Written into a Corner

Scissor Sisters vs Krystal Pepsy - Shady Love

2012-01-27T18:57:00.000-08:00

Not Quite 52 Weeks

2011-05-10T20:24:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'll hold my hand up. I didn't quite make it 52 consecutive weeks of music. In my defense, I had a major illness, and it was quite difficult to get back in the habit of writing. I'm planning to resume posts, but probably not weekly.

On a side note, here's a very partial list of what I've been listening to a lot lately:

All Day, Girl Talk

Showroom of Compassion, Cake

The Stranger, Billy Joel

I Feel Cream, Peaches

Life'll Kill Ya, Warren Zevon

The Slider, T. Rex

Ben Folds Live, Ben Folds

The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner, Ben Folds

Poseidon and the Bitter Bug, Indigo Girls

Songs About the Golden Girls, Jonny McGovern

Ben Folds Five (eponymous)

Lots of Glee Cast songs from Season 2

I hope to be back to more frequent posts soon, but for now, listen and enjoy.

52 Weeks of Music - Bat Out of Hell by Meat Loaf

2011-03-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

There are some albums that transcend time and space. Bat Out of Hell is one of those albums.

The album came out in 1977, the year after I was born. It is a heavy rock opera filled with love, sex, and heartache. The lyrics and the anthemic crescendos of the instruments bring the listener into the songwriter's world. You will experience spoken word poetry, and powerful guitar riffs, and Meat Loaf singing at all levels of his amazing range.

My favorite song is by far "Paradise by the Dashboard Light." It's all about teens and sex. In the cloistered world of my churchy upbringing, this was essentially audio erotica. Imagine hearing this at 12 or 13 and not being turned on. Of course, by the time I was hearing it, the album was some 10 or 12 years old, and the world had changed. Sex had become taboo, and this song celebrated it, to the point of flaunting.

This was one of the first CDs that I bought, and then at 16, the long awaited sequel came out, featuring "I Would Do Anything for Love (but I Won't Do That.)" Suddenly, everyone was into Meat Loaf all over again, but in the finicky world of 1990s radio, the long song was chopped up to fit into time slots and made into some horrible anemic version of its former self.

I think that's why I started going back to CDs only for my music. The radio was manipulative and sanitized, but the albums on CD in the dozens of plastic jewel cases strewn all over my back seat were uncut and vivid.

Of course, Bat Out of Hell is not without its detractors. Jim Steinman actually wrote the songs, and is barely ever given credit. Of course, he still gets the last laugh as he earns a good many royalties off Meat Loaf, and the anthems he wrote for other artists: "Making Love Out of Nothing at All" by Air Supply, "Total Eclipse of the Heart," by Bonnie Tyler, and "It's All Coming Back to Me Now," by Celine Dion, just to name a few.

If you've never heard Bat Out of Hell, I urge you to go out and get it.

Bat Out of Hell on Wikipedia

Album Link on iTunes

52 Weeks of Music - The Id by Macy Gray

2011-03-12T02:48:00.000-08:00

And now for something completely different...

Macy Gray is someone I see as a very misunderstood and under-appreciated talent. I picked up a used copy of The Id on a lark at the record store a few years ago, a couple years after it was already out. I heard "Sexual Revolution" in a movie and this CD had it on it, so I bought it.

As fortune would have it, The Id turned out to be one of my all time favorite CDs. It's chock full of emotion, flirtation, betrayal, frivolity, and fantastic rhythm and blues.

You... tell me that you love me
If it's true, why am I running from ya
and Who are these bitches on my answering machine?
--from the song "Boo"

Absolutely fantastic.

I would characterize this album as a kind of R&B / Pop Fusion kind of sound. It's absolutely one of the most entertaining collections of songs that are out there. You should definitely pick it up.

The Id on Wikipedia

Album link on iTunes

52 Weeks of Music - Swamp Ophelia by the Indigo Girls

2011-03-10T21:24:00.000-08:00

This has been a very long couple of weeks, so suffice it to say I am behind on the music project.

Since I have been in a foul mood, I decided to go back to the basics of my music. That is, the Indigo Girls. Swamp Ophelia was the first encounter I had with the Indigo Girls. A friend in college had this on cassette and I freaked out. It was so much more than the crappy pop music of autumn 1995, and much more compelling to me than anything I had ever heard before. It was right when I was coming out, so this album got me through lots.

My favorite track on this album is "Language or the Kiss." It was definitely my life, or rather, the quandary I was faced with at the time.

There was a table set for six and five were there.
I stood outside and kept my eyes upon that empty chair.

I was in a family of six and I feared most that my coming out would alienate me from my family, like in the song.

Over the years, the Indigo Girls poetry spoke to me in many other ways. I moved out on my own, then moved back home with my parents. Then finally at 24, I bought my own home and finally branched out for good, no longer the stunted sapling trapped in an suburban soil, but a thriving young tree. Forgive the purple prose, but it always makes me misty talking about the Indigo Girls.

The rest of the Swamp Ophelia is full of amazing songs about love, triumph, loss, mourning, and the strength of love and friendships. I am at a loss for words to describe it better. But I hope I've piqued your curiosity enough to check it out for yourself.

To give you some more inspiration, check out the "Power of Two" video from the Indigo Girls VEVO channel on YouTube. It's a great song.

Swamp Ophelia on Wikipedia

Album link on iTunes

52 Weeks of Music - Week 9 - Nina Simone

2011-02-27T15:08:00.000-08:00

There's a bit of an advisory note on this week's post. I normally like to focus on one of an artist's albums, but this is a sticky wicket, as they say.

Nina Simone burst into my consciousness through the movie Point of No Return starring Bridgette Fonda. The desperate tones of the lead character are accompanied by equally desperate and poignant Nina Simone songs. As much as anything else, I always got the feeling that this movie wanted you to go out and by a Nina Simone record. So I did.

I found a compilation CD, so I bought it (the cover image of the disc I have appears above). This compilation was an actual CD, but when I put it into my iTunes years ago, it came up as the album "Bad Habits." I usually trust Gracenote or CDDB or whatever gives iTunes its data, but something was definitely off about this

I learned later on that Nina Simone had an incredibly difficult life. Born in the US, she was a gifted musician, forced into subserviance and denied educational opportunities because of her skin color. Just before the breakthroughs of the 1960s Civil Rights movement, Nina packed off for Europe and lived much of her life as an outspoken Expatriate. Really, if anyone blames her, they should have their heads examined.

Because of the legal battles over her albums, there are many issues and reissues. Still, I wanted to talk about her music as soon as possible, because it's still Black History Month, and I've sort of largely ignored any black artists so far, much to my detriment.

I view Nina as more of an aggressive protest singer. She was popular in the US during her lifetime (died in 2003), but she shunned the music business and chose to use her music to spread the message instead of becoming a superstar she was so obviously born to be.

Her romantic tunes are almost overshadowed by her brash and plaintive songs like "Mississippi Goddamn," but the tenderness in "Love Me or Leave Me," and "My Baby Just Cares for Me" give a glimpse of just how amazingly powerful and deep she really was. She could have become rich and powerful and popular, but she took the high road and changed the world.

Another note: The song "Young Gifted and Black" does not appear on my album, but it's too good not to talk about, so I am including it blow, along with a couple other songs that make me love her all the more.

Nina Simone on Wikipedia

Nina Simone artist link in iTunes

52 Weeks of Music - Electric Warrior by T. Rex

2011-02-21T19:44:00.000-08:00

"I was dancing when I was twelve..."

Unlike previous artists, I came to T. Rex later in life. In fact, I was completely unfamiliar with them until just a few years ago when I saw the movies The Trip and Billy Elliot. Both featured T. Rex anthems from Electric Warrior.

"Bang a Gong (Get It On)" and "Cosmic Dancer" were the songs in the respective films. The more I learned about T. Rex, the more I was fascinated. I bought the album on iTunes only years later after seeing Breakfast on Pluto, which again prominently featured "Cosmic Dancer."

The album has other standouts like "Planet Queen," "Mambo Sun" and more. To me, Electric Warrior is one of my favorite albums to listen to. But I only was a fan of the music, and never got that much into the band or Marc Bolan

I only recently became aware of another album, The Slider just this weekend when I strolled into my local record store. (Yes, they do still exist, antiquarian though they may be.) The record store had a display of new vinyl. Apparently, 15 years ago when I started collecting records in earnest after high school, I didn't know I was starting a trend. Today new and reissued albums are coming out on vinyl and come with a free MP3 download link on the Internet. Technology is wonderful.

While the Slider is good, Electric Warrior is still tops in its ethereal feel and aural magnetism. Still, as I continue with this project, you may get a review of the Slider later on. Both are really good.

Sadly, Marc Bolan died shortly before his 30th birthday in a car crash (possibly the biggest disincentive to buy a Mini ever). Of course, with the tragic early death, he's often compared to Jim Morrison of the Doors. I adored the Doors, and still do, but the musical sounds are light years apart. The Doors are more spoken word poetry, while T. Rex is still much more commercial. But the glam/punk mix packs a wallop to the Doors primal energy.

The lesson I've learned from T. Rex and Electric Warrior is that there is a cornucopia of music that you may never have heard of. I recently caught flak on facebook for stating my dislike of Arcade Fire. But while I stand by that opinion, and I still haven't heard any of their songs I particularly care for, I am reminded by experience with T. Rex is that you shouldn't ever stop listening to music. That's kind of the point of this whole blog project. Keep your ears and mind open to new experiences and possibilities and you may discover some fantastic music you never knew existed.

Electric Warrior on Wikipedia

Album link on iTunes

52 Weeks of Music - Under Rug Swept, Alanis Morissette

2011-02-13T14:01:00.000-08:00

The 1960s had a Canadian chanteuse who captivated a generation. Her name was Joni Mitchell. The 1990s had her successor, Alanis Morissette. Alanis had a meteoric rise with Jagged Little Pill. I had loved Jagged Little Pill because it helped me deal with a lot of emotional shit, being that it came out the year I graduated high school. The sophomore effort, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie came out in 1998 after a couple of years of rebuilding and was a commercial and critical flop.

