You say it's your birthday

It's my half-century mark! Whoever thought I would live so long? I'm just as surprised as everyone else!


“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek--and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”-- Jalal ad-Din Rumi

Church with David Johansen: All is well

The Mormons have taken a public beating this week, what with the trial of Warren Jeffs and the stories of his droogs all over the media, so I'd like to personally extend an olive branch and say: peace! (((holds up two fingers, trad peace sign))) Time for an LDS hymn!

If you saw the fascinating documentary New York Doll (2005), about Arthur 'Killer' Kane (1949-2004), bassist of the New York Dolls, you know that he converted to Mormonism and died shortly after the Dolls reunion that he had wanted so much. Also, after making amends with Johansen, with whom he had feuded.

I confess, that making up with old enemies and then promptly dying, is one of those weird fantasies of mine...it probably comes from the frequent joke one hears upon leaving the confessional: If you died right now, you'd be a saint! (Thus, I have always been fascinated by any church that declares they already ARE saints.)

And of course, this means there are only two of the original Dolls left, David Johansen and Sylvain Sylvain.

At the end of the documentary, Johansen sung a lovely version of LDS Hymn #30 "Come Come Ye Saints", in tribute to Arthur Kane.

Stand for the hymn--there is only one verse here, so no excuses!

Everyone have a lovely sabbath!

OJ Simpson committed a robbery??

Left: Yes, you know who it is.


I wish I had more info, but hey, I am just a COURT TV junkie like everyone else:

O.J. Simpson a suspect in Vegas hotel theft


By Ari B. Bloomekatz,
Los Angeles Times
10:32 AM PDT, September 14, 2007

O.J. Simpson is a suspect in a theft of sports memorabilia from a hotel room at Palace Station Hotel and Casino, police in Las Vegas said today.

"The investigation is ongoing, and O.J. Simpson is alleged to be the suspect," Las Vegas Police Sgt. John Loretto said by telephone.

The former football star was questioned and released, Loretto said. He was not arrested.

Yale L. Galanter, a Florida-based attorney for Simpson, did not return repeated calls this morning for comment.

The memorabilia were in a hotel room in the casino Thursday night, police spokesman Jose Montoya said. Loretto would not describe the memorabilia, including what sport was involved.

"When they talked to him, Simpson made the comment that he believed the memorabilia was his," the Associated Press quoted Montoya as saying. "We're getting conflicting stories from the two sides."

Police said "associates of Simpson" were also questioned, according to the AP.

Simpson's turmoil comes a day after the family of Ron Goldman published a book about the slayings of Goldman and Simpson's ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson. The two were killed in 1994 and Simpson was acquitted of criminal murder charges. He was found liable for their deaths in civil lawsuits.

The book was written by Simpson and originally titled "If I Did It," but after his publishing deals fell through, the Goldman family bought the rights to the book and subsequently published it under the new title "If I Did It: The Confessions of the Killer."

Simpson lives in Florida.

Las Vegas police scheduled a news conference for later today.

Watching that press conference now...OJ is cooperating. They have surveillance tapes and photos, but won't show them to us.

Stay tuned, sports fans!

Should polygamy be illegal?

Left: The cast of BIG LOVE, photo from HBO

Yes, yes, you are thinking Daisy has lost her mind, or at least misplaced her feminism. Nope, actually, I am watching the trial of sleazy Warren Jeffs, and considering his defense that this is a case of religious persecution. Is it? Well, duh, I'd say so, if polygamy is a tenet of his faith, and he is regarded as The Prophet. Polygamy is an undeniable, integral article of faith for the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. However, this is also about a minor girl marrying her cousin, under Jeffs' direction, without her consent. That is to say, this case is about rape.

If there were no abuses of minors, no coercion (and it's unclear how we might enforce this, of course), what exactly would be the problem? I would be rabid about the government NOT supporting all of these children, as in the case of Tom Green, who should have gone to jail for welfare fraud, in addition to his crime of marrying children.

But say the guy could afford it? Many can, particularly if the women start working also, as some apparently do. And let's say that everyone is of consenting age? What is the harm, exactly?

If we believe in separation of church and state, why are we legislating rules out of the Bible?

Let me make it clear that I think Jeffs is a scumbag, and no charmer like Bill Paxton on the popular HBO series about a polygamous family, BIG LOVE. However, polyamory in general has always interested me. What about a woman who wants several husbands? It could happen!

What about group marriages of several men and women (or gay/lesbian group marriage), as the legendary Kerista Commune attempted in the 70s and 80s? When we make equality of women a prerequisite, as the Keristans attempted to do (whether they were completely successful in this endeavor is another matter), polyamory (Keristans preferred the term polyfidelity, which I like better) might actually be an equalizer of men and women.

In the end, I just don't think the government should be telling people what to do in their personal lives, period. If they want 80 wives, not my call. If one of them is 14, well then, it is.

What do you think?

Gay-bashing neanderthals on the loose in Long Island

Left: Josie Smith-Malave, from New York Magazine

I'm no gourmet cook, so I can't explain the fact that I am a huge TOP CHEF fan. I was therefore very upset to hear of the following:



Former 'Top Chef' contestant Josie Smith-Malave beaten by anti-gay attackers on Long Island

Sept. 12, 2007, 8:13AM
Associated Press

SEA CLIFF, N.Y. — A former contestant on Bravo's Top Chef was beaten by attackers yelling anti-gay slurs, her lawyer said.

Josie Smith-Malave, who was featured on the second season of the reality show, was among a small group of women who were asked to leave a Sea Cliff bar over Labor Day weekend, lawyer Yetta Kurland said Tuesday.

About 10 young people followed the women and began screaming anti-gay epithets, spitting on them and then beating them, Kurland said.

Smith-Malave, who is in her early 30s, is openly gay, Kurland said.

Nassau County police said they were investigating, but declined to provide details of the incident.

Smith-Malave, a Miami native, is a former sous-chef for Marlow and Sons restaurant in Brooklyn. She has played for the New York Sharks of the Independent Women's Football League.

From the Head-On Radio Network.