Lucky

The company that they worked for went bankrupt. Their bonuses went bye-bye. Now the nice taxpayers have stepped in to clean up their mess, maybe save their jobs, and rather than be grateful, they want money for screwing their company into bankruptcy?

Being raised a good Catholic boy, the idea that anyone could become interested in the phallus beyond its functions escaped me. Of course, as time went on I learned to appreciate it more, but I was still surprised to learn that in some cultures people were much more open about their worship of pricks. Several years ago I toured the phallus garden at the Hilton Hotel in Bangkok, where phalluses of all shapes and sizes were on display, many clothed in colorful outfits. The hotel was forced to keep the garden when it bought the land, but they don't exactly advertise it. Today there is a review in the NY Times of a book called The Fires of Vesuvius, where an author debunks many of the myths developed after the discovery of the ruins of Pompeii. One thing these folks did do was love their penises: "For one thing, much of the art is highly eroticized, even when not bluntly pronographic....there seem to be phalluses everywhere. Enormous ones, tiny ones, doubles, singles; attached to men, gods or satyrs in every medium or in disembodied splendor; over doors, carved into the pavement, on chains and serving trays, turned into lamps winged like birds, with bells on. Even some of the phalluses have phalluses. If they were good luck charms, as is sometimes thought, it obviously didn't work." Didn't work? Hey Pompeii died, the phallus lived! Much to the satisfaction of those of us who spend bucks in our own pursuit of the phallus.

Well, I don't agree at all. They took billions in bailouts. That means we, the American taxpayers, gave up for them. And now they can't give back in return? Screw them. They screwed up badly and shouldn't be rewarded.

The economy sucks, it's hard to hire when you are broke. And, if you do, you have to worry about getting it up. I love the Vive Viagra commercial where the older guy dances with the (always) younger woman, both smiling because they know a fuck is coming. Then they get on the elevator to go to his room- the elevator, get it? Kids all over America know that gramps is about to get laid. (The escort fee isn't mentioned.) But now there is more inadequacy. Is your dick big enough? Can you compete? Lately I have been seeing commercials where beautiful ladies tell me I can make it bigger. Unsaid is that I had better if I want a go with her.) So, a scientist did an informal study on ExtenSE pills, and here are the results, at, appropriately enough, The Daily Beast, the new website from Brit wonder woman Tina Brown: http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-sto...e-for-upsizing/

Care to know about George Michaels bathroom romps? Here's a blog entry from January 2008. It's 15 months later and I can't find the book at Barnes & Noble: Except for JK Rowling, George Michael got one of the biggest publishing deals ever in the UK. Reports are that just for the UK rights he was given about $6M. The reason he was given that much is that George has promised that he will spill all and tell all about his life and that everyone will want to read what he has to say. "George has promised HarperCollins a no-holds barred biography, and it's certain to be just that," the singer's manager, Andy Stephens, said in a statement Wednesday. "People aren't stupid, they're beginning to notice that the truth is more interesting than the stories the press come up with!" The truth is mush more interesting because we all know it is fact. However, after skimming through the Boy George biography again the other day because I wanted to re-read the bits and pieces about Gavin Rossdale, I am not sure that we will get the truth from George Michael. Oh, I'm sure we will get some good stories but I don't think it will be as honest as Boy George's book. Boy talks a lot of smack about George Michael in his book and it will be interesting to see if George just glosses over things or if he will give us what we want to know. I want it to be good and think it will be one of the very best tell all type of biographies if he spills. I'm just not sure that he will given his past and how private he has always been. Time will tell.

Vanity Fair discusses a new biography of author John Cheever, where his daughter is quoted as saying that his love for men precluded anything swishy. "...he prided himself on maintaining a masculine front with no minty accents. Swish he abhorred. Although he loved men, she says, he feared and despised what he defined as the homosexual community; the limp-wristed, lisping men who are sometimes the self-appointed representatives of homosexual love in our culture. Men who run gift shops, sell antiques, strike bargains over porcelain tea sets." I wonder what he would have thought of Adam Lambert...or Ryan Seacrest...or a butch guy like me? Or do I care?

