New Year Update

First, thank you to Calvin for spending some time with me on New Year’s Day. It was a very pleasant time and a joy to meet him in person. Hope we meet again under happier circumstances this year.

Fevers are fewer these days.

Meds are fewer now, too. Mostly IV stuff.

When released, will need to be infused daily with anti-biotic and anti-fungal med.

PT continues to help with the walking and stairs.

No need for oxygen right now.

Eating to gain weight - not much success, so far.

Found more PERN books to hold me over and keep me relatively sane. Since I’m awake at all hours, I keep the Nexus 7 charged at all times.

May be out of here before the weekend, but don’t know where yet. Linda returns from Holiday in Ireland this weekend, so I’ve that to look forward to. 

It’s been suggested that I find a tasteful walking stick (not a walker, please!) to help my balance when I’m out and about.  Something to go with my style, you know - - vertical.

Will ask Jeffrey to scope out retailers to see what they’ve got to offer. I don’t want one of those cheap, aluminum medical devices.  Something with a little class that I’d be proud to be seen with in public.

Have met two very nice hospital employees recently. Both Latino and both anxious to talk about being gay in Rehoboth. Very sweet guys. Keep me occupied for an hour or so, which is damned nice of them. One is a CNA and the other works in Maintenance. They say they’ve been praying for me since I arrived last month. Little surprised by those remarks, but I’ll take it.

People never cease to amaze me.

Still amazed.

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Support Courage Campaign Institute - Shop Amazon

This only just arrived via email and since I do a lot of shopping at Amazon I think it's a great idea to help support the CCI. A worthwhile, progressive organization.

I don't give to charities much anymore. I give to St. Jude's Children's Hospital and The Ali Forney Centers and they are the only ones to get any cash. I find most others too wasteful for my taste.

Before I hear the Amazon complaints I'll just say that I shop with Amazon, not only for the prices and service, but because there are no viable brick and mortar stores within 50 miles of where I live and I will not shop at Wal*Mart.  There are other fave go-to-spots for specific items on the Interwebs, but in general Amazon covers the other bases.

Shopping local is my first priority, even if the price is a bit higher, but driving 50 or 80 miles to Malls is out of the question.  If I find it at Amazon (I'm already a Prime Member for books & movies) and two-day shipping is free, that's where I'll get what I need.

So, if you're not in the mood to hassle the long drive, or brave the crazies at the Malls, check out Amazon for just about anything and everything (I've learned this over the years) and get it within 3 to 5 days - 2-day free shipping if you're a Prime member. Make sure your purchase is eligible for the donation.

Here's the email:
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Dear Friend, At Courage, we hope that you support and shop at small businesses. But if you're planning to use Amazon.com for your holiday purchases and beyond, please use AmazonSmile -- a program that allows small, non-profit organizations LIKE COURAGE CAMPAIGN to raise money from Amazon purchases. At no cost to you, Amazon will donate a .5% of the price to Courage Campaign for every eligible purchase you make! So why not get some of your holiday shopping done WHILE supporting a good cause? CLICK HERE to support our progressive campaigns while shopping on Amazon. You can keep doing this all through 2015! Want to make it easy to use our AmazonSmile link in the future? Bookmark this link and save it as ‘Amazon.’ It's a simple and automatic way to support Courage Campaign every time you shop at Amazon. With your purchases, you'll be helping Courage continue to fight for progressive values, equality, justice, and accountability for politicians and corporations, while training and organizing activists to change their communities. And to top it off, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate an extra $5 to Courage Campaign for each customer who makes an eligible purchase using this link, so get shopping! Thank you for your support and Happy Holidays! Paul, along with Annie, Eddie, Laura, Lindsay, Michael, Scottie, and Tim (the Courage team)

Courage Campaign fights for a more progressive California and country. We are an online community powered by more than 900,000 members. The Courage Campaign Institute is the educational arm of the Courage Campaign family of organizations. Our mission is to defend and extend human rights through innovative leadership development, training, strategic research, and public education. http://www.couragecampaign.org?akid=1373.654996.Ur-96Q

Just a Thought: Punishment

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Throwback Thursday: A Two-fer

Shot in the same hotel room 10 years apart. How strange is that?

1992: Washington, DC October weekend.  March on Washington for Equal Rights and the last display of the entire Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt. It just got too big and fragile after so many years. Spent more time at the Quilt than in the march because that's where I was needed.

