Chris Christie is starting to smell bad. Very bad.

By David Weigel
Posted Friday, Aug. 16, 2013, at 2:13 PM

...I thought Christie's proud boast (click here) of how he'd broken the unions was more interesting. He described the New Jersey Education Association as the bully "standing there with their arms folded across their chest staring at you" when you're new in school, and declared that he'd beaten them. Which he had.

"We have the endorsement of 24 building-trade unions,” he said. “We have an opportunity as a political party to drive a wedge in the union movement, and the laboratory where that’s happening right now is in my state.”

One problem: How much of this is long-term and how much is benefiting only Christie? The governor decisively beat the unions in 2010 and 2011, but when the November 2011 elections came, his Republicans lost a seat in the Assembly and gained nothing in the Senate. In the last Quinnipiac poll, 20 percent of voters said they were more likely to back a legislative candidate if Christie did, and 17 percent said they were less likely—basically a wash. In the previous poll, by a 15-point margin, an electorate that planned to vote for Christie said it preferred a Democratic legislature....

No fund raiser unless the veto hammer fell, huh? This is Chris Christie? Waving the White Flag to money? This is the wrongist thing to do. Christie should have asked the people he serves to send donations to election. They would have. This only muddies the waters, both in the state and nationally.

 By Jeff Goldman/The Star-Ledger
 August 16, 2013 at 9:57 AM, updated August 16, 2013 at 12:33 PM

...The $3,800-per person cocktail reception (click here) on Aug. 28 will be co-hosted by Nick Loeb, the founder of Onion Crunch, and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani.... 

Loeb, sprinkling his product on a New York hot dog, says Vergara has been fully supportive of his passion for Onion Crunch.

16 August 2013

 Sofia Vergara’s wedding to fiancé Nick Loeb will be very intimate.(click here)

Sofia was first married at the age of 18 to her childhood sweetheart Joe Gonzalez, father to her 21-year-old son Manolo.
She has spoken previously about her future family expansion plans with fiancé, Nick.
"I have to be careful what I eat because they’re freezing my eggs!" she told American Vogue magazine. "They want to get as many eggs as they can because usually you produce them but they’re not good. They have to be perfect, perfect, perfect ones.
"My boyfriend is 37, younger than me, never had kids."
Sofia will next be seen in action crime thriller Machete Kills, which is released in cinemas this fall.

I am sure all the greats will be there. He is sort of looking more and more like Romney, isn't he?

By HAILEY EBER 
Last Updated: 10:43 AM, March 5, 2013 
Posted: 12:05 AM, March 5, 2013
...So what is Vergara, (click here) who’s been romantically linked to Miami-nightlife impresario and mob rat Chris Paciello and had an alleged fling with Colombian drug trafficker Andres López López, doing with this “dorky” guy?
Whether he’s bringing samples with him on the red carpet or making the morning-show rounds, Loeb is unabashed about using his famous fiancée to promote his product: “I’m a hustler,” says the goofy-but-handsome, 6-foot-3 New York native.
He carries a plastic shaker of Onion Crunch in his jacket pocket at all times (handily, he notes that he and his fiancée are always together, splitting their time between Los Angeles, New York and Florida).
And he says he doesn’t care when the gossip columns portray their relationship as “the glamorous girl and the Onion Crunch King.”...

I thought he went state's witness about a drug cartel. No? Yeah, I think he did. I thought that is where he got a new life. Right? Witness protection and all that stuff. Maybe not. He was even responsible for a few murders. Fairly sure about that. I mean if this is the same guy. Name change and all that kind of stuff.

First Posted: 02/17/2012 11:44 am Updated: 04/18/2012 5:12 am
As first reported by Random Pixels,(click here)  Paciello (real name: Christian Ludwigsen) was arrested early Friday morning on suspicion of DUI after officers caught him driving recklessly in a dark-colored Jaguar in the 2100 block of Miami Beach Drive.
Miami Beach Police spokesman Juan Sanchez told HuffPost Miami that when officers first spotted Paciello behind the wheel around 4:30 a.m., they made a visual estimate he was traveling over 80 miles per hour.
"He was driving recklessly," Sanchez added. "When they did stop him, they noticed he had a strong odor of alcohol and watery eyes."
Paciello refused to take an on-scene Breathalyzer test and was booked into Miami-Dade's Pre-Trial Detention Center, where he is being held on a total of $2,000 bond on a DUI charge and a citation for refusing to submit to DUI testing....

