"Softly Call the Muster..."

While I was originally going to post today about a gay marriage update and a curious encounter I had with a washer and dryer, something else came up that has preempted them both.
Today is April 21, and thus is Aggie Muster, the most hallowed of all Texas A&M traditions. What is Muster you ask? Well I have decided to share this great tradition with you, so sit back and be awed what Aggies do for each other. Most of you have only heard of Texas A&M in two ways (if you dont count me as a third). From watching A&M play football on TV, and from the Bonfire tragedy that occured in 1999. In fact when people from outside of Texas hear where I went to college their first question always seems to deal with the tragedy. (A new memorial to it opened just this past year)
But despite what may have been relayed, Bonfire was not the greatest of Aggie tradtions. That crown is held by one of the oldest..Aggie Muster. Aggie Muster began in 1883 and in the beginning was a sort of homecoming for Aggies. The tag line that always has gone along with the tradition was that wherever in the world two Aggies were within 100 miles of each other they should come together to live over again their college days, the victories and defeats won and lost upon the drill field (Texas A&M was a military school until the 1960s) and in the classroom. It's now held every April 21.
In World War II Aggie Muster gained national attention when on April 21, 1942 twenty five men led by General George Moore '08 (thats 1908) held Muster on the island of Corregidor while it was under siege by the Japanese. Today Aggie Muster is celebrated all over the country and indeed the world (I got invited to a ceremony in Waterloo). But the Muster held on campus is truly one of the most awe inspiring events I've ever attended in my life, and even imagining it causes me intense emotions.
You see back in the original Musters there would be a roll call for the alumni to see who had attended that year's event. Today that has changed. There still exists a roll call, but today it is a roll call for the absent. At the main Muster ceremony Aggies gather that evening at Reed Arena after reliving their stories. All the lights are turned out save for a spot light on the podium and a large white candle sitting in front of it. Members of the Aggie Muster Committee then read a roll call containing the names of all those Aggies, student and alumni, who have passed away the previous year. Because these Aggies cannot answer for themselves any longer, a representative from their family and anyone in the audience who knew them then answers here as the family member lights a candle in that persons honor. At the beginning of the ceremony it is dark inside the arena, but by the time all the names have been called it is brightly lit. The ceremony concludes with a 21 gun salute given by the Ross Volunteers (honor guard to the Governor of Texas) and a playing of Silver Taps.
This will be the first year since I became an Aggie that I will not be at that ceremony. Last year I made the drive to College Station so that I could answer the roll call for a friend. It gives me pride to know that when I pass away, thousands of Aggies who never knew me will honor my life in such a way.
"Softly call the Muster, let your comrades answer 'here'..." (See below)

In Memoriam

We stood a little taller,

and a little prouder then

When we heard the call of Muster

and the Roll Call just begin.

We stood there all together

and wiped away the tears

When our names were called out softly

and answered with a “Here!”

... and so we’ve joined together

with our brothers of the past

To make our final resting place at

Aggieland our last.

We take a toast to our brotherhood

wherever they may roam,

For us the trek is over

Aggieland we’re coming home.

