Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Why is it?



That every time I have to go to the post office, drivers license office, or any municipal building to get something done everyone in line looks like they just either escaped from prison or are on their way there for family visitation day?

Don’t clean cut, employed, law abiding citizens need drivers licenses and postage stamps anymore?

Just curious

Carry on....

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

The future is now

Im 100% addicted to Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog thanks to Translucence.

Love the humor, production value and Neil Patrick Harris' singing voice. Web only content like this will convert millions of tv zombies for sure. You heard it here folks.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Mamma Misery

The most spot on review of the new Mamma Mia movie I've seen...

"...A dinky, dreary lump that is too lazy to offend the intellect and too uninspired to cause even a cackle of audience derision. .."


Enough Said.. Save your $$. If you loved the stage show dont go see this. You'll leave second guessing your own taste as the movie successfully murders the original show's entertainment value. You can't help but wonder how you ever enjoyed the original in the first place.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Euro Class

4 L and R crosscheck, eurostyle.


Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Ipod Shuffle

Telling on Trixie: Orions Light

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Summer Faves Vol I

A few favorite summer items for your consideration.

Glade WISP Flameless Candle: Every time I come home and open the door I smell this thing and it makes me feel like I’m checking into an exclusive seaside spa in the Maldives. This easily replaces the Method: Cut Grass Air Freshener I used to stock up on at Target by far!. The best part, it has a battery operated flickering candle incorporated into it and it looks really nice at night next to the bed. I have two in my house and they fill up the entire place with heavenly scent all day long, one small automated puff at a time.
Available at Target

Le Couvent des Minimes Verbena & Lemon Invigorating body splash: An exact replica of the delicious smelling cologne we smuggled out of the first class bathroom on Alitalia on our trip to Milan a few years back. We fought over the 2 bottles we had , dousing all over us like it was crack water. Smells like a freshly pealed lemon zest; not too strong but just enough to make you feel fresh and squeaky. The scent is unisex and compliments summer seersucker beautifully (for my East Coast preppies..holla!)
Available at Neimans

Blue Bell Banana Pudding Ice Cream: Does this really require any futher description? Slap your momma good!

Hand Held Bug Zapper: I mean really, how cool i this? Just swat the bugs and enjoy that electric chair sound all night. Before too long they'll have told all their friends whats goign on at your place and will just leave you alone alltogether. Perfect for the porch on a lazy summer twilight. Nevermind the fact that you look like a neurotic fool doing it, your skin will thank you; And so will your doubles partner.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Disclosure Disagreement

A recent decision in the Canadian courts punished a gay man for purposely not disclosing his HIV status to multiple sexual partners. Thankfully, to date, none of his partners have contracted the virus, but that does not lessen the blatant disregard this man had for these peoples lives. He certainly deserves the jail time he’s received.

HIV is still a very deadly and life altering condition. Very few (if any) people who have it live an uninterrupted life and go on to die of natural causes. The disease takes hold of their bodies at some point and facilitates a multitude of health conditions that often lead to the end. This can take 1 month to 30+ years; you don’t know how or when it will affect you until it does. The medications available today only help manage the disease, they don’t cure it.

I am consistently shocked at how normalized and often ignored HIV status has become in the gay community. It’s as if the pendulum has swung too far. From the days when those infected with the disease demanded to be treated (and rightfully so) like normal citizens to now, where those same people practically ignore their condition and blatantly facilitate the spread of the disease by not being honest (or safe) with their sex partners.

HIV positive individuals have various approaches to dealing with the disclosure of their condition. Many are upfront and honest in their everyday lives about it. Friends, family and even professional acquaintances know about their condition and as a result its somewhat normalized. Others still see it as a scarlet letter and choose not to tell people about it and live under a shroud of secrecy.

A major shift in responsibility has occurred among HIV infected individuals in the last 10 years. Many believe it is ok not to disclose their status if their sex partner doesn’t inquire about it or if they willingly engage in unprotected sex. They have rationalized their irresponsibility to themselves and are perfectly willing to move forward in life consistently putting people’s health at risk. I believe many of them are hurt and angered by their own condition and see no reason to extend a courtesy they themselves were not offered.

To understand this you need to go deep into the psyche of gay population. It goes way beyond knowing the difference between right and wrong. Its about the lives we’ve been forced to lead as “outsiders”, our often uncontrollable selfish human nature and the lack of any binding social/moral/legal/familial contracts to regulate our existences. As a result of all these things, we have become an immature, viscous crowd that is often completely irreverent and oblivious to the common issues and experiences we all share. We spend inordinate amounts of time clawing our way to top of our food chain, securing “pole position” within our desired section of the community and willing to stop at practically nothing to achieve our own personal utopias. This often means destroying our peers along the way by disregarding their basic rights as human beings and rationalizing it all to ourselves in ways that would baffle even the smartest Psychiatrists’ and PhD’s. It’s complicated.

It’s all of these things that allow HIV infected gays to disregard the health and safety of others within their own community. Bottom Line: Engaging in sexual relations without disclosing your status upfront is wrong no matter how you look at it. Yes, everyone has a responsibility to protect themselves but those already infected with this virus are called upon to go above and beyond the normal call-of-duty to help make sure this virus doesn’t continue to spread and help fuel further discrimination and hate towards our community. We have plenty of that already.

Monday, July 07, 2008

Maldivian Moment

My sunkissed weekend in Puerta Vallarta got me thinking about the Maldives again.

Christmas holiday... Anyone? Im gonna do it. Dare me.

Sunday, July 06, 2008

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

A Steel Town Girl on A Saturday Night

I've been re-watching some 80's movies recently and felt obligated to include Flashdance. I love it. A "steel-town girl" (Jennifer Beals) welds rivets with the boys during the day and dances for them at night. She has big dreams of joining a prestigious ballet school but things aren't so simple for a blue collar girl from the wrong side of the tracks. Then she F**Ks her influential boss...everything changes...

The closing scene is and will always remain one of the best 80's movie moments ever. Some girl with a bad wig, dressed up like Jennfer Beals dances her ass off unconventionally in a stuffy ballet school audition. Proving that when the underdog wins in the end the movie will stand the test of time especially when it's choreographed to a catchy soundtrack that everyone loves.

So 80's...So...Fab.