Jun 27, 2012

THE OTHERSIDE OF THE VOLCANO: Sometimes life takes my breath away (the message is clear)


I live at the foot of an active volcano.  When I first moved to my little village seven years ago I asked all the ¨ancient ones¨ I could find if the volcano ever was dangerous to the town.  I was explained, over and over again, that our side of the volcano was harmless and the lava flowed down the otherside (which now happens to be the location of a fancylike golf course with expensive homes, owned by ¨ricos¨, dotted around it). 

Recently ¨our¨ volcano got very nasty during the night (I now sleep through the noisy booms and eruptions like one might become accustomed to a freight train passing nearby in the night) and there was a huge ¨spill¨ that lasted for days...the ¨golf course and luxury homes¨ were evacuated for a few days but in the end nothing much happened except a little ash settled for miles around.  Somehow the volcano always seems friendly to me...I´m not afraid.  It´s such a living and breathing presense in my immediate life that I can easily see why early indigenous folks had religious ceremonies that reflected great respect for the forces of Nature around it and them.  Sometime during this night we had a 5.7 earthquake (which I forgot to mention because I forgot it).

I feel somehow, deep down, I´m also connected to my community and the indigenous folks around me through the powerful, friendly to most,  dazzling volcano that watches over me and thousands of others on this side of it...the booming and shaking even appeals to me in a very human way...sometimes I boom, shake and spew firey words that are really just a lot of dark smoke while simultaneously life goes on, the coffee bushes keep sprouting, the roses keep growing, the weaving and embrodery keeps being hand making, crafting and embellishing and the birds are singing as if nothing is happening at all...life on lifes terms.  Living in Central America is living life in the down-to-earth-in-your-face- real and every human and natural reflection of passionate, and sometimes desperate, ¨being¨ presents itself daily.  As my Dad used to say, ¨getting old isn´t for cowards.¨

Jun 26, 2012

AN UNDERGROUND LIFE: Gerhard “Gad Beck”, the last known gay Jewish Holocaust survivor died Sunday a few days short of his 89th birthday

Gay Pride and much, much more:  Gerhard ¨Gad Beck¨
¨Gad Beck, the last known gay and Jewish Holocaust survivor, who penned an autobiography of his life underground during the Third Reich, has passed away

Gerhard “Gad Beck”, the last known gay Jewish Holocaust survivor died Sunday a few days short of his 89th birthday. Gad was featured in the HBO Documentary Paragraph 175, which told the stories of gay men persecuted during the Nazi regime. In the film, Gad remembers his “great great love” who was killed in the holocaust.

In his 2000 biography, An Underground Life: Memoirs of a Gay Jew in Nazi Berlin, Gad recounted his memories of trying to rescue his lover, Manfred Lewin, who had been arrested with his family and was being held in a pre-deportation facility by the Nazi government. Beck dressed in a Hitler Youth uniform and managed to persuade the commanding officer that Manfred was needed as a laborer on a nearby construction project. Once outside the building, Manfred decided he could not desert his family and ever feel free. Manfred was deported, and Gad never saw him again..¨ HERE

Born: Berlin, Germany

1923

Gad grew up in Berlin. His father was a Jewish immigrant from Austria. Gad's mother had converted to Judaism. The Becks lived in a poor section of Berlin, populated predominantly by Jewish immigrants from eastern Europe. When Gad and his twin sister, Miriam, were 5, the Becks moved to the Weissensee district of Berlin, where Gad entered primary school.

1933-39: I was just 10 when the Nazis came to power. As one of a small number of Jewish pupils in my school, I quickly became the target of antisemitic comments: "Can I sit somewhere else, not next to Gad? He has such stinking Jewish feet." In 1934 my parents enrolled me in a Jewish school, but I had to quit school when I was 12 as they could no longer afford the tuition. I found work as a shop assistant.

1940-44: As the child of a mixed marriage [Mischlinge], I was not deported to the east when other German Jews were. I remained in Berlin where I became involved in the underground, helping Jews to escape to Switzerland. As a homosexual, I was able to turn to my trusted non-Jewish, homosexual acquaintances to help supply food and hiding places. In early 1945 a Jewish spy for the Gestapo betrayed me and a number of my underground friends. I was interned in a Jewish transit camp in Berlin.

After the war, Gad helped organize the emigration of Jewish survivors to Palestine. In 1947 he left for Palestine, and returned to Berlin in 1979.

· Thanks to The New Civil Rights Movement, sidebar
· Thanks to ¨Gad Beck¨ LGBT Hero
· Thanks to by Jean Ann Esselink
· Thanks to Holocaust Encyclopedia, HERE

Jun 25, 2012

MORE POISONESS APPLES FALL FROM UGANDAN TREE OF STRIFE: Archbishop-elect Stanley Ntagali´s anti-gay views were/are well known


HOUSE OF BIGOTS/UGANDA:  ANOTHER CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCKHEAD -- SLIGHTLY LESS DEADLY BUT ANOTHER HATEMONGER WHO GENERATES IGNORANCE and EXCLUSION FOR LGBT ANGLICANS AT THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION.

¨The new Archbishop of Uganda has been announced as the Rt Rev Stanley Ntagali, who has spoken out against the death penalty for people convicted of homosexuality in the African state while also calling the sexual orientation “categorically unacceptable”.

Rt Rev Stanley Ntagali was elected the eighth Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Uganda in a secret ballot last week and will be consecrated in December.

joined international concern over the death penalty provisions in Uganda’s infamous ‘Kill the gays’ bill in 2009 but has spoken out against homosexuality in the past and backed the prison sentences given for some kinds of gay acts.

The daily New Vision said at the weekend the new Archbishop’s anti-gay views were “well-known”.

