Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was questioned earlier this week about her views and how they compare/contrast with President Clinton’s views during a visit to the Congo. (The student meant to say President “Obama.” Right.)

Many pundits and bloggers poked fun at her response.

Women the world over are constantly asked about their husband’s point of view, opinion, and judgment. Even when it shouldn’t matter.

If I had a dime every time someone asked what my husband thought of my writing, pictures, ass…

When was the last time a man held a press conference and someone asked what the little lady thought? A man is rarely made to believe he needs his wife’s blessing when it comes to performance at work.

Could Clinton have answered the question better? With humor and a bit of serenity? Absolutely. She should expect such misogynistic and idiotic questions, especially in a place where women are treated so poorly. An answer at the ready, said with a sly wink, could have really hit home – internationally.

She had every right to be frustrated and angry with the suggestion that her views should mirror her husband’s. Bill Clinton is *not* Secretary of State, goddamn it.

She just should have ranted in private.

But I don’t blame her.

Not one bit.

By Catherine Durkin Robinson
PoHo contributor
Catherine Durkin Robinson is a “feminist mother of twins” and a political blogger, working under the title Out in Left Field.

When he speaks about the impact of captivity on the mammals, he doesn’t sound like a showboater, and what might seem like New Age-y talk about dolphin intelligence is pointed up with footage that left me haunted, too. That smile, says O’Barry, is nature’s greatest deception. Dolphins smile even when they’re crying on the inside.

Living in Florida, I am used to certain theme-and-water-park douchebaggery.

Comes with the heat, bugs, and old people driving 30-mph down the highway.

But there is something vastly disturbing about certain aquariums and water parks. And not only in Florida.

(Read the rest and see the film’s trailer after the jump)

Most of the places where you are allowed to swim, pet, and kiss dolphins are getting these self-aware and beautiful creatures from the seas of Japan. Trainers from all over the world flock to a little town called Taiji where about 13 fisherman use loud noises to frighten hundreds of dolphins every year and force them into a tiny cove.

Once there, trainers pick only the cutest, sweetest animals to fill our resorts, parks, and petting ponds.

The ones who don’t make the cut are slaughtered and the meat (poisoned with mercury) is fed to an unsuspecting public. The ones who do make it out become lethargic, depressed, and sometimes kill themselves.

See, your paradise is a fucking nightmare to them. This *dophin petting* thing is a cold and cruel business.

Which is so not hot. And neither are the pictures of you in a bathing suit rubbing up against them.

You don’t look like an animal lover. You look like an ass.

The Cove is coming to The Tampa Theatre this weekend. It’s an important film because it documents the way these precious animals are tortured and killed.

The filmmakers were recently on Fresh Air and I dare you to listen without feeling sick to your stomach.

WARNING: TANGENT TIME – The activist featured in the film, former Flipper trainer Ric O’Barry, says that people who compare the lagoon to a slaughterhouse are wrong. He says that animals in a slaughterhouse aren’t tortured before they’re killed. And that’s why this is worse.

He just wants us to swallow that shit so he can swallow that burger he’s eating.

But I agree with him on everything else. I hope The Cove encourages people to bypass cruelty disguised as entertainment. Family fun shouldn’t be so bloody awful.

Stop loving dolphins so much and instead help set them free. Your love, after all, is killing them.

By Catherine Durkin Robinson
PoHo contributor
Catherine Durkin Robinson is a “feminist mother of twins” and a political blogger, working under the title Out in Left Field.

Keith Meinhold is one of many decorated veterans who can no longer serve his country … because he’s gay.

His story:

My fellow Floridian,

I served as an aircrew instructor aboard the Navy’s P-3C Orion aircraft and flew combat missions throughout the Pacific and Indian Oceans and the Persian Gulf.

Despite being rated in the top ten percent of all Navy instructors I was kicked out of the Navy after coming out on a national news broadcast as part of an effort to stop a witch hunt against other gay, lesbian and bisexual service members.

I’m writing to you today because together we have a unique opportunity to right a wrong.

