Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Way Fucking Kewl
We've been waiting a long time for the "digital sketchpad" to become reality — and as cool as tablets are, they haven't really been able to nail it. But the Wacom Inkling ($200) looks like it has. It includes a small receiver that attaches to any sketchbook or normal piece of paper and an electronic sketch pen that work together to record your sketches stroke-by-stroke, which can then be transferred over USB and into Photoshop, Illustrator, Sketchbook Pro, or any number of traditional image formats.
I'm gonna have to start whoring my cock out to buy all the new toy's I want.
Big Boi Toy's
Most Advanced Jet Ever Requires New Breed of Pilot:
Earlier this summer, the U.S. Air Force took delivery of the first production of Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II -- the world’s most advanced multirole aircraft. It is the most expensive single U.S. military procurement project in history and is expected to replace a wide range of aircraft in the military’s inventory.
Designated AF-9, the newly delivered jet is a multi-role conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) version of the futuristic fighter plane known as Joint Strike Fighter, which has been chosen by the air forces of Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Australia, Denmark and Norway.
Military Tech in Action
Our picks of the best new images of the military in action, highlighting the technology that the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines deal with every day.
Two other variants of the Joint Strike Fighter have been developed and are currently under testing: a short take off and vertical landing one, designated F-35B, and the F-35C carrier-based variant, selected for aircraft carrier operations by the U.S. Navy and the UK’s Royal Air Force. Israel will employ a customized version designated F-35I.
The F-35 Lightning II is a fifth generation fighter. It combines the high speed and agility of fast jet planes with modern technologies such as radar-evading fiber mat skins and gigabit data networking for net-centric warfare.
New breed of fighter pilots
The Joint Strike fighter aircraft is designed to improve a pilot’s situational awareness by and collecting and combining data from different onboard and offboard data sources into a single detailed view of the surrounding airspace and battlefield.
Like most modern advanced fighter planes, it contains a complex weapon system: pilots have to focus on information management, rather than worrying about “flying the aircraft.” For this reason, today’s fighter pilots are more like system administrators or information managers than the iconic Top Guns of the past.
“With previous generations fighters, flying the airplane required 80 percent of the pilot’s effort,” said one pilot of the Italian Air Force who has recently taken part to Unified Protector in Libya with the Eurofighter Typhoon, Europe’s most advanced fighter.
“With modern planes, the basic handling it’s quite simple and represents no more than 20 percent: they almost fly autonomously. On the other side, management of the huge amount of information that it provides can be overwhelming [and] is quite demanding,” this pilot told TechNewsDaily under condition of anonymity.
Lt.Col. Salvatore “Cheero” Ferrara, an Italian Air Force pilot assigned to the JSF program at Washington DC, had a slightly different take on the responsibilities of today’s pilots.
“I believe that the traits of future fighter pilots will be roughly the same as those of past pilots,” Ferrara said. “The only difference is that those skills will be used in a different way: instead of processing flight mechanics data – as I had to do with the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter – they will need to process and manage the huge amount of digital information concerning the management of both the mission and the electronic scenario.”
Easier to fly than ever before
Some years ago, under the supervision of a Lockheed Martin test pilot, I had the opportunity to fly, hover and vertically land a F-35B jet in a military flight simulator. I was surprised to discover that the controls of the so-called Cockpit Demonstrator were not as alien or difficult to navigate as I expected. There was a big panoramic touch screen that can be configured at will by tapping the screen with fingers, like a tablet or a smartphone.
Menus were browsable using a cursor that could be moved using a small joystick located on the engine throttle, and radar symbology was straightforward and familiar to anyone who has ever played a flight simulator video game: the red triangles represented enemies, white ones were “unknown” aircraft and the green ones were friendly ones.
All of this sensor information is sent to the pilot’s helmet-mounted display system (HMDS), which combines it with images coming from a set of cameras mounted on the jet’s outer surfaces. As a result, it seemed as if I had X-ray vision: I could see in all directions, and through any surface, and all the information I needed to fly the plane and to cue weapons was projected onto my visor.
“The helmet connects the pilot to the airplane,” explained Jon Beesley, a former F-35 chief test pilot. “We’ve taken pieces that are essential for combat operations, such as targeting information, crucial flight measurements, and night vision capability, and merged them into the helmet to give the pilots more complete situational awareness.”
Features like the helmet-mounted display system made a difficult maneuver like a vertical landing at night relatively easy. With the Joint Strike Fighter, transitioning from conventional flight to the hovering is done via a switch. The aircraft autonomously directs the engine nozzles and reduces the speed to the predefined value. Once in vertical mode, the aircraft is extremely simple to fly: if you move the stick forward or backward the aircraft climbs or descends; with the rudder, you can point the aircraft nose wherever you want.
Even a novice can fly and land an F-35 with some precision and without major problems. Just like in a flight simulator game.
Precautionary grounding
Although easy to fly, the F-35 remains a brand new high-tech machine that requires constant monitoring and fine tuning. This point was driven home on Aug. 3rd, when the F-35 Joint Program Office issued a fleet wide precautionary suspension of flight operations following an incident involving a test aircraft at California’s Edwards Air Force Base.
