On Taylor, Swastikas and Letting You Choose Katy Perry as the Next Hitler

I’m a wee bit torn on this one.

Below is a picture of Taylor Swift (lover her!) with some random guy at Katy Perry’s (hate her!) birthday party. As you can clearly see, the random guy next to Taylor has a big ol’ swastika painted on his chest.

Nazi alert!

There’s some mild fury on the internet over this picture. Some people are concerned that innocent little Taylor Swift is now going to try and exterminate the Jews or some other such nonsense. I, for one, don’t think Taylor Swift is the next Hitler. I also don’t think the random guy next to her is the next Hitler. Katy Perry may very well be the next Hitler, but that’s a post for another day.

Taylor’s people have explained that Taylor took hundreds of pictures with hundreds of people at this particular party. She did not know all of these people. She was just being an innocent little celebrity posing with her fans. You can’t fault a girl for that, can you?

But can you fault her for not noticing the huge swastika on the random guy’s chest? Had I seen that coming toward me, I would have certainly run screaming from any cameras in the room. No one wants to be seen in a picture with some random guy with a swastika on his chest. Talk about a party foul.

Some really educated people will rationalize this whole thing and claim that the random guy is Hindu or Buddhist and that the swastika is an ancient religious symbol that has only recently been used to represent the plot to kill every single Jewish person on the planet. While true, I don’t buy it for one second. That random guy is no Hindu. Just look at those glasses!

I’m curious, however. What do you think?

As for me, I’m willing to give Taylor the benefit of the doubt. She’s way to earnest and sweet and blond and cute to ever knowingly get involved with a Nazi. She was just being a good little celebrity. How is she supposed to control what her fans are wearing (especially when Katy Perry clearly sends them over to sabotage our poor Taylor)?

Until we have all the facts, however, I’d just be cautious about condemning Taylor if you happen to be Jewish.

On Darkness, Sanity and Not Knowing if He Can do It Alone

Our hero finds himself at the bottom of a dark pit. There is no apparent route of escape. All around him vipers slither and hiss. They threaten not only his physical self, but also his very sanity.

He turns to his right and is instantly comforted by the sight of her. She is his rock. She is trapped along side him and together they will fight off the vipers and find a way to escape. They will not let the darkness get the best of them. They will win.

It’s a game of wits. It’s a game of strength and endurance. Can they hold off the madness of their surrounding before it is too late?

A rope falls from above. A savior has arrived, someone who knows all too well the perils of the void. He calls down to her. She can join him in the light. She will be safe. For her the game is over.

Panic rises in our hero, but he does not show it. She deserves safety and should not have to see his pain. He will stay and fight the vipers alone. He will soldier on. He will not let this be the end of his fight.

He watches as she is pulled to safety. Her figure slowly disappears until he is sure that she no longer exists. All around him the vipers draw closer. They hiss at him, enticing him to join them in their lunacy.

He has to fight. He has to escape. He knew he could do it as long as she was by his side. But can her do it without her?

As the darkness begins to move in on him, he doubts his own will.

On Clocks, Cocks and One More Reason to Move to the UK

“This weekend, the UK changes.”

Those are the last words I heard while watching the following commercial reminding people in the UK to turn their clocks back an hour. Those are the last words I heard because I was mesmerized by the delicious man undressing himself. Even his smooth accent wasn’t enough to make me listen to the actual words coming from his lips. Go ahead and watch it. I dare you to pay attention to what he’s saying.

We also change our clocks twice a year here in the US. We do not, however, get reminded by sexy men. That would undercut all the work being done by narrow-minded religious zealots who are doing their best to take over this country in the name of Jesus. Instead of sex, we get technological instruction.

Where would you rather be when it comes time to change the clocks?

On AIDS, Walks and Knowing That Together We Will Create Change

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the estimated number of persons diagnosed with AIDS in the United States and dependent areas in 2007 was 37,041.

