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June 28, 2011

Pat Robertson declares the end of America...



From the Human Rights Campaign:

It's getting ugly. Just days after the New York State Senate approved marriage equality, Pat Robertson declared that America may not survive since it has now "embraced homosexuality."


That's not all. Leaders of the right-wing Tea Party Nation warned about the "queering of America," and compared gays to drug addicts. One right-wing Christian publisher even wrote that politicians who voted for marriage equality should be "subject to indictment, trial, and punishment" because the vote violates "God's law"!
Our victory in New York has the right-wing riled up because they never thought that a GOP-led state legislature would approve a marriage equality bill. But there's a fundamental shift underway that you and I have seen coming. We're at a tipping point in our culture and the right knows they're losing – so they're lashing out.

It so amazes me how these "folks" claim to have their fingers on the moral pulse of America... "God's law" was once interpreted to violate inter-racial marriages and those "fears" along with that frame of thinking no longer exist. Times change, and the moral pulse of America changes with it... Thank Goodness...

Over and "Out" from Portsmouth, VA, USA

June 25, 2011

Marriage Equality in New York State...



Congratulations New Yorkers and thanks for all your hard work!

Over and "Out" from Portsmouth, VA, USA

June 21, 2011

FOD... Men with Kittens, Woof...


No sane man should follow directions... What is "For Ladies Only" supposed to mean??? Of course it means let's check it out...

I know, I am just a tease...
Over and "Out" from Portsmouth, VA, USA

June 19, 2011

It doesn't take a wiener to be a Father...


Not to stray too far from wieners (we all know how babies are made), I would just like to wish all my friends (real life and blogging) a very Happy Father's Day...

This is a picture of me and my 2nd son in 1980/1981

Those of us that actually have children are not always the ones that are entitled to actually claim the title as "fathers", however the opposite is also true. There are many people that I know that have taken on the role as a father that never actually produced children, or raised children as a mother and father (my first wife's mom is one of those that I always call on Father's Day) many moms take on both roles these days. Happy Father's Day to all of you non-biological dads as well...

This is a picture of 2nd son with his son

I know that between all my kids, there have been (and possibly still will be) times where they want to disown me as their father. I have always tried to do my best and will continue to until my last breath...

Once again, Happy Father's Day!

Over and "Out" from Portsmouth, VA, USA

June 17, 2011

Whiner, Weiner, or Wiener... The End...




While I identify myself as a Democrat, truly believe Representative Weiner was doing some great things on Capital Hill, and really didn't care where or when he was taking pictures of his private parts, he was a distraction to "politics as usual" and my personal opinion was that he would not survive...  Too bad...

I guess I'm glad I am not in politics due to the fact that I have probably shared with way too many people pictures of myself that were "less than appropriate"...

A question for my regular and occasional readers... Have you ever shared a picture of yourself that might even embarrass Anthony Weiner>>?  Let me know...

Over and embarrassingly "Out" from Portsmouth, VA, USA

June 15, 2011

Posts with Rainbows Missing...


I know, I committed to having a pride flag or rainbow in each of my posts this month... MY Bad... The last two did not contain either, so this one will make up for both: 


This is a great reason to live in a house built in the late 20's.
Transoms over the doors, and a way to express yourself.


This is not as big as the one I had in Toano a few years ago (or Kelly's)...
But it's our's and the neighbors love it!

Over and "Out" from the Gayborhood, in Portsmouth, VA, USA

June 14, 2011

Sometimes LESS is MORE...



I can't top this today...

Over and "Out" from Portsmouth, VA, USA

June 13, 2011

Who needs a Rainbow, when we have NPH...



Took me a little while to find the above, but for those that may not have caught the opening number last night on the Tony Awards...  Check it out!

Awesome performances by all including Doogie Howser, MD...

Over and Gayly "Out" from Portsmouth, VA, USA

June 11, 2011

So much for Weiner's... Wiener...


I am guessing a week at most... Too bad, I actually like Congressman Weiner... I may have tweeted him too if he weren't married...


