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Some people are depressed by situational causes, while others may be genetically predisposed to depression. Learn how to understand the cause of your depression.

By Beth W. Orenstein
Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH

Depression can certainly be caused by life events or situations, such as during the loss of a loved, after losing your job, while getting a divorce, or when bills pile up and you can't see a way out from under them. But some people experience depression symptoms without being able to pinpoint an obvious cause.

“There are many cases in which a person is feeling depressed and they may not know why,” says Felicia Wong, MD, a psychiatrist in practice in Los Angeles. In fact, people who go through major depression often don’t have a situational cause, says Dr. Wong. “Situations such as a divorce or a loss can exacerbate depression, but there are people who get depressed for no apparent reason.”

Research shows that there is no one cause of depression, but rather, there are many factors — genetic, environmental, and psychological — that can cause feelings of depression, says Joseph Shrand, MD, medical director of the High Point Treatment Center in Brockton, Mass.

“There are some people whose life can be perfect,” says Dr. Shrand, “but they have this sense of gloom and doom.” Just as some people are susceptible to diabetes and high blood pressure, some are susceptible to depression, which is a disorder like the others, but it affects the brain, Shrand explains.

Symptoms of Depression

When family and friends ask you what’s making you depressed, it’s okay to be honest and say you don’t know. If you are feeling depressed for a prolonged period of time, you should get evaluated by a mental health professional, especially if you experience any of these depression symptoms for more than two weeks:

Having persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" feelings
    Feeling hopeless
    Feeling guilty, helpless, or worthless
    Being irritable
    Losing interest in activities that you normally like and enjoy doing
    Being tired and having little or no energy
    Having difficulty concentrating or making decisions
    Having difficulty sleeping or sleeping all the time
    Eating too much or not eating at all because you’ve lost your appetite
    Having thoughts of suicide
    Having physical pain such as headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not respond to treatment

Finding Effective Treatment for Depression

Because of the stigma associated with mental health disorders, some people are reluctant to seek treatment for depression. However, feeling depressed doesn’t mean you have a character flaw or that you’re inadequate in any way. If you have feelings of depression and they don’t go away, you should take action, Shrand says.

Since depression causes can affect treatment, it’s also important to determine whether a situation or a predisposition to depression is the cause of your overwhelming sadness. “If a person is feeling a little down, but they can identify the reasons why, they might be able to make adjustments in their lives to cope with it,” Wong explains.

But if you continue to feel depressed for prolonged periods of time and you can’t figure out why, you should seek the help of a mental health professional such as a psychologist, psychiatrist, or social worker. “It can be difficult to get out of a depression on your own,” Wong says. “But there are trained professionals who can help you through those difficult phases and back to your normal, happy self.”

Treatment for depression often includes medication, such as antidepressants; lifestyle recommendations, including exercise, stress management, and dietary changes; and psychotherapy to help uncover the cause of your depression. Putting your feelings into words can be very powerful, says Shrand. And with professional help, appropriate treatment, and the right lifestyle changes, you can improve your mood and overcome your depression.

Be honest with the first guy and tell him you have been invited to visit a friend for a Holiday. Then if the questions you fear come up with guy #1 again be honest. You do not have any commitment to break with #1.

You are young in your coming out process and IMHO you need to enjoy your life for now and let things go as destined.

The chances of falling in love should be the last thing on your mind. Love comes in it's own time to all of us if that is what we desire.

You need experience with the Gay Community and it's members for your own growth.

My preferred method would be to suggest you start with butt plugs. They come in various sizes from small to humongous ~ chose your first one wisely ~ and they have the added benefit of locking in place. And once it is locked in place you can use your muscles to push it out and in in a fucking motion. Butt plugs almost never be pushed out using just your muscles for a beginner. Used properly and in stages I think you will find this the best way to gain the control of the muscles in the anus. Then one day you will wake up to find you have become a POWER BOTTOM  >:D

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This is closest I can get to your pic from them.

I searched using cod piece leather jockstrap and found several sites I have never heard of before. The first link was for Jocks & Codpieces - Backlash Leather hXXp://backlashleather.com/jock2.html

These are the closest I've found but there are other links using that search criteria. These two are not jock straps and have a thong fit instead. Bad news if you are a bottom.

Most sellers extol benefits with little mention of potential health hazards, study finds.

By Randy Dotinga, HealthDay News

TUESDAY, May 7, 2013 (HealthDay News) — If you're a man suffering from low energy or libido, the drug industry is eager to help. So-called "Low T" — low testosterone — has become a common catch phrase in TV commercials, and sales of testosterone supplements are on the rise in the United States.

