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Man Sues New Mexico Police Departments/Medical Hospital for Involuntary Enemas/Colonoscopy Over Non-Existent Drugs

November 7, 2013, 6:21 pm
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(Eckert's Attorney)
Have you heard about the poor guy in New Mexico who failed to come to a complete stop at a stop-sign and ended up getting forced enemas by the police?

It's a true story. I'm hesitant to post this guy's name, but it's all over the place and he really shouldn't be made to feel like he did anything bad -- at least nothing that warranted this type of response. David Eckert got done shopping at Wal-Mart. He left the store and then made the biggest mistake of his life: he failed to come to a complete stop at a stop-light before merging with ongoing traffic. He got pulled over by the police. They had him get out of his car for some reason. This alone boggles my mind. I've never been asked to leave my car for any traffic violation. The police officers became suspicious of Eckert, claiming that he was "clenching his buttocks" somehow.

So they got a warrant to search his anal cavity for drugs. Because who doesn't shop at Wal-Mart with a rectum-full of narcotics?

The local hospital refused to honor the warrant, claiming that assisting with this search was "unethical."

So the police took the Eckert to the neighboring county -- which was outside the bounds of his search warrant -- and found another hospital and medical team that would complete a search of his anal cavity. This is the list of medical procedures performed on Eckert in a fruitless attempt to find drugs that were never there in the first place:

1. They x-rayed him to see if drugs showed up.
2. They then digitally searched his rectum to search for the non-existent drugs.
3. They then digitally searched his rectum a second time.
4. They gave Eckert an enema, forced him to defecate in front of everyone, and then searched his feces for the non-existent drugs.
5. They gave him a second enema, forced him to defecate in front of everyone, and then search his feces for the non-existent drugs.
6. They gave him a third enema, forced him to defecate in front of everyone, and then searched his feces for the non-existent drugs.
7. They forced him to undergo a second x-ray to search for the non-existent drugs.
8. They then forcibly sedated him and performed a colonoscopy to search for the non-existent drugs.

I've read reports that Eckert was mocked, harassed, and berated by police throughout this encounter. They also repeatedly misplaced the privacy curtain in his room, which exposed him to a public hallway throughout these body searches.

Besides the fact that the warrant was limited to the county where he was detained, it also expired that day at 10:00 PM. He was being prepped for the colonoscopy at 1:00 AM the following morning.

To make things worse, Gila Regional Medical Center had the audacity to send Eckert a bill for these involuntary medical procedures and is presently threatening to send his bill to a collections agency for non-payment.

Needless to say, Eckert has filed a federal lawsuit against City of Deming, NM; Deming police officers Bobby Orosco, Robert Chavez, Officer Hernandez, and Hidalgo County deputies David Arredondo, Robert Rodriguez and Patrick Green. He's also suing Deputy District Attorney Daniel Dougherty and the Gila Regional Medical Center, as well as the medical professionals who assisted with these involuntary procedures.
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Homeless Veteran Visually Transformed

November 8, 2013, 6:04 pm
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An online friend of mine from Michigan forwarded the following video to me early today. It features a U.S. Army Veteran named Jim Wolf who struggled for decades with alcoholism, poverty, and homelessness. He apparently became involved with a Grand Rapids-based program called Degage Ministries a couple months back and agreed to go through a physical transformation and allow that process to be recorded via timelapse videography.



Wolf's physical transformation was stunning. Not only that, but he has gone through other transformations since getting involved with Degage Ministries back in September. He now has a permanent place to live and he is maintaining sobriety with the assistance for programs like Alcoholics Anonymous.

I understand that homelessness salutation usually aren't that simple and I'm not naïve enough to set aside the potential for Wolf to relapse and/or backslide. But it's amazing how easily perceptions can be altered based off simple changes of his grooming and of his clothing.

Monday is Veteran's Day. There are many veterans out there like Jim Wolf who are homeless, who are struggling with addiction as well as with mental and physical illnesses, and those who are straddling the line between holding it together and losing it all.

