Long running BBC radio4 program', Desert Island Disks, this time with my good close and personal friend' Armistead Maupin ( 2011 meaning: we are facebook buddies ) . It's from a few years ago, just put it on in the background and do what ever it is you are doing. LISTEN HERE.
Here we were in 1994, thinking we were all that, George and Judy Jettson an all.... funny that it was such a short time ago, AND such a long time ago... now, where is my flying car?
We are going to have a facebook
quiz to see if anyone - that I don't live with-
can give the proper name for this dish.
Feel free to play on here, as well!
( side bar : this was a difficult story to blog for the more Victorian of the k+b staff.. )
JOBS #1 ! , Get your tea party on!
There are those new Heathers in Washington, DC, and they are getting down to the business of Main Street... LASER beamed focused on the too-slow-to-recover US economy. I mean, that is all Speaker Boehner and his band of Robins have said for the last year. " When we are in, your JOB will be job one, the new GOP and all..."Not so fast there, true belivers...
Same song different Congress
From Mother Jones : "Rape is only really rape if it involves force. So says the new House Republican majority as it now moves to change abortion law.
For years, federal laws restricting the use of government funds to pay for abortions have included exemptions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest. (Another exemption covers pregnancies that could endanger the life of the woman.) But the "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act," a bill with 173 mostly Republican co-sponsors that House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has dubbed a top priority in the new Congress, contains a provision that would rewrite the rules to limit drastically the definition of rape and incest in these cases. With this legislation, which was introduced last week by Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), Republicans propose that the rape exemption be limited to "forcible rape." This would rule out federal assistance for abortions in many rape cases, including instances of statutory rape, many of which are non-forcible. For example: If a 13-year-old girl is impregnated by a 24-year-old adult, she would no longer qualify to have Medicaid pay for an abortion. ( THE REST )
Get raped ( which I am sure you were asking for, anyway...) get pregnant by your rapist ? You better by God be able to show Paul Ryan some bruises.. and some serious ones at that, tramp......
Seems really off kilter , out of place, to be blogging about the stories from Uganda AND what some stupid starlet was wearing on the RC last night... I really just broached it here, in case some of you readers of the k+b did not get the news any other place. I was upset yesterday and I am sorry if I offended anyone..... ( at least I did not go off on facebook.....kyle + learning )
Today the news is worse..... a horrible scene at the funeral of David Kato.... fights, yelling, "Villagers then refused to bury the body at which point a group of Kato's friends, most of whom were gay, carried his coffin to the grave and buried it themselves." Read the full story HERE , from Reuters, HERE for the BBC, if you are interested....
If there is a bright spot, it is that the protests and condemnation are going on globally.....
This is a MUCH larger story than I can come close to doing any justice here on my little play blog. David Kato was a gay rights activist in Uganda, and he was beaten to death with hammers in his own home yesterday afternoon. This has DEEP connections with in the American hard core evangelical community.... almost a 5th column within our country and government that want Christian " sharia" law instated here, with roots that go far into the Republican/tea party....
Rachel Maddow ( google THE FAMILY ) has also done some great coverage of this story. Way too much to read and take in all at once, especially if this is a brand new story for you, and I really was going to let it go with out comment, because , like I said, it's just too much for me. EXCEPT for this :
A tiny big of back story, a group of American Christians went to Uganda to fire the country up to hate gays more than they already did.... " God is Love and all" , one of the ones that went was this ass wipe David Schmierer who is one of the heads of the the main ex gay groups... Schmierer goes to Africa, starts a firestorm of hate.... the leading gay rights advocate gets beaten to death with hammers by a group of people , and this vile human comes out with this statement today: ( story from JMG )
" On Thursday, Don Schmierer, one of the American evangelicals who visited in Uganda in 2009, said Mr. Kato’s death was “horrible.” “Naturally, I don’t want anyone killed but I don’t feel I had anything to do with that,” said Mr. Schmierer, who added that in Uganda he had focused on parenting skills. He also said that he had been a target of threats himself, recently receiving more than 600 hate mails related to his visit. “I spoke to help people,” he said, “and I’m getting bludgeoned from one end to the other.”
As Gay rights advance in the United States, and American Christianists become more and more entrenched in keeping me a second class citizen, it is become harder for me not to paint ALL Christians with the same brush......
