Hello, I'm Wu Xiaowang, and I'm going to present the work entitled Pack Demonstration How to Amortize the Cost of the Channel Master, just which can go up to one of their standards, e.g. education cuts here. Here I list what I'm going to present. Firstly, I will give the background and motivation of this work. Then I will present the Pack Demonstration, which is a man's contribution. After that, I will give the performance of the ESS box application. Finally, I will give the conclusion as discussed in the future works. Here I'm going to use why it's like to give a short introduction on the said channel attack. As we know, a top pick from kit has to be implemented and withdrawn near given environment, which may have some said channel leakage such as power consumption, running time, and forced information, and so on. For example, we can implement a top pick from our kit that takes a plantax as input and output from self-attacks. During the competition, an adversary may utilize the said channel leakage to recover the safety key inside the kit by using some statistical analysis. Masking is one of the most investigated countermeasures against the said channel attack. Where each circuit dependent safety variable is randomly encoded into several shares. Here I present more details about the masking technique. A masking scheme is made up of two ingredients. The first one is called encoder, and it's randomized each circuit variable Cx here into a number of shares, such as any D shares are independent of X. So we can see that the encoder provides the security for the safety variable such as a K. Besides, the cryptographic permanent usually is a competition from some input to some output, so we need to secure the competition, which requires the second ingredient, the private competition. Here I give an example. Say we want to compute X plus Y times C, whereas the X, Y, Z are safety variables. What we can do is to transform each elemental operation into their correspondence, in the mask domain, whose output and input are both shares. Here addition is transformed to addition gadget, and modification is transformed to the modification gadget. After those transformations, we can transform an unprotected competition to a protected one. Ensuring that, NAD intermediates an independent of the input circuit. We call this kind of security as depravity or deproving security. So above is a basic idea of masking. As masking transforms each gate into the corresponding gadget, we are interested in the construction of different types of gadgets. The first one is linear gadget that performs a linear operation in the shared form. As the randomization is homomorphic of a linear function, linear gadget can be correctly and securely constructed by applying linear functions on the shares of the same index, which we denote as the trivial implementation of a linear function. But it becomes more difficult for the nonlinear gadgets implementing nonlinear functions such as medication. In the following, I will introduce the well-known ISW medication using an example with three shares. We introduce this ISW medication because it is quite famous in the community of said channel countermeasure, and our proposed scheme later is also based on the concept of it. The ISW scheme was proposed by Uwe Yishai, Amin Shahai, and David Van Buren 17 years before. The input are two three shares corresponding to two coefficients, and the output are three shares. The gadget implements medication in the shared form. First of all, we calculate the output duct of the input shares resulting in a 3x3 matrix like this. We can see that summing the entries of this matrix is the circuit output of the medication, and summing the entries of each row is the circuit shares of the output. And to secure the process of summation, some random variables should be added in. Like here, here, here, and here, here, here. And finally, we can sum the entries of each row here, here, here to get the output. So the procedure of ISW medication can be objected as out duct, then refresh, and then compressed. So this is the basic idea of the ISW medication. So now we have the mask linear operation here, and we also have the mask medication here. So theoretically, we can transform any crocule algorithm into the mask form. Of course, we may need to add some mask refresh in between the gadgets to avoid improper propagation between adjacent gadgets, but I prefer to omit them due to the lack of time. We can say that the masking parameter can't switch some overhead. The overhead of linear operation is reasonable and seems hard to mitigate. The cost of the computation increases by a factor of the number of shares. But when it comes to the cost of the medication, the computational cost of ISW medication increases by a factor of d square, and it requires d square by linear medications. Besides, the medication also needs some uniformly distributed random variables, which is practically heavy to generate. So we are interested in reducing the implementation overhead of mask linear operations, which is a challenge regarding the practical usage of masking techniques. And we consider both computational complexity and randomness complexity. Our natural idea of doing this is to concentrate on designing more efficient gadgets. Many peer-reviewed work devoted to such direction and tries to push the limit of gadgets. Overall, this approach considers every gadget separately, and we can call it an isolating approach. This type of approach considerably simplifies the situation and has achieved many good results. On the other hand, we note that cryptographic algorithm perfectly consists of excluding a basic function for many times in parallel. For example, the ES evaluates an S-box for 16 times within each run. And at a higher level, many modes of operation are designed to support running several primitives in parallel. For example, the CTR mode encrypts several blocks in parallel. So facing this situation, our work takes a global view and applies the optimization technique, which aims at reducing the average complexity for a masking of several operations. The more parallel modifications, the lower average cost we will have. As a result, we propose a new construction named tag medication, which computes multiple mask medications in parallel. In the following, we denote the vector of shares related to a sensitive variable as share. So, for instance, the boolean shares of a sensitive variable X, X hat 0 to X hat d. And we call this vector of d plus Y shares as a share. And the number of parallel medications is denoted as L here. So, as shown in the left, using the classical local approach, the two input vectors are built as several pairs of shares, and each of the pairs is possessed independently. In the contrast, as shown in the right, our packed medication considers medication over a finite field with size q. And it has two steps. First, each input vector is re-encoded as a packed share rate using a linear code. When the field size q is greater than the number of medications L plus security order d, the size of data is compressed from 2 times d plus 1 times L to 2 times d plus L. Then, a medication over the packed share rate is calculated. Resulting in a boolean share rate and the data size will return back to the d plus 1 times L. Here, I give an example to illustrate the theoretical performance gain for the masked 16 S-boxes in one ES round using our approach. The ES S-box was designed as the inverse in the finite field of f2 to the 8, which can be decomposed into four medications and several linear operations. When we use the isolating approach with the S-dial medication, we need to implement the 16 S-boxes separately, and it requires 64 times d squared by linear medications and 64 times d times d plus 1 divided by 2 random bytes. But when it comes to the case of our packed medications, we can say that only four packed medications with the number of parallel medications L equals 16 are needed. Thanks to our amortization, it requires a much smaller number by linear medications and random bytes. In the following, I would introduce the construction of the two steps, packing and amortification. Note that the packing packed pooling shares into smaller data sizes packed shareings and the medication performed the medication over packed shareings, resulting back to the pooling shareings. The first part is the packing. The input L pooling shareings each of which consists of d plus 1 shares, and the output is a packed shareings in which L plus d shares. The basic idea is to transform each share in which d plus 1 shares to another set of d plus 1 shares, such as the last d shares. The last d shares here are common in different shareings. So, for example, the first sharing is transformed to the Qt-x1, which is a variable, you find a field and you add 1 to unit d. And the second sharing is also transformed to Qt-x2, which is a different variable in front of the field, and most importantly also you add 1 to unit d. We can see that on the right side, only the first shares corresponding to every input pooling shareings are different. And the last d shares are identical. Clearly, it is not secure if the output are pooling shareings, since, for example, if we know the Qt-x1 and Qt-x2, our adversary can element the mask and recover the XR over first-processed variables. Instead, to keep the proving security in our construction, the output sharing is similar to the inner product masking. The sensitive variable is equal to the Qt-x, plus the inner product of your head 1 to your head d and a constant vector, whose value varies according to different pooling shareings. So, particularly, how do we design the packing procedure? Here I lose one possible construction by an example with security order d equals 2 and the