On Clues & Closets - Special Guest Post

clue

(kloo) noun
something that serves to guide or direct in the solution of a problem, mystery, etc.; his behaviour gave me a clue as to how I should proceed.

having a clue
(hav-ing a kloo) verb
a socially constructed state of being in which one has it all figured out, but which limits creativity and hinders diversity once attained; he’s 42 and still does not have a clue.

I’m 31, and much like Robbie, I still don’t have a clue – or at least not a solid one. You know, one of those clues you can really hold onto and run away with. The kind of clue that motivates you to eat your Wheaties in the morning and check your mutual funds in the afternoon (I don’t even really know what a mutual fund is – but I hope to, someday).

For now, clues are the stuff that dreams are made of. Or rather, clues and dreams are made of similar stuff. Scratch that – dreams rock, clues are for sell-outs. I’ll return to this point.

On my blog David Bothered (www.davidbothered.com), I write about some pretty big issues – religion, science, environmental conservation, self-actualization, you name it. I always write with the goal to inspire, and to offer alternative perspectives – no, to encourage alternative perspectives. We all have a tendency to get stuck, and getting stuck will get us nowhere (and certainly not any closer to a mutual fund).

But many roads lead to inspiration, and my blog is only one such road, tangled and twisted among a plethora of winding streets and rocky (even icy) paths. Robbie’s blog, 42…Still No Clue is another such road. And it has been with great pleasure that these two particular roads have had the opportunity to intersect.

I tend to get a little serious, whereas Robbie’s road to inspiration is humour – much to my admiration, I might add.

The Soundtrack Of My Life

stupid

(stoo-pid) adjective

lacking intelligence or common sense: I am stupid.

fat

(fat) noun

a natural oily or greasy substance occurring in animals bodies, esp. when deposited as a layer under the skin or around certain organs: I am fat.

My brain has a default setting: I am stupid and fat. Like a diabolical jukebox that plays only “Barbie Girl” or “Achey Breaky Heart” until you want to pour battery acid in your ears, so goes my brain.     

It looks something like this: there is a miniature tape player located at the back of my head, snugly lodged in my cerebellum - yours may be an I-Pod if you’ve already had the upgrade. It hums a long, quietly forgotten, playing the dull everyday elevator music of my life until something happens that requires a more dramatic soundtrack. 

CLICK

WHIR

A new track plays…  It’s something more appropriate… It’s… Oh, it’s “You’re Stupid And Fat” again…   

Did I Vote On Your Marriage?

That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for the GLBT community.

Ask any American where the center of the Universe is and they’ll tell you it’s somewhere below the 49^th parallel and above Mexico.  Many will choose New York City, Los Angeles or Las Vegas.  How many would choose Annapolis, Augusta or Olympia, the capital cities of Maine, Maryland and Washington State?

On November 6^th, 2012, the good people of these three states voted to allow same sex couples to get married.  It is the first time in the US where this decision was made by the people and not the courts. 

Forgive me if I overstate; this is a watershed moment for GLBT people worldwide and perhaps the most important day in the history of the gay rights struggle.

America is the bright beacon of hope for so many people around the world, whether we like it or not, often “how goes America, how goes the world.”  Even though it isn’t a perfect system, democracy is the best option out there, and democracy spoke loud and clear on Tuesday night.

Capitalist Vermin

Vermin

(ver-min) noun

various small animals, such as mice or rats, that are destructive, annoying or injurious; the vermin got into our feed and greatly reduced our stock.

Capitalist Vermin

(cap-i-tal-ist ver-min) noun

wealthy vermin, such as Mickey Mouse, who build their nests out of shredded $100 bills; it was a sad day when capitalist vermin purchased Lucasfilm.

I grew up on Star Wars – the good Star Wars.  The Empire Strikes Back remains one of my favorite movies of all time and the most profound film-going experience of my life.  I discovered the true power of cinema: the ability to transport and to inspire wonder and help people escape the cold reality of their own lives.  

I didn’t just love Han Solo; I was Han Solo. 

Creating A Crisis

Crisis

(cri-sis) noun

a time of difficulty, trouble or danger: creating a crisis generally gets you a lot of attention.

As I see it, the inherent flaw in human nature is our need to be loved. 

