Palin vs. the crazy Santa Cruz lady

Ok, this is the LAST time I'm going to make fun of Sarah Palin this week. Oh, it's Friday? Well that worked out didn't it.

Here's an entertaining video sent to me by my good friend Dyann. Thanks Dyann!!

Where's Sarah?

It's been 5 whole days since civilian Sarah Palin left her post as Governor of Alaska and since then, her fans and supporters have been walking around like zombies bumping into walls not knowing what to do without her stoic leadership. Obviously, I'm being dramatic... her leadership wasn't that stoic. So, all these Palin-ites are pleading with her through Facebook and Twitter to give them some sign that she hasn't dropped off the Earth. (They think it was formed 2000 years ago and is flat, you know). But, not a peep from Mayor Mooseburger. What? Nobody has seen her? How can this be? I'd hardly think she could go anywhere without getting recognized. You mean, she hasn't been spotted in Alaska?! TMZ hasn't caught her trying to leave Wasilla Hardware? The valet at the Anchorage Applebees didn't snap an iphone pic and load it on his blog?

Yes, as shocking as it is, Palin has gone dark...for now. Rest assured Palin-ites, she will rise up again with a new determination to take over the world. 2012? Maybe. I think she's looking for the money more than the power now, so I expect her to go on a 50 city book tour any day now. Oh, well she has to write a book first. Maybe that's what she's doing. I also wouldn't be surprised if we see her as the guest co-host on The View when Elisabeth Hasslebeck pops out baby number 7 or whatever this one is.

Gone for good? No way Jose (the name she uses for anyone with darker skin than Alaskans...like Oregonians) Back in the spotlight in a matter of weeks? You betcha.

Harvey Milk to receive posthumous award: Presidential Medal of Freedom

President Barack Obama will award 16 people with the highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom on August 12th. Among those, 14 are living including Ret. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, Senator Edward (Ted) Kennedy, and Billy Jean King (who lives in my friend's building in NYC...I have yet to experience a BJK sighting on my visits). There are two posthumous awards being given. In otherwords, two dead people are getting medals. Congressman and Vice-Presidential candidate Jack Kemp, and GLBT rights pioneer, activist, and hero, Harvey Milk.

Also on the list are other actors, politicians and community leaders. A proud day for all those that fight for equal rights as two pioneers, Billy Jean King, who faught for gender equality, and Harvey Milk, who fought to his death for equal rights for gays and lesbians, will be recognized with this high honor.

President Obama hopes to end negative press with "a cold one"

Well, now that we actually have a President who can have a beer without having it considered "falling off the wagon", President Obama plans to use an age old common bond of men to smooth over tense feelings....booze. The President plans to reach out this afternoon to Harvard Professor, Henry Louis Gates, Jr, and Cambridge police officer, James Crowley.

If you don't know the story, here's the rundown, Crowley shows up at Gates home investigating a burglary and arrests Gates, even though Gates has proven he is in his own home. The racial tension heated even more when President Obama made a statement that Gates acted "stupidly" and in the same statement said he didn't have all the facts. Ok, you can have one or the other. You can say he acted stupidly but you better have the facts straight. Or, you can say you don't have the facts and not comment, especially in such a damning way to the officer and Cambridge police.

The story did not do him any favors in the news. A Pew Research poll shows that 41% disapprove of how President Obama handled the issue, while only 29% approved.

Well, the three are meeting in the Rose Garden of the White House for a beer this afternoon. Will this symbolic meeting put an end to racial tension in America? Probably not. Will it put an end to a negative story that has been hanging over the President all week? Probably. I think that will be good enough for this administration. One step (and beer) at a time...

iPhone users beware! Virus could be released today

In a matter of hours, at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas, a demonstration will be given on how to take control of an iphone remotely through a specially constructed SMS message. The fear is, that once explained publicly at the conference, anyone with sitting in the audience with an iphone and a bad attitude, could start releasing this virus. The virus could spread quickly through the iphone community which could cause mass hysteria since lately it seems there are more people with iphones than with jobs.

There is a way to identify these "virus texts"; look for a small square character in your SMS messages. c If you discover this, turn your iphone off immediately and leave it off for a couple hours. I realize to you iphone users this sounds like "just hold your breath for two hours" but you will survive, trust me (says the bitter blackberry user).

