CrazyGayzian

Still Rocking and Living

2010-06-24T22:24:00.004-05:00

So it's been quite a while since I've made a post on this blog and it is not because there has not been anything to write about either. More like a lack of time of time with which to post my thoughts. In the past year I've purchased a house, worked an average of sixty hours a week, maintained a long distance relationship, witnessed the transformation of my youngest sister graduate high school and blossom into adulthood (granted what kind of adult remains to be seen). I've experienced many new things, relived some old ones, but mainly I've grown a lot and remembered who I am as a person. I am rejoicing in the pleasure of my youth and thankful to the wisdom I gain as I get older.

I may be getting older by that I have an "office day job", left my twenties, and bought a house, but I still love my weekend drink slinging job, my road trips to see bands and my constant youthful questioning of anything that "should be done because everyone else does it". And as my friends such Dave and Dann get older, we may have our separate paths, I still hold these two hooligans as close to my heart and bloggin buddies. I congratulate Dave's anniversary for his blog and dedicate my comeback to his request out of forced retirement. I will leave with some music (as I usually do) that describes me in my youth but that still apply to me later in life. The band Hypernova is something I heard on NPR and you can read there story here.

Video for Fairy Tales

MP3 for "Viva La Resistance"

hypernova mp3 | lyrics

free music downloads | music videos | pictures

I've Been There Before...

2009-07-28T13:51:00.005-05:00

As in reference to the type of guy Ms. Allen is referring to in this song, maybe that is why I love it so much. I'll add the lyrics for those of you who have problems with accents...Enjoy!!

Lily Allen - Not Fair

Oh he treats me with respect
He says he loves me all the time
He calls me 15 times a day
He likes to make sure that I'm fine
You know I've never met a man
who's made me feel quite so secure
He's not like all them other boys
They're all so dumb and immature

There's just one thing
that's getting in the way
When we go up to bed
you're just no good
Its such a shame
I look into your eyes
I want to get to know you
And then you make this noise
and its apparent it's all over

It's not fair
And I think you're really mean
I think you're really mean
I think you're really mean
Oh you're supposed to care
But you never make me scream
You never make me scream

Oh it's not fair
And it's really not ok
It's really not ok
It's really not ok
Oh you're supposed to care
But all you do is take
Yeah all you do is take

Oh I lie here
in the wet patch
In the middle of the bed
I'm feeling pretty
damn hard done by
I spent ages giving head
Then I remember
all the nice things
that you ever said to me
Maybe I'm just overreacting
maybe you're the one for me

There's just one thing
that's getting in the way
When we go up to bed
you're just no good
It's such a shame
I look into your eyes
I want to get to know you
And then you make this noise
and it's apparent it's all over

It's not fair
And I think you're really mean
I think you're really mean
I think you're really mean
Oh you're supposed to care
But you never make me scream
You never make me scream

Oh it's not fair
And it's really not ok
It's really not ok
It's really not ok
Oh you're supposed to care
But all you do is take
Yeah all you do is take

There's just one thing
that's getting in the way
When we go up to bed
you're just no good
It's such a shame
I look into your eyes
I want to get to know you
And then you make this noise
and its apparent it's all over

It's not fair
And I think you're really mean
I think you're really mean
I think you're really mean
Oh you're supposed to care
But you never make me scream
You never make me scream

Oh it's not fair
And it's really not ok
It's really not ok
It's really not ok
Oh you're supposed to care
But all you do is take
Yeah all you do is take

Motivation

2009-07-27T10:27:00.005-05:00

Sorry peeps that I've been so neglectful of my blog for so long now. Working two jobs and trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle and maintain a relationship does not leave much time for a lot of other things. Truthfully, I have been slacking in some areas as of the last month or two just because I've been working crazy overtime and been a little more lenient in my habits. I have been a little too comfortable in parts of my life with the grind I was working and my health is starting to suffer.

Well, at this moment I am on vacation, part of the reason I worked so much overtime as of the last month, and got to clear my head and reconstruct some new goals for the second half of the year. I know people usually only make goals at the beginning of the year, but what good is that?. Goals should reflect your current situation, not what occurred six months ago. Don't get me wrong, long term goals are a very helpful and can be a beneficial aim, but that does not mean you can't tweak them once and a while.

I've been called hard headed, boxed in, and even asinine in that I try to keep my life within certain boundaries, but like the idea that is put forth in the article I will post, you and only you know what sort of things motivate you and what will hinder you in your goals that you set for yourself. Yes, I do enjoy my friends and relaxing with them, but at the same time, doing those things does not always allow me to accomplish the goals that I have for myself. Honestly, in part that is due to the fact most of the people I do associate with don't have the same goals or motivations as I do which is perfectly fine. I would rather have them in my life than not, so our time may be more limited, but it does still happen. But in that same sense they should realize that I do things because I enjoy them, they keep me sane, and I know what works best for me. They are not to blame if I fall off my own wagon, but they need to understand that just because I am not always there does not mean I don't love them. I am just a busy motherfucker.

This piece is from an article in Men's Health (did you have to ask) concerning Tyrese Gibson's similar predicament. I found it very insightful and grounding. Hopefully you can pull some helpful information from that as well. Oh and don't worry, I will try to make some postings about my trip to Asia when I get the time, because when I get back to the States, I will be putting a new workout, eating, and time schedule into place to rev up the next six months so don't be mad if I can't make it to the bar to grab a beer, or swing by Neko for some sushi (although I will be highly tempted), or catch that movie I really want to see with my homies. But if you feel the inkling for a new direction or you get an itch to do something new for once, you know where I'll be..

Master Your Domain
Tyrese Gibson, star of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, gained weight and lost motivation. To right himself, he first had to change everything around him

"How lucky is it that mirrors steam up after a hot shower?" Tyrese Gibson asks. "I didn't have to look at what I'd done to myself." And every morning for a year, he didn't look. He'd towel off and hustle out of the bathroom before the steam could dissipate -- and before he'd be forced to see his once-chiseled body, the product of so much work, softened and bulging with some 50 pounds of new weight.

It happened because he'd eaten too much, sure, but the process didn't start that way. It started because he'd declared victory. Four years ago, Gibson had worked his way up the R&B charts, starred in the films Four Brothers and Annapolis, and knew people wanted him. He'd eat a cheese burger, and then a week's worth, and people still wanted him. He took jobs for granted and started feeling entitled, and they still wanted him. So he stopped working hard. He figured it'd all just keep coming.

He lost a sense of consequence, he says. It's easy to do: Accomplish something and your attitude can go from I'm working hard for this to This is mine. Do that and you've already failed. A boss doesn't promote you because you did work hard. A woman doesn't love you because you were devoted to her. They want you in the present and future tense: They expect you from here on in to work hard, to be devoted. Start coasting and you'll roll backward.

Gibson didn't understand that. How can you see a problem if you block out criticism? When you won't look at yourself because you're afraid of what you'll see? The truth is he knew what he'd see. If something's wrong with your life, you know it. Gibson ignored his problem by partying and hanging with slackers. They liked him lazy. They weren't about to tell him to stop, to think, to look.

But one guy did. A friend connected Gibson with Will Smith -- a man Gibson saw as happier and more successful. In Gibson, Smith saw a man who had lost his way. So he told Gibson that to truly succeed, he'd have to change everything around him. It was all part of the problem. Everything.

"It's the mirror effect," Gibson says. "You shine a mirror on everybody else and critique their lives, but what about you? What are you doing?"

No more steam. Stand naked in front of a clear mirror and take a good look. Gibson did, and he saw a confused, 248-pound man. He had some hard choices to make. And now, 2 years later, he smiles at his 203- pound reflection.

"We men have to put our pride and egos aside and just say, 'You know what? I need help,' " Gibson says. "Bring something to the table. To somebody who has the keys to whatever door you're trying to go through, say, 'Look, man, I have five keys of my own, but I'm trying to figure out how to get these other keys.' "

Think of it this way: Every man is surrounded by better men. A man who's more financially secure than you are can teach you something, and chances are he can also learn something from you. So approach him. Collaborate. Successful men aren't symbols of your inferiority; they're examples worth engaging.

Now that Gibson is hitting the gym on a regular basis, he's always asking for help. He's made a lot of friends that way. "It's very simple," he says.

"You walk up to a guy and say, 'Yo, my man, how'd you get your arms so lean and ripped like that? Let me jump in with you on a set.' " And like that, you're learning.

Smith told Gibson this: The five people you spend most of your time with will dictate how far your life and career will go. Slobs will make you a slob. Gibson loved fried calamari, and he had friends who bought it for him all the time. But if your friends work hard and eat right, you'll be embarrassed to eat fried anything around them.

It isn't easy to switch friends. Gibson knows that. It took him months: less time with this person, more with that one. Fried calamari gave way to scoops of tuna on lettuce, now his regular lunch. Guys at the gym taught him new exercises. He runs 5 miles a day on a treadmill. He lifts regularly.

All that effort creates a feedback loop -- much like he had before, except now all the messages are positive. Good routines are self-reinforced. He's focused now. His friends fuel him. You can see it.

"When you look a certain way, that says how you feel about yourself," says Gibson. "When you're in shape, you don't have to walk up to somebody and say, 'Yo, I love myself.' You look like you care for yourself."

With his new circle of friends in place, there's only one guy from the old days that Gibson thinks about a lot. That man's name is Tyren. Gibson talks enough trash about Tyren to fill an issue of Us Weekly: He's lazy, he's fat, he'll ride your coattails. "Tyren is mad that he doesn't have me no more," Gibson says defiantly.

Here's the thing: Tyren is Gibson. Or rather, was. Gibson made such a break from his past, he named his old self. He's dead serious about it. This is a new beginning. Change your life, and the old you will feel so foreign it may as well be someone else.

Gibson calls Smith every so often, for a recharge of inspiration. It's the positive influence he needs. Find someone who embodies your goal, and that person will raise your standards and expectations. When Gibson tries to explain his new attitude, he slips right into quoting Smith: "No one can touch me with my work eth..."

Actually, Gibson decides, it's better coming from the man himself. So he sits down at his computer and brings up a YouTube clip of Smith on Tavis Smiley's show.

"I will not be outworked. Period," Smith is saying. "You might have more talent than me, you might be smarter than me, you might be sexier than me, you might be all of those things. You got it on me in nine categories. But if we get on the treadmill together, there's two things: You're getting off first, or I'm gonna die. It's really that simple."

"Man!" Gibson shouts. "This gets me fired up right here. I'm going to the gym."

And then he does.

1. You look like you feel
"If you're heavyset and content, you'll be looked at as big sexy. I thought that was for me, but it wasn't. If you're not happy about how you look, you have to question how much self-love you have. So I'd say to you in advance: I believe in you, but I don't believe you until I see the results."

2. You have control
"You are the master of your environment. You've got your own head, your own mind. So once you figure out what you want for yourself, you have to create the proper environment to make sure you can live out all the things you want."

3. Work at your own pace
"When you step on the treadmill, make a commitment. Do, say, 3 miles a day. And don't get off until you finish. It doesn't matter what speed you're going. Just don't get off. You don't have to keep up with all the people around, running all fast and doing their thing. Just do your thing. You'll work up to them, as long as you do your own thing first."

Amen!!!

I Love This Band

2009-05-11T22:23:00.001-05:00

If I Know You - The Presets

I Have Nothing To Add To This Masterpiece of An Article

2009-04-11T19:11:00.003-05:00

cocktail-chatter
By Camper English

Bar-havioral Problems
Gay bar bartenders, who are not necessarily gay bartenders,
are usually the most efficient and fair intoxicologists in
the drinking universe. I say “fair” because at straight
establishments, hot women and rich-looking men (usually
jerks) get first priority, and the bartenders frequently take
drink orders out of order. Infuriating! This is not often the
case in gay watering holes, where the bartenders tend to be the
hottest people in the room and don’t need to impress you by
serving you first (you need impress them with the size of your
tips).

Also, gay bar patrons know how to behave (toward the
bartender anyway) and will often line up in an orderly fashion
at the drink well rather than shouting and waving like the
opening scene of The Love Boat all along the bar. I take
straight friends to my favorite gay bar and they are amazed at
the German-like efficiency in place. They are often jealous and
determine to start coming there every night, until they hear
the 14th Madonna remix in a row. I can’t say I blame them.
In a nightclub or other crowded venue, or anywhere with a
mixed crowd, all bets for orderly ordering are off. You need
to gain the attention of the bartender as well as make him or
her think you’re going to be a good (i.e., fast, non-annoying)
customer. Here are a few suggestions for attracting the
bartender and keeping his attention.

Look available. You want to make eye contact with the
bartender and have her give you the “I see you” nod. To
accomplish this, face the bar, not your friends behind you. If
you’re turned around chatting and using the bar as a leaning
post, you’re not giving the right signal.bitters.

Be ready. When you are trying to get the bartender’s attention,
have visible cash in your hand – but don’t wave it around
unless there is a row of drag queens in six-inch heels blocking
your line of sight. And if you’re planning to pay with a credit
card, you may want to keep that hidden. It takes longer to
process, so the bartender will serve the cash-holding folks first.
Also, be ready with your friends’ drink orders. Don’t wait until
the bartender gets there to turn around and say, “What do you
guys want?” As the person standing next to you, I’ll swoop in
and say “Three martinis please” when your back is turned. I’m
like that.

Strategize. Don’t shout to get the bartender’s attention.
Nobody likes to be yelled at while doing their job. A friendly
“Hi!” sometimes helps though. Make your first tip the most
generous one to help ensure prompt service and healthy pours
for the rest of the evening. And be respectful of others – if the
guy next to you was waiting longer but the bartender comes
to you, give him the “he was here first” point. The bartender
will remember that you’re next, and you never know if that
guy next to you will return the favor and pay for your drink.

Camper English is a cocktails and spirits writer and publisher of
Alcademics.com.

Another Reason You Might Feel Sluggish Monday Morning

2009-04-09T22:29:00.002-05:00

To think there was not anymore harm you could do to yourself with some weekend partying, here is yet another reason why you might want to slow down on your weekend shenanigans. Lord, like we didn't have enough to consider!!

THE FORMULA FOR FASTER FAT LOSS

If we told you about a secret way to dramatically increase your body's ability to burn fat calories, would you do it?

Don't agree to anything until we explain. Because we're asking you to make a sacrifice: Stop drinking beer and alcohol for 4 weeks.

The Belly Off! Diet recommends cutting out beer, wine, and liquor for a month for a good reason: doing so can turbocharge your weight loss, especially in that land mass sliding over your belt.

Yes, alcohol is high in calories, about 7 per gram. And that's before you add sugary mixers to your rum or vodka. But drinking has a greater effect than simply increasing the number of calories consumed. Alcohol reduces the amount of fat your body burns for energy.

Consider this study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition where eight men each were given two vodka drinks made with sugar-free lemonade, which they drank within about an hour. Their fat metabolism was measured before and after they drank the vodka. It turned out that the amount of fat the guys burned dropped 73 percent for several hours after they finished their drinks.

Why? Because when the alcohol in your blood is broken down by your liver, it is converted into a waste product called acetate. When acetate levels rise, your body burns acetate for fuel instead of the fat you are trying to lose.

The upside to all this is that you don't have to give up your favorite alcoholic beverages forever if you don't want to. Just for a month. That's enough time to reap big benefits.

Cutting out alcohol will make every other weight-loss strategy in this new book from the editors of Men's Health work even faster. Plus, maintaining your new fitness will be that much easier once you experience the power of maximizing your body's natural calorie furnace.

Anger As A Weapon

2009-04-02T21:36:00.007-05:00

Since I was young and having studied and been involved in social movements, I believe anger can be destructive or constructive. I've realized anger can be an excellent driving force in motivating people to get anything done, or it can destroy precious relationships with friends and family. This blog is from an online "green" newsletter I receive called "Care 2: Make A Difference" and I could not agree with the author's words more.

Anger is an Energy
posted by Eric Steinman Apr 1, 2009 5:00 pm

Anger dwells only in the bosom of fools. ~Albert Einstein

Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. ~Buddha

“Anger is an Energy.” ~ Johnny Lydon of PiL

You don’t need your family, Dr. Phil, or even an expensive three-day anger management retreat out in the woods to inform you that violent outbursts of anger are generally frowned upon in society and are far from constructive. While we, as Americans, are probably angrier than we have ever been, being actively angry is still seen as an apparent lack of control, lack of good judgment, and a general lack of cool. Anger as an emotion is more or less considered useless, in its most benign form, and potentially harmful and destructive when allowed to run riot over our emotional landscape.

