Today's news round-up, Part 1

Good News

• Push to Stop Brock Turner Launching Speaking Tour on ‘Drinking and Promiscuity’ Gains Traction It's good that people are protesting his speaking tour. Drinking does not cause rape. The victims do not cause rape. Rapists cause rape.
• California farmworker overtime bill signed by Jerry Brown
• US says it destroyed IS chemical threat in Iraq

Bad News

• U.S. Supreme Court leaves Ohio voting restrictions in place
• The Burning of a Muslim Woman on Fifth Avenue

Recent news round-up, Part 2

Good News

• Bud Light Appears To Pull Sponsorship Of Ted Nugent Concert
• Egypt military says killed leader of Islamic State in Sinai

Bad News

• High court: School can block transgender teen from boys room
• Ugandan police break up gay pride event, briefly arrest some
• Bangladesh shuts 'objectionable' news sites

Recent news round-up

Unsurprising News

• Convicted Stanford rapist talked of drug use before college: court records

Good News

• 10th Circuit: Kansas can't block voters from casting ballots
• Campaign to remove judge in Stanford rape case gains steam
• Five sentenced to life for raping Danish woman in Delhi
• Retired Rikers Captain Convicted in Beating of Inmate
• Libyan forces claim port in Islamic State stronghold of Sirte
• Fox Sports Florida Subs Out Sideline Reporter Over Racial Comments In Facebook Chat
• Thousands march for gay rights in Poland, Croatia, Italy
• Thousands march in Seoul for Gay Pride parade

Bad News

• Lawyer says Qatar detained Dutch woman who reported rape
•  A Hindu Monastery Worker Has Been Killed in Bangladesh Amid a New Wave of Extremist Violence

Recent news round-up, Part 2

Good News

• Democrat wins Louisiana governor election in upset for Republicans
• UMaine debuting ocean simulator to test sea-bound technology
• Dartmouth on track in implementing changes
• Ohio Memorial Highway Named for Transgender Teen Leelah Alcorn
• From Tokyo to Taipei, a growing acceptance for LGBT people
• Syrian rebels retake two villages in Aleppo from Islamic State
• US special forces traveling 'very soon' to Syria
• U.S., allies conduct 16 strikes in Iraq, nine in Syria: U.S. military

Bad News

• IS claims deadly Iraq mosque attack
• Eight killed in NE Nigeria suicide bombing: relief agency
• Suspected militants kill 10 in Cameroon suicide bombing

Today's news round-up

Good News

• Republican lawmaker seeks ban on LGBT conversion therapy
• FDNY Supports LGBTQ Youth in New Video
• Confederate Flag Supporters Indicted in Clash With Black Partygoers
• Graffiti artist Fairey to go to trial over tagging in 2016 We don't know if there is sufficient evidence to convict him. What we do know is that he has shown little regard for obeying the law in the past--though it is legally irrelevant to this case. 
• Officer, 37, becomes third woman to pass US Ranger school
• De Blasio: NYPD Officers Will Be Trained To Make Arrests With Least Possible Force
• U.S. forces air drop ammunition to Syrian Arabs: military official

Bad News

• Hazing and Drinking Deaths at Asian-American Fraternities Raise Concerns (It's not the raising of concerns that's bad, of course.)

Recent news round-up

Good News

• Alabama Adds Evolution Requirement, Climate Study For Schools
• Court again denies Kim Davis' bid to delay marriage licenses
• Missouri House fails to override veto of bill limiting union powers
• Judge: Arrest for cursing on ticket is a rights violation
• Wyoming couple charged in 16-year-old's alcohol death

Bad News

• Defiant Baruch Fraternity Pledge Fought Back in Fatal Hazing, Report Says But it's good they are prosecuting.
• Teen Stabs Her Mom to Death After Watching Hours of ISIS Videos

Recent news round-up

I'm back from Las Vegas and the Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender. I brought a case of bronchitis with me. I'm gotten caught up on my important e-mail, so it's time to resume my blogging.

Good News

• Over 100,000 at Tel Aviv Gay Pride Parade, regions biggest
• Nigeria, neighbours forge anti-Boko Haram force
• Woman had right to be drunk on her front steps -Iowa Supreme Court
• Two men charged in Wisconsin with stuffing employee in storage box It's good they were charged.
• U.S., allies conduct 15 air strikes in Syria and Iraq: military 
• Syrian Kurds push deeper into Islamic State stronghold
• Hackathons take on Islamic State in cyberspace battle
• Oregon lawmakers pass paid sick leave bill
• Air Force Takes A Big Step Toward Allowing Transgender Service
• Pentagon to update policy with protections for LGB troops
• Parliament in Greenland unanimously approves same-sex marriage

Bad News

• Suspected Boko Haram gunmen kill 37 near northeast Nigeria's Maiduguri
• Indonesia's Islamic Aceh province canes unwed couples
• N.C. Senate Overrides McCrory Veto of Religious Objection Bill
• Police reject LGBT application for pride parade

For all the parents out there

Today's news round-up--still all good

Good News

• In Reversal Since the Recession, Some States Give More Money to Public Television
• U.S. forces seize tanker carrying oil from Libya rebel port
• Guinness pulls out of NY's St. Patrick's parade over ban on gays
• Irish ask: What's the big deal about letting gays in St. Pat's parades?
• Judge orders Chris Brown to remain in jail
• U.S. TV pitchman Trudeau sentenced to 10 years in prison

Just what we don't need

Pride Guide 2013: Pride Ride

We don't need a bunch of drunken people doing a pub crawl on bicycles. I don't care if they are LBGT.

Question of the day

When a wine bottler uses a plastic stopper, is it still correct to call it a cork?

Semi-random thoughts

• I was reading one of the blogs on my blogroll recently. The writer used the wrong word for something, and I left a comment, hoping she would correct it. I would have been perfectly happy if she just corrected it and deleted my comment--I wasn't looking for a public thank you. Instead, she criticized me for trying to help. I have deleted her blog from my list. I see no reason to help promote her work.
• I wish Twitter and Facebook had filters that prevented pictures of people's pets from appearing on my feeds.
• It's always a little weird when I get home very late and the doorman greets me with "Good morning," and then we say "Good night" when I get in the elevator.
• Every time I go to a show at Joe's Pub someone at my table spills a drink on me. It's happened the last three times I went there.

Semi-random thoughts

• I find it absolutely amazing how frequently websites' default choices are not what I would choose. Facebook does this constantly, Myspace (I still look at it occasionally) and Citibank's website are pretty good (or rather, bad) at it also.
• Wisconsin had its chances to win the Rose Bowl, but came up a little short. Still, it was a good game to watch.
• I have finished the evening with a beer when I went out the last couple times. It goes down nice and smooth, yet I haven't found I need to run to the bathroom before I go back to CDI to change.

Semi-random thoughts

• SmartTix's new(?) print-at-home e-ticket feature does not seem to work when you order tickets for more than one show at a time. It worked fine when I was ordering a ticket for only one show.
• For some reason margaritas just don't agree with my corset. I don't have any problems with vodka or gin drinks, but margaritas just sort of sit there, going down very, very, slowly.  
• Warning to all commercial tweeters: I did not join Twitter to see ads. If you reply to a tweet of mine with an ad, I will report you for spam.