I Let Them Win

This is a Kylie Minogue video from a few years ago. It is the gayest video I have ever watched and it is fabulous.

Why am I posting this?

Fuck You

I stopped blogging because the only comments I received were from Tea Baggers, Closet Cases and people who hate Bernie O'Hare Jr and all are cowards because not one ever used his/her real name - my favorite is "Earl Grey"  I mean really.  It's not even a good drag queen name.

Anyway!

I am back and just as effete, just as snobby, just as pretentious and just as sure that I am right about everything!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHGaW8lBlSk

And, if this video link did not work - Blame Ivanka.  (The great enabler)

dcf

I feel bad for Sanders/Trump supporters (sort of)

The Sanders/Trump supporters are true true believers in their candidate.

The best I can say about them is that they are naive.

But, they are ignorant, uniformed and have no idea about how the real America works.

They believe that their man is going to change this country.  They believe that if Bernie or Donald is going to do what they say they are going to do.  They think that if you are elected President will be able to rule this country and accomplish everything you promise the voters.

Do the Bernie/Trump supporters (who look a lot alike) really believe:

• There will be free college education
• A wall will be built along the border with Mexico and the Mexican government will pay for it
• Health care will morph into a Universal plan 
• We will force manufacturing to return from Asia 
• Rich people will willingly pay for everything Sanders is proposing
• We will get tired of Donald Trump leading us to winning

You get my point.

Do the Trump and Sanders supporters really believe that if their guy wins the election that he will be able to accomplish everything he promised? I think they do.  

Note:  The true believing Obama 2008 supporters believed that he would change the world, they believed that he would just say "I want this" and it would be done.  They will deny this but they really wanted to elect a dictator not a President.  And, like Rosario Dawson they turned on him within 60 days.

Politics, government and life is not a perfect experience and we should not expect our candidates to be perfect nor can we expect them to be able to deliver on everything they promise.  Life is about compromise as is politics.  Campaigns are supposed to be about hopes - I have come to understand that it is also about the possible. 

If either Trump or Sanders is elected President there are going to be millions of disappointed people in this country.  They want a dictator and what they are going to get is a President who has to deal with a Congress and a Judicial system that are equally important.

I just wish they would grow up or at least live in the real United States of America.

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This may have been a little harsh and I think we need true believers - we need people who dream of a better country.

This & That

• We visited the The Morris Museum specifically to the Guiness collection of mechanical musical instruments and automata but loved the entire museum.  It is about an hour from the Lehigh Valley. If you can find the Short Hills uber mall you can find this little gem of a community museum.

• A Vancouver restaurant serves the ultimate Bloody!

• The luminous & brilliant Mika Brzezinki has had it with all the mindless speculation  about the missing Malaysian airplane.

• This year's weather chaos continues this time in Washington State  mudslides have closed major highways and the death toll continues to grow.

• The President of the United States brings the G7 leaders together to coordinate a western response to a Putin Gone Wild.

• The same people (Congress) who authorized all this domestic spying are now bitching about it  because it impacts them. 

• The city of Longview, Texas is paying Ted Nugent to not bring his vile self to their annual Independence Day Festival wang dang sweet poontang

Just a few of the things that captured my Adderall hazed brain

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About Me: 30 Years

Just after a pretty sad Christmas I decided to make a change. 

I needed leave... I was going to finish college and then move to DC and never look back except for holidays.

I gave my employers 7 months notice and I turned down the Mondale campaign which offered me a job to go to New Hampshire to organize for them.  

I was sticking to my plans - work for 7 months and save so I could take out smaller loans and pay off credit cards.  I was going to get my BA/BS and move away.

During a dinner break I was walking through the mall with the reasons for my sad Christmas - We were trying to stay friends and as we walked past the quirky card and gift shop I noticed someone. I said I am going in and look around and I would catch up with them (yes, not only did one break my heart with the other but we were once pals and we all worked together) in a few minutes.

He was fine, built like a G-d and a butt (in leather pants).  I never had a "Type" I had dated (slept with) pretty much every type of guy but I had yet to check a black guy off my must do list.  

So I went in and was determined to find out right away if he was playing for my team.  I asked about a brand of greeting cards that if he knew about them would let me know.  He knew.  I walked around a bit trying to give him a good look at my assets. I think I bought some birthday cards and moved on.  Caught up to the heart breakers.  On the way back to work I looked in to the card shop and he saw me and smiled.

