There are even some investments to possibly get in on a cure payout. Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. (SGMO: NASDAQ) is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company is engaged in the research, development and commercialization of zinc finger deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-binding proteins (ZFPs), a naturally occurring class of proteins. Its lead ZFP Therapeutic, SB-728-T, a ZFN-modified autologous T-cell product for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), is the first therapeutic application of its ZFN technology and is being evaluated in an ongoing Phase 11 and two Phase I/II clinical trials.

But more about the Danish Scientists technique which involves flushing the HIV from “reservoirs” in human DNA to the surface of cells. With the help of a separate vaccine, the human body would then be able to kill the virus with its own immune system. “I am almost certain that we will be successful in releasing the reservoirs of HIV,” said Aarhus University research team member Dr Ole Søgaard, who remained optimistic but cautious about the potential results.

“The challenge will be getting the patients’ immune system to recognise the virus and destroy it. This depends on the strength and sensitivity of individual immune systems,” he added. So far, the technique has only been successful on human cells in a laboratory, but 15 patients with HIV are currently participating in trials funded by $2 million from the Danish Research Council.

The welcome news is part of a recent string of successes in HIV/AIDS research. In January, Australian scientists said they had discovered a strategy that could make the virus “self-destruct.” In March, U.S. researchers at Johns Hopkins “functionally cured” a baby with HIV by pumping the infant with antivirals immediately after birth.

I got to go to the Macklemore concert on Friday night. If you want to hear about how that went, ask me, seriously, I want to talk about it until I die. The whole thing was great; but the best part was when Macklemore sang “Same Love.” Augustana’s gym was filled to the ceiling with 5,000 people, mostly aged 18-25, and decked out in thrift store gear (American flag bro-tanks, neon Nikes, MC Hammer pants. My Cowboy boyfriend wore Cowboy boots…not ironically….). The arena was brimming with excitement and adrenaline during every song, but when he started to play “Same Love,” the place about collapsed. Why? While the song is popular everywhere, no one, maybe not even Macklemore, feels its true tension like we do in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. If you’re not familiar, here’s the video:

Before the song, Macklemore spoke really simple words along the lines of: “Hey, you can all have your own opinions on how we treat gay people in this country, but this is mine.” And I held my breath in anticipation of some kind of uproar or walk-out…but the crowd cheered louder than they had yet. In our red state, in our conservative little city, the 5,000 young people in that arena wanted to hear about marriage equality.

During the song, almost every person at the concert had their hands up and their eyes closed…it reminded me of church. The whole crowd spoke every word with Macklemore. We were thirsty for those words. We want to hear about equality and love in a gentle way. We’re sick of the harsh words of both sides. Say what you want about my generation, but we can smell fake from a mile away. This rapper from Seattle had brought us truth in song form, and we all knew it. I live in such a conservative bubble that I couldn’t believe the crowd’s positive, thankful reaction. But I shouldn’t have been surprised. No one knows the tension of that song like my generation in South Dakota does. So many of us were brought up in churches and Christian homes, and even if we weren’t, we’ve experienced the traditional Christian culture that just resonates from South Dakota’s prairie land. We know conservatism; we know tradition. But we also have Twitter, we watch SNL, we listen to Macklemore, and we read Tina Fey. We’re more in touch with the rest of the country than the Midwest has ever been. Some of us love the church and some of us hate it, but there aren’t too many people for whom it’s irrelevant. So when Macklemore takes on that tension with his poetry, his South Dakota audience listened. We practically yelled with him when he spoke the lyrics:

“When I was at church, they taught me something else: if you preach hate at the service, those words aren’t anointed. That holy water that you soak in has been poisoned.”

It’s a misrepresentation of what that symbol means.Read More

Valentines Day isn’t just about chocolates, flowers and gifts – it has a deeper more intimate meaning for romantic couples who want to express their true love for each other. Having someone special in your life, worthy of that excitement and passionate about giving it back to you as good as they get it from you is what dating should be all about. That’s where experts like Girlfriends Meet editor Julie Kanako can be very helpful with simple tips to turn next Valentines day into a successful holiday.

“What we want everyone to know is that being single isn’t some kind of curse on Valentines Day” said Ms. Kanako “There are millions of single ladies online right now going through exactly the same kinds of apprehension that you might be feeling, and that shared emotional angst may actually be exactly the kind of common ground that a lasting lesbian romance is built upon. The mistake is to let yourself falsely believe you are the last single lesbian lady on Earth tonight, when in fact there are more people looking for love than there are who have found the committed relationship or casual encounter they seek. Keep your chin up, get online and don’t block yourself from having a great time!’

As with any other aspect of internet activity, your online romantic prospects are exactly what YOU make of them. Taking a few minutes to create a completely free lesbian online dating site account and filling in the basic profile information is an excellent investment in your future (for example Valentines day 2014). We all know it doesn’t guarantee you’ll find the love of your life that same day. The possibility does exist at the very least you’ll be positioning yourself for a much more gratifying Holiday schedule in the months or years to come, alongside someone you can date with pride!

Chris Colfer (Kurt), Cory Monteith (Finn), Matthew Morrison (Mr, Schuester, and Mark Salling (noah) will definitely have some hot shirtless photos. I would mostly pick Chord Overstreet to be one of the hottest jocks on the show and Kevin Michael who plays Artie is actually quite cute and might surprise you the most in such a calendar of males.

I don’t care if it shows my age, I am willing to admit that I have been on the internet since way back when images took forever to load on the screen and the only way to find porn was to check out all the link lists and directories. Anyone else remember the world B.G (before Google)?

I really don’t need to tell you that the internet has come a long way since then, but with the good always comes the bad. This is one of those posts all about what happens when the bad get their hands on technology and use it for evil.

No, I’m not talking about some kind of mysterious Bond villain in a hollow mountain threatening to end the world unless he’s given “one million dollars” (how many of you just did the pinkie to lip gesture then? Sad people! lol), nor am I talking about pirates who stamp their feet about getting things for free and then complain that their favorite bands aren’t touring anymore or their fave porn site shut down (useless idiots living in their moms basement).

I’m talking about lowlifes like Hunter Moore – the people who abuse the freedom the internet brings and use it to cash in on other peoples misery.

Yes, the lovely Hunter Moore will be the subject of this bile-infused post.

If you don’t know who I’m talking about, he’s the guy who created the site IsAnyoneUp.com, a disgusting place where people sent in images and videos of their ex boyfriends and girlfriends (or presumably just people they wanted to attack and had the ammunition to do so) and which then linked the media to their various profiles out on the internet. It was stalking, quite blatantly.

Victims had their intimate moments broadcast for all to see, with the information about them easily accessible. Many of those who were victims of this disgusting waste of skin then had abuse from others for daring to have their content stolen and distributed by someone else without their permission.

Now, I know some of the more liberal minded amongst you would be thinking “they should have expected something, who makes a pic or video and gives it out to others?” And I would agree with you to a point. But why is this any different to someone posting an email or personal letter on the internet for all to read? Would that be acceptable to you?

So, back to the story…

The disgusting Hunter Moore eventually gave up his little hellhole of a site and sold it to an anti-bullying charity, and some might have thought that would be the end of it.

Personally, I would have enjoyed seeing him sued, repeatedly, over and over again until he was having to sell organs in exchange for clothing. And it would have been nice to have all of his personal humiliation recorded and shared around the internet for all his little freaky fans to enjoy and wallow in too. But alas, that didn’t happen.

Instead, he got away with it, and he made some money through the sale of the site and the estimated $20,000 a month through advertising – yeah, being a sick little pervert obviously is profitable for some.

But now, with the revelation that he’s not happy with the money he’s made humiliating others (presumably he wasted it all on pot, lube and tissues) and intends to start a new project where he plans to “introduce the mapping stuff so you can stalk people”.

Yeah, that sounds like wholesome family fun, right?

No one knows how this might play out just yet. There are suggestions and discussions out there mentioning that he plans to add cell phone numbers, email addresses, employment details, home address and family details to his content in the future. Basically, it seems like he plans to do it all over again, but with even more information to allow others to attack and assault and generally humiliate people all around the world.

It’s hard to know for sure how real that is, but Anonymous is taking it seriously, and has issued their own threat.

Yes, that lovely hacktivist collective famous for publicly trolling the cult of $cientology, taking down a paedophile ring that Interpol couldn’t touch, exposing abusive NYPD officers macing girls in the street and – their lesser known – bitching about the Pirate Bay being taken down, have issued a direct threat to Hunter Moore.

Not happy with cyber-battling dictatorial regimes and supporting the freedom of the internet all around the world (I don’t think any Anon’s have full time jobs) they have picked up on the suggestion that Hunter Moore is about to be back in business and threatened war.

In a recent statement by the masked superheroes of the internet, the Anon collective made their intentions clear:

“We will protect anyone who is victimized by abuse of our internet, we will prevent the stalking, rape, and possible murders as by-product of his [Hunter Moore] sites.

It added: “Operation anti-bully. Operation hunt Hunter engaged. We are Anonymous, we are legion, we do not forgive, we do not forget, Hunter Moore, expect us.”

To prove that the group is not one to make false threats, the Anonymous collective then published Hunter’s address, and detailed numerous family members also.

So you wanna bully and attack innocent people Hunter? Looks like you’re about to get a massive dose of your own medicine.

Recently I had a friend (who shall remain nameless, of course) confide to me that he is HIV-positive. He had concealed this from most people, including me, for far longer than I would have guessed. In fact, when I asked him how long it had been since he found out, I expected an answer in terms of weeks or months at the most. In actuality he had been HIV-positive for at least two years, if not more, and by this time he was noticeably experiencing more and more symptoms of an immune system under duress. The reason he disclosed his status to me is because he wanted advice on how to go about seeking medical treatment due to his lack of insurance. Understandably, many uninsured individuals are wholly ignorant of the options available to them, especially when it concerns diagnoses as serious as HIV. The fact that he went two or more years without treatment, though disturbing since treatment should begin as soon as possible after discovery per emergent recommendations, is not what disturbed me most. What disturbed me most was the fact that he was not wholly ignorant of the options available to him but was afraid to utilize them because of perceived stigma. When I mentioned a facility in his city that provides linkage to services like prescription medications and further medical testing for the viral load and T-cell count, he told me he was aware it is there but he was afraid to make an appointment because he did not want to risk being seen by others he may know. This tells me that there truly is a disconnect between what is perceived by the general population and what the reality is.

The perception is that an HIV diagnosis automatically relegates someone to a “less than” status; that death approaches and an aura of shame will surround that individual for the rest of his or her life. While the threat of imminent death may have been a valid fear back in the ‘80s and even the ‘90s, this is no longer the case for those individuals who have access to lifesaving treatments and take the additional steps necessary to manage the virus. And while the issue of access is an ever-present one, more people than ever before, both insured and uninsured, have access to basic medical care for HIV including prescription therapy thanks to agencies like the Ryan White Foundation, nonprofit organizations like AIDS Arms in Dallas or the Legacy center in Houston, and patient assistance programs offered by pharmaceutical companies. Taking all of this into consideration, I would like to stress the fact that there is essentially no difference between an HIV-positive person and an HIV-negative person as long as the HIV-positive person is on a successful prescription regimen and monitors his or her condition responsibly. Aside from the more traditional prevention measures like condoms and abstinence, prescription treatment of the condition itself is the most effective method for prevention of transmission and it ensures that HIV-positive individuals are now able to lead full, productive, and healthy lives. They can be in safe serodiscordant relationships with HIV-negative partners, father or give birth to HIV-negative children, participate in competitive contact sports, enjoy an active sex life, and grow to a ripe old age just like anybody else. Is it not high time that the general population be made aware of these things? It seems like the reduction in stigma over the past thirty years has not kept pace with the advances made in modern medicine, and if it had then my friend would not have had to worry about being seen by others he knows at an HIV care clinic.

HIV not only affects homosexual men but heterosexual men and women as well. I will say that as a homosexual public health student, it is of particular importance to me because of the havoc it has wreaked on the LGBT community both in terms of the numbers of deaths and illnesses it has caused and the stigma it has produced which lingers to this day — even within the LGBT community itself. Nobody should be so afraid of the unfounded fears abounding out there that they fail to seek out medical services before too much time has elapsed. I urge you to take a few moments to examine your own perceptions about HIV. Was my nameless friend’s fear a valid one? Would you have acted in a similar manner? Have you updated your knowledge on HIV since whatever may have been hastily presented to you in your high school health class? Please do not let your own perceptions, actions, and statements perpetuate an unjustified stigma. My friend’s situation is one that should never have occurred, especially in 2012.

It is rather creepy if you ask me. “Now some will say that all Glenn Beck did is put the president in a jar of pee-pee,” Beck went on. “While technically correct, yes, I prefer to call this work of art by its more appropriate and professional title. I like to call this, ‘Flobama.’ Sure we can dumb it down for the masses of little people so they can understand. Yes, we have Obama in pee-pee. Mmm? Oui? Yes? This can be yours for a bargain price of $25,000.”

Beck added that if someone buys it, he’ll make another with First Lady Michelle Obama, this time in a “skinny bottle,” which he said somehow represents her “little abs.” This whole mess is supposed to reflect that art should be protected under the Constitution no matter whose feelings it hurts. I guess it is a good thing in a way because that saying where you would not “piss on someone if they were on fire,” means that he cares enough about the President to urinate on him. I doubt anyone wants Beck to do such a thing to them and it is rather disgusting even if you are into watersports. I assume he will be shitting on himself in the next episode?

Glenn Beck is also selling Tee shirts since his eBay auction was taken offline. Is he hard up for money these days or just trying to get attention? I have always called Beck an entertainer because he is just that. A college dropout and someone that had some lucky breaks in the entertainment business to make it to fame on CNN and FOX “News”.

Perhaps he was joking but when you think about it… Athletes may find that it assists in blood flow, which helps in getting oxygen around the body faster and aids in endurance. Viagra has been used in cycling as riders try to gain every possible edge. Judging from Lance Armstrong’s accusations and other cyclists findings they may have tried it as well.

Now we all know during the Summer Olympics of one of the most viral photos was a bronze medalist that was looking rather happy in his pants after the win. Henrik Rummel denies having an erection during the Olympic medal ceremony but now that we know Viagra may be involved in endurance maybe he really was.

Speaking of the NFL if you are a fan make sure you pick up this card for a $100 bonus. A hard piece of plastic that you can even put your Rx purchases of Viagra on…

Please continue with the Viagra we are loving the erections. This may turn me into a full time sports fan! Who needs porn when we have stuff like this to watch. College Wrestling anyone?

