Buff's Tuff Talk: The Daddy Files

Friday, June 18, 2010

Happy Daddy's Day

Wishing all my buds a very Happy Daddy's Day. Remember all that he does for you everyday throughout the year.

So bring him his slippers, give him some lovin, and allow him to chill out and enjoy his day.

WOOF

Friday, April 16, 2010

Baby Steps, but Now We Have Hospital Visitation Rights

A long time coming but now we have hospital visitation rights. This is definitely a step in the right direction.

Washington Post Friday, April 16, 2010

President Obama mandated Thursday that nearly all hospitals extend visitation rights to the partners of gay men and lesbians and respect patients' choices about who may make critical health-care decisions for them, perhaps the most significant step so far in his efforts to expand the rights of gay Americans.

The president directed the Department of Health and Human Services to prohibit discrimination in hospital visitation in a memo that was e-mailed to reporters Thursday night while he was at a fundraiser in Miami.

Administration officials and gay activists, who have been quietly working together on the issue, said the new rule will affect any hospital that receives Medicare or Medicaid funding, a move that covers the vast majority of the nation's health-care institutions. Obama's order will start a rule-making process at HHS that could take several months, officials said.

Hospitals often bar visitors who are not related to an incapacitated patient by blood or marriage, and gay rights activists say many do not respect same-sex couples' efforts to designate a partner to make medical decisions for them if they are seriously ill or injured.

"Discrimination touches every facet of the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, including at times of crisis and illness, when we need our loved ones with us more than ever," Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement praising the president's decision.

Obama's mandate is the latest attempt by his administration to advance the agenda of a constituency that strongly supported his presidential campaign.

In his first 15 months in office, he has hailed the passage of hate crime legislation and held the first Gay Pride Day celebration at the White House. Last month, Obama's top military and defense officials testified before Congress in favor of repealing of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy for gays in the armed forces.

But the moves have been too slow for some gay rights activists, who have urged the president to be more vocal and active in championing their causes. John Aravosis, a prominent gay blogger, wrote last October that Obama's "track record on keeping his gay promises has been fairly abominable."

Other gay rights activists have defended the administration, while at the same time pushing Congress to act on broader issues such as passage of an employment non-discrimination act and an end to the ban on gays serving openly in the military.

"We see this as part of our ongoing effort to encourage the administration to take action where it has the authority to act," said David Smith, a Human Rights Campaign spokesman. "We've been working and pressing the administration on our legislative agenda. That work continues."
Gay activists have argued for years that recognizing same-sex marriage would ease the stress associated with not being able to visit hospitalized partners.

But opponents of same-sex marriage have called the visitation issue a red herring, arguing that advocates want to provide special rights for gays that other Americans do not have. A spokesman for one group said the president's move was part of a broader effort to appease gays and to undermine the institution of marriage.

Sunday, April 04, 2010

I Think It's Time To Retire Dame Edna

All good things must come to an end and I'm afraid Dame Edna Everage's campy humor has reached the final curtain. So who do you think should replace Dame Edna, or is this kind of humor dead?

Dame Edna Everage - Everage And Feinstein's Broadway Flop To Close

Dame Edna Everage Gallery

Caption: Dame Edna Everage (Picture) DAME EDNA Everage And Feinstein's Broadway Flop To Close

DAME EDNA EVERAGE and cabaret star MICHAEL FEINSTEIN's stint on Broadway is coming to an early end - the revue is to close less than two weeks after its official opening.

It's All About Me stars Australian entertainer Barry Humphries as his drag queen alter-ego Everage singing a collection of show tunes with musician/composer Feinstein in what was expected to be a hot ticket.

Previews began on 6 March (10), but the pair has failed to win over critics and Broadway audiences and producers will bring the curtain down for the final time on 4 April (10).
The two-man show opened at Henry Miller's Theatre on 23 March (10).

Happy Hoppy Easter and the Lowdown on Heavage

It's definitely been a while since I posted. Sorry about that.

Here's something of interest to the group. A fluff piece, but something to ponder.

Male cleavage -- it s a good idea whose time has come by Tony Hicks

I AM NOT a fashion writer. I'm a man who selects his clothes each morning based on the meticulous scientific methods known as MSV (Minimal Spot Visibility). But even I recognize a man who picks his shirts based on loving his own heavage.There didn't used to be a term for heavage, which is a lot like cleavage, only men don't break out in a cold sweat trying not to stare at it. They used to simply call it Burt Reynolds wearing a shirt. Or David Hasselhoff going out on the town. Or Tom Jones doing "... anything.Now we have a term for it. Even the stately Wall Street Journal knows heavage (although they use many more words to describe it than "man-boobs.")"Man cleavage — plunging necklines slit open to reveal chest hair, pectoral muscles, maybe more — is back.

Until recently, male decolletage was an androgynous fashion affectation limited mainly to sporadic appearances on European runways. But the look, including deep V-necks and scoop-neck tops, hit the U.S. in full force at New York's September Fashion Week, turning up at shows by Duckie Brown, Michael Bastian and Yigal Azrouel."Right. What they said. Decolletage and whatnot.So apparently it's not just crazy Russell Brand or Bradley Cooper showing up at a premiere with their shirts unbuttoned to their navels. It's not just Matthew McConaughey at the grocery store. It's not just Bret Michaels "... being Bret Michaels.

For example, I just discovered women get on the Internet to discuss the various heavage (heavages?) of the guys on "The Vampire Diaries." And my first reaction was "Does anyone remember when vampires — being dead and all — didn't look like they had personal trainers? The fall runway shows — which, as you know, I make a point of attending every year — displayed plunging male necklines. As the Journal reported, "The styles were more blatantly sexual and the models had more studly swagger."Let men be men

Who doesn't love studly swagger? Seriously. One time I almost named my band "Studly Swagger." It's about time. Haven't we had enough of these anemic-looking skinny boys, who weigh as much as my left calf, passing themselves off as examples of real men?I'll be honest. The women in my department decided someone should write about this heavage thing. They laughed about it. They chose me because they thought I would make fun of it. I'm not laughing. Not on your life.

In fact, I'm doing push-ups as I type. I've been to Tom Jones concerts, where underwear falls like Seattle drizzle. I heard the women — OK, and some men — screaming what they wanted to do to David Lee Roth at Van Halen concerts (and that was just last year, when about half the females had AARP cards in their wallets). I remember the women crying in the streets when news broke that Ricky Martin was gay.

Don't obsess, guysAlthough it's not often discussed, men measure each other by such things (chest size — not what they think of Ricky Martin). If you've never looked at another man and wondered if he could bench press more than you, you might not really be a man. It's why so many non-athletes who spend a lot of the time at the gym look like stuffed chickens. They only work their chest because that's the status thing.

And that's a problem. I'm all for heavage, but with conditions. Heavage should be an organic thing that comes with development of an overall healthy body. But some men, from what I read, are taking way too much time with this concept, shaving or waxing their chest, going to tanning booths, writing columns while doing one-armed push-ups — it's just too much. (This is a sin against nature. NEVER, NEVER ATTEMPT to WAX CHEST HAIR)

Heavage could be a good thing. But paying that much attention to it is not a good thing. Respectable heavage should come as a by-product of something else — like chopping wood. Or wrestling polar bears. Or writing moderately amusing columns for a decent-sized newspaper. When it comes to presenting or preparing one's heavage, a man should do I do in times of great stress. Ask yourself: "What would William Shatner do?"

