Bombastic 'Mo

Endorsement for Seattle City Attorney - Pete Holmes

Vote for Pete Holmes, because Tom Carr is a crazy man with an agenda.

Tom Carr has repeatedly used his power as City Attorney to bully small bars and businesses.  With Mayor Nickels by his side, they enacted Operation Sobering Thought: a completely unsuccessful sting leading to 20 bar employees being arrested, none of them charged with a single crime.

As City Attorney, Carr has continued to prosecute people arrested for marijuana infractions, despite Seattle voters approving a measure that would make them the “lowest possible law-enforcement priority”.

Currently he’s working to close down the Columbia City bar Angie’s, one of the last hold-outs to gentrification in the area.  While Angie’s has had its share of abuses, closing down the bar is only going to make race relations uglier in the south end.

He’s also admitted to having a personal vendetta against alcohol after his father died of an alcohol-related accident at the age of 14.  While my condolences go out to the adolescent Carr, the adult City Attorney has been using his power to go after everyone who drinks, responsibly or not.

And as one more nail in Carr’s coffin, police started aggressive audits of Gay bars in an attempt to shut them down for erotic or pornographic imagery on their walls.  Gay bars have long used porn as a way to non-violently deter bigots from entering their establishments, keeping them safe.

Throw him out, and vote for Pete Holmes, a reasonable man who wants to defend the people of the city (those who elected him).

http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/remain-silent/Content?oid=2525841

Exporting Good Old Fashioned American Values

I was trolling through the international craigslist men seeking men sections today (no judging!) and noticed some pretty amazing trends.

A) Anywhere there is Internet, there are gay men looking to hook up over it.

B) This one college student is apparently travelling to London, Thailand, Hong Kong and New Zealand.  Wow I’m jealous.

C) Some people are really freaking creepy.  I’m not sure if it’s ethical to air someone’s sex ad, but this one made me laugh like a helium-filled little girl.  Posted in Mexico’s “Chico Busca Chico” section.

Move to USA and be my Boyfriend - 26 (Salt Lake City, Utah, USA)

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Fecha: 2009-02-20, 1:53AM CST

Hi. My name is Brandon. I am 26 years old and I live in Salt Lake City, Utah in the United States.
I am very attracted to Mexican guys.
I wish to find a Mexican guy that is willing to move to the United States, be my boyfriend and eventually get married in one of the states that allows two men to marry one another.

You must:

be between the ages of 18 and 26
be able to speak english
be able to help me learn spanish
be gay, attracted to men, not women
be willing to become a United States citizen
be willing to obtain work in the United States
be willing to pursue your dreams (ex: school, career)
be willing to eventually marry a man (me)
be faithful (be with me and only me, have a faithful and committed relationship)
be drug and disease free

If you are interested, shoot me an email and lets begin to talk and get to know each other.

Include your first name, age, a picture, tell me about your dreams (career and school, future dreams).

Talk to you soon!!!

Brandon

• Localización: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
• NO se puede contactar al anunciante con servicios o intereses comerciales

Prevent Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Let’s Vilify Some More People

Representative Mark Miloscia just introduced a bill that would add an 18.5% sales tax to all adult entertainment items.  The Digest of the Bill reads:

“Dedicates revenue from a tax on the sale and use of adult entertainment materials and services to crime victims’ compensation, with an emphasis towards providing services, support, or therapy to those children who are victims of sexual abuse.

Imposes an additional tax on each retail sale of adult entertainment materials and services equal to eighteen and one-half percent of the selling price.  Requires all revenue collected on sales and use of adult entertainment materials and services to be deposited in the general fund to be used solely for the general assistance unemployable program.”

I’m pro-tax in almost any regard, and I really appreciate that we’re in dire need of new streams of revenue.  But this bill is completely wrong.

I believe in the “sin tax”.  I think raising the taxes on cigarettes makes sense, as they do have a tangible cost to society.   (Full disclosure: I’ve never smoked in my life.)

I can also get behind taxes on alcohol.  Like cigarettes, they have an associated cost to society (DUI’s, disintegrating livers, urine in alleyways) that’s not bundled into the cost of production.  (Full disclosure:  I got so drunk in Portland last weekend I vomited in my pants.)

But this doesn’t pass those same standards.  First off, it’d be very difficult to associate any real, tangible, negative affects of pornography or sex toys on society.  If anything, I think it’d be easier to prove their positive effect.  (One example would be this study that links an increase in access to Internet pornography to a decrease in rape.)

Second, this tax is simply meant to impose a tax on people who generally would be unwilling to speak up for themselves.  Unfortunately we’re still living in the remnants of a very Puritanical society, and many people are rather closeted about their adult entertainment expenditures.  It’s a very dangerous precedent to set to tax people who are either afraid or unable to defend themselves.

