Just a Thought: A Stagnant Truth.

How far does loyalty and American Patriotism take you when a young, supposedly heterosexual soldier is ordered to rape (FUCK) anally abuse teenage boys?  Forget whether the acts were performed in front of family members, or not. It’s the very act that matters.

Just following orders! (?) Foul, evil, conniving, self-righteous.  Humans enjoy nothing more than the act of harming other humans

Does it take this sick behavior to finally stop you in your tracks to say, “this, my entire way of life, has been a vast red-white-blue lie.”?  Does it?  Even a little bit? No wonder more and more of our soldiers and hurting. There are secrets to keep, they bought into the lie, too.

Yes, by all means, let’s offer a free ride and safe passage to George Bush and Dick Cheney, but do everything possible to draw-and-quarter the likes of Edward Snowden for drawing attention to their crimes, and others.

All humans are truly pathetic, dangerous creatures. We’d rather harm others who suffered as we have, than to banish that suffering and those who ordered it in the first place.

I am sick.

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Vlad the Sex Toy?

Yep.  Gives a whole new meaning to Vlad the Impaler, don't you think?

Yes, this is real. Putin the Plug!

h/t MPS

More later.
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Just a Thought: Where's Willy?

A Sock?  It's only a guess...

Ancient Gay Graffiti Discovered

And it's in Greece!  What a surprise, right? Looks like there was quite a bit 

"mounting" done on the "mountain."

From The Guardian:

Wild, windswept, rocky and remote, Astypalaia is not an obvious place for the unearthing of some of the world's earliest erotic graffiti. 

Chiselled into the outcrops of dolomite limestone that dot the cape, the inscriptions have provided invaluable insight into the private lives of those who inhabited archaic and classical Greece. One, believed to have been carved in the mid-sixth century BC, proclaimed: "Nikasitimos was here mounting Timiona (Νικασίτιμος οἶφε Τιμίονα).  

"We know that in ancient Greece sexual desire between men was not a taboo," added Dr Vlachopoulos, who returned to the far-flung island last week to resume work with a team of topographers, photographers, conservationists and students. "But this graffiti … is not just among the earliest ever discovered. By using the verb in the past continuous [tense], it clearly says that these two men were making love over a long period of time, emphasising the sexual act in a way that is highly unusual in erotic artwork."  

Found at the highest point of the promontory overlooking the Bay of Vathy on the island's north-western tip, the inscription has led the archaeologist to believe that soldiers may once have been garrisoned there. Two penises engraved into limestone beneath the name of Dion, and dating to the fifth century BC, were also discovered at lower heights of the cape. "They would seem to allude to similar behaviour on the part of Dion," said Vlachopoulos.

The rest is HERE.

So much for the wingnut theory that homosexuality is a relatively modern, mostly western problem.  Hrumnf, I say.

NOTE: The image above is from Google and has nothing to do with the story. As you will see if you follow the link, the graffiti stone image is very difficult to decipher, so I replaced it.  So, there.

And so it goes.

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Just a Thought: Sex & Pizza

Works for me.

More later.
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Medical Miracle, But No Spielberg

Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start...No, wait.  Let's not.

Dental Update: Arrived at the appointed time for the surgery (my grandfather called it "Open Mouth Surgery") and all went smoothly.  Straight away I was whisked to the surgery cubicle, shot up with Novocaine, and the procedure began. Every detail went according to the dentist's plan and he was out of my mouth (now stop that!) in about 1.5 hours.

There was an opening in the hygienist department, so I was shuttled over to have my teeth cleaned and, oh, did that feel good.  Though I was still numb when I left the building I felt no soreness or pain.  Not even a twinge.  But, I was still numb, so I was on guard.

Did a quick bit of grocery shopping for the next 2 weeks and made my way home in traffic that was almost as bad and the holiday weekend had been. Jeez!  I was glad to get the buggy and me off the roads. I missed the farmers market again, but that's OK, the humidity was horrid.

"Don't Worry" Update: As posted earlier, I called the PCP's office to get the results of those tests performed THREE weeks ago.  The nurse began by going off on me about Hepatitis antibodies and that they had never shown up in any blood work before... I stopped her mid-sentence saying I wanted to speak with the doctor.

So he gets on the line and asks pretty much the same questions.  Then he went silent.  He began again slowly by saying, "ah, you've never had hepatitis, but your Ex had it before you knew him."

