1 Girl 5 Gays = 100% Entertainment!

A few months ago, I was watching T.V. in bed and flipping through the channel guide when I came across a show called “1 Girl 5 Gays” on Logo. To be honest, I had come across the show a few times before but for whatever reason, did not think it would be interesting and continued on. This time, I decided to “check it out” and boy and I glad I did. It has without a doubt become one of my favorite shows on T.V.

This Canadian talk show is hosted by the “Girl”, MTV host Aliya-Jasmine Sovani, who is beautiful, funny, charismatic and warm. I love her interactions with the men and her interviewing skills are gentle yet at the same time commanding.

As for the “Gays”. The cast is made up of a wide array of gay men. Each week, 5 of them meet with Aliya to discuss topics ranging from sex, life, family and politics to Lady Gaga and bullying. Each episode, 20 questions are asked of the cast and while the answers can get serious and personal, the overall feel of the show remains entertaining, informative and filled with light-hearted banter and interactions. Most of the gays are attractive and intelligent, some are catty and a few are natural-born stars who light up the screen and know how to give everything to the camera. Most (if not all?) of the men are in their 20′s/early 30′s and most races are represented well. Whats great about the cast is that I can see parts of myself in many of them and I love how diverse their answers can sometimes be. The show does a great job in showcasing how multi-layered gay people actually are in comparison to the one-dimensional characters portrayed on most of the television shows today.

As for offering any constructive criticism? The only thing I would like is for a little more representation in relation to the topics covered. A few examples.. For one, safe-sex and HIV is often mentioned in most of the episodes. I think including a HIV+ member would add a different angle to the discussion and offer insight into the unique struggles a HIV+ gay person goes through. Because this is such an important and relevant topic in the gay community, I think it’s important to have it represented.

Secondly, interactions with older men and lesbians are often discussed. While there is an occasional lesbian episode, I think having a special gay/lesbian mixed episode (i.e. 1 Girl, 2 Lesbians, 3 Gays) or an occasional guest cast member who is a straight man, a slightly older gay man, or transgendered would each be great ideas. While it is important (and long overdue) to have a show focus on homosexual issues and I do understand that there is a target demographic, I think it can be equally as important and entertaining to explore the dynamics of how homosexual men interact, not only with others within the gay subcultures, but with the rest of the world. Constructive criticism aside, this is a wonderfully entertaining and informative show with mass appeal.

Catch “1 Girl 5 Gays” on Logo, new episodes on Monday 11PM EST.

When Did Homosexuality Become The Worst Sin Ever?

Yesterday, Maryland enacted the Civil Marriage Protection Act, which will allow gay couple to enter into civil marriage. I looked at a map on Wikipedia of all the states offering full or even partial marriage rights to gays and it makes me question why I still live in the south. Honestly, I enjoy talking to people with different opinions, but what I don’t understand is how people will think of practicing homosexuality as being the polar opposite of practicing Christianity. That kinda baffles me, because even if you interpret the bible as God being against homosexuality, who can say that homosexuality is mentioned in such a fashion that it should be considered the opposite of being a Christian.

Granted, I haven’t read the entire bible, but from my understanding, homosexuality is vaguely mentioned especially when compared to other sins (like lying, cheating, stealing, drug use, adultery, etc.) each of which seem to be “all over” the bible, yet for some reason are not reacted to with the same kind of passion and response. Based on this fact, I would argue that sex outside of marriage is definitely a bigger sin than homosexuality, so keeping gays from getting married is actually encouraging a larger sin.

I personally don’t believe homosexuality is a sin, but even for those of you who do, keep in mind that even if that is true, the act of gays getting married would not be the actual sin. In regards to marriage being defined as between a man and a woman, I understand why it would be promoted that way, considering that a main purpose of marriage (and sex for that matter) is for procreation. I don’t see that the Lord would have meant that in a way to be exclusive of any other options, especially in this overpopulated world we live in.

When I think about what heaven is like, I can’t imagine that the angels are sex-specific and I would hope that God would be more interested in us humans actually making connections and commitments to other good people, rather than to what sex we make that connection with. That sounds so “human” to me..