But a new study suggests that many clinics aren't disclosing the risks of testosterone treatment on their websites.

Researchers found that fewer than a third of 70 clinic websites mentioned the side effects of testosterone, although almost all touted potential benefits of treatment like improved sex drive and greater energy. Twenty-one percent, meanwhile, incorrectly denied that hormone treatment is linked to significant side effects.

Study co-author Dr. Kevin McVary, chairman of urology at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, criticized the clinics that failed to be open about the risks of testosterone treatment. "It's unprofessional, and it reeks of snake oil," he said. "People should beware of using the Internet for medical advice regarding testosterone."

Testosterone, which is mainly produced in the testicles, is considered the male hormone (although it does occur in smaller quantities in women). Testosterone levels dip as men grow older. According to the Urology Care Foundation, researchers have found that about 20 percent of men over the age of 60 have low testosterone, which can lead to low libido, weak erections and fatigue.

Testosterone supplements are now available in a variety of forms, including injections, patches and gels that patients rub into the skin. The cost can run from $75 to $300 a month, said Dr. John Amory, a professor of medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle.

While testosterone treatment can indeed be beneficial, the side effects can include lower levels of healthy HDL cholesterol, increased male pattern baldness and possible harm to prostate health, Amory said.

Oral testosterone can lead to liver problems, study co-author McVary said, and testosterone overuse — such as by some bodybuilders — can lead to rage, acne, congestive heart failure and worsening of urinary symptoms.

In the new study, the researchers looked at the websites of 70 providers of testosterone supplements in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City and Philadelphia. One-third were run by people who weren't physicians.

Only 27 percent described side effects of testosterone supplements, while 95 percent touted benefits. About a third of the sites run by urologists or endocrinologists described male breast growth as a potential risk. Seven percent of all the sites, however, denied breast growth as a potential side effect.

Amory said the new research appears to be valid and reflects "my impression of the way in which this [testosterone] is being oversold to patients."

McVary and Amory said they don't know if the clinics are acting legally when they omit information about testosterone risks. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires drug companies to describe the risks of prescription medications in their ads.

What to do? When it comes to medical information on the Internet, McVary said, "only go to legitimate sites that are sponsored by a medical organization that is known to you."

The findings were scheduled to be released Tuesday at the American Urological Association annual meeting in San Diego. The data and conclusions should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Renato Barucco

Transgender Family Program Manager, Community Healthcare Network

What comes into your mind when you think about condoms? Protection and safety? Sex and latex? Unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections? Boredom? Something that most likely will not come into your mind is criminal intent. Nevertheless, in some contexts, condoms can be considered vehicles of illegal activities. They can be confiscated and prohibited.

Sex in correctional facilities is illegal, so condoms are labeled as contraband in most prisons and jails. Administrators fear negative consequences, including increases in sex encounters, drug trafficking and rape. These concerns are not supported by existing literature. What we know for a fact is that sexual assaults are largely prevalent in prisons. The Bureau of Justice reports that nearly one in 10 prisoners is raped while incarcerated, either by other inmates or by staff members. Sex slavery and consensual encounters are known realities. A powerful and disturbing account of these dynamics is narrated by T.J. Parsell in Fish: A Memoir of a Boy in a Man's Prison. The Center of Disease Control reports that more than 2 million people are incarcerated in U.S. jails, and that according to the most recent data, 20,449 state prisoners and 1,538 federal prisoners are living with HIV or AIDS. One in seven persons living with HIV passes through a correctional facility. The prevalence of HIV, other sexually transmitted infections, tuberculosis and viral hepatitis, in conjunction with the ban on condoms, sets the stage for a public health disaster. Meanwhile, findings from jail systems that experimented with condom distribution programs suggest that prevention initiatives do not increase sex and do not affect custody operations, and that they enhance prisoners' awareness about safer sex. So why are condoms still illegal?

Outside prisons, on our streets, there are other laws that interfere with condom use. Police can seize condoms as evidence of prostitution and to support arrest. Sex workers in New York, D.C., Los Angeles and San Francisco, primarily transgender sex workers, are sadly very familiar with this issue. Many women are afraid to carry condoms, others create secret compartments in their purses, and some decide to work without them. Says D., a transgender woman collaborating with prevention programs in New York City:

Cops harass me often because they perceive me as being transgender. One night I was on Jackson Avenue in Queens volunteering for a LGBT organization. A cop wanted to arrest me because I was carrying safer sex packages. I explained him that I was doing street outreach. He wouldn't believe me. Thankfully my colleagues were not too far. It just doesn't make any sense: the Department of Health spends money and energy to distribute condoms and the police confiscate them.

