Happy New Year!

Yet another eventful year has come and gone for this here website thingy. In 2011 we saw over 20 million pageviews on over 10,000 posts on which you crazy kids left over 1.2 million comments. Each of those figures are up about 25% on last year, so...go US! As I mentioned in this post last year, blogging is like a homework assignment that is never done, but is always due. Nevertheless, you all make it a lot easier with your emails, your story tips, and your encouragement.

JMG garnered some nice notices in 2011, such as our repeat as Village Voice's Politics Blog Of The Year, CBS News New York's Most Valuable Blogger award, and GLAAD's 2011 Outstanding Blog award. Winning the last of those awards rilly rilly pissed off the anti-gay hate industry and the homocons. We call that a win-win-WIN situation. Heh.

I'm grateful to all of you for continuing readership, for your unflagging commitment to equality, and for your, ahem, vociferous participation here in the JMG community. Tonight, I'll be raising my glass to each and every one of you. I'll be raising it a lot! Thank you all.

Frothy: Annul All Existing Gay Marriages

Frothy Mix says that he supports the annulment of all existing same-sex marriages, either via a federal marriage amendment or some other unspecified mechanism. Zack Ford has the clip.

(Tipped by JMG reader Kevin)

Obama Signs Defense Act

Over the loud objections of many progressives, today President Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act, which, among many other things, includes a GOP-authored provision for the indefinite and untried detention of terrorism suspects. Obama had threatened to veto the bill because of that issue, but today said:

"The fact that I support this bill as a whole does not mean I agree with everything in it. In particular, I have signed this bill despite having serious reservations with certain provisions that regulate the detention, interrogation, and prosecution of suspected terrorists. [snip] My Administration will aggressively seek to mitigate those concerns through the design of implementation procedures and other authorities available to me as Chief Executive and Commander in Chief, will oppose any attempt to extend or expand them in the future, and will seek the repeal of any provisions that undermine the policies and values that have guided my Administration throughout my time in office."

While signing the bill today is an obvious ploy to have it vanish into the holiday news hole, Ron Paul is certain to make the issue a central point in upcoming appearances: "When the bar is low enough to include political enemies, our descent into totalitarianism is virtually assured."

Current Voter ID Requirements

As we've discussed here, GOP and Tea Party-dominated state legislatures have been frighteningly successful in their campaign to create voting roadblocks for young, black, and immigrant voters. All of those groups traditionally vote for Democrats. Visit this interactive map for the current requirements across the nation. (Tipped by JMG reader Ray)

GOProud's Best Year Ever?

That "best year ever" bar has been set pretty low, hasn't it? Let's recap, shall we? In 2011 we saw GOProud publicly disinvited from the nation's largest annual wingnut conference. We saw GOProud denounced and ridiculed by conservative icons. We saw GOProud members involved in two laughable "hate crime" incidents that were widely mocked across the blogosphere as having been faked. We saw GOProud trot out Donald Trump as a potential savior of the nation. We saw GOProud loudly and proudly proclaim the financial genius of alleged serial sexual harasser Herman Cain. And finally, we saw GOProud chairman Chris Barron resign in the wake of an outing incident that also cost them their most notorious board member, Andrew Breitbart.

As far as I can tell, the only "success" GOProud actually had in 2011 was in keeping all of us highly entertained by their nonstop homocon minstrelsy. Let hope for even more "success" in 2012.

Live Cams From Times Square

At this writing midnight is some eleven hours way, but as you can see there are already thousands of people crammed into the pens across Times Square. You can watch the craziness live from a number of cams in different locations.

Spotify's Most-Played Tracks Of 2011

The top chart is America, the bottom chart is Britain. You can also see charts from around the world and the full Top 100 most-played from the U.S.

Kennedy Center Honors Barbara Cook

Featuring my favorite Broadway star, Sutton Foster. Plus Patti Lupone, Glenn Close, Audra McDonald and lots of others.

(Via - Evan Hurst)

Tired Old Queen At The Movies #91

1953's Mogambo, starring Clark Gable, Ava Gardner, and Grace Kelly.