Maybe that’s why I’ll most likely never attend church again. When my relationship with God was mediated by the church, I felt like an evil sinner and I tormented myself all the time, even though I knew that regardless of the sins I had committed, I was still a genuinely good person. Once people (church) was removed from the equation, my relationship with God was stronger than ever. Now, I feel happy, loved, accepted, ordinary and complete. If only I could feel that way from my fellow-man.

The point I’m trying to make is that yes I am a homosexual, but that doesn’t make me a bigger sinner than anyone else. I refuse to be labeled that by someone who judges me, because of course, judging others is a sin and according to the bible, a larger sin than homosexuality could ever be.

I Will Always Love Whitney

I’ve been wanting to speak about Whitney Houston since her tragic death, but first I had to get over the shock of what happened, then secondly, I did not want to be part of the media over-coverage of the story. As evident from the photo, I am definitely a fan of hers. Whitney was my introduction into the world of music.

I can recall being a young boy, my aunt was visiting and brought over Whitney’s first album “Whitney Houston” for my mother to hear. Something about her voice touched me in a way that music never had before. I felt this need to connect with the emotion she was expressing and I wanted to hear more, understand the lyrics and in that moment, I realized that music was more than just a beat. Music was communication and story-telling. Since then, most of her songs have a specific memory in my life.

I remember visiting Central Park in NYC for the first time and feeling like I was in a different world. I was a little nervous, but suddenly on someone’s radio and I heard “I Wanna Dance” for the first time and instantly felt happy and comforted. Whilst listening to “I’m Your Baby Tonight”, I remember my older brother singing the wrong lyrics “Homey don’t play that tonight”. I laughed so hard, but more importantly, we connected in a way that we never had before. When I was certain that God hated me because of what people said, the entire “Preacher’s Wife” soundtrack was my reintroduction to my direct relationship with the Lord. Predictably, “I Will Always Love You” reminds me of a past love and “I Believe In You And Me” makes me think of my current love.

It’s kinda funny, actually incredible, how we as humans can use music as a tool to time travel. But even her personal life helped me. From the time she was considered “fake” to making mistakes, from the highs to the lows, there were so many lessons for me to learn from her and so many things that made her so relatable and human to me. For me, the worst part of all this, is that I never got the chance to meet her in person, just to let her know and see an example of the kind of impact she had on me, an average fan of hers. I always dreamt of the day the I would be given the opportunity to show her my tattoo of her name. Hopefully, heaven has an internet connection. I will always love you, Whitney Houston..

Is there a Clinton in the house?

Okay, so this is my first post in… Forever.. I actually did not think I would continue, but seeing that I currently do not have a job and my television is on cable news ALL the time, I guess I have more to say.

I did not vote for Obama the first time around, because I truly believed that Hillary Clinton was the best person for the job and none of the other Democratic and Republican hopefuls caught my “mental eye”. Fast forward to today…

In the midst of all the Republican debates and primaries, once again I find myself beginning to think about my voting options for the upcoming presidential election but I just don’t find myself gravitating to anyone running, including Obama. My issue with the President remains the same as it did during the democratic primaries of 2008. I like him, I honestly think that he wants America to be great and that he’s a strong, intelligent and patriotic American. I just think that in the current political environment, we need someone who not only wants change, but knows how to get it done in a way that doesn’t continue to divide us and brings hope and optimism to the nation.

When speaking of “good times”, many people refer to the Reagan era, but for me, living in the Bronx, it was a time that I can reflect on with good memories. The Bronx was not safe, dirty and drugs, gangs and welfare were the norm.. Personally, for me, I think the Clinton era was the happiest national time in my life. Most parts of the country were doing well, the economy was changing and expanding, and even through the Monica Lewinsky stuff, I felt like America was the hope of the world.

Today, I still think we are and that when all countries are stacked side by side, America is still the greatest nation. I just think we forget that sometimes and maybe, that’s all we really need to start turning things around. We’ve always had regulations, taxes and “big government” and the only thing I don’t feel us having is confidence. We owe it to the world, and more importantly to ourselves to regain that pride in our country, our economy and our American culture. I honestly don’t think Obama or the Republican hopefuls are fostering that and that Clinton, even in his darkest days and mistakes, still was able to make me believe in American Exceptionalism. I think that’s what made Bill Clinton a great president (to me, at least) and that Hillary would be just as effective. Though Hillary running for office is not a likely option, wouldn’t it be great? Something unexpected, something inspiring, something American..

