10 Members of Congress Pose for NOH8 Campaign

The NOH8 Campaign focused its camera on the nation’s capitol earlier this month, with 10 members of Congress donning white to pose for “NOH8 on the Hill."

The members of Congress who participated represent the District of Columbia, California, Oregon, Colorado, Massachusetts and Ohio, including Rep. Dennis Kucinich, the former Democratic presidential candidate who encouraged the photo campaign's venture to Capitol Hill and was the first to sit for the shoot.

"Our nation was founded upon the principle of equality,” he said in a statement released with his photo. “It is imperative that we work for equal rights for all in order to make that principle a reality. Love isn't gay or straight, tall or short, black or white; it is for everyone."

All of the 10 lawmakers photographed were Democrats, and although the shoot was open to any member of Congress, no Republicans chose to participate. Among the pictures is one member of the LGBT caucus. On the following pages, see all of the photos and the lawmakers' accompanying statements about why they chose to pose.  [The Advocate, NOH8 Campaign]

"On the same week that Maryland and Washington stepped up for marriage equality, I stood with NOH8 in solidarity with those who are fighting Prop 8 in California. Gay and lesbian Americans are part of the fabric that makes this country strong. The notion that we could ask these men and women to do everything from paying taxes to serving our country in uniform while denying them the right to marry is offensive to everything I believe in as a public servant. I won’t stop working for equal rights in Congress until they have been extended to every American."
- Rep. Earl Blumenauer

"The reason why I support the NOH8 Campaign is simple: our country rests on the principle that all people are equal, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation. If we deny that fact then we are no longer the Land of the Free. The most important freedom is the freedom to be the person you truly are and embrace the life you want to live. It’s my hope that LGBT youth across the country and in Massachusetts feel our encouragement and support. They are not alone. I stand firmly behind them, and the important message that NOH8 is spreading."  
- Rep. William Keating

"I’m proud to join over 20,000 participants who’ve posed in NOH8 photos depicting the silencing of equality by California’s Prop 8 and similar legislation around the world.   These pictures speak volumes about the will of the American people to be treated the same, regardless of race, religion or sexual orientation." 
- Rep. Judy Chu

"Hate does not belong in our communities, families, schools, the workplace and certainly not in our government.” 
- Rep. Barbara Lee

Check out the other five members and their statements after the jump.

Goldeneye 64 in Real Life

This blog is for my gamers.  You know who you are.  The ones who stay up till 3 in the morning with the controls in their hands, as you sit there crushing zombie after zombie.  Dont lie.  lol.

I have no idea who or what is Goldeneye 64, but the fan-made video below does remind of the games Ryan used to play, so I had to share it.  It was quite humorous watching the player inadvertently kill the character Natalya several times before getting to his destination.

I Want a Dyke For President by Zoe Leonard

20 years ago the AIDS crisis was at an all time high, people were anxious, and it didn't help that lies about the disease were spreading like wildfire.  Today, so many young people have no clue as to how desperate the situation was becoming. They have no idea that people like me worried that having sex might kill you. But even if you're too young to get that part of Zoe Leonard’s expression in the document below, you can’t help but feel the urgency and fury of the rest of it.  I couldn't wait to share this with my readers, because it makes me hope and believe that a whole new generation of angry young people will express themselves with the same amount of poignant clarity when they say aloud, “This is who I want for president."

Who Is Zoe Leonard?

Cyanide and Happiness: Diabetic

Post Secret Fridays - Issue 096

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard.

 See More Secrets. Follow PostSecret on Twitter.

 Want to see older Post Secret Friday issues? Go here.

It's Purely Animal - Issue No. 50 - Sit, Piggy, Sit

Awww, this is too cute. I think I'm starting to love piggies again.  Growing up on a farm my sister and I had pigs, cows, chickens, ducks, rabbits, you name it - we had them all!  The only thing is, my dad would slaughter our pigs for dinner and I was left in an emotional wreck every time.  Hence my disdain for owning farm animals grew.  

