Cool Site

I found this great website today that saves, recommends, and posts various images found on the Internet. It allows you to download them and lets you also rate what others have found. The website URL is a bit weird- but it's still a great site.

Hat tip to Jockohomo Datapanik.

Shift Happens Updated

Several months ago I posted a video called Shift Happens. It has been updated slightly and I invite you to watch it. It is about 8 minutes long and worth watching. It's one of those videos that begins conversations.

Pat Boone?!

According to Towleroad, Pat Boone is involved in a political campaign in his native Kentucky. He recorded a message for a political friend against his rival that will be a part of a robotic telemarketing campaign. In the message, Boone tells the person who answers the phone, "His opponent is so ultra-liberal he’s just been enthusiastically endorsed by C-FAIR, a prominent gay rights advocacy group. They’re convinced Beshear is their guy. Now you have to ask, 'Do you really want Kentucky to become another San Francisco?' Please re-elect Ernie Fletcher."

He has another message too. You can follow the link to read or listen to it.

My question isn't the homophobia or fear based tactics being employed (although that does irk me). What catches my attention is the photo of Pat Boone clad in leather. First, I was shocked that he's that buff--secondly, I was curious to wonder, "Umm... he sure looks awfully gay." Given the recent track record of anti-gay Christians later being discovered in various men's rooms across America, could Boone be the next toe-tapper to make the nightly news?

Prof. Dumbledore

Okay, so yeah, this is something I should've posted about last week (or the week before that). I spoke with my mom last night about ol' Dumbledore being outed by J.K. Rowling and we had a difference of opinion. Mom thinks Rowling did it to keep "book sales alive", which probably may have been an interest. I think Rowling may have originally wanted to have gay characters in her book but her publishers realized that to have that in the books would have limited the appeal and range of her books. So she didn't include any in her books.

It wasn't until a book reading at Carnegie Hall in New York City that she outed the famous headmaster. And wowsers, what a firestorm erupted.

This week I watched a video from a news station that aired a report with a Christian fundamentalist organization led by Robert Knight, naming the "evil" of all Potter books based upon this new revelation. And if that weren't enough, he cannot help but add that sexual diseases are rampant within the gay community. What is up with that!? It isn't as if most Christian fundamentalists weren't already boycotting the book due to the 'witcraft and wizardry' that they felt opened the door for occultic experimentation. No, that may have been bad but having a gay headmaster is the final straw! To Knight, this is one more example of the "evil gay empire" taking over America.

You know, I have mixed feelings about the Dumbledore revelation. I would have enjoyed it if Rowling had alluded to it better in her books or just flat out said it. I understand why she didn't but a few better placed allusions would certainly have made for a more fun reread. So, she waits until after she's made millions to announce that even though you'd never know, Dumbledore is gay. I wonder if there are other characters in the book that are?

And, I wonder how everyone would respond if it was another character--good or bad--that was outed instead of Dumbledore? What if Voldemort were gay? Wouldn't it have been an interesting storyline if... no wait, I'll stop there. But how would everyone respond if one of the fictional character's sexual orientation had been someone else? How would that conversation change?

On some level you have to admit the brilliance that from now on, everyone will know about Dumbledore. And having that kind of role model for young kids is inspiring for sure--even if that inspiration comes secondhand.

As for the Christian fundies, now they simply have another reason to hate the Potter books. Although their voices may seem to matter less to some, there are still many people, regardless of their intelligence, who listen to and agree with them. As a result, it becomes important to hear them and discover what really makes them angry. There are a lot of issues and problems in American culture, to single out Dumbledore and Harry Potter up and against our challenging economy, lack of health insurance (and therefore the ability to pay healthcare costs), and the war in Iraq and its bloody requirement is ludicrous. And it's telling. Popular culture seems to challenge the sensibilities of religious fundamentalists in a way that real-life issues of poverty, war, and crime seem to escape. What kind of faith do we have when Dumbledore's sexuality is more important than poverty? Why aren't the fundies boycotting something in the government, or protesting healthcare facilities, or rallying against mortgage brokers and schools who don't educate nearly as often as they police?

An outsider needs only to examine popular culture to see the real issues that concern Americans. Is it any wonder that our priorities are so f*cked up and that the mess we're in is only getting worse?

Royal Navy Singer

I am thinking of adding a new category to my blogposts called LipSyncs, or something like that. Here is a great example of a handsome young man lip-syncing (am I spelling that right?). Anyways, I think its funny how he rolls his eyes when he sings. And, it sure pings the ol' gaydar. ;) Thanks to Average Gay Joe for the post.

Funny Post

Mmmmm.. cake. What's that say on it? Click here and see it for yourself.

Write a Novel in a Month

The month of November is a time when writing enthusiasts stop what they're doing--or continue what their doing but also write a book at the same time. The contest is to Write a Novel in a Month and you have 30 days to write, you are supposed to begin writing on November 1 and write until November 30. You must write 175 pages. Go here to the official website to learn more.

From what I've read, it really doesn't matter how good what you write is. It is supposed to be fun and the awards are based on a host of factors (that probably have a good deal to do with form and function). Still, it looks incredibly fun.

While I won't do it this year, I am thinking next year I definitely will.

A New Stereotype

Given the new buzz by yet another conservative politician who is against supporting anything gay-related, and yet engages in 'play on the sly' comes an appropriately new gay stereotype that seems to be challenging the notions of the effeminate, lisping, and wonderfully dressed gay stereotype of the past. (Click on the pic for a larger and easier to read image.)

Bi-Curious and other Labels

Gay.com has an interesting article about the different categories of sexual attraction. The author, a clinical psychologist, argues that a man who has sex with a man isn't always "gay", and the justification is "that sexual behavior and sexual identity can be two different things."

In a politically charged world that we live in, some lesbian and gay folks feel that you're either one or the other, gay or straight. And if you're gay, you need to embrace it entirely. But if you're straight, you can always experiment with us. At one level, this is an argument of the need to be validated. And yet, in spite of our political need for acceptance, we forget that life is much more complicated than that. Larry Craig, the toilet bandit, must be gay, some reason, because he taps his feet in public restrooms; he couldn't possibly enjoy a heterosexual marriage completely, or else why would he be in the restroom looking for a different encounter: ergo, he must be gay and delusional about his sexual tastes.

Life as well as sex is more complicated than that. The psychologist in this story recognizes a significant point that behavior and identity can be different for some. And more so, enjoying one aspect of sexual play doesn't guarantee that the same person is willing to accept or enjoy all other areas. As a whole, we (the gay community) ought to recognize and accept that there are those who don't always "fit" into our niches and categories of entirely gay. There are gray areas and areas where, as various circles fit onto one another but in different ways, a person may be emotionally attracted to members of the same sex but that doesn't mean they want to get down and sweaty. Likewise, a person who enjoys getting sweaty with another man may not enjoy the emotional attachments in the same way he enjoys those attachments with women.

