Love My Hair

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Remembering Matthew

Seems like we're adding names 'to remember' left and right lately, there's so much hate out there.  I hope and pray the trend stops....but the truth is, it won't stop until it ends with you and me taking a stand.  

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This Should Be National

This wasn't produced by a nation wide power player ad agency...this is grass roots and in my opinion.....very very effective.   (found via Joe.My.God)

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I Guess That's Why They Call Them Crushes

I distinctly remember the argument with my cousin.

"I get to be Ponch!"

"No, I do!"

Riveting eh?   We were somewhere around 7 or 8 (maybe 9)  but CHiPs was the big thing on television and motorcycle cops were what all our friends were playing and we were no exception.

Ponch was so cool.  He had the hair and the teeth (almost like the Osmonds) plus it was fun pretending our bikes were motorcycles and riding side by side like they did on TV.   I of course, won the argument and my cousin Larry had to be "the blonde guy".   We didn't even know Larry Wilcox's characters name. (Officer Jon Baker FYI).  He was definitely the second bananna as far as we were concerned.

Then I saw the episode where he was wearing a blue bathrobe.   I don't remember the storyline but I remember being mesmerized at the sight of him in that terrycloth blue robe and from then on I was just fine playing Officer Baker. 

Now, I'm an adult and my prebuescent crush is accused of being part of a stock fraud scheme which sounds so blase' until you learn the end goal would have put peoples pensions and futures at risk....and all in the name of greed.  How vile.  

I guess it's a part of growing up when reality creeps in and fantasy fades.   I'll always remember Officer Jon Baker in his blue terrycloth bathrobe, but never in quite the same way........that must be why they call them 'crushes'.

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Asshat In Sheeps Clothing

I always kind of liked Rick Sanchez on CNN, and wondered what the heck was up with this guy when he was fired a few days ago.   He's known for being somewhat opinionated and outspoken which I'm okay with, after all I don't have to agree with every word that comes out of someone elses mouth, and healthy discourse makes me think which is always a good thing, know what I'm sayin???? Hmmmm? 

But I definitely raised an eyebrow when I heard his Jewish remarks about John Stewart, and I wondered if maaaaaybe he'd taken a sip of the ol' crazy koolaid Mel Gibson has been chugging the last few years.

This morning I woke up to find him being interviewed on GMA and I thought for a second there was a glimmer of hope as he opened the interview by saying "I screwed up, this was not CNN's fault" yadda yadda yadda.  Someone taking responsiblity?  It sounded refreshing!  Then he kept talking.

Sanchez went on to explain his comments by the old "I was tired" excuse,  saying he'd been working 14 hour days for over two months......which sounds perfectly logical doesn't it?  I mean when I'm dead tired I also just start hurling racial/ethinic stereotypes at people our of sleep deprivation don't you?    

Then it's as if he thought one excuse wasn't good enough so he added a few more.   His reason for the racial comments, he continued to explain......evolved because he wanted to go to his daughters softball game during the interview....THEN it turned into he was mad because there were no other Latino news anchors besides him and it just wasn't fair.   THEN to buffer that last excuse he shared a story about helping his immigrant father deliver furniture to a rich ladys house and when he asked the white rich woman for a glass of water, she told him to go outside and drink from the spigot.   

How utterly sad and tragic that this guy I once thought was pretty cool....was just another asshat is sheeps clothing.

Good riddance Sanchez......you're pathetic.

Here's what he had to say about Tyler Clementi's non existant bullying.   How'd I miss this?

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Time Travel Thursday

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Rain And A Regular Wednesday

Is there anything better than waking up to the sound and smell of rain?
  
Sure it can get old after awhile, but it was particularly nice this morning.

I'm not sure what's on the tap for today, a few errands, lunch, dishes.  Boring stuff...... the stuff of living.

It's tempting to feel ho-hum about a regular everyday sort of day but I'm trying to adjust my outlook, because let's face it.....even my most boring day of the week beats the pants off what other people have to contend with in other parts of the world.   After all, I don't have to worry about grabbing what posessions I can carry and scrambling to higher ground because of flooding.   I don't (necessarily) have to duck every time a plane flies a little too low near my house, I have food in my pantry, a man who loves me, a full tank of gas, some awesome pets and family I care about.  

All in all, this is a pretty spectacular day now that I think about it. 

Even if it is raining..................for the third day in a row.

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Feeling Sorry For....

I woke up this morning, from a gay dream, in my gay bedroom and turned on my big gay TV.  For about an hour I channel surfted from one gay show to another, thinking gay thoughts and then I finally got up.   I looked in my gay mirror at the biggest gay I'd seen all day and gave myself a wink.    After flirting with my big gay self, I hit the gym where I was surrounded by all sorts of gays doing gay things.  After my workout I showered and got ready for work by putting on my gay clothes and the gayest cologne I had on my gay shelf in my gay locker.  Then I gaily headed off to my gay job.

I feel sorry for those poor souls who aren't gay.  What a life of drudgery they must lead.

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Born That Way

I have no experience being Italian, Jewish, Female, Blue Eyed, or Left-handed. So if I were to mount a public campaign against....let's say left handed people telling them I knew for certain they were not BORN left handed, but instead chose the sick immoral lifestyle of using their left hand predominantly...wouldn't you think I was insane?

Would the goal of my argument be to convince lefties to be righties? Or would it simply be a transparent effort to convince others that lefties were of the devil, reprobates or "less-thans"?

Why do political candidates and religious leaders even receive airtime with this drivel?
Let's step out of the crazy box for just a second and imagine some of the current crop of nuts like O'Donnell and Paladino, and the whackadoodle from Nevada get elected, because like it or not,  it is a possibility. O'Donnells campaign is picking up speed and Sharon Angle for all her batshit comments might look like a longshot but she hasn't been stomped in the dust like she should have been from the get go. So IF they get elected...what influence will they have on policy? What will life be like for their constituents? What will it be like for US when that kind of thinking becomes acceptable and spreads to OUR neck of the woods?

The pathetic rhetoric of 'gays weren't born gay' may be laughable to you and I...but if it is allowed to be repeated and repeated and repeated...we may just find ourselves in a very familiar struggle all over again.

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.


When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.


When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.


When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.


When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out

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Oh My God

Over breakfast a couple days ago I mentioned that I had prayed for D- and his upcoming test, which has been weighing on his mind lately and he seemed a little surprised.

"I didn't know you still prayed"

Hello? I thought to myself.....have we just met?"

"Of course I pray " I said.   "I still believe in God, just not religion"

What followed was a familiar conversation to us, exploring the idea/nature/belief of God, suicide and the hereafter.  Deep stuff over a cheesy omlette at eight in the morning.

I think it's natural at this stage of life....(that stage being middle age ),  to contemplate the bigger questions about....oh let's say eternity for instance.

I was always a deeply religious kid.  Sunday school, church, youth group, bible camp...you name it I was involved.  I also went to Bible College in an attempt to reach God and cure myself of being gay.   If I'd stayed on that path, I would have went on to Seminary, eventually married a woman and pastored a church.  I also most certainly would have cheated on said wife and congregation with men and paid a tragic price.

I don't pretend to know all the answers about God and heaven and hell, but those subjects were on my mind when I woke up at 5:30 this morning and couldn't go back to sleep.   

This is how I look at it:   Protestants, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Mormans...take your pick.  They all think they have the "ONE WAY" to God.   They all have their beliefs and some will, have or just might even kill you if you cross them.
   
Every religion can't be right...so who is?   I don't know.

I DO believe there is a God, for many reasons, intelligent design being the most logical non belief based one off the top of my head.   In my opinion religion per se is mans device to reach the Divine.  D- would add that it's also mans invention to control the masses-- I think both views are right.  I also think religion, is one of the most destructive things to the soul, but that's a whole other tangent.

When it comes to God, the thing is, we just don't know.   Until He (or some would say "She", but  that's blasphemy!) let's us know first hand ....it will remain the greatest mystery of life.

I know personally when I pray, it comforts me.....I don't feel alone...and I have experienced Gods influence in very real and tangible ways...and no church, or religion can change that or take it away.  The rest?  I'll just have to wait and see, just like everyone else.

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Blood On Our Hands

You and I didn't violate Tyler Clementi's privacy and shatter his soul.   We didn't taunt, torment or attack the other young people who committed suicide this week either....but you and I are guilty.

I won't get overly maudlin or introspective with this post, but my premise is this.

You and I could be mentoring a young gay adult.  I could be volunteering at the GLBT community center, you could be doing the same thing.   Each of us COULD be calling our school officials, city, state and federal representatives inquiring about anti bullying policies, insisting some be put in place, making ourselves heard, being an unrelenting pain in the ass to those who effect policy.  We could be having a dialog with Aunt Betty or Cousin Dan showing them their favorite niece or cousin is a proud, out gay American deserving of equal rights and respect.

You and I COULD be doing all these things and maybe even save the life of someone who thinks tomorrow is too full of pain and despair to go on one more minute. 

We COULD be making a difference......but are we doing any of the above?  

When this story dies down and Tyler Clementi becomes a sad footnote in a forgotten chapter of last weeks news, if we do nothing....you, and I ....will still have blood on our hands.

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