My power was out all night, and when that happens I can't blog!

But this morning, via the Inquirer's Blinq, I see that Harriet Miers can. The following is from Daniel Rubin at Blinq:

Not since Mrs. Spiggy's Diary in the National Lampoon of old has there been something like Harriet Miers's Blog.

Against hot and pale pinks we can now learn how the nominee to the Supremes feels about such things as reading about herself on ABC's The Note:

Okay so I sucked it up and actually read The Note today, except I skipped the second half and all the boring stuff about who's meeting with who blah blah. (But I did see that the Supreme Court is already in session! Whoa guys wait for ME!)

And abortion:

No I never talked to the president about it... he's MARRIED, people!! There's no way there ever would've been a need, EVER... the rumors are a load of BS (Baloney Sandwich)!

And preparing for the greatest honor of her life:

Does anyone have any good recommendations of general books on Constitutional Law, history of the Supreme Court, etc? THANX!!!

This is one to bookmark.

In other news from the Inquirer, I see that my favorite homo hater (who seems not to favor Miers, as he links to this) is holding an event tomorrow to counter Philadelphia's local Outfest:

Outfest, the Center City gay-pride block party, has its 15th annual incarnation tomorrow.

What is unclear is if it will also become the second annual confrontation between gays and a local anti-homosexual evangelical Christian group. A face-off last year ended with 11 arrests and a free-speech court challenge.

Franny Price, executive director of Philly Pride Presents and an Outfest founder, urged people attending the event tomorrow from noon to 7 p.m. to ignore antigay activists led by Michael Marcavage and his Repent America group.

Outfest is a city-sanctioned block party planned to provide a welcoming atmosphere for gays, lesbians and other sexual minorities, especially those considering "coming out of the closet."

More than 70 groups will set up in an area of Center City that Philly Pride calls the "gayborhood" - roughly Juniper Street east to 11th Street and Walnut Street south to Pine Street - which is traditionally seen as the heart of the city's gay community.

"This is the largest coming-out party on the East Coast," Price said, "and I don't know why he [Marcavage] would want to come out and try to spoil a party."

Well, according to his website, he plans to be there -- and seems to believe that "Christian" equals agreement with him:

While on the public sidewalk and street inside the event, RA began to open-air preach with the use of Scripture banners, and to distribute Gospel literature, as members of the "Pink Angels" blew loud whistles and carried large signs alongside the Christians to block their message and their access to the event attendees, while others screamed obscenities. The police refused to take action as the Christians were continuously followed, obstructed, and harassed.

Repent America obeyed all laws, and even the unlawful requests, to move by the Philadelphia Civil Affairs police officers in an effort of cooperation. Regardless of Repent America’s compliance, Chief James Tiano, head of the Civil Affairs Unit, without warning, ordered the arrests of the Christians and hauled them off to jail, where they spent 21 hours, before being released the following day. The Christians were then individually charged with three felonies, and five misdemeanors and faced up to 47 years in prison and $90,000 in fines each. The charges were later dismissed by Common Pleas Court judge Pamela Dembe.

This year a group identifying themselves as "Anti-Racist Action" posted a press release on their website, stating that they would "stop Repent America from disrupting the National Coming Out Day Block Party by any means necessary!"

"We do not believe that this is an empty threat of potential violence because members of Anti-Racist Action have previously attacked those in our ministry and destroyed our property," Repent America director Michael Marcavage stated. "Anti-Racist Action's unlawful behavior has been escalating, and if the Philadelphia police ignore their planned interference and harassment during our evangelistic outreach, violence could erupt against members of our group," Marcavage continued.

"We are certainly thankful that we once again have an opportunity to share the life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ with those in attendance," Marcavage stated. "This year we will have an ex-homosexual with us to testify how he was set free from the bondage of sin through the power of the blood of Jesus Christ," Marcavage concluded.

However, I am concerned about how Marcavage might take it if his event is cancelled by the huge storm. He thought Katrina was God's punishment against New Orleans for the Southern Decadence Festival (despite the fact that the French Quarter was spared!), so he obviously reads God into weather.

The fact is, even if we are to apply a divine weather theory, it's too early to tell what God will do. The storm might easily pass by tomorrow. On the other hand, rain might continue to pour from the heavens.

My question is, if it's a nice day tomorrow, would that mean God approves of the Marcavage demo? Or, if it's rained out, would that mean God disapproves?

