THE DAHL HAUS PRESENTS: THE END(S) OF AUGUST 2012

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¡VISUALIZE YOURSELF!

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One’s race, ethnicity and sexual orientation are not usually topics that are discussed together as an inclusive and dynamic entity. We are accustomed to focusing on minority groups in distinct and separate terms. It is not often that we visualize a perspective in which sexual orientation is considered as a separate inherent trait and part of the whole being within the context of race and ethnic background.

A way to personalize this visualization is to understand how we see ourselves and how we interact with others. Some people very rarely visualize themselves in a good way; enjoying life and being truly happy. For the white population, envisioning this condition is much easier than the visualizations of various queer individuals of varying ethnic and racial backgrounds. Not only do internal feelings of self-doubt due to race and ethnic background have to be overcome, the self-doubt related to inherent sexual orientation must also be dealt with. This further delays one’s ability to visualize themselves as a truly happy person, living the life they were meant to live, in an open, meaningful and recognized way without prejudice or discrimination.

Full, complete minority equality can be achieved if we visualize ourselves as a unified and complete community working toward the same goals and objectives that will benefit all racial, ethnic and queer minority groups encompassed within. We need to begin to change our thought patterns away from the more focused attention we seek to achieve for our own individual constituencies. Our detractors seek to exploit that fracture amongst and between minority groups to further exploit their own narrow focused tunnel vision view of how society should be. They prey on ones’ feelings of insecurity and self-doubt in an attempt to further entrench their narrow view of society on the rest of us.

Visualizing ourselves as being equal to everyone else in society entitled to all the benefits that are bestowed on the rest of society empowered by a unified minority vision will begin to foster feelings of self-worth and self-respect. This will ultimately create an environment where true personal happiness may be found. The visualization of oneself will be based upon the true self, not influenced by racial, ethnic and queer prejudice and discrimination. Visualize yourself as believing that you can be the ideal person that you want to become. Visualize yourself!

SOURCE: GAY AGENDA

DEAD INSIDE...

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He felt dead inside.

No matter how hard he partied, he could never escape that simple fact - inside, dead.

And that was his life.

Running from a feeling.

At least until he could run no more.

Exhausted, spent and beaten, when the end finally came, he welcomed it.

With life ebbing from his wasted body, he was suddenly swept up in a transcendent state of joy that was pure and complete.

Moments later he felt dead inside.

THE PHRASE OF OUR EXISTENCE

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I hear the phrase "it is what it is" a lot these days. I like it. The words strike me as an attempt to express a minor epiphany. The speaker is announcing in a casual way that they accurately perceive an unchangeable reality and have accepted it as such. There's no defeat implied, it's just an articulation of consciousness doing its thing.

To me, this represents the injustices of this planet. An evolutionary step forward from "c'est la vie," which implied a weary, apathetic resignation. The ‘please bend me over and f*&k me again’, if you will. Another phrase I've been hearing quite often is, "it's all good." This one really bothers me. A quick look around would indicate that "it" is not even remotely "all good." This in my mind represents the state of world we live in.

THE MOOD

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Sadness, Grief, The blues, Self-pity, Melancholy, Regret, Remorse, Low, Down-trodden and Morose. These are but a few of the words that come to mind when trying to describe my mood for past two weeks. Now before you call a suicide prevention number on my behalf, please know that I am aware that the condition these words describe will pass (and they have).

The problem as I see it is not the condition but the feeling implied by my gloomy list of words (I can't believe I forgot to put 'gloomy' on the list). The feeling is so bad that my tendency in the past has been to feel anger whenever sadness threatened, for the simple reason that sadness feels worse than anger. Anger at least can flow outwards. Sadness flows in. On the other hand, anger generates road rage and getting your head caved in by a guy in a pickup truck with a tire iron, while sadness inspires you to watch unbelievably bad TV to distract you from feeling sadness.