Yes, he did - about a year prior to our meeting.  "So, the antibodies are likely from your physical/sexual contact with him over the 30 years"  says the Doctor,  who then explained he'd been referring to the Ex's chart.  Yes, we have the same doctor - and the only explanation he could offer was my compromised immune system after the hospitalization due to the polymyositis a while back was the likely reason for the new results. Another $367.00 spent to find out what was already in a chart, if not the Dr's mind.

So my Ex has left me with another legacy.  Charming. Just Charming.

Thank G*d I didn't worry!

Meanwhile I have had not pain or discomfort from the open mouth surgery and, though I must continue  taking the antibiotic, I look forward to this weekend when I can finally enjoy a few olives with my new smile.

And so it goes.
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Sinead O'Connor: 'Take Off Your Shoes'

Her powerful new protest against the Vatican and it's hypocritical stands regarding sexual abuse.  Sinead described this song as how she imagined "The Holy Spirit would address the Vatican". The new album "Home" is to be released in May.



I needed a little 'fire in the belly' music tonight and this fills the bill. Hope to find the lyrics soon.

And so it goes.
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Mardi Gras - A Little History

For some it may be all about booze and tits, but there's more to it than that. Only outsiders refer to the season as Mardi Gras.  New Orleanians  refer to it as Carnival.  (Image: floats in a parade. Click to embiggen.)

Why is Mardi Gras the largest celebration in the world?

Who knows but maybe it is because the theme is letting the crazier part out of us.

It is not called Mardi Gras everywhere, mainly in France and the United States. In Italy where it originated and most of the world it is called Carnivale or similar in Germany it is called Karneval.

This party of parties has survived though priests and rulers that have canceled it when things get TOO out of control. It would reappear even after being outlawed.

What is Mardi Gras all about ?

Mardi Gras centers around the theme of having a festival before the Lenten season. This starts on the 12th day after Christmas, which is January 6th and goes through the day before Ash Wednesday, which is always 46 days before Easter. This last day of the festival is known as Mardi Gras, which means in French, Fat Tuesday. Fat ( gras) and Tuesday (Mardi).History of Fat Tuesday around the world

Through history during this festival there have been all kinds of feasts, Masquerade balls and parades, to have a good time before we go into a serious time of sacrifice durning the lenten season.

Who thought up Mardi Gras ?

The festival called Lupercalia
Celebrating around this time in February goes back even before ancient Roman times where they celebrated a festival called Lupercalia. It centered around fertility and to ward off evil for the new year, which back then was March 1st. That is when people married and started to plant , so life became serious.

In fact the name February comes from “Februa” which were Strips of hide from a goat that had been sacrificed to the god of fertility during the festival of Lupercalia.

The Catholic church sure didn’t like the towns folk to be celebrating a festival based on pagan beliefs but recognized that the people loved to party. So they decided to change it to a Christian theme, based around the Lenten season. Modern Italian "carnevale" that comes from Old Italian "carnelevare"; Carne = meat, levare = raise, put away, remove. This refers to the fact that you will soon be fasting or eating meatless meals and giving things up in remembrance of the crucifixion of Christ, or Easter.

How is Mardi Gras celebrated in other parts of the world

In Ireland, Australia, and Canada, Shrove Tuesday is known as "Pancake Tuesday", while in Britain it is popularly known as "Pancake Day".

In both regions the traditional pancake is a very thin one (like a French crêpe) which is served immediately sprinkled with caster sugar (superfine sugar in the United States) and a dash of fresh lemon juice or alternatively drizzled with Golden syrup.

In the Canadian province of Newfoundland, household objects are baked into the pancakes and served to family members. Rings, thimbles, thread, coins, and other objects all have meanings associated with them. The lucky one to find coins in their pancake will be rich, the finder of the ring will be the first married, and the finder of the thimble will be a seamstress or tailor. Children have great fun with the tradition, and often eat more than their fill of pancakes in search of a desired object.

More information about the foods associated with the holiday as well as how it is celebrated in other parts of the world are HERE.  

And you thought it was all about New Orleans or Rio!!!

And so it goes.

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Cinema's Pivotal Gay Sex Scenes

While I may not care for all of these films, I believe the writer makes more than a few good points. I would have added a few other films to the mix, but this is enough to wake up straight (and some gay) people, even if it's a bit of a smack upside the head. "My Beautiful Laundrette" is an all-time fave of mine.

The whole slide show is at Salon.

Welcome to steamy August, y'all.

More later.