Please sign our letter to the Florida congressional delegation urging them to end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law bans gays, lesbians and bisexuals from serving openly in the U.S. military. Because of this law, more than 13,000 dedicated military personnel have had their careers taken away, their dignity dragged through the mud and their families torn apart. These discharges have included Arabic linguists, pilots, medics and others that held critical skill sets vital to our national security.

Please sign our letter to the Florida congressional delegation urging them to end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

Every day we are getting closer to the 218 co-sponsors needed to pass the Military Readiness Enhancement Act (H.R. 1283 in the U.S. House of Representatives) and repeal this backward law. With 168 co-sponsors as of today, we are just 50 short of the mark. With your help we can meet our objective over the next 60 days, and have a real shot at getting a vote this year.

As a Floridian, I am proud to report that today there is real momentum for repeal right here in our state. Nine members of Florida’s congressional delegation ranging from Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Miami) to Democrat Kathy Castor (Tampa) have co-sponsored this historic legislation. And thanks to the hard work of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network city governments, the latest being Miami, are passing resolutions in support. Now, we need your help.

Please sign our letter to the Florida congressional delegation urging them to end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

Following my discharge a Federal court reinstated me into Navy where I served for another four years openly gay. It was the most rewarding four years of my career. My crew flew combat missions over the Persian Gulf and was recognized by the Navy as the most combat effective in the Pacific Fleet. I was also awarded the Navy Achievement Medal. I am the first openly gay man to retire from active duty with full military honors. With your support there will be many more.

Thank you in advance for your commitment to justice for every active duty military service member and veteran in the United States.

Yours in service,

Keith Meinhold
Petty Officer 1st Class, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
Miami, Florida

“Don’t ask, Don’t Tell” don’t work. Removing effective soldiers and officers because they are a gay is not only wrong, it’s dangerous. We can’t afford to lose patriots like Meinhold – our country’s security is too important.

By Catherine Durkin Robinson
PoHo contributor
Catherine Durkin Robinson is a “feminist mother of twins” and a political blogger, working under the title Out in Left Field.

This is not an easy post to write.

I struggle with my weight. Eating right and exercising takes effort and I work at it every single day. As President Obama encourages a national conversation about health care, what often gets overlooked is the part we play in our own demise.

Friends and family like to tease, calling me a skinny bitch. They imply that staying thin is easy for those of us who don’t overeat.

It’s not easy. Life isn’t easy. Doing the right thing by our bodies as a way of showing gratitude for life isn’t easy. We do it anyway.

I also hear, from time to time, excuses from people who are losing the battle of the bulge. For example, they tell me they’re not like me. They like food.

Bullshit.

That’s like saying an alcoholic likes the taste of vodka.

I like the taste of vodka. And tequila. And wine.

So I make damn sure I don’t overdo it because then I wouldn’t be able to drink anymore.

Same with food.

Don’t imply that I don’t like to eat.

Nothing tastes better than fresh vegetables and fruit. I don’t need to drown them in cream or sugar or salt or MSG. Dark grainy bread, thick chunks of French or Swiss cheese, spicy marinara sauce…even curly fries make my taste buds come alive…in moderation. Because if I ate too much of them, eventually I’d be cut off.

And that’s no kind of fun.

See, here’s the thing. Morbidly obese people don’t like the taste of food. They eat for other reasons, so let’s not pretend otherwise.

Taco Tammy had an event last night for people who are interested in her Save the Tortillas campaign. And while I admire Tammy and hope her company makes it, I was dismayed at what I saw. Take a look at the pictures from that event.

Notice a theme?

How can someone look at a pot full of simmering blood and fat and find that appetizing? If you went to a party where everyone showed off STDs, wouldn’t you close your legs? In much the same way, I’d look around the room at the consequences of eating such nauseatingly nasty shit and immediately close my mouth.

When we criticize religion, people often say a person’s faith or belief system is beyond reproach. Let’s not discuss it! Might ruffle a few feathers when we ask a person to *think* instead of *feel.*

Similarly, when we criticize the obesity problem in America and show examples where overeating isn’t just a lifestyle choice, but a public health crisis, people respond with “live and let live.”