Anti-Gay Hate Group Leader Names Top Ten Anti-Gay Hate Groups For 2011

Naming himself at #1, Scott "Nazis Were Gay" Lively has published a list of the ten most "pro-family" asshats for 2011. First to respond to this despicable honor is World Net Daily founder and Just For Men spokestool, Joseph Farah: "I am very grateful to be honored by Abiding Truth Ministries and to be included among such distinguished and courageous luminaries."

Lively is notorious for being one of the American evangelicals responsible for the violently anti-gay fervor sweeping across Africa. Last year he was caught in a domestic scandal when Massachusetts police exposed him for employing a convicted child molester in his ministry outreach to young people.

Sydney Rings In 2012

Paul Angelo Responds To JMG Readers

"Thank you all for replying and let me make a suggestion. The direction and state of the gay community requires someone on this planet to lift certain rocks and look under them. Please don't blame me for trying to look for clues to better life for all of us. Unless you take on a role that I decided to do - please don't criticize me for trying or anyone else for that matter. And if your self esteem is high as you say - then please reply with kind words next time and if you disagree then substantiate your disagreement with your theories." - Gay "matchmaker" Paul Angelo, responding in the comments section of yesterday's post regarding his call for gay men to give up "feminizing" anal sex.

Editorial Of The Day

From the Chicago Tribune:

The gay community wasn't trying to antagonize Catholics when it drew up a plan that would send its floats past the Belmont Avenue church next June. Last year's Chicago Pride Parade drew more than 700,000 spectators, and organizers and city officials agreed it had outgrown its old route. The change of venue was meant to address safety concerns, including accessibility for emergency vehicles. But the church's pastor objected, saying parishioners would have a hard time getting to Mass. [snip] Over the course of four decades, the Chicago Pride Parade has marched past hundreds of churches without stifling anyone's religious beliefs. Come June, it will do so again.

As usual, at least one of God's Gentle People™ has infested the Tribune's comments section with threats to assault/murder the editorial's author.

"If the guy that wrote this piece is looking for a fight, I'm ready to fight . . . if the writer is leading the gay pride parade when it goes by Mount Carmel church at any time, he'll find me waiting, and I'll teach him some 'rights' . . . . the right to worship without deliberate disruption." - Robert M. Kraus, Sr.

DNC Recaps Top GOP Gaffes Of 2011

Fox News Poll

Mediaite has the story.

Google's Year In Review

2011 In 100 Seconds

Afternoon View

Cindy Jacobs: Pray For God To Expose The Lie Of Separation Of Church/State

From Cindy Jacobs' guide to her group's coming 21 day prayer fast to convince God that he must create a "Bible-based government."

Ask the Lord to remove the lie of “Separation of Church and State” from this nation’s governmental philosophy and from Believers mindsets! There is no such language in the Constitution. The wording of the Amendment is “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” The intent of the Constitution’s framers was to prevent a state-run religion, such as England’s Anglicanism, headed by the King. In a letter to the Danbury Baptist association in 1802, Thomas Jefferson assured them the Constitution would not ever limit an individual’s free expression of religion, reiterating the Constitution’s intent. Jefferson’s statement was turned around by an activist court in the 1947 case, “Everson vs. Board of Education,” to mean that the framers meant to keep religion out of government. This ruling has become one of the greatest enemies of God in our nation today. War against it today! Use the sword of the Lord, the Word of God, and strike it down in the spirit!

(Via - Right Wing Watch) [Image via JMG reader Chuck]

Frothy Mix: I'm Surging, Bitches!

Ron Paul On Sexual Harassment

"Employee rights are said to be valid when employers pressure employees into sexual activity. Why don’t they quit once the so-called harassment starts? Obviously the morals of the harasser cannot be defended, but how can the harassee escape some responsibility for the problem? Seeking protection under civil rights legislation is hardly acceptable." - Ron Paul, from his 1987 book, Freedom Under Siege.

