Boy Butter Blog

Shoplube.com spreads the love for Valentine's Day

2012-01-31T14:55:00.003-05:00

Don't you just love love?

I do, and I want to help spread the love.

Shoplube.com is offering a new Valentine's Day coupon to customers all around the world.

Just enter coupon code:

"LOVE"

for 6% off any order plus a free full sized Boy Butter Clear 2 oz bottle.

Just visit www.shoplube.com for hundreds of items specifically designed for love.
This offer expires, Feb. 14th, 2012

Bartender dancing on the bar at Flaming Saddles in Hell's Kitchen

2012-01-28T12:53:00.003-05:00

This is my favorite new bar and bartender in NYC.

It's kinda like Coyote Ugly, only gayer and way more fun.

Flaming Saddles

793 9th Avenue

New York, NY 10019

Gingrich: Palestine an 'invention'

2012-01-27T10:13:00.001-05:00

GOP Florida debate sees rare agreement between presidential hopefuls Romney, Gingrich on reasons Israeli-Palestinian peace process is stalling

by Yitzhak Benhorin Original link at Ynet News

WASHINGTON – The Republican Party held yet another stormy presidential debate Thursday, with all four presidential hopefuls vying for the votes of their Florida constitutes.

Banters and political sparring aside, the debate was also the scene of a rare agreement between former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, as both strongly sided with Israel when asked why they believed the Israeli-Palestinian peace process was failing.

Romney blamed President Obama and Gingrich blamed the Palestinians for the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

"I think he threw Israel under the bus with regards to defining the '67 borders as a starting point of negotiations," Romney said.

Asked about the peace process, Romney said: "Well, the reason that there's not peace between the Palestinians and Israel is because… in the leadership of the Palestinian people are Hamasand others who think like Hamas, who have as their intent the elimination of Israel."

"It's the Palestinians who don't want a two-state solution," he continued, "They want to eliminate the state of Israel.

"The best way to have peace in the Middle East is not for us to vacillate and to appease, but is to say we stand with our friend Israel; we are committed to a Jewish state in Israel; we will not have an inch of difference between ourselves and our ally Israel."

Gingrich then surprised the audience: "Governor Romney is exactly right," he said, adding that in his opinion, the Palestinians were to blame for the prolonged stalemate in the peace process.

"The leadership in Hamas says not a single Jew will remain. Well, you're not having a peace negotiation, then. This is war by another form," he said.

"My goal for the Palestinian people would be to live in peace, to live in prosperity, to have the dignity of a state, to have freedom, and they can achieve it any morning they are prepared to say: Israel has a right to exist, we give up the right to return, and we recognize that we're going to live side by side. Now let's work together to create mutual prosperity. And you could in five years dramatically improve the quality of life of every Palestinian.

"But the political leadership would never tolerate that," Gingrich continued, "and that's why we are in a continuous state of war, where Obama undermines the Israelis."

The former speaker also defended his controversial statement about the Palestinian people being "invented": "It was technically an invention of the late 1970s. Prior to that they were Arabs. Many of them were either Syrian, Lebanese or Egyptian or Jordanian," he said.

As for the peace process, Gingrich said: "There were 11 rockets fired into Israel in November. Now, imagine in Duvall County (in Florida) that 11 rockets hit from your neighbor. How many of you would be for a peace process and how many of you would say, you know, that looks like an act of war?" Gingrich asked the audience.

He also reiterated his pledge to move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem: "On the first day that I'm president, if I do become president, I will sign an executive order directing the State Department to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem to send the signal we're with Israel," Gingrich said.

Boy Butter is proud to support the National Union of Jewish LGBT Students

2012-01-23T15:07:00.001-05:00

I am proud to be attending a happy hour this Sunday at Elmo for a first ever fundraiser for the National Union of Jewish LGBT Students. NUJLS is the national organization brining together Jewish LGBT college students. And for over thirteen years they have held annual conferences hosting hundreds of students, and supporting these students to develop strong and healthy identities. But for the first time this year, NUJLS is going above and beyond and planning to expand from just an annual conference to a year round organization, with programs and initiatives that will support students across the country throughout the year with multiple projects in line. So they pleased to announce that they are having their first ever fundraiser, January 29th in New York City. This is an amazing milestone and as a Jewish and Israeli member of the LGBT community, I wanted to invite all my friends and supporters personally to this great opportunity to support the future of our community.

When: January 29th 5-7pm
Where: Elmo Lounge (157 7th Ave)
Suggested Donation: $36

Here is the NUJLS Facebook page for this sunday's event

Snow flakes. by Emily Dickinson

2012-01-21T19:27:00.000-05:00

Snow flakes.

I counted till they danced so
Their slippers leaped the town,
And then I took a pencil
To note the rebels down.
And then they grew so jolly
I did resign the prig,
And ten of my once stately toes
Are marshalled for a jig!

Eden Fantasys reviews Boy Butter Original as perfect for "Self Love"

2012-01-19T20:45:00.002-05:00

Working "tirelessly around the clock," Boy Butter™ has developed an outstanding personal lubricant that is sure to make "all your troubles melt away." This silky and completely odorless cream is made from "farm fresh, 100% Grade A Boy Butter™," or more specifically, coconut oil blended with organic silicone.

This water soluble mixture means no more stains on fabrics or surfaces and no soap required for clean up. Totally safe on rubber, glass, and silicone-based toys, the cream is great for masturbation, anal, and some limited vaginal sex, while also being an excellent addition to any SM play. Although it is not latex compatible, polyurethane condoms are recommended. With a three-year shelf life that requires no refrigeration, Boy Butter™ is "perfect for maximizing the pleasure of some of your favorite pastimes and hobbies."

The oil herein is mainly used in massage products, while the organic silicone is usually found in hair conditioners. When these two ingredients are combined and left to homogenize (just like real butter), this wonderful product is the result. "Rigorously tested, re-tested, and tested again," Boy Butter™ will outlast most other silicone-based lubricants and wash off with water alone.
Click to view original post

Texture / Consistency / Thickness / Viscosity:

Base:
Oil
Ingredients:
Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, Glycerin, Polysorbate 60, Glyceryl Stearate, Phenyl Trimethicone, Glyceryl Distearate

Taste / Aroma:

Flavor:: Unflavored

Performance:

Safety features:

L-Arginine free / Paraben free / Petro-chemicals free

Special features:

Organic

Sh*t Jewish Mothers Say

2012-01-15T14:05:00.000-05:00

A Jewish Return to Germany

2012-01-14T12:06:00.000-05:00

by Jayson Littman, founder of He'bro

When I landed in Berlin's Tegel Airport for a nine-day trip, I exited the plane and was surprised to see the baggage carousel right outside my gate. "How efficient," I thought. Then I realized I had just failed my very first test of Break That German Stereotype.

Germany Close Up is a program administered by the New Synagogue of Berlin and supported by a grant from the European Recovery Program of the German Federal Ministry. It aims to present North American Jews with a first-hand experience of modern Germany. When I applied, I was most curious as to how I, a gay Jew, would feel walking around the streets of Berlin.

Arriving in Berlin a day early, some of us toured the city on our own.

"What brings your group to Berlin?" the locals asked.

"Oh, we're here for a fellowship," or, "We're here for a young professionals program," we would respond, always leaving out the part about being Jewish.

As I first toured the city, I had a difficult time seeing Berlin for the beautiful city it was and felt as if I were on the Hollywood set of a Holocaust movie. I was momentarily annoyed with Steven Spielberg for creating this lens of Germany as a state of Holocaust. Normal, everyday sirens would blare and I would immediately think of Jews being arrested. And when I saw the cutest little Shih Tzu on the street and went over to pet him, he started barking at me, and I immediately thought, "Damn you, German Shepherd Shih Tzu," as if he knew I was Jewish. As I people-watched throughout the neighborhoods and saw all the tall, handsome German men, I could have sworn I had seen each of them before -- but unsure if I recognized them fromSchindler's List or an H&M ad.

Later, in the evening, I headed over to the local gay bar, where I discovered "athlete night." As all the boys around me changed out of their clothes and into mesh shorts and tank tops, I purchased a set at the counter. The attendant gave me a bag, for my regular clothes and wallet and other belongings. As I gave the attendant my bag of clothes and personal belongings, he wrote "477" on my arm with a Sharpie. There I was, in Germany, stripped of my clothes, stripped of my identity, with a number on my arm. It was quite surreal, but then we drank and were merry.

