The Word of Todd: Superlatives of 2004

It seems to be de rigeur to do one of these, so here's my version. I'm still quite new to blogging so the list is significantly shorter than most others. But just wait until next year! The list isn't necessarily a "best of" (thus the word 'superlatives' in the title), but you get the idea.

1. Most wished-for return to the Blogosphere: CyberKenny
2. Blog most likely to induce a blog crush: NoFo
3. Best blog for a visual thrill: Wet Dreaming
4. First person I've actually met whose blog I stumbled upon: boy's briefs
5. Best blog (and hottest blogger) I've found this month: UglyPony

Ego boost

Christmas night, Kevin and I had had enough of the holiday cheer, so we picked up mom and headed to the movies, where we met the Fockers. It's a good movie if you just want to laugh. I haven't heard mom laugh this much in a long time.

But enough about the movie and on to the real story. After we selected our seats, I went to the concessions stand to get the necessities of movie-going. All stations had a line, so I got in one randomly. While waiting, I began taking notice of the counter staff. Seeing one young hottie, I quickly moved to his line. After waiting what seemed like an eternity, it was finally my turn to order. We made eye contact, and he giggled. No one has ever giggled at me before. And no, this wasn't one of those high school type 'you're a freak and I'm going to laugh at you' giggles. No, I'm convinced he was taken with me! Talk about making me smile!

But I have no idea how to handle these sorts of situations. Having a partner (not to mention a mother in the next room) kind of puts limits on one's actions. So I just smiled a lot more than I would have otherwise and tried to make small talk while he prepared my order. Maybe I should have given a wink as I walked away? As it was, I thanked him and hurried back to my seat beside Kevin.

A Fool for Christmas

Listening to NPR during the drive to my mom's on Christmas Eve, Kevin and I heard what has to be one of the most moving Christmas stories published in recent years. Allan Gurganus read his short story A Fool for Christmas. It had us laughing through tears, and although Christmas has passed, the story still holds up, so go listen to it.

Gurganus is a gay, Southern writer with whom I share a similar sense of humor. I'm not familiar with his work, but if his other writings are as good as A Fool for Christmas, I have quite a reading list for 2005!

This is class with a capital 'K'

Ignoring any First Amendment/free speech issues this situation raises, let's discuss taste and decorum. What is she thinking? Ditch that dress and pay Vera Wang a visit, honey. The Stars and Bars is not something I want to see in sequins.

Just call me Cassie for short

I like to think I give good advice. While I'm not one to hit people over the head with my opinion, I share my thoughts straightforwardly but gently. In fact, I'm probably not emphatic enough about why I feel the way I do.

I have a small number of friends who frequently ask my advice about something, usually related to their love lives, and we generally go on to have a nice discussion about the issue at hand.

But just about every time I give advice to these , it is ignored not followed. Because of this phenomenon, over the years I've double- and triple-checked with third parties to ask what they think of my advice. If I'm truly giving bad advice, I want to know! Overall, it gets really good reviews.

Human nature being what it is when it comes to love, however, these advice-seekers usually do what they were going to do anyway. And I'm OK with that, I suppose. But I can't help feeling just a little like Cassandra.

'Tis the season

After seeing the stress my mother went through last Christmas, I decided I had had enough. Enough with the oh-so-commercialized idea that Christmas is the time to spend, spend, spend some more on everyone in our lives. Putting pressure on oneself to create that "magical" fantasy holiday event that never, ever materializes is crazy. So many people see how the holidays are celebrated on tv shows, commercials and other media that they think their celebrations have to mimic those artifices. My family had fallen into that trap.

Constant stress about buying the right amount too many gifts isn't really celebrating, so after last year's "celebration," I had a chat with mom about what we could do differently next year. Let's get each other just one gift, I suggested. That's it. No exceptions. The cost doesn't matter, as long as the giver believes the receiver would like the gift.

She immediately jumped on the idea, and we'll see how it goes in just a few days. So far, all indications are that it's going to be a very different kind of celebration. Who cares how many packages are under the tree? Why bother with it all?

Spending time with loved ones is what it's all about, which is a lesson I learned (again) over the summer during my dad's illness and death. (This being the first Christmas without him is another post entirely.) Kevin and I will be visiting mom for the long weekend.

As hokey as it sounds, when it comes to the holidays, presence is far more valuable than presents.

Ladders, Chains and Ceilings

I had one of those moments today where I was thinking about my professional life. The thoughts are bittersweet and contradictory.

On one hand, I want to move up the corporate ladder, have the office with a view door, the accompanying raise, the eligibility for bonuses, all that. It seems so enticing. Then again, I like where I am. I make good enough money, rarely work more than 40 hours a week, take my lunch hour, have a personal life, rarely have meetings and have a great boss. Something tells me there's more, however.

I want the respect that comes from those higher positions, realizing the whole time it's all an illusion. People will think of you what they will regardless of the title before or after your name. Nevertheless, I need some kind of validation that comes with a promotion. Or I think I need it. Aaggggghhhh! Frustration resulting from realizing the futility of worry!

It boils down to this: I often think about the fact that I'm 35 years old and I'm no higher on the "chain" than I was when I entered the work force (post grad school) 7 years ago. I know people who have gone from grunt to VP in that time! Shouldn't I be at least a low-level manager by now? What am I doing wrong? Could it be that I have hit a "rainbow ceiling?"

But then I get some clarity and perspective, and I realize that I've always been something of a late bloomer. Maybe my time will come.