He said in 2009: “Homosexuality is a big issue in Africa. The Bible says that only men of good standing, following the word of Christ can be leaders of the Church. We disagree with our counterparts in England and America, who ordain homosexuals as priests.” ... HERE

·  Thanks to Pink News, The United Kingdom
·  Thanks to New Vision, Kampala

Jun 24, 2012

GAY PRIDE AGENDA: A ongoing desire for equality, personal accountability, responsibility and integrity


¨It’s part of the genius of The Episcopal Church that we mix freely with scientists and artists, bankers and queers; housewives, grandbabies, bakers and cops.¨  Josh Thomas
·  Thanks to the Daily Office, http://dailyoffice.org/
·  Thanks to Josh Thomas
·  Thanks to Gay Spirit Diary, sidebar
·  Thanks to David Green, Episcopal Rainbow Shield

Jun 23, 2012

THE NO ANGLICAN COVENANT COALITION NEEDS YOUR HELP: Our presence at TEC General Convention/Indianapolis in two weeks will be our most expensive undertaking so far, requiring funds for travel, lodging, meals, buttons, brochures, etc.


Dear Coalition Supporter,

The No Anglican Covenant Coalition will send our moderator, Malcolm French, and me, our Episcopal Church convenor, to the 2012 General Convention of The Episcopal Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. The convention begins in less than two weeks. Along with other Coalition members and friends, we will monitor the progress of Covenant-related resolutions and will lobby for The Episcopal Church to take a strong stand against the Anglican Covenant. We will also distribute buttons and brochures to convention bishops and deputies in support of our lobbying efforts.

For the first time, the No Anglican Covenant Coalition needs to solicit financial help in support of our efforts. To date, coalition members have run our operations on a shoestring, and some members have made significant personal sacrifices to enable us to oppose what we believe is a disastrous change in direction for the Anglican Communion.

Our presence at General Convention will be our most expensive undertaking so far, requiring funds for travel, lodging, meals, buttons, brochures, etc. We estimate that this project will cost more than $3,000 US. Your help is urgently needed. Please consider making a generous donation to this important effort.

The No Anglican Covenant Coalition is an unincorporated organization, and contributions are not tax-deductible. However, donations of $25 US or more will be acknowledged with our Yes to Communion button that we will be distributing at General Convention.

By making a donation through Pay Pal, anyone in the world can contribute to this effort. Note that I, as Episcopal Church convenor, am acting as treasurer, so you will see both the Coalition’s name and my own on the PayPal pages when you make your donation using the button at the bottom of this post.

Thank you for your support,

Please make donations here: http://blog.noanglicancovenant.org/2012/06/support-our-presence-at-general.html

Lionel Deimel
NACC Covnenor for The Episcopal
at lionel@noanglicancovenant.org

Jun 22, 2012

The Church of Uganda House of bishops has elected Rt. Rev. Stanley Ntagali, Bishop of Masindi-Kitara Diocese as the new Archbishop.


Archbishop-elect Rt. Rev. Stanley Ntagali 

Please pray for His Grace and for a better understanding and compassion for LGBT Anglicans/others in Uganda.  May the church and politics centered abuse of LGBT people in Uganda be challenged and stopped for good. 

Let us pray for all who suffer discrimination, exploitation, superstitious fear, hatemongering, sexual slavery, witchcraft, alcoholism, thievery and blind ignorance in Uganda.  May their persecution be relieved of cultural marginalization and taught with wholesome enlightenment through the willing spiritual leadership of Archbishop Ntagali of Uganda. 

Lord hear our prayer

Jun 21, 2012

++Rowan Williams: PLEASE RESIGN NOW -- NO SENSE LURKING ABOUT AND MUDDYING THE HOLY WATER.



Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury
LET YOUR BISHOPS, CLERGY and LAITY GO

No to your Anglican Covenant Perpetuating
No to your Anti-LGBT Marriage Manifesting
No to your Anti-Women Bishop Amending
No to your Vaticanlike Organizational Faking

It´s time for all of us to get on with being/believing as the contemporary,  fully inclusive, Christian human beings we are called to be.

Mil Gracias,
Leonardo Ricardo, Guatemala

Jun 20, 2012

ANOTHER DANGEROUS/GUTLESS UGANDAN GOVERNMENT LIAR/MOUTHPIECE: Ethics Minister Simon Lokodo told Reuters that 38 NGO organizations are being targeted for supporting Uganda's homosexuals and gays and lesbians for "recruiting" young children into homosexuality. UPDATE -- LOKODO TOLD TO ¨TONE IT DOWN¨



¨...we gay Ugandans hide so well, and are gracefully camouflaged, that fellow Ugandans frequently ask themselves who the "evil gays" are. Of course, we are their kin.¨

KAMPALA (Reuters) - Uganda said on Wednesday it was banning 38 non-governmental organizations it accuses of promoting homosexuality and recruiting children.

Homosexuality is illegal in Uganda, along with more than 30 other countries in Africa, and activists say few Africans are openly gay, fearing imprisonment, violence and losing their jobs.

Ethics ¨Minister¨ Simon Lokodo ¨corrected¨
Ethics Minister Simon Lokodo told Reuters the organizations being targeted were receiving support from abroad for Uganda's homosexuals and accused gays and lesbians of "recruiting" young children in the country into homosexuality.

"The NGOs are channels through which monies are channeled to (homosexuals) to recruit," the minister, a former Catholic priest, said.

He did not name which organizations were on the list.

A bill calling for harsh penalties against homosexuals and outlawing the "promotion" of homosexuality, including providing financial support to gays and lesbians, is pending in the east African country's parliament.

A previous bill called for the death penalty for repeat offenders, although the new version is expected to drop this clause, as well as calls for life imprisonment, after international condemnation of the proposal and threats to cut off aid.

Lokodo said the local and international nongovernmental organizations would be de-registered for promoting homosexuality.

"I have got a record of meetings that they have held to empower, enhance and recruit (homosexuals)," Lokodo said.