After a long musical drought, Alanis returned in 2002 with Under Rug Swept. The melodies on Under Rug Sweptseemed a bit derivative of Jagged Little Pill, but the lyrics seemed just as edgy and catchy. I loved the whole album immediately. I was again working through some major things, like just buying a house, what to do about school, and trying to find a boyfriend. I wasn't even sure I wanted to go through all the pain of a relationship, but then I heard "Flinch."

"Flinch" made me a lot more appreciative of my previous experiences. "Soon I'll grow up and I won't even flinch at your name..." To me, truer words had never been spoken. I was so short-sighted about love and emotion. I needed to hear those words to realize that there's plenty of time to get the hell over someone.

The rest of Under Rug Swept was rhapsodic. I started to like myself a lot more. Today I still love listening to these songs, probably as much as the Jagged Little Pill megahits.

Alanis probably did more for distressed young gay men than any therapist. I really adore her to this day. I've been sort of lukewarm on her other albums, but to me, the Jagged Little Pill ripped me up, but Under Rug Swept healed me.

Thanks Alanis.

Under Rug Swept on Wikipedia.

Album link on iTunes.

52 Weeks of Music - Week 6 - Easy Wonderful by Guster

2011-02-07T19:18:00.002-08:00

I first encountered Guster in the late 90s when I returned to college after a brief hiatus in retail. Lost and Gone Forever was some of the most genius music I had heard in a long time. The 1990s were extremely wanting in terms of commercial music, but if you did a little digging, you could find bands like Guster, Barenaked Ladies, and Indigo Girls.

I do not have the least bit of hesitation grouping Guster in with the other two stellar Indie Rock talents. I actually wrote a glowing review of Guster's Lost and Gone Forever for a communications class in college, and I got an A.

Guster as a band has fairly common impetus, college friends making it big and all that, but their lyrics and musicianship are what keep me coming back for more. Guster was very big on the Internet. They became very astute at connecting with fans from the very earliest days of the online music gambit. They became a band that broke through the bland bandwitdh of pop with some indie-folk rock songs with heart.

I have to be honest, that I often am lost when I look for new music, but I actually found out that Guster had a new album through an ad on facebook. (Yes, I was Zuckerburged.) I clicked through and downloaded the free file "Bad Bad World," and completely dug it, so I splurged on the full ablum, Easy Wonderful on iTunes later that same day.

I could hardly stop listening to it after I bought it. It had been months since I had bought anything new, and this album was really good. Though the band doesn't really discuss the meaning behind its lyrics, I get the impression that some of these songs are a social critique. Consumerism, Politics, Religion. They all have some sort of thing to say about all of the big topics.

The album is actually playing as I write this, and I keep slapping my forehead, "Oh gosh, that's what they're talking about."

I highly recommend this album if you like to be intellectually stimulated by your music. And if not, the songs are still catchy and good on a superficial level.

Guster on Wikipedia

Easy Wonderful on iTunes

Video link for "Do You Love Me?"

52 Weeks of Music - Week 5 - I Feel Cream by Peaches

2011-01-30T13:24:00.000-08:00

[Reader Advisory: This post contains explicit and exquisite lyrics.]

"Big trouble in little Mangina..."
from the song "Billionaire" by Peaches

I first learned about Peaches several years ago. Of course I heard "Boys Wanna Be Her" in the movie Whip It, but I was a fan even before that.

A couple of years ago, I came across a fan video on YouTube of "Slippery Dick" where the song plays over a video montage of Divine, the John Waters drag superstar. (See video below.)

As far as I know, this is just a fan video, but since I've always loved Divine, the song stuck with me. There are tons of videos on YouTube and I've included a couple more at the end of the post.

I don't buy music as much as I used to, mainly because I am drowning in CDs and I don't want to put much more stuff on my computer, for fear it will crash. But for my birthday and Christmas gifts in 2009, I got some iTunes gift cards, and one thing that was for sure on my list was "Slippery Dick."

I listened to some more Peaches tracks from the album, Impeach My Bush, but I wasn't thrilled. "Slippery Dick" was it for me for the time being. Yet later I came back to iTunes for more and wound up buying the more current album I Feel Cream.

I Feel Cream has some great rhythms, and the sound is much more eclectic. If there's one thing that can truly describe my taste in music, it's eclectic, so I bought the album. It resides on my iPod, there for when my mood is down and I need a little subversive electroclash pop to perk me up. It's my favorite album to listen to while I work out.

Like the art of Robert Mapplethorpe, Peaches music and videos are not everyone's cup of tea. But the way Peaches explores themes like gender identity, body image and sexuality is utterly fascinating to me. In an age of vapid pop stars like Katy Perry and Britney Spears, I'm glad we have Peaches.

On a side note, I was shocked however when I heard "Talk to Me" on the Muzak at work. They finally changed the channels up after the holidays this year. I get to hear Peaches, Pink, and even the Scissor Sisters. It doesn't ruin I Feel Cream for me yet. In fact, I would say that it might get more people aware of Peaches shear genius as a lyricist and performer.

Peaches - I Feel Cream on Wikipedia

I Feel Cream album link for iTunes

52 Weeks of Music, Week 4 - London Calling by the Clash

2011-01-23T19:29:00.000-08:00

I am not much of an expert on punk rock, but I know great music when I hear it. From the angry stacatto strumming of the title track that opens the album to the plaintive harmonica that trails off the ending, London Calling is a great album.

As the youngest of four kids, my musical tastes were somewhat patterned after my older siblings, though largely my oldest sister. She opened me up to the throaty ballads of Neil Diamond's Hot August Night and the shear poetry of Simon & Garfunkel's Concert in Central Park, but I always wanted more.

The Indiana suburbs of the early 1980s were not really a welcoming place for the strange world and sounds of punk. The most risque things got around our house was when my sister bought Prince records, or years later when I bought some Prince CDs. There wasn't really room in this tepid tableau for the social commentary of British punk. My recollection was that it seemed to all be written off as dirty because of bands with names like the Sex Pistols were too controversial. I remember the fight over radios playing George Michael's "I Want Your Sex" which they had to dub over with "I Want Your Love." Even in 2011, censorship reigns supreme, with CeeLo Green's "Forget You" instead of the original "Fuck You."

But the Clash sneaked into my world in barely perceptible ways. I remember the songs "Rock the Casbah" and "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" from the original airings on the radio. They sort of faded into the cacophony of my musical memory, but somehow they would germinate later in life, eventually growing into a deep appreciation for the band's fluid and adaptable aesthetic.

Sometime in the late 1990s, I heard the song "Lost in the Supermarket" on a local alternative radio station and fell in love with its cockeyed view of crass consumerism. I would go on to immerse myself in learning more about the band. Considering "Lost in the Supermarket" was released in 1979, its applicability to the late 1990s was eerily prescient, if not just downright creepy.

So I bought the London Calling CD and love to give it a listen every now and then. The album is ecclectic in its sounds. See the aforementioned electric guitar and harmonica. But it's almost depressing to listen to today, with the context of the interceding 30 years. The prophets of punk decried the future and we didn't listen. That is to say, "Lost in the Supermarket" could pretty much be taken as a prophecy about the 2008 Market Crash.

But then, if you listen to the rest of the album, you can get lost in its other messages, so to speak. I think it's pretty powerful prose and poetry. It's almost gleeful with subversion.

If you get a chance, listen to the whole album and then try to imagine if any artist today could foretell the future so eloquently. Of course, hindsight is always perfect. Foresight is ambiguous. I guess just get up and dance.

London Calling on Wikipedia

52 Weeks of Music - Week 3 - Gordon by the Barenaked Ladies

2011-01-18T19:06:00.000-08:00

[Author's Note: I've been a bit under the weather, and the weather's been lousy. I apologize for the tardiness of this post.]

This may sound strange coming from a gay man, but I love Barenaked Ladies. Of course, I mean the musical group. I know, it's a terrible joke. I came to them quite by accident in the mid-1990s, along with some of my other favorite music. Their song "What a Good Boy" appeared in the movie Stonewall, which was one of the first gay movies I ever saw. (As a matter of digression, I first saw Rocky Horror Picture Show, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Jeffrey, and then Stonewall.)

"What a Good Boy" is a lovely ballad that deals with forbidden love, though not explicitly gay. Still the song was a perfect fit for the end credits of the film, and I wanted to hear it more. This was in the early days of the Internet kids, so I actually combed used record stores looking for the Barenaked Ladies. While visiting my sister in Tennessee, I found the Stonewall soundtrack CD in a used record shop and bought it. It was filled with classic tunes by 1960s girl groups, and then it also had "What a Good Boy." I felt satisfied for a few weeks, but kept up my search. I eventually found the current album Born on a Pirate Ship at Target, where I worked at the time. It was one of those goofy multimedia CDs that had music and flash and quicktime. It was a good album, but it just wasn't hitting the spot for me.

I eventually found Gordon at Best Buy and bought it. I loved it. The funky beats mixed with harmonious tones and notes was the perfect thing to help me transcend my working class existence, and the fact that I had to move back in with my parents.

I went on to share the Barenaked Ladies with my best friend, my sisters, my first and second boyfriends, and just about everyone. I think I created somewhat of a cult following among my fellow Targeteers.

I almost consider the boys in the Barenaked Ladies my first real boyfriend, as I bonded with them through their music before I dated anybody. I actually had to buy the CD twice because I left it at a boyfriend's house or something. But I definitely didn't mind paying them royalties again. To this day, Gordon makes me feel good. He was the best boyfriend I had, before my current one of course.

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the eventual departure of Steven Page, one of the two lead vocalists for Barenaked Ladies. I don't know much about it, because over the years, my fandom has waned. I still have all of their major albums since Gordon, and there may be another one that strikes me later in the year. Until then, you'll have to explore them for yourself.

Gordon on Wikipedia.

Album Link on iTunes.

