Michele Bachmann (photo by Charlie Riedel AP)

The FBI may be involved in an investigation into alleged misconduct by the Michele Bachmann Presidential campaign. Bachmann ran for President in 2012. The FBI has refused to confirm or deny their entrance into the investigation, but sources with knowledge of the campaign and the investigation have told the media that the FBI is involved.

The inquiries center around former Bachmann chief of staff Andy Parrish and other former staffers. The allegations of wrongdoing first surfaced in March. The allegations have simply expanded in scope since then. The newer claims included alleged allegations of secret payments to campaign aide and Iowa State Senator Kent Sorenson as well as improper use of Bachmann’s leadership PAC funds in order to pay a political director attached to the campaign.

Parrish stated in a sworn affidavit that Bachmann knew of the payments to Sorenson and approved of them. Her former national field coordinator, Peter Waldron, also filed a complaint alleging that Bachmann’s campaign funneled leadership PAC money through a fundraising group in order to pay Sorenson. That last one is what has drawn the FBI into the investigation. Sorenson denies the allegations.

The FBI is just the latest agency involved in the investigation. Currently, the Office of Congressional Ethics, the Iowa Senate Ethics Committee, and the Urbandale Police Department are all involved.

Backmann has claimed that she is innocent and has expressed the opinion that she will be cleared of all wrong doing. Others are not so sure. Craig Holman, a government ethics lobbyist at Public Citizen, stated that Bachmann could face serious repercussions. He also said earlier this month that “It’s not Watergate, or at least not yet, but these are a series of allegations that are each serious on their own, and when you put them all together, this could be a career ender for Michele Bachmann.”

How this falls out will have to be seen. Bachmann had been the face of the “looney fringe” of the Republican Party for most of 2012. Her past behavior and tendency to rely upon conspiracy theories has resulted in her having uneven support among the Republican leadership.

Isn’t she cute?!

Press from AMC:

Bullet looks like a boy, talks like a boy but is, in fact, a girl, a tough scrappy lesbian who’s lived on the streets of Seattle since she was 13 years old. Fierce and funny, Bullet protects herself with her larger-than-life bravado and a fearlessness that can sometimes get her into trouble. Bullet is in love with another street kid, a hooker named Lyric, but she has no idea how to express feelings like love and so she’ll pine, unrequited, and forever be a “good friend.” Bullet is the self-appointed protector of all the street girls and she takes this responsibility with a grave seriousness that can often mean throwing down on the street with guys twice her size…and winning. Deeply distrustful of adults (especially men and authority figures), Bullet will forge an unlikely alliance with Holder who somehow is the one person in the world who completely understands her, and she him.

Actress Bex Taylor-Klaus was born and raised in Atlanta, GA, and is fourth generation Atlantan. She has two passions that she has pursued throughout her life: sports and acting. An all-around athlete, Taylor-Klaus played on her high school Varsity Softball team as a freshman and began her acting training with Shakespeare in an after-school program in the third grade. In high school, Taylor-Klaus performed in her school’s improv troupe and with friends started a Junior High acting troupe to train young actor.

‘THE KILLING’ RETURNS TO AMC WITH A TWO-HOUR PREMIERE ON SUNDAY, JUNE 2 AT 8 PM

Peter Sarsgaard, Elias Koteas and Amy Seimetz Join Returning Cast Members Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman For Third Season

New York – March 29, 2013 – AMC announced today that the critically acclaimed drama “The Killing” will return for its third season with a two-hour premiere on Sunday, June 2 at 8:00 p.m ET/PT. The new season, which stars Mireille Enos (Sarah Linden) and Joel Kinnaman (Stephen Holder) along with new cast members Peter Sarsgaard, Elias Koteas and Amy Seimetz, is executive produced by series creator Veena Sud, and will focus on a new case, which will be resolved over the course of ten episodes, ending with a gripping two hour finale.

Season three begins one year after the close of the “Rosie Larsen” case (the focus of the series’ first two seasons) with Sarah Linden (Enos) no longer working as a detective. But when her ex-partner Stephen Holder’s (Kinnaman) search for a runaway girl leads him to discover a gruesome string of murders that connects to a previous murder investigation by Linden, she is drawn back into the life she thought she’d left behind.

“We learned so much from the first two seasons of “The Killing” and are thrilled to be bringing it back with the elements that the fans loved,” said Charlie Collier, president & general manager, AMC. “Veena’s captivating storytelling along with the performances of Joel and Mireille, and the rest of the exemplary cast, will remind audiences of what they loved about the series and provide a season of suspenseful television.”

Added David Madden, president of Fox Television Studios, “From the beginning, Veena Sud has invested ‘The Killing’ with some of the richest characters on television, testing and sometimes trampling the traditions of the television procedural – and we’re indebted to AMC for the opportunity to present a third season. We’re particularly excited by the new moves of our returning leads, ‘Sarah’ and ‘Holder,’ brought to life so beautifully by Mireille and Joel, as well as the addition to our stellar cast of Peter Sarsgaard in his television series debut, the brilliant Elias Koteas and Amy Seimetz, and a cluster of newcomers whom we hope will dazzle the audience as this new season unfolds.”

Said executive producer and series creator Veena Sud, “I am grateful to AMC, Fox TV Studios and Netflix for their commitment to the show and their efforts in bringing ‘The Killing’ back to air. I’m also thrilled to be working with our incredible writing team as we continue to explore the lives of ‘Sarah’ and ‘Holder,’ who, like so many real-life detectives, grapple with the consequences to their own lives of a no-holds-barred immersion in the world of a homicide investigation.”

‘The Killing’ is produced by Fox Television Studios and executive produced by Veena Sud, Mikkel Bondesen, for Fabrik Entertainment, Dawn Prestwich and Nicole Yorkin. Kristen Campo and Ron French serve as co-executive producers.

As previously announced by Fox Television Studios, which produces the series for AMC, and Netflix, ‘The Killing’ season three will be available to Netflix members three months after the season finale airs on AMC. 

About AMC:

AMC reigns as the only cable network in history to ever win the Emmy® Award for Outstanding Drama Series four years in a row. Whether commemorating favorite films from every genre and decade or creating acclaimed original programming, the AMC experience is an uncompromising celebration of great stories. AMC’s original stories include “Mad Men,” “Breaking Bad,” “The Walking Dead,” “The Killing,” “Hell on Wheels” and “Low Winter Sun.” AMC further demonstrates its commitment to the art of storytelling with its slate of unscripted original series, as well as curated movie franchises like AMC’s Can’t Get Enough and AMC’s Crazy About. AMC is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc. and its sister networks include IFC, Sundance Channel and WE tv. AMC is available across all platforms, including on-air, online, on demand and mobile. AMC: Story Matters HereSM,

About FTVS:

Fox Television Studios produces scripted and unscripted programming for US broadcast and cable networks, and international broadcasters. In addition to The Killing, the studio produces the hit seriesBurn Notice and White Collar, as well as the upcoming series Graceland, for USA; The Glades for A&E;The Americans for FX;, and the upcoming Maron for IFC. FTVS also is producing the pilots Sirens for USA, and Rita for Bravo, as well as TNT’s unscripted series Life Flight, which will air in 2014.

Examples:

Alaska

Detox

Coco

Alyssa

Honey

Ivy

Jade

Lineasha

Monica

Penny

Roxxxy

Serena

Vivienne

President Barack Obama

As scandals grip the Presidency, the American people are largely yawning. Bare majorities are actually even paying attention to the kerfuffle over the IRS, or the dispute over Benghazi, or much of anything else. The problem might actually have a lot to do with the Republican Party overall and their obsession with scandals.

According to the numbers from Gallup, only 54% of Americans are following the ‘scandal’ over at the IRS. A recent admission by Representative Darrel Issa that the Administration had kept the his committee, and himself, in the loop during the investigation of the situation with the IRS.

Gallup also reported that only 53% of Americans are following the ‘scandal’ revolving around Benghazi, Libya. The polling was done over 14 to15 May. Recently it came to light that the emails that were released by Issa’s committee were heavily doctored.

These numbers are well below the average of 60% of Americans who closely followed past scandals. Admittedly, more Republicans than Democrats or Independents are following the stories, but this is not unexpected.

The Republican Party may have only themselves to blame for this. Since Richard Nixon became the first President to resign in disgrace, certain members of the Republican Party have been obsessed with pushing every tiny anomaly within every Democrat’s Presidency. They have conflated these into scandals even if they were pretty much just ordinary screw ups.

The Republicans have created a situation within the media and among people whereby the scandals are just tiresome. After years of Republicans pursuing and trashing President Bill Clinton, Americans were actually willing to hand him a third term in office, if they could have. The approval number for President Barack Obama has not dropped in the least, and he won reelection despite numerous attempts to tie him to some scandal or another.

