CNN's Blonde Heads Blend & Blur, Boring My Eyes

It's getting blander by the day, what I see on a once venerable and actual news-driven cable TV outlet.

This screen shot was snapped today off a CNN broadcast and the two blonde female talking heads neatly blended together, boring my eyes.

A blur of blonde trusses hanging down past the chin, same hair parting, solid reddish tops and I didn't give a damn what they had to say. It just wasn't news, the forgotten middle letter in CNN.

Bye-bye, CNN, as a go-to source of news and facts.

Packed Roxie Theater Honors Carrie Fisher

San Francisco's venerable Mission District movie house was full last night. I was part of the packed Roxie Theater audience that came out to celebrate and remember Carrie Fisher on January 1, 2017.

The Roxie's great staff showed "Postcards from the Edge" on the big screen. Before that, we were treated to a selection of Fisher's TV appearances. The highlight was Fisher skewering George Lucas at the American Film Institute gala in his honor a few years back.

Not sure why, I again forgot that early in the film and for many scenes, her fictional alter ego played by Meryl Streep, wears a queer pink triangle pinned on her denim jacket. I should remember that.

Here's my video from last night:

NYT: Who Originated the Term 'People With AIDS'?

Important HIV and gay history was shared that greatly sheds light on an key matter from the early AIDS plague years. The lead letter in the New York Times Book Review on December 12 delved into who originated the term people with AIDS.

I've communicated my gratitude to Michael Helquist, the author of the letter, and am pleased to report his response edified me. Nice to connect with a fellow longterm survivor of AIDS, committed to keeping our history honest and honoring our dead.

Thanks, Michael, for getting this letter published in the Gray Lady:

‘People With AIDS’

To the Editor: Andrew Sullivan’s review of “How to Survive a Plague,” by David France (Nov. 27), credits Michael Callen with pioneering the empowering idea that individuals with AIDS were neither victims nor patients but rather “people with AIDS.” But this overlooks the contribution of Mark Feldman, who originated the term.

One of the first 50 to be diagnosed with AIDS in San Francisco, Feldman addressed 10,000 marchers in San Francisco’s first AIDS Memorial March on May 2, 1983: “I am a person with AIDS, a person with AIDS, a human being, not a victim and only a patient when I am in a hospital.”

A month later, at an AIDS conference in Denver, Callen noted Feldman’s and others’ efforts in New York to be called “patients” rather than “victims.” He added, “This has been a challenge to not call ourselves patients either.” “People with AIDS” was adopted by attendees.

After the conference, Callen championed the People With AIDS movement that he had embraced a month after Feldman coined the term.

MICHAEL HELQUIST
SAN FRANCISCO

We received an unscheduled and delightful visit this New Year's Day from our friend Brett, and a former tenant in our building.

He stopped by with a charming gal-pal named Marianne. They brought libations, we toasted the dawn of 2017, shared a few laughs and snapped these photos.

Quite a lovely way to spend part of today, a day in which I stayed offline from 1 am through 3 pm.

May we all have a terrific new year, full of health and good times!

Happy New Year From Mike + Mike!

As 2016 closes, with all its challenges and rewards for Mike and I, we take a moment to thank you for being part of our lives.

Best and sincere wishes to all for a fabulous 2017, full of wellness and accomplishments.

We just watched Shirley MacLaine and Meryl Streep, as the fictionalized Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher, in a scene from "Postcards From the Edge" in which MacLaine performs a modified version of Sondheim's classic torch song "I'm Still Here".

Cheered us up and gave this two queer boys a bit of joy, as MacLaine hops on the piano, shows off her gams and flashes her red underwear.

Perfect way to end the year!

This week, Mike and I were blessed with a visit from my brother John and sister Diane. They flew in from New Jersey and Miami, stayed at the St. Francis Hotel and a relaxed, fun time was had by all.

A few highlights included eating a fabulous meal at the Mission Street Oyster Bar on their first night in town and attending a sing-a-long show of "The Sound of Music" at the Castro theater.

Thanks, John and Dee, for gifting Mike and I with your presence here in San Francisco between Christmas and New Year's Eve!

