Most of my readers know that I do not use this blog as a pulpit, except to trumpet my own successes. However, today I have been inspired by the recent Adam Lambert fiasco to say something on the topic.
When I came out as a proud gay man, I did so after much introspection and self-discovery. I thought about what my sexuality meant to me and what it meant to the people that I care about. I also thought about what my sexuality meant to my faith. I am still devoutly Catholic and my biggest hurdle to my current life was reconciling those two ideas. It was through much prayer that I realized God doesn't make mistakes and I am not called to the single life. More or less, I had to take an "agree to disagree" stance with my faith, which was very hard. VERY hard.
What has proven to be much easier is my ability to exist in the world as a gay man. I am blessed to have lived my life free of people who hate me for who or what I am. Even my ex-girlfriends have been understanding of the subterfuge that I used with them. All-in-all it has been a charmed life for me as a gay man. Until Adam Lambert.
If you haven't seen his performance on the American Music Awards from this past weekend, I suggest you Google search the video, as they keep getting put up and taken down at the blink of an eye. Here's some highlights: man-on-man tongue locking, simulated oral sex, and Adam Lambert's middle finger displayed to prime time television. The issue? His subsequent performance of Good Morning America has been canceled by ABC.
Adam Lambert, along with numerous outspoken (and public) homosexuals, is screaming "HOMOPHOBIA" like it's going out of style. Homophobia is Matthew Shepard getting hung on a fence to die, just because he was gay. Homophobia is being burned alive because you are gay. Homophobia is not a canceled performance due to poor choices.
Homosexuality is not a choice. I do not choose to be gay, instead, I know that I am gay. Part of being gay is taking the responsibility of not being another 'homo who cries "hate"'. I am disgusted, as a gay man, and as an American, that ANYONE who have the audacity to say Adam Lambert's only fault, for which he is being punished, is his status as a gay man. Furthermore, I reject the argument that a woman in the same position would be allowed to perform on Good Morning America.
If Christina Aguilera were to lay on her back and cram a male (or female) dancers face into her crotch, she would also have a serious PR problem. On top of that, imagine if Britney Spears, without warning to the network, decided to give the camera the middle finger during prime time on a Sunday. I don't think anybody should think she would go without punishment. I do not (and cannot) deny that people hate Adam Lambert because he is homosexual. That is something he will deal with his entire life, and so will I. Hell, we still can't get married in most of the United States. That could be classified as anti-gay. I shudder to think that outspoken (and oft-heard) gay men and women (I'm looking at you Perez Hilton. Shut up, already) are rallying behind a performer and raising him as a gay activist, when it is his vulgarity that is being punished. Vulgarity and homosexuality should not be the same concept and to classify Adam Lambert's canceled performance as anti-gay or homophobic is to equate these mutually exclusive ideas. I'm gay, I'm vulgar, but dammit, I am not one because of the other.
I challenge Adam Lambert to make the remainder of his performances focus on the music (which was SORELY lacking in his performance on Sunday) for which he rose to stardom. I'm pretty sure that this would be more "For [My] Entertainment" than offensive bullshit and wielding his status as 'gay' as a shield against punishment for actions. Don't be another 'mo who cries "HATE!" anytime something doesn't go your way, Adam Lambert. Be a man, albeit a gay one, who stands for something and is able and willing to be a good example to the world, not another self-serving queen who abuses gay rights in lieu of fighting for them.
Shame on you.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Testing, testing, 1…2…
Today I got a new laptop from Dell. My previous laptop lasted beyond 6 years, having only had to be seriously overhauled 1 time. I consider this to be a great victory on my part. I am now exploring the wide world of a Windows-integrated blogging system. Windows Live Writer and I are going to give this blog a try this evening.
It has been a while since my last blog post so I shall do a recap for those who care.