Part of the issue is that many people could not care less about the health and safety of prisoners and prostitutes. They see incarcerated persons as a threat to society. They think that women and men who are on the streets selling their bodies should simply deal with the risks associated with their profession.

This line of thinking is not only cruel but intellectually faulty. Some 95 percent of prisoners will eventually be released, go back to their communities and date your sisters, colleagues and best friends. And sex workers are not having sex by themselves; they get paid by your sons and husbands and your kids' teachers.

If human rights are not your concern, the well-being of the community should be. Initiatives that effectively address prevention of HIV and other infections in populations at high risk for HIV or in contexts of high HIV prevalence contribute to the nationwide response to the epidemic.

For this reason it is essential to raise awareness of ongoing issues relating to access to prevention tools. After all, cops, laws and condoms share, or should share, one important goal: our protection.

For Receptive Anal Intercourse, Could Be World's First Specifically For Anal Sex

A few weeks ago we introduced you to a brand new condom design that could revolutionize the way people have safer sex.

Now the trend continues with another new condom prototype from Origami Condoms, the R.A.I. (Receptive Anal Intercourse) condom, which the company claims is the world's first to be specifically designed for this activity.

As the instructive video above shows, the condom utilizes columns that expand and contract inside the body during intercourse. Origami's website offers two advantages to using the R.A.I. condom instead of a traditional condom:

1. Easy insertion method that positions and anchors the condom internally and 2. The tubular structure of the condom provides a natural internal liner for the penis in the internally lubricated condom.

The site also states that the condom is "intended to provide a receptive partner with the initiative to use a condom without negotiation."

Queerty notes that if the condoms are approved they could be in stores as soon as 2015.

ORIGAMI Receptive Anal Intercourse Condom

The ORIGAMI R.A.I. Condom (O.R.A.I.) is a dedicated condom designed exclusively for receptive anal intercourse. It is worn internally by a receptive male/female partner. It is intended to facilitate a pleasurable and safe experience for both partners, increase its acceptability, improve sensation and comfort, and influence consistent condom compliance for those who engage in anal intercourse and are at risk for contracting HIV/AIDS, and STI/STD. It is intended to provide a receptive partner with the initiative to use a condom without negotiation.

Unlike the off-label use of the rolled latex male condom, the O.R.A.I. is designed to CREATE direct tactile contact and reciprocating motion of the penis inside the internally lubricated condom. The insertive partner does not need to wear a condom, thus creating an experience closer to ‘sex without a condom’. The O.R.A.I. does not require unrolling. Following anorectal insertion, intercourse would begin normally without the disruption of intimacy. It is intended to provide an alternative strategy to help prevent HIV/AIDS, STIs, STDs.

The unique O.R.A.I. is designed to provide two important innovative advantages; 1. Easy insertion method that positions and anchors the condom internally, and 2. The tubular structure of the condom provides a natural internal liner for the penis in the internally lubricated condom.

Conventional latex or animal skin, rolled, male condoms, are not tested or FDA/C-Mark approved for anal use. The O.R.A.I. Condom is engineered in silicone, validated through independent pre-clinical testing to be 100% biocompatible and 100% viral-impermeable.

​

To reach the market the O.R.A.I. condom must be approved by the FDA, the WHO and C-Mark (EU) to meet rigorous safety standards. The O.R.A.I. Condom began clinical trials in Boston, MA in collaboration with the research department at The Fenway Institute.  Large-scale clinical trials will follow to determine its performance safety. It is expected to reach the market in early 2015, pending regulatory approvals.

ORIGAMI Male Condom

The ORIGAMI Male Condom (OMC) is the first non-rolled, injection- molded, engineered, silicone condom intended to facilitate a pleasurable and safe sexual experience for the male wearer and his female partner. It is intended to increase consumer acceptability, safety, comfort, and to increase consistent condom compliance for those who engage in vaginal intercourse.  The OMC is in clinical research to protect against HIV/AIDS, STD/STI and it will also be tested as an effective contraception strategy.

Unlike the conventional rolled latex condom (indirect transferred sensation), the OMC is designed to CREATE sensation internally with direct tactile contact. It provides a reciprocating motion of the penis inside the internally lubricated condom (not possible with rolled latex condoms).