The Republicans are playing Christie for a fool. Someone wants him out of the way for 2016.

Yeah, this is the guy.

...In New York, (click here) he had been Christian Ludwigsen, using his father's last name. In South Beach he was Chris Paciello, using his mother's maiden name....

Somebody is running game on Christie, someone is running game on Christie. Shame on the Gov.

Christie joins "Gangstaland."

Christie's political career is over. He might be elected for Governor again, but, he has just signed off on a future beyond this next election.

6/6/13
A Gallup poll (click here) posted on Wednesday found the brash East Coast Republican has a favorability rating of 52 percent among all Americans and an unfavorability rating of 20 percent....

He should not have given into the extremists. It will turn out to be the worst decisions he ever made. He violated the public trust this time. Darn shame.

Republicans never understand a northern electorate. They always get it wrong.

This reporting from NJ.com is from the Hunterdon Democrat. That newsprint has been around forever.

There is only one saving grace for him and that is to speak about specifics of what he disagree with in the bill. Even then, unless there are some real underlying problems with the bill, he won't be considered correct.

He called for the background check bill and now refuses to sign it? Like, what?

He should not have vetoed it without telling the people of New Jersey he was going to and why. This is just about as unforgivable as it comes.

By Matt Friedman/The Star-Ledger
on August 16, 2013 at 7:27 PM, updated August 16, 2013 at 8:32 PM

TRENTON — After months of pressure (click here) from both sides of the gun control debate, Gov. Chris Christie today refused to sign three controversial gun control measures sitting on his desk — including a version of a weapon ban that he had called for.
Christie altered two bills, sending them back to the Legislature — a massive measure (S2723) known as state Senate President Stephen Sweeney’s “centerpiece” to overhaul the way the state issues firearms ID cards, and legislation to require New Jersey law enforcement agencies to report information on lost, stolen and discarded guns to federal databases (A3797).
But the governor completely axed a bill that would ban the Barrett .50 caliber rifle(A3659), which is the most powerful weapon commonly available to civilians. Christie had called for a ban on future sales of the weapon in his own package of violent prevention measures outlined in April....

This dedication to the rebuilding post Sandy will not get him past this one. He'll implode from here. Maybe he wants to.

This is how ridiculous the "Mind Speak" of the Right Wing has become in regard to carbon pollution.

If Senator Inhofe doesn't know the President is exempt from The Hatch Act, then he doesn't belong in office. In fact, it is Senator Inhofe in violation of his oath of office to serve and protect the citizens of Oklahoma.

8/14/2013
Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Inhofe (click here) is investigating “apparent coordination” between the Obama administration and Organizing for Action to push the president’s new climate plan.

Inhofe also outlined potential Hatch Act violations.

“There seems to be a coincidental coordination between the White House, the President’s campaign, and the liberal media that is weaving a false and potentially harmful narrative of alarmism,” said Inhofe. “Just as the OFA has called for light to be shed on members of Congress not in lockstep with the President’s agenda, I will work to shed light on the coincidence of coordination in the Obama Administration we continue to see unfold.”...

Senator Inhofe is at the very least committing yet another Ethical Violation for using the monies of the federal government to manipulate a political venue for his own benefit.

Hatch Act: Who is Covered? (click here)
Federal Employees
All civilian employees in the executive branch of the federal government, except the President and the Vice President, are covered by the provisions of the Hatch Act. Employees of the U. S. Postal Service, are also covered by the Act. Part-time employees are covered by the Act. Federal and District of Columbia employees subject to the Hatch Act continue to be covered while on annual leave, sick leave, leave without pay, or furlough. However, employees who work on an occasional or irregular basis, or who are special government employees, as defined in title 18 U. S.C. § 202(a), are subject to the restrictions only when they are engaged in government business.

Federal employees fall within two categories under the Hatch Act, Further Restricted and Less Restricted.

Senator Inhofe is overreaching and attempting to imperil the powers of the Executive Branch to carry out it's duties under the laws and authorities of the USA.