And, of course, both sadness and anger stem from fear, fear of losing what you have or fear of not getting what you want. And fear stems from the tightly-held belief that what you have and/or want is even remotely important. To be fearless is to be free from desire, even desire for one's own life. Don't get me wrong, I'm not even close to that consciousness. Heck, as soon as I done with this entry I'll probably go watch TLC and hope to see some show that exploits little girls. 

FOREVER POKING...

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When I was a child I was taught the saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me." At the time, I saw the sense of it. Words, being intangible, have no ability to inflict physical harm. Whenever another child said something mean to me, I would loudly recite the saying at them, using it like a magical incantation that would protect me from getting my feelings hurt. I usually said it with tears running down my cheeks.

As an adult I've come to see that the saying is, like many things taught to children, a lie. The truth is that bones heal, while the damage done by words can last a lifetime. I bring it up here only to remind those who go behind the backs of bloggers and report various violations WITHOUT making contact with the blogger they have issues with. Please be mindful of the ‘power’ you wield. And that is the power to wound with words {claims}. You may have the ‘power’ to shut blogs down, but DEEP down we all know that you will forever be poking, but never really penetrating.

But I should tread carefully here. I don't want to now become the very thing I decry. So I want to reiterate that if anyone sees an image here and would like to get their deserved recognition please do NOT hesitate in letting me know how you’d like to be given acknowledgment, THANK YOU J

TRUE BLOOD: SEASON 5, EPISODE 12 - SAVE YOURSELF

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Was sitting through this hit-and-miss season of True Bloodworth it to see Bill go bad, Andy turn officially hot, Jason become full of hate (again), Tara kiss Pam, and Alcide finally become pack master? In the spirit of a loaded Lafayette, Arlene, and Jane Bodehouse, I'd say yes. It wasn't perfect (the Ifrit was voted the Single Weakest Twist in our Summer TV Awards and like us, the writers are now pretending Terry doesn't exist), but it certainly sets us up for an interesting season six. Let's dig in.

MONDAY MUSICAL MOTIVATION: GUARDIAN

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Alanis Morissette Guardian lyrics is the first single from the Alanis's seventh studio album "Havoc and Bright Lights", in stores on August 28th, 2012.

¿DO YOU HAVE A BODY PART YOU HATE?

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Many of us can attest to being teased growing up. As a child, such taunting may have elicited tears and embarrassment, but as most of us grow older, we learn to make peace with the body part that caused so much strife when we were younger.

I’ve been teased constantly about my big lips, but found that gay men find them all the rage. Not that I need validation from them, but because of their interest it caused me to take a second look @ myself.

Is there a body part you were previously teased for that you now accept with open arms?

THE NEED TO MIS/DIS EDUCATE...

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First, it is against the interest of the mental slave master to adequately educate GAY people because he would deplete his ability to siphon off GAY skills.

Second, the mental slave master profoundly fears GAY revenge, for years of abominable treatment.

Third, the mental slave maser is extremely afraid of the power of the GAY mind and GAY genius that can produced highly advanced communities.

Fourth, the mental slave master does not know how to educate the GAY mind. The advanced psychology required for training the GAY mind, despite being stolen, is seldom understood.

THE DAHL HAUS PRESENTS: AUGUST STIFF ONES

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THERE IS NO WAY TO PREDICT A ‘STIFF’ ONE’S SIZE WITHOUT…

THROW BACK VIDEO: RIGHT HERE

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"Right Here" is the title of the debut single released by the group SWV. It charted on the Billboard charts as a double-A-side with "Downtown". A remixed version, commonly referred to as "Right Here/Human Nature", became a number-one R&B single. According to Billboard, the song has spent 54 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 charts which is one of the longest chart runs of all time.[2]

The original version of "Right Here" was released in the third quarter of 1992. It peaked at number 16 on the Hot R&B Singles chart. Tamara "Taj" Johnson wrote and performed the bridge to the original song, which would result in her first (of many) co-writing credits on SWV songs.

