Hell has Frozen Over..Oh No Wait...False Alarm

I read a headline today that made me take a second look. The headline read US: North Korea to Suspend Nuclear Activities but my eyes read Hell has Frozen Over. I couldn’t believe that North Korea would agree to such terms. I figured there was a catch because there had to be a catch. I read the article and discovered that the agreement was made in exchange for food aid from the United States. As I continued to read the article, I was filled with more questions about the details of the agreement. The article wasn’t clear on whether the moratorium referred to all nuclear activities, or just specific types of nuclear activities.

I don’t believe it for a second. Nuclear activities mean too much to North Korea because it’s the only leverage the country has. Let’s say for the sake of argument that North Korea keeps its word and suspends the activities, how long will the suspension last and what are they going to do once the suspension is over? I have this vision in my head of the leaders of North Korea shaking hands and making promises, but all the while, their fingers are crossed behind their backs.

To Apologize or Not to Apologize

Obama shouldn’t have apologized about the burning of the Quran. He should have said it was an accident and continued to inflame the situation. At least that’s what some people think. I think that Obama was right to apologize. When you do something wrong, whether by accident or intentionally, you should apologize. Obama is trying to defuse a volatile situation. It would be reckless for him to come out and say something like, “It was an accident, get over it.” That type of thinking is as good as saying “Go ahead and kill a few more Americans.” Sometimes being the bigger person means stepping down even when you’re not technically wrong. His words may not have appeased everyone, but at least no one can say that he fanned the flames. We know that there are people who are willing to go to war over the Quran, ignoring them will not make them go away. Some fights are worth standing your ground for and accepting the casualties, but this one was not.

The Shooting at Chardon High School

There was a school shooting in Chardon, Ohio. I live about an hour away from Chardon. I’ve never been to Chardon schools or shopped in Chardon stores. I’ve driven through Chardon on my way to other places, but I’ve never stopped. Before today, it was just another city. I knew people from it and I knew it was notorious for getting pounded with snow, but it wasn’t a place I cared about one way or the other. This evening, things are different. I’m suddenly filled with questions about the schools and the students and the city and the parents. I’m wondering about friendships and rumors of lost loves, but most importantly, I’m thinking about the tragic events that happened today, Monday, February 27, 2012 in a high school that is not so far from the high school where I work.

No matter what facts emerge, no one wins. Everyone involved in the situation has lost something. Even people not directly involved have suddenly been confronted with the truth that no matter how old you are, your life can change in an instant. Sometimes it’s not about being in the wrong place at the wrong time, sometimes it’s about being where you’re supposed to be at the wrong time. There is at least one teenager who died today and one teenager who is responsible. There are people hurting on every side.

Like many people, I find myself asking, “why.” It’s natural to want to know why someone would do something so horrible, but I’m tired of hearing people ask if there was something that could have been done to prevent this tragedy. Hindsight is always 20/20. We can look back now and clearly see the warning signs, but that’s because we know what we’re looking for and we know what happened. Sometimes, you can’t see things that are right in front of you. Sometimes there’s nothing to see. I don’t know if this could have been prevented, but I do know that no amount of second guessing can change what happened. I’m not going to make assumptions about the shooter’s motives or the lives of the victims. I’m going to keep my mouth shut until I learn more about the situation.

At this point, the focus should be on dealing with what happened, making adjustments to try to prevent future tragedies and accepting the fact that it’s too late to fix whatever went wrong, but it’s not too late to talk about it.

Status: Feeling sorry for everyone involved, from the witnesses, to the families, to the friends, to the victims and even the shooter.

Hypothetical Nuclear War...Hmm.

A friend convinced me to check out a dating site and one of the questions that the dating site gave was in regards to nuclear war. I seem to be the only person who selected the option that it could be exciting. Could you imagine if a nuclear war happened? I would be scared and on edge. The idea of living after so many people have died is intriguing to me. What would I do without my iPhone or electricity or the internet or running water? I would never actually want to find out but I think the hypothetical prospect of finding out is exciting. Would I still be kind to everyone, or would I develop a “survival of the fittest” mentality? There are so many questions that can’t be answered until you are in that situation. I guess I’m one of the few people who can see pass the billions of dead people and focus on the idea of being one of the living.

