RockHardNYC

This thread may be over my head since I haven't much interest here, but I don't get the complaint. Did someone actually think/believe that photos posted on the internet were somehow going to be kept private? I'm not sure what photos this thread is pointing to, but if anyone of you are posting private photos of "sauna guys" without their written permission, then I would argue the guy doing the posting is the guy lacking ethics and integrity. Just because you have a camera on your phone (or anywhere else) does not mean you have the right to publish a private capture anywhere you wish. I fully understand the pleasure that comes from secret, surreptitious recordings, especially those of a sexy nature. Of course, most of us enjoy sneaking a peek. That does not make the action ethical, proper, or respectable. If you wish to take a photo of someone with the intent to share it with others, whether publicly or privately, but especially on the internet, the ethical way to do it is to ask the person's permission. Headless or not.

I had to wait for some deliveries today, so to kill the time, I thought I'd help make Ellen more mean. Mini-Mean. The photo inspired me. It's not a great Photoshop job, for sure, but you get the idea. For the fun of it. A BoyToy exclusive:

That's true. 87-mil a year should buy tons of freedom. Nobody needs that kind of money. Creative geniuses (I think Ellen may be one), who happen to be extremely wealthy, can and should do whatever they want. But when you become very popular, and then you shift gears, you better be prepared for the hate brigade that may come your way. I think Ellen enjoys being loved. And there lies her struggle.

Rosie did have a very popular daytime talk show. I suspect she's missing that money, and maybe the magic that left her work. It's hard enough to learn from our own mistakes.

Boredom can be a pain in the ass, for sure. Total deflation. Personally, I don't enjoy work-related routine. That is the main reason why I opted to be self-employed. "Enough money?" That may be an issue. When is enough, enough? When you don't come from money, and you strike it rich, most of these folks suffer from broke-itus. You never have enough, and you never want to envision yourself broke again. Lots of people in Hollywood have broke-itus.

You're kidding, right? Isn't what they share in common obvious? You do realize that in 89 years of Oscar events, only 4 Black entertainers have hosted? Being Black and hosting the Oscar's is a BIG deal, in case you weren't aware. On top of that, my comparison had nothing to do with classifying anyone as mediocre. I think Chris Rock is a mega-talent, even though the tone of his voice can often sound like nails on a chalkboard. That alone would disqualify Rock for me.

Jerry Seinfeld talks about Kevin Hart on Today A brilliant comedian? That's what Jerry Seinfeld calls Kevin Hart. Seinfeld also says, "He (Hart) doesn't have to step down." I don't know what Jerry is smoking, but the Academy didn't give Kevin Hart much choice. "Apologize, or you're out!" Hart is out. Seinfeld also seems to conflate Kevin Hart's stand-up act with his homophobic tweets. Perhaps Jerry should do more reading. Hart's homophobic tweets, where he questioned what he would do if his son said he was gay, were not stand-up. The tweets weren't funny at all. Jerry asked " Who got screwed in that deal? I think Kevin is going to be fine. Find another Kevin Hart? That's not so easy." Is the Academy looking for another Kevin Hart? Not if they are willing to listen to film critic Michael Phillips' (Chicago Tribune) advice. Jerry had Hart as a guest on his Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. It wasn't the best episode. Hart was OK, but you didn't walk away from the episode thinking "brilliant." Does the Academy need Kevin Hart? I don't think so. I was there when Chris Rock hosted, and I thought the show sucked. If I had my way, I'd take Billy Crystal dressing in all the lead characters year after year over anyone else. That shtick was hilarious, and brilliant.

The question I would have asked, "Do we need another mean, angry lesbian?"

Trump folk live in an alternate reality. The latest quotes from Sarah Sanders at a recent speech she gave are ASTOUNDING. Trumpians couldn't possibly see Pelosi's ball-crushing finesse, because she crushed his balls with deference and respect. The Trumpians are in DENIAL, much like Trump himself, and they're not sophisticated enough. If they want to see "kick-ass," it's coming. Hard to see how Trump and his family survive NY's Southern District Court. They are coming full force.