The OMC is a structurally engineered silicone design that independently tested non-allergenic and viral-impermeable. The OMC does not require unrolling.

The folded design provides two important innovations; 1. The accordion-folded OMC condom easily drapes onto the penis in less . seconds before intercourse in one quick single movement and no disruption of intimacy, and 2. Consistent expansion/contraction of the condom provides a natural reciprocating motion of the penis against the internally lubricated condom.

To reach the market the OMC must be reviewed by the FDA, the WHO and C-Mark (EU) to meet rigorous safety standards. The OMC began clinical trials in Los Angeles, CA in collaboration with the Department of Research at the California Family Health Council.  Large-scale clinical trials will follow to determine its performance safety. The OMC is expected to reach the market in early 2015, pending regulatory approvals.

What do you think? Would you try it?

Gay men are having sex with fewer partners according to a new report.

Data from the last two National Surveys of Family Growth indicated that gay and bisexual men reported fewer partners in the previous year in a survey conducted between 2006 and 2010 compared to one conducted in 2002.

According to the report:

The mean number of male sexual partners MSM reported in the previous year fell significantly from 2.9 to 2.3 between the two surveys (p = 0.035) and was more marked in men under 24 years old (mean 2.9 to 2.1 partners, p = 0.027). The number of partners also fell in men aged 35 to 44 from 3.0 to 2.2, though this was not quite statistically significant (p = 0.07).

Among the other revelations the data found: In 2002, 57 percent of men had not used a condom the last time they had anal sex, compared to 58 percent in 2006-2010. Meanwhile, while the proportion of those surveyed who also had sex with women decreased (from 38 to 25 percent), condom use among this group also dropped.

Check out the full report here. hXXp://www.aidsmap.com/Consistent-decline-in-partner-numbers-in-US-gay-men-in-last-decade-but-no-change-in-condom-use/page/2635086/

Check out a selection of statistics from the report @   hXXp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/06/gay-men-partner-survey_n_3223447.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

ABC News, Washington Post Survey Finds Support For Same-Sex Marriage, Ending Boy Scout Ban

upport for gay rights – from ending the controversial ban on gay participants in Boy Scouts to legalizing same-sex marriage -- is surging throughout the United States, according to a new survey.

The poll, conducted by ABC News and The Washington Post, 55 percent of Americans say they support the right of same-sex couples to legally tie the knot. Meanwhile, seven out of 10 said they backed NBA veteran Jason Collins' decision to come forward about his sexual orientation in a Sports Illustrated Op-Ed.

According to officials, the poll used a random national sample of 1,008 adults contacted by landline and cell phone May 1-5, 2013.

The results are largely in line with other recent polls. A December survey, released by POLITICO and George Washington University, showed that, out of 1,000 likely voters, 40 percent of respondents said they support marriage equality, while 30 percent said they supported civil unions.

Meanwhile, an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released in April found that 63 percent of Americans believed the federal government should recognize gay marriages performed in states that have legalized them.

Los Angeles Daily News  |  By Susan Abram

Following Los Angeles County's lead, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted to pass an urgency ordinance to require the use of condoms in adult film shoots.

The proposal mimics Measure B, which was approved by Los Angeles County voters last year and has led porn companies to scale back filming there and consider moving their operations to neighboring counties. The board's unanimous vote on an urgency basis means the ordinance would take effect immediately in the unincorporated areas of Ventura County, which cover about 95,000 people. Incorporated cities would have to pass their own measures, with Camarillo's City Council expected to consider today extending a moratorium on adult film permits for another 10 months.

Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks, who introduced the motion, said residents reported seeing an increase in porn shoots and became concerned. "The reason we're seeing that uptick is because of Los Angeles County's law," she said. "There definitely was a public groundswell. There were a lot of concerned residents, especially from one neighborhood."

In a report to the board, Parks and Supervisor Kathy Long focused on concerns about the spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

"Public health research has documented widespread transmission of sexually transmitted diseases by unprotected sexual activity such as occurs in the adult film industry in the metropolitan

Los Angeles area," Parks and Long wrote. "The purpose of the proposed urgency ordinance is to prevent and reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases."

Like Measure B, which was created and supported by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors measure also requires adult film studios to apply for public health permits and for the county Department of Public Health to lead inspection and enforcement efforts.

But a lawsuit filed by Universal City-based Vivid Entertainment LLC against Los Angeles County in federal court is still pending, and its outcome could affect all ordinances like Measure B. The lawsuit claims Measure B violates actors' rights to free speech and expression.