As the program began and we toured Berlin, I was fascinated by the gentrification of this beautiful city. "Never trust the green grass," Dagmar Pruin, the director of the program, would tell us, as if to remind us that there are many hellish stories covered over by the modernization of Berlin. We had the opportunity to meet with young Germans, politicians, and local Jewish leaders. Meeting local Germans was by far the most valuable learning experience. I hadn't met so many Jewish Studies majors since attending a Brandeis University reunion two years ago. While Germans never shut down a discussion of the Holocaust, they could no longer apologize for it. They wanted a relationship with us as people, not as criminals. Thank God, because I really wanted to hear more about Heidi Klum and discuss the one thing that I still haven't forgiven the Germans for: their love for David Hasselhoff.

As the trip came and went, I realized how comfortable and safe I felt as a Jew in Germany, and it brought back memories of my grandparents, survivors of Auschwitz. Early on in the trip, I felt guilty for returning to a country that committed such atrocities against the Jewish people (and other minority groups), but as the trip ended, I felt empowered and even embraced as a Jew in a beautiful city. On my final night in Berlin, I attended a mostly gay party called Berlin Meschugge, which brought together Israelis and the Germans who love them (and there are many) amid a mix of Israeli pop music and U.S. hits. Many of the local, non-Jewish gay Germans there talked about how as gays, they, too, would have been persecuted by the Nazis. Then our conversation abruptly ended when the DJ played Lady Gaga's Scheiße, and we danced the night away. "Ah, the pop stars that bind us," I thought.

I flew back to New York via Paris. As I settled into my seat, thinking about these experiences in Germany, the flight attendant interrupted my thoughts: "Bonjour, you ordered a special meal, correct?" Yes, I replied. The French man next to me said, "What are you, Jewish?" Not appreciating his tone, I replied, "No, vegetarian," and we pleasantly ignored each other the entire flight home.

Click here to read original article in Huffington Post

My sister, Donna Feldman appears on latest episode of ABC's Castle

2012-01-10T12:09:00.000-05:00

On the latest episode of ABC's Castle, titled, Till Death do us Part, the plot centers around Castle and Beckett investigating the death of a ladies' man, a twist in the case may disrupt their coworker, Ryan's wedding. At the wedding is where my beautiful supermodel/actress sister, Donna Feldman feels the urge to use the restroom.

To see full episode click not the link below, Donna's part comes in at the last few minutes of the show. Congrats little sister!!

Till Death do Us Part

Aired 01/09/2012

Boy Butter interview on Derek and Romaine 12-16-11

2012-01-07T15:32:00.001-05:00

Listen my December 16th 2011 interview on Derek and Romaine show from Sirius Satellite Radio's channel OutQ channel.

Click below to listen:

Your browser does not support the audio element.

Podcast Powered By Podbean

The winners of free Boy Butter giveaways at Hedda Lettuce's Christmas show, Lettuce Rejoice

2012-01-04T13:10:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Hedda Lettuce for the lovely photos

Hedda and I posed for a photo after her hilarious holiday show.

Hedda and a lucky winner

Fresca is fabulous

This looks like he doesn't even want it.

Happy New Year from Boy Butter

2012-01-01T11:34:00.000-05:00

Well, 2011 was an awesome year for me and for Boy Butter Lubricants. I just wanted to thank all my friends, family and loyal Boy Butter customers for the constant support and love as we enter a new year of ups, downs and a world of endless possibilities for 2012.

Love,

Eyal Feldman, owner and creator of Boy Butter Lubricants

Insanely cute, Siku, the new Polar bear cub in Danish Wildlife Park

2011-12-29T11:54:00.000-05:00

One of the most interesting Hanukkah menorah's you will ever see.

2011-12-27T10:31:00.000-05:00

In Sderot, an Israeli town a 2 kilometers away from Gaza is lighting a menorah made of Qassam rockets fired at the town. Located on the rooftop of the local Hesder yeshiva which combines Torah learning with army service for high school graduates from all over Israel, the rocket menorah has come to symbolize the city's own Hanukkah miracle -- one where the resilience and faith of a community can overcome difficult times.

Hedda Lettuce on Hanukkah

2011-12-24T09:07:00.000-05:00

Amazing Hanukkah photo from Berlin 1932

2011-12-23T17:27:00.000-05:00

Rachel Posner took this photo from inside the family home on Hanukkah 1932 via yadvashem.org

Influential Black American Magazine gives Boy Butter Lubes a shout out in latest article

2011-12-22T17:25:00.000-05:00

In today's article written by Shamika Sanders: There's a butter crisis in Norway!"

As the stockings are “hung by the chimney with care,” we at TheUrbanDaily are basking in Internet glory over the pure ratchetness that has surfaced over the year. We are taking a look back at these humorous, sometimes shocking instances over the next 12 days of Christmas so stay tuned!

Did you know that there’s a butter crisis in Norway? No, not “Boy Butter” ( I know what you’re thinking)!

Click here to see the original article on The Urban Daily

BTW: I looked up the word ratchetness and it is defined as loud and obnoxious : )

My sister, Donna Feldman is ranked 28th of the 50 Hottest Jewish Women in the World

2011-12-21T12:43:00.001-05:00

My incredibly gorgeous and wildy successful super-model sister, Donna Feldman, has just been ranked as number 28 of the hottest 50 Jewish women in the world. According to men's style mag, Complex Magazine includes celebrity hotties like Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Scarlett Johansen and of course Donna Feldman in this Complex.com kosher collection of the most beautiful ladies celebrating Hannukah this year.

Click here to see Donna Feldman at number 28

Maccabeats present new Hanukkah song

2011-12-20T09:19:00.000-05:00

Orthodox Jewish a-cappella group covers Matisyahu's 'Miracle' ahead of Festival of Lights, for fans of "Big Bang Theory" and "Blossom", keep an eye open for Mayim Bialik (a.k.a. Amy Farrah Fowler) who is featured with her sons in the video.
Happy Hannukah!

Meetup.com holiday party kicked butt

2011-12-17T10:40:00.001-05:00

On Thursday night at Gun Bar in the Meatpacking District the holiday fiesta for Meetup.com

included open bar, tunes, and delicious hors d'oeuvres. I love the holiday season.

Brendan and me

Julia and me having a great ol' time.

Hedda Lettuce's Holiday Show, Lettuce Rejoice, starts this weekend

2011-12-15T09:10:00.002-05:00

Lettuce Rejoice is the perfect present to give your self for the holidays. Out right belly laughs are the free gifts with purchase with each ticket sold. Every night, Hedda will be giving away a basket filled with Boy Butter Lubricant to one lucky patron. I am moist like a little Debbie snack treat just thinking about it! The very talented Paul Leschen will be accompanying Hedda on piano (he played on the Scissor Sisters first album). Tickets sell out fast so make your reservations today. Hedda’s crisp comedy and delicious song parodies have made this festive celebration a hit for the past ten years. Look forward to hearing such songs as, ‘Here Comes Tranny Clause’, the classic song, ‘Sleigh Ride’, in Hedda’s hands turns into a gay mans quest for sex on Grinder, and ‘Do You Hear What I Hear’ is now, ‘Do You Think That He’s Queer,’ about a fag hag desperately seeking a sexual relationship with a gay man. Plus, a holiday homage to the recently departed Amy Winehouse. Too soon perhaps? Not for the sardonic Miss Lettuce. The Holidays are upon us, now that Lettuce Rejoice 2011 is around the corner. Playing at the famed cabaret club, The Metropolitan Room, in Chelsea I ask you, “how can a girl go wrong?”

Click here to buy your tickets to Lettuce Rejoice

Boy Butter Lubricants on display at NYC's Museum of Sex

2011-12-12T16:39:00.003-05:00

The famous New York city Museum of Sex has Boy Butter 9 oz Squeeze bottles on display and on sale on the street facing windows of 5th ave and 27th Street. You can imagine my swelling pride as my products continue to gain further visibility and respectibility in the sexual industry througout the country and abroad.

Location details:

Museum of Sex

233 5th Ave,

New York, NY 10001

Incidentally, it is located directly across from the main Boy Butter headquarters.

Museum of Sex on 5th Ave.

What a joyous holiday treat this site is for me.

Boy Butter Original and Boy Butter H20 9 oz Squeeze Bottles

on display for the world to see

The Christmas tree challenge of reaching the top

2011-12-11T12:04:00.000-05:00

Brian Perri's tree decorating party earlier this week was topped off with an attempt by a few people to get the star on the very top of the tree, lets see how that went.