number of mutations a equals 3. Firstly, we generate a uniform random d times d matrix Q here. Then, we can get the common vector hq with some columns of the matrix Q. After that, for each input pooling shareings, we calculate the vector here times the matrix Q, resulting in a vector of less d. Of course, for different input pooling shareings, we use the different constant vector. For example, here we use y1 and for here we use y2. And then, we sum the vector to the last d shares of the input sharing, resulting in a vector of d shares. Then, we can sum the element of shares and plus the first share, and the result should be the Qt-x. It can be checked that the sensitive variable equals Qt-x, plus the inner product of head u1 to head ud and the constant vector. Now, we have the packing. The next subguided is the packaging of the packed shareings. That takes two packed shareings and performs the modifications in the mask domain. First of all, as the output should be pooling shareings, which means that each shareings corresponds to one such variable. We consider each pooling shareings separately, and here gives the procedure corresponding to the case output pooling shareings with k in 1 to L. The modifications follow the paradigm of odd-dark-dark-reversions and then compression as the IW scheme. So, first of all, we compute the odd-product of input shares related to the sensitive variables xk and yk, which are Qt-xk, Qt-yk, vector head u and the vector head b. Say, if we consider d equals 2, the odd-dark should be this matrix.  Then, we can refresh this matrix by adding a random symmetric matrix to the lawyer write some matrix of the odd-product. We also replace the odd-right row with the diagonal of random matrix. At last, we do a compression. For each row, we calculate the inner-product of the last d entries and the constant vector ak and then add the first entry. After that, we sum the first row here and here. Finally, we can get the output. It can be checked that the output is the pooling shareings of the product of input sensitive variables. And, the most important of the procedure is that it works with all the values of the key for the same random variables by which we can achieve the organization. We showcase our new method on ESR-Bestapp, which consists of 16 S-boxes. The S-boxes are implemented with secret orders 4 and 8 based on the ARM Cortex-M architecture. We can see that when the security order d equals 8, our implementation achieves a gain of up to 30% in total speed and saves up to 16 random bytes that the state-of-the-art bit-slice implementation reported at ASHA Group 2018. Indeed, the code size of our implementation are larger, which is due to the loop unrolling of our implementation. And finally, I would like to give a short conclusion and discuss on the future work of our scheme. Our work focuses on the overhand of the sectional masking techniques. We consider air mask operations which prove the security order d and reduce the average randomness and complete cost via the optimization technique. Regarding the future work, first of all, we think the hardware implementation might be more suitable to our approach since the future, since the future modification and linear transformation can be optimized in bit-level. Second, as we have proposed a new technique for the mask team, we think that combining our approach with the investigated formal method and automated tools for the mask team should be quite a promising future work because now our security proof is down by hand. It might be good to give a more efficient communication if we can apply the verified proofs. Thirdly, since for now we only do abstract proven security which is necessary for step, we think it is interesting and an open problem to look at the concrete security for the proposal. That's it. Thanks for your listening.


Now, apparently there are several different types of cornflowers, and that by that I mean there's like ones that are pink, red, white, and blue, but apparently most of the medicinal benefits come only from the blue ones. Blue cornflower is good for a lot of different things. Helps with fevers, constipation, water retention, chest congestion. It's a liver and gallbladder stimulant. It helps with dandruff and eczema. And also one of the big ones is it supposedly helps with eye problems, specifically things like puffy eyes, conjunctivitis, and other various eye irritation problems. So there's lots of different research about the eye stuff in particular. It's also an expectorant and diuretic. It regulates kidney function. It's supposed to ease menstrual cramps. For yeast infections, apparently you can use the flowers to help ease yeast inflections. It's supposed to help with things like anxiety, depression, and UTIs, urinary tract infections as well. There's also very limited side effects as far as this is concerned. One of which, I put it in the side effects because they say it's an appetite stimulant. And I know some people don't like that. They, you know, if you have something you need then it could be a benefit, but for a lot of people they're like, I don't need an appetite stimulant. One big one is if you're allergic to ragweed, daisies, dandelions, or sunflowers, then you're probably allergic to this as well. So if any of those affect you, you're probably going to want to avoid the cornflower, unfortunately. So but beyond that, there hasn't been any research that says it has any other major side effects, which is really good. So hooray for cornflower and hooray for Mr. Gray! I do like this one. Ah, alright. Y'all have a good day.


In this video, a validated post-packaging heat treatment will be discussed and demonstrated. This technology can be used by very small meat and poultry processors to reduce Listeria monosatogenis, or LM, in ready-to-eat products. In 2003, the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service required all ready-to-eat meat and poultry processing plants to identify interventions or alternatives that can be used to control Listeria monosatogenis contamination in ready-to-eat products. As part of this documentation, processors could use one of three acceptable alternatives to reduce the pathogen by greater than 90% or one log for the shelf life of the product. These include the use of an antimicrobial compound, a loan, or in combination with post-packaging treatments or sanitation measures to prevent the introduction of the pathogen into ready-to-eat products. To meet an alternative one requirement, processing establishments may consider employing a combination of an approved antimicrobial treatment in or on the ready-to-eat product and a post-packaging treatment. This approach is the preferred alternative since it provides the most effective intervention. Antimicrobials should be generally recognized as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Compounds also should be validated in the laboratory to reduce or eliminate the growth of Listeria monosatogenis on ready-to-eat meat and poultry products. Post-packaging treatments may include an additional heat step after packaging or high-pressure processing. USDA also accepts a growth limiting or suppressing treatment such as freezing for meeting the alternative one status. To meet alternative two requirements, facilities may employ either an approved antimicrobial treatment in or on the product or a post-lethality treatment to reduce or eliminate the pathogen from ready-to-eat products. Finally, to meet alternative three requirements, establishments use sanitation to reduce or eliminate Listeria monosatogenis in the ready-to-eat environment and in ready-to-eat meat and poultry products. Most very small meat and poultry establishments that produce ready-to-eat products fall into the USDA alternative three category. Under alternative three, establishments are required to conduct environmental monitoring and test and hold ready-to-eat products for LM. In some cases, microbiological test results may take up to three or four days. For some very small establishments, storage or refrigeration costs may be incurred until the microbiological test results are known. To assist very small processors in meeting USDA alternative two status, the Pennsylvania State University conducted laboratory experiments with a post-packaging heat treatment to reduce Listeria monosatogenis on ready-to-eat products. The post-packaging heat treatment will be described in ten steps. Keep in mind that kielbasa, summer sausage, ringbalona and snack sticks were evaluated in these studies. With the following information provided in this video, very small processors can decide if implementation of the post-packaging technology is right for them. Step 1. Before implementation of the post-packaging heat treatments, establishments should calibrate all thermometers to be used in this process. This includes a thermometer for the hot water bath and a thermometer for the ice bath. Step 2. Prior to the start of the production day, turn on a hot water bath.  