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Tuesday, October 31, 2006

The Pink Spotlight on Steve Walker

One Family's Values

"One Family's Values"
Click on the picture to goto his facebook fansite. Tons of homoerotic images available.
Not Porn!


BIOGRAPHY: Drawing is one of Steve Walker's earliest childhood memories. He recollects drawing pictures from about the age of three or four years old. Drawing came naturally to the Toronto artist, and his love of the art form continued into his adulthood. As a self taught artist, Walker only began painting after a trip to Europe when he was 25 years old. During the trip, he spent much of his time in Europe touring the great galleries and museums. In his words it was the first time he was exposed to great painting, and the first time he The Pink Spotlightrecognized the potential power of the art form. "I was moved by something that I was capable of doing," he said. His first paintings were done in a somewhat secretive way, as he had no intention of exhibiting or selling, and had no aspirations of becoming a professional artist.

Producing art about his life and the lives of those around him is as natural to Walker as his first childhood drawings. As a gay man, Walker is acutely aware that he is living during a period of history that is both the best of times and the worst of times. There is more freedom and acceptance for gay men and women, while at the same time AIDS has devastated the gay population.

But Walker's paintings are not about gay people or homosexuality. He describes his art as being about love, hate, pain, joy, touch, communication, beauty, loneliness, attraction, hope, despair, life and death. His art includes universal themes regardless of race, gender, socio-economic class, culture or sexual orientation. However, his work is unique because he conveys these themes through the subjects in his paintings, young gay men. "Remove the gender of the painting's subjects and what we have is human relationships in general, and one's relationship to the world itself," he said. "As a homosexual I have been moved, educated, and inspired by works that deal with a heterosexual context. Why would I assume that a heterosexual would be incapable of appreciating work that speaks to common themes in life, as seen through my eyes as a gay man. If the heterosexual population is unable to do this, then the loss is theirs, not mine."

If Walker were an abstract painter or a landscape artist, he says his sexual orientation wouldn't matter. But since his paintings are about gay life, his sexual orientation becomes more important than his cultural background, age, or nationality.

The focus of his paintings often depict sadness and loneliness to reflect the reality that much of anyone's life is sad and lonely. Walker often portrays people in relationships as separate entities because that is the way he views them. He also uses a small and consistent palette of colours because he is comfortable with them and the colours provide the desired results. "Colour is very powerful and a little can go a long way if used effectively," he said. "Some colours are very exciting to me, while others are quite offensive. Painting flesh is very exciting because of the huge variations possible within a very small colour range."

Walker's artworks are very large, always measuring 36" by 48". He creates large paintings because he believes that a large image is more appealing than a smaller one. "Whether it's a television screen, cinema screen, or an image in a magazine, the size of the image connotes a degree of importance," he said. Walker said belonging to an oppressed minority group has been a driving force in creating his art. "Any minority wants and needs to find artistic voices that reflect their own personal situations, and, in doing so, validate and record their lives and cultures for themselves, and for the larger world," he said.

Walker said he experiences many small rewards during the creative process. "After hours of painting, I stand back and look at something that wasn't there before -- a hand, face, or piece of fabric will exist where there was once a blank canvas," he said.

As an artist, Walker said it's exciting to be working at a point in history where there is an audience ready to appreciate and consume his creations. "It is very rare to find success as an artist in your lifetime," he said. "My work will be around long after me, but seeing it affect people at the time that I am creating it is very rewarding."

In recent years Steve Walker's work has been exhibited in galleries in Toronto, Montreal, New York, Philadelphia and Key West.

The gay community of North America has responded very positively to Walker's art. "I am very aware of the appreciation from a group of people who recognize the time, energy and talent devoted to a body of work that speaks specifically to them but at the same time exists in the larger world that we all live in," he said.


&#185 ho·mo·e·rot·ic ( hō ' mō-ĭ-rŏt ' ĭk ) adj. Of or concerning homosexual love and desire. Tending to arouse such desire.

Snappy Answer

A college teacher reminds her class of tomorrow's final exam. "Now class, I won't tolerate any excuses for you not being here tomorrow. I might consider a nuclear attack or a serious personal injury or illness, or a death in your immediate family but that's it. No other excuses whatsoever!" Choke the chicken

A smart-ass guy in the back of the room raises his hand and asks, "What would you say if tomorrow I said I was suffering from complete and utter sexual exhaustion?" The entire class does its best to stifle their laughter and snickering. 

When silence is restored, the teacher smiles sympathetically at the student, shakes her head, and sweetly says, "Well, I guess you'd have to write the exam with your other hand."

*Thanks, Daryn

Death by Caffeine

Mr YukFind out how much caffeine is in your favourite drinks and how many it will take to kill you.

http://www.energyfiend.com/death-by-caffeine/

Death by Penguin Mints

Same as above but with candy.

http://www.energyfiend.com/death-by-penguin-mints


*Energy Fiend

Riddle Me This!

Will Turn 10

The day before yesterday, Chris was 7 years old. Next year, she'll turn 10. How is this possible?



Riddle me this! -Answer. Click here

Click above for the answer.