Firstly, and probably most importantly, I have acquired my Halloween costume. I originally intended to do a Geisha costume this year, drawing upon my extensive knowledge of makeup and drag, however, the means of acquiring an outfit to go with the amount of ‘face’ I was going to be giving became too daunting of a task to really tackle. I then considered various other drag-related costume ideas, however, all of them required a partner in crime (of which I have none, as my only accepted partner in drag-crime is Dean, who remains unacceptably far away from me) or some other unattainable feat, like new heels, or extravagant wigs. Simultaneous to my sad realization that I would not get to dress as a woman this year, I realized that there were certain sundry items that I longed for from American Apparel. (SIDE NOTE: One of my favorite recording artists put it best via twitter: “Here’s a vagina. Buy a shirt. American Apparel.” Bess Rogers, WIN.) As it turns out, these items combine without much effort into a killer costume harkening to old school Globe Trotters channeling a little 70’s-track-coach awesomeness. As such, I killed two birds with one stone by purchasing short shorts, a mesh tank top, tube socks, and matching sweat bands from American Apparel yesterday. My weekend of Halloween partying will be fantastic because of the fantastic company with whom I will spending it AND my awesome costume.
A second development that has occurred, or rather, is occurring is the exeunt of my dear friend Sharon from Michigan to pursue her dreams in New York. I know that she peruses this blog, so I will avoid showering her with too much deserved praise, because she already knows that I believe in her talent, drive, and ability to be great. She will succeed in NYC and I am positive of it. Instead, I will give a short background of our relationship. Sharon and I both attended Hillsdale College. Strangely, we went through our respective careers there being entirely unaware of the grandiose awesomeness of the other party. How this occurred, I do not know. In all reality, the world might never know. Regardless, we did not become friends until after both graduating from school and ending up in the Metro Detroit. It was twitter that finally brought us together, and through a series of concert experiences (including, but not limited to, Lady Gaga), we became close quickly. What I find very blessed about our relationship is that despite the limited exposure to one another, I know that I have made a life-long friend. Whether we both end up in NYC or not, I know that I will always be able to text her or G-chat her up about how awesome we both are, and find an understanding person and compatriot. For this I will always be thankful, and if you read this Sharon, know that I love you and you will be missed. A lot.
I got a new laptop. I know that I already mentioned this point, however, I return to it to include this insight. I now have a webcam and a Skype account. If you care to talk to me face to face, you can. Get excited.
Oh, and midterms happened. They went well. Furthermore, I took my first final exam. It also went well. My concerns for the rest of my finals have been abated and I feel suddenly confident about the whole experience. Apparently, I can do law school. As if anybody doubted me…
It has been a while since my last blog post so I shall do a recap for those who care.
Firstly, and probably most importantly, I have acquired my Halloween costume. I originally intended to do a Geisha costume this year, drawing upon my extensive knowledge of makeup and drag, however, the means of acquiring an outfit to go with the amount of ‘face’ I was going to be giving became too daunting of a task to really tackle. I then considered various other drag-related costume ideas, however, all of them required a partner in crime (of which I have none, as my only accepted partner in drag-crime is Dean, who remains unacceptably far away from me) or some other unattainable feat, like new heels, or extravagant wigs. Simultaneous to my sad realization that I would not get to dress as a woman this year, I realized that there were certain sundry items that I longed for from American Apparel. (SIDE NOTE: One of my favorite recording artists put it best via twitter: “Here’s a vagina. Buy a shirt. American Apparel.” Bess Rogers, WIN.) As it turns out, these items combine without much effort into a killer costume harkening to old school Globe Trotters channeling a little 70’s-track-coach awesomeness. As such, I killed two birds with one stone by purchasing short shorts, a mesh tank top, tube socks, and matching sweat bands from American Apparel yesterday. My weekend of Halloween partying will be fantastic because of the fantastic company with whom I will spending it AND my awesome costume.