Now what do I do?

Two day later I went to the local gay dance club as I often did on a Thursday night and after walking around for awhile I saw him...and it looked like he was with somebody or was he - it was hard to tell.  He saw me and smiled so I walked over to him and asked him if he was with that guy and he said no.

So I asked him to dance and we did for quite awhile.  I asked again if he and his little pal were together because they were clearly intimate but he assured me that they were not together anymore.

I stood there - looked at him - looked at the guy - looked back at him and said "Good cuz you are taking me home with you tonight".  

I am a firm believer in having sex as soon as possible.  Why continue a relationship if you do not click in bed or on the couch or on the kitchen floor or in the back of the car or well you get it.  

If the sex is bad then why bother .

He asked me out on a date.  Then the next day he called to postpone the date.  

Of course he would.  

He really was still with that guy.  

But, his voice his voice was golden. 

 He said he did not feel well so instead of going to dinner and movie on Friday could we go on Saturday.

I met him at his apartment and we went out to dinner and saw a showing of Vertigo.  At the end of the movie he asked if I wanted to go dancing.  So we did.  As we walked around the place all of the sudden I grabbed his hand and we walked around holding hands. And, except when we were dancing we held hands all night.

He drove back to his place and he did not even ask if I was coming in it was just assumed I would.  

I did.

And,  I never left.

That Saturday night was 2/11/84 - These 30 years have really just flown by - sometimes it feels like just a few years ago.

It took a little bit of time (though not a lot)  before one of us said "I love you."  I said it first but telling that story will have to come with a NSFW warning

I did go back to school and got my degree- he came and rescued me every other weekend.

But, instead of going to DC - I came home to be with him. 

Eminem, Rihanna and Me

I am not sure who figured out that Rihanna and Eminem  are hit music gold?


I am glad he or she did.

The divine Rihanna is in great form here and she summarizes his struggles very nicely with her vocal hook.


Eminem has always been different than other rappers.... it is not all about his dick.

Granted, sometimes it is about killing his ex wife.

I am not condoning that nor his use of faggot so please do not go there with me.

This single is about his emotional struggles and about him sometimes questioning his sanity.

And, you can dance to it.

...............

I have reached a "pax monstera" with the monsters under my bed and I have embraced the voices in my head.....I just wish they would not try to speak all at once.

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Coming Out - Still not easy

In this youtube video a young man comes out to his mother and he was very awkward and very nervous , in fact his mother did most of the talking.

When a friend of my father was struggling with his own son's coming out my dad said to him "Either you love your son or you don't - I know you do and you know you do - so get over it - bottom line still your son - nothing has changed"

I have blogged that story and my own coming out story awhile ago and I am certainly not going to bore you with that old chestnut. Not every coming out is as easy as mine was almost 35 years ago and I have allowed myself to believe that because times have changed coming out has gotten easier.

This video proves me wrong.  It is still not an easy conversation to have with your parents.  Young people are still afraid of rejection, still afraid of losing his/her parents love and still worried that what they feel so deeply in their souls that something may not be right or normal about them.  This young man's mom was nearly perfect and he is indeed a very lucky guy.

If you know of any young people, or older people who are struggling with coming out to themselves and then their family and if they come to you just listen to them and if you are supportive show it, tell them you are their friend, let them know they can come to you at any time.  Offer them a safe place in case things do not go well.

And, if you can't be supportive, for whatever reason please reach down and find some humanity and cause them no harm or bring anymore grief or pain to them.

Below are three places where people can go for help and advice.

It gets better

The Trevor Project

United Church of Christ - LGBT


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Some Predictions

Predictions for 2014

*The GOP will maintain control of the US House though their numbers will be smaller.
           
*My Congressman Charlie Dent will win re-election if he has an opponent.
      He made quite an name for himself during the Republican led government shut down.  You may           remember he was one of the few Republicans to speak out against it. Of course, he supported every vote that led to it but once it actually occurred he opposed it.  I had hoped that he would take that fame and become a leader but it appears he has settled once again into back bench status.  But, he is such a nice guy.

*The Democrats will maintain control of the US Senate at about the same level they have now.
     
