1. You're with Me, Leather
2. No welcome mat for adult film studio
3. On the Net, bad judgment can have a long half-life
1. You're with Me, Leather
2. No welcome mat for adult film studio
3. On the Net, bad judgment can have a long half-life
You're with Me, Leather
by Paul Friswold
Riverfront Times (St. Louis, Mo)
January 26, 2007
All of the recent controversy regarding pageant winners and their scandalous behavior had us thinking: When are people going to give up the idea of virginal queens leading spotless lives and accept pageant winners who like to show a little skin, hang out in bars and talk frankly about their voracious sex lives? And then we remembered Mr. Leather, our favorite pageant, and realized that some people have already joined us in the realm of sexy pageant winners behaving sexily.
Mr. Leather is an annual competition open to the world's finest leather daddies – don't spill your drink, there, schoolmarm. Men who like the feel of leather against their sculpted bodies, enjoy a little bondage and S&M in the bedroom, and who live proud gay lives – these are the men who compete for the coveted title of Mr. Leather. Jason Garrett's documentary Mr. Leather chronicles the 2003 competition, exploring the lives of the men inside the chaps. More than just recording the behind-the-scenes work that culminates in the pageant, the film reveals the camaraderie and relationships that exist in the leather community. The title's not a joke to these men: That black leather sash represents their brothers and their shared culture, and the eventual winner stands for all of them.
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To read this entire article, go to: http://www.riverfronttimes.com/search/events.php?eventSearch=1&date=2007-01-27 To respond, write to: letters@riverfronttimes.com
No welcome mat for adult film studio:
Activists prefer building be used for housing
by Marisa Lagos
San Francisco Chronicle
January 26, 2007
A plan to turn the old armory building on Mission Street into a porn film studio has run into a wall of opposition, with several community groups expressing outrage that a company specializing in bondage videos intends to move into their family-filled neighborhood.
The backlash against Kink, a Web-based pornography distributor currently housed South of Market, has prompted Mayor Gavin Newsom's office to take notice but caused other city officials to simply shrug apologetically.
Because the company, which has quietly called San Francisco home since its founding a decade ago, doesn't plan to make any structural changes to the building, it will not have to seek approval from the city Planning Commission, officials said.
The structure already is zoned for commercial and industrial use, which under San Francisco law includes film production.
"The planning code … is not really worried with moral propriety," said Amit Ghosh, director of the city's planning department. The building, bought by Kink in December for $14.9 million, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built in 1912 and served as a military induction and training center during the two world wars, but has sat empty since 1970 and been the subject of bitter neighborhood fights over development and gentrification during the past decade.
Members of several community groups, however, say that elected officials have a responsibility to address their concerns, regardless of what city planning law dictates, and recently sent a letter to both Newsom and Supervisor Chris Daly, whose district includes the armory, demanding they take action.
Sam Ruiz, the executive director of Mission Neighborhood Centers, said the groups would like to see the city hold a hearing to allow residents to voice their concerns.
Ruiz and others say a porn dungeon is not an appropriate neighbor for the families that live nearby and several schools in the area. They also are angry that the building is not being used for affordable housing.
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To read this entire article, go to: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/01/26/BAG5RNPKIV1.DTL To respond, write to: mlagos@sfchronicle.com or the editors at letters@sfchronicle.com
On the Net, bad judgment can have a long half-life
by Margie Peterson
The Morning Call (Allentown, PA)
January 25, 2007
It seems nothing short of miraculous that the Internet can cough up dialogue from an old ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'' episode in the time it takes me to say, ''No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!''
But the Web also makes it more dangerous for people to be young and foolish – descriptions that are sometimes redundant.
Back before cyberspace, it was possible for people to do stupid things and have them fade from our collective consciousness in time. If the thing was really serious, the person could leave town and start fresh somewhere else.
With the Internet, our mistakes can follow us forever. The ex-wife of Luke J. Heller found this out the hard way when photographs of her in the nude, along with her name and other information, ended up on a Web site dedicated to sadomasochism and bondage.
Luke Heller, a state trooper who lives in Lower Macungie, is accused of posting the photos. If the allegations are true, the ex-wife's mistake was that she once trusted her husband – a condition most people would argue is key to a strong marriage.
Earlier this month, Lehigh County Judge Robert L. Steinberg dismissed felony charges against Heller, saying the law cited by the prosecution was intended to stop computer hackers. He ruled that prosecutors could proceed with lesser misdemeanor charges of harassment and identity theft. The trial is slated for February.
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To read this entire article, go to: http://www.mcall.com/news/columnists/all-5net-ajan25,0,4538186.column?coll=all-randomcolumnistsnews-misc To respond, write to: the author at margaret.peterson@mcall.com or the editors at letters@mcall.com
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