Pinko Magazine Hedonism + Activism

So much went down since Bastille Day, our last Gay Marry It … or Abort It? John McCain forgot where everything was and kept talking about Czechoslovakia even though it doesn’t exist anymore; Al Gore threw it down on global warming; I ate 14 tubs of queso in Austin, and Shannen Doherty is back on the new 90210! It’s hard to keep track of, so Stirling and I have generously compiled the best and the worst of the week that was. To the list!

Gay Marry It

Al Gore. He gave a pretty amazing speech (no fossil fuels by 2018) and then freaked everyone out in the good way by making a surprise appearance at Netroots Nation. The bloggers had a goregasm! (give it up Ben.)

Abort It

CNN coverage of Al Gore. I was in my hotel room and The Situation Room was running a fair, balanced segment: “Is Al Gore’s proposal visionary … or ridiculous?”

[Sidenote: who the fuck is T.Boone Pickens? He has ads everywhere for his plan to stop global warming. Is he for real?]

Gay Marry It

The ten most walkable cities! Did your town make the list? 

Abort It

Walker Texas Ranger. I know it’s off the air but I hated that shit. 

Gay Marry It

Lefties running smart campaigns that basically nobody in the world could possibly disagree with. ForestEthics has launched DoNotMail.org, a petition drive and registry  that let’s you cut down on paper junk mail now, and could ban it altogether in 2009. The only opposition? The Direct Marketing Association of America. 

Abort It

Lefties who use the word “folks” to describe “regular people.” It’s the second most condescending thing we do, the first being activists who suddenly and completely out of context over-pronounce Spanish words (”We are very concerned about the situation in Cheeeeiaaaaaaa–ayyyyhhhhhhh-passsthsssss”) I assume out of a mixture of solidarity and guilt.

Gay Marry It

Major League Baseball. Grist says that the league is going green! I’m usually torn about my love for baseball (likes: intelligent game, beautiful ballparks, long history, tight pants) dislikes (brazen and out of control patriotism, entire teams playing for Jesus, chaw) but this new effort towards greening the sport sounds genuine.

Abort It

China, for banning cars only for the duration of the Olympics as a way to temporarily clean up air pollution and look good for the world. Maybe cleaning up the pollution is something they should work on long term?

[Olympics bonus: Pinko would totally gay marry "the Thorpedo," if that's even allowed in Australia.]

Gay Marry It

Senator Hillary Clinton, for speaking out against the Bush Administration’s batshit proposal that would make it easier for healthcare providers to deny birth control to women based largely on religious grounds. In their last months the administration has conflated abortion and contraception in some very dangerous ways.

Abort It

Senator Elizabeth Dole, for trying to name an AIDS-funding program after the homophobic and mercifully deceased Senator Jesse Helms. [Bonus: I was thinking today about how John McCain is really old, and how Bob Dole was really old, and how now John McCain clutches a pen in his hand just like Bob Dole, and I remembered the spot-on impression Norm MacDonald used to do of Dole. This video was one of his finest. That's Bob Dole's pen!]

Also a special Gay Marry It this week: Pinko’s dear friend Claire is running a half-marathon on Sunday to stop leukemia! I’m not sure how it will stop leukemia but if anyone can make it happen, it’s Claire. God speed! We’d gay marry Claire any day. 

Ideas for next week? Anything good we missed this week? Just Email us! Or drop ideas in the comments.

About The Author - Ben Wyskida is a writer, activist, conscientious hedonist and political communications strategist living in Brooklyn. - Visit Ben's site.