Larger pieces of equipment will accommodate several ready-to-eat product packages at once. Step 3. Before adding product for treatment, allow the hot water bath to reach a temperature of 210 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. Depending on the equipment, it may take up to 30 minutes to ensure a stable temperature. Step 4. For rapid cooling of products after heat treatments, prepare a slushy ice bath. Fill up a pan bucket or tub with crushed ice and add cold water. Make sure the temperature is 32 degrees Fahrenheit or colder before adding heated product. If a lot of product is heated and cooled, ice should be added regularly to maintain temperatures sufficient for cooling of all products. It is recommended that the temperatures of the ice bath be taken periodically to ensure proper temperatures for cooling. Step 5. Make sure that all packages to be heat treated are vacuum packaged with Cryovac CNP310 cook-in bags and not leaking at the seals. Only this type of packaging was used in the Penn State Validation Study. These cook-in bags can withstand temperatures up to 215 degrees Fahrenheit. Remember that sufficient pathogen reduction may not occur if other packaging materials or temperatures are used in this process. Step 6. Depending on the size of the hot water bath, add an appropriate number of packaged, ready-to-eat meat products. If possible, use a large scoop or construct a wire basket to hold the products. The scoop or basket can be used to raise and lower product into and out of the center of the steam kettle. Employees performing this technology must be cautious to avoid steam burns. Step 7. Once the cold packaged products are added to the hot water bath, the temperature will fall below 210 degrees Fahrenheit. It is important that the hot water bath return to the target temperature of 210 degrees Fahrenheit before timing. Step 8. When the hot water bath returns to 210 degrees Fahrenheit and is stable, begin timing the post-packaging heat treatment. All products should be completely submerged in the hot water bath for a minimum of two minutes. Step 9. After two minutes, remove all packages from the hot water bath and immediately immerse them in a slushy ice water bath at 32 degrees Fahrenheit or lower for five minutes or longer to rapidly cool the product. This rapid cooling will ensure the product meets USDA FSIS stabilization guidelines. Step 10. Remember to dry off the outside of all packages before boxing. The product is now heat treated, cooled, and ready for further packaging and storage at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or less. There are four advantages to consider when implementing the post-packaging heat treatment described in this video. First, by implementing this post-packaging heat treatment, ready-to-eat products can be classified as alternative two. Penn State Validation Studies have demonstrated that these post-packaging heat treatments reduce populations of listeria monosatogenis greater than one log or 90%. Second, the use of a post-packaging heat treatment demonstrates to consumers an increased level of protection for a company's reputation and brand name. Third, Penn State University Research demonstrated that a post-packaging heat treatment may increase the shelf life and quality of these ready-to-eat products by also reducing other non-pathogenic microbial populations. And fourth, Consumer Research also demonstrated that using post-packaging heat treatments on ring balona, cabasa, snack sticks, and summer sausage did not alter the flavor or texture of the treated products. In the event the post-packaging heat treatment described in this video is implemented, there are two disadvantages to consider. First, it is advised that product be evaluated for undesirable attributes or defects such as purge, split casing, and or fatting out. Establishments should consider holding product for up to two weeks under refrigeration as part of this evaluation. Second, the temperature of the water bath must be consistent for the given exposure time to generate a one-log reduction of listeria monositogenes. Additional time may be needed for the water to reach 210 degrees Fahrenheit in between treatments. It is recommended that employees carefully monitor the water bath temperature throughout the process to ensure adequate heat treatment for all ready-to-eat products. Failure to follow these guidelines may result in an unacceptable or adulterated product. As described in this video, plants can implement a post-packaging heat treatment for ready-to-eat products to control listeria monositogenes. However, it is important to remember that plants must use the appropriate packaging, follow proper time and temperature regimens for heat treatments, cool products rapidly, and store treated products under refrigerated conditions. Additional information about the post-packaging heat treatment described in this video is available in an accompanying booklet.


The gaming world is rife with combat racing games, everything from the Mario Kart series to Need for Speed, and even smaller lesser known titles like Konami Crazy Racers. But here's another Game Boy Advance game that takes combat racing in a different kind of direction, with Car Battler Joe, which combines combat racing with roleplaying game elements. It's not the first game to do this, for instance the PlayStation alone has stuff like Ridge Racer R4 and Racing Lagoon just to name a couple racing RPGs, but this is still a pretty unique game. You might know the developer, Ancient, who's made games ranging from Act Razor 2 and Robo Trek on the Super Nintendo to Beyond Oasis on Sega Genesis all the way to Shenmue on Dreamcast. In other words, they tend to specialize in games that can be tough to pin down to one specific trait or genre, and sure enough, Car Battler Joe fits that motif, and this is the only game that they ended up developing on the Game Boy Advance. Joe is a 16 year old kid, and this guy's really into combat racing, or just generally smashing into things. His friends recognize his talent for this unique skill, to the point that Joe even receives a gun vehicle control module for his birthday. Joe is obsessed with combat racing to the point that he wants to find his dad who apparently ran off to become the biggest baddest combat racer in all the land or something, so you go around talking to people collecting clues and entering races all with the ultimate goal of trying to find your dad. The racing in combat takes place from an overhead Mode 7 viewpoint, where you fire at enemies and obstacles using all sorts of weapons, everything from bombs, napalm, lasers, even saw blades, but you're mostly using your default machine gun. Unfortunately, the game got a little too cutesy with the weapon system here, sure all the different weapons are fun to have, but the game automatically switches between them depending on how far away the enemy is. In other words, you have to stop shooting for a moment to get the right weapon equipped for the right situation, it's pretty awkward. Anyway, your car itself can gain special abilities, everything from jumping and speed boosts, and these are cool because they allow you to go back to previous areas and find new stuff, like upgrades for your vehicle. The thing is though, as far as the mission structure here goes, it sounds a lot more interesting on paper than it is in practice. The meat and potatoes of the gameplay boil down to just running fetch quests for people, completing missions, and get from one point to another faster than another person. For instance, one job has you driving a pop singer to a concert. Sure, okay. Also, the beginning of Car Battler Joe is really gonna turn some people off, because as you might expect, since this is an RPG, you get to level up your car and build it up from scratch. Hey wait, that's actually kinda cool, right?  I get what they were going for here, but I think they went a bit too far, and as a result, I think a lot of people put this one down pretty quickly. Still, once you run a few jobs and get some basics to fix up your car, the game gets a lot better. One interesting facet here in Car Battler Joe is this kind of simulation element. Enemies or obstacles can drop resources after you make them go boom, and you can choose to take back what they drop and use what you find for a variety of different purposes. You can sell it for money, you can deliver it to someone or exchange it for something else, or you can use it to build up your own garage. This gives the game kind of an open-ended feel to it, which is kinda cool. Speaking of open-ended, as far as the story goes, things start out in a linear fashion, you win your first tournament, but pretty much after that, you're on your own to really go out and find the story, so to speak. Whether that's doing jobs for people, exploring towns, building your garage, or just, you know, fighting. You also meet characters like Marion, Joe's love interest, and Ken, your racing rival. But I'll admit, the story here isn't all that compelling, it's pretty generic stuff, in fact, but to its credit, Car Battler Joe isn't the kind of game that holds your hand. To the point that it allows you, the player, to control the pace, to a certain extent, so I appreciate that. The thing is, once you do advance the story toward the end of the game, it really feels thrown together and almost incomplete at times. The point is, while I appreciate how the story is laid out, I don't think it's a good enough reason to play this one on its own. The combat is what carries the show here. So yeah, Car Battler Joe is a great example of a hit or miss game. For every good quality or interesting gameplay mechanic, there's something equally as bad or annoying. The combat is fun, but it should have been streamlined to be a bit more player-friendly. The resource collecting is interesting, but the menu system can really get clunky and cumbersome. The music is really good, but the visual presentation falls kind of flat, with a lot of settings getting repeated. Still, I do think there's more good than bad here. I like just about any game that allows you to explore for stuff, find rare items, and then level them up, almost like a mech strategy game like Front Mission. And I do really like this game's use of the Mode 7 perspective.  But still, the flaws I pointed out are going to be deal breakers for some of you out there, so I have to point them out. Despite the flaws, however, I do think Car Battler Joe is worth trying out. And I want to thank you for watching, and I hope you have a great rest of your day.


