Saturday, October 31, 2009

A Hallowe'en Greeting

I hope this works for you. It;s clever. . . .hehe Click n follow directions. . . .ciao

Thursday, October 29, 2009

OK. . .ANYONE INTO VAMPIRES???


MSN Movie Trailers - Twilight Saga : New Moon
...
Thu, October 29, 2009 2:33:43 PM
...



MSN Movie Trailers

These clips from TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON are far more interesting and even enticing than fake stories of electrifying cell phones! [sorry about that.]

Maybe the "wolf pack" will grab you. . . .hehe

justin

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

U Wanna Fool Around? ;-))

Go creative. . have fun. . .carve your very own awesome Big Pumpkin




> > > > > PUT YOUR CURSOR ON "CARVE A PUMPKIN" AND CLICK WHEN YOU'VE FINISHED CARVING
> CLICK DONE:
> > carve a pumpkin <http://www.cubpack81.com/images/carve_pumpkin.swf> > > > > > > > > >

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

WORD FOR TUESDAY

<
When life hands you lemons, ask for tequila. . . salt. . .
and Tylenol!

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Is He Cheating on YOU? some signs


6 Signs Your Guy is Cheating


* by BettyConfidential.com, on Tue Oct 20, 2009 6:38am PDT



From changes in behavior to mysterious disappearances, signs that your guy could be stepping out on you.
-Amber Madison, BettyConfidential.com

It’s every [wo]man’s worst relationship fear — that his/her man is cheating. We’ve all heard the statistic: half of all men cheat. And some experts say that number is even closer to three quarters. Could it be happening to you? Aside from finding lipstick on his collar, a mysterious condom in his pocket or, yes, a phone number on a napkin (helpful hints but unlikely clichés!), there are some red flags to watch out for to tip you off that something fishy might be going on. The following are six signs that should raise your eyebrows:

1. He’s Acting Differently.
The most telltale sign of a cheating man is that he’s acting differently than the way he used to. If any of the signals below describe your guy’s usual actions, don’t freak out and immediately assume he’s having an affair; he’s probably just being his quirky self. What you should be suspicious of is new developments, says Barbara Feld, LCSW, a couple’s therapist at Park Avenue Relationship Consultants in New York City. She says you should ask yourself, “Is what’s happening different than normal? Is he showing a real change in behavior?” If he’s always been private, hasn’t ever had the highest sex drive, or often flakes out on plans, that’s just who he is. It’s when he starts to be that way and never was before that you should start asking questions.

2. He’s Avoiding You.
If your guy has suddenly started coming home much later, seems to be making excuses to be out of the house, starts going away with out you on the weekends, or just generally seems to be avoiding you, that’s a clear indication of trouble in your relationship. M. Gary Neuman, a licensed family counselor and the author of “The Truth About Cheating” found that 61 percent of cheating men said they started spending more time away from home. 55 percent of men about to cheat said the same thing. No matter how busy your guy may be, he should be making an effort to see you (because, hello – he loves you, right?). If he’s stopped making time for you, it’s not at all unreasonable to wonder if he’s making time for someone else.

3. You’re Having Less/Different Sex.
You might think that cheating men stop sleeping with their partners completely. But that’s not always the case. According to M. Gary Neuman, a little less than half of cheating men report having less sex with their partner. Others keep having sex so that they don’t raise suspicions – sneaky b------ s. So be alert to the amount of sex you’re having, but most of all, pay attention to the quality of the sex. Therapist Barbara Feld says sometimes when a guy is having an affair, the quantity of sex remains the same, but it’s the sex itself that changes. Maybe it used to be very romantic, and feel more like making love, and now it just feels like plain old sex.

4. His General Response to You Has Changed.
If a guy is having an affair, he may stop acting like the sweet, romantic man you fell in love with. Maybe he used to be very loving and kind towards you, but now he seems to get annoyed easily, be critical, or pick fights. If he’s consistently not being affectionate with you, don’t brush it off. Try to figure out why he’s different – and what could be distracting him, or making him feel guilty.

5. He Has Suddenly Become Very Private.
It’s just not normal for your guy to always go into a different room to answer calls, keep his cell phone in his car, or get really private about his bills (unless, of course, your man is a privacy freak and you knew that going in). But if he suddenly stops checking his e-mail in front of you, has turned the bathroom into a phone booth, and has redirected the bills to his office, it’s a fair guess than an affair is under way.

