Sorry. We Have to Call It Quits.

I'm so sorry. As you most definitely know, we at Nevada Progressive have tried our hardest to bring you the news and views you won't find anywhere else. However, this doesn't come cheap.

And sorry, kids, but WE'RE BROKE!

So what exactly are we supposed to do? We had a tough choice to make. But hopefully, this is a decision you can all respect.

We're deciding to sell this blog to Chuck Muth, and it's likely he'll eventually roll this into Nevada News & Views.

This way, you'll get more of the RIGHT side of every story. I hope you respect this decision. We need to move on with our lives. And frankly, we really need the money!

Please don't hate us. Really, this is the best decision for Nevada's whole blogosphere. And we're sure we won't be the only ones doing this soon.

A Day Full of Pride

Yesterday was a little extra gay for me. I started off with Stonewall at UNLV Pride. We reminded folks of the upcoming election, of important legislation pending in Carson City, and what else is happening in the community.

And later in the evening, I did Third Thursday with HRC Las Vegas and QVegas at my new favorite Strip hangout (more on that later at Bite of Vegas!). Hard working HRC intern, and recently minted MTV reality star, Mike Manning dropped by to chat with us... And so did Dina Titus! And considering everything in the news this week, there was plenty to talk about.

All in all, it was great to see folks young and old throughout our community get involved yesterday, both at UNLV and at Wynn. It was a nice end to an otherwise insanely hectic week!

So enjoy the Passover/Easter/Earth Day holiday this weekend, and I'll be back next week with even more on the ongoing developments in Carson City.

My Henderson Adventures Last Weekend

Here's a glimpse of what I was doing in the 'hood last weekend... And major props to State Senator Joyce Woodhouse for letting me march with her crew in the Henderson Heritage Parade on Saturday! :-D

Uh Oh, No Mo' D-I-V-O-R-C-E?

Via the wonderful commenter dave404 at The Gleaner, we have this wonderful news from California.

Secretary of State Debra Bowen today announced that the proponent of a
new initiative may begin collecting petition signatures for his measure.

The Attorney General prepares the legal title and summary that is required to appear on initiative
petitions. When the official language is complete, the Attorney General forwards it to the
proponent and to the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State then provides calendar deadlines
to the proponent and to county elections officials, and the initiative may be circulated for
signatures. The Attorney General’s official title and summary for the first measure is as follows:

ELIMINATES THE LAW ALLOWING MARRIED COUPLES TO
DIVORCE. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. Changes
the California Constitution to eliminate the ability of married couples to get
divorced in California. Preserves the ability of married couples to seek an
annulment. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance
of fiscal impact on state and local government: Savings to the state of up to
hundreds of millions of dollars annually for support of the court system due to the
elimination of divorce proceedings. (09-0026.)

Hehe. I can't wait for the teabaggers to jump for joy for this one. After all, they hate government... Except when it's being our moral authority and telling us how to live our lives. And since they care so much about the "sanctity of marriage", they can really keep it sacred by getting rid of divorce!

Oh wait, Republicans are still hypocrites? I guess this means we won't get this in Nevada any time soon?

Oh well, at least we can laugh about the "giving zygotes personhood" initiative... ;-)

Happy Nevada Day!

Yes, our state really became a state 145 years ago this week. So how well do you know this state? Try to answer these questions correctly:

THE QUIZ

Answer these questions correctly and rejoice in being able to call yourself a native. Get them wrong and … Well, you did just move from California, right?

1. What year did Nevada become a state?
2. Who was president of the United States at the time?
3. Why is one of Nevada’s nicknames “Battle Born?”
4. Which states border Nevada?
5. What is the state bird?
6. What is the state song?
7. What is Nevada’s highest peak?
8. Las Vegas has the state’s largest population. Which cities come in second and third?
9. How often does the state Legislature convene?
10. Which professional sports teams call Clark County home?

I got 7.5 out of 10, not bad for one of those California transplants. Now you give it a try... And no cheating! ;-)

All state and local government offices will be closed for the state holiday today, along with schools, libraries, colleges, and (state) courts. However, federal courts and government services will remain open today. Happy Nevada Day! Enjoy another great day in our great state.

And to think, I used to live in Orange County...

My goodness, my former famous neighbors are really that empty-headed...



But no, we're not really all like that! Especially not the Democrats and certainly not the folks smart enough to pay the rent before getting more plastic surgery. ;-)

Don't Be Tardy for the Party!

It's Friday night. Let Kim start your weekend right. Now don't be tardy for the party!