This is the current map of the ocean water temperatures along the southern coast of the USA. The "N/A" means the temperature gauge is not working. Louisiana has one tempterature gauge and it just don't seem to be working. Odd, isn't it? I mean Louisiana is so vigilant about environmental disasters potentially happening.

The US EPA has to worry about gaseous emissions of all kinds including those causing this drastic change in climate with climbing ocean temperatures. If Senator Inhofe doesn't understand the science to successfully dispute findings of our own scientists, then he is wrongly placed in his committee assignment and serves not the American people, but, the petroleum industry in that capacity. I want an investigation into the ethical standards of the Inhofe office in his role on this committee. He cannot forever go on carrying out rhetorical lies as a USA Senator. He is using his position on the committee to carry out politics and not his responsibilities to the people.

I am sure the folks in Valdosta had nothing to do that day anyway. Nothing like adding spice to life.

Odd, I was quite sure Georgia's REGULATIONS far exceed that of the federal government.
 

Three Injured in Valdosta (GA) Chemical Explosion (click here) 
08/15/2013 
Three workers were injured in a chemical explosion that rocked an industrial complex yesterday in Valdosta, Georgia.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Valdosta firefighters remained at the scene of the chemical fire last night at 1612 James P. Rodgers Circle to monitor the scene until an investigation could begin today, according to a release from the Valdosta Fire Department.
The call came in at 2:22 p.m. and within minutes more than 40 firefighters and other first responders were on scene. The fire was under control by 4:30 p.m. with the assistance of the Lowndes County Fire Department and the Moody Air Force Base Fire Department. Also responding with aid were the Valdosta Police Department, Lowndes County Sheriff’s office, the Georgia State Patrol, and the FBI.
Because of the nature of the chemicals at the facility, the area was evacuated within a one-mile radius.

Ah, the benevolence of nuclear power plants. Oops.

Published: Thursday, Aug. 15, 2013 - 6:43 am

Last Modified: Thursday, Aug. 15, 2013 - 10:34 am

WATERFORD, Conn. -- The unit shut down (click here) by a malfunction at Connecticut's nuclear power plant is generating electricity again, a spokesman said Thursday.
Millstone Power Station and regulators said Unit 3 shut off automatically last Friday when an instrument failure caused a drop in the level of water used to cool the reactor core.
The 1,200-megawatt unit was reconnected to the regional power grid on Wednesday afternoon, spokesman Ken Holt said. He said it was at about 80 percent power on Thursday morning and expected to reach full power within about a day.
The problem was traced to a faulty power distribution panel, which has since been reconfigured, Holt said....

Pity Party for Oklahoma. Ahhhhh.....

I heard Inhofe paid off the judge. Something about a covert agenda.

By David Harper
Aug 15, 2013, at 6:36 PM  Updated on 8/15/13 at 9:46 PM

OKLAHOMA CITY — An Oklahoma constitutional amendment (click here) that would bar the state’s courts from considering or using Sharia law was ruled unconstitutional Thursday by a federal judge in Oklahoma City.
In finding the law in violation of the United States Constitution’s Establishment Clause, U.S. District Judge Vicki Miles-LaGrange issued a permanent injunction prohibiting the certification of the results of the state question that put the Sharia law ban into the state constitution.
“While the public has an interest in the will of the voters being carried out, the Court finds that the public has a more profound and long-term interest in upholding an individual’s constitutional rights,” the judge wrote....

There are many reasons why the USA would be ill served to pull financial support from Egypt.

The USA has allies in the region. It isn't just Israel. There are US bases that cannot be ignored in all this. So, while the Republicans want to grand stand over decisions they don't have control of in the House and Senate, there are many considerations in the Oval Office that cannot be disregarded.

 

It is easy for a dysfunctional Congress to politically scapegoat the President when the decisions are not simple.

 

So, while the decisions in the Oval Office, according to laws and terms and definitions, may seem clear to the the media and therefore easily scandalized there are military personnel and diplomatic corps and allies that have to be made safe.

 

Those inquiring about secret bases and other operations are met with everything from ignored questions to airport detentions (click here)

By Nick Turse

Mon Jul. 8, 2013 11:09 AM PDT

There are hundreds, possibly thousands of US personnel—the military refuses to say how many—stationed in the ochre-tinted country of Qatar. Out in the searing heat of the desert, they fly fighter jets or fix them. They equip and arm troops headed to war. Some work in a high-tech command-and-control center overseeing US air operations in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and elsewhere in the Greater Middle East. Yet I found myself sitting in a hotel room in Doha, Qatar's capital, about 30 miles east of al-Udeid Air Base, the main US installation in the country, unable to see, let alone talk, to any of them....

