So, And Thus...

The Facts About Marriott and California's Proposition 8

Entry from Mr. Marriott’s blog:

The Facts About Marriott and California's Proposition 8

Posted: November 11, 2008 4:17:19 PM

As many of you may know I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Some might conclude given my family's membership in the Mormon Church that our company supported the recent ballot initiative to ban

same sex marriage in California. This is simply untrue. Marriott International is a public company headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, and is not controlled by any one individual or family. Neither I, nor the company, contributed to the campaign to pass Proposition 8.

The Bible that I love teaches me about honesty, integrity and unconditional love for all people. But beyond that, I am very careful about separating my personal faith and beliefs from how we run our business.

I am personally motivated to speak now because Marriott was built on the basic principles of respect and inclusion. My father, who founded this company along with my mother, told everyone who would listen: "Take care of your employees, and they'll take care of your customers, who will come back again and again."

For more than 80 years, our company has grown and changed, but that basic principle still holds up. We embrace all people as our customers, associates, owners and franchisees regardless of race, sex, gender identity or sexual orientation.

Our principle is backed up with a formal diversity program, which we established more than 20 years ago. Our Board of Directors has also focused on this priority and helped us be a leader and a better company. We were among the first in our industry to offer domestic partner benefits, and we've earned a perfect 100% score on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index for two years in a row. Many of our hotels have hosted LGBT community functions and events for years.

I am very proud of all of our associates at Marriott. And I want all our associates and guests, whom we welcome into our hotels, to know that we embrace your talents and thank you for your many contributions and your business.

I'm Bill Marriott, and thanks for helping me keep Marriott on the Move.

Vote "NO" on Proposition 8

From over at Huffington Post:

Deepak Chopra: Gay Marriage and the Democratic Hazard

The rest of the country is watching to see if a ballot measure in California, Proposition 8, will ban gay marriage in that state. Since June California has legalized same-sex marriage, joining Massachusetts and Connecticut. The court decision that paved the way for this change outraged the usual groups. Social conservatives and various religious groups, including a massive influx of money from the Mormon Church in Utah, are campaigning heavily for Prop 8 to pass. One wonders what business it is of theirs. Marriage has its public side, but given the sharp decline in marriage since the Seventies, what precious institution are they protecting?

If the answer is that a sacrament is at stake, these religious groups have no business interjecting their beliefs into public policy. Various religions traditionally ban the eating of pork, shellfish, and meat on Friday, but we don't allow those strictures to govern policy. As for the condemnation of homosexuality by scripture, many of those same scriptures advocate polygamy. Trying to condemn homosexuality on religious grounds is a ship that has already sailed in every secular society, and the vast bulk of psychological research has already removed homosexual behavior out of the category of pathology.

What gives the anti-gay marriage forces their influence comes down to moral hazard. If you run no risk sticking your nose into someone else's bedroom, some people are weak enough to go ahead and do it. What gives them permission is a toxic tradition, deeply imbedded in the right wing, of shameless intrusion. McCarthyism, the right to life movement, school prayer, anti-immigration, and a string of other rabble-rousing campaigns have been based on harming other people without risk to yourself. What makes these movements immoral is that the whole situation is upside down. In finance, you are supposed to take extra care of other people's money, not less, when you are entrusted with it. In a democracy, majority rule is based on respect for minority rights, the basic idea being that a bond of trust allows minorities to feel safe when they are outnumbered.

What a great argument.

Daniel Kurtzman: McCain and Palin In Their Own Words: 25 Laughable Quotes

1. "Our economy, I think, is still ― the fundamentals of our economy are strong." ―John McCain, Jacksonville, Fla., Sept. 15, 2008 (Source)

2. "The issue of economics is not something I've understood as well as I should. I've got Greenspan's book." ―McCain, as quoted in the Boston Globe, Dec. 17, 2007 (Source)

3. "As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where ― where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border." ―Sarah Palin, explaining why Alaska's proximity to Russia gives her foreign policy experience, interview with CBS News's Katie Couric, Sept. 24, 2008 (Source)

4. "[Sarah Palin] knows more about energy than probably anyone else in the United States of America. ... And, uh, she also happens to represent, be governor of a state that's right next to Russia." ―McCain on Palin's foreign policy experience, interview with WCSH-6, Portland, OR, Sept. 12, 2008 (Source)

5. "They are also building schools for the Afghan children so that there is hope and opportunity in our neighboring country of Afghanistan." ―Palin, speaking at a fundraiser in San Francisco, Oct. 5, 2008 (Source)

6. "Well, let's see. There's ― of course in the great history of America there have been rulings that there's never going to be absolute consensus by every American, and there are those issues, again, like Roe v. Wade, where I believe are best held on a state level and addressed there. So, you know, going through the history of America, there would be others but ―" ―Palin, unable to name a Supreme Court decision she disagreed with other than Roe vs. Wade, interview with Katie Couric, CBS News, Oct. 1, 2008 (Source)

7. "I think ― I'll have my staff get to you. It's condominiums where ― I'll have them get to you." ―McCain, after being asked how many houses he and his wife, Cindy, own, interview with Politico, Las Cruces, N.M., Aug. 20, 2008 (Source; take a Google Earth tour of the McCain residences)

8. "I'll try to find you some and I'll bring them to you." ―Palin, asked by Katie Couric to cite specific examples of how John McCain has pushed for more regulation in his 26 years in the Senate, CBS interview, Sept. 24, 2008 (Source)

9. "All of 'em, any of 'em that have been in front of me over all these years." ―Palin, unable to name a single newspaper or magazine she reads, interview with Katie Couric, CBS News, Sept. 30, 2008 (Source)

10. "I think if you're just talking about income, how about $5 million?" ―McCain, after being asked by Rev. Rick Warren to define "rich," Lake Forest, California, Aug. 16, 2008 (Source)

11. "Maybe a hundred...That would be fine with me." ―McCain, to a questioner who asked if he supported President Bush's vision for keeping U.S. troops in Iraq for 50 years, Derry, New Hampshire, Jan. 3, 2008 (Source)

12. "Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. Also, for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending soldiers out on a task that is from God. That's what we have to make sure that we're praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God's plan." ―Pailn, on the Iraq war, speaking to students at the Wasilla Assembly of God, June 2008 (Source)

13. "You know that old Beach Boys song, Bomb Iran? Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran." ―McCain, breaking into song after being asked at a VFW meeting about whether it was time to send a message to Iran, Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, April 18, 2007 (Source)

14. "There was an energy bill on the floor of the Senate loaded down with goodies, billions for the oil companies, and it was sponsored by Bush and Cheney. You know who voted for it? You might never know. That one." ―McCain, pointing to Barack Obama during the second presidential debate, Nashville, Tennessee, Oct. 7, 2008 (Source)

15. "I told the Congress, 'Thanks, but no thanks,' on that Bridge to Nowhere." ―Palin, who was for the Bridge to Nowhere before she was against it, multiple speeches (Source)

16. "I was looking at the Sturgis schedule, and noticed that you had a beauty pageant, so I encouraged Cindy to compete. I told her [that] with a little luck, she could be the only woman to serve as both the First Lady and Miss Buffalo Chip." ―McCain, on the annual Miss Buffalo Chip Pageant, which features topless (and occasionally bottomless) contestants, Sturgis, South Dakota, Aug. 4, 2008 (Source)

17. "I'm the mayor, I can do whatever I want until the courts tell me I can't.'" ―Palin, as quoted by former City Council Member Nick Carney, after he raised objections about the $50,000 she spent renovating the mayor's office without approval of the city council (Source)

18. "I'm very, very pleased to be cleared of any legal wrongdoing ... any hint of any kind of unethical activity there. Very pleased to be cleared of any of that." ―Palin, after an Alaska legislative report found she had broken the state's ethics law and abused her power in the Troopergate scandal, conference call with Alaska reporters, Oct. 12, 2008 (Source)

19. "She's a partner and a soul-mate." ―McCain on Palin, whom he had met only once before selecting her to be his running mate, "FOX News Sunday" interview, Aug. 31, 2008 (Source)

20. "At least I don't plaster on the makeup like a trollop, you c*nt." ―McCain, to his wife, Cindy, after she playfully twirled his hair and said "You're getting a little thin up there," as reported in the book The Real McCain by Cliff Schecter (Source)

21. "That's exactly what we're going to do in a Palin and McCain administration." ―Palin, elevating herself to the top of the ticket, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Sept. 18, 2008 (Source)

22. "We grow good people in our small towns, with honesty and sincerity and dignity." ―Palin, in her speech at the Republican Convention, quoting the fascist right-wing columnist Westbrook Pegler, an avowed racist and anti-Semite who once lamented that Franklin Roosevelt's would-be assassin hit the wrong man and also expressed his hope that Robert F. Kennedy would be gunned down (Source)

23. "Honestly, I have to analyze our relationships, situations and priorities, but I can assure you that I will establish closer relationships with our friends, and I will stand up to those who want to harm the United States. ... I have a clear record of working with leaders in the hemisphere that are friends with us and standing up to those who are not. And that's judged on the basis of the importance of our relationship with Latin America and the entire region." ―McCain, after being asked if he would invite Spanish President Jose Rodriguez Louis Zapatero to the White House, casting an ally of the U.S. as a potential enemy while simultaneously confusing Spain for a Latin American country, interview with Radio Caracol Miami, Sept. 17, 2008 (Source)

24. "As for that VP talk all the time, I'll tell you, I still can't answer that question until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the VP does every day?" ―Palin, interview with CNBC's "Kudlow & Co", July 2008 (Source)

25. "Across this country this is the agenda I have set before my fellow prisoners. And the same standards of clarity and candor must now be applied to my opponent." ―McCain, Bethlehem, Penn., Oct. 8, 2008 (Source)

Daniel Kurtzman: McCain and Palin In Their Own Words: 25 Laughable Quotes

The "Source" links didn't come across. Follow the link to the original posting for working links.

Connecticut Supreme Court rules in favor of gay marriage

The Connecticut Supreme Court just released its decision in the case of Kerrigan v. Commissioner of Public Health. By a 4-3 decision, the Court ruled that same-sex couples have the right to marry:

Connecticut Supreme Court rules in favor of gay marriage

Great news!

Palin Bingo!

Be ready for tonights debate!

 

palinbingo

They're Gonna Go Crazy On You

Thursday afternoon, Heart e-mailed out a statement regarding vice-presidential candidate Sarah "Barracuda" Palin's use of their similarly monikered song at the Republican National Convention: "The Republican campaign did not ask for permission to use the song, nor would they have been granted that permission," it read. "We have asked the Republican campaign publicly not to use our music. We hope our wishes will be honored."

Exclusive: Heart's Nancy Wilson responds to McCain campaign's use of 'Barracuda' at Republican convention | Current Affairs, Music, Music Biz | Hollywood Insider | EW.com

I read this over at Towleroad.

Here is the statement they emailed over to Entertainment Weekly:

"Sarah Palin's views and values in NO WAY represent us as American women. We ask that our song 'Barracuda' no longer be used to promote her image. The song 'Barracuda' was written in the late 70s as a scathing rant against the soulless, corporate nature of the music business, particularly for women. (The 'barracuda' represented the business.) While Heart did not and would not authorize the use of their song at the RNC, there's irony in Republican strategists' choice to make use of it there."

And that's why we LOVE our Heart gals!

New Wendy and Lisa: White Flags of Winter Chimneys

A new Wendy & Lisa album!

Free download of their first track "Invisible" can be found on their website.

Their MySpace page has "Invisible" and another track called "Balloon", both from the new album. Incredible!

Not sure when the album will be released, but I just got chills thinking about it.

I've been a huge W&L fan ever since they were with Prince. I'm glad they had time to squeeze in another album among all the soundtrack work they've been doing.

White Flags of Winter Chimneys. (cool cover)

Album name is taken from the Joni Mitchell song "Hejira".

Cher as Catwoman?!

Read this over at Towleroad, which came from here, which came from here.

Christopher Nolan, the director of the last two Batman flicks (which were he best batman movies ever done. Ever... ... ever.) REALLY wants Cher to play CATWOMAN in the next Batman film.

Quote from the posting:

a studio executive said: "cher is nolan's first choice to play catwoman. he wants to her to portray her like a vamp in her twilight years. the new catwoman will be the absolute opposite of michelle pfeiffer and halle berry's purring creations."

On top of that, Johnny Depp is supposedly already set to play The Riddler (yea, it fits him).

Warner Bros. is letting Christopher Nolan do whatever he want on the third installment of his Batman vision, but he Nolan had said that he will only do another film if he feels there is a story to tell. Seems to me that if he's interested in Cher, he must have a vision for the movie already.

Maybe John McCain should play The Penguin?! He's already going "Wa wa wa wa wa..."

New Songs Enrich Tina Turner Compilation

Two new songs lead the way on an upcoming Tina Turner compilation due for release just in time for her highly anticipated fall tour. "It Would Be a Crime" and "I'm Ready" will be found on "Tina!," due Sept. 30 via Capitol.

New Songs Enrich Tina Turner Compilation (Billboard.com)

What about a whole album of new songs, Tina?!

The Annie Lennox Collection

Annie Lennox represents the best in the music industry. She has constantly pushed the bounderies of pop music, especially for female artists. She has created, conquered and survived trends. She has given us classic songs and unforgettable images. All of this comes from her need to be creative, not to dominate the world (like some other artist I could mention).

I particularly love how Annie has become a light of hope, using her celebrity to bring attention to those who need help. I love how she has embraced who she is and shares with us her happiness and turmoil.

She is older, but has aged so gracefully (unlike some other artist I could mention). She is a natural beauty and isn't concerned if she "bares" it all.

This September, Annie will be releasing her first collection of her solo work.

"The Annie Lennox Collection (CD/DVD)" (Annie Lennox)

(I'm sure the DVD is full of sweet stuff!)

Here is the track listing (courtesy of Xolondon)

1. Little Bird
2. Walking On Broken Glass
3. Why
4. No More I Love You’s
5. Precious
6. A Whiter Shade of Pale
7. A Thousand Beautiful Things
8. Sing
9. Pavement Cracks
10. Love Song for a Vampire
11. Cold
12. Dark Road
13. Pattern of My Life
14. Shining Light

From a interview with Billboard.com, here are a few things Annie had to say about her new collection:

"I'm so busy and I'm so focused on what I'm doing at the moment I didn't take the time to sit down and write new songs," Lennox, who recorded Keane's "Closer Now" (retitled "Pattern of My Life" for Lennox's "Collection") and Ash's "Shining Light," tells Billboard.com.

"The Keane song is exquisite and beautiful ... and ('Shining Light') I heard about six years ago and I couldn't stop playing it, so it's been with me ever since," she continues. "I've done a kind of more upbeat version of their song; I just think it's so inspirational and it's somewhat exuberant and ecstatic and it has this dimension to it that works on all sorts of different levels."

"It's choice cuts, and it's nice," she says of the album. "If you never heard of me and someone said, 'Well, there'll be one album you get to hear and it's the best of this artist's work that will represent this person very, very well,' then I think that is what the 'Collection' is about."

I'm not a big fan of cover albums, but "Medusa" i was incredible. I love how Annie really changes up a song and, to paraphrase Paula, "makes it her own" (Something Aretha used to do, before she started eating her songs). I can't wait to her what she done to the two new covers on her collection.

Here are what the original versions sound like (Keane and Ash):

Ein Oso and I had the pleasure of meeting Annie here in New York. She was rather quiet but appreciated our undying love. We can't wait to see what the next stage of her career will bring.
We love you, Annie!