Happy Holidays from shoplube.com

2011-12-08T22:46:00.000-05:00

Just enter coupon code: HOLIDAY

for 5% off any order PLUS

a free full size Boy Butter Clear with Invisagel 2 oz bottle

on orders of $20 or more only on www.shoplube.com

Earth-Like Planet Discovered That Might Be Right For Life

2011-12-06T08:50:00.000-05:00

Scientists have discovered a planet not too much bigger than Earth that's circling a distant star that's much like our own sun. What's more, this planet is in the "Goldilocks zone" around that star — a region that's not too hot and not too cold. That's the kind of place that could be home to liquid water and maybe even life. The planet, known as Kepler-22b, is the first near-Earth-sized planet to be found smack dab in the middle of the habitable zone of a twin to our Sun.

The planet is about 2 1/2 times the size of the Earth. It orbits a little closer to its star than our planet does to our sun, and goes around once every 290 days compared with our 365. But its star is a bit cooler than our sun, says William Borucki of NASA Ames Research Center, who heads NASA's Kepler space telescope mission, which detected this planet. "That means that that planet, Kepler-22b, has a rather similar temperature to that of the Earth," Borucki says. "Its surface temperature would be something like 72 Fahrenheit."

It's not yet clear what kind of surface the planet might have — researchers don't know if the planet is made mostly of rock or water or something else. And don't expect astronauts to climb on a rocket and go there anytime soon. "The star is some 600 light-years away," says Borucki, "so it's not terribly far away, but not terribly close either."

Click here to read original story on NPR

Occupy Boy Butter!

2011-12-05T15:52:00.001-05:00

Boy Butter is a gay owned and operated business
and it's products are proudly made in the USA.

We are proud to be the 99%.

For more info visit: www.boybutter.com

My sister is Miss December 2011 on top100sexiestwomen.com

2011-12-03T16:50:00.001-05:00

December 2011's Hot Chick O' The Month

In the 1980′s it was Michaela Bercu, who seemingly adorned every magazine cover from Glamour to Cosmo, and ended up gracing the silver screen as one of Gary Oldman’s vampiric trio, along side Monica Belluci, in Bram Stroker’s Dracula. In the 1990′s, it was Nina Brosh who became so uber-omnipotent in the modeling industry, that she was named the 79th “Most Powerful Person in Fashion” in 1995. As far as the next millennium goes? Forget Bar Refaeli. The Israeli model of the here and now is Donna Feldman. Yes, she’s part Russian, Polish, and was raised in California – But don’t tell her that.

Click here to read full article on top100sexiestwomen.com

The 26th Annual Sage Toys Party

2011-12-03T10:35:00.000-05:00

Last night the 26th year of the extremely popular gay party was thrown by SAGE and was held at the Chelsea Piers. Twenty-five hundred of New York's A-list were rubbing elbows and enjoying the good music, open bars and photo booths. This is one of the largest money making events for Sage and they are always kind enough to prominently display Boy Butter as a raffle prize near the entrance. You know I love charitable events and this is the kind you can get dressed up for and enjoy doing good for the needy, meet up with friends and meet new people. If you did not go this year, make sure you don't miss next year's Toys Party.

You'll Never Know it isn't Boy Butter pyramid raffle prize

Rob Jackson and I

A view of the crowd

Michael and I

Brendan, Camille, Ray, and Michael

A mountain of gifts for kids and seniors

On the sidewalks of New York

2011-12-02T23:06:00.000-05:00

East Side, West Side, all around the town,

The tots sang "Ring-a-rosie," "London Bridge is falling Down";

Boys and Girls together, me and Mamie O'Rorke,

Tripped the light fantastic on the sidewalks of New York.

- James W. Blake (1894)

Skyscraper national park. - Kurt Vonnegut

Amazing speech to save Gay marriage in Iowa

2011-12-01T10:37:00.000-05:00

Zach Wahls, a 19-year-old University of Iowa student spoke about the strength of his family during a public forum on House Joint Resolution 6 in the Iowa House of Representatives. Wahls has two mothers, and came to oppose House Joint Resolution 6 which would end civil unions in Iowa.

The Pink-Washing of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict

2011-11-30T22:07:00.000-05:00

Critics of Israel say the state touts its gay-rights record only to conceal its oppression of Palestinians. They call it pink washing. That’s nonsense.

By James Kirchick
In June 2007, I marched in Jerusalem’s gay pride parade. To do so was a risk. A group of ultra-Orthodox rabbis had issued a hex on the event. “To all those involved, sinners in spirit, and whoever helps and protects them, may they feel a curse on their souls, may it plague them and may evil pursue them,” they declared ahead of the march. Two years earlier, a fanatical Orthodox Jew had stabbed three parade participants. And in 2006, a prominent Hebron sheikh had asserted that the parade was “a cancer whose objective is to destroy the Islamic nation through humiliating Jerusalem by demonstrating the perversions of gays and lesbians.” Gays serve an ecumenical purpose in the Holy Land: Extremist Jews and fundamentalist Muslims put aside their differences to join together in hating them.
Thankfully, no violence occurred at the 2007 parade, though hundreds of anti-gay activists lined the route shouting imprecations and holding hateful signs. “Go to a shrink,” one particularly blunt poster read. “Go Away. Your sickness should be healed, not flaunted,” declared another. Over 7,000 police and army officers protected the marchers, and snipers were placed on the rooftops of nearby buildings.

As the ugly reactions to the parade revealed, the vast array of rights that gay people enjoy in the Jewish state—which include serving openly in the military, adoption, domestic partnerships, and the recognition of marriages performed abroad—did not emerge from nowhere. These rights are the fruit of hard work on the part of many activists, gay and straight, who had to push for them against politically powerful, socially conservative elements. This ongoing fight for inclusion was manifested most recently in the creation of an LGBT faction within the Labor Party, supported by all the party’s Knesset members except for Arab-Israeli MK Raleb Majadele.

But the struggles of Israeli activists and the progress they’ve achieved are meaningless to some, including Sarah Schulman, professor, novelist, and self-described “active participant citizen.” In a New York Times op-ed published last week, Schulman argued that these advances in gay rights are merely a “potent tool” in the Jewish state’s “pinkwashing,” by which she means Israel’s “deliberate strategy to conceal the continuing violations of Palestinians’ human rights behind an image of modernity signified by Israeli gay life.” As evidence of this so-called pinkwashing, Schulman cited the fact that the Tel Aviv tourism board is spending $90 million on a campaign to market the city as “an international gay vacation destination.” For Schulman, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s reference to the Middle East as a region “where women are stoned, gays are hanged, Christians are persecuted” in his May speech to Congress is yet another example of the sinister pinkwashing trend, also known in many quarters as diplomacy.

Schulman, a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, isn’t the first person to employ the phrase. In May, a writer for Time magazine alleged that Israel and Israelis’ participation in a series of international gay events was part of a coordinated campaign undertaken “in the hopes of redirecting [Israel’s] global image away from politics, terrorism and the occupied territories.” Joseph Massad, a professor of Arab politics at Columbia University, told Time that Israel launched this effort “to fend off international condemnation of its violations of the rights of the Palestinian people.” (Massad has written a book, Desiring Arabs, which alleges the existence of a nefarious “Queer International,” with supporters of Israel at its core, whose “discourse … produces homosexuals as well as gays and lesbians, where they do not exist” so as to paint Arab cultures as barbaric.)

The first fallacy of the pinkwashing meme is that it’s a non sequitur. No one is saying that Israel ought to be immune from criticism because it treats gay people humanely. Israel’s stellar record on gay rights does not prevent anyone from condemning the country’s settlement policies, its proposed ban on foreign funding of NGOs, or its lackluster effort to integrate Arab Israelis—issues that Israeli gay activists, many of them leftists, would gladly join Schulman in denouncing. But none of these failings renders Israel’s record on gay rights any less impressive, nor does touting that record constitute a covert method of justifying the occupation or racism against Arab citizens.

Schulman seems incapable of such discernment. “Increasing gay rights have caused some people of good will to mistakenly judge how advanced a country is by how it responds to homosexuality,” she wrote in the op-ed. While it would be foolish to judge a country’s “advancement” solely on the rights of gays, it is a telling standard. The protection of minorities is a bedrock principle of any liberal society, and it is an indisputable fact that sexual, racial, and religious minorities are better off in Israel than they are anywhere else in the region.