Muslim Clerics need to call for peace in the Middle East, not escalation of violence.

Nasrallah should be ashamed of his role in escalating the level of hate and violence in the region.

16-08-2013 - 12:48 

Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah (click here) will deliver a speech on Friday, in a ceremony celebrating the July 2006 victory.
Hezbollah is holding a ceremony which will begin at 5:00 pm (Lebanon timing) in the southern city of Aita Al-Shaab, which witnessed fierce clashes between resistance fighters and Zionist soldiers during the 2006 war, and resulted in the victory of Lebanon.
Sayyed Nasrallah is expected to tackle the latest local and regional developments during his speech.

by Josh Rogin, Eli Lake  
Aug 14, 2013 4:45 AM EDT
When the Iraqi foreign minister (click here) arrives in Washington this week, among his top requests will be for the White House to overcome objections in Congress to selling his country advanced Apache helicopters the Iraqis say they need to fight terrorists within their borders.

Iraq’s top diplomat, Hoshyar Zebari, will meet with Secretary of State John Kerry on Aug. 15. Zebari’s trip comes just weeks after a daring and successful military assault on the Abu Ghraib prison resulted in the release of more than 500 suspected extremist militants. The jailbreak reversed years of work to roll up al Qaeda’s leadership in Iraq during the U.S.-led counterinsurgency campaign known as the surge.

 
The U.S. government has notified Congress in recent weeks of its intention to sell Iraq $4.7 billion worth of military equipment, but none of those sales include the top item on Iraq’s shopping list, the Boeing AH-64 Apache helicopters. The House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee have refused to allow the sale of the helicopters to date....  

President Rouhani has a sincere opportunity to be a partner in peace and prosperity in the Middle East. As a matter of fact, he has the potential of being pivotal considering the years of escalation of violence and hate under the previous President of Iran.

President Rouhani can become a global leader respected by most or he could continue a negative spiral in the Middle East resulting in masses of angry and dying people.

I believe he will be seeking the higher road rather than one of continued violence and unrest. He should step into the center of much of the unrest and provide sincere leadership. The Shi'ites of the Middle East long for it. We know it is possible, the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani stands as evidence to the potential.

By RAY TAKEYH 

Published: August 15, 2013

One of the enduring aspects (click here) of Washington’s Iran debate is its wild oscillations between the hysteria of war and the euphoria of reconciliation....

...In the coming months, Rouhani and his diplomats will inevitably profess their readiness to deal in earnest. The possibility of a limited deal addressing some of the more urgent aspects of Iran’s nuclear program should not be ruled out. If such a deal is done, then it must be welcomed. But standing behind these deliberations will be the untrusting Ayatollah Khamenei and his allies who will always need an American nemesis to justify their ideology to themselves. 
Ray Takeyh is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Nationalism. We witnessed it and experienced with the Bush/Cheney administration.

loyalty and devotion to a nation; especially : a sense of national consciousness exalting one nation above all others and placing primary emphasis on promotion of its culture and interests as opposed to those of other nations or supranational groups 

Nationalism took many forms in the years following September 11, 2001. It still lingers in the culture remaining through the efforts of extremism.

Russia is not going to move off the idea of heterosexuality as a form of nationalism. Why? 

If gay journalists go to Russia to intimidate the government, they will face consequences. I don't know that, but, it will more than likely be viewed as an insult and they will probably be asked to leave at the very least.

Why? 

Hint: 

It is a good guess a visa won't be issued for those suspected to cause problems.

The Russian Disapora is real. 

I am only stating this because at this point it is better to avoid a national movement that can't be stopped. 

Russia's birth rate has dropped. There are many reasons for it, but, there have been many changes in the Russian society to improve their self-identity. Russia is more open, more stylish and inviting in many ways. That is to boost the egos of Russians and effect a level of comfort that promotes loving and babies.

