GatorUptown’s Blog

This is apparently two weeks old, but I just now discovered it. Keith Olbermann, who has previously championed the cause of gay rights on his show, tackles the subject of President Obama’s commitment to repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” requirement that openly gay members of the military be discharged from the armed services. He actually said, “The president is goddamned wrong on this” on the air.

In a nice bonus, columnist Dan Savage weighs in on the topic during the interview. Check it out:
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Judy Shepard, mother of deceased Matthew Shepard, was on Capitol Hill today in support of the bill named after her son. Matthew was brutally beaten and left for dead because he was gay many years ago… and the Matthew Shepard Act has been put through the Congressional paces for quite a few years also.

The Senate will be voting on this bill later this week, so please reach out to your Senators and share your opinions (in favor of the bill, or against it) so the democratic process can be effective.

Here’s Judy, speaking briefly to the press up on the Hill:

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The concept of working from home (or “working remotely” in professional terms) is getting more and more popular. The cost of an employee’s work space in an office building, even just a small cubicle, is often much more than the rent or mortgage payment on that person’s home. So as companies look to find cost-saving measures, it’s often cost-effective to supply employees office furniture at home, pay for their Internet and telephone service, and save a bundle of money.

That sounds all well and good, but it doesn’t account for a more insidious benefit to the company.
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There’s a reason I added “at South Pointe High School” to the title of this review of The Edge Theatre Company’s opening weekend of RENT… The production, staged in the auditorium of the high school, has large “SPHS” letters over the stage. It set the tone for the performance, and was never far from my mind during the show.

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Brüno, the latest film by Borat star Sacha Baron Cohen, opened yesterday. Ten of my nearest-and-dearest went with me to the Epicentre Theaters (my favorite), had a couple of drinks, and watched the 80-minute shockfest unfold before us.

It was quite the experience. Don’t read further if you want to see the film without having some of the gags spoiled for you.

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One of the biggest disappointments about my annual 4th of July trek to Florida was how few of my peeps I got to see, since we did Miami Beach instead of Cocoa Beach. It’s the first Independence Day in recent memory that I haven’t seen Thijson, Christina, Anthony, etc.

I’m about to make up for that, to a degree.

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Yesterday, the state of Massachusetts sued the United States of America. Also named in the suit were the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services, the U.S. Dept. of Veteran’s Affairs, and the Secretary of both agencies.

Yes, you read that right. Massachusetts has a beef with the federal government. And why? Because Massachusetts wants its married gay couples to be recognized by the federal government with the same legal rights, privileges, and benefits as its married straight couples.

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Sarah Palin’s announced resignation as Governor of Alaska has, naturally, caused quite the stir. Media pundits, bloggers (heh!), and probably even Joe the Plumber have all been voicing their opinions about Gov. Palin’s plans to resign later this month.

Yesterday, we finally heard from the Governor herself on the matter, in an interview with CNN.

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I woke up this morning at 5:00 and asked Sal if it was August yet.

We’re seriously counting the days until we can be at something resembling a normal schedule. Disregarding the recent West Side Story madness that had Sal (and my car) in Davidson most evenings of the week, we’re both exhausted from ten months of him getting up for work before dawn to open the Starbucks store, and me often getting up to drive him there.

We’re very tired.

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One of the most surreal things about this trip to Miami Beach has been all the random connections we’ve encountered. This trip was scheduled to include five people from Charlotte and two from Cocoa, but has grown so much beyond that.

On the afternoon we arrived, Read the rest of this entry »