{sweetbisexy}

By Tony Grew • May 1, 2008 - 11:26 from PINKnews

An advocacy group in the United States has launched a Congressional petition against calls for the country's military to allow openly gay people to serve.

The Centre for Military Readiness claims that a "sexual agenda" is being pushed that "advances the goals of gay activist groups."

Under a US federal law passed in 1993, referred to as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," more than 12,000 men and women have been dismissed.

New legislation, The Military Readiness Enhancement Act, which would repeal the law mandating that the American armed forces fire lesbian and gay employees, currently has 142 co-sponsors in the US House of Representatives.

An estimated 65,000 lesbian and gay service members serve on active duty and in the reserves of the United States military, according to the Servicemembers Legal Defence Network, a non-profit legal services, watchdog and policy organisation dedicated to ending discrimination against and harassment of military personnel.

An online advocacy website, www.americansforthemilitary.com, was launched by the conservative Centre for Military Readiness and urges voters to sign a Congressional petition to continue the gay ban.

"It is outrageous that some in our country would answer the service and sacrifice of their fellow citizens by calling for them to be fired simply because of who they are," said Jody M. Huckaby, executive director of Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) .

"PFLAG supports all of America's military and their families, including LGBT service members. No amount of shrill fear-mongering will ever change the fact that our country is better because of their service."

Last month US Presidential candidate Barack Obama told leading gay publication The Advocate he supports a repeal of the gay ban and is hopeful it can be achieved.

His rival for the Democratic nomination for President, Senator Hillary Clinton, has discussed options to remove "Don't Ask Don't Tell," which was introduced during her husband Bill Clinton's Presidency.

"I think there's increasing recognition within the Armed Forces that this is a counterproductive strategy," Senator Obama told The Advocate.

"We're spending large sums of money to kick highly qualified gays or lesbians out of our military, some of whom possess specialties like Arab-language capabilities that we desperately need. That doesn't make us more safe."

Polls show that 79% of Americans support allowing gays to serve openly.

Retired high-ranking military leaders, such as former Joint Chiefs Chairman John Shalikashvili and Lieutenant General Claudia Kennedy, have called for an end to the law, which is estimated to have cost American taxpayers more than $364m (£182m) since its inception.

"Our national priority should be on the qualification of potential service members, not on discriminating against them because of who they are," Colonel Daniel Tepfer, USAF (Retired), a 23-year veteran who serves on PFLAG's national board, said in a recent statement.

"I know many stellar lesbian and gay troops who also served proudly, but who could not serve openly about their lives and their loved ones. Our national priority should be on the qualification of potential service members, not on discriminating against them because of who they are."

Cimmerian Thief Female

As a member of the International Game Developer's Association, I recently read this quote from their board posted by a male in the gaming industry: I don't see any difference in game gender. What would a game geared towards female be like anyway? No guns? No fighting? Only barbie dolls?

The guy just contradicted himself because he is stating that games WITH guns and fighting and NO barbie dolls are for boys, so obviously there IS a difference in games geared towards boys and games geared toward girls. I’m an avid MMORPG girlgamer, game industry web developer, guildmaster of several MMORPG guilds, and mother of 3 (2 boys and a girl) and I walk the software departments and see games title “Preschool Education for Girls” and “Preschool Education for Boys” so that’s exactly where the gender gap starts. At such a young age, we are differentiating ourselves from each other, besides the fact that our sexual parts differ, thus does not mean my daughter does not want to play Command and Conquor or my son doesn’t want to paint and draw. When we see our sons telling their friends what to do, he is considered a “future brilliant leader”, but when we see our daughters doing that, she is “bossy”. Women in the gaming industry face similar situations, as I found myself the only female in my computer programming class at Hawaii Pacific University. My husband is military and his officers are female, yes they shoot guns in REAL life, so why should the gaming industry have “Software for girls” and “Software for boys”? We breed our children to this type of society, but those girl gamers who become mothers and teach their girls to game hardcore and kick ass — that’s where the gender gap will change.