2002: Washington, DC October weekend. March on Washington against the War in Iraq. Dressed for the ordination of a friend which happened to be the same weekend. I offered the Prayers of the People during the ceremony.

Yep!  Same room, same hotel.  I never noticed it before now. What are the odds?

And so it goes.
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Just a Thought: Training

You're never too young to learn to live

in a Police State.

More later.
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Possibly Good News

Two nurses from the Cancer Research Department sought me out today.  Their job is to find studies or trials that are suitable for current patients and try to match them up, hopefully getting a spot for a patient, like me, who has few other options.

The good news is that the NIH and Mayo Clinic run studies periodically and I may be eligible for one or more of those - if they begin again in the Fall. From what I gather some are studies, others are clinical trials for specific drugs. 

The NIH study could be based anywhere from Maryland to New York, to Florida. The Mayo studies could take place in Minnesota, Florida, or New York in the US, and France or The Netherlands. No word about whether housing is provided or there is a nominal fee, and/or how long the studies, or trials, run.  Again, it seems a study can last anywhere from 4 to 12 weeks. 

Not sure about how the drug trials work. Of course, if the drug isn’t FDA approved, the trials would take place in another country, but may include Americans willing to travel (read desperate for options) abroad for an extended period of time. Any of you medical professionals out there will know more about this than I.

Of course, I would keep the apartment here, unless otherwise instructed. I have nothing holding me anywhere, so it doesn’t matter. But this news gives me hope where there was little to none beforehand.

Without getting his hopes up, this Cajun is optimistic.

And so it goes.

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Exxon - Mobil Will Comply

No hissy fits, so far.  Hey! it’s big money, you know.

Please note: I’m old.  I remember these things. 

Before the Merger with Exxon, Mobil Oil already had a non-discrimination policy and offered benefits to Lesbian & gay couples/families.  All that disappeared after the merger and seems to have been forgotten. I haven’t purchased their products since well before the merger, and still won’t.

So, this is good news on so many levels, especially after 15 long years of rejection by the shareholders and corporate heads. 

From the AP:
IRVING, Texas — Exxon Mobil Corp. has said it will comply with the new protections for gay and transgender employees required of federal contractors, while still sidestepping the question of whether it will formalize that by changing the language of its corporate policy.
Following President Barack Obama's signing of an executive order Monday expanding protections for federal workers and contractors from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, the Labor Department has 90 days to issue regulations for how employers must comply.
Exxon, which according to government records won more than $480 million in federal contracts in 2013 and more than $8 billion since 2006, has long resisted pressure from civil rights groups and shareholders to enumerate such protections in its formal policy.
The world's biggest oil and gas company by market value will continue to "abide by the law," spokesman Alan Jeffers said Tuesday.
He wouldn't say if that meant changing the language in the company's formal equal employment opportunity policy, but stressed that Exxon prohibits "discrimination on any basis."

The rest is HERE.

I'm not sure if the originally covered Mobil employees were grandfathered in to the new company and were allowed to keep their benefits, or if they became instant second class citizens. Haven’t been able to track that one down, yet.

Yes, corporations are people.  Keep saying that over and over.

And so it goes.

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Just a Thought: Sick Birds?

Where to take them, then?

"Win, We Must…"

"For Our Cause Is Just…."    Stupid!

Have a look at this new poll, please:

37% of Mississippi GOPers Would Back Confederates in New Civil War.

A new Public Policy Polling survey found that 37 percent of Republicans who voted in the Mississippi primary runoff election between incumbent Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) and state Sen. Chris McDaniel (R) said they would back the Confederate side if there was another Civil War.

Let me hear it once more about the “new” South. Just as lost in the past as the Old South.

The rest is HERE.

And so it goes.

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Bye Archie. Ya Done Good.

It is very strange - a world without Archie - but the way he's going out is totally in character.  With dignity, courage, and class.

