Author: Randy Slovacek

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Gov. Brownback apologizes to teenager for overreacting

Last week, 18 year old Kansas high schooler Emma Sullivan met Governor Sam Brownback on a field trip. After her visit, Emma tweeted of her time with the anti-gay, anti-Palestinian, anti-evolution, anti-stem-cell-research governor:

“just made mean comments at gov brownback and told him he sucked, in person #heblowsalot”

Apparently, Emma Sullivan didn’t actually tell Gov. Brownback that he “sucked, in person.” Still, she thinks he sucks. So — how did Gov. Brownback respond to this teenager’s assault on his non-sucktitude? His staff contacted her school’s principal. Emma was told to write a letter to the governor apologizing for voicing her opinions.

Now, Brownback has apologized for overreacting, LJ World reports:

Said Brownback: “My staff overreacted to this tweet, and for that I apologize. Freedom of speech is among our most treasured freedoms. I enjoyed speaking to the more than 100 students who participated in the Youth in Government Program at the Kansas Capitol. They are our future. I also want to thank the thousands of Kansas educators who remind us daily of our liberties, as well as the values of civility and decorum. Again, I apologize for our over-reaction.”

The paper adds:

Sullivan said she landed in the principal’s office for nearly an hour and was told she had embarrassed her school and district. Principal Krawitz told her to write a letter of apology. At first Sullivan said that she would but that she wasn’t sorry. Then she refused to apologize, and the Shawnee Mission school district earlier Monday issued a statement saying she didn’t have to.



“The district acknowledges a student’s right to freedom of speech and expression is constitutionally protected,” the district’s statement said, adding, “The issue has resulted in many teachable moments concerning the use of social media.”
(via Towleroad)

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Miley Cyrus – a self-proclaimed “stoner”?

Miley Cyrus is a self-proclaimed “stoner?”

The Hannah Montana star turned 19 on Nov. 23, and celebrated with a birthday party thrown by pal Kelly Osbourne at Beacher’s Madhouse at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

In a video of the private bash obtained by The Daily, Cyrus seemingly admits to being a fan of smoking marijuana.

“This is amazing,” she says of a cake baked to look like known pot-smoker Bob Marley, which Osbourne presented to her friend. “You know you’re a stoner when your friends make you a ‘Bob Miley’ cake. You know you smoke way too much f––ing weed.”

Osbourne then takes the mic and tells the birthday girl, “I thought salvia was your problem, Miley.”

While celebrating her 18th birthday last year, Cyrus was seen smoking salvia, a legal herb with hallucinogenic effects, from a bong at a party.

A rep for Cyrus responded Monday to the latest incident, saying, “This is so ridiculous. The cake was a joke, and Miley was being sarcastic.”

And Osbourne Tweeted about it – concurring it was a joke: “let me make something very clear after @MileyCyrus salvia incident we started calling her bob miley as a JOKE!” she wrote.
(via People)

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National Review: Herman Cain “reassessing” whether to stay in GOP race

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee declared on Fox News that White’s charge was “the most damaging allegation that has been made, to date” about Cain.

Fox host Sean Hannity, a prominent Cain booster, said the renewed scandal “chipped away at his likability” and “created doubt in people’s mind whether or not, quote, another shoe will drop.”

Iowa talk-radio host Steve Deace told POLITICO Tuesday morning that an equivocal, defensive statement Cain’s attorney issued Monday would be a “kill-shot to his campaign.”

“I think it just accelerates the rate of decline for Herman Cain. His handling of the previous allegations was embarrassing. Even more embarrassing is his lack of knowledge on virtually any issue other than his 9-9-9 plan,” said Deace, who told POLITICO earlier this month that Cain had made “inappropriate” comments to women on the staff of his show. “The statement from his lawyer is the likely kill-shot to his campaign. For an ordained Baptist minister to assert through his attorney that what happens in his private sex life doesn’t matter is preposterous.”

More at Politico

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Controversial Film Director Ken Russell Dies At 84

The acclaimed, eccentric and polarizing British film director of Tommy, Women in Love and Altered States Ken Russell has died, after a series of strokes, at the age of 84.

He told NPR in 1991: “My films assault people, but that’s because the images are potent. I don’t have any gratuitous scenes in my films. They’re actually integral to the plot.”

Russell relished controversy, says his longtime producer Daniel Ireland.

“He lived for it,” Ireland says. “Ken sort of celebrated being bad.”

“He was very, very smart in picking actors. If you look all through his career — Glenda Jackson, Vanessa Redgrave — [he cast them] all at the beginnings of their careers.”

Russell had an eye not just for strong actors who could handle his strong subjects, but material that shared his flamboyant sensibility.

He enjoyed one of his rare critical successes in 1975 with his adaptation of the Who’s Tommy, a rock opera about bad acid trips and child molestation.

I love the “over the top” quality Russell brought to TOMMY. Ann Margret was fantastic in the movie, as was the entire cast.

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British woman arrested for racist rant

From Raw Story: A 34-year-old woman has been arrested by the British Transport Police after a video surfaced of her berating ethic minorities during a tram ride, according to BBC News. (warning – explicit language)

In a video uploaded to YouTube on Sunday, the woman can be seen swearing at several passengers for not being British.

“None of you are fucking English,” she says while holding a young boy on her lap. “Get back to your own fucking [country.]… Britain is nothing now, Britain is fuckall.”

“You ain’t British, you’re black,” she shouted at one passenger who confronted her about her swearing.

Within 48 hours, the video received more than 350,000 views on YouTube.

British police arrested the woman on suspicion of a “racially-aggravated offense.”

I believe in free speech, but is there good justification for THIS kind of speech?

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My thoughts on “Hair” from A Very Gaga Thanksgiving

So while I enjoy a lot of Lady Gaga, I may not be the biggest ‘little monster’ out here.

BUT – I loved this and I really encourage you to listen to her message here, and the lyrics.

When I hear some members of the LGBT community criticize the more “out there” gays and lesbians – whether it’s their dress, their demeanor, or their hair – I cringe.

Somedays, I think one of the best parts of being gay is that those of us that are openly gay accept that we may be ‘different.’ In doing so, we acknowledge how truly different we ALL are. And that makes the world a better place.

I don’t want a world where a Nazi regime encourages assimilation. Different colors, races, spices, flavors – and yes, hair – make this the interesting, brilliant, fantastic world it is.

And we’re all just making our way through this bright, colorful world. The brighter it is, the clearer we can see which way to go.

Forward.

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Progress at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre

Things are really moving along in the building of the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre in Australia. Take a look at the pics.

The hope is to open sometime mid-2012. However, funds are still being raised to make that goal. To find out how to make a difference, go to oliviaappeal.com.