http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Default.html brinmat's Blog en-us Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:18:09 EST Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:18:09 EST Intralink Custom Development webmaster@u4prez.com webmaster@u4prez.com http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/New-York-New-York.html Governor Paterson and speculative Senate candidate Harold Ford, Jr. have made New York a firebed of hot political activity lately in Democratic politics. After weeks of waiting for the NYT to finally reveal the "big" story (only to get a couple minor stories about things like "Paterson is sorta lazy"), they finally showed the goods. Paterson himself interfered in an ongoing domestic abuse case to protect a close confidant. Despite the fact that anyone with 2 brain cells has known he's been politically dead and rotting for ages, it was finally enough to persuade him to abandon his campaign for governor. Which is not a bad thing for Democrats. Atty General Cuomo is incredibly popular, and would certainly have a very solid shot at the governor's mansion (much better than Paterson ever could, if he could even survive the primary). Cuomo was reluctant to challenge to Paterson, but with the Governor out of the race, the path isn't entirely clear yet. Cuomo now must head the investigation into Paterson's scandal, and may face a wide open primary for the Democratic field... but barring the unforeseen, my money is that Cuomo will ultimately be the nominee and likely victor in the general election. Paterson's decision to pick Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand would seem a likely vulnerable victim of the scandal. Except... for the strange story of Harold Ford, Jr., former Congressman from Tennessee who's been dabbling with the idea of challenging the incumbent in the Democratic primary. Ford represents something I hope we can all unite against: blatant political frauds. The pro-life anti-gay-marriage candidate from Tennessee, running for Senate in 2006 with ads boasting about his religious life, is now bashing his former home state (even though he's still been paying state taxes in the state and kept his TN driver's license while living in NY) and is now conveniently a pro-choice and pro-gay marriage in what just happens to be a much more liberal state, both announced around the time he started publicly considering a challenge to Gillibrand. Coincidence? Okay, to be fair to Ford, he claims he was always pro-choice. He was incredibly vague and deceptive in Tennessee. But on gay marriage, he has the distinction of being one of very few House Democrats who voted not once, but twice, for a federal amendment banning gay marriage, a move not even many conservative Republicans would embrace. Furthermore, Ford did this after promising gay activist groups that he would vote against it. Ford has succeeded in doing something that may not have otherwise been possible: making Gillibrand actually look like a damn great Democratic senator from New York to core Democratic constituencies. Women's Rights groups and Gay Rights groups have been viciously skeptical of Ford's change of heart on these issues in a mere 4 years, particularly after the ads he produced for his 2006 political campaign. And is there any real rational reason a pro-choice woman or a member of the Democratic GLBT community should pick Ford over Gillibrand? I suppose there's one: Ford claims he'll protect Wall Street more. Working at Merrill Lynch he is a beneficiary and making millions from the bailouts. Gillibrand has a long record as a strong supporter of liberal causes on social issues. She did grow, as many politicians have, to support gay rights, but once she did, she's been a fierce advocate, possibly the strongest single Senator on those issues. Most Republicans who would seriously challenge Gillibrand have records not nearly as conservative as Ford on those issues. It's probably not shocking that his first major event with the GLBT community of New York went... terribly. And Ford himself did not help his own case much at all. Ford was asked about the Lawrence v. Texas Supreme Court decision. He didn't even know what it was. He was a representative in the House when the decision was made and made national headlines. If anything, it shows a genuine ignorance or simple lack of concern on the issue, which only feeds the common view that he's just being opportunistic. Ultimately, he left the event early. Anyway, this has been rather long. I'll finish and shut up now. :-P Paterson is out, and Ford has run the most absolutely bizarre bungling campaign. His announcement as to whether or not he'll challenge Gillibrand should come next week, but he lagging heavily in the polls. My take: Cuomo has a solid but complicated shot at becoming governor. Gillibrand has only benefited from a challenge from Ford by uniting liberals. Sat, 27 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/New-York-New-York.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Vote-for-Brinmat.html I guess I'm back. :-P Maybe. But vote for me. I'm better than FDR... I have better dance moves! (it's funny because FDR was a paraplegic from polio and couldn't move his legs) So yeah. Vote Brinmat! FDR smells funny. Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Vote-for-Brinmat.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Hell-Freezes-Over-Rush-Limbaugh-Loves-Union-Hospitals-and-Socialized-Medicine.html From the SEIU Over the past year of Obama's presidency, conservative blowhard Rush Limbaugh has routinely mocked, distorted and even invented various health insurance reform proposals before Congress. Given Limbaugh's blanket opposition to the new administration (recall Limbaugh's public confession, "I want [Obama] to fail"), it's hard to take Limbaugh's incessant fear-mongering seriously - or even tune in it at all. That was the case, however, until Limbaugh used his recent emergency hospital visit to show that the U.S. health care system is "working just fine." On December 30th, Rush Limbaugh underwent an angiogram at Queen's Medical Center in Honolulu after complaining of sharp chest pains. When Limbaugh exited the hospital on New Year's Day, he told reporters, "They found absolutely nothing wrong. It was a blessing. No arterial disease, no coronary disease whatsoever." Limbaugh then turned to health care reform, citing his Honolulu experience as evidence that the health care system doesn't need fixing: "Based on what happened to me here, I don't think there is one thing wrong with the American health care system. It is working just fine, just dandy." We're thrilled to hear that Limbaugh appreciates Hawaii's exemplary health care system. Here's why: 1. Hawaii is a shining example of progressive health care reform. In fact, Hawaii is so forward-thinking that the Senate bill excludes Hawaii from some of its provisions, because Hawaii's requirements on employers go farther than the federal legislation. * Since 1974, Hawaii has required all employers to provide quality health care benefits to any employee who works 20 hours a week or more. Because of Hawaii's increased coverage, reports the New York Times, "hospital and insurance executives in Hawaii say they have been able to innovate efficiencies. For instance, the state's top three medical providers are adopting electronic medical records -- years ahead of most mainland counterparts." * One reporter noted "the medical system in Hawaii is as close to socialized medicine as there is in the United States, and, much of the Democrats reform bill is based in the Hawaii system." 2. Limbaugh stayed at Queen's Medical Center, where nursing staff are represented by the Hawaii Nurses' Association (read: a labor union). The nurses at Queen's are protected by their contract, which adheres to the ANA's safe-staffing principles guaranteeing appropriate staffing levels for any patient care unit. In fact, Hawaii has one of the greatest percentages of organized workers of any state and also had the highest percentage of organized RNs. All private-sector acute care hospital RNs are organized, with just two known exceptions. We're guessing this might have something to do with why Limbaugh found the Hawaii hospital staff's work so "confidence-inspiring." When Limbaugh was released from Queen's Medical Center, he cheerily noted, "The treatment I received here was the best that the world has to offer." Whether he realized it or not, Limbaugh was praising the care he received from union nurses in one of the country's most progressive health care systems. On behalf of the labor movement and health reform advocates everywhere, THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT, Rush! Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Hell-Freezes-Over-Rush-Limbaugh-Loves-Union-Hospitals-and-Socialized-Medicine.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/My-dad.html A few people have already alluded to this. And perhaps this may explain my absence and somewhat erratic behavior during the election. My dad's cancer had spread throughout his liver and lungs, and to his ribs and spinal cords. He passed away on December 12th. I'm not the most religious person, but my dad was involved in a Catholic movement when he was young that focused on Marian devotions. He was cremated, so I chose to keep my small part of his ashes in a Rosary keepsake urn. That's all. Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/My-dad.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/A-quick-blog-from-Brinmat.html I haven't totally abandoned you guys. I'll visit occasionally. I moved my profile to Vote Only to remove myself from the Dem primaries, but I will state unequivocally that I am still a Democrat. Also, my dad's cancer has spread to his spinal cord. He may have as little as a week left. That's all. Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/A-quick-blog-from-Brinmat.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/KT-BD-Messages.html I can't seem to actually edit my last blog properly. Apparently those messages were revealed publicly through some glitch with the site updates. I wasn't aware of that. So they just reposted messages that were already public. My bad. :-P I fail as bad as Wolf Blitzer on Jeopardy. Sat, 28 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/KT-BD-Messages.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/How-does-KT-have-access-to-my-personal-messages.html Apparently there was a glitch that publicly posted PMs. I was not aware of that. In that case, I guess BD and KT simply reposted what was already public. Peace out, bitchez. Sat, 28 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/How-does-KT-have-access-to-my-personal-messages.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Goodbye.html Since I can't post any damn messages anywhere on this site anymore because of the changes... Good bye and good riddance. If Democrats want to bug me about leadership stuff, contact Sparks or KT. They can reach me via Facebook. I'm not easy to search for because I have a common name, and I don't care to post the critical information publicly online. (Or you can look at U4Prez groups on Facebook and find me and contact me directly) Anyway, back to my point. Good bye and good riddance. Fri, 27 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Goodbye.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Here-s-something-to-be-thankful-for-this-holiday.html Yes, the Muppets took part in Youtube's earliest 1080p videos in what I have to say is one of the most absolutely brilliant things the Muppets have done in years... if not decades... Enjoy, and have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving. Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Here-s-something-to-be-thankful-for-this-holiday.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/National-Adoption-Day.html Plenty of kids needs your love and support. And here's a video partly about adoption and mostly about a girl playing with her brother's hair. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/National-Adoption-Day.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Those-Two-Gals-Will-Let-Health-Care-Reach-A-Debate.html From Wonkette.com... because everything in this blog is brilliant and completely true. This is also why I have a hard time trusting any politician that claims to be a "fiscal conservative," because at the end of the day, most of them are just as pork-happy as "tax-and-spend" liberals. And Republicans can be happy... :-P I consider Lincoln a lean Republican pick-up at this point. She still has plenty of time to improve her standing, but she's really a case of being the wrong Democrat in the wrong state at the wrong time. Landrieu, in contrast, I think still has a decent shot at re-election. --- Democratic Sens. Blanche Lincoln and Mary Landrieu finally called their own bluff and announced at the last minute that they would, controversially, vote to allow the Senate to debate a piece of legislation it has spent most of this year crafting, to help provide affordable medical care to people. What heroes. Their procedural votes for their own party’s major bill cost the nation hundreds of millions of dollars in pork handouts. That’s how Serious About The Deficits they are. It sure will be funny when they strip out the public option and Republicans still call this a “government takeover of health care” and Blanche Lincoln still loses and everyone still dies: “Let me be perfectly clear,” Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) said on the floor of the Senate. “I am opposed to a new government administered health care plan as a part of comprehensive health insurance reform, and I will not vote in favor of the proposal that has been introduced by Leader Reid as it is written…. I’ve already alerted the Leader and I’m promising my colleagues that I’m prepared to vote against moving to the next stage of consideration as long as a government-run public option is included.” Maybe they can get that Cao guy to vote for it again, in the Senate. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Those-Two-Gals-Will-Let-Health-Care-Reach-A-Debate.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Yeah-you-re-stuck-with-me.html I'm sorry, but you're still stuck with me and all my quirks. And here is an awesome Zelda video. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Yeah-you-re-stuck-with-me.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Non-Concession-Non-Speech-More-of-a-Rambling.html Since we will have no official tally until Monday, I have no desire to make any concession speech at this time. As it stands, the votes are 36 for Erock/Smashey, and 30 for each Lucky/BD and my campaign with KT. It's certainly my hope that Matt and Eric will take time to scrutinize the votes fairly. I do want to take a moment first to sincerely thank my Vice Presidential candidate, KT. I expected, and learned rather quickly through a few private discussions, that it was indeed a rather controversial choice. I would not have chosen her if I didn't trust her skill and ability, and she ably kept me informed and fought the good fight when I was not able to be online. I appreciate her hard work, and if our ticket ultimately loses, that responsibility is mine and mine alone. I also want to thank everyone who chose to vote for our ticket. It ended up being a rather peculiar coalition, at least from people who openly volunteered that they voted for our ticket. We received support from some people that, quite honestly, I never expected would have considered voting for me or KT. Some even went out of their way to campaign via PMs/Facebook/etc to get others to vote for us. I am humbled and honored to have supporters who felt so strongly about our ticket. So... until then... another year of U4Prez over. Let us remember the fond memories... we laughed, we cried, etc. I'll post more about my thoughts on the election (and the state of U4Prez in general post-election) soon. Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Non-Concession-Non-Speech-More-of-a-Rambling.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Brinmat-s-Views.html Since many people on this site are too lazy to look them up, here are my views on major political issues which quite frankly have NOTHING to do with what I would do as president of U4prez: 1) Education. As I have stated numerous times, local education is best. The high school system needs to be reformed to better accommodate non-collegiate aspirants. The Department of Education should be limited to an advisory role for states. It should have no finances or clout on how things actually go. 2) Abortion. I support the constitution, and I am pro-choice in this matter. Constitutional decisions moved towards self-control of your own body long before Roe v. Wade. Roe v. Wade was merely one decision in that long trend, and for myself, I do prefer to have control over my own body without government intrusion by big government conservatives. 3) Healthcare. I have stated before, and I will state again, that I support a single-payer system for everyone. Shortly after posting this, I will be assassinated by Kempite. 4) Assassination by Kempite. I will still say he's a decent guy. I'm way too nice that way. But that's simply my hot style, and you can't touch my hot style or you'll get burned, unless you leave it on the counter for 10-15 minutes. 