This is The Blast [CNN report]

Washington (CNN) -- The District of Columbia's same-sex marriage law will go into effect as scheduled this week, after the Supreme Court refused to stop its enforcement.

Chief Justice John Roberts issued a three-page order Tuesday, a day before the law becomes official. He concluded the high court should defer to local matters in the federal district of Washington. And he said a separate ballot initiative to overturn the law would give voters a chance to weigh in on the question.

A group of Washington residents had objected to the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Equality Amendment Act, which expands the definition of marriage to include same-sex couples.

Those opponents had argued city residents should have been given a chance to vote on the high-profile issue before the city council passed the measure. They still seek to force a ballot initiative after the law takes effect. Local courts had turned down various lawsuits to block it.

The district's marriage bureau says same-sex couples can begin applying for marriage licenses Wednesday. However, by law, "three full days must pass between the day of application to the day that the license can be issued," the bureau, part of the district's superior court system, says on its Web site, so no marriages would be held this week.

A $35 application fee is waived for couples who are registered domestic partners, although a $10 fee for the license is not, the bureau said.

District of Columbia Mayor Adrian Fenty signed a measure recognizing same-sex marriages as legal in December, after the city council overwhelming passed it. It then had to go through a review period during which Congress had an opportunity to intervene.

The district joins Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and Iowa in allowing same-sex couples to marry.

By Bill Mears, CNN Supreme Court Producer
March 2, 2010 -- Updated 2246 GMT (0646 HKT)

Washington [New York Times]

WASHINGTON — It was cold and drizzling outside the City Courthouse just after 6 a.m. on Wednesday, but no one seemed to mind among the same-sex couples waiting for the chance to apply for a marriage license.
“This is a dream come true,” said Sinjoyla Townsend, 41, as she smiled ear to ear and held up her ticket indicating she was first in line with her partner of 12 years, Angelisa Young, 47. “We wanted it so bad.”
Gay rights advocates hailed the day as a milestone for equal rights and a symbolic victory as same-sex marriage became legal in the nation’s capital.

Washington is now the sixth place in the nation where same-sex marriages can take place. Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont also issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Despite failing in court, opponents of the law vowed to fight another day.
The law survived Congressional attempts to block it, and Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. on Tuesday rejected a request from opponents of same-sex marriage to have the United States Supreme Court delay it.

Mayor Adrian M. Fenty signed the measure into law in December, but because the District of Columbia is not a state, the law had to undergo Congressional review, which ended Tuesday.
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington on Tuesday limited employee health care benefits to avoid coverage of same-sex couples. It was the second time Catholic Charities changed its rules to protest same-sex marriage, having earlier ended its foster care program.

The new law was already having regional implications.
Maryland’s attorney general, Douglas F. Gansler, issued a legal opinion last week concluding that Maryland should immediately recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere.
Mr. Gansler’s move is expected to draw legal and legislative challenges, but for Terrance Heath of Montgomery County, Md., it was the turning point that persuaded him to get married.
“We realized that we can finally get many of the benefits and protections that other couples take for granted,” said Mr. Heath, 41, a blogger who lives with his partner, Rick Imirowicz, 43, and their two adopted sons.
“Before that attorney general decision we could have the legal documents, like wills and medical power of attorney,” Mr. Heath said. “But there was no guarantee that those documents would be recognized.”

He said that he and Mr. Imirowicz had worried about what might happen to any inheritance meant for their sons, Parker, 7, and Dylan, 2. “Marriage gives us peace of mind,” Mr. Heath said. “It gives my family security that we deserve.”
At the city’s Marriage Bureau inside the Moultrie Courthouse, just blocks from the Capitol, the mood was giddy as couples hugged and talked about a day they never thought would arrive.
“I became a naturalized U.S. citizen in the mid-’90s,” said Cuc Vu, a native of Vietnam who was third in line with her partner of 20 years, Gwen Migita. “But this is really the first time that I feel like I have the full rights and benefits of citizenship.”

Court officials explained that the Marriage Bureau had changed its license applications: They ask for the name of each spouse rather than the bride and groom. Officials who perform the weddings read, “I now pronounce you legally married.”
On a typical day the office processes 10 licenses, court officials said. By late Wednesday afternoon, more than 140 couples had filed to be married, the mayor’s office said.

Because of a mandatory waiting period, couples will not be able to marry in the city until Tuesday.
City officials say the measure will also provide a financial boost to the local economy. A study by the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, predicted that more than 14,000 same-sex marriages would occur in the city over the next three years, which would bring in $5 million in new tax revenue and create 700 jobs.


By IAN URBINA
Published: March 3, 2010

The Beginning of the Debate

Gay Americans have been calling for the right to marry, or at least to create more formalized relationships, since the 1960s, but same-sex marriage has only emerged as a national issue within the last 20 years. The spark that started the debate occurred in Hawaii in 1993, when the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled that an existing law banning same-sex marriage would be unconstitutional unless the state government could show that it had a compelling reason for discriminating against gay and lesbian couples.

Even though this decision did not immediately lead to the legalization of gay marriage in that state (the case was sent back to a lower court for further consideration), it did spark a nationwide backlash. Over the next decade, legislatures in more than 40 states passed what are generally known as Defense of Marriage Acts (DOMAs), which define marriage solely as a union between a man and a woman. While a few of these laws have been struck down, 36 states still have DOMAs on the books. In addition, in 1996 the U.S. Congress passed, and President Bill Clinton signed, a federal DOMA statute that, for purposes of federal law, defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. The statute also asserts that no state can be forced to legally recognize a same-sex marriage performed in another state. The enactment of a federal DOMA is significant since the federal protections and benefits conferred by marriage are stipulated in over 1,000 laws and policies, including Social Security, family medical leave and federal taxation and immigration policies.

In the late 1990s, Alaska, Nebraska and Nevada amended their state constitutions to prohibit same-sex marriage. These constitutional changes were aimed at taking the issue out of the hands of judges. Conservatives, in particular, feared that without constitutional language specifically defining marriage, many judges would take it upon themselves to interpret other constitutional provisions broadly so as to allow a right to same-sex marriage.

Amid widespread efforts in many states to prevent same-sex marriage, there was at least one notable victory for gay-rights advocates during this period. In 1999, the Vermont Supreme Court ruled that gay and lesbian couples were entitled to all the rights and protections associated with marriage. However, the court left it up to the Vermont Legislature to determine how to grant these rights to same-sex couples. The following year, the legislature approved a bill granting gay and lesbian couples the right to form civil unions, which grant most of the legal rights of marriage but not the title.

Pope Benedict XVI’s apology for child abuse

Pope Benedict XVI’s apology for chronic child abuse
within the Catholic Church fails
to calm the anger of victims



DUBLIN — Pope Benedict XVI’s unprecedented letter to Ireland apologizing for chronic child abuse within the Catholic Church failed Saturday to calm the anger of many victims, who accused the Vatican of ducking its own responsibility in promoting a worldwide culture of cover-up.

