Raquel Welch: Space-Girl Dance

Holy Crap.

Mitch O'Connell: Raquel Welch: Space-Girl Dance: Why the '70's were amazing!

9/11

I have avoided the TV stories and news coverage about 9/11 again, as I do every year. It's willful avoidance rooted in my disgust at the media capitalizing on the horror and anguish of that day.

I know very well what happened on that day. I lived 30 miles from Manhattan, and a colleague from my site was killed on United flight 93. Another colleague from my (then) company was never found but believed killed at the WTC. My friend Rob lost two colleagues who died attempting to save lives in the Marriott hotel at the WTC site. The images of people leaping or blown out of the towers, plummeting to certain death... many times holding hands... are ones that will haunt me for the rest of my life. In my heart, I will never, ever forget who was responsible and in whose name they overtly carried out these acts.

At the time, I was in the midst of buying my first home. On the day we made the offer on the home, we marveled at the view of the towers from our street. When we closed on our home a few weeks later, the towers had been destroyed.

Ten years later I no longer trust the government narrative of what occurred. The twin towers to me are clear. I saw the second plane strike live on TV that warm, dry, sunny morning while at work in New Jersey. I no longer believe the official explanations for what happened at the Pentagon, nor at Seven World Trade Center. Rather than engaging in a lecture here, I rather encourage you to google and educate yourself on the alternative theories about what happened in both of these cases.

Rugby players, especially gay rugby players, also remember Mark Bingham for his heroism on 9/11. Bingham was a founding member of the San Francisco Fog Rugby club, and former champion player at Cal. Mark Bingham is believed to be one of the passengers who stormed the cockpit on United flight 93. NBC ran a wonderful video tribute during the halftime program on today's World Cup broadcast. My Partner was featured speaking with Alice Hoglan, Mark Bingham's mother; the footage came from a documentary about Bingham's life entitled "With You". The Bingham Cup is the premier tournament in gay rugby and is named in honor of Mark Bingham. I hope to play in my second Bingham Cup next year in Manchester, England.

Rugby Champion Ben Cohen to Participate in Dallas Pride Weekend

This is amazingly great news. Please join us in welcoming England World Rugby Cup champion Ben Cohen MBE to Dallas! Ben's Stand Up Foundation is dedicated to fighting youth bullying worldwide.

Ben Cohen

The Dallas Diablos RFC will be hosting Ben at Lake Highlands Park (Lake Highlands Dr & Buckner Blvd) on Saturday, Sep 17th from 11am-4pm. Ben will also be at several events around DFW speaking out as a straight ally of LGBT youth fighting against bullying and homophobia in sports. He will also be an Honorary Grand Marshal at this year’s Pride Parade and Celebration.

Obama Says He Is "Proud" Of Hoffa After Union Leader's Remarks

Obama Says He Is "Proud" Of Hoffa After Union Leader's Remarks

For a president who called for a new era of civility, to praise Teamster president Jimmy Hoffa Jr. after his remarks about "taking these sons of bitches out" is the most cynical, disgusting kind of political pandering. The Teamsters have for decades embodied the dregs of union corruption, fat cat-ism and cronyism. That's not just my opinion, it's easy to research and see for yourself. But Obama is "proud" of him. Perhaps the same sort of pride as he felt in his anti-American and anti-Semitic pastor of twenty years, Jeremiah Wright?

As of 2010, union employees accounted for fewer than 12% of the American work force, continuing a steady decline of union prestige, influence and power that has been underway for at least 30 years. Among other reasons, that's because private sector workers in particular don't want anything to do with unions and their rampant corruption. Interestingly, that's about the same length of decline of prestige, influence and power among American liberals.

Maybe now those same private sector workers (including the silent but real minority of union members who despise their unions) will decide they don't want anything to do with this failed president and his cynical pandering to unions. This guy is providing so much easy fodder for his opponents, it's their game to lose in 2012.

TX Schools Fail Under Newly Realistic Criteria

But wait, I thought all school teachers were not only selfless angels, but also great at their jobs?!?

TX school ratings plummet under tougher standards | Latest State headlines from AP | New...

Reid: Raising Taxes on Jet Owners is the Solution

Seriously, what is the obsession these people have with billionaires and corporate jet owners? How many of these people are there in America - like 10,000? Even doubling their taxes wouldn't come close to solving our problems.

The real question is: why does Geithner still have a job?

