I have to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed the past four months of not worrying about politics. With the election of President Obama I feel like I can finally relax. Having spent the past eight years – ever since Florida was called for Bush, then Gore, then no one, then the Supreme Court fucked up and fucked the nation – consumed with the mind-melting insanity of the Bush Administration and their bumfuckeriness, I felt I could at long last take a break.

But no.

No, no, nopery, no can do. Into my blissfully self-indulgent obsession with all things pop-culture (Grey’s Anatomy’s finale – George!, Lost’s finale – Juliette!, Guiding Light getting cancelled – Otalia!) comes a story so asinine it actually manage to permeate my lalalalalaI’mnotlistening cocoon and it really pisses me off. That would be the brouhaha at Notre Dame over President Obama speaking — what a load of tomfuckery was that? — and it reminds me yet again of the teeth-grinding hypocrisy that surrounds the Catholic Church.

Now, I get that The Church is firmly against the notion of a woman having control over…well, anything whatsoever, really, and has been ever since St. Paul started his misogynistic writings many moons ago so that’s not really what upsets me. It’s the way the Catholics will get all lathered up over abortion because they perceive it as the taking of a human life to the point bishops will vow to deny the holy sacrament of communion to Catholic politicians who are openly pro-choice but who make no such proclamation when it comes to Catholic politicians who are openly pro-death penalty. By remaining silent on this subject while simultaneously giving great voice to the condemnation of those who feel it is a woman’s right to choose sends a message that can be interpreted in only one way: the Catholic Church must be pro-death penalty.

Oh, sure, that’s not their “official” position but it appears to be their tacit one. How else can it be explained? Such unequivocal denunciation of one practice and near silence on the other? According to the Church’s official teachings both are high crimes against the sanctity of life but it would appear that policy only sincerely applies to the unborn; once you come into this world and fuck up (or are black in Texas and can’t afford a competent attorney) you’re on your own, sucka. Cheerio, good luck and all that.

This just pisses me off.

It’s hypocrisy, blatant hypocrisy. Were these same people who could not control themselves over the notion of a pro-choice President Obama coming to speak at their university equally up in arms at the notion of a pro-death penalty politician coming to give a similar speech? Were the bishops who spoke out against the idea of John Kerry being allowed to accept communion equally motivated to protest the notion of the very Catholic former-Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating being given the same sacrament as he allowed his state to shoot to the top of the heap in allowing executions, surpassing even Texas (!) in the number of prisoners put to death per capita?

Yeah. Didn’t think so. 

It’s absurd, as so much surrounding organized religion tends to be. I’m glad President Obama handled it as well as he did (no surprise, of course) but this is an issue that won’t go away anytime soon and it’s only a matter of time before another Catholic politican or potential Supreme Court Justice is brought to bear in the eyes of the self-righteous over the issue of being pro-choice. But will those who attempt to castigate those who believe in a woman’s right to exert control over her own body be as furious over the state-sponsored murder of a fully-realized human being?

I won’t hold my breath. Instead, I’ll return to getting caught up on the pop-culture goodness of Chuck and Dollhouse (seriously…George!) and hope that there are no further interruptions. But I’m not counting on it.

Word is out that the Obama Administration is about to allow Dan Choi, who graduated from West Point, is an officer in the Army National Guard and is fluent in Arabic (not that we’ll ever find a use for that talent), to be drummed out of the military because he’s openly gay.

Essentially, he told.

It’s absurd and in twenty years time (if not sooner; I’m betting on a lot sooner) we’ll look back at this gross inequalities ascribed to gays and lesbians with the same degree of shame and befuddlement that we now shine on the actions in the pre-Civil Rights era. But we’re living in the here and now and what we’re seeing with this latest action is disheartening.

I recognize that President Obama has a full plate and that he isn’t the one who established these antiquated rules but it’s not as if he’s not in a position to do something about this. He could, if he so chose:

A new study, about to be published by a group of experts in military law, shows that President Obama does, in fact, have stroke-of-the-pen authority to suspend gay discharges. The “don’t ask, don’t tell” law requires the military to fire anyone found to be gay or lesbian. But there is nothing requiring the military to make such a finding. The president can simply order the military to stop investigating service members’ sexuality.

You can find out more by going here to the article by Aaron Belkin on the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/aaron-belkin/obama-to-fire-his-first-g_b_199070.html

I’m really quite curious how he’s going to decide on this issue. I hope he does the right thing, takes the action that future generations will surely see as the correct one from their perspective of full equality for gays, but there’s a part of me that won’t be remotely surprised if he takes the politically expedient action of doing nothing and hoping it goes away. There’s precedent with him for this and his name is Rick Warren.