A second development that has occurred, or rather, is occurring is the exeunt of my dear friend Sharon from Michigan to pursue her dreams in New York. I know that she peruses this blog, so I will avoid showering her with too much deserved praise, because she already knows that I believe in her talent, drive, and ability to be great. She will succeed in NYC and I am positive of it. Instead, I will give a short background of our relationship. Sharon and I both attended Hillsdale College. Strangely, we went through our respective careers there being entirely unaware of the grandiose awesomeness of the other party. How this occurred, I do not know. In all reality, the world might never know. Regardless, we did not become friends until after both graduating from school and ending up in the Metro Detroit. It was twitter that finally brought us together, and through a series of concert experiences (including, but not limited to, Lady Gaga), we became close quickly. What I find very blessed about our relationship is that despite the limited exposure to one another, I know that I have made a life-long friend. Whether we both end up in NYC or not, I know that I will always be able to text her or G-chat her up about how awesome we both are, and find an understanding person and compatriot. For this I will always be thankful, and if you read this Sharon, know that I love you and you will be missed. A lot.
I got a new laptop. I know that I already mentioned this point, however, I return to it to include this insight. I now have a webcam and a Skype account. If you care to talk to me face to face, you can. Get excited.
Oh, and midterms happened. They went well. Furthermore, I took my first final exam. It also went well. My concerns for the rest of my finals have been abated and I feel suddenly confident about the whole experience. Apparently, I can do law school. As if anybody doubted me…
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Definitions define things.
This week is already proving to be better than last. To begin with, I have already completed my homework for TWO classes and half of the homework for a THIRD class. I think I can say, with confidence, that my scheme to get ahead is finally starting to come to fruition. I feel that the path I am on will inevitably lead to happier times later this week, and less stress as I approach mid-terms, which are next week. WIN.
I have chosen this post to take a moment and explain the significance of the title of this blog. As many of my linguaphilic friends have considered, I'm sure, 'The Law and I' implies that we can accomplish physical tasks together. Obviously, that is preposterous.
Or is it?
The law is a person that I have recently decided to attach myself to. He/She/It gives me powers that I never knew I could wield. Now, I can turn a pinch into a felony; a fart into a tort; take a person breaking a promise for all they are worth. I am the master of my universe thanks to my new partner in crime (or law).
We are like Sonny and Cher (I, of course, am Cher), Batman and Robin (I am Batman, he has a bigger bulge), Mary-Kate and Ashley (Ashley, she eats slightly more). The world had better get ready for the Law and I because together we will move mountains. We will part seas. We will win petty sums of money for people who are too infantile to settle their own disputes. It will be a glorious relationship, between the Law and I, and the possibilities are endless.
I now include a list of other earth-shaking pairings, which are comparable to the Law and I:
- Moses and Aaron
- Abbot and Costello
- Thelma and Louise
- Abercrombie and Fitch
- Antony and Cleopatra
- Barnes and Noble
- Beauty and the Beast
- Nicole and Paris (See Above)
- Ben and Jerry
- Dharma and Greg
- Jon and Kate
- Jon and his new Trick
- Kate and her hair
- Meryl Streep and Oscar
- Brad and Angelina
- Godzilla and Mothra, may their love never die
- Peanut Butter and Jelly (TIME!)
- Mork and Mindy
- Mario and Luigi
- Goose and Maverick
- Nicholas Cage and all of his movies that I hate. Besides Gone in 60 Seconds in which case the Angelina Jolie factor trumps the Nicholas Cage screws my life factor.
The list obviously goes on and on from here but those are the most appropriate pairings that illustrate my relationship with the law (as well as all the pairings I could come up with in the time I took to write this blog post).
At the end of the day I curl up in the warm embrace of the Law and he rocks me to sleep amidst case briefs and statutes. Even though he sometimes sings me to sleep with songs of First Degree Rape and Felony-Murder, he is proving to be a worthy life partner.