52 Weeks of Music. Week 2 Party Doll and Other Favorites, Mary Chapin Carpenter

2011-01-09T13:09:00.001-08:00

I had a brief flirtation with Country music during its 1990s heyday. This was the era of Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, and a slew of other superstars. I adored Garth's everything and Reba's glamour and charm, but I absolutely loved everything about Mary Chapin Carpenter.

Her lyrics in her 90s "commercial" hits ranged from boisterous to scolding, running the full gamut of human emotions. I loved "Shut Up and Kiss Me" and "I Feel Lucky." Then she walloped me with "He Thinks He'll Keep Her," and "I Take My Chances."

This album, though it is a compilation, is a good snapshot of her brilliant career. Her next album, Time*Sex*Love* may be a subsequent entry, but this was the first album of hers that I bought, so I wanted to devote some time to it first. All of her major early hits are here, and there are songs I never knew I'd love, like "Stones in the Road," which is actually the title track from one of her older albums.

Though I usually disdain live performances of songs because they just seem so gimmicky, these performances are heartfelt and endearing. "I Take My Chances" is more poignant in this live version, as are many of the other tracks.

I admire her so much as a songwriter and performer. Not many country stars can pull off ballads written by John Lennon and Mick Jagger, but she totally does. In my imagination, she grew up listening to The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, and the Stones, then figured out how to interpret that music in her own life, with her own themes. She's truly gifted, and she's very willing to share her musical gifts with you, the listener.

Do yourself a favor and listen to this album again. If you haven't heard it, or if you already have the songs on other CDs, get this album for the new versions of the older songs. It's transformative, entertaining and endearing. You'll feel lucky to be hearing her music all over again.

Video link on CMT for "He Thinks He'll Keep Her."

Mary Chapin Carpenter on Wikipedia

Album Link on iTunes

52 Weeks of Music

2011-01-04T20:40:00.000-08:00

It's the first week of 2011 and my friend Katie inspired me to resolve for a blog per week.

The idea sprang to life in my mind late last night while watching Mary Tyler Moore on Hulu. MTM is Katie's favorite television program, and it's not hard to see why. It's wonderful. It's the originator of all modern sitcoms. But I digress. I only wanted to throw in my own plug about how great the show is. Go to Hulu and watch a couple of episodes and you will be hooked as I am.

So my idea was to talk about 52 albums that mean something to me. After being bombarded by all those e-mail surveys, then later facebook surveys, about my favorite things, I figured it would be better to go into some depth on blog posts. I won't be defending my choices, in fact, I welcome readers to comment. I just want to share what music holds a place in my heart and try to explain why. I am kicking it off with a post immediately after this one.

Here's to a great 2011 filled with good music. Happy New Year.

52 Weeks of Music - Week 1 - Wild Planet by the B-52s

2011-01-04T20:36:00.000-08:00

The skies are charcoal gray. It's a dreary downtown day. But. At the end of my 30 foot leash. My little friend, Quiche.

Thus began one of my favorite songs by the B-52s, "Quiche Lorraine." It's a classic narrative about a boy and his dog, but with a super queer twist. Fred Schneider is singing about his beloved poodle, Quiche Lorraine. "Sunglasses and a bonnet, and designer jeans with appliques on 'em." My adolescent mind was blown. I was totally enthralled with this fictional bitch, just from the lyrical description.

The song is track 7 on the CD version I have of the album Wild Planet.

I always have great luck with the number 7 tracks of albums, but we'll leave numerology out of this for now. The song is the ultimate high camp showpiece of an album filled with vintage high camp showpieces.

In "Devil in my Car," Fred can't get the Devil out of his car because as Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson sing in the background vocals "[The Devil's] got his cloven hoof on the clu--hutch."

In "Strobelight," Fred and the ladies extol the virtues of sex under a strobelight.

"Dirty Back Road" is all about, well let's just let your imagination flow.

All of these tracks were mind blowing to my exurban repressed homosexual adolescent ears. I loved dancing to them, or I'd just sit in my room and count the days until I would die. The B-52s made my existence much more tolerable, and I eventually realized that I too could make it out. Hell, I could carry a tune better than Fred Scheider. Though realistically I knew I probably would never be in a band, I was encouraged not to always do what was expected of me.

I finally stopped living in my own "Private Idaho," and now I love my life. Thanks in part to the sounds from a distant Wild Planet.

Click here for the iTunes link. | View Wikipedia.

Disco Delerium

2010-08-12T20:36:00.000-07:00

It's a hot August night and I have trash and recycling to take out; then I have dishes to wash. It strikes me that I am doing Night Work, a la the new eponymous title track from the latest Scissor Sisters opus.

I have since completed said night work, and I am humbly trying to articulate what exactly I am feeling when I listen to this music. With all that seems to be off-kilter with my life plan, the music seems to soothe me. I can happily dowse myself with Dawn and scrub sponge mopping up Rice a Roni from yesterday's blase effort at dinner as long as I have Del, Jake, BabyDaddy and Ana Matronic rolling around between my ears.

More realistically, my medication for my abhorrent sinus infection seems to be turning me into a daytime pariah, hating sleep in all its incarnations. I have consistently had a two a.m. bedtime for the past week or so. I think my mind is more expanded and stimulated at this witching hour.

It's at this point I become simultaneously introspective, retrospective, and prospective, all in the same synaptic second. That is why I sat down to see what lexical treasures I could elucidate from my heightened sense of self.

Of course, this is all a chemical delusion. I am in a delirious funk of tambourine and tango, and the fleeting feeling of joy is ever so much closer.

I guess that's all for now. My iPod battery is wearing down and I need to plug in. Cheers to chasing the dragon, even if in reality the dragon is a disco diva. It takes one to know one I guess. Ta-Tah.

There Is Beauty in the World

2010-06-16T17:59:00.000-07:00

Original Image from Billboard.com

Macy Gray has a new album coming out. You can stream it live here (as of 6/16/2010).

As I right this, the earth is spewing oil due to the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It's important in times like this to stay focused on what's important. There is beauty in the world. Now, I don't want to minimize the disaster inflicted by our own greed. I want to think of this as an opportunity to move on. The President said something or rather last night, but it's vastly important that we blame not only the oil companies, but ourselves.

We have a responsibility. We need to make sure there is still beauty in the world for the people who come after us. We do not have dominion over this realm. We have to be stewards of it for future generations.

Here Lies Love

2010-04-19T19:46:00.000-07:00

Eat your heart out, Evita, there's a new crazy dictator's wife to lionize: Imelda Marcos.

Of course, I am talking about the concept-album, song cycle, whatver you call it, "Here Lies Love" by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim.

I heard one of the tracks, "Why Don't You Love Me" by Cyndi Lauper and Tori Amos, but I didn't care for it out of context. As the final track of the album, it brings it all together. Marcos was completely out of touch by the end of it all.

Of course, the whole album is itself out of context in a way. Byrne was recently interviewed on NPR and he said he specifically omitted the part about the shoes, the most notorious punchline to the fallen dictator story. I agree with Byrne though. The shoes anecdote minimize all of the great and terrible things that Imelda Marcos did. The album uses a disco milieu to bring life to the fascinating story of Imelda, who was herself a fan of discos, and all the decadence that went along with them.

There are eerie parallels to Imelda and Eva Peron, however, where Juan Peron survived Evita, making her a more tragic figure, Imelda lives on today. She's running for office in the Phillippenes, if you can believe that. This album kind of plays on the public's obsession with power and fame. It reminds us that there is often a very dark side to beauty.

Betty Mas Bonita

2010-04-14T20:29:00.000-07:00

*Spoilers*
Ugly Betty is over. The show ended well, with a good finalization for most of the characters.

Betty moved to London to start a magazine. Daniel left Mode, and Wilhemena got the magazine, and a little bit of humanity.

The show was part sitcom, part soap, so it had trouble finding and keeping an audience. I still loved it though. But like most of the good television of the past four or five years, the writer's strike seemed to deal it a huge death blow. Television schedules weren't regular anymore. When the split seasons finally aired, who the hell knew when they were on?

I want to thank ABC for keeping the show going as long as they did. Hulu kept me in touch through most of my missed times and my TiVo conflicts.

In spite of it all, the show reached me. I loved its portrayal of social conflicts, corporate ambition, and body image issues. It had the perfect knack of getting to the heart of issues while keeping its audiences entertained.

I for one will miss the red glasses on my screen each week.

Remembering Dixie Carter, or Do You Know Who Shirley Chisholm Is?

2010-04-12T21:36:00.000-07:00

As a gay kid growing up in a repressive conservative household, Designing Women was the technicolor heroin to my impressionable youth.

When I found out Dixie Carter died, I was sad. Even though Ms. Carter's personal politics were actually much to the right of her DW alter ego Julia Sugarbaker, she (or more appropriately the writers of Designing Women) still taught me a lot about the unspoken pieces of US History.

Dixie Carter reminded me of my oldest sister Katherine. Kath and I both seemed to view the world in a somewhat skewed perspective, both metaphorically and physiologically due to our shared affliction of astigmatism. Kath was brash, but well-meaning, and today she conducts Julia-style dressings down of social mores on her own blog.

I was much more the reserved type. I was much more akin to Annie Potts' MaryJo on the show. I was reasonably informed, but less daring. I often felt stressed and put up with a lot that I shouldn't have.

When I finally got the gumption to get out, I did. But my abiding love and affection for my family means that there's no remaining ill will, even though we rarely see eye to eye. Even Kath and I rarely meet on the political spectrum, except for social issues. In a strange coincidence, Kath moved to Tennessee, which is actually Dixie Carter's home state. Kath also started ascribing to the Libertarian point of view, which is very much in line with that of Ms. Carter.

I prefer the fictional side of Ms. Carter. I am an unapologetic liberal. I believe in a strong federal government, not a namby-pamby network of nincompoop state legislators. But that is a topic for another day.

I want to thank Designing Women. The actors, writers, producers. Everyone helped me learn about America. I first learned about great women through that show -- Eleanor Roosevelt, Emily Dickinson, and Shirley Chisholm, just to name a few. The show inspired me to learn more about these women.