Irrepressible.Info

Irrepressible.info from Amnesty International, helps bring the problem of censorship of Human Rights to the masses. I have decided to place the linked ads on 'OZ' because I support free speech. People have their rights trampled on all over the globe... following is an excerpt from their website: 

Chat rooms monitored. Blogs deleted. Websites blocked. Search engines restricted. People imprisoned for simply posting and sharing information. The Internet is a new frontier in the struggle for human rights. Governments – with the help of some of the biggest IT companies in the world – are cracking down on freedom of expression. Amnesty International, with the support of The Observer UK newspaper, is launching a campaign to show that online or offline the human voice and human rights are impossible to repress. 

Please join the fight for free speech. Put the link on your page now! Click below to find out how:

Irrepressible.info - click here

Monday, October 30, 2006

Ain't This A Kick In The Nuts!

Roofer nails testicle to roof An Austrian workman who slipped while working on a house nailed his own testicle to the roof with a nail gun. August Voegl, 59, from Jennersdorf, shot the four-inch nail into his left testicle with the compressed air nail gun. He was unable to extract it or pull himself away from the roof. Emergency medics were called in to separate the man from the roof after which he was airlifted to a nearby hospital where he is reportedly recovering well after surgery. 

*Ananova

Cliff Notes

Cliff Clavin

"Everyone is the Swiss Army owns a Swiss Army Knife. That's why no one messes with Switzerland." 

"It's a little known fact that cows were domesticated in Mesopotamia and were also used in China as guard animals for the forbidden city." 

"It's a little known fact that smartest animal is a pig. Scientists say if pigs had thumbs and a language, they could be trained to do simple manual labor. They give you 20-30 years of loyal service and then at their retirement dinner you can eat them." 

"I wonder if you know that the harp is a predecessor of the modern day guitar. Early minstrels were much larger people. In fact, they had hands the size of small dogs." 

"If memory serves, the umbilical chord is 90% postassium." "It's a little known fact that the tan became popular in what is known as the Bronze Age." 

"If you were to go back in history and take every president, you'll find that the numerical value of each letter in their name was equally divisible into the year in which they were elected. By my calculations, our next president has to be named Yellnick McWawa." 

"There's no rule against postal workers not dating women. It just works out that way." 

"They did a study between postal workers and chimpanzees. They proved chimps were 32% slower. Of course, they were better with public relations."


Musical condom hits the high notes

A musical condom designed to play louder and faster as lovers reach a climax is to go on sale in Ukraine. Grigoriy Chausovsky, from Zaporozhye, said his condoms came fitted with a special sensor that registers when the condom is put on. It transmits a signal to a miniature speaker in the base of the condom which play a melody. He told local media: "As the sex becomes more passionate, it registers the increased speed of the movements and plays the melody faster and louder."

*Ananova

The Pink Spotlight on Gays on TV

When looking at the history of gays on television, size doesn’t matter. Though the raw number of homosexual characters on prime-time series is still miniscule — particularly on broadcast TV — the depth and richness of their portrayals has grown exponentially. Call it personality tube lube. Hard to believe, but it’s been almost 30 years since Billy Crystal played the firstThe Pink Spotlight gay running character on a series: Jodie Dallas, on ABC’s then-controversial satire Soap. We’ve come a long way in three decades, babies. 

Their numbers may be small, but gays are playing large with mainstream America . We’re not talking niche networks here. We’re talking N-B-C, for one. We’re talking big, boffo hits like Will & Grace, which ended its eight-season run in May. 

The first mainstream-network smash with gay lead characters, W & G proved that Americans would embrace a straight-looking queer who never had sex and a goofy-looking queen who never stopped — as long as they made them laugh. The key? Characters with layers. Texture. Nuance. Playing to and against type. queerasfolkCreated by great writers and producers, many of whom were gay. At W & G’s height, more than 17 million viewers tuned in each week to watch the queer boys. Advertisers paid top dollar. W & G’s success made it cool to be queer on TV. 

And premium cable, with no restrictions on language and content, was off and running. There was Showtime’s queerasfolk, featuring a cast of gay studs in heat. Then it was the girls’ turn, with beautiful lesbians bumping uglies on the The L Word, also on Showtime. The moral center of HBO’s Six Feet Under was a gay undertaker. 

Even TV’s butchest show, HBO’s The Sopranos, got into the act last season with Tony’s top earner turning out to be a closet queer. In the reality genre, the boys of Bravo’s Queer Eye for the Straight Guy became media darlings. Reichen and Chip, then a couple, won season four of CBS’s Amazing Race. Gays are routinely included in Bravo’s Project Runway (duh) and Top Chef. There are even two gay cable networks — Logo and here! (CQ) Pre-Will & Grace, two major factors increased gay visibility: The integration of gay characters into popular mainstream shows, and the proliferation of gay writers and producers pushing the envelopes on their own series. ABC’s Roseanne (1988-97), a breakthrough comedy, featured a gay wedding and a bisexual character played by Sandra Bernhard. 

Innkeepers Ron & Erik tied the knot on CBS’s Northern Exposure in 1994. The same year, HIV-positive gay man Pedro Zamora became a cult hero on MTV’s The Real World. In the numbers game, however, gay characters continue to barely register a pulse on the TV landscape. 

Only 1.3 percent of all scripted-series regulars on the ‘06-‘07 schedules of the six major broadcast networks are homosexual, according to an analysis by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. Last season, it was a whopping 1.4 percent. In cable and unscripted shows, GLAAD counts 25 series regulars, one fewer than last year. L’est we forget, it was a woman who broke open the doors. 