And third, the adult entertainment industry isn’t a good revenue source.  With the rise of YouTube-style porn sites, the vast majority of porn is now available for free.  In addition, unless the state gets a LOT better at policing our Internet use, it’s going to be a hard item to itemize.  Especially since the providers (who are mostly out of state already) will simply move further away from Washington.

Seriously folks.  It’s time for a fucking income tax.

Maybe I’ll start watching football afterall

I skipped this year’s Superbowl, as I’ve never been one to take an interest in watching sports. Or eating nacho dip and drinking Bud Light.

But apparently this year I missed out.  Viewers in Tucson, Arizona were given a brief intermission from the normal ball-play shortly after “Larry Fitzgerald’s heroic comeback(ish) touchdown for the Cardinals” (reports i.gizmodo… I’m not even going to try to report on the actual football).

The video feed cut directly to the Club Jenna channel, and showed porn star Evan Stone bouncing his junk back and forth across his thighs like a game of pong.

Comcast has yet to give a concrete reason for the err, although their poor Call Center employees are likely never going to hear the end of it.

Anyone wishing to experience the blooper themselves can catch a video on http://i.gizmodo.com/5144199/comcast-tucson-airs-graphic-porn-during-super-bowl-nsfw

Saddlebacking?

To Saddleback:

“Saddlebacking: sad•dle•back•ing \?sa-d?l-?ba-ki?\ vb [fr. Saddleback Church] (2009): the phenomenon of Christian teens engaging in unprotected anal sex in order to preserve their virginities

After attending the Purity Ball, Heather and Bill saddlebacked all night because she’s saving herself for marriage. Unfortunately her parents found out because they got santorum all over the sheets.”

Higher Brow than Bloody Chickens

Warning: Probably Not Safe for Work.

‘Veggie Love’: PETA’s Banned Super Bowl Ad

Gah! Pop goes the weasel!

It’s late, and I should probably go to sleep (or at least come up with a better headline).

But this article on Salon.com may keep me up for another few hours.

A nurse practicioner  in Albuquerque, N.M has a lawsuit pending against her for allegedly pulling out the IUDs of multiple patients on purpose.  After her “oops, I did it again” shtick, the nurse lectures the women and refuses to insert a new IUD.

“Surely, the patient must have been terrified — but then the nurse offered an explanation: ‘I accidentally pulled out your IUD. I gently tugged and out it came … I cut the string than went back and gently pulled and out it came. It must have not been in properly.’

“…having the IUD come out was a good thing…I personally do not like IUDs. I feel they are a type of abortion. I don’t know how you feel about abortion, but I am against them.”

Night!

In Portland, you only have to be 18 to have a Sam Adams

Ok, I bit the headline from a commenter on Queerty, who in turn found it somewhere even Google couldn’t track.

I was made aware of this story on January 20th, but I didn’t want to take part in the muck-raking during our spectacular inaguration.  That and I may have had a few drinks at breakfast….

The Willamette Weekly has been covering the long-dead sex life of the openly gay mayor of Portland, Oregon.  Sam Adams was elected as their mayor in May of 2008, and was sworn in on January 1st.  During his campaign, allegations were raised by one of his challengers that he had sex with the aptly named Beau Breedlove, a man who was 17 when they met in 2005.  At the time, Adams denied the allegations.

Pressed with mounting evidence that Adams was romantically involved with Breedlove, Adams confessed to lying during his general election.  He admitted to having sexual relations with Breedlove after he turned 18 (the legal age of consent in Oregon).  Adams indicated he lied to avoid the wild speculation that he had sex with Breedlove before he was of age, citing stereotypes that gay men are attracted to underage children.

Since then the media has thrown a giant fit reminiscent of the Clinton-Lewinsky years.  And I’ll clarify now, I was 12 years old when that happened, and even then I knew it wasn’t a big deal.  And I still thought girls had cooties.

Journalists all over are calling for Adams to resign.   Just Out, Portland’s largest gay paper, is out for blood.  Seattle’s own alt-weekly (aka gay weekly) The Stranger has differing opinions within its ranks.  Erica C. Barnett called for a resignation based solely on the fact that he lied to reporters, while sex advice columnist Dan Savage defends Adams rights to privacy and to stay in office.

Savage is also attending a rally tomorrow outside the Portland’s City Hall (Friday, 1/23 at 5:30 PM PST).  The Facebook group Support Sam Adams currently has 1,083 members and is growing.

