3 separate outrages
In descending levels of outrage.
For those who aren't aware, almost 2 weeks ago on the anniversary of the Stonewall riots the Ft. Worth police & state beverage agents staged a series of raids on gay bars. Several arrests were made at 2 prior locations, and then the they hit the Rainbow Lounge.
While there a male patron allegedly put his hands on one of the officer's groins (as in a grope, not a grab), at which point the cops slammed him against a wall, then the floor, then took him outside & left him with some of the beverage agents.
It's worth noting here that these were supposedly just routine "license checks" on the bars, but they came out with a large police presence & a "paddy wagon" that was left parked outside with the doors open, hence my calling them "raids."
The guy who got beaten up ended up with skull fractures & brain injuries. The cops trotted out one account of what happened, and then backed away from it when too many witnesses said they were full of shit. Now FWPD is blaming TABC, and TABC is blaming FWPD.
Dan Savage has a write up about it in this week's column, with e-mail addresses for officials you can contact to demand a thorough investigation: http://www.avclub.com/articles/july-8-2009,30079/?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=feeds&utm_source=type_savage-love
If you Google "Ft Worth"+"Rainbow Lounge" you'll find plenty of additional news sources.
Speaking of ignorant redneck jackasses making their states look bad...
As filkertom brought to my attention Arizona state senator Sylvia Allen (R) is showing why fundamentalist Christian beliefs and a concurrent rejection of belief in SCIENCE and REALITY is dangerous for us all. Here's a lovely video of Senator Allen arguing for a dangerous uranium mine on the basis that "the earth is only 6000 years old and the idea that we're harming it is ridiculous."
http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/arizona-state-senator-sylvia-allen-r-says
She repeats it a couple of times. Just sad. And SCARY. Not to mention that if she's going to be all Biblical she should remember the part about how "God" charged humans to be good shepherds of "His" creation.
Last But not least, as a geek & fanboy & convention goer I was sad to see filkertom link to this post (with its nested article link).
http://community.livejournal.com/con_central/231684.html?view=377092#t377092
about how out of control some of the pricing is getting at Cons... for instance, at D*C this year Patrick Stewart will be charging TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS per photo with him, photo limited to 2 adults.
This isn't even for an autograph you could resell, but for a PHOTO. Leonard Nimoy's charging some similarly outrageous rates. And that's not even counting the bilking being foisted on Twi-tards at their big Con, which organizers have basically admitted is a scam to get as much as possible before the trend is over.
I understand these guys have to make a living, and that these Cons are hard work for them, and they're major time commitments, and blah blah blah. But many of the fans are FAR from wealthy, and the Cons THEMSELVES are hugely expensive. Gouging like this is sad, and a slap in the face of those who MADE these people stars. Give the fans a break, guys?
Oh, and speaking of fandoms, Renee's posted more REPO! pr0n over at wrongfromgo, go read it & say nice things so she'll write more!
For those who aren't aware, almost 2 weeks ago on the anniversary of the Stonewall riots the Ft. Worth police & state beverage agents staged a series of raids on gay bars. Several arrests were made at 2 prior locations, and then the they hit the Rainbow Lounge.
While there a male patron allegedly put his hands on one of the officer's groins (as in a grope, not a grab), at which point the cops slammed him against a wall, then the floor, then took him outside & left him with some of the beverage agents.
It's worth noting here that these were supposedly just routine "license checks" on the bars, but they came out with a large police presence & a "paddy wagon" that was left parked outside with the doors open, hence my calling them "raids."
The guy who got beaten up ended up with skull fractures & brain injuries. The cops trotted out one account of what happened, and then backed away from it when too many witnesses said they were full of shit. Now FWPD is blaming TABC, and TABC is blaming FWPD.
Dan Savage has a write up about it in this week's column, with e-mail addresses for officials you can contact to demand a thorough investigation: http://www.avclub.com/articles/july-8-2009,30079/?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=feeds&utm_source=type_savage-love
If you Google "Ft Worth"+"Rainbow Lounge" you'll find plenty of additional news sources.
Speaking of ignorant redneck jackasses making their states look bad...
As filkertom brought to my attention Arizona state senator Sylvia Allen (R) is showing why fundamentalist Christian beliefs and a concurrent rejection of belief in SCIENCE and REALITY is dangerous for us all. Here's a lovely video of Senator Allen arguing for a dangerous uranium mine on the basis that "the earth is only 6000 years old and the idea that we're harming it is ridiculous."
http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/arizona-state-senator-sylvia-allen-r-says
She repeats it a couple of times. Just sad. And SCARY. Not to mention that if she's going to be all Biblical she should remember the part about how "God" charged humans to be good shepherds of "His" creation.
Last But not least, as a geek & fanboy & convention goer I was sad to see filkertom link to this post (with its nested article link).
http://community.livejournal.com/con_central/231684.html?view=377092#t377092
about how out of control some of the pricing is getting at Cons... for instance, at D*C this year Patrick Stewart will be charging TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS per photo with him, photo limited to 2 adults.
This isn't even for an autograph you could resell, but for a PHOTO. Leonard Nimoy's charging some similarly outrageous rates. And that's not even counting the bilking being foisted on Twi-tards at their big Con, which organizers have basically admitted is a scam to get as much as possible before the trend is over.
I understand these guys have to make a living, and that these Cons are hard work for them, and they're major time commitments, and blah blah blah. But many of the fans are FAR from wealthy, and the Cons THEMSELVES are hugely expensive. Gouging like this is sad, and a slap in the face of those who MADE these people stars. Give the fans a break, guys?
Oh, and speaking of fandoms, Renee's posted more REPO! pr0n over at wrongfromgo, go read it & say nice things so she'll write more!