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Cocktales - Archived Blog Posts

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Will surprises never cease?

Is the whole damn world claiming to be or have been Gay for God's sake???

The chief evidence, if such it be, of Lincoln's homosexual inclination is his relationship with Joshua Speed, a handsome 22-year-old shopkeeper when the two men met in 1837. Abe, then a 28-year-old lawyer with bright prospects but poor cash flow, arrived in Springfield, Illinois, and asked about the price of bedding at Speed's general store. Learning that Lincoln was nearly broke, Speed invited him to share his bed upstairs. "The traveler inspected the bed and, looking into the merchant's sparkling blue eyes, agreed on the spot," Carol Lloyd wrote in Salon in 1999. "For the next four years the two men shared that bed along with their most private fears and desires."

"Abraham Lincoln did not like women," writes psycho biographer Michael Burlingame. Certainly he wasn't comfortable around them, judging from remarks by contemporaries. Accounts of romantic encounters are few and often disputed. His marriage to Mary Todd, while perhaps not the nightmare some paint it as, was neither peaceful nor happy. Shortly after his assassination a story circulated that as a young man he'd fallen in love with one Ann Rutledge, whose untimely death left him inconsolable, but recent scholarship casts doubt on its veracity. Lincoln may have patronized prostitutes, but the most common such tale sounds suspiciously like a barroom joke--the woman asked for five dollars, but Lincoln had only three, and rather than owe her the rest, Honest Abe buttoned up his pants and left.

One of the few traditional Lincolnists to describe (however obliquely) the lifelong Lincoln-Speed relationship as homosexual was the Illinois poet Carl Sandburg, in his masterful, six-volume Lincoln biography. In the tome titled The Prairie Years (1926), Sandburg wrote that both Lincoln and Speed had "a streak of lavender, and spots soft as May violets." "I do not feel my own sorrows more keenly than I do yours," Lincoln wrote Speed in one letter. And again, "You know my desire to befriend you is everlasting." In a detailed retelling of the Lincoln-Speed love story — including the "lust at first sight" encounter between the two young men, when Lincoln readily accepted Speed’s eager invitation to share his narrow bed.

Well, we can look at and observe our Log Cabin President all we want and make claims he was Gay all we want; but in reality, none knows for sure...so far it's just like going to Vegas and betting on a horse that the odds are say 50-50.......you may win; yet you may lose.......albeit, he may have been Gay, yet he may have been straight!

I guess for the latter in hope it helps the Gay cause to have such a famous person as an illustrious Alumnus!
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TO THOSE OF YOU NOT FAMILIAR WITH JOE ARPAIO.
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HE IS THE MARICOPA ARIZONA COUNTY SHERIFF AND HE KEEPS GETTING ELECTED OVER AND OVER.
THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY:

--Created a "tent city" to house prisoner inmates at minimal costs.

--He has jail meals down to 40 cents a serving and charges the inmates for them.

--He stopped smoking and porno magazines in the jails. Took away their weights. Cut off all but "G" movies.

--He started chain gangs so the inmates could do free work on county and city projects.

--Then he started chain gangs for women so he wouldn't get sued for discrimination.

--He took away cable TV until he found out there was a federal court order that required cable TV for jails. So he hooked up the cable TV again only let in the Disney channel and the weather channel.

When asked why the weather channel he replied, so they will know how hot it's gonna be while they are working on my chain gangs.

--He cut off coffee since it has zero nutritional value.

A few days ago, the Sheriff wanted to move the prisoners to new facilities and marched about 800 of them all handcuffed one to another, sporting nothing but pink boxer shorts and shoes....this way no prisoner was allowed to smuggle "anything" into the new facilites...since they were searched on the way out and searched on the way in and wearing very little indeed! A very effective way to get the job done and keep the new facilities free of weapons!

The voters of Maricopa County (Phoenix) keep on voting Joe in as Sheriff........sure he may love the spotlight; but dammit he gets the job done while he's getting his name and picture on TV or in the paper!!!!

