EricInMiami

2012- The Year of the Flood

2011-12-31T02:00:00.000-05:00

My brother sends me a text at 3 AM that he is driving himself to the hospital and that he was having a heart attack. They restarted his heart 3 times. He survived and was now scheduled for surgery to repair his defective ticker.

My mom, giving me her best Puss in Boots face and Cuban guilt-trip to coax me into flying to dreaded Atlanta (cue screechy horror music) to support my brother in his time of need. Although it boasts one of the largest gay populations in America, it is still a backward, bible-belt, Republican-landia where people actually still celebrate Jesus Christ's birthday with a cake, candles and all (wish I was kidding). For obvious reasons, I like to visit there about as much as a Jew likes visiting Iran. I have no hesitation when it comes to visiting my other sibling in gloriously liberal and uber-democratic Boston. The vibe is so much more pleasant when you are among people that don't hate you.

Republicans don't seem to understand why we liberals abhor them. The reasons are countless and increasing every day in this very Un-Civil war being waged in this country. Their party has maligned us, spread lie after lie about who we are or how we love, compared us to rapists and child molesters, labeled us more dangerous that the global warming they deny exists. They have electroshocked our bodies and forced hormone therapies to try to cure us of our gayness, they have spent millions of dollars nationwide obstructing our quest for full and equal rights and the right to marry. They have fought to keep laws as draconian as sodomy laws on the books just to prove a point that our sex displeases them. They avoid discussing rampant gay suicides of youths in states that they control policy in and do nothing to enforce anti-bullying behavior. And last but not least, they divide our families and our government, stalling every one's progress by obstructing job bills or even offering up any real solutions to help the struggling middle class or our stalled economy. All this just so they can cause their arch-nemesis, Obama to fail and them to regain totalitarian control of this country. The Republican party has not only become an enemy of the LGBT community, they have become an enemy to America.

While this laundry list is in it's rinse cycle in my mind, I come back to listen to my mother's pleadings to fly to Atlanta and be there for my Republican brother and his Republican wife in bible-thumping Atlanta. Her final plea of "What if he dies in surgery?", was the lynchpin to winning this argument. She is right, what if he dies? Republican or not, he is still my brother. I am forced to take the high road and be the supportive, loving brother a family member is expected to be to his sibling. It isn't easy, for my brother is a character to say the least. The list of his offensive behavior is quite long. At the top of the list is he is an extreme Republican. This is not only offensive because of the bigotry he espouses such as telling me, his gay brother that gay marriage is equivalent to pedophilia or bestiality. I let that one slide, knowing full well he is just regurgitating rubbish he hears among his peers in the good ol' ATL. Secondly, he treats his wife as a house maid, expecting love to be given upon his demand just because he brings home the bacon. He is a conversation hog and can never admit he's wrong in life or in any intelligent debate you engage with him. His voice is so loud when speaking that it feels like a pot banging, drum session and is a constant embarrassment to be in public with. He is a habitual liar and after googling Histrionic personality disorder, I can now add that to the list as well. He is in essence, the epitome of everything I dread becoming.

Upon arrival to the backwards, hillbilly underworld, I hear an obnoxious, booming noise of an engine revving for no apparent reason. I turn to realize it's my brother picking me up in an fixed-up 1968 Camaro. Basically a loud, gas guzzling, shiny piece of shit on wheels. I visualize the boatman of Hades and check my pockets for gold coins for safe passage. I guess he thought that buying a car that adds exponentially to global warming and annoys everyone as he drives by, is impressive and cool in his book. As I get in, he asks me if they make the sweater I'm wearing for men and laughs, amusing himself and forcing me to give him a caddy retort, "You're an idiot and why did you spend money on this shitty car, when your broke?". He guffaws replying, "You don't know anything, It's for my son, when he grows up." I counter again, "When your kid grows up, gas is going to be about $20.00 a gallon and why the hell would he want to drive a car that doesn't even have air conditioning?" He replies with a grumble. The banter ends and the awkward silence reigns. I quietly empathize for my doomed nephew and how horrible it must be to be my brother's son.

The gloom of the day is brightened by finally getting to see my two beautiful nephews. I have hope that they will grow up and not repeat the mistakes of their parents. I have faith that these two bright lights will follow Darwin's path and improve on the design. After reading to them, laughing and joking until they fell asleep, I went to my room, trying my hardest not to concoct paranoic visions of lynch mobs with torches pounding at my brother's door to hang my gay ass on the nearest peach tree. I remind myself why I am here and rest easy knowing that someway, somehow this labor of love will be appreciated.

The following day in the waiting room, I get to bond with my brother's wife while surgeons try to fix my brother's faulty heart. She confesses the problems with their marriage and then goes on to admit that she has softened her staunch Republican stance imbued upon her by her father for years. She admits that she doesn't agree with a lot of things the Republican party stands for and that when it comes to social issues, she is more of a Democrat. No surprise there, the Republican party doesn't fight for any social issues, all they focus on is greed and power, for themselves and corporations, "for the good of the people" is dead last on their bucket list. She finally, tells me that after years of being afraid of the gay agenda and opposed to gay marriage, she now believes that we should have the right to marry. Her sentiment, is now being echoed by a majority of Americans as recent polls support. After hours of waiting and meeting at the middle with my brother's wife, the nurse comes to take us to see my brother. The doctor proudly advises us that his congenital heart defect has been cured, well at least he claims he was 95% sure it was cured for liability reasons. We leave the room so he can rest and his wife breaks down in my arms, hugging me and confessing that she still loves him but can't stand to live with him anymore and that their marriage is dead. I was completely moved and felt an overwhelming sense of sadness for her. How do you live for years with someone that never apologizes, doesn't listen to you or even allow you to have a different opinion? I reaffirm to her that no matter what happens she is family and we will never turn our back to her.

After all, one doesn't ask if a choking victim is Republican or not before giving him the heimlich maneuver to save his or her life. You just do what you have to do to help a family member. She may be a little bigoted but everyone has limitations and her views have progressed and she is alas, family. Whether your family is repub or dem, it's the relationships within that realm that matter and how one family gets along with another family. The family unit is the primary circle that later converges with all other circles on this planet. if we don't get the first circle right and find a harmonious balance, all our other circles will be off-kilter and out of balance. Our country is so polarized and out of balance that we seem to be on the brink of new Civil War or at the very least, the start of a revolution.

This blog was written not to bash my brother whom although clearly has his faults, I still love very much and want nothing but the best for. It was written to serve as a metaphor for a larger issue of broken politics in America and how it is dividing our country and our families. I have my faults as do Democrats but at least I am open to change, I push myself to be better every day and always leave room for doubt that maybe I can do better with this or that. The day I think that my ideas are perfect and the only way, is the day I stop evolving. Republicans have not only stopped evolving they are riding full throttle in their gas guzzling hummers, in reverse.

Anti-Republican Crusaders
Tom C. :
"I am sick and tired of those supporting the right-wing including friends and family!!! People say play nice, I say FU! I sacrificed 30 years of my life for this country yet I've been told by members of family that my way of thinking is a cancer to America because I support the left. Right-wing zombies whose whole life has been about themselves. They have based their life on self serving agendas and what they have. No education, no technical skills, protected by those who serve. What they have they have gained by others sacrifice and freedom they never defended. Republicans cant face the fact their no longer the Grand old Party and the free ride most have had is over. It's sickening to see these people defending the right-wing and take lightly the candidates of their choice for President of the United States, while showing nothing but contempt for President Obama who exemplifies all the values once respected in America. So if you lean right and don't like being told where to go, Stand Down!"

Now that the wizard has gifted my Republican brother with a new heart, I can only hope he will take a moment to pause and analyze what he is doing wrong and maybe change course and find a better path. Just like our economy stalled, a heart stalling or any other "health" issue should be a time of self-reflection and modifying the factors that caused the breakdown in the first place. Hopefully, both of them can soften their stance and realize we are all in this together. One big, modern, dysfunctionally functional family that must love each other, bigotry and all.

Fast forward to Mount Sinai hospital, Miami Beach. As one family falls apart for one brother, a new family is born for another sibling. My sister's baby is born, two days before Christmas.

It's these times when your standing at a delivery window looking at your new niece for the first time that all these quarrels melt into oblivion. You're reminded what matters most is human life and the protection of it. Now if we can only agree on how to manage that "protection" of life for all and not just a few, chosen ones and to find a sustainable balance for life without straining our earth's resources...that's the gazillion dollar challenge that would win us a ranking as a higher civilization of this galaxy and we would walk forward on the road towards how "man-kind" should be....kind to each other. For if governments would do their job right, there would be no need for charitable organizations or charity.

Whether you believe in the apocalypse, rapture or our world getting kentucky fried in 2012, it's gonna be a bumpy ride this coming election year. One of the most volatile and stressful years of our lifetimes. A flood of energy with two worlds are colliding; one of compassion, sustainability and inclusiveness and the other of greed, self preservation and manipulation of the masses, no matter the cost to our collective world. Use your inner bullshit filter, occupy your heart and decide which path is the correct road to Nirvana on this earth.

One thing is certain; complacency is no longer acceptable.

Burying your head in the sand is no longer possible.

The masses are a-awakenin'- and a'realizing we've been getting the short end of the stick for far too long. We are finally becoming conscious that we have been coralled into pens of ideological, political, religious control. The one percent controlling everything is nothing new, it's sadly as old as history. America was the game-changing country that made it seem like more than one percent had a chance at reaching a dream of success. That dream has been broken and shattered all over the kitchen floor and the puppeteers in the shadows don't want us to notice. They want to keep us blind to the injustices we have allowed, that we have given permission to. All the moneys spent for wars we didn’t agree on, military expenses we didn’t feel were necessary, corporate tax breaks we never wanted to give, most offensive of all, tax breaks to the very ones controlling our puppet strings and having us bear the majority of the burden while they sit atop Mt. Olympus as demigods that never were gods at all.

After all, if they did not have OUR taxes, they would have nothing. WE are the ones with the power. WE are the ones that can take it back. WE must remain awake and vigilant. The masses one by one, are unplugging themselves from the Matrix.

We are starting to occupy our own minds, occupy our consciousness, occupy this world we live in instead of floating through it like zombies chained to a maniacal ever turning wheel doing what is expected of us, never questioning authority.

Psychological article on why people defend unjust and corrupt systems that enslave them?

Time magazine named "The Protester" as Person of the Year- 2011.

What happens to a country when the difference between reality and illusion is blurred.

What the Mayan elders are saying about the coming "flood" in 2012.

Why do They Occupy Themselves with Occupying?

2011-11-17T02:09:00.001-05:00

I have a Facebook message battle with a huffy, entitled queen from New England. He sarcastically posts on his wall- "Where do the Occupy Protesters summer- Burning Man?" to which I quickly reply, jumping at the opportunity to make him fully reveal his bias, "They summer where you do, the Occupy Protesters are you and I". Immediately I get a troll, private reply in my message inbox-

Joshua

I didn't ask who they are... Perhaps you are still high from the altitude poisoning we all suffered last ski season together in Aspen. I said "where". PS. If you hadn't noticed by the private jet we took, Ritz we stayed at, or the meals my trust paid for. We are not them.

Eric A. Vasallo

Joshua, if you want to go there i come from a good family myself...but i would never consider myself to be above anyone -especially people that are suffering without jobs due to the 1% of this country that snub their noses at the protests of other americans. you are a gay idiot. i am sad for the hypocrisy in which you live. oh and by the way the glaring red initials on ur jacket make u look like a pompous ass.

Ok so I admit, I should've left out the gay idiot and pompous ass insults. I would expect this kind of rhetoric from an obstinate Republican but not from a fellow homo. He's as big a hypocrite as Herman Cain or Clarence Thomas to his own people. Apparently, ignorance comes in all colors and people, no matter who they are, choose their morality based on their need for survival (I learned this in Anthropology). His being a trust fund baby means he is of the very few that are insulated by those that don't have to worry about a recession. In every movement there are always at least two sides, it's how the universe works; cause and effect, the yin and the yang. We saw it in Libya with the Gadhafi supporters in the streets supporting the insane despot, we see it in Cuba as well. The well off that are connected to the Government or a constant flow of good income and benefits are loyal to it's source. From the outside, you think how could these folks be loyal to such a corrupt and one-sided system? How can anyone defend Gadhafi or Fidel Castro? The answer is easy, "morality is based on one's need for survival". A retired economist in Cuba once told me, "If your people want to win this cold war against Cuba, end the embargo and start sending ship loads of medicine, food stuffs, appliances and clothing and you will see how quickly the people abandon Communism.". I never forgot that statement, the majority of people are loyal to whatever benefits them, no matter how badly it screws the rest of the population. Absolute power breeds absolute corruption and the root of this whole "class warfare" is just that. Corporations and big money have completely taken over this country's democracy. We are at a tipping point and while our country is not as impoverished as Egypt the inbalance of power is eerily similar. The proof is everywhere, from the countless graphs charting how much the middle class' income has been reduced since Bush's reign began to the Supreme Court ruling that corporations can be considered a "person" and kept corporate donations at their democracy threatening levels. This class warfare was not started by Obama or the Middle Class, it was started by Bush's "temporary" tax cuts benefitting the rich and will inevitably be finished by the masses taking back their democracy.

Enter - Occupy Wall Street Movement - not just a movement but an idea who's time has come, not created by one person but by the masses waking up and finally smelling that the bull shit in this country has reached an unbearable level. No manner of spinning or truth-twisting by the right can cover up the stench of the situation, at least not for the well informed. The other side swears the smell is coming from us evil liberals trying to defend equal pay and equal opportunity. Damn those evil liberals trying to take away their cake!

Don't believe in this conspiracy theory, then ask yourself or even Google when was the last time that journalists were arrested in this country for reporting on public events? 10 reporters were arrested in Zuccotti park in New York just this week. It's happening now, in this country, totalitarianism isn't just for the Middle East anymore. The Occupy movement is growing and will continue to grow as long as the inequality isn't remediated. The more people out of work the more will take to the streets, it's common logic and has happened again and again throughout history. America, as great as it is, is not immune to revolution.

The Occupy movement is global now, winter will not stop these protests, it will simply evolve into different types of protests and effect more change come voting season, just as the Tea Party did. Mass, organized voter registration drives would be an effective avenue to focus their energies on next.

If you want to continue to sit on your couch and pretend that everything is okay, go ahead, you can afford to, for now. If you don't then check out what Occupy is all about. It is not a bunch of hippies or "terrorists", they are fellow Americans, just like you and I. They are US and we are THEM.

When you gather with friends and family to dinner to give thanks this season, think of those protesting in the streets, working for us to have better lives and for the American Dream to be more equally accessible to all. Send them your warm wishes that things will get better, for they are a different type of soldier fighting to protect our democracy and this is a different kind of war, a class war. They started it and we will finish it.

Amazing graffitti artist-Shepard Fairey, whom echoes the Global Occupy Movement struggle for justice-

Why can't millionaires aspire to be like spiritual billionaire- John Templeton aka "god's sugar daddy" or like Bill & Melinda Gates?

United Nations envoy communication to United States on why Occupy Protesters human rights are not being defended.

Connect with the Global Occupy Movement here.

Doomsday Boy

2011-09-28T13:38:00.000-04:00

A golden sun over the Giza plateau sinks under the horizon and I mind-trip imagine the Egyptian goddess Nut giving birth to a full moon, rising to the center of the sky above the pyramids- the only man-made, ancient wonder of the world still standing. As the moon lights up the night, I spy a young tourist couple gazing at their romantic, dumb rock in the sky, enjoying their Hallmark-romantic moment. A modern day Adam and Eve wishing upon a star, conjuring up dreams of a perfect life together with good jobs, 2 kids and a nest egg to cushion their years of retirement. They believe the American dream. They believe the history they've been programmed to believe, that the pyramids were tombs built by an ancient, advanced race. I perceive a different scene altogether. I see the moon as many have begun to theorize, as an artificial, hollow structure moved there by an intelligent race so that our planet could be in the perfect orbit to sustain life for their new Earth colony. I see two pyramidal structures and a Sphinx built thousands of years before the Egyptians created their empire around them. They were built as industrial, power plants for wireless microwave energy, similar to Nikolas Tesla's.

I ask myself when this dark con of man will end? When will this world full of lies spun by religions and governments to keep us in line and divided, whither into oblivion? It seems like that time is coming faster every day. More cracks of truth are leaking through, information is being shared at faster speeds than ever in the history of man. What used to take months to convey by way of human runners now take a quarter of a second from our smart phones while at dinner. We can know anything almost as quick as Neo learned Karate in the Matrix.

A new generation of barn-busting, establishment shattering devices such as WikiLeaks, Grass roots organizations like Amnesty International, GreenPeace, Human Rights Campaign, movies such as Food Inc., Religilous, Tapped, Supersize Me and I AM, are helping to crack open a trickle of truth into a tsunami exposing these old institutions of hatred, disrespect for mother earth and industrial poisoning of our own people for profit.

I am of the ilk that believes what Agent Smith tells Neo in the Matrix, that we humans are a parasite on this earth and that we reproduce and consume without any consideration for the limited resources. We are now 6 billion parasites on this planet and without any movement towards population control, we are hurdling towards our own demise just as the Mayans and the mythological story of Atlantis. We are basically eating ourselves to death. Religion is the key source of this problem. The defenders of their faith claim that God protects all life and that we need to preserve all life. Are we respecting life when we consume so much that we are killing the live planet that we are on? When the tipping point is reached won't millions of lives be at risk?

The Earth does not have infinite resources and without a balance of consumption and development, she will shrug us off like a mangy dog with too many ticks, sucking it's blood. It is ironic that the Maya, the ones that consumed themselves into oblivion are the ones that have their voice being heard through way of their prophecies for the end of our world. Their is an ancient Maya greeting (La'Kech) that when one enters a home, you say "I am you. You are me". The greeting underlines a universal law of harmony and balance that even the Inca and ancient Egyptians followed. That harmony and balance was obliterated by the dawn of the Industrial revolution and we are now witnessing it's end. With the global recession, a new awakening has been born that we need to retool all our institutions, to a more sustainable, balanced path. Our systems were addicted to growth, consumption and profit without a thought of how long it could be maintained. To the cynics, that say it's all hogwash, imagine this, we are on a small blue orb hurling through an infinite space filled with asteroids, comets, millions of tons of satellite debris and a burning sun that can burn us to dust in seconds if we moved just a few degrees closer. How can we think that doomsday cannot occur? Science proves an asteroid obliterated the dinosaurs 65 million years ago and recently science has discovered a solar proton burst sizzled our earth and extinguished countless species worldwide, no less than 12,000 years ago. Has our arrogance gone so far as to think we are immune to extinction as well?

While every generation has had it's "doomsday" scenario with plagues, World Wars, Cold Wars which we have thankfully survived. Each fear-laden time brought about changes in consciousness and slight changes or improvements in governments and systems to manage the masses.
It seems that this time around we are at a tipping point, earthquakes are occurring almost every month in places that haven't seen earthquakes in hundreds of years. In the last 2 years alone, major quakes have rocked Spain, New Zealand, Virginia, India, Alaska, Haiti, Chile, Japan. While scientists downplay it, I know I have never heard of so many earthquakes in the 4 decades of life lived so far. Add to this the theories of pole shifts caused by these quakes and fact that the Earth's axis has already been tipped by Chile's earthquake causing our year to shorten by 1.26 seconds. We've had back to back natural disasters that are increasing in frequency. The proverbial shit seems to be hitting the fan and people are sensing or at least fearing that maybe there is something to the whole Maya prophecy after all. There isn't a party i've gone to recently that didn't have a doomsday joke or discussion of what could go down. It's as if the world has contracted HIV and is finally coming to terms with it's own fragile mortality. Britney wants to dance until the world ends, Chris Brown wants to remember his last time with his girl when the world goes by and Neyo and Pitbull want to enjoy life tonight because we might not get tomorrow.

There's a convergence of end-time scenarios beginning to blur together, preventing your average citizen from figuring it all out. There's the uber-popular Maya prophecy, the Evangelicals believe the Rapture is coming soon, Catholic Saint Malachy prophesied the last Catholic pope would be from the Order of the Olive which our current Pope St. Benedict is from. There are also astronomers that believe a 2-7 mile wide comet named the Elenin Comet will cause our demise. Finally, NASA admits they are expecting a once in a lifetime period of high solar activity coming to a peak around late 2012 (same time as Maya prophecy) that will cause an array of problems for our planet. Through my months of research on the web researching this topic and using my finely-tuned, inner bullshit filter I can now bequeath unto you my summary of the end times in order for you to have some type of preparation if and when the "walls come tumbling down".

Doomsday scenarios that may or may not occur in the near future:

1. Maya prophecy - Their long count calendar literally ends on December 21, 2012 marking the end of one time and the emergence of a time of renewal. Some theorize that the Maya marked the end of their calendar to align with the 26,000 year alignment of our planet with the center of our Milky Way galaxy. In that center is what is called a "dark rift" an area with interstellar dust and God-only-knows what else. Some Mayan elders have spoken out saying that they have channeled messages that we will finally have a moment of mass contact with intelligent life from another planet. The powers that be on this planet will try to instill fear to distrust these beings and prevent their loss of power over humanity caused by this new relationship with our cosmic family. Your inner "bullshit meters" will have to be fine tuned to sort out the lies that will be spun at that time. Factoid- Mufon network has reported that global UFO sightings have increased 67% in the last 3 years alone. An announcement will be made by Mayan elders before the end date, reportedly revealing more details. The only monument found that refers to this end date is Tortugero Monument 6 and some of the engravings have been damaged, preventing a full understanding of the prophecy (see photo). It says that this time will be terminated and a "darkness" will occur. Their God of creation that was present at the time of creation (Bolon Y'okte) will then descend from the sky to witness the end of this time as well. Most Mayan elders alive today believe that this whole end-of-time thing will be an end of one era and the beginning of a renewal period or birth of a new era. Think end of all unsustainable systems that do not work for us anymore; religious intolerism, dictatorships, free-rein capitalism, money systems, global addiction to coal and oil, corporate greed, ego, etc. *Survival tip- remain positive, stay calm, stay hopeful that all the old, cantankerous systems on this planet will finally go away.

2. The Rapture- An evangelical, extremist belief that Jesus will return to the Earth to sort out the sinners and the saved. The saved would soon after be enraptured and lifted up into the heavens. The sinners will be left behind. Religiously led mass suicides a' la Jim Jones will probably occur in the days before or soon after December 21, 2012 as the religious hysteria will reach a fever pitch. *Survival tip- if you believe in the Rapture then you are probably too far gone already to be saved. If you don't, you need not worry because Jesus Christ was probably a fabrication in the first place. See -Religilous.

3. Sudden Pole Shift of the Earth - Mass extinctions caused by a magnetic pole shift after the appearance of a 10th planet named Nibiru by ancient Sumerians 6000 years ago. Zechariah Sitchin theorized this through his archaeological studies decades ago. Global tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and massive earthquakes would result. *Survival tip- you are basically f*&%'ed if you live anywhere near a fault line, coastal area or volcano. Otherwise, run to highest land or condo in your area with lots of water and food and hope for the best

4. The "days of darkness"- Channeled messages from ascended master Saint Germain channeled by Aruna explains that our planet is vibrating at a higher rate and allowing us to come into contact with a 5th dimension. This will cause the veil between this dimension and other "spirit dimensions" to be thinned and more contact with ascended or highly evolved beings will be more common. Our human DNA is being altered causing many to feel lethargic while the newly activated components of our DNA are activated. The being informs us that those that are receptive are receiving higher vibratory "downloads" altering our consciousness more than ever before. She also warns of the coming "days of darkness" where the Earth will be enveloped by a certain "darkness" (could be mass power outages caused by solar flares or sun blocked by volcanic ash) for anywhere from 30-60 days. She asks that we remain calm and learn how to spend time with our loved ones in the dark, peacefully. Fear is a feeling that we must leave behind at this time and trust that this will pass. The climax to her prophecies are that beings from an intelligent planet have prepared an alternate safe planet for up to 1 million ascended souls to be transported to to save their precious genes and soul levels for the new Earth after the natural disasters have ceased. (think modern day UFO's descending to pick us up like a hundred Noah's arks in the sky). We will have 2 chances to go with them. This is unlike Rapture in that the choice will be ours to go with them or not. *Survival tip- stock up on gallons of bottled water and canned or dried foods. The days of darkness should begin sometime around late september 2011. See- The Knowing for a good representation of this scenario.

5. St. Malachy's prophecy- A Saint had a prophetic vision in 1139 of the end of the Catholic church that would end with our current pope and the destruction of the "7 hills of Rome" and of the Catholic church. St. Malachy doesn't go into specifics or at least the Catholic Church has never revealed how the seven hills of Rome would be destroyed. *Survival tip- You can rejoice if you are a young boy or are gay because there will be no more priests to molest you or spew hate at you for being gay. This is the easiest of doomsday scenarios to survive.

6. Elenin Comet- A large comet anywhere from 2-7 miles long will reach it's closest orbital point sometime from September 27th to late November of this year, possibly causing global earthquakes and tsunamis. Some theorize that the Elenin comet might even be a large spacecraft due to study of an enlarged photograph and observed turns that are impossible for a comet to do. *Survival tip- if it is a spaceship, you will be alright as our world's energy problems will be resolved, all diseases cured and we can finally take trips around the world in seconds and never have to pay 25 dollars to check luggage and be crammed into a tiny airplane seat ever again. If aliens really wanted to invade and eat us, they would've done it thousands of years ago. If it isn't a spaceship then get to your nearest state that doesn't have fault lines and get ready for a really bumpy ride, massive power outages and possible global tsunamis.

