My Sunday in Pictures
It started out at the movies where i went to see My Super Ex Girlfriend with Rubs. But on the way into the theater i stopped off to snap a picture of myself with Will Farrell.
After the movie, we did a touch of shopping on Michigan Avenue. We stopped into the Virgin Store where i went looking for some reading materials. I was out of luck though, because when i got to the section i was looking for, there were no books left.
Spent the rest of the day on the couch with the bitch.
July 28, 2006
We’re all in this together
I’ve been reading a lot of the Rants & Raves posts on Craigslist for the past few weeks and I must admit that my worst case scenario about the levels of ignorance, hatred and prejudice in this city, if not this country, are not even close to the depths they inhabit in reality. I’ve read enough bigoted posts about African Americans, Jewish Peeps, Arabs and Lesbi/Gay/Trans in the last few weeks to make me sick, leaving me saddened and depressed about what is happening to this world. (I was going to use the word “folks” in that last sentence, but the good ‘ol Shrub™ ruined that word for me forever.)
Now I realize that Craigslist is a bubble of reality, an alternative dimension, where people, for whatever reason, feel that they can be controversial, hateful and ignorant without fear of retribution; but I am truly shocked at the raw emotions behind the posts.
There is so much anger and hatred that even if 5% of it is genuine it is a frightening glimpse into the blackness in American’s souls.
Misinformation, ignorance and fear-mongering. I’m not saying that I have all the answers or that my views are 100% right on, because in the efforts of honesty, I admit that I’ve become more racist, bigoted and fearful since I’ve moved to this city; but even though I may judge someone harshly based purely on their appearance, demeanor, hair and/or clothing style (not to mention a poor shoe/outfit combination), including entire groups of people based purely on the actions of a single individual, and though I may make sweeping generalizations about entire countries, races and sexual orientations based upon historically inaccurate models, I still give people the benefit of the doubt when I meet them one on one (in a dark room, perhaps one with a shower or small, dimly lit booth). Though I may be all those things, I am at least educated enough to know that my life has been completely unlike the lives of those people surrounding me. I am not arrogant enough to know the situations people of this world live with and therefore have no place to truly judge them harshly for their views.
What saddens me is that the education and acceptance levels of the American people have diminished to such a point that there is no concept of basic understanding left in this country. We are not taught to think on our own any longer. We follow, like lemmings, others words and beliefs without trusting in ourselves. We spout other people’s bigoted words as if they are our own and are comforted by the belief that we “fit” into society because we are “on the same page” with someone we look up to and emulate.
And yet, even though it saddens me greatly, and angers me to read these posts and examples of pure ignorance and hate, I find that I cannot stop reading them. Who knows what depth the next post I open will hold? Have we gotten so numbed by the discourse of hatred that permeates our society that we are searching, perhaps in vain, to be truly shocked?
I believe that I may be trying to find that one item that shocks me to such a point that I get up and become active. The news, each day, carries more and more shocking stories, from multi-billion dollar record profits per quarter for the oil companies to people choosing not to drive so they can feed their families to the bombs raining on a country that was so working towards reentering the world stage and must now start from zero.
What is the cause of all of this? It’s easy to say religion. It’s easy to say greed. Its easy to write this off to a long list of human conditions, especially since few in power seem interested in truly improving the world; because, well what would they get out of that?
July 26, 2006
wednesday wank
July 25, 2006
The interview
I’m interviewing a new friend, so last night I invited her, yes her, for drinks at the lobby bar of the Ritz Carlton hotel on Chicago’s magnificent mile. In addition, I invited Rubs to join us knowing that they would hit it off as well.
All went gloriously.
Until…
Well, this is a bit awkward…
The conversation rolled around to sex, as it tends to whenever gay men and single attractive women mingle and talk. However, this talk of sex was not the average bump-n-grind variety. No. This was a deep spiritual discussion about the lighter and darker sides of BDSM (Bondage, Discipline, and Sadomasochism) play. The truly shocking moment came when Rubs convinced my new friend-applicant© to bind my wrists with the napkin from the table. She fumbled momentarily with the thick, coarse, starched fabric before she abandoned it, reached into her bag for a large floral silk scarf, and in a quick fluid movement, had my hands tightly bound before I’d even realized she’d changed materials.
I sat there, in the Ritz Carlton hotel bar, a classic interpretation of all things proper and continental, bound with a woman’s floral silk scarf. All the time thinking… “She is so going to round three.”
July 23, 2006
An open Letter to Airline Management
An open letter to the CEO’s and COO’s of America’s airlines,
When I was younger, I was lucky enough to be the child of an airline employee, and my father took advantage of his position dragging us across the country and around the world on America’s carriers. I boarded those airplanes back in the 70’s and 80’s filled with wonder and I climbed into the comfortable, economic, yet somewhat spacious seats looking forward to whatever the destination had to offer knowing that I’d be shown respect, courtesy and service. To this day, the very first sip from a can of coca cola (not diet coke) instantly transports me back to the time the era-appropriate-termed “Stewardess” had just served us drinks on a trans-continental flight to Los Angeles when the plane entered a massive thunderstorm, tossing the plane about like a toy as my mother, sitting next to me, calmed me down by making a game of drinking the coca-cola without spilling any. Perhaps due to my experiences, I hold the image of air transport to a very high standard.
