More Saturday Male Beauty

Reflections on the EV Activist Conference

I really enjoyed the Equality Virginia Activist Conference today in Richmond. The gathering was quite large and included people from all over the Commowealth of Virginia, from Bristol in the far southwest, to Northern Virginia to Tidewater in the far southeast corner of the state. In addition to various workshops, including the one I presented on wills, trusts and other legal documents that LGBT couples need to have in place in a non-gay friendly state such as Virginia, there was a key note speech given by Suzanne Pharr, a long time activist and organizer who once was a professor at Mary Washington University in Fredericksburg. She provided great food for thought and also an interesting view of haw the Far Right, including the Christian Right came to power. and the divisive tactics that have been used. Pharr has written some books. Here are highlights from one on the Right's rise to power (which accurately looks at the way gays have been stereotyped and demonized):

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How did the Right bring about this revolution? For any group to gain power, people must give them access to power, either knowingly or unknowingly. The rise to power does not occur in a vacuum; large numbers of people are usually complicit with it, either through action or inaction, through support or silence. The Right has gained power by placing wedges along the existing societal faultlines of race, class, gender, and sexuality and expanding them into larger divisions. The Right has gained power because it has found a fertile place to grow in the current beliefs and attitudes of the people of this land. . . . Dominator. Colonizer. Supremacist. Oppressor. Imperialist. These names are interrelated. They describe individuals, groups, and countries that seek power and control over the lives of others.

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Those who exploit and oppress need ways to justify their actions. They need a rationale that shows they are in the right, that the majority both agrees and cooperates with them, and that people get what they deserve through their own merit or lack of merit. Economic and social injustice must become part of a framework of morality, complete with rewards and punishments, with exploitation and oppression entrenched. The superiority of the white race, of men, of Christians, of heterosexuals, of the rich becomes a given, a divine right to rule and dominate.

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[T]here have to be ways to divert attention from the root causes of social and economic problems; to focus instead on symptoms; to shift blame from the perpetrators to the targets of social and economic injustice—and to pit the latter against each other instead of against the perpetrators. Here are some of those methods of diverting attention, shifting blame, and dividing people who should be allied with each other in the effort to end oppression. Stereotyping. Through stereotyping, groups of people (according to economic status, religion, gender, race, sexual identity, etc.) are thought of as one, and individual characteristics are overlooked or dis-missed.

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Lesbians and gay men recruit children because they can’t have any. They sexually abuse children. “They carry disease. They eat feces. Gay men act like women. Lesbians hate men because they have had a bad experience with them or they want to be men. They are perverted and militant. They all have sex in public.

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One workshop that I also fond of great interest was one that looked at ways to work with faith communities to achieve positive gains for gay inclusiveness. Two of the moderators were former Baptist ministers who had gay sons and, as a result, had to rethink their beliefs and church affiliations. All in all, I left feeling somewhat positive in that the troops are there to carry the work for change for the better all across the Commonwealth. It was also noteworthy that Tidewater where I am from had a very good representation in the crowd.

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As for my presentation, it seemed to go well and I believe I and my fellow presenters had useful and practical information which others will take back to their respective parts of the state. I may even gain a few clients.

Saturday Male Beauty

My Readers - 70,000+ Visitors

I continue to be happy and amazed at the number of people who visit this blog. At some point overnight it passed the 70,000 visitor mark. To all of my readers I sincerely say Thank You!! Fifteen months ago when I first started blogging regularly, I never thought things would lead to such a volume of readers. I truly treasure the friendships that I have made through the blog with great individuals around the globe.

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Interestingly enough, Gloobts, a worldwide directory of gay owned, gay operated, and gay friendly businesses (the data base can be searched by country and state), has added this blog to their blog section and it should be available via that site from early July posts forward. Since Gloobts listings are free, I encourage readers with businesses or professional services to check them out and get a listing. I have been very surprised by the number of my LGBT clients who locate my firm via Internet sites such as Gloobts and its local affiliate in this area, the Lambda Directory.

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I will try to post this evening from Charlottesville after I arrive via Richmond where I am speaking at the Equality Virginia conference today.

Final Friday Male Beauty

The Taliban’s Rising Tide in Pakistan;Rampant GOP Delusion at Home

One has to question whether or not there is any aspect of the USA as a nation that the Chimperator and his regime/policies have not utterly f*cked up. The housing industry is in a meltdown, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are teetering on possible insolvency, the fiscal budget has been blown to Hell and the national debt has mushroomed, Iraq is a sink hole in terms of money and military personnel, and Afghanistan - what should have been the focus after 9-11 is falling apart, a new International Red Cross report finds the USA guilty of torture and there are questions as to whether the Chimperator could face war crimes charges, the constitutional protections of U. S. citizens have been undermined, and Americans are subject to domestic spying as if the country were China or the former USSR. Yet the Chimperator thinks history will be kind to him, no less. A new New York Times column had this to say about Afghanistan and Pakistan:
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The swelling forces of Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters in Pakistan’s border region pose a grave threat to American and NATO troops in Afghanistan. They also pose a grave threat to the Pakistani people. Pakistan’s Taliban militias, like their Afghan counterparts, are trying to impose their harsh medieval version of Islamic law.

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Sending United States troops into Pakistan’s border regions to try to clean out Taliban and Al Qaeda forces is also not the answer — and would provoke even fiercer anti-American furies across Pakistan. The poorly paid, ill-trained and uncertainly loyal Frontier Corps in Pakistan is not up to the job.

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Washington has made a lot of policy mistakes in Pakistan — most notably supporting Pervez Musharraf for far too long. It has forfeited most of its credibility with the Pakistani people and reinforced their belief that the fight against extremism is “Washington’s war” and not also their own. Both countries have a common and increasingly urgent interest in rolling back the power of Al Qaeda and the Taliban and working together to promote democracy and development in Pakistan. President Bush needs to persuade Pakistan’s leaders of that — and he needs to do it now, before Al Qaeda and the Taliban get any stronger.

