**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
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New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Hate for Liberals and Gay People Drove Gunman, Police Say
A man who the police say entered a Unitarian Universalist church inKnoxville, Tenn., on Sunday and shot eight people, killing two, wasmotivated by a hatred for liberals and gay people, Chief Sterling P. Owen IVof the Knoxville Police Department said Monday.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/29/us/29knox.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse&oref=slogin
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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Another Blow To Justice
Another stunning report has documented the bold and illegal influence ofpolitics at the Justice Department over the past eight years. For decades,Republican and Democratic attorneys general had protected from politicalinfluence the hiring of career prosecutors and administrative judges. Therewas an unbroken rule, embodied in law, regulation and department policy,that no political questions would be asked of those who wanted to serve incareer -- as opposed to political -- positions in the department. Wedemanded of our Justice Department, in its core prosecutorial andadjudicative functions, that it be separate from politics. Until the Bushadministration.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/28/AR2008072802467.html
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Steve Rothaus
http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/steve_rothaus/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Jesse's Journal | Electing our own
The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund (www.VictoryFund.org) is a political actioncommittee (PAC) created to elect openly lesbian, gay, bisexual andtransgender people to public office in the United States. Since 1991, theVictory Fund - to quote the not always reliable but mostly usefulWikipedia - "provides strategic, technical and financial support to openlygay and lesbian [and bi and trans] candidates and officials across theUnited States, helping them win elections at local, state and federallevels." In 2006, the Victory Fund endorsed 88 candidates, of which 67 wontheir respective elections.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2008/07/jesses-journal.html
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Express Gay News
http://www.expressgaynews.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Justice Dept. official engaged in anti-gay bias
Goodling targeted rumored lesbian: report
A former Justice Department official violated federal non-discriminationlaws by denying a job extension for a department attorney and by attemptingto block the attorney from obtaining two other department positions becauseshe believed the attorney was a lesbian, according to findings of aninternal DOJ investigation.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=20009
-Mayor asked to support GLBT community
In the fallout of Sunday's fatal shooting at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam is being asked toacknowledge the city's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.The church, which provides several GLBT support groups and ministries, wastargeted in part due to such advocacy, according to the police statementsabout suspect Jim David Adkisson's motivation for the attack that left twopeople dead and seven others injured. The FBI is involved in the case andconsidering adding possible federal hate crime charges against him.
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/jul/28/mayor-asked-support-glbt-community/?partner=yahoo_headlines
-Lesbian couple married in Canada win health benefits in U.S.
An American lesbian couple married in Canada has won a landmark case againsta New York insurance company over spousal health care benefits.
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=c7338769-4b61-4cab-b8a2-c8801fbc78f6
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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-McCain Pushes Calif On Offshore Oil, Hedges On Gay Marriage Ban
Republican John McCain said Monday that drilling for oil off the U.S. coastis an essential part of any plan to lower gas prices and reduce dependenceon foreign sources, and he criticized Democrat Barack Obama for opposing it.
http://www.365gay.com/news/072908-mccain-oil/
-AIDS Marathon Swim Raises $30,000
(Borden-Carleton, Prince Edward Island) After just under 15 hours ofswimming in 19-degree water, a Nova Scotia woman completed a marathon swimon the weekend that took her from Prince Edward Island to New Brunswick andback, all in less than a day.
http://www.365gay.com/news/072808-aids-swim/
-Mormons Postpone Meeting with LDS Gays
A face-to-face meeting between representatives of gay Mormons and churchleaders that was to have taken place next month has been indefinitelypostponed by the head of the LDS branch that had agreed to it. Latter DaySaints President Thomas S. Monson agreed to a meeting in April with leadersof Affirmation, an organization for LGBT members of the LDS church, FredRiley, commissioner of family services for the LDS, and Harold C. Brown, theagency's past commissioner. Affirmation had sought such a meeting forseveral years. It was to have taken place Aug. 11.
http://www.365gay.com/news/072808-mormons/
-Protests Mark HRC Gala
The cracks that developed in LGBT solidarity over the past year were nevermore evident than on the weekend when transgender rights supporters picketeda gala in San Francisco hosted by the national Human Rights Campaign.
http://www.365gay.com/news/072808-hrc-gala/
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Detroit News
http://detnews.com/
-Help military by letting gays serve openly
by Deb Price
On Sept. 11, 2001, Navy Capt. Joan Darrah's weekly intelligence briefingturned out to be anything but routine: She and her colleagues watched CNN'scoverage of terrorist-hijacked planes ramming into the World Trade Center.The meeting ended, the closeted lesbian captain left the Pentagon, andAmerican Airlines Flight 77 slammed into the building. Seven people died inthe place where she'd been minutes earlier.
http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080728/OPINION03/807280317/1272/OPINION01
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National Gay News
http://nationalgaynews.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Gay Couple in Hate Crime
A male gay couple were stabbed and robbed during Stockholm's EuroPridefestival in what police described Monday as a hate crime. "Two homosexualmen were stopped by three men and were asked directions. The three askedthem about their sexuality and then stole their mobile phones and money. Oneof them was then stabbed in the stomach," Stockholm police spokesperson ToweHaegg said.
-Lesbian Basketball Coaches Call Foul
In a case that highlights what some describe as an anti-lesbian bias incollege sports, two former Mesa College athletic department employees aresuing their former employer for discrimination. Lorri Sulpizio, Mesa'swomen's basketball coach, and Cathy Bass, director of basketball operations,are registered domestic partners who were both fired in April of 2007. Afternearly a decade with the college, the two were dismissed shortly after alocal news story pictured them together and identified them as lesbians.
-Seattle to Host 2008 Gay Softball World Series
One of the largest sporting events ever in Puget Sound
The Amateur Sports Alliance of North America (ASANA) and the North AmericanGay Amateur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA) are joining forces with the EmeraldCity Softball Association Series 2008 Committee to host the 32nd GaySoftball World Series. It will be held in Seattle, WA August 25-30. Nearly4,000 American and Canadian athletes and fans representing 179 teams willgather in Seattle to take part in and enjoy the competition. The teams willplay games at five King County softball complexes to award national
champions in eight divisions
-Bay Area Sports Teams Reach
Out to Non-Traditional Groups
One afternoon during a recent football season, 49ers owner John York walkedinto Mix, a San Francisco gay bar. In the Castro, often described as thegayest neighborhood in America, the NFL owner turned heads, even though he'dbeen there before. York has been going to the Castro since 2003 with wifeand co-owner Denise DeBartolo York to promote the 49ers, part of a concertedstrategy to reach gay and lesbian fans.
-Will Gays' Boycott Turn the Tables?
Boycotts are older than the nation itself, but during the past decade,they've become the weapon of choice for conservative Christians engaged inthe nation's raging culture wars. They've used the boycott to try toinflict economic damage against corporate giants that they believe arebecoming too cozy with the gay and lesbian community, including Ford, Disneyand McDonald's.
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Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Get AIDS
(UWIRE.com) This story was written by Othman O'Malley, Daily Illini | CBSNews
If you've tuned in to C-SPAN recently you may have caught a glimpse of aninteresting hearing. It involved bands of violent lesbians, "forcedcohabitation" with gay men, the spread of AIDS and "skin to skin" contact.Oh my! What on earth was the topic of this discussion, and why was it beingconducted in the hallowed confines of the people's Congress? No, it wasn'tSen. Larry Craig's last conversation with Pastor Haggard. It was a HouseArmed Services personnel subcommittee hearing on "Don't ask, don't tell."
-Will Pride Destroy America?
Genesis 36 in the Bible deals entirely with the family of Esau, which becamethe nation of Edom. Although it may be rather boring to the average personto read about all the names from that Middle East era, our military today isnow engaged there and Saddam Hussein was used as the excuse. I wish someonewould explain the real reason, which is sin by Abraham and Sarah. Godpromised Abraham a son but when his wife Sarah didn't conceive immediately,she convinced Abraham to sleep with her handmaiden, Hagar. Hagar gave birthto Ishmael, who now represents the radical Arabs and after Sarah later gavebirth to Isaac who represents the Israelites, America's ally, Sarahconvinced Abraham to kick Hagar and Ishmael out. The descendants of thesehalf brothers hate each other. Isaac married and his wife gave birth to Esauand Jacob. Isaac's first born, Esau, was promised a special blessing utJacob and his mother deceived old, blind Isaac while Esau was out huntingone day, and Isaac ended up giving he blessing to momma's boy, Jacob. I'm noBible scholar and I hope I got the story correct, but the whole pisode willremind readers how sin and deception cause nations problems today includingAmerica, the country ounded by divine providence.
-Tatchell Claims Protestant Icon William the Orange was Bisexual
Pink News
Northern Ireland Protestants who are anti-gay are hypocrites because KingWilliam of Orange had male lovers, a leading gay rights activist hasclaimed. Speaking in Belfast, Peter Tatchell claimed that DemocraticUnionist politicians such as Iris Robinson are victimising gay people in theprovince. His claims about King William are particularly insulting toProtestants, who revere him as the saviour of Protestantism in Ireland. Hisdefeat of King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 is commemoratedby Northern Ireland Protestants with parades on the 12th July.
-Newsweek on Lawrence King: News or Not?
By Cathy Renna | The Bilerico Project
This week's cover story in Newsweek - which we should all recognize is aHUGE deal given the elections, economy and other issues happening in theworld - is focused on the two intersecting LGBT issues: the plummeting ageof coming out and the horrific murder of Lawrence King. While nowhere nearperfect (what journalism is?), this feature tries to explore larger issuesrelated to the coming out experience for the current generation ofteenagers. "Young, Gay and Murdered" is quite the provocative title but Ibelieve that the writers and Newsweek were thoughtful and well intentionedin writing this piece. You may not agree. The reality around this articleis this: it had been in the works for a long time, partly because it beganas a piece about the lower age of coming out. Full disclosure: I was workingwith this reporter on behalf of Dr. Caitlin Ryan, whose Family AcceptanceProject is conducting groundbreaking research on LGBT youth and coming out.I also helped the reporter find several young people with a variety ofcoming out experiences via other clients. Then, in 2005, Time magazine cameout with a cover story on gay youth and the piece was delayed.
-Cuba: Celebration of Advancing Gay Rights
Marcel Hatch | Green Leaf Online
Several hundred Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people andtheir friends converged at the Mi Cayito section of Guanabo Beach east ofHavana on June 14, to celebrate newfound pride and launch "Together with You". Together with You is a grassroots initiative to prevent the spreadof AIDS among men through sex with other men and has government support.According to the United Nations, Cuba has one of the lowest HIV/AIDS ratesin the world with a 0.1% infection rate. In contrast, the US rate is sixtimes greater. In Cuba, HIV treatment, related drugs, medicines and careare free. While the nation has the goal of developing a vaccine and cure forthe disease, it seeks to combat more infections now through awareness,education, support and prevention.
-Cobert Takes on the Anglican Church Schism: Homo-sect-ual
Because we have to laugh sometimes. The Colbert Report tackles the schism inthe Anglican Church. Stephen asks Laurie Goodstein why Anglicans can't justordain gay priests and then not talk about it - like the Catholics.
-Report Warns of AIDS 'Crisis' Across South
By Alex Johnson | MSNBC
AIDS specialists are calling for a fundamental rethinking of HIV policyafter a new report showed that infection with the virus was risingdramatically in the South even as it dropped everywhere else in the country.The warning, issued this week by the Southern AIDS Coalition, a nonprofitpartnership of government and private-sector programs based in Birmingham,Ala., concluded that AIDS was creating a health disaster in the South. AIDSdeaths fell or held steady in other parts of the country from 2001 to 2006,the last year for which complete figures were available, but they rose bymore than 10 percent in the South, according to the report, titled "SouthernStates Manifesto 2008."
-Purpose Driven Politics: Rick Warren's Civil Service
By Bill Berkowitz | Religion Dispatch
On August 16, an Olympic Games-fatigued American public will turn itsattention toward Lake Forest, California, where Rick Warren, the pastor ofSaddleback Church, and author of the mega-bestseller The Purpose-DrivenLife, will host both presumptive presidential nominees, Sen. Barack Obama(D-IL) and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). While the Saddleback Civil Forum onLeadership and Compassion will not be a debate-interviews will be doneseparately and in succession-and the two men are scheduled to meet onlybriefly, this will be the first time Sens. Obama and McCain have shared astage during the campaign. "This is a critical time for our nation and theAmerican people deserve to hear both candidates speak from the heart-withoutinterruption-in a civil and thoughtful format absent the partisan 'gotcha'questions that typically produce heat instead of light," Warren said in apress release. This is not the first time Warren has brought Obama toSaddleback. In December 2006, Obama and the ultra-conservative Sen. SamBrownback (R-KS) appeared at Warren's annual AIDS conference.
-Trans Formed: To Be Homeless & Transgender
By Lydie Raschka |Special to The Washington Post
T he night my church opened its 10-bed homeless shelter for18-to-24-year-olds, I volunteered to supervise them. A novice to any kind ofshelter experience, I was nervous as I dragged my red cart with pillow andblanket to the church, and grateful that Mina, an elegant, 70-somethingsocial worker, also would be there. Six young people arrived in a clump at10 p.m., clutching pillows and belongings and, in one case, a teddy bear.They came from Sylvia's Place, an overcrowded downtown shelter. One woman,wearing a do-rag under a baseball cap, surprised me with a quick hug. In thecoming months, she would outline the danger she felt in our relativelysafe-seeming Manhattan neighborhood, how every time she walked outside she'dhear some comment, how she was hit in the face just waiting for the bus.But that night we didn't talk much. I fussed around, putting out food andsetting up beds. After midnight, when everyone else was asleep, Mina wrappedherself in a blanket and propped herself on a chair against the wall. Istayed awake in the kitchen, by the light, reading. The next morning we wokeeveryone at 8 and ushered them out, still groggy, into the icy February air.I walked home past restaurants that looked newly exclusive and out of reach.Overwhelmed by the luxury of it all, I crawled under my thick yellow duvetand slept.
-Christian Camps Raise More Questions Than Answers
Casey Welsch | Daily Nebraskan
God has been around for a long time, more than 13.73 billion years somewould say. For eons, he has controlled the all life in the cosmos, which isjust what some would say.Christianity has been around for a long time. About2,000 years some would say. For slightly less time than that, it has beenthe dominant religion on Earth, shaping the course of human history anddevelopment for better some would say, and for worse, others would say.Five Star Bible Camp in Fairbury has been around for 12 years. A long timesome would say. Not long enough others would say. The product of a dreamthat a man named Ivan Zimmerman had, the annual camp is and always has been100 percent free and open to all pre-K through 12th grade youth. I've beenaround for 19 years. Not long some would say. Long enough I would say. I'vebeen involved with Five Star Bible Camp for all 12 of its years, since I wasan 8-year-old camper there in its inaugural year. It has been as much a partof my life as a family member, teacher or friend.
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Forwarded from Gays Without Borders
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-29 executions in Iran
Film in Persian - Shows the faces of the gay men:
http://www.iran-resist.org/article4663
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Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:
-Euro-Letter
Euroletter is ILGA-Europe's monthly electronic bulletin containg politicaland legal information relevant to LGBT people in Europe.
http://www.ilga-europe.org/europe/publications/euro_letter
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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
Go to the links for the following articles:
Contact rays.list@comcast.net if can't access the article
-Research Participation Request - Lesbians
My name is Ryan Anne Cheperka and I am a counseling psychology graduatestudent at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. I am currently workingon my master's thesis, chaired by Dr. Ann R. Fischer, and would like to askfor your help as I examine self-identified lesbian women's attitudes aboutrelationships and about bisexual women. Participation in this study isvoluntary and you may withdraw at any time. Completion of the survey willtake approximately 5 to 10 minutes and your responses will remainconfidential. [...] If you would like to participate in this study pleasevisit the following website:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=ETbDB4BLGgzSg4l1C9Z_2bYQ_3d_3d.
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Palm Beach County Human Rights Council
www.pbchrc.org
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Northwest Florida Daily News
PONCE DE LEON, FL: Principal thrashed for 'crusade' against homosexuality
Federal judge's written opinion is released two months after student winsfree-speech case
Principal David Davis led a "relentless crusade" against homosexuality atPonce de Leon High School, a federal judge said in court documents filedThursday. It cost the school district $325,000, but the court's fullopinion was not released until this week. It thrashed Davis, who has sincebeen replaced as principal. "Davis embarked on what can only becharacterized as a witch hunt," wrote U.S. District Judge Richard Smoak, whoblasted him for his "morality assemblies" and misunderstanding of the FirstAmendment.
The opinion came more than two months after Heather Gillman and the AmericanCivil Liberties Union won a free-speech lawsuit against the Holmes CountySchool Board - which actually was Davis' complicit "alter ego," Smoak wrote.Gillman and the ACLU claimed Davis violated her rights by silencing allpro-gay messages. Students had begun showing support following the tauntingof a gay student at school. In response to the taunting incident, Davis toldthe gay student it wasn't right for her to be homosexual and held a moralityassembly, according to testimony.
Then, after an investigation into the "secret society" of gay pride atschool, Davis suspended several students for supporting the girl. He toldone suspended student's mother "he could secretly send her daughter off to aprivate Christian school" and said "if there was a man in your house ... youwouldn't be having any of these gay issues," according to the court. Davisbanned rainbows, pink triangles and a number of what he called sexuallysuggestive slogans. The slogans included "I Support Gays" and "God Loves MeJust the Way I Am." But Smoak noted that Davis did not ban severalmagazines in the school's library - Cosmogirl, Woman's Day and others - thatcontained articles about sex and dating.
He also did not punish a boy for making explicit sexual advances toward agirl - an incident that occurred the same month as the morality assembly,according to testimony. Davis hushed Gillman and others "because of hisanimosity toward students who were homosexual and his relentless crusade toextinguish the speech supporting them," Smoak wrote. Join the PBCHRCmailing list
http://visitor.constantcontact.com/email.jsp?m=1101791463376
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JESSE'S JOURNAL
by Jesse Monteagudo
jessemonteagudo@aol.com
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-Electing Our Own
The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund (www.VictoryFund.org) is a political actioncommittee (PAC) created to elect openly lesbian, gay, bisexual andtransgender people to public office in the United States. Since 1991, theVictory Fund - to quote the not always reliable but mostly usefulWikipedia - "provides strategic, technical and financial support to openlygay and lesbian [and bi and trans] candidates and officials across theUnited States, helping them win elections at local, state and federallevels." In 2006, the Victory Fund endorsed 88 candidates, of which 67 wontheir respective elections. According to the Fund's Web site (stating theobvious), "It takes courage and determination [and money] to run for officeand even more to run as an openly LGBT candidate. . . . At the Victory Fund,we understand these challenges, and we set the bar high, both for ourcandidates and for our organization." Candidates endorsed by the Fundreceive "sophisticated, intensive candidate and campaign training;" "one-on-one strategic and technical support;" "vetted and highly qualifiedcampaign consultants;" and, last but certainly not least, "financial supportfrom both our PAC and our diverse network of LGBT donors." To qualify, acandidate must have a realistic chance of being elected and fill out atleast two very detailed applications, which allows the Fund to determinewhether or not s/he deserves its support. Many applicants do not make itthrough this strenuous process.
