Attacking spam on the blog

I held off on comments moderation as long as possible, but the spam rats have really burrowed in deep lately.

Sorry for the superfluous comments posted from unscrupulous spammers. I have tried to delete many of them, but it has become an overwhelming task.

So please, with your patience, don't mind the comments moderation step now added. I will get your comments posted promptly - promise.

Unknown trouble getting through

To my blogger friends -- for those of you using the "verify yourself by typing the letters you see here" system -- it simply is not working for me. I KNOW I am typing the correct characters -- 8 times -- and I am never allowed to post. Not sure why that is, but it keeps happening... I have used my "American" keyboard and my "Portuguese" keyboard. If you have a suggestion - send me an email. I want to communicate with you.

Ray - your duck video was amazing.

Shelly - I want to congratulate you on your podcast.

And others...

jim

Amazing and historic speach by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on LGBT rights - wow!

Amazing - increduible - historic - and unbelieveable comments by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in front of the United Nations. We are making progress!

Listen to these remarks!

Remembering 9-11

I have already ranted on Facebook about my impatience with those who want to create a big drama on this 10 year anniversay.

In this case I am reposting a video I first saw on  Luasol's Nova Capitulo de Minha Vida blog.

Thank you Jane.

Remember to Love.

Missing US Gay Culture

I miss talkin’ trash, gay style. Throwin’ some shade; spillin’ some tea; workin’ my chicken neck (which I learned in high school in Detroit).

It’s not for everyone, but, Jonny McGovern is a gay comedian who produces a LONG podcast that is totally US gay, southern California/New York style.  Very fun when you are cooking all afternoon.

If you are not hip to gay/lesbian- speak and want to be a voyeur, check it out.

Go to iTunes and search for Gay Pimpin’ with Jonny McGovern.

Love you Jonny!

Afterbirthers demand to see President Obama's placenta

This just in from The Onion. [Off topic, I know, but I couldn't help myself!]

ISSUE 45•35

WASHINGTON–In the continuing controversy surrounding the president's U.S. citizenship, a new fringe group informally known as "Afterbirthers" demanded Monday the authentication of Barack Obama's placenta from his time inside his mother's womb. "All we are asking is that the president produce a sample of his fetal membranes and vessels—preferably along with a photo of the crowning and delivery—and this will all be over," said former presidential candidate and Afterbirthers spokesman Alan Keyes, later adding that his organization would be willing to settle for a half-liter of maternal cord plasma. "To this day, the American people have not seen a cervical mucus plug, let alone one that has been signed and notarized by a state-certified Hawaiian health official. If the president was indeed born in the manner in which he claims, then where is his gestation sac?" Keyes said that if Obama did not soon produce at least a bloody bedsheet from his conception, Afterbirthers would push forward with efforts to exhume the president's deceased mother and inspect the corpse's pelvic bone and birth canal

Cream that egg

I'll be back with a post soon. Times are busy. In the mean time... this is fun.

Artistic diversion

ust when you think you’ve seen it all over here at Qualidade de Vida – the plain, the simple, the relaxed, the all wound up, the vacationing, the hard(ly) working – here’s an off-topic bit.

I spend a lot of time in front of my computer.  I download and watch television series, movies and documentaries. I never miss a Rachel Maddow broadcast. I listen to Dan Savage give piercing sex column advice via iTunes. I go TasteSpotting for new and inspiring recipes. And occasionally I stumble on a site that opens up a whole new area of interest I never knew I had.

This site: Daily Drop Cap is a really cool place to find artistic typefaces by loads of artists.  While the site is a project of designer Jessica Hische, she hosts guest artists as well.  Who knew typefaces could be so fun?!  And she encourages you to use her work on your blog.

Explore her Daily Drop Cap site as well as her personal site (with blog).

Nice.

Pucker faces

My latest ‘torrent’ affair is with the TV series “Being Human,” the US version.  The lead vampire character is played by Sam Witwer.  He’s got this weird look about him that is so distracting.  Something cute, but something strange.  Like a sour puss cutie pea.

Then I placed it.  I think Witner and Renée Zellweger are of the same spawn.

[Talk about off topic…]

Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere




My friend for many years, COLAGE Director Beth Teper.

Please take 15 minutes and watch this.  It's a new film by a very important youth group.

It may seem off topic for an expat blog -- but this topic has been a priority for me for nearly 20 years.  As an activist in San Francisco so many years ago I instantly saw the power and primacy of supporting the children of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer parents.

I have been a financial supporter of COLAGE (formerly: Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere -- and now COLAGE: People with a Lesbian, Gay, Bisxual, Transgender, or Queer Parent) from the beginning.  They have inspired me since before I had the knowledge of coming from such a family.

What sets this youth-led, organic, powerful, civil rights organization apart is their media savvy.  They have figured out how to share authentic personal stories with the media in a way that combats the "news makers" from slicing and dicing their remarks into sound bites to further hateful agendas. 

And every minute along the way they have been supporting children, youth and young adults from LGBTQ families with love and encouragement.  Their history and impact is inspiring to me.  They make me want to open my checkbook!