I think some humiliation is good since these scum bags killed, raped, or did other capital crimes and I don't think they considered the feelings of their victims when they did the crime!

Go Joe Go!!! (!) (!) (!) :twisted: :twisted:
 
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Michael A. Smith

Jane Fonda, 67, spoke at Unity Temple, in The Plaza shopping district in Kansas City, about her new best-selling book, "My Life So Far," and her new movie with Jennifer Lopez called "Monster-In-Law."
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(Peace symbol my ass! I wonder if she did this before or after she was spit on!)

At about 9 p.m., police said 54-year-old Michael A. Smith, who had been waiting in line for about 90 minutes posing as a fan, passed a book to Fonda and then spit a large amount of tobacco juice into her face.

They said Smith then ran away and was taken into custody by off-duty officers, who were providing security for the event.

Fonda declined to prosecute Smith.

A Vietnam veteran, Smith was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, which is a city charge. Michael Smith said he he spat in her face for all his buddies who were in Viet Nam when Jane was making palsy walzies with the Viet Cong!

In 1972, Fonda was photographed sitting in a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft tank.

About her protest involvement in the Vietnam War, Fonda has apologized for her anti-aircraft tank photo, calling it an incredible lapse in judgment. She has not apologized for opposing the war.

How well I too remember coming home via the San Francisco airport, coming through customs with my uniform on and being spit on and called names by "Americans", my people in my country, spitting on someone who risked his life because my country told me so.......I will "NEVER" forgive Jane Fonda for selling us out to the enemy, while we were fighting a war and she was having tea with the enemy!!
 
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I don't know about you; but the deal with ID thefts is making me nervous! It seems every day we hear more and more about some big corporation losing tens of thousands of people's personal information!

Here is an update on recent data security breaches.

Since the ChoicePoint announcement, news about data breaches and information heists have become almost a daily occurrence. Here's an update courtesy of the US PIRG:

-- Bank of America came clean that back-up data tapes containing personal information and account numbers of 1.2 million Americans including federal employees (and members of Congress) went missing.

-- NY Senator Schumer blasted WestLaw for selling Social Security numbers to those who purchase access to its extensive databases of personal information.

-- LexisNexis, another data aggregator similar to ChoicePoint and WestLaw, announced that thieves accessed personal information of 32,000 consumers of its Seisint division by misusing existing passwords of a legitimate account holder.

-- Discount Shoe Warehouse disclosed that 103 of its 175 stores had customers’ credit and debit card information hacked.

-- Paymaxx, an online payroll management company, may have exposed financial data including W-2 forms of as many as 100,000 workers.

I say, "take charge" and fight back these bastards! Here's a website put out by the FTC to help us do just that: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/idtheft.htm

Here also is a site that shows precisely how to initiate retaliation against the damn thieves:http://www.msnbc.com/modules/interactive.asp?id=/d/ip/IDTheft_Bcol_022803/data.js&navid=3032117

I hope each and everyone of you out there make a "paper shredder" your best weapon to use against these unseen "terrorists"!!!

How in the F*)_K do we stay one step ahead of the assholes???
 
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In preparing for their premier on June 30th - assuming they don't push it back again, Logo TV has updated their web site. Logo is going to be a gay and lesbian channel, and they have tons of cool shows planned.

You can visit their web site and sign-up to tell your cable provider to offer Logo from their web site at www.logoonline.com.

The channel, Logo, got pushed back five months to June 30. Brian Graden, the president of Logo, said the delay was aimed mainly at ensuring "a complete service" with 24 hours of programming from its first day. Plans call for three original series, a slate of documentaries, news coverage from CBS News and some well-known movie titles, headed by the first non-HBO broadcast of "Angels in America."

I am a huge fan of HereTV, the digitial premium channel offered on DirecTV, and can't wait to have another Gay and Lesbian Channel. I just wish now that DirecTV would offer Q! :kiss: (*8*)
 
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April 22, 2005 is the 35th Anniversary of Earth Day

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Earth Day was started in 1970 by a man named John Mc Connell from the United States. It was originally held on the annual celebration of the March Equinox and still is by many people. However, it is generally celebrated on April 22. Earth day is now celebrated worldwide.

