Pt 89
Pt 90
Pt 91 Watch gay-hater, Axel, bashing Ollie...
Share Me
Let's eat!
This month we cook a lot of dishes from Singapore and Malaysia. Singapore and Kuala Lumpur are a melting pot bubbling over with tourists, inhabitants and expatriates from all parts of the world, and these people naturally have diverse eating habits. Through the ages, the Chinese, Malay, Indians and the foreigners (westerners) have cast their influence on Singapore's food recipes and there is no doubt that Singapore is a food lovers' paradise. We are bringing the fantastic Singapore/Malay dishes to you and our friends who will be couchsurfing with us...Cheers! Tiger & Marlon
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Latest on Christian & Ollie
Lovebirds...Christian and Ollie
Ollie meeting his mystery sponsor...
Stella is at Schneiders’, having dinner with a colleague. While Olli takes their order, Charlie comes over to tell him that two guests are waiting for their bill at the bar. Olli says that he’ll take care of it after he has finished taking the order, but Charlie tells him to do it now and apologises to Stella and her colleague… her bartender is needed behind the bar. Olli is offended/hurt.
Christian and Olli are at the flat share. Christian is talking about what happened with Gregor and the brewery. At some point, he notices that Olli isn’t listening. He makes a comment about Olli’s “early morning appetite” and wonders if the rest of him is still asleep.
Olli is not in a good mood. Christian wants to know what’s wrong. Olli says that he considered quitting his job at Schneiders’ because it’s rather boring. Christian thinks that it’s a bit early for Olli to have a midlife crisis. Olli says that he’s serious. He wants more out of life. He’s bored to death at Schneiders’. He has many great ideas to change the place, but he hasn’t mentioned any of them to his aunt yet. Christian wraps his arms around Olli and encourages him to tell Charlie about his ideas. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Olli is at work at Schneiders’. Stella shows up and quickly finds out that Olli is not in a good mood. She wonders if it’s because of her colleague’s behaviour last night and apologises to Olli. He says it’s okay.
Stella wants to know what’s wrong with him then. He says that his talents aren’t exactly appreciated around here. There’s much more to him than this. He ran a whole club on his own on Ibiza. People from all over the island came to the club because of his cocktails. There’s no place for creativity at Schneiders’. Stella encourages Olli to show Charlie what he’s got.
Olli is still not convinced that Charlie wants to hear his ideas, but he decides to go for it anyway. He makes a few of his cocktails and decorates the bar. Stella is enthusiastic. Charlie isn’t. She doesn’t like any of Olli’s ideas (weekly parties, VJ’s, et cetera). Schneiders’ isn’t some “techno disco”. Olli says that he doesn’t want to turn it into a disco/club, but it will be very cool and the guests will like it. Charlie says that she knows what her guests want, so stop all the nonsense. Olli is hurt by his aunt’s rejection.
Ollie meeting his mystery sponsor...
Stella is at Schneiders’, having dinner with a colleague. While Olli takes their order, Charlie comes over to tell him that two guests are waiting for their bill at the bar. Olli says that he’ll take care of it after he has finished taking the order, but Charlie tells him to do it now and apologises to Stella and her colleague… her bartender is needed behind the bar. Olli is offended/hurt.
Christian and Olli are at the flat share. Christian is talking about what happened with Gregor and the brewery. At some point, he notices that Olli isn’t listening. He makes a comment about Olli’s “early morning appetite” and wonders if the rest of him is still asleep.
Olli is not in a good mood. Christian wants to know what’s wrong. Olli says that he considered quitting his job at Schneiders’ because it’s rather boring. Christian thinks that it’s a bit early for Olli to have a midlife crisis. Olli says that he’s serious. He wants more out of life. He’s bored to death at Schneiders’. He has many great ideas to change the place, but he hasn’t mentioned any of them to his aunt yet. Christian wraps his arms around Olli and encourages him to tell Charlie about his ideas. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Olli is at work at Schneiders’. Stella shows up and quickly finds out that Olli is not in a good mood. She wonders if it’s because of her colleague’s behaviour last night and apologises to Olli. He says it’s okay.
Stella wants to know what’s wrong with him then. He says that his talents aren’t exactly appreciated around here. There’s much more to him than this. He ran a whole club on his own on Ibiza. People from all over the island came to the club because of his cocktails. There’s no place for creativity at Schneiders’. Stella encourages Olli to show Charlie what he’s got.
Olli is still not convinced that Charlie wants to hear his ideas, but he decides to go for it anyway. He makes a few of his cocktails and decorates the bar. Stella is enthusiastic. Charlie isn’t. She doesn’t like any of Olli’s ideas (weekly parties, VJ’s, et cetera). Schneiders’ isn’t some “techno disco”. Olli says that he doesn’t want to turn it into a disco/club, but it will be very cool and the guests will like it. Charlie says that she knows what her guests want, so stop all the nonsense. Olli is hurt by his aunt’s rejection.
Friday, February 27, 2009
QueerGam to queers graduating in recession: Be optimistic
Don't be picky or choosy. Go for nonprofits or go back to grad school if you can...your options are but a few...good luck. Remember: tough times don't last, tough queers do.
Milk Acceptance Speeches Censored by News Corp Subsidiary
Milk Acceptance Speeches Censored by News Corp Subsidiary
by Andy @ GLAAD
Film buffs from around the world are still buzzing about this year’s Oscar winners. GLAAD was thrilled about Milk being nominated in eight categories and receiving the Oscar for BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY for screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, and PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE, to Sean Penn for his role as the openly gay leader Harvey Milk. Both of their acceptance speeches that night received rousing cheers and applause from within the Kodak Theater. But millions of TV viewers missed out on their full speeches because they were censored.
Who is responsible? News Corp.
It’s the same media company under fire from many organizations for its defamatory political cartoon in The New York Post. Specifically, STAR is an Asian TV satellite company and a News Corp subsidiary. The TV service reaches more than 300 million viewers in 53 countries. STAR aired the full broadcast live, but later in the evening showed an edited version of the recorded telecast. Evening viewers tuning into the recorded awards show found the company had edited out the words “gay” and “lesbian” every time they were said on-stage by the screenwriter or actor.
The Associated Press reported the following reason for why “gay” and “lesbian” were cut out of the telecast: Jannie Poon, STAR’s Hong Kong-based spokeswoman, stressed that the company had no intention of upsetting any viewers, but said it has ”a responsibility to take the sensitivities and guidelines of all our markets into consideration.” Poon said she was not immediately aware that the speeches had been censored, but noted that STAR’s preliminary ratings for the Oscar broadcasts indicated ”record-breaking” audiences, especially in India and Taiwan.
I don’t think anyone is surprised by the record-breaking audiences. Millions of viewers from around the world tuned in to celebrate some of the best films of our time including gay cinema. Moviegoers were touched by Milk and its historic story about gay and lesbian inequality. How is STAR being responsible for editing out the words “gay” and “lesbian” when some of its viewers happen to be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender? In the same AP story, it reported that some people have spoken out on the censorship by STAR. :
”As a gay man, I am truly offended,” Pang Khee Teik, a prominent Malaysian arts commentator, wrote in a letter sent out to several media organizations. ”Stop censoring the words that describe who I am.” Pang said the move ‘’sent a message … that gays and lesbians are still shameful things to be censored from the public’s ears.” For those interested in expressing their concerns to STAR, you can contact them here:
Jannie Poon
Phone: 852-2621-8728
Fax: 852-2621-8620
E-Mail: janniep@startv.com
by Andy @ GLAAD
Film buffs from around the world are still buzzing about this year’s Oscar winners. GLAAD was thrilled about Milk being nominated in eight categories and receiving the Oscar for BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY for screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, and PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE, to Sean Penn for his role as the openly gay leader Harvey Milk. Both of their acceptance speeches that night received rousing cheers and applause from within the Kodak Theater. But millions of TV viewers missed out on their full speeches because they were censored.
Who is responsible? News Corp.
It’s the same media company under fire from many organizations for its defamatory political cartoon in The New York Post. Specifically, STAR is an Asian TV satellite company and a News Corp subsidiary. The TV service reaches more than 300 million viewers in 53 countries. STAR aired the full broadcast live, but later in the evening showed an edited version of the recorded telecast. Evening viewers tuning into the recorded awards show found the company had edited out the words “gay” and “lesbian” every time they were said on-stage by the screenwriter or actor.
The Associated Press reported the following reason for why “gay” and “lesbian” were cut out of the telecast: Jannie Poon, STAR’s Hong Kong-based spokeswoman, stressed that the company had no intention of upsetting any viewers, but said it has ”a responsibility to take the sensitivities and guidelines of all our markets into consideration.” Poon said she was not immediately aware that the speeches had been censored, but noted that STAR’s preliminary ratings for the Oscar broadcasts indicated ”record-breaking” audiences, especially in India and Taiwan.
I don’t think anyone is surprised by the record-breaking audiences. Millions of viewers from around the world tuned in to celebrate some of the best films of our time including gay cinema. Moviegoers were touched by Milk and its historic story about gay and lesbian inequality. How is STAR being responsible for editing out the words “gay” and “lesbian” when some of its viewers happen to be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender? In the same AP story, it reported that some people have spoken out on the censorship by STAR. :
”As a gay man, I am truly offended,” Pang Khee Teik, a prominent Malaysian arts commentator, wrote in a letter sent out to several media organizations. ”Stop censoring the words that describe who I am.” Pang said the move ‘’sent a message … that gays and lesbians are still shameful things to be censored from the public’s ears.” For those interested in expressing their concerns to STAR, you can contact them here:
Jannie Poon
Phone: 852-2621-8728
Fax: 852-2621-8620
E-Mail: janniep@startv.com
Why democrats are not happy with Obama's plan to bring home all combat troops by Aug next year?
Because they know President George W Bush, Sen. John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin are right all along...
Even Nancy Pelosi (the woman we cannot trust ever) and many other democrats are not happy with the decision to leave 50,000 "non-combat" troops in Iraq to fend for themselves without guns.
Even Nancy Pelosi (the woman we cannot trust ever) and many other democrats are not happy with the decision to leave 50,000 "non-combat" troops in Iraq to fend for themselves without guns.
QueerGam to Obama-obssessed liberals: Do you know what is 3.6 trillion?
$3.6 trillion. What does it mean? Do you know?
1) If one family is earning $60,000 a year, it would take at least 40,000 families to make $250M or something like that...got it?
2) $250M = 40,000 families...wow! Now...that's how much Oprah Winfrey makes a year! Yes, you better believe it! She makes at least $250M a year! Maybe even more.
3) How about $3.6 trillon? Answer: It will take at least 40,000 Oprahs to to make that kind of money... We wish Obama all the best...
1) If one family is earning $60,000 a year, it would take at least 40,000 families to make $250M or something like that...got it?
2) $250M = 40,000 families...wow! Now...that's how much Oprah Winfrey makes a year! Yes, you better believe it! She makes at least $250M a year! Maybe even more.
3) How about $3.6 trillon? Answer: It will take at least 40,000 Oprahs to to make that kind of money... We wish Obama all the best...
Obama to send 50,000 non-combat troops in Iraq...
Obama is planning to bring home all the soldiers in Aug next year...but he is also planning to send about 50,000 non-combat troops there to help out with various jobs like logistics, et...Will these 50,000 non-combat personnels be trained as "soldiers"?
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Of Sense and Belonging
By William R. Kapfer
Echelon Magazine
Former NEW YORK POST columnist Liz Smith once told me that she felt today’s young people had “no sense of history.” I believe this is also true of today’s gay youth. From the Stonewall riots, the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, the first civil unions and the legalization of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts and Connecticut—looking back at where we have been, the activities undertaken by yesterday’s activists, should underpin the aspirations for a continued desire to wipe clean the stain of homophobia and discrimination.
Ambition, tenacity and drive are all words we’ve instilled in our young people—but who can get behind the wheel when the car of change is low on fuel. The legacy of the LGBT community has been defined by great hardships and great triumphs. It's a legacy made strong through the bonds of family and communities working together for a common goal—a legacy of people who understand what it is to have to fight for what you believe in, one that I feel is important to remember and pay respect to because it's built the foundation of a community so formidable that no matter the odds, it will not be defeated.
But lets talk about good news—or at least the silver lining within the grey cumulus cloud our community has been existing under lately.
We have all lived through the terrible financial events of last fall, which impacted the face of the nation’s banking system irrevocably, and which is still playing out throughout corporate offices across the country probably as you read this. But this year, America celebrated the inauguration of a new President. And although true to the all-male formula of Ivy League educated, intelligent, well-spoken, and inspirational, the President Barrack Obama I know represents a paradigmatic shift in the presidential recipe for success. This man truly represents change, as he is a man of color born of multi-racial heritage. And regardless of whether you voted for President Obama or not, the fact that the paradigm has shifted will hopefully be celebrated as a major step forward by all Americans.
The legacy of change in the LGBT community has been defined by great hardships and great triumphs. It is a legacy made bold and strong through the bonds of family and communities working together for a common goal. And it's a legacy—of people who understand what it is to have to fight for what you believe in; something that is important to remember and pay respect to, because it is built upon the foundation of a community so strong that no matter the odds will not be defeated. While blatant discrimination against homosexual status is facially unconstitutional, lacking a rational basis; and while preventing homosexual conduct is similarly unconstitutional, the Supreme Court has held in many landmark cases that states may discriminate against homosexuals to preserve an "institution that the law protects," namely—marriage.
Although I am not an activist, I cherish the opportunity to be one of the many architects of my generation’s gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights movement. As we move forward to elevate same-sex relationships to the same level of social and political respectability as heterosexual relationships, I look forward to having a seat at that table, as the drive for “tolerance” is but only one step toward the ultimate goal of ‘approval.' Being recognized as a viable target audience in business, is just as important. Considering that gay buying power is set to hit $835 billion by 2011, it’s shocking that some companies aren’t capitalizing on this value able audience. Perhaps some of them fear advertising to homosexuals will alienate their straight supporters.