“Mr. President, please don’t characterize the strength that I bring to this meeting as the leader of the House Democrats, who just won a big victory.” Nancy Pelosi hero? You bet. All hail the Queen! I don't think for a minute Trump realized the gift he was giving the Democrats by asking Chuck and Nancy to negotiate the wall in front of reporters. Much will be made of Mike Pence's reaction to it all. I can't wait for SNL this Saturday. The very rare, televised boxing match was nothing short of FABULOUS, and Nancy came out slugging like a RuPaul drag queen facing an on-air Blahnik mopping. Talk about being on your toes at a senior age. Go AARP! There was no way she could have predicted this televised event, and not only did she hold her own to Trump, perfectly unscripted, she chopped off his cock and balls. That meeting was a defining moment for Pelosi's legacy. Not only did she lead her party, she's the leader of all women who have had to face a male bully. Nancy will be elected House Leader. I'm expecting a standing O at the State of the Union. Pelosi vs. Trump

With a photo like this one, it doesn't seem too difficult: How does anyone go from making $87.5 million this year and risking that to shift into a new "mean" image? Portia De Rossi, her wife, says, “I just think she’s such a brilliant actress and standup that it doesn’t have to be this talk show for her creativity. There are other things she could tackle.” True, there are other things, but acting? Good luck finding a movie for Ellen to star in. Judging by this photo, perhaps James Bond? When you've hit it big in daytime, much like Oprah, the last thing you want to do is venture off into unloved territory. Not an easy decision for someone who climbed the ladder all the way to the TOP, having come from almost nothing. Here's the article.

He sure looks like a guy who would enjoy sticking his tongue way up Trump's ass on a daily basis.

I love pansies. Yellow and blue remind me of Italy.

I'm not a fan of film critic Michael Phillips (Chicago Tribune), but sometimes he hits the nail on the head. "But the academy has a far more serious problem than its misguided, un-vetted initial choice of Kevin Hart as Oscar emcee. The problem is the irrelevant chore that the Oscars have become... Finally: The Oscars never should’ve gone after Kevin Hart. Homophobia aside, he’s a medium-grade talent. There’s enough medium-grade talents on that stage every year as it is." Once again, the Academy looks like they have serious egg on their face.

I'm not sure the reporting on the tweet(s) deletion is fully accurate. But if some tweets still existed, not only does it beg the question, "Why didn't Hart remove them earlier?," it also demands, "Didn't someone from the Academy do a tweet search before they asked him to host?" My gut is telling me there are fingers pointing in several directions. The Academy is highly sensitive about looking foolish and stupid.

I spoke to a few show-biz folks (all gay) in my inner circle, and none of us were aware of any previous discussion or public apology by Hart concerning these older tweets. To be fair, none of us has followed Kevin Hart news or had seen his old stand-up show. Hart has been on Twitter for a long time, and apparently he's quite verbose. One of my friends told me he has over 30,000 tweets. If there was a known apology before, then it surprises me that the "Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had given him an ultimatum: Apologize or we’ll find a new host." I was also wondering if the Academy had done their own Twitter search before selecting him as host. But then I heard all those controversial tweets had been deleted. However, most everyone in Hollywood knows nothing on Twitter gets deleted forever. All it takes is one screenshot. Most know there's a screenshot-saving bring-down industry out there for celebrities who fuck-up with their bullshit-stained shoe-in-mouth disease. Susan Fowler, Technology Op-Ed Editor at the NY Times, writes today that Kevin Hart deserves our forgiveness. Why We Need to Forgive Kevin Hart "The truth is, we are all guilty. Can you name a person who has not lied, said something inappropriate or hurt another? I can’t." "– we are setting standards that nobody can meet." I don't have a problem forgiving him, but I'd want to hear more from him before I do. But none of that will save the Oscar gig. And I don't really think this topic is going away soon for him, as much as he would like it to. Featured with the Fowler article is a candid photo of Kevin in jogging pants. He's sporting a sexy package of junk. One has to assume he's been hit-on by a homo more than once in his life. Can't help but wonder how he really feels about homosexuality. Personally, I would love the hear about his experiences. I would love to hear his story of growth and evolution.

And he will be forever known as the Black actor/comedian who lost the Oscar host job because of his homophobic tweets. That's the danger of Twitter these days. If you seek a life of fame and fortune, what you say out loud for others to see and hear may come back to bite you in the ass. Big time.

Clicking a button that writes the code automatically is a gift from code design writers. Most code design writers are leading a good life. They make a ton of money.