My take?  I almost resisted blogging about this because it shouldn’t be news.  Who cares.  This is nothing more than a sex-negative witch hunt.  While it’s comforting for members of the press to hide their outrage behind the allegations of lying, this is nothing but a facade.  All politicians lie.  Obama lied about Gay Marriage.  And, in all honesty, I lied. Obama doesn’t actually read this blog.  Yet.

What it comes down to is a populace ready to devour a politician for being human.  My disdain for age of consent laws aside, this has nothing to do with his ability to be the mayor of a city.  This doesn’t affect his years of public service.

Let it go journalists.  This isn’t a story.  And if you’re in the Portland area, show some solidarity for your mayor.  After all, what a DILF.

Sexting Update: Yuma County Sext Free!

As a follow up to my earlier story,  I’ve been watching out for any other news about these poor kids who were charged with child-pornography for taking self-portraits.  It’s really breaking my heart and I just feel for these kids.  Here’s the local news’ varying reactions to the tale:

Yuma County Sext Free

Apparently Yuma County, Arizona is quick to pat itself on the back for youth-well-raised.  In an article titled “Teen ’sexting’ not seen as trend in Yuma,” Sun writer William Roller was quick to point out…

“The provocative practice of teenagers sending nude photographs of themselves via text messages - or “sexting” - is a growing phenomenon elsewhere in the country but has not surfaced locally, according to law enforcement officials.

The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office also reports no occurrences of sexting by Yuma teens or any involved with posting inappropriate images online, according to Capt. Eben Bratcher, YCSO spokesman.”

Denver Lawmakers creating phone-inclusive child-porn laws

“Now, Colorado state lawmakers are looking at a bill that would expand Internet luring and distribution of child pornography laws to include cell phones in an effort to curtail sexting.

“It happened at Castle Rock Middle School. Six students took nude photos of themselves and forwarded them to classmates. One of the photos ended up being circulated in California.

At least one parent said the law should also apply to the kids themselves.  “It’s wrong and they know it. It’s not like they’re 5-year-old kids that took a match to something and had to learn. These kids know better,” said parent Shannon Marx.  Lawmakers said the courts will decide how to prosecute a case if a teenager were to be charged, but the law is truly intended to target predators.”

Wisconsin Teen Charged with Uploading Naked Photos of Ex to MySpace

“Alex Phillips, a ‘wise guy’ who wanted to get revenge on his 16-year-old girlfriend by posting photos of her most private parts on MySpace, now faces felony child pornography charges in Wisconsin.

“When the girl discovered the photos had been posted on the Internet with explicit captions, she contacted police, who asked Phillips to take them down or face jail time. Police said the boy refused, saying, ‘Fuck that, I am keeping them up.’” 

While I’ll admit, this one doesn’t get my sympathies, it’s still a scary precedent.

Quick to Capitalize

Nothing sells products better than fear.  Parents who are afraid their children will be forever tainted by the Sexting epidemic are able to purchase special sim cards from Houston based Spygadgets.com. The sim cards allow parents to spy on their kids every text.

“‘Our phones have been ringing off the hook,’ says Jon Marshall, CEO of SpyGadgets.com in Houston, TX. ‘Parents just want to protect their kids and they are scared. Nobody wants to see their child end up in prison or have their future ruined just because of something like this.’ Marshall sells a cell phone spy device that is used to recover data from the SIM card found in some cell phones on the market. It can let you view text messages stored to the SIM card, even deleted text messages. While it won’t recover pictures from the phone, reading the messages will give a parent an idea of what their teen is texting.”

Sucks to be young….

OMG Becky! Your body’s not your own.

In a startling example of sex-negativity, invasion of privacy, and just plain stupidity, the police department of Greensburg, Pennsylvania is charging six teenage students of Greensburg Salem High School with child pornography offenses.

The charges stem from the nude and semi-nude photos three 14 and 15-year-old girls took of themselves and sent to three of their male peers via cell phone.

Police are charging the three girls with “manufacturing, disseminating or possessing child pornography”, and the boys are being charged with possession of child pornography.

“Taking nude pictures of yourself, nothing good can come out of it,” said Police Captain George Seranko in a statement to local news affiliate, WPXI.

The photos were discovered in October, after officials at the high school took the cell phone from one of the boys.  Cell phone use is against the school’s policy.  The first photo found was a self-portrait taken by one of the girls.

Apparently Captain Seranko decided to file the charges in order to send a strong message to other students.

“It’s very dangerous,” Seranko told WXPI. “Once it’s on a cell phone, that cell phone can be put on the Internet where everyone in the world can get access to that juvenile picture. You don’t realize what you are doing until it’s already done.”

MSNBC picked up the story, and spoke with Patrick Artur, a Philadelphia defense attorney regarding the charges  “It’s clearly overkill,” Artur told MSNBC.  “… The letter of the law seems to have been violated, but this is not the type of defendant that the legislature envisioned.”