The "Human Nature" remix samples Michael Jackson's 1983 hit "Human Nature". One of their best known hits, it spent seven weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart, as well as three weeks atop the Rhythmic Top 40 chart. It became one of the longest running number-one R&B singles of 1993. It also peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also reached the top ten in Europe, including the United Kingdom, where it peaked at number three in September 1993.[3]

"Right Here/Human Nature" appears on the soundtrack and in the film Free Willy. The first verse of the Human Nature remix varies slightly from the original version, and the rapped bridge is omitted. The remix also features a young Pharrell Williams chanting"S...The double...The U...The V!" during the song. This became a common "call" during the group's concerts. "Right Here/Human Nature" was later remixed for SWV's Remixes EP as a mash-up duet with the song's sample, "Human Nature" by Michael Jackson, who is featured in the duet.

The "Human Nature" remix has been sampled by the late rapper 2Pac on the track "Thug Nature" off Too Gangsta for Radio(2001). Pop singer Chris Brown's song "She Ain't You" (2011) samples Michael Jackson's "Human Nature" and a portion of SWV's remix version.[4][5]

Both versions of "Right Here" have music videos. The video to the original song beings with Coko discussing a man she likes to Taj and Lelee. It features the singers having flashbacks to boys they liked as young girls, then is brought to the present day with the women and their boyfriends. In between, the girls goof off together in a large, mirrored room. "Right Here" was the first of their videos to showcase the group's dancing skills.

The music video directed by Lionel C. Martin to the remixed version begins with SWV riding horses and fishing on an island's coast, and are shown performing with a band. An alternate version of the "Human Nature" video features scenes from Free Willyalong with clips of Michael Jackson performing during the 1992 Dangerous Tour.

The "Human Nature" remix is the more recognized version of the single, and is the one that is usually performed at SWV concerts. However, the original version (complete with the rapped bridge) is occasionally performed instead.

OLDIE, BUT GOODIE: ¿WHAT IS YOUR GOD CONNECTION?

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THIS BLOG ENTRY IS ABOUT HOW I HOPE THAT WE CAN  STOP HURTING & DOWNGRADING EACH OTHER (STRAIGHT & GAY ALIKE) & PLACE MORE EMPHASIS ON OUR SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT. WE ARE NOT WORTHLESS, WE ARE NOT A GROUP PEOPLE ‘GOD’ DOES NOT WANT TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH & IT IS TIME THAT WE REDEFINE OUR HUMANITY& CONNECT TO A GREATER SPIRITUAL POWER OUTSIDE OF WHO WE ARE & THE REST OF THE WORLD.

I find that the CONNECTION that we have with GOD has been, and continues to be, the focus of COUNTLESS DEBATES, ARTICLES, and TELEVISION SHOWS and so on. There is without a doubt just as many opinions on what is wrong with OUR relationship with GOD as there are individuals with solutions to the problems. However, what are the inherent external factors that foster OUR disconnection from GOD? Though nothing is ever as simple as it seems, yet if WE focus on OUR overall complexity of life, WE can find some solutions that can make life easier.

For many of us dealing with RELIGION is very difficult to say the least. For HETEROSEXUALS it is easier to deny the pain than to acknowledge the suffering that HOMOSEXUALS endure in this world. Because of this, there are lingering anxieties in the hearts and minds of GAY men and women that PREVENTS us from having any sort of relationship with OUR ‘creator.’ If only WE allow the painful indignities that we suffer draw us closer to GOD; instead it does the opposite.

The reality is that in spite of the EDUCATIONAL, ECONOMIC and SOCIAL GAINS that we have made, SOCIETY still operates as an oppressive system that has been, and continues to be, responsible for keeping a large number of us TRAPPED in a place that forces us to believe that GOD does NOT care for us. It is my FIRM belief that there is a DIRECT correlation between our ability and inability to problem solve and our common experience of being GAY. In other words the oppressed is not entirely responsible for his OR her oppression. Nonetheless, I feel that WE need to take ourselves out of a certain mind frame AND take our rightful place in this world.

