It appears that Hunter of the Bravo bomb (even I stopped watching after episode 1, though I have it lurking on TiVo) Manhunt had another vocation before trying to be a 'legitimate' model.
For the record, my favorites of the group were:
Blake: what a cute face and beautiful lean body.
Matt: Pretty eyes and handsome face. A bit soft but nice
Kevin P: The mole/real model hidden in the group. Gorgeous though a bit much. Give me Blake.
And Rob: (who I'm sure is gay). I like him partly because of that and his personality, and he's cute too in his way.
Saturday, October 23, 2004
I'm hypersensitive
I mean besides emotionally!
I'm not sure if it's entirely physiological, but it mostly is. They gave me a hearing test when I had that ear infection a few weeks ago, and the doctor was surprised at how good my hearing was (especially for my age). In a quiet room I can still hear that high-pitched hum of a computer monitor.
On the downside, in DC when some ambulance or fire engine or cop car goes crawling by through the traffic, it's so painful to me that I have to plug my ears.
My eyes are very light-sensitive as well. On a bright day I cannot be outside without sunglasses or I have to squint and my eyes water. I can see pretty well in the dark, but I'm not to good with night driving because of the headlight glare.
I'm not as sure about the other three senses. The other day a client came in wearing that scented oil, and I though it stank up the whole floor, other people didn't notice it as much. I have decent tactile sensitivity (and I'm ticklish; I wonder what gene makes you ticklish?)
I'm not sure if it's entirely physiological, but it mostly is. They gave me a hearing test when I had that ear infection a few weeks ago, and the doctor was surprised at how good my hearing was (especially for my age). In a quiet room I can still hear that high-pitched hum of a computer monitor.
On the downside, in DC when some ambulance or fire engine or cop car goes crawling by through the traffic, it's so painful to me that I have to plug my ears.
My eyes are very light-sensitive as well. On a bright day I cannot be outside without sunglasses or I have to squint and my eyes water. I can see pretty well in the dark, but I'm not to good with night driving because of the headlight glare.
I'm not as sure about the other three senses. The other day a client came in wearing that scented oil, and I though it stank up the whole floor, other people didn't notice it as much. I have decent tactile sensitivity (and I'm ticklish; I wonder what gene makes you ticklish?)
Thursday, October 21, 2004
Janine and me
Over the last few months I've been working more closely with one sales person at work -- Janine -- who I would guess is in her mid 30's or so and has one child, a boy name Derrick (she may have others, but she talks about Derrick and I've even met him: a quiet boy in kindergarten).
Anyway, I pushed for her to get control (and so commissions) of a lot of legacy 'house' accounts that were languishing after the old buy-out owner was let go (no names here); and between Peter (oops) and, me the New York gods relented. Overall I'm glad that the accounts get some attention and Janine will get some commissions. Though of course there is a pang of jealousy sometimes because we have kept these clients mainly because of my personal relationship with people in these companies. They trust me and know I'll get their work done for them.
But I digress; what I really wanted to talk about was some of the interesting family discussions that Janine (as a mother ) and I (as a son) have had. When I rode along after a client meeting to pick up Derrick one day, I mentioned that I had missed kindergarten, because after 6 weeks of it, we moved from WI to PA, which had different ages for grades. I was given some tests (my mother said, and I quote as I remember: "of course, you cried the whole time") which I passed, and they stuck me in 1st grade, 6 weeks behind. So I said to Janine, "So I missed that whole kindergarten 'learning to play well wth others' thing." And she said with a completely straight face, "Well, that explains a lot."
Then just today we were talking about parenting and spanking and how she doesn't believe in it. I said I don't remember ever being spanked, but the threat (by ping pong paddle) hung over us. And we talked about the crazy threats our parents made to us when we were kids. She remembered telling her mother about some awful threat that her mother swore she never made, but Janine knew she had. Just like some horrible things my mother said to me that are burned in my memory.
I wonder how many, of the cruel, nasty things my mother said to me, that she would say she couldn't remember.
Anyway, I pushed for her to get control (and so commissions) of a lot of legacy 'house' accounts that were languishing after the old buy-out owner was let go (no names here); and between Peter (oops) and, me the New York gods relented. Overall I'm glad that the accounts get some attention and Janine will get some commissions. Though of course there is a pang of jealousy sometimes because we have kept these clients mainly because of my personal relationship with people in these companies. They trust me and know I'll get their work done for them.
But I digress; what I really wanted to talk about was some of the interesting family discussions that Janine (as a mother ) and I (as a son) have had. When I rode along after a client meeting to pick up Derrick one day, I mentioned that I had missed kindergarten, because after 6 weeks of it, we moved from WI to PA, which had different ages for grades. I was given some tests (my mother said, and I quote as I remember: "of course, you cried the whole time") which I passed, and they stuck me in 1st grade, 6 weeks behind. So I said to Janine, "So I missed that whole kindergarten 'learning to play well wth others' thing." And she said with a completely straight face, "Well, that explains a lot."
Then just today we were talking about parenting and spanking and how she doesn't believe in it. I said I don't remember ever being spanked, but the threat (by ping pong paddle) hung over us. And we talked about the crazy threats our parents made to us when we were kids. She remembered telling her mother about some awful threat that her mother swore she never made, but Janine knew she had. Just like some horrible things my mother said to me that are burned in my memory.
I wonder how many, of the cruel, nasty things my mother said to me, that she would say she couldn't remember.
The irony!
The news is full of ironies, more so than usual...
Just earlier in the week I was thinking that we hadn't heard from that conservative crackpot Pat Robertson. Then (oops!) this morning on NPR I heard that he had warned Bush about attacking Iraq. Here's the story from CNN, but the kicker is:
The thing is, I can believe that 1) Bush really said it; and 2) He really believed it. I think the man is living in a fantasy world.
