One of my all time fave fisting scenes.
Would have loved to have Spike to play with and push every one of his limits.
Spike and Max Stone from emiliyas on TnaFlix.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Another Closeted Conservative Republican Busted
Former Arapahoe County Sheriff Pat Sullivan, a self-described conservative Republican, was arrested yesterday on charges of exchanging methamphetamine for sex with a man, The Denver Post reports:
SullivanDrug task-force officers were "visually monitoring" the deal when the 68-year-old former national Sheriff of the Year delivered methamphetamine to an Aurora home and sought sex in return, said current Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson.
"This shows that no one is above the law, particularly a current or a former peace officer," Robinson said.
Robinson said Sullivan had an ongoing relationship with the man as well as other men he had a history of bonding out of jails in the metro region.
Sullivan is being held on $250,000 bail in the jail that bears his name, the Patrick J. Sullivan Jr. Detention Facility. He was sheriff from 1984 until his retirement in 2002.
SullivanDrug task-force officers were "visually monitoring" the deal when the 68-year-old former national Sheriff of the Year delivered methamphetamine to an Aurora home and sought sex in return, said current Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson.
"This shows that no one is above the law, particularly a current or a former peace officer," Robinson said.
Robinson said Sullivan had an ongoing relationship with the man as well as other men he had a history of bonding out of jails in the metro region.
Sullivan is being held on $250,000 bail in the jail that bears his name, the Patrick J. Sullivan Jr. Detention Facility. He was sheriff from 1984 until his retirement in 2002.
'Ex-Gay' Organization 'Exodus International' on Verge of Collapse?
The subject was quite simply how to keep Exodus International from social and financial oblivion. In attendance were Exodus leadership, prominent religious leaders (such as Gabe Lyons) and lay people. The latter were mostly those who once counted themselves in the ex-gay camp but now are either in the process of changing their views or are fully gay affirming.
The meeting, called by President Alan Chambers, was a "Hail Mary" as the group seeks to climb out of seemingly insurmountable debt:
Three years ago, Exodus purchased a building for a little over $1.1 Million. This was at the height of the real estate bubble and it’s value must have decreased significantly since. While they seem to have shed as many of their obligations as possible, debt service for that building must be a great draw on their meager resources. According to IRS documents, they burned through $200,000 of their savings in 2010 alone. In short, if they continue on their current trajectory, there seems little doubt that Exodus will fold in the near future.
Knowing this, Chambers called the New York meeting together and posed the question, “how can we save Exodus?” Unfortunately for those of us who might have a glimmer of hope to the contrary, this plea does not seem to be based on any deep, inner change of heart or ideology.
Ex-Gay Watch says to look out in the months ahead for a re-branding intended to look spontaneous.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
50 European Parliament Members Send Letter to U.S. Expressing Concerns About Bradley Manning's Treatment
In advance of his first court appearance, a pre-trial hearing, on December 16, more than 50 members of the European parliament have sent an open letter to the U.S. government expressing concerns about the treatment of Wikileaks soldier Bradley Manning, the Guardian reports:
ManningThe MEPs said internal investigations into Manning's treatment in custody, which included solitary confinement for up to 23 hours a day, inspections by officers every five minutes from 5am onwards and removal of his clothes, had been marred by "clear conflicts of interest".
They call for US authorities to grant Juan Méndez, the UN special rapporteur on torture, access to Manning. Mendez has made repeated requests for access to the military base where Manning is held, all of which have been refused by US authorities.
The paper adds:
The open letter from European parliamentarians, which follows another signed by several hundred US legal scholars, questioned the charges against Manning and warned that his pre-trial treatment may harm the UN's work elsewhere, "particularly its mandate to investigate allegations of torture and human rights abuses".
"In order to uphold the rights guaranteed to Bradley Manning under international human rights law and the US constitution, it is imperative that the United Nations special rapporteur be allowed to properly investigate evidence of rights abuses. PFC Manning has a right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment. People accused of crimes must not be subjected to any form of punishment before being brought to trial," they wrote.
"We certainly do not understand why an alleged whistleblower is being threatened with the death penalty, or the possibility of life in prison. We also question whether Bradley Manning's right to due process has been upheld, as he has now spent over 17 months in pre-trial confinement."
