It's Saturday night, and I'm at a Silver Lake gay bar with some friends. Despite the packed room, my friend Zack is fixed to his iPhone. Our friends' nudges and pokes can't shift his eagle eyes from the warm, orange glow. What bothers us is Zack's inability to interact with his surroundings.

Beards are back in fashion around the world. To be sure, beards have gone through many fashions. Just think of the handlebar mustaches of the 19th century, the clone look of the 1970s or the permanent growth fancied by the bear community. But I think this time is different.

As a community, we need to be more aware of STIs. We should each make sure to have at least one close friend to talk to about our health record, and I certainly hope each and every one of us has a doctor with whom we are comfortable talking about our sexual experiences.