It has been a national effort. The government recognized a falling birth rate and a falling population rate. The Russian government has invested in bringing the Russian diaspora home again. It is not about to be derailed with an emotional assault against baby making when it occurs. As far as the government goes the religious suits them just fine. 

It is a form nationalism. It is either understood or covert, but, their athletes will be indoctrinated to populous behavior to emulate the society's needs.

I suppose folks are welcome to bring demonstrations or undermining the Russian structure, but, it won't be tolerated. At all.

Americans had to get used to the idea that Gay Couples have children. All that is counter intuitive in Russia. 

To be perfectly frank, I live Radio Free Russia better with "Salon Dialogues" to break down barriers and educate the Russians to the truth rather than the myth.

Good luck. You were told.

One other thing to realize how serious Russia is about this issue. Where is the best time and place to instill nationalism? When and where is the best venue to elevate the esteem of Russians and instill their nationalism? 

Don't know?

How about when competing against other nations, win or lose. All the people have to do is take pride 'enough' to carry out 'that feel good feeling' to improve the population of Russia.

I promise you this is no joke and there is no reason to assault the Russian Bear. 

I don't want to hear any bull about a clown.

During the Bush/Cheney paranoid years, Peace Protesters were targeted as dangerous. Peace Protesters. When there were marches snipers were deployed on rooftops and there was the occasional tank. Bulls? That ain't nothin'.

"Peace Fresno" has taken a break for the summer.

Restore the Fourth (Amendment) (click here)
Thursday, July 4, 2013 

10:00 am – 11:00 a.m. in Madera

  The revelations about the National Security Agency’s surveillance apparatus represent a stunning abuse of our basic rights.
Join Peace Madera and Peace Fresno for a street demonstration to protest the NSA’s surveillance of Americans – Restore the 4th Amendment!
We will be there to stand up for our rights under the 4^th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and to educate passers-by about the need to speak out, take a stand and join with others who oppose the illegal actions of the National Security Agency. As always, this is a peaceful demonstration....

"Cool Globes"

A number of globes are lined up along the Tremont Street side of the Boston Common as part of the “Cool Globes: Hot Ideas for a Cooler Planet” exhibit.

 

By Cate McQuaid

Globe Correspondent  

August 15, 2013

Huge, colorful orbs (click here) line up in a row down the Tremont Street side of Boston Common. It looks like a giant might be marshalling his marbles. Get up close, and you’ll see that the spheres, each 5 feet in diameter, are globes, fancifully decorated and proffering solutions to climate change.
“Cool Globes: Hot Ideas for a Cooler Planet” has landed in Boston. The public art project, for which artists designed globes with green strategies to contend with environmental issues, originated in Chicago in 2007 and has traveled the world. The globes, 48 in all, can be found at sites such as the Esplanade, Copley Square, and Logan Airport. The Common is globe central, with 26.
“It’s hard to use the words ‘global warming’ and ‘fun’ in the same sentence,” said environmental activist and “Cool Globes” founder Wendy Abrams. “We manage to do that.”

Abrams cites two inspirations for the project: the wrecked cars that Mothers Against Drunk Driving pointedly deploy in their Crash Car Program, and the painted cow sculptures that showed up in the streets of Chicago in 1999 — a public art project that prompted Boston to follow suit with painted cod....

The Drought Monitors between the 6th and 13th are basically the same. Deepening Colorado and Kansas.

New London Church (click here)

Significant damage at church south of New London. Hundreds of trees impacted homes in Hortonville. Peak wind estimated at 115 to 120 mph. Image at right is of the church on the south side of New London.

Tornado Damage Exceeds $30M in Wisconsin (click here)

August 14, 2013

 Officials in the Fox Valley say damage from recent tornadoes exceeds $30 million.
The National Weather Service tells WLUK-TV that six tornadoes have been confirmed during the storms. It had previously confirmed five tornadoes as part of the weather system that moved through the region late on Aug. 7 and early on Aug. 8.

The television station reports the sixth tornado hit the Huckleberry Campgrounds near New London. Two people were injured.

Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson tells Post-Crescent Media about $25 million in damage to private property and almost $6 million to public property has been reported so far. He says the total is expected to increase as more reports come in from communities.

 

Military exercises with the Egyptian military would provide the extremists with fuel for anger.

President Obama does not approve of the violence and only sees Free and Fair Elections as a reasonable resolve to the current policies of the military.

