The Daily Sheet March, 2010

[Stilllearning]

Saturday, March 6th, 2010

Mexico City Opens to Gay Unions, Setting Up Culture War

Mexico's capital city handed out its first licenses for same-sex marriage, allowing gay couples not only to marry legally, but also to adopt children and receive government benefits—changes that pit the city's progressive government against a more conservative country that surrounds it. Lol Kin Castañeda and her bride, Judith Vázquez, were among a dozen or so couples getting marriage licenses. Ms. Castañeda, 45, and Ms. Vázquez, 33, kissed in front of news cameras Thursday morning and told reporters they had been an unmarried couple for nearly seven years. Moments later, they entered the registry building, presented copies of identification cards and phone bills, and were given one of the first marriage licenses. "This is a social transformation," said Ms. Vázquez. The changes were hailed by gay-rights advocates as a major event in Latin America. But they also set a new culture war afoot in Mexico, one of the region's most conservative countries. The new marriage and adoption laws have drawn fire from many of Mexico's top names, from conservative President Felipe Calderón, who supports a constitutional challenge to the law, to the Mexican Catholic Cardinal Norberto Rivera, who recently called the law a "violation against children" that "respects neither culture nor nationality." Read more. Source: online.wsj.com

Out West at the Autry

The Autry Museum has uploaded a short video to YouTube that touches upon the panel discussion in Los Angeles on December 13th of last year. You'll see some familiar faces as the video progresses, and hear comments made by members of the Ultimate Brokeback Forum, G.L.A.A.D, and the International Gay Rodeo Association. Here's an excerpt from the video description: "What Ever Happened to Ennis del Mar?" is the first program in the Out West series. When Gene Autry issued his ten-point "Cowboy Code" in the 1940s, he could not have anticipated the story of Ennis del Mar and Jack Twist, but the messages of tolerance, fairness, and integrity the Code promotes speak to the acceptance for which the Brokeback Mountain characters longed. Their story is the departure point for this first discussion. The panel was moderated by Virginia Scharff, author and professor of history/director of the Center for the Southwest at the University of New Mexico. The program focuses on the representation of homosexuality in the West before, during, and after the era depicted in the movie, and explores the Academy Award winning films significance in renewing the Western film for contemporary audiences. For more information on the Out West program at the Autry, please see their press page. Watch the video. Source: youtube.com

Liberalism, Atheism, Male Sexual Exclusivity Linked to IQ

The IQ differences are statistically significant, but experts say the data shouldn't be used to stereotype or make assumptions. Political, religious and sexual behaviors may be reflections of intelligence, a new study finds. Evolutionary psychologist Satoshi Kanazawa at the the London School of Economics and Political Science correlated data on these behaviors with IQ from a large national U.S. sample and found that, on average, people who identified as liberal and atheist had higher IQs. This applied also to sexual exclusivity in men, but not in women. The findings will be published in the March 2010 issue of Social Psychology Quarterly. The IQ differences, while statistically significant, are not stunning -- on the order of 6 to 11 points -- and the data should not be used to stereotype or make assumptions about people, experts say. But they show how certain patterns of identifying with particular ideologies develop, and how some people's behaviors come to be. The reasoning is that sexual exclusivity in men, liberalism and atheism all go against what would be expected given humans' evolutionary past. In other words, none of these traits would have benefited our early human ancestors, but higher intelligence may be associated with them. Read  more. Source: cnn.com

D.C. Catholic Charities Refuses Spousal Benefits to Workers Gay and Straight

Rather than provide family benefits to gay and lesbian employees, the social services branch of the Washington, D.C. Roman Catholic diocese has determined that it will simply not extend such benefits at all to new hires or to existing employees who were not previously enrolled. Church doctrine says that gays are "disordered," and church authorities view sexual expressions of love and affection between individuals of the same gender as being "intrinsically evil." For that reason, Catholic Charities--which contracts with the District to provide services to the tune of $22 million per year in taxpayer money--has stepped back from its role in caring for foster children, rather than place needy children with two mothers or two fathers. Instead, the church has given over the 43 children with whom it was working, and the seven people who had been on the staff of its charitable organization, to a secular organization, the National Center for Children and Families.

Church authorities view sexual expressions of love and affection between individuals of the same gender as being "intrinsically evil." The group now says that it will no longer accept new enrollees of any sexual orientation in its family benefits package, rather than be compelled to offer coverage to gay or lesbian spouses in the wake of a new marriage equality ordinance slated to take effect on March 3, reported a Washington Post article from March 2. Marriage supporter Tommy Wells, a D.C., councilmember who voted in favor of bringing marriage equality to the nation’s capital, said that the charity has every right to determined who it will allow into its coverage package. "Catholic Charities is a private, nonprofit corporation," noted Wells. "They can choose to provide benefits to families and spouses or not. I hope that it’s not just a runaround to keep from doing things they should do, but it’s within their purview to decide what to offer their employees." Read more. Source: edgeboston.com

Daniel Radcliffe Tries to Quash Gay Rumours

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe has moved to quash rumours about his sexuality by declaring: "I'm not gay." The Sun reported the 20-year-old British actor, who famously appeared nude in the West End stage play Equus, has been plagued by speculation about his sexual preferences. "If people want to say that, they can," he said in an interview with music channel MTV in the US. "I'm not. I'm straight. "Some people think I am gay, which I think is awesome." Radcliffe is reported to have recently made a "major donation" to an American charity which fights intolerance of gay men, lesbians and bisexuals. Read more. Source: heraldsun.com.au

Prince of Persia Action Figures are Pretty Gyllensmaall The scoop is that the McFarlane designed Prince of Persia action figures look pretty cool. The detail is there, right down to Jake's long, flowing hair. They're a step up from the PoP Legos, that's for sure. The folks at joystiq seem to like them too, but their website is reporting a bit of bad news: "These figures are only four-to-six inches tall. Even if you're a person of limited stature, it would be impossible to play "Jake Gyllenhaal Fantasy Dream Date" with a four-inch-tall representation of the guy." That's not exactly true. I'm sure some fans will all agree that four to six inches is the perfect size for a bit of PoP memorabilia that you can pose as you like and stick anywhere. See more examples of the action figures. Source: joystiq.com

Spotlight on Slash

by donna

Featured writer: delvalmom Most writers carefully choose their words when telling a story, but writers of drabbles must be particularly cautious to not be wasteful. A drabble tells a story in exactly 100 words. Drabbles can be fun to write and good practice for writers who want to pare down the essence of an emotion or poetically describe a simple act. Every word in a drabble serves an important purpose. Drabbles can be written in any category of Brokeback Mountain fanfiction. Many drabbles focus on canon, where writers seek to uncover the emotion through this exercise in spare prose. Similar to poetry, even the briefest offering can evoke a stirring response or incur detailed analysis. Forum member delvalmom, aka Fran, writes drabbles in the Brokeback Mountain fandom and in the Queer as Folk community.  She believes that drabbles tend to be ignored by many readers. “I used wonder what anyone could possibly say in 100 words. I need plot and a long fic that tells a story. That is the exact way I viewed drabbles until someone in another fandom challenged me to try to write one.” “It was the hardest thing I ever had to write,” says Fran, when contemplating her first attempt at writing a drabble. “I really had to think about each word I chose, because I only had 100 to use to make my point.” She has gotten considerably better it, and now writes in two distinct fandoms. How does she keep her guys, eh… straight? “Writing in two fandoms is a real joy to me. Although neither is technically a traditional slash genre since the main pairings in both are already gay and together, they are two vastly different universes.” Fran enters many drabble challenges in the Queer as Folk fandom. “With five seasons of material to draw from, it is easy to be prolific there. I’ve written close to 100 drabbles in that fandom alone, and I usually write two or more drabbles a week there in a prompted drabble community.” Drabble prompts can vary, but they usually provide a topic or a few words that must be the basis for the writing. They can be fun and challenging to write.  So, what does a drabble look like? Here’s a sample of one of Fran’s canon drabbles written in the Brokeback Mountain fandom:

Revelation Jack draped himself over Ennis’s back, entwining their fingers together as he pressed him firmly to the ground. Ennis moaned quietly as Jack continued the slow and shallow thrusts that were so foreign from their usual frantic couplings.   Something was different this time, and with each stroke Ennis felt another layer of his lonely life revealed and then claimed by Jack’s touch.   He lifted his head and turned his face as Jack leaned in and kissed his mouth gently, breaths mingling as they panted together.   “You’re mine Ennis.” Jack whispered against his lips and Ennis welcomed that truth at last.