Unfortunately such an acceptance is challenging to gay rights laws and perception. Being a supporter of gay marriage myself, admitting that there are men who enjoy sex with men but don't enjoy the same identity identification might cause an unintended backfire politically as we seek an opportunity for those who want to identify as gay politically for the sake of making a family, creating their own opportunities of their betterment. That backfiring would not make the issue as clear-cut as needed to pass the laws for marriage. That backfiring could validate what many men who have sex with men would think that sex and identity are very different and to push for gay marriage would somehow threaten their situation.

Personally I think gay marriage wouldn't threatened by such an understanding but I also realize that for those gay and lesbians who are learning to live their identities, the validation they need to find their own place is a bit threatening by allowing other men and women to dabble in sexuality while enjoying the benefits of a culture that condones and supports a heterosexual identity.

Wouldn't it be cool to experience a culture that validated AND supported all sexual identities? Such sexual confusion would be far less traumatizing for all who are learning to navigate their behaviors and identities.

FunTube

As part of my revamping of this blog, I have created a bunch of new categories. When I am going to post these new categories on a regular basis hasn't been determined but, I thought I'd share one of them with you now. FunTube is a post of fun videos I have discovered.

This one could take place at any church bazaar or talent night after supper in any church in any town in America. And, it's a riot too. Hat tip to Daily Purge.

Inspiring Videos

The Human Rights Campaign has put together a collection of Coming Out videos in recognition of National Coming Out Day last week. Many of the videos were sent in from individuals, others were groups of folks who participated in the national event.

The videos are inspiring. YouTube is hosting the page, go there to see the list of videos.

Changing the Look & Feel

This weekend begins my changing the look and feel of my blog. I feel its time to update things and put new things in new places. So over the course of the week, please be patient as the blog goes through its new metamorphosis.

Authenticity

Today is Friday, October 12. I wanted to post something yesterday celebrating National Coming Out Day. The more I thought about the post, the more I found myself reflecting on what it meant for me to come out of the closet and self-identify as a gay man some fifteen years ago. The more I thought about it, the more I began to reflect on the person that I am now. And the one thing about me that kept surfacing as I thought about it was the word 'authenticity'.

Webster defines authentic as being “true to one's own personality, spirit, or character.” Coming out for me meant that, for the first time, I would reveal the one thing about me that few others knew. And, revealing this would ultimately change how others perceived me. And, it would forever change how I perceive myself. As a closeted gay man, I lived and expressed myself in a way that met the expectations of others. I laughed a gay jokes, talked about a girlfriend, and promised my mother that I would would day get married. All the while however, I didn't want a girlfriend and wondered what growing old would look like being forever single. I promised myself that even though I knew I was gay, I would never tell my family and childhood friends...ever.

And then one day I met a man named Tim who forever changed my perspective on what it meant to be gay and of the importance to sharing one's life with their families and families of choice. He explained how the secrecy of being gay can cut oneself off from their families and friends—forcing a person to live their lives in more solitude. He also impressed upon me the value of true honesty—even when some honesties can rupture expectations from those we love and who love us.

After much thought and prayer, I visited my family one weekend and told them that I was gay. It was a very difficult thing to do. And, being in seminary, at the time, provoked some very difficult to answer questions. And, the emotional reactions were intense. I did it though. I finally told them.

Over the next few months and in one case, after a year, I began to tell my dearest friends. Most responded as well as could be expected. One said, “Of course, now everything makes perfect sense!” Others “harumfd” (is this a word, I don't know) and a few were shocked but generally supportive. With each person I told, they wanted to know why I had been so deceptive for so long. My defense to this particular question led me to explain my fear of loss of being discovered. I also told them how so many people had so many expectations of me, I just couldn't possibly let them down. In a very real way, I had lied to my friends and done so for a long time.

Today, fifteen years later, I can say that coming out made me more authentic. I am now who people know me to be. Being authentic today means that I can pursue my goals surrounded by supportive people who encourage me. Having such support makes realizing one's dreams easier. Being authentic today means that I don't live with the lies I've created—and forcing myself to tell more lies to cover my old ones. Being authentic today means less stress and more energy for creative pursuits. It means that I can delve myself into new endeavors and find the joy in their realizations. Being authentic today means that I can love someone who I want to love—and find encouragement and support from those who love me in return.

If you have been wrestling with the decision to 'come out', let me say that doing so will be tough at times—but ultimately, the reward you'll gain will be reflected in your authenticity. This will provide you with more strength, more hope, and a peaceful spirit that will truly transform your life.

It Wasn't Supposed to be Four

Okay, so I have had a string of bad luck over the past month. I won't bore you with the details but something bad happened on Sunday: my trusty old HP all-in-one printer died. I had it for almost 6 years and boy did it ever serve me well.

Just as I had printed my sermon for Sunday morning, I had meant to print one more minor thing. I hit my print button and it was then that my ol' HP began eschewing her death gargle and ultimately 'gave up the ghost'. Lights blinked, sounds were made, and messages flashed across my print screen. I tried everything I could to resuscitate her but it was to no avail. CPR be damned. It died.

Saddened by such a loss I began scouring the Internet for a new printer. I simply must have one at home and since I am not preaching this Sunday, I knew I had some time to find and make a clear decision. This afternoon, I made that decision: I purchased a Brother HL 2040 Laser Printer from Staples. What made this deal so sweet was that I only paid $69 and after I receive my $20 easy rebate, it'll only have cost me $49!!

I read the reviews of this cheaper laser printer and from everything I read, it averaged 4 - 4.5 stars, depending on what site you went to and how much of a moron that one person was who gave it a 1-star rating and lowered the average significantly.

I hooked up the printer today and let me tell you, it was so easy to install. And, it prints wonderfully. The paper tends to curl in a way that isn't really curling but more like light wrinkles. I guess the heat of the printer causes that. Still, its fast and promises to save me a ton of money on ink prices. Get this: a black and white ink cartridge for an inkjet printer costs between $35-40 a piece for approx 150 - 200 copies. The toner cartridge for a laser printer runs $69 for 2,500 copies. The price difference is completely astounding to me. And the printer only costs, after rebate, $49! Gads.

I bought it at Staples. If you're looking for a new printer, an extra printer, or just want to save some money, go here to get over there before this deal is over.

A Wonderful Image of Christ

I found this image today and was moved by what I believe is Jesus' call embracing all of God's children.

Go here to read the brief story of it.