Chuck Norris Wants The Christian Bible To Be Taught In Every Public School

And all of his wigs agree!

HomoQuotable - Paul Angelo

"If you were to put all gay men together in a big warehouse and place the 'bottoms' on the left and the 'tops' on the right, you'd start seeing negative consequences of the anal sex play out in real life for the bottoms such as: disrespect for their general health, failure at work, failure in love and relationships. I am not saying that every gay man should stop anal intercourse today. What I recommend is that gay men re-think the 'Gay-Lifestyle' strategy and stop for one second to question the validity of all that is gay." - Gay "matchmaker" Paul Angelo, in a press release recommending a "60-day moratorium" on anal sex.

Angelo elaborates: "Receptive anal sex decreases self esteem by forcing the person to assume a submissive position during an act of pleasure. This confuses the brain to believe that a feminine-like behavior is appropriate for a man and in turn reduces the man's assertiveness, confidence and will power."

I'll put the popcorn in the microwave...

(Tipped by Michelangelo Signorile)

The South Korean Adele

The other contestants are SO unhappy with her talent.

(Source)

Tweet Of The Day - Andy Borowitz

Morning View - Candy Sale

Lady Gaga Will Drop The Ball

Native New Yorker Lady Gaga will join Mayor Bloomberg in dropping the ball tomorrow night in Times Square.

Each year, Hizzoner chooses a guest to help drop the ball and count down the year’s final minute. Past choices have included Bill and Hillary Clinton, Colin Powell, Muhammad Ali and Rudy Giuliani. Lady Gaga will perform on ABC’s “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2012.”

This is my eleventh year as a New Yorker and I've yet to be in Times Square on New Year's Eve, as I'm regularly told I would permanently destroy any local cred should I do so.

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Romney: Bring Ads To PBS

That'll solve everything!

Verizon Will Charge You To Pay Your Bill

If you think you've heard it all, hang on to your thinker. Verizon is about to launch a $2 charge for customers who pay their bills online or over the phone.

Beginning on Jan. 15, Verizon will charge all customers a $2 “convenience fee” for paying their cellphone bill online or over the phone, according to documents obtained by Droid-Life. That’s right. If you’re living in the 21st century and don’t pay your cell phone bills via mailed paper check, you will be charged $2 every month, despite the fact that automated phone payments and online bill paying are likely the two cheapest ways Verizon can accept payment. Verizon explains the fee in this way: “Verizon Wireless strives to provide you with the best wireless experience. Effective January 15, 2012, we are implementing a $2.00 online and telephone payment convenience fee to help allow us to continue to support these bill payment options in these channels. The fee will be waved if you pay by electronic check or if you enroll in AutoPay.”

Unreal.

Exorcise Your Demons!

For a low low price, Rev. Bob Larsen will exorcise you of the demons that are preventing you from becoming the millionaire that God wants you to be. You need only enroll on Larsen's site for his Demon Test®. It's trademarked!

No pastor, priest, or counselor has dwelt with more spiritually bound people sad seen them set free. This isn't counseling. This isn't therapy. This is intervention to get answers NOW! Your lifetime of suffering can end. Your torment can stop. The job you need, the relationships you desire will be within your reach. The choice is simple--stay stuck or move on to spiritual fulfillment and success in every area of life. Get free, stay free, and live free!

When Larsen was previously busted in financial and adultery scandals, he claimed that Satan had physically impersonated him to commit all those ungodly deeds. SRSLY. (Via - Rob Tisinai)

VIDEO: Here's a sample from Larsen's YouTube channel. It's really kind of hilarious until you remember that fakery like this allowed Larsen to buy his 6000 square foot vacation home in a gated ski resort community.

MEXICO: Gay Marriage Comes To Cancun

Legal same-sex marriages are about to commence in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, home to popular vacation destinations like Cancun.