I have chosen this post to take a moment and explain the significance of the title of this blog. As many of my linguaphilic friends have considered, I'm sure, 'The Law and I' implies that we can accomplish physical tasks together. Obviously, that is preposterous.
Or is it?
The law is a person that I have recently decided to attach myself to. He/She/It gives me powers that I never knew I could wield. Now, I can turn a pinch into a felony; a fart into a tort; take a person breaking a promise for all they are worth. I am the master of my universe thanks to my new partner in crime (or law).
We are like Sonny and Cher (I, of course, am Cher), Batman and Robin (I am Batman, he has a bigger bulge), Mary-Kate and Ashley (Ashley, she eats slightly more). The world had better get ready for the Law and I because together we will move mountains. We will part seas. We will win petty sums of money for people who are too infantile to settle their own disputes. It will be a glorious relationship, between the Law and I, and the possibilities are endless.
I now include a list of other earth-shaking pairings, which are comparable to the Law and I:
- Moses and Aaron
- Abbot and Costello
- Thelma and Louise
- Abercrombie and Fitch
- Antony and Cleopatra
- Barnes and Noble
- Beauty and the Beast
- Nicole and Paris (See Above)
- Ben and Jerry
- Dharma and Greg
- Jon and Kate
- Jon and his new Trick
- Kate and her hair
- Meryl Streep and Oscar
- Brad and Angelina
- Godzilla and Mothra, may their love never die
- Peanut Butter and Jelly (TIME!)
- Mork and Mindy
- Mario and Luigi
- Goose and Maverick
- Nicholas Cage and all of his movies that I hate. Besides Gone in 60 Seconds in which case the Angelina Jolie factor trumps the Nicholas Cage screws my life factor.
The list obviously goes on and on from here but those are the most appropriate pairings that illustrate my relationship with the law (as well as all the pairings I could come up with in the time I took to write this blog post).
At the end of the day I curl up in the warm embrace of the Law and he rocks me to sleep amidst case briefs and statutes. Even though he sometimes sings me to sleep with songs of First Degree Rape and Felony-Murder, he is proving to be a worthy life partner.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
"It has become the time of evening when people sit on their porches..." - James Agee
There comes a point every night of the week where my drive to study and work is overcome with my drive to do ANYTHING ELSE. I could do any activity besides study and be content. Yet, the only thing I need to do it study. I know I'm not revealing a deep secret of the human psyche here, but it remains an interesting phenomenon in my existence.
Things I would rather be doing:
- Sleeping
- Eating
- Watching TV
- Reading a book, non-law-related
- Reading my Google Reader
- Making cookies
- Composing an opera
- Fighting a dragon
- Expounding upon the mysteries of the relationship between Godzilla and Mothra, his secret lover (in my mind)
- Playing a video game
- Watching grass grow
- Getting a root canal
- Slamming my head against a wall
- Kenny G
And that is just a short list of alternatives to what I am supposed to be doing. Every week I concoct a marvelous scheme to be ahead for the week, allowing me to complete homework days in advance and affording me valuable free time, with which to dick around.
I have yet to execute aforementioned schemes.
My goal for the rest of this week shall be to actually finish my homework prior to the day that it is due. Let's see how that goes, shall we?
On a sadder note, tomorrow is Wednesday. We all know what that means. If I don't blog again for over a week, I have crawled into a bottle of scotch in an attempt to forget what a Tort is and furthermore to never 'introduce' myself to law again.
EVER.
BITCHES.
Things I would rather be doing:
- Sleeping
- Eating
- Watching TV
- Reading a book, non-law-related
- Reading my Google Reader
- Making cookies
- Composing an opera
- Fighting a dragon
- Expounding upon the mysteries of the relationship between Godzilla and Mothra, his secret lover (in my mind)
- Playing a video game
- Watching grass grow
- Getting a root canal
- Slamming my head against a wall
- Kenny G
And that is just a short list of alternatives to what I am supposed to be doing. Every week I concoct a marvelous scheme to be ahead for the week, allowing me to complete homework days in advance and affording me valuable free time, with which to dick around.
