#Utah Gay Ski Week

[bosguy]

2023 Gay ski weeks

Gay ski weeks start later this month with @aspengayskiweek followed by Winter Rendezvous hosted here in VT at @StoweMtResort. These are followed by a handful of other ski weeks throughout the US & Canada #gayski

Each January I write about the various ski weeks and weekends that are organized here in New England and North America for those of you who love to take ski vacations. Below I’ve included a handful of such gay ski celebrations. If you enjoy skiing and live in the Boston area, I’d also like to use this opportunity to give a shout out to OutRyders – New England’s largest gay ski club. Aspen Gay…

[biglisbonnews]

Gwyneth Paltrow's Ski Trial Is the Weirdest Show on TV Gwyneth Paltrow has not only made people around the world experts on bee sting therapy and bone broth diets — she's educating the Park City, Utah court system too.The Goop founder has entered the second week of testimony in the trial over a 2016 ski collision at a resort in the state, after which retired optometrist Terry Sanderson claimed he suffered broken ribs and other injuries. According to his suit, Paltrow "got up, turned and skied away." Of course, her explanation is a bit different. In a $1 symbolic suit counter-filed against Sanderson, Paltrow claimed he actually skied into her. Twist!On Friday, she took the stand and denied that she was at fault for the crash: "Mr. Sanderson categorically hit me on the ski slope and that is the truth." She said that, while on the slopes, she suddenly felt the collision of another body on hers and two skis between her legs. According to her testimony, she also yelled at him: "I was pretty upset." Witnesses for Sanderson included daughters Polly and Shae, as well as friends Mark and Craig and numerous expert witnesses. His original complaint included $3.1 million in damages, though that number has since been amended to $300,000. ABC News also reported last week that the Deer Valley ski resort was also taken off Sanderson's suit, as it claimed it was shielded from liability due to the inherent risk of the sport.Related | Gwyneth Paltrow Initially Thought Ski Crash Was Sexual AssaultOf course, if it was as simple as a collision between a retired optometrist and a vagina candle entrepreneur, the entirety of gay Twitter wouldn't be tuned into court TV for the second week running. Here's a snippet of Paltrow's lawyer's opening statement, which included the befuddling line "I could kill myself." None None — (@) Below is a portion of the cross-examination from AP, in which Paltrow describes yelling at Sanderson.Paltrow memorably said, "Well, I lost a half day of skiing," during a line of interrogation about whether or not her vacation was ruined. None — (@) Sanderson's lawyer also went on a bizarre diatribe about her supposed friendship with Taylor Swift, as the singer also ceremoniously counter-sued a DJ for $1 after he groped her at a 2013 meet and greet. None — (@) As many have pointed out on Twitter, the cross-examination was full of utterly memorable one-liners. As the trial enters its second week, CNN reports that Paltrow's husband Brad Falchuck and her children, Apple and Moses, will testify, and her lawyers will begin their defense. God willing, there's more material for @gay_reactions in the pipeline. None — (@) My personal favorite bit is an exchange between Paltrow and Sanderson's lawyer about their shoe sizes, in which Paltrow complimented her kitten heel. None — (@) While her Academy Award for Shakespeare in Love hasn't aged all that well, Paltrow's earned back her acting credentials for this performance on the stand. She's nothing if not a savvy operator. It no longer matters whether or not Paltrow's innocent. She's already won the hearts and minds of the internet. Photo via Rick Bowmer-Pool/Getty https://www.papermag.com/gwyneth-paltrow-trial-twitter-2659660749.html

[vardasvapors]

So I have been on vacation in first Colorado, then Las Vegas, with my gf @ivanaskye for the past almost 2 weeks and have now experienced:

driving west through incredible flatland + canyons + a mountain range road cheerily assuring drivers ‘brakes failed? runaway truck exit in 1/2 a mile!’

the Sooper Sekrit layered veils of trillions of netted stars that can be seen when u are lying in a 2-person sleeping bag w ur gf miles from any sizable town at over 6k feet elevation in the Rockies

The Kebler Pass. ‘Nuff said. No picture could possibly capture the effect of the view.

A v smol and frickin adorable compact valley town Ivana nicknamed Irl Imladris which was 74% shut down bc there’s still a little while until the end of the off-season (as a Vermonter, the nile-like worshipful dependence on ski tourism $$$ is close to my heart)

Being a Smooth Criminal aka forgetting to replace my expired license with the new license I got in the mail for multiple months, getting this overlooked at one car rental, being bounced from another car rental for an invalid license, and going back to the lackadaisical first car rental and re-acquiring the exact same first car I had just dropped off a couple hours before, invalid license unnoticed.

The most ridiculous pot-smoking drama with Ivana’s (mostly teenage) travel program group thing with a sequence of events too stereotypical and overblown for the plot of even an Afterschool Special, AND YET

Spy Kids 3????????????