To each HIS/HER own, but I am of the opinion that GOD IS NOT SOME OMNIPOTENT FIGURE IN THE SKY THAT IS KEEPING SCORE & IS FORCING US TO ACHIEVE SALVATION THROUGH FEAR & TREMBLING. DO YOU THINK GOD REALLY WANTS US TO LIVE IN WORLD THAT HAS THE PROBLEMS THAT IT HAS? I SAY NO! We sit AND think that WE are sinners and GOD does NOT want anything to do with us, this is SO far from the truth. Why do WE hinder OUR relationship with GOD because of who we are? I find it heart breaking that we feel separate AND apart from OUR creator because of OUR inability to LOVE ourselves. I feel that LOGIC destroys what WE ought to believe, there is NO LOGIC when it comes to LIFE and the how it is lived. It amazes me that WE say WE believe in GOD, yet have such a HARD time with him.

I AM...

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I am a student and will always be a student because every other life in my universe is teaching me.

THE GAY MAN & BALANCE...

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I've met many gay men over and I’ve always admired the gay men that lives the ‘you are only as young as you feel’ motto. I can appreciate a man that have a youthful outlook on life, but what happens when he is well past the age of being a bona fide adult? By society’s standards, he is an adult because he works; owns a home and pay all of his bills independently. But in his mind, he is STILL that oblivious 18-24 year-old looking for the next good time. How does he find the balance between the “kid” and the “adult” in him? Moreover, should he?

THE GAY "LIFE STYLE" ¿IS IT REALLY A CHOICE?

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Is there really such a thing as a “gay lifestyle?” It is a phrase used over and over again by both those within and outside the queer community. A “lifestyle” is the manner by which a person chooses to live their lives. The key word is “choose.” Do queer people choose their lifestyle? It depends on how one is using the phrase contextually. In a general sense we all have a lifestyle that inherently belongs to us, and is one that we choose to live. My lifestyle involves waking up in the morning, having my morning coffee while I surf the web and chat with friends on gay.com. I go to work, earn money to pay the mortgage and other bills and hopefully have a little left over. These are all voluntary actions and are part of what comprises my lifestyle.

However it is an erroneous assumption to carry this logic to one’s sexuality. It is not a choice. The insistence of some that being queer is a choice and that one can change the way they were born causes, many times, irreparable damage to one’s psyche, self-esteem and their sense of who they truly are. It causes one to live a life that is not theirs, to create a façade, a lie that envelops the true essence of who they are.

Denying one’s very being is epitomized in a quote that I often reference. “The torment of human frustration, whatever its immediate cause, is the knowledge that the self is in prison, its vital force leaking away in wasteful self-conflict.” Many queer persons live two lives. They are in prison not due to their own doing but for what society dictates them to be and how they should act. They waste their lives, their inherent potential, and their vital life force, on worrying about hiding themselves. Wasteful self-conflict is being torn between those that say we can choose who we are versus living our lives as we were born to as out, proud, productive individuals who just happen to have many of the same lifestyles as everyone else, except that we love another of the same sex.

So no, there is no such thing as the “gay lifestyle.” There is no choice involved. We are who we are born to be. We cannot change that. Do not let anyone tell you any different!

SOURCE: GAY AGENDA

¿ARE YOU THE ANGRY BLACK WO/MAN THEY ANTICIPATE?

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As a wo/man of ‘color’, what do you do when you go to a restaurant for a nice lunch and find  something out of the ordinary in your salad? With many of us not into the taste of insects, hair et al, being in our food, as a person of ‘color’, how do you react when the waiter approaches you with fear and a defensive tone but is not apologetic?

Do you replay the situation in your head to see if you would be confrontational? If you are the type who doesn’t yell or argue @ the drop of a dime, how do you handle situations where the other party expects you to neck swerve or finger wag or deliver any other threatening motion that the ‘black’ stereotype suggests we would?