Part of this has to do with the rhetoric. The attempts to conflate every little anomaly into some form of Watergate-esque scandal not only shows off the Republican obsession with taking down a Democratic President, but also shows that they are just obsessed with inflating the rhetoric. Republican pundits and politicians have equated President Obama’s Administration with everything from Watergate to Nazi Germany. In the end, they have done little to actually hurt the President, but rather, made those horrible events seem less horrific.

The Republicans might want to just stop with the attempted scandals. Pretty soon, no one will care if a real scandal comes along.

Maybe they should try reading The Boy Who Cried Wolf a few times.

In some sophomoric behavior from the audience and fellow singers, Justin Beiber was the target of a lot of Hate. It seems that Beiber haters are everywhere this year, even at the Billboard Music Awards. The Bieb had some serious haters last night, where he was booed while accepting an award.

“I’m 19 years old. I think I’m doing a pretty good job,” he said on stage, while the boos continued from the audience.

And if that wasn’t bad enough for the lil guy…singer Taylor Swift caught a glimpse of Bieber and actress/singer Selena Gomez kissing him backstage where she stuck her tongue out in disgust and it just happened to be caught on film for us all to see.

Kaitlyn Hunt via Change.org

Kaitlyn Hunt is a senior at Sebastian River High School in Sebastian, Florida. She has been charged with two felony counts of “lewd and lascivious battery on a child 12 to 16 years of age” because she had a sexual relationship with a fifteen-year-old girl. The catch, Kaitlyn only turned 18 at the end of last year.

Hunt was arrested on 16 February after her girlfriend’s parents filed a complaint with local police. According to Kaitlyn’s mother, Kelley Hunt Smith, “She had a mutual consenting relationship with her girlfriend who is three years younger, and her parents had her arrested. . . This is about two teenage high school girls who were dating, and both consenting. . .They were out to destroy my daughter, they feel like my daughter ‘made’ their daughter gay. They are bigoted, religious zeolites [sic] that see being gay as a sin and wrong, and they blame my daughter.”

The two girls have been dating for more than a year. Hunt turned 18 on 14 August of 2012.

Since her arrest, Kaitlyn has been expelled by the Indian River School Board, ostensibly based on the criminal charges, and been ordered not to have contact with her former girlfriend.

Hunt faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted by a jury, but was offered a plea deal by state attorney Brian Workman. Under the plea deal, Hunt would be sentenced to two years house arrest, one year of probation, and be forced to attend sex offender counseling. The judge could also require Hunt be forced to register as a sex offender. She has until the end of this week to decide.

Florida’s Romeo and Juliet Law allows for an ‘offender’ to petition the court to remove the requirement to register as a sex offender if the ‘victim’ is between 14 and 17 and ‘a willing participant in the sexual activity and no more than four years younger than the offender.’ Unfortunately, the law has only ever been applied to heterosexual couples.

Change.org has a petition started to get the state attorney to drop the charges.

Traditionally, the Romeo and Juliet Law has been inconsistently applied, and often times, they have been used quite often to punish girlfriends and boyfriends that parents object to.

Don’t Miss Him!

Mel Brooks: Make a Noise

Premiering nationwide Monday, May 20, 2013 on PBS (check local listings).

Features new interviews with Brooks, his friends and colleagues, including Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Cloris Leachman, Joan Rivers, Tracey Ullman, and his close friend, with whom he created The 2000 Year Old Man more than 50 years ago, Carl Reiner.

Showcasing the Brooklyn native’s brilliant, skewed originality, Mel Brooks: Make a Noise journeys through Brooks’ early years in the creative beginnings of live television — with Sid Caesar on Your Show of Shows — to the film genres he so successfully satirized in Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, High Anxiety, and Spaceballs — to the groundbreaking Broadway musical version of his first film, The Producers. The documentary also delves into his professional and personal ups and downs — his childhood, his first wife and subsequent 41-year marriage to Anne Bancroft — capturing a never-before-heard sense of reflection and confession.

Watch Mel Brooks: Make a Noise on PBS. See more from American Masters.

What do you do when a flesh-eating bacteria takes away your limbs? Unless you live in a Sci-Fi fantasy, not much can be done. Well, that used to be true. If you are Amiee Copeland, you count yourself very lucky.

Aimee Copeland, the 25-year-old who lost her hands, both feet and her entire right leg to flesh-eating bacteria a year ago, has received two new bionic hands…Copeland spent the week in Ohio at Touch Bionics, where she received two bionic hands free of charge. The hands cost $100,000 a piece, on average, a company spokesperson told ABCNews.com.

Full story: http://abcn.ws/13AzsE5

Photo credit: Copeland Family/AP Photo|Touch Bionics

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“Jimmy Kimmel Live” Jewel Performs! 5/20

Emmy-winner Jimmy Kimmel serves as host and executive producer of “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” ABC Television Network‘s distinctive late-night talk show. The show features a diverse line up of guests, including celebrities, athletes, comedians and human interest subjects. Tonight: Jewel performs.

Weeknights @ 11:35/10:35c on ABC

If you grew up on Batman cartoons then you know the voice of actor Kevin Conroy. You kinda can’t imagine any animated Batman NOT having his voice because he’s done it for so long in multiple mediums, including voice-overs for Batman video games.

During a Q&A session at Dallas Comic-Con, Kevin Conroy has announced that he has been working on the “Next Arkham game” for the past “nine or ten months”. He discusses the Non-Disclosure Agreement that the actors signed and the success of the games briefly at the beginning of the Q&A.

Full story HERE.

Related articles

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silly people….

A surprise visit from Blaze leads Josey and Clark to a local Battle of the Bands.

A guitar played by John Lennon and George Harrison of the Beatles has sold for $408,000 (£269,000) at auction. The custom-made instrument, built in 1966 by the VOX company, was bought by an unidentified US buyer in New York.

Story HERE.

Namely (NSFW Clip):

It must have been quite interesting for John Hurt appearing on the set with Steve Moffat….The reference, of course, is to the chest burster from “Alien”.

Right now, the Whovian fandom is in an uproar, which is probably the best way in which a season finale should be.

The current theories range from the idea that John Hurt is playing the man who became the First Doctor. That is he is the man who did something that caused The Doctor to make the promise that he not only stole the TARDIS, but took the name The Doctor.

Another theory is that Hurt is playing the true Ninth Doctor and that Smith is the Twelfth and not the Eleventh. This is certainly a possibility given what we know about The Doctor, but it does create the problem with the fact that the next regeneration would be The Doctor’s last…unless, of course, it turns out that River giving up all of her regenerations extended the life of The Doctor well beyond the norm for a Time Lord.

The tabloid The Sun claims that this is the plot for the 50th, but it could also be misinformation to throw people off the scent.

It would also be interesting to see if this delving into the past could be what restore the Time Lords. I’ve always kind of disliked the idea that the Time Lords were completely obliterated.

So, we have until November before we find out who John Hurt is playing. There are a lot of different bits and bobs floating around, but that is what we will have to wait to find out.

This is going to be so much fun.

Addendum:

Yes, John Hurt played Mr. Ollivander in the Harry Potter movies…David Tennant played Barty Crouch, Jr in “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”…and yes, Sylvester McCoy played Radagast the Brown in “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”, but here’s the real ticket…In The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins is played by Martin Freeman, who plays Dr. John Watson in “Sherlock”.  In “Sherlock”, the character of Mycroft Holmes is played by Mark Gatiss…who we all know from a LOT of Doctor Who- from Danny Boy to Gantok to Lazarus.  It all loops back in on itself.  So, what we have now is a really big loop between the three universes.

Addendum II:

Monitoring how things are going let me say this….

In the immortal words of one of the writers of Doctor Who- “Don’t Panic”.

If you watch SNL then you are familiar with Bill Hader‘s character, Stefon.If you don’t watch, then…

According to Wikipedia:

Stefon is a flamboyantly gay “city correspondent” for Weekend Update. He appears to be always nervous, as indicated by how he can never keep his hands still and constantly rubs them together. Stefon always touches his face and hair, and it seems like he has frequent anxiety attacks. A possible explanation for this is his excessive consumption of recreational drugs. Stefon is very knowledgeable about parties and nightclubs featuring very bizarre themes and characters, which he recommends when host Seth Meyers asks for suggestions for tourists, much to Meyers’ frustration. Stefon is apparently infatuated with Meyers; he expresses disappointment when Meyers mentions his girlfriend, and has stated that he envies Meyers’ mother for changing his diapers as a child.

According to the May 7, 2011, episode of Saturday Night Live, his mother is named Ms. Stefon, and his father is David Bowie. In the October 20, 2012 episode, he revealed that he has a son, as well as a dog named Bark Ruffalo. He lives in a trashcan outside the Radio Shack at 23rd and 7th.

Stefon wears gaudy Ed Hardy shirts, multiple rings, and an asymmetrical, highlighted haircut.

Being one of Hader’s most popular characters, it was a memorable farewell for the actor and the beloved character.

