Off The Hook Comedy Club
Marco Island, FL
March 12-15, 2009

Helium Comedy Club
Philadelphia, PA
April 1-4, 2009

Stress Factory
New Brunswick, NJ
April 5, 2009

Governor’s
Levittown, NY
April 6, 2009

Northeastern University
Boston, MA
April 8, 2009

Comedy Connection
Providence, RI
April 10, 2009

Tree House Comedy Club
Stamford, CT
April 11, 2009

Tree House Comedy Club
Stratford, CT
April 11, 2009

Halifax Comedy Festival
Halifax, Nova Scotia, CAN
April 21-25

Improv
Irvine, CA
April 29, 2009

Improv
Hollywood, CA
May 1, 2009

Improv
Brea, CA
June 25-28

Comedy Off Broadway
Lexington, KY
July 9-11, 2009

Hi All!

I'm actually home for ten whole days before I head to Pittsburgh,,,after which I am going to Taiwan for 7 days to start work on my documentary (more about that later).

..
My Stand up Special is now available on FILMBABY.. which is very cool.

I sold out of them on the road and I have ordered a new batch. So..Thanks to everyone who's bought one already!

My West Palm Beach gig has been cancelled because the club is having "construction delays"... so The plan is to reschedule for the spring.

Other than that..all is well....

I know some people are waiting for me to blog about the election and I am planning on it. I am going to be making my first video blog about it soon. Just takes a little longer than..ranting and typing.

It is important when you are fighting..to remember what you are fighting for and for whom.

The thing that I think is most Beautiful about Barack's Campaign is that it brings out the best in people.



I was struck the other day that we are living in a time that others will look back on like we do the great depression, the civil rights movement, Pearl Harbor... times that but for an accident of history could be captured in yellowing photos in an old trunk in grandma's attic. We are, as odd as it seems to us in this media muddled society, witness to a pivotal point in America's history.

We hear a lot about "the day"... and now we find ourselves truly confronted with a real historic moment.

An Opportunity to participate in a great leap forward.

It is moments like this that I feel lucky to be alive in these tumultuous times.

Part of Me wishes that Queer As Folk never had to be made. That it's gift of understanding and support and caring for the LGBT community was unnecessary. That people were simply allowed to be who they are with out fear or hate or prejudice. But, it was needed..and for some still is. And since it had to be... I feel blessed for having been able to participate.

I feel the same way about the current state of American politics. I wish we weren't in two wars. I wish we weren't experiencing such horrible economic times. I wish we didn't Need a transformational candidate like Barack Obama.

But we are and we do. And I feel lucky that I am here and I get to participate and be witness to this time.

Sometimes I am panicked by the beauty of life.. this is one of those times.

..

I am not a fan of touch screen voting machines for LOTS of reasons.
Not the least of which is the fact that they are EASILY manipulated before, during and/or after the voter uses it.

Anybody who wants to feel very shaky about our democracy need only go to "Black Box Voting" and look at all the shenanigans from the last 2 elections that are still going on.

It AMAZES me that as the First Democracy in the world we are still dealing with nonsense like this. Well.... "nonsense" might be the wrong word.. because to some people, eliminating your ability to vote makes a lot of sense....

Check this out...



This has been the Spoken voting position of the right for the last 30 years. Before that.. I guess it was just assumed.

But they could not be more clear... they don't want you to vote. And if you do vote it is somehow "right with God" for them to manipulate, erase, discount or throw out Your vote.

And that is why there is so much Direct manipulation of the voting system in this country






There's a phony flier in Virginia - you know that Red state that went blue as soon as somebody (Obama) started to give a shit about it - That says voting day has been MOVED to the day AFTER..er..voting day...



And Whaddaya know it's on Virginia Board of Elections STATIONARY!

HOW COULD THIS BE? you ask? Well let's start with thee fact that you have NO RIGHT TO VOTE! And the "Federalists" know it. Remember whenever you hear someone say they are for "State's Rights" are a "Federalist" or they want to put "Strict Constitutionalists" to the Supreme court, A big part of that is to maintain the lack of a federal voting rights movement. Right now the Supreme Court interprets the constitution to read that your have no federal voting rights. None! That's why each state has the ability to have their (Party picked) Secretary of State choose the voting method. Of course the Republicans are freaking out about ACORN and the Ohio Secretary of State... because they believe it advantages the Democratic Party... and it does... but only in the sense that it Eliminates some of the DISadvantages put in by the Republicans!

Long lines, illegal purging, voter intimidation, misleading information, and good old fashioned lying all serve to diminish the vote in volume.