Apple has yet to release a patch for this but if they do, I will post a link. In the meantime tweet, poke, and ping with caution.

NoH8 photo shoot a success!

Tommy and I attended the NoH8 photo shoot today at the W Hotel. It was so great to be part of this campaign. I can't wait to see how our photos turned out. We were able to take not only individual shots but shots together. As soon as they send them to us, I will post them.

There are no further photo shoots planned but I will update you should they add more dates.

No H8!!

NOH8 Campaign hits SF!!

Today, from 11am-6pm the NOH8 campaign will be in San Francisco at the W Hotel to do their Northern California photo shoot. This is a grassroots movement to maintain focus on the injustice of Prop 8 which stripped gays and lesbians of their right to marry in California. There will most likely be a proposition on the 2010 ballot and NOH8 is seeking celebrity endorsers to continue champion their (our) cause.

If you happen to be in or around San Francisco this afternoon, stop into the W Hotel and be part of a just and worthwhile cause.

W Hotel - 181 3rd St SF. Corner of 3rd and Howard Map

Check out the pictures below of some of the celebs that have already lent their support. Thank you!!

Follow NOH8 on Twitter

NOH8 Website

Shatner does Palin

Sunday, Sarah Palin exited her role as Governor, and God willing, the world stage. She went out in the same way she came in: a jumbled, confused mess. "She got lost in that corn maze" yet again (a line Tina Fey used to describe a Palin speech on Letterman). Finally, I present to you something worth watching on the new Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien: The Sarah Palin farwell speech done by none other than master-of-spoken-word...William....Tiberius....SHATNER.


Thanks Antonio for the tip

News flash: The President is American

UGH! Enough with this stupid speculation!! Hawaii again confirmed that President Obama was born in Hawaii and is a natural born citizen, therefore Constitutionally qualified to hold the Office of President. In a statement made today, Health Director Dr. Chiyome Fukino said "I ... have seen the original vital records maintained on file by the Hawaii State Department of Health verifying Barack Hussein Obama was born in Hawaii and is a natural-born American citizen, I have nothing further to add to this statement or my original statement issued in October 2008 over eight months ago."

Really neo-cons? That is the straw you are grasping? Far-right repubs are still trying to prove that President Obama was not born in the U.S. What do they expect to accomplish by doing this? "See, he's born in Africa, that means Sarah Palin should be President" Is that their logic? There are two pieces of paper I'd like to hand to these close-minded sore losers. First, is his birth certificate from Hawaii. Second, is the Constitution that not only shows the requirements to hold the Office of President, but also shows the Order of Succession. Duh repubs, if you prove he's not eligible, you don't get to pick who you want. You'd get President Biden. Happy now? I think not.



So, read it an weep:

Twitter, you either get it or you don't

So, I find myself spending more and more time on twitter. It is the social networking site of 2009. (Facebook is soooo 2008 and if you're still on Myspace...well, I just feel sorry for you). Twit takes some getting used to. The whole "tweet" and "retweet" (RT) thing is a little odd at first I will admit. I think people try it out for a week or so because they hear the hype, and then cancel. Believe the hype! It is an awesome site that, if you give it enough time, will be your social networking site of choice.

I've never seen a company grow at such an amazing rate. Twitter was only founded in 2006. 2006! It is now one of the 50 most used websites worldwide and the third largest social networking site (I guarantee soon to be second). They have a monthly growth rate of 1,382% but only retain 40% of their users. Which brings me back to my first point. Try it for more than a week! Ok, I'll stop yelling.

Join twitter here: http://www.twitter.com

Then, follow me here: http://twitter.com/ogreggory

See you in the twitterverse! (Yes, that is really a term they use...you'll get used to it)

Sotomayor on her way to being first Hispanic Supe Court Justice

The Senate Judiciary Committee just approved Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court, which would make her the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice in our nation's 233 year history. Soon-to-be Supe Justice Sotomayor was approved in a 13-6 vote today with one Repub siding with the Dems to approve. Senator Lindsay Graham of South Carolina had a "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" attitude today when he voted to approve Sotomayor. The next step is the confirmation vote next week. An exciting time for the Hispanic and progressive community!

Lady Gaga does Poker Face live - awesome!

Check out LGG doing a live on-piano version of "Poker Face". What do you think? Better than the original?