October 1, 2015

Meet Some Of The LGBT Homeless Youth The Pope Didn't Visit

[div class="excerpt" style="background-color:#dcdcdc; padding-bottom:5px; border:1px solid #bfbfbf; border-bottom:none; border-radius:0.4615em 0.4615em 0em 0em; box-shadow:3px 3px 3px #999999;"]Meet Some Of The LGBT Homeless Youth The Pope Didn't Visit[div class="excerpt" style="background-color:#f0f0f0; border:1px solid #bfbfbf; border-top:none; border-radius:0em 0em 0.4615em 0.4615em; box-shadow:3px 3px 3px #999999;"][center][/center]
[font size=5]Meet Some Of The LGBT Homeless Youth The Pope Didn't Visit[/font]
A staggering 40% of America's homeless youth are LGBT.

JamesMichael Nichols
Deputy Gay Voices Editor, The Huffington Post
Posted: 09/30/2015 12:57 PM EDT | Edited: 09/30/2015 01:19 PM EDT

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Homelessness is, without a doubt, a major issue for the queer community.

Rates of homelessness among queer youth -- those under age 18 in America -- are staggering, with 40 percent of homeless youth reportedly identifying as LGBT.

Religious institutions preaching the evil nature of homosexuality can oftentimes lead to families disowning their queer children or forcing them onto the street. In an effort to bring attention to this heartbreaking reality, Carl Siciliano, Executive Director of the Ali Forney Center, created this video, with Mitchell Gold's vision and support, to eleveate the stories of some LGBT homeless youth who have found themselves on the streets due to extreme religious attitudes from their parents.

In fact, the Ali Forney Center took out an open letter in The New York Times in April 2014 drawing attention to the ways in which the pope and Catholic church have called same-sex attraction "intrinsically disordered," among other things, and encouraged parents to reject their queer children.

[font style="font-family:'Georgia','Baskerville Old Face','Helvetica',fantasy;" size=4 color=teal]More at link...

Of course he had no problem meeting with Kim Davis and then calling her a conscientious objector...

Priorities Pope Francisco, Priorities... [/font]

September 29, 2015

No he is not, please don't speak on behalf of me or others.

[font style="font-family:'Georgia','Baskerville Old Face','Helvetica',fantasy;" size=4 color=teal]I will never stand with a man who said things like this:[/font]


[div class="excerpt" style="background-color:#dcdcdc; padding-bottom:5px; border:1px solid #bfbfbf; border-bottom:none; border-radius:0.4615em 0.4615em 0em 0em; box-shadow:3px 3px 3px #999999;"]http://www.catholic.com/blog/jimmy-akin/pope-francis-on-abortion-and-homosexual-marriage[div class="excerpt" style="background-color:#f0f0f0; border:1px solid #bfbfbf; border-top:none; border-radius:0em 0em 0.4615em 0.4615em; box-shadow:3px 3px 3px #999999;"]He wrote: “In the coming weeks, the Argentine people will face a situation whose outcome can seriously harm the family. . . .

“At stake is the identity and survival of the family: father, mother, and children. At stake are the lives of many children who will be discriminated against in advance and deprived of their human development given by a father and a mother and willed by God. At stake is the total rejection of God’s law engraved in our hearts.”

Cardinal Bergoglio continued: “Let us not be naive: this is not simply a political struggle, but it is an attempt to destroy God’s plan. It is not just a bill (a mere instrument) but a ‘move’ of the father of lies who seeks to confuse and deceive the children of God.”

The cardinal also noted that “today the country, in this particular situation, needs the special assistance of the Holy Spirit to bring the light of truth on to the darkness of error, it need this advocate to defend us from being enchanted by many fallacies that are tried at all costs to justify this bill and to confuse and deceive the people of good will.”