Status: Thinking that I should consider changing my answer because I clearly did not interpret the question correctly.

Someone Needs to Buy That Man A House

I was watching the World News tonight and I saw a story that threatened to break my heart. A 64 year old man was featured in one of the stories. The man had been fired from his job. He slipped out of the middle class and now receives food stamps. Unfortunately, his food stamps didn’t cover much in terms of food so he was skipping breakfast in order to save money. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the man became teary-eyed when he spoke about the possibility of losing his home. He had lived in the house since he was twelve years old. I almost cried with him. My first thought was that someone needed to see his story and buy his house for him. I couldn’t imagine being in his position. I try not to complain too much about my job because I know that I’m lucky to have one.

Status: Hoping someone buys that guy’s house for him.

I Miss Passions

Days of Our Lives now has a gay storyline. I used to be on top of these things. I guess working full-time and giving my writing an honest effort has me slipping. I missed the build up to the storyline. Fortunately, the short clip that I saw reminded me why I don’t watch Days of Our Lives. The show just never appealed to me, even after it took in some of my favorite Passions and Guiding Light people. I used to love Luis on Passions, but I don’t even know the name of the character that Galen plays on Days of Our Lives. I should probably look that up.

I miss Passions. That show was ridiculous, but that’s what I loved about it. I saw the very first episode of the show and I was excited to watch a soap opera from the beginning. I was still in high school for the first few years of the show, so I missed a lot of episodes, but the summer was enough to get caught up, because the show didn’t move too quickly. I watched the show from time to time in college and I had some of my friends watching it, too. Their initial reactions were always the same as mine, “What the hell is this? This is terrible!” But the show was so bad that it was good. It didn’t take itself seriously and I loved it for that. I was sad to see it go.

The Galen I'd Take to Meet My Mother:

The Galen I'd Take Home:

A Quality Article on Yahoo!...I Guess it Does Happen

Every now and then, I read something that completely stokes my interest. Usually, I don’t read it on Yahoo! I love Yahoo! articles, but they’re not known for being of the highest quality. Today I read about a family of blue people. I found the Fugates of Kentucky: Skin Bluer than Lake Louise article on Yahoo! I’ve always been fascinated by science and genetics. I used to think that I would one day create a cure for AIDS, then I realized that I wasn’t very good at science and I lacked the commitment and focus to spend the necessary time to be decent so I abandoned that dream and focused on my real passion: writing. The article awakened the scientist in me and I found myself actually reading each line instead of skimming the article. I wanted to know about the family and their lineage and I wanted to know if the family still existed. If you enjoy reading about marvels of nature, then this is a good article.

Status: Wondering what it would be like to be born blue.

I Need to Slap My Elementary Teachers

I was taught that there was a separation of church and state, yet everywhere I look, the two seem to be intertwined. With Romney and Santorum both insinuating that Obama is not a good Christian, I can’t help but wonder why religion is more important than the real issues. I understand that our country is still not ready for a “non Christian” leader, but do we have to be so blatant about it? While we’re busy accusing people of not being religious enough and while Obama’s staff is wasting its breath by issuing official responses, I’m wondering how a lesbian married couple may face separation by deportation because Vermont recognizes same-sex marriages but the federal government does not. Why is it okay for the federal government to defer to state policies other things, but not this? I have a feeling that everything will work out, but it never should have reached this point. While politicians are busy arguing about things that don’t matter, the rest of us are stuck dealing with the things that do matter.

Skeletons in the Closet

I always feel conflicted about pulling people out of the closet. Most people should have the right to tell the world on their own terms. It should be a personal decision and those who are privy to inside information should keep the secret, but there are some times when the secret needs to be exposed. I wrote a short poem on the topic:

Projection

Let’s not speculate or pontificate
Let’s just set it straight
You can’t be honest with yourself and that’s okay
But don’t spend your time trying to stand in my way
Don’t put me down because you feel low,
I shouldn’t bear the guilt that you fail to show
You don’t trust the world with your secret
And it’s okay for you to keep it
But don’t attack me because you don’t like yourself
The blame for that belongs to you and no one else.