Earth Day is a very special day specifically designed for all of us to think about earth issues . It is not only a special day in the town where we live, but a day that the whole world participates in! Often there are celebrations, events or campaigns that concern us with earth matters.

We're a Small Planet, with Big Problems

DID YOU KNOW?

A little effort can save a lot of energy Don't Waste our planet

There is no time to spare...Do your share!
Here you will read, how to use only what you need!
Reduce Reuse Recycle
Conserve energy and water
Care for the air
Make it a habit to care about our habitats
Give a hoot and don't pollute
It's a breeze to save trees

Don't let the earth
go down the drain
Not that long ago, we could drink out of our rivers and streams. Now the water has to be processed to get rid of garbage and bacteria that can make us sick. Don't be a drip!.

It takes a lot of energy to clean our water
...but you can help Don't keep the faucet on when you brush your teeth.
DID YOU KNOW that Leaving the water running just 3 minutes can use up to 1 quart of drinking water?
DID YOU KNOW that leaky or improperly turned off faucets can use up even more!
You can help just by checking to make sure the faucet is completely turned off each time you use it!
If it still drips, tell your parents so they can fix it.

I know it's kinda dorky, quirky or whatever term you wanna call it; but folks if we don't care for our planet who the hell will? I think we all can see the damage we've already done to Earth...do we want to totally kill our home?

If we take one day to think and plan ways as individuals we can each one of us do our part and make a difference... (!) (!) (!)
 
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To all my Jewish friends, I wish you Gut Yontiff und Chag Sameach!

Pesach (pronounced PAY-sakh) is the Hebrew word for Passover. Pesach is a holiday that commemorates the Hebrews’ rapid departure from ancient Egypt. The Jews had just endured over 200 years of exile, including several decades of torturous slave labor, and now G-d was going to fulfill His promise to Abraham—the promise to redeem the Jews and do justice to their slave-masters. Right before the Exodus, G-d commands the Jews to sacrifice one lamb per family and mark the Jewish doorposts with its blood. This would be a sign for G-d to "pass over" the Jewish homes as He slew the Egyptian firstborn—the last of ten supernatural attacks on the Egyptians. This is the origin of the name "Passover."
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I want to wish everyone here a wonderful holiday.

I hope the time with your loved ones will be meaningful and memorable for all.

Here’s to us all leaving our narrowness, our baggage, and our insecurities behind us, and relishing the journey forward.
 
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Three weeks ago I received a heart-breaking call from my sisters in Florida: If I wanted to see our Mother as we knew her, I should come home and visit as soon as possible.

Of course, I quickly made arrangements to fly home to see my Mom.

I was totally not ready for the shock when I walked into my Mother's bedroom and saw her for the first time in a year! She is on oxygen and has that "hollow-eyed" look of an ill person.........of course I did NOT show my shock; but kissed her and told her how much I love her.

She was very alert and surprised to see me since I did not say for sure I was coming; but only saying I was hoping to see her soon...

She's failing fast, stays in the bed most of the time except for sometimes coming to the dining table for breakfast, going to the "potty" and sitting up for bed-changes.

My Mother has been devastated by the loss of my Father who died in 2002 after 67 years of marriage and frankly not happy with life without her partner. She often said she hoped she went first because she could not bear living without him around.

Well, it's hard to face this inevitable thing that the loss of my Mother is likely shortly. Her kidneys are already shutting down and probably she may have to have dialysis if she lives long enough. She is already totally blind due to eye disease.

We discussed her "living will" with her and her prognosis for living and her burial wishes. In the past this subject had been taboo and not talked about because it made her uncomfortable; but now she's accepting her immortality and planning her burial up to the songs she wishes to be sung/played at her funeral.