7. NASA reports of Solar activity late 2012- long overdue Solar eruptions are calculated by NASA to occur sometime late 2012, early 2013 causing possible satellite failures of cellular communications, air traffic control and possible massive blackouts caused by power grid overload. These massive blackouts would be nationwide across the globe and would take months to restore power. NASA has even released plans to evacuate the International Space Station for "other" reasons. *Survival tip- massive power outages and cell phone service will be down for months. Store loads of can goods, nuts, water and cans of coconut water. Disaster bonus- without computers or cell phones we'll finally be able to connect to the people sitting next to us.

My choice on the Doomsday menu above would be a combo platter of scenario 1, 4, 5, 6 and 7. It would be the fastest path to restore the balance of the ancients, end the cannibalizing of our planet and prostitution of it's resources.

Run fast for your mother

Run fast for your father

Run for your children for your sisters and brothers

Leave all your love and your longing behind

you can't carry it with you if you want to survive

The dog days are over

The dog days are done

Can you hear the horses

'Cause here they come

These scenarios may never occur and all this brouhaha might just be a load of rubbish but wouldn't you rather be mentally prepared instead of blindsided in case anything does go down? Either way, things are a' changing in this corner of the galaxy. Whether you believe in global warming or not, the Earth is getting hotter, droughts are increasing, people are overpopulating, the last of the dictators are all a' dying' or being removed from power. May the Maya prophecy mark a moment when the last dictator falls -a final call for the end to this dark con of man, where religions will finally be exposed for the cancer and tools of manipulation that they are. When the liars will stop lying, the deniers stop denying, the scammers stop scamming other men, when the anti-gay agendas will let go of their hate and the caste-class systems cease repressing the downtrodden. We are 6 billion Trumans from the Truman Show finally realizing we are caged, scratching at the edge of our reality, through the lies of eons, dying to break out of this single world view. I count the days for man's universal awareness to be born. Where we finally stop thinking we are the center of the universe and know that we are not alone and never have been.

CUT TO:

I walk through an early morning rush hour in the streets of Chicago, navigating through an ocean of people on their way to work. I look at the faces of the masses as they automatically run like ants from point A to B and ask myself do they know or even have an inkling that they are all going to die? I am aware of it every day, I can't stop thinking about how it's all going to end and count the moments for it to finally arrive. I can't wait for this world to end to clear the way for a new version. I make a call for the feet draggers of progress; the Republicans, the Taliban, the religious extremists of the world so afraid of the future - "Evolve or die!". I am doomsday boy, the biggest party-pooper, debbie-downer you've ever met. Get ready to meet your maker and ask yourself when the storms come will you be able to stand strong or will you be swept away?

Who's gonna save the world? Will it be Mother Earth, our cosmic family or can we come down from our high horses with blinders on and save ourselves?

Human beings will have to redefine everything and change everything if they are to survive.

Albert Einstein

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"The President was elected with the vision of transformative change. Nothing would so transform the world as the ending of this secrecy, peaceful open contact with the Extraterrestrial Civilizations visiting Earth and the release of these wondrous new energy technologies for peaceful energy generation. In just a few years, the world will be made anew.

Steven M. Greer, MD
Director of CSETI

God speed the year of jubilee The wide world o'er! When from their galling chains set free, Th' oppress'd shall vilely bend the knee, And wear the yoke of tyranny Like brutes no more. That year will come, and freedom's reign, To man his plundered rights again Restore. God speed the day when human blood Shall cease to flow! In every clime be understood, The claims of human brotherhood, And each return for evil, good, Not blow for blow; That day will come all feuds to end, And change into a faithful friend Each foe. God speed the hour, the glorious hour, When none on earth Shall exercise a lordly power, Nor in a tyrant's presence cower; But to all manhood's stature tower, By equal birth! That hour will come, to each, to all, And from his Prison-house, to thrall Go forth. Until that year, day, hour, arrive, With head, and heart, and hand I'll strive, To break the rod, and rend the gyve, The spoiler of his prey deprive -- So witness Heaven! And never from my chosen post, Whate'er the peril or the cost, Be driven.

Frederick Douglass, Volume II Pre-Civil War Decade 1850-1860

A Wrestler's Tears

2011-05-18T04:00:00.014-04:00

A burly, sweaty guy is forcefully holding me down, his hot bull-breath, heating me up so close and fast that my neck gets wet. I squirm through his legs to try to take him over and get him on his back, submissive...so we can finish with me on top. I work to be the top and finally win.

Sounds like a raunchy scene from a porn movie, don't it? Well, it ain't. Why does such a straight sport have to look so gay? It's exactly what I observed at the local wrestling match for my older brother's first born, somewhere in the boonies of Atlanta's wilderness. A subculture of Americana playing out in front of my Miami-safe, gay-bubbled eyes.

My older brother, stocked full of pride that I would finally be able to witness his son's Gladiator-ness action. He hauls my ass out of bed at 6 AM so that we can make it in time for the "weigh-in", where teams of really young and tiny boys get weighed in like piglets going to farm on their way to be fattened up for an eventual slaughter. Only difference is these little piggies are their family's pride and joy destined to fulfill their dad's uncompleted life dreams. These little boys, burdened with the pressure to eliminate any signs of weakness before they even hit puberty. Some get thrown into this Herculean arena of adult expectations as early as 4 years old (mat rats). They seem to be willing enough to satisfy their parent's demands until they get into the ring. As each match begins, you hear the father's and coach's cattle calls into the ring.

Losing is not an option!
Man up!
Get strong!
Dont make excuses -make adjustments!
Suck it up!

All this is heaved upon these willing, young and feisty pups before they are even mature enough to know how to deal with the emotions of it. It's a surprising reaction to see them burst into tears at the end of each match; faces red and eyes swollen.

Not just a tear but a rush-gushing of tears. Sometimes the tears come even after a win. It's the adrenaline high pressure to comply, muscle overexertion and overwhelming mental processing of their own strategy to win that breaks even the toughest of wrestlers to a whimpering-wet Sponge Bob.

To see these young Spartans walk by with their blank faces and eyes red from tears is a moment of poetic, human theater- a front row seat to a loss of innocence live and in HD. You want to reach out to them and tell them it's alright and that they did okay but at the same time you feel like you will rob them of the maturation process unfolding before you. They will with each game gain emotional intelligence, stamina and learn how to stand their ground in life. Most importantly, they learn that even when your opponents pin you down and you are about to lose, that with srength and a little bit of cunning, you can "pull a reversal" and turn a failure into a victory.

It all sounds so healthy and normal but I can't keep from thinking what this whole scene means to a child that happens to be born gay? What a sad prison of disappointment that would be for him. It'd be enough to run away and live a life on a river somewhere a' la Huckleberry Finn. The whole wrestling thing seems to be an unspoken insurance policy that their sons won't grow up to be "swishy in the hips". Unfortunately, there aren't any Glee clubs in this part of America.

Wouldn't it be progress if our world wasn't so harsh that we had to teach our kids to be so tough? Wouldn't it be evolution that our civilization could reach such heights of civility that skills of battle would be trumped by those of selflessness and consideration for their fellow man to live in a sustainable peace? Like the great Minoans who would compete over which man could jump gracefully over a horned bull without being mauled by it's horns. Displaying human strength, agility and grace in one Olympian flip in the air over the back of a bull.

When will we get to this point in our humanity? When will our values of defense budgets over educational budgets and corporate profits over civilian quality of life no longer be so fiercely important? When will greed and hoarding of wealth no longer be more important than the simple civility of spending time with your loved ones without all the complicated and expensive toys? Hopefully, it won't take a near-death of our civilization for us to wake up and evolve a little more towards bull jumping and less harvesting of innocent, wrestler's tears.

Alone and Alright

2011-03-26T03:33:00.012-04:00

If, for just one day, to feel a moment of love; a dream, a laugh, a kiss, a cry, our rights, our wrongs,....it would be all worth the ride, even if it were a short one.

This lonely boy is right where he wants to be, finding solace in solitude, relying on myself and aiming my eyes to nature for comfort. No one at my side to hurt me, disregard my feelings, under-appreciate or fight with me about petty character flaws. I have no regrets for this or any of the other countless heartbreaks my adventures in finding love have taken me to. This, a new-found, self-imposed asexuality of sorts.

I'm fulfilled by faithful "mister handy", my new MAC Powerbook and my body pillow at night...sheltered and quarantined from psychological traumas, overactive egos, self-centered queens unable to love and STD's, of course. There is unsurprisingly zero drama when I am not partnered up. I have more time to dedicate myself to my career, hoarding my nuts for the winter and spending quality time teaching my nephew the subtle differences in the sounds of crickets, frogs and birds in the wild.

My heart, locked away in its gilded cage, it's sweet disposition maintained, still supple, alive and well, not yet embittered or hardened by life's knocks and heartbreaks. I remain, open to love's magic, curveball-surprise that can change your life forever.

Yet, I am stripped of any effort or desire to seek out a new challenge. He will have to seek me out or at least it will have to happen organically. I fantasize, visualizing a faceless human with a heart larger than mine and capacity for loyalty that finally matches my own. He may never materialize or even exist but imagining him makes me feel hopeful that he does, somewhere, out there, in this big-bubble of 6 billion people. Until then, I will be thankful to be alive, well, surrounded by loved ones and not stuck in a relationship with someone that is totally wrong for me.

My heartbroken friend confesses over the phone, "I need to be more of an asswhole.". I disagree and tell him the world has plenty of asswholes already, "You stay just the way you are and work on being a better man-You do you."

For now, that's what I will do as well. I'll "do me" and work to improve my relationship...with my-self.

"I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude."- Henry David Thoreau

Is It Time For Us To Go "Commando"?

2011-02-07T16:10:00.009-05:00

Words, words words, oh ever so powerful words. They can be used to imprison people (Hitler's speeches against Jews) or liberate them (Churchill's motivational speeches to the English masses). They can also start wars (Crusades started by a Pope, Jihad started by Muslim leaders). The million dollar question is why is it that people keep listening and following these words and/or the leaders that espouse them? When will the "faithful, god-fearing sheep" grow a pair and start thinking for themselves? It's simple, they don't want to think for themselves they'd rather be lead and shown the way. The only problem is these "look over there" leaders are pointing to the wrong ails of their societies. The Muslim clerics blame the western imperialists and their all too liberal society as the problem when it's really lack of jobs, education and poor infrastructure caused by generations of bad government. The Catholic evangelists or mo' haters, like to blame the Gays and\or Abortion as the cause of the problem in America when the real problem is an all too materialistic society that overspends and lives an unsustainable and irresponsible lifestyle that is damaging our environment.

My aunt always liked to say, "when you point a finger to blame someone, you have one pointing at them and three pointing at yourself.". It's ever so true for these religious leaders that are unsurprisingly in bed with the religiously aligned Republican party. The Republican party, pound for pound has more sexual scandals than a crack addicted pimp on Biscayne Boulevard. Don't believe me, there's a whole website devoted to it. These charlatan leaders or snake oil salesmen (pick either) need fear to lead, it is their mother's milk and their followers are very afraid. For one reason or another these followers or "minions" just aren't wired for bravery or the self contained faith to know everything is going to be alright. Like deposed evangelist, Ted Haggard recently said in an Advocate interview "The number 1 way they can raise funds is not to encourage people to be more loving, less greedy or more kind. It's to say there's a secret homosexual agenda to siege America, and fund us so we can battle this agenda to save the family."

As the whole Wikileaks debacle and mass revolutions across the Middle East can attest, the world and it's sheep are ready for the truth, in fact they are starving for it. Michael moore so eloquently put it, "Wikileaks isn't killing people, the secrets are". More and more sheep are breaking ranks and finding their own path to the truth of what is really wrong with any given country. Like Ted Haggard, whose fall from grace helped him "get real" and is now advocating his small church to accept the gay community and to advocate for the religious right to follow suit. Or Sarah, the Kansas city mom who stood up to her critical pastor after she accepted her son to dress as Scooby Doo's Daphne and created an uproar across the US. Or Howard Stern who has finally tired of saying the word "fag" on his show after realizing the effects of bullying on gay youth in America. And the 3000 parishoners that returned hate filled DVD's mailed to their homes in Minnesota in the church's effort to get people to vote against marriage equality for gays in that state. An ever-increasingly vocal yet still in the closet, Anderson Cooper criticizing a Hollywood movie trailer, getting them to remove a "that's so gay" comment out of a recent film.

This ideological civil rights battle has reached a tipping point and we can't wait for more of our youth to commit suicide or more laws passed by religiously led drives to take away more of our rights we have fought so hard to gain. We can no longer heed the advice of the Beatles and “let it be”. We need to go balls out, "warrior up" and take action and dispel the ignorance and myths spread about us. A quick, neutralizing factor is needed to disassemble and defuse these leaders leading this war against us. Like the hustler Mike Jones was for Ted Haggard or the cop in the bathroom for Larry Craig and the 20 year old twink bringing down the ever so dark George Rekers in my hometown, Miami Airport.

One of the most slapstick yet effective commando tactics is the "pie in the face". It the quickest and easiest way to make a statement and humiliate these bullies at the pulpit. Who could ever forget the pie in the face of Anita Bryant for her anti gay crusade in the 70's after succesfully getting a gay adoption ban passed in Florida? Or the more recent pie in the face of an antigay Bishop that claimed pedophile priests should be protected and that gays deserve AIDS? The pie is a messy contraption and really hard to run with to get a good shot at any given podium. I suggest a supersize pink Slushie, a' la Glee. It's a much easier to carry and less menacing looking tool as you casually sashay and slurp your way up to the podium. The pink colored Slushie, a fitting metaphor, since pink has always been one of the most prominent colors used to represent the gay rights movement since Hitler marked homosexuals with pink triangles on their way to the concentration camps. Shakespeare once wrote, "Truth will out" but sometimes truth needs a little nudge to come to the surface, especially when the next generation of our gay brethren are dropping via suicide, gay bashing or as was recently the case for David Kato in Uganda, old fashioned hammer-to-the-head, murder. It looks like outing these human weapons of mass destruction is one of the most powerful and efficient ways to get them to stop lying and dangerously misguiding their flocks. They won't out themselves folks.

We need to "warrior up" and Act Up as we did in the 80's when we were dying by the thousands from AIDS. It's time again for us to "ACT UP"! I certainly in no way want to incite violence but if these elected political officials or religious leaders are misrepresenting themselves and bringing violence and harm to their communities as a result, then someone needs to let these folks know who they are really following. If the journalists or the leader's peers don't out them, then who better than the gay community? We can fight using their own tactics like Gay teen activist Caleb Laieski who has notified officials at every school in Arizona that they must put a stop to bullying, or else he threaten to file a lawsuit however that attempt is easily ignored by these crusaders.

Take the grand daddy of all evangelists in the country for the African American Community as an example; Atlanta's bishop (sexting pictures above) Eddie Long, who after being accused by 4 of his underaged parishoners of sexual abuse and coercion is unbelievably still preaching at his pulpit. He is one of the largest leaders of the anti-gay movement, fiercely fighting any comparison with the gay civil rights movement and the black civil rights movement in this country, stringing along a money hungry, anti-gay relative of the late Martin Luther King to prove his point. Even though Mr. Long's expensive lawyers are "mediating" before going before a judge this summer and will probably get the boys to settle out of court a' la Michael Jackson, his unfinished fall from grace was the catalyst that created an olive branch of support being offered by the NAACP to gay rights groups for a first-time-ever cooperation. It is that kind of monumental change that can happen overnight from outing these con artists.

These are the real freaks, they are the bullies. Their mouths, weapons of mass destruction, much as Muslim clerics incite fatwah to kill Americans, these Benedict Arnold's of America have incited a holy war against our own children. So much so, that in one month last September, they caused 11 suicides of young citizens at the hands of a hatred born at the pulpit, emboldening youths to bully and gay bash, all in the name of the lord. The blood of these youths are the strange fruit harvested from these charlatans.

The trick to "going commando" is to do it right. Larry Flynt's offer of a million dollars to "out" an antigay senator is a really powerful and effective way to get the ball rolling but he didn't name a name- yet. Money always works quickly to get mercenaries to your door but another quick way to "go commando" is to organize "baits" in the local communities where the WMD's reside and lure them via online social apps such as Facebook, Twitter, going to their church and playing the wounded dove looking for a strong father figure to mentor them. Any way to get them to meet you in private. When you do, make sure the room is completely wired and someone else has a high def, FlipCam aimed at the meeting. Video is much more effective at proving their gay-ways than an easily adultered photo. You can also call IRS to report religious organizations that take part in political initiatives or ballots. Religious organizations that do this should lose their tax exempt status, period!

While there are hundreds of gay advocacy groups (HRC, GLAAD, Lambda legal, Save Dade, etc.) effecting great change, using the same legal system to fight our enemies that they use against us, it is taking too long and the gay suicides and bashings are still happening every month. Evangelists are even exporting their hate and causing gay death penalties to be added to the books of African countries that already give years of jail time for being caught in any homosexual act. We also have had huge victories in the last several years; repeal of DADT, Proposition 8 overturned, Matthew Shepard act was signed into law by Obama, removal of the HIV restriction for visa and immigration entries into the US and gay marriage rights being won in many states.

It's time to up the ante and show them these American idiots with their redneck agendas what a gay agenda really is about. It's about civil rights for all and "outing" the truth, however ugly that may be.

Hopefully then, the minions will tire of being minions and look inside themselves for the answers to what is right and wrong without the need for a religion to feed it to them. It's high time they take the wheel and drive themselves to enlightenment road.

So watch your back Maggie Gallagher, Rick Warren, Scott Lively, Brian Brown, James Dobson, and Richard Cohen; we are coming to snare and expose you We will snare you. We will look underneath your beds and in your dirty closets, take samples and pictures, CSI Miami style until you are busted. This is a war we are fighting- a war against terror and religious extremism in our efforts to win equal rights and a more civilized, less violent world, securing a real and new homeland security.

The next time you see any of these self-hating mo's at their pulpits pointing fingers at how sinful homosexuality is, just smile and ask yourself- "When will you get busted in a gay bathhouse or your naughty pics to underage boys hit the web?"

Kandi Burruss from Housewives of ATL, "Every saint has a past and every sinner a future." We are the "sinners" in this battle and we've got the love to get through this war.

*This video of YouTube'r Cadillac Kimberly is dead on and totally worth a listen.

"Your mind will answer most questions if you learn to relax and wait for the answer." William Burroughs

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A great video on the effectiveness of PieIng for political activism.

The 8 largest scandals that outed politicians

The largest mass exodus of 24,000 parishioners at one time from an Evangelical church over it's position on gay equality

The 10 most prominent lies told about the LGBT community.

Cheers To A New Year

2011-01-01T23:20:00.045-05:00

Standing in the main lobby of South Beach's Lincoln Road movie theater, watching the dense crowd of people exiting a movie and coming towards me like a herd of colorful cattle. I stand in the middle to get the best seat at this parade. As colorful as Miami is, I never seem to get bored with its diversity. Its the quintessential city to people-watch.

I look to my left and observe an abundantly plump woman plopped on a bench with her arms lifelessly hanging in front of her. I imagine her naked and envision a Big Mac with arms. I get whiffs of conversations as they walk by and swirl around me. They're either complaining about the movie or praising it, discussing the stresses of relationships or of surviving in this difficult economy.

I pause to think about the second terrible year all these people and I have just suffered through and I snap out of it, cracking a grin at the sight of a frizzy, red-haired, chic old lady with black tights and an oversized, bedazzled sweater sashays by, looking like a Liza Minelli wanna-be. Two Latinas conga-by either side of me, oozing sexiness in skintight miniskirts, tall leather black boots, curves like a manatee and perfume like a ripe mango spritzed with jasmine. A couple of skinny, yamaka-wearing, pimple-faced, Jewish boys walk by whispering to each other. A Jaguar-stud with his metrosexual look and Ferragamo loafers checks out the giraffe-tall models walking in front of him while his beautiful wife is on his arm, not noticing a thing. A couple of cute, slender gay boys on their first date, being coyly flirtatious with each other while ordering popcorn and bottled water (Coke is so 2005). I wish for a moment I was on a date then quickly realize I'm perfectly content with my bachelor status. I turn and notice a little boy feistily pulling his hand out and away from his mother's grasp, frustrated, he looks out the window wishing time would pass faster so he could be a grown up already.

The one unifying aspect of 2010 is that everyone in every nation on the planet all know too well how challenging these last couple of years have been. At least now, we can be confident in knowing that we survived this one.

The end of the year is the time to brush off the nastiness and recharge to stand tall again with a renewed effort to make old or new dreams a reality. It's up to us how we will look at the things that will happen to us in the year ahead. Do we look at them as tragic disasters or as opportunities to finally rid this planet of its old, cantankerous and unsustainable systems? While we can't change the bad things that happen, we can change the way we look at them. I promise myself to move forward into the new year with more consideration and mindfulness at every step. I silently pray that this year's challenges nudge us all closer to connecting to our own peace of mind so that we may share that peace with whoever we encounter along our journeys and may that peace spread as virally as a new video on YouTube.

My friend finally frees himself from the long line and scores our munchies from the snackbar. We walk into Tron 3D and towards a new year with oodles of chances for something good or at least something better than last year to happen to us.

Tasting Another Slice of the Miami Orange

2010-12-07T04:30:00.042-05:00

http://www.tatisuarez.com/

http://fumeroism.com/

I stumble upon a cool group of cyclists while buying some freshly smoked "street meat" in Wynwood during this year's Art Basel in front of the new Panther Coffee shop on NW 2nd Avenue. They chat me up and offer a bike tour of the Wynwood outdoor art murals. I say "hell yeah" and sign up for tomorrow's ride.

Wynwood is in a world of it's own, this year's Art Basel reinforced the assertion that this is definitely NOT South Beach. It is on the edge, literally. It lies sandwiched between the posh Design District and hipster-central, Midtown Miami neighborhoods but is totally another raw, unrefined flavor to Miami's spicy melting pot. It was once a fashion and industrial district with a large Puerto Rican population but is now fast becoming the next place to find inspiration and respite from conformism.

The bike tour guides from Emerge Miami offered me a chance to learn more about the artists that created the murals littered all over the area. I thought this would be the perfect way to see another layer to this whole Art Basel phenomenon that few get to learn about. I've snapped shots at these murals for months now while driving through my neighborhood of Midtown and have been noticing a recent explosion of fresh and innovative artwork, transforming this blighted neighborhood in the middle of nowhere.

This nowhere has become somewhere overnight thanks to it's visionary artists and developers like David Lombardi of Wynwood lofts, Cafeina, Panther Coffee house and of course the man with the Midas touch, Tony Goldman, proprietor of Joey's Cafe' and the sexy, new Wynwood Kitchen. I remember Tony when he first laid eyes on South Beach back in 1988 and I had just rented a studio apartment in his building on 8th and Ocean drive overlooking the beach for only $350-. Tony was finishing his first remodel of an art deco hotel on South Beach. It was the Park Central and it stood out like a diamond surrounded by charcoal. It was one of the first hotels to be painted with the colorful pastel palette. In those days, the buildings were all depressing, earthy browns and beiges with all of the art deco lines lost from lack of maintenance and color to highlight their beauty. His friend he brought down from New York to manage my the apartment building where I lived was Mark Soyka who was planning to manage a little cafe' named News Cafe'. The rest, as you know is history and Tony's vision was the seed that germinated into the hedonistic, global mecca that is South Beach today.

Flash forward to 2010, Tony's golden fingers are spreading their fairy dust over Wynwood and it is a wonderful transformation to see a nuclear holocaust, concrete jungle burst into colors and bloom galleries on every corner. He commissioned top name artists for the Wynwood Walls project. Kenny Scharf, Shepard Fairy who did the Obama campaign poster and Jeff Soto to name a few, all came together to transform bare concrete walls into individual dimensional doorways into each of their minds. A virtual Alice in Wonderland for art lovers. This project has inspired other wall commissions all over Wynwood from companies like Levi's, Primary Flight, and Sharpie and the list keeps growing. Wynwood's murals are currently one of the largest mural installations in the world featuring over 250 artists from around the globe. Primary flight is the main promoter of "legal street art" in Miami and has helped to bring other corporate sponsors.

I awake to another perfectly blue, crystal clear winter day in Miami and I gear up on my beach cruiser with my 10 year old nephew and ride over to Cafeina to meet the bikers for our tour. My nephew is amp'ed to see all the artists on scissor lifts painting murals live in Cafeina lounge's side parking lot. It was like walking into an open air museum, the way art should be enjoyed in the fresh air, spotlighted by the sun.

We see so many bad ass works of art that I piss off my biker brothers for falling too far behind to take pictures. We turn the corner into what looks like an abandoned warehouse complex that is a shell of a building littered with hundreds of graffitti artists and their girlfriends and baby future graffitti artists. There were guys hanging from steel roof beams on ladders painting over every square inch of bare concrete. It was a massive beehive with each worker bee, working their magic in a peaceful synchronicity. No gang violence or cops here just pure street art. A lot of the business owners are more than happy to have their walls painted so the stigma of illegal tagging of walls isn't an issue here.

Our tour guide goes on to explain a lot of the art and tells us of my favorite artist Retna who uses his own form of hieroglyphics in his murals which only he can decipher. Another story tells of a legendary pioneering graffitti artist named Ynot that passed away but is not forgotten. Artists in the area tag walls with his logo all over Wynwood to keep his memory alive.

The sad but poetic truth is that these murals are just as mortal as the humans that paint them. They will either be painted over quickly or be destroyed by the elements over time. Like a sand castle competition, the only way to capture this fleeting beauty is to take a picture before it's gone. One of the murals I photographed was already painted over by a buzzkill landlord 2 days later.

