Archerr

Declaring that the "courts have gone too far" in interpreting this amendment, Congressman Ernest Istook (R- OK) has proposed the Religious Freedom Amendment to repair "the damage of 36 years of court rulings." If passed, the amendment will reverse decades of Supreme Court rulings on the separation of church and state.

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AMENDMENT:

To secure the people's right to acknowledge God according to the dictates of conscience: Neither the United States nor any State shall establish any official religion, but the people's right to pray and to recognize their religious beliefs, heritage, or traditions on public property, including schools, shall not be infringed.

Neither the United States nor any State shall require any person to join in prayer or other religious activity, prescribe school prayers, discriminate against religion, or deny equal access to a benefit on account of religion.
This asshole is fucked up. Surely, this amendment won’t get the two-thirds majority it needs to pass. We live in scary times.

I can’t keep my eyes open but I can’t close my eyes. I dragged my ass out of bed this morning at 4:30 to drive my mother to the senior’s center to catch a bus for a day trip. When I got back I tried to go back to sleep but couldn’t. I just tossed and turned and couldn’t fall back asleep. I’ve been laying on the couch for the last hour and a half drifting in and out of sleep. I know it will hit me around 1 in the afternoon and I’ll sleep for like 3 hours. I’m such a good son.

If you are an Apple fan you know that Apple released iTunes 4.9 today. The biggest change is it now integrates Podcasts in the iTunes Music Store. It doesn't cost anything to download a podcast though. There are some 3000 podcasts in the directory, but can you believe there isn't a GLBT category in the whole directory! Most of the queercasts I listen to have their podcats buried in the directory. You have to go to health and then sexuality before you find them. It's sad. So this afternoon I got an e-mail from one of the higher profile queercasters asking us to e-mail the guy at Apple who makes these decisions and suggest that they include a category for the GLBT community. I did just that!

I hesitated before including ArcherRadio in the directory because I wanted to figure how to include the iTunes tags in my podcast so that I'd have a graphic, a description, and an e-mail address attached to the information displayed when you click on my show name in the directory. I tried figuring it out but couldn't. I'm sure within days there will be plenty of ideas and suggestions plastered on the internet telling us how to do it. I'll do it then. So I decided late this afternoon to go ahead and get myself included in the directory. I put my podcast in two areas. I decided I could fall under Audio Blogs and Sexuality. I also clicked on the explicit box so that I could continue to cuss and talk about sex without censorship. As of this minute it hasn't shown up on the directory yet. Of course they tell you that it won't show up instantly on the directory. I don't know how long it will take though. I'll have to check back from time to time until it shows up.

The other issues to deal with are bandwidth and storage space. The more shows I create, the more storage I use up. And the more shows that are out there, the more bandwidth gets used up. I'll have to worry about those issues when the time comes.

So if you are an Apple fan, go download iTunes 4.9 if you haven't do so already.

I had a photo shoot yesterday with my artist friend Bob. Bob has been creating some beautiful work lately. Check out his web site to see his work and check out his work on eBay. We had 2 models scheduled but we only worked with one. The other one had something come up at the last minute. I haven't had a photo shoot since April. I thought I might have forgotten how to take photos! But it all came back to me as soon as the model took off his clothes. I've posted two of the photos below. I won't be creating a library of the photos because I haven't figured out how the new Justice Department regulations (2257) apply to me specifically. I have heard from a few people that the new regs apply to sexual acts and more to secondary providers and their record keeping so it probably doesn't apply to me. However, better safe then sorry. So you'll have to enjoy these two photos and think about what other body parts I was able to capture.



Also, I recorded a podcast while my friend Bob was here. Head over to ArcherRadio and check out the show.

