Chatroom Nostalgia

On August 1 of this year, the last remaining users of Gay.com received a message informing them the site had changed management and that the iconic online chatrooms would “disappear” and all their data would be erased. Forever.

“All the personal information you provided in your profile, including pictures and stories, will be permanently deleted,” the message explained. “Unfortunately, you will not able to retrieve any of your old information. … The dating website as you know it, will not be coming back.”

It was a sad day for gays of a certain age whose teens and 20s were defined by those chatrooms, back before Grindr was a thing, and many of them lamented over the fact that that chapter of their lives, albeit one they hadn’t visited in over a decade, would be closed forever. I remember well the days of AOL and Gay.com chatrooms. They were known for being able to find instant sex, though I can't remember ever actually using it for that, but I do remember getting propositioned. Somehow, I was always more successful with Yahoo Messenger. Anyway, good news, guys! The chatrooms have been restored.

“Chat is back!” the newly revamped Gay.com has just announced. “The new chat rooms are now available but we are in the process of testing them. All users who registered their accounts before Monday 26th of September, 2016 have been given sneak-peak access. If you haven’t already created an account, make sure to register now and reserve your username!”

And as for all of you who were sad to learn your previous usernames and profiles had been deleted forever, we’ve got good new for you, as well.

Gay.com says: “In order to help preserve your identity and any relationships that you may have built up in the previous version of Gay.com, we have taken steps to reserve usernames for their previous owners. Register your new account using the same Username and Email combination and the username will be released to you.”

Of course, the question now is: Now that the chatrooms have been restored, will people actually go back to using them? Or have apps like Grindr and Scruff made online chatrooms obsolete?

Snowflakes

I'm not talking about the precipitation either. I made a remark to a friend of mine that most of the men I've met in Vermont are flakes. His response was that they were snowflakes. Maybe one of these days, I'll find a guy who isn't a total snowflake, I have a prospect or two but for the rest, the verdict is still out.

Speaking of verdicts being out, Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore was tried yesterday by the Alabama Court of the Judiciary for ethics violations. You see Moore ordered probate judges to not issue same sex marriage licenses because he believed that Alabama law was more important than a Supreme Court decision. The verdict will be handed down within the next ten days.

Locker Rooms

Few locales inspire more public nudity, towel snapping, sideways glances and general homoeroticism (not to mention shameless selfies) than a men’s locker room. A recent study found that straight men frequently size each other up in the communal showers, and will often “slap their cocks around” to look bigger.

But it’s not just straight guys who get all hot and bothered in the locker room. Gay guys do, too. But for entirely different reasons.

The air in a men’s locker room is thick with androstadienone, a pheromone found in male sweat that’s been scientifically proven to elicit excitement in gay men. So if you ever find yourself sprouting a spontaneous erection the second you’re blasted by the familiar aroma of sweat, soap and testosterone upon stepping through the locker room door, that’s likely why.

Of course, in addition to all that androstadienone, there’s also the eye candy. 

A Dozen Observations

1. Lester Holt lost all control.

2. Why did Donald keep sniffling his nose like a coke addict?

3. Hillary wasn't as smooth with her answers as she should be but neither was Donald.

4. Donald looked like an ass.

5. Why did Donald think it's a good idea to argue with Lester?

6. How can Donald Trump talk about law and order when he can't even follow the rules of the debate?

7. Hillary blew him out of the water on the law and order issue.

8. Donald Trump did better the first 10-15 minutes, but he fell to her bait. She killed it through the debate.

9. Hillary got in a few good zingers. Donald did not.

10. She looked so much more presidential.

11. "She's Got Experience" should be the headline today. (It wouldn't be the first time the media used half a quote).

12. Hillary won that debate hands down.

And because politics can leave a bad taste in your mouth, let's have a look at Hillary's nephew, Tyler Clinton:

Resurrection

Resurrection

By Alison Hawthorne Deming

My friend a writer and scientist

has retreated to a monastery

where he has submitted himself

out of exhaustion to not knowing.