It is truly time for all consumer brands to step out of the closet. Companies like Subaru, Absolut, Budweiser and Travelocity have been consistently targeting the gay community over long periods of time and with great reward. For those corporations who embrace this formerly overlooked market in—the pay off includes a bold and loyal segment with money to spend. This is the year—the year that confirms that in just one decade, gay and lesbian consumers have gone from an overlooked niche to an audience that Fortune 500 companies are working overtime to reach. And the numbers make it clear—corporate America recognizes and values both the spending power and the influence of gay consumers
Indeed, continuing the fight will move the needle and continue the trajectory in the direction of equality, giving our current generation of young gay men not only a sense of history lost, but a sense—of their own history..
Echelon Magazine
Former NEW YORK POST columnist Liz Smith once told me that she felt today’s young people had “no sense of history.” I believe this is also true of today’s gay youth. From the Stonewall riots, the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, the first civil unions and the legalization of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts and Connecticut—looking back at where we have been, the activities undertaken by yesterday’s activists, should underpin the aspirations for a continued desire to wipe clean the stain of homophobia and discrimination.
Ambition, tenacity and drive are all words we’ve instilled in our young people—but who can get behind the wheel when the car of change is low on fuel. The legacy of the LGBT community has been defined by great hardships and great triumphs. It's a legacy made strong through the bonds of family and communities working together for a common goal—a legacy of people who understand what it is to have to fight for what you believe in, one that I feel is important to remember and pay respect to because it's built the foundation of a community so formidable that no matter the odds, it will not be defeated.
But lets talk about good news—or at least the silver lining within the grey cumulus cloud our community has been existing under lately.
We have all lived through the terrible financial events of last fall, which impacted the face of the nation’s banking system irrevocably, and which is still playing out throughout corporate offices across the country probably as you read this. But this year, America celebrated the inauguration of a new President. And although true to the all-male formula of Ivy League educated, intelligent, well-spoken, and inspirational, the President Barrack Obama I know represents a paradigmatic shift in the presidential recipe for success. This man truly represents change, as he is a man of color born of multi-racial heritage. And regardless of whether you voted for President Obama or not, the fact that the paradigm has shifted will hopefully be celebrated as a major step forward by all Americans.
The legacy of change in the LGBT community has been defined by great hardships and great triumphs. It is a legacy made bold and strong through the bonds of family and communities working together for a common goal. And it's a legacy—of people who understand what it is to have to fight for what you believe in; something that is important to remember and pay respect to, because it is built upon the foundation of a community so strong that no matter the odds will not be defeated. While blatant discrimination against homosexual status is facially unconstitutional, lacking a rational basis; and while preventing homosexual conduct is similarly unconstitutional, the Supreme Court has held in many landmark cases that states may discriminate against homosexuals to preserve an "institution that the law protects," namely—marriage.
Although I am not an activist, I cherish the opportunity to be one of the many architects of my generation’s gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights movement. As we move forward to elevate same-sex relationships to the same level of social and political respectability as heterosexual relationships, I look forward to having a seat at that table, as the drive for “tolerance” is but only one step toward the ultimate goal of ‘approval.' Being recognized as a viable target audience in business, is just as important. Considering that gay buying power is set to hit $835 billion by 2011, it’s shocking that some companies aren’t capitalizing on this value able audience. Perhaps some of them fear advertising to homosexuals will alienate their straight supporters.
It is truly time for all consumer brands to step out of the closet. Companies like Subaru, Absolut, Budweiser and Travelocity have been consistently targeting the gay community over long periods of time and with great reward. For those corporations who embrace this formerly overlooked market in—the pay off includes a bold and loyal segment with money to spend. This is the year—the year that confirms that in just one decade, gay and lesbian consumers have gone from an overlooked niche to an audience that Fortune 500 companies are working overtime to reach. And the numbers make it clear—corporate America recognizes and values both the spending power and the influence of gay consumers
Indeed, continuing the fight will move the needle and continue the trajectory in the direction of equality, giving our current generation of young gay men not only a sense of history lost, but a sense—of their own history..
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
QueerGam to America: Are we way too old for American Idol's Jasmine Murray?
Ambrose Aban:
Or is Jasmine just way way way too young for our taste? As much as she is commercial and lovely, she did not sound right to us by singing "A Love Song" tonight. She was incredible during the Hollywood Week.
George Tyler:
I think the song is waytoo young for us. I think that's it. We are too old for that kind of song. Am I making sense? I think it is more for our Chris Goodridge in Portland...
Jefferey Johnson:
I agree with you, George. Maybe Chris can relate to that new love song. We would have loved her if she had sung something like "I Will Always Love You" or "A House Is Not A Home" or "One Night Only"... Remember Tamyra Gray?
Ambrose Aban:
Or "Spanish Guitar" by Toni Braxton. I can see Jasmine Murray singing that beautifully and soulfully. Anyways, pick up that phone, darlin. Vote for Jasmine tonight.
George Tyler:
And vote for Matt Giraud. Matt impressed us with a very lovely rendition of "Georgia"...during the Hollywood week. Tonight, however, he was not only pitchy but he was singing Ray Charles's "Rule The World". And lost that bluesy soulful style that separated him from the rest during the Hollywood Week...Another great voice singing a bad song tonight.
Phil Spencer:
Jeannine Vailes...was way out of key, was way over done with the Maroon 5's greatest hit, sounded almost non-human.
Jefferey Johnson:
Then came Allison Iraheta...really someone to beat this season...only 16, she is a powerhouse...
Ambrose Aban:
I totally agree...
George Tyler:
Kris Allen singing MJ's "Man In The Mirror". Not so sure about that...I like Chris but I have to agree with Kara...Megan Joy Corkrey...hmmm impressive and gorgeous...with her smokey jazzy voice...a total package artist. Will I pick up the phone and vote for her? We'll see...
Chris Goodridge:
Matt Brentzki...the welder...did well...I hope America put him through to the Top 12.
Simon hated the song tho. And "frustrated". The song did not celebrate who we all fell in love with..."I would have probably done it anyway," Matt told Ryan unapologetically.
Phil Spencer:
Jesse Langseth...hmmm...something delicious about her...I thought she did her thing, winked at Randy and all but she didn't gun her engine. She didn't shift her gear throughout the song. Very Norah Jones at most...maybe not good enough. I was expecting more from her...
Jefferey Johnson:
He had moments during his throwback song...pitchy but quite the performer, I think. But I think he will get chopped with that old fashioned performance. What about Kai Kalama?
Phil Spencer:
Nothing original and memorable about Kai's performance...It was safe and more like a backup material.
Chris Goodridge:
But Mishavonna Henson was great! We liked her, didn't we?
Ambrose Aban:
I liked the song! "Drop the Jupiter" was a good pick, right? Misha is technically a good singer.
Phil Spencer:
Simon was right. It was cold. She needs to loosen up altogether. Will you vote for her George? But I think Adam Lambert will get through to the Top 12 based on his peformance tonight.
George Tyler:
I think so, too. He is the rocker to beat this season.
Chris Goodridge:
Will you vote for Adam tonight?
George Tyler:
Nope, I am voting for Jasmine Murray tonight.
Chris Goodridge:
I am voting for Matt Giraud.
Ambrose Aban:
I don't know...if I have to vote for someone tonight, it's Jasmine Murray I think.
Chris Goodridge:
What about Norman Gentle? Would you vote for him?
Or is Jasmine just way way way too young for our taste? As much as she is commercial and lovely, she did not sound right to us by singing "A Love Song" tonight. She was incredible during the Hollywood Week.
George Tyler:
I think the song is waytoo young for us. I think that's it. We are too old for that kind of song. Am I making sense? I think it is more for our Chris Goodridge in Portland...
Jefferey Johnson:
I agree with you, George. Maybe Chris can relate to that new love song. We would have loved her if she had sung something like "I Will Always Love You" or "A House Is Not A Home" or "One Night Only"... Remember Tamyra Gray?
Ambrose Aban:
Or "Spanish Guitar" by Toni Braxton. I can see Jasmine Murray singing that beautifully and soulfully. Anyways, pick up that phone, darlin. Vote for Jasmine tonight.
George Tyler:
And vote for Matt Giraud. Matt impressed us with a very lovely rendition of "Georgia"...during the Hollywood week. Tonight, however, he was not only pitchy but he was singing Ray Charles's "Rule The World". And lost that bluesy soulful style that separated him from the rest during the Hollywood Week...Another great voice singing a bad song tonight.
Phil Spencer:
Jeannine Vailes...was way out of key, was way over done with the Maroon 5's greatest hit, sounded almost non-human.
Jefferey Johnson:
Then came Allison Iraheta...really someone to beat this season...only 16, she is a powerhouse...
Ambrose Aban:
I totally agree...
George Tyler:
Kris Allen singing MJ's "Man In The Mirror". Not so sure about that...I like Chris but I have to agree with Kara...Megan Joy Corkrey...hmmm impressive and gorgeous...with her smokey jazzy voice...a total package artist. Will I pick up the phone and vote for her? We'll see...
Chris Goodridge:
Matt Brentzki...the welder...did well...I hope America put him through to the Top 12.
Simon hated the song tho. And "frustrated". The song did not celebrate who we all fell in love with..."I would have probably done it anyway," Matt told Ryan unapologetically.
Phil Spencer:
Jesse Langseth...hmmm...something delicious about her...I thought she did her thing, winked at Randy and all but she didn't gun her engine. She didn't shift her gear throughout the song. Very Norah Jones at most...maybe not good enough. I was expecting more from her...
Jefferey Johnson:
He had moments during his throwback song...pitchy but quite the performer, I think. But I think he will get chopped with that old fashioned performance. What about Kai Kalama?
Phil Spencer:
Nothing original and memorable about Kai's performance...It was safe and more like a backup material.
Chris Goodridge:
But Mishavonna Henson was great! We liked her, didn't we?
Ambrose Aban:
I liked the song! "Drop the Jupiter" was a good pick, right? Misha is technically a good singer.
Phil Spencer:
Simon was right. It was cold. She needs to loosen up altogether. Will you vote for her George? But I think Adam Lambert will get through to the Top 12 based on his peformance tonight.
George Tyler:
I think so, too. He is the rocker to beat this season.
Chris Goodridge:
Will you vote for Adam tonight?
George Tyler:
Nope, I am voting for Jasmine Murray tonight.
Chris Goodridge:
I am voting for Matt Giraud.
Ambrose Aban:
I don't know...if I have to vote for someone tonight, it's Jasmine Murray I think.
Chris Goodridge:
What about Norman Gentle? Would you vote for him?
Advocate: Gay Inc Executives Refuse to Cut Salaries?
Saturday, February 21, 2009
posted by Michael Petrelis on his blog http://mpetrelis.blogspot.com
Advocate: Gay Inc Executives Refuse to Cut Salaries?
The super-rich Harvard university, as with so many institutions today, is suffering because of the recession. According to a story in today's New York Times, Harvard's endowment, which has recently seen $8 billion disappear in the bad economy, is down to only $29 billion. To help cope with the money crisis, some important measures have been implemented:
Harvard has frozen salaries for faculty and nonunion staff members, and offered early retirement to 1,600 employees.
The topic of a salary freeze is high up in the Times article, as it should be because the story is about an institution facing serious fiscal constraints.
Compare today's article with a story earlier this week in the Advocate magazine about the social service and professional political advocacy groups that comprise Gay Inc, as the organizations grapple with dwindling donations and resources.
The Advocate piece, written by news editor Kelly Eleveld, is about a recent meeting of gay executive directors at a closed-door invitation-only conclave in Washington to discuss how our organizations will address financial constraints now, and in the near future:
According to participants, a wide variety of alternatives were presented by a facilitator, ranging from sharing the costs of administrative items such as computer services, health insurance, and office rent to teaming up on programming or even joining forces in cases where two organizations might have similar missions.
The discussion also included an overview of how different organizations are faring financially at the moment...
Mergers, though presented as a topic for consideration, were barely discussed according those in attendance. But Chrisler, whose organization recently merged with a smaller regional nonprofit from Minneapolis, said nothing should be taken off the table.
One thing was not on the table apparently, or, at least not broached by the Advocate, is the matter of Gay Inc considering salary freezes or even cutbacks. I'm not sure who in the gay community is served when a leading news magazine devotes serious space to the fiscal health of our organizations, and compensation of top executives is not part of the story.
I see two problems here. First, there must be sunshine and real transparency when dozens of gay leaders gather to map strategy for our groups and their agendas. I'm sick and tired of the A-gay executives meeting amongst themselves, keeping out general community members and the press, and then telling us afterward what they discussed and decided.
Second of all, even though Eleverd was not at the leaders' meeting, she still could have broached the subject of salaries. Maybe even point out that Harvard and a few Big Banking firms are limiting pay and bonuses for executives, good examples that Gay Inc leaders ought to consider, in order to better serve our community.
BTW, I can't believe the above stock image was used by the Advocate editors to illustrate their story. They couldn't have picked a better image of a nice clean-cut A-gay executive reaching for the bucks, while our non-profits cut services and programs.
posted by Michael at 12:00 PM 1 comments links to this post
posted by Michael Petrelis on his blog http://mpetrelis.blogspot.com
Advocate: Gay Inc Executives Refuse to Cut Salaries?
The super-rich Harvard university, as with so many institutions today, is suffering because of the recession. According to a story in today's New York Times, Harvard's endowment, which has recently seen $8 billion disappear in the bad economy, is down to only $29 billion. To help cope with the money crisis, some important measures have been implemented:
Harvard has frozen salaries for faculty and nonunion staff members, and offered early retirement to 1,600 employees.
The topic of a salary freeze is high up in the Times article, as it should be because the story is about an institution facing serious fiscal constraints.
Compare today's article with a story earlier this week in the Advocate magazine about the social service and professional political advocacy groups that comprise Gay Inc, as the organizations grapple with dwindling donations and resources.
The Advocate piece, written by news editor Kelly Eleveld, is about a recent meeting of gay executive directors at a closed-door invitation-only conclave in Washington to discuss how our organizations will address financial constraints now, and in the near future:
According to participants, a wide variety of alternatives were presented by a facilitator, ranging from sharing the costs of administrative items such as computer services, health insurance, and office rent to teaming up on programming or even joining forces in cases where two organizations might have similar missions.