Cancun and other resort areas on the Mexican Caribbean will have a new attraction for gay and lesbian couples from the United States, Canada and Europe, allowing them to legalize their unions thanks to a quirk in the local civil code, activist Patricia Novelo told Efe. “This market niche ... is very attractive for European, Canadian and American (homosexual) couples,” said the spokesperson for Colectivo Diversidad. Novelo said that in January the first same-sex group wedding will be held in the resort area as part of local support for the human rights of the gay community. She said that already several couples have expressed their wish to formalize their unions at the ceremony. She said gay and lesbian marriages are possible in Quintana Roo, “thanks to a legal gap in the Civil Code,” which only makes mention of “people interested in getting married,” without specifying their gender.

Gay marriage is already legal in Mexico City and unions performed there are recognized throughout the nation. Hotels, airlines, and tour companies are already working to launch same-sex marriage packages to Cancun, Cozumel, and other beach towns in Quintana Roo.

Gingrich: Palin Could Be The VP

"I am a great admirer of hers and she was a remarkable reform governor of Alaska, she’s somebody who I think brings a great deal to the possibility of helping in government and that would be one of the possibilities. There are also some very important Cabinet positions that she could fill very, very well. I can’t imagine anybody who would do a better job of driving us to an energy solution than Gov. Palin, for example. Tell her that she would certainly be on the list of one of the people we would consider." - Newt Gingrich, speaking at a Christianist town hall.

Cindy Jacobs: We Don't Want A Theocracy, We Just Want A Bible-Based Government

And there's going to be a state-by-state wave of fasting that will impress God so much, he'll bring America back to a Bible-based government like the Founders intended! Only a homofascist like you would call a Christians-only Bible-based government a "theocracy." Stop repressing our right to repress you!

DESPERATION: Wingnut Pajamas Media Blog Begs For Other GOP Candidates

In a post begging any of the above-named GOP figures to jump into the race, the hard-right Pajamas Media site has posted an article titled "Barack Obama Will Still Be President On January 19th, 2017." It begins:

That is, unless we jettison this freak show of Republican so-called candidates. Newt Gingrich? Newt Gingrich????? The guy peaked nearly 20 years ago. Compromised, corrupt, amoral. He has about as much chance of winning the general election as do Calvin Coolidge’s decomposing remains. Ron F-ing PAUL?????????????? The most charitable thing I can say about him is: Joke candidate. Wrong, wrong, wrong. If he gets the Republican nomination, I would actually stay home on election day, as would most voters forced to choose between a communist and a madman.

Michele Bachmann’s vaccine conspiracies have doomed her as a viable mainstream nominee, unfortunately, even though she is the most likeable of all the candidates and I would have gladly voted for her, “crazy eyes” notwithstanding. Rick Perry has already made far too many unforced errors, and his extreme social conservative activism has turned off many Constitutionally-minded voters like myself who worry that if he wins he’ll use his power not to shrink government but to meddle in Americans’ private lives. No thank you. Herman Cain: Toast. Rick Santorum: If we were all in hell, I’d put my money on the snowball. Huntsman, Johnson and the rest: Who?

As for Romney, the author says "I’d rather have a president with magic underwear than an emperor with no clothes. But the growing tide of anti-Mormon bigotry in this country means that I fear few would join me in this protest vote."

Top Ten Reasons Catholics Have Hopes Of Further Inflicting Their Dogma In 2012

NOM's blogger is tweeting out the link to this clip from his personal account, "American Papist." According to Catholic Vote, the creators of the clip, Catholics should be hopeful that gay people will be further oppressed in the coming year. (Plus the usual mumbo jumbo about saints, the Pope, and abortion.) Noticeably absent is any "hope" for feeding the poor, helping the homeless, healing the sick. But hey, at least the public's response to a tornado gets a shout-out.

Rick Perry Vs. Frothy Mix

This ad includes the word "doody." I shit you not. Ahem.