He’s been thinking about

the incarnation a.k.a. Big Bang

after hearing a monk’s teaching

that crucifixion was not the hard part

for Christ. Incarnation was.

How to squeeze all of that

all-of-that into a body. I woke

that Easter to think of the Yaqui

celebrations taking place in our city

the culminating ritual of the Gloria

when the disruptive spirits

with their clacking daggers and swords

are repelled from the sanctuary

by women and children

throwing cottonwood leaves and confetti

and then my mother rose

in me rose from the anguish

of her hospice bed a woman

who expected to direct all the action

complaining to her nurse

I’ve been here three days 

and I’m not dead yet—not ready

at one hundred and two to give up

control even to giving up control.

I helped with the morphine clicker.

Peace peace peace the stilling

at her throat the hazel eye

become a glassy marble. Yet here she is

an Easter irreverent still rising

to dress in loud pastels

and turn me loose

in Connecticut woods to hunt

my basket of marshmallow eggs

jelly beans and chocolate rabbit

there fakeries of nature made vestal

incarnated in their nest of shiny manufactured grass.

Picture Perfect Parts

Softly and Tenderly

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling, 

calling for you and for me; 

see, on the portals he's waiting and watching, 

watching for you and for me. 

Refrain: 

Come home, come home; 

ye who are weary come home; 

earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, 

calling, O sinner, come home! 

Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading, 

pleading for you and for me? 

Why should we linger and heed not his mercies, 

mercies for you and for me? 

(Refrain) 

Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing, 

passing from you and from me; 

shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming, 

coming for you and for me. 

(Refrain) 

O for the wonderful love he has promised, 

promised for you and for me! 

Though we have sinned, he has mercy and pardon, 

pardon for you and for me. 

(Refrain) 

The other day, a friend of this blog, Lesley, contacted me because she has started a Facebook group for LGBT members of the Churches of Christ (https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheLGBTChurchofChrist/).  She has also started a blog (http://churchofchristlesbian.blogspot.com), which I found to be quite wonderful. In one of her posts she tells about her background and that my blog helped her return to the church because she read my blog posts about the Churches of Christ. Here is what she said:

About that time I was also saying if I found it was okay to be a lesbian and in the Church I would go back and give it my all. I found that answer through some searching and reading. I then asked God if this is the path I was to walk and if so to show me a sign. That morning I went to a service and was given two. In the sermon the preacher said "Pagans run" and I have been my whole life. I was and am tired of running. Then he said, "Come home" and I knew right then that I needed to go back to the Church of Christ.

When I read about coming home, I could only think of the song above. It was composed and written by Will L. Thompson in 1880. Thompson was a member of the Churches of Christ, where several of his hymns and gospel songs continue in use. "Softly and Tenderly" is the most widely known of his compositions and has circulated far beyond its origins in the American Restoration Movement. It is among the most prolifically translated gospel songs and has spread appealingly into the repertoire of various fellowships of Christendom.

Softly and tenderly, Jesus was calling Lesley home. Welcome home ,Lesley. Check out Lesley's blog and feel free to join her Facebook group.

Moment of Zen: Selfies Like This

Monogamy

After all this talk of open relationships and polyamorous love, a new study has just found that younger gay couples are trending toward monogamy once again. At least, according to a new study.

The study, titled “Choices: Perspectives of Younger Gay Men on Monogamy, Non-monogamy and Marriage,” was conduced by researchers Blake Spears and Lanz Lowen. They surveyed over 800 single, monogamously-coupled, and non-monogamously coupled gay men ages 18-40 years about their relationships. A handful of “monogamish” men were also interviewed.

More at: https://www.queerty.com/monogamy-making-comeback-among-younger-gay-couples-study-finds-20160922

Bisexual Awareness Week

Even though roughly half of the LGBT community identifies as bisexual, they’re seldom represented in the media. Nevertheless, more and more millennials are beginning to view themselves as bisexual and sexually fluid. A recent YouGov study discovered that a third of 18-24 year olds in the U.S. and Israel put themselves along a continuum of sexuality, rather than at either end. In the UK, roughly 50% don’t view themselves as 100% gay or straight.

