GENERAL STUFF: Star Wars

Via the Neatorama blog.

Star Wars, according to a 3 year old.



"Don't Mess with Darth Vader, cuz he'll get ya!"

For the Charleston crew who, reportedly, is finally reading my blog. You guys have been referenced enough. Thanks for tuning in.

OHIO/CINNKY: Penis Enlargement

This requires no comment. Thanks to the Cincinnati Dealer for this breaking story (oh, and the Enquirer, I guess lol)

Apparently, the maker of Enzyte, Berkeley Premium Nutraceuticals, is based out of Cincinnati. Well, a judge found the CEO, Steve Warshak, guilty of a short list of stuff. And guess what? The product doesn't work.

Is anyone really surprised???

What's funny are the strange double entendres in the Enquirer article -- his company's "rapid growth," for example.

GENERAL STUFF: Florida Manatees

I'm not quite sure how I feel about this, but I think the picture clears it up... the way that CNN presented it was "Fla. Marlins begin a all-male plus-size cheerleading squad called the Manatees."

Leave it up to me to not get the joke.

Duh. Fat men cheerleading = joke.

CINCY GAY SCENE: Oxford Show 2-22-08

Hell yea, Oxford Drag Show!

We raised $2500 for PFLAG!!! THANKS TO ALL WHO CAME OUT IN THE AWFUL WEATHER TO SUPPORT US!!!!

GAY STUFF: Jason Bartlett

Rather than forget another milestone:

State Rep. Jason Bartlett came out this week, becoming the highest elected openly gay, black official in US history. Congratulations!

Let's hope he's not quitting, and he's just coming out... (looks to the NJ governorship)

I'm still angry, btw, at Janet Reno for not have the cajones to come out as AG and being the highest ranking out LGBT official ever in the US.

GAY STUFF: Lawrence King and Cameron McWilliams (pt. II)

I'm trolling the blogosphere for responses to these two events, and I thought I'd share some of my favorites:

This is from a fabulously angry post over at the FruitFly blog. The whole thing is just well written and well researched.

…because most feminine boys need to be bullied and kicked around once in a while, don’t they? I’m sure Superintendent Dannenberg can drive home proudly knowing that there will be one less queer kid who won’t be showing up at his school no more. And I’m sure he’ll have plans to “talk” to other students about bullying. There’ll be some student wide meetings about bullying. *yawn* Boring stuff that’s all put on to make sure everybody knows the school “cares”. But since the “problem child” is dead, the superintendent’s concern will last about seventy-two hours…maybe a few minutes more.

In a month, Dannenberg won’t even remember the kid’s name.

What does it take for a couple of professionally trained educators to see a 15 year old boy wearing make-up and girls clothes to keep an eye on the kid? Make sure he’s safe? An occasional “watchful eye” on the boy as he’s walking down the halls or out on the grounds? You can’t tell me every faculty member in that school knows which kids are living in Casa Pacifica and that those are the kids who don’t have a family to go home to. And here comes this strange little boy with fingernail polish and wearing a pair of girls high-heeled boots and their answer is to “send him to counseling”?!?!

Somewhat sappy, but nicely done over at Garyblog.

In times when a mind reels with sadness what can a person do?

well . . .I sent flowers to the church for the service tomorrow.

If I could travel on a whim I would sit on the sidewalk . . .and most likely cry my eyes out. . . but no ..I send flowers with a note from myself and my partner.

Why? Because my heart is broken. . . again.

broken for a kid who wasn't given the opporunity. . . again.

broken for a kid that will never have. . . again.

broken for a kid that didn't know. . . again.

broken for a kid who loved butterflies and bugs.

Hits into my core.

From the Kate Evans blog.

Never mind that faggot and gay are still the put-downs of choice. Never mind that even with the support of GSA's, it's very hard to be an out queer or gender-bending kid.

From the Unusual Music ("Everyman is guilty of the good he did not do...Voltaire") blog. This one, which I just discovered is a really good blog.

Tell me, how many more people will we kill with our fear and hate? How many more lives will we stunt and destroy? How much more blood will we bathe in while we turn up our noses, selfrighteously? When will we stop? Will we ever stop?

From the GenderShift blog.

If the events of the past week act as a catalyst for change there perhaps their young lives will not have been in vain, unfortunately noticing that the anti discrimination legislation due to have been enacted on December 21st has still not been represented to parliament two months later I will not hold my breath. Regrettably I suspect that a few more innocent lives will be lost before the government has the balls to tackle these problems.

There's also a great take on the British media's spin on Cameron's death here at the F-Word blog, though, for some reason, I can't copy. And there's no "one thing" I wanna post.