A couple of years ago, I chanced upon a copy of a DVD documenting the life of Shirley Chisholm. It was a video store clearance item, so I picked it up for under $5. It was money well-spent. Not only were the people of Designing Women correct in idealizing her, they didn't nearly go far enough. With all of the polarized and hateful, racists pundits going around decrying the "tyranny" of Obama in 2010, think back to what the country was like in the spring of 1972. The Vietnam War was in its death throes, Watergate was still just a hotel, and a black congresswoman from New York decided to run for President, against all the insurmountable odds, just because she wasn't going to let America maintain the status quo.

Though Ms. Carter is gone, I want to thank her again for allowing me to grow up inspired and with hope. And Ms. Carter, if you see Ms. Chisholm up in heaven, I hope you give her a high five from me.

In Space, No One Can Hear Me Throw Up

2009-06-17T19:24:00.000-07:00

Aliens is on AMC tonight. It came on and Chad started watching it. Although I am a huge fan of Sigourney Weaver, but I had never seen any of the Alien movies, so I stuck around.

It was all going great. Bill Paxton, Paul Reiser, and a slew of other interesting actors who never really did much of anything else. I had no idea what the movie was even about, but I know that Aliens is the sequel to Alien.

This movie did have some great effects, especially being made 25 years ago. Everything was going great, until they took a flamethrower to a colonist who dies as an alien baby comes out of her stomach. I quietly left the living room and took my laptop to my bedroom to watch Kathy Griffin on Larry King Live (via YouTube).

The over-arching purpose of the Alien cinematic franchise (other than the obvious, make a shitload of money) seems to be to freak people out and make them afraid.

That is where I part ways with Aliens, and most horror movies. I swear sometimes, I have the constitution of a 60 year-old woman. But more than that, I have enough tension and stress in my life that watching a person covered in goo have a disgusting creature bursting from their digestive system seems like my idea of horror, which thefreedictionary.com defines as "an intense, painful feeling of repugnance and fear." I couldn't agree more.

Why do we have to be entertained by such terrible and unpleasant things? Moreover, why do we let people profit from our most visceral and profound emotions? I'd rather enjoy the pleasant things in life. Red wine, Ben & Jerry's, cheese, a nice canoe trip at Chain O' Lakes, and Sigourney Weaver in Working Girl. There are a thousand things I would rather do than subject my brain to terror, especially terror that's censored for TV and interrupted by commercials.

(If you click on the link, you can go to the Wikipedia page.)

106

2009-05-30T22:18:00.000-07:00

I have 106 friends on Facebook.

This is a strange world in which we live. This friend count is more or less accurate. Some of these people I haven't seen in years, perhaps decades, but I do know all of these people.

I guess where I run into problems is that word "Friend." I think that friends are something that are all too often taken for granted. I have a Facebook friend in San Francisco, a Facebook friend in Mexico, and other Facebook friends all over. I really don't think you can cultivate deep friendships with people across these massive expansive distances, even when connected electronically.

I have very few friends I hang out with on a regular basis, and that's kind of the way I prefer it. But at the same time, I lament the distance between many of the other friends who I only ever see on Facebook. I'd love to be in Istanbul with my friend Shay (totally heart you, girl) but I am willing to settle for browsing through her holiday snaps on her Facebook page.

Instead of the classic telephone call, I suppose Facebook really is the new way to Reach Out and Touch Someone.

Charlie's Angels Aware

2009-05-19T19:27:00.000-07:00

I loved singing and performing. I always have. I took singing lessons, I was in children's choir at church, performed in school plays and talent shows; I loved being in front of people. I think in some ways I've been very much a drama queen, hell, I've even thought about being a drag queen, but that moment has thankfully passed.

When I was a very young child, I would take the wooden spoon out of the drawer in the kitchen and pretend it was my microphone. The fireplace hearth was my stage. My parents are particularly fond of a song I made up about wanting to get a kiss from a jungle woman. Though I don't remember it myself very well, I guess it's probably a factual account, but I'm just old enough that we didn't have a camcorder yet to verify such an event. I guess in retrospect it would have made a much better story if I actually sang "Fire" by Jimi Hendrix.

In kindergarten, I put together a band called the Hot Buns. I think this was actually a name of a band from an episode of the TV show "Gimmie a Break" so I don't really think I should have been credited for my originality. The punchline was later that year, my buns really were hot after a paddling. The Christian school I went to used a name on the board -> checkmark by name -> aggregation of checkmarks = paddling system of punishment. It was probably not a big deal. I talked a lot. I was very chatty along with my annoying precociousness.

When I grew up a little, my parents put me in Children's Choir at church. It was much better than listening to the pastor's 45 minute prayers or impossibly intellectual sermons, so I was okay with being there. Although I often wanted to stay home so I could watch reruns of Charlie's Angels.

I remember Pat, the lady in charge of the choir was very enthusiastic about teaching us music. But we never learned anything useful. She taught us the words using a gigantic poster sized easel with a mix of words and rebuses. It was all handwritten and must have taken weeks, but at the time, I despised the pictogram learning process, but it helped me learn with both sides of my brain, an incredible gift. For all the benefits of cross-brain learning, we were never taught how to read music. It was all learned by ear. Later I took piano lessons and learned music, but until I was 9 I didn't know middle c from my middle finger.

But the absolute best aspects of Children's Choir were putting on costumes and doing choreography. Once, our church did Angels Aware, a cornball musical about how God was going to come and save the earth. I will forever remember all of the Ten Commandments in order, as long as someone gives me enough time to sing them out in my head. With the sparkly gold Christmas garland halos, the dry ice cloud effects, and the choreography, I was quite literally in a form of prepubescent gay heaven. Too bad my brother and one of my sisters were also there.

It was around the time I was growing out of my family's K-Tel Dumb Ditties album and transitioning to popular music and 60s tunes my sister was into. I was also into Christian pop for a while, but I got over that when I turned 15 or 16.

As I grew up more and more, my taste in music evolved into what can only be described
as the quintessential gay boy trying to fit into the world around him. My favorite song until I was 15 was "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" by Starship. It came on the radio once in fifth grade. I was typically staying in from recess and helping the teacher clean the chalkboards with another student named Gabe. I started to dance and lip sync and Gabe just started laughing. I was unapologetic about my enthusiasm. The teacher was out of the room, and I probably wasn't supposed to be listening to a secular radio station anyway, so I just didn't care. Now I've realized that what I really loved was that the sexes of the singing voices were so indeterminate. Grace Slick's voice to an eleven year old may as well have been that of another man. Can you imagine the enthralling power this had on my sexually confused brain?

In high school, I got bolder. I was an avid fan of the B-52s, the notoriously gay party band from the Athens, Georgia music underground that billed itself as the "World's Greatest Party Band." To me, they were. I bought every CD I could get my hands on. Almost every Taco Bell paycheck went to a B-52s CD in one of those clunky, anachronistic CD long boxes.

The B-52s made me lose my young queer mind. I would dance and groove and sing along anywhere I heard their music. At the time I was puzzled why more of their songs didn't make it on the radio, but going back through their albums today, I realize, that they aren't that great. Fred Schneider, the lead singer can't carry a tune. He's got a kind of gravelly voice that makes me think of Suzanne Pleshette or Bea Arthur. Plus, their music was kind of subversive. It was positively dripping with lots of sexual innuendo. They have a song titled "Dirty Back Road." Incidentally, I didn't put that together with gay sex until a few weeks ago when I saw the CD case in my rack. I like to think I was progressive, but I was more naive than even I had imagined.

Sometime when I was about 15, I saw the movie Heathers for the first of what would prove to be an innumerable number of times. The movie was vividly absurdist and surreal, but funny as all hell. At the end, Sly and the Family Stone covered Que Sera Sera, and did an amazing job. It became my all-time favorite song. To this day it retains that title, in spite of 17 years of music inundating me from all conceivable media. The song was so utterly perfect because it sounded like an utter mess. In the slick world of the late 80s and early 90s music, the blues, funk and rhythm fused in my brain to turn me into a musical adult.

About the time I discovered Sly and the Family Stone, I stopped listening to Christian pop. I loathed the concept of it, for one thing. Even now, perhaps especially now I don't think it is in any way beneficial to anyone to package the message of gospel in mass-market crap music.

I went away to college and started listening to college type music. I got into Ben Folds Five, the Indigo Girls, Cake, Guster and Jimmy Buffett, just about everything. I got into dance music a little bit also, being that I did start going to gay bars and getting my dance groove on for real.

Now I feel sometimes that I have lost that musical feeling. In a world dominated by personalized access to music, I feel that we need more people willing to go out there and perform music, rather than just consume it. I think I would like to learn how to play an instrument. I only ever learned how to play the snare drum. The piano didn't really stick for some reason. I think playing music, as well as singing and dancing connect us to something larger than ourselves. I think this larger art is something the world needs more of.

Maybe I can gather up the Kindergarten gang and reform the Hot Buns. The band name carries a lot more irony now than it did in 1983. I imagine that our first number one hit will be a cover of the B-52s classic "Dirty Back Road."

Get Your Bags Together...

2009-02-23T19:21:00.001-08:00

I've been in a musical funk lately, but this song is one of my favorites. I'm so glad I found the video.

Dolly Parton Discuses Rumors

2009-02-23T18:01:00.001-08:00

Some Kind of Creative Drought

2009-02-20T20:35:00.000-08:00

To put it mildly, I have been neglectful of this blog, through a myriad of circumstances and distractions. I have been working on a few writing projects to keep me somewhat sane during the long harsh Hoosier winter. I have also been a perpetual bad mood, caused in part by my chronic sinus pain and sleepless nights.

Tonight, after I finished taking random facebook quizzes and reading a story or two on a blog or two, I just started grooving on my iTunes party shuffle mode.

Music usually puts me in a better mood, but I haven't even listened to music much lately. I've purchased four albums (two in stores, two online) since January, but I have hardly taken the time necessary to truly appreciate them. What follows are a few of my first impressions on my latest musical acquisitions.