Which sometimes gets you funny looks when you say it too loud in public. But it works. So if you got it, go ahead — unbutton those couple of top buttons. And if you don't, go back to work and forget it. Next year's fashion will probably have everyone buttoned up to their foreheads anyway.

Friday, December 04, 2009

Not Too Early To Think About Daddy Santa's Visit

Recently the gay publication, Metro Weekly interviewed the famous filmmaker, writer, producer John Waters, a native of Baltimore, about his feelings towards the Christmas holiday. His humorous observations are listed below.

Is Christmas a gay holiday?
MW: Is Christmas a gay holiday in your estimation?
WATERS: Well, it can be, certainly. Is Santa erotic? That is a question with the bear movement. Is he a silver fox? Is he a bear? But at the same time, is asking an overweight person to play Santa Claus at your office party an insult? And it is. It's the "fattist" thing to do. Divine's mother always made him be Santa Claus, so I think he was Santabused.
MW: I've never really pondered the idea of whether or not Santa was erotic.
WATERS: It's a complicated question: Is Santa erotic? Suppose you are attracted to Santa -- does that make you a Santa hag? Can you have sex in a chimney? Are you a flue queen? There are all sorts of possibilities that I talk about.

I do think Daddy Santa is a furry, fuzzy muscle bear. And he's extra generous to all the guys who are naughty but nice during the year. WOOF

Also I thought I'd repost one of my tributes to Daddy Santa from several years ago. Hope you enjoy it.

Monday, December 12, 2005

What's On Your List to Ask Daddy Santa For This Year?
As you can see, this Daddy Santa helper is not one of the brightest bulbs on the light string set, but he's got his heart in the right place, he's hunky, and is ready to make sure you get from Daddy Santa what you have written on his list.For me, walking steady with a cane would make me very happy. Also getting my strength back and being able to lift weights and be able to do stomach crunches and pull ups again, would make feel almost like my previous self once more.You guys have helped me very much so far. I will always remember that.So don't be shy. Daddy Santa isn't a mind reader. But since I've worked with him in the past, I know that he always makes a supreme effort to reward really good and sexy gay boys and men with pleasures that will be welcomed and enjoyed over and over again. Like big hairy muscle hugs, you can never get enough

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Hairy Happy Halloween

Have a safe and Happy Halloween. WOOF

Friday, August 28, 2009

Brian Brown, our charming foe. He attacks our right to love, our right to marry, with a smile. NOM must not prevail, ever.

This guy is a slick as a snake oil salesman. His group has moved to DC to make their cause, banning same-sex marriage, a national rallying cry. They are hell bent to stop gay rights and same-sex marriage in the halls of Congress, the National Mall, any where they can.

NOM Head Moves His Cause to D.C.

Brian Brown, executive director of the National Organization for Marriage, with wife Sue. Of gays marrying, Sue says she initially thought, "What's the big deal if they do?" (By Tracy A. Woodward -- The Washington Post)Yahoo! Buzz

By Monica HesseWashington Post Staff Writer Friday, August 28, 2009

The nightmares of gay marriage supporters are the Pat Robertsons of the world. The James Dobsons, the John Hagees -- the people who specialize in whipping crowds into frothy frenzies, who say things like Katrina was caused by the gays.

The gay marriage supporters have not met Brian Brown. They should. He might be more worth knowing about.

Brown is the executive director of the National Organization for Marriage, the preeminent organization dedicated to preventing the legalization of same-sex marriage. For two years, Brown has been traveling across the country. He moved his wife and six kids to California, where NOM was instrumental in passing Proposition 8, the state constitutional amendment defining marriage as an institution only between a man and a woman. Before that, Connecticut, where his cause was hurt when the state Supreme Court legalized gay marriage.

It was NOM that Miss USA runner-up Carrie Prejean went to shortly after her infamous "opposite marriage" pageant answer. "Gathering Storm," the much-YouTubed announcement in which actors discussed how gay marriage would negatively affect their freedom of religion? That was NOM.

Now NOM is moving its national headquarters to Washington.

The thing about the John Hagees and the Pat Robertsons is that some people consider them "fringe." And when they speechify, the people they're most persuasive with are the ones who already believe them.

But this country is not made up of people in the far wings, right or left. This country is made up of a movable middle, reasonable people looking for reasonable arguments to assure them that their feelings have a rational basis.

Brian Brown speaks to these people. He has a master's degree from Oxford, and completed course work for a doctorate in history from UCLA. He shoulders the accusations of bigotry; it's horrible when people say that your life's mission is actually just prejudice. He tries to help people see that opposing gay marriage does not make them bigots, that the argument should have nothing to do with hate or fear, and everything to do with history and tradition.
The reason Brian Brown is so effective is that he is pleasantly, ruthlessly sane.

"The Human Rights Campaign is massive," Brown says, referring to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender advocacy group.

Brown sits at the nearly empty desk in a nearly empty room -- the H Street NW office space NOM has sublet until the organization finds its own building and moves its staff down from Philadelphia. He is 35, red hair, solidly built, wearing a crisp blue shirt with a white collar. Instantly likable. He's a thoughtful talker, especially when discussing his "opposition," such as the HRC. "They were ahead of the curve but . . . I didn't see any reason why we couldn't do the same thing."

The same thing -- large, well-publicized, well-organized campaigns -- for different purposes. In the world of activism, what works for one side can work for the other. In the two years since its formation, NOM has become a leader in the fight against gay marriage, which Brown calls "the issue of the decade."

"Brian has been the foremost grass-roots leader who has been involved in the marriage debate," says Chuck Donovan, a senior vice president at the conservative Family Research Council. "He's one of the more effective leaders out there."

NOM's campaigns have had missteps. "Gathering Storm," with its melodramatic dialogue and fake lightning, prompted parodies as much as panic; one New York Times columnist called it " 'Village of the Damned' meets 'A Chorus Line' " for its instant camp value. Two Million for Marriage, the organization's push to rally online activists around the country, was similarly unfortunate: Apparently no one at NOM had realized that 2M4M, the hip-sounding tag they'd chosen for the initiative, is also the abbreviation favored by gay couples looking for a threesome.
Brown has been undaunted. Along with NOM President Maggie Gallagher, who lives in New York, he keeps putting out or starting up fires. He raises money. He organizes phone drives. He sits in the empty Washington digs and cheerfully takes conference calls about whom NOM should hire for an Iowa position ("I haven't had good luck with the Heritage job bank, but that doesn't mean anything"). He sends out regular e-mail updates to NOM's mailing list, conveying his excitement on the issues with exclamation points. Some pro-gay marriage activists then get hold of these e-mails and mock them.

