On any given day if you were to ask me my favorite month I would probably tell you October. I'm a fall baby who always loved the color and crispness of an October afternoon. I love the way a gentle breeze tangos with my hair as the scent of a distant fireplace begs for a reprieve and a warm cider. Spring's renewal can't take hold without the ritual autumnal slumber. And in between comes January.


This month of rebirth was given its status by papal decree in the 16th century, named for Janus, the Roman god of gates (or beginnings and endings). This January marks the end of the first decade of the third millennium of the common era; a time of great upheaval in my life. In the last ten years I've made a lot of money and I have lost a lot of money. I've moved from DC to NY to San Francisco to DC to NY and back to DC, with some short-term international moves thrown in there for good measure. I've started new companies and closed them down. I've known loss on a scale most could not imagine. But in this perdition I have known the generosity of friends to an extent so profound that they may never know how truly appreciative I am for their support.


Over the last several years, the size of my family shrunk greatly, but those of us who remain are forging tighter bonds. I just returned from a long trip to Seattle to visit my aunt, and cousins where I was able do do something I haven't done since before the start of the last decade: I played in the snow with the reckless abandon of a 10-year-old boy. Bumps and bruises be damned! Even on the short icy hills of Leavenworth, I let go of my formal persona to pursue unadulterated bliss. As an almost-30-year-old though, the bumps were harder and the bruises were bigger than 20 years ago.


On the third day of my trip, we went to a tubing hill near "downtown" Leavenworth. Few things in life compare to the exhilaration of a speedy decent down a snow-covered mountain in a rubber tube. Near the main hill, there were several people scooting down an unofficially-sanctioned icy shoot forged from the repeated slide of smooth bums and nervous feet. (The owners wouldn't let us use our own sleds on their property.) Ever-wary of my lack of health insurance, I was careful not to deliberately put myself in a position of peril. However, three times a pretty young girl (about 16 or 17) seemed to "accidentally" nearly crash into me at the bottom of the hill. Her timing became increasingly suspect by the third go 'round, but I thankfully avoided undue awkwardness each time. How fruitless her endeavors at spontaneous love were, not even because I am twice her age. But this affection provided a healthy and needed boost to my self-image. Maybe it's this Zac Efron-esque thing I have going on with my hair now. Who knows?


My snow adventures were all the more spectacular because I was creating memories with my family that will last a lifetime. I have long preferred to ring in the new year quietly with family, and although this year wasn't as quiet as I had imagined--what with the fierce game of Phase 10 happening in the living room--I spent it with my family and a diverse group of crazy canines.


I carry with me the souvenir of friendship and love into this new year as I embark on my next great adventure. Ever the optimist, I know 2010 has great things in store for us all. Just don't forget to stop and play in the snow.

Labels: Family, Holidays, Justin Schuck, Travel

Let me just start out by saying that my Justin's Famous Hush Puppies are like no other hush puppy you've ever experienced, I can promise you that. My recipe was achieved by trial and error based off of the recipe from my favorite brand of cornmeal: Indian Head. (They don't have a website that I've been able to find.)


So without further delay my gift to you this holiday season is one of my most cherished recipes. I hope that you and your family can enjoy this as much as I have. Some of you might plan on putting this recipe in a restaurant menu, which is fine, but all that I ask is that you call them Justin's Famous Hush Puppies.



Justin's Famous Hush Puppies

INGREDIENTS
1 cup white cornmeal (I prefer Indian Head brand)
1/2 tsp. salt (Salt to taste. I usually use a bit more than this.)
2 1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. sugar
2 egg whites
1 egg yolk
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk (anything but skim or soy, whole cow's milk preferred)
1/2 cup finely chopped green onion
Sunflower or Vegetable Oil for frying

TOOLS YOU WILL NEED
2 medium-to-large mixing bowls
Hand mixer or stand mixer
Medium-to-large saucepan

INSTRUCTIONS
In a large bowl whisk together cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and sugar; set aside. In a small bowl whisk together egg yolk, vegetable oil and milk, then combine with dry ingredients. Add chopped onions and set batter aside.

