“I say never again. We are after all, free, free at last! Let us take our joys in the present, while the old is still free in time."

This little quote, along with the "What's so bad about freedom" trope I've seen so many people use, is the single best example of how the "freedom" we're talking about is actually a lie. We aren't free at all; freedom to be anything we feel like. We are free, as long as we don't let anyone, who might not agree with us, tell us what we can or cannot do, what we can own, who we can share our feelings with, even.

Freedom is, after all: "freedom from". We do not need to be free from anything, even if that something is the very same freedom that we so desperately crave. The difference between "freedom" and "liberty" is about power. In its most basic, fundamental nature, "liberty" is what can be taken away from us. There is a very simple way this can be done: We don't have to do anything to "be" free. All it takes is for us to just go away for a little while. That is how "liberty" works, for you and I and for the rest of us. Even the most basic notion of "freedom" is "power" (the ability to manipulate and take possession of anything from others). This is the fundamental difference between liberty and "freedom". "Liberty" has almost nothing to do with having "power" over those who are "free". It has everything to do with not having "power" over those who are not "free". Now you should note that "freedom" and "liberty" are mutually exclusive.

Ultimately, "Liberty" is the ultimate freedom from anything (including anyone), "freedom" is the ability to not have anything to do with anyone, and that is all.

‘Fungus’ covers vast areas of possibility: from unseen things in nature to disturbing things found nest to one's genitalia. In the olden days it meant 'things crawling on the floor'. 'Tangle' is a weird and strange word, means the knot or loop to be fastened; for instance: the rope used by the sailors was tangled.

"Sneaky" - the adjective that gives the word ‘sneakiness’ an edge, so "sneaky" is a word of advantage, remember it kids!

"Mumfart", meaning 'to vomit into a bowl'

"Cocopolo", or 'tourist', referring to a person from Italy. "Hippy" sometimes is a euphemism for cannabis.

Many years ago I had the pleasure of being part of a recent study led by the LGBT Research and Resources Organization at UC Davis which examined how the public has perceived gay people and how they have responded to these perceptions. For six months they interviewed an eclectic sample of gay men and lesbians. What they found has never been recorded before so it gave us an opportunity to understand how our perception of gay people has changed over the years.

The study showed that public opinion in the past has often reflected the realities of the gay community in the past. For example, when gay women were in an anti-gay marriage debate in the US, it was still assumed that straight men would be in favour of marriage equality because they were assumed to think it was a heterosexual institution and heterosexual men thought it was not a legitimate gay institution.

So what were the public's beliefs about gay marriage at the time? According to the survey they were:

· 37% expected gay men to marry straight women and 39% expected gay women to marry straight men – a difference of just 2%

· 50% believed that gay marriage should be legal and 63% believed it should be illegal

· 51% expected gay men in same-sex relationships to be treated equal to straight couples – a difference of 6%

· 36% expected gay men to be treated as equal to straight men – a difference of 12%

· 35% expected gay couples to be treated equally to straight couples – a difference of 9%

Wow. Yet we’ve come a long way since then but there still remains a great deal of unsolved social and ethical issues surrounding those (and other) topics.

Then there was the question of homophobic bullying. It is also true that while not all the male-on-male bullying is motivated by homophobic animus, many times it is. The old stereotype (originating from the gay arena of mid and late 80ies) that gay men are more aggressive may be at the root of the violence, which has become so commonplace in both the public and private lives of gay males.

The most powerful example is the bullying of former Texas Longhorn Kevin Smith. The bullied Smith was beaten up in the locker room for daring to reveal that he was gay when he joined the Los Angeles Clippers on the eve of their NBA finals loss to the Chicago Bulls in June. His fellow Clippers made their displeasure with Smith's behaviour a central theme of their media day before the NBA Draft. "We're the team of truth," Smith said during a press conference. "I told the team we have a lot of young players in our locker room that are gay. I wanted to let them know, they're my sons, and I love them. I love you, Kevin. I hope you're happy." However, Smith has spoken no contrition for the attack, calling it a "freak thing that happened."

Then there’s the question of the responsibility of the mass media. If the media is doing its job, these are the people who will think that homosexuality is something they're born into (or some form of choice it is), that homosexuality is just an inevitable byproduct of certain social and psychological factors, and that it is not something which should be condemned. Otherwise this is how “anti-homosexualists” are born, people being exposed to the "toxic" views about homosexuality that are still common in the media. This is why the media is particularly important as a tool in promoting and supporting pro-gay views and the attitudes they promote.

If, on the other hand, the anti-gay agenda has succeeded in creating and maintaining prejudice and hatred against homosexuals, what does this say about our culture as a whole? I don’t know if I have the answer but, sure as hell, it ain’t gonna be something nice!

“Oh, come on! You’re a vampire?” He grinned nastily, drooling at his fangs.

The Vampire snickered into the mask and glared at me. It felt like he was laughing with a dead child right in front of him. My hands began to shake in fear, my voice breaking as I looked at the Vampire. But the vampire was unmoved. He simply shook his head and closed his eyes.