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The Chimperator, however is not the only member of the GOP who has not kept his eye on the ball or failed to remain even remotely in touch with reality. John McCain's top economic advisor, Phil Graham, said yesterday that the United States was only in a “mental recession” and that it had become a “nation of whiners.” I guess we are just imagining all of the foreclosures and it is just a delusion that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are on the ropes. It would seem that McCain and company cannot be trusted to correct the problems that thety don't even see as existing. One commentator on MSNBC dubbed the Graham/McCain approach as the "Marie Antoinnete economic policy." It is hard to disagree with that assessment and I have to wonder what mind altering drugs Graham has been taking. Here are story highlights from the New York Times:

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BELLEVILLE, Mich. — Senator John McCain has spent the week trying to tell people that he feels their economic pain. So it was more than a little unhelpful when one of his top economic advisers was quoted Thursday as saying that the United States was only in a “mental recession” and that it had become a “nation of whiners.”

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But it was too late to keep from complicating things for Mr. McCain, who has been trying to strike a more empathetic tone after sometimes struggling to maintain a balance between displays of optimism about the nation’s future and demonstrating an understanding of Americans’ economic hardships.

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Senator Barack Obama, . . . seized on Mr. Gramm’s remarks, made in an interview with The Washington Times. “You know, America already has one Dr. Phil,” Mr. Obama said at a campaign stop in Fairfax, Va. “When it comes to the economy, we don’t need another.” Mr. McCain himself repudiated Mr. Gramm’s comments.

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And when he was asked whether Mr. Gramm — McCain campaign co-chairman, UBS Investment Bank vice chairman and former economics professor — might serve as treasury secretary in a McCain administration, the candidate replied with a flash of his sometimes tart humor. “I think Senator Gramm would be in serious consideration for ambassador to Belarus,” he said, “although I’m not sure the citizens of Minsk would welcome that.”

Christianists View California Marriage Vote as Armageddon in Culture War

While much of the hysteria on the part of the Christianists over the November vote on the California gay marriage ban is likely motivated by their desire to wring every possible dollar out of the pockets of their sheep like followers, there is some truth to the claim that if they lose in California, it will constitute a huge blow to their cause. Plus, it will potentially deprive them of one of their leading ploys to get money out of the weak minded and uninformed. They have beaten abortion to death and anti-gay jihads have done much to refill their money coffers. The bleating of the ever dishonest and disingenuous Don Wildmon of the American Family [Fanatics] Association is symptomatic of their worries that the anti-gay cash cow might die or be mortally wounded after November 4th if California voters reject the Christianist bid to amend the California constitution. Needless to say, few things would make me happier than to see them defeated and wailing and gnashing their teeth. Don Wildmon who is quoted in the article has made a lucrative career for himself sucking from the teet of the anti-gay industry. Here are some highlights from a story from a Christianist news site bemoaning their possible defeat in November:

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The Arlington Group, a coalition of about 60 pro-family groups and ministries, will stress the importance of the November 4 vote in California on Proposition 8, a proposed constitutional amendment that would protect traditional marriage. To do that, pastors will be encouraged to use one Sunday in September to focus on the sanctity of marriage. Churches also will be encouraged to take up a special offering which will go toward the fight for marriage in California.

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Dr. Donald Wildmon is founder of the American Family Association and an organizer of the Arlington Group. He says passage of the California marriage amendment is critical. "If we lose California, if they defeat the marriage amendment, I'm afraid that the culture war is over and Christians have lost," says Wildmon, a 30-year veteran of the culture war. "I've never said that publicly until now -- but that's just the reality of the fact. "If the homosexuals are able to defeat the marriage amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman, then the culture war is over and we've lost -- and gradually, secularism will replace Christianity as the foundation of our society," he adds.
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The vote in California, Wildmon explains, will affect the entire nation. "California is a big dam, holding back the flood -- and if you take down the dam in California, it's going to flood 49 other states," he illustrates. "It will destroy marriage as it has been known for thousands of years, and with that the cultural decline that normally would follow."

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As a side note, some of the comments to the article show that these folks are (1) clueless as to the true history of the country versus the bogus version sold to them by "men of God" and (2) in many cases down right deranged mentally.

More Friday Male Beauty

Washington Post - Time to End 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

Actually, I tried to call in on a "town hall" meeting that John McCain was having yesterday for the purpose of asking him to justify his support of DADT in light of the new study released this past week. Unfortunately, I never got to ask my question and unless and until I hear McCain give a rational, cogent reason, I will assume he supports DADT because Daddy Dobson and other Christianist bigots are demanding that he do so. Living in the area that is home to the largest naval base in the world and many other military installations, it is easy to see the idiocy of DADT on a daily basis in terms of competent, patriotic military personnel who are expelled and the Gestapo atmosphere the policy engenders on the part of some gay haters. Here are highlights of why the Washington Post believes it is time for this idiotic policy to be ended:

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THE "DON'T ASK, don't tell" policy that continues the ban on gay men and lesbians serving openly in the U.S. military was wrong when President Clinton signed it into law in 1993, and it's wrong today. The only difference between then and now is that more people are now coming around to that conclusion.

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The latest entrants -- four retired officers, each representing a branch of the military -- made their views known in the "Report of the General/Flag Officers' Study Group" released this week by the Michael D. Palm Center of the University of California at Santa Barbara. . . . Their findings reveal the devastating impact of this wrongheaded policy.

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Currently, 24 countries allow gay men and lesbians to serve openly in the military. The study group highlighted the experience of Israel and Britain, which is actively recruiting gay men, lesbians and bisexuals to serve in the Royal Navy. The group's No. 1 recommendation is that Congress repeal the ban.