Bring oil to between 350 and 375 degrees Fahrenheit. You can conserve oil by using a medium saucepan which can typically fry 3-4 hush puppies at one time. Once the oil has reached the optimal temperature, it's time to work on the egg whites.

Beat egg whites to stiff peaks with an electric hand mixer. (This is the most important part and it is what sets my hush puppies apart from all the rest.) Gently fold the eggs whites into the mix. (It is absolutely key to fold the egg whites into the batter just before frying to maximize airiness.) Scoop tablespoon or small ice cream scoop-sized dollops into frying oil. Hush puppies should cook for about 3-5 minutes until medium brown on the outside.

Set fried hush puppies aside in a paper towel-lined bowl and sprinkle with sea or kosher salt. These hush puppies are sufficient on their own and taste great with hot sauce. Recipe can be doubled or tripled.When making larger quantities you will need to add more oil for frying as the hush puppies use quite a bit of oil while cooking.

More Justin's Famous recipes on the web: JustinsFamous.com


JUSTIN A. SCHUCK - Since 1980
Subscribe to the RSS feed
JustinSchuck.com / Blog / Facebook / Flickr / Twitter
LinkedIn / Myspace / YouTube / Vimeo
Guerrilla Photo Shoots / L/A Events

Labels: Holidays, Hush Puppies, Justin Schuck, Justin's Famous, Recipe

It's become a New Year's tradition to get an HIV test and know my status. Now I do go at least once a month, but I like starting my new year fresh. It's a simple 30-minute task that you could do on your lunch break. I got tested and thankfully my test came back negative, although they did have to stick me four times – two in each middle finger – because the first 3 tests were not functioning properly.

So a little hassle, a lot of relief. Know your status. It doesn't matter if you're on the DL or the OL (out loud), there's no excuse for not knowing. It's FREE for crying out loud!

The best way to prevent the infection of HIV and other conditions transmitted through sexual contact to to practice safe sex by using condoms and dental dams, and using good judgment with your sexual partners. As we all know, the safest sex is no sex, but I am a realist. I know not everyone can withstand the desires as good as I can. But even still, I get tested because it's affirming for me to know my status.

Here are some resources to find a testing center near you:
National HIV Testing Resources
NYC Department of Health: Testing Sites
DC Department of Health: Testing Sites
Whitman-Walker Clinic
HIV Testing in Los Angeles
San Francisco AIDS Foundation (well-designed site!)
The Berkeley Free Clinic
California Department of Health Office of AIDS
Dallas County Health & Human Services
Testing Resources in Alabama
AIDS Action Coalition: Huntsville, AL

Here are some other resources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention HIV/AIDS Fact Sheet
Advice for people testing positive for HIV
HIV Testing Frequently Asked Questions (And no, you can't get HIV from getting tested!)
Warts.org AIDS Resource (Thanks Ellie!)

HIV and HIV testing in the news:
Husband Urges Men Who Slept With Wife to Get HIV Test
Women can get HIV easier than believed
Deadly Passions: What's done in the dark could kill you
FDA approves new HIV blood test from Roche
Five Years On: My Diagnosis and Mission Living As HIV-Positive

Have a safe and healthy new year. Don't put yourself at risk and start your new year off right with a free HIV test from your nearest testing facility.

Labels: AIDS, Alabama, Clinic, Dallas, HIV, Holidays, HRC, Human Rights Campaign, Huntsville, Justin Schuck, LGBT, New York, Testing, Texas, washington dc

As a gay American, I find that some of my greatest struggles with the Catholic church revolve around the issue of gay marriage and civil equality.

The teachings and history of Jesus Christ tell us that he embraced the most oppressed, the most burdened and did whatever he could to reduce their oppression and remove their burdens. Why anyone would use ancient documents written at a time when so little was understood about our world, the weather, our universe, to fuel hateful rhetoric and actions, is beyond my understanding.

This same book tells us that eating shellfish is a sin, along with eating pork, wearing two different types of cloth, mixing milk and meat, and so on. Should we execute everyone who has a ham on Christmas, that certainly would have eliminated my entire family tree. Or should we deny people the right to eat a cheeseburger? Has the affordable fashion industry committed a gross massacre of sins with their cotton-poly blends? (Well, that may still be up for debate. Just don't take away my cotton-cashmere sweater.) When in the course of human history do we decide to add a healthy dose of rationality with our Sunday sermons?