If you have slept with multiple sexual partners it doesn’t make you a bad person, it just means that you should be careful and get tested regularly. It’s understandable that submitting to an HIV test can be embarrassing, but it falls under the category of better safe than sorry. Today we now have the option of taking an HIV test and sending it in by mail to avoid the embarrassment of going in to the clinic or doctor’s office to be tested. The problem with this option is that it takes days to receive the test results. This is time that you spend at home scared and worried about what those results might be. What if you could take all the anxiety out of HIV testing, and do it from the privacy of your own home without the waiting? That question has finally been answered by the newly FDA approved OraQuick HIV home test kit.

OraQuick is based on the same HIV tests that doctors use. The test does not require a blood sample, just a simple swab of your gums which is completely painless. You only have to swab both your upper and lower gums one time each and place the swab in the test tube that comes with the kit. The test tube contains a special liquid that reacts with the oral fluid on the swab. When the oral fluid mixes with the liquid in the test tube it travels up the test stick and works much like a pregnancy test. The test stick shows a letter C and a letter T. If a dark line appears at the C, it simply means that the test is working. All you have to do is wait twenty minutes and the test is complete. If another line has appeared at the T that means that your test is positive. The test works by detecting any HIV-1 or HIV-2 antibodies that may be present in your oral fluid.

OraQuick is just as effective as the kits you have to send in for lab testing because it’s made by OraSure Technologies, which is the same company that doctors use for their HIV testing. The results are just as accurate as other antibody tests that require blood. There is also the added benefit of not having to wait days or even weeks to obtain you results because you take care of everything at home on your own. Obtaining the test is easy. For complete privacy the Oraquick at home test can be purchased online from the OraQuick website. This way no one has to know you bought the test at all. For those that prefer it, the test can be purchased at your local pharmacy. These include: CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, and the Navarro Discount Pharmacy. Tests may also be purchased at Kroger and Walmart.

Estimates by the Center for Disease Control put the number of US citizens that are unaware that they even have HIV at approximately 250,000 with 1.2 million people already infected. At those odds it’s a good idea to test yourself frequently if you engage in sex with multiple partners. Also, considering the ease of taking the OraQuick HIV in home test and the fast results it provides, it’s a good idea to test potential sexual partners as well.

“Our relationship with Taylor provides customers with convenient access to her broad range of merchandise enabling them to show their support for her,” said Joe Magnacca, president of daily living products and solutions for Walgreens. “This unique offering is another way we are delivering on our mission to make health and happiness simpler, easier and within reach for everyone on a daily basis.”

“I look forward to sharing my music and merchandise with my fans, and making it easier for them to pick up their favorite items when visiting Walgreens or Duane Reade stores,” said Taylor Swift.

The Taylor Swift merchandise includes t-shirts, bracelets, backpacks, tour books, posters, journals, notebooks, calendars, and iPhone and iPad accessories among other items. Select merchandise will also be available through Walgreens.com and the Walgreens mobile app. Customers can also benefit from a limited time (Oct. 22-24) QuickPrints promotion, which provides a 50 percent discount on photo printing purchases when using the code SWIFTPRINT at check out.

“Pancho and Lefty,” the Townes Van Zandt classic, is interpreted in classic Drake Jensen style, part traditional, part modern. See the video here. This single will be part of Drake’s second studio album, Outlaw, to be released in early 2013. He will also be releasing a Christmas album, Christmas At Home, in November 2012. Drake’s complete discography is available on iTunes and CD Baby, as well as his website at drakejensen.ca

Drake recently recorded a cover of Tammy Wynette’s “Stand By Your Man” with superstar drag queen Willam Belli (“Nip/Tuck,” “RuPaul’s Drag Race”), and filmed a video directed by LA director Michael Serrato. This song and video will add a new twist to the old classic.

Drake will be performing at the following venues:
- New York, NY Rockbar Friday, November 9 9:00pm
- Danbury, CT Triangles Café Saturday, November 10 10:00pm
- Saint Paul, MN Landmark Theatre Sunday , November 18 5:00pm

Barbra Streisand “I Think It’s Gonna Rain Today” from Columbia Records on Vimeo.

It’s kind of ironic that the Boys Scouts of America motto happens to be “Be Prepared”, because the way these freaks are teaching these kids those “troops” are gonna be anything but prepared for the realities of the world when they eventually go to college or otherwise manage to escape Shitsville USA (Population: 1000 Christian fundamentalists).

Here, let me explain…

The Boy Scouts of America is probably one of the largest organizations working with children on a voluntary basis in the U.S. and they’ve been at it for over 100 years. Everybody has heard of them and most people will know someone who is involved in one way or another. The organization is well supported with Barack Obama as its honorary president and ExonMobil and AT&T being major financial sponsors. Intel also donate to some of its ‘troops’.

The Boy Scouts of America proudly declares on its website that they ‘provide a program for young people that builds character, trains them in the responsibilities of participating citizenship and develops personal fitness.’ They pride themselves on ‘helping to build the Leaders of the country through combining educational activities and lifelong values with fun’. They also claim that over 100 years of experience gives them the belief that ‘helping youth is a key to building a more conscientious, responsible and productive society.’

While this all looks good on the face of it, what are the principles the Boy Scout association actually stand by? Respect? Equality? Acceptance of others? You would be forgiven for thinking this is the case, but sadly there are troops within the organization that think the best way to teach the children of America to be a civilized and responsible member of society is to enforce the discriminatory rule which excludes anyone from the LGBT community from taking part in scouting activity, and this includes as a leader or volunteer.

The Boy Scouts of America seem to think that raising children in a segregated environment, away from people who are deemed different, is the way towards a more tolerant and accepting society.
Is this because the Boy Scout movement is based on Christian beliefs or is the government partly responsible? Considering the Military now accepts LBGT applicants I struggle to blame the government entirely.

There has been a case in Iowa, where a young gay man has been turned away by the Scout movement because of his sexual orientation and because of the fact that he was raised by a Lesbian couple. A committee set up by the Scouting organization was convened to make a decision as to whether or not this ruling would still stand.  They voted in favor of continuing a ban on the LBGT community, the supreme court also ruled in favor of the ban in 2000.

The Boy Scouts of America say that the subject of sexual orientation and adult relationships should be discussed as a family and within the family setting, they have a point (of sorts). Of course an open and honest discussion within the family is important, but how many parents are going to have the conversation with their kids and say ‘It’s ok to be gay’. I think that most parents wouldn’t even consider this as an issue and some wouldn’t necessarily accept it if it was. I don’t see how having someone who is gay within a Scout troop would cause any problems with this anyway, not unless they are going to start handing out labels along with their badges for homophobia.

In a multicultural and diverse society this should not be allowed to continue, it is morally and ethically wrong on so many levels. How can the Scouting movement teach children to be a responsible member of society, when they are clearly saying that anyone within the LBGT community is a second rate citizen?

They claim that being gay goes against the Scout Law, it doesn’t. Discrimination and bigotry goes against the Scout Law, and American law, and this needs to change. In England the discrimination laws are there for everybody and no organization is exempt from this.

The Boy Scouts of America should be at risk of losing their support from sponsors until they change their stance on this and it looks like it might happen. Intel currently support individual troops of Scouts where their employees volunteer but, due to their policy on equality they refuse to support any troop which upholds the anti gay rule. While this may be just a small step towards progress, the CEO of AT&T is also against the rule and is reportedly due to take over as president of AT&T in 2014, this could mean they withdraw funding at that time unless things change.

Although this might make a difference in a small way, I think the only way any major change is going to happen is if everybody joins hands and says this is not acceptable.

If you have a motivated bone in your body, contact any one of the number of sponsors and inform them of your opinion. If you’re a customer, you might want to tell those supporting the Boy Scouts of America that you prefer not to support a company facilitating homophobia. There are plenty of competitors out there, can AT&T really afford to lose customers because they support an intolerant organization?

She was quoted as saying

“Gay guys are the horniest people in the world … they’re disgusting,” she reportedly told a pal in the backseat of an NYC cab on Sept. 7. “Dude, most of them probably have AIDS.”

According to RadarOnline.com, the homophobic slurs came up as a gay pal of Hilton’s was telling her about an app called Grindr, a popular social media app that can be used to allow gay men to locate sexual partners.

Who knows maybe the rich girl was drunk when she said it but in this day of social media you can’t go around saying things that will get published all over the World. Especially if you are the spokesperson for a company that would be worth nothing without the help of the gay community. Paris babe you are done.

“Warm characters, an appealing cast and tangy observations on friendship, dating and relationships.”
– David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter

“A fantastic first feature for a major new comedy voice.”
– Jordan Hoffman, About.com

Jenn (Jenn Harris) and Matt (Matthew Wilkas) are best friends from college who are now in their thirties. Single by choice, Jenn spends her days teaching hot yoga and running errands for her boss. Matt suffers from comic-book writer’s block and can’t get over his ex-boyfriend. They decide to fulfill a youthful promise to have a child together… the old-fashioned way. Can they navigate the serious and unexpected snags they hit as they attempt to get their careers and dating lives back on track in preparation for parenthood? Gayby is an irreverent comedy about friendship, growing older, sex, loneliness, and the family you choose.

FOX News Radio affiliate KKFT 99.1 FM decided to cancel the program “House of Savoy” hosted by ordained minister Sean Savoy after the show aired a single interview with a Dallas based LGBT advocate. The interview touched on marriage equality, the recent Chick-Fil-A controversy and a variety of topics related to the LGBT community.

Take action now by contacting KKFT at 775-884-8000 or jerry@991fmtalk.com and ask why “House of Savoy” was pulled from the station. Tell KKFT that you want to hear fair and accurate discussions of LGBT equality on their station. Send a message on twitter to @991FMTALKNEVADA such as ” @SeanSavoy Let LGBT issues be heard. #DontSilenceSavoy”

Clarification: While I was not employed by FOX News Radio, I did have an independently produced show, and it was pulled from the air by demand of the station owner. My producer is working with me to place the show on a different station. Wh
y was I on FOX News to begin with? That was the station my producer believed would be best, at the time, for the general interest, public affairs program. My show was not an LGBT show. Topics ranged widely. It is unfortunate the the one time we discussed LGBT issues in a general, respectful way, the show was dropped. This shows that the type of gate keeping done by the station owner is not only biased (we understand FOX leans very right), but discriminatory. It is not acceptable to silence voices just because one doesn’t agree. How can the listeners of FOX hear anything other than certain views if other views are not allowed to be expressed? That is not freedom of expression and it is damaging to the audience. We live in a free market place of ideas. No one has to agree, but everyone should be heard. Please listen to the show at seansavoy.com. I believe you’ll find it very general and benign. Thanks for all the comments.

-
Sean Savoy

Sean Savoy was not open about being gay himself until his show was canceled but the incident has prompted him to come out. The Sunday evening thirty minute show, produced by Nevada Matters Media, Inc., had been on the air since September, 2011. The episode with Kolb aired August 12th. Savoy learned of the cancellation while he was away for a business trip in Las Vegas. The show’s producer, Eddie Floyd, informed Savoy of the decision by the FOX News affiliate’s owner, Jerry Evans. Savoy says Evans demanded his show be removed from the 99.1 FM Talk roster specifically because of the Kolb interview.

House of Savoy Part 1 – 3 below:

The problem is that all that really matters to me right now is my personal life not my money or what people think of me. What I mean by this is where is that love that I always hoped for and dreamed of. What is life if you can’t share it with someone? Why fight for gay marriage if I can’t even find a boyfriend that stays around for more than an hour.

Someone recently committed suicide in the town I live in and I totally felt it because I can feel the loneliness he is going thorough. It is a loneliness that some people may never understand. My heart feels empty with no one that really even comes to see me. My sister is married now, brother is too busy making movies and his teaching, and Mother rarely comes to my town. I do have a good friend who comes here but he is either so drunk or busy grinding that the quality time together does not amount to much. And it about goes that way with all of my friends with an acceptation of a few. ‘

A few other of my best friends never get out of the house and I rarely see him unless we are on a business trip across the ocean. The others have a third boyfriend in their mix and rarely have time to hang out with the outsider of a group I used to feel an insider to.

There is no chance of love life and it is so far away I cannot even begin to understand what to look for. why or how anyone would be interested in me I would not know, Everyone seems so happy with their boyfriends and their likes already why would they want me/.. what do I hae to offer/.

One of the suicides last week happened to be a gay dancer where he was a highly talented artist who also hda lots of talent on the dance-floor, He moved down here to get haead of his feet and build an exciting new life for himself. Dallas will do that to you until you get into the drugs and the personalities that will convince you of a life or dream that really does not pull that much happiness. Dancing at gogo bars and working out brings out so much serotonin and gives you a major ego boost and yes that gives you some happiness but it only lasts so long. There will be drama and there will be backstabbing people involved and when it comes down to it do you really have any friends you can trust?

I went through so much last year that I felt that I had pretty much died in pain if not died completely. I still feel a little dead from last years horrors of pain I went through. Maybe my body has not completely recovered but it was something that was not imaginable that could even happen to a human being. I have had STDs and that was some of the problems that dancer was going through but STDs are NOTHING compared to other complications you can get with your body such as shingles.

With dreams I feel they are to im possibly to fulfill by saying I have made calls to realtors and leasing agents to try and get quotes and contracts started, Nothing seems to ever pan through. Not really sure here to go from here, I feel worthless and not sure where to turn,

It goes back to do I really need something like someone that loves me around me more to help me with drive in my life to accomplish things tht I need to accomplish such as a new club or restaurant opening.

I would love to just have someone that texted or called me to go to the clubs, hang out at my house and watch a movie, take a vacation together. maybe even go play tennis or bowling together. It seems I cant meet anyone who has interest in hanging out with me for any of this. I would even be happy in a normal person to go out and have some drinks with. Are there really no guys out there that would want to get to know me and just hangout at my place drinking?

This goes back to that deep feeling of loneliness and it is so hard to get away from. Ad the year hits on my birthday, Christmas, thanksgiving, new years, and valentines day it gets worse aand worse. How much depression can one take without at least finding a wing man or a good friend who is single and in the same situation much less finding someone they truly need a boyfriend or someone closer.

I have either came at the end of my life or rope or community. Maybe it is time that I move and see if I can learn to bond with more people in another community and meet some friends that care for me more and want to spend more time with me. Am I getting too old to do that though? it seems no one cares about you after a certain age and expect you to already have life together by then,

Where do I begin my search for a decent guy? I have exhausted the clubs in that search and it seems to come up with nothing but a zero to trick now and then. I am just not social or outgoing enough to talk to the guys that I need to talk to or get to know,. Then again I am looking for that guy that will show me a personality I did not know I had and maybe bring me out of my cage again. That person has to be out there somewhere and that is what I am hoping. Once they release me from my cage I will be able to do much more with my life and not only improve on myself, help them, and grow my business.