Well, as you've heard many of times already, Ryan wants a piggy some day, and by golly I'm going to get him one come hell or high water. lol.

Disney Prince of the Week 007

In today's issue, and for the next 13 weeks I'll be posting a Disney Prince of the Week.  Can you guess the movie and the name of the character who played this week's Prince? 

WTF Has Obama Done? - Issue No. 019 - Scientific & Medical Research

Don't listen to what the REDs (Republicans) are telling you.  Scientific and medical research are two of the most important, if not the most important topics when it comes to our future health and well-being.  Without them, we wouldn't have the medications we have today, without them we wouldn't have the technology that has helped billions around the world.  Without them we wouldn't have space exploration, mapping, and all the wonders we come across each and every day.  We live longer lives because of Scientific and Medical research, don't let the REDs tell you otherwise.  Yeah I'm calling them REDs from now on.

Did you know that the majority of the people who vote against government intervention and against the policies President Obama sets forth, are the same people who use the system?  I'm not lying.  And did you know that the majority of the red-states are actually the people with the most welfare recipients?  So yeah, don't go saying "we don't want government" when the majority of you are the ones using it.

Sorry for getting off the subject at hand, but the REDs are driving me nuts.  Over the last three years President Obama has issued three broad policies, two funding and three targeted actions in regard to scientific and medical research.  I will post one achievement from each category today.

WTF-55

Removed restrictions and provided support for embryonic stem-cell research and new biomedical research.

Pledging that his administration will “make scientific decisions based on facts, not ideology,” President Obama on Monday lifted the Bush administration’s strict limits on human embryonic stem cell research. [Read More-1, Read More-2]

"I believe that the restrictions that President Bush has placed on funding of human embryonic stem cell research have handcuffed our scientists and hindered our ability to compete with other nations," Obama wrote in response to a questionnaire from a consortium of scientific groups. 

"As president, I will lift the current administration"s ban on federal funding of research on embryonic stem cell lines created after Aug. 9, 2001, through executive order, and I will ensure that all research on stem cells is conducted ethically and with rigorous oversight," he said. [Read More]

The Obama administration has begun approving new lines of human embryonic stem cells that are eligible for federally funded experiments, opening the way for millions of taxpayer dollars to be used to conduct research that was put off-limits by President George W. Bush. [Read More]

WTF-56

Provided new federal funding for science and research labs.

President Barack Obama pledged Monday to spend more money on scientific research and improve science education.

In a speech to the National Academy of Sciences, Mr. Obama said federal funding in the physical sciences as a portion of GDP has fallen by nearly half in the past 25 years. Students in Singapore, Japan, England, the Netherlands, Hong Kong and South Korea are outperforming their American peers, he added.

"Other countries are now beginning to pull ahead in the pursuit of this generation's great discoveries," Mr. Obama said. [Read More]

Nuclear energy and energy research are among the big winners in the proposed $28.4 billion Energy Department fiscal 2011 budget the White House unveiled in February, 2010.

In keeping with his theme that the United States is at risk of falling behind the rest of the world in clean energy, Obama said those programs will produce the "jobs of the future" in the United States.

"We also continue to lay a new foundation for lasting growth, which is essential, as well," Obama said today at the White House. "Just as it would be a terrible mistake to borrow against our children's future to pay our way today, it would be equally wrong to neglect their future by failing to invest in areas that will determine our economic success in this new century." [Read More]

Obama's Budget Gives a Boost to Science - While other federal departments face budget cuts, science agencies get more money [Read More]
 

WTF-57

Appointed an assistant to the president for science and technology policy.

"Will appoint an Assistant to the President for Science and Technology Policy who will report directly to the president, and be deeply involved in establishing research priorities that reflect the nation's needs based on the best available advice from experts around the country." Obama promised during his campaign in 2008.

And continuing with his list of promises kept, President Barack Obama appointed John P. Holdren to three different positions involving science. Holdren is assistant to the president for science and technology; the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the President; and co-chair of the President"s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology (PCAST).  [Read More]

I promise to come back to this topic in another issue, until then, please feel free to read my previous issues by clicking here.