But his more informed opponents know that scoffing is a response born of fear.
"You have to take them seriously," says Peter Montgomery, a senior fellow for the liberal People for the American Way. "They've raised a tremendous amount of money that they're funneling into various states. They're mostly responsible for putting the Maine veto on the bill."
Brown is confident that if people hear his message, they will believe it. "People already believe it," he says, "but the issue is so deep-seated that they've never had to create an argument for it. Now we have to give people the language to do that." Create talking points. Help them see.
On NOM's Web site, printable PDFs show visitors how to explain their position. "Why Marriage Matters" comes in versions for different religions: Protestant (Spanish and English), Catholic (Spanish and English) and Jewish.

Avoid the phrase "ban gay marriage," the talking points suggest, adding that opponents "know it causes us to lose about ten percentage points in polls. Don't use it. Say we're against 'redefining marriage' or in favor of 'marriage as the union of husband and wife' NEVER 'banning same-sex marriage.' " Bishop Harry Jackson, the Beltsville pastor who has been one of the most vocal gay marriage opponents in the area, sees a happy partnership between his followers and Brown's group. Jackson says Brown and NOM "have a sense of dignity about human beings. They simply believe that marriage between a man and a woman is the best for society. But they're not gay bashers."

"I believe," Brown says, "that there's a clear purpose to what I'm doing."

Is it possible, in 2009, to avoid the title of "gay basher" while dedicating your life to preventing a portion of the population from participating in a legal process allowed to other people? Does bashing require blows and slurs? Will those who oppose same-sex marriage eventually be put by their opponents into the same pile as people who think interracial marriage should be banned?
Brown worries about that, about being squeezed out of the debate.

"The racial bigot comparison is the most troubling part of the argument," Brown says. It's horrible, offensive, deliberately incendiary. He thinks it is "irrational," a word he uses often.
It is irrational when the opposition points to polls suggesting that most young people support gay marriage. "People mature," he says. Their views change.

It is irrational when people believe that the legalization of same-sex marriage is an inevitability: "We have the people. We have not had such an organized force" before, Brown says.
Brown is Catholic. He converted at Oxford, where he studied after a BA at Whittier College (he grew up surfing in California). He liked Catholicism's traditions of social justice and work for the poor. Along the way, he met Sue, also a devout Catholic. After UCLA he accepted a position with the Family Institute of Connecticut, and worked to prevent the distribution of condoms in schools. "People would ask, 'What does your husband do?' " Sue says. "It was embarrassing to say he worked on condoms. But it was nothing compared to this."

His faith is important to him, but in his arguments he is ever the PhD candidate, addressing questions and dismissing counterarguments with fascination.

"I have gay people who are friends and family," he says. "We can disagree on all sorts of things and still care about each other." And later, "Of course, I have to take their arguments seriously. This issue is important. Ideas have consequences."

He takes nothing personally. He means nothing personal. He is never accusatory or belittling. His arguments are based on his understandings of history, not on messages from God that gays caused Hurricane Katrina.

In short: The institution of marriage has always been between a man and a woman. Yes, there have been homosexual relationships. But no society that he knows of, in the history of the world, has ever condoned same-sex marriage. "Do they always agree on the number of partners? Do they always agree on the form of monogamy? No," Brown says, but they've all agreed on the gender issue. It's what's best for families, he says. It's the union that can biologically produce children, he says. It's all about the way things have always been done. He chose his new church, St. Catherine of Siena, because it still offers a Latin Mass. Other noted conservatives have been parishioners there; Antonin Scalia has worshiped at St. Catherine's.

"I think it's irrational that up until 10 years ago, all of these societies agreed with my position" on same-sex marriage, he says, and now suddenly that position is bigotry. "The opposition is trying to marginalize and suppress us," he says. "Usually, that happens with positions that are actually minorities. But we're the majority."

Does he ever think that what he sees as an abrupt historical shift is, perhaps, progress? Does it hurt his feelings when people accuse him of prejudice?

"I think," he says, "it's irrational."

When Brown came from California a few months ago, the family moved into a comfortable house in Great Falls, surrounded by trees. His children are precocious and sweet; his wife is gracious and funny.

Sue Brown had never really thought about same-sex marriage until she met Brian. "Obviously, I always realized there were gay people," she says one Friday morning, sitting in the still-sparsely furnished living room. "But I didn't think about them wanting to get married." And once she did: "Initially, I probably thought, well, what's the big deal if they do? What does it have to do with me?"

When she and Brian got engaged, she envisioned normal family life, both of them returning from their jobs -- she was a high school English teacher -- and having family dinner. Now, while he's crusading, she deals with home-schooling the older children and caring for the younger. It hasn't been easy.

"Connecticut was really hard," she says. In Connecticut, they lived on a street with two sets of lesbian parents. One summer a mutual acquaintance threw a neighborhood party. Brian wasn't invited at all, and Sue's invitation came with a note: "We know what Brian does. If your views are not the same, you can come to the party." Sue stayed home.

"I get how [gays and lesbians] feel," she says. "I get that."

She's pictured what it might be like to be on the other side of this debate. "I know many awesome women, and I've thought about what if I got together with one of them" and tried to raise a family.

She has thought through it. She supports her husband. "I can only go by my own experience, and I believe there's a huge difference in gender." The kids don't need Brian "walking in the door because he's another person. They need him because he's a man."

They haven't made a lot of friends here so far. He works endless hours and so does she. Sue starts off by telling people that he's the director of a nonprofit group. If they ask for more information, she tells them it's a nonprofit dedicated to preserving marriage. And then, of course, they ask her about his position on gay marriage. Whether he's for it or against it.

Brian has come into the room. He's late for a conference call and trying to get out the door.
"What time will you be home tonight?" Sue asks.
"Ahhhh . . . "
"Six."
"Well . . . "
"Six. Just say it and do it. Six."

He doesn't quite agree, but he doesn't disagree, either. And then he's out the door, going off to quietly crusade for the hearts and minds of people who, like Brown, pride themselves on being rational, mainstream and sane.

This guy is a wolf in sheep's clothing. He cares not for the loving bond between two people who love each other of the same-sex. He just wants us to remain second class citizens, who, in this country, teach its children, make it beautiful, pay a substantial tax penalty even though we live in same-sex households every time we file our income taxes, preserve the nation's treasures, fight its wars, design its monuments, feed its people, and nurse its ill back to health.

We are, in fact, indentured servants to society, if you will, without the rights and privileges of marriage.

He and his kind like the status quo just fine. As long as we are denied marriage, we are forever subservant to the married class, the truly privledged class in this country.

We have to fight with words, with actions, with Mega hairy muscle hugs!

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Don't cave into the Manscape craze. Dump the Razor, dudes and stay naturally Hairy

I realize that there are more pressing issues in the world today, but when it comes to shaving body hair, that, to me, is an issue worth discussing.

I love male body hair. I am hairy and I want to see other guys embrace what God has given them.

Say NO to the urge to shave and cream away body hair. Take a manly stance.

Mega HAIRY muscle hugs of camaraderie and hirsute bonding. We hairy guys need to stick together.

Men are going hairless in increasing numbers

12:00 AM CDT on Monday, July 13, 2009

By CATHERINE SAINT LOUIS New York Times News Service

American women didn't shave their armpits en masse until the 1920s, after a storm of sleeveless dresses and advertising by depilatory makers that characterized underarm hair as ugly.