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Same Sex Marriage
http://www.samesexmarriage.typepad.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Editorial: "It's Time to Call Out Anti-Gay Author of 'Ender's Game'"
According to science fiction author Orson Scott Card (pictured above),recent court decisions in Massachusetts and California recognizing same-sexmarriage mean "the end of democracy in America." As such, he advocatestaking down our government "by whatever means is made possible ornecessary." It's all there in a truly frightful - and brazenly dishonest -essay that Card published in last Thursday's edition of the Mormon Times. Ican't think the last time I've read something so offensive and bigotedwritten by a major media figure. Overthrowing the government because ofsame-sex marriage? As far as I know, even Pat Robertson doesn't advocatethis. We're talking Fred Phelps territory here.
-MI: "Triangle Foundation calls Spectrum Health's apology to gay couple a'great first step'"
A lesbian couple is pleased with Spectrum Health's apology for a doctor whoallegedly lectured them against gay marriage, but say they are concerned itmight happen again. "I want to see that something has been done to be surethis doesn't happen on a continuing basis," said Kent County residentAshleigh Haberman, who complained with her partner in June about thebehavior of an urgent care physician in Cutlerville. "We are not just goingto sit by and let them slap this doctor on the hand and say, 'Sorry.' Iwould like to see Spectrum take this a little bit more seriously."
-NH: "State has seen just 430 civil unions"; many waiting for marriage
Civil unions have been legal in New Hampshire since Jan. 1, but same-sexcouples haven't exactly been flocking to town halls to formalize theirrelationships. As of Friday, just 430 civil unions have been filed,according to officials at the state's Department of Vital Records. Twentyof those 400-plus couples were united in a public ceremony on the Statehousesteps when the clock struck midnight Jan. 1, but there's hardly been a rushon ceremonies since.
-"McCain's Family Values: Let Children Suffer, Don't Let Gays Adopt"
Link: Towleroad
John McCain would rather children suffer without families rather than have gay parents adopt them. In an interview with George Stephanopolous on This Week, McCain, who recently said he was against gay adoption, then backtracked on it, is now back to his original position. [...]
STEPHANOPOULOS: What is your position on gay adoption? You told the "New York Times" you were against it, even in cases where the children couldn't find another home. But then your staff backtracked a bit. What is your position?
MCCAIN: My position is, it's not the reason why I'm running for president of the United States. And I think that two parent families are best for America.
-US complaints lead to Mr T ad being pulled from UK screens
An advertising campaign featuring A-Team star Mr T has been withdrawn afterconcerns it may be offensive to gay men. In the ad Mr T calls a speed walkerin tight shorts "a disgrace to the man race."
-Gay civil rights group urges President Bush to overturn HIV+ ban
An American group that defends the civil rights of LGBT people and thoseliving with HIV has urged President George W Bush to end the ban on visitorsand immigrants who are HIV+.
-Unionist politicians warned of consequences of homophobia
Gay right activist Peter Tatchell's visit to Belfast continues to generateheadlines, with claims that Democratic Unionist politicians are contributingto a culture of homophobia.
-Video: Andrew and George may reform Wham! for one last gig
Camp pop band Wham! are set for a one off reunion, according to reports. Thegroup, made up of Andrew Ridgley and gay artist George Michael, formed in1981.
-Cyber centre for LGBT silver surfers opens in New York
SAGE, the world's oldest and largest non-profit agency dedicated to servingand advocating for LGBT older people, has opened a fully-equipped CyberCentre at their offices in New York City.
-Madrid Pride organisers face lawsuit for "hate speech"
A "pro-family" activist group in Spain has filed charges against theorganisers of the 2008 Madrid Gay Pride march. HazteOir accused them ofmaking hateful statements against Catholics.
-India's "unnatural sex" law should be revised says High Court judge
The Bombay High Court said last week that the controversial Section 377 ofIndian Penal Code that deals with unnatural sex needs revision.
-Ugandan police accused of torturing gay activist
A leading gay rights organisation has said that a Ugandan human rightsactivist was tortured by police.
-South African gays protest against homophobic journalist
A columnist for South Africa's fastest growing newspaper, Sunday Sun, hascaused protests after the July 20th publication of his controversial article'"Call me names, but gay is NOT okay.".
-Bahraini MP calls for gay crackdown to begin
A set of proposals approved by Bahrain's parliament targeting homosexualactivity in the country should be implemented, according to a politician inthe Gulf state.
-Russian prosecutors decline to take action against homophobic governor
The State Office of Public Prosecutor of the Russian Federation has decidednot to start criminal proceedings against the Governor of the Tambov region.
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[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
NATIONAL & WORLD DIGEST - July 29, 2008
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Report Faults Aides in Hiring at Justice Dept.
Senior aides to former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales broke the law byusing politics to guide their hiring decisions, a Justice Department reportsaid.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/29/washington/29justice.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
-A U.S. Trial by Its Looks, but Only So
At the first trial for a Guantánamo detainee, two trials are unfolding atonce: one for Salim Hamdan and one for the military commission system.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/29/us/29gitmo.html?hp
-The Biggest Issue
DAVID BROOKS
America's stagnation in educational progress threatens the country'slong-term economic and sociological prospects. [...] America rose becauseit got more out of its own people than other nations. That stopped in 1970.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/29/opinion/29brooks.html?ref=opinion
-Editorial: There Was Smoke - and Fire
It was hardly news that President Bush's Justice Department has beenillegally politicized, but it was important that the Justice Departmentfinally owned up to that sorry state of affairs. An internal investigationreleased on Monday found that the department's top staff routinely tookpolitics and ideology into account in filling nonpolitical positions - andlied about it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/29/opinion/29tue1.html?ref=opinion
-Op-Ed Columnist: Can Obama Run the Offense?
Let's see if I've got this straight. Barack Obama is a United Statessenator, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and his party'scandidate for president of the United States - and yet it was somehowpresumptuous of him to meet with foreign leaders last week during his tripto the Middle East and Europe.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/29/opinion/29herbert.html?ref=opinion
-Op-Ed Contributor: Mortgaged to the World
CONGRESS has given the Bush White House yet another chance to operateoutside the Constitution. Unsurprisingly, the administration has taken it.Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson now has the go-ahead for his two-part planto salvage Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored mortgagecompanies - a blueprint that violates fundamental American principles in twoworrisome ways.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/29/opinion/29mayer.html?ref=opinion
-Editorial: Prostitution and Prevention
Child prostitution, a large and growing problem across the United States, isespecially severe in tourist and convention cities. Atlanta, for example,has been identified by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as one of 14American cities with the highest rates of child prostitution. Georgia'slawmakers, religious groups and juvenile justice advocates are taking thisissue very seriously, but they may miss an important opportunity unless theyfocus on programs that have a lasting impact on the lives of Georgia's mostvulnerable children.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/29/opinion/29tue2.html?ref=opinion
-Citizen Foreign Correspondence
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
As a result of the economic crisis facing the news media industry, only fourAmerican newspapers now have foreign desks.
http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/24/citizen-foreign-correspondence/index.html?ref=opinion
-Australia Changes Asylum Policy
SYDNEY - Australia is ending its controversial policy of automatic detentionfor asylum seekers who arrive in the country without visas, the governmentannounced Tuesday.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/30/world/asia/30australia.html?hp
-Write-Down Is Planned at Merrill Lynch
Only 10 days after stunning Wall Street with a huge quarterly loss, MerrillLynch unexpectedly disclosed another multibillion-dollar write-down onMonday and sought to bolster its finances once again by selling new stock tothe public and to an investment company controlled by Singapore.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/29/business/29merrill.html?hp
-Syrians See an Economic Side to Peace
DAMASCUS, Syria - Like most Syrians, Samer Zayat has no love for Israel. Hewas a little uneasy when Syria announced in late May that it was holdingindirect talks on a peace settlement with its old nemesis.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/29/world/middleeast/29syria.html
-BP's Profit Rose 28%, Exceeding Expectations
LONDON - BP, the British oil giant, reported a 28 percent rise insecond-quarter profit on Tuesday, exceeding analyst expectations, as crudeoil soared to record levels and natural gas also made big gains.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/30/business/worldbusiness/30oil.html
-Execution by Military Is Approved by President
President Bush on Monday approved the first execution by the military since1961, upholding the death penalty of an Army private convicted of a seriesof rapes and murders more than two decades ago. As commander in chief, thepresident has the final authority to approve capital punishment under theUniform Code of Military Justice, and he did so on Monday morning in thecase of Pvt. Ronald A. Gray, convicted by court-martial for two killings andan attempted murder at Fort Bragg, N.C., the White House said in astatement.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/29/us/29execute.html
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Justice Besmirched: How the Bush administration soiled itself
THE LATIN phrase on the seal of the Justice Department loosely means "he whoprosecutes on behalf of justice." During the reign of Monica Goodling and D.Kyle Sampson it also should have read, "Democrats need not apply."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/28/AR2008072802475.html
-McCain promotes drilling for oil off US coast
Republican John McCain said Monday that drilling for oil off the U.S. coastis an essential part of any plan to lower gas prices and reduce dependenceon foreign sources, and he criticized Democrat Barack Obama for opposing it.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/28/AR2008072802279.html
-Another Blow To Justice
Another stunning report has documented the bold and illegal influence ofpolitics at the Justice Department over the past eight years. For decades,Republican and Democratic attorneys general had protected from politicalinfluence the hiring of career prosecutors and administrative judges. Therewas an unbroken rule, embodied in law, regulation and department policy,that no political questions would be asked of those who wanted to serve incareer -- as opposed to political -- positions in the department. Wedemanded of our Justice Department, in its core prosecutorial andadjudicative functions, that it be separate from politics. Until the Bushadministration.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/28/AR2008072802467.html?hpid=opinionsbox1
-A Torture Paper Trail
I still find it hard to believe that George W. Bush, to his eternal shameand our nation's great discredit, made torture a matter of hair-splitting,legalistic debate at the highest levels of the U.S. government. But that'sprecisely what he did.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/28/AR2008072802465.html
-Cocaine Finds Africa
West Africa is under attack. The region has become a hub for cocainesmuggling from Latin America to Europe. States that we seldom hear about,such as Guinea-Bissau and neighboring Guinea, are at risk of being capturedby drug cartels in collusion with corrupt forces in government and themilitary.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/28/AR2008072802466.html
-Zimbabwe's Talks
Robert Mugabe's campaign to stay in power continues by other means.
NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN Zimbabwe's government and opposition broke offyesterday four days after they began, which should have surprised no one whohas followed Robert Mugabe's brutal and uncompromising campaign to remain inpower. Since the 84-year-old strongman lost a presidential election March29, his thugs have murdered at least 120 people, including some who weretortured before they died. Villages suspected of supporting the oppositionhave been looted and burned, and humanitarian groups have been prohibitedfrom distributing food. In agreeing to two weeks of talks, opposition leaderMorgan Tsvangirai obtained a commitment that the violence would end and wonthe involvement of international mediators who could help ensure that thepeace was kept. But even that has not stopped the rampage of governmentgoons in the countryside.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/28/AR2008072802474.html
-Mr. Novak Takes Leave
Leaving a hole on our op-ed page
ALONG WITH many readers, we were saddened to learn yesterday that, at leastfor a short while, we won't be receiving any columns from Robert D. Novak topublish on the opposite page. Mr. Novak has been writing a column since1963 -- that's not a typo -- and, to our knowledge, he has never missed adeadline. He revealed yesterday that he has a brain tumor. A lot of testsare yet to be completed, but in a statement, he said that he hopes hisabsence from the op-ed page will be for a "not too lengthy period."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/28/AR2008072802476.html
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-U.S. Supreme Court rulings made a difference in many lives
Jonah Goldberg complains that the Supreme Court "finds duly elected lawsunconsitutional - six days a week and twice on Sunday." Well, the SupremeCourt has from time to time ruled that blacks were unequal, women could notvote, and on rules that affected Jews, gays, etc.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-br701pnjul29,0,4538163.story
-Private housing index shows home prices dropping by record amountnationwide in May
A closely watched housing index shows home prices fell by the steepest rateever in May, as the housing slump continued to deepen nationwide. TheStandard & Poor's/Case-Shiller 20-city index, released Tuesday, is off 15.8percent for May compared with a year ago, a record decline since itsinception in 2000. The narrower 10-city index has fallen 16.9 percent, itsbiggest decline in its 21-year history.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/ats-ap-home-pricesjul29,0,1764201.story
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Bipartisan group's plan on energy to call for OCS drilling
A band of Democrats and Republicans will attempt to break the energystalemate in the House this week with a plan to drill along the OuterContinental Shelf (OCS). The bipartisan group of some 28 legislators -split about evenly between the two parties - has been working behind closeddoors for weeks on a compromise. It is to be circulated among membersTuesday night, then formally rolled out in a news conference Wednesday.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/bipartisan-groups-plan-on-energy-to-call-for-ocs-drilling-2008-07-28.html
-Bush Leaving Next President Record Federal Budget Deficit
The government's budget deficit will surge past a half-trillion dollars nextyear, according to gloomy new estimates, a record flood of red ink thatpromises to force the winner of the presidential race to dramatically alterhis economic agenda.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/28/bush-leaving-next-preside_n_115335.html
-Reid plan splits Dems
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has split the Democratic frontopposed to drilling with a plan that would open new areas for exploration.Reid's proposal was meant to insulate Senate Democratic candidates frompublic anger over gas prices. Instead, it has created a divide with liberalcolleagues and drawn fire from senior House Democrats.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/reid-plan-splits-dems-2008-07-28.html
-Our view on campaign fairness: McCain attack ad cheapens campaign. More tocome?
Blaming Obama for energy crisis is just silly. Focus on solutions. Eversince gasoline prices crossed most people's pain threshold earlier thisyear, the hunt for scapegoats has been in full swing. First it was oilexecutives, who were hauled before congressional committees, just as theyare every time prices go up. Then came speculators, who were supposedlydriving up prices by bidding up the price of oil on commodities markets.
http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2008/07/our-view-on-cam.html
-Oil-spill reminder: A 419,000-gallon lesson for Florida drilling
enthusiasts
If that doesn't bring it home. At 1:30 a.m. on July 23, a 61-foot bargecarrying 419,000 gallons of heavy, stinky, extremely viscous fuel struck a600-foot tanker, split in half, and spilled its cargo on the MississippiRiver in New Orleans, near the city's Uptown neighborhoods. The tankerdidn't leak. The kind of oil spilled on the river, known as No. 6 or"residual" fuel oil, is the heavy gunk that remains after oil has beenrefined for gasoline, diesel, kerosene, jet fuel and lighter home-heatingfuels. No. 6 fuel oil turns to a tarry substance in cool conditions -- likewhen it's in contact with river water. Like crude oil when it spills whereit's not wanted, No. 6 oil is not easily collected and cleaned.
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/Opinion/Editorials/opnOPN35072908.htm
=
MoveOn.Org
http://www.moveon.org
Go to the links for the following articles:
MTV just started accepting political ads. And the first political ad thatmillions of young people will see is a negative attack on BarackObama-saying he's "worse than a flip-flopper" and accusing him of no longerbeing against the war.1 It's outrageous. The Republicans' strategy isclear: kill the hope that's brought millions of new young voters out of thewoodwork. We can't let that happen. And as it turns out, we've got a funny,positive, hopeful way to fight back. The "funniest ad" award winner in ourObama in 30 Seconds contest is a perfect counterpoint to thecynicism-mongering ad on MTV. Plus, it was made by actor (and MoveOn member)Rider Strong. We just found out that we can run this ad on MTV and ComedyCentral (as their first political ad ever) for $150,000. If 6000 of uscontribute $25, we can do it. Can you check out the ad below-and if you likeit, will you chip in to get it on the air?
https://pol.moveon.org/donate/brainonhope.html?id=13345-5533006-st38ZWx&t=4
=
Technology Review
http://www.technologyreview.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
Ireland: Tidal Power Comes to Market
The world's first commercial tidal-power system has been connected totheNational Grid in Northern Ireland. Built by the British tidal-energycompanyMarine Current Technologies (MCT), the 1.2-megawatt system consistsof twosubmerged turbines that are harvesting energy from Strangford Lough'stidalcurrents. The company expects that once the system, called SeaGen, is fullyoperational, it will be able to provide electricity to approximatelyonethousand homes. The system is currently being tested and has brieflygenerated 150 kilowattsof power into the grid. But it has also damaged oneof its rotors due to afailure in the control system when the rotor beganturning too fast.Although the problem was a minor setback, the unit is notexpected to startrunning continuously and at full capacity until November,says Peter Fraenkel, the technical director at MCT.
http://www.technologyreview.com/printer_friendly_article.aspx?id=21142&channel=energy§ion
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Report Faults Aides in Hiring at Justice Dept.
Senior aides to former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales broke the law byusing politics to guide their hiring decisions, a Justice Department reportsaid.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/29/washington/29justice.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
-A U.S. Trial by Its Looks, but Only So
At the first trial for a Guantánamo detainee, two trials are unfolding atonce: one for Salim Hamdan and one for the military commission system.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/29/us/29gitmo.html?hp
-The Biggest Issue
DAVID BROOKS
America's stagnation in educational progress threatens the country'slong-term economic and sociological prospects. [...] America rose becauseit got more out of its own people than other nations. That stopped in 1970.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/29/opinion/29brooks.html?ref=opinion
-Editorial: There Was Smoke - and Fire
It was hardly news that President Bush's Justice Department has beenillegally politicized, but it was important that the Justice Departmentfinally owned up to that sorry state of affairs. An internal investigationreleased on Monday found that the department's top staff routinely tookpolitics and ideology into account in filling nonpolitical positions - andlied about it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/29/opinion/29tue1.html?ref=opinion
-Op-Ed Columnist: Can Obama Run the Offense?