Overall, I've noticed two things:

1) There are far too few things being said about Lawrence King out there. The big ones are talking, and few minor blogs, but, for the most part, the blogosphere is more quiet than you'd expect.

2) Where the issue of Lawrence King is quiet -- the issue of Cameron Williams is almost silent. Perhaps because it was a suicide (his decision) versus a murder (someone else's decision), or because Americans blog more than the Brits, it just isn't out there much.

The media has been silent, but, at the same time, it happened at the exact same time as the NIU shooting, which was equally tragic. Let's just accept that this has been a hard week for kids, and let's remember everyone who died... and those who have to live, knowing others have died.

GAY STUFF: Cameron McWilliams

Wow, in my search about Lawrence King, I found this story which isn't getting much play this side of the pond.

Boy, 10, hangs himself after telling his mother: 'I want to be a girl'



copyright The Star

A BOY of 10 has been found hanged at his South Yorkshire home after telling his mum he wanted to be a girl.

Tragic Cameron McWilliams had already asked for permission to wear make-up, and been teased after he was found wearing his half-sister's knickers.

His desperate mum Kelly McWilliams told a Doncaster inquest she had bought him girls' underwear to wear in private, but had refused his requests to be allowed to wear make-up.

She said: "It was apparent he was unhappy and said he wanted to be a girl. He did like girls' things."

Mrs McWilliams told a Doncaster inquest Cameron was older than his years and had expressed an interest in transvestism.

He had been teased after once being found in his half-sister's knickers, and had asked if he could wear make-up. His mum told him he would have to wait until he was older.

Mrs McWilliams found her son hanging, with a black leather belt around his neck, in his half-sister's bedroom at the family home in Montrose Avenue, Intake, Doncaster.

"When I got in the room he was not asleep, he was standing by the window with a dressing gown on," she said.

"His head was down and I realised something really serious had happened and I screamed."

The court heard Cameron was a lonely boy with no friends outside school. He spent all his time at home listening to music, playing on his XBox and using a laptop computer.

His mother revealed Cameron had been very interested in recent reports of a spate of teenage hangings in Bridgend, South Wales.

"He was not himself but he made no mention whatsoever that he would harm himself," she said. "On that day he was happy as Larry."

She said her son was in the habit of writing her notes if he wanted to discuss something, and added: "He would have asked me questions about hanging but he never did."

Doncaster coroner Stanley Hooper told the court: "I do not know what was in the mind of this little boy. All I know ishe was an unhappy little boy and that he wore his sister's underclothing, and that would be a cause of worry to his mother and stepfather."

Referring to Victoria Beckham's famous claim that her husband David wore her knickers, he added: "If there is anything I can say to avoid similar fatalities in the future, I observe it is well-known that there is a very rich and successful footballer married to a pop singer who is known to have worn his wife's underwear."

Attempts by police to revive Cameron when he was found in the early hours last Monday were not successful, and his body was taken to Sheffield Children's Hospital for a post mortem examination. Inquiries into his death are continuing.

I'm kind of speechless. Rough day here at QitC.

GAY STUFF: Lawrence King

In memoriam, Lawrence King, 1/13/1993-02/13/2008


(Makeshift Memorial outside L.K.'s school; image from the LATimes article regarding the 14 year being charged with the shooting)

Do not stand at my grave and weep,I am not there. I do not sleep.I am a thousand winds that blow,I am the snow on the mountain's rim,I am the laughter in children's eyes,I am the sand at the water's edge,I am the sunlight on ripened grain,I am the gentle Autumn rain,When you awaken in the morning's hush,I am the swift uplifting rush of quiet birds in circled flight,I am the star that shines at night,Do not stand at my grave and cry,I am not there, I did not die.

To those who don't know, Lawrence King -- "Larry" -- a 15-year old 8th grader was shot in the head at his school and listed as brain dead (to those who aren't aware: it is the lack of brain activity that, clinically, leads someone to be listed as legally passed away). It has been labeled as a hate crime, as it appears the shooters were motivated by the fact that he identified as gay and was effeminant.

There is an excellent posting on the DailyKos here that sums up some of what has been written and said.

I am passing on posting on pictures of Lawrence -- it seems disrespectful somehow, but I will post some of the other excellent websites that are going up around there:

-A truly beautiful site by his family, including pictures and a vid. (The quote -- mostly attributed to Martin Frye -- above is from the site.)

-GLSEN's listing of all the vigils happening in memoriam -- Oxford's drag show, tomrow night at Balcony Bar, is now dedicated to Lawrence and will be listed there too.

