I second the Patrice Pike recommendation. She plays in Houston quite a bit too. Also, when in Austin check out Ginger Leigh. That girl can sing. I saw her in a nice, intimate little bar and it was an incredible show. I had to get up early in the morning and really needed to go home, but I just couldn't pull myself away.

What you left out of your post is that Obama did a detailed interview with The Advocate, the leading GLBT magazine in the country. Quite a convenient omission .

I'm quite disappointed in Broadsheet's coverage of this story. You've left out a very important aspect of this situation that has been covered by the local media (but barely, I'll admit). This girl knew, or should have known, the dress code for Prom. That information was given to students before the Prom. One of the rules that she obviously broke? Only one inch of bare midriff allowed.

I taught high school for six years and dress codes are the norm at Proms in this area, not the exception. Lots of girls and boys try to get around the rules, but they know well ahead of time the consequences.

Limozeen beat me to it: Lance may be having an MVP season, but unless the Astros see a second-half miracle, I don't see how he'll get the award. Too bad -- Lance is an all-around great ballplayer, both on and off the field.

"I knew a lesbian couple that had a child. I saw him at least once a week. When he was about 7, he started asking 'where's my daddy? how come I don't have a daddy? I want a daddy'... his mother ridiculed his questions and request."

This has to be one of the weakest arguments against same-sex couples having children ever.

When I was a kid my neighbor molested his daughter. Does that mean that no men should be allowed to live with their daughters?

When I was a teacher, one of my students was kicked out of her home for being gay. Does this mean straight couples shouldn't be allowed to raise gay kids?

When I was in junior high, my friend's father hit her for wanting to date a Mexican guy. Does this mean that middle class, white couples shouldn't be allowed to have children?

There are bad apples in every group you can think of -- straight, gay, white, black, American, Mexican, Iranian, policemen, teachers, doctors. To judge an entire group based on the actions of one member of that group is prejudiced and ignorant.

Think about the group you belong to and the vile things members of it have done? Should we judge you accordingly?

I can declare ANYONE my medical power-of-attorney, my next-of-kin, the guardian of my hypothetical children in the event of my death, etc., so long as they 1.) give consent and 2.) are legally competent to give consent.

True, but time after time, when homosexual couples do this the documents are tossed out or the decisions overturned by judges, and this power given to the "real" next of kin, a mother, brother, cousin, etc. Instances of this happenings are found throughout the gay community -- a couple goes through all the expense and time to get these documents, but when one of them is in the hospital or dies, it is all for naught because the family decides to have the documents ruled invalid or overturned,

Besides that, a heterosexual couple can walk into their local clerk's office, plop down $40 bucks, say I do, and have a marriage license -- they can be married -- in a matter of minutes. They instantly gain all the legal rights and privileges of being married in the eyes of the government. In order to approximate those legal rights and privileges, a homosexual couple must spend thousands of dollars and many hours with a lawyer. What's fair and equal about that?

Normally, someone's marriage is no one else's business. But Mark Sanford made it my business when he decided that it was okay for him to get married and violate the rules of the Bible by committing adultery, but it's not okay for me to even have a go at marriage, because mine would not match his Biblical definition of marriage.

When you hold up your marriage, in the general sense, as the only type of good, authentic marriage, and you cite the Bible as your reason for banning gay marriage, then you open your marriage, and your adherence to the teachings of the Bible (however you chose to interpret them), up to scrutiny.