Song of the Mo

Allow me to introduce you to...

"How Does It Feel?" by Eskimo Joe

Flaunt This!

What a way to end the month of June. This past weekend, Gay Pride was held in Seattle and it was a ton of fun. All weekend was spent with my local friends as we celebrated each other and our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters.

I have heard on many an occasion this sort of backwards affirmation of tolerance for homosexuality: "I just don't get why they have to have a parade and flaunt it to everyone. It's not like we have a straight parade."

Well, listen up straighties - every day is your frickin' parade. To diminish the gay and lesbian community's one week of in-your-face, flaunted to the tenth power, unbelievably gay activities is akin to not understanding the reason for Black History Month or refusing to recognize the struggle of women's suffrage. To ask such a question truly displays an incredible amount of ignorance, which may or may not be your fault. For every commercial I have to watch starring two lovers of opposite sexes advertising jewelry, Pine Sol or dog food; for every couple I have to watch walking down the street with their hands clasped together without fear of judgment or violence; for every action movie hero's female love interest and every male politician's trophy wife; for every blurred same-sex kiss on television; for all of these reasons, I deserve one week where it becomes my turn to shove my flaming, homo-loving gayness in your face.

Thus, let us celebrate the weekend that was Pride with a few pretty gay photographs. Enjoy.

One Small Step...

I have written quite often on my blog about my disappointment in President Obama and his policies related to LGBT rights. Since I do spend a lot of time voicing my opinion about his lack of courage when it comes to overturning "Don't Ask Don't Tell", I think it is only fair for me to highlight his efforts for making progress as well.

Last week, Obama signed an executive order extending benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees. Many progressive organizations already do this (and have for years), so it is about time the federal government caught up. However, the benefits unfortunately do stop short of providing the same health benefits allowed to heterosexual partners of federal employees.

Here is a great broadcast from NPR titled, "Mixed Reaction Over Gay Rights for Federal Employees" from "Tell Me More". It provides great insight into the fight for LGBT rights for gay Americans and the pressure that needs to be put on Obama in order to make progress on this front. As always, NPR's guest speakers are extremely intelligent and diplomatic in their rationale, which although at times boring to listen to, is preferable to the angry protest and demands that more often make widespread news.

Click on this link to get access to the audio version of the broadcast: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105652767

By the way, according to the latest Gallup Poll:
- Two-thirds of the American public support health insurance and other benefits for gay and lesbian partners.
- 69% of the American public favor gays openly serving in the military.

Given these numbers, there really is no excuse that Obama and his administration are moving so slowly on LGBT issues. It's an ethical issue of humanity and civil rights AND the American public also supports change in favor of eliminating discrimination. What's left to consider?

Summer Movies!

I have been completely sick for the past week and a half. My total apologies for all my undisciplined-ness. This illness, however, has given me plenty of opportunity to watch way too much TV and look at stupid stuff on the internet. This has led me to quite a list of movies that I would like to see this summer.

Am I crazy for wanting to see "The Proposal"? When I was a kid, I had a very strange obsession with Sandra Bullock - I owned like all of her movies and had posters of her on my wall. Then she started making super-crappy movies like "Forces of Nature" and she sort of fell off my obsession-radar. I find Ryan Reynolds to be charming in a sort of strangely familiar way and Betty White is in it! Well, after all is said and done, I probably won't see it until it hits my Netflix queue.

Here, though, are some movies I definitely will be seeing:

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"


"Julie and Julia"


"500 Days of Summer"


I also still have to see "Up" and "The Hangover". Oh boy - I love being back in America! :)

Missed Connections

Sorry for the lack of posts lately - I've been incapacitated with the worst heartburn of my life for the past couple of days, in addition to a killer sore throat that persists regardless of how many cough drops I throw down there. After what seemed like fruitless attempts at easing the little demons on holiday underneath my ribcage with Pepto Bismol, Pepcid AC, Tums, and Mylanta, I miraculously woke this morning free of chest pain - hurrah! However, the feeling of swallowing several little knives with each sandpapery gulp dashed any hope of healthy celebration.

Anyway, in my sickly state it seems I've developed a new pasttime. All that CD buying at Goodwill was getting expensive and frankly, gave me quite the backache - no alphabetical system, all in bins less than three feet...oy! I'll never vanquish that vice permanently, but lately I've found a much cheaper, instantly gratifying hobby - reading the missed connection ads on Craigslist.