The affected aircraft, designated AF-4, suffered an Integrated Power Package (IPP) failure during a ground maintenance engine run. The F-35’s IPP is a turbo-machine that generates power to start the engine and feed the aircraft’s cooling system, and is used as a back-up electrical system in case of failure of the aircraft’s two main generators.
These kinds of problems can occur, especially during development stages, and the suspension was necessary to determine the root cause of the problem and make the planes safer.
Designated AF-9, the newly delivered jet is a multi-role conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) version of the futuristic fighter plane known as Joint Strike Fighter, which has been chosen by the air forces of Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Australia, Denmark and Norway.
Military Tech in Action
Our picks of the best new images of the military in action, highlighting the technology that the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines deal with every day.
Two other variants of the Joint Strike Fighter have been developed and are currently under testing: a short take off and vertical landing one, designated F-35B, and the F-35C carrier-based variant, selected for aircraft carrier operations by the U.S. Navy and the UK’s Royal Air Force. Israel will employ a customized version designated F-35I.
The F-35 Lightning II is a fifth generation fighter. It combines the high speed and agility of fast jet planes with modern technologies such as radar-evading fiber mat skins and gigabit data networking for net-centric warfare.
New breed of fighter pilots
The Joint Strike fighter aircraft is designed to improve a pilot’s situational awareness by and collecting and combining data from different onboard and offboard data sources into a single detailed view of the surrounding airspace and battlefield.
Like most modern advanced fighter planes, it contains a complex weapon system: pilots have to focus on information management, rather than worrying about “flying the aircraft.” For this reason, today’s fighter pilots are more like system administrators or information managers than the iconic Top Guns of the past.
“With previous generations fighters, flying the airplane required 80 percent of the pilot’s effort,” said one pilot of the Italian Air Force who has recently taken part to Unified Protector in Libya with the Eurofighter Typhoon, Europe’s most advanced fighter.
“With modern planes, the basic handling it’s quite simple and represents no more than 20 percent: they almost fly autonomously. On the other side, management of the huge amount of information that it provides can be overwhelming [and] is quite demanding,” this pilot told TechNewsDaily under condition of anonymity.
Lt.Col. Salvatore “Cheero” Ferrara, an Italian Air Force pilot assigned to the JSF program at Washington DC, had a slightly different take on the responsibilities of today’s pilots.
“I believe that the traits of future fighter pilots will be roughly the same as those of past pilots,” Ferrara said. “The only difference is that those skills will be used in a different way: instead of processing flight mechanics data – as I had to do with the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter – they will need to process and manage the huge amount of digital information concerning the management of both the mission and the electronic scenario.”
Easier to fly than ever before
Some years ago, under the supervision of a Lockheed Martin test pilot, I had the opportunity to fly, hover and vertically land a F-35B jet in a military flight simulator. I was surprised to discover that the controls of the so-called Cockpit Demonstrator were not as alien or difficult to navigate as I expected. There was a big panoramic touch screen that can be configured at will by tapping the screen with fingers, like a tablet or a smartphone.
Menus were browsable using a cursor that could be moved using a small joystick located on the engine throttle, and radar symbology was straightforward and familiar to anyone who has ever played a flight simulator video game: the red triangles represented enemies, white ones were “unknown” aircraft and the green ones were friendly ones.
All of this sensor information is sent to the pilot’s helmet-mounted display system (HMDS), which combines it with images coming from a set of cameras mounted on the jet’s outer surfaces. As a result, it seemed as if I had X-ray vision: I could see in all directions, and through any surface, and all the information I needed to fly the plane and to cue weapons was projected onto my visor.
“The helmet connects the pilot to the airplane,” explained Jon Beesley, a former F-35 chief test pilot. “We’ve taken pieces that are essential for combat operations, such as targeting information, crucial flight measurements, and night vision capability, and merged them into the helmet to give the pilots more complete situational awareness.”
Features like the helmet-mounted display system made a difficult maneuver like a vertical landing at night relatively easy. With the Joint Strike Fighter, transitioning from conventional flight to the hovering is done via a switch. The aircraft autonomously directs the engine nozzles and reduces the speed to the predefined value. Once in vertical mode, the aircraft is extremely simple to fly: if you move the stick forward or backward the aircraft climbs or descends; with the rudder, you can point the aircraft nose wherever you want.
Even a novice can fly and land an F-35 with some precision and without major problems. Just like in a flight simulator game.
Precautionary grounding
Although easy to fly, the F-35 remains a brand new high-tech machine that requires constant monitoring and fine tuning. This point was driven home on Aug. 3rd, when the F-35 Joint Program Office issued a fleet wide precautionary suspension of flight operations following an incident involving a test aircraft at California’s Edwards Air Force Base.
The affected aircraft, designated AF-4, suffered an Integrated Power Package (IPP) failure during a ground maintenance engine run. The F-35’s IPP is a turbo-machine that generates power to start the engine and feed the aircraft’s cooling system, and is used as a back-up electrical system in case of failure of the aircraft’s two main generators.
These kinds of problems can occur, especially during development stages, and the suspension was necessary to determine the root cause of the problem and make the planes safer.
New Gay Military Magazine Headed for Base Newsstands
The gay-advocacy group OutServe launched the magazine last Spring and has already produced two editions. The group says its September edition will be available for free at select Army and Air Force bases.