I know some people expect us to be sassy or combative, and they react accordingly before we even have the opportunity to prove otherwise. Because this is more than just the issue of being prejudged, but about having our grievances taken seriously and addressed accordingly, I decided that this entry would be timely. If someone has automatically dismissed you as being an angry black wo/man just for having a complaint, then they have probably dismissed your complaint as well, right?

Have you ever found yourself acting passively just to avoid appearing like a stereotype?  If so, how do you navigate the fine line between self advocacy and being perceived to be angry? How do you express your concerns vigilantly while still being taken seriously?

9 THINGS SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DO DIFFERENTLY

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Why have you been so successful in reaching some of your goals, but not others? If you aren't sure, you are far from alone in your confusion. It turns out that even brilliant, highly accomplished people are pretty lousy when it comes to understanding why they succeed or fail. The intuitive answer — that you are born predisposed to certain talents and lacking in others — is really just one small piece of the puzzle. In fact, decades of research on achievement suggests that successful people reach their goals not simply because of who they are, but more often because of what they do.

TRUE BLOOD: SEASON 5, EPISODE 11 - SUNSET

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When I look at this season of True Blood, I think of the time my mother, sister, and I were the only ones riding a Tilt-A-Whirl at a county fair in Pennsylvania. The operator of the ride worked the controls to maximize our spinning. I choose to believe he did that because he thought we'd enjoy it, not so I would get pinned to the back of my seat and wouldn't be able to breathe and my mother would get so sick she'd end up missing most of the concert we were there to see later that night. The True Bloodwriters had good intentions, I'm sure, when they separated the show's characters this season: the actors would be serviced with their individual story lines and fans would have more arcs to ponder. But really, it's felt like we've been spinning in a circle when we'd rather have just headed in one direction. With this episode, the story lines finally started to merge. Is it just in time or too little too late? Let's dig in.

MONDAY MUSICAL MOTIVATION: ENOUGH OF NO LOVE

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Keyshia Cole Enough Of No Love lyrics is the first single from her new album "Woman to Woman". "Enough of No Love" features rapper Lil' Wayne.

RELIGION: PEOPLE OF ILLUSION

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As children we are given some standard fairy tales, as well as most parents creating different illusions protecting a reality, thinking it’s best for the child’s innocence. The process of giving up illusions begins at around 8 years old, when Santa Clause, tooth fairy, Easter Bunny, and whatever cultural illusions are used for children. Illusions that make one happy are tough to give up...that’s why religions hang in there even though, more and more today, everyone knows all the stories are made up in spite of some value. One illusion often gets replaced with another usually at an early age, soon becoming imprinted, and guarded with alleged certainty. It’s much like giving up one bad habit usually invites in the growth of another.  People of illusion cling together reinforcing their interpretation of the illusion. 

Illusions in religions are often represented by ‘archetypes’ to personify certain values in life. Unfortunately, the ‘believers’ through their ‘idolatry’ miss the message’s deepness and richness. Anyone who is deeply introspective while open to knowing their deeper self finds religions to be taken lightly at best. All is always in flux for those not attached to ‘anyone’s words, especially when idolizing them as the ‘only way’. The ‘wise’ are those who move beyond ‘smoke screens’, parroting others, as well as being worshiped themselves. The ignorant ‘worship’ instead of finding love within themselves, and with others. A wise being avoids all ignorance.

REVIEW OF THE EXPENDABLES 2

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About The Movie:

The Expendables 2 is a 2012 American ensemble action film directed by Simon West and written by Richard Wenk andSylvester Stallone, based on a story by Ken Kaufman, David Agosto and Wenk. It is a sequel to the 2010 action film The Expendables, and stars Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris, Randy Couture, Terry Crews,Liam Hemsworth, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Bruce Willis, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The film follows The Expendables, a mercenary group, as they seek revenge against Jean Vilain (Van Damme), a rival mercenary who murders one of their own, and threatens the world with a deadly weapon.

What Is Good About The Movie: