Category: In the News

Remembering Karen Carpenter

kc1.jpg23 years ago, on February 4th, 1983, Karen Carpenter suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed onto the floor of her parent’s home in Downey, California. She was 32. Years of dieting, laxatives, and thyroid pills had weakened poor Karen’s heart.  It is ironic to note that Karen had actually started to turn her life around and was coming to terms with the demons that caused her anorexia nervosa.  Unfortunately for Karen, it was too late.

I was a huge Carpenters fan in the 70s and early 80s. My first album of theirs was A Kind of Hush.  Karen’s soulful voice was amazing! Listening to her recordings today, I swear you can hear her actual pain and anguish in such songs as Rainy Days and Mondays and Good-Bye to Love. Even in her happy song, Sing, I hear a touch of sadness.  The greatest sadness of all is that such a great talent has been silenced… 23 years ago today.

My Karen Carpenter Autograph

Karen Carpenter.jpg

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Gene Shalit Apologizes For The Term “Sexual Predator”

In describing the behavior of “Jack” I used words (“sexual predator”) that I now discover have angered, agitated, and hurt many people. I did not intend to use a word that many in the gay community consider incendiary. . . . I certainly had no intention of casting aspersions on anyone in the gay community or on the community itself. I regret any emotional hurt that may have resulted from my review of ‘Brokeback Mountain.”

Today, The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation(GLAAD) said it received a statement from Gene Shalit, saying, “In describing the behavior of “Jack” I used words (“sexual predator”) that I now discover have angered, agitated, and hurt many people. I did not intend to use a word that many in the gay community consider incendiary. . . . I certainly had no intention of casting aspersions on anyone in the gay community or on the community itself. I regret any emotional hurt that may have resulted from my review of ‘Brokeback Mountain.’ ” Bravo to Mr. Shalit… we retract our accusation that he is a loser!

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Kudos: GLAAD

First Loser Of 2006… Gene Shalit

geneshalit In his review of Brokeback Mountain, Gene Shalit claims,”Jack, who strikes me as a sexual predator, tracks Ennis down and coaxes him into sporadic trysts.” What? Did he see this movie? It’s a tragic love story, stupid.

I am so sick of people trying to demonize homosexual love. Gay People are called child molester’s, sexual deviants, and sexual predators, all the time. When will the straight community get it through their heads… homosexuality is much more than a sex act! It is not a “behavior”, it is a whole personality trait! Unless you have the attention span of a grape nut, anyone who sees Brokeback Mountain will understand that it is the love that Jack and Ennis have for one another that keeps them getting together… and not just sex. Was Romeo and Julliet a story about sexual predators?

If Gene Shalit wants to reduce Brokeback Mountain to a story only about a sexual predator… again, I ask, did he see this movie? To be blunt, it is the Ennis character that “tops” the Jack character. If Ennis wasn’t into Jack (pun intended), I seriously doubt that he would be “up” to the challenge! Which leads me to another issue I would like to set straight for the “straight” community. Mom… don’t read this. Homosexuality is not about anal sex! Gay people can use a wide variety of ways to pleasure their partners…just as straight people. There are many gay people, lesbians included, that never get near the “back door”. Reducing one’s sexual orientation or relationship to a list of behaviors is irresposible and shows a total lack of respect for one’s fellow man and woman. When two people fall in love, sex is just the icing on the cake.

Kudos: NBC

Gay Marriage Petition Fraud

I am so outraged! Recently I went to the website, knowthyneighbor.org ,to see which of my “friends” and neighbors had signed a petition to ban marriage and civil unions in Massachusetts. I was shocked to see that my best friend and staunch gay rights supporter had signed the petition! I called her immediately to get the full story. It turns out that the petition taker told her that the petition was in support of marriage for gays and lesbians and was presented alongside a petition to allow the sale of liquor in grocery stores. She is, of course, outraged, and is filling out a form to have her name removed. It has been reported that many signatures where obtained under false pretenses. I am in disbelief as to the magnitude of this situation. If people who are as well meaning as my friend have been duped, how many other people have been manipulated the same way? Why are there no checks and balances to prevent this from happening? I urge anyone reading this in Massachusetts to visit knowthyneighbor.org and find out if people they know have signed the list. Unfortunately, I am sure that many people have signed legitimately, but a phone call or letter to your neighbor might prove otherwise.

Kudos: knowthyneighbor.org

The Un-American Family Association Wins Boycott Against Ford

God, yes I said God, I hate this group. They are the biggest bunch of hypocrites on the planet. I have come to the conclusion that any group with the name family in their title is really the Anti-Christ! The American Family Association goes out of their way to destroy gay and lesbian families. They, and many other groups like them, keep stating that homosexuality is somehow against families. Gay people love families! We have them, we come from them, and we are them. The AFA is now hot on the tail of companies that advertise in gay publications. They are now not only against a certain segment of the population, but against companies trying to make a buck. Can you say unamerican? These groups have done so much damage to people looking for a kind and just God. Hypocrites… all of them.

Another company in the crosshairs of an anti-gay group is Ford, which was threatened with a boycott from the American Family Association last spring due to its pro-gay policies. The American Family Association suspended the boycott when Ford engaged the group in discussions in June, and last week lifted the boycott completely — just after Ford decided not to renew advertising campaigns for its Jaguar and Land Rover brands in gay publications, including the Advocate and Out magazines. Full Story

And another thing! Shame on Ford for cow-towing to the demands of this group. I am glad that I dumped their recall ridden Escape, and bought my Toyota Prius.

Kudos: PlanetOut

Time is Running Out Georgie

I saw this on another site and just had to have one for my blog! George Bush has got to go down in history as the worst president we have ever had. I still can’t get over the fact that the man cannot, and will not, say NUCLEAR correctly. And he has command of the largest nuclear arsenal on the planet! Sheer stupidity and arrogance.


Kudos: Jewggle and Backwardsbush