6. He is Unreliable
Quite simply, says Barbara Feld, “is he where he says he will be?” If he’s never where he says he’s going to be, it’s a certain sign he’s lying to you about something. Maybe he says he’ll be at the office, but you call and he’s not there. Or he says he’s with a friend, and that friend then calls looking for him. Everyone’s plans change sometimes, but if your guy is consistently not where he says he will be, it’s very possible it’s because he’s with another woman.

What to Do?
If your guy is showing any of these six signs, talk with him about it. Tell him things feel different than they used to, and you want to know what’s going on. “If he tells you everything is fine but you know it’s not, continue to pursue the issue,” says Barbara Feld. “You can also suggest, ‘let’s talk to someone together,’ and get couples therapy.”

Don’t turn a blind eye on your relationship. If things are bad, getting bad, or just feel strange, do something about it. Even if you guy isn’t having an affair, all the signs above could be signals that he’s about to. By addressing – and working with him to fix – whatever is going on in your relationship, you can prevent an affair from ever happening in the first place. If you’re noticing negative changes or problems in your relationship, address them now, while they’re still small. Maintaining a strong relationship with open communication is one of the best things you can do to ensure fidelity—both on his part, and on yours.

Betty’s Sexpert Amber Madison is a sex educator and author of Hooking Up: A Girl's All-Out Guide to Sex and Sexuality, and Talking With Your Kids About Sex, to be released this March.

Read more about love & relationships from BettyConfidential.com: I Earn More Than He Does & From Ice to Nice: 6 Ways to Be More Approachable

Friday, October 23, 2009

A One-Liner

THIS IS PRETTY NEAT. 93% won't forward

A small request. Just one line


Dear God, I pray for the cure of cancer. Amen



93% WON'T FORWARD THIS, WILL YOU?

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Bill Passes

[matthew-shepard-head-shot3.jpg]

Friends,
The Hate Crimes bill was introduced for the first time the year Matt Shepard was vicously murdered. It was resisted and voted down each year since by Republican majorities first in both houses of Congress and then in the Senate when they lost control of the House. The first time they voted it down was the next day after Matt's death! Talk about being hard hearted!
But today we can rejoice. This bill passed with a good margin and will be signed by President Obama --- and it does include transgender people and gender identity! Here's the story:
October 22, 2009

(October 22, 2009, Washington, DC) In an historic move, the United States Senate, by a vote of 68 to 29, joined the House of Representatives in passing The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which will be the first federal law to include gender identity and transgender people. Once signed by the President, this law will add sexual orientation, gender identity, gender and disability to the categories included in existing federal hate crimes law and will allow local governments who are unable or unwilling to address hate crimes to receive assistance from the federal government. President Obama has indicated that he will sign the bill into law.

"Transgender people have been waiting so many years for assistance from the federal government in addressing the rampant and disproportional violence that we face," noted Mara Keisling, Executive Director of the National Center for Transgender Equality. "Today we move one step closer to our goal of ending violence motivated by hatred. Everyone in America deserves to live free of fear and of violence. We know that the dedicated leadership and hard work of Senator Kennedy and Representative Conyers and many other legislators made the passage of this bill possible. Words can't really express our gratitude for their commitment to equality for all people."

In the past, federal law has only mentioned gender identity in a negative context, such as explicitly excluding transgender people from the Americans with Disabilities Act. The passage of the hate crimes bill marks a significant turning point from the days in which the federal government contributed to the oppression of transgender people to today when federal law takes action to protect our lives.

The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act will have a number of positive impacts. First, it will help educate law enforcement about the frequent hate violence against transgender people and the need to prevent and appropriately address it. Second, it will help provide federal expertise and resources when it is needed to overcome a lack of resources or the willful inaction on the part of local and/or state law enforcement. Third, it will help educate the public that violence against anyone is unacceptable and illegal.

Transgender people continue to be disproportionately targeted for bias motivated violence. Thirteen states and Washington, DC have laws which include transgender people in state hate crimes laws.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Our LOve is Better. . .VIDEO . . discussion 10.21.09

A few days ago I posted a video re: gay intimacy, love, affection. Several good comments were posted. This one from Gary Kelly raised an interesting issue about his reaction. My inquisitive mind picked up on this and I've been tossing it around at odd moments.

Gary Kelly said...

I watched the whole thing through even though I found it a little confronting, despite being alone in front of my computer screen. It's hard to shake the era from which I was raised; a time when intimacy between males was taboo.

And you know something weird? When I see stuff like that in a porn movie, it doesn't bother me. What bothers me is when it's legit. Hehe.

There ya go.