Remember what a huge deal it was when Ellen DeGeneres and her sitcom character both came out in April 1997? “The Puppy Episode” drew a mondo 34 million viewers, but the next season, Lesbianism 101 replaced comedy and the show tanked. Now DeGeneres is a hugely-successful daytime chat show host. She never talks about her sexuality. 

Coincidence? You decide. Our representation remained low, if not invisible until the 99-00 season on broadcast networks (it began to climb on cable in 1993), since the beginning of this century it's remained relatively consistent with some minor fluctuations.

*by Gail Shister, 365Gay.com

Seniors on Sex

Two elderly ladies are sitting on the front porch, doing nothing. One lady turns and asks, "Do you still get horny?" The other replies, "Oh sure I do." The first old lady asks, "What do you do about it?" The second old lady replies, "I suck a lifesaver." After a few moments, the first old lady asks, "Who drives you to the beach?"
Hyuk!
An old lady was standing at the railing of the cruise ship holding her hat on tightly so that it would not blow off in the wind. A gentleman approached her and said: "Pardon me, madam. I do not intend to be forward, but did you know that your dress is blowing up in this high wind?" "Yes, I know," said the lady, "I need both hands to hold onto this hat." "But, madam, you must know that your privates are exposed!" said the gentleman in earnest. The woman looked down, then back up at the man and replied, "Sir, anything you see down there is 85 years old. I just bought this hat yesterday!"
Hyuk!
Ethel and Mabel, two elderly widows, were watching the folks go by from their park bench. Ethel said, "You know, Mabel, I've been reading this 'Sex and Marriage' book and all they talk about is 'mutual orgasm'. 'Mutual orgasm' here and mutual orgasm' there-that's all they talk about. Tell me, Mabel, when your husband was alive, did you two ever have mutual orgasm?". Mabel thought for a long while. Finally, she shook her head and said, "No, I think we had State Farm.
Hyuk!
Three old ladies were sitting side by side in their retirement home reminiscing. The first lady recalled shopping at the green grocers and demonstrated with her hands, the length and thickness of a cucumber she could buy for a penny. The second old lady nodded, adding that onions used to be much bigger and cheaper also, and demonstrated the size of two big onions she could buy for a penny a piece. The third old lady remarked, "I can't hear a word you're saying, but I remember the guy you're talking about."

Hyuk!


*Thanks, Daryn

Arthur Hill, aka Owen Marshal, passes away

Arthur HillLOS ANGELES (AP) - Veteran Canadian character actor Arthur Hill, whose dozens of television and movie appearances included the title role in the series "Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law," has died.

He was 84.

Hill died Sunday at a Pacific Palisades care facility after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease, his friend Walter Seltzer said Thursday.

Hill, who hadn't worked in the motion picture or television business since 1990, was a well-known face on TV, appearing on "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "The Athur HillDefenders," "Ben Casey," "The Untouchables," "The Nurses," "The FBI," "Mission Impossible," "The Fugitive" and "Marcus Welby, M.D."

He was the star of "Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law" from 1971 to 1974.

Hill also appeared in the films "Harper," "The Ugly American," "The Andromeda Strain" and "A Bridge Too Far."

Born Aug. 1, 1922, in Melfort, Sask., Hill served in the Royal Canadian Air Force and attended the University of British Columbia, where he studied law but was lured to the stage.

He moved to Great Britain in 1948, where he performed in a variety of stage productions, then he moved to New York City 10 years later and established himself on Broadway.

Hill made his Broadway debut opposite Ruth Gordon in "The Matchmaker," then went on to star in such stage hits as "Look Homeward Angel."

The actor won Tony and New York Drama Critics awards for his role as George in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" in 1962.

Hill is survived by his wife Anne-Sophie Taraba, son Douglas, stepdaughter Daryn Sherman and two sisters, Pat and Eunice of Winnipeg.


*Thanks, Bill

Sunday, October 29, 2006

What creates strife?


StressA careless word may kindle strife, A cruel word may wreck a life; A timely word may lessen stress, A loving word may heal and bless. To Silence Gossip, Refuse to Repeat it.


Riddle Me This!

What do blondes and Jack-O-Lanterns have in common?

Riddle me this! -Answer. Click here

Click above for the answer.

WOULD YOU RE-MARRY??

A husband and wife are sitting quietly in bed reading when the wife looks over at him and asks the question.... 

WIFE: "What would you do if I died? Would you get married again?" 

HUSBAND: "Definitely not!" 

WIFE: "Why not? Don't you like being married?" 

HUSBAND: "Of course I do." 

WIFE: "Then why wouldn't you remarry?" 

HUSBAND: "Okay, okay, I'd get married again." 

WIFE: "You would?" (with a hurt look) 

HUSBAND: (makes audible groan) 

WIFE: "Would you live in our house?" 

HUSBAND: "Sure, it's a great house." 

WIFE: "Wou ld you sleep with her in our bed?" 

HUSBAND: "Where else would we sleep?" 

WIFE: "Would you let her drive my car?" 

HUSBAND: "Probably, it is almost new." 

WIFE: "Would you replace my pictures with hers?" 

HUSBAND: "That would seem like the proper thing to do." 

WIFE: "Would you give her my jewelry?" 

HUSBAND: "No, I'm sure she'd want her own." 

WIFE: "Would she use my golf clubs?" 

HUSBAND: "No, she's left-handed." 

WIFE: -- (silence)...... 

HUSBAND: "Shit."