It breaks my heart to see what has happened to air travel within the United Stated in the last 10 years. Yes, fuel prices have gone up, yes competition has gotten stronger and yes, security concerns are daunting; but there is no excuse for the treatment passengers on America’s carriers face trying to get from point A to point B about a domestic aircraft. My flight to New York on Wednesday was delayed for over 2 hours, but I was lucky because the seat next to me was the only empty eat on the plane. I say lucky, because being 6’5” tall, having an empty seat next to me is a godsend allowing me to slide my knees ever so slightly out of the cramped space normally allowed me.
On the return trip, however, I was no lucky enough to have an empty seat next to me. In fact, I had a rather stocky man in the center seat, next to yet another stocky man in the window seat. The sheer size of the three of us, forced me to lean into the aisle forcing every person walking down the aisle to bump into me. Worse yet, as the era-appropriate-termed “Flight Attendant” pushed the drink cart down the aisle and slammed into my knee forcing an exclamation of intense pain to escape my lips to no response, not even an “I’m sorry” or an “Excuse me”.
The gentleman in front of me was so kind to forgo a slow reclination of his seat by pushing back as far and fast as possible wrenching my knees yet again into something metallic inside the frame of the seat forcing me up and out of my seat again in a verbal exclamation of pain, again to no reaction from the offending passenger.
So I ask you gentlemen, in all your business knowledge and boardroom wisdom, what have you done to our airlines? Will 3 more inches between seats bankrupt you even more than your current struggles, or would perhaps people be willing to pay a little bit more for good service, reasonably comfortable seats that the average (and ever-expanding) sized Americans will fit.
When American Airlines went through their fleet retrofit adding more room in coach, I switched carrier and maintained loyalty to American Airlines until they silently added those removed seats back into their aircraft without the previous marketing push.
Instead of taking away pillows, blankets and other in-flight items, try adding such things as common curtsey, respectful employees and on-time departures. I don’t understand why twenty years ago, we regularly flew right on through those thunderstorms without a worry but now; the airports are shut down across the country for slight rain showers.
Ultimately, I speak for myself, but I know that I’m not the only one who believes as I do. I am willing to pay more to get more. I’ll pay a bit more to get a larger seat that my fat ass will fit into without a liposuction operation. I’ll pay more to have those 2-4 extra inches of legroom. I’ll pay more to fly on an airline that truly believes they are in business FOR their customers, not in spite of them.
However, I will not pay double the costs I am currently paying.
Take the challenge and lets bring our carriers back to the world-class status they deserve. Americans invented the airline and it’s sad to see the state of things as they now stand.
July 20, 2006
Oh New York New York!
True to form, my flight last night from O’Hare into New York was delayed 2 hours, so I was very thankful that that Married well was kind and thoughtful enough to arrange to have a limo to recover me from the airport and whisk me into Manhattan. Given the 11:30pm actual arrival time, not having to deal with the train transfer or the taxi into Chelsea.
Once we woke up today, we headed to MOMA where MW was nice enought to snap the picture above. This is the third photo and the first that was NOT showing my recently developed belly. While walking around the MOMA, i imagined what it would be like to be dating a super important man that could arrange a private tour of the MOMA without all the out of town tourists. Eventhough I myself am a tourist, I’d like to think I’m much more atuned to what it must be like to living here and dealing with them.
After MOMA, we lunched at the restaurant at the Hudson Cafeteria.
next was off to a cute little t-shirt shop where I purchased an adorable t-shirt (like I do on all vacations).
Then we headed to The Gansevort Hotel in the Meat Packing District where we sat on a lovely balcony on the roof and where MW got me drunk (Damn HIM!)
I heart NY! One more day before I have to start working and join my colleagues for the conference.
July 19, 2006
wednesday wank
Sometimes I like the clean-cut guys too.
July 18, 2006
A positive Roll Model
Growing up gay in small town America did not allow me a plethora of positive role models. I didn’t know any other gay men or women in my town and the one couple I’d guessed were lesbians, the two women that ran the local movie theater, always seems bitter, angry and mean so I was intimidated by them.
As with all base needs, we find other examples to learn from and satiate us. I chose Chip-n-Dale to be the example for relationships I would strive towards. To my young mind, they were the perfect example of a real and genuine set of lovers. Oh sure, they claimed to be “brothers” but I knew better. I knew that that was just a lie they’d thought up to pitch their tale to the executives at Disney in hopes of sweeping their still taboo love under the rug and keep the ugly spotlight of the cameras off them. It seemed to have worked wonderfully too. You never hear about the scandal of their love like you often hear about Bert and Ernie of Sesame Street fame. No, Chip-n-Dale pulled it off and stayed out of the harsh public debate on gay marriage.
But more importantly, Chip-n-Dale was a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood. They made a string of hit films before retiring. Such memorable hits as “Up a Tree (1955)”, “Squatter’s Rights (1946)”and “Winter Storage (1949) ensured their success and cemented their fame throughout history. 23 films in all over the course of their career and never a whisper in the press about their secret life.
I know they loved each other; it comes across in their films. The playful way they chase each other up the trees and across the grass showed the world their love for each other. They were not ashamed to love each other and that is how I modeled my dreams for the future.
Thank you Chip-N-Dale for providing a strong role model to me and countless other little baby-gays© around the world