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“AbFab” Special has an official air date

From BBC America: The dames of debauchery are back, dahlings. Those booze-swilling besties Edina (Jennifer Saunders) and Patsy (Joanna Lumley) will be returning to our screens in three new Absolutely Fabulous specials.

TV Guide has announced the premiere date of the first special: Sunday, January 8 at 10/9c on BBC America.

The entire main cast — including Julia Sawalha as Saffy, June Whitfield as Mother, and Jane Horrocks as Bubble — will reprise their roles in the new episodes marking the show’s 20th anniversary. TV Guide reports that, in the premiere, one of the girls returns with “slightly scary new best friend” and “Bubble re-enacts the royal wedding.”

Get out the Bollinger!

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Gov. Rick Perry upset over new US policy of promoting universal human rights

As I wrote here earlier, President Obama today issued a memorandum “directing all agencies engaged abroad to ensure that U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect the human rights of LGBT persons.”

Well, Rick Perry is not good with the United States standing up for universal human rights. To Rick Perry, using U.S. foreign aid to prevent persecution and even execution of LGBT people amounts to “promoting special rights for gays.”

Gov. Rick Perry today issued a statement which said, in part:

“Just when you thought Barack Obama couldn’t get any more out of touch with America’s values, AP reports his administration wants to make foreign aid decisions based on gay rights.

“This administration’s war on traditional American values must stop.

“This is just the most recent example of an administration at war with people of faith in this country. Investing tax dollars promoting a lifestyle many Americas of faith find so deeply objectionable is wrong.

“President Obama has again mistaken America’s tolerance for different lifestyles with an endorsement of those lifestyles. I will not make that mistake.”

First of all, there is no war on anyone’s faith in America.  Everyone is allowed to hold their own beliefs.  How is standing up for the rights of a minority of people around the world a “war on American values?”  And no tax dollars are being ‘invested’ in promoting any lifestyle.

Second, Perry seems to be playing a bit of “do as I say, not as I do.”  He wants to wage a cultural war against gays and lesbians, where we are supposed to be happy that we are tolerated, but he (and those of like-minded bigotry) gets to be angry an American President would take the time to add his leadership to respecting ALL citizens of the planet – not just evangelical christians.

Ironically, this statement comes from Perry on the same day that an Associated Press review of Perry’s phone records and daily public schedules reveals a chronology of the governor’s meetings before his campaign launch, which seems to indicate that the TX governor may have used his official phone line for campaign outreach. Texas state ethics rules prohibit use of state phones for campaign purposes. Perry officials said the talks were for official business.

Former Sen. Rick Santorum denounced the call for global equal rights by adding that Obama “said he’s for traditional marriage, and now he’s promoting gay lifestyles and gay rights, and he’s fighting against traditional marriage within the courts, and I think he needs to be honest.”

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Olivia Newton-John on WCBS Radio 12/6/11

player.render(‘fileUrl=http://cbswcbs.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/olivia-newton-john-web.mp3&name=Olivia Newton John Interview&artist=Dan Taylor&stationID=143&configFile=config.xml&guid=14C58C6D0B9E’);

In support of her upcoming concerts this week in the NY/NJ area, Olivia called into WCBS radio and Dan Taylor.

More Olivia press for the current concert tour:

SpotOnLI

CBS Philly

Verona Concert Review

Olivia to bring Summer Nights to December

Olivia coming to Englewood

Examiner.com

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Sec. Hillary Clinton: major speech on Int’l LGBT rights

In recognition of Human Rights Day, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton gave a major human rights policy speech – speaking greatly on LGBT international rights – today at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in Geneva at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.

Some quotes from the speech:

– “Like being a woman, like being a racial religious tribal or ethnic minority, being LGBT does not make you less human. And that is why gay rights are Human Rights and Human Rights are gay rights.”

– “Some believe homosexuality is a Western phenomenon… but gay people belong to every society in the world…. Being gay is not a Western invention, it is a human reality.”

– “Costs are incurred whenever any group is treated as lesser or the other whether they are women, racial or religious minorities or the LGBT.”

– “No practice or tradition trumps the human rights that belong to all of us, and this holds true for inflicting violence on LGBT people.”

– “Human rights are universal and cut across all religions and cultures.”

– “While we are each free to believe whatever we choose, we cannot DO whatever we choose, not… where we protect the human rights of all.”

– “Leadership, by definition, means being out in front of your people… standing up for the dignity of all.”

– “It should never be a crime to be gay.”

– “To LGBT men and women worldwide: Wherever you live and whatever your circumstances… please know that you are not alone.”