"A ruling in our current lawsuit will control all communities," said attorney Paul Cambria, who is representing Vivid.

Although a state law already mandates condom use on adult film sets, enforcement has been based largely on performers' complaints to the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Earlier this year, Assemblyman Isadore Hall, D-Compton, introduced a bill that would expand Measure B's criteria statewide. Hall said the issue was one of work safety. The bill is expected to be heard today by the Committee on Appropriations.

Michael Weinstein, director of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, called Ventura County's decision brave.

"We're seeing a tide of history here," Weinstein said. "The overriding opinion here is that health and safety does not impede on freedom of speech. The idea that the industry can pull out and go somewhere else is not credible. We said from day one that we are not against porn. We're trying to make it safer."

The adult film industry largely opposes mandatory condom use and public health permitting, arguing the rules would cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars and that self-regulation works fine.

The Canoga Park-based Free Speech Coalition, which represents the adult film industry, called Ventura County's ordinance misguided.

"Rates of STDs in the adult performer population have been successfully managed by industry self-regulation since 1998, in the form of STD testing for performers every 14-28 days," said Joanne Cachapero, spokeswoman for the Coalition. "Populations (in the public) where rates of HIV and STDs are spiking do not include the adult performer population, and for our opponents and local officials to continue to vilify industry members as vectors of disease is inaccurate and deplorable."

Associated Press/The Wilmington News-Journal, Daniel Sato - Delaware Gov. Jack Markell signs the marriage equality bill on the steps of Legislative Hall in Dover, Del. on Tuesday, May 7, 2013, after it was approved by the Delaware Senate earlier that afternoon.

By RANDALL CHASE

DOVER, Del. (AP) — Mikki Snyder-Hall married her partner, Claire, in California in 2008, and moved two years ago to Rehoboth, a gay-friendly Delaware beach town.

Now they're looking forward to July 1, when Delaware officially becomes the 11th state in the nation to allow same-sex marriage after Gov. Jack Markell signed a gay marriage bill into law Tuesday.

"As of July, we are considered married," said Snyder-Hall said. The couple said that while they don't intend to have another wedding ceremony, they may have another reception to celebrate their new legal status in Delaware.

Markell, a Democrat, signed the measure into law just minutes after its passage by the state Senate on Tuesday.

"I do not intend to make any of you wait one moment longer," a smiling Markell told about 200 jubilant supporters who erupted in cheers and applause following the 12-9 Senate vote barely half an hour earlier.

"Delaware should be, is and will be a welcoming place to live and love and to raise a family for all who call our great state home," Markell said.

Delaware's same-sex marriage bill was introduced in the Democratic-controlled legislature barely a year after the state began recognizing same-sex civil unions. The bill won passage two weeks ago in the state House on a 23-18 vote.

While it doesn't give same-sex couples any more rights or benefits under Delaware law than they have in civil unions, supporters argued that same-sex couples deserve the dignity and respect of married couples. They also noted that if the U.S. Supreme Court strikes down the Defense of Marriage Act, which bars married gay couples from receiving federal benefits, civil unions would not provide protections or tax benefits under federal law to same-sex couples in Delaware.

"All couples under the law should be treated equally by their government," Lisa Goodman, president of Equality Delaware, a gay rights group that drafted the legislation and led the effort to get it passed, told lawmakers near the end of Tuesday's three-hour debate.

Under the bill, no new civil unions will be performed in Delaware after July 1, and existing civil unions will be converted to marriages over the next year. The legislation also states that same-sex unions established in other states will be treated the same as marriages under Delaware law.

Scott Forrest, 50, of Newark said he and his partner of almost 21 years, Kevin Fenimore, look forward to having the civil union they entered into last year converted to marriage.

"I am elated," he said.

Lambda Legal, a national gay rights advocacy group, applauded passage of Delaware's gay marriage bill.

"Today, we celebrate with the thousands of Delaware same-sex couples and their children who will soon be able to have the full recognition and respect accorded to married families," Susan Sommer, director of constitutional litigation at Lambda Legal, said in a statement.

Tuesday's debate included the first public acknowledgment by Sen. Karen Peterson, D-Stanton, that she is a lesbian. Saying she and her partner of 24 years entered into a civil union last year, Peterson rejected the notion that people choose to be gay, any more than they choose to be heterosexual.

"We are what God made us. We don't need to be fixed, we're not broken," said Peterson, 63, adding that if her pursuit of happiness affects someone else's marriage, perhaps they need to work on their marriage.

But opponents of gay marriage, including scores of conservative religious leaders from across the state, argued that same-sex marriage redefines and destroys a centuries-old institution that is a building block of society.

"Let's be careful about the concept of social evolution," said the Rev. Leonard Klein, a Roman Catholic priest speaking on behalf of the bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington, which serves more than 200,000 Catholics in Delaware and Maryland's Eastern Shore.

"When you remove male and female from the definition of marriage, all bets are off," added Klein, who urged lawmakers to show an "appropriate humility" for thousands of years of human experience.

Opponents also argued that the gay marriage will bring unintended and unforeseen consequences on broader issues ranging from religious freedom to school curricula and could be used as a basis to argue for acceptance of even more forms of marriage, such as polygamy.

"We're about to change the entire definition of marriage in order to make people feel good about themselves," said the Rev. Chuck Betters, pastor of Glasgow Reformed Presbyterian Church in Bear. Betters recounted how he became the subject of scathing attacks in social media recently after posting a sign outside his church suggesting that Christianity was more powerful than the movement for gay marriage.

The new law does not force clerics to perform same-sex marriages that conflict with their religious beliefs. But under an existing Delaware law banning discrimination based on sexual orientation, business owners who refuse to provide marriage-related services to same-sex couples for reasons of conscience could be subject to discrimination claims.

Delaware joins neighboring Maryland and the nearby District of Columbia as jurisdictions that have approved gay marriage. Last week, Rhode Island became the 10th state to allow gay and lesbian couples to wed, with independent Gov. Lincoln Chafee signing the bill an hour after its final passage.

Minnesota appeared poised to legalize gay marriage after the Democratic speaker of the state House said Tuesday that a gay marriage bill endorsed by the governor and likely to pass in the state Senate also now has enough backing in his chamber. The House will vote on the measure Thursday, and if it passes, the Democratic-led Senate could vote on it as soon as Saturday.

I do not currently take any supplements at all. Perhaps I should be taking something,however, I am being treated for low testosterone with biweekly injections. The Dr's all hate to prescribe this treatment due to the rather severe side effect potential.

I will be watching for your updates with anticipation!!!

Is there an Herb/Vitamin whatever to help maintain a clinical testosterone level?

Howard Kurtz: 'I Am Truly Sorry' For Jason Collins Piece (VIDEO)

Howard Kurtz addressed his notorious error about Jason Collins, which led to his firing from the Daily Beast, on his CNN show "Reliable Sources" on Sunday.

Kurtz was fired from the Beast after he penned an erroneous column that claimed that NBA center Collins — who recently came out as gay — was not forthcoming about his former engagement to a woman.

He apologized for the column on Sunday's "Reliable Sources," saying:

On Monday, I read the Sports Illustrated article by Jason Collins, the first pro-male team athlete to come out as publicly gay. I read it too fast and carelesly missed that Jason Collins said he was engaged previously to a woman and then wrote and commented that he was wrong to keep that from readers, when I was in fact the one who was wrong. My logic about what happened between Jason Collins and his former fiancee and what was and wasn't disclosed, in hindsight, well I was wrong to even raise that issue. Also, I didn't give him a chance to respond to my account before I wrote it and in addition my first correction was not as complete and as full as it should have been. In a video where I discussed the issue, I wrongly jokingly referred to something I shouldn't have joked about. I apologize to readers and viewers and most importantly to Jason Collins and to his ex-fiancee. I hope this very candid response will earn your trust back over time. It is something that I am committed to doing.

Kurtz was further grilled by NPR's David Folkenflik and Politico's Dylan Byers about the error, why he should keep his role as CNN's media critic, and his role at Daily Download.

"This is not a ritual for me, where you just come on camera and say you're sorry and you hope to move on," Kurtz later added. I am truly sorry about what happened… and I am determined to learn from this episode and and minimize the chances of anything like this happening again."

Collins spoke about dating women and almost marrying his ex-fiancee in the Sports Illustrated article announcing his coming out and in a television interview with George Stephanopoulos the next day. Sources have described Kurtz's Collins piece as merely one reason among several for his firing. Staffers, sources told The Huffington Post's Michael Calderone, had also been wondering about Kurtz's role in the website Daily Download.

CNN said on Friday that Kurtz would continue his role as the host of "Reliable Sources."

