"Toady, before I began my work day, I was doing my usual Google searches about news that effects the LGBT community.  I ran across an article in the Washington post by Anne Flaherty of the Associated Press: Pentagon starts clock on lifting gay ban.

For those of you who did not watch President Obama's State of the Union address on television of Thursday night, the President stated: “We finally strengthened our laws to protect against crimes driven by hate. This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are. It’s the right thing to do.”

In the ArmyTimes. Obama restates plans: Leave Iraq, end gay ban article, it is revealed that "Before Obama’s speech, retired Army Gen. John Shalikashvili, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who had been urging caution in changing the law, said the time for change has come."

In the post-​​game analysis of the State of the Union address on ABC, George Stephanopoulos made a point of replaying the stone-​​faced reaction from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, when their Commander-​​in-​​Chief announced his intention to push for action in Congress to end discrimination against gays in the military.

In the article by By Jamie McIntyr, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: No Applause From the Chiefs  states: "And that, by the way, is exactly how it should be.  The nation’s top military advisors are not the Joint CHEERLEADERS of Staff.  It is not their role to publicly applaud or deride the political policies of the civilian leadership.   Their job is to salute smartly, and carry out their orders.  If they feel the President, or other civilian leaders, are charting a disastrous course, they have the duty to tell them privately, and to even resign if they cannot faithfully implement those polices in good conscience."

The Stars & Stripes quoted Christopher Neff, deputy director of the gay-rights advocate Palm Center, said the path to repeal  “will require both a command decision by the president and a clear timeline which follows.”  The speech fell short in both those areas.

I posted this on my actual blog site as well, but found it to be important enough to copy/paste and add here as well.

I'll pimp out my blog page real quick. 

http://xtraordinarymachine82.wordpress.com/

Here's the post.

• Read More...

I wonder how many other people think like I do, my birthday should be a Holiday, even a personal one, where I do not have to work and be waited on like a king. Ok now back to reality.

Now that I get to explore the other side of 50, yep I turned 51 today, I really do feel kind of scared.  It is like I am waiting for me to physically fall apart.  I mean my vision is already bad, the mornings are getting harder to get out of bed, and I go to sleep earlier and earlier.  Hold it, I have been like that since I was 30.

I honestly would like to feel like I am a bottle of good wine, I get better with age. I know it is an old joke, but the funny part is there is some truth in it.  I still feel like a 25 year old (well 26 now) caught in this old bear body.  I know some  21 year olds who act more mature than me. So if it is what is inside that counts, well then I just turned 26, HA!

Yesterday, I started getting those birthday wishes on Facebook from my friends and family. One really stood out from a cousin of mine. it went, "Happy Birthday Billy! May your day be filled with love and laughter!" (Ignore the Billy part please, maybe some other day I will blog on that.) My response to the post was "Forget love and laughter, I want food and booze".

That was just the first thing that came to my mind.  I mean my boyfriend is asking me what I want for my birthday, and I really and not giving him any clues. I told him once, "How about you buy dinner and drinks?" See food and booze. But thinking about it more and more, I really like the wishes from my cousin.

Love and Laughter! When you think about it what could be better than a day filled with those you care about and also care about you. I mean I really have a great boyfriend and some excellent friends all of them I love dearly. When we get together, no matter if it is for dinner, drinks (hmmm food and booze again), or a game of cards, we have a good time and laughter is a big part of it.

So now my response to my cousin who wished a day "filled with love and laughter", I am responding, thanks cousin! I will make sure it is centered around food and booze!.

   If there is anything the Prop 8 Trial in CA shows us, it's that once we bring truth & honesty into the arena of public opinion and share our stories, we gain what we seek.  

  Join a campaign.  Fight for your rights.  Every day of your life. We shall prevail. 

On Thursday, January 21, 2010, a Supreme Court was leased deciding that corporations can use money from their general treasury to finance campaign advertisements. View original post here:
Emma Ruby-Sachs: Supreme Court Campaign Finance Decision Puts Gay … Take the time to read the above post and make your own decision on whether it is good or bad for gays.