Pink, Funhouse
I have been a fan of Pink for many years, and this latest album seems much more angry and introspective than any of her other work. I like the songs, but they deserve more attention and analysis than I have given them, so I can't say much more. I wouldn't know whether to recommend this or not, but the single, "So What" is a fun anthem for self acceptance.

Goldfrapp, Seventh Tree
I inflicted this on a couple of friends who like dance and electronica, but it's not at all a dance or electronica album in the traditional sense. The beats are somber and drift from cheery to melancholy. Overall, it's a beautiful collection, a virtual symphony of electonic music with lots of texture and understated beauty. I would recommend this and it's probably my favorite album of the set. It's also the one I've listened to most.

Adele, 19
This singer was recommended by a friend and I checked it out online, before she won the Grammy for best new artist. The music is soulful and solid. I'm also a sucker for great taste, especially when they cover good Bob Dylan songs. Adele covers "Make You Feel My Love," which has been recorded oodles of times, each time sounding progressively more pleasant than Dylan's original. Adele's was amazing and it was that 30-second sample alone that made me buy the disc at the store. The rest of the album does not disappoint at all.

Matt Alber, Hide Nothing
Of course, you all are thinking "Who?" and you aren't wrong. I found out about this singer on a blog post of all things. He has a great video for the song "The End of the World." I posted a link on facebook and added the YouTube video to my favorites and I bought the album. There are maybe one or two other songs on it that I like, but most of the time when a track of his comes up on the iPod or iTunes, I kind of regret the $12.99 download price.

So that's what I've been listening to. My advice for any readers is to just take a break every now and then and listen to the beauty of the sounds all around you.

By the way, the title of this post is a lyric from the Barenaked Ladies song "Brian Wilson."

Rachel Getting Married

2009-01-29T19:51:00.000-08:00

[CONTAINS SPOILERS]
Weddings are purported to be when people are at their best. The reality is that weddings are pretty intense events. Anyone who has ever been part of a wedding party knows that all of the preparation and stress got to be a little too much at times.

I just saw Rachel Getting Married at Cinema Center, my local art house theater. This was a truly engaging film, mainly with all of the entrancingly claustrophobic hand held cameras capturing the action. I was transported into the fray as a guest at the wedding, privy to what happens backstage as well as at the altar.

Kym (Anne Hathaway) is a troubled woman damaged by a lifetime of drug abuse who has come home from rehab for her sister's wedding. She is deeply flawed and manipulates every situation she is in because she is desperate for attention. She seems to be suffering from loneliness and isolation even though she's with the people who know her and love her best. She twists her sister's metaphorical arm (almost to the point of metaphorical amputation) into making her maid of honor, even though she clearly has little honor left.

But something strange has happened. Rachel (Rosemary DeWitt) is grown up and is getting her PhD in Psychology. (I can't imagine why she would have an interest in helping troubled people.) Rachel is no longer willing to put up with her sister's personality flaws, and with the major exception of making her maid of honor, Rachel calls Kym's bullshit for what it is. Through several events, it's revealed that Kym is directly responsible for the death of her toddler brother when she was a teenager. It's hardly a spoiler to say this, as it's mentioned fairly early into the film. This is quite obviously the reason everyone around her secretly loathes Kym. Their visceral disgust with her is almost palpable as she makes an awkward toast slash twelve-step amend to her sister in front of everyone at the rehearsal dinner.

The fights ensue following a post-rehearsal recap of Kym's manipulations back at the family house of their father and stepmother, played brilliantly by Bill Irwin and Anna Deavere Smith. Rachel preempts Kym's further attempts to manipulate the situation by announcing her pregnancy to everyone in the room. Everyone moves on to Rachel and leaves Kym in the cold.

The film's prime example of cold is Debra Winger, playing Kym and Rachel's mother, Abby. She is noticeably absent at the wedding rehearsal and arrived very late at the rehearsal dinner with her husband Andrew. As the film progresses, it becomes clear that although she loves her daughters, the loss of their little brother was something she never quite got over and has transformed into a cold and quiet housewife. She seems to be bothered by the hassle of Rachel's wedding and is positively, yet quietly, unnerved by Kym's reemergence at the festivities.

Kym meets a former fellow rehab patient at a salon when she and Rachel go to get their hair done for the wedding. He retells his inspiration he got from Kym's story in a rehab exercise about overcoming what Rachel knows is nonexistent child molestation and anorexia. Rachel is set off and tears out of the salon, leaving Kym to bask in the adoration of her former friend at rehab.

Another fight breaks out back at home when Kym calls out the family for not really forgiving her and she takes the station wagon to her mother's house to get away from the wedding madness. She finally asks her mother why she left the brother (Ethan) in Kym's care when everyone knew Kym was high all the time. Abby tells her that Ethan made Kym better and that Kym was the best she ever was when she was playing with Ethan. The two become hysterical with grief and rage and hit each other with fists instead of words.

Kym runs out to the car sobbing and bleery-eyed runs off the road and crashes on a boulder in a small glade of trees. She crashes emotionally and physically and we next see her in the fetal position in the driver's seat the next morning as a police officer knocks on the window.

Kym makes it home and has a very intimate moment with Rachel who bathes her and tends to her black eye as they prepare for the wedding. The next twenty or so minutes are finally uplifting as Rachel puts the getting married into the movie with a beautifully schizophrenic ceremony and party with everything from samba drums to african signing and belly dancers straight from Carnivale in Brazil. Kym finally is at her best and is content to skulk on the outer reaches of the party throng and looks desperately for her mother, trying to make amends for the fight and Ethan's death.

Rachel and Kym are dancing on the home's porch when Abby and Andrew try to make a quiet exit. Rachel laments her mother's departure and trip out of town that will make her miss the "post-wedding gossip reconnaissance" they planned to share. Rachel presumably knows about the fight and brings mom and Kym together in a three-person hug in a desperate attempt to get some closure for all three of them. But at the same time she knows her family will always be psychically fractured on an epic scale.

The film is simply a brilliant study of people who are at their worst when they are striving with all possible strength to be better. Where the film goes right is at the end when all three women finally admit to themselves that their best may not be possible.

More BSG Fun

2009-01-10T12:14:00.001-08:00

Yes, Gaeta Rules

2008-12-29T21:06:00.001-08:00

Okay, I have always loved Felix Gaeta. He is the tireless assistant who is dark and yet mysterious. Over the years, there has been much speculation on Gaeta's sexuality and in the webisodes for the upcoming season 4.5, they've made it official. Gaeta is at least mostly into guys.

You have got to check out the webisodes on SciFi.com. They are amazing.

I Heart Dusty Springfield

2008-12-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

Forces of Nature

2008-12-19T18:10:00.000-08:00

So okay, I haven't written anything in a while. A long while. I have been so bogged down with work and other miscellany that I just haven't felt like it, but today, the world reminded me to slow the heck down and relax.

77,000 people in the area of Fort Wayne were and most still are without power. My office lost power and had to send everyone home. I spent the day catching up on my TiVo'd episodes of Rachel Maddow and trying to work on stuff for work. I watched the intensely absurdist, nihlistic Southland Tales. I normally run screaming from movies staring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, but come on, a dystopian black comedy mystery co-starring Sarah Michelle Gellar as a trendy porn star pop singer? How could you NOT want to see something that crazy. It's the best movie ever for any Whedon fans that are also Doctor Who and Donnie Darko fans.

It's all about the US terror police state in the wake of 9/11, in an alternate history in which Texas was nuked in 2005 by terrorists. I mentioned Darko because it's the same writer/director, so you know it's insanely messed up. Of course, there's no pedophile Patrick Swayze, but it's got Buffy the porn star. Still it's not as good as some movies, but as far as postapocolyptic dystopian thrillers go, it was very satisfying. The ensemble cast includes Nora Dunn, Amy Poehler, Cheri Oteri, Jon Lovitz, well, tons of people from SNL who actually are decent actors.

So I went trolling on Netflix for more random odd movies and came up empty-screened (as opposed to empty-handed). Then a BBC documentary about Petula Clark caught my eye. I love Petula Clark, and even have her greatest hits on a record, but I didn't know much about her life, other than that she's British. Now, I know everything I need to know and more. Of course there were tons of references to her contemporaries, which led me on a strange quest to YouTube and iTunes to find songs by Dusty Springfield, Lesley Gore, and Peggy Lee.

So now I must venture back to Netflix. I've chosen Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. I'm sure there are no ex vampire-slaying porn stars, but I seem to be drawn to Amy Adams in an inexplicable way.

Mickey Edwards, Co-Founder of Heritage Foundation, Voted Obama

2008-11-07T11:59:00.000-08:00

NPR's Fresh Air with Terri Gross interviewed Mickey Edwards, Vice President of the Aspen Institute, a nonpartisan think tank. Edwards is also a co-founder of the infamous Heritage Foundation.

Edwards stated without much prodding that he in fact voted for Obama. He saw many faults with the McCain campaign, but he also sees a huge flaw in the Gingerich model of party politics. He describes the recent tactics of congress bowing to the will of the president as dangerous and undemocratic. Having separate, balanced branches of government is key to making the country work.

Edwards other criticisms included a stern indictment of the anti-intellectualism promoted by the McCain-Palin campaign. The idea that we don't want a well-educated person to lead the most powerful and prosperous nation in the history of human civilization is utterly ridiculous.

This is absolutely true. We need a well-educated person. John McCain thought that Iraq bordered Afghanistan and that Czechoslovakia still existed. Sarah Palin didn't even know Africa was a continent and not a country and threw temper tantrums because she didn't like reading press briefings. Obama was president of the Harvard Law Review, taught Constitutional Law, and traveled Eastern Europe extensively with Richard Lugar.

In turbulent times, we need people who will stand firm with good economic plans and not try to divide the country with innuendo and lies.

Congratulations President Elect Obama.