Today is the 2nd day of Harborfest here in Hampton Roads...  The Indigo Girls come on stage, right before the fireworks later tonight...  I think it very cool that "Out in the Park" was a lead up to Harborfest, which is a very "big deal" down here... Yesterday was the "parade of sail" which the local news covered from beginning to end. The only difference in Town Point Park, was the absence of the pride flags that lined the brick walkways just 5 days earlier...


Happy Saturday, Over and "Out" from across the river in Portsmouth, VA, USA

June 10, 2011

Oh I Wish I Had... Weiner's wiener... Not Really...


Who in the world would have thought that my post "Whiner, Wiener or Weiner" would have generated so much activity on my little blog? In the past 3 days I have had over 750 page loads and more than 570 unique visitors (I normally see only about 60 to 70 hits a day)... 

All just to sneak a peek at this picture of Weiner's covered wiener:


I hear there may be more (more revealing) pictures coming. We'll see. For now here is a favorite of mine (containing a rainbow, as I promised for each post this month):


Happy Friday ALL!
Over and "Out" from the Gayborhood, in Portsmouth, VA, USA

June 8, 2011

Rainbow Flag Controversy for Pride 2011



Every June you can always count on some controversy surrounding LGBT Pride. Usually it is some slight, failure to issue a proclamation or other symbolic rejection. This year's Pride is proving no different. In the last week our Rainbow colored flag has become the center of two heated debates: one for flying the flag and the other for refusing to fly the flag.

In Virginia the LGBT flag flying over a Federal Reserve Bank is causing a storm of protest. To listen to some commentators you would think all the money inside would turn pink and the onslaught of the next Depression is just the corner because of it. In Seattle, the Space Needle has decided not to fly the flag. Concerned that the decision might be misconstrued as anti-gay, they offered to do events and fundraisers. Nevertheless, many in the community were outraged that Seattle phallic symbol refused to raise our colors!

Quite honestly, my approach to both of these incidents is somewhat the same. While it is always a welcome sight to see the Rainbow fly and I detest when someone burns it, the issue itself is not a compelling one to me. All this energy around two flags seems misplaced. Yes, I understand the importance of symbolism and visibility. Although with ballot measures, pending marriage legislation and our epic struggle for freedom, maybe we should spend just a wee bit less energy on the issue. As for Virginia, not sure the Federal Reserve Bank should fly any flag above it except the American flag. Don't want to look up someday and see a Christian flag flying above it.

If symbolism and visibility are important and worth this energy, time and comment, here is a suggestion! Instead of fighting over one flag why we don't start a campaign where on one day a year every LGBT household flies the Rainbow flag from their homes. Talk about getting people's attention. Can you imagine the sea of Rainbow flags in Seattle or imagine the shock of conservative Virginians driving down a street and seeing it lined with Rainbow flags? Just like on the Fourth of July when Americans drag out their American flags, we should do the same every June.

One single flag over a building does not proclaim we are everywhere. Yet thousands and thousands of them in neighborhood after neighborhood do send that powerful message. And if you are afraid to fly the Rainbow flag over your own homes don't expect someone to do it for you.

This article is from DavidMixner.com

Over and "Out" with my rainbow garden flag fluttering in the breeze, from Portsmouth, VA, USA

June 7, 2011

Whiner, Wiener or Weiner?



You say "poe-taugh-toe" and I say "poe-tay-toe" (potato)

You say "toe-maugh-toe" and I say "toe-may-toe" (tomato)

I say it was definitely Weiner's wiener in those grey boxer-briefs (oh wait, he already confessed to that and no, I have never seen it). Unfortunately for him, Anthony Weiner has one of those names that bring out the worse in people's minds (mine included) especially after he suggested at first that he was "unsure" that the wiener was actually his. Come on... We all know what our wieners look like (in and out of inexpensive Fruit-of-the-Looms)...

