Jenn Unplugged

A lot of people know about this already, but just in case: Join the Impact is a nationwide, grassroots, simultaneous protest against California's Prop 8 and all anti-marriage amendments. Everyone is meeting at 1:30 pm EST this Saturday, November 15, to start marching. Here in Austin, we're meeting at City Hall at 12:30. You can find out where to meet up in your city by going here.

Carter and I will be meeting up with friends to march in support of GLBTQ friends and family, in the hope that they will one day be able to enjoy the same rights Doug and I do as a married couple. Doug will be on his way back from New York at the time and so can't attend, but he will be there with us in spirit.

There was a bit of a line even on a Friday afternoon at 3:30, to our surprise. I stood there after voting and stared down at my summary before pressing the button to cast my vote, and thought about the fact that my son was born into a time when a black man just might be elected president of the US. That was something I hoped I'd see in my lifetime, but I wasn't sure I would. Amazing. :-)

So who is this Joe the Plumber guy anyway? Apparently not really a licensed plumber. Oh, and he's in the infamous Keating family. He even did time for his part in the Keating S&L scandal. And he's given a heck of a lot of money to the Republicans over the years.

Undecided voter, my ass. Slimy politics, much?

Dude, I think I need to take a bath now. *shudder*

Credit to various folks on obama_2008 for those links.

Edit to clarify: After some initial confusion, those last two links actually refer to Joe's father, Robert. There is some chatter that he may have been a McCain campaign plant, and I'm almost cynical enough to believe it. At any rate, if you saw him on CNN tonight, he sure sounded like a neocon.

Jesus was a Community Organizer. Pontius Pilate was a Governor.

Edit: Sweet!

obama_2008 is a really fun community to watch. :-D

Edit to add: One of the things that's come out of the RNC that's really baffling me is the scorn and outright mockery of community organizers. I mean, seriously? Mocking people who devote their time and energy to helping people make their lives better? Missionaries often serve as community organizers in the places they serve and work. The idea that Republicans would stoop to mocking that kind of work is just... I have no words.

Here is more information on how community organizers are fighting bck:

http://organizersfightback.wordpress.com
http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/010538.html

Carter really likes watching the speeches. I think he probably just likes to watch the faces on the big screen, but it's still very cool to see my son's face light up when Al Gore speaks. :-D

Oh, and lolobama, hee!

Okay, seriously, WTF??? Is Elizabeth Dole really this stupid?

A plan by Senator Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) to rename the current AIDS relief bill after the late conservative Jesse Helms has caused an uproar.

Among those offended by Dole's proposition are Tom Viola, the Executive Director of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, and Philip S. Birsh, the President and Publisher of Playbill, who also serves as the BC/EFA Treasurer.

Helms was a long-time opponent to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and research. In fact, the blog Joe.My.God has recalled many of Helms' AIDS-related comments:

• Jesse Helms, the man who in 1987 described AIDS prevention literature as "so obscene, so revolting, I may throw up."

• Jesse Helms, the man who in 1988 vigorously opposed the Kennedy-Hatch AIDS research bill, saying, "There is not one single case of AIDS in this country that cannot be traced in origin to sodomy."

• Jesse Helms, the man who in 1995 said (in opposition to refunding the Ryan White Act) that the government should spend less on people with AIDS because they got sick due to their "deliberate, disgusting, revolting conduct."

And she wants to name the bill after him, really? This is so disgusting, I have no words.

Article here.


Update: Okay, the date of the press release from Equity Fights AIDS must have been screwed up, because the bill was just passed last Thursday, WITHOUT Dole's proposed amendment to change the name. So, crisis averted. But still? Not cool, Lizzie. So not cool.

Just received this urgent public health warning from my aunt in an email:

The Center for Disease Control has issued a warning about a new and virulent strain of Sexually Transmitted Disease. The disease is contracted through dangerous and high-risk behavior. The disease is called Gonorrhea Lectim and pronounced "gonna re-elect him" Many victims contracted it in 2004, after having been screwed for the past four years. Naturalists and epidemiologists are amazed at how this destructive disease originated only a few years ago from a bush found in Texas.

The sad thing is that we have four candidates on the ballot for governor in Texas, and while the Republican candidate has about a third of the vote according to the polls, the rest of the vote is split almost equally between the other three candidates. I'm not sure whether a majority is required to elect a governor here or if a plurality will do, but it's sad to think that two-thirds of the voters don't want to vote for the guy who will likely win. In what universe is that really democracy?

It annoys me to no end when people cherrypick verses from the Bible to justify their own hatred and bigotry, while conveniently ignoring all the stuff Jesus said about loving other people. So this site is cracking me up'

A quote: Shrimp, crab, lobster, clams, mussels, all these are an abomination before the Lord, just as gays are an abomination. Why stop at protesting gay marriage? Bring all of God's law unto the heathens and the sodomites. We call upon all Christians to join the crusade against Long John Silver's and Red Lobster. Yea, even Popeye's shall be cleansed. The name of Bubba shall be anathema. We must stop the unbelievers from destroying the sanctity of our restaurants.



On a related note, I attended a vigil at the Capitol last night to encourage people to vote NO on Prop 2. I need to go pick up some yard signs this weekend...