Benedict’s message — the product of weeks of consultation with Irish bishops, who read it aloud at Masses across this predominantly Catholic nation — rebuked Ireland’s church leaders for “grave errors of judgment” in failing to observe the church’s secretive canon laws.

The pope, who himself stands accused of approving the transfer of an accused priest for treatment rather than informing German police during his 1977-82 term as Munich archbishop, suggested that child-abusing priests could have been expelled quickly had Irish bishops applied the church’s own laws correctly. He pledged a church inspection of unspecified dioceses and orders in Ireland to ensure their child-protection policies were effective.

He also appealed to priests still harboring sins of child molestation to confess.
“Openly acknowledge your guilt, submit yourselves to the demands of justice, but do not despair of God’s mercy,” he wrote.

But Benedict offered no endorsement of three official Irish investigations that found the church leadership to blame for the scale and longevity of abuse heaped on Irish children throughout the 20th century.

The Vatican refused to cooperate with those 2001-09 probes into the Dublin Archdiocese, the rural Ferns diocese and Ireland’s defunct network of workhouse-style dormitory schools for the Irish poor.

The investigations, directed by senior Irish judges and lawyers, ruled that Catholic leaders protected the church’s reputation from scandal at the expense of children — and began passing their first abuse reports to police in 1996 only after victims began to sue the church.

Nor did Benedict’s letter mention recent revelations of abuse cover-ups in a growing list of European nations, particularly his German homeland, where more than 300 claimants this year have alleged abuse in Catholic schools and a choir long run by the pope’s brother.

In the latest development, the leader of the German Bishops Conference apologized Saturday for failing to protect children adequately from a pedophile priest in the early 1990s in his diocese of Freiburg. Archbishop Robert Zollitsch, who was in charge of human resources and staffing at the time, said he should have done more to investigate the priest, who was forced into retirement in 1991 and committed suicide four years later when fresh complaints arose.

Rights campaigners in Ireland and abroad forecast that more victims in more nations will keep coming forward and opening new fronts of criticism, because the pope’s promotion of secretive canon laws remains at the heart of an unsolved problem.

We know this policy of secrecy was worldwide. The more that victims speak out, the more the scandals will spread,” said Marie Collins, who was repeatedly raped by a Dublin priest while aged 13 and hospitalized in 1960. Her attacker wasn’t removed from the priesthood and imprisoned until 1997.

While a cardinal at the Vatican, Joseph Ratzinger, now the pope, wrote a 2001 letter instructing bishops worldwide to report all cases of abuse to his office and keep church investigations secret under threat of excommunication.

The Vatican insists the secrecy rules serve only to protect the integrity of the church’s investigations, and should not be taken to mean the church should not tell police of their members’ crimes.
But victims’ advocates in Ireland and the United States said the pope again failed to make it clear whether the church considers the secular law a higher priority than canon law when seeking to stop a pedophile priest.
“The letter’s underlying goal seems to have been to appease the outrage while keeping the church in control of its incriminating information,” said Terry McKiernan, president of a Web-based pressure group, BishopAccountability.org, that chronicles Catholic abuse scandals worldwide.

“He should have demanded that the bishops release all pertinent files and other information about all credibly accused priests. He should have demanded that every complicit official be named publicly and forced to resign,” McKiernan said.

Irish victims’ leaders are seeking the resignations of any bishops who transferred pedophile priests to new parishes rather than report them to police — a demand that, if applied, would likely claim the majority of Ireland’s 27 bishops, given their failure to tell police of any crimes until 1996. But the pope has yet to accept even the three-month-old resignations offered by three Irish bishops linked to Dublin Archdiocese cover-ups.

The Vatican’s chief spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said the pope’s letter contained no punitive provisions because it was pastoral, not administrative or disciplinary in nature. He said any decisions concerning resignations would be taken by the competent Vatican offices.

Benedict faulted the Irish bishops for failing “sometimes grievously” to apply the church’s own laws requiring child-abusing priests to be removed from the priesthood.

But he didn’t rebuke them for failing to report abuse to police, saying instead they must prevent future abuse and “continue to cooperate with civil authorities.”

He also repeated an excuse for the bishops’ inaction that has been rejected by the Irish investigations — that they didn’t understand the scale or criminality of child abuse until recent years.

“I recognize how difficult it was to grasp the extent and complexity of the problem, to obtain reliable information and to make the right decisions in the light of conflicting expert advice,” Benedict wrote in remarks addressed to the Irish bishops.

However, the Irish investigators forced the church to hand over its copious files on abuse cases dating back to the 1950s. They unearthed a paper trail confirming the Irish bishops’ successful acquisition of group liability insurance in the 1980s, a decade before the deluge of lawsuits. And they found cases where Catholic officials in the 1960s reported school employees to police for abusing children, showing they understood even then it was a crime.

Andrew Madden, a former Dublin altar boy who in 1995 became Ireland’s first pedophile-priest victim to go public with a lawsuit against the church, said the pope had missed the whole point of a meaningful apology.

“I don’t need the pope to apologize for the child abusers. I, and untold thousands of victims like me, needed the pope to apologize for the church hierarchy’s role in choosing to protect the abusers at the expense of children. That’s the real scandal, and the pope has been involved in that. He’s not an innocent bystander,” Madden said.
Massgoers arriving Saturday at central Dublin churches and in Armagh, the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland, were greeted with piles of the pope’s letter. Some lauded its readability and frank tone.

“I thought it was lovely. I thought it was very moving, and I hope it brings some help to all the victims,” said one Armagh worshipper, Annette O’Hara. “They’re the ones we should be praying for.”

But outside a Dublin church, truck driver Tomas O’Reilly said he doubted the pope’s sincerity and was unhappy with putting money in the collection plate. “I don’t want to be paying the church’s legal bills. They’ve only themselves to blame,” he said.
At the Vatican, Lombardi was peppered with questions about why Benedict didn’t directly address the German scandal or take the opportunity in the letter to make a more sweeping commentary on the global dimensions of the scandal.

Lombardi said the Irish scandal was unique in its scope, but said the pope’s letter could be read to apply to other countries and cases.
“You can’t talk about the entire world every time,” he said. “It risks becoming banal.”



Created: 3/20/2010 Updated: 3/20/2010
By SHAWN POGATCHNIK
Associated Press Writer

Still Gay Marriage

In recent years, the debate over same-sex marriage has grown from an issue that occasionally arose in a few states to a nationwide controversy. Indeed, in the last five years, the debate over gay marriage has been heard in the halls of the U.S. Congress, at the White House, in dozens of state legislatures and courtrooms, and in the rhetoric of election campaigns at both the national and state levels. Moreover, the battle over whether gays and lesbians should be allowed to wed shows no signs of abating. In the last year alone, three states have banned same-sex marriage and four states have legalized the practice.

Recently, both sides in the debate have scored important victories. In April 2009, for example, Iowa's Supreme Court ruled that the state's constitution guarantees gays and lesbians the right to wed; the high court in Connecticut had issued a similar ruling in May 2008. Meanwhile, gay marriage advocates also won important legislative victories in a number of states, beginning in April 2009 when the Vermont Legislature legalized same-sex marriage.