A church's duty should be to fight injustice, stick up for those with the smallest voice, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, serve the poor in pocket and lift up the poor in spirit. Who are we serving when we as a nation vote to restrict the rights of fellow humans who are living the life that God created for them?

Cenk Uygur made an interesting point on HuffingtonPost.com: "So, from now, I would like to tell the Rick Warrens of the world, you are perfectly allowed to say how much you would like to take gay people's rights away from them based on the Bible so long as you agree to do one thing first -- execute an adulterer. If you can do that for me, then I'll believe that you actually believe in the Bible literally and will accept your literal argument against homosexuality. Fair is fair. Step on up."

I long to see the day when philandering Christians are cast out and stoned for their incredulous behavior.* I hope the "married but looking" set at AshleyMadison.com are using protection. And may God help those lost souls looking for casual encounters on Craigslist. Sex outside of the bonds of marriage is striclty forbidden. And what of the children causing a ruckus? You know, the ones who were running around the restaurant throwing temper tantrums because they don't like ketchup on their chicken nuggets? The punishment for a disobedient child is also execution. The bottom line is that history has provided us with countless laws that seem comical to us now. What we as a human race need to understand is the adverse affect that these campaigns of hate and ignorance have on individuals who are seeking truth in their own lives.

This spring I was confronted with a crisis of a very serious nature: a friend attempted to take his own life and nearly succeeded. To protect this friend's anonymity, I will call him "Tim."

Tim was an acquaintance, a friend of my brother's. I remember at one point a few years back that my brother had asked me if I thought Tim was gay. I said I didn't know, but Tim was very cute (hot actually), so I began to pay a more attention to the way he carried himself. I was never really sure about his sexuality, except for the occasional glance here and there that gave me pause. One thing I did notice about Tim was his abuse of alcohol and his tendency of drink to the point of passing out. I don't, as a general rule, have friends who drink and behave that way. That kind of destructive behavior is distracting. (Not that I'm not guilty of an accidental binge once or twice a year...)

Anyhow, Tim sent me an email or two in February asking if I would want to "hang out" with him, perhaps as a "date." I could tell from the phraseology used in the message that he was hesitant, and unsure, but Tim knew that I was openly gay and wouldn't pass judgment. We messaged a little bit back and forth, yet made no firm plans to meet up, mostly because I was hesitant about his drinking. I was scared to reach out to him because I just felt that I couldn't handle the added "stress" of being a friend to someone who clearly had issues he needed to deal with. (And his attractiveness was an added distracting factor.)

Fast forward about a month. I get a call from my brother, who was coming over to my house to have dinner, telling me that Tim is in the hospital, he tried to kill himself, and he's lost a lot of blood. This isn't the first time that I've been close to someone who attempted suicide either. (SIDEBAR: I have way too much experience with the various causes of death for someone my age.) A feeling of sorrow, shame and guilt washed over me. "How could I let this happen? What if I were there, or had shown more interest or been a better friend?" I asked myself. Tim reached out to me and I showed him a closed door.

It was quickly determined that the primary motivating factor in Tim's attempt was his shame at being gay, and his fear of living an open life. His older sister had come out of the closet some years before and was roundly shunned by their parents. Tim's sister moved out of the country and hasn't returned since. The weight of his parent's reaction to his sister, and societal fear and misunderstanding of what it means to be gay, proved to feel too painful for him to continue living.

My brother and their friends spent the first day with Tim, through the surgeries to repair his lungs and chest. I was anxious. I couldn't sleep much that Sunday night, so I did some research to learn as much as I could about suicide. With the help of my longtime friend Alison Malmon and her organization Active Minds, I was able to find the books, pamphlets and other resources that would help me help Tim and his family. I also turned to Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, and PFLAG for their many valuable resources.

