Gagafesto, "Love. Buddha, and Gaga", gagablog 16

I've been focusing on what it can mean to embrace evil, in response to evil current events and the need we all have to overcome evil in our own lives, but let me repeat quickly that Love is the good that overcomes evil. We may not all suffer from prejudice in our own personal lives, but we do all suffer from it in society. With love all people can be happy, if we truly love others as we love ourselves. Gaga's message of tolerance and acceptance, so beautifully crafted in the Manifesto of Mother Monster at the beginning of the Born this Way video, encourages this change of perspective, encouraging us to look beyond boundaries and care for each other, calling us to greater love. One of the greatest expressions of Love I know is in the story of a life of the Buddha in which he meets a hungry tiger. The tiger is a mother with cubs, she is starving, they are all starving. The Buddha lays down and gives his body and life to the tiger so that she may live and feed her cubs.

This story is so beautiful to me and makes me cry because it is Love, not just for ones family or people, but for Life. I feel like tragedies in the world are only good in the sense that they can provoke Love - it's terrible that anyone is starving or suffering, it's terrible how animals and other life are suffering and dying when we could all be living more harmoniously. The key to harmony, what we can all do to reach it, is self-sacrifice. The Buddha's example, or Jesus's, are of ultimate sacrifice, but as we see in worldwide response to tragedies, from Haiti to Japan, every little bit helps and we can all sacrifice something to help those who are hurting. This is important because we really can make a difference working together, but we can also make a difference in shifting the perspective of all humanity. These days more super-rich people are doing more for charity than ever before, once we get the curmudgeony ones over their greed and onto this side, things can really improve quickly. But look what can be accomplished when good people inspire us to do good things, as Gaga has done in response to the tragedy in Japan: I've read how in the first two days of selling bracelets to benifit relief efforts there she raised 250,000 dollars. Another article mentioned a Google executive, I think, who started a fund for Japan that had raised 3,000 dollars, then Gaga linked to it on her website and it had raised 70,000 dollars when the article came out. He called it "the Lady Gaga effect".

Gaga is having a great effect, both because she's giving people a good reminder that they can make a difference and in a larger sense reminding us all what is possible. As an affirmation of democracy I love how it shows how a good person can inspire others to work with them for a good outcome. I want to give a shout out to the Obama administration, and the spirit of the people who elected Obama, for recently putting a motion to the U.N. to denounce violence against people based on sexuality or gender identity. Gaga has always been at the forefront of important causes - of human rights, animal rights, and protecting the planet. She does it all, and so wonderfully, with such art and power. Some might say its because she can, because she is rich. But to this I say there are many others who are rich who don't have this focus, who even have the opposite intention than helping people, and they could learn from her. But more importantly, the reason she has the power, Fame, and fortune that she does is because she is a good person, doing good things  - with the best intentions and highest expectations of herself and humanity - and good people are responding to her and together we are making things happen, changing this world for good. She has spoken about sacrifice of the idol, in a Fame context, and I hope the Paparazzi video / message is how she fulfills that myth - I want her here with us forever, she has already sacrificed for us. She can mythically do it many different ways without ever dying for this message of Love. I know its because I find her so attractive, but I like to think it was a "major sacrifice" that she was celibate for a long time on tour when she said she did not have the time to be close with anyone because of the tour demands. I want to emphaize that I am so appreciative and respectful of Gaga for working so hard for what she does - it is what makes me really value working hard to reach my own dreams. Instead of typing so much, I will focus on writing better. And do more art. Because I want to be like Gaga and reach my full potential so I can help the most people, too.

Thanks, little monsters, for making Gaga and all the good she does in the world possible. Thanks, Gaga, both for inspiring us and doing all the work to make it all happen. I love you, you rock, I can't wait for the new album!

Gagafesto, "Evil and Spring Fashion", gagablog 15

Hi Little Monsters, Happy first day of Spring! I have high hopes that after an incredible winter this srping will be the start of a new era for the whole world. Nonviolent revolution has been all the rage this season but there are some old-fashioned types who can't get with the new style. I have been happy to keep a current Gagablog as major events unfold while she is releasing her next album and people are realeasing themselves from oppression around the world. I've been talking about many issues and connecting them to show something of what I believe in coincidental magic and I feel it is simply a matter of recognizing that everything is connected that I feel responsible for writing my opinion of current events so that we can move on to the next event - so that whatever goodness is in the news can come to fruition and the badness can end. And it all reminds me of what I have neglected to conclude about the "evil" that Gaga speaks of in her Manifesto of Mother monster at the beginning of Born this Way.
I wrote earlier how I disliked the machine-gun imagery, but could understand it. In respect to Lybia, I mentioned that hopefully the threat of a greater power, using the example of Gaga with her many huge guns, could be enough to scare someone into not using violence - in this case, with Lybian and international will against him and the greater strength in the international community, that Gadhafi would be scared into accepting fate and leaving peacedully. Well, as spring begins today bombs are blooming as well, because the U.N. has begun enforcing a no-fly zone in Lybia that they are poetically calling Odyssey Dawn here in America. I want to talk about this because it gets to the issues I want to explore about "embracing the evil" and about an appropriate use of evil. Now that it has come to this use of violence, I want to mention that the wordly powers I am describing are still metaphors for greater things, and that Gaga's use of machine gun imgaery, though it may have literal implications, is better understood to reveal her greater spiritual power, both in good and evil.
In Gagablog 14 I identify what I think is the source of evil especially in the forms of racism, homophobia, and any preference someone has fofr other peoples' prefrences, which is essentially none of their business. While it has become even more ridiculous, politically, so that people are really insistent on telling people they don't even know how to live, it is just as bad among people who know each other, within the family. And I think most people deal with a degree of this, even if it is not as extreme as the family disapproving of one's sexuality. One irony is that while prejudice is taught over generations things that are taboo are attractive, too, so people are bound to break the mold and grow out of it. But it would be better to avoid the drama and educate people so prejudice is not taught in the first place. I think there is a basic evil that comes from feeling possessive of one's bloodline. I think of it as a deep understanding of DNA - that we "are" in some essential way a code enacted by our ancestors that we modify and pass on to decendants - but I think this sense, that can even motivate people to fear not having kids, is mistaken because we are all so interconnected in infinite ways including DNA, but also in much more important ways. We aren't just our families, essentially, we are all one people. By the same logic of interconnectedness, we are not seperate or in conflict with the other creatures and things on earth, we are all in it together.
The source for conflict between people is always a lack of resources. But to have a "between people" to begin with is a result of this basic flaw in the way we think, that we need to overcome and all work together. Especially in the modern world with means of production and transportation so addvanced, there is no good excuse for scarcity and poverty - but we could have been advanced enough to move beyond want, as a people, long ago if we were acting like one people. In any location, when there are enough resources there is not enough strife. Worldwide, there certainly are enough resources and means to distribute them - let's hope that any remaining strife we will go through will be directed against the power structures that prevent this sharing of resources from taking care of everyone.
We have heard all he arguments for this many times and in current events we are seeing it unfolding in history. Now is the time to face the reality of it and make the most of it. The worst thing is using violence against people who are seeking justice, literally putting one's wealth, in fighter jets and bombs, over others lives. From domestic abuse worsened because one partner owns the house to a dictator killing his people and putting his wealth and military power over their demands for justice, using a position of power to abuse someone instead of help them is just wrong. We have to oppose this evil of greed and power in two ways, and the most important one is within ourselves, rooting out the ways we contribute to it. But we also have to oppose the systems that allow this kind of abuse, from unjust laws to unjust governments. In the case of Lybia, it seems a the use of evil to kill oppressed people needs to be opposed with another evil - but the difference is imprtant in the evil employed to preserve greed and power and the evil embraced to help protect people.