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And just last month, former Senate Armed Services Committee chairman Sam Nunn (D-Ga.), who led hearings that resulted in the disastrous plan that continues to run gay men and lesbians out of the armed forces (at least 627 in 2007; about 12,500 since 1993), said that the law should be reexamined. That reexamination should be the beginning of the end of "don't ask, don't tell."

John McCain's Marital Infidelity and Untrue Statements About It

A while back I did a post of John McCain's - in my view - very shabby treatment of his first wife, Carol who lives in nearby Virginia Beach. I did so because I find it ironic that the so-called "family values" crowd that wants strict application of Biblical passages to denigrate gays is steadily coming to rally around McCain, the former adulterer as their standard bearer. Funny how gays never get any slack on Bible passages whereas McCain will be getting a free pass on the strictures against divorce and adultery. Now, the Los Angeles Times has a story on the McCain affair and divorce that is of interest in that it reveals that McCains public statements lo and behold do not agree with the court documents, including the fact that McCain and Cindy got their marriage license while McCain was still married to Carol. Thus, McCain has added lying to his Biblicaly condemned misdeeds. To be clear, I am not anti-divorce and believe there are times when it is the only solution to a marriage that is not working. What I am against is the hypocrisy of McCain and the Christianists who as is too often the case apply one set of rules for gays and a totally different one for themselves. Here are some story highlights:

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In a written statement, she [Nancy Reagan] described McCain as "a good friend for over 30 years." But that friendship was strained in the late 1970s by McCain's decision to divorce his first wife, Carol, who was particularly close to the Reagans, and within weeks marry Cindy Hensley, the young heiress to a lucrative Arizona beer distributorship. The Reagans rushed to help Carol, finding her a new home in Southern California with the family of Reagan aide Edwin Meese III and a series of political and White House jobs to ease her through that difficult time. McCain, who is about to become the GOP nominee, has made several statements about how he divorced Carol and married Hensley that conflict with the public record.

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"I spent as much time with Cindy in Washington and Arizona as our jobs would allow," McCain wrote. "I was separated from Carol, but our divorce would not become final until February of 1980." An examination of court documents tells a different story. McCain did not sue his wife for divorce until Feb. 19, 1980, and he wrote in his court petition that he and his wife had "cohabited" until Jan. 7 of that year -- or for the first nine months of his relationship with Hensley.

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Although McCain suggested in his autobiography that months passed between his divorce and remarriage, the divorce was granted April 2, 1980, and he wed Hensley in a private ceremony five weeks later. McCain obtained an Arizona marriage license on March 6, 1980, while still legally married to his first wife.

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But two years later, while on a trip as a Navy liaison with the Senate, McCain spied Hensley at the Honolulu reception. In a recent television interview with Jay Leno on the "Tonight Show," Cindy McCain joked about how the Navy captain had pursued her. "He kind of chased me around . . . the hors d'oeuvre table," she said. "I was trying to get something to eat and I thought, 'This guy's kind of weird.' I was kind of trying to get away from him."John McCain was 42; she was 24.

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Carol McCain was distraught at being blindsided by her husband's intention to end their marriage, said her friends in the Reagan circle."They [the Reagans] weren't happy with him," Fitzwater said. Carol McCain "was this little, frail person. . . . She was brokenhearted." By that time, Nancy Reagan had come to Carol McCain's aid, hiring her as a press assistant in the 1980 presidential campaign. When the Reagans moved to Washington, she was named director of the White House Visitors Office.

Friday Male Beauty

U.S. Weighs Takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; Families Traumatized

If there was any doubt that the U.S. economy and housing market in particular are in dire straits, the numerous news reports of a possible government takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac like this one ought to strike terror in the hearts and minds of pretty much everyone. These two federally chartered entities more or less ARE the secondary mortgage market. Were they to fail, the residential mortgage market would largely collapse. If any proof was needed that the GOP/Chimperator mantra of "let the markets regulate themselves" was lunacy, this should be "Exhibit A." Not only are foreclosures causing incredible stress on families as discussed further below, the ripple effect of the housing crash keeps on spreading. No matter who I talk with in businesses relating to residential real estate - other than firms doing foreclosure work - everyone is hurting and seeing their revenues drastically reduced. People need to wake up to the fact that a lack of any rational regulation per the GOP mantra has set the stage for this potential economic disaster. Here are highlights on the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mess:

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WASHINGTON — Alarmed by the growing financial stress at the nation’s two largest mortgage finance companies, senior Bush administration officials are considering a plan to have the government take over one or both of the companies and place them in a conservatorship if their problems worsen, people briefed about the plan said on Thursday.

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The companies, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, have been hit hard by the mortgage foreclosure crisis. Their shares are plummeting and their borrowing costs are rising as investors worry that the companies will suffer losses far larger than the $11 billion they have already lost in recent months. Now, as housing prices decline further and foreclosures grow, the markets are worried that Fannie and Freddie themselves may default on their debt.

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Under a conservatorship, the shares of Fannie and Freddie would be worth little or nothing, and any losses on mortgages they own or guarantee — which could be staggering — would be paid by taxpayers.

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A conservatorship or other rescue operation would be the second time in four months that the Bush administration has stepped in to engineer a rescue to prevent the financial system from collapsing. Last March, it forced the sale of Bear Stearns to JPMorgan Chase to avert a bankruptcy of that venerable investment house. Officials have also been concerned that the difficulties of the two companies, if not fixed, could damage economies worldwide. The securities of Fannie and Freddie are held by numerous overseas financial institutions, central banks and investors.

