Boyfriend update, grandma's memorial, microwaved salad, and the state of the 2020 race
Hey everybody,
I hope you're all having a good week.
Last weekend was very difficult, with the memorial ceremony for my grandmother. But it went as well as one could hope, and I feel really good about the send-off we (read: my mom planned almost everything) gave her. It was as close to what she wanted as possible. Thanks again to everyone who sent well-wishes, it truly did mean a lot to see that outpouring of support.
In other news, I'm about to sign my lease renewal, and I'm sticking around in D.C. for at LEAST another year. And my one-year fellowship at the Washington Examiner tentatively ends in June, so this month my talks with them about possibly staying will get going, and I'll also be talking to a few other options about what could be in store for my next chapter. Cross your fingers for me!
Boyfriend Update: There's not too much to report on this front, just that he's hunkered down studying for the big med school test he has in April, clocking in 12+ hours a day. But I visit him a lot and we still get to see plenty of each other. Plus, we're both looking forward to our vacation in the Dominican Republic (!!!) for the week after his test.
Media Corner: I do a LOT of radio interviews these days, with talk radio stations across the country, usually talking politics and 2020. I don't often share them, because they're less accessible out of market and there's no video.
Yet I wanted to make sure you guys see this great, long-form interview I did on syndicated radio host Chris Stigall's podcast. He's a pro-Trump Republican, but we had an interesting and thoughtful conversation about what it means to be gay in modern America.
Listen here: https://t.co/CVX70sYtfm?amp=1
Meme: This made me laugh hysterically and I'm not sure why
Book Club: I finished re-reading my favorite fantasy book, Mistborn by Brandon Sanders. Now I'm waiting on the sequel box set to come in the mail today so I can keep binge-reading it! What makes the series so fascinating is that the tyrannical God-King who oppresses the land sort of ends up being the good guy, in a way. At the very least, you end up liking him in a way you really shouldn't.
Food Take: So, I microwaved my salad last night, and it was actually pretty good. Don't @ me.
Articles:
Good riddance to Mike Bloomberg
After his campaign hilariously imploded on Super Tuesday, the billionaire candidate has finally dropped out. He won't be missed, and my piece says goodbye to his candidacy by summing up all the reasons Bloomberg was so awful to begin with. Read more.
We've already lost the Afghanistan War. Trump's Taliban deal just reflects that
Critics have dragged Trump's "peace deal" with the Taliban. Sure, it's flawed. But we've lost the war, and should grasp at any possible exit route at this point. Read more.
Pete Buttigieg's historic candidacy shows era of gay victimhood is over
I disagree with Mayor Pete on almost everything. But the fact that he was able to lead such a trail-blazing campaign as a gay man is a sign of just how far we've come. Read more.
Bonus Brad:
Outside of my usual Examiner duties, I wrote a long-form essay (roughly a 8-10 min read) for Quillette about Pete Buttigieg's historic candidacy, and how shocking it was to see that most of the bigoted backlash toward him actually came from left-wing journalists, not Republicans. Give it a read.
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