How can we be sure? I explored the various alternatives a few weeks ago when I tried to make sense of the Marcavage New Orleans weather interpretations, but there were so many possible culprits that my results were inconclusive.

Marcavage, however, is much more sure of himself. I suspect he'd see whatever weather comes as a sign that God was on his side -- weather or not!

UPDATE: Anti-Racist Action has a website which advertises the "action" they have planned for tomorrow. Excerpt from "FUNDAMENTALISM IS FASCISM":

In an interview with the City Paper, Michael Marcavage, the director of Repent America, remarked:

"…Homosexuals are to be put to death. The wages of sin is death. But I want to make it clear that I'm not advocating the independent killing of homosexuals ... I'm saying that the Government's duty is to uphold God's law." (Cover Story, "Jesus Geek Superstar," Doron Taussig, Feb. 3, 2005)

Marcavage just defined Repent America as fascist for everyone to see. Our political system is supposed to be about freedom and democracy, yet Repent America seeks to take away that freedom by demanding our government enforce Christian biblical law. In other words, Marcavage is advocating that the State centralize power and take away people's freedom of religion just so their version of the law – a strictly
literal interpretation of the bible – can reign supreme. Just as with any fascist group, Repent America is advocating a policy of hatred towards a specific group of people in our society, and seeks to suppress this group and all of their other dissenters through terroristic threats.

In our current political climate, and as religion begins to play a larger role in American politics thanks to Bush & co., groups like Repent America are free to organize publicly. Conservative groups already have a strong voice in the government of this country; it is only a matter of time before that voice becomes more extreme, until we have the likes of Michael Marcavage dictating political policy.

This is not a time that we can we can sit back and ignore the organizing fascists are currently engaging in, not when fascists are
openly organizing both on the streets and on Capitol Hill. We must stand up and fight back against the marriage of religious fundamentalism, Christian fascism and the State.

On October 9th, Repent America will not be allowed to harass and intimidate us. They will not be allowed to disrupt our permitted celebration. The time has come for the far-right to see just how powerful we are - we will stop Repent America from disrupting the National Coming Out Day Block Party by any means necessary!

Keep Outfest free of fascist disruption! Join us on October 9th as we defend our culture and community against the likes of Repent America and other Christian fundamentalists.

The year's National Coming Out Day Block Party will be held in the Gayborhood on October 9th from 12PM-7PM. We will be meeting at 11AM outside Millenium Coffee, 212 South 12th Street (between Walnut and Locust Street) and will proceed to the festival as a group. Look for the "Queers Bash Back" and "No Human Liberation Without Queer Liberation" banners.

In solidarity,

Philadelphia Anti-Racist Action

Interesting, because Marcavage has repeatedly condemned Bush for "promoting evil and openly supporting wickedness" and his organization accuses Bush of supporting sodomites! How did Bush create the Marcavage "climate" that Anti-Racist Action complains of? By supporting sodomy and provoking Marcavage?

(Sounds like Bush is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.)

This is not to defend Marcavage or his views, but much as I despise his idiocy (and suspect he's another Phelps-style agent provocateur), I'm nonetheless glad he's as "free to organize publicly" as is Anti-Racist Action.

I'd be more worried about fascism if they weren't.

(Time, place and manner is another, more complicated issue.)

UPDATE: A huge earthquake centered in Pakistan has killed 18,000 people. (I haven't yet seen word from Marcavage as to God's motive.)

UPDATE (10/10/05): Outfest happened (and so did Marcavage):

Yesterday, some of those protesters joined members of the Street Preachers' Fellowship, which is based in Johnstown, Pa., for a total of about 30 antigay activists who spread their word at the festival in small groups.

"At this point, you're not going to get converts. This is their big day. But I'm here to rain on their parade," said street preacher Ruben Israel, 43, who had flown in from Los Angeles. He carried a sign that said the letters in gay stand for "God Abhors You."

Although Israel and others did picket and preach, their signs were often obscured by rivals' banners and their words blocked out by chants of "Dance off!" and "Fascists out!"

Carol Cavanaugh, 58, and her partner of 20 years, Fran Beam, 65, enthusiastically blew the free whistles provided by festival organizer Philly Pride Presents to drown out the megaphone-amplified voice of Repent America director Michael Marcavage. Between blasts could be heard such fragments as we're just here to warn you and judgment day and atonement and sin.

Why not whistle while you warn?

(Didn't Monty Python try something like that? Me, I always look for the dark side, because that's the only way to the bright side...)