I am thinking I need to move somewhere and try and start over before it is too late with too much more depression or things getting me down, I feel there may be too much bad energy here in the city I am living and it could be hurting my chances of meeting someone or focusing on my business,. A move could also be devastating and a major mistake but it is a rick that you have to take sometimes,

Sit down, listen up and pay attention. You might want to find something to bite down hard on too, especially if you’re a Gwen Stefani/No Doubt fan.

Hands up all those who loved the first noises from No Doubt way back in the 1990′s. I know, I’m showing my age.

Okay, I’m guessing that’s quite a few of you. This was probably due to their biggest hit ‘Don’t Speak’ right? Good, that was a great track that really set them on course to be one of the sounds of the decade.

But who stuck around for the release of their fifth album ‘Rock Steady’ in 2001? I’ll bet some of you did, and I’ll bet that a lot of those adoring fans of Gwen Stefani had no clue that while they were listening to ‘Hey Baby’ from that album and jumping around like loons on a dance floor they were also listening to perhaps the most violently homophobic Jamaican “artist” ever to walk the Earth.

Yep, that song was a collaboration with Bounty Killer, a singer/songwriter who actively calls for the assault and murder of gay people.

You’ll love these lyrics (translated into actual English from the native Bullshit) “Bun a fire pon a puff and mister fagoty” (“Burn a fire on puffs and faggots”)

Gwen’s not exactly looking so hot now, is she?

I was checking this out when researching a general story on the rise of Jamaican culture in the USA, and this aspect of the piece came to light pretty early on. As we’re now waiting for the return of No Doubt with the hotly anticipated new album ‘Push and Shove’  to be released next month, it’s a great time to talk about it.

Even though there are now plenty of places you could go to see reports of the current homophobia protests in the USA (a certain foul fast food chain immediately springs to mind) little seems to have been said about No Doubt and their seemingly disinterested attitudes to working with dubious artists with homophobic opinions.

Now that mention of their slight against their own gay fans is out there in the open, lets move on to how things are going with the band right now, as they prepare their latest offering (one that I won’t be buying) and Ms. Stefani presumably returns to squeezing into tiny vests to show off her perfect abs (how does she do that!?)

Jamaican culture is one of the most violent in the world. Far from being the paradise it is often portrayed to be, Jamaica has rolling street violence on a daily basis – this was explained to me by a Jamaican native who grew up under instructions to stay within ten feet of her family home and NEVER EVER go into town. The murder rate in Jamaica is high, with gay hate crimes carried out in broad daylight and Police refusing to intervene. The corruption between Police and the gangs controlling the neighborhoods is pandemic, and any crime against a gay person is likely to be buried, covered-up or excused.

Of course, the musical culture of Jamaica is homophobic as a result of the society in general. Many artists incorporate hate-speech into their lyrics and promote violence towards the LGBT community.

Why is this a problem for us? Because Jamaican culture is being accepted and promoted, and it starts with bands like No Doubt back in 2001 accepting – and some would say promoting – the violent hatred of characters like Bounty Killer.

Lets make one thing perfectly clear – there is no excuse. I don’t give a damn if Gwen Stefani claims that she’d never heard those lyrics calling for gay people to be burned alive (what artist invites another artist to work on their album without being completely familiar with their work?) Ms. Stefani can tour gay clubs and pride events until her heels bleed and it wouldn’t delete the fact that she worked with a disgusting homophobic asshole. She could create entire fashion lines for Target promoting tolerance and acceptance, sewing every stitch herself, and it would not change the fact that she – her band – works with homophobic artists and helps to spread their disgusting views.

T-Shirt designed by Gwen Stefani for Target

Acceptance of it is support of it, and fair-weather homophobia should not be tolerated in any form.

At the very LEAST their collaboration with Bounty Killer deserved a statement to the many millions of gay fans No Doubt had/have to explain their position. Yet the band was seemingly silent on the issue. Bounty Killer himself wasn’t silent on it, mentioning Gwen Stefani in a follow-up track to their little collab and mixing in some other hate-speech with it too. This seems to further associate Ms. Stefani with his own homophobia:

“Whateva dem a talk bout inna different scene, Phat Gwen Stefani a she was my queen, Mi ready fi go wipe out di faggot wid pure laser beam”

So perhaps we might have thought No Doubt would have learned from their error and viewed their collaboration with a violent homophobic hate-monger as something to be ashamed of and never to repeat again…

Well, sadly you’d be wrong.

No Doubt is set to release a new album next month labelled ‘Push And Shove’, and who do we have collaborating on that..?

Major Lazer make an appearance, and they seem to enjoy adding lines to their tracks like “me a zombie and me don’t eat gays, cos me don’t like the HIV”. They claim that such statements are intended to be “tongue in cheek”, but that really only works if you’re a gay man saying it. Personally I don’t imagine there are many gay men who would ever make a comment to belittle the millions of deaths attributed to HIV/AIDS all around the world (gay or straight, mother or child, white or black). To make this a little more clear, what they are suggesting is the equivalent of a white punk act making statements about black slaves and expecting it to be viewed as a joke. It doesn’t work that way!

Then we have the lovely Busy Signal making an appearance on the album too, perhaps famous for lines like “No batty boy nuh inna mi crew lu lu lu lu” (Batty Boy being a derogatory term for gay men).

So why does any of this matter? Well, for a start we’re still fighting for equality. There are still places all over the world where gay people are attacked, abused, criminalized, marginalized or murdered. If we’re pissed that we can’t get married in a Church we should count ourselves lucky! Laws are still being passed in “modern” countries criminalizing our lives, and while we might have it relatively easy ourselves, it doesn’t help when so-called artists are being accepted by the acts influencing our own society.

It’s actually pretty insulting when you have an artist like Gwen Stefani promoting tolerance on the one hand while STILL working with homophobes on the other – perhaps hoping that none of us would notice?

I’m sorry to break it to you, but while Gwen Stefani is signing up to support whatever gay rights issue is fashionable right now she’s also accepting violence and intolerance against many of her own fans. While people are screaming about a fast food chain being homophobic, what will be said about a much-loved American pop-princess like Ms. Stefani working with artists known for being homophobic?

I’m betting it’ll be overlooked, and that nothing will be said about it, just as nothing was said about No Doubt working with someone who calls for gay men to be burned or beaten to death.

Far from this being an attack on No Doubt, this is an attack on the acceptance of homophobia. It’s “homophobia by association”. It’s still just as dirty, just as nasty, and perhaps more insidious.

So tell me, will you be buying ‘Push and Shove’ when it drops next month? I won’t be.

You can see Cameron Jankowski’s now-deleted tweet which was addressed to revenge porn magnate Hunter Moore of Is Anyone Up? fame and contained a photo of what appears to be an individual peeing on a bowl of food. The tweet was originally tagged with “#pissolympics,” “#nacobellgrande,” and captioned “guess where I work.”

It seems he did win this version of the olympics as Hunter Moore declared Jankowski “winner of the piss Olympics” and asked his 100k+ followers what else the rogue employee should piss on. Be sure to follow this guy he may have a future in watersports.

On Sunday night, outside of Las Olas, Fort Lauderdale, my good friend Marshall and his friend were being harassed for being gay at a pizza diner outside of a club. They were told they can’t use SOAP to wash there hands, (by a customer) basically because they were gay, and the customer proceeded to escort my friend out the door, physically. Marshall and his friend tried to leave but were called a “FAGGOT” before they could, and things escalated from there.

When things got physical, Marshall stepped in to defend his friend and beat this asshole to the ground. When Marshall and his friend left the scene to get away, thinking they were in the clear, out of nowhere the same guy with 4 of his friends came running around the corner, this time with a knife. They knocked Marshall to the ground and somewhere in the process sliced his face with the knife, just missing his left eye.

The cops showed up, but they weren’t of much help. They pretty much sided with the other guys because of a video they took of Marshall kicking the guy’s ass. Its sad and pathetic that things like this are STILL going on today!

WAKE UP PEOPLE! THIS IS HAPPENING RIGHT IN FRONT OF US! Its one thing to not agree with others and their beliefs, but what is the point of going out of your way to put someone else down? Or even worse, PHYSICALLY harm someone over it?! #GrowUp

All you people saying you get annoyed and pissed off at seeing others’ post about things that ACTUALLY matter within our community, (Chick-Fil-A, Gay Marriage, Equal Rights, etc.) need to wake the fuck up. Nothing is going to change if our own community is hating one another, how can we expect other’s to accept us when we can’t even accept each other?! We need to come together as a community, and stop the hate in order to put an end to this! It starts WITHIN!

Please be safe out there everyone, unfortunately, even today in 2012, its obviously not safe to walk around in small groups late at night. It’s sad, but very true. I don’t understand how people can be so cruel. It’s one thing to not agree or like something, but to go THIS FAR?! He could have been blinded or KILLED! WTF!? Be aware, be smart, and please stop hating everyone and everything and try to HELP the cause instead of fueling it.

While Marshall is recovering please be more on alert as this new school season starts. This is not just a political punching bag. Don’t let this happen to you!

A remake of the 1976 classic, the highly anticipated film stars pop superstar Jordin Sparks and the late Whitney Houston and is directed by Salim Akil (Jumping The Broom, Soul Food). Sony Pictures will release Sparkle in theaters nationwide on August 17th.

Tracklisting:
1. I’m A Man – CeeLo Green
2. Yes I Do – Carmen Ejogo
3. Running – Goapele
4. Jump – Carmen Ejogo, Tika Sumpter & Jordin Sparks
5. Hooked – On Your Love Carmen Ejogo, Tika Sumpter & Jordin Sparks
6. Something He Can Feel – Carmen Ejogo, Tika Sumpter & Jordin Sparks
7. His Eye Is On The Sparrow – Whitney Houston
8. Look Into Your Heart – Jordin Sparks
9. One Wing – Jordin Sparks
10. Love Will – Jordin Sparks
11. Celebrate – Whitney Houston & Jordin Sparks
Listen via soundcloud.com/sparklemovie

A Gentleman’s Call is a nationwide search to invest behind one original idea that champions the lifestyle of the modern gentleman. Ketel One is looking for substance and style within an idea, inspiration or endeavor that will raise society’s behavioral bar. You can get involved at AGentlemansCall.com, where the five projects best exemplifying a higher standard of thinking and living will be selected. The Grand Prize Winner chosen by consumers across the country.

Ketel One will then invest $100,000 to turn the winner’s idea into a reality. To lead this nationwide call-to-action, Ketel One has enlisted the mentorship of three men that embody the essence of a modern gentleman: actor and philanthropist Ian Somerhalder, Co-Founder and CEO of the Movember Foundation, Adam Garone and celebrated actor Carlos Ponce. These cultural counselors will be defining the values of the ultimate gentleman’s competition through their day-to-day lives.

Evan Flanary, 22, 6ft 1, 160 lbs, blonde/blue wearing blue jeans and gray hoody. Last seen on foot in the mission district in San Francisco on June 19 2012 meeting a stranger from a social phone app contact possibly GRINDR. His mother continues saying it is not like him to disappear. If you know where he could be or have spotted him please contact his mother Deborah Berlingeri or the San Francisco Police Department. They have also set up a website in hopes of finding the 22 yr-old helpfindevan.com.

This means he (or someone) is attempting to charge the phone. It is an android and lots of those chargers are around. So.. I am waiting to hear from him or someone who has found the phone. I’ve texted and messaged. Fingers crossed.

His mother was told the last location may be obtainable from towers, but the SF police require an in person missing persons report, and they have not arrived at our family friend’s house (his roommate) yet. Time is of the essence I am told in this type of situation, but a report hasn’t even been officially filed. God, I wish they would get on it.

As long as he’s safe… He was meeting up with a stranger, had no money. His phone has died. His belongings are still at his apt. I’ve checked the hospitals, the jails, the morgue. He is just gone.
His poor mom is so worried. We feel for her and hope the boy is safe
Deborah Berlingeri Wish I could give him a hug right now.

This is really scary guys we are worried sick for him and his mother. We hope they find him safe and that he is OK! Please be careful when you meet someone on GRINDR or any social networking app or even online. I always ask for a phone number and make sure I can talk to them over the phone before I meet them that way the phone call is able to be traced in case the messages on GRINDR are not.

Does he look like Jane Fonda?

or is he a beaver or like beavs?

Is Justin Bieber Gay?

What about the Biebs Flaunt photo with the blue ball in his mouth like he is doing S&M as the submissive boy:

Gay Boy that looks like Justin Bieber:

But we will end it with a “real” photo of Justin Bieber shirtless-

I would like to clarify for the record, before I even begin, that I know with the fullness of my heart that there are millions of very normal, moral, kind and loving Christian people in the world. It should always be remembered that there are different types of religious people. Most are nice, some are bat-shit crazy. The contents of this post is only intended to destroy the bat-shit crazy bigot who would love to destroy you.

As with all sources of immense destructive power, the below statements should be used carefully, with considerable thought and moderation. If you are sure that the religious person deserves it, fire away with all lasers until you have them whimpering on the floor.

Of course, feel free to bookmark this post and return to it for charging of said lasers when you see a comment, post or other anonymous internet rambling from someone trying to be Fred Phelps or Pastor Curtis Knapp of New Hope Baptist Church in Seneca, Kansas – who recently proposed that the US government begin the genocide of all LGBT people. I kid you not, a so-called “Christian” said that.

So, lets begin…

First of all, I will clarify that the following ideals are taken from the same religious texts that the right-wing use to bash gay people. It’s very convenient that those people can selectively choose the demands and statements made in their holy texts. Basically, as long as it facilitates their inherent bigotry and hatred, they’ll use it, but if it’s inconvenient for them, it should be disregarded. They believe that the following should be disregarded while they continue to cling to their hatred of gay people.

Exodus 21:7 sanctions the slavery of women. This allows you to ask the right-wing crazy how much they would sell their daughter or wife for, or if they believe that they should be able to sell their wife or daughter to another man – you know, those gay pay-site memberships can mount up, they need to get the money for their porn fix from somewhere!

Leviticus 15:19 – 24 states that women should be segregated from the rest of society during their “time of the month”. You should ask the crazy how we should arrange this? How do they ensure that they have no contact with a woman during her menstrual period, do they just ask women, or perhaps make them all wear a sign?

By stating Leviticus 25:44 you can ask which neighboring nations they would like to enslave, as it states that we are permitted to do so. Personally, I’m not sure how this would work. Can the French enslave some of the UK, and vice versa? How about Canadians claiming American slaves – come to think of it, Canadians are too cool to own slaves.