Gaga is teaching me the true value of things I had previously seen as myths, such as freedom. I will admit that I am very skeptical of most military actions that have been carried out in the name of freedom, because it is really a ruse for people in power in America keeping their power the way they like it. But it is a magical "coincidence" that at the same time Gaga has spoken of embracing evil in order to protect an new, free race of people that there is a call for force to help the people make a free Lybia and oppose Gadhafi. My complaint with "the american dream" is that the promise of freedom was often a myth used to keep people subjugated in some way, but the great thing is that even as a "dream" there is still a chance of it coming true. Even if people perpetuate what they think is just a false myth keeping people happy and the odds aren't really with people in many cases, it is possible. People who believe it is possible can beat the odds and work their way up and Gaga believed it enough and was suited for it enough to be a great example of the american dream. I think it is mostly her talent, her power, that made it all possible for her, but also the ways she studies Fame shows she believes in it - maybe more than anyone ever before, which to me makes it perfectly firring that she would become the most famous person ever, And of course all the hard work she did is being rewarded. Other people have made me see the truth of the American Dream becoming real before, too, but Gaga really stands out. And Obama, inspiring figure that he is, and I think it is important to recognize his role in the way the world is changing now, because it is a pivotal one. I focus on Gaga because she is more artistic about the same principle I consider divine - using creative expression and thought to live up to the full challenge of the moment, literally being willing to change the world with brave inspiration.
Since Gaga has given me a renewed appreciation for American freedom - that, even if some people were just trying to lie about it and at the same time try to make it impossible for anyone to actually achieve, the power of belief and inspiration and effort has allowed some people to achieve it despite the influence of those liars who don't want anyone else to be empowered. The promise of freedom that America says it is based on and has become true in many ways is freedom of expression. It is this freedom that people have seized upon in North Africa to make a new society, and it is this freedom that is being opposed militarily in Lybia. It is in the face of this evil, the willingness to kill to stay in power and wealth, that must be opposed, and embracing a measure of evil is acceptable in this sense, to defend people seeking justice.
This gets to the roots of another principle I have been suspicious of yet have come to appreciate, democracy. Gaga is a great example of how popularity reflects the dsires of people, in this case for freedom and acceptace. And we benefit from "electing" a good person like Gaga as a role model and sharing her influence around the world, just as america improved its image around the world by electing Obama. And both Gaga and Obama make me hopeful and positive about democracy, because eventually the will of the people will produce the greatest good. There were many tragedies of the George W. Bush presidency and it all started with a subversion of democracy - but there were tragedies in most past presidencies, I'm sure. I have come to believe in democracy because while people can be swayed and misled to evil I think we are all basically good and a good person can get a good idea out there for people to support and make things better. it is essentially this belief in democracy, truly believeing that people can come together for the best outcomes, that is the essential difference between Obama and Bush, and in the current situation it can be seen in their differing attitudes to the U.N. The republican ideology, for all their Tea Party rhetoric,does not believe in democracy - see how many of them reject the election of Obama, for instance. But essentially they believe in someone knowing better and having to tell people what to do. This was Bush's approach to the U.N., that he needed to tell them what to do. And the talk at the time was all about how ineffective the U.N. is and should it be abolished, blah blah blah. The current situation in Lybia is an example of the U.N. acting in the way it was intended, in the way Bush was trying to suggest it was incapable, to enforce internationally agreed upon decrees. Obama went though the appropriate channels to get international consensus on a response for Lybia and it took a little while but it is working. There is a basic principle of democracy at work that people can work together for the best possible outcome. I think this principle is based on a belief in truth and justice, a beleif that there is something right that we can understand and act on. The very principle of democracy relies on this, that people can recognize good and act on it, that there is a truth that we can respond to. In the case of Bush alleging weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, well, it was not true. We can debate if they knew that from the start, and that might make it worse, but it is bad enough that it "turned out" to not be true. The truth will always turn out in the end. In Lybia, it looks like most of the world is accepting the truth that the government is attacking its people and that justice demands a response. This is a case of justice being possible with a consensus among people, based on the idea that we can sense the truth and act on it, the idea of democracy. And the difference between Bush and Obama can be seen in the difference of these transitons, from the democracy we imposed upon Iraq to the ones that we are supporting the people choosing for themselves as non-violently as possible.
One essential need for democracy, to get to the best possible outcomes as quickly as possible with as few diversions, is education. If we are working on a principle that with consensus we can recognize and respond to truth, we can do these things best with good education. This is another essential difference between democrats and republicans in America, the belief in quality eduaction for all that the democrats have versus the idea that we should compete and perpetuate social disadvantages that the republicans believe in - the belief that "certain people" are more suited to certain work and that some people will need to be told what to do. I am glad we are able to use military action to save innocent people in Lybia, operating on good intelligence and with consensus that promotes common understanding instead of resentment, and I am grateful that the greatest militray power in the situation is on the side of "good", I believe we in america were using the same greatest military strength for evil for ten years or longer - and it can all hinge on whether we are educated enough to elect the best leaders and persue the best course. I believe a nationalist course is backward with the opportunities we have for a global community and we need leaders with a global vision instead. And we need to have our resources distributed more fairly in our own society so people are content enough to care about others. This happens on every level, discontentment allows us to turn inward instead of looking to help others, and I believe republicans capitalize on this and perpetuate poverty and struggle specifically to make people want to look after their own and ultimately support nationalist ideas.
I used to oppose globalization when I veiwed government as essentially corrupt. I have come to see that we need government, not as a necessary evil, it does not have to be evil, but as something we can all take responsibility for making good. Someone told me yesterday that he thought all government was oppressive, to which I said even anarchists are oppressive to car windows. We need some government, and I think if we have faith in people and democracy we can expect that government to be good - we should make it that way and we can make it better and better the more we know that we can.
So many of the nonviolent revolutions are taking place right now because people are realizing it is possible. And their success takes the argument away from terrorists that the only way to seek change is with violence. Our greatest dreams can come true if we really believe in them and work for them. Gaga teaches me this, personally, but the whole world is getting this message now. The most essential aspect of it all is a respect for nature - which means that beyond all this political talk the importance of Gaga liberating people is to reawaken a sense of respect for nature in us.
I am talking about a respect for all nature, and specifically a respct for human nature and for mother nature. The Love Gaga has for the little monsters, and our love for one another, is an example of this love and acceptance of the fantastic variety of human nature. The Love we have for Gaga and her love for herself and the world is an example of love for Mother Nature, for Mother Monster. Freedom is in season this spring, thanks to people all over the world and my personal thanks to Gaga. Evil has been embraced to achieve the greatest good as U.N. forces work to prevent a massacre of the Lybian people. This is a metaphor, to me, that the greatest power will ultimately be used for good. While mine is a spiritual understanding, I think this is a truth we can recognize and work towrd, democratically. If we take Gaga's message to respect and accept each other and the idea that we can reach a consensus for the greatest good, we can hope that this spiritual reality will be replicated on earth, we can work towards that truth. So that if there does have to be a military power we can make sure that it is on the side of truth and justice. The Superman American myth, made real by the Superwoman Lady Gaga.