My 6yr old plays World of Warcraft with my husband and I, but my 5yr old daughter loves to watch and is just as interested in learning it as he is. Would I allow my son to playa  female character? Would I allow my daughter to play a male character? Most certainly. Hell, half the female characters in these games are grown men anyways, but that doesn't mean they are gay or that they will start to play The Sims just to dress up the characters. These days developers need to focus on adding more potential for the female gamers as well. Since I have been playing games from pen & paper, to MUDs and MOOs, and now onto the virtual MMORPGs, I find that there is still a lack in characterization for females. I am not talking about cooking and tailoring skills, I am simply referring to "characterization" - don't limit me to playing one character or side because that is the only female you have and no don't assume that because the male's play female characters that the females will play a male character. Give me OPTIONS! Class choices, race choices, BOTH male or female!

What has also changed with girls gaming in the MMORPG industry rather than just men? Organization and respect. I see alot of younger males stealing kills, screaming obscenities on the PvP field, grouping only with people who benefit themselves …. since girl gamers arrived, they have managed to become guildmasters and group leaders who don’t tolerate that kind of behavior and don’t ignore it when the behavior arrives. That’s what’s changed. My husband and I both manage the guilds and where he is strongest in knowing tactics and combat, I am strongest at keeping the guild together, respectful, and communicating … I can LEARN his strengths by reading and experiencing, but for him to learn mine is a choice that only nature holds in her hands … but the main question was:

How do I feel about playing a man’s game? How do I feel about games marketed to women?

I think the MMORPG industry is getting better by adding a variety of “interests” not based on gender, but based on interest. Developers are listening to the gamers more, but the educational industry needs to adjust their gender software ASAP! It bothers me when they advertise to my daughter or my son because it makes my children feel guilty if they want a game that says it’s for the opposite sex and a child should never feel guilty.

I made a post the other day about how my 5yr old plays World of Warcraft with me and my husband. I even video taped his achievements:

 
This adolescent proceeded to tell me:

First of all, I have to say that this person obviously doesn’t ‘t have children. To judge me without knowing me is more than immature. To set the record straight, my children are military children moving from place to place, daddy deployed quite a bit, and they have to adjust to a lot of new places, schools, people throughout the year, making it difficult on a child. Yet they are straight A students, they are respectful, the teachers love them, they take karate 3 times a week for exercising and self-discipline, and we as a family take vacations every year together. How can one say I am a shitty parent because I allow my 5yr old play World of Warcraft with me and my husband (in the same room!). You want to see what shitty parenting is, go to the article [Couples Internet Obsession Leads To Child Neglect], I AM NOT in that category of shitty parenting!

He also stated:

Tell me, what is the difference between sitting that child on your lap and reading the chat on your screen than letting that child play with you and reading what’s on his screen?

I want to lay this out on the table and defend the good gaming parents who game with their children.

Our society condemns parents when we read about teen girls who met some 45 yr old guy online and ran away with him. The first thing in posts are: "Poor parenting", yet when parents spend time with their children on video games, they are condemned for letting them play video games? The fact of the matter is, video games are here to stay, they will not go away and kids will play them. Because a parent allows their kid to play with them, and monitor the situations, there are still people who condemn the parents for this.

Computer games DO NOT ruin children’s lives; in fact WIRED Magazine had an article about MMORPGs and how they are actually enhancing children’s awareness in certain areas:

And if a parent is gaming with the child, s/he can monitor what is being said in whispers, eliminating some of the problems kids get when they are in chat rooms. Kids who game with their parents are more likely to be polite in game as well as know what is wrong and what is right in a conversation! THAT is good parenting! Why is it so hard for some people to understand that parents gaming with their kid is a GOOD THING?

In fact, there were some really good points given about parents gaming with their kids in mmorpgs from GuildCafe:

MMORPGs are not going to go away, it is the way of the future, from cell phones, ipods, laptops, and internet, it is in our lives to stay and parents who sit down and game with their children should never be condemned. That is probably one of the most important times of a child’s life, taking it as a LEARNING OPPORTUNITY to teach what is right and wrong in games. If a parent plays MMORPGs and their son/daughter wants play with them, they should not be condemned and called a ‘shitty parent‘. These are parents who can make our future generation more respectful of others and more involved with the family.

And one last word of advice to this young man:

Ok, I'm a sick-minded bitch I guess, but when playing World of Warcraft, I looked at the map of the Isle of Qual'Danas, I was shocked to say the least at what the isle resembled! Honestly, is it me or does the resemblance of the female vagina look too insanely similar? coincidence? I think not! True pervs at Blizzard! I love em! You compare for yourself!