On Monday, he ordered the breakup of a gay rights conference being held at a hotel just outside the capital Kampala.

Police officers sealed off the venue for several hours, detaining gay activists from around the region.

"They claimed they (were) investigating a security threat," Pepe Julian Onziema, an activist with Sexual Minorities Uganda who attended the conference. "(The minister) is just trying to intimidate us."

Around 15 activists from Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania were questioned and later released without charge.

"They were questioned on what exactly they were up to and the assembly they were involved in," Kampala Metropolitan police spokesman Idi Senkumbi said.

Mohammad Ndifuna, the director of Human Rights Network Uganda, one of the organizations to be banned, said the minister's threat was part of a larger attack on civil society in Uganda.

"We know that they have been all kinds of threats coming towards the (NGO) sector for different reasons," said Ndifuna.

In May, Uganda threatened to de-register the British charity Oxfam over accusations of government involvement in violent land grabs in the country.¨ Uganda to ban NGOs accused of promoting gay rights

UPDATE ON FRIDAY -- Ugandan minister: Gays have freedom of assembly

The Ugandan government has issued a statement following reports of gay rights workshops being broken up and NGOs being dissolved saying gay people have the right to freely assemble in the African state.

Ethics Minister Simon Lokodo signed the statement following international reports on the situation for gay Ugandans.

The statement says: “No government official is (supposed) to harass any section of the community and everybody in Uganda enjoys the freedom to lawfully assemble and associate freely with others.” HERE

·  Thanks to Reuters, International
·  Thanks to Box Turtle Bulletin, sidebar
·  Thanks to Jocelyn
·  Thanks to Pink News, United Kingdom, sidebar

Jun 19, 2012

UGANDAS HOUSE OF BISHOPS or BIGOTS? Church of Uganda Bishops are converging for a week long retreat to elect a new Archbishop and/or Archbigot (only God knows)



Archbishop Henry Orombi/Uganda and ¨Kill the Gays¨ Anglican MP David Bahati HERE (his ¨not-so-spiritual¨ director is Orombi) recently promoting the Anti-homosexuality Bill pending before the Parliament of Uganda
¨The religious leaders called on Parliament to expedite the passing of the Anti-homosexuality Bill into law to combat same-sex marriages which threats the moral fabric of the Ugandan society...¨ HERE   (There already IS a NO SAME SEX MARRIAGE Law in Uganda)

Archbishop Orombi will retire at the end of the year.

¨Church of Uganda Bishops are converging at Lweza conference center in Lweza along Entebbe road for a week long retreat to elect a new Archbishop.

The New Archbishop will replace the outgoing Archbishop Church of Uganda the Right Rev. Henry Luke Orombi .

The Bishops started arriving at Lweza conference center last evening and are expected to start off their retreat today morning.

The retreat will be attended mainly by members of the House of Bishops which include Bishops from different dioceses...¨ HERE

·  Thanks to Mark Owor, photo
·  Thanks to New Vision, Uganda
·  Thanks to Warren Throckmorton, sidebar
·  Thanks to Pascal Kwesiga   
·  Thanks to Henry Sekanjako

UPDATE, KAMPALA!

Ugandan police raid gay rights gathering

June 19, 2012

¨No matter how much progress we are finally making in the United States, our gay brothers and sisters around the world are still in the struggle of their lives… literally¨ HERE


Jun 18, 2012

EXPOSING IGNORANCE IMPOSED ON THE MINORITY & MAJORITY: Archbishop Henry Orombi and Anglican MP David ¨Kill the Gays¨ Bahati and the hate pack of those who ciculate dangerous mistruths in Uganda -- UPDATE KAMPALA!


 Remembering ¨Kuchu¨ and Anglican ¨Integrity Uganda¨ member and Gay Rights Activist David Kato

¨Call Me Kuchu (referencing a self-empowering, inclusive synonym for queer in Swahili) is a documentary from the team of Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worrall detailing the plight of David Kato, Uganda’s first openly gay person (yes, you read that correctly). Celebrating the 9th anniversary of a gay couple in the privacy of their quarters, Kato swings his hips to some music while being served appetizers (that’s my move, but I'll let him have it), before the film travels down the arduous, insurmountable issues Ugandan gays face today in the second decade of the 21st-century. Along with providing a slice-of-life impression of gays featured, the film goes on to detail a libel case affecting regular law-abiding gays, as well as a national proposed law from Ugandan MP David Bahati that would require citizens to "report" gay people within a twenty-four hour period of discovery.¨

The main theme quite simply is the repressing environment which ignorance can impose on a minority, who must muster every ounce of strength they have to continue their fight lest unsound minds prevail. Homophobia is embedded in the culture of this stubborn country that would prefer to live in perpetual denial that circulates mistruths, disease, and death, than listen to Western leaders. Ugandan leaders speak out against the civilization of the west and homosexuality using Westernized media, but it is the west who introduced anti-gay laws to the world, as well as Christianity to Uganda in the later 1800s. While ignoring sensible, heart-driven Christian leaders in their own backyard like heterosexual Bishop Senjonyo (who was in attendance at the screening Saturday night), they invite the likes of Western Evangelicals like Lou Engle and Scott Lively, who manipulate and take advantage of this unevolved society, ripe for brainwashing. The documentary is rife with irony, which even includes a shot of an advertisement for unjudged R. Kelly. An anti-gay leader can sit down on a couch with a lesbian and have a “discussion,” but he’s never going to address any of the elephants in the room. The long list of lies that are allowed and encouraged to parasitically attach themselves to the gay movement include pedophilia, prostitution, and the deliberate spread of HIV. Even a terrorist bombing of Kampala is laid at the feet of gays. Gay youth are manipulated by the system, including curative rape, no counsel for defense, and subjection to abortions. Activists battle against an HIV spread rate which ignorance makes more rampant. Sometimes meandering through its ca. 90-minute runtime, Kuchu reaches an unfortunate poignancy towards the end (it's better if you go into this film blind). HERE

·  Thanks to David Kato, R.I.P.
·  Thanks to Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worrall
·  Thanks to ¨Call me Kuchu¨
·  Thanks to Anglican Bishop Christopher Ssenyonjo, Uganda
·  Thanks to Counterlights Peculiars, sidebar

UPDATE, KAMPALA!