[font style="font-family:'Georgia','Baskerville Old Face','Helvetica',fantasy;" size=4 color=teal]Or this:[/font]

[div class="excerpt" style="background-color:#dcdcdc; padding-bottom:5px; border:1px solid #bfbfbf; border-bottom:none; border-radius:0.4615em 0.4615em 0em 0em; box-shadow:3px 3px 3px #999999;"]http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2015/02/21/pope-transgender-people-are-like-nuclear-weapons[div class="excerpt" style="background-color:#f0f0f0; border:1px solid #bfbfbf; border-top:none; border-radius:0em 0em 0.4615em 0.4615em; box-shadow:3px 3px 3px #999999;"]According to the National Catholic Reporter, he said: “Let’s think of the nuclear arms, of the possibility to annihilate in a few instants a very high number of human beings.

“Let’s think also of genetic manipulation, of the manipulation of life, or of the gender theory, that does not recognize the order of creation.”

“With this attitude, man commits a new sin, that against God the Creator.

“The true custody of creation does not have anything to do with the ideologies that consider man like an accident, like a problem to eliminate.

“God has placed man and woman and the summit of creation and has entrusted them with the earth.

“The design of the Creator is written in nature.”

[font style="font-family:'Georgia','Baskerville Old Face','Helvetica',fantasy;" size=4 color=teal]Or this:[/font]

[div class="excerpt" style="background-color:#dcdcdc; padding-bottom:5px; border:1px solid #bfbfbf; border-bottom:none; border-radius:0.4615em 0.4615em 0em 0em; box-shadow:3px 3px 3px #999999;"]http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/06/pope-slovakia-referendum_n_6630876.html[div class="excerpt" style="background-color:#f0f0f0; border:1px solid #bfbfbf; border-top:none; border-radius:0em 0em 0.4615em 0.4615em; box-shadow:3px 3px 3px #999999;"]Speaking at his weekly general audience on Wednesday, the pope said: "I greet the pilgrims from Slovakia and, through them, I wish to express my appreciation to the entire Slovak church, encouraging everyone to continue their efforts in defense of the family, the vital cell of society."

[font style="font-family:'Georgia','Baskerville Old Face','Helvetica',fantasy;" size=4 color=teal]Or this:[/font]


[div class="excerpt" style="background-color:#dcdcdc; padding-bottom:5px; border:1px solid #bfbfbf; border-bottom:none; border-radius:0.4615em 0.4615em 0em 0em; box-shadow:3px 3px 3px #999999;"]http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/pope-francis-suggests-gay-marriage-threatens-traditional-families[div class="excerpt" style="background-color:#f0f0f0; border:1px solid #bfbfbf; border-top:none; border-radius:0em 0em 0.4615em 0.4615em; box-shadow:3px 3px 3px #999999;"]“The family is threatened by growing efforts on the part of some to redefine the very institution of marriage, by relativism, by the culture of the ephemeral, by a lack of openness to life,” Francis said at a Mass in Manila. “These realities are increasingly under attack from powerful forces, which threaten to disfigure God’s plan for creation.”

[font style="font-family:'Georgia','Baskerville Old Face','Helvetica',fantasy;" size=4 color=teal]Or this from the other day[/font]

[div class="excerpt" style="background-color:#dcdcdc; padding-bottom:5px; border:1px solid #bfbfbf; border-bottom:none; border-radius:0.4615em 0.4615em 0em 0em; box-shadow:3px 3px 3px #999999;"]http://www.washingtonblade.com/2015/09/24/pope-basis-of-marriage-being-called-into-question/[div class="excerpt" style="background-color:#f0f0f0; border:1px solid #bfbfbf; border-top:none; border-radius:0em 0em 0.4615em 0.4615em; box-shadow:3px 3px 3px #999999;"]“I cannot hide my concern for the family, which is threatened, perhaps as never before, from within and without,” Francis said. “Fundamental relationships are being called into question, as is the very basis of marriage and the family. I can only reiterate the importance and, above all, the richness and the beauty of family life.”

[font style="font-family:'Georgia','Baskerville Old Face','Helvetica',fantasy;" size=4 color=teal]
Or his standing up for Kim Davis the other day.

But, I WILL stand up for Women & LGBTQ rights and dignity against people like the Pope; and if that makes me an left wing extremist, then I will wear that badge with pride.

I will be in good company with other left wing extremist of their time like the abolitionists, the suffragettes, the civil rights proponents, and the protesters at the stonewall riots.

