Watch Game of Thrones Season 2 Episode 4 Online

The battle has begun as the Game of Thrones Season 2 has finally arrived. And this coming April 22, 2012 another forwarding episode will be aired as the Game of Thrones Season 2 Episode 4 will start to blow our small screens. This next forwarding episode will be entitled “Garden of Bones”. Anyway I know that you are getting excited to watch Game of Thrones Season 2 Episode 4 “Garden of Bones” online, but before anything else let’s have some short recap first on what was the last happening on the last episode.

On the last episode, entitled “What Is Dead May Never Die”, we have seen that at the Red Keep, Tyrion plots three alliances through the promise of marriage. Catelyn arrives in the Stormlands to forge an alliance of her own. But King Renly, his new wife Margaery and her brother Loras Tyrell have other plans. At Winterfell, Luwin tries to decipher Bran’s dreams. That was exciting isn’t it? Have you watched it? Well, if you did, I know that you’re willed in this episode, and I am certain that you’re getting excited to watch this upcoming episode. 

And this coming 22nd day of April, be sure to watch Game of Thrones Season 2 Episode 4 Online and witness as another battle and wind turning scenes will be seen. Watch this upcoming episode and witness that Joffrey punishes Sansa for Robb’s victories, while Tyrion and Bronn scramble to temper the king’s cruelty. Catelyn entreats Stannis and Renly to forego their ambitions and unite against the Lannisters. Dany and her exhausted khalasar arrive at the gates of Qarth, a prosperous city with strong walls and rulers who greet her outside them. Tyrion coerces a queen’s man into being his eyes and ears. Arya and Gendry are taken to Harrenhal, where their lives rest in the hands of “The Mountain,” Gregor Clegane. Davos must revert to his old ways and smuggle Melisandre into a secret cove. 

Oh, this sounds so good isn’t it? It seems that this is really a good indication that this episode will be a moving one. If you really want to know what will be the outcome of this episode, be sure to supervised and watch Game of Thrones Season 2 Episode 4. This is going to be exciting, so be sure to watch it online.

Bones 7.9: Tabitha's Salon

Tabatha Coffey is well known to viewers of Bravo's Tabatha's Salon Takeover - she'd make a good murderess.   So would've Tabitha, also in a hair salon, on tonight's Bones 7.9.  But she turned out to be no murderess, either.

But the show turned out to be pretty excellent nonetheless, with blue birds - not really blue birds, but birds with an artificial blue hue - falling from the sky, like Hitchcock's The Birds meets the flying dead, plus some good shots at academic publishing courtesy of Poorab almost getting a paper in a journal, and even a lawyer named Tess Levinson (no relation, as far as I know).

But the best part of the hour, as it's been the past few weeks, is Booth and Bones and their lives together with Christine.   Bones is a little uncomfortable with the clothes that don't quite fit after her pregnancy.   Sweets tells Booth to buy Bones some lingerie, and we get some fine lines in the lingerie shop as Booth decides what to buy (I resisted calling this review "Mangos").  Back home after the case is solved, Bones likes the lingerie, is about to take it upstairs with Booth and some ice cream, when Christine starts crying.  The joys of new parenting ... but the truth is, it's all good, and there'll be time after Christine goes back to sleep.

Bones is not only more relaxed at home, but she's more humane on the job.  She gives Poorab a heartfelt talking to about his needing to touch the bones and not rely just on computers, and not needing to pursue scholarly fame, just do his job as best he can.

But I have a feeling, in this unique blend of so many good themes that Bones has become, that it will be famous for a long time.

See also Bones 7.1: Almost Home Sweet Home ... Bones 7.2: The New Kid and the Fluke ... Bones 7.3: Lance Bond and Prince Charmington ... Bones 7.4: The Tush on the Xerox ... Bones 7.5: Sexy Vehicle ... Bones 7.6: The Reassembler ... Bones 7.7: Baby! ... Bones 7.8: Parents

And see also Bones 6.1: The Linchpin ... Bones 6.2: Hannah and her Prospects ... Bones 6.3 at the Jersey Shore, Yo, and Plymouth Rock ... Bones 6.4 Sans Hannah ... Bones 6.5: Shot and Pretty ... Bones 6.6: Accidental Relations ... Bones 6.7:  Newman and "Death by Chocolate" ... Bones 6.8: Melted Bones ... Bones 6.9: Adelbert Ames, Jr. ... Bones 6.10: Reflections ... Bones 6.11: The End and the Beginning of a Mystery ... Bones 6.12 Meets Big Love ... Bones 6.13: The Marrying Kind ... Bones 6.14: Bones' Acting Ability ... Bones 6.15: "Lunch for the Palin Family" ... Bones 6.16: Stuck in an Elevator, Stuck in Times ... Bones 6.17: The 8th Pair of Feet ... Bones 6.18: The Wile E. Chupacabra ... Bones 6.19 Test Runs The Finder ... Bones 6.20: This Very Statement is a Lie ... Bones 6.21: Sensitive Bones ... Bones 6.22: Phoenix Love ... Bones Season 6 Finale: Beautiful

And see also Bones: Hilarity and Crime and Bones is Back For Season 5: What Is Love? and 5.2: Anonymous Donors and Pipes and 5.3: Bones in Amish Country and 5.4: Bones Meets Peyton Place and Desperate Housewives and Ancient Bones 5.5 and Bones 5.6: A Chicken in Every Viewer's Pot and Psychological Bones 5.7 and Bones 5.8: Booth's "Pops" and Bones 5.9 Meets Avatar and Videogamers ... Bad Santa, Heart-Warming Bones 5.10 ... Bones 5.11: Of UFOs, Bloggers, and Triangles ... Bones 5.12: A Famous Skeleton and Angela's Baby ... Love with Teeth on Bones 5.13 ... Faith vs. Science vs. Psychology in Bones 5.14 ... Page 187 in Bones 5.15 ... Bones 100: Two Deep Kisses and One Wild Relationship ... Bones 5.17: The Deadly Stars ... Bones Under Water in 5.18 ... Bones 5.19: Ergo Together ...  Bones 5.20: Ergo Together ...  Bones 5.21: The Rarity of Happy Endings ... Bones Season 5 Finale: Eye and Evolution





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The Plot to Save Socrates


"challenging fun" - Entertainment Weekly

"a Da Vinci-esque thriller" - New York Daily News

"Sierra Waters is sexy as hell" - curled up with a good book



Enjoy listening to audio books? Get a free audio book copy of The Plot to Save Socrates - or any one of 85,000 other titles - with a 14-day trial membership at Audible.com ...