*Kentucky senior Senator and Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell will lose.
       He will survive the right wing attack during the primary but he will be bruised and bloodied.  His Democratic opponent has run and won state wide, she is from a respected political family and she is raising big bucks.  He is going to throw everything at her but he is trailing in the polls and for someone with his power trailing in polls even early polls is not a good sign (for him).

*People will bitch and moan about Artsquest, Musikfest and Jeff Parks.

*Sarah Palin will continue to make pronouncements that have no substance and show no clear understanding of the issues.

*Oprah Winfrey will try to keep in the headlines by pretending to be a victim of some perceived slight.

*Northampton County will implode under the pressure of Tea Bagger madness.  The County Council will get bogged down in such important issues as Sharia Law, Alien Invasions from Planet Claire, Border Security and getting the United States out from under the burdens of UN Regulations.

*The Governors of Florida, Maine and Pennsylvania will lose their re-election bids. Even the ever loyal Republicans can only put up with so much embarrassing incompetence.

*Donald Trump will continue to make a fool of himself on Twitter.

*A prominent and popular professional male athlete will come out as gay thus opening up the floodgates with more famous people announcing their true selves to the public.  The love that once dared not speak it's name will become the love that will not shut up.  And, that is a good thing.

*The sounds of Cher singing "If I could turn back time" will be heard almost daily in Bethlehem City Hall. Thus requiring City council to step up and become the incubator of new ideas, economic development and sensible growth.

*A convention of the Snob Voter Party will be held at the Bethlehem Brew Works, it's Elite Central Committee will caucus at Tapas on Main and it's homo influenced think tank will salon at The Hotel Bethlehem Tap Room.

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Christmas in Bethlehem!

Christmas Time in my fair city!



Photo by Discover Lehigh Valley

Explaining The War on Christmas to Idiots

A rant and I apologize in advance for the harsh language but....

Every year we put up with the Fox news and Conservative lie. The War on Christmas!

NO ONE IS STOPPING ANYONE FROM SAYING MERRY CHRISTMAS!

IF YOU WANT TO SAY MERRY CHRISTMAS

JUST FUCKING SAY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Oh and grow the fuck up and concern yourself with something important.

And, does Sarah Palin's poorly written book count as part of the war on Christmas since she is using Christmas to personally prosper - which does not seem like something Mary and Joseph would do.

So let me repeat myself

If you are so inclined say
Merry Christmas!

Last time I looked this was this The United States and we have freedom of speech and some of us prefer to say
Happy Holidays!
and you are un-American and do not believe in the freedom of speech if you criticize your fellow citizens who choose to say this instead.

In summation
THERE IS NO WAR ON CHRISTMAS - NO ONE DECLARED A WAR ON CHRISTMAS - IT HAS NEVER EXISTED AND IT DOES NOT EXIST NOW AND IT WILL NEVER EVER EVER FUCKING EXIST.

And, anyone who claims there is a WAR ON CHRISTMAS is an intellectual peer to Paris Hilton and moral peer to Liz Cheney!

Thank you

It Made Me Think About.....Me

Every month the Nazareth - Bath Chamber of Commerce hosts a networking lunch specifically designed to empower women but men are more than welcome.  I attend from time to time.  My company reserves two seats at the lunch each month and sometimes I am fortunate enough to attend.

Today's speaker was Michael Owen of the Heyman Talent Agency he discussed the importance of first impressions, self branding and how to present yourself.  It was pretty interesting and gave attendees something to think about the next time we have 30 seconds to sell ourselves and or our product / service.

He ended with this amazingly poignant ad from Dove.

The ad asks women to describe themselves to a sketch artist and then it asks other women to describe the women to the same sketch artist.  The differences are stunning.  The women's self image were often very negative and the when they saw the sketch of  the way others described them they were often surprised to see how beautiful others saw them.  The room got very quiet.

A poor self image is not limited to women.

When I worked for a different company we were given pretty extensive self evaluations to write at the same time our supervisors were writing their evaluations of us.  They were not allowed to read our self evaluations until we were officially given our evals, a follow up session was always scheduled to discuss the differences. For me these sessions always ended being a catharsis and encouraged me to believe in myself a little more.  I was grateful that my raises and promotions were based on my bosses evaluations and not my own.