Goodbye Whitney Houston

Today, the world is saying goodbye to Whitney Houston. I’ve had a lot of people ask me if I cried when I found out that she was dead. I’m not that type of person. I don’t cry over dead celebrities. I’m not saying that to be mean. I loved Whitney through it all and I wanted her to make a full comeback. Her voice was beautiful and anyone who says otherwise is clearly suffering from hearing issues.

People keep saying that she shouldn’t have done that reality show with Bobby Brown because she was such a mess. I watched some of the episodes and I thought it pulled the curtains back on a side to Whitney that most people never expected. She wasn’t the woman I thought she should be. The reality show helped me understand why she was with Bobby Brown. Everything made sense when I saw that show. And the world should never forget Whitney saying “hell to the no.” That always made me smile.

My heart goes out to Whitney’s friends and family, but especially her daughter. The world loved Whitney the singer, but they loved Whitney the person.

Status: Singing “Million Dollar Bill” to myself.

Bye, Bye A Gifted Man. I'll Miss You Patrick Wilson.

There are so many good things coming on television tonight. My DVR is getting its first real workout! There’s a Cavs game tonight: my cavs play the heat. There’s a new Undercover Boss with the CEO of Checker’s/Rally’s. I rarely eat their food now, but when I was younger, I used to love Rally’s fries. Shark Tank is on tonight and as a person with a million and one ideas, I like watching other people who are making their ideas a reality. The NAACP Image Awards are on tonight. I’m not sure if I want to watch, but I’m taping it just in case. 20/20 is doing a two hour Whitney Special, which I absolutely have to tape. I feel like a tv-aholic. I have to tape A Gifted Man, too, because I think I might be falling for Patrick Wilson. I can’t believe the show was cancelled.

Status: Planning to stay in and watch my Cavs.

A Heart Attack That Couldn’t Wait

Have you ever read a story that was funny for all the wrong reasons? Yesterday my sister read me a hilarious story about a guy having a heart attack while eating a Triple Bypass Burger at the Heart Attack Grill in Las Vegas. The restaurant’s slogan is “A taste worth dying for.” The person who wrote the story made several jokes. One of the jokes was that the restaurant can’t be sued because the name said it all. When my sister read that, I knew it was safe to laugh with wild abandon because the victim must have survived. The waitresses at the restaurant are called “Nurses” and customers wear hospital gowns. The kicker was when the story explained that the guy started sweating profusely and having trouble breathing, but many of the customers thought it was an elaborate advertising scheme so they were taking pictures. That part was too much.

Obviously one Triple Bypass Burger didn’t cause the guy to have a heart attack, but his choice of restaurants makes this a story worth repeating.

Status: Still smiling at the irony a day later.

Forfeiting a Game...Has it Come to That?

I read an article about a high school basketball team in Georgia that is forfeiting a playoff game because the school is afraid that a brawl will happen and mar the game. After reading the article, I still don’t understand why the school had to forfeit. Was the state unwilling to figure out a safe alternative, like having a closed game or better yet, bussing the basketball teams to an undisclosed location (at least a hundred miles away) and letting them play? This story was unbelievable to me. I mean I guess the school did what was best for their students, but it’s unfortunate that they couldn’t play the game.

Status: A bit confused.

Matt Bomer...mmmm

I love Matt Bomer (even though I didn’t know his name before today). I admit it’s a purely superficial kind of love. I don’t even watch his show, but I love looking at him in the previews for White Collar. Now, I find out today that he is in fact gay and all I can do is think about how that improves the quality of my fantasies. It’s one thing to make him gay in my head, it’s another to know he’s gay in real life. That just adds an extra level of deliciousness to the fantasy.

Status: Trying not to fixate on Matt Bomer.