All in all, this was one of the most refreshing and inspirational things I did during this culture bomb they call Art Basel this year and hope I get to do it again in 2011. It adds to the list of the "wonderful things" that make My-Ami, the real Miami; home for me. Let's just hope and pray that neither Pottery Barn nor Romero Britto set their sights on Wynwood and it remains the edgy and inspirational place it is today.

Learn more about the Miami graffitti movement here.

*Hot Miami tip- Check out La Guarderia produce market on 34th street and NW 2nd avenue and grab oodles of fresh produce and fruit for a fraction of what it would cost at your local Publix. It's totally worth the trek.

A great short film on the origins of Miami's Art Basel and it's arts community, highlighting some of it's most prominent pioneers and shapers of our magic city, recently premiered at Wynwood's only independent film house, O Cinema.

The Quest to Give Thanks In Today's Demanding World

2010-11-25T05:40:00.004-05:00

I wanted to share a very personal message written to my family on Thanksgiving day in hopes that you too can find something to be thankful for in this ever increasingly polarized and embattled country and maybe get closer to be a little more united.

We are living in a time where so many wrongs are highlighted and communicated every day, incessantly. So many networks of people communicating the issues that make them afraid or upset. We also have so many new ways of sharing hope and the progress towards making this a more connected and harmonious world. The family and friends that are gathered here today have all gone through so many struggles and have come from all parts of this still great country to break bread together and give thanks for all that we have. I was tossing and turning the other night until 5:00 am and was reviewing all the events of the last several years and couldn’t believe all the changes and trials we have survived. We have lost fathers, mothers, cherished grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, lifelong friends, loving pets. We have survived 2 wars, terrorist attacks and a recession that was a hair away from a great depression. I thought to myself after all that, what would the spirits of our lost family members tell me to be thankful for? Call me crazy, but they all responded in unison, so loudly that I had to get up and write this all down to share with you. What they said was “you all have right now”. Tomorrow, next year, next month is all uncertain but you have this moment, right now to come together and enjoy each other’s presence, to enjoy a memorable moment with our beautiful family. Nothing would make them… and mom more happy than to see us smile at each other and renew an unspoken promise that no matter what tragedies may come, that we stay together. When differences arise, change the subject and talk about a more unifying topic like gardening or vacations or what dreams you dare to envision…or even funny videos on YouTube; whatever it takes to find common ground and share a smile.

We have what our passed family members don’t…time to smile and be with each other. Let’s not waste this opportunity and celebrate that we are alive, healthy and full of so many chances for greatness. We have a unique and very strong minded family, that sometimes doesn’t always see eye to eye. The unifying force is we do share a love for each other and we are all amazing souls that I give thanks every day to be a part of.

Cheers to a better world!

The Tragedy of Becoming a "Manny"

2010-10-23T00:27:00.036-04:00

I entered willingly into this 7 day experiment stuck inside a parental incubator\pressure cooker, converting me into a Man-nanny or "manny" for short. I am a nightowl that never wakes up before 9:30 and had to instantly transform myself from a nocturnal to diurnal creature (learned that word from the kids' science homework). The luxury of time deleted from my life, every minute strategized and tightly orchestrated to be able to fit in the obligations of each day to keep this brood of Von Trapp children alive and happy.

Crazed, sleep deprived visions of breeding colonies sprang to my mind where children are raised in segregated golden pastures in the countryside, inside greenhouses like cabbage patch dolls each with their dedicated nurses to dote on them 24-7. This was the most perfect scenario in my mind.

This parental dance requires you to immediately forget your previous identity and transform into someone that solely thinks of the wellbeing of their little ducklings. So much so, that I'd forget to shave, shower or even brush my teeth. Don't even think about blogging, the gym, facials, night creams, long showers or vegging in front of the telly. My life was no longer mine. I felt myself transforming into a shoeless, Yugoslavian mountain woman with a faint smell of sweaty goat and sprigs of hay in my matted hair. I was no longer a footloose and fancy-free bachelor, I was now married to this family. It was a tragic feeling to mourn the loss of my previous life and imagined a lifetime of this. Thank God it was only temporary. I gained a newfound respect for the mothers and fathers of the world. The amount of dedication and responsibility required is dumbfounding to the brain. Thank God the ever-giving-tree of a grandmother was there to take care of the 2 year old and grace us with her scrumptiously-Spanish cooking every night. If it weren't for her, I think I wouldve completely lost my marbles. It was a completely foreign and unusual experience to eat together every night with the 6 of us cracking jokes and sharing stories of the day. My "family meal" back in my Miami condo consisted of eating a sandwich standing over my sink or grabbing a quick bite with a friend on my way home from the gym. The rhythm of this life is as different as hip hop is to Beethoven.

Humans are incredibly adaptable to any changes life brings us and I could probably adapt as well, if I had to, but I would never choose this life. My children are my stories, I am dedicated to them and they fill me completely when they go out into the world and interact with others. Being an uncle is a comfortable niche, the best of both worlds, you get to hang with them part time then return to sender while retaining title of the "cool uncle". The potential for fun is endless.

So many moments collected in my seven days in idyllic and oh-so civilized Dedham, Boston; the delirious, early morning impromptu dances forcing me to laugh when I could barely move my arms enough to sip my coffee, the sharing of senseless dreams from the night before, hand-fart sound competitions, swapping ghost stories and playlist jam sessions on our respective Iphones while frantically rushing them to school, innumerable cranky meltdowns and hugs, grocery trips, picking one of the girls up from school late making her miss another appointment and shortly after buying her a tank top to make up for it, not knowing the drop off or pickup "system" of each school, helping with that blasted homework, watching epidodes of The Event on Hulu before putting them to bed, running to drop the oldest to his way-too-frequent haircut, watching the older siblings coddle and play with their newest 2 year old brother assuring the newest generation of this planet will grow up happy, healthy and free of trauma.

Passing apple farms on my way back from dropping the kids off at school, I realize like farms, families are somewhat invisible sources of life for a society. The "non-farmers" of the world don't realize what it takes to nurture this produce to maturity for the rest of the world to enjoy unless they become a farmer or breeder. The family is the epicenter of humanity from where every thing else comes. If we were all raised surrounded by this much love and support tempered with discipline and a good education, we would probably see a lot less violence or lack as much as we do. We would care for each other as if we were one big human family-the way we should always have but have yet to "get". The love and hate for the rest of the world is born at home. We have seen the effects of that hate recently in this country with the epidemic proportions that gay suicides have risen to. We will eventually get it, and not breed hate at home. As long as we keep refining and perfecting the raising of our children, this healthy produce will be harvested for generations thereafter in the form of a healthier society.

As I dropped the kids off one last time before my sister and brother in law returned from their trip, I stopped the car to notice a street full of fall leaves, trash and recycle bins all perfectly lined up. We don't get this "cold, fall leaves thing" in Miami much. The safety and calm of the moment overwhelmed me. The suburbs were no longer confining or held dread for me. I felt a sudden sweet tide of melancholy rush over and outside the fall was turning into winter. Inside my heated car I too found myself changing. I wondered what the heck I was getting all teary eyed like a chick on the rag, about? I soon realized that I missed "this", a life I had once known. A familial closeness that felt like a bunch of bears nuzzled in a cave ready to hibernate. For this week, this was my clan of the cave bear and the tragedy of becoming a "manny", ironically wasn't a tragedy at all. The warmth of living inside this temporary cocoon allowed me to experience a life full of love and after all the griping and moaning, left me finally really knowing what it meant when all my married and mothered-up girlfriends always chanted, "It's a lot of work but it's so rewarding..." I used to think they were just saying that to psych themselves out from a life they had lost but there is something there, a "fullness" I hadn't felt in a very long time. This may not be my path or destiny but it was a rewarding and enriching experiment. Shapeshifting into a manny was as tough as bootcamp on a summer Miami day yet, if asked again I would gladly oblige. The bonding experience and laughter shared lifted my spirit more than any movie or book I've ever read. This autumnal moment was life in it's purest form, no illusions, no lies and it fed me so much more than it cost me in energy or loss of sleep.

Addicted to Filling the Gap

2010-08-13T04:30:00.000-04:00

If Dr. Laura was black and ranted on about the "big N" word it would've been acceptable but since she wasn't, her rant wasn't either. Well here goes my rant and remember I am one of you and being within my rank, I can criticize from within.

I refuse to become so addicted to Grindr that I can't have a meaningful conversation with a friend without looking at my phone every 5 minutes to see who's sending me a nude pic of themselves. I refuse to fall into the gap of online hookups in order to fill this gap within me. I refuse to feel like i'm a freak because I don't succumb to the status quo of my community. I refuse to create an alter porn-ego of myself and post pictures of my throbbing, hard penis to thousands of unknowns just to bait them in to love me. I refuse to feel like i'm not good enough because I don't get laid 2-3 times per week with 2-3 different strangers per week. I am not less-cool or attractive for it. I am more than just a slab of grade A man-meat and I want more than just man-meat. I want a real and whole man that isn't looking to find what's the next better catch every night on the online hook-up slot machine. Are we so jaded that what I am saying is so off the charts? Yet, if I dare say these things out loud to my friends or strangers, they would roll their eyes and look at me pitifully as if I was an idealistic Charlotte from Sex and the City. Are we so hungry for intimacy that we are willing to deny we have any feelings at all just to get it? Like a meth addict that loses his teeth to keep getting "fixed", have we given up a part of ourselves just to get our "fix"? We all need love, everyone knew this even before the Beatles sang about it. So why is it in the gay community we act like we don't really need it and that's it's enough to just "hook up"? Are we just taking the bare minimum because we don't feel we can get any more? Have we lost faith that there is anyone more out there? Is being pretty or hot all there is? Have we reduced ourselves to body measurements as if we were ancient Roman slave traders?

I post a pic of my latest tattoo on my facebook page and a girlfriend quickly comments on my Wall -"you're addicted!" I pause and soon realize it rings true. I am a little addicted.

I started out with one tattoo to mark the moment my first book was published. Then a 2nd when I turned 35. Then a 3rd humongous ancient Tibetan symbol in the center of my back to commemorate the peace Buddhism has brought to my life. Finally my 4th tat on my writing hand to constantly remind myself to be true to myself and to never whimp out on any opportunities life throws my way. Each and every time I would get addicted to the fear of the pain beforehand, the pain of the needle piercing my skin and then the sweet pain of my skin's cells responding to that pain and feeling my body heal. I would savor how that stinging pain would send goosebumps up my spine like a masochistic pleasure that shakes your insides so that you feel the sliver of space between your body and spirit. Each and every time I would feel satisfied after doing it because each one meant something, earning me an emotional badge by surviving my self-inflicted trial by fire.

Like Journey sings in Don't Stop Believing- "working hard to get my fill-everybody wants a thrill". Addictions come in endless shapes, sizes and flavors. They can be booty calls, midnight snickers, shopping, sport cars or funnel cakes-it doesn't matter. What matters is that there's an itch that needs a' scratchin'. A need that calls to be satisfied-a "gap" that needs a' fillin'. This "filling the gap" may sound pornographic and to some it is -literally. Ask any porn star what they love the most about their trade. They'll confess it's the constant flow of good sex with hot partners and they can never seem to get enough of it. The "gap" I'm talking about is one inside each and every one of us. The key is to find out what the hell it really is and eventually find that Snickers moment and finally feel sat-is-fied. We all have a desire to escape the misery of needing something. Buddhism teaches detachment is the only way to avoid suffering but we are human and we will always need a million things. The trick is to force yourself to stop needing ANY-thing and have the faith that whatever we do need will come to us naturally. When we finally do get there we realize that the one "thing" we need isn't a thing at all but a feeling.

Like Chinese food or a one night stand; these addictions leave you hungry for more moments later. They are brief respites; never enough to fill the gap inside long enough to last a lifetime. They are momentary stop-gap measures that like the temporary gulf oil cap, will eventually start to leak out all the dark pus we carry inside until we find the honest guts and self-realization to go in there and really clean house to find the true reasons behind each addiction or lack of self-love. The reasons are inside each and every one of us, secreted away so deeply that sometimes they are taken to the grave and never shared with even the closest of loved ones.

With so many opportunities for addiction, anyone can agree that moderation is the golden rule of life that we should all strive for, the foundation for happiness. For if we tip the scales to any one side, we eventually fall like the fatter end of a see saw. Just as the pendulum that swings too far to the left or the right, when it finally swings back to the middle, all is in equilibrium and all is at peace and the ying-yang tug of war of life is quelled for the moment. It is this coolness, this alive feeling that I yearn for. The hardest part is to find the least damaging way to fulfill it.

What are you addicted to? Where will you find your god; on Grindr, in the Mac store, in his abs, or within yourself?

It's A Mad World - Maddening Us Gays

2010-08-12T15:48:00.007-04:00

Reading through the paper, passing the countless updates on legal battles going on presently in this country regarding gay rights; "Lingle compares gay marriage to incest", "Gay groups sue governor Lingle of hawaii to overturn her veto to gay marriage ammendment", "Washington DC court upholds gay marriage bill, preventing a majority to ever vote to strip a minority's rights in that state", "Proposition 8 Overturned! Opponents Vow to take Appeal To US Supreme Court", "Montana Tea Party Advocates Hanging of "Fruits"" etc, etc. I get a little down and Google, "cheer me up" and find an article that rates the 10 happiest cities to live in the United States. My mind begins to wander and think happy thoughts...What if we (us gays) could build our own utopian island on par with the man made islands off the coast of Dubai- a modern day mythical Atlantis reborn by and designed by legions of the top minds from our LGBT communities across America. Our ardent opponents fantasy's of shipping us all off to an island would finally be realized. Sure, we already have our gay sanctuary-cities like LA, New York and Miami but like Sergio Arau's "A Day Without a Mexican", America would finally see what a day or several years without a gay is like and what will happen to our society with the complete removal of it's "gays". I know it would totally suck but just stick with me here.

We are no different from the Kurds in Iraq or Muslims in Bosnia-just another minority that would better off be eliminated or altogether made to disappear so that the majority won't have to tolerate or understand us. The idea of a gay Atlantis-utopia would call them on their bluff and while others would call it cowardly, I muse it would be a passive-aggressive, checkmate move. It wouldn't take long for the same factions that opposed us to create a new demonized segment of society and create a new holy war against divorces, illegal immigrants, tangas or mini-skirts. Like removing the US embargo off of Cuba, robbing Fidel of his excuse for his country's miseries. These Ameri-bans would finally be exposed for the fear-mongering fanatics that they are and the masses would finally "get it"-then maybe then we could return from our safe-haven-utopia and finally be left alone to live our lives without having to fight every damn day to defend ourselves and gain equal rights.

Staring at this map of happiness I remember my first day of school where I kicked, screamed and scratched to not go into that classroom. A place where no one knew me and where I felt I was too different-not because I was gay-I didn't have an inkling of that yet but because I was a strange young boy that never spoke- Too focused on figuring out this strange world to speak or relate to anyone...So many questions I obsessed about; Why money had value? Why did my parents run around, working so much and not spend more time with my siblings and I? Why there were killings, rapes and wars? Why were kids at school so competitive and mean to each other? Why did I feel like a lepper?

High school gifted me with an angelic being and my first gal-pal of many that would provide solace and sanctuary for me. It was only fitting that she looked like a younger version of my tender, loving idol; Marilyn Monroe. We were brief lovers and in her arms I found a shoulder to drown my sorrows and finally confess my "gayness". She soon after, released me to take the gay, road-less-traveled. 23 years later, the world is still cruel and cold but a little more tolerant and our people are no longer the free, gay and happy people that created the epitome of good times from the 70's and 80's. Our world renowned wit, dampened and drowned out by our cries for equality, finally getting fed up enough to quit partying and start demanding respect.

We are in wartime, no time for being light and caddy, we are a weary, beleaguered masses yearning to breathe free. A shadow has been cast by our tireless political opponents obsessed with lying about our love, cheating and manipulating laws to have their religious war won, eroding the fabric of America's Constitution along the way. The shadow is cast over almost every gay community worldwide by a religious cloak from almost every religion hiding the hatred and homophobia behind their regurgitated and selectively manipulated doctrine. We, as a people have lost a part of ourselves along the way, lost in our own rainbow. Our cause is just and as important as the recession everyone is stuck wallowing in. This battle affects millions of lives of good and Gay American citizens. We are a large portion of society fighting and counting the days until we can feel free, light and good again- to finally feel fully equal and accepted. It's a mad world- maddening to one of the last portions of society to be included in one of humanity's final exams, truly testing the tolerance of it's inherent differences. Our rights were supposed to have already been afforded to us by the Constitution with a clear separation of church and state. We shouldn't have to fight this battle but nonetheless, here we are mired in it. Although it took us a while to get pissed off enough to get organized, we are now witnessing one of the biggest battles of our times, where hundreds of millions of dollars are spent on either side of the political battlefield.

I imagine a day when we are finally done with this mess and all those millions can be redirected towards helping to change the really damning problems of our world like lack of water, overpopulation, incurable diseases, etc. I imagine a time where I could reunite with my brothers and sisters on a dance floor, where the music is uplifting and good again. Where I don't leave feeling depressed from a gay club, sensing the sadness oozing off these reality escapees of a harsh world -dancing to forget. I await on a metaphorical cliff looking out to a new horizon where this civil rights war is behind us and we can finally regain our joyful outlook and wit that we were so famous for. I can't wait for my younger gay brethren to feel as loved and accepted as they were on their birthday as every child should feel. For LGBT suicides, gay bashings and death penalties for gays to be relegated to the dark pages of our history books for good....to serve as a reminder that this time that mentality should never be repeated. I await and dream of the day we win this battle for equality and justice. To be able to sing happy birthday to "us" and this mad world will become a bit more of a glad one.

"The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes 'Awww!" — Jack Kerouac (On the Road)

One day we will be able to look in the mirror and feel beautifully whole and comfortable in our own skins with a contented smile instead of expressionless, poker faces and smiling will be cool again. I pray that after we do that the hatred doesn't shift to illegal immigrants in this country as it already seems to be happening.

This whole gay thing isnt about gay or straight -it's about loving each other-for real this time- no matter what- to end this hatred amongst ourselves and knock the cycle of hatred, division and intolerance out of this Earth grid for good. Or at least until a new challenge like acceptance of beings from other planets comes inevitably along our evolutionary path. That moment of contact will never happen until we can get over our differences here at home. Would you want to visit such unfriendly territory if you were light years ahead of Earth?

"There is a template of pain and suffering on this planet that the earth is tired of and we need to move through it to progress. Love light and happiness begins with you. " Guru Ganesha

Gay director John Waters muses on the current state of the gay community. Click here

Russian billionaire calls for the extermination of all gays and lesbians on Moscow public radio.

*Photos above by Jeff Kilmer from his recent book "23%".

Kundalini What? Kripalu Where? Yoga How?

2010-07-02T05:00:00.006-04:00

I want my enlightenment damnit!- I yell from the back seat, anxious to get to our weekend retreat with my overworked sister and overachieving family friend to force ourselves to find some solace and moments of quiet bliss.

Arriving at Kripalu, you find yourself in a magical setting amidst a countryside that looks a lot like a Harry Potter movie set complete with lush, green mountains, castle-like mansions from America's golden industrial age and no visible cities within miles. Down the street from Kripalu is it's sterilized, heartless competition; Canyon Ranch. Kripalu doesn't even attempt tocompetewith luxe, Canyon Ranch, they are two completely separate entities attracting completelydifferent crowds. As you pass through the mist-bathed entrance gate at Kripalu, you get the feeling you are entering into another dimension, it's location, far removed from Boston's city energy, making it the perfect setting to get one's "mojo" back and recharge. I breathe in and notice the air tastes as pure as freshly fallen snow. Let's get en-light-ened girls! As we bust open the doors to the main lobby to register we see groups of young and graceful Yogaholics wielding yoga mats instead of Blackberries or Iphones (cellphone use is "requested"to be used away from common areas like smoking) and sporting flip flops, sweats and tanks instead of Jedi Light sabers and Obi-Wan robes.

These guiding lights to the rest of humanity that opt to medicate not with pharmaceuticals and antidepressants but instead with a healthy obsession for the ancient practice of Yoga.

Like Jedi knights gathering to sharpen their skills against the dark forces of this world, these yogic warriors of light are ready to deal with life's challenges as long as they have space to lay down their mats and time to practice and meditate. I was quickly disappointed by the lack of representation of gay men among these Yogaholic minions. I asked myself, "where are my gays?". There were plenty of lesbians representin' but about 2 gay guys (including myself) in attendance on this weekend retreat. Yoga seems to attract those that are in the process of leaving their ego's behind or at least trying to. It's a practice that causes the false ego or "id" to be left behind as you reconnect with your true inner self.

Have we been too busy "chasing papi" or proving our value to the rest of the world in showing off our fashion sense, intellectual prowess, cultural contributions, etc. that we forgot to work on our "insides"? I dare say that gay men in this country are fundamentally lacking in the area of spiritual growth and are generations behind the heteros. I dont blame them, for every organized religion on the planet (except for Buddhism) has not only rejected but spewed hatred against us, spawning generations of minions to attack, arrest, bully and flat out prevent us from gaining acceptance, every step of the way. Problem is, spirituality is such a sore subject for us gays that we forgot to replace religion with a good old simple connection to the divine or the "Big Queen"upstairs. We used to be the shaman-the spiritual leaders of our tribes. That all changed after organized religions took over. Guru Ganesha from Miami explains that Kundalini as well as Kabbalistic knowledge comes from a time "pre-religion", a time on this planet before any of our world religions were herding us into our nationalistic corrals. It was passed down even before Yoga was created, from high priests of Egypt and even as far back as Atlantis. Whether you believe in it's mysterious origins or not, it's power to awaken and release energy in you is undeniably felt after even the first session. I once took my 14 year old nephew to his first Kundalini Yoga session and he was left dumbfounded and confessed that he felt as if he had left his body at the end of the class. A pretty impressive thumbs-up coming from a hormonal teen, addicted to YouTube, chatting and World of Warcraft. Kundalini comes with a psychological warning label, called "kundalini syndrome" where if you are a person that has either repressed psychological trauma or some level of mental illness it will quickly be released and cause problems if not properly led by an experienced teacher. Kundalini is basically the fastest way to awaken our internal fire and universal power. It was never meant to be revealed to the masses until one real maverick-y Guru; Yogi Bhajan decided to channel his inner Madonna, break all the rules and share it with the masses beginning in 1969. It was a sacred knowledge reserved for the spiritual elite, warriors and leaders.

I came to this oasis on mother Earth to recharge and release all the icky negative vibes of being yet another victim of corporate downsizing after 14 years of uber dedicated corporate soldier-ness. I came to regain my own natural and vibrant "flow". This weekend was being hosted by one of the sweetest voices I've ever heard this side of Mars, my personal idol, Snatam Kaur. I've heard her music played many times at the Standard on my regular Kundalini Yoga friday nights, one of the best ways to end the week in Miami.

My songstress finally arrives to the meditation room and my heart skips a beat. I quickly realized I was in the presence of an enlightened and pure being with no agenda except for sharing her exquisite light. This petite human Yoda is the most unassuming woman and mother with a voice so sweet that it literally changes the vibration of your cells and frees your heart, if you let it.

Snatam Kaur and her band of spiritual gangsters (Guru Ganesh on guitar and Ramesh on drums) lead us to perform several simple Kundalini "asanas" or exercises to open us up emotionally, spiritually and physically. I came to reboot my health and got more than I bargained for, I felt as if my insides were being restructured on a cellular level giving me a whole new sense of calm. I realized that I needed to befriend my soul again and that I was being untrue to myself for too long-selling myself out just for the peace and security of a steady paycheck, 401K, dental, health and life insurance. I am now learning to fly and thrive without all those perks and forge my own new path....no longer a rat in a gilded cage.

Snatam soon taught us that chanting is just as important as Yoga in that it rises the "prana" or life force in our bodies. The chanting combined with the repetitive movements and breathwork of Kundalini eventually caused reality to melt away and my vision to become filled with hundreds of golden bees in a hive rubbing our wings to the same beat...I became a bee in this hive nestled in the Berkshire mountains west of Boston and our Queen Bee was Snatam Kaur.

She was a queen without claiming to be, she was really just a cool chick that just happened to have a mission in life to enlighten and help others ascend while in physical form. She played the violin, harmonium and used her sweet voice to unify and raise our vibrations to a liberating pitch.

The last night at the concert there was a free flow, jam with people singing, moving and not giving a damn if they looked cool or not. It was simply a room full of people separated from their ego's and free flowing with the music. Even Harvard chaplain Lama Myngmar got into the fray and said "Buddhists should do this more often." as he joyfully let himself go and threw out some new quirky dance moves. I called the event, the "Kundalini hoe-down".

The last day we all sang her most popular song together and she sent us along with her blessing...."May the long time sun shine upon you all surround you and the pure light within you guide your way home."

Fast forward, weeks later to the frenetic modern day city of Miami and I am sitting with electrical sensors glued to my head for a brain training session using biofeedback to improve my cognitive ability and help with my constant migraines stemming from my a previous auto accident that caused a concussion.

I quickly have another "a-ha" moment on my first session and realize that the sounds they are force feeding my brain through the headphones are eerily reminiscent to the chant patterns and sounds from my weekend at Kripalu. Could science finally have caught up to what the yogis have known for thousands of years and created a fast track to enlightenment or higher thinking? I asked the technician and he laughs and says "funny you say that.". It turns out the scientist that developed the technology went to India to monasteries to test the brains of monks to use as a baseline of a well balanced brain to train others to attain that level of brain proficiency. Science has actually recently and finally proven that the brains of people that do meditate frequently have less thinning of brain tissue related to cognitive thinking and have more active areas that are related to concentration. Another study even proved that long term meditation can actually heal areas of the brain affected by traumas.