Edit: adding a couple more links about the pope and Kim Davis's meeting:

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/pope-francis-visits-america/kim-davis-lawyer-claims-she-had-secret-meeting-pope-francis-n435916

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/30/us/county-clerk-kim-davis-who-denied-gay-couples-visited-pope.html?_r=0

Edit2: Another link I want for the future

http://time.com/3597245/vatican-evangelicals-mormons-gay-marriage/

Edit3: his who am I to judge comment in full:

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/jimmy-akin/7-things-you-need-to-know-about-what-pope-francis-said-about-gays[/font]

September 23, 2015

When Bible Stories Are Illustrated, They Reveal Some Huge Problems

[div class="excerpt" style="background-color:#dcdcdc; padding-bottom:5px; border:1px solid #bfbfbf; border-bottom:none; border-radius:0.4615em 0.4615em 0em 0em; box-shadow:3px 3px 3px #999999;"]When Bible Stories Are Illustrated, They Reveal Some Huge Problems[div class="excerpt" style="background-color:#f0f0f0; border:1px solid #bfbfbf; border-top:none; border-radius:0em 0em 0.4615em 0.4615em; box-shadow:3px 3px 3px #999999;"]

By Scott Bixby February 24, 2015

"Bears will maul you, this I know, for the Bible tells me so ..."

Christian holy scripture contains more than a foundational template for leading a spiritual life — it also features sex, accidental crotch-touching, the summoning of bears with curses and a host of other topics and prescriptions that seem downright un-Christian.

The gap between more kid-friendly passages and Biblical verses that describe the market price for a rape victim's virginity are the topic of the illustrated book, The Bible Said What!? by Evan Mascagni and illustrated by Nick Sirotich. Mascagni used his decadelong experience as a Catholic school student in Kentucky as a primary resource to highlight the Bible's discrepancies.

"Christianity was not only the right way, but the only way," Mascagni told Mic. "Schoolteachers and priests constantly cherry-picked verses from the Bible to justify whatever lessons were in store for the day, and I developed a very narrow understanding of Christianity. This book explores some of the stories that were overlooked throughout my education and have ultimately led me to take the Bible for what it is."

And what is the Bible, according to Mascagni? "The longest book most Christians have never read." Mascagni may be on to something: Although 88% of American households own at least one Bible, only 37% read it once a week or more, according to a 2014 survey by the American Bible Society. The same survey shows that only 35% of millennials agree with the statement that "the Bible contains everything a person needs to know to lead a meaningful life," and 39% of millennials have never read the Bible at all.

...

[font style="font-family:'Georgia','Baskerville Old Face','Helvetica',fantasy;" size=4 color=teal]More at link...[/font]

September 20, 2015

ARGGHHH IT BE INTERNATIONAL TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY!!!

[font style="font-family:'Georgia','Baskerville Old Face','Helvetica',fantasy;" size=4 color=teal]Most Holy of holy days before his noodliness the flying spaghetti monster.

But nay...it be not JUST talk like a pirate day but

[font style="font-family:'Papyrus','Baskerville Old Face','Helvetica',fantasy;" size=6 color=crimson]TALK LIKE A PIRATE WEEKEND!!![/font]

So Batten Down the Mizzenmast,pull up a chair and a peg leg yee scurrvy dogs and lets open up a new cask of rum! We buccaneers be have'n a shindig ALL WEEKEND LONG!!!
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September 15, 2015

Pokemon Teams Based On the 2016 Presidential Candidates

[font style="font-family:'Georgia','Baskerville Old Face','Helvetica',fantasy;" size=4 color=teal]Posting this here as it does include Hillary and Bernie[/font]

[div class="excerpt" style="background-color:#dcdcdc; padding-bottom:5px; border:1px solid #bfbfbf; border-bottom:none; border-radius:0.4615em 0.4615em 0em 0em; box-shadow:3px 3px 3px #999999;"]We Made Pokemon Teams Based On the 2016 Presidential Candidates[div class="excerpt" style="background-color:#f0f0f0; border:1px solid #bfbfbf; border-top:none; border-radius:0em 0em 0.4615em 0.4615em; box-shadow:3px 3px 3px #999999;"][center]

JAKE YOUNG
@bestjakeyoung
September 11, 2015[/center]

[font size=4]1. Donald Trump [/font]
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Mr. Mime: A goofy-haired clown obsessed with creating barriers.

