Trying For That 16th Minute

Poor Jim McGreevey.

His book isn't selling well, the talk show circuit is wearing thin, and the reception he received in our gay city-state wasn't quite what he expected.

So what's a washed-up gay celeb supposed to do? Try to catch the latest wave.

Former Gov. James McGreevey, who resigned after acknowledging a gay affair, said he would tie the knot with his partner if state lawmakers decide to allow gay marriage.

"Marriage would offer the ability to bless our relationship in a committed way," McGreevey, 49, told The New York Times............

Some gay-rights advocates said the decision didn't go far enough. McGreevey, who told The Associated Press last month that he had publicly opposed gay marriage while in office as a way to keep his homosexuality hidden, hailed the ruling.

"I applaud the court's courage," McGreevey told the AP. "I regret not having had the fortitude to embrace this right during my tenure as governor."

I have to admit, McGreevey's gotten good at knowing which buttons activate the brain bypasses wired into most gay activists. Appeal to "commitment", talk all lovey-dovey about your partner, and play to the fantasy that the only reason people don't support gay marriage is because they're really closeted homosexuals -- the old tried-and-true methods, all there.

However, hearing a Democrat claim they voted against gay marriage because they were terrified people would find out they were gay means one of two things -- either the Democratic Party is not as friendly to gays as they would like us to believe, or the dating pool for homosexuals is a majority of the people in both New Jersey and the United States.

I lean towards the former.

And as for "blessing our relationship in a committed way", I think the last paragraph of the article says it all:

McGreevey now lives with Mark O'Donnell, a 43-year-old Australian businessman. Before they could marry, the former governor would have to finalize his divorce from his second wife.

Third time's a charm, maybe?

Two words of advice for O'Donnell.....prenuptial agreement.

And, as an engagement present, here's a couple of handy boyfriend locators for him.

Lay Down Your Sword

Today's bombshell?

HRC admitted it.

“The email exchanges in question between former Congressman Mark Foley and a House page have been in the possession of bloggers and media outlets for some time now. Yesterday, it came to our attention that an HRC employee, hired just last month to work for us in Michigan, was responsible for initially posting these emails on his blog. We investigated the matter, determined that HRC resources had been inappropriately used, and let him go. No one at the Human Rights Campaign, other than this individual, had any knowledge of his activities,” said Brad Luna, Spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign.

Again, as I posited yesterday, this comes as no huge surprise -- but I'm frankly astonished to see HRC confirm the fact.

Next question, though: what do we do with this info?

First off, HRC needs to come clean with this on their website and in a news release. Nothing less. Period.

Second, the media needs to be notified that HRC has admitted that one of their own (now former) staffers is responsible for this mysterious blog.

However, the logical following step is to reveal the name of the staffer in question -- and that's the sticking spot.

That is potentially a huge, HUGE disclosure. Given the links I think this individual likely has to the Democratic Party, several specific Democratic politicians, and the smear campaign of John Aravosis and Mike Rogers, we're talking asteroid impact in terms of potential damage to said individuals, none of whom I would be in the least bit sorry to see get theirs. I have seen firsthand to what lengths these scum will go to harass, harm, and hurt those gay people who disagree with them, and I frankly see no reason to pull any punches.

Until I figuratively look over at the former staffer who did this.

The minute their name is revealed, whoever this person may be, they are totally screwed. Their every move, contact, and word are going to be scrutinized -- and with two weeks before an election, blinded and ripped to shreds as people try to spin and slash them for public advantage. They are going to be called names and have their entire life dissected on every form of media imaginable. They are going to be shunned by people publicly, lest they be tainted as well.

And they're out of a job, with the likelihood that anyone else will hire them quite, QUITE low.

While I want as much as anyone to get confirmation and put the pieces together, it also is patently obvious that this person's career and private life will be blown apart with this kind of disclosure. Thus, I will differ with GayPatriot; as an opponent of outing and attempts to destroy a person publicly with private details, I cannot in good conscience support this person's name being released publicly.

Yes, this is letting the perpetrator off easy.

