Iran So Far Away

Watching the post-election events in Iran has been a very emotional experience for me. My heart breaks for the people in the street who were brutalized, beaten, gassed, shot and murdered by their own government And, I'm so, so sad for their families and friends. I'm afraid for those who have been rounded up and imprisoned. But, I'm also deeply moved by the bravery of those fighting in the streets against injustice and corruption. I understand the rage generated by a stolen election, and I stand in awe at their raw courage.

The images that made it out of Iran tell the story of a people desperate for change. And, I can't help but to think of the incredible joy that I felt watching the era of the Bush / Cheney regime come to a close on the day of President Obama's inauguration. My only wish now for the people of Iran is that they soon know that same feeling of joy. And, I believe that they will.

I think it's obvious that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will soon be completely irrelevant. His smirky arrogance, his uneducated simple-mindedness, and his belligerant love of power worked well during the Bush years. Ahmadinejad and Bush needed each other. Bush needed a scary Axis of Evil to entertain the USA-chanting masses, and Ahmadinejad needed a Crusading Western Empire to keep his power flowing. And the common good-hearted people of both countries were caught in the middle.

But, now Bush is gone, and against the wishes of the dwindling GOP, President Obama has refused to step into the required role. Obama's brilliant speech in Cairo left Ahmadinejad standing alone. And the people of Iran voted to accept Obama's invitation to a better world. Unfortunately, their voices were denied by system-wide election rigging. And then, they took to the streets.

I don't know exactly how the story will play out. But, I do know that Obama's promise of change in the world is coming to pass, and I know that eventually the people of Iran will know hope. Until then, I will hope for them.

This past Saturday, I had the honor of witnessing some from the Iranian-American community here in Atlanta, stand up in solidarity with the people in their homeland. It was a very moving experience. Unfortunately, I didn't have much time to take part, but I've joined the local Facebook group and next time, I'm so there.

Farewell

The Sanctity of Marriage Warriors

1. I am the Lord, thy God.
2. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
3. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.
4. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord, thy God, in vain.
5. Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy.
6. Honor thy father and thy mother.
7. Thou shalt not kill.
8. Thou shall not commit adultery.
9. Thou shalt not steal.
10. Thou shall not covet.

And, yet nothing about the great evil of homosexuals getting married. Not one word about the gays in the highest and most sacred rules of the Judeo-Christian tradition? The same Judeo-Christian tradition that we hear about non-fucking-stop from those folks who are tirelessly defending the word marriage from being "re-defined" to allow federal recognition of the lives and commitments of same-sex couples?

Let's take a look at some of that tireless work that's being done to save traditional opposite marriage, shall we? Due to limits of time and space, we'll only be able to delve into the past 2 weeks. For more information on the Sanctity of Marriage warriors, please click on any of the following adulterous hypocrites: Marion Barry, David Vitter, Newt Gingrich, Larry Craig, Randall Tobias, Mark Foley, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Bowers, Vito Fossella, Connie Mack....

Senator John Ensign

In 1998, the born-again Christian and Nevada Republican Representative John Ensign, was the among the first in Congress to condemn Bill Clinton's adulterous affair with Monica Lewinsky. He called on President to quit because "he has no credibility left." In 2004, Senator Ensign was a passionate supporter of the Federal Marriage Amendment, which if passed would've added an amendment to the Constitution of the United States banning states from recognizing same-sex marriages. He stated:

"Marriage is the cornerstone on which our society was founded. For those who say that the Constitution is so sacred that we cannot or should not adopt the Federal Marriage Amendment, I would simply point out that marriage, and the sanctity of that institution, predates the American Constitution and the founding of our nation."

On June 16th, Senator Ensign admitted publicly that he had an adulterous affair with a female campaign staffer from December 2007 to August 2008. While the affair took place, Senator Ensign doubled his mistress' salary - which was apparently being paid by the Republican Political Action Committee.

Governor Mark Sanford

Yesterday, South Carolina Governor and ardent defender of traditional marriage, Mark Sanford, admitted to abandoning his post as governor and secretly flying to Argentina to be with his mistress. His admission ends nearly a week of speculation as to the Governor's whereabouts. His adulterous affair has lasted nearly a year, so far. Incidentally, his trip to Argentina preempted Father's Day weekend, so his four children were unable to celebrate the fruits of traditional marriage with their father. Also incidentally, the Governor (and father of the year) voted to ban gay and lesbian people from adopting unwanted children. Um, yeah. And, while reporters dig to see if this Sanctity of Marriage warrior paid for his secret Argentine rendezvous with South Carolina taxpayer money, let's take a look at Governor Sanford's very recent cameo on the Joe Scarborough morning show....

*** UPDATE *** As it turns out...Governor Mark Sanfor, Defender of Traditional Opposite Marriage and Decliner of President Obama's Irresponsible to the Taxpayers Stimulus Plan, did in fact use taxpayer money to fund his adulterous affair in Argentina - according to the New York Times. I wonder how relieved Governor Sanford was to hear of Michael Jackson's news dominating death.

Another World

"Another World" - Antony and the Johnsons

On The Beach

This past weekend, we were finally able to make it to the High Museum of Art, here in Atlanta. It's an impressive museum space, designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, and it houses a significant collection of 19th and 20th century American and European art, African-American art, and some outstanding contemporary and modern pieces. The High (as it's often called here), has a partnership with the Louvre and is currently exhibiting Claude Monet's "Water Lilies," which was fairly interesting.

But, I was really intrigued and moved by an exhibit of Richard Misrach's photography series, "On The Beach." Each photo was huge, in some cases measuring 6 x 10 feet, and the detail captured in each was just extraordinary. The photos are of people in the ocean, and/or on the beach in various positions and postures - but photographed from an almost omniscient spot high above.

As Misrach explains, "The photographs that appear in On the Beach were made between January 2002 and November 2005. My thinking was influenced by the events of 9/11, as well as by the 1950s Cold War novel and film, On the Beach. I was drawn to the fragility and grace of the human figure in the landscape. For me, the work is both a celebration of our survival and an elegy. Paradise has become an uneasy dwelling place; the sublime sea frames our vulnerability, the precarious nature of life itself."

Truly fantastic.

The Knot For Equality

The great postmodern writer and thinker, Gore Vidal, once said "style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn." This week, the Levi's Company let the world know that Levi's is still at the forefront of American style. Shoppers and window shoppers of Levi's stores in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco will see mannequins wearing the new summer line, and small pinned "white knots" that symbolize support for marriage equality.

From the New York Times:

Levi's is getting in the spirit of the season by dressing its storefront mannequins in white. In Levi’s-owned stores in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco, that means more than just marking the passing of Memorial Day, the traditional date to begin wearing white: in 20 stores, the mannequins’ white Levi’s jeans and shirts are adorned with White Knots, a symbol of solidarity with the same-sex marriage movement.

The symbol was made more timely by the California Supreme Court’s decision on Tuesday to uphold Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in the state. Developed by Frank Voci, a digital media consultant, as a response to Proposition 8’s passage last November, the White Knot for Equality is a white ribbon tied in a knot.

I could definitely use a few new pairs of jeans. Looks like I'll be heading to the Levi's store today.

Acid House Flashback # 13

"Pacific State" - 808 State - 1989

The Voice Of Morality

Last Tuesday, the city council of Washington DC, voted 12 to 1 to recognize same-sex marriages from the states that have now passed marriage equality laws - Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont and Maine. There was just one council member who opposed the measure - former Washington DC mayor, Marion Barry. Yes, the same Marion Barry who is apparently now serving as the moral voice for several local African-American churches, and who:

* In 1989 was arrested for cocaine possession.

* In 1990 was caught in a FBI undercover sting, smoking crack with a girlfriend in a hotel room. Mr. Barry was charged with three felony counts of perjury, one misdemeanor count of conspiracy to possess cocaine, and ten counts of misdemeanor drug possession. The incident was caught on tape, and Marion "Sanctity of Marriage" Barry was, at the time, married to his third wife, Effi. He was sentenced to six months in a federal prison, and the audio from the videotape where Mayor Barry declares "Bitch set me up! I shouldn't have come up here. God damned bitch!" played a bazillion times on local, national, and international news.

* In 2005, after being investigated by the IRS, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of failing to pay local and federal taxes. The mandatory drug testing for the hearing showed that Marion "Moral Leader" Barry was still smoking crack, as well as marijuana. He was sentenced to three years probation.

* In 2006, Marion "There's Gonna Be a Civil War" Barry was stopped by police for stopping at a green light and then running a red light. The police officers smelled alcohol and administered a field sobriety test. Councilman Barry was taken in for a breathalyzer test, and a urine test. The police claim that the breathalyzer was giving inaccurate results and Marion "I Didn't Do It" Barry refused to take the urine test. He received tickets for running a red light, and refusing to submit to a urine sobriety test.

