Monday, September 19, 2011

Via JMG: Prop 8 Trial Tapes To Be Released


California District Court Judge James Ware has ordered the release of the video tapes of the Proposition 8 trial. The recordings will be issued on September 30th unless "a further stay is granted by the Court on timely motion or by a higher court." You may recall that Focus On The Family last month predicted that Christians might be murdered by "radical homosexuals" if the tapes were ever released.

UPDATE: The American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) celebrates.
This is a significant victory for the American people, who will soon be able to see the evidence put forward by both sides in this historic federal trial. Unlike political campaigns, in a court of law, the truth and facts are all that matter. When witnesses take the stand, they are under oath and under penalty of perjury, and their statements are subjected to cross-examination and scrutiny. The public will soon see the extraordinarily weak case that the anti-marriage Proponents presented in a desperate attempt to defend this discriminatory law.

reposted from Joe

Via JMG: Gamers Solve HIV Puzzle


The hive mind of a group of video game enthusiasts has solved a question about an AIDS-related enzyme that has long stumped virologists.
Players of the online game Foldit have helped discover the structure of an enzyme that had the scientific community stumped for a decade, representing a significant step forward in attempts to cure retroviral diseases like AIDS. The enzyme, a Mason-Pfizer monkey virus (MPMV) retroviral protease, was accurately modeled by Foldit players in just three weeks, and opens the door to development of antiretroviral drugs. Foldit makes use of players' 3D puzzle-solving abilities and competitive nature to solve problems that computers alone have been unable to do. A report, published by the University Of Washington and crediting gamers as well as researchers, says the discovery "provides new insights for the design of antiretroviral drugs."
Well done, geek heroes! Cheetos for everybody!


reposted from Joe

Via JMG: Official Notice Of DADT Repeal



reposted from Joe

The Sacramento Bee CapitolAlert ®

BREAKING NEWS

Judge decides to release Prop. 8 trial recording

A federal judge in San Francisco has decided to unseal video recordings of last year's landmark trial on the constitutionality of California's same-sex marriage ban.

Charter for Compassion

The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.

It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and empathically from inflicting pain. To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest, to impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating others—even our enemies—is a denial of our common humanity. We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion.

We therefore call upon all men and women ~ to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion ~ to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate ~ to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures ~ to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity ~ to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings—even those regarded as enemies.

We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world. Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries. Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity. It is the path to enlightenment, and indispensable to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community.

http://charterforcompassion.org/share/the-charter

Via AmericablogGay: DADT HBO documentary to air September 19th at midnight, just as DADT goes away

HBO: Documentaries will be ringing in the inclusion of openly gay and lesbian servicemen and women with their documentary, "The Strange History of Don't Ask Don't Tell." It is to air on September 19th at midnight and then re-air on September 20th at 8:00 p.m.

Via AmericaBlogGay: Great AP story with all the latest on DADT’s demise come Tuesday