I was a basket-case and she was the Rock of Gibraltar! Here my thought fragile Mother is making life and death decisions and I'm a quivering mass of sobbing tears. She comforted me and told me not to take it all so hard, she had lived a long, wonderful life with the best husband anyone could hope for and four great children she would not change for anyone. I was almost speechless watching my Mom in action handling these arrangements/decisions.

You see my Mother is truly a model person. She is truly one of the best people I've ever known and that's not because she's my parent; but because it's the truth. Even her grandchildren often remark that she's what they want to be like when they grow up....just like her...kind, never showing anger, always supportive and a friend forever.

It was difficult to leave her; but I had to come back home. Being with her on Mother's Day was great. I gave her a dozen light pink long stemmed roses and although not being able to see them...she said she knew they were lovely because her son only picks beautiful things! That statement brought me to tears and we both had a good cry.

When I came to her bedroom to say good bye before going to the airport she told me how much she loved me and wanted my Partner Ron and I to take care of one another and to always know she tried her best to be a good mother and she thinks she did a good job rearing me because I turned out to be a good person. I, of course, resorted to tears and kissed her good bye and wished her comfort and peace knowing this might be the last time I saw her alive.....

I love you MAMA! :kiss: (*8*)
 
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Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist poses for pictures with judicial nominees Janice Rogers Brown, center, and Pricilla Owen.

The battle for control of the United States Senate was openly joined on May 18, 2005, as Senators from the Republican majority threatened to use their power to make rules changes that could permanently reduce the role of the minority Democrats. The root of the dispute is the blocking of several judicial nominees by the Democrats via the unprecedented use of the filibuster power, ordinarily utilized only to delay or block implementation of legislative matters, rather than Presidential appointees.

Senate Republicans can change the rules of the Senate to permit an override of a filibuster by a simple majority vote of the body. The current rule requires 60 votes out of 100 to shut down a filibuster, a majority which the Republicans have failed to attain after months of skirmishing over President Bush's judicial nominees. The Senate's current membership consists of 55 Republicans, 44 Democrats, and 1 Socialist, Bernie Saunders of Vermont, who generally votes with the Democrats.

Democrats have blocked confirmation votes on seven nominees to Federal appellate courts, including Judge Priscilla Owen and Judge Janice Rogers Brown, saying that they are too conservative. Republicans respond that it is not the Senate's role to block the President's nominees on ideological grounds, and note that Brown and Owen are highly regarded in the legal community and have been given high marks by the American Bar Association, whose opinion on judicial nominees is routinely sought.

Republican leaders, led by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tennessee), have said that if the Democrats continue to block action on the seven nominees, they will proceed to a vote on ending the judicial filibusters, a move that has been labeled as the "nuclear option" because it represents an escalation of the partisan warfare dividing Capitol Hill. It is not clear whether the Republicans have the votes to make the rules change, as several Republicans are known to be wavering in the face of Democratic criticism. The Senate is currently debating the nomination of Priscilla Owen, whose nomination was first placed before the Senate four years ago.

I say the Democrats should let them vote on the appointees......it's NOT like they are Supreme Court Judges! They should save their fight for when Pres. Bush tries to appoint someone they do not favor to the highest court in the land...

Vote them up or down.........just VOTE!!
 
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Do you realize how wide-spread the problem of obesity is in the world; but rampant in the U.S......

So, to get you to thinking about the subject I then hit you with a problem I saw presented on one of the cable news programs the other day: Ambulances, hospitals, clinics and other places of health treatment need heavier duty/larger wheel chairs, gurneys, MRI screeners, and all other devices that can take care of obese people!

"Obesity has become a national health problem in the United States.

Nearly 97 million American adults are overweight. Of the 97 million overweight American adults, it is estimated that 4 million are severely obese and 1.5 million are morbidly obese.

From 1960 to 1990, the incidence of obese American adults increased from 13 to 35%. . . . the prevalence of obese American adults is expected to increase. . . . The annual health care costs for obesity-related diseases in the United States have increased from $39 billion in 1993 to $100 billion and represent 5.5% of total annual health care costs."(Taken from the Surgical Treatment of Morbid Obesity)

Now, we all know that being over-weight is NOT good for your health, right? Doctors are forever trying to get their patients to lose weight, to eat right and to lower their bad cholesterol.

The TV program I mentioned in the lead in paragraph, told us that most hospitals, clinics, doctor's offices, ambulances and just general health-care providers "can not" transport obese people because of the lack of larger, heavy duty wheelchairs, gurneys, beds, and just about every thing we use daily and take for granted because we are not over-weight and can use the available equipment there is around us.

People who are obese cannot just call 911 and expect and ambulance to be able to transport them to the hospital emergency room. When calling 911, you must specifically ask for larger transports to be able to handle your loved one. Once you get to the hospital, you have to be concerned with getting a hospital bed that will accommodate the person as well. Also, if you need a MRI or CAT scan, you cannot use the normal one that almost everyone else can use....and as far as chairs and commodes to accommodate that person, is also a problem....

Considering the huge population of obese people we are talking about, who must fund this extra large transport system and equipment to handle these huge people? To have dual systems to handle obese people, calls for twice as much or more money that a hospital, clinic, doctors office or ambulance service must have to transport these obese people!

Image the cost each hospital or clinic or other places of treatment for obese people....what extra costs they incur for treating larger people of say up to 1000 lbs. They have to replace seats throughout the hospital to accommodate people who weigh as much as 450 pounds. The seats are sturdier and have no armrests. Other expenses include wheelchairs, gurneys, commodes that can withstand weights of as much as 1,000 pounds, and devices that mechanically lift people from their beds. One lift alone cost $28,500.

Other hospitals, regularly lease oversize beds, walkers and lifts from a company called Size Wise. The company's niche is comfort for patients who weigh as much as 1,000 pounds. Items such as wheelchairs feature seats twice the 18-inch width on standard models.

I know I sound horribly un-sympathetic; but why must we have to pay for two types of everything to support "just" the obese patients???

The normal sized person must also pay the extra charge insurance companies must charge to pay for the extra equipment for the obese people....and it goes on and on and on!

What's the answer?
 
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Kimberly Hampton was piloting a scout helicopter for the 82nd Airborne when she was shot down.

Congress is debating the policy of women in the combat zone again! We have congressmen who cannot fathom the idea of seeing women in the news coming home in body bags!

Since 1994, the military has lived with the policy of NOT allowing women in combat roles; but have allowed "some" more involvement than the public realize and they are in harms way....

American women want to serve. Some have died. More will die, whether we want them to, or not. If we've learned anything, it is that there is no frontline in modern warfare, and the enemy can strike a brigade-level base with mortar and rocket fire, as easily as they can a support convoy, or an infantry combat patrol.

My advice to Congress? Let them fight. America's female soldiers earned that right. It's just as much their country too and I'm sure the women are just as patriotic as men, if not more.
 
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These photos first of all "should not" have been leaked to the public; but if they have been it's NOT as bad as those from the prison photos where we had Americans be-littling Arabs.......this guy needs all the bad things done to him like he did to so many, many people he did as their "leader"!

Yes, some people (supporters of Saddam Hussein) think these pictures are terrible and that they should incite fellow-Arabs; but I don't think that should be the case. From what I've been reading, watching and hearing, others, however, were not so kind.

"Saddam Hussein and his regime were bloody and practiced mass killing against the people, therefore, whatever happens to Saddam, whether he is photographed naked or washing his clothes, it means nothing to me. That's the least he deserves," Hawre Saliee, a 38-year-old Kurd, said.

"I don't think a photo inspires murderers…these people are motivated by a vision of the world that is backward and barbaric,"

Here are some more statements from Arabs, I found interesting:

"Powerless and clothes-less," ran the banner headline of Al-Rai Al-Aam above the picture of Saddam in his underwear.