Then this today from the AP:
Meanwhile of course, Bush is trampling my rights and trying do deny me at least one by modifying the Constitution. Oh but he wasn't exactly elected though, was he? Do they have an Electoral College in Iraq?
And today I heard Bush saying that Kerry's health plan would bring in government control and reduce the quality of health care. He said that "Health care decisions should remain between the doctor an the patient, without government interference" (or something similar). Obviously Bush has never had to deal with an HMO making decisions about his health care.
Just earlier in the week I was thinking that we hadn't heard from that conservative crackpot Pat Robertson. Then (oops!) this morning on NPR I heard that he had warned Bush about attacking Iraq. Here's the story from CNN, but the kicker is:
Robertson, an ardent Bush supporter, told CNN in an interview Tuesday night that he urged the president to prepare the American people for the prospect of casualties before launching the war in March 2003.
Robertson said Bush told him, " 'Oh, no, we're not going to have any casualties.' "
The thing is, I can believe that 1) Bush really said it; and 2) He really believed it. I think the man is living in a fantasy world.
Then this today from the AP:
Secretary of State Colin Powell said Thursday the United States would recognize the election of a Shiite Muslim government in Iraq provided the voting is free, fair and open.
But in an interview with Abu Dhabi television, Powell said it was unlikely Iraqis would elect a radicalized government or one that would not protect the rights of all Iraqis.
Meanwhile of course, Bush is trampling my rights and trying do deny me at least one by modifying the Constitution. Oh but he wasn't exactly elected though, was he? Do they have an Electoral College in Iraq?
And today I heard Bush saying that Kerry's health plan would bring in government control and reduce the quality of health care. He said that "Health care decisions should remain between the doctor an the patient, without government interference" (or something similar). Obviously Bush has never had to deal with an HMO making decisions about his health care.
Hamm will keep his gold medal
Care of CNN, a report that gymnast Paul Hamm will keep his gold medal.
I'm glad he got to keep it, though it does seem unfair that the South Korean is essentially robbed of a gold medal because of what was apparently a scoring error. But as the article points out, a lot of other things could have happened.
Ah, the Olympics. Men's synchronized diving, Michael Phelps... sigh.
I'm glad he got to keep it, though it does seem unfair that the South Korean is essentially robbed of a gold medal because of what was apparently a scoring error. But as the article points out, a lot of other things could have happened.
Ah, the Olympics. Men's synchronized diving, Michael Phelps... sigh.
Bleah
I haven't been blogging much lately, just too busy at work and too tired otherwise. Class tinight, think I'll give them my Gypsies mix since the Saturday crowd liked it (though Thursdays is generally more guys).
Had the strangest dream last night. So strange and creepy that I can't even post it here.
Had the strangest dream last night. So strange and creepy that I can't even post it here.
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
How Ironic
I was just emailed this interesting list of those who have served, and those who have not:
Pattern Here?
Democrats
* Richard Gephardt: Air National Guard, 1965-71.
* David Bonior: Staff Sgt., Air Force 1968-72.
* Tom Daschle: 1st Lt., Air Force SAC 1969-72.
* Al Gore: enlisted Aug. 1969; sent to Vietnam Jan. 1971 as an army journalist in 20th Engineer Brigade.
* Bob Kerrey: Lt. j.g. Navy 1966-69; Medal of Honor, Vietnam.
* Daniel Inouye: Army 1943-47; Medal of Honor, WWII.
* John Kerry: Lt., Navy 1966-70; Silver Star, Bronze Star with Combat V, Purple Hearts.
* Charles Rangel: Staff Sgt., Army 1948-52; Bronze Star, Korea.
* Max Cleland: Captain, Army 1965-68; Silver Star & Bronze Star, Vietnam.
* Ted Kennedy: Army, 1951-53.
* Tom Harkin: Lt., Navy, 1962-67; Naval Reserve, 1968-74.
* Jack Reed: Army Ranger, 1971-1979; Captain, Army Reserve 1979-91.
* Fritz Hollings: Army officer in WWII; Bronze Star and seven campaign ribbons.
* Leonard Boswell: Lt. Col., Army 1956-76; Vietnam, DFCs, Bronze Stars, and Soldier's Medal.
* Pete Peterson: Air Force Captain, POW. Purple Heart, Silver Star and Legion of Merit.
* Mike Thompson: Staff sergeant, 173rd Airborne, Purple Heart.
* Bill McBride: Candidate for Fla. Governor. Marine in Vietnam; Bronze Star with Combat V.
* Gray Davis: Army Captain in Vietnam, Bronze Star.
* Pete Stark: Air Force 1955-57
* Chuck Robb: Vietnam
* Howell Heflin: Silver Star
* George McGovern: Silver Star & DFC during WWII.
* Bill Clinton: Did not serve. Student deferments. Entered draft but received #311.
* Jimmy Carter: Seven years in the Navy.
* Walter Mondale: Army 1951-1953
* John Glenn: WWII and Korea; six DFCs and Air Medal with 18 Clusters.
* Tom Lantos: Served in Hungarian underground in WWII. Saved by Raoul Wallenberg.
Republicans
* Dick Cheney: did not serve. Several deferments, the last by marriage.
* Dennis Hastert: did not serve.
* Tom Delay: did not serve.
* Roy Blunt: did not serve.
* Bill Frist: did not serve.
* Mitch McConnell: did not serve.
* Rick Santorum: did not serve.
* Trent Lott: did not serve.
* John Ashcroft: did not serve. Seven deferments to teach business.
* Jeb Bush: did not serve.
* Karl Rove: did not serve.
* Saxby Chambliss: did not serve. "Bad knee." The man who attacked Max Cleland's patriotism.
* Paul Wolfowitz: did not serve.
* Vin Weber: did not serve.
* Richard Perle: did not serve.
* Douglas Feith: did not serve.
* Eliot Abrams: did not serve.
* Richard Shelby: did not serve.
