House Stenographer Seizes Microphone In Bizarre Rant

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October 17, 2013 8:08 am – by Scott Neuman

In one of the strangest moments of a strange few weeks on Capitol Hill, a House stenographer broke into a rant about God, the Constitution and Freemasonry as representatives cast their votes Wednesday on a deal to reopen the government

“He will not be mocked,” the stenographer, later identified as Dianne Reidy, yelled into the microphone at the chambers rostrum. “The greatest deception here is that this is not one nation under God. It never was. It would not have been. The Constitution would not have been written by Freemasons. They go against God.

“She was quickly escorted away from the lectern by floor staff, but continued: “You cannot serve two masters. Praise be to God. Praise be to Jesus.”

Capitol Police said Reidy had been “transported to a local area hospital for evaluation.

“Rep. Gerry Connolly, a Virginia Democrat, was quoted by The Washington Post as saying the stenographer is a well-known and liked figure in the House.

“I think theres a lot of sympathy, because something clearly happened there,” Connolly said.

via npr.org, “The Two-Way” blog

I dunno. Maybe she lost her Federal health coverage during the shutdown and snapped?

House Republicans Show Themselves To Be Dangerously Incompetent, Again – Business Insider

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In fact, this is the least stunning event ever. The bill would have raised the debt ceiling. It would have changed Obamacare, Republicans\’ white whale, in only the most trivial ways. The powerful conservative pressure group Heritage Action opposed it. Of course Speaker John Boehner couldn\’t get the votes.

The only stunning thing is that anyone still looks at House Republicans and says: “You know what would be great? Giving these people more power over public policy.”

via House Republicans Show Themselves To Be Dangerously Incompetent, Again – Business Insider.

A decent article by Barro on the clusterfuck that is Washington these days. [H/T to Andrew Sullivan BTW for this.]

I’m not nearly as bullish on Chris Christie as Barro seems to be, but most of his other ruminations are sound.

It is just an embarrassment to be an American just now, I find.

I lived in D.C. when the Gingrich Congress shut down the government. That was ridiculous, but this is just mentally ill. How did we get here? … Well, I have an answer, but it would require a bunch of lazy Americans to get up off their asses and get to the voting booth and standing up to corporate bullshit. But … since that ain’t gonna happen, I guess I’ll just have to keep tilting at windmills on my own.

Are Gender-Neutral Pronouns Actually Doomed?

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Are Gender-Neutral Pronouns Actually Doomed?.

Dennis Baron calls it the word that failed.

Baron, a professor of linguistics at the University of Illinois, has been monitoring the development of epicene—that is, gender-neutral, third-person singular pronouns—since the 1986 publication of his book Grammar and Gender.

I don’t know why I find this so interesting, but I do. I guess it’s along the lines of my longstanding consternation with the inherent gender bias with “husband” and “wife.” Michelangelo Signorile wrote about this recently, and I feel much of the same consternation that he does. And there’s even more eye-rolling with epicene pronouns.

Most of that, I assume, is because English is a language filled with nuance. Someday I’ll become comfortable calling my husband my husband, but I doubt I’ll ever feel comfortable using the alleged pronoun “e.”

The 50 Greatest Gay TV Characters

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The 50 Greatest Gay TV Characters.

Courtesy of The Backlot. I did participate in this poll and I’m pleased to see that a few of my recommendations made it in.

I’m particularly pleased about the page linked above, featuring #s 9, 8 and 7 — the delicious fantasy soap opera trio of Sonny Kiriakis, Will Horton and Luke Snyder! Just think about it for a minute!

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Freddie Smith as Sonny Kiriakis

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Van Hansis as Luke Snyder

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Chandler Massey as Will Horton

I also appreciated the inclusion of Justin Bartha’s David Sawyer (The New Normal) at #35, the exceptional Luke McFarlane as the equally exceptional Scotty Wandell (Brothers and Sisters) and two of my favorites from across the pond: #23 Kieron Richardson’s Ste Hay and #12 Emmett J. Scanlan’s Brendan Brady from the UK sudser Hollyoaks.