This is the actual and infamous twit/tweet picture

An interesting and educational summary of the wiener (better known as a penis) follows:

The heart may be regarded as the seat of the soul, but the penis is the autopilot - the joystick, if you will. No other part of male physique causes men as much anguish, self-doubt and pride. We brag, joke and lie about it. And despite urban legends and some unsettling wide-screen skin flicks, we’re all created more or less equal.

How the penis works (like we don't know already), it is a truly wonderful piece of machinery, worthy of the same respect afforded the heart and brain for its versatility, rather than being the butt of nun-and-priest gags. If you've thought of it as just a flexible hose, think again. It exists to do three things:

To urinate in any direction you choose;
To fill with blood and become engorged enough to enter a vagina (or other orifice of choice);
To deliver its payload of sperm/semen where it can help make a baby (or just make you or someone else feel good).

The penis is actually shaped like a wishbone, with the Y-shaped end anchored deeply and firmly within your abdomen. The ends are attached to the pubic bone. So while it seems benign when flaccid it can be steered from the hip when erect.

Inside the penis are three chambers, running the length of the shaft. Two sit side by side on the top and are spongy so they can accommodate the blood that’s pumped into them. The third chamber runs along the underside and accommodates the urethra, which leads from the bladder to the outside world, as well as conducting sperm.

You’re unlikely to be tested on the names of the two big chambers – they’re called corpora cavernosa – but it’s worth knowing how this part of your sex submarine floods when it’s time for action stations.

During arousal, blood gushes into the spongy chambers, filling them and pinching closed the blood vessels that drain them. Your mind will send the signal to release them. This depends entirely on what you’re feeling, seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, tasting or even dreaming at the time.

When you climax, an exhilarating squirt of adrenaline races into your bloodstream. The adrenaline releases the blood vessels that drain the penis and shuts down the big arteries feeding the erection. Down periscope. Once the adrenaline has subsided and the appropriate stimulation is provided, it’s in the hunt again. This downtime varies greatly, from a few moments, to what can seem like forever.

It’s interesting too that the average man experiences five erections during a night’s sleep. This isn't related to the content of dreams, though. It seems to be your body’s way of ensuring that oxygenated blood continues to flow through this vital area of your body. This ensures the production of prostaglandin E1 (again, you won’t be tested on this), which helps keep the penile arteries clean.

What can go wrong and how to look after it, because it’s delicate and versatile, the potential hazards to your penis are many, but the safeguards are simple:

Be shy: take care where you put it. If you’re able to read this you’re literate and so you know about STDs, HIV and Aids. Monogamy isn't always a fashionable word and if it’s not in your vocabulary you’d better condomise.

Don’t push it: apart from the “something-that’s-social-and-itches” hazards so vividly portrayed in those air force training films, you can hurt your member by not giving it free rein. An erection that won’t go away is called a priapism, so if you caught your todger in something mechanical and it stays hard, it’s time to get help. The problem is that oxygen-depleted blood gets trapped in the chambers we mentioned. If it stays there long enough there can be damage, Extreme cases can lead to gangrene. Banish your bashfulness, wear a big jersey and see a doctor.

Fractured sosatie: If it’s been forced the wrong way suddenly – particularly while it’s angry – your can experience what’s called a penile fracture. It’s not a fracture, because there’s no bone to break. But if the tissue in the erectile chamber tears you’ll suddenly lose your erection and the penis becomes discolored. It’s not usually painful and it generally heals on its own, but get The Man seen to. There’s speculation that this sort of injury causes Peyronie’s disease, a condition in which the penis slants badly to the left, right or downward when erect.

Do right by it: Physical damage can include bizarre accidents like getting it caught in the cold brass zip of your Levi’s, being batted at by the cat while going for a midnight snack. The skin is also susceptible to heat and moisture, which can cause heat rash or a fungal infection. Treat it with respect, soap and water, clean underwear, and over-the-counter remedies when needed. Talcum powder before a sweaty workout can help prevent the dreaded jock itch.

