Cubs, Like Us

(L2R: Alex, Yours Truly and Adam of ThisBoyElroy)

Alex and I spent all weekend lamenting having not gone to San Francisco for Folsom Weekend.

However, I knew I could count on the Monday morning update and digital picture gallery from one of my favorite bloggers, ThisBoyElroy, who now lives in San Francisco.

Sadly his blog post said this: "This weekend was our first Folsom Street fair. Loved it! This is definitely our favorite event of all the events we've been to in the city so far. Alas, we took no photos to document our good times."

In disbelief and disappointment I commented: "Wha-wha-what?! No pictures?! I waited all weekend for the Monday morning ThisBoyElroy perspective! Le' sigh. That's ok - I still love you. You had me at "bigmuscle party."

Then ThisBoyElroy responded, via personal email, something that I think only cubs, like us can truly appreciate: "Your head would have exploded Eric. The crowd was 95% 35+ muscle daddy fur ferociousness. I felt so young and so insignificant, a tiny meteor in a universe of Jupiters."

I melted.

Oh, Snap!

Rage, Cafferty, Rage!

Yeah and shut that pussy mouth of yours, Wolf.

Chronicle of a Plague, Revisited

It's almost fitting that I would discover Andrew Holleran's re-release of old short stories in a new anthology entitled Chronicle of a Plague, Revisited on a gloomy Saturday in late September.

It was an aimless day, not one plan scheduled and I found myself walking around the city, turning corners on a whim and shrugging at North and South. Therefore it was no surprise, nor plan, that I arrived at Barnes and Noble on 6th Avenue, running my fingers along the titles and authors in the Gay and Lesbian Fiction section.

My fingers traced upon the bindings of smooth paperbacks until it fell upon a Holleran title I did not recognize. I have every book of his and haven't heard of any new release so I jumped into the cover like a treasure hunter discovering an accidental chest. There it was - Copyright: 2008.

Chronicle of a Plague, Revisited is a re-release of Holleran's old short stories from his 1988 publication Ground Zero, repackaged with a newly written introduction, now twenty-plus years after the fact.

I bought the book without thinking twice and looked forward to, once again, being held in Holleran's poetically relentless grip, like a rib cage being crushed by the delicate fineness of a pair of silk white gloves.

Once outside I leaned against the brick and began reading this new introduction. By the time I turned the first page my soul had already drained itself of color and was left with nothing more than the gray of the pavement reflecting off the sky.

An excerpt:

"Learning a book is out of print is a blow to an author. It's not that copies in print have been destroyed, but that demand for the book is so low the publisher cannot justify printing any more. When I went looking for a copy of Ground Zero last winter, I was lucky to find one in a college library in Washington, D.C., on a shelf of other books about AIDS. The "Date Due" slip told me the book had been checked out only twelve times in twenty-four years; and not at all from 1992 to 1998 or 1998 to 2006. This had to do with a professor teaching, then dropping, a course that required the text, I thought- what else keeps these books alive? The volumes on the shelf around mine looked equally untouched, as if they all been put to sleep, like the awful time itself...

...Yet it seems incredible that people still get infected with HIV. They say it's because people think AIDS is now a "manageable" disease; and few young gay men have seen anyone die of AIDS. But I think it's the same old story: the irrational power of sex, of people's search for a physical, emotional connection. So I suppose it should be no surprise that people go on getting infected, while books about AIDS sit mostly undisturbed on the shelf of the college library where I found Ground Zero. Even now I'm not sure what one should compare the disease that swept gay New York in the eighties to- the Spanish influenza of 1918?

...Still, say what you will, we have lost a whole generation of gay men, who might otherwise have been valuable mentors to their successors. Of course, gay life has evolved without those who died. One can even argue that the very assimilation that AIDS brought about seems to have caused the disintegration of the gay community, though surely that would have resulted anyway from the inevitable change in generations, not to mention new technology like the computer. Part of Survivor's Syndrome is to live in another era, when AIDS is simply part of the past, and for many young gay men, not even that. Yet something was lost..."