Back in May I planted seeds in the square pots on my balcony. They started to grow awhile ago and I thought I was only going to have pots full of tree, leafy plants growing. Nothing was happening. The flowers weren’t blooming. Then two weeks ago the marigolds started to pop out. And then last week the other flowers began to grow. They are red, yellow, and orange. I have no idea what kind of flowers they are but they are kind cool looking. I hope they continue to grow during the summer. I guess if I keep watering them and keep an eye on them, they will. We’ll see. Below you can see how they are growing. I think at one time someone told me what the flowers on the right side were but I can’t remember now. They are beautiful even if I don’t know the name of them. The only odd part is the leafs that are under the green leaves and flowers have turned yellow. I don’t know why. It might just be the progression this kind of flower. Anyway, I like the way they are looking.

I had the fine pleasure of speaking with Jimbo on the phone tonight. I recorded the audio for my podcast. He is a very intelligent, insightful man. He's been blogging for a long time and has a lot to say about many different topics. We talked about his back pain, drugs, sex, bloggers, boyfriends, and many other topics. I had a great time talking to him and finding out more about him. So head over to ArcherRadio and check out the show with Jimbo. Thanks Jimbo!

If there are any other bloggers out there who would like to be part of one of my podcasts, feel free to e-mail me and let me know. We'll set something up. Homer, Bert, and now Jimbo have been on the podcast and I'd be glad to have others be guests on the podcast.

It seems like I had a really shitty day. Almost everything I attempted today when to shit. I won’t go into all the details but I did drop a half gallon of milk on the floor in the kitchen this afternoon. It burst open and sprayed milk all over everything. It hit the cabinets, the dishwasher, the stove, the table and chairs, and the walls! It looked like an elephant got excited and shot a load all over my kitchen.

Sorry there wasn't a post on Friday. Time got away from me with all the activities the boyfriend and I had planned for the weekend.

On Friday we went to Wolf Trap to see Al Jarreau and Cassandra Wilson. The weather was perfect, the music was perfect, and of course the company was perfect. We sat on the lawn and enjoyed a delicious dinner prepared by the boyfriend. We drank wine, listened to the music, talked, and we even held hands. We didn't care what the people around us were thinking. They didn't bother us though. I think the crowd was more liberal then usual. The music was wonderful. We really enjoyed Cassandra Wilson and could have listened to hear for another hour. Al Jarreau was good too but I didn't care for some of his songs. Overall it was a wonderful evening.

On Saturday we went to Pearmund Cellars. We had been there before but only for a tasting. This time we took a nice lunch and sat out on their veranda and enjoyed the bottle of Chardonnay we had chosen. The weather was perfect, the wine and meal was delicious, and we talked about all kinds of things. We spent two hours just enjoying it all. It was another wonderful day. Before we left we each bought a bottle of wine and I bought a set of logo glasses. I've decided to buy logo glasses from all the wineries we visit. We also got stickers for our Passport. We now have 5 stickers in our passports. We plan to visit many more wineries over the summer.



On Sunday we took a lunch to the Cathedral gardens and enjoyed a bottle of wine. Again, the weather was beautiful. We sat on the lawn and enjoyed our lunch and wine. We even laid down and took a short nap. I took lots of photos in the gardens and of the boyfriend. The photo on this post is of the two of us laying on the blanket. I was holding the camera above us. I think it's a funny picture. This was the perfect ending to a perfect weekend. It couldn't have been any better.

There are 3 political items that are giving me the slightest hope that the tide is changing.

Congress voted to revise the Patriot Act to block the Justice Department and the FBI from using the Patriot Act to snoop into library records and bookstore sales slips. I think this is a good start but the Patriot Act needs more revision. It’s a first step though. This could just be the beginning. Let’s just hope that Bush doesn’t veto the changes. I’m glad to see some of the republicans are beginning to see what this act does for our freedoms.

A small group of congressmen met today to begin talking about an exit strategy for Iraq. I was so glad to hear that. It’s about time to think about getting out and letting that country stand on their own. We’ve spent way too much money, and time there, not to mention the 1700 people killed. I hope what they discussed today will be heard and will be the starting point of more higher level discussions about getting out of Iraq. It’s time.