Ugandan police raid gay rights gathering

June 19, 2012

¨No matter how much progress we are finally making in the United States, our gay brothers and sisters around the world are still in the struggle of their lives… literally¨ HERE


Jun 17, 2012

ARCHBISHOP ROWAN WILLIAMS -- A DISTURBING LEGACY OF ´OMISSION´: ¨A church fit only for bigots and hypocrites¨


 

¨Now that Williams and his fellow bishops are so angry at the possibility of civil gay marriage they are talking of disestablishing the church, we should acknowledge that Williams has always been prepared to accommodate reactionary forces abroad to further reactionary ends at home.¨


¨I realised that beards and soft words do not a liberal make when the Archbishop of Canterbury toured the Sudan in 2006. His visit coincided with the first genocide of the 21st century: the massacres in Darfur. The forces of the Arab-supremacist government in Khartoum were fighting a war to the knife with black Africans that left hundreds of thousands dead. The slaughter might not have been happening as far as Rowan Williams was concerned. He was the regime's guest and refused to bear witness to the suffering or criticise its perpetrators.

I thought at the time that among the reasons why I could not believe in God was the shabbiness of his representatives on Earth. The archbishop's officials explained that he did not wish to be undiplomatic, but I did not wholly believe them either. Williams seemed just the type to believe that crimes against humanity were colour-coded. One should denounce atrocities committed by the west, of course, but stay silent when the criminals had black or brown skins for fear of being thought a cultural imperialist or neocolonialist.

Now that Williams and his fellow bishops are so angry at the possibility of civil gay marriage they are talking of disestablishing the church, we should acknowledge that Williams has always been prepared to accommodate reactionary forces abroad to further reactionary ends at home...¨ please read it all, HERE  (emphasis added).

·  Thanks to Nick Cohen
·  Thanks to The Observer, United Kingdom

Jun 15, 2012

Attention Anglican Bishop Rennis Ponniah: Barclays Bank joins Google to support Singapore's largest LGBT public rally to be held June 30th


¨Pink Dot, the annual event in Singapore which celebrates the freedom to love, this week announced that it has bagged Barclays Bank as a corporate supporter. The bank joins Google, who became Pink Dot's first multinational supporter last year, to support the June 30 event.

Pink Dot ambassadors Kumar, Sharon Au, and Lim Yu-Beng first held in 2009 and attended by 2,500 people as a demonstration to promote the understanding and acceptance of LGBTs in Singapore society, the public rally grew to 10,000 in 2011 -- making it the largest public rally of any kind held at Hong Lim Park.

"We are excited by the growing number of companies that are 'coming out' and supporting a social movement like Pink Dot,” said Pink Dot Sg spokesperson Paerin Choa in a press statement. “We are thankful that our corporate contributors this year recognise the value of inclusiveness and diversity, regardless of sexual orientation, and hope that more companies will contribute positively towards cultivating an inclusive work environment for their LGBT employees..." please read it all, HERE

·  Thanks to Fridae, Asia, sidebar
·  Thanks to Barclays Bank, Singapore
·  Thanks to Kumar, Sharon Au and Lim Yu-Beng
·  Thanks to Pink Dot Rally, June 30th, Singapore

Jun 14, 2012

GAY PRIDE -- PLEASE MEET: Tracy Thorne-Begland Appointed To Richmond District Court, Becomes Virginia's First Openly Gay Judge




Whoa. This is quite a turnaround.

This morning I mentioned that lawmakers and lawyers were putting pressure on the Circuit Court in Richmond, Virginia, to appoint openly gay prosecutor Tracy Thorne-Begland to the District Court, an appointment that was just rejected last month by the state's General Assembly.

Now comes word from both the Washington Post and a local CBS affiliate WTVR that Circuit Court judges have appointed Thorne-Begland for what may only be a temporary position. The General Assembly can overturn the decision when they return to session.

Democratic State Senator A. Donald McEachin released a statement congratulating Thorne-Begland, saying, "I have always had and continue to have the utmost confidence in Mr. Thorne-Begland’s ability to serve our community and I am gratified to see that the circuit court judges share my confidence.”  there is more, HERE


· Thanks to Towleroad, sidebar
· Thanks to Tracy Thorne-Begland, Virginia
· Thanks to Circuit Court, Richmond
· Thanks to The Washington Post

Jun 12, 2012

MAYA IS A SURVIVOR: She survived the ¨calle¨ the ¨drunk¨ the ¨abuse¨ the ¨flooding¨ and is sweet, smart and ready for a real/good home!


In many small and rural towns in Latin America there is quite often a ¨homeless dog¨ problem.  It becomes a problem because most villagers like dogs but simply can´t care for them, feed them or even have space in their tiny one room huts for them to sleep.   Many dogs wander the streets looking for a kindly handout or a place to hide out during the strong rainstorms.  Maya was one of those dogs.




Maya, a very lovely white Husky, was put out into the streets by a local drunk man who could not take care of her or himself...Lord, have mercy.  We noticed Maya right away because she stood out from the pack and was quite the friendly street warrior.  One late afternoon we heard a dog screaming from the street (unfortunately, not a unfamilar sound as cars race by down the Calle Real and hit animals and sometimes people).  Animal lover Juan Carlos rushed outside and there was Maya, recently clipped by a car,  lying in great anguish by the road.  JC went to farmacia and his dog loving lady friend inside gave (donated) him a pain killer to inject.   Maya quieted and JC brought her into his sorta-clinic in the back of our garage (Maya being the most recent guest in his kinda-dog/pet-hospital).  Over the past weeks Maya has rested quietly, healed and prospered.  She´s been a good patient and she received lots of healthy food and outstanding care and even physical therapy by Juan Carlos.  She´s has been given ALL her shots, been dewormed, groomed and now awaits her spaying (maybe next week as she almost no longer limps).   We will take her into Antigua to the young-wonder-vet-to-the-wealthy and hopefully he will give us a discount (as he often does) on another one of our rescued street animals.