Though Schulman claims that, “pinkwashing … manipulates the hard-won gains of Israel’s gay community” it is Schulman who renders these gains meaningless. According to her, the victories of gay-rights advocates in Israel do not exist in and of themselves, but are cogs in a grand propaganda machine to legitimize occupation and oppression. The effort to create a more open and inclusive Israeli society is merely part of a broader PR campaign—undertaken, ironically enough, by the same right-wing forces who recommended I see a psychiatrist to cure me of my homosexuality—to fool credulous Western liberals into believing that Israel is something it’s not.

While accusing the government of Israel and pro-Israel activists of deceiving well-intentioned progressives, Schulman and her ilk are in fact using the issue of gay rights to forward an ulterior agenda. So consumed are they by hatred of Israel that they are willing to distort the truth about the horrible repression of homosexuals in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. If there’s any cleaning of dirty laundry going on here, it is Schulman’s whitewashing the plight of Palestinian gays.

Schulman’s assertion that homosexuality has been effectively “decriminalized” in the Palestinian territories since the 1950s when Jordan revoked colonial-era sodomy laws, will come as cold comfort to the countless gay Palestinians who have fled to Israel after being tortured or receiving death threats by Hamas or Fatah agents. Schulman’s claim would certainly come as news to Maen Rashid Areikat, the PLO’s ambassador to Washington. When asked earlier this year if homosexuality would be tolerated in a future Palestinian state, Areikat replied, “This is an issue that’s beyond my [authority].” Hamas strategist Mahmoud Al-Zahar was blunter. In comments directed toward Westerners, Al-Zahar told Reuters last year that “You do not live like human beings. You do not (even) live like animals. You accept homosexuality. And now you criticize us?” And whatever law might be on the Palestinian Authority books has yet to persuade the leaders of Aswat, a Palestinian lesbian organization, to relocate their headquarters to Ramallah from Haifa. By making the absurd claim that the issue of gay rights is being “manipulated” by the Israeli government, Schulman ends up making excuses for people who kill homosexuals.

To read original post on Tablet Mag

Russian gay rights activist slams anti-gay bill in St. Petersburg

2011-11-27T13:23:00.000-05:00

On November 2011 St Petersburg shocked the world. As the legislative assembly approved, in its first reading, a bill which outlawed the promotion of homosexuality, transsexuality and paedophilia to minors. The passage of the bill provoked a quick reaction from local LGBT activists, who organised several protests against the initiative. It also mobilised the international community. The bill was condemned by MEPs, the US state department and thousands of people from around the world, who signed an online petition against its implementation.

To read the full story at the Guardian click here

Happy Thanksgiving from Boy Butter!

2011-11-23T23:09:00.000-05:00

Ah! on Thanksgiving day.... When the care-wearied man seeks his mother once more, and the worn matron smiles where the girl smiled before.What moistens the lips and what brightens the eye?What calls back the past, like the rich pumpkin pie?

~ John Greenleaf Whittier

ISRAELI GAYS ‘COME OUT’ EARLIER

2011-11-20T12:27:00.000-05:00

The number of Israeli lesbian, gay and bisexual teens who identify their sexual leanings and “come out” to their family and friends has grown dramatically in the past two decades, with the average age dropping from 25 in 1991 to 16 in 2010, according to Tel Aviv University researchers.

In a new study published in the journal Family Relations on the stress factors and the mental health of sexual minorities, Dr. Guy Shilo of TAU’s Bob Shapell School of Social Work reported that family support and acceptance is becoming increasingly essential for LGB youth. “Family support is a crucial variable in the mental health of young LGBs, higher than peer support,” wrote Shilo, noting that it is difficult for LGB teens to separate themselves from unsupportive families because they are still dependent on them for their welfare.

Shilo and his colleague Prof. Riki Savaya conducted a study of 461 self-identified LGB youth aged 16 to 23 to examine how stress related to being part of a minority group was impacting their mental health. To determine stress levels, the researchers questioned participants on how they felt about their family, friends and peer support, as well as their connection to the LGB community for emotional support. Participants were evaluated for mental distress and feelings of well-being – the polar negative and positive of mental health.

While peer support certainly had an impact on the mental health of participants, the researchers discovered that family support was more central to their sense of well-being.

A lack of family support was found to significantly heighten mental distress among the study participants, which can lead to depression.

In addition, they found that family acceptance had the strongest positive impact on self-acceptance of sexual orientation.
Adult LGBs who lack the support of their families, explained Shilo, often react by leaving their families behind. They build separate lives that can include “families of choice,” where peer groups – mainly from the LGB community – form an alternative family structure and give each other the same emotional support and sense of belonging that a family is meant to provide. But this is not always a viable option at a younger age.

Today, more adolescents are open about their sexual orientation – and the younger they are, the more important family connections tend to be, wrote Shilo, who works with Beit Dror, a shelter for runaway LGB youth in central Tel Aviv supported by the municipality and the Welfare and Social Services Ministry and the Israel Gay Youth Organization.

The average 16-year-old is still in school and depends on family for financial support, food and shelter. “They can’t just get up and go.”

The tendency of LGBs to come out earlier in life derives from social and cultural progress, concluded Shilo. Most adult LGBs knew they were homosexual or bisexual at the age of nine or 10, he maintained. “The increasing respect and recognition of the rights of sexual minorities have provided the encouragement to ‘come out’ at an earlier age,” he wrote.

Wear Milk? Designer Uses Textile Made From 100% Cow Juice

2011-11-16T10:50:00.000-05:00

German designer Anke Domaske has perfected a fiber from milk and made it into part of her Mademoiselle Chi Chi clothing line. The silk from milk was first publicly introduced this past summer, but this week it really hit the big time, being picked up by all the major networks and newspapers since it won the innovation award of Germany’s Textile Research Association.

The fabric is called Qmilch, a word Domaske invented that is a combination of quality and the German word for milk, and several companies have now reportedly expressed interest in using the fabric in mass production. The completely organic product is produced from sour milk that is reduced to a protein powder, then boiled and pressed into strands that can be woven into a fabric.

A walk through the Highline Park at dusk

2011-11-14T17:13:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite parks in NYC, for more info: The Highline.

Boy Butter hits Chicago this weekend

2011-11-11T11:20:00.000-05:00

I am in Chicago meeting with my best friend, Xavier Caylor, and enjoying the chilly windy city this weekend. Both of us have many friends here and we always have a great time. While here I always take the opportunity to put up a couple posters in Boystown and visit with stores like the Ram, Cupid's Treasures and The Pleasure Chest. Chicago may be colder than NY but surrounded by such warm people in this city makes it comfy and cozy.

Poster on Halsted

Posters in front of 7-11 on Halsted

Xavier noticing Smitty the bat at the base of the stairwell of our friend, Rob's house.

Pretending to smoke from Rob's ornamental hooka

Vishnu helps sell real estate too.

My brother-in-law completes NYC Marathon

2011-11-07T08:31:00.001-05:00

Yesterday my awesome bro-in-law, Terry McGovern, had successfully completed the grueling 26 mile NYC Marathon with almost 47,000 runners from all over the world. The marathon starts out in Staten Island then crossing over the Verrazano bridge to Brooklyn, then Queens, the Bronx and finally finishing it up in Central Park surrounded by 2 million on lookers with an amazing time of 3 hours and 50 minutes. Terry is an experienced and active runner and cyclist in his home of Bonn, Gemany, with years of marathon experience under his belt. He can now boast that he conquered the NYC marathon and even managed some cool press on an AOL news site called, Patch. The local Brooklyn Park Slope Patch wrote about Terry McGovern preparing to run the marathon with his childhood friend, Mike Clark. To read the news piece on Terry and Mike's marathon mission, click here.

Mazel Tov and Congratulations Terry, we love you!!

Terry at the 23rd mile

Terry waving to us

Marathon Man

A Prose Poem On Hawaii

2011-11-04T09:57:00.000-04:00

by Mark Twain

No alien land in all the world has any deep, strong charm for me but that one; no other land could so longingly and beseechingly haunt me sleeping and waking, through half a lifetime, as that one has done. Other things leave me, but it abides; other things change but it remains the same. For me its balmy airs are always blowing, its summer seas flashing in the sun; the pulsing of its leaping cascades, its plumy palms drowsing by the shore; its remote summits floating like islands above the cloud-rack; I can feel the spirit of its woodland solitude; I can hear the path of its brooks. In my nostrils still lives the breath of a flower that perished twenty years ago.

