Indiana
updated
10:08 p.m.
[Explanations: lol your fat . pathetic anger bread . hey your gay . Skadoodlies .] TFIF, Shakers! Belly up to the bar, and name your poison! ...
Shakespeare's Sister - 3:03 p.m.
Thanks to the folks at American Rights at Work for their research and efforts around American and union-made products! See their post on being pro-union and pro-football here . Super Bowl Sunday is almost upon us, and the New England Patriots and the New York Giants are preparing to battle it out for dominance. But there’s an extra wrinkle in this year’s Super Bowl. Just days ago, down the ...
DailyKos (Indiana) - 2:40 p.m. - 7 clicks 
You weren't able to read every post on Bilerico Project last week? Don't worry! Every Friday I round up the best Bilerico posts from the past seven days to help you stay up to date on the latest queer news and analysis. Saturday Research Study: Low IQ Correlates With Prejudice and Bigotry Filed by Michael Hamar Christie Sees Future, Santorum Does George Wallace in Drag Filed by Mar...
Bilerico-Indiana - 2:04 p.m.
Here's another example of a politician who wants to be a backdoor friend . These insufferable idiots suffer under the preconception that just because they don't really believe their public anti-gay stances, we should welcome them with open arms and a wink, wink, nod. Republican New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has threatened to veto New Jersey's upcoming marriage equality legislation. In...
Bilerico-Indiana - 12:44 p.m.
OMG, y'all! Were you SO SURPRISED by today's BIG NEWS?! Billionaire gentleman and genius Donald Trump DID NOT, as expected , endorse Newt Gingrich , but instead endorsed Mitt Romney ! WOWEE WOW! Now that's a reversal even the very talented screenwriters of Atlas Shrugged, Part II: The Shruggening couldn't have written! The twists and turns this primary has taken! It's like a r...
Shakespeare's Sister - 12:25 p.m.
( Hotel Workers Rising ) The Super Bowl comes to Indiana just days after the passage of an anti-union law in the state. With the NFL Players Association having vocally opposed that law, it's an opportunity to draw attention to labor issues in the state. At the same time, you don't want to be the assholes who actually disrupted the Super Bowl, so there's a line to walk here. Indiana AFL-...
DailyKos (Indiana) - 12:24 p.m. - 8 clicks
It occurred to me recently that this young person (S, one of my grandchildren) has only ever lived in a world with a Black President of the USA. That's the only world this child knows. It's quite likely that zie could reach seven years old (zie's about 18 months old here), and that'll still be true. (photo of a small white child, about 18 months old, sitting at a table holding what appears ...
Shakespeare's Sister - 12:05 p.m.
After a huge public backlash following their decision this week to cut off funding to Planned Parenthood, breast cancer charity Susan G. Komen for the Cure has reversed their decision . But Komen's reversal leaves unclear their reason for initially denying Planned Parenthood funding and whether they'll approve future grant requests from the reproductive and child health organization. T...
Bilerico-Indiana - 12:05 p.m. - 7 clicks
In honour of Black history month, and reflecting my own take on it as a Canadian: "The thing about being first is that there are some people that take exception to you being there." - Zanana Akande ( 1937- ) The first Black woman to be elected to the Ontario legislature, and first Canadian Black woman to be appointed to a provincial government cabinet position - but not until 1990, lest any o...
Shakespeare's Sister - 11:01 a.m.
Video paraphrase : Static. Talking heads. Hannity. "Ayn Rand." Static. Spooky music. Dennis Miller. "Ayn Rand." Static. Phil Donahue. Spooky music. Ayn Rand: "Destroy the welfare state." Static. "II 2012" Static. From a press release: Atlas Productions, LLC announced today that “Atlas Shrugged Part 2”, the second installment of the Atlas Shrugged movie trilogy, has been officially greenli...
Shakespeare's Sister - 10:41 a.m.
Facing a lot of well-earned negative press and criticism this week and then responding with what has to be the biggest PR disaster I have ever seen, Komen released a statement today saying that they will continue to fund Planned Parenthood: Our only goal for our granting process is to support women and families in the fight against breast cancer. Amending our criteria will ensure that politics ...