RocketDock

I have been fiddling with my desktop on my computer here of late. I found this great new free software that organizes things very different from the tradition Windows XP format. The software is available from www.rocketdock.com and it allows you to place a widget-like menu on your screen that can disappear when you don't need it. And, you can customize the icons in the menu. Go here to see how others have customized their desktops.

Here is an image of my clear desktop. Click on it for a larger version.


Here is an image of my desktop with the Rocketdock visible. Click on it for a larger version.

By the way, those post-it notes you see is a freeware program called ATnotes that lets you, well, post notes on your desktop. It's come in mighty handy when I have to remember particular tasks.

The clock and the weather icons are Yahoo! Widgets.

I keep my taskbar hidden when not in use.

Crass Joke of the Day

A female CNN journalist heard about a very old Jewish man who had been going to the Western Wall to pray, twice a day, every day, for a long, long time. So she went to check it out. She went to the Western Wall and there he was walking slowly up to the holy site. She watched him pray and after about 45 minutes, when he turned to leave, using a cane in a very slow fashion , she approached him for an interview.

"Pardon me Sir, I'm Rebecca Smith from CNN, What's your name?"

"Maury Fishbein" he replied.

"Sir, how long have you been coming to the Western Wall and praying?"

"For about 60 years."

"60 years! That's amazing! What do you pray for?"

"I pray for peace between the Christians, Jews and the Muslims. I pray for all the Wars and hatred to stop, I pray for all our children to grow up safely as responsible adults, and to love their fellow man."

"How do you feel after doing this for 60 years?"

"Like I'm talking to a fucking wall."

Note: I blame my friend Doug for passing this along to me and, upon reading, realizing that I simply must post it here.

You'd Better Learn Math or Else

Click on the picture to see a larger version.

When our Democracy Runs Amuck

If Texas does this, is it any wonder many states do it too? The amount of dishonesty here is so painful to watch. Is one way, it is as if everyone is doing it, so why bother saying anything.

Ex-Gay Report

There has been the release of an official sounding 'ex-gay report' meant to tout the success of particular ex-gay therapies. The report that was paid for and issued by the ex-gay folks is problematic on so many levels. Go here to read a story about the report. Go here to reserve your copy of the study at your local bookstore. Go here to read yet another example of an ex-gay leader arrested for seducing his students. Go here for one person's commentaries against ex-gay therapies.

Even though the report looks kind of pathetic given the low 'success rate', many who are citing the report are gleeful because if only one person can change, then they surmise anyone can. What they are NOT touting is that the only hope for many who go through the program have is a life of celibacy coupled with continued same-sex desire or unique definitions of heterosex AND homosex desire within any one person that boggles the mind. This is a far cry from a complete change from homosex to heterosex desire that many who seek the services are desiring in the first place. And, according to this study, some folks even had an increased desire for homosex AFTER completing the course. What is up with that?! (Say, how's that for an additional category for this blog?)

adding cool categories

As some of you know, I now run two blogs: this one and the one at church. The church one consists of religious, spiritual, and church happening posts. There you'll find my devotional thoughts and what not and those thoughts are directed to the church, church visitors, and others involved in religious dialog. This blog is reserved for my political and religious rants as well as trivial posts about new programs, ideas, or fun stuff I find on the web. Unfortunately, because I have separated the religious devotional element from this blog, I am finding it's not as structured or organized as I would like.

So, I have decided to create some categories (as I have seen on other blogs) to give this blog some more shape. I also want to make it more organized so that it has a specific purpose rather than just a hodgepodge of sometimes interesting and sometimes not interesting posts. And, when I throw a personal post in (like I did last night), it can seem so out of place that the blog appears 'uncomfortable' and perhaps a bit creepy.

Okay, so I am on a personal mission to 'de-creep' and organize this blog so that I can still post personal posts as well as informative ones. When I have more of a structure determined, I'll post more about it.

Do you have a recommendation for particular categories? Here are some I've been thinking of:
Who Knew?!
Tech and Gadgets
Boring but Important
LGBT News
Watch Out!
Political B.S.
What Is Up With That?!* (Added after a recent post)

I will also prolly be redesigning the blog itself. I'll see what Blogspot has to offer or I may find a template from another source to put here.

Change is good, right?
And, it'll get a lot easier beginning next week when I'll have my desktop computer back from the shop. It's actually ready now but I'll need to reinstall all of my fun and productive software. In truth, typing on my laptop is more of a pain when it comes to writing sermons or posts for blogs.

The Next Day

I am feeling much better today, thank you. My nerves are fine and I just had my morning 'treatment'. I am going to the doctor later today for my first blood test to determine how much the Coumadin pills and Lovenox injections are working and how their dosage may need to change. I also have a lot of questions for the blood workers and for my doctor.

A lot has happened in these few days- and I am more level-headed and prepared to ask the right questions.

You know, asking the 'right questions' is what being sick and getting well is all about. The temptation is to just trust the doctors and go with the flow. Unfortunately, that isn't how it's supposed to work, when being treated. A doctor's prescription is based partly on how we answer their questions--but it's also about us asking the doctor's our questions too.

Journaling. First Entry.

Fear. Today is day number 4 of knowing that I have a blood clot in my leg. The clot is located in my calf and is causing me a world of hurt. It is affecting my right foot and ankle too. All around it is swollen and tender. It hurts to walk, sit, or just stand still. It even hurts if I am sitting down with my leg propped up. The only time it doesn't hurt is when my leg is resting on a pillow and I am completely lying down.

So I have been still a whole lot these past four days. I have walked outside only to walk the dog—but mostly, she's been going to 'do her doo' in the backyard. Tonight, however, I took her on our regular long walk for her to get some exercise and for me to walk on my foot for awhile. I noticed that when I was walking for a short while and even when I returned, if only briefly, my foot and calf stopped hurting. Unfortunately that was only for about 10 minutes. The sharp pains returned.

And something else happened too. I got scared. I think I started to get scared at the exact moment the pains returned. My heart started beating faster than usual, my breathing got a bit shallow, and I started to perspire. My face felt flush. And then, I got suddenly very afraid. So afraid in fact that I began packing a sack for the emergency room. I threw in a pair of pajama bottoms, my medications, a couple of books and my cell phone charger. Heading for the door the phone rang. It was my mom. I told her what was happening and she told me to stop, sit down, and start breathing deeply. I breathed in for a count of four, held it, and blew out for a count of four. I did this for about 2 minutes and I found myself calming down significantly. Over the next couple of hours, I debated going to the emergency room and finally decided, that since the panic (is that what it was?) had abated, I would stay home.

At 10:00 PM, I injected the new medicine into my stomach, as instructed by my doctors. And then I took two tablets of Coumadin with water. And I sat down. Just then, the phone rang. It was a couple of friends calling to check on me to see if I was okay. After I hung up, another friend called. And then, another and another.

