madonna of the kiln

just found this amazing little item while i was google searching for images of madonna. i never heard about this ever! it says that it was hand painted by none other than madge herself! and i'm on the madonna forums constantly. it's for the birmingham aids outreach program in alabama. i take it it was available for auction or something like that...who knew? i want one!

go here to check it out for yourself

each time you break my heart

here's a demo of a madonna song that just leaked that was supposedly for the true blue album or to be released around that time in some shape or form...it was eventually given to nick kamen and it became a huge hit produced by madonna and steven bray i believe...i think it could have totally even fit on the first album...it's got that madonna innocence she had early in her career...before all the evita training and before all the vocal alterations she's become so favorable as of late...let me know what you think...i love it!!

madonna - each time you break my heart (demo)

the quality ain't all that but it's the first time we've gotten a chance to hear this little forgotten gem!

definite eleven november 2007

dj chauncey d
definite eleven november 2007

once a month i supply you with my favourite eleven tracks that are currently on major rotation in my various sets in and around manhattan. here's my favs that dominated the past month and will likely sit around for another...lately more of my gigs have swayed less from dance floor thumpers and more into the realm of new wave and electro...i still get the occasional dance floor to destroy but as my top list reflects...i've gotten back further into my rock and roll side as my choices are a wild blend of new wave, next wave, funk, electro and the bright house track as well as the melancholic porn soundtrack song...enjoy...the tracks that are underlined you can download for your listening pleasure...

1. the bee gees - stayin alive (teddybears mix) --- out of fucking control!
2. radiohead - street spirit (funkagenda mix) --- one word...glorious
3. walter meego - through a keyhole --- a previous chauncey treat
4. the gossip - listen up (a touch of class remix) --- this one is a staple!
5. bloc party - hunting for witches --- nice and scary
6. css - alala --- the video is sick!
7. muse - muscle museum (soulwax remix) --- dirty sleazy rock
8. dub pistols - rapture (richard dinsdale remix) --- hard and dark and lovely
9. pink floyd - another brick in the wall (minitel rose remix) --- a classic updated
10. peter bjorn & john - young folks (scumfrog remix) --- dreary dance
11. nuerotic drum band - we're gonna rock ny (the glass mix) --- just sexy!

here's the video for css' "alala"...prepare yourself!



there'll be another one in december for sure but also look forward to a top twenty maybe of my favourite tracks of 2007...there are so damn many to choose from..it's gonna be a lot of work to decide!

chauncey treat

here's a really exciting little ditty from a group called 'when saints go machine'...it's a lovely french techno/house inspired track with an extraordinary recipe of happy, uplifting chords and dribbles grounded with a melancholy vocal and lyric...production perfection if you ask me!

when saints go machine - you should be someone else (moulinex mix)

red carpet massacre

duran duran is about to release glorious havoc on the world when they make available their thirteenth studio album. 'red carpet massacre' is a wonderful effort on the part of the boys...they really deserve some praise. much to my shock, they enlisted the power team of the two t's, justin timberlake and timbaland. the album shines with a magical new wave sheen peeking out through a grungey wardrobe of the tech hop that timbaland has been perfecting over the years. not sure what justin is responsible for...maybe the melodies and some lyrics...all deserveth of much critical success. this album is very 'now'. a marriage of underground come overground technology with the nostalgic resurgence of the 80's sensibility. it gives me gleaming hope of what will come of the new madonna epic which is famously produced mostly by the same team. not to turn it into a madonna pre review but i think she'll rock the world again this time around...as long as those pharrell williams turds are relegated to z sides or used for a silly neptunes compilation...

here's the tracklist...and i've also made 'tempted' available for you to download as a taster of the whole cd. at first listen it's what i see as the stand out track...also look for 'skin divers' as the supposed second single

1. the valley
2. red carpet massacre
3. nite runner
4. falling down
5. box full o'honey
6. skin divers
7. tempted
8. tricked out
9. zoom in
10. she's too much
11. dirty great monster
12. last man standing

here's the video for 'falling down'...very michael jacksonesque of them with the full storyline...only if michael had a fucking clue as to what was really going on in the world.

dowtown protest

A DOZEN AIDS ACTIVISTS PARALYZE NYC TRAFFIC TO PROTEST U.S. NEGLECT OF PUERTO RICAN AIDS CRISIS

Outraged by U.S. government indifference to the escalating AIDS crisis in Puerto Rico, a dozen AIDS activists stopped traffic for half an hour in downtown Manhattan today to demand immediate federal oversight of Puerto Rico’s AIDS funding. All twelve were arrested at the intersection of Broadway and Worth streets, as a raucous crowd of about 75 supporters chanted “Puerto Rico AIDS Crisis, Save Lives Now.”

