MI Asst A.G. bullying gay student

Did you know that for 6 months, Andrew Shirvell, assistant attorney general for the state of Michigan, has waged an online bullying campaign against college student Chris Armstrong, an openly gay student assembly president at U Michigan in Ann Arbor? I didn't and I want to spread the word... I hope you will too.

CNN broadcaster, Anderson Cooper, had Shirvell on his show earlier this week and last night Cooper invited Shirvell's boss, Michigan Attorney General Cox (a man with a history of turning a deaf ear to GLBT issues), to his show to ask why he has allowed such aggressive behavior from his assistant. Needless to say, the story is both bizarre and frightening. There's a lot on the internet about this story - Queerty has a good posting you can read here.

I was going to read Shirvell's blog today, but after his appearance on CNN he blocked his site. I was student council president when I was in college, and I can't imagine what I would have done if someone did the same thing to me. I found Shirvell's office number and have decided to post it - his work telephone no. is (517) 373-4875.

Additionally, his boss, MI AG Mike Cox office e-mail is miag@michigan.gov. I'm going to send an e-mail to Mr. Cox for what its worth. The main number for the A.G.s office in Lansing, MI is (517) 373-1110

10/1/10 UPDATE
Boy Culture Blog has posted that Michigan A.G. Mike Cox has clarified reports that Andrew Shirvell has been suspended -- Note that he has not - Shirvell has taken a voluntary, paid leave of absence following months of harassing U of M student body president Chris Armstrong, whose homosexuality Shirvell literally views as a sign the younger man is 'Satan's emissary'.

To this I say WTF? So now Shirvell can spend 24/7 fixating on terrorizing this kid? And why shouldn't he? No disciplinary actions are underway; he's still receiving pay and benefits. Are you kidding me Michigan?

Heal thyself and get to the gym you fat ass

Today is the first day I've not taken Flexeril and 600mg of Ibuprofen three times a day to help me cope with the pain from my strained neck / back muscles. I'm still quite tender and not nearly 100%, but I'm finally feeling human again. Needing to take medication really bums me out. Despite what you've been reading (if you've been reading), I'm rarely sick and not accustomed to taking medication.
Unfortunately, between being ill with meningitis and medicating myself after hurting my back and neck I counted that I've been down and out for 16 of the past 28 days. In addition to making me down right depressed, being ill and incapacitated has also seriously messed with my work out routine which had been paying some serious dividends. To compound matters, I've been quite regularly eating chocolate in quantities that would make a French pastry chef blanch. What can I say? I seek comfort from chocolate.

Anyway the result has been that I feel like all my progress in the gym has come undone. This evening when I looked into the mirror I felt like I was starting to resemble the Family Guy.
I'm still not able to work out but I'm hoping to return to my trainer, Stu, next week. If only for my mental health I need to get back into my gym routine. When I'm working out I'm more disciplined about what I eat and the further I get from the gym the more lax my eating habits get.

Ouch

I've been down and out lately with a pulled muscle that had me feeling very sorry for myself. I'm still popping some muscle relaxants, but I feel like I'm finally on the mend. Between my visit to the hospital and this most recent incident, I'm ready to flip the calendar and say "good bye" to September.

Free stuff to do in Boston this weekend

I've been busy this week working in NYC, but I wanted to post some really cool (and free) activities that are happening in my neighborhood this weekend. The weather is expected to be full of sun with highs in the low 80s Friday and Saturday. Sunday appears to be a bit cooler, but still nice. If you are in the area, plan on checking out one of these events.

Music to your ears The Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival concludes Saturday, September 25th with a free outdoor festival on several stages in the South End.

Art for your soul South End Open Studios is Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 6pm. Open Studios brings together more than 250 artists exhibiting their work in their studios. The website includes a map showing where participating artist studios are located. You can link here for directions.

Food for your stomach Saint John the Baptist on Union Park Street in the South End between Shawmut and Washington Street is hosting their annual Grecian festival. Friday 6pm - 10pm / Saturday 12pm - 10pm / Sunday 12pm - 8pm.

An evening at Fenway Park

I'm sad it is a forgone conclusion that the Red Sox season is going to end without any post season play this year. However, that did not stop me from joining my friend Paul who was provided some sweet tickets to Fenway Park (in the State Street Pavilion) this past weekend.