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I’m running a yardsale today, so here is stuff to laugh about while I’m selling my memories for pennies. Enjoy!

The gay rights activists arrived on by bus, carried rainbow flags and colored balloons, and chanted slogans including “shame to fascists” for about fifteen minutes before being forced to leave. They also held a moment of silence for the gay man who was tortured and murdered in Volgograd on 10 May.

Olga Lenkova, a spokeswoman for Coming Out, stated“This rally was organized as a reminder to civil society about the rights of homosexuals.” The rally was the first approved of by the first since November 2011.

The rally comes as Russia is planning on spreading the law which forbids ‘comment or actions that give minors “the false perception: that traditional and nontraditional relationships are socially equal.” The law has been heavily criticized by The move comes despite the fact that just barely more than one in three Russians favor curbing the civil rights of lesbians and gays.

Alright, for those who have followed the little controversy over the spoilers, tonight is the official airing, and I will try to keep this spoiler free.

We have a new villain tonight- the Whisper Men. Last week we got to see the rebirth of the Cybermen, and we saw the rebirth of another villain earlier in this season, but tonight….Madame Vastra has been brought to see an insane man…and Strax has been visiting Glasgow. Ach…nairy be a group of human that would be quite so willing to fight a Sontaran like it is necessary.

We have to give Madame Vastra some props for the fact that she knows far better the human mind than many…and now Clara has met River Song, whom Clara did not know was a woman.

Utoh…something is wrong, and Jenny…we have to hope that Jenny is alright. According to The Great Intelligence, The Doctor can only save his friends if he goes to Trenzalore. This is definitely the lead in to the 50th Anniversary. In fact, this feels like a huge part of that episode. We are harkening back to “The Wedding of River Song” where we heard “On the fields of Trenzalore, at the fall of the Eleventh, when no living creature can speak falsely or fail to answer a question will be asked—one that must never be answered. And Silence must fall when the question is asked.”

The news shakes The Doctor to the roots. Okay, The Doctor’s grave is on Trenzalore, and this is scary to him. The TARDIS is not happy with the fact that The Doctor just had to cross his own timeline.

We now see a graveyard where we The Doctor had his last battle. Vastra, Strax and Jenny are inside the TARDIS.

THE VALEYARD?!!! HE is a Time Lord- he is The Doctor. How the hell does he come into being? The Whispering Men appear to be part of The Great Intelligence. The Great Intelligence makes mention of all the people that The Doctor will eventually kill, and whom he has killed never quite understanding that the death that The Doctor has had to deal with is often in saving others from the monsters, but then again, this is the mirror perspective of how things are. That is, The Doctor sees himself as saving those in need while his enemies see him as destroying their ‘justified’ plans.

Clara is remembering things like the explanation of who she use to be. Okay, River is tied in to Clara, and we still do not know the name of The Doctor. Ah, so this is why The Great Intelligence wanted into the tomb…to hurt The Doctor.

Oooo…I wonder if this is how we could end up with Gallefrey back?

We now have our answer. This could be the end of Clara, though? Which is sad.

One kiss for River…and now to save Clara who has stepped somewhere where she must never go.

Beyond this point…no more needs be said. The time to watch the episode is at hand, but it appears that The Doctor must travel across the length and breadth of his timeline to save Clara where ever she has ended up, and we do not know where she has ended up.

To be continued…on 23 November 2013—fifty years to the day that “An Unearthly Child” first aired.

After that, a new season.

but damn…that was good.

Horne and Jennifer Pizer of the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, which is representing Bisbee, said that the city will rewrite a section of the ordinance to make it clear that the ordinance does not confer any rights under state law.

The problem was that the ordinance mentioned seven state laws, including the right to inherit and share community property. The ordinance made it clear that Bisbee residents who registered a civil union would have those laws applied to them, but according to Horne, the ordinance could end up fooling people into thinking that they would receive those rights just by registering a civil union.

Horne stated “If the ordinance were put into effect as written, it could mislead people, because they can confer inheritance by wills, they can enter into contracts with each other which are binding under current law, and our fear was people might refrain from doing that thinking they are covered by civil unions.”

Bisbee wanted to make it easier for same-sex couples to take advantage of city benefits and current state contract law, according to Pizer. The civil unions were intended to create a public record about the wishes of these couples with regards to healthcare, property rights and other legal arrangements.

Pizer said “It makes it easier for institutions or third parties to understand that those arrangements have been made and to respect the wishes of that family.”

Horne stated that the ordinance violated parts of the voter-approved constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and that it tried to change seven state laws. Pizer disagreed with that assessment. The changes will mean that the ordinance is less sweeping overall.

Horne stated that “This is not marriage. This is simply a way of publically recording and acknowledging that people have entered into private agreements that they have a right to enter into now. So it’s a matter really of symbolic rather than substantive significance.”

Which, oddly enough, is pretty much what civil marriage is. It’s just no one seems to want to make that point. Bisbee officials think the new version of the ordinance will be in place by June.

Recently, the Department of Defense report showed that there were an estimated total of 26,000 instances of unwanted sexual contact, and of those, only 3,374 were reported in 2012.  The Army itself has the highest rate of victims reporting sexual assault among the five branches.

This part April, the two stressed the importance of working with soldiers throughout their careers.  General Odierno informed Senator Kay Hagen “It is just about constantly talking about this problem and constantly ensuring that people understand we are going to take this seriously. And it’s as frustrating to all of us, I know, as it is to you, senator.  I wish I had a better answer for you frankly.”

The Army had been planning to add some 829 full-time military and civilian sexual assault response coordinators and victim advocates to combat sexual assault in the Army.  Unfortunately, the Army faces some $7.6 billion in sequestration cuts between April and September, and General Odierno said that this, in part, contributed to the $13 billion budget shortfall.  He asked for Congress to delay the cuts made to the Army for the future.

Odierno stated “We are sacrificing readiness to achieve reductions inside the short period of the fiscal year. And unfortunately, readiness can’t ever be bought back, because there’s a time component of readiness.  It’s just not the size of the cuts but it’s the steepness of the cuts required by sequestration, especially close in, which make it impossible to downsize the force in a deliberate, logical manner that allow us to sustain the appropriate balance between readiness, modernization and end strength.”

British Soldiers patrol Helmand Province.

In the slideshow listing on Yahoo! News this morning there was a new entry. The images in the slideshow are of British soldiers who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Each image contains three portraits; before, during and after their deployments. The three-panel juxtaposition shows the physical changes a soldier in a war zone goes through. As weathered as their skin or sunken their faces, it’s their dilated eyes that are the most telling.

Photographer Lalage Snow, who is currently based in Kabul, Afghanistan, embarked on this 8-month-long project titled We Are The Not Dead. Her intention with the series is to not only honor their bravery, but to draw attention to every soldiers’ psychological transformation. She says, “It was a very personal project and stemmed from having embedded with the military on and off for 4 years in Iraq and Afghanistan and bearing witness to how many young men return as shadows of their former selves and, in many cases, with deep, psychological scars. As the body count of British servicemen killed or wounded rose and the political ramifications of the British army’s presence in Afghanistan became increasingly convoluted, more and more soldiers felt like they didn’t have a voice, or at least, weren’t being listened to. We Are The Not Dead is an attempt at giving the brave young men and women the chance to explain how it really is.”

When looking at the first 3-4 images, I looked at the complete faces. What I kept coming back to were their eyes. The before pictures ranged from innocent to experienced. The after pictures were all tired, some obviously damaged inside, others just exhausted. All their eyes had dark circles.

16 Air Assault Brigade preparing for an evening raid near Basra, Iraq.

It was the during deployment pictures that stood out. All their eyes were lighter in color, all seemed to be staring off into some unimaginable distance… maybe into hell, maybe home to wives and kids, or maybe into the photographer’s soul.

This is a slideshow everyone should see. Look at their faces. Read their narratives in the captions. Stare back into those eyes.

Related articles

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• Conscientious objector Joe Glenton on being jailed for refusing to fight (metro.co.uk)
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The French Flag

Malmqvist Pauline
May 18, 2013

On Friday a ruling by the Constitutional Council cleared the way for the French president Francois Hollande to sign the law authorizing same-sex marriage.

The French Civil Union was voted in 1999, and was until today the only legal solution for homosexual couples. However, it did not give any stipulation for adoption.

The government, which is in majority formed by the Socialist Party, introduced a bill on November 17, 2012, the Taubira Law, to legalize gay marriage. Led by the Minister of Justice Christiane Taubira, the law made it through weeks and weeks of heated public debate and protests. However, the French parliament made it possible on the 23th April 2013 with 331 votes against 225.

Francois Hollande was still on hold for the promulgation of the law as the right-wing opposition tried to get an annulment from the Constitutional Council. More than 100 members of the parliament is asking for parts of the law to be censured.