Make sure to read the next issue
Issue No. 020 -Space Exploration & Space Station

WTF Has Obama Done is an ongoing series posted daily or weekly on BLADE 7184 until Election Day, 2012!

FA-18 Breaks Sound Barrier and Leaves Beach Goers in Shock and Awe

Want to see something really cool?  An FA-18 Super Hornet broke the sound barrier at an air show in New York in 2009.  To say the spectators were in "awe" is an understatement.  They were more like, "whoa" and in shock I think. LOL.  

The F/A-18 Hornet is a twin-engine supersonic, all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to dogfight and attack ground targets (F/A for Fighter/Attack).[ref]

Special Poster of the Week: Chess

Things That Make You Go Hmmm... Pineapple Tree

99.999% of people
don't know how a
pineapple tree looks
like.

90% of you think it looks
like this...

the rest of you,

like this...

But there is no

pineapple

tree!

Things That Make You Go Hmmm...

Oh No They Didn't - Days of Our Lives Airs First Gay Kiss Ever! [video]

OMG, Days of Our Lives just did the worst thing Daytime television could ever have done!  Shock every conservative mother, daughter and grandmother all across the south and the mid-west by airing their first ever Gay Kiss!!  May the fires of hell rain on Salem and all the producers of the show, because you know there will be an outcry!

This is great! I love it!  I have been blogging about Chandler Massey coming out on this soap since the summer, and it's finally happened.  It took 7 long months, but it was worth it. LOL. I have to commend them for making it a good one too!

Cheating on Women is Dangerous

I know the title says cheating on women is dangerous, but I've known a couple of gay guys who were just as vindictive and cruel.  I would advise you with the words of RuPaul, "Don't f*ck It Up!"

Check out the rest after the jump...

Cyanide and Happiness: Words

Must Watch: I Paint

Watch this short film, and if you still think true artistic talent is disappearing, you are wrong.  Meet 25-yr-old Thijme Termaat.  Yeah, I know, it's kinda hard to pronounce.  He's from Holland, but never mind that, focus more on watching this amazing video titled Ipaint.

Thijme says that after graduating from High School, he went to an academy of design school hoping to express his creativity, but instead quit, because his long-life dream was to be a painter.  And quite a painter has he become... check out his amazing work in the video below and on his website.

I am Captain Picard, and You are Dr. Crusher

I'm not sure if you're aware of this or not, but Google is currently updating their websites.  If you're a Star Trek or Science Fiction fan you will love this.  Here is a sample email that will have you ROFL.

"Dearest Jenny, I can't stop thinking about you.  I had that dream about you again last night. Y'know that dream where I am Captain Picard and you are Dr. Crusher.  I miss you so much."  LMAO!

click to enlarge

Bailouts By Mitt Romney

“I don’t want to bail out Wall Street banks.” - Mitt Romney, during last night’s Republican primary debate. [Photo: Daily Kos]

Ryan and I watched our 20th Republican debate last night and it was another laugh-fest for both of us. I think we spent more time rolling our eyes than we did watching the damn thing.  And here's what we've learned from watching all these debates...  Rick Santorum is the most evil, Mitt Romney is the most fake, Newt Gingrich is the most embarassing, and Ron Paul, well... what can I say?  He reminds me so much of Ross Perot, He's not crazy, as in mentally ill crazy. He's obviously sane. Sometimes, he's brilliant. Sometimes, he's batshit stupid. No in-between. Net net though, he's a 0. He won't win, he'll get a few people talking about some otherwise ignored issues, but nothing will change.

Kiss of the Week - Issue No. 013

What a Hot Mess: Obituary Heartbreak

Geez, I sure hope you're not related the Anello family, because if you are I would sure hate to read your obituary in the paper after you died.  LOL.  What a hot mess!

