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POPS'bizarre mix of mammal, bird and reptile, with very complex sexuality' The fact that the animal has five X and five Y chromosomes is "the weirdest thing about a very weird animal," said Ewan Birney, a co-author on the paper, based at the European Bioinformatics Institute, near Cambridge. "In theory it means there are 25 possible sexes, though in practice that doesn't happen."
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POPSUS Teen: We're here. We're sexual. GET USED TO IT. So it's not just their minds that is to be ignorant? The delusion of abstinence to produce dumb breeding machines and army fodder? Do you remember how difficult it is to keep 'bad' thoughts out of your mind? The harder you try the harder it gets. I've an image of the Christian youth on his knees, blessing himself with one hand while wanking with the other. One of the most important intellectual realizations that I had was knowing that a church's god and my sex were incompatible. I've never regretted my decision. I'm just a human. Let others be mini gods.
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POPSSYMPTOMS OF RELIGIOUS ADDICTION The ultimate temptation of the believer is to assume that his or her way to God is the best or only way for others. The particular Way to God becomes what is adored, not the ineffable and incomprehensible Mystery to which we give the name of God. In essence we have become addicted to the certainty, sureness or sense of security that our faith provides. It is no longer a living by faith, with hope and growing in unconditional love. adapted from When God Becomes a Drug, by Leo Booth
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POPSI believe "I believe in a personal god who cares about me and worries and oversees everything I do. I believe in an impersonal god who set the universe in motion and went off to hang with her girlfriends and doesn't even know that I'm alive. I believe in an empty and godless universe of causal chaos, background noise, and sheer blind luck. I believe that anyone who says sex is overrated just hasn't done it properly. I believe that anyone who claims to know what's going on will lie about the little things too. I believe in absolute honesty and sensible social lies. I believe in a woman's right to choose, a baby's right to live, that while all human life is sacred there's nothing wrong with the death penalty if you can trust the legal system implicitly, and that no one but a moron would ever trust the legal system. I believe that life is a game, that life is a cruel joke, and that life is what happens when you're alive and that you might as well lie back and enjoy it." Neil Gaiman
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POPSThe QuiverFull movement: having babies -- lots of babies -- for God Newsweek on the "QuiverFull" movement ("Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them." Psalm 127.4f.), which campaigns against birth control, espouses a relatively fundamentalist version of evangelical Christianity, and advocates having at least six children per family.
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POPSGay Brains Structured Like Those Of The Opposite Sex But then those of us who are "different" knew this all along. It's also interesting to note this from the article: "The regions involved in phobia, anxiety and depression overlap with the pattern we see from the amygdala," says Savic. This is significant, she says, and fits with data showing that women are three times as likely as men to suffer from mood disorders or depression. Gay men have higher rates of depression too, she says, but it's difficult to know whether this is down to biology, homophobia or simply feelings of being "different". HA! Those of us who are gay or bisexual have PLENTY to be depressed about living in a society that refuses to accept us.
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POPSWhy Nude Recreation? See also: http://clipmarks.com/clipmark/8CCCEAB7-A413-4A47-9E18-03B3BD4F3F3C/ and: http://clipmarks.com/clipmark/FB61BFCC-2C0B-40FA-A0DB-38449512EE0D and: http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=3100
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POPSThe Gay Animal Kingdom Didn't god make these animals too? So much for the "abomination" theory. But then, which is true, real life facts, or a bible written by 1st century goat herders?
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POPSA Fresh Look At Catholicism Some good news from the article and one reason I am a Catholic: "In one session, religious scholar Angel Galindo Garcia discussed the role of the church in an era of globalization. He referenced George Orwell's Big Brother and critiqued growing inequality between rich and poor nations. However, I had to laugh out loud at this quote: "Can one be a homosexual without ever having sexual relations with a person of the same sex?" she asked the crowd rhetorically and then answered: "Yes, of course." Save your questions for later kiddies! OMG, do you know how CRAZY I drove my nuns in catethism class with questions? I was almost held hostage by my fellow classmates once for questioning the dogma of purgatory as a place rather than a state of being. The teacher LOVED me though. It's the first time I saw him come alive in that class.
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POPSMay: National Masturbation Month for Mothers!
2. More Fun For Dad! It seems the more women masturbate, the more open they are to their partner’s sexual advances. At first this seems odd. If she’s taking care of her “needs” by herself, wouldn’t she want less sex? Turns out the answer is no. Now whether that’s because masturbating makes women hornier, or horny women masturbate more is for you to decide. Also, women like to have multiple orgasms…Maybe the first one she gives herself is like an appetizer, gearing her up for more action with her man. 4. Strengthens the Pelvic Floor! Do your Kegels, do your kegels! It’s like a mother’s mantra during and after pregnancy. Luckily, orgasms are another great way to tone up those inner muscles. This may be one of the only honestly fun kinds of exercise that exists. 3. It Promotes Sleep! Mothers are notorious for being in bad moods due to lack of sleep, especially new Moms who wake up frequently to nurse or give bottles during the night. Masturbating at bed time is a perfect way to help you
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POPSSexy Nature I just love God's sense of spunk!! "Those who say sex is bad, are those who are bad at sex." :D
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POPSPray Away Gay "What, if anything do you think Ted Haggard will say publicly about his experience? Certainly if the evangelical former pastor has not truly reclaimed his heterosexuality after the very strict re-programming, it would be a serious blow to the ex-gay industry if he were to come forward and say that he now realizes that his same-sex desires are neither evil or wrong and that these cures have nothing to do with getting right with God."
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POPSFundamentalism and history An article by TheRevealer.org's Jeff Sharlet on the relationship between American fundamentalist Christianity and the country's history. His trademark rambling, ethnographic, personal style.
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POPSGays Burning Down California!! Wow. I had know idea us gays have so much power in this world. I thought it was hot shit when Falwell and Robertson blamed us for the attacks on 9/11, but now we're also responsible for the wild fires in California. Gays everywhere! It is time we claim our true power and take over this world which is rightly ours!!!
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POPSAncient Maya sacrificed boys not virgin girls "It was thought that the gods preferred small things and especially the rain god had four helpers that were represented as tiny people," said de Anda. "So the children were offered as a way to directly communicate with Chaac," he said Archeologists previously believed young female virgins were sacrificed because the remains, which span from around 850 AD until the Spanish colonization, were often found adorned with jade jewelry. It is difficult to determine the sex of skeletons before they are fully matured, said de Anda, but he believes cultural evidence from Mayan mythology would suggest the young victims were actually male
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POPSUsing A Child's Voice For the Sake of Bigotry The Supreme Court of New Jersey has declared that the marriage laws in the state discriminate against gays and lesbians and has ordered the legislature to change the law to make it inclusive. The anti-gay marriage forces have stooped to using the voices of children to scare people into fighting against equality for gay and lesbian citizens.