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• 6/13/2011 - Same-Sex Vote Unlikely in California
Ms. Simien was one of about 30 people who attended a meeting in Sacramento on Wednesday to discuss the pros and cons of a 2012 campaign, one of a dozen town-hall-style meetings held over the last month ¡ª and across the state ¡ª by Equality California. And while Ms. Shorter described the meetings as ¡°a very earnest effort to gather input and ideas,¡± there also seemed to be a wariness in the room.
¡°Nobody sees the numbers,¡± said Dennis H. Mangers, 70, a veteran Sacramento lobbyist and political adviser who also attended the Sacramento meeting. ¡°If you¡¯re in favor of going in 2012, it¡¯s an emotional reaction.¡±
For its part, Ms. Shorter told the group, Equality California, which would probably play a leading role in any statewide campaign, was considering ¡°a host of other factors and variables,¡± and she conceded that ¡°California may or may not be a priority¡± nationally in 2012.
In recent years several other states have taken center stage in the debate over same-sex marriage. In New York, legislators are expected to decide soon on a bill to legalize such unions, and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has indicated his support. Same-sex marriage is legal in five states ¡ª Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont ¡ª as well as in the District of Columbia.
While California voters may be sitting out, ballot measures are expected in several other states, including Maine, Maryland and Oregon. Those efforts are moving ahead, in part, because smaller, less populous states are cheaper places to run campaigns. Estimates are that gay rights groups would need to raise $40 million to $60 million to run an effective campaign in California.
Moreover, the deep-pocketed donors that gay rights groups typically rely on are already pouring money into the federal court case, said Richard Socarides, a former domestic policy adviser to President Bill Clinton and the president of Equality Matters, a gay rights group in Washington.
¡°It would be very hard to go back and tap them for a simultaneous referendum,¡± he said. ¡°There just isn¡¯t the stomach for it.¡± |
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• 6/12/2011 - Beyond geography
Children are sometimes taught the order of these directions (clockwise, from North) by using a mnemonic. Some examples are: "Never Eat Shredded Wheat", "Never Eat Soggy Waffles", and more.
In mathematics, cardinal directions or cardinal points are the six principal directions or points along the x-, y- and z-axis of three-dimensional space.
In the real world there are six cardinal directions not involved with geography which are north, south, east, west, up and down. In this context, up and down relate to elevation, altitude, or possibly depth (if water is involved). The topographic map is a special case of cartography in which the elevation is indicated on the map, typically via contour lines.
In astronomy, cardinal points of the disk of an astronomical body may be four points defined by the direction in which the celestial poles are located, as seen from the center of the disk.[1][2]
A line (here it is a great circle on the celestial sphere) drawn from the center of the disk to the North celestial pole will intersect the body's limb at the North point. Similarly, a line from the center to the South celestial pole will define the South point by its intersection with the limb. The points at right angles to the North and South points are the East and West points. The North point will then be the point on the limb that is closest to the North celestial pole. |
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• 6/12/2011 - Usefulness of cardinal points
With the cardinal points thus accurately defined, by convention cartographers draw standard maps with north (N) at the top, and east (E) at the right. In turn, maps provide a systematic means to record where places are, and cardinal directions are the foundation of a structure for telling someone how to find those places.
North does not have to be at the top. Portable GPS-based navigation computers can be set to display maps either conventionally (N always up, E always right) or with the current instantaneous direction of travel, called the heading, always up (and whatever direction is +90¡ã from that to the right).
With the cardinal points thus accurately defined, by convention cartographers draw standard maps with north (N) at the top, and east (E) at the right. In turn, maps provide a systematic means to record where places are, and cardinal directions are the foundation of a structure for telling someone how to find those places.
North does not have to be at the top. Portable GPS-based navigation computers can be set to display maps either conventionally (N always up, E always right) or with the current instantaneous direction of travel, called the heading, always up (and whatever direction is +90¡ã from that to the right).
The direction of travel required to reach the intended destination is called the bearing. Since the real world presents numerous obstacles, a person must adjust their heading accordingly. Upon moving forward, the bearing will change so that it always points at the destination, thereby giving clues as to which way to turn. When travelling, it is often easier to work out where the next turn is, and whether to turn left or right, when the direction of travel is always up.
The direction of travel required to reach the intended destination is called the bearing. Since the real world presents numerous obstacles, a person must adjust their heading accordingly. Upon moving forward, the bearing will change so that it always points at the destination, thereby giving clues as to which way to turn. When travelling, it is often easier to work out where the next turn is, and whether to turn left or right, when the direction of travel is always up. |
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• 6/10/2011 - Tracy's comments reflect negatively on both
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Before Morgan had apologized, Punchline Magazine founder Dylan P. Gadino noted (Warning: lots of profanity at that link) that this wasn't the entertainer's first anti-gay outing and wrote that from a freedom-of-standup-speech perspective, he could do without an apology. Instead he preferred that Morgan ¡ª whose act he called "generally ... not at all funny" ¡ª take the opportunity to "just get off the stand-up stage for a while and stop leaning on his television credits. Most importantly, maybe he'll just shut ... up."
Was Tracy Morgan's apology enough to earn him forgiveness? If not, what would work? Post your opinion in comments.