-GLSEN's press release.

-The Facebook group.

-The Myspace page.

-Youtube search on the vloggers that have posted about the tragedy.

Looking at this, I feel bad posting this under something so tritely entitled "Gay Stuff." It's more than that; but, in response to everything else going on, this will not be labeled as a school shooting, it will be framed as "another queer is dead" and it will not be looked on with the same sadness as Columbine. Rather, I feel like we're going to hear all about gay panic. And that hurts me.

Update---> I did a quick Google search, and, as of yet, not a single one of the presidential candidates have said anything about Lawrence King. Shame.

GENERAL STUFF: Star Wars fandom

(via Neatorama)


(picture from... FOX News??? -- my high school journalism teacher would have a COW with this picture because, according to the laws of layout, people in pictures should be facing the INTERIOR of your newspaper page to draw attention inward... I'm not joking, ask anyone who's worked on a newspaper)

Mental_floss posted this blog regarding rabid Star Wars fans and the ongoing inconsistencies they like to point out in movies.

If you run into somebody who tells you they thought the franchise was quite enjoyable, and they very-much liked the originals as well as the prequels, and even own everything on DVD, and a few of the books, these imposters are not Star Wars Fans.

Star Wars fans hate Star Wars.

And, yes, this blog is posted exclusively for the benefit of my dear Charleston nerds.

GAY STUFF: History of Gay Bars in NYC

(via the Joe. My. God. blog)

This is a project I wanted to start here in Cincinnati -- at least, at history of Cincy's gay scene. I think it woudl be fantastic.

But this is a neat project by a blog labelled "Bitterqueen." There are abbreviated versions of a few other cities.

GENERAL STUFF: Fat Tax

I posted this link a few days ago about how obese people and smokers, in the long run, and compared to healthy people, are actually cheaper to treat medically due to a shortened lifespan, based on this study in the Dutch Journal PLoS Medicine.

Slate.com posted an article by Daniel Engber about the political applications of this study.

First of all, this reminds me of all the anti-smoking ads that show people how much smokers cost employers in terms of "smoke breaks" (legally, btw, everyone is allowed one 15 minute break every 4 hours -- Is it that much different than the amount of time you non-smokers are waisting by reading this blog right now? -- I've worked in an office, I know for a fact that no one works 100% of the time) and health problems.

The same article quotes a study that I had never heard of before, but can be found here in the American Journal of Public Health, showing that perception of body weight and body image are far better indicators of mental and physical health issues (by comparing desire to lose weight to time called off).

IE: I'm sick and it's your fault for caling me fat. I hate you.

Slate's article point is this: leave the fatties alone. They're not hurting you as much as they think they are. Let's focus on the real problems in our communities. . .

. . . the homosexuals.

BLOGGING: Renovations?

Currently trying to renovate the page now that I have the ability -- have photoshop and all :-). At the moment, however, I'm having trouble arranging stuff to my liking, so give me a few days to work out the kinks.

In the meantime, here's a preliminary view of QitC's new "symbol." It's an idea, we'll see if it goes anywhere.



What do you think? I did it myself.

Or how about this one:

I'm leaning towards the second one.

POP CULTURE: Does anyone care about the Oscars

I like the Oscars. I think they are kind of fun. But, CNN makes a good point when they ask: Does anyone care about the Oscars?

I don't really have much of a response, but I wanted to republish this list from the article.

**BEST PICTURE WINNERS IN BOLD; NOMINEES IN ITALICS**
Top Ten Blockbusters -- 1976
1. Jaws
2. The Godfather
3. The Exorcist
4. The Sound of Music
5. Gone With the Wind
6. The Sting
7. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
8. The Towering Inferno
9. The Love Story
10. The Graduate
Result: 5 wins, 5 nominations for the then top-grossing films

Top Ten Blockbusters -- 2008
1. Titanic
2. Star Wars
3. Shrek 2
4. ET
5. Star Wars I -- The Phantom Menace
6. Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest
7. Spider-Man
8. Star Wars III -- Revenge of the Sith
9. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
10. Spider-Man II
Result: 2 wins, 2 nominations

Hm. Are the Oscars out of touch with the American viewing public, or is this the "dumbing down" of American popular media? Like the article, I don't think commercial success should be considered; though, it points out, only Juno made more than $100million of all the Best Picture nominations. OR, have we developed a separate category ... the "art film" (which would be like There Will Be Blood), which would add into the ongoing fracturing of the media. It's not enough that there are just "comedies" or "horrors" or "action pics." In fact, it's seeming like if you fall into a "genre film" category, your likelihood of being nom'd is out the window. Maybe these art films are the best of the year -- but no one is watching them. Where is the value there?