Even though there are a huge number of bisexuals, and the number of bisexual-identifying people is growing, they often feel invisible. They often feel alone.

This feeling of isolation contributes to a slew of mental health issues that highly correlate with bisexuality. Bisexuals have high rates of depression, suicidality, self-harm, smoking and alcohol abuse, and intimate-partner violence. Recent data from a Human Rights Campaign study revealed that bisexual youth are less likely than lesbian and gay youth to feel there’s a supportive adult they can talk to.

These feelings of isolation also keep bisexuals closeted because they don’t feel as if they have a bi community. They don’t think people will accept us. It's estimated that only 28% of bisexuals come out. Research from Dr. Eric Schrimshaw of Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health revealed that most bisexual men know their sexuality. Their reasons for not disclosing it don't arise from confusion, but rather they don’t come out because they fear rejection from their partners and ostracization from their families and communities.

Bisexuals face additional hardships that monosexuals (either gay or straight) don't experience. The only way to change this is through visibility. This is why this week—Bisexual Awareness Week—is so important. This is why bi-visibility matters. This is why it’s crucial that bisexuals come out as often and to as many people as we can. Not only will your decision to come out create more visibility for others, you will also start to meet other bi folks, and can become an integral member of the bisexual community. So please, come out and share you story. Let’s make it easier for the next, growing generation of bisexuals to be out, comfortable, and proud of who they are.

By the way, Celebrate Bisexuality Day is observed tomorrow on September 23 by members of the bisexual community and their supporters. This day is a call for the bisexual community, their friends and supporters to recognize and celebrate bisexuality, bisexual history, bisexual community and culture, and all the bisexual people in their lives. First observed in 1999, Celebrate Bisexuality Day is the brainchild of three United States bisexual rights activists: Wendy Curry of Maine, Michael Page of Florida, and Gigi Raven Wilbur of Texas.

Adapted from an Out Magazine article.

Those Kinky Romans

When we think of Ancient Rome, we immediately think of excess. The kind of excess that means balls to the wall, non-stop drinking and orgy-fueled ridiculousness, leading to their eventual fall from grace. And in this excess was a shameless, extravagant community of homosexuals. Though there was no Latin word for ‘gay’ per se, men were getting down with each other in Ancient Rome like it was their damn job, often in ways that, by today’s standards, are highly disturbing. Here are a few of the more bizarre activities and habits that the boys got up to in their spare time:

1. Bestiality Role Play

Emperor Nero, who reigned from 54 to 68 AD, was a frisky guy. And by frisky, we mean psychotic pervert. The infamous fire of Rome that took place during his reign is often thought to be intentionally sparked to make way for his Golden Pleasure Palace, paid for with the taxes of Roman citizens. One of the gayest activities that took place in said palace was what he called ‘The Animal Game’. It began by tying and binding naked men to various posts set up around the room. Nero would then don himself in animal skins and be put in a cage. When released from the cage, he would wildly begin to ravage each of his victims however he chose. Whatever you say of the man, you can’t deny that he was imaginative.

2. Freaky Gay Marriages

Considering the great lengths to which the modern world has fought for gay marriage, it seems odd that it would have been a perfectly legal practice in the ancient world. But the practice of gay marriage was a bit more fetishized and falsified than the union we know today. Everyone’s favorite emperor Nero was a frequenter of this practice, as was the emperor Elagabalus. These two would proudly display their male lover du jour in a full, official ceremony, complete with bridal veil and a dowry. Nero even bent genders, participating in two ceremonies where he ‘played bride’. But this is all fine compared to the men he castrated to be his true ‘bride’.  