Just watch…

And if you want to support their work, check out this site.

"Don't Ask Don't Tell" finally hits the trash bin

While I intend this blog to be about how Luiz and I are thriving in Brazil, there are a few occasions wherein I stray from that focus.  Usually it has something to do with US politics, and more specifically, US politics as it affects our lives as gay men.

So I’m sure you’ve heard: the Congress has repealed the punishing and hypocritical “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law that our last disappointing Democratic president put into place.  (Nobody disappoints like an ally.)

Credit where it is due: President Obama has made good on a promise and has done so in a politically solid way.  He has beaten the Republicans at their own game – although I’m sure Senator McCain is not finished with his temper tantrums.

But can I work up a lather about allowing LGB people (note: trans folk are not included in this ‘victory’) to serve as pawns for the political elites who would send our armed forces to invade and/or destroy (and die, don’t forget) for invariably political purposes?  Not so much…

I have been walking an anti-war walk since I first understood what that meant.  Fighting to let ‘gays’ serve in the military has never been a top priority for me.

But then – the US military is the LARGEST employer in the United States.  Ending employment discrimination IS a top priority for me.  And for this reason I am glad that the military ban against LGB people has been lifted.

Lots of people have lots of reasons why joining the military makes sense for them.  I will not stand in opposition to all that.  I do, however, look forever with a critical eye on what and why the military is doing what it is doing – and who is telling them to do it.

But today is a day of victory for equal rights in the workplace.  I’ll take it.

Kicking butt

This one is for Rachel...

Diesel recently launched a new ad campaign promoting their sneakers and the theme focuses on how much their shoes are "great for kicking asses."   Check out this ad.

Can we bury this controversy?

Ok - I know this is a blog about Luiz and my life in Brazil, but forgive me if I continue to feel the pinch of injustice against LGBT folks in my country of birth, especially in the state where we recently lived for the past 24 years.

Here is a great video that takes on the propoganda against gay marriage in California (and elsewhere).  Make no mistake, this battle has not been won.  Talk to your friends and family. Check it out.

Gone fishing

You know you have too much time on your hands when...

Check out how the fish follow your mouse hoping to get fed. Click your mouse to feed them.

OK Go diversion

From the guys who gave us the treadmill dance video.

[I particularly like the goose that won't get out of the shot -- probably a drag queen.]

Broken hearts and dead birds

[image source]

I know it seems off-topic, but I cannot sit quietly by. The news reports and images of the BP underwater oil gusher in the Gulf of Mexico are horrifying and heartbreaking.

If you dare - there are more shocking images here.

This is one heck of a cautionary tale for Brazil, where deep sea oil deposits have been recently identified off the coast of Rio de Janeiro state. The oil rush is on with coastal communities experiencing economic booms in anticipation of future extraction activities.

Two of my students are oil industry engineers. I have asked them about their thoughts regarding the BP disaster. Unfortunately they are true engineers: “That will not happen in our case,” they say. I wish I could believe them.

Don't ask, don't tell

Talk about “off topic.” But I can’t help myself. I may live in Brazil, but I still feel the beat of US pop culture and follow current US politics. (But, truth be told, without my young students I would not feel the beat of Lady Gaga.)

In this case we have an overlap of the logical pending repeal of the “Don’t Ask – Don’t Tell” policy in the US military and the demonstrated modern reality of young people serving in the military. Don’t get me started.

Check this out. First we have a video made by US troops in Afghanistan. (They must be sooo board.) They, now famously, remade the Lady Gaga “Telephone” video. The original is here. Very fun. And there is even some mainstream media analysis at the Washington Post about what it all means. Check it out.  Gotta love it.



Then we have a competing video by other soldiers, in Iraq, with time on their hands. This one spoofs all the controversy about letting gays serve in the military.



In the end I find fighting for the right to join the military a bit antithetical to my more anti-military point of view. It is a bit weird. I would not encourage anyone to join the military. But as the US military is the largest employer in the country, it is important that they have a non-discrimination policy. Pure and simple.

And it seems apparent that the guys (and likely the gals) in the forces are OK with that.

Just for fun

Really wild visuals.  Hypnotic music.  Check it out.

Ready, Able by Grizzly Bear

US Republican leaders are liars (again)

Sorry to go off topic, but we have another fight underway in Washington - this time for financial regulatory reform - and the Republican leadership is again shameless in their deceptive characterizations and fear mongering.

As my old, dear, and missed friend Sister Martin used to say: "Tell the truth and shame the devil!"

I don't know about you, but Luiz and I got KILLED in the financial collapse of a couple years ago. That is money lost forever - which we worked HARD for.

Let's support those trying to prevent that from happening again.

Yes we can

Now that the beginnings of health insurance reform are taking root back home (still a long way to go, unfortunately) the Republican leadership is really, really upset. Careful guys, you are showing your true colors.

Just listen to Republican leader John Boehner expressing his vision for America:



That's leadership? Vote for a Democrat again in November.