*Thanks, Andy

Penguin Pride

Gay PenguinsI know, its a small demographic, but it needs to be brought out into the open! Gay Penquins unite! http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6066606.stm Of course, not ALL penquins are gay. As this report shows, there is outrage at the idea that penquins that are outed just need female companionship to "fix" them! The very idea! Harumph. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4264913.stm It is clearly some sort of Nazi plot to breed a pure race of Humbolt Penquins. I can see that the rainbow does NOT come down in that North German Zoo! Unite! Release the penquins!

*Thanks, Bill!

Hall of Fame Coach Red Auerbach Dead at 89


Red AuerbachWASHINGTON (AP) -Red Auerbach, who coached the Boston Celtics to nine NBA championships in the 1950s and 1960s, died Saturday. He was 89. Auerbach won 938 games with the Celtics and was the winningest coach in NBA history until Lenny Wilkens overtook him in the 1994-95 season. As general manager, the straight-talking Auerbach was also the architect of Celtics teams that won seven more titles in the 1970s and 1980s. He died of a heart attack, according to an NBA official, who didn't want to be identified.


Everything you always wanted to know about Daylight Savings Time...


Apparently the hubbie likes DST
Click here.

Saturday, October 28, 2006

FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS


Starring: Ryan Phillippe, Jesse Bradford, Adam Beach (from Winnipeg), Barry Pepper, John Benjamin Hickey, John Slattery, Paul Walker, Jamie Bell


Synopsis: It is the most memorable photograph of World War II, among the greatest pictures ever taken. The winner of the Pulitzer Prize for photography and one of the most-reproduced images in the history of photography, the picture has inspired postage stamps, posters, the covers of countless magazines and newspapers, and even the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia.

“Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima,” a picture taken by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal on February 23, 1945 depicts five Marines and one Navy Corpsman raising the U.S. flag on Mount Suribachi. The image served as a counterpoint for one of the most vicious battles of the war: the fight to take Iwo Jima, a desolate island of black sand barely eight square miles that would prove a tipping point in the Pacific campaign. Lasting more than a month, the fight was a bloody, drawn-out conflict that might have turned the American public against the war entirely, had it not been for the photo, which was taken and published five days into the battle.

The photograph made heroes of the men in the picture as the three surviving flag-raisers were returned to the U.S. and made into props in the government’s Seventh War Bond Tour. Uncomfortable with their new celebrity, the flag-raisers considered the real heroes to be the men who died on Iwo Jima; still, the American public held them up as the best America had to offer, the supermen who conquered the Japanese…

…and then, just as quickly as it had arrived, the glory faded. For two of the surviving flag-raisers, life became a series of compromises and disappointments; for the third, happiness came only by shutting off his war experiences and rarely speaking of them ever again.

Based on the bestselling book by James Bradley with Ron Powers.


Review: If you like movies that spew clichés, Clint Eastwood will not make your day. Since winning his first directing Oscar, for 1992’s Unforgiven, Eastwood has been on a creative roll with the unsparing Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby (Oscar number two). At seventy-six, he’s doing risky work while his contemporaries retire or, worse, conform. Even when the plot of his new Flags of Our Fathers steers him toward Saving Private Ryan rah-rah and “Greatest Generation” sentiment, Eastwood holds the line.
Flags of Our Fathers is a film of awesome power and blistering provocation. An amazing feat, since Eastwood is tied to the nonfiction best seller that James Bradley wrote about his father, John “Doc” Bradley, the last survivor among the six soldiers who raised the flag on Iwo Jima.

The bloody 1945 battle on Japan’s volcanic island left 6,800 Americans dead, but the public was rallied by a photo, taken by Joe Rosenthal, that became an iconic emblem of World War II: five Marines and one Navy corpsman (Bradley) planting Old Glory on top of Mount Suribachi in the midst of the carnage. It was the second flag-raising that day, but the only one caught on camera. Eastwood hits you hard with that image. As the soldiers struggle to get the flag aloft, you can almost hear cheering.

Actually, you do hear cheering. The scene, a shocker, is a re-creation of the photo staged for an enthusiastic crowd at Chicago’s Soldier Field in the spring of 1945 as part of a fund-raising drive. As the camera pulls back, we see that the mountain is fake. The only reality is the men in the uniform: Doc Bradley (Ryan Phillippe), Rene Gagnon (Jesse Bradford) and Ira Hayes (Adam Beach). Since the other flag-raisers (Franklin Sousley, Harlon Block and Michael Strank) died in battle, the government exploits the surviving trio to drum up money and bolster flagging support for the war in its final months. No longer asked to be heroes in battle but to play heroes Hollywood-style, the men embark on a nationwide tour. It’s pure showbiz. Hide the truth, pump the myth.

It nearly destroys them. Gagnon, 19, adjusts better to fame than the others, mistakenly believing that being a good propagandist will win him jobs after the war. Bradford (Happy Endings) deftly uncovers the doubt lurking under Gagnon’s surface charm. As Bradley, Phillippe (building on strong supporting turns in Crash, Gosford Park and Igby Goes Down) provides the quiet emotional center the story needs. Eastwood wants the reticent Bradley to be our eyes into the film. Phillippe draws us in with a nuanced portrait of a man who bravely administers first aid to soldiers under fire but can’t find words for the horror he’s seen, including the death of his friend Iggy (Jamie Bell). Phillippe’s hauntingly implosive performance makes it clear why Bradley hardly spoke of the war to his family in later years, prompting his son to write the book.