Well, well, well, look who is going to rear it's post GLEE ugly head, just in time for the coming 2012's! The GOP in Iowa and New Hampshire are firing up the old WE HATE THE GAY's band that had all those hits back in 2000! In order to stand out in a pack of crazies Sarah, Mike and Mitt will all be out in the cornfields and up in snowy snowy Dixville Notch all trying to out hate each other, with that NOM bus bring up the rear..... so to speak.
Meanwhile today in NEW YORK our old pals over at Quinnipiac came out with a poll showing support for full out same sex marriage at an all time high : "a clear majority of New York voters surveyed support the legalization of same-sex marriage. The survey found 56 percent of voters support it, compared to 37 who do not. Maurice Carroll, the poll spokesman, said this is the highest level of support for the issue ever recorded by Quinnipiac.". I'm pretty sure if this was broken down by voters , it would be even higher.. ( folks in NYC tend to vote..)
As I have written about here before, in New York elections, pro SSM ( same sex marriage ) candidates get HUGE majorities. In this past election, the GOP ran a certifiable crazy man from Buffalo, and turn out was at an all time low.. but still 62.2 % of New Yorkers voted for the pro gay new Governor, Andrew Cuomo. In the 2006 race, with a much higher turn out, much pro-er (?) gay Eliot " socks on" Spitzer took 70% of the vote. New York is a PRO GAY state..
AND yet, we do not have marriage equality. Sails through the New York House every year, and dies in the was gerrymandered Catholic State Senate with the help of one crazy PuertoRican Evangelical Democrat. The GOP has a a ( I think.. ) two vote majority in the Senate this term... so who knows....
Also today, major Diane Rehm fan, Robert F. Kennedy - and ex- brother in law of the current New York Governor ( messy divorce, don't ask..) came out with a video in favor of marriage equality:
So, so very close. Yes, New York recognizes all out of state/ country marriages - sort of - but we need NEED to add New York to the growing list of states that are standing up for all its citizens.
Elton, David and little baby Zachary Jackson, Levon Furnish-John. Happy smiling parents and one very lucky little baby.
Here we are at a HARPS grocery in Mountain Hope, Arkansas. Let's read it together : " Family Shield. To protect young Harps Shoppers. ". PROTECT YOUNG SHOPPERS......
Yes, it could easily just be some rabid homophobic store manager in some no where town Arkansas... but it's just a symptom.. you know. I am MORE than sure that Sir Elton and David could give a hoot, really. But that someone .. whoever thought that just a glimpse of this photo, while waiting in line to buy your dinner would harm the young. The little battles that we have to fight every single day...
And yes, the homo powers that be got wind of this.. ( there is no NO WHERE anymore ) and the the word went out to bury Harps corporate with calls, emails and what ever it is we use to do these sorts of things these days, and the stupid cover came off, but just the fact that it was there at all..... hearts and minds, hearts and minds.
(Elton John was the very first concert I ever went to.....)
President and Mrs. Obama arrive from the White house. Michelle in a " putty " colored Rachel Roy sheath.
After the First Lady chose to wear a British designer's dress to the most recent State Dinner, none other than Mr. Oscar de la Renta had a mild going off, chastising Mrs.Obama for wearing non American designers ( hello! Jason Wu, Thankoon? she put those two American Designers on the map and loves her some M.Kors )
It is a very simple dress, but I do like the color on her... at first , as she was taking her seat, Neil nor I cared for it," just too simple, and somewhat of an odd fit" but it is photographing well. I guess most any necklace would have clashed with the Gabby ribbon. I sort of love it in this picture.
SO, look at what she chose to accessorize with ! These fantastic Lucite bangles!
A heavy blog day today, with a lot of pictures. I really need to find out if I can do slide shows, like the B.Day Bubble does... I think that would be easier for everyone.
Go to the Bubble to see Beth's Beety red velvet cake!
Jane found some old photos of us today.....Some mid-nineties New Years Eve. Thank you so much Jane! I was just asking myself today if kids out and about in 2011 doing things AND having digital cameras are LUCKY or UNLUCKY..... this was a lucky one.
The MOST attractive Kyle, Susan and Beth
Paul, Me, Susan, Beth, Steve
Me, Celia, Pam, Jimmy
Susan, Jimmy, Randell, Jane, Me, a jacket
Jimmy and Janie
A happy Beth Day
Dancing..
A dancing Danno... now, if I remember correctly, there was a great deal of furniture broken this night, and Dan was all pissy about it, UNTILL the photos came out showing dancing Dan ON said furniture......