I worked through the night reading, reviewing, and printing out countless documents on suicide, addiction and coming out. I prepared an entire binder's worth of material for Tim and his family to read. I chose to visit the hospital on Monday at midday, when his friends and parents would be at work. At first I was worried that he would feel embarrassed or ashamed by my presence, or that I would say the wrong thing. Tim and I weren't very close and had never shared more than idle chit chat, but I felt this was a profound opportunity to help him positively change the direction of his life. I packed a bag with some goodies (clementines, peanut butter crackers, some candy, a portable DVD player and some movies to go along with all the information I put together), and headed off to George Washington University Hospital.

I felt anxious as I crossed the threshold of the hospital, but the gentle security guard at the front desk pointed me in the right direction, removing some of the fear. The corridor from the elevator to Tim's room seemed endless. Thoughts of rejection ran through my head like a bad 80's horror montage, but the surprise and delight on Tim's face when he saw me approach his room was spectacular. It wasn't some grand, effusive moment, but I could see Tim's face lighten. I sat in an uncomfortable chair next to his bed while the nurses took their measurements. We didn't talk much because it was March Madness, but he continued to smile. I offered the clementine and he told me those were his favorites. Score one for Justin. Tim was too weak to peel the tangerine, so I had a moment to feel like a dad and take care of him. We joked about hospital food and the poor selection of TV channels.We both agreed that it was a good thing there was college basketball to watch.

I visited Tim every day he was in the hospital. I came twice a day some times, saving him from horrible hospital food and the often creepy company of the various "Nurse Ratcheds" who haunted his wing at GW. One night I hopped into bed with him and held his hand. There was nothing sexual about the move. Sometimes human touch is a more powerful pain reliever than any drug because it helps heal a broken heart. Tim and I would watched movies or play cards until the night nurse told me I had to leave.

Tim told me how he felt it was too hard to be gay. He tried to live a gay life when he was in college, but it didn't work. He often talked about how "society views [homosexuality]." I told him flat out that he needed to change his environment. Living at home with mom and dad, hanging out with unsupportive fair-weather friends, and excessive drinking had helped bring him to where he was at that moment. Tim and I talked about finding his "center" as I call it, and learning how to be happy on his own. I learned a long time ago that happiness isn't a gift from God for good behavior. I wanted Tim to know that he has a friend, and an ally in me, and I showed him that he wasn't going through this alone. As it turns out, an ally is what he was missing most.

We all need a friend who will fight for us when we are weak, lift us up when we are down, and guide us to the path of a better and more productive life. This is the real lesson of Christ's life and what we should remember this holiday season. This is how true Christians should approach gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgendered, intersex, queer, and questioning individuals. An army of love is more powerful than an army of hate. As a people, we may lose a battle here and there, but the war is ours to win.

Gay marriage isn't about altering a religious definition of the union between two people. Gay marriage is about putting fairness, and respect back into the system. It's about allowing families to stay together, to weather the storms of illness and death as free and equal citizens in the eyes of the law regardless of the makeup of a family. Families come in all shapes and sizes, with mommies and daddies, or just one mommy, or just one daddy, or no parents and just older siblings, or grandparents, or two daddies or two mommies. Love is the only ingredient needed to grow a family, and it is this element that should be nurtured and promoted. We as Americans, as Christians need to focus more on respecting one another, supporting laws that treat everyone equally, and returning to the "big tent" country we set out to be 232 years ago. I'm proud to be a gay American and I look forward to a new year filled with hope.

UPDATE: I'm proud to report that Tim is living an open and honest life, he's found love and is living on his own. He's turned the corner is able to see a happy future for himself.

* I do not actually advocate than anyone be stoned for any reason, unless it involves an EZ-wider and some righteous ganja.

ALSO POSTED AT GLEE.COM/JUSTINSCHUCK + FAITHBASE.COM/JUSTINSCHUCK

Labels: America, Blog, ENDA, FMA, Gay, Gay Issues, Gay Marriage, Holidays, HRC, Human Rights Campaign, Justin Schuck, LGBT, News, PFLAG, Suicide

In the spirit of giving, I thought it would be appropriate to give the one recipe I've held closest to my heart for so long. Never once did I reveal all of the ingredients to anyone, and especially not the method of the making.

So here it is, after all these years, for you to enjoy. Merry Christmas.