Evening View - Bottle Service

Tonight Dr. Jeff and I took in the Miss Ritchfield 1981 show at The Out NYC, Manhattan's new and posh gay hotel/nightclub complex with a terrible, terrible name. The show was a riot. We passed on the bottle service.

Game of Thrones Season 2: Episode 4 Preview



Sunday seems so far away. . .

Game of Thrones Season 2: Episode 4 Preview



Sunday seems so far away. . .

Promo do episódio 2x04 "Garden of Bones"

A HBO divulgou o vídeo promocional do próximo episódio de "Game of Thrones", intitulado Garden of Bones ("Jardim dos Ossos"), que será exibido domingo, 22/04. Assista:

You've got to see this

I've already posted it on Twitter (you're welcome to follow me), but wanted to share it here.  This is maybe the coolest thing I've ever seen at a ballgame.  It was opening night in Seattle.  The Mariners have a feature between innings where a youngster gets to run out and take second base.  Watch what happens.

Thanks again to everyone who showed up at the meet-and-greet.  The over-under from my Mariners broadcast crew on just how many people would actually attend was 2.  So we went way over that.  It was a great time and so nice to meet my readers face-to-face.  Interestingly, no one introduced themselves as Anonymous.   Based on the success of this I'll try to organize more, including one in Los Angeles. 

Herman the Merman


Why are there no stories about Mermen? Oh yeah, the male body is just awful.


19 days...

Significators | How to choose 'em | Part 1

I don't care how nice your hat is, there's
nothing for you here, Sonny.
Keep walking....
One of the most popular ways to establish a Significator for your sitter is to ask them what their Birth Sign is (or Sun Sign) because, heck, even the Blackest Doubter knows their Sun Sign.

Back in the day, the 12 astrological signs were allocated by the Great and The Good (or at least the Heavily Robed) to the Court Cards.

What's that I hear you say? There are 16 Court Cards and only 12 Astrological signs (13 if you count the 'new' sign of Ophiuchus).  Well, it was decided (probably by Committee - and you know how THAT tends to turn out) that you could get around this anomally by leaving the Pages out of the equation all together.


The reasons for this are complicated and, dare I say, contrived? Basically, the Pages don't get any astrological real-estate because they are too young and immature. Now, I don't know about you, but that all sounds to me like trying to ram a square peg into a round hole by being clever enough to cut the corners off using lots of Esoteric fancy footwork.

Or maybe I'm just not smart enough to 'get' it yet.  Tarot is, after all, a never-ending learning process and I know I've still got a very long way to go. *hopes that the Golden Dawners don't take out a Fatwah against me face*

Aaaaanyway, just take my word for it - the Pages aren't included in the Astrology/Tarot system.

So what does that leave us with? Four types of sign - Earth, Air, Fire and Water... and four Tarot suits. And three astrological signs in each category to accord with the three *cough* Court Cards in each suit!

Just a quick reminder:

Wands = Fire
Swords = Air
Cups = Water
Pentacles = Earth

Some people switch Swords and Wands associations around though. And just to confuse matters, the Astrological signs are allocated in different ways according to different decks.  Here is a handy set for you to refer to:

King of Wands - Aries
Queen of Wands - Leo
Knight of Wands - Sagittarius

King of Swords - Gemini
Queen of Swords - Libra
Knight of Swords - Aquarius

King of Cups - Cancer
Queen of Cups - Scorpio
Knight of Cups - Pisces

King of Pentacles - Taurus
Queen of Pentacles - Virgo
Knight of Pentacles - Capricorn

You might not agree with these associations -  Maybe you think that The King of Wands is Sagittarius and the Knight is Aries? I'd love to hear how you allocate them.

The key thing is - find something that works FOR YOU and stick with it!

I'd love to know what advantages or disadvantages you can see with this particular method of selecting a Significator.

And just WAIT till you see how the Golden Dawn allocates them.... :-)

About That Liberal War On Women....

According to a just-published CNN poll, Obama has only a three point lead among male voters. But among women he leads Romney by a whopping 16 points.

Ted Nugent For Mitt Romney

"If you don't know that our government is wiping its ass with the Constitution, then you've been living under a rock somewhere."

Kings of the Morning


I couldn't wait to discover how Paul Kearney would bring The Macht trilogy to a close. Both The Ten Thousand and Corvus had set the stage for an unforgettable finale, and the author didn't disappoint! Kings of the Morning closes the show with a bang and opens the door for more sequels. A veritable master of military fantasy, Kearney's The Macht trilogy is one of the very best SFF series of the new millennium.

Here's the blurb:

For the first time in recorded history, the ferocious city-states of the Macht now acknowledge a single man as their overlord. Corvus, the strange and brilliant boy-general, is now High King, having united his people in a fearsome, bloody series of battles and sieges. He is not yet thirty years old. A generation ago, ten thousand of the Macht marched into the heart of the ancient Asurian Empire, and fought their way back out again, passing into legend. Corvus’s father was one of those who undertook that march, and his most trusted general, Rictus, was leader of those ten thousand. But he intends to do more. The preparations will take years, but when they are complete, Corvus will lead an invasion the like of which the world of Kuf has never seen. Under him, the Macht will undertake nothing less than the overthrow of the entire Asurian Empire.

Kings of Morning is the thrilling conclusion to Paul Kearney's Macht trilogy
.

Once again, this novel is dark and gritty military fantasy at its best. And yet, even though Kings of the Morning is at times all about the stark realism of military campaigns, Paul Kearney delivers more than a few poignant and touching moments that demonstrate just how gifted an author he can be.