By Noah Bierman Globe Staff   August 15, 2013

WASHINGTON -- President Obama (click here) on Thursday canceled a joint military exercise with Egypt that had been scheduled for next month, but stopped short of cutting off $1.5 billion in US aid to the country, in his first response to Wednesday’s bloody military crackdown.
Obama, speaking during his vacation on Martha’s Vineyard, did not use the word coup to define the Egyptian military takeover, which would have triggered an end to the aid under US law. The closest Obama came to threatening financial penalties was the threat of “further steps we may take as necessary.”
The president used some of his harshest language against the military crackdown, calling on Egyptian leaders to end the state of emergency.
“The United States strongly condemns the steps that have been taken by Egypt’s interim government and security forces,” he said.

“Violence will only feed the cycle of polarization that isolates Egyptians from one another and the world...

Six weeks ago Mr. Morsi was removed from power because of charges against him. The actions by the Egyptian military did not dissolve the democracy the Egyptian people are seeking. The elections are still to go forward. What has ensued in the weeks since Mr. Morsi was removed from office is objection to the removal of a President. At the time Mr. Morsi was removed he was not acting in the best interests of all the people. He pledged to be a President to all the people and he broke the law while compromising that promise.

It is my opinion, the Muslim Brotherhood is causing their own problem because they are afraid of the democratic process and the laws of Egypt. They want to return to their understanding of what Egypt is about while not realizing there are many more people in Egypt with different interests that have to be served as well. The Muslim Brotherhood sees a dead end to their ambitions, hence the violence. 

It is the violence, the deaths, their dedication to 'take Egypt' rather than govern it that brings the conclusion a power sharing arrangement will best serve the country. 

The elections have to go forward and the sooner that happens the future of Egypt will be better defined. In the meantime, the urgency to seek a resolve to humanitarian aid to the Egyptian people is in order. The global community could provide medical assistance to the people as well as food and other needs. The Egyptian economy has spiraled severely downward under Mr. Morsi and it's ability to provide basic needs of the people has deteriorated. The global community has to take that into consideration to help achieve non-violence with the people.

The Recall Election in September are drummed up by the NRA and have no interest in the people of Colorado.

The recall elections in Colorado is for a power grab to promote a vicious and violent agenda the NRA has in Washington, DC. This recall is about gun violence and what stops it. 

Currently the BATFE (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) is attempting to exert some degree of gun control along our southern border to protect our Border Patrol. The work of the BATFE along our southern border is very focused. The BATFE is attempting to stop the flow of weapons into Mexico across the USA Border. That purpose cannot be inhibited by the NRA. The NRA isn't supporting the sovereign nation of the USA by impeding the purpose of the BATFE.

The NRA wants to prove it has more power than the USA itself to insure it's flow of monies from it's memberships. That is not in the best interest of the people of the USA or it's sovereign borders. 

Posted on July 19, 2013
Yesterday, a Denver District Court Judge certified that the language in the recall petitions for state Senators John Morse (D-11) and Angela Giron (D-3) is valid, putting in place the final piece of the recall election puzzle.  This ruling forced Governor John Hickenlooper (D) to set the first recall election date for state legislators in the Centennial State’s history.  These recall elections are now set for Tuesday, September 10, 2013....

By JACK HEALY
Published: July 28, 2013

...Mr. Morse was first elected (click here) to the Senate in 2006 and won re-election in 2010 by just 340 votes in a district in the Colorado Springs area that is split roughly in thirds among Democrats, Republicans and unaffiliated voters. He is barred by term limits from seeking re-election next year. But as the Senate president, he became a high-profile target for gun advocates in the recall vote. 

“I just go back to Dec. 14 and July 20, and think about the families that had to bury their children,” Mr. Morse said, referring to the Sandy Hook and Aurora shootings. 

Ms. Giron was elected to the Senate with 55 percent of the vote in a Pueblo district that leans heavily Democratic. Only 23 percent of voters are Republicans... 

...Ms. Giron and Mr. Morse are raising and spending far more than their opponents. Ms. Giron’s supporters have raised more than $87,000 and Mr. Morse’s more than $153,000, according to campaign disclosures. Each campaign has received thousands from progressive groups in Colorado and $35,000 apiece from the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a Washington group that supports liberal and environmental causes, and $3,500 each from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. 