– “Those who advocate for expanding the circle of human rights were and are on the right side of history, and history honors them… We are called once more to make real the words of the universal declaration. Let us be on the right side of history.”

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Obama issues directive to protect International LGBT rights

President Obama today issued a memorandum “directing all agencies engaged abroad to ensure that U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect the human rights of LGBT persons.”

Among the steps required by the memorandum are efforts to fight the criminalization of LGBT status or conduct, as well as to support the protection of LGBT refugees and asylum seekers.

Obama’s memorandum requires the Department of State to “lead a standing group, with appropriate interagency representation, to help ensure the Federal Government’s swift and meaningful response to serious incidents that threaten the human rights of LGBT persons abroad.”

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke today in Geneva about the issue. The State Department details that Clinton’s address is a part of Human Rights Day, which it notes “recognizes the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948 by the United Nations General Assembly.

The Declaration outlines the inalienable rights of all people and has since served as the benchmark for the extension and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
(via Metroweekly)

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Romney staff spent over $100K to erase and remove files

Reuters is reporting that Mitt Romney’s staff spent over $100,000 to erase and replace computers as he left the office of Governor in Massachusetts before launching an unsuccessful bid for GOP presidential nominee in 2007.

While legal, it has been found to be highly unusual.

When Romney left the governorship of Massachusetts, 11 of his aides bought the hard drives of their state-issued computers to keep for themselves. Also before he left office, the governor’s staff had emails and other electronic communications by Romney’s administration wiped from state servers, state officials say.

Those actions erased much of the internal documentation of Romney’s four-year tenure as governor, which ended in January 2007. Precisely what information was erased is unclear.

Republican and Democratic opponents of Romney say the scrubbing of emails – and a claim by Romney that paper records of his governorship are not subject to public disclosure – hinder efforts to assess his performance as a politician and elected official.

State officials acknowledge that Romney asked permission to destroy certain paper records.

More info at Yahoo News.

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Christine O’Donnell draws a crowd of 12 in Iowa

Tea party figure and former Delaware U.S. Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell (she lost the general election to Democrat Chris Coons by 17 points) met with Iowa tea party activists in West Des Moines this past Saturday.

The purpose, she said in an interview before the meeting began, was to gauge the presidential candidate preferences of Iowa tea party groups before she formally endorses a candidate.

“I will be endorsing somebody before the Iowa caucus, and as my top three tend to rotate, I wanted to get the input of my supporters,” she said.

The meeting was open to any interested tea party supporters, but held in private at a Jordan Creek Town Center restaurant. O’Donnell’s father and an aide, Matt Moran, required attendees to sign a non-disclosure and confidentiality agreement before entering the meeting space.

Twelve people attended, including the two traveling with O’Donnell. The room was set up to accommodate 40.

You may recall in August, Tea Party organizers invited then un-invited Ms. O’Donnell to a rally in Iowa.

Iowa may not be Ms. O’Donnell’s kind of place…

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New mayor of Troy, Michigan not happy “queers” can marry

Janice Daniels, recently elected mayor of Troy, Michigan, is catching flack for a recently uncovered Facebook status update she wrote back in June after marriage equality was passed in New York.

On her Facebook page, Daniels’ wrote: “I think I am going to throw away my I Love New York carrying bag now that queers can get married there.”

Daniels confirmed today that she did post the message, though she said she decided against ditching the bag.

“I may have said something like that,” she said. “I probably shouldn’t have used that kind of language, but I do believe marriage should be between one man and one woman.”

Daniels added that while she’s opposed to gay marriage, and has moral issues with homosexuality, she doesn’t hate gay people. “I love all people. I am human. That was probably a poor choice of words.”

I have to ask: “probably a poor choice of words?” PROBABLY?  And I’m sure when she wrote the word ‘queers’ she meant it in the best way possible.

The Facebook post has since been removed.

Gay rights leaders in Michigan said Daniels’ words amounted to hate speech. Denise Brogan-Kator, executive director of Equality Michigan, said on her own Facebook page: “I find it discouraging that a leader of people can have such disregard for the lives of people she serves.”
(via Towleroad)

UPDATE: Mayor Daniels was confronted before a City Council Meeting. Watch the video of her explanation. She says she used “one word” that people don’t like. “One word.”

I’d be curious to know if she had used the n-word in regards to African Americans would she expect to be ‘forgiven’ so quickly?

Also, note the strange smile she has while explaining herself. It strikes me as a bit odd. Why smile when this is clearly an issue of importance to your constituents?