I Look to You, Whitney

Need to feel better? OK, then. Watch this.



Feel better now? Good. Whitney helped me, too. If she can come back, so can we. ;-)

Another Crazy Fun Video Night Open Thread!

Are you hungry now? I know you will be once you're done watching these delicious videos! Enjoy. ;-)

Crazy Fun Video Night Open Thread... AGAIN!

(Also at OC Progressive)

I know what you did last night. I know where you were... And I'm giving you more guilty pleasures from Everything Is Terrible! Enjoy! ;-)

Crazy Video Night!

Courtesy of Everything Is Terrible, I present: Fun Tuesday Video Night! Now go LYAO and chillax tonight. ;-)

The Allure of Rock - watch more funny videos

Enough of All That Silly Stuff...

We need to talk about the real news of the day...



OMG, Joan Rivers & Kathy Griffin hijacked CNN last night??!! So FABULOUS! hehe ;-)

Movie Review: "Julie & Julia"

(Yes, I'm not always the political animal. Consider this the first installment of my "Arts & Entertainment" series.)

OK, so I just got back from seeing the movie. I haven't had a chance to go to the cinema in a while, so I just had to walk over to Green Valley Ranch today to see something I've been eagerly awaiting for quite a while. So here’s my take. It's charming and heartwarming at times, but doesn't really dig deep enough into the real emotions and real humanity of Julia Child to really make this movie great.

Now I can not dispute that Meryl Streep simply shines as Julia Child. She takes the caricature of the culinary goddess in our minds and makes it come to life. However, I’m a little irked at Nora Ephron for only giving us the caricature of Child and not the Julia the real character. As well as Streep played the role, she just couldn’t make me ignore the fact that Ephron gave her such a flat character role.

Now regarding the Julie Powell character, I do agree that Amy Adams got the short end of the stick. IMHO, she was given the tougher role of playing a more full-bodied, real-life character of a writer nearing dead-end who finds joy in cooking great food (kind of like Paul Giamatti’s character in “Sideways” and his relationship with wine). Was the Julie Powell character whiny and annoying at times? Sure, but she was also sometimes charming (especially when she’d emerge triumphant after conquering another Julia Child recipe) and always relatable as a human being.

All in all, I found “Julie & Julia” quite enjoyable… But not really Academy Award material. If you’re a queeny bitch like me, you’ll probably also connect with Amy Adams. And of course, there’s no way not to love Meryl Streep in this special role (even if Nora Ephron didn’t make it 3-dimensional enough). But if you’re not into “chick flicks” (and it seems to me like Mr. ELV isn’t), wait until it comes out on DVD/iTunes and perhaps impress the girlfriend with the movie for “date night at home”.

(3.5 out of 5 stars)

Keep It Klassy, LuvGuv!

Apparently amidst all the continuing drama of the Ensign Affair, we forgot to notice some big news. Our dear LuvGuv, Jim Gibbons, not only announced his reelection campaign, but also launched a Facebook page! And because this is Gibbons' Facebook page, it wasn't short on hilarious gaffes.

Among the more interesting things to note on the page is Gibbons' relationship status: "It's complicated." Gibbons is in the middle of a divorce from First Lady Dawn Gibbons.

Gibbons also became a member of the "Recall Raggio?" Facebook group, which was launched by state Senate candidate Todd "Taxpayer" Bailey. The group seeks to recruit members of Senate Minority Leader Bill Raggio's Senate district to launch a recall because of his support of tax increases.

But don't worry, Gibbons apparently doesn't really want Bill Raggio recalled... Or at least, that's what his campaign manager said. Still, I can't help but ROTFLMAO over his inability to even control his own Facebook page. I'm sure if Dawn Gibbons had her own Facebook page, she'd also be laughing right now. ;-)

Btw, I should say hello.

Hi, everyone. I've been following Nevada politics for a while, but I now get to be involved in a whole new way. I actually live here now!

If you've read my other blogs, I hope you enjoy my new jump into all things Nevada. And if you're one of my new neighbors, thanks for stopping by. I promise to keep it interesting here.

And no, I don't intend to cut any politician slack here (or at least any pol who doesn't deserve it). I may be a yellow dog Democrat, but I don't hesitate to critique them when I think their policy proposals aren't effective enough, or when they're not living up to their campaign promises.

Otherwise, please enjoy my musings. I'll keep an eye on our favorite Republican hypocrites. I'll discuss progressive policy. I'll even share my favorite music, my neighborhood photos, and my random gambling tips. Hey, I have a real life, too! ;-)