As they make their case, Ms. Giron and Mr. Morse are trying to expand beyond the gun debate. He emphasizes his years of public service as a police officer and paramedic. She talks about the $40 million in community college funding she helped to secure.... 

NRA Wins Important Appropriations Victories in Congress (click here) 

Posted on July 19, 2013 

...Such legislation could improperly affect hundreds of thousands of people. The ACLU has estimated that the number of people on government terrorist watch lists is over one million, and that the lists have ensnared those with no unsavory affiliations whatsoever. Thankfully, this amendment was defeated 29 to 10.  

And finally, there is good news on a pro-gun amendment successfully offered by Rep. John R. Carter (R-Texas) to end the BATFE’s abuse of gun owners and dealers in the Southwest. Since 2010, dealers in the four states bordering Mexico have been required to report to BATFE the sale of two or more center-fire semi-automatic rifles, of greater than .22-caliber and capable of accepting a detachable magazine, to a single seller in a five-day period, in the same manner that has  been required for handguns since passage of the Gun Control Act of 1968. The policy subjects buyers of multiple rifles to de facto federal registration and creates an additional paperwork burden for the dealer.

 Further, as NRA has explained previously, this policy is an abuse of BATFE’s “demand letter” process, which allows the agency to query firearms dealer records in the course of a legitimate investigation. The process was never intended to be used in such an a broad way, and Congress’ refusal to include long guns in the Gun Control Act’s multiple sales reporting requirement makes clear its intent not to subject gun owners and dealers to this burden. So far, the courts have proved unhelpful in correcting this matter, which makes this week’s vote even more important. 

Unfortunately, this isn’t the end of the appropriations process, and the future of all these provisions remains uncertain. For now, however, the NRA thanks its allies on the Appropriations Committee for working to protect the rights of their constituents and of gun owners everywhere. While such actions may not always garner national headlines, committee members can rest assured that NRA will remind our members of who did--and did not--stand on the side of freedom.

Additional challenges face the Gay Rights community in the USA.

There have been additional court challenges in California that have been rejected. The issue of a constitutional amendment also exists to end the discrimination in the USA.

Trenton, NJ
August 15, 2013
By Geoff Mulvihill
Oral arguments (click here) were scheduled Thursday in a state court in Trenton on a request by six gay couples and several of their children for an immediate ruling, without their 2-year-old case going to trial.
They want a judgment legalizing gay marriage in New Jersey and recognizing as valid same-sex marriages performed in other states.
New Jersey now allows only civil unions for same-sex couples.
A ruling from the bench by Superior Court Judge Mary Jacobson is possible, though it would be a rarity on such a weighty case.
Even if Jacobson agrees with the couples, it's not clear whether nuptials could happen immediately.
An appeal to a higher court is likely no matter what the ruling, and there could be a stay on any actions while that court sorts it out.
Thirteen states in the U.S. now recognize same-sex marriages, with New Jersey and Pennsylvania the only Northeastern states not among them.....

There are only thirteen states allowing Same Sex Marriage in the USA, Massachusetts, California, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York,  Maine, Maryland, Rhode Island, Delaware, Minnesota, Washington State and Washington, DC.

This is kind of interesting. In January of 1990 there was virtually no political movement in the USA for Gay Marriage. There only six states banning it at that time. Gay marriage just was outside the realm of possibility, but, there was no real legal standing. Being LGBT was simply not something the country was going to deal with. Then it began to change. The face of the USA is very different today, but, there is still much work to be done. 

Same-sex marriage in the United States (click here for animation of change)  

This map is interesting as a cartogram as well. First the dialogue wasn't even in the USA, then Gay Marriage was made illegal in most states, then came civil civil unions and today the right to marry is growing. A constitutional amendment would make marriage for everyone simply that and would end the chronic tug of war that  goes on politically in all states. There is still much to be done.

Harvey Fierstein. You are wrong about the Olympics.

To begin this is not WWII or Hitler. You are going out on a limb without the support of the tree.

This is going to sound strange Mr. Fierstein, but, it is the truth. Russia's political culture is none of our business. We are attending the Olympics, we are not observers to their elections.