The Vermont law marked the first time gay marriage was legalized as the result of a statute rather than a court ruling. By the end of May 2009, two other state legislatures, those in Maine and New Hampshire, followed suit, bringing the total number of states that allow same-sex marriage to six. Finally, in June 2009, President Barack Obama granted family medical leave and certain other benefits to the same-sex partners of federal workers. (The presidential memorandum did not include health insurance coverage, which would require congressional approval.)

Opponents of gay marriage also have had some success in recent years. In November 2008, for instance, voters in California, Florida and Arizona approved ballot initiatives amending their state constitutions to prohibit same-sex marriage, raising the total number of states that have passed such constitutional amendments to 29. (Arizona voters had previously rejected a constitutional ban in November 2006.) The vote in California, on a ballot measure known as Proposition 8, was particularly notable since it overturned a May 2008 California Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage in that state.

Passage of Proposition 8 also prompted an entirely new court battle over whether the just-approved ballot initiative itself was constitutional. That battle ended in May 2009, when the California Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of Proposition 8.

He said he wants to be a straight!!!

someone said that yes i'm a gay, and i want to be a straight in the future.
yes you can make a determination about this, but i never imagine or never heard about
a gay switch himself to be totally straight! Fat Chance! coz i feel this gay thing is not sickness/illness you can cured it and then disapeared from your memory. Many people believe, in religionally, that about being gay is becoz God cursed you.
this is the way over my head, i dont get it why in this era, people still believe in such a superstitious.



society, culture and all environment aspects emphasized you to be a straight, but...!!! if you can not control yourself from the people, dont judge yourself to be another person. coz it's just bilking yourself. it's deceitful. dont be so cruel to yourself. no matter what you do or wish to be, go to the seminar, psychoanalysis, Psychotherapy or any other places, it's just a lost cause. believe me!

keep your chin up! being gay is not a mistake!
we are also human. human also has a right to be happy. no matter what your gender is.

AND IF YOU CARE ABOUT THIS YOU CAN VISIT THE TYRASHOW
TO PARTICIPATE ON THIS GAY CASE.
you can fill what's been crossed your mind about gay in that website polling.

The Hottest from Argentina

Ezequiel stremiz

"This guy, which originated from Argentina
is a great successfull actor in Southern America especially.
mostly appeared in some tv shows, commercial, included soap operas and
international movie for latin (language) comunity in United states"





i saw the tv show of Desperate Housewives, Argentinian version.
amas de casa.
and in this soap, Mr Stremiz also play the roles in some episodes.
he was so hot.
his cute face makes a lot of man keep on watching him
especially when he took off his cloth and kissing his boss' wife.
and he's now pretty well known at some countries in west Europe
included Philippines.

he is so sexy. you must watch him in ur tv.
and you will agree with me. also see when he's taken picture.his smile on his face.
make him so cute and funny as well.

check out the clip of his tv show, desperated housewives, argentinian version here:





ok, i have one point that until now i disagree to say
latin american is latin. **(read it below)

let's see his pics:








* I disagree to call middle american(included mexico) and also South american
is latin. just the simple fact, that latin america society is not purely latin people.
it is true that they use the latin language.
but they are not latin people.

so now worldwide known them as latin people or latin,
just becoz american people's perception about mexican people who
immigrant to united states.
and they, American, thought mexican people is latin!
but that's not true.
that would not consolidate the true meaning of latin society.

not becoz i can speak spanish or italian
then i become latin people. right?
my skin also not white, like the indian people(red people in america continent)
seems like mexican people.
but american people introduced this "latin" term to the world
just becoz mexican people speak one of latin language.

even previous Pope who visited mexico last time said
mexican people is not latin.
most of them are mixing(?meztiso?) with red people.
well, just some of them are pure latin
(purely the descent of french or spanish or italian or portuguese)

my uncle said that if you go to spain.
there you see the latin society.
but if you go to mexico, then you would find so much
(even most of them, you find on the road in the down town)
so very similiar with our society.
you'd rarely found a white people like in telenovela/mexican soap opera.

Ezequiel stremiz

Kawasaki Disease - Jett Travolta

let's break for a while, i need to put this info to know more
about Jett Travolta - 16 years old, John Travolta's son, who died
on his bathtube in Bahamas, predicted that he suffered from Kawasaki Syndrome, which caused him to have seizures. But Joey Travolta (john's brother) believes that Jett suffered from autism, which has been associated with seizures as well as epilepsy.
ok i included these term of kawasaki disease and also autism disease in here
to know more about this, let's check out:



"Kawasaki disease is an illness that involves the skin, mouth, and lymph nodes, and most often affects kids under age 5. The cause is unknown, but if the symptoms are recognized early, kids with Kawasaki disease can fully recover within a few days. Untreated, it can lead to serious complications that can affect the heart. Kawasaki disease occurs in 19 out of every 100,000 kids in the United States. It is most common among children of Japanese and Korean descent, but can affect all ethnic groups"

Signs and Symptoms
Kawasaki disease can't be prevented, but usually has telltale symptoms and signs that appear in phases. The first phase, which can last for up to 2 weeks, usually involves a persistent fever higher than 104° Fahrenheit (39° Celsius) and lasts for at least 5 days.

Other symptoms that typically develop include:

severe redness in the eyes
a rash on the stomach, chest, and genitals
red, dry, cracked lips
swollen tongue with a white coating and big red bumps
sore, irritated throat
swollen palms of the hands and soles of the feet with a purple-red color
swollen lymph nodes

During the second phase, which usually begins within 2 weeks of when the fever started, the skin on the hands and feet may begin to peel in large pieces. The child also may experience joint pain, diarrhea, vomiting, or abdominal pain. If your child shows any of these symptoms, call your doctor.

Complications
Doctors can manage the symptoms of Kawasaki disease if they catch it early. Symptoms often disappear within just 2 days of the start of treatment. If Kawasaki disease is treated within 10 days of the onset of symptoms, heart problems usually do not develop.

Cases that go untreated can lead to more serious complications, such as vasculitis, an inflammation of the blood vessels. This can be particularly dangerous because it can affect the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart.

In addition to the coronary arteries, the heart muscle, lining, valves, and the outer membrane that surrounds the heart can become inflamed. Arrhythmias (changes in the normal pattern of the heartbeat) or abnormal functioning of some heart valves also can occur.

Diagnosis
No single test can detect Kawasaki disease, so doctors usually diagnose it by evaluating the symptoms and ruling out other conditions. Most kids diagnosed with Kawasaki disease will have a fever lasting 5 or more days and
at least four of these symptoms:

redness in both eyes
changes around the lips, tongue, or mouth
changes in the fingers and toes, such as swelling, discoloration, or peeling
a rash in the trunk or genital area
a large swollen lymph node in the neck
red, swollen palms of hands and soles of feet

If Kawasaki disease is suspected, the doctor may order tests to monitor heart function (such as an echocardiogram) and might take blood and urine samples to rule out other conditions, such as scarlet fever, measles, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, or an allergic drug reaction.