"You follow desire, and you are not satisfied. Again you follow desire, and again you are not satisfied. Again you try, and again you are not satisfied."-- Lama Zopa Rinpoche,
"Transforming Problems Into Happiness"

You can have sex with the most beautiful men or women on the planet and collect so many notches on your bedpost that you'll need a new bed. Still, like chinese food, you'll soon feel unsatisfied and empty inside. You can travel thousands of miles and spend thousands of dollars to learn from Buddhist monks nestled in their mountain hideaways to find out that all what they know is for you to find your answers and your highest truth-all you have to do is quiet your mind and listen-its all there inside each and every one of us if we can only shut out the millions of thoughts and needs and concerns and just sit and "be" for a moment, all the answers we need will come to us. Some of us have forests of "weeds" to clear through but eventually you do get there and once you do you can only do one thing-be true to yourself and finally befriend yourself and true to your life's purpose.

Like Guru Ganesh joked at Kripalu; there are 51 flavors and paths to spiritual awakening. For me, the path has been a combo platter of yoga, chanting, massage therapy, good health, avoiding drugs or negative people, brain training with a healthy dose of optimism drizzled over the top. For you, it might be planting violets or raising Emu's -whichever flavor you choose the goal is the same; to feel really satisfied with a deliciously flavored life and finally feel fulfilled. I don't claim to be an expert but I am a product of this generation's quest to improve ourselves and eradicate the mistakes of generations past. I have vowed to not die young or suffer from 8 strokes or diabetes like my father before me-I choose to make him proud by pushing further than he ever got the chance to.

The benefits of yoga aren't just about getting rock-hard Madonna arms or relieving stress-its a practice that takes a lifetime to perfect and refines your body and life force as you go along-its a hell of a lot better than a hangover from a night of partying and sometimes can be better than sex-okay, well almost as good as sex.

"Liberate your joy and enjoy the bliss, be true to yourself and befriend your soul.
Growth stops, evolution stops when you stop trying to improve your heart." The Dalai Lama

How Do You Mend a Gay Broken Heart

2010-06-01T19:00:00.039-04:00

Damn, Damn, Damn it, I did it again! Check me into Heartbreak Hotel. Another failed love, another risk, gain, then horribly tragic loss. When will I learn? Learn what though? To not love at all? I can't stop loving but I can be wiser in how I love the next time and how I maintain that love. Forgive the autobiographical rant but I am in desperate need of blog-therapy and have discovered that there are absolutely no books out there on how to heal a gay broken heart (I Google'd and Amazon'ed) and there is no pill to take away the pain of the knife wedged in my heart. All I do have is time to process what caused the collapse and in the words of a friend, "take it not day by day but hour by hour".

This love lost was the grandest, most beautiful and real love I ever had in my life, challenging me to the best version of me possible. It renewed my faith that a true and mutual love is possible in the Gay world of today with real morals and real fidelity. It even got me believing in the "M word" (marriage) for the first time. He was my rock, my confidant, my protector, my burning love, my privilege to have and to hold every night.

A guru once said the most difficult people in your life teach you the biggest lessons. In love, one can find the biggest teacher and the highest lessons we can learn in this life. If you can hack it. There are never any guarantees or insurance policies to protect you from a broken heart, no matter whom you choose to love.

I have friends that for over 15 years have been single and its not for lack of being virile, valuable or attractive. They'd rather not risk the pain (at least that's my theory). They are content in their safe, self-reliant bubbles, with no one to let you down except yourself. It takes a huge amount of trust to put your heart in the care of another. Yet, I still believe it is worth the ride and to at least have gathered some beautiful memories that to have none at all. To be content in knowing true love at all. Some never have that luxury in their entire lifetimes. Some are lucky if they can get fresh water for the day or keep their bodies nourished and under shelter. Love is indeed the most expensive, highest and rarest luxury on our blue bubble we call home.

The beautiful spell I was under for almost 2 years has been broken and turned into a beautiful lie overnight. Where's my brokeback cowboy that doesn't know how to quit me? Where is the loyalty that lasts a lifetime? I ran into an elderly couple that have been married for 60 years and they revealed the secret to their marriage was rather simple, back then people would work 13-14 hours a day and by the time the husband came home he'd be too tired to gripe or argue. Ah, ain't love grand?

Am I an outdated dinosaur? Is this kind of love a thing of the past in our throwaway and unsustainable society? Or is it something people will strive towards in our next evolutionary step? Food, energy, transportation, love that lasts; less disposability. An Obama-style overhaul is needed because if that oil spill gushing right now into the Gulf of Mexico has taught us anything is that our old ways are "messy and wasteful" to say the least. Maybe love will be more everlasting as we tire of the newer and newer versions of any given product and learn to stick with what we got and simply improve on how we use it. I may not be an Iphone but I can release improved versions of me as quickly as Apple does.

Here are some self-help steps towards healing a broken heart:
STEP 1- THE MIGHTY CRASH

Whether you catch your loved one cheating or they move out on a moment's notice to be in the arms of their new cheap replacement, is insignificant. What is important is to not do anything you will regret later or get arrested for, no matter how badly they deserve it. Like the gay man in South Beach who found his lover in bed with another and shot his lover then himself in the head, it just isn't worth going to jail for them. The sharp pain of the "crash" must be dealt with immediately and in the healthiest way possible which means to get yourself as far away from the one that hurt you as possible and stay away as best you can. Go to your mother's, your best friend's couch, wherever. Plan your strategy on how to deal with this new challenge life has brought you. The lessons from it won't come until about a month or more after the initial crash. After the first week, you instinctively lean on your tried and true loved ones and friends. Daily doses of Xanax or Prozac isn't a bad idea right about now. Let it all out, cry and cry as much as you can. Stay in bed until you can't any longer. Like singer Robyn wails, it will hurt with every heartbeat. After about the 7th day of holding back tears and punching your shower wall you will begin to desperately yearn to move on and stop looking back. It's now time to go to the next step towards recovery.

STEP #2 COPING WITH THE PAIN

Talk to your friends until you don't want to talk about it anymore. You'll be surprised how many people will open up and share their heartbreaks that are so horrible it'll make your's feel like a cake walk. Work past the emotional phase of blaming yourself. It isn't about you, it's about what they needed. No matter how hard you tried, you could have never filled that void. The two of you were not "meant to be" at least any longer than right now.

STEP #3 FALLING IN LOVE WITH YOURSELF AGAIN

Get your "J" on and touch yourself for as long as you can. Like milk, it's good for you. Learn how to love that man in the mirror you see everyday. Hit the gym again, hardcore especially on the most depressing day of them all for single people-SUNDAY (roll your eyes annoyed like). The day of the week that everyone snuggles up in bed with their loved one to catch up on Z's and watch movies, eating like a flunky from the Biggest Loser. While the love birds go at it, you will be getting ripped, gifting you an admiration for your new found muscle tone. Fall back in love with your IPod and make a "Breakup-Forget the Butthole playlist" because these are the times that silence is anything but golden. Being home in the sudden silence is literally deafening. Being out of the house as much as possible is the best medicine right about now. Suck up that good ol' Miami sun and get nature's "happy hormones" in the form of Vitamin D. The flip side of depression is that you get to lose some of that stubborn fat. I call it the "Depression Diet" others like to call it the "Divorce Diet". Either way, make sure you at least get some protein in the form of a smoothie. Getting hospitalized will not bring the deserter back.

Carefully select your new mantra-songs to uplift, forget and empower. Stay away from the tear jerkers. No Whitney, Celine or Barbara Streisand (The Way We Were). Listen to these "Eye of the Tiger" songs over and over until their lessons are fully ingrained in your psyche and like Stella you slowly regain your "groove". During this phase, you must write down and list all the things the EX didn't or couldn't do to make you happy (You know what they are). It's essential to go through this step so you can identify the right candidate the next time one comes a'knocking. The true test to see if you are beginning to get over the worm is if you can come up with more things that didnt make you happy than did. There IS a reason for this break, you just didn't want to see it as fast as they did. Your reward is that you will be well on your way to officially be over the he\she\it that hurt you in the first place. After the dust has settled, you will identify all the things you forgave that weren't making you happy and quickly realize they really did you a favor.

Relationships are stepping stones until you climb up to your highest love. There are a few rare unicorns out there that are lucky enough to find it on their first try but for the majority of us, it's a lifelong process.

Suicide prevention tip #1- Never, ever, ever think the person you are currently in love with is the only and last person you can ever be with no matter how much you love them because if for any reason they leave your life, you won't be able to live without them. There are billions of other people on this planet to fall in love with....or at least millions out of those billions...okay, at least a few hundred thousand.

Here's my break-up playlist (feel free to steal away):

Love is Gone by David Guetta

Dont trust the ho- by 3OH!3

Alone by Maya (lyrics begin at 2:25)

Bulletproof by LaRoux

I've Got Soul by The Killers

According to You by Orianthi

With Every Heartbeat by Robyn

Keep on rising by Ian Carey

Flagpole Sitta by Harvey Danger

If I Were a Boy (remix only) by Beyonce'

Leave, get out by Jojo

Only When I Lose Myself by Depeche Mode

Suicide prevention tip #2- Do not under any circumstance listen to Sarah McLachlan or Enya and you are absolutely forbidden from downloading The Crying Game by Boy George.

STEP 4- THE RITUAL OF LETTING GO

If you are still feeling sorry for yourself and can't seem to shake the pain out of your heart and mind, a little telenovela-esque, dramatic ceremony to forget is called for. Gather all flammable items the offender has ever given you (stuffed animals, concert or movie ticket stubs, anniversary or Valentine's day cards, etc) and torch them in a bonfire inside a metallic container. Gather the ashes and take them to the nearest ocean, river or toilet if you live in the sticks. Before you dump the ashes, ritually take in as many deep breaths as the months or years you were together. Visualize all the illusions, broken promises, beautiful words and future plans you may still be carrying get washed away and released along with the ashes as they hit the water. You can keep the fond memories as long as they don't hurt to recall them.

STEP 5- HOLISTIC RETREAT FOR SELF EMPOWERMENT

If you are still being haunted by your heartbreak consider getting out of dodge and attend a holistic retreat for self empowerment via the age old practices of Yoga, Meditation or Buddhism. For those less spiritually inclined, an island getaway for some R&R could be just the trick. Also, it couldnt hurt to volunteer to help the impoverished or those less fortunate. It's a great way to put things into perspective when you see others a lot less fortunate than yourself.

STEP 6- GOOD OLD SCHOOL THERAPY WITH PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION

If any of the above fail then it's time to schedule yourself to see a licensed therapist and some good antidepressants for a short term to finally knock it out of the park. There might be some deeper issues lingering in your psyche that a good therapist might help uncover. Be open to hypno-regression because the problem might just be stemming from a previous lifetime.

Whatever the case, you HAVE to pick up the pieces and put humpty dumpty back together again and believe that the next guy will be better because if he isn't, you'll see it coming...hopefully.

A friend sent me this quote, "When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better". Buddhism teaches you that pain is essential to finding the way to a happy life as it helps us like a mouse in a maze to find our cheese, avoiding the traps or pitfalls along the way. The love once had is gone now and it is what it was. You must trudge forth and regain your faith slowly, bit by bit, on your own. Refuse to give up on the belief that love can transform and push you to do remarkable things. A love so pure that ego isn't a player at all. As Depeche Mode sings, "It's only when I lose myself in someone else that I find myself.". Your heart will prevail. You will prevail. Instead of saying "Poor me-forget about love alltogether!" chant "Om Mani Padme Hum" repeatedly until your heart's pain eventually ebbs.

**These tips above can be applied to a heterosexual broken heart as well. Looks like we're not as different as we thought we were.

Where Are Our Gay Super Heroes?

2010-04-25T03:20:00.000-04:00

Oprah & Gayle, Batman & Robin, even Flash Gordon & Green Lantern all look gay to me but they are all ambiguously gay or completely on the "Down Low", like SNL's Ambiguosly Gay Duo.

Across the pond, the great Brit's, always one upping us in social acceptance and progressive measures (they've had nationalized health care for years) already has a gay, semi-hero main character in their Sci Fi show, Torchwood.

I guess if I was a superhero and I wanted to save the world, I'd hide my dirty little secret too but this isn't the 1950's of Superman's era, It's 2010 and it isn't a dirty little secret anymore. So where are all the gay super heroes then?

This year we got our Rosa Parks' in the form of the lesbian named Constance McMillan taking her high school to court because she believes in her right to take her girlfriend to her high school prom.

We elected our Martin Luther King in the form of Obama, championing our rights out loud and chipping away at the age old bigotry holding this country back.

I've heard rumors the Rock might be gay. He plays super heroes in his movies- but he isn't out....at least yet.

Oprah is a social super hero, hell she even picked the president of the United States. That's a power gay if i ever saw one but she isn't out...yet.

There's an openly gay mayor in France -that's pretty sweet and he's out but that's France and that whole country is gay. He might step to the plate in 2012 where he is predicted to win the next presidential election.

There is one openly gay world leader in Norway. Prime Minister, Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir. Hopefully she'll get a chance to wield her "gay super powers" and we could finally have our world's first Gay Super Hero.

So the $100 million dollar question is when will the United States have it's first "out" Gay Hero? When will we stop being so gosh-darn apathetically-polite and channel our inner Madonna and strap on some pointy bra's and open up a big old can of whoopass to win equality?

We are the ones we have been waiting for. The second coming of Christ is within each and every one of us. It isn't one guy coming down as an agent for the big he\she\it upstairs, it's the God within us that will come into being, clearing the way, lifting the fog of ages and confusion of religions. If there ever was proof of this power, were the 2008 elections where our country finally got the president we wanted, fair and square.

The next Gay Super Hero can be each and every one of us....gay, straight, bisexual, transgender, humans, all soldiers of peace united in a common cause for equal justice and liberty of all, punching out the Super Villains of hate that divide us and drain our resources as a race. Imagine all the progress we could make in other areas of life if we didn't have to have the hundreds of coalitions fighting for and against gay rights. We could tackle the real issues like preventing the complete destruction of our planet, end starvation and poverty and hey, maybe cure cancer or even the common cold.

Ask yourself what will you do today to contribute to the cause? Will you be our next Super Hero?

Customize this video and visualize yourself saving the world here: http://en.tackfilm.se/?id=1268232928984RA21

New initiative promoting gay american heroes.

Here is a 3-D Video of what the Traveling Rainbow Memorial will look like.
http://www.vimeo.com/2334727

Stan lee creator of Spiderman reported to be creating a new gay superhero:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/4237161/Stan-Lee-to-create-worlds-first-gay-superhero.html

I Told You So! Ricky Finally Comes Out!

2010-03-29T18:46:00.009-04:00

As I blogged about December 17, 2008 and the so many others have conjectured, Ricky Martin -our very own first latino gay role model has finally come out of the closet. It is a day for celebration that he finally feels safe enough and the courage to do so. Maybe it's the Obama administration's new effort to repeal the military's prehistorically outdated policy of "Don't Ask don't Tell" or our new president's myriad of speeches in our favor or the worldwide movement all over the news every day for the last 10 years of our fight for civil rights finally made Ricky Martin think, "Hmm, now that I have all my riches and two little mini-me's, maybe I can do something to give back and help my gay brethren that I've always denied?".

Who knows, if he'll go the way of a true "Superstar" the way Lupe Fiasco so beautifully sings it and "improve on the design"or maybe he'll just be another embarrasment for our cause and go the way of George Michael, Boy George and Richard Simmons, where we'll ultimately be pleading for him to go back into that closet. Whatever the case, thousands of Latin American gays will be a little more inclined to come out now and we just might finally have a really good role model for young gay latinos struggling with their identity.

Ricky martin was quoted on his website “These years in silence and reflection made me stronger and reminded me that acceptance has to come from within and that this kind of truth gives me the power to conquer emotions I didn’t even know existed” "I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am."

Hat's off to Ricky for finally accepting himself for who he is and coming clean with the rest of the world or at least the 22 people out there that didn't know he was gay yet.

Read the full confession from his website:

"A few months ago I decided to write my memoirs, a project I knew was going to bring me closer to an amazing turning point in my life. From the moment I wrote the first phrase I was sure the book was the tool that was going to help me free myself from things I was carrying within me for a long time. Things that were too heavy for me to keep inside. Writing this account of my life, I got very close to my truth. And this is something worth celebrating.

For many years, there has been only one place where I am in touch with my emotions fearlessly and that's the stage. Being on stage fills my soul in many ways, almost completely. It's my vice. The music, the lights and the roar of the audience are elements that make me feel capable of anything. This rush of adrenaline is incredibly addictive. I don't ever want to stop feeling these emotions. But it is serenity that brings me to where I'm at right now. An amazing emotional place of comprehension, reflection and enlightenment. At this moment I'm feeling the same freedom I usually feel only on stage, without a doubt, I need to share.

Many people told me: "Ricky it's not important", "it's not worth it", "all the years you've worked and everything you've built will collapse", "many people in the world are not ready to accept your truth, your reality, your nature". Because all this advice came from people who I love dearly, I decided to move on with my life not sharing with the world my entire truth. Allowing myself to be seduced by fear and insecurity became a self-fulfilling prophecy of sabotage. Today I take full responsibility for my decisions and my actions.

If someone asked me today, "Ricky, what are you afraid of?" I would answer "the blood that runs through the streets of countries at war…child slavery, terrorism…the cynicism of some people in positions of power, the misinterpretation of faith." But fear of my truth? Not at all! On the contrary, It fills me with strength and courage. This is just what I need especially now that I am the father of two beautiful boys that are so full of light and who with their outlook teach me new things every day. To keep living as I did up until today would be to indirectly diminish the glow that my kids where born with. Enough is enough. This has to change. This was not supposed to happen 5 or 10 years ago, it is supposed to happen now. Today is my day, this is my time, and this is my moment.

These years in silence and reflection made me stronger and reminded me that acceptance has to come from within and that this kind of truth gives me the power to conquer emotions I didn't even know existed.

What will happen from now on? It doesn't matter. I can only focus on what's happening to me in this moment. The word "happiness" takes on a new meaning for me as of today. It has been a very intense process. Every word that I write in this letter is born out of love, acceptance, detachment and real contentment. Writing this is a solid step towards my inner peace and vital part of my evolution.

I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am.

RM"

Rolling Stone article on his confession: http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2010/03/29/yep-hes-gay-ricky-martin-comes-out-of-the-closet/

Ricky Martin recounts the moment he came out with Oprah:

This Gay Rights Tango- Our Dance Towards Full Equality

2010-01-18T16:00:00.004-05:00

On December 28th, 2009 Evita Peron's smile beamed down on her country from her Presidential Palace in the heavens above. Always an ardent fighter for the repressed and poor, Latin America's first gay marriage would've brought tears of joy to this goddess of Argentina's history. Evita has said "A decent woman is one who rides roughshod over machos."

This national icon and eternal fag-hag would be proud knowing that in her country, the "gay's" had finally overcome the bully that is the powerful Roman Catholic Church to finally witness the marriage of Latin America's first gay couple. Latin America, like the Middle East has a strong male dominant society where tolerance of sexual diversity is non-existent and violence against gays is a common occurrence. This marriage highlights the cracks in the system that has kept gay communities silent and fearful and that it is indeed crumbling.

A little less free but a lot more gay and happy

This whole marriage thing is a hallmark that we finally have the self-esteem to believe that another man is worth loving for the rest of your life. That we ourselves are good enough to marry another and have a chance at something as sparkling clean as a true love that may last a lifetime. It is a coming of age for a generation of gay men, forging a free and truly gay life for future generations of our gay brethren. In the words of Latin America's first groom, "Because "our" family is worth it.".

Worldwide, the advances have been peppered with setbacks in a strange 1-2 step tango. 3 steps forward, 2 steps back, 1 step sideways, cha cha cha.

Back to America, I wait for my partner of a year and a half to return from our local grocery store to fetch Almond milk when suddenly my 8 year old nephew blurts out, "Tio, I dont want you to be gay anymore!". A pregnant moment of silence later, I whip my head to the back seat and see my nephew avoiding my gaze, visibly upset and looking out the window. This is a boy that has been an integral part of my life for 8 years, and the son of a single mom whom is my sister. He has always accepted me and my life and my partner as normally as anyone would of a normal heterosexual couple. He has simply never known hate and is as pure as the day he was born, which is partly why he can make friends with anyone of any age, color or social class within seconds of meeting them. It is one of his greatest qualities and he's as magnaminous as Obama in that respect. At a loss for words, I ask him, "Why would you say that to me? Who did you talk to about this?". He replied back still looking out the window, "These boys at school said that gays shouldn't be in this country and need to go away.". Black and white images of civil rights protests where policemen spray down black protesters in the middle of the street came to mind. I was being talked about the way the racists in the 60's talked about blacks. They wished they would just all go away. The irony of the account was blaringly obvious. I replied to him "Well, honey you know that is what you call "hate"and when your grandma came to this country from Cuba there were signs posted on buildings saying "No Cubans". It was very hard for her to get a job or to find a place to live because the people in Miami didn't want Cubans in this country either. Since your father is a black man living in Venezuela, he also has to deal with people hating him because of his color. I can't stop being gay any more than your grandmother can stop being Latino or your father being black. The next time you hear those boys saying things like that you stand up to them and tell them that's not right and tell your teacher.". My nephew finally turned away from the window and looks at me with doeful and watery eyes, "Ok Tio, I love you.". I reply, "I love you too."

I recount this incident because there is no greater hypocrisy than when a group that has survived marginalization to go and downplay another marginalized group's struggle. They should be the first one's running to the plate to help fight the battle. When Black religious leaders stand at their podiums and preach that their civil rights movement has nothing in common with ours or that we are "pimping their movement", I call "bullshit" because it IS the same. The same hatred, the same narrow mindedness, the same ignorance, the same rhetoric and the same limitations and dangers to my life. So much so, that the team fighting to overturn Proposition 8 as I write this blog has used the example that our President Obama would never have been born if the laws prohibiting blacks from marrying whites were never overturned in this country.

We are witnessing one of the most crucial battles in American history that may not go in our favor due to an overly conservative Supreme Court but we will keep fighting because it is our right to do so and the limits to our rights are constitutionally wrong.

The growing worldwide tide for our cause may be the only thing to finally wrestle the medieval chokehold the religious right has on this country and it's politics and push our courts to finally overturn this legislated discrimination.

As we look forward to (2010) twenty-ten (doesn't that sound positive?), we see a world wrangling together to help a devastated Haitian country with thousands dead and we are pushed to begin a year with a thoughtful focus on humanity and unity. Hopefully this focus will carry on throughout the year and years to come as we will eventually break through and gain our full equality in this great country where anything is possible. Maybe then we can stop doing this Gay Rights back and forth Tango and finally waltz our asses to our nearest city hall and finally get married.

Gay right's milestones 2009

*Mexico City is first Latin American city to legalize full, gay marriage.
*Uganda plans a bill that would serve a death penalty to homosexuals in that country.
*Obama promises to end Dont Ask Dont Tell to a crowd of gay activists at a fundraiser.
*Argentina passes full gay marriage rights.
*An Argentinian judge puts a hold on Argentina's first gay marriage in order to "review" the ruling then approves after their home province backs the marriage.
*Washington D.C. passes gay marriage.
*New York votes defeats gay marriage bill.
*Portugal passes full gay marriage rights with adoption rights granted by April 2010.
*Voters in Maine vote against gay marriage rejecting the measure.
*The biggest city in America, Houston, Texas elects the first openly gay mayor of any U.S. city.
*California's Supreme Court upholds the discriminatory Proposition 8.
*Sweden approves same sex marriage.
*Iowa and Vermont sign legislation to allow gay marriage.
*Obama signs into law the Matthew Shepard hate crimes act and extends federal benefits to partners of same sex couples.

Milestones to look forward to for 2010

*Hawaii will review legislature to revive civil unions for gays in that state.
*Senator Carl Levin will schedule a hearing to discuss ending the military's Don't Ask Don't Tell policy.
*The Supreme Court will vote on whether or not Proposition 8 should be overturned.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Time magazine's gay right's timeline:
http://www.time.com/time/interactive/0,31813,1904681,00.html

To get up to date info on the Supreme Court trial go to:
http://www.couragecampaign.org/GetTheTruthOut

Hawaii will vote for Gay Civil Unions this year:
http://www.gayvantage.com/gay-news/hawaii-legislators-to-vote-on-civil-unions-3748291780/

Repeal of the military's Don't Ask Don't Tell to be debated on Capitol Hill 2010:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/14/gay-military-ban-military_n_422893.html

The United States elects it's first openly gay mayor:
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1947648,00.html

The debbie-downer-Pope at it again-calling gay marriage an "attack"
http://advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/01/11/Pope_Calls_Gay_Marriage_an_Attack/

Latin America weds it's first gay couple:
http://news.yahoo.com/video/world-15749633/argentina-hosts-first-gay-marriage-in-latin-america-17352907

Rapture Lost- An Abductee's Lament

2009-12-25T23:50:00.013-05:00

Like a huge, hairy, clump of grease clogging the bathroom sink, this public confession has blocked my free flow of writing to this blog for over a month now.

I am an alien abductee but I am definitely not a victim.

Each night for me since I was old enough to remember, was a struggle. I would do all I could to stay up and not fall asleep like a victimized character in the movie Nightmare on Elm Street, I fought to not fall asleep because I knew that's when Freddy Krueger would come for me. Of course, I knew it wasn't Freddy but their presence in my room in the middle of the night scared me just the same.

