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Poor Lester Holt. If anyone of the estimated 100,000,000 viewers of the first Clinton-Trump Presidential debate expected that he would be able to actually control what ultimately was the most unconventional of this kind of leadership platform, they were disappointed. While his questions were relevant enough, the answers he received were not.

At first, he asked about creating jobs, and received predictable answers. Clinton wants to created more for the middle class while increasing wages that women earn. Trump wants to keep jobs from leaving the country, claiming “ Ford is leaving, you see that their small car division, leaving…thousands of jobs are leaving Michigan, leaving Ohio, they’re all leaving.”

Hello: Lester Holt where were you? Unemployment in Michigan is 4.5%; Ohio’s unemployment is 4.7%–both better than the national average. And Ford CEO Mark Fields says zero jobs will be lost in Michigan because Ford will build two new vehicles at that plant. 

When Lester Holt finally did speak, he asked Trump just how he planned on bringing back those “thousands of jobs,” even though technically, the jobs haven’t left.

Trump pointed to the fact that he intended to tax products that American companies make overseas before he would allow them to be brought back into this country. Holt did not make him explain that America has only 5% of the population, or that the other 95% of the rest of the world have buyers as well.

At this moment, it was clear that Lester Holt was going to allow no-truths to go unchallenged. Certainly he said nothing when, responding to a question on job creation, Clinton said that investing in clean energy would provide millions of jobs at a time when Trump claims climate change is a hoax.

“I do not,” Trump interrupted, breaking the debate rules—this first of many interruptions as he appeared to begin to unravel on the spot. “I did not say that,” he repeated. Again, Holt said nothing, instead of adding that in a speech in Hilton Head, SC, Trump precisely called global warming changed “a hoax.”

Likewise, when Trump commented “I’m a great believer in all forms of energy. But we’re putting a lot of people out of work. Our energy policies are disaster. Our country is losing so much in terms of energy, in terms of paying off our debt.”

No mention from Holt that domestic oil and gas production has increased under the Obama administration, and that the US has been the lead in US gas production since 2011 and the top producer of oil since 2013.

Clinton smiled, and occasionally laughed at comments so ridiculously off-topic and rambling that the entire point of Trump’s sentences seemed to be lost in translation, Holt was left to say “Let me interrupt for a moment” on several occasions. Unfortunately, he was ignored—another debate violation.

There were further skirmishes on Trump’s refusal to released his taxes, his incorrect denial that he would try to negotiate down the US debt, and the need for improvement on the training of police where racial profiling is concerned.

It was only when Trump responded that his solution to crime would be a return to “Stop and Frisk” that Lester Holt finally spoke up and mentioned that “Stop and Frisk,” the act of stopping anyone on the street and frisking them for weapons, was ruled unconstitutional years ago, that some order to the proceedings was returned. Well, sort of.

As he gulped swigs of water and started to increase audibly sniffing into the microphone as if trying to clear the last bit of drugs or mucous from his nasal passages, Trump lost all rationality as he launched into an incoherent explanation of the “birther moment,” which he created at the time of the first Obama campaign.

It was a downhill roll from that point on. Trump saying that Hillary lacked the stamina for the job of President, Trump mentioning a 400-pound voter, and Trump skirting the issue about whether he would accept the outcome if he lost the election.

Clinton came into this debate being held to a higher standard—as the first female candidate for President of the U.S.  She excited the same way.  Leaving the debate without speaking to the press, waving Presidentially.

Trump exited the debate through CNN’s Spin Room, trying to explain some of his answers, trying to gain added air time, and looking more like a disgraced executive about to be carted off to jail.

“Everybody love me.  Just look at the debate polls,” he called as he left the hall.

According to CNN, Clinton won the debate 62% compared to Trump’s 27%. Enuf said.

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We all tend to worry about certain situations in our life. We tell our friends how we are fearful that something is going to happen and it often causes us not to be able to focus on anything else. Did you realize that faith and fear ask us to do the same thing? They both ask us to believe in something that may or may not happen. In which direction do you turn your internal gaze–towards faith or fear?

In my previous article I discussed catastrophizing and how that causes us to spin out of control with fear, believing our worst-case scenario is going to happen. Unfortunately, in most situations, our default thinking pattern is to focus on the negative and listen to that voice of fear. Ironically, most of the fears we worry about are situations we’ve dealt with in the past and we’ve not previously suffered from the outcome. In fact, some of those worries that did come true, have launched us into our life’s purpose.

Faith is one of the most powerful attributes we can possess, but remember, it does not have to be religious. Think about it. Faith is essentially the essence of things we hope for, but the evidence is not yet there. We hope for something to come true and feelings of elation and euphoria saturate our mind as we dream about what will happen and the positive outcome we are expecting. Conversely, when we fantasize about things we fear will happen, it fills us with dread, worry, doubt, and hopelessness. Logically, it is amazing that we would willingly choose to fill ourselves with those negative emotions when we have the choice to direct our attention to faith instead of fear.

Often people ask how to focus on the voice of faith. Remember, you already have so much data inside of you. You’ve experienced similar situations before and you overcame it. One thing people often do is they expect the worst because they’ve experienced negative things before. But remember if you isolate an event then of course its going to be negative, but look at the event like a movie scene. Play it out. It may have stung initially, but it opened up a bigger and a better opportunity later.  Even if your current situation doesn’t end the way you want it to you have to have faith that it will all work together in a beautiful tapestry of your life, and it will. Think of this fun example, you can’t have chocolate chip cookies without having each of the ingredients added in. Some of those ingredients, by themselves, are bitter, but when they are mixed together you have a tasty cookie. It wouldn’t be that good without some of those bitter ingredients (moments). Faith will always sustain you. It will remind you that in your life, the highs and lows, are all part of something bigger than what you can see.

When you remember that you are in control of your thoughts and emotions, it puts the responsibility back on you to decide in which direction, faith or fear, will you focus. You have the ability to fill yourself with hope, joy, and happiness when you focus on faith. Conversely, you have the ability to fill yourself with doubt, worry, and dread by listening to fear. Which do you choose?

James Miller is a licensed psychotherapist and a piano composer who is known for his weekly iTunes podcast, YouTube channel, and his Academy where he teaches successful people to simplify and transform their lives. James’ latest album, Restoration, is available for purchase on all digital music stores. For more information visit: www.JamesMillerLifeology.com.

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September is National Suicide Prevention Month.

As someone who has experienced the devastation of suicide in mourning the loss of friends who have taken their own lives, it’s important to me to recognize this annual awareness campaign. In addition, like many of you, I’ve battled with my own demons and depression over the years, which has included suicidal thoughts. While no one can or should tell another how to think or feel, it’s critical to remember, however – especially in down times – that suicide is preventable. Someone loves and misses you this very moment, and help is available – whether you believe that or not. Furthermore, if you know someone who is deeply depressed because you’ve recognized the warning signs, it’s your humanitarian responsibility to reach out and offer an ear that will listen, a shoulder to cry on, or a hand to hold. Here are a few other ways to help.

1. Educate Yourself on Depression

While you may be able to spot signs of depression in a loved one, are you confident that you’re well informed on the matter? Depression is a tricky and sensitive disorder, and it will benefit both you and the person suffering from depression if you educate yourself on the potential causes and effects. For instance, onset of depression may be triggered by a specific event or a series of events, like a string of bad luck, and it also may be linked to a brain-chemistry imbalance not connected to an event, according to Psychology Today. Thus, knowing what you’re dealing with before entering the trenches is recommended.

2. Show You Care By Asking Questions

When we’re depressed, we experience feelings of loneliness or perhaps that no one cares about our predicament. But that’s not the case. In fact, friends and family are often eager to help those who are depressed, and one of the first steps to showing your support in your loved one’s time of need is to ask questions.

