Biden's new role: Good cop.
A post-election view of McCain
Terry McAuliffe to run for Virginia governor
Al Franken's odds of winning the Minnesota recount long -- and short
Howard Dean to step down as DNC chair. Who's going to replace him?
Join the Impact - Protest information for upcoming Prop 8 protests
Obama roasts Rahm Emanuel in 2005. Funny stuff. (Via Andrew Sullivan)
Snicks over at After Elton has a recap of the tenth episode, "I Don't Wanna Know" of True Blood: "Bill goes before The Legion of Doom, Tara tries to purge the devil inside, Jason has his hands full with Eddie, and Sookie learns why Sam is always trying to lick himself. Because he can! See it all after the break!"
We also got to see a few shots of Sam's surprisingly round and meaty ass. (No pic, though. Yet. I'm still looking.) And I'll post the Blood Work vlog later in the week when it becomes available. I love those guys.
Read the spoiler-laden recap after the jump. We start off with Sookie screaming because Sam is sleeping naked at the edge of the bed. He wakes up and groggily explains that he's a method actor, and is doing research for his role in the upcoming The Robert Downey Jr. Story.
She screams more and runs into the bathroom, where she hides in the shower and picks up a scrub stick. She shouts out "come any closer and I'll exfoliate you!", but when she looks out she sees Dean the dog, who then transforms into Sam. He says "I'm not the killer, I'm a shapeshifter". Sookie responds in the only appropriate way, by simply stating "shut the f**k up".
After Sookie calms down, Sam tries to explain everything. He has what is known as Manimal-itis, and there are thousands, if not tens of thousands of them in the world. He knows it's hereditary, but he was adopted, and the family who took him in never spoke about it (which is hard to believe, considering they show a flashback of him as his adoptive parents watch him turn into Airbud.)
Sookie asks if he can "shift" into other humans, and Sam says no, that humans are too complex an organism to imitate (but for some reason, he can do the entire cast of Gossip Girl). He can do other animals like cats and birds, but flying is hard. I was hoping he could shift into cool stuff like a winged monkey from Wizard of Oz or Ookla The Mok from Thundarr the Barbarian, but alas ... he says he needs a live animal as an "imprint."
Read the rest over at snicks's blog.
Interview: Securing gay rights in Jamaica vital to AIDS struggle
Scientists turn tequila into diamonds: "The key to the surprising discovery is tequila's ratio of hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon, which lies within the 'diamond growth region.' The resulting diamond films could have inexpensive commercial applications as electrical insulators."
Is "Dollhouse" doomed before it even starts?
Glenn Close, the amazing star of the amazing "Damages," receives the THR Leadership Award, honoring women in entertainment
MoD "pleased" compensation claims from dismissed gays are settled
Video of Drew Barrymore at the LA Prop 8 protestKeith Olbermann may not vote, but he does care about us gays. Tonight he takes on Prop 8 in his "Special Comments." And he just renewed with MSNBC through 2011
Document Found Older Than Dead Sea Scrolls. With all the talk of Prop 8 and religion, this little bit of info seemed especially appropriate.
Interview with a bed-headed Robert Pattinson of "Twilight"
ABC News is reporting that Barack and Michelle Obama have arrived at The White House and were greeted by President and Mrs. Bush.
President Bush and President-elect Obama have now entered the Oval Office and plan to spend the next hour and a half discussing the transition. A quick transition from one administration to the next was a key recommendation of the 9/11 Commission.
CNN reports:
The meeting between the president and president-elect is a historic formality, but it's also a time for serious talks. Monday will mark the first time that Obama has visited the Oval Office. The two are expected to discuss "a broad range of issues," focusing on the economy, according to a leader of Obama's transition team. "It's clear that we need to stabilize the economy, to deal with the financial meltdown that's now spreading across the rest of the economy. The auto industry is really, really back on its heels," transition team leader John Podesta said.
From today's show (11/10/08 - clip via Good As You.)
Hearing the women of The View talk about Prop 8 is a demonstration of how intractable this issue can be. Whoopi and Joy deserve a hat tip for being clear-headed about all of this and for keeping the spread of mis-information to a minimum.