The kind of fear I am feeling is a new feeling. It is one of mortality. It is the thought that a piece of the blood clot in my leg might break off and go directly to my lungs or heart and cause me great harm. The doctors have told me its a 1% chance that this'll happen and for me not to worry. And yet, I do worry. It scares me that I'll pass out and living alone, who'll find me? And the more I think about it, the more my heart beats and the hotter I get. I tell myself not to worry, to not psyche myself up—to just relax. And when I purposely do it...I relax. And then, in the quiet moments—when it's just me and my thoughts, the fear returns.

I am a man of faith. I pastor a congregation of progressive Christians 10 minutes west of New York City. I used to serve a parish in the heart of New York City. There, I have stood in the cold blistery winter snow and sleet feeding sandwiches to the crack-addicted and alcoholic homeless men and women of the city. I have watched their bodies, skin taut against their faces clutch a sandwich as if it were their last meal. And yet they survive. They come back the next day. They are hungry again, and again they are fed. Meal to meal, day to day—old, young, thin, wasting. Today I serve a suburban congregation of young and old. Men and women. Families. Widows and the widowed. Diabetes. Cancer. Heart attacks. Stroke. Different diseases, the same fate. We all die. The same fear.

They come to me looking for faith. I tell them about God. I read to them the Scriptures. I share with them my testimony. I am not afraid. I hold their hand in the hospital rooms. I pray with them. I am not too confident—I don't tell them everything will be okay.

Today they came to me. They called me. They told me that they were thinking and praying for me. I was not alone. I was afraid. I was not alone. I am afraid. I am not alone. I am scared—but not the heart-racing scared of a few hours ago. It is a calm fear.

Faith and fear. I prayed to God to help me. I asked God to help me. I named and claimed my illness away. I ran my hands over my legs and asked God to heal me. I claimed myself as a child of God. My leg stopped hurting. My calf stopped hurting. My fear abated. For ten minutes. My leg throbs again and my foot hurts. But I am not as afraid as I was. I am cautious. So I called a friend.

James. He is coming over to stay up with me. He'll sleep in my guest bed if he stays over. He wants to stay over. He is worried about me.

Maggie. My faithful canine companion. She hasn't left my side all night. She saw my fear. She sat quietly staring at me. She looked afraid too. She isn't afraid now but she isn't leaving my side either.

Fear ... nervous ... anticipation ... the blood clot in my leg, a piece breaking off and making it's way to my lungs or my heart. I think about it but it doesn't paralyze me. It doesn't worry me. I am not afraid right now.

Tomorrow is my first blood test. I will tell them about tonight and call my doctor and get his insight. I won't tell him about the fear—well, I'll allude to it. He doesn't read my blog. Tomorrow will be another day with more Coumadin and two more shots in my stomach. And the clot will be there. And my fear will be there too.

Who Knew?!

Did you know that a 6-volt lantern battery has 32 AA batteries inside it's casing? 32!! And with these lantern batteries costing just $5, that's a lot of savings for the 4 AA batteries that generally cost $5 for a package of 4.

Just pry off the top and you'll find the jackpot inside. Go here to watch the video and see how it's done.

You can also find 8 watch batteries from one 12-volt battery and 6 AAA batteries from one 9-volt battery.

Crazy, if you ask me.

Three Things

There is the Trinity, of course: Creator, Christ, and Holy Spirit. Then there were the three wise men and the Three Amigos. Oh and speaking of which, there were the Three Stooges and Once, Twice, Three Times a Lady. In the last month, my car got sick, then my computer got sick, and now I have gotten sick.

Actually it's more than just sick. I went to the emergency room Sunday after church because my ankle was hurting me so-- and the new pain the shot up my calf. The nurses were concerned about that particular pain in my calf and took some blood tests and a sonar thingy and found that I have a blood clot in my leg. Yuck. They immediately admitted me to the hospital where I had a plethora of tests to conclude the seriousness of the situation.

They released me today and for the next 6 months, I will be on Coumadin, an anti-coagulant. And, this is the really icky part.. until my blood gets thin enough, I have to give myself Coumadin-like shots in my stomach twice a day for about 2 weeks. Ouch! If I thought I was a wuss before, that doesn't even compare to me sticking myself with these dang needles.

I still can't get over the 'needles in the stomach' part.

You know, I was thinking a couple of days ago: First was my truck, and then my computer. What is going to be the THIRD thing that disrupts my life? Now, I am not really superstitious but those first two things were bad enough. It had me thinking both, 'What on earth could possible happen that'd be any worse?' and 'Don't horrible things like these run in threes?'

Well, now I have my answer. And, it happened just days before my 42nd birthday.

Now I have something to think about: my mortality.

But here is the good news, in spite of it all. My truck is fixed, thanks to the generosity of my family. My computer is fixed, thanks to the wisdom of the computer tech who saved it for far less than a new computer would be (far, far less). And my doctors have assured me that blood clots in legs (caused by flying for those who easily get cramped up in those dang seats) is fairly common and is nothing to worry about. So I have nothing to worry about except for some minor life-modifications: no alcohol for 6 months (I don't drink much so this isn't a big deal), no more veggies in my diet (who likes them anyway), and no longer shaving with a razor (I had to buy an electric one). That last one is to prevent unnecessary bleeding in the event I cut myself shaving and causing my blood to leak everywhere since I am thinning out my blood with the Coumadin.

And, I get to relate better to the elderly members of my congregation who are practically all on the stuff or have been on it at one time or another. I'd've picked an easier way to relate to them--but hey, what can I do.

So there you have it: The Trinity and the Three Wise Men. Except for the Three Stooges (and perhaps the Three Amigos), I guess I am in pretty good company, right?

Honestly, I Couldn't Have Said It Better Myself

Seriously, go read it here. It is a piece about homophobia, sissies, and our problem (not theirs) with guys who we think act too girl-ly.

Thanks for QueerSighted for this post.

The Bible Tells Me So

Here is a new movie trailer for a documentary scheduled to open at the first of October in New York City. It's getting plenty of awards and should be a flick- hopefully it'll offer us viable solutions as well as explaining the situation.



Hat-tip to Towleroad

Two Nifty Tips

If you're running Firefox and have noticed that it's running a bit slow, you might be surprised to learn that your extensions may be causing the problems. Go here to find the extensions that are causing your system the most trouble and remove them.

If you're used to using OpenOffice (like me) and hate the long wait in loading any of its fine programs, go here to tweak the Options under Tools tab in the Writer program. The instructions are for Ubuntu but are easily tweaked for any OS you're operating.

Hat tip to Lifehacker for these recommendations.