“Your friend may be so desperate that she’s had a suicide plan in action for weeks, or she could just be under a lot of stress at work,” writes Therese Borchard at EverydayHealth.com. “She could be having a severe episode of major depression, or just need a little more vitamin D. You won’t know until you start asking some questions.”

Some questions to ask may include:

• When did you first start to feel bad?
• Can you think of anything that may have triggered it?
• Do you have suicidal thoughts?
• Is there anything that makes you feel better?
• What makes you feel worse?
• Do you think you could be deficient in vitamin D?
• Have you made any changes lately to your diet?
• Are you under more pressure at work?
• Have you had your thyroid levels checked?

3. Provide Support Without Judgment

The last thing someone who’s already at their lowest needs is to be judged for how they’re feeling or acting. Dealing with a depressed person is not always easy, granted – they’re irritable and sometimes lash out – but it’s in those moments that you should try to put yourself in their shoes. You don’t know what’s going through their head, what stresses they’re facing that brought them to this breaking point, or the painful physical manifestation of depression they may be experiencing. So, just be there for them – without any restrictions or conditions. Let them talk, vent, cry if they need to – all the while being a soothing, reassuring voice and pillar of strength to which they can cling.

4. Suggest Seeking a Professional Who Can Help

While providing nonjudgmental support is critical to someone who is depressed, you should together recognize that you, as a friend and likely nonmedical professional, can only do so much. If the depression is mild to severe – that is, it’s more than just a “bad week” – suggest seeking professional help. Ask family and friends for psychologist and psychiatrist recommendations – while being considerate to the person in need by keeping them anonymous – and return with those recommendations and your availability to accompany your loved one to the first appointment, if they’re open to the idea.

5. Take Matters Into Your Own Hands If You Have To

If your loved one’s depression is so severe that you’re afraid they may do something drastic, like commit suicide, you have every right to step in and call the proper authorities. Your friend or family member may not like you very much at that moment – in fact, you may become mortal enemy No. 1 for a while – but when the depression is properly treated and that black cloud dissipates, they will recognize that you were acting purely out love and concern and in their best interest. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for advice at 800-273-8255, but if it’s an emergency situation dial 911.

Mikey Rox is an award-winning journalist and LGBT lifestyle expert whose work has been published in more than 100 outlets across the world. He splits his time between homes in New York City and the Jersey Shore with his dog Jaxon. Connect with Mikey on Twitter @mikeyrox.

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I’ve never been one deeply moved by hip-hop music. Just ask my husband, who thinks hip-hop is essential to every task from washing clothes to reading the Bible. (Thank you Jesus.) And so when I was motivated by my husband to listen to Frank Ocean’s new album Blonde, I cannot be blamed for hesitating to cooperate. It was only after I discovered that his motivation took the form of withholding sex that I reconsidered listening to Mr. Ocean’s Blonde. I was not yet aware that the album had debuted at Number One on the Billboard charts. I knew it was highly anticipated, of course.

It had been four years, after all, since his first album blast onto the music scene with such adulation that even I could not ignore it. Channel Orange was a blend of soul, R&B and hip hop, a fusion that certainly got my attention, if only for its uniqueness. Frank Ocean’s lyrics peel back layers of emotions that are so normally in place that you feel they are essential. Or, at least, they are essential until he removes them and you feel exposed and liberated at the same time. It’s like what happens when you have a good cry—in public. There’s a certain humiliation about the experience but at the end of the day, you feel pretty doggone good about yourself. And so it is with Frank Ocean.

In addition to the lyrics, which are always supposed to say something meaningful and poignant, there is the unexpected music—some of which is so unobtrusive that it becomes soothing background music. And even when Frank finally sings his first line, it’s almost a whisper compared to other hip-hop artists’ hostility—jamming and pushing their curse words and crushed grammar down our throats as if we have no choice to accept it. Well, I have a choice, and I’ve, more often than not, refused to accept such trash as art. But this–this Blonde–art is art.