Beach at Poipu

Horses

Floral hedge

House with Blue floral hedge

Poipu lifeguard tower at beach

My little Macadamia nut, Robert Noble (great friend)

Kauai hillside

Abandoned Coco Palms Hotel, (famous hotel of Elvis's Hawaii movies)

Dilapidated Coco Palms

Kauai Beach

Sunset

Walking to the beach

Beachside

Montel Williams: Israel Leads In Medical Marijuana

2011-11-01T09:43:00.000-04:00

JERUSALEM (AP) — Emmy Award-winning television personality and patient activist Montel Williams said Sunday he was impressed with Israel's liberal attitude toward medical marijuana, and he believes the U.S. could learn a thing or two from the Jewish state.

Williams was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1999 and he has since been an outspoken advocate of medical marijuana to relieve pain caused by the disease.

The former host of the popular long-running talk show "The Montel Williams Show" is in Israel on a fact-finding mission to learn about its medicinal cannabis practices. He is meeting with legislators, scientists and physicians.

At the height of his TV career, Williams was one of the most recognizable faces in America alongside fellow daytime TV hosts Oprah Winfrey, Phil Donahue and Geraldo Rivera.

"We need to get out of the dark ages and into the new ages," he told The Associated Press. "Not every patient can use cannabis, but for those who can — why deny it?"

In Israel, certain doctors can approve cannabis prescriptions and disperse them to patients, said Itay Goor-Aryeh, the head of the pain management unit at the Sheba Medical Center in central Israel.

He said that while marijuana use is strictly regulated, many doctors prefer prescribing it to patients who qualify because it is "the lesser of evils."

"Those patients, if they do not get cannabis, they will get morphine-like drugs and other harmful drugs," said Goor-Aryeh. "I think that in many ways, cannabis is tolerated and is less addictive that morphine-based drugs."

Sixteen U.S. states have decriminalized the use of medical marijuana to some extent. Critics claim dispensaries are often no more than drug trafficking fronts.

Williams said that those merely seeking to smoke pot won't go through the lengthy bureaucratic process when they could just "go down the street."

Williams, 55, said he takes cannabis on a daily basis.

"For me, there is nothing else that can do what it does," he said. "It helps me suppress my pain ... When I am not using cannabis I am thinking about my pain every 45 seconds."

He said the drug has been "vilified to substantiate the false reason why it was banned in the first place," and that he hoped it would one day become a regular prescription drug.

"There are chemicals within that plant," he said, "and some of the leading science on where and how those chemicals work is being done right here in this country," referring to Israel.

Click here for original NPR Story

Check out my surrealistic Hipstamatic photo collection

2011-10-29T12:02:00.000-04:00

These are my latest collection of favorite photos taken in October, 2011 on my iPhone with my Hipstamatic Camera app using the Salvador Dali lens and film with varying types of flash. Enjoy the surrealistic charms of my photography.

Legs, Books, Bricks

Tower of Babel

Subway

23rd Street

Lily's projection

Faded Vishhu

Spencer Tunick's "Naked Sea" art installation revealed

2011-10-26T12:47:00.000-04:00

"Naked sea" revealed. 1,200 people bared all to support the environment in this breath-taking, historical event.

“Naked Sea”, artist Spencer Tunick’s awe-inspiring first image from his extraordinary artwork created on the shores of the Dead Sea has been revealed. Tunick located his art project in Israel with the purpose of supporting the global campaign to promote voting for the Dead Sea as one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature. The campaign was originated by the New7Wonders Foundation, headed by Bernard Weber, to find the world's new 'seven wonders' and is in its final stage ending 11.11.11.

Dead Sea Naked

“Naked Sea” is a grassroots project initiated in Israel to emphasise and draw attention to the growing environmental issues of the Dead Sea. More than 1,200 people from Israel and abroad arrived on the Western shores of the lowest lake on Earth just before dawn on Saturday, 17th September to take part in Tunick’s art project.

Click here for original story link.

Someone got the new iPhone 4S today : )

2011-10-25T12:19:00.000-04:00

Captain Cook is sweeter than sugar.

2011-10-24T10:04:00.004-04:00

While in Kauai I was treated to a special tour of the first sugar plantation homes in Hawaii, Grove Farm. This hundred acre plantation site preserves the earliest surviving set of domestic, agricultural, and sugar plantation buildings, furnishings, collections, surrounding orchards and pasturelands in Hawaii. The historic homestead was the center of operations for the developing sugar plantation and involved the relationship of family life, plantation activity, household work, gardening and farming which developed the modern Hawaii that we know today and one of the reasons we have that all important sweetener of life, sugar. As the American Civil War was raging between the North and the South, a young American, George N. Wilcox took a lease on a struggling farm located on the outskirts of Lihue, on the island of Kauai, in what was then the kingdom of Hawaii. The farm had been chopped out of a large grove of kukui trees and was therefore called Grove Farm. His vision combined with his education resulted in his ability to change this arid farm into a thriving sugar plantation. As the Civil War destroyed the agriculture in the South, it helped sugar become a successful venture in Hawaii. Sugar’s success was also favored by the Hawaiian monarchy as it was an additional source of income for it’s kingdom.

As the Wilcox family grew rich from sugar they bought property, built homes, a hospital, schools, and other infrastructure around the island. With the help of buyers from all over the world the Wilcox family built a private collection of treasures that is one of the most impressive I have ever seen in my life. Among these treasures are 18th century ledgers and journals that belonged to the world famous English explorer, Captain James Cook. James Cook, was the first European to explore the Antarctic, Alaska, and New Zealand, he also discovered Australia, Easter Islands, and even Hawaii itself (then called the Sandwich Islands) where he was killed in a scuffle with natives over a stolen boat. My lovely new friend and Grove Farm museum director, Bob Schleck, took me and a handful of friends on this private tour of the plantation, the house and it's illustrious library where we were lucky to gaze upon one of Captain Cook's own journals of expeditions and discoveries, which is only one of five journals still existing in the world today. If you go to Kauai, make sure to visit this museum, it is sweet, sweet, sweet.

Grove Farm Museum

Captain Cook's Journal being carefully opened by Bob Schleck

Cook's catalogue of collected native made (Hawaiian) cloths published 1787 is in amazing condition.

A sketch of Capt Cook.

Full color images of the seafaring natives in the journals

Images of George Washington the first president of the USA is in this journal.

A male native encountered by Capt Cook and his crew.

A very excited Hawaiian native

A beautiful female native

A native wearing a mask of bones

A video of a catalogue of Hawaiian fabric samples collected by Capt. Cook

Music Video: The Young Professionals, D.I.S.C.O.

2011-10-21T11:10:00.000-04:00

Welcome Home, Gilad Schalit

2011-10-18T14:21:00.000-04:00

The Israel Defense Forces spokesman announced Shalit's return at 11 a.m. Tuesday Israel time. Shalit arrived in Egypt approximately three hours earlier. Gilad Shalit was reunited with his family shortly after crossing into Israel from Egypt after his release earlier in the day by his captors in Gaza, ending five years and four months in captivity. Images of Shalit walking were broadcast by Egyptian TV, and in an interview Shalit said he was treated well by his captors but that he missed family, friends and freedom. The IDF reported that Shalit is in good health. After meeting with IDF officials and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Shalit was met by family members, and images of him embracing his father, Noam, were broadcast throughout Israel. Shalit's release came as Israel began transferring 477 Palestinian prisoners to the Red Cross as part of a swap deal between Israel and Hamas that will see the release of more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. Eyewitnesses confirmed that some of the prisoners had begun entering Gaza. Shalit's family was waiting for him at the Tel Nof Air Force base, where he was to be taken after crossing into Israel. Shalit had been held in Gaza since being captured by Hamas in a cross-border raid in June 2006.