So the lesson?

Be a PAIN IN THE ASS!

Do not leave the voting booth until you are sure that your vote was accepted by the machine and you have reviewed your ballot!

If the machine keeps f*cking with you get a paper (not a provisional!) ballot!

If ANYONE tries to stop you from voting fearlessly stand up to them. Ask poll watchers to help you. If they cannot.. or will not... ask FELLOW VOTERS to help you!

Also, make sure you have PLENTY of time to vote. If you have the day off, help other people get to the polls. Make a social event out of it.

Go in a group or Bring a friend

Check the news before you go to see if lines are long. If they are, bring water, food, a fold out chair...whatever might make the experience easier and more fun.

But most important...GO VOTE!

Unlike my Right-wing Christian Fundamentalist friends... I think the democracy is stronger the more people participate.

Check your registration status and polling place HERE!

UPDATE: Now people are being told they could be arrested for VWB or "Voting While Black".

Sorry but this clip made me laugh HARD for 5 minutes.

A little back story. In the midst of all this "Real America" horse shit John Murtha said that parts of Western Pennsylvania are racist and here's John McCain trying to use that against Barack.... and look.. I know everyone misspeaks but the funniest part to me is how bad the SAVE is... just watch



Good lord that's funny. "I couldn't DisAgree with YOU.. er..." and then he has to cover by saying that Western Pennsylvania is THE most patriotic, Most God-loving part of the country..What? WOW.

Okay... It's official... McCain and Palin are no longer interested in setting a direction for the country other than Away from electing Barack Obama.

And the Irony is.. the arguments they are using...are in direct contrast to who they are and what they are actually doing!

"Palling around with Terrorists" -

The old Palin chestnut is particularly hollow considering -

- Obama served on a board with Ayres that was Formed by a Republican!
A friend of Ronald Reagan's no less (Y'know one of McCain's 3 "heroes")
So if you use McCain's Standard Ronald Reagan palled around with terrorists.

- McCain said he was honored to be the friend of G Gordon Liddy. A convicted
felon who advocated Shooting ATF agents in the head!

(I'm a little sensitive about that one since my cousin is an ATF agent and the idea that he would stage a raid following orders from his superiors and be shot in the head for it seems beyond horrifying - but according to Liddy, My cousin is a jack booted thug...who happens to have a wife, 2 kids and is a totally decent guy... but that doesn't matter to John McCain's Dear dear friend.)

- Carl J. Linder funded A terrorist group that massacred civilians in Columbia. He also supports McCain, through him a fundraiser and gave him money. They are surely "Pals". oh and y'know WHY he funded the massacre of civilians? So he wouldn't have to pay too much for bananas... yeah... bananas.

- William Timmons - the Washington lobbyist who John McCain has named
to head his presidential transition team - yeah... he lobbied for...
wait for it.... SADAAM HUSSEIN!

And these aren't loose soft connections like Ayres. These are the strange bedfellows of John McCain. People he holds in high regard currently! He's never repudiated their actions. And HE NEVER WILL.



"Obama is a Socialist"

- I've already dealt with this a little but let me just remind you that McCain
voted FOR the bailout which will shore up banks with tax dollars!

- He also supported Tip O'Neil's deal with Reagan to save social Security.
adding more money to the system to keep it from failing by..How??
RAISING THE PAYROLL TAX! that's how. Which, wether you agree with
it or not.... is a redistribution of WEALTH! oh and let us not forget
they lowered Capitol Gains taxes on the rich at the same time. shifting
the burden disproportionately to the middle class.

- McCain does not support the "Socialist" idea of government healthcare
right? WRONG! He only hates it when it applies to YOU! He has had
government healthcare his ENTIRE LIFE! His father was in the Navy, he
was in the Navy and now he has Government Healthcare as a US Senator.
(The same EXACT system Obama wants you to have access to!)

And let us not forget the new fav of the Palin/McLame campaign.. VOTER FRAUD!

- Nevermind that this is not Vote Fraud BY Acorn but Voter Registration
fraud perpetrated ON Acorn - They hire people to register voters - those
people turn in fake applications - and Acorn BY LAW MUST turn them in!
(If you were a Republican operative, how easy would it be to game
that system to make ACORN look bad? Exactly)

- And Nevermind that you can turn in 100,000 Applications under the name
Mickey Mouse and the little guy will NEVER show up to vote. Although
I think I saw Goofy at a Palin rally.

- But know that, The McCain campaign for all it's bluster, not surprisingly,
Is tied to the ONLY arrest involving Voter Fraud!