What the fuck even is Utah and how can rock like that possibly exist irl

public gay

useless gay

Three (3) cirque du soleil shows, one of them entirely full of tiddies and other xteem sex nonsense, courtesy of Ivana’s parents, probably as collateral to ensure I am a good to their daughter

[cksmart-world]

The Completely Unnecessary News Analysis

By Christopher Smart

December 26, 2019

BLESS THE INLAND PORT PROTESTERS

We live in a country where you won't get arrested for protesting. Well, not exactly. Protests are as American as tea bags and when elected officials screw up or sell out, it's our right, our duty even, to protest. And that brings us to the proposed Inland Port in Salt Lake City — where trucks and trains from all over would bring freight to a sea of warehouses and then shipped elsewhere by more trucks and trains. Last summer, a group of folks who didn't cotton to the idea of a lot more traffic and a lot more air pollution, among other things, including a heavy-handed state government, decided to make their displeasure known. A protest at City Hall ended up at the Salt Lake Chamber across the street, where the Inland Port Authority was to meet. Cops came and all hell broke loose. In the end, 10 protesters were charged with felonies and four with misdemeanors. Last week, Salt Lake City police, after a review, said their officers did nothing wrong — of course not. And that's the price of protesting, particularly on private property. The D.A. is going to make an example of the “Inland Port 10,” who are now staring down the barrel of the criminal justice system. And they're going to need a lot more than your prayers. As for you would-be protesters out there — watch your six, freedom isn't free.

TILTING AT REALITY

OK, this is serious. Our commander in chief has blown the whistle on the proliferation of windmills. They are a clear and present danger. (We couldn't possibly make this up.) Windmills are unreliable, cause cancer and kill birds. "I never understood wind," Trump said. "You know, I know windmills very much. I've studied it better than anybody I know. It's very expensive. They're made in China and Germany mostly..." he said in a recent speech. Fortunately, the president has made time in his busy schedule to highlight these urgent matters, like those water-saving toilets that “you have to flush 10 or 15 times.” And dishwashers — what happened to dishwashers? “Women tell me,” Trump said, that their water-saving dishwashers are terrible. But those issues pale in comparison to windmills. "I told the story about the woman,” Trump told his rapt audience, “she wants to watch television and she says to her husband, 'Is the wind blowing? I'd love to watch a show tonight, darling. The wind hasn't blown for three days. I can't watch television, darling. Darling, please, tell the wind to blow.'" It's all true, of course, but what about those damn blenders?

DREAMING OF A GREEN SKI SEASON

Soon, you won't have to drive up the canyons to go skiing. Gondolas could whisk you from Starbucks to Alta, Snowbird, Brighton, Solitude, Park City or Deer Valley, according to a story in The Salt Lake Tribune. No more traffic jams, no more parking headaches. The proposal is the long awaited solution to the inconvenience of crawling up the canyon in your car needing to go potty. All those nice folks who make money from skiing want to get more people up the canyons in order to make more money and the automobile is getting in the way. Just think, we could get 10 times the amount of skiers and boarders on the slopes. CA-CHING. Think of the profits. Think of the stats SKI UTAH can boast: 27 bazillion skier-days in a single season. Of course, there will be those grouchy old people who say putting more and more people on the mountain diminishes the sport and all the good stuff that goes with it. But those poor backward folks are only thinking of the experience. That's so selfish. They should be considering profit margins, return on investment and all those greenbacks. Just ask the Utah Travel Council, which is supported by your tax dollars, after all. You won't get any thank yous, of course, but you can take heart knowing that you helped make skiing so much more crowded and profitable. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what they call success.

EVANGELICALS IN A HOLY TWIT

Last week, Mark Galli, the outgoing editor of  the magazine “Christianity Today,” editorialized that Donald Trump should be removed from office because he is “a near perfect example of a human being who is morally lost and confused” and has “no loyalty to the Creator of the Ten Commandments.” Jesus, Mary and Joseph. It sent shock waves through the evangelical community. Nonetheless, many of them continue to see Trump as Heaven sent. At the same time, others, including Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Muslims, heathens and pagans have wondered why, after all Trump's lying, bamboozling and extracurricular fornicating could they possibly hold that view, while also praising Jesus of Nazareth as the Savior. A new NPR-PBS poll found 75 percent of white evangelical Christians approved of Trump, compared with 42 percent of adults overall. Some see Trump evangelicals as hypocrites. But those Trumpers seem unfazed on account of The Donald bestowed upon them two anti-abortion Supreme Court justices and promised them religious freedom (the ability to legally discriminate against gay and trans people). What else really matters. Thank you, Lord.

Post Script

Well, that just about does it for another Christmas Holiday here at Smart Bomb, where the staff continues to puzzle over the Three Kings of the Orient who brought gifts to the Baby Jesus in the manger — and why He took up carpentry before starting Christianity. But maybe it's best not to over-think these things. Speaking of spirituality, Baba Ram Das (real name Richard Alpert) has died at age 88. He and Timothy Leary helped popularize LSD in the 1960s as an avenue to greater consciousness. Ram Das was a guiding light for Wilson and the band, too. Among other things, he wrote a best seller in 1971 called “Be Here Now.” Ram Das then traveled to India to find true enlightenment without drugs and returned to this country some years later as a New Age guru. No Santa for him, but he died contented — it's that inner peace thing. Despite Trump's massive tax cuts it looks like most Santas didn't have a lot of extra cash this season. Billionaire Santas and corporate Santas do have a lot more, but don't believe in the spirit of giving so much. (The top 91 corporations in this country paid no federal tax at all.) Once again Trickle Down Economics is proven to be nothing more than a fable that won't go away, kinda like the Three Kings.