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The companies are by far the biggest providers of financing for domestic home loans. If they are unable to borrow, they will not be able to buy mortgages from commercial lenders. In turn, that would make it more expensive and difficult, if not impossible, for home buyers to obtain credit, freezing the United States housing market. Even healthy banks are reluctant to tie up scarce capital by offering mortgages to low-risk home buyers without Fannie and Freddie taking the loans off their books.

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As this USA Today story shows, it is not just adults who are being traumatized by the current economic melt down. It is a frightening situation and will scare some children just as during the Great Depression. Here are highlights:

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Shelby and millions of other young people have become the largely overlooked victims of a real estate crisis that's led to record foreclosures, sinking home prices and rising numbers of families straining to pay mortgage bills as adjustable-rate loans grow more costly and home equity shrinks. Children and teenagers are enduring a variety of consequences — forced to move and say goodbye to friends, leaving behind schools and teachers, and losing the ability to take family vacations or take part in summer camps because of the financial strain.

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Some are giving away family pets or suddenly finding themselves in charge of babysitting siblings because parents can no longer afford child care. In the most drastic cases, some wind up living with relatives or even in temporary shelters for the homeless. "This housing crisis is taking away the innocence of our kids," says Phillip Lovell, vice president of education policy for First Focus, a Washington, D.C.-based bipartisan advocacy group focused on families and children.

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Researchers are beginning to study the impact of the current housing crisis on children, and their findings are bleak: An estimated 2 million children will be directly affected by the subprime mortgage crisis as their families lose their homes to foreclosures, according to an April report by First Focus. That number is considered low, the group says, because the study didn't include families who were renters when they were evicted as a result of foreclosures on their buildings, or families who bought homes with prime mortgages.

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More than 300 school districts in the USA have reported a rise in homeless children because of the foreclosure crisis, according to a soon-to-be-released report by the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth and First Focus. Areas that are absorbing the biggest surges include Michigan, California, Florida, parts of Illinois and the suburbs around Houston. As of April 1, Cleveland schools enrolled more than 2,100 homeless students, a 30% increase from last year.

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In Los Angeles, the school district has lost 8% of its enrollment over the past few years as many families who can't afford to stay in their homes have moved out of the area, says Monica Carazo, a spokeswoman at the Los Angeles Unified School District. A number of high schools had to let teachers go. Before, schools were so crammed, some children didn't even have desks.

Dancing - Getting Back in Shape

Call me vain or shallow, but I just got in from The Wave - Thursday night is 80's night and it's about a 50/50 gay/straight crowd with lots of eye candy. I really like to just let the music into my head and allow the beat to carry me away.

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I am very happy that I have been able to get back in better shape. My New Year's resolution was to get back in shape and get more exercise. It's working and I have almost regained the body I had in the picture at left after sheding nearly 10 pounds. Just a few more pounds. :) I really do believe that a couple of hours of near non-stop dancing for a couple hours 1 or 2 times aweek has helped. In any event, I had a great time, although I may be dragging a bit at the office tomorrow afternoon. Nonetheless, it was worth it. :).

Should Gays Remain in the Closet??

Last night I was on the phone with my West Coast blogger friend, Justin - we talk most nights - and eventually we got around to the topic of closeted gays, especially professionals. I do not recall exactly how we came to the subject, but in any event we ended up in a lively discussion. In my opinion, the decision to come out and/or be out professionally is a question each individual must decide for them self based upon all of the facts and circumstances in which they find themselves. The only case where I condone outing people is in the case of closeted gay politicians who consistently vote for anti-gay legislation and policies while at the same time they are out engaging in gay sex themselves. A good example is former Congressman Ed Schrock from Virginia Beach who had the second most anti-gay voting record in Congress yet sought out gay sex through a local gay sex phone service. In that case, the hypocrisy of his conduct in my view, justified his being outed.

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Obviously there are some who clearly cannot live openly: currently gays in the military are a prime example. Others are less clear cut and often I believe the individual's personal fears/shame hold them more of a prisoner than any actual consequence they might suffer if they were totally out. One such case is a medical professional I know in Virginia Beach who is gay in private, yet engages in almost ridiculous story lines and logistics to keep his true self "secret" from patients. Personally, I suspect given his age, demeanor, etc., many people have it already figured out and it's a fairly open secret to everyone but this medical professional himself. Meanwhile, he wonders why no one wants a relationship with him. Like, who would want to climb into such are f*cked up closet? Sadly, this individual is one of but many who trap themselves in contorted lives that leave them (1) always living in fear and (2) unlikely to ever have a meaningful relationship with someone normal.

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Admittedly, I was in the closet for many years and then even after I first came out, was in the closet at work for a year or so. Looking back, the worry and stress from hiding my "secret" and living in fear of discovery was so destructive. I wasn't happy and neither were those who I loved that bore some of the brunt of my unhappiness and the self-hate the closet engenders. Are there down sides to being out socially and professionally? Most definitely. Particularly, if one lives in a reactionary backwater such as Hampton Roads. There are surely law firms that would not hire me even if I wasn't at an age where age discrimination is perhaps a bigger problem. But then again, would I even want to be a member of firms like that? Believe me, I have been in those firms. The money may be better, but it comes at such an incredible price that one is truly selling their soul to be in a business setting that is cut throat, often amoral, and dehumanizes both the employers and the employees.

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Having gambled and been totally out for over three years now, all I can say is that being out is so liberating. After a life time in the closet and suppressing my true self, I finally have a level of self-acceptance and happiness of who I am that had escaped me for so many, many years.

Final Thursday Male Beauty

Alabama Attorney General to Resign Due to Gay Sex Scandal??