No words are wasted. Fran started writing in the Brokeback Mountain fandom, motivated by a “Lovefest Challenge” that encouraged new writers to share their stories. The seasoned writers who hosted the challenge were so positive that she “finally worked up enough nerve and submitted an entry.” She has been writing ever since. In her real life, Fran runs a small telecommunications and security company with her husband. Her degree in Communications and strong writing background, mostly in business writing, advertising copy, and public relations, serves her well. In addition to the business part of her life, she is also a busy Mom with two active boys, ages 10 and 16. She also plays the French Horn and even scores some paying gigs from time to time. Fran is an active proponent of Archive of Our Own, a multi-fandom collection of fanfiction that is posted and catalogued for posterity. “The thought of favorite fanfiction disappearing forever drives me crazy, and I see this as a refuge where things can be safely stored indefinitely.” Fran has been a member of the Dave Cullen Forum for the past three years. “I’d like to encourage forum members to give slash a try,” she says. “Read a drabble or a one-shot and see what it’s all about. It only makes the fandom stronger when we visit other threads.” Check out delvalmom’s writing on Live Journal.  Revelation can be found here. Please remember that all contributors write out of love for Ennis and Jack.  The only payment they receive is your appreciative comment. Flicker photo by Arethusa33

Just Jake

Brokeback Mountain Memorabilia?

Here's a horse with a delightful coat and a one-of-a-kind name,
but she's not in Wyoming (or Canada), she's in Gloucestershire!



Gorgeous 3yr old Piebald Filly
"Brokeback Mountain Music"
£2300 ono

Read more. Source: colouredcontact.co.uk

Congrats Dave!!!

killersmom writes: Just wanted to let everyone know that Dave won the Barnes and Noble Discover Award for nonfiction. "The Discover Great New Writers Award looks for exceptional up-and-coming authors. Nominees are hand-picked by Barnes & Noble, so you can be assured that every Discover winner is a book of exceptional quality and worth reading." http://www.barnesandnoble.com/email/hosted.asp?r=1&PID=33170&cm_mmc=Non-Member-_-This_Week-_-100303_NH01_ThisWeek-_-non-personalized_links Read more in the Columbine thread and check out Dave's blog at salon.com

Florida BBM Gathering Underway

Spring is near, and while you may be covered in a blanket of snow at the moment, it's never too late to start thinking about your next BBM Gathering. The trip to The Autry Center and Los Angeles in December was a rousing success, but now it's time to switch coasts and look East. CellerDwellar115 has created a new thread over in Gatherings and Events called Aussies Invade America - Florida Fling 2010! Here's a bit of what Chuck has to say about the upcoming event: "Two members of BetterMost from Australia will be coming to America, and staying in Florida.  We've decided that we're going to have a gathering in Ft. Lauderdale on April 16th, 17th, and 18th...reason being, that weekend is the "Sunshine Stampede", Florida's Gay Rodeo. "Everyone will be responsible for booking their own rooms, there is not a "group rate" set up.  If you are able to find different lodging that fits your budget, feel free to book other hotels." The attendee list is growing, and there's talk among members about getting together to make the event a road trip. Take a moment to check the thread for more information. Feel free to ask questions or offer any tips about The Sunshine State!

Fun Question of the Week This week’s Question: What addition was made to the field of psychology after a robbery at the bank – Kreditbanken - at Norrmalmstorg Square in Sweden in 1973? Let us know your answer in the response thread. Last week's question and answer: What was unique about the Top Five spots on the April 4th, 1964 Billboard singles chart - something that has never yet happened again? Lyle (Mooska) and Ennis Del Mark you are correct!! During the week of 4 April 1964, The Beatles held twelve positions on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, including the top five positions. The top 5 songs were Can't Buy Me Love, Twist and Shout, She Loves You, I Want to Hold Your Hand, and Please Please Me.

Post Of The Day

By paul christman in How Brokeback Affected Me.

Sometimes we get a post on DC that illustrates just how real the characters of Ennis and Jack can be. Paul happened here one day to say a bit about his personal life -- and let us know that he too was affected by Brokeback Mountain -- almost four years after the film debuted and well over a decade since the New Yorker published Annie's piece. "This is my first post. "BROKEBACK cut me to the quick. It made me think of all the beautiful and wonderful men whom I've had the privelege of knowing and loving all of my life. I came out in 1980 (I was nineteen) and, of course, it wasn't easy. I consider that I was part of the first post-Stonewall generation. Although some progress had been made in the eleven years that had passed since the riots, there was still a long way to go. Gay venues were still relegated to dangerous parts of town, and since these were the very last days of wild, free-wheeling sex, well..., you know. Anyway, I managed to meet and begin a clandestine relationship with "James" which lasted for more than fifteen years. "James" was married to a woman and had children, just like Ennis.  We rendez-voused whenever we could, and it was never enough. Although I was desperately in love with "James" I resigned myself to the idea that he would never be mine. "I haven't heard from or seen "James" for ten years now, but he will always have a place in my heart that no other man will ever be able to claim. I've got "Brokeback" on DVD and I am sure that I've watched it well more than a hundred times now."

The Forum Image

A study in contrasts -- Rei-gyoku's beautiful plum blossoms in Japan, where it's already early spring,  CellerDwellar115 on the U.S. East coast, where the white stuff is still falling, followed up by killersmoms's own plum blossoms on the Western Hemisphere. See more great photos over at Life Through The Lens 4.

"We couldn't wait for spring and Tuesday we drove down 350m in altitude to Kofu city."




"Hiya from snowy white New Jersey!"




"I took a few pics in my back yard to show that Spring IS coming."

Quote of the Day

“Springtime is the land awakening.
The March winds are the morning yawn.”

~ Lewis Grizzard ~

Photocaption of the Day

By Marz in Photo Captioning Fun 5

Jake: (singing) Stop in the name of love!

Contributors: paul christman, Rei-gyoku, CellarDweller115, killersmom, Marz

Calendar of Events

If you have ideas about initiating a gathering, go to Start Your Own Threads
and get the ball rolling to plan a get-together near you.

Let us know of any events you’d like listed here.

The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at www.davecullen.com/forum.

Today's edition by gnash

Researchers: BayCityJohn, Killersmom, Kittyhawk, Marge_Innavera, Stilllearning

Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch

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[Stilllearning]

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana in Conversation with Tom Miller

Whether you relish romance, are mad for mystery or fancy fiction, the Tucson Festival of Books has something for you! The 2010 [March 13-14] event is the sequel to last year's literary best seller featuring internationally known authors, life-changing books and hundreds of literary-themed activities. And it's all free — even the parking. Meet the people behind the pages from John August, successful screenplay author, to Anthony Zinni, retired Marine general who's written two top-selling non-fiction books. Sunday, March 14th: (Note: DISCUSSION CANCELLED. please see link.) Academy Award winning screen writers and best-selling authors Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana discuss the ups and downs in their storied writing careers. When: Sunday 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM    Where: Student Union - Ballroom South Genre: Southwest/Western    Moderators: Tom Miller McMurtry is known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning 1985 novel "Lonesome Dove," and for co-writing the adapted screenplay for "Brokeback Mountain." His latest novel is "Rhino Ranch," the fifth and final novel about Duane Moore, whose story began in 1966's “The Last Picture Show.” Ossana is an Academy Award-winning writer who has collaborated on screenplays, teleplays and novels with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Larry McMurtry. Their screenplay for "Brokeback Mountain" won the Academy Award for Best Writing Adapted Screenplay. She also has published short stories and essays. Read more. Source: tucsonfestivalofbooks.org

"In Memoriam": Oscar Mourns the Dead

Or maybe "In Memoriam" is just an elegant way to give whoever's hosting the Oscars a bathroom break before throwing to a Doritos commercial. Whatever the reason for its inclusion in the Academy Awards, it's a welcome reassurance that, warts and all, they remain a wonderful celebration of the movies. As the segment's last image fades to black, we may find our critical synapses reigniting: "Why did they devote 30 seconds to George Harrison but only three to Akira Kurosawa? Did they really leave out Brad Renfro and Robert Goulet?" But even then, caught in the most dyspeptic throes of Oscar angst, we are as inextricably tied to this annual ritual as Jack Twist and Ennis del Mar were to their yearly trips to Brokeback Mountain. "You are too much for me, Oscar," we yell at the TV every year. "I wish I knew how to quit you." "In Memoriam" reminds us why we never do.   Read more. Source: salon.com