For myself, It is a scary. More money interests making large donations to Campaign funds and the political process, means the worse off minorities and the poor will be. Corporations are concerned about one thing, maximizing profits. For the Supreme Court to make a decision based upon the premise that corporations are an association of persons in American society (and that campaign-finance limits violate free speech), does not take it account that they are much more than that.

“As an LGBT person in the United States, more Republican donations should be a scary thing. Money equals advertising time and advertising often translates directly into votes. Rarely does a candidate suffer from too much funding in an election. More Republicans in office means more opposition to equality measures (despite what your favorite Log Cabin Republican might tell you).”

"With its ruling today, the Supreme Court has given a green light to a new stampede of special interest money in our politics. It is a major victory for big oil, Wall Street banks, health insurance companies and the other powerful interests that marshal their power every day in Washington to drown out the voices of everyday Americans. ... We are going to talk with bipartisan congressional leaders to develop a forceful response to this decision." - President Barack Obama.

Let the fundraising begin!

• Read More...

So, I am no good at this writing thing, but bear with me will ya?

I have only been alive these past 23 some years. I have a lot to learn... the amount I have to learn, if we can use a measuring scale would be: shittons. But there are a few things that I would like to claim that I do indeed know. Maybe not 100% sure... but mostly sure.

I just recently attended a memorial for one of Toledo's known active gay man Greg Knott. And in a way it was eye opening. I realized how much I loved people close to me and how much I don't ever want to lose them. Then I realized immediately afterwards that this is something unavoidable... We all lose loved ones. It's a fact of life. It happens... Shit happens.

So after recent events I just wanted to share a little bit about what I know.

You should live life to the fullest although cliche but true and here is how I propose one "live life to the fullest."

Love people... to the fullest extent that you can; if you think you can love someone more than you already do, then try your damndest to do so. In the English language we use love for a variety of different things... for example we can love how this pizza tastes, love a friend, love a parent, or love a significant other. So for this example I will pull a word for love from the Hebrew language: called Raya. The literal translation would be: friend, or companion, or someone that you hang out with. Love with as much Raya to everyone you meet.

Every moment staying angry at some one is a moment lost. You could be laughing, dancing, skydiving, or any number of other things with the person whom you love.

Learn everything you can from people you meet. They may end up teaching you something that you don't know. At the very least they could make you laugh.

Laugh, laugh, and laugh some more. Laugh at yourself, laugh with others and have a good time.

Regarding work, do something you want to do, something you enjoy. There is no point staying in some workplace that you hate entirely.

• Read More...

January 15, 2010
PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: William "Jake" Jacobs
Toledo, OH
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

PRLog Press Release

SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITE FOR LGBTQI COMMUNITY LAUNCHES
HomoSexualsOnly.com
TOLEDO - A new website devoted to the social, political, cultural and spiritual networking needs of the LGBTQI Community has made it's debut online. Though the name HomosexualsOnly.com sounds exclusive, it's open to all genders and persuasions in hopes of bringing a sense of unity and "family" to a community where diversity often leads to isolation.

Created as a reaction to conservative propaganda in recent marriage equality debates, HomosexualsOnly.com creator William "Jake" Jacobs bought the URL initially as an act of online civil disobedience. "People used religion against interracial marriage and women's rights. Now they use these excuses to deny equal rights to homosexuals out of fear. So I registered this domain to avoid it falling into the hands of bigots," said Jacobs.

Upon later reflection, Jacobs noticed a lack of intercommunication vehicles for gay people, especially gay men, on topics other than dating and hooking up. "There are plenty of sites to help you pick up a trick, but when we need to rally the troops for a political action or give advice to kid coming out, where do you go?", queried Jacobs. "The right wing Christians have the pulpit at their tax-exempt meeting places every Sunday to spread their political messages, but where is our equivalent meeting place?"

• Read More...