Maya is a very big and obediant doggie (although still filling out from being underfed).  She is estimated to be less than two years old (by her white/strong teeth) and is a friendly and loving animal.  She will be needing a new home soon.  No more street dog living for Maya.  We will be looking for a family with a fenced in yard and a family who takes good care of their pets...really good care.   If you are interested in having lovely Maya be part of your life please send me a note here or contact me directly.  Maya can travel easily (anywhere in the World) and only needs a sponsor to pay for the ticket and documents.  No problema.  You won´t be sorry if you have Maya join you in your everyday life...she´s gentle and beautiful.

Leonardo Ricardo
At the foot of the Volcano
Guatemala, Central America
(santosiempre at yahoo dot com)

Jun 10, 2012

RUN AWAY AS FAST AS YOU CAN: Profiles of the Sociopath/Psychopath -- Glibness and Superficial Charm (that´s just for starters)



Profile of the Sociopath 

Manipulative and Conning

They never recognize the rights of others and see their self-serving behaviors as permissible. They appear to be charming, yet are covertly hostile and domineering, seeing their victim as merely an instrument to be used. They may dominate and humiliate their victims.

Grandiose Sense of Self

Feels entitled to certain things as "their right."

Pathological Lying

Has no problem lying coolly and easily and it is almost impossible for them to be truthful on a consistent basis. Can create, and get caught up in, a complex belief about their own powers and abilities. Extremely convincing and even able to pass lie detector tests.

Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt

A deep seated rage, which is split off and repressed, is at their core. Does not see others around them as people, but only as targets and opportunities. Instead of friends, they have victims and accomplices who end up as victims. The end always justifies the means and they let nothing stand in their way.

Shallow Emotions

When they show what seems to be warmth, joy, love and compassion it is more feigned than experienced and serves an ulterior motive. Outraged by insignificant matters, yet remaining unmoved and cold by what would upset a normal person. Since they are not genuine, neither are their promises.

Incapacity for Love

Need for Stimulation

Living on the edge. Verbal outbursts and physical punishments are normal. Promiscuity and gambling are common.

Callousness/Lack of Empathy

Unable to empathize with the pain of their victims, having only contempt for others' feelings of distress and readily taking advantage of them.

Poor Behavioral Controls/Impulsive Nature

Rage and abuse, alternating with small expressions of love and approval produce an addictive cycle for abuser and abused, as well as creating hopelessness in the victim. Believe they are all-powerful, all-knowing, entitled to every wish, no sense of personal boundaries, no concern for their impact on others.

Early Behavior Problems/Juvenile Delinquency

Usually has a history of behavioral and academic difficulties, yet "gets by" by conning others. Problems in making and keeping friends; aberrant behaviors such as cruelty to people or animals, stealing, etc.

Irresponsibility/Unreliability

Not concerned about wrecking others' lives and dreams. Oblivious or indifferent to the devastation they cause. Does not accept blame themselves, but blames others, even for acts they obviously committed.

Promiscuous Sexual Behavior/Infidelity

Promiscuity, child sexual abuse, rape and sexual acting out of all sorts.

Lack of Realistic Life Plan/Parasitic Lifestyle

Tends to move around a lot or makes all encompassing promises for the future, poor work ethic but exploits others effectively.

Criminal or Entrepreneurial Versatility

Changes their image as needed to avoid prosecution. Changes life story readily.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Other Related Qualities:

Contemptuous of those who seek to understand them

Does not perceive that anything is wrong with them

Authoritarian

Secretive

Paranoid

Only rarely in difficulty with the law, but seeks out situations where their tyrannical behavior will be tolerated, condoned, or admired

Conventional appearance

Goal of enslavement of their victim(s)

Exercises despotic control over every aspect of the victim's life

Has an emotional need to justify their crimes and therefore needs their victim's affirmation (respect, gratitude and love)

Ultimate goal is the creation of a willing victim

Incapable of real human attachment to another

Unable to feel remorse or guilt

Extreme narcissism and grandiose

May state readily that their goal is to rule the world

(The above traits are based on the psychopathy checklists of H. Cleckley and R. Hare.)

There is so much more

Update: A thorough article. You may also find more at HERE
.
¨I, the creator of this site, am not a psychologist and no special expertise in the subject. I created the site as a public service, because no similar site existed in 2003. I occasionally get sad calls and emails. I urge you to consult either a clinical psychologist or the police depending on the problem you face, and wish you good luck.¨   HERE

THE PSYCHOPATH NEXT DOOR
 HERE

¨Psychopaths exhibit a Jekyll and Hyde personality:

 "They play a part so they can get what they want," says Dr. Sheila Willson, a Toronto psychologist who has helped victims of psychopaths. The guy who showers a woman with excessive attention is much more capable of getting her to lend him money, and to put up with him when he strays. The new employee who gains her co-workers' trust has more access to their chequebooks. And so on. Psychopaths have no conscience and their only goal is self-gratification. Many of us have been their victims -- at work, through friendships or relationships -- and not one of us can say, "a psychopath could never fool me."

