Steve’s Weblog
Gays ‘Responsible’ For New Orleans Devastation Group Claims
by Fidel Ortega 365Gay.com Miami Bureau
Posted: August 31, 2005 3:00 pm ET
(New Orleans, Louisiana) An evangelical Christian group that regularly demonstrates at LGBT events is blaming gays for hurricane Katrina.
Repent America says that God “destroyed” New Orleans because of Southern Decadence, the gay festival that was to have taken place in the city over the Labor Day weekend.
Daily Dissent: The Levees Failed
And in other related news:
$3 Gas Is Likely in a Matter of Days
By James F. Peltz and Dana Calvo Special to The Times 1 hour, 22 minutes ago
Ripples from Hurricane Katrina could deliver $3-a-gallon gasoline by Labor Day weekend to California and across the nation as most of the Gulf Coast petroleum industry remained closed Tuesday, pushing wholesale energy prices to new highs.
Fearful of shortages, traders in New York furiously bid up prices of crude oil, gasoline, natural gas and heating oil as grim images poured in of severe flooding and other extensive damage to the oil-rich area.
LA Times via Yahoo.
Look for it soon over at DeveloperWorks.
Texas Gunman Kills 4 in Church, Then Self
By ANABELLE GARAY
Associated Press Writer
August 29, 2005, 10:32 PM EDT
SASH, Texas — A gunman killed four people near a small-town church, then killed himself early Monday after a nine-hour standoff with police, authorities said.
Police said witnesses told them that Freddie L. Cranshaw, who lived across the street from the Sash Assembly of God church, exchanged words in the church parking lot Sunday night with church member Wes Brown, who asked Cranshaw to leave.
to support equal marriage rights.
Please visit my Defend Equality page at http://www.hrcactioncenter.org/actioncenter/advocacy/stevedal-138503 and take action in support of equal rights for the GLBT community!
Thanks,
Steve
over at Nhut’s gallery.
Venezuela to seek legal action against Robertson
29 Aug 2005 02:34:50 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Matthew Robinson
CARACAS, Venezuela, Aug 28 (Reuters) – Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on Sunday his government would take legal action against Pat Robertson and potentially seek his extradition after the U.S. evangelist called for Washington to assassinate the South American leader.
Robertson, who later apologized for the remark, said he was expressing his frustration with Chavez’s constant accusations against the administration of President George W. Bush.
“I announce that my government is going to take legal action in the United States … to call for the assassination of a head of state is an act of terrorism.” Chavez said in a televised speech.
The fiery left-wing critic of Bush’s foreign policy who frequently charges the U.S. government is plotting to kill him, called Robertson “crazy” and a “public menace.”
He said Venezuela could seek Robertson’s extradition under international treaties and take its claim to the United Nations if the Bush administration did not act.
Gas Station Workers Face Angry Customers
By SHEILA FLYNN, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 34 minutes ago
DALLAS – It’s a scene gas station workers say is becoming increasingly common and frightening: Customers angry over gas prices nearing $3 a gallon storm in and decide to take it out on the employees.
“They just yell and scream,” said Selam Berhe, assistant manager at a Dallas Tetco station. “They think it’s only us that are high-priced.”
Incidents of consumer anger and gas-station crime have made headlines across the country, including the killing of a gas station owner in Alabama last week by a driver attempting to steal $52 worth of gas.
Alvin Benefield, 42, surrendered Thursday and was being held on theft and manslaughter charges in the death of Husain “Tony” Caddi, police said.
Berhe recalled the particularly belligerent behavior of a man who ranted about the prices to everyone in the station.
“He walked in the store and said, ‘Do you work here? This is ridiculous,’” Berhe said. “He was telling each and every customer. I was like, I don’t make the prices.”
Gas prices are about $2.56 in Texas, up from $1.80 at the same time last year.
Bruce Hutton, professor of marketing at the University of Denver, said the high prices could spark even more angst than the frustrating long lines during the 1970s energy crisis because the current situation is far less clear-cut.
AP via Yahoo News.
Ya think it has anything to do with the vast number of Texans driving gas guzzling SUVs? Sheesh, at this rate, I can’t afford to give a quarter to all the clueless SUV driving soccer moms in this state!