I guess I should have known that I would have a bond with this singer/songwriter/performer/lover. I had forgotten that years ago Ocean had admitted via Tumblr about the moment he realized that he was in love with a man. It was an outpouring so heart wrenching in its purity that I should have seen the genius inside at that moment.

“4 summers ago, I met somebody. I was 19 years old. ,” he wrote. “We spent that summer, and the summer after, together. Everyday almost. And on the days we were together, time would glide. Most of the day I’d see him, and his smile. I’d hear his conversation and his silence…until it was time to sleep. Sleep I would often share with him.  “By the time I realized I was in love, it was malignant. It was hopeless. There was no escaping, no negotiating with the feeling. No choice. It was my first love, it changed my life.

“Back then, my mind would wander to the women I had been with, the ones I cared for and thought I was in love with. I reminisced about the sentimental songs I enjoyed when I was a teenager.. The ones I played when I experienced a girlfriend for the first time. I realized they were written in a language I did not yet speak. I realized too much, too quickly. Imagine being thrown from a plane. I wasn’t in a plane though. I was in a Nissan Maxima, the same car I packed up with bags and drove to Los Angeles in.

“I sat there and told my friend how I felt. I wept as the words left my mouth. I grieved for them, knowing I could never take them back for myself. He patted my back. He said kind things. He did his best, but he wouldn’t admit the same. He had to go back inside soon, it was late and his girlfriend was waiting for him upstairs.”

I’m told that Frank Ocean has made $1 million from Blonde since its release only days ago. I now understand why. Thank you husband for the forced introduction.

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For more than 20 years as a leading man, rom-com vet Hugh Grant has been the object of many actresses’ (and, yes, even some actors’) affection. But get this: He’s also been an actress himself.

As a kid, the actor’s feminine features earned him numerous lady roles in plays he and his classmates performed at London’s all-male Wetherby School.

“This was a necessity,” he says of his gender-bending days. “It was dictated that some of us had to become little actresses and, yes, I was particularly moving as Brigitta von Trapp, one of the von Trapp daughters, in The Sound of Music.”

The role, he enthusiastically notes, entailed a full-on drag transformation, with your mom’s ’90s movie crush “in a white dress with a blue satin sash.”

You’re thinking: Is this really the same Hugh Grant who charmed Julia Roberts as a bookshop owner in 1999’s Notting Hill? Who was Sandra Bullock’s pompous boss-turned-lover in Two Weeks Notice? Who famously played Daniel Cleaver and swept Renée Zellweger off her feet in Bridget Jones’s Diary? Who danced down a set of stairs to The Pointer Sisters’ “Jump for My Love” in Love Actually and then won over Natalie (Martine McCutcheon) and everyone who wished they were Natalie? (Hey, that dance scene was epic.)

Yup, same Hugh. Because before becoming the lady’s man he was, well, the lady.

“In my teenage years, I was very girly,” Grant says, “I remember when I used to go on a French exchange in Paris and all the locals called me ‘mademoiselle’ because they thought I was a girl.”

Did his femininity ever call into question his sexuality?
He ponders before settling on a response. “No. They just thought I was a girl. I looked like a girl, let’s face it. I had long, very dodgy ’70s hair.”

Fast forward 40 years and “I look like a scrotum now,” he zings.

Yes, folks: Tell your mom that Hugh Grant thinks his face looks like a man’s genitals. When I assure him that his face is not scrotum-like, he replies in his dainty English accent, “Very well. Thank you for cheering me up.”

Whether he truly agrees is uncertain, but now 55, the actor’s self-proclaimed ball-sac face makes a welcome return to the big screen in Florence Foster Jenkins. The actor portrays shoddy actor St. Clair Bayfield, who lets his equally-untalented wife, the film’s eponymous Florence, a well-intentioned socialite, believe she can sing.