Grrrr! So, what the #@*≈ are we supposed to do with all of this anger? Just reason it away? Sublimate it with lots of TV, chocolate, reflexology or pop psych?

Well, as unpopular as anger may be as an outward emotion, we need not abandon it completely as a catalyst toward constructive change. As the less than exemplary Johnny Lydon defiantly chanted in the PiL song “Rise”, “Anger is an energy” and we owe it to ourselves to harness its power.

In the “Nicomachean Ethics,” Aristotle wrote, “The man who is angry at the right things and with the right people, and further, as he ought, when he ought, and as long as he ought, is praised.” Extending this logic into the present day, we would be well suited to cultivate our anger into rational tangible change, at both the micro and macro levels. Instead of lambasting our friends and loved ones with fire-tongued invectives, we could approach the anger as propulsion toward change, positive change. This will give us the incentive, not to criticize and belittle, but to put into motion significant advancement in the inter-personal realm. This is anger at work on the micro level, and on the macro level would be something like the Equal Rights movement, the Civil Rights movement, and the Environmental movement, all of which had their roots in outrage as much as concern. Possibly, if we channel our anger appropriately and constructively, we might even be able to fix our ailing economy?

And lastly, as parents, we are no doubt privy to all sorts of feral displays of anger emanating from our children. This is undoubtedly energy that could probably power a small fleet of tanker trailers if harnessed appropriately. We owe it to our children, not to tamp down or stifle their anger, but to allow it to find a suitable expression and a worthy exploit.

How do you contend with your anger? Has anger ever served you, or is it something best rigidly controlled and mitigated?

Can You Feel Emotion In This Song?

2009-03-27T18:57:00.004-05:00

Fists Up - The Blow

Fists Up! :
i have tried
my hopes have blossomed
and my hopes have fried,
i tried to cut them all down
but i found hopes were still living deep inside,
like a team of renegade lovers
working long hours sneaking around
with a belief in the life of our love,
like a light at the end at the end
of a long tunnel; a struggle

fist up!
for all their faith in one preceding a face,
they really do believe that if
they hang on long enough
that you'll come around
and finally let it show
and all their hopes will be rewarded
for their impetus to grow,
well utopian piece would fall across the land
you'll reach over for my hand,
you'll really want to hold my hand

And i don't want to come to the point of this song,
because the point of this song
would happen to be so long.

It gets hard:
the vigilantes can't agree on who's in charge,
they gave their souls for the cause
but the love that they were after is still at large
see this faith in which they found allegiance
ripping at the seams as hope is running it's course
the rebels just cant muster the force
to walk the thin line between belief and delusion
and

fists up! for all their faith
in one preceding a face
they really did believe
that if they've hung on long enough
that you'd come around
and finally let it show
and all their hopes would be rewarded
for their impetus to grow
utopian peace would fall across the land
you'd reach over for my hand,
you would've really wanted to hold my hand

and i don't want to come to the point of this song because the point of this song would happen to be so long[long long long long long long long]

It was perfect you know
with just one little problem
the fact that it turns out
you don't really want it
my love is a fortress,
my love is a Louvre
but it cant ever thrive
if i'm forced to keep proving it.

x3

I've Experienced This Plenty of Times

2009-03-02T22:21:00.002-06:00

Hey kids, sorry I've been so busy as of late. I've been pulling 60 - 65 weeks between my two jobs. I've had lots to blog about but just not a lot of time. One little snippet of news that recently caught my attention was sent in one my daily Men's Health newsletters. I found this study to be quite interesting as that I have witnessed this many times in my life. Having been a waiter at a couple higher end restaurants and caterings you notice how people treat you and others quite quickly. This is also a problem I have when I date people as well.

Part of the reason I ask someone to a restaurant on a first date is exactly to watch how they interact with others, especially the wait staff. I believe that can say a lot about a person and their upbringing, as well as how they are to having their ideas challenged or just being open to new ideas. People that are interested in opinions, beliefs and cultures other than their own are generally more caring and sensitive to others and appreciative of what they have and what other people have to offer. People that easily disregard someone else's ideas, opinions or culture as beneath them or "wrong" often care little for others and have a sense of "entitlement." It is often the latter that get me worked up, and not in the good way. Anyway read this short news bit and I promise I will try harder to make more senseless postings....

READ ANYONE LIKE A BOOK
Wealthy people tend to appear more distracted than their less well-off counterparts

No one drives a Hummer to be inconspicuous. Yet intentions aside, the cars we drive, clothes we wear, and places we live all offer clues to our socioeconomic status.

But what about more subtle signs? A new study says it’s possible to tell a person’s class simply by glancing at his or her body language.

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, studied videotapes of 50 conversations between pairs of strangers, and found that those with wealthy backgrounds fidget, yawn, doodle, and generally appear rude. But people who are less well-off make more of an effort to engage in conversation—nodding, laughing, looking directly at the other person, and raising their eyebrows when speaking.

It’s thought that those born into privilege feel less of a need to make a good impression when talking to others.

So seeing as you can say a lot without even opening your mouth, guarantee that you’ll stand out from the crowd and look (not act) like a million bucks—even on a tight budget...

Happy New Year Baby!!

2008-12-31T05:52:00.002-06:00

It is that time again. Have a good one, be safe and remember those people and things that made life worth being there.

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

P.S. Remorse is what happens when you can not accept that you made a mistake and then learn from that mistake. Lets start this new year with no remorse.

Sunday

2008-12-28T09:09:00.002-06:00

Here is one of my favorite Sia songs for the last Sunday of 2008. Gotta love her videos. What a year it has been, but that is the next blog posting (if I can find the time). Enjoy!!

Sunday

For those who've slept
For those who've kept
Themselves jacked up
How Jesus wept
Sunday
Sunday

For those in need
For those who speed
For those who try to slow their minds with weed
Sunday
Sunday

For those who wake
With a blind headache
Who must be still
Who will sit and wait
For sunday, to be monday

Yeah, it will be ok
Do nothing today
Give yourself a break
Let your imagination run away

For those with guilt
For those who wilt
Under pressure
No tears over spilt milk
Sunday
Sunday

Sunday
Sunday

Sunday
Sunday

Yeah, it will be ok
Do nothing today
Give yourself a break
Let your imagination runaway

Yeah, it will be ok
Do nothing today
Give yourself a break
Let your imagination runaway

New Soul, New Attitude, New Results

2008-12-09T07:04:00.002-06:00

So life is going pretty well for me. The new job is different and completely interesting, my friends are great, my family is in a better place and I am finding new things to keep me occupied. Mistakes have and will be made, but the point of life is to learn from these mistakes and become better people. So I posted this song cause I love it and I am in such a good mood, regardless if my apartment is freezing. I've got my hot tea and the love surrounding me to keep me warm.

New Soul - Yael Naim

Who Doesn't Love a Good Gay Musical...

2008-12-06T07:27:00.002-06:00

Hey kiddies, sorry I've been very busy with the new job, and many others things as of late. I'll have to catch you up later, until I do, enjoy my random post like this one. Well, not that random, cause it discusses an important issue with a sense of humor. And no, I have not been up all night, just up this early on a Sat to try and maintain my new schedule. Till later.

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

Doing What Is Best

2008-11-30T09:26:00.008-06:00

It has been that time again. The time when I evaluate my life and start chopping away at the cancerous parts that make it harder than it should be. In these last couple of months, I've done several things. I've remembered what it is that I love and gives me pleasure in life and I've gone after those things with a ferocity that made some of my friends wonder if I was loosing my mind. Concerts, great food, wine events, and some guilty pleasure shopping. I enveloped myself back into my spiritual beliefs and attended events with people that strengthen those views. I also reconnected with my philanthropic side and I have never felt better doing so. Whether they were complete strangers, a social cause, or just some attention to my own friends and family, most rewarding things in life start with your heart.

Those were the fun parts, the more difficult side of change and balance is finding the things that are not so beneficial to you in a mental, physical and/ or spiritual way. People that are constantly trying to bring you down with their pessimistic views is a problem I often encounter, especially in a place like Oklahoma. Most people fear change here and can react violently with harsh words or threatening gestures. They fear changes to their ways of thinking, they fear changes to the way they have known the social structure as it has existed and they fear change within themselves. I think most of these people fear change because it somehow negates a part of their lives they have grown knowing. Whether it be family, friends, the church, or just a view of how they treat and/ or interact with new and different people and ideas, it can always be disappointing and scary (whether your views fall to the left or the right) that what you thought once to be true is no longer.

As always, with this change comes introspection. A deep analyzing and critical look at your changed ways is always helpful and beneficial. Do the friends you choose to hang out with inspire you to be better or are they just the same as before with different packaging? Are your eating habits the best for you overall, or the most convenient? Do you have any ideological, religious or spiritual beliefs which are keeping you from being who you are and/ or keeping you at odds with other loved ones? Are there things (whether it be drugs, work, the gym, personal baggage, and/or personal views) in your life that are halting or completely stopping your short or long term goals?

Yeah, its not easy nor is it always pleasant. If anything, sometimes it is helpful to have someone you can talk to that will be encouraging and honest. It can be very hard to share your feelings and fears with people when you are afraid that you will be ridiculed, criticized, judged, or worse; that the person you trusted will try to use your shared faults against you at some point. Luckily, I've made in roads in a lot of these areas and have made some difficult and unwanted decisions. Mistakes will occur, but at least you are trying. If anything, be thankful for those in your life that uplift and love you. They are truly the best things in life.

Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix.
Christina Baldwin

Things do not change; we change.
Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862)

It's not that some people have willpower and some don't. It's that some people are ready to change and others are not.
James Gordon, M.D

Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better.
King Whitney Jr.

Nothing in the world is permanent, and we're foolish when we ask anything to last, but surely we're still more foolish not to take delight in it while we have it. If change is of the essence of existence one would have thought it only sensible to make it the premise of our philosophy.
W. Somerset Maugham (1874 - 1965), The Razor's Edge, 1943

If Your Gonna Shop, Make It Count...

2008-11-28T13:09:00.006-06:00

So the consumerist holiday season is upon us and it seems to be lacking that certain shine as previous economic times brought us. We all work hard for our money, and if you are like my friends and I, you want your money to buy well and some how do well for you or others. That is why I look forward to when organizations like The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) release their annual buying guide. They list the companies that help, support and give back to the GLTB community. If you care, it can give you a good feeling knowing that your hard earned dollars will not be used by a company to help thwart your rights, such as Cinemark CEO Alan Stock. Or how about the vice president of Manhunt, who gave money to McCain's campaign (and no, I've never had a membership on that nasty site!) Look at my friend Dan's blog to read about the Salvation Army and their homophobic actions. Keep informed and keep up the good fight. There is no reason for us to pay people to keep us from our rights. Here are some words from HRC why the guide should be important to you.

Buying groceries? Planning a trip? Making investment decisions?

With the economy as it is, the need to ensure that every dollar spent counts has never been more important. This year hundreds of businesses have earned the right to call you a customer with the commitment they have made to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. The Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Buying for Equality guide will help you easily support companies that support equality for LGBT Americans.

Ratings in Buying for Equality are based on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's annual report card, the Corporate Equality Index. A record 260 businesses scored 100 percent on this year's report, which is a significant increase from the 195 businesses that earned a perfect score last year. From enhanced domestic partner benefits to transgender inclusion in non-discrimination policies, we are seeing a revolution in the American workplace.

More than 300,000 people have used Buying for Equality to make informed choices about their purchases. This year, you can do your part to support fair-minded businesses by requesting or downloading Buying for Equality 2009....

...“With this year’s economy, we need to make sure every dollar we spend goes to businesses that have earned the right to call you a customer,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “Every day, we make choices that send a powerful message about our values, our principles and our ideals. We do it every time we make decisions on how to clothe and feed our families or what investments to make. Where we spend and invest our dollars has remarkable potential to positively affect the LGBT community because it reinforces what many companies know: fairness is good business.”

According to a Witeck-Combs/Market Research.com study, the buying power of the LGBT community is estimated to be $759 billion in 2009. During difficult economic times, our nation’s businesses know that every dollar spent by consumers figures into the success of their organization.

Get the Buyer's Guide on your phone. Text SHOP and the name of the company to 30644.

Chillin With Mirah

2008-11-25T22:32:00.002-06:00

Seven years later and this song still makes me have goosebumps. Sing it!

The Garden - Mirah

iTunes Top Five Players

2008-11-25T16:55:00.003-06:00

This post is in response to a post David put on his blog. I was surprised by my own results. I guess I use my iPod more than my computer.

Moby: Where You End; 41 Plays
Robbie Rivera: Float Away (Rivera Remix); 14 Plays
Arctic Monkeys: D is For Dangerous; 4 Plays
Metro Station: Kelsey; 3 Plays
Moldy Peaches: Anyone Else But You; 3 Plays

Worthy Of the Name "Hero"

2008-11-24T15:21:00.004-06:00

I wanted to post this news clip that tells the story of a little boy who did more than I could hope to accomplish in my life. Truly touching, I was moved to tears by his courage and his handling of the situation. Much more mature than people twice or three times his age. Amazing.

Tree Hugger

2008-11-24T09:01:00.004-06:00

A video someone made for Ansty Pants and Kimya Dawson's "Tree Hugger." Cute.

Support Your Local Community

2008-11-22T12:56:00.002-06:00

So today is America Unchained. Basically if you are gonna spend your hard earned money, try to do it at local establishments. Eat at that really cool mom and pop restaurant as opposed to the flavor and life sucking chain restaurant. Go have a drink at the hole in the wall you love that your friends pass over for some pub that you can find in most states. Go see a local production or visit your local club and see a local band. Whatever, just experience what we have here for a day and maybe you will find something new that's been there all along.

And you can support a local gay artist, Eric Himan, from Tulsa who plays acoustic/rock music tonight. He will be playing at Galileo's in the Paseo tonight at 9pm. He is really cool, down to earth, socially active and plays good music.
Here is a video of his.

"Little Boy Blue" Music Video

Next Trip Goes to...

2008-11-20T23:11:00.003-06:00

So maybe it is the wine or the fact my friends dragged me to a Blazers ice hockey game tonight, but I splurged (?) in spite of rent and bought tickets to see Cut Copy in Dallas in March. It is the day after my birthday and I thought it would be perfect since they are from Australia and I will probably never get a chance to see them again. I posted a previous song from them (Hearts on Fire), but here is another favorite.

Wine Fest 08

2008-11-20T08:20:00.010-06:00

So I think this will have me caught up with my events for now. My friends and I attended the First Annual Wine Fest at 50 Penn Place. It was a two day event that highlighted Oklahoma's local wineries and some local eateries as well. A perfect event for a foodie snob like myself. I had a blast. There were some decent wines, some bad wines and some good wines. The point being I encourage all these small, self started businesses to keep doing what they are doing. Where ever you live, you should purchase and support local businesses, not that I don't buy imports, but it should even out.

I also applaud our local wine industry for recent local legislation that allows them to sell their goods to merchants without a middle man. That is a step for small businesses and for Oklahoma laws overall. See you at the next wine event, which is a benefit for cancer and leukemia hosted by my friend Charles and his neighbor's Jessica and Amber. It will be held at Bin 73, November 24th and costs only $25. Plus it supports a really good cause. Check info here. Anyway, here some pics from the event.

Just Because...

2008-11-19T08:51:00.000-06:00

...Everyone should wake up to this beautiful song.

Stop the H8 Rally

2008-11-18T15:42:00.008-06:00

So I am still catching up from this past weekend cause it was a doozy. On Sat, November 15th, rallies were held across the world to show support against the passing of Proposition 8 in California which would make all marriages between gays and lesbians null in the eyes of the law. This constitutional amendment is seen as a major set back for gay marriage, especially since it took place in California. I could care less if you believe in gay marriage or want to get married yourself, but I believe in accordance with the Fourteenth Amendment, that marriage is a fundamental right guaranteed to all citizens. People claim they don't care how the church views their relationship, nor do I, but this is in regards to the rights that all married citizens enjoy as ordained by the state and national government. If you don't want to marry the person you love, please don't, that will be one less present I will have to buy, but if you want to share a full and satisfying life with your partner without fear of being fully recognized in a court of law then get off your lazy, selfish asses and donate some time, money, effort or something.

Here are some pics from the local rally. I was impressed so many young people attended, but I was also disappointed by how many people I do know that did not visit this function. Seriously, get off your lazy butts out of bed and do something with your lives. It's not just about work and play. I will be working with some other local activists in the coming months. We have some big plans to get some things done in Oklahoma including local elections. We are tired of the stuffiness and self centered attitude of the older activists and we are disappointed in the apathy and cluelessness we see in the younger generations. And of course I threw in some Margaret Cho cause I can and I love this woman. Love the song.