It's no secret that Kearney has always been known for his brevity. In the past, his books featured minimal worldbuilding that didn't intrude on the storytelling, and the narrative was never bogged down by frustrating info-dumps or long-winded elaborations. And yet, for the first time, I felt that Kings of the Morning would have worked even better had it been longer. Several storylines converge and are brought together, and though the book makes for an incredible reading experience, I feel that it would have benefited from a higher page count. True, Kearney was able to build on the events of both The Ten Thousand and Corvus, which allowed him to flesh out his world and its people to no small degree. But still, just a bit more depth would have made Kings of the Morning the fantasy novel of the year. As was the case with its predecessor, the narrative is written with tight focus, keeping the pace fluid and making Kings of the Morning impossible to put down.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Paul Kearney doesn't get the credit he deserves for his characterization. Once more, the man came up with a disparate yet amazing cast of characters for this one. Much like in Corvus, there is also a great balance between the various POV sections, with the novel focusing in turn on Rictus, the slave boy Kurun, the Great King Ashurnan, Lady Orsana, and Prince Kouros. Seeing events unfold through the eyes of such different protagonists imbues this book with a human touch that elevates this work far above what is the norm in military fantasy offerings.

I doubted that the author could outdo himself and top Corvus. And yet, he did just that!
Kings of the Morning delivers on all fronts. As is usually Kearney's wont, the book features terrific pace, a grim and stark setting, superb characterization, and bloody and violent battles. Doubtless, Kings of the Morning definitely is Paul Kearney writing at the top of his game.

A brutal and uncompromising, yet surprisingly touching, tale of warfare and conquest written by what could well be the most underrated talent in genre. That's Kings of the Morning in a nutshell.

Paul Kearney has written one of the fantasy novels to read this year. Kings of the Morning is a sure candidate for the best fantasy book of 2012!

Along with C. S. Friedman's the Magister trilogy and R. Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing, Paul Kearney's The Macht trilogy can stand tall as one of the best speculative fiction series to have been published since the turn of the millennium. And like these aforementioned series, Kearney's latest creation remains inexplicably underrated and criminally unread. . .

An awesome conclusion to a superior fantasy series.

The final verdict: 9/10

For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Kings of the Morning


I couldn't wait to discover how Paul Kearney would bring The Macht trilogy to a close. Both The Ten Thousand and Corvus had set the stage for an unforgettable finale, and the author didn't disappoint! Kings of the Morning closes the show with a bang and opens the door for more sequels. A veritable master of military fantasy, Kearney's The Macht trilogy is one of the very best SFF series of the new millennium.

Here's the blurb:

For the first time in recorded history, the ferocious city-states of the Macht now acknowledge a single man as their overlord. Corvus, the strange and brilliant boy-general, is now High King, having united his people in a fearsome, bloody series of battles and sieges. He is not yet thirty years old. A generation ago, ten thousand of the Macht marched into the heart of the ancient Asurian Empire, and fought their way back out again, passing into legend. Corvus’s father was one of those who undertook that march, and his most trusted general, Rictus, was leader of those ten thousand. But he intends to do more. The preparations will take years, but when they are complete, Corvus will lead an invasion the like of which the world of Kuf has never seen. Under him, the Macht will undertake nothing less than the overthrow of the entire Asurian Empire.

Kings of Morning is the thrilling conclusion to Paul Kearney's Macht trilogy
.

Once again, this novel is dark and gritty military fantasy at its best. And yet, even though Kings of the Morning is at times all about the stark realism of military campaigns, Paul Kearney delivers more than a few poignant and touching moments that demonstrate just how gifted an author he can be.

It's no secret that Kearney has always been known for his brevity. In the past, his books featured minimal worldbuilding that didn't intrude on the storytelling, and the narrative was never bogged down by frustrating info-dumps or long-winded elaborations. And yet, for the first time, I felt that Kings of the Morning would have worked even better had it been longer. Several storylines converge and are brought together, and though the book makes for an incredible reading experience, I feel that it would have benefited from a higher page count. True, Kearney was able to build on the events of both The Ten Thousand and Corvus, which allowed him to flesh out his world and its people to no small degree. But still, just a bit more depth would have made Kings of the Morning the fantasy novel of the year. As was the case with its predecessor, the narrative is written with tight focus, keeping the pace fluid and making Kings of the Morning impossible to put down.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Paul Kearney doesn't get the credit he deserves for his characterization. Once more, the man came up with a disparate yet amazing cast of characters for this one. Much like in Corvus, there is also a great balance between the various POV sections, with the novel focusing in turn on Rictus, the slave boy Kurun, the Great King Ashurnan, Lady Orsana, and Prince Kouros. Seeing events unfold through the eyes of such different protagonists imbues this book with a human touch that elevates this work far above what is the norm in military fantasy offerings.

I doubted that the author could outdo himself and top Corvus. And yet, he did just that!
Kings of the Morning delivers on all fronts. As is usually Kearney's wont, the book features terrific pace, a grim and stark setting, superb characterization, and bloody and violent battles. Doubtless, Kings of the Morning definitely is Paul Kearney writing at the top of his game.

A brutal and uncompromising, yet surprisingly touching, tale of warfare and conquest written by what could well be the most underrated talent in genre. That's Kings of the Morning in a nutshell.

Paul Kearney has written one of the fantasy novels to read this year. Kings of the Morning is a sure candidate for the best fantasy book of 2012!

Along with C. S. Friedman's the Magister trilogy and R. Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing, Paul Kearney's The Macht trilogy can stand tall as one of the best speculative fiction series to have been published since the turn of the millennium. And like these aforementioned series, Kearney's latest creation remains inexplicably underrated and criminally unread. . .

An awesome conclusion to a superior fantasy series.