A few things that crawl under my skin while playing World of Warcraft:

1. Moron teenagers screaming at me for not healing them when I'm in Shadowform
2. Laying an ice trap in arena and someone using their Insignia of the Horde
3. Trade channel useless chat (go back to general chat puh-leeeze!)
4. People consistently asking me for gold or to "run them through" a lower level instance
5. Gold spammers ... need I say more?
   
6. Rude, ignorant, and down right disrespectful people who feel it is OK to be as such just because they are behind a computer
   
7. Server restarts
8. Crashes, lockups, unusually high latency
   
9. No responses from Blizzard
10. Blizzard's forum trolls
11. PvP
    
12. TUESDAYS!

Reasons I still play World of Warcraft:

• To game with my husband
• To game with my sons
• Meeting new people world wide
  
• Exceptionally phenomenal PvE and instance raiding
• To take my anger out on #6 above
  
• Bored
• Warhammer Beta is lonely without your friends
  
• WoW = Waiting on Warhammer    (cuz WoW PvP sucks ass)

Give me some good suggestions on other games you would also recommend until Warhammer Online is released?

Bi the way, I'm Bi ...

A friend of mine came to visit and we got on the discussion on bisexuality and gays. She said she supported the Gay lifestyle, that was their choice ... ok, great start ... then she said "but I can't understand bisexuality. You either like a side or you don't! They must be a confused bunch." ... ok, baaaaaaad baaaaaad ending. She is a Child Psychologist, mind you, so she confuses herself at times, asking me for advice most of the time as well. I never told her I was bisexual. I never felt I had to, it was none of her business, until now I guess. It made me wonder if she knew I was bi and was trying to use reverse psychology on me, but then I thought maybe she was right, am I confused? I guess I've been confused all my life because I remember having an intense interest in girls by the time I was 7, but loved the boys just as well. Now at 34, I'm totally in love with my husband, but have had several different relationships with bisexual women, that which has been a most wonderful friendship and experience for both of us women. I can't see me changing, in fact, I don't want to. I love my life. I just wish it were easier to handle in certain situations ... the one with my friend for instance.

I'm not completely clueless when it comes to flirting, just a little intimidated when it comes to flirting ... with women. As a married bi-female, it's not hard for me to get hit on almost instantly from guys, hell, just put on a wedding ring and you'll have them all over your fucking doorstep *sigh*, but women ... those beautiful, natural, intelligent women you tend to see at the schools your children go to, at the mommy clubs you're a part of, at the PTO meetings you attend, at the stores you shop at ... how does a bi-female even toss a "hint" of interest or try to acknowledge any piece of signal she may be passing to you that she is actually bi? Is my friend hiding her inner fantasies underneath a lock of words to distract a conversation? Are most women bi? Is it safe to say that 90% of women in our generation have experienced a bisexual encounter or that she is bisexually curious? Is bisexuality just a phase? And the big question, how the fuck do I tell someone I am sooo interested in you?

My latest video I made for Jeff Hickman at EA Mythic. Happy Birthday Jeff!

How did Warhammer Online start? You’ll be surprised at how involved Jeff Hickman actually is … (this is not real, just a spoof wishing Jeff a Happy Birthday)

I filmed this while my World of Warcraft guildmates and I vs Blackheart the Inciter, 2d boss in Shadow Labs. Blackheart the Inciter is one of the most frustrating yet extremely fun bosses to fight as he mind controls everyone in the group and forces you all to fight each other! Nothing big, just a taste of his funny mind controls and how a group can overcome the frustration and recover nicely to win. I play the 70 Hunter, my husband plays the 70 Paladin.

My 7yr old son is a Sims Fanatic and Titanic Fan. He doesn’t really PLAY the people, he enjoys the designing aspect more. He was born artistically inclined and won several elementary school artwork contests starting from PreK, so it does not surprise me at how he has turned The Sims2 into a magnificent art canvas.

Below are screen shots of the Titanic and a cruise ship my son has designed in The Sims2. For 7yrs old, he is extremely talented. Click the photos for a larger image.

Literally, my female dog is in heat and it's driving my up the wall! It's her first cycle, and she's bleeding little drips of blood here and there while walking around with this swollen vulva and it's fucking embarrassing and annoying! HAHA. I've never had a female dog before, always were males, so you can imagine how I've been freaking over this. I was so freaked about the blood at first, didn't even know they can bleed a little sometimes up to 3 weeks! Anyone else have a female dog? Advice? Ugh, it's so disgusting, at least I wear a tampon during that time of month!