Fine. But it’s important to understand that there is nothing appetizing or appealing about a room full of fat people celebrating food. It’s harmful and destructive behavior that destroys lives. Period.

Folks, you should eat an apple instead and go to therapy.

You heard me.

Not easy to say, but as you can see, *easy* has nothing to do with it.

By Catherine Durkin Robinson
PoHo contributor
Catherine Durkin Robinson is a “feminist mother of twins” and a political blogger, working under the title Out in Left Field.

When Alexandra Zayas from the St. Petersburg Times called to talk about the Channel 8 protests, I couldn’t have been happier. Intelligent, friendly, compassionate — Zayas understood the topic and had done the research. She was covering the protest and surrounding story, gathering opposing points of view from friend and foe alike.

Hers would be a well-rounded story. I could just tell. So I was happy to contribute a verse.

But then the editors at the Times dropped the ball. They reassigned Alex and gave her story to Ileana Morales, whose account of the protest is half-assed.

I’m not blaming Morales. She was probably working on a tight deadline with a word-limit more appropriate for elementary school book reports.

The blame lies with the St. Petersburg Times. When they give more space to stories like this one about a horror film, one can’t help but wonder why an important media event like the Channel 8 protests got barely 260 words.

Unlike this video, their article doesn’t quote Nadine Smith, Lorna Bracewell, or any of the major players who could articulate a compelling argument.

I’m not just bitching because she left out my point of view.

I’m bitching because the article makes it look like a handful of troublemakers took to the streets when in reality there were over a hundred well-informed protesters. Mentioning the freak show who put a swastika on his poster is also telling. That idiot doesn’t even come close to representing the majority of intelligent people who braved the heat and abuse of drivers simply to make their voices heard.

I may have disagreed with their premise, but gay rights activists in our community deserve better than they got. Watch out St. Pete Times. Or those red shirts might come for you next.

By Catherine Durkin Robinson
PoHo contributor

As we remember Stonewall and the beginning of the modern gay rights movement, the progressive community is understandably frustrated with the pace of our administration in bringing about real change.

They have a point.

Enough already with the military’s ridiculous “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

And it’s about time we legalize gay marriage.

Yet after the stunning parades this weekend and the first official recognition of the movement by a sitting working US President, I’m filled with more hope than ever before.

Which is why I didn’t allow my blood pressure to rise when WFLA/News Channel 8 aired an “it would be disturbing if it weren’t so silly” documentary infomercial Saturday night about wicked gays trying to silence Christians. I urged my fellow libs to take deep breaths and see this program for what it was — a spoiled brat stomping his feet and holding his breath in the hopes of getting attention and that last piece of cake.

“Their world is ending, Mary,” I said with a giggle. “It’s falling down around them and they can’t do a thing to stop it. Let’s not be so reactionary. Pass the Sangria and shut the fuck up. I want to hear what these freakshows have to say so I can make fun of them later.”

My calls for calm were roundly ignored. Equality Florida and St. Pete Pride urged boycotts and asked supporters to write letters, send emails, and make phone calls (oh my) designed to make it all go away.

And yet the show went off without a hitch.

Either News Channel 8 wasn’t impressed or paradegoers were too busy using their mouths and hands for other pursuits.

It was, after all, a Saturday night.

But a few of my gays started screaming and using the c-word.

And that’s when I put my motherfucking foot down.

We should be extremely concerned when we start behaving like the tyrannical fundies we rail against. And the whole, “Would it be all right to allow Holocaust deniers to broadcast a program on Rosh Hashanah?” smacks of intellectual desperation.

Come on, we can do better than succumb to a lazy metaphor.

Let’s get angry about the lies the radical right spews under their crosses and from behind their Bibles. Absolutely, let’s laugh among ourselves about how funny it is that their movement is dying and true equality is within reach. Let’s counter illogical arguments with reasoned debate and religious mumbo-jumbo with good old-fashioned wisdom.

If we try to shut them up, their rallying cry becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Who needs that? Haters are like roaches, running for cover when the light of knowledge and truth shines upon them.

I prefer they stay in the light. It’s easier to aim the bug spray.