The discussion also included an overview of how different organizations are faring financially at the moment...
Mergers, though presented as a topic for consideration, were barely discussed according those in attendance. But Chrisler, whose organization recently merged with a smaller regional nonprofit from Minneapolis, said nothing should be taken off the table.
One thing was not on the table apparently, or, at least not broached by the Advocate, is the matter of Gay Inc considering salary freezes or even cutbacks. I'm not sure who in the gay community is served when a leading news magazine devotes serious space to the fiscal health of our organizations, and compensation of top executives is not part of the story.
I see two problems here. First, there must be sunshine and real transparency when dozens of gay leaders gather to map strategy for our groups and their agendas. I'm sick and tired of the A-gay executives meeting amongst themselves, keeping out general community members and the press, and then telling us afterward what they discussed and decided.
Second of all, even though Eleverd was not at the leaders' meeting, she still could have broached the subject of salaries. Maybe even point out that Harvard and a few Big Banking firms are limiting pay and bonuses for executives, good examples that Gay Inc leaders ought to consider, in order to better serve our community.
BTW, I can't believe the above stock image was used by the Advocate editors to illustrate their story. They couldn't have picked a better image of a nice clean-cut A-gay executive reaching for the bucks, while our non-profits cut services and programs.
posted by Michael at 12:00 PM 1 comments links to this post
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
QueerGam to Rachel Maddow: You are a liberal-obssessed journalist.
MSNBC couldn’t stand the sight of Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana before he had a chance to open his mouth.
Before he began his remarks, someone on a hot mic muttered “Oh, God.”
Rachel Maddow, the lesbian anchor (god bless her heart), is unprofessional tonight...and she is wrong for America tonight...She laughed, shrugged her shoulders, and she said she was speechless on live TV (thank God only me and the liberals watch her on MSNBC) I watch her to catch her at her most unprofessional. She is one of the many reasons this country is so disunited. She did not reacted the same way when Obama named homophobic pastor, Rick Warren, to give an invocation at his inauguration. Where was Rachel Maddow? Maddow is a truly useless lesbian and a useless member of the LGBT community considering who she is -- a public figure. She could have done more. She has done nothing to help the LGBT community. Switch your channel, queers. She maybe a proud Democrat and an Obama diehard fan who is a dangerous liberal on the extreme left but she is wrong for queers, wrong for Obama, and wrong for America...
Before he began his remarks, someone on a hot mic muttered “Oh, God.”
Rachel Maddow, the lesbian anchor (god bless her heart), is unprofessional tonight...and she is wrong for America tonight...She laughed, shrugged her shoulders, and she said she was speechless on live TV (thank God only me and the liberals watch her on MSNBC) I watch her to catch her at her most unprofessional. She is one of the many reasons this country is so disunited. She did not reacted the same way when Obama named homophobic pastor, Rick Warren, to give an invocation at his inauguration. Where was Rachel Maddow? Maddow is a truly useless lesbian and a useless member of the LGBT community considering who she is -- a public figure. She could have done more. She has done nothing to help the LGBT community. Switch your channel, queers. She maybe a proud Democrat and an Obama diehard fan who is a dangerous liberal on the extreme left but she is wrong for queers, wrong for Obama, and wrong for America...
QueerGam to Queers: Manage your own economy, screw the Dow
Yep, the best way to deal with this shitty economy is to manage your own economy... manage your own consumerism...save as much or as little as you can...live within your means...no more bar hopping, shopping, etc...eat at home.... don't spend the money you don't have...find another part time job, make extra income...don't rely on the Dow. Don't spend your $400 and save the extra $65 you make from your monthly tax...remember your the average Americans. You are poor. You are not Oprah, you are not Donald Trump or you are not Bill Gates. Be you, be smart and be proud.
Full remarks of President Obama’s address to a Joint Session of Congress tonight
Madame Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, and the First Lady of the United States:
I’ve come here tonight not only to address the distinguished men and women in this great chamber, but to speak frankly and directly to the men and women who sent us here. I know that for many Americans watching right now, the state of our economy is a concern that rises above all others. And rightly so. If you haven’t been personally affected by this recession, you probably know someone who has – a friend; a neighbor; a member of your family. You don’t need to hear another list of statistics to know that our economy is in crisis, because you live it every day. It’s the worry you wake up with and the source of sleepless nights. It’s the job you thought you’d retire from but now have lost; the business you built your dreams upon that’s now hanging by a thread; the college acceptance letter your child had to put back in the envelope. The impact of this recession is real, and it is everywhere.
But while our economy may be weakened and our confidence shaken; though we are living through difficult and uncertain times, tonight I want every American to know this:
We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before.
The weight of this crisis will not determine the destiny of this nation. The answers to our problems don’t lie beyond our reach. They exist in our laboratories and universities; in our fields and our factories; in the imaginations of our entrepreneurs and the pride of the hardest-working people on Earth. Those qualities that have made America the greatest force of progress and prosperity in human history we still possess in ample measure. What is required now is for this country to pull together, confront boldly the challenges we face, and take responsibility for our future once more.
Now, if we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll admit that for too long, we have not always met these responsibilities – as a government or as a people. I say this not to lay blame or look backwards, but because it is only by understanding how we arrived at this moment that we’ll be able to lift ourselves out of this predicament.
The fact is, our economy did not fall into decline overnight. Nor did all of our problems begin when the housing market collapsed or the stock market sank. We have known for decades that our survival depends on finding new sources of energy. Yet we import more oil today than ever before. The cost of health care eats up more and more of our savings each year, yet we keep delaying reform. Our children will compete for jobs in a global economy that too many of our schools do not prepare them for. And though all these challenges went unsolved, we still managed to spend more money and pile up more debt, both as individuals and through our government, than ever before.
In other words, we have lived through an era where too often, short-term gains were prized over long-term prosperity; where we failed to look beyond the next payment, the next quarter, or the next election. A surplus became an excuse to transfer wealth to the wealthy instead of an opportunity to invest in our future. Regulations were gutted for the sake of a quick profit at the expense of a healthy market. People bought homes they knew they couldn’t afford from banks and lenders who pushed those bad loans anyway. And all the while, critical debates and difficult decisions were put off for some other time on some other day.
Well that day of reckoning has arrived, and the time to take charge of our future is here.
Now is the time to act boldly and wisely – to not only revive this economy, but to build a new foundation for lasting prosperity. Now is the time to jumpstart job creation, re-start lending, and invest in areas like energy, health care, and education that will grow our economy, even as we make hard choices to bring our deficit down. That is what my economic agenda is designed to do, and that’s what I’d like to talk to you about tonight.
It’s an agenda that begins with jobs.
As soon as I took office, I asked this Congress to send me a recovery plan by President’s Day that would put people back to work and put money in their pockets. Not because I believe in bigger government – I don’t. Not because I’m not mindful of the massive debt we’ve inherited – I am. I called for action because the failure to do so would have cost more jobs and caused more hardships. In fact, a failure to act would have worsened our long-term deficit by assuring weak economic growth for years. That’s why I pushed for quick action. And tonight, I am grateful that this Congress delivered, and pleased to say that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is now law.
Over the next two years, this plan will save or create 3.5 million jobs. More than 90% of these jobs will be in the private sector – jobs rebuilding our roads and bridges; constructing wind turbines and solar panels; laying broadband and expanding mass transit.
Because of this plan, there are teachers who can now keep their jobs and educate our kids. Health care professionals can continue caring for our sick. There are 57 police officers who are still on the streets of Minneapolis tonight because this plan prevented the layoffs their department was about to make.
Because of this plan, 95% of the working households in America will receive a tax cut – a tax cut that you will see in your paychecks beginning on April 1st.
Because of this plan, families who are struggling to pay tuition costs will receive a $2,500 tax credit for all four years of college. And Americans who have lost their jobs in this recession will be able to receive extended unemployment benefits and continued health care coverage to help them weather this storm.
I know there are some in this chamber and watching at home who are skeptical of whether this plan will work. I understand that skepticism. Here in Washington, we’ve all seen how quickly good intentions can turn into broken promises and wasteful spending. And with a plan of this scale comes enormous responsibility to get it right.
That is why I have asked Vice President Biden to lead a tough, unprecedented oversight effort – because nobody messes with Joe. I have told each member of my Cabinet as well as mayors and governors across the country that they will be held accountable by me and the American people for every dollar they spend. I have appointed a proven and aggressive Inspector General to ferret out any and all cases of waste and fraud. And we have created a new website called recovery.gov so that every American can find out how and where their money is being spent.
So the recovery plan we passed is the first step in getting our economy back on track. But it is just the first step. Because even if we manage this plan flawlessly, there will be no real recovery unless we clean up the credit crisis that has severely weakened our financial system.
I want to speak plainly and candidly about this issue tonight, because every American should know that it directly affects you and your family’s well-being. You should also know that the money you’ve deposited in banks across the country is safe; your insurance is secure; and you can rely on the continued operation of our financial system. That is not the source of concern.
The concern is that if we do not re-start lending in this country, our recovery will be choked off before it even begins.
You see, the flow of credit is the lifeblood of our economy. The ability to get a loan is how you finance the purchase of everything from a home to a car to a college education; how stores stock their shelves, farms buy equipment, and businesses make payroll.
But credit has stopped flowing the way it should. Too many bad loans from the housing crisis have made their way onto the books of too many banks. With so much debt and so little confidence, these banks are now fearful of lending out any more money to households, to businesses, or to each other. When there is no lending, families can’t afford to buy homes or cars. So businesses are forced to make layoffs. Our economy suffers even more, and credit dries up even further.
That is why this administration is moving swiftly and aggressively to break this destructive cycle, restore confidence, and re-start lending.
We will do so in several ways. First, we are creating a new lending fund that represents the largest effort ever to help provide auto loans, college loans, and small business loans to the consumers and entrepreneurs who keep this economy running.
Second, we have launched a housing plan that will help responsible families facing the threat of foreclosure lower their monthly payments and re-finance their mortgages. It’s a plan that won’t help speculators or that neighbor down the street who bought a house he could never hope to afford, but it will help millions of Americans who are struggling with declining home values – Americans who will now be able to take advantage of the lower interest rates that this plan has already helped bring about. In fact, the average family who re-finances today can save nearly $2000 per year on their mortgage.
Third, we will act with the full force of the federal government to ensure that the major banks that Americans depend on have enough confidence and enough money to lend even in more difficult times. And when we learn that a major bank has serious problems, we will hold accountable those responsible, force the necessary adjustments, provide the support to clean up their balance sheets, and assure the continuity of a strong, viable institution that can serve our people and our economy.
I understand that on any given day, Wall Street may be more comforted by an approach that gives banks bailouts with no strings attached, and that holds nobody accountable for their reckless decisions. But such an approach won’t solve the problem. And our goal is to quicken the day when we re-start lending to the American people and American business and end this crisis once and for all.
I intend to hold these banks fully accountable for the assistance they receive, and this time, they will have to clearly demonstrate how taxpayer dollars result in more lending for the American taxpayer. This time, CEOs won’t be able to use taxpayer money to pad their paychecks or buy fancy drapes or disappear on a private jet. Those days are over.
Still, this plan will require significant resources from the federal government – and yes, probably more than we’ve already set aside. But while the cost of action will be great, I can assure you that the cost of inaction will be far greater, for it could result in an economy that sputters along for not months or years, but perhaps a decade. That would be worse for our deficit, worse for business, worse for you, and worse for the next generation. And I refuse to let that happen.
I understand that when the last administration asked this Congress to provide assistance for struggling banks, Democrats and Republicans alike were infuriated by the mismanagement and results that followed. So were the American taxpayers. So was I.
So I know how unpopular it is to be seen as helping banks right now, especially when everyone is suffering in part from their bad decisions. I promise you – I get it.
But I also know that in a time of crisis, we cannot afford to govern out of anger, or yield to the politics of the moment. My job – our job – is to solve the problem. Our job is to govern with a sense of responsibility. I will not spend a single penny for the purpose of rewarding a single Wall Street executive, but I will do whatever it takes to help the small business that can’t pay its workers or the family that has saved and still can’t get a mortgage.
That’s what this is about. It’s not about helping banks – it’s about helping people. Because when credit is available again, that young family can finally buy a new home. And then some company will hire workers to build it. And then those workers will have money to spend, and if they can get a loan too, maybe they’ll finally buy that car, or open their own business. Investors will return to the market, and American families will see their retirement secured once more. Slowly, but surely, confidence will return, and our economy will recover.
So I ask this Congress to join me in doing whatever proves necessary. Because we cannot consign our nation to an open-ended recession. And to ensure that a crisis of this magnitude never happens again, I ask Congress to move quickly on legislation that will finally reform our outdated regulatory system. It is time to put in place tough, new common-sense rules of the road so that our financial market rewards drive and innovation, and punishes short-cuts and abuse.
The recovery plan and the financial stability plan are the immediate steps we’re taking to revive our economy in the short-term. But the only way to fully restore America’s economic strength is to make the long-term investments that will lead to new jobs, new industries, and a renewed ability to compete with the rest of the world. The only way this century will be another American century is if we confront at last the price of our dependence on oil and the high cost of health care; the schools that aren’t preparing our children and the mountain of debt they stand to inherit. That is our responsibility.
In the next few days, I will submit a budget to Congress. So often, we have come to view these documents as simply numbers on a page or laundry lists of programs. I see this document differently. I see it as a vision for America – as a blueprint for our future.
My budget does not attempt to solve every problem or address every issue. It reflects the stark reality of what we’ve inherited – a trillion dollar deficit, a financial crisis, and a costly recession.
Given these realities, everyone in this chamber – Democrats and Republicans – will have to sacrifice some worthy priorities for which there are no dollars. And that includes me.
But that does not mean we can afford to ignore our long-term challenges. I reject the view that says our problems will simply take care of themselves; that says government has no role in laying the foundation for our common prosperity.
For history tells a different story. History reminds us that at every moment of economic upheaval and transformation, this nation has responded with bold action and big ideas. In the midst of civil war, we laid railroad tracks from one coast to another that spurred commerce and industry. From the turmoil of the Industrial Revolution came a system of public high schools that prepared our citizens for a new age. In the wake of war and depression, the GI Bill sent a generation to college and created the largest middle-class in history. And a twilight struggle for freedom led to a nation of highways, an American on the moon, and an explosion of technology that still shapes our world.
