Hello I'm Rich Brown and this is my personal website and blog. I'm just your simple, average, down to earth, professional, out gay man and aspiring circuit boy, living in Phoenix, Arizona with a few things to say while trying to find my place among all the scary, conservative, religious nuts in this sick and twisted world.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Splash Bash 2008
The fall Phoenix Splash Bash party is this weekend. Check out this video for some clips of the previous Splash Bash party in May. It's a trip and you might see Justin and I in a few scenes. :-)
Check out this video, it was put out by the HRC and say a good deal about the courage of Barack Obama offer his support to the LGBT Community.
As you could expect I have plenty to say about the upcoming election. When the presidental race and primaries started I didn't know what to think about Barack Obama. I was torn because I've always been a Clinton supporter, first Bill then Hillary.
As the months passed and it looked like Barack was going to take the nomination, I started doing some reading, and now that I've gotten a chance to learn more about Barack Obama, his background, his beliefs and his drive, I couldn't be more excited to have someone like Barack Obama to lead my party hopefully to victory in November. Now that it's all official, I'll be posting that Obama / Biden sign in my front yard very soon, and hopefully America will be taking a step towards a more meaningful change for everyone in this country.
As I sit here propped up in bed getting ready to call it a night, I can't help to look back on my past few days here in the Pennsylvania countryside just outside of Philadelphia and think to myself that it feels almost as if I'm in a different country. It's a somewhat surreal but real feeling I get inside whenever I find myself back here where I grew up.
After living on the western side of the country for nearly 14 years now, I'm no longer used to the lush green grass, overgrown trees, winding roads, historical stone houses, yards without fences, or dismal gray skies overhead which are very typical in Pennsylvania. Being here again brings back so many fond and vivid memories of my childhood and growing up here, but yet it couldn't feel any further from what I call home these days. I was raised in this countryside, went to High School here and even came back to work during summer breaks from University until I graduated and immediately moved to Arizona.
Don't get me wrong, it's an amazing place, and I couldn't imagine growing up anywhere else, but for me now it's different. It feels different. I can't explain it. It's more of a reminder of the past rather then the future, and a reminder of how much my life has changed since living here. We drove around a bit the other day and I can no longer remember which road leads to where or who's family lives in which house. Details which were once so clear, whereas now the specifics seem to elude me for no apparent reason.
I'm staying in this house with my Mother, my Aunt and my Uncle but yet I sit here at the moment feeling so alone and isolated. This week I've seen my cousins and old friends, all very happy and content, all with children and living the American Dream. Perhaps it's just a bold reality check to think this was the life I once thought I wanted. I couldn't have been so wrong back then.
Maybe things feel so different for me now during this trip because it's one of the first times I've come back here without a purpose. I'm here at the request of my Mother to accompany her back for the first time since she moved to Arizona. I'm not here to work, I'm not here for anything specific other then to actually visit my family, which of course is wonderful for the first few days until the realization sets in that I'm essentially here alone with nothing to do. Because my friends now all have children, a fun Friday night for them consists of playtime with the kids, and no longer means going out to a trendy bar in the city for Martini's. While I love my old friends and their beautiful children, somehow it's just not the same anymore. Maybe it's a bit selfish but around here I no longer have any friends with whom to grab a drink and stay up late talking about old stories.
I guess while I do feel like I'm a little out of place, it does make me appreciate the value of growing up in such a beautiful place. It also makes me appreciate my education and the life I've made for myself out west, because aside from the beauty of the countryside, it's apparent to me in so many ways that Pennsylvania still remains somewhat rampant with racism, homophobia and misplaced ideals. It's a place where the minute I step off the plane I once again pick up a heavy Philly accent, I return to use of the word 'wooder' when referring to water, and I find myself cringing inside at the things people say out loud. Cheers!
At the moment I'm sitting outside on the back deck at my family's house in the Pennsylvania Countryside. I took a trip back this week with my Mother so she could visit family and friends. She's off visiting while I'm sitting here working and enjoying the beautiful weather.
Justin's birthday weekend that consisted of several close friends flying and driving into town to celebrate and a party which started Friday night around 10 PM and did not end until around Monday Afternoon at 3 PM. Yes that's right it was nearly a full 3-day long non-stop party! That's how we roll out here in Phoenix!
Anyway as you can imagine we had a blast. These photos were from Jason's camera. I have more photos of the rest of the people at the party but they're on my and Gracie's camera, so I'll get them when I get back to Phoenix. Cheers!
Yes it's true it's Justin's 27th birthday. I keep telling him he's getting too old for me and threatening to upgrade to a newer model but then he ties me up, roughs me up a bit and doesn't let me out of the house which makes me realize why I keep him around. Just kidding.
Happy Birthday Pickle! Party until your pants fall off. Again!
Yes the rumors are true, after only having my iPhone for a little over 5 months I gave in to self pressure and replaced my tired old iPhone with it's sleek, lighter and much faster older brother the iPhone 3G. Why would I do such a thing you ask? Well because I'm a technology whore, I love having new gadgets and I've come to love my iPhone so much that I'll certainly use the additional speed that the 3G provides.
When I talked to a few people they first thought I was being frivolous (a dumbass) in outlaying an additional $300 for a new black 16GB iPhone 3G since I paid a whopping $500 for my first 16GB iPhone only 5 months ago. They would probably be correct, except for a small fact that many people don't realize. Apparently there is still a very hot market on the Internet for the original iPhone, especially the 16GB ones which were only in production for a short time, to use for replacements and with other carriers.
Once I had my new iPhone 3G in hand and activated I rushed home to list my old iPhone on Craigslist. It only took me a few minutes to take a photo of my old iPhone, proving it was still in mint condition, and post the ad. When I was writing the ad I debated at which price point to start. My initial thought was $200, but then I figured I would start at $300 because that would leave me plenty of room to negotiate. Much to my surprise, within minutes of posting it I was not only bombarded with emails of people who were willing to play my requested $300, but also with emails from people who were offering me more for it. In then end I ended up selling both my iPhone and Justin's iPhone for $350 each, thus paying for our new phones and making a nice $50 profit on top of it.
Yes I suppose I could have waited the additional 5 months and just started with the iPhone 3G for essentially $200 less then what I paid for the first one, but in the end I'm only out the money I originally paid for iPhone, and was effectively able to upgrade to the iPhone 3G for free.
The one thing I'm a little unclear about though is why there is such a demand for these phones. I asked the guy I sold my phone too if he was going to use it on a different network, and he said "No, I have AT&T." I guess I don't understand why he wouldn't have just walked into the Apple or AT&T store and picked up one of the new iPhone 3G's for less then what he was paying me. Of course I'm not complaining but I guess I just don't get it.
Anyway, I'm extremely happy with my purchase and for all you naysayers of the iPhone ... just give in, it's only a matter of time anyway. As a former longtime self-professed Apple/Mac hater, the iPhone is absolutely one of the best devices I've ever owned. Cheers.
Not only the fruit & vegetables but also the Salmonella & Ecoli. LOL. Just kidding, I love my local Safeway, almost as much as the Gay Safeway in San Francisco.