By the 1930s, beauty writers scolded women with forests of leg hair under their silk stockings. Decades later, girls coming of age no longer needed to be told their leg hair was unsightly. They got rid of it.

Can the same thing happen with men?

These days, the hair on men's chests, backs, armpits and even "down there" has become suspect – if you believe the marketing campaigns. Several recent online videos created by brands such as Gillette recast body-hair removal as the domain of average Joes.

Having a chest as smooth as Matthew McConaughey's is old hat for competitive swimmers, urbane metrosexuals and some gay men. To play Brüno, a gay fashion reporter who favors hot pants, the formerly hirsute Sacha Baron Cohen endured repeated waxathons.

But evidence from market research and academia indicates that more men are removing body hair. The phenomenon skews to mostly college-age guys or those in their 30s. Reasons run the gamut from Because My Girlfriend Likes It to a desire to flaunt a six-pack or be clean.

"It used to be a hallmark of male models and homosexuals," said Kat Fay, a senior analyst at Mintel, who writes an annual men's grooming report. She added that the high-maintenance primping of metrosexuals was clustered in cities; by contrast, this campaign has "more of an everyday middle-America feel."

Little research has been done on male body depilation. Michael Boroughs, a psychology graduate student at the University of South Florida, has done studies that showed that more than 80 percent of men surveyed at the school use some sort of body depilation. Numbers were similar for gay and straight men.

Unsurprisingly, the loudest voices making the case for so-called manscaping are the creators of shaving gear. What may surprise, however, is how candid the "manscaping" pitches are.

In May, Gillette started a series of videos online suggesting that men go further with body shaving. The rationale varied by part.

Chest? "A sweater should be bought not grown."
Armpits? "An empty stable smells better than a full one."

And their coup de grâce is the groin: "Trees look taller when there's no underbrush."

A muscular cartoon with pixeled privates even shows how to get bare without putting "your equipment at risk."

On the site for Nivea for Men, Jislain Duval, a Canadian model, demonstrates its Active3 shower gel by shaving starlike patterns around his nipples. As he gazes at his private parts, the camera stays waist-up; yet, the scene doesn't leave much to the imagination.

A comely blonde turns feral at the sight of a cleanshaven chest in a video ad for Braun's BodycruZer, a precision trimmer with a Gillette blade.

In late May, Gillette's How to Shave Your Groin video ranked No. 3 on a list of the top online video advertisements compiled by Visible Measures, an Internet video measurement firm.

Showing men removing their body hair normalizes it. "Just having a video that's not threatening is helping them say it's fine," said Nicolas Maurer, the vice president for marketing at Beiersdorf USA, of which Nivea is a brand. "That's a kind of reassurance for guys."

Yet, do women prefer their men sleek? Not necessarily. Hairless armpits can be a deal breaker, which is odd, because those female naysayers may shave their underarms. Constant YouTube presence Asbellgrad commented about a Gillette video: "Trust me, a girl is turned off by a man who shaves his armpits. It's kind of weird and creepy. Unless you're an Olympic swimmer."

Plenty of female commenters online dislike suitors with less body hair than they have. As Eleanorxjane wrote about a chest-shaving video on YouTube, "I want a real man, not one that's trying to look like he's 12 again!"

Having hair on one's chest – as the expression suggests – signals maturity and boldness. Think Hugh Jackman.

Will today's minority of men engaging in body shaving one day be the majority? Boroughs thinks we are on our way. He has heard from bewildered parents whose teenage sons shaved their chests and ended up with ingrown hairs. In the future, Boroughs wonders, "Are prepubescent boys going to feel pressure to shave like girls do?"

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Happy Daddy's Day

Gay pride month and Daddy's Day, two important celebrations of men who we love and who we admire.

Mega hairy muscle hugs wishing you the best Gay Pride month and Daddy's Day ever!!!

Friday, May 08, 2009

Being a gay porn star, definitely a NO NO at conservative Christian Grove City College

I guess separating John Gechter from his alter ego, Vincent DeSalvo, a humpy fuck bud in porn flicks, was difficult at best for several years, but now the truth be told, they are one in the same.

The money was definitely good, but the risk proved to be too much at the end. Exposed and in the public eye, John could only now wish that this attention dies down. It will, but it will be hard for a while.

We all wish John the best. Bad luck just sucks some times.

This is what Randy Blue writes about this hot porn stud:

Vincent is one of those rare guys who just fell into my lap. Literally. I was hanging at the beach with a friend of mine and we just happened to set up our blanket near a bunch of hot guys playing volleyball. We figured it was a perfect spot to take in the scenery… and I guess there was an ocean there, too. There was one guy who caught my eye. His body was absolutely incredible, with a huge bulge in his tight shorts and sweat creating a light sheen over his gorgeous smooth musculature. He laughed a lot throughout the game and when he did he radiated a playfulness that made me think he would be a lot of fun to mess around with. Then, all of a sudden, this this handsome hunk dove for a ball and ended up landing right in the middle of our blanket. Luckily he was unharmed and when he got up he chuckled, apologized and smiled this blinding white, joyful smile.

His name was Vincent DeSalvo and after the game I had to find out more about him. He said he loved the outdoors and his sexy body came from all the athletic activities he enjoyed. I told him what I did for a living and asked if he had ever done any modeling. He said that while he hadn’t modeled before he had been a go-go boy. Then he got this contemplative look on his face for just a moment, then flashed that adorable smile at me and said, ‘hey, I could model for you, right?’ I didn’t really need more than that, I made an appointment and he came in. He has such an innocent look about him that I wasn’t prepared for his bad boy side to emerge. He went from his sweet smile to spitting in his hand to lube his dick with and finger fucking himself while moaning like a bitch in heat. And when he came you could hear it in the next county! Vincent has it all, good looks, a great body and an incredible sexual energy.

But this zealous endorsement has left Grove City College officials stirring in their shoes.

Grove City takes a dim view of student porn star

Friday, May 08, 2009
By Anya Sostek, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

If everything had gone according to plan, John Gechter would have been studying yesterday for a final exam -- one of his last obligations before graduating from Grove City College with a degree in molecular biology.

Instead, he was preparing for an underwear modeling contest last night in New York City.

It's been a tough couple of weeks for Mr. Gechter, who has learned the hard way what happens when you try to use a gay porn career to finance your education at one of America's most conservative Christian colleges.

For the past two years, Mr. Gechter has been paying the bills through his secret life as porn star "Vincent DeSalvo," earning as much as $11,000 per weekend while jetting off to Chicago, Miami and Los Angeles to film more than a dozen videos.

He did so without telling a soul on the 2,300-student campus in Mercer County, not even his roommate of two years.

PG poll
Was the punishment handed down to John Gechter by Grove City College justified? Vote in our poll.

"Porn enabled me to finish school," said the 22-year-old from Reading, Berks County. "Instead of working 40 hours a week as a busboy or a waiter, you do a scene and then you have time to concentrate on schoolwork."

But on April 23, a fellow student found Mr. Gechter's ample body of work on the Internet and forwarded evidence of his secret identity to friends. By the next day, Mr. Gechter estimated that the e-mail had reached two-thirds of the student population -- and he'd landed in a meeting with administrators.