 And this is how evil has become an accessory in the Spring 2011 fashion line of liberation. With the birth of a new people seeking freedom and acceptance comes the brith of a new evil to protect them that is just in opposing the old evil guarding weath and power. A new Lybia, and a New World, will be Born This Way.
I hope the strife in Lybia ends today, as soon as possible. Ya'll know how I think about things and cosmic connections if you've been reading this, so you know I expect Big News when Gaga's album comes out in a few days, too. Gaga Love to all, we can make this world a better place if we believe in ourselves and each other, thanks Little Monster for being so much fun to believe in, you inspire me! And thanks Gaga, you are the embodiment of Living Inspiration to me and I love you and can't wait for the new album!

Gagafesto, "Sex and Saving the World", gagablog 14

Saving the world with sex may seem silly to some, but I am both serious and silly about it. When so many other human needs are still unfulfilled for so many, when so many are hungry or need a safe place to live, to focus on sex may seem frivolous, but to me it is essential for a few reasons. One is that sex is part of everything in the most basic sense - so much of our experience relates to it. Sleep is another human need we do not talk about as much and we are often fairly deprived of it. Why is this, and what effect does it have on us, on the world? Answering this suggests the other reason I think sex is an essential focus - because I see that the reason for injustice and unnecessary danger in the world is a function of an unnatural manipulation of sex.
I would like to present a mystical understanding of sex that includes all "making two into one" - part of the intense magic of sex is the way it exemplifies this basic mystical reality that relates to everything, so it is very useful for analogies. In this way, though I advocate a mystical understanding of sex I also encourage the "non-mystical" aspects of it, both for their own value and because they still are mystical even if they aren't considered that way, and can be considered that way easily as metaphors.
I don't think there is a conspiracy to keep people from getting enough sleep, other than in the sense of the forces in the world that want people to work more, to get the most labor out of people. I do have a sense of work ethic, it is in my blood, and I both "believe" in hard work in my blood and reject it in my heart. I know I have taken this too far, because I have not carried my love of art to fruition enough in really crafting my dreams - and I love Gaga for inspiring me to fix this and do creative work. But it is the creative work I truly value. Yes, I value physical labor as well, both when I do it and especially the labor of billions of people on the planet. But at the same time, I resent that the "forces of production" could allow laborers more recreation, and that the reasons people work so hard when they don't really have to is to prop up an imbalanced system. Ya'll have heard all these sorts of economic and political arguments before, I'm just talking about why we don't get enough sleep. And how our lack of sleep, personally and as a society, is the result of a negative power driving society, a sort of vampire of civilization. I'll call it the Wampire because it reminds me of war, both Bush presidents really but the whole "W" thing, and is really whiny, "wa wa wa". The Wampire is not against people sleeping, I guess, just has that effect by driving the masses to work so hard.
The Wampire is against sex in this same basic way, just trying to keep people doing more "productive" things most of the time, but is also "against" sex in many other ways that point to how powerful a force sex is in our society. I can hear the objection that if I'm complaining about an American Wampire how can I say it is against sex when America is so sex-obsessed and I would say that the reason is the difference between repression/tittilation and expression/satisfaction. The power of sex is being used to achieve other ends, from shopping to nationalism and war. I can also hear, have heard, a complaint against Gaga that seems to try and blame her for the sexualization of modern youth. As far as young girls wearing inappropriately sexy clothes, this was going on for a decade or more before Gaga and seemed to me to be an ugly side of the fashion industry, but Gaga actually has the influence of opposing this phenomenon much more that contributing to it, both with her messages of self-respect and awareness and intentional expression, and how that is manifested in Good Fashion - which is the opposite of sweatpants with words on the butt. American society was built so much on repressing sexuality and the result is this fractured community starved for contact with each other. We accept the idea that sex is rare and that we must go to great lengths to have sex, from going to the store and purchasing the Axe body spray that will make sex inevitable and instantaneous (if you do it yourself to their fantasy commercials) to going to war. I think sex has always been one of our greatest motivators, I just think it is tragic the way American society represses and diverts this energy. And I do think it is at the core of other issues, from exploitation of women to racism and basically all forms of violence.
Love is the opposite of these hateful things, surely. Sex is one expression of love, and I am focusing more on sex now because it is the crux of the dilemma, but of course it is Love, that encompasses sex and so much more, that is really important. And I believe Love does encompass all healthy sexual expression, and that we should recognize this and treat sex with love and respect in all its forms. This includes a respect for people who are asexual as well, and for people who are too young to have sex or are still learning or transitioning in their sexuality, at any age. Because one of the essential lessons about sex, for the people having sex, is that it can bring us together as much as we respect and are aware of each other and try to fully appreciate one another. It is wonderful to teach us to value the differences between people and the magic of coming together. And I say we should respect all aspects of it, including the stages of learning about it and missing it. If we approach these phases with love and respect, with a true appreciation for longing or fantasy, etc, as forms of the wonderful, sexual side of love, if we were used to talking more openly about these and all forms of sex and love, I think people would be less likely to be hasty or despondent.
Some people aren't that interested in sex and I hope what I am saying can be understood as applying to art and all creativity as well, but I focus on sex because I am preoccupied with it, in my own person but also because I recognize a negative preoccupation with it in America and I want to come to terms with this. I feel I have come to accept my own sexuality to some degree and I am hurt to see the negative influence in America from those who are struggling with sexuality. The most glaring example of this currently in America is homophobia. There's too much to say about it and it is all sad, but I can't help but point out that the same people, the Republicans, who oppose gay rights are also the ones who perpetuate war and poverty and racism and oppose the arts. And so often it comes out that the reason these people oppress others is that they can't accept themselves. Until they realize they are the victims of a bad mentality (and hopefully they realize it then, and will all realize this soon) they make victims of others. So I am not trying to blame them, I am blaming the mentality, that I really can invision as a huge evil crusty old Wampire.
I think we are ready to outgrow this mentality. I do believe that a new attitude about sex will be instrumental in doing this, an attitude based on total respect. I believe there is a spiritual root to both homophobia and racism. I think it is based on a spiritual understanding that most people have in a very foundational sense, beneath their other religious views. I think many people have some deep-seated assumption that they will be reincarnated as one of their descendents. I am suggesting this even though it seems counter to the idea of heaven - and ironically that those who believe in the most concrete afterlife version of heaven that would seem to contradict this idea so much are also the ones who, subconsciously, feel this reincarnation principle the  strongest - and both are wrong because they lead to this false conclusion that leads to racism and homophobia. People may consciously say that they don't want "those" kind of people in their family, gays or people of another race, but I feel at the core of this is this idea that we will be reincarnated in our family line and the idea that one does not want to be one of "those people" in the future. In the case of being gay, I think people fear it for this same idea of a lack of an heir. Even a preference for a male child is an aspect of this in our patrilineal society, establishing an imbalance that pervades society. And it is based on the idea that a daughter is not going to carry the family name, could not eventually have a grandson you could be reincarnated as and have the same last name - see? It is a ridiculous concern, to type it out, but I really believe we subconsciously believe this, and I think that one easy proof of how wrong this idea is can be found in the fruits it bears of racism, sexism, and homophobia. Another proof is how seeing the opposite dissolves those forces - if we assumed we reincarnated randomly, or even into the exact same "those kind of people" we wronged in our current life, we would not have these attitudes. If we just knew, for instance, that we would change genders a lot in different lives we would try and be more understanding of the other gender in this life. This same principle even applies on a level that can be even more subtle than racism but just as damaging, when parents diapprove of thier children's chosen lover for any prejudiced reason - because what does it have to do with them, ultimately, other than in the potential for triggering this false fear of being reincarnated as related to them. Ironically, the most concrete and exclusive visions of an afterlife heaven are also foundational to, or expressions of, this same mistaken belief. The Country Club idea of heaven is held by people who are often the most racist and homophobic, which suggests to me that they really cling to the linear reincarnation idea despite their conscious insistence on a heaven where they would stop and relax forever. It may be a fear of coming back as people they vilify that makes them so insitent on it and on its exclusivity. The most conservative churches don't allow women to be the guides to this heaven and therefore exclude them in ways, that is how wrong and off base they are. They try to get people to become like them with the promise of an exclusive heaven, essentially because they are insecure about who they are and feel it is only valid if it rubs off on someone else, and are therefore being rude to others by not respecting who they already are. There is nothing wrong with wanting people to better themselves and helping them, but thinking you know best for someone else is wrong which is why leading by example should be used when we feel that way. Again, you can see how wrong this idea of Country Club heaven is by how it affects people, but also by inverting it and seeing what the difference would be. What if there is a heaven and it just isn't exclusive, everybody is invited. First, all those people who were trying to shame everybody in life, won't their faces be red? And on the other hand, if we were acting like we knew this were true, that we would see everybody in heaven, we would realize that all people have a rightful place and purpose - we can all say "I'm on the right track baby I was born this way" as Gaga taught us.
Now, I personally like both the ideas of reincarnation and heaven, but not the restricted versions I just described, but instead the looser unrestricted versions, even wilder and more extravagant than that, a version where both are true. And I think the fruit or manifestations of my version is love and acceptance and appreciation and respect, and the fruit of the restricted is hate and rejection, poison, etc. And I like the idea of focusing on heaven here on earth, or the idea that they guy you are aguing with might happen to be your great-great-great-grandmother. When I say "saving the world", I really think it can be done with this change of attitude, from a restricted to a limitless spirituality, which I think will have an analogy, and maybe require the correlating shift, in a shift from restricted to limitless sexuality. And the key is utmost respect, so don't think I am condoning depraved sex - but the fact is there is a limitless potential for sex, and the power of sex, that is untapped or diverted in people and is therefore prone to cause problems personally and divert justice socially. I think we can sexually save the world because liberating sex and using it for its true purpose, to bring us together and make us creative and powerful, not only robs the Wampire of his sustenance and kills him, opposing the forces of conservativism, but it directly empowers us and makes the creative divine in us flourish, in all sexual forms and phases, including and sometimes especially the lack of it. But truly, mostly in the wonderfully enriching experience of great sex. And I know many people have had sex that was not all that great, and while I would have to address that later I'll summarize by saying "the people who leave you not feeling all that great or empowered are lame" but refine that by pointing out that they are victims of that Wampire mentality tht treats sex as a dirty thing used to enrich one's dirty pride. Each one of us can and needs to be cured of dirty pride that is based in trying to feel superior or only focusing on oneself. Pride is a good thing when it comes from the things we do that help other people. The dirty Wampire pride that wants to do something "dirty" then feels bad for it and has to do it again, hurting someone else, to run from the guilt, or someone who tells other they can do "dirty" things and feels righteous pride that they are above that "filth" themselves, that kind of pride just hurts more and more people because it comes from the hurt of this rift between sex and spirituality. There are innumerable ways the society can improve with more respctful understanding of people and our varied sexuality and seeing it all as part of the same wonderful thing. The same can be said of culture and religion, the things that seem to divide us but understood another way, with repect for their purpose, are actually what bring us together. Differences should be honored for the very fact that they make us "two" so that we can experience the bliss of discovering our oneness.
What does all this have to do with Gaga? Well, she in the same way that she seems to manifest the ideal spiritual form, to me, she is also the ideal physical form - and moreso because, being a creative genius she "backs up" her divine beauty with such a strong and expressive divine spirit - what I always hope for in a really beautiful girl. And what makes all people really beautiful, in a way. I won't say I am disappointed that really beautiful girls are not all geniuses but I am sad that more people in general aren't geniuses. And I guess growing up I always wanted the really pretty girls to be really smart, because I thought I was myself and wanted them to be a good match for me. And everyone is a genius, in their own way, It is just that to me, Gaga is a genius in my way, the way I like, a creative genius. Which to me makes good on the promise of being incredibly beautiful and sexy and is integrated in this sense. Everyone is a Goddess in their own right, or God, and one's lover can be seen as the best manifestation of the divine for each individual, but Gaga can be a symbol of this for the masses, including the people who have no one to love and in this way is like a mystical bride for the world. I see Gaga as the Goddess in the same sense of integrating perfectly beautiful spirit and body and she is one I can talk about because she is someone everyone knows, but also because I think this is central to her message. And it is a divine and liberating message, to celebrate our spirits and our bodies and not think that one is at the expense of the other, to embrace that we were "Born this Way." And one way she does this - again, not that everyone should do this but she does it for everyone herself because we need it so badly - is by being so openly and expressively sexual and encouraging others to be true to themselves as well in the most basic sense.