Even though the law has already been voted, the debate is still going on. Anti-gay groups are organizing themselves around a movement they call “Le Printemps Francais” (“The French Spring”, as a reminder of the Arab Spring). The opposition has became more radical and violent than previously. Death threats has been sent to French politicians who stands in favor of the law, gay people and bars have been assaulted.

The French journalist Caroline Fourest, known for her position in favor of same-sex marriage, has been taken as target by anti-gay groups. While she was giving a conference in Nantes 200 anti-gay activists, who blocked her train and tried to force their way through the police force.

While these actions take place the politicians of the right-wing party UMP don’t condemn them and tries to minimize their homophobic nature. Henri Guaino, previous UMP spokesman of Nicolas Sarkozy, turned the situation around, blaming the police of being too violent with the protesters, who were peaceful the whole time.

The president of the Christian-democrat party, Christine Boutin, has declared that gay people have always been free to get married in France. Only not to people of the same-sex.

The debate around same-sex marriage has shown a bitter face of France. Opponents call for a new protest on may 26th. It will be led by the media figure of the anti-gay movement Frigide Barjot, former comedian. She claims they are not homophobes just “mariageophiles”.

Even though some politicians of the opposition claim they will change the law when elected in 2017 the first gay marriage will presumably be celebrated on the 29th of May. Moreover, the polls show that around 60% support the new bill but only 50% approve of gay adoption.

Even though the opponents actions have become more violent this law proves that France still stands for its motto “Liberté, égalité et fraternité”. It gives gay people legal support and sends a strong message against homophobia and any kind of discrimination against minorities.

Miss answers Erik’s questions in the exact order he asked them, not stopping to explain which answer went to which question, thus befuddling Erik.

Tonight is the season finale of Doctor Who, where we either will or won’t find out “The Name of the Doctor“. I’m so excited, I can’t wait for my Whovian fix!!!

=^^=

To celebrate, here are some Doctor/Tardis cartoons.

Enjoy!

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Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand

Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Barbara Boxer introduced this week the Military Justice Improvement Act. The bill would change the way in which the military prosecutes crimes, including those crimes involving sexual assault. Currently, the commanding officers maintain the authority to control criminal cases as they go through the military courts. This has lead to several cases of mishandling, especially of sexual assault cases, and a lack of justice for victims.

The bill would remove the authority to oversee the trials including the selection of judges and juries from the commanding officers to professional prosecutors and court administrators in cases which involve serious crimes. It would also restrict a commanding officer’s ability to overturn or set aside a court marshal conviction.

Former Marine Captain Anu Bhagwati, the executive director of Service Women’s Action Network, stated “The current commander-based system is a throwback to the days of the Revolutionary War and was established at a time when military courts did not even exist. The military does not send our troops into battle with 18th century weapons, nor does it treat the wounds of war with 18th century medicine, so why does today’s military continue to use an 18th century legal system?”

She went on to say “Many of our trusted allies have adopted a modern legal system where decisions to prosecute serious crimes are made by legal professionals rather than commanding officers.”

Senator Gillibrand, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee Military Personnel Subcommittee along side Boxer, introduced this bill following several ongoing scandals involving the military.

Gillibrand stated “The issue of sexual violence in the military is not new. And it has been allowed to go on in the shadows for far too long. Due to a number of hard to fathom events this issue has been raised to the national consciousness. We must seize the opportunity and act so we can get closer to a true zero tolerance reality in the Armed Forces. Congress would be derelict in its duty of oversight if we just shrugged our shoulders at these 26,000 sons and daughters, husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, and did nothing. We simply have to do better by them.”

Bhagwati added “In the context of military sexual assault, it is critical that legal professionals handle these cases. Only by establishing an impartial and trusted legal system will victims be willing to come forward to report assaults and perpetrators be deterred from committing them.”

She went on to say “We’re thrilled about the introduction of the Military Justice Improvement Act and we applaud the leadership of Senator Gillibrand and Senator Boxer.”

The Pentagon estimated that there were some 26,000 sexual assaults in 2012, but only 3,374 were reported and of those, only 302 went to trial.

Senators Gillibrand and Boxer are joined by Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Mike Johanns (R-NE), Representatives Dan Benishek (R-MI) and Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), Senators Mark Begich (D-AK), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Coons (D-DE), Al Franken (D-MN), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Mark Pryor (D-AR), Brian Schatz (D-HI, Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Representatives Richard Hanna (R-NY) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ).

The MJIA would also

· Codifies Secretary Hagel’s proposed changes to the UCMJ’s Article 60 so that the convening authority may not (a) set aside a guilty finding or (b) change a finding of guilty to a lesser included offense. The legislation further alters Article 60 to require the convening authority to prepare a written justification for any changes made to court-martial sentences.

· Provides the offices of the military chiefs of staff with the authority and discretion to establish courts, empanel juries and choose judges to hear cases (i.e. convening authority).

· This legislation does not amend Article 15. Commanding officers will still be able to order non-judicial punishment for offenses not directed to trial by the prosecutors.

Senator Gillibrand also said that “America is home to the world’s best and brightest, brave men and women who join the armed services for all the right reasons – to serve our country, defend all that we hold sacred, and make America’s military the best the world has ever known. But too often, these brave men and women find themselves in the fight of their lives not off on some far-away battlefield, but right here on our own soil, within their own ranks and commanding officers, as victims of horrific acts of sexual violence. Our bipartisan bill takes this issue head on by removing decision-making from the chain of command, and giving that discretion to experienced trial counsel with prosecutorial experience where it belongs. That’s how we will achieve accountability, justice and fairness.”

Senator Collins stated “To be sure, the vast, overwhelming majority of our military personnel are honorable, conscientious, and respectful individuals, not rapists or harassers. It is for their sake that the pattern of covering up, blaming the victim, and failing to provide even the most basic protections that has been all too common for far too long must end. We must continue to work to ensure that no woman or man who joins the military is denied the justice and the protections available to civilians. Ultimately, the military’s policy of zero tolerance for sexual harassment and assault must become a culture of zero tolerance to prevent these crimes from occurring in the first place.”

The poll of EU and Croatia covered some 93,000 people. LGBT rights campaigners welcomed the survey, but want stronger legal action from Brussels in order to tackle the issue. According to Ilga-Europe, a comprehensive EU Anti-Discrimination Directive drafted in 2008 by the European Commission has yet to be approved.

Their own report found “little legislative progress towards protecting LGBTI [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender/Transexual and Intersexed people] from discrimination in accessing goods and services”.

The report found that:

East European states recorded the highest levels of homophobic behaviour

Some 26% of respondents (and 35% of transgender respondents) said they had been attacked or threatened with violence in the past five years

Most of the hate attacks reported took place in public and were perpetrated by more than one person, with the attackers predominantly being male

More than half of those who said they had been attacked did not report the incident to the authorities, believing no action would be taken

Half of respondents said they had felt personally discriminated against in the year before the survey, although 90% did not report the discrimination

Some 20% of gay or bisexual respondents and 29% of transgender respondents said they had suffered discrimination at work or when looking for a job

Two-thirds of respondents said they had tried to hide or disguise their sexuality at school

Ioannis Dimitrakopoulos, head of the EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA), told the BBC that it was unclear if the reported level of homophobic crime was actually on the rise or if it was apparently on the rise due to a lack of past data. The survey was commissioned in 2007.

Still, Dimitrakopoulos believes that there appears to be a “pattern across Europe whereby things seem to be improving for the younger generation”. He went on to say “From circumstantial evidence, it is possible to say that the situation has improved, both in legal terms and in people’s perceptions.”

Ilga’s communications manager Juris Lavrikovs stated that economic crisis had lead to increased radicalization, which complicated the lives of LGBT people. He stated “Look how easily political opinion is being manipulated in Europe, how certain rhetoric can provoke violence, and it is very easy for people to go back into the closet. Look at France, which used to be considered a very liberal, very open country. Now it is scary for a gay couple to walk hand in hand in Paris because of the increase in violence.”

Lithuania was one of the nations that showed the worst record regarding homophobic behavior. Thomas Vytautas Raskevicius of the Lithuanian Gay League stated “Lithuania has one of the highest suicide rates in Europe. We have this real feeling that a lot of suicides are connected to homophobic bullying. The authorities don’t talk about it out loud, and the daily harassment and remarks in the streets and public places is very widespread.”

The Seal of the State of Washington

Anti-gay individuals love to hide behind their faith, and if the Alliance Defending Freedom or ADF’s track record is any indication, the courts do not tend to side with people who use their faith in order to discriminate against others. This is not stopping Barronelle Stutzman of Richland, Washington from becoming the next ADF poster child in favor of discrimination.

Stutzman refused to supply flours for the wedding of Robert Ingersoll and Curt Freed despite the two men being long time customers of hers. She is now suing the state of Washington claiming that the state is violating her religious beliefs.

Stutzman is currently being sued by State Attorney Bob Ferguson on behalf of the State and the ACLU on behalf of the couple.

The ADF’s senior legal council on this, Dale Schowengerdt, claims that Stutzman has the right to refuse service based upon her religious convictions, but his understanding of Washington lay may be flawed. He claimed:

“In America, the government is supposed to protect freedom, not use its intolerance for certain viewpoints to intimidate citizens into acting contrary to their faith convictions. Family business owners are constitutionally guaranteed the freedom to live and work according to their beliefs. It is this very freedom that gives America its cherished diversity and protects citizens from state-mandated conformity.”

The ADF notes that Washington State’s constitution has unique protections for the rights of conscience and religion, and Schowengerdt claims that Ferguson is “constitutionally precluded from compelling Stutzman to use her artistic skill to personally craft expressive floral arrangements.”

Unfortunately, the ADF seems to have less than perfect understanding of the law which reads “Absolute freedom of conscience in all matters of religious sentiment, belief and worship, shall be guaranteed to every individual, and no one shall be molested or disturbed in person or property on account of religion; but the liberty of conscience hereby secured shall not be so construed as to excuse acts of licentiousness or justify practices inconsistent with the peace and safety of the state.”

In other words, while Stutzman’s freedom of conscience is protected, she still cannot discriminate against someone by claiming that it violates her freedom of religion.

The vote was along party lines with all seven Democrats voting in favor of Senate Joint Resolution 13 and all three Republicans voting against it. The Nevada Senate voted on SJR13 in April passing it 12 to 9. The bill will have to be approved by both houses of the Nevada legislature during this session and again in the 2015 session before going before the voters in 2016.

Should the amendment pass at the ballot box, it will then remove the ban on same-sex marriage and replace it with a bill that legalizes same-sex marriage.

Democrats currently hold a strong majority in the Assembly.

The amendment is being spearheaded by the ACLU and the Progressive Leadership Allicance of Nevada. Lambda Legal is also pursuing taking down the ban on same-sex marriage in a lawsuit named Sevcik v. Sandoval. The suit is currently on hold due to the cases targeting Prop 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act which are currently before the US Supreme Court.

The NOM Logo

It is not a move that is unexpected. The National Organization for Marriage has announced their intent to file a lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service. According to NOM, they are “seeking damages over the illegal theft of the organization’s confidential tax return from 2008 and its subsequent leak to the Human Rights Campaign, NOM’s principal political opponent.”

NOM’s tax returns have shown, of late, that they are hemorrhaging money and that Brian Brown makes quite a tidy sum off of their donors. Back in August 2012, NOM refused to file their tax forms and to make them public, as they were suppose to. At the time, Fred Karger stated “Wonder what John Eastman and NOM don’t want the IRS and us to see in its 2011 tax returns for its 501(c)3 and 501(c)4 organizations? They sure are sensitive. NOM is a shady and corrupt organization as anyone who has followed them knows, but they have never sounded so angry or desperate before.”

NOM may also have problems proving that the forms were released by the IRS. At the time, they claimed that their computers were hacked.

Brian Brown now states that “Not only has the IRS retaliated against conservative, small-government and tea party groups as they apply for recognition of tax exemption AND lied about it, but it has criminally released our confidential tax return including the identity of dozens of major donors to a political enemy. In addition to being our principal combatant in the war on traditional marriage, the HRC’s president at the time was serving as a Co-Chair of President Obama’s reelection campaign. This is a chilling set of circumstances that should ring alarm bells across the nation.”

The group has retained ActRight Legal Foundation in order to file the suit in the DC federal district court.

NOM Chairman John C. Eastman stated “The very core of our ordered society has been shaken by this political roughing-up of nonprofits by the IRS. As a constitutional law scholar I can tell you that no nonprofit should ever have to experience this kind of retaliation. I am pleased to announce that the excellent attorneys at ActRight Legal Foundation have identified a strong legal strategy that should ultimately hold the IRS accountable and result in lasting change inside of the IRS.”

Unfortunately, NOM has a tendency to use every dirty trick in the book to try and get away with not being scrutinized. A tax complaint has been filed against them claiming that their actions disqualify them as a non-profit organization.

Yum or Yuk?

What happens when you try to make food in space? Well if you are curious about these things and happen to have access to an astronaut, like Mythbusters‘ Jaime Hyneman & Adam Savage, then you make it into a fun challenge.

Jamie and Adam chat with astronaut Chris Hadfield about the limitations of food preparation on board the International Space Station. While astronauts can’t really cook their own meals, Jamie and Adam challenge celebrated chef David Chang with the task of devising a recipe that Commander Hadfield can test…in space!

Story HERE.

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First, the prequel…

Doctor Who season finale, The Name of the Doctor is presented by Supernatural Saturday, only on BBC America.

Tomorrow night, Clara is summoned to an impossible conference call, alerting her that the deadly Whisper Men are closing in on Vastra, Jenny and Strax. Someone is kidnapping the Doctor’s friends, leading him toward the one place in all of time and space that he should never go. It’s a deadly trap that threatens to unravel his past, present and future.

“Spoilers, Sweetie.” -Melody Pond  ;d

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Bryant

Thurman

If you don’t know the story of anti-gay activist/beauty pageant winner, Anita Bryant, then pay attention.

“Uma Thurman will play anti-gay rights activist Anita Bryant in the upcoming biopic Anita…According to The Hollywood Reporter, Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman will direct the film based on a script by Chad Hodge…Bryant, a former Miss Oklahoma beauty pageant winner, gained commercial success as a singer in the late 1950s and early 1960s…Her name would become synonymous with bigotry and homophobia when she led a campaign in 1977 to repeal a Dade County, Florida ordinance prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. She went on to lead similar campaigns around the country.…”

Learn more about her amazing story HERE.

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Marriage Equality Symbol

That didn’t exactly go well. France’s Union for the Popular Movement or UMP launched a challenge against the challenging the recently passed law legalizing same-sex marriage and adoption for same-sex couples. France’s constitutional court ruled against the challenge stating that same-sex marriage is legal under the nation’s constitution.

France’s parliament passed the law back on 23 April, but the UMP blocked President Francois Holland from signing the bill while this was sent to the court. Hollande is expected to sign the bill into law next week. He had promised to sign the bill as soon as the court had ruled.

The Constitutional Council did add a caveat to their ruling that the legality of adoption rights for same-sex couples did not establish the “right to a child” and that the interests of the children involved would still be an overriding consideration.

Overall, 60% of the French population support Hollande’s vision of “marriage for all”. The bill was heavily opposed by the Roman Catholic Church and various anti-gay groups. The Catholic Church and various groups lead protests trying to derail the law, and anti-gay politicians offered up thousands of amendments to delay the bill as long as possible.

Good news, nerdsbians: Syfy has heard your cry and picked up the show for a final, six-episode season! Yesterday, Syfy boss Mark Stern told Deadline: “Warehouse 13 has been an incredible signature series for us. We are grateful to the loyal and passionate fan base and know that Jack Kenny, his gifted creative team, and outstanding ensemble cast will give them an amazing finale season….The fifth season will film this summer and air in 2014.”

Story HERE.

{Editor’s Note: This being the 52nd edition of CHL and there being 52 wks in a yr, today is the 1 yr. anniv. of CHL! To celebrate we are giving you a two-fer! Second to None, Miss Betty Cooper!}

According to Wikipedia:

Betty Cooper is a fictional character of Archie Comics, the blonde-haired daughter of Hal and Alice Cooper. Betty likes sports, and is also a cheerleader. Betty was created in December 1941. Her older brother Chic Cooper and older sister Polly Cooper have both moved out of Riverdale, their hometown. Chic moved to New York City and Polly to San Francisco, but both occasionally appear in flashbacks to Betty’s childhood, and both occasionally visit their family.

Betty Cooper was ranked 66th in Comics Buyer’s Guide‘s “100 Sexiest Women in Comics” list.

History and character

blue-eyed Betty

Betty is a nice, smart, sweet, and funny girl with blonde hair. Her eyes are typically described as blue, but are only drawn as such in later years and during close-up shots of her face; at all other times, her eyes are simply drawn with black ink.

The quintessential 17-year-old girl next door, Betty’s middle class upbringing is a world apart from the flashy lifestyle of her wealthy friend and rival, Veronica Lodge. Nowhere is this more evident than when she and Veronica are competing for Archie Andrews’ heart, and yet they remain best friends (Veronica once told Archie that she and Betty are only rivals in unimportant matters…like boys.)

In the late 1960s, the two girls joined Archie’s band, a garage band appropriately named The Archies. Both sang (usually backup), and Betty played tambourine, while Veronica played organ. This implies that Veronica is more musically talented, but this is not necessarily true. Some stories indicate that Betty is the better vocalist. Additionally, there is little consistency in the instruments she is able to play. Betty has played the recorder, tambourine, maracas, guitar, banjo, keyboard, saxophone, cello, and the bongos.