Bp. Gene Robinson Advises Pope

A gentle, subtle missive to Benedict about the dangers of scapegoating gay clergy. From WaPo:

Your Holiness,
Though our churches differ in many ways, we believe in the same God. As your brother in Christ, it pains me to see Catholics struggle with your response to recent allegations of sex abuse by priests. Since my denomination has also battled these demons, I want to share with you what I have learned as a bishop of the Episcopal Church.
About 20 years ago, our church became aware of sex abuse by our clergy here in the United States. To our shame, we learned of it in lawsuits filed by victims alleging that some of our bishops had minimized the seriousness of the abuse and/or swept their claims under the rug. Some cases were related to the abuse of children; others involved male clergy who took advantage of their pastoral relationship with vulnerable women to manipulate them into sexual relationships. These men violated the sacred trust placed in clergy to focus on parishioners' needs and to separate those needs from their own. To prevent further such abuses of power, we moved quickly for the good of the victims and of our church.
Whether or not civil courts recognize a statute of limitations, the church must hold its clergy members accountable to their vows to be faithful shepherds of their people. In 1994, the Episcopal Church opened a two-year window of opportunity to hear complaints about priestly abuse of the pastoral relationship with adults. Just because an event occurred many years ago did not make it any less egregious, especially since perpetrators rarely have only one victim. We addressed all complaints through our canonical disciplinary process.
As for instances involving children, we have no statute of limitations on reporting abuse. Those suspected of committing child abuse are immediately reported to the civil authorities for investigation.
Rather than refusing to acknowledge our transgressions, we sought to change our church's culture -- an effort that took no small amount of courage. In my diocese in New Hampshire, and across the Episcopal Church, we perform a thorough background check on every bishop, priest or deacon who serves under my authority. We correspond with every employer the clergyperson has ever had and every bishop under whom the clergyperson has ever served to determine whether there is a history of complaints.
While procedures vary from diocese to diocese, we here in New Hampshire require six hours of abuse-prevention training for clergy, all other employees of the church (organists, parish administrators, maintenance workers), youth workers and elected parish leaders. A refresher course is required every five years. Events with and for children may never be conducted without two adults present and always in view of each other. This protects children from abusive behavior and protects adults who might be falsely charged. Many of our parishes have installed windows in the clergy office doors, so that no activity -- even private counseling -- may go unobserved.
We want many pairs of eyes watching for signs of abuse. We want everyone to know how to report suspected abuse of children and abuse of the pastoral relationship between clergy members and parishioners. We want to keep the issue before our church -- clergy and laity alike -- and to keep the conversation going.
But the thing victims most want to hear from the church, especially its leadership, is: "I am so sorry. This should never have happened to you, especially here. We are going to do everything in our power to see that nothing like this happens again." Victims live with their horrific experiences and know that their abuse can never be undone. And so they seek assurance that the church will change the system that allows abuse to go undetected and take action to hold perpetrators accountable. Child abusers do not deserve protection; they must be reported immediately to civil authorities and prosecuted.
The Christian church -- like any institution -- is as capable of sin as any individual. We have been wrong before, from the Inquisition and the Crusades down to our defense of slavery (using scripture) and our denigration of women. Over time, the church has repented for these sins and sought to change its ways. The discovery of sexual abuse by clergy is another situation that calls for the church's repentance and reform.
I would not presume to instruct you. That would be arrogant. Nor would I impose upon you advice you've not sought. But I do offer you the benefit of my experience as you seek to deal responsibly with these challenges to the integrity of your church. Your letter to the faithful in Ireland and your meeting in Malta with victims were a good start. I hope the future will bring more truth-telling, which will make your church a better, safer place.
However, I believe it is misguided and wrong for gay men to be scapegoated in this scandal. As a gay man, I know the pain and the verbal and physical violence that can come from the thoroughly debunked myth connecting homosexuality and the abuse of children. In the media, representatives of and advocates for the Roman Catholic Church have laid blame for sexual abuse at the feet of gay priests. These people know, or should know, that every reputable scientific study shows that homosexuals are no more or less likely to be child abusers than heterosexuals. Psychologically healthy homosexual men are no more drawn to little boys than psychologically healthy heterosexual men are drawn to little girls. 

It is a long, but very powerful read HERE.

I love Bishop Gene.  

And so it goes.
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Vatican Damage Control? Not so Good.

 Seems everyone else on the planet is responsible for the abuse, except the Vatican & Pope. They've blamed the Jews, the homosexuals (what about all the abused little girls that no one ever talks about?) and the Media.  All this from men in dresses, no less! France just called them out on it.

From the BBC:

The Vatican has sought to "clarify" remarks made by a senior cardinal, who linked homosexuality with paedophilia in the abuse scandal facing the Church.

A spokesman provided "data" to support the claim, but also said Church leaders were not trying to make assertions of a "psychological or medical nature". Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone said it was homosexuality - not clerical celibacy - which lay behind the abuse of children.