RIP Whitney Houston

I’m just going to say it: some people are assholes. I can’t believe how vile people are being about Whitney’s death. They could at least let her be buried before they break out the negativity, or better yet, wait for a confirmed cause of death. Most people are probably having some of the same thoughts about her death, but some of us have the decency to keep our mouths shut. People couldn’t wait to take cheap shots at a dead woman. I think that says a lot about who we are as a society. We pride ourselves in nastiness and mean spirited comments and, in some cases, we hide behind the anonymity of the internet.

Status: Trying not to be upset by ignorant people.

Maybe I Should Mind Your Business Too

I wish other people shared my beliefs and if they can’t share my beliefs, then I wish they would at least leave me alone. Sometimes I wonder how people feel the way they do then I realize that people might wonder the same thing about me. I’m very accepting of most things because I don’t think it’s my place to tell people what they shouldn’t do. I don’t understand violent sex games, but some people love them, so who am I to stop two willing adults from indulging in their fantasies?

Maybe I am too laid back. I just don’t see the point in judging someone else’s life by my own. I know some people will look at me and talk about who I am, but at the end, I’m the one who has to live with myself.

"Welfare Babies"

I was watching my local news earlier today and they were interviewing local Catholics about the President’s change in the contraception policy. I think saying that the insurance companies should pick up the tab should be good enough for people to stop talking about it, but no, the locals still found something to complain about. One man complained that the government shouldn’t be involved in people’s bedrooms. I think his argument is out of context. The push for contraception is to prevent babies; the government could care less about what’s going on in the bedroom (as long as it’s legal and you’re not homosexual).The next person was a lady. The lady said that the people who will use the contraception are the ones who are already receiving tax dollars; the implication being that mainly people on welfare or some other form of government assistance use contraception. The last time I checked, many women who weren’t on government assistance also used contraception, but for the sake of playing the devil’s advocate, let’s say that the lady is right and it’s those people on public assistance who are going to benefit from free contraception. I ask, “Would that be so bad? Isn’t it a good thing that people who are struggling to take care of themselves will now have free access to contraception and thus to preventing the possibility of having a baby and needing even more public assistance? Can that really be a bad thing?”

Status: Watching the game and thinking about the interesting people who reside in my city.

Go Cavs!

I just want to take a moment and point out that not only did my Cavs win last night, on the second night of back to back games, after playing Miami in Miami the night before, but they won without Kyrie Irving and they weren’t playing a bad team. The LA Clippers are doing much better than the Cavs. I was proud of my Cavs for hanging in there and not doing their usual. Normally they would have fallen apart and lost once the Clippers made their comeback in the fourth quarter, but that didn’t happen last night. My Cavs hung in there and won. I’m not a big Anderson Varejao fan but I’m beginning to at least respect him this season.

It was good to see Mo Williams again. He still looks strange in a uniform other than the Cavs. I miss him.

Hello World

I’m going to an event tonight. I hope that it’s fun, but I’m not holding my breath. Hopefully I meet some interesting people, but truthfully, I’m doing it to get out of the house. I have a very boring routine and I’m trying to spice it up by getting out more. I went out last week and I’m doing it again this week. I usually don’t go out on week nights because I have to get up and go to work in the morning.

Status: About thirty minutes away from leaving.

Leave Gisele Alone

The media loves to sensationalize things. I know that’s what they’re paid to do, but sometimes they go overboard. The headlines about Gisele had me thinking that she said something awful. When I read the actual story, I didn’t understand why it was an issue. According to most versions of the story, Gisele was being heckled when she angrily responded to the jerk who was heckling her. When someone talks trash to you, you often talk trash back. The guy was telling Gisele that Eli owned her husband. Gisele let the man know that the loss wasn’t her husband’s fault.

As an unbiased viewer of the Super Bowl, I think it’s a bunch of crap that one of the biggest stories after the game is Gisele’s response to an idiot who was harassing her. No offense to Gisele, but her opinion shouldn’t count in this situation. She’s not one of the players. The only way this should be a big story is if Tom Brady made the comments. He would be wrong because as a member of the team, he shouldn’t bash his team members, plus he did have one interception, that had “interception” written all over it when it left his hand.

Naked Candy

My local news was talking about super bowl commercials. I liked the m&m’s one. I know the Doritos commercial with the “missing” cat was dumb, but I liked that one too. The note attached to the bag of Doritos was funny.