- And they will play this lie To it's bitter end

p.s. McCain - while his campaign fuels rumors that Obama is taking "foreign" contributions (Ooga Booga!) He just asked the RUSSIANS for Money! Yes...exactly...those guys who "invaded" Georgia. So much for us all being "Georgians"

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I could go on (and will in the coming days) but the point is... you know how one of the best ways to know that your spouse is cheating is if they suddenly accuse YOU of cheating? Well, that's what is happening here... The McCain/Palin Frankencampaign is accusing Democrats of what THEY themselves are involved in.... to cover their own crimes and indiscretions.

So look at it this way... it makes it easy... The next time you hear some bizarre spurilous charge coming from McCain or Palin... Google their name and the charge and I'm sure you'll find evidence that they are hip deep in it.

It's no mystery that both men running in this election have money.

Barack Obama, along with being a senator who draws a decent salary, is also a best selling author. His two books have pushed him well into a high tax bracket.

John McCain and his wife have a net worth of somewhere in the neighborhood of 120 Million dollars (Close to 5 times what Obama would have on his richest day).

And here's the telling part.

Barack Obama the man would not benefit from President Obama's tax plan. He would pay about $140,000 more in taxes. His economic Advisor Warren Buffet would be hit equally as hard. And they both still think it's better for the country to such a degree that it would be worth it..

ON THE OTHER HAND

John McCain's Tax plan would benefit..Guess Who?... Well it sure isn't Joe The Plumber.

-----------
Last week, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) proposed temporarily cutting the capital gains tax from 15 percent to 7.5 percent. On Friday, the McCain campaign released Cindy McCain's 2007 tax returns, which show that the McCains made $746,395 in capitals gains last year. A new analysis by Michael Ettlinger, Vice President for Economic Policy at the Center for American Progress Action Fund, reveals that McCain's capital gains cut would have reduced the McCains' taxes by $55,980 in 2007. This is on top of the more than $350,000 that the McCains would have saved due to the Senator's other tax proposals.
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What a surprise!

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That Fertilizer that McCain has been spreading about "Socialism" (Eeek!) is really a big smoke screen to distract from the fact that his tax plan is built on making sure that the middle class never gets a strong foothold and cannot give the ruling class a serious challenge. McCain's tax plan is socialism for the rich to protect them from the unwashed masses.

Cops, Firemen, schools, street lights, the national guard, a standing army, medicare, the national weather system, the FDA, CDC, SEC..all fall well within the definition of socialism. Socialism as we practice it in this country is essentially Collective Bargaining! We get together as citizens because none of could afford our own police force and we realize that murder, theft, rape and assault are damaging to everyone. That's the kind of socialism we practice in this country and people like "Joe the Plumber" bitch about it until their house catches fire.

McCain is ALL ABOUT the redistribution of wealth... but Upwards! The Bush tax cuts were made on the backs of the Middle and working class.

To be taxed at a higher rate under Obama's tax plan you have to NET(!)$250,000 in profit as a small business! NET! and you only pay taxes on the amount OVER $250,000! after you pay out all your costs. There is NO WAY. That somebody in "Joe The Plumber's" situation would make that much money!

Obama's tax plan brings the taxes back to what they were under Clinton. Back when we had a balanced budget and a surplus! "Why should the government get a surplus?" I hear you say? One word - KATRINA. The government should have a surplus for emergencies just a like any household! That way we..the money earns interest until it is used which benefits the citizenry and when we need it we don't have TO BORROW IT FROM THE CHINESE or the SAUDIS!

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Bottom line -

Obama's tax plan is about the betterment of the country in a very difficult time.

McCain's tax plan is all about... The McCains

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UPDATE - A few people have been wanting to post comments saying that Obama's plan will be bad for "Small Businesses" and ironically when you ask them what their business is they fall into the category where they will NEVER make over $250,000 dollars a year in PROFIT. It's crazy. It's like they are afraid they will be taxed on their fantasy! "Dude, My Ebay business pulls in like $27,000..if I ever hit it big I don't wanna be taxed! Fuck those poor welfare bastards!" "What about veterans?" "Them too! Get a job!"

The other reason they give is that people won't be motivated to succeed if it will make them pay more taxes! WHAT? Are you out of your mind??!?! First of all whatever happened to succeeding out of a personal sense of value? And second...Anybody who would pass up the chance to make a million dollars so that they wouldn't have to give an extra THREE PERCENT of it away is in fact AN IDIOT and probably incapable of that kind of success. REALLY? a %3 change in your taxes would eliminate your motivation to succeed? then you are a loser and you will always be a loser. "Boo hoo! I don't wanna try any more! an extra %3 percent of my income is going to roads in W. Virginia that I'll never drive on..so I quit!" That's just Crazy.