In each case, government didn’t supplant private enterprise; it catalyzed private enterprise. It created the conditions for thousands of entrepreneurs and new businesses to adapt and to thrive.
We are a nation that has seen promise amid peril, and claimed opportunity from ordeal. Now we must be that nation again. That is why, even as it cuts back on the programs we don’t need, the budget I submit will invest in the three areas that are absolutely critical to our economic future: energy, health care, and education.
It begins with energy.
We know the country that harnesses the power of clean, renewable energy will lead the 21st century. And yet, it is China that has launched the largest effort in history to make their economy energy efficient. We invented solar technology, but we’ve fallen behind countries like Germany and Japan in producing it. New plug-in hybrids roll off our assembly lines, but they will run on batteries made in Korea.
Well I do not accept a future where the jobs and industries of tomorrow take root beyond our borders – and I know you don’t either. It is time for America to lead again.
Thanks to our recovery plan, we will double this nation’s supply of renewable energy in the next three years. We have also made the largest investment in basic research funding in American history – an investment that will spur not only new discoveries in energy, but breakthroughs in medicine, science, and technology.
We will soon lay down thousands of miles of power lines that can carry new energy to cities and towns across this country. And we will put Americans to work making our homes and buildings more efficient so that we can save billions of dollars on our energy bills.
But to truly transform our economy, protect our security, and save our planet from the ravages of climate change, we need to ultimately make clean, renewable energy the profitable kind of energy. So I ask this Congress to send me legislation that places a market-based cap on carbon pollution and drives the production of more renewable energy in America. And to support that innovation, we will invest fifteen billion dollars a year to develop technologies like wind power and solar power; advanced biofuels, clean coal, and more fuel-efficient cars and trucks built right here in America.
As for our auto industry, everyone recognizes that years of bad decision-making and a global recession have pushed our automakers to the brink. We should not, and will not, protect them from their own bad practices. But we are committed to the goal of a re-tooled, re-imagined auto industry that can compete and win. Millions of jobs depend on it. Scores of communities depend on it. And I believe the nation that invented the automobile cannot walk away from it.
None of this will come without cost, nor will it be easy. But this is America. We don’t do what’s easy. We do what is necessary to move this country forward.
For that same reason, we must also address the crushing cost of health care.
This is a cost that now causes a bankruptcy in America every thirty seconds. By the end of the year, it could cause 1.5 million Americans to lose their homes. In the last eight years, premiums have grown four times faster than wages. And in each of these years, one million more Americans have lost their health insurance. It is one of the major reasons why small businesses close their doors and corporations ship jobs overseas. And it’s one of the largest and fastest-growing parts of our budget.
Given these facts, we can no longer afford to put health care reform on hold.
Already, we have done more to advance the cause of health care reform in the last thirty days than we have in the last decade. When it was days old, this Congress passed a law to provide and protect health insurance for eleven million American children whose parents work full-time. Our recovery plan will invest in electronic health records and new technology that will reduce errors, bring down costs, ensure privacy, and save lives. It will launch a new effort to conquer a disease that has touched the life of nearly every American by seeking a cure for cancer in our time. And it makes the largest investment ever in preventive care, because that is one of the best ways to keep our people healthy and our costs under control.
This budget builds on these reforms. It includes an historic commitment to comprehensive health care reform – a down-payment on the principle that we must have quality, affordable health care for every American. It’s a commitment that’s paid for in part by efficiencies in our system that are long overdue. And it’s a step we must take if we hope to bring down our deficit in the years to come.
Now, there will be many different opinions and ideas about how to achieve reform, and that is why I’m bringing together businesses and workers, doctors and health care providers, Democrats and Republicans to begin work on this issue next week.
I suffer no illusions that this will be an easy process. It will be hard. But I also know that nearly a century after Teddy Roosevelt first called for reform, the cost of our health care has weighed down our economy and the conscience of our nation long enough. So let there be no doubt: health care reform cannot wait, it must not wait, and it will not wait another year.
The third challenge we must address is the urgent need to expand the promise of education in America.
In a global economy where the most valuable skill you can sell is your knowledge, a good education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity – it is a pre-requisite.
Right now, three-quarters of the fastest-growing occupations require more than a high school diploma. And yet, just over half of our citizens have that level of education. We have one of the highest high school dropout rates of any industrialized nation. And half of the students who begin college never finish.
This is a prescription for economic decline, because we know the countries that out-teach us today will out-compete us tomorrow. That is why it will be the goal of this administration to ensure that every child has access to a complete and competitive education – from the day they are born to the day they begin a career.
Already, we have made an historic investment in education through the economic recovery plan. We have dramatically expanded early childhood education and will continue to improve its quality, because we know that the most formative learning comes in those first years of life. We have made college affordable for nearly seven million more students. And we have provided the resources necessary to prevent painful cuts and teacher layoffs that would set back our children’s progress.
But we know that our schools don’t just need more resources. They need more reform. That is why this budget creates new incentives for teacher performance; pathways for advancement, and rewards for success. We’ll invest in innovative programs that are already helping schools meet high standards and close achievement gaps. And we will expand our commitment to charter schools.
It is our responsibility as lawmakers and educators to make this system work. But it is the responsibility of every citizen to participate in it. And so tonight, I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training. This can be community college or a four-year school; vocational training or an apprenticeship. But whatever the training may be, every American will need to get more than a high school diploma. And dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It’s not just quitting on yourself, it’s quitting on your country – and this country needs and values the talents of every American. That is why we will provide the support necessary for you to complete college and meet a new goal: by 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.
I know that the price of tuition is higher than ever, which is why if you are willing to volunteer in your neighborhood or give back to your community or serve your country, we will make sure that you can afford a higher education. And to encourage a renewed spirit of national service for this and future generations, I ask this Congress to send me the bipartisan legislation that bears the name of Senator Orrin Hatch as well as an American who has never stopped asking what he can do for his country – Senator Edward Kennedy.
These education policies will open the doors of opportunity for our children. But it is up to us to ensure they walk through them. In the end, there is no program or policy that can substitute for a mother or father who will attend those parent/teacher conferences, or help with homework after dinner, or turn off the TV, put away the video games, and read to their child. I speak to you not just as a President, but as a father when I say that responsibility for our children's education must begin at home.
There is, of course, another responsibility we have to our children. And that is the responsibility to ensure that we do not pass on to them a debt they cannot pay. With the deficit we inherited, the cost of the crisis we face, and the long-term challenges we must meet, it has never been more important to ensure that as our economy recovers, we do what it takes to bring this deficit down.
I’m proud that we passed the recovery plan free of earmarks, and I want to pass a budget next year that ensures that each dollar we spend reflects only our most important national priorities.
Yesterday, I held a fiscal summit where I pledged to cut the deficit in half by the end of my first term in office. My administration has also begun to go line by line through the federal budget in order to eliminate wasteful and ineffective programs. As you can imagine, this is a process that will take some time. But we’re starting with the biggest lines. We have already identified two trillion dollars in savings over the next decade.
In this budget, we will end education programs that don’t work and end direct payments to large agribusinesses that don’t need them. We’ll eliminate the no-bid contracts that have wasted billions in Iraq, and reform our defense budget so that we’re not paying for Cold War-era weapons systems we don’t use. We will root out the waste, fraud, and abuse in our Medicare program that doesn’t make our seniors any healthier, and we will restore a sense of fairness and balance to our tax code by finally ending the tax breaks for corporations that ship our jobs overseas.
In order to save our children from a future of debt, we will also end the tax breaks for the wealthiest 2% of Americans. But let me perfectly clear, because I know you’ll hear the same old claims that rolling back these tax breaks means a massive tax increase on the American people: if your family earns less than $250,000 a year, you will not see your taxes increased a single dime. I repeat: not one single dime. In fact, the recovery plan provides a tax cut – that’s right, a tax cut – for 95% of working families. And these checks are on the way.
To preserve our long-term fiscal health, we must also address the growing costs in Medicare and Social Security. Comprehensive health care reform is the best way to strengthen Medicare for years to come. And we must also begin a conversation on how to do the same for Social Security, while creating tax-free universal savings accounts for all Americans.
Finally, because we’re also suffering from a deficit of trust, I am committed to restoring a sense of honesty and accountability to our budget. That is why this budget looks ahead ten years and accounts for spending that was left out under the old rules – and for the first time, that includes the full cost of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. For seven years, we have been a nation at war. No longer will we hide its price.
We are now carefully reviewing our policies in both wars, and I will soon announce a way forward in Iraq that leaves Iraq to its people and responsibly ends this war.
And with our friends and allies, we will forge a new and comprehensive strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan to defeat al Qaeda and combat extremism. Because I will not allow terrorists to plot against the American people from safe havens half a world away.
As we meet here tonight, our men and women in uniform stand watch abroad and more are readying to deploy. To each and every one of them, and to the families who bear the quiet burden of their absence, Americans are united in sending one message: we honor your service, we are inspired by your sacrifice, and you have our unyielding support. To relieve the strain on our forces, my budget increases the number of our soldiers and Marines. And to keep our sacred trust with those who serve, we will raise their pay, and give our veterans the expanded health care and benefits that they have earned.
To overcome extremism, we must also be vigilant in upholding the values our troops defend – because there is no force in the world more powerful than the example of America. That is why I have ordered the closing of the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, and will seek swift and certain justice for captured terrorists – because living our values doesn’t make us weaker, it makes us safer and it makes us stronger. And that is why I can stand here tonight and say without exception or equivocation that the United States of America does not torture.
In words and deeds, we are showing the world that a new era of engagement has begun. For we know that America cannot meet the threats of this century alone, but the world cannot meet them without America. We cannot shun the negotiating table, nor ignore the foes or forces that could do us harm. We are instead called to move forward with the sense of confidence and candor that serious times demand.
To seek progress toward a secure and lasting peace between Israel and her neighbors, we have appointed an envoy to sustain our effort. To meet the challenges of the 21st century – from terrorism to nuclear proliferation; from pandemic disease to cyber threats to crushing poverty – we will strengthen old alliances, forge new ones, and use all elements of our national power.
And to respond to an economic crisis that is global in scope, we are working with the nations of the G-20 to restore confidence in our financial system, avoid the possibility of escalating protectionism, and spur demand for American goods in markets across the globe. For the world depends on us to have a strong economy, just as our economy depends on the strength of the world’s.
As we stand at this crossroads of history, the eyes of all people in all nations are once again upon us – watching to see what we do with this moment; waiting for us to lead.
Those of us gathered here tonight have been called to govern in extraordinary times. It is a tremendous burden, but also a great privilege – one that has been entrusted to few generations of Americans. For in our hands lies the ability to shape our world for good or for ill.
I know that it is easy to lose sight of this truth – to become cynical and doubtful; consumed with the petty and the trivial.
But in my life, I have also learned that hope is found in unlikely places; that inspiration often comes not from those with the most power or celebrity, but from the dreams and aspirations of Americans who are anything but ordinary.
I think about Leonard Abess, the bank president from Miami who reportedly cashed out of his company, took a $60 million bonus, and gave it out to all 399 people who worked for him, plus another 72 who used to work for him. He didn’t tell anyone, but when the local newspaper found out, he simply said, ''I knew some of these people since I was 7 years old. I didn't feel right getting the money myself.”
I think about Greensburg, Kansas, a town that was completely destroyed by a tornado, but is being rebuilt by its residents as a global example of how clean energy can power an entire community – how it can bring jobs and businesses to a place where piles of bricks and rubble once lay. “The tragedy was terrible,” said one of the men who helped them rebuild. “But the folks here know that it also provided an incredible opportunity.”
And I think about Ty’Sheoma Bethea, the young girl from that school I visited in Dillon, South Carolina – a place where the ceilings leak, the paint peels off the walls, and they have to stop teaching six times a day because the train barrels by their classroom. She has been told that her school is hopeless, but the other day after class she went to the public library and typed up a letter to the people sitting in this room. She even asked her principal for the money to buy a stamp. The letter asks us for help, and says, “We are just students trying to become lawyers, doctors, congressmen like yourself and one day president, so we can make a change to not just the state of South Carolina but also the world. We are not quitters.”
We are not quitters.
These words and these stories tell us something about the spirit of the people who sent us here. They tell us that even in the most trying times, amid the most difficult circumstances, there is a generosity, a resilience, a decency, and a determination that perseveres; a willingness to take responsibility for our future and for posterity.
Their resolve must be our inspiration. Their concerns must be our cause. And we must show them and all our people that we are equal to the task before us.
I know that we haven’t agreed on every issue thus far, and there are surely times in the future when we will part ways. But I also know that every American who is sitting here tonight loves this country and wants it to succeed. That must be the starting point for every debate we have in the coming months, and where we return after those debates are done. That is the foundation on which the American people expect us to build common ground.
And if we do – if we come together and lift this nation from the depths of this crisis; if we put our people back to work and restart the engine of our prosperity; if we confront without fear the challenges of our time and summon that enduring spirit of an America that does not quit, then someday years from now our children can tell their children that this was the time when we performed, in the words that are carved into this very chamber, “something worthy to be remembered.” Thank you, God Bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.
I’ve come here tonight not only to address the distinguished men and women in this great chamber, but to speak frankly and directly to the men and women who sent us here. I know that for many Americans watching right now, the state of our economy is a concern that rises above all others. And rightly so. If you haven’t been personally affected by this recession, you probably know someone who has – a friend; a neighbor; a member of your family. You don’t need to hear another list of statistics to know that our economy is in crisis, because you live it every day. It’s the worry you wake up with and the source of sleepless nights. It’s the job you thought you’d retire from but now have lost; the business you built your dreams upon that’s now hanging by a thread; the college acceptance letter your child had to put back in the envelope. The impact of this recession is real, and it is everywhere.
But while our economy may be weakened and our confidence shaken; though we are living through difficult and uncertain times, tonight I want every American to know this:
We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before.