Treatment
Treatment should begin as soon as possible, ideally within 10 days of when the fever begins. Usually, a child is treated with intravenous doses of gamma globulin (purified antibodies), an ingredient of blood that helps the body fight infection. The child also might be given a high dose of aspirin to reduce the risk of heart problems.

Reviewed by: Joel Klein, MD
Date reviewed: October 2008

and here is the definition about Autism:



briefly: a mental condition characterized by great difficulty in communicating with others and in using language and abstract concepts
[a mental disorder (=problem) that makes people unable to communicate properly, or to form relationships]



Also Epilepsy:

ep‧i‧lep‧sy [uncountable-noun]
1. a disorder marked by sudden recurrent episodes of sensory disturbance, loss of consciousness, or convulsions.
2. a medical condition affecting your brain, that can make you suddenly become unconscious or unable to control your movements for a short time
DERIVATIVES epileptic adjective & noun.
ORIGIN Greek epilepsia, from epilambanein ‘seize, attack’.



* Muscle spasm: an involuntary muscular contraction
[done contrary to or without choice]
** Neuron: a grayish or reddish granular cell with specialized processes
that is the fundamental functional unit of nervous tissue
*** Neurotransmitter: a substance (as norepinephrine or acetylcholine)
that transmits nerve impulses across a synapse
**** Norepinephrine: a monoamine C8H11NO3 that is a neurotransmitter
in postganglionic neurons of the sympathetic nervous system and in some parts of the central nervous system, is a vasopressor hormone of the adrenal medulla, and is a precursor of epinephrine in its major biosynthetic pathway
***** Acetylcholine: a neurotransmitter C7H17NO3 released at autonomic synapses and neuromuscular junctions and formed enzymatically in the tissues from choline

the matter is, is that true if jett's death has something to do with these syndromes?
so many people included here in indonesia who live with epilepsy or autism
and they are not died becoz of these.
what i believe is something more than these Kawasaki, Autism and Epilepsy thing.
but anyway, i really feel so sorry for this incident.
if i were john, i will be so sad. hope John is hardy, calm down and withstand to this situation until he have the precise and accurate information about the cause of his son's death. hope Jett is rest in peace. amen

Chart of Acitivities

Burn fat. having plan of getting better look
or get the calories burnt
by doing some sports or exercise.
i will choose run than any exercise.
but how do we know what exercises and activities are
going to give us the biggest bang for the calorie-burn buck?



I have put together a list of various activities to give you an idea of
how each affects your burn. Sitting still (aka at rest),
most people expend roughly 1-2 calories per minute,
depending on your body weight, sex, etc.
I have included both activities that burn a lot of calories,
and also a separate chart that shows activities that don’t burn very many

and also check out these 2 other tables:

Struggle to against the Proposition 8

Gay couple won't let Proposition 8 steal their dream



"Two men who moved from Ohio to California
to marry continue to protest the measure's passage"
By Alexandra Zavis (L.A.Times)
December 21, 2008


Fearing taunts and disapproval, they kept their love hidden for nearly two years. But with the Nov. 4 election looming, Christopher Lewis and Cody Horton resolved to take a leap of faith.

Following in the footsteps of generations of adventurers and romantics, the shy young couple from Ohio announced they were heading west to marry and begin a new life in California. They put on dark suits and exchanged vows on an unseasonably balmy afternoon in late October, before family, friends and the wide Pacific Ocean.

Wanting to give back to the state that recognized his union, Lewis took a job as a physician's assistant at a community health center in Tehachapi, southeast of Bakersfield, caring for migrant farm workers. But by the time they had packed up their apartment in Ohio and returned to California, voters had approved a change to the state Constitution that put their marriage in doubt.

Before they moved here, the self-effacing couple had never even seen a demonstration, much less protested themselves. But two days after the election, they drove two hours into Los Angeles and nervously joined the throngs marching in protest against Proposition 8. The next night, they were back on the streets in Long Beach. The night after, in Silver Lake, then Westwood and downtown L.A.

"It just hurt so bad; it's all we could think of doing," Lewis said. "It's all we have left."

They are pessimistic that the California Supreme Court will overturn the ban, despite the high-profile appeals by top politicians, including state Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown.

"I did send a wedding picture to the chief justice and wrote a note on the back of it asking him to share it," Lewis said. "Hopefully, if they see enough faces, they will realize that their decisions make a huge difference."

Lewis, 24, and Horton, 20, found each other online during one lonely Christmas vacation in 2006. Horton was in his last year of high school in Middletown, Ohio. Lewis was studying to become a physician's assistant at Kettering College of Medical Arts, a Seventh-day Adventist school in nearby Dayton.

"It was awful," Lewis said. "We had to take religion classes, and they teach being gay is wrong."

He started searching MySpace pages for anyone listing themselves as gay in the Dayton area. A song posted on Horton's page (Say Anything's "Slowly, Through a Vector") caught Lewis' attention, and he left Horton a message. They chatted online, then agreed to meet at a club. Later, they went to the home of Horton's grandmother, who was out of town. They put on a movie, and Horton put his head on Lewis' shoulder.

It felt right, Lewis said. "We felt like we fit in each other's arms."

At first they met in hotel rooms. "Where else could we go to hug or hold hands?" Lewis said.

After Horton graduated from high school, they found jobs so they could afford an apartment together. But they continued to hide their relationship from most people. More than once, passing motorists shouted abusive comments as they walked down the street together. Some real estate agents refused to show them single-bedroom apartments.

Earlier this year, Lewis bought the nicest ring he could afford -- white gold with three tiny diamonds -- drove Horton to a park and proposed. They hugged and cried. But they could not make the union official.

The only state at the time that performed same-sex marriages was Massachusetts, which requires a couple's home state to recognize such unions. But in May, the California Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to ban same-sex marriage, a decision that did not have the same limits as Massachusetts' law.

Lewis and Horton, thinking there was no rush, began considering a California wedding. In September, realizing that Proposition 8 might pass, they went online to book a Long Beach restaurant and find an officiant.

Horton's father did not realize his son was gay until the invitation arrived. Horton's stepmother tried to persuade him to attend the ceremony; she said he walked away and wouldn't look at the card. He later apologized to Horton for missing the big day and awkwardly wished his son well.

Lewis has been estranged from his father for years and did not bother to invite him. But both mothers and Horton's grandmother flew to California for the Oct. 26 wedding.

The day itself passed in a blur. But leading up to it, the thought of standing on a public beach, in front of people they had lied to for years, filled them with dread. For days, they had practiced the perfect wedding kiss: long enough for photos, but not too sloppy. In the end, they managed only a quick peck. Yet for all the awkwardness, it was a day they treasure.

"In a lifetime we both spent with no support for any of our relationships . . . it is so great to stand up in front of your friends and family, the state of California and the Pacific Ocean, and have somebody recognize it, appreciate it and celebrate it," Lewis said. "That's a huge deal for people like us."

Back in Ohio they packed up and began the drive west. The first four days were like a honeymoon. But Nov. 4 found them at a hotel in Flagstaff, Ariz., watching election returns. Lewis slept fitfully, waking up twice to check on Proposition 8. By 7 a.m., it was clear it had passed. "It was the end of our last hope," Lewis said.