As Hayes, Beach (Windtalkers) burns up the screen, finding the soul of his tormented character. He’s a lock for a supporting-Oscar nomination. Hayes, a Pima Indian bruised by racism in and out of battle, numbed his pain with booze. He died in 1955, at thirty-two. Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan both covered a song about him: “He died drunk one mornin'/Alone in the land he fought to save/Two inches of water in a lonely ditch/Was a grave for Ira Hayes.” Flags of Our Fathers needed to be a sprawling epic to take in all these stories. The ambitious script by William Broyles Jr. (Jarhead) and Crash Oscar winner Paul Haggis jumps back and forth in time in ways that could have been a jumble if Eastwood wasn’t so adept at cutting a path to what counts. That would be the ferocity of battle, edited by Joel Cox and shot in desaturated hues by Tom Stern to show what Eastwood sees as the brutal darkness of it. That would be the parallels to the Iraq War and the lies being perpetrated in the name of blind patriotism. That would be the honor due the soldiers who fight in the face of death on foreign shores and then face disdain at home.

Right at the start, before the first image, we hear a few bars of a 1940s song, “I’ll Walk Alone.” The voice is a whisper, but the lyrics (“If you call, I'll hear you/No matter how far”) resonate. Eastwood’s film, a fierce attack on wartime hypocrisy and profiteering, is also an indelibly moving salute to the soldiers who don’t deserve to walk alone for following their own sense of duty.

After Flags, Eastwood directed Letters From Iwo Jima, a feature that tells the story from the Japanese side. The film won’t be out till February, but one thing is for damn sure: Eastwood will do it his way. As far as I’m concerned, that’s the gold standard.

*Review by Peter Travers, RollingStone.


FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS
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CANADIAN BUSINESS WINDOW SIGN:

"WE WOULD RATHER DO BUSINESS WITH 1000 AL QAEDA TERRORISTS, THAN WITH ONE SINGLE CANADIAN" 

This sign was prominently displayed in the window of a business in Hamilton, Ontario. You are probably outraged at the thought of such an inflammatory statement. One would think that anti-hate groups from all across the country would be marching on this business and that the RCMP might have to be called to keep the angry crowds back. But, perhaps in these stressful times one might be tempted to let the proprietors simply make their statement ... We are a society which holds Freedom of Speech as perhaps our greatest liberty. And after all, it is just a sign. You may ask what Canadian business would dare post such a sign? Answer: DODSWORTH AND BROWN, Funeral Home (Who said morticians had no sense of humor?)

*Thanks, Andy

The Pink Spotlight on Gay Masons

The Pink SpotlightAh... The Order of "Free and Accepted" Masons... 

Can homosexuals be masons? Would you want to be? Lots has been said about the Freemasons, being a 'brotherhood' - how can it be then, that their acceptance of homosexuals have been met with much trepidation? Others call it a 'secret society' and initiations that are shrouded in mystery. 

People say that it is 'secret', even though the entire rituals can be found on the Internet - including the initiations of new candidates and their atitudes towards homosexuals and other marginalized groups. As Rt. Wor. Dryfoos writes: But no matter what anyone might tell you, there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in the ancient landmarks of Masonry that forbids the membership of gay men. (Underlining is my own, those concerned will know why...) 

And from email correspondence between me and a certain Past Grand Master: "Perhaps it would be prudent to keep this news to yourself; some of the members, may not accept this very well. Don't ask. Don't tell.". Some brethren asked me 'Why I was telling them this?' (that I was homosexual). I guess I should have listened to him (The PGM). 

But I don't like to have to pretend that it doesn't exist, (homophobia). It must, as I can not see another reason that only a few of my brethren have chosen to maintain contact with me when I moved away... No cards for when I was in hospital (for weeks at a time, I could have used a cheerful phone call, email or even a letter from my friends). No inquiries from brother's to find out how I am coping with life. Benevolence from The Lodge and certain members, have kept me in good standing, and that is appreciated, but why do I feel under restraint and unaccepted in and around members of my own Lodge? Is it just me? I may never know. I just wanted the brethren to know who I am, and being gay is part of that. 

And, finally: Masonry was supposed to teach you to drop your own plumbline and build true to that, and to respect the plumbline and the true building of others. Unfortunately, in my experience, not all Masons abide by this teaching. Click below to find out more on the subject.

Gay Masons? Click here.

The Blair Thumb


The Phantom Hag - A Halloween Tale

The Phantom Hag - A Halloween Story

Click above to read the story. (PDF)

From the mouth of Maxine...

Maxine
People who live in glass houses should make love in the basement.

Never read the fine print. There ain't no way you're going to like it.

If you let a smile be your umbrella, then most likely your butt will get soaking wet.

The only two things we do with greater frequency in middle age are urinate and attend funerals.

The trouble with bucket seats is that not everybody has the same size bucket.

To err is human, to forgive - highly unlikely.

Do you realize that in about 40 years, we'll have thousands of old ladies running around with tattoos?

Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than in a Hyundai.

Drinking makes some husbands see double and feel single.

Living in a nudist colony takes all the fun out of Halloween.

After a certain age, if you don't wake up aching in every joint, you are probably dead.