I turn 51 years old on January 25th.  I remember turning 50 ("fitty" as I use to say), it was kind a depressed time, why?  I remember at 30 thinking life is over at 50. But of course that did not happen. I still feel like at 25 year old trapped in this older bear body.

I have always had some rules that I lived by. Did I follow them all the time, NO. Nobody is perfect but trying to set some guidelines by which we live by, helps us in times of indecision.  So as I contemplate the next year having passed the half a century mark, I want to share some of the rules I lived by or "should have" lived by:

1. Always be true to yourself; remember you are a unique individual. The best way to be honest with yourself is to be honest with others.
2. Rememberer "Karma" is a bitch. Treat and respect others they way you want to be treated and respected. Don't be-little others because of their age or physical appearance.  Remember, one day you will be older too.
3. Get good friends and cherish them. Remember a gay person's friends are their family.
4. Get over rejection. Most have specific types they like (bears/leather/twinks/etc).  If you are not their type, it has nothing to do with you, so it is ridiculous to feel rejected.
5. Get over being shy and get some courage. So say something to that someone you are curious about and get it over with. (See Rule 4)
6. Never Hate. Hate is nothing but negativity and hating a person gives them "control" over you.
7. It is what is on the inside that counts. Those with bodies of death, perfect hair, and expensive clothes may look like they have it all together, but most live in terror that their "fake" exterior will break and fall away; causing others to see the empty shell inside.
8. Enjoy life to the fullest. Travel, plan fun times with friends, go out and socialize and try new things. Life is too short.  Don't be the one in your "golden years" that wishes they would have done all the things they no longer can.
9. Remember, your partner is your partner.
   • Be Kind to them
   • Do Nice things for them.
   • Communicate with them about everything.
   • Accept them as they are.
   • Forgive them when they mess up.
   • Tell them you love them.
10. Trust your gut.  If you think something is wrong, it usually is.

These are really 10 simple rules if you think about. Are they easy? Hell no! But trying to live by them will make you a better person.

Second day of hearings in the Prop 8 trial were pretty quiet. Hmm. Wonder what that means?

I received a phone call while having lunch yesterday (1/10/20190) at 1:24 pm, informing me that Greg Knott had passed away. A tremendous feeling of grief, loss and sadness fell over me. I am not ready to loose such a close and good friend.

I met Greg in the summer of 1996.  I remember it well, it is when I officially "came out" to the world.  I was very confused at the time, not as to my orientation, but as to entering the community I for so long wanted to enter publicly. At this time Greg owned the bar, Bretz, here in Toledo. Which happened to be the first gay bar locally I ever went to, other than my "sneaky" trips out of town.

After meeting and talking to Greg, I also decided to move my accounting offices up-stairs from Bretz. I remember talking to Greg telling him about my fear of letting my clients know I was gay, but I also told him I needed them to know. His response was to tell me to open my accounting offices upstairs from Bretz, telling me that would be a signal to all of them. Greg, on the day I moved in, put a gay flag in my window on the second floor.

The times I hold dearest with Greg was our afternoon talks.  In the morning when he arrived at the bar to get his deliveries or clean up, he would call me on the phone and say "coffee is ready." I would grab my cordless phone, walk down the back steps, and we would sit at the bar and have long and meaningful conversations.

I remember the times he would "scold" me about by behaviour the night before or inform me as gay professional in the Toledo area what my responsibilities were to attend certain events and to support certain organizations.

So to say goodbye to him. Greg, you were the most influential person in a period of my life when I needed the most guidance, help and support.  You have always been there for me my good friend. I will miss you more with each passing day.

Are you the type of person who will jump into something new and be a leader, or do you wait for others to do it first, then just follow them?

I am in awe as to some of the responses I am getting from my friends on Facebook(tm), other sites, or even ones I know in the "real" world. During the pre-launch period of this site, which is actually still going on, I have talked to a few friends about the site, and listened to the feedback and recommendations.