Ask the nut-case if he or she works on a Sunday, and if they say yes (can anyone afford not to in this economic crisis?) ask how they would like to be put to death, as is demanded in Exodus 35:2. I think stoning was widely used back then, but I’m a proponent of doing it with love – maybe suggest suffocation by Bunnies?

If they have a nice haircut – maybe one of those Supercuts jobbies – ask them how they get around Leviticus 19:27, which expressly forbids the trimming of hair on the head or of their beard.

Finally, check out what they are wearing and ask them if they have to avoid the local townspeople gathering to stone them each and every day. Leviticus 19:19 states that no clothing woven with two kinds of material shall be worn. I don’t know where the right-wing crazies shop, but I can tell you now it’s hard to find clothing made from only one material without looking like a tribal warrior or at least a 1960′s throwback.

There are a few more examples of the things that the Christian fundamentalist must adhere to, but chooses not to. It can be pretty interesting to read them all, but I’m always concerned that if I read too much I might wake up one morning and think I’m Carrie’s mom or that really freaky bitch from Silent Hill.

Remember folks, most Christians are sensible, normal, kind people who do not really wish you death. But to those who are slightly dangerous or even a little insulting, the above is like Kryptonite! ;)

“What’s The Big FCKIN’ Deal?” gets straight to the point, asking homophobes and ballot box bullies the simple question, “Some dudes like the pole, some chicks like the hole… what’s the big FCKIN’ deal?!”

We just could not resist placing this gay activist dog in the post.

The viral video may be shocking in some parts as the F-word-laden clip features a disgruntled little person with a big opinion. His purpose is to taunt homophobes with lines like, “Equality means no one gets short-changed under the law! It’s none of your f*ckin’ business if Bob and Bruce like to butt-bleep, so butt the bleep out!” Activists in the video wear bold, neon T-shirts emblazoned with the messages of “GAY MARRIAGE: WHAT’S THE BIG FCKIN’ DEAL?” and “LEGALIZE LOVE.” The T-shirts and tank tops are sold on FCKH8.com’s website starting at $9.99 each. The website also sells bumper stickers, wristbands and buttons to spread its “in your face” pro-gay message.

Video director Luke Montgomery comments, “This video really tells it like it is in a non-diplomatic way that our mainstream gay organizations understandably just can’t. That’s why millions have watched and shared FCKH8.com videos on the Internet, including Glee’s Jane Lynch, Adam Lambert, and even Perez Hilton. Gay or straight, this video is uniting people to say ‘F*ck Hate’.”

Although FCKH8 videos have generated over 6 million on-line views and sold over 70,000 T-shirts with $250,000 raised for gay rights causes we feel some of the biggest of the battle should go towards gay lawyers to help this cause. We do applaud them that the web movement has recruited over 179,000 Facebook supporters & over 41,000 Twitter followers to date drawing attention to teen bullying.

One Facebook comment included “I realize this is going to be a lil hypocritical. But seriously, someone should crack his wrist. Jesus is just so proud of his followers.” Another Facebooker said “Disgusting! I don’t have/do a limp wrist you homophobic, stereotypical bigot.”
See the video and transcript below:
Here is the transcript “So your little son starts to act a little girlish when he is four years old and instead of squashing that like a cockroach and saying, “Man up, son, get that dress off you and get outside and dig a ditch, because that is what boys do,” you get out the camera and you start taking pictures of Johnny acting like a female and then you upload it to YouTube and everybody laughs about it and the next thing you know, this dude, this kid is acting out childhood fantasies that should have been squashed.

Can I make it any clearer? Dads, the second you see your son dropping the limp wrist, you walk over there and crack that wrist. Man up. Give him a good punch. Ok? You are not going to act like that. You were made by God to be a male and you are going to be a male. And when your daughter starts acting to Butch you reign her in. And you say, “Oh, no, sweetheart. You can play sports. Play them to the glory of God. But sometimes you are going to act like a girl and walk like a girl and talk like a girl and smell like a girl and that means you are going to be beautiful. You are going to be attractive. You are going to dress yourself up.”
You say, “Can I take charge like that as a parent?”
Yeah, you can. You are authorized. I just gave you a special dispensation this morning to do that.”

It looks like they are living high on the hog going to the IncrediWorld Amazement park on our tax money. Churches get to live tax free unlike the rest of us. Anyone free June 25-28 we should join them for their IncrediWorld and see who punches us in the face for having a limp wrist! Contact information of the Berean Baptist Church is 910-868-5156. Actually you may want to contact the North Carolina Child Protective services of the church congregation who agreed with his child abuse promotion.

This guy needs to be behind bars. He is a predator on humanity and love. We can forgive him all we want but he still needs to pay for his words. Please read more on our series on gay bullying and teen suicide.

It’s somewhat hard to believe that it has been 13 years already since the bombing of the Admiral Duncan Pub in Soho, London. As a London boy who left when a child, I try to get back there as often as possible, and whenever I do Soho and Camden are the two places I cannot miss out on.

I actually attended the Admiral Duncan pub shortly after it reopened a few months after the bombing, while the London Gay Pride march was being held. I was stunned by the crowds of people there, all eager to go inside and buy a pint in support of the venue and those who had been maimed and killed in the blast. It was an amazing sight to see the entire street packed with people drinking out of plastic cups, all there for one reason – to show solidarity with the community in London and those hurt in the atrocity.

April 30th is the day it happened, the third nail bomb to explode in London, with Brixton attacked on the 17th of April, Brick Lane on the 24th, and finally Soho on the 30th.

At the time no one really knew what it was all about. This was a city which had seen its fair share of terrorism already, with the IRA constantly threatening the people of the capital, but this was the first time it was seemingly targeted at specific groups of people. Black, Asian and Gay people were the focus, leading to a lot of speculation.

Of course, after this third explosion it was soon asserted that the perpetrator of these crimes was a neo-Nazi.

David Copeland was the name of that coward. He was the one who was responsible for walking in, leaving an explosive device hidden in a bag, and then running away like the vermin he is to escape the destruction he had planned.

Four died minutes later when his nail bomb tore through the pub. Andrea Dykes, 27 and her unborn child, John Light, 32 and Nik Moore all passed away, with more than 80 people injured.

As we remember that event, we have to also ask ourselves where we are now as a society. I remember that back then, as I watched it unfolding on the news, the local community rallied around, that many more were likely saved by the fast response of the police, the ambulance staff, the neighbors of the venue and passing pedestrians. The support the community displayed after that attack was one of the most uplifting things I think I have seen.

There is no doubt that we are in a better place now than we have ever been when it comes to social cohesion. But, we should also use caution. In France, the National Front party (traditionally a racist and homophobic organization) has reached third place in the first stage of their national elections.
In Norway, the far-right extremist Anders Behring Breivik is currently on trial for the racially and religiously motivated mass murder of 77 innocent people. In St Petersberg, Russia, new laws recently came into effect banning discussion of GLBT issues and comparing them to the promotion of pedophilia.

While we should certainly mourn and spend some time contemplating those lost on April 30th 1999 in the Admiral Duncan bombing, we should also consider that, while society may be moving forward in many respects, extremism has not declined.

On the 30th April 2012, there will be a ceremony held to remember all those killed and injured in the three attacks. More information can be found on the Facebook group – Facebook group 17-24-30, and an event page too.

“I didn’t have the body to play football. I was a tall, skinny kid who liked to sit outside and shoot threes,” Brown told the Salt Lake Tribune. He showed everyone that he could transform himself into the football build and we salute you for that. Lots of protein I am sure!

I’m a kid of the 80′s. I remember the first time I watched Michael Jackson’s Thriller, the song 99 Red Balloons, and the popularity of some truly awful songs by Bon Jovi. I don’t think I’m the only one who links music to a decade am I?

But I also remember the news scenes of the protests, over everything from the Poll Tax and Thatcher’s destruction of the Unions and industry, to the Gay Rights movement and Peter Tatchell.

By the time I was ready to come out of the closet and dance to I Am What I Am (I didn’t, I don’t live by stereotypes! lol) the dust had settled and we had clubs and bars all over the place. We had a community that, while still open to attack, was less threatened with the collusion of government and police. If we did experience hatred and violence we could actually report something and feel that we had a voice. We had pressure groups and charities on our side, standing up for us if we needed it.

If you haven’t really been paying much attention recently, you might think that us Queer folk are only fighting for the right to get Married, and nothing else. I can understand that perception, because what I’m about to discuss in this post isn’t being discussed on your local news, and probably not on your national news either. But it should be discussed, because it’s serious.

Earlier this month the city of St. Petersburg, Russia, adopted a new law which bans “propaganda of sodomy, lesbianism, bisexualism and transgenderism, and pedophilia to minors.”

Did you catch that? Yes, read it again. The law-makers in St. Petersburg equate all of us with pedophiles. And through the creation of this law, the city has banned the discussion and public display of all LGBT issues in their entirety. The wording of the law is so deliberately vague that it could apply to someone handing out flyers discussing the law itself, to rainbow flags, or even wearing T-Shirts which could be construed as being related to LGBT issues.

The city of St. Petersburg is now facing international condemnation from Human Rights organizations for deliberately taking a step backward, and this is expected to worsen later this year as Pride parades kick off all over the world while the Gay people of St. Petersburg are denied one, and potentially have to witness a hate parade instead – yeah, the city refused a gay pride parade last year, and approved a far-right parade in its place!

While you might simply be able to avoid St. Petersburg (which is entirely possible, I haven’t tripped over it yet), and while the Queer folk of the city evacuate for more pleasant cities, this is by no means all there is to be concerned about.

Of course, we all know about the extremism being displayed across the American political system right now. We’ve seen some of the worrying comments from men like Santorum, suggesting he would destroy some basic freedoms in order to change America and make it more “Christian” (funny how their style of Christianity almost always seems completely at odds with traditional Christian values such as love, kindness, acceptance and peace.)

In France, the far-right Marine Le Pen (daughter of the founder of the National Front) is gaining popularity. In Germany, the authorities are on the hunt for neo-Nazis they now accept are greater in number and more dangerous than they had previously assumed (one previous member claims that they are heavily armed and capable of starting a civil war). In Belgium, on Saturday March 31st, the English Defense League (an off-shoot of the now vaguely acceptable British National Party) is planning a Europe-wide protest in an effort to create an anti-Islam movement – perfectly timed after the murderous spree by an Islamic extremist recently in France.

I remember the 80′s. But I also know of history prior to my existence. I remember that that a certain dictator arose on the back of a nationalist fever, after an economic collapse that decimated much of the world. I know that the first target might have been the Communists, but it was soon the Unionists, and the Jews, the intellectuals, and the Queers too…

Hatred and intolerance is the same in any form, whoever is the target, and we have to do everything we can to pull together and fight for the rights of all. Just as a neo-Nazi has the right to express their twisted opinions about the world and society, we have the right to stand shoulder to shoulder with everyone who demands equality and freedom, and the basic Human rights that we all enjoy, and refuse to allow history to repeat itself.

The risks of doing nothing because we don’t believe it could happen again are gigantic. We must never forget our history, and we must never fool ourselves into thinking that it couldn’t happen. People never believed it could happen before, and it did.

Are you prepared to actually stand up when the hatred and ignorance is marching through your street?

Don’t you just love a good rumble?

Although, I have to confess that I was really considering not adding this post about One Million Moms at all, it feels somehow wrong to even recognize their existence, as if I’m somehow validating their right to be… well… a group of hate-filled religious extremists, I guess!

Yes, the American Family Associations nastiest splinter group is back in the spotlight again, and from the people who brought you the attack on Home Depot for supporting Gay Pride, the scatter-brained attack against GLEE, and their “boycott” of almost every brand seen in any ad break for any program they think is “Trashy”, they’re now ‘going after’ Toys ‘R’ Us!

Aside from pointing out that they watch far too much TV (that’s those right-wing Christian stay-at-home moms for you. If they’re not out in the woods shooting Deer they’re sat on their ass eating cookies, getting fat and finding anything they can to scream at the world about) I thought it would be fun to show you how the most vociferous people who claim to be “freedom-loving” and “Christian” are often anything but.

Let me tell you about this latest battle in their imagined “culture war” (yes, that’s what they think they’re taking part in, bless them).

So we’ll start back when they decided to attack JC Penny for bringing Ellen Degeneres in to represent their brand.

Of course, as shoppers – and right-wing Christian religious extremists – they love shopping, ironically that’s something they have in common with us! So when JC Penny asked the gorgeous, funny, smart and well adjusted Ellen Degeneres to become their spokeswoman (can you tell I’m a fan?) the One Million Moms crazies realized that they had nothing in common with this personality. I think that’s what it comes down to really. It seems that all the people they attack are actually intelligent, well-rounded, mentally stable modern people, and that’s totally the opposite of what OMM is about!

So, the OMM extremists demanded that JC Penny remove Ellen as their spokesperson, and they issued their demand with the threat that JC Penny would loose customers if they did not comply with their demands. Of course, OMM didn’t consider that they are actually running far short of being one million, they’re more like 20,000 (and even that is a very generous guess). In reality the OMM group is likely no larger than your average knitting club in Texas.

They often make claims that their “pressure” on companies has resulted in success, when in fact they neglect that advertising across all industries has become extremely limited due to the financial crisis. It’s actually quite funny to see companies complying with their demands on the face of it, just to placate them. But I do wish these companies would be honest and say “we couldn’t give a crap about your unreasonable demands, we cut the ads for budget reasons and not because you threatened us!”

What this fanatical group also underestimated, is that you need to have public support for a boycott of any large company, and the numbers supporting Ellen and JC Penny far outweighs the number of fanatics demanding this change. One look at their little social network shows that they barely have 2000 members – I have more people following me on another blog. Maybe that’s why thousands of FaceBook pages sprang up within hours of the demand being made public, all supporting Ellen and JC Penny, and all heaping insult on the OMM mentalists. Perhaps that’s also why the One Million Moms own FaceBook page is constantly under attack from others who would like to stop their hate for good?

So what’s their beef now?

The wonderful Toys ‘R’ Us store has decided to stock a comic book which sends OMM into a rage. It’s actually quite easy to do that, you just need to be someone they don’t like, have a lifestyle that doesn’t involve throwing shit at other people like a crazed monkey in a cage, and be a reasonable person. Basically, normality, freedom, Human rights and genuine Christian values are their nemeses.

Toys ‘R’ Us recognizes that the modern world is more open, tolerant and diverse than OMM can bear to imagine, and they stock an Archie comic which features a gay wedding on the front!

