Tall Ships® Set Sail For the Midwest

If you want to enjoy the beauty of a graceful and eco-friendly form of sea travel, head for the Great Lakes, not the coasts, to see the Tall Ships® this summer. 

The Great Lakes United Tall Ships Challenge® 2010 race series is a partnership of Great Lakes United  and the  American Sail Training Association (ASTA).  Their mission is to engage and educate the public about water conservation and the importance of the Great Lakes -- the world's largest source of fresh surface water.

This year's international fleet will sail through all five

of the Great Lakes, stopping in both U.S. and Canadian ports.

ASTA focuses on training young sailors in this special form of water transportation. Great Lakes United, has "been a unifying voice for ensuring a healthy and vibrant future for the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River ecosystem. A diverse coalition of organizations and individuals, Great Lakes United is comprised of citizens, environmentalists, conservationists, labour unions, First Nations, tribes, hunters, anglers, academics, and progressive businesses working together to clean up toxic pollution, stop invasive species, and protect the waters of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River from damage and irresponsible use. Thousands of voices are calling for a healthier Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River and Great Lakes United continues to be the coalition through which these voices are heard."

So far, up to 25 sailing ships will be participating, with many of the vessels offering public day sails.

The Brokeback Bank

from the  Dave Cullen Ultimate Brokeback Forum:


A winner of the movie-themed "Pride Bank" describes his prize:
“Dimensions: 5 1/2" high, 6" width, 6 3/4" length. 


“Materials: Various matboard and paper products, plastic, wood and reflective and holographic films. Theater "entrance" has glow-in-the-dark material. Painted, airbrushed and protected with numerous coats of acrylic varnish. Suede base so it is non skid and doesn't scratch surfaces. Interior is felt lined and bottom has "pillow" to silence coins dropping into bank.

“Description: Bank in the form of miniature building housing the Gay National Bank, Hot Eats Diner, and Pix Theater. Pix Theater is showing a double feature of "Brokeback Mountain" and "Latter Days". Coins can be dropped into bank through chimney on the roof. Section of roof with black handle lifts off to retrieve coins or put larger items into bank. Accented by shiny gold reflective film on bank along with glittering film to simulate electric signs. Two tiny rainbow flags dot the piece. Durable and very solidly built. Can survive falls with little or no damage.

“Signed by artist on the base.”


The contest was sponsored by the online studio of Rick Chris.  Visit the site's galleries for a collection of Pride photos, gay erotica and other gay-themed art, and "retro media, described as a "satirical and tongue-in-cheek 'what if' paintings of an alternative universe where gay topics are much more accepted in the media".


Brokeback fans will be sure to notice the excellent painting on the home page.

"Over the Cliff": How the Right went crazy

Anyone who's wondering why conservatives in the US seem to have gone insane in the past few years might want to check out a book recently published by the hosts of Crooks and Liars.

from the introduction:

"The Tea Partiers and their allies are tapping into the fear and anger that are washing over a country with over 10 percent unemployment on ongoing economic insecurity. And they are using the tried-and-true bogeymen and shibboleths of the paranoid strain in American politics to explain to their audiences who are and what is the cause of their angst: liberals, minorities and big government (not incidentally led by the first African-American president). "

Over the Cliff also focus on the schoizoid nature of the alleged hostility to government power:

"Just 8 years ago, drunk on vengeful bloodlust and convinced they had just ushered in a thousand-year reign, the right wing in America was united with their government as never before. Its members culturally enforced their peculiar form of chauvinistic patriotism and insisted that Americans unquestionably submit themselves to the president, a man their deified as a warrior god, and condemned anyone who questioned his decisions as a traitor."

And we all know what a sea change that went through.


From PoliPoint Press:

Over the Cliff examines the right wing’s eagerness, especially in the aftermath of President Obama’s election, to invent and propagate stories that are provably false. Noting that such stories are disseminated in large part by mainstream-media figures like Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and Lou Dobbs, the authors link that kookery to a wave of lethal violence and threatening behavior. They also explore the main drivers of this descent into nonsense, including a resurgence of extremist groups and the longtime Republican strategy of exploiting racial and cultural resentment. Finally, Over the Cliff details ways ordinary Americans can resist the madness.

Over the Cliff is already attracting attention.  The kudos include this remark from Rep. Alan Grayson:

At their hugely popular website ‘Crooks and Liars,’ John Amato and David Neiwert have helped to expose the fact that there is no conservative party in America any more. They show that the right wingers are not conservatives, they are anarchists.

The only law the right wing believes in is the Law of the Jungle. No schools, no hospitals, no job programs, no nothing. Their idea of nirvana is Mogadishu.

Available at Amazon and at PoliPoint Press.