It doesn't matter to me if my psychologist mom withholds ajudication regarding my reports of being visited by my otherworldly compadres or that others I tell snicker and secretly think I'm a little nuts. No more proof is necessary for me. The lessons are mine and are a rare gift. I've seen and touched too much to deny away my outlandish nightly journeys.

The problem is now for whatever reason, the visits have long subsided. I guess a mission has been accomplished. I guess their goal of creating a hybrid race with ours has been completed to their satisfaction. After so many years of this "bad romance" I am left yearning for more; missing their weekly presence in my nights and in my psyche. I miss when I would wake up in my bed and see dimensions unfolding before my eyes and the walls of my room undulate as if they were no longer solid. I miss being transformed into a million particles like TV boy from Willy Wonka and feel myself float upwards through my ceiling of my room. I miss the "teaching theater" where so many images were impressed upon me and seeing the genetically perfect hybrids communicating telepathically. I miss being inside their perfect ships with their greenhouses of frozen plants and animals from Earth and how they would come alive at the touch of my finger. I miss feeling my skin stimulated and hair stand on end by knowing they were watching me any where that I went at any given moment. Ahh those were the days.

I don't blame anyone for not believing because to believe it is to allow the biggest mindbend you have ever known, so big that all that you know of human history, religion and taught reality is opened wide open, never to be tucked into it's neat little box ever again.

If you think the Evangelical "Ameri-bans" of the world are having a tough time with the whole gay issue, imagine the shitstorm that's gonna hit when we are contacted on a worldwide level. Those god fearin' folks arent going to know what to do with their creation stories they so fervently judge us by. What would happen to religion if people realize Adam and Eve was possibly just a lab experiment by higher life forms seeding this planet as a sort of conservatory for future use? What if "they" are just "us" from the future trying to prevent our own destruction.

What if Jesus wasn't we thought but just an alien with good intentions a' la Mother Teresa? What if the gods on Mount Olympus were just a bunch of folks with some really cool, techy gadgets weve never seen before? How can we suppose to know what's what out in the universe when we just discovered there was water on the moon (2009) and every year we find hundreds of plant and animal species on this planet we didn't even know existed? Our scientists don't even completely understand how our own brains function. Denying ET is out there is the equivalent of an Amazon tribe untouched by modern society suddenly meeting a scientist stepping down from a shiny new helicopter. They'd call him a God and be struck in awe with his magic as well.

A debunker can say these things happen to me because I need the stimulation and am bored with this life. I do need the stimulation and am eternally thankful to be saved from a life of boredom through my trips with them. The same can be said for the millions that believe in a Christ figure they've never seen because they need to. No one has actually found hard evidence of Christ's body yet so many millions still believe. Yet year after year there are countless reports of people, pilots, military or police officers from all corners of our globe sighting strange crafts in the sky and there are so many like me still in the closet afraid of ridicule to "come out" with their secret.

There are many who believe that the whole Christ story was copied from other figures to corral and manage the masses. Google these ancient gods; Horus, Mithra, Buddha, Krishna and you will find that they all came before Jesus and they all have uncanny resemblances to the whole Jesus story; virgin birth, born on December 25th, 12 disciples, resurrection, the similarities are so many that blatant plagiarism comes to mind.

We're all just freckles on God's ass and we keep thinking were not only the center of it all but that were all that's out there. Whether you believe in my abductions or not is irrelevant. Like Obama says about our nation's health care, "it isn't about me", there is intelligent life out there and sooner or later we're going to have to deal with that test and the re-examination of our belief systems that inevitably will go along with that historic and much anticipated open worldwide contact. Hopefully, they'll get here before we cook ourselves to death with our addiction to fossil fuels and hesitant dinosaur-esque resistance to change.

I continue to miss the mind fuck that is. Like a lover that hurts you but you can't get enough of because you know in some way the pain is teaching you something. Lady Gaga coins it perfectly, "you and me can write a bad romance". I guess I have a bad romance with my alien abductors. I am no longer afraid. I just wanna take a ride....somewhere far out into the unknown.

In the words of Greg Sandow, "We're dealing with giant questions, questions that challenge our understanding of who we are and where we fit in the universe. Worse still, we can't even imagine the limits of any possible answers. Does that leave us helpless? It shouldn't -- in fact, it can't, if we ever expect to know where we stand. We just have to keep our wits about us, weigh the evidence very carefully -- and agree in advance not to rule anything out."

After more than 35 years and so many extraodinary experiences, lessons and sleepless nights, I'm years past caring if anyone believes me or the repurcussions of this confession. Rather I am more concerned on the continual denial and secrecy revolving this part of our history by various governments all over the planet. This "coming out" is just as important as any other. The discussion needs to be had, our minds must conceptualize more.

I am confident that in our lifetimes, a time will come where everyone will know the truth and the lies will no longer imprison so many. That truth will neutralize and render meaningless all the divisive belief systems of this planet. It will be the single-most unifying event for the human race on this planet and man will be forever improved for it. We need their technology now before we destroy ourselves. Open contact with intelligent life is the missing link that could liberate and catapult humanity from fossil fuel addiction, poverty, resource wars and religious fueled conflicts as well as the war on terrorism. Contact on a global level will not happen until we want it to, until we are ready to receive them.

In a seemingly pre-emptive stance of something to come, the Vatican debates and admits that it is not outside of god's realm for intelligent life to be out there. 11/11/2009. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/33864136#33864136

Abductee support group in New England. http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=8330290

Evidence of Alien-Human hybridization- Starchild skull information: http://www.youtube.com/officiallloydpye

To report any sightings or experiences contact MUFON: http://www.mufon.com/

A good site for more information on abduction experience:
http://www.crystalinks.com/abduction.html

To the Dreamers That Keep the Dreams Alive

2009-10-19T15:59:00.009-04:00

Take a deep breath, expand your belly with oxygen until it's full, close your eyes and think back for a moment when you were a child and how you would believe any fantastical story your siblings or friends would tell you. It was a moment of pure freedom leaving you gasping for more. You would envision the stories in your mind and take them to your bed at night and dream the dreams that were planted in your head. I couldn't wait to get to bed to begin my new journey each night. At a young age, I was blessed to have 3 very creative siblings and a very large backyard with horses, roosters, chickens and many, many fruit trees, complete with our very own tree house. A virtual garden of eden for kids to roam free. In that playground, our minds were blown open to wander and wonder on anything that came to our heads. One day, we would hear stories of my eldest sister Lisa taking a ride in Wonder Woman's invisible airplane and swing on Spiderman's web over skyscrapers and the next we would all be possessed tree-zombies on a mission to take our youngest sister, Maggie down to the depths of tree-zombie-landia. Every week was a new mission and story to play out. My favorite time was my time alone in the farthest corner of my yard that abutted a large vacant lot...the wildest, most desolate

There in my created reality, I would talk to God and stand on a stump, trying to bribe God with good deeds to enable me to fly. I wanted it so badly I would eagerly help my bewildered mom with all the chores and even cease bothering my younger sister for a week to see if that would finally get me my golden ticket to the sky and worlds beyond my home. I would run and jump and feel very light for seconds but never was able to fly in the same way I did in my dreams. Nothing matched the grandeur and lightness of being as in my dream flights. My body was earthbound but I never stopped dreaming and now 30 years later I finally feel that magic spark inside again stronger than ever. I feel we are entering a time where the masses are beginning to leave fear and negativity behind and start to think about wondrous things beyond what we know, beyond the mundane limits of the prison of "logical thinking". I dream for a time where we can be a little illogical and loose and a little more connected to the "wild" and "where the wild things are". To rebuild our connection to mother earth who has been neglected for so long. To think less about mortgages, life insurance, job security and more about bugs, salamanders, M&M's, Macaroni & Cheese, doodling and tree forts.

If there is any one thing that I believe most in this life is of the endless possibilites for wondrous and wonderful things out there and regardless if you call them myths, parnormal events, illusions, hallucinations, figments of our imagination or whatever, the names you give them do not diminish or destroy them. It only limits who are the ones that get to see and enjoy their soul-enriching beauty leaving us in awe at how small our dogmas, political, religious and economic systems are in the grander scheme of the universe and unknown number of dimensions.

I dedicate this blog to the Dreamers, the Believers, the one's that keep the possibilities of other worlds alive, enriching ours all the more. The Maurice Sendak's, Walt Disney's, J.M. Barrie's, Lewis Carrol's, Guillermo Del Toro's, Pixar Studios, Dreamworks', my personal muse and fairy Grettel, would all leave our world bland and tasteless were it not for their eccentric musings and vision. They've given us permission to dream and to take a ride back to our youth when we were more closely aligned to the spirit world and the endless possibilities of the dreams we dare to dream, enabling us to forget how taboo it is to believe in things not yet proven.

Square away some time to take a camping trip to your nearest forest, build a fire (carefully), make up stories to tell your family and allow yourself to think when you look into the darkness that fantabulously-fun creatures ARE out there just waiting to play.

In the words of the great Maurice Sendak; "Inside all of us is ADVENTURE."

Dreamers creating a dream in the streets of Chile:

Lewis Carrol's classic remade for 2010 by Tim Burton:

Jaguar-Ville Coming Soon to a TV Screen Near You

2009-09-25T15:20:00.014-04:00

On my the morning of my 40th birthday, I sip coffee taking an unusual pause to savor it's black-bittersweet goodness and then take a conscious, deep breath for the first time as a sporty-40 year old Latino, gay, American man. It's disorienting to have a self-conceptualized age clash so drastically with your real one, In my mind I stopped aging at 28.

I absorb the energy and electricity of the highway below my balcony and notice a billboard just put up the night before, announcing a new TV show with Courtney Cox called CougarTown. It's set in South Florida and is about a Cougar divorcee' realizing truths about aging and dating. I snicker at the clever title for a new, cool show that may or may not be a hit. It made me think of the nicknames or epithets we create for each other. All the categories and containers that us humans love to put ourselves in. Like a farmer sorting his livestock into different pens, humans like to coin nicknames to group types of people. I guess it's some primal survival instinct to put people into logical containers so we know what to expect from them. I never felt like I belonged to any typical gay-nickname container group. I related to being a latino and American but not the everyday-gay you see around. I believe the minute you completely own the title society gives you, you are in essence contained and as a result limited to other experiences out of that box. Like a Cuban or Argentinian that can't conceive of any other latin culture as great as his own. We run the risk of becoming ethno and homo-centric all at once.

I don't relate to leather queens, so I'm not a leather daddy. I'm not a Cub or a Chub Chaser. I'm definitely not a Twink nor am I a Muscle Queen. I'm not a Tweakerella (druggged up gay) or a self-hating gay. I'm not a Fem nor am I a Butch. I'm close to being one of those "straight-acting gays" only that I don't "act" straight, I'm just a masculine gay guy and am completely healthy in expressing and defining my emotions. I guess I could be close to an Otter (a tall, thin, hairy gay guy) but I'm not hairy.

After all this thinking (this coffee's got me running circles in my mind) I realize there isn't a term for an older, (40+), hot gay guy that may or may not date younger men like "Cougar" is for older straight, hot women. I rack my head for a nickname fitting enough to describe this social group left out of our everyday vocabulary. "Sugar Daddy" is close but has a negative connotation of a loveless relationship where an over-the-hill kind of guy pays younger boys to be with him. There has to be a more dignified term for such virile, accomplished, balanced and yes, still hot, gay man. Then we have the new "GRAMP" group which is a new term for a "gay-rich-alone-middle aged-positive" gay man but that's a bit sad and not as funny or light as "Cougar". It'd have to be a species of cat such as Cougar for the simple reason that both like to hunt fresh meat. Gray Wolf came through my mind but not all 40+ men are graying. Hmm, Puma...nah. That connotates a youthful energy or a young-buck kind of gay. Then my boyfriend suggested, Jaguar and with the speed of a brief gay gasp, a new container was born!

Jaguar's are fierce creatures to contend with; fast, strong, slick, elegant, powerful, excellent hunters and like the car -very sporty and slick. So the next time you see a 40+ guy with a sexy, young number on his arm. Say to yourself, "Check out that Jaguar over there. He's an older guy that's still got it going on." So there you have it. You have full permission to steal it. I eagerly await the moment someone first calls me a Jag, there certainly are worse names someone can call you.

Only thing is, although it would be a compliment, I don't feel like a Jaguar and I've never really felt ONLY gay--I like to think myself in Walt Whitman terms, "I am large, I contain multitudes.". I feel like so many things more than any one title can define. So when the novelty or humor of the labels like Cougar, Jaguar, Otter, Twink, Breeder, Diesel-Dyke or whatever, wear off and the pendulum swings from trying so hard to fit in a group to finally realizing we are all one with a whole lotta' different colors, maybe then we'll get "it"- and our labels won't limit us anymore. The stereotypes will finally be outgrown and shed like tortoises' shells. We will finally be free to surprise people again, contain "multitudes" and maybe just grow up enough to stop calling each other names at all.

Cougar Town:

What is a GRAMP?http://www.bilerico.com/2009/08/hes_in_love_with_a_gramp_gay_rich_alone_middle-age.php

What is a gay Otter or Wolf?
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070222165717AAN3nSu

Article on Cougars:
http://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/features/dating-older-women-does-age-matter?page=2

A new kind of gay, the "Straight edger":
http://www.gaysofla.com/content/view/21/1/

Origin of gay sea otter term-perhaps http://lordsofapathy.blogspot.com/2007/03/gay-otters-terrorize-on-lookers-at-zoo.html

The Death of Canela Cafe'

2009-09-16T03:33:00.003-04:00

Tonight my family and friends mourn the death of a large part of our lives for the last 4 years; Canela Cafe'. Another casualty of this horrible recession, she was unable to heal from hemorraging money. She was born January 14, 2005 and died September 14, 2009. Canela Cafe' was more than just a place to get some "Latin Soul Food", it was an integral part of the community in which it resided; the Design District area or Miami's Upper East side as developers like to call it. She was birthed and tirelessly maintained from day one, 7 days a week for 4 years by her doting mother, Margarita Vasallo. It was her sole passion in life. So much so, that you could taste it in every bite of the scrumptious menu.

You could literally savor the unprocessed love dripping from every morsel as if she were the chef in the classic movie, Like Water for Chocolate. People may have complained about the service now and then but her magic touch for good ol' sazon' was without reproach. She won the awards, Best Cuban Food in Miami by New Times 2 months after opening and earlier this year, Best Tapas in Miami. She attracted the likes of foodie, Chris Cognac from the Food Detective and even hosted indpendent films with Madonna's baby daddy, Carlos Leon. Gloria Estefan ate there and even Miami's own hollywood starlet, Catherine Keener. The oasis of comfort food or as I liked to call it "community center" affected so many and had so many lives intertwined that it took on a life of it's own in many ways. It was the epitome of the American Dream for a second generation Cuban exile living in America recreating the cafe' her grandfather left behind on Havana's malecon in the famed art deco gem, Lopez Serrano building. The walls were lined with photos of family past and present and all who came to eat felt like they were at a family gathering. The good times and good food shared within it's hearth will live on in the hearts and minds of the souls that were lucky enough to discover her hidden charm in the middle of MIA. She nourished a community not only with food but with pure love and a heartfelt desire to host a good time for all.

If you've ever had the pleasure of tasting her food or spending time in Canela, please go to her Facebook page and post any good memories that you can recall. It will mean the world to a mother who gave so much to her community.

Fiestas De Gracia y Sants - Barcelona 2009

2009-09-05T19:00:00.003-04:00

Returning to one of my favorite cities on this planet was a much anticipated event. It was made possible thanks to my sister paying my way so I could escort her kids over so they could enjoy their summer vacation with their Spanish cousins in a Villa about 2 hours from Barcelona. Being Julie Andrews in The Sound Of Music was an unexpectedly enriching experience for me. It was the first time that I was absolutely responsible for three children ranging from ages 7-15. I, for a moment was a parent and it felt pretty darn good. I didn't have too much trouble on our 15 hour voyage from Boston to Barcelona as my sister's kids are about the best kids you will ever find. Their personalities are as if they were adults trapped in a kid's body. Ever so aware and conscious of the world around them with a kid's sense of humor. My smallest niece started collecting all the vomit bags from the plane's seats and I was soon amused at the reason why. She was drawing faces on each one and making hand puppets out of them. Who would've thought that a vomit bag could be used as an entertainment device. How's that for ingenuity?

Arriving in the uber-modern new airport terminal at Barcelona airport, we were quickly whisked away to the country to the small town of Banyoles. We pulled up to a very old, stone villa remodeled and with a beautiful, modern pool (the only one in town). The villa overlooked a small valley, olive trees and all. It was as picturesque as a Goya painting.

The honeymoon ended quickly after spending a very hot and moist night barely catching any sleep as a result of a wild hog (Javali') screaming underneath my window as if a woman was getting raped and a bat flying into my room and hitting me on my forehead (no joke). Summer in Spain is just as hot as summer in Miami, difference is Miami has air conditioning. It didn't help that there was a pig farm next town over that deposited a thick aroma of pig poop into the air on it's way up the hill to our villa. I learned how to control my gag reflex about every 5 minutes. Needless to say, I was at the Bus Station on the 3rd day to visit my high school crush, Ivy (before I knew I was a big homo) in the energetic and ever so bohemian city of Barcelona. Bye Bye Banyoles.

The last time I had visited the "other Magic city" it was december and very chilly. I had no idea that it was OK to wear flip flops, shorts and tank tops in an European city. In Italy it is a faux-pas to wear shorts because it reminds Italians of when they were forced to wear dorky long shorts when they were kids. This trip I avoided the typical Gaudi tourist stops as I had seen them last year. I focused on parks and walking the different historic and rich neighborhoods. My all time fave is the Born neighborhood which is a European version of SoHo. Lots of original boutiques, great fashion, cafe's, cool people and of course my "gays". Born has a very large park and is very close to La Barceloneta beach area. It's the medieval core of the city with narrow cobblestone streets and cathedrals intact.

The weekend arrived and Ivy decided that we should go to see the festival of Fiestas De Gracia y Sants which are two different neighborhoods that have been doing this street thang for about 750 years now. The city was originally called Barcino by Hannibal's dad who founded it about 2000 years ago, has a hefty lead on Miami on throwing a party. They do it in spades. The yearly street party is a well oiled machine and community leaders take part in designing and coordinating the year's designs in the same way the Samba schools in Brazil plan and compete for their carnivals throughout the year. This year, all the designs had to be executed with recyclable materials. There was Indiana Jones, Temple of Doom replete with Aliens, Japanese Gardens, Monte Carlo Casino every street was different. There was one surreal street lined with toys and candy and was made even more cool with a Cuban band playing and kids drinking mojitos. Each street had their own bands or DJ's, bars, and tons of people from all over the world just having a good time chillaxin'.

The climax was the battle of the tribes, Les Dracs (the dragons), Colla Vella (old devil's tail) and Diabolica (the devilish ones). This consisted of a good old fashioned street battle where each tribe tries to pass and the other blocks with walls of people and taunting chants. They finally break through the blockaded narrow streets with explosions and fireworks spraying everyone, including the onlookers. My badge of honor was about 10 burned spots on my scalp as well as my shirt. Marching bands of drummers followed the opening of the blockades followed with hundreds of onlookers and visitors laughing, drinking and dancing. It was a page out of a Roman Bacchanalian feast. The high was like no other. I ended up dancing in the middle of a plaza with my new-found friend named Giusi (juicy) from Naples who came to visit the city years ago and never went back home.

The finale was in the main plaza with a balcony stuffed with the community's leaders overlooking the performance, the large dragon and Gaudi's iguana from Park Guell came through and sprayed a volcano of fireworks over everyone then fire throwers and music ensued. Everyone was rolling on the same good vibration. It was one of those nights you store away in your brain and take out on "blue" days, the memory bringing peace in the knowing that you've lived a little in this life.

I believe every trip you take changes you a little. You learn things about others and about yourself, how these two entities relate to each other and how colorful and wonderful our world is.

I learned that you should never not sit at the lunch table in Spain even though you aren't hungry. In Spain, lunch is very important.

I learned that you should definitely pack tank tops and sandals when you go to Spain in the summer.

I learned that it's perfectly legal to be completely naked in the streets of Barcelona but walking around without your shirt on is not permitted.

I learned that while salaries really suck in Spain, they find a way to live a really good life with a lot less money but they complain just as much as Americans do about not having enough money.

I learned that Catalonians don't really have much that is taboo to them. They are pretty much cool about anything. They are dignified like the French and proud of their country but are much more relaxed about it.

I learned that if you're Muslim and if you live in Banyoles you will be very pissed at the constant smell of pig shit wafting it's way into your nostrils at every moment of every day.

Most of all I learned that you don't ask a married woman if she's "caliente" in front of her husband because it doesn't mean "hot", it means "sexually turned on".

http://w3.bcn.es/V01/Serveis/Noticies/V01NoticiesLlistatNoticiesCtl/0,2138,290652295_302361084_2_929558397,00.html?accio=detall&home=

http://www.tribunalatina.com/es/notices/fiestas_de_gracia_y_sants_en_barcelona_13546.php
http://www.festamajordegracia.cat/

Brief history of Barcelona as a city: http://www.cursos.org/cee/eng/ba

Why You Have to See Bruno the Movie

2009-07-29T23:23:00.001-04:00

Going in to the movie; Bruno I had heard why the gay community was up and arms about a scene in the film where an adopted baby was in a hot tub with uber-gay, femme fatale Bruno and his gay playmates while one was eating another guy's arse. The producers apparently promised to remove the scene but never did. I fully expected it to be a "it's your turn gays" to take some satire and some tongue-in-cheek jabs at ourselves (as if we haven't had enough already). Regardless, I am open to these tests and I went anyway. Going in, I realized how few of my gay brethren were in attendance. Being a theater in the heart of the gay mecca that is South Beach hetero\homo ratio is about 50/50. The audience was actually very straight, about 95% on the Kinsey's scale. There were a good amount of African American viewers as well which is uncommon to the area as well. The movie took me through so many uncomfortable yet funny moments that I found myself covering my face and hiding behind my girlfriend's shoulder from the embarrasingly gay, screaming nelly on the screen. Growing up yearning to see my people represented in film, I finally got my wish but not in the same way I envisioned. It was unbearable to see all the extreme stereotypes that I have dreamed would one day be cleared away as soon as Richard Simmons passed away.

As Sacha Baron Cohen's (a straight Jew from London) antics progressed I realized that the film was not poking fun at the gay way of life but at society's extreme stereotypes of us and the extreme factions within our society that are vehemently opposed to our ways. As the theater emptied I took joy in seeing the confused faces of all the folks who thought they were going to a Hollywood sanctioned gay-bashing. The joke was on them. They paid 10 dollars each to see a reflection of a part of themselves in the homophobic, backward-ass cretans and religious freaks that hate us so for no good reason apart from that society has always reassured them that they they're right and we are wrong. Bruno left them with a lot to think about and with a possibly newfound motivation but nevertheless a motivation to separate themselves from the neanderthals on the screen. Don't reject Bruno for being such a flaming homo just yet, he might just be our best ally yet.

Bruno hits Miami:

Bruno at a Christian Rock concert:

Bruno vs. Skinheads:

A Brief History of Gay Icons- Why We Love 'em

2009-07-13T02:30:00.005-04:00

There's a quote from a Woody Allen movie, Celebrity: "You can tell a lot about a society by the people they choose to celebrate.". So why do the gays obsess about some celebrities and have lukewarm feelings about others? Why was Farrah Fawcett a gay icon yet Michael Jackson not?

Decades before oh-so-gay Sir Elton John penned the song Candle In the Wind, Marilyn Monroe was already my protector spirit, my concept of perfection in a human and thousands of gays along with me were already in love with the vulnerable, sexy, nymph-queen of America. Marilyn is still our modern-day Aphrodite. An immortal star amongst the gods of Mt. Hollywood. Why are Judy Garland, Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Madonna, Britney Spears, Princess Diana, Cher, Angelina Jolie, Kylie Minogue all godesses to us gays? They all share common demoninators. They were not supposed to be the stars they had become, they fed on tragedy and struggle, transforming it into grace and enviable beauty. Above all, these tortured souls had a certain flamboyance to the way they lived their lives so fiercely, slicing through any obstacles or critics like a hot knife through butter. It's an added bonus if they have a biting, acerbic wit like Bette Midler, Lilly Tomlin, Sandra Bernhard and the queen of sardonism; Kathy Griffin. It's funny how this sub-group of gay icons are traditionally awkward, ugly ducklings. It's part of their appeal to us. Wouldn't it be great to see a new gay icon come about that can combine the beauty of Marilyn with the wicked comedic talent of Kathy Griffin? That would be a Super-gay icon and a one-stop shop of entertainment for the gay masses.

My reasons why I related to Marilyn were many. How she found a way to get away with being herself even though 1950's America didn't appreciate a woman of her openly sexual expression. How she smiled away her inner turmoil and magically extracted beauty from pain. How she wanted children so badly she kept trying even though her body betrayed her and repeatedly miscarried. How she harnessed her sexual prowess to get whatever she wanted in life but she couldn't find her one true love to make her feel safe in the world. Most intriguing, was the aura about her. Her light would lift my spirits and get me through the worst growing pains of my teenage years. She was a guiding light in my quest to find my true self. My room was plastered with posters of Marilyn on every spare inch of my walls and I read just about every book written on her short life. Her wall space quickly became shared with Farrah Fawcett as I fell further into puberty and Charlie's Angel's became the hottest thing on TV.

Today no one questions why Transformer hottie, Megan Fox would tattoo Marilyn's visage on her forearm or why Madonna has emulated her at various stages in her life in style, video, even living her same trials with failed relationships. Marilyn is still very much alive generations later. She is still on the yearly Forbes list of top grossing dead celebrities among which Elvis Presley, Bob Marley, Andy Warhol are also listed.