All right Wilson, since the band is practically three sheets to the wind anyway, why not unfurl the spinnaker and sail us out into the New Year: We were born before the wind / Also younger than the sun / Ere the bonnie boat was won / As we sailed into the mystic / Hark, now hear the sailors cry / Smell the sea and feel the sky / Let your soul and spirit fly into the mystic...

[drink-the-wild-air]

I’m sitting around a table in the deep hills of North California.

Like most other seasonal jobs, trimming weed attracts a colorful influx of people from all over the world. “Trimmigrants” are their own style of crazy, ranging from flaming gay boys from Hawaii, to Lithuanian twentie-somethings looking for adventure, to stoner ski dudes from Utah. And then there’s two kayaker chicks from the southeast...

To be frank, the job is tedious as fuck. You sit or stand around a table for 6-8 hours, harvesting the raw marijuana from the plants and using garden shears to trim the buds into a basket, after which they go into a machine where they tumble around and more of the leaf gets trimmed off. Then they go into the drying room to dry and cure before being trimmed one more time into aesthetically pleasing buds, which get sold for stupid amounts of money per pound. This is little “Boutique farm” that still boasts over a hundred plants. I’m only here two weeks, dropping in to work my ass off and live in a tent. I listen to a lot of podcasts, and have been learning about making weed butter and tinctures. The fun part about trimming is that there’s tons of product to go around, and it makes experimenting and cooking a lot more fun....and affordable. 

And this wraps up my fall traveling...a few more days and I head home, bound for the Tallulah release, family vacation, and five weeks of busting my ass again selling Christmas Trees. Adventures don’t pay for themselves...

[toldnews-blog]

New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/united-states-of-america/start-here-whitaker-mueller-measles-what-you-need-to-know-to-start-your-day/

'Start Here': Whitaker, Mueller, measles. What you need to know to start your day.

It’s Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019. Let’s start here.

Interested in Start Here Morning Briefing ?

Add Start Here Morning Briefing as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Start Here Morning Briefing news, video, and analysis from ABC News.

1. Barr confirmation vote delayed

The Senate Judiciary Committee’s vote on attorney general nominee William Barr has been delayed a week as Democrats seek more answers on how he’d handle special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on Russia.

“They’re laser-focused right now on the report,” ABC News’ Devin Dwyer tells us. “What will come out? Can the public see all of it? They want to make sure that the next attorney general commits to that.”

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle also have questioned comments made by acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, who said this week the Russia probe is “close to being completed” and that he hoped a report would be produced “as soon as possible.”

“I don’t know why he knows that,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told reporters on Tuesday. “Mueller will be allowed to finish his job. That’s the goal, that’s going to happen. I don’t know how you say that in light of the grand jury being extended six months.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also shared concerns, adding, “I think Mr. Mueller should speak for himself.”

2. Intel chiefs contradict Trump

Top U.S. intelligence officials were on Capitol Hill on Tuesday to present an assessment of global threats to the nation, and much of what they said contradicted the president.

On North Korea, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told the Senate Intelligence Committee the country is “unlikely to completely give up its nuclear weapons,” and CIA Director Gina Haspel said the North “is committed to developing a long-range armed missile that would pose a direct threat to the United States.”

Trump has said North Korea is “no longer a nuclear threat,” and he’s expected to attend a second summit with Kim Jong Un next month.

The officials’ “Worldwide Threat Assessment” also included warnings on Russia’s attempts to influence elections and the continuing threat of ISIS.

“I think right now,” ABC News Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz tells us, “you’ve got Donald Trump saying a lot of things and the intelligence community and others acting on them in a different way.”

Jose Luis Magana/AP

CIA Director Gina Haspel speaks with Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats during a hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 29, 2019.

3. ‘Empire’ star attacked in possible hate crime

Authorities in Chicago are investigating a possible hate crime after “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett was attacked early Tuesday.

Police said Smollett was out getting food when he was approached by “two unknown offenders” who allegedly covered their faces and were “yelling out racial and homophobic slurs.”

The openly gay actor was then beat up, according to police, and an “unknown chemical” was poured on him. At some point during the incident, the two men “wrapped a rope around [his] neck,” officials said.

As investigators search for evidence and video related to the incident, ABC News’ Steve Osunsami tells us law enforcement officials are looking into a threatening letter targeting Smollett that was delivered about a week and a half ago.

Chuck Hodes/FOX

Jussie Smollett in the “A Rose By Any Other Name” episode of “Empire.”

