SGL Weekly Mag Issue 38

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SGL Contents

4 Editor’s Letter 6 Ask Nathan 7 Lucky Day with Patrick 11 Masculinity in the Gay World and Why Fems are Considered Less of a Man 13 Movies 14 Music

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Editor’s Letter You Pulled Me Through This week was a very trying week for me, because someone was stringing me along for his benefit and personal gain. I will go deeper in the next issue about this, but so many of you that follow me on facebook left so many beautiful messages. It really filled my heart. Thank you. Just received the biggest blow of my life and my heart is forever broken. People stop leading people on that is how people end up dead. at 9:12pm

Author D. Fostalove Oh my!

Wed at 9:13pm ·

Nathan James I'm sorry to hear that. But you will persevere and make it through this, to find better days (and better people) ahead. Hang in there, hard though it may be.

Wed at 9:19pm ·

Jill Merin Cleavester, whomever broke your heart is a jerk. Your heart will heal. The world knows about your shining light, you know.

And many wonderful things are attracted to that lil light. Just you wait. ♥ Wed at 9:22pm ·

Tiffany La'cha' Blackwell their loss my love Wed at 10:10pm ·

Alan Sharpe Co-sign w/Tiffany, Cleavester...They'll never know what they missed.

Thu at 1:45am ·

Reenie Martinez Hey my buddy. B happy u didn't blow your time on some1 who clearly doesn't deserve u! Better things will cum your way just b patient. Miss ya!

Thu at 5:20am

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L. Michael Gipson Just breathe, allow yourself a moment to grieve the loss of expectations, brush off your shoulders after a time and reclaim joy!

Thu at 7:35am 路

Cleavester Brooks Thank you'll for all of the uplifting messages it really warmed my heart and this too shall pass.

Hey ya'll, we are back with an exciting new issue this week with first time Author Patrick Brandt. I had the opportunity to sit down and interview him about his new book Best Luck Day and what is going on in his life. Our life coach Nathan 7 Scott is back with his wonderful advice about cheating and when to end it. We also have a wonderful talent in the community Lester Greene exploring about Masculinity in the Gay World and Why Fems are Considered less of a Man. Go to www.sglliving.ning.com to read and Please let us know what you think about the issue sglweeklymag@gmail.com.

Cordially, Cleavester Editor In Chief www.twitter.com/cleavester

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Ask Nathan

I'm cheating with a women who has a family. I know her woman is about to find out about us. I want to break up with her, but I'm emotionally attached and see her every day. How do I end this? –Tina Tina You have to ask yourself how you would feel if you had someone and there was another woman out there stealing time away from your relationship. If this woman isn't open to leaving her family so that the 2 of you can be together, then there is your answer.

Create a "Sevenly" Day! _____________________________________________ Nathan "Seven" Scott Professional & Personal Life Coach Committed to Entrepreneurs & Women's Empowerment 917-771-6611 Visit me online: www.nathansevenscott.com www.twitter.com/nathansevenscot 6

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Lucky Day with Patrick A Cleavester Brooks Interview Cleavester: Hello Patrick, How are you doing?

I'm doing very well, thank you.

Cleavester: What is Best Luck Day about?

The quest of a gay man to find happiness and love regardless of difficult challenges thrown in his path.

Cleavester: Where did the inspiration for this book come from?

Life experience.

Cleavester: The Lead character of the book is Levi Schwartz. What kind of person is he?

He is a strong willed, passionate soul with a gentle, sensitive heart. But, he has a taste of corruption on his lips.

Cleavester: Was this book semi-auto biographical?

Yes. Cleavester: Will there be a follow up to this novel? Why or Why not?

I have not planned a follow up for the book. I'm working a new/completely different novel.

Cleavester: At the end of the book you wrote "A rainbow...raining while it is sunny...it's the best luck day!" Where did that line come from?

The main character, Levi, as a young boy was in Wyoming one summer, and worked with another boy who said that it is good luck while it is sunny. So, in the novel. The spectacle of the two together formulated the a best luck day in Levi Schwartz's mind.

Cleavester: How long have you been interested in writing/publishing? Since I was a teenager. I was taking a novels class in high school. I handed in a handwritten 13 page paper about a novel I had read to my teacher. He looked at me, and said, "Why don't you just write a novel!"

I looked at him and said, "I will''. And, now I have.