The weight of this crisis will not determine the destiny of this nation. The answers to our problems don’t lie beyond our reach. They exist in our laboratories and universities; in our fields and our factories; in the imaginations of our entrepreneurs and the pride of the hardest-working people on Earth. Those qualities that have made America the greatest force of progress and prosperity in human history we still possess in ample measure. What is required now is for this country to pull together, confront boldly the challenges we face, and take responsibility for our future once more.
Now, if we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll admit that for too long, we have not always met these responsibilities – as a government or as a people. I say this not to lay blame or look backwards, but because it is only by understanding how we arrived at this moment that we’ll be able to lift ourselves out of this predicament.
The fact is, our economy did not fall into decline overnight. Nor did all of our problems begin when the housing market collapsed or the stock market sank. We have known for decades that our survival depends on finding new sources of energy. Yet we import more oil today than ever before. The cost of health care eats up more and more of our savings each year, yet we keep delaying reform. Our children will compete for jobs in a global economy that too many of our schools do not prepare them for. And though all these challenges went unsolved, we still managed to spend more money and pile up more debt, both as individuals and through our government, than ever before.
In other words, we have lived through an era where too often, short-term gains were prized over long-term prosperity; where we failed to look beyond the next payment, the next quarter, or the next election. A surplus became an excuse to transfer wealth to the wealthy instead of an opportunity to invest in our future. Regulations were gutted for the sake of a quick profit at the expense of a healthy market. People bought homes they knew they couldn’t afford from banks and lenders who pushed those bad loans anyway. And all the while, critical debates and difficult decisions were put off for some other time on some other day.
Well that day of reckoning has arrived, and the time to take charge of our future is here.
Now is the time to act boldly and wisely – to not only revive this economy, but to build a new foundation for lasting prosperity. Now is the time to jumpstart job creation, re-start lending, and invest in areas like energy, health care, and education that will grow our economy, even as we make hard choices to bring our deficit down. That is what my economic agenda is designed to do, and that’s what I’d like to talk to you about tonight.
It’s an agenda that begins with jobs.
As soon as I took office, I asked this Congress to send me a recovery plan by President’s Day that would put people back to work and put money in their pockets. Not because I believe in bigger government – I don’t. Not because I’m not mindful of the massive debt we’ve inherited – I am. I called for action because the failure to do so would have cost more jobs and caused more hardships. In fact, a failure to act would have worsened our long-term deficit by assuring weak economic growth for years. That’s why I pushed for quick action. And tonight, I am grateful that this Congress delivered, and pleased to say that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is now law.
Over the next two years, this plan will save or create 3.5 million jobs. More than 90% of these jobs will be in the private sector – jobs rebuilding our roads and bridges; constructing wind turbines and solar panels; laying broadband and expanding mass transit.
Because of this plan, there are teachers who can now keep their jobs and educate our kids. Health care professionals can continue caring for our sick. There are 57 police officers who are still on the streets of Minneapolis tonight because this plan prevented the layoffs their department was about to make.
Because of this plan, 95% of the working households in America will receive a tax cut – a tax cut that you will see in your paychecks beginning on April 1st.
Because of this plan, families who are struggling to pay tuition costs will receive a $2,500 tax credit for all four years of college. And Americans who have lost their jobs in this recession will be able to receive extended unemployment benefits and continued health care coverage to help them weather this storm.
I know there are some in this chamber and watching at home who are skeptical of whether this plan will work. I understand that skepticism. Here in Washington, we’ve all seen how quickly good intentions can turn into broken promises and wasteful spending. And with a plan of this scale comes enormous responsibility to get it right.
That is why I have asked Vice President Biden to lead a tough, unprecedented oversight effort – because nobody messes with Joe. I have told each member of my Cabinet as well as mayors and governors across the country that they will be held accountable by me and the American people for every dollar they spend. I have appointed a proven and aggressive Inspector General to ferret out any and all cases of waste and fraud. And we have created a new website called recovery.gov so that every American can find out how and where their money is being spent.
So the recovery plan we passed is the first step in getting our economy back on track. But it is just the first step. Because even if we manage this plan flawlessly, there will be no real recovery unless we clean up the credit crisis that has severely weakened our financial system.
I want to speak plainly and candidly about this issue tonight, because every American should know that it directly affects you and your family’s well-being. You should also know that the money you’ve deposited in banks across the country is safe; your insurance is secure; and you can rely on the continued operation of our financial system. That is not the source of concern.
The concern is that if we do not re-start lending in this country, our recovery will be choked off before it even begins.
You see, the flow of credit is the lifeblood of our economy. The ability to get a loan is how you finance the purchase of everything from a home to a car to a college education; how stores stock their shelves, farms buy equipment, and businesses make payroll.
But credit has stopped flowing the way it should. Too many bad loans from the housing crisis have made their way onto the books of too many banks. With so much debt and so little confidence, these banks are now fearful of lending out any more money to households, to businesses, or to each other. When there is no lending, families can’t afford to buy homes or cars. So businesses are forced to make layoffs. Our economy suffers even more, and credit dries up even further.
That is why this administration is moving swiftly and aggressively to break this destructive cycle, restore confidence, and re-start lending.
We will do so in several ways. First, we are creating a new lending fund that represents the largest effort ever to help provide auto loans, college loans, and small business loans to the consumers and entrepreneurs who keep this economy running.
Second, we have launched a housing plan that will help responsible families facing the threat of foreclosure lower their monthly payments and re-finance their mortgages. It’s a plan that won’t help speculators or that neighbor down the street who bought a house he could never hope to afford, but it will help millions of Americans who are struggling with declining home values – Americans who will now be able to take advantage of the lower interest rates that this plan has already helped bring about. In fact, the average family who re-finances today can save nearly $2000 per year on their mortgage.
Third, we will act with the full force of the federal government to ensure that the major banks that Americans depend on have enough confidence and enough money to lend even in more difficult times. And when we learn that a major bank has serious problems, we will hold accountable those responsible, force the necessary adjustments, provide the support to clean up their balance sheets, and assure the continuity of a strong, viable institution that can serve our people and our economy.
I understand that on any given day, Wall Street may be more comforted by an approach that gives banks bailouts with no strings attached, and that holds nobody accountable for their reckless decisions. But such an approach won’t solve the problem. And our goal is to quicken the day when we re-start lending to the American people and American business and end this crisis once and for all.
I intend to hold these banks fully accountable for the assistance they receive, and this time, they will have to clearly demonstrate how taxpayer dollars result in more lending for the American taxpayer. This time, CEOs won’t be able to use taxpayer money to pad their paychecks or buy fancy drapes or disappear on a private jet. Those days are over.
Still, this plan will require significant resources from the federal government – and yes, probably more than we’ve already set aside. But while the cost of action will be great, I can assure you that the cost of inaction will be far greater, for it could result in an economy that sputters along for not months or years, but perhaps a decade. That would be worse for our deficit, worse for business, worse for you, and worse for the next generation. And I refuse to let that happen.
I understand that when the last administration asked this Congress to provide assistance for struggling banks, Democrats and Republicans alike were infuriated by the mismanagement and results that followed. So were the American taxpayers. So was I.
So I know how unpopular it is to be seen as helping banks right now, especially when everyone is suffering in part from their bad decisions. I promise you – I get it.
But I also know that in a time of crisis, we cannot afford to govern out of anger, or yield to the politics of the moment. My job – our job – is to solve the problem. Our job is to govern with a sense of responsibility. I will not spend a single penny for the purpose of rewarding a single Wall Street executive, but I will do whatever it takes to help the small business that can’t pay its workers or the family that has saved and still can’t get a mortgage.
That’s what this is about. It’s not about helping banks – it’s about helping people. Because when credit is available again, that young family can finally buy a new home. And then some company will hire workers to build it. And then those workers will have money to spend, and if they can get a loan too, maybe they’ll finally buy that car, or open their own business. Investors will return to the market, and American families will see their retirement secured once more. Slowly, but surely, confidence will return, and our economy will recover.
So I ask this Congress to join me in doing whatever proves necessary. Because we cannot consign our nation to an open-ended recession. And to ensure that a crisis of this magnitude never happens again, I ask Congress to move quickly on legislation that will finally reform our outdated regulatory system. It is time to put in place tough, new common-sense rules of the road so that our financial market rewards drive and innovation, and punishes short-cuts and abuse.
The recovery plan and the financial stability plan are the immediate steps we’re taking to revive our economy in the short-term. But the only way to fully restore America’s economic strength is to make the long-term investments that will lead to new jobs, new industries, and a renewed ability to compete with the rest of the world. The only way this century will be another American century is if we confront at last the price of our dependence on oil and the high cost of health care; the schools that aren’t preparing our children and the mountain of debt they stand to inherit. That is our responsibility.
In the next few days, I will submit a budget to Congress. So often, we have come to view these documents as simply numbers on a page or laundry lists of programs. I see this document differently. I see it as a vision for America – as a blueprint for our future.
My budget does not attempt to solve every problem or address every issue. It reflects the stark reality of what we’ve inherited – a trillion dollar deficit, a financial crisis, and a costly recession.
Given these realities, everyone in this chamber – Democrats and Republicans – will have to sacrifice some worthy priorities for which there are no dollars. And that includes me.
But that does not mean we can afford to ignore our long-term challenges. I reject the view that says our problems will simply take care of themselves; that says government has no role in laying the foundation for our common prosperity.
For history tells a different story. History reminds us that at every moment of economic upheaval and transformation, this nation has responded with bold action and big ideas. In the midst of civil war, we laid railroad tracks from one coast to another that spurred commerce and industry. From the turmoil of the Industrial Revolution came a system of public high schools that prepared our citizens for a new age. In the wake of war and depression, the GI Bill sent a generation to college and created the largest middle-class in history. And a twilight struggle for freedom led to a nation of highways, an American on the moon, and an explosion of technology that still shapes our world.
In each case, government didn’t supplant private enterprise; it catalyzed private enterprise. It created the conditions for thousands of entrepreneurs and new businesses to adapt and to thrive.
We are a nation that has seen promise amid peril, and claimed opportunity from ordeal. Now we must be that nation again. That is why, even as it cuts back on the programs we don’t need, the budget I submit will invest in the three areas that are absolutely critical to our economic future: energy, health care, and education.
It begins with energy.
We know the country that harnesses the power of clean, renewable energy will lead the 21st century. And yet, it is China that has launched the largest effort in history to make their economy energy efficient. We invented solar technology, but we’ve fallen behind countries like Germany and Japan in producing it. New plug-in hybrids roll off our assembly lines, but they will run on batteries made in Korea.
Well I do not accept a future where the jobs and industries of tomorrow take root beyond our borders – and I know you don’t either. It is time for America to lead again.
Thanks to our recovery plan, we will double this nation’s supply of renewable energy in the next three years. We have also made the largest investment in basic research funding in American history – an investment that will spur not only new discoveries in energy, but breakthroughs in medicine, science, and technology.
We will soon lay down thousands of miles of power lines that can carry new energy to cities and towns across this country. And we will put Americans to work making our homes and buildings more efficient so that we can save billions of dollars on our energy bills.
But to truly transform our economy, protect our security, and save our planet from the ravages of climate change, we need to ultimately make clean, renewable energy the profitable kind of energy. So I ask this Congress to send me legislation that places a market-based cap on carbon pollution and drives the production of more renewable energy in America. And to support that innovation, we will invest fifteen billion dollars a year to develop technologies like wind power and solar power; advanced biofuels, clean coal, and more fuel-efficient cars and trucks built right here in America.
As for our auto industry, everyone recognizes that years of bad decision-making and a global recession have pushed our automakers to the brink. We should not, and will not, protect them from their own bad practices. But we are committed to the goal of a re-tooled, re-imagined auto industry that can compete and win. Millions of jobs depend on it. Scores of communities depend on it. And I believe the nation that invented the automobile cannot walk away from it.
None of this will come without cost, nor will it be easy. But this is America. We don’t do what’s easy. We do what is necessary to move this country forward.
For that same reason, we must also address the crushing cost of health care.
This is a cost that now causes a bankruptcy in America every thirty seconds. By the end of the year, it could cause 1.5 million Americans to lose their homes. In the last eight years, premiums have grown four times faster than wages. And in each of these years, one million more Americans have lost their health insurance. It is one of the major reasons why small businesses close their doors and corporations ship jobs overseas. And it’s one of the largest and fastest-growing parts of our budget.
Given these facts, we can no longer afford to put health care reform on hold.
Already, we have done more to advance the cause of health care reform in the last thirty days than we have in the last decade. When it was days old, this Congress passed a law to provide and protect health insurance for eleven million American children whose parents work full-time. Our recovery plan will invest in electronic health records and new technology that will reduce errors, bring down costs, ensure privacy, and save lives. It will launch a new effort to conquer a disease that has touched the life of nearly every American by seeking a cure for cancer in our time. And it makes the largest investment ever in preventive care, because that is one of the best ways to keep our people healthy and our costs under control.
This budget builds on these reforms. It includes an historic commitment to comprehensive health care reform – a down-payment on the principle that we must have quality, affordable health care for every American. It’s a commitment that’s paid for in part by efficiencies in our system that are long overdue. And it’s a step we must take if we hope to bring down our deficit in the years to come.
Now, there will be many different opinions and ideas about how to achieve reform, and that is why I’m bringing together businesses and workers, doctors and health care providers, Democrats and Republicans to begin work on this issue next week.
I suffer no illusions that this will be an easy process. It will be hard. But I also know that nearly a century after Teddy Roosevelt first called for reform, the cost of our health care has weighed down our economy and the conscience of our nation long enough. So let there be no doubt: health care reform cannot wait, it must not wait, and it will not wait another year.
The third challenge we must address is the urgent need to expand the promise of education in America.
In a global economy where the most valuable skill you can sell is your knowledge, a good education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity – it is a pre-requisite.
Right now, three-quarters of the fastest-growing occupations require more than a high school diploma. And yet, just over half of our citizens have that level of education. We have one of the highest high school dropout rates of any industrialized nation. And half of the students who begin college never finish.
This is a prescription for economic decline, because we know the countries that out-teach us today will out-compete us tomorrow. That is why it will be the goal of this administration to ensure that every child has access to a complete and competitive education – from the day they are born to the day they begin a career.