* Jon! Kyl: did not serve.
* Tim Hutchison: did not serve.
* Christopher Cox: did not serve.
* Newt Gingrich: did not serve.
* Don Rumsfeld: served in Navy (1954-57) as flight instructor.
* George W. Bush: failed to complete his six-year
National Guard; got assigned to Alabama so he could campaign for family friend running for U.S. Senate; failed to show up for required medical exam, disappeared from duty.
* Ronald Reagan: due to poor eyesight, served in a non-combat role making movies.
* B-1 Bob Dornan: Consciously enlisted after fighting was over in Korea.
* Phil Gramm: did not serve.
* John McCain: Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross.
* Dana Rohrabacher: did not serve.
* John M. McHugh: did not serve.
* JC Watts: did not serve.
* Jack Kemp: did not serve. "Knee problem," although continued in NFL for 8 years.
* Dan Quayle: Journalism unit of the Indiana National Guard.
* Rudy Giuliani: did not serve.
* George Pataki: did not serve.
* Spencer Abraham: did not serve.
* John Engler: did not serve.
* Lindsey Graham: National Guard lawyer.
* Arnold Schwarzenegger: AWOL from Austrian army base.
Pundits & Preachers
* Sean Hannity: did not serve.
* Rush Limbaugh: did not serve (4-F with a 'pilonidal cyst.')
* Bill O'Reilly: did not serve.
* Michael Savage: did not serve.
* George Will: did not serve.
* Chris Matthews: did not serve.
* Paul Gigot: did not serve.
* Bill Bennett: did not serve.
* Pat Buchanan: did not serve.
* John Wayne: did not serve.
* Bill Kristol: did not serve.
* Kenneth Starr: did not serve.
* Antonin Scalia: did not serve.
* Clarence Thomas: did not serve.
* Ralph Reed: did not serve.
* Michael Medved: did not serve.
* Charlie Daniels: did not serve.
* Ted Nugent: did not serve. (He only shoots at things that don't shoot back.)
Pattern Here?
Monday, October 18, 2004
All I want for my Birthday...
I just wish courier bike boi was here today; they sent the (even prettier) elfin one instead, but I'd rather have our regular twink -- I mean courier.
Maybe they are going to deliver him later and he'll pop out of a cake for my birthday.
Hey, I can dream.
UPDATE
I just found out that courier bike boi and the kid they sent in to sub for him are "ROOMATES" Hmmmmm.
Maybe they are going to deliver him later and he'll pop out of a cake for my birthday.
Hey, I can dream.
UPDATE
I just found out that courier bike boi and the kid they sent in to sub for him are "ROOMATES" Hmmmmm.
This Day in History
Happy Birthday to me! And here's some stuff that happened on This Day in History
Saturday, October 16, 2004
Call me MISTER Chatelaine
Last night I threw together a new mix for my Saturday class, which to me seemed completely random and even a little bizarre:
Everyone seemed to enjoy it (class of all women today) and afterwards I asked one of my regulars what she thought, and she said "it sounded like a tribute to all women with shitty jobs!"
Well! I guess it's what you make of it.
Tainted Love -- Soft Cell
Absolutely Not -- Deborah Cox
Tubular Bells -- Mike Oldfield
Don't Call Me Baby -- Madison Avenue
Every Other Time -- LFO (the butch boyband)
Gypsys, Tramps And Thieves -- Cher
Miss Chatelaine -- k.d. lang
Tragedy -- covered by this German boyband B3
She Works Hard for the Money -- Donna Summer
Don't You Want Me -- Human League
California Dreamin' -- Dance remix, DJ Sammy
Save a Prayer -- Duran Duran
Everyone seemed to enjoy it (class of all women today) and afterwards I asked one of my regulars what she thought, and she said "it sounded like a tribute to all women with shitty jobs!"
Well! I guess it's what you make of it.
Friday, October 15, 2004
So much to blog...
...so little desire at the moment. Why the low-carb thing failed me (holding at 167 today), reviews of Manhunt and Lost (find 'em yourselves, I'm too lazy to do links tonight). In fact, I really need to do a new music mix for tomorrow's spin class, but what I want to do is pour myself a stiff glass of Dewar's on the rocks and lounge in front of my 50" tv and watch something comforting and familiar.
Which might include anything from Tim Hamilton on a Greek Cruise to Hayden Christensen having a nightmare to Harry Kim and Tom Paris making eyes at each other on the bridge of Voyager with Captain Kathryn Janeway looking on approvingly. Maybe I'll let you know tomorrow what I decided on.
Which might include anything from Tim Hamilton on a Greek Cruise to Hayden Christensen having a nightmare to Harry Kim and Tom Paris making eyes at each other on the bridge of Voyager with Captain Kathryn Janeway looking on approvingly. Maybe I'll let you know tomorrow what I decided on.
Ugh
What a week. The short weeks are the worst for some reason (even though we didn't even have a short week.)
Jobs gone wrong, saving courierboi's ass (only figuratively, sadly), more jobs gone wrong, frantic managers, staying out too late and drinking way too many G&T's with another manager, equipment failing. All my Macs (I have no less than three on my big U-shaped desk, thank you very much: a G4 Silver, an iMac, and a creaky old G3-card upgraded 8100 running something like system 8.5 that I still use to run most of my Quark 5 jobs... since Q5 crashes less than crappy OSX Q6) held up well under pressure though. And I was planning on taking off Monday for my birthday, but because of other staff shortages (and my request for 3 days off in less than a month for Florida) I offered to come in after all.
I'm still waiting for the bouquets of thanks.
