Friday, April 27, 2007

Savage Love: Of Ex-Straights and Ex-Gays

This week's Savage Love column is about an straight man dealing with his ex-straight lesbian wife. Interestly, the article mentioned a resource I've never heard of before, Straight Spouse Network (SSN).

Savage also included a excerpt of an interview with ex-gay and former lesbian magazine publisher Charlene Cothran. It's a thorough and bizarre interview. Cothran speaks in the typical fundamentalist Christianese and admits that she still has mainly same-sex attractions.

She also implies that Venus Landin, the late founder and namesake of the African American lesbian magazine Cothran now publishes, Venus, would (or should) approve of the magazine's ex-gay transformation. Cothran believes the magazine's founder became a Christian during the last moments of her life (she was apparently shot by a lover) or is eternally suffering in hell and would want readers to know how to be saved.

%&#@ THE TRAM


neighbors of the tram
Originally uploaded by jiminyshiznit.

It's already an old news story and the homeowner has voluntarily removed the sign, but I have to admire the form of protest. Among the many even more obscene broken aerial tram promises was the plan for the tram cabins to have wings that would have blocked passengers for seeing such scenes.

Exeter International: "goodbye gay, helloooo vagina"

The clip is apparently from ThisJustIn.com, but it's really slow to load. Someone posted a faster-loading version on YouTube.com too.)

(Hat tip: Ex-Gay Watch)

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

follow-up: Exodus prez no fan of Sawyer (update)

So far, Exodus has not directly responded to the ex-exgay segment on Monday's GMA. They seemed to have backdated a press release that omits any reference to the main ex-exgay focus of the segment. Now, Exodus President Alan Chambers has posted a comment on his personal blog about the segment's presenter:

Chambers On Sawyer

Seems like a really weak way of responding to a controversial story.


04/26/2007 UPDATE: Alan Chambers responded to my allegation that his catty comment was in response to Monday's GMA. He admits that he heard that Sawyer "gushed over the story of Christine Bakke", but denies his comment related to Monday's show or that he even saw it.

Isn't it odd that his ministry would promote a show he hadn't seen? At least he is sticking to his story.

follow-up: Vantucky hate crime probably staged

An arrest was made yesterday regarding the alleged Vancouver, WA, restaurant hate crime that I wondered about in December. According to an article in yesterday's The Columbian, the feds arrested the restaurant owner's brother for arson.

The restaurant's owner, Jimi Jouzine, has not (yet?) been charged, but is appealing a 2002 deportation order.

(Hat tip: Aaron at Metroblogging Portland)

BREAKING NEWS!!!!! from ONN


Breaking News: Something Happening In Haiti

Exodus's delusional/dishonest response to GMA

Seashell at GayChristian.net noted that Exodus has finally responded to Monday's unflattering Good Morning America segment:

ExodusGMA

No mention that the segment really featured a former ex-gay speaking about the ineffectiveness of ex-gay ministries.

I suspect Exodus is either hoping that Christine's and other ex-exgays' stories lose the public's interest or that they are still planning on some way to counter the stories.

Gee, since I mentioned Exodus in my blog, maybe they will say I "featured" them too -- not to mention the many other websites devoted to exposing Exodus' deceptive messages.

Monday, April 23, 2007

Christine Bakke on Good Morning America!

ChristineBakke

Former ex-gay, Rising Up Whole blogger, and co-founder of BeyondExGay.com Christine Bakke was on Good Morning America this morning (video also available on Comcast.net). The story and her live interview with Diane Sawyer were excellent and very sympathetic to the ex-exgay viewpoint.

I'm sometimes concerned that ex-exgays come-off as bitter and hostile, but Christine was very positive and articulate. Good for her!

Saturday, April 21, 2007

Hot Fuzz: A

HotFuzz

Scott, ma, and I saw Hot Fuzz (IMDB.com) this evening. It's the movie written, directed, and starring the same people from the great 2004 movie, Shaun of the Dead (IMDB.com).

Hot Fuzz was a good, funny, hilariously gory movie. It took a little while to set-up the scene and characters, but it was a well-paced movie that didn't linger too long.

I'm sure Simon Pegg (star/writer) and Edgar Wright (director/writer) felt pressure to make a movie as good or better than Shaun. That's a very daunting task because the 2004 movie was so good. Fuzz comes close to being as funny, but Shaun felt a little more unique.

Although Hot Fuzz's style of comedy is different, in many ways it was the funny cop movie I had hoped Reno 911!: Miami could have been.

The Departed: B

The Departed movie poster

Scott and I saw The Departed (IMDB.com) during the 5+ hour flight from Hawaii on Tuesday. To be fair to the movie, seeing a movie hunched over a little movie player, on a cramped, noisy, plane trip probably isn't the most ideal way of watching it.

I enjoyed the film and it made the long flight seem much shorter. All of the performances were great. The ending was the only disappointing part of the film. It was a little obvious that the secondary characters were more important than they were initially portrayed.

I don't think it was the best movie of 2006 or the writing was very interesting either. Oh well, so much for the Oscars.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Hawaii!!!!!!!! (updated)

Scott's office generously took everyone on a weekend trip to Waikiki in Hawaii. It was a great trip -- and much needed vacation.

Scott and His Lei


Picture 400
Originally uploaded by sweber4507.

Right after we checked-in, we walked to a tiny restuarant, Ono Hawaiian Foods. The six of us had no idea what to order, but the ladies who served us were very motherly and told us what to order. The food was great!