4. Aloha, measles

Yesterday, the number of confirmed measles cases in Clark County, Washington, grew to at least 36, and officials said two people in Hawaii now have the disease after contracting it in the Pacific Northwest.

ABC News Chief National correspondent Matt Gutman says low vaccination rates may be to blame.

Other news:

‘He killed five people. So this is a monster.’ A 21-year-old man confesses to killing his parents, his girlfriend and two of her family members.

‘The man immediately turned, punched that woman in the face’: The Los Angeles Police Department releases video of a man punching two women near a hot dog cart on a crowded sidewalk.

‘Out of control’ A Utah man files a $3.1 million lawsuit against Gwyneth Paltrow in which he accuses the actress, in 2016, of a hit-and-run skiing accident, “knocking him out, and causing a brain injury, four broken ribs and other serious injuries.”

From our partners at FiveThirtyEight:

How Anthony Davis would fit on the Lakers, Celtics, Nets, Sixers and Knicks: We learned Monday that superstar big man Anthony Davis wants out of New Orleans, which all but means that the Pelicans have to deal him before he leaves for nothing.

Republicans in early primary states face a choice: Protect Trump or their place in line: Those officials have to decide whether to hold — or not hold — primaries and caucuses in 2020.

Last ‘Nightline’:

Fyre Festival investigation sparks conversation about power of influencers: In the world of social media influencers, the line between what’s fact and what’s advertisement can be blurry.

Play

Fyre Festival investigation sparks conversation about power of influencers

Ted Bundy movie faces backlash for allegedly glamorizing serial killer: Critics are up in arms that a man who confessed to brutally murdering 30 people is being played in a Netflix biopic by Hollywood heartthrob Zac Efron.

Play

Ted Bundy movie faces backlash for allegedly glamorizing serial killer

On this day in history:

Jan. 30, 2002 — In his State of the Union, President George W. Bush calls Iran, Iraq and North Korea the “axis of evil.”

Play

This day in history: Jan. 30, 2002

The must-see photo:

Snow falls as a man inspects an overturned pickup truck in a field on Blue Rock Road in Manor Township, Pennsylvania. (photo credit: Blaine Shahan/LNP/LancasterOnline/AP)

Blaine Shahan/LNP/LancasterOnline/AP

Snow falls as a man inspects an overturned pickup truck in a field on Blue Rock Road in Manor Township, Pa., Jan. 29, 2019.

For more great photos from around the world CLICK HERE.

Socially acceptable:

It was so cold in Chicago, crews had to set fire to commuter rail tracks to keep the trains moving.

Play

Rail crews set fire to train tracks amid deep freeze

All right, you’re off and running. Get the latest news on ABCNews.com and on the ABC News app. Details on how to subscribe to the “Start Here” podcast are below.

See you tomorrow.

“Start Here” is the flagship daily news podcast from ABC News — a straightforward look at the day’s top stories in 20 minutes. Listen for free every weekday on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, or the ABC News app. On Amazon Echo, ask Alexa to “Play ‘Start Here'” or add the “Start Here” skill to your Flash Briefing. Follow @StartHereABC on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for exclusive content, show updates and more.

[13flowersandfoxes]