5) Gay rights. What? Gays want rights? 6) Afghanistan. Increase troops for now. 7) Iraq. A horrendous distraction from big issues by the same sort of people who gave us Lucky and his bottom, Big Daddy. 8) Bottoms. As a strict top, I'm proud that Big Daddy was able to admit, and shout from the rooftops, almost a year ago, that he was Lucky's bottom. I almost feel bad for him, but I suppose someone has to do the job, and Big Daddy was jubilantly there to say "Me! ME! I want to pledge to be your bottom in 2009!" so he might still have some relevance on the site. 9) Flat-tax. Are you fucking kidding me? The flat tax? In this economic environment? Anywho... what other issues are you interested in? Or what do you want do know more about? The Brinmat campaign is open. Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Brinmat-s-Views.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Vice-Presidential-Announcement.html The Brinmat campaign would like to announce it's selection for Vice Presidential candidate. That candidate is KT2020. Her resume is extensive and impressive, including both Democratic Leader and Independent/3rd Party Leader. Thank you for your time. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Vice-Presidential-Announcement.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Congratulations-to-my-GOP-friends.html Despite partisan differences, I do want to offer a sincere congratulations to my opponents for winning (indeed, sweeping) this year's gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey. You ran two solid candidates who ran positive campaigns, which unfortunately I cannot say about my side. So I raise my glass of MGD in cheers to Governors-elect Christie and McDonnell, and wish them both the best of luck and success as they deal with the many complex issues each of their states face. And a special note to Mr. Kempite... I expect you to keep the pressure on Christie when he's in office. ;) Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Congratulations-to-my-GOP-friends.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/This-is-Halloween.html Wishing you all an absolutely terrifying Halloween -Campaign Brinmat Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/This-is-Halloween.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/RIP-Cap-n-Lou-Albano-Passes-Away-at-76.html Captain Lou Albano, wrestler, manager, and actor passed away today. The man defined everything that was awesome about the 1980s. RIP. He will be missed. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/RIP-Cap-n-Lou-Albano-Passes-Away-at-76.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/The-Truth-about-Toad.html The truth about Toad is out (literally). FYI - the video was made as a way to promote the National Equality March to gamers. (gaymers?) It's meant in good fun, and the guy who made it attended the March in DC. :-P Since I didn't have a chance to say it while the site was down, hope you had a great National Coming Out Day! Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/The-Truth-about-Toad.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/A-scary-realiziation-about-LC.html I was watching this, and I came to a scary realization. Our beloved president, LC, is none other than pop sensation and gay icon Lady Gaga. That is all. Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/A-scary-realiziation-about-LC.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Why-does-Contemporary-Christian-music-suck.html Seriously. It's "Jesus is good" (key change up) "Jesus is great!" (key change up for the finale) "Jesus is super-duper-mega-awesome!" Gay atheist Jews like Leonard Bernstein and I'm suspecting Lucky have better taste in Christian music. Example shown in vid. Sat, 03 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Why-does-Contemporary-Christian-music-suck.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Leave-Luck-to-Heaven-How-Nintendo-Created-the-Largest-Entertainment-Industry.html Nintendo recently turned a ripe old 120 years old, and I've promised to post a blog about this. I hope you actually read it, as I think people tend to dismiss and underestimate the cultural significance of the video game industry. Nintendo had humble beginnings in 1889 as a card company (and it still makes the same card games to this day). Nintendo's name itself, which means "Leave luck to heaven" suggests a drive and desire to succeed and that they are in control of their own destiny. Over Nintendo's first 100 years, Nintendo dabbled in many things, including their infamous role in running an "hourly love hotel" in the early 1960s. Yes, the Disney of the video game world ran a whore house. They also dabbled in things like instant food, but for the most part, they dealt in cards and toys. But what those of us in the United States know Nintendo for are their role in video games. Nintendo dared to enter the US market after the massive 1983 Atari crash. After the crash in the US, video games were viewed like disco... it was a fad, it died, people moved on. Businesses had tons of Atari systems and games they just wanted to get rid of and lost money on. Nintendo struggled just to get a chance to be taken seriously in the American market, but they pushed, and pushed, even going so far as to sell consoles door-to-door. Eventually, it worked. Their first console, which had been a hit in Japan, and revamped specifically for US audiences, the Nintendo Entertainment System, finally was taken seriously by businesses and sold nationwide. The results? By 1990, 1 in 4 American households owned a Nintendo Entertainment System. Nintendo alone was 10% of the trade deficit between the US and Japan. Nintendo, by working hard and believing in their product not only revived what had been dismissed as a dead industry, but essentially created a new one from one that had been primitive. Today, in terms of money, video gaming is economically more substantial than the movie industry, and depending on whose numbers you trust, may be the single largest international entertainment economic sector. Of course, that includes Nintendo's competitors, which today are Sony and Microsoft. Where is Nintendo today? Nintendo has survived over 20 years of making consoles in a very picky industry, and they find themselves back on top of the video game "console war" with the Wii being the fastest-selling console of all time. Over 2 billion games have been purchased for Nintendo consoles alone. Yes, that's billion with a B. People as far as South Africa or Brazil play the same Nintendo games as Americans. How did Nintendo create this economic behemoth? A mix of factors. They had the technology, but also the creativity. Shigeru Miyamoto, who was originally hired by Nintendo to do the artwork on the sides of arcade game cabinets, was given the odd opportunity to "re-program" unsold arcade units. The game he created with that opportunity was Donkey Kong. He further created the Super Mario Bros series as well as the Legend of Zelda series, which are still to this day two of the most recognizable and beloved video game franchises. Even if you've never touched a video game in your entire life, you know who Mario is. You probably also know Link from the Legend of Zelda, and you probably recognize Samus from Metroid. How important is this culturally? The gaming website, Gamespot, is doing a "greatest video game hero" competition. Three of the top 4 are Nintendo creations: Mario, Link, and Samus. They are all internationally recognized. Mothers are buying Wiis for Wii Fit. Grandmothers are buying the Wii for Wii Sports and "Wiihab"... With 2 billion games sold, and reviving a dead entertainment industry into the strongest entertainment industry in the world, I think it's foolish to ignore Nintendo's importance socially and economically. It is a corporate powerhouse with influence on par to Microsoft and other huge companies. Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Leave-Luck-to-Heaven-How-Nintendo-Created-the-Largest-Entertainment-Industry.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Top-Blog.html Yay me! This will be the top blog as long as I have time for it. I just want to test and see if I can beat Kempite for pushing my blog to the top. Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Top-Blog.