NY Smokers looking for a place to puff in peace.

Recently New York City passed a law banning smoking in public parks, beaches and outdoors areas (such as Times Square). While many folks are  happy  about this, I have to say, this is scary to me. I am onboard with keeping second-hand smoke away from a health conscious public, but for smoking to be banned in most outside areas, to me, goes a little too far and is infringing on personal freedom and space.

Now we’ve all come across the inconsiderate smoker who could care less about throwing a cigarette butt on the ground or if their smoke cloud hits you in the face, but that’s another entirely separate conversation. Generally, I see how smokers are constantly being chastised for doing something that is legal and there seems to be no sympathy or empathy to a practice which again, is not only legal, but an addiction . Smokers pay extra taxes for purchasing cigarettes, higher health insurance rates (in many cases) and can even be denied employment in many areas.

Many of us have been affected by the consequences of ‘drinking and driving’  and poor Justin Bieber is all too familiar with  how ‘texting while walking’ can go so wrong, so fast. While there is a general concern for both and a few laws have been implemented, both are still considered fine as long as done in moderation and in the right place and time. As a matter of fact, running (which can lead to arthritis or pedestrian-to-auto accidents ) is considered a healthy activity. Where is the additional fee for hikers, who are at risk of getting lost, being attacked by wildlife, or spraining an ankle, all of which may require medical attention and the possible deployment of a search and rescue team. None of these activities are penalized and/or regarded as unsavory (except for alcohol, though to a lesser extent), yet each can lead to personal injury and have the potentially for involving the general public.

So from the legal activity of smoking, cities make huge profits off of  taxation and smokers are still considered a nuisance to society. In the few restaurants that still have smoking sections, a non-smoker will request ‘first available’, then complain once they’re sat in the smoking section or stare at the smoker like they’ve done something wrong. I’m not saying that this is a one-way street and that smokers should be able to violate a non-smoker’s right to be smoke-free, only that a New Yorker, shouldn’t have to trek over to Jersey or Connecticut for a smoke break (not even sure about the laws in those states).

I can’t help but theorize that the hidden goal for this ban is to make a little extra income. It’s a fact that smoking has declined since the late 90′s, early 2000′s in the United States,  just think of all the lost revenue since the early nineties. What better way to refill those coffers than by aggressively going after tobacco companies,  cutting funding for smoking prevention programs while simultaneously keeping smoking a legal purchase and adding hurdles and fines to those who break these ridiculous laws. What used to smell smoky, is now starting to smell a little fishy..

What say you?

Egypt: Freedom is in the history books

I’ve tried to stay clear of discussing overseas politics, mainly because most issues tend to have so much history preceding it and all are multi-faceted, so it’s hard to get the whole story when you’re not internally involved, making it even more difficult to form an educated opinion. Still, the situation in Egypt has been on my mind so much that I thought I write about it.

What I can say, as fact, is that Egypt is on the precipice of a revolution and to most accounts that’s the best thing that could happen to it. I know Mubarak and the current government is not a shining example of a functioning electable democracy but that there is also a fear that a radical Islamic group will take over, if the situation is not handled properly.

So the people protest for freedom, the government tries to ‘control’ the move and chaos break out. With all the issues that we still face here in the U.S. and the rest of the westernized world, it would be silly to preach to those who are struggling for what we take for granted, but it does make me wonder about the Arab world and what’s happening to it (particularly, in the Middle East).

On one hand, I think it’s great whenever a society fights for freedom. Personally, I think that no matter what race or religion you belong to, no one should ever be denied the freedom to speak their voice and everyone should have control over their own destiny (as long as no one is harmed in the process). That isn’t coming from the Christian side of me, that’s my human side.

On the other hand, an uncertain future  is so… well…uncertain. Especially with this surge of radical Islamic groups and how they have been able to get such a strong foot hold in other Middle Eastern nations, because of a new-found freedom. Makes me wonder, where are all the options? Again, not that I’m preaching, as my nation is, for all intents and purposes, a two-party government. But even at its worst, I’m glad I live in a country were I don’t have to fear the uncertain and that the actual freedom and availability for options is still open to me.  