I will say this - Hearing one African-American woman talk to another African-American woman about the issue of gay marriage shows that race is really just a component of this problem. This "issue" of race is cloaking a more important explanation for this apparent bigotry -- the level and kind of faith of the people who voted for Prop 8. No reasonable person of color can argue for separate-but-equal without first hanging his or her reasoning skills on a religious hatrack.
But this does not mean that it's time to start attacking the Mormons. I will be attending the NYC protest at the Mormon temple in Manhattan, but I can't help but think that these marches are targeting Mormons because they themselves are easy targets.
Dale Carpenter agrees:
Nevertheless, I am uncomfortable with pickets directed at specific places of worship like the Mormon church in Los Angeles. It's too easy for such protests to degenerate into the kinds of ugly religious intolerance this country has long endured. Mormons, in particular, have historically suffered rank prejudice and even violence. Epithets and taunts directed at individuals are especially abhorrent.
Via Dan Savage's Slog
I hadn't seen Rachel Maddow's take on the Prop 8 post-election issues. I've been wondering what her take on this is. And I'm thinking that she waited just a bit to get all of the information in. A pundit scholar! She is becoming one of our best voices.
At the end of the interview, I think what Maddow was getting at was that there might be an opportunity for Republicans to exploit African-American ambivalence on the issue of gay marriage to swoop in and scoop up at least some of the African-American vote in the coming years. We'll see.
Joe Scarborough is losing it. Now that he's being chased by the Democrats, he's started throwing F-bombs around on live TV. I love the panelist's face -- his jaw actually drops.
It's between 11 am and 12 pm, so I am, of course, listening to/watching The View. Keith Olbermann was on in the last segment, and I just learned that he does not vote. As a gesture to prove he's non-partisan and doesn't have "a horse in the race." (His words.)
Now, anyone who has heard Olbermann speak knows that he is profoundly partisan. Does he really think his audience isn't able to interpret his liberal-ness? Those who watch are liberal and they watch him because he is liberal. So who is he proving his point to? No one! He's trying to prove a point to a non-existent audience.
Yet another reason to watch Rachel Maddow instead.
The AP has a little bit of good news in all of this:
Even as voters in California banned same-sex marriage in a tight referendum, Tuesday's election opened the door for the same debate in New York.
The pending shift in state Senate control away from Republicans removes one clear obstacle to legalizing gay marriage in New York, though opponents aren't conceding anything yet and advocates say they have work to do.
Democrats won a narrow majority in New York's Senate, where Republicans have buried legislation to start issuing marriage licenses regardless of gender.
Via Homotrophy. I'm not usually all that into overposed and overshot boys, but these pics are sexy.
Click thumbnails to enlarge.
Two NSFW-ish pics after the jump.
Via Box Office Mojo
1) Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa $63,500,000 / $63,500,000 - 1
2) Role Models $19,251,000 / $19,251,000
3) High School Musical 3: Senior Year $9,293,000 / $75,707,000
4) Changeling $7,281,000 / $20,587,000
5) Zack and Miri Make a Porno $6,521,000 / $20,933,000
6) Soul Men $5,610,000 / $5,610,000 -
7) Saw V $4,200,000 / $52,320,000
8) The Haunting of Molly Hartley $3,490,000 / $10,235,000
9) The Secret Life of Bees $3,125,000 / $29,938,000
10)Eagle Eye $2,594,000 / $96,401,000
Tony Perkins & Lisa Bloom debate Prop 8 riots
My favorite line, from Lisa Bloom (the daughter of Gloria Allred who was one of the lead attorneys in the California Supreme Court case legalizing gay marriage) talking to anti-gay-marriage spokesman Tony Perkins: "If civil unions are the same as marriage, why don't we let heterosexuals have civil unions and gay people can have marriage, if they're exactly the same?"
It looks like Lisa Bloom has earned herself a bunch of new gay fans.
As I've been looking into how race affected the results of Prop 8, I have been struck by the history of the uneasy and schizophrenic relationship between sexuality and race.