*Auntie 'M'

Mountie's Boots

Mountie BootsA woman went into a bar in Newfoundland and saw a Mountie with his feet propped up on a table. He had the biggest boots she'd ever seen. She asked him if was true what they say about men with big feet. The Mountie grinned and said, "Sure is, little lady. Why don't you come over to the barracks and let me prove it to you?" The woman wanted to find out for herself, so she spent the night with him. The next morning she handed him a $100 bill. Blushing, he said, "Well, thanks, ma'am. I'm real flattered nobody ever paid me for my services before." Don't be flattered... take the money and buy yourself boots that fit."

*Thanks, Daryn

Two Travelling Angels

Two angels

Two travelling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family.

The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion's guest room.

Instead the angels were given a small space in the cold basement.

As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it.

When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied, "Things aren't always what they seem."

The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife.

After sharing what little food they had the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest.

When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears.

Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field.

The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel how could you have let this happen?

The first man had everything, yet you helped him, she accused. The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let the cow die.

"Things aren't always what they seem," the older angel replied.

"When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall.

Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn't find it."
      
"Then last night as we slept in the farmers bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave him the cow instead.

Things aren't always what they seem."

Sometimes that is exactly what happens when things don't turn out the way they should. If you have faith, you just need to trust that every outcome is always to your advantage. You just might not know it until some time later..

Friday, October 27, 2006

The Pink Spotlight on Sir Elton John

Sir Elton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE* (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947) is an English pop/rock singer, composer and pianist. In a career spanning five decades, Elton John has sold over 250 million records and has over 50 Top 40 hits, making him one of the most successful musicians of all time. John was one of the dominant commercial forces in the rock world during the 1970s, with a string of seven consecutive #1 records on the U.S. album charts, 23 Top 40 singles, 16 Top 10 ones, and six #1 hits. 

His success had a profound impact on popular music, and contributed to the continued popularity of the piano in rock and roll. Key musical elements in John's success included his melodic gifts matched with the contributions of his lyricist partner Bernie Taupin, his rich tenor and gospel-chorded piano, aggressive string arrangements, and his flamboyant fashion sense and on-stage showmanship. In the early 1990s, John publicly revealed the personal costs of his rock-star The Pink Spotlightextravagance: his ongoing struggle with drug abuse, depression and bulimia. He continues to be a major public figure, and has been heavily involved in the fight against AIDS since the late 1980s. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and was knighted in 1998, and has remained an enduringly successful artist. 

Life and career Elton in a tutuReginald Kenneth Dwight was born in Pinner, Middlesex, a London suburb. His father, Stanley Dwight, was an officer in the Royal Air Force and was frequently away. When the elder Dwight was home, he was demanding, disapproving, and difficult to please, exuding a frightening countenance. Reggie's mother, the former Sheila Harris, was strict, but in contrast to her husband was Elton's true mentor, confidant, and confidence booster. Years later, she said that her son grew up "a bundle of nerves." Reggie's childhood was marred by terrible arguments between his parents. 

But something happened in 1950 that would set his life on an immutable course: At age three, he started playing the piano by ear. The home's general tunefulness encouraged Reggie's entry into music. Standley Dwight had once played trumpet with and American-styled big band called Bob Miller and the Millermen. He and Sheila were avid record buyers, exposing Reggie to the music of pianists Winifred Atwell, Nat King Cole, and George Shearing, and to signers Rosemary Clooney, Frank Sinatra, Kay Starr, Johnny Ray, Guy Mitchell, Jo Stafford, and Frankie Laine. By the time he was four, his parents recognized Reggie's talent, and would often ask him to play at parties. 

In 1956, Reggie discovered Elvis Presley. Soon his mother was buying him records by rock 'n' roll acts like Presley and Bill Haley and the Comets. By the time he started attending the Royal Academy of Music on a scholarship at age 11, Reggie's musical mind was firmly wedded to rock'n'roll. Reggie preferred playing by ear. Subprofessor Helen Piena once said that upon the boy's entrance into the Academy, she'd played him a for-page piece by Handel, which he promptly played back for her like a "gramophone record." Reggie enjoyed playing Chopin and Bach and singing in the choir during his Saturday classes at the Academy, but was not otherwise a diligent classical student. 

As he remembered decades later, "I kind of resented going to the Academy. I was one of those children who could just about get away without practicing and still pass, scrape through the grades." Sometimes, he would play truant and ride around the tube. Yet Piena saw Reggie as a "model student." A student at the Academy for five years, Reggie rounded out the little free time he had with a newspaper route and a job at a wine shop on Saturday afternoons after class. At Pinner Country Grammar School, he was more advanced musically than his peers, and had an aptitude for songwriting, dashing off good melodies for his composition assignments. 

Reggie's record collection grew rapidly. He took sustenance in the early rock'n'roll piano pioneers, annoying his father, who wanted him to concentrate on the classics, and frightening his mother with a fascination for music of the sexual, androgynous Little Richard. Reggie gained some notoriety by playing like Jerry Lee Lewis at Pinner Country Grammer functions, and even sang. In 1962, Reggie's embattled parents finally divorced, in the wake of Sheila Dwight's friendship with a painter named Fred Farebrother. Later, Stanley married again and had four children. 

Personal life John has had a complicated personal history in both his sexual orientation, as well as personal battles with drugs and spending. 