According to the group's website OutServe Magazineis a publication that "highlights the contributions that actively serving LGBTs are making to the United States military, discusses and educates readers about DADT repeal policies, and advocates for the continued fight for equality for all Americans."
The new September edition will feature a photo spread of nearly 100 people who are both active duty service members and members of OutServe. It will presumably be the first time these individuals have made their sexuality known among the military ranks.
OutServe's online magazine features a self help section called "Ask Sarge," where readers are encouraged to discuss their problems with a mental health and substance abuse expert who has experience working at a Combat Stress Clinic in Afghanistan.
"Our first objective with the magazine is to let all the gay, lesbian, bi, and trans members currently serving know that they are not alone," OutServe's co-director, an active-duty officer who goes by the pseudonym JD Smith said in a written release. "And we also want to communicate to all troops that there are capable gay military members serving honorably, and that accepting that and moving on will make our military stronger."
Lt. Col. Tom Shrader, a spokesman for the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, did not know which bases will carry the first print editions of the magazine.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Speaking Of Whores...
Super Committee Members Plan Fundraisers During Deficit Talks:
The super committee created by the debt limit deal to plot $1.5 trillion in deficit cuts is set to begin hearings in the next two weeks. Members of the super committee are also set to continue fundraising -- despite calls from campaign finance watchdogs to stop seeking donations while negotiating the proposed cuts.
According to a release of fundraising invitations gathered by the Sunlight Foundation, a nonprofit group promoting transparency in government, super committee members have scheduled at least 14 fundraisers during the first two months that the committee will be holding hearings. The foundation rounded up no fundraising invitations involving four of the 12 members -- Sens. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Reps. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) and Fred Upton (R-Mich.).
"These events are basically giving access to these members for special interests," said Bill Allison, editorial director of the Sunlight Foundation. "The average American can't afford to do that."
The list of those super committee members holding the most fundraising events highlights the congressional leadership's decision to stack the committee with lawmakers who are both adept at raising and required to raise a lot of money for their respective parties.
The situation is more acute for the Democrats. Their super committee members include Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.), chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the top fundraiser for the Senate Democrats; Rep. Jim Clyburn (S.C.), the third-highest ranking Democrat in the House; and Reps. Chris Van Hollen (Md.) and Xavier Becerra (Calif.), both rising House Democrats who must raise money to move up the leadership ranks.
Clyburn is leading the pack with nine fundraisers scheduled in the next few months. These include four for Clyburn's own campaign, three for his political action committee and one for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in honor of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.). Clyburn will be hosting that last one. Four of Clyburn's fundraisers occur on consecutive days in the first week during which the super committee is required to hold a meeting.
Murray and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) will both be hosting events to raise money for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in the first two weeks during which the super committee will hold hearings. Contributors at these events are allowed to give as much as $30,800.
Becerra will be holding one fundraiser on Wednesday and another for his leadership PAC on Sept. 7. Van Hollen is hosting a fundraiser for Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-Pa.) on Oct. 5.
The only known fundraisers to be held by the Republicans are a Sept. 7 event for super committee member Rep. Dave Camp (Mich.) and a fundraiser to be hosted by super committee member Sen. Jon Kyl (Ariz.) for Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.).
The campaign finance watchdog Public Campaign is leading a coalition of groups calling on super committee members to cease all campaign fundraising activities during the four months the committee will operate.
"These 12 members already have $20.4 million in their campaign accounts," said David Donnelly, national campaigns director for the Public Campaign Action Fund. "To continue to raise money at this pace looks like they're treating the super committee as a cash cow. It's a perfect way to destroy any trust that Americans have left for Congress."
The super committee created by the debt limit deal to plot $1.5 trillion in deficit cuts is set to begin hearings in the next two weeks. Members of the super committee are also set to continue fundraising -- despite calls from campaign finance watchdogs to stop seeking donations while negotiating the proposed cuts.
According to a release of fundraising invitations gathered by the Sunlight Foundation, a nonprofit group promoting transparency in government, super committee members have scheduled at least 14 fundraisers during the first two months that the committee will be holding hearings. The foundation rounded up no fundraising invitations involving four of the 12 members -- Sens. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Reps. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) and Fred Upton (R-Mich.).
"These events are basically giving access to these members for special interests," said Bill Allison, editorial director of the Sunlight Foundation. "The average American can't afford to do that."
The list of those super committee members holding the most fundraising events highlights the congressional leadership's decision to stack the committee with lawmakers who are both adept at raising and required to raise a lot of money for their respective parties.
The situation is more acute for the Democrats. Their super committee members include Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.), chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the top fundraiser for the Senate Democrats; Rep. Jim Clyburn (S.C.), the third-highest ranking Democrat in the House; and Reps. Chris Van Hollen (Md.) and Xavier Becerra (Calif.), both rising House Democrats who must raise money to move up the leadership ranks.
Clyburn is leading the pack with nine fundraisers scheduled in the next few months. These include four for Clyburn's own campaign, three for his political action committee and one for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in honor of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.). Clyburn will be hosting that last one. Four of Clyburn's fundraisers occur on consecutive days in the first week during which the super committee is required to hold a meeting.
Murray and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) will both be hosting events to raise money for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in the first two weeks during which the super committee will hold hearings. Contributors at these events are allowed to give as much as $30,800.