1-99 please and thank

I vote you do this too you turd

* do you have a favourite sweater?    * My green one* what’s your middle name?    * Not telling 😊* do you still talk to the first person you kissed?    * Nope* do you get on with your grandpa?    * They’re both dead so…. * what was your favourite cartoon as a kid?    * Probably monsters inc or nightmare before Christmas. Or Aladdin. Or lilo and stitch. I DUNNO. * what’s your favourite cartoon now?    * Pretty much the same, except you can add tangled to the list* do you read the news paper?    * No* who was the last text you sent to ?    * Brendan* what does the last text you sent say?    * :P* if you could have any hair colour what would it be?    * Red with a bit of green. Maybe purple?* do you like nature documentaries?    * Yeah :)* what is your aesthetic?    * Nature, also just super classy looking stuff. Or old stuff. Idk* when did you last pet a dog?    * Probably when I left my place in Utah. It’s been a while :(* whose friend’s parents do you like the most?    * Probably my guy best friends * have you ever been on a road trip?    * Hahahaha that’s cute yes* tell me about someone you know called emma    * A cranky black cat* are you reading a book in english class, what is it?    * I’m reading dark places by Gillian flynn for fun* do you have a favourite aunt?    * Yeah the aunt I’m living with* baths or showers    * both* skiing or sun bathing?    * Sun bathing cause I don’t know how to ski* do you kill spiders?    * Pretty much only if they’re in my shower or upsetting my pets* have you ever made an ice pop?    * I don’t know* are you wearing shoes right now?    * No* tell me about you favourite primary school/elementary school teacher    * I don’t really remember them that well and I have more bad memories of teachers than good. Not that they were all bad, just that I had one particularly horrible teacher. There was one teacher at the school I didn’t have that was awesome though* who was the last person you hugged?    * I think the guy that offered to let me work with him at his wedding company as an intern for a wedding * do you wear glasses?    * Yes* do you have a cat?    * Yes* do you have a favourite pair of underwear?    * A couple lol* what was your last tweet?    * I don’t have twitter * do you still use facebook?    * Not really* do you like birds?    * More for watching. They’re not an animal I’ve ever thought of having as a pet* who was the last person you called cute?    * All of tumblr?* how did you meet your best friend?    * Theatre class* escalators or elevators?    * Depends * are you named after anyone, who?    * No* what was your first url?    * Same as this one* autumn or winter?    * Autumn * do you win at scrabble?    * Yeah* put your ipod on shuffle , who is the first song that comes up by?    * Kate Nash * have you ever drunk from a mason jar?    * Maybe* can you draw?    * A little. I probably would be decent if I’d ever worked at it or had a teacher but I had a teacher who was an asshole and wouldn’t let me take art* what was your first profile picture?    * How the fuck am I supposed to remember it’s literally been years?* favourite tshirt?    * If we’re talking softest my salt lake comic con one is amazing. But I also love my Batman one cause Batman * best tumblr friend?    * I know @aqueous-stars really well, but lately I’ve been talking to you a lot, it changes from time to time though just as I talk to people and such* when did you last run?    * Probably when I had to run after my friends cause they’re crazy * do you like to paint your nails?    * Yeah* did you ever do something as a kid that got you into loads of trouble?    * I punched a girl in the face. But I got off easy cause I didn’t have a disciplinary past. And I got in trouble loads with my parents. Including them removing my bedroom door which I hateeeeed cause I have this thing about doors being left open* who is your favourite dog that isn’t yours?    * My old next door neighbors retriever/lab mix named Sarah, she was a big drunken sweetheart and was always so happy to see me * have you ever been drunk?    * Nope* have you ever done something you regret while drunk?    * Nope* do you want to kiss anyone right now?    * Kinda. Not necessarily anyone in particular, just affection would be nice* do/did you like you math teacher?    * Yeah I only had one math teacher I didn’t like and it was just cause he didn’t focus. Nice guy, just didn’t teach. * do you often ride the bus?    * Not very often* do you have a fireplace in your house?    * Yeah* are you violent when you’re angry?    * Yeah. Not at people though. I just wanna throw things and hurt myself. * do you cry when you’re angry?    * Yeah. * favourite Harry potter book?    * Probably 3* can you remember your last dream?    * Nope* do you go to bed early or late?    * I go back and forth* do you speak a second language?    * Trying to learn German* who was your first ever best friend?    * My friend Julia. We’re still friends but we’re very different from each other, but our families are friends and everything so we grew up together. We even moved from California to Utah at the same time* have you ever had an operation?    * 4 knee surgeries * tell me about your favourite cousin    * I don’t really talk to any ofmy cousins. I call another family friend who’s my best friend my cousin though. His name is John and he’s a great guy. * do you have a piece of clothing that doesn’t even fit you anymore but you can’t bare to throw away?    * Yeah I have this gorgeous blue dress* have you ever been in a musical?    * Yeah * do you have a porch?    * No I guess not* how many times have you watched your favourite movie?    * I dunno I don’t count these things * what do you order at mcdonalds?    * An über home* do you get on with old people?    * Not really. My grandmother hates me irrationally so I have a hard time being comfortable with them. I do know an amazing man in his 70s named buzz whom I would pay good money just to hang out with again cause he’s so much fun* science fiction or romance?    * Both?* do you take naps?    * Yes * how many classes do you/did you take in high-school?    * A lot* when did it last snow where you live?    * In Utah:yesterday probably. In California: like when I was 11* does it ever snow where you live?    * Yes* how many months until your birthday?    * 9* how much charge does your computer have right now?    * 21* what is your favourite disney channel movie?    * Starstruck is a guilty pleasure TBH (his eyes are gorgeous okay)* the city or the sea side?    * Sea side* what is your least favourite colour?    * Orange* do you have homework to do?    * Nope* are you still friends with your first best friend?    * Yes* do you have/are you the gay cousin?    * I’m bi, but me and none of my cousins are out if they are gay. Lol* do you own dungarees?    * I know I’ve heard the translation but I forgot and idc* do you like to play sport?    * Yes* what was your favourite ever christmas present?    * Disneyland pass* how old are you?    * 20* what is your mum’s name?    * Nope* do you ever use internet explorer?    * Nope* have you ever had blonde hair?    * It’s my natural color* is their a play park near your house?    * They’re building one right across the street * when did you last see the person you have a crush on?    * A few weeks ago. But I’ll see him soon* who did you last talk to on the phone?    * My mom/sisters* pants or dresses?    * Either. I’m not picky* do you read fan fiction?    * Not really. I don’t have the attention span. I’ll read short ones I see here sometimes thought * what is your favourite blog?    * I dunno* do you write poetry?    * Not really* drama or comedy?    * Both* have you ever had a hickey?    * Yep

[bosguy]

2022 North American gay ski week calendar

Gay ski weekends are back in 2022 as the circuit moves from beaches to slopes. Check out this list of local & national ski weeks. Shout outs on Twitter to: @aspengayskiweek @ElevationGaySki & @whistlerpride #gayski

After last year’s hiatus, I wanted to resume my tradition of sharing a calendar of ski weeks organized here in New England and North America. Now that the holidays are a thing of the past and many weeks of winter weather remaining, I try to take the attitude, “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em”. Here is a calendar of gay ski celebrations as the circuit moves from beaches to slopes. I also like to…

[deniscollins]

Eyeglass Vendor, Imprisoned for Terrorizing Consumers, Is Accused of Fraud

If you owned an internet eyeglass business, how would you respond to a customer who complained online about being sent a fake and damaged pair of Ray-Bans she bought from the site: (1) exchange the product or (2) call her 35 times in a day, deluge her with derogatory emails, and then file a civil harassment suit against her in hopes she’ll delete the online criticism? Why?

Vitaly Borker served a three-and-a-half-year stint in prison for threatening to stalk, maim and murder customers of his online eyeglass store, DecorMyEyes. But the court-ordered timeout, it seems, did little to convince him to take a new approach to sales.

Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York announced on Thursday that Mr. Borker had been arrested and charged with wire and mail fraud while running OpticsFast.com, an eyewear site that authorities said hassled consumers mercilessly.

“Borker’s shameless brand of alleged abuse cannot be tolerated,” Joon H. Kim, the acting United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a news release, “and we are committed to protecting consumers from becoming victims of such criminal behavior.

Mr. Borker’s lawyer, Dominic F. Amorosa, said in an email that his client would “plead not guilty and defend himself against the charges.” Both charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

OpticsFast customers told Postal Service inspectors that rather than the luxury brands advertised on the site, they were sold cheap knockoffs, and then badgered and bullied when they asked for refunds. One buyer, a woman in California identified in a criminal complaint as Victim-1, said that someone had called her 35 times a day after she complained online about a fake and damaged pair of Ray-Bans she bought from the site.

She was called a “total degenerate” and “stupid, stupid lady” in emails, according to the complaint. She later received a call from a man who identified himself as a police officer and said that OpticsFast had filed a “civil harassment suit” against her.

Another customer, identified in the complaint as Victim-8, clicked on an OpticsFast link that generated a shipping label to mail in glasses for repair. When he decided against using the label and refused to pay for it, OpticsFast sent him hundreds of emails, including 456 in a single day. Hundreds of them had “I WIN!!!” in the subject line.

Mr. Borker appears to have toned down his previous approach, according to the complaint. None of the victims identified by the government, nor any of the dozens of OpticsFast customers who posted complaints on Yelp, mentioned physical threats.

A call to OpticsFast in March, as complaints on Yelp piled up, was answered by a woman who said she had never heard of Vitaly Borker. Asked where the company was based, she snapped “That’s none of your business.”

Efforts to reach Mr. Borker at the time were unsuccessful, although he was not keeping a particularly low profile. Earlier in the year, he posted a GoFundMe plea for $1,000 to buy long skis for an April trip to Utah. His short skis, he said, would not suffice in deep-powder snow.

“Clearly, I don’t want to pay for this upgrade,” he wrote, in what by his standards qualified as a charm offensive. “Please give me money.”

The government’s complaint also states that Mr. Borker recently posted a photo collage on his Facebook page showing him atop an enormous pile of eyeglasses. Next to the photos was what sounded like a job posting.

“I am looking for a responsible fast paced person who can assist me at my Brighton Beach office doing various projects for my eye wear e-Commerce business,” he wrote. “Project one will be to help me sort this mess.”

Mr. Borker, a 41-year-old immigrant from Ukraine, stands about 6 feet 5 inches tall. In 2010, when he was terrifying customers of DecorMyEye, which was based in Brooklyn, there was a method to his noxious technique: He believed that Google’s search algorithm could not distinguish between positive and negative feedback. The more people griped about his company, his theory went, the more prominently his site appeared in Google search results.

“I’ve exploited this opportunity because it works,” he told a reporter for The New York Times who visited his home in the Sheepshead Bay section of Brooklyn. “No matter where they post their negative comments, it helps my return on investment. So I decided, why not use that negativity to my advantage?”

In essence, Mr. Borker believed that the internet allowed him to turn upside down long-cherished verities of commerce, most notably that treating customers well enhances one’s bottom line. Using aliases such as Stanley Bolds and Tony Russo, he threatened to chop off the legs of one customer. He threatened to rape another. He wrote a letter to the office of yet another in which he said the customer was gay and sold drugs.

A week after postal inspectors learned about Mr. Borker’s methods through an article in The Times, he was arrested. Soon, Google said in a blog post that it was “horrified” by his conduct and had already tweaked its algorithm so that “being bad to your customers is bad for business.”

At his sentencing, in 2012, Mr. Borker told Judge Richard J. Sullivan of Federal District Court in Manhattan, “As I stand before you today, I am genuinely and deeply sorry for the threats that I made. To say that I am ashamed of myself is an understatement.”

But the sense of remorse may have been short lived. There were complaints about OpticsFast while Mr. Borker was still imprisoned. The volume of online groans only seemed to increase when he was freed.

One Yelp commenter from St. Louis recently summed up her experience this way: “If you want to wait 34 days for a repair, be charged almost twice the estimated price for repair, be charged 2-3 times the price of return shipping, and receive your product back in a dirty and less than satisfactory condition then please by all means, use OpticsFast.com.”

[bearly-jay]

Bear Meets Jerk.

As a gay man, the dating scene may be a bit hard for someone like me, being a Latino who is recently trying to open up to the gay community. I've never been so out there and exploring gay clubs, or bar hoping from one gay bar to another. Especially since here in park city we barely have any gay activities here (excluding gay ski week, which is coming up soon) I've gone on a few dates with guys and recently, I broke up with my boyfriend who ill name B, because I just wasn't that into him. We had nothing in common. We both want different things. He was needy, clingy and that's just something I'm not used to. Our job schedules were also a key factor. He worked in the mornings, and I would work at night. When he was just getting off work, I'd be going into work. It was hard for the both of us to make things work, at least from my part it was. I'm not saying he was a bad guy and terrible. He's a good guy, caring, loving, with charisma. Honestly, I don't think I was right for him. He wasn't right for me either. I do wish him the best and hopefully he comes to his senses and accepts my friendship I am offering him.

After breaking up with him, I started talking to someone who I honestly thought was really cute and super nice. We both had so much in common. Just to name a few, we both love video games! Pokemon, Smash bros, Star fox series, and etc. We both love Steven Universe (huge, huge, huge fan) and we both enjoy watching comedies such as Mean Girls, Easy A, Horrible Bosses and etc. I was talking to this guy for a while back then but had no interest in meeting him because of my relationship with B. But after many days and nights about breaking up with B, I decided to talk to him again and heck, why not meet him. I met E (won't say names) on Tindr. That's where we both started talking. He had previously told me about his HIV, which I didn't find it as a problem since I sorta, kinda dated my best friend Walter who has HIV. He had told me that after having HIV his perspective on life had changed so much and he appreciated the little things, and everyone around him. Which I understand because Walter felt the same way about his life.

The night E and I planned to hang out and go on a date was not to long ago. We both made the effort to meet each other and plan things well. I told him to meet me at the mall the was like 7 minutes away from his house because I was also looking forward to buying two new hats. He had asked me to park my car at his house and from there he would take me to the mall, and he would take me to this underground Restaurant/Bar called Bodega. He even gave me the address to his house (still have it lol) [I don't plan on stalking him though]. So I just went straight to the mall and just told him to meet me there. I went to go buy my hats and wonder around the mall and see if I could find anything I like for myself before he showed up. Finally, he came up to me and said "so, did you finally got the hats you wanted" I turned around and saw him. Boy, was he handsome. I just chuckled and said "yep, got the hats I wanted, had to buy two because I just liked them a lot" and that's when we both started walking to Bodega. On our way over there we talked about past relationships, him moving from California to Utah, his job, my life in park city, Sundance and much more. We finally got to Bodega after 10 minutes of walking in the cold. the host told us to wait 15 minutes max for a table or the bar. We were OK with that. We started talking about Pokemon Sun and Moon because of my wallpaper (solgaleo). after 10 minutes we went downstairs and was I amazed. It was like a underground tavern with dark lit candles, hard to explain the details and such. So we sat down at the bar and the bartender asked us for our drinks, He ordered and Absinthe, and I didn't know what to order. He ordered one for me as well. I have never had an absinthe drink in my life ever, so this was something new. We then ordered some food and more absinthe. We started talking about Comic con, cos playing, our favorite Pokemon, Steven Universe, Our jobs, sushi, Sundance Film Festival, Beer, the first time we got wasted. Everything seem like it was going great cause we had a great vibe. We talked so much, non-stop. It was around 10 when we left. He drove me to my car. We hugged and told me to text him when I got home And so I did.

The next morning, I saw he had read my message saying I got home safe, thank you for a wonderful night. But he never answered it. I figured meh, he's probably at work since he had to get up at 5 in the morning to be at work that early. that day I texted him around four in the afternoon asking him how his day was going, he told me he was busy with work and just tired from it. I responded "same, working with Sundance people and they're already yelling at us on the first day of training". He didn't answer back, which I figured he's busy at work he'll probably text back when he's off work. The next morning, I saw he had read my message. No answer. I thought to myself, this is weird. I don't understand. I'll give him another day or so. Nothing. I texted him the next day asking him how his day was going. No answer at all. Nothing, not a response from him at all. I knew what was going on. I figured I would just not worry about it and just move on whatever. a few days later I saw he had posted a picture on Instagram and I went to go like it. I thought to myself "is he still following me? let me check". I checked on my followers and saw that he had unfollowed me. That's when I got upset. Did I do something wrong? I felt like shit. Kinda made me feel worthless for a minute. How can someone so nice like him, end up being an asshole. and here I thought things between him and I were going great that night. Guess I thought wrong.