I hear from them, "Yeah - great idea!", "Love the site!", or "I can not wait to start blogging on the site!".  Well I wait patiently for them to join to site.  I install Facebook Connect, so they can join with just one click.

The next time I see them, I ask, "Hey, when you going to join the site?" and the response I get is "I will, but you only have 20 users on the site so far!" This tells me my friends are followers, which is kind of a shock.  I mean lets look at the facts.  If everyone waited till there were 10,000 members on a site to join, no sites would be around.

I have to ask myself, did they wait till there were 10,000 members on MySpace, Facebook, or even Gay.com before they joined that site. Are we really that complacent these days?

Here at HomoSexualsOnly.com we have a medium to express ourselves, socialize in a community, share ideas and thoughts, help others by sharing our experiences, and even promote events in the LGBT community; without an atmosphere of hate or intolerance. 

So, I am calling of my friends and family all over, lets be leaders and not followers. Take the 5 to 10 minutes to join this site and let our voices be heard.

For those of you who have not heard yet, Amanda "Mitch" Simpson is possibly the first transgender presidential appointee, began work Tuesday at the Commerce Department.

Simpson, 48, had lived in Tucson for 15 years before moving to Washington, D.C., to take the federal post. She has worked in the aerospace and defense industry for 30 years, most recently in advanced technology development at Tucson's Raytheon Missile Systems.

Well David Letterman, did a joke in his monologue about this appointment.  As the photograph was being shown, announcer Alan Kalter shouted, "What? Amanda? Amanda used to be a dude?" and ran off the stage.

For those of you who did not see the video here it is below:

The joke, I suppose, is the jest that the announcer who ran off had sex or was attracted to Simpson, and is now in shock.  The question now comes up, is that funny?

Change.org's Michael Jones thinks it's a "joke about how 'sick' she is because she's transgender"; the Human Rights Campaign finds Kalter's "feigned 'trans panic'" to be offensive; "You may not be aware," their Associate Director of Diversity for Transgender Issues has written to Letterman, "that the punch line in your skit has been used as a defense in nearly every hate crime perpetrated against transgender people that has come to trial."

Other groups, are not up in arms, like the folks at Queerty. Maybe it was a compliment?  "If Kalter was fantasizing about her (thus, his being so upset upon learning she was born a man)," they reason, "that means her transition was that good."

I would lean towards the fact that the joke was on the announcer who ran off stage.  Maybe seeing quite a few transgender people and knowing them, has made me "less sensitive" to how others may have taken the joke.

Ok, I made the decision to go with 2 New Year's resolutions in 2010.  I am kinda giggling inside asking myself if this is such a good idea or not, but I figure there are 2 things I want and need to change about myself this year.

The first resolution is my weight and health.  Being 5o years old, and not getting any younger, I need to pay attention to my health.  This means that the high protein, low carbohydrate diet is going to be my staple again for this year.  I had done this diet before in the past, and successfully I may add.  The problem has always been, eating healthy after getting off the diet.  Maybe that can be my resolution for 2011?

The second resolution is to delete all my "cruising" accounts.  This I  "MUST" do.  I have been in a relationship with the same person now going into its 4th year.  I don't think I need my accounts at adam4adam, daddyhunt, silverdaddies, or manhunt any more.  I always would tell myself, hey I can chat with my friends on those sites, so why close them.  Then I finally realized, hey if they are my friends I have either their email addresses or better yet there cell phone numbers if I need to chat.

I went in this morning and closed two of the accounts.  One of the site provides me with a free premium membership, due to my gay porn blog. I think I will just go into that one and change my profile to read "TAKEN"; although I know that no one will read it, they never do.

In talking to my boyfriend, I asked him what he thought about the gay.com account; he said well you may want to keep that one, so you can chat with some friends whom you do not have a cell phone number for.   This made a little sense, but I really would not call them "friends"; they are more of bar buddies.

As for the first resolution, well let me tell you this, I have been real good about it so far, in fact I have been dreaming of a big damn piece of cake with lots of frosting....