In March of 2007, Keith Boykin wrote the article "Why Are Whites So Homophobic?" In it, he writes:
Every time a Tim Hardaway or an Isaiah Washington or an unknown black preacher makes an anti-gay comment, reporters call me up and ask why are black people so homophobic. But when high-profile white people make homophobic remarks, nobody ever asks why are white people so homophobic. They should, because the answers to the two questions are related. African Americans are homophobic because white Americans are homophobic. We all live in the same homophobic society, and in this case the prejudice starts from the president on down.
And in January of this year, Obama gave one of his most remarkable speeches. On the day before Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, At one of the premier black American churches where King used to preach, long before he was the Democratic nominee and even longer before he was President-elect, Senator Barack Obama told 2000 worshippers:
If we are honest with ourselves, we’ll acknowledge that our own community has not always been true to King’s vision of a beloved community. We have scorned our gay brothers and sisters instead of embracing them.[Politico]
Just this weekend, on 365Gay.com, Wayne Besen wrote:
I can understand why white gay people are angry. I certainly am. But let’s take a step back and look at this dispassionately. I believe our failure with the African American vote (70 percent voted in favor of Prop. has more to do with education levels than race. In general, people with lower levels of education - of any race - do not vote for gay rights. White people are twice as likely to graduate college as black people. This accounts for the difference by race on Prop. 8.
And then on The Daily Voice Earl Ofari Hutchinson writes:
"No surprise that blacks tipped the scale for California's gay marriage ban" - The painful truth is that Proposition 8 would have gone down to flaming defeat if blacks hadn't backed it in droves. Proposition 8 was the ballot initiative that defines marriage as strictly between a man and a woman and embeds that in the California state constitution.
Just one month before the election most polls showed that a majority of Californians rejected the measure. But then something happened. A slew of Yes on 8 signs and stickers popped up overnight on lawns in my neighborhood in the predominantly black Crenshaw area near South Los Angeles. The week before that a well-heeled core of preachers who head fundamentalist leaning, mega and medium sized black churches held a rally and then took to their pulpits and bible thumped their congregations to pass the initiative. It worked. Associated Press exit polls found that seven in 10 blacks voted in favor of the proposition, while Latinos marginally supported it and whites were split.
No one seems to have the complete answer, and everything I try to write to sum all of this up sounds . . . not quite right. We're not going to agree with everyone or even each other, necessarily, but we can, and should, arm ourselves with our shared histories. That's, at least, a place to start.
The turnout for the weekend's Prop 8 protests was massive. From Salt Lake City and up and down California, tens of thousands of people took to the streets to protest Prop 8. Between this turnout and the statement by Gov. Schwarzenegger above, there is reason to hope.
San FranciscoThe San Francisco march saw one of the largest Prop 8 protests to date. Crowd estimates run as high as 25,000. (Via Joe.My.God) "We're not going to do nothing, we're going to start with a march tonight but we're not going to stop until we have equality again!"
Pink News reports:
In excess of 15,000 people are marching through San Francisco to protest at the passing of Proposition 8, the voter initiative in California that effectively bans gay marriage have admitted defeat. Organisers said: "We are protesting tonight in San Francisco because it was in San Francisco that the California Supreme Court gave equality to all Californians, and many people who helped us get to that point are based in San Francisco."
Los AngelesWockner writes: "Some 13,000 protesters took to the streets of Los Angeles' Silver Lake district Saturday evening, as large demonstrations continued across the state against Proposition 8 . . . "
365Gay.com writes:
We marched up to Wilshire Boulevard, and sat down again. It was getting toward rush hour in Los Angeles, and we were essentially an unscheduled parade on a major traffic artery. It was sort of like walking up to O’Hare airport on Thanksgiving and mentioning that we’d be taking over a couple of runways for the weekend. Were we really going to do this? Yup.
San DiegoMore from Wockner: In San Diego, between at least 7,000 (police estimate) and 10,000 people marched against Proposition 8 today in San Diego, from Hillcrest, the primary gayborhood, to North Park, the secondary gayborhood -- a distance of about two miles.