Horton was asleep, so Lewis slipped into the bathroom to cry. He then called his mother from the car.

"They just took away my marriage," he wept. His mother's advice was to fight.

They abandoned plans to visit the Grand Canyon and drove straight to Tehachapi, a rural community known for its apple orchards, wind turbines and maximum security prison. They pulled into a bleak apartment complex and collected their keys.

The magnitude of what they had done fully set in only when they got their Internet connected and looked up how their neighbors in Kern County had voted. Just over 75% voted in favor of Proposition 8.

"It is not an accepting environment," Lewis said.

They spent the night under a comforter on the oatmeal-colored carpet. The next day, they spread sheets of yellow cardboard on the floor and started writing: "Marriage license: $70. Wedding ceremony: $1,000. Plane tickets for family and friends: $2,700. Our wedding: priceless."

"It's liberating to take everything you feel every day and put it on a poster," Horton said, "and hold it up and say, 'I don't care who sees it.' "

Unthinkable even a few months ago, Lewis now has organized a protest himself.

When he found out that the American Academy of Physician Assistants, a professional association to which he belongs, planned to hold its annual conference at San Diego hotels owned by the Manchester Financial Group -- which donated $125,000 to help pass Proposition 8 -- he sent letters to senior officials at the academy, asking them to reconsider, and posted messages on Internet forums, urging colleagues to do the same.

All he could think of was how much money the conference would bring the hotels.

"It just kind of pushed me over the edge," he said. "Somebody has to put their neck on the line, and I was willing to do it, I guess, this time."

Credit = achievement

How to Trust Your Trust
"A quiet confidence. An inner certainty. A knowing deep within that all is well even though it may not appear so on the outside. Trust demands that we let go of fears, worry, doubt and despair which drag us down. Trust lifts us up to higher elevations where we see the bigger picture in life and know that things are happening for a reason in their own time and for our own benefit, if only we will believe this and not interfere"

When we settle into a space of trust we access our inner guidance system; we know what to do, when to do it and when to wait. We know that the ideal people and circumstances will serendipitously manifest into our lives. We may not trust everyone we meet or every situation we come across, but we trust our inner knowing. We listen to our intuitive voice that rests in stillness, guiding us to our highest path. When we let our small self or ego mind run the show we override our inner knowing. We don't trust it. It's as if we're saying to the Universe:
I know how to manage the earth, the sun, and all the planets in the cosmos.

We forget that there is a universal intelligence, a creator, source or whatever you call that divine essence guiding everything from the plants to the planets, including us, if we will allow ourselves to trust. It's a matter of releasing resistance and letting the stream of life flow through us.



Insights
* On a scale of one to ten, with ten being high, what would you rate your current level of trust (in terms of trusting how your life will unfold)?

* What supports you to tune into your inner knowing, and to increase your level of trust?

* What gets in the way of you accessing your inner knowing and being more trusting?

Inspiration
* Close your eyes and become fully present and centered by brining all of your awareness into the center of your head, a few inches back from your forehead. Rest in this place until you sense an inner stillness and expansiveness. From this centered space, tune into your essence of trust. Feel the energy of it and allow it to expand, filling your whole body. Release any resistance or holding on sensations and allow the trusting feeling to blanket you in safety.

* Each and every day, set your intention to increase your levels of inner trust by taking time to be still and feel it. Know that you don't have to control every aspect of your life; the divine essence of the universe is there to guide and take care of you. When you forget this, ask yourself what supports the earth and the other planets to orbit perfectly? What allows the plants to grow and blossom?

* The next time you have a difficult decision to make or you're concerned about the future, rather than getting lost in worry or doubt, or immediately following the lead of your practical, logical mind, take a moment to find stillness, access your inner trust, and then choose the best path.

"As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live." Goethe

Duggar family

Michelle Duggar celebrates Mother’s Day in a much bigger way than any of us
mom’s could imagine. She has announced baby eighteen is on the way.
The 41-year old mom [2008], says she’s thrilled the new addition
will join the seven sisters and 10 brothers. For Mother’s Day,
the kids got together to get mom some pearls with matching pearl earrings.
Dad got her a ring.“We’re enjoying them so much and we would love more,
so the lord has seen fit to give us another one and we’re just thankful,”
Duggar said. At 20, the oldest Duggar child is Josh. Jennifer is
the youngest at 9-months. All the children’s names start with
the letter “J” and all are home-schooled.



This is a special image of a big family ever in the world. may be at ancient time, in Main land China. or even in my country, in the country side. there still many family which has many children. but in big cities of most countries in the world they dont want it, included my place Bandung City, and Jakarta - The capital.
'coz it spends much money. But personally, if i could, if i can having marriage with a girl someday. i would also have many children, but not that much. i could be so very stress of taking care children.



but the most stress in family must be my wife. you know why?
it is because she will wonder, wonder of:
"why my sons love to see penis?"
("of course like me" i have to proudly say it to myself) hahaha, just kidding.
i dont know if i can have sex with woman or not? i just dont have desire with woman even if there is a naked woman infront of me. well, ok, let's check out for more pics on this family by click in here

Who's top and who's bottom?

While in most gay relationships, the sexual responsibilities seem to develop
according to a natural progression into suitable roles for ‘top’ and ‘bottom’,
but in guy on guy porno, where it appears that either could be the more dominant,
who gets to assume to role of the ‘top’?

Maybe I forget that there are guys that do want to assume the bottom position,
mainly because I myself am a devoted top who doesn’t quite relate to
the pleasures that are presumably felt by those taking my healthy dose
of meat in their asses,
but I still can’t see how the roles are divided in gay guy porn.



It would not surprise me if the top got paid more than the bottom,
just like the straight porn business where guys are paid virtually nothing
due to the fact that just about any guy on earth will volunteer
his body to fuck a hot porn starlet whether he gets paid or not,
he’s still going to consider himself a lucky guy.



Porno featuring gay scenes should, under the same rationale,
pay the guy who gets to ‘put it in’ very little, while the blowjob artists
and anal receivers should be rewarded for their hard work-
which almost always
involves not only taking a cock up their asses,
but a considerably large one at that.



I might suggest that gay guy porn actors play some kind of game
of chance to determine who’s on top and who’s on the bottom.
Maybe they could flip a coin, or play ro sham bo, or draw straws
to see who gets to be on top, or they couold even turn it into
a sport and let the guys play poker hands over it, or better yet,
they could duke it out in a boxing ring.



That would actually be really hot guy porn:
two guys sweating it out,
then the winner gets to fuck the looser in the ass: how fitting.
I would even pay money to watch the pre-fuck fight!

Abbreviations

What are these "ISO" and "SWM" and "GM" and "SWCF" mean?

Not everyone uses these abbreviations, but, they are a common
shorthand for indicating marital status, race, sex, religion, and
a few other common things. The most prominently used ones include:

S = Single ; D = Divorced ; M = Married ; W = Widowed (rare)
J = Jewish ; C = Christian

W = White ; B = Black ; A = Asian ; H = Hispanic
M = Male ; F = Female

G = Gay ; Bi = Bisexual ;
Bi-Curious = Someone curious about bisexuality and thinking about giving it a try.

