Ramble Redhead Blog

It is hard to believe but my best friend Doug and I have been friends since we were ten years old. We have been through many very happy and sad periods of our lives but no matter what we have always been there for each other. From the joy rides to the mall, listening to 80’s music very loud, to complaining to each other about dating girls (yes I know) and his marriage to his lovely bride, being the proud parent of three kids and dealing with his kidney transplant (more on that another time) but no matter what we were there for one another. Recently we celebrated his birthday and I took him out to eat and the above picture was taken.

As a dear friend wrote to me last night - it is wonderful to have friends in your life and older friends are like vintage wine - if that is true sure hope the cork doesn’t dry up and fall off! Hehheeh.

So here is a salute to my best friend who I truly love dearly and look forward to many more years to come!

Last night before I went to bed I went to Flixster.com and answered trivia questions about movies and since I am big movie nut I thought it would be fun.  They will throw totally bizarre questions at you and it is fun but my ranking is low since I don’t play that often and seeing how you have millions of points I will probably never be at the top.

What sparked a funny memory for me was the movie Aladdin and how the genie was played by Robin Williams and in case you don’t know I am a big fan of his and loved him so much in this movie.   A year after the movie was out, my ex and I went to Florida and of course went to the Disney parks.  During that long day of walking, paying too much for food and drinks we came to this movie area where it had to deal with Aladdin and the other cast of characters.  Robin Williams as the genie is the host of this movie and he is throwing out one liners left and right and I guess I must have had a sugar high or something but I was laughing at everything he was saying and howling and I remember all of the others were just sitting there and doing nothing including my ex (guess that is yet another reason why we broke up) but I just loved it.  It was the highlight of that day for me - I wish I could see it over again - anyone who works at Disney can help?!?!?!

You read it correctly - on May 16th - Joe will be arrested in order to help raise money for MDA and we needs your help! We have a goal of $1500 and we would like to raise it by that date so please help get him out of jail!

Click here to help bail him out!

Tonight’s movie was something that I read about months ago and it came to my house via Netflix and so when the gang came over tonight I thought why not give it a try.  We all watched as this movie began to start and it was about a eleven year old boy named Dexter who had AIDS due to a blood transfusion and he was play brilliantly by Joseph Mazzello (he was also in Jurassic Park) and his co-star was Brad Renfro (sadly he died Jan 2008 from an overdose.  This is a very touching movie because the two boys begin to have a friendship and they are searching for a cure and at times the love they have for one another was very good.  The rest of the cast is amazing and I have to say since I am such a emotional guy that I teared up a few times through out the movie.  I would give this movie 4 out of 5 stars and would strongly recommend you give it a watch.

Last weekend I had lunch with a former coworker and his wife and it was his birthday and I always take him out to eat to celebrate. We have known each other since 2001 and he and I have had our share of ups and downs and we have always been there for each other. He has told me stories of his life and the challenges he had to face and I always supported him no matter what. In fact, when he and I both lost our jobs I would spend every day looking at the job ads online and would forward anything I could to help him find something new since he was older and because I wanted to help him. When I was finishing school he would review my papers and give me advice and encouraged me to keep going even when I was ready to stop.

No matter what the event in my life he and his wife were always there for me and I was always happy to have them in my life. Going back to that lunch we began to talk about family and then I began to talk about my dog Starbuck and they asked well who takes care of him while you are gone and I said well I have a friend that watches him for me. It was that instant that I felt so horrible that I knew I had to tell them the truth about me but I didn’t want to do it then since it was his birthday so I waited a few days.

I made the decision to write to him today and I basically told him the truth and that I felt bad for not telling him sooner and as a friend I felt I had to be true to him since we had been in every aspect of the time we knew one another. It didn’t take long for him to reply and this is what he wrote:

I have to admit that Sharon and I have suspected it for some time. That doesn’t change how we feel about you or our friendship. Know it must be difficult. I can’t say that I agree with this but it won’t change our relationship as friends. You will always be a friend to us. God bless and take care.

I read those words over and over and the words I know it must be difficult and I can’t say that I agree with this and this is the part that made me laugh and cry but it won’t change our relationship as friends. How can it not affect how we will be as friends? I have spent too many nights as a teenager scared to death to tell this to anyone and now that I have lived my life and seen what people are capable of doing and how this podcast has truly changed my life so much for the better.

Update: I received this email from my friend today:

Tonight’s movie Eleven Men Out was an interesting film - it was about this very handsome soccer player who decides after a long time struggling with his sexuality decides to come out in a very public way by telling a magazine reporter and so his story ends up on the front page and the entire nations knows about it.  What follows ends up into a very predictable movie and this is why I do not give it a glowing review.  It is like all of actors were bored and decided to record and the emotions involved coming out are normally handled with some care but this one seemed so boring.  For those looking for eye candy will be disappointed as well except for for scene it is really not good in that department either.  Let’s just say that the water in the shower scene must have been very very cold!  Shrinkage!  :)   I had big hopes for this movie but was disappointed.

The other ironic thing about this is there are several gay movies which have the same story line - gay soccer player comes out - family can’t deal with it - gets kicked off the team and then forms a gay teams and then they have the big match at the end of the movie.  However the German Guys and Balls movie is far better and the homo movie group enjoyed it a great deal!

I was having a fun today and had to make some calls for work and then had to be tortured with long conference call for work and it was horrible!  I took Starbuck for a short walk and did some video and will be posting that soon!  I had to drive up to Michigan and was able to listen to current shows from Archer, Confessions of a Southern Boy in Yankee Land, Omar and listened to the new one The Way We See It and they were all really really good!

Tonight’s movie was very interesting indeed - it is a story about two gay friends who are shocked by the premature death of a friend. It causes them both to reexamine their lives and try to decide what their futures will be. It is a very good movie and would recommend it if you are an avid movie nut like me. If you would like to support my show then please click on the TLA Releasing link on the main page and with every purchase will help support the show!

I have been a guest on Archer’s show many times and over the course of the show we have touched on many issues and on Episode 666 was one of those!  Archer had listened to The Daily Purge and the two hosts of the show are both gay and sadly they have had challenges when it came to coming out to their folks.  Both men were on the show and touched on this very topic and the current episode Rob talks about his folks coming to see him perform for the first time in four years and that his dad refuses to meet Rob’s partner.  Despite this Rob is still looking at this as a positive sign and hopes it will help his family deal with this very sensitive issue.  As I listened to the segment of the show that Archer played I was getting very emotional and was physically shaking from just hearing it and I can’t even imagine being the one in the situation - well to be honest I have and I have talked about it on my show.  I really feel for anyone who has to denied who they are or have to hide it and I feel that parents these days need to open their eyes to what they have in front of them and see their child not a gay or lesbian but as a human being who simply wants to be loved and accepted.  I can only say that we all must live our lives the best we can and if your family doesn’t support you for you then get involved in your community and find a group of people who can.

I am so looking forward to the day when this will be a non issue and we can all go remember when?  I hope it will be soon!