The romance! The scandal! The sex! The horror! Reading these ads is like living out a movie - a fantasy where I can make up scenarios in my brain about how exactly these missed connections came about. It's a geeky escape from the world for me - ironic since these people are legitimately looking for others they almost met in reality.

I thought I'd share a few of my recent favorites from Seattle.


Big Brothers Big Sisters - m4w - 25 (Everett)

You were making gulping noises after Dusty was drinking out loud. That was funny. I would like to hang out with you. I wanted to ask you to join me for a drink, but I'm a little shy when it comes to that. Well I hope you get this. Have a good night.

There are 2 things that get me with this one: 1) "drinking out loud" - how brilliantly confusing, although I have a feeling I know exactly what he's talking about; and 2) the title, "Big Brothers, Big Sisters" has nothing to do with the ad (at least for us readers). That's where the fantasy comes in - are they both volunteers there? Is he totally crossing the line by asking out his mentee? Oh, the possibilities are endless!


It's all about me - w4w - 34 (in your head)

Every day I passive aggressively wander through the ads wondering if one of these is you. And even better yet I respond to any hint that it could be you writing about me. If I see an ad that says "looking for a woman" I automatically assume it must be about me if there is love written about. Any romantic pie in the sky post I think it's me. I take any clue and run with it. Moonbeams? Oh yeah, we did look at the moon one time. Holding hands in a park? Yes! There was our first date! ! I am that egotistical and lost without you and I cannot just pick up the phone like a real adult.

So ladies please keep writing about your moonbeams and your unrealistic Hollywood romantic endeavors wrapped up in a neat little bow. I will respond because I have no life and everything must be about me. If I miss your ad I guarantee someone else will respond because there will always be those that can't confront their romantic partners, those who can't buy condoms or tampons without getting embarassed, those who are just too damn passive aggressive and have to look in missed connections!

Well, at least she's honest, albeit passive aggressively.

Blacked out hookup - m4m - 25 (Capitol hill)

Ok Soooo I went to Rplace last night and obviously drank WAY too much. I guess I brought someone home but all I remember is the sex (and only in flashbacks) and that you had an amazing penis. It was just the right size. I'm sorry I don't remember what you looked like or your name and you didn't stick around till the morning for me to find out. So If you were at Rplace last night and hooked up with a guy and think this might be you, could you please lemme know who you are so I can put a face and name to a penis haha. I'm simply curious is all.

I think this one pretty much speaks for itself. It might go without saying that this one is my current favorite.

Meet My Dad

There are many of you who have recently asked me why I left the Peace Corps early, knowing that I was only in Moldova for about 8 months. I have had some trouble sharing with people the reason as I previously thought mass emails, blog posts or Facebook wall updates were not really the appropriate venues for the information. However, I do think it is a good idea now to share with you the reason on my blog, in order to give you insight on the life of a wonderful man.

On February 28 of this year, my father, Bill Moran, passed away after a long battle with colon cancer. I left the Peace Corps in early January after hearing that my father had been admitted to the hospital. I wanted to be there to help take care of him and do anything I could to support the rest of my family. It is a decision that I would never take back because it provided me quality time with my father that I never would have had if the circumstances had been different.

But that's enough about me. I want to share with you all some of the great things my father accomplished in his 55 years of life. While his life was cut short, he certainly accomplished more than most other people can in 100 years.

One thing my dad was really passionate about was being a Judge Advocate General in the California Army National Guard. He was responsible for helping to deploy literally thousands of troops to Iraq. He assisted soldiers with the preparation of their wills, powers of attorney, and other assorted paperwork in addition to consulting with family members and being a support system for those who needed him. This picture below is of my dad (on the right) consulting with a soldier before his deployment.


Being a part of the National Guard was something that my father truly enjoyed. He worked a full time job as an attorney with AAA and did all of this in his spare time. He would head down to Camp Roberts on the weekend to deal with even more paperwork because he recognized an importance in doing this work. He felt personally responsible for the well-being of these soldiers and he carried out his duty with honor and compassion, earning many medals and assorted merits. Below is a picture of my father with other JAG officers (second from left).