Cool Computer Programs for Students

With school starting up again, we are reminded again how wonderful it must be for students who are living in the computer age as it exists today. There is a great post over at Lifehacker, which I should point out is a wonderful blog about innovative programs, internet sites, and office productivity, about certain and essential computer programs for your kids as they enter school.

I am particularly impressed with the online Cliff Notes and bibliography makers. There is also this cool program that makes pages for your notebook via a .pdf creator form that you customize and then make copies of. Have a look and see if you're not too old to download the free open source software for your computer.

Back to NJ

Well, I am finally back in New Jersey. I arrived late Thursday night and have been puttering around the house getting it in order, tending to a present crisis, and am presently working on my sermon for in the morning. So much to do -- and yet, as the ol' lament goes, "If it weren't for the last minute, I'd never get anything done."

My vacation to Oklahoma was amazingly restful. I didn't do much of anything except spend time with family, sleep, eat abundantly, and visit with friends. From time to time, I managed to go dancing and enjoyed some fine cuisine with my eldest brother.

One great thing about my vacation was getting caught up with an old friend: Tim and his wife Lori. Tim and I along with another friend Russel, attended a megachurch in Oklahoma City called LifeChurch. Afterwards, I visited Tim at his church where we were joined by his wife Lori and their 8 kids at Heritage Presbyterian while Russel went to his home church. I had the opportunity to get extreme examples of evangelicalism and conservative theology on my Sunday church services. I will write more about that later--the contrast was noticeable to me and I want to hammer it out on here.

Besides church, Tim and Lori invited me home with them for Sunday dinner where we ate until we were full. That Lori has always been an outstanding cook and she proved yet again that the cook only gets better as she gets older.

Upon returning to NJ, I took the train to the town near my mechanic where I picked up my truck (I had to replace to engine in it) and drove home. I arrived to find Maggie all excited to see me and we got reacquainted nicely.

Upon getting home and unpacking, I discovered that my home computer has died. I replaced the power supply, thinking that was it, only to find that it may have been it but it's also something else. I am thinking it must've been a power surge of some kind and my surge protector wasn't doing it's job. I am presently typing on my laptop (proving yet again that I am soooooooooooooo glad I have it) as I will also be needing it tonight as I prepare my morning sermon.

All in all, I've had a good time away. I am a bit stressed about the computer thing but alas, I'll find a remedy to fix it.

So that's it. I'll type more later as well as getting to the church blog to update it. Now that I am home, I need to hit the ground running. September is almost here and I have so much to get ready for. Woo-hoo!

Am a Goin' Home for a Bit

Here is where I am going.

Guess Her Age?

Go here for the answer. Shocking, right?

Liquid Kiss

One Place to Vacation

I have no idea where this is but it sure it beautiful, right?

In Case of Revolution ...

From the movie V is for Vendetta.

She was an Amazing Woman

NEW YORK (AP) -- Brooke Astor, the civic leader, philanthropist and high society fixture who gave away nearly $200 million to support New York City's great cultural institutions and a host of humbler projects, died Monday. She was 105.

Go here to read the rest of her obit.

Shift Happens

Here is an incredible video that shares information about technology and the human race. The sound track to this video is awesome (it's from the film Last of the Mohicans).

glumbert.com - Shift Happens

Now THIS is rather interesting

You can google Haiti and ufo and find all sorts of comments about this sort of thing.

A CNN Poll

CNN has a poll out that explains that more and more people know someone very close to them who is gay or lesbian. You can go here to the Human Rights Campaign to read more about the report.

It's HERE!!!

The new Ikea catalog is now in stores and available online.

Great, now we'll all be able to be tempted at work (and not just at home on before, during and after payday).

Umm.. Yeah..

An Interesting Statistic

Within the last several years, it has become particularly known that certain faith-based organizations have deep ties to right-wing politics. Organizations such as Exodus International and efforts by some vocal conservative evangelicals have revealed an underlying theme: being gay is both bad for America and good for the Republican party. It is good because it can gather support from religious organizations who have duped into believing that there is a gay agenda out there wanting to molest America's children while entrancing them into a deviate and deathly lifestyle. As a response, if you elect a good and faithful Republican (just not this one or this one), then they promise that such a dastardly thing won't happen.

Unfortunately for many Republicans, gay and lesbian Americans are responding against such a political scapegoating. And, so are many straight Americans. But this post is about the gay and lesbian folk who are voting in opposition to the evil strategy and association between misguided evangelicals and the politicians who are using them.

A study this spring by San Francisco-based Community Marketing Inc. found that an eye-popping 92.5% of gay men reported that they voted in the 2004 presidential race, and almost 84% said they cast ballots in the 2006 midterm election. Among lesbians, the results were almost as impressive; nearly 91% said they voted in 2004; for the midterm, the figure was 78%.

By comparison, the Washington-based Committee for the Study of the American Electorate put the turnout for all Americans eligible to vote at about 61% in 2004 and roughly 40% in 2006.

Thanks to Queerty for this post.

Lessons Learned

Over the weekend, Friday and Saturday, I have been dealing with a truck that has gone Ka-put! My truck, actually an SUV but saying SUV sounds so suburbanite-ish- my truck cracked a cylinder, a head gasket, and probably damaged a whole lot more. As one mechanic has explained, "Rev. Bo, you're going to have to make a major decision: fix the truck or junk it. And I don't recommend the former."

So I am having another mechanic look at it to see if the cost of fixing it will outweigh the cost of simply getting something newer. I have no idea at this point.

What I do know, however, I learned some valuable lessons this past weekend.

For starters, there is a difference between overheated smoke from your truck and an actual fire. I learned that by calling 911 and saying, "Help my truck is on fire!!!" The NYC emergency 911 service responded by sending 6 fire trucks to my location (4 at one time, 2 more later on). They were furious when they discovered that I didn't know the different between white bellowing smoke and red hot fire.

I also learned what poison ivy looks like. Because my truck had no water left in the radiator (I thought that was my only problem), I had to hike through a dangerous park late at night to purchase a gallon of water. Surrounding many places that I had to crawl over was poison ivy. I now have it on me.

I also learned that even if you can get your truck started again after it's overheated, it isn't a good thing to drive. I drove it further before it stalled again. Later, when I finally got the truck back to NJ, I learned that because I continued to drive it, the heat of the engine melted some very important parts on my engine and may have made the problem 100% worse.

I learned that having AAA can be a lifesaver in tow-truck expenses. I learned this because I don't have AAA and have had to pay through my nose. I still have to have it towed again and it'll be very expensive again.

All and all, I doubt my life lessons are far from over. I still have to get a second opinion and I still have to determine what my future driving will look like. Please pray for me as I make important decisions as well as pray for those who will be helping me discern those decisions (e.g., the mechanics).

