George Takei Takes on Tim Hardaway

When Don Amaechi declared that he was gay, Tim Hardaway responded by saying that he hates gay people. After a firestorm of negative publicity, which included him being banished from some NBA-sanctioned appearances he was scheduled to make in Las Vegas and the loss at least one of his endorsement deals, Tim Hardaway recanted and said that he was sorry he made that remark.

GeorgeTakei, of Star Trek fame, made this hilarious video:

[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=-me8KUtXIWo&mode=related&search=]

More Sex, Sex, Sex Again

Sex, the mere mention of the word, is guaranteed to get your attention. Human beings seem to have an insatiable desire to explore, investigate, participate in and watch all things sexual. Here are some more sex-related news items found on the web.

• 1 in 3 boys Heavy Porn Users

A survey of 429 students aged 13 to 14 in rural Canadian schools came up with some interesting but not entirely surprising results. 74% reported viewing pornography on the Internet. 57% reported seeing it on a specialty TV channel. 41% saw it on video or DVD. 20% viewed it at a friend’s house. One major difference between boys and girls was that boys tended to be deliberate viewers (ie: they sought out porn) while girls came across porn accidentally. More than one-third of the boys reported viewing pornographic DVDs or videos “too many times to count”, compared to eight per cent of the girls surveyed. While the majority of teens surveyed said their parents expressed concern about sexual content, that concern hasn’t led to discussion or supervision, and few parents are using available technology to block sexual content.

• Beware of the Hugging Bandit

She's a 200-pound-plus hugging machine, but her affection comes with a price. Police are warning men about the "Hugging Bandit," who heartily embraces men coming out of downtown bars and leaves them wallet-less. Dozens of men say they have been victims. Police say others are too embarrassed to admit it. Officers believe she is a 48-year-old Buffalo woman they have arrested 17 times between 1998 and 2005 for similar schemes, as well as prostitution and criminal possession of stolen property. She does have one thing going for her. After the police arrested her...again and showed her picture to the latest victim, the man admitted that he was too drunk to remember her.

• Korean Men Use Brokers to Find Brides

More and more South Korean men are finding wives outside of South Korea, where a surplus of bachelors, a lack of marriageable Korean partners and the rising social status of women have combined to shrink the domestic market for the marriage-minded male. In 2005, marriages to foreigners accounted for 14 percent of all marriages in South Korea, up from 4 percent in 2000. In South Korea, billboards advertising marriages to foreigners dot the countryside, and fliers are scattered on the Seoul subway. Many rural governments, faced with declining populations, subsidize the marriage tours, which typically cost $10,000. “Nowadays, Korean women have higher standards,” said Lee Eun-tae, the owner of Interwedding, an agency that last year matched 400 Korean bachelors with brides from Vietnam, China, the Philippines, Mongolia, Thailand, Cambodia, Uzbekistan and Indonesia. “If a man has only a high school degree, or lives with his mother, or works only at a small- or medium-size company, or is short or older, or lives in the countryside, he’ll find it very difficult to marry in Korea.”

• The Spray-On Condom

Researchers at the German Institute for Condom Consultancy plan to launch a spray-on condom. The Institute is currently conducting tests on a spray can into which the man inserts his penis which is then sprayed with latex from nozzles on all sides. The plan is to make the product ready for use in about five seconds and offer a more effective contraceptive that fits better than standard one-size fits all condoms and hence does not slip.The company is seeking Condom Testers with a penis length from 9 to 12 cm and 15 to 20 cm. Men between 13 to 14 cm are apparently welcome too. The company had hit upon the idea when considering the difficulties some people faced using condoms, and drew inspiration from spray-on medical dressings and bandages now used in medicine. The condom spray can is expected to reach market in 2008 for a price of around EUR 20 (US$27) and will offer around 20 applications. Replacement cartridges are expected to cost half the initial purchase price for the entire pack, and will be offered in different strengths and colours.

• Suspect Charged with Sodomy

Bay County Circuit Judge Joseph K. Sheeran ruled Friday that even though Michigan law does not explicitly define sex with a dead dog as a crime, charges against a Saginaw man will stand. Kuch's defense attorney, Kathryn Fehrman, argued that Michigan's statute on sodomy and bestiality is vague and does not outlaw sex with a dead dog. Kuch is accused of sexual contact with the carcass of his girlfriend's dog on Oct. 20, about a week after the animal had been hit by a car. The alleged crime occurred near the Forest Day Care Center, 2169 W. Midland Road, on a school day. The teacher was leading an Animal Control officer to the dead dog so he could dispose of it when the pair discovered Kuch, who allegedly scuffled with the officer before fleeing into the woods. Fehrman had said in previous written and oral arguments that a dead dog is not an animal and therefore cannot be violated against its will.

Sheeran said the purpose of the sodomy law is not to protect a specific victim, necessarily, but ''to prevent people from debasing and dehumanizing themselves.'' Such laws also protect society, Sheeran said, and ''prevents people from acting like animals themselves.''