Becerra will be holding one fundraiser on Wednesday and another for his leadership PAC on Sept. 7. Van Hollen is hosting a fundraiser for Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-Pa.) on Oct. 5.
The only known fundraisers to be held by the Republicans are a Sept. 7 event for super committee member Rep. Dave Camp (Mich.) and a fundraiser to be hosted by super committee member Sen. Jon Kyl (Ariz.) for Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.).
The campaign finance watchdog Public Campaign is leading a coalition of groups calling on super committee members to cease all campaign fundraising activities during the four months the committee will operate.
"These 12 members already have $20.4 million in their campaign accounts," said David Donnelly, national campaigns director for the Public Campaign Action Fund. "To continue to raise money at this pace looks like they're treating the super committee as a cash cow. It's a perfect way to destroy any trust that Americans have left for Congress."
The Whore Of Babylon Speaketh:
WASHINGTON – Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann told Floridians Sunday that Hurricane Irene and the earthquake felt along much of the East Coast last week were messages from God to warn "politicians" to start heeding divine guidance, which she suggested is being channeled through small government conservatives.
"I don't know how much God has to do to get the attention of the politicians. We've had an earthquake; we've had a hurricane. He said, 'Are you going to start listening to me here?'" Bachmann, a third-term Minnesota representative, told a crowd in Sarasota that the St. Petersburg Times estimated contained around 1,000 people.
"Listen to the American people, because the American people are roaring right now," Bachmann continued. "They know government is on a morbid obesity diet and we've got to rein in the spending."
Her comments appear to link God's will with those who believe the U.S. government is too large and intrudes too much on people's lives. A Bachmann spokeswoman has not responded to a request for clarification of the congresswoman's comments.
Bachmann's comments come on the heels of remarks that Glenn Beck, the former Fox News personality, made on his radio program last week. Beck said the hurricane and earthquake were warnings to a different group: the American people. In essence, Beck said, the weather events were a dry run for people to prepare themselves for future disasters.
"How many warnings do you think you’re going to get, and how many warnings do you deserve? This hurricane that is coming through the East Coast, for anyone who’s in the East Coast and has been listening to me say ‘Food storage!’ ‘Be prepared!’" Beck said. "If you’ve waited, this hurricane is a blessing. It is a blessing. It is God reminding you — as was the earthquake last week — it’s God reminding you you’re not in control."
Both Bachmann and Beck appear to be tapping into a deep but often unspoken fear in many Americans –- many of them, but not all, in the conservative grassroots –- that the country is crumbling from within, financially and morally, and increasingly vulnerable to outside aggressors or to internal disorder.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Federal Judge Considers Releasing Video Of Gay Marriage Trial
A federal judge on Monday hinted that he agrees with opponents of California's gay marriage ban, Proposition 8, who want video of last year's trial on the constitutionality of the measure made public.
For roughly 2 hours, Chief U.S. District Judge James Ware considered arguments in the legal skirmish, which was sparked in February when U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker, now retired, used a clip from the 2010 trial he presided over during a speech he gave in Arizona.
Prop 8 proponents asked the court to stop Walker from showing the video again. Opponents volleyed back with a request to make the recordings public for broadcast.
At issue was whether release of the videotapes would put defense witnesses at risk of harassment from opponents of the constitutional amendment which overruled a 2008 California Supreme Court decision that legalized gay marriage in the state.
David Thompson, a lawyer for Protect Marriage, the coalition of mostly religious groups that sponsored Proposition 8, told Ware that his concern was with the video “being made public.”
He added that the Supreme Court had blocked Walker's plan to broadcast the trial. Walker kept the cameras rolling but sealed the videos.
“We were entitled to rely on those unqualified assurances, and we did,” Thompson said.
“The proponents have been utterly unable to explain why the public should be barred from seeing and hearing for themselves what happened in a public trial potentially affecting the rights of millions of Americans,” said Theodore J. Boutrous, an attorney for the two gay couples challenging the measure. “The real reason that the proponents are fighting public release is that they do not want the world to see the powerful evidence we submitted showing that Proposition 8 flatly violates the Constitution and the extraordinarily weak case that they put on trying to defend this discriminatory law.”
At times, Judge Ware appeared to side with Boutrous, saying that the record “should be open unless there are compelling reasons not to.”
But he later added: “It does seem to me that it is part of the record and I am bothered by the question of what to do with something that is made a part of the record by the judge's actions.”
Ware said he would issue his ruling shortly.
For roughly 2 hours, Chief U.S. District Judge James Ware considered arguments in the legal skirmish, which was sparked in February when U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker, now retired, used a clip from the 2010 trial he presided over during a speech he gave in Arizona.
Prop 8 proponents asked the court to stop Walker from showing the video again. Opponents volleyed back with a request to make the recordings public for broadcast.
At issue was whether release of the videotapes would put defense witnesses at risk of harassment from opponents of the constitutional amendment which overruled a 2008 California Supreme Court decision that legalized gay marriage in the state.
David Thompson, a lawyer for Protect Marriage, the coalition of mostly religious groups that sponsored Proposition 8, told Ware that his concern was with the video “being made public.”
He added that the Supreme Court had blocked Walker's plan to broadcast the trial. Walker kept the cameras rolling but sealed the videos.