My question is WHY? I solicit your ideas, comments, opinions.
Is it perhaps because in watching porn we know we we are voyeurs, even as it draws us in, as it were. Whereas maybe watching the 'affection video' we know we like a part of an intimacy where we do not belong. . . that watching a couple - str8 or gay - being intimate is something or a place we do not belong.

Can you decipher my point here? I find it hard still to verbalize what I sense. I'd really appreciate any and all insights you might have. I think what Gary tells us is an important factor. . . . and I'd like to learn from this. . .from you.


Thanks.
Justin

Monday, October 19, 2009

FOOTBALL IN THE SNOW

Stephen Gostkowski added to the lead with this 33-yard field goal kick at the end of the first quarter.
Stephen Gostkowski added to the lead with this 33-yard field goal kick at the end of the first quarter.
xx
Yesterday in the NFL the New England Patriots defeated the Tennessee Titans
59 - 0. . in a blizzard !!! It was incredible on October 18 at Foxboro, Massachusetts! This photo was c. 6pm last evening.

It made for very interesting driving to say the least. Mme Bouvier and I did not
make the trek back to UNI last evening. So we had another evening at home, and then headed out in bright sunshine early this morning. Easy driving. "That touch of Winter" had passed us by.

The decision to make the ROAD TRIP was a good idea. It was a nice break, and, as Stew said, "being away, at home, makes for a clearer head. . .". . .I guess. . LOL

And, NO, COOP, I did not finish my report. I have an easy day today -- thanks the angels or whoever wants the claim. . lol -- so I shall find some time to get it done.

Also, I want to write about Gary's comments on the video OurLove is Better!. . isn't it? Gary made a point which intrigued me from the psychological view and I'd like to open this up for your comments and ideas. I shall do this later. . .and. .
that is a threat. . .hahahahaaa

Peter
is very well and sends his greetings. . . he is
special.


There, that's it for now. . . . .ciao ciao. . .

Saturday, October 17, 2009

NICE. . . .ENJOY


Our Love Is Better... Isn't It?

COMING or GOING

YES. . I am home on the Cape. And, as I had thought. . and hoped, Gramm was quite willing for "Road Trip". Always good company. In spite of her years, Mme Bouvier is spry and active. . . .and fun!

And YES, Peter and I connected. . . . . This morning was his day for eary start at the Bakery. . . yaaaawwwnnn. . . but not tomorrow morning. I won't be heading back to UNI till later afternoon.


Have a great day everyone. So something FUN. . .something different! ;-)






Friday, October 16, 2009

THE PORCH

http://philip.greenspun.com/images/pcd4892/chatham-porch-17.4.jpg

Looking at this pic of our porch. . .how I long to be home on the Cape this weekend.. . .to be with Peter the Portuguese baker, fisherman, lover from Provincetown. . .

I need to ponder this a bit more. . . can I get that report finished if I go. .?
Maybe Mme Bouvier would like a late-ish Fall trip to the Cape. . .she is good company and always spontaneous for sudden new plans. I know my parents have no earth-shaking plans for this weekend, no big 'do's' or dinner parties.. . .this is the quiet season we are entering Chez O'Shea before the holidays arrive ushered in by Thanksgiving in late November.

Maybe. . .I shall go. . . well, lemme see. . . .LOL




A Manifesto from Bishop John Shelby Spong

My Dad sent this to me this evening with the comment: "I thought you'd appreciate this no nonsense manifesto from this progressive Episcopalian Bishop from New Jersey. Too bad our bishops don't say the same. . and very publicly!"
Guess what! I DO like it. . . hehehe

Thursday October 15, 2009
A Manifesto! The Time Has Come!
I have made a decision. I will no longer debate the issue of homosexuality in the church with anyone. I will no longer engage the biblical ignorance that emanates from so many right-wing Christians about how the Bible condemns homosexuality, as if that point of view still has any credibility. I will no longer discuss with them or listen to them tell me how homosexuality is "an abomination to God," about how homosexuality is a "chosen lifestyle," or about how through prayer and "spiritual counseling" homosexual persons can be "cured." Those arguments are no longer worthy of my time or energy.

I will no longer dignify by listening to the thoughts of those who advocate "reparative therapy," as if homosexual persons are somehow broken and need to be repaired. I will no longer talk to those who believe that the unity of the church can or should be achieved by rejecting the presence of, or at least at the expense of, gay and lesbian people. I will no longer take the time to refute the unlearned and undocumentable claims of certain world religious leaders who call homosexuality "deviant."