According to the Oscar-bound dramedy, which is loosely based on the real-life Jenkins, their marriage was open, and after tucking Jenkins into bed, Bayfield spent his nights getting frisky with a much younger woman.

“I think it’s certainly possible to love – to properly love – different people in different ways simultaneously,” he says. Suddenly realizing that statement is essentially a summary of his own romantic life, Grant unleashes a tickled laugh. “I’ve always been an advocate of that, and sometimes I think the only reason (director) Stephen Frears thought of me for this part was, he thought, ‘OK, who do I know who has a very unorthodox domestic life? Oh, Hugh.’”

I joke that the film, then, is a documentary. He snickers and playfully agrees. The film’s subversive nature, he adds, may “speak particularly to the LGBT community.”

The topic of open relationships – or any union that breaks tradition, really – is one Grant’s clearly interested in speaking about, so he gladly elaborates: “I felt like the script and the film was kind of a celebration of unorthodoxy and of the very strange shapes that we fall into in life, in ourselves and in our relationships. It’s all great as long it’s done with passion and love, and so yeah, I think that’s what the film is.”

He’s not done with his telling discourse, fortunately.

“I’ve never really understood why people should think men and women or men and men or women and women have to be in 40-year monogamous relationships and that that’s the natural state of human beings, because I’m pretty damn sure it isn’t,” Grant insists. “I think it’s just a social norm or the ghost of a religious norm being passed down, and I’m not entirely sure it’s a recipe for happiness.”

The same could be said about Maurice, Grant’s 1987 film that brought the actor closer to the queer community after he portrayed Clive, a repressed gay man living in early 20th-century England. As Grant puts it, “My character ends up married and smug with a mustache, but you can tell everything is being bottled up.”

To this day, the movie is held in high regard, mentioned alongside Torch Song Trilogy and My Own Private Idaho in Steven Paul Davies’ book Out at the Movies: A History of Gay Cinema as well as in Alonso Duralde’s 101 Must See Movies for Gay Men. For Grant, its legacy within the LGBT community is a revelation.

“I didn’t realize that it had that status!” he says, laughing. “But I’m very pleased that it does, and I’m sure that (the book’s author) E. M. Forster would be very pleased that it does. After all, it was a novel he wrote and kept under his bed for many years, and it was only published after his death because he was too nervous of the law to publish it during his lifetime. I think he’d be pleased that it’s struck a chord now.”

Several gay roles followed Maurice, including Grant’s turn as a gay director in the obscure backstage tragicomedy An Awfully Big Adventure, released a year after his big rom-com break in 1994’s Four Weddings and a Funeral. Earlier, in 1991’s TV movie Our Sons, the actor played Julie Andrews’ son James, the lover of an AIDS-stricken man.

Reflecting on his gay roles from the late ’80s to the early ’90s, a time when taking on such parts could be considered taboo, he says, “Maybe it was considered fractionally more daring to do that, but it didn’t feel daring to me.”

Though LGBT-themed narratives have thankfully evolved beyond AIDS as a death sentence (because it’s not) and forbidden love (because it doesn’t have to be), Grant contemplates whether an out gay actor could rule the same genre he did for over two decades. Is the world ready for a gay Grant?

“We’ve had straight men playing gay men in romantic situations, but I’m struggling to think of an out gay actor playing a straight relationship in a high-profile film,” the actor says.

Grant doesn’t come up with any names because they don’t exist. Yet, that is.

“Yeah,” he says, optimistically. “I’m sure it’s coming.”

Chris Azzopardi is the editor of Q Syndicate, the international LGBT wire service. He can proudly say Mariah Carey once called him a “daaahhhling.” Reach him via his website at www.chris-azzopardi.com and on Twitter (@chrisazzopardi).

The post Hugh Looks Like a Lady appeared first on Florida Agenda - LGBT News.

