Saying Goodbye to March

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No one can possibly be happier than I am to see the month of March slip away into oblivion........

Historically, Julius Caesar's bloody assassination on March 15, 44 B.C., forever marked March 15, or the Ides of March, as a day of infamy.

Personally, my foster son's death by automobile accident on March 21, 2005 changed by life forever.

Professionally, as a Case Manager to developmentally disabled adults my favorite client Julie died three weeks ago and another client Michael, will be buried at noon today. Through both deaths, I have learned the power of strength in comforting families, work associates and most importantly, my other clients; many who do not fully understand the significance of these events.

Thankfully for others, the month of March has brought much joy.

My BLOGMASTER Jon Marc and his partner Ric realized their dreams when they were united in a civil ceremony is New Jersey.

My BLOGMASTER Finding Avalon celebrates a birthday this weekend..... with my personal Diva, Pobble Thoughts joining in the celebration.

To all of them, I send love and a lifetime of endless joy.

The homophobic, racist military recruiter....

I read the following article in a local newspaper this week, and found it so blatently offensive, homophobic and racist, I thought it might be [satire].

Unfortunately, it appears to be fact as it's now been published in several reliable news sources.

(Washington) The military has begun an investigation into an Army recruiter who allegedly sent racial and homophobic emails to a Jersey City resident who had posted his resume on a Web site in search of a job.

Corey Andrew, an openly gay black man, is a musician and copywriter. He was initially sent an email from Sgt. Marcia Ramode's email address. After indicating he was not interested in joining the military he inquired about the Army's position on gays.

Ramode told Andrew that being gay made him unqualified, and that it was "disgusting and immoral."

The exchange of emails became more heated with Romonde finally writing that Andrew should:

"go back to Africa and do your gay voodoo limbo tango and wango dance and jump around and prance and run all over the place half naked there and practice your gay morals over there..."

"In any other corporate structure in America, an e-mail like this going around in an office building would result in termination immediately," Andrew said, admitting that some on his own emails back to Ramode were heated.

The Servicemember's Legal Defense Network has called for Ramode's dismissal from the military.

"Sergeant Ramode's comments were insulting and inflammatory to all troops now serving in our armed forces," said SLDN executive director. C. Dixon Osburn.

"Individuals from all racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds, as well as those who are lesbian, gay and bisexual, serve in our armed forces. This diversity not only reflects the diversity of our nation, but it also strengthens the military might of our armed forces. There is absolutely no place in our military for intolerance and bigotry."

In an email with SLDN, Douglas Smith, a public affairs officer for the Recruiting Command, stated, "The matter has been referred through the U.S. Army Recruiting Command's Staff Judge Advocate to the appropriate commander for review, investigation and appropriate action.

"The Command expects its Recruiters to conduct themselves in a professional manner in all dealings with potential applicants and members of the public."

Ramode has been reassigned while the investigation is carried out.

She gets it!

Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts. And we are never, ever the same.
-- Anonymous

The internet provides a wide variety of avenues for persons who are interested in establishing friendships, having casual encounters or romance. There are matching sites to serve the interests of those concerned.

A blog on the other hand is a user generated website where entries are made in journal like fashion; many providing commentary or news on a particular subject, such as religion, politics, or local news. Others focus on photography, art, cartoons and other related images.

A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of most blogs.

While posting, I became interested in reading other blogs and eventually developed a list of my favorites. This became my BLOGMASTER list, providing me easy access to those blogs which I read on an almost daily basis. I had no interest in developing friendships or a relationship; this was after all, a journal.

As I continued publishing and reading, on-line friendships developed. One BLOGMASTER in particular, a straight woman no less has been able to take friendship to a higher level.

POBBLE THOUGHTS was able to miraculously take this "I hate talking on the telephone and have a 3 minute maximum attention span" blogger and keep him talking for approximately one hour on more than one occasion. POBBLE THOUGHTS has become a sincere, honest and loving friend.

This week, two bloggers published articles which made my proud to belong to this wonderful world of blogging. The first is an article written by a new blogger (his first post). Check it out at: The Journey of My Lifetime.

The second is written by Pobble Thoughts and I am going to quote from her post.

"There has been a huge debate about the morality of sexuality ~ specifically homosexuality ~ recently. I left a comment over at dondon's place that those debates amuse and frustrate me because it is (in my opinion) similar to debating the morality of breathing. Sexuality simply is. It is neither moral nor immoral. (And before anyone says anything, I am talking about sexuality that manifests itself through consentual sexual activities between consenting adults.) It just is."

