Taking in the True Colors Tour 2008 at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, CA, I was struck by how much more forceful the political message was this year. Maybe it's because California has recently permissed gay marriages and a counter amendment is already on the state's November ballot. Maybe it was because the show was the same day as the San Francisco Pride parade and the emotions were already running strong. Or maybe it was because tonight Cyndi Lauper was on a tear. During a break in the show, she delivered a powerful, gripping sermon about getting involved, knowing what you're voting for and then voting. [ Read The Rest ]

Two Nevada Congressional Representatives are going to propose that online gambling can be regulated by the U.S. government, and instead of outlawing online gambling, the U.S. should be embracing it. Shelley Berkley and Jon Porter are slyly not asking for outright endorsing internet gambling, not yet, but only that Congress initiate an 18-month study of online gaming to figure out how it could be regulated by the U.S. The study would be conducted by the National Research Council, a relatively independent agency. [ Read The Rest ]

by Tom Rushton

It's Christmastime and I shouldn't get rankled so easily, especially by Joy Behar's recent comments on The View. Behar, as you may know, referred to Secretary Rumsfeld as "Hitlerlike" during the broadcast on Monday. Not too long ago in America, celebrities who made tasteless remarks were chastised for such behavior. Today, it seems they are paid for it. [ Read The Rest ]

by Tom Rushton

Dear President Ahmadinejad,

Thanks for the lovely note; it was pleasure hearing from you again. And it's good to see you finally got work, but the presidency of Iran, well that was quite a shock. Why, some of my fellow Americans claim that the last time you were working on the world stage, you were marching blindfolded Americans around the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
[ Read The Rest ]

President Bush has signed into law new legislation seeking to halt online gambling by making it illegal to transfer funds for the purposes of internet gaming. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act gives teeth to the administration’s censure of online gaming sites in the absence of an outright ban.
[ Read The Rest ]

Adapted by Barry E. Rothenberg, Ph.D.

"Everyone understands how praiseworthy it is for a Politician to remain true to his word and to live with complete integrity without any scheming. However, we've seen through experience how many Politician's in our time have achieved great things who have little cared about keeping their word and have shrewdly known the skill of tricking the minds of men; these Politician's have overcome those whose actions were founded on honesty and integrity. [ Read The Rest ]

Adapted by Randy Marx

I cannot claim to have died an innocent. I cannot claim to have had all these undesired things, my death, my crown, even my late husband, thrust upon me. I maintain, however, that in respect to these things I was too weak to refuse, and too dignified to reject them. I confess upbringing is no excuse. I chose my path. At every opportunity I had the choice to protest; against my parents, against my King, and even my God. The scaffold before me lays open and bare. The executioner, standing before me now, begs his ritualistic forgiveness, and the only words I can think to utter are, "You, sir, take my life as unwillingly as I lived it."

[ Read The Rest ]

I am devastated to learn that Ann Richards died yesterday.

It might seem strange that the death of a former Democratic Governor from Texas at the age of 73 would affect a barely thirty-something gay Republican who has never lived in Texas, but Ann Richards was that formidable.

First off, if you have never heard of her, here is a brief recap. She was governor of the state of Texas just prior to George W. Bush in the early nineties. She made a name for herself, among other things, as being an outspoken advocate for women and minorities participating in politics. In fact, she was the first woman elected to a state position (in Texas) in the latter half of the 20th century when she took over the office of state treasurer in 1982. As governor, she went to task against legislation that would allow Texans to carry concealed weapons (widely believed to be the reason she was not reelected.) She supported the institution of the state lottery as a means to support public education and frequently fought for equity in public school finance.
[ Read The Rest ]