"It's only rape if he's not my religion"

I might write more about this later - once I've had time to let it settle in my brain and I stop with the mindless exclamations of "No, seriously, what the hell?", but for now I'll just leave this here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/21/arab-guilty-rape-consensual-sex-jew

So a nice Israeli Jewish lady meets a guy who introduces himself, at least by name, in a manner that implies that he is a nice Jewish boy, and he's looking for some love. They go off together and have sex and, I assume, a good time is had by all. Then he reveals that actually he's not Jewish. Since she's now sullied herself with gross non-Jew bodily fluids, our young lass does the only reasonable thing: accuses him of rape. And the jury does the only reasonable thing: finds him guilty. He's off for an 18-month stay in prison.

So, uh...as I said, I'll try to come up with some more cool-headed thoughts later, but for now: seriously, what the hell?

In which Obama stubbornly refuses to start to piss me off...

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union commends the Obama-Biden Transition team for including sexual orientation and gender identity in its non-discrimination policy as it prepares to assume power in January. Although President Bill Clinton signed Executive Order 11478, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, there are no explicit federal protections from gender identity bias in government hiring.

Hmm.

Okay, I will grant that the Bush administration, plus the CA/AZ/AR anti-gay ballot measures have set the bar for "not an asshole" unbelievably low, but...pretty much Obama's first act as Prez-to-be (hiring people) has gotten the ACLU's official stamp of approval.

Seriously, Mr. Obama - a lot of us have gotten pretty used to being angry and bitter about politics. You're kind of overwhelming, because - well, obviously it's way to early to call, but there's maybe a chance you're going to continue not being an asshole, even though you already were elected.

Keep it up, and we'll get used to it, I promise.