Interests and personality

Betty’s hobbies include sports (including baseball), cooking, and making her own clothing. She loves fashion and driving around the block. Betty is a scuba diver wearing a red shorty wetsuit, breathing with a scuba tank she carries on her back, and wears red fins on her feet, but she swims underwater. Betty has a talent with animals (she owns a cat, Caramel) and often operates small businesses concerning them no matter how troubling they turn out. She is very concerned with the environment and other social issues and encourages the rest of the gang to clean up after themselves. She keeps a small garden in her backyard, to which she tends occasionally. She loves children and sometimes babysits Jellybean with Jughead as well as other children in Riverdale. Occasionally, families hire Betty to keep their elderly members company.

Study, study, study…

She does very well in school and is considered one of the smartest girls at Riverdale High. Unlike the stereotypical dumb blonde, she has an above-average IQ; she is very intelligent and has won many awards. In one story she won an award and was sent to compete in New York and has won numerous academic awards. At one point, she gained ESP when an encyclopedia accidentally fell on her head. This ability took away all hope for the future; Archie asked her for a date, but she knew that Archie would dump her for Veronica. She lost her ESP power when a ball that Reggie kicked accidentally hit her; in her gratefulness, she gave him a thankful kiss.

Betty appears in all of the current Riverdale-related titles that are published by Archie Comics. Specifically, Betty stars in Betty, Betty and Veronica, and Betty and Veronica Spectacular.

Relationships

Betty’s best friend is Veronica. Although the two are often involved in disputes over Archie or something else that evokes jealousy, they have remained the best of friends since their childhood. The two have commented that Jughead’s and Archie’s friendship could not compare to theirs. In many stories, Betty and Veronica team up or help each other despite jealousy and competitiveness. Betty’s other female friends include Ethel Muggs, Midge Klump, and Nancy Woods, all of whom share common interests and group activities such as shopping and cheerleading.

Frequently, Betty has been shown to date Reggie Mantle early on in the titles’ runs and occasionally still, more often than not as a casual date when Veronica has Archie take her out. Sometimes, Reggie and Betty are seen to be flirting with each other; when Betty is feeling sad, Reggie always tells her that she has won a date with the most handsome man in the world. Although Reggie does not appear to admit it, he seems to genuinely love Betty, but his self-image sometimes is more important. In the Life with Archie magazines that depict a future timeline in which Archie marries Veronica, Betty and Reggie are portrayed as a loving couple.

Betty’s relationship with Jughead Jones has mostly been that of close confidant and close friend, as they normally discuss their issues more candidly with each other than anyone else; Jughead will provide commentary on her feelings for Archie, and Betty will attempt to “better” Jughead, by getting rid of his slothful attitude and laziness. Once when she had a sprained ankle, Veronica told both Archie and Jughead to visit her. The four of them were having dinner together when people from the school mistook Jughead as Betty’s boyfriend because he was carrying chocolates to her house. Jughead appears to care more about Betty than other girls and there have been hints of a potential romantic relationship between them. In one story, Jughead even says that if the time ever comes that he would willingly kiss a girl, it would be Betty. A happy tear is seen sliding down Betty’s face at this comment.

At times, Betty gets jealous or even angry at Cheryl Blossom for flirting with Archie, even though Cheryl Blossom is friends with Betty. However, Betty and Veronica often unite against Cheryl when she tries to lure Archie away so he doesn’t cheat on Betty. Jason Blossom, Cheryl’s twin brother, has genuine interest towards Betty instead of the popular Veronica, which makes Archie jealous. But Cheryl Blossom, being one of Betty’s best friends tells her that sometimes her brother is not good for her. Betty, always seeing other people’s good side, chooses to date Archie Again.

Adam Chisholm

Betty had a relationship going on with Adam Chisholm. It was thought by some people that Betty had chosen Adam over Archie. This event made Archie jealous and he concentrated his attention to Betty, ignoring Veronica, if he thought there was a chance that Adam might take Betty away from him. Though in actuality, Adam has rarely been seen in the last couple of years, and Betty has always been shown to prefer Archie.

Career

Betty enjoys writing and keeps a diary that is featured in the miniseries Betty’s Diary. She wants to be a famous writer someday, an aspiration that her teacher Ms. Grundy approves of. She submits her work to writing magazines and has been published a number of times. At the same time, she takes various types of employment, including some work as a mechanic, which is also a career that she is interested in.

In some stories she finds employment as an assistant teacher at the local elementary school. In the TV movie Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again, and a comic book based on it, the characters are depicted as adults 15 years after their high school graduation. Betty is shown to be an elementary school teacher and aspiring novelist, engaged to a jerk named Robert, who is jealous of Archie. In the end, she breaks up with Robert, and switches to teaching at Riverdale High.

In the Life with Archie series: Archie Marries Veronica, Betty runs a catering business with Reggie though it is somewhat of a front for a reality show starring both of them, and in Archie Marries Betty, She is a teacher at Riverdale High. However, in both universes, Betty was a buyer for Saks Fifth Avenue in New York.

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Owie!

Don’t panic.

Singer, George Michael is okay after suffering a head injury and minor cuts from a car accident on Thursday afternoon in England.

Singer George Michael is on the mend after a single-car accident in England on Thursday. The British star reportedly suffered a head injury and was airlifted to the hospital.

Story HERE.

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Anti-gay activist in Georgia

Holding banners saying “Stop Homosexual Propaganda In Georgia” and “Not in our city!” demonstrators including priests and other Georgians broke through police barricades to attack and stop a rally intended to mark the International Day Against Homophobia or IDAHO.

The demonstrators flooded into a square in central Tbilisi where they stopped 50 Georgians from rallying in support of LGBT rights. Police were able to escort the activists onto busses and get them away from the violence. Several individuals, including some journalists, sustained minor injuries.

Zhuzhuna Tavadze, one of the anti-gay protesters, stated “We won’t allow these sick people to hold gay parades in our country. It’s against our traditions and our morals.” It should be noted that Tavadze, a woman, would have traditionally been restricted regarding her rights.

The rowdy crowds took to the streets and shouted at people they thought might be gay.

Nino Bolkvadze expressed disappointment regarding the events stating “These people (gay rights demonstrators)should have the right to express their views and to hold demonstrations.”

The head of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Ilia II, had urged authorities not to allow the gay rights rally claiming that it was an insult to Georgian traditions, “a violation of the majority’s right” and claimed that homosexuality is an “anomaly and a disease.”

A recent survey conducted by the European Union has shown that homophobia and homophobic attacks get more common as one moves further East. Russia and other nations have used homophobia as a way to gain power by making gays into scapegoats.

One of the best things about my relationship with my partner Tana is that she has 4 children, so now I’m a step-mom to these 4 wonderful children. Their ages range from 16 – 11, 2 boys, 2 girls. The oldest two, a son and daughter, are not here as much as the younger two. Robbie, 12 and Taylor, 11 are with us every Wednesday and every other weekend. I love being with them. Their energy is boundless and their capacity for love is such an amazing thing (they get that from their Mother).

go ahead, eat just one, I dare you

Taylor loves chocolate chip cookies, well, actually her favorite thing is the cookie dough, but she enjoys the cookies as well. One evening we were in the truck, taking them home and I asked her what kind of cake she wanted me to make her for her birthday. She didn’t say anything for a minute and Tana told her she didn’t have to have a traditional cake, she could have whatever she wanted. A big ole grin came across her face, “I want a chocolate chip cookie cake and rice krispy treats.” And that’s what she got!

The recipe I used for the cookie cake is the same chocolate chip cookie recipe I use to make cookies for them. It’s a great recipe, and what Tana and I love about it so much is the salty aspect of it. We both love the sweetness of the chocolate and then there’s the salty aspect of it that is like a little party in your mouth. Without further ado, here’s the recipe. Make them, eat them, love them!

Taylor’s Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• Granulated Sugar                               ¾ Cup
• Light Brown Sugar, Packed            ¾ Cup
• Unsalted Butter, softened              2 sticks
• Egg                                                           1
• Vanilla Extract                                   1 Teaspoon
• Flour                                                       2 ¼ Cups
• Baking Soda                                          1 Teaspoon
• Kosher Salt                                           2 Teaspoon (Start with 1, then taste it. Add the second if you want it a little more salty)
• Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Chips   1 – 12 Ounce Package

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer or hand mixer, add the softened butter. Beat it for a minute.
3. Add the granulated sugar and the brown sugar, creaming them with the butter.
4. To this mixture add the egg and the vanilla extract.
5. Gradually add the flour, baking soda and salt. Incorporate this well, scrapping down the sides as well.
6. Fold in the chocolate chips.
7. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
8. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown. Cool slightly and remove from cookie sheet.

If you don’t want to bake all of the dough, it does freeze well. I wrap mine in plastic wrap and form it into a log. Then I wrap it in foil and pop it in the freezer. When you get ready to cook it, all you have to do is slice it and bake it.