Already, we have made an historic investment in education through the economic recovery plan. We have dramatically expanded early childhood education and will continue to improve its quality, because we know that the most formative learning comes in those first years of life. We have made college affordable for nearly seven million more students. And we have provided the resources necessary to prevent painful cuts and teacher layoffs that would set back our children’s progress.
But we know that our schools don’t just need more resources. They need more reform. That is why this budget creates new incentives for teacher performance; pathways for advancement, and rewards for success. We’ll invest in innovative programs that are already helping schools meet high standards and close achievement gaps. And we will expand our commitment to charter schools.
It is our responsibility as lawmakers and educators to make this system work. But it is the responsibility of every citizen to participate in it. And so tonight, I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training. This can be community college or a four-year school; vocational training or an apprenticeship. But whatever the training may be, every American will need to get more than a high school diploma. And dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It’s not just quitting on yourself, it’s quitting on your country – and this country needs and values the talents of every American. That is why we will provide the support necessary for you to complete college and meet a new goal: by 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.
I know that the price of tuition is higher than ever, which is why if you are willing to volunteer in your neighborhood or give back to your community or serve your country, we will make sure that you can afford a higher education. And to encourage a renewed spirit of national service for this and future generations, I ask this Congress to send me the bipartisan legislation that bears the name of Senator Orrin Hatch as well as an American who has never stopped asking what he can do for his country – Senator Edward Kennedy.
These education policies will open the doors of opportunity for our children. But it is up to us to ensure they walk through them. In the end, there is no program or policy that can substitute for a mother or father who will attend those parent/teacher conferences, or help with homework after dinner, or turn off the TV, put away the video games, and read to their child. I speak to you not just as a President, but as a father when I say that responsibility for our children's education must begin at home.
There is, of course, another responsibility we have to our children. And that is the responsibility to ensure that we do not pass on to them a debt they cannot pay. With the deficit we inherited, the cost of the crisis we face, and the long-term challenges we must meet, it has never been more important to ensure that as our economy recovers, we do what it takes to bring this deficit down.
I’m proud that we passed the recovery plan free of earmarks, and I want to pass a budget next year that ensures that each dollar we spend reflects only our most important national priorities.
Yesterday, I held a fiscal summit where I pledged to cut the deficit in half by the end of my first term in office. My administration has also begun to go line by line through the federal budget in order to eliminate wasteful and ineffective programs. As you can imagine, this is a process that will take some time. But we’re starting with the biggest lines. We have already identified two trillion dollars in savings over the next decade.
In this budget, we will end education programs that don’t work and end direct payments to large agribusinesses that don’t need them. We’ll eliminate the no-bid contracts that have wasted billions in Iraq, and reform our defense budget so that we’re not paying for Cold War-era weapons systems we don’t use. We will root out the waste, fraud, and abuse in our Medicare program that doesn’t make our seniors any healthier, and we will restore a sense of fairness and balance to our tax code by finally ending the tax breaks for corporations that ship our jobs overseas.
In order to save our children from a future of debt, we will also end the tax breaks for the wealthiest 2% of Americans. But let me perfectly clear, because I know you’ll hear the same old claims that rolling back these tax breaks means a massive tax increase on the American people: if your family earns less than $250,000 a year, you will not see your taxes increased a single dime. I repeat: not one single dime. In fact, the recovery plan provides a tax cut – that’s right, a tax cut – for 95% of working families. And these checks are on the way.
To preserve our long-term fiscal health, we must also address the growing costs in Medicare and Social Security. Comprehensive health care reform is the best way to strengthen Medicare for years to come. And we must also begin a conversation on how to do the same for Social Security, while creating tax-free universal savings accounts for all Americans.
Finally, because we’re also suffering from a deficit of trust, I am committed to restoring a sense of honesty and accountability to our budget. That is why this budget looks ahead ten years and accounts for spending that was left out under the old rules – and for the first time, that includes the full cost of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. For seven years, we have been a nation at war. No longer will we hide its price.
We are now carefully reviewing our policies in both wars, and I will soon announce a way forward in Iraq that leaves Iraq to its people and responsibly ends this war.
And with our friends and allies, we will forge a new and comprehensive strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan to defeat al Qaeda and combat extremism. Because I will not allow terrorists to plot against the American people from safe havens half a world away.
As we meet here tonight, our men and women in uniform stand watch abroad and more are readying to deploy. To each and every one of them, and to the families who bear the quiet burden of their absence, Americans are united in sending one message: we honor your service, we are inspired by your sacrifice, and you have our unyielding support. To relieve the strain on our forces, my budget increases the number of our soldiers and Marines. And to keep our sacred trust with those who serve, we will raise their pay, and give our veterans the expanded health care and benefits that they have earned.
To overcome extremism, we must also be vigilant in upholding the values our troops defend – because there is no force in the world more powerful than the example of America. That is why I have ordered the closing of the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, and will seek swift and certain justice for captured terrorists – because living our values doesn’t make us weaker, it makes us safer and it makes us stronger. And that is why I can stand here tonight and say without exception or equivocation that the United States of America does not torture.
In words and deeds, we are showing the world that a new era of engagement has begun. For we know that America cannot meet the threats of this century alone, but the world cannot meet them without America. We cannot shun the negotiating table, nor ignore the foes or forces that could do us harm. We are instead called to move forward with the sense of confidence and candor that serious times demand.
To seek progress toward a secure and lasting peace between Israel and her neighbors, we have appointed an envoy to sustain our effort. To meet the challenges of the 21st century – from terrorism to nuclear proliferation; from pandemic disease to cyber threats to crushing poverty – we will strengthen old alliances, forge new ones, and use all elements of our national power.
And to respond to an economic crisis that is global in scope, we are working with the nations of the G-20 to restore confidence in our financial system, avoid the possibility of escalating protectionism, and spur demand for American goods in markets across the globe. For the world depends on us to have a strong economy, just as our economy depends on the strength of the world’s.
As we stand at this crossroads of history, the eyes of all people in all nations are once again upon us – watching to see what we do with this moment; waiting for us to lead.
Those of us gathered here tonight have been called to govern in extraordinary times. It is a tremendous burden, but also a great privilege – one that has been entrusted to few generations of Americans. For in our hands lies the ability to shape our world for good or for ill.
I know that it is easy to lose sight of this truth – to become cynical and doubtful; consumed with the petty and the trivial.
But in my life, I have also learned that hope is found in unlikely places; that inspiration often comes not from those with the most power or celebrity, but from the dreams and aspirations of Americans who are anything but ordinary.
I think about Leonard Abess, the bank president from Miami who reportedly cashed out of his company, took a $60 million bonus, and gave it out to all 399 people who worked for him, plus another 72 who used to work for him. He didn’t tell anyone, but when the local newspaper found out, he simply said, ''I knew some of these people since I was 7 years old. I didn't feel right getting the money myself.”
I think about Greensburg, Kansas, a town that was completely destroyed by a tornado, but is being rebuilt by its residents as a global example of how clean energy can power an entire community – how it can bring jobs and businesses to a place where piles of bricks and rubble once lay. “The tragedy was terrible,” said one of the men who helped them rebuild. “But the folks here know that it also provided an incredible opportunity.”
And I think about Ty’Sheoma Bethea, the young girl from that school I visited in Dillon, South Carolina – a place where the ceilings leak, the paint peels off the walls, and they have to stop teaching six times a day because the train barrels by their classroom. She has been told that her school is hopeless, but the other day after class she went to the public library and typed up a letter to the people sitting in this room. She even asked her principal for the money to buy a stamp. The letter asks us for help, and says, “We are just students trying to become lawyers, doctors, congressmen like yourself and one day president, so we can make a change to not just the state of South Carolina but also the world. We are not quitters.”
We are not quitters.
These words and these stories tell us something about the spirit of the people who sent us here. They tell us that even in the most trying times, amid the most difficult circumstances, there is a generosity, a resilience, a decency, and a determination that perseveres; a willingness to take responsibility for our future and for posterity.
Their resolve must be our inspiration. Their concerns must be our cause. And we must show them and all our people that we are equal to the task before us.
I know that we haven’t agreed on every issue thus far, and there are surely times in the future when we will part ways. But I also know that every American who is sitting here tonight loves this country and wants it to succeed. That must be the starting point for every debate we have in the coming months, and where we return after those debates are done. That is the foundation on which the American people expect us to build common ground.
And if we do – if we come together and lift this nation from the depths of this crisis; if we put our people back to work and restart the engine of our prosperity; if we confront without fear the challenges of our time and summon that enduring spirit of an America that does not quit, then someday years from now our children can tell their children that this was the time when we performed, in the words that are carved into this very chamber, “something worthy to be remembered.” Thank you, God Bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.
Bobby Jindal and the expectations game; plus: which MSNBC host said “Oh, god?”
By Michelle Malkin, Michelle Malkin.com
February 24, 2009 11:06 PM
The cable news talking heads panned Bobby Jindal’s response to Obama tonight.
There were some apparent audio and technical problems. He could have been more specific in his attacks on the porkulus bill, the bailouts, and the coming omnibus spending bill/mortgage entitlement expansion. (Full speech here).
But then, of course, the critics would have accused him of being too wonky.
Can’t win in these situations. The follow-up to an elaborately staged joint session of Congress speech is always going to look diminished. I thought his delivery was fine. And it’s always better to have lowered expectations, anyway. Otherwise, you end up with…the inconquerable hype of the Obamessiah.
Jindal’s strongest moments came at the end of his remarks:
In recent years, these distinctions in philosophy became less clear — because our party got away from its principles. You elected Republicans to champion limited government, fiscal discipline, and personal responsibility. Instead, Republicans went along with earmarks and big government spending in Washington. Republicans lost your trust — and rightly so.
Tonight, on behalf of our leaders in Congress and my fellow Republican governors, I say: Our party is determined to regain your trust. We will do so by standing up for the principles that we share — the principles you elected us to fight for — the principles that built this into the greatest, most prosperous country on earth.
A few weeks ago, the President warned that our nation is facing a crisis that he said ‘we may not be able to reverse.’ Our troubles are real, to be sure. But don’t let anyone tell you that we cannot recover — or that America’s best days are behind her.
This is the nation that cast off the scourge of slavery, overcame the Great Depression, prevailed in two World Wars, won the struggle for civil rights, defeated the Soviet menace, and responded with determined courage to the attacks of September 11, 2001.
The American spirit has triumphed over almost every form of adversity known to man — and the American spirit will triumph again.
We can have confidence in our future — because, amid today’s challenges, we also count many blessings: We have the most innovative citizens –the most abundant resources — the most resilient economy — the most powerful military — and the freest political system in the history of the world.
My fellow citizens, never forget: We are Americans. And like my Dad said years ago, Americans can do anything.
Thank you for listening. God bless you. And God bless America.”
I’ll take Bobby Jindal’s genuine faith in American entrepreneurship over Barack Obama’s fear-mongering-turned-faux Reaganism any day.
MSNBC couldn’t stand the sight of Jindal before he had a chance to open his mouth. Before he began his remarks, someone on a hot mic muttered “Oh, God.”
February 24, 2009 11:06 PM
The cable news talking heads panned Bobby Jindal’s response to Obama tonight.
There were some apparent audio and technical problems. He could have been more specific in his attacks on the porkulus bill, the bailouts, and the coming omnibus spending bill/mortgage entitlement expansion. (Full speech here).
But then, of course, the critics would have accused him of being too wonky.
Can’t win in these situations. The follow-up to an elaborately staged joint session of Congress speech is always going to look diminished. I thought his delivery was fine. And it’s always better to have lowered expectations, anyway. Otherwise, you end up with…the inconquerable hype of the Obamessiah.
Jindal’s strongest moments came at the end of his remarks:
In recent years, these distinctions in philosophy became less clear — because our party got away from its principles. You elected Republicans to champion limited government, fiscal discipline, and personal responsibility. Instead, Republicans went along with earmarks and big government spending in Washington. Republicans lost your trust — and rightly so.
Tonight, on behalf of our leaders in Congress and my fellow Republican governors, I say: Our party is determined to regain your trust. We will do so by standing up for the principles that we share — the principles you elected us to fight for — the principles that built this into the greatest, most prosperous country on earth.
A few weeks ago, the President warned that our nation is facing a crisis that he said ‘we may not be able to reverse.’ Our troubles are real, to be sure. But don’t let anyone tell you that we cannot recover — or that America’s best days are behind her.
This is the nation that cast off the scourge of slavery, overcame the Great Depression, prevailed in two World Wars, won the struggle for civil rights, defeated the Soviet menace, and responded with determined courage to the attacks of September 11, 2001.
The American spirit has triumphed over almost every form of adversity known to man — and the American spirit will triumph again.
We can have confidence in our future — because, amid today’s challenges, we also count many blessings: We have the most innovative citizens –the most abundant resources — the most resilient economy — the most powerful military — and the freest political system in the history of the world.
My fellow citizens, never forget: We are Americans. And like my Dad said years ago, Americans can do anything.
Thank you for listening. God bless you. And God bless America.”
I’ll take Bobby Jindal’s genuine faith in American entrepreneurship over Barack Obama’s fear-mongering-turned-faux Reaganism any day.
MSNBC couldn’t stand the sight of Jindal before he had a chance to open his mouth. Before he began his remarks, someone on a hot mic muttered “Oh, God.”
QueerGam to Obama: Grow a spine! And stop complaining.
This is a fact, President Obama inherit this mess from a Republican President who in fact had eight year at the helm. I'm so tired of hearing this talking point mantra. Duhhh...every President "inherits" what came before him. But none ever whined about it the way Obama has.
Did John F. Kennedy whine about "inheriting" the Cold War?
Did Lyndon Johnson ever complain that he "inherited" the Vietnam War?
Did Ronald Reagan complain that he "inherited" Jimmy Carter's economic train wreck?
And - yes - did George W. Bush ever whine about "inheriting" the Bill Clinton tech bubble crash of 2000 and the demise of the dot.com fever, whose impact was compounded by 9-11?
No!! So Obama, grow up your black ass and lead our nation...and stop fucking complaining like Paris Hilton!