While I truly believe reversing a unnatural mentality about sex and the restricted spirituality that goes with it can save the world by curing social ills and allowing us to move forward into a new golden age, the whole idea of "saving the world" seems to have a much more immediate and seemingly unrelated meaning in consideration of the recent disaster in Japan and the threat of further nuclear disaster. I hope I can be understood mystically to relate this and other world events to Gaga and I intend no disrespect. I do want to say that actual, not only purely "magical", forces are required for so much - its a huge understatement. Like I said, I appreciate the efforts of people's physical labors, I just wish they did not have to work so hard, and maybe that some jobs would be eliminated, so that miners for instance could become miner-robot makers and repairment, or even better when new science makes mining unneccessary they can do completely different things. I think that so much dangerous or boring work could be removed from the human sphere to technology if production owners invested enough into it, sacrificing their own lavishness. And some dangerous jobs could be eliminated entirely with enough research and focus on alternatives.
The reason I am bringing "work ethic" up again is that no ones work ethic can match that of the people who are risking their lives to stabalize the nuclear plants in Japan right now. I want to recognize this openly because it cracks my heart open to think of how these people are so bravely sacrificing for others. Its just a message that we can all do something more, if they have done this. And I really think one ting we can do, in honor of these people and to ensure that no one else is ever put in that predicament, is for everyone, everywhere, to insist we persue alternative energy as soon as possible with all available resources. We have to stop all other social and political obstacles, put everything behind us and give up greed for wealth and power and just go full force into collectively developing new energy. No more oil wars (or others) or meltdowns - we should go for all renewable resources, solar, wind, hydro, and biomass. And in complete emergency mode, with reduced power consumption and a race to replace nuclear facilities with others that are safe, until they are all shut down. I think if we can commit to this, somehow, as some countries seem to be thankfully moving toward, we will have "learned our lesson" and may be able to mystically avoid a more serious development in Japan in the next few days, and may be granted a reprieve from further seismic activity long enough to replace the most vulnerable nuclear plants, then all of them, before anything like this happens again. I know people will say this sort of talk sounds crazy, but face it, you believe it too: yes, there was a terrible natural disaster but it is made so much worse by our nuclear folly. We must correct this, and there is no good "reason" why such terrible tragedies such as natural disasters occur, but there is a reason and the result of our ways that it is so much more dangerous with a nuclear threat and we need to learn the lesson that is being presented and change our ways. And if that is something we just have to do, then can't this be lesson enough for us so we don't have to have anything worse happen to set us on a whole new course, we will go ahead and get on it? I have talked throughout this gagablog about how things are mystically connected and that I think what may seem like a "small" thing over here can relate to a "big" thing over there. That is true in this sense, too, and again I relate it to Gaga. At the most basic level, hers is a message of compassion and taking care of, appreciating, all people, all things. And I think we all feel love for each other, and especially in such times of devestation we really "fee" it - but we do need reminders of what loving one another really means, fully, sometimes. Like the people working to shut down the damaged nuclear reactors, Or all the millions of people praying for them, doing spells and wishing and hoping for the best and supporting them. Its terrible when we have these sorts of reminders, though the love we then experience is beautiful - but we don't have to buy into the idea that love is so rare. We can have reminders to love even in the good times, all the time. And if we start to feel the love as strongly as it actually is between us, and clear away the obstacles, we can do anything.
I'm not trying to be a pompous bastard by saying this, and I'm not trying to trivialize or be crazy about things. I know that in  a very real sense the only thing that can prevent more nuclear disaster is the people working on it, and the sacrifice they make of accepting sickness or worse is inspiring and humbling. Maybe it is like other "magical" thought and is a desire to have wished-for influence where little or no influence exists, but I like to think that the massive outpouring of sympathy, and also of fear and love, anxiety and activism, can have a positive effect - on the world at large and even on that situation right now in Japan. I'm certainly not trying to jinx anything, but I really want to speak hopefully. It is such a scary scenario, it seems like it will "take a miracle" and I am hopeful that all of the good intention around the world can contribute to an inspired solution amongst the people working on the nuclear plant, or a magical result of some favorable conditions with weather or whatever can possibly help. I want to type this in hopes of some magical effect, and dont want to act arrogant except to say that I do believe we can have this kind of effect and should try it, hoping that putting that message out there, even if no one actually reads all the way down to this part, that somehow it will coincide with a solution - because it is so dire and seems like it could go either way each day, but since the outcome could be as good as possible if it happens for the best as soon as possible, please let it happen today that they find a way to make that plant safe as soon as possible. And can we put an end to these dangerous work situations, and for where they are still necessary work as hard as we can to make robots to do the most dangerous work?
I think Gaga has a message to people to care for each other and not limit ourselves to compassion only for those we know - and we all feel this in our hearts, anyway, of course, and yet we still need reminders of. it. Gaga has a message that helps, in general, but I want to mention how she is acting specifically as well to help humanitarian disater relief. I heard that she donated 5 million dollars to relief effort in Japan, which is not only a great thing to do in itself but inspiring to people as an example of what you can do to help people with the potential riches of following your dream and an example to other rich people of something good they can do with their money. She also is selling bracelets to let all the proceeds to go to disaster relief in Japan. The bracelets say "we pray for Japan" I think in japanese and english. I think this is great as well both for encouraging everyone to help in whatever way they can and that it will really raise a lot of money and that number will be even more encouraging, the power of coming together, and using fame for good. It will raise a lot of money which is needed, but even more importantly it will raise awareness, about this tragedy and need for help in Japan but also about everyone's ability to contribute and do some good and our collective ability to make things happen and even do what seems impossible or miraculous. We should become convinced that we can do these things, that this is the power of Love, and we should be focused on it all the time and already moving past the things that make disasters even worse, and certainly move past the disasters of our own making due to hatred and greed. Gaga is my constant reminder of power and love and sex and creativity, all the things I think are divine. I want to mention that she attended a Earth Day benefit and has made comments showing ecological sensitivity as an example that these things are cool and necessary. I think that one of the things we need to replace nuclear with is biomass, specifically burning cannabis/hemp/"pot" because it is fast growing, burns really hot and cleans the soil and air of toxins as it grows. It is another "key", along with sex, that has been oppressed due to its easily available and abundant power, and Gaga is a human form of the Weed Goddess as well to me, both for exemplifying what I associate with the weed creative genius and using it proudly herself when she composes music etc. She is a champion of weed, to me, like sex, for speaking openly about it while others won't. She speaks against violence and in favor of people being true to their sexuality and for the benefits of weed. I will talk more about the herbal aspects soon, but I also want to focus on more of the message in Born this Way - and all her other songs as well and there are more coming out so soon, wehn the album comes out, so I better get busy.
And I better get some sleep, the other thing we all need that can make all the difference, can allow us to actually relax and enjoy life if we get enough, and as much as we can do it can bring abundant dreams leading to amazing fantasy or wonderous new realities. Sweet dreams, Gaga Love to all and may we wake up to a world that is safer and more free and full of love than before, and move from now on toward love and togetherness.

Lady Gagafesto, "the Blair Necessities", gagablog 13

I imagine the most difficult things to understand in my Gagablog are my ideas of "coincidental" magic and possibly the central idea that Gaga is the Goddess, so I will try to clarify.
Gossip Girl is my favorite new show, and in the latest episode Dan Humphreys ghost-writes Blair's blog, "The Blair Necessities" and based on the brief description and knowing Dan's character we can assume it is some moralizing tripe mockingly written from "her" point of view. I hate Dan Humphreys, and I am aware that I am ironically going to be guilty of the same thing I detest in him, presuming that he, Dan Humpreys, can write from the feminine perspective and moralize. I don't presume to write from the female perspective, but I consider myself a feminist,though I know for me to claim that is likely as offensive to some people as Dan Humphreys claiming to be on par with Blair Waldorf is to me. I am calling this edition of the gagablog "the Blair Necessities" both because I am aware of my limitations and sexual motivation regarding feminism, but I also do not think it is necessary to be female to attempt feminism.
And I admit that a huge part of my love and devotion to Gaga, a huge part of my expectation and philosophy of the divine, is her wonderful sexuality. And that my claim that she, as the Goddess, takes action that influences the world, the nature of reality, may be stretching some people's understanding, but it is not that difficult for others to follow it or burdensome for Gaga to be in this role - if you follow it.
I call it "coincidental" magic, because, as some God said in Futurama, something like "when you do it right no one will be sure that you did anything at all". I am here to point out connections that would otherwise seem impossible, so that others can understand what kind of magic I enjoy and they can share it too. I look for these things and find them and I think they are clues to a type of magic. Just coincidences - like the latest episode of the Simpsons where Lisa discovers a flower's calming effect on aggressive scorpions and says "but is it coincidental or causual?" (something like that) I am not saying that Gaga causes the revolution in Egypt, for instance, unless you can follow that - but I am saying there is a coincidence.
There is a coincidence that as much as going on in revolutions, in Lybia now and elsewhere, we are paying so much attention to Charlie Sheen. I'm not saying it is innappropriate, but instead I am saying it is peculiarly completely appropriate, given my magical perspective on the world. But for now I will let you figure that one out, this is about Gaga.
So the latest coincidence I wanted to mention was that as I have been thinking about what I would say in this edition of the gagablog I have known it was overdue that I talk about a essential part of Gaga, that she is female, that she is the Goddess. Ok, I will bring up Sheen again, because even though some don't like the way I call Gaga a Goddess and talk about it a lot, here is another example. Lisa also says in the latest episode something like "I shouldn't play Goddess" which spurred the comment "I guess you were right, she is still a witch" - in other words, Lisa's was introduced to the concept of the Goddess and it stayed with her. I was thinking in the recent Charlie Sheen bonanza how his goddess girlfriends are going to be many, maybe millions of peoples', introduction to the very idea of goddesses, and it makes me feel like it is completely appropriate that I have been talking about Gaga as a goddeess for over a year and I'm positive about it and hope I am sharing good ideas with people this way.
So there was a coincidence the other night as I was preparing to compose this and considering how to "reconcile" or explain my response to Gaga that is both sexual and spiritual, and how that is just how I want religion to be, have always hoped for and never seen until Gaga, personally. And as I am wondering how I will explain this, the "coincidental magic" I'm describing comes into play and there is a radio show on NPR about womens' roles in leading religious services in otherwise patriarchal traditions. They mention orthodox Jews and Christians who consider menstrating women unlcean and in need of ritual purification, as well as the same principle in Hindu worship of excluding women from ritual at this time. These seem to be old longstanding traditions but it is interesting how they coincide with more patriarchal religions in the spectrum. Now the point I want to address is the one brought up by the muslim man who said the reason they do not have females leading services is the same reason females are in the back of the mosque - that they do not want anything, such as sexual desire for the women, to interfere or distract from the spiritual experience.

This gets to the heart of what I am talking about, the whole reason I have been expecting a Goddess to emerge in the world and for her to be really sexy. Wishful thinking, yes, but I backed it up with reasoning and here it is: I reject this argument that women cant be religious leaders, based on the same principle the muslim man in the radio program described, that I think is a mentality shared by conservative christians and other conservative religions around the world - that again, I utterly reject and want the world to be rid of.
The idea is that sex is not compatible with sprituality, essentially, and you can see how Gaga as my Goddess repairs that, for me. She restores the sex to spirituality and the spirituality to sex, in a major way (because of course we all do this whenever we make love - "I Like it Rough" is on now....) The idea, that I utterly reject, is that Men are the ones attracted to Women - what about the women in the back being distracted by the hot men in front of them, "between" them and the altar -  or by all the beautiful women all around! The very principle is both that men are the "sexually active" ones and women are "sexually receptive" ones, which is a fallacy and unfortunate, and that only the man's experience really counts, ultimately. Please realize that I am using Charlie Sheen as a sort of counter-example when I refrence him saying that his goddesses understand that he "has the best idea in the room" 95% of the time - it's a guy thing. The conclusions these belief systems operate from is that sex is "bad" hence women are somehow "bad" - this is really not being too blunt about it, they are really like this if you are unfamiliar or don't realize that is what it is, and it has always made me mad - that and not getting laid as a teenager, in the Bible Belt, which I somewhat blame since I was cute, just weird.