I will no longer listen to that pious sentimentality that certain Christian leaders continue to employ, which suggests some version of that strange and overtly dishonest phrase that "we love the sinner but hate the sin." That statement is, I have concluded, nothing more than a self-serving lie designed to cover the fact that these people hate homosexual persons and fear homosexuality itself, but somehow know that hatred is incompatible with the Christ they claim to profess, so they adopt this face-saving and absolutely false statement. I will no longer temper my understanding of truth in order to pretend that I have even a tiny smidgen of respect for the appalling negativity that continues to emanate from religious circles where the church has for centuries conveniently perfumed its ongoing prejudices against blacks, Jews, women and homosexual persons with what it assumes is "high-sounding, pious rhetoric." The day for that mentality has quite simply come to an end for me. I will personally neither tolerate it nor listen to it any longer.

The world has moved on, leaving these elements of the Christian Church that cannot adjust to new knowledge or a new consciousness lost in a sea of their own irrelevance. They no longer talk to anyone but themselves. I will no longer seek to slow down the witness to inclusiveness by pretending that there is some middle ground between prejudice and oppression. There isn't. Justice postponed is justice denied. That can be a resting place no longer for anyone. An old civil rights song proclaimed that the only choice awaiting those who cannot adjust to a new understanding was to "Roll on over or we'll roll on over you!" Time waits for no one.


I will particularly ignore those members of my own Episcopal Church who seek to break away from this body to form a "new church," claiming that this new and bigoted instrument alone now represents the Anglican Communion. Such a new ecclesiastical body is designed to allow these pathetic human beings, who are so deeply locked into a world that no longer exists, to form a community in which they can continue to hate gay people, distort gay people with their hopeless rhetoric and to be part of a religious fellowship in which they can continue to feel justified in their homophobic prejudices for the rest of their tortured lives. Church unity can never be a virtue that is preserved by allowing injustice, oppression and psychological tyranny to go unchallenged.

In my personal life, I will no longer listen to televised debates conducted by "fair-minded" channels that seek to give "both sides" of this issue "equal time." I am aware that these stations no longer give equal time to the advocates of treating women as if they are the property of men or to the advocates of reinstating either segregation or slavery, despite the fact that when these evil institutions were coming to an end the Bible was still being quoted frequently on each of these subjects. It is time for the media to announce that there are no longer two sides to the issue of full humanity for gay and lesbian people.

There is no way that justice for homosexual people can be compromised any longer.
I will no longer act as if the Papal office is to be respected if the present occupant of that office is either not willing or not able to inform and educate himself on public issues on which he dares to speak with embarrassing ineptitude. I will no longer be respectful of the leadership of the Archbishop of Canterbury, who seems to believe that rude behavior, intolerance and even killing prejudice is somehow acceptable, so long as it comes from third-world religious leaders, who more than anything else reveal in themselves the price that colonial oppression has required of the minds and hearts of so many of our world's population. I see no way that ignorance and truth can be placed side by side, nor do I believe that evil is somehow less evil if the Bible is quoted to justify it.

I will dismiss as unworthy of any more of my attention the wild, false and uninformed opinions of such would-be religious leaders as Pat Robertson, James Dobson, Jerry Falwell, Jimmy Swaggart, Albert Mohler, and Robert Duncan. My country and my church have both already spent too much time, energy and money trying to accommodate these backward points of view when they are no longer even tolerable.


I make these statements because it is time to move on. The battle is over. The victory has been won. There is no reasonable doubt as to what the final outcome of this struggle will be. Homosexual people will be accepted as equal, full human beings, who have a legitimate claim on every right that both church and society have to offer any of us. Homosexual marriages will become legal, recognized by the state and pronounced holy by the church. "Don't ask, don't tell" will be dismantled as the policy of our armed forces. We will and we must learn that equality of citizenship is not something that should ever be submitted to a referendum. Equality under and before the law is a solemn promise conveyed to all our citizens in the Constitution itself.

Can any of us imagine having a public referendum on whether slavery should continue, whether segregation should be dismantled, whether voting privileges should be offered to women? The time has come for politicians to stop hiding behind unjust laws that they themselves helped to enact, and to abandon that convenient shield of demanding a vote on the rights of full citizenship because they do not understand the difference between a constitutional democracy, which this nation has, and a "mobocracy," which this nation rejected when it adopted its constitution. We do not put the civil rights of a minority to the vote of a plebiscite.
I will also no longer act as if I need a majority vote of some ecclesiastical body in order to bless, ordain, recognize and celebrate the lives and gifts of gay and lesbian people in the life of the church. No one should ever again be forced to submit the privilege of citizenship in this nation or membership in the Christian Church to the will of a majority vote.

