Blog Posts + Articles + Happenings
Blog Action Day, The Need For Clean Water
I'm not sure how I found out about this, but somehow the internet and it's vast tentacles led me to Blog Action Day, an initiative that brings together bloggers and raises awareness about various topics. When I saw that today's Blog Action Day is about the need for...
I’m An Old Man
When I turned 35 this summer, I posted a blog stating that I am officially middle-aged. I got quite a few messages about how extended life expectancies have shifted that number, and how I'm not "officially" middle-aged yet. I do believe that measuring age in numbers...
Religion & HIV Prevention
I'm not a religious guy, but I do believe in something bigger than our physical bodies- I just don't know what exactly "it" is. Do I believe that humans are more important than toads? Yes. But that's because I am human and I am blessed/cursed with self-awareness and...
Happy 70th Birthday, John Lennon
Thirty years ago at age 40 the world's most celebrated musician, John Lennon, was murdered. A social activist with a healthy sense of right and wrong was lost just before the AIDS crisis hit. It's safe to assume that, had fate allowed him at least one more decade,...
Bill Clayton and Bullying of GLBT Youth
While the recent rash of suicides among GLBT youth has been devastating, it's heartening that it's being discussed openly that gay youth are at a higher risk to take their own lives. One of the reasons is that bullying for them in public places- such as school- is...
AIDS is a Drag (AIDS Walk 2010 Pics)
Team Supersnack showed up in full force this year, but the belles of the ball were definitely the AIDS is a Drag crew. It looks like I'm pageant posing here, but I'm actually holding my Wal-Mart hat between my legs, I couldn't bear to wear it alongside this...
AIDS Walk DC: Thank You to Our Sponsors
Against the odds, Gwenn and I made our fundraising goal of $2000 for the AIDS Walk in DC this year, which is this Saturday. I really didn't think it was possible, partly because of the recession, partly because I didn't feel particularly inspired hitting people up...
Happy Birthday to a Hero in HIV/AIDS
A big ol' birthday wish to Angela Hamilton. She's the brainchild of the AIDS Walk team that Gwenn and I walk for, Team Supersnack. We met Angela in 2000, when she- like Gwenn- were involved in the Miss Virginia Organization as scholarship contestants. Though they...
Don’t Ask. Don’t Tell. Don’t Bother?
Last week another kick to my soul nuts was delivered by the Republican filibuster in regard to the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Of course, many other benefits to troops were also put on hold due to the rampant homophobia of folks who'd never serve themselves...
O’Donnell: If You Can’t Beat It… Join ‘Em?
I haven't been blogging too much lately. Maybe it's because I've been in a fetal position, pacifier in my mouth crying for a Mother Earth to explain some things to me. Like how an anti-masturbation advocate can be one election away from a Senate seat? Or how a...
“No One’s Pleasure” Condoms by The Onion
Even though this article on a fictional Trojan condom was posted by The Onion in July, I just found out about it last night when Gwenn read it to me: hilarious stuff. The condom is called "No One's Pleasure", and it's for embittered, resentful couples... enjoy!...
Chicken Soup… For the Positoid Soul?
I submitted a story for the Chicken Soup series a while back, detailing my journey with HIV and how I coped and survived pre-meds. Some of it was luck, some of it was an innate idea and the teachings of my parents that being down would only harm my immune system's...
“Cuffing” and HemAware Magazine
The folks at HemAware, a magazine that is to the bleeding disorders community what Poz is to the AIDS community, are working on their next issue and they are looking for the following: acupuncture- anyone who gets these treatments for their hemophilia/bleeding...
The Harry Potter Alliance & Magical Thinking
A couple of months ago I posted a request to help The Harry Potter Alliance win a 250k grant from Chase Morgan... and they won! I choose to help them out because they fight for the little guy, advocate for GLBT issues and are just an incredibly awesome and...
The Jesus Had HIV Sermon
So apparently a South African pastor caused some panties and jockstraps to get in a bind when he suggested that Jesus has HIV. He was just trying to get across the idea that Jesus empathized with the sick, that he would have viewed HIV like any other medical...