“We were entitled to rely on those unqualified assurances, and we did,” Thompson said.
“The proponents have been utterly unable to explain why the public should be barred from seeing and hearing for themselves what happened in a public trial potentially affecting the rights of millions of Americans,” said Theodore J. Boutrous, an attorney for the two gay couples challenging the measure. “The real reason that the proponents are fighting public release is that they do not want the world to see the powerful evidence we submitted showing that Proposition 8 flatly violates the Constitution and the extraordinarily weak case that they put on trying to defend this discriminatory law.”
At times, Judge Ware appeared to side with Boutrous, saying that the record “should be open unless there are compelling reasons not to.”
But he later added: “It does seem to me that it is part of the record and I am bothered by the question of what to do with something that is made a part of the record by the judge's actions.”
Ware said he would issue his ruling shortly.
Roberto Arango Resigns After Naked Pictures Appear On Gay Hookup Site
The AP story quotes Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz saying Arango presented his letter of resignation after a meeting over the weekend.
Arango is a member of the Republican Party. He vice-chaired the 2004 reelection campaign of George W. Bush. In 2009, he voted in favor of a measure that sought to constitutionally ban gay marriage in Puerto Rico.
The Puerto Rican TV show Dando Candela presented the conservative lawmaker with a photograph of a man, naked except for a pendant necklace, whose face was obscured by an iPhone as he snapped a photo of his reflection in a mirror.
Arango didn't exactly deny he was the subject in the photograph: “You know I've been losing weight. As I shed that weight, I've been taking pictures. I don't remember taking this particular picture but I'm not gonna say I didn't take it. I'd tell you if I remembered taking the picture but I don't.”
“It would be my pleasure to tell you I'm the person in this photograph, but honestly I don't remember,” he said with a big smile. (The video, in Spanish, is embedded in the right panel of this page.)
When the reporter asked if he owned an iPhone, Arango said he used an iPhone and a Blackberry.
In a second report, the outlet dug up photos of Arango wearing a similar necklace as the one in the photograph.
In another photo, allegedly from the same Grindr account, the man bends over on a bed to snap a shot of his naked bum.
Arango is a graduate of Louisiana State University. He and his wife have one child.
The Amazing Brainless Woman
Linda Harvey Denies Gay People Exist
Social conservative Linda Harvey denies the existence of gay people, media watchdog group RightWingWatch.com reported.
Harvey is the founder of the Columbus, Ohio-based Mission America and is a frequent contributor to the conservative website WorldNetDaily.com, which is run by Joseph Farah.
During her weekend radio broadcast, Harvey lashed out at the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), a group dedicated to creating safe schools for LGBT teens.
Harvey insisted the group's latest project, the GLSEN Sports Project, is not needed because such teens, and for that matter adults, simply do not exist.
“There's one big fact that's not backed up. There is no proof that there's ever anything like a gay, lesbian or bisexual or transgendered child, or teen or human. One of the other things you're gonna see as I mentioned is a big campaign GLSEN's gonna roll out this year calling for 'respect,' respect! Not just for people, but for homosexual lifestyle. The PR campaign to hold up gay as a good thing: the lifestyle, not the person, because there are no such humans.”
Harvey is, of course, attempting to suggest that being gay is a choice.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
What Can I Say...Ulf Want's A Cowboi
Never had a cowboi, but I sure as hell have thought about it.
Ulf
Ulf
Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry Have Hijacked Christianity, Says Jay Bakker
Jay Bakker, son of televangelists Jim Bakker and Tammy Faye Bakker Messner, says GOP presidential candidates Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry have hijacked Christianity.
Bakker, who heads the gay-inclusive Revolution Church, told CNN anchor Don Lemon, who was hosting HLN's chat show the Joy Behar Show, that his church does not believe being gay is a sin.
Lemon, who came out gay in his 2011 memoir Transparent, asked Bakker his thoughts on Minnesota Rep. Bachmann and Texas Governor Perry, both of whom oppose gay rights.
“They're fighting for the Christian vote here,” Lemon said. “What do you make of that?”
“Oh to me it's irrelevant. I mean it's not – they're playing to a group of people who deal a lot with fear and using fear to control folks. To me I'm a person of faith and they don't seem to be pulling me in at all. You know, it almost seems like you're hearing people who believe in – and I've been accused of this myself – almost like, you know, these type of like fairy tales or type of things. And it's scary to think that these people want to, you know. I feel like they've kind of hijacked Christianity.”
Bakker said that by fairy tales he meant the candidates' decision to ignore science and archeology “because that's what people do.”
“They just pick and choose, you know, what they want to believe and what they don't want to believe,” Bakker added.
Let's get this straight, the GOP has resorted to lying, cheating and murder; by that I mean, they channel so much fear and hatred with their words, they cause suicidal tendencies in young gays or stir rabid actionable hatred in hetero males, that inevitable leads some to their death or to commit acts of deadly violence.
I rather thought the Bible said this was the way of evil/Satan?
Ulf
Jerry Buell Faced Jihad Against Him For Opposing Gay Marriage, NOM's Brian Brown Says
Jerry Buell faced jihad against him for his recent comments opposing gay marrriage, National Organization for Marriage President Brian Brown says.