The final verdict: 9/10

For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Activists Slam Obama Over Rejection Of Employment Non-Discrim Order

Michelangelo Signorile reports at HuffPo:
Two prominent LGBT activists slammed President Obama for refusing to sign an Executive Order "at this time" barring federal contractors from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Tico Almeida, president of Freedom to Work, was among the LGBT activists in a White House meeting with senior advisor Valerie Jarrett earlier in the week who were told the order would not be signed. He said the White House rationale was “weak,” “shallow,” “unpersuasive” and “embarrassing.” Paul Yandura, a gay former Clinton White House aide and a Democratic strategist, criticized some gay leaders in addition to the president, saying that groups like the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF), “weren’t advocating on our behalf.”
Via Towleroad: Almeida talks to CurrentTV host Eliot Spitzer about his disappointment.

Crackpot "Ex-Gay" Leader Dies

Dean Byrd, former president of the discredited anti-gay NARTH (National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality), has died at the age of 64.
Byrd was the foremost proponent of the so-called reparative therapy among Mormons. In a post on the group’s website on his death, NARTH called him, “a true clinical pioneer paving the way for many others in the treatment of unwanted homosexual attractions. He had been a member of the NARTH Board of Directors for more than a decade and made a tremendous contribution to the early work in establishing NARTH as a reliable scientific and research organization.”

Review - Episódios 2x01 "The North Remembers" & 2x02 "The Night Lands"


Uma princesa imune a fogo, uma mãe imune a adagas, uma sacerdotisa imune a veneno, e uma rainha imune à razão; qual delas devemos temer?

Enfim “Game of Thrones” está de volta, e a julgar pelos dois primeiros episódios, essa segunda temporada tem tudo para ser ainda melhor que a primeira. Tudo bem que pouca coisa realmente relevante tenha acontecido, mas esse começo de temporada estabeleceu direitinho a posição de cada jogador, além de introduzir novos, que podem ainda não ter mostrado a que vieram, mas sem dúvida não estão ali à toa.

O plot central dessa temporada é a instabilidade política que se estabeleceu em Westeros após a morte do rei Robert. Como bem disse Catelyn, “há um rei em cada canto agora”, e todos estão dispostos a ir onde quer que seja para conquistar o poder. Joffrey, filho (i)legítimo de Robert, está sentado no Trono de Ferro, enquanto sua mãe Cersei tenta a todo custo colocar algum juízo na cabeça do imaturo rei – sem muito sucesso, afinal Cersei é uma mulher extremamente forte e com grande talento para política, mas sem controle nenhum sobre o próprio filho. Isso fica claro quando descobrimos que o terrível massacre aos bastardos de Robert, mostrado ao final do primeiro episódio, foi obra não dela, mas sim de Joffrey.

Quem também tenta colocar ordem no governo de Joffrey é Tyrion, que agora é a Mão do Rei. Mas ao contrário de Ned, o anão conhece bem as regras do jogo, e não medirá esforços para pôr ordem na situação – e seu primeiro grande movimento é demitir o comandante da Patrulha da Cidade (sem o conhecimento de Cersei ou Joffrey, claro) e colocar seu escudeiro Bronn no lugar. É impossível não elogiar o trabalho de Peter Dinklage, que apesar do forçado sotaque britânico, é um excelente intérprete, digno dos prêmios que recebeu. Lena Headey, que interpreta Cersei, também está surpreendendo, e as cenas dos dois são um show à parte. E como outras reviews pela net já notaram, Peter agora é o primeiro nome nos créditos de abertura, uma “promoção” mais do que merecida!

Enquanto isso, Robb Stark reúne seus exércitos do Norte com a missão de obter o controle da região. Mas ao contrário dos outros reis, ele tenta conseguir o poder não apenas com batalhas, mas também alianças – e, para tanto, envia sua mãe Catelyn para Ponta Tempestade, a fim de tentar uma aliança com Renly, irmão mais novo de Robert; e Theon para as Ilhas de Ferro, para conseguir o apoio de seu pai, Balon. Ainda não sabemos o resultado da viagem de Cat, mas a de Theon não foi bem sucedida; ao invés de se aliar a Robb, Balon decide lutar ele mesmo pelo poder, e mais um rei entra no conflito. É bom ver Theon ganhando mais espaço na trama, assim podemos conhecer mais da história e das motivações do garoto.

Esse começo de temporada também nos apresentou Stannis Baratheon, outro irmão de Robert e, segundo Ned Stark, herdeiro legítimo do Trono de Ferro. Pelo que vimos até agora, Stannis é um homem forte e com espírito de liderança, mas que se deixa manipular por Melisandre, uma sacerdotisa que quer converter todos à sua religião com algum propósito ainda desconhecido (uma clara alegoria às religiões que pregam a existência de um Deus único, ao contrário de outras como o catolicismo, que acreditam na existência de várias divindades, ou santos). Mas Stannis também tem a seu lado Davos Seaworth, um ex-contrabandista que tem uma dívida de gratidão com o rei, e não deixará que ele seja manipulado tão facilmente. Só não sabemos ainda se ele vai conseguir, afinal, como vimos no final do segundo episódio, Melisandre tem “outras táticas” para controlar um homem.

Mas enquanto novos personagens se apresentam, alguns dos antigos ainda não tem muito que fazer. Que o digam Daenerys (que está perdida no deserto, vendo seu khalasar diminuir a cada dia), Jon (que conheceu o selvagem Craster, que parece guardar mais segredos além de se relacionar com as próprias filhas), e Arya (que continua em seu caminho para Winterfell, e agora tem como aliado Gendry, o filho bastardo de Robert. Mas será que ela pode confiar mesmo nele?). Vamos ver como essas histórias se desenvolverão no futuro, e a importância delas na trama central.

Mesmo assim, estou gostando da forma como essa segunda temporada de “Game of Thrones” está guiando sua história, dando o devido espaço para cada personagem. As peças continuam se movendo no tabuleiro, e o jogo toma contornos cada vez mais perigosos. E, como já se sabe, quando se joga o jogo dos tronos, ganha-se ou morre.

