Peter's Place

Am-I-Dumb.com - Intelligence Test

So Mom paid for me to get my hair done today--finally! Here's the most recent picture I have of me before the cut (it was taken approximately one month ago so you'll have to imagine my hair approximately another half-inch longer, not that you can really tell how long it was in the photo because my hair becomes curly when it gets long--stepping out of the shower with my hair soaking wet, my hair would hit the nape of my back (you know, that spot between your shoulder blades where there's like a "hole" in your back right below the shoulders), which is pretty darned long--and I hadn't bothered to shave in a while): And here we are this afternoon, after the cut (Mom took this photo of me with my camera phone, a Sprint Sanyo MM-8300 -- completely outdated but I'm waiting for the 2.0 megapixel camera phones to come out before I upgrade): And here we are inside; I took this one myself, so it's not quite as good, and the lighting was kinda crappy. Plus it'...

MTV Networks launches video hub for gay community | Tech news blog - CNET News.com From the article: "This is the kind of content that has only been available at art houses," Sherman said. "But the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) audience, can now check out content that has never been available to them nationally." Some of the full-episode shows that can be found at Logoonline.com are Big Gay Sketch , Noah's Arc , and Outlaugh Festival on Wisecrack . Documentaries include Elephant in the Room and The Two Cubas . There are also short clips, news, and music.

One of my Gather.com buddies pointed out this article to me and straight away I noticed a glaring error. I tried to find a forum to post a comment to the article, and instead could only find a general e-mail address to the web site; I couldn't even find a link to e-mail the individual interviewer/research fellow. I appreciate that this web site is providing both sides of the story; however, I hold firm the belief that it is a journalist's responsibility to do their fact-checking and point out any errors or omissions in the facts contained in their publication. Here's the e-mail that I sent to Pew Research : Hi I couldn't find a way to comment on your articles. I write specifically in reference to your article entitled " Two perspectives on gay marriage ." There is a factual error in Senator Santorum's argument. He states, See, I think that's the foundational flaw with this whole debate. The law is as it has been for 200-plus years, and so the burden ...

I wrote this during one of my hospitalizations, in honour of my niece, Jennal. Kidspeak Dribble dribble dribble drazzle drip drip drip PLOP drip drip drip drazzle drizzle drizzle fizzle. Putt Putt Putt Revvv Putt Putt Rev Putt VROOOOOoooooommmmm Putt Putt Pfizzle Putt Puff Puff Puff Singularity Puff Puff Drip Puff Mechanics Puff Puff Puff Quantum Equations drive Linear Compression algorithms Puff Putter Putter Puff Piddle Puff Puff Pfwiddle diddle little Middle Meddle Faddle Little Fiddle Schwimm Schwamm Faddle Faddle Meddle Middle Little Fiddle Synchronized Sycophant Symphonies Swing in the Breeze of Exhaust created by Temporal Drive Machinations Parliamentary Proscribed Penundrums Expertly Executed by Deus Ex Machina Semper, Semper, Excelsior! Veni Vidi Vici (Fiddle Puff Faddle Drip) Make headway to the mainstay (Puff Puff) And don't stray (Waddle Widdle Waddle) 'Lest one day (Widdle Widdle Waddle) you won't be around (Drip Drop Drip Drip) to see another May (Fiddle Drop ...

I just posted an article on the death of Mildred Loving over on my other blog site, Gather.com. Read about it over there, comment here, there, wherever. But most importantly, please take a moment of your time to remember this great, strong woman who stood up in the face of injustice and fought for what she believed to be right and just.

    Sent to you by Nite*Star via Google Reader:     Manage Depression At The Worksite via Psych Central News by Rick Nauert, Ph.D. on 4/9/08 Depression is estimated to affect more than six percent of the working population. When people with bipolar disorder and other forms of depression are included, the true rate is even higher. Unfortunately, only half of workers suffering from depression receive any form of treatment, and less than half of these receive care consistent with current treatment guidelines. The issue is discussed in a series of new studies found in the April Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Authorities call for an integrated, evidence-based approach to manage this common, chronic, and often recurrent disorder. The 15 papers in the issue, prepared by experts in their fields, are presented as part of the ACOEM Depression in the Workplace Project, a joint venture of the ACOEM Occupational Mental Health Committee and the ACOEM...

