Monthly Archives: October 2008

Oct 17 2008

The Front Runner

Last night I finished reading Patricia Nell Warren’s book, The Front Runner.  It was first published in 1974 and really led the way for bestselling gay fiction.  Actually, I think it was probably the first mainstream book that featured a homosexual relationship.  Throughout the years of working in bookstores and talking to other readers, a ton of people have always asked me if I had ever read it.  Now I can say I have.

It is a great story and very well written, despite the ending.  I will keep it from you as to not spoil the book in case you want to read it, but beware…it’s blatantly posted in the description of the book on almost every bookstore web site.  The book definitely has a 70s feel since the author spends a great deal of time talking about the way they dance, what clothes they were wearing, and how their hair looked.  The Montreal Olympics are also a crucial part of the story, and the tragedy of Munich and Mexico City are mentioned.

As a gay man, if I was a teacher in charge of a gay literature class The Front Runner would definitely be required reading.  For me, it is a true classic.  There are two more books that are follow-ups to the story and I plan to read them soon.  Of course, there’s been a movie on the drawing board for a long long time.

As an author, I probably would shoot the editor had I written the book.  There are lots of mistakes and typos that stuck out at me.  For instance, one character is drinking scotch on one page and finishing his whiskey on the next.  There are also repetitive phrases such as “roman circus” throughout the book, often twice on a page, and I couldn’t help but think, “Couldn’t the author come up with something better?” or “You said that already!”

Despite these opinions, it really is a breakthrough book that captures a male-male relationship quite perfectly and would still ring true today.  I have never been a fan or been involved in sports, but the detailed account of several track meets and the Olympics here definitely kept me interested.  I’m not ready to throw on some spikes and run a 5,000K but I do have an appreciation of one’s love for the sport.  And for that, this book has done exactly what a good book should do in my eyes:

It’s kept me entertained.

I’ve learned something new.

I liked it enough to suggest it to someone else.

I connected with the characters.

And I’m still thinking about it after I turned the last page.

Oct 16 2008

L as in Learn, H as in How, T as in To, C as in Communicate

Despite technology constantly upgrading itself and producing high tech cell phones, ipods, dvr, and blue rays, it’s also ruining the English language and the art of communication.  We are becoming so lazy thanks to abbreviations used in chatting and texting.  For instance…

IDK BBF AFK LOL  ROFLMAO

We don’t talk like this, so why do we write like this?  How many times have you laughed at a joke someone told you, and instead of actually laughing you just said, “Roflmao, dude!”

I work in customer service and have learned that apparently they don’t teach kids how to capitalize proper nouns (including their own name) these days.  It’s evident in emails from customers and in shipping addresses provided on orders we fulfill.  Here’s an example…

ima idiot
123 dumbass st. ne
toledo, oh 69241

Not a single word capitalized!!  OMG! WTF?

Here’s an example of at least a dozen emails I answer a day…

“wheres my book did u ship it I have test on Fri. + need book 2 study..can u please reply w/ info, thx.”

No punctuation.

Wrong use of words.

Abbreviations.

No capitalization.

And I work in the medical field.  These are the nurses and doctors of tomorrow I’m helping!  And they can’t even spell.

So this leads to the idea that apparently when spelling things over the phone you have to give a word instead of the letter.  Don’t get me wrong…the occasional “B as in Boy” is okay.  That’s pretty universal by now although I have no idea who came up with that and decided Boy was the word we’d all use.  Did I miss this day in English class?  Is there an alphabet of words I was supposed to learn to communicate and spell over the phone.

“Can I get your last name for our records?”

“Quincy.”

“Can you spell that for me?”

“Quincy-Unique-Ice Cream-No-California-Yellow.”

“Do you put an Ice Cream-Elephant on the end?”

“No, just Yellow.”

“Okay, thanks.  The reason I asked is because I’ve seen it spelled Ice Cream-Elephant, or just Ice Cream on the end.  I’ve Yellow too but just wanted to make sure I knew which way you spelled it.”

OMG!  WTF?

So who decided we should say A as in Apple, B as in Boy, C as in Cat or Charlie?  Did you mean C as in cardiac catheterization?  R as in Robert or R as in Reticuloendotheliosis?

S as in supercalifriagilisticexpialidocious!

Wake up America and stop acting like idiots!  Learn the freaking language!  Capitalize your damn name!  IT’S CALL A SHIFT KEY!  Embrace it!  Embraaaaaaace it!

Oct 14 2008

It’s Britney, Bitch

Great video!  Oh what I wouldn’t give to be 21 again and tearing up the dance floor to this one.  My favorite part is Britney tying the cherry stem into a knot with her tongue.  It brought back fond Twin Peaks memories of Audrey Horne interviewing at One Eyed Jacks..

Britney was 10 when this aired.

I know, I know.  You’re still envisioning me of all people tearing up a dance floor.  Back in the day, baby!  It was 1996 then.  What was I dancing to?  Check it out…

Oct 12 2008

October 12th, 1998

Ten years ago today, Matthew Shepard died.  Just three days earlier, he’d been picked up in a bar by two men.  They robbed him, tortured him, beat him, pistol whipped him, and left him tied to a fence in freezing temperatures in Laramie, Wyoming because he was gay.  He was discovered 18 hours later by a cyclist who thought he was a scarecrow.  Matthew’s parents did not seek the death penalty in court.  They gave his tormenters life in prison, despite that they had taken the life of Matthew.

I don’t know where I was on that day.  It was 1998 so I had been living in Memphis for 3 years.  I was still in college.  Besides that, I couldn’t tell you where I was at exactly the moment I heard Matthew had died.  I’m sure I was glued to the television and praying he’d live.  I do know the effects it’s had on me since then.  I remember his mother visiting Memphis.  I have a book of poetry about Matthew which is signed by Judy.  As I write this now, I wonder where she is and how she is doing on this day.

I know who Matthew Shepard is.  I know he’d turn 32 this year on December 1st, the same age as me, if he was still alive.  I wonder where he’d gone in life, what’d he done, who’d he loved.  I wish he had lived.  I wish none of this would have ever happened to him, and that the world might not have known who Matthew Shepard was for the reason we do.

Rest in peace, Matthew.  We will never forget you.

Oct 12 2008

Sunday Morning Friends

Not only do the dogs let us sleep late on Sundays (7am), then we get up to feed them, feed the cats, and make coffee, but lately each morning there have been some other friends waiting at our back door also wanting to be fed.  I counted 20 yesterday and at least 30 this morning.  I also grabbed the camera for a few snap shots of them.

Oct 9 2008

There is nothing fun about fun size…

Despite the cool temperatures, my obsession with sweaters, pumpkin butter, costumes, good ghost stories, haunted history on television, horror movies, autumn colors, apple cider, fall decorations, and all the other things there are to love about this time of year, you gotta love the choices on that trick or treat candy aisle at Walgreens.

Those damn fun size candy bars are God’s work!  And oh my my, he does good work at that.

J bought three bags at Target this past weekend because we needed candy for the kids that come by on the 31st…all 2 of them.  We’ll have to buy more for them because these bags won’t make it till then.