Let's not forget those who served this country and who never quite made it back in one piece. Not just on Veteran's Day, but everyday. There are always opportunities for reaching out -- through service, through monetary donations, and through friendship. Please consider ways that you can serve those who are in need in your community.
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Iowa Mayor Wins Re-Election -- Two Days After He Died!

November 8, 2013, 6:38 pm
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Roger Johnson was the mayor of Thompson, IA, for eight years. He apparently was quite popular because Mayor Roger Johnson was re-elected to serve as mayor for this town of 502 people -- two days after he died.

The 85-year-old mayor died on Sunday, November 3rd, which was two days before the November 5tyh elections. His name obviously remained on the ballot. Johnson received 11 votes on Tuesday. KGAN reports that none of his rivals received more than 1 vote. Which is pretty sad for a town of 502.

Thompson's City Council is scheduled to meet next on Tuesday, November 12th. They are scheduled to discuss how they will replace their newly re-elected mayor. It is unclear at this time if they will appoint a new mayor or if they will plan a special election.
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Sarah Palin Shows Support For Des Moines-Based "Puppy Jake Foundation" (Service Dog Organization for Disabled Veterans)

November 9, 2013, 3:49 pm
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Former Alaskan Governor and 2008 Republican Vice Presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, was recently in Iowa with her husband Todd and Utah Senator Mike Lee visiting people from the Des Moines-based "Puppy Jake Foundation."

The Puppy Jake Foundation is a nonprofit organization that helps military veterans by training and assigning service dogs. Some of these service dogs are trained to help vets struggling with mental disabilities such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and others are trained to assist veterans who experience physical mobility issues. The Foundation obtains healthy Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and German Shepherds (but no Standard Poodles!!) and recruits volunteers to raise and train those puppies according to a strict structured schedule. The Puppy Jake Foundation also works to raise awareness about ADA public accommodation for disabled individuals and their service dogs.

Palin posted the following supportive message on her Facebook account:
Todd and I had a great time visiting with friends — furry and otherwise — in Des Moines tonight supporting the Puppy Jake Foundation. Thanks to our hosts Becky Beach and the entire Puppy Jake team for allowing us to highlight the positive work they’re doing with these service dogs to support our brave soldiers returning home. It was great to visit with Sen. Mike Lee there tonight, too!

Now, hopefully Todd’s been won over and will agree it’s time to add another set of paws to the family! Please “like” the Puppy Jake Foundation on Facebook and visit their website to find out how you can help our vets. (And put in a good word to Todd for me… he’s the one who’s always said, “The more, the merrier!”)
I guess Palin is trying to convince her husband to volunteer to raise one or more of these service dogs.

I really don't support Sarah Palin or her politics, but I strongly stand with her as she supports The Puppy Jake Foundation and its good works!
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Anti-Gay Former Michigan Assistant Attorney General Andrew Shirvell Files Wrongful Termination Lawsuit

November 10, 2013, 5:41 am
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I wrote last year about former Michigan assistant attorney general Andrew Shirvell. For whatever reason, Shirvell appeared to become obsessed with taking down an openly gay University of Michigan student body president named Chris Armstrong. He created a now-defunct blog that was specifically targeted towards destroying Armstrong's personal and political life. He posted pictures of Armstrong with rainbow swastika images on his face. He was take pictures outside of Armstrong's home of his guests and friends and accused the former class president of supplying minors with alcohol and converting others into homosexuality. He blogged that Armstrong hosted gay orgies and that he had sex in churches and playgrounds. Basically, Shirvell stalked Armstrong so badly that he eventually got fired from his job at the Michigan attorney general's office.

Armstrong eventually filed a defamation lawsuit against Shirvell, seeking $25,000. Multiple sources claim that he would have dropped the lawsuit if Shirvell would publicly apologize and retract the libelous blog materials. Shirvell refused to apologize, claiming in court that his blog was constitutionally protected free speech. In the end, Armstrong won his case. The jury awarded Armstrong a $4.5 million judgement.