Doing It Cobra Style

2008-11-17T16:44:00.010-06:00

So it took a minute, but I finally found some time to post some pics from my Dallas excursion. Here is a sampling of them, more can be viewed on Myspace or Facebook. The Cobra Starship show was awesome, the shopping was mostly on sale (hells yeah), food was great (as usual), and the bars were a rocking. I made it a point to hang out with friends I had not seen in a while and meet new ones. I also made it a point to get these people to take me places I had yet to have gone. My enthusiasm paid off in big ways. I made new friends, rekindled friendships and even hung with a lot of people visiting from OKC as I was. I hung out at new bars and had new experiences. I also realized that I have been clinging too much to my independence. I had become set in certain ways and forgot that there are so many things yet to do. That is funny, because most people think of me as hating routine, but I had fallen into one. I had forgotten about all the wonderful things and people I have in my life and what they have to offer. It felt really satisfying to remember that. And I realized that while I would have liked someone there with me, I would really prefer that person to share my same interests. My love of live music, gourmet food, fine wines, thrifty but nice clothing, taking walks outside just to see the area and people. Just being able to relax and not being so strung up was a nice little retreat for me, and that is something I've been doing the last couple of weeks. Surrounding myself with people like me, that don't freak out at everything and can still have a good time, cause it's hard to forget about anxiety and everything else when you are with someone that is more anxious than you are. Well, I've got plenty more to come and plenty more to do. I just got my Katy Perry tickets in the mail today. Taylor, and I are going for our birthdays since the show is in March and I am bringing a friend that enjoys Dallas as much as I do. I am in love again... and its name is Life.

Two of My Favorite Things...

2008-11-14T07:28:00.002-06:00

The first being rocking live music. I had a date with Metro Station in Tulsa today, but decided to attend events that will hopefully effect my future in positive ways. Tough decision, but it had to be done. Here are two of there videos. I am over the "Shake It" song, but I am really enjoying "Control" and "Kelsey". Love them.

The other being my love of discussion of social issues. If you have not heard of Prop 8 in California, there is no hope for you and quit reading now. For the rest who care about your and/or your friend's ability to live as equal citizens, rather than second class citizens should join others and I on the steps of City Hall, Saturday, November 15th at 12:30. It's a national event and this issue does have national repercussions. I thank Keith Olbermann for his words and Dillon for sending this my way. Please watch. I will do it for love.

Hearts on Fire

2008-11-10T17:45:00.001-06:00

Cut Copy - Hearts On Fire
Uploaded by modularpeople

2008-11-06T09:00:00.003-06:00

Oh, so its been a long crazy, busy week. Actually it's been a bit since I've given myself a personal vacation, so as the political brouhaha ends I be headed down to Dallas to get the hell out of OK, the most Republican, conservative state this election and head towards some fun. I'll be headed to go see Cobra Starship, do some shopping, eating and some much needed rest. Can't freaking wait. Don't be surprised if I don't come back.

Hollaback Boy - Cobra Starship

The World Has Its Shine [But I Would Drop It On A Dime] - Cobra Starship

Gay Rights Update!! Say It Ain't So! Bittersweet....

2008-11-05T18:55:00.002-06:00

An online newsletter I receive from the Human Rights Campaign reported ....

Dear Timothy,

Unfortunate news has dimmed the exhilaration of this historic, life-changing election.

I am deeply disappointed to report anti-LGBT marriage bans passed in Florida and Arizona, and in Arkansas voters voted to bar all unmarried people, LGBT or straight, from adopting children or serving as foster parents.

Meanwhile media outlets have begun to report bad news for marriage equality in California. However, the Human Rights Campaign just participated in a conference call with our coalition partners and we firmly believe that all votes should be counted before calling the race. Several million votes in California have yet to be counted. Now is not the time to speculate on somebody’s fundamental rights. So we are waiting to see the final results from those ballots and will be issuing a statement after the race has been called. Please stay tuned.

While this news certainly put a damper on such a historic election, we should celebrate the fact that our movement came together in an unprecedented way, and worked tirelessly to defeat these amendments, and millions voted with us yesterday.

It is indeed a bitter pill to swallow. But we cannot allow distorted facts or shallow tactics – the foundation on which our opponents built their campaigns – to break our spirits. We are on the right side of history – and we will continue this journey.

Let us not forget that we saw many glimmers of hope for LGBT equality across the country last night. We increased the ranks of pro-equality lawmakers in both the House and the Senate. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO), ringleader of the campaign to write discrimination into the U.S. Constitution, was soundly defeated. Jared Polis (D-CO) became the first openly gay man ever to be elected to Congress as a non-incumbent. Democrats took the New York State Senate, giving us our best chance ever to pass a same-sex marriage law in a legislature. We beat back a ballot question in Connecticut that could have threatened our recent victory there. In fact, marriages begin next week. And we elected Barack Obama as our next President, ending eight years of anti-LGBT policies. I truly believe that despite these setbacks, our nation is moving in the right direction.

After fighting for years, so many victories are now within reach. And thanks to yesterday’s victories, we can now pass critical LGBT equality measures like the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act and begin unraveling the damage of the last eight years...

Still A Ways To Go For Equality

2008-11-05T08:36:00.002-06:00

Last night, we as Americans witnessed one the most historic elections. Hopefully this bodes well for race relations in America. Yet other elections concerning social issues and local elections didn't fair so well for Democrats and Progressives. Americans have many different beliefs about what we believe are parts of the American way of life and how we view others that are yet to be seen as equal. These various issues will take more time and hard work, but it looks like most people in America are moving toward this change. I also thank everyone who voted for this change and not out of fear, it is only by voting for optimism and change will things gradually begin to get better.

California set to pass Prop 8 ban on gay marriage

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Two U.S. states rejected proposals to limit abortion rights while others said no to gay marriage, in a mixed message over contentious social issues as Americans elected their first black president.
Results of votes on more than 150 proposed state measures across the country showed a more complex cultural map than Tuesday's historic election of Democrat Barack Obama might indicate.
In California, same-sex couples were poised to lose the right to marry, while Florida and Arizona voted to ban gay marriage outright, joining dozens of other states that define marriage as only between a man and a woman.
Attempts to restrict abortion in South Dakota and Colorado met strong voter resistance.
Halting abortion and same-sex marriage are key issues for many conservative Christian voters, an important base for the Republican Party.
With 89 percent of precincts reporting, the California proposition -- which came about half a year after the state court opened the way to gay marriage -- was trailing by nearly 4 percentage points.
"We have Obama," Noelle Skool, 29, said of her hopes for change as she checked identification at a popular lesbian bar in San Francisco's Mission district. "It's small steps. Eventually they'll warm up to the fact that, hey, we're all equal."
Mathew Staver, founder of the conservative Liberty Counsel, had success as a proponent of the Florida gay marriage ban but saw the state vote for Obama the Democrat.
"The passage of this amendment is a bright star on an otherwise dismal night, in which America elected the most liberal President in her history," Staver said in a statement.
Colorado voters rejected a measure that would have made abortion the legal equivalent of murder by defining human life as beginning at conception.
South Dakota defeated a ban on abortion that, if passed, had been expected to spark a court battle leading to the Supreme Court.
"We defeated it here, and it won't spread to other states," said Sarah Stoesz, president of the local Planned Parenthood chapter. "And now we've started a counter movement in a very conservative part of the country."
In other state ballots, Michigan voted to allow medical use of marijuana, Nebraska ending affirmative action to help minorities and Washington allowing doctor-assisted suicide.
(Reporting by Peter Henderson and Alexandria Sage; Editing by John O'Callaghan)

Who is Gonna Save My Soul Now?

2008-11-04T07:44:00.001-06:00

The Faint

2008-10-31T10:47:00.014-05:00

So Wednesday night, I was to see a band I very much enjoy again, The Faint, with their supporting band, Over The Rainbow. With my friends Matt and Ricki in tow, we rocked a little club on Southside OKC and danced our asses off. It felt so good to be seeing these guys again and being comfortable in my element. It was such an emotional high for me, such as I often attain when rocking out to a band I enjoy, that I realized a couple of things. Events like these allow me feel as if I am not in Oklahoma anymore. I can leave behind the ignorance and machismo of the straight bar scenes and I leave the cliques and bitterness of the gay world behind. At events like this, people united by the love of a band don't care about the gay couple dancing together and the little emo boys and girls don't have to worry about getting pounded by drunk jocks and thrashed by back stabbing princesses. I was blessed to share this event with my friends and am really looking forward to my excursion to Dallas to see Cobra Starship.

Glass Danse - The Faint

Talons

2008-10-28T20:43:00.002-05:00

Bloc Party's new single from their new album. One of my favorite bands of all time. A lot of people didn't care when two of the members came out of the closet a couple of years ago. No,it shouldn't matter if someone is gay on whether they can write good music, but in cases like their songs, I can identify better with the singer's lyrics. Like this song, right now, in my life.

And in the dark, it comes for me
Malevolent and without thought
Uprooting trees, destroying cars
Cold and relentless with arms outstretched

No boat nor brick
nor crucifix can hold it back
I have been wicked
I have been arrogant

And when it comes it will feel like a kiss
Silent about it
And when it comes it will feel like a kiss
And I cannot say that I was not warned or was misled
When it comes it will feel like a kiss

Awaken from dreams of drunken car crashes
You saddened my friends and claimed all my lovers
I try to stay still so it will not see me
Its talons rake the side of my face
I want you to be calm
You're such a slut

And when it comes it will feel like a kiss
Silent about it
And when it comes it will feel like a kiss
And I cannot say that I was not warned or was misled
When it comes it will feel like a kiss

And I didn't think I'd catch fire when I held my hand to the flame
And I didn't think it would catch up as fast as I could have run
Fate came a-knocking when I was looking the other way
A new disease came in the post for me today

And when it comes it will feel like a kiss
And when it comes it will feel like a kiss
And when it comes
(And when it comes)
And when it comes
(And when it comes)
And when it comes
(and when it comes)
And when it comes
It will feel like a kiss.

Still Trucking Along

2008-10-22T21:19:00.006-05:00

While I envision one day living in an America that no longer sees race, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, and/or ethnicity as the basis of how view and think we know someone, certain segments of society hold Americans back from this dream. Some people, as this article states, are scared of change. Many people think that racist, bigoted, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic people are dying out, yet the acts committed on college campuses speak against that. Unluckily many young people grow up and are products of their environment. Unlucky that is, when they learn stereotypes and narrow ways of thinking reinforced by family, friends, and/or their local community. This can be amplified by stereotypical images they see on television programs, the news and movies that continuously depict people in negative and stereotypical terms. What people like me, and hopefully like you, can do is try to educate people that are misinformed, question the media (news and entertainment) for more fair and equal representations on television, and basically by showing others that you are like them with the same needs, feelings, and wants as they have. And as a side-note, I do not believe the McCain camp themselves are responsible for views like this, even if these people do support him. This surpasses Republican/Democratic lines in that these people are just misinformed racists.

Ugly Election Incidents Show Lingering U.S. Racism

By Carey Gillam – Wed Oct 22, 3:36 pm ET

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) – Two weeks before an election that could install the first black U.S. president, scattered ugly incidents have reflected a deep residue of racism among some segments of white America.
A cardboard likeness of Barack Obama was found strung from fishing wire at a university, the Democratic presidential nominee's face was depicted on mock food stamps, the body of a black bear was left at another university with Obama posters attached to it.
Though the incidents are sporadic and apparently isolated, they stirred up memories of the violent racial past of a country where segregation and lynchings only ended within the last 50 years.
And some feared that Obama could be a target for people who reject him on racial grounds alone. The Illinois senator leads Republican rival John McCain in polls ahead of the November 4 election and has a big following in many sections of Americans, from liberals to conservatives, black and white, poor and wealthy.
"Many whites feel they are losing their country right before their eyes," said Mark Potok, who directs the Southern Poverty Law Center that monitors hate groups. "What we are seeing at this moment is the beginning of a real backlash."
Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod said the incidents were disappointing but he said there were fewer than some had predicted.
"We've always acknowledged that race is not something that's been eradicated from our politics," said Axelrod. "But we've never felt that it would be an insuperable barrier and I don't think that it will be."
The latest incident occurred on Monday when the body of bear cub was found on the campus of Western Carolina University in North Carolina. Obama campaign signs were placed around the dead animal's head. School officials said it was a prank.
Earlier a cardboard likeness of Obama was strung up with fishing wire from a tree at a university in Oregon and an Ohio man hung a figure bearing an Obama sign from a tree in his yard. The man told local media he didn't want to see an African-American running the country.
ANGRY INDIVIDUALS
Potok said the displays of racism did not appear orchestrated as part of a campaign of racial intimidation, but were rather the acts of angry individuals. Their voices are often heard in radio call-back shows or letters to editors.
Many Americans "see the rise of minority rights, gay rights, women's rights as a threat to the world they grew up in and that their parents grew up in. They see huge demographic changes," he said.
"They see jobs disappearing to other countries, and now they see a man who is African American and who will very likely become president of the United States. For some of those people that symbolizes the end of the world as they know it."
He estimated there were as many as 800 white supremacy or nationalist groups in the United States, with at least 100,000 as "an inner core" of membership and many more on the fringes.
One such group, the League of American Patriots, last month distributed literature about why a "black ruler" would destroy the country.
Michigan State University professor Ronald Hall, writing in his new book "Racism in the 21st Century," said racism remains one of the most pressing U.S. social problems, though it now takes forms that are more subtle than the lynchings and mob violence seen decades ago in some parts of the country.
Some groups tagged with racist acts deny the charge.
In California, a Republican group said it intended no racial overtone when its October newsletter depicted a fake food stamp bearing a likeness of Obama's head on a donkey's body surrounded by fried chicken, watermelon and other images evoking insulting stereotypes about African-Americans.
Some acts have targeted not Obama's black heritage -- his father was Kenyan and his white mother was from Kansas -- but the false notion that he is a Muslim.

Read the rest of the article here.

And watch the accompanying video here.

For Those GLTBF People Who Actually Support The McCain/Palin Ticket...

2008-10-20T13:31:00.004-05:00

Wake up! Have some self respect and do some research on the issues. McCain supported an Arizona initiative to make a State Constitutional Amendment to ban gay marriage (I highlighted that with a posting at an earlier time and you can find it yourself). As of late, Palin has suggested that she supports the same rights for GLTB people and even has gay friends. Yet, her support for various groups and movements, the lack of theses "gay friends", and her own words show otherwise. I truly believe that any GLTB people that try to justify her views and/or overlook them are seriously lacking in self esteem. They somehow view the rhetoric that GLTB people's second class status in this country is acceptable. Some of these people argue that it should be a state's right to decide these issues as well, yet Palin herself has said she would support a national constitutional amendment against gay marriage. That does not sound like a Federalist to me, more like a religious right wing zealot set on imposing her religious views on those who don't live the lifestyle that she believes is a "choice." Let's remember the Tenth Anniversary of Mathew Sheppards' death and have some self respect for ourselves as GLTB people and not put Palin in the White House. The following information is provided by the Human Rights Campaign.

Palin says she supports federal constitutional marriage amendment
October 20, 2008
Chris Johnson
As tough fights to defeat state anti-gay ballot amendments wage on in Arizona, Florida, and California, Alaska governor Sarah Palin has come out in support of a federal constitutional amendment to prevent gay and lesbian couples from marrying. She made her statement in support of an amendment and "traditional marriage" during an interview with CBN News (founded by Pat Robertson) Senior National Correspondent David Brody (CBN has the video):

Brody: On Constitutional marriage amendment , are, are you for something like that?
Palin: I am, in my own, state, I have voted along with the vast majority of Alaskans who had the opportunity to vote to amend our Constitution defining marriage as between one man and one woman. I wish on a federal level that that's where we would go because I don't support gay marriage. I'm not going to be out there judging individuals, sitting in a seat of judgment telling what they can and can't do, should and should not do, but I certainly can express my own opinion here and take actions that I believe would be best for traditional marriage and that's casting my votes and speaking up for traditional marriage that, that instrument that it's the foundation of our society is that strong family and that's based on that traditional definition of marriage, so I do support that.

