Written: 1/16/2013
One of the other causes I’ve become interested in, even though I can’t give blood (I’ll tell you the story sometime, it’s funny, and my arm turned purple and everything!). Here’s a good video summing up the situation (and even I learned that bisexual men can’t give blood, I never realized that):
All my best,
Mike
Written: 1/16/2013
Ryan Anderson is an Eagle Scout. His local Board of Review approved his application. That’s how the process works.
After years of work, leadership and a massive service project, one final Scoutmaster conference (usually a very unique one at that), a Scout sits on a Board of Review from the local district. And they decide whether to approve the application (usually those turned down have something else to complete to satisfaction, it’s not a closed door forever).
Yes, National processes the applications and keeps copies of everything, but I’ve never heard of National rejecting the work of a local Board of Review.
National hides behind technicalities about the date, and has forced the local employees in a position where they must fight the local volunteers, which is a shitty place for anyone to be in, and very cowardly if you ask me. GLAAD and Scouts for Equality have slammed the organization, but sadly, I don’t foresee National changing their mind.
But Ryan Anderson is an Eagle Scout.
All my best,
Mike
Written: 1/16/2013
A father in Brooklyn is starting a Scouting troop open to women and gays.
There are actually a bunch of these organizations that spring up, I’ll have to write about them sooner or later.
And, fun fact, the BSA will allow girls to join if there is not a Girl Scout Troop nearby. Also, Venturing is co-ed, and it starts at age 14, focused mainly on high adventure (but units can specialize in other interests if they wish), and there is also Exploring (for now) and Learning for Life, a school program.
I’m a bit mixed on the women issue. Venturing was pretty much created because GSA was doing a terrible job of retaining older girls and giving them what they actually wanted to do, so the BSA stepped in. That, by the way, is reality, not at all what anyone official will tell you.
But of course, I support opening the program to gay, bisexual and transgendered youth, they need to know they matter, they have value and they are not broken.
Will this new group change anything? Not on the national scene, but for those kids, it will mean the world.
And that means the world.
All my best,
Mike
Written: 1/16/2013
DADT is no more. Although, as I’ve mentioned before, there is still work to be done. The repeal still does not offer transgendered individuals the right to serve in the armed forces. And now, we have taken another step forward and another step back.
The ACLU has won it’s case, allowing those discharged under DADT to receive full separation pay. It goes back to 2004, and I hope that the branches of the military will also make sure all those thrown out under DADT are changed to receive honorable discharges.
But sadly, in the new defense bill, a clause was inserted, allowing chaplains to harass gay servicemen and servicewomen, without any penalty. Obama signed it with objections to that specific clause, but sadly, had to sign it.
Still work to be done, sadly.
All my best,
Mike
Written: 1/16/2013
Surprise! More of your taxes are being used to defend DOMA, even though it is discriminatory and a majority of the country opposes it.
Secretly, speaker Boehner increased the funding to $3 million, from the original budget of half a million.
The case goes before the Supreme Court this spring with a ruling expected in June. President Obama has refused to defend the law, hence the GOP deciding to do it instead.
All my best,
Mike
Written: 1/16/2013
Pennsylvania saw the election of our first, out gay lawmaker, Brian Sims.
Now, before he was sworn in, a Republican member who was reelected came out, so now we have two gay members in Harrisburg.
Progress, slow, but steady progress.
All my best,
Mike
Written: 1/16/2013
And sadly, no, this is not an Eddie Izzard sketch.
Britain is set to legalize marriage equality, but in a strange twist of fate, they will prohibit the Church of England from performing gay marriages. Which opens a strange discussion about the separation of church and state, but then again, it’s not the United States.
The Church of England will allow gay bishops, even partnered gay bishops, but only if they are celibate. So barring the fact that they can’t get married, at least in a church setting, they have a strange set of requirements, only brought upon themselves.
So, the odd thing, is now Muslims are mad that they are being treated differently. It’s strange, for only the CoE to be treated one way, but being the state religion, I guess they can do that.
Still, it’s all very confusing, at least to a damn Yankee across the pond.
All my best,
Mike
Alright, first up, what’s been playing non-stop for me. Sadly, Swedish House Mafia is breaking up, but a good remix:
A great piece over at JoHo about mourning Aaron Schwartz
Hmmmm, more Star Wars movies, that will be running parallel to the next trilogy.
Funny or Die adds commentary to Jodie Foster’s bizarre speech.
Fun facts about Morgan Freeman:
That’s it for today, have a great one!
Alright, let’s see what we have today. First up:
It may be almost 70 degrees (and I’m in shorts in January), this is awesome:
The White House has denied the request to construct a Death Star. But go read the response, someone is a great writer, and a huge nerd, it’s awesome!
A magical 3-in-1 connector from CES, seems strange it took this long to come up with this, but it should make Apple users very happy.
The Dark Knight Trilogy, condensed to three minutes. Spoilers, obviously:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-af-Pru2USc
Violence erupts over the AP/Chicago manual wars. Via The Onion, of course.
For all the Myst geeks out there, this totally reminded me of the entrance to Channelwood:
The Good Men Project takes on bathroom graffiti. The image is worth clicking through.
What is less popular than root canals, used car salesmen and even Nickleback? Congress.
I’ve been listening to this almost non-stop, I think the beginning of it is kind of bland, but halfway though it picks up:
Saving sound in a bottle, pretty cool idea.
Also via The Onion, so true, or at least, close to the truth:
Monks will now accept prayer requests via text, pretty cool!
JoHo has a good post up about the suicide of Aaron Schwartz, one of the founders of Reddit, and one of the creators of RSS.
While there were of course a wide range of things that made me change jobs, this certainly was up there among the top of the list.
Music recreated from The Hobbit, Part 1:
That’s it for now, have a great one!