I learned yesterday that Andrew Shirvell has now filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox (the man who fired him for misconduct) and others within the Attorney General office, including current Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette:
 According to the filing, "As a direct and proximate result of Defendants’ wrongdoing, Plaintiff Shirvell has suffered significant loss of his constitutional rights, income, future earnings, and the right to enjoyment of his livelihood as well as emotional distress, humiliation, mortification, embarrassment, sleeplessness, anxiety, and depression."
Andrew Shirvell wants money (basically, his back wages plus interest plus attorney fees and "other relief) and his old job back.

This should be interesting...
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"Archie: Riverdale Rescue": Loveless Adults!

November 10, 2013, 5:42 am
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Last month, I began writing about the new "Archie: Riverdale Rescue" iOS gaming app. It's an oddly addictive game where you are tasked with the improvement and beautification of Riverdale USA using a variety of recognizable characters, such as Archie, Jughead, Betty, and Veronica. A big part of the game also involves building emotional bonds between the various characters, leading to romantic couples, BFFs, and overall friends. I thought it would be fun to discuss aspects of the game that I find exciting, disappointing, and/or note-worthy.

Last week, I wrote about how the different "Riverdale Rescue" characters developed friendships and romantic relationships. Depending on how close two characters become, they can really speed up shared assignments. Friendships follow the following progression: Unfamiliar --> Friends --> Good Friends --> Close Friends --> BFF.  Romances follow the following progression: Unfamiliar --> Friends --> Good Friends --> Flirting --> Couple. Characters can only have one BFF and one Couple at a time, though they can switch as they spend more time with other eligible characters (for example, Veronica keeps switching BFFs with Betty and Kevin in my game). And one benefit to having a BFF or being part of a Couple is that those characters can go on special dates or hang-out sessions and win special prizes.

But there's one group of characters in "Riverdale Rescue" who seem to be forever free from any friendships or romantic relationships: Adults.

I first noticed this when Pop Tate came into the game. I wanted to see what would happen when he did shared tasks with either Betty or Veronica. Little "romance hearts" would appear when they would work with Archie or Jughead or any of the other guys, but I quickly learned that there were no romantic sparks when they worked with Pop Tate. Which is probably a good thing.

I didn't notice them at all at first, but I eventually noticed that there weren't any "friendship fist-bumps" showing up when Pop Tate worked with Moose or Reggie or any of the guys either. I guess that's a good thing too. It doesn't really model age-appropriate friendships for guys like Pop Tate to be BFFs with teenage boys, y'know?



Later on, I bought Kevin Keller into the game and noticed that he didn't form romantic relationships with any of the girls, nor with any of the main guys (though he seems to form crushes on all of the Archie Comics teen characters who've been created since 1970!). But I did try teaming him up with Pop Tate to see if any "romance hearts" blossomed. They didn't. Once again, this was probably a good thing.


I began feeling bad for the guy. He had nobody to hang with and nobody to smooch with.

I thought things might improve as I progressed through the levels. An assortment of adult characters would eventually get introduced to the game, including Mr. Weatherbee, Coach Kleats, Coach Clayton, Professor Flutesnoot, Miss Grundy, Miss Beazley, and Mr. Lodge. I had visions of Mr. Weatherbee and Miss Grundy becoming a couple, the two Coaches becoming firm BFFs, and Pop Tate finding his personal niche over time.

But even that's not to be. It seems like the Riverdale adults are pretty stand-offish. They enjoy watching the kids form strong relationships and rebuild the community, but they keep their emotions stuffed deep down inside.

I'm currently in Level 19. I've been playing Pop Tate for most of the game and most of the other adults for a few weeks now. Check out Pop's stats (Note: First image is his Information Page; Second image is his Romantic Page; and Third image is his Friendship Page):


Nothing. The man is an emotional void.