The battle in both our culture and our church to rid our souls of this dying prejudice is finished. A new consciousness has arisen. A decision has quite clearly been made. Inequality for gay and lesbian people is no longer a debatable issue in either church or state. Therefore, I will from this moment on refuse to dignify the continued public expression of ignorant prejudice by engaging it. I do not tolerate racism or sexism any longer. From this moment on, I will no longer tolerate our culture's various forms of homophobia. I do not care who it is who articulates these attitudes or who tries to make them sound holy with religious jargon.

I have been part of this debate for years, but things do get settled and this issue is now settled for me. I do not debate any longer with members of the "Flat Earth Society" either. I do not debate with people who think we should treat epilepsy by casting demons out of the epileptic person; I do not waste time engaging those medical opinions that suggest that bleeding the patient might release the infection. I do not converse with people who think that Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans as punishment for the sin of being the birthplace of Ellen DeGeneres or that the terrorists hit the United Sates on 9/11 because we tolerated homosexual people, abortions, feminism or the American Civil Liberties Union.

I am tired of being embarrassed by so much of my church's participation in causes that are quite unworthy of the Christ I serve or the God whose mystery and wonder I appreciate more each day. Indeed I feel the Christian Church should not only apologize, but do public penance for the way we have treated people of color, women, adherents of other religions and those we designated heretics, as well as gay and lesbian people.


Life moves on. As the poet James Russell Lowell once put it more than a century ago: "New occasions teach new duties, Time makes ancient good uncouth." I am ready now to claim the victory. I will from now on assume it and live into it. I am unwilling to argue about it or to discuss it as if there are two equally valid, competing positions any longer.
The day for that mentality has simply gone forever.
This is my manifesto and my creed. I proclaim it today. I invite others to join me in this public declaration. I believe that such a public outpouring will help cleanse both the church and this nation of its own distorting past. It will restore integrity and honor to both church and state. It will signal that a new day has dawned and we are ready not just to embrace it, but also to rejoice in it and to celebrate it.
John Shelby Spong
__._,_.___

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

IT'S THAT KIND OF MORNING


The fog is supposed to and will burn off by late morning. . . .Here in the Upper Valley we often have misty mornings. . .


By Poetic Muse


FOG

On the morn of wispy fog I stood in the chill dawn

I watched it feather it's way up the sign posts

Curling like bony fingers around trees and busses and traffic lights

I watched it pouring over the foothills like dry ice pours from a beaker in science lab

I shiver in the coolness wondering why I didn't wear a sweater

I watch the first floor of my school building disappear in the encroaching fog

I would be late again

I wasn't meant to be locked in a room all day even if it was in the name of education

I was meant to feel the fog wrapping around my ankles

I watched it obliterate all the details around me

I basked in the surrealistic glow

I heard the relentless bell ringing in the distance

I walked with lead feet in that direction

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

COMING OUT IN MIDDLE SCHOOL ???

Hey Everybody. . . . how all y'all doing? Drab dreary day here in gorgeous transitional New England.

A buddy of mine sent me this article from the New York Times mag section.


about kids coming out in middle school. . . like that is 7th, 8th, 9th grades. . .right?
Think back when you were in those grades. . .did you do it? could you do it? would you even think of it?

I was 14-verging-on-15 when I told my parents. As I posted early on in my coming-out story in this blog my parents were really great. . .as Mom said, "We know, honey. Your father and I were wondering when you were going to tell us."
That was the opener for a long really open conversation. . . not that different from all the other "long really open conversations" we've always had.

So, guys, what's your thinking. . . . I be really interested to read your comments and toss thos around a bit. . . .hmmm?

justin

ENDS 'N ODDS. . .

http://autumn-pictures.com/new-jersey-autumn3.jpg

More glorious color from the maples along our street. . .you cannot see Gramm's home in this photo. . .it's further down the street.

The weekend was great. . .it was so good to be with Peter again. . .has been a couple of weeks or maybe three since our last time together. It was a low-keyed time, spent mostly at home.

Saturday evening Mme Bouvier was conveniently "out for the evening". . .off in the setting sun, along the colorful trees in her flaming red VW. She and Peter hit it off the first time he was here, right from the start. I was upstaiurs in my room when he arrived shortly after noon. I looked out the window and there she was greeting Peter with a big hug and kiss on both cheeks. . .la femme francaise. . hehe

When we started preps for supper we discovered several fluted glasses of chocolate mouse with a bowl of raspberry-flavored whipped cream. yummmmies.
You've heard the quip "life is short: eat dessert first!" ? So we did consume one of the glasses of mouse, each with a spoon to feed the other. . .lots of whipped cream.
It was good!