Hipstamatic Hawaiian Gallery

2011-10-16T13:52:00.003-04:00

“The loveliest fleet of islands that lies anchored in any ocean”
- Mark Twain, on Hawaii

Lihue

Bali Hai

Kipu Road

Larson's Beach East

Larson's Beach West

Napali Coast

Bali Hai

Holy Hawaiian House of Worship

Sleeping Giant

Hanalei Sunset Palms

Puff the Magic Dragon in Hanalei

Wailua Falls

Hanalei, the crown jewel of Hawaii

2011-10-12T15:51:00.000-04:00

Hanalei Valley on the north shore of Kauai is one of the most attractive and tranquil places in all the Hawaiian islands and one of the most beautiful spots on Earth. Backed by incredibly beautiful mountains with waterfalls tumbling down its sheer sides, Hanalei is a sprawling community of wooden houses with pretty gardens and quaint one lane bridges running over streams that overflow after rain. The famous Hanalei Bay with its perfect beach is a surfing and swimming paradise due to its consistently big waves and warm waters. Many movie stars and the wealthy spend their holidays here as Hanalei is a favourite destination for the experienced traveller. Walking tracks and hiking trails into valleys and kayaking up streams and around Hanalei Bay are favourite day activities. There are two particularly scenic lookouts. The Hanalei Valley scenic overlook which peers down into the valley floor with its neat squares of taro plantations hemmed in by irrigation streams. Taro is a staple food product and is considered the potato of the tropics, it has been a part of the diet of the ancient as well as modern Hawaiians alike. The Hanalei valley is a designated Wildlife Sanctuary rich in native water birds including the Hawaiian coot, duck and stilt, and is a peaceful place to explore. The other, a mile to the north of Hanalei Town, is the overlook at Lamaha'i Beach towards the stunning tropical backdrop of jagged lush green mountains of the Na Pali cliffs and coast, which itself is only accessible by boating or hiking. Put Hanalei on the top of your Hawaiian to-do list as it is the emerald green jewel on the crown of the Hawaiian Islands.

The mountains of Hanalei

Beautiful Hanalei Bay and the mountainside jutting into the beach that looks like

a sleeping dragon as we all know to be the famed Puff the Magic Dragon

I love it here

Hanalei valley with taro plantations

Taro fields and wildlife refuge for endangered birds

A close up view of the taro fields

Bali Hai, the beach made famous in the movie, South Pacific

A lovely home in Hanalei

Overlook of the Hanalei valley

Bali Hai beach

The Grand Canyon of the Pacific

2011-10-09T17:31:00.000-04:00

One of the most popular places to visit in Kauai is the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, Waimea Canyon. From the southern resort area of the island it takes about 45 minutes to reach. Waimea is the largest canyon in the Pacific and truly a dramatic sight to behold. The canyon is about 10 miles long and a mile wide, and more than 3,500-feet deep. It was carved thousands of years ago by rivers and floods that flowed from Mount Waialeale's summit. The lines in the canyon walls depict different volcanic eruptions and lava flows that have occurred over the centuries. Even though smaller than the Grand Canyon of Arizona, Waimea Canyon rivals the beauty. There are numerous lookouts and hikes offering terrific views of every aspect of this natural wonder. It is highly recommended to do this if you ever find yourself in this corner of paradise.

Kauai's Koloa Cemetery

2011-10-07T14:10:00.000-04:00

I arrived to the island of Kauai, Hawaii this week and it is just as amazing and beautiful as you would think. My dear friend Robert Noble, who I am visiting here, is a new resident himself and he took me to see one of the sights of his neighborhood. One of the first places I visited was the Koloa Cemetery. It is a mixture of Buddhist, Catholic and Christian graves dating from the early 19th century. As you walk around and read the grave markers you can make out many of the family names from all over the world. Names of Portuguese, Spanish, German, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, and Americans settlers who moved within the last 200 years. They moved here, worked, lived, and died and have made their final resting place here on this tropical island cemetery. This cemetery is a true testament to Hawaii's incredibly diverse culture as it was and still is today.

The American Acropolis

2011-10-03T11:19:00.000-04:00

Washington D.C. is a rich and beautiful capital city like no other. Not only is it a city of vistas, a marriage of geometry and art but unlike other large cities, it isn't dominated by skyscrapers but by memorials and monuments that leave an impression of great history, sacrifice and wonder. Most people do not know but Washington D.C. is the world's first planned capital city as well as one of the most beautiful capitals I have ever seen. Walking through it you notice marble laden structures dripping with decorative accents and incredible detail that evoke the power and genius that this country has to offer. Many of the famous monuments in D.C. are clean white masonry with such a strong neoclassical design that you can imagine yourself walking through the ancient temples of Greece as they once stood in their prime thousands of years ago. For the average tourist the center of it all is the National Mall between the Capital, Washington Monument, White House, and Lincoln Memorial which lie on a 2 mile stretch in the center of the city famous throughout the world as icons of the world's wealthiest and most powerful nation. Many museums are free and open to the public like the world renowned Smithsonian museums located along the National Mall. The people of the city are diverse in many respects, especially the large African-American majority, which is the reason the city is also called the Chocolate City. A sizable and affluent Gay community can be found mainly in Dupont Circle and the Logan Square areas where many of the bars, restaurants, clubs and shops are located. In general the citizens are young and transient and their energy is palpable in this city which has much to offer any tourist who enjoys a good long walk and amazing displays of history and culture.

The graves of John F. and Jacqueline Kennedy at Arlington National Cemetary

1 of the 300,000 graves at Arlington National Cemetery

The tomb of the unknown solder

The new Martin Luther King Memorial

(made in China)

The Washington Monument

The Vietnam Memorial

Statues of soldiers facing the Vietnam Memorial

Me in front of the Lincoln Memorial

Good ol' Honest Abe

The Korean War Memorial

Thomas Jefferson standing proud in his own memorial

Brendan in front of the Obama residence

The Capital Building

The National Supreme Court

Chelsea and I contacting spirits on a

Ouija board at popular and fun gay hotspot Nellie's Sports bar

A statue of Rochambeau near the White House

Happy Jewish New Year, 5772. Rosh Hashanah

2011-09-28T10:48:00.000-04:00

A Rosh Hashanah musical parody of Shakira's Waka Waka by The Ein Prat Fountainheads
from the Ein Prat Academy, Israel http://foheads.com. Shana Tova to everyone!!

Google Baby (HBO)

2011-09-27T10:58:00.003-04:00

Watch this trailer of an Israeli documentary film 'Google Baby' about parents quest for the perfect baby wins an Emmy. Looks like it is on HBO

Dead Sea Scrolls Are Now Online

2011-09-26T18:29:00.000-04:00

Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to UN from Sept, 23rd 2011

2011-09-26T10:34:00.001-04:00

Another excellent speech by Israel's Prime Minister.

MISSION COMPLETE: Hoover Dam This is A Long Swim

2011-09-23T17:41:00.001-04:00

Me and Michael Adams,

Executive Director of SAGE

I am happy to say that this year's charity marathon swim, Hoover Dam This is a Long Swim, is successfully completed. It was an emotional and amazing experience that I got to share with my close family and all of you. This swim was a mix of all the things I love: family, swimming and charity. We not only achieved our goal of $6000 but we surpassed it by $2200 and raised $8200. With a generous matching dollar for dollar grant from the H. van Ameringen Foundation makes the total $16,400, by far the most I ever raised for the farthest I ever swam and a new record to try and beat next year : )

Thanks again to everyone who donated
making this such a tremendous success!

Sincerely,

Eyal Feldman,
marathon swimmer and activist for elder adults

Below is a special video documenting my seven mile swim across Lake Mead.

VIDEO: Hoover Dam This is a Long Swim

2011-09-21T12:12:00.000-04:00

The video of my seven mile (11.25 km) marathon swim across Lake Mead from Nevada to Arizona and back on September 18th, 2011. To raise money for SAGE (Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Elders). To learn more about this 7 mile marathon charity swim, visit www.hooverdamthisisalongswim.blogspot.com or www.sageusa.org

VIDEO GAMERS HELP SOLVE AIDS PUZZLE

2011-09-19T13:03:00.000-04:00

Online gamers have achieved a feat beyond the realm of Second Life or Dungeons and Dragons: they have deciphered the structure of an enzyme of an AIDS-like virus that had thwarted scientists for a decade.

The exploit was published on Sunday in the journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, where - exceptionally in scientific publishing - both gamers and researchers are honoured as co-authors.

Their target was a monomeric protease enzyme, a cutting agent in the complex molecular tailoring of retroviruses, a family that includes HIV.

Figuring out the structure of proteins is vital for understanding the causes of many diseases and developing drugs to block them.

But a microscope gives only a flat image of what to the outsider looks like a plate of one-dimensional scrunched-up spaghetti. Pharmacologists, though, need a 3D picture that "unfolds" the molecule and rotates it in order to reveal potential targets for drugs.

This is where Foldit comes in.

Developed in 2008 by the University of Washington, it is a fun-for-purpose video game in which gamers, divided into competing groups, compete to unfold chains of amino acids - the building blocks of proteins - using a set of online tools.

To the astonishment of the scientists, the gamers produced an accurate model of the enzyme in just three weeks.

