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Greetings!
 Good LORD, has it been cold lately! This is one of the few times of the year when it comes in handy to have the hot flashes associated with menopause!! I personally am a little nuclear reactor, which Andy and Bob (aka The Tittie Babies) have found VERY convenient while seeking to keep warm!
I hope you have someone to snuggle and keep warm with, but if you're in search of that new snuggling partner in 2010, be sure to stay tuned to Social Notes. You'll find out about all the fine events our community has to offer -- events that can help you expand your social networks.
I just added a BUNCH of stuff to the Calendar page of Social Notes, so be sure to check out all the great activities coming up.
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Upcoming "Don't Miss" Events
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Be sure to check the Calendar page of Social Notes for more details on each of these fine events. You'll find time, dates, location, a description of the event, along with prices and a links where appropriate. Click on over so you'll be In The Know.
- Wednesday, 1/13: Wine Tasting at Rainbow Lodge
- Thursday, 1/14: Continental Airlines Gay Employee Group Happy Hour - Open to all
- Thursday, 1/14: AssistHers Open House at The Montrose Counseling Center
- Thursday, 1/14: GLBT Community Center's Literary Series
- Friday, 1/15: One Year Anniversary Party for Houston Third Fridays
- Sunday, 1/17: Ginger Leigh at the Mucky Duck
- Sunday, 1/24: Art Show at The Usual
- Saturday, 1/30: Her HRC Houston - A national night of celebration for women, at The Usual.
- Friday, 2/5: OUT at the Opera
- Saturday, 2/13: LHI's Celebration of Love Valentine's Day Dance
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"Save The Date" and purchase your tickets now for these future events!
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 Even though these events may be a few weeks down the road,
you need to buy your tickets and/or make your reservations NOW, girlfriend! You can find out all the details, including ticket purchase information, by visiting the Calendar Page of Social Notes
- Sunday, 1/17: Ginger Leigh at the Mucky Duck
- Saturday, 1/30: Her HRC Celebration at The Usual
- Friday, 2/5: OUT at the Opera, performance of Tosca and a post-performance GLBT cocktail party
- Saturday, 2/13: LHI's Valentine's Dinner and Dance
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The Rant
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 Well, the Republicans have an interesting new strategy to bolster their self-proclaimed proficiency regarding national safety and security. As you probably have noticed, Republicans have always contended that THEY are the party best positioned to keep America safe. As with so many Republican positions, they are not impeded in the least by the actual facts on this issue.
But recently they have taken their fact-free boasts to a new high (even for them). Rudy Giuliani recently became the THIRD Republican Talking Head to claim that there were no domestic terror attacks under George W Bush. Dana Perino (former Bush White House Press spokesman) and Mary Matalin (Republican political operative) made similar statements within the last couple of weeks.
Uh, did they forget that little issue of 9-11, the largest attack domestic attack in US History, which occurred 9 months into Smirky's first term? Of course they didn't forget, but they are hoping that YOU will forget. The statement would be egregious from anyone, but it is especially hilarious coming from Giuliani, whose every statement in the years after the attack consisted of "a noun, a verb and 9-11" (quote courtesy of Joe Biden).
Side note: Rudy Giuliani was forced to run around the streets of New York on that fateful day because he had stupidly located his city's Emergency Command Center in the World Trade Center, despite the fact that it had been the site of a previous terrorist attack, and despite the fact that all of his experts had recommended against it. And the reason so many fire-fighters died in those buildings was because Giuliani refused to buy the radios that would have allowed them to communicate appropriately. He should have come out of 9-11 with his reputation in tatters, if not in jail for criminal malfeasance. Instead, he was hailed as America's Mayor, and self-proclaimed terror expert. What a crock! But I digress...
Of course, Republicans have always contended that 9-11 should be blamed on Clinton rather than Bush, but this is a whole new level of revisionist history - to claim that the attack actually occurred BEFORE Bush became president! And I for one am not inclined to cut BushCo any slack, despite the fact that the plot began before he took office. Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Rice all received plenty of warning that they should focus on terrorism, and that threats were imminent. Remember that little Presidential Daily Briefing entitled "Bin Laden Determined To Strike Inside The United States"? Remember that the CIA was so alarmed in August of that year that they sent a officer to brief Bush during his August vacation in Crawford. When the officer concluded his presentation, Bush smirked "OK, now you've covered your ass". Remember that Clinton's outgoing advice was to focus on terror, but that Dick Cheney failed to ever convene a meeting of the Terror Committee he was supposed to chair? Remember all that????
And 9-11 was not the only terrorist attack during Bush's term. Anyone recall the anthrax attacks, which BushCo was never able to solve?
Not only did Bush fail to responsibly heed the warnings and take terrorism seriously until it was too late, but his subsequent policies (the Iraq War, to name one cluster f**K of a policy) further inflamed the Arab world and served as the best recruiting tool al Qaeda could have hoped for. Thanks to Bush's actions, bin Laden and al Qaeda succeeded beyond their wildest dreams in taking this country down.
Bush's actions have callously exploited the fears of an know-nothing populous, have destroyed our economy with needless war spending, have cavalierly tossed aside our civil liberties and have trashed America's reputation throughout the world. And yet the Republican Party, and conservatives in general, want to claim that THEY are the serious adults when it comes to national security.
I always had suspicions that the Rethugs would welcome another attack on US soil, to help them defeat Obama and any policies that stray from a strict conservative line. But their recent behavior (after the Underpanties Bomber episode) has convinced me that they are PRAYING for that attack to happen. They are willing and eager to sacrifice fellow Americans in their relentless pursuit of power.
After the Crotch Bomber toasted his nuts, conservatives launched a full-court campaign to accuse Obama of failing to keep us safe, and failing to appropriately handle the situation. In reality, Obama responded more quickly, took more concrete actions, and took more responsibility than Bush did after the Shoe Bomber. But once again, facts are optional if you are trying to utterly destroy Barack Obama - and make no mistake, they are.
We can't let these political thugs re-write history, folks. When you hear their ridiculous lies, speak out. Whether its challenging the tall tales being spun by your wing-nut co-workers, taking time to respond to the emails your conservative relatives send to one another, writing letters to the editor, or letting our elected officials know that we are holding them accountable for their lies, we HAVE to guard the truth!
Rudy Giuliani is yesterday's news, of course, but the right is devolving before our eyes, distilling down to its purest essence of fear, racism, hated, ignorance and corporatism. I for one am not willing to turn this country over to lying cowards such as Sarah Palin and her tea-bagging followers. To quote Professor Moody from Harry Potter, "Constant vigilance", my friends!
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So Long!
Well, that's all for this edition of Social Notes.
Stay warm, everyone. And for all of us who are not used to this cold weather, here's a tip: don't lick any lamp posts. Your tongue WILL stick in this cold weather! Actually, I think "don't lick lampposts" is pretty sound wisdom no matter what the temperature, but that's just me.
Sincerely,
Carol Wyatt
Social Notes
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