Shalom

Great news for our Jewish brothers and sisters.

The Jewish Theological seminary considered the flagship institution of Conservative
Judaism will begin accepting gay and lesbian applicants, after scholars who guide the movement lifted the ban on gay ordination. The Conservative branch holds the middle ground in American Judaism, adhering to tradition while allowing some change for modern circumstances. The larger and more liberal Reform Jewish movement, as well as the smaller Reconstructionist wing presently allow gays to become rabbis. The Conservative branch continues to bar gays and women from ordination. - AP

One step forward, two steps back

ONE STEP FORWARD.............

The Rev. R. Albert Mohler Jr., one of the country's pre-eminent evangelical leaders, acknowledged that he irked many fellow conservatives with an article this month saying scientific research "points to some level of biological causation" for homosexuality.

Proof of a biological basis would challenge the belief of many conservative Christians that homosexuality - which they view as sinful - is a matter of choice that can be overcome through prayer and counseling.

TWO STEPS BACK ..................

Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., was assailed harshly by gay-rights supporters. They were upset by his assertion that homosexuality would remain a sin even if it were biologically based, and by his support for possible medical treatment that could switch an unborn gay baby's sexual orientation to heterosexual.

"He's willing to play God," said Harry Knox, a spokesman on religious issues for the Human Rights Campaign, a national gay-rights group. "He's more than willing to let homophobia take over and be the determinant of how he responds to this issue, in spite of everything else he believes about not tinkering with the unborn."

His argument was endorsed by the Rev. Joseph Fessio, provost of Ave Maria University in Naples and editor of Ignatius Press, Pope Benedict XVI's U.S. publisher. "If there are ways of detecting diseases or disorders of children in the womb, and a way of treating them that respected the dignity of the child and mother, it would be a wonderful advancement of science," Fessio said.

The Offensive Party

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - Republican presidential contender John McCain on Friday used the term "tar baby," considered by some a racial epithet, and later said he regretted it.


The senator said he hoped it wouldn’t be viewed as a racial remark. He argued that he was trying to say that it wouldn’t make sense for him to have a role in something left to the courts.

Last summer, a top McCain rival, Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, apologized for referring to the troubled Big Dig construction project in Boston as a "tar baby" during a fundraiser in Ames, Iowa.

The term dates to the 19th century Uncle Remus stories, referring to a doll made of tar that traps Br'er Rabbit. It has become known as a way of describing a sticky mess and has been used as a derogatory term for a black person.

A Question of Morality ~ Part 2

Under pressure from gay rights groups, two rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination, Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, issued statements yesterday saying they believed homosexuality was not immoral.

Mrs. Clinton, who has particularly cultivated gay voters and donors, found herself under the most intense fire yesterday after she said on Wednesday that the morality of homosexuality was for "others to conclude." Later that day, after complaints from gay rights groups, she put out a statement indicating she thought homosexuality was not immoral, though she did not use those words.

Her remarks left some gay donors and advocates angry; several said yesterday that they believed she was afraid to say the words "moral" or "immoral" because Republicans might use them against her.

The issue arose this week after Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in published remarks that he believed homosexuality was immoral.

Officials from the Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights organization, said they had a conference call with Clinton campaign officials yesterday to argue for a clearer statement; they did not speak to Mrs. Clinton directly. Other gay advocates, including the Empire State Pride Agenda, also lodged complaints. Blogs about gay politics and culture, too, excoriated Mrs. Clinton for raising money from gay donors yet being unable to reject the idea that homosexuality was immoral.

"Given the emotionally charged politics of the situation, for the sake of clarity, I hope she expressly rejects the word 'immorality' as it applies to gay people," Ethan Geto, a gay supporter and fund-raiser for Mrs. Clinton, said in an interview.

As Mr. Geto was speaking, Mrs. Clinton put out a statement saying just that.

"I have heard from many of my friends in the gay community that my response yesterday to a question about homosexuality being immoral sounded evasive," she said. "I should have echoed my colleague Senator John Warner’s statement forcefully stating that homosexuality is not immoral because that is what I believe."

Gay advocates, including representatives of the Human Rights Campaign, also spoke to Mr. Obama’s campaign yesterday. Mr. Obama side-stepped the morality question three times on Wednesday, then put out a statement that night that rebuked General Pace but did not directly address morality. He did so in a statement yesterday, saying he did "not agree with General Pace that homosexuality is immoral."

