Saddle them horsemen up. Israel carried out a major military exercise earlier this month that American officials say appeared to be a rehearsal for a potential bombing attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Several American officials said the Israeli exercise appeared to be an effort to develop the military’s capacity to carry out long-range strikes and to demonstrate the seriousness with …

Another one for the win column! A conservative Christian group has given up its attempt to mount a referendum drive to wipe out all protections for LGBT citizens in Maine. The Christian Civic League of Maine in an e-mail to its supporters said that it was giving up because it has “neither enough funds nor enough volunteer support to continue …

“The most important issue to me is the democratic principle itself. I see this season as having put forth an anti-democratically elected candidate. So for me, that’s the biggest issue of all. And if we go down a path, where, you know, the parties don’t uphold democratic principles, then who’s going to uphold democratic principles? “So that’s my biggest issue …

Hmm, when I mentioned the onset of construction of the new Bank Of America Tower back in August 2006, it really seemed like it would turn out, I don’t know, good. I know it’s not really finished, but still, I’m not feeling it yet. The building topped out back in December when the spire was added, making it the second …

Furry disco bunnies Bearforce1 are back again with a new single and two new cast members. Man, these guys are like the Destiny’s Child of bear groups. How many Bearforce1-ers have there been so far? Seven? For this single they’ve dropped their Bears On 45 medley schtick.

The Americans United for Separation of Church and State have filed a federal lawsuit to stop South Carolina from issuing the “I Believe” license plate mentioned here last week. Americans United for Separation of Church and State today filed a lawsuit in federal district court on behalf of several religious leaders and a religious organization whose First Amendment rights are …

A decision to provide women’s undergarments to transgendered prisoners in New York state juvenile detention facilities is causing an outcry from jailers. The state has quietly ordered male-only juvenile detention centers to keep bras and panties in stock for transgendered delinquents – angering many jail staffers. Each facility must stock a dozen bras and panties of each size in case …

The #2 pop single in the nation this week is Katy Perry’s ode to lesbian experimentation, I Kissed A Girl (which is not the Jill Sobule song of the same title from some years back). The Concerned Women of America are horrified: The song, performed by Katy Perry, is called I Kissed a Girl. The lyrics speak of kissing a …

Barack Obama’s campaign has apologized to a Detroit woman after reneging on an offer to seat her behind Obama’s podium after seeing that she and her companion were wearing head scarves. A young Muslim woman said she and another woman were refused seats directly behind Barack Obama – and in front of TV cameras – at a Detroit rally because …

Via Media Matters: Responding to a caller who said, “I had to explain to my young son why these two men were holding hands the other day,” radio host Michael Savage stated, during the June 16 broadcast of The Savage Nation, “You’ve got to explain to the children … why God told people this was wrong.” He went on to …

The 2008 Gallup Values and Beliefs Poll shows the nation evenly split on the moral acceptability of homosexual sex, with 48% finding it acceptable and 48% saying it’s morally wrong. In 2001, the “wrong” number was 53% and the “OK” number was 40%. Check out the other questions on the poll. (You’ll have to embiggen the image.)

California’s county clerks did a week’s worth of business in the first two days of legal gay marriage: In the two days since same-sex couples have been allowed to wed in California, the number of marriage licenses issued statewide has surpassed that of an entire typical June week, according to a Times survey of the state’s 58 county clerks. Just …

“The sad truth is that gay rights has always been the disposable card of liberal politics. The very fact of our existence is still “controversial” even to those who make a noise about being our friends. We’re still the fly in the ointment, the “divisive issue” that can lose an election. Just look at the weak-kneed response from the Clinton …

Considered to be the heart of Central Park, the centerpiece of the Bethesda Terrace is the fountain, which is perhaps the favorite of all park icons for filmmakers – having appeared in Godspell, Angels In America, The Producers, and many other films. And if you’re a nature lover (ahem), the Ramble is just to the right left.

OK, so after reading rave after rave about Patti Lupone’s performance at the Tonys on Sunday (which I mentioned here that I forgot to record), I finally hunted it down on YouTube and yeah, it lives up to the hype. But I’m far, far more tickled by this Patti Lupone homage clip. I don’t know who the heck this Michael …

How’s your love life these days?

As Dan Savage says, “Somebody give this guy an airline to run.” Airlines know that people prefer to bring their bags on board because they want to avoid the time and hassle needed to collect them at baggage claim and the risk that they’ll be lost. Charging to check bags, then, is foolish because it is an attempt to get …

Last night when I saw Jon Stewart’s typically hilarious take on the first day of gay marriage, I knew I’d have to give the Comedy Central video player another shot here. Hopefully most of you downloaded Firefox 3 yesterday and this won’t crash your browser. Cuz it IS damn funny. UPDATE: Here’s Part Two.

This cartoon was published in 2004 during the Massachusetts marriage battle. Not much has changed, has it?

You really have to laugh at Pastor John “Gays Caused Katrina” Hagee, John McCain’s former spiritual advisor. Check out what he says about “today’s American woman.” A partial transcript via Slog: God paints the portrait of the ideal woman and he takes time to mention that she is a mother. If the secular humanist of the 21st century took his …