Attempted Gay Rape, Murder Gets Little Notice | JeffGannon.comThis is just weird, and no a little bit eerie. A 40yo Pennsylvania man drugged, raped and killed a 23yo college kid last week. The eerie part is that the victim's name is Jason Shephard, which reminds us of one
of the most gruesome cases of gay-bashing of all times.
The weird part is that the media, and particularly the gay media, is ignoring this brutal murder. I found out about it at
JeffGannon.com purely by chance as I was browsing around the web:
The Old Media is downplaying the shocking aspects surrounding the case of a 40-year-old Pennsylvania man who murdered a 23-year-old man college student after drugging and attempting to rape the victim. The report in the Aberdeen American opens with:
'A Northern State University student who was found dead last week in Pennsylvania was strangled after rejecting sexual advances from a sales manager for the company he was interning for, authorities have said.'
Rejecting sexual advances? Fighting off a rapist after being drugged and is rejecting sexual advances?
It's ironic that the victim is Jason Shephard, his last name recalling another case involving homosexuality and murder. When Matthew Shepard was killed in 1998 the case got worldwide attention as a symbol of anti-gay violence. Don't look for much reporting on Jason's case, however. The perpetrator is gay and the victim was described by a friend as 'staunch Republican who liked to talk about his faith.'
Do a Google search. There's no coverage of the crime outside of the Philadelphia area where it took place and the upper Midwest where Shephard was from. Nothing in the New York Times or the Washington Post or the Los Angeles Times. No weepy segments on the Today Show or The View (c'mon Rosie, tell us what you think.) The GLBT media has yet to report the story and probably won't. Why is that?
When I first read that, I thought it was a little far fetched. So, sure enough, I did a Google search. There were two pages of results, and not a single one of them linked to a media outlet outside of Pennsylvania. I went to the
HRC website. Nothing. I did a search. Nothing.
GLAAD is supposed to be the media watchdog for us. So you would think they would have something to say -- if not about the murder itself, at least about the media ignoring it. But you would be wrong. They did, however, have extensive coverage about the San Diego gay bashers from
two months ago going to jail. The "Award-Winning National LGBt Newsmagazine" (de-emphasis mine),
The Advocate, had to report on it, right? Not. A. Word.
Are our "non-partisan" gay 'leadership' organizations and gay media really so callously inflicted with tunnel vision that they wouldn't report on a brutal murder of a gay kid because "the perpetrator is gay and the victim was described by a friend as 'staunch Republican who liked to talk about his faith.'"? Say it ain't so. But, then, prove it.
The Matthew Shepard Foundation
Dem Suicide Alert: Market Near All-Time High | JeffGannon.comOn Tuesday, the Dow closed at a 6 1/2 year high, its second highest close in HISTORY. Its been less than 2 years since Democrats were calling the American economy the 'worst since the Great Depression.'
Rep. Charlie Rangel, the man who would become chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee if Democrats take over in November marked the occasion by telling reporters that he would not renew the Bush tax cuts that produced this roaring economy."
http://www.jeffgannon.com/archives/general/index.html#a000747
This was no way to run a Beltline | ajc.comWayne & Keith Mason are none too happy about the way they've been treated by the City of Atlanta. The signs are beginning to show of my cynicism coming true -- the City of Atlanta will find a way to screw this thing up.
Two years ago, the Northeast Atlanta Beltline Group bought 72 acres from Norfolk Southern Railroad, five miles of what is now commonly referred to as the Beltline.
This was the first and only private-sector purchase of a key segment of Atlanta's proposed 22-mile Beltline. The Beltline was the centerpiece of Mayor Shirley Franklin's 21st century economic development vision. It was viewed as a public-private partnership. We believed in that vision.
For nearly two years, since we filed arguably one of the city's longest-running zoning applications, we have shared with city staff nine alternative plans for development along the Beltline. We have reduced density, created smaller building footprints, expanded transit right of way, identified access opportunities and conducted an independent traffic study.
We compromised our plans by proposing to donate more than half of our property to serve the Beltline:
~ 24 acres for transit to accommodate a double-track streetcar/trolley system;
~ A minimum of 15-foot-wide pedestrian/bike trails; and
~ 18 acres for 11 new parks.
Our projects would produce $100 million in tax allocation district revenues for the city to invest elsewhere along the Beltline for affordable housing, other land, transit and infrastructure.
We have had more than 80 meetings with neighborhood groups and civic leaders, and met with more than 100 business leaders during the past two years. The Georgia Regional Transportation Authority and Atlanta Regional Commission concluded that our proposal is in the best interests of the region.
Some neighborhood groups near the 10th and Monroe site mistakenly continue to believe that the Beltline is public property. The two high-rises at that seven-acre site represent only 20 percent of developed area, leaving the rest for open space.
The Atlanta Development Authority and the Beltline Partnership (a "public-private partnership"), to build support for the Beltline, crafted a plan calling for open space on our private property with no plan to pay for it. Their plan was developed without any meaningful input from us. At the same time, other nearby Beltline-interested developers were invited to sit at the table. Strangely, we were not invited to that table. This was no way to run a Beltline.
The community was misled to believe that our Beltline corridor had no development value. This was a huge disservice to Atlanta, and confused the residents.
This was no way to run a Beltline.
Our proposal consists of nearly 3,000 residential units of low, medium and high-rise buildings, including affordable work force housing, and 140,000 square feet of retail space throughout our five-mile corridor (the equivalent of driving from Turner Field to Piedmont Hospital along Peachtree Street). The ADA Redevelopment Plan calls for 11,500 units of residential density in the same area within a mile of our property. The ADA density levels would be more intrusive into the neighborhoods than our plan.
This was no way to run a Beltline.
We remain hopeful that responsible city leadership will look at the Beltline's impact and opportunities throughout the city. We remain ready to help make the vision a reality.
This was no way to run a Beltline. I couldn't agree more.
American 'outraged' over 9/11 miniseries | USATODAY.com - Today In the SkyApparently the Clinton clan aren't the only one's hot and bothered by ABC's "The Path to 9/11". American Airlines is miffed too.
...Executives objected to a scene in the television docudrama in which American employees in Boston are depicted allowing hijacker Mohammed Atta to board a flight even after receiving a security alert about him.
In reality, the incident allegedly depicted occured in Portland, Maine, on a flight operated by another airline. ABC claims the script is based on the report of the 9/11 Commission, but the network was forced to make script changes after challenges from former Clinton administration officials.
Huh? Does ABC really believe they were "forced to make script changes"? They should have said "We are a bunch of pansies and bowed down to pressure from some dried up old politicians named Madeline Halfbright and Sandy the Burglar."
Costs may kill travel program | USATODAY.comOh this is bad. I don't travel as much as I used to, but even now, I think I would probably pay $200 to avoid those ridiculous security lines. The time involved isn't even what bothers me as much... it's the sheer stupidity and confusion of people going through security.
I do agree that the TSA should not expect this program to be "self sufficient" as they already have to pay those TSA screeners to process the same number of people.
"Registered Traveler advocates are lobbying the TSA against the $70 charge for screeners. Brill said the TSA doesn't have to hire extra screeners to run Registered Traveler checkpoints."
Given the increased efficiency of registered travelers, this program will require less screeners, not more.
I woke up this morning rather blase -- nothing to be excited about, nothing to be sad about. But, little did I know what an important day it is...
According to
Daily Candy's "The Weekend Guide" (yes, guys read it too... especially gay guys) today is
National Creme-Filled Donut Day! Their claim is corroborated by
The American Food Holidays Website.
Oh, what a glorious day!!!