Having once lived in Mobile, Alabama (a beautiful and gracious city, by the way), I still follow politics in the state which seems to have become much more reactionary in the twenty-five some years since I was a resident. Among the current crop of wingnuts who have been elected to state wide office is Republican Attorney General Troy King, who is rabidly homophobic in his statements and writings, opposes the sale of sex toys within the state, opposes gambling, supports the use of the death penalty. Now, rumors are swirling in Montgomery and elsewhere that King may be about to resign due - Heavens forbid!!! - to having been allegedly caught in a gay sex scandal, something that just seems to be a constant with Republican elected officials. Especially those who claim to be the most anti-gay. If the rumors are true, I feel most sorry for King's wife and children. Here are highlights about this potential bombshell:

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A spokesperson for Alabama Governor Bob Riley denied that Attorney General Troy King is preparing to resign in the wake of a massive rumor campaign that has yet to be fully confirmed. The word is, according to multiple sources in Montgomery and elsewhere, that King was recently caught by his wife in a gay affair with a male aide and banished from his home.

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King was an early supporter of the 2008 presidential campaign of Arizona Senator John McCain. King’s name had been mentioned as a possible gubernatorial candidate in 2010, but we suppose that’s out now… King was also known for his fight against the sex toy shops in Montgomery. Looks like Shakespeare was right … whoever cries the loudest…

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And there's this (I will be checking the Mobile Register as well as scuttle but from folks I know in Alabama):

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Sources at the Montgomery Advertiser say that they have been sitting on the story for a couple of weeks. They're working the story fast and furiously but won't run until they get official confirmation due to possible exposure to a lawsuit from King. Their sources tell them that Troy King was caught in a compromising situation with a male aide at King's home by his wife. The Montgomery Advertiser is trying to determine who King would submit his resignation to - is it Gov. Bob Riley? A press release from King's office stated that he was supposed to be in Mobile yesterday (Wednesday). The Mobile-Register is working the story as well. Other sources say that he's at Point Clear in Fairhope attending the District Attorney's conference.

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Note to readers: Point Clear is where Marriott's fabulous Gand Hotel is located. The Grand is frequently used for conferences. When I lived in Mobile, we knew the owners of the Grand who sold to Marriot after Hurricane Frederic did major damage in September, 1979. Marriott dis a wonderful job restoring and enlarging the Grand and I recommend it highly, including dancing under the stars at Julep Point which juts out into Mobile Bay.

More Thursday Male Beauty

Porn Producer Murder Trial Expected To Be Drawn-Out and Sordid

I continue to find some humor/irony in the fact that the two suspects in the Bryan Kocis murder trial are from Republican dominated Virginia Beach and that based upon local gossip and rumors, the escort service the suspects operated in Washington, D.C., had prominent closeted Republican members of Congress as clients. I have had people, in fact, flat out recount to me in person supposed details of local escorts being hired by members of Congress and/or senior military personnel. Whether or not any of it is true, I have know way of knowing. Nonetheless, rumors that the pair were set up to silence them have circulated at times locally and on various blogs. Having one been threatened myself by the aide to a closeted former member of Congress who will remain unnamed (I was told that very bad things were going to happen to me), I guess I cannot wholly rule out that possibility. From an attorney perspective, the handling of the case so far borders on a three ring circus and will probably cast doubts on whatever the outcome of the trial. Here are some highlights from 365gay.com:

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(Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania) The trial of two men accused of killing a gay porn producer they saw as a competitor could last for several months and contain lurid details of how the seamy underbelly of gay life operates. Joseph Kerekes and Harlow Cuadra are accused of killing Bryan Kocis, the owner of Cobra Video in 2006. The prosecution is seeking the death penalty.

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Each of the accused will be assigned a new lawyer. So far the two accused have had 13 lawyers representing them. A 14th was disqualified by the judge. Even when the trial begins the prosecution alone has indicated it may call more than 30 witnesses. Over 35 prosecution subpoenas have already been issued. Among the expected witnesses is porn star Sean Lockhart.

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When the pair became suspects in the murder Virginia Beach police and the FBI began their own investigation into the men and started looking into their business. Last July Cuadra and Kerekes were charged in Virginia with racketeering, conspiracy to launder money and conspiracy to receive money from the earnings of prostitution. The pair made a plea agreement in which they pleaded no contest and allowed police in Virginia to seize their assets.

Rove Ignores Congressional Subpoena and Refuses to Testify

I truly hope that the Congressional Democrats play hardball with Rove who has got to be one of the nastiest pieces of shit to come along in a long while on the political scene. He's a turd alright, but I fail to see any blossom whatsoever. But then, it's the Chimperator who made up that stupid nickname, so what can one expect. Nothing would satisfy me more than to see his fat, nasty ass in a jail cell for contempt. His offer to testify informally is nothing less than bullshit. He needs to be under oath with a court reporting transcribing his answers so that when it turns out he has lied - which in my view is pretty much whenever his lips are moving - he can be prosecuted for perjury and duly locked up. I recall Don Siegelman from my days living in Alabama, and I place more credence on ANYTHING he might say rather than on statements by Rove. Here are highlights from MSNBC:

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WASHINGTON - Former White House adviser Karl Rove defied a congressional subpoena and refused to testify Thursday about allegations of political pressure at the Justice Department, including whether he influenced the prosecution of a former Democratic governor of Alabama. Rep. Linda Sanchez, chairman of a House subcommittee, ruled with backing from fellow Democrats on the panel that Rove was breaking the law by refusing to cooperate — perhaps the first step toward holding him in contempt of Congress.

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Rove says he is bound to follow the White House's guidance, although he has offered to answer questions specifically on the Siegelman case — but only with no transcript taken and not under oath. Democrats have rejected the offer because the testimony would not be sworn and, they say, could create a confusing record.

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Siegelman and others have alleged the prosecution was pushed by GOP operatives — including Rove, a longtime Texas strategist who was heavily involved in Alabama politics before working at the White House. A former Republican campaign volunteer from Alabama told congressional attorneys last year that she overheard conversations suggesting that Rove pressed Justice officials in Washington to prosecute Siegelman.