And so it goes.
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GOP Self Destruction is Complete

From Ana Marie Cox (the original Wonkette) at the Guardian. This is one reason I read the European news outlets.  You wouldn't see stories like this one in the American press anymore:

Conservatives are stuck in a perpetual outrage loop. The reappearance of Todd Akin, the horror-movie villain immortality of Sarah Palin, the unseemly celebration of the Hobby Lobby decision – these all speak to a chorus of "la-la-la-can't-hear-you" loud enough to drown out the voice of an entire generation. Late last week, the Reason Foundation released the results of a poll about that generation, the millennials; its signature finding was the confirmation of a mass abandonment of social conservatism and the GOP. This comes at a time when the conservative movement is increasingly synonymous with mean-spirited, prank-like and combative activism and self-important grand gestures. The millennial generation has repeatedly defined itself as the most socially tolerant of the modern era, but one thing it really can't stand is drama.
Republicans were already destined for piecemeal decimation due to the declining numbers of their core constituency. But they don't just have a demographic problem anymore; they have stylistic one. The conservative strategy of outrage upon outrage upon outrage bumps up against the policy preferences and the attitudes of millennials in perfect discord.
We all can recognize the right's tendency to respond to backlash with more "lash" (Akin didn't disappear, he doubled down on "legitimate rape"), but it seems to have gained speed with the age of social media and candidate tracking. The Tea Party's resistance to the leavening effect of establishment mores and political professionals has been a particularly effective accelerant. Palin's ability to put anything on the internet without any intermediary has rendered her as reckless as any tween with a SnapChat account. Akin's whiny denouncement of Washington insiders is likely to make him more credible with a certain kind of base voter. The midterms are, as we speak, producing another round of Fox News celebrities, whether or not they win their races: the Eric Cantor-vanquishing David Brat, Mississippi's Chris McDaniel and the hog-castrating mini-Palin, Jodi Ernst of Iowa.

The rest is HERE.

More later.
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Because... Baby Jeebus

A few weeks ago, tired of staring at this sorry-ass face of mine, I decided it might be interesting to re-grow my beard. I had one for many years. (As you will see if you stop by TBT most all photos show a bearded me.  About 25 years.) 

Since I’m losing hair everywhere else - due to genetics or the Chemo - sprouting facial hair has been a nice diversion.  The doctors and nurses love it.  Shop owners and friendly cashiers like it, too. Love to stroke it, run their hands through it…you get the idea. Everyone is amazed at how quickly it grew out (I’ve already had to trim it) in less than a month.

So you can imagine my surprise today when I was confronted by a Xristian Xrazy in reference to the fuzzy face, who laid it on me about my going straight to Hell.  Yep!  That’s what she said. And she's  good friends with the baby Jeebus, so you know it's true.

As she sat on the boardwalk bench beside me, she explained that only Muslim men wear beards (Not a Duck Dynasty fan?) and that baby Jeebus would be confused, probably not recognize me as Xristian with facial hair. (Never mind historical facts, they count for nothing here; think blond-haired blue-eyed Jeebus with his smart, fashionable, wispy goatee.) And since He doesn’t like to be confused (evidently, it upsets him no end) He will deny my entrance to heaven and send me - forthwith - to Hades without so much as asking a single question. So, there!

Here I am looking about as much like a Muslim as Elmer Fudd; dressed in cargo shorts, sport shirt, Inkkas, shades, and sporting my festive chapeau. I wanted to laugh, but she was dead serious and I didn’t want the police to remove a crazy person from my tired old body.  Instead, I told her I would shave as soon as I got home.  That I had no idea that Jeebus would be annoyed or confused. She was fine with that.

Though I must say, when I caught a glimpse of my refection in a shop window later on, I looked like some character who had fallen out of a Tennessee Williams novel - hat and all! I laughed my head off. 

Anyway, she was appeased and moved on to another bench to see what she could find that Jeebus would be offended by with the next poor soul in her path. 

Then the fog began to lift.  Seriously.  There was pea soup fog this morning and as I made my way back to the car, the sun began burning it off, turning the day into a sunny and mild one - whenever people decided to wake up and enjoy it.

No, I did not shave off my beard for Baby Jeebus. I figure if he can’t recognize me - clothed, naked, bearded or clean shaven, his observation skills suck, he's a shitty prophet, and he ain’t much of a Son of God.

I need a glass of wine!

And so it goes.

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UPDATE:  I wonder if my xristian xrazie lady flew in with the super moon? I forgot it was saturday. 

Civics Lessons, Anyone?

I'd hope that this has been PhotoShopped, but it seems pretty close to the reality of the thinking of the Crazies in this country.

More later.
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R.I.P. Little Jimmy Scott

Such sad news. One of my all-time fave vocalists with the rarest talent musically, has passed away. I wrote about him previously, even posted a link to a YouTube music video, too. His voice could make a grown man weep. His control, phrasing and overall mastery of his voice kept him going after years of being ripped off.

From the Guardian:

Jimmy Scott, the US jazz singer whose haunting contralto voice won him acclaim over the course of more than seven decades, has died at the age of 88.
Scott's wife, Jeanie, said her husband died in his sleep at his Las Vegas home on Thursday. He had battled health problems stemming from a genetic hormone deficiency and had been under the care of a home nurse. Jeanie Scott said her husband stopped touring two years ago but continued recording. He's expected to be buried in Cleveland.
The vocalist, whose first major hit was Everybody's Somebody's Fool in 1949 alongside the Lionel Hampton Band, gathered new generations of fans during the 1960s and in the 1990s when he toured with Lou Reedand sang on the track, Sycamore Trees, for the series finale of Twin Peaks.
Born into a family of 10 in Cleveland, Ohio, on 17 July 1925, Scott sang in a church choir as a child. His signature high voice came from Kallmann's syndrome, which kept him from experiencing puberty and stunted his growth. He stood just under five feet as an adultand his voice did not change.
Although that trait ultimately helped Scott stand out as a singer, he also suffered from congestive heart failure and had a lifestyle that included heavy drinking and smoking.
Despite his youthful sound, Scott brought heavy emotion to his delivery, often dramatically drawing out lyrics and singing far behind the beat. The technique won praise from Billie Holiday, Nancy Wilson and Madonna, who after seeing him perform in 1994 told the New York Times that Scott was the only singer who ever made her cry.
"Jimmy had soul way back when people weren't using the word," Ray Charles once said in a PBS documentary on the history of jazz.
The album Falling in Love Is Wonderful came out in the 1960s and is widely considered to be his masterpiece, although he largely disappeared from view until his 1990s career revival. His 1992 album All the Way sold only 49,000 copies in the United States but earned him cult-like popularity in Europe and Asia, particularly Japan, where he often sold out performances.
A record label dispute prevented Scott from making an album in the 1950s produced by Ray Charles. Scott's previous record company, Savoy Records, said it had an exclusive, lifetime contract with him, and the company blocked Scott's efforts to release new records for nearly 20 years.
Savoy Records dropped the matter in the 1970s. By that time, Scott had returned to Cleveland, where he worked as a hotel clerk and nursing home aide.
Scott performed at Dwight Eisenhower's and Bill Clinton's presidential inaugurations and was inducted into the R&B Music Hall of Fame in 2013.
His wife Jeanie said on Friday: "He was an Earth angel. He was different from any person I ever met. He was kind, humble. Everyone he met he made them feel special. He had a hard life, but he didn't hold any resentment."
Describing Scott to the Observer in 2010, the Amercian singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens said : "He sang in this lilting, odd, almost grandmotherly voice, but it was also so youthful. It was like he was extremely old and extremely young simultaneously.

And so it goes.

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Congratulations Wisconsin

"It is DECLARED that art. XIII, § 13 of the Wisconsin Constitution violates plaintiffs' fundamental right to marry and their right to equal protection of laws under the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution."

From Freedom To Marry:

“Today’s decision out of Wisconsin marks the twentieth consecutive ruling by a federal or state judge since last year that a discriminatory state marriage ban is unconstitutional. Across the country, the courts agree: same-sex couples and their families need the dignity of marriage, and anti-marriage laws are indefensible. With over 70 marriage cases now making their way through the courts, today's decision in Wisconsin underscores that all of America is ready for the freedom to marry. It's time now for the Supreme Court to bring resolution nationwide.”

And it is good brother.  And it was God-Damned Good!

And so it goes.

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Historic Presidential Proclamation

Since June is officially Pride Month, I’ve saved this for today. 

Never thought this could be a reality in my lifetime. I thought marriage equality was surprise enough, but this?  I’m happy that I’ve lived to see it happen.

30 May, 2014

"As progress spreads from State to State, as justice is delivered in the courtroom, and as more of our fellow Americans are treated with dignity and respect -- our Nation becomes not only more accepting, but more equal as well. During Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month, we celebrate victories that have affirmed freedom and fairness, and we recommit ourselves to completing the work that remains.

"Last year, supporters of equality celebrated the Supreme Court's decision to strike down a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act, a ruling which, at long last, gave loving, committed families the respect and legal protections they deserve. In keeping with this decision, my Administration is extending family and spousal benefits -- from immigration benefits to military family benefits -- to legally married same-sex couples.

