WEARING *WHAT* WEDNESDAY

Apparently there's a body builder on the new Big Brother... and, of course, near naked pics have surfaced... YEA!!!

This makes me happy and tempted to watch Big Brother. :-) His name is Jessie Godderz.

All from the Bilerico Project...

BLOGGING: One week with a Sitemeter.

2150 visitors in a week???

GAY STUFF: Don't Ask, Don't Tell Hearings...

"In case you can't remember what the argument against gays in the military sounds like..."



A) Good on you, John Stewart.

B) Well done, Congressional members of the House Armed Services Committee.

(via Joe.My.God.)

ELECTION 2008: Follow up to the Edwards scandal

Regarding this news bit which stated that the LA Times had "blocked" bloggers from talking about the National Enquirer story regarding John Edwards alleged affair: I got an email about it from someone over at bloggasm. Simon Owens got a chance to interview Tony Pierce, the blog editor at the LA Times, and this is a little bit of what was said:

“The Opinion LA blog had already written about the rumors from the National Enquirer,” he explained. “We knew some of the other blogs wanted to write about it or were thinking about writing about it. And at that point we were like, ‘you know, we already have our metro desk working on a story and before we just kind of write a whole bunch of stuff about the National Enquirer article, why don’t we give our metro desk a chance to see what they can find.’ That’s when they said, ‘OK Tony, why don’t you write this letter to your bloggers.”

When I brought up the argument made by many that they were trying to bury the story, Pierce pointed out that one of the blogs had already written about it. The editors simply wanted to give the metro reporters a chance to dig into it and see if they could find any new information, he said, rather than just having the Times website create a bunch of noise...

“What I should have said is that if you find information — because these are real reporters — if you find any more information, or if there’s something that’s out there that you come across put out by a more reputable source, write it up and let’s talk about it. That’s probably one thing that I wish I could have said.”

For the full interview, go here.

Thanks, Simon, for keeping us in the loop!

I still stand by my original position that, even if the story turns out to be false or we get no other information about it from here on out, Mr. Edwards' rep is tarnished, and, I think, his political career is done. :-( Sad.

GAY STUFF: Text Message

From ZK (awful SCRABBLE letters, but GREAT name letters)

HIM: a bois attractiveness is lessened by 25% once he hits 20, it's a gay law

ME: what happens at 21?

or 25?

or... gasp... 30?

HIM: 25 it's lessened to 60%

30 is 50%

once you hit 50, it's 25%

Thanks, ZK. I'm trying hard to feel bad about you turning 20.

To my readers: what are your thoughts? (I'm dying to hear from some people in particular, I hope you know I'm referring to you)

BLOGGING: "Just Another Dead Queer" -- Rainbow Cincinnati post!

New post over at Rainbow Cincinnati. Here's a preview, click here for the remainder.

Matthew Shephard and Lawrence King are dead queers with good publicists.

Not to undermine their deaths, but there are hundreds of people who have paid the ultimate price for being out, and the lack of coverage of their stories gives me pause.

I mourn every time I hear about another death. It's not often, as the lack of a central source of this kind of information leaves me only with the mainstream media. Even the blogosphere is silent on many people who die.

It's times, though, when I hear about Sean Kennedy, who was run down outside of a bar by a man who later referred to Kennedy in a phone call as a "fucking faggot," that upset me the most.

Not because Mr. Kennedy is dead, but because I never heard about it.

And make sure you click through the site... there's a lot there... by clicking on the image below.

HIV/AIDS: Updates

This one is wonderful and almost unbelievable. I really, really hope this is true:

The study, which is published in British medical journal The Lancet, found that a 20-year-old starting the anti-retroviral drug therapy could expect to live another 43 years - about two thirds of the average life expectancy of a non-affected person in the countries [US/Canada/Europe] studied.

The report is better flushed out at the Washington Post which gives us actual numbers from the study:

During the study period, 2,056 patients died. However, mortality decreased from 16.3 deaths per 1,000 person-years in 1996 to 1999 to 10 deaths per 1,000 person-years in 2003 to 2005. In addition, life expectancy for someone starting treatment at age 20 increased more than 13 years, from 56.1 years in 1996 to 1999 to 69.4 years in 2003 to 2005, the researchers found.

Please, please note the extremely high mortality rate though. This article also emphasizes the need for greater testing, especially at younger ages.

Similar information can also be found over at HealthJockey.com, though there they (thankfully) point out that life expectancy is still lower than other chronic diseases.

-----

And of course, some bad news to balance it out...

Though Hispanics comprise about 14 percent of the U.S. population, they represented 22 percent of new HIV and AIDS diagnoses tallied by federal officials in 2006.

Officials do not have a precise tally of HIV infections nationwide, because many states have not reported figures to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The 22 percent, a figure that has not been previously released, includes 33 states and Puerto Rico, but not California, where more than 37 percent of the population is Hispanic.

The report focuses mainly on gay Hispanic men. I'd be curious about the rates in other subpopulations of Hispanics (and what it looks like in California!!!!).

GAY STUFF: In which Vanity Fair shows us that Queer Theorists are on their staff...

Introducing...



Vanity Fair has announced that it is going to have a gay car blog. According to the author...

Well, you know what a car is, right? The word Gay here defines a sub-category of them. It is not (simply) intended as a synonym for rejected or sub-standard. It is not (simply) meant to encompass cars that are pastel-colored or sport a sibilant exhaust note. And it doesn’t (simply) characterize a vehicle’s owner. A car’s gayness—like gayness in general—is based in its inhabiting the margins of conventionality. A Gay Car is quirkier, more enigmatic, or more fiercely accessorized than the average vehicle. (It also likes to sleep with other Gay Cars.)

Regular weekly columns will showcase specific Gay Cars, taking seemingly ordinary vehicles and revealing their underlying queerness. We won't go after low-hanging fruit like Saturns or Subarus. Instead, we’ll focus on the obscure and the ambiguous: cars that emit the subtle semiotic signals that register on my GayCarDar. In addition to ID-ing individual Homotivators, we’ll run comparison features (“Which Car is Gayer”), perform outings (“Closet Case Cars”) or answer burning questions (“How Do Gay Guys Keep Their Cars So Clean?”). And while we will, by necessity, trade in stereotypes, we wish to remind readers that it’s all meant in fun.

To me, it sounds like Vanity Fair just upped its street cred with the homos, esp. the intellectual homosexuals as they totally just dipped into Butler and Foucault there... this guy totally just made an argument for applying queer theory to the automobile.

I fucking love it.

(thanks to the Jockohomo blog for the heads up)

GENERAL STUFF: Planned Parenthood Ad?

LOL Found this years ago and I still laugh at it. Don't ask me if it's real, because I don't think I want to know if it's not. I hope it is.



Originally posted on my Myspace blog on 12/8/05

BLOGGING: Anniversaries and New Pieces

First of all, if you haven't RSS'd me or subscribed to my blog, I think you should at this point. I'm really fabulous like that. I also blog a LOT, so that's probably the best way to keep up with me.

Second, I have an anniversary coming up; Aug 4 will be the one year anniversary of this blog. What's fun is that at the Cincinnati Blogger's Convention, a lot of people asked "how long have you been blogging." I had to answer "about a year," but then I realized that wasn't true.

My MySpace Blog open August 31, 2005, and I have well over 200 entries over there. So, as part of my anniversary celebration, I'm going to start back-reading that blog and posting interesting bits that I find. Now, mind you, that was an intensely personal blog, so there's lots of blah-stuff on it. But I'll start you off with the very first posting I did... August 31, 2005...

