Sunday Asides #77

• We're barely two weeks into the new year, and this country is on the verge of all hell breaking loose after news of the murder of a woman in Minneapolis by a trigger-happy ICE agent. I feel like we’re still inching closer to something big happening this year, though I wonder how many more innocent white people are going to have to be killed by the cops before that pops off. I keep hearing white people crying out in a quiet whisper about this, talmbout “how did we let things get this bad”, and I’m like...are you speaking French? Black, Latino, Middle Eastern, and Asian folks been told you. BEEN TOLD YOU. What, did you think “Fuck the Police” was a sea shanty? I’m not getting back out in the streets again at my big age over this shit. I’m staying my Black ass at home. It’s white folks turn now.

• Since we’re talking about current events, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang of Las Culturistas are in hot water for their recent political comments against Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas. I don’t know about you, but I don’t get my political news from a white gay man and an Asian gay man who co-host a pop-culture podcast with a vaguely Spanish name. Let their cancelling be swift and merciless, though most likely it will be nonexistent. Hell, they’ve already apologized. So much for that little weekend blowup!

• As part of my new nightly wind down ritual, I’ve been reading through my library of books here at the house. Currently, I’m re-reading Pamela Slim's ”Body of Work” and it’s hitting me a lot deeper now in my 40s than when I read it over a decade ago.

• Beyond the Gates is masterfully handling a powerful storyline right now with the breast cancer diagnosis, and everyone is bringing their A game acting-wise. Oh, and Paramount put all the season 1 episodes back up for viewing on the app. Finally, a spot of good news.

• People who are asking for a Black version of Heated Rivalry and offering up Moonlight as an alternative are just as clueless about nuance as straight folks trying to hook up two random gay people because they both like men. Ain’t no steamy romance in Moonlight!

• I knew that Atlanta had a gay men’s chorus and a gay marching band, but I didn’t know they had a gay big band group! I learned about this through the Atlanta Queer Arts Alliance, and the name of the big band is called The MetroGnomes. If y’all have followed me since my early blogging days, then you know I am super excited about this. Granted, I don’t have a horn anymore, but I am really interested in joining one day.

• Lastly, please dead this “cookout” shit in 2026. Y’all ain’t even having cookouts amongst yourselves, so stop inviting non-Black folks there.

• Quotes for the week:

  • “Your happiness is determined by the gap between your expectations and your reality.”
  • "We cannot live in a world interpreted for us by others. An interpreted world is not a hope. Part of the terror is to take back our listening, to use our own voice, to see our own light."
  • "To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."
  • "The ability to tell your own story, in words or images, is already a victory, already a revolt."

Abolish ICE

Don't Circle Back

It's almost 10:00pm ET, and I'm about to go to bed and read a book. But I managed to finish this 15x15 puzzle I've been noodling on since the year started so here ya go.

Enjoy!

Sunday Asides #76

• Remember what I said last week about things escalating to WWIII? Well, we just got one step closer with the U.S. striking Venezuela and abducting their president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, saying that the U.S. is going to run the country for the foreseeable future. This year’s already starting off with some bullshit. And it’s the U.S.’s 250th birthday this year too? I don’t know y’all. I feel uneasy about all this.

• Speaking of uneasy things, there’s this unsettling behavior happening now on X (surprise, surprise), where people are using Grok to alter people’s photos into nudes and...this is fucking weird and grim. Absolute loser behavior.

• Beyond the Gates just had their 200th episode this week, and for the beginning of their second season, they removed all of the previous episodes from the CBS app and put them behind a Paramount+ subscription. Even the Pluto TV channel, which was re-airing the entire series 24/7, is now only showing the last five episodes. (Pluto TV is owned by Paramount, so I guess there’s no shocker there.) I don’t know if CBS is doing this for their other soaps, but it’s not easy to keep up with a daily show in 2026. Beyond the Gates is still finding its footing, and this kind of move really prevents that from happening because people can’t catch up. I know we couldn’t do that in the 90s -- if you missed an episode, you just missed it -- but that was then and this is now. Shit like this is why people pirate media.

• I don’t really make resolutions for the new year, but after taking stock of how 2025 went and seeing where I want to improve, that knowledge has given me some ideas of behaviors and projects I want to do in 2026. (Check the featured image on this post for my vision board for the year.) One of those things is getting up and moving my body more. Working from home fully since the pandemic began, along with turning 40, has definitely changed my body in undesirable ways. Nothing too crazy, but let’s just say getting up from chairs or trying to drop it down to the ground requires a lot more sound effects these days. I read this piece on Lifehacker the other day about reframing 2026 health resolutions, and I really like that thought process of “moving in ways that feel good.” I know I’m never going to be a gym gay (and don’t want to be), but I can find something to do that helps me feel strong and capable. I already have a vibration plate at the house, but I’m thinking about getting a walking pad too. I even discovered this app recently called Steppin where you get more screen time based on how many steps you’ve taken. You take a certain number of steps, and now you get to access a specific app. That’s genius! And it ties into something else...

• ...which is that 2026 is the year I’m fully divesting from Jack’d and Scruff and Growlr and Grindr. I’m going to do a separate post about this because I have a lot to say here, but it’s well past time to break away from the app industrial complex.

• Also this year, I want to level up my crossword puzzles. I just launched a new 9x9 grid series based around the Greek alphabet, and the first puzzle is out now. There will be new puzzles monthly on the 1st and 15th through the end of the year.

• I've lamented before about Jill Scott not recording her podcast anymore, but this week I learned that she has a new album coming out on February 13 called "To Whom This May Concern". The first single, "Beautiful People" is out now.

• Lastly...can someone just give me $50,000? That would eliminate so much stress right now. Maybe I need to try and get my ass on a game show or something.

• Quotes of the week:

  • "Clear expectations strengthen alignment."
  • "To meet our own needs is to be blessed."

alpha

Happy new year! I'm starting off 2026 with my new 9x9 alphabet grid series, and I'm taking things up a notch. This series is going to be centered around the Greek alphabet...capitals only. (Whew!) You might see some grids make a comeback, but you can also expect to see a few clever twists and turns in the future. You'll have to stick around and see them when they come.

In the meantime, my first puzzle alpha is ready for you to solve it. Give it a go!