CA Sen. Roy Ashburn: "I'm Gay" – And Stand By My Anti-Gay Votes

Roy Ashburn, the California state senator pulled over last week on DUI charges after leaving a gay bar, sets the record gay: he's family. During an interview this morning with Bakersfield's KERN radio, Ashburn acknowledged he is gay, saying the public deserved to know what happened that fateful Tuesday night when the California Highway Patrol pulled him over. "I have been arrested for driving and drinking and I hope that I do pay the consequence for that in the same manner that anyone would," he says. "It's wrong, it's very dangerous behavior." But one thing he's not flinching on: his voting record. While voting to affirm Prop 8 and refuse to recognize gay marriages from outside the state, Ashburn says he was only voting the will of his constituents. Which is the most reasonable excuse he has — but it's still not a rationalization. Because voting for discrimination (or against its removal) is never okay, no matter what you think voters believe. Read more. Source: queerty.com

Student Actors Portray Heath Ledger’s Death

[Harry] Watermeier, the playwright of “The Last Days of Heath Ledger,” saw his work come to fruition Friday and Saturday at the John Waldron Arts Center. The play, based on a short story by writer Lisa Taddeo, imagines the four days preceding the late actor’s death and the people he might have interacted with. Watermeier, a self-professed fan of Ledger, felt inspired to write the piece after reading the story and gained approval from Taddeo. Yet the play, as Taddeo’s piece, was initially protested and criticized by Ledger’s fans. “People seemed to be really upset, and people claiming to be Heath Ledger’s friends and saying ‘How dare I do this,’” Watermeier said. “But I think — and this is why I bring up the protests, and the people not really liking the idea of doing a fictional account of his last days — that the play is very up front.” Smith said the show’s intention is not to be taken as purely factual. Rather, her goal was to create Ledger as a character, rather than the tabloid legend he became. “I don’t think it’s particularly offensive, but at the same time, we’re not romanticizing or glorifying the character of Heath Ledger,” Smith said. “He’s kind of this earthy, kind of grungy guy, and that’s how we’re depicting him in our fiction,” Smith said. “We’re not trying to skew it in any way that would seem completely shocking.” Read  more. Source: idsnews.com

Petraeus Tells CNN He’s Worked With Gay, Lesbian CIA Officers

General David Petraeus, the head of the U.S. Central Command, told CNN that he has worked with Central Intelligence Agency officers “who were known to be gay and one who’s known to be lesbian.” “After the 10 seconds of awareness wore off, the focus was on the professional attributes,” he said on the CNN program “Fareed Zakaria GPS” in a segment posted on the program’s Web site. The U.S. military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell policy” is something that “can be worked through, frankly,” Petraeus said on the CNN program, which is scheduled for broadcast today. Petraeus said he’ll disclose his views on the policy to lawmakers. Congress is reviewing the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that lets gays serve in the military as long as they don’t reveal their sexual orientation. President Barack Obama pledged to lift the ban on gays in the military in his Jan. 27 State of the Union address. Read more. Source: businessweek.com

Senators: Lift Ban On Gay Blood Donors

A group of Democratic senators is asking the FDA to lift the ban on gay men donating blood. Led by Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), the lawmakers wrote a letter to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg on Thursday calling the ban discriminatory and unwarranted. The rule was put in place in 1983 to prevent HIV-tained blood from entering the nation's blood supply. The senators argued Thursday that modern HIV tests have made a blanket ban on gay donors unnecessary. "We live in a very different country than we did in 1983," they wrote. "Today, the high-risk behaviors associated with HIV contraction are more fully understood and dramatic technological improvements have been made in HIV detection." Moreover, the senators argue that the rule is plainly discriminatory, since heterosexual donors who have engaged in risky sexual behavior aren't as strictly screened. Read  more. Source: thehill.com In related news:  Sweden to end ban on gay blood donors: Sweden will lift its ban on gay blood donors as of March 1, 2010, but will restrict donations to gay men who have not had sex with a man for a year, national health authorities said Tuesday. Sexual orientation will no longer determine whether a person can give blood. Instead, people who have engaged in "sexually risky behaviour" can be barred as donors for one year. "That group includes men who have sex with men," the agency said. Read  more. Source: google.com/hostednews

Urban Dictionary Definitions on T-Shirts, Trucker Caps, and More

urbandictionary.com offers a variety of editable products with Brokeback attitude: 1.  brokebackitis  A condition of emotional paralysis experienced in the days following one's viewing of "Brokeback Mountain." Biff: "Ever since Jim saw 'Brokeback Mountain', he's been crying in his room and hanging his ex-boyfriend's shirt behind his closet door." Doyle: "He must be suffering from brokebackitis." 1.  Brokeback Moment  Having a moment in life (as a man) that is decidely gay. Interestingly enough, what makes it that type of moment is the fact that the gayness of it is in no way a problem. Derek: "Wow that sunset is really pretty." Steve: "What?" Derek: "You know, its just ....pretty" Steve: "Dude, yer having a Brokeback Moment" Read more. Source: urbandictionary.com

Destination Brokeback Mountain – A guide to spring skiing for GLBTs

Although he’s skied down some of the world’s largest mountains—in faraway places like Switzerland, Italy and Argentina, just to name a few—Illinois native Chris French grew up skiing down some of its smallest. “I’m from one of those teeny tiny farm towns about two hours outside Chicago,” says French, 35, who now lives in New York. “I grew up skiing the huge and mountainous Chicago-area ski resorts like Alpine Valley—with a 400 foot vertical, maybe?” ...French founded Ski Bums in 2003. The country’s largest GLBT skiing and snowboarding club, it now has more than 650 members from 30 states, the United Kingdom, Canada and Asia. The club, which welcomes GLBT skiers and snowboarders of all skill levels, typically organizes nine trips every year to places as varied as California, Colorado, Canada and Chile. “There’s something naturally euphoric about doing something you used to do as a kid with your family,” French says, “but now being fully yourself—being comfortable being out. I find it really empowering.”

A SKI BUMS skier in Bariloche, Argentina.

Whether or not they feel empowered, gay and lesbian travelers almost always feel welcome at ski resorts, according to gay skier John McGill, owner of Dallas-based PR firm StraightOut Media & Marketing. “One of the things I love about ski resorts is the character of the people they tend to attract,” says McGill, a Chicagoland native and founder of Telluride Gay Ski Week in Telluride, Colo. “The people who live in ski towns just seem a little more laid back. They celebrate nature, and they celebrate diversity. It’s live and let live. They’re just wonderful.” While most ski resorts are gay friendly, the following five destinations have an above-and-beyond reputation for waving the rainbow flag. Although it’s late in the season, there’s still plenty of time to hit their slopes—or to begin planning for next year. Read  more. Source: dev.chicagofreepress.com

In The Blogosphere

Forum member TomS posted in the Awards Aftermath thread: "Four years ago I was heartbroken at the outcome of the Oscars, with "Brokeback Mountain"s devastating and underserved snub for Best Picture. Seeking support, and solace, I found this Forum on the Internet, and encountered many terrific people whose feelings I shared. It has been a while since I have been here, and many won't remember me. "On this Forum, I posted comments on a blog for the first time in my life. "Since then I have started one of my own, an eclectic mix of movies, animals, music, current events, and personal topics of interest. "As Oscar season came around again I naturally thought of my experience with this Forum and how it helped me deal with my emotions and find my perspective again. Last night I posted about my lifelong love-hate relationship with Oscar, and how I felt on March 5, 2006. http://tom-samp-journal.blogspot.com/2010/03/my-oscar-love-hate-story-personal.html "Of course, I mentioned the Forum in my piece.   "Good to see you all here! I will continue to visit more often. I felt for some reason this year's Oscar season reminded me a lot of 2005, which some of your posts have borne out. Even so, nothing has ever compared with "Brokeback Mountain" since then, and I have read with interest the fascinating posts by all of you on this year's and previous years' contests. "Thank you for letting me visit again...hope you'll do the same.

