SwimFinsSF

Christmas Time

Just got back from my Christmas excursions and figured I’d drop y’all a quick update… I had a great holiday for the most part… Kevin and I had to go separate places this year which was a shame (he was with his family in North Carolina and I was with part of mine in Nebraska) and UPS did a pretty spectacular job of fucking things up (not a SINGLE BOX that was guaranteed on time actually was – pretty impressive in its own way) but in general it all was very nice.

Like I said, Kevin left last Tuesday to spend a few days in North Carolina with his family and the following friday I flew out to Omaha to spend Christmas with my dad and Grandma. My grandma just moved into new digs so we spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with her. Did a little shopping Christmas Eve and went to the Omaha Zoo on the day after. Also got to goo meet up with my buddy Scott Christmas night and went to The Maxx (a big gay bar in Omaha)… Overall a very nice trip! 🙂

When we both got back into town we turned around and headed out to spend some time with my mom, step dad, sister, her boyfriend, and my step sister.. Was really nice as well. Went to dinner on the 27th at a cool restaurant in Sacramento (little drama with a bitch of a hostess but REALLY good food and a cool place).. Then had a second Christmas the next morning…

Overall a really good holiday… now glad to be back at home relaxing and watching Lost (never seen it before – CREEPY show! :))

Oh.. And here are some pictures from both trips.. Some good shots in there of the family (lots of me in this one – other people had the camera this go-round :):) )

(Update: Here are some pix from the Omaha Zoo)

Ford does the right thing.

After a lot of drama, word of mouth, and conjecture it looks, based on an article in 365Gay.COM, like Ford Motor company has stepped up and issued a statement indicating that they will continue to advertise in the gay press.

Gay Ads Back On Track For Ford
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

(Washington) Ford Motor Company on Wednesday agreed to almost all demands from LGBT groups following a hastily organized meeting earlier this week with the company over a claim by the American Family Association that the company had made a pact with it to end support of the LGBT community.

The only place where they hedged, according to the article, seemed understandible to me – business conditions often dictate that they can’t always continue to support all the same events and causes from year to year.

Once again, people are stepping up and doing the right thing. (The lure of the GLTB’s $610 billion a year buying power definitely doesn’t hurt i’m sure! :):))

So I have to stand up and thank Ford for its statement! :)… Thanks a lot – and in return Kevin’s all giddy to go car shopping!

Bad Morals in the Press

I just read this article on 365gay.COM today and it irritated the SHIT out of me:

Suit Seeks Publication Of Names, Pictures Of Mayor’s Gay Chat Buddies

by The Associated Press

(Spokane, Washington) The Spokesman-Review newspaper is asking a judge to rethink his decision not to allow the release of photographs — from a gay Web site — found on the city-owned laptop computer of recalled Mayor James E. West.

…

What possible valid reason could have for needing the names and pictures of the people this Mayor was talking to? While the people who have profiles on Gay.COM surely don’t expect absolute privacy when posting a profile to a site like this, i’m sure many weren’t aware they were talking to a public figure and regardless none would have expected to be part of the public record…

Smacks of a witch hunt to me… ‘Are you or are anyone you know now, or have ever been, a member of the homosexual party’….

*groan*

SO EXCITED

There are two movies coming out this weekend that I can’t WAIT to see… And, according to metacritic, they both are gonna be GREAT.. I was totally torn as to which one to see first but the big homo in me won out over the big kid in me… So Friday night its this:

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Wells Fargo and Colorado

So it seems that Focus on the Family has chosen to pull its money out of Wells Fargo accounts due to the bank’s support of Gay & Lesbian civil rights organizations such as GLAAD. Wells Fargo’s response in the San Francisco Chronicle article underscores why i’m going to continue to support Wells Fargo and other businesses like it:

…

A Wells Fargo spokesman said the $50,000 donation to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation came from profits on accounts in the San Francisco area, not Colorado, where Focus on the Family has its headquarters.

“We absolutely made a $50,000 grant to GLAAD, and we’re absolutely proud of our support for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community,” said Chris Hammond, spokesman for the banking giant, which gives about $2 million a year to gay and lesbian organizations.

There is a special place in hell for organizations like FOTF that attack companies for encouraging protection of civil rights for all Americans…

Ford Motor Company, on the other hand, has taken another tact according to this Forbes.com article.

An auto ad campaign has been put in reverse. Ford Motor said Tuesday that its luxury Jaguar and Land Rover brands are ending their advertising in gay publications. Its Volvo brand will continue its ad buys, however; the company’s Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brands have not advertised in gay media.

The automaker, headed by Bill Ford Jr., denied that the ad switch had been made under pressure from conservative Christian groups. “The decision with regard to advertising was a business decision,” a spokesman told The Associated Press. Ford’s Premier Automotive Group, which includes the Jaguar and Land Rover brands, posted a pretax loss of $108 million for the third quarter. Ford (nyse: F – news – people ) declined to say how much it had spent on advertising in gay publications.

Last week, a conservative Christian group ended a plan to boycott Ford vehicles. The American Family Association had criticized Ford for being too gay-friendly. “We are ending the boycott of Ford,” AFA Chairman Donald Wildmon said in a statement last week. “While we still have a few differences with Ford, we feel that our concerns are being addressed in good faith and will continue to be addressed in the future.” In May, the AFA ended a largely ineffective nine-year boycott of The Walt Disney Co. (nyse: DIS – news – people ), launched over its decision to give same-sex couples benefits and to hold gay-related events at its theme parks.

And if you believe the ‘business decision part’… 🙂

Wells can count on plenty more business from me as long as they have the balls to do the right thing! :):).. Ford on the other hand… :):)

Happy Tuesday..

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World AIDS Day 2005

HIV / AIDS Resources:

• The Body: The complete HIV / HIDS Resource
• Stop AIDS Project:
• Resources
• HIV Testing Sites
• UCSF AIDS Health Project
• The Human Rights Campaign: World AIDS Day Report Card