John McCain is Hilarious

2008-11-06T12:38:00.001-08:00

Wassup

2008-10-27T17:45:00.003-07:00

Wassup 2008

2008-10-27T17:45:00.001-07:00

How far we haven't come in eight long years.

Must See Video from Ron Howard

2008-10-24T16:36:00.000-07:00

See more Ron Howard videos at Funny or Die

8 1/2

2008-10-18T21:38:00.000-07:00

Like most neophyte film buffs, I had heard of Fellini, but something kept me from seeing any of his movies. Today I watched 8 1/2, probably his most famous film.

My gut reaction was something like "Oh, that's what that movie is referencing." The list of other movies that reference sequences from 8 1/2 is endless. But it really is a head trip. Sometimes you can't tell if your watching a movie about a guy or a guy in a movie, or maybe it's not a movie at all and it's really a documentary of the filmmaker's process. It's every dream sequence that's been in every other medium, but amped up times a thousand.

The story goes that Fellini was stuck in between movies and couldn't decide how to finish a production, so he wrote a story about a famous film director in the same situation. On the surface, it's a semi-autobiographical story of a man in a midlife crisis, but it explores lots of different themes. Childhood innocence, the objectification, brutalization, and eventually celebration and an almost deification of women. The stress of a lover, the triviality and nuisance of a business, the pain of trying to make art while making money for yourself and your boss. The film is 45 years old, but its themes resonate today.

I finally see what I think everyone else sees, it's a truly brilliant film. Get it and get in touch with your inner angst, then throw a party where everyone gets to dance and live life to its fullest.

Technical note: The version I watched was the Criterion Collection DVD from Netflix with an introduction by Terry Gilliam (you know, the genius behind all the Monty Python animations and 12 Monkeys). But don't watch the introduction until after the movie because it has some spoilers.

Even more desperate Republican Rabble

2008-10-15T20:46:00.001-07:00

Ignorance and Fear are now taking a backseat to made up allegations of fraud.

Family Guy Backlash

2008-10-13T09:15:00.000-07:00

Bye Stewie. It's been nice knowing you.

RADAROnline has a great article on Family Guy and Seth MacFarlane backlash.

I've been irritated with Family Guy ever since the Barbershop Quartet AIDS song, but the reruns from the first volume of shows win me back. Lately though, it's been on the wane. I cheered Eric Cartman for trying to get Family Guy off the air.

Now that MacFarlane is teaming up with Burger King, he's pretty much officially sold out in my book.

The Invisible Hand is Out to Lunch

2008-10-10T16:14:00.000-07:00

I got scolded on the blog of my Libertarian sister for leaving a comment that I think tax increases under Obama are a better idea than tax cuts under John McCain. I would like to elaborate on my opinion here.

It is more than likely that the overwhelmingly vast majority of Americans will never see a tax cut under a McCain presidency. Is is also incredibly likely that taxes will need to go up because our deficit is 500 billion per year. Even by Reaganomic standards, this is insane.

In my college economics class, we learned about Adam Smith and the so-called Invisible Hand that guides market forces for good. I think that there is no Invisible Hand guiding the market. The government should take a more active role in regulation of markets to protect the welfare and domestic tranquility of the State. This is the fundamental difference between the economic philosophy of my conservative family and myself.

I also believe in some form of the so-called "Great Society" where social programs benefit those less fortunate. Most conservatives argue that the Private Sector should distribute wealth by paying more in wages, dividends, and investing in charities. But recently I've observed that Private sector investment in the poor only works when it suits the company's bottom line. Going green for the environment is much more about marketing non-solutions than it is about solving anything. Companies like WalMart, Target and other major retailers give money back to communities, but they can pick and choose who gets what, so there is no way to figure out the most equitable way. I believe that the government should be holding the lines of the safety net, not the private sector.

The point was made in my class that the government could never go broke because it could always print more money. And people will always loan the government money. Both points are of course true, but the end result of the government just printing more money would be disastrous. And now, no one wants to lend money to anyone, yet the Treasury wants to give hundreds of billions that it doesn't even have to Wall Street firms.

When do we start paying this check? Sure, no one thinks we should have to because it's not our fault. That may be true, but I find it unconscionable that people are just sitting there waiting for tax cuts for only the wealthy to trickle down and let the market take care of it. But we've already seen what the market will do when you give it more money. It crashes and takes off for a spa weekend.

Besides that, the Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith's book, was written almost three hundred years ago. People weren't even using electricity, let alone inventing risky financial instruments like Credit Default Swaps and Collateralized Debt Obligations. Republicans actually inserted amendments to pending legislation back in 1998 that allowed these instruments to be created and forbid them to be regulated.

I believe that the progressives will bring more accountability and organizational transparency. I believe in positive progressive solutions. I do not believe in theoretical conservatism.

I expect that I will be paying more in taxes under the next president, whomever is elected. What really matters is a future where the government works for everyone, not just the rich.

Desperate Republicans

2008-10-08T20:43:00.000-07:00

People at a Palin rally were actually so incensed by the racist, fear-mongering Republican rhetoric that they called for blood.

This is ridiculous. Why haven't people realized they are being duped by these statements? It's completely irresponsible to stir up people's hate and fear, and they have officially gone too far.

UPDATE: The real news is abuzz with this story. Fox "News" is crying foul that Newsweek didn't airbrush the blemishes out of Palin's cover photo. It's just further proof they are a tool of the RNC.

Gotcha Journalism is Good Journalism

2008-10-06T17:39:00.000-07:00

Marty Kaplan has a great column on Huffington Post about the necessity of gotcha journalism.

There is a necessity to have good journalism. There is a need to be skeptical about everything we see, hear, and read.

Ben Folds Interview

2008-10-02T19:38:00.000-07:00

Click Here to read my story on the News-Sentinel site. As usual, I will be posting the text on my other blog in a couple of days.

MSM in Warsaw

2008-09-24T10:51:00.000-07:00

The JG had a story today about a sex sting in Warsaw. One Word: EEEEW

Can I please have the leg of zebra giraffe with a side of mint jelly?

2008-09-15T18:32:00.000-07:00

The title of this post is meant to be completely humorous, though the humor is somewhat dark.

Scientists have captured photos of an Okapi, a rare mammal that's about the size of a deer, but is related to the giraffe, and has some zebra-like markings. You really can't make this up.

The sad thing is, poachers are trying to kill the creature. It will probably become extinct within a few years. I can understand why people would kill it. It seems like a fairly easy target and people are freaking starving, so why not kill a free freak like this?

Really, we need to figure out a way to end hunger in Africa so that we don't have to worry about such a unique creature being driven into oblivion. The Tasmanian Tiger, the Dodo, and soon the Okapi.

Ironic Homophonic and Grammattic Disasters

2008-09-14T15:37:00.000-07:00

I found this site today through a few links. You must all cheque it out.

Book Review for Reality Magazine

2008-09-11T20:57:00.000-07:00

[twin posting appears on Featured Writer]

My latest work is a book review in the September issue of Reality Magazine, the local LGBT magazine.

Click here to download the PDF. Click here to visit Reality Magazine online.

Typophile and Veer pages

2008-09-11T20:47:00.000-07:00

I've updated my member pages at Typophile and Veer. With LinkedIn, Facebook, two blogs, my own domain name, plus these latest revisions, I'm fully entrenched in the web. Look out world.

New Sonic Addiction: Russell Brand

2008-09-11T11:15:00.000-07:00

I am over 30 now, and I find myself blissfully ignorant about pop culture. The one downside is when something fun and interesting actually comes along, like Russell Brand, I fall behind.

I am a huge sucker for British accents, probably due to a childhood watching Masterpiece Theater on PBS. Russell is frenetic, unpredictable and more hysterical than most any other comedian I've listened to.

Click here to try the podcast of his BBC Radio 2 show.

Obama on Terrorism and Palin's Word Games

2008-09-09T15:17:00.000-07:00

Don't mock the Constitution. Don't make fun of it. Don't suggest that it's not American to abide by what the founding fathers set up. It's worked pretty well for over 200 years.

Click here to read more from the Washington Post.

Huffington Shares Her Common Sense about Palin

2008-09-09T15:12:00.000-07:00

Arianna Huffington has a brilliant post about the real issues of this campaign.

Every second of this campaign not spent talking about the Republican Party's record, and John McCain's role in that record, is a victory for John McCain.

Her critics like to say that Palin hasn't accomplished anything. I disagree: in the space of ten days she's succeeded in distracting the entire country from the horrific Bush record -- and McCain's complicity in it. My friends, that's accomplishment we can believe in.

McCain's Million Dollar Parking Lot

2008-09-09T15:08:00.001-07:00

Former POW says McCain is not cut out to be President

2008-09-09T15:07:00.001-07:00

Community Organizers - The Nation's Backbone

2008-09-07T16:34:00.001-07:00

Sarah Palin's Record

2008-09-06T10:06:00.000-07:00

Snopes has published a letter from Anne Kilkenny. She is a resident of Wasilla who knows the actual FACTS behind Palin's claims. Most of her claims are distortions, especially the claim of having more experience than Obama.

Palin Pain

2008-09-01T19:40:00.000-07:00

Political Time again, this time, it's Sarah Palin.

This story from 365gay.com has got me riled and raised my level of ire such that I had to post on the old blog to get some sense of normalcy.

Apparently, she just took office on 1/1/2007. She has no national political experience and this is the first elected statewide office she has held. With McCain being 72 and in uncertain health, if he were elected and died in office, the honorable (?) Governor Palin would be president.

As much of a feminist as I am, I am less than enthused with this woman. Her record is less than comforting. I feel that this is a cheap ploy to appeal to the bigoted portion of the electorate who want to "keep the White House white." Many disenchanted Hillary voters may see this as an opportunity for a woman to get into the second highest political office in the country, but she is not anywhere near Hillary on the ideological continuum.

Obama really does stand for a change, other than that of race. Sarah Palin stands for nothing more than a Republican benchwarmer, someone who would be the mouthpiece of failed conservative politics. Few people had even heard of her until August 29.

Hopefully, few people will know her name on November 5.

Register and vote.