Cake before baking

For a cookie cake, I took a 12 inch round pizza pan and lined it with parchment paper and pressed the cookie dough into the pan, making sure it’s even all the way around. It takes about 12 minutes to bake it, and once it’s cool you can moved it to a cake plate or a paper cake round if you have one. (You can find paper cake rounds at Walmart or Michael’s.) After the cookie cake cools, you can decorate it as you want.

Taylor’s cookie cake

Give these cookies a try, I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Rep. Barney Frank, Democrat, Massachusetts

Currently there are only seven members of Congress who qualify as LGBT because they are openly gay, bisexual or lesbian. There are currently no trans members of Congress. Retired member of Congress Barney Frank, though, has stated that he knows of seven closeted members of Congress.

The 73-year-old Frank was the first openly gay member of Congress to enter into a same-sex marriage. He was not the first openly gay member of Congress, though. That distinction goes to the late Representative Gerry Studds who was outed after a scandal involving Congressional pages.

Frank spoke at the Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco where he stated “I’m glad to see so many of you who apparently have attention spans that exceed a tweet.” He went on to praise President Bill Clinton as a “hero of gay rights” even though he signed both Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and the Defense of Marriage Act. At the time, as Frank noted, Clinton was under a lot of pressure to sign those bills. Speaking about DADT, Frank said that “it was the best Clinton could do.

Frank also told the audience, which was around 500, that “being gay in Washington, DC is not easy. He added that he knew of three senators and four representatives who are closeted, but would not name names.

Currently, only Senator Tammy Baldwin and Representatives Jared Polis, David Cicilline, Sean Patrick Maloney, Kyrsten Sinema, Mark Pocan, and Mark Takano have come out of the closet. Many did so long before their careers began.

It is highly suspected that Senator Mark Kirk is either gay or bisexual, and that Senator Lindsay Graham is gay.

Celebrated on May 17 – the 1990 date when the World Health Organization removed homosexuality from its International Classification of Diseases – IDAHO is a call to conscience that the rights of LGBT people around the world remain under attack. For many LGBT communities worldwide, celebrating Gay Pride isn’t an option, or comes with great risk to personal safety and security. Being openly LGBT, in fact, can be an invitation to harassment and abuse, and even death. Here in the U.S., IDAHO can bring back the awareness that sexual orientation and gender identity are not only to be celebrated, but also require us to defend our rights. We can use IDAHO to redouble our commitment to ensure respect, fairness, and equality for LGBT people every where.

More HERE.

The Big Live Comedy Show

Sunday, May 19 at 5 pm PT / 8 pm ET on YouTube.

A live, all-star comedy variety show kicks off YouTube Comedy Week with a global livestream on Sunday, May 19 at 5 pm PT / 8 pm ET.
Click HERE for direct link.

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The English Teacher

Director: Craig Zisk Stars: Lily Collins, Julianne Moore, Greg Kinnear

Released 05/17/2013. Running time 1 hr. Teacher Linda Sinclair (Julianne Moore) balances her staid home life with an incredible passion for her subject, but her routine is forever altered when a former star pupil and his unsupportive father reenter her life. Go-to television director Craig Zisk, whose credits include Scrubs, Weeds and United States of Tara, takes a turn on the big screen with this insightful comedy about self-discovery co-starring Greg Kinnear, Nathan Lane, Michael Angarano and Lily Collins.

Helloooo…Ronnie!

{Editor’s Note: This being the 52nd edition of CHL and there being 52 wks in a yr, today is the 1 yr. anniv. of CHL! To celebrate we are giving you a two-fer! First…Miss Veronica Lodge.}

According to Wikipedia:

Veronica Lodge (first appearance Pep Comics #26, April 1942) is a fictional character in the Archie Comics books series.

Fictional history and character

She is called both by her name Veronica and her nickname Ronnie. Bob Montana, creator of the original Archie characters, knew the Lodges, because he had once painted a mural for them. Montana combined that name with actress Veronica Lake to create the character of Veronica Lodge. Her character was added just months after Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, and Jughead Jones debuted, and just a few months before Reggie Mantle debuted.

Veronica is the only child of Hiram Lodge, the richest man in Riverdale, and his wife Hermione Lodge. She is tall, slender and attractive with long black hair. Veronica favors expensive, up-to-the-minute fashion. In some comics, Mr. Lodge claimed that he moved his family to Riverdale in order to avoid Veronica becoming spoiled, like many of the children he knew and grew up with. His plan did not succeed as well as he had hoped. Veronica is often seen going on spending sprees and pretty much shopping until she drops and burning major credit cards in the process. (Once she bought out an entire shoe store to prevent any other girl from buying a pair of shoes that she herself wanted!) At times, Veronica’s vain and conceited attitude infuriates her father to the point that he has to somehow “teach her a lesson” and Veronica is forced to get a job of some kind or loses access to Archie.

In the earliest Archie Comics, there were a few different ‘Veronica origin’ stories. In her debut story, in Pep #26, April 1942, Veronica was referred to as a ‘sub-debutante’, daughter of ‘Money Bags’ Lodge of Beacon Hill, who had just come to live in Riverdale. In Pep #31, September 1942, Veronica was revealed to have lived in Boston before coming to Riverdale. Her father Burton K. Lodge was introduced as a ‘big shot Boston politician’.

Archie Comics #1

In Archie Comics #1, Winter 1942, we are shown another version of the history of Veronica’s coming to live in Riverdale. In this story, Veronica was referred to as ‘the elusive sub-deb’ and ‘that girl from New York‘. Archie had never met this ‘society dame’, but kept daydreaming about her, and wrote letters to her he never sent. Archie wrote to her asking her to a dance in Riverdale, and the letter got sent accidentally; he really wanted to ask Betty Cooper, and was only daydreaming. Even after he realized he had sent the letter, he did not think she would really come. Veronica accepted the invitation, thinking that a dance would be fun. At the time she apparently lived in New York with her mother, and she begged Mrs Lodge to let her go to the Riverdale dance. Archie struggled trying to keep his dates with both girls, thus beginning their love triangle.

Veronica was ranked 87th in Comics Buyer’s Guide‘s “100 Sexiest Women in Comics” list.

Lifestyle and relationships

Veronica enjoys a very posh lifestyle, as her family is among the richest people in the world. She nevertheless chooses to hang out with her less affluent friends, in part to try to win the love of Archie Andrews, whom she nicknames “Archiekins”. Her level of interest in him varies, however. Mr. Lodge often has nightmares that Veronica and Archie will marry. In 2009, Archie Comics published a storyline that followed this possible future.

Veronica’s best friend (and sometimes arch-rival) is Betty Cooper, and the two enjoy countless activities and interests. However, they are also at constant competition for Archie’s affections. Veronica is famously jealous of Betty, and will go to any length to steal anything that is important or a triumph for Betty, even if she (Veronica) did not want it in the first place. If Betty has a date with a new boy, Veronica will let her have Archie for a brief time, so that she can steal the date. If Betty is praised for some achievement, Veronica will do anything to ruin it for her. In one story, she gave Betty fruit juice containing strawberry (which Betty is allergic to), so that Veronica can steal her modelling job. Veronica’s schemes to beat Betty usually tend to backfire on herself.

Her other friends include Ethel Muggs, Midge Klump and Nancy Woods, and they all enjoy having slumber parties and shopping at the mall together. Aside from Archie, Veronica frequently dates Reggie Mantle, who has the wealth and possessions her father appreciates, as well as a narcissism that rivals hers.

Periodically, she can be extremely snobbish, and she will look down on those less fortunate than herself, or sees herself as the rules of common society don’t apply to her, which causes her friends to be upset with her. During those times, she derisively refers to the public at large as “the common horde”. At other times, when she can be snobbish, her father will punish her with having her credit cards confiscated.

Reggie Mantle

In a five-part story, she openly sides with Reggie, and (at least in this story) acts as thoroughly obnoxious as he. He began with framing Archie for breakage at her home; also causing some messes at school, all the while, framing Archie for the damage. One prank led to a tussle with Betty Cooper, who thrashed him for beating her up (she was helping Archie with cleaning a store room, and Reggie mistook her for Archie) which led Veronica to scold Betty for being unladylike and nearly ruining “Reggie’s aristocratic profile”. The prank war ultimately was topped off with Reggie dressing as Dracula and trying to scare his rival. Eventually, she finally realized that Reggie was going way too far and berated herself for having supported him. Archie eventually wound up getting the last laugh when Jughead takes the rotor out of Reggie’s car, which stranded the two troublemakers. However, a couple of policemen found them, and as Reggie was in his Dracula costume, this led to Veronica and Reggie getting teased. Veronica was so embarrassed with this that when one of the policemen asked her, “Hey, lady, do you have punctures in your neck?”, she replied in an angry and humiliated tone, “No, but I have a big hole in my head!”

