The Department of Justice is acting like a 50 year old teenager. WAIT! That's MY job!!

Today, the Department of Justice showed how juvenile they were where Airlines 101 is concerned.

I'll admit, I took great pleasure listening to conversations of others....AS A TEENAGER.

I'll admit, I took great pleasure holding information against others ...AS A TEENAGER. Oh yeah, and as a DRUNK (of old).

Today, the DOJ decided it had important email information and quotes about how the new American leaders planned on raising prices and fees after the merger. Really! Was there any doubt? Where has the DOJ been the last 30 years of deregulation? Have they misplaced the long list of defunct airlines like their homework. Maybe the dog ate it.

Has the DOJ forgotten how low the profit margins are of airlines? Apparently word on the street is that Daddy has a few extra dollars these days, so let's spend it all by not planning for the future. Oh well, when it's gone, it's gone. Obviously, the DOJ views US Airways and American as big Daddies because they have a few bucks in their pockets. But like any child, they have no understanding that being an adult sometimes cost money. In this case, the DOJ is very juvenile.

The DOJ and their tactics have me suspicious. Why now? They know there is broad support of this merger. Plans are in place. Managers have been hired. Who pissed off the 13 year old (Eric Holder)? Perhaps your gang of buddies over at a few other airlines are jealous of the merger and need a bully.

That's really cute...when you're a teenager. But we are talking about the realities of a business. A business that rarely flourishes and must be smart to survive even if it means merging in GOOD TIMES.

Meanwhile, every teenager likes a good NFL football game. Check out the prices and tell me if Daddy flinches at taking you to a game at today's cost of living increased prices.


Perhaps Eric Holder needs to take HIS kids to a professional football game and experience TRUE price gauging. Meanwhile, please educate yourself on the airline industry as an adult....and not a teenager.

HPV (human papillomavirus)...It's dirty little secret about men and what you need to know to survive.

This teenage 50 something has a very important message for all I love...and then some!!

What is genital HPV infection?

Genital human papillomavirus (also called HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI). There are more than 40 types of HPV that can infect the genital areas of males and females. These HPV types can also infect the mouth and throat.

HPV can cause serious health problems, including genital warts and certain cancers. There is no certain way to tell who will develop health problems from HPV and who will not. In most cases HPV goes away by itself before it causes any health problems, and most people who become infected with HPV do not even know they have it.

HPV is not the same as herpes or HIV (the virus that causes AIDS). Both viruses can be passed on during sex, but they have different symptoms and cause different health problems. ~ CDC

There's a dirty little secret out there, especially in gay land, that nobody wants to talk about. It's called HPV. Ask any man, gay or straight, what HPV is and they will look at you like you have two heads. If they DO know what it is, they pass it off as a woman's STD. I'm here to tell you it isn't. Here's why and the reason most men are too embarrassed to discuss the issue.

People have alway been shy when it comes to chatting about the realities of sex and what is done in the bed, especially the not so vanilla kind. Gay men are finally getting over the terrors of the '80's and the onslaught of the AIDS epidemic where many witnessed the disease in all it's horror. So they are REALLY shy about opening another can of worms that may include that community and fuel the fire of the extreme political right. 

I'm going to open a can of worms and it just might save your life.

I just so happen to be gay. I know, shocking! I am no saint. Imagine anything sexually and I have done it. Sorry, Mom and Dad, I am human. I'm not ashamed of anything I did because life is about discovery. I was young when HIV/AIDS hit the world. HPV wasn't talked about until a few years ago. Unfortunately, many of my experiments led to my contraction of HPV and contributed to squamous cell carcinoma of the anus.

How did I get HPV? Anal sex and rimming. What is rimming? I'll let Sex and the City explain this one. Sex and the City .

What are the signs? Usually one will get anal warts. In my case, over time the warts morphed into a growth. The growth was pre cancerous and removed. A year later a mass formed in the same area and was cancerous. As a man, I was lucky because the tumor hit the prostate gland and was causing pain. The tumor was quickly found, but was in the anal canal. Surgery here is not an option unless all fails. I was subjected to intense radiation and strong chemo drugs. After three months of treatment, the tumor was gone. IF the tumor comes back and fails to go away, I would be forced to undergo an ostomy. And it would be forever.

Three years later, I still suffer the results of anal cancer. My doctor calls it the "new normal". Some "new normals" don't fit into my world as a gay man and I have had to face many unfortunate realities. I can be sexual but there are limitations. It will take a very kind, loving, understanding person to be able to accept my complications for what they are. A part of me understands how the Misfit Toys feel. 

But I am thankful to be alive. I think of the men and woman home from Iraq who have no limbs. Their problems are much bigger than mine. Yes, I have survived another cancer, but I STILL have SO much to be thankful for.

So why are the leaders in the gay (and straight) community so afraid to talk about HPV? Are they embarrassed? Afraid of backlash? I have learned from the AIDS/HIV epidemic that we must educate each other as a means to protect. Silence DOES equal DEATH. Why is there a failure to protect our own?

I'm here to educate.

Both men and woman get HPV. For most, it lies dormant. Riskier sexual behaviors can make matters worst. 

First sign you may have HPV? Anal warts, especially in gay men.

How to prevent? Condoms and anal shield. Yes, I know, they are not glam, but neither is cancer.

Protect yourself! Get tested! This is not just a woman's thing. If you are HIV+, you are at high risk the longer you have survived the virus of anal cancer.

Put away the shame! Stuff happens! Too many put their heads in the sand when they suspect something is wrong. If the worst result comes back, the sun will still come up in the morning. Anal cancer is treatable, but if not discovered, can quickly spread as was the case with Farrah Fawcett.

 Remember there is enough love to get over the idea of never finding love due to a "new normal".

Most important, spread the word. Share this and help save a life.

Much love,

Chris