NEW YORK: Another Loss For NOM

Remember how NOM poured buckets of cash into the New York Senate campaign of Brooklyn businessman David Storobin? Remember how NOM buddied up to an Orthodox Jewish hate group in order to have them issue an order that it's against Torah law to vote for marriage supporter Lew Fidler? Remember how the election was so close that both sides are suing over rejected ballots? Well, it was all a waste of your time and money, Ms. Brownshirt.
Political insiders say the state Senate’s 2012 session is scheduled to end in June, possibly before the city declares a winner in the ongoing slugfest between Councilman Lew Fidler (D–Marine Park) and Republican David Storobin for Kruger’s vacant seat — meaning that whoever wins will not be able to cast a single vote before his district is eliminated at the end of the year. “I don’t think the election will be settled before June 30,” said former Bensonhurst state Sen. Seymour Lachman, the current director of the Hugh L. Carey Center for Government Reform at Wagner College in Staten Island.

Fail Of The Day: Herman Cain's Rally

Via David Weigel at Slate.

Hating Breitbart, The Movie

Tea Party Patriots Declare From Podium: "We Will Not Be Silenced By Faggots"


The Tea Party rally I mentioned early this morning was a lot rowdier than even that story suggested. Visit Scott Wooledge's exhaustive report at Daily Kos for more. One charming highlight came when the speaker at the podium shouted, "We will not be silenced by FAGGOTS!" It also looks like there will be an investigation in the above Boston police officer.
The department was criticized after photographs circulated online that appear to depict a city officer with his right hand around the throat of a man at the protest. The man is wearing a bandanna that covers the lower part of his face. Both of his hands are at his own waist, holding a pink wig. Elaine Driscoll, a spokeswoman for the Boston Police Department, said that the photographs, which were posted to the picture-sharing website Flickr, appeared to be from the Common, when protesters rushed the stage at the Tea Party event, which had a permit. “The aggressive nature of these individuals required officers to call for numerous additional units to respond. The department supports the arrests made by the officers today,” Driscoll said in an e-mail. “As a matter of routine procedure following a day of aggressive protests, the department will review all of the activity that took place during the course of the day.”

TODAY: SiriusXM At 4:30PM

Today at 4:30pm I'll be on Michelangelo Signorile's SiriusXM show to talk about some of the latest LGBT-related news items. The gays are on channel 108 and you can listen live online if you sign up for a freebie account. What would be your top five gay news stories this week?

From Last Night's Game Of Thrones

Last night's Game Of Thrones featured a make-out bed scene for Loras and Renly. This clip will likely have a short life on YouTube.

(Tipped by JMG reader Bruce)

Quote Of The Day - Ann Romney

"It was my early birthday present for someone to be critical of me as a mother. That was a really defining moment, and I loved it." - GOP employment and economy adviser Ann Romney, speaking from the construction site of her 11,000 square foot oceanside mansion.

How To Sell Underwear In Australia


(Via Copyranter)

MARYLAND: Openly Gay Cadets Attend Naval Academy LGBT Alumni Event

Gay history was made this weekend. Via USNA Out:
Ninety-four U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) alumni, midshipmen and their guests gathered here Saturday to recognize alumni and midshipmen accomplishments over the last year, commemorating seven months since repeal of the law commonly known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”. Thirty-one midshipmen of all four classes and their guests attended, along with 34 members of USNA Out – the LGBT organization of U.S. Naval Academy alumni. Sixteen of the midshipmen are seniors, who will graduate on May 29 and be the first class at Annapolis to graduate under the new policy that now allows gay, lesbian and bisexual military members to serve without fear of discharge. The new policy became effective in September 2011, a few weeks after classes resumed for the year at the academy.
There are now "more than 40" openly gay cadets attending the Naval Academy. Most are members of USNA Out.

Mittens Vs Obama: Excuses, Excuses

SAUDI ARABIA: Gays And "Tomboys" Banned From Government Schools

According to a report on Emirates 24/7, Saudi Arabia has banned gay boys and "tom boys" from attending government schools and universities.
The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the most feared law enforcement authority in the oil-rich country, has been asked to enforce the new orders, Sharq Arabic language daily said. “Instructions have been issued to all public schools and universities to ban the entry of gays and tom boys and to intensify their efforts to fight this phenomenon, which has been promoted by some websites,” it said. The paper did not make clear who issued those instructions but said gay and tom boy students can go back to schools and universities if they prove they have been corrected and have stopped such practices. It said high-level orders have been issued to the Commission to immediately enforce the new rules and to step up efforts to combat this phenomenon and other “unacceptable behavior” in public places.
More on this as information becomes available...

AL Senate Advances Divorce Bill

A so-called "covenant marriage" bill that restricts the ability to divorce in some cases has advanced out of an Alabama state senate committee.
Sen. Phil Williams, R-Rainbow City, said his bill to create a covenant marriage is designed to decrease Alabama's high divorce rate. Alabama is often ranked near the top in the nation when it comes to divorce. "To me, that's a disturbing trend," Williams said. The bill states for a couple to enter into a covenant marriage they must provide an affidavit stating they've received premarital counseling from a religious leader or a marriage counselor. That counseling must include a discussion of the obligation to seek more counseling in times of marital difficulties and a discussion of the exclusive grounds for terminating a covenant marriage. A spouse could ask a judge to grant a divorce without first seeking counseling if there is proof the other spouse had committed adultery, abused the filing spouse or their children, committed a felony or had left the family home for more than a year and refused to return. Otherwise, counseling is a mandatory step in the process.

A CAN'T-MISS idea for a family sitcom!

Comedy writers are always looking for new twists on family shows. It’s almost an impossible task. Sixty-plus years of television sitcoms have given us seemingly every relationship combination possible. Multiple wives, occasional wives, trophy wives, surrogate fathers, widowed fathers, teenaged fathers, fathers from outer space, arranged marriages, mixed-marriages, May-December marriages, April-June marriages, kids by a previous marriage, kids by a previous divorce, widowed kids, orphaned kids, latch-key kids, test tube babies, talking babies, kids with two dads, two moms, two gays, and whatever the hell that arrangement is on SHAMELESS. Dad moves back in, grandpa moves back in, adult kids move back in, Alf moves in. You get the idea. There's nothing new under the sun. 

Well comedy writers, take heart!  May I introduce you to Jerry Lee Lewis?

Jerry Lee Lewis was a rock star in the early days of rock n’ roll. Some of his big hits were “Whole Lot of Shakin’ Goin’ On”, “Breathless”, and “Great Balls of Fire” (which was also the title of a 1989 movie about him, starring Dennis Quaid). Here’s an example of Jerry Lee in his prime.

He also played the piano with his feet, which of course is the prerequisite of all great musicians.

Anyway, his career hit a little snag when he married his 13-year-old cousin. Why I don't know.  But that was just the first Mrs. Lewis. And here’s where we get into family-pilot-gold –

Recently he married his seventh wife. Her ex-husband is Jerry’s cousin whose sister was Jerry’s first wife.  Now seriously, tell me you've seen that before on ABC.

As always, you're welcome.   

But alas, what happens if you’re not the first four in the door? Once every network buys this sure-fire premise then what? Fear not. Again, dipping into the relationship-rich world of music, I give you Screamin’ Jay Hawkins.

At the time of his death in 2000 it was revealed he had fathered at least 55 children by God knows how many women. I say “at least” because they’re still counting and the number could eventually reach as high as 75.

SCREAMIN’ JAY PLUS 55.

Neither of these stories are made up.  They're both absolutely true.  That's what makes them so great.  And so REAL.  

Get on the phone to your agent. And Paula Marshall.

Madame Secretary Parties Down

Good for her.

AUSTRALIA: Gays Kiss Outside Muslim Protest Of Atheists Convention

While a crowd of Muslims protested outside a Melbourne convention for atheists, JMG reader Gregory kissed his partner as abuse rained down. From his blog:
Michael and I spent the weekend a the Global Atheist Convention, our minds have been stimulated and pushed in all sorts of directions. It was simply brilliant. During the lunch break a small group of Islamic fundamentalist appeared to tell us that we were wrong and atheism is a cancer. The crowd responded with jeers and chants, surrounded the Muslims and engaged in a change of ideas. Security guards circled them creating a small barrier between the two groups. One woman threw herself against the protesters and was jostled away. My partner Michael and I took advantage of the moment to kiss in front of the group. We understand that in some Islamic states gay people are persecuted and executed for their sexuality. It was an ideal opportunity to challenge the notion of acceptance and tolerance. As we began kissing, the Muslims began chanting, "Burn in hell."
Many more photos are in the below video slideshow.

Springfield, Where?

Some fans of The Simpsons say that last night's opening chalkboard gag indicates that Matt Groening is backpedaling on last week's revelation about Springfield's Oregon location.

ONTARIO: Catholic Group Campaigns Against Anti-Bullying Bill

The Ontario Assembly is considering Bill 13, which mandates that schools must organize programs to thwart anti-gay bullying. This has made one Catholic group extremely angry because ordering an anti-bullying campaign is bullying itself.

From the petition campaign launched by Parents As First Educators:
- Bill 13 privileges one group of students (LGBT) over others.
- An anti-bullying bill should treat all students equally.
- We do not believe that equity education should be part of an anti-bullying bill.
- We don't believe equity education has been proven to affect bullying rates.
- We don't support gay-straight alliances (GSAs) in Catholic schools. The imposition of GSAs on Catholic schools IS bullying.
- Bill 13 does not give enough local control to school boards over bullying policies.
- It is unnecessary. Bullying problems will be best solved by mediation between the bully and the the victims, with their families, at the school level. We don't need a new law for that.
Parents As First Educators also warn that anti-bullying campaigns will inevitably include pornographic instruction on gay sex. SRSLY.

Jonny McGovern: #TOTDF

Texting on the dance floor. Don't do it.

SPOILER: ABC's GCB

Stay out of the comments if you've not yet seen last night's episode. Otherwise dive in and dish. And stand by for another outraged press release from One Million Moms.

Ben Cohen In MetroSourceNY

Boy Culture has more photos.

Romney In January: Women Raising Kids Need The Dignity Of Work

Therefore: Ann Romney has no dignity?

Headline Of The Day

Details.

BOSTON: Scott Lively Shouted Down

Join The Impact MA sends us a photo and a press release.
A crowd of approximately 75 tea party activists gathered round the bandstand on the Common to hear speakers representing groups like “Show ID to Vote,” “Newsbusters” and the Mass. Republican Assembly. From the outset about 20 protestors from Join the Impact MA stood along the edge of the surrounding sidewalk quietly holding signs condemning Scott Lively and Brian Camenker for their homophobic advocacy. Just before Lively’s and Camenker’s turns at the podium came, roughly 100 exuberant protestors from the Occupy movement charged onto the scene chanting loudly and waving signs. The din became an uproar as Lively took the microphone. In his speech, Lively blasted conservatives who would minimize the importance of social issues. Then he denounced LGBT rights activists as “fascists” who were intent on destroying civilization. Camenker met with similar pushback as he criticized the work of GLSEN for allegedly promoting homosexual recruitment of public school students—in reference to the group’s efforts to prevent anti-LGBT bullying. Lively and Camenker were loudly booed, and much of their speech-making was drowned out by Occupy chants and “mic check” counterpoint.

Chuck Woolery's Mexican Fence

He's still not funny. He's still a douchebag.

What I Did Before I Was a Writer, Writing Advice, or Maybe Just the Awesomeness of Michael Grant.

It's Sunday night, and as usual, I have no idea what to write here. (Apparently I'm a better novelist than blogger. I have no shortage of novel ideas.) So, I have turned to Twitter for help, and Twitter has delivered in the person of Matt Agius (@LoosedGrunt). He suggested writing about all the jobs I had before I was a writer, which reminded me of Michael Grant.

I spent Thursday and Friday stalking Michael. I met him at Kids Ink Children's Bookstore, followed him to dinner at Binkleys, and sat in on his raucous presentation at Ben Davis High School the next morning. (I also slept in the hall outside his hotel room in the Hyatt, just to listen to him snore, but please don't tell him that. It might be a shade on the wrong side of creepy.)