Mama Josie here, died three days before Valentine's day, and my wildest bet is that her son A.J. made it clear how he really felt about his siblings.

What Happens When You Seek The Internet For Medical Advice?

Ummm... I don't know, "my cousin got it, and three days later he died."

And this is why you don't seek the internet for medical advice.  LOL.  Sometimes the answers you find are downright hilarious.

The Honorable Wife or Honorable Soldiers?

The night before the burial of her husband 2nd Lt. James Cathey of the United States Marine Corps, killed in Iraq, Katherine Cathey refused to leave the casket, asking to sleep next to his body for the last time. The Marines made a bed for her, tucking in the sheets below the flag. Before she fell asleep, she opened her laptop computer and played songs that reminded her of him, and one of the Marines asked if she wanted them to continue standing watch as she slept. "I think it would be kind of nice if you kept doing it" she said. "I think that's what he would have wanted".

-Not sure what is more honorable: Being married to this faithful wife to the end or the Marine standing next to the casket watching over them both.

IN HONOR OF ALL OUR ARMED FORCES PLEASE SHARE THIS.

Message courtesy of Tumblr

It's Purely Animal - Issue No. 49 - Inside Every Good Dog Is A Great Dog [video]

Princess

This is my most treasured issue of "It's Purely Animal" yet.  

If you've never been a pet owner please don't ignore this post, hopefully it will make you understand why pet owners treasure their pets so much.

When I got my first precious and lovable chihuahua I never understood what love for a pet was until two years into my relationship with my previous partner.  My dog comforted me when things were going so very wrong in 2003, and then again in 2005 - I never thought I could recover.  Princess was there by my side and understood my pain when I didn't think dogs could even feel.

Dogs do feel - they understand you and they are there for you when you need them most.  It reminds me of a quote I read once, "Dogs have a way of finding the people who need them - filling an emptiness we don't even know we have."  And it's true.  When I felt so empty and had nothing else to live for, she made me smile, made my day every time I came home, and fulfilled my life in more ways than she could ever imagine.  After 9 years with me, she died in 2009 and to this day I still cry when I write or think about her.

Duchess

Ryan and I still have 4 chihuahuas in our household, Princess' niece, Duchess, her two great nieces Lady and Puffs, and her great nephew, Nacho.  While I thought nothing could ever replace the void left behind by Princess, Duchess has taken her spot in her own way.  Lady, Puffs and Nacho hang out with Ryan the most, and rightly so, those are his little "miracle" monsters. But that's a whole 'nother story.  

Last night, Ryan and I were watching Glee - it was a tearful episode.  And as usual, every time I start to sniffle or shed a tear, Duchess will instinctively come up and lick the tears off my face - she doesn't like to see me cry.  She will also defend me against Ryan when he pretends to lift a finger and scold me. It's the most amazing feeling ever, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

From left to right: Nacho, Puffs, and Lady

Watch this awesome, awesome commercial from Purina, because I truly believe it, "Inside every good dog is a great dog".

WTF Has Obama Done? - Issue No. 018 - National Service

When we talk about National Service we automatically assume its about our volunteer programs for the Military, but in this particular case, it is about ensuring our children of the future are strengthened by national community service efforts.  Where we could use the help of volunteers on a variety of issues, from clean energy and health care to education.

"Our government can help to rebuild our economy ... [but] we need Americans willing to mentor our eager young children, or care for the sick, or ease the strains of deployment on our military families," President Obama said in April of 2009. [ref]

WTF-53

The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act — Expands the national volunteer program.

On April 21, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act at an elementary school in Washington DC (read more). The Serve America Act reauthorizes and expands national service programs administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service by amending the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA) and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (DVSA).

Over a year later, volunteering is up, momentum is strong, and a new vision for service is taking effect. At a time of great need, Americans are answering President Obama’s call to serve. This landmark law is making America stronger by focusing service on key national issues; by expanding opportunities to serve; by building the capacity of individuals, nonprofits, and communities; and by encouraging innovative approaches to solving problems.