* In 2007, Marion "Between a Man and a Woman" Barry was fighting federal prosecutors who sought to have his probation revoked because he failed to file his 2005 income taxes. A U.S. Magistrate judge ruled that it had not been proved that he willfully declined to file.

* In February of this year, federal prosecutors again filed a motion to have Marion "Traditional Marriage" Barry's probation revoked - this time because he failed to file his 2007 income tax returns. According to one of the prosecutors, Councilman Barry has not filed his tax returns for 8 of the last 9 years.

The hyprocrisy of this man, and his ilk, is simply nauseating. But, here we have it - the people and voices of the movement against marriage equality.

And now, for a word from the pro-marriage equality camp....

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
Gaywatch - Marion Barry
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis Political Humor

On The Road Again

Did I mention that we're moving to Atlanta next week? Well, we are.

Buycott The Big Four!

Last Friday, the Iowa Supreme Court, unanimously decided that the state's law banning same-sex marriages was unconstitutional - and in doing so, became the third state to grant equal marriage rights to same-sex couples.

It's actually not that surprising that Iowa is at the forefront of marriage equality, as the state has a long history of leadership on civil rights issues. In 1839, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that a slave becomes free upon stepping foot on Iowa soil. And in 1868, the Court ruled against "separate but equal" segregation in schools - a full 85 years before the United States Supreme Court came to the same decision. The next year, in 1869, Iowa became the first state to permit women to practice law. Located in the very heart of the this country, Iowa does in many ways represent the very best of the American ideal - friendly, tolerant, practical. It's not the extremist America that we are exposed to everytime we turn on the tv. It's the real "silent majority." The people who hold and practice a live and let live worldview.

On Tuesday, Vermont became the fourth state to recognize marriage equality.

I think it's important, especially during these economic times, to spend money wisely. And, right now, I can't think of a better way to spend money than to purposefully buy products and services that support the working people of the four states that now offer a welcoming handshake to all Americans. A sort of thank you BUYcott.

Here's a very incomplete list of companies based in the Big Four Equality states, as well as a few travel points of interest.

Companies based in Iowa:Happy Joe's Pizza and Ice Cream Parlor, Hartig Drug, Kum and Go, Maytag Dairy Farms, Meredith Corporation ( Better Homes and Gardens, Family Circle, Fitness), Palmer Candy Company, Panchero's Mexican Grill, Pizza Ranch, Winnebago, Stone Cliff Winery

Companies based in Connecticut: Aetna, Bevin Bells, Bigelow Tea, Bob's Discount Furniture, Cannondale Bicycles, Crabtree & Evelyn, Dooney & Bourke, Duracell, Ethan Allen, Harney & Sons Teas, Hartford Financial Services, Hosmer Mountain Soda, Newman's Own, PriceRite, Priceline.com, Subway, Time Warner Cable, United Natural Foods, World Wrestling Entertainment

Companies based in Massachusetts: 3Com, BJ's Wholesale Club, Autonomie Project, Aubuchon Hardware, Bertucci's, Brigham's Ice Cream, Cape Cod Potato Chips, Casual Male, Cherrybrook Kitchen, Converse, Cumberland Farms, Digital Federal Credit Union, Dunkin' Donuts, Friendly's, Filene's Basement, Bent's Cookie Factory, Gazelle, Gentle Giant Moving Company, Honey Dew Donuts, Independent Fabrication Bikes, Jordan's Furniture, Lycos, Massachusetts Bay Trading Company, Ninety Nine Restaurant, Ocean Spray, Papa Gino's, Rockport, Saucony, Stop & Shop, Tea Forte, Upromise, Welch's, Yankee Candle Company

Companies based in Vermont: Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, Bruegger's, Building Green, Burton Snowboards, Cabot Cheese, Fine Paints of Europe, Green Mountain Coffee, King Arthur Flour, Lake Champlain Chocolates, Long Trail Brewing, Magic Hat Brewing Company, Maple Landmark Woodcraft, Otter Creek Brewing, Vermont Teddy Bear Company, Rhino Foods, Stave Puzzles, Vermont Country Store

Friends of mine, Peter and George, at Miami Beach Pride, who have been together for 65 years. Photo by Jason Weaver.

Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger, Cooler

Captainl0ver is possibly the next YouTube superstar, and most likely the impetus of a coming massive wave of popularity for ASL classes at community colleges across the nation. I can't get enough of his signed versions of pop videos. I'm completely fascinated by this one - "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" by Daft Punk. Thanks to Stimpy for clueing me in.

