M&Ms

Today is my best friend Ken's birthday. Actually, to say he is my best friend doesn't really come close to how important he is in my life. We met over 20 years ago and for me, it was like finding the part of me that had been missing. He is one of my oldest friends and I can't imagine him not being a part of my life. He lives in California with his wife Charise and 2 incredible children. They are all amazing and I don't get to see them as much as I would like. I could go on and on, but will save that for another time...

The sun is shining and it is a brand new day in Amsterdam. Heading out in a bit to meet up with Nik, Marco and the rest of the guys and just enjoy the day. The city is packed and this afternoon there will be a boat parade along one of the canals, followed by everyone piling into Reguliersdwaarsstraat for drinks, dancing and fun. Even thought the whole pride thing is not my thing, I have decided to put all predjudices and doubts aside and have a fun time. I have great friends (see, I loves ya Porgy!) and we will have great fun... and hopefully I will be back with a whole new batch of stories from the dark side...

Speaking of the dark side... An Iowa man has been sentenced to prison for 50 years for having unprotected sex with 4 people, while knowing he was HIV positive. I find that really disturbing for a number of reasons. Does that mean then, that if he had not known he was HIV positive, he would not have been guilty of any crime? If so, that will most likely prevent people from getting tested - ignorance can indeed be bliss. And, the last time I checked, consentual sex was exactly that, consentual. That means that in order to have unsafe sex, both parties have to agree to it. So wouldn't that make the "victims" guilty of personal endangerment? Where is the responsibility of the other party? Which part of this do they own? It would be different if it were a case of rape or molestation, but these were consenting adults. And, if the women he had sex with were having unsafe sex with him, then they were most likely having it with other men as well, so are they then guilty of the wreckless endangerment of others? This is one issue that can easily spiral out of control.

And in other world news... A convicted killer who sold postcard-size paintings he created with dye from M&Ms and brushes fashioned from his hair (He obviously watched way too much Martha Stewart) broke prison rules by running an unauthorized business out of his cell, officials said. Donny Johnson hasn't profited from his art -- 20 paintings have sold for around $500 each and all the money is being used to start a program for children of inmates -- but prison officials said he was wrongfully engaged in a business without the warden's permission. You will all be glad to know that disciplinary action will be taken. I for one feel safer. Why help the kids when all they really need is a gang to join.

M&Ms anyone?