It is such a shame -- your approval rating is slipping...slowly but surely at the rates your are going (and at the rates liberal obsession is killing your administration) you have to stop insisting that "it's not my fault" and just get down to dealing with the problem.
Act like a President. Hell, act like a man first!!!!
All you have done is get us more in debt than any other president. We'll be in debt forever and we still don't see any money in our pocket like you promised. What the fuck?
Your Comments:
From JK
wow! you are hating on him! what suggestiond should he make? :D
From M.A.Potter:
Yes!
From DM: Sent from my iPhone
this is why I don't really want to talk to you I fell regon has blood on this hands by not putting money into HIV prevention and w used to mass homo apho to get elect ...oh wait we didn't vote for him and he stole the race and then blamed it on the 3 party rep are stonewalling obme in the congress and then telling there state how great it is going to be to get this fed money in there state. you can't do everything you want to b/c you have to cut some places to get more other place he may not live up to the hip but you can't till that the last 8where the best years of the USA can you tell me how many days w had off the first 100 days in office? I am not red or blue and I do have very strong fears of the next few years and giving to much support to one party look at the nazi but I hope for fdr and fight aggst the bad
Did John F. Kennedy whine about "inheriting" the Cold War?
Did Lyndon Johnson ever complain that he "inherited" the Vietnam War?
Did Ronald Reagan complain that he "inherited" Jimmy Carter's economic train wreck?
And - yes - did George W. Bush ever whine about "inheriting" the Bill Clinton tech bubble crash of 2000 and the demise of the dot.com fever, whose impact was compounded by 9-11?
No!! So Obama, grow up your black ass and lead our nation...and stop fucking complaining like Paris Hilton!
It is such a shame -- your approval rating is slipping...slowly but surely at the rates your are going (and at the rates liberal obsession is killing your administration) you have to stop insisting that "it's not my fault" and just get down to dealing with the problem.
Act like a President. Hell, act like a man first!!!!
All you have done is get us more in debt than any other president. We'll be in debt forever and we still don't see any money in our pocket like you promised. What the fuck?
Your Comments:
From JK
wow! you are hating on him! what suggestiond should he make? :D
From M.A.Potter:
Yes!
From DM: Sent from my iPhone
this is why I don't really want to talk to you I fell regon has blood on this hands by not putting money into HIV prevention and w used to mass homo apho to get elect ...oh wait we didn't vote for him and he stole the race and then blamed it on the 3 party rep are stonewalling obme in the congress and then telling there state how great it is going to be to get this fed money in there state. you can't do everything you want to b/c you have to cut some places to get more other place he may not live up to the hip but you can't till that the last 8where the best years of the USA can you tell me how many days w had off the first 100 days in office? I am not red or blue and I do have very strong fears of the next few years and giving to much support to one party look at the nazi but I hope for fdr and fight aggst the bad
One month in, Barack Obama's approval slips, disapproval doubles
One month down, 47 to go. And Barack Obama's poll numbers have slid almost 10% already. According to the latest Gallup Poll, the new president's approval rating of 68% in January has slipped now to 63%, about average for recent new presidents one month in. What isn't average, however, is Obama's new disapproval rating -- 24%, or 50% higher than the 16% average for a month-old new presidency.
And it's twice the 12% disapproval rate that Obama had last month. While liberal and independent support has held fairly steady, the rookie chief executive's approval among Republicans has plunged from 41% to 30%, presumably tied at least somewhat to growing awareness of the spending program. The drop has been especially steep among conservatives, from 36% at inauguration to 22% now. Additionally, Obama's support has weakened among middle-class Americans, those touted during the campaign as benefiting from his promised tax cuts. Among that working crowd, Obama's approval fell from 69% to 58%. Tonight's speech before a joint session of Congress and a nationwide television audience will give the new 47-year-old president an opportunity to make his case, not just for his already-signed but still controversial economic stimulus package but for his own evolving style of executive leadership. And to possibly put the crumpled Cabinet nominations of recent weeks behind him.
Historically, 63-62% approval after a month is about average; Ronald Reagan had the worst at 55%, and Jimmy Carter had the best at 71%. Look how they turned out. In fact, after 30 days, the Gallup Poll shows Obama has about the same approval rating as did George H.W. Bush and his son, George W. Bush, the man whose eight years in office the Illinois senator so often denounced as destructive during the recent campaign.
What's surprising, as the astute Don Surber points out this morning, is that the gap between approval and disapproval is worse now for Obama than it was for the newly departed Texan after his first month. Bush's differential gap was 41 points between approval and disapproval. Obama's is 39 points, still above Bill Clinton, who had the worst differential of 30 points. Carter again had the best after one month of 62. Richard Nixon had 54.
The new Gallup survey involved 1,614 adult Americans between Feb. 19-21 with a margin of error of +/-3%.
And it's twice the 12% disapproval rate that Obama had last month. While liberal and independent support has held fairly steady, the rookie chief executive's approval among Republicans has plunged from 41% to 30%, presumably tied at least somewhat to growing awareness of the spending program. The drop has been especially steep among conservatives, from 36% at inauguration to 22% now. Additionally, Obama's support has weakened among middle-class Americans, those touted during the campaign as benefiting from his promised tax cuts. Among that working crowd, Obama's approval fell from 69% to 58%. Tonight's speech before a joint session of Congress and a nationwide television audience will give the new 47-year-old president an opportunity to make his case, not just for his already-signed but still controversial economic stimulus package but for his own evolving style of executive leadership. And to possibly put the crumpled Cabinet nominations of recent weeks behind him.
Historically, 63-62% approval after a month is about average; Ronald Reagan had the worst at 55%, and Jimmy Carter had the best at 71%. Look how they turned out. In fact, after 30 days, the Gallup Poll shows Obama has about the same approval rating as did George H.W. Bush and his son, George W. Bush, the man whose eight years in office the Illinois senator so often denounced as destructive during the recent campaign.
What's surprising, as the astute Don Surber points out this morning, is that the gap between approval and disapproval is worse now for Obama than it was for the newly departed Texan after his first month. Bush's differential gap was 41 points between approval and disapproval. Obama's is 39 points, still above Bill Clinton, who had the worst differential of 30 points. Carter again had the best after one month of 62. Richard Nixon had 54.
The new Gallup survey involved 1,614 adult Americans between Feb. 19-21 with a margin of error of +/-3%.
Monday, February 23, 2009
QueerGam to Obama: Be very very specific tomorrow!
We, like the rest of Americans who voted for the other guy, are expecting you to be very very specific tommorrow night about the economy and where (and how) the money is going to be spent.
Bam, you promised America a very very high level of transparency! Will we see all the receipts?
So far, you have done nothing other than planning to increase troops in Afghanistan, hiring shitty people who didn't pay their taxes (and letting them get away with it) and voting for $700+b not once but twice now.
And...everyday we are learning from the news that many Governors are asking for the money refused by other Governors! What does that mean? That means the money will go to the wrong hands (states) and will be spent wrongly. And it will all be your fault!
Bam, you promised America a very very high level of transparency! Will we see all the receipts?
So far, you have done nothing other than planning to increase troops in Afghanistan, hiring shitty people who didn't pay their taxes (and letting them get away with it) and voting for $700+b not once but twice now.
And...everyday we are learning from the news that many Governors are asking for the money refused by other Governors! What does that mean? That means the money will go to the wrong hands (states) and will be spent wrongly. And it will all be your fault!
Vids for fans of Cutting Edge 2: Go For Gold, and Cutting Edge 3: Chasing The Dream
Ending of Cutting Edge 3...with Francia Raisa and Matt Lanter...watch.
Ending of Cutting Edge 2...for fans of figure skating...watch.
Ending of Cutting Edge 2...for fans of figure skating...watch.
QueerGam: We love you Kate Winslet.
Kate Winslet accepting her Oscar last night...watch.
Kate speaking to the press after accepting her first Oscar...watch.
Kate speaking to the press after accepting her first Oscar...watch.
Palin: Media sought to seek, destroy
Palin: Media sought to seek, destroy
By ANDY BARR | 2/23/09 11:29 AM EST
[POLITICO]
Gov. Sarah Palin believes that the media deliberately tried to bring her down. Photo: AP
Gov. Sarah Palin (R-Alaska) believes that the media deliberately tried to bring her down during her vice presidential run. As part of an interview with conservative filmmaker John Ziegler for his new film out this week, Palin said she believes the media made a decision that “we’re going to seek and we’re going to destroy this candidacy of Sarah Palin’s because of what it is that she represents.”
“Obviously something big took place in the media,” she added. It is “very frightening, I think, what the media was able to get away with, this go around.”
Palin suggested that unbalanced media coverage posed a threat to democracy.
“This is for the sake of our democracy that there is fairness in this other branch of government, if you will, called the media,” she said. “It is foreign to me the way some in the mainstream media are thinking.”
“There have been lies told, there have been reputations trashed, there have been children that have been harmed,” she continued.
Looking back on her interview with ABC News’ Charles Gibson, in which Palin seemed unsure of how to define the Bush doctrine, the Alaska governor said she was disrespected in a way that another candidate would not have been.
“I’d have to say there would be much more respect shown to the subject, yes,” she said.
QueerGam: Even a blind man can see the media's bias in the last election...well except for the liberals and the blind liberals.
By ANDY BARR | 2/23/09 11:29 AM EST
[POLITICO]
Gov. Sarah Palin believes that the media deliberately tried to bring her down. Photo: AP Gov. Sarah Palin (R-Alaska) believes that the media deliberately tried to bring her down during her vice presidential run. As part of an interview with conservative filmmaker John Ziegler for his new film out this week, Palin said she believes the media made a decision that “we’re going to seek and we’re going to destroy this candidacy of Sarah Palin’s because of what it is that she represents.”
“Obviously something big took place in the media,” she added. It is “very frightening, I think, what the media was able to get away with, this go around.”
Palin suggested that unbalanced media coverage posed a threat to democracy.
“This is for the sake of our democracy that there is fairness in this other branch of government, if you will, called the media,” she said. “It is foreign to me the way some in the mainstream media are thinking.”
“There have been lies told, there have been reputations trashed, there have been children that have been harmed,” she continued.
Looking back on her interview with ABC News’ Charles Gibson, in which Palin seemed unsure of how to define the Bush doctrine, the Alaska governor said she was disrespected in a way that another candidate would not have been.
“I’d have to say there would be much more respect shown to the subject, yes,” she said.
QueerGam: Even a blind man can see the media's bias in the last election...well except for the liberals and the blind liberals.
QueerGam: Thanks for the shout out, Sean!
Sean Penn accepting his Oscar last night...supporting queers!
Earlier at the SAG Awards...Sean Penn speaking to the press later...watch.
Sean Penn took home the Oscar for best actor on Sunday for his portrayal of slain San Francisco gay rights activist Harvey Milk in the movie "Milk" and used his win to defend the right of same-sex couples to wed. Penn, 48, picked up the second Oscar of his career, the first being his 2004 win for his lead role as a grieving father in "Mystic River."
"You commie, homo-loving, sons of guns," the sharp-tongued Penn told the audience as he collected his award. "I did not expect this and...I know how hard I make it to appreciate me."
The straight actor's portrayal of an openly gay politician was a timely one -- with "Milk" coming out shortly after California's same-sex couples lost their right to marry in a voter referendum.
"I think it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren's eyes if they continue that way," Penn said.
"We've got to have equal rights for everyone."
Penn, who has a tough guy image dating back to his early career scrapes with the paparazzi, convincingly evoked the legendary charm of Milk, who was shot to death in 1978 at San Francisco City Hall.
"He came in kind of ready made" for the role, openly gay "Milk" director Gus Van Sant said.
In presenting Penn as a nominee, storied actor Robert de Niro joked: "How, for so many years, did Sean Penn get all those straight roles?"
Several critics called the performance the best of Penn's already storied and versatile career, which took off after his breakthrough surfer-stoner role as Spicoli in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."
This year's best actor race was thought to be a battle between Penn and Mickey Rourke, an actor who scored a remarkable career comeback as an aging athlete trying to remain in the ring in "The Wrestler."
"Mickey Rourke rises again," Penn said. "And he is my brother."
Penn won the Screen Actors Guild award for best actor earlier this year and a slew of critics' prizes. The Oscar nomination for "Milk" was his fifth in the best actor category.
Earlier at the SAG Awards...Sean Penn speaking to the press later...watch.
Sean Penn took home the Oscar for best actor on Sunday for his portrayal of slain San Francisco gay rights activist Harvey Milk in the movie "Milk" and used his win to defend the right of same-sex couples to wed. Penn, 48, picked up the second Oscar of his career, the first being his 2004 win for his lead role as a grieving father in "Mystic River."
"You commie, homo-loving, sons of guns," the sharp-tongued Penn told the audience as he collected his award. "I did not expect this and...I know how hard I make it to appreciate me."
The straight actor's portrayal of an openly gay politician was a timely one -- with "Milk" coming out shortly after California's same-sex couples lost their right to marry in a voter referendum.
"I think it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren's eyes if they continue that way," Penn said.
"We've got to have equal rights for everyone."
Penn, who has a tough guy image dating back to his early career scrapes with the paparazzi, convincingly evoked the legendary charm of Milk, who was shot to death in 1978 at San Francisco City Hall.
"He came in kind of ready made" for the role, openly gay "Milk" director Gus Van Sant said.
In presenting Penn as a nominee, storied actor Robert de Niro joked: "How, for so many years, did Sean Penn get all those straight roles?"
Several critics called the performance the best of Penn's already storied and versatile career, which took off after his breakthrough surfer-stoner role as Spicoli in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."
This year's best actor race was thought to be a battle between Penn and Mickey Rourke, an actor who scored a remarkable career comeback as an aging athlete trying to remain in the ring in "The Wrestler."
"Mickey Rourke rises again," Penn said. "And he is my brother."
Penn won the Screen Actors Guild award for best actor earlier this year and a slew of critics' prizes. The Oscar nomination for "Milk" was his fifth in the best actor category.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
QueerGam: Congrats to Slumdog Millionaire, Kate Winslet, Sean Penn
You were extraordinary and incredible. It is because of people like you, we go to the movies...congratulations again and thank you Sean Penn for giving us an incredible shout outs tonight. We queers appreciate it. We love you Sean.