Who knew?

Tuna melts are scary because they sound so harmless—in almost all other forms, tuna is usually a smart and healthy choice. So what’s with the insane caloric overload? Blame the fat-packed mayo the tuna is mixed with, along with Quizno’s larger-than-life portion sizes. Even though they’ve managed to trim this melt down from the original 2,000-plus calorie mark when we first tested it, it still remains the worst sandwich we’ve found.

Quizno’s Tuna Melt, large
1,760 calories
133 g fat (25 g saturated, 1.5 g trans)
92 g carbs
2,120 mg sodium

For rest of article go here: http://health.yahoo.com/experts/eatthis/29834/the-8-worst-sandwiches-in-america-plus-8-more-youll-love/

No wonder we have an obesity issue here in the United States.

Ever since Clueless I have had such a gay-girl crush on Paul Rudd.

Last night I went to I Love You, Man and while the film wasn’t perfect, it was nonetheless an enjoyable experience, primarily because of the performance by Mr. Rudd. The character of friendless good-guy ’Peter Klaven’ called for him to be equal parts adorable and painfully awkward; empathetic and embarrassing; leading man and man needing to be led. Though one wouldn’t think of it going into the film, the role is surprisingly complex and, in Rudd’s capable hands, perfectly rendered. It’s an interesting concept: the exploration of making new friends as an adult, the sort of subject that one wouldn’t expect a Hollywood feature would tackle, let alone mine for unexpectedly poignant moments intermingled throughout the typical ‘rude-dude humor.’   But the moments were there and brought to the fore mainly by Rudd…

..which reminded me yet again how he is so criminally underappreciated. Rudd is good-looking, smart, talented, and quick witted. He should be leading the pack when it comes to actors who can headline a comedy.

Yet he isn’t.

Indeed, this film is his first genuine foray into “leading man” status and even still Jason Segel’s flashier role steals much of the PR buzz. But the movie couldn’t possibly have succeeded as well as it has were it not anchored by Rudd’s heart and pathos. Who can’t identify with how desperately his character wants to gain the approval of the ‘cool guys’ or, really, any guys? And why is it so difficult for adults to pursue a friendship once we graduate from school? Is it the inherent vulnerability that lies within the desire to be someone’s friend? The notion of laying one’s heart on the line for romance is as old as the first love song (sadly not recorded but I bet it sounded like “Greensleeves”; that tune has been around forevah) but who really takes the time to consider the emotional implications of the equally vulnerable friend relationship?

The way Rudd played his character was entirely relatable and real. I doubt he’ll get much in the way of official recognition, but I and my friend, Kevin, with whom I saw the movie, certainly appreciated him. I hope others will follow. And give the guy more work, front and center!

This reminds me of when scientists decided it was a good idea to create a mini-black hole on Earth. First reaction on hearing the news? Not such a good plan. Then again, I took English classes througout college and naturally my instinct is to look more at the potential literary implications for something as mind-boggling as “recreating sun’s power” on our own planet (words like ‘apocalypse’ and ‘annihilation’ spring to mind and all the story fun that naturally follows) than at the scientific qualities. So, I’ll let the fine folks at Space.com have their say: 

Lasers have usually represented weapons of mass destruction in movies such as “Star Wars,” but a newly completed facility has begun harnessing lasers to create a fusion reaction rivaling the power of a miniature sun.

 

The National Ignition Facility has already test-fired all 192 giant lasers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California as part of this effort. The lasers will eventually focus their power on compressing and heating a single, pea-sized fuel capsule to more than 180 million degrees Fahrenheit in order to trigger thermonuclear fusion.

 

“One of the major activities of the NIF is to explore the basics of fusion energy, building a miniature sun on Earth that could supply limitless, safe and carbon-free energy,” said Ed Moses, National Ignition Facility (NIF) program director.

 

Unlike nuclear fission reactions that split apart atoms inside existing power plants, fusion reactions create energy from atoms fusing together to form heavier atoms. The reaction normally only takes place within intensely hot environments, such as the heart of a star, but researchers have attempted to recreate fusion in a way that would produce more energy than it takes to start the reaction.