A Brilliant Letter to John Edwards

A post over at Pam's Houseblend has a letter written to John Edwards on his lack of support for LGBT marriage. Some time ago, Edwards made the statement about his own internal wrestling with this issue and responded: "I am just not there yet."

This letter speaks volumes to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender and straight communities. Using particular story images, the writer explains that while Edwards may not be there yet, there are a whole lot of people standing on the shore who are "already there".

The post is a bit long but be patient, dear reader. It is a good letter not just for the presidential candidate but for anyone who has yet to arrive on the shore of equality.

You're Not to Blame

This satirical music video is hilarious as it puts the blame where so many folks are saying the blame belongs.



Hat tip to Towleroad

Here's a Good Question

The Best Potter Yet

Well I went and done it already. I purchased my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Saturday morning at 9:30am (when the bookstore opened), sat down at 10:30am and apart from bathroom breaks, dinner breaks, and walking the dog, I read the entire book finishing in the week hours of Sunday morning at 4:30am. The book was so well written, I just couldn't put it down. And besides, the rest of the world and myself waiting nearly two years for the final chapter in Harry Potter's life.

And let me tell you, it was the finest read of all the books. Harry and his friends Ron and Hermione are full of adventure, suspense, dark emotions, and incredible confrontations with evil. The ending was spectacular and has more Christian themes in it than all the other books combined. I am sure that won't make much difference to all the 'Harry-haters' out there who think his books are more about the occult than themes of loyalty, friendship, and good triumphing evil. As is often the case, you can get out of Harry whatever you read into it. And, if you're open to a great adventure, all the questions being resolved from the other books, and an ending to beat all endings, then this is the book for you.

The book, while incredibly well written, also has some disturbing parts and some eye-opening ones. I discovered that Dumbledore isn't quite the hero I always thought he was (Harry discovered this too). But you know, in real life, especially as we grow older, we often discover that our childhood heroes has limitations and skeletons in their closets. However, the author, J.K. Rowling doesn't discount him and neither does Harry. We just learn that we're all human, and some of us more so than others.

I was also pleasantly surprised to learn about Snapes' involvement and heroism in the story. As you remember from the preceding book, he kills Dumbledore. Without giving too much away, he and Dumbledore knew the moment was coming when something had to be done.

Anyways, the book is full of great eye-openers and revelations especially the one regarding Harry's mom and her biological sister. In the end, there is a final battle that beats all battles and what Harry has to do will surprise you--and once you're surprised, the story continues further. In the end, the book wraps everything up as only Rowling could do it and it makes perfect sense. I won't give away the ending but I know you'll enjoy it (if you're a fan of Harry Potter).

Keep in mind that the book is 750 pages. The good thing is that you won't mind so much because you'll be turning pages before you know it and the book will satisfy you as you go about it.

My hats off to JK Rowling who, unlike most sequels that suck, actually turned out the best book of all.

A Fun Video to Watch

Here is someone mouthing the words to Sister Sisters I Don't Feel Like Dancing. It's awfully cute. A hat tip to Famous Like Me's blog.

Peanuts Grown Up... or growing up that is..

Follow this link to an artist's rendition of Charles Shultz's post adolescent Peanuts gang. It is really very interestingly and well drawn.

An Unexpected Cost of Living in NYC

There are many costs to living in the one of the greatest cities in the world. With the cost of a 1 BR apartment in Tribeca going for $9500/mo to a $2 million dollar for a 2 BR/2 BA apartment, just making ends meet won't allow you to be a part of such a thriving metropolis. Add to that the cost of maintenance which could easier be over $1200/mo on top of your mortgage and you have to make a whole heck of a lot of money if you want to live there. That is, of course, if you're unwilling to live in the seedier and scarier parts of town.

When I lived in Manhattan, I lived on the northernmost tip of it in a neighborhood called Inwood. I had a regular sized 1 br apartment and paid only $1100/mo in rent. Sure, I didn't live anywhere near the happening places of the island. I was next to 2 major subway lines and I was within walking distance of Manhattan's oldest park that also housed Columbia University's Crew team. While it wasn't the safest area in town, there were far scarier neighborhoods in Manhattan than mine.

However, if you live anywhere south of 125th Street, you could find yourself paying an astronomical amount of money every month for rent and a whole lot more for a mortgage. It wouldn't be surprising to pay over a million and a half dollars for a 1 BR or converted studio apartment. So it isn't too much of a stretch then to read an article where one parking spot in the Chelsea section of Manhattan is going for $225,000 just to have a place to park your car. Here is an interesting news article about the high cost of parking spots in NYC and other major metropolitan cities where land is expensive because most of it is owned by other people.

He Didn't See It Coming

This is kind of funny although you know it hurt.

On a lighter note...

A producer for Daniel Radcliffe, the actor who plays Harry Potter in the extremely high-grossing movie franchise, is emphatically proclaiming that Radcliffe is straight. One only needs to see how Radcliffe's been trying to shed his boy wizard imagery to understand why such a pronouncement is necessary.

My thoughts are simple: if he doesn't want people to think he's gay, he needs to stop doing London theatre in the buff and posing for pictures with next to no clothes on, or dressing up like a leather boy on his way to the Fulsom Street Fair in San Francisco. And take this picture, for instance, I mean, you can understand why folks are thinking he'd rather saddle with Professor Snape than take Cho to the evening ball (for you non-Harry enthusiasts, Cho is Harry's girlfriend in the books and movies). The way I see it, there are only three options for Radcliffe's odd behavior:

1. He has no idea what he's doing;
2. He knows exactly what he's doing in trying to shed the Potter image (even before he's finished making two more movies, not counting the one due out next week). Could he derail his chances to continue being the young boy turned young man wizard in any upcoming movie?
3. He has a public* (corrected from a hilarious misspelling) image director who is a moron and likes to put Harry in uncompromising situations.

My guess it's the latter. Still, if he keeps up this sort of thing the only movies he'll be in will be those called, Harry Pooter and the Prisoner of Ass-kaban.

Theology According to Homer Simpson

I sit here amazed and dumbfounded. I now understand that Homer was right after all, at least according to Pope Benedict. In a recently released statement, the Pope reaffirmed and reminded the world that the Catholic Church is the universal primacy that its always claimed to be but Benedict event went so far as to say that if you're not in the Roman Catholic Church, then you are either defective (as are the Orthodox Churches) or not a true church at all (everyone else) and are not a means to salvation.