Let's see if I've got this straight. Barack Obama is a United Statessenator, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and his party'scandidate for president of the United States - and yet it was somehowpresumptuous of him to meet with foreign leaders last week during his tripto the Middle East and Europe.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/29/opinion/29herbert.html?ref=opinion
-Op-Ed Contributor: Mortgaged to the World
CONGRESS has given the Bush White House yet another chance to operateoutside the Constitution. Unsurprisingly, the administration has taken it.Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson now has the go-ahead for his two-part planto salvage Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored mortgagecompanies - a blueprint that violates fundamental American principles in twoworrisome ways.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/29/opinion/29mayer.html?ref=opinion
-Editorial: Prostitution and Prevention
Child prostitution, a large and growing problem across the United States, isespecially severe in tourist and convention cities. Atlanta, for example,has been identified by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as one of 14American cities with the highest rates of child prostitution. Georgia'slawmakers, religious groups and juvenile justice advocates are taking thisissue very seriously, but they may miss an important opportunity unless theyfocus on programs that have a lasting impact on the lives of Georgia's mostvulnerable children.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/29/opinion/29tue2.html?ref=opinion
-Citizen Foreign Correspondence
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
As a result of the economic crisis facing the news media industry, only fourAmerican newspapers now have foreign desks.
http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/24/citizen-foreign-correspondence/index.html?ref=opinion
-Australia Changes Asylum Policy
SYDNEY - Australia is ending its controversial policy of automatic detentionfor asylum seekers who arrive in the country without visas, the governmentannounced Tuesday.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/30/world/asia/30australia.html?hp
-Write-Down Is Planned at Merrill Lynch
Only 10 days after stunning Wall Street with a huge quarterly loss, MerrillLynch unexpectedly disclosed another multibillion-dollar write-down onMonday and sought to bolster its finances once again by selling new stock tothe public and to an investment company controlled by Singapore.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/29/business/29merrill.html?hp
-Syrians See an Economic Side to Peace
DAMASCUS, Syria - Like most Syrians, Samer Zayat has no love for Israel. Hewas a little uneasy when Syria announced in late May that it was holdingindirect talks on a peace settlement with its old nemesis.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/29/world/middleeast/29syria.html
-BP's Profit Rose 28%, Exceeding Expectations
LONDON - BP, the British oil giant, reported a 28 percent rise insecond-quarter profit on Tuesday, exceeding analyst expectations, as crudeoil soared to record levels and natural gas also made big gains.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/30/business/worldbusiness/30oil.html
-Execution by Military Is Approved by President
President Bush on Monday approved the first execution by the military since1961, upholding the death penalty of an Army private convicted of a seriesof rapes and murders more than two decades ago. As commander in chief, thepresident has the final authority to approve capital punishment under theUniform Code of Military Justice, and he did so on Monday morning in thecase of Pvt. Ronald A. Gray, convicted by court-martial for two killings andan attempted murder at Fort Bragg, N.C., the White House said in astatement.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/29/us/29execute.html
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Justice Besmirched: How the Bush administration soiled itself
THE LATIN phrase on the seal of the Justice Department loosely means "he whoprosecutes on behalf of justice." During the reign of Monica Goodling and D.Kyle Sampson it also should have read, "Democrats need not apply."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/28/AR2008072802475.html
-McCain promotes drilling for oil off US coast
Republican John McCain said Monday that drilling for oil off the U.S. coastis an essential part of any plan to lower gas prices and reduce dependenceon foreign sources, and he criticized Democrat Barack Obama for opposing it.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/28/AR2008072802279.html
-Another Blow To Justice
Another stunning report has documented the bold and illegal influence ofpolitics at the Justice Department over the past eight years. For decades,Republican and Democratic attorneys general had protected from politicalinfluence the hiring of career prosecutors and administrative judges. Therewas an unbroken rule, embodied in law, regulation and department policy,that no political questions would be asked of those who wanted to serve incareer -- as opposed to political -- positions in the department. Wedemanded of our Justice Department, in its core prosecutorial andadjudicative functions, that it be separate from politics. Until the Bushadministration.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/28/AR2008072802467.html?hpid=opinionsbox1
-A Torture Paper Trail
I still find it hard to believe that George W. Bush, to his eternal shameand our nation's great discredit, made torture a matter of hair-splitting,legalistic debate at the highest levels of the U.S. government. But that'sprecisely what he did.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/28/AR2008072802465.html
-Cocaine Finds Africa
West Africa is under attack. The region has become a hub for cocainesmuggling from Latin America to Europe. States that we seldom hear about,such as Guinea-Bissau and neighboring Guinea, are at risk of being capturedby drug cartels in collusion with corrupt forces in government and themilitary.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/28/AR2008072802466.html
-Zimbabwe's Talks
Robert Mugabe's campaign to stay in power continues by other means.
NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN Zimbabwe's government and opposition broke offyesterday four days after they began, which should have surprised no one whohas followed Robert Mugabe's brutal and uncompromising campaign to remain inpower. Since the 84-year-old strongman lost a presidential election March29, his thugs have murdered at least 120 people, including some who weretortured before they died. Villages suspected of supporting the oppositionhave been looted and burned, and humanitarian groups have been prohibitedfrom distributing food. In agreeing to two weeks of talks, opposition leaderMorgan Tsvangirai obtained a commitment that the violence would end and wonthe involvement of international mediators who could help ensure that thepeace was kept. But even that has not stopped the rampage of governmentgoons in the countryside.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/28/AR2008072802474.html
-Mr. Novak Takes Leave
Leaving a hole on our op-ed page
ALONG WITH many readers, we were saddened to learn yesterday that, at leastfor a short while, we won't be receiving any columns from Robert D. Novak topublish on the opposite page. Mr. Novak has been writing a column since1963 -- that's not a typo -- and, to our knowledge, he has never missed adeadline. He revealed yesterday that he has a brain tumor. A lot of testsare yet to be completed, but in a statement, he said that he hopes hisabsence from the op-ed page will be for a "not too lengthy period."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/28/AR2008072802476.html
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-U.S. Supreme Court rulings made a difference in many lives
Jonah Goldberg complains that the Supreme Court "finds duly elected lawsunconsitutional - six days a week and twice on Sunday." Well, the SupremeCourt has from time to time ruled that blacks were unequal, women could notvote, and on rules that affected Jews, gays, etc.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-br701pnjul29,0,4538163.story
-Private housing index shows home prices dropping by record amountnationwide in May
A closely watched housing index shows home prices fell by the steepest rateever in May, as the housing slump continued to deepen nationwide. TheStandard & Poor's/Case-Shiller 20-city index, released Tuesday, is off 15.8percent for May compared with a year ago, a record decline since itsinception in 2000. The narrower 10-city index has fallen 16.9 percent, itsbiggest decline in its 21-year history.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/ats-ap-home-pricesjul29,0,1764201.story
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Bipartisan group's plan on energy to call for OCS drilling
A band of Democrats and Republicans will attempt to break the energystalemate in the House this week with a plan to drill along the OuterContinental Shelf (OCS). The bipartisan group of some 28 legislators -split about evenly between the two parties - has been working behind closeddoors for weeks on a compromise. It is to be circulated among membersTuesday night, then formally rolled out in a news conference Wednesday.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/bipartisan-groups-plan-on-energy-to-call-for-ocs-drilling-2008-07-28.html
-Bush Leaving Next President Record Federal Budget Deficit
The government's budget deficit will surge past a half-trillion dollars nextyear, according to gloomy new estimates, a record flood of red ink thatpromises to force the winner of the presidential race to dramatically alterhis economic agenda.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/28/bush-leaving-next-preside_n_115335.html
-Reid plan splits Dems
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has split the Democratic frontopposed to drilling with a plan that would open new areas for exploration.Reid's proposal was meant to insulate Senate Democratic candidates frompublic anger over gas prices. Instead, it has created a divide with liberalcolleagues and drawn fire from senior House Democrats.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/reid-plan-splits-dems-2008-07-28.html
-Our view on campaign fairness: McCain attack ad cheapens campaign. More tocome?
Blaming Obama for energy crisis is just silly. Focus on solutions. Eversince gasoline prices crossed most people's pain threshold earlier thisyear, the hunt for scapegoats has been in full swing. First it was oilexecutives, who were hauled before congressional committees, just as theyare every time prices go up. Then came speculators, who were supposedlydriving up prices by bidding up the price of oil on commodities markets.
http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2008/07/our-view-on-cam.html
-Oil-spill reminder: A 419,000-gallon lesson for Florida drilling
enthusiasts
If that doesn't bring it home. At 1:30 a.m. on July 23, a 61-foot bargecarrying 419,000 gallons of heavy, stinky, extremely viscous fuel struck a600-foot tanker, split in half, and spilled its cargo on the MississippiRiver in New Orleans, near the city's Uptown neighborhoods. The tankerdidn't leak. The kind of oil spilled on the river, known as No. 6 or"residual" fuel oil, is the heavy gunk that remains after oil has beenrefined for gasoline, diesel, kerosene, jet fuel and lighter home-heatingfuels. No. 6 fuel oil turns to a tarry substance in cool conditions -- likewhen it's in contact with river water. Like crude oil when it spills whereit's not wanted, No. 6 oil is not easily collected and cleaned.
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/Opinion/Editorials/opnOPN35072908.htm
=
MoveOn.Org
http://www.moveon.org
Go to the links for the following articles:
MTV just started accepting political ads. And the first political ad thatmillions of young people will see is a negative attack on BarackObama-saying he's "worse than a flip-flopper" and accusing him of no longerbeing against the war.1 It's outrageous. The Republicans' strategy isclear: kill the hope that's brought millions of new young voters out of thewoodwork. We can't let that happen. And as it turns out, we've got a funny,positive, hopeful way to fight back. The "funniest ad" award winner in ourObama in 30 Seconds contest is a perfect counterpoint to thecynicism-mongering ad on MTV. Plus, it was made by actor (and MoveOn member)Rider Strong. We just found out that we can run this ad on MTV and ComedyCentral (as their first political ad ever) for $150,000. If 6000 of uscontribute $25, we can do it. Can you check out the ad below-and if you likeit, will you chip in to get it on the air?
https://pol.moveon.org/donate/brainonhope.html?id=13345-5533006-st38ZWx&t=4
=
Technology Review
http://www.technologyreview.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
Ireland: Tidal Power Comes to Market
The world's first commercial tidal-power system has been connected totheNational Grid in Northern Ireland. Built by the British tidal-energycompanyMarine Current Technologies (MCT), the 1.2-megawatt system consistsof twosubmerged turbines that are harvesting energy from Strangford Lough'stidalcurrents. The company expects that once the system, called SeaGen, is fullyoperational, it will be able to provide electricity to approximatelyonethousand homes. The system is currently being tested and has brieflygenerated 150 kilowattsof power into the grid. But it has also damaged oneof its rotors due to afailure in the control system when the rotor beganturning too fast.Although the problem was a minor setback, the unit is notexpected to startrunning continuously and at full capacity until November,says Peter Fraenkel, the technical director at MCT.
http://www.technologyreview.com/printer_friendly_article.aspx?id=21142&channel=energy§ion
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
FLORIDA DIGEST - July 29, 2008
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Principal mistreated gays, judge says
A federal judge scolded a Panhandle school principal, saying the officialled a "relentless crusade" against gay and lesbian students at Ponce de LeonHigh School. Student Heather Gillman and the American Civil Liberties Unionsued the Holmes County School District. A federal judge ruled that Davisviolated Gillman's rights by silencing all pro-gay messages.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-flfstudent0729sbjul29,0,7935943.story
-Broward State Attorney's Office seeks extradition of 9/11 con artist
Fugitive used flashy California guise
He was known around Long Beach, Calif., as the "Boy About Town" - aflamboyant, self-styled Internet gossip meister who burst onto the town'spolitical and social scenes. But there was more to him than reliablyshowing up at gala events and declaring people "fabulous." The "Boy" was aman with a notorious past - one that caught up with him this month and hashim facing extradition to Broward County.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbhenn0729sbjul29,0,3783041.story
=
DOLPHIN DEMOCRATS GET OUT THE VOTE TABLE
GLCC FLEA MARKET
SATURDAY, AUGUST 2 - 8AM- 2PM
GLCC - 1717 NORTH ANDREWS AVE, FT. LAUDERDALE
SET UP TIME IS MOST NEEDED; ONLY NEED TWO PEOPLE
@ 7AM ( THEY STAY TO 9AM)
AND THEN FLOATING SHIFTS EVERY TWO HOURS
9AM- 11AM - 11AM -1PM & 12 NOON TO 2PM
INTERESTED IN MAKING A DEMOCRATIC CHANGE?
CALL MICHAEL ALBETTA-954-390-6537
IF YOU'RE A CANDIDATE; GREAT PLACE TO GREET & MEET ALL THE PEOPLE !
~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Engineers make progress with Lake Okeechobee wall construction
Repair work on aging dike showing signs of progress
With repair work lingering through another hurricane season, constructioncrews have finished the first section of wall intended to help preventbreaches of Lake Okeechobee's aging dike. Installation of the initial3,500-foot section at Port Mayaca was completed July 11. Strength testing isexpected to last until mid-August, according to the Army Corps of Engineers.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flplakeo0729pnjul29,0,3577194.story
-Bob Butterworth resigns as DCF secretary
Department of Children & Families Secretary Bob Butterworth is resigning. Noexplanation was immediately given. Butterworth has led the troubled stateagency since December 2006.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-729butterworth,0,2810458.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-MIAMI-DADE SCHOOLS: Dade schools superintendent facing a sharp divide
With three School Board members now calling for his ouster, Miami-DadeSchool Superintendent Rudy Crew could face a tense confrontation Tuesday.
Rudy Crew was lured to Miami-Dade County by a team of community leaders whothought he was the right man to rescue the troubled school district. Parents embraced him. Teachers celebrated his arrival. A local businessleader threw in $240,000 of his own money to seal the deal with Crew.
http://www.miamiherald.com/457/story/621353.html
-Downtown Wal-Mart draws residents' ire
The warehouse-style retailer is eyeing property next to the Adrienne ArshtCenter and looking to provide low-cost goods in a trendy setting. But somesay it doesn't fit in with city culture. Got a hankering for opera -- and$29 patio furniture? Miami may soon have just the place for you.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/story/621355.html
-EDUCATION: Schools get tough on bullies
The Broward School Board has approved a new anti-bullying policy to broadenthe definition of bullying and track offenders. Broward has become thefirst Florida school district to put in place a new anti-bullying policybefore year's end, as required by law. Starting this week, Broward schoolsare rolling out a new computerized system for reporting and trackingbullying. State lawmakers passed a measure earlier this year requiring alldistricts adopt comprehensive anti-bullying policies by December.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/broward/story/621321.html
-Ros-Lehtinen, Taddeo pledge to fight Florida gay marriage ban
U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a House leader on gay issues, has pledged tofight Florida's proposed constitutional ban on gay marriage. ''We have abig challenge ahead of us,'' Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami, told members of thegay-oriented Miami Log Cabin Republicans club, which met Sunday night inMiami Shores.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/campaign-2008/story/620758.html
=
Mayor Steven B. Feren
Candidate for Broward County Circuit Court Judge, Group 27
Fundraising reception Sunday, August 3, 2008 4 - 6 P.M.
Georgie's Alibi - DANA MANCHESTER ROOM
226 Wilton Dr. (N.E. 4th Ave.)
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33305
Minimum Donation $25
ferenforjudge@aol.com
=
Linda Bird for Senate District 25
Campaign Kick Off Party
Special Guests
Senator Nan Rich and Senator Skip Campbell
Thursday, July 31st at 6:00 PM - 8:00
Hermitage Building One - 3100 North Ocean Blvd
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308
General Area: End of Oakland Park Blvd, east of A1A
Carpool please. Park in valet, or street side parking across A1A.
Please email winbroward08@aol.com
=
Palm Beach Post
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Oil drilling could strike gold for GOP
Until recently, offshore oil drilling was the lethal third rail of Floridapolitics, opposed with near unanimity by elected Democrats and Republicansthroughout the state. But in the new era of $4-a-gallon gasoline, all threeRepublicans in the state's hottest congressional primary have made supportfor drilling part of their standard talking points. Gayle Harrell and HalValeche feature the once-unspeakable D-word in their latest mailings, whileTom Rooney's campaign is circulating a video that shows him seeming moreeager to drill than his rivals at a candidate forum in May - weeks beforeGOP prez hopeful John McCain announced his support for drilling and Gov.Charlie Crist abandoned past opposition and declared his openness to theidea.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2008/07/27/m3b_palmbeachpolitics_0728.html
-Murder to mortgage: How did state let it happen?
Don Saxon is poised to join the ranks of Tom Herndon and ColemanStipanovich. Mr. Herndon was director of the state Board of Administration,which runs Florida's investment funds, when a money manager kept buyingEnron stock for the fund even after the company admitted to cooking thebooks. No state lost more money on Enron than Florida. Mr. Stipanovich, whosucceeded Mr. Herndon, was in charge when one of the state's funds nearlycollapsed last year because of improper, high-risk investments. Both mensaid they had not been at fault.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2008/07/29/a10a_leadedit_brokers_0729.html
-Here's mud in Lieberman's eye
The battle of the Orthodox Jewish congressmen played out last week in SouthFlorida. Sen. Joe Lieberman, one-time Democratic vice presidentialcandidate, current Independent from Connecticut and Orthodox Jew, came toSouth Florida last week to persuade Jewish voters to do what he did: Dumpthe Democratic standard-bearer and go Republican.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2008/07/29/a10a_engelhardtcol_0729.html
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Too easy for Florida felons to regain civil rights
Attorney General Bill McCollum says the disclosure that the state haslicensed some convicted felons as mortgage brokers proves Florida has madeit too easy for people with criminal records to get their civil rightsrestored.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article744996.ece
-Alligator Alley lease raises toll concerns
I-75 security also factor in money-making trend
An international trend may soon hit Alligator Alley. Last week, sixcompanies submitted proposals to lease the 78-mile toll road in exchange foran upfront lump sum that would offset the state's current budget crunch.
http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080729/NEWS01/807290371/1002
-Recruiting Scandal by Eve Fairbanks
The House GOP's desperate choice for desperate times.