And my favorite reason is that Small businesses will somehow have their taxes raised, pass on their expenses to the consumer and will lose business and therefore have to layoff workers and this will ruin the economy... Okay... if a 3% raise in your price will drive away consumers in mass... your service or your business either sucks or is easily replaced or undersold by a competitor (but then what motivation do you have to make it better? you'd only have to pay more taxes!)... secondly if the idea of more middle class people being able to AFFORD your service therefore giving you a larger customer base, doesn't give you hope then you must sell caviar spoons or Yacht Wax.

God save us from people who memorize the dust flap of Atlas Shrugged and think they are the inventor of Rearden metal.

I can't believe how brazen and out of touch McCain has become. In an interview with Chris Wallace on FOX he openly states that picking Sarah Palin was a "Cold calculated" political decision!

Picking her was not about what was good for the country. Nor was it about choosing someone capable of filling in as President... It was simply political.


And! Wait a second...did he just say "Liberal Feminist Agenda"? What is he channeling his inner Rush "Feminazi" Limbaugh?

Look..Just because she's an affront to all women and doesn't mean she contradicts Any agenda. If anything she reinforces the need for it!

Of all the capable, experienced, intelligent women - all of whom would share John Mcain's agenda -he picked her!?! and Why?

Because she is pretty and pliable.

She is attractive and she will do as she is told.

in other words, She's the perfect person to set back women's rights 5 decades.

Goodbye Oprah, Ellen and Hillary.. Hello June Cleaver!

His choice of her and his admission that it was a "political" choice makes that "Country First©" out to be complete Horseshit.

_____________________________

here's John McCain's attitude toward a woman's right to choose.

No exception even to protect the health of the mother or to save her life.



He mocks it with air quotes?!?! "health"

____________________________

Insurance companies cover Viagra but not birth control.
Carly Fiorina, a McCain supporter, said that was unfair. When asked about it this is McCain's answer....



He never responded. Nothing. not even a policy memo. Maybe he doesn't understand the issue or maybe he doesn't care or maybe he doesn't want to deal with it because it will offend his "base"...either way those are dumb reasons and not exactly "Maverick" behavior.

_____________________________

Palin was a political choice made by a man who has never held any commitment to women's issues. And if given the chance he would put the government in charge of making sure that a woman MUST carry a baby to term wether she was raped, was the victim of incest or may die.

_____________________________



___________________________

Sarah Palin said something today that served two purposes.

The first is to blow smoke up the ass of "Small town" Americans.

And the second is to tell anyone who lives in..oh I dunno.. Cleveland, Miami, Louisville, Lancaster, Nashville, Atlanta, Orlando or even Richmond... "You are not Americans!"

Sarah Palin said..quote... "We believe that the best of America is in these small towns that we get to visit, and in these wonderful little pockets of what I call the real America, being here with all of you hard working very patriotic, um, very, um, pro-America areas of this great nation."

Okay...hang on a second... I grew up in a small town *Cue John Cougar Mellencamp" music* - Peaks Mill Kentucky - I went to High School in a Northern Suburb of Chicago - Winnetka - And I live in Los Angeles now.

I tour this country constantly. I have been to cities big and small and I am here to tell you that No one Anywhere has cornered the market on patriotism. There may some disagreement in how to Best help and serve the country but this old republican line about small town patriotism is a huge insult to the majority of Americans and is In Fact.. NOT TRUE!

Now before you go and flip out that I am as guilty as she is, take just a moment, got to the nearest wall, and bang your head against it.

By saying it's NOT TRUE...which it isn't... I'm not saying that there are fewer patriots per capita in small towns and more in big cities... I'm saying that the entire assertion in either direction is BULLSHIT.

I think the vast Majority of Americans love their country deeply... even when it disappoints them.... even when it doesn't live up to it's promise... We love it like you love family...honestly and with permanence...

And for every "Flag-burner" living in a city there is a "south will rise again" racist secessionist in a small town. The fringe in many ways zeroes itself out.

Politic are naturally divisive but at their essence they are not meant to divide us culturally or socially. They are divisive only in the sense that we are having an argument about how best to lead the country to a better day.

Her assertion that one group is more "Pro-America" than another is another example of using divisive politics as a tactic. It's no accident. And to me... Seeking to divide this country for your own political agenda is.. dare I say it...Anti-American