Jobs gone wrong, saving courierboi's ass (only figuratively, sadly), more jobs gone wrong, frantic managers, staying out too late and drinking way too many G&T's with another manager, equipment failing. All my Macs (I have no less than three on my big U-shaped desk, thank you very much: a G4 Silver, an iMac, and a creaky old G3-card upgraded 8100 running something like system 8.5 that I still use to run most of my Quark 5 jobs... since Q5 crashes less than crappy OSX Q6) held up well under pressure though. And I was planning on taking off Monday for my birthday, but because of other staff shortages (and my request for 3 days off in less than a month for Florida) I offered to come in after all.
I'm still waiting for the bouquets of thanks.
AOL is a memory hog!
I was wondering why sometimes my Mac at work is acting up. Even though I do tend to have several apps open at once, and open and close and switch, I do have 1.25 gigs of RAM; that should be enough for anyone. So, I download this freeware utility called Memorystick which monitors how much RAM is being used. After AOL is on awhile, it starts grabbing more and more. When I quit, suddenly a huge block is released. Hmmm.
Good to Be in DC
From the crazy people who brought us This Land comes another hilarious Kerry-Bush flash presentation
Dungeons & Dragons
Tonight on Marketplace (on local NPR station WETA at 6:30 PM) they are going to be talking about the D&D financial juggernaut. I'll be interested to see how far in depth they go; the strange changes of ownership, how Wizards of the Coast went from a one-man company to a playing-card monster that ended up buying TSR, the original D&D producer.
Thursday, October 14, 2004
I can't help it
I'm having impure thoughts about our new bike courier. To tell the truth, they are actually for the most part pretty pure... or not even really developed fantasies or anything. And certainly I'd never do anything; I'm trying to not even look too much so I don't make him uncomfortable. He's just so darn cute I can't help looking at him.
And he's a vast improvement over our previous guy, who was a kind of creepy grouch. This kid (he looks barely 21, yes I am awful, aren't I?) is tall and slender, with a kind of funky short haircut with a few longer locks in front of his ears (his explanation is that he's from Seattle... okay). He wears t-shirts and pants all kind of hacked-off at the calf. He's kind of quiet but very polite and always happy to make a run. And he's just... cute; almost pretty. In certain circles he'd be called a (ahem) twink.
I wish he'd wear a helmet though; I'd hate to see his brains splattered on the street. Drivers are crazy in DC.
And he's a vast improvement over our previous guy, who was a kind of creepy grouch. This kid (he looks barely 21, yes I am awful, aren't I?) is tall and slender, with a kind of funky short haircut with a few longer locks in front of his ears (his explanation is that he's from Seattle... okay). He wears t-shirts and pants all kind of hacked-off at the calf. He's kind of quiet but very polite and always happy to make a run. And he's just... cute; almost pretty. In certain circles he'd be called a (ahem) twink.
I wish he'd wear a helmet though; I'd hate to see his brains splattered on the street. Drivers are crazy in DC.
I splurged
US Airways (motto: "We're not bankrupt -- yet!") sends me regular emails with fare sales, and yesterday I got one with flights from DCA (National, my preferred DC area airport) to Ft Lauderdale for $112. I've been wanting to get away for a few days, and it was just too good to resist. And in fact, when I went to the site and fiddled around, I got a flight for $88!!
I'm going in November for just three days and staying in a little inn near the beach (I'm not even that big of a beach fan, but it has a nice pool). So I'm looking forward to a little getaway. And I hope to get a lot of writing done, something that I just can't seem to do while home.
I'm going in November for just three days and staying in a little inn near the beach (I'm not even that big of a beach fan, but it has a nice pool). So I'm looking forward to a little getaway. And I hope to get a lot of writing done, something that I just can't seem to do while home.
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
So, I can blame Mom for this too...
The newest dirt on the "gay gene" -- or I guess I should say Gay Genes
It's getting worse
Today on the way to work I was listening to Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time I started to randomly tear up. And I didn't even have my sunglasses to hide my eyes.
The other night at the end of a Charmed episode when Grams summoned the Halliwell female ancestors to witness baby Chris' Wiccaning I got teary-eyed too. I guess you have to know Charmed to get that, but it was touching, trust me. And of course it's even weirder than it sounds, because last season Chris was not a baby but a young adult, (played by the hottie Drew Fuller) who travelled back in time to save his 'older' brother Wyatt.
The other night at the end of a Charmed episode when Grams summoned the Halliwell female ancestors to witness baby Chris' Wiccaning I got teary-eyed too. I guess you have to know Charmed to get that, but it was touching, trust me. And of course it's even weirder than it sounds, because last season Chris was not a baby but a young adult, (played by the hottie Drew Fuller) who travelled back in time to save his 'older' brother Wyatt.
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
'Tis the Season
I love the fall, with the cooler air and the lower humidity. At least I think I do. The last few weeks I have started to feel the beginnings of the depression creeping back, which really makes me wonder if it is at least partially that seasonal depression thing.
One thing is for sure, I need a vacation.
One thing is for sure, I need a vacation.
Monday, October 11, 2004
Manhunt
Remember when I said a few days ago that the new Bravo show Manhunt would be a guilty pleasure? This week's Entertainment Weekly is reporting that halfway through the first episode...
Just imagine what those skydiving harnesses can to, and in nothing but boxer-briefs...
I think I may need to go reset the TiVo recording quality from "High" to "Best."
And yes it's official: I have no life.
...the 16 hottie contestants go tandem skydiving, in Calvin Klein underwear. To the tune of "It's Raining Men." How this relates to modeling is unclear, but we won't worry our pretty heads about it. Grade: B-
Just imagine what those skydiving harnesses can to, and in nothing but boxer-briefs...
I think I may need to go reset the TiVo recording quality from "High" to "Best."
And yes it's official: I have no life.
So here I am... at work
Isn't this a Federal Holiday? (Not that I think Colombus deserves a Federal Holiday, but that's another matter.) But just about everyone is off work but us. Downtown is pretty dead; the Metro is running on one of their 'modified Saturday schedules' whatever that means.
In little fit of rebellion, I came in half an hour late. Maybe I'll leave early too, so there!