I recently posted an article to my blog about a recent breakthrough in HIV research --the discovery of the TRIM22 gene in humans, and linked to it from an article on my Gather.com account . Unfortunately, a number of the responses to the post on my Gather account were somewhat negative, along the lines of "[yawn] We've heard of this before its nothing new." Take, for instance, one of these comments : old news, this has been out and about for a year now! and Even though this has been around for a little while (as so rudely mentioned early in the comments) it will still be kept relatively quiet until the pharmaceutical companies find ways they can cash in on it. I even had a few friends who read my blog post IM me that the cure for HIV/AIDS exists but is being blocked either by the US Government or various pharmaceutical interests. After receiving this sort of a response to my post and the information contained therein, I went on the 'net and...

I posted this over on my Gather.com account: Here's a sneak preview but you should really go over there and read the full article : Over and over, governments around the world are recognising that this is not a matter of religion, virtue, tradition, and the like but rather it is a simple matter of equality, fairness, and civil rights. All around the world, foreign governments are recognizing the validity of same-sex relationships . * * * * * From the article: Victoria to recognise gay couples Paul Austin and David Rood March 13, 2008 GAY and de facto couples will be able to formally register their relationships in Victoria after the Legislative Assembly last night passed historic legislation that split the Coalition. Liberal leader Ted Baillieu supported the Government bill, which will allow couples to record their relationships with the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriage. Read my full post on Gather.com now!

This is the announcement we've all been waiting for . From the article: A team of researchers at the University of Alberta has discovered a gene that is able to block HIV, and in turn prevent the onset of AIDS. Stephen Barr, a molecular virologist in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, says his team has identified a gene called TRIM22 that can block HIV infection in a cell culture by preventing the assembly of the virus. "When we put this gene in cells, it prevents the assembly of the HIV virus," said Barr, a postdoctoral fellow. "This means the virus cannot get out of the cells to infect other cells, thereby blocking the spread of the virus." Barr and his team also prevented cells from turning on TRIM22 - provoking an interesting phenomenon: the normal response of interferon, a protein that co-ordinates attacks against viral infections, became useless at blocking HIV infection. "This means that TRIM22 is an essential part of our body...

Well by now the blogosphere is filled with articles and opinions and what not about the revelation of New York State Governor Elliot Spitzer being linked to a high-priced (at $5,500/hour , I would nominate this description as understatement of the year) prostitution ring that was recently busted by United States federal authorities . Take, for instance, this latest piece by The New York Times : The idea that Gov. Eliot Spitzer — the square-jawed crusader who promised to bring ethics to Albany, the former prosecutor who chased corruption on Wall Street so ferociously that people nicknamed him Eliot Ness — was somehow involved in a prostitution scandal was too much. New Yorkers who thought they had heard everything were, for a change, dumbfounded. They had trouble folding their minds around what law enforcement officials said was contained in a federal affidavit — that Mr. Spitzer, identified only as “Client 9,” had arranged for a high-priced prostitute to meet him in Washington on the ...

It is with deep sadness that I inform you of the passing of Ingrid E. Barnes this past Monday, 4 February, 2008 from cancer of her colon. I will always remember Ingrid as a driving force, a strong and driven woman; one with whom one would not want to find one's self in opposition with. She was an advocate for equality for many, many years, and was politically active throughout most of her life. Her words will hopefully be forever immortalized in the writings on her blog , as well as in Letters to the Editor that you can find by performing a Google web search on her name. Ingrid served as a Co-President of The LOFT: The Gay & Lesbian Community Services Center in White Plains, NY, and also later served as a director on their board. Most recently, she was President of the Hudson Valley chapter of Log Cabin Republicans . Professionally, Ingrid was most recently employed as Associate Director of Adult Services at PACE University . There was a time when I counted Ingrid among the c...