Truth Wins Out To Run Full-Page Ad Calling For Resignation Of Cardinal George

The ad will run in this Sunday's Chicago Tribune. Via press release:

Truth Wins Out stepped up its campaign calling on Chicago Archbishop Cardinal Francis George to resign today by placing a full-page ad in this upcoming Sunday's Chicago Tribune. The ad is headlined, "Hey, Cardinal Francis George, Gay is not like the KKK," and slams the Cardinal for foolishly comparing the LGBT community to the Ku Klux Klan. It satirically includes a picture of a rainbow-robed Klansman and debunks the lies and misinformation disseminated by the Archbishop about the LGBT community. The ad comes as an online TWO petition calling on George to step down has reached more than 4,000 signatures. "We felt compelled to place this ad after Cardinal George compounded his initial smear with further insults disguised as an apology," said Truth Wins Out's Executive Director Wayne Besen. "It seems the sin of pride is keeping George from saying he is sorry for his outrageous and misleading remarks about Gay Pride. At this point, the only road to redemption is his resignation."

How The Public Views Political Terms

(Source)

Brian Brownshirt Attacks Ron Paul

"Ron Paul holds positions that many conservatives support, but his position on marriage is far out of the mainstream and is simply unacceptable. Marriage between one man and one woman has been the foundation of American society and American families. It is truly radical for a serious presidential candidate to blithely cast marriage aside, suggesting that any private arrangement between adults can be called marriage. Marriage uniquely serves the common good and America deserves a president who respects that. Quite frankly, Ron Paul is worse on marriage than even Barack Obama." - NOM president Brian Brownshirt, in a post promoting yesterday's launch of NOM's anti-Paul website.

RELATED: Last month a Mother Jones reporter exposed Brownshirt for attending a megawealthy fundraiser for fellow Catholic Newt Gingrich. NOM has remained completely silent on their secret funding of the Gingrich campaign.

Frothy Mix: I'm The One To Beat Obama

Michele Bachmann's Campaign Chair Jumps Ship, Endorses Ron Paul

Crazy Eyes: "Ron Paul paid him off!"

Headline Of The Day

Those screams you hear are from her gay fans.

JMG Top Ten Singles Of 2011

Below are my personal favorites out of the hundreds of music clips posted here on JMG in 2011. They're a mix of obvious and obscure and are in no particular order save my #1 - Beth Ditto's I Wrote The Book, which my laptop claims I've played a couple of hundred times. Skip down to today's open thread and tell us your own favorites of 2011. Or just diss mine here!

CockNBullKid
Asthma Attack

Foster The People
Pumped Up Kicks

Adele
Rolling In The Deep

Holy Ghost!
Hold My Breath

M83
Midnight City

Florence + The Machine
Shake It Out

Erasure
Be With You

Lana Del Rey
Video Games

TV On The Radio
You

Gingrich: I'm Middle Class

"We don’t come out of a background where we can buy a seat or buy, as Mayor Bloomberg did, buy the mayorship of New York. I mean if you look at how much he spent, he just wrote a check and bought it. I think that’s very dangerous to the future of American democracy. My dad served in the Army for 27 years; I was a college teacher. I’m a middle class person." - Newt Gingrich, speaking from his home planet where the middle class is worth many millions and has a seven-figure line of credit at Tiffany.

NY Times Busted In Spam Claim

The New York Post is slamming the Times this morning after the Grey Lady accidentally sent a discount offer to over eight million subscribers then later claimed that the message was actually sent by spammers.

“The e-mail is SPAM and was not sent from The New York Times. We are alerting subscribers immediately,” the paper told reporters by e-mail at 2:08 p.m. “That’s our immediate concern. When we learn more, we will let you know. ” About the same time, the Times’ Twitter feed said, “If you received an e-mail today about canceling your NYT subscription, ignore it. It’s not from us.” But it was from the paper. The Times’ story changed drastically by 3:29 when the paper’s media reporter Amy Chozik tweeted, “The e-mail was sent by the NYT, a spokeswoman said. Should’ve gone to approx 300 & went to over 8 mil.” That message was passed on to reporters at 3:47 in an e-mail that retracted the earlier spam claim and admitted the Times was the source of the e-mail flood.

The Times says it will not honor the 50% discount offer that was intended for only 300 customers. And of course, there's already a parody Twitter account.