3. Tiberius’ ‘Tiddlers’ also known as 'Minnows'

Swimming pools are a perfectly understandable breeding ground for the erotic. You’re having a good time, you’re half or completely naked, and usually with one or more persons feeling your carefree vibe. So who could blame Emperor Tiberius for being a prolific swimmer, especially when his empire had such decadent bathhouses and pools so readily available? However, Tiberius’ underwater excursions were accompanied by a league of helpers he referred to as his ‘tiddlers’. These tiddlers were young men (and often even younger boys) who were trained to swim beneath him and provide pleasure through light nibbling and coddling. In other words, actual humans were trained to act as sexual minnows in the emperor’s private pond. No word on how long these tiddlers had to hold their breath, but assume it was on the longer side.

4. Road-Side Sex Stops

Everybody has those urges that seem so desperate, they must be filled immediately – it’s a normal part of being a horny human. But for those in Ancient Rome with money and power to spare, these urges could be fed however they pleased. The most creative outlet was surely the road-side sex stops, set up along whichever street or riverbank the lucky member of aristocracy happened to pass through. These were quite literally tents that would be prepared ahead of the wealthy man’s journey where a male prostitute would lay in waiting to be ravaged before their lord would continue about his stroll. Think of it like a McDonald’s stop, but even more satisfying.

5. Learning by Pictures

Another innovation made handy by the randy Emperor Tiberius, entire rooms in his palaces were devoted to paintings depicting every sex act imaginable in vivid detail. These were not just for decor; Tiberius had these works created for learning purposes. He would reportedly bring in scores of his new male prostitutes to these chambers to learn the finite details of how to please an emperor; that way there could be no question about one’s duty in the bedroom. It was a practice rarely seen before in ancient times, yet oddly one that mirrors the way young gays today learn from their elders via pornography on screen. Guess Tiberius’ gross libido did some good. Many bathhouses had these depictions as well. Pompeii is known to have had many such depictions of sexual acts in their bathhouses.

From: https://dandydicks.com/blog-entry/a-brief-history-of-all-the-gay-shit-that-went-down-in-ancient-rome

Song of the Open Road, I

 

Song of the Open Road, I

By Walt Whitman

Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road,

Healthy, free, the world before me,

The long brown path before me leading wherever I choose.

 

Henceforth I ask not good-fortune, I myself am good-fortune,

Henceforth I whimper no more, postpone no more, need nothing,

Done with indoor complaints, libraries, querulous criticisms,

Strong and content I travel the open road.

 

The earth, that is sufficient,

I do not want the constellations any nearer,

I know they are very well where they are,

I know they suffice for those who belong to them.

 

(Still here I carry my old delicious burdens,

I carry them, men and women, I carry them with me wherever I go,

I swear it is impossible for me to get rid of them,

I am fill’d with them, and I will fill them in return.)

No Post Today

I fell asleep before I could write one.

Let Him In

There’s a Stranger at the door,

    Let Him in;

He has been there oft before,

    Let Him in;

Let Him in, ere He is gone,

Let Him in, the Holy One,

Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son,

    Let Him in.

Open now to Him your heart,

    Let Him in;

If you wait He will depart,

    Let Him in;

Let Him in, He is your Friend,

He your soul will sure defend,

He will keep you to the end,

    Let Him in.

Hear you now His loving voice?

    Let Him in;

Now, oh, now make Him your choice,

    Let Him in;

He is standing at your door,

Joy to you He will restore,

And His name you will adore,

    Let Him in.

Now admit the heav’nly Guest,

    Let Him in;

He will make for you a feast,

    Let Him in;

He will speak your sins forgiv’n.

And when earth ties all are riv’n,

Comfort, rest, you will be giv’n,

    Let Him in.

Moment of Zen: Tans

Something to Think About

Jesus never said a word about homosexuality. In all of his teachings about multiple things - He never said that gay people should be condemned. 

Jimmy Carter

Headache

For the first time in quite some time I had a headache last night bad enough that I didn't feel like blogging.

Southern Baptist Sissies

On Amazon Videos Monday night I watched Southern Baptist Sissies, a Del Shores film production of his acclaimed stage play about four young Southern men grappling with their sexuality. It explores the conflict between the caustic rhetoric of dogmatic religion and the fragile development of adolescent homosexuality while challenging hypocrisy, exposing damage and offering hope. The intimate experience of theatre on the film screen reveals the complicated emotions from all sides--the confused child, the struggling adolescent and the angry and damaged adult.

