Oh, man I am kissing my keyboard right now, I have never been so happy to be home. Went to my sister's wedding in Michigan. Michigan, 2-day drive and they didn't even have any vegetarian meals at the reception, (wasn't worth it to me)

Like I said on the way to the reception, her next wedding's going to be in Florida. Didn't go over too well with everyone, wonder why, always thought myself to be a pleasure to be around, especially with only 2 hours sleep and drunk frat boys banging pots with metal spoons.

Oh well then too tired to comment on anything, going back to school on August 4th, uniform-free, at the moment.

Ughh...

Thursday news emerged that the Iranian government had executed the two teens after a religious court found them them guilty of homosexuality. (story)

One of the teens was 18, the other, according to the Iranian Students News Agency, is believed to have been 16 or 17.

The English language Iran In Focus also reported the executions saying the teens were hanged in public in the city square in the northeastern city of Mashhad on July 19.

The State Department said that it had not seen the letter and would not comment on it until it had been studied.

Refusing to Comment, WOW! But they're Always Big on Being Original...

In a devastating move, George W. Bush has nominated John Roberts to replace Justice O'Connor's swing vote on the U.S. Supreme Court. By nominating John Roberts, George Bush has issued a slap in the face to every American who values personal privacy and a woman's right to choose! With Bush in the White House and Congress in the grip of anti-choice leadership -- a woman's right to choose cannot afford to have John Roberts on the Supreme Court. The worst news, John Roberts has actually argued before the Supreme Court that Roe v. Wade should be overruled!

Tonight, Bush nominates Roberts who apparently has a disdain for federal laws, prefering state laws instead. But in a radio interview, AP reports that he singled out the Violence Against Women Act as one example of a place where the federal government need not be involved:

Roberts also has made the case that some problems simply should be left to the states. In a 1999 radio interview, he said, "We have gotten to the point these days where we think the only way we can show we're serious about a problem is if we pass a federal law, whether it is the Violence Against Women Act or anything else. The fact of the matter is conditions are different in different states, and state laws can be more relevant."

Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings on reauthorizing the "Violence Against Women Act" which expires on September 30, 2005:

Actress Salma Hayek and advocates from organizations fighting domestic violence testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday to push the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which expires every five years.

The act, a measure that improves responses to domestic and dating violence, as well as stalking and sexual assault, will end Sept. 30 unless it is reauthorized.

"This is not a Democratic or Republican bill," said Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., who authored the act when it first passed in 1994. "This is about men and women who have been abused."

According to the American Bar Association, 4 million women encounter domestic violence every year....Lynn Rosenthal, president of the National Network to End Domestic Violence, said the act not only needs to be reauthorized, but provisions must also be made to the bill to increase its success. The law under consideration in Congress would allow victims up to 10 days a year of unpaid leave to take steps to better their situations, such as seeking medical and legal help or moving.

Ninety-two percent of homeless women have been victims of abuse at some time in their lives, Rosenthal said.

She also suggested adding programs that would address the needs of vulnerable populations, such as American Indian women, who experience domestic abuse at twice the rate of other ethnicities.

Oh, get this, he's only been a judge for like, 2 years!
Here's a brief look at his employment history...
2003-present: Judge, US Court of Appeals, DC Circuit;
1993-2003: Partner, Hogan & Hartson LLP;
1989-93: Principal Deputy Solicitor General, US DoJ;
1986-89: Associate, Hogan & Hartson LLP;
1982-86: Associate Counsel to the President, White House Counsel's Office;
1981-82: Special Asst to the AG in the US DoJ;
1980 -81 Supreme Court of the United States, Law Clerk to Hon. Wm. H. Rehnquist

Whoa...