Cracking the enzyme "provides new insights for the design of antiretroviral drugs", says the study, referring to the medication to keep people with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) alive.

It is believed to be the first time that gamers have resolved a long-standing scientific problem.

"We wanted to see if human intuition could succeed where automated methods had failed," Firas Khatib of the university's biochemistry lab said in a press release.

"The ingenuity of game players is a formidable force that, if properly directed, can be used to solve a wide range of scientific problems."

One of Foldit's creators, Seth Cooper, explained why gamers had succeeded where computers had failed.

"People have spatial reasoning skills, something computers are not yet good at," he said.

"Games provide a framework for bringing together the strengths of computers and humans. The results in this week's paper show that gaming, science and computation can be combined to make advances that were not possible before."

Advocate.com writes about my charity swim: Seven Miles, One Cause

2011-09-16T14:50:00.000-04:00

Click here to read original Advocate.com post by Michelle Garcia

Every summer for the past four years, Eyal Feldman has shown his passion for elder care by stripping down ... and swimming several miles in the name of charity.

In 2006, Feldman wanted to do more charity work, so he started volunteering with the Los Angeles Jewish Home, which focuses on wellness for Jewish elders. He started doing at-home visits with seniors and became close friends with some of them. But while plans to move to New York pulled him away, but he didn't want to stop volunteering, so he sought a new place to lend a hand. That's where he first learned about Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders, or SAGE, in summer 2008.

"They said I had to wait until September for volunteer training," he says. "So that's when the idea for my swim came, because I wanted to show how serious I was."

As Feldman, 33, waited to become a "friendly visitor" for SAGE, he started training for a charity swim to support the organization. The act suits him, as he says he would "rather be more hands-on than just write a check," so he suited up and took on the St. Lawrence River, raising $2,000.

And once he started his work as a SAGE volunteer, he recruited his peers to join him in reaching out to elderly LGBT people. Through his volunteer work, he met Larry Murphy, an elderly man who Feldman says became one of his closest friends through biweekly visits over the course of two years. Murphy passed away in March.

"He was out of the closet since the '40s — the term 'closet' didn't even exist!" Feldman says. "We had just a great friendship. He always said my visits were like bringing a breath of fresh air from the outside. It's hard when you get to be that age and you don't have a lot of friends who are still around."

This year, Feldman, the CEO of Boy Butter, is heading to Lake Mead in Nevada for an event he calls "Hoover Dam, This is a Long Swim" this Sunday, with a goal of raising $6,000 for a seven-mile swim. That follows his previous "Jesus Walked, I Swam" on the Sea of Galilee in Israel and other fund-raising swims in the St. Lawrence River and a bay off Long Island. This time, he's keeping it close to his family in Los Angeles, who will act as his safety crew, following him in a boat during his journey.

Though Feldman is close with his family, he knows that some LGBT people don't share the same familial bonds, especially as they age.

"I've always been attracted to, for some reason, helping the elderly," he says. "I know I'll reach that stage in my life, and I would like to think someone would do the same for me."

Learn more about Eyal's fund-raiser at HooverDamThisIsALongSwim.blogspot.com

SAGE Friendly Visitor, Eyal Feldman, has Four Days Left ‘til Marathon Swim!

2011-09-14T11:32:00.000-04:00

Eyal Feldman, a SAGE Friendly Visitor, volunteer and supporter will be swimming past the Hoover Dam in Lake Mead to raise money for SAGE and needs YOUR help! Donate now or find out more information by visiting http://sageusa.org! The swim is only 4 days away!

Folsom Europe 2011

2011-09-11T07:46:00.000-04:00

Folsom Europe is an annual BDSM and leather subculture street fair held every September in Berlin, Germany. Folsom Europe was established in 2003 in order to bring the non-profit leather festival concept pioneered by the Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco to Europe. Today this is the biggest gay fetish event in Europe and thousands of participants, locals and foreigners from all the world over dressed in their finest leathers, rubbers, latex, feathers, whatever or barely anything at all. It is a highly stimulating event festooned with beautiful, sexy and a sometimes kooky collection of folks enjoying all manner of drink, food, shopping and tons of eye candy for all the world to see. Folsom Europe is shockingly similar to any street fair in the world, except with fewer children and funnel cakes and much more flogging and dominance play. This was my second year in a row where I set up my own Boy Butter booth to sell my wares because Folsom Europe has become an essential promotional and sales event for my company, especially since Boy Butter is sold in over 400 stores throughout the European continent. Berlin is a beautiful and surprisingly affordable city for Europe and this event is definitely one that people should experience at least once. While you are here, you can rent a bike for 8 euros a day and visit the many museums and historical sites the city provides.

One of the entrances to the event

Some Boy Butter posters lining the sidewalks

Just finished setting up the Boy Butter booth

These gentlemen look remarkably like Power Rangers, especially the guy on the left.

A fellow Angeleno, Keiren visiting my booth

Some more BB posters, and I just noticed how naughty that poster is above mine,

and I thought my poster was racy.

Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence grace us with their presence

A nice gay fetish beer garden scene at the fair, very German.

This lovely fellow deserves whatever title he seeks

I love propaganda

This was the best dressed puppy I saw

This guy looks like an extra from Hellraiser

A love this photo towards the end of the evening

A view from the Boy Butter booth

The TV tower at Alexanderplatz at night, a great way to end it.

Martha Stewart sets her sights on Israel - USATODAY.com

2011-09-09T06:31:00.000-04:00

JERUSALEM – Martha Stewart spent the Labor Day weekend in Israel, where she attended a family wedding and scouted locations for an upcoming segment of her popular TV show.

Stewart is so well-known, even in Israel, that Prime Minister Netanyahu and his wife, Sarah, invited her for a 45-minute chat — on a very busy news day.

"I always wanted to come here and finally got an invitation to my nephew's wedding,"

Stewart said during an exclusive interview with USA TODAY in Tel Aviv. "I was also planning to do a show here — we go to foreign countries and do a one-hour almost-documentary on how to travel to a country — so we contacted the Ministry of Tourism."

While the ministry, which paid for the four-day trip, is used to wining and dining visiting dignitaries and celebrities, it rarely hosts foodies with a fan base as large as Stewart's.

In Jerusalem, Stewart took in the sights and smells at the Mahane Yehuda market, a cacophonous place brimming with the freshest local produce, baked goods and funky restaurants.

Click here to read full USA today story

3/4 of goal achieved for Hoover Dam This is a Long Swim

2011-09-06T11:48:00.001-04:00

BREAKING NEWS!

Robby Browne, longtime SAGE advocate and host of New York’s premier Holiday Gifts for Kids and Seniors party, has pledged $1,500 in matching support to Eyal’s swim. He challenges you to make your gift today and, if you do, Robby will match it - dollar for dollar - up to $1,500 to ensure that Eyal reaches his goal.
After a great labor day weekend I am proud to announce that we have reached to 3/4 of the way to the goal for my 2011 charity swim for SAGE on Sept. 18th, Hoover Dam This is a Long Swim. In less than two weeks I will be swimming across Lake Mead from Nevada to Arizona and back on a seven mile non-stop marathon swim directly in front of the world famous Hoover Dam. We have raised almost $4200 so far and are so close to reaching and possibly surpassing our lofty goal of $6000. For training I am swimming 2 miles per day and am spreading the word about this swim as far and wide as possible. Please remember we are raising money to help the services and advocacy of LGBT older adults. Older adults are the fastest growing segment of our society and we need to pitch in to help them and us in the future. G-d bless us all with health, a long life and a sense of charity for those who are in need. Like Robby Browne, if you have donated to my swim, thank you so much, if you have not donated yet and are interested in doing so please click here.

My 7 mile route from Las Vegas Bay, NV to Shelter Cover AZ

German TV Exclusive: The Lives of the Super Rich feature Donna Feldman

2011-09-03T19:06:00.000-04:00

Donna Feldman's German TV debut on a show called The Lives of the Super Rich with memorable cameos of members of the Feldman family.

The big apple babysitting adventures come to a close

2011-09-02T10:22:00.000-04:00

Well, my cute little neighbor Seamus Franck is moving upstate to start a new life with a new dad and two new big brothers. Over the last couple of years Seamus and I have been spending quality time now and again with babysitting adventures around New York city. As this was our last time together as neighbors and babysitting buddies we really enjoyed running around, jumping, dancing, and watching the city go by. Our favorite places to go are the little play parks for kids around our neighborhood and our favorite new park, the Highline, where we always see interesting things and people. I certainly hope Seamus remembers our time as fondly as do I.