Just later than most.

Wrap your fuzzy in a big red bow

I am loving this song by the Scissor Sisters!

When you're walkin' down the street
And the man tries to get your business
And the people that you meet
Want to open you up like Christmas
You gotta wrap your fuzzy in a big red bow
Ain't no sum bitch gonna treat me like a ho
I'm a classy honey kissy huggy lovey dovey ghetto princess
Cuz you're filthy Oooh, and I'm gorgeous...

The entire CD is great, too; the right amount of glam, falsetto, and tongue-in-cheek lyrics make it a hoot to listen to.

Desperate

Congratulations! You are Lynette Scavo, the
ex-career woman who traded the boardroom for
boredom, mixed with moments of sheer panic as
the mother of four unmanageable kids.

Which Desperate Housewife are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

What does this say about me?? Should I be concerned, or simply look forward to that impending amphetamine addiction and its associated weight loss???

Insight Into Trashy Todd

Call me trashy, call me juvenile, call me observant, call me what you will, but I like catching a glipse of a guy's package through his pants. Sometimes not seeing everything is way hotter. Like when you're walking down the street, you see some hottie who's obviously not wearing underwear, or you notice that the guy at the gym wore his barely-too-tight shorts, or you're catching up on SNL and guest host Colin Farrell is wearing khakis. Good times!

Unfortunate headline

I understand why this was placed in the Entertainment section on cnn.com, but the story is hardly entertaining. Maybe they should rename the section ShowBiz, as the URL suggests. That would avoid this unfortunate juxtaposition.

Naked Boys will sing again!

Atlanta's mayor helped bring the situation to a close. The show will go on. And there was even an apology from a police spokesman. How 'bout that?!?!

Hot Priests

I can thank Andrew Sullivan for this tidbit:

The Vatican is hawking a calendar featuring clerical hotties. I kid you not. Here are a few pics.

Hmmm...

Free Speech?

Red State madness has hit our little Blue State oasis.

I like to think of Atlanta (intown, not the 'burbs) as a haven of Blue State-ness. But happenings such as this upset this little archetype of my world. I know this sort of thing happens all over, but we Southerners have such a reputation of being small-minded to overcome that these things don't help. Worse, I have yet to hear any major rumblings, even from our gay community. Very disappointing.

I'll probably go to a performance this weekend, provided they're back on stage. I feel I must support the musical, even though I've already seen the off-Broadway production twice. What's once more, right? At least it's a new crop of naked boys!

If you're from Atlanta -- hell, even if you aren't from Atlanta -- be sure and send our chief of police an e-mail letting him know what you think about this suppression of the First Amendment. His e-mail address is: webmaster@atlantapd.org (be sure to put "Message to Chief Pennington" in the subject line). You can also call him at 404-817-6900.

That was Saturday night. Saturday morning, one of those mega-churches, the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, had a march downtown from Martin Luther King Jr.'s tomb to the Braves stadium. The march, at least partially, was to show participants' objections to gay marriage. Thousands of people attended, according to the AJC. At least there were protesters.

In spite of Saturday's events, Atlanta is a great place to live. It just needs a shot of anti-puritanism. But, like flu vaccine, that's in short supply this year.

Playing Catch-up

Last week was quite busy, as you may have noticed. Not a single post here. Monday was my photography class, Tuesday and Thursday was gym/trainer night (although I cancelled Thursday because I wasn't feeling well). Wednesday was an impromptu dinner, and Friday was Divas Rock Atlanta.

Divas Rock was fun, lots of "old school" mostly-circuit dance divas -- Martha Wash, Thea Austin, Pepper Mashay -- and a few not-so-circuit divas -- Deborah Gibson, RuPaul. The big surprise, for me anyway, was Lady Bunny! She is fabulous. Atlanta isn't accustomed to such vulgar humor; as many people were gasping as were laughing at her act. It made me feel all the more cosmopolitan that I was one of the laughing queens! The show went on for 5 hours!! OMG! We left after 3 hours -- it was time to move on. I hate we didn't get to see Kristine W or RuPaul, but it had been a busy week, and we needed rest.

Kevin also completed the tree last week. It's gorgeous, as always. While I like pheasant feathers on the tree, it can look like birds have kamikazeed. But you be the judge on that.

That's enough for now. But check back soon. There are stories to tell.

Photo Gallery

Check out the new gallery. I don't yet have it formatted as seamlessly as the previous format, but it sure is easier to add and edit photos. I used Gallery software, which was fairly simple to get up and running, considering it has been several years since I did so much on a UNIX box. Let me know what you think about the gallery and the photographs, keeping in mind that I'll be giving it the same look as my main page when I have a chance.

The Irony of Freedom

To all Bush supporters:

...[G]uard the freedom of ideas at all costs. Be alert that dictators have always played on the natural human tendency to blame others and to oversimplify. And don't regard yourself as a guardian of freedom unless you respect and preserve the rights of people you disagree with to free, public, unhampered expression.
-Gerard K. O'Neill

Source: Quote Garden

Left-wing bias in US media? Where?

I realize I'm probably preaching to the choir here, but this column is troubling. I know all news organizations have their spin, but it just gets worse. Luckily we have the internet for other news sources. Here are some of the ones I read frequently:

New York Times
BBC
CBC
NPR
The Guardian
dailyrotten.com

These sources don't tend to cater to the Nascar demographic. And that's why I read them.