Analyzing a little deeper… Don't get me wrong here. IMO, both apologies are a disaster. And there is no way the Oscars would have agreed to a #MeToo gay show, even if it was hosted by a Black comedian leading the remorse. A girl can dream. The first apology: “Guys, I’m almost 40 years old. If you don’t believe that people change, grow, evolve as they get older, I don’t know what to tell you. If you want to hold people in a position where they always have to justify or explain the past, then do you. I’m the wrong guy, man. I’m in a great place. A great mature place where all I do is spread positivity.” Just because you're rich and famous now (he was once very poor), wealth and success in Hollywood doesn't forgive your past verbal fuck-ups that somehow slipped under a rug in your gated community, even though they were deleted from Twitter. Unfortunately, his "fag" tweets were made only 8-10 years ago, when he was in his 30's. These aren't high school bloopers. The use of five "I's" in one paragraph suggests an inflated ego and a serious lack of humility. Yahoo for narcissism. He turns his apology into a discussion about himself and his attributes. (I would have preferred he just flash us his cock.) The second apology six hours later: “I have made the choice to step down from hosting this year’s Oscar’s. This is because I do not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists. I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past.” "I have made the choice." Passive voice. Poor writing. "A night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists," of course he includes himself in this group, again bringing the focus to him and his greatness. And then he adds, "I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past," as if someone told him to write that sentence. It's a shame. In the first apology, he rightly talks of personal evolution and growth. It's a story that so many can relate to. It's a story that needs to be told in the Black community. Why didn't he stay focused there? If you have to make a second apology, then you automatically know that any sincere attempt at remorse FAILED. I'm not a Kevin Hart fanboy, but he makes me laugh at times. His personal story is an interesting one, because it truly is rags to riches. So I was hoping for a better outcome here, but he blew it. I don't think his career is over, not anywhere near that, but he lost the Oscars and it may never come back to him.

Just days after it was announced that he would host the Oscar's, Kevin Hart has resigned over years-old Tweets where he called someone "gay." Initially, in his first response, he did not use the words "I'm sorry." And he arrogantly told people to "do you." So six hours later, a second attempt at a mea culpa became necessary (possibly after very fast consult with a team of experts), he finally came forth and said, “I have made the choice to step down from hosting this year’s Oscar’s. This is because I do not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists. I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past.” Had he worn his smart hat, the second apology would have been the first. Had it been the first, then I would have supported that he not resign. He could have used the Oscars as an opportunity to teach the world what growth and enlightenment means, and the value of showing respect to the gay community. It could have been a very powerful teaching moment for all to witness. A #me-too Oscars for gays, possibly with some funny jokes. And what progress we would have made having it coming from a handsome, popular, Black, somewhat macho, comedian. A missed opportunity, for sure. It could have had profound, lasting impact.

Just in the two days of the beta release? Wow. Congratulations. A true trouble-making rogue militant grinch. I'm impressed.

You do realize these are all built-in features to forum software? I would venture a guess that the vast majority of members have no experience studying or playing with community software programs. Millions of people own Photoshop (tons of bootleg versions) and have no idea what's available in that program or how to use a majority of the tools. Some people have a unique way of flicking a switchplate and equating that to a come-to-Jesus moment. After all, let there be light.

I took a second look at the beta version, and this time clicked in the Lounge. The sandstone backdrop is fine (I prefer as much white as possible), but each post has a white background. So it's not terrible. I decided to do a light dig and had some luck with the page numbers. Took me three minutes. I came across the Hooboy has left the building thread. The thread is a fascinating read. There are other good threads surrounding this one, such as Rick Munroe's tribute. I always thought Rick was a talented writer. Speaking of death, while there I discovered Tristan Baldwin's post about the death of TravelerNorth. I thought TN was a nice guy, and I know he and TB had a special relationship. I offer my sincere condolences. The site is in beta, so the links may not always work.

Funny, the design looks like a step-sister to BoyToy. The color palette is god-awful pukey. The white background here is so much easier to read, easier on the eyes. Like I said, Daddy has no design skill. Too many limitations in pre-packaged software. I really love the bullshit "I-am-leader-hear-me-roar" bullet points. Her love of the "grinch" makes me think she doesn't enjoy Christmas much. Christmas is my favorite holiday. I love giving gifts.

I'm still blond, so oversimplification works for me.