At least our new cute-as-a-button young bike courier is here, so I have some eye candy. I really shouldn't loiter around the dispatch area so much though...
Maybe I'll do that Photoshop self-tutorial; I'm sure there are features in CS that I'm not aware of.
Or maybe I'll send out my resume. I've got a list of ads from the Post and the San Francisco paper in my inbox.
*Sigh* San Francisco.
Or maybe I'll go to the gym.
In little fit of rebellion, I came in half an hour late. Maybe I'll leave early too, so there!
At least our new cute-as-a-button young bike courier is here, so I have some eye candy. I really shouldn't loiter around the dispatch area so much though...
Maybe I'll do that Photoshop self-tutorial; I'm sure there are features in CS that I'm not aware of.
Or maybe I'll send out my resume. I've got a list of ads from the Post and the San Francisco paper in my inbox.
*Sigh* San Francisco.
Or maybe I'll go to the gym.
Friday, October 08, 2004
Darth "Hottie" Vader
Some very nice pictures of the delectable Hayden Christensen in the third Star Wars movie.
Thursday, October 07, 2004
Varekai!
Last night Steven and I went to see the Cirque show; we were both running late, and my train got stuck just outside of the station where the show was, so I of course was internally freaking. I didn't care as much about the rest of the show, but I HAD to see the TWINS.
As it turned out we were there in plenty of time and settled into our seats in the 7th row. It was much like Dralion (which I had seen in Baltimore) in overall format, with a vague plot and a rotation of clowns, acrobats, and aerial artists backed by music and vocals in some language I don't recognize. The first half was ok (The Icarian games was less cool than I expected), and I was stressing over whether the twins would do their routine, because I kept seeing acts that were not on the Fire Within tv show, so I wondered if they were taking a break or something.
But then I recognized the music. The stage lit to reveal Kevin and Andrew as they were lifted up and flew away from each other over our heads.
For the next few minutes I was in heaven as the twins spun and swung, intertwined and then whirled away, flying far up over the audience. A few times one brother held the other only by the wrist as they whipped high in the air with no net under them. At other times they held each other while displaying amazing strength and balance as they interlocked in an amazin aerial ballet.
Steven said later that he was a little disturbed by the 'incestuous' nature of the routine (aerial straps is normally performed by a male/female couple and it is sensual in nature) but I have to admit that I found the vaguely homoerotic overtones to be part of the guilty pleasure (Part of the rationale is that they are supposed to be twin gods Castor and Pollux, blessing the union of the reborn main characters). There's no doubt the directors knew what they were getting into, and the twins themselves created a lot of the routine, so they knew what they were doing. But a lot of it for me is seeing how much they must trust each other in this act, one literally holding the other by the hand, or catching him as he releases a strap. One slip and Kevin or Andrew would face a serious injury...and they do this every day.
And at the end, they both have these very genuine smiles (not like some of the fake performer smiles) like they still love doing this.
Bizzzy
Sorry for the relative dearth of postings, but I have been swamped at work the last couple of weeks. And it isn't as much because I no longer have an assisstant as we have just had more and bigger projects. Not that I'm complaining; I like to be busy, and I've built good relationships with many of our clients, including ABC News next door and several design firms. I'm also pleased that we do work for several nonprofit organizations that I support, including the Defenders of Wildlife (HQ around the corner), Ocean Conservancy (down the block), and the client just up the street who we have been doing a huge amount of work for lately, the Human Rights Campaign.
Wednesday, October 06, 2004
Boston Legal
On a whim I decided to TiVo this, and watched it last night. Definitely a guilty pleasure, with James Spader and William Shatner as kooky/sleazy lawyers.
Spader has gone from teh callow brat-packer to the callow Dr. Jackson in the Stargate movie, to buff spaceship captain in Supernova to now this sort of puffy-faced deadpan sleazeball attorney.
And Shatner... watching him as the screwball lawyer makes me realize that there have really been two Captain Kirks: the one from the old series, and the one in the movies (beginning with Wrath of Khan, where I think he was beginning to consiously parody himself sometimes, to Generations where he was definitely playing his bigger-than-like Kirk off of the more serious Picard and having fun with it.
And... bonus... Rene Auborjonois plays a straighlaced senior partner in the same firm!
Spader has gone from teh callow brat-packer to the callow Dr. Jackson in the Stargate movie, to buff spaceship captain in Supernova to now this sort of puffy-faced deadpan sleazeball attorney.
And Shatner... watching him as the screwball lawyer makes me realize that there have really been two Captain Kirks: the one from the old series, and the one in the movies (beginning with Wrath of Khan, where I think he was beginning to consiously parody himself sometimes, to Generations where he was definitely playing his bigger-than-like Kirk off of the more serious Picard and having fun with it.
And... bonus... Rene Auborjonois plays a straighlaced senior partner in the same firm!
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
Saturday, October 02, 2004
Today (Saturday) at Spinning
I had all women today, including one who had never done it before. She needed a lot of help setting up, but seemed to enjoy the class. Today I did a mostly 80's mix:
When we were stretching afterwards, I brought up the Real World scene where they go to the Philadelphia Sports Club and the jock guy can't handle the spinning class. A few of them had seen it; they all seemed to find it amusing. Important to connect with the students!
Video Killed the Radio Star -- Buggles (first video played on MTV)
I'm Still Standing -- Elton John
Karma Chameleon -- Culture Club
Color of Love -- Amber
People Are People -- Depeche Mode (Tears for Fears for gay people)
Boys of Summer (DJ Sammy Dance remix)
We Didn't Start the Fire -- Billy Joel
Let's Hear it for the Boy (Katty B 'QaF' Remix)
Steppin Out -- Joe Jackson
Hungry Like the Wolf -- Duran Duran
Lay All Your Love on Me -- ATeens (cover of ABBA)
When we were stretching afterwards, I brought up the Real World scene where they go to the Philadelphia Sports Club and the jock guy can't handle the spinning class. A few of them had seen it; they all seemed to find it amusing. Important to connect with the students!