I know, sales of that particular comic must be going through the roof right now! lol

OMM doesn’t like this expression of freedom and normality, being Christian extremists and all. They’re not too comfortable with the idea of their child asking “mommy, oh wise one, why is there a picture of two men who seem to be getting married on the cover of that comic? Won’t they burn in Hell for all eternity?” (remember, these poor kids are being raised by the equivalent of Carrie’s mom. They’re the kinds of parents who psychologically abuse their kids until said child is climbing a clock tower to rid the world of people they don’t understand).

You see, to the rest of us, it’s simple. Any normal parent put in that situation would say “Timmy (all kids in these stories are always called Timmy), when people fall in love and they choose to express their commitment to each other through marriage, they have a party to show their commitment to all their friends and family. Just like mommy and daddy fell in love and married, those two men fell in love and want to celebrate their love for each other with all their friends and family too.”

See, that’s not so hard is it? No mention of where the whoo-hoo’s go and the child is more enlightened. Instead, these parents would rather keep their child ignorant. Even if they don’t agree with same-sex marriage, they are putting their children at a disadvantage in a world where their extreme views are not acceptable to the majority. Parents should want the best for their child, but these parents clearly don’t.

So maybe that’s the problem, these so-called parents don’t want their child to be enlightened. They don’t want their kids growing up in an America where people actually do have freedom. Because they don’t agree with something, and even though it makes no difference to their lives if Chris and Charles down the road can marry, they’d love to force their will on the rest of society. They’re terrified of difference of any kind and they’ll sit in their darkened little corners (presumably stroking a crucifix and a Bible) hurling bile at a world that’s moved on without them, powerless to change it. And their kids – God bless their damaged little minds – are at risk of growing up to be just as damaged and hateful as them.

Let me make this statement – these parents think that their children are at risk from a comic book, when in reality they are at direct risk of growing up to become horrid people, full of hate and bigotry. Which would a SANE parent rather have, questions about gay marriage, or a child who wastes their life hating other people for things that are none of their business and completely beyond their control?

The most important thing to take away from this is the knowledge that the majority of people who view themselves as Christian, with decent values and morals, do not agree with the extremist attitudes of the One Million Moms group. The vast majority of Christians are not Fred Phelps and they are not members of this hate group. They’re nothing like these anonymous crazies lashing out at anything they don’t like (instead of just shaking their heads and switching off the TV like the rest of us do when Bieber appears). They fully accept that many of the teachings of their religion have been hijacked and manipulated, misread and adjusted to suit those who would love nothing more than to dictate their own demands to the rest of the world.

Ultimately, the One Million Moms group will fail in this, just as they’ve failed in everything else. And why? Because they are a tiny and insignificant minority having a hissy-fit, while all the real adults, the real parents and the real freedom-loving American’s look on in embarrassment.

They’re weak and ineffectual. They know they’ve already lost their imagined “culture war”, otherwise they would proudly stand and be counted. Instead they hide behind a webpage, making demands on the rest of the world and making threats they simply cannot live up to.

But, you can actually do something to help their demise. You can contact Toys ‘R’ Us and thank them for their modern attitudes. OMM has an email campaign against Toys ‘R’ Us right now, demanding that they remove the Archie comic from their stores. You can do something by emailing Toys ‘R’ Us and thanking them. Make their few thousand (probably a few hundred, actually) emails from One Million Moms pale into insignificance with the wealth of loving support from the rest of society. It’ll take ten minutes to reach out to Toys ‘R’ Us and show them that the people support their inclusive attitudes through an email.

Girl Bar and Fuse Events have worked with Caesars Entertainment to create the ultimate women’s weekend experience featuring all the best that Sin City has to offer. Official events and hotels for Dinah Shore Weekend include Planet Hollywood and Flamingo hotels and other nearby venues.

“Our sophisticated ladies wanted ‘bigger, better and more’ 24/7, in the city that never sleeps, with a package of perks, food, beverages and entertainment where there are no ‘last calls’ and our exclusive ‘GO Pool’ at the Flamingo is ‘Topless optional.’” This sounds like lesbians in paradise to me!

“The LGBT market makes up such an important part of Caesars worldwide customer base,” said Richard Brower, Director of LGBT Marketing at Caesars Entertainment Corporation. “Having this legendary weekend move to Vegas was an opportunity we could not afford to miss.”

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The rockstar couple has been married for ten years now. Their are rumors that two years into the marriage, Gwen found out that her hubby had a daughter, Daisy Lowe, now 22 from his ex. And in 2009, Gavin’s ex-lover, 80s cross-dresser Peter Robinson, revealed their affair. Then in 2010, Courtney Love claimed on the Howard Stern Show that she had an affair with Gavin while he was dating Gwen. One Facebook comment on the divorce: I’m a huge fan of Gwen stefani and Im not sure what reasons are behind their recent decision, but I hope like hell she starts making music again.

Something incredibly unusual happened in the UK on Monday night. The seldom watched BBC 3 channel broke the mold and drew a transfixed audience. And the reason for it was a truly remarkable one too!

No, it wasn’t some new lame reality show. There were no celebrities on a panel humiliating passing victims. It wasn’t some new game show with ridiculously fake people trying to “outsmart” each other for a prize.

It was actually a documentary.

Before you start snoring at the mere reading of the word documentary, this was an important moment for the UK. In recent years there has bee a fair bit of discussion about football (soccer) here, and how corrupt it might be, how racist it might be, how violent it often is, and so on. But something that rarely sees a word of discussion is how homophobic our national sport is.

There is no doubt that racism is not acceptable in football. Great steps have been made in recent years to stamp it out, with racist chants resulting in fines for the clubs responsible, players banned and publicly humiliated when found guilty of racist slurs on the pitch, and new rules being drawn up to weed out those kinds of poisonous attitudes from the fans and players.

But something that has not been confronted is homophobia.

In the last year we’ve seen Sepp Blatter – the head of FIFA – laughing openly about the issue of gay rights and the safety of gay football fans when visiting violently homophobic nations. It wasn’t just him either, the entire room joined in laughing, a room full of sports media from around the world. It seemed that they were incredulous that there could be any gay football fans. And even if there were, their Human rights and safety were not the concern of FIFA.

So, what happened on BBC 3 on Monday? They screened Britain’s Gay Footballers, a documentary created and presented by the (beautiful) Amal Fashanu – daughter of John Fashanu – asking why there were no openly gay footballers in the national game.

For those who might not be aware, Amal Fashanu is the niece of the tragic Justin Fashanu, the only openly gay footballer to ever come out in the UK, and who subsequently took his own life in 1998 after the decline of his career and repeated revelations and accusations about his private life.

His brother, John Fashanu – also a footballer but far less skilled – had abandoned him. His entire family had seemingly disowned the young man, and so when he found himself in a position that he couldn’t tolerate any longer, he found that the only way out was to end his life.

It was a remarkable documentary, and it increased the viewing figures for the seldom-watched channel by 50%. Twitter was abuzz with discussion about the show, with the vast majority of all comments seeming to be supportive and positive toward the issue, and highly critical of the sporting bodies responsible for maintaining the status quo, and critical of John Fashanu himself.

Although the marked absence of openly gay football players is in itself quite worrying, there were two things specifically about the documentary which unsettled me.

Firstly, young Amal Fashanu faced a wall of almost complete silence from clubs, managers and players across the UK. It seemed that no professional player was willing to come forward and discuss homophobia or gay players. Even when in a room full of professional footballers she was met with silence, childish giggles or complete arrogance. It really seemed as though a message had gone out from some sort of mafia Don that no one should speak to her. Or else they may find a horses head in their locker!

The second thing that struck me was the interview with her father, John Fashanu, about his dead gay brother. You know what he said? He called his brother selfish, for “embarrassing” and “shaming” his family. Even after his brothers suicide (with a note stating how totally alone he felt) John Fashanu has no shame in sticking to his tried and trusted line of labeling his brother an embarrassment.

After a gut-wrenching and tear inducing film, there were a couple of shining moments that offered some hope. Joey Barton – professional UK footballer – was confident enough to come forward for an interview and was a shining example of common sense and tolerance. He even went as far as suggesting that there would be an openly gay professional football player in the UK within the next ten years.

Gareth Thomas, openly gay Welsh Rugby player, also spoke on camera – with a number of his straight teammates alongside him. Making the contrast between the two sports quite remarkable. As Gareth says, the Rugby union released a statement after Gareth came out expressing complete support for him. His teammates made statements to the same effect at every opportunity too. People who know him and work with him were lining up to say how much they love the guy and that they support him in his brave decision.

Hold that up against giggling immaturity and ignorance of Sepp Blatter, a silent majority of homophobes in the management of the sport, the ignorance and astounding bigotry of the many players in football who couldn’t find the balls to speak on camera, and the fact that the only openly gay footballer in the British history is dead while his brother still thinks he was an embarrassment… it all becomes quite clear doesn’t it?

I wish I believed that we’d see another openly gay footballer in the UK in the next ten years. But I very much doubt it.

The iPhone 4S was such a disappointment that many have even put off who have an iPhone 4. All it really has is a talking Siri. Not much more to brag about and we could all use the most anticipated thinner design of the iPhone 5. It is also supposed to include a Sony Camera, smaller display size and changed display resolution, and wider home button that doubles as a track pad for gestures. We are mostly hoping it will be 7mm thick, a hair thinner than the original Droid Razr. It could also have Wireless data at 4G LTE.

What about the Processor?
1GHz might be something reasonable for this to speed it up even more.

Could the backing go aluminum?
There are rumors that the iPhone 5 may go back to the original iPhone which had an aluminum back.

Steve Jobs may not be around for this version of the iPhone but do not think there will not be big surprises or something that makes you say WOW on the new release. Apple knows how to excite us all!

GLAAD wasted a full page ad on going up against this show. It got canceled today but after watching it online it looked like it certainly would not harm a transgender person. I think there are things that GLAAD should be going after such as Santorum or Romney instead of a sitcom that the gays would enjoy.

One face-book comment on the issue said “It makes your organization look about as uptight as Elton John losing out to Madonna last night. Was your organization offended when George Washington wore a wig? I mean what kind of uptight organization are you?” We also saw some comments against GLAAD for taking this action against ABC and ‘Work It’ saying “Who will they go after next.. Tootsie?”. Seriously, they might go after Britney for lip synching at her shows or yes even Tootsie. Watch out GLAAD is like the new team of elites that will stop at anything and judge.

‘Betty White’s Off Their Rockers’ would be offensive to a senior citizens rights groups if GLAAD was in charge of it. It really was more offensive to elderly and used more stereotypes than ‘Work It’.

Work It proved to show it is not easy to dress up in drag. It showed the main characters going to get help putting on make-up after he tried once and looked like a clown. It then showed toilet paper coming out of his dress while dancing.

It is a shame that this show got canceled before it really had a chance to take off thanks to GLAAD and the HRC throwing a fit and placing ads against the show. It may have also been due to low ratings for the the new ABC Sitcom but it would have aired more than twice.

This brings me to think that the HRC and GLAAD have really disappointed in the last year. HRC going after Chick-fil-a and GLAAD spending all this money against a show that really was not all that offensive. There are bigger fishes to fry or goals these organizations that run off of our donations should be going after such as the presidential candidates or HIV stigma. They might could have worked with the ABC show to make sure it was more understanding of transgendered people.

I just finished two episodes online and just could not find anything that is offensive the way GLAAD was making it out to be. If anything women could be offended but knowing how sales works it is women that get ahead more and they are taking it to the next level of a trans person getting ahead just as easily as a real woman. It seems they are glorifying drag more than anything. I don’t see that they are making fun of it but having fun with it. Am I missing something? I noticed a few comments in the show where they said this would not be allowed in their culture and maybe the signs they hold up that say “Will Do Anything for Work” maybe could have been edited out but other than that it’s certainly not more offensive than “Boat Trip” the movie. Having a drag show on mainstream TV is actually a positive thing especially when it is not associated with violence. How would you compared this to Trannies with Knives? I would like to see what Ru Paul thinks of it. It just seemed to me that that GLAAD press release was saying this would cause more violence against trans or drag. I do not see how that is possible they are not getting laughed at by anyone in this pilot or episode two. Everyone thinks the characters are women(just big boned women). It seems like it is more accepting and that could be nothing but positive. Yeah I am sure someone will have a laugh at someones expense but they are also making fun of the doctors in the episode, the wife, the kid, and the British sales women.

A Facebook Commenter said “I think that it is making light on a complete group of people and their suffrage and saying oh its just funny. Don’t think on the surface of this one. If you recall several of the same things were said about white people playing the roles of other ethnicity… And quite often making complete characterizes out of a race of people. This is pretty much along the lines of black face to transgendered and transsexual people who this is real life for and NOT a joke. I would say that GLAAD is out of line at all or a bad representation of gays in this instant. I would say that comments like this about a part of the gay community that you may not necessarily identify within not only ignorant but a a much worse representation of the gay community. My finger is wagging on this one. Sorry. But until people stop treating TRANS people as a show or comic relief I don’t find shows like this cool. At ALL. Why don’t they make a show that’s about transgendered people struggling to find work.. Which I guarantee is a lot hard than these two guys trying to find work… Because they are ultimately homophobic and cant be a part of the solution easily so they continue the status quo. Its not as simple as GLAAD being whiny…. They expressed the immaturity of a show like this and continue to express their voice every-time an issue comes up…. People are just intellectually lazy enough to call it whining.”

Today ABC announced that the series “Work It” has been cancelled after two episodes. GLAAD and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) advocacy organizations including the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) had spoken out against the series for its potential to cause harm to transgender people. The series debuted on January 3, 2012 to low ratings, and, according to Entertainment Weekly, dropped another 20 percent this week.

“While many of ABC’s positive and groundbreaking portrayals of LGBT people have been critical and popular successes, the public had little interest in this outdated show,” said Herndon Graddick, Senior Director of Programs and Communications at GLAAD. “As a result of this campaign, an important dialogue has been started in Hollywood and mainstream media about the real discrimination faced by transgender people today.”

For more about GLAAD’s campaign and to read critiques from LGBT advocates and organizations visit glaad.org/workit. Last month, after viewing the pilot, GLAAD placed a full page ad in media industry publication Variety with HRC. The organizations also published a joint opinion piece on the Huffington Post. The Variety ad noted that “by encouraging the audience to laugh at the characters’ attempts at womanhood, the show gives license to similar treatment of transgender women.”

GLAAD and HRC included photos of transgender Americans, legal facts and statistics from a recent report from the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force on the discrimination that transgender Americans face:

• Transgender Americans can be legally fired in 34 states today simply for being who they are.
• 97% of self-identified transgender people reported being harassed or abused at work.
• 26% reported losing their jobs because they are transgender.

