A Good News, Bad News Day

In the news today is both some good news and some very bad news.  First, the good news is that after 13 years, Dubya Groupie, former Presidential candidate and all around doofus, Texas Governor Rick Perry announced at a press conference yesterday that he mercifully will not be seeking reelection as Governor in 2014.  I was wondering where all that insufferable hot wind was coming from that blew through town yesterday.  Now I know, it was blowing up from Austin.  Said Perry: "I remain excited about the future and the challenges ahead, but the time has come to pass on the mantle of leadership. Today I am announcing I will not seek re-election as governor of Texas. I will spend the next 18 months working to create more jobs, opportunity and innovation. I will actively lead this great state."  The only problem is his kind of "leadership", like his mentor George W. Bush, sucks green toadstools.  He has brought jobs to Texas, all of the low wage variety that keeps the job holders just one step above poverty, anything good that has happened in Texas since the year 2000 has not been aided whatsoever by the idiot in the Statehouse.  Of course that has not kept the deep red, religious, wackos who run this state from making him the longest serving Governor in Texas history and the nation's current longest sitting Governor.  The only thing that remains to be done as far as the Governorship is concerned is to work hard to insure that the Tea Party's wet dream, xenophobic fascist Texas Attorney General Greg Abbot does not take his place.  Our work seems to be cut out for us for the next 18 months or so.  

The really bad news comes from the State of Indiana where the state GOP, which controls both houses of the state Legislature, has passed a horrific new bill which will go into effect on July 1, 2014, that makes it a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a fine of $1,000 for clergy “solemnize” a marriage of two men or two women.  I am not sure this will hold up Constitutionally as it violates the Freedom of Religion guaranteed therein.  What this bill actually does, it would appear to fly smack in the face of ongoing religious right efforts to brand the civil rights of gays as a threat to religion.  In fact, it is anti-gay bigots who are now threatening to throw mainstream clergy in jail for simply practicing their faith.  This is certainly an abridgement of the Constitutional right of Freedom of Religion which is definitely not the job of any duly elected legislature, no matter which state it 'serves'.  This is like something the wackos in the deep south would do.  I did not know that those wackos had exported stupidity and unvarnished bigotry up to Yankee-land, but it appears they have.  I would hope an immediate court challenge by reasonably sane person or persons would be mounted to keep this law from ever taking effect.  While I may not agree with practitioners of  conservative religious beliefs, that does not mean that they do not have the right to hold those beliefs or be constrained by law from practicing their faith.  It really makes me wonder how far off the deep end these guys must go before reasonably minded folks stand up, take notice and stop this shit in its tracks.  Only time will tell.  

Now to relieve that tension knot that develops between the shoulder blades when confronted with idiocy like that taking place in Indiana, I have a marvelous Musical Moment coming all the way from New Zealand.  The video is of the outstanding performance of First Prize Winner, Canadian Nikki Chooi, of the Sibelius Violin Concerto in D Minor in last nights final round of the Michael Hill International Violin Competition held in Auckland.  Mr Chooi performed, as did all finalists, with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.

Then to further alleviate any remaining tension, except perhaps that originating in your groin, is this sultry and sexy collection of gentlemen who are your Tuesday's Temptations.  Thanks for sharing your day with me, see you again soon.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!