By Drog (Canada), Section International Posted on Sun Jul 17, 2005 at 12:13:46 PM PST
By Wikinews

A General of the Chinese army and dean at China's National Defense University commented to visiting Hong Kong reporters on Friday that China might use nuclear weapons against the U.S., in a conflict over the Taiwan Strait. "If the Americans draw their missiles and position-guided ammunition onto the target zone on China's territory, I think we will have to respond with nuclear weapons," Maj. Gen. Zhu Chenghu said to the reporters of the Asian Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times. "We Chinese will prepare ourselves for the destruction of all of the cities east of Xian [in central China]. Of course the Americans will have to be prepared that hundreds ... of cities will be destroyed by the Chinese."

US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack called the remarks "highly irresponsible" and "unfortunate", and expressed the hope that they did not reflect the views of the Chinese government.

Echoing the official Xinhua News Agency, China's Foreign Ministry officials said that Zhu was expressing personal views, and had warned the reporters accordingly, but stated that China would never tolerate "Taiwan independence". Reportedly, Maj. Gen. Zhu is not directly involved in the formulation of Chinese military strategy.

Sam puts it best when she says, "This is no time for partisan bickering. If this is true, we need to have a serious discussion." Couldn't say it better myself.

If Yall Would Like to read more, visit these articles,
Bill Gertz "Chinese general shakes nukes at US". The Washington Times, July 16, 2005
Shih Hsiu-chuan "Fury over PLA official's nuclear threat". Taipei Times, July 16, 2005
"China plays down nuclear 'threat'". BBC News, July 16, 2005
"Beijing downplays general's nuke comment". USA Today, July 16, 2005


Again Big Hat Tip to Sam

I've now become aquanted with unique individuals, who have recently showed me an article in the Times (reg. required) about a highschool blogger Zach and about him coming out to his parents. Now I'd expect some of the symptoms: arguing, gulit, feeling ashamed, just over-all disapproval. But, (get this, this is so rich) they actually sent him to a place called Refuge where they try to, "scare you straight."

Oh, Jesus.

You can read more about Zach, and Refuge at the blog, Queer Action Coalition. And I believe they have a link to Zach's blog which hasn't been updated since his "vacation" at that god-awful place, I wonder if he'll get to see his name in the NYT, they don't allow computers or TV's, I dunno about newspapers.

Well to top it off, while I casually lay back and listen to Elton John's "All The Girls Love Alice", all I have to say to these homophobic bible-mis-quoting freaks is,

This is sickening...
Maad Thanks to JohnJB for pointing this story out to me.
This is probably the most horrid form of hatred imaginable. To murder a child!
This is what happens when the right-wing idiots spread their message of hate,
when they tell children to hate their GLBT parents, when they tell parents of GLBT individuals to disown thier children!
I hope they're happy with themselves. No, I hope this story gets to all those bigoted @$***** I hope this story keeps them up at nights, I hope they aren't able to walk around without the image of that poor toddler getting his brain bashed out by his own father (who was also trenched in hatred) plaguing them!

This might be pretty old news, I dunno, but I just found out about it and being in Florida (3 hours till Dennis is expected to land here)
Anyway...
Pat Robertson (old guy from 700 Club, yeah that one) said that Gays cause Hurricanes,

"I would warn Orlando that you're right in the way of some serious hurricanes, and I don't think I'd be waving those flags in God's face if I were you,'' Robertson said Monday on his TV show, "The 700 Club.''

Robertson also said the widespread practice of homosexuality "will bring about terrorist bombs, it'll bring earthquakes, tornadoes and possibly a meteor.'' urricanes, and who they would hit, have been a theme of Robertson's career. In 1985, he claimed that his prayers helped steer Hurricane Gloria away from Hampton Roads, and in 1995 he said the same about Hurricane Felix.

Robertson also believes that various natural disasters are signs of God's will and that the world will suffer more of them before the arrival of ``the end of the age.''

Well, yesterday I went to my school board meeting, and suprisingly people clapped for me ;)
I was the only teen there, and literally the whole crowd clapped, I don't mean to boast but, There were other scattered claps for other speakers, but I dunno, maybe because I was the only teen there.
And the final vote on the matter is,
to be determined at a later meeting.
Wow, what a suprise...

Silence for London...