Anyone, here’s one more look at the naked red m&m (Please remember: he's sexy and he knows it):



While on YouTube, I found myself watching a clip of Just a Question of Love. I had forgotten how much I liked that movie. It’s nice to watch people fall in love and know that there will be a happy ending.

Status: Fighting the urge to watch the entire movie.

Random Musings about the Super Bowl

I watch for the commercials and I see the game by default. My bathroom breaks are taken while they’re playing or during the halftime show. I’m not a big Madonna fan (shocking, I know), so I won’t mind missing part of her performance. I’m not a fan of either team. Tom Brady is cuter than Eli Manning. You know it’s true. Tom Brady should never grow his hair out because he looks so much better when his hair is short. Although that’s probably based more on my preference for the preppy look.

My Super Bowl Poem:

A Sexy Few

You put helmets on handsome faces
And hot men together in various places
But you stop me from being naughty
By using padding to cover a tight body
What I wouldn’t give to see under a jersey or two
Not all, just a sexy few.

Addicted to Publishing on Kindle

I wasn’t going to post a story this weekend, but I couldn’t resist. I’m going to publish The Science of Us to Kindle. My cover is too dark to look nice in the black and white version, but I like the blue for the color version, so I’m leaving it because the book isn’t about its cover, it’s about its content. The Science of Us is filled with drama. I shortened the story and limited a lot of the drama, but it still seems drama filled. I’ve been rationalizing it by saying that teens usually have drama. I can’t bring myself to change it too much more. Maybe I should. Oh well.

I have approval for the cover for Bump This. I’d like to thank Troofire for that. I’m hoping to publish it this month, since the story was first posted on Valentine’s Day.

You've seen it before, but I'm sharing it again. Here is the future cover of Bump This:

For now, I’m in the editing, Kindle publishing, zone. I don’t know how long it will last, but I’m going to keep doing it until I get tired of it. Then I’ll stop for a while.

It’s kind of nice to have years worth of writing at my fingertips, because I can just pick which story I want to reread and edit, then publish it. I’m serious about being a writer, so I’m trying to do the grunt work. Maybe one day, LT Ville will mean something in gay fiction.

Status: Feeling myself, figuratively, not literally.

I See Dead People

I can’t tell if I’m getting sick or not. I’ve felt cruddy the past three mornings, better during the day while I was working then sick again at night. I’ve been taking medicine. I’ve also been having strange dreams lately. I’m going to blame the sickness because I’ve taken the medicine before and I didn’t have these crazy dreams. I’ve been talking to dead friends in my dreams and flirting with men who are off limits. I don’t mess with married me so I’m a bit unnerved by one of my dreams. The intense flirting felt so real that it left me very disturbed when I opened my eyes.

Status: Hoping tonight’s dreams won’t be so crazy.

Wannabe Rebel

I’ve recently realized that I’m a wannabe rebel. I do rebellious things when I’m angry or upset or hurting, but I do them in a way that no one close to me ever knows the truth. I wonder if it counts as acting out if the people I’m acting out against don’t have the slightest clue about what I’ve done. Maybe I’m not acting out to hurt them, maybe it’s more about hurting myself for not being more assertive. I don’t know. Sometimes I like to do things that are out of character because it keeps people on their toes, but I’m finding that I’m spending more time hiding the things that don’t mesh with my character than I am flaunting them and I used to flaunt them all the time. I used to love being a walking contradiction.

Status: Introspective.

Go Me!

I did it! I posted something to my blog every day during the month of January! I’m so proud of myself. I did it as a personal challenge. I write this blog mainly for myself and it’s nice to be able to go back and see what I was thinking on certain days. I’m hoping to keep it up for the month of February.

Random poem:

Failure to Love

I can’t love you
I’m sorry but it’s true
I fell harder than I should
And gave it all away
Now you’re here
As perfect as can be
Please believe the blame’s with me
I have nothing left for you
Because of what he put me through
So I’m sorry that you’re here right now
I wish I could let you in somehow
But I can’t love you like I should
And there’s no guarantee I ever would