Meanwhile, WIRED reports that Manning's attorney claims that the government is withholding evidence favorable to Manning:
Manning’s defense attorney, David E. Coombs, is attempting to get evidence from the government to defend Manning in his upcoming pre-trial hearing on Dec. 16, but says the government is stonewalling him.
“The defense has repeatedly requested the below discovery in this case, but the government has consistently responded with a blanket denial of the defense request,” Coombs wrote in the partially redacted filing.
The evidence Coombs seeks includes copies of internal reports conducted by task forces assessing the damage from and the classification levels of the 250,000 State Department diplomatic cables and 500,000 classified Iraq and Afghanistan war field reports allegedly leaked by Manning to WikiLeaks.
Russia Calls America’s Condemnation Of Anti-Gay Propaganda Law ‘Inappropriate,’ Pushes Back Second Vote
A Russian diplomat condemned the U.S. State Department for speaking out against St. Petersburg’s pending anti-gay propaganda bill, saying that American interference is “inappropriate.” “We view with bewilderment the American side’s attempts to interfere, what’s more, publicly, in the lawmaking process,” foreign ministry representative for human rights, Konstantin Dolgov, told the Interfax news agency. The bill — which would fine groups and individuals for “public actions aimed at propaganda of pederasty, lesbianism, bisexuality, and transgenderism among minors” — has passed the first of three readings, but has stalled as lawmakers work to agree on specific language. The second reading had been tentatively set for Nov. 30, but has now been postponed “until after parliamentary polls on December 4.”
Gays and lesbians in Illinois civil unions will be able to file joint tax returns
The Illinois Department of Revenue made the announcement on Monday.
"This victory is not about financial gain for same-sex civil union couples, but it's about making sure that they get all the benefits, protections, rights, and responsibilities that married couples get," said Bernard Cherkasov, CEO of Equality Illinois.
Since June when same-sex couples first started entering into civil unions, it was unclear how this new status would affect state tax policy.
Under the new guidelines issued by the Department of Revenue, same-sex couples in a civil union may elect to file state taxes as "married, filed jointly" or "married, filed separately" – the same options opposite-sex married couples may choose. If applicable, couples would check a box for "same-sex civil union return."
Residents of Illinois pay a flat 5 percent tax regardless of marital status, so gay and lesbian couples won't save money.
"It is always a positive step forward when Illinois grants further relationship recognition at another state agency," said Anthony Martinez, executive director of The Civil Rights Agenda.
Illinois becomes the tenth state, along with Washington, D.C., to allow same-sex couples to file joint state tax returns.
Since the federal government still doesn't recognize civil unions, couples will still have to file their federal taxes separately.
"We at The Civil Rights Agenda will continue to fight for same-gender marriage in Illinois and the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act to ensure that same-gender couples will have the same rights and responsibilities as all couples, including the ability to file taxes jointly at the federal level," added Martinez.
Monday, November 28, 2011
The Real Meaning of Gay: VIDEO
These straight British lads have been so conditioned to use the word "gay" as a substitute for "lame" or "stupid" they don't even understand when one of their best friends tries to come out to them.
"That's So Gay" is a short clip made by staff and students from the University of Liverpool which was based on an original idea from the staff LGBT Network.
"That's So Gay" is a short clip made by staff and students from the University of Liverpool which was based on an original idea from the staff LGBT Network.
Australian Rugby Star David Pocock Speaks Out for Marriage Equality
Australia rugby union player David Pocock has come out in support of marriage equality as that country is engaged in a major debate over legislation to enact it. Pocock, who plays for the Western Force and Wallabies, has spoken out for marriage equality, and says he and his partner Emma won't get "legally" married till everyone can.
The New Zealand Herald reports:
There is a certain depth of sincerity to Pocock which people gravitate to, and also characteristics that probably set him apart from the pack, or at least the stereotypical pack. For starters, there is his dedication to gay rights and other social and political issues. When he and partner Emma, an Australian, married last December, they used the opportunity to support their gay-marriage beliefs.