Shakespeare's Sister - 10:29 a.m.
Last weekend I went to a reunion of the University of Miami Drama Department for those of us who were there between 1970 and 1983. I saw friends I hadn't seen since 1974 and met a few new ones. A lot of great memories, laughter and even a few tears were shared. We met up at the Ring Theatre on campus, and at one point each of us stood up and told our names, our year of graduation, and a quick n...
Shakespeare's Sister - 10:29 a.m.
Now that Mitt Romney is getting Secret Service protection, let's guess what his super secret codename is going to be. My bet is on R-money . $10,000? Here's a list of former President and presidential wannabees' Secret Service codenames to get you started: John F. Kennedy - Lancer Jacqueline Kennedy - Lace Lyndon Johnson - Volunteer Richard Nixon - Searchlight ...
Bilerico-Indiana - 10:03 a.m.
Discount Gun Sales has teamed up with the Susan G. Komen Foundation to offer a pink version of its popular Walther P-22 handgun in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Okay. ...
Shakespeare's Sister - 9:27 a.m.
For a nice change of pace – this video was uploaded by fiercelightfilms on Jan 31 and includes an interview with ecofeminist Starhawk and this message: Love is not a product! This Valentine season let’s reclaim love. A call to action for Occupies everywhere – how will you occupy Valentines? A flash mob kiss-in at the corporate criminal of your choice? At banks, ...
Bilerico-Indiana - 9:27 a.m.
This blogaround brought to you by rotary phones. Recommended Reading: eeshap: Don Cornelius, Indelible Soul Juan Cole: The Generals Try to Stop an Iran War Zerlina: First Lady Michelle Obama Appreciation Day! Andy: Virginia House to Vote to Allow Faith-Based Discrimination Against Gays Wanting to Adopt A few pieces on the Komen-Planned Parenthood debacle: Mary Elizabeth Williams: K...
Shakespeare's Sister - 8:44 a.m.
It's interesting that HBO focused solely on the John McCain/Sarah Palin aspect of the book Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime . Some of the juiciest bits were about Hillary vs Obama and Elizabeth Edwards' machinations and foul temper. Since the McCain campaign lost, Clinton is Secretary of State, and Obama is President, I'm guessing the filmmake...
Bilerico-Indiana - 8:00 a.m.
After more than 50,000 people signed a popular online petition urging DynCorp International to protect gay employees from harassment, the U.S. defense contractor announced it is adding sexual orientation and gender identity to its workplace nondiscrimination policies. Tico Almeida, a civil rights attorney and founder of the organization Freedom to Work, started the petition on Change.org...
Bilerico-Indiana - 7:00 a.m.
After six and a half hours of testimony, a New Jersey state Assembly committee passed legislation to legalize same-sex marriage . The measure passed 5-2 along party lines; Governor Chris Christie has said he will veto the legislation if it's passed by both houses. The full Assembly will vote on the bill on February 16. The state senate will vote on the matter on February 13. The bill has alr...
Bilerico-Indiana - 6:41 a.m.
"I've been saving my clothes for her since before she was born. I was like, I'll bet you anything I'll have a daughter, and she'll be a really cool butch lesbian and be so above clothes, and I got a very clothes-obsessed child. So if she's a lesbian, she's a lipstick lesbian." -- Gwyneth Paltrow talking about her expectations for her 7 year old daughter in a Harper's Bazaar interview. Hat tip...
Bilerico-Indiana - 5:43 a.m.
Ricky Martin's turn as the Glee celebrity flavor of the week is next week. So what song do you give the hot Latino gay guy? Sexy & I Know It , of course . ...
Bilerico-Indiana - 5:04 a.m.
Rep. Koch’s HB 1085 passed the house, 95-0. The Natural Resource Commission is assigned the task of adopting rules for the reporting and disclosure of information regarding hydraulic fracturing treatment, including: (1) the volume and source of base fluid used; (2) a description of each additive product used in a hydraulic fracturing treatment; (3) the [...]...
Masson's Blog - 4:43 a.m.