"My Administration proudly stands alongside all those who fight for LGBT

rights. Here at home, we have strengthened laws against violence toward LGBT Americans, taken action to prevent bullying and harassment, and prohibited discrimination in housing and hospitals. Despite this progress, LGBT workers in too many States can be fired just because of their sexual orientation or gender identity; I continue to call on the Congress to correct this injustice by passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. And in the years ahead, we will remain dedicated to addressing health disparities within the LGBT community by implementing the Affordable Care Act and the National HIV/AIDS Strategy -- which focuses on improving care while decreasing HIV transmission rates among communities most at risk.

"Our commitment to advancing equality for the LGBT community extends far beyond our borders. In many places around the globe, LGBT people face persecution, arrest, or even state-sponsored execution. This is unacceptable. The United States calls on every nation to join us in defending

the universal human rights of our LGBT brothers and sisters.

"This month, as we mark 45 years since the patrons of the Stonewall Inn defied an unjust policy and awakened a nascent movement, let us honor every brave leader who stood up, sat in, and came out, as well as the allies who supported them along the way. Following their example, let each of us speak for tolerance, justice, and dignity -- because if hearts and minds continue to change over time, laws will too. 

"NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2014 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to eliminate prejudice everywhere it exists, and to celebrate the great diversity of the American people. 

"IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-eighth." - Barack Obama.

Proud of the years I spent with the Gay Activists Alliance and the Gay Liberation Front. They had no money and little support from closeted well-to-do gays. We were angry, scared, pissed, had guts, and more than a few dreams. The image below is that of my friend Craig Rodwell, standing outside of his book store, The Oscar Wilde Booke Shop on Christopher Street, 1969.

And so it goes.

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Survey: Cat People are Smarter Than Dog People

I'll not say another word.  Only, pass the pop corn, this is going to be fun!  From Live Science:

SAN FRANCISCO — "Dog people" and "cat people" really do have different personalities, according to a new study.
People who said they were dog lovers in the study tended to be more lively — meaning they were more energetic and outgoing — and also tended to follow rules closely. Cat lovers, on the other hand, were more introverted, more open-minded and more sensitive than dog lovers. Cat people also tended to be non-conformists, preferring to be expedient rather than follow the rules.
And in a finding that's sure to spark rivalries among pet owners, cat lovers scored higher on intelligence than dog lovers. [Here, Kitty, Kitty: 10 Facts for Cat Lovers]
Part of the reason for the personality differences may be related to the types of environments cat or dog people prefer, said study researcher Denise Guastello, an associate professor of psychology at Carroll University in Waukesha, Wisconsin, who presented the findings here at the annual Association for Psychological Science meeting.
"It makes sense that a dog person is going to be more lively, because they're going to want to be out there, outside, talking to people, bringing their dog," Guastello said. "Whereas, if you're more introverted, and sensitive, maybe you're more at home reading a book, and your cat doesn't need to go outside for a walk."
The researchers surveyed 600 college students, asking whether they would identify themselves as dog lovers or cat lovers, and what qualities they found most attractive in their pets. Participants also answered a slew of questions to assess their personality.

The rest is here.  Have fun.

More later.

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Congratulations, Pennsylvania

Let the good times roll!  This is just too good.

Has Rick Santorum's head exploded yet! He recommended the judge. #Pennsylvania#gaymarriage— Mike Signorile (@MSignorile) May 20, 2014

And Frothy's isn't the only wing-nut head likely to explode. The usual suspects are in an absolute tizzy this morning. Oh well, hater gonna hate.

More later.
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Operation American Spring?

Well, that was fast.  Bwwaaaaahahahahahahaha!

Yes, well...

And so it goes.
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Michael & Vito

Since this photo - and related video was released the so-called media hounds have been apoplectic in their attempts to identify the smaller white guy wrapped in Michael’s arms sucking face.

Well, his name is Vito Cammisano, who was on the swim team - and OUT athlete - at the same university as Michael.  I think they make a handsome couple.  I don’t care what the homophobic sports jocks think.

As you may know, I am not a fan of American (grunt) Football.  I prefer soccer, for obvious reasons. That's another story. But, I do have one major concern, however. And that is accidents (or otherwise major injuries) to Michael on the playing field.  Call me paranoid, but I don’t trust the locker room mentality of these guys, most of whom cannot write an intelligent sentence or speak in words of more than 2 syllables. If you get my drift.

Still, I think they make a great couple and wish them both well.

More later.

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