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/NBC-WSJ-Poll-65-Disapprove-of-Congressional-Republicans-on-Health-Care.html I'm not trying to sugarcoat things for Democrats. Obama screwed up on healthcare. In trying to avoid Clinton's mistake, he left it largely to Congress, leading to multiple conflicting bills and giving leeway to Republicans to pick and choose the worst aspects of each, and at worst, simply make stuff up in the midst of the confusion. But the debate has not helped Republicans as much as they seem to love Obama's fumbling. An overwhelming majority of Americans disapprove of how Republicans have dealt with the healthcare debate, according to the latest WSJ/NBC poll (and the WSJ has solid conservative credentials and is owned by Rupert Murdoch, so don't give me any BS about a "liberal media" poll). 65% disapprove, a mere 21% approve. Obama's 45% approval, 46% approval on the issue is nothing to brag about, except in light of how the opposition is viewed. Americans want improvements in healthcare that they believe will work. They aren't sold on Obama's plan, but they flatly reject the Republican approach of stopping all change and their extreme rhetoric and interruptions in the town halls and the grossly inappropriate interruption of Obama during his speech to the joint session of Congress, and Republicans SHOULD be taking this opportunity to propose reforms to the American people and gain support. They have not done that, and I don't have much hope that they will. They have chosen the tactics of hyperbole and interference of real debate of ideas on the issues in order to give Obama his "Waterloo." And the American people are decent people, who want real debate with competing ideas. They don't support those tactics. Don't get me wrong... Republicans will make gains in the midterm elections. How could they not? Democrats had a historic first: Two sequential congressional waves and large majorities all around. The pendulum will swing back, but not far enough to give Republicans anything close to majorities. But then again, Republicans are not doing much to prove they deserve to be the majority party with the problems and issues we currently face. Do the Democrats have the right view? America is split. Do the Republicans have the right view? America shouts an astounding "NO!" Tue, 22 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/NBC-WSJ-Poll-65-Disapprove-of-Congressional-Republicans-on-Health-Care.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Coburn-Chief-Of-Staff-All-Porno-Is-Gay-Porno.html I wanted to post a blog on the craziness at the Values Voters Summit, because it brings out the conservative religious zealots and crazies, but I really think Wonkette nailed this one. So, without further ado, let us learn about how your 11-year-old son hiding that Playboy magazine is a homosexual! --- Here is Sen. Tom Coburn’s chief of staff, Michael Schwartz, at this weekend’s Values Voters Summit, talking about pornography. He has a number of interesting thoughts on the subject. Did you know that all porno is GAY porno? It is, seriously. The audio is quiet and not really worth listening to, so just read: “Pornography is a blight,” Schwartz told an audience in a crowded room of the Omni Shoreham hotel. “It is a disaster. It is one of those silent diseases in our society that we haven’t been able to overcome very well. Now, I may be getting politically incorrect here. And it’s been a few years, but not that many, since I was closely associated with pre-adolescent boys, boys around 10 years of age…” GO ON? “But it is my observation that boys of that age have less tolerance for homosexuality than just about any other class of people. They speak badly about homosexuality. And that’s because they don’t want to be that way. They don’t want to fall into it.” Schwartz told the crowd about Jim Johnson, a friend of his who turned an old hotel into a hospice for gay men dying of AIDS. “One of the things he said to me,” said Schwartz, “that I think is an astonishingly insightful remark… he said ‘All pornography is homosexual pornography, because all pornography turns your sexual drive inwards.” There were murmurs and gasps from the crowd. “Now, think about that,” said Schwartz. “And if you tell an 11-year-old boy about that, do you think he’s going to want to get a copy of Playboy? I’m pretty sure he’ll lose interest. That’s the last thing he wants! You know, that’s a good comment, it’s a good point, and it’s a good thing to teach young people.” This: “And if you tell an 11-year-old boy about that, do you think he’s going to want to get a copy of Playboy? I’m pretty sure he’ll lose interest. That’s the last thing he wants!” HAHAHAHAHAHAH. “Hey, Junior, if you read that Playboy, then you’re a FAG.” “Is it so wrong to see some tits, Dad?” “Shutup and leave the house, fag.” Tue, 22 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Coburn-Chief-Of-Staff-All-Porno-Is-Gay-Porno.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/National-Equality-March.html I won't be able to make it, but I strongly encourage anyone who can and supports equal rights for the LGBT community to attend. A right postponed is still a right denied. Throughout history we have seen a fundamental truth of human nature: that when people are denied basic equality, they will fight. They will rebel. Often, powers have been strong enough to quench those threats, but it does not change human nature. Let's show those teabaggers what a TRUE march on D.C. is like. From the description: On October 10-11, 2009, we will gather in Washington, D.C. from all across America to let our elected leaders know that now is the time for full equal rights for LGBT people. This is simply a major national strategy to kick start our national grassroots Equality Across America campaign. We will gather. We will strategize. We will march. And we will leave energized and empowered to do the work that needs to be done in every community across the nation. This is only the beginning. Our single demand: Equal protection in all matters governed by civil law in all 50 states. Our philosophy: As members of every race, class, faith, and community, we see the struggle for LGBT equality as part of a larger movement for peace and social justice. Our strategy: Decentralized organizing for this march in every one of the 435 Congressional districts will build a network to continue organizing beyond October. "We will continue this fight in every state, in every county, every city and every town, but we are now determined to take this fight to the federal government, to our President Barack Obama, to the Congress and the Supreme Court of the United States." -Cleve Jones, May 31, 2009, Fresno, California Sat, 19 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/National-Equality-March.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Why-is-St-Paul-Minnesota-visiting-my-profile-so-much-and-why-is-my-score-plummeting.html Just curious. :) Although I appreciate the CR boost. Plus I wanted a lame excuse to post The Great Mighty Poo song from Conker's Bad Fur Day. Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Why-is-St-Paul-Minnesota-visiting-my-profile-so-much-and-why-is-my-score-plummeting.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Who-will-Republicans-kick-out-next.html With Republicans kicking out their second member, I think it's time we make some odds on who will be kicked out next for not following the strict standards of the party. From what I can tell, the current odds for each getting kicked out are: Kempite: 41/50 Far too gay. MD: 3/5 A guy who posts confederate flags when he's in the north. Republicans have their problems, but northern Republicans don't tolerate that BS. Hawk: 12/25 Republicans hate birds. Erock: 11/50 Erock is too poor (and therefore clearly too lazy and unproductive) to be kept in the party. Trish: 19/50 Trish is too uncontrollable and says what she means, which might occasionally be anti-Republican. EagleScout: 99/100 Far too liberal in the eyes of the party and viewed as gay in the eyes of homophobes. Alright... who wants to make some bets? Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Who-will-Republicans-kick-out-next.