Dear Friends:
Okay, so today I was reading this article about rapper/singer Akon. Well, I’ll let the article speak for itself…
“Age ain’t nothing but a number, but at least most of us know what number we’ve reached. Not Akon. This week he told the Associated Press he doesn’t have any idea how old he is. “I don’t want to know I’m getting older,” the hip-hop hitmaker 
said. “Then I’ll start to think about getting checkups and insurance. I don’t want that.”
(Dude, not to sound like your mom or anything, but everyone should get checkups! And insurance is just common sense. What if they found something during one of those checkups?)
Akon’s birth certificate says he’s 31, but he says he’s 21, and that he’ll be celebrating his 21st birthday for the next 10 years.
Weird. But the subject of age causes some musicians to get a little foggy–Nelly, James Blunt, J.Lo, and Nicole from the Pussycat Dolls have all shaved a year (or more) off their ages, like if they’re too much older than their fans, no one will buy their records. (In a related story, Taylor Swift–who’s either 13 or three years younger than Akon, depending on what numbers you use–is at the top of the Billboard album chart for the 9 millionth week in a row.)
One final note to Akon: along with checkups and health insurance, you really ought to be thinking about retirement savings. We’re not saying you’re old, but the earlier you start, the more time your retirement money has to grow–and what better time than right now, when you’re celebrating being 21?”
Okay, I thought this was so funny. Granted, me myself, I never lie about my age. However, I rarely tell my age either. At this point I’m too young to lie about it; however, in my mind, the number has gotten too high to tell anyone (plus a lady never tells “her” age anyway…hahaha). Honestly, I don’t feel like it should matter though. As long as you are healthy, sane, and look great then why should it?
Are these singers afraid that they won’t engender that vaunted 
demographic (18-34) that buys their albums?
Personally, I just think it looks really pathetic when someone in their late 30′s is behaving like they’re 20. True, some people just have a really youthful and naive quality. I am not talking about those people. I am talking about a 40-year-old that is still dressing in: fall off the ass baggies, throw back jerseys, caps broke to one side, and got grillz in his mouth. That is just sad.
In addition to that I imagine that there is nothing worse than being 40, telling everyone you are 29, and having someone say they thought you were 40 (or beyond). How positively embarressing…
Furthermore, when you do that you deprive yourself, and everyone else, of your knowledge, wisdom, and life experiences. You basically have to relegate yourself to remembering certain aspects of previous decades in order to facilitate the illusion. Yeah, Akon can be forever 21 if he wants to be. But at some point he is going to want to tell someone that he remembers Obama being inaugurated in 21-years…
I think the aversion to aging is a western phenomenon. In places like Japan they revere their elderly. Aging is considered beautiful and dignified. Hopefully we in America become like that…
When I’m old I want to be like Ian McKellan. Some fabulous old gay guy with quick wit, a pack of cigarettes, and a glass of Moet.
My thing is that you either grow old gracefully or die young tragically. So, I am going to try and get older as healthily and fabulously as possible…
Cheers!
With Love…
Sincerely,
Toddy English
prequel) makes up for that. Hell, I enjoyed this one more than the first! Great acting, writing, special effects, and everythang!
Ted Haggard on Oprah (not literally)
Dear Friends:
Did anyone see the Ted Haggard interview on Oprah the other day? This man is seriously delusional and in denial. He, at one point, refered to himself as a “Heterosexual with homosexual thoughts and inclinations…”
Uhm, okay that’s like a Dog saying it’s really a Cat.
I feel exceptionally sorry for the wife.
This is just really sad.
Oh, and earlier in the video Haggard makes the ages old excuse that he was sexually molested. Why does every single self loathing religious person use that?
Question: What about those of us who were never molested, but still turned out gay? What about the straight men who were molested but still grew up to be hetero? I’m sorry but I don’t think molestation–as insidious as it is–influences your orientation. Will it influence behavior (e.g. promiscuity and etc), yes. Sexual orientation…Doubtful. People like him and Ms. Donnie McClurkin need to just stop it…Just…stop. Not making light of his ordeal but molesters are Predators. Predators seek out the weakest member of the herd to exploit. They are looking to get their perverse rocks off…Not actively recruit children into being gay (or “infecting them with a spirit”).
Anyway…
I expect Ted Haggard to queen completely out in the next couple of years, if not sooner.