Earlier, France condemned the cardinal for making "an unacceptable linkage".

Earlier this month, Pope Benedict's personal preacher apologised for having compared criticism of the Roman Catholic Church over abuse allegations to "the collective violence suffered by the Jews". In a sermon, Father Raniero Cantalamessa likened allegations that the Vatican had systematically hushed up cases of sexual abuse of children by priests to the "most shameful aspects of anti-Semitism", with the use of stereotypes and the spreading of collective guilt.

The Vatican said his remarks did not represent its official view. 

Maybe Ratzi will choose to remain in Chile.  It appears the circular firing squad motif is in vogue at the Vatican at present and damage control isn't working as the scandal grows by the day. Jesus weeps.

Read the rest HERE.

More later.
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Catholic League Blowhard's Ad Points Fingers Away from Pope

This just makes no sense and Donahue knows it, but why not go ahead and at least attempt to confuse and refocus the issue. Even though it's a long shot, it's all he's got. Oh, and the "Radical Lawyer" phrase makes another appearance. As seen in the NYT:

Click to embiggen.
h/t J.M.G
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Another (R) Anti-Gay Queer Bites the Dust

The video is only available at this LINK,  but this story just keeps on repeating itself over and over...will these guys ever catch on?  Just another self-hating, gay-bashing homo, or is there more to it? And why the passenger in the car is left unidentified is another mystery. Did he know who he was riding with? Did he give a damn? Was he just a dumb gay hooker? Clearly, the senator was trashed and careless beyond words. In any case, your bashing days are over, senator drinky-winky.

Sources tell CBS13 a state senator from Southern California was arrested for allegedly driving drunk after leaving Faces, a gay nightclub in midtown Sacramento, early Wednesday morning.

The California Highway Patrol pulled over Senator Roy Ashburn at 2:00 a.m. Wednesday after an officer noticed a black Chevy Tahoe swerving at 13th and L Streets.

Ashburn, a father of four, is a Republican Senator representing parts of Kern, Tulare and San Bernardino Counties with a history of opposing gay rights

When the officer stopped the state-issued vehicle, the driver identified himself as Senator Ashburn. He was arrested without incident and charged with two misdemeanors: driving under the influence and driving with a blood alcohol level higher than .08% or higher.

A male passenger, who was not identified as a lawmaker, was also in the car but was not detained.

Ashburn was booked into the Sacramento County Jail and released on $1,400 bond.

Ashburn issued a statement on the arrest Wednesday afternoon:

"I am deeply sorry for my actions and offer no excuse for my poor judgment. I accept complete responsibility for my conduct and am prepared to accept the consequences for what I did. I am also truly sorry for the impact this incident will have on those who support and trust me – my family, my constituents, my friends, and my colleagues in the Senate."

Ashburn served six years as a state Assemblyman before being elected to the State Senate.  According to Project Vote Smart, Ashburn's voting record shows he has voted against every gay rights measure in the State Senate since taking office including Recognizing Out-Of-State Same-Sex Marriages", Harvey Milk Day and Expanding Anti-Discrimination Laws.

You just know that this story, if it appears on FOX Noise, will contain a picture of Ashburn with a (D) beside his name, 'cause, you know, that's what they do over there.

And so it goes.
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Why DADT Has Straight Folks So Obsessed?

Yes, that must be it.

More later.
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"Ten Films" Post Still Draws Visitors

In January, 2008, I posted - with links - "Ten Films Every Gay Man Should See" adding to a list posted the day before by bloggernista who seems to have left blogging a few days later.

In any event, I've noticed the Ten Films post continues to bring people in.  At least 4 hits weekly. Now I know that's not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but it's where those hits come from that intrigues me. More than the usual places like Europe, Australia, Canada, and South America.

No, these folks (checking weekly sitemeter reports) are in very repressed places where being gay can get you tortured, thrown into prison, even killed. Among them, places like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iran, China, Turkey, Cambodia, Poland, Lebannon, Romania, Egypt, Russia, Jordan, and others. Some are return visitors (the same ISP and location) who've visited more than once. This week's report boasted 11 such visits and the reason for this post.

Personally, I find it fascinating and courageous on their part and hope they are not found out and suffer whatever the consequences of their country. I only wish one or two would leave a comment regarding the availability of the various films and if they enjoyed them, or not.  So far that has not happened. However, I have added a 'note' to the original post asking for visitor input, so we'll see what happens now.

And so it goes.
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I Wonder...

Something to think about, or not.

More later.
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