It has begun, children. I have officially begun my myspace site (due to the somewhat weak success of my job-related myspace -- www.myspace.com/avoc). *sigh*

I am currently holding world on my shoulders and ignoring my coworkers. If you do not encourage this kind of behavior, then too bad. I plan to continue on as if living in a state of delusional mania -- that I'm rich, that I'm a stud, that I'm a playa, that I'm an old black lesbian, meanwhile driving myself over the cliff of financial debt and burdensome obligations.

But I keep a positive attitude -- and that's what matters right :-). Oh, and to allay the rumors: yes, I am looking at a house, and this is what it looks like:

Oh never mind. I have to attach it to a hyperlink?! Thank you very much I can find otherways to do the same damn thing. :-) But imagine this: Barry -- Homeowner. I think it is a bit scarier than Valerie -- married woman.

The reason for back-reading, btw, is that I'm about to close down my myspace account because it's boring and I don't do anything with it anymore, and I want to make sure the good blogs are saved.

There's some stuff coming up, btw, that I'm going to be posting in my "personal" category, but I think all of you might find it interesting if you want to keep reading. :-)

GAY STUFF: Margaret Cho on Queer Beauty

(That's right, kids, it's Saturday night, I'm at home, on gay.com, and not looking for sex. I know, weird.)

From an interview with Margaret Cho on the above website:

It's important for queers to feel very beautiful. We have to take on the world, and beauty is a shield we can use to defend ourselves. It's hard for gay men, because beauty is an ideal that feels impossible to attain when they are bombarded by an image of perfect bodies, huge muscles and at the same time, thin and young. The image is defeating us, because you think that if you're gay you have to look that good. It's why I'm always into bears, because they accept themselves and get more dick than anyone. They practice self-acceptance.

GAY STUFF: Sex and Crystal Meth

From gay.com of all places...

Dear Gay Sexpert,
I am a recovering meth user. My rehab experience was really helpful, but very anti-sex. To be honest, the best sex I ever had was on crystal meth. Sobering up has trashed my sexual desire and I am fearful that sex will never be the same.
Frustrated and Fearful

I've been reading the different studies focusing on sexual shame and crystal meth -- which, by the way, are few. In fact, Dr. David Wohlsifer states in his study on the subject, "Little is mentioned about sexual issues beyond identifying crystal users as suffering from a sexual addiction and being sexually compulsive. The literature [research] is devoid of suggestions or efforts aimed at helping develop healthy sexual beliefs and a meaningful and healthy sex life as well as address the issues of sexual trauma that may have occurred during crystal use."...

Turning again to Dr. Wohlsifer's study, he found that his gay subjects had many shame-based beliefs about their sexuality prior to their initial use of crystal and that the use of the drug eradicated those same feelings of shame. It created for the user a kind of "alternate sexual reality," one where a user felt sexy, horny, confident, adventurous, uninhibited and affectionate with a sense of belonging and camaraderie with the other men he had sex with. With that kind of shame-free sexual euphoria (and the addictive chemical begging for more), of course he would feel compelled to take meth over and over again...

I know sex is not the only reason people use crystal, but re-shaming a recovering user by telling him "Just say no to sex" could certainly set the stage for a relapse. "To respond to the community health problems that Crystal use presents, it is essential to understand that Crystal use is a mechanism that eradicates sexual shame." So let's provide ways for recovering users (and everyone, quite frankly) to stimulate a positive sexuality -- one without shame. My practice focuses on this need by providing information, workshops, and consultations specifically for those wanting to decrease their sexual shame.

Interesting, interesting, interesting.

Really interesting column over at gay.com about gay men and health.

GENERAL STUFF: RIP, Randy Pausch

RIP, Randy Pausch, who gave one of the most amazing LAST LECTURE, died today...

The full version here...



The Wall Street Journal abbreviated and story...



"If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself. The dreams will come to you." -- Randy Pausch

Election 2008: Oh, John Edwards, why?

So much for VP choice, or the future of his political career...

The original National Enquirer story about the John Edwards affair -- great source, I know.

The confirmation by that security guard at the hotel that night (from FOX news)

The LA Times has blocked bloggers from talking about it -- for good reasons, I know.

*SIGH* And the criminal suit being brought up that may require Edwards to give an eyewitness account.

Grrrr... Even if it's not true, his rep is tarnished. But he's SO PRETTY! (this picture makes his butt look GREAT)

GAY STUFF: Same-sex... DIVORCE?

HA! Here's an issue that's starting to pop up around the country: same sex divorce!

From today's Electoral-Vote commentary:

While same-sex marriage is a hot-button issue and frequently put on the ballot by Republican-leaning groups as a way of increasing turnout of like-minded people, practically every state has already had a referendum on this already so there is no gold left to mine here. But a new issue is arising: same-sex divorce. Anyone who never considered this possibility is very naive. Only half of all opposite-sex couples manage to stay together. Why should the odds be better for same-sex couples? While a few states and countries allow (same-sex) couples to come in, get married, and scoot out, few of them allow quickie divorces by out-of-state couples. Will we soon see ballot initiatives banning same-sex divorce? The trouble is that people who rally around "family values" don't like either same-sex marriage or divorce. Is it better for a same-sex couple to stay married (bad) or get divorced (bad)? Maybe the best way to look at this issue is as a business opportunity for some enterprising state.

This is the linked LA Times article -- which is really very thorough and definitely worth a read -- listing off some of the problems same-sex couples are experiencing as they go through their divorce:

"They've given us no choice but to be married forever," said Ormiston. "Their worst nightmare."...

Because federal law defines marriage as being between a man and a woman, the federal government doesn't extend many standard divorce benefits to same-sex couples. As a result, say lawyers familiar with the issues, even in states where gay couples are allowed to divorce, they face financial consequences that heterosexual couples don't. Among them:

* If a judge orders a heterosexual couple to divide a pension during a divorce, federal law allows the pension to be divided without triggering early-withdrawal penalties. Divorcing gay couples must pay the penalties.

* Court-ordered alimony payments can be deducted from federal income taxes in straight divorces, but not in same-sex divorces.

* In gay divorces, when a judge orders one party to give money or other assets to a spouse, those assets may be subject to gift or income taxes.

* When real property is transferred from joint ownership to one gay spouse by a court order, capital-gains taxes are often triggered.

Opponents of same-sex marriage say the issues were to be expected.

"These problems illustrate why it is a bad idea to redefine marriage in California in a way that is at odds with the rest of the country," said Andrew Pugno, legal advisor to protectmarriage.com, a coalition of churches, organizations and individuals supporting the California Marriage Protection Act on the November ballot.

Very very strange rhetoric going on around this one. It harkens back to a straight supporter once telling me: Of course I think you guys have the right to be married... you have a right to be as miserable as the rest of us.

POP CULTURE: Good news and bad news

Good news: Variety reports that New Line Cinema has contracted John Waters to write a sequel to Hairspray. YEA!



Bad news: Variety also reports that MTV is remaking Rocky Horror Picture Show. WHAT WHAT WHAT? NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Thanks to Big Lug Land for the heads up on this one)

Per BLL's tweet on the subject:

Why am i so offended by this rocky horror remake? Its like someone shot my dog- if it was a tranny

HA!

BLOGGING: New friends that I met at the Blogger's Convention!