"Saddam in underwear washes his dirty socks," said the banner headline of Al-Anbaa, which carried the pictures both on the front and in inside pages.

"Saddam replaces naked women on The Sun's pages," Al-Qabas wrote, tongue in cheek.

Kuwaiti Interior Minister Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah said anyone who harmed his people was liable to end up as "a lesson for others."

"God humiliates anyone who humiliates people and commits crimes against his victims, including killing, displacement and violation of honor."

Yes, these pictures "should not" have been released to the general public and if U.S. Military or U.S. government personnel had anything to do with it they should be reprimanded for it.

However, the harm done must be considered by the person who it was done to........Saddam Hussein!

A person who killed and injured hundreds of thousands of fellow Iraqi's.

I don't think we should be really concerned for his feelings of having photos released of him, do you???
 
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The American Psychiatric Association may be issuing an "official" statement saying that gay marriage should be legally recognized because it promotes good mental health.

The statement supports same-sex marriage "in the interest of maintaining and promoting mental health."


This is potentially very good for the gay community. Back in the 70', the association did something similar when it removed homosexuality from it's list of official disorders. That led to a huge movement within communities to get discrimination removed from law books, something that is still going on today.

For the life of me, I cannot understand why gay marriage raises so much worry among so many people. I could go into the usual rants about how gay marriage doesn't stop the high straight divorce rate, or how 2 guys marrying couldn't possibly impair the ability of a guy/girl deciding to marry. To me, it is just bigotry, very similar to the xenophobia that is sweeping the country.

(Read more here)http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/gay_marriage_psychiatrists
 
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Democratic Minority Leader Senator Harry Reid from Nevada and Republican Majority Leader Senator Bill Frist from Tennessee arguing over the filibuster.

By actually working with Senate Democrats, seven of the few thinking Republicans still left in leadership positions within the GOP, have worked diligently to create a compromise that will preserve the functioning of the United States Senate.

While some within the GOP are actually insane and corrupt enough to completely alter the functioning of the Senate, I honestly believe that most were bluffing and hoping that, by declaring the intention to use a "nuclear option" to wreck the our system of checks and balances, the Democrats would back down. Fortunately democrats stood on principle and called the GOP on this bluff. Under the new compromise, three of the extremist right-wing judicial nominees will allowed to be rubber stamped into their new positions while the Democrats will still have the option of protecting the American people from two others. Perhaps more importantly, Democrats will have the filibuster available to use against Supreme Court nominations should (or should I say when) such positions become available. Bush has indicated his intention to appoint judges who would overturn privacy protections such as Lawrence vs Texas, so the ability to filibuster will, hopefully, persuade him to select judges who are a little more in tune with mainstream America.

Probably the most important result of this compromise is that it leaves the Senate minority party (whoever it may be at any given time) with a voice. Had the filibuster been "nuked" a full half of the country would have no longer been represented in the Senate. Like no other time in history the GOP has used their slight majority to sneak through horrific affronts to the American people. By preserving the filibuster, we have essentially ensured (for the mean time) that we will still have a two-party republic versus a one-party oligarchy.

I think the GOP forgets to remember (is that a correct statement) that one day they will NOT be the Majority in the Senate.......then what will they do?

Our Country is all about compromise to get the best solution we can at any specific time. I think the Democrats chose NOT to fight this battle; but wait for the war when the Supreme Court nominee comes up for ratification!! :twisted:
 
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June 1st is Quebec's National Day Against Homophobia, a special event sanctioned by the Quebec National Assembly.

I would like to see this turned into an international event.

Canada is fast becoming one of the world leaders in Gay Rights; by allowing same-sex marriage, hordes of Americans are fleeing to Canada to get married and many, many of them are actually moving to Canada....and Canada is happy to see them come. Now, Canada doesn't just take anyone; they are particular and they want nurses, doctors, attorneys, etc...educated professionals......so you see the U.S.'s loss and Canada's gain. I guess you could say it's Canada's "Gay-gain"!

