Jimboland Jots

President Obama Proclaims June 2010 LGBT Pride Month | Jimboland Jots

jimbonsf@gmail.com (James Lovette-Black PhD, RN) — Sun, 30 May 2010 12:55:25 PDT

Finally we have a president who is willing to actually represent all Americans and to work actively to include all Americans. For those of you who think he is not moving fast enough or working on human rights for gays, check out the Presidential Proclamation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month for June 2010.

To wit:

I call upon all Americans to observe this month by fighting prejudice and discrimination in their own lives and everywhere it exists.

By including this simple and powerful statement in this Presidential Proclamation, President Barack Hussein Obama has done what no previous President of the United States of America has officially done: he has located comprehensive gay rights firmly under the rubric of civil rights. By so doing, the president has affirmed our place at the Great Table of the American Family. Please click on the image below for the full proclamation.

Thank you, President Obama.

Hot Guys From International Mister Leather IML 2010 in Chicago – NSFW

jimbonsf@gmail.com (James Lovette-Black PhD, RN) — Mon, 31 May 2010 14:43:43 PDT

Mr. Missouri Leather 2008, Dwane Farr

Great pix of hot guys in leather gear, jeans, and sometimes very little at all from IML 2010 in Chicago.

Please note that these are NSFW and if nudity bothers you somehow, why the hell are you on my blog anyway?

[[Show as slideshow]]

Proposition H8 Ruled Clear Violation of Constitutional Rights

jimbonsf@gmail.com (James Lovette-Black PhD, RN) — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 15:28:35 PDT

Federal Judge Vaughn Walker today issued a final ruling from the bench of the United States Northern District Court of California on the matter of the constitutionality of Proposition 8, the anti-gay marriage ballot that was financially backed by the Mormon and Catholic churches. Judge Walker ruled that Proposition H8 violated both the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the American Constitution and declared it unconstitutional.

On page 135 of the ruling, Walker declares:

Proposition 8 fails to advance any rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license. Indeed, the evidence shows Proposition 8 does nothing more than enshrine in the California Constitution the notion that opposite-sex couples are superior to same-sex couples. Because California has no interest in discriminating against gay men and lesbians, and because Proposition 8 prevents California from fulfilling its constitutional obligation to provide marriages on an equal basis, the court concludes that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.

This is the decision that so many of us have been working toward and affirms that gay rights are, indeed, human and equal rights. The full decision is embedded below. Way to go, California.

Prop 8 Ruling FINAL

Top 10 Current Reasons for Anger at Corporations

jimbonsf@gmail.com (James Lovette-Black PhD, RN) — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 12:21:27 PDT

MoveOn.org just published a top 10 list of current super-bad corporate situations. Check the list below and prepare to breathe deeply, as there are at least 10 reasons to be pissed off about the miserable failures of the Reagan-Bush conservatives to properly regulate and supervise American corporations. Please sign the Fight Washington Corruption Pledge by clicking here.

Exxon Mobil made billions in profits, and yet paid not one dime in federal income taxes in 2009.²
The 2005 energy bill had a little known provision, commonly called the Halliburton Loophole, which exempted natural gas drilling from the Clean Water Act. The result? Water so contaminated that you can light it on fire.³
Massey Energy was cited more than 2400 times for safety violations in its mines, but chose not to fix potentially lethal problems because low penalties meant it was cheaper to simply keep paying the fines. This spring, 29 miners were killed in an underground explosion at a Massey mine in West Virginia.⁴
Michael Taylor was the FDA official who approved the use of Monsanto’s Bovine Growth Hormone in dairy cows (even though it’s banned in most countries and linked to cancer). After approving it, he left the FDA—to work for Monsanto. Until last year, when he moved back to the government—as President Obama’s “Food Safety Czar.” No joke.⁵
Internal Toyota documents outline how the company was successful in limiting regulators actions in the recalls last year—saving hundreds of millions while the death toll continued to climb.⁶
GE and its lobbyists—including 33 former government employees—have successfully lobbied Congress to override Defense Department requests to cancel a GE contract to work on a new engine for the Joint Strike Fighter jet. GE will need $2.9 billion to finish the project.⁷
Top executives at 9 big banks including Citibank, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley paid themselves over $20 billion in bonuses just weeks after taxpayers bailed them out to the tune of 700 billion dollars.⁸
During the waning days of the Bush administration, officials responded to a long-term lobbying campaign by pre-empting product liability lawsuits for dozens of entire industries. They bypassed Congress entirely and rewrote rules ranging from seatbelt manufacturing regulations to prescription drug safety.⁹
Sunscreen manufacturers including Johnson & Johnson and Schering-Plough, in the interest of profits, are opposing an FDA proposal requiring full reporting on sunscreen labels. The New York Times just confirmed that current SPF ratings don’t even measure sun rays that cause cancer.¹⁰
^{BP—a company with a record of 760 drilling safety and environmental violations—was granted safety waivers in order to operate the deepwater drilling rig that ultimately created the worst environmental disaster in US history.}¹¹

SOURCES

1. “BP’s latest plan succeeding, but may make spill worse,” Newsweek, June 2, 2010.