-Lt. Col. David Harrigan '68

The Crazy World of Facebook

A new phenomenon has swept college campuses all over America. Now before you start getting worried, no I'm not talking about mono or chlamydia (hmm, maybe you should get tested just in case). I'm talking about the ever present facebook.com. If you have been sheltered from the internet (which if you are means you prolly wont ever read this) facebook.com is a site where you set up a profile based on what college or university you go to, and then can connect your profile to other people you know who have profiles.
Now facebook is by no means the first website of this type. There are the ever present dating sites, by which certain professors have met their wives, and the now somewhat defunct friendster which was essentially the same thing, but without the university affilliation. I must admit I am even a member of one called connexion, but it is primarily just for the gay folk so it certainly cant claim the popularity of facebook.
So several months ago a friend of mine talked me into making a facebook profile. You see, in order to look at any of the other profiles on there, you have to make one yourself (its a tricky way to get lots of members), and there was a guy he wanted me to check out. So I made one, and must admit I was a little surprised it used my school e-mail address to make sure I was really a student (how did they get those records?). But in making my profile I made a mistake. And at the same time I very wisely left a couple things out.
You see, though everyone here knows Im gay and my family knows, I never really told most people back home. So I left my sexual preference out of the profile mainly on a whim. And because I'm lazy I left off a picture (so no hot dates for me off there). But then I made the mistake of listing my high school. Oh to go back and stop myself from doing that. No sooner had I made this profile then people I went to high school with started requesting to add me as a friend. These are people I havent seen or spoken to in the past 5 years, and all of a sudden they are my friend again? What was really odd was just last week, this guy I played football with in high school that is at Iowa State added me as a friend. But we were never friends. We knew each other, and his dad was that horribly obnoxious one who came to every practice and always knew what you did wrong. As if coaches weren't bad enough, we had to listen to his dad, who in my opinion needed to get a day job. So imagine my surprise when I get an e-mail letting me know this guy, who I have never been friends with, suddenly has requested to be my friend on facebook.
If I were a meaner person I would have said no. Instead I have decided that facebook friends aren't the real kind. Especially since neither that guy or the others from high school have sent me notes saying hey or anything. They just added me as friends and then forgot about me. Talk about abuse of the word "friend." I have also run across profiles that have hundreds of friends. OK, I dont care how popular you are, no one has hundreds of friends. Acquaintances maybe, but not friends.
The one bonus I will give facebook though, is that it has numerous little "groups" you can join. Now they don't actually do anything that I know of, but many serve a way to express an opinion about something. So I, for instance joined the Iowans Against Popped Collars group because they are the bain of my existence.
So beware "friends" on facebook. It doesnt necessarily mean someone likes you, only that they know you. Maybe they should change the title to "People I met once but prolly couldnt remember their name if it wasnt at the top of their profile."

It's Gettin Hot In Here, Part II

And so now, ladies and gentlemen the time has come for me to unveil the hottest law school guys. You already know who #1 is of course. And I discovered the identity of the mystery man in the black shirt, and while very cute, Erik shall keep his place atop the pantheon of hot men.
Now, first a few things about the list. It seems people get all upset and insulted if I don't find them attractive. Well I am just sorry, but as much as I would like to be, I'm not a manwhore. I have very picky taste, and since this is my blog...well that means these are the guys I find hot. You are more than welcome to disagree. I tried to keep personality out of the factoring, cause I mean really...if it's not a category in the Miss American pageant it need not be one here. In an effort to keep friends I have automatically disqualified anyone in my current small section. Sorry guys, some of you would have made it, but since all of you wouldn't, I just didn't want anyone hurt and hunting me down. There is also sadly going to be a lot more 1Ls than anyone else. This isnt cause we are just more attractive (although we are pretty damn cute), its just cause I dont really know many 2 and 3Ls and the facebook is just not reliable to determine how cute someone is (no one told me pictures were going to be taken that first week. I delayed getting a haircut cause I thought it wouldnt matter, but nooooo, now its going to haunt me for 3 years. I guess Ive learned to read the small print). Also as a final note, with the exception of Erik, the rest of these are in no particular order. Its too hard to say one type of beauty is better than another.
So without further delay...the list:

Erik Axelson - Well you knew this one already. Tall, muscular, athletic, fun fashion, and just downright sexy. My #1 candidate for human cloning. Well, if they can make a gay copy anyways.

Jonathan Amarilio - Ive always had a thing for rosy cheeks. And he dresses better than I do.

Chris Breidenbach - He is just a hottie. Great body, and can surprisingly pull off a beard despite being blonde. If he would
like to come to class shirtless I am all for it. Hmm, maybe I could sit next to him if he does.

Robin Dull - With a tan that makes my white ass jealous, and fun shirts I wanna steal from him. Keep an eye out for his Los Monos t-shirt. I'm a fan.

Nate Green - Married, like so many of these cute guys are. But has the natural rosy cheeks and a resume to impress any mother.

Adam Humes - A teddy bear. He is the kind of cute that you just wanna cuddle with. And I was very impressed when he was willing to dance with me. Now this is a man who is confident in who he is...and thats just hot.

Ryan Koopmans - Your classic A&F type guy. Cute, well groomed, but not overly so.

Joel Stark - Another one with a great tan. I wanna buy him some new clothes to better show off what he is workin with, but he is cute even without them.

Paul Stempel - Got to hang out with this one recently and he gained many points. Cuter than I had previoulsy realized, with a very nice body.

Ryan Wilson - If you like muscles (and you know I do) then this is your man. Also has a great tan. I must admit Ive always wondered what he would look like naked.

Joe Manriquez - Tan and super sexy. Has that buddy next door thing going on.

Brandon Schrock - Looks like a wrestler, and since this is Iowa I guess there is a chance he was. And since I have a thing for the athletes that puts him on my list.

S. Gary Shullaw - I know nothing about this guy-hence why I had to get his name out of the facebook- but he has some crazy hot eyes. You can spot them from across the room and they give him a mysterious allure.

Andrew Borders - Just looks like a baseball player. Cant say why, but who doesnt like a baseball player. Alas, this one is married though too.

John Richter - Need I sing his praises? Surely you can see it too.

Andrew Kepper - Has that kinda soccor player athletic hotness going. No idea if he really plays soccor, but Im sold.

Spencer Moats - A recent addition to the radar after seeing him at a meeting and being impressed. Definitely one to keep an eye on.

And so you have it. My list of hot guys. I don't know them all, but I've at least seen them all. Now before you get any ideas, just cause they made the list doesn't mean I wanna sleep with them. Only the top one has that designation. Although since as far as I know they are all hetero, it isnt gonna ever happen. Alas, the sad life of a gay man at Iowa Law. So much to see, so little to do. Tune in next time where I puzzle over the oddity that is The Facebook.

Old? Young? Which Am I?

