We are all inundated with pleas and requests for money. There are literally hundreds of charities and causes that want our money. And that's not counting the people you work with who bring in Girl Scout cookies and catalogues full of junk.
Who buys wrapping paper from the guy in the next cubicle?? Remember when we were kids? we had to go door to door selling this crap. Now the parents just bring it to work.
Anyway my point is, there are lots of good charities and causes out there. I don't have enough money to support them all. I have to read up and decide which ones I will support.
I send money to those that I feel will do the best job on the issues that I care about. Monthly I have money automatically sent to Lifelong AIDS Alliance. After going to some board meetings and reading about them on the web I decided that this is a very good organization. Go to the web site and check it out:
www.lifelongaidsalliance.org
You have to be very special to get my money, unless you are a good looking boy. I wonder if I can get a charitable tax deduction from some of the dates I have been on? Anyway besides Lifelong, I send money to HRC, my Unitarian Church and Hillary. I used to feel guilty when I'd get a pledge card in the mail from a really good organization, but didn't have any money to send them. But because of therapy, I have very little guilt left in me. And the guilt I do have is reserved for more serious personal issues. I just do what I can and I don't feel bad about the stuff I can't do.
This Saturday, September 29 is the Seattle AIDS Walk. All proceeds will go to Lifelong AIDS Alliance.
Alaska Airlines does have a team for the AIDS Walk. The team was organized by Justin Giossi. If you know Justin, you know that he isn't just another pretty face, with a posse of hot boys by his side. No, he is very dedicated and we are lucky to have him organize our team. He is one of those guys that we all want to be. So if you want to join the team, or if you can't walk but would like to donate, please follow this link and do what you think is right.
http://www.lifelongevents.org/site/TR?team_id=7260&pg=team&fr_id=1160&s_tafId=6994
In conjunction with the AIDS Walk there is a Bachelor Auction on Thursday at the Havana Social Club, 1010 E. Pike Street. Don't worry, I'm not one of the guys up for sale. For one thing, they wouldn't make any money. As I read on restroom walls, "I'm cheap and easy". Or did I write that? Not sure but it doesn't matter. To paraphrase Homer Simpson, "Why pay for something, you can get for free?"
The Auction will be a lot of fun. Come on out and bid on a hot boy. There might be hot girls for sale too, I'm not sure how these things are organized. And the Havana Social Club is a lot of fun.
So my advice is (remember how much you are paying for this advice), do what you think is right, and do what you can to help.
I'm going to Mexico for a while, so I won't be blogging for a while. It's time to get out there and live a little and get more material for the blog. As always, you can post comments here or email them to me at wiserick@gmail.com
Until next time - Wise - OUT.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
SEX, LIES, and the INTERNET
In the bars people lie about their jobs, their income and their cars. On the internet people lie about all that and more. Online we can be anything and anyone we want.
If someone just wants to have cyber, then it really doesn't matter if you lie about everything. In fact it can be a fun fantasy. But if there's a chance you are actually going to meet someone in person, you need to be careful about your lies. Below are a couple hints for lying:
1. Income - online most people really don't care about this, so if you have to lie, save it for something more important.
2. Age - ask your friends and strangers how old you look. And trust the strangers more than your friends. Generally anything more than 5 years is probably going to get you caught.
3. Weight - most people know their own weight, so they are going to compare themselves to you. You should be safe with a 5 to 10 lb lie. Anything beyond that - you're on your own.
4. Height - again if you actually meet someone they will be able to tell fairly soon how tall you really are. Don't add more than an inch to your height. In fact that same rule applies to any other organ you want or need to exaggerate about.
If you post a picture make sure it's you and fairly recent. I met a guy in his 40's that had posted his high school graduation picture. Except that he was 20+ years older he still had his 1980's mullet hair. Needless to say that was not an enjoyable experience.
This is the third and last of the series of guys who answered my Craigs List ad.
His picture was hot, he said he was a construction worker. With the picture and occupation, I had dreams of that Coca Cola ad where the guy without a shirt is drinking the Coke.
We made a date to meet at a restaurant.
