I’ve been a lucky fag. I have never had a VD, STD, STI or whatever is the vogue name for it. I have never known anyone to be diagnosed with HIV though many have come close.

That’s why when a close friend told me he was diagnosed with HIV this morning, I’ve been taking it pretty harshly.

Growing up in the 80s, I’ve always known about AIDS and HIV. I saw the struggles of Ryan White. I saw the entire sports world gasp in disbelief when Magic Johnson abruptly retired after being diagnosed with HIV. I’ve seen images of the first AIDS victims wasting away with the indelible scarlet letter of Karposis Sarcoma sores littering their bodies.

I also remember the struggle groups like ACTUP endured to get more AIDS education and awareness out to the public. It seemed to work since in the 90s new cases started declining.

Since people have started to live longer with the virus, the caution and urgency have gone by the wayside and cases are on the rise yet again.

That’s why I’m pissed as hell right now. I’m pissed at this friend for allowing himself to be in a position to get HIV. Everyone knows the risks involved especially in the gay community. So why not take the ten seconds it takes to put a condom on?

I’m pissed at our country. Here we are spending billions on the War in Iraq annually, yet there doesn’t seem to be the same level of commitment to erase AIDS, cancer and other maladies. We can spend money to kill people, but we just can’t put the same time and energy to help prevent people from dying.

I’m just feeling a myriad of emotions now that I’m shellshocked. I will completely support my friend when he needs anything. But this is a new one for me, and as for all of the fags before me it’s not pleasant at all.

I’m in a bit of trouble.

Last weekend, I met a boy on one of the many gay hookup websites. For you unknowing heteros, this is a quick easy way to get laid. An email back and forth, find out what you’re into, agree on a meeting place, fuck and that’s the end of the relationship. As a militant anti-relationship guy, this works out great for me.

But this guy Roy is different. Breaking protocol, we started IMing and inadvertantly got to know each other. Although he’s not a calculus superstar, he is a huge LA history geek and gets off on traffic flow maps. Oh! And the best part is he LOVES doing crossword puzzles.

So we had been IMing each other all last week and set up a date of sorts. We were to meet up Saturday at my place for dinner, drunken Scrabble and Raspberry Reich, however we had to push it back to this coming weekend because of a funeral he had to attend.

I’m a patient guy, and we’ve never met in person, so it’s all right, right?

Well last night we were talking and decided to meet up for gelato. Being the insecure bastard I am, I just started yammering about nothing in particular. On top of that since it was a Sunday I was at my grossest. Doing laundry, cleaning house and cooking will sort of do that to a person.

Anyhow he seemed to like me and we even had a brief kiss at the end of night.

And that is the smell of trouble brewing.

Yup. That’s the sound of crickets you hear here. It’s about as barren as my asshole right now.

It’s very sad that the Dodgers and sports in general have completely hijacked my life. It’s great that I’m writing on a more regular basis, but this is a little crazy.

For instance, I was over at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery with evildork, lotusblossom and saltysea tonight, and they had a vote on whether to show Pee Wee’s Big Adventure this year. To the people who cheered for them not to show the movie, I yelled out, “GIANTS FANS” real loud. Ben shot a look at me and said, “You are cut off from sports.”

Other than that, I’ve been acclimating to my new digs. I got my couch and chair a couple of weeks ago. It still feels really weird to have a place that is all mine. Not that I’m complaining. It’s great! As much naked time as I want, and things are done the way I want them. It completely satisfies the control-freak in me.

One of these days, I will upload a new podcast. Someday.

One of these days I will be good about posting to my personal blog. Who would’ve thought it would be difficult to write about the Dodgers on a daily basis, especially after the other Dodger’s writer who was supposed to alternate with me just dropped out of existence. Pfft.

Anyhow, so last night we had an LAist BBQ and one of the writers brought her boyfriend. So we’re chatting it up and he is a math geek! He teaches calculus at Harvard-Westlake High, and (this is the kicker) he got a tattoo of a calculus problem on his arm! How fucking hot it that?