Salt Lake City
The Salt Lake Tribune reports:
Opponents of a measure that banned gay marriage in California took their outrage to the spiritual hub of Mormonism on Friday.
More than 3,000 people swarmed downtown Salt Lake City to march past the LDS temple and church headquarters, protesting Mormon involvement in the campaign for California's Proposition 8. The measure, which defined marriage as exclusively between a man and a woman, passed this week.
A sea of signs in City Creek Park, where the march began, screamed out messages including, "I didn't vote on your marriage," "Mormons once persecuted . . . Now persecutors," and "Jesus said love everyone." Others read, "Proud of my two moms" and "Protect traditional marriage. Ban divorce."
New York City
The Prop 8 NYC Protest Facebook page has more info on the upcoming NYC protest:
Tens of thousands of our brothers and sisters are in the streets in California and Salt Lake City and around the country protesting the votes banning same-sex marriage in California. Join them! Make your voices heard right here in New York City. We will tell the Mormon Church how we feel about its relentless campaign to condemn and control our lives. Join us in speaking out against hate and discrimination! Stop them taking away your rights!
Wake Up With These!
Meet the Press 11/09
A look ahead at the Obama presidency with Valerie Jarrett, the newly appointed co-chair of the president-elect’s transition team. Plus, former RNC Chair Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL) & House Majority Whip Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) on governing in the new administration. In addition, a political roundtable on the Obama agenda & challenges facing the U.S. with Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jon Meacham & Mary Mitchell. (download mp3)
The New York Times
The Front Page 11/10
(download mp3)
Slate
Slate's Daily Podcast
Goode Riddance: A Darfur-supporting, time-tithing, self-deprecating newcomer becomes Virginia's big electoral surprise, by Dahlia Lithwick (download mp3)
Audio player after the jump. Or click here to launch the player in a new window so you can browse while you listen. Or, head over to The Media Bar and listen there.
Click below to jump to the full size players or click here to launch them in a new window. Or just hang out and watch them in The Media Bar next door.
Daily Song:
Guru Josh Project “Infinity 2008” The #1 Euro Dance song. Via Pork's Chart Attack.
Television:
Joss Whedon's "Dollhouse." Yup, the amazingly super brilliant Joss Whedo has a new show coming out "soon." (I think some issues with the network have delayed the premiere.)Even better is that Eliza Dushku is back too. I'm really hoping for a good show to hold on to after "True Blood" goes on hiatus in two weeks.
Politics:
From 23/6 - Get Your War On: "In the wake of the Obama win, Accounts Receivable gives Accounts Payable a little heads up about exactly what kind of "change" Obama was really talking about all those months on the trail. Payable is NOT going to like this. Not one bit. But he needs to know. And Accounts Receivable is the man to tell him. Accounts Receivable is a really good friend, you know?"
Movies:
Here! presents: "Everything You Wanted to Know About Gay Pornstars But Were Afraid to Ask" Pt. 2 (Video safe for work, the audio not so much) (4:00)
Music Video:
Mariah Carey performs "I Stay In Love" live on "X Factor"
Click below to jump to the full size players or click here to launch them in a new window. Or just hang out and watch them in The Media Bar next door.
Daily Song:
Guru Josh Project “Infinity 2008”
Television:
Joss Whedon's "Dollhouse." Yup, the amazingly super brilliant Joss Whedon has a new show coming out "soon." (I think some issues with the network have delayed the premiere.) I'm really hoping for a good show to hold on to after "True Blood" goes on hiatus in two weeks.
Politics:
From 23/6 - Get Your War On: "In the wake of the Obama win, Accounts Receivable gives Accounts Payable a little heads up about exactly what kind of "change" Obama was really talking about all those months on the trail. Payable is NOT going to like this. Not one bit. But he needs to know. And Accounts Receivable is the man to tell him. Accounts Receivable is a really good friend, you know?"
Movies:
Here! presents: "Everything You Wanted to Know About Gay Pornstars But Were Afraid to Ask" Pt. 2 (Video safe for work, the audio not so much) (4:00)
Music Video:
Mariah Carey performs "I Stay In Love" live on "X Factor"