That night he called me about an hour before we were to meet. He said he had worked overtime and was tired and asked if we could just go to his place and watch a video. I should have learned my lesson from the blinking tshirt guy, (see previous blogs) but no, I said OK. Images of drinking Coca Cola was going through my head.
I got to his building and rang the doorbell. Someone answered and said come in.
I asked if my date was there and he said he was my date!
He was not the guy in the picture and certainly not a construction worker. He was older, fatter and frankly quite ugly.
The door slammed shut, and locked.
He tells me I have to sign in. For some reason I sign my name in a ledger. I'm in total confusion. I just walked into twilight zone.
He takes me back to his room.
He tells me that this is a half way house. I never learned what kind but I never saw an ankle bracelet. He comes over to me and tells me he just wants to have sex. He doesn't really want to date, watch a video or even drink Coke.
To his credit, he was understanding when I said, "Hell, NO, and I wanted to leave".
He walked me to the door, signed me out and unlocked the door.
Walking home I was very confused. How can someone lie like that? And more important, do these weird things just happen to me??
Until Next Time - WISE OUT.
If someone just wants to have cyber, then it really doesn't matter if you lie about everything. In fact it can be a fun fantasy. But if there's a chance you are actually going to meet someone in person, you need to be careful about your lies. Below are a couple hints for lying:
1. Income - online most people really don't care about this, so if you have to lie, save it for something more important.
2. Age - ask your friends and strangers how old you look. And trust the strangers more than your friends. Generally anything more than 5 years is probably going to get you caught.
3. Weight - most people know their own weight, so they are going to compare themselves to you. You should be safe with a 5 to 10 lb lie. Anything beyond that - you're on your own.
4. Height - again if you actually meet someone they will be able to tell fairly soon how tall you really are. Don't add more than an inch to your height. In fact that same rule applies to any other organ you want or need to exaggerate about.
If you post a picture make sure it's you and fairly recent. I met a guy in his 40's that had posted his high school graduation picture. Except that he was 20+ years older he still had his 1980's mullet hair. Needless to say that was not an enjoyable experience.
This is the third and last of the series of guys who answered my Craigs List ad.
His picture was hot, he said he was a construction worker. With the picture and occupation, I had dreams of that Coca Cola ad where the guy without a shirt is drinking the Coke.
We made a date to meet at a restaurant.
That night he called me about an hour before we were to meet. He said he had worked overtime and was tired and asked if we could just go to his place and watch a video. I should have learned my lesson from the blinking tshirt guy, (see previous blogs) but no, I said OK. Images of drinking Coca Cola was going through my head.
I got to his building and rang the doorbell. Someone answered and said come in.
I asked if my date was there and he said he was my date!
He was not the guy in the picture and certainly not a construction worker. He was older, fatter and frankly quite ugly.
The door slammed shut, and locked.
He tells me I have to sign in. For some reason I sign my name in a ledger. I'm in total confusion. I just walked into twilight zone.
He takes me back to his room.
He tells me that this is a half way house. I never learned what kind but I never saw an ankle bracelet. He comes over to me and tells me he just wants to have sex. He doesn't really want to date, watch a video or even drink Coke.
To his credit, he was understanding when I said, "Hell, NO, and I wanted to leave".
He walked me to the door, signed me out and unlocked the door.
Walking home I was very confused. How can someone lie like that? And more important, do these weird things just happen to me??
Until Next Time - WISE OUT.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Grandpa @ 40
It started out interesting. He answered my Craigslist ad. I asked if he wanted to meet at Starbucks for a coffee. He said he lived down by the airport. I said fine, let's meet at the Southcenter Starbucks.
He answered that he was a little scared, he hadn't dated in years, and wasn't sure what to do. I wrote back, well we go into the coffee shop, stand in line and order what we want to drink. Since it's a first date, we will each pay our own way. We get our drinks, sit down and talk a little while. If we have a good time and like each other, we arrange another date.
He answered, "No, I mean about kissing and sex."
I answered, that I was pretty sure that Starbucks frowned on having sex in their store, and depending on the location of the Starbucks, kissing was probably out also, especially in south Seattle.