Ono Hawaiian Food Ono Hawaiian Food Sign

On the first night, Scott's entire office made a MaiTai beach crawl crashing three resort bars, the historic Surfrider, the Royal Hawaiian, and the House Without A Key. Thus, my weekend love affair with the great MaiTai:

MaiTai At te Surfrider

On Saturday, we tried to snorkel at a popular coral reef. I had never snorkeled before and wasn't very successful. Claire saw a turtle though.

Scott and I had dinner at the Surfrider Hotel across the street. We later joined a group of Scott's co-workers at some restaurants across town. (There is a hilarious incident that happened that night, but I'll leave that to the office lore of Scott's co-workers.)

On Sunday, we caught a bus downtown. The Hawaii State Capital is a great example of 1960s architecture. Iolani Palace, the only royal palace in the US, is right next to the capital.

Hawaii State Capital Scott at Iolani Palance 3

Picture 1772
Originally uploaded by sweber4507.

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Originally uploaded by sweber4507.

We then walked over to the Aloha Tower, Chinatown, and Foster Botanical Garden.

Cruise ship from Aloha Tower Honolulu Chinatown
041507_14211.jpg 041507_14431.jpg

Picture 2217
Originally uploaded by sweber4507.

Picture 2176
Originally uploaded by sweber4507.

At sunset, we joined Scott's office on a catamaran tour off of Waikiki Beach. Definitely one of the best parts of the trip.

catamaran cruise
Picture 2566-cropped
Originally uploaded by sweber4507.

Picture 2420
Originally uploaded by sweber4507.

Picture 2575
Originally uploaded by sweber4507.

On Monday, seven of us rented a minivan and drove to the Dole Pineapple Plantation. We took the Pineapple Express mini-train tour and had pineapple whip, pineapple juice, pineapple cinnamon bread, pineapple hot dog, etc.


Picture 476
Originally uploaded by sweber4507.

Picture 497
Originally uploaded by sweber4507.

We later visited some of the beaches along the north shore of Oahu.


Picture 2741
Originally uploaded by sweber4507.

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Originally uploaded by sweber4507.

Another highlight of the trip was the tour we took of Kualoa Ranch. The young native tour guide was a real smartass, but very knowledgeable of the ranch's and Hawaii's history. The ranch is privately owned by the first non-native family to own land in Hawaii. It was later occupied by the US military during WWII. The military planted large African trees to camoflauge planes that were parked at the temporary airbase. The African trees later attracted Hollywood and the ranch has since been featured in many movies such as Jurasic Park, Pearl Harbor, and now (unofficially, shhh) the TV show Lost.


Picture 264
Originally uploaded by sweber4507.

Picture 359
Originally uploaded by sweber4507.
WWII Bunker at Kualoa Ranch Godzilla footprint 1 at Kualoa Ranch
Jurassic Park tree at Kualoa Ranch Valley at Kualoa Ranch

[I'll finish this post and add more photos later.] [Done]

Friday, April 6, 2007

AFA/One"News"Now poll

While I know I shouldn't expect much from the ultra-conservative, extremist, "news" website of the AFA, their poll today seemed too unbelieveable today:

One"News"Now Bias Poll

So, the supposedly animosity toward Christianity has nothing to do with their own anti-them (gays, liberals, non-Christians, etc.) fundamentalism? Even if you buy the premise that there is increased animosity and all animosity is undeserved, how would you choose from the five options?

I can't wait to see the results.

Wednesday, April 4, 2007

Belief-O-Matic says I'm a liberal Quaker


Instant Quaker Oats, 1950's
Originally uploaded by Roadsidepictures.

A GCN forum reminded me to re-take the Belief-O-Matic survey. I took it a couple of years ago and Liberal Quaker and Unitarian Universalism tied.

And now:

1. Liberal Quakers (100%)
2. Unitarian Universalism (99%)
3. Neo-Pagan (93%)
4. Mahayana Buddhism (84%)
5. Reform Judaism (84%)
6. Bahá'í Faith (80%)
7. New Age (80%)
8. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (77%)
9. Secular Humanism (73%)
10. Theravada Buddhism (70%)
11. Jainism (69%)
12. Hinduism (68%)
13. Sikhism (67%)
14. Taoism (67%)
15. New Thought (61%)
16. Scientology (60%)
17. Orthodox Quaker (56%)
18. Orthodox Judaism (54%)
19. Islam (47%)
20. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (46%)
21. Nontheist (43%)
22. Seventh Day Adventist (32%)
23. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (30%)
24. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (29%)
25. Eastern Orthodox (20%)
26. Roman Catholic (20%)
27. Jehovah's Witness (16%)

I'm not really into silent meditation or quietness, so I'm not sure the Quaker thing will work out for me. But so says the all-knowing Belief-O-Matic.

Monday, April 2, 2007

Axis of Evil Comedy Tour

Fresh Air had a hilarious interview with three stand-up comedians, Maz Jobrani, Ahmed Ahmed and Aron Kader. They are of Iranian, Egyptian and Palestinian descent, respectively, and are part of the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour.

Ahmed Ahmed mentioned that he was actually losing his hair due to the stress of fearing he would be stopped at airport check points. His name matches an alias of an FBI's most wanted terrorist. He actually spent some time in jail after being arrested at an airport.

Here are some clips I found on YouTube. (CAUTION: Some of the language is a little blue.)