So here are the new people I got to meet at the Blogger Convention, and the new blogs that were mentioned while I was there:

• Kate's Random Musings -- my new fav blogger gal-pal... she gave me a great idea which I'm tempted to do: living blogging while testing lubes. Anyone up to help me out with this one?
• ENCORE Cincinnati (Environmentally Conscious Real Estate of Cincinnati) -- Green design and green building in the city.
• Keepin' It REAL (Estate) -- Housing information and blogging about the housing market. (written by the same ladies as ENCORE)
• Gonz O'Lager -- "Updates from my Seat in the Urban Dugout." He drinks, he writes, he sounds like me. (by Brian)
• Not Really a Book Blog Book Blog -- "Bibliophile, writer, moderately eccentric ne'er-do-well and a complete bastard!" (by Brian)
• CET Connect -- Cincinnati Educational Television Blog. (by Brian -- notice a pattern?)
• Girlfriendology -- All about women and their relationships. Debba, the author, is such an earth mom type. I adored her. Podcasting, vlogging, writing, she is all over it.
• Urbanophile -- Actually based out of Indy, but Albert (from STACKED) pointed it out to us, and it was very excellent!

Anyways, there it is, and here are just a couple pictures. All of them have been added to my blogroll, or will be shortly. Kevin over at PR Blog (also blogrolled -- I thought I had already added him) is trying to compile a list of everyone on his blog, and the hosts will be sending us all a list. So I'm sure this will be updated again soon. Also, if anyone got the right "prosespective" blog information, that would be helpful. He was the shaved headed cutie with the nice camera... that wasn't me, duh!

(PS, to those watching the site meter and interested, I did just get about 375 hits to my page in 24 hours... WOW!)

Yea!!! It's Valeree from Cincinnati Locavore!!!!

GAY STUFF: Welcome to the light, Susan Juliette

Congratulations to Thomas Beattie -- the now-famous "pregnant man" (guffaws at using the term) -- on giving birth to a beautiful baby girl.

We get to welcome another Juliette into the world :-).

Picture thanks to Juliet & Juliette

I hadn't really covered this topic because it was so big in the media. I just thought I'd let it slide by. :-) But she is SO BEAUTIFUL!!!!

BLOGGING: Cincinnati Annual Blogger's Convention

It was a beautiful day...

I don't have a lot of time at the moment to blog, or to post some of the excellent new blogs I got to get in touch with.

However, had a great time at the Cincinnati Annual Blogger's Convention. Thanks, guys and gals, for having me. It was great to see and meet everyone -- yea Valeree!!! -- and I have a whole host of new blogs to post that I had previously never heard of before. The place was beautiful (mom, I'm going to take you there, to the Mercantile Library, it's fantastic, you would squeal), and you really got to hand it to them (link to the library's blog) for the excellent set up.

And I got to get into a little streetcar debate moment with Kevin from Building Cincinnati (whom I referred to as one of the "daddy blogs" in town -- LOL -- it's true, though), Jami from Living Cincinnati and Encore Cincinnati, and Kevin from PR Blog (who is putting together a compendium of local bloggers for all to enjoy in the future).

But here's a picture from my phone. That's Debba from Girlfriendology.

BLOGGING: Updates, updates, and more updates!!!

Things are always changing around here, mainly because I get bored :-).

So here's the 411:

I've updated my site to include the blog list provided by Google, so that I get to see what sites are being updated and I can follow along with everyone more equally. In the process, I have moved some people around, deleted some old links, and added some new ones.

Don't see your blog? Shoot me a comment.

See your blog in the wrong category? Shoot me a comment. (PLEASE NOTE: The queer bloggers are those people that have identified themselves as LGBT in their blog. There are a few I know of that are written by queer folk but have not "come out." If you would like to "come out" and be listed as a queer blogger, just shoot me a comment. Unlike usual, there is absolutely no judgment here :-)).

And, yes, most of the new ones are the people who took part in our fierce little debate over at the Cincinnati blog.

I also took off a few widgets, and I added the sitemeter (thank you, Kelly to the Max!), which keeps statistics for me on who is visiting and a counter for how many people are visiting daily. Valeree had suggested I use Google Analytics, but I have to admit that I am slow and couldn't figure it out :-). Meanwhile, here's another way for me to watch what you're doing.

What's fun: I posted the sitemeter this morning at 7:30am, it's now about 4:30pm (9 hours), and I've had about 150 visitors in that time period. WOW! So I may be running at 300-400 hits a day??? Alright, we're going to see what happens in a week. At 7:30am, Thursday, July 31st, we'll see just how many people visit in a week.

PS --> This is all being done at the Main Library downtown. My power got shut off today. Apparently, that happens when you don't pay the electric bill for a few months. So, um, yea. I'm here, I'm queer, and I'm blogging at the library!!

BLOGGING: How people find me ... MORE!

This has to be my new favoritest way someone found this blog...

Broomfield, Colorado arrived from google.com on "QueerCincinnati.com: GAY STUFF: Gay Bathhouses Attacked" by searching for how to act in a gay bathhouse.

Oh, and this popped up 4 times in the last four hours. Apparently I'm a walking (writing?) advertisement for a free ringtone from Hamlet 2.

Arlington, Massachusetts arrived from google.com on "QueerCincinnati.com: POP CULTURE: Rock me, sexy Jesus" by searching for free rock me sexy jesus ringtone.

That'll be $0.99 please, plus standard text messaging fees.

GAY STUFF: No rest for Sean Kennedy

Many thanks to the Kentucky Equality Federation blog for the heads up on this one. . .

Why do I feel like there are so much bad LGBT news coming out of my home state these days?

Stephen Andrew Moller pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter on June 11 in connection with the death of Sean Kennedy last year. The 20-year-old defendant, a native of Taylors, S.C., will serve just three years for the slaying.

Moller attacked Kennedy outside the bar formerly named Brews on May 16, 2007. He punched Kennedy in the face and knocked him to the ground. The victim, 20 years old at the time, fell backward and hit his head on the curb, sustaining a fatal brain injury.

(from Q-notes News -- now blogrolled)

Moller's lawyers say that there is no evidence to prove that the killer knew Kennedy was gay (and, thus, not a hate crime), despite these to disturbing quotes...

By Moller's get-away driver:

“You know that dude is gay. What are you going to do if you have AIDS now?”

Left by Moller on the phone of Kennedy's friend:

“Hey, I was just wondering how your boyfriend’s feeling right about now [laughter]. The fucking faggot … Yeah boy, your boy is knocked out, man. The motherfucker. Tell him he owes me $500 for breaking my goddamn hand on his teeth, that fucking bitch.”

Both were entered into court records and played for the court.

You're right, this was clearly not a hate based crime.

More importantly, why wasn't this all over the news. Did anyone else hear about this???

HIV/AIDS: Walk to STOP AIDS Page Up and Running

For the past few years, I have been involved in Cincinnati's Walk to STOP AIDS, hosted by and benefitting STOP AIDS (formerly AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati).

For fundraising, the organization actually does one really amazing thing: use an online program called Kintera to have friends email friends to ask for donations. I have, in the past, raised over $2000 this way for the Walk. Last year, I raised a paltry $700 or so, mainly because I wasn't working there and wasn't able to spend every day on it.

This year, I plan to volunteer (probably), so my goal is not to raise money this time to sponsor me as a walker. Rather, I'm throwing all of my support behind one person: Kate Harrow, Operations Manager for STOP AIDS.

If you are reading this and are a former donator to me, I encourage you to click the link above and make a donation to her. She's fantastic and has been one of the leads in organizing this event for the past 2-3 years. Besides, Todd Rademaker, who has worked for the organization for over 10 years, has, for years, been the biggest single fundraiser and always has the bragging rights.