Do you remember Matthew Shepard? Matthew was killed by those that have no value for human life. They treated Matthew as an object and killed him. Something tells me that Russia is not ready for a cultural revolution.

Now, I don't know about you, but, when I run a revolution and/or resistance I want to be sure there are people alive at the end of the revolution or why bother fighting it in the first place?

Russia doesn't even have hate crime legislation to tell the country if they kill a young man for being himself there will penalties over and above that of what the initial crime is.

Mr. Fierstein, do you know we had a Secretary of State named Hillary Clinton? Sometimes people are too busy to keep up. You are very successful and that did not happen over night. You are respected and that didn't happen without building a substantial understanding of your talent and personable insight. But, if you had the chance to hear Former Secretary Clinton speak while serving in office you would have heard words that would rattle the most extremist of any country. She traveled with body guards. She measured her content and leveled opinion in a way that was non-threatening to governments so there would be no retaliation of people living in their borders.

I am quite sure Secretary Kerry is just as forthright in regard to women's rights and gay rights. The USA believes oppression of any group regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or whom they love is a human rights violation. That same focus is in the UN among some very powerful nations, but, leaders know how to bring opinion without causing adverse effects that kill people.

Freedom of speech is a right in the USA. At least most of us like to think so. The USA has never stood in support of oppression of any people and demands retraction of it under this administration. I realize sometimes a single person can move mountains. But, in order for that to occur, Mr. Fierstein the country has to be ready for the movement. Russia is not there. The changes President Obama's administration instituted spread like wildfire. The country was more than ready we were disgusted with the oppression and victimization.

There are signs there is movement in Russia. There are more political leaders standing up to what they state are illegal elections. There have been demonstrators expressing themselves and they are serving time in prison for their bravery. But, they are alive Mr. Fierstein. We need to work to keep them alive. We need to value their message and be sure our leaders value them as well and make inquiry to their well being. They are our heroes as well as those in the country.

And it is their message we need to hear. Not ours. If we are to respect them for their cultural differences while gay we need to hear them correctly, not just in our own understanding.

I believe in much of President Obama's administration has accomplished in regard to Gay Rights in the USA. I am proud of it. I am not gay. But, I have a country now that is unashamed of our citizens and providing a path to personal happiness for all our people. I am sure you are aware of the struggle, but, our Freedom of Speech protected many regardless of those that died violently and without cause.

Boycotting the Olympics is huge, Mr. Fierstein. We don't have to boycott those events when we have an administration we can trust. The changes for our gay community in the USA are historic. Someday, many more countries will be able to measure that same pride for their citizens, too. But, in Russia at this time 'the church' is a focus of cultural clout. Odd, isn't it? I mean I grew up being told the church in Russia was simply for 'Show and Tell.' It was propaganda. Now, we know how deeply that propaganda was wrong. 

When I run into a wall with others of the same mind and it feels as though we are defeated; what I say is, "We keep at it." That is the best we can do Mr. Fierstein. We hold up our heads, deny the defeat and point to the short comings of those that appear to be the victor.

"We keep at it" and I promise you the day will come and probably not to much of a distance into the future when all citizens of Russia will respect diversity while changing the culture of their identity. 

Non-threatening, Mr. Fierstein and steady dialogue. It will happen. It is inevitable. Russians aren't stupid people and they love their social content. When they realize how their social culture will be enriched when they open their minds and hearts to diversity it will happen. We will rejoice with them, but, we will do it together and trust our President and his administration to help.

I wish you well. I wish you much success. Hey. Every hear of Radio Free Europe? Just a thought.

June 9, 2013 10:12 AM

These days it's not easy (click here) for Harvey Fierstein to make his way through the crowded Theatre District. He has two hits playing nearby: "Newsies," which won a Tony last year; and "Kinky Boots," which is up for a slew of them tonight.
If you don't know him Harvey Fierstein by sight, you know him by sound. His VOICE was once compared to "a deep-throated jazz diva who has just tossed back a double-bourbon."
"One of my favorites was 'a sixth grader in shop class learning to use a rasp,'" Fierstein said.
"I mean, at very least, I'm the guy with the voice, you know? Then hopefully, I'm the guy who's really funny with the voice. And then the guy who can not only do comedy, but can do tragedy as well with the voice. And the guy that can really command a stage with the voice."
He comes by the voice naturally...