When I could afford a shrink (a platinum HC plan helps) we discovered pretty quickly that a lot of my humor was directed at myself and we set about figuring out why but we didn't dwell on the negative we worked on fighting that impulse.  I have come a long way but I still have to fight to urge to make myself the punch line of all my stories or my Bitstrips. (I miss my shrink)

One of the things people notice once they get to know me is the ego and cockiness is pretty much a cover for a steaming cauldron of doubt and insecurities.  I never expected to still be a work in progress at this advanced age but here I am.


But, at least I am still working at it.

Not continuing the fight is not an option.

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for those of you out there ready, willing and able to assist in that fight.

Shalom

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U.S. House of...........

The cover page headlines of the New York tabloids are usually pretty clever.

Today The New York Daily News takes it up a notch and sums up John Boehner and his Republican controlled House of Representatives quite accurately!

Easton

I am not sure the exact year or the exact bar but sometime in the mid 80’s I was having a few beers at a bar on the South Side of Bethlehem with a neighbor and there were a few hearty Lehigh Students braving an evening in this bar dominated by townies. Being the sociable type I engaged the students in some conversation and banter. One of the students asked where I grew up and I said Easton. “Whoa, that’s a pretty rough place, how tough was it growing up there?” I asked the guy where he grew up and he responded “The Bronx”.

This child grew up in The Bronx, New York City and he was impressed and intimidated by my youth spent in Easton, Pa. What a strange world and what a horrid reputation the City that made me the man I am today had. Such a shame.

I have lived in Bethlehem for the last 28 years and I could not be more proud of my fair city. Bethlehem is a city that keeps moving forward while still respecting all the history brought us to this point. But, a large chunk of my heart will always belong to Easton and one of the joys of my life is watching the re-birth of this really great little city. I may have moved out of Easton but Easton will never leave me. I still get my shirts custom made to account for the Easton chip on my shoulder.

The leaders of Easton have tried everything and followed every urban trend. They destroyed entire neighborhoods in the name of urban renewal. A concept I never quite understood. You have to tear down a community in order to renew it. It makes no sense and thankfully it is now a discredited policy.

They built projects to provide low income housing. It turned out they became dumping grounds for the disenfranchised. Putting all the poverty into one section of town does not really build a community it just separates us.

They sold homes in depressed areas for $1 but forgot to require the new owners live in the homes. Absentee landlords are not as engaged in the well being of a community as are resident home owners. Easton now uses an imaginative program where the city takes over blighted homes and refurbishes them. The city will then sell the homes for the cost of the rehabilitation, the new owners are not only required to live in the home they are required to keep it a single home.

Little Easton, is only 4.5 square miles in size but it is Dallas size in chutzpah and the will to succeed; it never gives up.

When US News & World Report called it a “Seedy Little Industrial Town” it embraced its blue collar down home World Champion Larry Holmes. When its beautiful downtown was full of empty store fronts it embraced the Main Street program, which has been recognized as the finest Main Street program in the Commonwealth. When its population was declining it embraced its diversity, it welcomed the New Yorkers, the gays and the artists.

Easton is on the verge of becoming a college town, Lafayette College is an active stakeholder in the future of Easton. While Lehigh University takes baby steps into the community but seems hesitant about it, Muhlenberg continues to shutter itself away and Moravian stays in the warm embrace of history. The City of Easton called on the Lafayette to become the Leopards of Easton not just the Lafayette Leopards in Easton and in the process the college on the hill has become the hometown school. My Dad and I attend most home football and basketball games and there are often more townies in attendance than students or staff. When I was a teenager and perfecting the fine art of sneaking into Lafayette games this was not the case.

It appears that every few years there is a 100 year flood. So what does Easton do? Host flood watching parties during the flood and then digs in and cleans up.

My old friend Sal Panto is clearly the right Mayor for these times; he is serious and focused on setting Easton up for its future. He is also one hell of cheerleader. You should see him at the basketball games; you would never know he is a Lehigh Alumnus. Easton also has a significant booster in its State Rep. Bob Freeman or as Mayor Panto “Easton’s ATM Machine”. Bob’s seniority and influence is a significant asset in ensuring the city receives it fair share of program funding.

Easton has always been the little city that could and today, Easton is the little city that can.

View From The Third Floor Update

For thoughts from a different part of my brain.

Thanks for supporting both sides.

http://blog.lehighvalleylive.com/view_from_the_third_floor/index.html