2. “GE, Exxon Paid No U.S. Income Taxes in 2009,” ABC News, April 6, 2010

3. “Why is Dick Cheney Silent on the Oil Spill?” Newsweek, June 10, 2010

4. “Other Massey Mines Showed A Pattern Of Violations,” NPR, April 13, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89264&id=21637-17353405-abdV0nx&t=8

5. “Monsanto’s man Taylor returns to FDA in food-czar role,” Grist, July 8, 2009
http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-08-monsanto-FDA-taylor/

6. “Toyota tried to cut costs on recalls,” Los Angeles Times, February 22, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89265&id=21637-17353405-abdV0nx&t=9

7. “GE vice chairman openly challenges Gates over F-35 fighter jet engine,” The Hill, June 17, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89266&id=21637-17353405-abdV0nx&t=10

8. “Bankers Reaped Lavish Bonuses During Bailouts,” The New York Times, July 30, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/31/business/31pay.html

9. “Bush Rule Changes Curtail Rights of States, Consumers,” Wall Street Journal, October 15, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89267&id=21637-17353405-abdV0nx&t=11

10. “UVA Reform: It’s Not PDQ,” The New York Times, June 23, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89268&id=21637-17353405-abdV0nx&t=12

11. “BP’s latest plan succeeding, but may make spill worse,” Newsweek, June 2, 2010.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=88880&id=21637-17353405-abdV0nx&t=13

Resigned MMS Director Baca Worked at BP

jimbonsf@gmail.com (James Lovette-Black PhD, RN) — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 12:26:58 PDT

MoveOn.org has uncovered the chain of events that led to the worst environmental disaster caused by Big Oil. BP is playing the lead for Big Oil and, thus far, an estimated 40 million gallons of crude oil is polluting an already devastated Gulf of Mexico. Every action taken by BP so far to halt the gusher has failed and this area’s ecosystems are already under siege from a complicated set of petroleum pollution, now with added toxic dispersants.

While it is true that President Obama inherited the setup for this disaster, his response to it has been relatively rapid and direct. MoveOn’s Big Mike, in a 1:44 minute movie, explains the chain of irresponsibility that brought us to this awful situation. In a nutshell, did you know that Sylvia Baca, who was appointed to the MMS directorship by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, had worked for BP for many years?!? A revolving door has been in place under decades of American rightist ideology: corporate officials getting government regulatory positions getting corporate positions. The foxes have been guarding the chicken coop and this must end.

Please get the world out and share. Here’s the short and enlightening video:

Very Cool Natural Solar Eruption Spectacle

jimbonsf@gmail.com (James Lovette-Black PhD, RN) — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 12:27:46 PDT

This is for all the science gals and guys, the geeks, techies, sci-fi fans, and admirers of all things cosmic and of nature: actual satellite footage of a huge solar eruption from our favorite star, Sol.

A truly cosmic spectacle right out of Star Trek: The Next Generation – ST: TNG for Trekkies, Trekkers, and everyone else to appreciate. @JimbolandJots

A Special Day in the Neighborhood for Flagging

jimbonsf@gmail.com (James Lovette-Black PhD, RN) — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 01:10:19 PDT

James Flagging

Flagging is a form of creative expression and performance art that began in the gay dance clubs. Gay men popularized flagging, which is the use of handmade flags or creatively constructed pieces of fabric, moved with flair and skill while either dancing or performing to music. Flagging often happens along with fanning, which is the use of fans, and can also include the use of poi.

In San Francisco, we are abundantly blessed to have many decades of gay culture and history, and to have the breadth and depth of many artistic and cultural groups, institutions, and people who well express the joyful nature of gay culture.

The photo and video were taken at a Flagging in the Park event in the AIDS Memorial Grove in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Thanks and a big hug to Jim K. for taking the photo. Big hug and thanks to Xavier for showing us how it’s done.

Enjoy.

Click here to view the embedded video.

First Medical Cannabis PSA Seen in Northern California

jimbonsf@gmail.com (James Lovette-Black PhD, RN) — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 13:56:47 PDT

The State of California is set to vote on Proposition 19, the Regulate, Control, and Tax Cannabis Act, this autumn. With the recent endorsement from the California Council of Churches , The Hill’s Congress Blog recently featured Paul Armentano, the Deputy Director of National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), in an essay calling Prop 19 “a first step in the right direction”.

University of New Hampshire researchers recently declared that the myth of marijuana as a “gateway” drug is not factual. The study concluded that social and environmental stressors – the “potholes” of life – are more predictive of hard substance use than is pot use: another piece of propaganda refuted.

This state proposition is a popular vote by registered California voters. As we near the time of the vote in November, CannaCare’s first commercially broadcast PSA (Public Service Announcement) used the true stories of several actual medical cannabis users. The commercial aired and generated little controversy, given the widespread social acceptance and use of marijuana in Northern California and much of the state. Here is the commercial: please feel free to share this post.