Think you can spot one? Think again. In general, psychopaths aren't the product of broken homes or the casualties of a materialistic society. Rather they come from all walks of life and there is little evidence that their upbringing affects them. Elements of a psychopath's personality first become evident at a very early age, due to biological or genetic factors. Explains Michael Seto, a psychologist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental health in Toronto, by the time that a person hits their late teens, the disorder is almost certainly permanent. Although many clinicians use the terms psychopath and sociopath interchangeably, writes psychopath expert Robert Hare on his book 'Without Conscience', a sociopath's criminal behavior is shaped by social forces and is the result of a dysfunctional environment.

Psychopaths have only a shallow range of emotions and lack guilt, says Hare. They often see themselves as victims, and lack remorse or the ability to empathize with others. "Psychopaths play on the fact that most of us are trusting and forgiving people," adds Seto. The warning signs are always there; it's just difficult to see them because once we trust someone, the friendship becomes a blinder.

Even lovers get taken for a ride by psychopaths. For a psychopath, a romantic relationship is just another opportunity to find a trusting partner who will buy into the lies. It's primarily why a psychopath rarely stays in a relationship for the long term, and often is involved with three or four partners at once, says Willson. To a psychopath, everything about a relationship is a game. Willson refers to the movie 'Sliding Doors' to illustrate her point. In the film, the main character comes home early after just having been fired from her job. Only moments ago, her boyfriend has let another woman out the front door. But in a matter of minutes he is the attentive and concerned boyfriend, taking her out to dinner and devoting the entire night to comforting her. All the while he's planning to leave the next day on a trip with the other woman.

The boyfriend displays typical psychopathic characteristics because he falsely displays deep emotion toward the relationship, says Willson. In reality, he's less concerned with his girlfriend's depression than with making sure she's clueless about the other woman's existence. In the romance department, psychopaths have an ability to gain your affection quickly, disarming you with words, intriguing you with grandiose plans. If they cheat you'll forgive them, and one day when they've gone too far, they'll leave you with a broken heart (and an empty wallet). By then they'll have a new player for their game.

The problem with their game is that we don't often play by their rules. Where we might occasionally tell a white lie, a psychopath's lying is compulsive. Most of us experience some degree of guilt about lying, preventing us from exhibiting such behavior on a regular basis. "Psychopaths don't discriminate who it is they lie to or cheat," says Seto. "There's no distinction between friend, family and sucker."

No one wants to be the sucker, so how do we prevent ourselves from becoming close friends or getting into a relationship with a psychopath? It's really almost impossible, say Seto and Willson. Unfortunately, laments Seto, one way is to become more suspicious and less trusting of others. Our tendency is to forgive when we catch a loved one in a lie. "Psychopaths play on this fact," he says. "However, I'm certainly not advocating a world where if someone lies once or twice, you never speak to them again." What you can do is look at how often someone lies and how they react when caught. Psychopaths will lie over and over again, and where other people would sincerely apologize, a psychopath may apologize but won't stop.

Psychopaths also tend to switch jobs as frequently as they switch partners, mainly because they don't have the qualities to maintain a job for the long haul. Their performance is generally erratic, with chronic absences, misuse of company resources and failed commitments. Often they aren't even qualified for the job and use fake credentials to get it. Seto talks of a patient who would get marketing jobs based on his image; he was a presentable and charming man who layered his conversations with educational and occupational references. But it became evident that the man hadn't a clue what he was talking about, and was unable to hold down a job.

How do you make sure you don't get fooled when you're hiring someone to baby-sit your child or for any other job? Hire based on reputation and not image, says Willson. Check references thoroughly. Psychopaths tend to give vague and inconsistent replies. Of course the best way to solve this problem would be to cure psychopaths of their 'illness.' But there's no recipe for treating them, say psychiatrists. Today's traditional methods of psychotherapy (psychoanalysis, group and one-on-one therapy) and drug treatments have failed. Therapy is more likely to work when an individual admits there's a problem and wants to change. The common problem with psychopaths, says Sets, "Is they don't see a problem with their behavior."

Psychopaths don't seek therapy willingly, says Seto. Rather, they're pushed into it by a desperate relative or by a court order. To a psychopath, a therapist is just one more person who must be conned, and the psychopath plays the part right until the therapist is convinced of his or her 'rehabilitation.'

Even though we can't treat psychopaths effectively with therapy, it doesn't mean we can't protect ourselves, writes Hare. Willson agrees, citing the most important factor in keeping psychopaths at bay is to know your vulnerabilities. We need to "realize our own potential and maximize our strengths" so that our insecurities don't overcome us. Because, she says, a psychopath is a chameleon who becomes "an image of what you haven't done for yourself." Over time, she says, "their appearance of perfection will begin to crack," but by that time you will have been emotionally and perhaps financially scathed. There comes a time when you realize there's no point in searching for answers; the only thing is to move on.¨ Taken in part from MW -- By Caroline Konrad 

Sociopath test: How to spot them before they target you

1. Sociopaths typically don't smalltalk about themselves as much as normal people do. They will direct the conversation back to the new acquaintance as much as they can.



2. A sociopath will reveal "personal" details about himself strategically, i.e. for the purposes of misdirection or a false sense of intimacy/trust. Revelations of actual truths are very rare and may be perceived as a small slip of the mask.


3. Sociopaths frequently hesitate before responding. It will be unclear to you whether they are bored, annoyed, lying, or all three.


4. No strong reactions to illogical hotbed political/social topics (e.g. Octomom or Catholic priest child molestation).


5. Monotone voice (I am told).


6. A tendency to take things too literally or otherwise not respond appropriately to small emotional cues.


7. Cold indifference to one or more family members.


8. Seemingly a different person when "distracted."


9. Disconnect between what the sociopath says and does, e.g. seems charitable but does not give money to homeless or vice versa.


10. Never shows signs of embarrassment. Easily wins over large crowds with confidence. "Poise" in this case = lack of nerves.

11. Does not fit stereotypes for gender, race, ethnicity, religion, age, sexual orientation, or career. Could seem foreign, bisexual, older or younger, pious, wealthy or poor, but may also just seem unplaceable.