"As long as the United States is continuing to be oppressive in their lack of sanctity of unions for gays and lesbians, then they're going to continue to lose really good citizens." It's hard to believe that a country so rich in Democracy could allow themselves to become bigots, when it comes to Gay Rights! Just unbelievable!

For many gay Americans in bi national relationships, going to Canada is their last great hope.

"I think people are saying, this can't be true. This is too good to be true. Is it really that easy?' "

In many cases it is that easy, although immigrating still takes time, patience and thousands of dollars in legal, medical and application fees. "You pretty much qualify" to become permanent residents with most citizen rights, except the right to vote, if both partners have college degrees and at least one is a professional.

Many of those taking the plunge say the prospect of legal same-sex marriage is an inviting side benefit. Unlike the newly issued Massachusetts licenses, "your marriage license in Canada is a legal document that cannot be overturned.

You see so many people from the U.S. leaving everything they had/have in the States and move to Canada; because they can "breathe"....they are free to be themselves, to have legal, married partners and have all the legal-binding issues that go along with being married....these people leave everything.....their families, their friends..everything.....because they want to be free!
 
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Special counsel Scott J. Bloch told a Senate subcommittee: "The courts have specifically rejected sexual orientation as a class protection."

Holy Shit, Batman.......this guy actually sat in front of a Senate panel yesterday and said that he lacks the legal authority to enforce the Bush administration's ban on discrimination against federal employees based on sexual orientation.

"If a federal manager fires, reassigns or takes some other action against an employee simply because that employee is gay, there is nothing in federal law that would permit the Office of Special Counsel to protect the worker, Bloch testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs subcommittee on oversight of government management, the federal workforce and the District of Columbia.

"We are limited by our enforcement statutes as Congress gives them,' Bloch said, responding to a question from Sen. Carl M. Levin (D-Mich.). 'The courts have specifically rejected sexual orientation as a class protection."

One is struck by the possibility that Mr. Bloch is really as badly educated as he appears. The very idea that he is limited as he indicates is to completely disregard the existence of administrative law. Suppose that the man is truly limited in this fashion, but if so, why has no one noticed before now?

The Office of Special Counsel has been working along these lines for years and suddenly, here comes a new way of understanding law? As I understand it from my layman's view, there are three branches of law: statutory, administrative and common. The first is established by statute, or law, passed by the legislature. The latter is law as determined by the judiciary as they move between the statutes and the Constitution. The middle term is the law of the administrative branch as it seeks to implement many of the more general edicts passed by the legislature.

That thud you hear or heard is the Federal Employee fainting dead-away after hearing Mr. Bloch's revelation! Who else out there "can" protect Gay's from discrimination than the Feds who are there to protect "anyone" against bias or otherwise prejudice???

Man oh man.......here we felt safe when President Bush said he would continue the policies set forth by then President Clinton in protecting "our kind" in the Federal work force...

Mr. Bloch was admonished by the Senate panel and told that he must or no he will take more time and energy to protect the Federal workers for whom he represents!

Like the proverbial fox guarding the hen-house, isn't it?
 
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I guess it all depends on "when" you believe life actually begins..........right?

Let me say that I am "FOR" stem cell research from the beginning, so as not to confuse you and give you ample time to attack me.....

I know for a fact that material that can be used for stem cell research is actually thrown away.....yep, to the garbage!

What kind of "material" would that be? Well, we have that old, nasty, bloody placenta that is left over after that beautiful baby boy or girl is born....it is almost always thrown away....and, even the umbilical cords, yep, thrown away. We also have sperm banks with left over sperm, they just toss it too.

The thing is, the U.S. is losing scientists to other countries. They are going else where, where the laws are more relaxed and allow stem cell research. You would not believe the stats I read about the numbers of people being lost.....brain drain to other countries! We will never ever catch up with others and our people will have to go else where to get stem cells to help with their problems.

