Dallas Voice

Lots to do this Halloween night

Posted on 29 Oct 2011 at 11:07am

This Halloween is full of treats

So many treats tonight, and so little time. Saturday is all about decisions and it’s like you can’t make a wrong one. If you’re handy and have a couple of 5-Hour energy drinks, you could fit in a haunted house, The Women’s Chorus of Dallas masquerade ball and of course, what’s Halloween without the block party? The best part is, this is just a sampling of all that’s going on tonight. Keep your eyes open for more Halloween events and parties. Or just pick up this week’s issue. Happy trick-or-treating.

DEETS: Oak Lawn Halloween 2011, 3900 Cedar Springs Road. 7 p.m. PartyAtTheBlock.com.

Masquerade 2011. Sammons Center for the Arts, 3630 Harry Hines Blvd. 7 p.m. $25. TWCD.org.

Screams Theme Park, 2511 FM 66, Waxahachie. 7:30 p.m. $25. ScreamsParks.com.

— Rich Lopez

Blondie tonight at Granada Theater

Posted on 01 Oct 2011 at 12:38am

Don’t strain your brain

Although the band hit it big in the early ’80s, Blondie’s hits never sound dated. Instead they sound cool and classic, much like singer Debbie Harry herself. But the band’s not too shabby either. See the band in the flesh as they bring back the new wave to Dallas.

DEETS: With Nico Vega. Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville Ave. 8 p.m. $60. GranadaTheater.com

— Rich Lopez

Bishop Harry Jackson Begs CPAC: Don’t Throw Us Hate Groups Under The Bus

Posted on 11 Feb 2011 at 2:42am

Joe. My. God.

— David Taffet

Sen. Harry Reid: Tea Party Will Disappear As Soon As The Economy Gets Better

Posted on 09 Jan 2011 at 2:15pm

Joe. My. God.

— admin

Harry Reid returns Dan Choi’s ring to him: Mission Accomplished (almost)

Posted on 22 Dec 2010 at 11:44pm

AMERICAblog Gay

— admin

Greg Sargent on Harry Reid and DADT:’ How did Reid do it?’

Posted on 21 Dec 2010 at 3:44pm

Greg has a really interesting post on the role Harry Reid played in the effort to end DADT. Yesterday, he wrote a post titled, “Harry Reid earns his place in history”:

It’s worth stepping back and pondering how dramatic the reversal in Reid’s fortunes has been in the past six months. Last summer, his reelection campaign was in so much trouble that people were openly speculating about who would succeed him as Majority Leader. Six months later, he has not only been reelected after presiding over one of the most productive Congresses in decades, but he’s also earned himself a place in the history books for notching an accomplishment that rivals the great civil rights bills of the past.

How did Reid do it? Advocates for gay equality hammered Reid relentlessly throughout this process, erupting in anger each time he refused to state definitively that a DADT vote would happen or refused to clarify precisely when such a vote would happen. Advocates worried that Reid was going to let the session pass without a DADT vote at the behest of the White House, which was prioritizing New START above all else.

But Reid’s approach paid off, and here’s how. Recall what happened before the vote on the defense authorization bill containing DADT repeal was blocked by the GOP. Reid made a whole range of concessions to GOP moderates, bringing them to the brink of casting a Yes vote. When it became clear that Susan Collins’s procedural demands risked throwing the lame-duck session into chaos, Reid’s decision to fast-track the vote — even though vote counters knew it would not pass if he did — was roundly criticized.

In retrospect, it turns out Reid’s gamble worked.

Yes, it did.

And, I have to give Greg a shout out here, too. He was all over the DADT story — and kept it alive when some thought it was dead. So many times, Greg would uncover some new detail that put the spotlight back on the issue. I know he’s a reporter, not an advocate. But, what Greg wrote, mattered. He played a key role in this historic effort, too.

AMERICAblog Gay

— admin

WATCH: Harry Reid Announces Vote on ‘DADT’ for Saturday

Posted on 16 Dec 2010 at 10:44pm

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has filed cloture on 'DADT' repeal and the DREAM act, with a vote planned for Saturday. Reid has apparently filled the tree, which prevents any amendments to the measures.

Watch Reid announce it, AFTER THE JUMP…

Check out our earlier reports HERE….

(clip via wonk room)

Towleroad News #gay

— admin

McConnell, GOP Senators Hold DADT Repeal, Dem Initiatives Ransom in Letter to Harry Reid

Posted on 01 Dec 2010 at 11:44am

All 42 GOP Senators have signed a letter from Mitch McConnellto House Majority Leader Harry Reid threatening to block all initiatives, including the Defense Authorization Act with DADT attached, until Republicans get their way on Bush tax cuts.

Excerpt from letter from GOP Senators to Harry Reid, via The Plum Line:

Dear Leader Reid,

The nation's unemployment level, stuck near 10 percent, is unacceptable to Americans. Senate Republicans have been urging Congress to make private-sector job creation a priority all year. President Obama in his first speech after the November election said "we owe" it to the American people to "focus on those issues that affect their jobs." He went on to say that Americans "want jobs to come back faster." Our constituents have repeatedly asked us to focus on creating an environment for private-sector job growth; it is time that our constituents' priorities become the Senate's priorities.