Is Miss Grundy -- currently the only adult woman in Riverdale -- any better?:


Nope. She spends all her time preparing for student exams and upgrading her home! She won't even give Mr. Weatherbee a chance!

In fact, none of the adults in "Riverdale Rescue" are capable of forming friendships or romantic relationships with anyone or any age. Coach Clayton can't even form friendship bonds with his own son Chuck, for crying out loud!

There are a handful of things that I would like to see altered a bit in "Archie: Riverdale Rescue," but I really have to admit that this is one of the biggest improvements that I would like to see made to the game. Riverdale is supposed to be the nicest place on earth, but how can that be when friendships and romances fall apart once folks enter their 20s?
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Welcome to Sunday Assembly: Atheist Mega-Church!

November 10, 2013, 5:47 pm
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This is interesting. There is a movement called Sunday Assembly coming out of the United Kingdom, which is an "atheist mega-church" movement. Sunday Assembly was co-founded by a couple of British comedians named Sanderson Jones and Pippa Evans. New Sunday Assembly churches are popping up beyond the UK, in places like Los Angeles and New York City. My understanding is that Sunday Assembly wasn't created to mock religious people. It's basically church for those who don't believe in religion, but who miss the structure and fellowship of church:
Sunday Assembly — whose motto is Live Better, Help Often, Wonder More — taps into that universe of people who left their faith but now miss the community church provided, said Phil Zuckerman, a professor of secular studies at Pitzer College in Claremont. It also plays into a feeling among some atheists that they should make themselves more visible...

Hundreds of atheists and atheist-curious packed into a Hollywood auditorium for a boisterous service filled with live music, moments of reflection and an "inspirational talk, " and some stand-up comedy by Jones, the movement's co-founder.

During the service, attendees stomped their feet, clapped their hands and cheered as Jones and Evans led the group through rousing renditions of "Lean on Me,"''Here Comes the Sun" and other hits that took the place of gospel songs. Congregants dissolved into laughter at a get-to-know-you game that involved clapping and slapping the hands of the person next to them and applauded as members of the audience spoke about community service projects they had started in LA.

At the end, volunteers passed cardboard boxes for donations as attendees mingled over coffee and pastries and children played on the floor.
In a lot of way, this could be a service at my church (including "Here Comes the Sun," which we have sung from one of our older hymnals) -- minus the hundreds of attendees.

I understand the need for community. But I gotta admit that it seems odd for me to read about hundreds of atheists flocking to a church service. I thought most of the benefit of having no religious faith is that you get to sleep in on Sunday mornings!
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Meredith Baxter and Nancy Locke Getting Married!

November 11, 2013, 12:28 pm
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Former "Family Ties" actress Meredith Baxter came out as a bi-lesbian back in late 2009. It was revealed at that time that now-67-year-old had been dating a woman named Nancy Locke for (at that time) four years. TMZ is reporting today that the two women have now applied for a marriage license:
Sources tell us, Meredith and gf Nancy went to the Beverly Hills courthouse Friday to get the official paperwork to pave the way for their upcoming nuptials. The wedding date (and wedding details) haven't been announced, but the invites have already been sent to guests -- so it's definitely happening.
This will be Baxter's fourth marriage.

Family Ties was one of my favorite sitcoms back in the 80s (along with other classics, such as Night Court and The Facts of Life).
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Six States Refuse to Process Federal Marriage Benefits Paperwork for Married Gay Service Members

November 11, 2013, 1:08 pm
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Back in September 2013, the Pentagon declared that legally married gay and lesbian couples must be offered all of the same federal marriage benefits as legally married heterosexual service members. This rule applies to all military branches. But not all states are listening to the Pentagon:
While a majority of states ban same-sex marriages, most are not fighting the new policy. But Pentagon officials say that in addition to Texas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and West Virginia have balked. Each has cited a conflict with state laws that do not recognize same-sex marriages. (A West Virginia official said, however, that the state intended to follow the directive.) While the president has the power to call National Guard units into federal service — and nearly all Guard funding comes from the federal government — the states say the units are state agencies that must abide by state laws.
      
