SAN FRANCISCO: Anti-Circumcision Group To Place Ban On City Ballot

A San Francisco anti-circumcision group has collected enough petition signatures to place a city-wide ban on the practice on the November ballot.

Legal experts, however, said even if such a measure were to pass, it would likely be quickly overturned as an unconstitutional attack on the grounds of religious freedom. Chief opponent Lloyd Schofield, 59, acknowledged circumcision is a ritual among Jews and a common practice among Muslims, but insisted it should be outlawed. "It's excruciatingly painful and permanently damaging surgery that's forced on men when they're at their weakest and most vulnerable," he said. San Francisco officials say Schofield's group submitted about 12,000 signatures supporting his proposed ban, which is more than enough to get it on the ballot in November.

The proposed measure would make it a crime to circumcise a boy under the age of 18.

Prop 8 Proponents Move To Vacate Judge Vaughn Walker's Ruling Because He's Gay

They've been talking about it for weeks and today Prop 8's backers officially filed to vacate Judge Vaughn Walker's ruling overturning the ban of same-sex marriage in California. Because a gay judge cannot possibly be impartial about gay issues.

The sponsors of California's same-sex marriage ban said Monday that the recent disclosure by the federal judge who struck down Proposition 8 that he is in a long-term relationship with another man has given them new grounds to have his historic ruling overturned. Lawyers for the ban's backers filed a motion in San Francisco's U.S. District Court, arguing that Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker should have removed himself from the case or at least disclosed his relationship status because his "impartiality might reasonably be questioned." "Only if Chief Judge Walker had unequivocally disavowed any interest in marrying his partner could the parties and the public be confident that he did not have a direct personal interest in the outcome of the case," attorneys for the coalition of religious and conservative groups that put Proposition 8 on the November 2008 ballot wrote.

Lambda Legal's Jon Davidson reacts:

To say that Judge Walker's should have disclosed his ten-year relationship with another man or that it made him unfit to rule on Proposition 8 is like saying that a married heterosexual judge deciding an issue in a divorce proceeding has to disclose if he or she is having marital problems and might someday be affected by legal rulings in the case. Or that any judge who professes any religious faith is unable to rule on any question of religious liberty or, at a minimum, must disclose what his faith teaches. Much like a suggestion that a female judge could not preside over a case involving sexual harassment or an African American judge could not preside over a case involving race discrimination, Proposition 8's supporters improperly are suggesting that a judge will rule in favor of any litigant with whom he shares a personal characteristic.

American Foundation for Equal Rights reacts:

"This motion is yet another in a string of desperate and absurd motions by Prop 8 Proponents who refuse to accept the fact that the freedom to marry is a constitutional right. They're attempting to keep secret the video of the public trial and they're attacking the judge because they disagree with his decision. Clearly, the Proponents are grasping at straws because they have

NCLR's Shannon Minter reacts:

"This is a desperate and ill-advised move that underscores their inability to defend Prop 8 on the merits. This is not likely to win them any points with the courts, who understandably do not appreciate having the integrity of judges called into question based on such outrageous grounds. This is part and parcel of the underhanded way the Prop 8 campaign itself was run-based on lies, insinuations, and unsupported innuendo."

Fox News: California's LGBT Education Bill Is Lying Propaganda

San Francisco...earthquake! City rocks & rolls @ 3 pm! Big one on way!

OMG!

How does that hit tune go?

"I felt the earth move under my feet!"

Uh-huh!

I was standing at a computer terminal at the Main Library in downtown San Francisco a few minutes ago - checking out source material - when the floor suddenly rippled, the walls turned liquid, and my heart fluttered nervously for a second or two.

Earthquake!

Mind you, it was just a gentle rocking one, but nothing to sniff at!

Ironically - local News anchors were just chatting each other up about the possiblity of a quake today - of all days!

Apparently, yesterday was the anniversay of the legendary quake that shook the city to its foundations - causing it to erupt in fire and burn to the ground many moons ago - around the turn-of-the century.

In fact, a rag-tag gang of historians trotted down to Market Street last night - to solemnly draw attention to that fateful day when San Franciscans were forced to rebuild from scratch after the devasting temblor struck.

Lotta's Fountain, where the vigil took place, was the only public memorial left standing way back when!

Scientists were predicting a fifty-to-sixty percent chance that the earth would rumble today.

Golly!

When I first immigrated to the U.S. - and took up residence in Southern California - the tiniest rolling motion usually jolted me from a deep sleep.

Over time, I became accustomed to the nudges, and paid them no mind over time.

Until the Northridge Earthquake hit, that is.

Unfortunately, I was renting an apartment in a five-story New York-style walk-up, which the landlord neglected to retrofit.

In the middle of the night, I was shaken from a deep slumber, and confronted with a lot of moaning-and-groaning as the foundations began to shift and collapse beneath me.

What the!

Outside, I suddenly caught sight of all the city lights across Los Angeles, suddenly being extinguished in waves from one end of town to the next as the power flashed out.

Suddenly, I was in a panic, because the creaking began to increase in volume signalling an impending disaster to come.

I scrambled out of bed and was faced with a couple of dilemmas.

For starters, all the power was out, so I was unable to locate my clothes.

Uh-huh.

I sleep in the nude!

For a few tense moments, I stumbled around in the dark tripping and falling over furniture - and a host of once-nifty little collectables - that were now strewn all over the apartment floor in disarray.

Once I managed to get dressed, I faced a pressing new frightful problem.

A bookshelf in the hall had fallen in front of the door and was making my exit next-to-impossible.

When I finally escaped into the dark hall, with the building sinking below my barefeet by the minute, I was forced to dart down five flights of stairs in the eerily silent apartment house.

Where was everyone?

Was this just some horrific nightmare?

Outside, when I alighted into the dark spooky night, I spied all of my neighbors huddled in their cars fiddling with their radios.

News reports were being excitedly dispated from radio stations around the city.

Meanwhile, just down the street, there was a lot of looting underway on Hollywood Boulevard.

At least right up 'til the moment the military moved in, drew their rifles, and stood watch over the fray until a semblance of order was regained.

As I noted in my post later, I felt like I was in war-torn Beirut, God forbid!

Post: 04/19/2008

http://forgusbeylan.blogspot.com/2008/04/northridge-earthquakea-lesson-to-all.html

A few hours later, the City Inspector entered the premises, and issued red-tag warnings to the tenants.

Because of the precarious condition of the old brick building, we were barred from returning to our homes!

As I noted in updates in the past, earthquakes are not entirely out-of-the-norm on the San Andreas fault.

If you scrutinize a map, it becomes painstakingly evident - that because Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle rest on two plates (that are moving in different directions beneath the shakey earth) - quakes are inevitable.

In fact, I am predicting another "big one" in the next five years!

Today, was just a percursor to a series of quakes, that are going to do down starting this week.

So, hold onto your britches  and secure all those expensive china plates on display in the dining-room, because we're all in for a bumpy night or two.

Just betcha, die-hard Californians will stay, and brave the inevitable.

I'm certainly not packing!

http://www.thetattler.biz

Quote Of The Day - Marilyn Davenport

"Oh, come on! Everybody who knows me knows that I am not a racist. It was a joke. I have friends who are black. Besides, I only sent it to a few people–mostly people I didn’t think would be upset by it. You're not going to make a big deal about this are you? It's just an Internet joke." - Marilyn Davenport, Tea Party activist and Orange County GOP committee member, after being busted for having emailed the above image with the caption: "Now you know why there's no birth certificate."

CALIFORNIA: Gay Ed Bill Passes In Senate

California's education bill requiring that notable LGBT people be positively portrayed in textbooks was passed yesterday by the state Senate.

If the bill is adopted by the state Assembly and signed by Gov. Jerry Brown, California would become the first state to require the teaching of gay history. Supporters say the move is needed to counter anti-gay stereotypes and beliefs that make children in those groups vulnerable to bullying and suicide. Opponents counter that such instruction would further burden an already crowded curriculum and expose students to a subject that some parents find objectionable. The legislation, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Mark Leno of San Francisco, passed on a 23-14 party line vote. It also would add disabled people to the curriculum. The bill gives school districts flexibility in deciding what to include in the lessons and at what grades students would receive them. But starting in the 2013-14 school year, it would prohibit districts and the California Board of Education from using textbooks or other instructional materials that reflect adversely on gay, bisexual and transgender Americans.

As I've noted here several times, the bill is vehemently opposed by anti-gay groups.

CALIFORNIA: Christianists Ramp Up Attacks On Gay-Positive Education Bill

Anti-gay Christianist groups are launching an all-out war on California's pending SB 48 bill, which calls for the inclusion of notable LGBT figures in lessons about civics and history. From a World Net Daily story about "sexual brainwashing":

"Life has consequences. This is what parents get with the Democrats," said SaveCalifornia.com President Randy Thomasson (pictured). "It's what they get with the teacher unions. It's what they get by believing the lie that people are born 'gay,' when they're not. Or that this is a harmless lifestyle. "This is what parents get when they place their children in the government school system and say that they have no other options," he continued. "Parents are seeing the tip of the iceberg in SB 48, and they need to wake up to the fact that the public school they went to as a child no longer exists. "Government schools in California are mandated by more than half a dozens laws already to bring children to think that homosexual, bisexual and transsexual [lifestyles are] good and natural and maybe even for them," he said.

SB 48 is sponsored by openly gay state Sen. Mark Leno, who, the above-linked article pointedly notes, had a former partner who died of AIDS. Because teaching kids about Harvey Milk will give them AIDS. Or something.

Maverick Surf Contest...fizzles out on West Coast! No waves, Moon Doggie!



One of the West Coast's most-anticipated outdoors events - the Maverick Surf Contest - appears to be fizzling into oblivion this year due to the capricious nature of the weather.

In February, surfers are usually excitedly belting out - "Surf's Up" - as the mammoth waves crash the picturesque California coastline (at Half-moon Bay & elsewhere) in stunning God's country.

But, the dudes are SOL this season, Moon Doggie!

Will par-tay hearty spring break ever be the same without the wild beach soiree?

Golly!

As the surf gently rolls into the shore, folks are more inclined to take a stroll, or catch some rays!

But, before you can say - winter squall - things might just turn around.

Stay posted for updates, eh?

Later!

http://www.thetattler.biz



Surf dudes hang ten for the big one!