Pocock says: "I don't see what the big deal is with the whole gay marriage debate in Australia. Being brought up in a Christian home and still identifying as Christian, I get pretty annoyed with the Christian lobbies around the world who say gay marriage destroys the family and all that kind of rubbish. They claim to follow someone who always stood up for the oppressed and marginalised. I guess it is a fear of the unknown - if you talk to someone who doesn't like gay people you can almost guarantee that they don't know too many. These are the prejudices that you have to challenge and break down. Emma and I decided not to get legally married until our gay friends could do the same."
Pocock is beautiful on both the inside and outside.
Well, he certainly is beautiful on the outside!
Top Marine who warned about lifting gay ban in wartime now says service embracing the change
In an Associated Press interview, Amos called the repeal in September “a non-event.”
That is in contrast to his cautionary words to Congress in December 2010, shortly before President Barack Obama signed the repeal legislation. The ban was not lifted until this year to allow the Pentagon to prepare troops for the change.
“Successfully implementing repeal and assimilating openly homosexual Marines into the tightly woven fabric of our combat units has strong potential for disruption at the small unit level as it will no doubt divert leadership attention away from an almost singular focus on preparing units for combat,” Amos testified. Still, he said at the time that if the law were changed, it would be faithfully followed by Marines.
He now sees no sign of disruption in the ranks — even on the front lines.
“I’m very pleased with how it has gone,” Amos said during a weeklong trip that included four days in Afghanistan, where he heard nary a word of worry about gays. During give-and-take sessions with Marines serving on in Helmand province, he was asked about a range of issues, including the future of the Corps — but not one about gays.
The Associated Press accompanied Amos on the trip.
In the AP interview, he also offered an anecdote from the home front to make his point that the change has been taken in stride.
He said that at the annual ball in Washington this month celebrating the birth of the Marine Corps, a female Marine approached Amos’ wife, Bonnie, and introduced herself and her lesbian partner.
“Bonnie just looked at them and said, ‘Happy birthday ball. This is great. Nice to meet you,’” Amos said. “That is happening throughout the Marine Corps.”
Looking back, Amos said he had no regrets about publicly opposing repeal during wartime. He said he had felt obliged, as commandant of the Corps, to set aside his personal opinions and represent the views of the 56 percent of combat Marines who told a Defense Department survey last year that repeal could make them less effective and cohesive in combat.
“I think I did exactly what I should have done,” Amos said. “I’ve never looked back on it and said it (his concern) was misplaced.”
Not only did Amos hear no talk about the repeal’s impact during his visit to Afghanistan, the subject also did not arise when he fielded questions from Marines on board the USS Bataan warship in the Gulf of Aden on Saturday.
In Bahrain on Sunday, one Marine broached the topic gently. He asked Amos whether he planned to change the Marines’ policy of leaving it to the discretion of local commanders to decide how to handle complaints about “homosexual remarks or actions.” Amos said no.
He said he is aware of only one reported incident in Afghanistan thus far, and that turned out to be a false alarm. He said a blogger had written of a gay Marine being harassed by fellow Marines for his sexual orientation. In an ensuing investigation, the gay Marine denied he had been harassed.
A Defense Department spokeswoman, Cynthia O. Smith, said implementation of the repeal of the gay ban is proceeding smoothly across the military.
“We attribute this success to our comprehensive pre-repeal training program, combined with the continued close monitoring and enforcement of standards by our military leaders at all levels,” Smith said.
n the months leading up to Congress’ repeal, there were indications that the change might not be embraced so readily.
During a visit to a Marine combat outpost in southern Afghanistan in June, then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates was confronted by an enlisted Marine who clearly objected to the repeal. He told Gates that the Marine Corps had “a set of standards and values that is better than that of the civilian sector,” and that repeal of the gay ban had “changed those values.”
He asked Gates whether Marines who object to serving with gays would be allowed to opt out of their enlistment. Gates said no and predicted that if pre-repeal training was done right, “nothing will change” with regard to rules of behavior and discipline.
That Marine was not alone in making known his doubts about the wisdom of allowing gays to serve openly in uniform. In a survey of military members last year, 45 percent of Marines viewed repeal negatively in terms of how it could affect combat readiness, effectiveness and cohesion. Among those Marines who serve in combat roles, 56 percent expressed that view.