Since I'm not a challenge to him (I was a challenge one year), I want to help someone else be competitive.

And for those that would criticize me for making a challenge out of this, please remember that we are raising money for a good cause. The challenge has a positive effect. It's not like we're fighting over who cares the most about the issue. Rather, it's a good natured battle to increase the funds raised for invaluable HIV/AIDS services in the city. It's all friendly fire, baby.

That said, this is a cause I believe in dearly, and I really hope that every single one of you take the time and donate.

Kate, I pledge $25 now. I'll probably donate more as we go, but that's my initial promise to you.

PS If you do donate off this page, just give me the heads up ... or just make a note on her page that you heard about it through this site. Kthxbye. Much love.

FAGWATCH: GRID

I'm divided on this, so I'll let you tell me if this is justified.

As most of you have guessed, I am an HIV counsellor/tester at UC. I asked a med student (who come and work here in their fourth year) whether or not it was appropo to test someone -- a friend of his, actually.

The kid responded, "Yea, go in and tell him he has GRID" (Gay-Related Immunodeficiency -- the original name of AIDS before we knew what we were dealing with). Him and and his bud then started to laugh about it.

I mean, I don't think he was meaning to be rude, but I'm pretty insulted by it.

OHIO/CINNKY: New Stage Collective Needs Your Help!

From an email by the ever fabulous Erica McKeown over at New Stage Collective:

This is either an encouraging note to apply or

Please forward to any TALENTED and RELIABLE people you know ;-)

NSC seeks Stage Managers, Designers, and Technicians for 2008-2009 NewStage in the City Season

New Stage Collective, a professional and award-winning theatre company (6 Cincinnati Enquirer Acclaim Awards and 18 CityBeat Cincinnati Entertainment Awards for 2007-2008 Season) located on 12th and Main St. in the heart of Over-the-Rhine's Entertainment Quarter seeks Stage Managers, Assistant Stage Managers, Assistant Directors, Dramaturgs,Props Masters, Lighting Designers, Sound Designers, Costume Designers, Sound Board Operators, Technical Assistants, and Backstage Crew for it's 2008-2009 New Stage in the City Season! Opportunities available on all productions, so please visit out website at www.newstagecollective.com for more information about our company and our upcoming season. NSC is heading into it's 7th season of producing
innovative and passionate theatre in Cincinnati and we'd love to have you join us!

Please send a resume to Executive Director Erica McKeown at SMEricaMcK@gmail.com or if needed you can contact her at 513.621.3700 ex. 0. Please include a cover letter (or a paragraph in the body of your email) letting her know what areas you are interested in and what shows you are available for in NSC's 2008-2009 Season.

She says to plese forward on if you know of anyone who might be interested, and especially please post to your blog if possible!

(Never thought you'd see job postings here, did you?)

POP CULTURE: Rock me, sexy Jesus

That's right. Another movie I can't wait to see... it feeds into my blasphemous side.



Rock Me, Sexy Jesus is now my ringtone.

ELECTION 2008: Electoral Vote Update

The biggest thing is that states seem to be dropping into play faster than we can write about them. NH and FL reenter the scene as swing states, while OH starts its pendulous back-and-forth, IN comes back into the Obama column (along with Nevada), MO is still unsure of what to do with its bellwether mandate, and South Dakota begins to teeter. Virginia and North Carolina still are up in the air -- VA especially. CQPolitics enlightens us to the swing, but they seem to be saying BO is going up, but a lot of places are showing him go down.

Seems John McCain has gone negative, posting the first negative ads of the election season. Be careful, the bump you get off of those are brief and often bite you in the ass.

There were some rumors that McCain would pick a VP this week, and it was looking like Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, who came out later and said PHBBBBTTT NO!

On the flip side, there was an excellent piece in the Wall Street Journal that talks about the cultural significance of Barack Obama and the racial politics behind it, gracefully entitled Why Jesse Jackson Hates Obama:

Mr. Obama's great political ingenuity was very simple: to trade moral leverage for gratitude. Give up moral leverage over whites, refuse to shame them with America's racist past, and the gratitude they show you will constitute a new form of black power. They will love you for the faith you show in them.

So it is not hard to see why Mr. Jackson might have experienced Mr. Obama's emergence as something of a stiletto in the heart. Mr. Obama is a white "race card" -- moral leverage that whites can use against the moral leverage black leaders have wielded against them for decades. He is the nullification of Jesse Jackson -- the anti-Jackson...

But here lies his essential contradiction: His campaign is more cultural than political. He sells himself more as a cultural breakthrough than as a candidate for office. To be a projection screen for the cultural aspirations of both blacks and whites one must be an invisible man politically. Real world politics, in their mundanity, interrupt cultural projections. And so Mr. Obama's political invisibility -- a charm that can only derive from a lack of deep political convictions -- may well serve his cultural appeal, but it also makes him something of a political mess.

Already he has flip-flopped on campaign financing, wire-tapping, gun control, faith-based initiatives, and the terms of withdrawal from Iraq. Those enamored of his cultural potential may say these reversals are an indication of thoughtfulness, or even open-mindedness. But could it be that this is a man who trusted so much in his cultural appeal that the struggles of principle and conscience never seemed quite real to him? His flip-flops belie an almost existential callowness toward principle, as if the very idea of permanent truth is passé, a form of bad taste.

This Week's Estimates...

ElectionProjection.com: 325 (BO), 213 (JM)
Although there is only a net shift of +14BO, you'll notice that Florida has flipped into BO's column, while VA has flipped back to JM. I'm actually not sure what poll the Florida flip comes from, or why he made that call, seeing as how the most recent poll we have is JM +2...

Electoral Vote: 292 (BO), 219 (JM), 27 (ties)
That's BO-28, and JM +15. The page makes a couple of interesting switches: Missouri, North Dakota, and Virginia are now all listed as ties, whereas Ohio performs the first definitive flip this election season, going from BO to JM.

Election Junkie: 309 (BO), 229 (JM)
No idea what the switch is, but flips it BO+3. Likely it's Montana or North Dakota that got flipped in this projection.

Cold Hearted Truth: 293 (BO), 245 (JM)
Same. But I found the link to their justification to this number. He is listing Nevada, Florida, Missouri, and Virginia as red state holds, while IA, CO, OH, and NM go blue.

270toWin.com: 247 (BO), 174 (JM), 117 (ties)
Ohio flips to red. They list a lot of swing states, which makes this election so interesting. This is their list of swings: NV, NM, MT, SD, ND, MO, IN, MI, VA, NC, FL, NH. That's a lot of swinging to do. I have this small theory that a lot more states will become swing states this election.

USElectionAtlas: 293 (BO), 245 (JM)
Dave Leip has posted a projection page! Yea! Nothing surprising, in fact, same projection as Cold Hearted Truth.

Last Week's Estimates...

ElectionProjection.com: 311 (BO), 227 (JM)
Electoral Vote: 320 (BO), 204 (JM)
Election Junkie: 306 (BO), 232 (JM)
Cold Hearted Truth: 293 (BO), 245 (JM)
270toWin.com: 259 (BO), 151 (JM)
USElectionAtlas: 268 (BO), 172 (JM)

GENERAL STUFF: Zimbabwe...

...is FUCKED.


Pic courtesy of the BBC news story below.

So you've probably heard about Zimbabwe printing Z$100B, Z$250B, and Z$500B notes... and that Z$100B will only buy you about two loaves of bread, right? (After only starting to publish the Z$10M note in January... inflation is that bad)

Well, if you haven't, here's the fun story about how high they are worried about going, stating that they are not talking about their daily money consumption in the trillions of dollars.