And besides, Mary, that’s how we’ll win.

Catherine Durkin Robinson is a “feminist mother of twins” and a political blogger, working under the title Out in Left Field.

Three Republicans continue The Suck.

Ralph Hughes died owing more than $60 million in back taxes.

Brian Blair beat the shit out of his teenage sons on Father’s Day.

Mark Sanford cheated on his wife.

None of this surprises me.

A rich man gets greedy and leaves his heirs to deal with the consequences? Yawn. Wake me when Wall Street 2 comes out.

A former wrestler produces two problem children and beats them when they turn out like their old man? Yawn. Wake me when Brian Blair and Hulk Hogan star in their own reality show.

And I don’t even care about what Mark Sanford does… I mean, have you seen his wife or heard her go on and on about The Lord? Christ. Don’t cry for him, Argentina.

I try very hard not to get angry about what is typical. What really pisses me off is the goddamn hypocrisy.

Ralph Hughes, Mr. Moral Courage Award, supported politicians who railed against welfare moms and illegal immigrants. He hailed himself as fiscally conservative and hated people or policies that drained our society of precious resources.

Yet he was fleecing more money than a Mexican Mama with a dozen brown babies.

Brian Blair benefited from Ralph Hughes’s donations and influence. In return, Blair voted against protecting gay victims of bullies in school and bemoaned the lack of traditional family values in our morally bankrupt society.

Yet he’s a piss-poor parent, the head of a traditionally dysfunctional family.

But perhaps worst of all, Mark Sanford is a man who would take rights away from others in order to protect the “sanctity of marriage.” He dared to get on national television and hold himself up as a man of God and used the power of Jesus to get elected.

Then he goes to South America for some strange.

Again, it’s the hypocrisy that frustrates and angers most free-thinking adults. Through the magic of Facebook and Twitter, here is what some of you had to say:

About Ralph Hughes…

“Just one more example of the Hills Co cesspool of political corruption bubbling over to expose its very messy underbelly.The honest workers of Hills Co who have tried in vain for years to report corruption are having a good laugh now.”

About Brian Blair…

“I noticed he’s listed as unemployed, Maybe he was thinking about making a wrestling career comeback, and figured he’d get some practice in on his kids?

He was best known for his sleeper hold.
silly bee”

About Mark Sanford…

“I’m sure Sanford never would have had an affair if the gays didn’t ruin marriage.”

By Catherine Durkin Robinson
PoHo contributor,“feminist mother of twins” and a political blogger, working under the title Out in Left Field

Charlie Miranda has come up with a plan to turn hundreds of millions of gallons of wastewater into drinking water. All in the name of self-sufficiency.

Yes, we are in the middle of a drought. But we aren’t desperate:

In 2005, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted a study of the treated wastewater from the city’s Howard F. Curren Wastewater Treatment Plant and found 27 different kinds of micropollutants in the recycled water even after it passed through a filtration process.

A plan to punish South Tampa homeowners who refuse to use reclaimed water on their lawns is the way to go.

That’s right, let’s go after Buffy and Thurston Howell III.

But if we’re having a hard time getting people to use this water on grass, imagine the trouble with getting them to put it into their bodies.

Would you drink it?

Retreated water contains nitrogen, steroids, antibiotics … and shit.

Is this the best that Miranda can do?

Tell Charlie Miranda that if he can’t come up with a better plan, we’ll elect someone who will.

By Catherine Durkin Robinson
PoHo contributor, “feminist mother of twins” and a political blogger, working under the title Out in Left Field

I grew up listening to Q105. That’s right, before I developed taste in music, I would tune in regularly to the WRBQ Morning Zoo, and Mason Dixon with his recorded laughter tracks. If you peered into my bedroom circa 1984, you’d certainly find me singing along with safe standards like The Fixx, Michael Jackson, and Cyndi Lauper.

Oh. The. Horror.

Eventually I discovered WMNF, mixed tapes, and the Cuban Club. I soon forgot all about Top 40 radio, its censored, dissected tunes that represented the lamest of corporate rock, and never looked back.

Q105 was dead to me.