And in the way I was raised, while on the one hand my parents are liberal about some things and I surely was exposed to feminist ideas at an early age since my mom is a feminist and was studying to become an episcopalean priest when I was a kid, on the other hand I was raised with moralistic ideas about sex that I since have realized are deeply entrenched in religion and society. And I see all sorts of problems with them, from shame assoicated with sex causing all sorts of personal and social problems, to this nexus of conservatives who somehow both oppose sex and diversity and promote war, bigotry, and avarice. To me, it is just the "enemy", this prudish patriarchal manipulative power that we just need to move on from. I have thought since my infatuation with the social moevments of the civil rights era, especially psychadelics and sexual freedom, that the way to fix this world is to have a big party, a sexual revolution. I relate it to somehting my estranged friend Alan Gordon, the pot activist said, that people still feel suconscoius shame about smoking weed, that made me focus on how proud I am of it and resist that tendency. In the same way, as much as I admire the sexual revolutionaries of the 60's and 70's, they were kind of hairy sometimes, which makes me think they accepted some concept that they were "living like animals, having wild sex" and went with it and were sort of caveman style. I know there are other factors for this too, Im  just bringing it up to say that if we had another sexual revolution today there might be certain other standards - not that that same style would not flourish again, too, but not have such an influence.  I love to think about the world we will live in when people influenced by Gaga and others to be fiercely proud of their sexuality really show off - not that that means having sex on display, but the very principle of having the kind of sex that really satisfies and enhances desire in general, that inspires people to great art, great deeds, or a  great mood.

I had a discussion about this and was accused of sexism for saying something about bringing women and sex back into religion. Like women's "role" was essentially sexual - and to this I say, as much as a man's is, because I do think sexuality is important and essential, But I am certainly not saying that a person's value is for sex. I am just pointing out that if women have been associated with sex as a means of excluding them from religious life, well not only is that wrong because they are not the "sexual" ones moreso then men - they aren't to blame for being hot - but wrong because of the deeper principle that sex is not a part of religious life. It has not been, in America, but only because of an intentional agenda to exclude it, along with so many forms of expression that "might lead to it" and even women - for being capable of it. I don't know if, when sex is a part of religion, women would have a huge advantage over men and that produced a backlash where men are jealously seizing power - or if men are just jealous of women for being so hot. I love having a religious figure in Lady Gaga who is both super hot and really positive about sexuality, just really sexual and inspiring. While I enjoy how this might "bother" some people and make them think about what they believe, I am far more excited to think that other people might relate to her in the same way and relate to me. And the idea that the world could be so different with the opposite dynamic in place, the liberal side instead of the conservative. Because the same people who resent love and sex are "ironically" usually the ones calling for war. So, if that is not enough to get people to oppose the conservative, the idea that we could move past war (and greed) and their associated evils, consider that they oppose sex (and all the evils associated with opposing sex) and "things that lead to it" - from dancing to music in general, from fashion to weed. All of these things are "feminine" in a sense, but they oppose them because they are a threat to their authority. Their authority is based on a false premise and the feminine power oppses it just by providing balance - and the imbalance has been so strong the restoration will be powerful. Which is why, in the cosmic coincidental sense, Gaga is so fantastic. I love her for bringing this female element out in such fabulous fashion, and she is just so beautiful, too!

I have a facebook page, "Lady Gaga, my religion is you: Monsterites Unite!" refrencing her line "my religion is you" in "Teeth", for people "who love Gaga with religious devotion". I hope this gagablog will help explain what I mean by this, because I truly see Gaga as the Love/Art/Sex/Weed Goddess sent to finish saving and remaking the world. I love you Gaga, and I love you, little monsters!

Gagafesto, "fear and loving", gagablog 12

I want to clarify how I believe Gaga uses evil in a practical sense and what I mean by scaring people. It is easy for me to go on a tangent about Gaga dressing as sexy as she sometimes does and I am using this as a way to adress the potential for fashion to "scare" people, in this case, to scare them out of hang-ups about sexuality. But of course this is not the only theme people should address with fashion, and the things that make people uncomfortable to think about and hold us back from understanding each other come in many forms besides sexual. The contention over sexy clothes is something I believe most people can relate to, though, and someting I think Gaga is clearly on the side of taking pride in oneself, in one's body. But I am certainly not suggesting that sexy dress is ideal for everyone - I personally do not think it fits my style and is subjective based on what is appropriate for each person. I think this goes without saying and I do not presume to restrict anyone's freedom, especially little monsters' "boundless freedom", with any moralizing about dress by going into details about "standards". Because people are individuals and ultimately decide what is appropriate for themselves. I will say that even without knowing anything about fashion I can appreciate how intentional Gaga is in what she wears, how she is very conscious of the message she is sending. and being appropriate for the occasion. I think about how classy she looked for her interview with Barbara Walters and how she did one portion of interview with Anderson in nothing but bodysuit, and I like to imagine that I understand what she meant by it. So I am not passing judgement on anyone's fashion sense but I will say that we should also emulate Gaga in being intentional about the message we are conveying and appropriate for the occasion in the way we dress.
And I focus on sexy dress because I love sexy Gaga and it is something everyone can understand how it pleases many people but makes some people "uncomfortable" - and that is what I am talking about, this "scaring people" as a mild form of evil that I think helps us grow as a society. I am talking about the artistic and shock value both of the beautiful human form and the beauty of expression. As much as I love Gaga's sexy outfits I appreciate her huge wild costumes that don't show off her perfect form even more, in a way - well, having her wear both really large and really small costumes makes this easier to fully love both styles. The thing about Gaga's "crazy" outfits that I want people to emulate is the wya they can "scare" people - I don't mean sending children running crying, but the kind of bold creative statements she makes with fashion that just command attention, beckon fascination, and make people think new thoughts. I realize I can talk forever about it, but to actually express new thought is the goal and there is not as much sense talking about it compared to doing it - I just wanted to refine what I was trying to say about fashion, from my limited understanding of it, and say that it is the spirit of inspiration and the desire to introduce new thought and wake people up that is so essential. To fashion, yes, but of course in every artistic expression. And of course there will not be many people - or anyone - who can pull off what Gaga does with fashion and music, but she encourages us all to do more, or maybe to get started for the first time. Even as I write this I am listening to the Surgeon General, Dr. Regina, accept her Image award from the NAACP and she said that "sometimes we need someone to push us out of our comfort zone" in order to grow to be the people we can be. This is the type od "scariness" I am talking about, the ability to surpirse and refocus people and then inspire them to do the same for others. I think it is easy to see how Gaga is literally doing this for the whole world, since "everybody" pays attention to what she wears and it is truly the spirit of Art. This is what I want to focus on more than anything, the Art of Gaga, which I think is ultimately Love. It is the best way for me to express the way I see Gaga as divine, because as an aritist myself, Art is the pure divine, within me and others, within the world of ideas and the world of love and the world of nature. And as soon as I paid attention to Gaga I coud see how strongly she is with inspiration, how full of Art she is. "The Force is strong with her." You can easily see how Gaga has set a new superstandard for entertainers with fashion, so that many of them are trying 10 times as hard on their appearance to only look 1% as cool as Gaga - but they are focusing on the surface and trying to catch up. I am talking about how little monsters will start to show off more, in their dress, songs, dances, words, writing, and art. Because we are not trying to catch up with her in an industry, we are with her already in love and are responding to the Art within her and within ourselves.
Every form of Art inspires I guess it is something special about Gaga for me that makes her the Perfect form of Art. Because I can see already how much more she has to offer, it is truly infinite, and the power she has to inspire people. I don't mond admitting that I have always had far-reaching creative goals and have had various artistic expressions through the years, but have always felt like I was putting off really going for it, despite all sorts of motivations and messages from the world to go for it, to "get up, get out and get something." (Outkast) When Gaga became famous, I realized that it was "on" and I have to give her credit, both for inspiring me with her music, fashion, words and videos and also for truly inspiring me to finally get moving - since becoming devoted to Gaga I have written and completed more songs, started putting them and cover songs up on youtube, written much more about my ideas of divinity / Gaga, and finished my novel and started a sequel with greater energy and new directions for the story. I have to give her credit for this, and give Love itself credit for it. Because the reason Gaga is such a great artist is that she loves Art passionately, that she loves the word, us, passionately through Art. The same is true of every artist, everyone who does work with love - to me there is something special about Gaga that you either respond to or don't but one peculiar thing about her is how many people do respond to her.
I can best describe it with a story, a fairy tale. Just imagine any fairytale children, the heroes of the story, walking through a forest or entering a strange place, with faries all around who just have not been revealed yet. Of course they do reveal themselves, its a fairytale, and maybe they play a little trick and the story has a bunch of little faries in it then the heroes walk back to normal life with a strange experience. This is the way I think most people think about art or love in the world, that there are little pieces of it like fairies hidden in the woods or some strange place.
But imagine the story is a little different, where one of the faries makes the girl have a more intense experience, or a Fairy Princess shows the heroes a way into the fairy realm - where everything becomes Fairy, not just a little piece here and there. This is the way I see the world really is, a fairyworld completely filled with love and art, but hidden in the world that is generally seen, so the love and art seem scarce. For me, Gaga is like the girl who has the special experience, or the Fairy Princess - opening a gate between our world and the next.
I won't deny that even seeking this kind of thing out it can be scary, intense - and when it is a surprise it can be quite a shock to find that the world is really full of love and art. But it is a better world that way, and this is a better world the more we can recognize it. Yes, it comes with facing our fears to pass through that gate, but the light showing under the door is love, it makes a path of love showing the way, to a wall of light and welcome when the door is opened, to a world of all light on the other side.
I'm so pleased that Gaga has opened this door for me and many others and is welcoming us into the bold world of "boundless freedom". The blast of light, genius, love and art that comes through is surprising, and the fierce nature of creativity that can be scary, but I love her for showing it, reminding us how attractive it is and that it is comfortable to live there.