“The U.S. government has a responsibility to serve all of its people,” said Johnny Guaylupo, an openly HIV-positive Puerto Rican Housing Works employee who was arrested today. “I am happy to go to jail if that’s what it takes for federal officials to wake up.” Guaylupo and others were released this afternoon and are available to speak to the press.

Since 2006, AIDS services and treatment in Puerto Rico have been crippled by mismanagement and fraud.

· Audit after audit by the federal government of millions in U.S. tax dollars has documented Puerto Rico's failure to provide basic care to people with HIV/AIDS.

· In December, the FBI raided four San Juan Health Department offices, freezing millions of U.S. Ryan White CARE Act funds intended to help people with HIV/AIDS.

· The Puerto Rican Health Department claims there is no longer an AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) waiting list for medications, but advocates have documented hundreds of people who are still waiting to receive medications on which their lives depend.

At a press conference preceding the traffic-stopping protest, activists demanded immediate federal control of AIDS funding in Puerto Rico in order to get medical care and HIV prevention to those in need. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt has the power to instruct the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the division of HHS that oversees HIV/AIDS in all U.S. states and territories, to take over the dispersal of millions in Ryan White CARE Act funds in Puerto Rico. HRSA has taken such action in U.S cities such as Washington, D.C, Baltimore and Orlando. So far HRSA has refused to get involved in Puerto Rico.

Activists also want an independent authority to investigate the mismanagement of Puerto Rican AIDS dollars and a plan to end it and immediate action to provide HIV prevention tools to IV drug users, who account for the majority of new infections in Puerto Rico.

Housing Works, UDCAS New York, CitiWide Harm Reduction, Harm Reduction Coalition, New York City AIDS Housing Network, Gay Men’s Health Crisis, Washington Heights CORNER Project and ACT UP Philly all endorsed the protest and press conference.

Today’s action in New York was only one of various efforts to put pressure on the federal government. On Tuesday, November 13 Housing Works, the Latino Commission on AIDS, the Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project, UDCAS NY and UDCAS Puerto Rico collaborated on a phone zap targeting Puerto Rican Gov. Aníbal Acevedo Vilá and San Juan City Mayor, Jorge Santini Padilla.

More than 30,000 people in Puerto Rico have HIV/AIDS, and more than 19,000 Puerto Ricans have died from AIDS-related causes.

To learn more, visit The New York Times and the Housing Works AIDS Issues Update for in-depth articles about the HIV/AIDS crisis in Puerto Rico.

HOUSING WORKS is dedicated to fighting the twin crises of HIV/AIDS and homelessness. We are the largest grassroots AIDS organization in the U.S. and the largest minority-controlled AIDS organization in the U.S. We provide housing, medical care, job training, case management, HIV prevention, counseling and testing, and other services to low-income and homeless New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS.

i got a promotion!!!

As of today...I am the Store Manager of Housing Works Thrift Shop in Chelsea!

It's definitely a dream come true...it's a fantastically worthwhile non profit organization...and the thrift stores raise tons of money to aid the programs that help house homeless men, women and families living with hiv and aids. For more information about what i do during the day please visit either

www.housingworksauctions.com (the stores)
www.housingworks.org (the programs)

I'll definitely be campaigning for volunteers to help out either my store or any of the other 6 stores located around nyc. Expect a brand new myspace page devoted to the store with special discounts offered to those who are in my friend list for the store only!

It's an amazing month for me! November 17th marks my five year anniversary as a dj. Five years ago I first stepped foot behind the booth at The Urge in the east village! It has been an amazing five years...spinning at tons of different venues around the city, becoming a staple for the Metro Bears...spinning a quite memorable day on their Gay Pride Float in 2006 and many other gigs here and there and....Nowhere!