UPDATE:
There's another blogger in Alaska who goes into a LOT more detail about the real Sarah Palin.

Would we have had a Stan Palin as our VP pick? No. So choosing a woman because you think her gender will get votes is insulting.

Killing Fonts

2008-09-01T11:28:00.000-07:00

Typophile recently had a forum thread on killing your least favorite font and why.

My least favorite font of all time is Comic Sans. I know Butteredwaffles tackled this a while ago, but I try to spread the word about it as often as I can. I am part of the Facebook group to ban comic sans. I think I need to get a life and quit worrying about it so much.

Sonic Addiction: Savage LoveCast

2008-08-28T06:55:00.000-07:00

My favorite podcast is now officially Savage LoveCast, the audio-out-loud version of Savage Love, the sex advice column by renown sex writer Dan Savage.

Callers leave a message on the podcast voice mail, Dan selects the calls, and provides answers.

It's not just gays or lesbians seeking advice, it's a lot of hetero, bi, and otherwise oriented people who sincerely need help. It's fascinating to listen to all of these strange situations. It's a tad voyeuristic, or whatever the audio equivalent of voyeurism is, but it's more than that. It's an exercise in empathy. It's at times clinical, and there are some guest experts who are actual doctors, but most of the time, people are just confused and need a little help from a common sense sage.

I also feel that I am less of a prude and more understanding and accepting of even my own sexuality.

They Had Me Up Until Love Train

2008-08-28T06:36:00.001-07:00

The most brilliant political theater of the DNC so far was the nomination of Obama by Hillary Clinton. OMG. What a tremendous moment. Of course, then they had to start a love train.

Why do we have to have campaign songs? I may be getting ahead of myself, but I hope the O'Jays don't have to come to the Inaugural.

Progressive Politics and Cookies

2008-08-13T19:19:00.001-07:00

This evening I attended a fundraiser for Jill Long Thompson, the Democratic nominee for the Indiana Governor's race. I was invited because I made a small donation to her campaign. This evening she discussed her platform and the importance of economic recovery.

Also, she laid out her ideas for getting better health care. It was a fascinating event. She was very poised and assuring.

Of course, I will vote for her. She was after all my congresswoman until Mark Souder came along.

I don't know if it's the highbrow appetizers, but there really is an electrifying effect to being around someone so charismatic and powerful. Of course, it may have also been the sugar from the yummy cookies.

Auntie Mange

2008-08-12T19:48:00.000-07:00

Seriously people, what's going on? So many of my coworkers now have dogs. They have even brought them into the office to show everyone. (It's complicated, don't make me explain.) I dogsat for my sister a month or so ago and now I'm dogsitting for some more friends this weekend.

Canines now run my life and I don't officially own any. I am uncle to my sisters' dogs and I'm an Auntie to my friends' dog. I have dogs coming out of my ears.

I really like playing with dogs, walking them, petting them, even grooming is kind of relaxing. But I don't know about owning one. I have a houseplant that by some extreme karmic joke has been able to stay alive nearly three years, in spite of my forgetfulness with the watering can. I dread forgetting to feed or water a dog. I guess I'm decent at it because this was the third or fourth time I've looked after my sister's dog, but it honestly scares the hell out of me.

Dogs in my opinion seem harder to take care of than children. At least the children eventually learn to read and take themselves to the bathroom. Hell, they even learn how to assemble a sandwich so they won't starve to death, but the best a dog can do for itself is go feral, and then it might just eat me.

But that's not what scares me the most. Anyone who lets a dog get that far obviously has too many other issues to look after a pet.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that if anyone even THINKS of putting a puppy under my Christmas tree, just make sure you have a receipt so I can return it.

New Web Site

2008-08-12T19:47:00.000-07:00

The reskinned www.tomboyer.net is now live. Check it out.

I love stock photos

2008-08-12T19:41:00.000-07:00

So my favorite stock photo site, veer.com, has a new gallery of office life gone awry. It's so refreshing after looking at all these idiots grinning in regular stock photos.

Seriously, somedays wouldn't you love to pour your coffee onto the floor?

Sharpening my Writing Skills

2008-08-06T11:44:00.000-07:00

It's been a long summer to be sure. I've been slacking on my blog and have barely been writing. I spend so much time checking e-mails at my 5 different personal addresses and at work that I feel I've lost my spark.

Fortunately, I submitted a story to the News-Sentinel and it's scheduled to run in Friday's (8/8) Feature section or next week. It's all about Canada. So my loyal readers here probably know almost everything already. Still, it will be another great clip.

I'm heading back to work, so send me a message this weekend if you get a chance to read the story.

Transcending

2008-07-31T20:26:00.000-07:00

This is a great album. I love the harmony and the lyrics are beautiful. These songs transcend genres, giving the listener an airy, relaxed feel. It's almost like New Age with steel guitars. Check it out at iTunes.

84 Hour Party People

2008-07-29T16:27:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back across the border and safely back at work. Boring. Here's a quick recap of the weekend's events:

Day 1 - Friday:
We gathered and left approximately 2 p.m. for Niagra Falls. It took a lot more in gas getting through Ohio, so we had to fill up on the New York State Thruway for $4.50 per gallon. Whoa. We got into Niagra Falls around 10 p.m. We made a wrong turn, however and wound up on the Niagra Parkway, which is the tourist strip that runs along side of the falls. It was extremely crowded, but the Falls are something truly breathtaking. We finally made it to the hotel and met up with the friends in the other car and decided to grab some food. The only restaurant open we saw was TGIFriday's, which was tolerable. The prices, however, were not. The lowest price menu item was a $16 hamburger. Yes, we were tourists in a trap.

Day 2 - Saturday: We arose and breakfasted at Perkins, my beloved diner chain. Think upscale IHOP, but much better food and service. We then walked down to the Falls for the typical pictures and opted for the Journey Behind the Falls package. With this package you actually take an elevator beneath the falls and can look out through the tunnels and then go to an up-close-and-personal observation deck. At just $12, it was a far better value than a lame 30 minute boat tour.

In the afternoon we drove to Toronto, stopping along the way at an exquisite restaurant alongside Lake Ontario. The late afternoon sun matched with the delicious food made for an unforgettable experience.

In Toronto, we headed to Club Alibi and chilled out with some quenching libations. We also walked around Toronto and saw the CN Tower from the ground up.

Day 3 - Sunday:
We walked to Eaton Centre and shopped at the Apple Store. The food court was a little on the downside, but the giant mall and underground walkway was a delightful way to experience the city. The IMAX theater was sold out for The Dark Knight, so we headed west of downtown to a place called Honest Ed's. It was literally the bargain basement for Wal-Mart rejected merchandise. There were however some good bargains, and I piked up a 60 cent tote bag.

Sunday evening we headed to the CN Tower to get a look of the city at twilight. It was a gorgeous evening.

Day 4 - Monday:
We headed out from the hotel and went to an IKEA in suburban Toronto. It was an interesting experience. There was so much Swedish design, I thought I would go crazy. We ate lunch at the cafe and headed for the border about 2.

After an easy but long border crossing, we headed to Flint Michigan for a meal at the Fudrucker's burger chain. The service was incredibly slow, but the burgers and fries were pretty good. We finally arrived back in Fort Wayne shortly after 11 p.m.

O Canada

2008-07-22T20:00:00.000-07:00

I'm officially booked for a trip to Canada this weekend. The quick little jaunt to the great north was planned by some friends, so we're taking a big gay caravan. I"m very excited because I haven't been out of the country in over 12 years when I went to the Bahamas with my family. Also, by the way, the Bahamas are not that great a destination for someone as pale as I am. But Toronto should be fun.

Kneel Before Jobs

2008-07-16T14:03:00.000-07:00

In the classic movie Superman 2, the three escaped convicts from Krypton commanded the puny Earthlings to "Kneel Before Zod."

I was considering getting a new iPhone recently, until I found out that I would need to get AT&T Wireless and give up my precious Verizon. I normally don't really have that much loyalty for companies, but I refuse to be bound by an arbitrary backroom deal done by Apple and AT&T.

I am a huge Apple fan. I consider myself a Mac user, who in desperation and a rather unusual bit of common sense chose the cheap $700 Windows alternative laptop to the $3000 Mac Book Pro I really wanted.

I am more and more frustrated by Apple, but I can't stay mad at them. The computers I feel are beautifully designed, but I really think Apple should license its Operating System. But the quandary is that if it were licensed, it would probably be just as poor quality as windows.

For now, I will keep hope alive that I can one day afford a MBPro, but for now, it will all have to wait. Maybe someday, I will finally kneel before Jobs.

Don't Dream It, Be It

2008-07-15T17:04:00.000-07:00

When discussing dream homes with a friend, he said that he wanted the bottom of his pool to feature Michaelangelo's "birth of man." We all thought that sounded kind of cool, but then like a giant pink lightning bolt, it hit me: "Wait, that was in Rocky Horror Picture Show." At first no one believed me, but then I said, "I have seen Rocky Horror more times than I've been to church. I promise you, it's in that movie."

Today I finally got around to checking YouTube. Yep, I totally called it. It's such a good feeling to know I'm right, even though I sort of threw cold water on someone's dream. Sorry, bad pun.

The New Logo for Extreme Consumerism

2008-07-09T15:10:00.001-07:00

Walmart will be unveiling a new logo this fall.

Hmm... Methinks they are trying to copy the look of another big-box retailer.

Without You, I'm Bored Out of My Mind

2008-07-02T19:27:00.001-07:00

Few comedians are as unique as Sandra Bernhard. Today I watched "Without You, I'm Nothing," from back in the day. You know, back when the first Bush was in the White House.

This was probably the first existential, avante-garde comedy film ever. I don't think there has ever been another.

I enjoyed it much more than Chad did. I didn't even mind the part when she came out in a thong and tassels and did an interpretive dance to Prince's "Little Red Corvette." I have always liked her, she has always seemed to be on the edge of what's next. She's like an amped up modern version of Mae West. She's not the fake Mae West either like Bette Midler wants to be. Sandra Bernhard is authentic in her eccentricity. I just adore her. Thank heaven this came today. Too bad the DVD had a scratch in it that made me miss a whole chapter.