For rest of article, go here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20090408/sc_space/friendlydeathstarlasertorecreatesunspower

 

For everyone who has ever scoffed at my love of this brilliant television show — and that number has dwindled significantly as the accolades have accumulated over the years and I’ve been able to lure people into my BSG crack den — it brings me great joy to see no less an organization than the United “frakking!” Nations hosted an evening to honor “Battlestar Galactica” as it nears the conclusion of its run.

Intergalactic Representatives at the U.N

By SAM GROBART

Published: March 15, 2009

A gathering at the United Nations headquarters on Tuesday will address topics familiar to the international body: child soldiers, terrorism, human rights and religious extremism. Attendees will represent several nations, and one abandoned planet: Caprica.

The Sci Fi Channel series “Battlestar Galactica” will be the subject of a panel discussion involving the creators of the show, two of its stars, Mary McDonnell and Edward James Olmos, and representatives from the United Nations’ offices of the secretary general and high commissioner for human rights.

How a television series about interstellar travel, ancient prophecies and genocidal robots came to join forces with a terrestrial intergovernmental body relates to the Sci Fi Channel’s philanthropic activities and the United Nations’ efforts to become more media savvy.

The channel, a division of NBC Universal, has worked with the educational nonprofit group ThinkQuestNYC to bring 100 New York City high school students to the event and have them participate in the discussion.

For the United Nations, the event represents the second effort of its Creative Community Outreach Initiative. Announced by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at last June’s Jackson Hole Film Festival, the initiative is the organization’s attempt to “establish partnerships with the entertainment industry to tell the U.N.’s story,” said Juan Carlos Brandt, a spokesman.

Its first undertaking was to allow a television crew to shoot at United Nations facilities this month for an episode of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” about child soldiers.

The Sci Fi Channel series “Battlestar Galactica” will be the subject of a panel discussion involving the creators of the show, two of its stars, Mary McDonnell and Edward James Olmos, and representatives from the United Nations’ offices of the secretary general and high commissioner for human rights.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/16/business/media/16galactica.html?_r=2

It’s a testament to how high I hold this show in regard that I wouldn’t read any spoilers released even if I could (and I can because they’re out there; you just have to know how to avoid them). What’s more, I’m not even tempted. Not a bit. Because I’m trying to hold onto every last bit of this uniquely special experience and spoilers will just destroy that. I know because I’m a freakin’ spoiler-holic for most other shows I watch (hello “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Lost”!)  but there’s something about BSG that is so wonderful and truly extraordinary that I prefer watching the episodes play out as the writers intended and reading spoilers would be akin to skipping to the end of a good novel to find out that Lily Bart doesn’t recover from that cough or it turns out that everyone on the Orient Express killed the bastard! Why ruin the ending?

Anyhow, I love this show. Every part of it. And while I’m sad to see it coming to an end I can at least be confident that it’s for the right reasons: because this is how the creators saw the ending and not because the network pulled the plug. How rare is that? Leaving because the story has been come to its natural conclusion. Once again, brilliant.

As it should be…and should have been had the Bush Administration not been preoccupied with making the United States an embarrassment in the eyes of the world.

US to sign UN gay rights declaration

WASHINGTON – The Obama administration will endorse a U.N. declaration calling for the worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality that then-President George W. Bush had refused to sign, The Associated Press has learned.

U.S. officials said Tuesday they had notified the declaration’s French sponsors that the administration wants to be added as a supporter. The Bush administration was criticized in December when it was the only western government that refused to sign on.

The move was made after an interagency review of the Bush administration’s position on the nonbinding document, which was signed by all 27 European Union members as well as Japan, Australia, Mexico and three dozen other countries, the officials said.

I don’t understand how the Bush Administration can possibly have felt justified in having refused to sign this in the first place but it’s good news that the situation is going to be rectified. I’m certainly no fan of President Obama’s track record on gay rights, particularly his decision to call for a review of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy before going forward with removing that shameful bit of nonsense and don’t even get me started on Rick “fuck you” Warren, but I’ll give him props when he does something right, which this most certainly is.

Okay, that’s me paraphrasing but seriously, AIG, what the fuck? As in ‘were you thinking’? Is it that the greed was too much or that your way of viewing business was so goddamned warped that you saw nothing amiss with dropping $165 million of the $173 billion you received from federal bailout money on rewarding the same dipshits that got you into this mess in the first place? Someone needs to take ya’ll out to the woodshed for this one…

…and that’s where our president comes in. Good for Obama! I’m glad he’s busting them on this because it’s bloody well outrageous. Here from Politico:

Obama: Block AIG bonuses

Harnessing public outrage over lavish bonuses for bailed-out executives at insurance giant AIG, President Obama said Monday that he will “pursue every single legal avenue to block these bonuses and make the American taxpayers whole.”