Fortified with the mouse, we set out to prepare dinner. . . .baked salmon with a citrus glaze, green beans with garlic bits and almonds, wide noodles, green salad. Since we do not drink alcohol. . . ..boring, aren't we! hahaha. ..NOT. .... we drink sparkling water with lemon twist.

A quiet evening, fun, sweet. After dishes and cleaning up. . .yep, we are both so domesticated. . .lmsao. . . we
took mousse. . and all the raspberry whipped cream.. . .yummmm. with us and spent the evening upstairs. . . .enjoying. . .with a nice fire in the fireplace. Damn, it was all so totally excellent.

I didn't want to be outdone by all the brilliants colors of the trees I decided to add some color of our own. . . .LOL



I borrowed these from Shannon!!!! ho ho ho ho


I couldn't resist. . . .whoever made me do it!!! hehehee

Sunday morning we went Gramm for Mass and then took her off to a country inn for brunch. It was fun and Gramm seemed to enjoy everything so much with her two men! Noice. . .hehe

Back home for the NYTimes and plain old quiet time. Peter headed home a bit before the sun was beginning to set. . .to join the rest of the weekend
leaf-peakers.

Things we just sooooooooo quiet. . . . after he left. I tried to do some homework and read but my head and heart was too full for that. . . .so I went for a walk. . . alone. . .listening to my sounds as I scuffed thru the fallen dried leaves . . . my ears and nose getting a tad chill. . . . . .

All is well. . . .All things are well. . . .All manner of things will be well.
Amen.


Monday, October 12, 2009

More on Matt Shepard

Some more items to touch your heart and your eyes . . . .;-)
[matthew-shepard-head-shot3.jpg]

J has left a new comment on your post "http://www.flameout.org/flameout/matthew/laramie.h...":

If you want to read a terrific tribute to Matt, check out what dave of dazegonebi.blogspot.com just posted.
I've often thought about what would have happened if I had stopped by the road when that was going on. I guarantee you they'd be a couple of redneck wigs split in that episode.

=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=..=..=.=.=.=.=
And more from another blog. . "Matt Shepard Alive" that captures well the Matthew story and what this all says to our own lives. While doing "The Laramie Papers" I thought to myself "My God, that could be me. . ." Then I made a few personal decisions.

http://beautifoolchaos.blogspot.com/

Also, may I add. . .don't be afraid of real feelings. They will tell you much if you dare to listen. . .

justin

Sunday, October 11, 2009

NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY 2009

Tomorrow is National Coming Out Day. In the clip below, an Australian boy named Jack lets his mother tell his coming out story. Sweet stuff.

Labels: , ,




http://www.flameout.org/flameout/matthew/laramie.html

http://www.gayandlesbianhumanist.org/October%202008/October%202008/Images/News/Shepard,%20Matthew.jpg

matt shepard's death

Laramie Project's second stage

Toronto Star - Richard Ouzounian - ‎4 hours ago‎

Hate Crimes Bill expanded so close to Matthew Shepard death anniversary

Examiner.com - ‎Oct 8, 2009‎
In October of 1998, the world was stunned when Matthew Shepherd a Laramie, Wyoming college student, was kidnapped, tied to a fence post, beaten and left for ...

Matthew Shepard's murder made his mom an activist

Lansing State Journal - ‎5 hours ago‎
Shepard's death became a symbol of violence against gays and galvanized activists around the globe. Judy Shepard moved to the forefront, forming the Matthew ...

Play's sequel gives voice to Matt Shepard's killer

The Associated Press - David Crary - ‎Sep 29, 2009‎
More than 1000 actors — amateur and professional — will be performing when the new show premieres next month on the 11th anniversary of Shepard's death. ...

Saturday, October 10, 2009

President OBAMA to GLBTs everywhere

Pres Obama awesome talk at the HRC dinner tonight.
Give yourself a treat. . .listen to / watch our President address OUR issues!


http://www.hrcbackstory.org/2009/10/president-obama-addresses-human-rights-campaign-national-dinner/


Peter and I just watched his exciting talk. . . and Peter said I HAD to get this on blog for y'all to hear.

Good night. . . .sweet dreams. . .

Peter and Justin

The Kelly Nose

Gary sent a comment and a queery. .hehe. . about noses. I was slow in replying. . .so I repost it here, curious about his reply. ;-) justin

Gary Kelly said...

Since you're a budding shrink, Justino, maybe you can explain why I have a thing about noses. I've always been a sucker for a certain kind of nose (metaphorically speaking). If it happens to be a particular shape, that's it... I become hopelessly infatuated.