Sheeran also upheld the indecent exposure charge. He said it was irrelevant whether the patch of woods where the alleged crime committed was public or private property.

''There was a substantial risk that someone might be offended.''

''If he didn't want to be observed, why did he commit it during the day near a daycare center?'' Sheeran said, saying that Kuch didn't commit the act ''accidentally or inadvertently.''

Dennis Kucinich - No Strings Attached

On Wednesday Feb. 21 2007 Carson City, Nevada hosted the first real gathering of the 2008 Democratic Presidential Candidates. The only major name unable to make it was Sen. Barak Obama due to scheduling conflicts. Nevada has become important to the candidates because its primary will be held on Jan. 19 2008, making it the second state, after Iowa and before New Hampshire, to hold primaries.

It was at this conference that Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) made his pitch as "A President with no Strings". He voted against going to war with Iraq and presented his plan for a withdrawal to include international peacekeeping forces. He touted his pro-labor position and said he would negate the NAFTA treaty. He also talked about a health care plan that would exclude the "for profit" insurance companies which he dubbed "Medicare For All". Below is a two part video clip of his presentation.

Dennis Kucinich - A President with No Strings Part 1

[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=rvltM1w8kjs]

Dennis Kucinich - A President with No Strings Part 2

[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=66daOPGe77Y]

Support the Disabled Troops

"Support the Troops" has been the sound bite for the American involvement in the Iraqi war. Even if you don't agree with the war..... "Support the Troops". It is the national anthem and if you don't support the troops, you are somehow unpatriotic. But what does "Support the Troops" really mean? If you ask the Bush Administration there is no difference between support the troops and support the war. I say this because if there were no troops there would be no war. Congress holds the purse strings that make the war possible. If funding was cut off, the troops would have to come home. So far Congress has played along and supported the troops by giving Bush the money he needs to continue waging the war. So in the political context, "Support the Troops" means: "Give me money so that I can send the troops into battle". This seems to be the true meaning of "Support the Troops".

What happens to the men and women who are wounded in the war and may need medical/psychological attention, sometimes for the rest of their lives? Is the money there for physical rehabilitation and mental therapy? If you were wounded and disabled will the money and facilities be there to take care of you....for as long as you need help?

In the words of President Lincoln who considered it a mandate of government: "To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan" The government has a primary responsibility to take care of the wounded and the family of the dead. An NBC/Washington Post investigation into the care provided outpatients at the Walter Reed hospital shows that much is lacking in the care and support of those wounded in battle.

After the report was aired the Bush Administration admitted that more needs to be done to care for the wounded war veterans in military hospitals. The controversy poses a public relations problem for President George W. Bush, who has spoken often of America's debt to military personnel wounded in the wars.

The White House expressed concern at conditions for veterans after reports that many suffering physical and psychological problems lived in shoddy housing on or near the sprawling complex and faced long battles with army bureaucracy.

"I can tell you that we believe that they deserve better," White House spokesman Tony Snow told reporters. "Of course, there's outrage that men and women who have been fighting have not received the outpatient care."

"We need to make sure that whatever problems there are get fixed," he added.

This seems to be a major failing on the part of the government to "Support the Troops". The people that have put their lives on the line to go to war for their country deserve to be supported before, during and after their tour of duty. It should not appear to be an afterthought that "some problems need to be fixed"

Democratic Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois and Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri, said they would introduce legislation to improve the quality of care and require more frequent inspections of active-duty military hospitals.

"Caring for our returning heroes is one of the things we can still get right about this war, and that's why the deterioration of the conditions at Walter Reed is both appalling and unacceptable," said Obama, a candidate for his party's 2008 presidential nomination.

The following video clip covers the reactions to the investigation


[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKEFn230zh8]

Iraqi War Casualties

Here are some facts about the War in Iraq:

• Cost of war so far - $370 Billion


• American Deaths - 3148


• American Casualties - 23,000

These are the latest available figures as of Feb. 20 2007. I believe that the most overlooked or ignored part of this picture is the number of casualties that the troops have suffered. When we are encouraged to "Support the Troops" does this include the wounded as well, or just the troops on active duty in the war zone? Has the government done its best to see that the war wounded are properly taken care of? In the current budget the Veterans Administration is allocated less money than they say they actually need. Are the troops, already in combat situations in Iraq, adequately armed, protected and trained?

After the House passed a nonbinding resolution against President Bush's plan to increase troop levels in Iraq by 21,500, John Murtha (D-Pa) chairman of the Appropriations subcommittee on Defense indicated that certain conditions would have to be met before more money was appropriated. He said that the troops should be properly trained and equipped before going to Iraq. They should also have significant "time-at-home" breaks before being sent back to Iraq.

However there does not seem to be much emphasis placed on care for the disabled soldiers. The following video clip looks at the situation at one of the VA hospitals, Walter Reed, and the level of out-patient care provided for the soldiers wounded in combat.
[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=yAXG6RssNUI]