Friday, October 01, 2004
"Lost" plot twists and bizaareness
I just rewatched the second episode of Lost (and cursed the relative crudeness of the DVR attached to the digital HDtuner: no slow-motion, no skip ahead 15 minutes, no pause and hold until you want to watch the rest later...)
Anyway, I noticed that the litle black kid is looking at a comic book he found and there is a polar bear attacking the (Justice League?), and a while later a real charging polar bear attacks the group of climbers. This, combined with the fact that the kid was looking for his lost dog (who's survival seems unlikely) while the first thing Jack the doctor encounters is a gold labrador, suggests some kind of weird 'mind creates reality' like in Michael Crichton's Sphere or the famous movie Forbidden Planet based on the Shakespeare play The Tempest. it's either that or one of those weird 'one character's dream' copouts.
Time will tell. The first 2 episodes repeat this weekend sometime. Check local listings!
Anyway, I noticed that the litle black kid is looking at a comic book he found and there is a polar bear attacking the (Justice League?), and a while later a real charging polar bear attacks the group of climbers. This, combined with the fact that the kid was looking for his lost dog (who's survival seems unlikely) while the first thing Jack the doctor encounters is a gold labrador, suggests some kind of weird 'mind creates reality' like in Michael Crichton's Sphere or the famous movie Forbidden Planet based on the Shakespeare play The Tempest. it's either that or one of those weird 'one character's dream' copouts.
Time will tell. The first 2 episodes repeat this weekend sometime. Check local listings!
The Debate, part I
I tried to watch the debate, I really did. Jim Lehrer seems so in command behind his big desk.
But then Kerry started off with what I thought was a gratuitous thanks to the (coincidentally battle-ground-state, I'm sure) brave Florida voters for hosting the debate. And I was kind of surprised that FoxNews (the network who got to operate the 'pool' cameras for this debate) went right with the split-screen so we could watch the unbelievably doofy, smirking Bush while Kerry talked. And it was so annoying that I just couldn't watch. Just Bush's voice makes me grind my teeth. Being forced to look at him was just too much.
I am still wondering why Kerry doesn't hone in on a couple of things, though. He could draw the distinction between being resolved (as Bush claims to be) and single-minded (as he is) about iraq.
And I have said it before, but since Bush rants about 'leadership, leadership, leadership,' why doesn't Kerry bring up the time when Bush's leadership was most needed in the last 4 years? When he was told the second plane hit the World Trade Center, he sat, frozen. A leader would have lept into action, taken command, been a leader ("sorry kids, but I need to go, urgent presidential business!). He sat until an aide told him that they really needed to go. Cheney had to give the order authorizing the military to shoot down civilian planes. Bush had to have Cheney at his side when they were questioned by the 9/11 commission. He doesn't sound like much of a leader when the going gets tough to me.
But then Kerry started off with what I thought was a gratuitous thanks to the (coincidentally battle-ground-state, I'm sure) brave Florida voters for hosting the debate. And I was kind of surprised that FoxNews (the network who got to operate the 'pool' cameras for this debate) went right with the split-screen so we could watch the unbelievably doofy, smirking Bush while Kerry talked. And it was so annoying that I just couldn't watch. Just Bush's voice makes me grind my teeth. Being forced to look at him was just too much.
I am still wondering why Kerry doesn't hone in on a couple of things, though. He could draw the distinction between being resolved (as Bush claims to be) and single-minded (as he is) about iraq.
And I have said it before, but since Bush rants about 'leadership, leadership, leadership,' why doesn't Kerry bring up the time when Bush's leadership was most needed in the last 4 years? When he was told the second plane hit the World Trade Center, he sat, frozen. A leader would have lept into action, taken command, been a leader ("sorry kids, but I need to go, urgent presidential business!). He sat until an aide told him that they really needed to go. Cheney had to give the order authorizing the military to shoot down civilian planes. Bush had to have Cheney at his side when they were questioned by the 9/11 commission. He doesn't sound like much of a leader when the going gets tough to me.
A Beautiful Morning in DC
Sunny and brisk this morning, low humidity and an expected high of the mid-70's. Perfect!
In short, San Francisco weather.
In short, San Francisco weather.
Thursday, September 30, 2004
'Real World' meets Real World
On episode two of MTV's Real World they showed the jock and the girl with the fake boobs taking a Spinning class at Philadelphia Sports Club (same company as Washington Sports where I teach)! The jock says the class KILLED him. Hah hah!
Later when the cute gay latino guy and his new bf are naked in bed together the jock (who is from Nashville and keeps going on about how he isn't used to all these 'different' people) keeps peeking in at them; when one of the girls tells him to stop, he says "I can't help it!"
Later when the cute gay latino guy and his new bf are naked in bed together the jock (who is from Nashville and keeps going on about how he isn't used to all these 'different' people) keeps peeking in at them; when one of the girls tells him to stop, he says "I can't help it!"
Wednesday, September 29, 2004
BRAVO does it again
The gay-for-pay network is creating another show that I'll probably watch religiously and hate myself for in the morning: Manhunt: The Search for America's Most Gorgeous Male Model
Sky Captain! Save our Privacy!
here's the story on the blimp, from the Washington Post:
Defense Department Tests Blimp
By Fred Barbash and Carol Morello
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, September 29, 2004; 7:02 AM
Yes, there was a strange blimpy object flying over some government buildings in Washington before dawn this morning.
But no, it's nothing to worry about. It's on our side.
It was, in fact, a blimp.
The Army has leased it from the nation's only airship manufacturer and outfitted it with sensors and cameras.
Throughout the week, the 178-foot-long blimp will conduct tests designed to determine how effective electro-optical and infrared cameras are at detecting potentially threatening movements on the ground.