Someone who has been a true friend and someone who I've been able to get to know in the past several months and I know will be a tremendous, tremendous support of our Filipino and immigrant communities here in New York City and in the region. Please join me in welcoming Consul General Sinan Mannalele. Mayor Eric Adams, Deputy Mayor Maria Torres Springer, Commissioner Manny Castro, Commissioner Smermelstein, Andal Castillo, Afilam, Bowling Green Chairman Arthur Piccolo, Commissioner Vida, an adopted Filipino, married to a Filipino, Your Excellency Ambassador Antonio Legdomeo, our permanent representative to the United Nations, all the hard-working men and women of New York City Hall, the Filipino-American community, mga kababaya, and ladies and gentlemen, a pleasant afternoon to all of you. Good afternoon. Magandang hapon po. First of all, on behalf of the 85,000 strong Filipino community that has sunk roots and made a home in New York City, I wish to thank Mayor Adams and his administration for hosting this flag-raising ceremony to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the Declaration of Philippine Independence. We consider this flag-raising ceremony in these hallowed grounds as a recognition of the many contributions and achievements of Filipinos to New York City, and for that, we are very grateful. The detective said that there is a Filipino saying that whoever fails to look back to where he came from will never reach his destination. June 12, 1898 is the day when our ancestors proclaimed our country's independence from colonial oppression. We look back. We look back to that day to recall the many sacrifices they made for the cost of freedom and self-determination. We honor them for establishing the first-ever constitutional democracy in Asia. As we likewise honor the many other heroes, both celebrated and unsung, who followed after them and contributed glorious pages in our nation's history. At the same time, we celebrate the current crop of present-day heroes, represented by all of you, who are here, Filipinos who have immigrated to the United States mostly for economic reasons and to be reunited with their pioneering family members. Thereby continuing a long tradition of people-to-people exchanges between our two countries. You are the bearers of an illustrious heritage, passed on by seafarers who escaped in dentured service aboard the Manila galleons in the 16th century, the Manila men who fought for the U.S. in the war of 1812. Our soldiers and sailors who fought in the trenches of France and sailed the seas in the First World War and many others. Philham history is replete with so many stories of overcoming adversity, enduring discrimination, being shortchanged when it comes to federal benefits such as our veterans of the Second World War and basically having to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. Filipino Americans have triumphed over these challenges and have proven themselves a positive contribution to the fabric of American society. Because of you, Filipino nurses, doctors and other health workers, Filipinos in the military, law enforcement and emergency services, Filipino small business owners, most of whom are women, Filipino accountants, auditors, lawyers, academicians, artists in Broadway, caregivers and housekeepers, because of you the image of the Filipino as hardworking, God-fearing, family-oriented and very friendly and hospitable has been validated time and again. Because of you, we can look to the future with confidence and optimism. Knowing that for the next 125 years our voices will be heard in the corridors of power as many more Stephen Raghas are elected. As other cities follow the example of Mayor Adams and appoint and elect many more Maria Torres Springers and Andal Castillos in their own city halls. Today we look back with gratitude. We celebrate you, our present heroes, and your contributions to this great city. And we rededicate ourselves to working together with the city administration to strengthen the ties that bind our communities together. Today, as we hoist both flags of the United States of America and the Philippines, we honor the great city of New York that has made the American dream a reality for many Filipinos. Thank you and Mabuhay. Thank you so much, Council General. Let's hear it from Filipino New Yorkers! It is now my honor to introduce someone who works so hard on behalf of all New Yorkers, including the millions of immigrant New Yorkers and Filipino New Yorkers who make this city their home. Deputy Mayor Maria Torres Springer. Thank you, Commissioner. Good afternoon. I am so humbled to be with all of you today, not just to help raise the flag in honor of the 125th anniversary of Philippine independence, but to also, of course, celebrate the very rich history of the Philippines, the extraordinary contributions of Phil Ames, and the amazing community of Penoise here in this great city. Now, I come from a long line of very proud Filipinos, strivers, doers, survivors in their own right. And my father, Manny, used to tell me that every bloodline runs in the Filipino. And in many ways, this is also true of our great city, because it is a place which has become home to so many regardless of where their life story began. And so it is truly fantastic that we are able to raise the flag of the Philippines not just once, but twice, over the last seven months. And this is no accident because my boss, the person I now have the honor of introducing, has always been and will always be a true champion of the Filipino community. So please join me in welcoming the Mayor of New York City, Eric Adams. Thank you so much. And the posture of acknowledgement of the existence of a group is in the duality of the approach. One, there must be a level of symbolism such as today. The first time we have raised the Philippine flag was last year when I became the Mayor of the city of New York. This is the second time. And the raising of the flag here at Bowling Green is a symbolic gesture of stating that we acknowledge you, we see you, we know your commitment, your dedication, and how much you have played such a crucial role in the city. But that symbolism must be matched with substance. How do we ensure that in a very substance way that you are at the seat of power, that you are there to speak on behalf of not only all New Yorkers in general, but specifically on the communities that you represent. When you're at the seat of power, you will never be left out of the sharing of power. The substance of my actions to match the raising of the flag was to ensure for the first time in the history of the city with 110 Mayors that we have the first Filipino American to be a Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springham. Our portfolio of business and development, economic development, housing is not a portfolio of just going through the motion. She is at the foundation to determine how well this city is going to do. When you look at the fact we've recovered 99% of the jobs we lost during pre-pandemic. When you look at the fact we need new housing and building and structures and attract businesses here to the city. When you look at the fact that we're seeing tourism return to the city, 56 million last year, 65 million predicted this year. When you look at the economic stability of this city, you must understand that not only are members of your community, not only are they part of the medical profession, the small businesses, not only are they part of the law enforcement like the detective we have here, but they're also a part of the major entities that must move this city forward. Why is that significant? New York City is the greatest city on the globe. We need to be clear on that. Even those who wait online to take a picture with the bull know that New York City is the greatest city on the globe. So if New York City is the greatest city on the globe, that makes me the greatest mayor on the globe. It means that the greatest economic developer is from your community that's the greatest on the globe. You have the largest economic developer in the entire globe is from your community and our deputy mayor. But we don't stop there. You know, we compete with Hollywood when it comes down to the attractions of movies and how you build out stages. How do you encourage people to come and see the Hollywood experience? The person in charge of that, Commissioner Castillo, is also from your community. So your community is so much in the fabric of this city and what we represent. So yes, we're raising the flag. That's our symbol, but don't miss our substance. The combination of our substance and symbol is saying to you, I see you. I recognize you. I respect you. I need you. You believe in families. You believe in business. You believe in public safety. You believe that there's a resiliency that comes with this city. We never surrender. We never get in given we're hardworking. We're committed. We're dedicated. We know that there's something special about this place from here. Ideas cascade throughout the entire country to say that this is a country where you can keep your culture while you embrace the American culture. You never abandon that culture. It's the combination of all of our cultures that create this great product, this great experience we call the American dream. Thank you for what you have done, what you will do and what you are currently doing. Thank you very much. Mr. Mayor, it appears that your short measurement is a state secret. We have been trying to get it for the longest time, but we couldn't get it. So we got the second best possible thing. If you could artist is with us here, Mr. Ronald Cortez. That's over there. He's over there. Come on here. Come on. As a souvenir of last year's attempt to put you in a baron that sort of failed, but now we have it memorialized in this frame. Thank you. Well, you're a great artist. Wow. It's easy to paint a good looking guy. Here, here. Thank you, brother. Thank you, Councillor General. Thank you, Mayor. Prior to our flag raising ceremony, I'd like to introduce our following speaker who before becoming assembly member was a community organizer out in the streets working to build the trust of the community and organizing immigrant communities in their community and beyond. And so I am proud to welcome up to the podium, Assemblymember Steve Raga. Thank you, Commissioner. Thank you, Mayor, for hosting this again and to all our leadership in our city. It's an important day because we're here and like it was said earlier, our community is seen and especially such in a year where we're celebrating the 125th year of our independence. How much more can or more fitting can we celebrate here in Bowling Green and lifting our and raising our flag along with the American flag? This is great. It's a wonderful celebration. It's always good to see our community here. And again, repeatedly, because last year I was here. It was not a failed attempt. He successfully put on his baron. So it's there's always there for our community and speaking up when we need. And also it's great to see that he has a Filipino leadership in the administration and folks that are doing well and doing best by all New Yorkers. So thank you again for having this event. Congratulations and to our 125th year. And it's great to see all our community leaders here once again in celebration with our city. Thanks so much, Mayor. Thanks, Commissioner. Thank you, Assemblymember. And now we will begin our flag raising ceremony. But first, let's hear it from Filipino New Yorkers. And first, we will raise the flag of the United States of America. Our cultural performers of this afternoon, the San Lorenzo Rees Choir of New York, the University of Philippines alumni and friends from Daya.