Paris Kiss-In and Violent Attack

All went well- almost. Dozens of people gathered Sunday February 14 at 14:00, near the fountain Saint-Michel, with about thirty couples kissing at the Kiss-In against homophobia. The militants Catholic extremists, who had threatened harm to those who participated in the Kiss-In even after it was moved from in front of Notre Dame, did not show up. In a show of support, S.O.S Racism, organized a Kiss-In with about thirty couples kissing with 15:00 at the same place with high school students and militants from the Movement of Young Socialists. After the Kiss-in, some GLBT folks went to the square in front of Notre Dame, including the director Émiliej (interviewed in our video, before she went there). According to the homophobic site Chretiente.info, which announced the event on line, they were met by some 200 “catholics.” According to our information, women and trans people were kissing and were immediately attacked by the extremist-Catholics. They then took refuge in a bar. See video and read more. Source: feastoffun.com

Brokeback is Douglas McCombs

Douglas may be familiar to many of you as the bassist for Eleventh Dream Day, Tortoise and most recently Pullman, an all-acoustic collaboration that features members of Come, Directions in Music and Rex. During the last two years Brokeback has released two singles and played numerous live dates throughout the U.S. and in Europe. Through Brokeback, Douglas has sought to explore something not as densely structured as his other musical outings with a focus on rhythm and texture. The idea with Brokeback is to keep things simple and let the melodies hang in the air. By the nature of this decision the music is sparse, but not without sounding full and realized. In Douglas’ own words: "Brokeback wouldn't exist without the Fender six-string bass. I consider myself a bass player, and though I have dabbled with slide instruments (lap steel and dobro) I was never really interested in moving into the higher register until I became aware of this instrument and its perfect blend of twang and low tone. ..." Read more. Source: thrilljockey.com Album shown: Morse Code in the Modern Age: Across the Americas, released in 2001. McCombs made his debut in 1997, with the release of his 7" entitled Returns to the Orange Grove.

Heath Wave

Post Of The Day

By Jer009 in What good book have you read lately?

"The new Lambda Literary webzine will aggregate the best links from LGBTQ and mainstream book news websites and newspapers, feature provocative interviews, under-reported stories, and thoughtful, of-the-moment book reviews and nurture a social community that comments, critiques, links back, twitters, blogs, and interacts both online and in person. 'We're here; we're queer; we read. And on March 1st, we'll be even more visible to the world and to each other.' says Lambda Literary Foundation board member Nicola Griffith. 'We're a community that loves books. We need books. All kinds of books: yaoi and high lit, graphic novels and celebrity tell-alls, heart-wrenching memoir and YA fantasy. We read to save our lives. We write, we edit. We publish, distribute, review, sell, advertise, lend, and buy. And Lambda Literary will now be home for the whole of the brilliantly diverse community that creates and supports our literature.'" http://www.towleroad.com/2010/03/lambda-literary-foundation-launches-site-for-lgbt-book-lovers.html Visit Lamda Literary online.

The Forum Image

Posted by MaineGirl in Life Through The Lens 4.

"From the waterfront in Peekskill looking Southwest across the Hudson River on Friday afternoon."

Quote of the Day

“I don't never have any trouble in regulating my own conduct,
but to keep other folks' straight is what bothers me.”

~ Josh Billings ~

Photocaption of the Day

By royandronnie in Photo Captioning Fun 5

"My glowin eyes is bigger."
"Oh, shut up, Ennis."

Contributors: TomS, Jer009, MaineGirl, royandronnie

Calendar of Events

If you have ideas about initiating a gathering, go to Start Your Own Threads
and get the ball rolling to plan a get-together near you.

Let us know of any events you’d like listed here.

The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at www.davecullen.com/forum.

Today's edition by gnash

Researchers: BayCityJohn, Killersmom, Kittyhawk, Marge_Innavera, Stilllearning

Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch

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[Stilllearning]

Tuesday, March 16th, 2010

The Second Program in the OUT WEST Series: Hidden Histories

The Autry National Center, the first major American museum to recognize the contributions of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community to the American West, is proud to announce the creation of the Out West series. This series of programs, scheduled to take place over the next twelve months, will feature Western scholars, authors, artists, politicians, musicians, and friends of Western LGBTs in discussions and gallery talks at the Autry. Conceived by Gregory Hinton, consulting producer for the series, Out West was inspired not only by the Autry's recent installation of the iconic shirts worn by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in the film Brokeback Mountain but also by the permanent inclusion of the International Gay Rodeo Association's (IGRA) archives into the Autry Library (both facilitated by Hinton).

Hidden Histories: Take a progressive gallery tour and discover the untold stories of the Western LGBT community. Scholars and Autry curators tell the hidden stories behind some of the objects on display. This program is the second program in the Out West series. Space is limited. RSVP/Reservations: Purchase your ticket today at the Visitor Services Desk or call (323) 667-2000 ext. 389 Date: Thursday, May 13, 2010, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Location: Museum of the American West at Griffith Park Appropriate For: Adults Admission: Free with museum admission The Out West series at the Autry National Center is made possible through the generous support of Tom Gregory, HBO, the Gill Foundation, and The Small Change Foundation, in association with the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), and the Courage Campaign. Read more. Source: theautry.org

Bollywood’s ‘Brokeback Mountain’

Its promotional posters, placed throughout India, show two bare-chested men, eyes closed and necks strained, locked in a sexual embrace. And though the film does not come out until May, it is already being hailed as an iconoclastic cinematic break—or, more commonly, “Bollywood’s answer to Brokeback Mountain.” Sanjay Sharma’s film Dunno Y…Na Jaane Kyun will, for the first time in Bollywood history, feature a gay kiss. The plot centres on a struggling model who moves to Mumbai in search of fame, and then begins a relationship with another man. In a country that only decriminalized homosexuality last year, it’s no surprise that the premise has some filmgoers squirming. (In fact, until recently, even heterosexual kisses—or “lip-locks”—were taboo, although that is changing.) Read more. Source: macleans.ca

Desmond Tutu: "Our lesbian and gay brothers and sisters across Africa are living in fear." "Hate has no place in the house of God. No one should be excluded from our love, our compassion or our concern because of race or gender, faith or ethnicity -- or because of their sexual orientation. Nor should anyone be excluded from health care on any of these grounds. In my country of South Africa, we struggled for years against the evil system of apartheid that divided human beings, children of the same God, by racial classification and then denied many of them fundamental human rights. We knew this was wrong. Thankfully, the world supported us in our struggle for freedom and dignity. "It is time to stand up against another wrong." Read more. Source: washingtonpost.com Painting of Desmond Tutu by Peter Martin.

Wedding Bells Ring for Same Sex Couples in D.C.

[Last] Tuesday, Washington issued marriage licenses for the first time to same-sex couples, some of whom married in ceremonies across the city - from a D.C. Superior Court chamber to a Unitarian church in Northwest. Washington follows five states that allow same-sex couples to marry. It has issued 42 such licenses and received 12 signed certificates indicating that at least 12 couples were married Tuesday. Last month, Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler announced that the state will recognize same-sex marriages from out of state until the General Assembly or courts decide otherwise.

About 150 couples from D.C., Maryland and Virginia filed applications to marry last Wednesday, the first day it was possible under the new law. Like all engaged couples in the district, they had to abide by the city's waiting period before getting hitched Tuesday. As the couples exchanged wedding bands, their vows underscored the significance of the day, a high point in a more than 30-year effort by gay-rights activists. "Marriage is a gift, but until this day in the District of Columbia, this gift has been denied," the Rev. Dwayne Johnson of the Metropolitan Community Church of Washington said as he declared Darlene Garner and Lorilyn "Candy" Holmes of Laurel "legally married" during one of three ceremonies at the downtown headquarters of the Human Rights Campaign. "Today, your love for each other knows no limits. It is free." Read  more. Source: baltimoresun.com

Lesbian Sgt. Discharged After Police Tell Military

Jene Newsome played by the rules as an Air Force sergeant: She never told anyone in the military she was a lesbian. The 28-year-old's honorable discharge under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy came only after police officers in Rapid City, S.D., saw an Iowa marriage certificate in her home and told the nearby Ellsworth Air Force Base. Newsome and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a complaint against the western South Dakota police department, claiming the officers violated her privacy when they informed the military about her sexual orientation. The case also highlights concerns over the ability of third parties to "out" service members, especially as the Pentagon has started reviewing the 1993 "don't ask, don't tell" law.

