Things that make you say WTF?

1. Sarah Palin Memoir

This should be akin to an issue of Highlights Magazine. Remember: What's Wrong With This Picture?
That is actually a valid question given the circumstances.



2. Donald Trump

Ok most of us managed to get over the hair. What I can't get over is that he makes all final decisions about who gets to keep their crown. Seriously? Why on earth would you have a Miss USA committee? What's the point of having a ruling body if you are going to usurp their process every time? I think the Donald wants to stay on good terms with these risqué beauty queens. After all, he will need a new wife soon. It's about time to trade in for a newer model.



3. Hardly any headlines about Octo-Mom...SHHHH!!!

Enough said. No really...enough said.



4. Nancy Pelosi

What a tangled web we weave when once we practice to tell 41 different versions of the “truth” and then get confused about which one we are saying to certain people…then just give up and claim ignorance…then say we were mislead. Can we impeach her already??? Is that even possible? I sure hope so.



5. Yet another Palin - Bristol

Now she is the national authority on teen pregnancy? Really? Hmm let's take inventory here. Mom is probably THE most famous or infamous Governor in the US now with an ever expanding source of income and means. There are about 40 other people she lives with to help her raise baby. Now that she gave birth she is hanging out with celebrities at star studded charity functions while trying pass as a struggling teen mom. I don't think so. Let's “cut” to the inner city (where teen pregnancy is an issue) and see a teen that gets pregnant while living at her single mother's cramped apartment which is located at the corner of Poverty Lane and Unemployment Avenue. Now THAT is something to scare the kids straight.



6. People calling 911

Can we distribute a flyer or something RE-explaining what 911 is actually for? Apparently some people think it's for complaints about their fast food order, while others use it to report their children not cleaning their room. Oh and then there was the call to 911 about a drug deal gone wrong! Calling Dr. Phil!!!!!



7. Swine Flu Hysteria

First it was THE worst thing in the history of "things". Then it was kill all the pigs. Then it was close all the schools! Then it was H1N1 which everyone ignored and continued calling it the Swine Flu. Then it was “not as bad as we thought”. Now 10,000 people have it. Can we all just wash our hands, stop picking our noses, and stop letting our kids lick each other in the face? Did anyone else see the Mexican "health dept. guy" handing out masks on the national evening news...with his mask only on his mouth but not his nose? Pull the mask up man... Levanta la máscara, hombre!! Problem solved.


Stay Free!

In Memoriam: Laying To Rest Friendships That Don't Work

In my relatively short time here on the planet we call Earth, I've already come to realize the need for putting to rest relationships that do not work. I recently had to pay my respects my best friend. Nobody died but the friendship certainly did. Sadly, he decided to travel down a path which I could not follow. Though we've shared deeply and cared for each other, it wasn't enough to save the friendship from the grave.


Before him, there was the other best friend, who was more like a brother near the end. We knew each other’s deep dark secrets. We shared our struggles and dreams alike. We cried together, laughed together, played basketball together, you name it. Life was fun with this friend in my life until our relationship was diagnosed with religion and died soon after.


I understand now, that as with the actual death of a loved one, it is best not to stay mired in the past, but rather remember it for what it was. There are some things that are just not meant to be and no amount of revisiting, apologies, or good intentions will change that. It's best for one’s health to accept the “death” and move forward. Friendships are living things which require much nurturing to stay alive. Once that is cut off it is only a matter of time before irreversible damage is done.


So, today I take a moment to mourn for the loss of my two best friends. I am thankful for the experience but realize that nothing can be done to bring them back. I accept this and tomorrow will bring a new day with new opportunities for friendship.


Stay Free!

Burning My Bibles - 32 Years In The Making

After 32 years of believing parables and red letters I've decided the only good use for a Bible is to build a roaring fire.




32 years of oppression and guilt. 32 years of “Do it because the Bible says to“...even if it's contrary to itself. 32 years of Old Testament vs. New Testament. 32 years of Post-tribulation or Pre-tribulation. 32 years of listening to Pastors of many different religions wield the words of the Bible like a firearm. 32 years of merry CHRISTmas. 32 years of showy musical spectacles. 32 years of Pastors weeping and begging for forgiveness for the hooker, hustler, altar boy, steeling, lying, cheating, or squandering. 32 years of sly and not so sly racism using the Word as a foundation. 32 years of conditional love. 32 years of believe or you will burn in hell. 32 years of "I was raised in church". 32 years of "give it to God". 32 years of Homosexuals are less than human, disgusting, perverted, hell-bound sinners. 32 years of Ted Haggards and secretly gay music ministers and parishioners. 32 years of the Bible is infallible, though it was written by those who are fallible. 32 years of witnessing on Wednesday and bad-mouthing Mormons on Sunday. 32 years of “mixed babies end up looking look like yellow chickens“. 32 years of never seeing anyone be able to live up to anything in the Bible. 32 years of watching the Tammy Fayes, the Jim Bakers, the Jimmy Swaggarts, and the Robert Tiltons of the world. 32 years of the Bible Belt. 32 years mindless adherence to an ideal that fails time and again. 32 years was 32 years too long.



It is finished.


Damned if I do, damned if I don't.


Stay Free!