 

The powerful message of Del Shores’ Southern Baptist Sissies has unfortunately not diminished in importance since the play received its premiere in 2000. Having been produced extensively in regional theaters throughout the country, the work about the crises of faith suffered by four gay young Baptist men has now been given a cinematic treatment, albeit of a limited kind. Shore filmed a recent Los Angeles stage production, incorporating footage shot both in front of live audiences and without. The results are technically proficient even while displaying the inherent limits of filmed theater.

 

Set in Texas, the story follows four boys from childhood to their early twenties as they struggle with their sexuality in varying ways. Mark (Emerson Collins), who serves as narrator, questions the Baptist church that preaches love and forgiveness while decrying homosexuality; Benny (Willam Belli) fully embraces his gayness, growing up to become a flamboyant drag queen entertainer; TJ (Luke Stratte- McClure) desperately tries to deny who he is, eventually getting married to a woman; and Andrew (Matthew Scott Montgomery), the most troubled of the group, wrestles with the conflicting demands of his faith and his sexuality with ultimately tragic results.

 

Serving as a Greek chorus of sorts are the barflies Peanut (Leslie Jordan), an older gay man, and his best friend, the hard-drinking Odette (Dale Dickey), who humorously discuss their lives and comment on the proceedings during numerous sessions at a gay bar.

 

There are also many amusing moments, including a series of confessional monologues by the young men about their burgeoning sexuality. One, describing how he used to masturbate to pictures of the boy band ‘N Sync, comments, “I tried switching from Justin to Britney once, but I lost focus.” But the chief fun comes from the veteran scene stealers Jordan and Dickey, who beautifully blend humor and pathos in their many scenes together.

 

I laughed so much throughout most of the film. Also, the music is wonderful as they sing old standard hymns, to which I found myself singing along. It's an incredibly emotional film, and if you grew up in a southern church, you will see yourself in these boys. You might also even see your mama in their mamas. While I laughed through most of the film, I cried at the end. The most emotion comes at the end of the movie, but it won't be a surprise, you'll see what's coming a mile away. While the final scenes are predictable, the emotions are still there.

 

Song of Myself, XI

Song of Myself, XI

Walt Whitman, 1819 - 1892

Twenty-eight young men bathe by the shore,

Twenty-eight young men and all so friendly;

Twenty-eight years of womanly life and all so lonesome.

She owns the fine house by the rise of the bank,

She hides handsome and richly drest aft the blinds of the window.

Which of the young men does she like the best?

Ah the homeliest of them is beautiful to her.

Where are you off to, lady? for I see you,

You splash in the water there, yet stay stock still in your room.

Dancing and laughing along the beach came the twenty-ninth bather,

The rest did not see her, but she saw them and loved them.

The beards of the young men glisten’d with wet, it ran from their long hair,

Little streams pass’d over their bodies.

An unseen hand also pass’d over their bodies,

It descended trembling from their temples and ribs.

The young men float on their backs, their white bellies bulge to the sun, they do not ask who seizes fast to them,

They do not know who puffs and declines with the pendant and bending arch,

They do not think whom they souse with spray.

Vermont Pride

Yesterday, I went to Vermont Pride in Burlington. There wasn't much to it. The parade itself lasted about 20 minutes. There were a fair number of booths at the festival but not much to them either. "Northern Decadence," which was $5 to get into, was merely a few breweries and cideries giving tastes of their wares and then Ben & Jerry's was giving away ice cream. I had expected food to be part of it as well. I did get carded though to get in, but then these two much older ladies behind me got carded too, so I'm guessing they carded everyone to get in to Northern Decadence.

It was nice that a lot of the political candidates were in the parade, not something that anyone would dream of doing in Alabama. I had a good time overall, even if it seemed to be mostly lesbians and dogs at the parade and festival. There were a few cute guys, just a small percent of the people there. I think kids outnumbered the gay guys there.