They've even started discussing the concern over using larger denominations -- quadrillions, septillions, etc. etc.

Of course, these are the historical examples they use to show that other people have been through this before:

In Yugoslavia, for example, the rate of inflation was five quadrillion per cent between October 1993 and January 1994. The government was forced to issue a 500 billion dinar note in 1993.

In Germany after World War I, prices were doubling about every two days and workers were paid daily or more often with bundles of cash. The highest value banknote issued by the Reichsbank had a face value of 100 trillion marks.

These are not, perhaps, the best examples to use.

PERSONAL: My heart is full of you...

To all of you --

To the crazy ones, who fill my life with absurdity --

To the stable ones, whose lives I wish to emulate --

To the foreigners, whose experience I live vicariously through --

To the potheads, who giggle constantly but only give love --

To the drinking buddies, whose never ending screams of "OH MY GOD! LET'S DO SHOTS!" mean more to me than anything else, especially when I'm lonely --

To the scared ones, who think I'm still crumbling but have started to see me come back together --

To the intellectuals, whose respect for my intelligence makes me feel good about myself --

To the hippies and the hipsters, who just make me feel cool --

To the pretty ones, who, ostensibly, are just there to make me feel pretty, too, but really have shown me more love than anyone else --

To the partiers, who were there in darkness and still talk to me --

To the penpals, whose letters make my day complete --

To the straight ones, who help me find balance in my otherwise overly gay life --

To my family members, who are better friends than I could have ever hoped for --

To the distant ones, whom I'm terrified to say I wish they would write more for fear of them thinking I'm depressed again --

To the lost ones, who need to know that I still love them and think of them daily --

To the work buddies, who make my nights go round --

To the drag queens, whose drunken antics make me laugh --

To the bartenders, who know how to make my drinks just right --

To the alpha (fe)males, who think they can control the direction of the night but really want to just laugh at our antics --

To all the users and the losers, who have taught me more than everyone else listed above --

To all the sometimes and fair weather friends, who pop up at just the right times --

To the people who answer my phone calls and texts, and the people that no longer do --

To my ex's -- boyfriends, sex partners, and others -- who began my education on how to be gay, and good at it --

To my crushes, especially those who crush back, who make me giggly inside --

To my bosses, whose capability at forgiveness seems to know no bounds --

To the people who have rightly rejected me, who don't understand that I understand --

To the people who have lovingly accepted me, who don't understand how much that means --

To my readers, who don't ever understand what the fuck I'm talking about but somehow keep coming back --

And, of course, to the rest of you whose lessons and stories are yet to be told --

iloveyouiloveyouiloveyouiloveyou

iloveyouiloveyouiloveyouiloveyou
iloveyouiloveyouiloveyouiloveyou
iloveyouiloveyouiloveyouiloveyou
iloveyouiloveyouiloveyouiloveyou
iloveyouiloveyouiloveyouiloveyou

My heart is filled today, and I wanted to share it with everyone.

That is all.

Much love.

ELECTION 2008: Rainbow Tour

Does it seem like Obama's visit to the world is a bit like Eva Peron's "Rainbow Tour" around Europe???



Let's hope it doesn't end the same way.

Update: I became obsessed with listening to the song, so I had to add more Evita songs because I'm a 'mo who loves musicals. And, apparently, I'm obsessed with reading my own blog. I promise these have absolutely no political motivation in posting them.

WEARING *WHAT* WEDNESDAY

I don't know what it is about this man, David Blaine, but I find him really, really attractive. Something about his cocky, "I can hold my breath for a long time" attitude that is an immediate turn on for me. And he has a rockin' body.

VH1's I Love the New Millenium says that his job is to hang out in weird places and pee into bags. I have to say, that's not entirely untrue.

Yum.

BLOGGING: Cincinnati Annual Blogger's Convention

Looks like I'll be in attendance at the Cincinnati Annual Blogger's Convention this Thursday at 6pm.

I RSVP'd to the information found on the aforementioned Soapbox Media article, and, I assume, I spoke to Albert Pyle of the Cincinnati Mercantile Library (now blogrolled), where the event will be held. I called it Cincinnati Annual Blogger's "Convention," and his immediate response was "No need for the quote-unquote."

Ha! I like people that call me out.

The event information:

WHO: All Cincinnati Bloggers, and Cincinnati-specific or -related bloggers
WHAT: Annual (maybe :-)) Blogger's Convention
WHERE: Cincinnati Mercantile Library, 414 Walnut Street
WHEN: Thursday, July 24th, at 6pm
WHY: To meet people! Yea!
Call the library, 513-621-0717, to RSVP beforehand. I don't know if you have to bring a covered dish. If you do, I'll eat it. :-)

I also RSVP'd LV/Juliet of the Juliet and Juliette blog to force her to go out with me, since I haven't seen her in WEEKS!

That's one of two "networking" events I'll be going to this week. I'll blog later tonight on the GUPPIE (gay urban professionals) thing that I'm attending on Friday. I feel like I'm going to cause a ruckus at that one.

BLOGGING: Finally, back on Rainbow Cincinnati

Yea, yea, I've been slacking on my blog over at Rainbow Cincinnati. But it's updated! Yea!

Check out my latest here, and here's a little sample for you:

"I just don't watch studio porn anymore," says my most porn-savvy friend, effectively crushing my personal goal to one day be gold-chain ladened adult film producer (it's better than my current status as a bare chested porn connoisseur). "It's just not real."

We, of course, were discussing the most popular unspoken gay site in the world -- Xtube. Though not exclusively gay, I've found knowledge of its existence in heterosexuals lacking -- much to their own dismay as I open their eyes to the glory of free, seemingly endless, amateur porn. The joy is mine, as the opportunity to arouse is a great pleasure. In the gay world, Xtube has been whispered from homo to homo and has taken on a huge following. I was never so surprised as when on very late night, I was with friends "having a good time," and I was asked about my Xtube favorites. As if, of course, I had them.

And, really, there's nothing better than cruising the straight section to remind myself that women don't know how to suck cock.

Click here for the rest.

And don't forget to browse the rest of the excellent blogs and information on the site by clicking on the image below.

GAY STUFF: Lizzy the Lezzy

Back-reading blogs, specifically over at Juliet and Juliette, I was just dying when they remembered me to this little bit of gold from youtube, and from their website at Lizzy the Lezzy.



It's true. I'm sitting at my computer, in my robe, with a cup of coffee, ignoring the 100s of things I should be doing, giggling at an online lesbian.

PERSONAL: Relevant to my personal interest...

From the aforementioned list of local blogs...

This article on walking out on a mortgage.

I'm trying really really really hard to feel bad for the slighted banks.

Personal ethics beside, I just can't seem to care.

GAY STUFF: South Carolina is NOT gay

Someone totally blogdicked my comments section, but I'm glad they did and brought me this fabulous comment cartoon (From Words and Pictures)

BLOGGING: Soapbox Media Puts the Word out on Local Blogs...

...sadly, QueerCincinnati is not one of them.

But they do highlight a lot of great blogs here in the city. I've never heard of a few of them, though the buzz is that they focus almost exclusively on male-written blogs, which is true.

They leave out some significant ones, but that's the Cincinnati blogosphere shiftin since Jackie Danicki left.

The Cincinnati blog scene, and it is a “scene,” in the sense that bloggers tend to make references to one another, repost their friends’ articles and link their favorite blogs within their own space, is vibrant and prolific. It is also varied; you can find anything from info on how to improve your personal finances to where to buy a rare spice. Some of it is artistic, some political, some is comical, some whimsical – but it is all Cincinnati.

