Discussions

Word to live by (or rather, words I OUGHT to live by) :

Know the true value of time;
snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it.
No idleness; no laziness; no procrastination;
never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.

-Lord Chesterfield

Updates on my life

Well, it's been a long ass time since I've updated my blog. Oh so many things have happened since my last post. Didn't end up going to Rehoboth Beach like I had planned, instead I spent the 4th of July on the balcony of Ken's new fabulous 13th floor apartment with him, Margo, Fred, Raven, Kevin, and myself. We had a great dinner party: Ken made manicotti and a great homemade dipping oil, and I made Spanish calamari (recipe forthcoming, I promise). All of the food turned out delicious, and we watched the DC fireworks from the comfort of his balcony, above and away from all the crowds.
Other stuff has happened too, but too much to review here. It's hard to believe summer is almost over!

Now, since someone was wondering what was going on with my blog, I have decided to finally shift my blog in a new direction. Starting today, I am going to have a little potpouri of everything, food, politics, life, thoughts, and reader comments encouraged.

Politics

For example, one reader's blog has been discussing the gay rights issues. In response to one of his essays, here are some of my thoughts on some aspects of gay life. To paraphrase him, he was discussing the recent gay pride parade in DC, and how the men dancing in thongs, etc., was not doing anything positive for the gay community. I beg to differ.. see below

I'll also leave my 1 1/2 cents about the topic above. While I agree with a lot of your argument, I feel I have to disagree when you say,
"it sends the wrong message to our hetero counterparts that we’re sex crazed, promiscuous perverts who’ll do anything for a cheap thrill."
My point of view is, so what? I think that is exactly where the gay movement has gone wrong, trying to curry favor with heteros by portraying ourselves as neat clean-cut upstanding citizens.
Why are we to be held to some lofty standard, when straight people are free to indulge in the same behaviors without their whole community being judged? A large portion of Middle America is never going to accept us (as the last elections show). Fuck 'em, I say. If they don't like us doing drugs or having lots of sex, fuck 'em. They aren't going to help us out either way. We don't owe Middle America anything at all, and since our rights don't seem to matter to them, their opinions of my leisure time don't matter to me.
There is a larger issue here, and it goes above even GLBT rights... the broader issue of freedom for everyone.
I think, rather than trying to imitate the Ozzy and Harriet lifestyle of suburban heteros, we need to take a different approach to gain straight allies.
When we approach this is a freedom issue (the freedom to do what you want with other consenting adults, regardless of gender) I think we will catch the attention of more heterosexuals. Because, we must remind them, if they take away our rights, you'll be next!

-So there...what do YOU think?

Books

Next to politics, my other passion. Thanks to Jonathan and his closeout from his offce at the now defunct (?) Lambda Literary Foundation (one the only gay literature organizations in the country) I have a ton of free books by gay authors. Right now I am reading "So Long Been Dreaming: Postcolonial Science Fiction and Fantasy."
It is an anthology of writers, some gay, some straight, from Africa, the Carribean, India, and Native Americans. Fascinating works that definately deserve the attention of anyone interested in speculative fiction. Highly reccomended!
As a result of reading it, I was to explore the works of writer Vandana Singh more.
More book reviews as my summer reading continues!