For that reason, we write to inform you that we will not agree to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to any legislative item until the Senate has acted to fund the government and we have prevented the tax increase that is currently awaiting all American taxpayers. With little time left in this Congressional session, legislative scheduling should be focused on these critical priorities. While there are other items that might ultimately be worthy of the Senate's attention, we cannot agree to prioritize any matters above the critical issues of funding the government and preventing a job-killing tax hike.

****

We look forward to continuing to work with you in a constructive manner to keep the government operating and provide the nation's small businesses with economic certainty that the job-killing tax hike will be prevented.

However, Greg Sargent says that there's a good possibility that certain GOP Senators would abandon McConnell on this:

"Senator Susan Collins confirms to me that she could still vote for cloture for the Defense Authorization Bill containing repeal of DADT if ample time is alloted for floor debate and amendments…This wouldn't be the first time a tactic like this from McConnell has failed to maintain GOP unity, despite his threats to the contrary. On Wall Street reform, Dems were able to break the GOP filibuster despite McConnell's bluff…Someone should ask senators Richard Lugar, Olympia Snowe, and John Ensign whether they are willing to rule out a vote for DADT repeal if the Bush tax cut standoff isn't yet resolved. My bet is their answers might be surprising."

Towleroad News #gay

— admin

Movies: Harry Potter, Joan Rivers, Made in Dagenham, Green Lantern

Posted on 20 Nov 2010 at 4:44am

Multitudes of Harry.

NATHANIEL ROGERS

…lives for the the tail end of each year. That's when Oscar buzz wags the film dog. He blogs daily at the Film Experience. Follow him on Twitter @nathanielr.

NOW PLAYING
If you're one of the few human beings who doesn't care a whit about the Harry Potter movies, the image above is probably a nightmare vision; Potter's everywhere you look. Come to think of it, that's as good a portrait as any of this movie weekend. Yes, it can get awfully lonely out there for those of us who don't have any special affinity for Hogwarts School of Magic. It's like being a committed agnostic in a world wherein everyone else has embraced hardcore religion. And then they went and split the last movie in half to prolong the faith. Apparently nine years was not long enough to hold the nation's multiplexes captive so they're going for ten (Part 2 opens in 2011, ten long years after the Sorceror's Stone arrived.) Why they needed five hours to adapt the final book HARRY POTTER AND DEATHLY HALLOWS, which plops Hermione, Harry and Ron down in a tent to bicker and mope for what had to have been a third of the book, is a mysterious magical riddle that only Warner Bros sorcerer accountants can decipher.

Look, it's the six British actresses who do not appear in Harry Potter films. They're all in Made in Dagenham.

MORE AFTER THE JUMP…

I don't mean to be such a curmudgeon. Some of my best friends love Potter. But the stamina the faithful have for this religion amazes the agnostic. Potter disciples never waiver. And, think about it: People don't even watch TV series for this long… and isn't that an apt comparison? The Potter films are really movies in name only since they're much closer to a TV series in form, what with the recurring guest stars, repetitive structure and longform narrative.

Also Opening: Russell Crowe tries to rescue his allegedly murderous wife (Elizabeth Banks) in THE NEXT THREE DAYS; Oscar hopeful MADE IN DAGENHAM, starring Happy-Go-Lucky's lively Sally Hawkins, tells the true (but surprisingly entertaining) story of a women's strike at a Ford plant in late 60s England; FAIR GAME with Naomi Watts as Valerie Plame and the survival-drama 127 HOURS with James Franco (previously reviewed) both expand into more cities today.

BONUS SCENES:

You've just heard that Daniel Day-Lewis has been cast as Steven Spielberg's Lincoln. Is it crazy to hope that Gwyneth Paltrow plays Mary Todd Lincoln since she was so hilarious doing that gag on Glee earlier this week? Oh right. This isn't a musical. That didn't go so well for DDL last time. Is it crazy to hope that Spielberg doesn't ignore the gay rumors? DDL hasn't swung that way since My Beautiful Laundrette.

They claim this is "every shirtless pic of Jake Gyllenhaal" to hit the net. But there's only 84. This post cries wolf! Or woof.

More Harry? For Potter Fans: Here's an informed list of differences between the new movie and the book it's based on. For the two of you out there who are waffling about whether or not to see it (most people made up their minds about this series long ago) here's a negative review and a positive one.

The Academy recently released the finalist list for Best Documentary Feature. They shunned Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work. Coincidentally, I ended up screening the film again just hours after the announcement and those sad flashes of insecurity that the semi-legend keeps showing when confronted with bad reviews or inside showbiz snubs stung a bit harder than they did the first time through. If you haven't seen the movie yet, make sure to rent it when it arrives on DVD and Blu-Ray in mid December.

Have you seen the trailer to The Green Lantern? A question that haunts: Why would anyone feel the need to animate a super heroic body over Ryan Reynold's real superheroic body? If you've got the real million why waste time on the counterfeit? Body paint is cheaper than CGI.

Towleroad News #gay

— admin

SHOCK: Harry Reid Working With John McCain To Abandon Gay Troops In Dropping DADT Repeal

Posted on 08 Nov 2010 at 7:44am

From the unbelievable world of Democrats Inc. comes word that after a failed — and lackluster — campaign to kill Don't Ask Don't Tell by attaching a compromised repeal to the Defense Department's budget reauthorization bill, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is going to strip DADT from the Pentagon bill altogether.

CONTINUED »

Permalink | Post a comment | Add to del.icio.us

Tagged: DADT, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, Harry Reid, John McCain, Senate