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Cleavester: What is your writing background/prior experience? I've kept all my writing to myself until now. I have no professional writing experience. In the past I've enjoyed writing poetry.

But, now, I prefer to write novel length fiction.

Cleavester: Who is Patrick Brandt?

A driven man with a sensitive heart and thoughtful mind.

Cleavester: Where were you born and what was life like growing up? Born in Montana. Winters were long. In a nutshell, I can say that growing up was a bittersweet drama with a happy....I guess, I should say beginning.

Cleavester: What did you want to be growing up?

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An artist, Astronaut, Singer, Musician, Dancer, Ice Skater, Scientist and Santa Claus.

Cleavester: If Best Luck Day was purchased to be a film. Who would play who and why?

LEVI-Aaron Eckhart-. DARRYL-Jimmy Smits. DAVID-Robert Downey Jr., STEVE-William Hurt, Mom-Kathy Bates, EMT-Monique, JEAN-Julianne Moore, RICK-Danny DeVito. And, I'd want the other roles to be filled with an open casting call to discover new talented actors. The reason I chose the actors is that they are excellent actors andis that they foot the bill for the character they would portray. And, I'd like Gus Van Sant to direct, please.

Cleavester: What is your guilty pleasure? Why? Sweets. I think because of the passion filled sugar rush I get.

Cleavester: What has been your wildest sexual fantasy?

To be a professor, dean or vice president at a college. And, have encounters with other faculty members, building staff, and father's of students in my office.

Cleavester: What do you feel is your best feature?

My nose.

Cleavester: Tell me something about you that the readers may be surprised to know?

I am an artist.

Cleavester: What does the future hold for you?

I hope that Best Luck Day is made into a movie. Writing more novels. And, living in a that beautiful lake house I have dreamt about.

Cleavester: How can people get in contact with you? bestluckdaybypatrickbrandt@yahoo.com Cleavester: Thank you Patrick, Do you have any final words?

Yes, Cleavester, I would like to thank you for this interview and to tell everyone who reads this to persevere, keep a positive attitude, meditate in love, peace, healing and health for yourself and all those around you.

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Masculinity in the Gay World and Why Fems are Considered Less of a Man By: Lester Greene Sometimes less is more - more or less, but such is not the case for fems who fight an uphill battle to thwart off extinction. “Fems definitely are a bigger target because people like to attack those who are different from themselves,” says Rapper/Producer Andrew Singer. I remember when it was cool to be different, to not follow the in-crowd. Now it seems like what is in is the way things should be. Masculinity in the gay world seems to have taken on a pre-existing form, in that it parallels the dynamics and mechanics of the straight world.

What does it mean to be straight, exactly? One can be straight-acting and yet still be gay, or one could be effeminate and yet not be gay. I guess what I am trying to say is that society places these conditional tags on people. That is to say that if you look like a duck and you quack like a duck, then you are a duck. How silly it sounds and yet so very true. I, myself, have been guilty of the aforementioned. Sometimes I even try to spot the “gay guy.” If I see that he is a snappy dresser and he walks with a twitch, guess what? He is gay in my book. Wrong! Who am I to say that someone is gay or not? Shoot, even God doesn’t judge us.

So what gives us the right to project onto others what we feel is or isn’t? If you ask me, there is a certain level of insecurity that goes along with such behavior. Take for instance rappers Kanye West and Curtis a.k.a. 50Cent Jackson. Clearly, 2 different kinds of rappers who represent to the fullest, nonetheless. 50 Cent gives you grit and toughness, and West brings ingenuity and style, which can sometimes be viewed as soft. Steve Harris, who is the founder of Gay Music Revolution, says “he (West) is often times considered weak to those who fear their own masculinity or sexuality, plus when a non-threatening person becomes hugely successful, people always try to look for something to knock them down.” West is often called gay because he dresses a certain way or just because he is different. Reducing to name-calling only makes us less of a person. Tags and stereotypes propagate and cultivate propaganda.

Take for example "tops” and “bottoms.” When you think of the word top, you think dominant, correct? And you think of the total opposite when you hear the word bottom because bottom is often associated with words like low or less. This, of course, is the standard by which people operate. Frankly, I think that we tend to generalize things without seeing things on an individual, case by case basis.