Though a girl as popular as Veronica can have her choice of dates, she will drop any boy, including Reggie, if she sees Betty with Archie. Veronica is often seen scheming to get Archie from Betty whenever she spots the two dating. Usually she is victorious, but occasionally Betty manages to successfully take revenge on her. Also, Archie occasionally has stood up to Veronica and stuck with Betty.

Her relationship with Jughead Jones is less friendly. They constantly argue and are critical of each other’s lifestyles. She cannot stand his laid-back attitude and witticisms, and he considers her an uncaring snob and enjoys arousing her temper. Jughead, unlike the other boys, refuses to give Veronica any special treatment for her beauty and social position, and enjoys flouting her and supporting Betty in her rivalry with Veronica. However, Jughead and Veronica usually manage to stand being around each other for Archie’s sake.

Veronica, being the only child of her wealthy parents, is outrageously spoiled and indulged by her family. Her father, Mr Lodge, loves her dearly, and even though he frequently loses his temper with her frivolity, spendthrift nature and choice of boyfriends, he can never refuse when Veronica asks him for something. Mr Lodge does not consider most of the local boys worthy of his only daughter.

Interests and personality

Sometimes good-hearted, sometimes spoiled and vain, the fashion-conscious Lodge stars the Archie spin-offs Betty And Veronica Magazine and Betty and Veronica Spectacular, as well as her own title, Veronica. Her foibles are commonly featured in stories. When upset, she has a furious temper, which it is unwise to arouse. She is an impulsive shopper who cannot go long without buying clothes, and is often addicted to gossip, which sometimes angers Betty. Though commonly a cheerleader, her sports abilities vary from superior to nonexistent, and she lacks domestic talents and many other skills that Betty has mastered. In fact, her cooking skills are so notoriously poor that the other characters literally fear for their lives when she tries to prepare a meal. Veronica is a scuba diver, wearing a red shorty wetsuit, breathing with a scuba tank she carries on her back, and wears red fins on her feet, but swims underwater. Several stories also portray Veronica as an expert at billiards, the reason being that her family owns a pool table, and she’s been playing since she was a child.

At various times, she will take an ordinarily common situation (for example being Most Popular in the yearbook) and make it into a full blown out situation aimed at increasing her ego, or to shame or humiliate her target (most often that target being Betty)…

Her best school subject is economics, and it is implied that she will eventually take over her father’s business. She also takes every chance to work as a fashion model.

By the 1960s, Betty and Veronica, joined Archie’s band, The Archies. Betty plays the tambourine, Veronica plays the organ, and both sing accompaniment.

In the 2000s, Veronica appeared a few times as Powerteen — a comic book character created by Chuck Clayton. She also enjoys traveling to exotic places, which was the basis for Veronica’s Passport.

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CBS looked at two particular sets of correspondences between National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes and State Department Spokeswoman Victora Nuland.

According to CBS, the Republicans released a version of Rhodes’ email which reads “We must make sure that the talking points reflect all agency equities, including those of the State Department, and we don’t want to undermine the FBI investigation.”

What he actually said was “We need to resolve this in a way that respects all of the relevant equities, particularly the investigation.”

According to the GOP version of Nuland’s email, she said “The penultimate point is a paragraph talking about all the previous warnings provided by the Agency (CIA) about al-Qaeda’s presence and activities of al-Qaeda.”

She actually said “The penultimate point could be abused by members to beat the State Department for not paying attention to Agency warnings.”

The White House Benghazi emails appear to have been deliberately altered in order to create more scandal and try to harm both Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama. This is largely suspected because the Republicans’ interim report on the Benghazi emails contains the correct versions.

According to Mother Jones:

In that April interim report on Benghazi (which Buck noted), the House Republicans cited these emails (in footnotes 56 and 57) to note an important point: “State Department emails reveal senior officials had ‘serious concerns’ about the talking points, because Members of Congress might attack the State Department for ‘not paying attention to Agency warnings’ about the growing threat in Benghazi.”

Not only have the Republicans apparently been deliberately altering the contents of the email, but they may be in for a bit of a shock in that Ambassador Chris Stevens twice rejected increased military support for the Benghazi consulate and for the entire mission in Libya. Stevens was known for preferring access for others to safety.

General Carter Ham twice offered Stevens more security, but he rejected the offer both times. It has been speculated that he may have done so due to concerns over having too many US military on the ground in Libya.

This latest incident involves an Army sergeant first class who was assigned to a sexual assault prevention program at Fort Hood. He is being investigated for alleged sexual assault, pandering, abusive sexual contact and maltreatment of subordinates.

A Defense Department official stated that there are indications that are been forced into prostitution, but the investigation is just beginning and no conclusions can be drawn yet. The sergeant has not been named.

The allegations surface as the military is under intense scrutiny for sexual assaults within its ranks including the number of service members who were sexually assaulted rose over the last two years. These cases come as the military moves to open combat roles to women for the first time in United States military history.

Former Marine Captain Anu Bhagwati, the Executive Director for Service Women’s Action Network, stated “It is abundantly clear that the military cannot adequately handle its sexual violence crisis from within. It is a crying shame that senior enlisted leaders and senior officers who have been tasked to prevent and respond to sexual assault and sexual harassment are themselves predators. If military culture is to transform in any meaningful way, we need to break down the doors of silence and make sure our troops who are harmed have access to the same legal remedies as all civilians whom they protect and defend. We can start by ensuring that military crimes are no longer handled by commanding officers, but rather by impartial attorneys and judges. ”

Representative Nikki Tsongas, who has been one of the leaders on reigning in military sexual assaults, stated “This news is utterly abhorrent. It has become painfully evident that saying the military has a cultural problem in regard to sexual assault and sexual misconduct, is a glaring understatement.”

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand added to those angry over this latest revelation and said “To say this report is disturbing would be a gross understatement. For the second time in a week we are seeing someone who is supposed to be preventing sexual assault being investigated for committing that very act.”

The issue is not just about women. Of the 19,300 troops victimized in 2010 by sexual assault, 10,700 were men.

George Little, the spokesman for Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, stated “I cannot convey strongly enough his frustration, anger and disappointment over these troubling allegations and the breakdown in discipline and standards they imply.” Hagel has ordered that all service members working in the sexual assault prevention units be retrained and rescreened.

One of the couples going on this trip.

Reverend Allyson Robinson, Army veteran and OutServe-SLDN Executive Director, announced that the organization would be an official sponsor for the “C-Bus of Love”that is being organized to bring same-sex couples from across the United States to Washington DC in order to get married this June. DC is one of the places where same-sex marriage is currently legal.

The twenty-five couples hail from Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia will ride the “C-Bus of Love” where they will take their marriage vows in front of the United States Supreme Court. The idea was initiated by two of the plaintiffs in a case taking on The Defense of Marriage Act- Army Major Stephen Snyder-Hill and his husband Joshua.

Joshua Snyder-Hill stated “Stephen and I had the great privilege of being married in Washington, DC two years ago after the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Repeal Act was passed by the Congress, and we wanted to be able to give this unique gift to other committed and loving couples from states where the freedom to marry is not yet recognized. We are especially thrilled that we will be able to do it in front of the Supreme Court during the same month in which the Court may very well strike down DOMA once and for all.”

The trip will begin on 21 June, and is fully funded through private donations. The intent is that they get to DC, get married, and return to Columbus in order to celebrate that city’s Pride Weekend.

Robinson stated “This is a remarkable act of love and commitment on the part of these couples that illustrates just how ridiculous this cobbled-together, two-tiered system of marriage that has developed in our country really is. No committed and loving couple should have to go to these lengths in order to be married to one another, and OutServe-SLDN is proud to stand with them – and indeed ride alongside them – on this journey to full equality.”

According to Gallup, the view has been unstable, but has been leaning towards it being innate (genetic or in utero hormones) beginning around 2006. A plurality of most subgroups that they polled found that nearly all subgroups hold the view that homosexuality is innate. The exceptions are Republicans, conservativies, and weekly church attenders.

The poll also found other positive trends for LGBT Americans:

Sixty-five percent of Americans believe gay or lesbian relations between consenting adults should be legal, numerically the highest Gallup has measured by one percentage point, but not materially different from what Gallup has measured for the past three years. From 1986-1988, only about one-third of Americans thought gay and lesbian relations should be legal.

Americans’ support for legal gay marriage has solidified above 50%.

Americans are much more likely to say they personally have become more accepting of gays and lesbians in the past few years (36%) than to say they have become less accepting (7%). The majority, 57%, say their views have not changed.

Currently, 75% of Americans say they have a friend, relative, or coworker who has revealed to them that he or she is gay. That is up from 58% in a 2009 Gallup poll, 37% in a 1998 Harris poll, and 24% in a 1985 Los Angeles Times poll.

Well, times are changing. Unfortunately, until the Republicans catch up with the fact that the times are changing, it will be difficult for the laws to change.