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/House-Democrats-Republicans-denounce-GOP-Rep-Joe-Wilson-s-You-lie-outburst-at-Obama.html A rare noble move by Republicans in this age, and it should be admired and supported by all who support civility in American politics. Lawmakers denounce ‘You lie’ outburst at Obama WASHINGTON — Democrats and Republicans alike are denouncing Rep. Joe Wilson for shouting “You lie” at President Barack Obama during his speech to Congress, an extraordinary breach of decorum for which the South Carolina Republican swiftly apologized. “There’ll be time enough to consider whether or not we ought to make it clear that that action is unacceptable in the House of Representatives,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said late Wednesday on WTOP radio when asked about possible punishment for Wilson. “I’ve talked to Republican members who share that view.” “Let’s see what he does,” Hoyer said before Wilson issued an apology. “Then there’s time enough to consider further action.” House Republicans did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but there was widespread condemnation of the outburst from members of both parties. Wilson’s outburst came after Obama said extending health care to all Americans who seek it would not mean insuring illegal immigrants. “You lie!” Wilson shouted from his seat on the Republican side of the chamber. Wilson’s behavior caused a political hangover for him and possibly for the Republican critics Obama had cast as shrill and more interested in killing any health care overhaul than finding a way to provide it. Later, Wilson was contrite. “This evening I let my emotions get the best of me,” he said in a statement. “While I disagree with the president’s statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the president for this lack of civility.” He then tried to call Obama to apologize personally, but ended up talking with White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel instead, Wilson’s office said. By that time, the congressman’s Web site had crashed, he had taken a beating on his Twitter page and Democrat Rob Miller had raised thousands of unexpected dollars online for a possible rematch with Wilson in next year’s midterm elections, according to Lachlan McIntosh, Miller’s campaign manager. “Everybody was stunned,” Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., said of Wilson’s eruption. “It was just something that nobody had ever witnessed before. We all felt embarrassed.” Republicans froze; several glanced in Wilson’s direction. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi directed a fierce frown at him; first lady Michelle Obama pursed her lips and shook her head from side to side. Vice President Joe Biden looked down and shook his head too. Obama, meanwhile, looked toward the outburst and replied, “That’s not true” before going on with his speech. Wilson appeared to consult his Blackberry for much of the rest of Obama’s speech. He shook his head defiantly after several of the president’s statements. When Obama finished, Wilson bolted from the chamber. Wilson’s behavior was “totally disrespectful,” Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who had been Obama’s rival in the 2008 presidential election, said on CNN. “There is no place for it in that setting, or any other, and he should apologize for it immediately.” Associated Press writers Ben Evans in Washington and Jim Davenport in Columbia, S.C., contributed to this report. Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/House-Democrats-Republicans-denounce-GOP-Rep-Joe-Wilson-s-You-lie-outburst-at-Obama.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Disabled-ain-t-enough-Bishop-Booed-by-Conservatives.html Enjoy your 54,029,298th video of conservatives acting like 2-year-olds at a family gathering at a town hall. Only this time to a Bishop. Do they hate open discussion of health care reform more than they love Christ? The answer is a feverish YES!!! Anyway, here's the video of Bishop Emilio Alvarez asking a question at his town hall to Rep. Himes, who speaks and understands fluent Spanish, and attempted to explain what the Bishop asked over the shoutings of the crowd. Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Disabled-ain-t-enough-Bishop-Booed-by-Conservatives.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Celebrate-Gay-Marriage-in-Vermont-with-Ice-Cream.html Unfortunately, the sanctity of your marriage has once again been irreparably damaged by another state allowing same-sex marriages. Sorta old news, but today Vermont starts actually giving out marriage licenses to same-sex couples. However, you can drown your tears in a new flavor of Ben & Jerry's for the occasion. Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Celebrate-Gay-Marriage-in-Vermont-with-Ice-Cream.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/The-Great-White-Hope.html Do I really need to say anything? The video says enough. The funny thing is that I don't think Republicans need to be worried about the black vote. They won't get that with Obama on the ticket, and they chose to abandon it decades ago with Nixon's southern strategy. What they need to be worrying about is that Hispanic approval of the GOP is in the single digits, approaching African American numbers, and it's difficult to envision any sort of successful national electoral strategy if Republicans can't make at least a sizable dent into the Hispanic vote as Bush was able to do and McCain failed at miserably. But if Republicans want to shoot themselves in the foot, I'm not going to complain. Fri, 28 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/The-Great-White-Hope.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/The-Liberal-Lion-Has-Passed-Away.html Edward "Ted" Kennedy, long-time Senator from Massachusetts, passed away after fighting a malignant brain tumor for over a year and a half. An icon of the political left, he was known for his passionate support and advocacy of liberal causes, particularly voting rights, civil rights, health care, and education reform. He left his indelible mark on numerous pieces of legislation over his long Senate career. He is survived by his second wife, Victoria Ann Reggie Kennedy, whom he married in 1992; his first wife, Joan Bennett; and five children -- Patrick, Kara and Edward Jr. from his first marriage, and Curran and Caroline Raclin from his second. Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/The-Liberal-Lion-Has-Passed-Away.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Why-Swine-Flu-Sucks-and-Won-t-Kill-You.html No, it won't kill you. Why? 1) Okay. I lied. It might kill you. Just like any flu. But the odds are drastically higher if you're already sick, especially if it's related to your lungs and respiratory system. But if you're a non-young, non-old, relatively healthy individual, you'll most likely have (drum roll) flu-like symptoms. And then they'll go away on their own. 2) More seriously. Why isn't it this horror we expected? Two reasons: a) Based on how it adheres to cells, it's mostly prone to the upper respiratory tract. This leads to higher transmission rates (cough) but less severe disease. b) The NS1 protein. Influenza produces a protein called NS1 to tell your immune system to shut the f*** up. Some strains have a variant of NS1 that lead to a cytokine storm, which means you have a good chance of dying. (The bird flu we heard about a while ago has this). Thankfully, this current version of the swine flu doesn't. So you heard it here folks. Brinmat said you won't suffer from a cytokine storm from swine flu. You can take that to the leukocyte bank. And yes, I know we're not supposed to call it swine flu anymore because of Miss Piggy and her lobbyists. But I never liked Miss Piggy. Kermit deserves so much better than that pretentious oinker. If you want more info about how you were supposed to die but actually won't, I'd be happy to answer your questions when I can get around to them (I probably won't be on much today). Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Why-Swine-Flu-Sucks-and-Won-t-Kill-You.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Obama-is-Literally-Hitler.html Finally, a website that proves once and for all that Obama is literally Hitler. http://obamaisliterallyhitler.tumblr.com/ Enjoy! Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Obama-is-Literally-Hitler.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/New-Improved-Supreme-Court-Now-with-Wise-Latina.html Sotomayor has been confirmed by the Senate by a 68-31 vote. All 57 present Democrats and the 2 Independents who caucus with the Democrats voted in favor. (Ted Kennedy was not present due to his ongoing health issues). Nine Republicans voted in favor: Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Sen. Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), Sen. Christopher Bond (Mo.), Sen. Susan Collins (Maine), Sen. Olympia Snowe (Maine), Sen. Richard Lugar (Ind.), Sen. Mel Martinez (Fla.), Sen. Judd Gregg (N.H.) and Sen. George Voinovich (Ohio). Thu, 06 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/New-Improved-Supreme-Court-Now-with-Wise-Latina.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/BREAKING-Kim-Jong-Il-issues-Special-Pardons-for-American-Journalists.html It appears the visit by former President Bill Clinton to North Korea went brilliantly. Kim Jong Il has announced he will pardon the two American journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, who were found guilty of entering North Korea illegally. Kudos, Bill. Partisanship aside, I hope this is something all Americans can be happy about. Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/BREAKING-Kim-Jong-Il-issues-Special-Pardons-for-American-Journalists.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/How-to-eliminate-the-national-debt-quickly-and-painlessly.html Okay, it wouldn't work, but I laughed. Edit: The video isn't embedding, so here's a link. http://www.theonion.com/content/video/u_s_government_stages_fake_coup?utm_source=a-section Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/How-to-eliminate-the-national-debt-quickly-and-painlessly.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Karl-Rove-vs-the-Birthers.html Ugh... conservatives were more amusing when they just went after the gays for everything. Sorry, birthers, but even Karl Rove isn't buying into the supposed Kenya birth certificate. And why should he? Let's take a brief look at the glaring flaws (and a couple of more humorous highlights) from the supposed "real" birth certificate of the current president. 1) Kenya was a British colony. The "Republic of Kenya" was not established until Dec. 12th, 1964, several years after Obama's birth. Even if we assume the 3-years-late authorization of Feb. 17th, 1964 on the birth certificate (which seems odd in and of itself) there was still no "Republic of Kenya" to speak of. 2) The certificate claims he was born in Mombasa, Kenya. That's great. Once again, Mombasa, Kenya didn't even exist. The city of Mombasa was still a part of the nation of Zanzibar at the time. 3) More of a minor claim, and I'm sure the birthers would find some way to spin it, but all we know about Barack Obama Sr. was that he was born in 1936 (we don't have a specific date). Obama Jr's birth certificate lists him as 26 years old, when, he should've been only 24 or 25. And now for the more fun/amusing stuff... 1) About 2/3rds down, you have the registrar for the birth, who's name is listed as "E.F. Lavender" Earth Friendly Lavender is a brand of earth-friendly detergents. 2) The number of the birth certificate is an extremely amusing "coincidence" ... 47,044. Barack Obama is the 44th president, and was elected to the position and took the oath of office at the age of 47. Those two little tidbits make me think it's a liberal prankster playing a joke on the birthers. Nobody likes to play a prank without giving at least a couple hints so people can appreciate their work. ;) Anyway, that's my latest spiel on the ongoing birther scene. So yes, this is Obama's REAL birth certificate (click the link to see it!) It is a magical birth certificate that defies history and geography, but clearly proves Obama was born on foreign soil! (Which still doesn't disprove that he's a natural born US citizen, but that's another topic the birthers don't quite get). Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Karl-Rove-vs-the-Birthers.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/The-Ballot-Battle-Over-Same-Sex-Marriage-is-in-Maine-this-November.html The efforts to roll back gay marriage continue. Today, opponents of same-sex marriage in Maine will be submitting what is expected to be more than a sufficient number of signatures required to place Maine's same-sex marriage law passed by the legislature and signed by the governor on the ballot for a "people's veto." Both sides have been actively gearing up, expecting that it will be on the ballot in November. Yesterday, a group which has renamed itself as “No on 1: Protect Maine Equality” announced they had also collected over 60,000 signatures from supporters of gay marriage. Perhaps more of a symbolic gesture at best, but it does show they're not falling into the trap of the No on Prop 8 organizations that waited too long and were far too disorganized to deal with all the outside influences, and those same outside influences are poised to be involved in the battle in Maine. With only a few states holding elections in November, this vote will have heavy national attention, and I imagine more outside GLBT-supportive organizations will be involved than were able to be involved in the Prop 8 battle. So we shall see. In November, Maine can stand up for equality under the law, or it can follow California's example and vote to maintain second-class citizenship for people in same-sex relationships. Fri, 31 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/The-Ballot-Battle-Over-Same-Sex-Marriage-is-in-Maine-this-November.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Poll-Most-Say-Palin-Not-Fit-for-Presidency-and-Her-Resignation-Hurt-Her.html Polls from PPP, USA Today/Gallup, and Rasmussen. Blog From CQ politics. Video from Countdown. Dear Republicans: Please nominate this woman. :) --- A third poll has weighed in this week on how Americans are viewing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin after her surprise announcement that she was resigning this month, and this one says a majority of voters say her decision makes them less likely to support her if she runs for President and also believe she's not fit to hold the office. By 55 percent to 37 percent, voters said Palin was not fit to be President, according to a Public Policy Polling survey conducted July 6-7. Fifty-seven percent said her decision to resign her job with 18 months to go made it less likely they would support her, 30 percent said more likely and 14 percent weren't sure. Voters are split on how they view Palin, with 46 percent seeing her favorably and 45 percent unfavorably. The margin of error is 3.2 points. A USA Today/Gallup poll released yesterday asked its questions somewhat differently with 54 percent saying it was not too likely or likely at all that they would support Palin for President and 43 percent saying it was very or somewhat likely they would. Seventy percent said Palin's decision to resign had no effect on whether they viewed her favorably or not. A Rasmussen Reports poll, also released yesterday, said 40 percent of Republican voters thought her resignation decision hurt her chances as a 2012 presidential candidate, 24 percent said it helped and 28 percent believed it made no difference. PPP's Dean Debnam said of his firm's findings: "It's not surprising Palin's overall favorability numbers haven't declined since most folks inclined to dislike her already did before she announced she was resigning as Governor. But even among people with a positive opinion of her this move seems to have raised some questions about her judgment such that a majority of Americans don't think she's fit to be President." Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Poll-Most-Say-Palin-Not-Fit-for-Presidency-and-Her-Resignation-Hurt-Her.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/So-Why-Did-This-Crazy-Palin-Lady-Quit-the-Alaska-Governor-Job-She-Just-Started-Two-Years-Ago.html My comment: WTF? From Wonkette: First of all, Sarah Palin, go to HELL for ruining your editor’s day of patriotic rest and BBQ. Second, why did you really quit, crazy lady? We admit to “jumping to conclusions” (trying to hurry up and get back outside to our cocktails and friends), but the story may be more complicated than “Sarah Palin is a sociopath who will just quit being governor of Alaska THREE-AND-A-HALF YEARS before the next presidential election, just to show her, uhm, Leadership Credentials, which means constantly yelling at David Letterman about a joke she couldn’t comprehend.” But there are so many more crazy theories about America’s craziest Alaskan Anger Bear, the snowbilly grifter and strip-mall Ice Queen of Wasilla. Let’s examine them, together! * Andrea Mitchell’s sources say Sarah Palin is not running for anything, ever, and that she’s “out of politics for good.” But who will fill the other half of the Santelli 2012 ticket? * Sarah Palin (or somebody!) is pregnant again! CNN’s Rick Sanchez suggested this “why not?” reason. * Palin’s nutball spokeswoman, “Meg,” denies Andrea Mitchell’s account, and says that Palin will actually be going “outside government,” which, uhm, is not actually a denial at all, right? DailyKos commenter bluedonkey08 says in response, “You know, sometimes I think it’s not worth trying to understand what she says. Your sanity will appreciate it.” Noted. * Palin’s brother called the cable news to give his own theory, based on some conversation with Sister Sarah at a ski resort somewhere, two months ago. According to this relative, Palin has been spending “80% of her time defending herself” from the Media. You know, because it’s super important to yell at David Letterman for weeks at a time, for being a teevee comic who makes jokes about politicians. (Sarah Palin apparently spends the remaining 20% of her time at ski resorts.) * Mean old Washington Post beltway neocon Charles Krauthammer said the other day on Fox News that Palin is “not a serious candidate” for Republicans. Did Krauthammer make emo Sarah cry and quit? * She’s just plain crazy and you’re just wasting your time trying to make sense of her erratic behavior. This is the theory suggested by CBS News, which described her speech as “rambling and sometimes confusing.” Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/So-Why-Did-This-Crazy-Palin-Lady-Quit-the-Alaska-Governor-Job-She-Just-Started-Two-Years-Ago.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Brin-s-Official-List-of-Recent-Celebrity-Deaths.html Because they're dropping like flies, and lots of rumors are flying about various celebrities dying, I thought it'd be worth posting a list of the deaths that are actually real and confirmed. By my count, we have nine actual celebrity deaths since this began. Due to the number, I will only provide a brief summary for each. Ed McMahon Decorated war veteran, comedian, game show host, announcer, and television personality. Johnny Carson's announcer and sidekick on The Tonight Show. Farrah Fawcett Model and Actress, famous for her role in Charlie's Angels and for a particular poster. Michael Jackson The King of Pop, child star, with numerous hits and with more sales than Elvis Presley. He led an eccentric personal life largely centered on trying to recapture his lost childhood. Sky Saxon Lead singer of garage rock band The Seeds. Influenced several generations of rock musicians. Hits included Can’t Seem to Make You Mine and Pushin’ Too Hard. Josephine Owaissa Cottle (Gale Storm) Early TV star, singer, and radio star. Had two television shows in the 1950's, and 3 stars on the Walk of Fame. Fred Travalena Impressionist and comedian with a show in Las Vegas and many appearances on late night talk shows; also a regular in the early Dean Martin Roasts. Billy Mays Famous (and overly-energetic) infomercial host and pitchman, and star of a Discovery TV show "Pitchmen" Mollie Sugden British actress. Did both comedic and serious roles, but is best known and beloved for her comedic role on the Britcom "Are you Being Served?" as Betty Slocombe, who regularly referred to her cat as "my pussy" Karl Malden Academy Award winner. Appeared in such movies as Patton, A Streetcar Named Desire, and Pollyanna. In spite of being in numerous movies, he's considered most famous for his role as Detective Mike Stone in the 1970s TV series "The Streets of San Francisco." And... Did I miss anyone? Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Brin-s-Official-List-of-Recent-Celebrity-Deaths.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Coleman-concedes-after-unaninimous-court-ruling.html The longest Senate election in history is finally over. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Coleman-concedes-after-unaninimous-court-ruling.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/40th-Anniversary-of-Stonewall-Now-Get-On-The-Ground.html Link to the blog included below. ----- Fort Worth, Texas: Patrons of the Rainbow Lounge bar got a little slice of history for the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots over the weekend, when the bar was raided and, if reports are to be believed, heavy-handed police tactics left one man in hospital with severe head injuries, and many more people dehumanized and angry. What Happened at the Rainbow Lounge? On a routine inspection alongside the Texas Alcohol Beverage commission, Fort Worth police entered the Rainbow Lounge early Sunday morning at around 1 AM. After that, opinions diverge on what really happened. The Dallas Voice have published several eyewitness accounts. One says, “They [police officers] asked this guy if he had been drinking, and he said 'some', and they snidely replied, 'Well, we'll see how much!' and plastic handcuffed him as they read him his rights... it was utterly repugnant." Sadly, this is the least violent account of what is alleged to have happened. To read more eyewitness accounts, please click here. The Associated Press reports one patron, George Armstrong, 41, who was there when officers entered the building, flashed the peace sign at the officers to indicate that he would comply with the raid, but was tackled to the floor and held with an arm twisted behind his back. "He was yelling at me to stop resisting arrest, but I wasn't doing anything. It was horrible. I really thought he had broken my shoulder." Said Armstrong who, when he was released, went to the hospital where his arm was x-rayed and bandaged up due to "severe bruising". The police allege the following: “While walking through the Rainbow Lounge, an extremely intoxicated patron made sexually explicit movements toward the police supervisor. This individual was arrested for public intoxication. Another intoxicated individual also made sexually explicit movements towards another officer and he was arrested for public intoxication. A third individual inside the lounge assaulted the TABC agent by grabbing the TABC agent's groin. He was escorted outside and arrested for public intoxication.” - Statement made by Police Chief Jeff Halstead. No one, however, was arrested for either resisting arrest or for assault of a police officer. “That is a lie, and I'm appalled by it,” J.R. Schrock, owner of the Rainbow Lounge said. The man who they allege fell to the floor when challenged is one Chad Gibson, 26, who is still in hospital with his head injuries, but thankfully is now conscious. His sister told reporters whilst protesting with fellow activists, that the idea of Gibson acting in such a manner was false and completely out of character. The Police Chief has been unforthcoming with more details on exactly how Gibson was injured, but the department has started an internal investigation with regards to the raid. Raids are not uncommon in Fort Worth, but what is uncommon is the level of force alleged to have been used in the raid, something which has shocked and provoked anger in both the gay community and even Fort Worth's governing officials. Councilman Joel Burns acted quickly, making a statement on Monday that he had, "asked for as thorough a report as possible" to assure people that "the police are not singling out any group". Protestors who gathered outside Fort Worth Police Department throughout Sunday and Monday seem unconvinced. Similarly The Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solomonese released a statement pointing out that an internal investigation would not suffice, "Brutality at the hands of law enforcement is never acceptable and these allegations demonstrate the need for a thorough and impartial investigation." The Dallas Voice, who originally reported the entire story, have the latest information on the case here. The Police Department have reiterated the fact that they didn't know it was the anniversary of Stonewall. Many officers, presumably, don't even know what the event even stands for. Sadly, they've unwittingly acted as a reminder to all of us that LGBTs still face victimization today, but the fact that such swift action has been taken, so many voices ringing out to denounce this injustice, people standing in the light of day with banners held high drawing attention to this alleged brutality, well, that also highlights how much progress has been made. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/40th-Anniversary-of-Stonewall-Now-Get-On-The-Ground.