Coconut Creek: Most political junkies never get the chance to protect thecandidates they admire from rapacious Muslim terrorists with a yen fortelevised beheadings. But, just last week, Yomin Postelnik--a Pompano Beach,Florida, GOP activist--answered his own personal three a.m. call when, hewrote, a "low-level operative" with a Middle Eastern group attempted toferry the Republican nominee for Congress in Florida's 22nd district, AllenWest, to "an undisclosed location" and "pull off what most certainly seemsto be a heinous stunt." Outraged, Postelnik posted a promise of retaliationagainst "the fiends" who targeted West at the news site CanadaFreePress.com,where he is a columnist. "I'd caution you against so much as threateningthis man again, as the result would be a torrent of articles and bookshighlighting his exemplary nature and service," he wrote. "More writers thanyou care to know of have made this pact out of admiration for Allen and forwhat he stands for[.]" Fortunately, Allen West managed to save himself. Tobe fair, it wasn't that hard. The fiendish Middle Eastern group was AlJazeera, the intended "stunt" was an interview for a segment on blackRepublicans, and West just politely declined. The next day, when he regaleda group (including Postelnik) at a Coconut Creek retirement community withthe tale of Al Jazeera's interview request, he meant the "undisclosedlocation" part to be a joke. "I doubt anyone was thinking about kidnappingme," he admitted later.
http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=24bca34f-6a82-401d-a964-cb667b77a0c9
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Principal mistreated gays, judge says
A federal judge scolded a Panhandle school principal, saying the officialled a "relentless crusade" against gay and lesbian students at Ponce de LeonHigh School. Student Heather Gillman and the American Civil Liberties Unionsued the Holmes County School District. A federal judge ruled that Davisviolated Gillman's rights by silencing all pro-gay messages.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-flfstudent0729sbjul29,0,7935943.story
-Broward State Attorney's Office seeks extradition of 9/11 con artist
Fugitive used flashy California guise
He was known around Long Beach, Calif., as the "Boy About Town" - aflamboyant, self-styled Internet gossip meister who burst onto the town'spolitical and social scenes. But there was more to him than reliablyshowing up at gala events and declaring people "fabulous." The "Boy" was aman with a notorious past - one that caught up with him this month and hashim facing extradition to Broward County.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbhenn0729sbjul29,0,3783041.story
=
DOLPHIN DEMOCRATS GET OUT THE VOTE TABLE
GLCC FLEA MARKET
SATURDAY, AUGUST 2 - 8AM- 2PM
GLCC - 1717 NORTH ANDREWS AVE, FT. LAUDERDALE
SET UP TIME IS MOST NEEDED; ONLY NEED TWO PEOPLE
@ 7AM ( THEY STAY TO 9AM)
AND THEN FLOATING SHIFTS EVERY TWO HOURS
9AM- 11AM - 11AM -1PM & 12 NOON TO 2PM
INTERESTED IN MAKING A DEMOCRATIC CHANGE?
CALL MICHAEL ALBETTA-954-390-6537
IF YOU'RE A CANDIDATE; GREAT PLACE TO GREET & MEET ALL THE PEOPLE !
~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Engineers make progress with Lake Okeechobee wall construction
Repair work on aging dike showing signs of progress
With repair work lingering through another hurricane season, constructioncrews have finished the first section of wall intended to help preventbreaches of Lake Okeechobee's aging dike. Installation of the initial3,500-foot section at Port Mayaca was completed July 11. Strength testing isexpected to last until mid-August, according to the Army Corps of Engineers.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flplakeo0729pnjul29,0,3577194.story
-Bob Butterworth resigns as DCF secretary
Department of Children & Families Secretary Bob Butterworth is resigning. Noexplanation was immediately given. Butterworth has led the troubled stateagency since December 2006.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-729butterworth,0,2810458.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-MIAMI-DADE SCHOOLS: Dade schools superintendent facing a sharp divide
With three School Board members now calling for his ouster, Miami-DadeSchool Superintendent Rudy Crew could face a tense confrontation Tuesday.
Rudy Crew was lured to Miami-Dade County by a team of community leaders whothought he was the right man to rescue the troubled school district. Parents embraced him. Teachers celebrated his arrival. A local businessleader threw in $240,000 of his own money to seal the deal with Crew.
http://www.miamiherald.com/457/story/621353.html
-Downtown Wal-Mart draws residents' ire
The warehouse-style retailer is eyeing property next to the Adrienne ArshtCenter and looking to provide low-cost goods in a trendy setting. But somesay it doesn't fit in with city culture. Got a hankering for opera -- and$29 patio furniture? Miami may soon have just the place for you.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/story/621355.html
-EDUCATION: Schools get tough on bullies
The Broward School Board has approved a new anti-bullying policy to broadenthe definition of bullying and track offenders. Broward has become thefirst Florida school district to put in place a new anti-bullying policybefore year's end, as required by law. Starting this week, Broward schoolsare rolling out a new computerized system for reporting and trackingbullying. State lawmakers passed a measure earlier this year requiring alldistricts adopt comprehensive anti-bullying policies by December.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/broward/story/621321.html
-Ros-Lehtinen, Taddeo pledge to fight Florida gay marriage ban
U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a House leader on gay issues, has pledged tofight Florida's proposed constitutional ban on gay marriage. ''We have abig challenge ahead of us,'' Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami, told members of thegay-oriented Miami Log Cabin Republicans club, which met Sunday night inMiami Shores.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/campaign-2008/story/620758.html
=
Mayor Steven B. Feren
Candidate for Broward County Circuit Court Judge, Group 27
Fundraising reception Sunday, August 3, 2008 4 - 6 P.M.
Georgie's Alibi - DANA MANCHESTER ROOM
226 Wilton Dr. (N.E. 4th Ave.)
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33305
Minimum Donation $25
ferenforjudge@aol.com
=
Linda Bird for Senate District 25
Campaign Kick Off Party
Special Guests
Senator Nan Rich and Senator Skip Campbell
Thursday, July 31st at 6:00 PM - 8:00
Hermitage Building One - 3100 North Ocean Blvd
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308
General Area: End of Oakland Park Blvd, east of A1A
Carpool please. Park in valet, or street side parking across A1A.
Please email winbroward08@aol.com
=
Palm Beach Post
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Oil drilling could strike gold for GOP
Until recently, offshore oil drilling was the lethal third rail of Floridapolitics, opposed with near unanimity by elected Democrats and Republicansthroughout the state. But in the new era of $4-a-gallon gasoline, all threeRepublicans in the state's hottest congressional primary have made supportfor drilling part of their standard talking points. Gayle Harrell and HalValeche feature the once-unspeakable D-word in their latest mailings, whileTom Rooney's campaign is circulating a video that shows him seeming moreeager to drill than his rivals at a candidate forum in May - weeks beforeGOP prez hopeful John McCain announced his support for drilling and Gov.Charlie Crist abandoned past opposition and declared his openness to theidea.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2008/07/27/m3b_palmbeachpolitics_0728.html
-Murder to mortgage: How did state let it happen?
Don Saxon is poised to join the ranks of Tom Herndon and ColemanStipanovich. Mr. Herndon was director of the state Board of Administration,which runs Florida's investment funds, when a money manager kept buyingEnron stock for the fund even after the company admitted to cooking thebooks. No state lost more money on Enron than Florida. Mr. Stipanovich, whosucceeded Mr. Herndon, was in charge when one of the state's funds nearlycollapsed last year because of improper, high-risk investments. Both mensaid they had not been at fault.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2008/07/29/a10a_leadedit_brokers_0729.html
-Here's mud in Lieberman's eye
The battle of the Orthodox Jewish congressmen played out last week in SouthFlorida. Sen. Joe Lieberman, one-time Democratic vice presidentialcandidate, current Independent from Connecticut and Orthodox Jew, came toSouth Florida last week to persuade Jewish voters to do what he did: Dumpthe Democratic standard-bearer and go Republican.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2008/07/29/a10a_engelhardtcol_0729.html
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Too easy for Florida felons to regain civil rights
Attorney General Bill McCollum says the disclosure that the state haslicensed some convicted felons as mortgage brokers proves Florida has madeit too easy for people with criminal records to get their civil rightsrestored.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article744996.ece
-Alligator Alley lease raises toll concerns
I-75 security also factor in money-making trend
An international trend may soon hit Alligator Alley. Last week, sixcompanies submitted proposals to lease the 78-mile toll road in exchange foran upfront lump sum that would offset the state's current budget crunch.
http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080729/NEWS01/807290371/1002
-Recruiting Scandal by Eve Fairbanks
The House GOP's desperate choice for desperate times.
Coconut Creek: Most political junkies never get the chance to protect thecandidates they admire from rapacious Muslim terrorists with a yen fortelevised beheadings. But, just last week, Yomin Postelnik--a Pompano Beach,Florida, GOP activist--answered his own personal three a.m. call when, hewrote, a "low-level operative" with a Middle Eastern group attempted toferry the Republican nominee for Congress in Florida's 22nd district, AllenWest, to "an undisclosed location" and "pull off what most certainly seemsto be a heinous stunt." Outraged, Postelnik posted a promise of retaliationagainst "the fiends" who targeted West at the news site CanadaFreePress.com,where he is a columnist. "I'd caution you against so much as threateningthis man again, as the result would be a torrent of articles and bookshighlighting his exemplary nature and service," he wrote. "More writers thanyou care to know of have made this pact out of admiration for Allen and forwhat he stands for[.]" Fortunately, Allen West managed to save himself. Tobe fair, it wasn't that hard. The fiendish Middle Eastern group was AlJazeera, the intended "stunt" was an interview for a segment on blackRepublicans, and West just politely declined. The next day, when he regaleda group (including Postelnik) at a Coconut Creek retirement community withthe tale of Al Jazeera's interview request, he meant the "undisclosedlocation" part to be a joke. "I doubt anyone was thinking about kidnappingme," he admitted later.
http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=24bca34f-6a82-401d-a964-cb667b77a0c9
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
Monday, July 28, 2008
GLBT DIGEST - July 28, 2008
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Aging and Gay, and Facing Prejudice in Twilight
Even now, at 81 and with her memory beginning to fade, Gloria Donadellorecalls her painful brush with bigotry at an assisted-living center in SantaFe, N.M. Sitting with those she considered friends, "people were laughingand making certain kinds of comments, and I told them, 'Please don't dothat, because I'm gay.'"
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/09/us/09aged.html
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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Man charged in Tenn. church shooting that killed 2
Authorities were investigating why an apparent stranger entered a church andopened fire during a children's performance of "Annie," killing two,including a man witnesses called a hero for shielding others from gunfire.Seven others were wounded Sunday at the Unitarian church and attendeestackled the gunman.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/28/AR2008072800273.html
-Sen. John McCain endorsed an end to affirmative action, saying yesterdaythat he supports a referendum in Arizona that would end race- andgender-based preferences. "I do not believe in quotas," the senator fromArizona said on ABC's "This Week." "But I have not seen the details of someof these proposals. But I've always opposed quotas."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/27/AR2008072701832.html
-Trans Formed: To Be Homeless & Transgender
The night my church opened its 10-bed homeless shelter for18-to-24-year-olds, I volunteered to supervise them. A novice to any kind ofshelter experience, I was nervous as I dragged my red cart with pillow andblanket to the church, and grateful that Mina, an elegant, 70-somethingsocial worker, also would be there.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/27/AR2008072701583.html
-Nike pulls ads on anti-gay concerns: report
The world's largest sportswear and shoe company Nike Inc has pulled someadvertisements that appeared to send out anti-gay messages, according to theonline edition of The Oregonian newspaper. The newspaper said controversyarose last week over some advertisements for Nike's new Hyperdunk basketballshoes. The ads were dubbed homophobic by bloggers and critics, the papersaid.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/28/AR2008072800531.html
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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Hate Crimes Against Gays Rise in L.A.
Hate crimes in Los Angeles County soared last year to their highest mark infive years even as overall crime dropped across the region, according to areport released Thursday. The annual report by the county's human relationscommission shows 763 hate crimes were reported in 2007, a 28 percentincrease from 2006.
http://www.365gay.com/news/072508-hate-crimes-gays/
-Lesbian B-Ball Coaches Claim Wrongful Firing
The National Center for Lesbian Rights filed a lawsuit on behalf of twoformer women's college basketball coaches who claim they were fired afterspeaking out about unequal treatment of female athletes and coaches.
http://www.365gay.com/news/lesbian-b-ball-coaches-claim-wrongful-firing/
-Lawsuit Over Police Shooting Of Gay Man
The family of a man who died after being shot by police during a gaypride-related cruise in San Diego Harbor is planning to file state andfederal civil rights lawsuits.
http://www.365gay.com/news/072508-san-diego-lawsuit/
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National Gay News
http://nationalgaynews.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Several People Shot at Gay Affirming Church in Knoxville
Church services were disrupted today at a gay-affirming church in Knoxvillewhen a lone gunman opened fire killing at least one person, and woundingseveral more. Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, 2931 KingstonPike, Knoxville, was the site of the vicious attack. It occurred while agroup of children were singing for the congregation when the gunman openedfire. The children were starring in a production of "Annie" that was takingplace as part of the normal Sunday service at the time of the shooting.
-The Importance of "Coming Out" and the Difference it Makes
The whole process known as "coming out" otherwise known as "coming out ofthe closet" is a phrase that plagues many young gay, lesbian, transgender,and transsexuals. The risk of coming out to your loved ones almost outweighsthe benefits and many wait until they are out of their parents house or overthe age of eighteen. Unfortunately the world has failed to realize thatbeing gay is not an alternate lifestyle choice but instead the way that weare made. Typically all young gay people play the straight role throughouttheir high school years especially depending on their religion, theirrelationship with their parents, the location that they live in, and justthe general overall reaction they believe will occur after revealingthemselves.
-Rent Boy Blackmailed Priest For Two Years
A RENT boy tormented a gay Catholic priest for more than two years bythreatening to expose his sexuality, a court heard yesterday. John Gallagherforced the 61-year-old to pay £3,000 for his silence and regularly visitedthe chapel house in Glasgow to demand cash. The pair met in KelvingrovePark in the city's West End, where the cleric often went to use the servicesof male prostitutes.
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Marriage Equality News
http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-UK: "Catholic adoption agency's new policy will allow homosexuals to adopt"
Link: Catholic News Agency
The largest Catholic adoption agency in England and Wales has decided toimplement an adoption policy that does not rule out same-sex couples in theface of new laws that forbid such screening. The change in its adoptionpolicy was made with the full support of the bishops who oversee the agency.The decision, made by the Catholic Children's Society of Arundel andBrighton, Portsmouth and Southwark (A&BSP) means the society will not turnaway any homosexual couples who present themselves as potential adopters.Terry Connor, chief executive of the society, explained to The Universe thatany changes would not start until January and were a direct result of therecent Sexual Orientation Regulations which enforced "rights" for same sexcouples who wish to adopt.
-Costa Rica: "Marchers Protested Same-Sex Couples Rights"
Link: Inside Costa Rica
Dressed in white t-shirts, some 20.000 people jammed Paseo Colón, in SanJosé, yesterday to express their views in opposition of a legislativeproposal to allow same-sex couples the rights of spouses. The march beganat 8am in front of the Hospital San Juan de Dios and ended shortly beforenoon at the La Sabana park. Organied by the Federación Alianza EvangélicaCostarricense, people from all over the country took part in the march. "Weare making a call to legislators against the proposal that is currentlybefore the Legislative Assembly, that would consent the union ofhomosexual", said Reynaldo Salazar.
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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Report shows "significant progress" for gays in Ireland
A forum that advises the Irish government on equality and social inclusionhas said that there has been progress on gay rights in the past five years.
-Congress discussion on Bush impeachment is "anger management"
With his run for the White House behind him, Representative Dennis Kucinichgot an official airing in the House Judiciary Committee last week in hiscontinued quest to impeach President Bush.
=
Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:
-Spanish Pro-Family Group Files Charges Against Homosexual Groups for "HateSpeech"
A Spanish pro-family activist group, HazteOir, has filed charges against the organizers of the 2008 Madrid "Gay Pride" march for "hate speech," according to the group's website. HazteOir accuses the march organizers of making hateful statements against Catholics, pro-family organizations, and those politicians opposed to the Spanish Socialist Worker's Party (PSOE) . The PSOE, which currently occupies the position of Prime Minister and holds a majority in the Spanish Parliament, supports special "rights" for homosexuals. Amongst numerous other things, "Gay Pride" marchers in Madrid held a banner depicting Pope Benedict XVI on fire and calling him "chief of the inquisitors." "Yet again, the march has been marked by attacks against the Catholic Church, mockery of the bishops and slogans against Christians, " writes HazteOir. Article 525.1 of the Spanish Penal Code, which HazteOir is invoking to support their case, applies a heavy fine of 8 to 12 months of pay to those who seek to "hurt the feelings of the members of a religious confession" by "publicly, by word or through any type of document, make fun of their dogmas, beliefs, rites, or ceremonies, or publicly humiliate those who profess or practice them."
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/jul/08072504.html
-German pædophile with HIV jailed
A German man has been jailed after traveling to the far east for underagesex tourism and infecting people with HIV knowingly Kiel: A 49-year-oldHIV-positive musician who sexually molested boys in Cambodia was jailedFriday for six and a half years, with the German court ruling that he mustbe detained afterwards till he was no longer a risk to anyone else. JudgeStefan Becker said in Kiel the accused was perverted, incorrigible andunwilling to accept any behavioural therapy. "He can't alter the factthat he is paedophile, but if he had wanted, he could have changed the wayhe copes with his paedophilia," said the judge in the northern city of Kiel.The defendant has a long criminal record for similar offences. ACambodian boy, 8, who was flown to Germany with his mother, had crediblytestified about the sex acts with boys in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. Thevictim was only 6 at the time. The public was barred from the German courtwhile the evidence was taken.
http://www.paul-moor.com/
-Playing it straight by living a double life
Cyprus may no longer be the narrow-minded conservative place it once was,but for the gay community little has changed
The old joke about homosexuality could have been thought up for Cyprus."What's the difference between being black and being gay?" "If you are blackyou don't ever need to sit down and tell your Mother." In many parts of theworld, it's generally accepted that sexual orientation is neither aconscious choice nor anything that can be changed voluntarily. This concepthas not yet been accepted in Cyprus, where homosexuality is rarely addressedand still 'never dares speak its name'. Here, the majority of gay men andwomen have to remain in a permanent state of public denial about their truesexuality. I wanted to find out what 'being gay in Cyprus' in 2008 meant toour young men and women and, if attitudes had indeed changed, away from theoutright condemnation and social persecution which existed when I spoke tosimilar groups of gay men and women in Paphos six years ago.
http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=40530&cat_id=9
-Gay sex is a sin, say four in five ProtestantsCanterbury
Most Christians believe gay sex is a sin and that practising gays should notbe ordained. A survey by ComRes of 517 Protestant Christians in Britainfound that only 3% of nonCatholic Christians believe homosexuality is not asin, while 81% say it is and 15% say "it is more complicated than this".Taking into account all Protestant denominations, 81% believe that gay sexis sinful. The survey also found that the Archbishop of Canterbury,Rowan Williams, lacks majority support. Only one in three Anglicans said DrWilliams represented their views. The Archbishop, preaching at St. Dunstan's, Canterbury, yesterday, had some criticism of his own for theChurch. He said: "Our Anglican family badly needs to find some ways ofresolving its internal tensions that will set it free to be more confidentlywhat God wants it to be." The survey was published as the Governmentgranted asylum to a leading Nigerian gay Christian activist, DavisMacIyalla.