Chronicle of a Plague, Revisited.

Jump Off

Liam, Robinson and I getting the fix on my new addiction.

Also discovering how "reverse" and "speed" work on Final Cut Express.

Fierce it out. WERK!

Music by the Queen Bee herself: Lil Kim.

Sidewalk Encouragement

East 11th St. Between Ave. A & Ave. B

Stencil Graffiti

Yawn and Tase: The New Protect and Serve!

"Come on he was naked and holding a fluorescent light at us!"

For cops who have never heard of a ladder or applying effort in their jobs this article should come as a relief! When in doubt and feeling lazy or fed up, just tase!

Police fired a Taser at a naked Brooklyn man armed with only a fluorescent light tube yesterday, sending him falling to his death from a second-floor ledge after he went on a 40-minute rant.

Iman Morales' mom begged cops not to hurt her son, telling them he's sick - then watched in horror as he plunged from the top of the roll-down gate on which he'd been perched.

An Emergency Services officer, acting on the orders of his boss, fired at the 35-year-old man at around 2 p.m., as he waved the 8-foot fluorescent light tube, police sources said.

"His body froze up and he fell face-first," said Sean Johnson, who witnessed the drama at 489 Tompkins Ave. in Bedford-Stuyvesant.

Morales, who crashed 10 feet to the pavement, died a few hours later at Kings County Hospital.

Asked if police followed the proper protocol for using a Taser, NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said, "That's being reviewed."

Kudos Cops! You totally just caused that man's death!

You know, before tasers were invented and permitted to be in the hands of any or every ESO or Cop, the police team on the spot would have had to try to get that man safely down from where he was standing. Sure he would have been detained for awhile but afterward he would have been returned to his mother and the day would carry on. Killing him wouldn't have been an option nor an accident.

What a shame.

3 Trillion

Lindsay Utz, one of my nearest and dearest friends is Video Director over at GOOD Magazine and thought you all should see this piece on the Hidden Cost of the War in Iraq.

GOOD has a ton of these short little nifty videos. Check em out at: GOODMagazine Online.

UPDATE:
Here's Lindsay Utz on Brian Lehrer live talking about Good Magazine, New Media and my/our generation.

WWRJD?

And other INCREDIBLE T-Shirts at Strk3.com

Slammed

The first drawing of blood

The unnamed, unsponsored group of 7 players that is the dodgeball team I am captain of suffered a crushing 5-1 defeat last night under the weight of the ex-sponsored Manhunt Team and Splash Bar.

This is a true upset for a team so heavily committed to organizing, communicating and executing. However, as Nina Garcia (Editor at Large for Elle Magazine) says, "We left something to be desired in the execution."

The Splash Team drowned us 3-0 with their slick dodges and muscle arms while we lost 2-1 to Ex-Manhunt because of a certain, stealthy female player.

Our team morale is still high above the water though. This was only the second out of ten weeks of playing so we shouldn't fall too far below our already 4th place standing.

And hey, my Flip Cup Team kicked ass anyway.
--

Mark, Bryan, Molly and Steve of The United Shipping Solution's Massive Delivery awaiting the whistle blow with hungry eyes.









Paul and The Boy Butter Fisters showing good sportsman ship after a win.









The Stonewall Riots (best name in the league) bringing it in before a game.









Post Game Flip Cuppery (at Stonewall)

Race-ism

South East Corner of 44th st. and 2nd Ave.

A middle-aged man wearing a yarmulke and several pro-Israel pins approaches me:

Man: Young man, young man! You know what Tzedaka is?
Me: What tipped you off?
Man: Ah, we just know our people!
Me: (dropping a few coins into his Temple Bnai Pantry for the Needy bucket and taking notice of his pins and Pro-Israel paraphernalia.) So, you Obama or McCain?
Man: (leaning in) Neither of them is good! Nobody is good anymore! McCain.
Me: I'm so tired of hearing that "nobody is good anymore!" You tell me what's good. You really think that 72 year old wind-bag and that fundamentalist woman of his can run this nation opposed to somebody who is younger and brings new and fresh ideas to the table?
Man: No. But neither is good! (leaning in as if telling me a secret) Well, you know- never trust a Schvartze.
Me: (Shaking my head) And there you are - asking for charity... Sir, you should be ashamed of yourself.

(Walk off- shaking my head.)

Happy Friday: Def Poetry

Comprehensive Safe Sex Education and No Second Guessing Sex

This post is in regard to the CDC's latest reporting of HIV infection in America:

In America the black male/female community is hit hardest, with young gay black men (13-29) in the eye of the hurricane. White gay/bisexual men account for half of all gay related HIV infection rate but it's not amongst the young guys, it's men in their 30's and 40's.

It shows 53 percent of the estimated 56,000 cases of new HIV infection in 2006 were among gay and bisexual men, and 46 percent of the infections occurred among blacks. Within the gay and bisexual group, young black men (13 to 29 years old ) were roughly twice as likely to get infected as young white and young Hispanic men. And among women, black women were almost 15 times more likely to get HIV than white women and almost four times more likely than Hispanic women.

[cut]

"First, the number of new HIV infections among young black [gay and bisexual men] is alarming and shows the need to reach each new generation with prevention early in their lives. Second, the heavy impact of HIV infection in white [gay and bisexual men] in older age groups demonstrates the need for ongoing efforts to keep gay and bisexual men HIV-free over the course of their lifetime. A third finding: compared to women of all races, black women bear the heaviest burden of HIV," Fenton said.

The higher rate of new HIV infections among young gay black men and black women comes as no surprise to Phill Wilson, the CEO and founder of Black AIDS Institute, a think-tank based in Los Angeles, California. "Basically, it affirms what we have known for a long time and what we have been telling the CDC for a very long time," Wilson said."AIDS in America continues to be a black disease as manifested by the numbers," Wilson said. "We have an epidemic that is 40 percent worse than we thought, and African-Americans are grossly disproportionately impacted. Particularly black women and young black gay men."

The CDC study didn't examine the specific factors that account for the heavy burden of HIV among young black gay men, but the CDC has theories.

"Other data suggest a range of possible factors," said Richard Wolitski, acting director, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention at CDC.

"They include stigma, lack of access to effective HIV prevention services and underestimation of personal risk. In addition, many younger men have not personally experienced the severity of the early AIDS epidemic."

Wolitski said differences in the frequency of high-risk sexual behavior and substance use do not account for this disparity.

White gay and bisexual men account for close to half, or 46 percent, of HIV incidence among gay and bisexual men, but the majority of new infections occurred in men in their 30s, followed by men in the 40s, the CDC found.

"A range of factors likely contribute to continued transmission in these age groups," said Wolitski, noting the marked difference in age at the time of infection in the different racial groups. "They include the difficulty of consistently maintaining safer behaviors for many years or even decades, as well as homophobia, substance abuse and higher HIV prevalence within this group"

So, there it is: For minority populations it's stigma, lack of effective HIV prevention services and underestimating personal risk and for 30's/40's Whites, it's difficulty maintaining safe sex over years or decades, homophobia, substance abuse and higher HIV rates within the demographic.

In addressing the youth, comprehensive safe sex education and sexual communication is a dire necessity. Did you hear that Mrs. Sarah Palin, Mr. McCain and the Red wallet-sitters, who care more about their stash than the rest of the world? Believe me, Jesus would want to stop an epidemic, especially if it were affecting young people.

If 13 year olds are becoming infected then obviously 13 year olds are having sex. We need to talk about sex as openly and honestly as possible. This isn't going to encourage people to have sex, it will protect them from the consequences of sex. Comprehensive safe sex education can absolutely include the idea of teaching and encouraging young people to wait until they feel they are ready, to keep themselves from succumbing to peer pressure, to teach them that having sex is their decision, but they must know the risks and consequences associated with sex so they do not enter the sexual world totally blind. Safe Sex education and communication needs to happen now.

Addressing the adults:
We've all heard it before, but, okay, I'll say it again. The burden and hope is on all of us! This is our lives, men! Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, Young, Old, Top, Bottom, Bisexual, Married, The Just Curious and The Just Something I Tried in College- this is all of our problem and our responsibility. Wake up men!

Why are we allowing this to happen? Even if we understand and know the pleasures of not wearing condoms why aren't we going the extra length to protect our partners and our community? Why have we, the older and more knowledgeable, let slide the idea of protecting one another? Why aren't we celebrating safe sex and celebrating protection of one another? We're all brothers here and yes I know that sounds cliched and roll-of-the-eye Kumbayah but it's true.

Trust me, I've been around the block a few ton of times. Make no mistake. I am no man, glowing in gold, who has never slipped up or made a mistake or felt the sheer weight of in-the-moment sexual gravity- I have, I've been there. Oh god, I've been there! But after a scare or two, the nervous/anxious 3 to 6 month visits to the testing clinic and all the stories of all my older friend's dead friends and lovers - I made a decision to have, what I call, No Second Guessing sex- and what this means is that with every sexual circumstance I involve myself in I do everything to protect myself and my partner, so therefore, when all is said and done, I am not left second guessing myself or my actions. I communicate and I communicate with my partner. This is who I am. This is what I enjoy doing. Let's turn the lights ON!

Having No Second Guessing Sex goes so far above and beyond the "it's annoying to wear a condom- I can't perform if I'm wearing a condom" and elevates safe sex to an unbelievable degree. Imagine how good you'll feel, even after cumming, when you can say to yourself "That sex was so good because I know I've done everything in my power to be as safe and responsible as possible. And even if something does happen, even if there was some kind of fluke, at least I know I've tried EVERYTHING in my power to make the right choice and be as responsible for myself and my partner." Even if you had a horrible experience and you say to yourself, "Oh man, dude... that was a terrible lay," you can still say "Hey, at least he and I were safe. At least I don't have to second guess myself."

Develop, practice and enjoy No Second Guessing Sex because that, ladies and gentlemen, tops and bottoms, is the best, most absolute, most blissful sex there is.

The Company of Men

You're killing me, Blake Little.

Oh jeez.

Just when I thought I would be able to concentrate at work I catch wind of Blake Little's photo exhibition entitled, "The Company of Men" which features the most handsome of jaw-dropping, body-slamming, take-the-wind-out-of-your-sails men.

Swoon!

This exhibit is at the other end of the SmoothN'Young Bruce Weber photography and the Abercrombie and Fitch 6-packed dominant spectrum.

The exhibit opens tonight at The Wessel + O'connor Fine Art space in Dumbo and lasts through November 1st.

You can view some of the exhibit online here. Totally safe for work, all the men are clothed yet still they're going to make you weak in the knees.

Wessel O’Connor is very pleased to present THE COMPANY OF MEN, a solo exhibition by photographer Blake Little. This is his first new work for the gallery since his 1997 series of nudes entitled “Dichotomy,” which also became a book with the same title.

Blake explains how the project started: “I wanted to start a new series yet I was bored with photographing nudes, I wanted to get past the nude. I wanted to take photographs that were emotionally charged without being obvious or consciously sexy, distilling exactly what I find compelling about men into a photograph without showing everything. I also wanted to show a particular type of masculine gay male that I appreciated and related to but that I did not see photographed anywhere else; an alternative to stereotypes or what is usually seen as†the physical ideal of a man in the mainstream.

I started photographing my friends and then friends of friends and guys who looked like they should be my friends. It turns out that these particular guys were somehow connected, a large network of men all over the country, invisible to the outside world. I photographed them using the same process and skills that I have developed over the past 20 satisfying years as a celebrity portrait photographer. I dressed them in their own clothes and photographed them in their own homes or around where they live. I choose environments and clothes that visually or characteristically complemented the subject. I photographed these men more instinctually, reacting to the way they made me feel.”

Blake Little makes his living as a commercial photographer in Los Angeles, a town where it is said there is only one industry. He has done portraits of actors, musicians, athletes, politicians and celebrities; for magazines such as Time, ESPN, Parade and Entertainment Weekly, as well as movie campaigns for the likes of “Get Smart”,"Austin Powers" and "Borat."

Killer!

And the World Will Shake

The lines have been drawn.

The teams have been chosen.

BIG APPLE DODGEBALL

SEASON 3!

Welcome to the Rage Dome

Full reporting begins next week!

The Seventh Year

A must-read OpEd by Roger Cohen entitled: In the Seventh Year.

"And it came to pass that this profligate nation, drinking oil with insatiable thirst, could not cure itself of this addiction, and so its wealth was transferred to other nations that did not always wish it well.
Wherefore the balance of power in the world was altered in grievous ways, and new centers of authority arose, and they were no more persuaded by democracy than was the Pharaoh.
For Bush ruled over the whole nation, and so sure was he of his righteousness that he did neglect the costs of wanton consumption. And he believed that if the Lord created fossil fuel, fossil fuel must flow without end, as surely as the grape will yield wine."

Homage

Lately I've been feeling very...

But I don't know. Maybe it's just something in the air...

The Reds

It's 4:45 in the afternoon and ominous clouds develop over my city. A storm is on it's way. It is inevitable.

In the distance another storm is brewing. Though this one is 8 weeks away. This storm is gathering, the clouds are darkening and in it's formation, the nation it stands under, is ripping apart at the seams. Under its formidable coagulation the citizens have been told to pick a side. Either Red or Blue.

I find myself a Blue and a true Blue at that. For the last 8 years the Reds have been in control with the power of two towers falling and the threat that others will fall, the resistance of accepting a moral code, a war in some far-off land and a man on a cross, twisted to unbelievable proportions standing as a symbol to all of what is right and what is wrong.

For this Blue who believes in true equal rights, a forfeit of personal wealth to support those who are in need, for one who sees love as love and not a moral code, for one who wants to end an aimless war and one who believes health care is the right of every citizen has heard terrible and hideous things. Things the like chant of "Drill! Drill! Drill!" as if the chorus were singing "We're right! We're right! We're right!" This Blue has heard the talking down of community leadership and a woman who refuses to look at her own daughter as an example of a flawed and old way of thinking. The hypocrisy already shows itself thick. But it doesn't matter, this Blue thinks to himself, resigned and tired. They have The Cross, he whispers to himself, and that Cross makes them think, rather whole-heatedly, that the mere believing in it, or the mere saying they believe in it, or the mere attendance of an every Sunday, makes them righter. More right than this Blue can ever be.

"Who are these people?" This Blue thinks to himself at the edge of hopelessness. "These people whose jobs are at the poverty level yet whose children are kept in Iraq, who are being hit hardest by a recession, who cannot afford health care - who are these people that keep voting the same powers to office?"

"They are people who carry an absence of introspection," a wise man muttered to The Blue. "They find no fault in themselves, yet only fault in others," he continued. "And you be careful, young Blue, for when they find their leader in power and the economy the same, if not worse, they will be unable to admit their own personal mistakes and they will come looking for villains. If history is any evidence to our future they will come for the immigrants, those who do not belong here, first. Then, after ridding those who are illegally here, they'll see that their situation has not become better and they will come for those who challenge their moral code. Those who live alternative lifestyles, who don't live by the literature of the unseen higher power, those who have educated themselves opposed to having been educated, will be next. Spit and fire and finger pointing and terrible accusations will become their daily bread and water. And, after those people have been rounded up, and the situation the same, if not worse, the other religions and thought processes will follow. For there is no room in this nation for anyone to think other than what The Reds are already thinking. They will be next. You mark my word."