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/BREAKING-Some-Straight-Men-are-Friendly-with-Gay-Men.html For all of you people who are always complaining about how the "good" news rarely gets reported, here's a little ray of sunshine courtesy of the New York Times—-Some straight men are actually accepting of the gays! Amazing! And here you were probably thinking all along that straight men only wanted to beat up any gay man occupying the same room with them out of fear that they might get their genitals grazed by a gay hand that has touched the genitals of other men—You are so wrong! The times, they are a changing people! As America's openly gay minority becomes more visibly interwoven into society - a 2007 poll by the Pew Research Center found that 4 out of 10 respondents had a close friend or family member who was a gay man or a lesbian - the straight world becomes more aware of the gay world. Although male friends of opposite orientations can face formidable obstacles - sexuality, language, peer pressure, inequality - there seems to be more mutual appreciation and common ground. The Times cites the friendship between American Idol finalists Kris Allen and Adam Lambert as an example of how some straight men are capable of actually acting like evolved human beings when exposed to overwhelming gayness. "I'm flattered, and I think it's hilarious," Kris Allen told People.com recently, responding to the news that his former roommate and runner-up on "American Idol," Adam Lambert, had a crush on him. Mr. Lambert, who favors black eyeliner and leather pants, had told Rolling Stone that Mr. Allen, an aw-shucks Christian from Arkansas, was "the one guy that I found attractive in the whole group on the show - nice, nonchalant, pretty and totally my type - except that he has a wife." Mr. Allen's cool, self-assured response to being the object of his gay roommate's affection doesn't exactly qualify him as a civil rights hero, not at a time when straight men march against Proposition 8 in California and the most anticipated gay-themed film of the year, "Brüno," is coming from a straight (if highly waxed) comedian. But do give him credit for overcoming one of the most common deal-killers in friendships between straight and gay men: the awkward crush. Wow. Maybe Allen and Lambert can do a duet that does for gays and straights what Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder did for blacks and whites with "Ebony and Ivory?" They can title it "Bubba and Fabian" or something. So this is like, a cool, trendy thing now? I had no idea! Thanks for educating this ass-backwards straight New York Times. Now, with that said, I wonder what Richard Lawson is doing later in the week? Maybe he and I can, oh, I don't know, get frozen drinks with little umbrellas in them and talk about baseball? Happy Gay Pride Day everybody! Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/BREAKING-Some-Straight-Men-are-Friendly-with-Gay-Men.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Plurality-of-SC-Republicans-Think-Sanford-Should-Resign.html Edit: Taken from http://www.bloggersforchange.com/?p=16792 and originally from a Daily Kos blog, but the numbers are accurate from the poll results, which is pretty much all the blog covered. These are some very bad numbers for Mark Sanford (SurveyUSA snap poll conducted 6/24/2009, 500 SC adults, overall moe +/- 4.4%): * Overall, 60% think Sanford should resign * Among GOPs, 48% say resign, 47% say stay in office. * Among conservatives, 55% favor resignation * Among independents, 61% favor resignation * Among Democrats, 74% favor resignation * Among women, 64% favor resignation The poll shows that the big issue for voters isn't that Sanford had an affair, it's that he went AWOL. On the question of whether Sanford had the right "to take a vacation without information the public of his absence," 63% said no, while 29% said yes. Even Republicans thought Sanford was wrong by a 54% to 36% margin. On the question of whether he had the right "to take a vacation without information his staff of his location," a whopping 77% said no, and just 16% said yes. 73% of Republicans thought Sanford was wrong. Keep in mind that these numbers don't take into account the revelation that Sanford not only saw his lover during a taxpayer-funded trade mission to Argentina, but that the trade mission consisted of meetings focusing on the agribusiness industry -- the very same industry in which Sanford's lover was employed. Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Plurality-of-SC-Republicans-Think-Sanford-Should-Resign.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Why-do-U4Prezzers-love-Sanford-over-Constitutions.html I find it fantastically charming that some conservatives and liberals have been able to unite in defense over Sanford's indiscretions. Because... OMG! It's just like Bill Clinton! Newt Gingrich! etc. Except it's not. SANFORD ABANDONED THE STATE TO GO TO ANOTHER CONTINENT WITHOUT EXPLANATION. HE RISKED A STATE CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS. I would like conservatives and liberals who have defended Sanford on this site to defend his actions in those terms. Please explain to me why an affair is fine and "just personal" if it risks causing a constitutional and legal crisis. Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Why-do-U4Prezzers-love-Sanford-over-Constitutions.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Sarah-Palin-Yelling-At-Some-Blog-Now-Because-Of-Lil-Trigger.html From Wonkette... Enjoy! Sarah Palin Yelling At Some Blog Now, Because Of Lil’ Trigger Famous bad mother Sarah Palin, hot off her successful campaign to fire David Letterman, from television, is now yelling about how some other random person hates or rapes her children. See that photoshop up there of Governor Palin with Bristol Palin’s child, Trig? We thought “Verne Troyer” too, but no, it is the head of conservative Alaskan radio host Eddie Burke, who is in love with Sarah Palin. The terrifying graphic is the work of “the liberal Alaskan blogger, Celtic Diva,” who earlier this month pushed some other story about Todd’s snowmobiling clothes. Now Palin has denounced the blogger through her evil spokesperson Meg Stapleton, who released a statement saying, “The mere idea of someone doctoring the photo of a special needs baby is appalling.” Oh.. oh MEG. “Recently we learned of a malicious desecration of a photo of the Governor and baby Trig that has become an iconic representation of a mother’s love for a special needs child,” Palin spokeswoman Meghan Stapelton said in a statement provided to CNN. “The mere idea of someone doctoring the photo of a special needs baby is appalling.” Stapelton also suggested President Obama should speak out against such behavior from liberal activists. “Babies and children are off limits,” She said. “It is past time to restore decency in politics and real tolerance for all Americans. The Obama Administration sets the moral compass for its party. We ask that special needs children be loved, respected and accepted and that this type of degeneracy be condemned.” HAHAHAHAHAA. Yeah c’mon Obama, what the hell man, some lady in Alaska photoshopped a radio host’s head onto one of ten million photos of Trig being used as a campaign prop, when will you condemn these… these Degenerates. A DESECRATION! This photo “has become an iconic representation of a mother’s love for a special needs child,” damnit! It’s art, you fools! Art! Really… really good photo we got goin’ here. National fucking treasure. Like most things, however, Palin’s statement is hypocritical, because she, too, has photoshopped images of beloved earth-king Trig in the past. Check out this “real-life photoshop,” where she turned Trig into an elephant. Was she insinuating that this special needs child could be an African monster? (http://img.wonkette.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/trigelephant.jpg) Which is more embarrassing? Which is more of a desecration to Trig? Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/Sarah-Palin-Yelling-At-Some-Blog-Now-Because-Of-Lil-Trigger.html http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/It-s-time-for-Gov-Mark-Sanford-to-Resign.html Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina, who had been seen as a rising star and potential presidential candidate for his fierce fight with the Obama administration and his own state legislature over the stimulus package, is simply no longer fit to serve and should offer the people of South Carolina his resignation as Governor of the state. The affair in and of itself is not a criminal issue but a personal one for him and his family to work through. I wish him and his family the best in resolving the situation. But that does not excuse his actions these past few days. He abandoned the state with little or no explanation to the people who needed to be the most informed, such as his Lieutenant Governor who would have to take over in the case of an emergency. Then apparently they found him and he's just hiking the Appalachian trail. Or maybe he's working on a book, which his wife suggested. A governor cannot simply run off and avoid his responsibilities on a whim without any explanation or preparation. It demonstrates a tremendous lack of responsibility and concern for the people he represents. The state now has to investigate whether or not Sanford may have used public funds to help pay for the ongoing affair. The best thing he can do at this point for himself, his family, and the people of South Carolina is to offer his resignation and allow the state to move on. Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.u4prez.com//Blogs/brinmat/It-s-time-for-Gov-Mark-Sanford-to-Resign.html