Month: June 2007

flickr, happenings, near and dear, show the love

happy birthday, to you!

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the perfect manToday, I want to take a minute to post a special birthday post about someone who is extremely close to me; my man James. Today, he is 29 years old! He said that he felt he was getting old, but I just laughed, and told him that he was just getting better with age.

James and I have been together a little over 3 and 1/2 years, and I am so glad to have someone so special in my life. This week has been all about him, birthday week as we have been calling it, and I have been showering him with gifts and surprises for his big day.

Tonight, we plan on going our for Thai food (as he informed me of this morning), followed by he and I taking in a drive-in viewing of Pirates of the Caribbean (even though I would much rather see Knocked Up with that cutie Seth Rogen). Really, the whole goal is just to make him feel like his special day is all about him; and to let him know how much he really means to me.

I love you baby! Happy Birthday, James!

happenings, is it just me?, mixed media, the catch-all-egory

reality tv, fire drills, and little bags of poop

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With all of the “good” programing over, and the summer programming kicking off in full swing, I find that there are less and less “real” shows to choose from, and more reality tv options that keep popping up on my television. There’s the good, most notably, Kathy Griffin’s My Life On The D-List, which started season 3 last night. I LOVE Kathy Griffin, and I was elated to know that her show was coming back, because it is a side-splitter, and definitely the best that reality TV has to offer; she is a brilliant comedian, and her show always has me in stitches. But she is an unusually bright light in the otherwise dark realm of reality tv. I don’t see myself watching many of the other shows, because they don’t peak my interest. Kathy is definitely the cream of the crop.

With that being said, I probably will find myself tuning in to shows like So You Think You Can Dance? and America’s Got Talent. I will admit that I got sucked into SYTYCD last year, although, I haven’t gotten pulled in yet this year. I will probably end up watching it because there is nothing else on, which is the main reason I find myself watching reality TV in the first place. That makes me think that they should call it “America’s Got Nothing Better To Do Than Watch, Because There’s Nothing Else On”, rather than America’s Got Talent; that title seems more fitting to me.

With the little good and all the bad things that reality TV represents to me, I do want to mention a great documentary that I saw last night on Logo. It focuses on the life of a handful of gay men in an extremely small, rural town. While they considered the small town home, because they had grown up there, they pointed out how there were few options for meeting someone, as well as the obvious discrimination for being gay. While they pointed out that it was significantly diminished, they didn’t feel comfortable being as “out” as many gay people in larger cities are, and even mentioned the fear of being hurt or killed due to the fact they were gay. While I know that all of us gays are susceptible to such retaliation because of who we are, it really had me question why you would want to live in such a small community (the one in the movie had a population in the low hundreds), if you could live somewhere more open? I guess it is an “to each their own” situation, but it just isn’t one for me. They seemed genuinely happy, and they managed to find partners and friends and stuff, and that made me happy. I just don’t see myself living on a farm in Idaho any time soon. But good for them.

On a different note, there was a fire drill at work today. While me and my friend Deb got out of the building practically first, it literally took everyone forever to get outside, and group with our monitors so that all could be accounted for. I would really hate to see what would happen if it wasn’t a drill; I fear that it wouldn’t be a pretty site. Let’s hope a drill is all we have to worry about. At least it killed a good hour of my day.

Finally, on an even more different, and definitely more disgusting note, when I was driving in to work today, I noticed a man walking his dog, and carrying that signature bag of poop that many dog walkers can be seen with. I have a dog, and I don’t mind being a good dog owner and picking up after him, but I’ll be damned if I am going to walk around with a bag of poop just swinging in my hand. Gross. That is probably one of the grossest things to me, and that is probably the main reason that we just let Sydney do his thing in the back yard wherever he pleases. This boy does not do bags of poop, okay? Yuck. I don’t know why, but I just felt compelled to share that information.

all about me, flickr, happenings, show the love

my bright, shiny, tattoo idea

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Red Panda (Ailurus Fulgens), originally uploaded by Edgar Thissen.

James had a stroke of genius last night when I asked him if he had any ideas for my tattoo; a panda bear with bamboo. Now, it sounds simple, but I built on that idea, coming up with something that I am truly excited about.