MoveOn.org started a petition to stop congress from taking away the funding from PBS. I signed the petition and in 24 hours they got something like 300,000 signatures. I know petitions don’t always work but I hope it sends a message to congress that PBS is important and we need to keep it. I also hope they realize that PBS’ programming shouldn’t be directed by the religious right. PBS currently shows all sides of issues and produces programs for everyone.

I heard on the news tonight that the Terri Schiavo autopsy was released. It showed that she was indeed brain dead and didn’t feel anything. She was also blind and therefore couldn’t have followed items moved in front of her face like so many people said she did. It was also proven that she was not neglected or abused. And finally it showed that she died of dehydration and not starvation. That means she died a more peaceful death.

Now will her parents and all those whack job republicans get off it? No, they won’t. If nothing else, they should learn that you MUST follow sound medical advice in cases like this. If all the evidence shows that the person is brain dead, let them go. Don’t prolong the death. I can only hope they will learn this but of course I know they won’t. Those stupid fucks! They need to keep their noses out of things like this. Bill Frist should know better too. He’s a doctor after all. What an asshole.

If I am ever in a vegetative state, pull the plug right away. Do NOT let me be a vegetable.

Mark asked if I was going to tell you what is happening in the photo. Since I got lots of comments from that post, I decided to tell you the story behind the photo. It's not as exciting as it might seem.

A few months ago the boyfriend and I went to visit my artist friend Bob for a photo shoot. After the photo shoot, one of the models had a body print made. That's where you paint all over his naked body and then lay canvas or material over his body and make a print of his body on the material. Well, in the photo, the boyfriend is helping the model wash the paint off the parts of his body he couldn't reach. When I saw what they looked like while getting the paint off, I just had to snap a picture. The lighting in the bathroom wasn't the best but I think the photo came out pretty good. So that explains the photo. Not as seedy as you pervs thought it was going to be, huh?

The boyfriend and I went to Ingleside Winery for what we thought would be a nice evening of jazz music and wine. Well, it ended up being blues music and not blues music in the tradition sense. We must have read the flyer wrong. We thought it was jazz but it was blues. The music was one thing but the caliber of people who attended this event was less then stellar. We decided these were the people who voted for Bush. They were fat, they were slovenly, they were toothless. I doubt there were very many college degrees in that crowd. Our expectations of the food were too high as well. We thought they'd have some BBQ or something like that but all they had was bread, crackers, and salads...potato salad, pasta salad, and chicken salad. I was looking for some meat!

Despite the music, the crowd, and the food, the boyfriend and I made the best of it and enjoyed the wines. The wines are what saved the evening. We enjoyed the tastings and shared a bottle while nibbling what little there was. We got a little silly and had a good time after all. When we got back to the hotel there was some kind of fair going on next to the hotel. We wandered around and I took several photos. Again, more evidence of the people who voted for Bush. There are more uneducated white trash people in the country then there are intelligent, open minded people. It's very sad. You can check out some of weekend photos here. You will see some carnival rides named Scat and Hustler.



What kind of ride is this?

I got a hair cut today. I haven’t taken a shower yet so I won’t post any photos. I got my hair cut 3 weeks ago as part of my birthday weekend from the boyfriend. In that 3 weeks, my hair has grown like an inch and it was beginning to drive me crazy. Plus, as hot as it has been lately, it was beginning to look like crap from the heat. So I stopped at the barber shop on the way home. I get my hair cut at this little place that used to be a barber shop but now it’s a little salon I guess you can say. They have two chairs and only one asian lady works there. Well, there could be more but the same lady has always been there when I go. I can just walk in and get a hair cut. I don’t have to make an appointment or anything. Today when I got there there was one other guy there but he was almost done. I only had to wait a few minutes.