This entire debacle makes me sick.  According to a Cincinatti article on “sexting”, 20% of teens have sent or posted online nude or semi-nude pictures of themselves.  Cincinatti.com also contacted Christopher Kraus, the director of the group Postponing Sexual Involvement based out of the Cincinatti Children’s Hospital.

“Adolescent sexuality is part of normal human development,” Kraus told Cincinatti.com. “Teens are trying to figure out how to express their sexuality appropriately. They are learning, and they are learning from adults.”

Apparently they’re learning that the adults are hypocrites.  Although there are no mandatory minimum sentences under Pennsylvania’s child porn laws, the teens could still be forced to register as sex offenders for at least 10 years.  Pretty heavy-duty attack on civil liberties.

Perhaps more disturbing, in the comments section at the bottom of the WXPI article were frustrated pleas from the mother of one of the young boys now charged with possession of child pornography. [Edited for grammar/spelling throughout.]

“Please don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying what my son did is right and that he shouldn’t be punished.  He should have deleted the pic when the other boy sent it to him.  If I would have found the pics on his phone, he would have been grounded and he wouldn’t have his phone anymore ( I have a daughter).  What I’m trying to say is that my son shouldn’t be charged with sexual abuse of children. My son never touched or hurt anyone!  For the rest of his life he will have to register with Megan’s law.  He won’t ever be allowed around kids.  How will he ever go to college or get a job?  This charge will label my son as a sex offender.  If I don’t find a way to get the charge dropped, my son’s life is over.”

Pam Anderson to India: Dogs need better Sex Ed

In case you missed this one, well-known civil rights activist Pamela Anderson wrote an open letter to the municipal commissioner of Mumbai.

Ms. Anderson felt motivated to express her disdain for Mumbai’s recent High Court ruling that stray dogs should be killed in order to protect the public from a public health nuisance.

In the open letter, Anderson explained to the government officials of India “Dogs cannot use condoms, but with the municipality’s help, they can be ‘fixed’ - painlessly, quickly and permanently”.

Honestly, I’ve been a vegetarian for nine years now.  I have to leave the room when my family carves the turkey during Thanksgiving.  But even I realize this is just stupid.

“Killing is not the best way but stray dogs are a menace,” said medical professor Samir Gulivani in a BBC interview. “The way they suddenly pounce on bike riders is dangerous. Something has to be done and they have to be off roads.  [Pam Anderson] is hot but why is she writing to the municipal commissioner?”

Now is the time to save the world

It’s 8:44 PM.  In the last hour, I have had a doorbeller for www.healthcareforamericanow.org stop by, a phone call from the Seattle Radical Women, who are putting together a rally in Olympia to celebrate reproductive freedoms, and literally as soon as I hung up with Radical Women, a great young activist from ThinkOutsideTheBottle called to ask if I had any pledges yet…oops, I don’t.

To quickly summarize:  Follow those links and make all those things happen!

To add a bit more depth:

Washington CAN and HealthCareforAmericaNow are tackling one of the most important issues of our time.  I’ll go as far as to say it was the most important issue 50+ years ago, but no one seemed to have the balls to tackle it.  Insurance companies are synonymous with evil villains.  Health care is a human right in a country with this much wealth.  By nationalizing it, we’re able to offer all Americans a better shot at life, and also LOWER the costs to businesses.  On their website, they state that despite the media’s claim to the contrary, among small businesses:

• 59% of small business owners support a reform plan with a choice of public or private options
• 75% say there should be more oversight of private insurers
• 70% see a strong role for government in guaranteeing health care for all

It makes no sense that your employer should be paying for your Health Care.  Currently only large corporations can offer decent health insurance, which puts smaller businesses at a disadvantage.  Smaller businesses are fundamental to our economy.  Universalize it already.

Seattle Radical Women are…rad.  They are organizing a rally in Olympia in Defense of Abortion rights.   Typically, the “March for Life” gathers at the Capitol every year on the 22nd.  Somehow Radical Women reserved it first this year.

They are organizing a carpool from Seattle leaving at 10 am.  Those wanting to ride down for the day can call 206-722-6057.

Think Outside The Bottle is doing a lot through relatively simple steps.  Currently our politicians spend a lot of money each year on bottled water for their conferences and meetings.  This is a waste of money, and incredibly inappropriate.  As our public servants and the stewards of our public water supply, they should really be drinking the same water as the rest of us.  Plus, you don’t want to privatize water.  I think that was the main plot point behind Kevin Costner’s Water World.  And I remember a scene where they drank pee.  Help this organization!