What is up everyone happy Thursday? It's the 20th of July 2023 and whoo. What a wild day trading it was A really tough day and I tell you that it's days like this where I know like that. I've personally grown and Got better as a trader Because there's no doubt two years ago. This would have been a big red day for me But ended up being somewhat small red day so minus 259 and Just Really could have been I took a big loss in Nvidia's mighty 90 here did get some back So net net was like minus 330. Thank goodness And then really got saved by a by a Boeing volume runner And that's what I started out with so it started out in the green and then I'm sure I was down quite a bit And then kind of got some back at the end. So let Just let me show you And and I'll show you like why I feel like I definitely would have been a big red day a couple years ago So, okay, so starting out with Boeing. So let's go to Boeing So big volume bar here and it really didn't give a pullback. So what up I See it pulled back right to here. I got in and then just wrote it up and scaled out and Ended up getting out of my last one right about here. I was kind of hoping it would continue higher, but Like I said got in down here and then it popped up right away and really ripped up It was a nice nice nice trade there. Bobba was a volume runner that Man I really had high hopes for so it had a big volume bar here here here it pulled back to right here And then I thought okay, I got in right here It's a that's good and I got out a half on this push up But then it flipped around and when it ended up coming all the way down and pushing through yesterday's low I bailed on it. So And you can see it wasn't that that's definitely a good out but minus 342, but you know, I Thought it was gonna be in pretty nice green green trade for me, but not so much Nvidia this was the one that This is where I could tell I definitely become a better trader so Had a mighty 90 right here. So It's coming down to yesterday's low. So I got in right here and then it kept coming down. I added to it and Then here's where I definitely feel like I've grown as a trader as you know, I or if you listen to the live stream I don't I don't really look at my P&L anymore, which has helped me in terms of my mental state Normally, I probably would have just bailed on it as its flush was happening and just closed it out for probably a big loss Instead, you know kept getting these little higher volume bars. I ended up adding a new position right down here and Then on this push up may I gained that? That this this two green bars right here Ended up being this plus 430 where I got some back So and then I ended up closing my other one out after the second green bar and you can see it's still higher So but you know, I followed the rules so net net was a minus 330 there in the media Amazon, okay, so this one too Had a mighty 90 here So I got in right here And then when it came down to this pivot I I added to it and it still pushed through but I waited now pushed up here came down pushed up And it didn't break through this pivot. So I ended up just cutting it right here. It was green here for a while Okay, now here's where maybe I If I would have left I didn't get two consecutive green bars on this mighty 90 So if I would have kept it going Heck I might have been able to turn this Amazon into a green Instead of a minus 192 Could have potentially gotten even more back or maybe even turned it into a green day. So yeah, see look so You know hindsight is 2020 and I was trying to be patient with them, but I thought You know the NASDAQ is down like over 200 points right about 200 So I was like I just ended up getting rid of it here But you know if this pushes up again and then gives a second green bar, that's where you ideally I guess by my rules should have gotten out But but anyway, so That's My day today is very interesting kind of a tough day to trade, but I'll take it minus 259 Can't be disappointed with that given the fact I had a minus 760 in there So I'll be back tomorrow and I hope everybody has a great rest of your day and I'll see you on Friday. Peace


Hello everyone and welcome to Inside Leather History at Fireside Chat. I'm Doug O'Keefe. I am the host and the producer of the chats, which are a program of the Leather Archives and Museum. Today, I'm interviewing Richard Huebley in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. How are you Richard? I'm good. Thank you. Very well. Thank you for joining the chats. Pleasure to be here. How's winter coming along for you there in the Great White Noir? Well, it was white. It snowed overnight. It's melting, but it's just a dusting. Okay. Well, hang in there. Okay. First of all, Richard, would you tell us a little bit about where you're from and you're growing up? I was an army brat, or still I am, I guess, born in Pembroke, Ontario because I was raised on Canadian forces base, Padawawa, which is in the Ottawa Valley about three hours from Ottawa. But for an army brat, you didn't move around a whole lot. Yeah. No. When we were posted about 30 times to large Germany and other places over time, but because my mum was in a wheelchair, the postings kept getting cancelled once we got rid of our animals, always after the animals were gone. So the army didn't move you very often because of your mother's situation? Correct. The final posting that came through, we moved from CFP Padawawa to Canadian forces base Rockliffe, which is here in Ottawa. What was your impression of the military as you were growing up? I loved it. All these hyper-masculine men literally parading around me. It was wonderful. What about it did you love? They're camaraderie, they're the discipline and the uniforms. Of course. The uniforms are a little different from what people in the United States might know. Yes. We don't have as elaborate of fatigues as the Americans have. When they were in Iraq, they still used their forest green ones. They were easy to spot as opposed to the American and the brown camouflage. Why do you think they were doing that? It was just what they had at the time. You did mention that you really liked the discipline and the regimental intrigue. Tell us a little bit more about that. When I was younger, the discipline and the mentorship and sometimes going through the ranks and stuff, and the precision of the shine of the boots, at the time I didn't realize the love of boot blacking and stuff like this, but I appreciate it now and it's a skill I'm still learning even after all these years. Trying to identify the different skins and knowing what product to use on it is still a work in progress, but I'm still working on it. Growing up in that environment, how did you begin to evolve knowing that you were gay? We had a military friend that was gay and was friends with my mother and my father. They were in the same unit together as my father and my friend Martin. After a while, the military back then gave him an honorable discharge because similar to the Americans don't ask, don't tell, it was frowned upon back then. This was in the 60s, 70s.  I don't know the backstory to it, but Martin's always been open. What kind of an influence did he have on your life? I wouldn't say it was something to expire to, but it was something that I knew was around. At the time when we were growing up, I didn't understand what a homeless, how cruel it was, etc. Not until my teens that I figured that out. How did you figure it out? Going to the smoke shops and looking at the adult magazines. I was tall for my age, so I looked the part and my sort of gravitated towards the men's magazines after a time. Do you remember which magazines you were viewing? Intouch, Hancho, to name a few. The nice ones. These were readily available on the shelf or did you have to ask for them? No, they were on the shelf. Did anybody question you about this? Tell you, hey, put those away? No, but unbeknownst to me is my friend Martin and the owner of the smoke shop knew each other. So he talked to Martin and talked to my mother. So I didn't have to tell her I was gay, I confirmed I was. How did she take that? Fine. Well, for those who have seen Queer's Folk and have seen Debbie, the quintessential PFLAG mother, that's my mother. That's quite something for a woman of her generation and demographics. Yes. How do you feel she came to that? Just by knowing a lot of different people, different ethnicities, different sexualities. She was a member, they became members of UFMCC, which is the United Fellowship of Metrobound Community Churches. There were two chapters here in Ottawa, but they have since both closed. They weren't at the same time, but they tried to start one here and it closed. And then a few years later, they tried another time with another pastor. At what point did you officially come out? Fully, probably when I was in my late teens. Didn't advertise it, but didn't I did either? Tell us about the scene that you experienced when you came out. There were a number of gay bars here in Ottawa. I had known through my friend Martin and a whole bunch of other people. I had known the oldest bar in Ottawa since closed about 10 years ago. It was 166B on Laurier Street and it was the longest running gay bar. It was above a restaurant. There have been at one point maybe eight bars total in the Ottawa community. And now it's down even pre-pandemic to about four. Now, what kind of a bar was, I'm sorry, it was... 166B was a leather denim bar. It was the home of the Ottawa Knights. The other longest running bar which just closed about eight years ago was fondly referred to as the Oral Grief, but it was called the Coral Reef. And it was a lesbian drag bar. Oh my gosh. What were your thoughts upon first going into a leather Levi type bar? I'm home. I felt comfortable. A little overwhelmed with the visual stimulation, let's say. But it's... I've grown to get used to it after all this time. Here in Ottawa, the 166B was the home bar of the Ottawa Knights before they moved to Centre Town Pub. It has since closed and now we're almost... We're just down the street from there at Tees Pub, which is more of a bias-free... It's owned by a drag queen and it's very biased-free, but there's drag and lesbian... There's a whole gamut of people that go there. But the Ottawa Knights have been around since 1975, and I knew a lot of them. When I joined the Ottawa Knights, I'm the vice president of the Ottawa Knights, and I've been with them for 34 years now. Take us back to the beginning of that. How did you learn about the Ottawa Knights?  