Obama made his forceful remarks at a small-business event at the White House, following a weekend of heavy news coverage of the payments that fueled the populist backlash already building against bailouts for the wealthy. 

“This isn’t just a matter of dollars and cents. It’s about our fundamental values,” Obama said.
“All across the country, there are people who work hard and meet their responsibilities every single day, without the benefit of government bailouts or multi-million dollar bonuses,” Obama said. “And all they ask is that everyone, from Main Street to Wall Street to Washington, play by the same rules.” 

At one point, he ad-libbed after a cough, “Excuse me, I’m choked up with anger here.” 

American International Group has received $173 billion in U.S. bailout funds, making it the largest single recipient. The company has said the bonuses, which came to light over the weekend, were required by contract and can’t be rescinded. 

For the rest of the article (with nifty video of cranky Obama) go here: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/20054.html

Is there any way Pakistan can export a little of this over to their Afghan neighbors? Not that this moment of victory is any guarantee of a long-term shift in the way Pakistan is run (anyone see any women in this photo? Yeah, didn’t think so) but it sure would be nice if the citizens could find a way to capitalize on their accomplishment.

In Islamabad, Marchers Rejoice

ISLAMABAD — It was a day of rejoicing, of drum playing, and of smiling at strangers. Pakistan’s chief justice had just been reinstated after a two-year struggle, and for those assembled in the country’s capital to celebrate, anything seemed possible.

“We’re watching history,” said Javed Ali Khan, a 45-year-old who had traveled for days with his wife and six children to participate in a national march of lawyers and opposition political parties. It was the opposition’s perseverance in the face of government attempts to quash the march that led to the reinstatement.

Hassan Akhtar, a lawyer who grew up in England, gushed: “It’s really wonderful. It’s a once in a lifetime experience. I couldn’t even dream of this.”

In the crowd, whose members included a radio announcer who was researching homosexuality and an illiterate mechanic who wore a flower pot on his head to stay cool and admitted to stealing monkeys to get by, one word was on everybody’s lips.

“Justice,” said Mr. Khan’s wife, Rubina Javed, smiling broadly. “We came for justice.”

For the rest of the article go here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/17/world/asia/17voices.html?_r=1&hp

Someone please explain to me what we have accomplished after so many years, deaths, and dollars if something like this can still take place with barely a blip on our collective moral radar? No surprise this story comes from the UK media since we’re too focused on the absurd antics of  idiots like Michael Steele and Rush Limbaugh.

Student facing 20 years in hell

Afghan court secretly sentences student whose cause was taken up by The Independent. His crime? To download article on women’s rights

Sayed Pervez Kambaksh, the student journalist sentenced to death for blasphemy in Afghanistan, has been told he will spend the next 20 years in jail after the country’s highest court ruled against him – without even hearing his defence.

 

The 23-year-old, brought to worldwide attention after an Independent campaign, was praying that Afghanistan’s top judges would quash his conviction for lack of evidence, or because he was tried in secret and convicted without a defence lawyer. Instead, almost 18 months after he was arrested for allegedly circulating an article about women’s rights, any hope of justice and due process evaporated amid gross irregularities, allegations of corruption and coercion at the Supreme Court. Justices issued their decision in secret, without letting Mr Kambaksh’s lawyer submit so much as a word in his defence.

Afzal Nooristani, the legal campaigner representing Mr Kambaksh, accused the judges of behaving “no better than the Taliban”. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been poured into Afghanistan’s legal system and 149 British soldiers have died there since 2001, but experts admit that state justice is still beyond the reach of most ordinary Afghans.

President Hamid Karzai promised last year that justice would be done “in the right way”, after worldwide protests at how Mr Kambaksh was convicted. But Mr Nooristani claimed yesterday that there was “no respect for the law”, even in the highest court in Afghanistan. “They have ignored the principle of crime and punishment, they have ignored the principle of innocent until proven guilty. They have got the same mindset as the Taliban.”

What exactly has Hamid Karzai accomplished again? Anyone? Because between girls having acid thrown on their faces for merely attempting to go to school and Christians being threatened with being beheaded simply for practicing their faith I’m not sure how this country is all that different from the one that helped be a launching pad the attacks on September 11th.

For the rest of the article go here: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/student-facing-20-years-in-hell-1643069.html