And as if all of this weren't enough, my dad also provided pro-bono legal advice to the emergency homeless shelter my stepmother runs with her twin sister in Los Angeles. On the day of my father's funeral, the Los Angeles City Council adjourned their meeting with a standing tribute to my father in honor of the services he provided Los Angeles through his work with the shelter. My family members have all received certificates signed by councilmembers Jan Perry and Bill Rosendahl to commemorate this rare honor. Furthermore, the County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors also adjourned their meeting in memory of my father.

I must admit, I do feel a bit of shame at the ignorance I had in terms of the broad impact my father had on changing the lives of so many people, but it really just goes to show his unbelievable humility with it all. He never really shared all the great things he did in his life with me or my sister - it's just what he did and he obviously didn't do it for any sort of recognition.

In addition to being a superb father, loving husband to my stepmother, and proud grandfather (and son, brother, uncle, so on), my dad was also number 1 in they big, bulging eyes of our family chihuahua, Ginger. Ginger is getting old now and has been moving around with less ease even before my dad's passing and in the weeks directly following my father's death, there was a noticeable difference in her behavior. My stepmother says that now instead of sleeping in her bedroom, as she used to do, she now will creep downstairs at all times during the day and night to be closer to the leather recliner where my father spent his final days. She also gravitates to a memorial picture of my father that we used at his funeral. See the picture below.



All in all, my father was an outstanding human being and is an excellent role model for me. As corny as it all sounds, I really do want to make him proud and continue his legacy of helping others in need. Let his life and his accomplishments serve as a reminder to you that the measure of someone's life should not be counted in years lived; rather, it should be counted in the number of people touched, good deeds filled and overall positive impact made.

"We're Plastic, But We Still Have Fun"

Ok, so Lady Gaga is absolutely nuts. I think she might be a little off her rocker, but we all are in our own ways (even if most of us are a little more subtle about it).

She's absurdly outrageous and deliciously over-the-top. Her latest video "Paparazzi" proves it. I'm not sure if I'll ever understand her reasoning for wearing that dinner-plate-bun on her head, the awkard out-of-her-wheelchair-quite-possibly-extremely-offensive dance or the missing half of her ruffly "dress", but it's just entertainment and I like it.

What do you think?

Shame, Shame, Shame

"In court papers, the (Obama) administration said the appeals court ruled correctly in this case when it found that 'don't ask, don't tell' is 'rationally related to the government's legitimate interest in military discipline and cohesion.'"

Shame on you, Supreme Court justices.
Shame on you, Barack Obama.
Shame on you, Obama Administration.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090608/ap_on_go_su_co/us_supreme_court_gays_military

"Nothing But the Truth"

In 2005, the identity of Valerie Plame, a CIA agent, was exposed in the New York Times after her husband wrote an op-ed piece accusing the Bush Administration of manipulating intelligence in order to justify the invasion of Iraq. Judith Miller, a New York Times journalist, was the woman who had received this top-secret information from a source she refused to identify, leading to her incarceration for contempt of court. Her source later came forward and was revealed to be L. Scooter Libby, Vice President Cheney's chief of staff.

Two nights ago, I rented a movie that used this real-life story as inspiration to create a thrilling fictional account of first amendment rights and the power of government. "Nothing But the Truth" stars Kate Beckinsale as journalist Rachel Armstrong. Rachel discovers through a top-secret source the identity of a CIA agent at the center of a government cover-up. Rachel and her editor-in-chief (played by Angela Basset) decide to publish a story revealing Erica van Doren (Vera Farmiga) to be a CIA agent who concluded that the Venezuelan government was not behind the assassination attempt of the President of the United States - a report that the government ignored in order to go forward with plans to bomb Venezuela in "retaliation" anyway (quite obviously for other political motives).

Once the story is published, Rachel is immediately taken into custody by the FBI and put on trial in front of a federal grand jury. She is asked to reveal her source, and she refuses, so she is jailed - a tactic used in order to get her to eventually reveal the identity of her source. The movie progresses by focusing on Rachel's time in jail and the consequences it has on her career, family and personal health.

I don't want to give too much away, but I must tell you that her source is in fact revealed in the end - and it is quite shocking. This is definitely a movie to rent. Why it was ignored by awards is beyond me. In fact, it only ever made it to limited release in the theaters.