Thursday Male Beauty

Dedicated to Daddy Dobson and Don Wildmon

"Family Values" Scammers

There is a great column by Wayne Besen on 365gay.com that looks at the disingenuousness of Focus on the Family, American Family Association, and similar groups that whine incessantly about "protecting the family" and "protecting the sanctity of marriage" yet are absolutely missing in action when it comes to doing anything concrete to support families and/or marriage except for conducting an anti-gay jihad. In short, they do NOTHING in terms of family friendly legislation that would help families in financial stress, facing crushing medical bills, or on the verge of losing their homes to foreclosure. That's right, absolutely NOTHING. And as for the anti-gay jihad, the whines and shrieks are ALWAYS accompanied by requests for MONEY so that millions upon millions of dollars can be used to denigrate and work to marginalize gays and, of course, pay the salaries of the "ex-gays for pay" and demagogues like Don Wildmon and Daddy Dobson. In short, these organizations are frauds that but for hiding behind the cloak of religious ministries might well be shut down by under anti-fraud laws. The truth about these fraudulent groups needs to be disseminated as widely as possible on a constant basis. Here are some highlight's from Wayne's column:

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The last few weeks have shown that so-called pro-family organizations are some of the most useless, money-sucking scams in the world. With real families suffering from economic hardship in America, a declining birthrate in Europe and Google doubling the price of daycare for employees, the only thing right wing family groups want to discuss is their bizarre and all-encompassing fagela fetish.

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Recently, The Brooklyn Paper, had a huge headline, “SPLITSVILLE: Brooklyn divorces up 30 percent.” The article cited a number of reasons including, “when the economy tanks, so do many marriages.” One would think this would alarm so-called pro-family organizations and they would be out in force repairing marriages – or at least looking for economic solutions to take the stress off couples.

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A new study by the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University showed that in 2006, for the first time in U.S. history, a majority of births to women under 30 – 50.4 percent – were out of wedlock. New York Times columnist Bob Herbert points out that, “By comparison, when John F. Kennedy was elected president in 1960, just 6 percent of all births were to unmarried women under 30. One imagines that this report might have startled “pro-family” organizations and they would have put their millions of dollars towards stopping this trend. No such luck. Instead, they are investing huge piles of money and manpower to pass anti-gay marriage amendments in Florida, Arizona and California.

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Right wing organizations can be considered many things – but certainly not advocates for the family. They inhale money, exhale anti-gay pollution and have done absolutely nothing for the traditional families they claim to represent. It seems the more such groups proliferate, the more the family deteriorates.

Equality Virginia's 5th Annual Activist Conference - Reminder

As I previously indicated, I will be a presenter at the Equality Virginia Annual Activist Conference in Richmond, Virginia, on Saturday. The area that I will be covering is "How to Protect Yourself and Your Family." This panel will look at legal issues in Virginia facing non-traditional families and seek to advise attendees (and LGBT families that they interact with) about what they can do to protect their family regarding child custody, same-sex partner inheritance, and more. My portion of the presentation will focus on Wills, Living Trusts, various types of powers of attorney, and measures that can be taken to make sure a non-biological, non-adoptive parent has authority to act in respect to children in the family.

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A brief description of the conference is as follows:

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Conference Details:
Keynote Speaker: Suzanne Pharr
Date: Saturday July 12th, 2008
Location: VCU Student Commons. 907 Floyd Ave Richmond, VA 23284.
Time: Registration opens at 9:30 a.m. Conference begins at 10 a.m. and ends at 6 p.m.
Cost: Registration is on a sliding scale of $5-$70.

Suggested registration is $35 (includes lunch). Those who cannot afford $35 may pay less. We ask that those who can afford to pay more do so in order to offset the cost of participation and ensure that financial cost will not be a barrier to anyone who would like to attend.

Childcare: is available for free. Please email seth_croft@equalityvirginia.org with the number of children you plan to bring and their ages.

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Full details about the conference can be found here. There are a number of interesting workshops that will be presented and I encourage Virginia readers to consider attending.

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After the conference, I plan on driving to Charlottesville to visit family since I will already be well over half way there.

Mixed Thoughts and Reflections

It was another busy day between work and a HRBOR board meeting. Then I went by my friends Martin and Christopher's place to chill and celebrate a court case triumph in their favor. Ultimately, we ended up stuffing invitations to their wedding celebration set for next month at a wonderful bed and breakfast on the Virginia Eastern Shore, which is a bout a 45 minute drive from Norfolk. They were married in Canada last July 7th but never had the intended celebration due to the untimely death of Christopher's mother shortly after their marriage in Canada. Thankfully, Cissi as she was known was able to attend the wedding in Canada. They are wonderful guys, some of my most wonderful friends and I truly hope they have many, many wonderful years together.

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Of course I am invited to the celebration event - together with a "guest." Given the current situation on the romance front, finding the "Guest" may prove challenging. I do truly wonder at times whether I will ever find Mr. Right. Some take me to task for not wanting to "settle" on someone or for setting criteria that set an unduly high standard. I truly do not see myself as shallow and focused solely on looks. However, the reality is that without a spark of physical attraction/chemistry, a relationship will not work. The attraction/chemistry is either there or it's not. To pretend otherwise is, in my opinion, self-delusion and setting one's self up for heartbreak. In addition, I feel that given the Hell I went through to come out and the attendant financial ruin my divorce entailed, I will not settle for anything less than the guy I feel I deserve. I am a good person, decent looking and relatively intelligent. Why should I accept someone who will not make me happy long term. There must be someone out there who has intelligence, a good heart, and a sweet personality combined with a moderately attractive exterior. Although perhaps not in this largely closeted backwater called Hampton Roads. At times I truly would love to leave this area if I could figure out how to do so.