See the little fella pictured here? That is one of the most unique animals in the world; the red panda. This little cutie is what I want. But that’s not all; I want a red panda, atop bamboo stalks, perhaps in a “crouching tiger, hidden dragon” style. Maybe a panda-ninja. Either way, I want it to be more realistic than cartoon, and I think that this is something that Russ can totally rock out. I have seen some of the sick designs that he has done with off the wall ideas like this, and I hope that he will be enthusiastic about what I have chosen.

Now, since it was an epiphany type decision, I am going to sit on it for a bit, but I am honestly excited every time I think about it. When I started thinking about things I wanted tattooed, I was thinking about something like I got when I got my half-sleeve; things that meant something to me, or represented some part of me or my life.

This little guy is perfect, because the panda (both giant and red) represent conservation and the preservation of endangered species internationally. That was one of the ideas I was looking at trying to represent, so I am totally excited. I love animals, and this one is just too cute. I really hope that Russ will be into this, and I am excited to see what he could come up with.

More details to come when they are available. I hope that everyone is having a great week; despite how insanely hot it is. At least it rained a little bit this afternoon… Which is interesting, because I never thought I would care about such a thing. I guess getting older does that to you. Oh well…

all about me, happenings, hmm interesting, near and dear, the catch-all-egory

well, it’s monday…

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And there isn’t much going on. So, here are some different thoughts that I have been thinking about this morning:

I was talking with my grandma on the phone this morning, and she is a hoot! She can make laugh at any time. I always love hearing her stories, and her dealings with people. It is weird to me how people will treat someone though; people are consistently rude to her, and I just don’t get it (especially since she is so much fun and so nice). Even her own son won’t stop smoking for 5 minutes to have her around, and since she can’t stand the smoke, they don’t see each other very often (even though they live within spitting distance of one another). People are just how they are, I guess, and sometimes, you just have to say fuck ’em, and do your own thing. She and I talk about that a lot, and it is something that I really treasure that we share; we love each other, and try not to focus on those that just want something from us, or expect us to be something that we are not. She loves me for who I am, and I really appreciate that, and cherish it. I am very thankful that I have such a great relationship with her, because other than her and my cousin, I don’t really consider much of my family, actually “family”. Sometimes, you have to build your own family from what you have; and even though I only feel close to two, that’s two that I can definitely count on.

I was thinking about (i.e., I definitely want to) getting another tattoo. I want something on my left calf, above the ankle band tattoo that I currently have there. I thought about a Japanese dragon, but the more I think about it, the more I want something kind of unique. I called Russ, and he has some open spots this week, and his new shop opens next week, but I think this week would be too soon; especially since I don’t have a firm idea of what I want. Since I am wracking my brain in trying to decide what I want, I have a question for all of you: If you could get a tattoo of anything in the world, what would it be and why? Don’t worry, I won’t steal your idea… that is, unless it is a good one! LOL No seriously, I want to hear your ideas. And none of this “you have too many tattoos” silliness, because you can never have too many.

Other than that, I had a pretty great weekend, hanging out with friends, and just enjoying life. I feel like I am starting to worry less about things that are out of my control, and really find myself focusing on being happy with what I have. I am applying to Perimeter for some classes in the fall, and that has given me this sense of purpose that I didn’t think would come from such a small step. I finally feel like, for the first time in 4 years, that I am moving forward. And that makes me happier than you could know. Let’s just hope we can keep this momentum going!

happenings, hmm interesting, that is so gay, venting, wtf?!

“have a nice night, ladies!”

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Last night, James, John, Andrew and I went to Flat Iron in the EAV for dinner, and chose to sit outside, because those of you that know this place, know it can be rather smoky inside. We found a table near the back of the outside section, and pulled up a few chairs, ordered our food, and got ready to enjoy our dinner.