Gagafesto, "the evil", gagablog 11

I mentioned in gagablog 10 that Gaga is willing ot embrace evil to protect the new race of tolerant people and what I think is our promise (potential and duty) to save the world. And I am sure that the use of machine guns is symbolic, because Gaga is totally against violence - it is a representation of evil.
I also mentioned that some people live lives ruled by fear and can be motivated by fear. To make a very general statement and not dwell on it too much, these people aren't always the smartest. I really don't think many little monsters will see the Manifesto of Mother Monster and want to go out and get guns - in general I don't think that is our style. But people who do have guns, who "live by the gun" or have that mentality somewhat because they think they will have to - again, fear ruling them - might see Gaga will all her big badass guns and think it is a little bit scary - because of course she can afford more and bigger guns than they.
But enough considerantion for the small minded and the funny idea that Gaga with her guns is scaring them. I do think it is good to scare people sometimes, because we are all bound by some sort of fear, and when we address or even redirect that fear it gives us a chance to re-examine it and possibly move on from it. So many have fear of what is different, when all it takes is getting to know people. I certainly am guilty of having an appearance that can be off-putting to certain people, and wanted to seek interaction with people who could see through that or appreciate it. I have always been a freak, of course, but not a fabulously stylish one, more subdued. One thing I love about Gaga is she encourages me to show off more in my fashion - it has been gradual so far but I can imagine coming up with some awesome things to wear myself in honor of Gaga and inspired by her. I feel like dressing flamboyantly has some of the same principle my old drab slacker look had, of a sort of shock value, but is so much better because of the beauty possible when one actually cares what one is wearing. I had a "philisophical" excuse for wearing the clothes I did, too, in that they were always second-hand and I wore the same things forever. But Gaga has shown me something about that, from her beginnings (to today!) with her glue-gun embellished fashions, she has shown me that just because something is recycled, free, or cheap does not mean it can't be made fabulous. And the truth is, even without buying clothes for years and when I did, only spending a few pennies or a few dollars on anything, I still accumulated many many garments. I want to get into making my own things, now, and making things more special. Why is this the focus of my "evil" gagablog entry? Is "dressing crazy" the extent of the "evil" I expect to particpate in or will be needed to change the world? In a way, yes: not just dressing crazy, the reason I bring it up is because I think it is a wonderful way to both "scare" people out of their "normal" sensibilities, some of which can hold them back, and a way to do it that is nice and beautiful and attractive and intriguing and can teach people something - all in the way you dress.
We know Gaga is saying something with everything she wears - she is very intentional about everything, and of course very insistent on having the most outlandish outfits all the time. She tells us this directly in her awe-inspiring interviews. I am not nearly fashion-conciouss enough to guess at the meanings of any of it, other than how it affects me - which, admittedly, since she is super hot and I am in love with her, is always wonderfully. But I can appreciate that it does effect me, that is does effect everyone, and I am so proud of her for putting all that effort and those resources into making her statements all the time. It makes me want to make at least some statements, though I have always worn T shirts for the Grateful Dead, the Simpsons, and Obama, and now Gaga, it makes me want to go ahead and make artistic statements with my own fashion and really make some art that effects people on a daily basis, just out and about. Even giving a few dozen people something different to think about would be worth the effort.
I do not think this is "evil" at all, but it falls into the category of "scaring" people which outlandish dress does. I personally resent some of our society's taboos about the body and about sexuality in general and the result of shaming people who want to dress hot. Personally I really appreciate people dressing sexily, whatever that means for them. I'm glad when more people do it because I think it is positive, people feeling good about their bodies, and I think the people who it "scares" just kind of have a problem and can ignore it, or face it and think about why it bothers them and maybe overcome that and have a more enjoyable life. This is a common example of what I am talking about, and I can say that Gaga encourages this is a better way than all the past entertainment industry did, because she is so sexy and on her own terms. To me, she has the sexiest body and face of any celebrity I have ever seen, but is even sexier in her mentality and spirit. I can, and will, go on at length about this - I have a lot to say about how she makes good on the promise of divinity in beauty. But my point here is that she encourages people who want to dress provocatively to do so, and sets a nice standard for it herself. I know many of her earlier performances were in bikini / underwear garments and I appreciate her using this again for her dance in the Born This Way video - and I'll go ahead and say the nice shots of her beautiful ass in this video are some of my favorite things in the world. But she has often dressed sexily done so in a way that weilds her own personal power and I think it is great for her to set this example. Even more than that, though, dressing provacatively in the artistic sense, with or without a focus on sexuality, is a pwerful way to shake the world up, to promote new ideas and change.
Will it take more than expressing ourselves better and more, with fashion and art and music all our own, this new race of little monsters with boundless freedom? I actually don't think so - I think with Art in all its forms we can transform the world and Gaga is a prime example of this. Will it take some sort of fighting for it? Well, as I hear the report on the BBC about the fighting in Lybia it really makes that question real in a way. I said in my ealier Gagablogs about how the non-violent revolution in Egypt could be described as a huge party that resulted in liberation, transformation, and compared this to the Monster Ball where Gaga has called all the little monsters for a huge party that trasnforms the current idea of "social acceptance" and liberates us from judgement, leading to what will be a cultural revolution here. I was pleased to announce that Born This Way's release and performance at the Grammy's coincided with events in the liberation of Egypt, as I predicted. I was hoping it would be resolved quickly, of course, but I can't help but think that with my worldview and the type of magic I practice, I need to address this current crisis in Lybia as it relates the the release of the video of Born this Way. I want to do this now, because I really want this situation to end so I will not have another reason to comment on it, in this particular country anyway. I am hearing that Obama is taking stronger measures, calling on him to step down, even as I write this, so that is good. My connection to the Born this Way video is a "show of arms" - because Gaga certainly shows off some heavy artillery. I have said that she does not mean this literally but there is a literal element to it. A show of force can deter the need to use it, for instance, and the ability to intervene with justice to end oppression is required. But in a way it can be enough just to "scare" people into not doing wrong or messing with you. And we are still in a place where that type of coercion is useful, even if I beleive we can evolve out of that.
Here is my main point about the "threat of evil" that Gaga uses in the Manifesto of the Mother Monster: we can scare people into not doing evil with the threat of our greater power. But the only reason to have evil at all, to need protection at all - the only reason not to just "gravitate toward the good" - is in the face of a threat. We do feel threatened by each other in the modern world, indeed, many people are under threat of some form or another. But we can transcend this, and then we wont need the evil. Or more accurately, we can evolv out of the crudest forms of argument, such as war, so that we do not need weapons, then we can address the finer more subtle arguments with the weapons of logic and rhetoric etc and those will be the only evils we have to suffer until the next phase when we move on to finer things.
My interpretation of Gaga's use of "the evil" in Born This Way is on the one hand a crude reminder to the people of warlike mentality that she has power and will to use it to protect beauty and truth. In that way it is a kind of message to all who rule or terrorize by threat of force of arms - Gaga is more badass than you. But the true way to see that she is more badass is to consider the metaphoical meaning of Gaga's "willingness to use evil." Because she is very powerful. I know that to those who are taking me "seriously" when I say "Gaga is more badass (militarily) than you" are laughing at me because she is not that rich. But that is not really what I am talking about, as much as I am saying it carries that message for stupid people but really implies the level of power she has. She was named Forbes magazine's 7th most influential woman in the world, last year, and is widely regarded as the most influential person in entertainment, in some ways anyway. But even that is not the kind of power I am referring to, I am sincere when I refer to her as a Goddess, but more than that I am sincere when I refer to her as The Goddess.
I want to save the more mystical explanation of "evil" for a later post and bring this to a close - I mainly wanted to connect it to Lybia and say that a show of power can shake other power, and I hope in this case that Gaga's armament will coincide with a decision to disarm in Lybia, and any other country in a similar situation. I do want to say that in my view she has Infinite Power. I was so pleased in one of her videos agains Don't Ask, Don't Tell when she said, to the Senate, "I am putting you on notice." It was such a pure expression and use of power - and while I do think she has the power and influence to effect political and social change through her many little monsters that politicians should heed, I am using this example as a metaphor for what she can do on a spiritual plane, as the Goddess. And she may not think of it that way, though the Born this Way video makes me suspect she does feel this way and accepts it, but regardless my whole idea of diety is that it is in all of us, that we all have the potential to live it more fully, and that in whatever way it is "true", the more we act on what we feel is divine within us the better we will become. I love how Gaga both claims such power in Born This Way, presenting herself as the Goddess, and shares this power with the world, through the new race, the little monsters. She emphasises this in the lyrics, "we are all superstars", and the whole message of the song, and in the dancing, where she is a dancer equal to the many others - and idea she mentioned was inspiration for her decision to change the costumes for the Grammy's performance at the last minute, because she wanted to look more unified with the other dancers.
I do think the world will recognize her power, hopefully in a positive way through love as we little monsters have, but if people try to oppose her or hurt us they will have to deal with the dark side of her power. Even people with no appreciation for magic should consider this, due to her power in worldly forms as well. I am so proud of her, and Target (and glad I can feel good about shopping there again!) since she got them agree to stop funding groups that gave money to anti-gay politicians (they had given 150,000 dollars to a group that did this last year) and they also gave half a million dollars to positive organizations, in order to get the exclusive rights to distribute the Born this Way single - and they also have a special exclusive double-disc version of the album with extra songs and remixes for about the same price. So it will be a hugely successful business decision for them, both directly from the windfall from the song, but also in the advertising and returning goodwill from socially-conscious people like myself. This is the way I think the corporate world can actually be a leader in changing the world for the better instead of a obstacle - we just need bold action from people to hold them accountable for actually providing Good in the world.

To sum up, I think it is wonderful that Gaga is claiming the divinity that I have noticed in her and claimed for so long that she embodies, and the use of "evil" in the Manifesto of Mother Monster is not to be taken literally as using weaponry - unless you were about to shoot/hurt someone, in which case it is a message not to do that  - but as a message of Power, to be understood magically, is much more serious and compelling. I will explain what I can of my understanding of Gaga using "evil" magic soon, but I want to return to positive messages in Born This Way next. Let me just say that I approve of using some forms of "bad" magic to prevent bad things from happening, when it seems called for. Gaga is opposed to violence, though, and is herself a demonstration of the greatest power of all, Love. I love you Gaga, and little monsters, Thanks!

Gagafesto, Manifesto of Mother Monster, gagablog 10

I have long been talking about Gaga as a religious figure, a savior buddha of compassion, love, sex, and weed. I love how she always lives up to and even exceeds my expectations, which is just divine. I have been composing my "Gagafesto" over the last year in discussions with people in person and on a pagan forum, and of course this is an ongoing process, so while I would like to produce and actual Gagafesto book at some point, to keep up with Gaga who is everchanging, eternal, and always doing something a blog will do nicely.
Gaga fit my own expectations of the divine and I will continue to talk about those, but with Born This Way Gaga has revealed her own Manifesto of Mother Monster and I have to talk about it on her terms.
The creation of the new race she makes is just what I mean when I have been talking about her divinty. We need to move past prejudice, and when we do we will have a new world. A "new race" implies something in which old ideas of race no longer apply - and the bad ones are really outdated and harmful, yet still persist and wreak terrible damage. Since she is focusing on moving past prejudice and judgement, you know the "new race" will be accepting of all kinds of people. And this applies to religious views, too. There has been so much damage done by religious prejudice and intolerance, it is just time to move past that, and we can - Gaga is showing us a very obvious path for it, but we have had this opportunity all along, in many forms - this is just the way it is showing up at this time when everything is really coming together. The path that Gaga sets forth in the Manifesto of Mother Monster is this new race - it is the little monsters surely, and really all people who want to move past intolerance. We absolutely must overcome some things that are holding humanity back, to save ourselves and the planet from ourselves.
We need the transformation that Gaga is providng for us, and again, there are many other ways to do it but we really need to get it going so thank Gaga there is a superstar to show us how. I personally want to "gravitate toward the good" and focus on my own faith that by creating this race, setting this example, and sharing this "boundless freedom" with more and more people, that will cure the world of its ills. I firmly believe this. I say that we are long past due overcoming War as a species and when people say "you have to have war to have peace" I feel certain that we can, and should have  while back, outgrow war, and that even then peace will still be necessary. Even in a Golden Age of peace, with no war, there will still be misunderstanding and argument and peace will be needed. With these beliefs, I have a particular view on the "birth of evil" that occurs on the same day.
Let me say it this way. When Gaga says "you may think it would be easy to gravitate toward good" I am reminded of a twist in human nature. Because while I think it is easy for us to imagine that we do think that is easy, the obvious choice - because everyone likes to think of themselves as good, generally - we don't always, or even often, allow ourselves to focus on the best in things. What is even worse, possibly, is that we can somehow imagine that "other" people aren't good, like we are. And I think this line in the Manifesto calls these ideas into question, because from my perspective if we truly believed in focusing on the good, as we tell ourselves we do, and considered that others had the same intention, and therefore tried to undertsand each other, things would be fine. And I would have to say it is an ironic line - because it is easy enough to point out why someone else "should" be focusing on the good.
But Gaga introduces the idea of embreacing the evil. I personally am "bothered" by the use of machine-gun imagery - that is what "I bring into it" of my own prejudices, against military, that sets me off. But I understand it, and think machine-guns are a fitting symbol for evil. And I think the principle Gaga is describing of protecting something wonderful and pure with evil is apt for human history. While watching a documentary on the history of India I saw this principle at play. Territory would often be conquered wiht violence and expansion or invasion, but the greatest cultuaral achievements would be made in times of stability. Still, those great societies would be succeptible to attack and would have to maintain armies. This is the ancient world up to modern day, and I know people argue that the same principle applies. I truly think we are capable of transcending war - I think we have been capable of this for some time, but the modern era seems to have circumstances that make it both more possible and more necessary.
I certainly can appreciate Gaga's expression that she will protect the new race. I do think there is a mentality in the world that believes violence is necessary and "understands" violence - their lives are ruled by fear and they can be scared. Little monsters have a role in scaring the society, I think. I'm good natured about it, writing my gagablog, discussing with people, and singing songs I write, some for Gaga. I mention in my song Savior Mom (Lady Gaga) the theme of sustaining and support between Gaga and the monsters, and I really believe and appreciate this. While I don't think violence is needed and things can be achieved in much better ways without it, such as nonviolent revoltions that hopefully will continue to be all the rage, it is a way of making it clear that Gaga intends to protect the new race and the promise we have to change the world. Because I think we are the key to making the new world where there is no violence.
Some might say it is just my anti-military perspective that makes me unwilling to see the machine-gun evil as more than a symbol, that Gaga must mean this literally in a way, since she supports the military in a sense with her activism against DADT. I am reminded of Richard D. James, the Aphex Twin, in England, who bought a tank and a personnel carrier. The interviewer aked him if he needed a liscence to drive a tank and he said no one really pulls you over. But he is just rich and funny, I'm sure he is not planning any sort of attack. And I feel justified saying that Gaga is not advocating shooting people - I base this partly on my affinity for her and intuition but also on statements she has made that she is completely against violence.
I do think she is using this representation of evil to show that she is willing to embrace evil, the darker side, to protect the light. And this can be understood more mystically, a topic I will have to address soon. Thanks for reading, thanks Gaga and Little Monsters, I love you!

Loving Her, Gaga Born this Way, gagablog 9

My last gagablog addressed the Jesus connotations of "it doesn't matter if you love him or capital H-I-M" but I got into a discussion about another aspect with someone this morning. She said she thought it showed that Gaga was still hung up on christian indoctrination, but I wholeheartedly disagree.
First I will insist that the negative aspects of christianity all stem from patriarchal authority and "exclusion" and all these kinds of christians are evangelical, which I disagree with, and I think evangelism is central to the flawed christianity. I think Gaga dismisses evangelism by saying "it doesn't matter" and I think in this way it is both a criticism of those who insist that others believe in Jesus and an Invitation to those who have been burned by the church - that it is okay to love him, OR Him. That Jesus is not "against" the things that the church has hurt so many people opposing, and that it does not matter if we call it Jesus or not, or "capitalize" it and call it divine or not - that is what it is, it is love. But it works with love between people.
I was raised in a christian home, my dad is a preacher and my mom is a priest, and I have my own understanding of christianity. I think the first verse of Born This Way hold a mirror up for people and they see what they bring to it. For many, many people, they have either a resentment, love, or misconception of christianity, of Jesus, and Gaga calls all these things up with this verse and says its Okay.  The girl I was talking with this morning was not raised christian, she is a witch who has her own love for Jesus, like me. But she does not have a very strong opinion of christianity like I do. She was not reacting so much to the Jesus part - though she was saying she thought it showed that Gaga was still hung up on christianity. I think the opposite, that it shows she is above the contradictions of christianity and has a christlike perspective of Love. And I think love is the focus. The girl this morning said that she thought Gaga was presenting "loving him" as the norm, like she accepted this part of "christian" indoctrination. But to me, this depends on my friend being female - for the male audience, it has the opposite connotation to say "it does not matter if you love him" -that is is okay to be gay. So in this case, even though it is not about christianity or divinity directly, my friend brought her own issues to the mirror of the first lines of Born This Way  - and I think women are completely justified to question the idea that loving a man is the norm. So Gaga brings all these things up in the first line of Born this Way - then, as someone else I was talking about this with today said, shows herself as the Goddess figure, and in the video, with the Manifesto of Mommy Monster, she declares the Eternal Goddess.

So this is really all about loving Her, the divine in all of us - but it doesn't matter if you love him, or capital H-I-M" And now that I have mentioned the difference in the way this line will strike a male / female audience, and is best interpretted that everything is allowed, its all good, I can't wait to talk about the messages in the rest of the lyrics and in the video. Its a real treasure, like any great creation myth. Thanks, Gaga, I love you.

Lady Gaga, The Multiple Orgasm of Christ - Gaga Infinity, Gagablog 8

I've been so excited to talk about Gaga's "Born this Way" lyrics, to share what it means to me, and I had no idea the video was coming out. Now I have seen it, and I love what Gaga says herself, it's wonderful.
For years I have been calling Gaga the Multiple Orgasm of Christ, because people have long been "waiting" for the Second Coming of Jesus, when Jesus has "returned" in so many millions of ways, and really shone in many people throughout history, many who I call "Jesus" because I recognize Love in them.
Gaga is certainly in this category for me - anyone of Genius, Love, and Inspiration/Liberation makes me suspicious there is something divine at play. But Gaga is special, because she "keeps giving it to us" - over and over she is a Divine Light and guide - she keeps getting "better" in a way, but then again, you can see how she was always like this.
And my whole point is that the reason she is like this So Much is to remind us all how much we can be like this, so we all move into it. This is why I have no reservations about her divinity - as I said before, as soon as I paid attention to her I knew she was the Goddess incarnate, because she was just the way I always expected the Goddess would "appear" to us, and I was certainly hoping for that manifestation.

I really dont want to put her in a christian context, though I feel I understand Jesus in my heart and will enjoy talking about that, because I think she is above that. I think it is appropriate for christians to love and worship Gaga. I feel like I have always loved Jesus, but never really worshipped him - probably because I did not like so many of the worship forms I saw (my parents services were exceptions to this, so I was aware of some of the variety and held my own love for Jesus, rediscovering it, etc) - but I both Love Gaga and have found a form of worship I feel comfortable with, because she fills all the things I expected of the Goddess, for one, and in the two years that I have come to feel this way it has become richer and more powerful and exposes more truth all the time.
I know some would say two years is not a long time, but part of my devotion is to the effect she has that quickens time, that even lets us turn it inside out to eternity. Again, this is what I have been expecting for some time and it is wonderful to see the form in which it is taking place, the beauty of Gaga.
Born this Way really says it all perfectly, I should just say what I think of it if I have anything to say. But I have to bring up Jesus at the beginning, just because of the connotations of the "capital H-I-M" - and because I have always understood Gaga in a divine context that includes my own "personal Jesus" (I have a a cover of this song on youtube as "youllis" devoted to Gaga) - and my idea that the church is off track and needs another kind of reformation, or more an opening, explosion. Gaga does this - as the Multiple Orgasm of Christ. My problem with the history of christianity is the same problem I see in most religions I have any knowledge of  - a replacing of the feminine divine with a false male principle.
I think Jesus served to revolutionize that element in his own society - I think any expression of Love does this sort of revolutionary action - and Gaga does it in ours. I, and I think many other people, have serious issues with christianity that I personally trace back to this "derailing" within decades after Jesus that wrested power away from women and created this false male authority that ended up anti-woman and anti-sex, and anti-gay as well, in so many of its forms - because some have resisted this or seen through it and are reforming themselves. The thing that Gaga does that really cued me in that she was The Goddess was bringing this really positive Sex back into fashion, along with Love you can just feel from her and hear in what she says (and if you sre sensitive like me, you just Know)  - and "Poker Face" is playing on my CD right now, which was my first big clue about Gaga, two years ago. She has all the feel of Love to me, Divine Love, and she brings Sex back into it, and obviously Femininity, and she's just perfect to me, in this role.

She always has been. I have been on a Pagan website for a year trying to make a "cult" for her with people who understood these sorts of principles - so far there are a few who resonate or agree with me there, but I should look around for other sites, too, maybe. I have a facebook page "church" for her  - "Lady Gaga, my religion is you: Monsterites Unite!" and I have been debating these ideas with people constantly. I'm not trying ot convince people, just share how I believe, for one, because it feels so good to believe it, and see it all coming true, and two because I can admit I have always been a weirdo and it is tough to explain some of my ideas - but Gaga's perfection makes this easy: I can just talk about her.

I am not at all saying that other people are not divine, are not Gods and Goddesses in their own right - I think Jesus himself wanted people to see this in themselves - and do Good with it! I started calling myself a witch, years after I first fell in love with the Oz Books, when one day I took a mystical meaning from Glinda, in the movie, asking "Are you a good witch, or a bad witch?" - realizing, we are all magical, just, do we do good or bad with it? I have always felt divinity, Born This Way, in my own self, and assumed pagans for instance, who often claim to see the divine in themselves, would be able to recognize it in someone else, especially as obvious as Gaga - but you might be surprised how hard it is to get some people to see the divine in someone else, or depending on who it is! Maybe I should give the christians a chance - Gaga certainly is with the lyrics of Born this Way.

I was watching a Peter Murphy interview on youtube (kissess, delicious, I hear Gaga sing in the background - Peter is on tour NOW!!!) and he was saying why they covered Ziggy Stardust and said everyone was calling them a Bowie rip-off or something crude and wrong and so they decided to do the Ultimate Bowie Cover - tho show there was nothing wrong with it, in a way. Like Gaga says she Might Have a Penis. Like she made Born this Way sound kinda like Madonna - people been making the comparisons anyway. But more than that, like she made Born this Way kinda like Jesus - people been making the comparisons anyway. And I think Gaga looks really good by Jesus, with Jesus. Oh, and the Born this Way video makes my last halloween costume extra cool since it was the first time I used Day of the Dead style face paint. I think she addresses this both with the lyrics and video of Born this Way.

I was a little uncertain when Gaga told Anderson that some people took her too seriously that she might not want people to consider her a Goddess, so I am glad the Born this Way video intro shows she does not mind. But I have been wanting to talk about this since she let us read the Born this Way lyrics, and I knew what she was saying, and again it fit my idea of the Goddess. So I will talk about the video soon, but let me just conclude this with at least talking about the first lines of the song! "It doesn't matter if you love him or capital H-I-M" does not have to imply Jesus, but it will for many people. I think there is a very important message for us, but one that we got twisted from when Jesus tried to tell us. He said people would do the same things as him, and greater things. He said once that they should not go to a certain area, the east I think, because "their redeemer is strong" - which to me, meant he knew there were others on the same path, and rhe exclusive christianity was a later development, part of the whole derailing.
I think Gaga is redeeming a mistaken Love Religion by restoring the feminine and sexual elements. And the first lines of the song show that it does not matter - this is so important. Because people will react to this line in different ways, depending on what they bring to it. Love or resentment to Love or Jesus, to people "comparing" themselves or being divine. And I just don't want people, anybody, to have a problem with feeling divine - I just want them to do good with it. And far too many people are too poor to feel divine - or they do through grace but they can't be fabulous about it due to conditions - while others are too comfortable to be "bothered" with it. We all need to some togeteher and live up to what we are called to be.
Gaga is really making that call now and I love her so much for it. I will say more soon, I want to tie this up ("I like it rough" is playing) But I cant stop yet without adding that in the same way that I think the fault of the misconstrued developments in christiantity - I call it patriarchy, usually - proceeded from denying sexuality and femininity, similar developments have clouded Amercian history, as well as the history of so many religions, to the effect of suppressing sacraments such as herbsmoking. I have always associated weed with divine connection, and with liberation of oppressed people - maybe because of oppresion of potsmokers in America as I grew up, which I knew was nothing compared to real oppression but helped me sympathize, and coincided with modern relics of the old oppression. But a Jewish friend and pot activist, Alan Gordon, once told me Moses had used weed in a demonstration to Pharoh and that a rabbinical council in the 80's had concluded that the correct translation for a plant that made a smell "pleasing to the Lord" was cannabis, weed. From my own studies I concluded that both the Hebrew story and weed itself had roles in slave liberation in America, and I also think that weed is used sacramentally by many christians around the world, especially in certain countries, and that other religions from Islam to hinduism to buddhism have people who use this herb sacramentally. I personally associate it with Peace and Jesus, too, mystically if nothing else because I do not know if he would have contact with it, strangely enough that has never "come up" despite my long interest in both. Huh. Anyway, I know from Gaga's wonderful interview with Anderson, and assumed from my own knowledge of her past, that she smokes weed. She says she only smokes for the creative process, and again I have to give credit for this, both because I relate to this sense of liberation/inspiration that comes with the spirit of herb, but in this gagablog entry I want to focus just on the fact that she says this, that she is honest and positive about it. And by the way, that she has put the hard drugs behind her, and still drinks but is apparently okay with it. But being honest and positve about pot, like being honest and positive about sexuality, especially from a religios figure, is exactly what we need in American society.
Again, this is the way that Gaga prooves she is a perfect form of the Divine, to me. And I think to many others as well. I have been thinking about things like this all my life, and have been thinking about Gaga in this way for so long now, I really think I have a lot to share about it and I hope that in doing so I can help others who feel this way, too. I really appreciate anyone reading this, and apologize if it is too Jesus-heavy - I did not even get into the Other debate I had today about the implications of loving "him" to a female/male and gay or not audience - and this is just the first line! But I have much more to say about Gaga, and Gaga as a Jesus figure or Goddess of Love. In this entry, I hope I have shown some of what I mean when I say she is a Love Goddess who has created a new Love Religion, the new Race of Tolerant people in the video, and part of that is renewing the Love Tradition that Jesus started, and others. To me, a crucial role that will literally save our society and world is restoring Sex, the Feminine, and Herb to a lofty position of Reverence and Gaga does this so perfectly, artfully, magically, and sensually. I love her so much!
And it is all about love - and "it does not matter if you love him, or H-I-M" - this is so important because the same flawed constructions of christianity, the ones that are exclusive, or aggressive, or condescending, who happen to also hate gays and support war far too often - the Christian Right - are ususally the ones who make such a big deal about whether or not other people believe. To me, this has always been a result of the flaw - both the result of the unnatural patriarchal development in christianity that is contrary to Jesus teaching and the flaw in the individual, the fatc that this flaw leaves them uncertain and they seek certainty by trying to convince others because they fear looking inside themsleves. And it is the perfect recipe for people who, due to tradition, deny their own sexuality and seek to repress others, like the Republicans who are anti-gay because they are in teh closet, they can't accept themselves. Love calls us to look within, both ourselves and others, and see with our hearts. Gaga really grabs our attention and shows us this again, she calls us ot be fabulous and be good to each other. And in the frist line of Born this Way she repeats something Jesus said, as I mentioned earlier and I just thought, also when he says some come in his name but don't do his work, while others who don't use his name DO his work and they are truly "of him" or something, she repeats this thing that Jesus says - that it does not matter what you call it, or if you "capital" it (which seems to have an even deeper meaning about government even I will have to address later) - what matters is Love.

The Big message here is that what we have, what makes us Born This Way, is divine. We are all supperstars - and we all have it. We will start treating each other this way - as Jesus and countless others before and after him encouraged us to do. But this time I think we are really prepared to do it. I think the phenomenal appeal of Gaga is a testament to this, and since she is a Perfect Form for me to express my ideas and I truly see a transformation of the world in the future and Gaga - and everyone - playing a pivotal role in it. Because the whole message is that we can all be this way, we can all live out the love we are born with, and by. And that being honest about it, Goddess-style, is going to carry us through to a grand new era. Gaga is such an amzing example, who is already encouraging others to live their dreams, and it is really transforming the world, on so many levels at once, and it makes perfect sense that it would happen this way, with a beautiful girl leading by glorious example. Gaga, I love you, Little monsters, I love you, too. I'm so glad we were Born This Way and have this wonderful art to show for it - and I cant wait to see how bright the world gets when all these Superstars get turned on!  Thank you, Gaga!