I am Jack's One Year Anniversary

Yes, that's right I started this blog exactly one year ago. Originally, it was really a procrastination for finals, but I've kept it up much to my own surprise. Recently I read some of my older posts and I must say that I enjoyed what I read, but perhaps I am a little biased. I quite like having my own little place in cyberspace and I want to thank all of those that contributed comments. If it weren't for you I'd just be talking to myself. My theory for blogging is that you have to write it as if there were someone out there that will actually read it. So thank you for making it a little easier. I'm going to be a little busy for a couple months but I will keep trying to update. I do have a post that I've been meaning to write for awhile. For now, that is all.

Cell Phone Update

"Why in the world would you think your (cell) phone would work in your house?" he (CEO of Verison Wireless) said "The customer has come to expect so much. They want it to work in the elevator, they want it to work in the basement."

Right...just like I said.

"The Man-Date"

I found this article on my newest addition to my blog, fark.com. (Which is a great site for random links throughout the web.) *Pauses a few minutes so people can read the article* But since no one ever does...basically the article discusses with stigma that straight men feel in going out with their male friends one-on-one, in a non-sports and non-business setting. Some of the men fear that people will assume that they are gay on a date with another gay man and how this is a recent phenomena. Men used to socialize together all the time and there was never a problem with it at all. I find this a very interest societal development, that men can no longer share the company of each other without it being perceived as a "couple". I ask the men who read this, or the straight ones at least, if they find the same thing ringing true in their lives.

Now I think it is easy to dismiss this as a logical extension of homophobia, while I think that is what drives a lot of men to avoid this contact, I think there is more to it than that. Perhaps what people are really afraid of is being judged by other's unfairly. I consider myself a very enlightened and liberal person, especially in matters of sexuality. I have been described by people who know me as "the gayest straight man they know". I take this as a complement, but I also do not want people to think I am gay...not that there's anything wrong with that (sorry had to do the Seinfeld reference).

The logic of this point goes something like this. I don't want to be perceived as something that I'm not. If I behave in such a way that does not conform to how a straight male should act then I am perceived as gay. Because I appear gay to someone then they also attribute all of the stereotypes and prejudices to me as well. I am not gay, but I have been judged by someone else as being something that I am not. To put it another way, it is not a homophobic reaction on my part for not wanting to be perceived as gay, rather it is me saying "why do you assume that I am? Why can't I act in a way that is contrary to yours and society's perception of how I should act and not have a label put on me?"

Perhaps I have delusions of grandeur but I like to hold myself out as an example to other men who feel that they have to act in a certain way or be perceived as homosexual. I feel that many of the traits that men exhibit are not innate but rather taught to us by fathers, coaches, and others. That men cannot show emotion, must treat women as objects to conquer, please insert any other characteristically male trait. There is no reason men need to act like this and they as individuals and we as a society would be far better off if they didn't.

But maybe I just want to have a nice candlelit dinner with my straight friend and share a bottle of wine.

Cell Phones

Anyone has spoken to me probably knows that I have a deep resentment of cell phones. It's not so much a resentment towards cell phones but rather the general idea that most people have is that they should work all the time and can not live without them. People complain about not getting reception and getting calls cut off. Somehow they just don't think something like that should happen. Maybe it shouldn't but the technology is not up to par just yet (or perhaps its the fact that we went with a different technology then the Europeans did). The point is people should realize that they do not work all the time and thus not have an expectation that they will.

However, this is a complete tangent to what I really wanted to talk about. Included in the many things I don't like about cell phones is the voice mail itself. Why is it necessary to have instructions on the voice mail "if you would like to leave a message, please wait for the tone." This comes after the personalized message of the person you are calling, and always seems to be the same woman's voice. Who decided that we as a society needed instructions on how to leave a fucking message! Oh you mean I'm leaving a message? And I have to wait for the tone? And I can leave my call back number even though the person's phone 9 times out of 10 will have a missed call listed on their phone anyway? We don't have instructions on home phones, other than the one you yourself put on their. Why is it that cell phones are completely different in that respect.