July 2006
ArchPundit
Someone, Anyone Send Me a Tape/DVD of Today’s Tour
I’ve barely had time to comment on this race, but Landis is just friggen amazing.
Things Most Never Have to Say
“Yes, I have purchased numerous gay magazine subscriptions and books over the years as part of my efforts to research the movement–just like some gay researchers peruse the writings of the Family Research Council or Dr. James Dobson. (Should we accuse “Ex-Gay Watch” of secretly supporting Christian conservatives because they spend a lot of time and energy researching them?)”
==Petey Labarbera.
Yes, and many men claim to read Playboy for the articles. What’s odd about Petey’s protestations is that you’d think he’d learn that this sort of thing only keeps the joke going. I’m also pretty sure that if straight men could pick up women in a bathhouse, there’d be a hell of a lot of bathhouses.
Fun context at Wayne Besen’s in a couple places.
Here’s the full text:
Subject: FOR RAY DELGADO…Ray, before you reported that I “earned” Wayne’s nasty nickname…
… (“Porno Pete”), why didn’t you contact me first? Or do you always run with the most vicious smears just because a prominent gay activist uses them? Usually I get fair treatment in the gay press; not this time.
Yes, I once researched gay events, and still do occasionally, by attending them to get firsthand info. I sometimes went undercover so as not to get kicked out by “tolerant” gay activists (what are they trying to hide?), but other times I went openly, such as at the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Ass’n, where I once spoke at a panel debate opposite gay journalists dealing with whether the media has a pro-gay bias.
No, I do not “collect” porn–never have–and I am not interested in or enjoy gay pornography. Frankly, it’s pretty sick stuff, in my view. And no, I am not a homosexual nor did I ever struggle with those desires. (Isn’t it funny how gay activists accuse their opponents of being homosexual as if that’s the biggest slur they can come up with?)
Wayne Besen relied on the false testimony of a former “ex-gay,” Wade Richards, who worked a while for Americans for Truth before we (foolishly) urged him to speak at a press conference. Besen attended the event and apparently helped to recruit young Wade back into the gay life. Wade knew full well that my interests were as a critical researcher, but he wanted to strike back at me, so he accused me of collecting gay “porn.”
Yes, I have purchased numerous gay magazine subscriptions and books over the years as part of my efforts to research the movement–just like some gay researchers peruse the writings of the Family Research Council or Dr. James Dobson. (Should we accuse “Ex-Gay Watch” of secretly supporting Christian conservatives because they spend a lot of time and energy researching them?)
But, no, I don’t “collect” gay porn. Wade lied to smear me, and Wayne never bothered to check his new recruit’s “facts” because that would have gotten in the way of him slamming a right-winger, I suppose.
The fact is, porn is a prominent part of the gay male world, and some magazines I collected had pornographic content (surprise!). (Most were simply gay publications like the Washington Blade.) On my side of the issue, we think porn use/addiction is a big problem; hopefully some gays will agree with us, but regardless, the endless effort to portray ME as a gay perv because I try to expose the wrongs of your movement makes about as much sense as saying GLAAD supports the Federal Marriage Amendment because they write about it a lot.
I’ll cc this to Wayne Besen for publication (full letter only, Wayne), but I’m quite sure it won’t deter him from spreading lies about me in his crusade to nail the “religious right.”
Best–Peter LaBarbera
It’s all research you see.
102 – 105 Degrees, Heat Index around 115 and about a half milion people with no power
Apparently the worst storm Ameren has ever dealt with in its 100 year history.
The line behind my house is down–given the scope of this one and I’m towards the end of the line, power might be out for 3-4 days. So posting will be erratic.
Don’t Beat Up On Dusty
He has no pitching staff and his offense has virtually no talent.
If you want to blame someone–Jim Hendry’s available.
Low Expectations
Why haven’t I blogged about the Stroger inheritance?
If you have sufficiently low expectations of the Stroger clan, it’s hard to be outraged.
About Those Trucking Taxes Causing Truckers to Flee
I don’t have time to check relative growth in border states, but a basic point here is that between 2002 and 2006, there has been an increase of 29,994 licensed fiscal trucks which are trucks over 8,000 pounds. I actually got the numbers because someone in Rich’s comments was claiming what a dramatic drop in licensed trucks one would observe statewide.
What is interesting is that out of 103 jurisdictions (102 counties + Chicago), only 3 counties showed any sort of decline
Williamson lost 697 Deep south, but not directly on the border
Macon lost 487 Decatur–not a border county even.
Johnson lost 8 Not quite border, but deep south again.
Two things strike me about these three counties–all three have economies in the crapper more than most other communities and they don’t have great access to interstates. Decatur has some, but I’d rate it lower than any of the other four Central Illinois cities (combining the two twin cities).
Following with single digit increases were Pope, Wabash and Lawrence which are all far south and have crappy economies.
Overall there is a 20 percent increase in licensed fiscal trucks from 153834
to 183828. This is just a quick analysis, but I’d say that if Blagojevich knew about these numbers it might actually provide a strong talking point for him. I don’t have time to check into bordering states and their relative growth, especially along the border, but it’s hard to believe that a 20% increase would have been much more without the tax.
Looking For A First Rate Superintendent?
St. Louis Public Schools just fired Creg Williams. Current Board President confused herself with a manager and suggested she just needed more control….
then another of the geniuses who fired them was pissed off because there just weren’t enough administrators who were familiar with St. Louis.
This was by design. St. Louis is notoriously a small town in a big metro area where everyone is everyone’s friend. When you are trying to actually educate kids instead of keeping people employed, that’s a problem.
Williams is originally from Chicago and followed Vallas to Philly. He won’t be unemployed long as he’s a hell of an administrator and very strong in high school reform–a vexing problem in almost all urban high schools.
How about starting that invasion soon? Illinois, come to our rescue.
Decent Quarter for Pavich
$109204.50 Raised
$37977.37 Spent
$295186.70 On hand
Weller is sitting on $1 million so John will have to have a good next quarter, but he’s keeping his spending down even with staffing up.
Huge Quarter for Duckworth
$844287.37 Raised
$261304.23 Spent
$901694.72 On Hand