Brown, who helms the nation's most vocal group opposed to gay marriage, told supporters in a recent blog update that Buell was the victim of a holy war.
Buell is the Florida school teacher who faced suspension for posting on his Facebook page that passage of a marriage equality law in New York had made him sick. He returned to the classroom on Thursday after arguing that such speech was protected under the First Amendment. School officials would not comment on whether Buell had been reprimanded.
“The fatwa against Jerry Buell … has just failed!” Brown wrote. “Jerry won a battle, but the jihad continues.”
Brown went on describe the gay marriage debate as an attempt to oppress opponents.
“But you and I have always fought together under the banner of truth. Together, truth and love will prevail, as [NOM board chair] Maggie [Gallagher] says. Not truth without the love of God and our neighbor in our hearts. Nor a Love which is afraid to speak truth for fear of being labeled a bigot or a hater by those who wield scorn and hatred as a weapon to suppress the truth and those who speak it.”
“They can only win if they can get us to accept and internalize the second-class status they propose for us. To accept our own marginalization, to be quiet, to stand down and keep our heads down.”
“We are looking into the face of a movement which wants, in the name of equality, to take away your rights and the rights of millions of decent, loving, law-abiding Americans who 'cling' – yes, I'm not afraid to call it that! – to God, common sense, and the best of America's long traditions of respect for Judeo-Christian values.”
Similar rhetoric has also been heard on the campaign trail. At a South Carolina stop, presidential hopeful Rick Santorum claimed the gay community had waged jihad against him for his opposition to marriage equality.
Yup, one does start to see a word trend here, probably part of some "GOP agenda"
Hmm, I thought that's what we "gays" were guilty of.
Ulf
Brown, who helms the nation's most vocal group opposed to gay marriage, told supporters in a recent blog update that Buell was the victim of a holy war.
Buell is the Florida school teacher who faced suspension for posting on his Facebook page that passage of a marriage equality law in New York had made him sick. He returned to the classroom on Thursday after arguing that such speech was protected under the First Amendment. School officials would not comment on whether Buell had been reprimanded.
“The fatwa against Jerry Buell … has just failed!” Brown wrote. “Jerry won a battle, but the jihad continues.”
Brown went on describe the gay marriage debate as an attempt to oppress opponents.
“But you and I have always fought together under the banner of truth. Together, truth and love will prevail, as [NOM board chair] Maggie [Gallagher] says. Not truth without the love of God and our neighbor in our hearts. Nor a Love which is afraid to speak truth for fear of being labeled a bigot or a hater by those who wield scorn and hatred as a weapon to suppress the truth and those who speak it.”
“They can only win if they can get us to accept and internalize the second-class status they propose for us. To accept our own marginalization, to be quiet, to stand down and keep our heads down.”
“We are looking into the face of a movement which wants, in the name of equality, to take away your rights and the rights of millions of decent, loving, law-abiding Americans who 'cling' – yes, I'm not afraid to call it that! – to God, common sense, and the best of America's long traditions of respect for Judeo-Christian values.”
Similar rhetoric has also been heard on the campaign trail. At a South Carolina stop, presidential hopeful Rick Santorum claimed the gay community had waged jihad against him for his opposition to marriage equality.
Yup, one does start to see a word trend here, probably part of some "GOP agenda"
Hmm, I thought that's what we "gays" were guilty of.
Ulf
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Rick Santorum Says Gay Community Waged Jihad Against Him Over Gay Marriage
During a campaign stop in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Santorum repeated his previous arguments against gay marriage, comparing the institution to inanimate objects.
“I said this is a napkin,” Santorum told a sparse crowd at the Beacon Drive-In. “This is a napkin. A napkin is what a napkin is. It isn't a paper towel. It isn't a car. You can call a napkin a car, but it doesn't make it a car. You can call a paper towel a chair, but it doesn't make it a chair. Marriage is what marriage is. It existed before there was the English language or a state.”
Santorum, a former senator from Pennsylvania, went on to suggest that he's been unfairly targeted for his 2003 remarks, in which he compared gay unions to “man on dog.”
“I said if the Supreme Court says that you have the right to consensual sexual activity, then you have the right to incest, you have the right to polygamy. You have the right to all these other sexual variations.”
“And so the gay community said, 'He's comparing gay sex to incest and polygamy. How dare he do this.' And they have gone out on a, and I would argue, jihad against Rick Santorum since then.”
Shoes For Industry
Jim Davis, chairman of New Balance, gave the money on June 15 to Restore Our Future, a “super PAC” focused on supporting the former Massachusetts governor’s bid for the White House.
Gay rights groups have criticized the donation in the wake of Romney’s decision last week to sign a pledge supporting a constitutional amendment barring same-sex marriages.
New Balance President Rob DeMartini said in a statement posted on the company’s Facebook page that the contribution was “a private donation” unconnected to the company. The company, based in a state that allows same-sex marriages, has often emphasized its diversity policies.
“Mr. Romney’s position on this issue is not reflective of Jim Davis’, my or New Balance’s position and support of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered community,” DeMartini wrote. “As a company, New Balance embraces the differences in all people and we work tirelessly to create and sustain an environment where everyone — our associates, consumers, customers and guests — are treated with dignity and respect.”