The limitations placed on science by the Bush Administration in fact seriously ties the hands of scientists and will NOT allow them to cross the line in experimenting..........in reality then, scientists aren't really experimenting.
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The State of California is going outside the guide lines of the Federal Government. The state supports passage of Proposition 71 which permits stem cell research that has the potential to provide treatments or cures for diseases and injuries. Governor Schwarzenegger has led the way and gone against his Republican base and openly supports this measure. If California is successful, just look at the head-start they will have in research over and above any other state in the U.S.

Now what religious reasons do you have for denying stem cell research?
 
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Colorado Governor Bill Owens

Colorado Gov. Bill Owens vetoed a bill Friday that would have outlawed workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation, but he allowed another measure to become law adding the same category to the list protected under the state's hate crimes statute.

"The governor bought hook, line and sinker the arguments of those opposed to this bill. He has said that this law is unnecessary because gays are already protected. I can assure you no lawyer believes gays are protected under existing state law."

"The legislature sent a strong message against discrimination by passing this bill, unfortunately Governor Owens sent a stronger message by vetoing it."

"This veto is out of step with voters, and businesses across Colorado who stand against prejudice."

Only one governor — then California Gov. Pete Wilson — has ever vetoed a measure prohibiting sexual orientation-based discrimination. Wilson then signed a measure adding sexual orientation anti-discrimination protections to the state's Labor Code law the next year.

Sixteen states and Washington, D.C., have laws that prohibit employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and six prohibit gender identity-based discrimination, including Colorado's neighbor New Mexico.

Colorado becomes the 10th state to include sexual orientation and gender identity in a statewide hate crimes law.

I guess we(I) should be happy we one of the two bills up; but losing the bill vetoed by the governor, really, really hurts GLBT individuals of Colorado!

........and as an added thought: He confirmed there was a big problem by saying that companies would have to spend a lot of money on lawsuits. However, like a true conservative bigot he thinks its ok to hate and abuse gay people. Let us not forget that Mr Owens spent federal funds to travel overseas to have an affair and have a love child with a mistress for which his wife split up with him...oh these "family values" crazy people don't know the meaning of love and respect.
Read more here:
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/4541558/detail.html
 
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(Signage of the Gay District of Toronto)

Let me explain my title.

This is yet another reason why I feel Canada is fast becoming "the place" to be....especially if you just happen to be Gay.

Toronto recently unveiled a statue of a Gay historic figure: Alexander Wood, a 19th century Toronto Magistrate, who was installed in the city's Gay village as an at temp to increase public awareness about GLBT people and issues throughout history.

If you want to read the full article, I beg you to go here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/cpress/20050528/ca_pr_on_na/gay_statue

Alexander and Wood Streets in the village are named after Alexander Wood, a wealthy 19th century Toronto magistrate whose homosexuality was an open secret. He owned an estate in the village, which at that time was on the outskirts of the city.

Fans of the series Queer as Folk will recognize sections of the village that are used as exteriors for the popular series that attempts to recreate Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Most of the outside shots of the Babylon club in the series is Fly at 8 Gloucester Street.

Damn, I know that Canada like the U.S. has NOT always been Gay friendly; but folks Canada is really progressive and about the fairest "overall" type of people you can imagine.....sure they too have their bigots; but you don't hear their voices as much as you hear people wanting to allow diversity......for all it's peoples; not just GLBT types.

Oh Canada, Oh Canada, How I Love Thee....sigh :kiss: (*8*)
 
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A 50,000-strong swarm of spider crabs gathered on the seabed off a Melbourne beach in Melbourne's Port Phillip Bay this week. Marine Scientists are baffled by the size of the enormous gathering covering a stretch of sea floor the size of a football field.

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A closer look at the Spider Crab that's causing all the fuss off the coast of Melbourne, Australia.

Scientists say these crabs are in the mating mode and when they do this they like to do it in large numbers........but I think this really out-does that, don't you? lol

I had no idea that the Spider Crab got to be so large; but they can be about a foot across the body and the claws a few feet! They are listed as the largest crab.

Anyway, it sure made for a big stir when these guys appeared on the shallows off the coast!
 
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