Loudred: His greatest weapon is his loud, amplified voice.

Darkrai: The political establishment's worst nightmare with a gravity-defying combover.

Conkeldurr: Experience putting up buildings.

Aegislash: Quick to change stances if it means victory.

Emboar: Literally a huge pig who's great at making SICK BURNS.

[font style="font-family:'Georgia','Baskerville Old Face','Helvetica',fantasy;" size=4 color=teal]More at link...[/font]

September 11, 2015

Strawberries are not Berries!

[div class="excerpt" style="background-color:#dcdcdc; padding-bottom:5px; border:1px solid #bfbfbf; border-bottom:none; border-radius:0.4615em 0.4615em 0em 0em; box-shadow:3px 3px 3px #999999;"]JUST IN: Strawberries Are Not Berries, Yet Avocados and Watermelon Are[div class="excerpt" style="background-color:#f0f0f0; border:1px solid #bfbfbf; border-top:none; border-radius:0em 0em 0.4615em 0.4615em; box-shadow:3px 3px 3px #999999;"][center] [/center]

Ready to have your mind blown, your childish innocence shattered, your ideas of everything right in the world torn asunder? Strawberries are not really berries, but watermelon, pumpkins, bananas, and avocados are. It's okay. Take a few deep breaths. We're right here with you.

...

[font style="font-family:'Georgia','Baskerville Old Face','Helvetica',fantasy;" size=4 color=teal]More at link.

Personally I am okay with this as it totally screws with peoples common understanding and that is always a good thing in my opinion [/font]

September 9, 2015

Darksiders Devs Using Crowdfunding To Revive Classic Comic Series [Battle Chasers] as JRPG

[div class="excerpt" style="background-color:#dcdcdc; padding-bottom:5px; border:1px solid #bfbfbf; border-bottom:none; border-radius:0.4615em 0.4615em 0em 0em; box-shadow:3px 3px 3px #999999;"]Darksiders Devs Using Crowdfunding To Revive Classic Comic Series as JRPG[div class="excerpt" style="background-color:#f0f0f0; border:1px solid #bfbfbf; border-top:none; border-radius:0em 0em 0.4615em 0.4615em; box-shadow:3px 3px 3px #999999;"]Developers from the studio behind Darksiders have launched a Kickstarter to bring back a much-loved fantasy comic book series as a turn-based RPG.

Heading up the studio, which is called Airship Syndicate, is Joe Madureira--a veteran comic book artist renowned for his work at Marvel Comics--and Ryan Stefanelli. Together the two founded Vigil Games.

Their first project brings back Battle Chasers, a comic book series created by Madureira and published by WildStorm in 1998. The series developed a passionate following but has remained dormant since around 2001.


https://d2pq0u4uni88oo.cloudfront.net/projects/710158/video-581026-h264_high.mp4

Battle Chasers: Nightwar is a video game set in the same universe as Madureira's series, and the studio is asking for $500,000 in crowdfunding on Kickstarter to make it.

As the game's developers note, while Darksiders drew heavy inspiration from The Legend of Zelda, Battle Chasers: Nightwar is inspired by Japanese role-playing games such as Final Fantasy.

[font style="font-family:'Georgia','Baskerville Old Face','Helvetica',fantasy;" size=4 color=teal]More at link.