Through friends and through seeing them around in the community and seeing the work they do. The camaraderie and the fundraising for the agencies around Ottawa. The two AIDS organizations. And through our Ottawa Leather Weekend, the title holder gets to pick who the beneficiary is. So we've had the Maine Society, we had the Special Olympics, and all these other type of organizations also be beneficiaries of our fundraising. Take me back a little further. Tell us how they came to be. They were formed in 75 by five people with an interest into the Leather Denim scene. I know of some of the founding members, but I don't know the exact history of their background story. So I can't elaborate too far. It's just that they were all like-minded people that wanted a club here in Ottawa. What was your first impression of the group? I loved what they were doing and how they were doing it. And even with my disability, it didn't persuade them from accepting me fully when I applied to become a pledge. You were young then. I was 24. How were you received as a relatively young person coming into the scene? No problem. They were very welcoming. There wasn't any ageism or anything like that back then. It was the fact that you liked the Leather Denim and you loved or liked and brought skills to help make the club better. With my administration skills and what I know about finances and stuff, through the time with the club, I've been secretary, I've been treasurer and president and vice president. Currently vice right now. How long have you been the vice president? It's going on three years, but the pandemic hasn't helped because we haven't been able to. I wondered about that. You said you've been president at least once. When was that? Six years ago. How long did you hold that? For a year. We have our elections in January. Are you planning to hold that in January coming up? We've talked about it, but we still don't know how if the spaces we would use for our meetings are still going to be open. We usually meet at the Bruce house, which is the AIDS housing project here in Ottawa. Their offices are working, but they're closed. They're closed. Therefore, the community to use their boardroom. How have the Ottawa nights been able to keep up socially? Are you going to a lot of events online? We have been doing online events individually. Throughout the pandemic, we've been meeting every two weeks. We first started on a Tuesday, and we have a conflict with scheduling for a lot of our members, but we've been meeting, we call it a check-in for the free 40-minute social time. Because we're not holding our bar nights and getting funds in. We don't have the funds for the Zoom account. Has it been well attended? Predominantly, yes. We're not the largest club now. Through attrition and people moving and stuff like this, we're down to about 10 members. Two pledges, I think. It's coming back up slowly. We've had more people apply over the time, so we're setting up Zoom meetings to interview them and stuff like this. During our pledge process, we usually get the pledges to start during the six-month time. It's for the pledges and the members to get to know each other. What's been the highest membership number? 21. Clearly, you hold a contest in Ottawa for a title holder. I know you were a title holder once. Correct. Tell us about that. How are the nights involved with that? It is our... We run it with the help of the community. We financially back it. We are organizing committee meets. It evolved from Mr. Leather Ottawa to the Ottawa Leather Weekend because we have a boot black title now. We have a fetish pup and the Mr. Leather Ottawa competition all together. How has that been received? Very good. It's very well attended. We try to have at least six workshops over the weekend.  We have a leather gear swap. Which is extremely popular. Keep getting asked when we are going to have our next one. Are there current plans? It will coincide with our next title. Title runs. It's not right now. We are looking in the horizon for it. We don't know when the horizon or when we can start the planning process because of COVID. When were you a title holder? I ran November of 2007 and after there were five contestants and I won and became Mr. Leather Ottawa 2008. And you competed at IML? At IML 30, yes. I'm in the class of IML 30. There were 62 of us from 17 countries and I was the first person in a wheelchair to compete at IML. 10th overall. I made top 20 and became 10th overall. You've mentioned you are in a wheelchair. Correct. How did that come about? Motorcycle accident and a hit and run in 2000... No, not 2000. 1984. Okay. That would have had a very profound impact upon you. How did that shape your world? It really didn't affect because my mom has been in a chair and I've been around wheelchairs all my life. It didn't really phase me. Like, yes, I was upset that the accident happened but the reality was I needed the chair in order to get around. So, you know, they did give me braces when the accident first happened and it was... They were bulky and cumbersome to get around with with the crutches and stuff like this and it was much easier to be in the wheelchair to get around and have energy left at the end of the day as opposed to having arguments with the carpet on the floor. Gravity, my nemesis. So, you eventually segued into being in a wheelchair full-time. Yes. Okay.  Yes. So, my mother has spina bifida and her form of it. Three of her spinal discs are hollow and are fused together and the nerves that should have been in her legs were in a lump on the base of her spine, referred to as a meningocial and over time, it started getting bigger because spinal fluid leaked out. So, after 42 operations, all of them saying, oh, you'll bark again. She stayed in their chair the rest of her life but with her form of spina bifida, she was told by the doctors that she would not have any children and as, you know, I've beaten the odds before and so did my mom and she had three kids and, you know, as she put it, one of each.  I don't even know where to go with that but smart man. So the fact that I had that type of support system around me, I didn't wallow in pity or anything like this. I adapted just like any play. It can be adapted no matter what your disabilities are. Whether it's energy issues or modifying of toys to get a better grip because of arthritis or other things. I do do a kink and disability workshop and talk about different things from being a diabetic to with mobility issues and aging issues. Sometimes the skin will become thinner and it may not break outright but it's something called micro cracks. So it'll take time to heal but you have to be careful of the surface area in certain areas because if you're sitting a lot and not moving the legs especially you lose your elasticity. Tell us how you developed that workshop. I was asked to do it so I did research through some of the play I've done and online with different resources, kinked resources throughout. I do have a bibliography on the back but it's been a while since I've looked at it. So, you know, because one of the things like with diabetics, especially submissives you have to be careful that the low sugar also can be thought of the way they're acting can be thought of as a subspace. So you have to be able to check to see if they're okay or if they're in trouble. So you always happen to have orange juice because fructose is easier for the body to absorb than anything sugary. So the natural sugars are better. So to help boost the sugar again you need to have something very close by. You did mention that toys and play can be adapted. Tell us more about that. Well, if you have a sub that is into rope bondage and is diabetic or has back issues you can easily modify it so that they're still tied and they get the sensation of being hung but you can support them with pillows on a table. You can even leave them on the floor but still have their arms and legs up so that they're back supported because everyone wants the sessions to last a long time and you don't want to have to call yellow or red because of the fact that the sub is not being supported so that the scene can continue. How have people responded to you when you've wanted to play? Where do you want me? Or how do you want me? When I flog I get the person to sit on a chair back to me and they're cuffed and blindfolded if they so desire but their arms are locked like this and they're leaning on the back of the chair so they're at my level. When I'm getting flogged I'm traditionally either sitting on a spanking bench in front of the St Andrews Cross and also secured to the cross. So it's been modified that way. The first time I was flogged I was seven years ago at claw and pushing the chair all the time my shoulders are extremely tight and when I competed at IML there was a Mr. Bavarian Leather was the contestant in front of me and there's a picture of me in the IML galleries just melting as he's rubbing my shoulders and I'm of course loving it but in his broken English he leans forward and says you feel like coat hanger because my shoulders were so tight. Okay. But when I'm getting flogged because there's two types of flogging there's the knock you into next week and then there's an erotic flogging and the erotic flogging was very intriguing to me. I had a love-hate relationship between the concept of the thud versus the sting. Starting like the sting. Wearing on me. Because one of the things that I'm having it's the way my body processes it when the first sting hits and say the second sting comes like four seconds or five seconds later my body's just processing the first hit and then you get the second hit built on top of the reaction so we had to modify the timing of it. So it wasn't... He could take me on the journey but it wasn't stacked on top of each other it was a progressive flow as opposed to a spike. But after the two hour session it took two months for my shoulders to tighten back up again. Some