We can pretend that we are tough and portray ourselves as stoic warriors to the outside world, yet intrinsically, we need, and crave that affirmation from an exterior source.  The desire to be loved, cared about and made to feel special is part of our genetic make-up.  We want to be a part of something that is bigger than ourselves, something that defines us beyond our own narrow, self obsessed point of view. 

This need to be loved can get us in a lot of trouble.

In my family, when one is feeling unloved, we do something unusual – my husband calls it creating a crisis. 

This means we invent a calamity and then milk it for all it’s worth. 

Robbie and Dan's Bogus Journey

Savage

(sav-age) adjective

(of an animal or force of nature) fierce, violent and uncontrolled: a savage attack on basic civil rights.

Sav-age, Dan

(1964-) American author, media pundit, and journalist, best know for his internationally syndicated sex advice and relationship column Savage Love: I totally want to spoon with Dan Savage.

My full-blown love affair (entirely one-sided) with Dan Savage is pretty recent.  I’ve enjoyed Savage Love in the Georgia Straight for years, admired his strength of purpose when he founded the “It Gets Better” project, and have always respected his opinions.  It is only in the past several months that I have fallen completely head-over-heels.

I am fairly certain that it’s this new, more aggressive Dan we’ve witnessed lately that has transformed my dull roar into a raging howl.  His increasingly public clashes with FRC fuck-tard Tony Perkins and NOM Nazi Brian Brown have really got my juices flowing.  So, this week, when I was invited to attend a live taping of Slate’s Political Gabfest at Town Hall in Seattle with special guest Dan Savage I jumped at the chance.

Cock Punch - Round 2

punch

(pun-CH) – verb

strike with the fist: that guy deserves a good punch

cock punch

(cock pun-CH) – verb

strike with the fist into a man’s genitals: I would really like to cock punch that guy

It is definitely time to hand out some more cock punches!  The world continues to go crazy and some people are helping it along a little too much.

A Honey Cured Canadian Bacon Cock Punch for that asshole Kevin Reinhart and the shareholders of Nexen Inc. who voted overwhelming to approve a $15.1 billion takeover by CNOOC, a state-owned Chinese oil company.  The deal, which still needs to be approved by the Canadian Government – which we all know it will be – is just the latest example of Stephen Harper and his unpatriotic flunkies in Ottawa selling Canada out to the highest bidder.  Hey Harper, what ever happened to the promised changes in the Investment Canada Act review process you committed too after the Potash debacle?  Is anything you say true? 

Putting yourself out there...

Awareness

(a-ware-ness) noun

knowledge or perception of a situation or fact: World Suicide Prevention Day is essential because it helps to raise public awareness and gives people hope.

Today, 10 September 2012 is World Suicide Prevention Day. 

The mandate of the International Association for Suicide Prevention and the WHO is, on the surface, simple: prevent people from killing themselves.  Thru awareness campaigns and due diligence the IASP advocates for prevention, treatment and follow-up for those who have attempted and responsible reporting of suicides in the media.

Easy, right?

Flame on!

Hero

(he-ro) noun

a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities: a war hero.

Superhero

(su-per-he-ro) noun

a benevolent fictional character with superhuman powers: the sexiest Superhero of them all is Johnny Storm, aka The Human Torch.

Imagine growing up in a world with no positive role models.  Imagine too, growing up in a world without any way to express your true desires.  You are a kid without any posters on your wall, a little boy or girl with no scribbles on your notebook declaring your undeniable love for the latest pop icon or movie star du jour - you are going to marry Justin Timberlake and you need all the other bitches to know and to back the hell off!!

Ruminations on Berlin

Auslander

(Aus-lan-der) – noun

Foreigner, in German: Ich bin ein Auslander (I am a foreigner)

I have fallen in love, fully and completely, with Berlin.  In this city my husband told me I am a good man, “the best man he knows.”

Berlin is green and gorgeous but red with the stain of Germany’s horrific past - you cannot have one without the other.  In all its glory and splendor, its striking architecture and bustling tourism trade, there is an undercurrent of pain and regret, of a history that cannot (nor should not) be forgotten.  I am glad that I feel this way.  To ensure that history does not repeat itself one must first remember and then examine what has come before.