OOPS!

HILARIOUS NEW BEAUTY SECRET!

Post by The Onion.

THESE GAVE ME A GIGGLE!

 WATCH THIS NOW AND DIE!

Post by Prince Sanji.

SHE STOLE MY ACT!

Post by Bane Unrated.

WARCH UNYIL THE END!

Post by Rican Webb.

JONNY WOO IN NYC 3/13

VERY RARE NYC APPEARANCE BY RULING DRAG QUEEN PERFORMANCE ARTIST JONNY WOO ON 3/13. ONLY 1 SHOW--THIS WILL SELL OUT!

Acclaimed London drag performer who inspired Taylor Mac makes New York cabaret debut.
Friday, March 13 at The Laurie Beechman Theatre

Buy tickets HERE.

"I saw Jonny Woo and I realized drag can be anything you want it to be."  -- Taylor Mac

"The queen of London's drag scene." & "A unique 21st Century talent.’" -- Time Out London

"Funny, sophisticated and memorably bittersweet.’" -- Metro UK



London alternative drag superstar JONNY WOO will make his New York cabaret debut on Friday, March 13 at The Laurie Beechman Theatre. In a special midnight show, JONNY WOO: DRAG QUEEN IN A COMA showcases highlights from his past decade of gender-bending work in the UK.

In JONNY WOO: DRAG QUEEN IN A COMA, tongue twisting tales sit alongside ridiculous lip-syncs. Silly and sophisticated in equal measure, club kid raps give way to heartfelt, original songs including Glitter In The Groove, Drag Queen in A Coma and Woman Of Mass Destruction. Having lived a life of hedonistic indulgence, Woo takes audiences on a guided tour of his surreal world of nightclubs, excess and personal revelation. You’ll probably laugh. You might even cry. But we guarantee that you’ll never forget those legs!

JONNY WOO is one of London’s most celebrated alternative cabaret artists. Having cut his teeth back in the early 2000’s in New York, he returned home to the UK to fashion himself a scene in East London. It was here he developed his inimitable performance style that is unequivocally English. Woo has been resident at The Soho Theatre, having presented 8 shows and his infamous Gay Bingo, which celebrated 10 years at The Hackney Empire last October. He has had work commissioned by The Royal Opera House, The Institute Of Contemporary Arts and The Royal Festival Hall. He has been the host of London music festival Lovebox for 5 years and heads The Downlow at Glastonbury every year. He has been accredited with kick starting the queer performance scene in East London and recently presented his show, The East London Lecture about local gentrification. He is currently touring his project TRANS(former), a rock show based on the music from Lou Reed’s album, Transformer. He has his own performance pub, The Glory that opened December 2014.

JONNY WOO: DRAG QUEEN IN A COMA runs Friday, March 13  at 11:59 pm. The Laurie Beechman Theater (inside West Bank Cafe at 407 West 42nd Street -- at Ninth Avenue, accessible from the A,C,E,N,R,V,F,1,2,3 trains at 42nd Street). Tickets are $20 plus a $20 food/drink minimum. To purchase tickets, call 212-352-3101 or visit www.SpinCycleNYC.com.


SPINCYCLENYC.COM

GAVE ME A GIGGLE

HILARIOUS!

SNORT!

SKA IS PRETTY EDGY FOR CHURCH!

Post by DJ Sharaz.

A SCREAM!

PHILIPINES HIRES 20 GAY, DANCING TRAFFIC WARDENS

GAYSTARNEWS

TELL THE TALES!

Cenk Ugyur had a popular MSNBC show which was rivaling Anderson Cooper's ratings. Until MSNBC asked him to stop criticizing Obama or leave. He left, and now has his own show on youtube. We have to get the notion of peace off the TV. Peace is that dangerous a notion. And peace doesn't make any money. Cenk has a very interesting take on Obama's proposed was authorization.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

NOW YOU TRY THIS!

Post by Tiago Lemos.

DREAMING OF SUMMER..

And making my famous watermelon preserves.

Post by Video Incredibili.

YOU KNOW YOU LOVE DICK!

Post by Real Chanty.

TELL THE REAL TALES!

And don't forgot the 500,000 Iraqis who died over nothing. But if we don't care about when soldiers from our own country die over nothing but a lie, I guess we can't expect them to care about people in other countries. 

"If Americans utilized the outrage over American Sniper, the Brian Williams saga, and Kanye West rushing the stage at the Grammys, and aimed this vitriol at President Obama's request for a new war, we could possibly avert yet another colossal mistake. Sadly, our nation will spend a great deal of time focusing on the whether or not a movie makes us more warlike, while overlooking the impact of real wars. As of today, 6,845 Americans have died in Iraq and Afghanistan and over 900,000 Americans have been injured in both wars. Since we've sacrificed so much only to end up with even more chaos in the Middle East, Congress and the American people should say "No" to Obama's request for another war.