[Updated, 6:03 p.m. June 10: Statements from Tina Fey and NBC's Bob Greenblatt, received shortly after this post went live, have been added.] |
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• 6/10/2011 - Tracy Morgan: Is his apology for anti-gay jokes enough
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Jokes that make light of violence directed at gay and lesbian youth aren't only offensive, they put our kids in harm's way," GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios said in a statement. "Tracy Morgan must not only apologize, but assure us that this won't happen again and send a clear message to Americans that anti-gay violence is no joke."
GLAAD said it offered through Morgan's publicist to arrange a meeting between the actor and families who have lost children to anti-gay violence "in order to help him understand exactly why his rant touched so deep a nerve."
PFLAG ¡ª Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays ¡ª also weighed in, with PFLAG National executive director Jody Huckaby saying, "As a celebrity, Mr. Morgan needs to understand that his words have power; inciting violence against gay and lesbian kids in the name of comedy ¡ª stating that he would stab his own son to death if he was gay ¡ª is absolutely unconscionable. A simple apology is not enough."
Meanwhile, his "30 Rock" executive producer Tina Fey expressed shock but also praised Morgan's apology in a statement that humorously pointed out the many things that would not be available to him if gay people did not work on their show.
Fey, winner of a 2011 GLAAD Media Award, said she understands how comics often work through material on stage in very raw form, but was pleased to see the apology.
"The violent imagery of Tracy's rant was disturbing to me at a time when homophobic hate crimes continue to be a life-threatening issue for the GLBT Community," she said in a statement. "It also doesn't line up with the Tracy Morgan I know, who is not a hateful man and is generally much too sleepy and self-centered to ever hurt another person.
"I hope for his sake that Tracy's apology will be accepted as sincere by his gay and lesbian coworkers at '30 Rock,' without whom Tracy would not have lines to say, clothes to wear, sets to stand on, scene partners to act with, or a printed-out paycheck from accounting to put in his pocket." |
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• 6/10/2011 - Tracy Morgan: Is his apology for anti-gay jokes enough
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Jokes that make light of violence directed at gay and lesbian youth aren't only offensive, they put our kids in harm's way," GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios said in a statement. "Tracy Morgan must not only apologize, but assure us that this won't happen again and send a clear message to Americans that anti-gay violence is no joke."
GLAAD said it offered through Morgan's publicist to arrange a meeting between the actor and families who have lost children to anti-gay violence "in order to help him understand exactly why his rant touched so deep a nerve."
PFLAG ¡ª Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays ¡ª also weighed in, with PFLAG National executive director Jody Huckaby saying, "As a celebrity, Mr. Morgan needs to understand that his words have power; inciting violence against gay and lesbian kids in the name of comedy ¡ª stating that he would stab his own son to death if he was gay ¡ª is absolutely unconscionable. A simple apology is not enough."
Meanwhile, his "30 Rock" executive producer Tina Fey expressed shock but also praised Morgan's apology in a statement that humorously pointed out the many things that would not be available to him if gay people did not work on their show.
Fey, winner of a 2011 GLAAD Media Award, said she understands how comics often work through material on stage in very raw form, but was pleased to see the apology.
"The violent imagery of Tracy's rant was disturbing to me at a time when homophobic hate crimes continue to be a life-threatening issue for the GLBT Community," she said in a statement. "It also doesn't line up with the Tracy Morgan I know, who is not a hateful man and is generally much too sleepy and self-centered to ever hurt another person.
"I hope for his sake that Tracy's apology will be accepted as sincere by his gay and lesbian coworkers at '30 Rock,' without whom Tracy would not have lines to say, clothes to wear, sets to stand on, scene partners to act with, or a printed-out paycheck from accounting to put in his pocket." |
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• 6/10/2011 - Tracy Morgan: Is his apology for anti-gay jokes enough
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Jokes that make light of violence directed at gay and lesbian youth aren't only offensive, they put our kids in harm's way," GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios said in a statement. "Tracy Morgan must not only apologize, but assure us that this won't happen again and send a clear message to Americans that anti-gay violence is no joke."
GLAAD said it offered through Morgan's publicist to arrange a meeting between the actor and families who have lost children to anti-gay violence "in order to help him understand exactly why his rant touched so deep a nerve."
PFLAG ¡ª Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays ¡ª also weighed in, with PFLAG National executive director Jody Huckaby saying, "As a celebrity, Mr. Morgan needs to understand that his words have power; inciting violence against gay and lesbian kids in the name of comedy ¡ª stating that he would stab his own son to death if he was gay ¡ª is absolutely unconscionable. A simple apology is not enough."
Meanwhile, his "30 Rock" executive producer Tina Fey expressed shock but also praised Morgan's apology in a statement that humorously pointed out the many things that would not be available to him if gay people did not work on their show.
Fey, winner of a 2011 GLAAD Media Award, said she understands how comics often work through material on stage in very raw form, but was pleased to see the apology.
"The violent imagery of Tracy's rant was disturbing to me at a time when homophobic hate crimes continue to be a life-threatening issue for the GLBT Community," she said in a statement. "It also doesn't line up with the Tracy Morgan I know, who is not a hateful man and is generally much too sleepy and self-centered to ever hurt another person.
"I hope for his sake that Tracy's apology will be accepted as sincere by his gay and lesbian coworkers at '30 Rock,' without whom Tracy would not have lines to say, clothes to wear, sets to stand on, scene partners to act with, or a printed-out paycheck from accounting to put in his pocket." |
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