=
Forwarded by Bill Sterling
whsterling1@yahoo.com
-California: Out-of-state money floods to Prop. 8
When Bruce Bastian of Utah stood up Saturday night at a San Francisco dinnerand wrote a $1 million check for the campaign against Proposition 8, he madeit clearer than ever that November's ballot fight over a ban on same-sexmarriage won't be a California-only affair. Supporters of the effort toban same-sex marriage already have taken in more than $1.2 million fromout-of-state contributors for the fall campaign. And even before Bastian, aco-founder of the WordPerfect software company, opened his checkbook, gayand lesbian rights groups and their supporters from around the country hadput more than $1.3 million into the fight against the ballot initiative."This is a campaign that's important to the entire country, not justCalifornia," said Brad Luna, a spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign,sponsor of the fundraising dinner that brought more than 750 people to theSt. Francis Hotel on Saturday. "The result will have effects across theUnited States."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2008/07/27/BA7E12038R.DTL
-Lawyer for Oxnard youth accused of killing gay classmate wants trial tobegin soon
As Brandon McInerney, 14, will be tried in adult court, his lawyer wants ajury to weigh in before his client gets much older. A lawyer for an Oxnardmiddle school student charged with killing gay classmate Lawrence King saidFriday that he wants to get the case in front of a jury quickly now that aVentura County judge has turned down his request to move it to juvenilecourt.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-oxnard26-2008jul26,0,6621379.story
-Filmmaker uncovers the struggle of gay Muslims in 'A Jihad for Love'
Parvez Sharma's documentary depicts their battle to reconcile their sexualorientation with their devotion to a faith that condemns their way of life.The film screens at an L.A. theater next week. "AJihad for Love" may not bethe blockbuster movie of the season, but the new documentary about theplight of gay and lesbian Muslims is enjoying a degree of acclaim as itcasts light on a subject often shrouded in mystery.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-beliefs26-2008jul26,0,4447210.story
=
Forwarded from Michael Emanuel Rajner
merajner@gmail.com
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-Meditation slows AIDS progression, study finds
Meditation may slow the worsening of AIDS in just a few weeks, perhaps byaffecting the immune system, U.S. researchers reported on Thursday. If thefindings are borne out in larger studies, it could offer a cheap andpleasant way to help people battle the incurable and often fatal condition,the team at the University of California Los Angeles said. They tested astress-lowering program called mindfulness meditation, definedas practicingan open and receptive awareness of the present moment, avoiding thinking ofthe past or worrying about the future. The more often the volunteersmeditated, the higher their CD4 T-cell counts -- a standard measure of howwell the immune system is fighting the AIDS virus. The CD4 counts weremeasured before and after the two-month program.
http://www.reutershealth.com/en/index.html
-"Is Buddhism Good for Your Health?"
In July 1997, Davidson recruited human subjects at a small biotech companyoutside Madison called Promega to study the effects of Buddhist-stylemeditation on the neural and immunological activity of ordinaryAmericanoffice workers. The employees' brains were wired and measured beforethey began a course in meditation training taught by Kabat-Zinn. It was acontrolled, randomized study, and after eight weeks, the researchers wouldtest brain and immune markers to assess the effects of meditation. There wasreluctance among some employees to volunteer, but eventually, about fourdozen employees participated in the study. Once a week for eight weeks,Kabat-Zinn would show up at Promega with his boom box, his red and purplemeditation tape cassettes and his Tibetan chimes, and the assembled Promegaemployees -- scientists, marketing people, lab techs and even some managers -- would sit on the floor of a conference room and practicemindfulness for three hours.
=
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#####
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Aging and Gay, and Facing Prejudice in Twilight
Even now, at 81 and with her memory beginning to fade, Gloria Donadellorecalls her painful brush with bigotry at an assisted-living center in SantaFe, N.M. Sitting with those she considered friends, "people were laughingand making certain kinds of comments, and I told them, 'Please don't dothat, because I'm gay.'"
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/09/us/09aged.html
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Man charged in Tenn. church shooting that killed 2
Authorities were investigating why an apparent stranger entered a church andopened fire during a children's performance of "Annie," killing two,including a man witnesses called a hero for shielding others from gunfire.Seven others were wounded Sunday at the Unitarian church and attendeestackled the gunman.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/28/AR2008072800273.html
-Sen. John McCain endorsed an end to affirmative action, saying yesterdaythat he supports a referendum in Arizona that would end race- andgender-based preferences. "I do not believe in quotas," the senator fromArizona said on ABC's "This Week." "But I have not seen the details of someof these proposals. But I've always opposed quotas."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/27/AR2008072701832.html
-Trans Formed: To Be Homeless & Transgender
The night my church opened its 10-bed homeless shelter for18-to-24-year-olds, I volunteered to supervise them. A novice to any kind ofshelter experience, I was nervous as I dragged my red cart with pillow andblanket to the church, and grateful that Mina, an elegant, 70-somethingsocial worker, also would be there.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/27/AR2008072701583.html
-Nike pulls ads on anti-gay concerns: report
The world's largest sportswear and shoe company Nike Inc has pulled someadvertisements that appeared to send out anti-gay messages, according to theonline edition of The Oregonian newspaper. The newspaper said controversyarose last week over some advertisements for Nike's new Hyperdunk basketballshoes. The ads were dubbed homophobic by bloggers and critics, the papersaid.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/28/AR2008072800531.html
=
365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Hate Crimes Against Gays Rise in L.A.
Hate crimes in Los Angeles County soared last year to their highest mark infive years even as overall crime dropped across the region, according to areport released Thursday. The annual report by the county's human relationscommission shows 763 hate crimes were reported in 2007, a 28 percentincrease from 2006.
http://www.365gay.com/news/072508-hate-crimes-gays/
-Lesbian B-Ball Coaches Claim Wrongful Firing
The National Center for Lesbian Rights filed a lawsuit on behalf of twoformer women's college basketball coaches who claim they were fired afterspeaking out about unequal treatment of female athletes and coaches.
http://www.365gay.com/news/lesbian-b-ball-coaches-claim-wrongful-firing/
-Lawsuit Over Police Shooting Of Gay Man
The family of a man who died after being shot by police during a gaypride-related cruise in San Diego Harbor is planning to file state andfederal civil rights lawsuits.
http://www.365gay.com/news/072508-san-diego-lawsuit/
=
National Gay News
http://nationalgaynews.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Several People Shot at Gay Affirming Church in Knoxville
Church services were disrupted today at a gay-affirming church in Knoxvillewhen a lone gunman opened fire killing at least one person, and woundingseveral more. Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, 2931 KingstonPike, Knoxville, was the site of the vicious attack. It occurred while agroup of children were singing for the congregation when the gunman openedfire. The children were starring in a production of "Annie" that was takingplace as part of the normal Sunday service at the time of the shooting.
-The Importance of "Coming Out" and the Difference it Makes
The whole process known as "coming out" otherwise known as "coming out ofthe closet" is a phrase that plagues many young gay, lesbian, transgender,and transsexuals. The risk of coming out to your loved ones almost outweighsthe benefits and many wait until they are out of their parents house or overthe age of eighteen. Unfortunately the world has failed to realize thatbeing gay is not an alternate lifestyle choice but instead the way that weare made. Typically all young gay people play the straight role throughouttheir high school years especially depending on their religion, theirrelationship with their parents, the location that they live in, and justthe general overall reaction they believe will occur after revealingthemselves.
-Rent Boy Blackmailed Priest For Two Years
A RENT boy tormented a gay Catholic priest for more than two years bythreatening to expose his sexuality, a court heard yesterday. John Gallagherforced the 61-year-old to pay £3,000 for his silence and regularly visitedthe chapel house in Glasgow to demand cash. The pair met in KelvingrovePark in the city's West End, where the cleric often went to use the servicesof male prostitutes.
=
Marriage Equality News
http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-UK: "Catholic adoption agency's new policy will allow homosexuals to adopt"
Link: Catholic News Agency
The largest Catholic adoption agency in England and Wales has decided toimplement an adoption policy that does not rule out same-sex couples in theface of new laws that forbid such screening. The change in its adoptionpolicy was made with the full support of the bishops who oversee the agency.The decision, made by the Catholic Children's Society of Arundel andBrighton, Portsmouth and Southwark (A&BSP) means the society will not turnaway any homosexual couples who present themselves as potential adopters.Terry Connor, chief executive of the society, explained to The Universe thatany changes would not start until January and were a direct result of therecent Sexual Orientation Regulations which enforced "rights" for same sexcouples who wish to adopt.
-Costa Rica: "Marchers Protested Same-Sex Couples Rights"
Link: Inside Costa Rica
Dressed in white t-shirts, some 20.000 people jammed Paseo Colón, in SanJosé, yesterday to express their views in opposition of a legislativeproposal to allow same-sex couples the rights of spouses. The march beganat 8am in front of the Hospital San Juan de Dios and ended shortly beforenoon at the La Sabana park. Organied by the Federación Alianza EvangélicaCostarricense, people from all over the country took part in the march. "Weare making a call to legislators against the proposal that is currentlybefore the Legislative Assembly, that would consent the union ofhomosexual", said Reynaldo Salazar.
=
Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Report shows "significant progress" for gays in Ireland
A forum that advises the Irish government on equality and social inclusionhas said that there has been progress on gay rights in the past five years.
-Congress discussion on Bush impeachment is "anger management"
With his run for the White House behind him, Representative Dennis Kucinichgot an official airing in the House Judiciary Committee last week in hiscontinued quest to impeach President Bush.
=
Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:
-Spanish Pro-Family Group Files Charges Against Homosexual Groups for "HateSpeech"
A Spanish pro-family activist group, HazteOir, has filed charges against the organizers of the 2008 Madrid "Gay Pride" march for "hate speech," according to the group's website. HazteOir accuses the march organizers of making hateful statements against Catholics, pro-family organizations, and those politicians opposed to the Spanish Socialist Worker's Party (PSOE) . The PSOE, which currently occupies the position of Prime Minister and holds a majority in the Spanish Parliament, supports special "rights" for homosexuals. Amongst numerous other things, "Gay Pride" marchers in Madrid held a banner depicting Pope Benedict XVI on fire and calling him "chief of the inquisitors." "Yet again, the march has been marked by attacks against the Catholic Church, mockery of the bishops and slogans against Christians, " writes HazteOir. Article 525.1 of the Spanish Penal Code, which HazteOir is invoking to support their case, applies a heavy fine of 8 to 12 months of pay to those who seek to "hurt the feelings of the members of a religious confession" by "publicly, by word or through any type of document, make fun of their dogmas, beliefs, rites, or ceremonies, or publicly humiliate those who profess or practice them."
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/jul/08072504.html
-German pædophile with HIV jailed
A German man has been jailed after traveling to the far east for underagesex tourism and infecting people with HIV knowingly Kiel: A 49-year-oldHIV-positive musician who sexually molested boys in Cambodia was jailedFriday for six and a half years, with the German court ruling that he mustbe detained afterwards till he was no longer a risk to anyone else. JudgeStefan Becker said in Kiel the accused was perverted, incorrigible andunwilling to accept any behavioural therapy. "He can't alter the factthat he is paedophile, but if he had wanted, he could have changed the wayhe copes with his paedophilia," said the judge in the northern city of Kiel.The defendant has a long criminal record for similar offences. ACambodian boy, 8, who was flown to Germany with his mother, had crediblytestified about the sex acts with boys in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. Thevictim was only 6 at the time. The public was barred from the German courtwhile the evidence was taken.
http://www.paul-moor.com/
-Playing it straight by living a double life
Cyprus may no longer be the narrow-minded conservative place it once was,but for the gay community little has changed
The old joke about homosexuality could have been thought up for Cyprus."What's the difference between being black and being gay?" "If you are blackyou don't ever need to sit down and tell your Mother." In many parts of theworld, it's generally accepted that sexual orientation is neither aconscious choice nor anything that can be changed voluntarily. This concepthas not yet been accepted in Cyprus, where homosexuality is rarely addressedand still 'never dares speak its name'. Here, the majority of gay men andwomen have to remain in a permanent state of public denial about their truesexuality. I wanted to find out what 'being gay in Cyprus' in 2008 meant toour young men and women and, if attitudes had indeed changed, away from theoutright condemnation and social persecution which existed when I spoke tosimilar groups of gay men and women in Paphos six years ago.
http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=40530&cat_id=9
-Gay sex is a sin, say four in five ProtestantsCanterbury
Most Christians believe gay sex is a sin and that practising gays should notbe ordained. A survey by ComRes of 517 Protestant Christians in Britainfound that only 3% of nonCatholic Christians believe homosexuality is not asin, while 81% say it is and 15% say "it is more complicated than this".Taking into account all Protestant denominations, 81% believe that gay sexis sinful. The survey also found that the Archbishop of Canterbury,Rowan Williams, lacks majority support. Only one in three Anglicans said DrWilliams represented their views. The Archbishop, preaching at St. Dunstan's, Canterbury, yesterday, had some criticism of his own for theChurch. He said: "Our Anglican family badly needs to find some ways ofresolving its internal tensions that will set it free to be more confidentlywhat God wants it to be." The survey was published as the Governmentgranted asylum to a leading Nigerian gay Christian activist, DavisMacIyalla.
=
Forwarded by Bill Sterling
whsterling1@yahoo.com
-California: Out-of-state money floods to Prop. 8
When Bruce Bastian of Utah stood up Saturday night at a San Francisco dinnerand wrote a $1 million check for the campaign against Proposition 8, he madeit clearer than ever that November's ballot fight over a ban on same-sexmarriage won't be a California-only affair. Supporters of the effort toban same-sex marriage already have taken in more than $1.2 million fromout-of-state contributors for the fall campaign. And even before Bastian, aco-founder of the WordPerfect software company, opened his checkbook, gayand lesbian rights groups and their supporters from around the country hadput more than $1.3 million into the fight against the ballot initiative."This is a campaign that's important to the entire country, not justCalifornia," said Brad Luna, a spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign,sponsor of the fundraising dinner that brought more than 750 people to theSt. Francis Hotel on Saturday. "The result will have effects across theUnited States."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2008/07/27/BA7E12038R.DTL
-Lawyer for Oxnard youth accused of killing gay classmate wants trial tobegin soon
As Brandon McInerney, 14, will be tried in adult court, his lawyer wants ajury to weigh in before his client gets much older. A lawyer for an Oxnardmiddle school student charged with killing gay classmate Lawrence King saidFriday that he wants to get the case in front of a jury quickly now that aVentura County judge has turned down his request to move it to juvenilecourt.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-oxnard26-2008jul26,0,6621379.story
-Filmmaker uncovers the struggle of gay Muslims in 'A Jihad for Love'
Parvez Sharma's documentary depicts their battle to reconcile their sexualorientation with their devotion to a faith that condemns their way of life.The film screens at an L.A. theater next week. "AJihad for Love" may not bethe blockbuster movie of the season, but the new documentary about theplight of gay and lesbian Muslims is enjoying a degree of acclaim as itcasts light on a subject often shrouded in mystery.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-beliefs26-2008jul26,0,4447210.story
=
Forwarded from Michael Emanuel Rajner
merajner@gmail.com
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-Meditation slows AIDS progression, study finds
Meditation may slow the worsening of AIDS in just a few weeks, perhaps byaffecting the immune system, U.S. researchers reported on Thursday. If thefindings are borne out in larger studies, it could offer a cheap andpleasant way to help people battle the incurable and often fatal condition,the team at the University of California Los Angeles said. They tested astress-lowering program called mindfulness meditation, definedas practicingan open and receptive awareness of the present moment, avoiding thinking ofthe past or worrying about the future. The more often the volunteersmeditated, the higher their CD4 T-cell counts -- a standard measure of howwell the immune system is fighting the AIDS virus. The CD4 counts weremeasured before and after the two-month program.
http://www.reutershealth.com/en/index.html
-"Is Buddhism Good for Your Health?"
In July 1997, Davidson recruited human subjects at a small biotech companyoutside Madison called Promega to study the effects of Buddhist-stylemeditation on the neural and immunological activity of ordinaryAmericanoffice workers. The employees' brains were wired and measured beforethey began a course in meditation training taught by Kabat-Zinn. It was acontrolled, randomized study, and after eight weeks, the researchers wouldtest brain and immune markers to assess the effects of meditation. There wasreluctance among some employees to volunteer, but eventually, about fourdozen employees participated in the study. Once a week for eight weeks,Kabat-Zinn would show up at Promega with his boom box, his red and purplemeditation tape cassettes and his Tibetan chimes, and the assembled Promegaemployees -- scientists, marketing people, lab techs and even some managers -- would sit on the floor of a conference room and practicemindfulness for three hours.
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
NATIONAL & WORLD DIGEST - July 28, 2008
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net Iand we'll be happy to send the full article.
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Mars lander having trouble getting soil sample in oven
A sample of icy soil collected by the robotic arm of NASA's Phoenix Marslander is apparently stuck in its scoop, foiling efforts to analyze it. Thearm picked up 3 cubic centimeters of material Friday night and lifted itover an oven designed to heat samples for analysis, mission officials saidSaturday. The arm tilted its scoop, ran a tool motor to try to sprinkle thesample into the oven, and finally inverted the scoop directly over theoven's open doors.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/health/sfl-727marslander,0,2227380.story
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-McCain Backs Ban on Affirmative Action in Arizona
http://www.newsweek.com/id/1491
-Obama Competitive in Red States
http://apnews.excite.com/article/20080728/D926IJ9O0.html
-Why Obama seized the faith-based mantle
http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2008/07/why-obama-seize.html?csp=34
-BIG OIL 'GUSHES' FOR McCAIN
Campaign contributions from oil industry executives to Sen. John McCain rosedramatically in the last half of June, after the senator from Arizona made ahigh-profile split with environmentalists and reversed his opposition to thefederal ban on offshore drilling.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/26/AR2008072601891.html?nav=rss_politics
-Obama Looks For VP Who Says More Than 'Yes, Sir'
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/27/ap/politics/main4297992.shtml
-OBAMA POLLS AWAY SURGES TO 9-POINT LEAD
http://www.nypost.com/seven/07282008/news/nationalnews/obama_polls_away_121870.htm
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
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=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Mars lander having trouble getting soil sample in oven
A sample of icy soil collected by the robotic arm of NASA's Phoenix Marslander is apparently stuck in its scoop, foiling efforts to analyze it. Thearm picked up 3 cubic centimeters of material Friday night and lifted itover an oven designed to heat samples for analysis, mission officials saidSaturday. The arm tilted its scoop, ran a tool motor to try to sprinkle thesample into the oven, and finally inverted the scoop directly over theoven's open doors.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/health/sfl-727marslander,0,2227380.story
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-McCain Backs Ban on Affirmative Action in Arizona
http://www.newsweek.com/id/1491
-Obama Competitive in Red States
http://apnews.excite.com/article/20080728/D926IJ9O0.html
-Why Obama seized the faith-based mantle
http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2008/07/why-obama-seize.html?csp=34
-BIG OIL 'GUSHES' FOR McCAIN
Campaign contributions from oil industry executives to Sen. John McCain rosedramatically in the last half of June, after the senator from Arizona made ahigh-profile split with environmentalists and reversed his opposition to thefederal ban on offshore drilling.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/26/AR2008072601891.html?nav=rss_politics
-Obama Looks For VP Who Says More Than 'Yes, Sir'
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/27/ap/politics/main4297992.shtml
-OBAMA POLLS AWAY SURGES TO 9-POINT LEAD
http://www.nypost.com/seven/07282008/news/nationalnews/obama_polls_away_121870.htm
=
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#####
FLORIDA DIGEST - July 28, 2008
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Broward schools face tough choices in reduced budget plan
Budget could be 5.9% lower
Fewer games for middle school sports teams. Consolidating bus stops to savemoney on gas. Delaying school construction projects. With the loss ofmillions in state money, the Broward County School Board is faced with toughchoices on what stays, and what goes, from its budget.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbbudget0728sbjul28,0,3559939.story
-Monday is deadline for registering to vote in Aug. 26 primaries
Register by Monday to cast vote in Palm Beach's Aug. 26 primariesThe August primary features a slew of competitive races to pick judges,School Board members, a property appraiser and elections supervisor.Register by Monday to vote in Broward's Aug. 26 primariesVoters who go to the polls on Aug. 26 will pick judges, School Districtmembers and state legislators. But you've got to register to vote - and thedeadline is Monday.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-728vote,0,1466288.storygallery
=
Beverly Gallagher for Broward County School Board!