I have yet to execute aforementioned schemes.
My goal for the rest of this week shall be to actually finish my homework prior to the day that it is due. Let's see how that goes, shall we?
On a sadder note, tomorrow is Wednesday. We all know what that means. If I don't blog again for over a week, I have crawled into a bottle of scotch in an attempt to forget what a Tort is and furthermore to never 'introduce' myself to law again.
EVER.
BITCHES.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Sometimes I surprise even myself.
Planned for today:
- Outlines encompassing all pertinent notes of the past 3 weeks.
- Reading and briefing the cases for my first two classes of the week.
- Vacuuming my apartment.
- Showering.
Accomplished today:
- Watch 2 hours of Real Housewives of Atlanta.
- Go furniture shopping in Lansing.
a. Facilitate purchase of red sofa.
- Eat Taco Bell
- Drive an hour to IKEA.
a. Buy red end tables to create custom deco coffee table.
- Come home and do assembly of 'coffee' tables, dining table, dresser
- Watch "Legally Blond" followed by "Overboard"
- Watch latest episode of "Project Runway" then "Models of the Runway"
- Blog about it all.
Now, it is with great pride that I display my accomplishments of the day. Please note the enormous lengthwise-discrepancy between my goals and what I actually did today. Apparently I just set my standards far too low for myself, that's all. I was way more time-efficient than I expected to be. I should strive to aim higher. Law school is great.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Okay, so I'm sure you noticed that nothing I did today actually benefited me as a law student. In fact, a strong argument could be made against today's endeavors, positing that they hindered me as a law student. But, hey, at least I showered, right?
Oh. Wait, nevermind.
*sniff*
...awkward.
- Outlines encompassing all pertinent notes of the past 3 weeks.
- Reading and briefing the cases for my first two classes of the week.
- Vacuuming my apartment.
- Showering.
Accomplished today:
- Watch 2 hours of Real Housewives of Atlanta.
- Go furniture shopping in Lansing.
a. Facilitate purchase of red sofa.
- Eat Taco Bell
- Drive an hour to IKEA.
a. Buy red end tables to create custom deco coffee table.
- Come home and do assembly of 'coffee' tables, dining table, dresser
- Watch "Legally Blond" followed by "Overboard"
- Watch latest episode of "Project Runway" then "Models of the Runway"
- Blog about it all.
Now, it is with great pride that I display my accomplishments of the day. Please note the enormous lengthwise-discrepancy between my goals and what I actually did today. Apparently I just set my standards far too low for myself, that's all. I was way more time-efficient than I expected to be. I should strive to aim higher. Law school is great.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Okay, so I'm sure you noticed that nothing I did today actually benefited me as a law student. In fact, a strong argument could be made against today's endeavors, positing that they hindered me as a law student. But, hey, at least I showered, right?
Oh. Wait, nevermind.
*sniff*
...awkward.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Wednesdays
I hate them. They are inevitably the worst day of my week every week this term. For starters, Wednesdays are home to my two least enjoyable classes: Torts I and Introduction to Law. Torts I is a constant trial in patience and self-restraint against suicide attempts. I actually sit in class thinking of things to do that look like work, just to keep myself from playing solitaire. Solitaire would be too interesting in that class. SOLITAIRE. Kill me now. FAIL.
Introduction to Law sucks in a different way. When the class is not focusing on basic reading skills (no exaggeration) it is giving us rules and elements of law that we are expected to mentally "throw out" after leaving Intro, because these rules may or may not coincide with the rules that our ACTUAL professors give us. Did I mention that Intro has assignments that have to be turned in each week? Did I further mention that Intro is required to be passed in your first term or you are academically dismissed? Did I mention that Intro is worth ZERO CREDIT HOURS?! That's right folks, no credits, lots of homework, arbitrary legal theorems. A win-win situation. FAIL.