Get into a pinch: Do daily kegel exercises: tense the muscles you use to stop peeing. Tense up, hold until the count of ten and release. Do that nine more times, and do three sets each day.

Stay lean: Look after it by not eating fatty foods that clog the arteries to your penis and everywhere else. Get enough exercise too. Playing with hoola-hoops apparently stimulates circulation to the pelvic area. Elvis Presley is cited as evidence of this. If you don’t mind being laughed at by pimply teenagers, try it. If not, general aerobic fitness ought to do it.

Ejaculate: having sex is regarded as a primary way of keeping the whole mechanism in shape. We hate to bear these tidings, but that’s the way it is. You might want to discuss it with your partner (or your hand of choice).

Put out: forget Hollywood’s post-coital puff. Smoking clogs all your arteries with plaque and it makes the sheets stink. Use your imagination and find alternatives.

Lighten up: stress can lead to diminished libido. Get some rest, take some exercise, get some sun and you may be surprised how things perk up.

The dumbest thing you can do: To boldly go where no unprotected penis has gone. On their days off, paramedics and emergency room staff may chuckle dryly about the man who attempted carnal knowledge with two belt sanders and a bottle of hand cream, and of the yarn they told the deceased’s (there was a tragic short-circuit) next of kin to spare them unnecessary embarrassment.

Get an enlargement: Unless you have a micro penis (Not the name of a grunge band from like, Seattle, but a medical condition where the erect penis measures a centimeter or less), you should not consider enlargement. There are vastly expensive procedures that inject fat from elsewhere in your body into the shaft.

Some surgeons are also willing to sever the tendons that anchor your penis to the underside of your pelvis. With this done, more of your penis can protrude from your body, increasing its length by an inch or so. They can also go badly wrong, leaving you with something that’s asymmetrical and spends Saturday evenings at home, with no company and no prospects.

Myths and misconceptions:  The average penis size for white males is around 6.2 inches (16cm), so if you don't quite measure up, don't worry: penis size has relatively little to do with one's capacity to provide pleasure.

The largest medically verified penis on record is 13.5 inches (34cm) long and 6.25 inches (15.8cm) around, documented in the early twentieth century by Dr Robert Dickinson. Then there are the dubious claims of immense penis size by personalities operating within the sex industry (that’s porn actors to you and me). These claims are almost invariably false. Incidentally, if you feel you have to pursue this, you measure along the top.

Race card = hung jury: going strictly by the Kinsey data, which still remains one of the most exhaustive studies on penis size to date, the average white male has a penis measuring 15.7cm long and 9.4cm around (that's 6.1 inches long by 3.7 inches around for us in the US), The average black male has a penis 16cm by 9.6cm, a difference of 0.25cm (you can Google the conversion). That’s not what you'd call statistically significant.

When it came to flaccid length, however, blacks score a little better: 10.92cm (4.3 inches) long, versus 10.16cm (4 inches) for white males. So it may be that while blokes of African heritage appear larger in the shower at the gym, under working conditions things tend to even out.

Bizarre facts and other stuff: Among land animals, African bull elephants lead the pack with their 1.8-meter (70.87 inch) penises. Whale penises, called dorks (yes, Americans do call each other by that name), are the largest in the world, the blue whale taking the honors with a member around 3 meters (118.11 inches) long. (And no...  I never took a measuring tape to either)...

Sorry this was so long... Maybe I was over-compensating?

Over and "Out" in a penis state of mind, from Portsmouth, VA, USA

June 6, 2011

HR Pride "Out in the Park" Norfolk 2011



Sunday at Out in the Park was AWESOME! Some of the following photos were taken by me, and some were taken by others.




Next time we will try to get there earlier. The very diverse crowds had already thinned a bit by 2.30 (when we arrived) and we missed the DC Cowboys perform. There were Gays, Lesbians, Straight Singles, and whole families (kids, strollers, and all) Gay and Straight, participating. Truly the first time (at least in this area) I have ever seen people from all walks of life attending. Maybe there is hope?