"I played by 'don't ask, don't tell,'" Newsome told The Associated Press by telephone. Police officers, who said they spotted the marriage license on the kitchen table through a window of Newsome's home, alerted the base, police Chief Steve Allender said in a statement sent to the AP. The license was relevant to the investigation because it showed both the relationship and residency of the two women, he said. "It's an emotional issue and it's unfortunate that Newsome lost her job, but I disagree with the notion that our department might be expected to ignore the license, or not document the license, or withhold it from the Air Force once we did know about it," Allender said Saturday. "It was a part of the case, part of the report and the Air Force was privileged to the information." Read more. Source: npr.org

Johnny Weir Deemed “Not Family Friendly”

GLAAD has learned from a source that wishes to remain anonymous that sponsors of the Stars on Ice Tour, which include Smuckers and IMG Entertainment, have refused to allow 3-time US National Champion and 2-time Olympian Johnny Weir to participate because they claim that he is “not family friendly.” To say that Weir is “not family friendly” would be a clear jab at his perceived sexual orientation. Weir is extremely involved with his family. He is putting his younger brother through college, and supports the family financially because his father’s disability prohibits him from working. Weir’s dedication to his family can be clearly documented in the Sundance series, Be Good Johnny Weir, which follows him and his family and friends through his life and career as a championship skater. Read more. Source: glaadblog.org

Homosexuals -vs- Gay Men & Lesbians

When it comes to whether Americans support allowing gays to serve openly, there is also a difference based on the term used. When referred to as "homosexuals," 44 percent favor allowing them to serve openly. When referred to as "gay men and lesbians," the percentage rises to 58 percent. Read more. Source: cbsnews.com

Bulga Boy Recognized at Academy Awards for Movie Technology The red carpet has been mothballed for another year, the flashes faded and the gold statues packed away, but Bulga is still celebrating its first Academy Award winner. Martin Tlaskal and his company FilmLight were recognised at the Academy's Scientific and Technical Awards for pioneering post-production technology used in films from Brokeback Mountain to The Hangover. Examples of the technology can be found in the sun-drenched shots of Mexico in Steven Soderbergh's 2000 film Traffic and Daniel Craig's Speedo-clad emergence from the sea in Casino Royale. "That was shot in Spain in winter, and the technique is used to make the sea bluer and to replace the sky so it looks like a sunlit sky," Mr Tlaskal said. Read more. Source: theherald.com.au

Barbie Turns 51 This Year

51 years ago, the first Barbie dolls hit the market. In over half a century, the planet’s finest doll has not changed, but in fact improved. In 1959, Barbie cost $3, 350 thousand toys sold in the first year. Every week, about one million dolls are sold worldwide, two every second. An American girl aged 3 to 10 has in average 8 Barbie dolls, an Italian has 7, while a French, German and English girl has 5. Russian girls have in average one Barbie. The Mattel company has over 50 years sold over one billion Barbies. In 2009, Barbie marked its semi-centennial anniversary. Five years after Barbie first hit the shelves, it was sold in millions. The dolls lived their own life, developed new outfits, made friends, studied and worked and won favour in 150 countries across the world. Read more. Source: eng.tatar-inform.ru

A Crazy Heart

Country veteran James McMurtry keeps his outrage on tap

In the Oscar-nominated Crazy Heart, Jeff Bridges plays a country music vet with a noticeable gut and a misanthropic bent, who claws his way out of playing bowling alleys to find a new generation of savvy young listeners. It's a character that bears more than a few similarities to 47-year-old James McMurtry. McMurtry, a good friend of the late Stephen Bruton (who co-produced and wrote much of Crazy Heart's soundtrack), spent a career's-worth of time toiling in the Texas music scene before he was even really discovered, let alone rediscovered. His big break ended up coming from an anti-George W. Bush protest song that hit the alt-country scene at exactly the time when people started asking, "Where are all the protest songs, already?" McMurtry, the son of Pulitzer and Oscar-winning novelist Larry McMurtry (Lonesome Dove, Brokeback Mountain), penned the 7-minute opus "We Can't Make It Here," a mournful Guthrie-esque ode to America's neglected working class that railed against "stretched V.A. budgets" two years before the Walter Reed scandal. It's a piece of poetry that earned the notice of indie cognoscenti as well as Bush himself, who reportedly screened some Texan musicians for his farewell-to-office bash by checking their affiliations with McMurtry. Read more. Source: csindy.com

The Bromosexuals

In his own job as a bartender at Lavish Lounge, a gay bar in Queens, Tom Karl, 25, routinely gets mistaken as straight even though he could not be more entrenched in gay life. Known on the gay circuit as "Tommy Hottpants," he lives in Hell's Kitchen and throws a debauched weekly party at Beauty Bar on East 14th Street. His ex-boyfriend, the singer Rufus Wainwright, wrote the song "Between My Legs" for Mr. Karl during the latter's bout as a stripping go-go boy. "People talk about respecting who you are because who wouldn't," he said. "But how much do people really believe that? People have a hard time swallowing that life is less polarized than they think." He added: "That queeny stuff is old. People have been queens forever. So now I think you're seeing the drag go from feminine to masculine." Of course, even that can be its own kind of costume. There are not really that many slutty lifeguards or toned members of the Abercrombie & Fitch swim team roaming Chelsea, just as there aren't really that many sex-crazed schoolgirls or MILFs prowling the meatpacking district. Read more. Source: observer.com Illustration via unintentionallyfunnybooks.wordpress.com

 

Speaking of Butch Tony Gay? Butch Dykeman? Say, is somebody kidding with these names? I don't know for sure, but there they are, from this early 1950s story from a comic book called Popular Teenagers. Did those names have the same meanings as we might give them 55 years or so after the comic was published? That I also don't know…although I'm guessing the scriptwriter might have hung out with a hip crowd who used those words to describe a certain group of people years before the words themselves passed into popular usage. We'll never know because the scriptwriter is unknown and the editor, L. B. Cole, and the artist, Norman Nodel, are all dead. With no way to prove it I think the names might have been a way of playing with the reader. Toni Gay, in looks--the Bettie Page hairstyle gives it away--and name, seems to be related to an earlier L. B. Cole, creation, Toni Gayle, who appeared in a crime comic called Guns Against Gangsters. A Toni Gayle story appeared in Pappy's #22. Read and see more. Source: pappysgoldenage.blogspot.com

Prince of Persia

The Healing Power of... Ketchup

Pat yourself on the back the next time you open a jar of red spaghetti sauce. You might just be serving up a healthier future for you and your family. A six-year study at the Harvard University School of Public Health reported that men who ate large amounts of tomato-based foods were up to 45 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer. Other studies around the world link consumption of tomatoes with a decreased risk of cancers of the digestive tract, pancreas and cervix. A study reported in the American Journal of Epidemiology suggests that eating lots of tomato products may also reduce the risk of heart attacks by preventing the formation of harmful LDL cholesterol. Scientists believe the beneficial ingredient in tomatoes is lycopene, which also gives tomatoes their deep-red color. Lycopene is an antioxidant that's much more powerful than its relative, beta carotene. Surprisingly, tomatoes that have been crushed and cooked appear to be a better source of lycopene than those that are raw. Researchers suspect that mashing and cooking releases more of the lycopene from the tomato, so it's free to be absorbed by the body. Read more. Source: safeway.com

Fun Question of the Week

This week’s Question: On the Richter Scale, how much stronger is a earthquake measuring 7, as compared to one measuring 6? Let us know your answer in the response thread. Last week's question and answer: What addition was made to the field of psychology after a robbery at the bank – Kreditbanken - at Norrmalmstorg Square in Sweden in 1973? Ennis Del Mark and Sason are right on the money - as Ennis Del Mark tells us, "the bank hostage situation in Sweden in 1973 brought about the term 'Stockholm Syndrome'--a psychological condition in which a person taken hostage synpathizes with and/or becomes emotionally involved with his or her captors." And Sason and gnash, thank you for your personal remembrances of that time.

The Forum Image

Posted by conny in Life Through The Lens 4.

"ok time for some blue sky and sun "

Quote of the Day

“I don't mind the homosexuality. I understand it. Nevertheless,
goddamn, I don't think you glorify it on public television,
homosexuality, even more than you glorify whores.”

~ U.S. President Richard Nixon, via infowars.com ~

Forum Humor

Posted by AZ.bbm in Photoshopped BBM Images

"'Disturbing,' isn't it...?!"

Contributors: MiralParis7, Marge-Innavera, Jer009, BayCityJohn, conny, AZ.bbm

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Today's edition by gnash

Fun Question of the Week compiled by Stilllearning

Researchers: BayCityJohn, Killersmom, Kittyhawk, Marge_Innavera, Stilllearning

Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch

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[Stilllearning]

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

Jake Grand Marshall of Indy 500 Parade?