Grove City College promotes itself as "Authentically Christian" and requires students to attend at least 16 chapel services per semester. It prides itslef on its conservative heritage and notes on its Web site that the Young America's Foundation recognized it as one of the Top Ten conservative colleges in the U.S.

The school's student handbook clearly states that "premarital sex, heterosexual or homosexual, or any other such conduct that violates historical Christian standards" is subject to disciplinary action.

Mr. Gechter was charged with sexual misconduct, participation in the public display of pornography and engaging in "conduct that is contrary to the mission and values of Grove City College and likely to bring dishonor to the College."

His punishment: an indefinite suspension and a prohibition from re-applying for admission until the fall of 2010. A Grove City appeals board turned down his initial appeal.

Mr. Gechter had been warned by his mentors and employers in the adult film industry that his identity would likely become known. And he had been careful to keep his adult film career away from campus. Still, he hadn't expected that it might prevent him from graduating.

"I was prepared to be recognized," he said. "I was not prepared for the school to react the way they did."

Grove City released a statement yesterday but declined any further comment.

"The student's suspension resulted from his involvement in the adult pornography industry. The student acknowledged that he was employed in the adult entertainment industry and that he knew that violated the student code of conduct. Throughout this process, his sexual orientation was not a factor in the decision."

Mr. Gechter says he is bisexual.

Though he still has one appeal pending with the provost, he has officially withdrawn from the school. He says he's received nearly 200 "hate mail" e-mails from other students and has even been pelted with fruit salad in the cafeteria.

He hopes to complete the remaining two classes that he needs to graduate elsewhere. But his plans to enroll next year in a master's program in kinesiology at the University of Miami are now on hold.

Ironically, Mr. Gechter ended up at Grove City College in the first place because of the generous financial aid package awarded to him.

With two siblings also in college and his parents unable to provide much financial support, Mr. Gechter said that he had to finance his education by himself. Tuition, room and board at Grove City is just under $20,000 a year.

At first, he went the more traditional route, working at low-paying jobs such as a desk clerk at the school gym, a cook in the student bistro and a waiter.

With schoolwork on top of long hours at low wages, he "really got burned out," he said, and decided to explore modeling jobs.

He signed with the Ohio-based Midwest Model Management Agency, doing mainly "fitness and underwear modeling." At one job, he was approached by a scout who told him that he had the perfect body for the adult film industry.

And while the move from modeling to pornography seems like crossing a fairly large gulf, "when you're actually in the industry, it's not quite as big of a deal," he said.

He would work a couple weekends per month, flying out on Friday and returning Sunday night in time for Monday classes and typically making between $3,000 and $5,000 -- and sometimes as much as $8,000 -- per scene.

Though Mr. Gechter said that his porn career opened doors for him in terms of modeling and possibly acting, he now wishes that he hadn't done it, given the academic consequences and the pain that it has caused his religious family.

When he broke the news, his mother started "praying and fasting." His father was upset, but he said they still love him.

He has retained a lawyer and is contemplating a lawsuit against Grove City. Though he admits that some of his rule violations were fairly clear, he doesn't feel like the school is demonstrating Christian values of love and forgiveness. The whole experience, he said, has caused him to re-examine his Christian beliefs.

"I believe in God, that you are held accountable for what you do, that there are standards of right and wrong," he said.

"If I could do it over again, this is not an option I would pursue. It's something you learn from, and you learn who your true friends are very, very quickly."

Monday, May 04, 2009

It is finally time to repeal, Don't Ask, Don't Tell. We can't let another year go by.

DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL WEAKENS OUR MILITARY, IT DESTROYS LIVES, CAREERS and MOST OF ALL MAKES US FEEL NOT EQUAL TO STRAIGHTS!!!

WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT NOW!!!!

In the Barracks, Out of the Closet

http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/03/in-the-barracks-out-of-the-closet/?hp

President Obama has said he will abolish the 16-year-old “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, which allows gays and lesbians to serve in the military only if they do not disclose their sexual orientation. Nationwide, polls show that a majority of Americans support lifting the ban on openly gay members of the military.

But support in the military’s ranks and among retired officers is mixed. While several prominent retired generals and admirals have urged a repeal, others have said that allowing openly gay people to join the service would hurt recruiting and retention. How would lifting the ban affect the military ranks?

We don't know the answers to this. An Executive Order would, I feel, weaken any chance of Congress passing the repeal. Only Congress should lift this stupid policy.

Write your congressman and senator. Tell him or her that this is just bullshit, and discriminates again gay men and lesbians serving in the military.

Toot your horn and make a soldier proud to be serve openly and gay in our armed forces without retaliation!!!!

They need our Mega Hairy Muscle Hugs of support.

Saturday, March 07, 2009

For Those That It matters,A Reminder to Set your Clocks ahead one hour tonight

This guy knows how to set clocks forward. Just follow him to set your clocks forward tonight. Have a great day and enjoy the extra hour of daylight at the end of the day.

Mega hairy muscle hugs guys. Soon it will be shirtless weather again. WOOF

Friday, February 06, 2009

WOOF, It's Cold Outside. Time to Dream and Plan Getaway Vacations

FYI: This is the newest edition of Damron Men's Travel Guide for 2009.

This should sell really well, given the furry eye candy on the cover.

Damron Men's Travel Guide 2009

The classic gay men's travel guide since 1964. Over 12,000 listings of gay-friendly businesses in the US, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, the Caribbean, South America, Europe & Asia.

Quick facts on everything the gay traveler on the go needs, including accommodations, bars, bookstores, gyms, restaurants, men's clubs and more.Also a yearly calendar of film fests, circuit parties, leather and bear events, conferences, etc.

European cities now include Paris, London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Vienna, Rome, Prague, Dublin, Copenhagen, and Barcelona, Madrid, and Sitges, Spain.

In South America: Buenos Aires, Argentina; Rio de Janeiro & Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Santiago, Chile. In Asia: Tokyo & Bangkok.
$21.95 (online $17.56)

Monday, January 26, 2009

KEEP SAM ADAMS!!!

As those of you who know me and who have read my blog posts over the years know, I do not stray into politics.

I write about man to man relationships, safer sex, and other topics of interest.

But I feel that I have to venture into the political arena concerning the cries for the resignation of Sam Adams.

We Gay Men are not perfect. Gay men are imperfect sexual creatures. Admit it or not, more times than not, we think with our cock before our brain cells shift into action mode.

Sam indeed, acted irrationally. But he is still a great leader. Why have him thrown to the wolves when the voters and others can forgive him, as he humbly asks us to do.

We live in an imperfect world. Gay leaders, I fear, have their heads so entrenched into the gay marriage issue, that any thing or anyone's action that promotes something negative on this issue, is hung "by his balls", for the sake of the cause.

I, for one, am willing to give Sam Adams a second chance. Hell, I guess, any one with the name of Beau Breedlove can be darn seductive. Beau seems to be the heartbreaker. Sam was vulnerable, and this public humility is his "scarlet letter".

But enough is enough. Let Sam Adams continue what the voters of Portland elected him to do, lead a great city through some difficult economic times.

Sam, you have my Mega Hairy Muscle Hugs of support.