What's your favorite scary story? I'm quite partial to Richard Matheson's entire body of work, but I have to give the honor to Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House. ...
Shakespeare's Sister - Thu 4:24 p.m.
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decided not to release the Prop 8 trial tapes , overturning the district court's earlier ruling that the public had a right to see the video recordings of the Perry v. Brown trial. The decision [pdf] can now be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Chris Geidner at MetroWeekly writes: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled today th...
Bilerico-Indiana - Thu 3:41 p.m.
It's not every weekend you get to help save the earth and hang out on a brand-new trilevel 200-foot yacht, but due to a unique collaboration between Greenpeace and queer organization MIX NYC, I recently enjoyed this privilege. In an unexpected partnership, MIX NYC - producers of the New York Queer Experimental Film Festival, now in its 24th year - was hired by Greenpeace to create two ...
Bilerico-Indiana - Thu 2:40 p.m.
I'm continuing the reportage of the new regulations that could potentially bar some trans Canadians from being able to board a plane. Here's part one for the background , and a statement from the Trans Equality Society of Alberta . There are a few online petitions to address the issue, including this one at Change.org . Xtra is reporting that "Lebel and other Conservative MPs wer...
Bilerico-Indiana - Thu 2:10 p.m. - 12 clicks
Recently described as "The greatest cabaret artist of (v's) generation" by Hilton Als in The New Yorker , singer, songwriter and Tony-nominated performance artist Mx Justin Vivian Bond shared this VIP Q Movie Pick with us: "I have found myself thinking about Marlon Riggs ' film Tongues Untied a lot lately. I first saw it in the Castro Theater in 1991 and was deeply affected by it...
Bilerico-Indiana - Thu 1:04 p.m.
In this clip from a recent episode of Joan and Melissa: Joan Knows Best on the WE network, we see that Joan knows the best place to buy some weed--with a prescription in California. The video does not say what ailment has brought her to the alternative therapy (I'm assuming facial numbness), but I do love seeing the elderly rediscovering old vices. It's a long clip, but worth waiting for the en...
Bilerico-Indiana - Thu 11:01 a.m.
The writers Edmund White and Michael Carroll said, "We have not discussed it. We are not big on discussion. Everything is a tacit discussion." Such was their first response to the suggestion that White's having suffered a stroke may have upset their seventeen year partnership, enduring companionship, and deep affection for each other - a mutual devotion that rings clearly between the lines ...
Bilerico-Indiana - Thu 10:24 a.m.
5.6 Million : The number of Americans who have switched their banks in the last 90 days. Javelin noted that this pace of account closing is three times the normal rate . While 11 percent of people moving their accounts cited Bank Transfer Day, one quarter said they moved their money because their old institution charged too many fees . Account closures at Bank of America, the nation’s sec...
Shakespeare's Sister - Thu 9:29 a.m.
"Just like a pro-abortion group to turn a cancer orgs decision into a political bomb throw. Cry me a freaking river." -- Jade Morey, on Twitter. Who is Jade Morey? I do not know. However I do know who retweeted, and thus supported and endorsed that sentiment: Karen Handel (that's a link to the screenshot, as Handel tried to scrub it later by deleting it). Karen Handel is the Senior Vice Pres...
Shakespeare's Sister - Thu 9:29 a.m.
After the hate group One Million Moms announced they were calling on their supporters to replace Ellen Degeneres as their new spokesperson because she's a lesbian, GLAAD and some gay bloggers sprang into action . Sadly, they're just playing into a controversy that benefits no one but the group and the department store chain. Let's look at this logically for a second. JC Penny's new C...
Bilerico-Indiana - Thu 8:43 a.m.
Indiana became the 23rd state to institute a so-called “right to work” law yesterday. Across the country these laws have depressed wages for union and non-union workers alike, and have contributed to unsafe working conditions. Unfortunately, anti-worker forces in other states are looking to follow Indiana’s lead. In Ohio: An Ohio group has been cleared to continue its effort to push...