Have you heard of a nose fetish before?

JustinO'Shea said...

GARY. . . hmmm. . .noses, eh?

Well, it has been said "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder". . .and "Each one has his taste. ."

No, I have not seen or heard before anything about attraction to noses. But what would that be any different from attraction to other body parts?
He is "a leg man" . .he really likes "bubble butts" or blond hair and blue eyes. Personally I think green eyes are totally enticing. Or wide circles around the nipple. hehe [Is that circle called an aurora? Can't recall. . ]

Now you have me curious. Gary, what does that special nose look like? hmmmmm? Any pics of The Kelly Nose? Show us, please. . .

AUTUMN SPLENDOR

http://www.crystalinks.com/autumncolorslakeswans.jpg

SATURDAY FORENOON



HELLO fellow travelers!
I am treating myself to an easy morning.. . easy as in lazy! I've been checking emails, reading
comments from you on this blog, adding comments here and there back 'atcha', enjoying my
toasted croissant and coffee. . . .never got into tea, especially not for breakfast.

I am waiting for Peter the Portugese Wonder to arrive from Provincetown. Whoooaaaaahhhh!
He called me early this morning to tell me he couldn't stand it [our being apart] any longer. . hahahaaa. . and so he was running away from home, the bakery and the fishing boat!

Well, if you think I could fall back to sleep, . .think again! Why... his call was like sleigh bells on
Christmas eve. . .hehehee. . .so things to do. . .Sheets and towels into the wash, changing the bed,
making my 'condo' chez Mme Bouvier [merci, Pelerin, for the Mme rather than Mde. . hehe] look
clean and relaxedly proper. . . in other words, fussing. . . he ought to be here before long. .

Prolly traffic on the highways will be heavy. . .this is a long holiday weekend with the mostly unobserved Oct 12 Columbus Day. . . as in 1492 Christopher Columbus who thought he was headed to Cathay[China] but ended up "discovering" the Caribbean. . .as if it had even been lost. LOL

I think our President is an excellent choice for the Peace Prize. Yeah, yeah, yeah. . .I heard some of the spoiled types with their negative comments on TV. . . .so, "let 'em pull it and haul it", as the older New England yanks say it. Sen. John McCain was far more upbeat, rising to "noblesse oblige" and finding positive things to say. Whatever McCain may say in private, in public he is positive and respectful toward the sitting president. Impresses me, he does.

This is it for now. More later. . .that is a threat. . .hhehee. . .BYE. . .Justin

Friday, October 9, 2009


In Surprise, Nobel Peace Prize to Obama for Diplomacy



Published: October 9, 2009

OSLO — In a stunning surprise, the Nobel Committee announced in Oslo that it has awarded the annual peace prize to Barack Obama, just nine months into his presidency, “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”

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Doug Mills/The New York Times

President Barack Obama speaking at the United Nations on September 23.

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Times Topics: Nobel Prizes | Barack Obama

The Takeaway With Alan Cowell

The award cited in particular Mr. Obama’s effort to reduce the world’s nuclear arsenal. “He has created a new international climate,” the committee said.

The announcement shocked people from Norway to the White House. “There has been no discussion, nothing at all,” said Rahm Emanuel, the president’s chief of staff, in a brief telephone interview.

Mr. Emanuel said that he had not yet spoken directly to the president. A senior administration official said in an e-mail message that his press secretary, Robert Gibbs Mr. Gibbs called the White House shortly before 6 a.m. and woke the president with the news.

“The president was humbled to be selected by the committee,” the official said, without adding anything further.

The White House has made no official comment.

Mr. Obama, who made United States history by becoming the first African-American president, made repairing the fractured relations between the United States and the rest of the world a major theme of his campaign for the presidency. Since taking office as president he has pursued a range of policies intended to fulfill that goal. He has vowed to pursue a world without nuclear weapons, as he did in a speech in Prague earlier this year; reached out to the Muslim world, delivering a major speech in Cairo in June; and sought to restart peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

“Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world’s attention and given its people hope for a better future,” the committee said in its citation. “His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world’s population.”

But while Mr. Obama has generated considerable good will overseas — his foreign counterparts are eager to meet with him, and polls show he is hugely popular around the world — many of his policy efforts have yet to bear fruit, or are only just beginning to. North Korea has defied him with missile tests; Iran, however, recently agreed to restart nuclear talks, which Mr. Obama has called “a constructive beginning.”