Requiring same-sex Guard spouses to go to federally owned bases “protects the integrity of our state Constitution and sends a message to the federal government that they cannot simply ignore our laws or the will of the people,” Gov. Mary Fallin of Oklahoma said last week.
      
But the six states are violating federal law, Mr. Hagel told an audience recently. “It causes division among the ranks, and it furthers prejudice,” he said. Mr. Hagel has demanded full compliance, but Pentagon officials have not said what steps they would take with states that do not fall in line.
The New York Times reports that officials in these states are sending gay and lesbian service members to federal bases. This amounts to extra hoops that no other group of families must deal with.
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40 Armed Men Confront Four Moms Over Gun Control Luncheon

November 11, 2013, 6:37 pm
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I saw this on Facebook today. This is the type of crazy that seriously makes me fear for this country's future:

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"Dilton" #3: Dilton's Drop-Out Adventures Continue!

November 11, 2013, 9:09 pm
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Back in July, Archie Comics began a new four-issue digital mini-series titled DILTON featuring Riverdale's resident genius, Dilton Doiley! I wrote about the first two issues here and here. Here's the nutshell so far: A busybody guidance counselor named Mr. Pigeonhole decides that Dilton Doiley is wasting his talents by remaining as a student at Riverdale High School. Dilton initially sought out a nearby private school for geniuses called Brainard University, but instead agreed to drop-out of school altogether and become a project supervisor for Snarley Tech.

Did I mention that Dilton's new underlings don't appreciate having a new supervisor who's not even out of his teens! The first several pages of the third digital issue of this book have Dilton suffering the cold shoulder from his co-workers. In fact, his only ally at work seems to be the Josie-like red-head in the office, Tessla! Dilton tries defrosting his staff with motivational donuts, but ends up with sticky buns instead:


Meanwhile, the Riverdale student body can't stop talking about Dilton dropping out of school. Archie, Betty, Jughead, and the others spend time discussing the pro's and con's of dropping out with a bunch of random students. Most of the kids think there must be something to it if someone as smart as Dilton Doiley opts out of learning:


Meanwhile, Mr. Pigeonhole makes one brief appearance in the hallways of Riverdale High School... eavesdropping on the students! I haven't figured him out yet. Maybe he's simply a busy-body guidance counselor. Maybe he'll realize next issue that he instigated the situation for Dilton to drop out of school and will try to redeem things. I don't know, but hopefully Archie keeps away from Mr. P. He seems to got his eye on him!!:


Lastly, the issue ends with Archie and Jughead realizing that special technology invented by Dilton has ended up in a newly released Snarley Tech video game. They show this to Dilton, who confirms that he never gave permission for his new employer to use this software. Unfortunately (as you can see from the cover to DILTON #3), Dilton doesn't have a lot of options. His employment contract was sufficiently solid and thorough. Snarley Tech is free and clear to use Dilton's special inventions however it wants!:


The issue ends with Dilton feeling defeated and demoralized. Next issue is the final one. A lot has been set up that needs to be resolved in that issue? Presumably, Dilton will leave Snarley Tech and return to Riverdale High. The big question is how will he do it? What's up with Mr. Pigeonhole? And will Dilton's parents ever forgive themselves for letting their son leave school for temporary financial gain?

All this should be resolved before the end of 2013!
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Nero at Daycare -- 11/12/13

November 12, 2013, 4:13 pm
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Nero had a great time at doggy daycare. Now he's crashed on my living room floor. But he enjoyed spending time with his friend earlier today. Check it out:

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"Archie: Riverdale Rescue": Endless Tasks for Archie, but Not Enough Work for the Others!!