Kate Beckinsale's performance is incredible - her subtle emotions, silent fortitude, flawless American accent (Beckinsale is English). I haven't seen her in many movies before. All I could remember was "Pearl Harbor" and I hated that movie, so that may have made her acting extra special to me here. Vera Farmiga as the outed CIA agent also proves to be quite the powerhouse. Feelings of confusion, anger and betrayal are all played out so well through her facial expressions and interactions with other key characters.

All in all, the movie is excellent. It tackles the idea of "principle" - how far is one person willing to go to protect another person or idea, just based on principle alone? Will they let it ruin their lives and if so is it worth it? Also, is the authority of the federal government and its ability to overrule a crucial national security issue or just an abuse of power?

What you think now may surprise you after seeing this excellent film.

Here is the movie's trailer:

Drunken Theory 101

A friend of mine had a barbecue last night. I drank. Then we went to 2 bars where I drank some more. Then I was in a taxi, and then I was in my apartment and it was 3 am. I found a pencil. You see, sometimes after I drink too much, I think I'm Michel Foucault...

"The stroke of your hand means nothing. Your hand is just an interpreter for your brain. The ideas I scribe have nothing to do with my fingers or this pencil; rather, they're all offspring from my imagination. The brain struggles to be remembered because the hand cannot keep up. The hand tries to achieve what only the brain can; it can take credit, but the mind is unique, the mind is singular in its phenomenal accomplishments. When things flow at their best, the brain writes; the pencil flows from the hand without realization. It's just the messenger, but even lower - a pawn. The hand is essential in the 'communication of ideas' process, but it is the least significant, least creative. But without the hand ideas are trapped inside the head with no outlet. It is a necessary, but uneven relationship."

Oh, there's more...

"Every day is a world within itself - a world not to be taken for granted. Some days our worlds are filled with war and anger, some days love, some days boredom. But a day without breathing in the fresh air of life and it's possibilities is a world wasted, a world unplumbed and faded - an 'unworldly' world, ignorant to it's own miraculousness and infinite beauty."

I kind of like that one.

This, however, is my favorite:

"I have ten fingers, but calling them 'fingers' alone makes me different. A monkey doesn't know he has fingers - a human does. Why? Why must we know? Aware - we're aware! It makes everything more painful - loss, love, life!
We teach, we learn, we retain, we alter, we destroy! The beat be pumpin', pumpin'!"

WTF?

Here's all the proof in it's messy, embarrassing glory:

Ode to the Fruit Cup

I like fruit cups. They are a wonderful way of getting in your daily dose of fruity vitamins and goodness. They are compact, easy to use and most importantly, rather tasty! They are very convenient as well. You don't need to worry about cutting your own fruit and making a mess because your pineapples, pears, and peaches are already sliced for you! Plus, when you're finished with the fruit, you can tilt back the cup and delight in a refreshing shot of natural sweetness.

I like fruit cups. I do not, however, like when I eat a fruit cup close to my computer as I did today. I do not like that you can only eat fruit cups with plastic forks because the second you use a regular fork and leave it alone to do something else that requires two hands, the weight of the fork will tilt the fruit cup towards your computer and all that "natural sweetness" starts dripping into your laptop keyboard. No thank you, my computer isn't hungry. It's an electronic and electronics don't eat human food, silly - they only like to eat up memory and most of my time.

I like fruit cups. Even when they result in me having to tilt my computer upside down for half an hour to dry it out. After all, my expensive and personally valuable computer can't hold a candle to the brief ecstasy that derives from a $0.49 fruit cup. So here's to you, fruit cup! Thanks for all the nutrition, tastiness, and misery you have brought to my life.

I Guess That's What Marriage is About...

With all the brouhaha over marriage in the past few years and the obsession with defining it, many of us seem to have forgotten what marriage is in the first place. Yes, marriage is about law. Yes, sometimes marriage is about religion. It's true that marriage is even about equal rights. But, the core of marriage and what it means is much simpler than all of this.

I hope that one day, if I should ever have the legal right to marry, I will not choose to marry for tax breaks or to "take a stand", but I will choose to marry someone based on the basic concepts that Grover and Jesse discuss here: