Happy No Taxation Without Representation Day

Happy Freedom Day, Decleration of Independence Day, or 4th of July, which ever one floats your metaphorical boat.

I'm coming up on a busy stretch right now, so I will make no promises to myself or anyone else about what I will be posting.  However, I do want to post something about the Miller Test soon-ish. So yay to that.

Have fun and keep all of your digits safe when playing with explosives.


Liam '14

Let's Welcome Kentucky to the 21st Century

Today the Courts ruled in favor of in-state marriages. Yay!

So let's update the mother fuckin' map.

Boom!

Stay issued of course, but onward we march.

Liam '14

Sunday Morning Slander

Warning the following is so stupid you may void your bowels: Enjoy.

This weekend was Twin Cities Pride. Of course since it's pride weekend that means the stupid is out in full force. And this is really fucking stupid.

Thanks to the intrepid reporting of Andy Birkey (who was a part of the Rachel Maddow lawsuit that I analyzed forever ago) at the Twin Cities Daily Planet, we are granted insight into the inter machinations of a local evangelical organization called Trinity Works:

The group says it has about 300 outreach workers scheduled for Pride, and those workers will be based at First Baptist Church on Hennepin Avenue along the Pride parade route.

Its leader Steven Uggen told a group gathered in April at The Well, A Living Church in Robbinsdale, that people will be cured of “HIV or AIDS” at the Pride festivities. Uggen says that by healing those with HIV, it will prove to the LGBT community that they should find Jesus and leave “the lifestyle.”

Please go read the full article.

How to go about this:

A.)     There are reportedly 300 people not only dumb enough to buy this Aids-Denialist bullshit, but they are also willing to participate.

B.)     There are reportedly 300 people who think they can channel God to heal people.

C.)     This organization thinks that the Gayz haz the Aidz.  HIV is a virus you fucking dumb pieces of shit. What the fuck is wrong with you. Do you think that MILLIONS of South Africans chose a sinful life style. You fucking fucks.

D.)     If anyone stops taking their antiretroviral cocktail due to these bottom feeders... ughh so fucking pissed. Mother.. son of... 

There is a phase, "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity," but these assholes are really pushing it.

Liam '14

Hat Tip to Joe.My.God 

A Gay Reading of Lawrence v. Texas

Hey Look what I found on YouTube.

Some dickhead stole my voice, my image, and my childlike sense of humour. Oh, wait no, I was drunk again and decided it would be fun to post a video.

So go check it out if you fucking hate reading.

I'm planning on reading some of my favorite cases and doing my thing with them. So keep a look out for more.



Liam '14

Update: Kitchen Upheld and Indiana WIns Big

The 10th Circuit Court in a 2-1 decision, issued a broad ruling upholding the District court ruling. A stay was also issued until Certiorari . As a result marriage equality has spread throughout the entire 10th Circuit, but due to the stay, marriages will not be granted, unless the state officials in the other marriage lawsuits dismiss their cases.

Also Indiana surprised everyone when a Federal Judge struck down the state marriage ban. And immediately people were gay married. Like in less than an hour. I mean crap, I couldn't find my birth certificate in less than an hour. So good for them.  Their marriage may have set some new ground speed record or something.

Anyway, to celibate today's wins I have update the map:

So Mazel Tov to the handsome grooms of Indiana.


Liam '14

Obscenity on Trial Part V

This is Part V in a series on One, Inc. v. Olesen, which dealt with obscenity laws.

Click here for Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part VI

Moving from the 9th Circuit decision, it's funny how a longer decision such as the 9th Circuit's can be reversed by so few words. One, Inc. v. Olesen, 355 U.S. 371 (1958) states:

Eric Julber for petitioner.

Solicitor General Rankin, Acting Assistant Attorney General Leonard and Samuel D. Slade for respondent.

PER CURIAM.  

The petition for writ of certiorari is granted and the judgment of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is reversed. Roth v. United States, 354 U.S. 476.

And that's it. The Supreme Court here is referring to the Roth test which states:

"whether to the average person, applying contemporary community standards, the dominant theme of the material taken as a whole appeals to prurient interest."

In other words, does the average person see it as directly sexual. And in One's case, nope.

While Roth does go mostly uncommented, the 9th Circuit didn't entirely ignore Roth:

The poem pertains to sexual matters of such a vulgar and indecent nature that it tends to arouse a feeling of disgust and revulsion. It is dirty, vulgar and offensive to the moral senses. Swearingen v. United States, 161 U.S. 446, 16 S.Ct. 562, 40 L.Ed. 765; United States v. Limehouse, 285 U.S. 424, 426, 52 S.Ct. 412, 76 L.Ed. 843; Tyomies Publishing Co. v. United States, 6 Cir., 1914, 211 F. 385, 390; United States v. Roth, 2 Cir., 237 F.2d 796, 799, 800. 

So it would appear the consequence of One, Inc. v. Olesen is that depictions of homosexuality is not per se obscene. That simple though is so short, but it was the first pro-gay ruling in American History. Without this ruling there may not have been a gay rights movement. No communication, no organization.

Stay tune for the conclusion of this series which examines the Miller test, which comes out of Miller v. California. The Miller test is the current obscenity test.  


Liam '14

Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part VI

To fulfill my obscenity and obligatory masturbation joke quota, if you disagree with any position expressed here, you can go finger yourself, super-deep like a sock puppet.

Sunday Morning Slander

I have to admit I was kind of struggling this week looking for material for this segment, which for sanity's sake is probably a good thing. But then this morning I saw a video, and I knew then and there I had found the one, my precious douchebag. *Sniffle*

On Thursday around noonish, a bunch of goons from NOM invaded the Capitol steps to tell 'em what they really think.

And then there was Huckleberry Hound Mike Huckabee.

Source. Go visit right wing watch.

I frequently prefer to read an article rather than listen to it, so here is a transcript of what he said:

The President and the Congress are not required to defy natural law.[1] They're not required to redefine marriage.[2] They are required to follow the will of the people, the Constitution, and the law that has given us the greatest nation on earth, a nation that we will lose, if we turn our backs on our origins.[3] There is no doubt in my mind that this country would not exist had it not been for the providential hand of God. I'm also convinced if we reject his hand of blessing we will feel his hand of judgment.[4]

[Break]

And it's time for us as an American people to say to our own government “Enough of you restricting us. Enough of you redefining our institutions.[5] We are not under an obligation to defy God in order to obey you. We are under an obligation to obey God and the law and if necessary to defy an institution that is out of control.”[6]

Ugh, I'm so sick of word salad. That's what I had for dinner last night. Perhaps it's because the video was an excerpt from a longer speech, but little sense making it was.

I will try to break it down into bit size pieces of WTF:

[1] I do not understand what natural law has to do with any of this quite frankly. It's literal a head scratcher due to the way it is worded. Is he trying to say "the President and the Congress are unnecessarily defying natural law"?

[2] Congress and the President are not redefining marriage. To play along with your venacular it's dem court thingys in dem buildins wit dem men folks who haz that there hammer do-hickey dats redefining marriage. The current gay rights movement is seeing it's largest successes through Article III jurisdictions, rather than through the legislative process or administrative law. By the way ain't ya a former governor who really really should know better? Numb-nuts.

[3] "They are required to follow... the Constitution." The judicial system is following the constitution in extending equal protection to all citizens by extending marriage privileges. Also a majority of people are in favor of marriage equality. You were against the tyranny of the minority when it was basically only gays in favor of gay marriage, so let me guess you now will be against the tyranny of the majority/minority. Dumb-ass.

[4] "I'm also convinced if we reject his hand of blessing we will feel his hand of judgment." Congrats Mike you are now as relevant as William Jennings Bryan. Jack-ass.

[5] "And it's time for us as an American people to say to our own government 'Enough of you restricting us.'" Hah hah hahahahahaha aaah haha. Do you hear yourself at all? Dumb-Fuck. Perhaps it's a wrong language thingy. Verstehen Sie, warum das heuchlerisch ist? Homo-Ehe beschränkt nicht die Zivilrechte oder die Freiheit der Mehrheit. Homo-Ehe gibt die Homosexuallen Zivilrechte. Arschloch!

Please don't make me whip out the french.

[6] Huh? I honestly am just perplexed by the rest of the statement. "We are under an obligation to obey God and the law and if necessary to defy an institution that is out of control." So does that mean he is advocating Christianists to not get married? Or defy the government, in which their participation in gay marriages isn't required?  Dick-for-brains.

UPDATE:

I found a longer video:

Liam '14