It’s always strange to me to hear people talk about the “gay agenda.” Because undoubtably anyone who uses this term is anti-gay.

First of all, it’s important to remember that having an agenda isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Like when your boss asks you, “So, what’s on your agenda today?” she isn’t asking you what subversive things you’re planning on doing to ruin the company.

That said, the “LGBT community” is a misnomer. In reality, people who fall under the umbrella of LGBT are incredibly diverse in every way. There is no one thing that everyone agrees on, except maybe a desire to be treated fairly and equally under the law (though there’s no doubt far less consensus once you start talking about how to get there and what to do).

Which is why Americans For Truth About Homosexuality President Peter LaBarbera’s Aug. 19 “report” for Accuracy in Media, an organization that isn’t actually interested in accuracy so much as paranoid that the “liberal media” is out to get them, is so ridiculous.

In “Media Myths of the Homosexual-Transgender Agenda,” LaBarbera writes, “The purpose of this report is to expose and refute some of the longstanding statistical lies and propagandistic myths of the LGBT … activist movement. With media support, homosexual and leftist activists now openly campaign to banish dissenting conservative voices. This dangerous dynamic gives the homosexual-transgender lobby nearly full rein to advance its agenda.”

Ha. “Banish dissenting conservative voices,” eh? If he means that we think people who espouse the belief that LGBT people aren’t human and are incapable of love and unworthy of life don’t deserve TV air time and shouldn’t be a reporter’s go-to for an opposing viewpoint on every article about any LGBT issue, then yes, banish them. Let them assemble their banished selves in the dark realm of a place like Accuracy in Media or Americans For Truth About Homosexuality.

LaBarbera’s “report” doesn’t really offer anything new. It’s more like a “greatest hits” of anti-LGBT talking points: nobody’s born gay, sex-reassignment is mutilation, anti-gay reparative therapy works, homos die young, LGBT people make bad parents, etc.

But what I’m most interested in is what he calls “The 10% Myth.” LaBarbera tries to get to the bottom of just how many LGBT people there are in the U.S. The rough figure of 10% has been bandied about for years. LaBarbera writes, “The 10 percent myth served its purpose of projecting enormous ‘gay’ political strength when the movement was still weak.” In other words, the LGBT movement was just pretending to be 10% of the population for the political clout. And we all know that preceding to exist is a totally sound political strategy.

LaBarbera then throws out some other much smaller numbers eventually coming to the claim that LGBT people are about 3% of the population. To which I say, “Who cares?” Who cares what the percentage is? It’s not an easily ascertained or verifiable number. It’s as if LaBarbera is arguing that once a minority falls below a specific percentage then it’s okay to declare them inhuman.

And he is. Because for LaBarbera, LGBT people are inhuman. That is, in fact, the cornerstone philosophy of his hateful organization Americans For Truth About Homosexuality. The very name implies that homosexuals are liars; that homosexuality is something to be exposed as evil.

Then again, until we know the exact percentage of the U.S. population who are members of LaBarbera’s little club, how can we even be sure they even exist at all?

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By The Tropical Gardener…Chuck Nicholls, Master Gardener

Gardens can be multi-dimensional in nature since we have color texture, and size of specimen plants in our garden so why not consider a dimension often overlooked: Fragrance. There are several plants that will give everlasting fragrance that can be planted in South Florida. Below, I have listed several plants that one should consider when selecting amazing fragrances:

Gardenia (G. Jasmoides “Vetchii”)

This plant is a must for all gardeners who want wonderful fragrance in their gardens. The gardenia plant is adaptable to growing in pots or directly in the soil. The plant generally does not grow over 6 ‘ in height but can grow 4 ‘ in width. It will grow in partial to full sun and grows well in an acid soil. The cut flowers make a beautiful centerpiece by floating them in a low crystal bowl.