Sexual orientation and extended relationships While married to Katie, Elton John disclosed his bisexuality in 1976 in a Rolling Elton with David FurnishStone magazine interview. He married German recording engineer Renate Blauel on Valentine's Day, 1984, but they divorced four years later. John later renounced the bisexual claim and announced he was gay. He met his partner David Furnish, a former advertising executive and now film maker, in 1993. On 21 December 2005, they entered into a civil partnership. A low-key ceremony with only their parents in attendance was held at the Guildhall, Windsor, followed by a lavish party at their Berkshire mansion. The Sun newspaper marked the event with the headline "Elton Takes David Up the Aisle". John does not have any children, but does have ten godchildren as of March 2006. Besides the aforementioned Sean Ono Lennon, these include Elizabeth Hurley's son Damian Charles and David and Victoria Beckham's son Brooklyn. Within the music industry, Elton is sometimes known as "Sharon", a nickname originally given to him by good friend Rod Stewart. In return, Elton calls Rod "Phyllis". 

Drugs, alcohol and health During his career, John has battled addictions to alcohol, cocaine and rumoured financial difficulties caused by his profligate spending. In the mid-late 1990s, John formed a friendship with colleague Michael Jackson. Because of the help John gave him during his addiction to painkillers, Jackson dedicated the 1997 album Blood on the Dance Floor to him. John remained silent during the Jackson trial in 2005. In 1987 he had an operation to remove polyps from his vocal cords. He has used marijuana extensively and this may have contributed to the polyp formation. John has also gone public about his battle with the eating disorder; bulimia. The death of teenager Ryan White, as a result of AIDS in 1990, confronted Elton with the immense importance of time and life, and motivated him to tackle his problems of alcohol and drug addiction. John checked himself into a rehabilitation clinic to finally overcome his demons. In July 1999, he was fitted with a pacemaker due to an irregular heart beat. 

Charity John has long been associated with AIDS charities after the deaths of his friends Ryan White and Freddie Mercury, raising large amounts of money and using his public profile to raise awareness of the disease. For example, in 1986 he joined with Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder to record the single "That's What Friends Are For", with all profits being donated to the American Foundation for AIDS Research. The song won Elton and the others the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal (as well as Song of the Year for its writers, Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager). In April 1990, John performed "Skyline Pigeon" at the funeral of White, a teenage hemophiliac he had befriended. Sir EltonJohn founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992 as a charity to fund programmes for HIV/AIDS prevention, for the elimination of prejudice and discrimination against HIV/AIDS-affected individuals, and for providing services to people living with or at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. 

This cause continues to be one of his personal passions. In early 2006, Elton donated the smaller of two bright-red Yamaha pianos from his Las Vegas show to auction on eBay to raise public awareness and funds for the foundation Every year since 2004, he has opened a shop (this year in Manhattan, before in London and Atlanta), selling his second hand clothes. Called "Elton's Closet" the sale this year of 10,000 items was expected to raise $400,000. *He was made a CBE in 1996. In the 1998 New Year's Honours list he was made a Knight Bachelor. The latter confers no postnominal letters, hence he is Sir Elton John CBE.


Ah those Catholics!

"Bless me Father, for I have sinned. I have been with a loose woman."

The priest asks, "Is that you, little Johnny Parisi?"

"Yes, Father, it is."

"And who was the woman you were with?"

"I can't tell you, Father, I don't want to ruin her reputation."

"Well, Johnny, I'm sure to find out her name sooner or later, so you may as well tell me now. Was it Tina Minetti?"

"I cannot say."

"Was it Teresa Volpe?"

"I'll never tell."

"Was it Nina Capelli?"

"I'm sorry, but I cannot name her."

"Was it Cathy Piriano?"

"My lips are sealed."

"Was it Rosa Di Angelo, then?"

"Please, Father, I cannot tell you."

The priest sighs in frustration. "You're very tight lipped, Johnny Parisi, and I admire that. But you've sinned and have to atone. You cannot be an altar boy now for 4 months. Now you go and behave yourself."

Johnny walks back to his pew, and his friend Nino slides over and whispers, "What'd you get?"

"Four months vacation and five good leads."


*Thanks, Andy

Halloweenies


Halloweenies Halloweenies Halloweenies Halloweenies Halloweenies Halloweenies Halloweenies *Thanks, Allen

Newfoundlander

A young fellow from Newfoundland moves to Calgary and goes to a big "everything under one roof" department store looking for a job.

The manager says,"Do you have any sales experience?"

The kid says, "Yeah, I was a salesman back home in Newfoundland."

Well, the boss liked the kid so he gave him the job. "You start tomorrow.

I'll come down after we close and see how you did."

His first day on the job was rough but he got through it. After the Store was locked up, the boss came down.

"How many sales did you make today?"

The kid says, "One."

The boss says,"Just one? Our sales people average 20 or 30 sales a day.

You're going to have to improve considerably or look for another job!

How much was the sale for?"

The kid says, "$112,237.64."

The boss says, "$112,237.64! What the hell did you sell?"

Kid says, "First I sold him a small fish hook. Then I sold him a medium fish hook. Then I sold him a larger fish hook. Then I sold him a new fishing rod. Then I asked him where he was going fishing and he said out atthe lake in BC, so I told him he was gonna need a boat, so we went down to the boat department and I sold him a new bass boat. Then he said he didn't think his Honda Civic would pull it, so I took Him down to the automotive department and sold him that new Ford pick-up. I asked him how long he was going to be out at the lake and after he said 5 or 6 days I took him down to the RV department and sold him a slide-in camper for the truck."