wheeling around Ottawa going someone beat me. Oh my gosh. But taking a brief step back because I remember when we were talking about this interview you mentioned that yes you sometimes have difficulty accessing buildings how have you managed that when it comes to going into gay establishments or just wherever you happen to be going? A lot of the time it's like mostly establishments I go to besides the ones here in Ottawa are Toronto pre-pandemic but I know I've been going there for so long I have their number in my phone or I ask security to talk to the head of security saying Frank Richards outside and they come in and I bump up the stairs and they carry my empty chair up and I climb back into it. Sometimes it's the only time their front steps get dusted. Well here you go. Are there certain activities, play activities that are difficult for you to do or that you cannot do as a result of your limitations? The only thing that limits me is my skill level in regards to not knowing the skill. Because besides being a member of the Ottawa Knights I'm also a member of Delta International Brotherhood and unfortunately I missed this year's camp or because of COVID and I couldn't drive down I could fly for some reason but I couldn't drive down so I missed it for two years in a row but I'll be there come Heller Highwider next year because of all the medical stuff that I've done I had no idea that needle play was one of my scenes. Tell us a bit about that. The same person who flogged me also introduced me to needle play. The first time was just in the arm and I had ten needles four different gauges. The next time I had 25 in my chest and we're playing in the upper dungeon at the run and he starts putting the first needle in and when he puts the second needle in all I said because I'm lying on a raised bed that you can do just about anything from wax play on stuff it's very multi-purpose. All I said was it's all coming back to me now and he screams in the middle of the top of his lungs hurry pass me more needles the Canadians channeling Celine Dion you know exactly so people you know like I used humor for as a shield a lot of the times but a lot of my friends also use it and it makes the day go by much faster and a lot of it's it's better to laugh than to cry sometimes you say you use it as a shield what does that mean well sometimes people I can sense if people are feeling uncomfortable because they see the chair first and not the person so if I crack a joke it puts them at ease it's one of the reasons why Jeff Tucker asked me to be a handler with you and some of the other misfits let's talk about that because it is a very important piece but first I'd like to explore your time as a contestant you mentioned you were the first contestant in a wheelchair to compete at IML I would like you to talk with us about that well when I ran for my title one of my judges was Lady Carrow and she was a handler at the time for IML and so when I won my contest she let them know that I was coming the following years so they had time to prepare and the year I competed it was at the Regency Hotel everything was inside the hotel which was nice I didn't have to get shuttled anywhere so that was one less thing I didn't have to climb on a bus just had to fight the elevators to try and get downstairs and so it was much easier but when I saw the way they had the grand ballroom set up with the raised platforms they had ramps on either end and everyone else walked up the center and I came up the sides and they've incorporated it to the show and everything so it was wonderful but the one thing that I like is after that they kept them even since I've competed there have been two other gentlemen that have competed who are in wheelchairs two years after my year one-one Tyler McCormick and the last IML class Laurent I am going to butcher his last name but Mr. Leather France was also in a chair so it was nice do you know whether IML made specific accommodations or was it something that was just coming and they needed to do that do you know anything about that? it was I don't want to call them special accommodations but it was appropriate accommodations for a contestant they knew that was coming because in the opening speech that Chuck Rinslow gave he says we've had blind competitors we've had amputees we've had deaf competitors but it's taken 30 years for a man to wheel across the stage what were your feelings on that? it's all tingly I was not warned but the person who wrote Chuck's speech says I hope you don't mind but you're in it okay no I'm honored I guess I had no idea what they were talking about how did the other contestants respond to you? very well there were 62 people from 17 countries so it was there were groups that stayed together because we had to stay in numerical order most of the time so we didn't get to talk to everyone unless you were in the lobby things like this but it was very humbling and it took me a number of years to process that entire weekend because it was five days of busy busy busy when you were saying it was humbling what do you mean? well when I was growing up I always wanted to be in the medical field to help people but during my title year I figured out and you know not winning and stuff like that isn't the thing isn't the quintessential of everything yes it's nice and it's a bonus but sometimes just showing up and representing you inspire people I have heard since I competed that there were people with other disabilities that are on the spectrum went and competed after me so I came home because I first met them when I was outside in the smoking area at the Regency oh we're here at IML because we saw you in Kink Crusaders which is the documentary that we were also doing during the IML 30 weekend so besides being interviewed by the judges and doing everything for IML I was also with third rail productions doing Kink Crusaders yeah that was quite something I'm as fat as a house in that video I look awful so it's you know three young men came up to me and said we're here because you inspired me us to be here and then a couple of years later one of them competed that was Ken Kennedy that's quite an honour yeah like my mother loved when I went to IML and because she'd lived vicariously through all the stories I came home with the first time after meeting the three guys outside mom I've got groupies that's what she did too like if I was to write a book with all the antidotes and stuff like this they would put it in fiction because half the people wouldn't believe it once summer the Syracuse journeymen they don't exist anymore unfortunately had a nice little weekend get together every year called Strengthening Our Ties where other clubs would come together stay at a hotel and there would just be a bar night at Shades their home bar well I went up to get a beer and this bar fly and asked if I was injured and numb I looked at him and said do I look like I've been through a war zone I came home to tell my mother this you know how old I'd be if you were injured and numb how old you would have to be too I know I go to claw and stuff like this I'm wheeling from the host hotel to go to either the other hotel for a workshop and I have people on the street thank you for your service because I look like a wounded man I guess I don't know wow I can't help but take a step back here and when you talk about your disability workshop that you mentioned a little bit ago where have you been doing that the first time I did it was in Toronto at the Toronto leather weekend and I also went to just outside Detroit in Romulus I think it's called near the airport for the Leather Leadership Conference when it was held there I've done it twice here in Ottawa I think I did it again a few years ago back in Toronto taking the step back forward here we are both contestant handlers at IML this is the first time this topic has come up in a chat would you please tell us first what the contestant handlers do at IML the contestant handlers basically help the contestants give the best first impression they can to either the judges or the general public when it comes to the show when it comes to the interviews and depending on how many contestants total there are we could have anywhere from 8 to 12 contestants in each of the groupings and two contestant handlers are assigned to that group and during the interviews they're all sequestered and we make sure that they're all ready and presentable to the judges during the interview with the handlers there's also Team Shine that are the boot blacking efficient autos and make them look spotless once we have all their seams out straight then they get buffed what interesting little stories can you tell us about having been a handler but maybe something that might be fun to share seeing how the contestants deal with haul process and how they try to decompress and my sixth sense of humor there was one contestant who was lying on the floor on his back and his knees were bent and one of the contestants who proceeded to go and win the title was lying with his head on the person's, the back of his head on the person's crotch so I wheeled up to them and I said one more push just one more push and they broke up laughing and it broke the other when I first started after my year volunteering I was I did three years of doing security for the tally masters I've been through the I know the scoring process I know the what the contestants are thinking and I haven't done is to be a judge at IML but hopefully will change over time when I think I'm ready so it's more along the lines of I understand what they're going through because sometimes contestants worst enemy is themselves I had one contestant we were outside the judges chambers and he heard hysterical laughter coming from the chambers and he goes they're not laughing at him I said no they're laughing with him they don't throw tomatoes at us do they no they don't throw tomatoes well my now I know as a fellow contestant handler with you I've worked with you for many years on that we are handpicked for that team who was the den daddy that recruited you I was first asked by oh my god Joey Wong George Wong sorry it's been that long and then you know so yeah I've been a handler for six seven years now given given the hiatus also