It was an interesting yet slightly subdued Fourth of July. I spent some time at Bill's house with a few friends, enjoying a cookout while drunken neighbors did their best to prove their patriotism with horrible music and Chinese fireworks.That's one thing I've never quite comprehended. Why are fireworks such a patriotic element of Independence Day festivities when gunpowder and fireworks were first invented by the Chinese? And let's not even mention the fact that setting off fireworks privately in Ohio is illegal anyway...We had plenty of laughs ("watch out for the burger!") and I managed to get some ...

This my latest installment for Photo Friday! This picture was taken during a spring walk in Boston, while on a business trip. This building is in the heart of Boston's financial district, but the average person would not take the time to look up and see this gem. ...

First, the bad news: I will not be posting a "Queer Paranormal Road Trip" this week.No, I have not run out of places (quite the contrary). Instead, I'm taking the time to ask for a little assistance from around the world. An open call for help from my dear readers.You might think I'd be content with having the dozens of tales I possess at the moment, but no. I know there are more gay/lesbian ghosts and gay/lesbian-owned haunted places! Some might possibly be in your own town... or personal experiences you have had over the years.So, do you ...

I’m thinning out my life to make room for roomers, renters to help me make financial ends meet while enduring the chaos and insecurity of being locked out of my job without pay or insurance. Life goes on. So my cat, Merlin may be telling me by snuggling on the pile of stuff to be sold or given away. Life continues, with its beauty, its pain, its sweetness, no matter now “stressed” or “distracted” you may righteously feel. ...

Last week, the small town of Marlinja in Australia's Northern Territory claims to have had otherworldly visitors. According to some of the 112 residents, four UFOs descended upon the town. Bright red lights were accompanied by a loud, strange sound which shook the ground. Janie Dixon's phone rang, but when she tried to answer it, the line went dead.Surprisingly, UFOs have been spotted many times in Australia. And some people claim to know the strange connection aliens might have with this land.It was where they began populating the earth.A well-known feature of the Northern Territory is ...

Another interesting week is drawing to a quick close here. And of course, I missed out on some of the best excitement.In an interesting twist of events, the rotten downstairs neighbors are officially moved out as of tomorrow. I like to believe that perhaps a little magick helped, but they ultimately brought about their own demise.According to the landlord, while I was away this weekend there was an incident involving another neighbor in the small complex I live in. Our friendly, pothead, drunken hillbilly below had a few too many beers. While under the influence in the afternoon, he ...

The BBC Reports, “For 44 years a canister of film had been stored in a damp garage in South London; unopened, unloved and almost thrown away. But, finally, somebody took a look inside - and realised they had unearthed a piece of pop history. This is the story of a lost Beatles interview - which is to be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday for the first time since it was originally recorded. The nine-minute interview took place in the studios of Scottish Television on Thursday, 30 April, 1964. It was thought to have been recorded ...

Emma called, she wants her Magnum P.I. cake returned at once. ...

From Oobject, a collection of the World’s Condom Commercials; “The condom may be the worlds oldest gadget, but it continues to evolve. The recent development of the snap-on Pronto condom in South Africa has saved countless lives, after it was found that easy to open packaging had a huge effect on usage by not destroying the moment.We have chosen a dozen different commercials from a dozen different countries, many of which show different cultural attitudes and fantastically oblique humor.” ...

According to SuperTouch Pop Will Eat Itself, or Banksy as a victim of his own art form; “Walking through the abandoned Eurostar terminal-turned impromptu stencil art museum that is BANKSY’s infamous “Cans Festival,” it seems that the Bristol bad boy has his share of detractors after all. Just two months after the show’s debut (it’s scheduled to remain on public display until Fall) it seems the local graffiti droogs have made their feelings regarding England’s prince of street art known in the form of ubiquitous tagging throughout the tunnel. Do we smell an old school graffiti war brewing? ...

11 Foods You Should Be Eating “Nutritionist and author Jonny Bowden has created several lists of healthful foods people should be eating but aren’t. But some of his favorites, like purslane, guava and goji berries, aren’t always available at regular grocery stores. I asked Dr. Bowden, author of “The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth,” to update his list with some favorite foods that are easy to find but don’t always find their way into our shopping carts. Here’s his advice.” (Via NYTimes) 7 Most Unhealthy Carnival Foods Cotton Candy and regular candy bars aren’t good enough on their own, ...

Hugo Schwyzer’s fascinating article “Gay Marriage: Good For Winning Championships?”; “This leads me to my observation: legalizing gay marriage is good for sports teams. Spain did it a few years back, and wham, they win the Euro for the first time since 1964. Canada did it just before the 2006 Winter Olympics, and bingo, they had their best-ever medal haul. South Africa legalized gay marriage in 2006, and won the Rugby World Cup the following year. Massachusetts gave same-sex couples the right to wed a few years ago — and ask Red Sox and Celtic fans about how ...

Perhaps you're not very familiar with the small town of Fall River, Massachusetts. But surely you've heard the tale of Lizzie Borden. And if you're a history buff or fascinated by the grizzly murders which shook the town in 1892, you just might have a shot at owning a piece of history.Maplecroft, located at 306 French Street, is up for sale. Lizzie Borden lived there after the murders until her death in 1927 at the age of 66. Now, owner Robert Dube has placed the luxurious 14 room home on the market.Emma and Lizzie purchased the 1889 home ...

Zoinks!I kid you not. Police in Queensland, Australia are hunting down Scooby-Doo.An unidentified man dressed in a Scooby costume gallivanted onto the track during the final race at the Ipswich Cup on June 14th. The costume was rented from the aptly-named Hidden Identity Costumes at Cleveland in Redland City using a stolen driver's license and hasn't been returned. The owner stated, "he has definitely lost his $40 [deposit]".Police have yet to track down the man, making this Scooby-Doo one of Australia's most wanted. Anyone knowing the identity or whereabouts of the prankster is asked to ...

God has some real explaining to do.God Lucky Howard (yes, that's his real name) was arrested in Tampa, Florida for selling crack cocaine. Outside of a church!Police have been hot on God's trail since April. Last month, they obtained a warrant and found an additional 22 grams of cocaine in his home. He was arrested on June 21st and remains in jail.Let's just hope he doesn't have a son named Jesus. That could spell disaster. ...

Even the undead can be fierce...Fronk N Dego Films is a sketch comedy team hailing from Columbia College in Chicago. They produce some strange bits for YouTube while making their way through film school.Their latest production involves a neighborhood overrun by zombies. But they aren't exactly after your brains. Check out the faux movie trailer, Gay Zombie... ...

It's a little blurry, but can you see the child climbing the trash container?  There's a bunch more inside while the mother (?) is at her car talking on her cell... ...

Sunset tonight...  (Nikon D50 w/ 35mm Nikkor) ...

As Abraham Lincoln once said, "...sexual contact is a harp of a thousand strings."I've been meaning to write about Jeanne Barrack for quite some time now, but I haven't had the opportunity to write one of my regular Monday posts in weeks. She stumbled across me entirely by accident through this blog... and I'm quite glad she did!Barrack is a former New Yorker (and I won't hold that against her), music therapist, singer, and romance novelist. She married her high school sweetheart and, after chasing dreams across the country, settled in the mountains of Pennsylvania.When we typically think ...