Now I know you were all eagerly anticipating the unveiling of my hottest law men list, but alas for you, you are just going to have to wait a couple more days. The list is formulated, but I was struck by something today which I must share.
So I went grocery shopping today and came to a realization that apparently Thursday afternoon is Senior Citizen's time at the grocery store. I felt so young walking through the aisles, which is the opposite of normal. Normally, since I ride the Iowa City bus...a topic I could blog about for days...I find myself on the other side of the river rubbing elbows with the undergrads. And while I realize that I'm not really that much older than them, I still always feel old. Especially as I sit at Old Capital Mall waiting for the bus and listening to their conversations. But today was different. I wandered into my local Hy Vee and found myself to be the youngest customer in the building. And so I ask myself...am I young or old? It seems to depend doesn't it? Now of course while grocery shopping I immediately felt rather fashionable what with my Banana Republic sweater and Oakley sunglasses on my head, until I realized...I didnt really have much competition in the fashion department. You gotta admit, the elderly (my grandparents and father included) are not really known for their great fashion sense.
Before I go any further, I must say that age is not something that normally has an impact on me. I consider age to just be a way to measure how long you've been alive and feel that it has little correlation to athletic ability, cognizate abilities, or wisdom past say the age of 7 or so. I've met very mature 20 year olds and some pretty immature 60 year olds. I'm all about you are how old you feel and look. So I of course have no problem dating people more than a decade older than me (you should try it, its a refreshing change). Now don't worry, I shant bore you with my academic arguments why our society puts too much emphasis on age...just take away that its not something that is normally important to me.
But as I wandered the aisles of Hy Vee taking advantage of all the things on sale (Ive turned into the sterotypical soccer mom, trying to squeeze every penny for what its worth), I realized why I don't like hanging out with the elderly. Now I know what you're thinking, and no. It has nothing to do with a mortality complex. I have no fear of aging...well not really anyways. I'm more afraid of never finding a good job or falling in love. And its not the lack of fashion or even the lack of perfume (recall from Mrs. Doubtfire that grandma smells like fermaldahyde) that drives me away. It's their irritating manner of being so damn social.
Imagine my surprise after I pick out my cereal that this woman informs me that the nutrition label on the side of one of those General Mills cereals that says Whole Grain, doesn't contain any information about fiber. Well I was taken aback that some voice from nowhere would speak to me about the cereal I had just picked out. But then I turned around and realized it was a very nice elderly lady who had chosen the same cereal. There she was being all social, just like my grandfather always is. And so you see why I avoid the elderly. They talk too much...and to anyone who happens to be around. I swear my grandfather would strike up a conversation at a sexual wellness clinic while waiting in line to get a Chlamydia test. Not that he would ever be in such a situation, but you get my point.
But you might be asking...isnt their socialness what makes the elderly so charming? Well yes, I guess if you like such things in people. But not for everyone, and not for me. You see I'm what you would call...well shy I guess is the best word. Maybe slightly xenophobic even. I'm not really a people person when it comes to strangers. They speak to me, and it makes me very uncomfortable. So when I sit in a waiting room at the doctor's office or the dentist, I'm content to sit in the corner and read a magazine. Im also very entertained by sitting on a bench and just watching the people walk by. So when strangers talk to me, I get squirmy and wish they would stop.
Now I know what you're thinking, I'm either OCD or just plain crazy. But I would like to assert that there is nothing wrong with being shy. I can live a wonderful life without conversing with perfect strangers, despite what tv shows tell me. And I can even make friends in the right situation...like if you're going to see the same strangers over and over you might as well talk to them. But the random occurences at the grocery store...well let me buy my frozen California Pizza Kitchen pizzas in peace.
And let me tell you how excited I was to find those. I love the California Pizza Kitchen! I got stood up for a date their once and I so didn't care. I just sat and ate the wonderful food all by myself. If you've never been to one you must go. But anyways, so the moral of this whole story is...California Pizza Kitchen is good, and if someone doesnt want to talk to you it doesnt necessarily mean they dont like you or they are arrogant. It could be that they just arent talkers and would rather just observe.