He's touring to support his latest and best work yet, BZRK. If you like scifi thrillers, buy a copy. Now. It's got a secret war conducted nano-sized predator drones, a dystopia-in-the-making, and a fabulously wealthy, tough-as-titanium heroine bent on avenging her family.


One of the many subjects we discussed was writing advice. My stock answer to "How do I become a better writer" is this: 1) Read a lot, and 2) Write a lot. As it turns out, Michael agrees with me on points one and two but adds a third, which I will henceforth rip off. (And this is the only time I plan to give him credit.) His writing advice is: 1) Read a lot, 2) Write a lot, and 3) Live a lot.

What he means by this is that you have to get out there and do something so you'll have something to write about. Otherwise, all modern novels would be about laptop computers. I'm dying of boredom just thinking about that prospect.

And this brings us around to what I did before I was a writer. As it turns out, Michael Grant and I have a lot in common. We both dropped out of high school, lived overseas, became champion roach killers, and married women smarter and tougher than us. I can certainly see the richness of Michael's life in his novels, and I hope readers can see the same in mine.



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Marco Rubio Gets The Birther Treatment

World Net Daily yesterday told its readers to stop thinking about Marco Rubio for Romney's VP slot. After all, he just as ineligible as Obama is.
The Petition for Naturalization on behalf of Mario Rubio, the senator’s Cuban father, has been retrieved from the National Archives and posted online by the PixelPatriot website, confirming that Marco Rubio was about four years old when his parents became U.S. citizens. Specifically, Mario Rubio was naturalized as an American citizen in 1975, based on the Sept. 9, 1975, date on the petition; Marco Rubio was born in 1971. So why would all this matter insofar as the senator’s eligibility to serve as vice president? The question is whether Rubio is a “natural born citizen” – constitutionally required of all presidents – a unique citizenship status defined by the Founding Fathers, according to many legal experts, as being the offspring of two citizens of the country.

Sunny To Partly Cloudy

Buzzfeed points out lots of cool photos of the sun by "astrophotographer" Alan Friedman.

Alliance Defense Fund: Don't Forget To Abuse Gay Kids This Thursday

And contact the ADF for legal assistance if anybody doesn't want your kid shoving his religion in the faces of unwilling gay students.

Mad Men 5.5: "Ben Hargrove"

Who is Ben Hargrove?  He's the nom de plume - fictitious name - which Ken Cosgrove uses when his science fiction and fantasy stories are published.  We learn this in Mad Men 5.5, one of the best episodes ever in this series.

Hargrove is probably most based on Alfred Bester - who did not write under a pseudonym but whose stories,  like Hargove's, were often about murderous androids or other murdering entities, and like Hargrove's, were interplanetary.   And Bester did work for Holiday Magazine - senior editor, non-science fiction - though, as far as know, no one pressured Bester to give up his science fiction writing, as Roger (unsuccessfully) tries to do with Cosgrove/Hargrove.

Hargrove also bears some resemblance to Isaac Asimov, who occasionally did write under a pseudonym (Paul French),  and may or may not have been encouraged by colleagues at Boston University (where he was Associate Professor of Biochemistry) to write science not just science fiction.  Some of his science fiction did, however, deal with murderous robots and planets, and Asimov also looked a lot like Harry Crane in Crane's earlier years on Mad Men.   (I should mention that I also write about robots and planets, also am a professor - at Fordham - but would never write under a pseudonym.  I want everyone who knew me in third grade to recognize my name on Amazon.)

Back to Mad Men 5.5:  It had lots of other great scenes, including fisticuffs between Lane and Pete - Lane decks him - followed by Lane impulsively kissing Joan as she offers him ice for his hand.   Did she like it?   Well, she certainly didn't object, but opened the door to the office afterward, signaling that she didn't want anything more to happen.  But she did touch Lane's hair right before, and she did taunt him and us when Lane asks, after the kiss, if he did anything wrong, and Joan replies that he only did what everyone in the office wants to do ... punch out Pete (the men, at least, would much rather kiss Joan).

There was one anachronism amidst all of this great television.  The college co-ed that Pete covets in the driver ed class is upset about all the mass killings in the news (the nurses in Chicago, University of Texas at Austin) and says "things seem so random all of a sudden".  Right, except "random" wasn't used this way back in 1966 - to mean something bad - back then, random just meant random or arbitrary.

But a small quibble about a superb show, in what continues to shape up as the best season of Men Men so far.

See also Mad Men Season 5 Debut: It's Don's Party  ... Mad Men 5.3: Heinz Is On My Side ... Mad Men 5.4: Volunteer, Dream, Trust

And from Season 4: Mad Men 4.1: Chicken Kiev, Lethal Interview, Ham Fight ... 4.2: "Good Time, Bad Time?" "Yes." ... 4.3: Both Coasts ... 4.4: "The following program contains brief nudity ..."  4.5: Fake Out and Neurosis ... 4.6: Emmys, Clio, Blackout, Flashback  ... 4.7: 'No Credits on Commercials' ... 4.8: A Tale of Two Women ... 4.9: "Business of Sadists and Masochists" ... 4.10: Grim Tidings ... 4.11: "Look at that Punim" ... 4.12: No Smoking!  ... Mad Men Season 4 Finale: Don and -

And from Season 3: Mad Men Back for 3 and 3.2: Carvel, Penn Station, and Diet Soda and 3.3: Gibbon, Blackface, and Eliot and 3.4: Caned Seats and a Multiple Choice about Sal's Patio Furniture and 3.5: Admiral TV, MLK, and a Baby Boy and 3.6: A Saving John Deere and 3.7: Brutal Edges ... August Flights in 3.8 ... Unlucky Strikes and To the Moon Don in 3.9 ... 3.10: The Faintest Ink, The Strongest Television ... Don's Day of Reckoning in Mad Men 3.11 ... Mad Men 3.12: The End of the World in Mad Men ... Mad Men Season 3 Finale: The End of the World

