Al Sharpton. Really....

The Rev. Al Sharpton spoke at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Atlanta on Sunday and spoke out against the Mormon Church and evangelicals who fought to pass Proposition 8:


"It amazes me when I looked at California and saw churches that had nothing to say about police brutality, nothing to say when a young black boy was shot while he was wearing police handcuffs, nothing to say when the they overturned affirmative action, nothing to say when people were being delegated into poverty, yet they were organizing and mobilizing to stop consenting adults from choosing their life partners. There is something immoral and sick about using all of that power to not end brutality and poverty, but to break into people’s bedrooms and claim that God sent you."
According to the Southern Voice, "Sharpton came to Atlanta to celebrate the launch of the Alliance of Affirming Faith-Based Organizations."

He added: "I am tired of seeing ministers who will preach homophobia by day, and then after they’re preaching, when the lights are off they go cruising for trade...We know you’re not preaching the Bible, because if you were preaching the Bible we would have heard from you. We would have heard from you when people were starving in California, when they deregulated the economy and crashed Wall Street you had nothing to say. When [alleged Ponzi schemer Bernie] Madoff made off with the money, you had nothing to say. When Bush took us to war chasing weapons of mass destruction that weren’t there you had nothing to say. … But all of a sudden when Proposition 8 came out you had so much to say, but since you stepped in the rain, we gonna step in the rain with you."

Amen.

http://www.sovo.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23441

Sierra Club: Thank You Mr. President.

There is no excuse for poor manners. We have great work to do. Together. And we will do it together. We've come this far and we can't turn back now. Let's start the great work with the appreciation of what we've accomplished. Please go to the Sierra Club's site with the link at the bottom and join me in saying, "Thank You Mr. President."

Peace and Pasta,

Tony Spats


Sierra Club

One of the lost Sebbeths: K-Dog.

One of the 12 Days of 40 was Learn to surf. I put my faith (and ass) in the hands of my very good friend K-Dog ('I believe you'll thank our host this evening, for the use of an alias') (bonus points for naming that movie) K is a great friend and buddy, amazing father, skilled delegator, and awkward dancer. His family is like mine, each one funnier than the next and when they all gather, it's usually a Lovefest of increasing aural volume. We've known each other for several years and though we don't get together as much there's an assurance that the friendship can be picked up right where it was last. Back to my faith (and ass).

Vintage pix of KDog, last day at Duker.

K is a skilled surfer in the Santa Monica hood. His presence on the beach sends lesser surfers and homeless alike scampering away as if he was Obi Wan Kenobi. He has become my Obi Wan and my Billy Banks. I am enrolled in KDoggie's Surf Academy. (Board of Fiberglass Education) I have learned to deck change (lose your clothes on the street, changing into your wetsuit under a towel. This has always amused me whenever I drive to work. I pass many of these surfers doing the same. The most difficult thing is getting into the wetsuit. It's like a vacuum or a new skin, two sizes too small. I look like a geriatric fool getting into the suit, but it's so worth it. I've also learned to duck dive which is where you dive under the enormous wave which would crush lesser fools. You sneak under the energy of the wave and retain your cool. K's teaching me surf cool.

Surf Cool is a lot like dog walking. The turf is marked and the bigger dogs are regarded for their skills. They address each other as 'Brah' and have a whole sub language. They can 'vibe' each other to criticize their spacial awareness or lack of etiquette. They shred, they rip, they tube. I feel it stiffening in my brain, or maybe it's that the water quality of Santa Monica is suspect. It's a great sport, swimming in a petri dish. They really mean 'Toes on the Nose'. I know that K has maintained his individuality from the heard, though he is bilingual to surfspeak.

Yesterdays lesson wrapped up in fine style. My patient K-Dog cajoled and prodded me in his Boot camp. I got up a few times, and rode one for a little bit. I really am enjoying this activity I was thinking while watching K catch some water for himself. When he was done, making everyone in the vicinity look like spastic orphans on ironing boards, he told me there was no leaving until I got up again. Boom I was back on the board, looking for the wave. It came, I paddled like a madman, pushed up and slid off. I was learning in bad conditions yesterday according to K, low tide and small swells. "Back on, Do it Again!" the drill sarge barked with glee. Back on, back out, waiting. Here it comes, paddle, paddle, paddle and.....................push up! Nosedive. Nose of board into the beach, surfer into the wave. Surface. The teacher has gone bananas. Bananas I tell you. He's jumping up and down, hooting and howling. He's waving his arms shouting, "That's how we end a lesson. Yeah!". I was less thrilled with that particular moment in my schooling then realized he was commenting on the surfboard, split in two. I was mortified, and he was elated. Education is weird. The board had seen a lot of action, and then had been given to him. He put some miles on it and taught students on it. It had served K well. I was still in shock and then found the humor.

So we boogie boarded the rest of the lesson on the shattered instrument and put the board in the trash on our way back to the day. As much as a reality check getting into the wetsuit getting out of it's even funnier for newbies. My teacher is pleased with my progress and elated in the humor. Back to the day we go leaving the beach behind. He had conference calls I had NetFlix. KDog, thanks for starting this wave of activity (funny on two levels) and for being as patient as a circus tattoo artist decorating the backside of a constipated elephant. I'm learning more and more each time and soon you'll be able to look cool again. Peaceoutside.

"Brah, I shred so hard man, I break my stick."-Tony Spats, total californitized new englander, on turning 40

Laugh At Joe Lieberman Day!!!!!!!!

Another reason to celebrate, Laugh At Joe Lieberman Day!!!!!!!!!!!

I know it's not an easily recognizable holiday but if those two guys can Make International Talk Like A Pirate Day than this should be a cake walk.

Follow the instructions from the link provide ha-ha-here and let this politco-relic hypocratic oat know how he's regarded. His politcal party (what is this week?) should be the Revolving Door or better yet; The Tur-duck-en.

Why Gay Marriage is Wrong.

This is from my friend Brady, who takes it (my abuse) like a champ. I'm torn between liking three or four best.

10 Reasons Why Gay Marriage is Wrong!

ShareToday at 1:43am

Copied from elsewhere on the web.

1) Being gay is not natural.And real Americans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, and air conditioning, tattoos, piercings and silicon breasts...

2) Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay.In the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.

3) Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior.People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract. Lamps are next.

4) Straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn't changed at all.Hence why women are still property, blacks still can't marry whites, and divorce is still illegal.

5) Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed.And we can't let the sanctity of Britney Spears' 55-hour just-for-fun marriage be destroyed.

6) Straight marriages are valid because they produce children.So therefore, gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn't be allowed to marry because our population isn't out of control, our orphanages aren't full yet, and the world needs more children.

7) Obviously gay parents will raise gay children.Since, of course, straight parents only raise straight children.

8) Gay marriage is not supported by religion.In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That's why we have only one religion in America.

9) Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home.Which is exactly why we as a society expressly forbid single parents to raise children.

10) Gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms.Just like we haven't adapted to cars, the service-sector economy, or longer life spans.

March Now!

Please come out, come out, wherever you are:

Tonight!

6pm!

Sunset Junction of Silverlake

Where Sunset Blvd. meets

Santa Monica Blvd.

Come out to rally for the repeal of Prop. 8,

it's Unfair and Wrong.

Arrange furniture, not people's marriages.

We are not second class citizens.

Equal rights, please.

melissa etheridge and her Prop 8 opinion.

I love me some ME.

www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2008-11-06/you-can-forget-my-taxes/