12. Can flip flop between keeping a very low profile (the observer) to being the life of the party (the actor).

I don't think all of these would apply to all sociopaths, and certainly many of them apply to people who aren't sociopaths, however they all have the advantage of being directly observable by a layperson, at least without the aid of a brain scan or 10 page questionnaire. Also, because they're seemingly inconsequential and not directly related to the classic sociopath/antisocial traits, a sociopath would have less reason to mask them.¨ HERE

Jun 9, 2012

WE ARE YOUR FAMILY/FRIENDS and CO-SURVIVORS: ¨Love and survival through Khmer Rouge years¨



¨Alex Au and other LGBT activists from Cambodia's Asean neighbours recently heard the stories of lesbian couples hailing from the deep provinces of Cambodia who survived the Khmer Rouge years about survival, staying together, and raising children and granchildren by adopting children – some from their own brothers and sisters, others anonymously.. there´s more, HERE

·  Thanks to Fridae Asia,  sidebar
·  Thanks to Alex Au

Jun 8, 2012

ANGLICAN COVENANT REJECTED -- A SONG OF THANKS FOR THE SCOTTISH EPISCOPAL CHURCH: There may be other springs as full and fair. But they won't be the same -- they´ll come and go...but this, we now know, we ALL will be there!



The Heather on the Hill
¨The General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church today voted against the adoption of the Anglican Covenant. Following a variety of views expressed by members of General Synod, the Motion that Synod agree in principle to adopt the Anglican Covenant was put to vote - 112 votes against; 6 votes in favour; 13 abstentions. The Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, The Most Rev David Chillingworth, Bishop of St Andrews, Dunkeld & Dunblane then presented a resolution on the Anglican Communionin support of Motion 27, saying “The Anglican Communion matters deeply to us in the Scottish Episcopal Church. We invoke the history of Samuel Seabury, consecrated in 1784 by the Scottish bishops as the first bishop of the church in the United States of America. We want to be part of the re-founding - the bringing to birth of a new phase of Communion life.”   HERE

The Heather on the Hill (a song of Thanksgiving for today)

Can't we two go walkin' together, out beyond the valley of trees?



Out where there's a hillside of heather, curtsyin' gently in the breeze.


That's what I'd like to do: see the heather--but with you.


The mist of May is in the gloamin', and all the clouds are holdin' still.


So take my hand and let's go roamin' through the heather on the hill.


The mornin' dew is blinkin' yonder. There's lazy music in the rill,


And all I want to do is wander through the heather on the hill.


There may be other days as rich and rare.


There may be other springs as full and fair.


But they won't be the same--they'll come and go,


For this I know:


That when the mist is in the gloamin', and all the clouds are holdin' still,


If you're not there I won't go roamin' through the heather on the hill,


The heather on the hill.¨  Alan Jay Lerner


·  Thanks to Jim´s Place, sidebar
·  Thanks to Wounded Bird, sidebar
·  Thanks to The No Anglican Covenant Coalition, sidebar
·  Thanks to Thinking Anglicans, sidebar
·  Thanks to The Scottish Episcopal Church
·  Thanks to The Most Rev David Chillingworth

CHEERS? HAPPY DAZE? ¨Bisexual students and those questioning their sexual orientation are more at risk of alcohol abuse than their gay and straight counterparts...


Researchers from the University of Missouri looked at over 2,000 new students who were surveyed twice a year about their sexual orientation and behaviour for four years.

The students were subdivided into straight, gay, bisexual, mostly gay and mostly straight and were asked about the frequency with which they drank, why they drank and the negative consequences they experienced of drinking.

Amelia Talley, MU assistant professor of psychological sciences in the College of Arts and Science said: “Bisexuals and students whose sexual orientation was in flux reported the heaviest drinking and most negative consequences from alcohol use, such as uncontrolled drinking and withdrawal symptoms.

“Those groups reported drinking to relieve anxiety and depression at higher rates than strictly heterosexual or homosexual individuals. One possible explanation is that people who aren’t either completely heterosexual or homosexual may feel stigmatized by both groups...¨ there is more, HERE

· Thanks to Pink News, United Kingdom, sidebar
· Thanks to Stephen Gray
· Thanks to Amelia Talley
· Thanks to University of Missouri

Jun 7, 2012

DANISH PARLIAMENT APPROVED EQUAL MARRIAGE LAWS: Church will perform marriage ceremonies under new laws

 
Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt at Copenhagen Pride 2011
The Danish parliament has approved equal marriage laws 85 to 24 today, reports said today.

Members of the sole house of the Folketing approved the gender-neutral marriage legislation today after an opposition amendment creating a separate system of marriage for gay couples under different terminology was rejected yesterday.

The new law is due to come into effect on 15 June this year

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark, to which 80 percent of the Danish population belongs, will be able to perform marriage ceremonies under the new laws. New rites were written up by ten of the Church’s eleven bishops in a spirit of “good cooperation”, Bishop Kjeld Holm said.

Gay couples will be able to marry in churches of their choice but priests will not be obliged to perform weddings. They would, however, need to help the couple find a priest who would marry them at the church under the new laws...¨ HERE

·  Thanks to Pink News,  United Kingdom
·  Thanks to Stephen Gray
·  Thanks to the Parliament of Denmark
·  Thanks to Copenhagen Editors, photo

Jun 5, 2012

ATTENTION ARCHBISHOP OROMBI AND MP DAVID BAHATI: The Deadly/Cowardly Deceivers of Uganda

Arch-avoider of reality, Archbishop Henry Orombi

Uganda: Population - Too Many To Love, Let Alone Feed

Arch-hater of LGBT citizens, MP David ¨Kill all the Gays¨ Bahati

OROMBI AND BAHATI:

While the two of you are attempting to distract the world by shooting your mouths off with LIES about LGBT people ¨shredding the fabric¨ of Ugandan society  the TRUTH is Ugandan Society is in shreds already!  You only need look to deadbeat HETEROSEXUAL men, sexual slavery, rampant alcoholism, childwitchburning, over population and vertical corruption to understand why this is true.