November 12, 2013, 5:03 pm
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I began writing last month about the new "Archie: Riverdale Rescue" iOS gaming app. It's an oddly addictive game where you are tasked with the improvement and beautification of Riverdale USA using a variety of recognizable characters, such as Archie, Jughead, Betty, and Veronica. A big part of the game also involves building emotional bonds between the various characters, leading to romantic couples, BFFs, and overall friends. I thought it would be fun to discuss aspects of the game that I find exciting, disappointing, and/or note-worthy.

I want to write about one aspect of the "Riverdale Rescue" game that really bugs me! Characters are continuously assigned a variety of tasks aimed at improving property, building emotions bonds, and rebuilding Riverdale. Ideally, Archie is assigned to one task, while Reggie and Jughead are assigned to another tasks, Betty and Veronica have another task, and Mr. Weatherbee has another task. Players then figure out ways to keep the rest of the characters occupied.

This is the task that Archie and Jughead are currently working on right now on my "Riverdale Rescue" game:


There are several other active tasks right now. Let's look at the majority of them:


Notice a trend? Let me spell it out: All of these active tasks involve Archie and/or Archie's home, making it impossible for me to quickly complete a variety of tasks. Even more frustratingly, it's likely that I will finish the task at the top of this list later this evening only to find it replaced by a new task involving Archie and/or his house!!

Let's look at most of the rest of the current tasks on my "Riverdale Rescue" game:


That is correct. Most of the remaining tasks involve Veronica!

For the record, one additional task involves Jughead and Betty and a final task involves Raj Patel's home.

I don't mind being placed in the position of prioritizing a couple tasks involving one character or the other, but it gets really frustrating when most everything involves one or two characters. Eventually this should iron itself out. We will begin seeing tasks involving more of the secondary and tertiary characters.

But, at the moment, it's driving me batty!!
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Will Hawaii Become Marriage Equality State #16?? // Updated on 11/12/13: Amended Bill Passed in the Hawaii Senate! // Updated on 11/13/13: Hawaii Same-Sex Marriage Bill Signed Into Law Today!!

November 13, 2013, 4:12 pm
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(Originally written on 11/09/13): I haven't written at all about the same-sex marriage effort in Hawaii, but that state (which arguably kicked off the modern marriage equality effort, as well as years of DOMA laws to fight back against same-sex marriages) is on the fast track to becoming the next marriage equality state!

Back on October 30th, the Hawaii Senate passed a marriage equality bill on a 20-4 margin. A House committee in Hawaii listened to five days worth of testimony in favor of and opposed to marriage equality. Several conservative faith communities came together to hold a "people's filibuster," but that eventually ended. Frankly, I avoided the whole mess. I didn't need to listen to their paranoia about how their religious rights would be supposedly trampled over by my marital rights.

For most of the week, the Hawaii House has held a series of three sessions to vote for or against marriage equality. Last night's session went on forever. I was among those watching it unfold online and live-tweeting my reactions. It was actually a lot of fun listening to the stalling tactics of those introducing 29 separate amendments to the marriage equality bill. Finally, under the influence of NyQuil, I succumbed to slumber. But I woke to good news. The Hawaii House finally passed the marriage equality bill on a 30-19 margin.

This bill now has to return to the Hawaii Senate to reconcile a few amendments, but it's expected to easily pass the Senate again. Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie has vowed to sign this bill into law.

Hawaii is one of those civil union states. Existing civil unions will transform into marriages, but I think those couples need to do something to jump start that transformation.

If passed, this bill will go into effect on 12/02/13. Considering that Illinois' marriage equality law doesn't go into effect until 06/01/14, does that make Hawaii state #16 or #15? That was one of the questions that we debated online last night. I'm not quite sure we came to consensus.

Very exciting news!

Updated on 11/12/13: Good news! The Hawaii Senate reviewed the amended same-sex marriage bill that the Hawaii House passed this past Friday night. As anticipated, the Hawaii Senate passed the amended marriage bill on a 19-4 margin earlier today!

I read somewhere (but suggested here) that Gov. Abercrombie plans to sign the bill into law tomorrow morning!