Supporters urge Adams not to resign

Portland Business Journal

A phalanx of supporters — including Commissioner Dan Saltzman — urged Mayor Sam Adams not to resign during a Friday gathering inside City Hall.

They lauded Adams’ leadership ability, while pleading for him to ride out the wave of criticism that rocked his administration this week following his admission to lying about a sexual relationship with 18-year-old Beau Breedlove.

“This city, this country, are in very tough times. We have to work hard to do our own efforts to get our economy going,” said Saltzman, speaking publicly on the issue for the first time.

“Frankly, we need Mayor Sam Adams to be leading this City Council.”

Supporters also criticized the Portland media for calling for Adams’ resignation and uncovering his transgressions in the first place.

Willamette Week first broke the story of Adams’ admission Monday evening. Subsequently, four publications — The Oregonian, the Portland Tribune, the Portland Business Journal, and local gay newspaper Just Out — published editorials urging Adams to resign.

“The fact that the media have the right to publish the truth doesn’t mean they should exercise the truth in every circumstance,” Charlie Hinkle, a local attorney at Stoel Rives LLP who specializes in First Amendment issues, said at the rally. “The media spend much too much time in probing the private lives of public officials.”

The news conference was organized by Thomas Lauderdale, a friend of Adams and frontman for the local band Pink Martini. Among the other speakers were prominent business officials such as commercial developer John Russell, and leaders in the arts community, including local singer Storm Large.

Acclaimed director Gus Van Sant, who this week was nominated for an Oscar for his work directing the film “Milk,” issued a statement, read by a proxy at the news conference.

“Portland didn’t elect Sam to dismiss him at the first sign of controversy,” Van Sant wrote.
Supporters are scheduled to host a larger rally at 5:30 p.m. Friday outside City Hall.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Happy New Year. What's Old is New Again.

I recently discovered the works of Marsden Hartley. His art captures the male form as few artists of the 20th century have achieved. His masterpieces are timeless. These models could have lived today.

Below is an exerpt of Mardsen's life and his talent from a press release announcing a special exhibit of his work at the Bates College Museum of Art in Maine.

Born in Lewiston, Maine in 1877 to immigrant parents, Marsden Hartley achieved recognition as a painter and poet late in life.

In a letter dated December 20, 1942, Hartley wrote to his favorite niece Norma Berger, "When I am no longer here my name will register forever in the history of American art." Evidence of the artist’s efforts to establish his name and to fix himself in the collective memory of the public, his friends, and family, can be found throughout the Bates College Museum of Art’s collection.

Hartley’s personal archive not only provides a wealth of information about the artist’s life, relationships, and interests, but demonstrates his attempt to construct both a personal history and a public identity.

Hartley was fascinated with autobiography from the early stages of his career. Through self-portraiture and prolific writing, he chronicled his life partly in an effort to prove to himself that it had been worthwhile. Friends and acquaintances often described the artist as lonely, anxious, frustrated, gloomy, and bitter – yet lighthearted and affectionate "when he thought he was being liked or loved."

In a life largely spent unsettled, collecting photographs of others, and sharing images of himself was a way to maintain relationships and initiate new ones. Hartley’s ongoing struggle to find his place – geographically, philosophically, artistically, and as a gay man – is documented in his writing, reflected in his work, and revealed through a study of his archive.

Along with 99 drawings, the Marsden Hartley Memorial Collection contains a large number of photographs, including personal snapshots, formal portraits, and studio reference materials. As part of the Museum’s collection of Hartley ephemera, these images function as important documents of his life, interests, and studio practices.

Hartley recognized the power of the photographic image and believed in the "honesty" of the medium and its ability to communicate, which he attempted to control. Photography allowed the artist to portray himself in any image he desired: New York modernist, European aesthete, native Mainer.

In honor of this great contemporary American artist, celebrate his works by giving Mega Hairy Muscle Hugs in abundance as we celebrate a new chapter in American history.

Friday, December 19, 2008

HO!HO!HO! Merry Xmas to everyone

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

May Daddy Santa bring you everything you desire: love, peace and joy.

Friday, October 31, 2008

Wishing Everyone a Happy, Hunky and Safe Halloween

Have a Happy and Safe Halloween. BOO!!!!

Friday, September 12, 2008

We Are What We Are. The Biology of Gayness

Born that gay
Do recent neurological studies prove once and for all that homosexuality is biological?
By Robert Burton

http://www.salon.com/env/mind_reader/2008/09/12/gay_neurology/index.html

See what you think after reading this latest scientific study about why we are gay.

Sept. 12, 2008 As the accuracy and resolution of brain imaging improve, we can expect virtually all behavior to be shown to be associated with demonstrable brain changes. It shouldn't come as a surprise that imaging studies of sexual orientation are increasingly revealing anatomic and functional differences between "straight" and "gay" brains. But demonstrating such changes doesn't answer the age-old question of how much our sexual preferences are innate and how much they are fueled by environmental exposure, cultural norms and conscious personal choices.
One way to distinguish the effects of nature from nurture would be to look at brain regions believed by neuro-anatomists to be fully formed at birth and impervious to subsequent environmental effects, both physical and psychological. Focusing on such brain regions, a research team at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, headed by neuroscientist Ivanka Savic, obtained MRIs for 90 adult volunteers -- 25 straight men, 25 straight women, 20 gay men and 20 lesbians. Using the latest quantitative techniques for assessing cerebral symmetry and functional connections between various areas of brain, Savic was able to demonstrate highly statistically significant differences between straight and gay brains. Gay and lesbian brains more closely resembled the brains of straight volunteers of the opposite sex than the brains of heterosexual members of the same sex.

In their study, reported in the June 16, 2008, issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Savic said, "This is the most robust measure so far of cerebral differences between homosexual and heterosexual subjects." Although Savic admits that her study cannot distinguish between genetic or prenatal intrauterine environmental changes, such as relative differences in sex hormone levels, her studies do suggest that our sexual preferences are, at least in large part, determined by the time of birth.

Not long after reading the study, the author got a call from neurologist Jerome Goldstein, M.D., 67, once a fellow resident in the UCSF neurology training program. This fall, Goldstein, an internationally respected headache researcher and sometimes controversial gay activist, is giving a series of lectures on the innate biology of gayness. He was phoning to ask if I had seen the study and if I might write about the latest scientific evidence supporting the biology of gayness. I decided to interview him instead. Goldstein is compact, rapid-talking and constantly on the verge of impatience. Yet during our conversations he was subdued, confessional in tone, with frequent pauses to gather his thoughts; the seriousness of his concerns was palpable.

Jerry, you've been an outspoken gay activist for 40-plus years. Why the sudden interest in the biology of sexual orientation?

I was aware that I was attracted to men by age 8, even though I did not have any gay sexual experiences until I was 19. Meanwhile, despite having no sex or even a clear understanding of what homosexuality meant, virtually everyone that I encountered, including my dear parents, made a point of telling me that homosexuality was dirty, sinful and a phase that would pass.
Beginning my sophomore year in college, and before my first gay experience, I began the endless rounds of psychiatrists and counselors. I even tried to modify my behavior to make it acceptable. Sadly, even though I now know better, and am fully aware of the overwhelming evidence as to the underlying neurobiologic predisposition to gayness, I have never been able to entirely shake this feeling of guilt and wrongdoing. Future generations should be spared. Right now, I'm interested in seeing that good science prevails over outdated, misguided psychology and false-headed thinking that homosexuality is a conscious choice.