"Then what must happen," the Blue asks the Wise Man, "must I delete myself from this nation?"

"No," the Wise Man responds, "for that would be abandonment and those who are like you, need you."

"But," The Blue tries to interject!

"But!" The Wise Man holds out his finger, not to the Blue's face but up toward the sky, "but, if and when you see these atrocities happen, and when you see this absence of introspection, you must do what you can, to raise your voice, and fight for the nation that is rightfully yours."

What did the Hockey Mom say to the Nuclear Weapon?

Some solid points by Matt Damon on Associated Press.

The World Ends at Bedford Avenue

A lacerating expose on "Hipster."

Absolute Filth

Filthy

Sorry for the late notice!

Come see me and other Queer writers perform as part of the continuing series Reading for Filth: Queer Writers Read Queer Sex Stories. I'll be reading some of my own short fiction/non fiction alongside Moonshine Shorey, Seren Divine, Nathaniel Siegel, Glenn Marla and Paul Skiff.

This is kind of like the residents of the Bowery Poetry Club meets the Filthy and the Queer of the East Village. Promises to be a hoot!

Wednesday September 10th, 8-10PM
Reading For Filth @ DTox
31 Second Avenue (Between 1st & 2nd Streets)

Free Admission

Subway: F,V to Second Avenue

Milk

Joke of the Day

Using Utterz.com, a program which This Boy Elroy hipped me to, I was able to record the joke of the day.

I heard this joke in PTown and I've included it into my vast inventory of semi-funny/semi-lame Knock Knock Jokes:

Here goes:

(Rimshot!)

Dear The Vault at Large

Dear The Vault at Large:
I just wanted to thank you for making the wise and tasteful choice of showing vintage modern day bareback porn at your Crown and Anchor dance party during Carnival Week.

Since the leather scene has always been labeled as "edgy" I can't thank you enough for showing such edgy, on-the-fringe porn. You're so with the times! For anyone who complains about the PR nightmare bareback porn is to the safe sex movement, just tell them to "Fuck off." Plain and simple! I mean, since people aren't dying anymore and since the ashes strewn along the streets and beaches of PTown of people who died of AIDS have dissolved I think it's entirely appropriate that in a place like this, bareback porn should be making a comeback! Good for you! Oh, and although your dance party only caters toward the 21+ crowd I'll make sure that those 13-19 year olds who are testing postive and unaware of their status are kept abreast on the situation. Don't worry- we all have your (bare) back! Tee hee.

By the way, I told those losers people handing out free condoms outside your party to "get with it!" They obviously don't have any idea what "edgy" means. Duh!

Keep on keeping on guys-

Sincerely,
KnuckleCrack

Bulldog with Lipstick

...And what an ugly bitch she is.

Both Sarah Palin and Rudy Giuliani's mocked Barak Obama in last night's RNC speeches by saying he is nothing but a "community organizer" and the world needs somebody with more experience.

How did Sarah Palin get through the rehearsal of this speech without realizing how insulting this statement is to anyone who works in community organizing and public outreach? How dare she?

Please notice how the almost all white audience laughs and cheers after this statement. I found the whole speech disgusting and I'm not just saying that because I'm a liberal - I'm saying this because while she was governing the great (?) state of Alaska and while John McCain was relaxing in one of his 6 (?) giant houses, Barak Obama was busy overturning poverty stricken minority neighborhoods and doing something good for this country. I cannot fathom how these efforts are discredited and unappreciated. What a slimeball tactic.