The equipment already is used in Iraq and Afghanistan to identify enemy troop movement, but in combat zones it is attached to a static inflatable device that looks like a giant, blimp-shaped balloon.
Calling Sky Captain!
So I was heading to my car this morning at the predawn hour of 5:50 am (yes, going to Doug's new Wednesday class -- and he even rode today!) and I look up into the dark, cloudy sky over the river towards DC, and what do I see? A blimp.
Not just a blimp, a rather large-looking blimp that is brightly illuminated and yet carries no advertising. I don't think it was a dirigible as in Sky Captain and the Hindenberg (those have a rigid structure, while blimps hold their shape only through air pressure), yet still a very eerie sight. It was still there when I got back so I snapped this picture as evidence that I am not hallucinating. Other people in class saw it too.
And now the question is, what is it doing there? is it one of the new rumored 'surveillance blimps'? They used them extensively in Athens during the Olympics.
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
I Fell off the Wagon
The Atkins wagon that is. Last Saturday I was very, very, very bad. Starting after my spin class, I went to Java Shack and had a big Tuna Sandwich. I didn't eat the bread crusts... but it was just the beginning. I had one of their gigantic cookies too.
THEN after Sky Captain, Steven and I went to the Irish Pub around the corner and I had a Bass Ale. Boy was it tasty. Then we went to another bar (we should have stayed at the first one) and I had a (crappy) martini. We were killing time before the Tapas party. Then we went, and Miele (?) had laid out a fabulous spread, so I couldn't resist. And then there was the sangria. Oops.
Sunday I was better, but still I'm sure I went over some carb ceiling. Monday I was back up to 172. Argh.
So I'm not sure what to do; try to go back on the low carb thing (I'm not sure that it was doing anything at all) or try something else. This roll around my middle is making me crazy. I could try not eating in the evenings; that's usually when the real sinning happens. I don't know if I have the willpower for it though.
I just signed up for Doug's new Wednesday morning cycling class. And apparently he's doing an abs class on Thursday right after his cycling class that day. I'm just a glutton for punishment.
THEN after Sky Captain, Steven and I went to the Irish Pub around the corner and I had a Bass Ale. Boy was it tasty. Then we went to another bar (we should have stayed at the first one) and I had a (crappy) martini. We were killing time before the Tapas party. Then we went, and Miele (?) had laid out a fabulous spread, so I couldn't resist. And then there was the sangria. Oops.
Sunday I was better, but still I'm sure I went over some carb ceiling. Monday I was back up to 172. Argh.
So I'm not sure what to do; try to go back on the low carb thing (I'm not sure that it was doing anything at all) or try something else. This roll around my middle is making me crazy. I could try not eating in the evenings; that's usually when the real sinning happens. I don't know if I have the willpower for it though.
I just signed up for Doug's new Wednesday morning cycling class. And apparently he's doing an abs class on Thursday right after his cycling class that day. I'm just a glutton for punishment.
GOP admits mailing anti-gay fliers
Sheesh. What other lies will the Repubs stoop to in order to win?
Monday, September 27, 2004
An observation
In my day-to-day travels (walking around North Arlington, riding the Metro daily, walking a few blocks downtown to my office) I have observed slightly more Kerry bumper stickers that Bush ones (though a surprising number of the latter in the Whole Foods parking lot in Clarendon the other day -- shudder -- and one car that also sported the friendly slogan The Road to hell is paved with Liberals. Nice. And the Bush stickers are usually on the kind of car you'd expect: SUVs, late model Mercedes and BMWs.
However, something I have found interesting: though I have seen many, many people sporting Kerry buttons, I have not yet seen a single human wearing a Bush button. Did the campaign not make any buttons? Do I move in the wrong pedestrian circles?
Are these Bush voters... shy? Anyone else have an opinion?
However, something I have found interesting: though I have seen many, many people sporting Kerry buttons, I have not yet seen a single human wearing a Bush button. Did the campaign not make any buttons? Do I move in the wrong pedestrian circles?
Are these Bush voters... shy? Anyone else have an opinion?
Sunday, September 26, 2004
Real World Philadelphia
I lied about no more reality; I can't resist watching the new season of MTV's Real World, this time in Philadelphia. (Why haven't they done a RW DC?)
This one has TWO gay guys, one cute little kind of latino-looking boy named Willy, and supposedly the big black guy comes out. And then there are the "Abercrombie Twins," two buff str8 guys with curly hair who looked like they just fell out of an A&F catalog. One, the landscape architecture student from from Wisconsin, though, kind of pings the old gaydar. And so far he said he was in one 7-year relationship with a 'person.'
And the house is wild, a big old bank that was gutted and turned into this huge house with a courtyard. The confessional is in the vault in the basement.
In other news, I'm glad it's overcast today; I had way too much sangria at the little tapas party last night, and teaching spin this morning was a tough haul. Now I'm just lounging around the house and glad I have electricity. I've got 2 eps of Stargate: Atlantis and 3 of Real World on the TiVo, so I'm all set.
This one has TWO gay guys, one cute little kind of latino-looking boy named Willy, and supposedly the big black guy comes out. And then there are the "Abercrombie Twins," two buff str8 guys with curly hair who looked like they just fell out of an A&F catalog. One, the landscape architecture student from from Wisconsin, though, kind of pings the old gaydar. And so far he said he was in one 7-year relationship with a 'person.'
And the house is wild, a big old bank that was gutted and turned into this huge house with a courtyard. The confessional is in the vault in the basement.
In other news, I'm glad it's overcast today; I had way too much sangria at the little tapas party last night, and teaching spin this morning was a tough haul. Now I'm just lounging around the house and glad I have electricity. I've got 2 eps of Stargate: Atlantis and 3 of Real World on the TiVo, so I'm all set.
ROTK DVD Special Extended DVD News
Oh. My. God. The extended-edition Return of the King DVD is 250 minutes long. That's four hours and ten minutes!