The New Balance case illustrates the perils to corporations and candidates alike of a freewheeling money system that has sprung up outside the traditional campaign structure. Retailers Target and Best Buy faced boycotts last year after their contributions to a Minnesota business group helped support a Republican gubernatorial candidate opposed to same-sex marriage.
The statement is also the latest controversy to erupt over donations to Restore Our Future, which was formed by three former Romney aides and does not have to abide by spending or contribution restrictions.
A $1 million contribution to the group came under fire from good-government activists last week because it was made through a dummy corporation that seemed designed to hide the identity of the donor. Longtime Romney supporter Edward Conard eventually revealed himself as the person behind the arrangement.
Both incidents underscore the fast-evolving landscape surrounding campaign spending, which has been made easier and, in some cases, more secretive by a Supreme Court ruling allowing corporations, unions and nonprofits to spend unlimited funds on elections. Dozens of super PACs have sprung up in the wake of the decision on both sides of the political aisle.
Restore Our Future, which must disclose its donors to the Federal Election Commission, raised more than $12 million in the first six months of this year for its pro-Romney effort. Romney is barred from coordinating directly with the group, but he has helped to raise money for it by appearing at fundraising events, officials have said.
What really set's me off about this, isn't Romney's stance on gay marriage; we already know his stance as a republican trying to garner the religious vote.
What the real focus should be, is a shoe company that has a large gay clientele, now trying to say the actions of it's chairman doesn't reflect the views of the company, seriously, really?
Despite this double talk, this guy who chairs the company is their voice. I really don't care whether they want to say his private donation of 500,000K wasn't their doing, he's the fucking chairman and thus speaks for his company and his donation speaks louder than words.
I for one will spend my money where I know I'm not slitting my own throat.
Ulf
Doctor Who
One of my all time favorite shows starts with new episodes tonight.
I've been a rabid fan of this show since I was a kid and am proud to count myself amongst many Whovians.
Here's a preview for tonight's episode:
Here are some fun projects one can whip up before the adventure tonight:
Friday, August 26, 2011
Wicked Humor
The first man said, "My Ryan loved to fly, so I'm going up in a plane and scatter his ashes in the sky."
The second man said, "My Ross was a good fisherman, so I'm going to scatter his ashes in our favorite lake."
The third man said, "My Jack was such a good lover, I think I'm going to dump his ashes in a pot of chili, so he can tear my ass up just one more time."
Must Be Friday Because Ulf Is Horny
This gentle giant assistant wrestling coach from Columbia University wins my respect and all the beautiful, passionate lovin' an Ulf can muster.
With this one, I'd take him slowly, softly, methodically, until he melted into my loving embrace and succumbed to my persistent seductions.
More Closeted Republican Senators
When confronted with the shirtless photo, Arango wouldn't confirm or deny that he took it or that the Grindr profile belongs to him. "You know I've been losing weight," Aango says. "As I shed that weight, I've been taking pictures. I don't remember taking this particular picture but I'm not gonna say I didn't take it. I'd tell you if I remembered taking the picture but I don't."
Thursday, August 25, 2011
U.S. Marines in Afghanistan ordered not to fart audibly
Abstaining from swearing is understandable, as is talk of politics. Religion is a hot topic of course, and while it may seem alien to Americans, so is talk of girls. The reasoning is that these topics could escalate into major disagreements - although there is a language barrier.
One thing that knows no barriers is well, farting around. Soldiers have been asked to lower the volume, stand downwind, whatever it takes. For some reason, this seems to be the most difficult obstacle to overcome. Afghans had expressed dismay at being exposed to such behavior, which leads one to ponder just how bad the situation was. Are our brave soldiers volatile gas bags who loudly explode to the glee and applause of other Americans? In all likelihood, yes. While some Americans complain that the expulsion of gas is virtually a 'sport' - it seems that it is not an international sport, and your cousin Jeb who lights his, will not have his moment of glory in the Olympics.
When Same-Sex Marriage Was A Christian Rite Or: How I Love To Fuck With Christian Fundamentalist :
A Kiev art museum contains a curious icon from St. Catherine’s Monastery on Mt. Sinai in Israel. It shows two robed Christian saints. Between them is a traditional Roman ‘pronubus’ (a best man), overseeing a wedding. The pronubus is Christ. The married couple are both men.
Is the icon suggesting that a gay “wedding” is being sanctified by Christ himself? The idea seems shocking. But the full answer comes from other early Christian sources about the two men featured in the icon, St. Sergius and St. Bacchus, two Roman soldiers who were Christian martyrs. These two officers in the Roman army incurred the anger of Emperor Maximian when they were exposed as ‘secret Christians’ by refusing to enter a pagan temple. Both were sent to Syria circa 303 CE where Bacchus is thought to have died while being flogged. Sergius survived torture but was later beheaded. Legend says that Bacchus appeared to the dying Sergius as an angel, telling him to be brave because they would soon be reunited in heaven.