So we met. I was anticipating a good time, because I thought our emails were witty and fun. He shows up and he's wearing a torn dirty tshirt and has greasy long hair. (Always ask for a picture). I guess you don't have to look your best for ME, but please take a shower.
We get our drinks and I start asking the usual questions: Where are you from? Seatac (who in the hell is really from Seatac?) He was raised in the trailer court just next to the building I work in. Well we have the Hood in common. He tells me, he got married when he was 15. He got the girl in the trailer next door pregnant. Supposedly, parents can sign their kids away at 15 and get them married off. So he has a couple kids. At 18 he joined the Navy. At 21 he gets discharged from the Navy because "he told - and someone asked." He got divorced, but is still friends with his wife.
His daughter got married at the ripe old age of 16, she's a slower learner than her parents.
So this guy with greasy hair and no personality who just turned 4o has grandkids. And he has pictures. We spent most of the next hour looking at kids. "Sweet cute kids" is what I say, of course I'm thinking just the opposite.
Am I snob? I did not come from a priviliged background. I'm from Spokane for gods sake. And the Hillyard neighborhood at that. I remember as a kid waiting in line for free government cheese. Is it something more than your net worth? I have friends that I hang out with that probably make less than he makes. I personally know people that have had a rougher life than this guy. What is it? After the date I examined the date. I realized that he wasn't witty on the email. I was witty. He was nothing. Is this a class thing ?
My opinions and my judgements on this guy have had me examinging my own values. I won't see the guy again, I just have nothing in common with him. But part of me can relate with him, It makes me scared. Do you have thoughts or opinions about class and different values? Have you ever experienced anything like this? The most important question I have: "Am I a snob?"
Next Blog - Halfway House Boy
Until Next Time - Wise OUT
He answered that he was a little scared, he hadn't dated in years, and wasn't sure what to do. I wrote back, well we go into the coffee shop, stand in line and order what we want to drink. Since it's a first date, we will each pay our own way. We get our drinks, sit down and talk a little while. If we have a good time and like each other, we arrange another date.
He answered, "No, I mean about kissing and sex."
I answered, that I was pretty sure that Starbucks frowned on having sex in their store, and depending on the location of the Starbucks, kissing was probably out also, especially in south Seattle.
So we met. I was anticipating a good time, because I thought our emails were witty and fun. He shows up and he's wearing a torn dirty tshirt and has greasy long hair. (Always ask for a picture). I guess you don't have to look your best for ME, but please take a shower.
We get our drinks and I start asking the usual questions: Where are you from? Seatac (who in the hell is really from Seatac?) He was raised in the trailer court just next to the building I work in. Well we have the Hood in common. He tells me, he got married when he was 15. He got the girl in the trailer next door pregnant. Supposedly, parents can sign their kids away at 15 and get them married off. So he has a couple kids. At 18 he joined the Navy. At 21 he gets discharged from the Navy because "he told - and someone asked." He got divorced, but is still friends with his wife.
His daughter got married at the ripe old age of 16, she's a slower learner than her parents.
So this guy with greasy hair and no personality who just turned 4o has grandkids. And he has pictures. We spent most of the next hour looking at kids. "Sweet cute kids" is what I say, of course I'm thinking just the opposite.
Am I snob? I did not come from a priviliged background. I'm from Spokane for gods sake. And the Hillyard neighborhood at that. I remember as a kid waiting in line for free government cheese. Is it something more than your net worth? I have friends that I hang out with that probably make less than he makes. I personally know people that have had a rougher life than this guy. What is it? After the date I examined the date. I realized that he wasn't witty on the email. I was witty. He was nothing. Is this a class thing ?
My opinions and my judgements on this guy have had me examinging my own values. I won't see the guy again, I just have nothing in common with him. But part of me can relate with him, It makes me scared. Do you have thoughts or opinions about class and different values? Have you ever experienced anything like this? The most important question I have: "Am I a snob?"
Next Blog - Halfway House Boy
Until Next Time - Wise OUT
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