When I sat in the chair she started talking right away. I can barely understand what she’s saying. I always have to ask again what she said. Her asian accent is really thick. When she started cutting the front of my hair, I closed my eyes and kept them closed for a long time. She continued to talk though. I just said things like yes, and uh huh. Then I opened my eyes and saw she had parted my hair on the wrong side. I corrected her and she acted like it didn’t matter to the hair cut. I guess it doesn’t. Besides her talking to much, her breath really stank! I hate having to talk to her, let alone smell her lunch. But it’s a cheap hair cut and I can go in anytime. I guess I have to put up with it.

Poor Howard Dean might be speaking to loud again. It seems that some of the possible democratic contenders for the next election are distancing themselves from him because of some of the things he’s been saying lately. I think what they are scared of is that he’s saying things that they’d like to say but are too afraid of the backlash to say it. They don’t want to ruin their chances for nomination for the next election.

Dean has been saying some great things about the republicans lately. I cheer him for what he’s saying and encourage him to continue his rants. These are the things we need the country to hear. Of course the republicans are using his talks to divert the attention away from the current state of the nation and onto him. They suck.

I was behind Howard Dean from the beginning and was sorry to see him bow out of the race. I’m glad he’s the chairman of the DNC and hope his views are able to change the democratic party into a stronger, more successful party. Go Howard!

I heard on the news tonight that a ring tone for your cell phone has taken over the top spot on the British music charts. What’s up with that? I don’t get it. Is the music out today so bad that a stupid ring tone can take over as the most popular song out there? It’s crazy. Click on the frog picture to hear a snippet of the ring tone.

From the picture, you can probably tell that W. and I had a very busy weekend. Of course we were busy with THAT but we also did many other things. Friday night we enjoyed a bottle of wine and quiet time. Saturday we went shopping during the day and then we went to the Gay Men’s Chorus concert in the evening (we even got dressed up!) and then a late night dinner after the concert. We slept late Sunday morning and then played on W.’s computer. He downloaded iTunes for the PC and has been discovering all the cool things you can do with Apple software. I loaded a few CD’s into iTunes for him and showed him how to do it. Then I showed him how to burn a CD and update the iPod with his new songs. Then we ran some errands. In the evening we met a friend of W.’s at Kincaid’s for some fine wine and nibbles. W. bought a bottle that we really enjoyed. We had a really good time enjoying the wine and the conversation. Before we knew it, it was time to get back to reality, go home and go to bed to begin the work week fresh. I’m off today but W. has to work so I’ll be thinking about him while I’m running my errands and doing things around the house. After not spending any significant time with W. over the last two weeks, this weekend was a wonderful return to spending time with W. I was continuously reminded what a special guy he is.

I got two gifts today! I got a $400 gift card and a $25 gift card from the iTunes Music Store. When I got home from work I got on iTunes and loaded up 33 songs. I browsed all different genres and picked out lots of different songs...too many to mention here. Tomorrow I'm going to shopping with the $400 gift card. I'm looking to buy some equipment to make my podcasts sound better. I want to get some microphones and an audio input that will let me input more then one source at a time. If I remember, I'll write about what I find tomorrow.

Today is June first. It marks the beginning of Pride month for the gays. Years ago I went to the Pride Festival here in DC but never really enjoyed it. I thought it was full of the things I didn’t associate with. I’m not a queen, I’m not into leather, I don’t belong to any gay groups. Besides the fact that I’m gay, I really don’t have anything in common with the people who attend the gay pride festivals. I’ve been out for 20 some years and don’t have that newly out attitude where you had to do everything that’s gay. Plus, I think the gay pride festivals have become way to commercialized. They know gays have money so they turn the festival into one big marketing event to lure the gays in so they’ll spend some money.

This year might be different though. The climate for gays isn’t very friendly and there aren’t as many companies heralding their pro-gay policies. Maybe this year the pride festivals will be somewhat subdued. We’ll see. I wonder if a bunch of those crazy religious right idiots will be protesting. I wouldn’t put it past them.