Video @  hXXp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/05/howard-kurtz-fired-cnn-reliable-sources_n_3219008.html

Why is Jason Collins coming out a bigger deal than Brittney Griner?
By Emily Shire |

Some critics blame sexism

With the nation's attention fixated for much of the last week on Jason Collins becoming the first active male athlete in a major team sport to come out as gay, you might be forgiven for forgetting — if you ever knew — that the number one WNBA draft pick, Brittney Griner, came out a few weeks ago. Or that Sheryl Swoopes did in 2005. Or that Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King did in the 1980s (the latter was outed).

How do we explain the difference in media fanfare between Griner's announcement and Collins'? Why is Collins heralded over and over as a Jackie Robinson-type figure, while Griner gets a shrug from much of the press?

As many commentators have noted, one obvious difference between Collins and Griner is that one is a man, and one is a woman. Billie Jean King, for one, blames sexism for the vastly differing levels of press coverage:

Brittney Griner came out and nobody even talked about it. I don't think I even heard anything. Because we are girls we don't get the attention. Annika Sorenstam played in a PGA tournament and the reason she got so much attention is she was playing with the men. When you are in a men's arena you get attention, and that is all you have to remember. [Via New York]
Another part of this, says Henry Abbott at ESPN, is that "heterosexual men have long acted scared of gay men, and particularly of being sexually assaulted by them." And as we all know, "fear and hatred have always walked hand in hand." In that sense, Collins had to overcome a tougher — or at least a different — kind of hurdle than Griner faced, which helps explain the differing media coverage.

Of course, not everyone is buying that this heterosexual male fear of and discomfort with homosexuality explains the differing receptions for Griner and Collins. At New York, Ann Friedman chalks up the disparity in attention to the disconnect in the way we view gay men and lesbians — and male and female athletes. "We almost expect women athletes not to be classically beautiful or feminine, and therefore we're not surprised to learn their gay," writes Friedman. On the other hand, "male professional athletes are thought to be our most masculine specimens. So when they come out as gay, it seems they're playing against type." In this view, Griner's story wasn't a shock because all along there was a "perceived lack of femininity." Griner is 6' 8" and is so good that one opposing coach actually said "I think she's one of a kind. I think she's like a guy playing with women." Collins, though, meets all of our machismo expectations, so when he comes out as gay, "we sit up and take notice."

Sadly, Friedman continues, our notions of sexuality and gender roles are still deeply linked." And even though Collins has taken a big step, "it'll take more than a gay NBA player — or, say, a lesbian Miss America or prima ballerina — for us to fully learn this lesson." But at least this is the start of the "long process of decoupling heterosexuality and masculinity." One day, maybe we'll get to the same place "women and notions of feminity, too."


By KATHY MATHESON

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The niece of Fidel Castro said Friday on a trip to Philadelphia that she believes Cuba and the U.S. will have normal relations one day, but she doesn't know when.

"I wish … I was a magician or (one of those) people who knows everything. That's not the case," Mariela Castro said through a Spanish interpreter. But, she said, "that dream (is) going to be a reality someday."

Castro spoke during a tour of the city's historic sites one day before she plans to attend a gay rights conference. The U.S. State Department had initially denied Castro permission to attend the event, but relented earlier this week.

Castro visited the Liberty Bell — an icon of democracy — even as critics say her family has run a repressive Communist dictatorship for decades. Her father, Raul Castro, is Cuba's president and the brother of retired strongman.

Mariela Castro spoke briefly to reporters during her sightseeing tour. Asked about the health of her uncle and father, Castro replied: "They're wonderful, and I learn a lot from their example."

Commenting on the gay rights movement in the U.S., she said, "In this election especially, they showed that they form a very important vote in American society."

A married mother of three, Castro leads Cuba's National Center for Sex Education, which is part of the island nation's public health ministry. She is the country's most prominent gay rights activist, having trained police on relations with the LGBT community and lobbied lawmakers to legalize same-sex unions. She was elected as a deputy in Cuba's parliament in February.

On Saturday she'll speak on a panel at the gay rights summit sponsored by the nonprofit Equality Forum and receive an award from the advocacy group.

She also plans to hold a news conference Saturday evening.

Castro took in the sights on Friday with Equality Forum executive director Malcolm Lazin and a few others.

At the Liberty Bell, a ranger from the National Park Service explained its history and significance to her in Spanish. The group then stopped at a historic marker across the street commemorating some of the country's first demonstrations for gay rights before heading to tour Independence Hall.

'A Billion Wicked Thoughts' Co-Author Ogi Ogas Claims

A Billion Wicked Thoughts: What the Internet Tells Us About Sexual Relationships co-author Ogi Ogas made a somewhat startling claim about straight men's use of the Internet during an appearance on HuffPost Live.