New York Times
By PATRICK HEALY
Published: March 16, 2007

A Question of Morality

Somehow, this just does not make sense to me.....







A group of seven high-ranking military veterans today responded to recent remarks by General Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who earlier this week called lesbian, gay and bisexual service members "immoral" and re-iterated his support for the military’s "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" ban on lesbian, gay and bisexual service members.

The officers, who are all lesbian or gay, called on Congress to repeal the law, and demanded that General Pace apologize for his remarks.

COL Stewart Bornhoft, USA (Ret.); CAPT Joan E. Darrah, USN (Ret.); CAPT Robert D. Dockendorff, USNR (Ret.); Chaplain (COL) Paul W. Dodd, USA (Ret.); CAPT Sandra Geiselman, USNR (Ret.); COL E. A. Leonard, USA (Ret.); and CAPT Robert Michael Rankin, USN (Ret.) issued their statement on Friday morning.

"Our community has a long history of serving our country in the armed forces," the group said. "Today, there are more than 65,000 lesbian and gay troops on duty. Another one million gay and lesbian veterans, including the seven of us, have served in our fighting forces. General Pace’s remarks dishonor that service, as does the "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" law. General Pace must offer an immediate and unqualified apology for his remarks and Congress must take action to repeal the ban on lesbian, gay and bisexual Americans who want to serve our country."

The highly-decorated officers each served more than 20 years, and several considerably longer. They have earned scores of awards, honors and commendations during their careers. Four served in the Vietnam War. They have served as company commanders, helicopter pilots, medical officers, commanding officers, psychologists, chaplains, combat engineers, platoon leaders, infantry officers, supply corps officers and intelligence officers.

Gay Porn Star ~ Republican Poster Boy

Life just gets a little crazier every day!


Marine reservist Matt Sanchez, 36, was awarded an Academic Freedom Award at the Conservative Political Action Conference, where Ann Coulter hurled her now-infamous "faggot" insult against Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards. Sanchez was photographed posing with Coulter at the conference.

Sanchez recently appeared on conservative TV talk shows, including The O'Reilly Factor, criticizing "radical antimilitary students" he met while recruiting at Columbia University in New York, where he is a student.

Prior to his political career, Sanchez worked as a gay-porn star under the names Rod Majors and Pierre LaBranche. He starred in "such art films as Jawbreaker, Donkey Dick, and Glory Holes of Fame 3.

Matt Sanchez

"Now, porn stars are entitled to enter the military, although Sanchez obviously had to do it on the down low. Porn stars are entitled to have a right-wing ideology, even though the very people he supports would love to see gay porn stars strung up by the nuts." Blogger: Joe.my.god

Which of the following Gay Porn starring Matt Sanchez as Rod Majors/Pierre Labranche will they feature at the Republican Convention?

The Best of Dave Logan (1999)
Touched by an Anal (1997)
Jawbreaker (1995)
All About Last Night (1995)
Built Tough (1995)
Beat Off Frenzy (1994)
Bi-conflict (1994)
Conflict of Interest (1994)
Idol Country (1994)
Laid to Order (1994)
Lunch Hour 2: Sweating Grease (1994)
Man to Men (1994)
Secret Sex 2: The Sex Radicals (1994)
Montreal Men (1993)
Woody's (1993)
Call of the Wild (1992)

"I am embarrassed to admit that was I worried that my fellow conservatives would distance themselves from me when the news about my film career broke. The opposite has happened. I've been asked to give my point of view, invited to speak at various functions, and invited back on television. My peers on the right have gone out of their way to give me a vote of confidence and avoid a rush to judgment." Matt Sanchez

Politics as usual

NEW YORK At least one newspaper has canceled Ann Coulter's column after she implied that Democratic politician John Edwards is a "faggot."

The daily Lancaster (Pa.) New Era, in a note to readers, said it "halted publication of Ann Coulter's syndicated column following her crude characterization of presidential candidate John Edwards as a homosexual at a public appearance on Friday. Coulter's use of name-calling, sarcasm, and overstatement in her columns too often detracts from the arguments she seeks to make. ...

"Lancaster County residents of whatever political view -- conservative, moderate, or liberal -- deserve intelligent discussion of issues. Ann Coulter no longer provides that."

IThe editor added: "My primary objection to Coulter's antics are that they distract attention from the issues that are important -- the war in Iraq, immigration policy, spending policy, health care. Her schoolyard taunt of John Edwards is just so irrelevant to American life. I resent having to spend a moment dealing with it."

