More Friday Male Beauty

Rising Gas Prices Pump up Virginia's Oil Industry

Virginia does not have much of an oil industry to speak of. However, with rising oil prices, exploration becomes more economically viable in areas previously overlooked. The reality is that once before - in the early 1980's before the oil industry crashed - there was a great deal of interest in possible production in Virginia. One of my compatriots in the law department for Union Texas Petroleum Company ("UTPC") with some input from yours truly helped draft Virginia's original oil and gas related statutes since at that time there were none. Moreover, UTPC at one point was the largest leaseholder in Virginia. Of course, after the oil crash of the early 1980's oil and gas exploration languished in Virginia - until now. Unfortunately, increased domestic production will NOT solve the USA's oil dependence on the Middle East no matter how much the Chimperator or John McCain pretend otherwise. Here are some highlights from a story in the Virginian Pilot:

*

For decades, companies drilling for natural gas here in the remote mountains of southwest Virginia have known that the wells yield another coveted resource: crude oil. Until recently, though, the quantities were considered too small to matter - a nuisance byproduct of gas production that sometimes was released back into the ground. But that was before market prices for crude soared above $130 a barrel. Now, the state's gas industry, which is experiencing its own boom, is welcoming this "nice bonus" - separating crude at wellheads, storing it and later selling it for refining into fuels, said Jerry Grantham, a top officer with the Virginia Oil and Gas Association, a trade group.

*

Coal remains the richest fossil fuel mined in Virginia by far. But the energy resource drawing the most attention these days in the state is coal bed methane, a natural gas that looks, acts and smells like conventional gas. Methane is typically found in gaps within untapped coal seams, often at much shallower depths than conventional gas. Its withdrawal, then, is cheaper and helps to safeguard coal mining, as methane is known to easily explode.

*
A record amount of natural gas was generated from Virginia wells in 2006, at more than 102 billion cubic feet - enough to power all residential users in the state. This fact, too, was a first in Virginia, according to government and industry officials. About 80 percent of this total output was coal bed methane, worth more than $660 million.

*

The skyrocketing trend, ongoing since the late 1990s, continued last year: The Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy reported last week that 112 billion cubic feet of natural gas were produced in 2007, yet another record. "And there's still a lot of potential out there," said Grantham, who also is vice president of Pine Mountain Oil and Gas Co., based in Abingdon. "We expect the industry to continue growing - more wells and more exploration in the region," he added.

Christianist Angst

Things are not sweetness and light as the leaders of the wingnut Christianists face the upcoming presidential election. While it may not be the Christian thing to do, the pain amongst these folks truly gives me pleasure. Great pleasure, in fact. These folks basically hate everyone who is not just like them and who does not subscribe to their intolerant, fear/hate based form of religious belief. How can anyone feel loved by a God who per their description is a mean, vengeful monster? I mean, according to them, God sits poised to condemn you to Hell at the drop of a hat - ESPECIALLY if one is gay. But I digress. Seems the fundies had a meeting called by Mathew Staver, president of Liberty Counsel and dean of the law school at Liberty University (who bungled the case for the Virginia "former lesbian" who was in a custody battle with her former Vermont civil union partner). The topic of the meeting? The possible loss of power and influence on the part of the Christianist leaders - and we know that their real agenda is power and money. I have to laugh at their whining about blacks and Hispanics not embracing them. Why would they when the Christianist organizations are anti-immigrant and under the surface racist? Here are some highlights from Charisma, a Christian newsblog:

*

More than 90 evangelical leaders representing millions of conservative Christians met in Denver on Tuesday to lament the condition of the religious conservative movement and to conclude they should get behind Sen. John McCain even if they didn’t like everything about him as a candidate. The alternative is so bad we must support John McCain,” said Phyllis Schlafly, founder and president of Eagle Forum, . .

*

Mostly white and middle-aged, the group was called together by Mathew Staver, president of Liberty Counsel and dean of the law school at Liberty University.

"Our shared conservative evangelical values and our concern about judicial activism compelled us to unite around the presidential candidate who most closely aligns with us,” Staver said. “That candidate is obviously Sen. John McCain. United we will move forward to advance our values in the short- and long-term. Various speakers lamented the lack of a unified strategy that had evangelicals supporting various primary candidates and the fact that their message does not seem to resonate with younger voters, African-Americans or Hispanics in the same way Sen. Barack Obama’s does. More than an hour was spent listening to younger leaders tell the group that religious conservatives must be perceived "to care" about social issues and the environment to appeal to young people who are voting for the first time.

*

Obama has reached out to evangelical leaders more than McCain, a fact that irked some at the meeting. But others said they must support McCain regardless because an Obama presidency would mean passage of highly liberal policies that would probably allow "same-sex marriage," severely hurt religious freedom and ensure the appointment of only judges who would keep abortion on demand as the law of the land.

*

Others privately said they feared an Obama landslide. One participant said he couldn't imagine anything worse. "Obama has done the impossible," he said. "He's made Hillary Clinton look good to Christian conservatives."

Friday Male Beauty

4th of July - Let Us Regain Liberty

The regime of the Chimperator and the Christianist dominated Republican Party have done much over the last eight years to subvert the principals enunciated in the Declaration of Independence, a portion of which is quoted below, followed by an image of the original document. As Americans spend this holiday weekend at the beach, in the mountains, or in their back yards, I hope that some passing thoughts will be given to these principals and that maybe, just maybe, the citizens of the nation will realize that much must be done to turn back the erosion of liberties that have transpired, often as a result of fear mongering or efforts to pit one group of citizens against another by exploiting their differences instead of our commonality. I truly hope that November 2008 will see the stage set for a return to beliefs and values set forth in this document. Here are some of the powerful words written at a time when Virginia was a beacon of progressive thinking:

*

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

*

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government.

More Thursday Male Beauty

India's Uneasy Relationship With Gays

I have a number of Indian clients, the vast majority of which are Hindu and strike me as fairly religious, yet very respectful of the religious beliefs of others - in sharp contract to the wingnut Christianists plaguing the country. Would that the fundies would learn some tolerance from Hidus and others that the Christianists look down upon. Some I believe know that I am gay and really seem to have no issue with it whatsoever. They trust my abilities as an attorney and that is why they use my services. I even have one Indian client who is gay, although homosexuality is not something looked upon favorably and one sees very few Indians out at the gay clubs. Thus, I found Newsweek's article on India and Gay Pride interesting given my interation with so many clients from India or of Indian descent. One can hope that in time India and its people will come to recognize that gays were made the way we are by the creator no matter what name he/she is given. As such, we are deserving of respect and equality. Here are some story highlights:

*

India may pride itself on being the world's largest democracy, but it still takes a dim view of gay rights. Homosexuality is illegal and deemed an "unnatural sexual offense" under section 377 of the country's penal code, where it is categorized alongside bestiality and punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

*

So it was with a mixture of defiance and celebration that several hundred participants in New Delhi's first gay pride parade rallied through the capital on Sunday, beating drums, shouting slogans and waving rainbow-striped pride flags. Simultaneous marches were held in Calcutta and Bangalore, along with dozens of other cities the world over.

*

Lesley Esteves, a New Delhi magazine editor who helped organize the parade, dubbed it a "community event" and explained the challenges of pushing the bounds of social acceptability in India: "India functions like this—you have this massive media coverage and people know what the word 'queer' is." But at the same time, "We are still having to go to the courts to convince families against holding their children captiv[e] in their homes because they are homosexuals."

*

Indian newspapers are rife with tales of suicides of homosexual men and women pressured into traditional, arranged marriages. And those with the means to leave the country sometimes do so, seeking asylum in more sympathetic climes. . . . This 150-year-old chapter of Indian history may be coming to a close soon. The Delhi High Court is weighing a petition against Article 377, and a ruling is expected in the near future. Brought by the Naz Foundation, an Indian organization that works to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, the petition is currently pending on appeal and the next hearing is July 2. Perhaps next year, marchers will feel more at ease showing their faces.

