worldwide pablo

Reading the front page of today's Daily O gives Worldwide Pablo a case of déjà vu.

First is the article, "California recall rates as B-movie epic," which contains this observation about the current carnival in the Golden State:

With everyone from Arnold Schwarzenegger to porn prince Larry Flynt jumping into the race to recall beleaguered Gov. Gray Davis, the reality TV show that has commandeered California politics has turned permanently, seriously weird.

And then on the same front page is the article about the "legacy" of Portland Mayor Vera Katz, "City's livability mantra faces post-Katz challenge," which summarizes the challenge of her successor thusly:

…Katz's recent announcement that she won't run for a fourth term gives her livability-first approach an uncertain shelf life. To bottom-line business leaders, Katz's strategy increasingly looks like an eyes-off-the-ball frill that Portland can't afford when unemployment and office vacancy rates are climbing. And while business leaders hum their "livability starts with a job" tune, Katz's potential successors are also singing the chorus.

Where, oh, where do they ever come up with this stuff?

Maybe it's the summer doldrums. Or maybe everyone's getting antsy over the numblingly repetitive terror alerts or the listless, recovery-resistant economy. Or perhaps the recent heat waves have simply fried everyone's brain. In any event, Worldwide Pablo thinks the world has sort of lost its bearings lately. Just what's up with all the wackiness?

In California, can it possibly get any more bizarre? A socialite, a former child actor, a pornographer, various radical left- and right-wingers, and now the Terminator himself all want a crack at the governor's mansion. Good grief! These folks make Oregon politics look positively normal, genteel perhaps, a page torn out of an Edwardian novel.

And speaking of the Beaver State, the offbeat goes on. Today the Oregon Legislature ties the record for the longest session ever, at 207 days. There's still no end in sight, and no budget either. Nor, apparently, any shame. According to WWP's Salem insider, "There is no embarrassment" or sense of emergency about the dawdling pace of the current session. In fact, though everyone's exhausted, no one seems to be in hurry to leave. By the way, odds are the GOP will buckle and agree to some form of "revenue enhancement" (without calling it a tax increase), enabling the R's to declare victory and go home, probably by (WWP hopes you are sitting down for this) sometime near Labor Day.

But wait, there's more! The weirdness is not limited to politics. WWP readers have been forwarding all manner of strange websites and Internet oddities over the last week or so. Here's just a sampling:

Are you a web addict? Here's how to tell. [Hint: Think M-O-U-S-E!]

Tired of the religious, political and warring strife? Petition the Almighty now for redress!

What's your personality type? Take the test to determine yours. [Don't take it personally. Somehow, WWP got the same result. Thanks, Jane S.]

Finally, a church for the dyslexic agnostic! Virtual Church of the Blind Chihuahua offers a sacred site in cyberspace.

How you know you're gay or not? And for that matter, are you man(ly) enough?

How creepy is this? Cremated remains incorporated as a manufactured diamond for personal jewelry. "Be rest assured the handling of the remains is carried out by professionals who will ensure the sample is treated with care and dignity throughout the process," the website boasts. But not to worry: "Cremated remains not used in the creation of your memorial gem will be returned to you with your diamond." Yech!

Ever wonder what Supreme Court justices do on vacation? Who knew? [More serious photos can be found at the respected David Hume Kennerly collection. Read about it here.]

Al Qaeda? Taliban? You? What threat do you pose?

Why did Al Gore create the Internet? Maybe it was to waste more time!

Enough, already! Bring on the normalcy!

Worldwide Pablo is too tired, somewhat overwhelmed and bit behind in other matters at the moment to give it his all today. But why bother? His fellow bloggers are doing excellent work this week already on his favorite subjects. Check out Jack Bog's Blog, where Jack takes on Portland neighborhood development and the underhanded airport expansion, as well as the unnecessary ballpark scheme and pocket-lining Macadam development deal. Over at What in the Blue Hell?, WWP amigo Jason has his latest takes on the Episcopal Church, the newly appointed gay bishop and the bogus last-minute charges against him. Finally, ReachM High Cowboy writes about two of WWP's agenda items: polarization in American politics and the Democratic Party. Check 'em out.