Of course, most Protestant churches would agree that their church isn't a means to salvation, only Jesus is. And one might be tempted to 'read into the Pope's statement' that he means the church and Jesus are somehow intertwined in such a way that he really means what Protestant churches say. But he doesn't. The Roman Catholic Church is THE ONLY church Jesus authorized and by means of apostolic succession, the RCC continues to lay claim as the only heir to Jesus' continued physical and spirtiual manifestation on earth.

When one talks about ecumenism and "we're all in this together", one doesn't think of Homer Simpson and two versions of heaven: the boring Protestant heaven and the partying Catholic one. It seems the Pope's version of heaven is closer Homer than many Protestants who think we'll all be mixed there together, in one form or another.

There is a new book by Mark Pinsky aptly titled, The Gospel According to the Simpsons, explores the spirituality and gospel message of Homer Simpson. In this book, Pinsky explains,

[Homer's] capacity for love dwarfs his failings. Even God sees this. Homer can't stand his fundamentalist Christian neighbor (sic.), Flanders, and is bored to death by the sermons of the weary Reverend Lovejoy. He also has little time for the Bible – “If the Bible has taught us nothing else,” he tells Lisa, "and it hasn't, it's that girls should stick to girls' sports." But when God drops in for a chat, he discovers in Homer a surprisingly convincing theology. Basically, this is that life is tough and humans are hopeless but, without making a fuss about it, God is always there as the last safety net. And, when He's not around, there's love.

"It is Homer," writes Mark Pinsky in his book The Gospel According to The Simpsons, "who has the most personal relationship with God." A special hat tip to Andrew Sullivan for this quote.

+++
I just hope when the endgame is tallied, that Homer isn't right about the heavens. Check out this video and you'll see what I mean.



I find it dishonorable that a person of faith can be so callous and self-righteous to assume that his understanding of God is so complete that he would make such a statement proclaiming the RCC as the only true church AND that everyone else either has it wrong or has somehow screwed up their church to warrant their exclusion from God's realm. You know, if we're going to do an historical analysis of how "the church" has screwed up in its history, one doesn't have to look far to the Crusades, the Inquisition, and the selling of Indulgences that the RCC made happen. Heck, we can stay in the past century and look at priestly abuses to children and their families.

Instead of making amends for its horrid past, the Pope ought to instead ask humbly if they can join the rest of the world's Christians in coming to God, rather than protecting its Bishops, covering up its sins, and proclaiming to the world, "You're wrong, your church is wrong but thankfully you have us, the RCC to lead you in the path of righteousness."

No wonder there are so many atheists, agnostics, and the like. If the RCC is the only choice for Christianity (and for many folks in the world they are), I too might choose to not believe in anything rather that align myself with Pope Benedict.

To be fair, I know some great American Catholic priests who have a heart for Jesus and a love for everyone else. My disdain is directly aimed at this pompass-assed Pope. Hopefully one day the RCC will find its own redemption when it finally chooses a Pope with the humility and kindness that Jesus had hoped would sustain his church, after he was gone.

Things an Employer Can Do and Cannot Do

I just read a news article about a court case in which an employer, who is Christian, fired one of his employers because the employer discovered his employee to be gay. The employer is citing religious freedom as his defense. The attorney defending the fired employee said that "People who hold those views (that gay people are sinners and are going to hell) have to know that they can't act on them with regard to employment." What he probably could have said that was more clear was, "You can believe anything you want, but those beliefs cannot infringe upon the rights of an employee, if those rights are protected by law." See. This is more clear.

If you are an employer, you can fire someone for dishonesty (lying, cheating, or stealing). You can terminate an employee if they don't show up for work, or if they don't do their work, or if the word they do is below specified standards of productivity. You can fire someone for disrespect, dishonoring the ethics of the company, or causing mischief (as long as the mischief is spelled out and defined in the employees handbook).

As an employer in New York and New Jersey, you cannot fire someone because they are an atheist, a Jew, a Christian, or a Muslim. They might be going to hell but, even if they are and you hire them (you cannot refuse to hire someone of a different religion either, but that's another post), you cannot fire them for it. You cannot legally fire someone if they are an African American (or an African, for that matter). You cannot fire someone because they are fat, or too thin (like whoever would do that, right?), or bald. You cannot fire someone who has a disability (including HIV). You cannot fire a person from France, England, Russia, Mexico, or any other country (immigration rules aside). And, you cannot fire someone based on their sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation. Regardless of your religious beliefs (or lack thereof), a person who works and does their job has a right to have that job protected. As simple minded as this sounds, in 31 states in the USAmerica, an employer has the right to terminate an employee if that employee is lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (actually 39 states can fire you if you're transgender).

In New York and New Jersey, we honor the vision of Martin Luther King, Jr., as it applies to the LBGT community, when he said in his famous "I Have A Dream" speech, "I have a dream that one day my children will live in a land where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." It's unfortunate that not every state honors the visions of its prophets.

What's In a Name?

Given this year's drama over at Grey's Anatomy where one person (a straight person) called another person (a gay person) the "f" word, people have been talking about the power of words, what they mean, and how different words with the same meaning has extraordinary power. Just listen to Isaiah Washington's public service announcement. He explains it well, even if he can't always follow his own advice.

I am about to post a story from AmericaBlog about one gay person's opinion, "Stop Calling Me a Homosexual!" Well, he doesn't shout like that but that's the theme of the post. And, for the most part, I agree with the author. What's in a name you say? I mean, doesn't 'homosexual' mean 'gay'? Well, it does and it doesn't. The nuance is important and the article explains it quite eloquently.

The basic core idea is that using this term stigmatizes and clinicalizes a gay or lesbian person, it dehumanizes the person, it makes it easier to condemn him or her by depreciating the human element. Unlike the 'gay' term, homosexual makes some folks cringe because in the very word itself "homo" and "sex" are two terms that most folks don't talk about it public conversation. The term gay takes the sex out of the description and reminds us that the person in question is more than a sexual person. A gay or lesbian is a person who laughs, learns, has responsibilities, can be angry, joyful, or just themselves. A gay person isn't all about "sex" anymore than a heterosexual person is all about sex with members of the opposite sex.

Over a hundred years ago, there was a sociologist and mystic named Edward Carpenter, who termed the word homogenic when he tried to take the 'sex' out of homo-sex-ual. He did so to explain that men and women, men and men, and women and women all have homogenic relationships. Think about the guys who play poker on Friday nights; they are not meeting to have sex but they enjoy one another's company. Think of the Tupperwear or tea parties your mother used to attend with other housewives; they weren't meeting for sex, they were enjoying one another's fellowship. Our lives are about more than just sex--as are your lives. The term homosexual then, while at one time was a descriptive term, now has a lot of baggage and often anti-gay positions attached to it.

This article explains this well; so I'll stop typing and let you read it.