I remember how thousands of straight white and black men idolized Michael Jackson trying their hardest to emulate his smooth moves and add to their "game" with the ladies, spending $400- for the latest Thriller or Beat It leather jacket. Still, Michael didn't cut it as a gay icon even though all his mannerisms and flair, signaled he was one of us. It had a lot to do with the fact that he never really came out. It's hard to relate to a celebrity when it's not really clear what they are or what they feel strongly about. Last report from a close friend was that he was none of the above and was asexual. Elizabeth Taylor once said in an interview, "he was not from this Earth".

Whoever said that gays hate women definitely do not know us at all. Ironically, 99.9% of gay icons are women. We adore women because we empathize with them. We have been heartbroken by the same male dogs as our women counterparts. We struggle in a world that considers feminity a weakness. We are in essence, stuck in the same game.

Another gay icon was Princess Diana, not just for her work to raise awareness and funds to fight AIDS but for her poise, her quiet rebellion, her audacious smile in the face of so many rigid constraints and how she glided through all those obstacles to make a real change in the world and unintentionally making herself a heroine for so many. She is one of the few celebrity deaths that inflicted a pang on the hearts of so many wolrdwide when news of her tragic death reached the news. The world was not ready to let go of her light and is still lamenting her loss to this day.

We see the tragedy in these goddesses that we have in ourselves. Their staying power in our minds is how they tirelessly struggled to get what they couldn't ever get. For Marilyn it was true love and to have a child. It's not surprising why Lindsay Lohan, Anna Nicole Smith are among the many modern day starlets that idolize her. Britney Spears is so emotionally connected to Marilyn that she purchased her cemetery plot next to her's in Hollywood Forever Cemetery and even owns a pair of her jeans. It's no mistake that Britney's Circus album mirrors Marilyn's shoot with photographer Milton H. Greene's titled, Marilyn At The Circus. http://www.miltons-marilyn-monroe.com/marilyn-monroe/pictures/marilyn-monroe-circus/index.html#11

Although today's gay youth connect more to Britney than Marilyn, her stronghold to the title of modern-day Aphrodite has yet to find a competitor memorable enough to topple her from her post. Her grace was never before seen but hopefully will be seen again tomorrow. Who will be our next gay icon? It definitely won't be Lindsey.

Enjoy the never before published pictures above of a 24 year old Marilyn before she was "somebody". The quotes below are Marilyn's as well.

Creativity has got to start with humanity and when you're a human being, you feel, you suffer.
What good is it being Marilyn Monroe? Why can't I just be an ordinary woman? A woman who can have a family ... I'd settle for just one baby. My own baby.
I have too many fantasies to be a housewife.... I guess I am a fantasy.
It's better to be unhappy alone than unhappy with someone.

It's better for the whole world to know you, even as a sex star, than never to be known at all.

Hollywood is a place where they'll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul.
The body is meant to be seen, not all covered up.
Sex is part of nature. I go along with nature.
Being a sex symbol is a heavy load to carry, especially when one is tired, hurt and bewildered.
1956 interview about her childhood: Looking back, I guess I used to play-act all the time. For one thing, it meant I could live in a more interesting world than the one around me.
Also from Lee Strasberg's eulogy: Marilyn Monroe was a legend. In her lifetime she created a myth of what a poor girl from a deprived background could attain. For the entire world she became a symbol of the eternal feminine.

A recent exhibit at London's National Portrait Gallery titled "Gay Icons"

Lindsay Lohan's Marilyn spread: http://gawker.com/5003223/

Forbes list of top grossing dead celebrities: http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=8224314961475453790&postID=27334113954995277

Britney buys cemetery plot next to Marilyn's: http://www.monstersandcritics.com/people/news/article_1410248.php/

Blog about idolatry: http://www.star-gazings.com/2009/02/idolizing-dead-celebrity-is-far-often.html

"F" You Very Much Against Homophobia-When a Video Becomes as Viral as Swine Flu

2009-05-24T15:00:00.002-04:00

Every now in a while an artist takes a stand and shows the world what it really means to be a "superstar". Like Lupe Fiasco's song, Superstar - "If you are what you say you are. A superstar then have no fear". Lily Allen has proven herself to be this realtime version of a "superstar". So much so that even Lupe would answer his own question, "Did you improve on the design?". This young Brit has, by creating a song that is all at once brash and cocky, yet positive with a punch in the face to the bigots of the world warning that the generational shift is happening and this new generation is not going to put up with the religious-sponsored hatred and conservatism that is holding us back. Hatred is hatred in it's many forms and disguises and this "new guard" isn't going to be so tolerant as my generation or previous ones have been. Lily originally wrote the song protesting a conservative political party in Great Britian, similar to our Republicans.

Lily Allen -"this song is not a direct attack at anyone, it was originally written about the BNP in the UK but then I felt this issue has become relevant pretty much everywhere, we are the youth, we can make coolness for our future, its up to us. Go green and hate hate."

Stevie Bee Bishop, a young Australian, native to Brisbane with his own You Tube channel decided to create a video to combat hate against LGBT people after seeing so much of his people being targeted online. He didn't have intentions of becoming a world wide phenom or of creating offshoots of his original video that would spread the globe from his fresh original seed video. His video is full of cameos from fellow gay bloggers from all over You Tube, the new gaylutionaries. A French blog http://www.gayclic.com/articles/_fuck_you_a_l_homophobie_.html created a homage to Stevie Bee's original video and added more clips from all over the web creating a world wide message to bigots from "us gays", the new gays.

While we may have lost many leaders, fighters and so many talented brethren, so many new ones are born every day. This movement will never die nor will this world ever be without it's gays. This french homage video was released on the International Day Against Homophobia, 2009, May 17th and is a perfect example of how viral and organic movements occur online and how if the moment and content is right a revolution can be born overnight.

You go Lily Allen! You go Stevie Bee Bishop! You go GayClic! You are carving out a new world that we will ALL want to live in!

Stevie Bee's original call for video entries on YouTube:

Stevie Bee's finished product:

The French GayClic's inspired video homage to Stevie Bee's original video:

Lily Allen - GWB (Fuck You Very Much) Lyrics:
Look inside, look inside your tiny mind
and look a bit harder
cause we’re so uninspired
so sick and tired
of all the hatred you harbor

so you say it’s not okay to be gay
well I think you’re just evil
you’re just some racist who can’t tie my laces
you’re point of view is medieval

Fuck you, fuck you very very much
cause we hate what you do
and we hate your whole crew
so please don’t stay in touch

fuck you, fuck you very very much
cause your words don’t translate
and it’s getting quite late
so please don’t stay in touch

do you get, do you get a little kick out of being small-minded?
you want to be like your father
it’s approval you’re after
well that’s not how you’ll find it

do you, do you really enjoy living a life that’s so hateful
cause there’s a hole where your soul should be
you’re losing control of it
and it’s really distasteful

Fuck you, fuck you very very much
cause we hate what you do
and we hate your whole crew
so please don’t stay in touch

Fuck you, fuck you very very much
cause your words don’t translate
and it’s getting quite late
so please don’t stay in touch

Look inside, look inside your tiny mind
and look a bit harder
cause we’re so uninspired
so sick and tired
of all the hatred you harbor

Fuck you, fuck you very very much
cause we hate what you do
and we hate your whole crew
so please don’t stay in touch

Fuck you, fuck you very very much
cause your words don’t translate
and it’s getting quite late
so please don’t stay in touch

Subscribe to this new generation of gay revolutionary (gaylutionary) -Stevie Bee Bishop's world changing You Tube channel:
http://youtube.com/steviedidit

Download Lily's song for free here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?iyzgu5nzzvo

French blog featuring the video homage to homo-haters:http://www.gayclic.com/articles/les_gaycliqueurs_disent_fuck_you_a_l_homophobie_en_video_.html

International Day against Homophobia campaign:
http://www.homophobiaday.org/

Padre Alberto's Truth- You Decide?

2009-05-09T04:00:00.003-04:00

I've always believed there are no coincidences in life. This latest scandal from Miami is another confirmation of that belief. 3 weeks ago I blogged about how the church's stance on requiring celibacy of it's priests was an outdated discipline that's time has come to end and serendipitously comes a pretty huge scandal involving one of it's brightest stars, Father Albert Cutie' of breaking his vow of celibacy. Undoubtedly, an asset to the church and a liasion bringing younger generations of followers to this antiquated religious belief system with his fresh candor, relevant sermons and pure passion to bring God into people's lives. No one can ever take away his passion and the good that he has done in making the church seem a lot more friendly and a lot less confined and stale to contemporary-minded Americans.

This pastor to his small church of St. Francis on 6th and Alton on Miami Beach has touched millions with his message and mission through his best selling books, talk and radio show as well as weekly editorial for the Miami Herald. He has earned his credibility and celebrity status. With the looks of an actor you would think the church purposely casted him in this role as a good PR move, this Father Cutie' is a cutie and the Church's best assets today.

Still, this breaking news and salacious story of his love affair with a woman just doesn't jive with what I know this man to be. An intelligent, measured, dignified and very astute man would never get caught en flagrante over a period of 3 days no less doing something that he was fully aware would get him fired from the church he loves so dearly. A church he has devoted his entire life to promoting and defending. Unless it was a deliberate plea to become accepted by the Holy Father or a desperate plea to hide something more damaging? There have been rumors circulating on South Beach that the real reason was that he was in a long term relationship with a man and that it was coming to a head after said man threatened to blackmail him with threats of going to the media with evidence of their relationshiop. This may have been the Father's desperate attempt to beat the whistle blower to the pass and diffuse any possibility to defame him in the eyes of the church and the world even further. Regardless of motive, this is another blaring example of the church's inability to evolve with the times and proof of it's decreasing relevance to contemporary human beings. Neither heterosexual nor homosexual affairs should be causes to bring down a man that has done so much and brought so many to a church that is every day becoming more and more of an endangered species.

A professor at FIU and friend of Father Albert Cutie' for years, Uva de Aragon, was quoted "Frankly, this was not very smart, flouting what you are doing. Did he want to get caught?" If he did want to protest the church's policy on celibacy, he would've done it in a more dignified and self-respecting manner by publically resigning with a statement protesting the church's policy. Instead he was photographed and busted. Immediately after the photos' were publicized in TVnotas, the Archdiocese of Miami announced on Tuesday that Father Cutié, was suspended from preaching at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, he also lost his gig hosting his show on Pax Catholic Communications.

Father Albert told Hispanic Magazine in 2007 "I'm not the priest for the regular Catholic crowd," "I made that decision a long time ago. I'm the priest for the lost sheep. Which is why I do the media thing and the press thing and the book thing."-Thats' fine and dandy but then why would you knowingly get caught over a period of 3 days with public displays of affection with a woman on the beach that you preach in that is about 5 square miles? Couldn't he have taken a trip to Croatia or somewhere else obscure? That is way too below his level of intelligence. Unless it was an orchestrated spin-doctoring of his own to avoid a much larger one.

After being placed on leave he has reportedly been sent by Archbishop of Miami John C. Favalora to an undisclosed location to pray and reflect upon his fall from grace. The latest "story" from the church now is that he decided to take a leave of absence to reflect on his situation. It's no wonder Republicans are so adept at spin doctoring situations to fit their needs. They perfected their craft learning by example at mass every Sunday.

Like the ever so enigmatic message by Gaudi' engraved on the entrance doors of the Cathedral La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, "Que es la verita'?". When will the Church come clean and finally tell us the truth? Here's your chance Mr. Pope Benedict to prove to the world that you aren't going to extinguish yourselves in your stubborness from evolving. Shed this farce of a policy that has led to so much scandal and pain. It would be a small start.

Hey and if Father Albert doesn't get reinstated, he can always preach at an Episcopalian church. They have no celibacy restrictions.

History of Celibacy in the Catholic Church

Peter, the first pope, and the apostles that Jesus chose were, for the most part, married men. The New Testament implies that women presided at eucharistic meals in the early church.

Eleventh Century-1045-Pope Boniface IX dispensed himself from celibacy and resigned in order to marry.

1074-Pope Gregory VII said anyone to be ordained must first pledge celibacy: ‘priests [must] first escape from the clutches of their wives.’

1095-Pope Urban II had priests’ wives sold into slavery, children were abandoned.

The Roman Catholic church has left the policy or "discipline" virtually unchanged for the past 900 years, saying it allows for a dedication to God and the church without distraction.

Popes who were married

St. Peter, ApostleSt. Felix III 483-492 (2 children)

St. Hormidas 514-523 (1 son)

St. Silverus (Antonia) 536-537

Hadrian II 867-872 (1 daughter)

Clement IV 1265-1268 (2 daughters)

Felix V 1439-1449 (1 son)

Impassioned apology from Father Albert Cutie's website: http://www.padrealberto.net/

STATEMENT FROM FATHER ALBERT CUTIÉ
Before God - full of love and mercy - I ask for the forgiveness of those who may be hurt or saddened by my actions. Since I entered the seminary at the age of 18, the priesthood has brought me great joy. The commitment that I made to serve God will remain intact. I am grateful for the love and support I have received today from so many in our community, especially my parishioners and the supporters of the radio stations who have demonstrated great compassion and understanding toward me as a human being. I ask for your continued prayers and support.
Father Albert Cutié

Story of celebrity Priest punished for being in love: http://www.miamiherald.com/459/story/1033259.html

Fascinating blog on Archbishop Milingo's crusade to end the church's celibacy policy:http://fatherjoe.wordpress.com/2006/07/13/archbishop-milingo-schism-over-married-priests/

How Milingo's brief marriage mysteriously ended after the Pope personally visited him: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2482321.stm

Palm Beach news story of Father Albert's stance on the matter: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/state/content/state/epaper/2009/05/07/0507priestfuture.html

Pope upholds centuries old policy of celibacy in 2007: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,258442,00.html

History of Celibacy in the church: http://www.futurechurch.org/fpm/history.htm

Another bloggers entry regarding the scandal:
http://elcabezadepuerco.wordpress.com/2009/05/05/y-esta-alberto-el-cura/

Finally a Fresh Product from MTV- Cherry Girl is Born.

2009-04-22T09:45:00.015-04:00

Bravo to MTV for birthing an original product today-finally. A knock off from the benign and deliciously mischievous main character of my all time favorite film; Amelie, MTV's Cherry Girl is a prosocial initiative to attempt to make random acts of kindness the new worldwide trend.

Here's the first example of Cherry Girl's positively fun antics:

http://www.iamcherrygirl.com/?p=1

Here is Cherry Girl's credo for her life which is a helluva lot better than Tila Tequila's "get drunk and screw anyone" credo:

Seek pleasure in life
Play with the world
Have everything
Destroy nothing
To ‘be’ is not optional
To ‘have’ usually is
Be mischievous
Float through the chaos
Walk everywhere
Love what makes you different
Live an amazing life

Check her sexy debut video by Ridley Scott:
http://www.mtvcherrygirl.com/video/

It's a premeditated act by the gods at Mount MTV that this pixie, Cherry Girl has been born on Earth day. Her environmentally aware ways will hopefully have throngs of fans planting cherry seeds all over our imperiled globe.

I sure hope so because if I see another new season of Tila Tequila or Road Rules I think I might just hurl.

If you want to become a fan and keep up with all her goings-on you can join on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Cherry-Girl/84227584496?ref=ts.

Or on Twitter:
twitter.com/iamcherrygirl

FACT: Earth Day was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in in 1970 and is now observed in 175 countries every year.

FACT: April 22 is also the birthday of Julius Sterling Morton, the founder of Arbor Day, a national tree-planting holiday started in 1872.

Happy Earth Day!

The Gay Storm- Are These People for Real?

2009-04-20T23:50:00.004-04:00

Every now and then this whole gay battle for civil rights just takes on a stranger than life twist that is just too ridiculous to not share. I have no words to describe how far out of touch with reality the "Ameri-ban's" fear-based actions are.

The original video that is too surreal to be real:

The Colbert Report's spoof on the same video:

Rachel Maddow's commentary on the organization's banning of the video:

The audition tapes for the Storm video that were quickly pulled off You Tube by the NOM organization:

It's blatantly ironic that the whole unfounded argument that this "Gay Storm" will destroy our civilization and the institution of marriage, comes from a religious group (Mormons) that promotes polygamy and arranged marriages of children as young as 8 years old. The Mormon church denys involvement with this "front group" but read this blog that ties the two together: http://mormongate.com/

Pope VS. Shaman- Where Will You Find Enlightenment Today?

2009-04-14T03:15:00.010-04:00

Any priest in the Catholic Church must either be a self-hating homosexual or someone with some serious issues with their sexuality. Why else would any healthy, straight and invariably horny man give up a life of sexual pleasure with loved ones to lock himself up with other men wearing robes that look a lot like dresses? There is no exact figure of the number of gay clergy but estimates vary anywhere from 25 percent to 50 percent, according to a review by the Rev. Donald Cozzens, author of "The Changing Face of the Priesthood.". I theorize that it is very close to 100% but how many priests and clergy are willing to admit it? Abstinence in theory is one of the most miserably failed tenets the church has ever created. The hundreds of lawsuits and payoffs by the church to victims of sexual abuse are proof that you cannot stop human desire and when you repress it, it rears it's ugly head in any way it can. The belief is that abstaining from sex makes you more spiritual has no basis in fact. There is no research to support this tenet. If you look at some of the world's earliest religions that predate the church, abstinence as a concept never existed. American Indian Shaman had same-sex "berdaches" that would attend to the Teepee and the sexual needs of the shaman. They were the shamans same-sex husbands and they were oftentimes initiates and above all they were revered by their tribe. Buddhist high priest are not forbidden from enjoying sexual relations. I have had momentous, spiritual experiences in my life and they had nothing to do with whether I got laid the night before. It boils down to one simple fact; human beings need love to survive. Just like Tom Hanks in Survivor who fell in love with a soccer ball named "Wilson". Inevitably our human form takes over whatever spiritual intention was set in motion and we crack. We need physical touch and love, being in love with the almighty or whomever\whatever doesn't remove us from our bodies permanently. Hasidic Jewish communities have high rates of STD's among ultra religious marriages because the husbands go out and hire prostitutes on the "Down Low". Sex, however dirty your religion may perceive it, is as necessary for our survival as that apple a day. Scientific studies have even shown that the more times per week a study subject had sex, the longer their lives were.

So it is a surprise to hear that there is rampant sex in Catholic seminaries where priests are trained to be priests? (see article link below) The church's rush to stop gap the ever increasing priest shortage has forced them to ordain these priests quicker than ever and lower their standards. These young men who will be the world's spiritual leaders are just as horny as any other young buck out there, if not more because these bucks know from here on out, it's curtains down there, at least in theory.

In early native America hundreds of years ago homosexuals, transgendered, etc. were all bundled together under revered terms of berdache or shaman. Their function was of a different path than warrior or wife or hunter. They were the revered spiritual leaders and healers for each tribe. They were the connection to the spiritual world and other dimensions and they were GAY.

Fast forward to 2009, these cross-dressing "tribal doctors" are still around today. in fact the Vatican is full of them. One visit to a Barcelona cathedral museum smacked me in the face with that reality. Walking through the ever-so-boring museum and entered into the room where all the religious robes (costumes) were kept. There were red silk conical bishop hats with gold threading, orange long robes with embroidered arm panels that dragged elegantly to the floor, purple scarves with gaudy gold thread decoration. I said to myself, "A drag queen would have a field day in this room". How did a humble Jesus dressed in rags, teaching tolerance and universal love to all men get turned into a bunch of closeted gay men in ridiculously superfluous and luxurious drag costumes to spread his teachings to the Catholic world? If you really want to teach his lessons you would emulate him and his message in every way and wear the rags of a poor man certainly not the pomp and pompousness of the drag queens running rampant in the Vatican. Buddhist priests are prime examples of a spiritual leader properly following the teachings of their prophet.

This George-Bush-of-a-pope dressed up as a spiritual leader has done nothing to progress the spiritual enlightenment or awakening of his followers. He first attacked muslims, then atheists, then made more hateful than normal statements reinstating that homosexuality will cause the destruction of the modern world. He then put the cherry on the bullcrappy sundae and pissed off a world full of Jewish people by re-hiring a bishop that denied Jews died by gassing in the holocaust giving a crazy figure of 200-300,000 of the total killed in the holocaust versus the 6 million that were actually killed. A bishop that shortly after apologized for hurting people with his comments but never retracted them. Pope Rat-zinger demanded he apologize weeks later after the world was in an uproar over the news but the bishop never did retract and the Pope did nothing to discipline his returning prodigal son.

Is the Vatican playing a sick joke on humanity in testing us how much hate it can spew out before somebody just goes AWOL and goes 9-11 on them? Maybe it's a taunt so they can justify a new holy war like Bush did? Is it all a na-na-nanny-boo-boo by Pope Benedict? Is this behavior of someone that is supposed to lead the civilized world towards spiritual growth? At least John Paul tried played nice and tried to bring the world together, teaching forgiveness. This one only seems to be capable of medieval hate mongering.

Like the Shaman of yore, Homosexuals are a people connected and in tuned to our spirit because we are on a separate journey, with it's unique lessons. Childbirth and rearing are not necessarily where we find our teachings in this life. We are a gay tribe with our leaders conveniently eliminated by AIDS. It is time that our spiritual leaders come out from the shadows (closet) and depose the false prophets that hide behind the many colored robes of the Catholic Church. We can add to the diaspora of belief in this world, giving it one more intense color.

Great Britian's Tony Blair is recently quoted as calling for a revolution in thinking in the Church and has criticized this pope for being out of touch with his congregation worldwide. Blair says, "There are many good and great things the Catholic Church does, and there are many fantastic things this Pope stands for, but I think what is interesting is that if you went into any Catholic Church, particularly a well attended one, on any Sunday here and did a poll of the congregation, you’d be surprised at how liberal-minded people were." A generational shift has occurred, a cycle is ending worldwide. The next generation coming is tired and uninterested in the old, failed battles of previous ones. They are hungry for spiritual knowledge and if the church doesn't serve it to them, they will seek it elsewhere. When I was growing up in Miami in the 80's, you would be hard pressed to find one center that had Yoga classes. Today, there are centers even in the most suburban of areas. Not to say that Yoga is a replacement for religion but it is a beginning point and for many is their preferred "church". Newsweek's April 13, 2009 issue runs a cover image of a cross outlined by the words, "The Decline and Fall of Christian America". Obama's win over the faith-aligned Republicans sealed the fate of the extremists in the country that many doubt will ever be able to regained. The church is finally becoming separated from the state as our country's founders intended. "The percentage of self-identified Christians has fallen 10 points in the past two decades." (John Meacham, Newsweek) The decline of the church is a fact not theory. Question is how long can the church afford to ignore it? Do they impeach this curmudgeon before he brings about it's downfall like George W. Bush almost was?

Fast forward 20 years to 2029, we may see a day where the Vatican is no more. We may live to see a day where the Vatican leaders choose to dismantle it's own headquaters to prove to the world it is shedding it's old self and moving towards a newfound mission and vision. It could sell it's melted down gold to aid 3rd world countries and plant a huge forest in the middle of Rome, replacing the gargantuan statues that have so little to do with Jesus Christ's humble message. This new found forest would be a new spiritual United Nations location for all of the religious tribes of the world could come together to trance-dance away any differences in the warmth of a fire, bathed in the moonlight of a blue moon. A new unified and fully inclusive tradition would replace the crusty, old and irrelevant church of today. I don't doubt that Muslims, Jews, Sufis, Hindus, buddhists, Atheists and yes, us Gays would come to dance at that global party!

There is some hope for its survival. There are signs of factions of moderates within these conservative religions working against the tide of extremism and conservatism to modernize the message of the church to a more inclusive one. Facebook has several religious groups that have popped up supporting gay rights. (see link below) The group is such an idiosyncracy that Facebook'ers sympathetic to the gay rights movement have left negative comments not realizing that the group is Pro-marriage equality and not the common trend among Catholics to be against it. The group is called Christians For Gay Equality (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=33840595913&ref=ts) and it is ray of light and hope that yes, the church can reform itself from the inside. It seems that the only way will be not by the elitist stronghold of holy, self- hating, closeted homosexuals running the Vatican but by the members of the Catholic Church that no longer want to be told what is right and wrong. The faithful that finally will take a stand to see God for themselves, without the help of a priest. Republicans are starting to realize their moral holy war must be given up and are now trying to redefine themselves as a party before facing complete extinction. Even the Rush Limbaugh dinosaur cannot roar loudly enough to save that party. One pioneering reformist is ironically the daughter of John McCain; the poster boy of when you go too far to show people how Catholic you are, no longer works for you in this country. Meghan McCain is leading a new movement from within the ranks of the staunch, unbending and never yielding Republican mentality to a more moderate party where acceptance of gay marriage is not a problem, among other things. She wants to go further than just making the party sound inclusive. This thoroughly modern McCain wants her party to actually change and be inclusive, not just talk the talk. Wouldn't she be a wonderful replacement to the wicked witch of the east; Ann Coulter's rhetoric.

Homosexuals are a tribe that no longer finds the path of least resistance the wisest one. We are ready to push beyond our reservations in the big cities (LA, NY, MIA, SAN FRAN) and lay claim to our role in global politics. It's time we come out of our safe bubbles, grab our equality in this civilization and maybe lead again as spiritual leaders replacing the outdated, restrictive and divisive religions of this world with one world spirituality. It is happening already - the number of Americans who don't identify with any religion has risen to 15% from 8% in 1990.

I come from a family where my grandmother who was fiercely Catholic had a sister that became a nun after witnessing a vision of the Virgin Mary in her small town in Cuba. I was raised in a Catholic household, went to a Catholic all boys high school was confirmed and even did the Jesus life and death tour in Israel. So I can say with absolute certainty that I have found more spiritual enlightenment under the moonlight than under any church dome.