And from Season Two: Mad Men Returns with a Xerox and a Call Girl ... 2.2: The Advertising Devil and the Deep Blue Sea ... 2.3 Double-Barreled Power ... 2.4: Betty and Don's Son ... 2.5: Best Montage Since Hitchcock ... 2.6: Jackie, Marilyn, and Liberty Valance ... 2.7: Double Dons ... 2.8: Did Don Get What He Deserved? ... 2.9: Don and Roger ... 2.10: Between Ray Bradbury and Telstar ... 2.11: Welcome to the Hotel California ... 2.12 The Day the Earth Stood Still on Mad Men ... 2.13 Saving the Best for Last on Mad Men

And from Season One: Mad Men Debuts on AMC: Cigarette Companies and Nixon ... Mad Men 2: Smoke and Television ... Mad Men 3: Hot 1960 Kiss ... Mad Men 4 and 5: Double Mad Men ... Mad Men 6: The Medium is the Message! ... Mad Men 7: Revenge of the Mollusk ... Mad Men 8: Weed, Twist, Hobo ... Mad Man 9: Betty Grace Kelly ... Mad men 10: Life, Death, and Politics ... Mad Men 11: Heat! ... Mad Men 12: Admirable Don ... Mad 13: Double-Endings, Lascaux, and Holes

20-minute interview with Rich Sommer (Harry Crane) at Light On Light Through



                 Special Discount Coupons for Angie's List, Avis, Budget Car, Garden.com, eMusic




The Plot to Save Socrates

"challenging fun" - Entertainment Weekly

"a Da Vinci-esque thriller" - New York Daily News

"Sierra Waters is sexy as hell" - curled up with a good book




Enjoy listening to audio books? Get a free audio book copy of The Plot to Save Socrates - or any one of 85,000 other titles - with a 14-day trial membership at Audible.com ...
 



Night Shade Books 50% Off Sale!!!


This from Night Shade Books:

Greetings all,

It’s not a secret to anyone that publishing, and the book biz in general, has been pretty rough over the last year. Borders going out of business, plus them selling off their existing inventory at huge discounts, has really put a pinch on everyone. More so on those of us who don’t have huge international conglomerates to back us up.

So it’s time to turn to that old chestnut, the 50% off sale. But this is a little different. In the past when we did this, it was more about clearing out inventory and making space for new books…it’s still kind of like that, but it’s also about getting caught up after the Publishing Apocalypse of 2011.

If you’ve ever thought that Night Shade does nice work, or want to support independent publishing that brings you new voices, stories, and ideas you wouldn’t run across otherwise, now is the time to show your support! Know that every book you buy in this sale is putting money directly into the pockets of authors, artists, designers, and all the other fantastic people that allow us to put out great books each and every month. Pass the word, mention it on your website/Facebook/Twitter/whatever your social media of choice is.

In addition, we will be adding a few new things. We’ll be opening up a very limited number of lifetime subscriptions again, as well as holding daily raffles. Each day, we’ll pick a winner from people who placed an order that day, and there are some very nifty prizes, as well as a final raffle that we’ll find the winner for from anyone who placed an order during the entire sale.

Make no mistake, Night Shade isn’t going anywhere. The future looks
bright, and some huge changes are coming. But the last year hurt, and we could really use a little help getting caught back up.

***Please note that there is a 4 book minimum to participate in the sale.

Thank you, from everyone at Night Shade.

Jason Williams
Publisher
Night Shade Books


------------------------

So what are you guys waiting for!?!

Night Shade Books 50% Off Sale!!!


This from Night Shade Books:

Greetings all,

It’s not a secret to anyone that publishing, and the book biz in general, has been pretty rough over the last year. Borders going out of business, plus them selling off their existing inventory at huge discounts, has really put a pinch on everyone. More so on those of us who don’t have huge international conglomerates to back us up.

So it’s time to turn to that old chestnut, the 50% off sale. But this is a little different. In the past when we did this, it was more about clearing out inventory and making space for new books…it’s still kind of like that, but it’s also about getting caught up after the Publishing Apocalypse of 2011.

If you’ve ever thought that Night Shade does nice work, or want to support independent publishing that brings you new voices, stories, and ideas you wouldn’t run across otherwise, now is the time to show your support! Know that every book you buy in this sale is putting money directly into the pockets of authors, artists, designers, and all the other fantastic people that allow us to put out great books each and every month. Pass the word, mention it on your website/Facebook/Twitter/whatever your social media of choice is.

In addition, we will be adding a few new things. We’ll be opening up a very limited number of lifetime subscriptions again, as well as holding daily raffles. Each day, we’ll pick a winner from people who placed an order that day, and there are some very nifty prizes, as well as a final raffle that we’ll find the winner for from anyone who placed an order during the entire sale.

Make no mistake, Night Shade isn’t going anywhere. The future looks
bright, and some huge changes are coming. But the last year hurt, and we could really use a little help getting caught back up.

***Please note that there is a 4 book minimum to participate in the sale.

Thank you, from everyone at Night Shade.

Jason Williams
Publisher
Night Shade Books


------------------------

So what are you guys waiting for!?!

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now download Cormac McCarthy's bestselling The Road for £2.99 here.

Here's the blurb:

A searing, postapocalyptic novel destined to become Cormac McCarthy's masterpiece.

A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. They sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearting, a cart of scavenged food—and each other.

The Road is the profoundly moving story of a journey. It boldly imagines a future in which no hope remains, but in which the father and his son, “each the other's world entire,” are sustained by love. Awesome in the totality of its vision, it is an unflinching meditation on the worst and the best that we are capable of: ultimate destructiveness, desperate tenacity, and the tenderness that keeps two people alive in the face of total devastation
.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now download Cormac McCarthy's bestselling The Road for £2.99 here.

Here's the blurb:

A searing, postapocalyptic novel destined to become Cormac McCarthy's masterpiece.

A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. They sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearting, a cart of scavenged food—and each other.

The Road is the profoundly moving story of a journey. It boldly imagines a future in which no hope remains, but in which the father and his son, “each the other's world entire,” are sustained by love. Awesome in the totality of its vision, it is an unflinching meditation on the worst and the best that we are capable of: ultimate destructiveness, desperate tenacity, and the tenderness that keeps two people alive in the face of total devastation
.