What do you two, less-than-manly blamers and shamers of responsible/accountable yet persecuted (by you) LGBT people, intend to do about the current devalued Family Values mess in Uganda?  Any positive plans for the promotion of  basic decency by you, the not-so-holy and sadistlike, Anglican Ugandan abusers of fellow human beings?

Let´s take a glimpse of the on-the-ground reality of ¨heterosexual¨ bliss in Uganda:

¨With an increase of 1.2 million citizens every year, Uganda is the third-fastest growing country on earth. The population boom is causing bitter fights over land and may lead to food shortages, warn experts. Meanwhile, individual families feel the strain. "I love my children, but just wished I had fewer of them," says a struggling mother of seven.

A focused conversation with Justine is not possible because a horde of children permanently surrounds her. The twin four-year-old sons scream for attention, while her three-year-old daughter tries to grab the notebook of a visitor.

"Ugandan women are extremely fertile," says the 40 year old. "I love my children very much, but I fail to give everyone enough attention. I have to combine motherhood with my work as a hotel manager. The youngest children delay going to school because I use the money for school fees for the elder ones," she explains.

Justine was married twice. Both men left her. Only the second ex-husband contributes to his children's education. This scenario is commonplace in Uganda, where women give birth to an average of 6.2 children.

"People say I am blessed," she states. "I gave birth to two sets of twins, which is seen as an achievement in Ugandan culture. Then I have three other children - seven in total. I ask them: 'Blessed? You don't know what I am going through!'" HERE

Uganda: Will Mother Nature Survive Population Pressure?

Kampala — Juliet Nalwanga lives on the fringes of Kampala in Bwaise slum, Kawempe division. A wooden tin shack is what she calls home."When it rains, life is hard," the mother of three says. "My home always floods."

To leave home during the rainy period, Nalwanga has to part with cash to be carried by men across the
zones. Sometimes it is so bad that Nalwanga and her three children have to relocate to the village.

However, there are other people who have nowhere to go. According to the UN Habitat report 2009, the population density in Kampala is so high, about 12 families occupy a single plot of land.

According to the report, about 1.5 million people live in slums in Kampala. The wetlands and swamps have now been turned into residential areas because of the increase in population.
This has caused environmental damage. In Kampala, damage to wetlands and swamps has resulted in floods, especially in Kalerwe, Bwaise, Kawempe, Zana, Ndeeba, Bwaise and Kanyanya.

In the east and north east of Uganda, mudslides and floods are becoming common.

 Why population has gone up?

The 20-year stability and improvement in livelihood and child mortality, coupled with a high fertility rate have contributed to a population growth rate of 3.3% compared to the global average of 1.1%. This make makes Uganda one of the countries with the fastest growing populations in the world.  HERE

·  Thanks to All Africa, sidebar
·  Thanks to New Vision, Uganda
·  Thanks to The Netherlands Worldwide Broadcasting
·  Thanks to Arne Doornebal
·  Thanks to Winnie Nanteza

Jun 3, 2012

ARCHBISHOP OROMBI/UGANDA -- MORE DANGEROUS IGNORANCE: More poisoness statement against LGBT Anglicans before his retirement!



Archbishop Henry Orombi/Uganda and ¨Kill the Gays¨ Anglican MP David Bahati HERE (his ¨not-so-spiritual¨ director is Orombi) recently promoting his Anti-homosexuality Bill pending before the Parliament of Uganda
¨The religious leaders called on Parliament to expedite the passing of the Anti-homosexuality Bill into law to combat same-sex marriages which threats the moral fabric of the Ugandan society...¨ HERE   (There already IS a NO SAME SEX MARRIAGE Law in Uganda)

·  Thanks to Mark Owor, photo
·  Thanks to New Vision, Uganda
·  Thanks to Warren Throckmorton, sidebar
·  Thanks to By Pascal Kwesiga     

DIVERSITY STRATEGY: American multinational became one of the first major companies to add sexual orientation to its nondiscrimination policy¨

¨LGBT diversity good for individuals and business

LGBT diversity in the workplace is not only good for individuals and have a positive impact on the community but also spurs business growth at the same time, say speakers at the recent 'The Power of LGBT Diversity in the Workplace and Marketplace' conference in Bangkok that was organised by Fridae and sponsored by IBM.

“How was your weekend?” is an often used greeting on Mondays in the office to initiate friendly chatter with colleagues but many LGBT people who are not out at work often find themselves having to change the pronouns of their partners or giving a perfunctory reply.

But that is not the ideal situation, according to diversity advocates and companies who increasingly say they want their employees to be their “true” selves at work.

Some companies such as global investment firm Goldman Sachs offers a broad spectrum of diversity training opportunities.

An example of a training programme was to have a heterosexual employee speak to a colleague for five minutes about themselves without mentioning their opposite-sex partner or children. This role-playing game is designed to help heterosexual employees understand the challenges of a gay person who is not out, explained Paul Choi, Executive Director in the Human Capital Management division of Goldman Sachs Asia and Co-Head of the company’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Network, Asia excluding Japan.

Choi was speaking at the 'The Power of LGBT Diversity in the Workplace and Marketplace' conference on May 8 in Bangkok. Organised by Fridae and sponsored by IBM, the conference is the first of its kind held in Thailand and Southeast Asia.

Each employee is required to complete two hours of diversity and inclusion training each year. Globally, Goldman Sachs offers more than three dozen diversity and inclusion training programs, which are widely recognised for their scope and innovation...¨ please read it all, HERE

·  Thanks to Sylvia Tan
·  Thanks to IBM
·  Thanks to Goldman Sachs, Global
·  Thanks to Fridae/Asia, sidebar