The boss said, "A guy came in here to buy a fish hook and you sold him a boat, a truck and a camper?"

Kid says, "No, he came in here to buy a box of tampons for his wife and I said, 'Well, your weekend's shot, you might as well go fishing.'"


*Thanks, Daryn

93 Year Old Mildred

Mildred, 93, was despondent over the recent death of her husband Earl, so she decided to just kill herself and join him in death. Thinking it would be best to get it over with quickly, she took out Earl's old army pistol and made the decision to shoot herself in the heart since it was so badly broken in the first place. Not wanting to miss the vital organ and become a vegetable and a burden to someone, she called her doctor's office to learn her heart's exact location. Since you're a woman," the doctor said, "your heart is just below your left breast Why do you ask?" Mildred hung-up without answering. Later that night Mildred was admitted to the hospital with a gunshot wound to her knee.

*Thanks, Andy

Lance Bass' boyfriend target of threats

Lance Bass and boyfriend, Reichen LehmkuhlNEW YORK (Associated Press)-- Lance Bass' boyfriend, Reichen Lehmkuhl, says he and the former `N Sync star have been dealing with threats ignited by his new memoir about the trials of being gay while serving in the military. "We have to be very protective," Lehmkuhl tells the TV show "Inside Edition" in an interview that was to air Wednesday. "I am not going to hide," says the former Air Force captain and winner of season four of CBS' "Amazing Race." "There are threats that come in from people who do not want me to be so public and expose what is going on in the military." Lehmkuhl, 32, says that he and Bass, who revealed he is gay in July, forward the threats to private security personnel who send what they consider the more serious ones to the FBI. "Everything is being covered so we feel safe," he said. Lehmkuhl's book, "Here's What We'll Say: Growing Up, Coming Out, and the U.S. Air Force Academy," recounts his time keeping his sexual orientation a secret from Air Force colleagues. "There was definitely an institutionalized acceptance of people being homophobic and telling gay jokes and making homophobic remarks -- really, really mean homophobic remarks to the point of, `Kill gay people,'" Lehmkuhl, who was honorably discharged from the Air Force five years ago, told ABC News earlier this week. He became a target when people began to suspect his sexuality, he says. One night, he told ABC News, a bag was pulled over his head and he was sexually assaulted. He didn't report the incident.

*CTV.ca

Hard Gay Humour

Variety shows on Japanese television don’t shy away from over the top stereotypes. Far from it in fact. Comedy and entertainment (although I use the terms loosely) come before any sense of responsibility - or indeed sensibility. Hard Gay Humour The introduction of the character Hard Gay however arguably takes this approach to a whole new level. Hard Gay Humour The young chap it would appear struts the streets of Tokyo; performing acts of ‘social improvement’and shouting “Wooooo!” or “Hard Gay!” a lot. All interspersed with liberal doses of hip thrusting – his trademark movement. Hard Gay Humour Although some thrusts it has to be said are more extreme than others. Hard Gay Humour For any fans interested in copying their favourite comedy character, internet shopping site Rakuten is currently offering a Hard Gay costume set. The pack consisting of a hat, vest, hot pants and wristband. All for the very reasonable price of just under 6,000 yen (30 pounds).

*WordPress.com - Tokyo Times

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Be Happy!


Don't Worry! Be Happy!

Click Above.

On-Line Orgasm

Give it a try!
click here
Click here.

The Pink Spotlight on Marc Hall

Marc HallMarc Hall (b. 1985) is a Canadian teenager whose legal fight to bring a same-sex date to his high school prom made Canadian and international headlines in 2002. Court Case Marc Hall v. Durham Catholic School Board began when Oshawa, Ontario's Monsignor The Pink SpotlightJohn Pereyma Catholic Secondary School asked students attending the prom to submit the names of the guests they intended to bring. Hall, who is gay, submitted the name of his boyfriend, Jean-Paul Dumond, and was denied on the grounds that homosexuality is incompatible with Roman Catholic teaching. Supported by his family and a wide variety of community organizations, Hall thus took the school board to court in a two-day hearing that began on May 6, 2002. Hall's lawyer, David Corbett, argued that the denial of his request violated the Ontario Education Act, which requires school boards in the province not to discriminate. The school board, on the other hand, argued that court interference in its decision would amount to denying its religious freedom. Corbett argued that an organization which accepts public funding (Catholic school boards in Ontario are fully funded in the same manner as public schools) has to be accountable to the same laws (including anti-discrimination laws) as other public Marc Hall and prom partnerinstitutions. The school board's lawyer countered that Section 93 of the Canadian constitution protects the Catholic board's rights to conduct its affairs in accordance with Catholic teaching. In addition, Corbett noted that while extramarital sex is also contrary to Catholic teaching, the school board had previously allowed pregnant students to attend the prom. On May 10, Justice Robert McKinnon granted an interlocutory injunction ordering that Hall be allowed to attend the prom with Dumond. He did not decide on the larger issues raised by the case, leaving those to be heard at a later trial. Marc and on-screen alter-ego, Aaron AshmoreThe Hall case in film Director Larry Peloso created a one-hour documentary on the case entitled Prom Fight: The Marc Hall Story. An unrelated television movie, Prom Queen: The Marc Hall Story, aired on CTV in 2004. Aaron Ashmore starred as Hall.