RED for ones I have seen, mostly thanks to Dahn BOLD for my pic...FULL LIST HERE
Best Motion Picture of the Year Black Swan The Fighter Inception The Kids are All Right The King's Speech The Social Network
127 Hours Toy Story 3 True Grit
Winter's Bone
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role Annette Bening (The Kids are All Right) Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole)
Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone) Natalie Portman (Black Swan)
Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine) [will see this pre Oscar..]
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Javier Bardem (Biutiful) Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network) Colin Firth(The King's Speech)
James Franco (127 Hours) Jeff Bridges (True Grit)
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role Christian Bale (The Fighter)
John Hawkes (Winter's Bone)
Jeremy Renner (The Town) Mark Ruffalo (The Kids are All Right) Geoffrey Rush (The King's Speech)
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role Amy Adams (The Fighter) Helena Bonham Carter (The King's Speech) Melissa Leo (The Fighter) Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)
Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom)
The Gay Superbowl!
Shocking that I have seen so many movies this year, like I said, mostly due to Dahn and a very cold winter! I was all about the Facebook movie right after I saw it, but am drifting back to THE KINGS SPEECH, as time goes on. My pics are not who I think will win, but who , well, I would pick.
Leading Actress
Nicole was really good in such a contained performance, but she has already got one, and a lot of voters may think that Annette Bening is married to Michael Douglas and give it to her.
Leading Actor
Jeff Bridges ate up the screen, but he won last year, James Franco is the host, so I bet he is out, and Colin Firth was very good.
Supporting Actor
you would think Christian Bale's to loose, creepy genius performance, all that Batman money.. but I do think Hollywood thinks he is a major creep, so who knows.... Jeffery Rush could ride a TKS wave , or toss a bone to one of the new guys....
Supporting Actress
HBC for as much a body of work as anything ( Jimmy was just in love with her, post A Room with a View ), and the whole Westwood thing. Leo was outstanding in her role, ( creeped me out! ) in The Fighter... Oscar loves to give himself to young girls, so who knows...
MOVIE
This is the first year they have gone back to nominating so many movies, all to get more BUZZ... I'm fine with it. Seems it will be The Kings Speech if there is, like I said, a wave.. but really, they could just give it to TS3 ... who knows.. NOT Black Swan....
and now, most importantly:
FASHION!
(in the order they came in )
We are just hitting the big stars here, the one's with a track record.
Annette Bening : hmmmm, really sort of phoned it in at this years Golden Globes, Let's just go with she had no idea she was going to win, or had a busy, busy day. As the winner she will be the front runner for the Oscar. Get some new gays Mrs.Beatty, a major designer with some BIG diamonds..
Nicole Kidman: Very rare to have a bad red carpet moment, I voted her one of my best from this years GG red carpet. Always a big name, always happy to have her on a red carpet, now that she is no longer married to the smurf.
Natilie Portman : Many props , like I said, for her Viktor and Rolf, she is a front runner as well, and will be getting pretty darn GREAT with child by the show. Thanks to TLo, all of gay America is hoping she will wear this Christian Dior Haute Couture Spring 2011 . Give yourself a Tuesday pretty break and look at this entire collection.
Michelle WIlliams :Wow! Michelle's ears must still be burning over the massive backlash she got for wearing this Valentino to this years Golden Globes.... it was just a little twee, and ... well, just not red carpet, maybe with out the pixie.
She has had some GREAT red carpet looks, and is expected to step it up for the big show to come
AMY ADAMS : runs very hot and cold on the RC, lets just hope for the best. She would look AMAZING in this otherworldly Armani Privé Haute gown from his Couture Spring 2011 Collection ( do yourself a favor and look at the entire collection HERE )
Helena Bonham Carter : does not give a fuzzy rats ass what you think, she has that British freak flag, and flies it HIGH.. I hope she shows up in the most cracked out / Punked out Vivienne Westwood ever
Annette Bening : hmmmm, really sort of phoned it in at this years Golden Globes, Let's just go with she had no idea she was going to win, or had a busy, busy day. As the winner she will be the front runner for the Oscar. Get some new gays Mrs.Beatty, a major designer with some BIG diamonds.. 
AMY ADAMS : runs very hot and cold on the RC, lets just hope for the best. She would look AMAZING in this otherworldly Armani Privé Haute gown from his Couture Spring 2011 Collection ( do yourself a favor and look at the entire collection HERE )
Helena Bonham Carter : does not give a fuzzy rats ass what you think, she has that British freak flag, and flies it HIGH.. I hope she shows up in the most cracked out / Punked out Vivienne Westwood ever