GLAAD stated on its site that while the show did not explicitly address transgender people, many viewers unfamiliar with the realities of being transgender will still make the connection.

Previously the San Francisco LGBT Community Center, transgender writers including Autumn Sandeen of Pam’s House Blend, the Transgender Economic Empowerment Initiative and the Transgender Law Center spoke out against the show’s promos. Women’s advocacy groups and members of the Puerto Rican community have also criticized the show’s premise and jokes.

According to ABC, ‘Work It’ centered on two unemployed men who have “learned the hard way that the current recession is more of a ‘man-cession’ and their skills aren’t in high demand.” One finds out that a pharmaceuticals company is hiring sales reps, but only female sales reps. He goes to the interview dressed in heels, a skirt, and makeup and gets hired as a woman.

I think it would be great to have more drag or trans type shows and your right would be better that it not be a comedy all of the time. A show with them trying to find work as a trans person would be a great show and I am surprised someone like LOGO or Bravo does not do that.

Who is GLAAD? They are supposed to be a Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) by bringing a voice to the LGBT community by empowering real people to share their stories, holding the media accountable for the words and images they present, and helping grassroots organizations communicate effectively. By ensuring that the stories of LGBT people are heard through the media, GLAAD promotes understanding, increases acceptance, and advances equality. Are they doing their job or bullying certain shows that already have a chance of being canceled? Don’t you think they should be doing more?

Actor Darren Criss is featured in the new February issue of DETAILS magazine. The 24-year old star of Glee is bringing his song-and-dance skills to Broadway. Moms, gays, and Michele Bachman, rejoice! This Details issue hits stands nationwide on January 17 known as the February issue. Here are some highlights from Darren Criss’ “Last Call” column Q&A.

When asked about meeting Michelle Bachmann Criss said “I never let my politics supersede my manners. She came up with her husband and was sweet as can be. She was like, ‘My kids love the show. I don’t watch it myself, but I’d love it if you could sign these postcards.’ It dawned on me that she didn’t know what the hell Glee was.”

On wearing a bow tie in both Glee and How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying… “I’ve been pigeonholed.”

My favorite part of the interview was about the mothers saying they were there for their daughters. Now come on and admit you are fans too and want Darren just as badly and watch the show Glee! “What’s funny is that the moms always feel like they have to qualify everything. ‘I’m here for my daughter. Can I get a picture?’ You don’t have to apologize for liking Glee. My joke is the fans are either 16 or 60. What I wouldn’t give to have someone come back who wasn’t a mom or a teenager.”

On what it’s like getting so much attention early in his career…
“Hollywood is a strange, strange thing. I feel like I’ve been invited to a very exclusive ball and I’m just trying to make nice with everybody and hope that if they kick me out they’ll at least give me a ride home.”

An awkward or surreal moment during Darren’s rise of fame with super pop legend Mariah Carey:
“I never thought I would meet Mariah Carey, but I really never thought I’d be introduced to her by Whitney Houston. She’s like, ‘Hey, baby, this is Mariah.’ I’m like, ‘I know. I’m Darren. I don’t know what I’m doing here.’”

If you’re in the UK, there’s a chance that there are some really annoying TV shows that you just can’t get away from – in fact that’s probably true wherever you are! I swear, if I have to see an advert for Desperate Scousewives one more time my TV is going to suffer a fatal incident involving a cup of hot coffee dribbled down the back and a quick flight out of an open window!

But although I find a whole lot of those reality TV shows to be pretty repugnant, the upcoming Playing It Straight has to be one of those that really makes my blood boil.

Now, I have absolutely no doubt that there will be hoards of gay guys watching the show, mainly because it contains a whole lot of camp double entendre’s and a lot of barely clothed young men who are mostly gay but don’t act it. I have no problem with those little aspects of it, it’s the game show style of it that really annoys me.

For those who don’t get it, the set up is that there’s a relatively empty-headed young woman with far too much makeup and a love of all things expensive, trying to work out which of the guys she’s shacked up with is straight. As I understand it, there are eleven guys and Cara, some of the guys are gay, and some are straight (although you have to wonder just how many of those straight guys either lied to get on the show, or are actually bi)

Cara has to work out who is straight and who isn’t, through the use of some very humorous and humiliating games. She votes guys out, and if she picks a straight guy at the end they both win 25k. If she picks a gay guy who managed to “Play it Straight” convincingly enough, he walks away with the whole 50k.

Does all that sound like fun to you?

To me, it reeks of stereotyping, and is actually pretty offensive. The message seems to be that it is better for gay men to conform to masculine stereotypes. If you think I’m overreacting, imagine it in reverse. What if it were called “Playing it Gay” and the straight guys had to convince someone (and the audience) they they are actually gay. Cue camp walks and limp wrists, hours debating Kylie and moments of hasty simulated man sex in random places. Would we accept that as being okay?

I’m gonna climb up on my soapbox here and suggest that this kind of BS is not what people protested for. We’re doing a disservice to people who had absolutely no rights and fought for some semblance of equality by turning our lifestyles into a commodity that can be sold for the sake of some cheap laughs. These guys might have noble thoughts about what they’re taking part in, but in reality they’re selling out. Instead of making sexuality a non-issue (which is how things should be) they’re voluntarily allowing themselves to be bought as entertainment for a largely straight audience to mock and laugh at.

Now, I already have some pretty strong views on the likes of the X-Factor and all the other talent shows that are really nothing more than the public humiliating people who should probably be under the care of some psychology professionals, so it’s possibly not surprising that I find this to be not my cup of tea. But it does surprise me that there is an audience for such rubbish.

Instead of gaining equality for ourselves and getting the respect we deserve in society, some of us are happy to remain the subjects of ridicule, reminding everyone just how “different” gay people are from the rest.

I’ll step down from my soapbox now, and wish you a very Happy New Year! ;)

THE IRON LADY is a surprising and intimate portrait of Margaret Thatcher (Meryl Streep), the first and only female Prime Minister of The United Kingdom. One of the 20th century’s most famous and influential women, Thatcher came from nowhere to smash through barriers of gender and class to be heard in a male dominated world.

I love Christmas, and loathe it in equal measure simultaneously. I’m one of those guys from a large family, and every year we have those get-togethers where all the expected happens; someone has a blazing row with their partner about their teenager being given a thimble of wine, uncle George has a lengthy discussion with aunt Doris about the destruction of their local pub during the Blitz and whether it happened on a Tuesday or Saturday, and everyone has a very uncomfortable moment when a secret is revealed and you find out that back in 1942 a long passed-on relative was caught in a compromising position with a sailor… all the while I’m thinking up an excuse to get out to have a drink with a friend.

But, there are things I really love about Christmas too, like seeing some of the friends I’ve missed all year through my lack of FaceBook dedication, the look of joy on a persons face when they open that present and find that first edition book you found for them and they’ve wanted since they were a spotty teenager with greasy hair nodding along to Nirvana in your bedroom, and the rowdy parties where there is bound to be a really hot guy just desperate for someone to date for just a couple of weeks so he won’t have to rely on a previous shag buddy on New Year.

I know you might think I must be really good a buying presents for others now I’ve mentioned that first edition book, right? Well, that’s a rare occurrence, and I maybe get that reaction once over the holiday. Normally I end up buying my friends something pretty predictable and boring.

It’s not my fault I cant stand the shopping trips and increasingly buy everything on the internet. I have a phobia of adults dressed as Santa’s helpers, and all that cheesy Christmas music playing in all the shops really could lead to a strangling spree with tinsel being the weapon of choice!

So, this year, I think I have decided that all of my friends are getting adult gifts, toys, from one place. That way I can guarantee to shock everyone, and please them all at the same time. I know that although they might go red and make assertions that they would “never use such a thing”, they’ll be at home that night getting it on with their inanimate object (or, in the case of battery powered devices, very animated!)

I can’t really loose with some adult toys, can I?

For Sally, the almost virginal religious and conservative ex-colleague – a Rampant Rabbit.

For Geoff, the straight gym jock who we all have doubts about – an Aneros with some lube.

For Carl, the party animal who gets far too much sex already (and we’re all secretly jealous of) – some “Delay” cream.

And for Steven, the handsome college boy just exploring his gay side – a years supply of assorted flavored condoms.

Bring on Christmas, and may it be extremely merry for all! ;)

I saw something truly fascinating yesterday, and although it is an emotive discussion, it actually raised questions for me that it seems a lot of others hadn’t really considered. I’ll warn you now, this post might not be easy to read!

So a few weeks ago I brought up the Occupy movement and how it seems that a new wave of civil protest is braking out. This of course started on September 17th (my birthday, coincidentally!) and since then we’ve seen some remarkable events.

Primarily, we’ve seen enormous protests in solidarity all over the world. There have been messages of support back and forth between England, Australia, USA, Spain, Egypt, France, Ireland, Japan and hundreds of capital cities in countries all over the planet. Occupations have arisen in all corners, with hundreds of thousands of people calling for everything from gay rights to the end of banker bonuses. Students are demanding a fair education, mothers are demanding  adequate health care, unions are calling for fair workers rights…

But along with the amazing outpouring of a demand for justice, there have also been some impressive shows of force by those in positions of power. Notably, in the USA, the right to freedom of assembly has been under attack, with some cities allocating time slots for citizens to express themselves, some forcibly evicting protesters and – in the case of Oakland California – brutally crushing the right to protest with the use of weaponry.

That brings me to the crux of this post.

We saw a couple of Marines join the Wall Street protests after the girls were attacked by the NYPD, and they vowed to defend their fellow Americans against the violence. This was, without a doubt, a very noble and moral thing to do.

But, on Tuesday 25th October, we saw things go wonky in Oakland. The Oakland PD (in conjunction with other law enforcement departments from neighboring areas) arrived to enforce an eviction demand enacted by Mayor Jean Quan. Ironically, she came to fame for being an active member of the rights movements previously and was seen as an advocate of Liberal policies. Unfortunately, it seems that the old line of power being a corrupting force has been proven in her case.

When protesters arrived in the evening to reclaim their rightful place in the heart of the city, they were met with brute force. Officers fired tear gas, rubber bullets and “flash bang” grenades at protesters (Oakland Police have denied this, despite these weapons being filmed in use). There are reports that an LRAD weapon (sound cannon) was on scene and ready to be deployed. This is a military grade weapon, illegal for use against American citizens.

In the proceeding violence a young man fell to the ground. His name is Scott Olsen. Other occupiers quickly arrived to assist him – then a grenade was thrown by an officer directly into the crowd, exploding inches from Scott’s head. Police ignored calls for medical assistance from the crowd, and his fellow protesters carried him to safety. Scott was found to have a skull fracture and ended up in a medically induced coma.

While he is now stable and awake, his memory is reportedly impeded and his speech is slurred. There are fears that he may have suffered permanent brain damage.

The following day it became apparent that Scott Olsen is a veteran. He served two tours in Iraq for his country. Yes, the 24 year old served for his country twice in a war zone, came home safely, and was almost killed by the Police of California.

When this came to light, US marine Jay C Gentile posted the following pic -

Almost immediately hundreds of other veterans and serving military joined in with their condemnation, demanding several things including comment from President Obama, the resignations of Mayor Quan and her senior police officers, and calling for larger protests against those restricting the freedom of assembly in every city in America.

But – and this is the hard part – what if Scott hadn’t been a veteran?

I’m all for the sudden outpouring of support and solidarity with the brotherhood, but would we be seeing the same thing if the person who is now in a hospital bed recovering from a critical injury were gay, or black, or a student, or unemployed… Would the military actually care if it was “just another regular American”?

I know, it’s a hard thought to have. These people are noble for standing up now, but where were they all when they were watching those girls being maced by the NYPD? Why did that event only illicit a response from a handful of military men when this has gained hundreds of serving and veteran marines? Where were all these heroes during other violent crackdowns on protest in America? Scott is not the first, and he certainly won’t be the last.

Ultimately, it’s a great thing that they have stepped up and vowed to defend their fellow citizens against the brutality of numerous out of control Police establishments and local authorities in America. We all know that things are getting dangerous, and as the violence is stepped up by those in blue, the people will need the boys in camo to defend them. In the last couple of weeks we’ve seen groups being announced including OccupyTeachers, OccupyPolice and OccupyTheBoardRoom – but most importantly, OccupyMarines.

Hundreds of serving and veteran Marines are now signing up to Occupy alongside their fellow Americans. It’s just a shame that it took the attempted murder of a fellow Marine to get them moving to defend their people on home soil.

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Levi Crocker is hands down the hottest guy on Dallas A-List and may be the most hung but what does he have going on underneath all those clothes? Here (click more) are some pics of the gay rodeo boy shirtless!

Now let’s talk about Taylor. He seemed kind of cute at first then he started sounding dumber and dumber with his George W. Bush talk. I can’t see the same sexual interest Levi Crocker would have in Taylor but maybe there is something down there we can’t find on TV. His gay girl friend Ashley seems to have made friends with everyone on the show. I have to wonder if she drinks or clubs?

One of my favorite parts of the show was when James Doyle was asked if he had sex with Levi before and he replied something similar to “we just exchanged fluids”. I also liked the hair scenes with Chase. I know what its like to have hair that changes and has its own mindset everyday and is unpredictable.

Parts of the show were strangely nothing like living in Dallas it is not that Baptist on the gay side of life. Remember we are the ones that have the so-called “Christians” outside our clubs still haunting us and stalking us to “make a change” and join their team against how we were born. They are out there with their hate singing and trying to shove the bible in our faces right there at Throckmorton and Cedar Springs every weekend. The show is a bit too focused on making us look like Southern Baptists here in Big D.

I feel that Chase has that draw to be an oil tycoon on a real Dallas show. His voice is kind of Scott McQueery in its uniqueness but so much accent. He has hot legs though and some fun, wild hair. Levi is more the star of the show at least from the first episode. Levi and James are definitely the more outspoken ones on the show but the real troublemaker seems to be Phillip Willis. Phillip Willis is welcomed as the first black man to the A-list series but may end up being the most drama (but isn’t that what reality TV is about). The girl on the show Ashley is not the first girl since A-List NYC had Nyasha.

So you ask who was Krystal the girl shown a few times at the Rodeo and at dinner with James? That would be Krystal Summers who stars in a movie Trannies with Knives and is one of the headlining drag queens at the Rose Room inside Station 4 of Dallas. You will most likely see more of her as the series goes on with the summer of 2011.

