Latest posts
-
Screen Nectar Sips: The West Wing – My Idealized Horizon, and the Enduring Brilliance of Bartlet’s Orbit
A television series that, for me, transcends mere entertainment to become a profound source of hope, intellectual stimulation, and aspirational leadership: The West Wing. This isn’t just a show I watch; it’s a masterclass in political drama, rapid-fire dialogue, and compelling character development that has captivated me for decades. In the often-turbulent atmosphere of modern
-
The Wildcard Wanderings: The Rise of Apathy – Why Tuning Out Is a Dangerous Drift, and My Own Battle Against Emotional Fog
The glow of San Francisco’s magic still shimmers around me. Stepping off the plane and back into the familiar Texas heat yesterday, my heart was still full from an unforgettable 40th birthday week with my incredible chosen work family. And just when I thought the celebrations were over, I walked into my office to find
-
The Social Swarm Speak: How to Be a Perfect Citizen in an Imperfect Country (A Pre-Flight Satire)
The bags are packed, the tickets are confirmed, and the anticipation is absolutely electric! Today, August 2nd, is the day I fly out for San Francisco, embarking on my 40th birthday week celebration with my incredible chosen work family – my “squad,” who are quite literally the wind beneath my wings – and, with a
-
The Opinionated Sting: How Many More ‘Historic Firsts’ Before We’re Just Normal? (A Hopeful Cloud on My Horizon)
It’s a question that hovers constantly in my mind, a persistent atmospheric phenomenon: How Many More ‘Historic Firsts’ Do We Have to Celebrate Before It’s Just Normal? As a gay man who is about to turn 40 (my birthday, August 5th, is officially here!), and as someone who has witnessed decades of LGBTQ+ progress, this
-
Screen Nectar Sips: Game of Thrones – My Epic Obsession, Tragic Falls, and a Cloud of Dragonfire
Lets pour a rather complex, often dark, but utterly intoxicating glass of television essence as we journey back to the treacherous, politically charged lands of Westeros and Essos: Game of Thrones. This isn’t just a show I watched; it’s a sprawling saga that consumed me for nearly a decade, a series that, despite its very
-
The Opinionated Sting: I’m Tired of ‘Both Sides’ Arguments—One of Them Wants Me To Not Exist
Today, my internal compass points to a topic that brings a deep, simmering frustration to the surface, one that casts a heavy cloud over so much of our political discourse: I’m Tired of ‘Both Sides’ Arguments—Because One of Them Wants Me To Not Exist. You often hear the refrain, particularly in media and polite conversation:
-
The Social Swarm Speak: Stop Telling Me to Be Grateful for Rights I Should’ve Had All Along
A particular sentiment has been echoing in my mind lately, growing louder with every news cycle, every political debate, and every well-meaning (or not-so-well-meaning) comment I encounter: the pervasive insistence that I, and others from marginalized communities, should be ‘grateful’ for the rights we have now – rights that, frankly, we should have had all
-
The Opinionated Sting: Why I Miss the Internet of the 2000s – Before the Clouds of Algorithms and Commercialism Rolled In
Remember the days when logging onto the internet felt like stepping into a vast, uncharted wilderness? A digital frontier where every click could lead to an unexpected discovery, a quirky corner, or a genuine connection that felt truly organic? My mind often drifts back to that era, the Internet of the 2000s, and a profound
-
The Social Swarm Speak: Universal Healthcare – Still a Dream in 2024? (A Cloud of Disappointment)
Today, I’m gazing at a concept that, despite its widespread success and proven efficacy in nearly every other developed nation, still feels like a distant, ethereal dream here in the United States: Universal Healthcare. It’s 2024, and the persistent absence of comprehensive, equitable healthcare coverage for all citizens casts a looming, often suffocating, cloud of
-
The Social Swarm Speak: Nashville’s Bitter Honey – Confronting Bigotry on My Latest Trip
Welcome, dear readers, to The Social Swarm Speak, where on Fridays, I dive into the issues that truly get my hive in an uproar, or, as is the case today, make it buzz with a complex mixture of joy, frustration, and defiant purpose. This week, the buzz is particularly poignant, because my beloved “squad” –