The awakening will continue, the churches will continue to empty and be less relevant. When you find yourselves looking for some elightenment, look to the Native American Shaman, Buddhism, Kundalini, Kabbalah, Yoga, wherever. The most important thing is that you look for the truth yourself because this leader isn't helping.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gay sex in Catholic seminaries decreased but still ongoing:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28677174/

Shortage of Priests in Seminaries:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.rodricks22oct22,0,6398710.कालम

Newsweek's story on the decline of Christian America:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/192583

Meghan McCain's shining new path for her beleaguered party:

http://news.aol.com/political-machine/2009/04/13/meghan-mccain-we-need-more-gay-republicans/

Pope reinstates member of extreme traditionalist sect (St. Pius X) previously excommunicated by Pope John Paul:http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/world/europe/25pope.html?hp

Pope's feeble attempt to curb worldwide furor over the Bishop's stance:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/4514628/Pope-demands-Holocaust-denier-retract-his-views.html

Beautiful speech by oscar winner for MILK movie denouncing church stance against gays:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfPXcCroPJc

Pope inciting more hatred and violence against homosexuals:http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/dec/28/papal-denunciation/

More americans claim they have no religion now at 15% increase from 8% in 1990: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29585222/?GT1=43001

Anthropological historical facts regarding roles of gay American Indians as Spiritual leaders of tribes: http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~culture/medicine.htm

More on shamanism: http://books.google.com/books?id=Z_ThIx97yw8C&pg=PA74&lpg=PA74&dq=gay+american+indian+shaman&source=web&ots=PxMSHrMrv2&sig=QhaMICnafYitiOmRXm6L9bPlgOw&hl=en&ei=rh2fSf2sEMH7tgf_6oyfDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=10&ct=result#PPA80,M1

The honorable role of Shaman in native america:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.diamondlady.net/starmaiden_globe.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.diamondlady.net/shamanism.html&usg=__90CitMu_TFMfLwL_y_N3k3LmHws=&h=332&w=339&sz=65&hl=en&start=22&um=1&tbnid=F2iSZSYuCnmoWM:&tbnh=117&tbnw=119&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dshaman%2Bnative%2Bamerican%26start%3D21%26ndsp%3D21%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

Pope's divisive speech:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.independent.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00106/pg-06-Pope-AFP-Gett_106606t.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/meditation-on-gender-lands-pope-in-hot-water-1210064.html&usg=__D5JeaqVkuqXpQBnUQbjlrBzRO7M=&h=424&w=300&sz=23&hl=en&start=89&tbnid=-t-dqTzeKxFxuM:&tbnh=126&tbnw=89&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcardinals%2Bvatican%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D21%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D84

Homosexuality and Buddhism:http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_budd.htm

BLOG WAR!

2009-04-02T17:30:00.005-04:00

IF YOU WANT TO BE A WRITER OR JUST LOOK LIKE ONE-START YOUR OWN BLOG

Being frustrated writers, my best friend and I decided to create our own blogs to channel our creativity into a positive outlet. Getting yourself published is such a labyrinth of bureaucracy, roadblocks and good old fashioned bullshit that we decided to give that up and just build our writing resume' another way. Why is it so difficult for good writing to get out there while so much bad writing gets published or produced? It's an industry that needs to reinvent itself just as badly as the U.S. government and auto industries do. It's too much about who you know and what sells and too little about actual raw talent or good content. Enough about that...back to blogging. Since we've started blogging, it's been like a Liquid Plumr to my writer's block. When you blog, there is no pressure from editors to sell or agents to impress or any pressure at all, for that matter. It's just you and that white screen and whatever you want to unload from your mind onto it. The downside to this is that any darn fool can do this and the internet is as cluttered with crappy blogs as our stratosphere is with satellites and space trash. Who really cares if Lindsay Lohan has a pimple on her ass or got a flat tire on her way to an interview? Now that my best friend and I are united in the virtual world as well as the spiritual world we have a common bond and goal to urge each other to produce quality and maintain our blogs with fresh writing each week. She is much better at it than I since she is a stay-at-home mom. Still, I offer no excuse and should be more religious about updating my blog weekly. As a result a subtle, silent competition has arisen between us and each time we talk about how many comments we've gotten or who's site we're being showcased on, the green color of envy thankfully, cannot be seen over the phone. Her coup d'etat was when a friend local to Miami noticed her blog and asked to include her on his. It is a very well known and established blog: http://www.tumiamiblog.com/ and ever since then her hits have gone through the roof. To add insult to injury, they even asked her to write a weekly blog for free especially for their site. I thankfully, didn't fall too far behind and was contacted by a local webmaster for a new site called: http://miamigayradio.com/ where the guy really appreciated my writing and asked for my blog to be linked on his main page. I was so flattered, that of course I agreed and rushed to tell my blog compadre the news to see if I could hear her get green over the phone. My next jab was when I was asked to be a guest on my mother's radio show to talk about my blog about the responsibilities of gay celebrities to come out of the closet. I wrote another blog about that including a link to that radio show and my hits soared for that week and for a moment was winning this "blog war". Alas, it was short lived as my friends' samurai discipline for writing weekly blogs kept her hits soaring far past my pitiful numbers.

What connects us to others out there in the blogosphere? We make friends with these electronic strangers we've never seen, smelled or touched. I like to call them "blogitos". Like Doritos; you can't get enough of them and they leave tingly sensations on the tips of your fingers, (from the incessant typing on the keyboard) just like the chips. They are our modern day pen-pals but on an exponentially larger scale. instead of one on one we can now be one on 1000 or in my friend's case, one on 9,420-(blasted!)

Whenever I finish my latest blog entry I get an excitement, a high and sense of accomplishment that satisfies me so much more than any jumbo sized Snickers I've ever eaten. Before working on my screenplays or children's books I like to write a blog entry. It helps to focus my mind on the writing and get my "flow" going and works much better than Attoral or Ritalin. How's that for a marketing slogan? "Blogging-It works better than Ritalin." Kids across the nation will be taking their "blog pills" daily to focus on schoolwork.

Why do we go online to read other people's musings? The same reason a gardener goes to his garden...To get his fill, to redefine and enhance what it means to be human. To disconnect from the rat race and think about life for a moment and maybe try to make sense of it all. Aside from the obvious value of it being a testament of a free and democratic society to be able to say whatever comes to your mind and spread the word, blogging is a true literary community without the snobbery and politics of the real literary communities. Anyone can join, from Lindsay Lohan to my 7 year old nephew-no credentials required. That's the beauty of it, stars can be born online, in an instant. There are no limits or barriers in this virtual world.

While I may have miserably lost this BLOG WAR to my most lovely of friends, I have not lost the benefits from blogging. I feel clean inside, my creativity channeled and if someone, somewhere out there in the ether reads my silly little words and cracks a slight smile or connects with what i'm saying, then I feel 100% complete, a little bit more human and a lot less alone.

My BF's blog: http://mujerongashoy.blogspot.com/

Handy dandy tips on creating your own blog:

Where to go to create your own blog for free on the nations #1 largest blog hosting site:

http://www.blogger.com/create-blog.g

If you're serious about your blog you'll want to know how many people visit and where they visit your site from. Site meter does that for free:

http://sitemeter.com/?a=signupoptions

Once you've got that puppy done you will want to "pimp" your blog to make it more original and eye catching. Blogspots templates are soo 2005:

http://www.pyzam.com/search/bloggertemplates

Now the hard part-to promote your blog. Go to other blogs you like and read their entries, posting comments and adding your blog link to your comments. Add your blog link to your email signature, post to your Facebook profile, Twitter, Evite, Linked-In profile or anywhere you have an online profile. Depending on your blog's affiliation you can request to be added to a directory. I requested to be added to the Best Gay Blog Directory below. They will review before approving:

http://www.bestgayblogs.com/

If you're really serious about your work and want to copywright to avoid literary thieves, register your blog here:

http://myfreecopyright.com/

Another blog about blogs:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://modernl.com/images/illustrations/the-blogging-spectrum.jpg&imgrefurl=http://modernl.com/article/the-blogging-spectrum&usg=__SkJ1KgmPzFzKXWHObR3PLGendPw=&h=429&w=700&sz=75&hl=en&start=16&tbnid=f1TlRtPsRbENTM:&tbnh=86&tbnw=140&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dblogging%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den

IBoyfriend -Version 7.0

2009-03-17T17:00:00.008-04:00

It seems that every aspect of our lives change so quickly that it's as if we're running a race gasping to keep up. We run out to buy the new IPhone with the fastest 3G internet browsing, the new Hybrid car we must now buy to save money on gas, the latest- N wireless internet adapter to get the fastest internet available on our home computers, solar panels for our homes to save on electricity. All these new technologies we must acquire to remain competitive. It makes you wonder what happens with the all the old technology when it becomes "end of life" or too inefficient for use? Well, it's basically thrown away or it usually ends up in a 3rd world country somewhere. This "throw-away" mentality permeates inevitably into our love relationships. We’ve become such a disposable society that every one dumps their partners the minute it sours instead of sticking it through like the good old days. Every 6 months or so, when things get slow, we upgrade to newer, slicker, hotter versions: Iboyfriend (you fill in the version). In the gay communities, there are environmentally friendly disposable societies where the men and women are recycled into new relationships just as fast as they are disposed of.

Your relationship history is your resume' for the next guy\gal. If you’re single too long then something dark and sinister is hiding. If you're seeing someone while you're separated, you must be a cheater. The best resume' is one of a candidate out of a relationship for at least 6 months but no more than one year. Any time sooner will make the new prospect categorize you as a "short term hire" or a "rebound fling". If you’re too hot for a semi-hot position you are over qualified. If you are too flabby for a ripped partner position, you are disqualified from the position. Top, Bottom, Fem, Butch, Twink, Athletic enthusiast, Daddy, Cub Chaser, Chub Chaser, Leather Daddy, Nudist; with so many pre-requisites, it's a miracle we humans ever hook up at all. Finding love has become as difficult as finding a unicorn with blonde hair.

Don't get me wrong, I believe in divorce and am a well-adjusted product of divorced parents. Thankfully, my mom was able to liberate herself from that unhappy marriage. Being a latina, it took her a while longer than an anglo but she did it. In the good old days, you were stuck with what you got and if you divorced, you carried a scarlet letter of shame with you for the rest of your days. The silver lining was that you worked hard to make it work. Nowadays, who has the time?

On the flip side of this pancake, some still try to make their relationships work; however difficult it may be in today's fun-filled, quick-to-bore-world. I've been mocked by my friends at being a serial monogamist as if it was a bad thing. I prefer to be in long term relationships rather than endless strings of non-committal sex with strangers. I believe each meaningful relationship you experience is an opportunity for self-growth, if you allow it. It's all about the mirror. So where is the self-growth in this new disposable society? Maybe we can download the latest Deepak Chopra audio book to our Iphones and evolve while on our treadmills at the gym before we meet friends for a drink. Technology will help us more on our love quests after the stigma dissipates completely and people cozy up to the idea of it being a tool to find everything, including love. Finding love online will be as commonplace as buying a book on Amazon.com.

Another difficulty in finding love that lasts is when you live in a major city like Miami, there's just too much selection. I call it my "cereal theory". You know when you're standing dumbstruck at the supermarket's cereal aisle, not knowing which one of the delicious and colorful choices to pick because there are so damn many? Well the same goes with Miami, there is too much selection of quality, grade A meat here, at least on the outside. Miami has the highest volume of physically attractive humans per square foot than any other city in the world. While that doesn't guarantee you get quality relationship material, it does make monogamy difficult. People in Wichita, Kansas don't have this problem. When they find someone to love they hold on to them tooth and nail. There isn't much of a pool in those places.

I've been lucky enough to have several long term relationships with 3 years being my all time Guiness world record. I hope to one day break that record and maybe even god forbid, hit a decade mark. My present version boyfriend (best version ever) gave me an ever so endearing Valentine's Day card that-gasp-had the "F" word (forever) on it. No other boyfriend has ever had the courage to use that idealistic of a word on a card written to me and at first it threw me for a loop. It was a foreign concept for me. After taking it in, I said why not accept his challenge and be the eternally optimistic Charlotte from Sex and the City? Where are the dreamers that believe in a love that lasts forever? Maybe I have found my blonde unicorn? Who knows what will happen tomorrow. In the meantime, I believe in this love-today.

He might turn out to be another Flavor Flav of a guy but for now I'm not ready to give up on my belief that the "F" word is possible and I just might be idealistic and queer enough to get married on some mountaintop temple in Bali.

Maybe the big lesson we all learn is how to truly love ourselves.

Maybe I'll end up with true love for a global cause that I believe in.

I'll let you know in a couple of years.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Inspirational love story of how two people used technology to bring them together while being continents apart: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29164894/

Theories on exponential increase of rate of change: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accelerating_change

Video on exponential changes:

K-Y it boys! Good Lube for Good Times!

2009-02-27T12:22:00.012-05:00

Every once in a while a traditionally straight brand starts to market to us Gays and appreciates our economic power and disposable income. KY has been a brand that traditionally marketed only to hetero's out there with a less than interesting, clinical packaging and product. It's 2009 and they have really amp'd up their game. They have come a long way from their one type of lube that wasn't all that exciting to their new line of silicone based products "Intrigue" and "Intense" lines that have a superior glide and feel to them. I have personally tried Intrigue (silicone version) and appreciate the bottle's design for easy flip open of the cap while "getting busy". It didn't dry out even after a long time using it (you know what i'm sayin').

I believe our power as a group is best wielded when we advocate and promote companies that offer favorable marketing to homo's out there and using the powerful tool of a boycott when not. The NAACP has been doing this to full effect for years. Bravo to KY for reaching out to the gay community!

Click on link below to see their new "intriguing" ad campaign image of 2 men intertwined in bed to form an infinity symbol and download a free remixed track of Kristine W's- "Love is the Look" Hurry the free offer ends on March 31st.

http://ky.com/men/

*Tip- the best track is the last remix by Ralphi Rosario (the one that is 10:33 long). Do the quick registration to be able to download the tracks for free. Masterbeat also has some other cool tracks from your favorite DJ's for download. (Abel, Offer Nissim, remixes of Deborah Cox, Natasha Bedingfield, etc.)

Intriguing Intimacy Facts -Did you know…

•In a recent study that sought to better understand the state of intimacy in America, lubricants were the most effective sexual aid for inspiring intimacy
•A new study shows that men who have 3 or more orgasms a week are 50% less likely to die from coronary heart disease
•99% of people who have tried K-Y® Brand INTRIGUE™ Premium Personal Lubricant report that it makes the sexual experience more pleasurable. And, 95% of people say it enhances sexual arousal and intimacy between them and their partners, claiming that K-Y® Brand INTRIGUE™ is something that they would use on a regular basis

Have fun and play it safe even if it is your long-time boyfriend and you think he would never cheat on you!

http://www.kyintrigue.com/kyintrigue/intrigue_sample.jsp

Obama - A Leader that Comes Along Once in a Lifetime

2009-02-25T00:00:00.004-05:00

Tonight I write to you my fellow blog-itos to share in my hope and joy that finally we will see America become an enviable nation again. After experiencing the magnaminous charisma of our 44th president in all it's glory I am overwhelmed with hope and faith that with his new laser-beam focus that we may possibly get out of this mess the W has left for us all.

Obama, being the LEO that he is (born august 6th) and left handed (Clinton was both), without a doubt proved tonight that he can lead, that he has the drive, energy and courage to forge new relationships across party lines turning his opposers into allies by finding the common ground of our love for this great country. He rises above the emotion and ping-pong-bickering that has stalled our country so badly that it resembles a Yugo in a junkyard. If he can deliver on his monumental and historic promises tonight, he will be the leader that can take us out of this black hole of despair, our modern day JFK. Obama delivered a speech so electrifying and inspirational that it caused both parties to stand up in ovation not only to applaud him but agree with his points. In a room that never sees such positvity and electricty, tonight was as lively and joyous as a Superbowl after party. The United States was the winner of this Superbowl and our coach was Obama.

Now, 3 years before the theorized end of the world 2012, is the time for this change. Like an alcoholic that can't buck an addiction until hitting rock bottom, we are by most accounts, at ground zero as a nation. Now that the cause for change is an economic one and not a political one, we have a once in a lifetime window of opportunity and flexibility by both parties to completely shift the focus from fear-based decisions and reform this country with a new found spirit. Obama has reminded us what it should mean to be an American by showing two shining examples of public consciense and social responsibility. He invited a young student named Ty'Sheoma Bethea that wrote to Congress to help save her crumbling school and a shining star of a Miamian, Jew and businessman Leonard Abess Jr. who gave back 60 million of his personal proceeds from the sale of his bank to all employees on his payroll (even the ones that had left the bank). These exemplary Americans remind us all that America is not completely filled with selfish fatcats and that a new conscience is being ushered in and sponsored by a leader with his heart in the right place and his mind focused on what needs to be corrected.

I do believe the end of the world will come by 2012 as the Mayans have prophesied, only it will be the end of the world as we know it with a new one being born. One where people are more important than profit margins, where education and science are once again of primary importance as they were in ancient Greece and the relationship to mother Earth is once again a loving one and not one of an abusive alcoholic curmudgeon husband. It certainly felt like a new world was being born today, just in time to be in full effect by 2012.

Thank you Obama...for the hope and change that you bring.

If you missed this historic and oh-so-not-boring address, you can watch it in it's entirety here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29289533/vp/29372559#29372559

The special invites to the address are a who's who of upstanding citizens of this country:http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ictnGeYoKZSUeY_kPWnENwbSh09wD96I82V80

Amazing story of Jewish businessman that gave all his proceeds to his fellow employees:http://www.vosizneias.com/27448/2009/02/16/miami-fl-jewish-philanthropist-shares-his-wealth-of-60-million-with-all-of-his-employess/

How do the "Gays" Say I Love You on St. Valentine's Day?

2009-02-13T16:40:00.004-05:00

There are a trillion ways to celebrate and say I "heart" you in honor of the pagan holiday http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Valentines_Day dressed up as a catholic one. In Roman times a popular festival called the Lupercalia was held annually, February 15th. Young nobles called Luperci, ran around Palatine hill in Rome in what is believed to have been a purification ritual. The young men were naked, except for the skins of goats that had been sacrificed that day, they would strike women they met on the hands with strips of sacrificial goatskin to promote fertility. While in modern times we still get naked and slap each other with skin, here are some other options to spice it up on "VD Day" (heteros can enjoy too):

* Do the latin-ghetto-fab thing and rent a cheap motel on Calle 8 (8th street). Pack matching leopard print bikini underwear, cheap champagne and an Iphone loaded with "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" to play in your uber-tacky romper room. (hint-mirrored ceilings are way hot).

*Have adventurous sex- call your partner to come up to your office after hours and do the nasty on your desk (make sure the door is locked in case the cleaning people bust in on you).

*Do your own strip tease for your partner with some new sexy underwear you bought online. http://www.hisroom.com/ song suggestion- I Got it From My Mama by the Black Eyed Peas or anything by Elvis

*Go skinny dipping on South Beach and after having a light dinner (so you still look good naked after eating). Light up a joint of the most primo herb you can find and get buck-nekked under the moonlight, remembering to stay near the shore so you don't get eaten by sharks.

*Pick out some some toys or new kind of lube together at your nearest sex shop and have some kinky fun

*Buy a jar of chocolate paint and go Picasso on your lover's body! (warning heating up the chocolate in microwave can genitalia)http://gifts.redenvelope.com/productdetail.aspx?cobrand=RED&pid=30001768&ssid=4&REF=redshpggiftscomfeed_30001768&PRID=REDESFD15&mr:referralID=dc6c5924-ed8d-11dd-9f5b-000423c27407

*Pick out a couple of positions while blindfolded from a Kama Sutra book, (or Google it if you don't have the book handy) performing them to see which one is your new favorite.

*Re-enact that famous love scene from 9 1/2 Weeks movie when Mickey Rourke was hot. Take turns blindfolding and feeding surprising bits of sexy food to one another (no hamburgers and remember to play some sexy music in the background to complete the mood).

*Soo cute pillows of love, most are of straight couples but some are androgynous enough to pass as two same sex couples. They are cute nonetheless...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/shops/storefront/index.html?ie=UTF8&sellerID=A3QRCKZR0E0NLA&sortBy=StartDateDesc&page=1

*Get matching symbolic tattoos (stay away from putting names in, just in case) My personal tattoo master is Miki, he's dutch and way cool and patient, a true artiste. (786-315-0222 in Aventura).

*Here's one for the "Ellen's" (lesbians) out there-Act out a mock wedding in your living room just for fun and dress up your dogs or cats as maids of honor, making sure you are in sexy lingerie and veils only.

*Get a couple's massage at my little secret hideaway spa, Skin Institute on 135th and Biscayne. Get pampered by super gay-friendly diva Sheila Treadway, a master at the art of pampering the skin. The supreme is her 24K gold facials. Check her Valentine's day specials-(305) 371-7435 skininstitute@aol.com. Don't miss going in her high tech infrared heat sauna with your partner.

*Enjoy a Yoga session together at the Standard Hotel on South Beach. Take a dip in their pool and water fall hot tub then chow-down on their outdoor bayside dock, under the stars (keeping your robes on, of course) http://www.standardhotels.com/miami/spa-wellbeing/yoga/

*Park in Coconut Grove public park and bike ride to Key Biscayne. Make a pitstop at Rusty Pelican for a couple of daiquiris (they make the ride home so much more painless) and take in the amazing view of Miami's growing skyline. End the night with a dip in a hot tub or in your bathtub if a hot tub isn't available, soothing your sore muscles and have some slippery, wet fun.

*go to a traditionally straight event and show them that we have "real" love too. Live Jazz concert under the stars at the Deering Estate in Miami's neighborhood version of Wisteria Lane (Pinecrest).

http://www.yelp.com/events/palmetto-bay-moonlight-and-music-valentines-day-concert?wy_s=M&wy_r=51YN-38yyyD3aTCls5AwBw

We should ideally make every day "VD day" but in today's frenetic world, it's nice to make your loved one's feel loved at least on the weekends. If you don't subscribe to these forced holidays then chuck this entire blog into your mind's waste bin. That is one of the pleasures of being gay, we have license to run free of society's norms.

How it all started: St. Valentine's Pagan origins (before the Catholic Church stole it) http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.orenoque.com/topten/images/stories/L/lupercales.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.orenoque.com/topten/valentines-day-history/roman-lupercalia-festival.html&usg=__1opNvgoTWAsAnJhpBAm3y-_ajdQ=&h=126&w=126&sz=12&hl=en&start=3&tbnid=9ZePM2Krdi5vIM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=90&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dlupercalia%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den

The state of Gay PDA today- Are we capable of public displays of affection?

2009-01-30T23:55:00.039-05:00

In this month of love I felt it appropriate to write about how we express love with each other and the implications that it may have depending on geography. I visited Jerusalem several years ago and have never forgotten the feeling of injustice I felt when a Palestinian shopkeeper started screaming eptihets in Arabic (you could tell because of the hand gestures) at a straight couple stopping in the market's passageway to kiss each other while holding hands. While being a romantic Kodak moment to my eyes, in Islam (Sharia law) public displays of affection are forbidden and considered offensive, even punishable by prison (yes prison) no matter what country you come from. The couple was so offended and afraid that they walked away very quickly in bewilderment from the angered shopkeeper. I truly felt bad for these two innocent human beings forbidden from loving each other and sharing a beautiful moment, in a city where so many have died for literally thousands of years because of religion and continue to so to this day. Irony is everywhere.

Different cultures express love in so many different ways but thankfully we live in a country where we have a magnaminous new president that enjoys a healthy and happy relationship so much so that he has no qualms with PDA, even on stage at his inauguration. Obama and Michelle have been the most affectionate first couple I've ever seen in my lifetime. I don't think George Bush ever even laid his hands on Laura in the entire 8 years of his presidency. In America it is safe to show affection to one another. Thankfully, the religious right in this country hasn't removed that freedom from us.....yet.

In a country not so far away like Malaysia, it is so offensive to kiss that a tourist couple almost got put in jail for a year for it. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4879248.stm

Imagine that you are a adventurous, young, gay couple and you decide to take a trip to see one of the wonders of the modern world; the Petronas towers in Kuala Lumpur and you decide to take a picture of yourselves kissing underneath the famous air bridge that unites the two buildings. You could find yourself instantly handcuffed and crammed into a surreal 3rd world jail cell a' la Midnight Express.

Since we DON'T live in Jerusalem, Malaysia, Dubai or Iran, etc. then why don't us gays seem absolutely devoid of the ability to show any type of affection for each other in public? Do we fear the anti-gay ghestapo will rappel down from a helicopter and whisk us away to concentration camps? Will latin american gun-men shoot us point blank against a concrete wall? None of the above...why because we live in a FREE and modern country that has no laws against any public displays of affection. This includes everyone gays, lesbians, straight, bisexual, etc. While we wouldn't exactly choose to make out or hold hands in the middle of Yeehaw Junction, Florida we should be able to express our love for one another in an honest, subtle manner whenever we feel so inclined in the same way that straight or bi-racial couples do. Being a Miami native, as a kid we'd go to Disney every summer and I'd often stare at young couples waiting in line, appreciating how they would lean and kiss each other's cheeks while waiting to get on the next ride. I wished that when I grew up I could do the same with my partner. Some 20 odd years later, I CAN do that and do even if it does make my current boyfriend uncomfortable or fearful. I stick to my guns and my belief that one of the most beautiful things to see in this life is people freely showing the love they have for each other at any given moment. It was a pleasing sight at my neighborhood Target to see an attractive blonde girl feeding a chocolate kiss to her black boyfriend and he responding with a sweet pop kiss to her mouth. How wonderful that they can feel free enough to express themselves like that in today's America, then I paused to ask myself when will that time come for "the gays"?