In the end, Even the nicest people can be assholes, jerks, douche bags whatnot. With E, I never expect this from him. Not at all especially after what he had told me.

I don't wish him anything bad at all, nothing but love and the best for him.

[cksmart-world]

The Completely Unnecessary News Analysis

by Christopher Smart

July 2, 2019

GERRYMANDERING IS LIKE APPLE PIE

& ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE

Isn't democracy cool? We, the taxpayers, can determine what the government does simply by voting. Well, not exactly. In 2018, Utah voters passed ballot measures to make medical marijuana available, expand Medicaid and create an independent body to determine voting district boundaries. But not so fast. Surprise — our duly elected legislators determined that voters need a little help understanding what's best for them. So, they ratcheted back on both the availability of medical marijuana and Medicaid. What's left? Just that little thing called Gerrymandering that, according to Hoyle, is “a party's corrupt manipulation of the size and boundaries of political districts to ensure that it benefits from the voter demographics therein.” Our very helpful lawmakers haven't gotten to that yet, but don't worry, they're gonna fix it good come January. The U.S. Supreme Court just ruled 5-4 that it can't do anything about the practice that keeps guys like Chris Stewart in office forever. Do you think Republican legislators were listening? Just because you live in Democrat-heavy Salt Lake County doesn't mean you should be represented by Democrats. This is democracy, after all.

All You Need Is Love & Dictators

Presidential candidate Marianne Williamson, a self-help guru, says she will conquer Donald Trump with love. (Cue Beatles background music.) Donald Trump preaches hate, she intoned at the Democratic presidential debate. The “A Return to Love” author said this: “This man has reached into the psyche of the American people and he has harnessed fear for political purposes... So, I’m going to harness love for political purposes; I will meet you on that field and, sir, love will win.” Wilson and the band can get behind Williamson — who needs Ecstasy with this woman around? But in fairness, Donald Trump is no stranger to love. Take a look at the recent G-20 Summit where The Donald got together with Vlady Putin. That was love in Trump's eyes, if not his pants. And what about Kim Jung Un. The president has even admitted he's having a love affair with the North Korean despot. And don't forget Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — the dude who ordered the Cuisinart killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khassoghi. What's not to love? Yep, President Lover Boy gives new meaning to the word. And we didn't even mention Stormy Daniels.

Overcrowded Canyons Are A Good Thing

More people is always a good thing, according to state leaders. We need growth, growth and more growth. It's good for the economy. Our state government spends a lot of taxpayer dollars to attract more tourists and more industry. That brings more tax dollars to make life better. Last year, some 5 million people visited Millcreek and Big and Little Cottonwood canyons, according to Deseret News canyonologist Amy Joi O'Donoghue. Peak days saw 12,500 visitors to Little Cottonwood Canyon alone. If you like crowds, it's good news. Brochures at every hotel urge summer visitors to visit Albion Basin in Little Cottonwood to view wild flowers, which are mostly gone by the end of July. And, of course, the Utah Travel Council spends zillions bringing ski tourists here. But surely we can squeeze more people in. It's nice to live spitting distance from beautiful mountains. And heck, why not bring all them tourists here to spend money that will create jobs attracting workers from all over. It makes perfect sense if your only values are monetary. Sustainability is so overrated.

Baking In Religious Freedom

What do wedding cakes have to do with religious freedom? Apparently, quite a lot. When the pilgrims lit out on the Mayflower bound for the New World, high on their priority list was religious freedom. They left Plymouth, England in 1620 and when they landed, they called the new place Plymouth, as in Plymouth Rock. You're right, Wilson, they didn't have a lot of  imagination. And the pilgrims probably didn't guess that religious freedom would eventually come down to wedding cakes. For example, if you are a baker who does't believe in gay marriage, then you don't have to make a cake for two guys who want to get hitched. And that's the beauty of it Wilson, it's not discrimination if it's against your religious beliefs. It's like this, if you did have to make that cake, it would be religious persecution. Ah hah! The religious right is on to something. Did you know that white Protestants all over this country are up against religious persecution? It's them damn gay people and their liberal friends. That's why we're in dire need of even more laws to protect us from gay cakes. And don’t even say Twinkies.

Well, that's about it for another sizzling week here at Smart Bomb, where we keep track of Secretary of State Ivanka Trump so that you don't have to. It's so great to have Ivanka around for things like the G-20 Summit and Moscow real estate development. Without her, who would show us what ostentation is all about. She's the icing on the Trump cake.

OK Wilson, with that, why don't you and the guys play a little something to help get us ready for the week ahead: I picked up my bag, I went lookin' for a place to hide / When I saw Carmen and the Devil walkin' side by side / I said, "Hey, Carmen, come on let's go downtown" / She said, "I gotta go but my friend can stick around" / Take a load off Fanny / Take a load for free / Take a load off Fanny / And you put the load right on me...