Being a black man is not always easy. Being a black gay man, now that is hard. I was always the oddball growing up, and even now at 25, I still find it hard to relate to other men, black, gay, or both. I mean why is it that I have to express one part of my identity at the expense of another? And this conflict in my identity has force me to exile myself, romantically and sexually. Sometimes I feel lost and confused.

Well...Christmas Day is tomorrow and I have not even finished my shopping. I suppose I can find some nice things for my mom and step-dad, but the question is what? As I am writing this song, I was listening to the Celine Dion version of "O Holy Night" which is becoming one of my favorite Christmas carols. Everytime I hear it, I just love it.

But I did find something for my brother, but I want to get something else for him. I got for him after having gone to Splash in NYC. Nice club, IMHO. But what do I know? Oh I am reading this awesome book called The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford. Definitely check it out.

All right, back to shopping. Have a safe and happy holiday ladies and gentlemen, and in case I don't see you, have a great new year.

Pinochet's Legacy

Thanks to http://glenngreenwald.blogspot.com for bring this us. It sickens me to no end that an American newspaper is singing the praises of a brutal dictator who killed untold thousands in his regime after seizing power courtesy of the US.

Oh man, is it December already? Well...today is World AIDS Day and I hope that all of you are taking the time to think about those that we lost to the worst pandemic in human history.

UCLA Student Tasered by Police in Library

Oh my God this is so insane. You need to check this out.

Crazy - Gnarls Barkley - Official Video

love this video.

Mad TV Skit Kim Jong IL sings Gnarls Barkley Crazy

this is too funny.

I once heard this great quote, "All revolutions begin with the power of an idea, and end with the holding on to power as an idea." When I saw the cover of this week's Time magazine (with the picture of the elephant walking away) , I was vaguely thinking about that quote for a brief moment. For twelve years, the Grand Old Predators have had their way with the American people, pushing horrible legislation and bankrupting the country, morally and financially. Now we are reaping the fruits of those laws. From a soaring deficit and declining wages to congressmen taking bribes and hiring family members, it is clear that these lawmakers need to be held accountable. I don't get it. It took four decades for the Democrats to lose their way, but the Republicans did it is 12. What happened?

Tragedy

Ok, so today is National Coming Out Day, and I thought that maybe I can tell a story of my coming out to one of my friends. Yes, I am gay. But I could not really shake this slight sense of foreboding that I had today. Little did I realize that disaster was going to srike. In NYC's Upper West Side today, as most of you probably know, Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle lost control of his single engine plane and crashed it into a high-rise apartment, killing him. He leaves behind a wife and a young son, in addition to a lot of people who cared about him. When I first heard this, I was like, O My Lord. What the?!

Go New York, Go New York, Go! It has been six years since the NY Mets made it into the postseason, and last night completed a three game sweep of the LA Dodgers. I have always believed that victory is sweetest when there is a touch of irony to it. Well, that is what happened. The Dodgers used to be based in Brooklyn, and the blue in the current Met uniform is Dodger blue (along with Giant orage, after the NY Giants, now in San Francisco). Three games down, eight to go.

Hypocrisy and the GOP

Ok, so Dennis Hastert is now fighting for his job. (Do not expect me to feel sorry for him, because he got what he deserved.) You can stick a fork in his fat but, because he is done.

Hello, hello. I apologize for such an long hiatus. I just needed to clear my head for little while. But now I am back. All right, so I am reading about the scandal concerning Rep. Mark Foley. Let me just say that I have never been so sickened of somthing like this in my life. I mean, here you have an 52-year-ol in an esteemed position on the web going after teenaged boys. And it gets better. He was the co-chair of the Missing and Exploited Children caucus, which made Adam's law (named after Adam Walsh) possible this summer. This is nuts. But it does not stop there. The Washington Post and the NY Times each have stories concerning House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert apparently knew something about Foley's alleged solicitation. Boehner knew first, and told Hastert. However, in today's WaPo, Boehner recanted, saying that he was unsure if Hastert knew anything. But now it comes out that Hastert knew about Foley and what he was up to, but said nothing for almost a year! This is a tragic, and outrageous, example of a Congress that is so sanctimonious and corrupt that nothing is beneath them.

Why George Bush needs to get schooled

It has become clear that as disastrous as his foreign policy has been to the US, George W. Bush's biggest failure was his domesttic policy. From tax cuts for the super wealthy to an open war on science and the environment, this administration has time and again has shown to be grossly incompetent. But no failure is more glaring than his No Child Left Behind act. Now in its 4th year, the AP has reported that some of the states are helping some schools and school districts fudge test results by excluding certain racial groups. As disappointing as this is, I am hardly surprised. This administartion has never played by the rules, and now the states are getting in on the act. And who loses out? Kids from middle-income and low-income households.

Labor in France, Identity in America

Question: what happens when you have demonstrations in France and the US happening almost simultaneously? Issues that generate a lot of heat, but not a lot of light. In France, the youth are protesting a law that would in essence, make younger workers more expendable. Meanwhile in America, we have protests concerning the criminalization of undocumented foreigners. With almost 12 million of them, how can one government put an "one size fits all" sticker on them? We as Americans have a chance to learn a few lessons from the French protests and the issues of nationality, immigration, and the idea of belonging. One of those lessons is how do we treat newcomers to America--with open arms or with cuffed hands?

Brave New World

Good morning, cyber-traveler. Welcome to my blog. I will be using this on a regular basis (along side by Xanga blog, basesonballs). I am still pretty new to the whole blogging experience, so bear with me. Anyway, I hope that this will be a worthwile reading experience for those who stop by. I will warn you. I will say things and propose ideas that will be unsettling to say the least. But I also expect that you will hear me out and respect the person, even if (and especially if) you disagree with the ideas. Some of you are asking...what kind of stuff will I write about on this blog? A little bit of everything. Politics. sports. Science. Music. Culture. Art. Personal stuff. Reflections. IMHO, I believe that almost anything worth reading about and talking about is worth writing about. My goal is to write on this blog twice a week to start out, then we'll see what happens. Until next time guys and gals.