MCC meltdown: Is the nation's largest gay church in the middle of a meltdown? The Cathedral of Hope in Dallas, Texas, first votes to leave the Metropolitan Community Church's fold, and then the cathedral's dean quits … sort of. Even the breakups are bigger in Texas!

We're No. 2! Finally, some news to take the world's eyes off of Oregon as the Poster Child for When Good States Go Bad. [On the other hand, the Beaver State never strays too far out of the headlines, does it?]

Here's an update from Minneapolis: Leaders in the Episcopal Church (USA) have just confirmed Canon Gene Robinson as the denomination's first openly gay bishop. After 4 p.m. PDT, it was announced that Robinson has been exonerated of charges involving pornography and sexual misconduct. A vote to confirm Robinson was then resumed in the House of Bishops, and his confirmation was announced just minutes ago. Click here for continuing coverage.

In the meantime, there's no shortage of reading material of the goings on at General Convention: The Newshour with Jim Lehrer last Friday set the stage for the this week's machinations in Minnesota. Plus, it turns out that Gene Robinson isn't the only gay priest in the Episcopal church. When the Rev. John David van Dooren took over All Souls Memorial Episcopal Church 11 years ago, he was, he believes, the first openly gay Episcopal priest in the District. Plus, the Episcopal church is not alone among Protestant denominations wrangling over homosexuality: The Christian Science Monitor has a good wrap-up. And, the appointment of Gene Robinson is not the only sexuality sideshow occurring in Minneapolis; there's also the tug-of-war over gay marriage and commitment ceremonies. And then there is this sad, weird development: The church's website is receiving a record number of hits, and a record number of attempts to hack into it.

You knew it had to happen: A last-minute allegation of sexually inappropriate behavior derails, temporarily, the confirmation of the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church (USA). This is the sort of moment every gay person fears, not because such claims are so often to be found true (they are not), but because they are so easy to make and occur so often (which they do). That such a claim has any traction at all is rooted in the persistent and erroneous concept, fomented mostly by evangelicals and other religious conservatives, that, unlike heterosexuals, gays are primarily sexual beings and that their sexual acts define who they are. In that context, a charge of sexual impropriety seems often seems plausible -- even to the middle-of-the-road, you-should-know-better crowd. Given the ease with which such character assassins operate, it's a wonder gays ever consent to volunteerism, leadership or responsibility. Canon Robinson now seems all the braver, and all the more fit for his new office, for withstanding the latest round of the ugly "Christian charity" that has pervaded religious discussion of late.

As the denomination's latest news release demonstrates, the charges of "inappropriate sexual conduct" are not what they seem at first blush. On with the investigation ... and then the investiture.

As this is being written, Episcopalian leaders, now meeting in their general convention in Minneapolis, are debating whether to confirm the election of the first openly gay bishop in the U.S. church. The decision is being closely watched by Anglicans worldwide. The confirmation of V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire could trigger a schism between the church and a conservative bloc of Anglicans in the U.S. and elsewhere (notably, Africa). Progressives have already prevailed in the House of Deputies, by a 2-to-1 margin; now the decision rests with the House of Bishops, considered to be favorably inclined to Robinson's appointment. Expect a decision today, perhaps in the next few hours. Click here to stay abreast of the vote. A good wrap-up of the background issues is found at today's Washington Post.

Update [1:00 PM]: The vote has been delayed because of 11th-hour charges involving pornography and inappropriate conduct. Lifelong Episcopalian Rob S. says, "I smell a rat." WWP agrees. CNN explains. [Update: Broken link fixed.]

Queen for a day: Bravo's new gay reality program, "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," continues to attract attention – and ratings. [The good news is that NBC will air another episode on August 14.] Meanwhile, Maureen Dowd suggests a certain swaggering figure for an upcoming makeover. That belt buckle will have to go!

Life in the gay Hamptons: Alas, it just isn't what it used to be.

Another welcome: Don't think for a moment that WWP is the only skeptic on the Oregon blog community. Thanks to High Desert Skeptic for linking WWP.