The positioning works as follows: First marital status, then
religion (if any given), then race, then sex. Usually what you get
is three, such as:

GWM - Gay White Male
SWF - Single White Female

An M or a W are used to indicate marital status. In this case they
are always in the first position:

MHM - Married Hispanic Male
WWF - Widowed White Female

Religious affiliation is fairly rare, but when you do see it, it
usually comes just before or after racial type, such as:

SCWF - Single Christian White Female
SWCF - Single White Christian Female

For whatever reason, Judaism and Christianity are the only
religions commonly abbreviated at this time; if you're of another
religion, I suggest not trying to abbreviate, as you'll probably
just confuse people.

Sometimes you'll just see "SF" or "SM" for Single Male or Single
Female. This means the person doesn't want to indicate race. You
may also see something like "S*F" or "S*M". This is just another
way of saying race is irrelevant to the person.

Other abbreviations you might see include:

ISO = In Search Of
FTA = Fun, Travel, and Adventure
POZ = HIV+
Soulmate = Someone I can be completely intimate with who will
be with me forever and ever, my perfect mate, my
special lover and friend for life.

So. Here's common things you'll see:

GWM ISO G*M for FTA
(Gay White Male In Search Of Fun/Travel/Adventure with Gay Male of
any race.)

Finally, all of these are often concatenated with age and/or
location. Such as:

BOSTON SWM, 42, ISO GWM, 25-40
(Single White Male, 42 years old, living in Boston and In
Search Of a Gay White Male, age 25 to 40.)

Not everyone uses these abbreviations, but a lot of people do,
because they make it easy for people to spot you and know if
you're at least in the ballpark of what they're looking for. You
may see variations on these abbreviations that you don't
recognize, but usually you can figure it out from the context once
you get the trick of it.

Mid-Atlantic Leather Contest

United states of America will be in party mood again.
it seems so interesting about this contest.
but of course, it must be the mascular one [hunky]
would be the MR Mid-Atlantic Leather.
if you feel like to join this,
you can find the costumes on internet



here is some info you need to know:

occur: 16 - 18 January
location: Washington DC

conditions:
There is a $25 charge for each different insert you want included in the package. Inserts submitted by AMCC member clubs and non-profit organizations in the DC-Baltimore area are exempt from this charge.
Inserts should be sent to the address below and should arrive no earlier than January 1, 2009 and no later than January 8, 2009.
Mailing address:
Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend
c/o Washington Plaza Hotel
10 Thomas Circle, N.W.
Washington, DC 20005
We cannot confirm delivery of your fliers. If you would like to know if your package arrive, please use a delivery service that offers package tracking (e.g., Express Mail, UPS, Fedex, etc.).
Payment should be made out to Centaur MC and mailed to:
Centaur MC
P.O. Box 77416
Washington DC 20013-8416

Applications not submitted by January 1, 2009 must be submitted in-person at the Washington Plaza Hotel on Friday, January 16th by 6:00 pm. We encourage Contestants to arrive at the hotel no later than 12:00 Noon on that Friday. Anyone who will be arriving later than 6:00 pm on Friday must contact the Contest Coordinator prior to January 16th, 2009. The Centaur Motorcycle Club (CMC) reserves the right to limit the number of contestant registrations.

for more information just click the tittle in this posting

Pope's sins

The United States, by ruling of the Supreme Court,
did not decriminalize homosexuality until 2003.

"American Idol" has been on the television longer than
consensual same-sex sex has been legal in some U.S. states.

This month, perhaps this week, France will introduce to the United Nations General Assembly a statement about human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity, including torture, arbitrary arrest, killings, political, social and economic discrimination and the criminalization of same-sex love.

Scott Long of Human Rights Watch called the statement, “One of the most comprehensive affirmations of human rights relating to sexual orientation and gender identity that any international body has seen in recent years.”

The statement, building on the UN’s record of promoting LGBT rights, is neither a resolution nor a declaration. It will not be binding. It will not have the force of law in the member states. It will not even be voted upon.

But it hopefully will have symbolic impact and it will send a message to the 86 countries that criminalize same-sex sexual activity. The penalty for such activity is imprisonment in some nations and death in at least seven nations — Saudi Arabia, Iran, Yemen, Sudan, Mauritania and parts of Nigeria and Pakistan.

All the European Union members, as well as a number of non-EU countries and Latin American nations, have signed on to the statement to decriminalize homosexuality.

The United States, however, has not signed on to the document.

To anyone’s surprise?

And the Vatican has taken a stand against the statement.

To anyone’s surprise?

In defense of the Vatican’s opposition, Archbishop Celestino Migliore said a statement to decriminalize homosexuality would lead to bias against those who discriminate against gays and lesbians.

“If adopted, they would create new and implacable discriminations,” Migliore told Reuters. “For example, states which do not recognize same-sex unions as ‘matrimony’ will be pilloried and made an object of pressure.”

The French government and some GLBT rights groups responded by calling Migliore’s reasoning wrong or misguided and emphasizing that this statement is intended to discourage nations from sentencing gays to prison or death, an argument that should but doesn’t sway the Vatican. Apparently the Catholic Church’s abhorrence of the death penalty is not as great as its abhorrence of homosexuality.

Because I’m a columnist and not the French secretary of human rights or the spokesperson for the French Foreign Ministry, I don’t need to be political. I can confide: I think it would be great if the statement was used to put pressure on nations that promote discrimination, disrespect human dignity and violate human rights.

I can also say that the GLBT community has long maintained that decriminalization has far-reaching impact in regards to employment, marriage, benefits and raising children.

In pushing for decriminalization in the United States, activists and attorneys argued that laws criminalizing consensual sodomy were used to justify denying gays and lesbians jobs and promotions and custody of their children.

My old reporter’s notes quote a director at the American Civil Liberties Union, following the release of the Supreme Court ruling against sodomy laws, as saying, “For years, whenever we have sought equality, we’ve been answered both in courts of law and in the court of public opinion with the claim that we are not entitled to equality because our love makes us criminals. That argument — which has been a serious block to progress — is now a dead letter.”

The Court itself said that the U.S. Constitution protects the right of gays to form intimate relationships and “retain their dignity as free persons.”

Gays, the Court said, have the same right as heterosexuals to “define one’s concept of existence, of meaning, or the universe, and of the mystery of human life.”

The statement soon to be read at the United Nations will not have the influence in any nation that the U.S. Supreme ruling had in this country.

But the statement will affirm, as the Court did, gays rights to form intimate relationships, to live with dignity and to seek equality. And, if this is what the Vatican fears, we should say, “Watch out.”
By Lisa Neff

Guy Porn Resource

About Gay Models and Gay Actors



Have you ever fantasized about your favourite gay model or gay actor?
Chances are all of us have in some point lusted over the
beyond human muscular and toned bodies of some of these gay models,
as well as been mesmerized by their large and satisfying packages.
From hairy chested to clean-shaven gay actors,
the gay porn industry is full of hot and sexy gay men who bear it all for us.