While we were sitting there, we made comments about the people around us, nothing negative, more along the lines of, “hey, that guy right there is really cute, don’t you think?”, and we made small talk about this, that, and the other. Nothing that was said about the cuteness of anyone around us was said at an audible level where others could pick up what we were saying. We enjoyed ourselves, and our meal was good; but the guy sitting behind James, who was sitting with two other women at the last table (meaning no table was behind their’s) continually chain smoked, and blew the smoke directly at us and our table, even though there was no one on the other side of him. I remarked a few times at how rude of a smoker he was, because most people that smoke have the respect for others to not blog smoke continually in their faces; but this guy lacked that basic curtosey. I never made a remark other than, “what a rude smoker”, and again, only at an audible level necessary to have only my table hear my remarks.

While I did notice that the table seemed to react to most of what we were talking about when we were speaking at normal volume, I didn’t really pay it any mind, because I figured they just had nothing better to do, than listen to our conversation.

Just as we were finishing our meal, the three of them got up to leave, and the two women went first, while the guy stood up to put on his coat. In doing so, he hit James in the head with his arm, and flung his coat right in James’ face. While James let it go, it wouldn’t be the last interaction we would have from this guy. As he walked behind John and Andrew, he leaned in to our table and said loudly, “have a nice night, ladies!”. We all looked at each other, and said, “was he talking to us?”, and when it was quickly decided that he was, we said loudly, “um, what the fuck? What did he just say?”. Upon hearing our retort, he comes quickly back over to our table, leans in and says, “just so you know, you aren’t in a neighborhood where you can just talk shit about people you don’t know. I would be aware of that, if I were you.”. Kind if in awe, we all just looked at each other, and tried to figure out what “shit” we had talked about this guy (other than he was really cute; which went out the window at that point).

What I don’t get, is how this guy felt that us being gay, and talking amongst ourselves in the EAV was the “wrong neighborhood” for “us”. Basically, he was saying that we didn’t belong in that neighborhood because we were gay; and he was angry because apparently, we were talking shit about him. He is right about one thing, we did talk shit about him. He was a fucking asshole for blowing smoke in our faces the entire time we were there, and as such, I repeatedly mentioned that he was a rude smoker. But that was it. If he took offense to the fact that 4 gay men thought he was cute, that is his issue; but the problem, is that he was obviously uncomfortable around us, presumably because we were gay.

I also find it interesting that the EAV, for him, was the “wrong neighborhood” for gay people, espcially on that night, as the brand spanking new lesbian bar was opening one block over, which is just a hop skip and a jump from one of Atlanta’s most popular gay bars, Mary’s.

It was clear, that we were being gay bashed, even if it wasn’t name calling, physical violence, or something worse. The girls at the table next to us were also upset about the exchange, and told us that they were sorry, and that they hated people like that, but we tried to drop it and move on. It really wasn’t that big of a deal, to be honest, and I realized that then, and still believe it now, but even though it was a minor interaction with a homophobe, it really brings back the fact that, to many, we are not welcome because of who we are. People hate us because we are gay, and there isn’t anything that we can do about that. It is nice to have the shield that comes from living in the city, but this proves that even this close to the heart of Atlanta, we can still encounter hate and ridicule because of who we are.

I for one am glad that there was no further altercation, and that it wasn’t any worse; but it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth, because I never expected something so crass at a place like Flat Iron. I also never thought that I would ever be “gay bashed” in the East Atlanta Village, a place that James and I really think of as part of our neighborhood, and home. I honestly hope that this guy doesn’t run into me again, because I would definitely be forced to say something to him again. I just wonder why people like him find it necessary to live in the city (or come to places that are extremely open and accepting like the EAV and Flat Iron), if they are unwilling to be accepting of different cultures, people, and sexualities? I am not going anywhere, buddy, so if you have a problem with gays, I suggest you hightail it up to Cobb county, because that is one place you won’t see many of “our kind”.

The whole experience just makes me realize just how shielded we are by living in the city, and how lucky we have it that we don’t have to be as hidden as those gays that live in smaller, more suburban areas. It also makes me never want to live in a small suburban area ever again.

blog on blog, civil rights, hmm interesting, is it just me?, public health, venting, well?, wtf?!

irresponsible at best, and *shock* more blogger BS

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Shame, shame, shame. This TB scare-tactic bullshit has gone too far. They released the guy’s name, picture, profession, and even identified his father-in-law, who ironically, works at the CDC in TB research. Now, I am all for questioning why in the hell homeland security fucked up (again), in not checking the passport of someone that was specifically flagged (even though, he could have just come in by boat.. no one suspects anything there!), but I think that it is wholly irresponsible of the media to unleash the shit-storm that this guy could potentially face; especially since he cooperating fully with the medical authorities.

