hand, Matt Bomer nude or semi-nude. Yeah, I'll see it. Just not opening week!

Especially Great Brittan which generally seems much more tolerant, in the impression I get from watching most of their TV anyway... London Mayoral Candidates Out-Gay Each Other; Brian Paddick Talks Bullying Brian Paddick used to be London's top gay cop. Then he was a mayoral candidate. Then he was a contestant on I'm a Celebrity: Get Me Out Of Here. Then he was an author. Now he's a mayoral candidate again -- as ever, with the Liberal Democrat party -- and at a forum on LGBT issues with his fellow major party candidates, he opened up about having been bullied for his sexual orientation when he was a student, and decried homophobia in the police force. From the BBC: Mr Paddick said: "When I was in school I remember being manhandled, about to be thrown into a freezing pool of water fully clothed because I was gay, until a teacher intervened. "I also remember boys trying to strip me naked and luckily my brother found out and came to rescue me." Mr Paddick, a former Metropolitan Police officer, said: "There needs to be an absolute culture change in the police. I will put that pressure on to deal with racism and homophobia within the police." The other candidates on-hand -- including incumbent Boris Johnson of the Conservative Party and ex-mayor Ken Livingstone of the Labour Party -- spent their time on the dais trying to out-gay-friendly each other. Livingstone said that London is "gay-friendly" already, but not nearly gay-friendly enough; Johnson boasted of walking "every mile" of the city's annual pride parade, and promised to put out an honest-go-goodness "gay manifesto" before election day. Read more: http://www.towleroad.../#ixzz1s7etpfMg Although a Mayoral gay-off does show it's pretty different, I suppose!

I fully agree but believe it goes back far further that you're recalling. I don't consider their opposition to Clinton to have been minor at all and it preceded Lewinski. The Republican establishment was extremely obstructionist and downright disrespectful from the very start. And the things many right wingnuts have implied or openly said aren't far off from the rabid froth the Republican Establishment has worked up in their drones over Obama. Stuff like claiming the Clintons murdered Vince Foster. And let's never forget them standing on the floor of the House of Representatives yelling "wag the dog" every time Clinton fired a fucking Tomahawk into Afghanistan! An atmosphere that actively prevented his administration from doing more against OBL. Yes Clinton had personal failings, but he also lived in an atmosphere of a witch hunt from day one. A sitting president should never have been called under oath for such petty bullshit (and one with balls would've refused or refused the questions instead of lying under oath, I concede). Bush I is widely known to have had a mistress (how he fucked Barbara even the 6 documented times is beyond me...) but while that was politely ignored, the Republicans then changed the culture 180 degrees when they didn't get their way. This massive anti-Clinton attitude was the major reason I didn't support Hillary for President. I incorrectly figured it was just for the Clintons and didn't see the point in taking on the baggage of all that hatred and obstructionism from day one for a candidate (/person) who'd never (yet) inspired me. I was very surprised when President Obama experienced exactly the same thing (if not worse with the Tea Party racist bullshit) FROM DAY ONE. I also disagree with TY that there wasn't hatred for Bush II from the left. I've never hated a politician/public figure more in my life, though I feel this was well deserved. It's like this is the new normal, and has been for 20 years now, and I think we all agree it fucking sucks.

Just noticed over at BIE... So when does Lucky get back?

Exactly my thought! Nor Los Angeles or even WeHo... Though I also haven't come up with a major street in areas I frequent which needs a new name...

It's a *very* odd video and detracts from the song. But there's something about her voice (reminds me a little of Tori Amos) and the way the song is written that kept me thinking about it after I initially dismissed it.

My previous two or three phones were HTC, current is Samsung. *All* have been crippled by BS AT&T does to the OSs and long delays in certifying (if ever) new updates be made available for the phones.

Similarly, I hit the "like this" checkmark under your post and received: An error occurred You have reached your quota of positive votes for the day

...and more, it's clearly a national--if not international priority for them! Why? Trying to make gays some kind of scapegoat/distraction for when people finally have the courage to stand up to Putin? Russia Rejects G8 Endorsement of LGBT Rights Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hosted the G8 Foreign Ministers at Blair House in Washington D.C. this week and one of the products of the meeting was a statement by the group affirming LGBT rights. It was endrosed by all those present, except for Russia, the Wall Street Journal reports: Following a meeting in Washington, the statement of the G8 Foreign Ministers Meeting Chair said: “The ministers reaffirmed that human rights and fundamental freedoms are the birthright of all individuals, male and female, including lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender individuals. These individuals often face death, violence, harassment and discrimination because of their sexual orientation in many countries around the world.” The document came with a footnote saying “the Russian Federation disassociates itself from this language given the absence of any explicit definition or provision relating to such a group or such persons as separate rights holders under international human rights law.” Russia’s deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said Friday that “under the pretext of protecting the so-called sexual minorities, in effect there’s aggressive propaganda and the imposition of certain behavior and values that may insult the majority of the society.” He added that the international law has no separate norms for the protection of people according to their sexual orientation or gender identity. Russia has been considering a federal version of the law recently passed in St. Petersburg banning gay "propaganda" which bars (and imposes fines for) gay groups, gay books and periodicals, LGBT Pride events, and other "promotion" of homosexuality. Two activists were arrested last week protesting the law. Read more: http://www.towleroad...l#ixzz1s2VCUOKL

Didn't like it at first but Ane Brun has an odd quality to her voice and its growing on me!

Arrests Begin: Straight Allies Protest Russian “Gay Propaganda" Law A straight man was arrested this weekend for holding a sign that says, "A dear family friend is lesbian. My wife and I love and respect her." By Brett Edward Stout Sergey Kondrashov Things are staying contentious in St. Petersburg where a new law banning gay “propaganda” has gone into effect and already resulted in arrests — and not just of gays. A lawyer and St. Petersburg native, Sergey Kondrashov, was arrested by city police Sunday for standing on a street with a sign that read, “A dear family friend is lesbian. My wife and I love and respect her… and her family is just as equal as ours.” As of last week, the new law made signs like his illegal and punishable by jail time and steep fines. Under the vague wording, any positive mention of homosexuality in public, in the media, or on social networking websites can be branded as illegal gay “propaganda." Kondrashov’s actions were part of a larger effort movement of “single person pickets” staged in front of Oktobersky Concert Hall. Organizers hope to keep attention on the plight of supporters of LGBT rights in the city and to rally opposition to the national version of the law, which was recently introduced in the Duma, or lower house of the Russian Parliament. In a letter Kondrashov wrote, “I'm straight, happily married for 16 years. And until last week I would not have been called an activist. But on Sunday in St Petersburg, I was arrested for spreading ‘gay propaganda.’” This letter and a petition they intend to deliver to second-time President-Elect Vladimir Putin is being circulated by the international LGBT rights group AllOut. In his letter, Kondrashov explains why Putin is the intended recipient of this new petition. “I'm appealing to the one person whose influence over the political process in Russia could help us annul this unconstitutional law in St. Petersburg, and make sure it isn't rolled out nationwide,” he wrote. Several other protesters were considered for arrest but police ultimately decided that only Kondrashov’s and Igor Konchetkov’s signs were sufficiently violating the new law. Other signs included quotes from famous Russian composer Tchaikovsky, who himself was gay.

HOW does SanFran not already have one? And how is conservative San Diego about to be the first???