The Rainbow

I posted this back in July but I wanted to post it again today because today is Vermont Pride.

Rainbow Christ Prayer: LGBT Flag Reveals The Queer Christ

By REV. KITTREDGE CHERRY

Colors of the rainbow flag reveal the many faces of the queer Christ in the following Rainbow Christ Prayer I wrote with gay theologian Patrick S. Cheng. 

Rainbow flags were flying around the world in June for LGBT Pride Month. Rainbows are also an important symbol in many religious traditions. The Rainbow Christ Prayer honors the spiritual values of the LGBT movement. 

The prayer matches the colors of the rainbow flag with the seven models of the queer Christ from Patrick’s book From Sin to Amazing Grace: Discovering the Queer Christ.

Let us pray... 

Rainbow Christ, you embody all the colors of the world. Rainbows serve as bridges between different realms: heaven and earth, east and west, queer and non-queer. Inspire us to remember the values expressed in the rainbow flag of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community.

Red is for life, the root of spirit. Living and Self-Loving Christ, you are our Root. Free us from shame and grant us the grace of healthy pride so we can follow our own inner light. With the red stripe in the rainbow, we give thanks that God created us just the way we are.

Orange is for sexuality, the fire of spirit. Erotic Christ, you are our Fire, the Word made flesh. Free us from exploitation and grant us the grace of mutual relationships. With the orange stripe in the rainbow, kindle a fire of passion in us.

Yellow is for self-esteem, the core of spirit. Out Christ, you are our Core. Free us from closets of secrecy and give us the guts and grace to come out. With the yellow stripe in the rainbow, build our confidence.

Green is for love, the heart of spirit. Transgressive Outlaw Christ, you are our Heart, breaking rules out of love. In a world obsessed with purity, you touch the sick and eat with outcasts. Free us from conformity and grant us the grace of deviance. With the green stripe in the rainbow, fill our hearts with untamed compassion for all beings.

Blue is for self-expression, the voice of spirit. Liberator Christ, you are our Voice, speaking out against all forms of oppression. Free us from apathy and grant us the grace of activism. With the blue stripe in the rainbow, motivate us to call for justice.

Violet is for vision, the wisdom of spirit. Interconnected Christ, you are our Wisdom, creating and sustaining the universe. Free us from isolation and grant us the grace of interdependence. With the violet stripe in the rainbow, connect us with others and with the whole creation.

Rainbow colors come together to make one light, the crown of universal consciousness. Hybrid and All-Encompassing Christ, you are our Crown, both human and divine. Free us from rigid categories and grant us the grace of interwoven identities. With the rainbow, lead us beyond black-and-white thinking to experience the whole spectrum of life.

Rainbow Christ, you light up the world. You make rainbows as a promise to support all life on earth. In the rainbow space, we can see all the hidden connections between sexualities, genders and races. Like the rainbow, may we embody all the colors of the world! Amen.

I got the idea for the Rainbow Christ Prayer as I reflected on Patrick Cheng's models of the queer Christ. Patrick and I each spent years developing the ideas expressed in the Rainbow Christ Prayer. It incorporates rainbow symbolism from queer culture, from Christian tradition and from the Buddhist/Hindu concept of chakras, the seven colored energy centers of the human body. The prayer is ideal for use when lighting candles in a rainbow candle holder.

The Rainbow Christ Prayer has been welcomed and used by many progressive Christian communities, but denounced as blasphemy by conservatives at Americans for Truth About Homosexuality.

I first wrote about linking the colors of the rainbow flag to queer spirituality in my 2009 reflection on Bridge of Light, a winter holiday honoring LGBT culture. Meanwhile Patrick was working on his models of the queer Christ based on LGBT experience. In 2010 he presented five models of the queer Christ in his essay Rethinking Sin and Grace for LGBT People at the Jesus in Love Blog.

In a moment of inspiration I realized Patrick’s various queer Christ models matched the colors of the rainbow flag. 