Word is that Jake Gyllenhaal -- who earned an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of the confused Jack Twist in 2005's "Brokeback Mountain" -- could be in line for a prominent position. Promoters of Disney's "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" -- in which Gyllenhaal stars -- are said to be looking for a way to get the actor's face front and center at the Indy 500 or "the race of all races," as E! Online gossip columnist Ted Casablanca described it. The film opens Memorial Day weekend. There has been some contact between Gyllenhaal's camp and the IMS, but nothing has been finalized, said Eric Powell, IMS public relations manager. "We certainly welcome celebrities out for our event. How Mr. Gyllenhaal would fit in remains to be seen," he said. But there's one more big role left to consider: grand marshal of the IPL 500 Festival. Read more. Source: indystar.com

Brokeback Mountain Stars Lead Early 2011 Oscars Race

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN stars JAKE GYLLENHAAL, MICHELLE WILLIAMS and ANNE HATHAWAY are the frontrunners to score big at the Oscars in 2011, according to the leading Academy Awards race website. The three stars are all tipped to claim leading actor and actress Oscars nominations for the films "Blue Valentine" and "Love & Other Drugs". Read more. Source: contactmusic.com

Ang Lee's Early Films Featured in Retrospective Shreveport’s Robinson Film Center in April will offer a retrospective of the early films of an Academy Award‐winning director best known for “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and “Brokeback Mountain.” It will honor the work of Taiwanese‐American director Ang Lee. The 2001 film “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Movie, 2005’s “Brokeback Mountain” got the nod for Best Director. The film series, a reception and panel discussion are made possible by a grant from the Taipei Economic & Cultural Office in Houston. The Centenary College Film Society also is a partner. Screenings are free and open to the public. Read more. Source: shreveporttimes.com

Universal Rejects Bid by Media Rights Capital to Buy Focus Features

Universal Studios has rejected overtures from Media Rights Capital, the film finance and production company of Mordecai Wiczyk and Asif Satchu, to buy Focus Features, the studio's independent movie division, according to individuals with knowledge of the negotiations. The negotiations fell apart last week, according to two individuals close to the talks. MRC, which has packaged and sold films to Universal including "Bruno" and the in-production Matt Damon thriller, "The Adjustment Bureau," had been in talks over the past month to buy the division which has released such award-winning films as "Brokeback Mountain," "The Pianist" and "Traffic." "It's not going to happen," said one executive close to the situation, speaking of the potential sale. Read more. Source: thewrap.com

SXSW 2010: An Oscar-Winner on Where to Store the Award While some Oscar winners have no qualms displaying their golden hardware in plain view, composer and two-time trophy recipient Gustavo Santaolalla keeps his awards in a bag in a box somewhere near his bed at home in Los Angeles. “They’re too powerful to keep out,” said the Argentine composer, who picked up back-to-back Oscars for “Brokeback Mountain” and “Babel,” and was the subject of a panel conversation at the South By Southwest festival in Austin, Texas on Tuesday. “The Oscar is a beast of a different nature,” he said. “You can’t talk when it’s in the room.” Read more. Source: blogs.wsj.com

Perth's New Theater Complex to House the Heath Ledger Theatre

On a corner of Roe and William streets in inner-city Perth, workmen are installing a sleek glass and aluminium sheath over the concrete bones of the new State Theatre Centre. The grand opening in December will be a milestone in Perth's cultural life: this is the first theatre built in the city by a state government. Promises that evaporated over many decades make the anticipation greater; if the theatre building were a Japanese shrine on which worshippers hang slips of paper prayers, it would be festooned with good wishes from Western Australia's theatre patrons and practitioners. In different parts of the city, two women are hatching plans for their companies' respective moves into the new theatre complex. Recent east coast clamour about a lack of opportunity in 2010 theatre seasons for female directors has no relevance in the west, for the two women are Kate Cherry, artistic director of Black Swan State Theatre Company, and Melissa Cantwell, artistic director of the smaller Perth Theatre Company. Both arrived in their jobs about 18 months ago; each of them senses a seismic shift in Perth's cultural landscape, while both believe that the stage is set for a new wave of playwriting and performances in WA. As with the building of Adelaide's Festival Centre 30 years ago, the new Perth complex opens up vastly better performing spaces in a town where existing facilities have been too big and expensive or too small and decrepit for companies to use.

The 440-seat Playhouse Theatre, built post-World War II by a theatre club, has been the most popular venue but it will close late this year and be demolished. Its replacement is the State Theatre Centre's Heath Ledger Theatre, a proscenium arch space that seats 575. There's also a versatile studio space with flexible seating for up to 200 patrons. "We're going into a venue where the technology is state-of-the-art," Cherry says with enthusiasm. Click for more images of the State Theatre Centre. Read more. Source: theaustralian.com.au

One Pair of 3D Glasses to Rule Them All The good news about the 3D TVs coming out this spring and summer is that they'll come packed with two pairs of 3D lenses. The bad news? Those plastic glasses work only with the brand of TV with which they're shipped. That means that if you buy a Panasonic 3D TV, you can't use the accompanying lenses with your neighbor's Sony 3D TV, should you want to get together to watch the World Cup in 3D this summer. That's because each TV brand has a sensor that picks up a signal from the corresponding brand of glasses. If that seems backwards, it's because it is. But it's also the sign of a new technology that hasn't yet worked out all of its kinks. Thankfully, the burgeoning 3D industry knows that this is a shortcoming and is concocting a fix. Read more. Source: cnn.com

Lt. Dan Choi Arrested at White House During Gay Rights Rally

Lt. Dan Choi, the openly gay Iraq war veteran who has been an outspoken opponent of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, was arrested Thursday after chaining himself to a fence at the White House. The Advocate reports that Choi, along with former Army infantryman Jim Pietrangelo, was arrested after chaining themselves to the fence following a rally in Washington for repeal of the policy, which bans gay men and women from serving openly in the military. "You have been told that the President has a plan," Choi said at the rally, according to his prepared remarks. "But Congressman Barney Frank confirmed to us this week that the President still is not fully committed to repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell this year. And if we don't seize this moment it may not happen for a very long time." Read more. Source: cbsnews.com

Mexican Singer Paquita Apologizes for Adoption Comments

Paquita la del Barrio now says she's sorry. The Mexican singer who inflamed a controversy over her comments on gay adoption in Mexico City announced that she would hold a press conference and concert next week to offer apologies for saying she'd rather see a child die on the streets than be adopted by a same-sex couple. In one interview since the controversy erupted, Paquita said her comments were rooted in her "poor education" and small-town upbringing. (She isn't called Paquita la del Barrio -- or, "Paquita from the 'Hood" -- for nothing.) In another short interview, she told reporters that "the majority" of her friends are gay. "I don't have anything against anyone," Paquita said. As outrageous as her comments might have been for many fans, Paquita's disapproval of gay couples adopting children is not that far out of the mainstream in Mexico. A recent poll by the firm Buendia & Laredo found that 71% of respondents were opposed to Mexico City's new law that allows adoption by same-sex couples. Only 10% were in favor. Watch the offending interview on YouTube.  Read more. Source: latimes.com

Galveston Reads to present October Sky

Galveston Reads 2010 wraps up Tuesday [March 23rd] with a showing of the movie “October Sky,” based on this year’s book, “Rocket Boys,” by Homer Hickam. After the movie, Alan Griffin, a retired psychologist, lifelong reader and avid movie fan, will lead a movie discussion session. This event is part of Galveston Reads, a One City, One Book program sponsored by the Rosenberg Library and is free and open to the public. A quick read of online reviews of “October Sky” reveals a consensus that the movie provides a sympathetic, convincing look at the power of dedication and dreams to overcome numerous obstacles. Jake Gyllenhaal (“Brokeback Mountain,” “Zodiac”) was a freshman at Columbia University when he successfully auditioned for the role of the young Homer Hickam Jr. “October Sky,” directed by Joe Johnston, earned the Critics Choice Award as the best family film of 1999 by the Broadcast Film Critics Association. This promises to be a literary discussion gem of an evening for those who enjoyed the book “Rocket Boys,” a skillfully written memoir that captures the wonder of the early years of space exploration and reminds us of the midcentury wonder of seeing Sputnik in the night sky. Read more. Source: galvestondailynews.com

October Sky is an anagram of Rocket Boys

Brokeback River Premieres in Village Four friends have premiered the DVD of their incredible voyage paddling down the Mississippi river three years ago which saw them raise almost £15,000 for charity. Life-long pals Dan Hopwood and Stuart Mackinnon, of Uttoxeter, Dan Burton, from Doveridge and Steve OʼReilly, of Nottingham, battled torrential rain, broken bones and bloodsucking leeches to complete the mammoth challenge. They presented a screening of the film, entitled Brokeback River, at Doveridge Village Club last week, with popular local band The Zydeco Hot Rods on hand to provide the entertainment. Read more. Source: uttoxeteradvertiser.co.uk

 
Brokeback River- A Rendezvous For R & R

Here's another "Brokeback River", as described by Lou Lombardo of the Barber Hill Health and Wellness Center, in Geneseo, New York: "A good way to promote health & wellness is to periodically set aside some time for a little rest and relaxation. "A friend of mine owns a family camp deep in the heart of Cook’s Forest on the shores of the Clarion River in Pennsylvania.Every year a bunch of us get together and go down there to do some work. It’s called a “work weekend” mainly because we all have “worked” hard to get where we are in life and we feel we feel we deserve a “weekend” to get away. "It’s a version Brokeback Mountain of sorts, only our gathering is strictly on the straight and narrow, if you know what I mean. It’s not like the purpose of the rendezvous in the movie. Not that there’s anything wrong with that!"