Palin, Giulani and the rest of the cowboy hat wearing cronies are carefully villanizing the idea of community organizing because the last thing they want is for any individual to stand up and lead. What they want is a bunch of weak American citizens who do nothing for themselves and give all the power to those standing at the podium. That's just the control they're looking for.

Below is Giulani mocking "community organizing Obama" tune in around 5:45. Try not to puke. He also spoke in front of a World Trade Center absent backdrop of NYC. How classy, Rudy.

And just to remind everyone:

New Flavor: Cloverfield

Unlike our competitors we're REAL Frozen Yogurt and it comes in this super Green "Ecotainer!"

Has anyone else noticed how the city has been taken over by boutique-ish frozen yogurt joints? I thought having a PinkBerry across the street from Red Mango on Bleeker was enough but apparently it's not. Not even close! What's the deal with with PinkBerry and Red Mango anyway? Is there a difference?

Just to set the record straight Red Mango was around before Pinkberry so take THAT Paris/Perez Hilton!

Oh and snap! According to wikipedia:

Red Mango is a frozen yogurt chain founded in South Korea in 2002 that has gained popularity in the United States. The company is known for using natural ingredients in making "authentic frozen yogurt" that is both tart and creamy. Red Mango frozen yogurt is also considered to be healthy — the company announced in 2007 that it became the first retailer of natural frozen yogurt to receive the National Yogurt Association's Live and Active Culture Seal,^[1] a certification given to yogurt manufacturers whose products have live and active culture counts in amounts that researchers have determined to have positive health benefits.

The same cannot be said about PinkBerry. However, the almost indecipherable Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen of frozen yogurt that is PinkBerry and Red Mango has now been challenged by several new comers including: Yogurtland, Yolato, Oko and 16 Handles!

Now any New Yorker can expect three things on every block - A bank, a Starbucks and frozen yogurt. Ah, what diversity! Hmmm, I can't decide what I want. Original or Green Tea? Sometimes the choices are just too much!

Back!!

...And what a week to be back!

First up we have Sarah Palin's 17 year old daughter's Baby Boom which could not come at a better time. LOLz for realz! The 5 month pregnant, unwed 17 year old Jamie Lynn Spears Bristol Palin and her "fuckin' Redneck" boyfriend whose hobbies include, "hockey, dirt bikes, ass kicking and fuckin' chillin" (he guesses) really holds up well to Palin's abstinance only until marriage stance, eh?

Then we have Katy Perry and her hit-of-the-summer "I Kissed a Girl" bumped out of the opening performance slot at the MTV Video Awards because the song is "too provocative." That's funny, I thought having a sedated out of her mind, hardly conscious, Mother of two Britney Spears perform the opening slot last year was provocative. Though I suppose in America that's nothing compared to the suggestion of a girl on girl kiss.

Over the weekend JMG trekked out to Brooklyn to get the low-down on the "Straight Pride Parade" which this blog purposely ignored from day one because 1) I didn't want to give it any attention in the first place and 2) I knew these half-baked insipid morons wouldn't have the ability to organize anything let alone some sort of "parade." Happy now, blog commenter Joey7777?

As of August 11th KnuckleCrack celebrated his 1 year blogiversary. Yup, that's right. I was able to complete a total of 376 posts in less than 365 days! It's been a year since this blog has taken off and what a fucking rainbow-colored loud-mouthed journey! Huge thanks to Joe.My.God, This.That.No Other, Bilerico Project, This Boy Elroy, FarmBoyz, Meanwhile, Twerking, Someone In A Tree, Bloggernista and all the other members of the bloggeratti who kept me angry, inspired and entertained. Many in the community are stomping their feet and declaring gay activism dead, and yes, although it has been taken off the streets and on to our laptops, I've never been more proud and enlightened by the many voices and perspectives who have contributed to this blog and who reassure me everyday that gay men are thinking, using their voice and bulldozing closet doors.

Yes, it's good to be back.

Rage on.