You and your family are invited to join Beverly Gallagher and her team at aVolunteer Rally for her Re-Election to the Broward County School Board!
Sunday, August 3, 2008 3:00 P.M. - 5:00 P.M.
On The Boarder Mexican Grill & Cantina
12100 Pines Blvd - Pembroke Pines, FL 33026
Come enjoy food and tons of fun while you show your support forBev's
Re-Election Campaign!
Pick up your t-shirts and lawn signs!
To RSVP Please call
(954) 829-3523
or Respond to this Email! BevAGallagher@aol.com
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Former Deerfield commissioner, Wilton Manors mayor vie for district
By JAMIE MALERNEE
A gay activist, a former Deerfield Beach commissioner and the mayor ofWilton Manors are vying to represent District 92 in the state House. Allthree candidates for the district, which includes parts of Deerfield Beach,Fort Lauderdale, Oakland Park, Pompano Beach and Wilton Manors, areDemocrats. They have many common priorities, such as boosting school fundingand health care for the needy. But there are differences in their experienceand credentials. Business owner and Wilton Manors Mayor Scott Newtonemphasizes his ability to work across bipartisan lines. GwyndolenClarke-Reed, a retired teacher and former Deerfield Beach commissioner,holds up a life of political and community service. Mark LaFontaine, anaccountant, touts his financial know-how as key to dealing with Florida'sfaltering economy and budget. If elected, he would be the state's firstopenly gay legislator. With no Republicans entering the contest, the racewill be decided by the Aug. 26 primary. The winner will replace Rep. JackSeiler, D-Fort Lauderdale, who is leaving the Legislature because of termlimits.
-Mark LaFontaine
What are your top concerns for District 92?
1. Bring fiscal accountability to Tallahassee: Overhaul the current system
so that necessary programs are fully funded.
2. Continue property tax and insurance reform.
3. Ensure health care for children, veterans, the elderly and disabled:
Create a health-care trust fund.
How would you pay for increases in government services?
I'd look to close tax loopholes and exemptions to achieve more savings. Iwas not a proponent of Amendment One ... because I thought its supporterspromised much [in property tax savings] while knowing it would do little.The piecemeal approach to tax reform is making things worse instead ofbetter. We need to start over - put everything on the table and design anall-or-nothing, up-or-down proposal that requires citizen approval.
What sets you apart from your opponents?
Neither of my opponents is a financial professional, and given the tryingeconomic times we're in, isn't it time someone who understands checkbookissues was making our state's decisions? I also know that ... as the firstopenly gay representative, I'll be in a position to tackle the ongoing slewof anti-[gay] legislation head on.
Candidate profile
MARK LAFONTAINE
PERSONAL: 41, single.
EDUCATION: Master's degree in taxation.
PROFESSIONAL: Accountant, president of Checkmark Services.
POLITICAL: Not previously elected to public office.
CIVIC: Member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. Leadership roles withAmerican Veterans for Equal Rights, Scouting for All (an outreachorganization for gay youth), the Dolphin Democrats (a gay and lesbianDemocratic club), United Way of Broward County, Fort Lauderdale AuditAdvisory Board, the Broward County Veterans Services Council, and theOakland Park Main Street downtown development organization.
-Scott Newton
What are your top concerns for District 92?
Finding and maintaining a balance for Florida's citizens between a taxstructure that is fair as well as responsive to the needs of our state.Seeing that Citizens insurance becomes sound and able to cover its exposure.Progressive regional planning ... with such issues as water and theenvironment. Properly funding Florida's education system. Helping toprotect health care.
How would you pay for increases in government services?
I would like to see a re-evaluation of every tax break/exemption ... thathas been extended to businesses and industries. But that's not going to beenough. Let's look at the programs they started in the last few years whenthey had this influx of [property tax] money. And we have to get back jobs -it seems everyone is laying off - because if people don't have jobs, theycan't spend money [and pay taxes that fund state spending].
What sets you apart from your opponents?
I feel that I am most prepared. We need leaders with vision, common sense,and the spirit of bipartisan cooperation that will work hard to plan for ourstate's future and seriously deal with our current challenges. I've gonethrough good budget times and bad ... and while other cities have had to cutemployees, we haven't done that. I represent my district very well:
middle-class, hard working. They don't mind paying taxes, they just want topay their fair share.
Candidate profile
SCOTT NEWTON
PERSONAL: 51, married, three children.
EDUCATION: High school graduate.
PROFESSIONAL: Owner of Scott's Auto Trim.
POLITICAL: Mayor of Wilton Manors, 2004-present. Vice mayor of Wilton
Manors, 2002-04. Wilton Manors city councilman, 2000-02.
CIVIC: National & Florida League of Cities, Broward County MetropolitanPlanning Organization, Oakland Park Wilton Manors Chamber of Commerce boardof directors, Wilton Manors Business Association, Wilton Manors Friends ofthe Library and Historical Society, past president of Wilton Manor LittleLeague Baseball, coach of Wilton Manors youth baseball, soccer, football andsoftball.
-Gwyndolen "Gwyn" Clarke-Reed
What are your top concerns for District 92?
My priorities would be education, health care, taxes, affordable housing andpublic transportation. For our state to attract people to live here, we musthave some basic services available. The continued reduction of property taxmay come back to haunt us.
How would you pay for increases in government services?
There needs to be reform when it comes to [sales] tax exemptions. Muchthought should be given to increasing the sales tax - but not to use it toreplace the school funding. If it can pass, it should be used to replacefunds lost in the area of health care and human services. I would like toimprove the state economy by finding a way to collect all Internet salestax.
What sets you apart from your opponents?
I bring a broader base of experience in life and government. I have been adivorced mother with two children who had to struggle to make ends meet, notwanting to accept handouts. Some of the people in District 92 are faced withthis problem today. I will be sensitive to the needs of all people, not justone group. I am retired and have all the time necessary to devote to thisoffice.
Candidate profile
GWYNDOLEN "GWYN" CLARKE-REED
PERSONAL: 67, divorced, two children.
EDUCATION: Master's degree in early childhood education.
PROFESSIONAL: Retired teacher.
POLITICAL: Former Deerfield Beach commissioner for 12 years.
CIVIC: Former president of Broward League of Cities, was on board of Floridaand National League of Cities and former member of Broward County PlanningCouncil. Volunteers with Boys & Girls Club, Kiwanis Club, American CancerSociety, Mango Festival, Delta Sigma Chi Sorority, North Broward HospitalDistrict Community Primary Care Committee, St. Mary's Episcopal ChurchVestry, Caribbean American Democratic Club, Gwyndolen Clarke-ReedNeighborhood Initiative Program.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-elx92house0728sbjul28,0,4339559,print.story
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-New Voting Machines: Paper Trail to Nowhere?
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-papervote2808jul28,0,4463139.story
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=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Broward schools face tough choices in reduced budget plan
Budget could be 5.9% lower
Fewer games for middle school sports teams. Consolidating bus stops to savemoney on gas. Delaying school construction projects. With the loss ofmillions in state money, the Broward County School Board is faced with toughchoices on what stays, and what goes, from its budget.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbbudget0728sbjul28,0,3559939.story
-Monday is deadline for registering to vote in Aug. 26 primaries
Register by Monday to cast vote in Palm Beach's Aug. 26 primariesThe August primary features a slew of competitive races to pick judges,School Board members, a property appraiser and elections supervisor.Register by Monday to vote in Broward's Aug. 26 primariesVoters who go to the polls on Aug. 26 will pick judges, School Districtmembers and state legislators. But you've got to register to vote - and thedeadline is Monday.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-728vote,0,1466288.storygallery
=
Beverly Gallagher for Broward County School Board!
You and your family are invited to join Beverly Gallagher and her team at aVolunteer Rally for her Re-Election to the Broward County School Board!
Sunday, August 3, 2008 3:00 P.M. - 5:00 P.M.
On The Boarder Mexican Grill & Cantina
12100 Pines Blvd - Pembroke Pines, FL 33026
Come enjoy food and tons of fun while you show your support forBev's
Re-Election Campaign!
Pick up your t-shirts and lawn signs!
To RSVP Please call
(954) 829-3523
or Respond to this Email! BevAGallagher@aol.com
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Former Deerfield commissioner, Wilton Manors mayor vie for district
By JAMIE MALERNEE
A gay activist, a former Deerfield Beach commissioner and the mayor ofWilton Manors are vying to represent District 92 in the state House. Allthree candidates for the district, which includes parts of Deerfield Beach,Fort Lauderdale, Oakland Park, Pompano Beach and Wilton Manors, areDemocrats. They have many common priorities, such as boosting school fundingand health care for the needy. But there are differences in their experienceand credentials. Business owner and Wilton Manors Mayor Scott Newtonemphasizes his ability to work across bipartisan lines. GwyndolenClarke-Reed, a retired teacher and former Deerfield Beach commissioner,holds up a life of political and community service. Mark LaFontaine, anaccountant, touts his financial know-how as key to dealing with Florida'sfaltering economy and budget. If elected, he would be the state's firstopenly gay legislator. With no Republicans entering the contest, the racewill be decided by the Aug. 26 primary. The winner will replace Rep. JackSeiler, D-Fort Lauderdale, who is leaving the Legislature because of termlimits.
-Mark LaFontaine
What are your top concerns for District 92?
1. Bring fiscal accountability to Tallahassee: Overhaul the current system
so that necessary programs are fully funded.
2. Continue property tax and insurance reform.
3. Ensure health care for children, veterans, the elderly and disabled:
Create a health-care trust fund.
How would you pay for increases in government services?
I'd look to close tax loopholes and exemptions to achieve more savings. Iwas not a proponent of Amendment One ... because I thought its supporterspromised much [in property tax savings] while knowing it would do little.The piecemeal approach to tax reform is making things worse instead ofbetter. We need to start over - put everything on the table and design anall-or-nothing, up-or-down proposal that requires citizen approval.
What sets you apart from your opponents?
Neither of my opponents is a financial professional, and given the tryingeconomic times we're in, isn't it time someone who understands checkbookissues was making our state's decisions? I also know that ... as the firstopenly gay representative, I'll be in a position to tackle the ongoing slewof anti-[gay] legislation head on.
Candidate profile
MARK LAFONTAINE
PERSONAL: 41, single.
EDUCATION: Master's degree in taxation.
PROFESSIONAL: Accountant, president of Checkmark Services.
POLITICAL: Not previously elected to public office.
CIVIC: Member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. Leadership roles withAmerican Veterans for Equal Rights, Scouting for All (an outreachorganization for gay youth), the Dolphin Democrats (a gay and lesbianDemocratic club), United Way of Broward County, Fort Lauderdale AuditAdvisory Board, the Broward County Veterans Services Council, and theOakland Park Main Street downtown development organization.
-Scott Newton
What are your top concerns for District 92?
Finding and maintaining a balance for Florida's citizens between a taxstructure that is fair as well as responsive to the needs of our state.Seeing that Citizens insurance becomes sound and able to cover its exposure.Progressive regional planning ... with such issues as water and theenvironment. Properly funding Florida's education system. Helping toprotect health care.
How would you pay for increases in government services?
I would like to see a re-evaluation of every tax break/exemption ... thathas been extended to businesses and industries. But that's not going to beenough. Let's look at the programs they started in the last few years whenthey had this influx of [property tax] money. And we have to get back jobs -it seems everyone is laying off - because if people don't have jobs, theycan't spend money [and pay taxes that fund state spending].
What sets you apart from your opponents?
I feel that I am most prepared. We need leaders with vision, common sense,and the spirit of bipartisan cooperation that will work hard to plan for ourstate's future and seriously deal with our current challenges. I've gonethrough good budget times and bad ... and while other cities have had to cutemployees, we haven't done that. I represent my district very well:
middle-class, hard working. They don't mind paying taxes, they just want topay their fair share.
Candidate profile
SCOTT NEWTON
PERSONAL: 51, married, three children.
EDUCATION: High school graduate.
PROFESSIONAL: Owner of Scott's Auto Trim.
POLITICAL: Mayor of Wilton Manors, 2004-present. Vice mayor of Wilton
Manors, 2002-04. Wilton Manors city councilman, 2000-02.
CIVIC: National & Florida League of Cities, Broward County MetropolitanPlanning Organization, Oakland Park Wilton Manors Chamber of Commerce boardof directors, Wilton Manors Business Association, Wilton Manors Friends ofthe Library and Historical Society, past president of Wilton Manor LittleLeague Baseball, coach of Wilton Manors youth baseball, soccer, football andsoftball.
-Gwyndolen "Gwyn" Clarke-Reed
What are your top concerns for District 92?
My priorities would be education, health care, taxes, affordable housing andpublic transportation. For our state to attract people to live here, we musthave some basic services available. The continued reduction of property taxmay come back to haunt us.
How would you pay for increases in government services?
There needs to be reform when it comes to [sales] tax exemptions. Muchthought should be given to increasing the sales tax - but not to use it toreplace the school funding. If it can pass, it should be used to replacefunds lost in the area of health care and human services. I would like toimprove the state economy by finding a way to collect all Internet salestax.
What sets you apart from your opponents?
I bring a broader base of experience in life and government. I have been adivorced mother with two children who had to struggle to make ends meet, notwanting to accept handouts. Some of the people in District 92 are faced withthis problem today. I will be sensitive to the needs of all people, not justone group. I am retired and have all the time necessary to devote to thisoffice.
Candidate profile
GWYNDOLEN "GWYN" CLARKE-REED
PERSONAL: 67, divorced, two children.
EDUCATION: Master's degree in early childhood education.
PROFESSIONAL: Retired teacher.
POLITICAL: Former Deerfield Beach commissioner for 12 years.
CIVIC: Former president of Broward League of Cities, was on board of Floridaand National League of Cities and former member of Broward County PlanningCouncil. Volunteers with Boys & Girls Club, Kiwanis Club, American CancerSociety, Mango Festival, Delta Sigma Chi Sorority, North Broward HospitalDistrict Community Primary Care Committee, St. Mary's Episcopal ChurchVestry, Caribbean American Democratic Club, Gwyndolen Clarke-ReedNeighborhood Initiative Program.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-elx92house0728sbjul28,0,4339559,print.story
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-New Voting Machines: Paper Trail to Nowhere?
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-papervote2808jul28,0,4463139.story
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
Sunday, July 27, 2008
GLBT DIGEST - July 27, 2008
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Amendment could lead to tragedy
Mathew Staver, president of the Florida-based Liberty Counsel, represents agroup of Californians described as "extremists" who want to go beyondbanning same-sex marriage to "strip away gay rights" of any kind in theGolden State. He also authored Florida's Amendment 2, the November ballotmeasure that would alter our state's constitution to define marriage asbetween only a man and a woman and ban its "substantial equivalent."
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-forum27buttesbjul27,0,735097.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-We're losing the ability to think
By LEONARD PITTS JR.
lpitts@miamiherald.com
I love comic books. For 41 years, I've studied them, collected them, written and read exhaustively about them. So I hope you'll agree I'm qualified to judge the merits of a comic book created by one Brent Rinehart as a tool in his campaign for reelection as a commissioner of Oklahoma County, Okla. It is really, really bad. You may see for yourself by clicking the link to be found at www.anorak.co.ukanorak-in-new-york/185867.html. Now, you may think my less than glowing appraisal stems from its rank anti-gay bigotry, including a depiction of a gay man with horns. Or from the artwork, which looks like something scrawled by a gifted 6-year-old. Well, yes. But here's the main reason Rinehart's work offends: It is astonishingly stupid. Voters should support him because an angel does? His opponents are in league with Satan? Old Scratch is working to ''get kids to believe homosexuality is normal'' and Rinehart is their only defense? And I haven't even mentioned the creative punctuations and multiple misspellings.
http://www.miamiherald.com/285/story/618348.html
=
Express Gay News
http://www.expressgaynews.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Villaraigosa pulls out of SF gay rights event
Protests over transgender inclusion fueled decision
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa pulled out as keynote speaker for a gay rights group's fundraising event scheduled for Saturday night following intense lobbying from transgender activists angry over the group's stand on a federal gay rights bill. [...] The Human Rights Campaign is one of the nation's most prominent gay rights organizations and the Washington-based group already has given over $500,000 to defeat the same-sex marriage measure. But many transgender activists and their allies have been angry at the group since the fall, when its leaders agreed to support a federal job discrimination ban that protected gays, lesbians and bisexuals - but not transgender people.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=19977
=
National Gay News
http://nationalgaynews.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Gay Travelers is More Luxury and Less Clothes
An increasing number of gay baby boomers are packing lighter these days, as the appeal of luxury boutique travel and clothing-optional vacations has developed into a fast-growing niche market. For some, clothing-optional vacations are about getting closer to nature, while for others it is an opportunity to experience a renewed sense of freedom. Nude travel has become a $440 million industry - more than double what it was ten years ago, according the American Association for Nude Recreation. The business has increasingly gone upscale, trading rustic nudist camps for luxury resorts and cruises.
-Colorado: Teen's Killing a Hate Crime, Police Searching For Her Car
The murder of 18-year-old Angie Zapata - who's birth name was Justin Angie and lived as a woman - was probably a hate crime, said a spokesperson for the Zapata family. Police believe the suspect has stolen Zapata's car, a dark forest green 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser with Colorado license plate number 441-ORN. There is a hubcap missing on the front passenger-side tire, and there is paint missing on the front bumper on the driver's side, under the headlight.