And the blogworld does feel "scene-like" here sometimes. But that's ok, I'm not above being the bastard step-child of another group. :-)

Our friends who are mentioned:

Cincinnati Blog
CityKin
Make Cincinnati Weird
Cincinnati Locovore (yea, Valeree!!!!)
UrbanCincy
'Nati Life
Somewhere Over the Rhine

YEA! Congrats you guys!

PS There's a local blogger's convention? I think I may just have to show up. My new MO: showing up uninvited to places. Or, rather, places I've been sort of invited to. I suppose that is an open event.

GAY STUFF: RIP Estelle Getty

This came over the news wire when I woke up this afternoon. Sad :-(

Estelle Getty, the diminutive actress who spent 40 years struggling for success before landing a role of a lifetime in 1985 as the sarcastic octogenarian Sophia on TV's "The Golden Girls," has died. She was 84.

Getty, who suffered from advanced dementia, died at about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday at her Hollywood Boulevard home, said her son, Carl Gettleman of Santa Monica.

"She was loved throughout the world in six continents, and if they loved sitcoms in Antarctica she would have been loved on seven continents," her son said. "She was one of the most talented comedic actresses who ever lived."

I'm not much of a Golden Girls fan, but she was FABULOUS.

CINCY GAY SCENE: Bullfishes... better than expected.

Let me just say this:

I was wrong, again, about a local establishment. Bullfishes was so much fun a few weeks ago and the girls know how to treat you right.

Rissa, our hottie bartender, made a good drink (not great, but she's learning). And she was full of style and flair.

Dawn, the head bartender, is HOT. *I* even want to make love to her. And that's Sarah. You should all know her by now. LOL. She's an amazing bartender back over there, from the old establishment.

Shannon (in blue), the manager, is unbelievable. I heartell she even put up with Vivica pounding drunkenly on the door this weekend of the bar and demanding to be served around 330am. Well done, Shannon. I would have kicked that bitch to the curve. (Love you, Viv)

And Syndy (in tan), the manger, who, for some reasons, thinks we're pretty nifty.

And may I recommend the nut in your mouth shot. This is us after taking it... but it's still pretty fierce.

If you go in, mention that you heard about them through this blog. They'll look at you funny for a while, and that's all the promise I have. Well, if I'm there, I might get you to buy me a drink.

And don't be creeped out when I ask for a nut in my mouth. LOL

BLOGGING: New Blog on the Blogroll

Everyone say HEY GIRL HEY to the newest addition to my blog roll...

Blind Prophecy, by (recent) commenter Jere Keys to this blog

It's looking like he's headed this direction, so we'll have a new queer blogger in town to gossip about!!! :-)

Welcome to the city, sister!

OHIO/CINNKY: After the storm

Damage up the street from me after the storm last night.

EEP! No damage to my house, though!

(pic from my camera phone)

OHIO/CINNKY: Don't even think..

Fun picture from Norwood. Kind of threatening, yes?

(pic from my phone)

HIV/AIDS: Another online gay soap opera about HIV!

I really like these things, apparently, though I haven't seen a new one pop up over at HIVBigDeal.org for a little while now :-(. Soon, though.

This one is called In the Moment, and it can be found over here. And here's episode 2:


Find more videos like this on In The Moment


Enjoy!

HIV/AIDS: Best President on AIDS = George W. Bush?

An interesting column from philly.com, that I think makes... well, an interesting point. Maybe not valid, especially since it doesn't take into account what the Clinton's have done since they left office, nor does it take into account that Bush hasn't really taken on any "hard" AIDS issues, like condoms in prisons... but you know, some interesting points.

Very interesting.

It is unquestionable that GOP President George W. Bush has one more to fight AIDS than any president in history, including Democrat Bill Clinton. The people pushing Bush to fight the epidemic at home and abroad are overwhelmingly conservative Christians - the same people we keep hearing gay leaders tar as narrow-minded and bigoted.

Well, those bigots deserve far more credit for relieving suffering from HIV in this decade than gay men and lesbians did in the previous two decades combined...

For years, I've been asked, "How can you be a gay Republican?" In 2008, I can answer, "Because on one of the gay community's top priorities, Republicans outshine Democrats hands down."*

It's weird and kind of backward thinking, but something that I think should spur some conversation, yes?

Kind of like Andrew Sullivan's infamous "So Sorry, Still Here" column in the Advocate a few years ago:

It’s been almost 12 years since I became infected with HIV, and I haven’t died yet. I haven’t even had the decency to get sick. I am walking, talking advertisement for why HIV seems not such a big deal to the younger generation—and indeed, many in my own age bracket. I know this is a terrible thing, and I promise in the uture to do better. As gay activist Michelangelo Signorile recently told The New York Times, “If everyone in your group is beautiful, taking steroids, barebacking, and HIV-positive, having the virus doesn’t seem like such a bad thing.”

I’m sorry. At the tender age of 41—a year longer than I once thought I would live—I have never felt better. HIV transformed my life, made me a better and braver writer, prompted me to write the first big book pushing marriage rights, got me to take better care of my health, improved my sex life, and deepened my spirituality.

Stuff to think about.

Like my comments about Confessions of a Bareback Top (NSFW) a few months ago, I have to say that I don't think these guys are entirely wrong, either.

ELECTION 2008: A ten point plan to bring the Democrats a sweeping victory...

I am a big admirer of Newt Gingrish and his 1994 "Contract with America." I think the Dem's have the opportunity, this time around, to do something similar, so I am going to offer up a simple outline for them to work off of to start a national, centralized message. And, thus, wipe out the Republican power base.

1) Develop a definitive, two-year plan on Iraq and Afghanistan, including a comprehensive exit strategy.

2) Reverse the policy of war and create a stronger policy of diplomacy to deal with future threats.

3) Reduce the need for voluntary abortion, including an abstinence inclusive comprehensive sex education program that focuses on parental involvement in children's decision making.

4) Reform No Child Left Behind to allow for greater teacher creativity and involvement in the process, and increase the funding for the outcome based educational requirements.

5) Institute term limits for Congress, via a Constitutional Amendment if necessary.

6) Balance the budget and, thus, strengthen the dollar, via a Constitutional Amendment if necessary.

7) Reform international trade, including NAFTA, to reduce the benefits for corporations to go out of country for cheap labor; in the meantime, increase incentives for companies to stay domestic.

8) Create a central, national healthcare plan that reduces the number of uninsured persons by 50% in four years.

9) Maintain individual liberties and respect state's decisions on related issues, including gay marriage, gun control, and religion. The national government has little role in any of these, and the purpose of statehood is to allow the populace to decide for themselves.

10) Respect our environment, and make sure that it stays pristine whenever possible. This includes investing in alternative energy sources -- including nuclear power, wind, and solar -- and reducing oil consumption, while increasing recycling programs and guarding wilderness areas.

I don't know, I think I could run this country.

GENERAL STUFF: Random text message...

To an unnamed friend who may or may not have their first STD...

Awww... baby's first STD.

I have a better relationship with the clinic than I do with most of the men in my life.

HA! I love gay boy's first STD's.

GAY STUFF: South Carolina is SO gay

Thanks to my dad for the email on this one!!!

Follow up to one of the bits from this blog about the "South Carolina is SO gay" ad that was pulled by the state tourism board... (Original story here at MSNBC)

COLUMBIA, S.C. - A gay pride organization said Thursday it plans to raise $5,000 to pay for an advertising campaign that proclaimed "South Carolina is so gay" after the state refused to pick up the tab.