"We know from the numbers there's an overwhelming interest among heterosexual men to look at penises – the numbers are just enormous," the neuroscientist and scribe noted. "Yet every time I talk about this, I've yet to have a guy come up to me and agree to it."

Ogas' book, co-written with fellow neuroscientist Sai Gaddam, aims to reveal the mechanics of sexual relationships, including the differences between male and female sexuality and the "teeming diversity" of human desire.

Video @ : hXXp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/02/straight-men-porn-ogi-ogas_n_3202857.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

Westboro Baptist Church Vows NBA Playoff Protest In Wake Of Jason Collins' Coming Out

Jason Collins has never played for the Houston Rockets or the Oklahoma City Thunder, but that won't stop the Westboro Baptist Church from vowing to protest at those respective basketball teams' matchup in the wake of the NBA veteran's coming out earlier this week.

Fan site Ultimate Rockets reports that members of the church, which is known for its extremely anti-gay views, will picket outside Oklahoma City's Chesapeake Energy Arena, where the Rockets will face off against Thunder in a first-round playoff matchup on May 1.

Claiming that Westboro members have "picketed [the NBA's] basketball games for years," a news release indicates that both the Chesapeake Energy Arena game and a Chicago Bulls vs. Brooklyn Nets game at Chicago's United Center on May 2.

"Now has-been pervert Jason Collins has 'come out' admitting he's a proud fag," officials write in the release. "Lift up your voice against this awful sin; use the platform God gave you to warn your fellow man to flee destruction."

Other tweets visible on the Westboro's news release Twitter handle include:

What's better @HoustonChron than to have #TruthofGod >#FagNBA & #GodH8sFags seen by those going to NBA Playoff Game 5 pic.twitter.com/TchZKfjW5h

This is where they posted 2 hate mongering posters that I will leave out of this post.

Of course, whether or not Westboro Baptist Church members will actually follow up on their proposal is questionable. Last month, officials vowed to protest at the Chicago funeral of movie critic Roger Ebert, whom they deemed a "fag enabler." But as The Chicago Sun-Times' Stefano Esposito reported, members were no-shows at the actual funeral.

Similarly, Westboro members failed to turn up at the 2012 funeral of Whitney Houston despite previous vows. Instead, they tweeted a digitally altered image which appeared to show them at the late pop diva's memorial in New Jersey.

hXXp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/01/westboro-baptist-church-jason-collins-_n_3195034.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

:thx: cannonmc you gave an excellent answer to this dilemma

@ gerhardt ~  :panic: you are currently at the last hurdle in the ratio game ~ maintaining a ratio of .800 forevermore @ GT.ru. For some members this is a difficult time as well. It is unheard of on most torrent sites to have this ratio but it is the considered opinion of the Staff and Owner of GT.ru, that our ratio requirements are vital for continuation and growth of the site. P2P is all about sharing what you took and most P2P users think that you should give exactly what you take. That would mean a ratio of 1:1, so in this perspective, .800 is not so bad for a minimum ratio. Also, once you reach a download amount over 1 TB, the amount you have to share becomes much larger than ever before. Just hang in there and continue to seed 24/7 ~ keep all your downloads available 24/7 and you will come out of this situation. You may have to limit your downloads for the time being or you could be smart and use your experience and knowledge gained thus far and continue to download, but only from the newest posts to the tracker ~ 1 seeder ~ and try to pick torrents that you feel will be popular as well. The sooner you jump on the initial  upload the better in most cases. These torrents will upload while you download as new leechers come on line. This will help to offset the download amount quicker than with older less popular torrents.

Because you are an uploader of new content, I have chosen 1 of your uploads and have given you 200 seed bonus points to help you along with this last Ratio hurdle.  :ok2:

:thankyou: for supporting GT.ru!!!

AllOut.org Thank you to Jason Collins : hXXp://www.allout.org/thank-you-jason

11,064 people support this campaign. Help us get to 15,000

It's happened: Jason Collins, of the Washington Wizards, is the first-ever pro athlete in the US to come out as a gay man.

If thousands of us sign a massive thank you card today, we can show other famous athletes that if they want to join Jason, we've got their back.

The more famous athletes who come out, the better it's going to get for young people who love sports but are too frightened to come out to their friends and family.

Sign the thank you card to Jason Collins now – we'll deliver it to him with every signature.

A very interesting short film ~ run time 19.13 mins ~ hXXp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzFnV3vwqD0&feature=youtu.be

OP ~ VampArmand