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Adding to my current lack of contentment, I received a letter from my ex-wife's divorce attorney asking when I can pay the support payments covered in the final divorce decree. Apparently, neither he nor my ex read the newspaper or watch television and, therefore, are oblivious to the current economy or more importantly what has happened to the residential real estate market inasmuch as a lion's share of my firm's revenues historically were based on residential real estate closings and related transactions. Once again, they expect to get blood out of a stone.

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Despite everything, I have one priceless thing - I am OK with being gay and who I am. No one can take that away from me try as they might.

More Wednesday Male Beauty

STOP The Radio Hall of Fame from Honoring Anti-Gay Bigot James Dobson

Wayne Besen at Truth Wins Out has a post that needs to be acted upon ASAP. The Museum of Broadcast Communications has nominated James Dobson, the Christianist, homophobic founder of Focus on the Family pictured at left, to its Radio Hall of Fame. The size of one's listening pool alone should not automatically qualify one for this type of honor. Dobson knowingly and deliberately puts out false and dishonest information on virtually a daily basis that causes untold harm to gays and other citizens who are the targets of his hatred and bigotry. I encourage you to go to the Truth Wins Out website and sign the letter to be submitted to the Museum of Broadcast Communications protesting Dobson's nomination. To sign the letter, go here. Dobson needs to be exposed for the vicious, dishonest individual he has proven himself to be through his anti-gay, anti-immigrant, and other anti-minority lies and disingenuousness. The man is a hate merchant plan and simple. In my opinion, nominating someone like Dobson is like nominating Adolph Hitler for a broadcasting award. The opening of the letter to the Museum of Broadcast Communications reads in part as follows:
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I believe that character counts, and that nominees should have a career based on honesty and integrity. Dobson fails to meet this test and it is baffling that you would nominate Dobson, given his long and unique record as a singular leader in the realm of deep intolerance. Dobson has found the notoriety in which you propose to honor by endorsing discrimination, distorting research and outright lying.

Wednesday Male Beauty

Pope Go Homo

"Pope Go Homo" is one of the slogans that will be used by protesters who are not thrilled with the visit of Pope Benedict XVI, a/k/a the Nazi Pope, a/k/a God's Rottweiler, to Sydney, Australia for World Youth Day. Adding to the protesters unhappiness is the outrageous ordinance adopted by local officials - it sounds like something the Nazi or Communist Party would have liked - to try to counter any protests of the Nazi Pope's visit. The law gives authorities the power to stop and fine anyone engaging in behavior that "causes annoyance or inconvenience" to the Prada Pope and/or the Church sponsored gathering. My sympathies definitely are on the side of the protesters. Here are some highlights from 365gay.com:

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(Sydney, Australia) Wearing T-shirts that read "Pope Go Homo" and "The pope is wrong, put a condom on!," a dozen demonstrators poked fun Wednesday at a new Australian law meant to protect participants of next week's World Youth Day from being annoyed by opponents.

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The new rules, which critics have panned as a form of censorship, give authorities the power to order anyone to stop behavior that "causes annoyance or inconvenience" to the 250,000 pilgrims expected in Sydney for the Roman Catholic festival being held July 15-20. Anyone who doesn't comply could face a fine of $5,300.

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Police and the New South Wales state government say they are a necessary security measure. Libertarians and rights activists disagree. "These annoyance laws are outrageous," said Rachel Evans, a spokeswoman for the NoToPope Coalition that helped organize Wednesday's protest. The coalition, made up of gay rights, student and atheist groups, is planning a July 19 march to protest what it calls the pope's homophobic and antiquated ideas. The group is also planning to distribute condoms to young pilgrims and speak with them about human rights issues. The Church bans the use of condoms and other forms of artificial birth control, another point of irritation for protesters at Wednesday's gathering, dubbed the annoying protest.

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To Charlton, the annoyance law is just another in a string of poor decisions by Australia's leaders. "They can't get anything right, this government," said Charlton, 57, of Sydney. "If they'd have shut up, there would have been a little (demonstration) Saturday week of a few people. Now there's gonna be thousands, because Sydneysiders are saying we want to keep our rights, which are being eroded away."

Soldier Sues US Army for 'Unconstitutional' Discrimination

I have written several times before about the growing problem in the U.S. military about the efforts of Christianists to use coersion to force military personnel to embrace their sick version of Christianity. The Air Force and Army seem to be having particular problems, with the Navy seemingly being less infiltrated by Christianists. Now, a member of the Army who was raised Baptist but moved away from being a believer has brought a lawsuit against the Army for the discrimination he has experienced both while serving in Iraq and in terms of lost promotions. He is seeking no money damages - merely an enforcement of freedom of religion rights for ALL military personnel. Like in so many other instances, the Christianists think only they have religious freedom rights and run rough shod over the rights of all others. Personally, I see the efforts of these lunatic Christianists to be a clear threat to religious freedom and, in my view, officers who cannot leave their evangelical Christianity at the door need to be shown the door by the military. Here are some highlights from CNN:

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Army Spc. Jeremy Hall was raised Baptist. . . He served two tours of duty in Iraq and has a near perfect record. But somewhere between the tours, something changed. Hall, now 23, said he no longer believes in God, fate, luck or anything supernatural.

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His sudden lack of faith, he said, cost him his military career and put his life at risk. Hall said his life was threatened by other troops and the military assigned a full-time bodyguard to protect him out of fear for his safety.

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Hall filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, among others. In the suit, Hall claims his rights to religious freedom under the First Amendment were violated and suggests that the United States military has become a Christian organization. "I think it's utterly and totally wrong. Unconstitutional," Hall said. Hall said there is a pattern of discrimination against non-Christians in the military.