The Word: Rigged

Just when I thought I couldn't love Stephen Colbert any more, comes this little gem (via Yahoo.com)....

WASHINGTON – NASA's online contest to name a new room at the international space station went awry. Comedian Stephen Colbert won.

The name "Colbert" beat out NASA's four suggested options in the space agency's effort to have the public help name the addition. The new room will be launched later this year.
NASA's mistake was allowing write-ins. Colbert urged viewers of his Comedy Central show, "The Colbert Report" to write in his name. And they complied, with 230,539 votes. That clobbered Serenity, one of the NASA choices, by more than 40,000 votes. Nearly 1.2 million votes were cast by the time the contest ended Friday.

NASA reserves the right to choose an appropriate name. Agency spokesman John Yembrick said NASA will decide in April, but will give top vote-getters "the most consideration."

Of course, it's all fun and games until the Space Shuttle Limbaugh takes off.

Acid House Flashback # 12

"Respect" - Adeva - 1989

A Report From The Frontlines - Part 3

In the time it's taken me to post the complete "report from the frontlines" trilogy, President Obama has succeeded in getting Congress to approve a stimulus plan to keep us from entering a Mad Max future. Personally, I hate that this "bailout" is necessary, and there is a part of me that thinks "bring on Thunderdome Tina Turner" just on principle, as a severe act of fairness for those of us who did not live so beyond our means. But, I agree with President Obama (damn, that still feels so good to say) that extraordinary measures need to be taken to pull our economy out of the downward spiral that it's in - and, currently, the practical solutions me is winning the battle with righteous Thunderdome me.

So, here are some of my ideas on how we, and our government, should proceed...

1. As I mentioned in the last installment of this oh-so-compelling three part series, the banks need to immediately put a halt to the waves of short sales that are propelling the real estate markets downward. Homeowners need to have just two options...pay the mortgage or have your property foreclosed upon.

2. The federal government should force all banks to modify each and every homeowner's primary residence mortgage to 30-year fixed 4% rate product. This is the only fair solution that will stop the waves of distressed properties entering the market due to re-setting ridiculously adjustable interest rates, as well as provide a benefit to the majority of people who are continuing to fulfill their mortgage obligations. A 4% interest rate would also bring buyers back in to the market, helping to further stabilize prices and banking systems.

3. There needs to be regulatory legislation that requires a minimum percentage of down payment for any real estate purchase - possibly 10%, which would help prevent another housing bubble, and still keep home ownership within reach to a significant portion of the population.

4. Instead of pouring money into the sinking financial systems, we need to pour money into job creation through infrastructure investment. There is a lot of this idea in the stimulus plan, but I'd like to see it go further than it does. Americans need to see some real, tangible results from the biggest spending package that our nation's history. I'd like to see the billions of dollars invested in putting Americans to work building wind and solar farms, massive public transportation systems, and new schools. The factories of the Detroit automakers that don't survive because of decades of bad business decisions could be used to build a new America and a better world.

5. End marijuana prohibition now. Listen, I'm not a stoner. I don't like pot, and haven't smoked out in more than a decade. But, it's just absurd that tobacco and alcohol, both of which are extremely addictive, dangerous and harmful, are available at the grocery store, while we spend billions of dollars per year investigating, intercepting, arresting and housing people who buy and sell a prohibited plant. We would immediately save an estimated $7.7 billion in prohibition enforcement, and we would gain about $6.2 billion in annual tax revenue.

6. Bring the troops in Iraq home now. The War on Iraq was lost the day we realized that there were no weapons of mass destruction. We invaded on the premise that Saddam Hussein had terrible biological and chemical weapons pointed at the United States and our goal was to dismantle the weapons and the sinister government behind them. And, now, almost six years after the initial invasion, and the announcement that there actually were no WMDs, we're still there. We don't know why we're there. We don't have any goals, other than to bring democracy to the Iraqi people - who, for the most part, just want us to get the fuck out of their homeland. Let's bring home 100,000 of our young men and women who are currently patrolling the streets and deserts of Iraq. Let's get them back home and into the economy, and cut out nearly a billion dollars of spending per month.