CNN Releases New Iowa GOP Poll

Santorum has tripled his support in the last month. It's still gonna be Romney, of course.

Obama Reveals Electoral Vote Plan

2011 Word Of The Year: "Occupy"

So sez the Global Language Monitor.

Top Baby Names Of 2011

Priests Brawl Inside Bethlehem Church

The church that is the alleged birthplace of Jesus.

Savage On Santorum

Bachmann: I'm America's Iron Lady

Ron Paul Won't Denounce Endorsements From Nazi And Other Extremist Groups

The New York Times reports:

The American Free Press, which markets books like “The Invention of the Jewish People” and “March of the Titans: A History of the White Race,” is urging its subscribers to help it send hundreds of copies of Ron Paul’s collected speeches to voters in New Hampshire. The book, it promises, will “Help Dr. Ron Paul Win the G.O.P. Nomination in 2012!” Don Black, director of the white nationalist Web site Stormfront, said in an interview that several dozen of his members were volunteering for Mr. Paul’s presidential campaign, and a site forum titled “Why is Ron Paul such a favorite here?” has no fewer than 24 pages of comments. “I understand he wins many fans because his monetary policy would hurt Jews,” read one.

Ron Paul: “If they want to endorse me, they’re endorsing what I do or say — it has nothing to do with endorsing what they say." [Photo: Ron Paul with Don Black, director of Stormfront.]

Quote Of The Day - Porno Pete

"Under Obama’s Navy, lesbians get the first traditional kiss; the sailor comes off the boat greeted by his spouse which is a woman usually, man-woman, woman-man, but now under Obama this political correctness we’re going to pretend that homosexuality belongs in the military. And actually Obama posted the photo of these two women kissing on his Flickr page which to me is another first—a president posting an indecent photo on his Flickr page because homosexual sex and homosexual practice is still indecent. It doesn’t matter what the trends say what the political correctness says, it matters what the truth is, and we go by the word of God and that’s indecent behavior. And to see our president glorifying it and saying this is one of his greatest accomplishments is really a sad day." - Porno Pete LaBarbera, speaking on Christian radio. (Via - Right Wing Watch)

Bryan Adams - Tonight In Babylon

Produced by LoverushUK and somewhat reminiscent of Adams' tracks with trance king Chicane. This makes me want to go to San Francisco's Pleasuredome. In 1998.

ATLANTA: Bishop Eddie Long's School To Close After Gay Affairs Scandal

He paid settlements to four young men, his wife filed for divorce, and now Bishop Eddie Long's New Birth Academy has abruptly announced that it will close before the end of the school year.

The letter sent to the parents of students cited decreased donations and enrollment, as well as a bad economy, as the reason for the closing. It also said that school officials would help parents find other schools to enroll their children for the duration of the 2011-2012 school year. Although the school denies any connection between the decision to close and the many recent scandals connected to Eddie Long, some parents are skeptical. “I don’t believe that. I believe that this last straw with the divorce, the sealed settlement, it just does not look good,” said one parent to WSB TV Channel 2.

Long will have to console himself with his Bentley, his private jet, his sprawling mansion, and the many millions that he extorted from his former fans.

North Korea Gets New "Supreme Leader"

Open Thread Thursday

What are your top singles for 2011?

NOM Launches Anti-Ron Paul Site

NOM is punishing Ron Paul for refusing to sign their anti-gay hate pledge by launching a special website against him. "Ron Paul is a radical who would DESTROY traditional marriage!"

Ron Paul Attacks Gingrich & Romney

Perry Welcomes Canada As 51st State

“Every barrel of oil that comes out of those sands in Canada is a barrel of oil that we don’t have to buy from a foreign source." - Rick Perry, speaking at an Iowa campaign stop.