This is from the same Sarah Palin who stated during the vice-presidential debate that she had gay friends - friends whom we've so far been unable to locate. I guess friendship only runs so deep when it comes to pandering to one's political base....
Watch our video of our Michael Cole travelling to Alaska to talk with members of the LGBT community about Sarah Palin:

Not That McCain Supports These People, but They Support McCain

2008-10-16T17:13:00.003-05:00

This is what scares me!! These are exactly the people whom I refer to when I say that this country has a ways to go before race, ethnicity and religion are not an issue. A large proportion of people live in smaller, rural communities, and while a lot of them do not share these exact beliefs, they have some of the same fears.

I Thank Him For His Considerate Words

2008-10-13T08:23:00.001-05:00

10/12/08

Senator Barack Obama issued the following statement today regarding the ten years since Matthew Shepard was murdered:

"Today, we pause to remember the heartbreaking and senseless murder of Matthew Shepard. A freshman at the University of Wyoming, Matthew was a young man committed to fighting for equality and changing the world around him. He was tragically taken from us far too early, an innocent victim of an abhorrent hate crime, and never had the chance to see his dreams realized.

In the ten years since Matthew's passing, Congress has repeatedly and unacceptably failed to enact a federal hate crimes law that would protect all LGBT Americans. That's not just a failure to honor Matthew's memory; it's a failure to deliver justice for all who have been victimized by hate crimes, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation. All Americans deserve to live their lives free of fear, and as Americans, it is our moral obligation to stand up against bigotry and strive for equality for all.

Today, Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to Matthew's parents, Judy and Dennis, and to all whose lives have been touched by unconscionable violence."

Some Truth to The Hype

2008-10-13T01:57:00.000-05:00

"He Lied" About Bill Ayers?
October 10, 2008
McCain cranks out some false and misleading attacks on Obama's connection to a 1960s radical.
Summary
In a TV ad, McCain says Obama "lied" about his association with William Ayers, a former bomb-setting, anti-war radical from the 1960s and '70s. We find McCain's claim to be groundless. New details have recently come to light, but nothing Obama said previously has been shown to be false.

In a Web ad and in repeated attacks from the stump, McCain describes the two as associates, and Palin claims they "pal around" together. But so far as is known, their relationship was never very close. An Obama spokesman says they last saw each other in a chance encounter on the street more than a year ago.

McCain says in an Internet ad that the two "ran a radical 'education' foundation" in Chicago. But the supposedly "radical" group was supported by a Republican governor and included on its board prominent local civic leaders, including one former Nixon administration official who has given $1,500 to McCain's campaign this year. Education Week says the group's work "reflected mainstream thinking" among school reformers. The group was the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, started by a $49 million grant from the Annenberg Foundation, which was established by the publisher Walter Annenberg, a prominent Republican whose widow, Leonore, is a contributor to the McCain campaign.

(FactCheck.org, which is nonpartisan, also receives funding from the Annenberg Foundation. But we are in no way connected to the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, which finished its work long before we came into being in late 2003.)

And the rest of the article can be found here.

Another of the Same

2008-10-12T11:49:00.002-05:00

Please read this full news article after you've watched the previous news clip concerning Sally Kern. Then it might be easier to understand my point concerning these two women. Not that Democrats haven't gone after hot topic buttons that they differ with Republicans, Conservative Christians, especially these two women have and are resorting to hot button issues when it is apparent they know little about the issues at hand. It is also easier to "rally the troops" with issues like abortion and gay rights rather than tackle issues these two women don't fully understand, in this case the national economy and national security. The latter two issues just happen to be what are the major concerns for most Americans at this time and point. I am glad Palin finally acknowledged her radical right wing views. The McCain camp was obviously trying to skirt those under the rug to avoid upsetting more moderate and independent voters, but when things don't well in your campaign you resort to different tactics. I do give McCain props for telling his so called "supporters" to treat Obama with respect, and then they booed him. Lovely.

Palin heightens rhetoric on abortion

JOHNSTOWN, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin charged into the culture wars Saturday in Pennsylvania, painting Sen. Barack Obama as a radical on abortion rights.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin speaks at a rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Saturday.
1 of 2

The stop comes amid news that Palin violated Alaska ethics law by trying to get her former brother-in-law fired from the state police, a state investigator's report for the bipartisan Legislative Council concluded Friday.

Ethics woes aside, Palin focused her attention on abortion -- an issue that rallies the conservative base but some say alienates independent and women voters.

"In times like these with wars and financial crisis, I know that it may be easy to forget even as deep and abiding a concern as the right to life, and it seems that our opponent kind of hopes you will forget that," Palin told a crowd in Johnstown. "He hopes that you won't notice how radical, absolutely radical his idea is on this, and his record is, until it's too late."

Palin has mostly avoided raising her opposition to abortion rights on the campaign trail since she was tapped as Sen. John McCain's running mate, a fact she readily acknowledged in her remarks. Watch more of Palin's views on abortion »

But Palin said Obama's record on the matter is too extreme to be ignored, and she spent 10 minutes of her 30-minute speech discussing abortion.

"A vote for Barack Obama is a vote for activist courts that will continue to smother the open and democratic debate that we deserve and that we need on this issue of life," she said. "Obama is a politician who has long since left behind even the middle ground on the issue of life."

Obama opposes any constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade and disagreed with Supreme Court ruling to uphold the "Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act." He did not cast a vote on Prohibiting Funds for Groups that Perform Abortions amendment in 2007.

Palin opposes abortion in all cases, including rape and incest, except when a mother's life is in danger, and said she believes Roe v. Wade should be overturned and the decision given to the states.

And the rest of the article can be found here.

Sally Kern Blinded By Her Hatred Again

2008-10-12T11:43:00.002-05:00

Rather than talk the issues, which looks more and more like she knows little about, she sticks with the issue that got her elected and noticed nationally. Especially with the way the economy and country have taken a downturn Kern still decides homosexuals are the cause of America's decline. Lovely woman. Please watch this video.

http://www.koco.com/video/17684102/index.html

The Person With No Sin Shall Throw The First Stone....

2008-10-09T20:34:00.002-05:00

Meet Sarah Palin’s radical right-wing pals
Extremists Mark Chryson and Steve Stoll helped launch Palin’s political career in Alaska, and in return had influence over policy. “Her door was open,” says Chryson — and still is.

Editor’s note: Research support provided by the Nation Institute Investigative Fund. For Salon’s complete coverage of Sarah Palin, click here.

By Max Blumenthal and David Neiwert

Read more: Alaska, Politics, News, 2008 election, Sarah Palin

Video: Interview with former Alaskan Independence Party chairman Mark Chryson
Oct. 10, 2008 PALMER, Alaska — | On the afternoon of Sept. 24 in downtown Palmer, Alaska, as the sun began to sink behind the snowcapped mountains that flank the picturesque Mat-Su Valley, 51-year-old Mark Chryson sat for an hour on a park bench, reveling in tales of his days as chairman of the Alaska Independence Party. The stocky, gray-haired computer technician waxed nostalgic about quixotic battles to eliminate taxes, support the “traditional family” and secede from the United States.

So long as Alaska remained under the boot of the federal government, said Chryson, the AIP had to stand on guard to stymie a New World Order. He invited a Salon reporter to see a few items inside his pickup truck that were intended for his personal protection. “This here is my attack dog,” he said with a chuckle, handing the reporter an exuberant 8-pound papillon from his passenger seat. “Her name is Suzy.” Then he pulled a 9-millimeter Makarov PM pistol — once the standard-issue sidearm for Soviet cops — out of his glove compartment. “I’ve got enough weaponry to raise a small army in my basement,” he said, clutching the gun in his palm. “Then again, so do most Alaskans.” But Chryson added a message of reassurance to residents of that faraway place some Alaskans call “the 48.” “We want to go our separate ways,” he said, “but we are not going to kill you.”

Though Chryson belongs to a fringe political party, one that advocates the secession of Alaska from the Union, and that organizes with other like-minded secessionist movements from Canada to the Deep South, he is not without peculiar influence in state politics, especially the rise of Sarah Palin. An obscure figure outside of Alaska, Chryson has been a political fixture in the hometown of the Republican vice-presidential nominee for over a decade. During the 1990s, when Chryson directed the AIP, he and another radical right-winger, Steve Stoll, played a quiet but pivotal role in electing Palin as mayor of Wasilla and shaping her political agenda afterward. Both Stoll and Chryson not only contributed to Palin’s campaign financially, they played major behind-the-scenes roles in the Palin camp before, during and after her victory.

You can read the rest of this informative article here.

One Day...

2008-09-20T10:30:00.000-05:00

...I will marry this man.

New Sia Video

2008-09-15T11:20:00.001-05:00

I love this woman.

Her Words Show Her "Experience."

2008-09-13T10:10:00.001-05:00

Palin's statements on climate change murky

Fri Sep 12, 2:40 PM ET

FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska - Vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's assertion that she believes humans contribute to global warming — made in her first major interview since joining the Republican ticket — is more definitive than her previous statements.
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Palin said she didn't disagree with scientists that "man's activities" could be contributing to the problem.

"Show me where I have ever said that there's absolute proof that nothing that man has ever conducted or engaged in has had any effect or no effect on climate change," Palin told ABC News in an interview broadcast Thursday and Friday. "I have not said that."

However, in the past Palin has expressed doubts about the connection between emissions from human activities and global warming. She told the Internet news site Newsmax last month, "A changing environment will affect Alaska more than any other state, because of our location. ... I'm not one, though, who would attribute it to being man-made."

In a letter to Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne in December 2006 about listing the polar bear as a threatened species, Palin questioned what human activities could be regulated to help the bear.

"When a species' habitat (in this case, sea ice) is declining due to climate change, but there are no discrete human activities that can be regulated or modified to effect change, what do you do?" she wrote.

In an interview with the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner within the last year, Palin said: "I'm not an Al Gore, doom-and-gloom environmentalist blaming the changes in our climate on human activity."

Republican presidential candidate John McCain, a convert to the cause of fighting global warming, has said humans have caused climate change and he has proposed capping the greenhouse gases blamed for the problem.

In the ABC interview, Palin said she believes that "man's activities certainly can be contributing to the issue of global warming, climate change. ... Regardless, though, of the reason for climate change, whether it's entirely, wholly caused by man's activities or is part of the cyclical nature of our planet — the warming and the cooling trends — regardless of that, John McCain and I agree that we gotta do something about it."

Questions about Palin's knowledge of foreign policy dominated the interview with ABC's Charles Gibson. Palin repeated her earlier assertions that she's ready to be president if called upon, yet sidestepped questions on whether she had the national security credentials needed to be commander in chief.

McCain has defended his running mate's qualifications, citing her command of the Alaska National Guard and Alaska's proximity to Russia.

Pressed about what insights into recent Russian actions she gained by living in Alaska, Palin told Gibson, "They're our next-door neighbors and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska."

Palin, 44, has been Alaska's governor for less than two years and before that was a small-town mayor. Asked whether those were sufficient credentials, Palin said: "It is about reform of government and it's about putting government back on the side of the people, and that has much to do with foreign policy and national security issues."

She said she brings expertise in the effort to make the country energy independent as a former chairman of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.

Palin said that other than a trip to visit soldiers in Kuwait and Germany last year, her only other foreign travel was to Mexico and Canada. She also:

_Appeared unsure of the Bush doctrine, which President Bush laid out in a West Point speech in June 2002. Asked whether she agreed with that, Palin said: "In what respect, Charlie?" Gibson pressed her for an interpretation of it. She said: "His world view."

The doctrine essentially holds that the U.S. must help spread democracy to stop terrorism and will act pre-emptively to stop potential foes.

"I believe that what President Bush has attempted to do is rid this world of Islamic extremism, terrorists who are hell bent on destroying our nation," Palin said, though she added "there have been mistakes made."

Pressed repeatedly on whether the United States could attack terrorist hideouts in Pakistan without the country's permission, she said: "If there is legitimate and enough intelligence that tells us that a strike is imminent against American people, we have every right to defend our country. In fact, the president has the obligation, the duty to defend."

Bush watched portions of the interview and "thought she handled herself well," White House spokesman Tony Fratto told reporters Friday. Asked how Bush viewed Palin's response to questions about his doctrine of pre-emptive action, Fratto said, "I don't have anything on that."

_Said "we've got to put the pressure on Iran" and its nuclear program. Asked three times what her position would be if Israel felt threatened enough to attack Iranian nuclear facilities, Palin repeatedly said the United States shouldn't "second guess" Israel's steps to secure itself.

_Called for Georgia and the Ukraine to be included in NATO, a treaty that requires the U.S. to defend them militarily. She also said Russia's attack into Georgia last month was "unprovoked." Asked to clarify that she'd support going to war over Georgia, she said: "Perhaps so."

On the environment, Palin said she disagreed with McCain's position against oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.

"We'll agree to disagree," she said, "but I'm gonna keep pushing that and I think eventually we're all gonna come together on that one."

Margaret's View on Palin

2008-09-13T09:30:00.000-05:00

Friday, September 12, 2008

Palin

At first I thought Sarah Palin was some kind of Republican pandering – a misguided attempt to woo Hillary voters over to the dark side, as if they believed women voters were so stupid that they would vote for anyone in skirt, but now I see that she is much, much worse.

I have nothing against hockey moms – I just don't want to be one. If Sarah Palin had her way, she would take away that right not to be a mom. She wants to outlaw abortion – so to call her a feminist is as laughable as calling evangelicals 'Christians.' They shouldn't have the right to call themselves Christian, for they have no Christ-like attributes. I am a feminist and a Christian – and when I see Sarah Palin – I see neither. And it is official. She is evil. I saw on Violet Blue's awesome blog that Sarah Palin forced rape victims to pay for their own forensic exams.

This is serious and bad.

Another Way Gay Sexuality Is Swept Under The Rug

2008-09-11T17:02:00.005-05:00

Andrew Hornery
Sydney Morning Herald
September 6, 2008

Matthew Mitcham looks like a sponsor's dream: an Olympic gold medal, undeniably articulate and good looking.

Oh, and he's openly gay. Indeed he was reportedly the only gay in the (Olympic) village.

Ian Thorpe made millions in sponsorship but spent years avoiding the much-conjectured subject of his sexuality.

Mitcham publicly outed himself long before Beijing. As a result some marketers say Mitcham's face may never grace a box of children's breakfast cereal as Thorpe's did.

Last week ..NBC apologised amid claims of homophobia after failing to comment on Mitcham's boyfriend, ..as it did for partners of heterosexual competitors. NBC Olympics president Gary Zenkel said "we missed the opportunity to tell Matthew Mitcham's story".

Guess what, I'll show his boyfriend...

McCain's Turn

2008-09-08T13:42:00.003-05:00

As good as his speech was, he told me very little of what he actually plans to do and how he plans to do it. Well that and he is stealing the whole "Change" idea from someone else. Looks like someone got a big makeover. Imagine that.

FactChecking McCain
September 5, 2008
He made some flubs in accepting the nomination.
Summary
We checked the accuracy of McCain’s speech accepting the Republican nomination and noted the following:

* McCain claimed that Obama’s health care plan would "force small businesses to cut jobs" and would put "a bureaucrat ... between you and your doctor." In fact, the plan exempts small businesses, and those who have insurance now could keep the coverage they have.

* McCain attacked Obama for voting for "corporate welfare" for oil companies. In fact, the bill Obama voted for raised taxes on oil companies by $300 million over 11 years while providing $5.8 billion in subsidies for renewable energy, energy efficiency and alternative fuels.

* McCain said oil imports send "$700 billion a year to countries that don't like us very much." But the U.S. is on track to import a total of only $536 billion worth of oil at current prices, and close to a third of that comes from Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom.

* He promised to increase use of "wind, tide [and] solar" energy, though his actual energy plan contains no new money for renewable energy. He has said elsewhere that renewable sources won’t produce as much as people think.

* He called for "reducing government spending and getting rid of failed programs," but as in the past failed to cite a single program that he would eliminate or reduce.

* He said Obama would "close" markets to trade. In fact, Obama, though he once said he wanted to "renegotiate" the North American Free Trade Agreement, now says he simply wants to try to strengthen environmental and labor provisions in it.

Analysis
Sen. John McCain's acceptance speech to the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul on Sept. 4 was couched more in generalities than in specifics, offering fewer factual claims to check than we found in other speeches to the gathering. But we found some instances where the nominee strained the truth.

And for their analysis look here.

They Are Coming Back To America!!!