7. In the near future, in order to stimulate a new economic model, I would support eliminating income taxes and the IRS, and switching to a consumption tax. Trust me, it kills me to agree with Mike Huckabee on anything. But, the truth is that our current system of taxing income has become so complicated that it's become more of an art than a science, and it seems like no one really knows how much income tax they're really supposed to pay. Tim Geithner, the person in charge of the economic rescue of our nation, couldn't even figure out how much he was supposed to pay! A broad sales tax of, let say 30%, would be fair in its even distribution, logical in its eas of implementation, and smart in its promotion of savings and less use of limited resources.

8. Universal health care. I can't imagine how anyone could possibly not support a national system of high standard health care available to all Americans. Medical bills are the number one cause of personal bankruptcy in the United States.

If I ruled the world, these would be some of my solutions to the mess that we're in. I think Obama's plan is a good one, and I'm hopeful that we are nearing the bottom of the spiral.

What are your thoughts?

A Report From The Frontlines - Part 2

The vast majority of homeowners, who are flooding the market with their short sale listings and sticking their lenders (most of which YOU now own) with hundred thousand dollar losses, could pay their mortgage if they felt they had to. But, because the Joneses down the street were able to get rid of their mortgage by short selling at a $75,000 loss to the bank , and they aren't facing any long-term consequences, well, now the Smiths want to do the same. And so do the Riveras and the Wongs and the McNeelys.

The safeguards that are in place to prevent "just anyone" from being approved by the bank for a short sale are failing miserably, and the result is that everyone thinks that they can just walk away from their mortgage obligation and just have a hit on their credit report for a couple of years. A candidate for a short sale is supposed to prove to the bank that they are completely bankrupt. The package that I am responsible for putting together and sending to the bank must contain the following as proof of insolvency:

1. A hardship letter - this is a one-page letter written by the homeowner explaining to the bank why they can't pay their mortgage.

2. Income tax returns from the past two years. -

3. Copies of all bank account statements from the past two months.

4. A financial worksheet showing all of the monthly sources of income and expenses.

I have a pretty good feeling that a lot of people are being about as honest with the financial information that they give me for the short sale request package as they were with the financial information they gave to the mortgage broker when they got their $550,000 loan. And, I can assure you that the banks are not checking to see if there are other bank accounts that weren't included, or if the information on the financial worksheet is accurate.

I come home each night, and I hear CNN hosts ranting about how poor, upstanding, hard-working, Main Street Americans are being forced out of their homes by big, evil, Wall Street tycoons. And, while Wall Street is ultimately responsible for creating loan "products" for people that couldn't afford them, and while there are a lot of people who really cannot fulfill their mortgage obligations because of lost jobs or resetting interest rates, there are also an awful lot of people who just don't want to keep paying. Media personalities, like Lou Dobbs, present, night after night, stories of poor people who got hoodwinked by the faceless Wall Street elite into signing those mortgage papers and now can't pay. And, I am certain that a lot of people really didn't understand what they were signing, and there were a lot of people preyed upon by predatory lenders. But, because of these heartbreaking stories of single mothers losing their suburban McMansions to foreclosure, too many people think that the right thing to do is to take revenge on those sinister mortgage lending banks by short selling.

The first solution that needs to be implemented: banks need to completely stop doing short sales (except in the case of the death of a spouse or a domestic partner). They need to simply foreclose on properties where the owners have stopped making payments. I guarantee that bank losses, in the long run, would be less if homeowners had only the options of paying the mortgage, or having a foreclosure destroy their credit for years and years to come.

Cutting out the option of short sale would also save a lot of people from "inadvertant foreclosure." What I see happening now, is that a lot of people who want to get out from under decide to list their property as a short sale, thinking that it will be as easy as it was for the Smiths down the street. But, months pass and still no buyer. Finally, after 8 months of marketing (and not paying the mortgage, or condo fees, or property taxes - but still going out to eat every night) they get an offer that's $100,000 below what they owe. Their realtor puts together the short sale request package and sends it to the bank. But, it takes 4 to 5 months to be processed by the bank's short sale department, and in that time the foreclosure department sets a date for the foreclosure sale. And, now these people, who could have paid their mortgage, but opted for a short sale, ended up with a foreclosure and will likely never be able to buy property again.

I have a few more observations and ideas regarding this mess...(to be continued)

A Report From The Frontlines - Part One

I have steered fairly clear of bringing my worklife back home to the Lair. Generally, I like to blog at work, not blog about work. But, alas, the time has come to share some observations from the frontlines of the economic meltdown.