So the question is: What qualities make "The Best Picture." (There is an argument, I'm sure, that mass appeal and popular consumption should immediately indicate that it is a BEST PICTURE).

The other slightly disturbing thing: there's not a single sequel on the 1976 list. Seven of the 10 on the 2008 list are sequels. And one more is the first in a trilogy (I'm considering Star Wars I and III sequels, whereas Star Wars IV to be the first of the trilogy; I'm considering Spider-Man a sequel as it is a sequel and an addition to the Spider-Man mythos).

ELECTION 2008: Wisconsin, Washington, Hawaii

The ongoing "anti-Hillary" media blitz is getting on my nerves.

As of right now (1230AM EST), per CNN, this is the delegate count (Hawaii has not closed yet):

Obama -- 1301
Clinton -- 1239

There are 4049 delegates total that will be at the party convention (approx), 2566 (approx) delegates have been awarded, and there are 1483 delegates left.

In order to get the 2025 needed to win the Democratic nomination, Obama needs 724 more delegates, or 48% of what's left, and Clinton needs 786, or 53%. Now, I am a fierce Hillary supporter (if you hadn't figured that out yet), as I think she will do best for this country, and, though I have some questions and concerns about him (and his followers), I like Obama.

But guess what? Per the rules of the Democratic nomination process, this is still a statistical dead heat. Sure, Obama's picking up a lot of wins. But in what states??? North Dakota. Idaho. Utah. Hawaii (probably). Alabama. Alaska. With a few exceptions -- like Georgia and Illinois (which, I would argue, had Obama come from anywhere else, would have gone Hillary) -- small states that traditionally vote Republican. Now, in the long term, that little bit might be helpful as it seems that he has some sway in Republican land.

Where is Clinton winning? California. Massachusetts. New York. New Jersey. Big states that traditionally vote Democrat. In the general election, she has a firm hold in classical Dem territory. But those states are done, with the exception of a couple like Oregon and Pennsylvania (Wisconsin was a blow tonight, as was Minnesota).

This all comes of the back of a poll on the front page of MSN.com that asks: Should Clinton and Huckabee quit? I kind of know where they are coming from but 1) it's still way too early to throw in the towel for Clinton -- as she's still polling well, and ahead, in both Texas and Ohio, and 2) the fact that the vote went 61-39 for Clinton to quit as of right now.

There is still time people -- and I believe it is possible. But I'm going to say it now: I think Obama will be the Democratic nominee for President. I'm starting to feel it ... and it feels like indigestion.

(Oh, and I may have called Texas way too early for Huckabee, especially if McCain picks a running mate soon... and one that has Southern appeal, which I think, if he is smart, he will in an effort to get rid of this annoying "unite the party" crap that people are talking about. God, the media is so freaking annoying... esp when it disagrees with you.)

ELECTION 2008: Ron Paul v. Dennis Kucinich

From my new favoritest online comic. I'm posting this just for TY. I think he'll get a giggle or two out of it.



Seriously, though, it's an angry flower. Named Bob.

It's Bob the Angry Flower.

POLITICS: Goodbye, Fidel

Fidel Castro, after nearly 50 years of being "El Presidente" is stepping down from his role of authority in Cuba.

So, to honor him, QitC found funny pictures of him.

Enjoy.


I call it "L'il Presidente"


Fidel, imagine the balls are the heads of people who snubbed you in high school . And, apparently, when you're a communist dictator (who, btw, may actually have been validly re-elected to his office the few times that happened), teeth whitening and/or brushing is not required.


Here, Fidel imitates the thousands of Cuban refugees falling upon American soil for the first time. I think he broke his arm...


Ping Pong Fidel! Doesn't he look like that guy off Seinfeld?


Fidel's imitation of Bill Clinton


As young man. Now, remember, folks, when you're out chasing tail and you see that REALL good looking guy (like my "brah" Fidel in his younger years), remember, this is what he will turn out to be:

(And, in case you're wondering, his friends... well, they're gonna turn out to look like ol'Hugo there)


Excepting the clearly photoshopped background -- are they doing KARAOKE?


And this is Fidel with his brother Raoul, the new El Presidente (maybe he should be called "L'il Presidente"), looking FIERCE in matching army-chic. You know, Raoul is about 300X more unattractive to look at, but it lends much better to sultry bedroom chat. "Oh, Raoul..." (vs. "Oh, Fidel...")


NOT Fidel

And, finally, for all the nerds out there who will appreciate the irony in this...


Oh Fidel! We knew you so well!!!