I have a free ticket booked to Europe this summer- in business class, to boot- but paying for transportation and hotels when I get there could still make for a very expensive time. But everyday it seems to get cheaper as the dollar goes up (well, not yesterday). The trouble is that I want to be in Edinburgh for the Festival- and that's when everyone else wants to be there. Paris in August isn't so bad, and London, well, is it ever cheap?

Townsend, that W hotel may look nice, but when you are at Dick's cabaret you may be wishing that money was in your pocket. I tried Priceline and got a 4* hotel for $40 a night- with free parking. No, I am not getting any points, but I may score some at Dick's when I have cash to flash.

Gay City News has more: Manhattan DA Pledges to Investigate Gay Men's Prostitution Arrests By: DUNCAN OSBORNE 03/08/2009 Activists who met with Robert Morgenthau report that the district attorney said he would investigate the 2008 prostitution arrests of at least 30 gay and bisexual men in at least six Manhattan porn shops, and may dismiss the cases against five of the men who are contesting the charges. "The first thing Morgenthau said was, 'We are going to investigate all these cases,'" said Joey Nelson, coordinator for the Queer Justice League and a member of the Coalition to Stop the Arrests. "That was the first thing out of his mouth." The March 6 meeting lasted roughly an hour, and included coalition members, elected officials or their representatives, community groups, and Leroy Frazer, the executive assistant district attorney for governmental affairs and community relations. "They were going to go back and start looking at all the individual cases," said Robert Pinter, also a coalition member and one of the men who was arrested last year. "They really seemed genuinely concerned that something wrong was happening here." The arrests, which were later cited in lawsuits seeking to close the shops brought by the city against five of the six businesses, are widely seen as false arrests in the gay community. "They weren't trying to cover things up or hide," Pinter said. "Morgenthau himself brought up that he has prosecuted police over 300 times in his career." Morgenthau's office could quickly dismiss the charges against the five men who pleaded not guilty, but Pinter and Nelson said no promises were made. "He said that those would be easier to act on, but there was no promise of automatic dismissal," Nelson said. "He said they would investigate those cases and that those would be the first that they would investigate." Morgenthau's office may already be doing that. At court dates, the district attorney's office has repeatedly adjourned the cases saying they are not ready, leading defense attorneys to speculate that the prosecution is letting the time limit it has to bring the cases to trial run out so the cases will have to be dismissed. Activists asked that Morgenthau reopen the other cases in which some of the men are known to have pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and received minor sentences. Those dispositions should be vacated, the charges dismissed, and the cases sealed, activists said. Morgenthau cannot do that on his own, though he might not oppose such motions. Those men convicted would have to ask that their pleas be vacated. "Those cases would have to be brought forward by the individuals," Nelson said. "At this point, we should be doing an all-points bulletin that people who have been arrested should be contacting the district attorney's office to ask if their cases can be vacated." The meeting was convened by State Senator Thomas K. Duane who, activists said, was an effective advocate. "I thought Tom Duane was very, very strong in putting out the lay of the land," Nelson said. "He called it homophobic... He said it was a set-up." Duane, who is openly gay, represents Chelsea where some of the arrests happened. State Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, an out lesbian who represents the West Village, was also praised by activists. "[Duane] was really forceful and Deborah Glick chimed in a really forceful way," Pinter said. "They were just very outspoken." Other attendees included Assemblyman Dick Gottfried, who represents Chelsea, Brendan Fay, a coalition member, and staff from the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project (AVP). Activists had a February 11 meeting, organized by City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, an out lesbian who represents Chelsea, with senior police officials who said they had paused in their efforts. "The message, at least in the DA's office, was heard really loud and clear," Pinter said. ©GayCityNews 2009