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Michael Weinstein, a retired senior Air Force officer and founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, is suing along with Hall. Weinstein said he's been contacted by more than 8,000 members of the military, almost all of them complaining of pressure to embrace evangelical Christianity. "Our Pentagon, our Pentacostalgon, is refusing to realize that when you put the uniform on, there's only one religious faith: patriotism," Weinstein said.

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Religious discrimination is a violation of the First Amendment and is also against military policy. The Pentagon refused to discuss specifics of Hall's case -- citing the litigation. But Deputy Undersecretary Bill Carr said complaints of evangelizing are "relatively rare." He also said the Pentagon is not pushing one faith among troops.

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Weinstein said he doesn't buy it and points to a promotional video by a group called Christian Embassy. The video, which shows U.S. generals in uniform, was shot inside the Pentagon. The generals were subsequently reprimanded. Another group, the Officers' Christian Fellowship, has representatives on nearly all military bases worldwide. Its vision, which is spelled out on the organization's Web site, reads, "A spiritually transformed military, with ambassadors for Christ in uniform empowered by the Holy Spirit."

Kern County, California Supervisors Reject Anti-gay Marriage Proposal

The county supervisors for Kern County, California, where Kern County Auditor-Controller-County Clerk Ann Barnett announced her office would cease doing civil marriages for anyone following the May 15, 2008, California Supreme Court ruling that struck down bans on gay marriage, have rejected a proposed ordinance to ban gay marriages. The proposed ordinance was championed by Randy Thomasson of the Campaign for Children and Families, who Pam Spaulding has properly called a "wingnut media whore." Like Janet Folger, Mr. Thomasson holds himself out as an expert in many spheres even though he only holds a bachelor's degree in Radio/TV/Film, with a minor in Broadcast Journalism. Now he is pretending to be a constitutional scholar and attorney, apparently. Fortunately, even the conservatives on the county commission realized that adopting the ordinance would lead to litigation the County could not win. Here are some highlights from the Bakersfield Californian (note how the wingnuts believe that they are above the law):

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County supervisors rejected two gay marriage proposals Tuesday, one banning the unions in Kern, the other asking San Bernardino County to deputize people to perform civil ceremonies here. County Counsel Bernard Barmann said the anti-gay marriage ordinance proposed by a conservative coalition would violate the California constitution.

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Pastor and Kern High School District Trustee Chad Vegas said the sin of gay marriage is “self-evident” and supervisors should not be swayed by Barmann's opinion that their oath to uphold the state constitution required them to block the ordinance.

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“What some are asking us to do today we are not able to do,” said Supervisor Mike Maggard. “We would lose (in court). The county’s coffers would be open. We would have to pay plaintiff’s fees.” Randy Thomasson of the Campaign for Children and Families, which drafted the ordinance, hoped passage in Kern would help an effort to pass a statewide gay marriage ban in November.

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Following the decision, Thomasson issued a press release saying if Kern County supervisors had been at the real Alamo, “they probably would have turned tail and ran.”

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As for the County Clerk, unfortunately, the supervisors did not issue an ultimatum telling her to either do her job or resign. As public employees people like Ms. Barnett to understand that they are to comply with legal procedures and services to ALL members of the public and if their sensibilities are so fragile, then they need to find alternate employment. It's always about THEIR rights and to Hell with everyone else's.

Final Tuesday Male Beauty

Mortgage Lender Implode-O-Meter

It seems that in every economic crisis there will always be some new idea that allows someone to benefit financially as the economy goes into a nose dive. The New York Times has a story about a new website called the Mortgage Lender Inplode Meter, the brain child of 28 year old Aaron Krowne, a former researcher at Emory University in Atlanta. To date 265 mortgage lenders have failed and gone out of business or suffered severe losses which have placed them on the watch list. Meanwhile, the sites advertising revenues are exploding. Damn, I guess I need to come up with something equally foresighted. Here are highlights from the NYT story:

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The misery in the housing market is registering on the Implode-O-Meter. As millions of homeowners fall behind on their mortgages, a fledgling Web site called the Mortgage Lender Implode-O-Meter is gleefully tallying the number of lenders that run into trouble too. On Monday, the count was 265 — and rising.

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The Implode-O-Meter is the brainchild of Aaron Krowne, a former researcher at Emory University in Atlanta. A computer scientist and mathematician, Mr. Krowne, 28, started the site in 2007, believing that the troubles in the housing market, and by extension the mortgage industry, would worsen. He was right — and the Implode-O-Meter took off. Traffic on the site soared, reaching as many as 100,000 regular visitors, and advertising dollars rolled in. Mr. Krowne quit his day job and hired 10 people for his company, Implode-Explode Heavy Industries.

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The tips usually come anonymously from employees at the troubled mortgage companies. Critics of the site say some of the tips have been more gossip than reality. But the Implode-O-Meter often posts the phone recordings and company e-mail to back up the bad news coming out of places like Merrill Lynch, which in March fired nearly everyone at First Franklin Financial, a business it purchased in 2006.

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The Implode-O-Meter, Mr. Krowne likes to say, has beat out the mainstream media time and again. Case in point, he says, was last October when it broke the news that Michael Jackson faced foreclosure on his Neverland property. Mr. Jackson’s representatives quickly denied the Implode-O-Meter’s story, which Mr. Krowne chalks up to his start-up status. His response? He posted the notice of Mr. Jackson’s defaults.

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“Every company thinks it is different,” Mr. Krowne says. He points to April last year as an example. Employees of SouthStar Funding, a mortgage company in Atlanta, bombarded him with phone calls at his day job, trying to persuade him that the company was fine after he placed it on his Ailing Lender list, he said. After all, the employees told him, they were being sent on a team-building trip to the Bahamas. Soon, Mr. Krowne said, he started getting threats from the company. When SouthStar folded, Mr. Krowne wrote: “I have to say that it is with genuine satisfaction that I post this report of SouthStar’s closure.”