While the pairing of saints, particularly in the early Christian church, was not unusual, the association of these two men was regarded as particularly intimate. Severus, the Patriarch of Antioch (512 – 518 CE) explained that, “we should not separate in speech they [Sergius and Bacchus] who were joined in life“. This is not a case of simple “adelphopoiia.” In the definitive 10th century account of their lives, St. Sergius is openly celebrated as the “sweet companion and lover” of St. Bacchus. Sergius and Bacchus’s close relationship has led many modern scholars to believe they were lovers. But the most compelling evidence for this view is that the oldest text of their martyrology, written in New Testament Greek describes them as “erastai,” or “lovers”. In other words, they were a male homosexual couple. Their orientation and relationship was not only acknowledged, but it was fully accepted and celebrated by the early Christian church, which was far more tolerant than it is today.
Contrary to myth, Christianity’s concept of marriage has not been set in stone since the days of Christ, but has constantly evolved as a concept and ritual.
Prof. John Boswell, the late Chairman of Yale University’s history department, discovered that in addition to heterosexual marriage ceremonies in ancient Christian church liturgical documents, there were also ceremonies called the “Office of Same-Sex Union” (10th and 11th century), and the “Order for Uniting Two Men” (11th and 12th century).
These church rites had all the symbols of a heterosexual marriage: the whole community gathered in a church, a blessing of the couple before the altar was conducted with their right hands joined, holy vows were exchanged, a priest officiatied in the taking of the Eucharist and a wedding feast for the guests was celebrated afterwards. These elements all appear in contemporary illustrations of the holy union of the Byzantine Warrior-Emperor, Basil the First (867-886 CE) and his companion John.
Such same gender Christian sanctified unions also took place in Ireland in the late 12th and early 13th centuries, as the chronicler Gerald of Wales (‘Geraldus Cambrensis’) recorded.
Is the icon suggesting that a gay “wedding” is being sanctified by Christ himself? The idea seems shocking. But the full answer comes from other early Christian sources about the two men featured in the icon, St. Sergius and St. Bacchus, two Roman soldiers who were Christian martyrs. These two officers in the Roman army incurred the anger of Emperor Maximian when they were exposed as ‘secret Christians’ by refusing to enter a pagan temple. Both were sent to Syria circa 303 CE where Bacchus is thought to have died while being flogged. Sergius survived torture but was later beheaded. Legend says that Bacchus appeared to the dying Sergius as an angel, telling him to be brave because they would soon be reunited in heaven.
While the pairing of saints, particularly in the early Christian church, was not unusual, the association of these two men was regarded as particularly intimate. Severus, the Patriarch of Antioch (512 – 518 CE) explained that, “we should not separate in speech they [Sergius and Bacchus] who were joined in life“. This is not a case of simple “adelphopoiia.” In the definitive 10th century account of their lives, St. Sergius is openly celebrated as the “sweet companion and lover” of St. Bacchus. Sergius and Bacchus’s close relationship has led many modern scholars to believe they were lovers. But the most compelling evidence for this view is that the oldest text of their martyrology, written in New Testament Greek describes them as “erastai,” or “lovers”. In other words, they were a male homosexual couple. Their orientation and relationship was not only acknowledged, but it was fully accepted and celebrated by the early Christian church, which was far more tolerant than it is today.
Contrary to myth, Christianity’s concept of marriage has not been set in stone since the days of Christ, but has constantly evolved as a concept and ritual.
Prof. John Boswell, the late Chairman of Yale University’s history department, discovered that in addition to heterosexual marriage ceremonies in ancient Christian church liturgical documents, there were also ceremonies called the “Office of Same-Sex Union” (10th and 11th century), and the “Order for Uniting Two Men” (11th and 12th century).
These church rites had all the symbols of a heterosexual marriage: the whole community gathered in a church, a blessing of the couple before the altar was conducted with their right hands joined, holy vows were exchanged, a priest officiatied in the taking of the Eucharist and a wedding feast for the guests was celebrated afterwards. These elements all appear in contemporary illustrations of the holy union of the Byzantine Warrior-Emperor, Basil the First (867-886 CE) and his companion John.
Such same gender Christian sanctified unions also took place in Ireland in the late 12th and early 13th centuries, as the chronicler Gerald of Wales (‘Geraldus Cambrensis’) recorded.
Phil Hinkle Says 'I'm Not Gay' Amid Sex Scandal Fallout
The AP relays background on the controversy:
The Indianapolis Star reported that emails suggest Republican Rep. Phillip Hinkle arranged to pay Kameryn Gibson up to $140 for “for a really good time.” The paper published emails between Hinkle and Gibson detailing a plan for them to meet at a downtown Indianapolis hotel.
The Star reported Hinkle didn’t contest the emails but said he was "aware of a shakedown taking place."
In an interview with local Indiana station 6News on Wednesday, the embattled lawmaker said he made arrangements to meet Gibson in person, but denied any intention of pursuing a sexual encounter. The Star reported earlier this month that Hinkle exposed himself when the pair met in person.
The pair reportedly connected on Craigslist. Gibson indicated in a listing to which Hinkle responded that he is 20-years-old. According to the Star, however, Gibson says he is actually just 18.
Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, a Republican, called the situation "a tragedy."
Hinkle suggested to 6News that his actions were "stupid," but that he did not break the law. "I don't know what was going through my mind," he said. "I don't know why I did what I did."
The Journal Gazette reported earlier this week that Hinkle indicated in a statement that he will not run for reelection in the next election cycle. The Republican lawmaker, however, stood firm in resisting calls for him to resign.
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