++++++++++++++
Dear Washington Post, please stop calling me a "homosexual"
by John Aravosis (DC)

The Washington Post published a pro-gay editorial today about marriage. And that's great. But they called us "homosexuals" throughout the piece, and that's not great. It's degrading and offensive and archaic.

I've written about this before, and some have disagreed. But I'd argue that those who disagree don't understand the nuance of language or of this particular phrase. Ask any gay person, regardless of whether they agree or disagree that the word "homosexual" is archaic and offensive, whether they use the term "gay" or "homosexual" to described themselves. I.e., "I'm gay" or "I'm a homosexual." Just ask them. Unless they're living under a rock, gay people rarely if ever use the word homosexual. (My gay-friendly straight friends, however, use the term all the time. In the same way that I still hear friends use the word "oriental.")

Why? First, because it's become archaic. Usage changes, and just as Negro and colored changed to black and African-American, just as oriental gave way to Asian, homosexual has become gay. But second, and more importantly, the word homosexual is offensive in the same manner as negro and oriental. Sometimes archaic words sting. In the case of homosexual, I think the main problem is three-fold. First, the clinical nature of the term. It's a scientific word that mildly dehumanizes gay people by suggesting that they have a medical or psychological condition. Second, the words "homo" and "sex." Both words connote something negative, or at least something that shouldn't be spoken out loud, to a lot of Americans. Third, and most importantly, homosexual is the word the religious right uses expressly and uniquely in an effort to dehumanize gays. Anti-gay religious right activists have said publicly that they will not use the word "gay" - rather, they insist on using "homosexual." Why? Because for some reason or another they figure that the word homosexual helps their cause. And while I don't agree with the religious right on many things, their ability to gay-bash swiftly and effectively is unqestioned. If they think the word gay help us and the word homosexual hurts us, who am I to argue?

Again, I don't mean to opinionated about it, but if you don't hear the negative nuance in the word homosexual, it's either because you're not listening, or more likely, you don't have an ear for language. There's a reason that colored and Negro and oriental weren't offensive terms years ago, yet are today. The nuance of words changes over time. And while gays were once thought to be mentally disturbed - that all changed in 1973 - the language has not changed since that time.

It's time it did.

PS Don't believe me? Read what a communications professional has to say about this. (Actually, I hadn't read his piece until after I wrote mine, but the logic is remarkably similar.) Also, check out this recent editorial in the lead gay newspaper in the US.

I Finally Did It

I spent yesterday, most of it anyway, reformatting my home computer's hard drive and reinstalling the XP operating system. My computer had become so sluggish of late that something had to be done. Now that everything has been updated and reinstalled, the computer runs like new. If you're looking to get a new computer because your present computer is running slower than a preacher's sermon on Mother's Day, let me recommend a few things you can do to your computer to make it like new (and save you a few hundred dollars in the process).

Before I tackled the huge project, I backed everything up on an external hard drive by making a duplicate copy of my programs and files. Then, after I finished that, I added some more RAM to my computer. That has helped enormously. RAM doesn't necessarily speed up your computer, instead it allows you to do more on it at the same time. For instance, you can have 4-5 open windows running at the same time (if you have your email program open, plus your internet browser, and are currently working on one or two Word documents). RAM is pretty inexpensive but realize that not all RAM works on all computers--you have to find the RAM that works for your system. To find which RAM you'll need to buy, go here.

As I was taking the computer cover off my CPU (knowing that doing so voids my computer's warranty), I purchased a can of pressurized air and blew out the dust that had accumulated there. Lots of dust tends to make your computer run hotter by insulating the heat. Blowing out the dust allows the motherboard inside to "breathe". Also, remember to blow the dust from your various fans inside the CPU. Be careful blowing the dust off your motherboard, I did it holding the can about 10 inches away from the board. Some of the circuitry can get damaged from a direct hit of that compressed air, so be careful.

I installed the RAM being careful to touch a metal surface before touching anything in the CPU to discharge any static electricity that would immediately damage anything inside. When I was finished, I put the cover back on, plugged in my cables, and turned on the power to the computer. Now the tedious process began.

Once I reinstalled my operating system, I went and began to delete all the computer programs that came with my computer that I knew I'd never use. Using them only once, you will discover that deleting them can be next to impossible. So, I got right to it. I went to by Add/remove program option and deleted just about everything that came with my system including Microsoft Money, Norton Utilities, Outlook Express, and anything having anything to do with AOL. Once any one program was removed, I had to reboot. That was okay, I had the entire day.

Without going into too much detail (as I am tempted to do, and as I probably have already done), here are the programs I either installed or reinstalled. Note, that all of these programs are open-source and are free to use. In most instances the free programs do as good a job as the paid-for versions.

Avast! This is a free anti-virus program that is rated tops by PC World.

Zone Alarm. This is a free firewall that is extremely popular and efficient. You can purchase a firewall or use this one, but for heaven's sake, don't use the Windows Firewall that is in SP2 of XP. While it serves well as a basic firewall, it doesn't do eveything that a good firewall needs to do, as a result, it can leave you open to a lot of trouble.

OpenOffice. This is a free utilities suite (similar to Word, PowerPoint, Excel and includes extra programs like Draw, and a Database) that looks a lot like Microsoft Office. It even opens MS documents, saves to them, as well as creates its own. It has some handy extra features such as a .pdf creator. I love it, be sure to have it load in your system tray for faster starts.

This is also a handy office suit because it'll help your conscience too. Unlike many of us who have used "borrowed" versions of MS Office; this way, you'll get to use something without the guilt of continuing to use an office suite that you didn't really pay for. ;)

Firefox. This is a free internet browser with tabbed capabilities (IE 7 now has this feature).

Thunderbird. This is a free email client that lets you pull all your internet email (or work emails) threaded via pop3 access. I love this email client, I've been using it for years. And it has some of the best spam filters that I've ever used.

Picasa 2. This is a free photo management program from the fine folks over at Google, that one day may stir the same amount of ire that is directed at Microsoft (some folks are already getting a bit nervous with them). Until that time actually comes, this is a handy photoshop-lite like program that organizes and can manipulate your images to your taste.

AT Notes. This is a handy free program that lets you put those cool yellow stickums on your desktop screen to serve as reminder notes.

Evernote. This is a free information handling program that lets you copy and store all your information in one place as you surf the web, think of notes to jot down, or share information with colleagues. I use it with my sermon preparation and it's wonderful.

Okay, so there are my basic programs and as of this morning, my computer was running fast, smooth, and efficient. I am so glad I took the time to do this--hopefully I'll get another couple of years or so out of my computer before there is any need to upgrade to a fancier unit. (Heh heh, I just said, "unit" - is one ever too old to quote Beavis and Butthead?)