Justin's Famous Mashed Potatoes

INGREDIENTS
7 pounds of Idaho Russet baking potatoes
1 pound of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup of Half and Half (room temperature)
1 cup of Sour Cream
1 cup of Cream Cheese (room temperature)
1 cup (2 sticks) of Salted Butter (room temperature)
1 tbsp of garlic, minced
1 tbsp of Vidalia or white onion, pureed
1/4 cup of green onion, chopped
Sea Salt (Greek or Mediterranean are best)
Coarse Black Pepper (freshly ground is best)
Paprika

WHAT YOU NEED
Hand or Stand Mixer (prefer the former)
Mixing Bowls
Ceramic Casserole Dish or other oven-safe container
Food processor or blender for white onion
and all the standard things like spoons, knives, etc.

Estimated Prep time: 60 minutes
This recipe should be made at least one day in advance of serving. It is important that all the flavors come together in the refrigerator. It is possible to prepare and serve on the same day, and it will taste and feel just fine. The other nice thing is that you can make this dish up to 3 days before serving.

Peel and dice the potatoes into evenly-sized cubes and place into a large stock pot. Boil the potatoes until the are almost done. You still want a very small amount of firmness in the potatoes because they will continue to cook and soften.

While the potatoes are boiling, take your garlic and one stick (1/4 cup) of butter and heat in a small saucepan. This will help the garlic to release the flavor into the butter. Strain butter over a large mixing bowl, or in your stand mixer.

Place the boiled potatoes the bowl with the butter and mix together on high. Add a third of the half-and-half, and the pureed onion. Mix. Add sour cream. Mix. Add cream cheese. Mix. Salt and pepper to taste while mixing on low, but go easy on the pepper. A dash will do ya.

The potato mixture should be fine and virtually lump-free. An errant small lump here or there won't affect the final product. Judge the consistency – they should be thick, not runny – to see if additional half-and-half should be added.

Mix in your cheese and green onions and transfer to your casserole dish. Leave about three eights of an inch of room between the top of your dish and the rim of the dish. You don't want it bubbling over. Cut the remaining stick of butter into 1/2 tbsp squares evenly spaced on top of the potatoes. Dust the top with the lightest dash of salt and a light amount of paprika (for color).

Let the potatoes cool and place in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you are ready to prepare, place the potatoes in a 350º oven and heat uncovered until the butter has melted and created a lightly brown crust.

Serve and enjoy!

(The real secret comes the following morning. If there are any potatoes left over, I take my cold potatoes and make 2-3 inch, 1/2 inch thick potato pancakes. Just pat them with a healthy coating of flour and fry in vegetable or sunflower oil. But don't kid yourself, there is nothing healthy about this positively gluttonous breakfast treat.)

Once you make these, you'll know why they're called "Justin's Famous Mashed Potatoes," and you'll never want to make mashed potatoes any other way.

* This recipe has evolved from the recipes of two amazing women: my mom, and Bonnie Dickman. Thanks for everything you've done, and everything you do.

Labels: Family, Food, Holidays, Justin Schuck, Justin's Famous, Recipe, Secret

It's the night before Christmas, the fourth night of Hanukkah and two nights before Kwanzaa. From the bottom of my heart, I wish everyone a happy holiday and a more prosperous new year. I'll see you in 2009!

Labels: Holidays, Justin Schuck

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HUNTSVILLE, AL – Justin Schuck and Company, an innovative provider of photography, design, consulting and event planning services, announced the soft launch of L/A Events’ website, anLAevent.com, via webcast from his family’s home outside Huntsville, Alabama.

“This is only the beginning ... We are actively developing our proprietary system within the company and through partners. It’s very exciting.” company president Justin A. Schuck said as he started his webcast. Andrea Kuchinski, president of After 5 Design and co-founder of L/A Events, designed anLAevent.com and has worked with JSDS on the branding. “The idea for the site and logo is to create modern luxury. We want everyone who comes to anLAevent.com to feel like they are stepping into a boutique. And while we offer services for every income bracket, I wanted to make sure that those using the consultancy also felt like they were working with a luxury boutique.”

