Podcast Interview of Gay Veterans

Last night I was privileged to be part of an enjoyable interview on the Gay Patriot's America podcast, hosted by my fellow blogger Bruce Carroll. Our guests included award-winning documentary director/producer Johnny Symon, who was instrumental in the making of the film Ask Not that is currently making the rounds to rave reviews. This film examines the history of the DADT policy banning gays from openly serving in the military, as well as those soldiers it affects and folks who are trying to get it repealed. 3 veterans who are gay and appear in this documentary also took part in the interview, including retired Rear Admiral (USCG) Al Steinman, "The most senior military officer to self-identify as gay (yet, anyway)", along with Jarrod Chlapowski and Alex Nicholson of Servicemembers United. It was truly a pleasure and an honor to speak with all of these gentlemen. For some reason I was a bit nervous helping Bruce conduct this interview (I have to cringe hearing a couple of stutters and loss of my train of thought), but overall I thought it went well.

You can listen to GayPatriot's America here:

SUBSCRIBE TO GayPatriot's America on iTunes.

For those interested in giving support to our soldiers overseas, as one listener asked about, please check out some of the fine organizations listed to the left of my blog under "Military Related Websites". Give generously as their service and sacrifices for the country are certainly worth it.

Finally, the predecessor group to Servicemembers United spoken about on the podcast, The Call to Duty Tour, has some excellent video and audio I highly recommend to learn more that can be found here. Although these folks were not on last night, if you are interested in listening to a podcast by a gay soldier and his straight buddies who are all currently serving, I highly recommend the DADT Podcast. It's very entertaining!

Memorial Day

My apologies for posting this a day late, but this is a nice reminder about what Memorial Day is all about. For the sacrifices of the men and women throughout our history, like the fallen Sgt. John G., we remember and give thanks...



h/t - QandO

Spock vs. Q

Amusing performance by Leonard Nimoy & John de Lancie, portraying two of the best characters from the Star Trek series. I purchased the both parts of this performance from iTunes and enjoyed listening to the whole thing (iTunes links - Part 1; Part 2). It's also available from Amazon if you want the CD. Bit geeky I know, but still very funny!

DADT Documentary

Pretty darn good video made by 8th grader Tucker Jepsen as part of a National History Day contest:



h/t - The Frontlines

Impressive guitar playing by 10 year old boy

h/t - Best of You Tube

Music to stir one's soul...

When I was growing up in the 1980s I used to really like Contemporary Christian Music, also known as Christian Rock. Singers like Amy Grant, Steven Curtis Chapman, Michael W. Smith, etc. sang about faith in God and living for Christ that I found really inspiring. At times this music was my "sanctuary" of sorts, a retreat from a world hostile to gays. Perhaps that seems ironic to some given that most of these singers come from a particular faith tradition that has traditionally been very hostile to gays. Yet music is a powerful thing and it was the message that they imparted through their songs which I found to be comforting and gave me hope of God's love. Through the years since then I turn to this music from time to time and it's like greeting an old friend. Yesterday, during the commute, I listened to a favorite of mine: Rich Mullins, who was unfortunately killed in a car accident in 1997. Mullins seemed to be a humble fellow whose faith in God and love for his fellow man rang out in his music. One of my favorites is his muscial version of the Apostles' Creed:

Rich Mullins - "Creed (Credo)"



Upon arriving home last night, I was pleased to find a number of good selections from Eugene over on Paradoxy. One in particular I found to be especially moving was by a much younger singer named Bebo Norman. His song "Nothing Without You" is just awesome:



Funny how we can recognize just how much we rely upon those whom we love, but all of us are guilty of ignoring at times the same when it comes to the Almighty. Great music and I thank Eugene for posting stuff I wasn't familiar with.

What all young men should know...

I just love this movie and enjoyed watching it again with my nephew last weekend. I wish Hollywood would make more like this one instead of the crap they usually churn out...

Trailer: "The Man You Had In Mind"

This one looks like it'll be interesting. Eh, has a great song by Eric Himan at least...

Polish Savior of Warsaw Ghetto Children Dies

Irena Sendler, a Polish woman who saved thousands of Jewish children during World War Two by smuggling them out of the Warsaw Ghetto, died in the Polish capital on Monday after a long illness, local media said...

Using her position as a social worker, Sendler regularly entered the ghetto, smuggling around 2,500 children out in boxes, suitcases or hidden in trolleys.

The children were then placed with Polish families outside the ghetto, created by Nazi Germany in 1940 for the city's half a million strong Jewish population, and given new identities.

But in 1943 Sendler, who led the children' section of the Zegota organization which helped Jews during the war, was arrested and tortured by the Gestapo.

She only escaped execution when Zegota managed to bribe some Nazi officials, who left her unconscious but alive with broken legs and arms in the woods.

"People who stand up for others, for the weak, are very rare. The world would have been a better place if there were more of them," Marek Edelman, the last surviving commander of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, said on national television... (Yahoo! News)

Considering the number of people who actively partipated in the Holocaust or for some reason did nothing to help the victims of Nazi terror, stories of "Righteous Gentiles" like Ms. Sendler are encouraging to read. A true heroine and someone to emulate in similiar times of trouble.

Deleted Scenes From Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Pretty slow day today, so how about some deleted scenes from one of the best Star Trek movies? Pretty interesting, I don't recall ever seeing these before:

Soldier Accidentally Phones Home During Firefight

When the parents of soldier Stephen Phillips listened to the message from their son's cell phone replete with gunfire and shouting they feared the worst.

"It made the hair stand up on the back of my head," said Phillip's step-father Jeff Petee.

Phillips had accidentally called home during a firefight in Afghanistan. Having tried to reach his family in Otis, Ore., earlier that day, the phone's "redial" feature was activated as Phillips pressed against the cell phone mid-battle. Mother Sandie Petee found the three-minute message which ended with the words "incoming R-P-G!" [...] (ABC News)

I can only imagine the terror that gripped his parents when they listened to this message and then frantically tried to reach him to make sure he was okay. Thank God he was unharmed. As difficult as it must have been for my Mom raising 3 small kids on her own while my Dad was away in Vietnam years ago, something like this would have probably pushed her over the edge (or nudged her close to it) if it turned out this kind of message had the last moments of his life. Sometimes technology is a two-edged sword. I think this only goes to show us that as trying as war can be for the soldiers involved with combat, the daily stress faced by their loved ones back home can be just as scarring. Talk about a good reminder and a whole new appreciation for what women like my Mom went though...

Click the news link above to listen to the 3 minute message the parents of Specialist Phillips received.

h/t Hot Air

Homosexuality & Evolution

Pretty decent response on the subject:

Top Vet In Congress Calls For Repeal Of DADT

Rep. Sestak (D-PA) is the latest in a growing number of former military brass calling for the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law banning lesbian, gay and bisexual personnel from serving openly in the military.

Sestak, who had served as a three-star Admiral and who spent thirty-one years in the Navy, is the highest ranking military veteran in Congress.

"It is easy for me to see why 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' should be repealed," Sestak told the Equality Forum.

"Once you have served in war and faced danger with a gay service member, how can you come home and say gay people should not enjoy equal rights? It is simple. 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' must be repealed."

Sestak joins 16 other veterans in Congress who are co-sponsors of legislation to lift the ban on openly gay service... (365Gay.com)

Thank you, shipmate!

UPDATE: The Washington Blade is reporting that Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, made statements last Sunday that the military would support 'Don't Ask' repeal if Congress decides to do so. Not an unexpected answer, but perhaps this is a sign that some of the top brass at least won't oppose a serious effort to repeal the ban.

Is Homosexuality a Choice?

Pretty good clip on the subject from the documentary For The Bible Tells Me So:

"I'm Totally Gay For America"

I debated whether to post this or not, but given my love/hate relationship with country music (which is ripe for parody like this), here's an amusing video on being totally gay for America:



Kind of reminds me of Team America a bit, eff yeah!

10 Worst Cities For Commuters

No. 7: Washington, D.C.

Because most of the workers in Washington D.C. are commuting from the Virginia or Maryland suburbs, it can take an exceedingly long time to make it downtown. Here, 15% of commuters take over an hour to get to work, the second highest rate in the country. Drivers spend 60 hours a year stuck in traffic, and only 26% of commuters get to work in under 20 minutes-- the worst rate in the country. The only thing saving D.C. from a worse ranking is its efficiency ranking for carpooling, public transportation and walking, the country's second best. (Forbes)

Huh. I still say the DC area is the absolute worst, but then of course I'm stuck in the traffic a lot. Sometimes I really hate this area...

Daddy's Boy

I was a bit wary of this one because of the title, but this short film turned out to be pretty cute. Yet, I truly do not want to see what they were watching on the video though...

Time marches on as celebrity fades...

Ok, TMZ really is a sleazy 'gossip rag' but I was intrigued by the photos there of stars I liked growing up - especially the really cute ones I used to crush on. For some, the ravages of time have not been kind while others look good for their age. Here are some galleries I found to be interesting:

'Memba Them?! 1 (Wonder Woman is still a beautiful wonder)

'Memba Them?! 2 (time has truly been cruel to my beloved Maxwell Caufield...)

'Memba Them?! 3 (Andrew Shue is still a cutie)

Fat After Fame (Iceman, c'mon dude lose a few!)

Ok, after some really shocking photos here's a...er, pallette cleanser:

Mormons Exposed 2009

Weird religion but with some great looking missionaries!