I am over this nonsense. This is not news. This is media bullying, and it has no place on the front page of the news. Remember that war in Iraq? Did you know that last month was the deadliest month since close to the beginning of the war for our soldiers? Why isn’t that a steady topic; that we are at war? Not that one man, one of the 50 (49 cases from 1993-2006 + 1 =…) in the past 14 years to get this strain of TB, has gotten TB and travelled; especially since even CDC says that the chances of spreading it during air travel is very low? Perhaps most of all, I would love to know why it was necessary to release his name and personal information, as I know that there were people that were talking about how they felt this guy should be lynched because of “what he did”. It is typical of a society to blame people for their illnesses, but I think that in this sensitive issue (which was only made as such by the media sensationalism), providing his personal information to everyone is adding fuel to a fire.

I for one, hope that nothing happens to this guy or anyone in his family, because I would hate for them to be subject to the blatantly irresponsible and thoughtless reporting done by the media in this case. I mean, you really have to ask yourself: did we need to know who this man was, especially considering that he is in quarantine? Did we need to know who his family is? If so, why? Is it so important to have a person we can point the finger at, and blame for this situation? Because I don’t think that it was necessary, fair, and even borders on being illegal. If the issue is homeland security, focus on the border guard that let him through!

Thank GOD we don’t go around publishing lists of names, with pictures, of people that are infected with HIV and other diseases, because we might have a situation like in the past with diseases like bubonic plague and leprosy; shunning, isolating, and punishing people for simply being sick. Why do we continue to blame sick people for their illnesses? Obviously he didn’t want TB, and he was told that it wasn’t “recommended” that he fly; so what did he really do wrong? He is a lawyer, not a doctor, so it is safe to assume that he didn’t understand the potential threat he posed; so why not give him some slack, especially since he is COOPERATING!

Treat him. Test those that were exposed. And let’s fucking move on already.

Finally, a teeny tiny side note. I have read the article that is making waves through the ATL blogosphere. I will admit, that it did make me slightly angry that the “high and mighty” feel the need to continually poke fun at what I write, and my style of blogging. But here’s what I have to say in response to the constant jabs at my subject material and writing: if you don’t like my blog, I DON’T GIVE A SHIT; don’t read it if you don’t want to. It is my blog. I can do with it as I please; and I always have, and always will. I am not writing my blog to make a “best of list”; I am writing my blog for my own enjoyment. It makes me happy to be able to have a space where I can share my thoughts and feelings, and I don’t need anyone’s approval to do that. If no one reads it, fine! If people do, fine as well!

So, I have to say to those that continue to do this, if you feel the need to point down from your “high horse” (or so you believe it to be), then fine. I just hope that you understand that your “mental and intellectual superiority” and the fact that you believe that you, or others, are somehow better because that is what you have convinced yourself of, then you are not only confused, but frankly, you are eerily focused on being critical and discontent with the world (in this case, the blogosphere). Why not move on? Find a hobby that doesn’t include staying so wrapped up in what other people are saying or doing that you feel the need to belittle them constantly, and actually live your life. So what if what other people write doesn’t measure up to your “standard”; does it really matter? I guess if you want to focus on it, so be it, but ask yourself: who is the one that is really exhibiting the asinine, those that write about what you deem unworthy, or the fact that you continually feel the need to bring it up over and over again in your own writing? Do you not have anything substantive to write about, other than the belittling of others that you believe to be intellectually inferior? Just move on. You might be able to gain some of that frivolity that makes us “underlings” so gleefully happy from time to time. Or not, either way, it’s your bag, not mine. It isn’t going to change me. (And yes, I know at least one person that is going to make fun of this, but yet, I am still posting it. I didn’t write it for them, and if they want to convince themselves I did, cool! Flattering much? I say make fun all you want to, because you seem to be the only one that cares enough to do so).