L/A Events announced in November that it will push back the release date for aLAevent.com to sometime in the second or third quarter 2009. Schuck sited the news in his webcast calling the move “necessary to ensure that a stable beta version reached the market. I want our site to have the benefit of several months of in-house testing, rather than rushing an unfinished product live. This means we’ll have to push back the launch party to the summer, but in the long run I know it will make the difference.” Schuck continued saying that “a lot is riding on the software package Andrea and Dustin are putting together. Our developers are some of the best minds in the field and this was partly their decision. I’m smart enough to know that when an engineer needs more time, you give it to them. I’m not Lee Iacocca pushing the [Ford] Pinto to market.”

L/A Events also announced the signing of a alliance with Traveller’s Beach Resort in Negril, Jamaica. Not only will L/A provide event planning and coordination services to guests at Traveller’s, but Justin Schuck Photography has been tasked to capture images that better reflect the resort’s style.

Schuck ended his webcast with wishes for a happy holiday season and a more prosperous new year.

PR-LA_Events_weblaunch.pdf

Labels: After 5 Design, Andrea Kuchinski, Big News, Dustin Keefer, Holidays, Jamaica, Justin Schuck, Justin Schuck + Company, L/A Events, News, Photo, photography, Press Release

My friend "Blake the Scientist" sent me a lovely holiday greeting and I just had to share it with you all:

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral, celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all and a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great (not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country or is the only "AMERICA" in the western hemisphere), and without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical disability, religious faith, choice of computer platform, or sexual preference of the wishee.

Legal Disclaimer: By accepting this agreement, you are accepting these terms.

This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for her/himself or others, and is void where prohibited by law, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher.

This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.

I hope that we can all lighten up a bit this holiday season and remember that it's okay to celebrate your own faith while respecting the faith of others without a legal disclaimer. With this spirit in mind, I wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Labels: Family, Holidays, Justin Schuck, Justin Schuck + Company

This Thanksgiving it would be easy for me to find reasons to be unappreciative. 2008 has proved as difficult and emotionally heart wrenching as the previous three years, but I am reminded of the gift of family. Tragedy seems to strike just before significantly happy or celebratory events, ruining the idea of happiness. Although it is hard, I try my best to keep happy.

My family has seen death every six months for too many years, sometimes in twos and threes. On the bright side of life, we are presented with another opportunity to commune, share memories and eat to our heart's content. I look at my young cousin and I feel her sadness for the loss of her mom and her apprehension at moving halfway across the globe to live with her father. However, the tender moments we share as a family will carry her in good stead as she grows to be the beautiful woman her mom envisioned.

This is the second Thanksgiving without my father, and it is especially hard since my brother can't join us in our family celebration. My other aunts, uncles and cousins are spread across the country, but separated in distance only. Friends, the extended family with whom we choose to share our lives, are equally spread out, but all are united across these distances by love.

Today I am thankful for my family, my friends, the birds, the trees, the rocks and the seas. Every new day the vacuum left by those who departed this world too early grows smaller. I am thankful that we are all blessed to have shared our lives with such extraordinary people. On Thanksgiving, we reunite with the grateful selves we tend to forget the remaining days of the year.

I am thankful for our brave soldiers, diplomats and others who serve the cause of our country in more harmful territories. I am especially thankful for my health and that I saved room for tonight's non-traditional feast of ribeyes and New York strips.

Unlike in years previous, I was unable to participate in this year's Help the Homeless Walkathon, but I encourage everyone to support my beneficiary organization, the Central Union Mission. The work performed by these caring volunteers brings stability and hope to so many. I long for the day where no one who wants food goes hungry and no one who seeks shelter is turned away. If you have spare clothes, jackets or change, please give what you can. If you have nothing to donate, consider donating your time. Homelessness affects over 300,00 Americans, many of whom are chronically homeless; and that number is growing at rates not seen since the Great Depression.

I am thankful that today there is love and forgiveness left in the world to help us greet tomorrow, regardless of the tragedy or blessing we may receive.

As the brilliant crew of Monty Python remind us:

"Life's a piece of shit,
When you look at it.
Life's a laugh and death's a joke it's true.
You'll see it's all a show.
Keep 'em laughing as you go.
Just remember that the last laugh is on you.
And...

Always look on the bright side of life.
Always look on the right side of life."

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Labels: Charity, Family, Help the Homeless, Holidays, Justin Schuck, Thanksgiving