WASHINGTON – The Human Rights Campaign, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the National Center for Lesbian Rights and Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays put out a united statement today to announce opposition to John G. Roberts’ nomination to the Supreme Court.
From the LA Times. It’s the story of the Rove CIA agent outing scandal, complete with pictures of the cast of characters, and a story timeline. Somebody should make a movie.
Mark Fiore animation: Double Super-Secret Background.
Just did a quick upgrade to WordPress 1.5.2, and everything seems OK. Consider this my good news post for the day. 
So now if you disagree with Bush administration policy, and protest againt the war in Iraq, you’re “emboldening” terrorists. It’s Cindy Sheehan’s fault, that’s why we’re still at war in Iraq? Or was it those pesky disappearing WMDs? Or are we spreading (Islamic) democracy. It’s Hard Work trying to keep up, isn’t it?
Bush spotlights military mom in response to anti-war protestors
46 minutes ago
NAMPA, United States (AFP) – US President George W. Bush contrasted a military mother whose five sons and husband have served in Iraq with anti-war protestors he said risked emboldening terrorists.
as though somehow suggesting kidnapping is less offensive than assassination.
Evangelist backs off Chavez assassination call
1 hour, 56 minutes ago
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Conservative U.S. evangelist Pat Robertson, who called for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, said on Wednesday he was misinterpreted and there were a number of ways to “take him out” including kidnapping.
This quote from Politics in the Zeros kinda sums it up quite well.
Pat Robertson is a businessman, and a quite wealthy one. Forget his pretend Christianity. When he’s not getting enough press, he often says something lunatic, thus garnering lots of attention and attacks. Then he, no doubt, sends fund-raising appeals to his True Believers saying he’s being savaged by hordes of godless commie gay drug addict porno-peddlers in black helicopters.
Fleecing the flock is his business.
He’s in the business of “religion”.
Google Talk, just what I need, another messenger client….
Pat Robertson is not religious, he’s not Christian, he’s just in the business of religion. Go ahead, send in another donation, I’m sure his bank account needs it.
Venezuela Slams Robertson Over Remarks
By CHRISTOPHER TOOTHAKER, Associated Press Writer 32 minutes ago
CARACAS, Venezuela – Pat Robertson’s call for American agents to assassinate President Hugo Chavez is a “terrorist” statement that needs to be investigated by U.S. authorities, Venezuela said Tuesday. The Bush administration quickly distanced itself from the religious broadcaster.
Robertson’s suggestion Monday that the United States “take out” Chavez to stop Venezuela from becoming a “launching pad for communist influence and Muslim extremism” appeared likely to aggravate tensions between the United States and the world’s fifth-largest oil exporting country.
Chavez, who was democratically elected, has emerged as one of the most outspoken critics of President Bush, accusing the United States of conspiring to topple his government and possibly backing plots to assassinate him. The United States is the top buyer of Venezuelan oil, but Chavez has made it clear he wants to decrease the country’s dependence on the U.S. market by finding other buyers.
USA TODAY: Gasoline prices set new record
By Chris Woodyard, USA TODAY Tue Aug 23, 7:21 AM ET
The average price of gasoline rose 6.2 cents last week to a record average of $2.612 a gallon, the government said Monday. Prices have climbed 73 cents from a year ago.
IBM’s Extreme Blue Internships
If you’ve ever driven around and around a parking lot only to find out there were no places in the first place, you’re not alone.
Now a unique type of research team at IBM Austin is working on a hi-tech way to prevent that problem and more.
“You know time is tight for everybody. Students and faculty on their way to campus or people on their way to work. And you don’t want to be late,” MBA student Calista Fredericksen said. “You can make decisions on how to get places, and this is one way you can do that.”
It’s a similar technology to the kind IBM created to move fans to Tiger Woods and the tee this April.
“This technology was used at the Masters tournament in Augusta so we could help the Masters manage traffic. So we could see where the buses were to adjust where the buses needed to be to where the people needed to be,” IBM Extreme Blue Site Manager David Barnes said.
This technology is created by students like Fredericksen in an IBM internship called Extreme Blue.
IBM Extreme Blue web site.
Bad Behavior has blocked 11 access attempts in the last 7 days.