The issue split the military. Gates and other senior military leaders supported lifting the restrictions, pointing to a Pentagon study showing that most people in uniform don’t object to serving with gays.
But Amos and his Army counterpart bucked their bosses to recommend against lifting the ban during wartime.
“I don’t want to lose any Marines to the distraction,” Amos said then.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Musical Interlude
As a very young, prepubescent Ulf, my parents took me to see the movie Woodstock, oddly enough, we caught the movie on a Marine Corps base in Albany Georgia.
Most of what I saw that night really didn't influence me until I saw Hendrix play.
As a fledgling guitarist, I sat there in awestruck thru his entire performance and realized for the first time in my young life, just how powerful music can be, so powerful in fact, that when he started adding war noises during the Star Spangled Banner, many of the Marines in the audience got up and left the theater in disgust.
The memory of that moment will forever be etched in my mind as a pivotal turning point in my ideology.
Senate Bill: America Is Now Part of the Battlefield
While nearly all Americans head to family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving, the Senate is gearing up for a vote on Monday or Tuesday that goes to the very heart of who we are as Americans. The Senate will be voting on a bill that will direct American military resources not at an enemy shooting at our military in a war zone, but at American citizens and other civilians far from any battlefield - even people in the United States itself.
Senators need to hear from you, on whether you think your front yard is part of a "battlefield" and if any president can send the military anywhere in the world to imprison civilians without charge or trial.
The Senate is going to vote on whether Congress will give this president - and every future president - the power to order the military to pick up and imprison without charge or trial civilians anywhere in the world. Even Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) raised his concerns about the NDAA detention provisions during last night's Republican debate. The power is so broad that even US citizens could be swept up by the military and the military could be used far from any battlefield, even within the United States itself.
The worldwide indefinite detention without charge or trial provision is in S. 1867, the National Defense Authorization Act bill, which will be on the Senate floor on Monday. The bill was drafted in secret by Sens. Carl Levin (D-MI) and John McCain (R-AZ) and passed in a closed-door committee meeting, without even a single hearing.
I know it sounds incredible. New powers to use the military worldwide, even within the United States? Hasn't anyone told the Senate that Osama bin Laden is dead, that the president is pulling all of the combat troops out of Iraq and trying to figure out how to get combat troops out of Afghanistan too? And American citizens and people picked up on American or Canadian or British streets being sent to military prisons indefinitely without even being charged with a crime. Really? Does anyone think this is a good idea? And why now?
The answer on why now is nothing more than election season politics. The White House, the Secretary of Defense, and the Attorney General have all said that the indefinite detention provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act are harmful and counterproductive. The White House has even threatened a veto. But Senate politics has propelled this bad legislation to the Senate floor.
But there is a way to stop this dangerous legislation. Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO) is offering the Udall Amendment that will delete the harmful provisions and replace them with a requirement for an orderly Congressional review of detention power. The Udall Amendment will make sure that the bill matches up with American values.
In support of this harmful bill, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) explained that the bill will "basically say in law for the first time that the homeland is part of the battlefield" and people can be imprisoned without charge or trial "American citizen or not." Another supporter, Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) also declared that the bill is needed because "America is part of the battlefield."
The solution is the Udall Amendment; a way for the Senate to say no to indefinite detention without charge or trial anywhere in the world where any president decides to use the military. Instead of simply going along with a bill that was drafted in secret and is being jammed through the Senate, the Udall Amendment deletes the provisions and sets up an orderly review of detention power. It tries to take the politics out and put American values back in.
In response to proponents of the indefinite detention legislation who contend that the bill "applies to American citizens and designates the world as the battlefield," and that the "heart of the issue is whether or not the United States is part of the battlefield," Sen. Udall disagrees, and says that we can win this fight without worldwide war and worldwide indefinite detention.
The senators pushing the indefinite detention proposal have made their goals very clear that they want an okay for a worldwide military battlefield, that even extends to your hometown. That is an extreme position that will forever change our country.
Now is the time to stop this bad idea. Please urge your senators to vote YES on the Udall Amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act.
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