No, I didn't know who this kid "is." The poor quality of the pix makes it look like just any old pic of a naked guy is enough to satisfy some people...but it didn't satisfy me.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg doesn't like protesters outside his house, so those New York gays worried about police stings at bookstores can relax just a little. Here's the story from today's NY POST: By LARRY CELONA Last updated: 2:07 am March 9, 2009 Posted: 1:57 am March 9, 2009 Following accusations that vice cops were making dubious arrests of gay men at pornography shops, the NYPD has decided that similar investigations will now have to be approved by the department's higher-ups, sources told The Post. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly called the head of the department's Organized Crime Control Bureau, which oversees the vice squad, and others to Police Headquarters after protests outside Mayor Bloomberg's home over the arrests. Protesters said undercover vice-squad cops were flirting with customers in Manhattan shops and offering to have sex for money - which the activists said amounted to entrapment. The department had said it was not targeting gay men but was rather conducting a nuisance-abatement operation in response to neighbor complaints. As a result of the talks, it was decided that all such operations would have to be cleared by OCCB head Chief Anthony Izzo, the sources said.

Nice to meet you. Some of us are planning to come to Phoenix for the Pride activities, so i guess now we have a reason to stop by Dick's and meet a local stud!

If your losing socks means that we get more pix like these, then I hope your whole sock collection disappears...and soon!

I am for the death penalty when it is given to the person who is really guilty of a heinous crime and when it is administered within a reasonable time following the conviction. They seem to be having trouble finding a means to enact the penalty that is not painful to the recipient. I think studies show that the firing squad is the most effective and least painful way, so for all of those cruel people who like to kill children, torture, or commit mass murders, I favor the firing squad. Otherwise, it's on a case by case basis.

I wish we did. You only post to antagonize.

I hope farting is allowed...

One has to wonder a lot of things. After having alienated most people at another website, there was a period of welcome silence, and now you bring your arguments over here. They are never pleasant approaches to the topics which seem to concern you, and ultimately it turns out that no one wants to engage you, so you go away for awhile. I like that last part. What I think, and it is only a think, since I don't know you, is that you love to post pictures of yourself, and are afraid that no one would look at them if you didn't accompany them with all this angry hoopla.

I woulda given him a t-shirt and a full report if he hadn't created a new screenname for that one occasion.

My first night in Rio I was having a wonderful meal at a restaurant on the beach street. Up the block there was some commotion, so I checked it out. One dead body, under wraps, but a big stick still protruding through him. And here it had been so festive just a block away. In fairness, I went four more times and saw no crime at all.

Now, Townsend, that I would like to see. You in your leather chaps, whip in one hand, whipped cream in the other. Those New York boys would be on their knees for you. Has any one heard if Jon Thomas is going? I'll be looking for his report on the festivities!

Conservatives like their porn, according to a report by ABC News. Per capita, Utah is the biggest porn purchaser. Across the board, these purchases tend to go down on Sundays. See the full report; http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Business/...7202&page=1

I sure wish I could go help these guys out! I did go a year ago, and the violin guy was doing his show. I wonder if he gets tired of doing it every night. In my mind, the bars were not as user friendly as I remembered them from years ago. Much more commercial now.

BigK. in your post about the Duchess, it seems as if you are saying that Kate WInslet is in that as well. Pardon me if I read it wrong. I was happy to see Winslet win best actor in a female role because a) I thought she deserved it and I thought Meryl Streep in Doubt did not. Sean Penn was great in his acceptance speech, and it was nice to see all of the Jamils and Salims on stage. Funny that Penn talked about gay rights and other gay mentions were made about Milk but my mother (watching with me) seemed not to notice and did not ask me about the film or about Harvey Milk. She prefers to keep things like that from her brain. She asks about everything else though.

One fun thing about movie-going is that my friends can walk away from a movie with a completely different reaction than I can. I disagree with Adam about RR. As for Slate, well, I often disagree with them. For my money, Kate and Leo were great in RR. And I was smoking nothing!

I guess that the Post should be happy that Obama supporters can handle an offensive cartoon better than certain Muslin groups can.