The view from these seats is spectacular and the fact that they have added perks like your own entrance and exit, table service and more than enough space to walk around to enjoy both the game and the park makes these among my favorite seats at Fenway. We sat just left of home base and had a beautiful view of Fenway as well as the Back Bay skyline. I've attached a couple of pictures I snapped from my phone that evening.
Refreshments

View of the field

Lady Gaga asks fans to call politicians to repeal DADT

Lady Gaga is using her celebrity status to raise awareness about the Don't Ask Don't Tell vote in the U.S. Senate. In the video she eloquently describes why she is opposed to DADT and uses her time on camera to quite brilliantly show her fans how to get involved in the political process.

Does this make me like Lady Gaga even more? Damn right it does. Now for those of you living in states where your Senators have not expressed support for repealing DADT - won't you consider following Lady Gaga's lead and call?

Senator Scott Brown will be hearing from me.
If you live in MA you can call him at 202.224.4543

Hey Mom & Dad your NH US Senators:
Retiring Sen. Judd Gregg - 603.622.7979
Sen. John Sununu - 603.577.8960
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen - 202.224.2841

Need to find out your Senators names or office numbers? Link Here.

A march on Washington

John Stewart and Steven Colbert have announced they will hold rival marches in Washington D.C. on October 30th. This is part satire / part politics coming on the heels of recent political gatherings on the Mall in D.C. by the Tea Party and others. Falling just days before national elections in November, it is interesting to see what kind of attention these two Comedy Central studs receive. I for one am more than a bit tempted to head to D.C.

Click here for more information about the March to Keep Fear Alive or the Rally to Restore Sanity.

Boston holocaust monument

I stumbled upon this photo when I visited a Chicagoan in Montreal blog. He had snapped this photo of the Boston Jewish Holocaust Memorial. Considering Yom Kippur starts at sundown tonight, I thought it appropriate to post.

Cities around the world have built their own holocaust memorials, but the six glass towers and the path you walk through in Boston near Government Center is incredibly somber.

Free stuff to do in Boston this weekend

Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival (Sept. 15 - 25th)
Yesterday the 10th annual Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival kicked off. This year's festival pays tribute to the music and culture of New Orleans. The 10-day event culminates a week from this Saturday (Sept 25) with a free outdoor festival on three stages that stretches over six blocks in my neighborhood, The South End. Last year's event drew over 80,000, so put the date in your calendar and if you're a jazz enthusiast check out their website for events this weekend.

Red Bull Art in Motion (Saturday 4:30 - 9:00pm)
Hard to describe and fascinating to watch. Check out this free event coming to Boston Saturday afternoon down at Government Center. Looks very cool and is certain to draw a lively crowd.

Meningitis (again)

So last Monday (Labor Day) I found myself quite unexpectedly in Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center with a confirmed case of viral meningitis. I was finally released (after endless tests) Thursday evening. Big deal, right? Not really. Its more like old news, because this was the third time I've contracted meningitis. The last time I had meningitis was May 2009. (I wrote about it in my entry Thank goodness for percoset.)

I swear I must be the only person who can self-diagnose meningitis and rate Boston area hospitals on their proficiency with spinal taps. Perhaps I should contact Consumer Reports to see if they need someone to provide quality ratings on spinal taps.

Fortunately, I am on the mend and glad to write I finally feel myself again.

Tom Brady's car accident 911 call (parody)

Last week local news in New England was obsessed with a car accident on the streets of back bay because an individual had run a red light and hit Patriot's QB, Tom Brady. I could not have cared less, but I assure you I was in the distinct minority.

The YouTube video is a parody of the reporting of the car accident and is just one more example of how obsessed New England is with their sports teams.

Images of Back Bay

Brownstones along Newbury Street



Church of the Covenant
Noted for their Tiffany stained glass windows, mosaics and chandelier


The Hancock and Boston Public Library (a.k.a. BPL)


Prudential Building (a.k.a. the Pru)

My 9/11 tribute: Remembering my friend Graham

Nine years ago yesterday (September 9, 2001) I said good night to my friend Graham (pictured above). He was leaving for L.A. in two days, and we were to connect the following weekend so he could tell me about the trip which was a mixture of business and pleasure.