According to the Pentagon, more than half to two-thirds of Americans killed or wounded in combat in both Iraq and Afghanistan have been victims of IED explosions. As stated in The International Business Times, we've reached a "grim milestone" after two failed wars:

The United States has likely reached a grim but historic milestone in the war on terror: 1 million veterans injured from the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan...
All that can be said with any certainty is that as of last December more than 900,000 service men and women had been treated at Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals and clinics since returning from war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that the monthly rate of new patients to these facilities as of the end of 2012 was around 10,000. Beyond that, the picture gets murky. In March, VA abruptly stopped releasing statistics on non-fatal war casualties to the public."

MORE:   HUFFPO

FUN WITH VD DAY

For the past twenty years, I've received a Valentine's card with a steamy note inside from the same secret admirer. So, I was really upset when I didn't get one this year.

First my grandpa dies, now this?

By Bill Cosby:

Roses are red

Violets are blue 

Rophynol is cheap

So fuck all of this romantic valentine shit, I'm just going to rape you.

I FEEL YOUR PAIN!

Post by Florin Dara.

IF YOU'RE GONNA GET READ...

Get read by the best! Bianca Del Rio!

IT ISN'T EVEN GOOD PIZZA, EITHER!

NEW COLUMN IN NEXT MAG ON MARY CHENEY

Because when I jump into a controversy, I like to do it late!

GLAMOROUS, NOT DEGRADING

Drag icon Lady Bunny sounds off on what Mary Cheney doesn’t understand about drag.

So Mary Cheney, the ex-Vice President’s daughter, saw an ad for Drag Race and wondered aloud on Facebook, "Why is it socially acceptable—as a form of entertainment—for men to put on dresses, make-up, and high heels and act out every offensive stereotype of women (bitchy, catty, dumb, slutty, etc.). But it is not socially acceptable—as a form of entertainment—for a white person to put on blackface and act out offensive stereotypes of African Americans?”

If Cheney thinks drag and blackface are the same, that proves how little lesbians know about makeup! It’s an absurd pronouncement—as if those no-talent Drag Race queens could never learn to tap or play the banjo!

Jokes aside, there is a similarity between the two. With both drag and blackface, you dress up as someone you’re not, and this can be offensive to the group you’re portraying. With that in mind, there are a few things to consider.

Queens use drag to express themselves; it’s not a comment on women at all. From RuPaul to Dame Edna, most queens are not motivated by a desire to denigrate women. We just want to look our most glamorous, sexiest, and funniest. And we’re not trying to suggest that we’re actual women; we're just pulling from women’s practice and attire to create our own personas. Everything has influences it pulls from. The lip-sync standard, “Lady Marmalade,” uses French and Creole to tell the story of a New Orleans hooker. Should the English-speaking songwriters not have written this treasure because it might offend people of French or Creole heritage, or the New Orleans prostitutes—the most famous being Bianca Del Rio’s mother? Of course not! And nor should drag queens be prevented from wearing women’s clothing to cook up a character.

Despite our intent to entertain, Cheney is insulted, and that's her right. But we should not stop doing drag just because someone is offended. She faults drag for perpetuating “bitchy, catty, dumb, slutty“ stereotypes. Onstage, I’ve fit all of these descriptions, as have many other queens. But the root of this behavior is the cattiness of gay men reading each other and their love of outrageous sexual humor. Just see how far you get impersonating Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. This is part of the much wider debate between political correctness and free speech that we've seen everywhere from “trannygate” to Charlie Hebdo.

I understand that Cheney may feel especially resentful of the impossible beauty standards our male-dominated society dictates for women. Fashion magazines and other media play a huge part in this problem, and women, especially in the entertainment industry, often succeed or fail based on how fuckable they are deemed, and it just isn't fair.

But don’t blame drag queens for perpetuating this. If anything, a man renouncing his dominant position to dress in drag subverts these standards by mocking them. However, we can’t deny that women have the right to be sensitive as an oppressed class, which is why blackface fell from popularity. I just feel Cheney is barking up the wrong tree. Aside from gay men, a queen is most likely to get a compliment from a girl who appreciates all the work we put in and might even want a pointer or two. Would Mary argue that these girls suffer from Stockholm syndrome?

Perhaps what I find oddest, though, is that Cheney belongs to a political party that seeks to deny women equal pay and access to reproductive medicine. Many conservatives have recently raised eyebrows by publicly asserting that even rape victims should be forced to give birth to their attacker’s children. So if Cheney is slamming drag for being misogynistic and establishing herself as a champion of women, I can’t help but wonder why she belongs to a party that systematically denies women equality—but that’s for another column entirely.

MORE:   NEXTMAGAZINE

I LOVE JIGGLY CALIENTE'S NEW ACT!

Post by Rus.Tvnet.

AMEN TO THIS!

WOO HOO!

Yesterday I saw a few friends sharing an article about how someone had left NYC after living here for a long time. I didn't read it, but plan to. I have my own gripes about how things have changed. Some of them are gripes that older people routinely engage in as a habit, and I'm guilty as charged. But I just found out that tomorrow night, I'll dj at Pacha at a party/video shoot for Nile Rodgers, who is resurrecting his supergroup Chic for a performance of some new and old tunes.

I can't begin to tell you how I worship the sound of Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, how I've marveled over songs like Chic Cheer, Everybody Dance, I'm Coming Out, He's The Greatest Dancer, Le Freak, Good Times and even unknown album cuts of theirs for decades. Many younger folks will know smashes which sampled his music: Love Like This by Faith Evans, Mo' Money, Mo Problems, Lady (Hear Me Tonight) and Rapper's Delight. Or his reemergence on the scene recently with Daft Punk's hit Get Lucky which featured his signature masterful guitar sound. The man is music and it's very telling that songs in so many genres can sample one measure of his music to create entire new songs. There is that much genius and craftsmanship in just one measure. Can't wait to hear the new stuff!

I might not get this gig if I weren't still in NYC. So while I'm keenly aware of it's changes, I'm also celebrating events like this which thrill me. And always looking for more. It's still my favorite city in this country so I might as well make the best of it!

(Lady Bunny will be back with her regularly scheduled bitter diatribes tomorrow.)

HAPPY VD DAY!

LYIN' BRIAN

Who cares if NBC's Brian Williams lied about being in a helicopter once? Did that helicopter ride screw up anyone's life or end it? Dismissing him over a lie about a helicopter is nothing compared to his and much our our mainstream media's lies on another front which was far more important. He repeatedly lied about Iraq having weapons of mass destruction and helped hoodwink the American people into going to a war which many regard as the US's biggest foreign policy blunder ever.

THENEWAMERICAN: "Williams, like nearly all of his mainstream media colleagues (with precious few exceptions) did this incessantly in the run-up to George W. Bush’s invasion of Iraq. As conduits for the Bush administration’s baseless claims about weapons of mass destruction and Iraqi links to 9/11, Williams and the others did Bush’s bidding in manufacturing public support for the illegal and morally outrageous invasion and occupation that would wreck Iraq even more than it had been wrecked in the 1990s through the military and economic warfare waged by George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

What did these fake-news presenters learn from that disgraceful episode? Not a thing. If you want proof, tune in to the three major networks’ newscasts or consult the American cable news channels: CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News. There you’ll find stage actors conveying the Obama administration’s neoconservative line about the ISIS threat to the American people and the need for government military action to counteract it — never noting that there was no ISIS or al-Qaeda in Iraq before the Bush war they helped make possible. Reporting “news” without providing the context is a surefire way to mislead viewers. Why don’t they know that? Or do they know it and prefer to mislead their viewers out of a sense of patriotism and in a quest for ratings?

You need another example? Take Iran. (Ukraine would also do.) For quite a while these same media stars have been hawking the claim that Iran has been relentlessly working toward building nuclear weapons. Yet, although the U.S. and Israeli governments have repeatedly threatened Iran over the years — claiming “all options are on the table” (which logically includes nuclear strikes) — and have engaged in covert and proxy war and terrorism against the Islamic Republic — Iran has not started down the road to acquiring a nuclear arsenal."

MORE   THENEWAMERICAN

MUST SEE PARODY OF POLITICAL FUNDRAISER

Post by Represent.Us.

MY NEW SEGMENT ON WOW PRESENTS!

ANOTHER WAR?

Our Nobel Peace Prize-winning president is considering a new war--not against a dirt-poor muslim nation, but against a superpower with nuclear weapons. Few of us know much about this oncoming war, because we feel no threat from the Ukraine which Obama is now thinking of arming. “The possibility of lethal defensive weapons is one of those options that is being considered,” Obama said, in addition the “other means we can put in place to change Mr. Putin’s calculus.” PUTIN'S CALCULUS? What sort of gibberish is that? How do you bomb that? We're going to start a proxy war by arming Ukraine and then possibly getting in deeper? But don't worry--there won't be any boots on the ground...yet. Despite the fact that ISIS is nowhere near the US and the US people have said we don't want to be the world's police any more, the US refuses to let that conflict be handled by the well-armed countries which neighbor the trouble zone. And these nations won't step up to the plate as long as the US is prepared, as they have been so far, to drop 80% of the bombs. Besides, ISIS isn't that large of an enemy, so we have to find a new war if our military contractors and weapons manufacturers are still gonna get paid.

So how about Russia? No one is challenging a conflict that we've already moved millions of dollars worth of weapons nearby and are threatening to move them to.Here's what Steven Cohen, professor emeritus of Russian studies at NYU had to say:

"Now, you referred to me as emeritus. That means old. That means I remember things. And I remember that when we hit these kind of Cold War extremes back during the last Cold War, people spoke out in opposition in this country, not only folks like the three of us, ordinary folks, but I’m talking about senators, members of Congress—even the administration was divided—The New York Times, The Washington Post. We have the silence of the hawks now. The American war party is on the march. You can see how close we are to, literally, a military confrontation with Russia. And there is not one word of establishment, mainstream opposition in this country.

So, is this good or bad? Do we go to war? Did we have a debate before we invaded Iraq? We did. And those of us who opposed it lost the debate. But we had a debate. That "democracy now," not today, not in the United States. There is no debate whatsoever. So, the danger is great. There is no opposition. All these people you’re showing—Strobe Talbott, General Hodges, anybody else you put on the screen, because only they speak to the American people—they’re on the march".

No debate on war because then we might be forced to admit that both political parties represent war. And who is the Democrats' great hope for 2016? Hillary Clinton, who said this of Putin's actions in Ukraine:

"Now if this sounds familiar, it's what Hitler did back in the '30s."

Stephen Cohen: "But the demonization of Putin has become so extreme in this country, I do not recall—and I entered this field back in the '60s—the United States ever demonizing a Soviet communist leader the way our leaders do—Obama, Mrs. Clinton referring to him as a Hitler. Look, if Putin is Hitler, clearly we have to go to war. That's the logic, is it not? Is it not? And where are the voices that say this is crazy? He may be a Russian nationalist. He may be threatening. But Hitler?"

So Putin's "calculus" may be threatening to the people in Ukraine. And this requires your tax dollars to fix a situation over there. Obama is considering military action  and Hillary seems more unnerved by Putin. I don't think the Ukraine is worrying Americans, but it's certainly popped up recently as something very worrying to our leaders. Because they always want to start wars and you can't start one without a new enemy.

This is a great discussion by an expert on what it looks like we're gearing up for.



Another informative segment.

HOGWASH!

Republicans are howling because Obama mentioned the Crusades and slavery as an example of how Christianity was misused to justify atrocities, just as Islam is now being used by ISIS as a justification for beheading, burning people in cages, etc. The president was speaking at The National Prayer Breakfast, where Christians apparently don't like to be compared to radical muslims. But the president is right--rabid Christians still are engaged in horrific, radical acts like shooting doctors who run abortion clinics. And the particular group which organizes the National Prayer Breakfast helped to create Uganda's Kill The Gays bill which was a death sentence for everyone gay in that country.

Every president since Eisenhower has spoken annually at this breakfast. And even though Obama spoke out against the murderous bill in Uganda at a past event, he never made the connection between the event's organizers and the bill in Uganda. What's shocking to me is that Obama would even dignify this breakfast by attending it. I could care less how many presidents have gone to it--if they're tied to creating legislation by which gays are to be killed, a supposedly pro-gay rights president has no business there. Here's what Cathy Kristofferson, an organizer of GetEqual Massachusetts had to say: “We’d like to see the President stop coming to events that are sponsored by people who are trying to kill and imprison us. We’re disappointed that the president is sending mixed messages to our youth and to our friends abroad, by giving supportive speeches one day and then supporting those who was to murder us four days later.” If Obama truly wanted to send a strong message about his support for gay rights and gay lives, he would never break bread with those who seek to murder people in any country because they're gay. The Family also has ties to strong anti-gay legislation in Nigeria. And don't think they wouldn't like to kill us here if they could. It's a dirty shame that Obama makes an official appearance at any event organized by virulently anti-gay forces.

JUST PROVES THAT YOU DON'T NEED TEETH TO HOLD COURT

Post by ทีวีพูล TVPool Buffet.

THIS IS GONNA BE A HOOT!

Austin International Drag Festival--a 3 day event in May featuring Coco Peru, Charles Busch, Jackie Beat, Kelly Mantle, Tammie Brown, Courtney Act, Adore Delano, Sherry Vine, Pandora Olivia Boxx, Kevin Aviance, Jiggly Caliente Brooks, Holly Woodlawn, Delta Work, Heklina, Derrick Barry, Paige Turner, Feast of Fun and me!

