A Linguistic Heisenberg Principle

Does naming something change our perception of it? Adam Alter considers.

(Hat-tip to Andrew Sullivan)

The Accidental Pornographer

"And alas, nowhere is the corporatization and commodification of our discourse more evident than in the online commons’ black-and-white treatment of human sexuality. The rise of the privately-held, terms-of-service-governed internet has cultivated a binary view of sex, in which all content is divided into two categories: porn and not-porn. As a result, I can have a G-rated profile on Facebook, and/or an X rated one on Fetlife. But you will not see overlap between those. No one on Fetlife talks about their kids or their day at work, no more than anyone on Facebook talks about putting on a leather pony costume and playing giddyup in the local dungeon on a Saturday night. On Fetlife, you post pictures of your genitals, but not of your face (lest a cousin or co-worker stumble across your profile, presumably), and on Facebook…well, it’s called Facebook, not Assbook."

More here.

(Photo collage by me.)

Godless Sodomites Unite

Pew Research:

"Lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender adults are, on the whole, less religious than the general public. About half (48%) say they have no religious affiliation, compared with 20% in the general public; this pattern holds among all age groups. LGBT adults who do have a religious affiliation generally attend worship services less frequently and attach less importance to religion in their lives than do religiously affiliated adults in the general public."

(The Creation of Atheism redesign by me)

The Billion-Person Enabler

"Our growing collective compulsion to document our lives and share them online, combined with the instant gratification that comes from seeing something you are doing or experiencing get near-immediate approval from your online peers, could be giving us more reason to act out online, for better or for worse.

We are, in other words, one another’s virtual enablers."

More here.

Happy LGBTQQIIAA Pride Month

(Reimagining by me)

Taking A Break

Taking a short break from the blog. Back soon....

(Photo by me.)

Pot Dealer Leaves Legal-Pot State To Sell In State Where It's Not Legal

Here's why.

Asked and Answered

Rhetorical Question: "Where are all the flying cars we were promised?"

Real-World Answer: Here.

Bill Says Chill

The former President says his wife might want to take a break for a while, and suggests all those chattering about a presidential run give her one. And I agree: the best insurance for a Hillary win in 2016 would be a highly successful second-term for Obama. Oh, and a kick-ass blue wave of Democratic wins in the 2014 mid-term elections.

Sure, let's talk Hillary 2016... in December 2014.

Quote of the Last 800,000 Years

"The news that CO2 is near 400 ppm for the first time highlights a question that scientists have been investigating using a variety of methods: when was the last time that CO2 levels were this high, and what was the climate like back then? There is no single, agreed-upon answer to those questions as studies show a wide date range from between 800,000 to 15 million years ago. The most direct evidence comes from tiny bubbles of ancient air trapped in the vast ice sheets of Antarctica. By drilling for ice cores and analyzing the air bubbles, scientists have found that, at no point during at least the past 800,000 years have atmospheric CO2 levels been as high as they are now.

That means that in the entire history of human civilization, CO2 levels have never been this high." ~Andrew Freedman

(Hat-tip to TheDish)

History of a Phrase

"Coming out" has been around for a while, but "closet" is relatively recent. Read about it here.

Silence Equals Failure

Today, Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced he'll submit an amendment to the comprehensive immigration reform bill that would enable gay Americans to sponsor their foreign partners for residency in the United States.

President Obama has already announced support for this effort.

The Republicans are already saying this will scuttle the entire immigration reform effort.

If we want to be included in this bill--and if we want to avoid being blamed for its failure--we must act now. You'd better believe the very-organized and active Religious Right will be making phone calls and sending emails. It's not enough for us to expect Congress or the President to "do the right thing." We must make it clear to them that they must--and that we'll have their back in the 2014 mid-term elections.

The Congressional Switchboard is 202-224-3121.

If you prefer email or letter-writing, here's a helpful web portal.

The White House page on Immigration is here.

How The Ball Bounces

Charles Barkley gets asked if he ever played pro ball with gay players before.

"Of course I did. Everybody did," Barkley said. "Everybody played with a gay teammate, Dan. And it’ s no big deal."

Good Question

LZ Granderson asks, "If Clarence Thomas isn't 'elite,' who is?"

Let's Be Careful Out There

Remember that drug-resistant strain of gonorrhea that was showing up in Asia? The one that is unusually more infectious via oral sex?

Well, it seems to have made it to Hawaii. Stay tuned--and stay safe, boys and girls.

Forward

Pew Research Center: "Seven in ten Americans born after 1980 believe gay men and lesbians should be able to marry legally."

Bi-Polar Planet Watch

Wetter and Dryer: NASA rainfall study predicts climate change will increase extremes of both drought and rainfall.

(Photo by me)

A New Hope

J.J. Abrams Now Suggests 'Star Wars' May Force Him To Drop 'Star Trek 3'

(If so, my eyes weep with thanks.)

The Man Behind Jackie Robinson

You might think you know the Jackie Robinson story, but there's a part that rarely gets told. This week, OnTheMedia helps remedy that.

Reality Check

"The idea that any right is unrestricted is totally at odds with history, the law, and reality."

Michael Tomasky reminds us that there are no "absolute" rights in the Constitution; all of them have restrictions and limitations.

What Almost Was

A Bicycle Super-Highway