The upside to this particular Wednesday is two-fold. Firstly, this morning, although I was awoken, as usual, by exceptionally loud construction from the parking lot immediately outside my bedroom windows BEFORE 8 AM, the cable company came and upgraded my pimp juice. I now get both HBO AND Showtime. I have already watched Baby Mama for free. Exceptional. Furthermore, on this particular Wednesday, a local franchise of Chipotle Mexican Grille provided free food to students from my law school, including a free full entree AND free drink. All together now: WIN.
The problem with these exceptions of today is encompassed entirely in the virtue of them being 'exceptions to today.' In other words, the only things that redeemed Wednesday (today) were isolated incidences that will not repeat next Wednesday, thereby dooming me to repeat the horribleness of my Wednesdays every week for the following 12 weeks, with no rational hope for free Chipotle or expanded Cable services. FAIL.
Introduction to Law sucks in a different way. When the class is not focusing on basic reading skills (no exaggeration) it is giving us rules and elements of law that we are expected to mentally "throw out" after leaving Intro, because these rules may or may not coincide with the rules that our ACTUAL professors give us. Did I mention that Intro has assignments that have to be turned in each week? Did I further mention that Intro is required to be passed in your first term or you are academically dismissed? Did I mention that Intro is worth ZERO CREDIT HOURS?! That's right folks, no credits, lots of homework, arbitrary legal theorems. A win-win situation. FAIL.
The upside to this particular Wednesday is two-fold. Firstly, this morning, although I was awoken, as usual, by exceptionally loud construction from the parking lot immediately outside my bedroom windows BEFORE 8 AM, the cable company came and upgraded my pimp juice. I now get both HBO AND Showtime. I have already watched Baby Mama for free. Exceptional. Furthermore, on this particular Wednesday, a local franchise of Chipotle Mexican Grille provided free food to students from my law school, including a free full entree AND free drink. All together now: WIN.
The problem with these exceptions of today is encompassed entirely in the virtue of them being 'exceptions to today.' In other words, the only things that redeemed Wednesday (today) were isolated incidences that will not repeat next Wednesday, thereby dooming me to repeat the horribleness of my Wednesdays every week for the following 12 weeks, with no rational hope for free Chipotle or expanded Cable services. FAIL.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
First presentation
So I presented for the first time yesterday. It did not go well.
To start with, my brief for the case, which I was inevitably called on to present, was crap. Like crappy crap. I might as well have not even had a brief with which to present. I had chosen that case to not include a fact pattern in my brief and to half-ass my issue. As a general theme, my brief was insufficient. FAIL.
To make matters worse, my brain chose yesterday to suddenly find my professor attractive. So being a man, and unable to help myself, I was perving mentally about said professor when I was immediately called on. I have confirmation that I was beet-red when I rose to present. Considering the possible outcomes that could have resulted from my fantasy romp, I consider only having to worry about my blush to be a victory. WIN.
I am hopeful that my next presentation will go far better. And if it doesn't? Well obviously I will just fake an inability to speak for the rest of my law school career. What other choice do I have?
To start with, my brief for the case, which I was inevitably called on to present, was crap. Like crappy crap. I might as well have not even had a brief with which to present. I had chosen that case to not include a fact pattern in my brief and to half-ass my issue. As a general theme, my brief was insufficient. FAIL.
To make matters worse, my brain chose yesterday to suddenly find my professor attractive. So being a man, and unable to help myself, I was perving mentally about said professor when I was immediately called on. I have confirmation that I was beet-red when I rose to present. Considering the possible outcomes that could have resulted from my fantasy romp, I consider only having to worry about my blush to be a victory. WIN.
I am hopeful that my next presentation will go far better. And if it doesn't? Well obviously I will just fake an inability to speak for the rest of my law school career. What other choice do I have?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)