GENERAL STUFF: Walmart Clinics

Wal-mart, apparently started a pilot program in September of 2005 to open medical clinics in their stores -- much like their current optomotrists who practice at most Wal-marts.

Well, apparently it was a success.

This is the most abbreviated obituary of the American healthcare system ever published.

In 2007, MSNBC posted another article -- here -- talking about their plans.

And this was all very weird and uncomfortable with me. And then I found the NYTimes article -- here -- which pointed out that the clinics opening in these, some of them will be RediClinics, a business enterprise owned by Steve Case, co-owner of AOL.

Your health: brought to you by corporate America. We all new healthcare was becoming corporatized, but, well, I didn't think they'd make it so obvious.

I just have one thing to say:



No, Debra Jackson, now you can wear your hospital gown.

POLITICS: Kosovar Independence

What was once this...


...is now this...

(tried to put in the new flag of Kosovo, which is notthe Albanian dual headed black eagle on a red field, but it's not working)

Now, the rest of the world is like "WHAT" -- CNN reports here that, while China, Spain (still fighting off the Basque rebellion for an independent state), Greece, Romania, and Russia (Serbia's longtime ally) are standing with Serbia against Kosovar independence, the US, France, Germany and the UK are for it. Big surprise... the (now former) Serbian PM to the US, who was recalled by the Serbian President Boris Tadic, said the US was treating the independence as "fait accompli." I just wanted to use that term in a blog :-).

The fun thing is that two of Georgia's (country, not US state) little provinces -- Abkhazia and South Ossetia are saying they may use the move by Kosovo to declare their own independence.



This is all well and good. But I like to point out just how small these areas of the world are, but it's funny because Kosovo is one-eigth the land mass of the entire state of Serbia.

Serbia is about 88,000 km-sq, which is just under the size of the US state of Indiana (ringing in at a whopping 94,000 km-sq). One-eigth the size of the US, meanwhile are the states of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Louisiana combined. So you can see why maybe this is a problem.

However, it's so small. Connecticut is larger than Kosovo.

Though I understand and appreciate the years and years and years of genocide, ethnic cleansing, and political subjugation that the Kosovars have gone through -- for the love of jeebus. This is such a small area of the world -- same with the Irans, Israels, etc. They're just tiny. You'd think that people would be able to figure things out if it barely takes a day to travel cross country (doesn't make for much of a road trip, now does it???).

That said, good for you, Kosovo. Now, let's just watch the shit hit the fan. There are hundreds of these autonomous regions in the world -- what happens now???

LOL -- probably nothing.

Oh, and btw, geography and the history of war:



Whoever designed this was ASKING for problems. I mean, really, look at Croatia.

So I decided I wanted to go visit the new Republic of Kosovo for many of the same reasons I want to visit Prague -- that is, I have no idea, but it would be cool to tell my friends that I went to Pristina. Then they'd think I was hip or cool. So I did a little googling images of Pristina to get an idea of what historical points of interest or cityscapes would be like:

"the Church in Pristina"

don't worry, they're protecting it from Muslims

"Ottomon Architecture"

it stands the test of time!

"View from the Hotel Ora"

this from a travel page about Pristina interestingly subtitled "bring a book"

and, of course... the chamber of commerce pictures..

the Independent Commission for Mines and Minerals

it's like driving through Over-the-Rhine, turning a corner and BAM! Cincinnati City Hall and you're like WTF?

central downtown?

from possibly the most boring and useless travel article ever written on the planet ... not joking

Needless to say, my desire to go is no longer.

Final note, I found eciks: investment opportunities in kosovo, which I was fascinated existed. Much like David Letterman, they have their own Top Ten Reasons to Invest in Kosovo. "Being the center of global conflict" and "history of bloody political warfare" do not appear on the list.

GAY STUFF: Exodus International Video

Video advertising the 2008 Exodus Internationl Convention in Asheville, NC


(via ExGayWatch.com)

Just a quick question: a large gathering of "ex-gays" (or "posthomo's" if you will) in a hotel... isn't that like holding an AA convention in a bar?

GENERAL STUFF: LEGO Batman

I'm a nerd, and, thus, I like video games. I really liked the LEGO StarWars games, and I'm excited now that I've found out that the same company, Traveler's Tales, is producing a LEGO Batman. (All this via MTV.)

And here are some screen shots:


Harley Quinn (a character as yet unexplored in a movie, but I think has a really fascinating story, like the Mr. Freeze character-- whose story was awfully portray before -- and I'm disappointed that she will not be in the upcoming movie) and Joker


Batman and Robin -- coworkers or lovers?


Penguin and Killer Croc