A Need for Weed

Note: I was asked to write about the topic of legalizing marijuana. After much research on the topic and speaking with several people who use marijuana on a regular basis, I present the following piece. Additionally, I am FOR the legalization and regulation of marijuana for both medical and recreational uses.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

There are several things to consider. They are as follows:


Social Acceptance:

It’s apparent to me that there are millions of people around the world that are regular users of marijuana. Now, whether or not they will admit that openly is a whole other story. There are, in my best guess, millions more that have used the "drug" in the past. From all indications society is split on their views of using pot. There seem to be agendas on both sides of the debate. Of course, from the Christian conservative base comes much rhetoric about using pot. While they will turn a blind eye to smoking cigarettes, as long as you don't do it during the sermon, they are quick to campaign against other things they have not come to terms with. Taking that into consideration, one really can't do anything unless the church says it’s OK. Anyone who smokes weed is going to hell anyway, so why bother worrying about what they think?


Political / Economic Considerations:

There is a growing voice in the political world to legalize and/or decriminalize the use of marijuana. You might find it surprising to know that in 2008 a measure to remove most federal penalties for possession was presented by Rep. Barney Frank (DEM) and Rep. Ronald Paul (REP). There are other bi-partisan measures that have been offered up as well. So this has bi-partisan support that is real. I offer the following link for more information on this: http://www.mjlegal.org/legislation.html

Economically speaking we would free up billions of dollars in state and federal funds related to marijuana related arrests and court proceedings. The boost to the economy would be swift and considerable. If you add federal or state regulation to the equation there would be room for taxation which would also be an aide to the economy. As it stands now, the billions of dollars spent on the purchase of weed each year is money that is completely slipping through the government’s fingers.

Historically speaking, prohibition has never worked and has actually contributed to Black Market violence and crime. If we bring the use of pot out in the light of day it will take away the need for the Black Market and save lives.


Medical Concerns:

Everything I have found on the subject seems to be very one-sided regardless of which side you stand on. There are very limited studies that have been done to support the government's War on Drugs. It seems to me that most "evidence" is inconclusive at best. There have been some studies on the effect of weed on the brain. The most serious side effects seem to be related to memory loss.

There is a large movement of medical professionals and doctors that stand behind the use of marijuana for medical purposes. Doctors have been able to prove that pot has the capacity to reduce nausea and increase appetite which is helpful for Cancer and AIDS patients.

Then, there is the "gateway drug" argument by activist groups and others. I, for one, do not believe this applies to even the majority of people on the planet earth. I believe people become addicted to drugs based upon their predisposition to addictive behavior and other outside factors and influences such as mental health and social support systems.


Cutting to the Chase:

Let's get real here for a moment. There are literally hundreds of millions of people in this world who either have used or currently use pot. They are functioning members of society. Weed has been around since man stepped out of the cave, looked around, and said "this isn't so bad". Perhaps, rather, since Adam and Eve took the first "bite out of crime"...whichever ideal you happen to subscribe to. Either way the use of pot is not going away. Just like alcohol and tobacco before it, it's here to stay. I believe legalization and regulation would purify the product, reduce related crime, and prove to be a giant economic boost. We've done it the “War on Drugs” way and it's not working. Legalization just makes sense.

Stay Free!

Why Your Church May Be Going To Hell...

As a former Minister of Music, former Youth Minister, and former Church member, I find today's version of Church extremely disturbing.

While I find myself at odds with the traditional Church because of my sexuality, I've come to realize that it's much deeper than that. When I "came out" over 6 years ago, I was "lost at sea" when it came to my faith. The Church members who had declared their love for me as a "brother in Christ" were suddenly nowhere to be found. My closest friends who were a part of the Church were also gone. Their love had simply evaporated into thin air.

I struggled for the first year to find a place of faith and worship. I thought a "gay" Church was surely the answer to my needs. I visited a small Church with a gay Pastor and predominantly gay congregation. At first I felt at home. They were warm and welcoming. Shortly after I began my time there, it was discovered that I had a background in music and singing. I was asked time and again to contribute to the music ministry there, but was not at a place in my life where that was possible. I was still struggling for a place to live and my basic needs in life. I could not, in good conscience, commit to something like that. Soon, attitudes changed. The leadership grew cold. People stopped calling. I realized it was time to move on.

I rationalized at that point that I needed to be in a larger congregation. I thought this would help me be a little more anonymous and allow me to focus on my faith. I went to a Church in Dallas touted as the largest gay Church in the world. What I began to see in my time there, however, is that this Church was no different than any traditional version. It was a highly programmed, image conscious, political battlefield. It was a market-place. You know the kind Jesus might have destroyed with his bare hands back in the day. For all it's "glitz and glamour", it was still empty and hollow, straying wildly away from the central theme of love that the Bible teaches. It was the place to see and be seen.

This is when it occurred to me... It's not about whether the church is gay or gay-friendly, traditional or non-traditional. It's the majority of Churches today...they have spiraled into an era of hatred and intolerance. They hide behind various and differing interpretations to condone exclusion and to explain away anything they do not understand or agree with.

For the larger MEGA-Church, it is all about business. They have created a political climate that would make Washington lawmakers blush. Is this what Church was supposed to be? They are over-grown corporations with political power that rivals that of small countries. Every day of the week these days, churches are packed to capacity with people who have decided to blindly follow "the man". Then, they have the nerve to be upset when that "man" turns out to be nothing more than just that....a man. People have forgotten to use their own minds and hearts. They follow along without question, ready and willing to possibly follow a person right to the gates of Hell.

Think back to all that has been done in the name of religion or faith or Church: The Inquisition, The Holocaust, Salem Witch Trials, The French Wars of Religion, almost any Middle Eastern Conflict, and modern day "terrorism" from groups like Al Qaeda, just to name a few.

It's time we all stopped and asked ourselves both on personal and global level... What has religion really accomplished? If anything needs reform in this country or any other, it is Religion.

Stay Free!