BAR: Russia, UN's Retiring Ban & SF's LGBT Protest

Back in August of 2007, there was no online proof that any Secretary General of the United Nations had ever spoken in public about the human rights of gay people.

That led Veronika Fimbres, George Duvoisin, the late and great Hank Wilson and myself to make sure Ban Ki-Moon addressed our issues when he visited San Francisco. Hank and I zapped his speech at the Fairmont Hotel, and longtime community documenatarian Rick Gerharter snapped a fab photo of us holding signs reading "Gay Rights are UNiversal!"

Very happy to live to see the UN come to the point of creating a queer envoy to keep tabs on the human rights violations against our brothers and sisters around the globe.

Last week, Heather Cassell of the Bay Area Reporter reminded readers of the zap and some of the homo history involving Ban. Thanks, Heather and the BAR, for your excellent global coverage:

"During the recent ceremony honoring departing U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Russian leaders successfully blocked the 15-member U.N. Security Council from mentioning his work protecting LGBT people around the world. 

"The Associated Press reported that the original statement by the Security Council read that it was thanks to Ban, 72, 'that women, young people, and the LGBT community have been heard and assisted, and today their voices sound louder and stronger in the U.N. headquarters and around the world.'

"Instead, members of the Security Council focused on Ban's work protecting vulnerable populations, the environment, taking the U.N. into the future, and working toward peace in an ever-changing world during his decade-long tenure. 

"Ban, who steps down December 31, also didn't mention his work advocating for LGBT people at the event . . .

"African, Arab and Muslim countries, as well as Russia and China, harshly criticized and opposed Ban's work promoting LGBT rights. Ban's work promoting LGBT rights globally sparked many debates among U.N. member states, especially within the last five years.

"Ban's stance changed from unawareness, such as when San Francisco gay activists Michael Petrelis and the late Hank Wilson disrupted his visit to the city in 2007. Since then he has stood up for LGBT rights.

"He passed multiple policies internally and globally advocating for laws protecting LGBT people, established the Free and Equal campaign, and supported the U.N. Human Rights Council and the Security Council's inquiries into discrimination and violence against LGBT people."

GMHC Uses Roy Cohn's HIV Status to Fundraise

Why is an HIV and gay nonprofit services organization exploiting the name of a dead notorious conservative closeted homosexual and person with AIDS who sent people to the electric chair, ruined the lives of leftist enemies and mentored Donald Trump?

Roy Cohn is listed as a person who was diagnosed with AIDS, which he never admitted while alive, on a fundraising appeal from the Gay Men's Health Crisis of New York City.

Troubling as it is to see Cohn's name on the GMHC materials, I have to question if the agency got anyone's permission to use their name and HIV status.

It's creepy that anyone receiving this pitch for money would write a check to GMHC based on the inclusion of Cohn's name.

Media Matters & David Brock's $305K Salary

He's a leech upon the body politic and knows how to rake in the dough.

Openly gay and once conservative but now a flaming liberal in love with Hillary Clinton, before he hated her, David Brock is a nightmare of an operative.

One of his outfits is Media Matters for America. According to their 2014 IRS 990 filing, it had $10 million in total revenue, overall assets worth $6.2 million and net assets of $3.1 million.

Here's the salary breakdown for the top executives, two years ago:

David Brock, Chairman: $305,266
Bradley Beychok, President: $233,907
Pilar Martinez, CFO: $207,408
Angelo Carusone, Vice President: $176,275
Eric Boehlert, Senior Fellow: $151,590

Brock is also the founder and head of the pro-Hillary Super PAC Correct the Record. The OpenSecrets.org site reports it spent $9.6 million on her behalf for the 2016 election cycle.

Sleaziness pays handsomely for Brock. He's a major reason why Hillary and the Democratic Party suck and lost in November.

There can never be enough scrutiny of the media, right and left, and the nonprofits that monitor the press.

Holiday Greeting & Pic From Poz Inmate Michael Johnson

Let's all rejoice in hearing from Tracy Johnson. She's Michael Johnson's mother and has shared a wishes from her son, hoping everyone has a merry Christmas. She also posted this great photo of Michael. Here's hoping Michael's holiday was as cheerful as could be in his Missouri prison. May 2017 be the year he's released from custody.