-Nike to Drop Ads Some See as Homophobic
Nike said Friday it will pull its ads for its Hyperdunk basketball shoes after some critics said they fed the homophobia of some viewers. Nike defended the ads earlier but said it would withdraw the ads critics found offensive as quickly as possible "to underline our ongoing commitment to supporting diversity in sport and the workplace."
-Pa. Justices Strike Down LGBT Hate-Crimes Law
Citing a technicality, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down 2002 changes to the state's hate crimes law that added sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, ancestry and disability. The changes to the Ethnic Intimidation and Institutional Vandalism Act had been added at short notice to a bill that made it a crime to destroy crops, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. The state legislature passed the bill, and it was signed into law by Republican Gov. Mark Schweiker.
-South Florida Outreach Programs Battle AIDS One Fight at a Time
At a recent HIV and AIDS testing site at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, only five people showed up. While the low turnout may be disappointing, leaders of AIDS organizations say they don't gauge their successes by individual battles. They are looking at the bigger picture. Twenty years after the discovery first AIDS diagnosis, organizations continue to face a formidable foe in South Florida, home to the third-largest incidence of HIV/AIDS in the United States.
-New Book Sheds Light on Gay Life in the Muslim World
Following thirty-three people in twenty-two countries, Afdhere Jama paints a complicated picture in "Illegal Citizens", subtitled "Queer Lives in the Muslim World." "I set out to tell the stories of people suffering everywhere," says Jama, who is the editor of Huriyah, a queer Muslim magazine. "Instead, I was confronted with diverse lives including happy ones--sometimes in places I never imagined."
=
Marriage Equality News
http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-"Finnish Lutheran dean consecrates second same-sex union"
Liisa Tuovinen, a Finnish Evangelical-Lutheran Church dean, told her superiors at the diocese on Wednesday that she had consecrated a same-sex union. Bishop Mikko Heikka said the Espoo diocese would take action only if the a complaint was lodged before the cathedral chapter. In 2007, the Helsinki cathedral chapter chose to took no action after Dean Tuovinen consecrated a same-sex union, regarding the consecration as an act of pastoral care instead of an official church ceremony.
=
Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Churches with new gay bishops could be expelled from Anglican Communion
Liberal churches could be expelled from the Anglican Communion unless they respect a ban on gay bishops, the Lambeth Conference will be told.
=
Forwarded from Gays Without Borders
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-Gay rights groups slam media over bias
Jakarta: Gay groups, human rights and women groups protested at media bias putting homosexuality in a negative light through association with and negative reporting of a serial murder case allegedly committed by Verry Idham Henryansyah. "Much of the murder coverage focused on the homosexuality of the alleged perpetrator and not on the crimes. I am gay, but I don't kill people," Hartoyo, an activist at Our Voice, an NGO that supports homosexual and bisexual males, told reporters here on Thursday.
=
Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
Go to the links for the following articles:
Contact rays.list@comcast.net if can't access the article
-Are gay men wealthier than straight men?
According to a new national survey conducted online by Harris Interactive, nearly half (48%) of gay and lesbian adults report they like to keep up with the latest styles and trends. This is compared to only 38 percent of heterosexual adults. Taking a look only at gay men in the sample: More than half (53%) report they like to keep up with the latest styles and trends, compared to fewer than one-third (30%) of heterosexual men. Nearly half (49%) report they tend to upgrade to the latest model or version of a product, compared to 35 percent of heterosexual men. Apparently, the image of gay affluence lives on. But what do these spending habits reveal? Are gay men wealthier than straight men? Or do they just have the queer eye for shopping?
http://www.bilerico.com/2008/07/are_gay_men_wealthier_than_straight_men.php
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Amendment could lead to tragedy
Mathew Staver, president of the Florida-based Liberty Counsel, represents agroup of Californians described as "extremists" who want to go beyondbanning same-sex marriage to "strip away gay rights" of any kind in theGolden State. He also authored Florida's Amendment 2, the November ballotmeasure that would alter our state's constitution to define marriage asbetween only a man and a woman and ban its "substantial equivalent."
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-forum27buttesbjul27,0,735097.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-We're losing the ability to think
By LEONARD PITTS JR.
lpitts@miamiherald.com
I love comic books. For 41 years, I've studied them, collected them, written and read exhaustively about them. So I hope you'll agree I'm qualified to judge the merits of a comic book created by one Brent Rinehart as a tool in his campaign for reelection as a commissioner of Oklahoma County, Okla. It is really, really bad. You may see for yourself by clicking the link to be found at www.anorak.co.ukanorak-in-new-york/185867.html. Now, you may think my less than glowing appraisal stems from its rank anti-gay bigotry, including a depiction of a gay man with horns. Or from the artwork, which looks like something scrawled by a gifted 6-year-old. Well, yes. But here's the main reason Rinehart's work offends: It is astonishingly stupid. Voters should support him because an angel does? His opponents are in league with Satan? Old Scratch is working to ''get kids to believe homosexuality is normal'' and Rinehart is their only defense? And I haven't even mentioned the creative punctuations and multiple misspellings.
http://www.miamiherald.com/285/story/618348.html
=
Express Gay News
http://www.expressgaynews.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Villaraigosa pulls out of SF gay rights event
Protests over transgender inclusion fueled decision
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa pulled out as keynote speaker for a gay rights group's fundraising event scheduled for Saturday night following intense lobbying from transgender activists angry over the group's stand on a federal gay rights bill. [...] The Human Rights Campaign is one of the nation's most prominent gay rights organizations and the Washington-based group already has given over $500,000 to defeat the same-sex marriage measure. But many transgender activists and their allies have been angry at the group since the fall, when its leaders agreed to support a federal job discrimination ban that protected gays, lesbians and bisexuals - but not transgender people.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=19977
=
National Gay News
http://nationalgaynews.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Gay Travelers is More Luxury and Less Clothes
An increasing number of gay baby boomers are packing lighter these days, as the appeal of luxury boutique travel and clothing-optional vacations has developed into a fast-growing niche market. For some, clothing-optional vacations are about getting closer to nature, while for others it is an opportunity to experience a renewed sense of freedom. Nude travel has become a $440 million industry - more than double what it was ten years ago, according the American Association for Nude Recreation. The business has increasingly gone upscale, trading rustic nudist camps for luxury resorts and cruises.
-Colorado: Teen's Killing a Hate Crime, Police Searching For Her Car
The murder of 18-year-old Angie Zapata - who's birth name was Justin Angie and lived as a woman - was probably a hate crime, said a spokesperson for the Zapata family. Police believe the suspect has stolen Zapata's car, a dark forest green 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser with Colorado license plate number 441-ORN. There is a hubcap missing on the front passenger-side tire, and there is paint missing on the front bumper on the driver's side, under the headlight.
-Nike to Drop Ads Some See as Homophobic
Nike said Friday it will pull its ads for its Hyperdunk basketball shoes after some critics said they fed the homophobia of some viewers. Nike defended the ads earlier but said it would withdraw the ads critics found offensive as quickly as possible "to underline our ongoing commitment to supporting diversity in sport and the workplace."
-Pa. Justices Strike Down LGBT Hate-Crimes Law
Citing a technicality, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down 2002 changes to the state's hate crimes law that added sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, ancestry and disability. The changes to the Ethnic Intimidation and Institutional Vandalism Act had been added at short notice to a bill that made it a crime to destroy crops, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. The state legislature passed the bill, and it was signed into law by Republican Gov. Mark Schweiker.
-South Florida Outreach Programs Battle AIDS One Fight at a Time
At a recent HIV and AIDS testing site at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, only five people showed up. While the low turnout may be disappointing, leaders of AIDS organizations say they don't gauge their successes by individual battles. They are looking at the bigger picture. Twenty years after the discovery first AIDS diagnosis, organizations continue to face a formidable foe in South Florida, home to the third-largest incidence of HIV/AIDS in the United States.
-New Book Sheds Light on Gay Life in the Muslim World
Following thirty-three people in twenty-two countries, Afdhere Jama paints a complicated picture in "Illegal Citizens", subtitled "Queer Lives in the Muslim World." "I set out to tell the stories of people suffering everywhere," says Jama, who is the editor of Huriyah, a queer Muslim magazine. "Instead, I was confronted with diverse lives including happy ones--sometimes in places I never imagined."
=
Marriage Equality News
http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-"Finnish Lutheran dean consecrates second same-sex union"
Liisa Tuovinen, a Finnish Evangelical-Lutheran Church dean, told her superiors at the diocese on Wednesday that she had consecrated a same-sex union. Bishop Mikko Heikka said the Espoo diocese would take action only if the a complaint was lodged before the cathedral chapter. In 2007, the Helsinki cathedral chapter chose to took no action after Dean Tuovinen consecrated a same-sex union, regarding the consecration as an act of pastoral care instead of an official church ceremony.
=
Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Churches with new gay bishops could be expelled from Anglican Communion
Liberal churches could be expelled from the Anglican Communion unless they respect a ban on gay bishops, the Lambeth Conference will be told.
=
Forwarded from Gays Without Borders
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-Gay rights groups slam media over bias
Jakarta: Gay groups, human rights and women groups protested at media bias putting homosexuality in a negative light through association with and negative reporting of a serial murder case allegedly committed by Verry Idham Henryansyah. "Much of the murder coverage focused on the homosexuality of the alleged perpetrator and not on the crimes. I am gay, but I don't kill people," Hartoyo, an activist at Our Voice, an NGO that supports homosexual and bisexual males, told reporters here on Thursday.
=
Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
Go to the links for the following articles:
Contact rays.list@comcast.net if can't access the article
-Are gay men wealthier than straight men?
According to a new national survey conducted online by Harris Interactive, nearly half (48%) of gay and lesbian adults report they like to keep up with the latest styles and trends. This is compared to only 38 percent of heterosexual adults. Taking a look only at gay men in the sample: More than half (53%) report they like to keep up with the latest styles and trends, compared to fewer than one-third (30%) of heterosexual men. Nearly half (49%) report they tend to upgrade to the latest model or version of a product, compared to 35 percent of heterosexual men. Apparently, the image of gay affluence lives on. But what do these spending habits reveal? Are gay men wealthier than straight men? Or do they just have the queer eye for shopping?
http://www.bilerico.com/2008/07/are_gay_men_wealthier_than_straight_men.php
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
NATIONAL & WORLD DIGEST - July 27, 2008
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Shiite Militia in Baghdad Sees Its Power Ebb
The Mahdi Army has been profoundly weakened in a number of neighborhoods, inan important, if tentative, milestone for stability in Iraq.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/world/middleeast/27mahdi.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
-Black Radio on Obama Is Left's Answer to Limbaugh
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/us/politics/27radio.html?hp
-How Obama Became Acting President
FRANK RICH
Barack Obama-branded change is snowballing, whether it's change you happento believe in or not.
IT almost seems like a gag worthy of "Borat": A smooth-talking rookiesenator with an exotic name passes himself off as the incumbent Americanpresident to credulous foreigners. But to dismiss Barack Obama's magicalmystery tour through old Europe and two war zones as a media-made fairy talewould be to underestimate the ingenious politics of the moment. History wason the march well before Mr. Obama boarded his plane, and his trip wasperfectly timed to reap the whirlwind. He never would have been treated asa president-in-waiting by heads of state or network talking heads if all heoffered were charisma, slick rhetoric and stunning visuals. What drew theminstead was the raw power Mr. Obama has amassed: the power to start shapingevents and the power to move markets, including TV ratings.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/opinion/27rich.html?ref=opinion
-Mr. Mukasey's Justice
Attorney General Michael Mukasey's demand for an expansion of the president's
power to detain foreigners without charge was couched, as usual, inapocalyptic terms.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/opinion/27sun2.html?ref=opinion
-The Pope vs. the Pill
Critics who forecast the collapse of the Roman Catholic papacy after itreiterated its ban on artificial contraception in 1968 underestimated itscapacity to stand its ground.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/opinion/27allen.html?ref=opinion
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-China: A Long Wait at the Gate to Greatness
By John Pomfret
Nikita Khrushchev said the Soviet Union would bury us, but these days,everybody seems to think that China is the one wielding the shovel. ThePeople's Republic is on the march -- economically, militarily, evenideologically. Economists expect its GDP to surpass America's by 2025; itssubmarine fleet is reportedly growing five times faster than Washington's;even its capitalist authoritarianism is called a real alternative to theWest's liberal democracy. China, the drumbeat goes, is poised to become the800-pound gorilla of the international system, ready to dominate the 21stcentury the way the United States dominated the 20th. Except that it's not.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/25/AR2008072502255.html
-The Right Place to Try Terrorism Cases
By John C. Coughenour
I have spent 27 years on the federal bench. In particular, my experiencewith the trial of Ahmed Ressam, the "millennium bomber," leads me to worryabout Attorney General Michael Mukasey's comments last week, urging Congressto pass legislation outlining judicial procedures for reviewing Guantanamodetainees' habeas petitions. As constituted, U.S. courts are not only anadequate venue for trying terrorism suspects but are also a tremendous assetin combating terrorism. Congress risks a grave error in creating a parallelsystem of terrorism courts unmoored from the constitutional values that haveserved our country so well for so long.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/25/AR2008072502759.html
-Workable Terrorism Trials
A special federal court could balance fundamental rights and nationalsecurity needs
ON THE OPPOSITE page today, we publish the views of a federal judge whoargues that terrorism cases can and should be handled within the traditionalfederal trial court system. Advocates of such an approach often point tosuccessful prosecutions of those responsible for the 1993 bombing of theWorld Trade Center in New York as evidence of the federal court's ability toprocess such cases in a fair and relatively smooth manner. They citeexpansive laws, such as the material-support statute, that apply both todomestic and overseas acts and give law enforcement officers the ability toarrest someone who aids the enemy.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/26/AR2008072601555.html
-California to Begin Integrating Prisons for Men
Some Warn That Racial Tension Will Explode as Others Predict IncreasedTolerance
Male prisoners in the nation's largest corrections system, long keptsegregated by race in an effort to temper violence, will soon be sharingcells with inmates of other ethnicities.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/26/AR2008072601557.html?hpid=moreheadlines
-When Should I Upgrade My Browser?
Q I would like to know if and when I should upgrade my browser? I think Ihave Internet Explorer 6.
A As much as this question made me cringe, I'm glad this reader asked it. Yes, you do need to keep your browser up to date -- especially if you'rerunning Internet Explorer 6. That program is frightfully insecure againstdrive-by downloads and does such a poor job of supporting Web standards thata small but growing number of sites have begun to block it.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/26/AR2008072600030.html?hpid=sec-tech
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Avoiding airlines' baggage fees might take some sacrifice
You may have to sacrifice to avoid airlines' baggage fees
Packing for a summer vacation or business trip can be a hassle. And morethan ever, travelers are rewarded if they can stuff all their belongingsinto carry-on bags. Airlines such as American, US Airways and United havestarted charging passengers $15 each way for the first checked piece ofluggage in an effort to offset soaring fuel costs. If each person in afamily of four checks a bag, that can add up to $120 - nearly the price ofanother round-trip airline ticket.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/sfl-flzpacking0727sbjul27,0,822316.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-We're losing the ability to think
Leonard Pitts
I love comic books. For 41 years, I've studied them, collected them,written and read exhaustively about them. So I hope you'll agree I'mqualified to judge the merits of a comic book created by one Brent Rinehartas a tool in his campaign for reelection as a commissioner of OklahomaCounty, Okla.
http://www.miamiherald.com/285/story/618348.html
-Woman on a mission: Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama makes her own rules on the road to the White HouseMichelle Obama glides into an empty Jungle Island banquet room looking freshin a signature, white sheath dress that exposes toned arms and showcasesthat long, graceful neck. If her style earns her comparisons to Jackie O,she won't complain.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/campaign-2008/story/619061.html
=
Forwarded from Susan Frishkorn
frishkorn@bellsouth.net
Go to this link for the following article:
-New Zealand Students Offer New Bounty For Arrest of Condoleezza Rice ForWar Crimes
WELLINGTON, New Zealand - A group of New Zealand students offered a higherreward Saturday for the citizen's arrest of U.S. Secretary of StateCondoleezza Rice for war crimes after another group withdrew their ownbounty, accusing police of threatening them. Students at VictoriaUniversity in the capital, Wellington, doubled the original reward offer toUS$7,400, according to Joel Cosgrove, the student president. Cosgrove saidRice should be arrested because she is responsible for the deaths of atleast 600,000 Iraqis killed since the 2003 invasion by U.S.-led coalitiontroops.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/07/26/asia/AS-New-Zealand-Rice-Bounty.php
=
MoveOn.Org
http://www.MoveOn.org/
Go to the links for the following articles:
Want a free Obama button? MoveOn's giving them away totally free-no stringsattached. I just got mine, and wanted to share the opportunity with you.Click this link to get a free Obama button:
http://pol.moveon.org/obamabuttons/?id=13339-5533006-ZkbwdJx&t=4
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Hopefuls gird for Florida slugfest
When presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama arrive in Floridathis week for the first time in more than a month, they'll find a tight racefor the state's precious electoral votes. Obama appears to have closed thegap on McCain - taking the lead in several recent polls for the first time -following a glut of campaign hires, a swarm of organizing and, perhaps mostimportantly, his first flood of targeted television ads, particularly inNorth Florida.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2008/07/26/m1a_fla_prez_0727.html
-Can minority journalists resist applauding Obama?
When Barack Obama ascends the stage Sunday at the Unity journalismconvention, fresh from an exhaustively chronicled overseas tour, he willface a surprisingly divided audience. Not on the subject of whether Obamashould be president -- members of the four minority organizations thatcomprise Unity are largely Democratic. But many at the quadrennial gatheringdiffer on whether the underlying current of enthusiasm for Obama's historiccandidacy should be constrained or allowed to spill forth on livetelevision.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/wire/chi-ap-applaudingobama,0,2235555.story
-In election, markets will be winner
Uncertainty during the run-up to a vote for president instills investoranxiety, experts say, and the release of tension afterward often leads to a"relief rally." [...] "The markets hate uncertainty, so as we get closer tothe election, any contradictions in the candidates' policies can causeanxiety," said David Kudla, chief executive and chief investment strategistfor Mainstay Capital Management in Saginaw, Mich. "We tend to see a reliefrally after a presidential election, no matter what the outcome, becausethere finally is some certainty."