The cumulative estimated number of cases of AIDS through 2007 in the United States and dependent areas was 1,051,875. Of those cases, an estimated 9,209 were in children under the age of 13.

At the end of 2007, the estimated number of persons living with AIDS in the United States and dependent areas was 468,578.

The most common cause of transmission continues to be high-risk sexual contact, both homosexual and heterosexual.

In 2007, the estimated number of deaths of persons with AIDS in the United States and dependent areas was 14,561. The cumulative estimated number of deaths of persons with AIDS in the United States and dependent areas, through 2007, was 583,298.  Of those deaths, 4,891 were children under age 13 years.

On August 8, 2008, I wrote a post that mirrors this. As you can see, the AIDS crisis is far from over. In this country alone, we have lost over a half a million people to this disease. Close to another half a million people live with the disease every day. (source)

We can change that.

Next Saturday, October 3, I will once again participate in the AIDS Foundation of Chicago’s annual AIDS Run & Walk. I will once again take to the streets of Chicago to walk for a cause in which I believe deeply. It’s a day I am looking forward to because it’s a day when thousands of people come together to make a difference and rally for change.  No matter where you are on the morning of October 3, you can be a part of that change.

Please consider making a gift in support of this very worthy cause. To do so, simply click here.

The AIDS Foundation of Chicago uses the money raised to collaborate with community organizations to develop and improve HIV/AIDS services; fund and coordinate prevention, care, and advocacy projects; and champion effective, compassionate HIV/AIDS policy.

This year I am walking as a part of Team Howard Brown. Howard Brown Health Center promotes the well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons through the provision of health care and wellness programs, including clinical, educational, social service and research activities.

I am so proud to be working on behalf of both organizations and hope you will join me in this work. In a time when health care is on everyone’s minds and lips, it’s never been more important to keep the fight against HIV and AIDS alive.

As an added incentive, for every person who contributes before September 30, I will make a gift of $5. This is not only a great way for you to empty my wallet, but it’s a real reminder that together, as a community of caring individuals, we really can create change.

If you can not contribute monetarily, I once again encourage you to find out about ways that you can support the fight against AIDS in your own communities. It’s never too late to get involved.

Just as I did last year, I thank you sincerely on behalf of the more than 468,578 individuals living with AIDS in the United States. On behalf of those individuals who will receive education about the disease and the ways in which it can be prevented, I thank you. Most importantly, on behalf of those who find support and comfort and hope through the work of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago and its many partner agencies, I thank you.

Together we will make a difference.

On Pondering, Posting and Getting One In Just Under the Wire

It’s Friday night. It’s after 10:00. I have yet to post anything.

Since I started this blog in 2005, I have posted every weekday with the exception of scheduled periods of silence. And even those periods of silence began after a Friday post and ended with a new Monday post. I’ve never missed a weekday.

And yet, I was very tempted to just let today pass by without a posting anything.

You see, I’m feeling rather inert these days. I was supposed to head to Portland this week for my first return trip since leaving there in 2006, but work obligations are keeping me in Chicago. I had planned to spend Memorial Day weekend with friends, enjoying the many festivities happening in the city, but social obligations put an end to that. There are a couple of major changes I want to make in my life, but circumstances have gotten in the way.

In other words, I’m feeling rather stuck. There is this sense that life is keeping me from doing the things I want to do and being the person I want to be.

This makes it hard to blog. It makes it hard for me to be fully engaged in my life. It makes it hard to share myself without sounding like a whiny brat who is just looking for attention.

And so I find myself sitting at my computer at 10:12 on a Friday night wondering if I should even post anything. Would anyone notice if I didn’t? If they did notice, would they care? Has this blog become as stunted as I feel I’ve become?

Those are questions I must ponder. I’ll ponder them while I ponder so many other things. I’ll ponder them while I work on bettering my attitude and finding joy in the things I can change. I’ll ponder them while I figure it all out.

And if I’m not back on Monday, it means I am pondering them while on a break.