Actually, what may disturb me the most about what’s happening in Egypt is reading about the  historical treasures which are being looted and destroyed. I don’t understand why this is happening. Egypt is a historical and cultural powerhouse. We only need to remember the great library of Alexandria to wonder about how much history was lost then and how much more is currently in danger.

I won’t take a definite stand for either party, because as mentioned earlier, I’m sure the issue has several layers and the possible outcome is so varied, but I wish all sides were a bit more conscious and considerate of their own history and of public property. I think about the riots in L.A. and I have to say, regardless of what side you were on, it was wrong that businesses and innocent bystanders suffered because personal greed, disguised as ‘freedom fighting’.

Personally, Egypt is one of those places I want to visit before I die which makes this situation even more worrisome for me. I regard Egypt’s past as humanity’s past and I believe it’s culture has influenced the entire world. As a human race, we have so many things to be proud of and we’ve accomplished so much in our journey to being ‘civilized’. I just hope we don’t disregard the history of it all. There’s nothing wrong with preserving your past and being considerate of your  present as you determine your future.

What are your thoughts? Let me know!!

West Side Historia

I had the chance to see the touring production of West Side Story, the musical this weekend, so this post is about my experience. I was so excited, because WSS is without a doubt one of my favorite musical movies and I’ve done a few numbers in high school, so the chance to finally see it live was amazing. However, there were a few things that bothered me and I wanted to discuss.

First, I know that there was an attempt to modernize the show a bit, so in comparison to the original broadway production,  I ‘m not sure of what is new or not, but I couldn’t help but notice the use of a lot of ‘cuss’ words in Spanish. I liken it to hearing my imaginary ‘innocent’ child swearing to his friends in the school playground. It just didn’t sit well with me and I know I wasn’t alone. I could also hear the gasps from other Spanish speakers in the audience, who mostly likely grew up watching the movie version, like me, wondering were the magical pureness of the story went.

That brings me to my second observation. It appeared as if the characters and plot were more sex driven. It seems as if they tried to inject humour, but mostly in sexual innuendos. There was a lot of air-humping and many lines were said with a  sexual connotation, which again, messed with my expectations of a classic.

The last thing I’ll mention was the bilingual reworking of some of the lines and songs. Now, I know Spanish, so there wasn’t a fear of being lost in the translation and I checked with my “American” partner who was also able to follow the story, but once again, I was just bothered by it.  For me, it’s more than just the lyric and musical composition of a song that makes me fall in love with it , there’s also the sound of the letters and the words.

There are so many songs that I’ve heard in both languages and more often than not, prefer the Spanish version, but then there are classics which shouldn’t be touched, regardless of the original language, except perhaps improving the quality of instruments or the volume/clarity of the voice.

By now, you’re probably thinking that I’m giving it ‘two thumbs down’ or that I’m simply an irritated unsatisfied jerk, but that isn’t the case. Overall, I still loved it. The singing, dancing and acting were all great and again, it was such a thrill to see something like that ‘live’. I do recommend it to anyone who has the chance to see it, and for the younger generations who have never even heard of WSS, I think this could possibly be a great modern introduction to a fantastic classic musical.

Wow, I just had an epiphany! Now I know why old people complain all the time!! It’s because the world is changing around them and they don’t like it. That also means, I’m becoming one of them. Oh No!!!

Naw, I can’t end my post that way, so instead I’ll say that I’m just a giver, and I had “two cents” in my pocket, so I thought I’d give it..

Tis The Season For Aspirin

For me, the holidays are all about being with family and friends, as we all huddle together to reflect on the most wonderous year coming to a close, whilst sipping on a mug of apple cider, all dressed in festive cardigans. Then after the credits roll of whatever fictitious movie I was watching, I snap out of my day-dream and realize it’s time to go to the mall for the dreaded… X-MAS SHOPPING 2010!! (now on pay-per view…LOL)

The people who enter our lives are so diverse and need to be placed in so many different categories, it can make you dizzy. This becomes so evident once you begin going through the list of whom to shop for and what your credit card limit is.

