A Love Supreme?

The helicopters are flying again. And that doesn't mean it's an X-Files episode, but overhead visuals are needed by the news crews down at San Francisco's Civic Center, where a vigil for gay marriage justice is taking place.

There also events taking place in Los Angeles and in other California cities.

According to the LA Times:

The California Supreme Court may reveal Thursday whether it intends to uphold Proposition 8, and if so, whether an estimated 18,000 same-sex marriages will remain valid, during a high-stakes televised session that has sparked plans for demonstrations throughout the state. By now, the court already has drafted a decision on the case, with an author and at least three other justices willing to sign it. Oral arguments sometimes result in changes to the draft, but rarely do they change the majority position. The ruling is due in 90 days.

Chief Justice Ronald M. George, who wrote the historic May 15, 2008, decision that gave same-sex couples the right to marry, will be the one to watch during the hearing because he is often in the majority and usually writes the rulings in the most controversial cases. Most legal analysts expect that the court will garner enough votes to uphold existing marriages but not enough to overturn Proposition 8. The dissenters in May's 4-3 marriage ruling said the decision should be left to the voters.

It doesn't look good, and a long road ahead for activists, lawyers, and No on 8 campaign failures.

Secret Agent, Man.

Secret Bush memos made public by Obama

Document says no warrant needed to search and seize terror suspects

The Associated Press

updated 5:14 p.m. ET, Mon., March. 2, 2009

WASHINGTON - The Justice Department on Monday released a long-secret legal document from 2001 in which the Bush administration claimed the military could search and seize terror suspects in the United States without warrants.

The legal memo was written about a month after the Sept. 11 terror attacks. It says constitutional protections against unlawful search and seizure would not apply to terror suspects in the U.S., as long as the president or another high official authorized the action.

Even after the Bush administration rescinded that legal analysis, the Justice Department refused to release its contents, prompting a standoff with congressional Democrats.

The memo was one of nine released Monday by the Obama administration.

Another memo showed that, within two weeks of Sept. 11, the administration was contemplating wa--

Here's where the text cut off at a jump from a link.

I thought it would finish: "...contemplating war with Iraq."

Because that's the Conspiracy Theory 101, i.e. motive, for any suspicions of Bushco's actions.

But the article says the memos merely says Bushco sought "ways to use wiretaps without getting warrants."

Eitherway, their evil deds are getting another airing.

They've unleashed their jowly Jabba the Limbo on the airwaves from ReichWingClapTrap convention that went on last week. That's supposed to distract you. "Bush who?" they bleat.

They want you to forget the past eight years.
I say, Rethugs, you didn't even bury the bodies.

Remaindered

At Joe the Plumber's book appearance, he sold five books.
(via JMG)

The Book of my Enemy Has Been Remaindered

by Clive James

The book of my enemy has been remaindered
And I am pleased.
In vast quantities it has been remaindered
Like a van-load of counterfeit that has been seized
And sits in piles in a police warehouse,
My enemy's much-prized effort sits in piles
In the kind of bookshop where remaindering occurs.
Great, square stacks of rejected books and, between them, aisles
One passes down reflecting on life's vanities,
Pausing to remember all those thoughtful reviews
Lavished to no avail upon one's enemy's book --
For behold, here is that book
Among these ranks and banks of duds,
These ponderous and seeminly irreducible cairns
Of complete stiffs.

Click for more of this poem.

Underworld

Gay comic artists are drawn out
Jim Provenzano
Bay Area Reporter

Were you drawn out as a kid? Did cartoon images of muscular superheroes in tights give you a funny feeling? You're not alone. You can meet some of the most accomplished comic artists and writers this weekend at the 23rd annual WonderCon, San Francisco's comic book, science fiction and film convention, held Feb 27 – March 1 at the Moscone Center South.

Along with the opportunity to buy lots of comic books, T-shirts, games, action figures and other stuff you don't need but may want, three of the many panels at the Wondercon are all about LGBT comic artists.

READ MORE

Weedsville

Tom Ammiano wants a pot tax.

Kellogs boycotted by pot smokers.

Support for legalized pot up.



California could raise $1.3B a year in taxes from marijuana sales. The same study estimates that legalization would drop the street price by 50% and raise consumption by 40%.

and Mikey could win more medals, mellowishly.

Public Service Announcement

Yeah, PETA's totally wacky and off-point in their demos. But handsome Battlestar Galactica star Jamie Bamber makes the pretty point.

Two cups of 'Milk'

Joy in the Castro as Penn wins Oscar for 'Milk'

Hundreds of people who watched the Academy Awards from San Francisco's Castro Theatre on Sunday night gave polite applause to "Slumdog Millionaire" - which won best picture and seven other awards - but roared with foot-stomping standing ovations for "Milk" when it took the prizes for best original screenplay and best actor.

"You commie, homo-loving sons of guns," Sean Penn told the academy upon accepting the best actor award for his portrayal of the slain San Francisco Supervisor and gay rights leader Harvey Milk. "I did not expect this, and I want it to be very clear that I do know how hard I make it to appreciate me often."

And more pics and speech transcriptions, etc at Towleroad.

Dustin Lance Black: "Oh my God. This was, um. This was not an easy film to make. First off, I have to thank Cleve Jones and Anne Kronenberg and all the real-life people who shared their stories with me. And, um, Gus Van Sant, Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin, James Franco, and our entire cast, my producers, Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, everyone at Groundswell and Focus, for taking on the challenge of telling this life-saving story. When I was 13 years old, my beautiful mother and my father moved me from a conservative Mormon home in San Antonio, Texas to California and I heard the story of Harvey Milk. And it gave me hope. It gave me the hope to live my life, it gave me the hope to one day live my life openly as who I am and that maybe even I could fall in love and one day get married. I want to thank my mom who has always loved me for who I am, even when there was pressure not to. But most of all, if Harvey had not been taken from us 30 years ago, I think he’d want me to say to all of the gay and lesbian kids out there tonight who have been told that they are less than by their churches or by the government or by their families that you are beautiful, wonderful creatures of value and that no matter what anyone tells you, God does love you and that very soon, I promise you, you will have equal rights, federally, across this great nation of ours. Thank you, thank you, and thank you God for giving us Harvey Milk."

I and a pal had a great time at the Academy of Friends gala. Seeing Lance and Sean win were the highlights, as were the interesting figures of some gold-tights-clad models, in a hybrid "superhero" theme and no doubt economical costume decision for the creative team.

However, the VPL bulges amused others greatly; some telling the time at 3 o'clock, 9 o'clock, or in one case, high noon. Too bad I didn't bring my camera.


Gold dudes from last year. photo: Steven Underhill