Come celebrate with me at some point this week...here's where you'll find me Tuesday Night and Friday Night!!!

tuesday, november 13th bear essentials turns 1 year old! come help celebrate the birthday of one of the newer staple nights at nowhere bar located at 322 east 14th street between 1st and 2nd avenues. there'll be lots of hot, hairy men and their admirers....porn on the tv...xxx giveaways...music by yours truly and we're even trying to fit gogo boys in the bar (that should be fun in itself)

friday, november 16th i'll be spinning at gstaad located at 43 west 26th street between 6th and broadway. it's primarily a hetero bar but i'm trying my best to turn at least the friday nights that i fill in into a homo haven (it's a big place). it's a really wonderful bar and you should definitely check it out at least for a drink or two...plus the music is fantastic hehe



Love Beams, Dirty Beats and Hopefully Another Five Years of Turntablism!

DJ Chauncey D

hedda lettuce for president 2008!

here's a genius and rambunctious and rather perfectly distasteful stab at our most unfavourite disaster in chief by old friend and superstar hedda lettuce...i really hope it gets a billion hits on youtube...it deserves to be seen!!!

hedda lettuce for president 2008!!!!

the real britney choreography?

it's definitely done with a lot more enthusiasm but still rather uninspiring to me and the type of troupe dancing that's been done a thousand times already...ala janet and all that. why can't they be more creative and interesting. madonna's done a thousand dance routines and none of them are this generic. even beyonce has been kicking it up a bunch of notches recently in her big awards show performances...britney's stylist and choreographer needs to be fi-red!

arachnid baby!

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article...tion/article.do

Toddler with eight limbs branded 'reincarnation of Hindu god' to undergo life-saving operation

A toddler born with eight limbs and believed by some to be the reincarnation of the multi-limbed Hindu goddess Vishnu, is set to undergo a 40-hour operation to remove half of her limbs.

Lakshmi Tatma was born joined to a 'parasitic twin' and will go under the knife at the hands of 30 surgeons to remove two of her useless arms and legs.

The headless 'twin' is joined to Lakshmi at the pelvis and has its own spinal column and kidney.

Without the operation the little girl would never be able to walk or crawl and would be unlikely to live past her early teens, doctors said.

The extraordinary eight-limbed baby was born in a poverty-stricken region of Bihar, India - on the day devoted to the celebration of the four-armed Hindu deity Vishnu.

Her mother Poonam Tatma said she believed her daughter was "a miracle, a reincarnation" of Vishnu.

Dr Sharan Patil, who will be leading the surgery at the country's Narayana Health City, in Bangalore, said: "Fortunately, Lakshmi has one complete body with a near perfect set of organs.

"Her skeletal system involves two bodies which are fused together at the level of the pelvis.

"The operation itself, although presents several challenges, is not the most complex in the world. What is highly unusual in Lakshmi's case is precisely how her bodies are fused, almost mirroring each other."

The Hindu god Vishnu is the preserver and protector of creation


Parents Poonam Devi and Shambu Das, who earn about 50p a day as casual labourers, were turned away from several hospitals before her plight was taken up by Dr Patil.

The operation is expected to cost about £100,000.

Scroll down for more...

Poonam, who gave birth to Lakshmi on the celebration day of the four-armed Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity after whom the new born was named, said: "She is a miracle, a special blessing from God. But she is my daughter and she cannot live like this."

Laskhmi is the subject of a Channel 4 documentary as part of the Bodyshocks series.

me and my friend mel were discussing this...how does she pee?

Surgery on four armed, four legged girl declared success

Last Update: 11/07 8:04 am

BANGALORE, India (AP) - Doctors in southern India completed a grueling 24-hour operation Wednesday on a girl born with four arms and four legs that surgeons said will give the 2-year-old a chance at a normal life.

The surgery went "wonderfully well," said Dr. Sharan Patil, who led a team of more than 30 surgeons in performing the marathon procedure to remove Lakshmi's extra limbs, salvage her organs and rebuild her pelvis area.

"This girl can now lead as good a life as anyone else," Patil said from a hospital in the southern Indian city of Bangalore.

Lakshmi, who has been revered by some in her village as the reincarnation of a Hindu goddess, was born joined at the pelvis to a "parasitic twin" that stopped developing in her mother's womb. The surviving fetus absorbed the limbs, kidneys and other body parts of the undeveloped fetus.

"This is a very rare occurrence," said Dr. Doug Miniati a pediatric surgeon at the University of California, San Francisco, who was not involved in the surgery. Miniati said the surgery was extremely complicated but her chances of survival were greater because she was not joined at the heart or brain.