MORE:   AUSTINDRAGFEST.ORG

!!!

Post by Jayden Murray.

GET YOURS TODAY!

ERIC GARNER UPDATE

An activist friend asked me to go to the Staten Island court house a few weeks ago. He said they needed bodies to go and pack the place to demonstrate the public's concern over why the policeman who is on video apparently choking Eric Garner to death got off without charges. Everyone who saw the video was confused at how the policeman could recieve no conviction. The video provided a moment for many people to think "OK, black people aren't just making this stuff about frequent harassment up." I'd been away for all the Ferguson protests, so I went. All we were asking is to have the grand jury records be made available. I had to suppress a tear when Eric Garner's mom--she of the incredible two-toned braided bangs--sat down right next to me. As they read out various docket numbers filed by various parties, I could only imagine what she was going through. These weren't just case numbers to her. They concerned her flesh and blood.

But of course, there are different sides to every story. Even the policeman who administered the illegal chokehold seems as if he doesn't mind the court records being made public.

I got another side of the story when I ate Christmas dinner with both a nurse and a policeman. My attitude was that Eric Garner's death was just another case of rampant police brutality towards men of color. And Eric is on video repeatedly saying "I can't breathe." But the nurse claimed that when she was evaluating people on whether they need mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, the rule of thumb was that if you can speak, you can breathe. Eric said "I can't breathe" 11 times.

My policeman friend said that the cop who killed Garner was apprehending a crime--just doing his job and trying to subdue someone who was resisting arrest. Now, Eric allegedly was selling loose cigarettes and that is a crime. He's also been arrested (but not convicted) 30 times in the past. But there doesn't seem to be any proof of that sale except that an officer claims he saw Garner pass a cigarette to someone. Maybe that officer also saw Garner accept money for the cigarette which would make it an illegal sale. Or maybe Eric handed a smoke to a friend of his. Unless these court records are released, we simply won't know. It seems like opening the case would help everyone. Except perhaps for the prosecutor Dan Donovan, who is now running for Congress to replace the thuggish Representative Ryan Grimm. He resigned after pleading guilty to tax fraud charges.

Those of us who are aware of and against police brutality may be disappointed even if the court records are released. Because most of us, as we found with the Trayvon Martin case, don't know the law. But Trayvon Martin's death wasn't caught on video. I don't know when the judge who heard arguments on releasing records yesterday will decide. If anyone knows of any petitions or protests, please post the info here. We either need to have more faith in our justice system or we need to change it so that we can. This article outlines some of the details of the case..

MORE:   DAILYNEWS>COM

TRANSLATES TO "DOWNLOADING"

I DONE GOT MYSELF IN A GALLERY!

Hi all! Video artist Charles Atlas has an opening tomorrow in which I am featured. Since Charlie has worked with so many greats like Leigh Bowery and Merce Cunningham, I'm flattered to be included. (I'm just not sure why Charlie kept calling me Victoria Porkchop Parker.) Anyhoo, The exhibition features all new work by Mr. Atlas as well as quite a few new wigs, gowns and make-up by Miss Guy. Two of my new original tunes and an attempt at dancing are included in the footage so if you care to pop by the opening Friday night from 6-8PM, please do. It's is free and it will also be freezing at two degrees. But if you can't make the opening, the exhibit will be up through March. Hope you can check it out! MORE INFO:

MORE:   LUHRINGAUGUSTINE.COM

TALKING OUT OF BOTH SIDES OF HIS MOUTH AGAIN

As he receives praise from environmentalists for halting drilling in the Arctic, Obama is planning offshore drilling--the same kind that resulted in the BP disaster--to take place on the East Coast from Delaware to Florida. Despite estimates that 80% of fossil fuels must remain in the ground to avoid the danger levels of emissions he claims he wants to avoid.

Obama Admin. Announces Plans to Open Atlantic & Arctic to Offshore Drilling

"Despite the growth of the oil and gas industry, offshore drilling is still no safer than it was five years ago when the Gulf Spill captivated Americans for months as we awaited an end to the gushing oil. Since then, Congress has not passed a single bill that would prevent such a disaster from happening again. The myth that more energy produced at home, means lower gas prices is simply untrue – oil is sold on the world market and a majority of what we produce at home is shipped overseas.

Even the exploration in itself is extremely dangerous. The Obama administration is currently reviewing applications to use seismic airguns that make dynamite-like blasts to search for oil and gas deposits deep below the ocean floor in an area twice the size of California, stretching from Delaware to Florida. Based on the government’s own estimates, seismic blasting in the Atlantic could harm fish populations while injuring as many as 138,000 marine mammals like whales and dolphins, and disturbing the vital activities of as many as 13.5 million more. To date, more than 60 Members of Congress, 200 elected officials and 29 coastal communities in the blast zone have publically opposed or voiced concern over the use of seismic airguns off the East Coast.”

MORE:   USA.OCEANA.ORG

THIS FLIGHT ATTENDANT IS A RIOT!

Post by Hit107.

BIGGEST WHITE DICK EVER!

Post by Jayson Hershman.

DOESN'T ADD UP TO ME

Problem: police brutality leading to harassment of minority males and even death.
Solution: give the police machine guns?

A new squad of 350 will be armed with machine guns and "long rifles" to fight terrorism and protesters. Although the NYPD walked this statement back one day later, it's still tone deaf. I know that the Charlie Ebdo shootings put everyone on alert and I'd like to be safe. But do we need to be safe from protesters? Maybe there were incidents with the NYC protesters I didn't hear about which would justify this. Did you hear about them? I didn't.

MORE:   http://gothamist.com/2015/01/29/nypd_machine_guns.php

SCREAMING!

YES--BECAUSE THEY'VE SET THIER SITES ON HILLARY!

"Has the American left lost sight of the big picture? While liberals have been fighting line-item battles against the Republican right, government itself has been changing -- and slowly disappearing.

Are we winning some battles (not so many, come to think of it) but losing the war?

Discretionary spending has fallen dramatically -- too dramatically -- in recent decades, primarily as the result of lower, post-Cold War military budgets. But the promised post-Cold War "peace dividend" has failed to materialize. We've seen neither better public services nor wider prosperity. The military budget is still bloated, and only the wealthy and corporations are better off than they were four or five decades ago.

We need an active, independent left willing to challenge the push for smaller government. A well-managed government can revitalize the economy even as it makes our world a better place to live. Many Americans seem to understand that instinctively. Where, then, is the movement that will make that argument?

Our nation needs a new vision, one that proposes using government resources to meet newer and broader challenges instead of downsizing them to ease the tax burdens on the wealthy and corporations.

Instead of benefiting the privileged, some of those savings could have been used to fund domestic programs to improve the lives of millions of Americans.

That would have had another benefit: Studies have shown that non-military government spending is more cost-effective in creating jobs than military spending. So a shift from military to domestic spending would tend to boost both employment and middle-class wage growth, two areas where our economic picture has declined since the early decades shown in the chart above.

That's a compelling big-picture argument. Unfortunately, nobody seems to be making it.

The president's latest budget proposal shows the limits of our current debate. He has proposed increasing military and non-military (discretionary) spending by roughly the same amounts, which means that defense spending under the president's plan would still exceed domestic spending ($561 billion vs. $530 billion -- and that smaller domestic figure includes significant military expenditures, as explained above).

Why should that be the liberal side of the debate? A vibrant, independent left would propose reductions in military spending -- and steeper increases in domestic spending. After all, we are the sole remaining superpower. By broad consensus, our greatest national-security threat is terrorism conducted by non-state actors. Why, then, are we still greenlighting costly high-tech weapons systems?

And why are we expected to spend $355 billion in the next 10 years (according to the CBO), and as much as $1 trillion over 30 years (as estimated by the Center for Nonproliferation Studies), to maintain and rebuild our nuclear arsenal? (See also the Arms Control Association.)

That makes no sense."

MORE:   HUFFPO

I ALWAYS SUPPORT OBAMA WHEN HE'S BEING DIPLOMATIC

This former Major General agrees. Republican politicians do not.

Post by VoteVets.org.

SEE RYAN RAFFERTY AS ANNA WINTOUR!

TIX:   PUBLICTHEATER

THIS IS WHY I'D HAVE TO COMMIT SUICE IS I EVER FARTED

Pastor Claims Gay People Are Possessed By “Fart Demons” That Can Drive Pigs To Suicide

MORE:   QUEERTY.COM

BAHAHAHAHAHA!

EH?

Obama today: "Top military officials told Congress that if Congress does nothing to stop sequestration, there could be serious consequences for our national security, at a time when our military is stretched on a whole range of issues."

Our military is stretched? How so? We were in Afghanistan and Iraq for a decade--then they were stretched with ridiculously frequent tours of duty. If Obama has ended the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, how could our forces possibly be stretched?  Unless we are engaged in war in far more many places than the White House admits. If this makes sense to you, please explain it to me.

REICH ON!

When Bloomberg was NYC's mayor, remember that first really bad snow when he took a lot of heat for not having the city clean it up? The year after that it snowed and I remember a much swifter response. The very next day, I was surprised to see an older woman shoveling snow on the city's crew. As in much older--probably well-past retirement age. I don't even own a shovel and am handier with Pan-stick than I am a dustpan, so I felt a little sorry for an older gal forced to do manual labor in freezing conditions. Our eyes met briefly and I f#cked her. Kidding! Our eyes did meet and I remember feeling a little sorry for her, until I realized that she was probably grateful for the one day of work. She was the grandmotherly type you'd expect to see snuggled up next to a pot of tea. For all I know, she could have been a former mafia queen who was just released from prison that day on a work program. Or someone who'd foolishly lost every cent of her retirement fund in a casino. But I doubt it. I think she represents the new American workforce: work harder for less money and retire when you die.

So this article from former Labor Secretary Robert Reich really caught my eye. I knew there was a reason that Uber made me uncomfortable. Because if you had a full time job that paid well, you'd have no time or interest in driving for Uber, which pays very little and offers no job security. And zero job satisfaction exact for the fact that you have a little work. It's a sinister undercurrent that Reich explains very well here:

Robert Reich:

How would you like to live in an economy where robots do everything that can be predictably programmed in advance, and almost all profits go to the robots' owners?

Meanwhile, human beings do the work that's unpredictable - odd jobs, on-call projects, fetching and fixing, driving and delivering, tiny tasks needed at any and all hours - and patch together barely enough to live on.

Brace yourself. This is the economy we're now barreling toward.

They're Uber drivers, Instacart shoppers, and Airbnb hosts. They include Taskrabbit jobbers, Upcounsel's on-demand attorneys, and Healthtap's on-line doctors.

The euphemism is the "share" economy. A more accurate term would be the "share-the-scraps" economy.

New software technologies are allowing almost any job to be divided up into discrete tasks that can be parceled out to workers when they're needed, with pay determined by demand for that particular job at that particular moment.

Customers and workers are matched online. Workers are rated on quality and reliability.

The big money goes to the corporations that own the software. The scraps go to the on-demand workers.

Consider Amazon's "Mechanical Turk." Amazon calls it "a marketplace for work that requires human intelligence."

In reality, it's an Internet job board offering minimal pay for mindlessly-boring bite-sized chores. Computers can't do them because they require some minimal judgment, so human beings do them for peanuts -- say, writing a product description, for $3; or choosing the best of several photographs, for 30 cents; or deciphering handwriting, for 50 cents.

Amazon takes a healthy cut of every transaction.

This is the logical culmination of a process that began thirty years ago when corporations began turning over full-time jobs to temporary workers, independent contractors, free-lancers, and consultants.

It was a way to shift risks and uncertainties onto the workers - work that might entail more hours than planned for, or was more stressful than expected.

And a way to circumvent labor laws that set minimal standards for wages, hours, and working conditions. And that enabled employees to join together to bargain for better pay and benefits.

The new on-demand work shifts risks entirely onto workers, and eliminates minimal standards completely.

MORE:  HUFFPO

BAD LIGHTING VS GOOD LIGHTING

Even the lovely Farrah can look like Quasimodo with side lighting and shadows. This literally makes it look like one eye is 2 inches lower than the other with a big bag underneath and she's had a stroke. Not to mention making her lips even thinner and teeth crooked! And who wants a brush that flattens the hair?

SHE LITERALLY TAKES THE CAKE

Post by New Yorkers.

RUN, BERNIE, RUN!

Bernie has offers an explanation of why unemployment numbers are down, but we're still feeling the pinch. "More wealth and inequality than the Great Depression." This was taped in August--but Bernie claims that the then 6.2% unemployment rate is a result of many giving up even looking for work. The jobs which have been added are largely low wage or part time jobs with no benefits. Real unemployment is close to 12%, youth unemployment 20%, African-American youth close to 40%." You can't address the problem without acknowledging it. Democrats are acting like everything's ok now!

PLEASE SIGN IF YOU AGREE!

Corporate predators want to call you … and call you, and call you and call you.

Big Business is lobbying the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to water down the Telephone Consumer Protection Act to allow “wrong number” robocalls to mobile phones.

And if Big Business gets its way, your privacy — not to mention your peace of mind — is at risk.

Don’t let the FCC weaken consumer protections.

Tell the FCC: No robocalls to cell phones without our consent.

Before auto-dialing your cell phone or sending you a text message, businesses by law are required to receive your permission.

You probably know what I mean by “auto-dialing” or “robocalling” — I mean the calls made by telemarketers, debt collectors and other aggressive, for-profit phone-based businesses.

Consumers who receive repeated or harassing calls from such companies can file complaints — and offending corporations can face hefty fines, especially if they ignore complaints from consumers they reach because they dialed a wrong number.

But the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Big Banks and debt collectors don’t want reckless businesses to pay fines when they harass consumers — and they don’t care if you receive call after call after call.

Make sure the FCC knows you want businesses to get your permission before calling your mobile phone.

TEE HEE!

THIS IS WHO WE ARE, AMERICA!

We don't have enough money to rebuild the crumbling infrastructure which both parties say we need, which would create the jobs that both parties say we need.

We don't have enough money to fund the switch to green energy that we desperately need to start yesterday to halt climate change.

We don't have enough money to have the almost free, government-run health care that they have from Cuba to Canada and all over Europe.

But we always have money for war. Often/usually for war against the very terrorists that we've helped to create--like ISIS. We laid the groundwork for their creation by destroying Iraq for no reason. And Bush's mistake cost us trillions and countless lives. As Obama is set to replace Attorny General Eric Holder, who declared upon taking office that impeachment of Bush and Cheney was off the table. So no desire to correct or acknowledge what is widely regarded as the US's biggest foreign policy blunder ever in which hundreds of thousands died for nothing other than our greed?

We've also got enough money to fund Israel's military aggression. No possible presidential candidate no matter how far to the left they are--even Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders--would even dare to suggest stopping that annual payment to Israel which makes muslims worldwide despise and attack us wherever they can.

But you can be proud, America. Because you're free! Free from any brains. Free from any connection to what is being done with the money you'll soon pay the government in taxes this April. (Unless, of course, you're also free from a job.) America, the Christian nation which kills! With a Nobel peace prize-winning president who now wants more money for war to fight the terrorism he helped create in secret drone wars which you don't even know or care about. We're on the right track--making no sense whatsoever! But as long as military oppression and mass murder are involved, we're good! How about killing less and helping more? Maybe even ignoring what's going on in faraway lands and focusing on US citizens' economic plight? Or is that just too crazy a notion?

MORE:   POLITICO

POLITICAL CORRECTNESS GONE WRONG...AGAIN

Absolutely fascinating comments under this post, which is a pic of older male nudists protesting a new ban on nudity in San Fran. SF has a history of nudity and pretty sexual-themed bizarre street fairs where you will see everything from nudity to nipple piercing to pumped genitals. The city's newer, straight upscale residents are bringing up kids and don't want the "perversion" to be seen by them. Although as one commenter points out, nudity and positive body images can be seen as healthy.

In fact, because many of the older, permissive gay activists have been out priced from traditionally gay neighborhoods and now live in areas just outside of the city. So they can no longer serve on the boards which make these decisions to keep Folsom Street Fair, etc going. More prudish types can. What's next? Is there too much nudity in the gay pride parade for their precious brats who might be turned gay if they look up from their cell phones long enough to see a nude male? Not only is the the eradication of a sacred gay space like the Castro specifically and SF in general, but it shows what happens when one group makes a neighborhood fun or cool and then the duds attracted to that want to move in and squash what's fun about it. Kill all of it's flavor.

What really takes the cake about this post is a younger girl of color blogging this pic adds "File this under geriatric white privilege." Many of the commenters see this as an indication that Jezebel.com now sucks and point out how this is clearly ageist. And while I know white privilege exists, I've been to these festivals and seen men of color in the nude as well.

MORE:   JEZEBEL.COM

CHARLES ATLAS: THE WANING OF JUSTICE

I'm very excited to be part of new exhibit by video artist Charles Atlas, who is best known for his work with Leigh Bowery, Merce Cunningham, Antony and The Johnsons and Scottish dancer/choreographer Michael Clark. So I'm flattered to be included and have been a friend of Charlie since director Tom Rubnitz (of Pickle Surprise fame) introduced us in the 80s. Charlie shot me performing two original songs--one comedy and one not intentionally comedic--and there's an interview segment as well. I hope you'll check it out!

February 7 – March 14, 2015
Opening reception: Friday, February 6, 2015, 6-8 pm

Luhring Augustine is pleased to announce the opening of The Waning of Justice, a solo exhibition by the influential American film and video artist Charles Atlas. This will be Atlas’ second solo exhibition with the gallery; his first gallery exhibition, The Illusion of Democracy, was the inaugural show at our Bushwick space in February 2012.

The Waning of Justice will include all new work made by the artist for this exhibition. Several autonomous video works will all be synchronized by imagery, duration, and soundtrack to create one dynamic visual experience. The videos in the exhibition feature sunsets shot by Atlas in Florida while at the Rauschenberg Residency as well as new footage of New York legendary superstar, The Lady Bunny. 

This month, Prestel released Charles Atlas, the first major publication on Atlas’ work, featuring writings by Stuart Comer, Douglas Crimp, Douglas Dunn, Johanna Fateman, and Lia Gangitano.