Ron Paul's Website Boasts Of Endorsement From "Death To Gays" Christian Pastor

"In a society that was being converted, homosexuals could continue to be converted as they were in the church of Corinth. Even after a society implemented Biblical law and made homosexuality a crime, there are many checks and balances that would be in place. The civil government could not round them up. Only those who were prosecuted by citizens could be punished, and the punishment could take a number of forms, including death. This would have a tendency of driving homosexuals back into their closets. I think I have demonstrated how even capital punishment can be restorative. Other aspects of penology such as restitution, indentured servitude, etc. are certainly restorative." - Pastor Phil Kayser, from his 2009 book, Is The Death Penalty Just? Ron Paul's website is currently bragging about the endorsement of the "eminent" Keyser.

Has Andrew Sullivan fully retracted his endorsement yet?

UPDATE: The above endorsement has now been yanked from Ron Paul's site.

DVT Killed Heavy D

An update on the death of Heavy D:

An autopsy performed on Heavy D has revealed his cause of death to be a pulmonary embolism. The Los Angeles County coroner's office found that the rapper died of a blood clot in his lung, and also suffered from a deep leg vein thrombosis and heart disease at the time of his death. The blood clot was "most likely formed during an extended airplane ride," said Craig Harvey, chief of the Los Angeles County department of coroner. The rapper had just recently returned to L.A. from London before his death on November 8th.

Get up and walk around on long plane rides. I learned this the hard way when I too was diagnosed with DVT back in 1996. The doctor took one look at my swollen calf and then personally drove me to the hospital for three days of in-patient Coumadin, followed by two months of a fashionable pressure stocking. I was only 37, not overweight, and extremely lucky.

The Year In Marriage Equality

AFER's Matt Baume breaks it all down.

Vaccine Deniers Plan New Year's Eve Ad

Perhaps fueled by Michele "Vaccines Cause Retardation" Bachmann, a vaccine denial group plans to show their latest ad to the one million+ throng that will gather in Times Square on New Years Eve. The ad has already been running twice an hour there since last week.

“In 2012, NVIC is marking our 30th year of public education and consumer empowerment,” said NVIC co-founder and president Barbara Loe Fisher. “With so many health care options available today, becoming an educated health care consumer is essential and our pro-informed consent message will be seen by millions on New Year’s Eve.” The full-color LED screen on which NVIC’s ad is appearing is located near the Times Square Information Center in the heart of the Broadway district and is one of the largest digital display screens in the Times Square area. An estimated one million people pack the Times Square area during New Year’s Eve and the celebration is viewed on television by billions of people around the world.

(Via - The Friendly Atheist)

AFA's Poll Of The Day

IOWA: On The Road With Crazy Eyes

Ladybird follows the bus in a white Cabriolet.

Headline Of The Day

Somebody needs to flog interest in her book.

Today's Dumbass Lie From Trump

Clearly he thinks he's the only one with a Google Machine.

Gingrich: I Will Pack The Courts With Judges From Christianist Universities

Continuing on his quest to reform America into a Christianist theocracy, Newt Gingrich says that as president he will appoint federal judges from extremist right-wing universities. Right Wing Watch has the quote:

You start looking at people of the caliber of [NOM founder] Robbie George of Princeton, you look at [Pat Robertson's] Regent University, you look at [Dead Jerry Falwell's] Liberty University, you start looking around and realizing there is a whole crop - [Gingrich employee] Vince Haley of University of Virginia graduate who is a deeply, deeply committed Christian who clearly understands these kinds of issues - I think people would be surprised that the Federalist Society has many members who agree that we need a balance of power between the three, not a judicial dictatorship.

Yup. Gingrich wants to appoint NOM's Robert George, the Manhattan Declaration author who commands Americans to defy civil rights laws. As a federal judge. You can kiss this republic goodbye, should Gingrich ever take power.

RELATED: Gingrich vows to end the separation of church and state.

ALSO RELATED: Gingrich vows to arrest any judge who enforces the separation of church and state.

Everything Is Unconstitutional!

If it wasn't written down 200+ years ago, it can't exist!

Samoa Cancels Friday

There will be no Friday in Samoa this week.