There will probably be more haters of the show than anything especially with Ann Coulter appearing on the show in an upcoming episode but it’s really not too bad. While the show really does not portray Dallas 100% as it should be from our gay scene it will most likely do a better job in upcoming episodes. There is always jealousy and the feeling of wanting to be with that boy who never really liked you back and I think we could all feel for James in that part. Levi is supposed to be the Reichen of the show with more of the jock and player character. It will be interesting to see what the next episode brings and if they stir enough drama to bring back another season. It comes on next week at a better time which is definitely a better thing since us Dallas Baptists have to be in bed around 9pm… we have bibles to read at 8pm. Yee-haw!

Bravo has the reality show Most Eligible Dallas. This show follows a group of young, successful, and single friends, throughout their lives. You have beauty queens and pro football players, and everyone is looking for love. Meet Courtney Kerr, the 29 year old who works in the fashion industry, and is best friends with Matt. She is outspoken and career driven. She wants nothing more than to be a good wife and mother, but cannot seem to find Mr. Right. Her best friend Matt Nordgren is the 28 year old ex former college Quarterback who now works in the family business. He is a serial dater, and Courtney is always quick to find flaw with his many woman friends. Enter 23-year-old aspiring singer Neill Skylar. Neill is the single mother to a one year old and she and Matt quickly develop feelings for each other, a fact that does not sit well with best friend Courtney. You can see where this is going, and these are just three of the characters on this popular reality series.

Logo is launching The A-List Dallas, which is premiering on October 10. Now this show follows a group of five gay men and their girl pal Ashley, and you can be sure there will be some truly outrageous drama unfolding on this reality show. The Logo website hilariously calls the show “Housewives with Balls”. You have James, who is your party guy and serial dater, every show has one. He comes from money, so work is optional, and he opts not to. Levi is your past rodeo star who now works for the family business, and has launched a line of swimwear for gay men. Taylor is the Christian gay republican, and Chase has the career in finance, and is looking for Mr. Right. Phillip is the one you do not want to cross because he knows everyone’s secrets. This show is sure to be entertaining, and sure to have everyone talking.

Big Rich Texas on mystyle follows a group of successful Dallas mothers and their daughters. This elite group of women has careers ranging from the marketing executive, to the runway model. Each woman is career driven and passionate, and tries to pass that knowledge on to the group of four daughters on the show. The daughters range in age from 15-22.

Not to be outdone by the reality shows, TNT is bringing back the hit soap opera style drama, Dallas. Dallas first aired back in 1978, and was a hit for thirteen years. It featured the Ewing family, and dealt with wealthy Texas oil millionaires. The show was so popular, if you ask anyone where they where during the airing of The Who Shot J.R. episode, the answer is sure to be in front of the television. It is still one of the most watched episodes of all time. Staying true to the soap opera format, the show had a lot cheating, backstabbing, divorcing, and fighting, and the spin-off will be sure to have more of the same. The show is set to air summer 2012, and with stars like Jesse Metcalfe, and Jordana Brewster, the show is sure to be a hit.

It is apparent that Dallas has all the fun, and all the drama, glitz, glamour, and love.

Susan Sarandon At Occupy Wall Street

If you blinked, you might have missed it on your nightly news, but that’s probably because all major news broadcasters are suspiciously quiet about it.

There’s something going on in Wall Street, and this time it isn’t another too-big-to-fail being given your tax money, or the markets on a slump because of the likelihood of Greece collapsing.

Firstly, I’ll give you a little background info…

On the 17th September, Anonymous (the infamous Internet group responsible for publicly trolling Scientology, taking down several sites in defense of Wikileaks and defacing all of the Syrian government websites – among other things) planned to invade wall street and start their own popular uprising against corporate greed and influence on government. They were ambitions, stating 20k people might be there. Of course, these things don’t quite start like that. So instead there was a gathering of maybe 50 people. This soon turned into a couple of thousand when they marched on Wall Street itself from their base at Liberty Plaza.

I picked up the story on sept 24th when a friend – knowing how I love a good cause to get behind – sent me a link to a video of a group of female protesters being sprayed with MACE at point-blank range by LAPD Officer Tony Bologne (yes, that is his real name!)

Suddenly, word was spreading. Their peaceful protest and uneventful marches were suddenly out there saturating the Internet. The Information Superhighway was seething with anger at the blatant abuse of freedom and rights, resulting in many thousands more joining the cause.

The numbers of those camped out in Liberty Plaza has grown, with supplies and donations from people all around the world who want to see the corporate interests pushed out of government. Similar protests are now being organized for cities all across America, and the world.

Why is this important to us, the gay community?

Apart from us being a part of the wider community that all of this affects, the Occupy Wall Street protesters have gone to great lengths to be inclusive of the LGBT community, often bringing it up in discussion in their videos and live broadcasts, inviting people to come and take part, no matter what your race, religion, sexual orientation or political leaning. On Tuesday the 27th, Michael Moore appeared to show his support and speak to the protesters. I know, sometimes he can be a right pain in the butt, right? But he again brought up the fact that America was changing, and that now over 50% of Americans believe that gay marriage should be legal and recognized. This brought cheers from the crowd around him.

Ultimately, this is everyones fight. This isn’t about whether you support Obama or not. This isn’t about whether you believe in capitalism or not. It’s about whether you are happy to sit back and watch as the corporations control your government. It’s about stopping the 1% who control 90% of the wealth. It’s about making it clear to your government that your rights matter, and that corporations do not have the right to be your rulers by paying off your elected.

Some of us remember the struggle of the LGBT community, and without those brave people we would not have the freedom we now have. Plenty of us are educated enough to know of the struggles other communities have faced to rectify society.

All of those events involved just a section of society, this fight involves all of us.

Dancing With the Stars is making its awaited return, following in the footsteps of some other shows in a similar vein and becoming a little more risky too.

It should be said here that I don’t watch these shows. There’s something about them that unsettles me. It seems as if media is forever being watered-down, designed for the brain-dead. And I have to say that I view all of these shows in a similar way. I know, I know, I’m being too judgmental, but I can’t help it. I feel as though I should say that some of my closest friends watch these shows! :)

But I was interested to see the news that Chaz Bono is to appear in the new season of Dancing With the Stars, and – I believe – not for the reasons that you might expect either!

While commentators in the equality movement are praising it as a great move by the producers, and while I’m sure many in the transgender community are celebrating some recognition in mainstream media, is anyone stopping to think about why this is being done and what the ultimate results could be?

Chaz himself has stated that he believes it’s a good opportunity to show the world that transgender people are normal, everyday, fun and interesting people. And while I agree that these messages need to be made clear throughout media, I have to question if this is the right format for it or if the hearts and minds of all those involved are in the right place.

In 2004 the UK saw transgender reality TV star Nadia Almada successfully win the Big Brother show, going on to appear in the US version a year later. While she was an incredible hit in the UK, with viewers loving her witty and honest attitude to life, the press were initially far from favorable. In fact, many only came around to acknowledging her a valid competitor when they realized they were loosing track of public sentiment.

Some of the trash they printed about her was pretty horrific, with those opposed to anything LGBT-related in vociferous uproar at every opportunity. And I hate to have to point this out, but America is certainly behind the UK when it comes to the acceptance of gender diversity.

As if the addition of Chaz into the show was not enough, they’re also inviting fashion guru Carson Kressley to take part too. Can the religious right survive such a thing without their heads simultaneously exploding all over the country?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting for one minute that this should be reconsidered or abandoned, I’m just suggesting that perhaps people still have a rose-tinted view of the media that we feed off of. This is not a move by a studio to be “inclusive” and support the sexuality and gender equality movement. This is a studio knowing that they have to create more drama to compete with other shows who do it better. And if we admit for just a second that this could indeed be the case, what lengths would they go to during the show to create more drama and secure those ratings?

It’s all about mixing high-drama in there, and people are used as props to do it. They know very well that masses of wordage will be espoused through every media outlet discussing the “abhorrent” and “influential” effect such a show might be having on the youth of today, and they’ll use that to boost their ratings.

But, there is the other side of the coin too. Perhaps this could be used as intended and real progress actually be made? Maybe Chaz knows very well what the motives are and intends to carry himself with such charm and poise as to completely disarm the cretins I believe have some interesting twists planned?

I guess we won’t know until we see the story unfolding…

It should seem obvious, the European Court Of Human Rights (ECHR) is founded on the principal of supporting equality and freedom for all, regardless of race, religion, sexuality…

Of course, those who are staunchly “Godly” see it in a completely different light, with many maintaining their intolerance and bigotry in the face of what their religion supposedly teaches.

While on the one hand there are token expressions of peace, love and tolerance (which is what religion is SUPPOSED to be about) many neglect this aspect entirely. They don’t seem to recognize their own hypocrisy; they claim to wish to maintain the status quo, the “true” word of their God, while selecting the right quotes and passages from a wide array and neglecting the very fundamental message.
They also call this the word of God while neglecting the fact those words have been altered, translated, rewritten and distorted numerous times to suit those in positions of authority, or those who wish to gain authority over followers.

None of this is new, of course. But the fight being taken to the ECHR, with renewed support from the Alliance Defense Fund, could see a long fight ahead.

It begins with four cases taken to the ECHR by British individuals who claim that they have been discriminated against through their requirement to serve gay people.
These people presumably believe that gay people are not equal to them. They believe that they are somehow superior. And they wish to challenge a law affecting millions of people because they feel “uncomfortable”.

Lets be clear here, the employment rights of one should not take priority over the fundamental Human Rights of another. Basically, I believe that the rights of religious people to refuse to work with gay people on religious grounds does not take priority over the rights of those gay people to be treated equally.

So why is the Alliance Defense Fund – A right-wing American consortium – becoming involved in the battle? The last time I checked, America was not a European nation. So, it might be fair to ask why a right-wing religious group from Arizona is meddling in the rights of others thousands of miles away. It would be like the English Defense League (widely viewed as a racist, homophobic and highly bigoted far-right group in the UK) deciding to become involved in the US legal system in an attempt to revoke the right to vote from non-white racial groups. Would that be accepted?

So, here’s my take on it all, and it might not be what you expect…

Let them have their way. GIve those four people what they want in respect of refusing to serve gay people. Don’t provide them with any financial gain, but allow them to work without having to meet the legal requirements of their employers. Let them change their working hours so they can avoid a legal requirement, but do not allow their employers to breach equality laws.

Why do I say this? Because those who refuse to bend to social changes become quickly irrelevant. The more they cry and stamp their feet, and the more they demand that the world remain in the dark ages to suit their views, the quicker they will become defunct.
Numbers attending religious services are collapsing, with churches closing every week. Those willing to embrace the modern world will succeed, and those who maintain their bigotry and hateful ways will become extinct.

They are out of touch with the rest of society. They’re like the despot refusing to accept that his power is gone even as the rebels beat at his door. They are the stubborn people who would rather drive into a lake than admit they read the map wrong.

There are thousands of others out there who have managed to reconcile their religious conviction with serving the gay community, and they will grow and grow with support throughout society. Those who want to spend their days screaming about what they think is right and wrong about other people loving each other will become increasingly less relevant to society.

Ultimately, we have already won. All we have to do is sit back and watch them embarrassing themselves and wasting their lives feeling hatred for others. We should pity them, not hate them in return.

I am of course talking about the wave of violence which recently shook Britain – and Philadelphia. Why is that relevant to us? There are plenty out there casting blame and offering excuses, stating disaffection and brutality, racism and injustice. Where were we when we were facing similar? Our very lifestyles were illegal at one time, and yet I don’t recall gangs of queers attacking shops and stealing HD TV’s! Did we miss our chance to do what we liked while blaming everyone else but ourselves? No, it’s not simply about a group of society being routinely under attack from outside forces or being denied a fair existence. That’s far too simple an excuse.

It all began on Thursday 4th August in an anti-gun operation in London, when 29 year old Mark Duggan was shot and killed by Police. It was understood at that time that an exchange of fire had occurred and that the Police had to act. Cases like this are automatically referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Unfortunately, neither the Metropolitan Police nor the IPCC bothered to discuss anything the with the family of the deceased. They were left to deal with their grief without knowing what had happened, and without any assurance that it would be thoroughly investigated. At the very least, as a mark or respect and reassurance, they should have been consulted about the death of Mark Duggan.

On Saturday, anger had increased at the lack of information or even basic respect for the family, a vigil was held in Tottenham outside the local Police station. This then became violent.

Cars were set alight, Police came under attack and the London Fire Service had been called to attend numerous fires in the area as Police struggled to maintain control.

That’s how it started. Like numerous other public disturbances all around the world, an injustice is perceived, and those in positions of authority are deemed to be the enemy.

However, there are a few things that quickly became clear; Mr Mark Duggan had possession of a firearm. Whether he fired it or not is irrelevant prior to the investigation. Police are required to take adequate action to defend themselves and protect others against an armed individual. While the circumstances of the incident do have to be clarified, he was carrying a loaded weapon in a country where such weapons are illegal and deadly force can be used to stop them. In addition, the Duggan family understood that what was happening was not in response to the death of Mark. They were immediately condemning the massive destruction around them and making it clear that it was not related to his death.

We also have to look at what happened next, after the initial protest turned violent in Tottenham. While the buildings burned and over 20 local people were forced to flee from their homes as they watched their possessions go up in flames, the looting started. Kids and young adults attacked their own local businesses. It was no longer about an injustice, it was now about selfish greed and a complete lack of respect for any other Human.

Personally, I think the Police made a fatal error on this night (and subsequent nights). They stood back and watched the community be torn apart by gangs of roaming young thugs who value Nike footwear more than Human life. It was clear from everyone in the country that they should have been acting to prevent it from spreading. But, fearful of making things worse and turning it back into a race issue, they stood back and allowed it to happen.

This spread the message across the country that the Police were unable or unwilling to act, and it showed gangs of kids that they have strength in numbers. We have seen governments fall through the sheer swell of Human will, and we know that when the people of a nation come together they can outnumber and outmanoeuvre any authority.

In this case, however, it wasn’t about an unjust government, or even an unfair social system. It was about sheer greed and consumerism, arrogance and selfish attitude, violence and the glorification of criminality.

What many do not know about the Riots in the UK is that it didn’t just happen in London, Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool and Manchester. It happened everywhere. Numerous smaller towns and cities saw flash looting as kids in all areas decided that they could get away with it too. It might have been on a smaller scale, but it was happening all over the country.

Now we have the inevitable mess afterwards, where pundits and talking heads all vie for their camera time and people who elected themselves as “spokespeople” for communities try to excuse the actions of their young thugs. We’re hearing people talk about lack of opportunity, disaffection, government cuts and racism, all offering some kind of explanation other than “they’re just criminal thugs”.