included right it felt so weird this year to be the memorial weekend why aren't I in Chicago for those who don't know IML has held Memorial Day weekend in the United States generally in the 20s of May so what challenges have you had to manage as a handler sometimes it's the facility itself there are ways of getting downstairs to the dressing chambers at the theater I have to go a different way as opposed to everyone else but I've got to go through a mechanical room up a ramp to the elevators which are in the next building and then go through the loading dock which comes out right backstage and then I'm there yeah so it's just it's that and that's how I had to take Laurent around when he was ready to be presented and stuff like this it was it's all doable the when Jeff told us that you know they're going to be people staying behind when the top 20 is announced for support I basically said oh god I'm no good at stuff like that but knowing all the talents that are in that pool of handlers that there are some extremely well nor knowledgeable people that can deal with stress and the disappointment and the shock of not placing yeah the so because I've heard horror stories of some of the contestants being if you don't win don't come back yeah which is the worst thing a title producer could do to his contestant yeah because especially with like at IML 40 there were what 73 contestants so the odds were against them of even placing yeah like you had a one-third chance of placing and what a lot of people don't realize is once the top 20s chosen their scores are then back to zero right and then they're judged and it's that just to show that gets the score for the benefit of the audience it's Olympic scoring where the highest and lowest are dropped only time that the score is counted if there is a tie for first place has that ever happened that you know I think it has and the what happens is the score the judges aren't sequestered but they're within reach in case there's an issue but if there's no issue it's like okay thank you interesting I wasn't aware that that had ever happened now a couple of years after you competed and probably around the time you were about to become a handler yourself Tyler McCormick one he was Mr. New Mexico Leather I believe he was 2010 so in he rather he's IML 2010 what were your thoughts on that yeah he's IML 32 yes I loved it when I heard that he was there I popped into the green room to say hi because I was working with the tally masters again so I had my security pass and I looked like one of the inmates so I wheeled in I also said hello to Leslie and stuff like that because Team Shine and all the other handlers were there so I said hello and I went in and introduced myself and got to know Tyler a little bit it was nice it was very nice what were your feelings on seeing someone with a similar disability how did you achieve that being doing security I heard his speech and it was extremely powerful he is very well he's a very good communicator you know he you know I believe he's a social worker so he he's a very good people person and stuff like that so he has skills that I don't you know he made the best first impression that they could meet because I've had you know some of the first impressions I've made or had when people meet me for the first time as I had one of the judges the year I competed at IML go it was a Leatherman if I can't see your ass how did you manage that I told some people that I didn't know that was a prerequisite to being a Leatherman it's what's in your heart and what's in your head that makes you a Leatherman and as I told our friend Karen I said if you can see my ass two things have happened either I fall out of my wheelchair or I'm getting lucky either way I might want your help but yet I can't help but think that that had to be very insulting to hear it was how did you choose to respond to that with humor, hence the shield shields can deflect and it can also make punishment if you thrust it back towards them yeah and the scary part is I see him every year because he was with the production team oh boy I feel as I'm an outsider clearly looking at this but I feel that the reception of people with visible disabilities has gotten better over the years with the title holder circuit how do you see that it has gotten better the there are contestants with multiple levels of disabilities from canes to braces they have even gate issues like they have a pristine limp or most people only think of there are two types of disabilities where it becomes you're either a paraplegic or a quadruple wheelchairs but there's also another form which is forgotten it's a hemiplegic I'm sorry a hemiplegic which is stroke patient so it's hemisphere of the brain and a side of you is affected sometimes it's your speech sometimes it's your walk your arm is immobile but you can limp or if you have if you're sitting in a chair you can use your good leg and one of your arms to push the chair and the other arm and your other leg are immobile but that's you're either a paraplegic is there anything you wish you had done differently in your leather journey yes I was the I was the type of person especially in new like I'm very outspoken but in very new circumstances or new situations or new environments and observe almost to the point of being a wallflower just observing and watching reading the room but it's you know working with Mr. Leather Ottawa and all those people when I competed for the local contest I came to the conclusion that like why am I sitting in the background you know when we when we I I've run the registration I've done leather swaps I've done all these other organizing for the events and even the workshops and stuff being the coordinator for that but it was more along the lines of why am I sitting in the background in for IML 29 I was at IML and there was a rack war vet who was a single leg amputee his speech actually inspired me to run as opposed to sit in the background which contestant was that his nickname was captain Kirk I do remember him actually yes and I met captain and his boy my title year in the lobby at IML he came to introduce to his himself I stopped him told him the story of how why I'm there and how he inspired me and stuff like this and there was crying and hugs involved and it was all messy yeah so but that's building upon how other people have responded to you isn't it you had someone who inspired you and then you've inspired others correct and I'm still hopefully I'm still doing that yeah people were coming up to me oh I saw you at IML I said sorry I heard you I didn't see you standing on stage those bright lights I couldn't see you heard you though yeah you even mentioned you see yourself as a Venus fly trap what do you mean by that not quite I said a wallflower someone who can be shy and quiet when I'm you know in my leather family there was a our sir who unfortunately has just passed a number of years back with leukemia he calls it as my quiet times is because I sat in the background watching him at the at the leather runs by the fireplace working on chain mail you know I just sit there and watch him without going and talking to him so after a while I you know a couple of years I finally started talking to him and that was the the sir the head of our leather family the the Vajra leather family and the tattoo I have here is is the Vajra so what's the biggest misconception about you I'm only laughing because I a friend of mine in a zoom chat saying I've heard stories about you I'm going oh yeah please elaborate I called him on it if that's the only thing that they're complaining about I'm fine this is natural I this is I'm a ginger I just have white coming down here it's not highlights it's natural gray you know I'll be 58 in March so I don't care how do you see the leather scene in your area of Canada how do you see that progressing in the next few years hopefully that we can find a way because I do understand that things with pride and stuff there are events where the the women want to hang with the women the men want to hang with the men but it's all about variety and choice so have those spaces but also have the poly or the mixed spaces that you could go to say two or three of the spaces and I'll be comfortable but you're getting a variety of stuff because if you all live in the same bubble you can't grow your community or converse if the if you just if you don't want to hang around women how are you going to build the community so that it's stronger if you exclude the lesbians or even the bisexual people and now this is back in my day but now when you have the intersectionality of asexuals and intersexed and all the gender fluid or non-binary individuals how do you navigate that so that you can bring them together in an event that celebrates where we're coming because right now there are people complaining about the not complaining but commenting loudly let's say of the transgender issue and I'm going well wait a minute they're 20 years behind the gay movement oh I never thought of it like that yeah they're starting out you know they're starting out 20 years after us what distinctions differences do you see between the Canadian leather scene and for example the leather scene in the states or in Europe or other locations in November we don't sweat like you wouldn't pump wearing your leathers I had to go there trying to get a straight answer out of a gay man good luck with that you said it um I don't think that there is a I don't know if there is a difference between the only difference would be the climate the rest like the weather the rest is the same there aren't you know it runs the gamut depending on what city you're in because Montreal is very different than Ottawa and Ottawa is very different than Toronto Ottawa is the government well Ottawa is the government town people say at 6 o'clock in the evening the downtown sidewalks roll up and there's nothing there's nothing to do here so they'll go to Montreal or the 5 hours to Toronto for the weekend there are people that I know here in Ottawa that I don't see a lot I go down to Montreal it's oh hi well Richard Hubley thank you for a fascinating interview for inside leather history of fireside chat I'm glad you enjoyed being at it's been a while