Kickstarter can be found here[/font]

September 9, 2015

Battle Chasers is Officially, For Really Real Coming Back as a Game, But Only if You Help Fund It

[div class="excerpt" style="background-color:#dcdcdc; padding-bottom:5px; border:1px solid #bfbfbf; border-bottom:none; border-radius:0.4615em 0.4615em 0em 0em; box-shadow:3px 3px 3px #999999;"]Battle Chasers is Officially, For Really Real Coming Back as a Game, But Only if You Help Fund It[div class="excerpt" style="background-color:#f0f0f0; border:1px solid #bfbfbf; border-top:none; border-radius:0em 0em 0.4615em 0.4615em; box-shadow:3px 3px 3px #999999;"]
https://d2pq0u4uni88oo.cloudfront.net/projects/710158/video-581026-h264_high.mp4

Earlier this year, Joe Madureira hinted at the possibility of Battle Chasers, his creator-owned series, returning in some form. After leaving comics for a time to focus on game development, and then releasing two games with Vigil Games and THQ, it seems the time is now right for Gully, Garrison, Calibretto and the rest of the gang to make their comeback. Battle Chasers: Nightwar will see Joe Mad return to the series and characters for the first time in almost 15 years, but this time the franchise is stepping into a new arena — video games.

Using Kickstarter to fund the development for PC and Mac (other platforms will follow if stretch goals are met), Airship Syndicate is bringing the fan-favorite comic to life as a JRPG. If you’re at all familiar with Battle Chasers, you know just how perfect a fit the world of that series is for a role-playing game steeped in the traditions of Squaresoft and Enix, but with a modern twist. That means there’ll be loads of turn-based battles, mana and dungeon crawling to go around, but the dungeons will be generated randomly and have a bit of that Diablo flare.

You can see a decent amount of early gameplay in the video above, including some nice looks at the combat in action. The party system will carry three members, each with their own special abilities and gear. More skills will be unlocked as you level up, allowing you to tailor the fighters to your liking. Characters will have two different mana pools to use, with one (blue) being resigned to core attacks and one (red) for special moves. These heroes will also react differently to the red mana, with some like Garrison getting boosted and others like Knolan being slightly penalized.

Airship is also including a variation on the initiative system, which will see buffs and debuffs included at random intervals. If a character attacks or defends during one of these moments, the action will activate. You’ll be able to see where and when these slots are coming in the order, so you can plan around them, for better or worse. Additionally, dungeon exploration will play a large role, and there will be pitfalls and traps to avoid alongside the enemy encounters. Playable characters will have specialized skills for traversing these dangerous halls, which will come in handy considering dying in a dungeon will lead to a loss of your items. There’s a lot more to Battle Chasers: Nightwar, including a story that flows alongside the comic series itself, and animated story sequences for major points in the narrative, but details on those aspects are a bit light at the moment.

...


[font style="font-family:'Georgia','Baskerville Old Face','Helvetica',fantasy;" size=4 color=teal]Read More at link:[/font] http://comicsalliance.com/battle-chasers-nightwar-kickstarter/?trackback=tsmclip

[font style="font-family:'Georgia','Baskerville Old Face','Helvetica',fantasy;" size=4 color=teal]If you check out the Kickstarter link you can see that one of the Rewards would be Battle chasers #10-12. Whether it takes 14 years between releases or not I don't know...but as a Joe Mad fan I can't pass this up.[/font]

September 3, 2015

Let us not forget what the Contempt Ruling in Kentucky Really means.

[font style="font-family:'Georgia','Baskerville Old Face','Helvetica',fantasy;" size=4 color=teal]It means couples like April Miller and Karen Roberts can FINALLY get married tomorrow. It means rule of law has won! It is tempting to get carried away in the drama of moment and fixate upon the lawbreaker who abused her power...but we must not do that.

It is about love once again overcoming hate. It is about the triumph of equality before the law. It is about people who were wronged finally getting their rights respected.

The bigot doesn't even deserve us using her name. Let us forget her and instead let us celebrate the triumph of the couples who fought her and remember their names instead![/font]

[center]DAVID ERMOLD & DAVID MOORE
APRIL MILLER & KAREN ROBERTS
SHANTEL BURKE & STEPHEN NAPIER
JODY FERNANDEZ & KEVIN HOLLOWAY
AARON SKAGGS & BARRY SPARTMAN
JAMES YATES & WILLIAM SMITH, Jr.
TIM & MICHAEL LONG[/center]

[font style="font-family:'Georgia','Baskerville Old Face','Helvetica',fantasy;" size=4 color=teal]Today was their victory...not the bigot Clerks! Let celebrate for them and congratulate them on finally getting their marriage license!!![/font]