OMG: Bad Reviews
First, I don’t know this blogger/author, I came across this by accident on Facebook, and when I post about things like this on the blog they don’t reflect my own opinions…as an author or a blogger.
Second, I don’t really know what else to say…it’s one of those things you have to see to believe…other than I’ve never seen anything like this that was meant in a serious way. Maybe it is a joke? I’m not sure.
A one-star review adds a sense of authenticity. It shows that someone you don’t know has read your book, even if that person is clearly deranged.
Third, that’s the nicest one.
You can read the rest here.
Brad Pitt Angelina Jolie Wed
I’m posting about this because Pitt and Jolie once stated they wouldn’t marry until gay marriage was legal in the US. This was back when we were all so unsure about whether or not gay marriage would ever be legal. I thought that was one of the most genuine acts of support I’ve ever seen from a straight couple. (No straight couples I know did that in support of Tony and me.) And they didn’t get married. They put it off until just recently. I think the statement Pitt made was about as on target as it gets…about getting married. Tony and I have been together for twenty-two years and we didn’t “get” the magnitude of it all until we were married last year in Vermont by Supreme Court Justice, Beth Robinson. Most gay couples I know in long term relationships say basically the same thing.
“It’s an exciting prospect, even though for us, we’ve gone further than that,” Pitt told The Associated Press in an interview in November 2012. “But to concretize it in that way, it actually means more to me than I thought it would. It means a lot to our kids.”
You can read more about the wedding here.
HIV Via Facebook Message
This is piece of news stunned me when I first read it, and I’m still in disbelief. Evidently, a young man was infected with the HIV virus by a guy he thought he was in love with, and it only devolves from there. Through a facebook message, the guy who was infected discovered that the man he was in love with infected him on purpose. It was not only intentional, but there’s evidence that the guy was bragging about how many other people he’s infected with HIV.
His accuser claims that he and Guerra had been in a serious, year-long relationship and had been talking about getting married when he received a Facebook message from an ex-boyfriend of Guerra’s warning him about the man. He soon learned he was HIV-positive. He also claims to have found shocking text messages on Guerra’s phone, bragging to his friends about infecting people.
“Texts where he’s stating he’s negative to people then bragging to others about giving people his ‘positive load.’ It’s crude, it’s… I don’t know how someone could treat another individual like that,” he said.
Aside from the obvious moral and ethical issues here, it should be interesting to see how this is handled in court.
You can read the rest here.
Writing African American Characters
Earlier this week I shared a post on social media titled, If White Characters Were Described Like People Of Color In Literature. It’s an interesting article because it shows how ridiculous it would look to everyone if white characters were written the same way we often see people of color written…those cheesy descriptive sentences like these below, but this time they’re describing white characters poorly to show the insensitivity, and well, lack of writing skills in general…
9. He traced his fingers along her supple, cauliflower skin.
10. She stepped out of the car and was delighted by the cool summer breeze that brushed against her legs. She had been sitting in the sun earlier and welcomed the relief of this fresh air on her mayonnaise legs.
I think this could apply to all characters of all races. And this is only my opinion, but I have a strict rule about this whenever I write non-white characters. I don’t think it’s being too politically correct. I actually follow this rule in every aspect of my life. And the only thing I do is keep it simple. I don’t call attention to a character’s race unless it’s important to the storyline in some way. When, and if, I mention race I keep it short and simple and get right to the point. In other words, I don’t think it’s necessary to go into exaggerated details when writing any character of any race. Because when you do that you wind up with white people who have supple cauliflower skin and mayonnaise legs. Or even worse…
3. His eyes looked like eyes because they were eye-shaped, not almonds.
He Bit Off His Penis
This is something you don’t hear often, but you often wish you did. When an Australian man tried to rape another man by forcing his penis into the other man’s mouth, the other man bit it off. Yup. He gave him exactly what he deserved without waiting for karma to do it for him.
The story goes like this: Man #1 met Man #2 at a nightclub on Saturday night. After pounding back a few drinks, they went back to Man #1′s apartment in Chermside, a suburb outside of Queensland. And that’s when things took a turn for the worst.
Shortly after arriving at the apartment, Man #2 alleges that Man #1 tried to pin him down and rape him. Man #2 said “No!” and when Man #1 wouldn’t listen, he retaliated by clamping his jaw down on his penis, sinking his teeth into the flesh and causing serious injury and severe bleeding, before fleeing the apartment.
You can read more here. It should be interesting to see how this is treated in court, too. The prosecution wants an “intimate examination” of man #1’s penis injuries.
Michael Sam in the Showers
At first I thought this would be another dumb article, but when I started reading it and I saw how Michael Sam…and all gay men…are being treated (and insulted) I was stunned.
I once posted about how worried everyone was about having gay men in the showers with straight male athletes. This was one of the big concerns when openly gay Michael Sam first came out to the NFL and the world. Now I think we can all agree it’s still an issue and it’s not being put to rest.
Well thank god ESPN is around to ask the tough questions. Like whether or not Michael Sam waits to take a shower alone as to not make the team uncomfortable. Don’t make us send Daniel Radcliffe in there to give the team diversity training, because you know we will.
Of course the reporter is quick to point out that he could be waiting to rinse off for “a million different reasons,” like hanging back to get more practice time or “riding his bike.”
You can see the video here. And here’s what you’ll learn, in short:
Michael Sam is trying to be one of the guys. (Insult)
Sam is trying to feel his way through to see who he can relate to. (Condescending and presumptuous)
Sam allegedly waits to take showers after the rest of them have…this is only speculation right now. (Hearsay by an idiot)
I honestly don’t think I’ve seen a more insulting or condescending video about gay men since
James Creepo’s last escapade. And if you don’t see why it’s condescending and insulting my explaining it will not make much of a difference. Fire them both…the reporters. Set an example and do it now so no one ever does this again.
The comments all seem to agree with me.
The Sheriff and the Outlaw
by Ryan Field