DailyKos (Indiana) - Thu 8:27 a.m. - 16 clicks
Guest judge Jimmy (A Unicorn) thinks your pork chops taste like farts! Remember the Alamo? It's a famous place in Texas that now rents cars. So I guess that's why they gave everyone a bicycle and told them to cook for Pee-Wee Herman in any old restaurant they could find on the street. Huh. Sure! Why not? What a weird challenge. Did anyone else think it was weird? You thought it was weird. So ...
Shakespeare's Sister - Thu 7:46 a.m.
Talk about tone deaf... The HRC Manhattan gala dinner will honor Goldman Sachs . The Occupy Wall Street offshoot Queer Caucus has announced they will picket the event and I don't blame them in the least. The event is being held at the Waldorf Astoria on Saturday. The group is condemning the equality group for honoring Goldman Sachs, which QE says helped spur the global financial meltdown....
Bilerico-Indiana - Thu 7:21 a.m.
"I am SUCH a bad bet." Frontrunner (ha ha good luck with that, Republicans!) Mitt Romney continues to get hammered for his "I'm not concerned about the very poor" comment, and rightfully so. His insistence that the comment not be taken out of context, as Greg Sargent notes , is pretty rich coming from a dude whose campaign opportunistically (mis)quoted the President out of context in a ...
Shakespeare's Sister - Thu 6:47 a.m.
Good news out of Washington state yesterday evening after the state senate passed marriage equality legislation by a 28-21 vote. Supporters announced last week that they had the required 25 votes when Democratic Senator Mary Margaret Haugen declared her support for the bill. The measure passed with bipartisan support and now moves to the House where it is expected to pass easily. Senat...
Bilerico-Indiana - Thu 6:23 a.m.
Posting will be very light from me today and tomorrow, as I've got a friend visiting from out of town. Please remember that when I'm not around, we're down one moderator, so take extra care in commenting, and be patient with and respectful of the other mods who will be picking up my slack. ...
Shakespeare's Sister - Thu 6:08 a.m.
"These people claim to be Christian, New Gingrich and Mitt Romney and some of them others. They aren't pure followers of Jesus Christ. I wouldn't trust [any] of them with a handful of change to go get me some bubble gum. There's nothing of any value in [any] of those human beings. I would rather have Obama..." -- Timothy Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church on his choice for president ...
Bilerico-Indiana - Thu 5:46 a.m.
Super Bowl XLVI is coming to Indianapolis this Sunday, four days after the Republican legislature's vote to make Indiana the latest Right-to-Work-for-Less state. Together with the creationist legislation passed by the Senate, we Hoosiers woke up this morning in the North and apparently are going to bed in the Deep South. The unions are not pleased, in fact they are quite angry. 3,0...
DailyKos (Indiana) - Thu 1:44 a.m. - 12 clicks
Bouncing off yesterday's question: What word do you find hilarious, even if it's not a "funny" word? I laugh every time I hear "sasquatch." Come to think of it, "squash" is funny, too. And as I've said to Melissa a kerbrillion times, if the word "butt" ever stops being funny to me, I'll be officially bored with life. ...
Shakespeare's Sister - Wed 4:05 p.m.
Atrios, aka economist Duncan Black: I Could Have Told You That a Couple of Years Ago : Suddenly everyone's jumping on the idea that maybe jobs and economic growth are a wee bit important . But, you know, all the Very Serious People were wrong for the right reasons while the hippies were right for the wrong reasons, so the VSPs were really right and the hippies were really wrong. It's amazing...
Shakespeare's Sister - Wed 1:04 p.m.
"My understanding is that it is virtually impossible to contract AIDS through heterosexual sex." — Stacey Campfield , Tennessee State Senator, while appearing on the Michelangelo Signorile Show late last week to discuss his "Don't Say Gay" bill. Ummm... yeah. No. See also: Africa. ...
Shakespeare's Sister - Wed 12:25 p.m.
Protest against today's anti-union vote ( ThinkProgress ) The Indiana Senate has passed the House version of a so-called "right to work" bill. With both chambers having passed the same version of the bill, it now heads to Gov. Mitch Daniels' desk for his signature. While Daniels once opposed the policy, this year he has been an active part of the campaign to pass it, so there's no d...
DailyKos (Indiana) - Wed 9:21 a.m. - 14 clicks
Tom Davies, writing for the AP, has an article entitled Indiana Senate backs teaching creationism proposal. It’s reporting on Senate Bill 89 which used to talk about “creation science.” However, it’s been amended and now says nothing about science. Here is what Davies reports: Indiana’s public schools would be allowed to teach creationism in science [...]...
Masson's Blog - Tue 7:07 p.m. - 33 clicks
The Indiana General Assembly is advancing the so-called “Right to Work” legislation, with the state Senate expected to vote on the proposal Wednesday that the state House approved a version of last week. Putting aside the substance of the legislation for a moment, the whole debate has been a fascinating exercise in political framing: Using [...]...
ChrisHardie.com - Tue 8:22 a.m. - 15 clicks
Look out, Indiana! It's comin' right for ya! A couple of weeks ago, I told you about Indiana's slide toward an Emergency Manager law of their own. I have been wondering how long it would take for a state other than Michigan to pursue an Emergency Manager law. The wait is over. This week, a Republican-sponsored bill allowing the imposition of an Emergency Manager on a "distressed politi...
DailyKos (Indiana) - Mon 6:09 p.m. - 11 clicks
The Senate added an amendment offered by Sen. Simpson to SB 89 which is the bill that permitted teaching creationism as science. As amended, the bill says, “The governing body of a school corporation may offer instruction on various theories of the origin of life. The curriculum for the course must include theories from multiple [...]...
Masson's Blog - Mon 5:07 p.m.
Just came across this page entitled Letters of Note: To My Old Master (h/t Mike Godwin). It’s a letter from a former slave to his old master in August 1865. Because the Northerners aggressively stopped southerners from exercising their state’s rights to allow one person to own another, Jourdan Anderson had been emancipated and moved [...]...
Masson's Blog - Mon 1:03 p.m.
I just finished reading Steven Levy’s In the Plex, a great history of Google, Inc.‘s origins and growth, and a great insight into what the company could look like in the future, or at least how it might get there. The story of Google that matters for most people is how it affects their daily [...]...
ChrisHardie.com - Mon 12:46 p.m.
Judge Posner has an interesting blog post entitled Taxing Wealthy People More Heavily. One of his arguments against increasing the taxes on people with a million or more in income is that they would then have a strong incentive to keep their income under a million. I hadn’t understood President Obama’s proposal of 25% on [...]...
Masson's Blog - Mon 6:28 a.m.
Rep. Lutz has introduced HB 1046 which would, in effect, require that horse track owners remit the proceeds of unclaimed pari-mutuel tickets to the county where the track is located. The money would be used for road improvement in the county. If memory serves, Rep. Lutz comes from Madison County where Hoosier Park Racing is [...]...
Masson's Blog - Mon 4:47 a.m. - 33 clicks
Sen. Tomes’ SB 322 would provide tort claim immunity for governmental entities as to claims for injury to persons or property under the supervision of the governmental entity while the person is on parole. Tort claim immunity is also extended to Department of Correction employees or contractors who are providing monitoring services for parolees or [...]...
Masson's Blog - Mon 4:24 a.m.
Last December, President Obama gave a speech in Osawatomie, Kansas. He gives a lot of speeches, so I didn’t pay much attention. But, I keep coming across references to that one. Initially, a relative of mine mentioned it over the holidays – the name of the town stuck with me because: a) it’s unusual; and [...]...
Masson's Blog - Sat 3:49 p.m.
The Muncie Star Press has an editorial entitled “What’s So Bad About Creationism in Public Schools,” providing an apology for the Senate Education Committee in passing the creation science bill. It does its readers a disservice in a couple of respects: First, it dances around the idea that this bill is about teaching creationism as [...]...
Masson's Blog - Sat 8:24 a.m. - 34 clicks
Enough already with the sanctimonious and dishonest rhetoric from the right this campaign season about who is practicing “class warfare” and who wants to “divide the nation.” The coordinated attacks by corporate funded think tanks and rightwing politicians on workers and their ability to have a collective voice in unions should provide a clear answer -- as evidenced in the national crusade to ...