Stephenotis ( S. Floribunda)

Also known as the Madeguascar Jasmine or The Hawaiian Wedding Flower. Stephenotis is a vine without tendrils so it needs a trellis to obtain a beautiful growth. We are fortunate to grow this plant in South Florida as it loves the hot temperatures and humidity of our summers to bloom. The very fragrant tubular white flowers are often used by florists particularly in wedding bouquets. When not in flower, the beautiful glossy green leaves are beautiful. The plant requires a well-balanced fertilizer and adequate moisture at all times to grow well.

Sweet Almond Bush (Aloysia virgata)

This bush is one of my favorite plants that will perfume your entire garden for the whole year. This is an excellent drought-tolerant plant particularly good for butterfly gardens. This plant can be planted in sun or part shade, and can be pruned easily for a more uniform look.

Night Blooming Jasmine (Cestrum nocturtum)

This is one of my favorite shrubs that can be planted in sun or partial shade. The fragrance is very strong so when planted in your garden, the neighbors will also enjoy it. The white greenish tubular flowers appear on the new growth and open up during the evening. While it can grow to 10-12 feet in height, it can be pruned to lessen the height of the plant.

Angel Trumpet (Brugmansia)

The angel trumpet refers to the large, multi-pendulous flowers that come in many colors including yellow, white and pinks. I suggest growing the small trees or shrubs in the background of other plants since they can grow to 15-18 feet. They often shed their foliage throughout the year and may go semi-dormant during colder temperatures. They require full sun to grow and bloom to their full potential. They are not salt tolerant so I would advise not planting them near the ocean. The fragrance is particularly strong in the evening.

Let’s not forget that certain herbs that can be planted in front of your border or in pots near the entrance to your garden. I particularly like selected basil, rosemary and mint plants. I purposely rub against them in the garden to obtain their wonderful delightful fragrances. Certain Cattleya and Oncidium orchid plants are also odoriferous. I will write more about herbs and orchid plants in future columns.

Many of the plants listed above are generally available at nurseries and garden centers in the area. Garden Works at 1501 E Oakland Park Blvd has many of the plants that I have indicated above.

You can learn more about fragrant flowers and other plants by attending The Equality Park Garden Club which meets at the Pride Center every third Wednesday of the month at 7:30 PM. The Pride Center is located at 2040 North Dixie Highway, Wilton Manors.

Chuck Nicholls is Past President and co-founder of The Equality Park Garden Club and founder of the The Annual Tropical Plant Fair held in Wilton Manors.

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          Do you ever put off going to the gym, or just skip it altogether because it simply won’t fit into your schedule? Do you start the day with the best of intentions, but when it comes right down to it, you’re too exhausted or too distracted to even think treadmills or dumbbells? You just might be making the whole process of exercise and fitness too complicated. Working out should be a blast, exhilarating, an event to look forward to! Here’s a list of fun, snappy suggestions that’ll not only make it easier for you to get to the gym; they’ll also help you make the most of every precious second you’re there!

           Keep that gym bag packed and handy. Even if you’re not planning to work out, take a packed gym bag to work and leave it in your car. If the spirit moves you, you won’t have to bother going home and risk wasting time. All you have to do is clear out after work and head straight to the gym.

          Keep your routine varied. If you’re bored with the “same old, same old”, then it’s time to implement some changes into your fitness regime. Opt for taking a refreshing swim in the summer months. Sign up for some classes with other “fitness minded” people. Try out new pieces of equipment. Invest in a personal trainer to help you chart new goals. Most gyms even offer complimentary sessions with an instructor to help you become acclimated.

          Don’t waste time. Once you get to the gym, make the most of every moment you’re there. Instead of just hopping on a treadmill, setting it for 30 minutes, and staying there for the duration, mix it up by taking some light dumbbells on board for arm curls and shoulder raises. Cardio is super, but combining it with weight training will maximize your workout to make you stronger and leaner. When you’re lifting weights, it’s important to break between sets, but no more than 20-30 seconds, tops! Make the most of rest times by stretching, drinking water, or even doing lunges around the gym as you’re waiting for equipment to become free.