Do you think people accept that homosexuality arises out of biological predispositions?

Only on the surface. Down deep, there's a lingering suspicion that, even if the cause is biological, there is something intrinsically wrong with being gay. It has been 35 years since homosexuality was removed from a psychiatric diagnostic category and we [still] don't see the changes in the way people think. Sadly, even our major neurological societies haven't taken a serious look at the biology of sexual orientation. For example, when was the last time that you saw the American Academy of Neurology even address the subject? And the general public? Just listen to right-wing talk show hosts offering to pray for my sins. Or look at the damage caused by the religious right and its "conversion therapy," which attempts to alter an inborn characteristic of human behavior. I don't want pity and sympathy, I want scientific understanding based on logic and reason.

Could you give me a brief rundown of what you think is the most compelling evidence supporting the biology of gayness?

Keep in mind that sexual orientation is exceedingly complex and not reducible to a single gene or hormonal aberration, or explained by demonstrable anatomic brain differences. But by examining multiple lines of evidence, you can begin to connect the dots as to how biology influences sexual preferences. With these caveats in mind, let's look at the history leading up to the present functional imaging studies.

In 1991, Simon LeVay, formerly a professor of neuroscience at Harvard and the Salk Biological Institute, claimed to have discovered specific anatomic differences between gay and straight brains, primarily in a region of the hypothalamus believed to have a major influence on sexual behavior. By the way, this region's fetal development is greatly influenced by the levels of intrauterine testosterone, a major reason why intrauterine shifts of sex hormone levels are thought by some researchers to contribute to sexual preference.

But LeVay's work was considered controversial, nonreproducible, and part of a gay political agenda. The real take-away was the promise that neuroscience might one day offer better insights into the origins of homosexuality.

At the same time, there were a variety of quasi-scientific studies claiming to uncover markers for "gay tendencies." One suggested that you could tell whether or not you're gay by whether your hair whorl -- that patch of hair on the crown of your head -- curled clockwise or counterclockwise. Another suggested that you could tell by the relative symmetry of your second and fourth digits. Those studies weren't exactly good science and certainly didn't make the biology of sexual orientation an attractive area for basic research funding.

Early genetic studies also ran into major criticisms. In the early '90s, Dean Hamer of the National Cancer Institute raised the possibility of "a gay gene." His studies met the same criticisms asserting that that single genes don't cause complex behavior. On a YouTube video, Hamer denies the idea of a single gene for gayness.

But what has emerged from the genetic approach is incontrovertible evidence that sexual preference runs in families. Several independent large-scale studies show that a man with a gay identical twin brother will have between a 33 and 52 percent chance of being gay -- a rate far higher than is seen in the general population. But even here, one could argue that half to two-thirds of genetically similar twins will not have the same sexual orientation. Naysayers have used this fact as evidence that, even in the face of similar genetics, each of us retains the ability to consciously choose and control our sexual preferences.

Of course, this is a ridiculous argument. Genes can be variably expressed, depending upon environmental factors. And no one is saying that genes are the sole cause of sexual behavior; nongenetic factors are likely to also play a major role. It's entirely conceivable that identical twins with a similar genetic predisposition for homosexuality but exposed to different intrauterine testosterone levels will end up with different sexual orientations.

Let's talk about your take on the new brain-imaging studies.

Begin with Dr. Savic's work on pheromones. It's fairly common knowledge that, throughout the animal kingdom, sniffing chemicals secreted by other members of the same species -- pheromones -- can invoke innate behaviors such as a flight response in aphids, aggression in bees, trail marking in ants. We forgive our pet cat for marking our favorite couch as "her territory." All of these are basic survival techniques with clear evolutionary benefits. Ditto for chemicals involved in "being in heat."

What's fascinating about Savic and her colleagues' study was their ability to test the role of pheromones in identifying human sexual orientation.

Functional imaging studies or PET scans of heterosexual controls were compared with a group of gay and lesbian volunteers. All subjects were asked to sniff gender-specific sex-hormone-like compounds: AND for the androgen-like pheromones secreted by males and EST for the estrogen-like pheromones secreted by females.

To enhance normal reproduction, you'd expect that males would be attracted to EST and females to AND. But Savic found that these self-declared gays and lesbians process these pheromones differently than their heterosexual counterparts.

When exposed to the male pheromone AND, homosexual men tended to respond similarly to heterosexual women, both in brain location and degree of activation. On the other hand, gay women responded to EST similarly to straight men.

In short, it looks as though straight men and gay women processed similarly while the converse is true for straight women and gay men.

But her pheromone study still doesn't answer the nature-nurture question. These PET scan differences could reflect the consequences of a behavior rather than necessarily being indicative of the cause of the behavior.

But that's what makes her study so important, and allows her to draw the most important conclusion -- that sexual orientation is determined prior to exposure to life's environmental influences. Savic has assured me that these findings aren't "learned" but rather reflect either genetic or intrauterine developmental differences. And, unlike some of the early researchers, Savic can't be accused of having a gay political agenda or bias. Her field was originally epilepsy research. She inadvertently stumbled onto the pheromone sex differences while studying how smells might trigger temporal lobe epilepsy.

You've seen the studies. How impressive are the differences?

There are obvious-to-the-naked-eye differences in cerebral symmetry and in the functional connections in various portions of the limbic system, including the differing degrees of connectivity between amygdala and other brain regions critical for emotional responsiveness. It's as though you can actually see the brain changes that most gays have always suspected; and, believe me, it's a great relief to realize that these findings are clearly present at birth and aren't anyone's "fault." They simply are [present] in the same way that one has blue eyes or red hair.

No more and no less.

In thinking about sexual orientation as a choice, isn't there also the problem of how unconscious biological traits affect conscious decisions?

Of course. In a way, choosing a sex partner is like choosing what you eat; it might feel like a choice, but biology plays a major, though unconscious, role.

I presume that you are alluding to the recent studies of the genetics of taste?

Yes. Take our ability to taste bitterness. A single gene, isolated in 2003, determines whether or not foods such as Brussels sprouts are experienced as bitter. Remember how our parents insisted that we could learn to like Brussels sprouts; if we didn't, we were accused of being finicky eaters, or worse. Now, we would be sent for genetic testing.

Are you equating homosexuality with a taste for Brussels sprouts?

Very interesting and funny. But sex is much more complex and emotionally charged as a point of discussion than taste. But yes, in a larger sense, genetics helps determine the shape of desire.

Are you suggesting that outside influences -- parental, peer group and general cultural -- aren't important in determining our sexual preferences?

Not entirely. I'm saying that these influences are far less potent than the biological. Certainly there are a variety of strictly environmental circumstances, such as long-term prison incarceration, that might trigger homosexual behavior. But then you run into the reverse argument. Given that lots of men are confined to prison, only some end up with homosexual behavior. Perhaps these circumstances still reflect a combination of biology and environment. Right now, all bets are off.