• Fact Sheet - Serve America Act Implementation (PDF)
• Fact Sheet - Progress on Obama Administration's Service Agenda (PDF)
• Video: Corporation CEO Patrick Corvington Speaks On the One-Year Anniversary of the Serve America Act Signing
• Keynote Address: Corporation CEO Patrick Corvington Discusses Progress on Implementation of the Serve America Act

[Read More]

WTF-54

Created a Social Investment Fund Network.

During the presidential campaign, Barack Obama promised to create the Social Investment Fund. Administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, an independent government agency, the fund would expand partnerships between the federal government, social entrepreneurs, and philanthropy organizations by increasing the resources available for programs that seek to provide solutions for issues such as crime, child development, civic engagement and resource conservation.

The ball started rolling on April 21, 2009, when President Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act into law. Among other provisions, the act authorized the creation of the Social Investment Fund. [Read More-1, Read More-2]

***

In his campaign pitch to older Americans, Barack Obama promised to expand a volunteer program aimed at keeping seniors active in their communities.

The Senior Corps offers seniors ways to become involved in community service, including the Foster Grandparents program and the Senior Companions program, which enable seniors to teach children and help the elderly stay in their homes.

On April 21, 2009, President Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, a large expansion of national service programs. In signing it, Obama fulfilled his campaign promise to fund a major expansion of AmeriCorps, which we wrote about in April.

The act also expanded the Senior Corps. It lowered the minimum age of eligibility for its Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions programs from 60 to 55, and increased the maximum hourly stipend offered as an incentive to volunteer from $2.45 to $3.

Other incentives were also created by the act, like a $1,000 education scholarship for seniors who complete 350 hours of service. Seniors can transfer the scholarship to their children or grandchildren.  [Read More]

I promise to come back to this topic in another issue, until then, please feel free to read my previous issues by clicking here.

Make sure to read the next issue
Issue No. 019 -Scientific & Medical Research

WTF Has Obama Done is an ongoing series posted daily or weekly on BLADE 7184 until Election Day, 2012!

If Women Ruled The World

Presidential Campaign Costs Since President Abraham Lincoln

Barack Obama spent $730 million getting to the White House in 2008—twice as much as George W. Bush spent 4 years earlier and more than 260 times what Abraham Lincoln spent in his first election (as measured in 2011 dollars). Looking at the total costs of presidential elections over the past 150 years, it would seem that the White House is the ultimate recession-proof commodity. Full Story here

The Melting Spoon

How many of you mess around with your friends from time to time?  No, I'm not talking that kind of mess. Get your mind out of the gutter!  I'm talking with your friend's minds by playing a trick on them.  Geez, this is not coming out the way I want. ugh. LOL.

Okay, let's start over.  Have you ever played a mind-trick on someone by using a deck of cards, money, or other type of object?  Well, I have, but I've never tried this one.  Watch as this spoon (pictured) disintegrates as it is stirred in water.  How does it work?  The metal is made of pure 99.99% Gallium which melts at 86°F.  Pretty interesting, heh?  Well, you can actually do it yourself by going to DisappearingSpoons.com and buying a DIY kit.  Check it out.

I Quote That - Being Single

Back In The Day - Yoko Ono, Elizabeth Taylor, Liza Minnelli, Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston

Wow, truly a blast from the past.  Here's a shot of Yoko Ono, Elizabeth Taylor, Liza Minnelli, Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston from back in the day.

two of these stars are not like the other - R.I.P. Elizabeth, Michael, and Whitney

Cyanide and Happiness: Results

Oh No They Didn't!

No, that is not Madonna in that video below.  That's a Brazilian drag queen about to perform a recreation of Madonna's entire Superbowl performance complete with Nicki Minaj, LMFAO, and M.I.A. stunt doubles.  Everything was fine and dandy until they got to the Cee Lo Green part, because we all know Cee Lo is definitely not this hot, muscle-y Brazilian stud, pictured here.  LOL.