As expected, yahoo readers gave Angelina Jolie an A+, the highest mark in the Best & Worse Dress on the Red Carper this year. Angelina also tops the other lists. Angie kept it sexy yet sophisticated in a black strapless Elie Saab gown, emerald Lorraine Schwartz earrings, and a marvelous matching cocktail ring. See Angelina Jolie's pics below.
As expected, yahoo readers gave Angelina Jolie an A+, the highest mark in the Best & Worse Dress on the Red Carper this year. Angelina also tops the other lists. Angie kept it sexy yet sophisticated in a black strapless Elie Saab gown, emerald Lorraine Schwartz earrings, and a marvelous matching cocktail ring. See Angelina Jolie's pics below.
QueerGam: Angelina Jolie proves yet again...she is beyond stunning and gorgeous on the carpt tonight
Yep, here she is, looking drop dead gorgeous...more photos and reviews to come...
Will Angie take home the Oscar tonight for her spectacular role in Changeling? We hope so. We hope Kate Winslet will win, too for her incredible role in The Reader.
Angelina and Brad at the red carpet a minute ago....
We are waiting with battered breath...will Kate take home the Oscar...crossing our fingers...
Penelope Cruz...just accepted her Best Supporting Actress's Oscar...a moment ago..
Will Angie take home the Oscar tonight for her spectacular role in Changeling? We hope so. We hope Kate Winslet will win, too for her incredible role in The Reader.
Angelina and Brad at the red carpet a minute ago....
We are waiting with battered breath...will Kate take home the Oscar...crossing our fingers...
Penelope Cruz...just accepted her Best Supporting Actress's Oscar...a moment ago..
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Sex and the Castro: Are gay men enjoying sex in this economy?
Who doesn't love sex? Quite many actually. Especially these days. Have you also been losing it? I mean, is your sex drive also near zero? Have you been sexual or interested in banging or getting banged by someone online lately? If not, that is ok. Many of us are feeling that way, too. Is this this economy affecting our desire to fuck and to get fucked? My friends have been telling me that they have lost their mood a long time ago since they lost their jobs...Their stories are the most soul touching I have heard in a long time. Their stories seemed to reach right out and pull me into their lives. My friend, J, is a man who desperately wants to hold onto a job lost and a love lost, until a new love opens his eyes but his cock is not ready...then there is A, who is a man dedicated and loving in every possible way -- a very well active guy who just lost it completely. "I have not had sex since Christmas after I got laid off...I have no desire whatsoever...no mood to get laid..." he said. A met a really sweet guy at The Mix, a popular dive in Castro last weekend...A said he slid one hand into this lovely man's hair and the other around his back, pressing their bodies together. Then man's mouth was on his, soft and warm, wet tongue urging his lips open and all thought, he said, vanished in a rush of need. My friend A wound both arms around this man's waist (this is a very familiar scene in Castro), tilting his head to kiss the man deep...The evidence of the man's arousal slid against A's own through two layers of cloth, sending electricity zinging up A's spine....A called me and asked if he should take the man home...I said: "Hon, go for it...you need to get laid". A laughed and hung up. Well...A took the man home and...as expected neither could get their bros up!
QueerGam: I don't have a deadline like you do but I totally understand...
Being gay is soooo hard...Watch Tyra Banks talking with gay men who hate themselves for being homosexuals...Interesting but more and more gay men are giving themselves some deadlines to be straight again...I guess it is easy because we can't tell these days who is straight and who is gay...and who is metrosexual and who is a prosexual...who is into romance and who is into bromance...but we can tell that more and more women are having doubts...straight men can be gay men ANYTIME they want to...but gay men find it hard to be STRAIGHT.
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Friday, February 20, 2009
Verbotene Liebe: Christian on the verge of outing himself
Watch Ollie stopping Christian from coming out...
Pt 65
Pt 66
Pt 67
Pt 68
Pt 69 -- Gregor caught Christian making love to Ollie
Pt 70
Pt 65
Pt 66
Pt 67
Pt 68
Pt 69 -- Gregor caught Christian making love to Ollie
Pt 70
QueerGam to Gay America: How is your sex life?
Is it true? American (gay and bi guys included) men don't have sex that much anymore? Or, rather, just don't have that much fun anymore, fucking? Some of us have already lost our "power" and finding it hard to do better in bed. We've lost it...at least many of us. And we know it because we say sorry more often these days...and here is the worst -- we are not as horny as we used to be! Financial stress? Job security? Or, simply just not that sexual anymore? What gives?
QueerGam to America: Porkulus is Washington's ibuprofen
Two days after the multi-billion spending bill is signed, the country is in need of knowing when and how the money is going to be truly and strategically spent. Americans (at least 50 million who voted for the other guy) are telling the new administration and Congress: "Why are we not learning from the first failed package? If the first $700B stimulus package failed and did not solve this shit, no amount will do".
Listen to any politician. Surf the Web. Open a newspaper. You can probably draw up a list yourself pretty quickly, given the recession, two wars and killer peanut butter. Obama and his gang in the Senate are making a bigger mistake! Day by day. You can smell roasted pork in the air everywhere! The porkiness that is going on in Washington right now is going to be Obama's downfall. Not the economy. Not all the mess. Not what Bush has left behind. Not about the money. No amount of money can get us through this bad time. Money (in this case, the spending bill, is like ibuprofen...it helps for an hour or two -- then we need it more and more....
Listen to any politician. Surf the Web. Open a newspaper. You can probably draw up a list yourself pretty quickly, given the recession, two wars and killer peanut butter. Obama and his gang in the Senate are making a bigger mistake! Day by day. You can smell roasted pork in the air everywhere! The porkiness that is going on in Washington right now is going to be Obama's downfall. Not the economy. Not all the mess. Not what Bush has left behind. Not about the money. No amount of money can get us through this bad time. Money (in this case, the spending bill, is like ibuprofen...it helps for an hour or two -- then we need it more and more....
Nation's governors prep for spotlight
A GOP's heavyweight governor, Sarah Palin, to shine again in the spotlight.
POLITICO.COM
By VAUGHN VERVERS | 2/20/09 8:00 PM EST
Buffeted by a recession that has sent state revenues plummeting and demand for social services skyrocketing, the nation’s governors will kick off their annual winter meeting Saturday against a backdrop of brutal budget shortfalls. And over three days, the governors will discuss eye-glazing topics like strengthening infrastructure, energy, transportation, worker training and health care. But they’ll also be in Washington for another reason: the unique opportunity to preen before the national media and burnish their credentials as party leaders and prospective national candidates. Already, the Republican governors are in the headlines for an internal divide over President Barack Obama’s $787 billion stimulus package, a spending plan that has exposed a fault line that closely tracks the ambitions of some of the party’s top pols. Standing in firm opposition to the stimulus was a group of powerhouse governors whose hard-line opposition put them in lockstep with congressional Republicans who nearly unanimously voted against the bill.
Governor Sarah Palin
That group includes South Carolina’s Mark Sanford, Mississippi’s Haley Barbour, Alaska’s Sarah Palin, and Louisiana’s Bobby Jindal—all GOP heavyweights widely talked about as potential 2012 presidential candidates.
“They need to stay in the good graces of the Republican base,” said John Pitney, a professor of government at California’s Claremont McKenna College. “If one breaks with the party and embraces the package it will be very difficult for them in the future.”
Much of the stimulus spending for states is targeted in areas like Medicaid, education and infrastructure but there is some discretionary spending for governors to use to help close those budget shortfalls. Led by Sanford, the conservatives railed against it from the beginning, complaining about overspending and money allocated for programs that will need continued funding long after the initial stimulus funds have been spent. Jindal announced Friday that he will decline stimulus money specifically targeted at expanding state unemployment insurance coverage, becoming the first state executive to officially refuse any part of the federal government’s payout to states. In an interview with POLITICO Friday, Barbour said he would likely decline funds for broadening access to unemployment insurance.
Florida GOP Gov. Charlie Crist stands on the other side of the divide, going so far as to campaign for the package with Obama in his home state as the plan worked its way through Congress earlier this month.
POLITICO.COM
By VAUGHN VERVERS | 2/20/09 8:00 PM EST
Buffeted by a recession that has sent state revenues plummeting and demand for social services skyrocketing, the nation’s governors will kick off their annual winter meeting Saturday against a backdrop of brutal budget shortfalls. And over three days, the governors will discuss eye-glazing topics like strengthening infrastructure, energy, transportation, worker training and health care. But they’ll also be in Washington for another reason: the unique opportunity to preen before the national media and burnish their credentials as party leaders and prospective national candidates. Already, the Republican governors are in the headlines for an internal divide over President Barack Obama’s $787 billion stimulus package, a spending plan that has exposed a fault line that closely tracks the ambitions of some of the party’s top pols. Standing in firm opposition to the stimulus was a group of powerhouse governors whose hard-line opposition put them in lockstep with congressional Republicans who nearly unanimously voted against the bill.
Governor Sarah Palin
That group includes South Carolina’s Mark Sanford, Mississippi’s Haley Barbour, Alaska’s Sarah Palin, and Louisiana’s Bobby Jindal—all GOP heavyweights widely talked about as potential 2012 presidential candidates.
“They need to stay in the good graces of the Republican base,” said John Pitney, a professor of government at California’s Claremont McKenna College. “If one breaks with the party and embraces the package it will be very difficult for them in the future.”
Much of the stimulus spending for states is targeted in areas like Medicaid, education and infrastructure but there is some discretionary spending for governors to use to help close those budget shortfalls. Led by Sanford, the conservatives railed against it from the beginning, complaining about overspending and money allocated for programs that will need continued funding long after the initial stimulus funds have been spent. Jindal announced Friday that he will decline stimulus money specifically targeted at expanding state unemployment insurance coverage, becoming the first state executive to officially refuse any part of the federal government’s payout to states. In an interview with POLITICO Friday, Barbour said he would likely decline funds for broadening access to unemployment insurance.
Florida GOP Gov. Charlie Crist stands on the other side of the divide, going so far as to campaign for the package with Obama in his home state as the plan worked its way through Congress earlier this month.
Bad economy = more sex?
by Jason Salzenstein
EDGE National Style & Travel Editor
Tuesday Feb 17, 2009
It seems that as the market drops, so do people’s pants. In times of economic turbulence, recently laid-off workers (as well as those of us lucky enough to still be working) have cut spending and are waiting out the recession. And while many nervous consumers are afraid to get out of the bed in the morning, it seems that some of them are looking at the silver lining and finding interesting- and inexpensive- things to do under the covers!
Recent sales analyses by Ansell Healthcare, the makers of LifeStyles Condoms, show a clear inverse relationship between poor economic times and condom sales. (For those of you who spent more time primping in the morning before high school than you did studying- that would be me- that means that as the market goes down, condom sales go up.)
Not only are sales of condoms up in general, but more specifically, sales of LifeStyles condoms have shot up dramatically since the economy has plummeted. Apparently as more and more people find extra time on their hands and less money in the bank, there’s been a growing trend (get it?) in how consumers are choosing to spend that time.
Of course one could argue that as budgets are stressed, people in "potential baby-making relationships" (read: breeders) are smartening up and doing more to prevent an accidental additional mouth to feed, but that’s giving the average American a lot more credit than they likely deserve. We’re going to go with our (completely unscientific) theory that our readers are just shopping less and getting’ busy more!
So why the increase in sales of LifeStyles Condoms, specifically? Well, to start with they’re often less expensive than other brands, and they come in some fabulous varieties- various colors of the rainbow, flavored, ribbed, and more. And as the company continues to see a sales increase, new and specialized products are also hitting the market -like the LifeStyles SKYN and Vibrating Ring- with more product launches expected this spring. (And if you haven’t tried this last one, you owe it to yourself... I highly recommend it.)
Carol Carrozza, vice president of marketing for Ansell Healthcare, says that her company may incorporate the idea of nesting into future campaigns, along with a focus on new products. Let’s just hope they remember the LGBT community when advertising!
"We’re mulling both ... and trying to determine what kind of products and marketing strategies we can come out with that will help people during these recessionary times," she says.
Until then, our advice is to stay in bed, use protection, and have fun!
EDGE National Style & Travel Editor
Tuesday Feb 17, 2009
It seems that as the market drops, so do people’s pants. In times of economic turbulence, recently laid-off workers (as well as those of us lucky enough to still be working) have cut spending and are waiting out the recession. And while many nervous consumers are afraid to get out of the bed in the morning, it seems that some of them are looking at the silver lining and finding interesting- and inexpensive- things to do under the covers!Recent sales analyses by Ansell Healthcare, the makers of LifeStyles Condoms, show a clear inverse relationship between poor economic times and condom sales. (For those of you who spent more time primping in the morning before high school than you did studying- that would be me- that means that as the market goes down, condom sales go up.)
Not only are sales of condoms up in general, but more specifically, sales of LifeStyles condoms have shot up dramatically since the economy has plummeted. Apparently as more and more people find extra time on their hands and less money in the bank, there’s been a growing trend (get it?) in how consumers are choosing to spend that time.
Of course one could argue that as budgets are stressed, people in "potential baby-making relationships" (read: breeders) are smartening up and doing more to prevent an accidental additional mouth to feed, but that’s giving the average American a lot more credit than they likely deserve. We’re going to go with our (completely unscientific) theory that our readers are just shopping less and getting’ busy more!
So why the increase in sales of LifeStyles Condoms, specifically? Well, to start with they’re often less expensive than other brands, and they come in some fabulous varieties- various colors of the rainbow, flavored, ribbed, and more. And as the company continues to see a sales increase, new and specialized products are also hitting the market -like the LifeStyles SKYN and Vibrating Ring- with more product launches expected this spring. (And if you haven’t tried this last one, you owe it to yourself... I highly recommend it.)
Carol Carrozza, vice president of marketing for Ansell Healthcare, says that her company may incorporate the idea of nesting into future campaigns, along with a focus on new products. Let’s just hope they remember the LGBT community when advertising!
"We’re mulling both ... and trying to determine what kind of products and marketing strategies we can come out with that will help people during these recessionary times," she says.
Until then, our advice is to stay in bed, use protection, and have fun!
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