There’s that person, whom you recently met and like a lot, but wonder, should you get them something? Have you reached that level in friendship? What if you don’t, then they do? (It’s always smart to have an emergency gift)
Then, there’s the one who says ‘times are tough, we should have a spending limit for each other’, as they put on their Gucci jacket and drive off in their Maserati, heading towards the mall for a ‘well-deserved spending splurge’ on themselves. What can I possibly get them other than a key chain?

Oh, how about the family. There’s the crazy aunt who insists on knitting her own gifts and that a fuchsia colored sweater is the perfect present for an adolescent male with low self-esteem. How do you return the favor, perhaps a Harley Davidson wife beater, X Large?

We can’t forget about co-workers.. Secret Santa is so much fun, unless you pull the name of the one person you don’t really know, or care for.. or both. What about the boss? What gift says ‘I really enjoy working for you and wanted to get you a really nice present’ while still hinting at ‘I am way too underpaid and overworked, have you thought about giving me a raise lately?’

Of course, we can’t forget the best friend who pesters you into telling them what to get you, only to disapprove. ‘Socks? That’s not a REAL Christmas gift! I’m not getting you that!’

It appears as if I’m nagging, but truly, for a holiday which many considered too commercialized, this is what I love about it. It’s a quick snapshot of the crazy, unpredictable, dysfunctional lives we have. I just wanted to take a moment to reflect on how beautifully abnormal our society is. Anyone’s got an aspirin?

Happy Holidays!! Can I Still Say That?

I’ve been meaning to write about this since last Christmas. First, I have to say that even though I question many parts of Christianity, I still consider myself a Christian and have always celebrated Christmas. I love Santa Claus, Frosty, gifts, Christmas trees and the whole nine yards. Growing up in New York City, I loved that time of the year especially and the city seems to get this magical feel which I assume can be appreciated by everyone, even those who do not celebrate.

Of course, now there’s the whole “War on Christmas” debate which is taken over the holidays and honestly, I don’t get it. It’s amazing how something which probably began as a trivial concern or question, has become a ‘War’ and personally, while non-Christians probably began this, both sides are acting immature and making a mountain out of a mole hill. I couldn’t imagine being Atheist, Jewish, Islamic, etc. and having an issue with the celebration of a religion, as long as no animals are harmed in the process (LOL).

Seriously though, this fight has become ridiculous, on both fronts and I find myself struggling to figure out how this mess truly began and who keeps fueling the fire. I can remember a few years back, saying ‘Happy Holidays” to someone and they turned to me, with a look of disapproval and replied ‘you mean, Merry Christmas, don’t you?’. As if he assumed I was, either not a Christian, or fooled by atheists into adapting their vernacular. As far as I’m concerned, I’ll say ‘Happy Hanukkah’ to my Jewish friends on Hanukkah, ‘Merry Christmas’ to my Christian friends on Christmas, etc. When I’m not sure, or when I want to wish someone well for the entire winter holiday season, I’ll say ‘Happy Holidays’. To both sides I say this: Know thy enemy, keep your war on the battlefield and let the joyful stay merry and happy..

One Degree of Separation

I’ve been with my current employer for 3 years now and while I am content and have no desire to leave my current position, I feel as if one of the most important routines you can adopt in your career life is to keep your options open. That is why I occasionally glance at job ads and openings.

Having moved back to Atlanta after many years, I was taken back by the number of positions requiring a college degree. Many do not mention experience as a substitute and many that do, still require a combination of experience with a college degree, just to be interviewed.

This has me feeling a little surprised and as if I’m considered ‘less than’ and unable to go toe to toe with a graduate. While I do not consider myself highly educated (on a continued level, at least), I do think that I’m intelligent, have years of experience in my field and would be an asset to any organization. I’ve found in the past that even those who prefer a college grad are highly impressed, once they’ve had the opportunity to meet with me. I happen to be one of those people who enjoy being interviewed while still being extremely nervous at the same time (I liken it to visiting a haunted house. Scary, but I keep going back for more and I get a bit of a rush from it )

I do understand the value of a higher education but also that every individual is different and that a person’s merit should not be solely based on whether they’ve had the means and/or time to attend university. Again, I can totally see how it’s a benefit and can say a lot about a person’s drive, intellect, etc. I just think that work experience is an additional and equal substitute for a degree and should be equally valuable. In the least, the door should be open for all to prove themselves.