With few exceptions — #s 1 and 2 while deserving of inclusion, don’t deserve the top spots — I think this is a great list. At least there’s SOME representation out there. We can always use more, but at least it’s not the desert it was in the olden days!

Liveblogging “Days Of Our Lives:” Home Sweet Hell

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Liveblogging “Days Of Our Lives:” Home Sweet Hell – thebacklot.com.

Are ya reading the liveblogs of Days on The Backlot? You should be. It’s terrifically snarky and actually way better than watching the whole damn episode. And, I mean, really, we’re all only over there for Will and Sonny anyway, so… Anyhow, highly recommended, though you get less of that adorable Freddie Smith this way.

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The aforementioned adorable Freddie Smith, who portrays good guy gay Sonny Kiriakis on Days of our Lives. Smith was nominated for a Daytime Emmy earlier this year.

Actor Hunter Canning Talks ‘The Outs,’ ‘Whatever This Is’

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Actor Hunter Canning talks to MBS about acclaimed web-series The Outs and new series Whatever This Is.

Tommy Heleringer as Scruffy and Hunter Canning as Jack, two of the stars of the web series The Outs.

Tommy Heleringer and co-star Hunter Canning on the set of The Outs.

Nice interview. Of the web series’ I love, ‘The Outs’ is right at the very top. Adam Goldman’s Rascal Department is filming their latest creation (also starring Canning) right now. I didn’t discover ‘The Outs’ in time to contribute, but I did to ‘Whatever This Is.’ I am enjoying immensely watching these talented young people work.

Submissions Only

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For the record, I LOVE Submissions Only. Start with season one and work your way up to season three, coming soon!

Thought for the Day…

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Your purpose, then, plainly stated, is that you will destroy the Government, unless you be allowed to construe and enforce the Constitution as you please, on all points in dispute between you and us. You will rule or ruin in all events. This, plainly stated, is your language…

In that supposed event, you say, you will destroy the Union; and then, you say, the great crime of having destroyed it will be upon us! That is cool. A highwayman holds a pistol to my ear, and mutters through his teeth, “Stand and deliver, or I shall kill you, and then you will be a murderer!”

To be sure, what the robber demanded of me – my money – was my own; and I had a clear right to keep it; but it was no more my own than my vote is my own; and the threat of death to me, to extort my money, and the threat of destruction to the Union, to extort my vote, can scarcely be distinguished in principle….

Let us be diverted by none of those sophistical contrivances wherewith we are so industriously plied and belabored – contrivances such as groping for some middle ground between the right and the wrong…

—Abraham Lincoln, Cooper Union address of 1860.

P.S. – For a comically tragic account of the goings-on in Washington, find a copy go Jon Stewart’s opener from the 9/30/13 Daily Show. Brilliant.

Follow, Follow, Follow

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Two points if you know what musical the title’s from! (If you don’t know, I’m going to box you severely around the ears!)

I’ve taken up a new full-time job recently and it may suck me dry, though I’m hoping to have time to continue to ruminate here on a regular basis.

I’ll have time to tweet more than blog, I think, at least for the first few months while I try to wrestle the unruly beast to the ground as I create a communications plan and system for this organization out of whole cloth. So, please follow me on the Twit at @markrblackmon — there’s a link over there (points left) to make it easy.

Thanks for following, liking and commenting on the blog; I appreciate it. … Good God, it’s October. How did that happen???

Report: Hollywood is less gay-friendly off-screen – LGBTQ Nation

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The online survey of nearly 5,700 SAG/AFTRA members also found that more than half of the gay, transgender and bisexual respondents had heard pro ducers and directors make anti-gay comments while working on-set.

The performers’ union, which is holding its annual convention in Los Angeles, said it pursued the first-of-its-kind research at the request of a committee that represents lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members and as a methodical way to explore an issue usually discussed through anecdotes.

via Report: Hollywood is less gay-friendly off-screen – LGBTQ Nation.

OHMIGOD! How many times have I said this on this blog alone? THIS IS NOT NEWS. News would be actually fixing this problem. LGBT discrimination in Hollywood? Yes. Every day. Dammit.

I am Cassandra!