In either case, if you have 13 minutes of your day to spend watching some drag show that isn't RuPaul's Drag Race, go right ahead.  I just skipped through the parts I thought were okay.

Isn't This The Truth? Truths For Mature Humans

WTF Has Obama Done? - Issue No. 017 - Natural Disasters & Emergencies

You don't need me to remind you of the costliest natural disaster on American soil and the blunder surrounding the Bush presidency when it came to the handling of Hurricane Katrina,  I think everyone remembers that.  This is why President Obama made it a priority when he got into office to order an extensive review of hurricane and natural disaster preparedness.  He enforced this policy and has made national disasters and emergencies one of his top priorities, along with everything else under his belt.

The president has also provided an additional policy in restoring our gulf coast, three sources of funding and three targeted actions.  Some of which include rebuilding our fire stations, the incomes that were lost during the BP oil spill and those hurt by drilling. I will share those in future issues of WTF Has Obama Done?.

WTF-50

Ordered an extensive review of hurricane and natural disaster preparedness.

With the still-fresh memory of Hurricane Katrina lingering over it all, Obama joined with two other men in Bloomberg and Christie who knew what was at stake when it became clear that Hurricane Irene was going to work its way up the East Coast in August 2011.

Dealing with disasters from a political perspective is never easy, because there will always be problems and no response is going to make everyone happy. But there are some things that can be done.

For Obama, the name of the game was avoiding surprises and making sure everyone knew just how serious he was taking things.

To that end, Obama allowed cameras into his meeting with FEMA director Craig Fugate and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano before the storm hit and cut his vacation a day short to get back to Washington, D.C. Making sure people know that you’re working is part of the battle, and the White House made sure people saw Obama with his sleeves rolled up even before things got rough. [Reference-1]

***

The Obama administration Monday delivered to Congress the nation's first Quadrennial Homeland Security Review, defining homeland security for the first time as including hazards beyond terrorism, in a strategic document intended to drive long-term budget decisions. 

Congress mandated the high-level strategic review in 2007, two years after Hurricane Katrina exposed failings in the government's response and four years after the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. The initiative was modeled after the Quadrennial Defense Review, another congressionally mandated effort that directed the Defense Department to reset its strategies and budgets against evolving threats every four years.  [Reference-2, Reference-3]

WTF-51

Provided $210 Million for building and upgrading fire stations.

You can never be too prepared . . . and that's why firefighters and other first responders should take notice of the millions of dollars the government has made available to emergency management and homeland security agencies. According to Jamie Thompson, editor for FireRescue1.com, "the [stimulus] package includes $210 million for modifying, upgrading, or constructing fire stations." [Reference-1, Reference-2]

The “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009” will create opportunities for public safety agencies across the country to ramp up hiring, obtain equipment and upgrade technologies. Forward-thinking public safety agencies should be planning now for how best to position their programs to take advantage of these opportunities.  This includes $210 million for modifying, upgrading or building new fire stations; $1 billion allocated to the Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) for grant distribution to state and local law enforcement; and $2 billion for the Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Program.  [Reference-3]

WTF-52

Haiti Economic Lift Program Act of 2010.

Senators passed the Haiti Economic Lift Program (HELP) Act (H.R. 5160) on May 6, 2010 by Voice Vote.  It was introduced by Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) and Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-IA).

Since the bill has already been passed by the House and was not amended in the Senate, it now goes to President Obama for his signature.

According to a joint press release, it would “help create sustainable support for Haiti’s economy by expanding tariff benefits for certain Haitian textile and apparel exports to the United States.”  

More specifically, it would “expand duty-free access to the U.S. market for Haitian textile and apparel exports and extend existing trade preference programs for Haiti through 2020.”

Additional details here.  [Reference-1, Reference-2]

I promise to come back to this topic in another issue, until then, please feel free to read my previous issues by clicking here.

Make sure to read the next issue
Issue No. 018 - National Service

WTF Has Obama Done is an ongoing series posted daily or weekly on BLADE 7184 until Election Day, 2012!