So I’m mingling, and the subject of music comes up. Well you knows me and my music. So I start talking about industrial music, and he says that he was a big rivethead as well!

*sigh*

Now why can’t I meet one fucking fag who can do that?

So color me frustrated. I really had to get that off of my chest so I could go on with my day.

Merci Beaucoup.

Sorry about the lack of updates, but from the entire process of moving and having to adjust my schedule accordingly which leaves me barely enough time to be a Dodgerist things are hectic.

Speaking of the Dodgers, I have a problem that’s been creeping up for the last several years. It’s well known that I’m a complete sports junkie, but it’s become very pervasive into my everyday life. Most of my friends are at best casually into sports. As for me, I can tell them historical stats, the minutiae of strategy and player transactions both rumored and real. Hell I find myself using sports teams as metaphors. I.E. this movie is as bad as Dallas’ first-round playoff meltdown against Golden State. He looks as stupid as the entire Cubs team in 1965 against Sandy Koufax. Stuff like that.

So I’ve come to a resolution. Since I’m already entrenched in being a Dodgerist for the rest of the baseball season, once it’s over in November I will not follow sports closely. I might watch an occasional SportsCenter here and there. I might even watch an occasional football game. But I will not get myself mired in the ins and outs of any sports. I will allow myself to be a casual fan.

Joy Division. Control. Wow.

Dearest LiveJournal,

I finally made my move. I guess you could say it’s moving on up although I am no longer on a hill. But either way, I’m living all by myself for the first time (and I’m not counting the one year I had a single dorm room back in college).

So I am including some piccys.

Here’s my new dining table. It is quelle sexy, and I absolutely adore it!

Here’s my bedroom. It’s a bit bare, but it’ll fill up quite soon.

Here’s the living room. It’s going to change. In a couple of weeks, my couch and chair are going to arrive. I still need to bring over my other teevee. I also want a new computer desk. Jyes.

So there it is. My new apartment.

Moving Process

I’ve started to get everything set up for my new place. I have the utilities, telephone and cable set to be installed on 5/1. I’ll take that day off to clean the floors, countertops, walls and any other surface I can clean. I’ve also started buying stuff. Yesterday I bought a 13-knife set, a 20-piece silverware set and a tool set from Target. I’m realizing how difficult it is to buy stuff when I most of the things I currently use belong to my roommate.

I’m still freaking about furniture. I haven’t found a couch that is within my budget and looks appealing to me. And a dining set? Forget about it. Dining tables and chairs are horrendously ugly!!!

But I have an idea of how I want to layout my new place, so at least there is some excitment there. Oooh! And paint! Mmmm. I can’t wait to start painting my new place.

Dodgerist

For an easy link on my Dodger’s writing for LAist, click here. I write every other day alternating with another person. It’s been interesting, fun and a struggle all in one. I haven’t been used to writing this much on a regular basis in quite some time. Also having to pay attention to the games is quite a bitch. I’ve watched every game so far this season, and I’m already fatigued! After 11 games in I already want the season to end, and we have 151 games left!

So that’s been my life in a nutshell these last couple of weeks: moving and Dodgers. I haven’t been able to think long enough to do a podcast, so I’m hoping to start that up again after the move. And maybe I’ll have some sort of a life after all of this. Who knows?

I found a place! It’s on the border of Los Feliz and Hollywood, more Hollywood than Los Feliz actually. But it’s a nice and pretty spacious one-bedroom with hardwood floors in the back of a 12-unit building. That means it will be pretty quiet and secluded.

The big issue that’s worrying me now is furniture. Most of the furniture I have is actually my roommate’s so I have to buy a ton of shit. Also since I want to stay in this place for several years, I don’t want just IKEA stuff. I want a decent couch, dining room furniture you know? So I guess my credit card will get a good workout on this.

But a good thing to come out of this is the fact that my credit has improved. For a long time my credit was as good as Iranian diplomatic relations with the US. Now it’s ok. It’s not great by any stretch of the imagination, but I can actually do things now I haven’t done in quite some time.

So that’s what’s going on now. Ugh. I really really don’t want to move.