The doctors worked through the night to remove the extra limbs and organs. By midnight, a team of neurologists had separated the fused spines while orthopedic surgeons removed most of the "parasite," carefully identifying which organs and internal structures belonged to the girl, said Patil.

Then began the difficult job of reconstructing Lakshmi's lower body.

The operation included transplanting a good kidney into Lakshmi from the twin. The team also used tissue from the twin to help rebuild the pelvic area, one of the most complicated parts of the surgery, Patil said.

"Beyond our expectations, the reconstruction worked wonderfully well," Patil said. "We were able to bring the pelvic bones together successfully, which takes away the need for another procedure," he said.

However, she will have to have further treatments and possible surgery for clubbed feet before she would be able to walk, he said.

Lakshmi's parents, who were expected to see their daughter later Wednesday, said they were very relieved.

"It will be great to see our daughter have a normal body," her father Shambhu, who only goes by one name, told reporters. "We were worried for her future."

Children born with deformities in deeply traditional rural parts of India, like the remote village in the northern state of Bihar that Lakshmi hails from, are often viewed as reincarnated gods. The young girl is no different - she is named after the four-armed Hindu goddess of wealth.

Others sought to make money from Lakshmi. Her parents kept her in hiding after a circus apparently tried to buy the girl, they said.

Her mother, who is currently pregnant with a healthy fetus, was "overwhelmed," Patil said.

Doctors at Sparsh Hospital in Bangalore said they were performing the surgery, which they estimated cost $625,000, for free because the girl's family could not afford the medical bills.

"We are very grateful to all the doctors for seeing our plight and deciding to help us," Shambhu said.

Doctors at the hospital have said that Lakshmi was popular among staff and patients.

"She's a very cute girl," hospital spokeswoman Dr. Patil Mamatha said. "She's very playful and gets along well with others."

veto the bush!

Lawmakers vote to protect gay, lesbian workers
By Thomas Ferraro
Wed Nov 7, 8:32 PM ET


The Democratic-led House of Representatives on Wednesday defied a White House veto threat and voted to protect millions of Americans by outlawing workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation.

"This is truly a historic day," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, told her colleagues. "Discrimination has no place in America."

The measure passed 235-184, falling far short of the two-thirds majority that would be needed to override a possible veto by President George W. Bush.

Democrats vowed to try to mount support, but face stiff opposition from the religious right and others in what's been a 30-year effort to enact such legislation into law.

While the House-passed bill drew praise from civil rights groups, it elicited the ire of lesbian and gay organizations that sought broader protection for members of their diverse community.

Sent to the Senate for concurrence, the bill would prohibit employers from considering sexual orientation in deciding whether to hire, fire or promote someone.

But the Employment Non-Discrimination Act would not cover transgender men and women -- those whose gender identity differs from their birth sex.

In a letter to House members, a coalition of nearly 400 gay, lesbian and transgender groups wrote that it opposed the legislation because it "leaves some of us behind."

Democrats had initially sought transgender protection. But many backed off when they realized they did not have the votes, and feared transgender coverage could sink the bill.

"I wish we had the votes in this House to ban discrimination of all sorts," said Democratic Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts, a chief sponsor of the measure and one of two openly gay members of Congress.

"I wish for a lot of things, but I will not act on my wishes irresponsibly," Frank said.

Rep. Howard McKeon, a California Republican, opposed the bill, warning it "could result in the exact opposite effect its supporters intend by creating new pressures on employers to consider and even document their employees' sexual orientation, actual or how it is perceived, in order to guard against litigation."

It's now legal in 30 of the 50 U.S. states to fire someone because of their sexual orientation. A recent study found that 16 percent lesbians and gays reported being dismissed or denied a job because of their sexual orientation.

"There are millions of our fellow citizens, gay or lesbian, who live in fear that they could be fired because they live in states where there is no such protection," Frank said.

The White House has threatened to veto the bill, which has been described as a proposed extension of the 1964 Civil Rights Act that banned discrimination based on race, sex and national origin.

In a statement, the White House said, "The bill turns on imprecise and subjective terms that would make interpretation, compliance and enforcement extremely difficult."

Mostly Republican critics also complained the bill, despite Democratic claims to the contrary, would inadequately exempt religious institutions from the proposed law, and could even undermine state laws banning same-sex marriage.

Tony Perkins of the conservative Family Research Council, which opposed the bill, said the proposal would permit "mainstream homosexuality, bisexuality ... and provide activists a legal tool for punishing employers who do not approve of these lifestyles."

Democratic Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York spoke in favor of ending workplace discrimination, but then announced he would vote against the measure, saying it did not go far enough.

"I believe it is important we take a principled stand now, and speak with a strong and united voice for equal rights for all Americans, whether they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender," Nadler said.

madonna parody?

can't tell if this is a parody some of the time but it does have some really cheeky moments i must admit...the editing is really well done for somewhat amateurs...but it's definitely amusing to watch.
(can you tell i get a little defensive when someone parodies my queen? ehhe)

project horse (madonna - future lovers)

fashion 4 action!

Hosted by Rashida Jones

6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
The Rubin Museum Of Art
150 West 17th Street
New York City

Music by DJ Christopher Sealey
Hors d’oeuvres
Silent auction

Buy Tickets to the Opening Night Benefit by visiting www.fashion4action.com


Be the first to shop our collection!



Free and open to the public

Housing Works Chelsea Thrift Shop
143 West 17th Street
New York City
Friday 10am - 7pm
Saturday 10am - 6pm
Sunday 12pm - 5pm



All proceeds from FASHION FOR ACTION benefit Housing Works, New York City’s largest provider of housing and supportive services to homeless men, women and children living with HIV and AIDS.

(this is my day job by the way)

Participating Designers & Brands

3.1 Phillip Lim
7 For All Mankind
Adam + Eve
AG/Adriano Goldschmied
Angel Sanchez
Armani Exchange
Bally
Barkley Kalpac Association
Ben Sherman
Bloomingdale's
Bottega Veneta
Bromley Group
Burberry
Calvin Klein
Carla's Closet
Catherine Stein Designs Inc
Charlotte Ronson
Citizens of Humanity
Coach Leather
Cockpit USA
Company Agenda
Completely Bare Spa
DSquared2
Diane Von Furstenberg
Diesel
Dior
Dolce & Gabbana
Donald J Pliner
Earnest Sewn
Elie Tahari
Energie
Ermenegildo Zegna
Etro
Fendi
Foley & Corinna
Frye
Ghurka
Giorgio Armani
Gucci
Guess
Hugo Boss
ICOT Showroom
Issey Miyake
Jean D'arc
John Varvatos
Juicy Couture
L.A.M.B.
Lacoste Levi's
Libertine
Limited Brands
Louis Vuitton
Luba J
M2L
Marc Jacobs
Martin Gordon Designs
Max Leather
/ Cipriani Accessories
Mayle
Michael Kors
Milly
Miss Meghan
Mulberry
Nanette Lepore
Narciso Rodriguez
Ogan Dallal
Oliver People's Sunglasses
Paul Smith
Port 1961
Prada
Real Simple
Robert Graham
Rogan
Rosasen
Shoshanna
Stephen Burrows
Steven Alan
Swiss Army
The Palm
Theory
Tom Ford Men's Wear
Tory Burch
Triple 5 Soul
True Religion
TSE Cashmere
Valentino
Versace
Veuve Clicquot
Vince
W Hotels
The Wall Street Journal
Yves Saint Laurent
Zegna Sport

all at 70% to 80% off of retail!!!

I'll be there the whole weekend

Love Beams,

Chauncey D

unicorn planet...heyyyy

ok...this is my new favourite thing! it's fucking brilliant...so brilliant i had to curse on my blog hehe

check out a couple episodes of 'planet unicorn'...nuff said






for more of this ridiculousness...search 'planet unicorn' on youtube!

love beams and pink waterfalls,

chauncey d

it's all true

from one of 2007's best releases, here's the video for tracey thorn's first single from her brilliant solo album 'out of the woods'. i first saw the video a long time ago but forgot to post it here then. take a look...it's just perfect!
"it's all true"

winsome...lose some

so i just got back from my third dj gig in six days and i must say...as much as i love to play music for other people...i would never want to do it full time. i devote so much of my time off of my day job to scouring the internet for avant garde and underground tracks to build my sets around as well as rediscovering house classics and new wave masterpieces along the way. each venue i play 'requires' a different kind of sound yet still adhering to my turntable sensibility. some songs i can play at each bar or club and some i wouldn't even dare look in my cd book for. that's the beauty of my 'occupation' and it's what keeps me in lust with my labour of love (and play money). if i only could play one genre of music i would limit myself to one gig a month i think.