I’m very liberal, I believe that people should be able to do as they wish as long as they don’t harm others. But I do not subscribe to the idea that we need to look further than their immediate families and friends to understand why this happened. Their exposure to Police and government is not as consistent as their exposure to their family, friends and environment. If we want to place blame anywhere, it should be placed at the feet of the single mother who gets wasted every weekend and leaves her kids with others, or the parents who don’t bother to ask where their 16 year old is a midnight, the absent father and the mother who can’t be bothered to sit with their kids to help them with their homework, or the family who places value on material gain while not offering their kids any tools to improve their lives and actually achieve something.

We only need to look at the words and responses of the parents of these kids as they rush from the courts after standing before a judge. They yell abuse at the press, they feel like the victims, they demand respect while refusing to offer it back. These are the people who are raising these kids, and once you see how their parents act, it’s no surprise that these kids have become the animals they now are.

However, although I do not often subscribe the theory of media influence (I didn’t when it was Manson blamed for Columbine, for example), I do accept that much of the culture we are looking at reinforces the “I DEMAND!” attitude. It’s like a perfect storm, we have a youth across the country who have very low moral values through pathetic parental example, while they have music surrounding them telling them that if they can’t afford something they should take it through any means. They’re told that they deserve things, and that they don’t have to work like the rest of us to get them. They’re bombarded with advertising and media placing value on status and property. They’re encouraged to believe that they live in a survivalist society where anything is justified as long as they get what they want – not what they need.

So, what do we do now? As the businesses rebuild and the lives lost remembered and mourned, as people gather together to help those who have lost their homes, we need to do several things to fix this society, and none of them involve providing excuses to mindless thugs who DO know better and chose to follow their culturally induced greed instead…

We need the Police to act with reasonable force in the right circumstances. It’s not hard. We saw them charge at protesters in London at the student protests, and that was without mass destruction, looting and fire-bombing. During the first night they should have used force to stop it, and if it continued the following night baton rounds and tear gas should have been used. Because they didn’t act, it emboldened kids up and down the country to do the same.

We can all recognize the difference between a political protest and a violent riot. Why was it that students and those protesting events such as the G20 are treated to such overwhelming Police control, and yet violent looters destroying businesses and homes with no political opinion at all are allowed to continue? There is something deeply suspicious about this. Are we to believe that the Police were too scared to act? All of a sudden? I don’t think so. This needs to be clarified for the future, with specific events and actions leading to an immediate escalation of Police response. For example, if more than ten people are involved and a business is looted, the officers are then given authority to use baton rounds.

We need to name and shame those families who have done such a thoroughly disgusting job of raising their kids. I was born in North London, we were a poor family with two working parents, and we would never have even remotely considered behaving like this. We weren’t raised to value material gain above moral decency. But even if that were not the case, we would have been too ashamed to disappoint our parents! We’ve lost the social responsibility that is encouraged by shame. If people were antisocial back when I was a child, people knew about it. Parents didn’t want to be the outcasts in their society because of the actions of their kids, and that helped to keep them in line. Parents are no longer scared of being seen as failures, because their identities are often protected from the press. They should not be protected, they should be publicly humiliated.

We need to send those responsible for violence and destruction to prison, for reasonable sentences. We need those who are too young or those found to have taken part in a minor way to face community service, visible to all those they hurt and visible to all those kids out there who think they have a right to act in this way and without consequences.

And, perhaps as a concession to all those extreme liberal “hug a hoodie” people out there who would like to blame society, the Police, the government (basically anyone but the individual committing the crime), we should explore methods to get these kids into programs that further their education. Quite simply, we should perhaps look at doing the job their parents should have done and try to save the next group of kids from being raised in the same way. Those kids should be forced to work for their benefits. Whether it’s cleaning up graffiti or replacing the windows they’ve smashed, rebuilding the Reeves furniture store or working on the Police patrol vehicles, they need to be put to work and they need to start realizing that claiming benefits is not an acceptable career.

For now, the chaos in the UK is over. But unless we learn the lessons from this and take action to show that it will not be tolerated, it will happen again. We need to show these criminals that society is not going to be their victim, and that doesn’t mean giving them more money or more state resources – it means forcing individuals and families to be decent members of society, with consequences if they refuse.

I have no doubt that you’ve heard the news already. Of course, something like this travels fast across the tangled web of the Internet. Twitter lights up with fans expressing their grief, Facebook goes into overdrive with fan pages and memorials, bloggers start tapping away with gushing emotion… And I join the outpouring.

I hope you like metaphorical posts, because that’s the way I plan to do this.

I was a little late to the Winehouse party. A good friend of mine who knows I love house parties invited me along, suggesting that the music was something a little different, and that people really loved it.

So while I don’t normally like that kind of popular music, I was actually really impressed to hear it when I got there. It was a great mix of blues, soul and jazz with a modern twist, and I found myself dancing along to it. It was a really great house, quite beautiful. The whole place was packed with original style and the owner seemed to have a lot of pride in the place.

It was packed with all kinds of people, old and young, alternative and mainstream. I guess I was having a great time for the first hour or so, meeting new people and checking the place out. But then I started to look around and realized that something wasn’t quite right.

There were a couple of kids throwing up on the balcony. When I went to the bathroom I squeezed past a stumbling young guy to get in and there was a sheen of white powder across the wash basin. In the hall a couple were getting far too friendly while others walked around them. Outside the front door a young couple were screaming at each other, yelling obscenities and slapping each other while the neighbors looked on in disgust.

Then something happened to the CD player, and the music started to jump. It sounded so terrible and everyone who had been dancing and having a great time gave up and took a seat. A few people tried to fix it, but after another hour it was obvious that whatever they were doing was just making it worse. It was really bad, you couldn’t understand the lyrics and although the music seemed to make sense, the energy had gone.

People started to leave. Every time another bottle smashed or another person fell unconscious the numbers thinned out. But a few stuck around and kept on listening to the stereo even though the music was impossible to appreciate. I guess they’d never heard such music before and were not quite ready to let it go just yet.

That’s when I left. I had the music playing in my head, and I really didn’t want to ruin what had otherwise been a good night. It was so sad to see the house being trashed in front of me and hear that music becoming nothing more than a horrid noise.

What had been a beautiful home had become little more than a crack house. There were a few people who were trying to stop the destruction, but it seemed futile. As I walked out the door I knew the party would be raided and closed down pretty soon, and I didn’t want to be there. Plenty of people I talked to as we were leaving thought the house might even be totally destroyed; it was so out of control it was more like a riot than a party.

In conclusion, the party started great. But soon it became clear that it was out of control. I think we all knew that it would end in a mess, we just hoped that maybe it would calm down and could carry on.

Ultimately, Amy Winehouse was an adult, capable of making her own decisions and responsible for her own health. While it is probably right to feel sad that such talent was lost, do we celebrate recklessness and addiction in any other aspect of life? I believe we should mourn, but with a certain perspective – just as we mourned the death of Kurt Cobain, River Phoenix or Marilyn Monroe.

R.I.P. Amy.

Yeah, he is pretty isn’t he? I have to admit I am a sucker for a handsome face and a confident attitude. And, being a gay guy who divides his time between sleeping, gym, the clubs and the Internet (that’s pretty much my life, and I love it) I am a big fan of the English Lads site. I’m sure you know why, given that their tag line is “Uncut Amateurs – Just That Little Bit Hotter”.

I like plenty of the guys there. In fact, I like them so much that I became involved in some fan blogs for a couple of the guys, featuring their content and promoting them a little. It’s a fun thing to do when I have a little time to do it.

Model Josh Peters was actually on my list of guys to promote too, with his hot muscled bod and all that attitude in his pics. Unfortunately, that attitude seems to extend beyond his on-camera image.

You see, one of the blogs I enjoy reading (Queerty) had featured the sexy young man on their site a while ago, showing their appreciation for his modeling work and sporting career.

But before I get into the whole story, let me give you a little background info.

Josh Peters is an MMA Fighter. For those not “in the know” MMA is a combat sport combining various aspects of several styles of martial arts. So now you know where he developed that athletic body. That just makes him a little hotter, am I right? Yeah, that’s what I thought too.

Next up, the guy is a professional male model, I believe he’s signed to a UK agency. And still he gets a little hotter, yes?

Our friends over at Queerty added a little content featuring the young hunk, which is a great thing to do and can really do wonders for a young guys career. You know that any post on a blog can really thrust a person into the limelight and if the content is good there’s a real chance of getting something more out of it too. It can really make a career.

So, you’d think that perhaps, if the young man in question happened to stumble across the post, he might send them a message saying thanks. A nice post featuring you is good thing, no?

Unfortunately, Queerty reports that the response they got from this young man when he saw it was anything but appreciative.

Subject: Remove me now

I am getting Sick of finding myself on these stupid gay sites. - Josh Peters

Wow. A guy who wants to be a male model, and poses pretty much nude but for a carefully placed hand, decides to piss off his primary fan base. I guess no one told him that the money in modeling is in high fashion, and that Gay men have a disposable income and an interest in fashion that rivals the likes of your average female pop superstar.

The conversation could have ended there, but after the guys on the site replied pointing out that he might be supporting the stereotype that models have a less than average IQ (of course, they did it in the nicest possible way) he came back with a retort that would make the English fellows of Oxford or Cambridge proud:

I guess you have to be a bumboy to find what you put on that site funny. - Josh Peters

Someone call in a PR rep, stat!

So what is a guy with this kind of attitude supposed to do? Yeah, that’s right, become a gay porn star of course! What else could he do but submit to what he found so offensive to begin with?

But it doesn’t end there folks. Not only is the previously homophobic lad getting naked and having fun on camera for the “bumboy’s” to enjoy, he’s letting other guys “do stuff” for him.

Perhaps he found a PR rep after all?

The second part of Shingles came on this summer right after I was re-potting trees outside in my backyard I got some dirt in my face which could have been a factor, My computer at home went out on me causing about as much stress as an animal dying because my computer is a human to me it has all my tax and business info on it and is something I cannot loose. Well It was lost as the motherboard crashed and they are telling me I cannot save my harddisk. The computer is still in repair at Sony and that could take months as slow as they are. Another factor is we had a trip planned to Puerto Vallarta and the humidity was overwhelming and I could feel myself getting sick but at that point I thought it was a sinus infection with my eye running non-stop. I did start feeling a strange tingling sensation when I laid down that I knew was not allergies. Something bad was going on.

When I returned from PVR I asked the Physicians Assistant what it could be and she said Sininutis. So she gave me the steroid and some Amoxyicilyn antibiotics. I took that for a day then discovered when I laid down there was a deeper, more fierce pain in my head when I laid down which could no way be allergies. There was also slight swelling around my eye. I thought I had some kind of cancer and was really freaking out.

I went back into the doctor this time and not the P.A. and he said as soon as he walked in the room I had Shingles. From there on the pain kept going up and up and it still has not ended. I got on Valtrex for one cycle plus added 3 days for my eye that was completely red. The Eye dr was worried about the redness in my eye and the inflammation in which I took a dilating drop every 3 hours and a steriod in my eye for every hour all during July 4th week and weekend. That will keep you off the lake and away from the bright sunshine. Although its also hard to drive in the daylight like this.

The shingles pain was a non-stop pain that really got annoying and made you just want to hang yourself. Just horrible. Then came the post-neuro pain which may even be worse it is SERIOUS and something my body just had to give me. The post pain has lasted now about 2 weeks and about 3 times a day it flares up somewhere on the head or eye area and then gives me this outrageous pain that even a terrorist suspect or someone on the electric chair would not even feel. This is a pain that feels like its going across the side of my head and back to the back and then in one targeted area near my eye with the piercing pain.

The shingles affected me from my right nose to my eye brow area around my eye lid over to the sides and all the way up to the end of the right scalp which is a horrible place to have this because there will be no combing or washing of the hair.

I have started taking Gabapentin which has helped some but yet I still get these 1 or 2 a day hardcore targeted pains that make me want to go into a seizure. Ambien for sleep and still doing the steroid eye drops even though my eye is still very irritated and blurry mostly.

I hope this ends it is killing me, hurting my business, and most of all taking away from my time I spend with others. With this horrible Shingles and Post pain it is really hard to be able to have dinner with friends or simple things like exercising. I am scared to get into the pool in case the water hits my head the wrong way and brings me into a pain measure.

I plan on going to the pain dr to hope something will help with this and pray that it ends soon because I do not think my body can handle much more of it.

What a tumultuous few days it’s been for the current “Queen of Pop”. As if her punishing schedule of promotional appearances and interviews in Japan were not enough, she now has to deal with accusations attacking her integrity, and a potential lawsuit.

It’s no wonder the 25 year old superstar was caught balling at the MTV Video Music Aid Japan event, organized to raise funds for the Japanese Red Cross in the wake of the catastrophic Earthquake and Tsunami which rocked both the country and the global attitude to Nuclear energy.

It has to be said that the lovely Gaga was not in fact weeping at the thought of being sued, she was in fact discussing the tragic loss of life caused by the disaster, and begging the people of the world to support the beautiful country through much-needed tourism.

Why is she being sued? It seems that a gentleman by the name of Ari Kresch, from a Michigan-based law practice has been denied access to Lady GaGa’s financial records. Oh, yes, that’s shocking isn’t it, apparently we can’t just call up demanding to see the personal and professional finances of our favorite celebrity whenever we want!

Who’d have thunk it!

On the day of the disaster, the Gaga team (does she have a team? I’m guessing so) immediately started work on the project, designing and selling charitable wristbands for all of her Little Monsters to wear in support of her beloved Japanese fans. And it seems to have raised a considerable chunk of money too, adding to what Lady Gaga herself has donated to the cause.

So, despite the fact that Gaga is worth countless millions, and is possibly already one of the most wealthy women in music, and despite the fact that she donated several million dollars to charity following the disaster, this lawyer thinks that she might have been pocketing some of the cash from the sale of charitable wristbands through her site, rather than donating the money.

Yes, that really sounds like the actions of a woman who already donated plenty of cash from her personal fortune, and a woman who routinely becomes emotional when talking about Human rights and Humanitarian causes!

Okay, if you cant sense my sarcasm at various points throughout this post just let me know and I’ll come back in to highlight the relevant lines ;)

What do I think? I think the guy should consider going after some of the real criminals in the world, instead of attacking a celebrity in an effort to grab some publicity, because with all the corruption and greed out there, perpetrated by some insanely huge corporations, I fail to see why Gaga would be a logical choice for any other reason than gaining notoriety.

I could of course be wrong, but I doubt it.

Now I suspect Arachnophiles out there will be wondering where the Tarantula makes an entrance to this post. The piano on stage at the recent Tokyo performance was “disguised” as a Tarantula. Just an interesting thing to note!