Why can’t peoples’ decisions be viewed as a preference as opposed to a paradigm. Often times, I catch myself watching these jail programs on television. In fact, just recently, I watched a scenario unfold between 2 men in jail. The giver was recorded saying that he is not gay even though he likes to screw other men. Now hold up! Excuse me? What do you call that then? He went on to say that it’s the receiver (the bottom guy) who is gay, not the pitcher (the top). Now that just sounds like pure madness to me or at least in my world. What we fail to realize is that life in jail is not the same as life in the real world. Sure we all live in the same world, but I really believe that we all have a “sub-world.” It almost works like a family tree. At the very top, you have the main source and then below that you have the branches that represent each and every individual.

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What I don’t get is why people project their own ideas onto others. See, I believe that we all live in a different world. I mean, I know that we all live here on the same planet but what makes us all different is our make-up, our struggles and pains, our beliefs and convictions, etc. A lot of the times I find myself saying, “I’m in my own world.” Think about that for a minute. What does that phrase mean? You can take it literally, or you can take it like most of us take it and say that it means you are just tops above the competition. Either way, the phrase gives you something to think about.

In any case, I think that we as gays are contributing to our own demise. We need to start thinking more as separate individuals. We need to stop looking over our shoulder at the other world (the straight world), and focus on what’s going on in our neck of the woods. C.E.O. of Big Milo Records & Owner/Operator of OutHipHop.com Camilo Arenivar sums it up well by saying, “There really is just the world (the straight world), and we kind of make a gay version of it where everything is gay.” Essentially, Arenivar is saying that gays are just settling for less by trying to mimic our counterparts. If I could used an analogy to paint a clearer picture it would have to be that of television show “Dennis the Menace.” Do you remember Mr. Wilson always snooping around and being a nosey neighbor? Well, I think we need to quit being so god damn nosey. We always measure our success based on the straight world’s accomplishments and ideals This whole idea that it’s cool to follow the leader is ridiculous. It’s time to become trail blazers. We need to claim dominance in our world; however big that may be.

If you remember in 2007 50 Cent issued a challenge to Kanye West promising the world that he would outsell him. It was like David meets Goliath. Rocky versus Apollo. Clay Aiken versus American Idol. Two extremes coming from different parts of the world, clashing for world dominance. You get the picture! Anyway, in retrospect, admittedly so, I was rooting for Kanye West. I wanted him to win because he was the underdog, because he was different. Kanye West represented change. America loves a hero, but what they love more than a hero is this concept of hope. After West went on to outsell 50Cent, I felt like history was made. The musical landscape as we knew it, was over. It was out with the old in 50Cent, and in with the new with Mr. West. Style had beaten out arrogance and it was a new day.

The future looks bright with stars like Lady Gaga, Adam Lambert, and Ashor Roth fast-blazing a trail. I just hope that people will pay “more” attention to how different they are, and less attention on how strong they come across. Big things come in little packages so try not to judge the “rapper" on face value. 2010 looks like it’s going to be a big year as “the little people” top the charts and make history.

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Movies

The Butch Factor From the Castro culture of the 1970s to today's Bears and gym rats, this fascinating investigation of gay men and sexuality blows the lid off old stereotypes and showcases a battalion of interviewees including muscle men, rodeo riders, rugby players and cops. The men speak candidly on topics from homophobia to metrosexuality to embracing effeminacy as they reveal what it means to be a gay man in America today.

Mr. Right With snappy repartee and a cast of handsome men and cute boys, this romantic comedy, set in London, playfully bounces around its romances, dramas and lusts.

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Music

The Sea Corinne Bailey Rae's new album, The Sea was co-produced by Bailey Rae with Steve Brown, and Steve Chrisanthou, who produced many of the songs on her debut album, which has sold four million copies worldwide. Bringing together a new band of musicians, Bailey Rae recorded the album mainly in Leeds and Manchester, England. Her voice, always an expressive and soulful instrument, resonates with a poignant and newfound depth on The Sea. Loss and grief are recurring themes yet a sense of beauty and wonder ultimately radiates from the album's dark corners.

Rebirth EXPLICIT. 2010 release, a crossover Rock album from the self-proclaimed 'greatest rapper of all time'. Lil Wayne's previous full-length, the Grammy Award-winning The Carter III has been certified triple platinum with over one million sold in it's first week of release! Rebirth, his long rumored Rock album, is still Rap heavy and features guest appearances from Eminem, Shanell (AKA SNL), Kevin Rudolf, Nicki Minaj and others. Includes the first single 'Prom Queen'.

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