Yes, this is enabling people who hate gays like me and are willing to do anything to get them fired, socially excluded, or verbally abused as "Judenrats", just to curry favor with the Democratic Party.

But there are things more important than revenge.

Convenient Curbside Service

This story evokes an interesting combination of outrage and envy.

Outrage, because it seems wrong to just dump people off and drive away.

Envy, because not once in all the times I've been in the hospital have I been given the option of home delivery.

And, In Related News, The Sky Is Blue

Interestingly enough, the blog Stop October Surprises has released compelling evidence showing that the "Stop Sexual Predators" blog which originally posted the Mark Foley emails is linked to HRC.

Does this really surprise anyone, though?

I mean, Mike Rogers and John Aravosis TOLD us that HRC staffers were helping with their smear campaigns -- over two years ago.

Both Aravosis and Rogers said they continue to collect information from their network of sources, which include employees of the Human Rights Campaign and Log Cabin Republicans, and plan on outing more staffers and members.

Furthermore, as I've pointed out previously, Joe Solmonese, the current head of HRC, seems to have a charmed existence when it comes to the smear activists, who improbably left a gay man who not only steered hundreds of thousands of dollars to an FMA supporter, but defended her, completely unscathed.

In my opinion, the question was never if HRC was supporting Rogers and Aravosis -- but when, how often, and how much.

Your Kernel of Happiness -- 10/24/06

After my most recent post on the high regard shown gay conservatives and Republicans by gay liberals and Democrats, it seemed clear that people in the blogosphere were missing out on one of the most delightful and edifying things around -- the verbal love shown to us by these dear, sweet folks on the other side of the aisle.

Hence, our newest feature -- the Kernel of Happiness.

As these little nuggets of gold wash ashore, drift downstream, or fall from the sky, we will publish them here -- to show the world how pleasant, tolerant, and wonderful those who would have us join them in the name of "gay rights" can be.

And we'll get things started right away with this little chunk of heaven directed at GayPatriotWest:

B. Daniel Blatt

You sound just like the Judenrat of the 1930’s.

A gay Republican is as oxymoronic as an African-American Klansman.

Ah, there's nothing like the "Jewish Nazi" comparison to warm the heart, especially of GayPatriotWest, who is Jewish. Don't you think so?

Tune in next time for more ooey-gooey goodness!

Sweet, Delicious, Kreamy Karma

As those of you who have been around a bit know, I wholeheartedly and completely oppose outing people or making insinuations about their sexual orientation. It doesn't matter who, where, or why; it's simply not acceptable.

But you have to admit, there is nothing like watching Democrats scream foul over that which they delight in visiting on others.

Why Bother?

One of the common claims made by gay leftists and Democrats is that the reason they so dislike conservative and Republican gays is because we supposedly don't work with them or support the organizations working to repel antigay initiatives and activities.

However, when Mary Cheney, a prominent gay Republican and the daughter of Vice President Cheney gives money and support to an organization working to stop Virginia's anti-gay constitutional amendment from passing, the responses of liberal and Democratic gays are rather entertaining.

The ones where they tell her to commit suicide (and offer their help) are particularly interesting -- and the ones where they sanctimoniously whine about her working with candidates and parties who pander to religious wingnuts and support stripping gays of rights add even more emphasis.

All in all, it is abundantly clear from these comments that Mary Cheney will not be accepted regardless of what she does -- and that gay leftists and Democrats would shed no tears if she disappeared or was killed off, by her hand or theirs.

What makes this particularly ironic is the regularity with which individuals like Pam Spaulding and John Aravosis pontificate how stupid and wasteful it is for gays to work with conservatives and Republicans -- who, they allege, will not accept gays regardless of what we do and who would shed no tears if we disappeared or were killed off, by our hands or theirs.

Perhaps they don't realize that, given the choice, we prefer the alleged examples over the clear examples.

Update (31 October): It seems I've just been linked by a commentor from Pam's House Blend, in regards to a post where Pam asks all those "professionally closeted homos in the GOP" how it feels to be "used all over again".

Of course, given her last election endorsement, what exactly does she define as "used"?

And, given the people she supports and their treatment of gay people, what exactly should make working with her attractive?