Updated on 11/13/13: Extra good news! Governor Neil Abercrombie signed Hawaii's new same-sex marriage bill into law earlier today!!


Same-sex marriage will be officially recognized effective 12/02/13!
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Is "Redskins" Truly a Term of Respect towards American Indians?

November 13, 2013, 4:42 pm
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I wrote earlier about the use of Native American caricatures as sports mascots and about the long-brewing controversy over the name of the Washington Redskins (here). The big thing that I often hear is that it's a sign of respect and honor when sports teams make mascots out of American Indians.

I read the following article on Indian Country earlier this evening and it shares a 1863 clipping from The Daily Republican out of Winona, MN and pretty bluntly demonstrates the historical truth behind the term "redskin":


This was posted on Facbook by Dallas Goldtooth. The 1863 clipping reads:
The State reward for dead Indians has been increased to $200 for every red-skin sent to Purgatory. This sum is more than the dead bodies of all the Indians east of the Red River are worth.
Dallas posted the following commentary next to the 1863 clipping:
It was only 5 generations ago that a white man could get money for one of my grandfather's scalps.

At the time... it was Redskin that was used to describe us.

So to those who fail to understand the significance of this whole mascot debate, think deeper about the word legacy. Is the legacy of racism, death, and plunder worth keeping?

And to my fellow native people who remain unmoved on the issue of mascots and racist imagery, remember that at one time we were hunted for our skin.

And yes there are other important issues out there that we have to handle. But stop being scared of multitasking. The threat that faces our people's future is a multifaceted beast, so it follows that our response(s) should be just as multifaceted.
Please read the article here. It's sadly interesting to read some of the responses he has received.
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Gay Marriage in America

November 14, 2013, 5:28 am
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I found an updated map of the USA -- post Hawaii becoming a marriage equality state. Technically, this isn't accurate until 06/01/13 when New Jersey's law goes into effect -- assuming there are no additional marriage equality states before then! Check it out:

(source)
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Missouri Will Allow Married Gay Couples to File Joint Tax Returns!

November 14, 2013, 5:34 pm
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(Gov. Jay Nixon)
Missouri has officially been a marriage inequality state since 2004, when it passed an amendment to its state constitution to ban same-sex marriages. Over the years, a series of gay and lesbian couples from Missouri have regularly traveled up to Iowa City to get legally married and then turn around and head back to a state that doesn't recognize its marriages (I wrote about it here and here, as well as this time when they came to my own church!). In fact, the Marriage Equality Bus was just in Iowa City again a few weeks ago!

Earlier today, Governor Jay Nixon officially came out in support of legalizing same-sex marriage in Missouri and issued an executive order allowing the state limited recognition of legal gay marriages from other states (such as Iowa) where they are legal -- at least for joint tax purposes:
In an executive order, Nixon directed the Department of Revenue to accept the combined returns as a reaction to the June ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court striking down the federal Defense of Marriage Act. That law barred same sex couples who were legally married from receiving any marriage-based federal benefits, such as tax exemptions and Social Security payments.

Under state law, couples who file a joint federal return are required to file a combined state tax return. The executive order clarifies that the law applies to all couples, Nixon said.

The executive order does not alter state restrictions on same-sex marriages, Nixon said. Those marriages are banned under the Missouri Constitution. “This is not about the definition of marriage, this is about the structure of our tax code and Missouri law, which is clear,” Nixon said.
Of course, joint tax returns can be a mixed blessing! But congratulations on this small win, Missouri!
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Toronto Mayor Rob Ford: I Only Use Crack During Drunken Stupors & I Get Enough Pu$$y From My Wife!

November 15, 2013, 5:25 am
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I have to admit that I can't get enough these days of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford. There have been rumors for weeks about a secret video showing the tough-on-drugs politician smoking crack cocaine, but he denied those rumors until recently when the police actually obtained the video and began investigating. He's admitted that it's him, that he used crack a year ago during a "drunken stupor," and has continually rebuffed calls for his resignation.

But his latest blow-up-in-front-of-the-press is the greatest. He chose to react to news reports of former staffers cooperating with the police in front of the media. The rest is gold:
It hurts my wife when they call a friend of mine a prostitute. Alana is not a prostitute. She's a friend. And it makes me sick how people are saying this. So unfortunately, I have no other choice. I'm the last one to take legal action, I can't put up with it anymore. So I've named the names. Litigation will be starting shortly. I've had enough. That's why I warned you guys yesterday be careful what you wrote. That's all I have to say for now. And the next thing I want to call Mayor Bratina in Hamilton and tell them we are going to have to spank their little tiger cats. Oh and the last thing was Olivia Gondek, it says it says that I wanted to eat her pussy. Olivia Gondek. I've never said that in my life to her. I would never do that. I'm happily married. I've got more than enough to eat at home. Thank you very much.
Subsequent reports showed members of the Toronto City Council denouncing Mayor Ford's latest outbursts. They even turned their collective backs to him during yesterday's council meeting. Mayor Ford was forced to do another press conference later in the day and apologize for the remarks quoted above.

This could totally be a storyline in Degrassi. One of the kids becomes a political intern and ends up sharing a line of cocaine with the mayor.
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Toronto City Council Strips Mayor Rob Ford of Some of his Political Powers

November 15, 2013, 6:02 pm
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If it seems like I just wrote about Toronto Mayor Rob Ford twelve hours ago, that's because it was. He has been struggling with police and ethics investigations over illegal drug abuse and erratic behaviors. You can read more about this mess here.

Earlier today, Toronto's City Council voted 39-3 to strip Mayor Ford of several of his responsibilities, chiefly his authority of appoint and dismiss the deputy mayor and his executive committee. The executive committee runs the city's budget process.

Mayor Ford has stated that he will challenge this decision in court.
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Representative Michele Bachmann: "I Lost My Health Insurance Under Obamacare" -- Presumably Because of Senator Charles Grassley!

November 16, 2013, 6:39 pm
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Congresswoman Michele Bachmann of Minnesota appeared on CNN and revealed that she lost her family's health insurance because of Obamacare. She complained that her husband Marcus has health concerns that need to be covered and now her family has to waste time shopping for health care plans:
When asked by (Wolf) Blitzer if she’s going to sign up for the exchanges, Bachmann first said, “Are you kidding? I’m not gonna waste an hour on that thing!” before telling him “I lost my health insurance under Obamacare.”

She said her husband has some personal health issues and they need insurance, at which point (Paul) Begala jumped in to say, “And now you can’t be denied! Thanks, Barack Obama!” Bachmann shot back, “We were just fine before.”

She explained to Blitzer that “we are forced to go on the website and purchase the health insurance plan from the D.C. health exchange.” And while she’s going to do it eventually, Bachmann said she doesn’t want to waste her “time and frustration” on a website that doesn’t even work yet.
Of course, the reason Bachmann and other members of Congress have to navigate Obamacare's health care exchanges is because of a bill amendment introduced by Iowa's Senator Chuck Grassley:
If Bachmann had government employee insurance (her office did not respond to requests for comment), she is losing it because of Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley's amendment to Obamacare. The Grassley amendment requires all members of Congress and their staffs buy into the exchanges, supposedly so that Congress has a personal stake in the efficacy of the health care law. Grassley proposed the amendment in 2010 as a challenge to Democrats, but it ended up passing with bipartisan support. Issues surrounding the amendment were a major focus of the shutdown negotiations — Sens. David Vitter and Ted Cruz tried to pass an amendment that would remove employer contributions to congressional staff health care, as a way to undermine the health care law.
Bachmann has a month to figure out what plans work best for her family's needs. The ACA computer glitches are slowly being finessed so hopefully they'll have a successful enrollment encounter when they finally make the plunge.
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