For me the morning of September 11th is etched in my memory. It is filled with calls from friends trying to remain calm but their voices betraying their panic urgently inquiring if I knew what United flight Graham was on and asking if my partner (a F.A. for United at the time) was on the flight that left from Boston.

Taken too soon and still missed today, the nation will mourn an attack on the nation that is for most fodder for political debate and indignation. For me the 11th of September is always about giving thanks that my partner was not working that flight and about the days that followed which included the unfortunate task of packing my friend Graham's belongings and shipping them to his parents in the U.K.

Listed below is a quick video of Boston's humble but very serene memorial to that tragedy.

Rick Santorum's problem with Google

Stephanie Mencimer's article on MotherJones.com "Rick Santorum's Anal Sex Problem" was forward to me by my friend Tom who also dislikes the ultra-conservative former U.S. Senator from PA. Although Santorum is the darling of conservatives and may have eyes on a Presidential run in 2012 the article explains that he has a bit of a Google issue.

When you Google Rick Santorum, top search results consistently list SpreadingSantorum.com (FYI - not cool to check out if at work). The site explains that Santorum's last name is a sexual neologism for "the frothy mixture of lube and fecal matter that is sometimes the byproduct of anal sex."

Apparently Dan Savage launched this site a few years ago and has not updated it recently but Google (and Bing I've just discovered) list SpreadingSantorum.com as one of the top 3 sites.

I know its petty, but I'd like to ask bloggers to encourage their readers to look up Rick Santorum on both Google and Bing and click the appropriate link to keep the embarassing link high in the rankings... Who knows, perhaps I'll even add it as a link to my own site as my way of saying F.U. to the man who's made a career out of homophobic and hateful speech against the GLBT community.

Summer 2010

Labor Day marks the end of the summer season in the U.S. Hopefully warm weather will remain for a bit longer but for all intents and purposes, the summer of 2010 (which was truly spectacular) is now a thing of the past. I've included a few pictures from each month as a sort of homage to the season.

June - Boston Pride
Motley's window display for pride was both creative and funny. FYI, that is the 80s Cosmo Centerfold of MA Senator, Scott Brown.

The block party as usual was the best part of Boston Pride.

Proud window dressing on Tremont Street.

More images from Boston Pride can be viewed here.

July - Week of the 4th in Provincetown
My photo with David and Sean after they legally wed in Provincetown.

Two guys showing off their patriotism on Commercial Street.

Temperatures in the 90s kept people hovering by the pool at the Boatslip.

For more photos from 4th of July week, link here.

August - Carnival in Provincetown
Tea Dance was packed all week long at the Boatslip.

Another float filled with sexy men flirting with the crowd.

Revelers enjoying the parade and shouting their approval to those sexy men.

More photos from Carnaval in Provincetown can be viewed here.

Lake Winnipesaukee

I spent this past Friday and Saturday with my family up at our lake house on Winnipesaukee, which is approximately 2 hours north of Boston. The lake is nestled just south of the state's White Mountain range and is fairly sizeable stretching more than 20 miles (32km) from north to south. My parent's house is nestled in Robert's Cove - a 5-10 minute drive to the quaint wolfeboro town center.

View of Lake Winnipesaukee driving into Robert's Cove

Picture of Wolfeboro Center

View of Rattlesnake Island

Enjoy the long weekend

I'm heading up to Lake Winnipesaukee to spend the first half of the holiday weekend with family. Although the weather will remain mild through September and there are likely (hopefully) to be warm weekends ahead, this is officially the last weekend of summer for places like Cape Cod.

The summer of 2010 has been a lot of fun due in no small part to what has been beautiful weather. After a spectacular spring and summer, I remain optimistic about a mild autumn. Fingers crossed...

Enjoy and have a safe labor day weekend.

Dating etiquette

Last year I included this vlog posting after seeing it on WGB. After listening to a couple friends recently complain about bad dates in Boston and another friend's decision to end her blog, My quest to find a husband, I thought I'd repost this YouTube video.

Sweatin' it out in Boston

Boston has been simmering with temperatures in the mid 90s for the past several days. The heat looks like it will be here 'til Friday when Hurricane Earl is expected to bring high winds and lots of rain to the area. The big question is exactly how close will the hurricane come to the coast. Hopefully after a day of rain the tropical weather which always accompanies a hurricane will bring back warmth and sun for the second half of the holiday weekend.