sunday was fantastic. it was the opening night of a new monthly gig hosted by the metrobears called "score" held at the amazing three floor haven called bar 13. at first the soundsystem was a bit hard to manage only because the wires weren't set up properly for me like i was told they were supposed to be, but once all that madness was worked out...i completely werked it out. i had prepared a ton of cds with music i planned on slapping people in the face with as well as songs that people would remember...something i'm finally getting accustomed to...that happy medium. also, i finally had a dance floor to manipulate! a dj's dream! so many people loved what i was doing and made sure to let me or the hosts of the party know how pleased they were. i walked out of there exhausted...part deaf and satisfied because of a job well done!

then came tuesday. ugggh....a mess. it was mischief night...it was 'bear essentials' at nowhere bar in the east village and it was our monthly black out party where we dim the lights...put up black material to create nooks and crannies for the hairy ones to frolick in unabashedly and i had prepared a haunting set of halloween inspired songs along with personal spooky and melancholic favourites. the crowd seemed to not respond to my intentions and it got me down...the crowd also wasn't as interesting or familiar as usual and the energy was just so off. i got drunk way too early and my set was sloppy and lacking cohesion. i used to think i didn't need to depend on people's reaction as much but tuesday proved otherwise.

tonight on the other hand was wonderful. once in a while i fill in at a place called gstaad (still not completely sure how to pronounce it but it's a swiss word if you're interested in looking it up. the bar is gorgeous and is primarily a straight bar with the occasional neighborhood homo or friend of mine lurking around hehe. this is the first non gay gig i've ever had and that really excites me that i'm branching out thanks to my friend kevin who got me the trial run a couple months ago. the crowd is definitely on the caucasian and asian side and i've noticed that not many people react to really anything but one another. the music is definitely background for them but every now and then i will see someone bopping their head or saying 'thank you' to me as they leave. tonight my brother mel stopped by and he's one of those people who's opinion is very important to me not just because he's one of my best friends but because his taste in music and a lot of other things is primo. an amazing dancer, he had to fight himself not to bust a move where he was standing. i wouldn't have minded...i could stand and stare at him dancing for hours hehe. the night though, started lovely. the first song i played was 'haunted' by poe, fresh from my set of cds i made for the mischief night party. i'm addicted to burning at least 1 to 8 new cds for every single one of my gigs...it's a problem but a good one in my opinion hehe. suddenly, the bartender (his name is gates) came up to me and introduced himself and said "what a way to start your set with poe!" that made my night...the most important thing for me wherever i spin is at least pleasing the staff because they have to listen to me the whole damn night and the last thing i want to be to a new group of people i work with is obnoxious...i'm only comfortably obnoxious to people i know for a while haha.
again he made me happy at the end of the night when he asked what other places in the city i play at. i replied with my business card and with a witty "i guess that means you liked it". he laughed and said "yes". i'll be back there on the 16th of november (which happens to be my fifth year anniversary to the day i first stepped behind the booth at 'the urge' starting my mini career as DJ Chauncey D, the disco scientist of love). so you win some and you lose some...luckily i'm sore either way hehe here's a dirty chauncey treat that i could probably get away with playing at any of my venues...whether it's to make people go crazy on the dance floor or push someone over the edge and make the decision to go home and fuck the person's brains out they were hitting on the whole night...yes it's that dirty of a track...enjoy...i know i will every time i hear it

the colder - to the music (optimo espacio mix)

diet chauncey treat

enough of the dreary political news...here's a beautiful track by the amazing and underrated singer skin. she used to be the lead singer of skunk anansie but has been pumping out solo stuff for some time now. the lyrics are gorgeous as is her delivery...it's not brand new but it's from her most recent release. it's also a break from the hard thumping sexelectro i usually post...that's why it's a diet chauncey treat hehe

here's the song

skin - purple

and here are the amazing lyrics

Purple washes over me
Seeping through my open seams
I’m stained all over

You pretend we’ve started again
Waiting for me to say when
But I say purple


She won’t go
Where I
I would go for you
I’d curse my heart
For you

Silence makes a girl talk fast
Speeding but I’m gonna crash
And burn for loves sake

Duty keeps a lover loyal
(But) is it really worth the spoils
When I dream purple

deja vu

So the IAEA is saying that Iran doesn't possess nukes and is years away from having them. But the US and France are deciding to ignore that piece of news. Does this remind anyone of 2002 when the IAEA stated clearly that Saddam had no WMD's. Again that was ignored (and the US and UK in fact told barefaced lies about Iraq's weapons to justify Bush the Evil's murderous campaign of terror across Iraq.

Well looks like they're now doing the same with Iran. Interestingly the unelected dictatorship in Egypt announced its own intention to build nuclear power stations was announced yesterday. Despite being an unelected dictatorship the US welcomed Egypt's news. Looks like the only way to be an unelected dictatorship is if the said dictatorship is funded by the West (Egypt gets 2billion a year in military aid

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7068478.stm

"IAEA findings on Iran dismissed

France and the US have dismissed a finding by the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog Mohammed ElBaradei that there is no evidence of Iran building a bomb.

The US said Iran's efforts to enrich uranium rather than import it more cheaply, indicated that it really wanted nuclear weapons.

Mr ElBaradei said on Sunday that Tehran was years away from developing a bomb.

Iran denies it is seeking to build nuclear weapons and says it wants only civilian nuclear energy.

Its refusal to stop enriching uranium - a process which can lead to a nuclear bomb - has led the UN Security Council to impose two sets of sanctions, which the US has followed up with unilateral penalties of its own.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Iran was "enriching and reprocessing uranium, and the reason that one does that is to lead towards a nuclear weapon".

His remarks were later clarified by US National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe, who was asked whether any country enriching uranium seeks nuclear weapons.

"I would say that we're concerned about Iran doing this because they could have the capability to have a nuclear weapon. Each country is different, but obviously Dana was asked and was talking about Iran," he said.

French scepticism

The French defence minister said: "Our information, which is backed up by other countries, is contrary [to Mr ElBaradei's comments]."


Iran has denied its nuclear work is intended to develop weapons

"If... ElBaradei is right then there is no reason that Iran stops ElBaradei and the IAEA [the UN nuclear watchdog] from carrying out inspections," Mr Morin told reporters on a visit to Abu Dhabi.

"If [the nuclear programme] is only civil what would be the reason to stop international inspections?"

The IAEA has some access to Iranian nuclear facilities but Tehran's refusal to allow intrusive inspections means the UN cannot verify the absence of undeclared nuclear material.

The US Ambassador to the UN, Zalmay Khalilzad, said on Monday that Washington saw "no indication" Iran was moving towards suspending uranium enrichment.

Eyes on ElBaradei

Mr ElBaradei's deputy, Olli Heinonen, arrived in Tehran on Monday for a now round of talks on Iran's nuclear programme.

There is tension between Western countries and Mr ElBaradei over an agreement he reached with Iran in August, drawing up a timetable for the country to answer questions about its past nuclear activities.

This was seen as buying time for Iran, the BBC's Laura Trevelyan reports from the UN.

Mr ElBaradei says he will report to the IEAE's board in mid-November on how much information Iran has provided.

He warned Tehran of the importance of active co-operation and transparency.

Diplomats say discussions on a third sanctions resolution are under way in case Iran stalls again.

However it is not clear that Russia and China will support further sanctions, our correspondent adds. "

i just don't get the idea of having nuclear weapons...it would just mean the end of the world...if iran bombs one country...another will bomb iran and so on and so forth...

i used to think i was emotionally over 9/11 even though i watched the towers fall as it happened but i still have the occasional nuclear bomb nightmare and it's the kind of nightmare that really fucks you up in the head

skeletons...

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/11/110107work.htm

Study: Closeted Workers Harm Selves, Employers

by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

Posted: November 1, 2007 - 5:00 pm ET

(San Francisco, California) A survey of gay and lesbian employees across the U.S. has found that "fears about disclosing a gay identity at work had an overwhelmingly negative relationship with their career and workplace experiences and with their psychological well-being."

The study, 'Making the Invisible Visible: Fear and Disclosure of Sexual Orientation at Work' was based on a questionnaire of 500 LGB workers and the results appear in The Journal of Applied Psychology.

"These findings were both striking and disturbing; those who reported more fear of the negative consequences of full disclosure had less positive job and career attitudes, received fewer promotions, and reported more physical stress-related symptoms than those who reported less fear," wrote researchers, Belle Rose Ragins and Romila Singh of the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and John M. Cornwell of Rice University.

For those working in what they perceived as a non-supportive environment, the costs of non-disclosure were significant, the study concluded.

Workers who feared more negative consequences to disclosure reported less job satisfaction, organizational commitment and lower satisfaction with opportunities for promotion and career commitment.

They also had lower self-esteem in the workplace and were more likely to change jobs than those who feared less negative consequences."

"Those who feared more negative consequences reported more [job] role ambiguity, more role conflict, and less workplace participation than those who feared less negative consequences,” the report said.

"LGB employees who feared more negative consequences also reported greater psychological strain than those who feared less negative consequences." Psychological strain was described as stress-related symptoms experienced on the job, work-related depression, and work-related irritation.

The study said that while deciding whether to come-out is an exceptionally difficult career challenge facing lesbian/gay employees it typically goes unnoticed by employers.

However, the threats to employment security are real. There are no laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in 31 states, and such discrimination remains “widespread” in practice.

The researchers pointed to previous studies that indicated that between 25 and 66 percent of lesbian or gay workers had experienced discrimination. Of the participants in this study, 37 percent said they had faced discrimination because others suspected or assumed they were gay or lesbian. More than 10 percent said they had been physically harassed. More than 22 percent said they had been verbally harassed. Nearly 31 percent said they had resigned from a job, had been fired from a job or had left a job because of discrimination.

Robert-Jay Green, executive director of the Rockway Institute, a national center for LGBT research and public policy affiliated with Alliant International University said that the new study fits with other research showing that more accepting work environments are associated with LGBT employees being healthier and more productive.

"The research also provides some additional facts concerning the need for public policies protecting against job discrimination,” said Green.

"Employees who are not afraid of being fired or held back from promotion because of their same-sex orientations are psychologically freer to put their full creative energies into work. This, in turn, saves employers’ time and money. It a win-win for all concerned."

The study was released as the U.S. House of Representatives prepares to vote on legislation that would ban LGBT workplace discrimination.

justice!

damn...look at the evil smiles on their faces...but who's smiling now?



CNN

Church ordered to pay $10.9 million for funeral protest

October 31, 2007

Story Highlights
*Albert Snyder sued after church members demonstrated at his son's funeral
*The church and three of its leaders were found liable for invasion of privacy
*Church believes the Iraq war is a punishment for the nation's tolerance of gays
*A number of states have passed laws regarding funeral protests

BALTIMORE, Maryland (AP) -- A grieving father won a nearly $11 million verdict Wednesday against a fundamentalist Kansas church that pickets military funerals in the belief that the war in Iraq is a punishment for the nation's tolerance of homosexuality.

Albert Snyder of York, Pennsylvania, sued the Westboro Baptist Church for unspecified damages after members demonstrated at the March 2006 funeral of his son, Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, who was killed in Iraq.

The jury first awarded $2.9 million in compensatory damages. It returned later in the afternoon with its decision to award $6 million in punitive damages for invasion of privacy and $2 million for causing emotional distress.

U.S. District Judge Richard Bennett noted the size of the award for compensating damages "far exceeds the net worth of the defendants," according to financial statements filed with the court.

Church members routinely picket funerals of military personnel killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, carrying signs such as "Thank God for dead soldiers" and "God hates fags."

A number of states have passed laws regarding funeral protests, and Congress has passed a law prohibiting such protests at federal cemeteries.

But the Maryland lawsuit is believed to be the first filed by the family of a fallen serviceman.

The church and three of its leaders -- the Rev. Fred Phelps and his two daughters, Shirley Phelps-Roper and Rebecca Phelps-Davis, 46 -- were found liable for invasion of privacy and intent to inflict emotional distress.

Snyder claimed the protests intruded upon what should have been a private ceremony and sullied his memory of the event.

The church members testified they are following their religious beliefs by spreading the message that the deaths of soldiers are due to the nation's tolerance of homosexuality.

Their attorneys argued in closing statements Tuesday that the burial was a public event and that even abhorrent points of view are protected by the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech and religion.

The judge said the church's financial statements, sealed earlier, could be released to the plaintiffs.

Earlier, church members staged a demonstration outside the federal courthouse.

Church founder Fred Phelps held a sign reading "God is your enemy," while Shirley Phelps-Roper stood on an American flag and carried a sign that read "God hates fag enablers."

Members of the group sang "God Hates America" to the tune of "God Bless America."

Snyder sobbed when he heard the verdict, while members of the church greeted the news with tightlipped smiles.