P. Decker Fungi and P. Buckley Moss
Gwenn and I reached Starwalker status this week, which means we've raised $1,000 for the AIDS Walk Washington so far... we owe a big thanks to our kind donors this week, former Team Supersnack Walkers Putra & Mark, Janet Lafoon and my good buddies Riki, Kawai and...
Text Voting & Daily Reminders
Thanks to everyone who voted yesterday! We need more votes if we're going to make the Top 10 and receive the Pepsi grant, and the best way to insure this is to vote every day. We've created an email newsletter for this purpose and would be very grateful if you signed...
Pepsi Refresh Project: Vote For Us!
The Pepsi Refresh Project started this year as a way for people to make a difference in their communities. The idea is simple- come up with an idea, get the most votes for idea, then do your idea... well, Gwenn and I applied, and we made it to the voting phase! Our...
Thanks to First Five Donators… Next Three Are?
Thanks so much, once again, to Stuarts Draft High School's Leadership Class for kicking off the donations in May. A big thank you to the first five donators to follow- Gayle Silfka, Jodi Perelman, Chris Reyrouck, Sara Boddie-Schick and Tom Donahue! They snagged up my...
Gwenn’s New Fashion Blog
In the cyberworld as in life, it can't always be about AIDS. That's why I want to let you know that Gwenn is contributing to a brand new fashion blog, Bon Marche by Jacyln Day. I'm proud of Gwenn, she went through an audition phase to be one a part of the Bon Marche...
Support Us in AIDS Walk Washington, Plz?
The AIDS Walk has snuck up on us this year- we can't believe it's in less than six weeks! Gwenn and I are walking on October 2, as we always do, with our friends in Team Supersnack. You might remember that I wore a giant LemonAIDS suit last year. Here's a link to the...
When The Music’s Over, Turn Off The Sign
No, my band is not breaking up. Really, Synthetic Division is going to keep going as long as I'm alive, because that's how the vanity projects of the self-obsessed work. One of the highlights of this year thus far has been the focus I point into making some new...
T & Avatar: Piranha 3D A Bloody Good Time
It's been a while since I've reviewed a movie with my movie-reviewing partner, Steve Schalchlin, or, as we are collectively known, the Hemo2Homo Connection. Right now, Steve (whose partner, Jim Brochu, is starring in the hilarious play, Zero Hour) is in the process...
New Issue of Poz, My Article Ryan White Article
The new issue of Poz magazine is out, and there's an incredible article on the role that homophobia plays in the spread of HIV. I contributed to the issue as well, writing about the importance of remembering Ryan White 20 years after his passing. Positively Yours,...
The Mother of Camp (One) Heartland
Received the news from Bob Bowers via One Heartland founder Neil Willenson. I have a friend who went to One Heartland- a camp for children with HIV- several years ago... it was the first time he spoke with other youths who were positive and it was a transformative...
Bad ADAP News From Dab
Dab Garner of the Dab the AIDS Bear Project just posted some sobering news from the ADAP Waiting List report, which was made public on Friday the 13th. The number of people in the United States who are now on HIV drug waiting lists has reached 2,937... Scary stuff....
Friday the 13th and Bad Blood
I grew up as a huge fan of horror movies, and the series of Friday the 13th movies were among my favorite. Jason Voorhees and his machete justice inspired me and my friends to purchase a plastic hockey mask and play out the movies every time the calendar reached that...
Synthetic Division Playing Tonight in Charlottesville
Am playing a show tonight at Rapture, for all you locals. Hope to see you there! If you click on the flyer, it goes to the Facebook Event page.
Filmmakers Looking For Young Females With HIV
A couple of weeks ago I posted this blog entry about an upcoming MTV Staying Alive film. Seems that they are looking for young female positoids (someone living with HIV) for the project. If you are up for disclosing your status and taking part, check out the...
8: Bad Proposition, Good Ruling
Last week the big news was that Proposition 8 was overturned and ruled unconstitutional. I welcomed the ruling whole-heartedly because I just don't understand why it's an issue and why the people are bothered about it care enough to launch the campaigns they do to,...