Seamus and I

Beautiful stonework on a church on 9th ave and 21st street

Seamus is pretending to be on the phone, cute

Seamus took this early sunset photo from the Highline

Beautiful classical music at the Highline

Babysitting like the day has come to a close

Davey Wavey Blog uses Boy Butter ad to compare Butter vs. Margarine

2011-09-01T10:09:00.000-04:00

Gay fitness guru, Davey Wavey uses Boy Butter ad to highlight difference between butter and margarine.

When it comes to butter vs. margarine, many consumers are confused by the differences and are unsure which might be a healthier choice.

Click here to read full Davey Wavey blog post

Hoover Dam This is A Long Swim: Training Video

2011-08-31T09:02:00.000-04:00

Eyal Feldman, founder of Boy Butter Lubricants and a SAGE Friendly Visitor, volunteer and supporter will be swimming past the Hoover Dam in Lake Mead to raise money for SAGE on September 18, 2011. Watch Eyal train for his marathon swim and visit Hoover Dam This is a Long Swim for more information.

This just may be the multi-armed deity of personal lubricants

2011-08-30T11:49:00.000-04:00

New mythological multi-armed deity

who apparently loves all the Boy Butter products.

To purchase Boy Butter products

at the official Boy Butter store,

www.shoplube.com

Enter coupon code "BUTTER" for 10% off any order

Buried

2011-08-26T22:57:00.000-04:00

Three cemeteries belonging to Shearith Israel, the oldest Jewish congregation in North America, are tucked away in Manhattan, a visible legacy of New York City’s long-ago Jewish past.
By Adam Chandler

There’s a small Jewish cemetery tucked away on an unlikely block in Manhattan, behind some condominiums on West 21st Street. It’s just a few minutes from Tablet Magazine’s new office on Tin Pan Alley, and I recently stumbled upon it. As it turns out, it has two siblings further downtown, and, taken together, the trio offer a window into the history of both the city and its Jewish community.

The three historic Manhattan cemeteries belong to Congregation Shearith Israel, a Spanish and Portuguese synagogue in Manhattan and the oldest Jewish congregation in North America, established in 1654. They are perhaps the most durable legacy of New York City’s long-ago Jewish past. The Shearith Israel congregation was founded by 23 Jewish refugees, descendents of Spanish Jews, exiled during the Inquisition, who fled from Recife, Brazil, after it was taken from the Dutch by the Portuguese. They were fleeing anti-Semitism but were greeted coldly by Peter Stuyvesant, the Dutch director-general of the colony of New Netherland. From 1654 until 1825, Shearith Israel was the only Jewish congregation in New York City. In its long history, membership of the congregation has included Supreme Court Justice Benjamin Cardozo, three founders of the New York Stock Exchange, and the poet Emma Lazarus, whose famous words from “The New Colossus” are affixed to the Statue of Liberty. Shearith Israel—the name translated is “Remnant of Israel”—owns a Torah that dates to the American Revolution.

Click here to read the full article from Tablet Magazine

Hoover Dam I Love Vegas

2011-08-25T11:45:00.001-04:00

This past weekend, my parents, sister and her husband went to Nevada to prepare Lake Mead for my upcoming 7 mile marathon swim next month on September 18th, Hoover Dam this is a Long Swim. We checked out the marina at the lake where we are to rent a 10 person boat for my family who are my safety and support crew. I felt the temperature of the water and it could not have been better for a 3.5 hour swim. A surprising thing was the quantity of fish, particularly large carp, living and begging for food at the marina. From the marina we drove to the spot my swim is named for, the Hoover Dam. The Hoover Dam is a concrecte arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between Nevada and Arizona built from 1931 to 1935. A perk of visiting this amazing location was spending two nights in Las Vegas a mere 30 miles away. We roamed the Strip ate, gambled, shopped and laughed like madmen at the perfect stand up routine of living legend, Jerry Seinfeld at Caesar's Palace Colosseum. It was a good time.

On the road to Hoover Dam just outside of Boulder City, NV

Boat we are to rent for safety and support crew

Me at the edge of Lake Mead

A thousand large carp fighting for popcorn at the Marina

crossing into Arizona

The Hoover Dam from Arizona side

Video of Hoover Dam and Lake Mead from Arizona side

Looks like the perfect camera shot

Siegfried and Roy's memorial on the Las Vegas strip. I just wanted to pose next to it,

but you guys know how aggressive those white tigers can be.

My sister, Donna Feldman, posing next to the Jerry Seinfeld show poster we are about to enjoy.

Jerry Seinfeld on stage, this is best image I could get without bum rushing the stage for a better one and setting off security.

I found this tall cactus in Barstow, CA on way back from Vegas to LA.

Beck vows to defend Israel against UN, NGO... JPost - Middle East

2011-08-24T20:12:00.000-04:00

US broadcaster Glenn Beck announced at a Jerusalem rally on Wednesday that he is forming a new global movement that will seek to defend Israel from the United Nations and human rights organizations around the world.

The “Restoring Courage” rally attracted more than 1,000 American Evangelical Christians and right-wing Israelis to the Southern Wall excavation site outside the Old City. Additional crowds watched the event at Jerusalem’s Safra Square and at more than 1,400 viewing parties in 60 countries around the world, including China and Cuba.

Speaking above the din of Peace Now activists protesting the event, Beck enthralled the crowd with his praise for the people of Israel and his condemnations of critics of the Jewish state.

“In Israel, there is more courage in one small square mile than in all of Europe,” Beck said. “In Israel, there is more courage in one soldier than in the combined cold hearts of all the bureaucrats in the United Nations.

“In Israel you can find people standing against incredible odds against the entire tide of world opinion just because it’s right, just because it’s just and just because it’s good.”

Turning to the UN, Beck said the “so-called leaders of the world” talk about human rights while they abuse the meaning of the concept by condemning democratic Israel while ignoring dictatorships that murder their own people like Libya, Syria, and North Korea.

“The cause of human rights has been taken over by individuals who share little with those who originally led those movements,” he said.

“These organizations have become bullies and grotesque parodies of what they claim to represent. They criticize free nations and they spare the unfree. They are nearly comical in their double standards.

Whatever moral force they had is spent, and so today, we dismiss them.”

Beck said his new global movement, which will be based in Texas, aimed to “take back the phrase ‘human rights,’ and put it back where it belongs.”

Read the whole Jpost article here

My super model sister's new billboard in West Hollywood

2011-08-22T02:36:00.000-04:00

My super model sister Donna Feldman's is playing the part of Eve being tempted by a snake on a billboard for an LA based French bakery called Plaisir. The billboard is located over Robertson and Santa Monica Blvd in West Hollywood, CA. It is amazing to see my gorgeous sister tower above one of the busiest intersections in Los Angeles.

Hoover Dam This Is A Long Swim Introductory Video

2011-08-18T13:58:00.001-04:00

Learn more about my marathon 7 mile swim for SAGE by clicking here or go to the Hoover Dam This is a Long Swim at sageusa.org

A novel about being Jewish and Gay by Wayne Hoffman

2011-08-16T11:51:00.000-04:00

In Wayne Hoffman’s new novel, Sweet Like Sugar, a young gay man and an older Orthodox rabbi—who believes the Torah forbids homosexuality—find a way to bridge their differences and become friends

According to the Torah, homosexuality is forbidden. That injunction is what makes Rabbi Zuckerman, a frail old man, recoil when he learns that a new friend, a 20-something named Benji Steiner, is gay. These characters and their relationship anchor a new novel,Sweet Like Sugar, by Wayne Hoffman. It’s a story that takes on identity, personal secrets, and the search for connection. The novel is something of a departure for Hoffman, whose debut, Hard, took a much more explicit look at gay life, describing the personal and political engagement of a group of gay men in the late 1990s in Greenwich Village.

Hoffman is also the deputy editor of Nextbook Press, the book imprint affiliated with Tablet Magazine. He joined Vox Tablet host Sara Ivry to talk about the book, how his two careers—novelist and editor—influence one another, and his own experience finding acceptance as a gay Jew.

Listen to podcast here

Fresca is winning people over this Summer

2011-08-16T00:15:00.000-04:00

Boy Butter Fresca and Fresca H20 are winning people

over with their mild cooling and tingly goodness.

Click here to buy Boy Butter Fresca

BTW, don't forget to use coupon code "FRESCA" for 10% off