The Funny Thing About Gitmo......

everyone complains about their citizens being imprisoned there, but no one wants them back.

Ferric Humor

Two weeks since the double entendre known as "the Mark Foley affair" broke, and the usual army of scapegoats, syncophants, and sanity-deprived individuals familiar to any Washington-watcher continue to make their 24/7 parade past the media reviewing stands.

What's been particularly amusing to watch has been the acute outbreak of self-righteousness among gay Democrats, as exemplified in this excerpt (sorry, registration required):

For pure vitriol, it would be hard to top an episode that occurred late last month at a Washington dinner party. The gathering included both well-connected Bush administration and congressional GOP staffers and several Democrats--all gay. Inevitably, politics came up. One Democrat in attendance, a former Clinton White House aide, couldn't contain his revulsion at the gay men working in the service of the enemy. "I ripped into this one guy" who works for the Bush administration, the Democrat says. "I said, 'What you do for a living is hurting me, and my family, and my daughter I have with two lesbians. I personally view Bush as the most corrupt, vile politician in the world, and if you're working for him, to me you're one and the same.' People were horrified." But, he adds, "I refuse to be cordial or friendly or polite to these people. I think they are our mortal enemy. They ask the gay community to indulge them when they want a social life, but when they punch the clock they are trying to tear apart our families. They want it both ways." Even a few weeks later, says another gay Washingtonian who was not present at the dinner, the former Clinton aide's "little screed is legendary."

Now, how interesting is that, when a Clinton administration aide so roundly condemns someone for "hurting (his) family"?

Maybe not interesting......more ironic.

Question for the Day

If the Democrats' main argument concerning disgraced former Representative Mark Foley is that Republican leadership's alleged failure to act endangered other pages.......then what's their excuse?

Several Democrats directly linked to House Democratic members and leadership are saying that they had the emails and instant messages in their possession for months -- but held off acting.

For instance, John Aravosis at Americablog was bragging last week:


Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL) had a rather creepy email exchange with a young page a while back. I received copies of these emails several months ago, but couldn’t confirm their veracity so I did not report on them.

Which would be exactly the first time in which a lack of confirmation has prevented Aravosis from publishing anything.

So I guess the question is this: if Foley was such an immediate danger to children, why didn't the Dems do anything -- especially when they had the damning instant messages in addition to the emails?


UPDATE: Mike Rogers's public admittance that he was one of ABC's sources AND had access to more than just the emails in question rather strengthens the case that the Dems knew about this well in advance and chose not to act immediately.

However, his bragging about feeding information to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, specifically to staffer Bill Burton, well before the Foley emails and IMs were ever published makes the attempts by Democrats to deny previous knowledge look extremely stupid.

Cluelessly, Mike Rogers whines that the DCCC is going through and deleting evidence of his comments on their blog. You wonder if he realizes that he's doing more than anything else to make it obvious that Dems, for all their rhetoric about inaction meaning more children would be molested, were quite OK with leaving children to be molested so that they could break this story at the most opportune time.

On the Foley Thing

For the benefit of our viewers in Mongolia who have yet to hear of this, US House of Representatives Member Mark Foley resigned today following the release of emails and messages he allegedly sent to teenage male pages.

In my opinion, he gets off easy with resignation. If these allegations prove true, he needs to be criminally prosecuted to the fullest extent -- under several laws that he had a major hand in passing.

Numerous questions will be raised and asked because of this, as they should be.....most of them centering on and trying to make sense out of the reasons that Foley, who not only publicly denounced child stalkers and molesters, but also pushed through several initiatives meant to catch and control them, would make such an incredible mistake.

Perhaps it was because he understood their motives all too well......but didn't believe he could ever be trapped by them.

Right-wing zealots will no doubt see and act on this as a golden opportunity to once again, as they have before, link homosexuality and pedophilia, especially given that foolish and shortsighted "gay activists" are trying to claim that Foley's actions are because he is a closeted gay.

The simple fact of the matter is, though, that pedophilia is as predominant in heterosexuals as it is in homosexuals. The stronger argument, in my opinion, is that pedophilia is a sexual addiction, unrelated to orientation, with the motivation of the pedophile being rooted less in gender and ordinary sexual attraction than in age. Numerous cases of pedophiles who molest both boys and girls would seem to reinforce this.

In short, regardless of what Foley's sexual orientation is, if he is indeed guilty of what he is accused, he is not only a criminal, but an addict in severe need of help. Pedophilia is a lamentable illness, a sickness, and cannot be reasonably associated with any healthy expression of same- or opposite-gender sexuality.

That being said, there ARE gay pedophiles, just as there are heterosexual pedophiles. Indeed, this is one area in which gays and straights could recognize considerable solidarity in our opposition -- that is, if gays could get past our knee-jerk and counterproductive reactions whenever the words "child molestor" are spoken.

'Twill be interesting to see what happens.

If You're Reading This........

you're probably NOT observing Yom Kippur.

But if you don't tell, I won't.

It Lives, It LIVES

I have had suspicions before that this blogging thing was a little to the left of nicotine and Vicodin in terms of addictive potential, and the return of Chad at Cake or Death? just adds fuel to that particular fire. However it came about, the blogosphere is richer to have his wry and sardonic commentary back in full force.

Plus, at least he was doing something interesting while on break.

Driving Mister Danny

Unlike most of my New Year's resolutions, not driving to work more than twice a week has been relatively easy to keep. So easy, in fact, that I drove to my job exactly once in my past seven months of employment (ironically, because I needed to get to an interview for another one).

Now, with a change in commute destination from Oakland to Redwood City, in which using transit would change from a simple BART ride to a Tinker to Evers to Chance-esque combination of Muni, Caltrain, and corporate shuttle, I was counting workdays left in the year and calculating whether or not I could technically still meet this resolution. After all, with the price of gas falling due to Republican conspiracy, a four-lane interstate for all but three miles, no bridge to cross, beautiful scenery of Bay and mountains as I drove, and free parking at my destination, what would I want with THAT messy mix of transfers, stinky stations, and dubious-looking passengers?

Worst. Decision. Ever.

I will finish out this week via auto because I must, mainly because it may take that long to accumulate the necessary tickets. Come Monday morning at 7:20 AM, though, my butt will be parked on the bus, train, and van where it belongs.

Why, you ask?

One, because transit is better for the environment -- especially given that my thirty-five mile commute is equal parts Indy 500 with driver's ed dropouts and parking lot, all of which pumps more carbon dioxide and assorted pollutants into the atmosphere than an Al Gore rally.

Two, because it costs less. Even in my fuel-efficient little roadrunner, I can't beat an average cost of $7 per day; that doesn't even covers the mileage costs for the car, much less the $500 I am now charging per hour for personal aggravation.

Three, the complete and utter virtue of laziness. There is something beyond magical in sitting back, reading the paper, and watching even the Prius owners suck fumes as you go gliding gracefully by, knowing that, unlike them, you likely WILL arrive at your destination on time.

In short, it's green, cheap, and smug. I'm all about that. :)

Blog Potpourri

-- This brings a whole new meaning to "Made in Italy".

-- Based on what I know about how they're doing this, seems like the big challenge will be getting through without puking. And no, I'm not talking about the patient.

-- My suggestion: Start a scorecard before reading.

The Paradox of Folsom

Today from 11 AM to 6 PM is the Folsom Street Fair.

Drawn out by the balmy temperatures and booths offering everything from falafel to flogging, three hundred thousand revelers will fill the stretch of South of Market between 7th and 12th Streets, in the city where inhibition is a dirty thought and freedom's just another word for taking your clothes off in public.

I will be there in the middle of it, smiling, flirting, gabbing.....and thinking.

Folsom, in its own way, is an expression of what we are about as a community. It's the chance to pull things from the back of your closet, mental and physical, and put them out on public display; a final summer cleaning, if you will, where inhibitions are shed, where you can be you, and where the true, overwhelming pleasure of being a sexual being can finally come forth. You need not be ashamed of who or what you are on this September afternoon -- a powerful and heady thought.

Yet the reason I will be there is precisely because of what happens when sexual beings run rampant without thought or care.

Some might say that this is a self-inflicted wound; that the attitudes allowed at Folsom is what has let AIDS strike down and bury so many pieces of our community. From pulpits and public forums across the country, this place, this event is denounced as mere debauchery, as sex perverted into something hideous and horrible -- and that those who the icy hand of HIV grips are getting nothing more than their just desserts, the swift sword of God Himself striking down the undesirables.

But it is not.

Andrew Sullivan caught considerable flak for his statements of how HIV infection transformed his life -- something easy to interpret negatively for those who suffer through the deaths of loved ones or the pain and anguish they felt.

Yet, on the other hand, HIV and AIDS has forced the gay community to come out and together as nothing else possibly could. Not a one of us would have chosen plague as a means of that happening -- yet out of this has come thousands, millions, of volunteer time and dollars, of people reaching beyond and discovering a new purpose for their energies, of changed perspectives and reordered priorities.

HIV/AIDS was the coming of age of who we were, what we are, and what we will be as a community.

So tomorrow, I will stand near the corner of Dore and Folsom, kilt on, smile engaged, witty banter at full steam, using, ironically, sexual desire to defuse, defang, and defeat what sexual desire has wrought on our community.

Yes, it is a paradox. But it also is a statement.....the spirit of Folsom, that freedom, will not be destroyed by public distaste or ravaging pandemic.

We exist, still as free as we ever we were....but united and wiser.

Pain and Suffering for Fun and Profit

For those of you who aren't familiar with San Francisco's calendar, this week is Leather Week, which culminates on Sunday with the world-infamous Folsom Street Fair (SO not safe for work).

Most people know this by the fact that the massive rainbow flag that hangs over the intersection of Castro and Market Street has changed into the Leather Pride Flag.

I know this by the fact that my legs are already starting to ache.

As a C-list gay celebrity (meaning people don't recognize me with sunglasses and a shirt on), part of the joys of the job are getting to meet people and raise money for good causes at various events and appearances.

Unfortunately, all of this usually happens while standing on hard asphalt or cement for ten or so hours at a stretch.

Remember this rule: A-listers get chairs, B-listers get carpet, and C-listers get cramps.

Thank God my husbear is letting me borrow his kilt. I can deal with painful feet if there's a breeze in the right places.

Looooocy, I'm Hoo-oome!!!!!

NDT is back in the full-time blog business.

Why, you ask?

Because I have succeeded in what I thought was previously impossible -- getting banned from both gay leftist blogs and blogs who are against gay leftists.

That, and I figure it's cheaper than Prozac.

Expect a few changes....namely, that I don't intend to be as serious all the time, nor do I expect to write as much. Brevity is, after all, the mark of a good communicator.

However, expect our proud tradition of equal-opportunity buttkicking to continue well into the future.

I also reiterate; no matter WHO you are, you are free to comment here. If I can't tolerate peoples' words, I shouldn't be in the blogging business.

With that.....good day!

Have You Landed Yet?

For the ten or so of you that have wondered where I am these days, I am now blogging (albeit sporadically) at GayOrbit and Lloydletta's Nooz and Comments.

And yes, I AM enjoying the additional time. :)

To Everything, Turn, Turn, Turn

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3: 1 - 8

And with that, friends, I would like to formally announce that my days as an independent blogger are on indefinite hiatus.

The first and foremost reason why is my partner. Until you move in with one, you don't fully realize how it reorders your priorities. Obviously there are duties of home and hearth, but most importantly, I find myself wanting to spend more and more of my time with him -- which leaves less and less for blogging.

Second off, I was recently selected to take part in an exciting and edifying effort to help raise funds and awareness of issues facing people with HIV/AIDS here in the community. This hearkens back to my activist roots, but again takes more time away from putting electrons to screen.

What this all adds up to is that it is time to take a step back. I will be maintaining this site as an archive and may occasionally post things here; however, I am actively seeking other opportunities to co-blog or freelance-contribute to other blogs, rather than maintaining a separate site.

Again, thanks to all of you. I'll be keeping the same email (northdallasthirty - at - yahoo.com) and will let you know where I am publishing.

Good night, and God bless.