It's Gettin Hot in Here, Part 1

It's long been my goal to compile my list of who I think is hot at the law school. After one of the best blogs did the same early last semester though, it was bombarded with people trying to put forth there own lists and criticizing the one on that blog (get your own damn blog if you don't like what these say). So I held off. But I think its time to reveal my list.
But not quite yet (Im such a tease). This post is going to be an expose, if you will, on the guy who in my mind clearly ranks #1 on the list. And after an odd occurence today Ive decided one other man, who might be able to unseat my current #1 if I learn more about him.
Now the guy who sits atop my list should come as no surprise to anyone who knows me very well. Anytime he walks by in the law school my eyes never leave him. I have a thing for guys who work out, and this one certainly does. And then goes and wears those tight waffle weave shirts that show off his arms and make me swoon like a little girl. It's sad really the effect such a beautiful man can have on me. Especially since he is a heterosexual. Yup, you heard that right ladies. The law school man of my dreams is just that, a man in my dreams. But before you get your hopes up, a little birdie has told me he has a girlfriend( dont they all?).
So who is this guy you ask? Well if you've been following since the first post, you probably know he is referred to as the OMD...or the Object of My Desire. He is a tall (which works wonderfully for me), brown haired, muscular, nice, athletic (apparently great at football), smart, and polite guy hailing from the state of Illinois. Now a little birdie, and his Jack Ryan t-shirt have told me he is a Republican, but hey Im from Texas so I know lots of those and I can handle that in my fantasies. So its time to unveil the hottie who ranks highest among the law school men....none other than Erik Axelson. I'm sure there are pages flipping madly in the facebook now. Now its kinda sad, cause I have never spoken to this Adonis, but it seems the law school girls like to gossip just a little bit, so when you tell them you think someone is hot, they spill the beans. Now I know I can never have this man, but I can certainly stare...and stare somemore. I have an appreciation for the beauty of the male form, and he will just have to excuse me if I look at him as if he were a painting. And if he happens to have a gay twin, well you know where I am.
But wait, new developments occurred today which may threaten Erik's place atop the Pantheon of hot men at Iowa Law. For today, as I was sitting and sweating my butt off due to no air conditioning, someone new caught my eye. Maybe its because Im not normally in the hall at that time, or maybe he was just visiting the law school. Im unsure. But what I do know is that I stared...and stared some more (sensing a pattern here?). And he noticed. Well I guess anyone would, what with me boring holes in him with my eyes, but he didnt seem to mind as he stood talking to the people at the ISBA table in his black t-shirt and slightly too big jeans. Then when I stopped by career services a little later, there he was again, talking to someone at a table. I must admit I flipped through the facebook and could come up with no one who resembled him, so Im holding out hope that maybe he is an undergrad coming here next year, or maybe just an available undergrad who isnt coming to law school. Who knows? Well I guess the people at the ISBA table might know. So if you were sitting there at around noon, and you know who Im talking about, track me down and enlighten me. Or if you were in the career center going through firm files and talked to a hot, tan, dark haired guy, wearing a black t-shirt, baggy jeans, and white tennis shoes (adidas i think), then let me know too. Cause it's been a long time since this law student has been on a date. Or more importantly, had any sexual relations. So I would not turn down any help that is offered. Ok, get your mind out of the gutter and stop thinking what you are thinking. I just meant if you know this man, hook me up. So tune in next time for the list of the rest of the hot guys. And find a hot guy to go out with me in the mean time.

Rivalry?

So I don't normally put things on here about law school, but something odd happened the other day that got me so riled up I just had to vent about it to you, my two or three readers. Wednesday, in everyone's favorite class, a rivalry surfaced that I wasn't aware even existed. The summer entrants, some of them anyways, showed themselves to be at odds with the fall entrants.
Now first I will concede that the entire issue would not have come up had the professor not made a comment about how there seemed to be a disproportionate number of summer starters who hadn't passed his midterm yet (for those not in this class, the midterm doesnt really count for anything, he just wants to make sure we have some terminology down). This was one of those comments that you really just let slide, but retorts were made that uncovered something I was beforehand unaware of. No sooner had the professor uttered the comment then a girl threw her hand in the air like her pants were on fire and informed us all that 16 of them had passed the first time. Well I had to ask myself...why on earth did she know that? I mean, to have that knowledge means she sat there and counted the people on the list to see how many were summer entrants. Let me tell ya what a waste of time that seems to be to me, unless there is some sort of rivalry that I wasn't aware of. I mean, she wasn't a lone case either. Another guy also made a similar assertion.
So I've been puzzling over this for a day now, and I still can't come up with a reason why anyone would really care. I have some friends who are summer starters and they have never acted like they were trying to compete with me or prove they are better than me, so my only guess is that it's a small faction that somehow sees themselves as the underdog or something and is seeking to prove they are better than the fall starters. Which is stupid to me cause the only difference between the two groups is that one checked the box for fall and the other for spring. We were all in the same admissions class so I really just don't get it.
So here is my suggestion. How about we all just try to get along? It sounds cheesy, but let's take the fall entrants as a whole. There are something like 9 sections. And sure there is a little section rivalry, but it's all in good fun. Call it a healthy rivalry with good sportsmanlike conduct. So I see no reason why it shouldn't be the same with the summer starters. Although there is one thing I must say about that same class - how about if you want lunch you get it before class instead of leaving in the middle to go get it. Im just waiting for the day someone comes back with McDonalds or something. Alright, so that's enough from me...I shall remove myself from the soapbox. So everyone remember, it's just one class that isnt worth stressing over so how about we all be civil and friendly.