Picking up from where my previous post left off is Todrick Hall’s latest video. Much thanks to JustDre for bringing this to my attention.
NOTE: This is most definitely not safe for work.
Move over Mean Girls – Regina George, Gretchen Wieners, Karen Smith and Cady Heron. This guy takes the whole pink thing on Wednesdays to a whole new (and kind of fabulous) level.
Apparently he didn’t get the black suit memo
One more example of why I watch PBS News Hour and have practically shunned all major news networks is their ‘reporting’ on Dennis Rodman’s visits to N. Korea. Major news networks and their cable news spinoffs pretend this is newsworthy, knowing there is no news value other than it feeds two monsters’ egos.
Nearly nobody on earth has any relations with Kim Jong Un of North Korea because of his (and his father’s) repressive regime. In a world of bad guys, his government is gunning for the gold. Yet, when a has-been NBA star craving the spotlight visits North Korea our news outlets feel compelled to report on his trips with a level of detail even our US Secretary of State, John Kerry, would envy.
What do you want to bet that Rodman’s relationship with North Korea’s Supreme Leader, Kim Jon Un, would end the minute nobody reported on his ‘diplomatic’ visit? This is a relationship based on two megalomaniacs. If the cameras stopped taping, this relationship would whither.
Stop giving both these jerks the attention they crave. The only people who would be upset if you stopped reporting on these fake diplomatic meetings would be the short, fat dictator of North Korea and this idiot former NBA player struggling to find relevance in a world that is tired of his antics.
Do you remember when girls and boys had ‘cooties’ or is that just a New England thing?
This photograph shows the reaction of the three girls when they saw the bride and groom kiss after getting married. #Priceless.
Last month my friend Sheraz Salahuddin posted an interesting article on his Facebook page from the Accidental Bear blog, Sexual Racism: When does your preference become racist? The full article written by Scott Roberts (@scottjsroberts), former news presenter on Gaydar Radio and editor of Pink News can be read on the UK blog, GMFA, here.
Roberts opens with “No Blacks and no Asians please”. A line if uttered anywhere – let’s say at a department store, on public transit or in a school – would (rightly so) result in a public uproar. However, in the world of gay online dating, phrases like this are almost commonplace and dismissed because it is perceived as sexual preference rather than a form of racism.
Roberts writes, “By writing “no Blacks, no Asians” on a profile, a person is basically announcing that they believe these two racial groups of people should be avoided sexually. It is their personal opinion, but when displayed in a public setting it constitutes prejudice, regardless of the context.” And I wholeheartedly agree.
I understand that physical attraction is a complicated thing and there may be many people who simply aren’t attracted to specific characteristics or physical attributes, but there are exceptions to every rule. Perhaps those who write such blanket statements are unaware of how such narrow-minded statements reflect upon them? I have similar issue with men who tell me they aren’t into femmes and nellies but that is a post for another time.
I recognize that the world of online ‘dating’ is often all about finding Mr. Right Now rather than Mr. Right – but what does it say about a community that struggles to end both legal and social discrimination if we can’t treat each other as equals – let alone common decency?
Has conservative US representative, Aaron Schock, had his glass closet shattered? This weekend journalist Itay Hod’s Facebook post caused quite a stir when he wrote, “here’s a hypothetical: what if you know a certain GOP congressman, let’s just say from Illinois, is gay… and you know this because one of your friends, a journalist for a reputable network, told you in no uncertain terms that he caught that GOP congressman and his male roommate in the shower… together.” You can read more on Towleroad here.
Schock has made a career of repeatedly taking aim at the gay community but does he deserve being outed? If the accusations have merit, I say without reserve – absolutely.
Boston’s Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Transgendered Youth (BAGLY) has recently expanded its program and office space and is open 5-days a week, providing a larger scope of services for LGBTQ youth.
BAGLY is looking to everyone in the community to help them name their new space and I wanted to encourage readers to get creative. To offer a name for their new space link here, www.bagly.org/name.
BAGLY’s naming contest closes on February 1, 2014
ABOUT: BAGLY is a youth led, adult supported social support organization, committed to social justice, and creating, sustaining and advocating for programs, policies and services for the LGBTQ youth community.
Boston’s South End has a high concentration of bakeries and cafes so I enlisted the help of three South End residents to take part in a blind tasting to determine who makes the best chocolate chip cookies in the neighborhood. I did not partake in the voting but organized the tasting that included (alphabetically): Appleton Bakery, Berkeley Perk Cafe, Blunch, Flour Bakery, Jaho Coffee & Tea, Render Coffee, South End Buttery and The Wholy Grain.
Without a doubt the clear favorite by all three tasters was The South End Buttery chocolate chip cookie that received a rating of 81.5 out of a possible 90 points. This cookie scored high in all three categories: taste, appearance and size.
Tasters commented that the cookie was soft and full of delicious chocolate chips. Honorable mentions should also go to Flour Bakery and Render Cafe which came in second and third by the reviewers. Listed below is the complete ranking and score of those bakeries and cafes sampled along with the cost.
Much thanks to Ben Samson, Ryan Losey and Dr. Julian D’Achille, South End residents and chocolate chip cookie aficionados who acted as judges for this blind tasting.
*Greenlight Cafe and Stella Cafe were not included because they were not open at the time of purchase. National chains in the South End were not eligible for consideration.
It is back to the weekly grind. Have a good Monday.
Mayor Menino first assumed the office as Mayor of Boston in 1993. His support for the LGBT community has been second to none and he will be missed. You will always be my Mayor.
HBO’s newest series, Looking, may make Sunday nights a lot more interesting. Two weeks from tonight at 10:30 pm on January 19th Looking will premiere on HBO. According to the series website, Looking, offers the unfiltered experiences of three close friends living in modern-day San Francisco. The trio’s stories intertwine and unspool dramatically as they search for happiness and intimacy.
I find myself drawn to gay-themed movies and stories and hope that HBO’s track record for making entertaining hit series extends to Looking. I’ll definitely be tuning in on the 19th.
Next Sunday Boston will join cities from around the world for the annual No Pants Subway Ride on Sunday, January 12, 2014.
Sergio and I have been attending this event for the past few years and it is easily one of our favorites. If you’ve never been before, give it a try – you’d be surprised by how fun it is. You can learn more about the event and the Boston Society of Shenanigans who organize the Boston event, by linking here and don’t forget to RSVP for the post-party.
Here is a quick video I pulled together from last year.
Don’t look at me that way. It is time to get up. Enjoy the day guys.
Vacant space at 520 Harrison Avenue in the South End (most recently used by Mitchell Gold as a pop up store) is being converted into a trendy new home for Phillipostyle. According to the signage outside, the new home will operate as a hair salon and day spa providing manicures, pedicures and massages.
I’m happy to see a new business coming into this space but based on the amount of work that still needs to be done, it appears that Phillipostyle is still several weeks away from opening. I tried calling the number they provide outside for details (857) 362-7410 but never heard back from them.
BosGuy 