There is the additional problem that you discussed at length in your recent book, "On Being Certain," namely, how conscious decisions can be affected by unconscious biological mechanisms. The same biology that affects our sexual desires may also affect how we consciously think about these desires.

In a separate study (PDF), Savic has shown that differential responses to pheromones even affect how we determine the relative masculinity or femininity of facial images. Savic presented male volunteers with a series of facial images and asked them to rate the faces on a scale of masculine to feminine. When inhaling a masculine pheromone, the volunteers perceived the faces to be more masculine than when they were exposed to estrogen-like pheromones.

What's so intriguing about this study is that it shows how simple chemicals can actually affect our visual perception of gender. It's not a great leap of imagination to see how these same chemicals might influence whether an adolescent male chooses to read a muscle magazine or Playboy.

Do you think these studies can help counter fundamentalist arguments that homosexuality is evil?

Accepting sexual preference as an innate characteristic is an essential first step. But this sidesteps the more deep-seated gut sense that homosexuality isn't natural and goes against the laws of nature. This argument can be partially defused by recognizing how ubiquitous homosexual behavior is in the animal kingdom -- starting with the lowliest fruit fly. I'm sure you're aware that there is a single gene, which, in the fruit fly, can turn on and off homosexual behavior.

But in the end, I suspect that real acceptance will only come about when we have a much more comprehensive view of how the mind works, including how we make conscious choices versus how much of our apparent willfulness arises out of involuntary biological mechanisms.

Let's all pay homage to the fruit fly by grabbing your snuggle buddy and giving him "Mega Hairy Muscle hugs". And forget the mind games, after all, we are what we are.

So remember to eat your brussel sprouts. And throw in some spinach for good measure.

Your musclebear Popeye may be closer than you think. WOOF.

Saturday, September 06, 2008

Love Your Body, And All of Your Body Parts, But Make Sure It is the Best Body It Can Be.

The following is from the current issue of the Advocate.

See what you think.

The Naked Truth

Twenty-two people of all shapes and sizes strip down, pose, and spill their guts about what they love and hate about their bodies.

Click the byline to view more stories by this author.Photography by Eric Schwabel
A shorter version of this story appeared in The Advocate September 23, 2008

They say you can see a person’s soul if you stare into his eyes—but perhaps the quickest way to really know someone is to have him take off his clothes. That’s why we asked 22 people to undress and bare their insecurities. Some of their hang-ups are unexpected (Really? Too big!?), others are heart-wrenching. All of them will have you looking at yourself differently the next time you’re naked. Click on the links below for profiles, photos, and video for each of the participants.

Jim Andre, 60San Luis Obispo, Calif.Likes: arms, chest Dislikes: waistline
Gustavo Marzolla, 32Belo Horizonte, Brazil Likes: face, chest Dislikes: legs
Willam Belli, 24Philadelphia Likes: nose, torso Dislikes: scarred left leg
Dasha Snyder, 38Baltimore Likes: brain and feet—“because they get me where I’m going”Dislikes: scarred abdomen
Patrick Henry, 40Taos, N.M.Likes: chest hair and muscle Dislikes: weight—too skinny
Chad Darnell, 35Atlanta Likes: hands Dislikes: stomach
Trevor Wayne, 30All over the Midwest Likes: everything that’s tattooed Dislikes: forehead
Mark Hersh, 39Newport Beach, Calif.Likes: chest, eyes Dislikes: abs, buttocks
Sean Ching, (age undisclosed)Hawaii Likes: his muscles Dislikes: he sometimes feels fat
Jim Morris, 73New York City Likes: body Dislikes: face
Rodrigo Toledo, 32Rio de Janeiro Likes: hands, chest Dislikes: that he breaks out
Jeff Lukomski, 44Detroit Likes: smile, eyes Dislikes: penis -- too big
Calpernia Addams, 37Nashville Likes: eyes Dislikes: “I’m too tall and too big”
Shawnee Harkins, 26Dallas Likes: arms, shoulders, triceps, rear Dislikes: abs

Corey Saucier, 31Los Angeles Likes: masculine frame Dislikes: stomach
J.T. Chestnut, 19Rock Ridge–Wilson, N.C.Likes: legs Dislikes: belly button, nose
Jim Howley, 33Hilliard, Ohio Likes: heart, eyes Dislikes: “I love all of myself”
Alex LiMandri, 30Metz, France Likes: chest Dislikes: legs
Carlos Fierros, 23Oakley, Calif.Likes: face, legs Dislikes: stomach
Profiles by Neal Broverman, Kyle Buchanan, Japhy Grant

Be happy with your body, but strive to make it the best body it can be.

There is no such thing as the Adonis look. Male Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder.

Some parts we can never really appreciate about ourselves, because we never see them in the right light. So graciously accept any and all comments about your strong back, shoulders, and butt cheeks.

As I have stated earlier, I can find at least something positive, great, erotic, about every male body. So check out your assets, work on what's great about your body, accentuate the positive, and go for it.

I challenge you to a 60 day hunky bod workout. Let me know how it goes.

Giving you mega hairy muscle hugs of encouragement. You got the bod, now make it happen.

Friday, August 01, 2008

Gaydar by the numbers. Just How Accurate Is It?

Gay-dar, Quantified

How long does it take to decide if a man is gay?

It turns out that people make their decisions within 50 milliseconds of seeing someone, and that first instinct is accurate the majority of the time, according to research by Nick Rule and Nalini Ambady of Tufts University who have a study in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.
Via BPS Research Digest

Twenty-two male and sixty-eight female undergrads were presented with photos of 90 men's faces (half were homosexual) .

The anonymous photos were taken from an internet dating site where posters stated their sexual orientation.

Any photos featuring facial hair, glasses or jewelery were not used. (Now that sucks. All bears with facial hair ere excluded f rom the process)

At a quick glance, the presentation was too quick for the students to consciously 'see' the faces and, perhaps unsurprisingly, their ability to determine the men's sexuality was no better than if they were simply guessing.

However, at a slightly longer glance - just long enough for the faces to be consciously seen - the students' accuracy grew to 57 per cent, which is significantly better than chance performance.

Accuracy didn't increase with the longer exposure times, suggesting that all the relevant information for making the judgment had already been extracted after a quick glance.

In a second study, the researchers guarded against the possibility that the men in the dating photographs had deliberately accentuated their sexuality. This time photos were taken from the social website Facebook, where they had been posted by people other than the subjects of the photos (so deliberate accentuation of sexuality was less likely). Again, from just a glance exposure to men's faces, the 15 undergraduate participants were able to recognise the men's sexual orientation with an accuracy better than chance.

But that 57 percent success rate means that almost half of the guys initially perceived to be gay aren't.

I don't think this really proves anything. But it's a fun topic to banter around during your next cookout.

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Buff's Tufftalk

Friday, June 18, 2010

Friday, April 16, 2010

Sunday, April 04, 2010

Friday, December 04, 2009

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Friday, August 28, 2009

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Friday, May 08, 2009

Monday, May 04, 2009

Saturday, March 07, 2009

Friday, February 06, 2009

Monday, January 26, 2009

Friday, January 16, 2009

Friday, December 19, 2008

Friday, October 31, 2008

Friday, September 12, 2008

Saturday, September 06, 2008

Friday, August 01, 2008

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