          Pay attention to what you’re wearing. If you plod around the gym in the same old shabby sneakers, baggy sweatpants, and tattered T shirt, chances are you’ll soon feel just as frumpy as you look. Treat yourself to some new workout gear – color coordinated, nicely fitted shorts and tops, and a new pair of cross-trainers –  you’ll be delighted in the difference, not just in your confidence, but also in the quality of your work outs.

          Music makes a difference. Gym radio stations and music channels on the TV’s can really get tedious or even annoying. Create your own playlist that’ll keep you energized and happy. Try different kinds of music as you circuit train with weights, churn out the cardio, or while you’re cooling off. If you’re not a fan of music, down load an audio book or the latest episodes of Game of Thrones or The Get Down to help you burn calories on the elliptical or treadmill.

          Your workout time is an essential part of your life. Make it a celebratory event that is healthy, fun, and productive. No more complications. No more excuses. Just do it!

Tom Bonanti is a certified personal trainer and licensed massage therapist (MA#40288) with his own gym and studiowww.pumpnincgym.com  at 1271 NE 9^thAvenue in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. 33304. Contact Tom TrainerTomB@aol.com with questions or set up a free consultation by calling (954) 557-1119.

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By now, even if you don’t follow any kind of sportzball, you have heard about Colin Kaepernick, the San Francisco 49ers player who refused to stand during the National Anthem before a game.

His reasoning is pretty compelling. “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” he said. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

A fair point! Because that is the sad reality of racism in America. Naturally, Kaepernick’s protest was widely respected and elicited thoughtful debate across the country.

Ha ha. No. Actually, Kaepernick hates the police and wants to kill Whitey. At least that’s the word on the street. A street where everyone who lives there is white. Although maybe a few lawn jockeys here and there for, you know, decoration.

See, white people in America are really delicate flowers who can’t handle being reminded of the total fucking atrocities committed against people of color in this country for, like, ever. Oh and saying, “But I didn’t own slaves!” is not a get-out-of-racism-free card.

So, yeah, some people are really upset with Kaepernick because they fetishize the flag and that song about the flag to the point of absurdity. Like declaring that a totally valid protest is making Betsy Ross turn in her grave and why doesn’t that guy just get back to being a gladiator for our entertainment already.

Oh, and bravo to soccer player Megan Rapinoe who knelt during the National Anthem before a recent game in solidarity with Kaepernick.

“Being a gay American, I know what it means to look at the flag and not have it protect all of your liberties,” Rapinoe said. “It’s important to have white people stand in support of people of color on this.”

Right on. Almost makes me want to watch some soccer.

Not so right on is Laura Ingraham’s response to Kaepernick’s protest. She Tweeted on Aug. 30, “Good Q: What would have happened if Kapernick [sic] disrespected the rainbow flag bef the game?”

Which is actually not a good question at all because not only did she spell his name wrong, the comparison is illogical. As many people on Twitter have already pointed out.

Writer John Howell Harris responded, “b/c gay people have a nearly 300 year history of subjugation & institutionalized oppression of black people? Is that the Q?”

Now that is a good question.

Ingraham, who has called for people to start wearing adult diapers in order to protect themselves from the possibility of sharing a public restroom with a trans person and has said that being against marriage equality “doesn’t say that you’re anti-gay people or you don’t like gay people,” is obviously not expecting an answer to her rhetorical query. She’s posing the question in order to accuse liberals of choosing gays over America, because you can’t be pro-LGBT and love your country. Nor can you raise issues that make white people uncomfortable, which means anything related to racism, which is over because Obama, obviously.

It’s a consistent conservative trope: liberals/progressives hate America because they have the audacity to point out ways that America is not “great.” Of course, it’s okay when Donald Trump does it.

The truth is, America is a country with great ideals. It’s a shame that we still have yet to live up to them.

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