I don't mean we have to be all over each other all of the time but when it's a moment that you feel love for the person you are with, the most natural thing reaction is for you to show it. It takes effort to hold it in and why would you? It's as simple as squeezing their hand while walking, rubbing their backs or even yes god forbid, a pop kiss. If people can say "awww" and find the beauty in two dogs kissing in Lady and the Tramp then I have absolutely no doubt they would find our moments of true and honest love to be equally endearing.
The primary defense that religions use against Gays showing affection in public is that it is damaging to children. After coming back from a recent Carnival Cruise I can confidently tell you what I find offensive and disturbing to children. Obesity is offensive. Families allowing their children to be obese, stuffing their faces at a buffet 5 times a day is offensive. Bad taste in clothing is offensive. Hairy backs on men roasting in the sun is offensive. Extreme acts of violence shown on the afternoon news are offensive. Images of Jesus Christ dead and nailed to a cross are deeply disturbing, people wearing sandals with fungus infected toe nails is disturbing. What messages do those things tell the children of the world? Do we gays really believe that the expression of our love is more offensive than the examples I've described above? Really? What gives them the right to be out and proud with their nasty-as-they-wanna-be-selves and us not to be?

In the same fashion that some gays still remain in the closet even though thousands are out and proud, this is just another form of self-inflicted repression. As I've said before, fear is part perception and part reality. It is a human right in the United States and other democratic countries to be able to express affection for the ones you love within the norms of society, of course. I don't think anyone wants to see two people slobbering all over each other at a dinner table, unless you're a pervert but at the same time you wouldn't arrest them from doing so. You have the choice of just looking away. T'is the beauty of living in a free country.

I'd love to see the day when gay and lesbian couples all over America and other free nations, show the world that we don't just have hot sex but that we do love, we do express affection for one another, that our love is true and yes, inoffensive. Just make sure you aren't in Dubai before you do (that goes for the straights too).

A warning from the UK to travelers visiting arabic countries: http://www.newser.com/story/46369/no-pda-cheating-in-muslim-nations-uk-warns-travelers.html

Heinz pulls their ad of two gay men kissing because it was deemed to offensive to children: http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-8125.html

Space-Face

2009-01-20T16:31:00.002-05:00

As Lady Gaga so sexily sings, "Can you read my, read my Poker face?". Well, in Miami's Club Space and every other club in Miami, you can find "poker face's" everywhere you look. Club Space is an institution that proudly hosts thousands of visitors locally and from around the world. The only club that has survived fads, FBI raids, jealous club owners' sabotage and finicky Miami partier's ever changing and demanding tastes for the best music and the best time. It is the crown jewel of Miami's reign as the dance and music capital of the world.

This blog is about what I like to call "Space-Face". The pictures that capture the intoxicated and blissfully high faces of pleasure. These pic's usually portray people giving peace signs, pursing their lips, squinting their eyes, being affectionate, exposing breasts, flirtatious behavior and above all, enjoying themselves.

What the 10 megapixel digital cameras don't show is the pain behind the eyes; the guy that just got fired from his job, the girl that has to work 3 jobs to send enough money to her country so her family can survive, or the gay guy partying to forget how unjust it is that Proposition 2 just passed in Florida just when he thought that hate would no longer affect him. http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Florida_Marriage_Amendment_(2008) When you're at Space or any other night club in Miami, it isn't the time to think or dwell on the struggles of life on Earth. It's time to celebrate being alive and healthy enough to get up and dance our asses off. When the cameras are aimed at us, we give our Miami version of a "Poker Face" our "Space-Face". The face that shows that all is well with the world at this moment in time, that we are rock stars and that we are sexy damnit!

This is Miami! We live here to live life to the fullest however hedonistic it may be. Call us superficial, unrealistic, unintelligent, we don't care because we are alive, right here, right now and this is the reality we have created for ourselves. For a moment in time, we are free and exempt from the rat-race.

"This is Miami" playing on Space's Patio at a Sunday morning party.

A mother's gay-straight alliance with her son

2009-01-09T03:26:00.002-05:00

Today, more than ever I am proud to be the son of a mother who has joined me as a dedicated soldier in my fight for equality. Today, my mother; Doctora Isabel Gomez-Bassols http://doctoraisabel.net/ asked me to speak on her national radio talk show on Univision radio to debate our points of view regarding whether or not celebrities should come out of the closet to aid in the gay civil rights battle in this country. After reading my blog about the topic I had explained to her that it is a social war and the most dangerous gays are the ones that are in the closet and that are so self-hating that they'll do anything in their power to undermine our struggle just to free themselves from being discovered as being gay themselves. The Catholic church is chock-full of self-hating gays preaching for others to not accept us. The government also has it's shar of self-hating, closeted gays (Senator Larry Craig, Mark Foley) pushing for laws denying any rights to my people. The same way whites in the north stood up to the false notions of racists in this country that discrimination because of color was unjust, my mother has utilized the platform of her show to help me in being vocal for gays in this country to finally win and end their struggle for full civil rights. One day, we will look back and laugh at all this bickering and manipulation by religious establishments. One day hopefully, religious institutions will be a thing of the past too. I envision a world without separate and divisive religious organizations, a world with one, unified belief system, without religious doctrine based on fear. All religions believe in god so why can't we just boil it down to one belief system that holds love amongst men unconditionally to be the highest form of spirituality? After all, isn't that the purpose of spirituality, to spread God, Mohammed's, Allah, whomever's message of love to all?

I guess being a son of such a powerful and intelligent woman rubs off on you in some way. I guess that's where I get the conviction to live out and proud and speak on her national radio show to defend the rights of gays in this country. She did a perfect job of raising me and for this I thank her and pay homage to her in this blog.

When I decided to tell my mother my most tragic and sad secret, it was motivated from my trying to live a more honest, truthful life. In the same way I felt it was disrespectful to be with a woman sexually and fantasize about being with a man, it was disrespectful and hurtful to have her believe the lie that I was straight, regardless of whether that lie was supported by her self-inflicted illusions or my actions to hide it. Her being a mom first and psychologist second trumped her education and her initial reaction was that it was a result of not having enough interaction or affection from my father. It was more a knee-jerk reaction to my announcement than an actual belief. In the end, she knew better.

When my farm raised, Cuban father found out, it hit him so hard that all he could do was ask himself where he went wrong. He was so focused on what he did wrong to cause this to happen to his secretly favorite son. The son that he thought would bring pride to his name, succeed where he went wrong and completely eat that piece of American Pie he came to this country for. I'll never forget how my sister told me of the night he broke down and fell to the floor crying after getting out of his truck on his way home from work. He kept rambling and crying uncontrollably, asking her "Where did I go wrong?, What did I do to make him this way? That night in a reversal of roles, she cried with our father and held him as if he was her son. He was a man that never cried not even at his father's own funeral. It wasn't his fault, nor my mother's. He did nothing to cause what I was and am today. I can confidently confess with every cell in my physical being and every bit of my soul that I was simply born that way. It is not a curable disease, it is simply another color in the human rainbow, another way to love. Not the destruction of humanity but rather a challenge to humanity for compassion and understanding among men, across cultural and national borders. Homosexuality has always and will always exist just as heterosexuality has in every country in the world. We will not go away or disappear into invisibility. We are humans, Americans, leaders, sons, daughters, citizens of this world with our only wish being to be left alone to live out our lives and learn our karmic lessons in this life along with the rest of the beings on this blue marble we call Earth. If you are a fellow warrior, now is the time to be vocal, to not be afraid to stand up in church, at dinner tables, parties, wherever hatred is espoused against fellow humans whom happen to be homosexual. It is time to call people out on their hatred wrapped in religious justifications. The year is 2009, it is time for us to get over this to move on to bigger and greater things like saving this Earth before we completely extinguish ourselves. That, my friends is the real threat to humanity. If my mother were Pope, that is what she would preach. Why is it again that women can't be pope?

Pope accused of stoking homophobia after he equates homosexuality to climate change:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article5387858.ece

Listen to the recording of my mother's show where we debate over closeted celebrities (in Spanish) 1/9/09 http://www.miunicast.com/Public/Media/DraIsabel-2009.01.09.mp3

American Boy

2008-12-19T17:53:00.014-05:00

Riding my bike home from work, Estelle's American Boy streaming into my brain via my Iphone, I get a sense of peace and serenity in the knowing that it's all gonna be alright. The Golden bomb of light setting before me over Biscayne Bay helps the zen moment encompass my being completely. I'm living proof that the recession is here. I may be suffering but I'm not doing too shabby. My credit is still intact, I haven't foreclosed on my investment properties or my main residence in Midtown condos. I have had to give up some luxuries and for the first time since i was 15 i am making do without a car. This is no big deal to anyone from any other country in the world or even someone from Manhattan but in Miami a car is a necessity since it is a city with a very spread out layout. Being an "American Boy" I realize how tied we are to our toys, our blackberry's, Iphone's, cars, the latest trend in clothing, etc. I always try to take the good out of the bad and it seems that there is a new dawn upon us, one where we are pushed to find a new way of living, of thinking, of consuming. A more conscious way, more awake, more in tuned to the earth and it's limited resources. A consciousness that at any moment, oil can run out or get too expensive and the shit can hit the fan, affecting all of us in every country, in the millions.

We are living a global recession. With that, comes a new, worldwide awareness that hate us or not, America is a keystone in the world economy, without us the rest of the bridge falls. To maintain that keystone's strength we must now think of alternate ways to consume, to put it simply, consume less and more wisely. Recycle more, trim our local and federal governments, trim the fat from our corporations and homes.

I am a victim of this recession. I am a gay, latino son of Cuban immigrants, a college graduate, a professional with a solid career. I am America. I produce and consume for America, paying my taxes along the way. I give to charities and help my fellow man whenever I can. I am the American Dream come true, what my parents risked all for leaving their homeland, just so I could get a piece of this "pie". Im not a victim in the way my Republican friends like to describe it as if I got in over my head with a bad loan because I was greedy. No, I invested in a condominium after 10 years of schrewd investment decisions and flipping properties. I didn't plan for the bubble to burst so quickly. Stuck with a duplex that won't sell, I now have my property taxes choking me to almost foreclosure until I can cash out on my duplex. I've had to take on a roommate to offset this added cost. No twice a month maid, no dining out except for special occasions, worst of all, no more 4 door, electric green, 2007 Jeep. The wonderfully unorganized City of Miami conveniently denied my property tax transfer relief because i left my move in date box empty. They, as a result can charge me the full tax value for my condo until the appeal date is set. That could take over 10 months to resolve. Government inefficiency at it's worst. The fact that I could lose my hard earned investment as a result of an empty box and now forced to pay $400 extra per month in the meantime, is as contrary to the purpose of government as it gets.

Giving up my Jeep forced me on to a scooter to get to work. That was a good plan until I got hit by a car and got a free ambulance ride to Jackson Trauma center with a concussion, scraped face and broken nose. The important thing is I survived and now ride my bike 5 miles each way to work. Since then i've healed from my accident, finally have my short term memory back, no more migraines and have lost a good 7 pounds, making me trimmer than I've ever been. The abs I've always wanted have finally arrived!

American's have "moxie". We will get through this. We just have to get off our comfortable asses and work together to find more creative, earth friendly solutions to survive a world with ever limited resources. Who knows maybe a new wave of Americans riding bike to work can cure our nation's obesity epidemic? It'd be nice to trim that fat. I was given a second chance at life and now for the first time since junior high school, I can ride my bike without handlebars and I feel lighter and freer than I have felt in a very long time. Cue music here:

Article on new wave of American's commuting via bicycle:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28235890/

Come Out Come Out Wherever you Are! Letter to Ricky Martin & other closeted celebrities

2008-12-17T03:01:00.010-05:00

Would you ever see a Jewish person get up on stage and dance the Hora with a Skin head? Would you ever see a black person paint themselves white and dance on stage with KKK leader David Duke? No you wouldn't. So why then would Ricky Martin, the biggest and most obviously gay celebrity since Liberace get on stage and shake his "bon-bon" with the gay community's biggest enemy, George Bush at his inaugural concert? Because he can hide his "gay-ness" and he somehow believes that selling out to the highest degree is absolutely correct and appropriate. To dance on stage with the leader that tried his hardest to change our constitution to deny us gays rights to equality in this country. Why do I single out Ricky Martin, you ask? Many reasons, he is latino like I am, he lives in Miami and I am completely over hearing stories about his sexcapades all over Miami with guys I am friends with and last but not least because gay youth in America are more likely to commit suicide 4 to 9 times more than their heterosexual counterparts- http://www.thetrevorproject.org/info.aspx. Although Ricky Martin has done good work in protecting children with his charities, http://www.looktothestars.org/charity/390-ricky-martin-foundation, these are the children that Ricky Martin forgot to help. His fellow gays.

On the other end of the gay spectrum, we have Harvey Milk (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey_Milk) who was our "Martin Luther King", the first openly gay politician elected to office in the United States in the 70's. He was our champion, our leader, our reason for pride. He was such a visionary that we are still fighting the fight he lead a full 3o years later, he even envisioned his own death by assasination 10 years after the assasination of Martin Luther King. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U_owSvbn00

They both died for exactly the same fight, a fight for a disenfranchised minority to gain equality and protection in the United States. So why did Martin Luther King's battle succeed and ours still a full-on civil rights battle? Well my theory is simple, it's because BLACK people CAN'T HIDE their difference to the rest of the world and we CAN. The Catholic Church a few years ago released an official statement to the world stating that to be homoseuxal is not a sin but to practice is. The Don't Ask Don't Tell policy enforced by the US military is more of the same. If you hide your "gayness" it is acceptable and you will not be discharged but if we find out you are you are out. By hiding in the closet these "traitor gays" are tacitly allowing for this mentality to go unchallenged. In the avoidance of the truth they have inherently allowed for this crime to go unchecked. Just like the law in New York city that holds you in violation if you see a crime in progress and do not report it, the same principal is applicable here.

Imagine if every gay person in the world woke up tomorrow somehow genetically altered to have purple skin. Yes, purple skin. As purple as a teletubby. There would be a worldwide upheaval causing every country's citizens to reanalyze their beliefs on what it means to be gay and the rights that are associated or denied with being that way. When they realize how large a portion of every society that we really are, that we include every sector of society from servants to blue collar workers to corporate leaders to even royalty. They would be forced to accept us because it would be too large a reality to theologize away with any known religion. You wouldn't be able to block the instantly huge worldwide population of gays finally united and out'ed by their beautifully purple color. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would have to admit that indeed his islamic country has thousands of gays. The Mark Foley's, Ted Haggard's and Larry Craig's that fight so hard to prove they are not in the closet by promoting laws aimed at pushing us further into the closet would be instantly outed for the hippocrites they truly are. It would be the end of our civil rights war. Yes folks, it is a war. A social and legislative war. We still cannot adopt, marry, inherit our deceased partner's social security benefits or legalize through marriage our partners who are living undocumented in the US. It is still illegal in some states to have sex in the way that we please (anti-sodomy laws still in effect in 40 countries- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodomy_law ). The military's Don't ask don't Tell policy is still enforced. The war is ongoing and we have a way to go.

The "outing" movement of the 90's was a direct result of the massive die-off of so many of our own. It was hatched by activist groups Act Up and Queer Nation, fighting the good fight in the most effective, grass roots way they could think of. They believed the worst enemy of the gay community was not the religious folks, but the self-hating, closeted gays that will stop at nothing to prove to the world they aren't gay. Closet cases live with a constant angst that affects their relationships with partners, friends, co-workers and the rest of the world. It's basically a self-inflicted barrier against feeling complete happiness and like the saying goes, "you can't love others until you can love yourself". When someone like Ricky Martin whom is a celebrity refuses to admit that he is gay, even though every one knows he is, it is a silent approval promoting the notion that we should keep ourselves hidden. It doesn't matter that gay mecca's have arisen throughout the U.S., (Atlanta, South Beach, Chelsea NYC), these migratory gay birds carry their fears and their closets with them. They come to South Beach to be free from discrimination but fear, unfortunately is part perception and part reality. Even though they are no longer in the backwoods of Ohio, they still carry the same fears with them. We have to think out of our gay safe zones and be conscious of all the other cities and countries that are still extremely hostile and violent to gay people. It is far from rosy in these places. Even though "outing" was a terror tactic, it worked. It pushed many hiding in the shadows to come out and start behaving like self-respecting gays and start joining in the fight for our equality. Is it now time for us to return to the extreme tactic of outing our fellow gays that hate themselves so much that they become our enemy and our worst PR nightmare? (ex: George Michael) I vote "yes we should". Will the next Harvey Milk please stand up?

So to you celebrities out there, take note of the words in the song Superstar by Lupe Fiasco; "If you are what you say you are, a superstar then have no fear, the camera is here and the microphones and they wanna know oh oh oh oh. If you are what you say you are, a superstar Then have no fear, the crowd is here."

The crowd is us, thousands, probably millions worldwide who are waiting for a superstar to come out and stand up for us to feel pride to reach higher to stand up to the contradictions and weak religious justifications. Come out Ricky Martin, you sure aren't selling any records but you can be our superstar. For real, this time. Think of all the children's lives in Latin America that you would change by saying two words; "I'm gay". You would save hundreds from suicidal thoughts or actions. They would have a role model to believe it is possible to be out, proud, happy and successful in the latino world. You too Tyler Perry, you have your millions, your shiny new studios in Atlanta. Think of how many young African Americans would be rescued from a life on the DL by saying two words; "I'm gay". The African-American and Latino communities need their gay icons too.

Here are the closeted celebrities im writing about today (allegedly, so I don't get sued)
Ricky Martin (the most obvious closet of them all), Tom Cruise, Richard Gere, Anderson Cooper, George Clooney, Kevin Spacey, Zachary Quinto (Evil Sylar from Heroes and soon to be the next Spock), Calvin Klein, Giorgio Armani, Ryan Seacrest, Cristina Aguilera, Michelle Rodriguez, McCauley Culken, Hayden Christensen http://gaygoss.blogspot.com/2008/06/hayden-christensen-gay.html, Sean Hayes from Will & Grace (I know I can't believe he isn't out yet either), Latin heart throb Eduardo Verastegui, and yes, Barry Manilow (no surprise there).

Black Celeb's in the closet;
Missy Elliott, Queen Latifah http://www.theinsider.com/news/505561_Queen_Latifah_Coming_Out_Of_The_Closet_And_Getting_Engaged, Eddie Murphy,Will Smith, Alicia Keys, Toni Braxton, Prince, Tyler Perry

Some kinda black celebs still in the closet;
Vin Diesel, The Rock

Celeb who has "kinda" come out;
Jodie Foster- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-501256/Jodie-Foster-comes-emotional-tribute-girlfriend-14-years.html

Some dead ones:
James Dean, Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift, Rudolph Valentino, Ramon Novarro, Michelangelo, Walt Whitman, Abraham Lincoln, King William III of England, Alexander the Great

Some that don't need to come out, we just know they are and kind of wish they would go back in the closet:
Clay Aiken, Richard Simmons, George Michael

Wanda Sykes, who is known for her feisty and blunt style, said the passage of California's Proposition 8 made her feel like she was "attacked." This led to her publicly coming out.
"Now, I gotta get in their face," she said. "I'm proud to be a woman. I'm proud to be a black woman, and I'm proud to be gay."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/16/wanda-sykes-im-proud-to-b_n_144130.html

Drew Barrymore- our new ally, for the moment:
http://www.towleroad.com/2008/11/drew-barrymore.html

Actor James Franco kisses david letterman after Letterman hounded him about his on-screen kiss with Sean Penn in Milk:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nbR4JOwl4Y

George Clooney's wimpy, half-witted remark against the passage of prop 8:
http://socialitelife.celebuzz.com/archive/2008/11/12/george_clooney_on_the_civil_rights_of_gay_people.php
Kevin Spacey semi-outed with a male stripper:
http://www.towleroad.com/2008/11/kevin-spacey-sp.html

Sarcastic blog about Ricky Martin dodging Barbara Walters' outing attempt:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.bettybowers.com/graphics/martinbush.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.bettybowers.com/bashmartin.html&usg=__gGjAv1tB1AQpI2yQkLivx0CuIwU=&h=158&w=216&sz=29&hl=en&start=143&um=1&tbnid=j1yBpzPKHWkhWM:&tbnh=78&tbnw=107&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dricky%2Bmartin%2Bwith%2Bbush%26start%3D126%26ndsp%3D18%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

Blog about Will & Grace's Sean Hayes and his closeted position:
http://www.planetout.com/news/feature.html?sernum=266

One of Harvey Milk's most famous speeches:

Slideshow of hope highlighting our past and present victories/failures
http://www.newsweek.com/id/42363?tid=relatedcl

Article on "outing" politicians as discussed in movie Outrage:
http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/popvox/archive/2009/10/05/outrage-the-case-against-outing-gay-politicians.aspx?CommentPosted=true#commentmessage

Excellent book covering the history of outing in America:
http://books.google.com/books?id=-lZ903C-dkMC&pg=PA117&lpg=PA117&dq=outing+movement&source=bl&ots=ISTCKwoeiF&sig=c7RcznJJzqrc1RehBA3EwI5zPmw&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result#PPA117,M1

Art Miami-Art Basel baby!

2008-12-05T00:41:00.017-05:00

Plugged in to the "matrix" at work, reading my auto-emailed Daily Om (an inspirational thought for the day kind of email) I realized it was ironically about being in awe of beauty. It was ironic because I was just logging off to go meet friends at this year's Art Basel events in Miami.

It said: "Beauty speaks to us in soft whispers or bold declarations. She calls on us to gaze in awe at her splendor. We are enticed by beauty. We adore her, idolize her, and even court her. Beauty seduces all of our senses. We find beauty in the wonders of nature. Beauty offers us a symphony of colors with every sunrise and sunset and reveals to us her brash power through a storm at sea. Beauty can be cruel, and our pursuit of her can be in vain. We may go to the opera in anticipation of finding beauty there, and she may bore and disappoint us. Beauty will forever inspire works of art, and she will always pose for her portrait, selecting the artist who is most worthy of her catching her likeness." Daily Om http://www.dailyom.com/

As I walked through the halls of Art Miami, mouth open, heart and soul pumping, feeling alive I found myself surrounded by hundreds of amazing, larger than life art pieces, photography, sculpture, etc. I looked around and realized all these fine people are here in Miami from all over the world because like me, they are addicted to the high that art gives you, that they are in "awe of beauty". Just like the email, Art Basel is all about bringing beauty into our world, not by noticing mother nature's sunset but enjoying man's manipulated photograph of that same sunset, replicated, frozen in time for all to enjoy, snap more photos of and even maybe buy (if you can afford it). It was such a "wow" moment to realize I was surrounded by people that have come to be fed by the fantastical images that have come out of some genius moment an artist somewhere picked up from the universal vibrations floating around in other dimensions the rest of us cannot see. In a way the art we see are windows to other dimensions that on some level our spirit needs to see and it feeds that same spirit and calms it in making it aware and confirming again that this mundane life we lead is NOT all there is!

I bought my condo (pre-construction) at the Midtown project for that reason. To be in walking distance of the Design District when Art Basel comes. Each year never ceases to amaze and each time it evolves into a bigger animal, drawing thousands more. All for the sake of sipping the absinthe-high of manmade beauty made solely for beauty's sake. This year Midtown seems to have evolved into an extension of the Design District and hosts enough art to satisfy the most hard core art-addicts out there. There's even an indoor skate park (human art in action) where the Ocean Drive studio will be. The usually desolate streets are now teeming with people walking and talking, just like the developers dreamed it would. It has become a little SOHO down in the tropics, Miami-style baby. I like to call it "MoHo" like "Mojo", the Cuban all-spice with NY attitude mixed in for good measure.

Out of all the tents, the SCOPE miami is the edgiest with the most up and coming artists represented (I spoke to one of the gallery rep's that brought about it's birth). The Art Miami tent exposes more established talent and is just as wonderful. Oh and don't you dare miss the back of the SCOPE tent where the Friends With You genius' http://www.friendswithyou.com/ (Cubans homies representin') have created an adult wonderland with bounce house and a candy colored live DJ to match the walls. Another favorite discovery at Photo Miami was the work of young artist from Paris, Pascal Loubet- very sexy Desperate Living photo series of men inspired by the TV show Desperate Housewives. http://ewgalerie.com/about/Artists/Loubet/Loubet.html

My best advice is to talk to the Gallery reps in the day about the pieces you like. They are all so passionate about their artists that they invariably enrichen your experience by giving back stories of the pieces and how they came to be. **Bonus tip, if you like some pieces, snap a picture with your cell phone camera or digi-cam and enjoy the art any day of the year as your wallpaper or home screen image on your phones. I changed my Blackberry's home image to a naked picture of Naomi Campbell surrounded by bananas and apples- FOR FREE- how cool is that?

Another place you have to experience is the Aqua hotel on 1530 collins, South Beach. A boutique hotel with some amazing hand picked galleries in each of the rooms. If your lucky, you might get to catch the hairy bear guy with a black tanga (his balls were showing) hanging above the hot tub while a tub of honey was poured all over his face and back. It was refreshing and cute to see that. Don't you dare miss the anti-hero series of Stephen Hopwood-Lewis at the http://trustthepublic.com/ room (first one on the left)-Simply Amazing! The Chinese art in the last room on the 2nd floor-doubly Ammazing!

Now get your arse up from your computer, call in sick from work and go feed on the BEAUTY and feel why right here, right now, Miami is the best place in the world to be!