Thank goodness for these men, as we have all stroked to the beat of their sexy and steamy scenes as well as the music in these adult films.Most gay models truthfully had no idea that they wanted or even could star in gay movies. Usually discovered by gay film industry experts, sometimes on the beach or at a gym or sometimes at a bath house of gay circuit event, these gay actors decide to join the ranks because of the excitement, sex and beautiful gay men that they meet on set.

Working as a Gay Model and It's Perks and Downfalls



However, as most gay models and actors have pointed out, their work is very tiring and tough at times. With long hours and multiple shoots for each scene, what we see on gay video is really the cream of the crop. Approximately 90% of all gay video shot is either thrown out, or added to special features on gay video DVDs. Just think about that … if you are watching a one hour long gay video, chances are you are only watching 10% of the entire video footage taken by the gay film producers. It’s actually quite amazing what these sexy and hot gay men have to do on set to prepare themselves and keep themselves looking great and hard.

As a viewer, there are many types of gay models and gay actors out there. From masculine to feminine gay men, these videos take us through scenes that are usually very sexy and steamy resulting in multiple orgasms on screen. It’s the ultimate release for gay men watching these hot and handsome gay men come all over their counterparts. It’s no wonder why gay videos are the biggest selling products online for gay men. We sure love gay erotica and sex!

Our Favourite Gay Models



When it comes to gay models and gay actors, we all have our favourites. Some of the latest polls have shown an increase in interest in Kane O’Farrell, Tom Chase, Erik Rhodes, Dean Monroe, Matthew Rush, Ken Ryker, Roman Heart and Josh Weston. Some of these gay actors are only in their early 20s while others are creeping up to their mid-30s. Nonetheless, all of them represent the hottest and sexiest gay men alive, and you can have them one-on-one at home or on your couch.



For many gay men, they treat gay videos as their career. Many of the gay actors enjoy this career so much, that they stay in the adult porn industry until they retire. Have photos of themselves plastered all over film producers website, fan galleries and their own personal gay actor websites can be quite daunting sometimes, but most of these gay models and actors cherish this part of their lives. After all, being a gay actor or gay model with great looks is enough to get you noticed and famous.

Dedication From Ourself

What are your gifts you bring to the world?

"We each have gifts to offer; ways of being, skills, talents, personality traits and so on that arise naturally from our authentic selves. At times it's easier to focus on what we're missing, on our defaults, or on what we don't have in comparison to others. This perspective goes against our highest truth so depletes us and makes us feel small. When we become aware of what we do have to give we feel full and whole"

Sharing your gifts with others, no matter how small or large, is an expression of love and abundance. You might not be aware of what your gifts are, but know deep inside that you are giving whenever you interact with others from true self. It might be your welcoming smile that warms someone's heart, or your sense of humour that brightens their day.

Perhaps you have the gift of clear communication that makes connecting so easy, or a gentle touch that helps someone feel loved. Maybe you listen from your whole being so others feel truly heard. It might be a skill that you offer like organizing details, planning events, or researching subjects. You may have a talent for creating beauty through art, music or words. Whatever it is, acknowledge it and share it with the world.



Insights
* What are the gifts you are aware of in yourself? Make a list of all your skills, talents and personality traits that you have to offer.

* What gifts are easy for you to share with others? What gifts do you hold back on? What makes it easier for you to be visible with your gifts and what makes it difficult?

* What are the gifts you see in others that you wish you had? When we admire something in others or even envy them, it is often a sign of an undeveloped or un-owned gift within us. Make a list of the gifts you'd like to unearth in yourself.

Inspiration
* Set your intention each day to acknowledge and appreciate the gifts, talents and skills you have to offer yourself, others and the world. Whenever you judge yourself, turn it around by focusing on your gifts.

* Consciously choose to share your gifts with others \u2013 be it your smile, your laugh, your touch, your communication style, your talents or skills. Notice how you feel when you share of yourself freely.

* Find one gift, skill or talent you would like to bring out more and share, and begin doing that today. Let go of any judgment, shyness or resistance that stands in your way.

"Happiness is not so much in having as sharing.
We make a living by what we get,
but we make a life by what we give."
Norman Macewan

Body language

Men’s body language tends to be more dominant.
Many male gestures are meant to signify
“Hey, I’m the boss!” or “Don’t mess with me!”
Men tend to occupy more space when they’re communicating.
They will often show dominance by
spreading their legs while sitting.




BL = Expression

A man will often stand much further away when he’s first talking to another person. Men also tend to recline back when they are listening. This allows him to remain in full control and observe the situation from a distance. That or else he’s hinting that you forgot your deodorant this morning!

Once he has established “control”, he will often stand much closer to the other person that a woman would. This is also a non-verbal gesture meant to signify dominance.

Many men keep their fingers together or
point their fingers while speaking.



Our mothers all taught us that it’s impolite to point, but he probably doesn’t mean it as a negative gesture. Finger pointing often comes naturally to men.
The only time you need to worry is if he’s pointing his finger at you in a police lineup!

Men usually display less warmth and emotion in their faces. They use more reserved facial gestures.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that they are not interested in you or what you have to say. Women need to realize that this is a normal part of male body language.
Just remember, we said men tend to display “less warmth” – not “no warmth”. If a man is shooting daggers at you with his eyes, it’s probably not a good sign.



When is the last time you watched a man’s entire face light up? Well, other than when he buys his first expensive sports car…
Men just tend to show less emotion than women. Women need to learn to recognize and accept this fact.

A man will often tilt his head when he’s talking to you. This is a normal gesture common among males. Women shouldn’t interpret this as a sign he’s trying to check out the women behind you. Although we can’t make any promises…

Men usually face confrontation directly.



If a man finds himself in a heated discussion, he will often take a more direct approach than a woman. He may stare intently at the other person. Or just walk away. But that won’t help our discussion so let’s stick with the staring!

His direct male body language signals that he is ready to face his fears and accept a challenge. Another common trait is for a man to take a step forward and then just stand there.

This is often interpreted by the other person as threatening.
Men tend to fidget more and change body positions more often than women.

Yes, we did say that fidgeting can be a sign of nervousness and anxiety. And it is.
But you also need to realize that men tend to fidget a lot more with their hands and feet.

A man will often pick up a pencil and toss it in the air or shift his body in the chair several times during a conversation. This doesn’t necessarily mean he’s bored –just a typical male!
Men often need more time to be able to focus on something than a woman does. Unless, of course, the “something” is a woman!


They may be displaying a long tradition
of trying to “entice” the woman by showing off.



Have you ever noticed how a man will often fiddle with his new cell phone in front of a woman?
He may be subconsciously trying to show her “Hey, look at me. Look what I have to offer!”

For you, out there, take note of the following male body language:


Dominant body gestures
Reserved facial expressions
Faces confrontation directly
Tendency to fidget
These gestures may be typically annoying to women, but they’re also typically male!

Learning to recognize some common male body language, especially how men flirt, will improve your communication with the opposite sex.