In that sense, Mr. Obama is unlike past recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize such as former President Jimmy Carter, who won in 2002 for what presenters cited as decades of “untiring efforts” to seek peaceful end to international conflicts. (Mr. Carter failed to win in 1978, as some had expected, after he brokered a historic peace deal between Israel and Egypt.)

Thorbjorn Jagland, the chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee and a former prime minister of Norway, said the president had already contributed enough to world diplomacy and international understanding to earn the award.

“We are not awarding the prize for what may happen in the future, but for what he has done in the previous year,” Mr. Jagland said. “We would hope this will enhance what he is trying to do.”

The prize comes as Mr. Obama faces considerable challenges at home. On the domestic front, he is trying to press Congress to pass major legislation overhauling the nation’s health care system. On the foreign policy front, he is wrestling with declining support in his own party for the war in Afghanistan. The White House is engaged in an internal debate over whether to send more troops there, as Mr. Obama’s commanding general has requested.

For Mr. Obama, the award could, in a strange way, prove a political liability. As he traveled overseas during his campaign for the presidency, he was subjected to criticism from Republicans who argued he was too much the international celebrity. Winning the Nobel at such an early stage in his presidency could further that kind of criticism, especially in Washington’s hyperpartisan political environment.

Mr. Obama also suffered a rejection on the world stage when he traveled to Copenhagen only last Friday to press the United States’ unsuccessful bid to host the Olympics in Chicago. Mr. Emanuel, who heard the news at 5 a.m. when he was heading out for his morning swim, said he joked to his wife, “Oslo beats Copenhagen.”

But rebuffs have been rare for Mr. Obama as he has traveled the world these past nine months — from Africa to Europe, Latin America and the Middle East, with a trip to Asia planned for November.

In April, just hours after North Korea tested a ballistic missile in defiance of international sanctions, he told a huge crowd in Prague that he was committed to “a world without nuclear weapons.”

In June, he traveled to Cairo, fulfilling a campaign pledge to deliver a speech in a major Muslim capital. There, in a speech that was interrupted with shouts of, “We love you!” from the crowd, Mr. Obama said he sought a “new beginning” and a “fresh relationship” based on mutual understanding and respect.

“I am convinced that in order to move forward, we must say openly the things we hold in our hearts, and that too often are said only behind closed doors,” the president said then. “There must be a sustained effort to listen to each other, to learn from each other, to respect one another, to seek common ground.”

Mr. Obama’s foreign policy has been criticized bitterly among neoconservatives like former Vice President Dick Cheney, who have suggested his rhetoric is naïve and his inclination to talk to America’s enemies will leave the United States vulnerable to another terrorist attack.

In its announcement of the prize, the Nobel Committee seemed to directly refute that line of thinking.

“Obama has as president created a new climate in international politics,” the committee wrote. “Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play.”

Interviewed later in the Nobel Committee’s wood-paneled meeting room, surrounded by photographs of past winners, Mr. Jagland brushed aside concerns expressed by some critics that Mr. Obama remains untested.

“The question we have to ask is who has done the most in the previous year to enhance peace in the world,” Mr. Jagland said. “And who has done more than Barack Obama?”

He compared the selection of Mr. Obama with the award in 1971 to the then West German Chancellor Willy Brandt for his “Ostpolitik” policy of reconciliation with communist eastern Europe.

“Brandt hadn’t achieved much when he got the prize, but a process had started that ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall,” said Mr. Jagland. “The same thing is true of the prize to Mikhail Gorbachev in 1990, for launching perestroika. One can say that Barack Obama is trying to change the world, just as those two personalities changed Europe.”

“We have to get the world on the right track again,” he said. Without referring specifically to the Bush era, he continued: “Look at the level of confrontation we had just a few years ago. Now we get a man who is not only willing but probably able to open dialogue and strengthen international institutions.”

President Obama is the third leading American Democrat to win the prize this decade, following former Vice President Al Gore in 2007 along with the United Nations climate panel and former President Jimmy Carter in 2002.

The last sitting American president to win the prize was Woodrow Wilson in 1919. Theodore Roosevelt was selected in 1906 while in the White House and Mr. Carter more than 20 years after he left office.

The prize was won last year by the former president of Finland, Martti Ahtisaari for peace efforts in Africa and the Balkans.

The prize is worth the equivalent of $1.4 million and is to be awarded in Oslo on Dec. 10.

The full citation read: “The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama’s vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.

“Obama has as President created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play. Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts. The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations. Thanks to Obama’s initiative, the United States is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting. Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened.”

Walter Gibbs reported from Oslo and Sheryl Gay Stolberg from Washington. Alan Cowell contributed reporting from London, and Richard Berry from Paris.