Obama and Faith Based Initiatives - A Bad Idea

Democratic presidential nominee apparent, Barack Obama, has announced that he would expand on certain faith based initiatives commenced under the Chimperator. His full sppech can be found here. Admittedly, I am leery of religious organizations, especially those with ties to conservative evangelical Christian denominations which have an utter inability to grasp the simple concepts of (i) separation of church and state and (ii) that others besides themselves have religious freedom rights too. Yes, there are many religious organizations that do very good work and address many ills in society and assist the poor. The issue is whether they can do so without proselytizing to the people they help and do so (A) without discriminating against elements of those they seek to help and (B) without discriminating against the people they hire - on the basis of their religion. I think the conservative organizations that have been aligned with the Chimperator's regime have amply shown that they CANNOT do so. In fact, they often blatantly refuse to do so. Perhaps some of the progressive mainline denominations can do a better job on this front, but I personally believe that absent 100% complinace with non-proselytizing and non-discrimination requirements, no religious organization should receive a penny of taxpayer derived funds. Here are a few highlights from Obama's speech:

*

I believe deeply in the separation of church and state, but I don't believe this partnership will endanger that idea - so long as we follow a few basic principles. First, if you get a federal grant, you can't use that grant money to proselytize to the people you help and you can't discriminate against them - or against the people you hire - on the basis of their religion. Second, federal dollars that go directly to churches, temples, and mosques can only be used on secular programs. And we'll also ensure that taxpayer dollars only go to those programs that actually work.

*

I will empower the nonprofit religious and community groups that do understand how this process works to train the thousands of groups that don't. We'll "train the trainers" by giving larger faith-based partners like Catholic Charities and Lutheran Services and secular nonprofits like Public/Private Ventures the support they need to help other groups build and run effective programs. Every house of worship that wants to run an effective program and that's willing to abide by our constitution - from the largest mega-churches and synagogues to the smallest store-front churches and mosques - can and will have access to the information and support they need to run that program.

*

Again, I understand the concept that Obama is trying to achieve. I just think he is entirely out of touch with reality if he believes most religious based organization would be able to truly meet the requirement of not proselytizing and not discriminating aginst those assisted and/or employees should they noy conform to the organization's religious dogma/agenda. A good explanation of why Obama's idea is wrong is here. If nothing else, policing the program to prevent what I believe would be widespread and often outrageuos abuses would be a mammoth under taking in and of itself.

Thursday Male Beauty

Royal treatment

Priest Is Charged With Child Abuse

The Roman Catholic Church would like church members and the public to believe that all of the sexual abuse of minors by priests occurred many years ago when the Church hierarchy calims to have known less about such abuse. As this Washington Post story demonstrates, the problem is still going on and does not just involve incidents from the 1950's and 1960's. In my opinion, the underlying reasons for the problem - in addition to the conscious cover up by bishops and cardinals - are (i) the Church's demonization of/obsession with all things sexual, and (ii) the priestly celibacy requirement which makes the priesthood attractive to those with sexual maturity/identity disorders. Stated differently, if priests could marry and the Church treated sexuality as a normal part of being human, the priesthood would draw individauls who were far less screwed up emotionally/sexually. Normal individuals, gay or straight, are not attracted to children and youths in puberty. Here are highlighs from the WP:

*

A priest accused of abusing an altar boy in 2001 has been charged with child abuse after turning himself in to police Tuesday. The Rev. Aaron Joseph Cote, 56, who was an associate pastor in 2001 and 2002 at Mother Seton parish in Germantown, had been accused of sexual abuse by the former altar boy, Brandon Rains, who filed a lawsuit against him in 2005. Cote, who has been living in New York City, surrendered after learning that police would seek a warrant for his arrest.

*

According to Montgomery County police, Cote had been counseling the boy while serving part time as youth minister at Mother Seton. In summer 2001, when the boy was 14 years old, police said, Cote took Rains to an apartment in Germantown and "engaged in inappropriate personal sexual activity in the victim's presence and inappropriate touching of the victim." The abuse allegedly continued for about one year.

*

Last year, the Catholic religious order of which Cote is a member, the Dominican Friars, Province of St. Joseph, agreed to pay $1.2 million to Rains to settle the lawsuit he filed against the order and Cote. In it, Rains accused Cote of "harmful sexual conduct and contact" with him that caused him "severe and permanent emotional distress."

*

Cote also served in another area church, St. Jane Frances de Chantal Parish in Bethesda. In April, a family in Springfield, Mass., filed a lawsuit against Cote and the Dominicans, alleging that he abused their preschool-age sons after he left Mother Seton.