The Wisconsin Assembly pulled an all-nighter overnight to finally pass a budget in the early hours of Saturday morning. That 50-48 party line vote by the Democrat-controlled Assembly for the $62.2 billion budget also included important policy changes, including the establishment of a Domestic Partnership registry for same-sex couples. Among the very limited benefits of Domestic Partnerships include provisions for jointly owning property, hospital visitation rights and inheritance. Domestic partners of state employees would also be eligible to receive the same state retirement and health insurance benefits as spouses. The budget will now go to the Senate, which ...

What a contrast between the California Attorney General and the U.S. Department of Justice. On the same day in which the Obama administration filed a brief before the U.S. Supreme Court defending the so-called “Defense of Marriage Act,“ California Attorney General Jerry Brown filed a very different brief in Perry v. Schwarzenegger, the Prop 8 challenge brought by Ted Olson and David Boies. In the brief filed on behalf of the State of California (PDF: 128KB/11 pages), Brown notes that: The Attorney General of California is sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States in addition ...

Thanks to all of you for voting, voting, voting. Thousands and thousands of votes came in. It was a very close race, but there can only be one winner. A well-deserved one. (Thanks to Mike Diamond for making me smile! FYI "Rot op" is a Dutch expression that means something like, "F*** off." ) ...

A reported 63% to 34% victory by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has sparked turmoil and rioting within Iran: "Tonight riot police in Tehran faced thousands of angry demonstrators shouting 'death to dictatorship' amid shock and confusion after the official result backed Ahmadinejad's claim to have won, made barely an hour after the polls closed on Friday night. The moderate Mir Hossein Mousavi, who had been widely expected to beat the controversial incumbent if there was a high turnout - or at least do well enough to trigger a second round - insisted he was the victor and appealed against the result to Ayatollah Ali ...

Yesterday, I mentioned street artist/prankster Banksy's new show at the Bristol Museum in his UK hometown. Banksy introduced it on his own website with the image above. There's also a trailer, AFTER THE JUMP... ...

Many Gay Pride celebrations are taking place this weekend. One is in Rome: "Costumed demonstrators carrying rainbow flags and signs reading 'freedom for all' attacked the conservative government of Premier Silvio Berlusconi. They demanded rights for same-sex couples and the recognition of gay marriage. Activists dressed as fake clergy with colorful hats and signs reading 'No Vatican' protested what they say is the church's excessive influence on Italy's policies."One thousand took to the streets in Warsaw (right), 2,000 in Athens.Zagreb, Croatia had a similar spirit but a much different tone (photo below): "In Croatia, another mostly Roman ...

While using moroccomole's phone to call e_ticket and getting fidgetcub on the line instead:Voice: "Hello?"Me: "Dave Cobb?"Voice that is in a car or outside somewhere and can't hear the difference between my voice and MM's voice: "Alonso Duralde?"Me, who now understands that I am not talking to Dave Cobb who is ET, but to his husband who is FC: "Jason Havard..."Voice that is now simply taking the piss: "Dave White!" ...

This kid at my high schoolspoke really good French.Only - He was Iranian.So...Shouldn't he have spoken Farsi -Or something?Whatever.That's not my point.My point is - Joey was a really good dresser.I thought it was justa personal thing...Then today - I saw these picturesfrom out of Iran.Pictures from riotsgoing on there. Joey would be dressedthat well in a riot.And the crowds atSeattle Pride?They won't be dressedhalf as well as that.No, really.They won't.Trust me. ...

Designed by the eminent K. to my specifications.Comment ...

And I just renewed my associate membership in ATHEN and registered for the year-long online course at the American Academy of Hearing Loss Support Specialists. I feel all competent and professional and stuff.Comment ...

Pocos directores cinematográficos han logrado la maestría que demuestra Kenneth Branagh a la hora de adaptar la obra de Shakespeare a la gran pantalla, ya que las adaptaciones anteriores pese a ser encabezadas por grandes nombres de la escena como Laurence Olivier u Orson Welles no dejan de tener un regusto teatral. Branagh logrará la total comunión entre los versos de Shakespeare y el lenguaje cinematográfico, aunque aún hoy en día algunos le nieguen ese reconocimiento. Esperemos que no acabe convirtiéndose en otro genio que tiene que esperar a su muerte para recibir los honores merecidos.Tras haber visto el ...

For those of you not in São Paulo for Gay Pride weekend, here is a video of my two favorite moments last night at nightclub The Week: DJ Pacheco playing When Love Takes Over, and Abel playing Adam Lambert's Mad World.I also twittered some pictures live from the party last night. Follow blogmib for more updates. ...

¿Y cómo responde el gobierno? Cierra los servicios de celular (y así de mensajes SMS), y se bloquea el acceso al internet, especialmente a sitios de noticas occidentales. Miles protestan en las calles de Teherán, especialmente jóvenes. ...

I've been feeling like absolute crap lately. For about a week-and-a-half, I have had this kind of icky, fluish feeling accompanied by all over body aches, which makes it hard to get anything done, because one minute I'm all Well, I'll just start in on writing the greatest novel of our era and the next I'm all preoccupied with the fact that I EVEN ACHE BETWEEN MY TOES.This body ache is ridiculous. When I wake up in the morning and haven't taken pain killers in the last eight hours, even the roof of my mouth hurts, and I know that ...

"It takes only one drink to get me drunk. The trouble is, I can't remember if it's the thirteenth or the fourteenth." (George Burns)"Men who have pierced ears are better prepared for marriage. They've experienced pain and bought jewelry." (Rita Rudner)"Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative." (Oscar Wilde) ...

Here’s a funny parody video to the Andy Samberg and Justin Timberlake Saturday Night Live digital short, Mother Lover, by two non-homo dudes Ryan Steele and Josh Rimer. They put a lot of work into, it’s pretty funny. It’ll probably go viral soon. “We loved the SNL “Mother Lover” skit by Justin Timberlake & Andy Sandberg so decided to create our own version for Father’s Day!” ...

Since May 31, Miro Moreira is starring in Brazilian farm reality show A Fazenda, in an impossibly camera-friendly farm located in the old but cutely-named city of Itu, flaunting is perfect ... ...

Matthieu Barnabé never really was a test subject for Sylvain Norget. The two have been working together for quite some time, and the chemistry is obvious. With a modeling career ... ...

Somehow I got behind in posting. This should have posted the weekend of 06/06/09.I think I'm going to challenge myself to try to visit at least 1 Farmer's Market per week. It's a great way to get me out of the house, and the bonus is that we have a chance to patronize local growers and small businesses.To find a Farmer's Market near you, visit Farmer's Market Search.Last Saturday we visited a different local Farmer's Market. Many of the same vendors that were as the Farmer's Market we visited the week previous, but a lot ...