Lake Weekend

2008-06-22T19:09:00.000-07:00

I am posting some cool pics I got this weekend on my weekend at the Barbee Lakes.

The Return of BioMom

2008-06-19T11:10:00.000-07:00

I ran into Cindy at Firefly Coffeehouse. It's funny how people look so much the same, but somehow different.

We hadn't seen each other in probably five years, and it was an instant transformation back to my mid-twenties. Cindy, aka BioMom, was part of my klatch of companions who united to form a motley group of non-traditional students, headed by a former professor.

Those were the days when I traipsed around town doing very esoteric activities like watching a moonrise, and normal stuff like going out for coffee, or to a movie or bookstore.

I miss the camaraderie that came with college.

Get Some Action

2008-06-04T18:31:00.000-07:00

I've been addicted to this series. I've always loved it, ever since it was originally on Fox back in the day. At the time, I was in college and I never saw all of the episodes, but through the magic of Netflix, I can watch it online. I've seen the first half of the series, and I am looking forward to watching the rest.

The series was so ahead of it's time. It's on par with Arrested Development for its wit, timing, and incredibly gifted actors. I'm not advocating Netflix here, I'm just really excited about reconnecting with such a good show.

The Nominee

2008-06-03T19:27:00.001-07:00

On to November 4!

Thank heaven the primary is over. I have never been more excited about the election as I am right now.

I am also glad he is crediting Hillary for her tenacity and persistence. He has such an entrancing quality.

In the Life

2008-06-01T08:15:00.001-07:00

I love documentary film. The PBS series IN THE LIFE uses a mix of interviews and documentary short subjects and excerpts to chronicle life in the LGBT community.

Although some of the stories are a little less than what DA Pannebaker might produce, the subjects are really compelling. A lesbian methodist minister in Pennsylvania, a LGBT group in Nepal helping write a new constitution, or a campground in upstate New York that has become a village of respite for lesbians and gay men. Interviews with Edward Albee, Judy Shepard, Margaret Cho.

Although for obvious reasons, my local PBS station would never air this series, you can get the podcast through their website.

Check it out.

Art Crawl

2008-05-29T19:43:00.000-07:00

I've been invited to the Art Crawl tomorrow night by a coworker. I think this sounds really fun.

The interesting thing is to see how many people actually get into the downtown fort wayne experience. I think that this city is great, but I am not so sure about paying a quarter million dollars for a condo overlooking a minor league baseball stadium.

Let's hope it's not lame.

UPDATE:
Friday after work brought horrible thunderstorms and rain. I didn't feel like braving the weather for the event, so I stayed home. I did eat a great meal at casa d'angelo. I highly recommend their rigatoni special.

Pork and Beans

2008-05-27T15:33:00.001-07:00

Venture Brothers Trailer

2008-05-25T15:38:00.000-07:00

Caution Wet Floor

2008-05-12T14:17:00.000-07:00

I need to buy some more bleach.

I'm on vacation and it's time for cleaning.

Today I threw out about 30 pounds of old magazines, junk mail, and other junk. I scoured the kitchen floor and the bathtub. I'm reorganizing the dining room / office, and cleaning up my bedroom and the third bedroom. I call that the record room because it houses my turntable and record collection. There's still much to do, but I feel much better about the house now that I have at least made a dent in my clutter.

My sister just bought a house, so it's been kind of a helpful impetus for my cleaning agenda. I realized now just how much stuff I have crammed into every square inch of my 1400 square feet, plus the garage and the basement. I think I need to simplify. Keep your eyes peeled. I may be posting a garage sale soon.

Elitism, Youth, and Novices

2008-05-06T20:54:00.000-07:00

Obama won in Allen County. Even if the people I know did cross party lines to vote for Hillary, they were thwarted.

This map is also very interesting because it really shows where many of the state's urban centers are. Marion, Lake, Allen, St. Joseph, and Elkhart Counties; which are home to Indianapolis, Gary, Fort Wayne, South Bend, and Elkhart/Goshen respectively, went clearly to Obama. In Vanderburgh County, home to Evansville, Obama lost by just 1,293 votes.

Another interesting fact is that counties with major universities tended to go for Obama. Monroe County, home to IU Bloomington; and Tippecanoe County, home to Purdue both went to Obama.

Speaking of colleges, CNN's exit polls page had some fascinating statistics on how people with college educations voted, showing that people who graduated college favored Obama to Clinton 56% to 44% and those with post graduate education favored Obama 57% to 43%.

For the all-important Youth vote, the voters in the 17-29 demographic favored Obama over Clinton 61% to 39%. The 30-44 demographic (my fellow GenXers) favored Obama 56% to Clinton's 44%. Clinton captured the two-thirds of the votes from those over 60, which is really not a shock.

One thing of note is that neither candidate really got that many inspired new voters, according to the exit polls. Of the respondents, only 7% had never voted before, so it makes me think that a few voters may have been put off by the constant pandering by the candidates. But still, for those who did brave the primary process, 60% went for Obama and only 40% chose Clinton.

So you may wonder how my personal coin toss went. Well, let's just say that I live in an urban area and I am a college graduate. You do the math.

I'm sorry, I'm just not that into you

2008-05-05T21:25:00.001-07:00

I heart politics, but this election cycle is increasingly on my last nerve. The Democrats keep sending me e-mail telling me to get out the vote, but I'm still undecided. I have yet to make up my mind for whom to cast my vote. I think it may come down to a coin toss in the voting booth after work. Yes. After work. I am not voting early in the morning because 1) I am still up at 1230 a.m. and 2) I don't want to be stuck in line and be late for work.

I'm 31, so I am in a key demographic that both campaigns want to woo to their side. But in reality, issue tracking websites show a 86% similarity between Clinton and Obama, so there isn't that much of a swing for swing voters.

It could all be over tomorrow night when the NC and IN primary votes are tallied, but it probably won't be. I just hope my conservative family doesn't end up voting for Hillary out of spite. I think they're scared that Obama is a Muslim, which he isn't.

As landmark candidates, they both capture my imagination. I think Obama would be more effective, but Hillary could get more older people away from McCain. Who knows. I better get my thumbs ready for flipping.

Self Promotion

2008-05-05T21:22:00.000-07:00

There are some subtle tweaks to www.tomboyer.net (redirects to my comcast hosted page.)

Check it out when you have a chance. Feedback is always appreciated.

My only hate sprung from my only queasiness

2008-05-04T21:05:00.000-07:00

There is a report that two and a half men is swapping writers with CSI.

No good can come of this. Both of these shows make my stomach turn, but for very different reasons. Now I have a great reason not to watch either.

She should have used spell check

2008-05-04T14:22:00.000-07:00

I found this on the SFGate.com website's daily pictures roundup. Maybe she'd have better luck spelling in Spanish.

I love Butters, just not in that way.

2008-05-03T20:21:00.001-07:00

The VISTA

2008-05-02T19:49:00.001-07:00

My Friend Dave is the scary guy in the glasses. I heart this video.

Avert Yer Eyes

2008-05-01T11:37:00.000-07:00

Okay, No one in the world needs to eat this much pork. I was recently in Georgia and found this sandwich on the menu at Dreamland Barbeque.

I was so very full by the time I had less than half the sandwich gone, I just had to give up. Oh well.

UPDATE: I think a better title for this may be "I can Haz Heart Attack?"

Welcome to Dillydale

2008-04-19T14:29:00.000-07:00

I love my TiVo. It's been recording The Mr. Men Show on Cartoon Network. It's such a retro cartoon complete with all my favorite characters from the books I read as a kid.

Cleveland's Next Top Model

2008-04-14T15:35:00.001-07:00

And now for the lighter side of things:

Climate Change

2008-04-14T15:22:00.000-07:00

This video impacts me more in 3 minutes than An Inconvenient Truth impacted me in 2 + hours.

Scientists have created a computerized model of CO2 emissions in the continental US. I find this very disheartening because it is overwhelming to think how much of a carbon footprint I have as an individual and the nation has as a whole. However, I do find it enlightening to finally have an idea of what our emissions actually look like. The one bad thing is that we cannot compare this to Europe or China, but they have pretty compelling data as part of the representation. Check it out.

Found via Towleroad.

NPR Interviews Eric Cartman

2008-04-10T20:17:00.000-07:00

Seriously, this is getting out of hand. NPR is in my head.

NPR declares that "Stuff White People Like" is Dead

2008-04-10T19:59:00.000-07:00

This makes me a bit sad, but this story about parody sites is really good. Take a listen to the creators of "White Stuff People Like" (mayonnaise, snow, cocaine) "Stuff Nobody Likes." (cancer, walking into spider webs)

I Heart Grammar

2008-04-07T19:07:00.000-07:00

I totally love the English language.

I just finished proofing a paper for a friend. You can learn so much by proofreading. I know way too much about the Church Arson Prevention Act.

Suffice it to say, reading and writing are so much more enjoyable than another rerun of a shlocky sitcom like Two and a Half Men. Blech.

Making Fred Phelps Pay

2008-04-07T15:58:00.000-07:00

Via Towleroad.

A judge has placed a lien on the Westboro baptist church because they haven't paid up in a civil suit.

I've Been Bananaramarolled!

2008-04-07T15:53:00.001-07:00

Roy Zimmerman - Defenders of Marriage

2008-04-06T08:55:00.001-07:00

This is a hysterical video.

To Be Continued

2008-04-04T20:01:00.000-07:00

This sucks.

We will all keep watching. Why can't they just have an ending to an episode without it being open-ended? GRRRR.

I'm going home to watch the episode again on TiVo.

Starbuck's Viper

2008-04-04T19:37:00.000-07:00

I started a post earlier about Starbuck's viper. It's too new. I knew that would be a quick spoiler.

Whew

2008-04-04T19:13:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness the space battle is over. I can breathe now.

Oh crap, the cult of Baltar? I may puke.