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/yourmoney/chi-ym-election-0727jul27,0,1071822.story
-Senate Republicans block heating aid bill
Republicans on Saturday blocked the Senate from considering a bill next weekthat would nearly double federal aid to help the poor pay heating andair-conditioning bills.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/26/AR2008072601080.html?hpid=sec-politics
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Shiite Militia in Baghdad Sees Its Power Ebb
The Mahdi Army has been profoundly weakened in a number of neighborhoods, inan important, if tentative, milestone for stability in Iraq.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/world/middleeast/27mahdi.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
-Black Radio on Obama Is Left's Answer to Limbaugh
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/us/politics/27radio.html?hp
-How Obama Became Acting President
FRANK RICH
Barack Obama-branded change is snowballing, whether it's change you happento believe in or not.
IT almost seems like a gag worthy of "Borat": A smooth-talking rookiesenator with an exotic name passes himself off as the incumbent Americanpresident to credulous foreigners. But to dismiss Barack Obama's magicalmystery tour through old Europe and two war zones as a media-made fairy talewould be to underestimate the ingenious politics of the moment. History wason the march well before Mr. Obama boarded his plane, and his trip wasperfectly timed to reap the whirlwind. He never would have been treated asa president-in-waiting by heads of state or network talking heads if all heoffered were charisma, slick rhetoric and stunning visuals. What drew theminstead was the raw power Mr. Obama has amassed: the power to start shapingevents and the power to move markets, including TV ratings.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/opinion/27rich.html?ref=opinion
-Mr. Mukasey's Justice
Attorney General Michael Mukasey's demand for an expansion of the president's
power to detain foreigners without charge was couched, as usual, inapocalyptic terms.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/opinion/27sun2.html?ref=opinion
-The Pope vs. the Pill
Critics who forecast the collapse of the Roman Catholic papacy after itreiterated its ban on artificial contraception in 1968 underestimated itscapacity to stand its ground.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/opinion/27allen.html?ref=opinion
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-China: A Long Wait at the Gate to Greatness
By John Pomfret
Nikita Khrushchev said the Soviet Union would bury us, but these days,everybody seems to think that China is the one wielding the shovel. ThePeople's Republic is on the march -- economically, militarily, evenideologically. Economists expect its GDP to surpass America's by 2025; itssubmarine fleet is reportedly growing five times faster than Washington's;even its capitalist authoritarianism is called a real alternative to theWest's liberal democracy. China, the drumbeat goes, is poised to become the800-pound gorilla of the international system, ready to dominate the 21stcentury the way the United States dominated the 20th. Except that it's not.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/25/AR2008072502255.html
-The Right Place to Try Terrorism Cases
By John C. Coughenour
I have spent 27 years on the federal bench. In particular, my experiencewith the trial of Ahmed Ressam, the "millennium bomber," leads me to worryabout Attorney General Michael Mukasey's comments last week, urging Congressto pass legislation outlining judicial procedures for reviewing Guantanamodetainees' habeas petitions. As constituted, U.S. courts are not only anadequate venue for trying terrorism suspects but are also a tremendous assetin combating terrorism. Congress risks a grave error in creating a parallelsystem of terrorism courts unmoored from the constitutional values that haveserved our country so well for so long.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/25/AR2008072502759.html
-Workable Terrorism Trials
A special federal court could balance fundamental rights and nationalsecurity needs
ON THE OPPOSITE page today, we publish the views of a federal judge whoargues that terrorism cases can and should be handled within the traditionalfederal trial court system. Advocates of such an approach often point tosuccessful prosecutions of those responsible for the 1993 bombing of theWorld Trade Center in New York as evidence of the federal court's ability toprocess such cases in a fair and relatively smooth manner. They citeexpansive laws, such as the material-support statute, that apply both todomestic and overseas acts and give law enforcement officers the ability toarrest someone who aids the enemy.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/26/AR2008072601555.html
-California to Begin Integrating Prisons for Men
Some Warn That Racial Tension Will Explode as Others Predict IncreasedTolerance
Male prisoners in the nation's largest corrections system, long keptsegregated by race in an effort to temper violence, will soon be sharingcells with inmates of other ethnicities.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/26/AR2008072601557.html?hpid=moreheadlines
-When Should I Upgrade My Browser?
Q I would like to know if and when I should upgrade my browser? I think Ihave Internet Explorer 6.
A As much as this question made me cringe, I'm glad this reader asked it. Yes, you do need to keep your browser up to date -- especially if you'rerunning Internet Explorer 6. That program is frightfully insecure againstdrive-by downloads and does such a poor job of supporting Web standards thata small but growing number of sites have begun to block it.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/26/AR2008072600030.html?hpid=sec-tech
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Avoiding airlines' baggage fees might take some sacrifice
You may have to sacrifice to avoid airlines' baggage fees
Packing for a summer vacation or business trip can be a hassle. And morethan ever, travelers are rewarded if they can stuff all their belongingsinto carry-on bags. Airlines such as American, US Airways and United havestarted charging passengers $15 each way for the first checked piece ofluggage in an effort to offset soaring fuel costs. If each person in afamily of four checks a bag, that can add up to $120 - nearly the price ofanother round-trip airline ticket.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/sfl-flzpacking0727sbjul27,0,822316.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-We're losing the ability to think
Leonard Pitts
I love comic books. For 41 years, I've studied them, collected them,written and read exhaustively about them. So I hope you'll agree I'mqualified to judge the merits of a comic book created by one Brent Rinehartas a tool in his campaign for reelection as a commissioner of OklahomaCounty, Okla.
http://www.miamiherald.com/285/story/618348.html
-Woman on a mission: Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama makes her own rules on the road to the White HouseMichelle Obama glides into an empty Jungle Island banquet room looking freshin a signature, white sheath dress that exposes toned arms and showcasesthat long, graceful neck. If her style earns her comparisons to Jackie O,she won't complain.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/campaign-2008/story/619061.html
=
Forwarded from Susan Frishkorn
frishkorn@bellsouth.net
Go to this link for the following article:
-New Zealand Students Offer New Bounty For Arrest of Condoleezza Rice ForWar Crimes
WELLINGTON, New Zealand - A group of New Zealand students offered a higherreward Saturday for the citizen's arrest of U.S. Secretary of StateCondoleezza Rice for war crimes after another group withdrew their ownbounty, accusing police of threatening them. Students at VictoriaUniversity in the capital, Wellington, doubled the original reward offer toUS$7,400, according to Joel Cosgrove, the student president. Cosgrove saidRice should be arrested because she is responsible for the deaths of atleast 600,000 Iraqis killed since the 2003 invasion by U.S.-led coalitiontroops.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/07/26/asia/AS-New-Zealand-Rice-Bounty.php
=
MoveOn.Org
http://www.MoveOn.org/
Go to the links for the following articles:
Want a free Obama button? MoveOn's giving them away totally free-no stringsattached. I just got mine, and wanted to share the opportunity with you.Click this link to get a free Obama button:
http://pol.moveon.org/obamabuttons/?id=13339-5533006-ZkbwdJx&t=4
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Hopefuls gird for Florida slugfest
When presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama arrive in Floridathis week for the first time in more than a month, they'll find a tight racefor the state's precious electoral votes. Obama appears to have closed thegap on McCain - taking the lead in several recent polls for the first time -following a glut of campaign hires, a swarm of organizing and, perhaps mostimportantly, his first flood of targeted television ads, particularly inNorth Florida.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2008/07/26/m1a_fla_prez_0727.html
-Can minority journalists resist applauding Obama?
When Barack Obama ascends the stage Sunday at the Unity journalismconvention, fresh from an exhaustively chronicled overseas tour, he willface a surprisingly divided audience. Not on the subject of whether Obamashould be president -- members of the four minority organizations thatcomprise Unity are largely Democratic. But many at the quadrennial gatheringdiffer on whether the underlying current of enthusiasm for Obama's historiccandidacy should be constrained or allowed to spill forth on livetelevision.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/wire/chi-ap-applaudingobama,0,2235555.story
-In election, markets will be winner
Uncertainty during the run-up to a vote for president instills investoranxiety, experts say, and the release of tension afterward often leads to a"relief rally." [...] "The markets hate uncertainty, so as we get closer tothe election, any contradictions in the candidates' policies can causeanxiety," said David Kudla, chief executive and chief investment strategistfor Mainstay Capital Management in Saginaw, Mich. "We tend to see a reliefrally after a presidential election, no matter what the outcome, becausethere finally is some certainty."
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/yourmoney/chi-ym-election-0727jul27,0,1071822.story
-Senate Republicans block heating aid bill
Republicans on Saturday blocked the Senate from considering a bill next weekthat would nearly double federal aid to help the poor pay heating andair-conditioning bills.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/26/AR2008072601080.html?hpid=sec-politics
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
FLORIDA DIGEST - July 27, 2008
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-MIAMI: Director of Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival fired
Organizers of the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival are starting from scratch in an effort to reinvent the event after losing key staff and sponsors.
http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/story/619337.html
-HAULOVER BEACH | 17TH ANNIVERSARY
Haulover Beach's nude stretch celebrates 17 years in the buff
Celebrating Haulover Beach's 17th year as a nude beach, devotees reminiscedabout their naked fun. The party continues on Sunday.
http://www.miamiherald.com/460/story/619332.html
~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Uninsured doctors on the rise in S. Fla.
South Florida has become the nation's capital for doctors without medicalmalpractice insurance, experts say. South Florida has become the nation'scapital for doctors without medical malpractice insurance, experts say,leaving patients at risk of getting little financial help for care after amedical error. Nearly one-quarter of doctors in Broward and Palm Beachcounties, more than one-third in the Miami area, and one-eighth statewideopt out of malpractice insurance under a state law that lets them go withoutcoverage, a state physician database shows. That's about double the rates in2003, when uninsured doctors and medical malpractice became a state policycrisis.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-flrxdocs0727sbjul27,0,2064189.story
-Obama camp still embraces Wexler
U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Delray Beach, remains in good standing withBarack Obama's presidential campaign despite a flap over the congressman'sresidency in South Florida.
http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2008/07/obama_camp_still_embraces_wexl.html
-Churches extend religious tax exemptions elsewhere
It's a remarkable home, even in an upscale Coral Springs neighborhood:
12,000 square feet, manicured grounds, a guest house, five-car garage and apair of lion statues gracing the entrance. [...] In Broward, the value ofproperties considered tax-exempt for religious purposes totaled $1.8 billionin 2007, the last year for which complete data is available. While most weretraditional churches and temples, the tax-free properties also includedvacant land, parking lots and multimillion-dollar homes with golf course andwater views, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel found.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-flbchurch0727sbjul27,0,6187197.story
-Congress comes to senses, passes Clean Boating Act of 2008
This past week Congress passed a bill that exempts recreational boaters fromonerous permit requirements of the Clean Water Act that were designed forlarge commercial ships. The Environmental Protection Agency had givenrecreational boats an exemption to the Clean Water Act in 1973. The EPA wasconcerned about vessels such as cruise ships, cargo ships and supertankers,whose ballast water could introduce invasive exotic species into U.S.waters.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/columnists/sfl-flspwaters07-27sbjul27,0,5284629.column
-Register by Monday to cast vote in Aug. 26 primary
The August primary features a slew of competitive races to pick judges,School Board members, a property appraiser and elections supervisor. But ifyou want a say in the action, act fast. Monday is the deadline forregistering to vote in the Aug. 26 primary. Two weeks after registrationcloses, early voting for the primary will begin. People can cast theirballots early at eight locations.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flpvoter0728pnjul27,0,5787047.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Broward candidates build on war chests
With one month to go until the Aug. 26 primary, Friday's campaign financereporting deadline indicates who's going to have the most money for the homestretch
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/broward/story/618603.html
-Will race sway state on Obama?
Joseph Hatchett is the only black candidate to win a statewide election inFlorida. His 1976 victory to keep his seat on the Florida Supreme Court washistoric. Not only did Hatchett, who was the first black justice onFlorida's highest court, set a historical precedent in Florida, his win alsosignified the first successful statewide election by a black candidate inthe entire South since Reconstruction.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20080727/ARTICLE/807270346/2055&title=Will_race_sway_state_on_Obama_
-FIU hiring Rubio is an act of black magic
A miracle! Had to be a miracle. Admittedly, that won't jive with theuniversity's canon of rational inquiry. But no amount of rational inquirycan explain the unfathomable appearance of Marco Rubio on the campus ofFlorida International University. Out of nowhere. Out of a budget that wasin shambles. Rubio just materialized.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/columnists/fred-grimm/story/619343.html
=
Palm Beach Post
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Crist must do more to help ex-cons leave prison stripes behind
A June 28 Palm Beach Post editorial stated, "More than 115,000 former felonswho have completed their sentences have had their civil rights restored ..." since Gov. Crist and the Florida Cabinet, acting as the Clemency Board,adopted certain rule changes in April 2007.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2008/07/27/a1e_iw_schlakman_0727.html
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-State GOP outgunning Democrats in fundraising
It may be nice to be loved, but it pays to be in power. Across CentralFlorida, Republican legislative candidates are out-raising their Democraticopponents more than 4-to-1 so far, state reports show. Florida Republicanshave been on the fundraising circuit for the past two months, hoping tobuffer an apparent anti-incumbent voter surge with the cash advantages ofsafe majorities in both chambers of the Florida Legislature. AlthoughDemocrats have grown their voter pool five times faster than Republicanssince the presidential primary in January, the GOP has been able to commandmore dollars from donors.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-money2708jul27,0,7488511.story
-Florida no longer a given for McCain
Not so long ago, a lot of politicos were talking about Florida being acakewalk for John McCain, and Barack Obama writing off the state. Notanymore.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article741315.ece
-Fewer Florida parents give school vaccines a shot
The shining needle. The tiny speck of blood. The red face of tears. Noparent likes to see their child receive a shot, and a growing number ofFlorida parents are refusing to do it.
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/jul/27/30gtparents-tell-us-what-you-think/
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-MIAMI: Director of Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival fired
Organizers of the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival are starting from scratch in an effort to reinvent the event after losing key staff and sponsors.
http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/story/619337.html
-HAULOVER BEACH | 17TH ANNIVERSARY
Haulover Beach's nude stretch celebrates 17 years in the buff
Celebrating Haulover Beach's 17th year as a nude beach, devotees reminiscedabout their naked fun. The party continues on Sunday.
http://www.miamiherald.com/460/story/619332.html
~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Uninsured doctors on the rise in S. Fla.
South Florida has become the nation's capital for doctors without medicalmalpractice insurance, experts say. South Florida has become the nation'scapital for doctors without medical malpractice insurance, experts say,leaving patients at risk of getting little financial help for care after amedical error. Nearly one-quarter of doctors in Broward and Palm Beachcounties, more than one-third in the Miami area, and one-eighth statewideopt out of malpractice insurance under a state law that lets them go withoutcoverage, a state physician database shows. That's about double the rates in2003, when uninsured doctors and medical malpractice became a state policycrisis.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-flrxdocs0727sbjul27,0,2064189.story
-Obama camp still embraces Wexler
U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Delray Beach, remains in good standing withBarack Obama's presidential campaign despite a flap over the congressman'sresidency in South Florida.
http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2008/07/obama_camp_still_embraces_wexl.html
-Churches extend religious tax exemptions elsewhere
It's a remarkable home, even in an upscale Coral Springs neighborhood:
12,000 square feet, manicured grounds, a guest house, five-car garage and apair of lion statues gracing the entrance. [...] In Broward, the value ofproperties considered tax-exempt for religious purposes totaled $1.8 billionin 2007, the last year for which complete data is available. While most weretraditional churches and temples, the tax-free properties also includedvacant land, parking lots and multimillion-dollar homes with golf course andwater views, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel found.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-flbchurch0727sbjul27,0,6187197.story
-Congress comes to senses, passes Clean Boating Act of 2008
This past week Congress passed a bill that exempts recreational boaters fromonerous permit requirements of the Clean Water Act that were designed forlarge commercial ships. The Environmental Protection Agency had givenrecreational boats an exemption to the Clean Water Act in 1973. The EPA wasconcerned about vessels such as cruise ships, cargo ships and supertankers,whose ballast water could introduce invasive exotic species into U.S.waters.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/columnists/sfl-flspwaters07-27sbjul27,0,5284629.column
-Register by Monday to cast vote in Aug. 26 primary
The August primary features a slew of competitive races to pick judges,School Board members, a property appraiser and elections supervisor. But ifyou want a say in the action, act fast. Monday is the deadline forregistering to vote in the Aug. 26 primary. Two weeks after registrationcloses, early voting for the primary will begin. People can cast theirballots early at eight locations.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flpvoter0728pnjul27,0,5787047.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Broward candidates build on war chests
With one month to go until the Aug. 26 primary, Friday's campaign financereporting deadline indicates who's going to have the most money for the homestretch
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/broward/story/618603.html
-Will race sway state on Obama?
Joseph Hatchett is the only black candidate to win a statewide election inFlorida. His 1976 victory to keep his seat on the Florida Supreme Court washistoric. Not only did Hatchett, who was the first black justice onFlorida's highest court, set a historical precedent in Florida, his win alsosignified the first successful statewide election by a black candidate inthe entire South since Reconstruction.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20080727/ARTICLE/807270346/2055&title=Will_race_sway_state_on_Obama_
-FIU hiring Rubio is an act of black magic
A miracle! Had to be a miracle. Admittedly, that won't jive with theuniversity's canon of rational inquiry. But no amount of rational inquirycan explain the unfathomable appearance of Marco Rubio on the campus ofFlorida International University. Out of nowhere. Out of a budget that wasin shambles. Rubio just materialized.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/columnists/fred-grimm/story/619343.html
=
Palm Beach Post
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Crist must do more to help ex-cons leave prison stripes behind
A June 28 Palm Beach Post editorial stated, "More than 115,000 former felonswho have completed their sentences have had their civil rights restored ..." since Gov. Crist and the Florida Cabinet, acting as the Clemency Board,adopted certain rule changes in April 2007.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2008/07/27/a1e_iw_schlakman_0727.html
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-State GOP outgunning Democrats in fundraising
It may be nice to be loved, but it pays to be in power. Across CentralFlorida, Republican legislative candidates are out-raising their Democraticopponents more than 4-to-1 so far, state reports show. Florida Republicanshave been on the fundraising circuit for the past two months, hoping tobuffer an apparent anti-incumbent voter surge with the cash advantages ofsafe majorities in both chambers of the Florida Legislature. AlthoughDemocrats have grown their voter pool five times faster than Republicanssince the presidential primary in January, the GOP has been able to commandmore dollars from donors.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-money2708jul27,0,7488511.story
-Florida no longer a given for McCain
Not so long ago, a lot of politicos were talking about Florida being acakewalk for John McCain, and Barack Obama writing off the state. Notanymore.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article741315.ece
-Fewer Florida parents give school vaccines a shot
The shining needle. The tiny speck of blood. The red face of tears. Noparent likes to see their child receive a shot, and a growing number ofFlorida parents are refusing to do it.
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/jul/27/30gtparents-tell-us-what-you-think/
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
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