Just Good Friends Speaking of [Michigan State coach Tom] Izzo, he and Steve Mariucci broached an odd subject Tuesday night on HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. When they were at Northern Michigan, they had to assure friends their relationship was just platonic. In other words, they're from Iron Mountain, not Brokeback Mountain. "I swear to God, yes," Mariucci said. "People thought we were a little bit too close." And Izzo: "I think our parents wondered if we ever were going to go our separate ways." At team awards banquets, for example, they would take the other. "Well, I would bring him, he would bring me," Mariucci said. "Free meal, right? So people started wondering a little bit about us." Photo: deadspin.com  Read more.  Source: freep.com

Heath Wave



Posted by Miasland in Planet Heath Vol. 16

Tech Bytes: Harmony and Flame

Two new Java-based drawing and sketch programs have been released online and they are both unique and fun. The first is created by Slovakian artist Peter Blaskovic and is called FLAME. Here's what its creator has to say: "Flame is a painting program, it belongs to my ‘I am Artist’ experimental project. I think with tools which inspires you, everyone can be an artist. You can try it here, change different brush settings and paint your own flame paintings. When you change background from black to white, palette changes from additive to substactive and the feeling of the painting is very different. It’s not easy to explain all brush parameters, so I leave this for your experimentation." The other program was created by Ricardo Cabello and is called HARMONY. It even has its own Facebook Fan Page, where fans can post artwork. For a list of more online drawing tools and websites, check out the post on the allgraphicdesign.com blog.

Fun Question of the Week

This week’s Question: Bolero which was used in the movie '10' was composed by which famous person? Let us know your answer in the response thread. Last week's question and answer: On the Richter Scale, how much stronger is an earthquake measuring 7, as compared to one measuring 6? For each successive number on the Richter scale, the earthquake is approximately 30 times stronger.

Post of the Day

Posted by Rosewood in Media coverage: how are we seen?

"Since this artist's (Zina Saunders) current subject matter is 'gay couples' I thought maybe you would like to see some terrific work plus read the accompanying stories which I found interesting and revealing. This indirectly has something to do with the 'how we are seen?' subject matter if you really think about it." Gallery: Gay Couples: Love and Marriage Bob and Christopher (detail) by Zina Saunders

The Forum Image

Posted by Janie-G in Life Through The Lens 4.

"I thought I'd call this Croakback Mountain. "

Quote of the Day

“Fishing, golfing... I like the boring sports. Golfing is kind of a lesbian sport.
I also like baseball. I just like a lot of the lesbian sports, I have to say.
I'm a little heavy loafers - it's true, if you think about it.”

~ Actress Sharon Stone, via femalefirst.co.uk ~

Photo Caption of the Day

Posted by Marz in Photo Captioning Fun 5

jack was so happy cos for once ennis wasn't there criticizing his driving and singing!

Contributors: Rosewood, Miasland, Janie-G, Marz

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The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at www.davecullen.com/forum.

Today's edition by gnash

Fun Question of the Week compiled by Stilllearning

Researchers: BayCityJohn, Killersmom, Kittyhawk, Marge_Innavera, Stilllearning

Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch

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[Stilllearning]

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

Zimbabwe's Leaders Unite to Dismiss Gay Rights

During the years of struggles for power in their ailing country, Zimbabwe's feuding leaders have rarely found a topic on which they have been of the same mind. But in uttering the words "I totally agree with the President," Morgan Tsvangirai, the Prime Minister, and Robert Mugabe were as one on the issue of refusing to consider gay rights for the country's constitution. The pair - the heads of an uneasy unity government since disputed elections in 2008 - yesterday faced down demands to include gay rights in constitutional reforms. Same-sex relations are illegal in Zimbabwe, as in many other African nations, where gays are subject to intimidation and harassment. Only South Africa has legalised same-sex marriage on the continent, and even there, there can be wide differences between the liberal constitution and social attitudes. At a belated event to mark International Women's Day - held under the theme "Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for All" - both men said they were strongly opposed to any constitutional reforms that included gay rights. [President Mugabe] has previously visited the issue when he described homosexuals as "lower than pigs and dogs," sparking international condemnation. Read more. Source: nzherald.co.nz

Morgan Tsvangirai and Robert Mugabe

Pentagon Eases "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Enforcement

The relaxing of the ban on openly gay service members is a temporary step until Congress can act, officials say. The Pentagon announced Thursday that it will relax enforcement of the "don't ask, don't tell" rules that prevent gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military, a decision that officials described as a temporary step until Congress can take permanent action. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the military would restrict the kind of evidence that can be used against service members suspected of "homosexual conduct." For example, investigators will generally ignore anonymous complaints and require accusations made by third parties to be given under oath. Gates said the changes, which are effective immediately, would ensure "a greater measure of common sense and common decency." He said pending investigations would be required to comply with the new policy. Pentagon officials said they did not know how many current cases might be affected but noted that 428 service members last year were kicked out of the military because of their sexual orientation. The Pentagon is moving ahead on the assumption that Congress will overturn the ban on gays serving openly. Read more. Source: denverpost.com   Photo: gayrights.change.org

Conway Concerned With Gays in Barracks

The Marine Corps' top officer said March 25 that even if the ban on openly-serving gays in the services is lifted, he would draw the line at forcing heterosexual Marines to bunk with gays on base. "We want to continue [two-person rooms], but I would not ask our Marines to live with someone who is homosexual if we can possibly avoid it," Marine Commandant Gen. James Conway told Military.com during an exclusive interview at the Pentagon.  "And to me that means we have to build BEQs [bachelor enlisted quarters] and have single rooms." Conway's comments came the same day that Defense Secretary Robert Gates reprimanded the Army's Pacific commander for publicly exhorting servicemembers and civilians to write to Congress to oppose repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Army Lt. Gen. Benjamin Mixon made his views known in a letter published in Stars and Stripes on March 8.

"If those of us who are in favor of retaining the current policy do not speak up, there is no chance to retain the current policy," Mixon said in his letter. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen said Mixon should consider resigning over the comments, which fly in the face of President Obama's stated intent to end the ban on gays serving openly. Mullen is an advocate of repeal. Read more and listen to sound clip. Source: military.com     Photo: marquesate.wordpress.com

Gay-4 Pay in Prague

Martin Justel is 20, as old as the Czech democracy and, arguably, just as mature. He whispers “hello” as he tiptoes into the Prague film studio of William Higgins, 67, an American producer and “dean of gay porn” who moved to Prague right after communism ended to corner the gay sex market, arriving around the same time two other bearded vanguards of capitalism — Santa Claus and Colonel Sanders — showed up to monopolize Christmas and fried chicken. Like the vast majority of the thousands of “perfectly straight” Czech men performing in gay porn, he gets offended when asked whether he ever considered he might be gay. He is, he insists, only doing it for the money. Visibly timid, inexperienced and “hetero,” he caters perfectly to the sexual fantasies of those discerning consumers — primarily American gay men — looking to satisfy their appetites for homosexual pornography featuring straight men. Gay men have always fetishized masculinity and seen straight guys as real guys, says Jeffrey Escoffier, the author of the book "Bigger Than Life: The History of Gay Porn Cinema from Beefcake to Hardcore" and a visiting scholar at the New York University Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality. “It’s a marketing opportunity for producers,” he says. “A large percentage of gay men see heterosexual men as more masculine than gay men.” According to Higgins, gay men want to see straight guys but imagine them as gay, which is partly why 90 percent of the Czech men he uses in his films are heterosexuals, or at least “that's what they like to call themselves.” He also prefers working with straight guys because they are not as picky about with whom they have sex. “If they are willing to do it with a guy, they’ll do it with any guy. It’s a job,” he says. “We have one gay guy who always dictates who he’s going to do it with. I’d much rather work with straight guys.” Read more. Source: globalpost.com

Rufus Wainwright Discusses New Album, Kate McGarrigle and Sinking Into Sadness

Rufus Wainwright has had an eventful and painful past year. Last spring in Berlin, he debuted 'Sonnette,' a Shakespeare-based theatrical collaboration with maverick director Robert Wilson. A few months later in Manchester, he premiered his first opera, 'Prima Donna.' In December, he sang with his mother, Kate McGarrigle, at London's Royal Albert Hall and the following month she passed away of cancer in Montreal. And all the while, he was working on his melancholy new CD, 'All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu.' You address your mother's illness directly [on] the new songs "Martha" and "Zebulon." You've said she was your biggest admirer and toughest critic, was it constructive criticism? Some of it was; some of it I didn't buy. It's hard to say because you always think of your mother as your mother, and then when she dies there's this whole other angle of her that appears as a person and as a human being, and you start to become enlightened about aspects of your life that you've overlooked in the past. When she died there was such a massive outpouring of support and love and admiration for her that was really only about her. Martha [Wainwright, Rufus's sister] and I were mentioned -- and it wasn't about her as a mother; it wasn't about her as a Canadian; it was about her as a musician and someone who created this very distinct and lasting sound. It really made me stop and go, 'Oh my God, she really did know what she was talking about.'

Certainly there were things that she impressed upon me that I took to heart and other things where [I think], 'Oh mom, you were crazy.' But all that put aside, she was such a force to be reckoned with in the music world, and I owe so much to her tutelage and support and her criticism -- probably more to her criticism than I have admitted before. What will audiences be able to expect when you promote this album? I'm pulling out all the stops here for this tour, in terms of allowing myself to sink deep into the earth of sadness. I figure it's an appropriate time to take out the dark sword and lead the world a little bit. I think people will allow me that this time around. I've been pretty up-tempo for a while or at least tried to be, so I can kind of recline in my mourning mode. My friend Douglas Gordon, the visual artist, is making a video to go with the concert, and in between the songs we'll ask the audience not to applaud; it'll be done as a song cycle -- no talking or jokes. And then in the second half I'll come out in a clown suit and sing "Mammy." No, I'm kidding. I don't want to leave everybody hanging, or hanging themselves, but I need to go to a very dark place for this tour. Unfortunately, we live in very dark times, and art is a reflection of what's really happening, even though we don't know what that is consciously. But art, if it's done well, will reveal that to us and we should probably start listening to what it's saying. Read more. Source: spinner.com

He Asked. They Told.

After he posted the first seven pictures on his Web site, Jeff Sheng could not sleep. “I kept getting up and checking my e-mail,” he said. “I was expecting to hear from someone in the military. What if they demanded information from me? Some of the people I photographed have been serving for 20 years. They could lose their pensions.” Mr. Sheng, a photographer, had finished the first phase of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” a series of portraits of gay men and lesbians serving in the military, all of them in uniform and with their faces obscured in some way — by a hand, a door frame or by darkness. Some subjects turn their backs to the camera. In one image an airman who takes the pseudonym Jess sits on a hotel bed leaning forward. One elbow rests on his knee, his hand cupping his face to shield it from the camera. The portrait is pervaded by a sense of loneliness and isolation. “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” a self-published book (dadtbook.com; $24.95), had grown out of Mr. Sheng’s earlier project, “Fearless,” which featured large, glossy portraits of young athletes who are openly gay, bisexual or transgender. Since 2006, “Fearless” has toured more than 40 colleges and high schools in the United States and last month was shown at Pride House, a space created at the Olympic Games in Vancouver, British Columbia, for gay athletes to relax with family and friends.

“Fearless,” in turn, had grown out of the experience the photographer had playing tennis in high school. Mr. Sheng is a handsome, slim, 29-year-old who favors jeans and fresh button-down cotton shirts and somehow always looks as if he just got out of the shower. The son of Taiwanese immigrants, he was raised in Thousand Oaks, a suburb of Los Angeles. He was bright and coordinated — student class president, president of the California Association of Student Councils and a good tennis player. But he found he could never fully relax in the world of competitive sports. “There’s a lot of homophobia,” he said. “I was not comfortable being out.” Read more. Source: nytimes.com

Damn Yankees? Damn Straight! If you're not familiar with "Damn Yankees," we don't blame you. The successful Broadway musical, that was also made into [a]1958 feature film, is about a middle-aged baseball fan who makes a deal with the devil to turn his favorite team's young star into home run hitting slugger. The film will have a contemporary setting and Carrey is still being eyed for the role of the devil, while Gyllenhaal will don pinstripes as the ballplayer. Read more. Source: theplaylist.blogspot.com Todd Graff, the writer and director of "Bandslam," says his remake of the musical "Damn Yankees" won’t feature the Yankees but will feature steroids. Graff points out that the original 1955 story featured the now non-existent Washington Senators so he’s replacing them with the Chicago Cubs who haven’t won a pennant in 102 years. And we all know there’s only two ways people could see the Cubs winning the World Series: making a deal with Satan or steroids. Read more. Source: collider.com Join in the discussion on the Most Anticipated Movie thread.

Alfred Hitchcock's Rope: Bisexual Actor Farley Granger

This Hitchcock favorite actor played passive, gay-tinged roles in both "Rope" and "Strangers on a Train." In his published his memoirs, Mr. Farley speaks on the record about his bisexuality and affairs with Patricia Neal, Arthur Laurents, Shelley Winters, Leonard Bernstein and Ava Gardner.  In 2007, Granger published the memoir Include Me Out, co-written with his longtime partner Robert Calhoun. According to the memoir, it was during his time in the U.S. Navy and while in Honolulu that the 21 year-old Granger had his first sexual experiences; one with a female hostess at a private club and the other with an enlisted male officer visiting the same venue, both on the same night. While appreciated within the gay community, it wasn't like his memoirs were exactly shocking news...rumors about Granger's sexuality had swirled about Hollywood for decades. After all, Arthur Laurents (who wrote the screen version of Rope) openly discussed his 4 year, on-again/off- again affair with Granger (Laurents wrote Granger's role in "Rope" especially for him), so most people had already figured it out. Read more. Source: vintagegaymediahistory.blogspot.com

Central African Gorillas May Go Extinct

Gorillas may go extinct in much of central Africa by the mid-2020s -- victims of a meat trade, of logging and mining, and even the Ebola virus, a new report says. Unless action is taken to guard the gorillas' habitat and counter poaching, the dire prediction will come to pass, said the joint report from the United Nations and Interpol released Wednesday. Until now, the Congo Basin in Central Africa had been a rainforest refuge for gorillas and other apes. But the threats to the gorillas' survival are so acute that a similar study that predicted only 10 percent of the gorilla population will remain by 2030 is now considered too optimistic. Read more. Source: cnn.com

Lady Gaga First Artist with One Billion Online Video Views Video analytics company Visible Measures - the one we work with to put out our monthly top 10 webisodes chart - curates a list of video called the "100 Million Club." It includes all the web videos that have exceeded 100 million views. Lady Gaga has long been a staple of the chart, but now she's essentially in a club all her own: She's the first franchise to reach one billion views. Read more. Source: cnn.com

Just "Broke"



"Overheard in the parking lot after the movie was over:
"I nearly choked on my popcorn when that boy took that
other fella from behind like that... heh heh heh, homos!"'

Read one man's (negative) review of Brokeback on blogography.com

Ricky Martin (Finally) Comes Out



"I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual
man," he wrote. "I am very blessed to be who I am."

Read more. Source: nj.com

Fun Question of the Week

This week’s Question: This desert in Africa is about 350,000 square miles, and is not completely arid. It has red sand and large amounts of game and minerals. This desert is inhabited by a tribe that speaks a language with clicks; can you name it? Let us know your answer in the response thread. Last week's question and answer: Bolero, which was used in the movie '10', was composed by which famous person? Way to go Andy - Bolero was indeed written by Maurice Ravel. And thanks to Cally, Lyle (Mooska), and Rosewood for the discussion!

Post of the Day Do you have an old Polaroid camera stashed away somewhere in your house? You may want to go look for it, as it might not be as obsolete as you thought! Jer009 posted this excerpt from pinkisthenewblog.com over in News and Current Events. Polaroid Film Is Back On The Market "Happy days are here again, Polaroid fans!! As you may recall, in January of 2009 a group called The Impossible Project decided to take on the Herculean task of personally saving the production of Polaroid instant film after the Polaroid company decided to halt production of the film and its instant cameras. The Impossible Project took control of an entire Polaroid film factory, hired the company’s employees and decided to take on the task of producing the film themselves."

The Forum Image

Posted by Tigs in Life Through The Lens 4.

"Walton on Naze beach, Essex UK, slowly falling into the sea.
There is a Martello tower dating back to the napoleonic wars
which is now only 20 yards away from the cliff edge."

Quote of the Day



“Disney has the best casting. If he doesn't like an actor he just tears him up.”

~ Alfred Hitchcock ~

Photo Caption of the Day

Posted by Tony5 in Photo Captioning Fun 5

Alma, Jr : Mommy, why does Uncle Jack always come back for coffee when Daddy's on round-up?

Alma : It's our little secret, honey....even Annie Proulx doesn't know about this part.....

Contributors: BayCityJohn, Jerr009, Tigs, Lyle (Mooska), Tony5

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