2008-09-07T09:07:00.003-05:00

My favorite crazy Japanese band is releasing a new album and headed back to America!!
Even better is that they get to headline their own show this time and not only play a thirty minute set because they are on tour with 5 other bands. Here are new new videos they have released from their upcoming album "We Ate The Machine," in stores Sept 30th. They will be hitting Dallas October 24th!!! Oh, look for the patented "Shimmy" dance in their new video "Pretty Good."

Pretty Good

A Look at Palin

2008-09-07T00:26:00.002-05:00

This piece is from Time magazine and addresses the issue of Sarah Palin's weight in drawing the Conservative Christian Right and scaring away the more moderate voters. Some good points. I think she was perfect for that "injection" of excitement into his campaign, but really, she is not really that good of a choice to win the nomination of presidency. Anything Republicans had leveled against Hilary and/or Obama is coming back at them with Palin and they are screaming bloody murder.

Are Evangelicals Really Sold on Palin?
Saturday, Sep. 06, 2008 By AMY SULLIVAN

Sure, John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin to be his running mate fully consumed a GOP convention that was supposed to be focused on thumping Barack Obama over the head. And it may have raised questions about McCain's own judgment and seriousness. But, as we have been told ad nauseam since the surprise choice was announced last Friday, Palin has already provided one unquestionable, invaluable assist to the Republican campaign: with one sweep of her perfectly manicured hand, she has supposedly erased McCain's Evangelical problem and united the base that proved so key to George W. Bush's victory in 2004. (See photos of Sarah Palin here.)
Related Articles
Sarah Palin: A Frontier Mom's Roots

To a degree, that's true. Palin's pro-life credentials are impeccable — she opposes abortion in all circumstances, even in cases of rape and incest, except when a delivery will result in death. And her strong, open religious faith will make her the perfect person to reach out to conservative Evangelicals, who still don't fully trust the Republican nominee. But McCain and his aides may not want to say hallelujah just yet. While Palin is inspiring rhapsodies from the lions of the Christian right, her appeal to more moderate and younger Evangelicals — as well as independent swing voters — may be limited.

Of course, you can read the rest of the article here.

Hoorah!! Thank You John Stewart!!

2008-09-06T21:19:00.000-05:00

I Kinda Felt This Way Watching Her Speech.

2008-09-06T12:55:00.001-05:00

More Facts Checked...

2008-09-06T09:56:00.001-05:00

GOP Convention Spin, Part II
September 4, 2008
Palin trips up on her facts, and Giuliani and Huckabee have their own stumbles on Night 3 of the Republican confab.
Summary
Sarah Palin’s much-awaited speech at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday night may have shown she could play the role of attack dog, but it also showed her to be short on facts when it came to touting her own record and going after Obama’s.

We found Rudy Giuliani, who introduced her, to be as factually challenged as he sometimes was back when he was in the race. But Mike Huckabee may have laid the biggest egg of all.

* Palin may have said “Thanks, but no thanks” on the Bridge to Nowhere, though not until Congress had pretty much killed it already. But that was a sharp turnaround from the position she took during her gubernatorial campaign, and the town where she was mayor received lots of earmarks during her tenure.

* Palin’s accusation that Obama hasn’t authored “a single major law or even a reform” in the U.S. Senate or the Illinois Senate is simply not a fair assessment. Obama has helped push through major ethics reforms in both bodies, for example.

* The Alaska governor avoided some of McCain’s false claims about Obama’s tax program – but her attacks still failed to give the whole story.

* Giuliani distorted the time line and substance of Obama’s statements about the conflict between Russia and Georgia. In fact, there was much less difference between his statements and those of McCain than Giuliani would have had us believe.

* Giuliani also said McCain had been a fighter pilot. Actually, McCain’s plane was the A-4 Skyhawk, a small bomber. It was the only plane he trained in or flew in combat, according to McCain’s own memoir.

* Finally, Huckabee told conventioneers and TV viewers that Palin got more votes when she ran for mayor of Wasilla than Biden did running for president. Not even close. The tally: Biden, 79,754, despite withdrawing from the race after the Iowa caucuses. Palin, 909 in her 1999 race, 651 in 1996.

And of course the rest can be read here.

What The RNC Did Not Tell Us About Their New Star

2008-09-05T11:40:00.005-05:00

So during the convention we heard just how tough, yet how much of a family orientated person Mrs. Palin is. Her rosy children joined her on stage (yes I think her oldest son is hot), and she eschewed the image of a person that will fight for the American family. The problem I have with her, like so many Conservative Christians, is their idea of what the American family should look like and how it should be defined. Thank you to alternative media sources such as Moveon.org to put out some info on the RNC's new "superstar" that shows us some of her more "family orientated" views. Segments of this was taken from a newsletter I received.

Dear MoveOn member,

Did you watch Sarah Palin's speech last night? The speech told us a lot about her.

It told us that she can distort the facts and deliver mean-spirited zingers with the best of them. It told us that if Rush Limbaugh or Ann Coulter ever need a stand-in, she'd be a great pick.

It told us that she can be condescending and dismissive of the real work Barack Obama did helping real people on the South Side of Chicago. It told us that she can uphold the long Republican tradition of lying about Democratic tax cuts—even though Obama's plan would give Americans a bigger break than McCain's.

But the speech—written by one of President Bush's speechwriters—didn't tell us the truth about Sarah Palin's extremist positions. And the more that people know her far-right views, the less they support her. (There's a partial list below.)...

Palin's speech and the reaction to it also made clear why McCain picked her. It wasn't a decision about who's most qualified to serve a heart-beat away from the presidency—it was a political decision about pleasing the far-right base of the Republican party...

* Palin recently said that the war in Iraq is "God's task." She's even admitted she hasn't thought about the war much—just last year she was quoted saying, "I've been so focused on state government, I haven't really focused much on the war in Iraq." 1, 2
* Palin has actively sought the support of the fringe Alaska Independence Party. Six months ago, Palin told members of the group—who advocate for a vote on secession from the union—to "keep up the good work" and "wished the party luck on what she called its 'inspiring convention.'" 3
* Palin wants to teach creationism in public schools. She hasn't made clear whether she thinks evolution is a fact.4
* Palin doesn't believe that humans contribute to global warming. Speaking about climate change, she said, "I'm not one though who would attribute it to being manmade." 5
* Palin has close ties to Big Oil. Her inauguration was even sponsored by BP. 6
* Palin is extremely anti-choice. She doesn't even support abortion in the case of rape or incest. 7
* Palin opposes comprehensive sex-ed in public schools. She's said she will only support abstinence-only approaches. 8
* As mayor, Palin tried to ban books from the library. Palin asked the library how she might go about banning books because some had inappropriate language in them—shocking the librarian, Mary Ellen Baker. According to Time, "news reports from the time show that Palin had threatened to fire Baker for not giving "full support" to the mayor." 9
* She DID support the Bridge to Nowhere (before she opposed it). Palin claimed that she said "thanks, but no thanks" to the infamous Bridge to Nowhere. But in 2006, Palin supported the project repeatedly, saying that Alaska should take advantage of earmarks "while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist." 10

And in case you didn't know, those numbers are for the references from which they cited this information which I will be more than happy to send you the links.
And always for a good laugh, John Stewart of The Daily Show has his own take.

McCain on the "Gays"

2008-09-04T18:15:00.003-05:00

In case you had any questions...

This piece is from Mother Jones, which actually gives you alternative news to the mainstream, rating driven networks.

McCain: Contradicting His Record on Gay Rights

John McCain is going on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" today to express moderate support for same-sex couples. He urges gay couples to enter "legal agreements" for the purposes of "insurance and other areas, decision that have to be made." You can see McCain's comments and Ellen's eloquence on the issue here:

Problem is, in 2006 McCain campaigned for Arizona Proposition 107 (video here)

, which, according to the proposition's website, sought to ban not only gay marriage and but also "giving recognition or benefits to marriage counterfeits, like 'civil unions' or 'domestic partnerships.'" That would suggest McCain's record doesn't match his words. Maybe his thinking has evolved in two years?

Hap tip to Cliff Schecter, who has more.

Posted by Jonathan Stein on 05/22/08 at 10:45 AM | | Comments (6) | E-mail | Print | Digg | Del.icio.us | Reddit | Yahoo MyWeb | StumbleUpon | Newsvine | Netscape | Google |

And this is from a recent mailing I received from the Human Rights Campaign. Enuff said.

Dear Timothy,

This week, you're probably seeing countless news stories about John McCain's "maverick" record. But did you know...

Two years ago, John McCain campaigned to deny marriage to Arizona GLBT couples.

Now he's publicly supporting the ballot initiative to end marriage equality in California.

And he's even said he wouldn't rule out a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage nationwide.

Some maverick, huh?

Click here to tell Sen. McCain: Stop campaigning against marriage equality.

While he'd like you to believe he's a moderate, at the end of the day Sen. McCain marches in lockstep with the anti-GLBT right wing.

* His public support for writing discrimination into the California constitution – a measure opposed by Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger – puts him among company like Focus on the Family, the Family Research Council, and their bigoted buddies.

* He believes same-sex couples should never be allowed to adopt children.

* He even appeared in a television ad for the 2006 Arizona ballot measure that would have denied marriage and domestic partnership benefits to all Arizona couples.

* And he hasn't even ruled out writing discrimination into the U.S. Constitution with an anti-marriage amendment. At a recent forum at Saddleback Church he said:

"...if a federal court decided that my state of Arizona had to observe what the state of Massachusetts decided, then I would favor a constitutional amendment."

Let's get that straight. In other words, he only supports a Constitutional amendment...if he really wants one? McCain dug himself even deeper when he tried to backtrack a few minutes later:

We have to recognize the unique status of marriage between man and woman...doesn't mean that [GLBT] people can't enter into legal agreements. That doesn't mean that they don't have the rights of all citizens. I'm not saying that.

Actually, that's exactly what it means, Senator. If GLBT Americans don't have marriage rights then they don't have "the rights of all citizens" – simple as that.

Sign HRC's petition and tell Sen. McCain to stop supporting measures that deny committed, adult couples the rights and responsibilities of marriage.

Don't let Sen. McCain get away with embracing discrimination while telling us he's protecting GLBT rights. Don't let him tell us he's a maverick while supporting hate and bigotry.

Sign the petition and then pass it along to your friends.
Warmly,

Joe Solmonese
Joe Solmonese
President

Just to Be "Fair and Balanced"

2008-09-04T17:54:00.002-05:00

Part of the key to winning a debate is knowing what is factual and what is not. So believe me when I say I read and analyze what Obama has to say as well. I watched his acceptance speech and was disappointed in how little he mentioned more social issues such as gay marriage and abortion (both admittedly very controversial and could easily sway votes). But I watched Palin and will watch McCain tonight to see what they have to say concerning these issues very dear to me (note, even with her strong stances of being anti-choice, and against gay marriage, Palin did not mention these issues once in her speech, OUTRIGHT. Omission speaks volumes as well.) In the meantime, here are some facts stretched by Obama concerning McCain...

FactChecking Obama
August 29, 2008
He stuck to the facts, except when he stretched them.
Summary
We checked the accuracy of Obama's speech accepting the Democratic nomination, and noted the following:

* Obama said he could “pay for every dime” of his spending and tax cut proposals “by closing corporate loopholes and tax havens.” That’s wrong – his proposed tax increases on upper-income individuals are key components of paying for his program, as well. And his plan, like McCain’s, would leave the U.S. facing big budget deficits, according to independent experts.

* He twisted McCain’s words about Afghanistan, saying, “When John McCain said we could just 'muddle through' in Afghanistan, I argued for more resources.” Actually, McCain said in 2003 we “may” muddle through, and he recently also called for more troops there.

* He said McCain would fail to lower taxes for 100 million Americans while his own plan would cut taxes for 95 percent of “working” families. But an independent analysis puts the number who would see no benefit from McCain’s plan at 66 million and finds that Obama’s plan would benefit 81 percent of all households when retirees and those without children are figured in.

* Obama asked why McCain would "define middle-class as someone making under five million dollars a year"? Actually, McCain meant that comment as a joke, getting a laugh and following up by saying, "But seriously ..."

* Obama noted that McCain’s health care plan would "tax people’s benefits" but didn’t say that it also would provide up to a $5,000 tax credit for families.

* He said McCain, far from being a maverick who’s "broken with his party," has voted to support Bush policies 90 percent of the time. True enough, but by the same measure Obama has voted with fellow Democrats in the Senate 97 percent of the time.

* Obama said "average family income" went down $2,000 under Bush, which isn't correct. An aide said he was really talking only about "working" families and not retired couples. And – math teachers, please note – he meant median (or midpoint) and not really the mean or average. Median family income actually has inched up slightly under Bush.

Of course, the rest can be read here.

Yes, Another One...

2008-09-04T17:31:00.003-05:00

Most Republicans believe that Obama is the anti-Christ and that he will destroy this great country with raised taxes on Americans. Guess what, its just more hype...

A Maverick Misleads

A McCain ad comparing Palin to Obama isn't all above board.
By Lori Robertson | factcheck.org

Summary
McCain's campaign launched a TV ad touting his running mate, Palin, and offering a comparison to Obama. Some of its claims are off the mark:

It says Obama "gave big oil billions in subsidies and giveaways," citing his votes for a 2005 energy bill. But the bill slightly raised taxes on the oil industry overall.

The ad plucked a positive blurb about Palin from an Associated Press article that, in fact, was very much a mixed review. The AP said she "brings an ethical shadow to the [Republican] ticket," for example.

The ad says Obama is the "most liberal" Senator. But the National Journal rated him the 16th most liberal in his first year and the 10th most liberal in his second. It rated his votes "most liberal" only in 2007, when he was busy campaigning and missed one-third of the votes on which the rating is based.

You can read the full, RESEARCHED article here.

The Games Have Begun...

2008-09-04T17:23:00.003-05:00

Unluckily, most of political ads from the candidates this presidential election will be viewed and believed with little critical analysis by either side. Major news stations, according to most people are slanted, so they choose to believe what they want to and discredit the rest regardless of what is presented. Hence, that is why I like to refer to such organizations as Factcheck.org. They get rid of the spin, from either side and try as best as they can to present the facts. Non-partisan, they just wish for the
American democracy to work as well as it can with the correct information. That is after all, how a democracy works. Check out one of their latest web videos on some recent attacks by either side. And please quit trying to debate me with thirty second sound bites which just make you look uneducated.

Toles, You So Right...

2008-09-01T15:57:00.000-05:00

Margaret Cho Makes Me Proud

2008-08-31T00:48:00.003-05:00

This segment from Margaret Cho's new show makes me proud of her. What she has to say concerning beauty and society has a lot of credence in my views of growing up Asian in a mostly white environment. It also speaks volumes to having the determination one has in making themselves beautiful in their own eyes and ultimately to how others see them.
Enjoy and view the rest here.

Political Broo-haha

2008-08-03T10:46:00.001-05:00

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This Explains A Lot!!

2008-07-02T08:12:00.005-05:00

I have always believed that most problems that occur within the human body can be solved and/or prevented by the diet we consume, and this leads credence to that idea. Part of the problem today, is that the many in the medical industry are such pharmaceutical whores, that natural, safer and cheaper alternatives to expensive medicines are often bypassed for pills. But all blame does not lay with the doctors. As a society, Americans are selfish and lazy in the sense we would prefer an easy antidote to our problems, that might have more harmful side effects rather than change our eating habits, get some exercise, or do some home research. I'll stick with my methods for now, as far as I know watermelon doesn't have the side effect of turning your vision blue, or causing a longer than usual erection!

Watermelon = The New Viagra?
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
filed under: health & diet & fitness

Scientists say the fruit boosts a little-known side effect.

Want to get in the mood? Forget oysters. Science Daily is reporting that watermelon may have Viagra-like effects on the body. Researchers say watermelon relaxes blood vessels, much like Viagra does, and may even increase libido.

"The more we study watermelons, the more we realize just how amazing a fruit it is in providing natural enhancers to the human body," said Dr. Bhimu Patil, director of Texas A&M's Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Center in College Station.

Watermelon contains the nutrient citrulline. When watermelon is consumed, citrulline is converted to arginine. "Arginine boosts nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels, the same basic effect that Viagra has, to treat erectile dysfunction and maybe even prevent it," Patil says. "Watermelon may not be as organ-specific as Viagra, but it's a great way to relax blood vessels without any drug side effects." He recommends storing the uncut watermelon at room temperature before eating for maximum health benefits.

So go ahead -- add a watermelon to your Fourth of July shopping list. We guarantee you'll be seeing fireworks.

Surprise! The Military is Still Unfriendly to Women, Especially Lesbians

2008-07-01T21:26:00.000-05:00

Military's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Policy Targets Women More Than Men
By L.K. Regan
Published Jun 23, 2008
An extensive study of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy has found a potentially surprising effect—that lesbians are much more likely than gay men to be targeted by the policy, which mandates dismissing any personnel discovered to be gay or lesbian, The New York Times reports. The study used information gathered under a Freedom of Information Act request by the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a policy advocacy group.

Women make up 14 percent of Army personnel, but represent 46 percent of those dismissed under DADT. Similarly, 20 percent of Air Force personnel are women, but 49 percent of its discharges under DADT were lesbians. These numbers do not gel with discharges in general: in 2006, 35 percent of those discharged from the Army, and 36 percent of those discharged from the Air Force, were women. And, of course, these numbers are themselves skewed by DADT.

Aubrey Sarvis, the Servicemenbers Legal Defense Network's executive director, pointed out that, "Women make up 15 percent of the armed forces, so to find they represent nearly 50 percent of Army and Air Force discharges under 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' is shocking. Women in particular have been caught in the crosshairs of this counterproductive law."

The armed services dismiss an average of nearly two service members per day under DADT, with 627 dismissals in 2007, up slightly from 612 the year before. Both of these numbers, however, are only about half the averages seen before the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Still, despite the obvious current stresses on the military, DADT continues to be implemented.

The Army had the highest number of DADT discharges in 2007, shedding 302 soldiers under the policy. This was 22 more than the year before. The Marine Corps was up four from 2006, with 68 DADT discharges. The Navy held steady with 166, while the Air Force was down slightly with 91 dismissals compared to 2006's 102.

The study offered no answers as to why lesbians are targeted more than gay men under DADT—though to ask a question about reason with regard to a discriminatory and arbitrary policy may not be productive anyway. Certainly the policy is itself counter-productive: 41,000 new recruits could be found if the military would end the policy, a study conducted last year for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network concluded.

Damn Those Hidden Calories!!

2008-06-24T16:41:00.000-05:00

Swirl, Looking Beyong Racial Binaries

2008-06-11T08:23:00.003-05:00

For most people, race is still mainly seen as "black and white." Either you are white or you are not. While many have connotations of what it means to not be white, or not be black, very little is discussed what does make those in between. Even less has been discussed about those who are of mixed racial ancestry. In most people's minds, many of these people are not considered white, even if most of the ancestry is from Caucasian relatives. For many years, people of mixed ancestry have been defined by "others", being those not of mixed ancestry, of how we should define ourselves and how others view us. That is why I applaud the people of Swirl. This is a multi-faceted and multi-layered issue that can not simply be defined as it has for many years as simply "black and whites". As with sex (male vs. female), gender (masculinity vs. femininity) and religion (Christian vs. non-Christan), these discussions are often defined and dictated by those in the majority and/or with the most power, all the while relegating all those that do not simply fall into either dichotomy to be largely absent from the discussion. That is why groups like Swirl are ever increasingly important in a society that must move forward. Check out the website and learn something new. Here is some words from the group's founder, Jen Chau.

...In 2000, many of us found ourselves having to explain the idea of mixed identity to others. From strangers to our own families, we have had to answer the questions of people who didn’t believe or couldn’t fathom that we could be “more than one thing” at the same time. We have been asked to choose time and time again — and that’s when we were actually presented with the choice — many times, people have chosen for us. Swirl was created in order to challenge the idea that identity is simple — something that can be discussed in black and white terms. I wanted to create a space where people could find community amongst others who thought about ethnicity and identity in more open-minded ways. I wanted Swirl to become a community of children and adults, young and old, interracial couples and families to share experiences, support one another, and to learn together in order to create change and move us from the borders to a space that was inclusive of all.

While many of us continue to get questioned or see the kind of close-minded thinking that shows how dysfunctional our thinking around race/ethnicity/identity is, there is definitely a sense that we have made some progress. Fluid and complex identities have been lived for ages. For many reasons, although mixed heritage people have existed for generations, we now find ourselves at a time when people are ready to recognize and acknowledge that our country has to account for people who don’t easily fit into one of the five archaic racial classifications (Black, Asian, Native American, Hispanic, White). Mixed heritage individuals are able to check more than one box on the US Census, there are mixed characters in primetime TV shows and Hollywood films, there are more books, organizations, and other resources out there for mixed heritage people, interracial couples, and mixed families. We have made some strides, but of course, there is so much more to be done. With that said, Swirl is committed to growing — both to serve more communities throughout the country, but also to take on more of the work that will initiate big picture change in this country.

We want to change the culture of how identity is thought about, talked about, and lived...

Beautiful and Amazing

2008-05-31T23:06:00.001-05:00

4 The Rip - Portishead

As she walks in the room
Scented and tall
Hesitating once more
And as I take on myself
And the bitterness I felt
I realise that love flows

Wild, white horses
They will take me away
And the tenderness I feel
Will send the dark underneath
Will I follow?

Through the glory of life
I will scatter on the floor
Disappointed and sore
And in my thoughts I have bled
For the riddles I've been fed
Another lie moves over

Wild, white horses
They will take me away
And the tenderness I feel
Will send the dark underneath
Will I follow?

Wild, white horses
They will take me away
And the tenderness I feel
Will send the dark underneath
Will I follow?

It Took This Long?

2008-05-22T00:02:00.003-05:00

And at this rate it will take a bit longer.

Federal court rules against military gays policy

By GENE JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 9 minutes ago

SEATTLE - The military cannot automatically discharge people because they're gay, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday in the case of a decorated flight nurse who sued the Air Force over her dismissal.

The three judges from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals did not strike down the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. But they reinstated Maj. Margaret Witt's lawsuit, saying the Air Force must prove that her dismissal furthered the military's goals of troop readiness and unit cohesion.

The "don't ask, don't tell, don't pursue, don't harass" policy prohibits the military from asking about the sexual orientation of service members but requires discharge of those who acknowledge being gay or engaging in homosexual activity.

Wednesday's ruling led opponents of the policy to declare its days numbered. It is also the first appeals court ruling in the country that evaluated the policy through the lens of a 2003 Supreme Court decision that struck down a Texas ban on sodomy as an unconstitutional intrusion on privacy.

When gay service members have sued over their dismissals, courts historically have accepted the military's argument that having gays in the service is generally bad for morale and can lead to sexual tension.

But the Supreme Court's opinion in the Texas case changed the legal landscape, the judges said, and requires more scrutiny over whether "don't ask, don't tell" is constitutional as applied in individual cases.

Under Wednesday's ruling, military officials "need to prove that having this particular gay person in the unit really hurts morale, and the only way to improve morale is to discharge this person," said Aaron Caplan, a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington state who worked on the case.

read the whole story here.

Bunnies!! Pets Or Meat?

2008-05-17T14:17:00.002-05:00

No it is not the clip from "Roger and Me" in which Roger Moore shows how the downtrodden people of Flint Michigan must survive post the exit of car manufacturing plants. It's the new video from LADYTRON. rroooaahhhh.. I wish I could see these guys on tour again, but gas is killing me on road trips, It's like the price I could pay for a scuzzy hotel room and be scared of where I am when I wake up from drinking! Anyway, here is the video, and David I am sure will say that cause one guy is from Asia and the other three are from Europe that they probably ate the bunnies. Well, they probably did.

That Would Be Life

2008-05-16T14:02:00.001-05:00

Nifty Idea for the Kid Who Won't Grow Up

2008-05-15T00:16:00.003-05:00

Yeah, I am talking about David for this one. I wonder what else this kid can make? A man that is intellectual, knows how to cook, and give massages would be nice.

Giant Nintendo Controller Table

Tomorrow is the Day

2008-05-12T15:40:00.007-05:00

New Death Cab For Cutie album comes out tomorrow. Can't wait for it and when I travel to Dallas to see them. Here is the first single, or you can check out the video here.

AND to top it all off Portishead has finally released their third album after ten years. Their new album does not disappoint, especially since I've waited this long for it. and HERE is there first single. And here is the webcast of my favorite song off the album right now. Amazing.

...And It Begins Again.

2008-05-02T09:25:00.006-05:00

The three reasons the Gayzian is Crazy!

A big Sweet Sixteen to my lil sister who is a spawn of Satan herself. Everyone please watch out for this little terror on the roads. If anyone has seen my other sister or mother drive you know what I mean!! Don't worry, I'll be doing all the driving as we head to Tulsa later today to catch the excellent sounds of Tegan and Sara.

Winding Down...Before I Am Wound Back Up.

2008-05-01T23:59:00.004-05:00

My memories from this past week (the Arts Festival, meeting Barney Frank, seeing Margaret Cho and Kelly, tons o shopping and working my ass off, and the one who shared it with me) some hot Rooibos mandarin tea, and the cool breeze coming into my apartment with this song make for the perfect close to this crazy week.

Cruelty Comes In Many Forms

2008-04-23T08:58:00.005-05:00

Sorry, I am going to borrow from Margaret Cho again, but this posting deserves the time.

Starving Dog in Art Exhibit

I got forwarded this email and I was absolutely horrified. I cannot believe it. It makes me so upset I can't even deal.

Subject: Boycott Guillermo Vargas at the Biennial Centroamericana Honduras 2008

In 2007, the 'artist' Guillermo Vargas Habacuc, took a dog from the street, tied him to a rope in an art gallery, and starved him to death.

For several days, the 'artist' and the visitors of the exhibition have watched emotionless the shameful 'masterpiece' based on the dog's agony, until eventually he died.

Does it look like art to you?

But this is not all… the prestigious Visual Arts Biennial of the Central American decided that the 'installation' was actually art, so that Guillermo Vargas Habacuc has been invited to repeat his cruel action for the biennial of 2008.

PLEASE HELP STOP HIM.

http://www.petitiononline.com/ea6gk/petition.html

It's free of charge, there is no need to register, and it will only take 1 minute to save the life of an innocent creature.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you...

2008-04-21T11:34:00.003-05:00

I found this piece from Margaret Cho's blog to be a nice short read for the beginning of the week as we try to tackle the world and leave the weekend behind us...

Follow Your Dreams

I'm having an amazing time on my Beautiful tour, with killer back to back shows this week in Portland and Phoenix, and I was thinking back on how all this got started.

When I was a kid, my family was one of the first on my block to have a VCR. It had wood on it and stuff! Remember when electronics would be encased in wood?! That was really weird. Like they were trying to disguise it as furniture. It was a huge machine, and would open up its big metal mouth so you could insert a tape. We rented movies at this cheap video store two blocks from my house, and my favorite movie to watch was Richard Pryor's "Live on the Sunset Strip." He was so amazingly funny to me, even though I didn't fully understand all the jokes because they were mostly about sex and drugs and I had yet to experience those things. The other film that completely changed my world was Eddie Murphy's "Delirous." As a standup, Eddie Murphy was my ultimate hero. I laughed at that show so much I almost got sick. The "Ice Cream" bit was my favorite. I wanted to be like him. I knew that I was going to be a standup comic. That was going to be my life, and I didn't care about anything else.

I think that we all have the potential to be anything we want to be, and I am living proof of that. I was just a kid, and yet I was able to make my dreams come true and I continue to do so every day. If you love something, I think you have to just do it. Don't worry about what people will say. Follow your dreams, because there is a reason why you have them. They are the path to your destiny.

Springtime fun

2008-04-14T00:40:00.002-05:00

One of the reasons I love this season so much has to do with the concerts that start popping up at this time of year. Oh yes, I love concerts and I love traveling to see them. While I might have skipped the "Panic At The Disco" show, I have plenty coming.
Having seen the queen of comedy twice already, I will be be seeing Margaret Cho once again. While I may not meet her again, this show should be awesome since Kelly will be touring with her. If any of you missed my last posting of Kelly, here is her video that she is most known.

I also get to see Death Cab For Cutie which I am really excited. Their songs are legendary to me and their show should be a good one.
.

And finally in June I get to see a good number of bands supporting a good cause. The "Human Rights Campaign: True Colors Tour" will be passing through Oklahoma and I have tickets. I cannot wait for this extravaganza.

Hopefully see you soon.

Spring is Here

2008-04-13T11:04:00.008-05:00

So it has been a minute since I've made a post. Well I've been kinda busy. Work is been kicking in high gear with all the catering parties, benefit events, prom parties, and the hetero ritual of celebrating the birth of babies and the officiation of two people in love.
I've also been taking in the beautiful weather as of late, not so much today. Last weekend I was able to hit the Science Museum Oklahoma (formerly the Omniplex). Doug and I had both heard that the Museum had been revamped and had characteristics. It did, but it also had quite a few exhibits that we remembered from our youths, mine being a little further back than his, that were in need of repair. What we did fine amazing was their star exhibit, "Our Body: The Universe Within." I do not have the proper words for the exhibit, but it was amazing and sometimes nauseating, but well worth the 25.00 each. I definitely encourage everyone to check it out before it leaves in early May.
Since we were in the location we, more so me, decided to go ahead and hit the Zoo. Not a wise decision since it was a Saturday. Absence of children is one of the reasons I work in a higher end restaurant. Well, I went from high end to freaking Chucky Cheese. Besides the rugrats, the Zoo did have some really nice new exhibits, including the "Oklahoma Exhibit" featuring all wildlife and plants in Okiehoma. Worth the seven dollars, but go near the end of the day. Doug and I saw much more of the animals as the human ones disappeared. Much more relaxing and peaceful.
On a different day we also hit the Myriad Botanical Gardens which is celebrating being open 20 years. They have a tropical themed exhibit to go along with some recent renovations. It is beautiful. Actually here are some pics I took to help you visualize.

Doug hates pictures so all the ones I got of him were side profiles and that was the only one I caught him laughing. It was nice to get to hang out with someone that can appreciate nature and the outdoors as much as I do. That is not a trait you find in many gay men. More so, he was able to tell me various names and species of plants and birds since he has an interest in them. You want me to shut up, teach me something.
Besides our outside explorations we visited sushi bars, wine bars, movies, coffee shops, and the bars. So all in all it is no surprise I got a little under the weather by the time his four day visit ended on Tues. Well, that and crazy allergies. That and work have kept me busy. And I nearly spent six hundred dollars this week on furniture and art for my bedroom. It looks damn good though. I could right more, but I gotta eat some food and head to work. Get outside and enjoy some green!

Growing Up In The Red Sea of Hypocrisy

2008-03-26T22:12:00.005-05:00

So most of you recently have heard (oh please I hope) of the statements Sally Kern made, that were secretly recorded and placed onto YouTube. Even more recently Kern was on Flashpoint and had a debate with my cousin, pastor of The Cathedral of Hope, Scott Jones. The link to view the debate is above. As I was watching the debate, besides the feelings of pity and disgust I had for someone whom was even misquoting the bible from which she assumed her justification for her words and views, I was filled with reminiscence of all my past "conversations" with people of opposing views on race, religion, sex and gender roles, homosexuality, ageism, xenophobia, etc.

Ever since I can remember I have been at odds with the views of most Oklahomans. Not that I haven't done so myself as a younger person, I've always felt something intrinsically wrong with making fun and/or picking on someone because of something they had little to do with, such as race, sex, or sexual preference. As I grew older into my teens, these feelings grew to encompass ideas of toleration for religion (as much as an anarchist, atheist person could at the time), ethnicity, political views, people that choose to eat meat, or any other points which we were free to choose.

I can say though that my patience, understanding, and tolerance of ignorance and stupidity has grown smaller and smaller. I define ignorance as usually those viewpoints of people that are present because people have not been exposed to very many ideas. Often their friends, family, neighborhood, and/ or town usually hold a similar view and because this person has been exposed to mainly this point of view, they believe that this is the correct (and/or only view). Stupidity differs and occurs when one holds a view that is ignorant even when other information/ views have been presented to the person and they "refuse" to listen, consider, or accept a view that differs from their own.

I think many people often consider points of view that differ from their own with caution and skepticism (as I do), with disdain (those who do not like being viewed as wrong), and/or fear and anger (such as people like Kern). When you question people's views, especially ones that have held for sometime, or ones they share with a group, whether it is their family or friends, most people I have encountered are none too pleased. In some part they feel like you are questioning their intelligence. Others feel like you are attacking them as a person and all they have known. People are often threatened by change and ideas that are different. It in some way means that things done, ideas thought, words said might not have been as innocent as they once thought or were led to believe.

I do not consider people stupid for not knowing about how something could be offensive or insensitive to someone else. I do consider them that way if they try to close themselves off from considering what they did or said was wrong. I am also less likely to consider someone as ignorant of issues if they themselves belong to a minority group. My example here comes from one I share and encounter often. Being part of the gay community I must confront ignorant ideas such as Kern's that I am a threat to the moral fabric of society. But I am also part of the Asian American community and must face issues of racism associated with stereotypes about Asians. Some would assume that since I am gay and work for the idealization of a free society for all people that other gay people would have the same view. I believe most people assume this because gays have been and are persecuted for something they did not choose. In this sense they should also understand racism and try their hardest to eradicate injustice and unfairness such as racism and sexism. I used to be that idealistic.

Most of the gay population in Oklahoma (believe it or not!!), are Caucasian. And most of these people have not heard or considered ideas of race. They really haven't had to. It was just in the last few years that the Tulsa Race Riots was admitted as occurring by the state of Oklahoma. And no, I do not believe that one's views of race greatly differ according to your class or education, I've met bigots from all educational and class levels. And while I've met more people in college that believe as I do, I also had the chance to meet plenty of ignorant and stupid ones as well. Another part of trying to tell people that what they said or what they believe is offensive to you is the extreme and and almost immediate anger they have towards your words. They believe that you view them as racist and an ignorant person. If you are talking to me or hanging out with me I seriously doubt that you are racist, but I do believe anyone, black, white, yellow, brown, purple, can have and/ or harbor racist ideas and stereotypes.

We in society are inundated with racial, sexual, religious, homophobic, ageist, cultural, etc, stereotypes. This is mainly why I abhor pop culture. When those around us reinforces those ideas because they live in the same medium as you, most people come to accept that idea as true, none the while realizing that people they may have ideas or stereotypes about are in fact ranging in diversity. I do not consider those who have these ideas as "stupid" or less smart than me because I realize how many Oklahomans have grown up. I WILL consider you as ignorant and even stupid, vile and disgusting if you choose to act as Sally Kern does and close yourself off to ideas that are different than yours. I will feel sorry for you for lacking a strong sense of right and wrong (called morals) to see that treating anyone unequally for something they can not help is unjust. And I one day hope that you love yourself enough as a person to know that everyone deserves freedom, equality, and respect in this world. But that will not happen until we look into ourselves and change all the things that keep this from happening.

'You must be the change you wish to see in the world.’
—Mahatma Gandhi

'Progress is a nice word. But change is its motivator and change has its enemies.’
—Robert Kennedy

‘The world hates change yet it is the only thing that has brought progress.’
—Charles F. Kettering

‘The soft-minded man always fears change. He feels security in the status quo, and he has an almost morbid fear of the new. For him, the greatest pain is the pain of a new idea.’
—Martin Luther King

‘A great wind is blowing and that gives you either imagination or a headache.’
-Catherine the Great

‘It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.’
—Alan Cohen

And my favorite for many years now...

‘Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.’
—Margaret Mead

Doublelicious!

2008-03-24T13:12:00.003-05:00

So I am taking my little sis to see Tegan and Sara in Tulsa for her birthday! I love it when there is an excuse so I "have" to go. Check out there latest vid, it should be a blast!

"Back In Your Head"

Build a wall of books. Between us in our bed. Repeat, repeat the words
That I know we both said. Relax into the need. We get so comfortable
Remember when I was. So strange and likeable.

I just want back in your head.I just want back in your head
I'm not unfaithful. But I'll stray. When I get a little scared
When I get a little scared. When I get a little

When I jerk away from. Holding hands with you. I know these habits hurt
Important parts of you. Remember when I was.Sweet and unexplainable
Nothing like this person,Unlovable

I just want back in your head. I just want back in your head
I'm not unfaithful. But I'll stray. When I get a little scared
When I get a little scared. When I get a little scared
When I get a little
Run, run, run Run Run, run, run
Run I just want back in your head
I just want back in your head. I'm not unfaithful. But I'll stray

Song About My Life

2008-03-23T05:49:00.003-05:00

So I am having an insomniatic bout right now and decided to share this beautiful song. I love people but seriously I wonder about a lot of them sometimes. I think this song goes especially well for all those past relationships as well. Maybe now I can sleep.

"The Girl You Lost To Cocaine"

I've stuck around, through thick and through thin
You cannot deny, I've always been in
But I've watched you stand, still as a snowman
But I don't see you change, you're always at meltdown

Yeah I've been your crutch, your smell sight and touch
Yeah I took you home when you've drunk too much
But I can't survive, with you by my side
See I'll never get laid, while I'm running your life

No I just don't wanna, so I'm walking away
There is nothing that you can do I will not stay
No I don't need drama, so I'm walking away
Yeah I am a girl with a lot on her plate

So just cut me loose, learn to tie your shoes
There's somebody here, I'd like to introduce
So look in the mirror, look for the glass
'Cause you're not my problem, you are my last

No I just don't wanna, so I'm walking away
There is nothing that you can do I will not stay
No I don't need drama, so I'm walking away
Yeah I am a girl with a lot on her plate

No I just don't wanna, so I'm walking away
There is nothing that you can do I will not stay
No I don't need drama, so I'm walking away
I'm just a girl that you lost to cocaine

Some Thoughts on Life

2008-03-20T23:27:00.002-05:00

These past couple of weeks have been quite entertaining and satisfying for me. If anything they have re-affirmed the positive things that life has to offer. One thing I have tried to do over the years is stop being so co-dependent on others for my happiness. I was constantly being disappointed and hurt by others because I was basing what I thought of myself by how others treated me. Things like I was only good person if I was dating someone. Or I was smart based on whether someone asked my opinion in group meetings, and on and on. The list of little things we let negatively affect our lives can go on for miles.
These little things are often allowed to decide whether each day has been a good or bad day. Rather than see the day as a whole, we allow small actions or inactions by others to tell us who we are, what we are worth, and/ or how our lives are going. I am not saying that people or friends in our lives are not important, but we as individuals need to see ourselves in that way. How things affect us is how WE LET them affect us. It is hard to enjoy life when we let others live it for us.
It is hard for me to see those around me regard their self value and/or how well their life is going by whether or not they make others, who might not even view the situation in the same light, happy. Some of these people get so caught up whether or not their friends like or appreciate them they fail to realize that their so called friends are selfish people that rarely do take the time for things that do not benefit themselves. I know it is not easy to get away from this type of thinking. It has taken me years to get to the point where I am able to see myself for myself. Not how others define me or believe I should be. At least being aware of what you are doing will help you not define yourself through other people's eyes.

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”

Charles R. Swindoll quotes (American Writer and Clergyman, b.1934)

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”

Maria Robinson quotes

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
Sparrowrose

Howard Thurman quotes (American Theologian, Clergyman and Activist. 1900-1981)

“To love is to risk not being loved in return. To hope is to risk pain. To try is to risk failure, but risk must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.”

Thank You Sally Kern

2008-03-08T17:31:00.002-06:00

I am not shocked by this, I live in Oklahoma. One more example of the work that needs to be done and why who you vote (or don't vote for) really does matter! BTW, if you would like to leave her a message of what you think here is her info. Please do.

Oklahoma State Representative Sally Kern
Capitol Address:
2300 N. Lincoln Blvd.
Room 332
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
(405) 557-7348
District Address:
2713 Sterling Ave.
Oklahoma City, OK 73127
Email:
sallykern@okhouse.gov

My Month Has Arrived

2008-02-29T11:42:00.002-06:00

I can dig this one. I hope the rest go as well.

In the coming week, you should try to experience, or at least visualize, scenes like the following: an apple pierced by an arrow that's lying on a bridge near a half-crumpled Valentine card; wind rattling through an old tree in such a way that you hallucinate there being an angel perched in its branches; an accordion floating down a stream trailed by two quacking ducks; a stranger who's simultaneously crying and laughing in a cafe while writing frenetically on white paper napkins. And why is it important to commune with scenes like these? Because they will energize your soul in ways you can't rationally understand. They will remind you that deeply meaningful events can be utterly mysterious.

From Free Will Astrology.

Defining Love

2008-02-27T00:34:00.003-06:00

I am taking the time to re-read one of my favorite books, All About Love: New Visions by bell hooks. Hooks is a cultural theorist and feminist that questions how love shapes how we treat ourselves and others, as well as how people in society treat others and especially those we claim to 'love'. She intertwines her look at love with not only how we treat ourselves and those we form relationships with (whatever the context) with larger issues of sexism, racism, and homophobia. I find this book truly enlightening and inspirational. I feel as it is a grounding agent, an anchor to remind me of what truly should be sought after and worked for in life. Every so often I feel the need to read this book when I feel like various parts of life are trying to pull me from my intended goals. It reminds me of the power we have not only over ourselves, but in transforming our relationships with others.

In the first chapter "Clarity: Give Love Words," hooks describes the trouble that she has had, as well as many in society, in trying to exactly say what love is. She finds this especially troubling since if most people can not define love, how are they able to clearly know when they are experiencing it, or more so when they are receiving love. She believes that while love is commonly used as a noun, it should be used as a verb. She agrees most with M. Scott Peck's definition from his book, "The Road Less Traveled," in which he describes love as,

...the will to extend one's self
for the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's spiritual
growth... Love is as love does. Love is an act of will - namely,
both an intention and an action. Will also implies choice. We do
not have to love. We choose to love.

I like this definition of love because it basis love not on only what most people perceive it, as receiving it from others in our lives, but as something we can do to ourselves. As many has heard me say before, I do not believe that one can truly love someone till we love ourselves, flaws and all. This definition of love also lends to the idea that love is an action. Something we ourselves can initiate and attain, not something we must obtain from others. This is powerful because in contrast to believing as many people do, that love includes negative and/or abusive thoughts, actions, and/ or words from others, we can find love that is truly "loving". Someone that encourages who you are, nurtures your soul, and makes you want to be a better person.
I could go on and on about what this means to me and its possibilities for the world, but this is only chapter one. Besides, I would rather leave this posting with an excerpt from Chapter One itself.

So many of us long for love but lack the courage to take risks. Even though we are obsessed with the idea of love, the truth is that most of us live relatively decent, somewhat satisfying lives even if we often feel that love is lacking. In these relationships we share genuine affection and/ or care. For most of us, that feels like enough because it is usually a lot more than we received in our families of origin. Undoubtedly, many of us are more comfortable with the notion that love can mean anything to anybody precisely because when we define it with precision and clarity it brings us face to face with our lacks - with terrible alienation. The truth is, far too many people in our culture do not know what love is. And this not knowing feels like a terrible secret, a lack that we have to cover up.
Had I been given a clear definition of love earlier in my life it would not have taken me so long to become a more loving person. Had I shared with others a common understanding of what it means to love it would have been easier to create love. It is particularly distressing that so many recent books on love continue to insist that definitions of love are unnecessary and meaningless. Or worse, the authors suggest love should mean something different to men that it does to women - that the sexes should respect and adapt to our inability to communicate since we do not share the same language. This type of literature is popular because it does not demand a change in fixed ways of thinking about gender roles, culture or, love.
Rather than sharing strategies that would help us become more loving it actually encourages everyone to adapt to circumstances where love is lacking.

More to come...

Funny But Oh So True!

2008-02-24T10:22:00.003-06:00

Fag Hags/Gay Bars - Margaret Cho

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I Really Hope This Helps...ME.

2008-02-19T22:36:00.003-06:00

Bedtime Snacks that Help You Sleep
Posted Thu, Feb 14, 2008, 12:37 pm PST

One of the best natural sedatives is tryptophan, an amino acid component of many plant and animal proteins.

Tryptophan is one of the ingredients necessary for the body to make serotonin, the neurotransmitter best known for creating feelings of calm, and for making you sleepy.

However, the trick is to combine foods that have some tryptophan with ample carbohydrate. That’s because in order for insomnia-busting tryptophan to work, it has to make its way to the brain.

Unfortunately, all amino acids compete for transport to the brain. When you add carbs, they cause the release of insulin, which takes the competing amino acids and incorporates them into muscle…but leaves tryptophan alone, so it can make its way to the brain, be converted to serotonin, and cause sleepiness.

Serotonin-producing bedtime snacks should be no more than 200 calories and should be eaten at least 30 minutes prior to bed.

Here are a few great ideas:

Bedtime Snacks for Adults

--6-8 oz container of non-fat, flavored yogurt topped with 2 tablespoons low-fat granola cereal
--Sliced apple with 1-2 teaspoons natural peanut butter
--3 cups low-fat popcorn – sprinkled with optional 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

Bedtime Snacks for Teens
--One cup healthy cereal with skim milk
--Low-fat granola bar
--Scoop of vanilla or strawberry low-fat ice cream

Bedtime Snacks for Children

--1/2 cup low-fat vanilla pudding
--1/2 banana with 1-2 teaspoons peanut butter
--One cup skim milk with a bunch of grapes (or other fruit)

2007 Joy Bauer Nutrition . All Rights Reserved.

My Thoughts Exactly

2008-02-18T15:19:00.001-06:00

Change

2008-02-18T12:51:00.002-06:00

Life is beautiful. This world is filled with beautiful places, interesting people and unique experiences that one can experience. The problem is that many people don't view the world in this manner, nor do they take the time to slow down and see the endless possibilities in their life and themselves. We often find ourselves busy with work and things to keep us busy without enjoying the little things. We fall into routines and ways of thinking that can cause us to miss the small gesture a stranger performed for you or a wonderful new mom and pop eatery that opened down the street from your residence. Have you ever taken a drive and finally noticed something you've never noticed before even though you have been down that path countless times. Slowing down and just truly looking at something in a non judgmental way can greatly alter the impression that is imparted on you. Whether it is a building, a person, your morning breakfast, or most importantly yourself, you will find things you have never seen before. With this realization maybe you can see what a beautiful world we live.

I often meet many people while bar tending that can not or choose not to do this. They would rather stay within their safe confines of what they decide the world looks like. Many of these people are not happy and most likely not even to tell you why. They cover their feelings with busy routines going to work, chores, watching television, surfing the net, going to the gym, and/ drugs and alcohol. All the time not taking the time to slow down and see the world around them. At the same time they can't see the potential and beauty in themselves often basing their self persona on a slowly decaying view of sense and worth. This becomes apparent to others when people are considered "bitter" and/or take their feelings out on others. Yet these people still will not be able to tell you what is actually wrong. They have become so used to their way of thinking and their routines they can't see anything else, nor can they see the possibilities that surround them. Rather than try to change, which is scary and uncertain, they stay the same. Then before they realize, they are old and angry at the world. A world they made. One constructed by their own self perceived limitations and ideals. The world has moved on, but due to their inability to change, they didn't move on with it.

To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly.
~Henri Bergson~

What is more enthralling to the human mind than this splendid, boundless, colored mutability! - Life in the making?
~David Grayson~

If you want to change your life, change your mind.
~T.~

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.
~George Bernard Shaw~

Change is the watchword of progression. When we tire of well-worn ways, we seek for new. This restless craving in the souls of men spurs them to climb, and to seek the mountain view.
~Ella Wheeler Wilcox~

I've never met a person, I don't care what his condition, in whom I could not see possibilities. I don't care how much a man may consider himself a failure, I believe in him, for he can change the thing that is wrong in his life anytime he is prepared and ready to do it. Whenever he develops the desire, he can take away from his life the thing that is defeating it. The capacity for reformation and change lies within.
~Preston Bradley~

Readjusting is a painful process, but most of us need it at one time or another.
~Arthur Christopher Benson~

We accept the verdict of the past until the need for change cries out loudly enough to force upon us a choice between the comforts of inertia and the irksomeness of action.
~Learned Hand~

Loyalty to a petrified opinion never yet broke a chain or freed a human soul.
~Mark Twain~

Thank You Comedy Central

2008-02-16T09:25:00.001-06:00

Playground

2008-02-14T08:40:00.006-06:00

So I've been listening to the new Sia album lately and it is amazing. Her upcoming show will definitely be a highlight in March. This is one of my favorite songs from the new album "Some People Have Real Problems."

"Playground"
Come with me to a place of fantasy
I'll take you on a sea-saw
Come with me to a place that's by the sea
I'll take you on a board walk
Take my hand I'll take you to the sand
You and me will build a castle
Ready set go I'll race you to the wall
I will win I am the fastest

I don't wanna grow old
Bring me all the toys you can find
You don't wanna grow up
You can be my partner in crime

I'll be sure to write you from the war
Put your guns away it's tea time
Water bombs and tea towel tired mums
Looking for a little me time
Close your eyes and count to thirty five
You may never ever find me
Close my eyes and then I realise
You are never far behind me

I don't wanna grow old
Bring me all the toys you can find
You don't wanna grow up
You can be my partner in crime
I don't wanna grow old
Bring me all the toys you can find
You don't wanna grow up
You can be my partner in crime

Let's have fun, let's play out under the sun
Will you take me by the hand
Let's see how far we can run, yeah
Let's play chase let's put make up on our face
You can catch me if you can
We can make a secret place

Meet me at the playground, come with me, fool around

Year of the Rat

2008-02-13T23:16:00.016-06:00

So recently my family friends and I celebrated the Chinese Lunar New Year with some festivities. While my mom held the traditional Lunar New Year dinner at her house for friend sand family, I also joined Grand House's typical dim-sum brunch with the added bonus of the Lion Dance. Here is some info on the year of the rat and some picks of the festivities as well.

2008 - THE YEAR OF THE RAT
The "Rat" is the first sign of the Chinese zodiac.

Legend has it that the Jade Emperor invited the animals for a party. The first 12 to arrive was the Rat, followed by the Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and lastly, the Pig. All the animals were named after the 12-year cycle that governs Chinese life thereafter.

Various versions of the Rat's story are particularly revealing about his character.

One version has it that, towards the end of the journey, the animals had to cross a celestial river, and the Rat asked the Ox to ferry him across. When they arrived on the other side, the Rat jumped down off the Ox's head and that's how gained first spot in the order of the Chinese zodiac.

Those born in the "Year of the Rat" are clever, ambitious, creative, hard-working, fastidious, charming and sociable, but can be a bit stingy when it comes to sharing their wealth or possessions.

Rats are compatible with Dragons, Monkeys and Oxen, but should avoid Horses at all costs.

In the "Year of the Rat", we can expect 12 months of plentiful opportunities and prospects not to mention being relatively free of turbulence, (which is great to know especially if you're planning on making some long-term investments, starting new projects, or keeping the home fires burning brightly).

It's also a rather fine time to socialize and grab a sumptuous meal or two with friends and family!

More info here...

I Am Actually Surprised By This One...

2008-02-12T00:03:00.001-06:00

I am not sure I have much to say, or for that matter need to say anything about this story. I was not aware of this incident and I thank my friend for bringing this to my attention! When she first posted this story, I thought it must be a smear tactic or fake news story ala "The Onion." A little research showed otherwise. I had at one time thought that if a republican did win he would be the least objectionable, I stand corrected.

McCain Criticized for Slur
He says he'll keep using term for ex-captors in Vietnam

C.W. Nevius, Marc Sandalow, John Wildermuth, Chronicle Political Writers
Friday, February 18, 2000

(02-18) 04:00 PST Greenville, S.C. -- Editor's Note: This article was published on Feb. 18, 2000. In January 2008, at least two national web sites posted links to it. As a result, it appeared in the list of SFGate's Most Read articles.

Arizona Sen. John McCain refused to apologize yesterday for his use of a racial slur to condemn the North Vietnamese prison guards who tortured and held him captive during the war.

"I hate the gooks," McCain said yesterday in response to a question from reporters aboard his campaign bus. "I will hate them as long as I live."

McCain, a former Navy pilot who spent five years in a Vietnamese prisoner of war camp, was questioned about the language because of a story last month in the Nation magazine reporting his continued use of the slur.

Since then, reports of McCain's language have been circulating on Internet chat sites and e-mails among Asian Americans, many of whom find the the term offensive and inappropriate for an elected official.

McCain's appeal to voters has been as a wartime hero and a feisty politician who speaks his mind and damns the consequences. But his comments on the eve of the key South Carolina primary show the candidate's vaunted "straight talk" in another light.

"The use of a racist slur can't be acceptable for any national leader, regardless of his background," said Diane Chin, executive director of the San Francisco-based Chinese for Affirmative Action. "For someone running for president not to recognize the power of words is a problem."

While McCain's words may have little effect in conservative South Carolina, where few Asian Americans live, they could come back to haunt him in other states.

"Historically, straight talkers who say things off the top of their heads eventually hang themselves with those sorts of remarks," said Bruce Cain, a political scientist at the University of California at Berkeley.

"While it might not hurt him now, Democrats are not going to have any hesitation about using this stuff to string him up later."

Read the full story here.

Another Problem We Share as Humans

2008-02-04T15:22:00.000-06:00

Margaret Cho posted this today on her blog and I thought I would share it with you. Gay men are constantly aware of how we treat and idolize others with what we perceive is a perfect body. I agree with Cho that you need to confront yourself with the things you are not happy. It may not be pretty or easy, but I always feel better afterward, like its not such a big deal anymore. I can begin to see how trivial some things really are and then I can continue to becoming a well-rounded "healthy" person in every sense of the word. Ok, here it is...

Monday, February 04, 2008

How to Look Good Naked

I am completely into the new reality show "How to Look Good Naked" hosted by Carson Kressley. It is kind of like a traditional makeover show with shopping and finding the right clothes for your body type, hair/makeup, etc… except it is more goal oriented because at the end, Carson makes the women feel so confident that they are able to pose naked and have their glorious image blown up and splashed on the side of a building. I think it is wonderful, and of course there are lots of good crying opportunities because you see the process actually makes these women feel great about themselves and also how distorted our body images can become. Plus, Carson is so adorable and funny and cute – he plays the perfect fairy godmother.

We women are constantly at war with our bodies, it is hard to find amnesty for ourselves. I did it by dancing naked for a couple of years with "The Sensuous Woman." I think the best way to get over your body issues is to just flaunt your body at every opportunity. It is hard because the urge to criticize ourselves is overwhelmingly strong. I don't know why that is. I think that all bodies are beautiful in millions of different ways – but I get down on myself too! Since I became a dancer, I have felt much better about myself. I even did a naked photo shoot myself not too long ago, with my favorite photographer Austin Young. My friend Suhaila was there for moral support and she has done a lot of modeling. She gave me some good advice. "When you are being shot, try to think of a secret. Something beautiful. Something only you know. A secret. Hold onto that. Let them see the secret in your eyes. Feel it." Austin shot amazing photos of me that day. Afterward, Suhaila asked me, "What was your secret?"

I said, "I farted."

I guess it really wasn't a secret because they already knew about it!!

The Lobby

2008-01-31T09:02:00.001-06:00

So on Tuesday night, a new nightspot, The Lobby, held a reception for loyal customers of Sushi Neko to introduce their goods. I attended with Jason and enjoyed complimentary wine and samplings of their menu. Many, many samplings of their various smoked salmon with wasabi and ginger caviar, duck with homemade mustard sauce and various cheese and meat paninis. My glass was rarely empty as it was filled with Hayman and Hill Cabernet and Angeline Pinot Noir, both perfect pairings with the accompanying goodies. Also served were some of their white wines, but I never made it that far. Our glasses were constantly being refilled and our plates overcrowded with samples by a very helpful, smiling, and courteous staff. My friend Tyson, who manages at Musashi's and a waitress Lisa were very helpful in answering our questions about The Lobby and providing us with information about the items served.

The Lobby is a new addition to the Will Rogers Theater and is brought to you by those who own Sushi Neko and Musashi's. The lobby is located where Will's Coffee shop was located, but do not fear as they still serve all their coffee creations plus some new ones that include alcohol for bitterly cold Oklahoma days.
In addition, the menus selection has been expanded to include paninis, my favorite being the Shrimp and Manchego (6.95) along with various soups and salads. For the crowd who wants a little more, The Lobby has also expanded to serve liquor, beer and a nicely priced wine selection. To go along with your glass of wine The Lobby has also joined with Chef Kurt Fleischfresser of the Coach House to bring some fine delectables. An assortment of cheese can be had from their one, two or three cheese plates ( 3.50, 7.00, and 9.50) as well as an assortment of flavored caviars. My favorite being sampled was the Wasabi Whitefish caviar (2oz 22.00). Hhhhhhhmmm delicious! They also serve various pates such as the Duck Terrine (5.50) and seasonal salmon, the House Smoked (6.50) being my favorite. Don't worry red meat eaters, The Lobby also carries various smoked and cured meats platters served with their homemade mustard sauce.
If you are still craving more after all that The Lobby also serves various desserts from Apple Pie (3.50) to their Coconut Cream Pudding (3.95). Pair this along with an after dinner dessert wine or one of their special coffee liquor drinks and you should be good to go.
The Lobby should be open on February 4th to the public, but some said it might be open by this Friday, so you should check to make sure. During the week, hours will be from 8am until 11pm and 12am on Friday and Saturday nights, with Sundays being a day of rest. Formulations are still under way for an exact opening time for The Lobby versus the coffee shop, but lunch will be available. Definitely a place to visit again.

Pretty Awesome

2008-01-27T00:19:00.000-06:00

I came across this article tonight and thought its subject matter pretty nifty. It would be nice if other cities would follow NYC's lead on their attack on Trans Fat. NYC recently passed a law that would require all fast food and chain restaurants to post calories and fat grams on their menus and billboards. I think this might help people make better decisions. Some would say with guilt, but that is usually how you stick to healthy eating. Others would say this is just another way the government is intruding into our personal lives. It is funny because most of these people do not actually take responsibility for their own lives. This issue also effects you even if you don't eat fast food or at chain restaurants. In a report released a couple weeks ago, the American government spends about $93 million dollars annually on health issues related to people being overweight and/or obese. Diabetes, heart disease, joint problems, sleep disorders, strokes, to name a few, are all related to the diets we eat. This fat epidemic has also been cited as one reason for soaring health care costs. When our tax dollars are being spent because others can't control what they eat, make healthy decisions, and/ or exercise, I believe the government has a right to intervene. Nuff said. Read the article.

Future chefs learn how to cut trans fat

By MICHELLE R. SMITH, Associated Press Writer Sat Jan 26, 4:47 PM ET

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The movement to ban artery-clogging trans fats from food has a new venue: cooking schools.

The places that train the people who will someday be feeding the rest of us are cutting back or eliminating artificial trans fats from their classrooms, saying they have a responsibility to teach students how to cook healthy foods.

"It's a very welcome change," said John O'Connell, 19, a sophomore culinary arts student at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, one of the nation's largest cooking schools.

The school has started phasing out trans fats in its restaurants, hotels and dining services on four campuses around the country, and plans to be trans fat-free by the fall semester.

"We have made sure that we do the right thing," said Karl J. Guggenmos, dean of culinary education.

Other cooking schools, such as Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America, with 13 locations, are looking at reducing or eliminating trans fats, said Kirk T. Bachmann of Le Cordon Bleu, which is based in Hoffman Estates, Ill. The prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., banned trans fats from nearly all its classes and restaurants in 2005.

Artificial trans fats are often found in oils used to deep-fry foods such as french fries and in baked goods. Bakers like to use shortenings with trans fats because cakes stay fresher longer, frosting is easier to use, and they cost less than butter.

Trans fats are created when hydrogen is added to liquid cooking oils to harden them. Along with saturated fats, they raise levels of so-called bad cholesterol, increasing the risk of heart disease.

New York City banned cooking oils with trans fat from all restaurants last year, and several states and cities have debated similar measures. A number of fast-food restaurants chains are making the switch to trans fat-free cooking oils.

At the Culinary Institute of America, trans fat is one of the "hot button" topics, said school spokesman Stephan Hengst.

"Once they get out in the industry, they've got to understand it," he said of students.

The school has about 3,000 students at its main campus and three branches, and boasts such famous alumni as restaurateur Charlie Palmer and best-selling author and chef Anthony Bourdain.

Trans fats are banned at the school, Hengst said, except in advanced cake decorating classes where students work with trans fat-based shortening. But no one eats the cakes once they're decorated; they're thrown away.

At Johnson & Wales, it took months of work to get trans fats out of the school's curriculum. Their textbook has hundreds of recipes and about 50 included trans fats, said Wanda Cropper, who oversees the school's baking and pastry institute.

Eliminating it from some recipes was relatively easy — butter and olive oil are often good substitutes. But baking was different. Getting the right texture, color, smell and taste was tricky, and took a lot of trial and error, Cropper said.

"Baking is a science. You can't just substitute," she said.

Until recently, there weren't many good options for trans fat-free baking products, Guggenmos said. The school worked closely with its supplier to find ingredients that worked and to reformulate its recipes as needed.

Guggenmos estimates it will cost about 5 percent more for the trans fat-free ingredients, although that could ease as the market grows for such products.

Robbi Mills, 21, a 2007 graduate of Johnson & Wales who's now a manager at the university-owned Johansson's Bakery in downtown Providence, said trans fats weren't an issue when she was in school. The bakery is switching non-trans fats in the coming months.

"I didn't really have any exposure to it when I was in the labs," she said. "I wish I had known more."

Mad World

2008-01-26T22:53:00.000-06:00

I love this version of this song ever since I heard it on Donnie Darko. Just wanted to share the video with you kiddies.

Breathe Me

2008-01-12T11:31:00.000-06:00

I just bought tickets for her Dallas show in March as part of a birthday present to myself. Can't freaking wait. Besides being a great song, a spiffy video as well.

Check out this video: Breathe Me

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To Those That Support Ron Paul...

2008-01-12T00:14:00.000-06:00

So recently it has come out that Ron Paul had released newsletters with his name on the overhead supporting racist statements. While these newsletters may have come out years ago, they were still were published with the Ron Paul name. Ron Paul has tried to distance himself from these letters by saying he did not know that said articles in statement were published, nor was he aware who wrote them. He also goes further by saying that he has never "spoke" these sentiments aloud. Obviously I have a problem with this excuse. Ron Paul decides to never take responsibility for what was said in his name, nor does he say he never "thought" the thoughts written in the newsletters. In a way, it is a convenient way for one to say that one never had these thoughts that were published in one's name. Ron Paul falls into the "Libertarian" idea of thought.

Most libertarians would like the government to vanish from intruding in their lives and have people decide their own fate. Unluckily, most of the Libertarians I have met are more to the right side of politics and have the view that "those which are the fittest survive." It may also be no surprise that most of the Libertarians that I have met are White and well off.

While some of Ron Pauls's policies may seem promising and hopeful to a Nation in need of help, many of his ideas include that many people are actually left out of the picture. In a society that many Democrats want to create in which you would be covered by health insurance, many Libertarians believe that a community would support those that can't afford it. It you can't find a community to support your endeavor for full coverage then that is your fault, not the governments. With this thought, people will be left to their own devices.

Many Libertarians do not consider the ideas of race, religion, creed, sexual orientation, age nor sex in their ideas of politics, Yet, they still describe what would be best for this Nation. A Nation in which those that can afford help achieve it and those who can't rarely meet it.

While I agree that we need third party candidates, I also believe that we need candidates whom are fair and just. Believing that the government has too much control in your life has little standing when life is filled with racism, sexism, homophobia, ageism, and religious bigotry, When people are fully treated according to who they are rather than who they "could" be or "should" be, then the Libertarians can have their say.

For more on this subject visit this blog site.

Achtung!! The True Reason My Family Sucks At Driving

2008-01-06T12:50:00.000-06:00

Since I am the only male with an all female immediate family, this is the true reason people are scared when we drive. Not because we are Asian, but because it's how are brains are wired. So don't blame us!

Study: Women, gay men share driving flaws

Fri Jan 4, 6:30 PM ET

SUMMARY: Women and gay men are slower to take in spatial information, suggesting it's tougher for them to drive in a strange environment, a UK study shows.

Both women and gay men tend to rely on local landmarks to navigate the road and are slower to take in spatial information, a new U.K. study has shown.

Psychologists at Queen Mary, University of London, say that the findings suggest that these drivers would have a more difficult experience than straight male motorists when driving in a strange environment, The Daily Telegraph of London reported Wednesday.

A group of 140 volunteers took computer-based tests, revealing that gay men, lesbians, and straight women share similar navigational skills. The test showed, however, that women are better able than men to remember the position of objects.

"Gay people appear to show a 'mosaic' of performance, parts of which are male-like and other parts of which are female-like," said Qazi Rahman, who led the research team, in the article. (The Advocate)
If you'd like to know more, you can find stories related to Study: Women, gay men share driving flaws .

Jib Jab Year In Review

2008-01-04T01:06:00.000-06:00

Love these guys. Hours of entertainment and enlightenment.

In 2007 | Funny Jokes at JibJab

Some Political Thoughts You Might Have Missed

2007-12-21T09:53:00.000-06:00

I thank Dan for bringing my attention to this greatly informative and moving short made by a concerned US citizen. While the fact that most Americans remain indifferent to the current situation here and abroad, it doesn't negate that enlightenment happens one person at a time. Unluckily, it just takes a long time.