“Your heart’s not beating, innit?” I asked, trying to win him by politeness.

The Vampire raised an eyebrow. “Nope,” he said. “And now, to the main course!”

"The Bible" is not God and does not contain the fullness of God's Spirit. Not that you need to know that "the Bible" is nothing but a collection of passages from Old and New Testaments, as the Christian's bible teaches, but it certainly does make a lot of nonsense. The idea is that we read this "Bible" literally, without being concerned that if we do we are simply going to fall down when we read it.

That is a load of bollocks, but the Christian right has embraced it completely, so you just have to accept it.

We need to take note of that. (Oh, and here we have a really interesting passage from Leviticus 25:44-45 ) "For a man is not allowed to touch anyone's wife unless he's in the temple. And if a man lies with a woman and so abandons her - and they are discovered - there will be a hearing, and the woman is to be put to death." This does not mean that the woman is guilty by default of the fact that her husband has deflowered her!

The argument is made that the Bible is an accurate translation but that is as it stands not anything more than a collection of sayings and stories that were spoken by a particular people. For instance when Jesus says "He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life" (John 10.21) it really does mean "He that believeth on the words of the words of this Gospel will be saved" I think that we all read it like that (for example "believe me now, and you will have endless life"). So, in fact the Bible is a collection of sayings, stories, prayers, revelations and prophesies, but not a prophecy. That is where Jesus really makes good.

So, what is the key to the whole messianic idea? Well, we are made to believe that there is a whole group of men, men with the potential for greatness and for the highest achievement in their chosen occupations, that is devoted to the good of humankind. The idea is that these men possess a power of intelligence so superior to that of ordinary man that they can make the world go into a new and better state, change it completely, create a new society, a totally new order. In short, they have a unique capability of making the world a better place. Of course, for this to be possible it needs to take place within a controlled environment.

But I know that you will say: "What about the fact that society can never really be changed through revolution?" Hark! The voice of reason!

Heartbreak in a Gift Box, - you've been goosed! And it doesn't stop there. We also have new items in the store including:

The Naughty Bits - Replacing the old Naughty Kilobits model this first-ever in-game plushie with the very erotic and daring new design comes ready please! This naughty piece is sure to seduce you!

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The Little Missy – A beautiful red velvet pouch to, - well, you know...

The Dark Side - This family-friendly product is a sexy design that has been carefully crafted to let you show your most intimate side to your lover. Good for dramatic reveals!

*All sizes will be a size smaller than they are pictured in the pictures.

**Please note that if your measurements are too big or your garment is not what you expected, we can do absolutely nothing about it. (We’ll charge you for it, though.)

***Please note, after you receive your email, you will not see a confirmation email and you have 24 hours to contact us, or else. We can procure for you a custom item as long as the size is still within the size limit. This process is non-refundable, but I will let you know how to request a refund once it has been sent through to me.

***Custom orders will be shipped out in two to four weeks based on USPS estimates of the correct shipping method. We have literally no idea of how it works. We have no control over the shipping rates and I'm unsure if it is a feasible business model at all. Please send help.

“Humanity has seven days left to stop its own advance!” – said the Emperor, “and even if we lose, the Earth will not be destroyed”.

“What of Earth, your Highness, what of it! It’ll last billions of years, it’ll outlast us!”

“Yes,” said the Emperor “and no. The Earth, if it is indeed destroyed and we know not if it isn’t, will take all life to its own grave. No-one shall be able to survive, even if it’ll outlast humanity – the extinction is what follows, one way or another. Thus, the lifespan of the Earth, be it larger than of us, is yet so short that seems to me a mere instant!”

“And yet can we survive, my Liege?”

"In this situation, we make but a small difference."

"And yet will we make that small difference?”

"We won’t. But what’s even more important is the theoretical fact that we can.”

“So?..”

“Do not forget yourself!”

“So, my Gracious Sovereign?”

“There’s a whole world for us to discover beyond Earth! Even if the Earth gets destroyed, the brave survivors shall, as it were, survive.”

“So there’s a ship?”

(quietly) “Yes, sirrah, whisper it only to the selected few. (loud) By my honour, we should save as many people as we can!”

“And would you?”

“Absolutely not!”

“Oh. I get it… The Earth shall die! Oh death, I just want to die, now!”

“No-no, have comfort! The Earth shall not die – it shall get destroyed. And, by my own power, I spare no means to aid those poor souls that would survive this fiery apocalypse! Do not wish death upon yourself, by God's will you shall survive!”

“…I see and I obey, my dread Sovereign! Yet please, do not misunderstand me. You, you are a powerful person. You can do many things. If you give it your full attention it won’t be difficult for you to protect Earth. And us. And me.”

The Emperor was surprised. “You don't want to survive then? You want me to save all of you?” The man nodded in agreement, he looked very weak but he seemed to know something.

The Emperor thought the same. There was a certain possibility that he might be saved, there was that ship. He could save himself, that he could. He had to save all the people he met on his way. That he would.

And yet he didn’t.