The Hollywood Liberal

Congressional Leaders Announce Plans to ‘Green the Capitol’
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid today said they want to convert the U.S. Capitol Power Plant to burn only natural gas, calling it a key step in their effort to “green the Capitol.”

In Stock Deal, U.S. Plans to Enlarge Stake in Citigroup
The federal government plans to take a substantial ownership stake in Citigroup, launching the Obama administration’s new strategy to prevent the failure of any more large banks, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Orszag Is Economic Centrist Who Knows How to Deal
The gangly, bespectacled official who yesterday laid down the fiscal footprint of a new presidency is an unassuming man who proudly refers to himself as the administration’s “super-nerd.”

Republicans Attack Obama Budget, Call It Loaded With Spending
Republicans criticized President Obama’s first budget as a new spending bonanza that fails to address the entitlement crisis and relies overly on tax increases and new business costs to close the deficit gap.

Senate Panel to Examine CIA Detainee Handling
The Senate intelligence committee is planning an unprecedented review of the CIA’s handling of captured terrorist suspects, drawing back the curtain for the first time on the agency’s use of waterboarding and other interrogation tactics inside secret CIA prisons, congressional sources said…

Making War on Business is No Way to Stimulate Economy

White House Proposes the Mother of All Budgets
Andrew Leonard, Salon

The Republican Future: 3 Choices
Henry Olsen, NewMajority.com

We Cannot Delay Health-Care Reform
Sens. Baucus & Kennedy, WSJ

Gamer Says Microsoft Banned Her for Being Openly Gay

Anyone who’s ever worn a headset while on Xbox Live, Microsoft’s multiplayer gaming-chatting-shopping nexus, knows that it’s dominated by adolescent bigots. It’s bad enough that Redmond hasn’t cleaned things up, but a gamer named Teresa says she was actually banned from the service for being openly gay and allegedly offending the bigots who were harassing her.

Apparently, this sort of thing has happened before. Kotaku reports that Microsoft defends its actions by saying it objects to all content of a sexual nature, but there’s a big difference between sex and sexual identity—isn’t that obvious?—especially on a service that encourages users to dish about themselves, be it through their profiles, status messages or avatars.

Kotaku:

(Former) Xbox Live gamer Teresa found herself on the receiving end of a ban from the service for a surprising reason. She identified herself as a lesbian in her Live profile.

That resulted in a ban from the service after her Xbox Live peers complained about her profile, according to a letter to the Consumerist.

It’s not like we haven’t heard this before. Microsoft has issued bans to players in the past for expressing their sexual preferences in Gamertags, but this is the first we’ve heard of profile info at the root cause of being kicked off Live.

Read more

READ THE WHOLE ITEM

Related Entries

• February 15, 2009 Isolating the Gay Gene
• February 9, 2009 Lesbian Batwoman to Take On the Bat-Mantle
• February 1, 2009 And the Winner Is … Iceland
• January 19, 2009 Bishop Robinson’s Invocation Cut From HBO’s Telecast
• January 15, 2009 Obama Will End ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

Naming Rights

READ THE WHOLE ITEM

Related Entries

• February 25, 2009 Government’s Long Night May Be Ending
• February 25, 2009 Bill Redux?
• February 25, 2009 At Last, Accepting Some Clues From Across the Pond
• February 25, 2009 Peachy Keane
• February 25, 2009 Getting Warmer

Industries Targeted In Speech Start To Lobby Quickly
WASHINGTON — Industries from health care to agribusiness to mining that stand to lose under President Barack Obama’s policy agenda are ramping up lobbying campaigns…

Joseph A. Palermo: Race and Symbolism in the House Gallery
At the end of his first address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday night President Barack Obama gave the nation yet another “teaching moment”…

Olbermann Names Michael Calderone One Of Worst Persons In The World (VIDEO)
Keith Olbermann named Politico reporter Michael Calderone one of his “Worst Persons In The World” for falsely reporting that it was Olbermann who audibly uttered…

Reinventing Health Care: The Role of the States
When the nation’s governors gathered in Washington this weekend, many were preoccupied with the largest, fastest growing category of their budgets: health care. Unfortunately, none of the serious reform plans on the table in Washington attack the three core problems that drive health care inflation: a fee-for-service payment system that encourages waste; a medical system so fragmented that real management of costs is almost impossible and administrative overhead is 25-30 percent; and lifestyles that are creating an epidemic of chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

Thain Must Dish On Bonuses, Rules Court
That was quick! John Thain has been ordered by a New York court to testify about those controversial Merrill Lynch bonuses, reports CNBC. Earlier today, it was reported that New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who is investigating the bonuses,…

Baucus Committee: We Prefer Different Approach To Tax Haven Problem
Yesterday, we revealed how a bill that might have sought to close off-shore tax loopholes — and which might have helped catch Allen Stanford — died in Max Baucus’ Senate Finance committee in 2007. Now, a Finance committee aide has…

Report: Goss Knew Of Foggo’s Shady Past
A great nugget from Laura Rozen… Source said that Goss lied in his testimony, that he was not aware about the problems with Foggo when he hired him for executive director. He said that a major fight had broken out…

Will Obama Go After Social Security? My Editor and I Have a Bet
If it were looted, it might produce enough in fat management fees alone to resuscitate Wall Street’s ailing financial giants.

Jail Sentences for Cops Who Planted Pot on 92-Year Old They Killed in Botched Drug Raid
Three former Atlanta police officers were sentenced for shooting Kathryn Johnston and attempting to cover up their cruel acts.

We Need Obama to Help Heal the American Soul
The economy may revive in a few years, but our spirit will lay in the metaphorical dumpster without an articulate vision of a new America.

Why Healthcare Can’t Wait
There have been many issues where labor and business don’t see eye to eye. Here’s one where we firmly agree: the need to fix healthcare, now.

Obama Gets an “A” on Health Care; Needs Improvement on Banks
President Obama reaffirmed his commitment to reform health care tonight. This will be a huge undertaking, which he clearly understands. But, he has repeatedly said that he would make this a top priority and he fully intends to move forward…

The Speech
Visuals- The Dems seem spread throughout the room, so the aisle-like split between who is standing up and clapping and who is sitting on their hands is not so clear in the long shots. Looks like everybody is standing up….

Quick Morning After Thoughts On Obama’s Speech
1 - These thing are always a Rorschach test, but in our household Obama was king of the world last night. In fact, my wife Jody (as usual) had the best quick take when he was done. “After he does…