Patrick and I joined forces and the Rainbow Christ Prayer was born. With wonderful synchronicity, Patrick had already added two more queer Christ models, so he now had seven models to match the seven principles from Bridge of Light. He wrote a detailed explanation of all seven models in his book From Sin to Amazing Grace published in spring 2012 by Seabury Books.

Gay spirituality author Joe Perez also helped lay the groundwork for this prayer in 2004 when he founded the interfaith and omni-denominational winter ritual known as Bridge of Light. People celebrate Bridge of Light by lighting candles, one for every color of the rainbow flag. Each color corresponds to a universal spiritual principle that is expressed in LGBT history and culture. I worked with Joe to revise the Bridge of Light guidelines based on my on own meditations on the chakras and their connections to the colors of the rainbow flag.

The symbolism of the rainbow resonates far beyond the LGBT flag. 

In the Judeo-Christian tradition, the rainbow stands for God’s promise to support all life on earth. It plays an important role in the story of Noah’s Ark. After the flood, God places a rainbow in the sky, saying, "Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." (Genesis 9:15-16).

Lastly, in the Book of Revelation, a rainbow encircles the throne of Christ in Heaven.

Originally published on Jesus In Love; Image via Andrew Craig Williams

Moment of Zen: Tighty-Whities

Taco Thief

I made chicken soft tacos for dinner, and I left part of one on my plate. My bad little cat ate it before I could, lettuce and all. She's a little piggy (and a thief) when it comes to food. By the way, I'd already fed her for the night. She seems to like my cooking.

A Friend's Birthday

He would have been a year older today. My daddy always jokes that, "A year older is better than the alternative." Today, that is no laughing matter. I'd give anything to have my friend back. He was like a brother to me, and I could tell him anything. He may have been younger than me, but he was wise beyond his years. I could always turn to him for advice. I have felt so much sadness for the loss of a friend. I have felt lost without him. He would have been one year older today, but instead he is in Paradise, and while we may mourn, he can look down on us and smile.

Last year at this time I was struggling financially without a job and not knowing when the money would run out. I couldn't afford to buy him a birthday gift. I could only get him a card. Even though he was just as happy with only a card, I'd told him I'd make it up to him at Christmas. Of course, I never had that opportunity.

He was always so kind and giving to me that I hated that I couldn't do so in return.

I'm just glad that I had him as a friend and could give him the kind of love he deserved.

The Peace That So Lovingly Descends

The Peace That So Lovingly Descends

Noelle Kocot

 “You” have transformed into “my loss.”

The nettles in your vanished hair

Restore the absolute truth

Of warring animals without a haven.

I know, I’m as pathetic as a railroad

Without tracks.  In June, I eat

The lonesome berries from the branches.

What can I say, except the forecast

Never changes.  I sleep without you,

And the letters that you sent

Are now faded into failed lessons

Of an animal that’s found a home.  This.

Happy Labor Day!

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. - Matthew 11:28

Today should be fun. My little town has a major Labor Day Parade. The entire corps of cadets will be marching in the parade. It should be quite a site. All those handsome young men in uniform.

Moment of Zen: Football

Nothing But...

...a pretty picture today.

Opening Night

The opening reception was a great success. Everyone raved about the exhibit. I think it's one of the best we've ever done, it is certainly the best since I've been here. So I thought I'd continue with another little lesson about sex in World War II.

During World War II social bias on the increase authority of psychiatric and scientific logic, the military chose to exclude homosexuals from the military because it was considered a mental illness, and it was believed that they would hurt the productivity of the armed forces. The military used an unreliable screening process through military psychiatrists in determining if an individual was homosexual or not. Some psychiatrists did not enforce their screening, which let homosexuals into the military. Also, homosexuals simply lied to psychiatrists about their sexual orientation and were able to get into the armed forces. Anti-homosexual policies because homosexuals were very much part of the military. Homosexuality was a crime according to the military and punishable by prison. But because military prisons already held more than capacity, a new discharge system was used instead essentially kicking out homosexuals from the armed service. Using mental illness again as an excuse, the military was able to justify discharging homosexual GIs from the military.