SC Pride Movement president Ryan Wilson said his group wants to restore the state's good name after the Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department refused to pay. The state was one of a half-dozen highlighted in the London-based ad campaign aimed at gay travelers.

Joel Sawyer, spokesman for Gov. Mark Sanford, said tax dollars should not be used for ads "that promote any group with a particular social or political agenda."

From the media release from SC Pride, and their official statement:

"Someone needs to rise above and do the right thing, and the GLBT community of
South Carolina should be the ones to do it, and the SC Pride Movement is going
to take the lead." Wilson continues, "South Carolina may not be "so gay"
currently but we are going to show the world that we can be and we WILL BE so
gay, and gay friendly some day!"

Make sure you donate to them to support the money they are putting out to have this ad published!!!!

(What's really funny is that you'll notice that the City of Columbia -- the capital of SC -- is a sponsor of SCPride 2008)

GAY STUFF: Interesting story about Lawrence King

This is an interesting, longish, and intelligent story that was on the front page of MSNBC this evening. Five months after the event, this is a really fascinating look into the Lawrence King story... There is an interesting point where they talk about Asst. Principal Epstein, who would counsel Larry. What makes me sad is that, when I came out in middle school, there was an important administrator who helped me too. I'm glad that Larry had someone to talk to, I know it helped me.

The Larry King shooting became the most prominent gay-bias crime since the murder of Matthew Shepard 10 years ago. But despite all the attention and outrage, the reason Larry died isn't as clear-cut as many people think. California's Supreme Court has just legalized gay marriage. There are gay characters on popular TV shows such as "Gossip Girl" and "Ugly Betty," and no one seems to notice. Kids like Larry are so comfortable with the concept of being openly gay that they are coming out younger and younger. One study found that the average age when kids self-identify as gay has tumbled to 13.4; their parents usually find out a year later.

What you might call "the shrinking closet" is arguably a major factor in Larry's death. Even as homosexuality has become more accepted, the prospect of being openly gay in middle school raises a troubling set of issues. Kids may want to express who they are, but they are playing grown-up without fully knowing what that means. At the same time, teachers and parents are often uncomfortable dealing with sexual issues in children so young. Schools are caught in between. How do you protect legitimate, personal expression while preventing inappropriate, sometimes harmful, behavior? Larry King was, admittedly, a problematical test case: he was a troubled child who flaunted his sexuality and wielded it like a weapon—it was often his first line of defense. But his story sheds light on the difficulty of defining the limits of tolerance. As E. O. Green found, finding that balance presents an enormous challenge...

One of the most distracting lines in the whole piece is something LK said to a friend about the class mates teasing him.

" 'One day, they'll regret it. One day, I'll be famous'."

Very, very prescient, this one was.

(Oh, and PS, being an out gay kid in Middle School, I would be ASKED who I like, regularly. I'm sure this wasn't always something Larry did on purpose... no doubt, a lot of this were middle schoolers being middle schoolers and saying stupid shit.)

This story would also explain why we're suddenly getting a lot of hits from people searching for Lawrence King.

GAY STUFF: Looking for input

I've been behind on writing over at Rainbow Cincinnati. I've been working on a piece, and I'm having difficulty flushing it out, so I'm going to ask all of you, my dear readers, for some input.

What is your take on gay men (and women) and mental health?

More specifically in relationship to drug use, sexual acting out, HIV, relationships, etc.?

So, for example, a good question to think about is, how does "the scene" reflect, enhance, exacerbate, or alleviate the mental health of those involved...?

Or, you know, whatever...

POP CULTURE: Dark Knight

I did not go see the movie when it opened this evening, but I thought I'd share the text message of TY over at the Vinyl Polis that I got when he left the movie theatre:

PHENOMENAL

I think that says it all, folks. She's a discerning bitch, that one.

ELECTION 2008: Weekly Poll Estimates... 7-18-08

All things said, I think it's important to point out a great article here over at Election Geek. Here's a perfect quote before we get into the polls and the projections for this week:

Most Americans, those in the center and the suburbs and rural parts of this nation, don’t make their minds up until after the conventions, the debates and the bulk of the coverage is over. They decide in the final weeks and days and they do it with a gut feeling of whom they “like” more or which candidate shares their values or their vision for that time and place.

So in short not one bit of the polling matters. All we know is that the president is unpopular, the World is moving rapidly and everything we think we know will change.

This Week's Estimates...

ElectionProjection.com: 311 (BO), 227 (JM)
BO+5 due to Nevada switching for no clear reason, I can't seem to find the poll he made that call on.

Electoral Vote: 320 (BO), 204 (JM)
JM-14 due to Missouri (!!!!) and North Dakota now being listed as "ties." A recent poll shows BO has pulled ahead enough to throw off this sites laws of averages, and therefore call this one dead even in Missouri.

Election Junkie: 306 (BO), 232 (JM)
JM+14. I'm not quite sure why the numbers are changing here like they are, as I don't follow him as religiously as some of the other sites. However, he has a tendency to throw out outlier polls, unlike some other sites that treat them all equally. SO, his numbers may be a tad more reliable. His new prediction discussion is here, and I'm sure you've heard that John McCain is rising in the national polls which he discusses here.

Cold Hearted Truth: 293 (BO), 245 (JM)
No change.

270toWin.com: 259 (BO), 151 (JM)
Using the new link they emailed to me! I'm not listing any changes because I'm foolish and couldn't seem to get any of the numbers right! LOL! So, these stand alone but also list Missouri, Nevada, and North Dakota as ties. This one also lists South Dakota as a tie -- I mean, it, ND, and Montana are demographically similarly so it makes sense if those two are going, this one would too... And there was a poll that listed JM only ahead by 4 there on 7-9-08 by Ramussen, so we'll see if that was an outlier or a predictor of things to come...

USElectionAtlas: 268 (BO), 172 (JM)
JM-16, due to Missouri and Nevada listed as "ties" now. There's the poll I couldn't find on ElectionProjection (actually, I could, I just thought it was referring to something else). It was a Ramussen poll dated yesterday showing Obama ahead there by 2.

Last Week's Estimates...

ElectionProjection.com: 306 (BO), 232 (JM)
Electoral Vote: 320 (BO) 218 (JM)
Election Junkie: 306 (BO), 218 (JM)
Coldhearted Truth: 293 (BO), 245 (JM)
270toWin.com: 185 (BO), 174 (JM)
USElectionAtlas: 268 (BO), 188 (JM)

BLOGGING: Really unusual ways people find this site -- take 2

Here are some new fun ways people come to this site, again via our FEEDJIT traffic monitor :-). (PS --> I see you, Michi, I know you're reading RIGHT NOW)

San Antonio, Texas arrived from google.com on "QueerCincinnati.com: GAY STUFF: Mamma Mia, the Movie!" by searching for is mamma mia a gay movie.

I'm actually getting a lot of hits regarding Mamma Mia -- which is coming out THIS weekend and I am really excited, though I'll probably have to wait until next weekend as we also want to see the Dark Knight, and we also are renting TEETH. Ha! Really, we are. Something about understanding the rhetoric behind it.

Markham, Ontario arrived from blogsearch.google.com
on "QueerCincinnati.com: GAY STUFF: Queer Blog Review" by searching for best gay blogs.

That is perhaps my favorite new way people are finding me... by typing in "best gay blogs" into google's blogsearch. Because I blog so much, it keeps popping up.