Reid: S&P downgrade backs Dems' call for more revenue - The Hill's Blog Briefing Room

Jury Duty

Today was Day 2 of my first encounter with Jury Duty. On Friday, the court bailiff advised that 1,000 jurors were needed for this week. So, a large group (including me) was called on Friday and then another group today. Those of us who were assigned to a court (including me) were required to return today for jury selection. I was actually excited to be part of the justice system and see how things work in court. I was assigned to a criminal case, given my juror badge and number and told to report back this afternoon. After a wait of about an hour, the judge called us in to the court room and told that the case we might have seen was settled with a guilty plea. Overall I was very impressed with the courtesy and professionalism of everyone I interacted with at the Tarrant County Courthouse, from the clerks to Judge Robb Catalano himself.

The picture above is a view of the (now retired) Texas electric chair, fondly nicknamed "Old Sparky." Old Sparky resides in the Texas Prison exhibit at the Huntsville State Prison, located in Walker County, TX. Old Sparky replaced the previous gallows method of execution, and provided Texas Justice from 1924 to 1964. During that period, 361 prisoners met their fate in Old Sparky. Since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976, Texas has executed more prisoners than any other state, though California and Florida have larger death row populations. Today's method of execution is lethal injection.

Project Runway Season 9: Episode 1 Recap

I can already tell this is going to be a good season...

Project Runway Season 9: Episode 1 Recap

Rugby Restart

Last night our rugby club officially ended the summer off-season with a touch rugby tournament. Teams were randomly selected and my team made it to the finals, but lost by two tries. It was a fun evening and most people were in good spirits. One of the coaching staff lost his cool a couple of times and started screaming, which is totally ridiculous. It was supposed to be a fun event and not taken that seriously, but this individual has problems.

With that exception pointed out the rest of us had a nice evening. Next week we start regular practice. I'm worried about the ongoing 100+ degree temperatures and the effect of doing full contact practice during this weather. We'll muscle through it, take breaks, and drink lots of water. I need to get my damned arthritic shoulder looked at, too. Not sure if the Doc will be willing to inject more steroids, or if he's going to say the time has come for surgery.  Sigh. Getting older isn't always fun!

Big Sis is Watching You

Now they're teaching us to spy on one another... note the consistent themes of race-baiting, racial distrust and suspicion in this video produced by the Ministry of Love, AKA Homeland Security. Note the overwhelming effort to portray the vast majority of suspicious persons (e.g. terrorists) as caucasian. Note the disregard for 9/11 in the examples of terrorism shown. I especially like the scene where a woman calls the police to turn in a man (white of course) doing something highly suspicious.... that is, writing in a notebook and using his smartphone.

Why isn't someone shown reporting someone running across the border, a clear violation of the law which happens many thousands of time each year? Will the next video like this go even lower by encouraging people to turn in anyone who asks not to be patted down by a TSA officer? How about someone who doesn't have the right political ideas? Oh, wait, we're not in East Germany...yet.

I am totally against terrorism and in favor of fighting it. But pitting people against one another is a tactic used by every fascist regime for the past 100 years. This is disgusting and unworthy of our nation. Is this what "the land of the free" has degenerated into?

We have GOT to elect people in this country who believe in curtailing the encroachment of the federal government into our lives.

Coming to a Town Near You? TSA Now Storming Public Places 8,000 Times a Year

Chilling. From the American Thinker...

TSA Now Storming Public Places 8,000 Times a Year

Have you heard any reporters in the mass media reporting on where the constitutional authority exists for the TSA to do this? Or asking the President about it at a press conference?

Oh, that's right. There aren't any press conferences anymore. I can remember back during the horrible, repressive right wing 1980s, there used to be regular Presidential press conferences...

Steve Winwood - While You See A Chance

I think this was the first music video I ever saw! It was on "America's Top Ten" hosted by Casey Kasem.

At any rate, it seems to me that music videos have regressed in the past 30 years since this was made. Artists such as Steve Winwood, Peter Gabriel, The Human League, Howard Jones and others epitomized intelligent dance pop and had very wide followings.

Do you think today's videos are more or less intelligent than in the past? You decide.

Tortured and killed: Hamza al-Khateeb

Hamza al-Khateeb

Since most American news websites aren't bothering to cover this story, let's turn to our friends at Al Jazeera. A 13 year old boy, Hamza al-Khateeb, has been tortured, castrated, and murdered, ostensibly by supporters of the regime there. My prayers for comfort go out to young Hamza's family, who must be suffering unimaginable horror and pain.

The entire issue of Syria, largely ignored in the press, raises many disturbing questions about U.S. foreign policy and what on earth we are trying to do in the middle east. I would like for President Obama to explain to us, right now, exactly why it is that we're not also now attacking Syria, since it's now our "facts on the ground" policy to defend human rights in that part of the world based on the Libya debacle. I won't hold my breath for an answer. Where is the transparency you promised us, President Obama? Exactly what is our strategy toward the "Arab Street"?

Tortured and killed: Hamza al-Khateeb, age 13 - Features - Al Jazeera English