In other fallout, several advertisers -- including Verizon -- withdrew ads from Coulter's Web site on Monday. "Per our policy, the networked Web site ad purchases are supposed to be stripped of certain kinds of Web sites," said a Verizon spokesperson. "This one could be considered an extreme political Web site, should be off the list, and now it is off the list."

AT&T also pulled ads, announcing: "Many of our ad placements -- particularly on the Internet -- are secured in bulk with placements made by third-party buyers with a goal of trying to reach the broadest audiences possible. We ask our media buyers to avoid sites that might generally be seen as offensive or polarizing to the public, which appears to be the case with this political Web site. Our ads have been withdrawn."

Universal Press Syndicate distributes Coulter to about 100 newspapers. The syndicate declined to comment to E&P yesterday on Coulter's slur, saying she hadn't made it in her newspaper column.

Coulter's exact words Friday, when speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference, were: "I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, but it turns out you have to go into rehab if you use the word 'faggot,' so I -- so kind of an impasse, can't really talk about Edwards."

Out and About

"Although I'm scared and filled with uncertainty I know that I can rely on the support of my fans," he added. "Their love is bigger than all of this. I ask them from the bottom of my heart, not to judge me for being honest and to feel proud of who they are and never make the same mistake I did. Tolerance to diversity!"

Christian Chavez, a singer for the Mexican pop group RBD, has announced that he is gay after photographs of him kissing and exchanging rings with another man surfaced on the Internet.
"I don't want to keep on lying and lie to myself because of fear," Chavez said in a statement posted on the group's Web site Thursday. "I feel bad for not having shared this with all my fans before, as they are the ones that worry and it is because of them that I decided to be honest."

A series of photos that appeared on the Web site www.latingossip.com, also Thursday, showed the 23-year-old star, known for his ever-changing hair colors, signing documents, exchanging rings and kissing a man with short black hair. According to the site, the photos were taken in 2005 in Canada, which that year became the fourth country in the world to legalize gay civil unions.

The photos "show a part of me, a part that I was not prepared to speak of in fear of rejection, of criticism, but especially for my family and its consequences," said Chavez, whose statement appeared in both Spanish and English.

Out and Proud

TODAY is the day to abandon America's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military.

Staff Sgt. Eric Alva lost his leg nearly four years ago when he stepped on a land mine in the desert in Kuwait. He was the first U.S. Marine to be seriously wounded in the Iraq conflict. In Bethesda Naval Hospital, Alva was visited by President Bush and Laura Bush, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and ex-basketball player Michael Jordan.

As the first Marine to be injured in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Alva became a household name. He was a guest on "Oprah" and was awarded a Purple Heart. Unsurprisingly, his good looks and polite charm made him a poster boy for military bravery and inspiring patriotism.

The opportunistic, media-savvy establishment figures queuing up for their photo ops were unaware of one crucial fact in this story -- the 5'1" Latino from San Antonio just happens to be gay.

Alva was aware of his sexuality when he enlisted aged 19 in 1990, and admits to lying on his application when asked about his sexual orientation. However, Alva's wish to serve his country proved stronger than fears regarding sexual honesty.

Already a hero on many levels, Alva is about to use his unique place in history to create waves of a different kind. He came out at a Wednesday news conference on Capitol Hill, where he called for the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the service to be abandoned.

"I'm an American who fought for his country and for the protection and the rights and freedoms of all American citizens -- not just some of them, but all of them," Alva said.

Approaching tattoo time...

The much anticipated, somewhat dreaded tattoo will happen sometime during the month of April.

I am planning on a armband, tribal.

Which makes me question why I continue to post photos of back tattoos.

Could it possibly be because I have a "thing" for the well-defined male backside?

Hmmmmmmmmmmm

The Daisy Diet

Being told that Daisy is overweight is nothing new. Veterinarians have been telling me this for years.



Of course, I did not listen; until last week.

Daisy is beginning to have difficulty walking due to arthritis in both back legs; which she can barely lift off the ground when walking.

After a series of tests and extensive blood work, her cholesterol and triglycirides are dangerously high which means a diet consisting of perscription dog food ONLY and medication! So far, so good. She actually likes the food, as she should considering the cost. Daisy needs to lose 7 pounds (which is one-third her present weight).

There were also two lumps which needed attendion. Thankfully, they are fatty tumors and not cancerous.

A scheduled appointment in three weeks with further bloodwork will determine how things are going. In the meantime, I am breathing somewhat easier.......