Male Pheromones

Finding the Perfect Mate:



The process of finding a mate is a series of conscious and unconscious determinations made by the brain and body of the organisms seeking to reproduce. While men and women both emit and are affected by pheromones, females unknowingly respond to these chemical signals when searching for a partner. Most females swoon over the looks of handsome men, with defined muscle and beautiful symmetrical facial features, but fail to realize that attraction does not solely revolve around physical attributes: "it's not how you look on the outside but what's on the inside that counts". Perhaps this statement holds a scientific truth.

While looks might appear as the most important factor at the start of any relationship, what drives strong emotional feelings are a series of chemical signals being emitted by the male. These chemical signals, or pheromones, interact with specific sites in female nostrils to cause intense emotional feelings. These sites include a series of vemeronasal organs (VNOs) that process pheromone signals from men and connect directly to a part of the brain that manages basic drives and emotions. 1) Smell: The Forgotten Sense The pheromones act as emotional stimuli and carry an array of markers that can identify a particular male's major histocompatibility complex (MHC), or a cluster of genes that play an important role in immune function. 1) Smell: The Forgotten Sense To respond to continuously changing environmental selection pressures, the MHC and pheromone signals, work effectively with female mate preferences to ensure a diverse selection of allele combination for future progeny. The MHC influences both body odors and body odor preference in human females to ensure the production of genetically diverse offspring.


Pheromones themselves share similarities with odorants, or those chemicals detected by the body as odors, but both simple odors and pheromones stimulate different pathways within the brain. The difference between normal odorant signals and pheromone signals lies in the responses elicited by the brain. Odorant signals result in sensations of smell while pheromone signals trigger a characteristic behavior or psychological response. 2 ) Pheremones: What's in a name? Pheromones are processed by the vomeronasal system or accessory olfactory system, in the brain, which uses a specialized structure in the nose, the vomeronasal organ, to receive chemical signals. On the other hand, normal odor signals interact directly with the main olfactory system. 2 ) Pheremones: What's in a name? > In 1985 researchers at the University of Colorado isolated the VNOs within human nostrils and coincidentally VNOs connected directly to part of the brain responsible for drives and emotion by stimulation of the hypothalamus in the cortex of the brain. 1) Smell: The Forgotten Sense

The pheromones originate in the apocrine glands of the skin located in the axillae of the armpits and pubic region. 1) Smell: The Forgotten Sense > In humans the apocrine glands are focused in areas around the face, chest and wherever body hair exists and become activated after puberty, a time focused on finding a mate. 3) The World of Skin Care In male sexual maturation, the apocrine glands produce steroidal secretions derived from testosterone, as andorstenone (male sweat exposed to oxygen) and androstenol (fresh male sweat). 4) Male Pheromones and Sexual Attraction As a result, pheromones act as hormones or chemical messengers that are transported outside of the body to evoke responses in another. 5) Social Issues Research Centre


Current research suggests that influences of the MHC alter body odor, and male body odor preferences in females. Pheromones work with MHC specific cites as cues to persuade certain human mate choices. 1) Smell: The Forgotten Sense Recent studies support the theory that the MHC acts as a genetic marker of relatedness that prevents inbreeding and thus the exposure of deleterious allele combinations. The MHC consists of a large cluster of genes located on the short arm of Chromosome 6. 6) MHC-Dependent mate preferences in humans The MHC contains many base pair polymorphisms which allow for distinct individual immune defenses, and may define the chemical differences that are distinguishable among male pheromones. 7) The Majorhistocompatability Complex

Female attraction to male specific pheromone secretions, that represent differing immune identifiers, prevents producing multiple progeny with similar MHC loci. The diverse MHC among offspring of female mammals leads to diverse allele combinations that can in turn lead to a more diverse immune function. Through the discouragement of non-random mating, this specificity leads to a decrease in effective population size which changes the distribution of allele frequencies in the next generation. By choosing opposite allele types in the MHC the female is ensuring the energetic investment made by her nine month gestation period will result in a viable and healthy offspring.



In mice, pregnant females that come in contact with male mice that contain similar MHC loci as the fathering male can spontaneously abort the fetus. 6) MHC-Dependent mate preferences in humans The spontaneous abortions are the cause of mother investment to the progeny and preventing the selective process. The great diversity of MHC loci and immune function result in a diverse heterogeneous society and thus allow heterogeneity to be promoted through sexual selection. If people of similar MHC loci mate then the offspring would be at a selective disadvantage due to a lack of diverse immune defense. By the spontaneous abortions, as seen in mice, the mother is eliminating the duplication of multiple equal MHC loci.


The question still remains as to what happens if the female has defective VNOs and cannot effectively identify a male with differing MHC loci. In this case the cycle of heterogeneity fails and perhaps the large percentage of immune dysfunctional individuals can attribute their deficiencies to defects in female mate choice. Perhaps these defective progeny as well inherit the defective VNO trait and add to the large genetic variability of immune diseases. This indicates a defective strain in the cycle of heterogeneity among individuals. Perhaps the complexity of relationships is out of individual control and remains under the harsh grip of chemical signals and input pathways.


Works Cited :
1) Woronczuk, Julia and Medwid, Stephanie, and Neumann, Laura, and Eshelman, Sarah. "Smell and Attraction". Smell: The Forgotten Sense. January 22, 2006
2) Elia T. Ben-Ari. Pheremones: What's in a name?. Biological Sciences, Vol. 48, No. 7. (Jul, 1998),pp. 505-511
3) Dr. John Gray. The World of Skin Care. January 22, 2006.
4) Thorne, Frances and Neave, Nick and Scholey, Andrew and Moss, Mark, and Fink, Bernhard. Male Pheromones and Sexual Attraction. Neuroendocrinology Letters 2002.<>
5) Rationis,Vox. "Sexual Attraction". Social Issues Research Centre. January 28, 2006
6) Claus Wedekind; Thomas Seebeck; Florence Bettens; Alexander J. Paepke. MHC-Dependent mate preferences in humans. The Royal Society : Biological Sciences, Vol. 260, No. 1359 (Jun. 22, 1995), 245-249.
7) RT. "The Majorhistocompatability Complex". January 24, 2006.http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/en/genome/genesandbody/hg05f005.html
Works Consulted
Gale Peter Largey, David Rodney Watson. The Sociology of Odors. The American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 77, No. 6. (May, 1972), pp. 1021-1034.
Erik E. Filsinger, Richard A. Fabes. Odor Communication, Pheromones, and Human Families. Journal of Marriage and the Family, Vol. 47, No. 2.(May, 1985), pp. 349-359

By: Danielle Marck

================
NB:
Vocabulary: pher·o·mone [Function: noun]
Pronunciation: \ˈfer-ə-ˌmōn\
Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary phero-
(from Greek pherein to carry) + -mone (as in hormone) — more at bear [Date: 1959]
"a chemical substance that is usually produced by an animal and serves especially as a stimulus to other individuals of the same species for one or more behavioral responses"
— pher·o·mon·al \ˌfer-ə-ˈmō-nəl\ adjective