I work as a transaction coordinator for one of the top-producing real estate teams in Florida. Basically, I do all of the behind-the-scenes work, all of the research and paperwork, and all of the detail necessary work - which allows the agents on my team to focus on selling real estate. It's a lot of work, a lot of stress, and it's definitely not my life's dream. But, for the moment it pays the bills, and well, I'm pretty good at it. And, of course, there's the benefit of having a ringside seat for the Great Depression 2.0.

I started working in real estate at the height of the market - January 2005. I didn't know a thing about real estate, but I quickly learned the industry lingo - "no doc interest only loan", "not contingent upon appraisal" and "preconstruction flip." From 2002 to 2005 the market in many Miami zip codes rose nearly 200% in value thanks to "creative financing" and the new "investor" class. I watched as nurses and construction workers and waiters bought condos for $400,000 and I wondered "how the fuck can everyone afford to buy at these prices?" Well, in October 2005, the market turned, nearly overnight, and like a big game of musical chairs, a lot of those in the "investor class" suddenly couldn't sell and got stuck without a chair.

Our market has plummeted by nearly half since the height, and now I specialize in processing and negotiating short sales. A short sale occurs when a property owner sells her / his property for less than what he / she owes on the mortgage(s), thereby sticking the bank with the difference. It's my job to put together a convincing package for the bank to convince them that it's better to take, for example, a $100,000 hit than to foreclose on the property and lose even more through attorney's fees and further market depreciation. For the seller, a short sale is a much, much better option in that it only damages the seller's credit score for 2 to 3 years - as opposed to a foreclosure which obliterates the credit score for 8 years, and the seller will always have to disclose to any future mortgage lender that he / she has had a foreclosure in the past.

Unfortunately, what is occuring is a tidal wave of short sales, each one costing the banks tens of thousands, and often hundreds of thousands of dollars. And, each successful short sale brings down the value of the whole neighborhood - which causes more homeowners to become "upside down" - meaning that they now owe more than the property is worth. Then, everyone in the neighborhood wants to "get out" and short sell their property. It's a downward spiral fueled by fear and anxiety.

Just as the "safeguards" failed on the way up, the rules that are in place that regulate who can be approved for a short sale are failing on the way down. What do I mean? Well, here's what you won't hear from Lou Dobbs, or any of the other populist media personalities. (to be continued).

Acid House Flashback # 11

"Everybody's Free" - Rozalla - 1992

Keeping The Conversation Going - The DOMA Protest

About 300 people turned out in Miami Beach for the Join The Impact protest to remind President-Elect Obama of his commitment to the GLBT community, and in particular his promise to push for a repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act. We began the evening by having supporters and passers-by sign the Join The Impact petition that will be sent to our new President.

Then, local celebrity Pussila, and Miami Beach mayor Matti Herrera-Bower, gave a great introduction to the event, and together led the crowd on a march down Ocean Drive, and across 11th Street to the "Old" City Hall building, which was lit up blue and lavender by the City of Miami Beach, as a symbol of equality and solidarity with the GLBT community.

There are an awful lot of tourists going back home in a few days with discussions of marriage equality as a souvenir. Mission accomplished.

Join The Impact Miami!

JOIN THE IMPACT NATIONAL PROTEST FOR THE REPEAL OF THE DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT!

WHEN? January 10th, 2009. From 5:00pm until 7:00pm

WHERE? Miami Beach's "Old" City Hall at 1130 Washington Avenue in South Beach.

WHAT IS IT? This protest, which will be coordinated with other protests around the country, will focus on the Defense of Marriage Act. DOMA is the 1996 law which bans the federal government from recognizing same-sex relationships as marriages, and which also means that same-sex marriages that are legal in one state do not have to be recognized by any other. Republicans wrote it, Clinton signed it into law, and Obama has said he will repeal it. LET'S HOLD HIM TO THAT PROMISE!

WHAT WILL WE BE DOING? Cities all over California will be lighting up their city hall buildings blue - the color blue as a symbol of equality. The City of Miami Beach will be joining California, and will light our "Old" City Hall blue! We will gather in Lummus Park (at 12th Street and Ocean Drive) and then march to the Old City Hall. Bring your signs, banners and slogans!

FOR MORE INFO: JOIN THE IMPACT MIAMI!

And The Oscar Goes To...

Tony, Jody and I saw "Slumdog Millionaire" last night. I don't want to give any of it away, or hype it beyond reasonable expectations...but it really is one of the best movies I have EVER seen. I thought we were going to have to take Tony out of the theatre on a stretcher.