The decision to push the international dateline further to the east and go back to the future -- going directly from Thursday to Saturday -- was prompted by new economic realities rather than a need to be the first place in the world to celebrate New Year's Day in 2012. Samoan prime minister, Tuilaepa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi, said the move would put the Pacific island nation of some 180,000 people on the same footing as its key trading partners in New Zealand and Australia, taking advantage of those economies links to China and the Pacific Rim.

In 1892 Samoa had two consecutive July 4ths when the king moved the dateline west in order to match the calendar of San Francisco-bound shipping.

Manhattan Elites & Hollywood Superstars Swindled NY Out Of Natural Marriage!

So screams the Vatican NOM in their final money beg of 2011.

Governor Cuomo and the four renegade Republicans who made same-sex marriage a reality in New York are being wined and dined by Wall Street fat cats and Hollywood millionaires. Help stand up for marriage and the rights of ordinary New Yorkers. And at the same time, send a message to politicians in your own state that they can’t vote for same-sex marriage and get away with it! Don’t let your state become the next New York!

IOWA: New Radio Ad From Frothy Mix

Quote Of The Day - Cardinal George

"The Chicago Gay Pride Parade has been organized and attended for many years without interfering with the worship of God in a Catholic church. When the 2012 Parade organizers announced a time and route change this year, it was apparent that the Parade would interfere with divine worship in a Catholic parish on the new route. When the pastor's request for reconsideration of the plans was ignored, the organizers invited an obvious comparison to other groups who have historically attempted to stifle the religious freedom of the Catholic Church. One such organization is the Ku Klux Klan which, well into the 1940's, paraded through American cities not only to interfere with Catholic worship but also to demonstrate that Catholics stand outside of the American consensus. It is not a precedent anyone should want to emulate." - Cardinal Francis George, repeating his "gays = KKK" comparison. (Via JMG reader Robert)

UPDATE: Veteran journalist Rex Wockner sends us this comment.

The Chicago gay pride parade attracts 800,000 people. It proceeds through a heavily congested, dense urban cityscape. Absolutely positively everything in its wake is disrupted. What on earth makes one service at one church on one day special enough to change the start time of a gigantic parade? Let alone excuses comparing 'the gay liberation movement' with the 'Ku Klux Klan'? No, cardinal, the gay pride committee is not targeting the Catholic church. 'The gay liberation movement' is not targeting the Catholic church either. Your church building is affected in no way any different from hundreds upon hundreds of buildings for miles in all directions (Lake Michigan notwithstanding). You really do need to get out more.

Gay Snipers Will Shoot Newlyweds

Above is the latest image from North Carolina's Family Policy Council, who implies that unless the coming constitutional ban on gay marriage is successful, homo snipers will lurk in wheat fields to slay unsuspecting newlyweds. Tobacco fields were less picturesque, one presumes.

Eleven Terms In Congress, One Passed Bill

Of the 620 bills authored by Rep. Ron Paul over eleven terms in the House, only one has been passed. And he's proud of that.

For a limited-government advocate like Paul, of course, his record of failure is actually a badge of honor. He has no interest in creating new programs or expanding regulations and is at great pains to spend the government's money — normally a popular pastime in Washington. In fact, most of the bills that he does sponsor usually involve some attempt to eliminate or hamstring government activity, such as proposals to abolish OSHA, disband the Department of Education, and repeal the income tax. In a world resistant to big change, bills like that have little chance of becoming law and many never get out of committee. But for Paul, the purpose is not to pad a record of small accomplishments, but to take a stand for his more radical ideas on the Constitution and the role of government.

Tarzan Star Cheetah Dies At 80

Amazing considering that most captive chimps only live to be about 35-45. More here.

Cheetah the chimpanzee, who acted in classic Tarzan movies in the early 1930s, died of kidney failure Saturday at Suncoast Primate Sanctuary in Palm Harbor, a sanctuary spokeswoman said. Cheetah was roughly 80 years old, loved fingerpainting and football and was soothed by nondenominational Christian music, said Debbie Cobb, the sanctuary's outreach director. He was an outgoing chimp who was exposed to the public his whole life, Cobb said today.