And though there are none currently on the list, I want to make a little note out there to everyone searching for a bathhouse or gay sauna in Cincinnati... there is none (link is the one and only post related to bathhouses in the entirety of my archives, really). Sorry, guys, unless you are a member of the Central Park YMCA, or the Hyde Park Urban Active (which I am), you're luck at finding men to fool around with in the steam room is limited to two bathhouses in Cbus, one in Kentucky (I think), a very private one in Dayton (rumor has it that it's been closed down, can anyone confirm its existence?), and two in Indianapolis.

Simon Leis would shit a brick if one opened here -- we don't even have strip clubs, and we only have two porn stores in the entirety of Hamilton County.

Let alone a bathhouse.

OHIO/CINNKY: Equal Housing and Employment Act -- UPDATE

This is an email I sent out to the "I Support the Equal Housing and Employment Act" Facebook group, so I thought it only right that I update all of you...

Just a quick update:

1) Do What's Right, Ohio! (www.dowhatsrightohio.com) has finally gotten off it's ass and just started a group here on Facebook... well, not "just started," but whatev's. It's slightly larger than ours and here it is:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=17672606189
2) Per that same organization, it appears that, since the House and Senate are on recess, the bill will flounder until the houses reconvene in November. At least, that's what I gather from their websites.

So, make sure you're emailing and calling! I'm about to put in a new email, because I never heard back from either Driehaus or Kearney, and I'll post my email along with their response when I get it!

Thanks to everyone!!!

Long story short: ain't jack shit happening. And, considering at least two of the members of the subcommittee we're watching (read updates here and here) are running for higher office, this is probably good for everyone involved.

IE: The vote is after the election, so those people who are for it but afraid to make a statement when they're moving up the political ladder will be safe from "calling themselves out" as pro-gay rights.

Blah blah blah.

So here's to a quiet summer...

GENERAL STUFF: Atomic Bomb Anniversary

(img courtesy of the BlueGrassReport)
From Wired via Neatorama...

Yesterday was the anniversary of the first successful test of the Atomic Bomb.

Thanks to the two sources for correcting me on a quote I often use, by J. Robert Oppenheimer (the scientific director of the Manhattan Project) from the Bagavad Gita:

"If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the mighty one. Now I am become Death, destroyer of worlds."

I had always said it was "I am Shiva, the destroyer of worlds."

Here are some fun things I also found while looking stuff up:

How to build an atomic bomb -- which points out it's not how to build it that's a concern, but how do you obtain the parts. How does that make you feel?

Some documents about the first test at Trinity from a military observer.

Update
Thanks to Ms Chanak for pointing out the YouTube vid of Oppenheimer saying that:

GENERAL STUFF: Death @ an ER

I just wanted to talk about this situation real quick...



I work in a similar ER, so I'm guessing I may be able to say a little bit. And to preface: I know nothing about this situation and I don't know anybody who works there, so I am not kith and kin to any special information.

I would be good money that woman was what we called a "frequent flyer." And I would bet good money that the woman has pulled a similar stunt before. I would also bet good money that the nurses and staff were busy that day/evening and this woman was acting her typical fool self and was craving attention and, when she went down, the staff just said "oh, jeez, there she goes again."

Because that's how the staff of urban ER's are treated.

HOWEVER, this does not make it right. What was wrong about this situation is that she was ignored completely. There are standards of care put into place to watch patients, and, just because the patient acts like this all the time, does not exempt the staff from doing their job. Why didn't anyone check on her? That's where it was awful and wrong. Patient goes down, or patient is down, someone should check to make sure that they are OK, and check on them occasionally so long as they are down.

There are two tragedies here, ultimately:

1) That we have allowed our healthcare system, and people that frequently access the healthcare system, to come to this. That somehow it's ok that ER's across the country are nothing more than recepticles for people with no insurance. That psych wards emergency rooms around the country are filled with people that should be monitored on a daily basis because of debilitating mental health concerns and without the proper social support to truly help them. If this was "business as usual" for this woman, this angry family (that's now suing the hospital -- that's fun; you can't take care of your family member, put it off on someone else, and then get angry about someone else not caring for her) should have been finding better ways to help her than letting her wander into the ER occasionally complaining about her own personal insanities. She sounds like she should have had 24 mental health support.

And, if my guess is right, I'll bet the staff was thinking she was just looking for a nice place to stay/sleep so she didn't have to be on the street that night. Because that's what happens. New York is filled with homeless people with mental health problems... I'll bet that she was OK except for the basic needs of living (out of the streets where there's food), and they let her sit that long because her needs were not as pressing as others that were presenting.

So she sat. And that's a problem, because there needed to be more care for her, and we can't provide it to her... and she has to use the waiting room of the emergency room to feel OK. That is tragedy number one.

2) That the staff would get to the point where they would feel so glib. There are a couple of sub-points:

A) This kind of setting is rough and tough and takes a special kind of person to work in. Not just anyone can deal with the problems that arise in an urban ER, let along the psych ER. No doubt, the insanity of the setting has long calloused the staff to feel distant, and probably quite a bit burnt out.

B) Patients treat staff like crap, yelling, screaming, hitting, biting, spitting, spewing off random crap. Again, who would want to deal with that kind of stuff? Especially for long periods of time...

C) There probably weren't enough people to handle the ER that night, and I'll bet she wasn't pressing. So the nurses were busy, burnt out, just feeling over the "I need attention" moves their regulars were pulling and just shrugged it off as no big thing.

D) That we would allow people to continue to work in situations long after they were effective, and unable to provide any relief except more money. (Here's the secret: nurses are paid like they are because they are often asked to double their work load, add extra hours, etc., etc., etc.)

So we have these horrendous working conditions with patients that treat them like crap -- I'll bet they were just over it that day. And I'm sorry for them that this had to happen on their shift. They did not do right by this patient, but I'll bet anything it wasn't malicious or purposeful ignorance -- I'll bet they were just done that day with all the crap they had to put up with (a clue for this: they found her at 6:30p? normal shifts end at 7:00pm, and a lot of people work 12-hour shifts... how would you feel after dealing with psych patients, on your feet all day, after 10+ hours?)

It's their fault, yes, but I sympathize in a way, because I bet they were just plum tired and busy and could do nothing else. But it also sickens me because I've heard nurses here say some disgusting words -- "oh, it's just another drug user" "just another junkie" "just another psych patient" -- and, at that point, it's time to pack it up and go somewhere else, guys (too bad, if they did leave, I'll bet they won't get paid as well anywhere else, and it will take weeks to fill their shifts, which will further burden the ER).

Does it make it right? No, but don't get frustrated and sickened by it. Realize that this is the state of healthcare in this country. We have an aging population -- hello baby boomers -- we have, increasingly, more people without health insurance; we have fewer people entering the healthcare field; and we have situations like this lady, people who are not being provided for regularly.

We'll try to blame a couple people for this, but we need to look at the wider problem and stop expecting a couple of people to carry the burden for the rest of us.

OHIO/CINNKY: NAACP Convention

Does anyone else think it's strange that the NAACP Convention is being held here? I mean, weren't we just being boycotted a few years ago?

I mean, YEA! But, what's the 411? What's happened?

Per the local website, no indication was given about the riots and the boycott 7 years ago, and this is what the press release from the national organization says:

"Ohio will be the epicenter of our nonpartisan efforts to elect a pro-civil rights Congress [that year], and we look forward to visiting the city again," said NAACP Board Directors Chairman Julian Bond.

For more information, be sure to check out our awesome local NAACP chapter