Recently, though, I began listening again. The station now plays oldies from the 1960s and 1970s and occasionally such songs provide a history lesson from which my kids could learn to appreciate music.

Or so I thought.

Yesterday we were driving along, minding our own business, singing along with The Beatles … when the DJ started talking about Jesus.

I looked at the radio dial.

104.7? Check.

Nasal twang indicating Mason Dixon was the DJ in question? Check.

Okay, I thought. Where did John Lennon and Paul McCartney go?

I looked again at the numbers and felt perplexed. We weren’t at the bottom of the dial where Crazy lives. What were they doing at the top of the dial talking about The Lord?

Don’t get me wrong. There is nothing inherently wrong with Jesus-based music programs. It’s just not our bag. If we wanted to listen to morality covered up with bubblegum pop by singers devoid of talent, we’d listen to The Jonas Brothers. I wanted the goddamn Beatles.

For about 15 or 20 minutes yesterday morning, Mason Dixon had Jesus on the brain. He talked about a modern Christian group “playing the devil out of the guitar” and “burning up” the Christian charts. He bored all two listeners with anecdotes about another duo who headlined at the Tony Dungy breakfast last year.

Yawn.

Then he discussed the station’s website and how “y’all” could listen to Christian rock all day long at their digital sister station (eye-rolling) The Faith 104.7 on HD2.

After listening to him and his *co-stars* talk about songs like Lead Me to the Cross, I figured the music might actually be an improvement.

I was wrong.

Then Mason wondered about a recent government program to help car owners trade in their gas guzzlers to buy fuel-efficient automobiles.

“I’m all for helping the environment,” he said, “but who’s gonna pay for it?”

Then he played a commercial for Ernie Haire Ford.

Needless to say, Q105 is now dead to me again. There is something distasteful about a conservative Christian radio station hiding behind the early days of rock-n-roll while proselytizing during commercial breaks.

At least The Joy FM has the balls to advertise their denomination and to hell with cool.

If I scan past and hear music, perhaps I’ll stop to sing along. But once the Crazy Talk starts, I get going. I’d rather my kids listen to Bubba the Love Sponge or Howard Stern. Or The Beatles.

I want them to know what they’re being fed before they eat it.

By Catherine Durkin Robinson
PoHo contributor, “feminist mother of twins” and a political blogger, working under the title Out in Left Field.

Hillsborough County, like most of the country, is facing a budget shortfall. Officials have to come up with ways to cut at least $144 million in spending. Unfortunately, they won’t go after no-bid vendors or other white-collar prostitutes fleecing the Bay area. Instead, commissioners target programs serving our children and abused animals.

Because who cares about them?

The other night, several hundred concerned residents showed they cared by turning out to speak before the Hillsborough County Commission and voice support for these threatened programs.

The Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department hosts after-school programs for families of modest means who would otherwise have no options for child care. More than 3,500 youngsters all over Tampa Bay spend their youth in these parks; many of them work those same programs as teenagers and college students. Several spoke last night and reminded everyone that crime and vandalism would surely increase if area kids weren’t in a safe and nurturing environment.

How much would that cost the commission in terms of police units, jail space, rehabilitation efforts? Or lives?

Another program on the chopping block is the licensing of child-care providers. A few day-care workers reminded the commissioners that countless deaths and injuries are prevented when the county inspects and licenses daycare centers. Drowning deaths alone have seen a decrease since the county began inspecting pools at such facilities.

Many of the providers suggested higher fees to protect kids and make sure their caregivers are qualified.

Abused animal advocates were on hand to talk about the importance of spaying and neutering pets. Cases of abused animals have gone down, they say, in part because the program is effective in enforcing laws when animals are treated inhumanely.

I don’t want more people losing jobs or killing Fido, but children and animals are not the same. If we have to pick and choose, let’s choose the programs that affect our families and communities the most. The Hillsborough County Commission shouldn’t be cutting our kids, hijacking their safety or endangering our neighborhoods.

If you are interested in voicing your concerns about these and other programs, more meetings are scheduled before a vote on the budget occurs. Call 813-272-5660 for more information.