DailyKos (Indiana) - Jan 27
Rep. Dvorak’s amendment to Rep. McMillin’s HB 1007 passed during second reading by a vote of 54 – 41 (with 4 excused and 1 not voting). It is an amendment to HB 1007 which provides for a test program whereby welfare recipients would be required to submit to and pass drug tests as a condition [...]...
Masson's Blog - Jan 27
In one of the boldest, brashest moves seen in Michigan in quite some time, Ken Braun the recently 'former' Managing Editor of CapCon at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy , has threaten Republican Governor Rick Snyder to either join the "Right to Work" (for a lot less) forces, or be circumvented by 'citizen' introduced legislation that will completely bypass the Nerd using the Tea Party Re...
DailyKos (Indiana) - Jan 26 - 6 clicks
Workers crowd the Indiana statehouse Wednesday. ( Stand Up for Hoosiers ) Even getting their way on their anti-union right to work free rider bill, Indiana House Republicans found a way to be ungracious scumbags: Following more than three hours of debate, House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, rushed into the final vote to block a Democratic request for a live roll call vote. B...
DailyKos (Indiana) - Jan 26 - 4 clicks
( Stand Up for Hoosiers ) Earlier in the week, the Indiana Senate passed a so-called "right to work" bill. Today, the state House followed suit : The Indiana House voted 54-44 for the controversial “right to work” bill. The vote came as labor union protesters in the Statehouse shouted their disapproval and after two hours of often emotional debate. The margin suggests several Repu...
DailyKos (Indiana) - Jan 25 - 4 clicks
Horrible news from the Hoosier state. The Indiana House passed the right to work bill which has riled the state for the last month. The Indiana House voted 54-44 for the controversial “right to work” bill.....The measure passed the Senate earlier this week. Now one chamber must vote on the other’s bill — probably the Senate, in order to avoid the bill going through the House again wher...
DailyKos (Indiana) - Jan 25 - 3 clicks
In 2006 Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels said this about so-called "Right to Work" laws “I am a supporter of the labor laws we have in the State of Indiana, and I’m not interested in changing any of them,” he said. “Certainly not the prevailing wage law. And certainly not the right to work law . We can succeed in Indiana respecting the rights of labor and fair and free competition for ev...
DailyKos (Indiana) - Jan 25 - 4 clicks
According to Wikipedia , newts (pleurodelinae) "have the ability to regenerate limbs, eyes, spinal cords, hearts, intestines, and upper and lower jaws." With his win in the South Carolina Republican primary, Newt Gingrich has put himself back in front of the Republican line-up and has set himself up for an extended battle with Mitt Romney. Yet, many people (myself included) did not expect...
Lefty's Last Cry - Jan 24
AFSCME joins the Indiana AFL-CIO in reminding us just who Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels is, in advance of his response to President Obama's State of the Union address. ...
DailyKos (Indiana) - Jan 24 - 6 clicks
( Stand Up for Hoosiers ) As expected, the Indiana Senate voted Monday to pass a so-called "right to work" law forcing union members to pay the costs of union representation for their non-union coworkers. The vote was 28-22, with nine Republicans joining Democrats in opposition. Indiana Democratic legislators have been staunch in their opposition to this bill. In the Senate: State Sen...
DailyKos (Indiana) - Jan 24 - 3 clicks
Indiana Democrats have returned to the state House after their third brief boycott aimed at slowing Republicans' rush to pass an anti-union bill, but, according to the Associated Press , "made no promises they won't stall again." If passed, the law would force union members to pay the costs of representing their non-union coworkers. The Senate is expected to vote today and to pass the bi...
DailyKos (Indiana) - Jan 23 - 3 clicks
And more: Alternet's Sarah Jaffe looks at rising college tuitions and a system of subsidies that help individuals rather than lowering tuitions and asks one of my favorite questions : In other words, the hidden subsidies are not helping those who most need help in getting a degree. It's also helping lenders, by providing an incentive to borrow. So why not take that $22.75 billio...
DailyKos (Indiana) - Jan 21