WE ARE ONE, was this year's theme... There was no drama, no over-exposed bodies, no crazy/queer outfits, and best of all no conflicts of any type...  Perhaps We ARE One...

Over and "Out" from Portsmouth, VA, USA

June 5, 2011

Pride Still Flying High in Richmond...

Va. Lawmaker Wants Pride Flag Removed




RICHMOND FLAG X390 (SOURCED) | ADVOCATE.COM
Virginia delegate Robert Marshall wrote a letter to the president of the Richmond Federal Reserve urging that a rainbow flag being flown for gay pride month be removed.
The Washington Post reports on the letter that Marshall wrote to Jeffrey Lacker, president of the Richmond Federal Reserve. Prism, the bank’s LGBT group, requested that the flag be flown, and a Federal Reserve spokesman said that the flag reflects the bank’s commitment to diversity, adding that some critics mistakenly think the bank is a government entity.
However, according to the Post, Marshall, among the most conservative members of Virginia General Assembly, said that homosexuality “adds significantly to illness, increases health costs, promotes venereal diseases, and worsens the population imbalance relating to the number of workers supporting the beneficiaries of America’s Social Security and Medicare programs.”
He wrote, “I do not believe that a celebration of ‘gay pride’ has anything to do with the mission of the Federal Reserve under the Federal Reserve Act passed by Congress. This is a celebration of a behavior that is still a class six felony in Virginia. How can the American people trust the judgement of the Federal Reserve as an institution when its spokesperson celebrates an attack on public morals?”
Delegate Riley E. Ingram also contacted the bank to oppose the flag.

Rainbow on the River...



This picture (rainbow and all) was taken on the Elizabeth River, with downtown behind the tug
(used without permission from the AltDaily website)

Hampton Roads (the name commonly used for our area) Pride, is sponsoring "Out in the Park" today. This year it will not be tucked away in some suburban city park, but rather in downtown Norfolk's newly renovated Town Point Park, sitting right on the Elizabeth River... In front of EVERYONE...

It starts at noon (which is good, as there is a line of showers moving through this morning) and runs until 6pm. Normally the Hampton Roads Pride event gets a little blurb or two on the local news, but this year because of it's high profile location, it's been all over the news...  

Great move for a great event...

Over and "Out" from Portsmouth, VA USA

June 3, 2011

Federal Reserve Celebrates GLBT Pride Month...



Today, Equality Virginia sent a press release commending the Federal Reserve Bank (in Richmond, VA) for raising the rainbow flag in celebration of National LGBT Pride Month.

The Family Foundation and Delegate Bob Marshall are against the flag’s display. On the Family Foundation’s blog, they write:

"Although the Federal Reserve is a private entity, it is disappointing to see it participate in this celebration. Media reports indicate that there have been complaints from employees who are offended by the flag. According to Sally Green, chief operating officer at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, “We strongly support a diverse and inclusive culture at the Richmond Fed and have learned that it is important to value and embrace differences, both seen and unseen.” Apparently that inclusivity doesn’t apply to those who do not condone homosexual behavior."

Equality Virginia’s Executive Director James Parrish supports the Federal Reserve Bank on its action.

“The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond should receive accolades for its decision to recognize and celebrate its GLBT employees, customers and vendors during Pride month,” Parrish said. ”It’s a private business and should be able to make its own personnel and corporate policy decisions without Bob Marshall’s guidance or the Family Foundation’s approval.”

Parrish also notes in the statement that the Family Foundation is out of touch with the mindset of most Virginians – stating that 80% support non-discrimination for LGBT individuals.


Yesterday Delegate Marshall made public a letter he wrote to the bank saying:  that flying the “homosexual flag” is a “serious deficiency in judgment” and, likening the flag to the Berlin Wall by implication, exhorting the Bank’s President to “take down that flag!” The letter cites the state’s sodomy law which is unconstitutional in claiming that the flag celebrates felonious behavior and wrongly asserts that the Bank is in a federal building.

Over and FELONIOUSLY  "Out", from Portsmouth, VA, USA