Whimper. Hold me, Jude, and whisper "Photograph" in my ear.
Whimper. Hold me, Jude, and whisper "Photograph" in my ear.
Weird Power Outage
I woke up at around 5:00 this morning and it seemed unusually dark. I noticed that my clock was off, and the fan in my room wasn't running. But outside my window, the streetlight was on, as was the porch light of the house across the street.
Strange. I got my flashlight and wandered around. To my surprise, the range light in the kitchen was on, and the fridge was working. Weird. I got to the breaker panel, nothing was blown, but I flipped a few anyway. Nothing. How could some of my power be off? I looked out the kitchen and the sidewalk lights in the courtyard were out. Ok, so it wasn't just me.
I dug out the Dominion Power # and called. Fortunately there was a no-nonsense "press one" system with no talking on my part required. It detected my phone number and pulled up my account, and registered my outage report. I dozed off and woke up around 6. No power. I called again and it told me that my report was logged, that a line was down in my area and that it would be fixed by 6:45. It came back on at 6:15. So overall, pretty painless and a good system by Dominion, but still weird.
Then this morning I heard that because of the hurricane, many people in Florida would not have power for three weeks.
I would die.
Strange. I got my flashlight and wandered around. To my surprise, the range light in the kitchen was on, and the fridge was working. Weird. I got to the breaker panel, nothing was blown, but I flipped a few anyway. Nothing. How could some of my power be off? I looked out the kitchen and the sidewalk lights in the courtyard were out. Ok, so it wasn't just me.
I dug out the Dominion Power # and called. Fortunately there was a no-nonsense "press one" system with no talking on my part required. It detected my phone number and pulled up my account, and registered my outage report. I dozed off and woke up around 6. No power. I called again and it told me that my report was logged, that a line was down in my area and that it would be fixed by 6:45. It came back on at 6:15. So overall, pretty painless and a good system by Dominion, but still weird.
Then this morning I heard that because of the hurricane, many people in Florida would not have power for three weeks.
I would die.
Calling Sky Captain!
Steven and I saw Sky Captain yesterday. It was pretty cool, not as spectacular as I had hoped for some reason. Except... the best thing about the movie was...
Jude Law. God, that man is so hot! Just the way he talks... when he said 'photograph' with that beautiful Brit accent I about swooned in my seat. He doesn't even fit my usual 'fantasy' guy type (smooth, muscular, thuggish/pretty face, e.g., Mark Walberg, Tom Welling, Lukas Ridgeston, Mario Lopez, Andy Roddick, etc.) but he was so... sexy.
Oh and Angelina Jolie rocked too... not enough of her. And there was some kind of cute interplay between Sky Captain and his goofy genius sidekick Dex.
Jude Law. God, that man is so hot! Just the way he talks... when he said 'photograph' with that beautiful Brit accent I about swooned in my seat. He doesn't even fit my usual 'fantasy' guy type (smooth, muscular, thuggish/pretty face, e.g., Mark Walberg, Tom Welling, Lukas Ridgeston, Mario Lopez, Andy Roddick, etc.) but he was so... sexy.
Oh and Angelina Jolie rocked too... not enough of her. And there was some kind of cute interplay between Sky Captain and his goofy genius sidekick Dex.
Gay in the Bible Belt
There's a sweet, sad story today in The Washington Post, about a teenager in rural Oklahoma. He's cute (of course) but it makes me just want to smack his ignorant mother.
Saturday, September 25, 2004
Beastmaster!
Dar and Tao are coming to the Sci-fi channel! The first two seasons were wonderful fodder for slash fiction, then all of a sudden it got all stupid with a silly quest and the Dar/Tao stuff fell by the wayside. Daniel Goddard still looks great in a loincloth though.
Friday, September 24, 2004
carbs = bad (not really)
Well, five days into trying a reduced-carb diet I weigh 168: 4 pounds lighter than when I started!
That said, there are some randomizing factors in both directions. I tend to fluctuate between 168 and 172 anyway; when I got back from Charlottesville after two days of stuffing myself and no exercise, I was up to 172. On the other hand, about 3 weeks ago I resumed lifting weights in earnest, after probably a year of just going and lifting the same amount without really having a plan or keeping track, and I'm doing 20-25 lbs more on all the leg presses and 10-15 on most upper body stuff, so one would hope that I've gained a couple pounds of muscle in the deal too. But of course men, -- especially as we get older -- lose the weight from around our midsection last.
At first I thought just 20 carbs a day was insane, but then I find out about this Atkins voodoo 'net carbs' thing. I have here a tasty Atkins bar that says the total carbs is 22g. However, they say you subtract the fiber and the glycerin carbs and you are down to 3. Magic!
I've also come to realize that I already was eating a pretty healthy diet. I ate 5 small meals a day:
Breakfast:
A glass of OJ in the morning (carb-o-rama, sadly)
whole grain cereal with skim milk
half a teaspoon of sugar in my coffee
Second Breakfast: (sin time, Pippin!)
Either eggs and a little bacon at work
-- or --
a Jimmy Dean Egg/sausage/cheese muffin at Java Shack
and a huge coffee with at least a teaspoon of sugar
Lunch:
lean meat, a slice of cheese and leaf lettuce on whole wheat bread with a little mayo and mustard.
After-workout snack:
Low-fat yogurt.
Dinner:
Usually a big salad with some meat and cheese, (probably too much) dressing, a couple glasses of wine.
---
I've made the following changes:
Breakfast:
Small protein bar (150 calories, 2 net carb grams).
Splenda® in my coffee
Second Breakfast: (now at work because of my new schedule)
eggs and a little bacon from a food bar
coffee, black
Lunch:
Same sandwich, but now on a small whole wheat pita.
After-workout snack:
That yogurt had TONS of carbs! Now another small protein bar.
Dinner:
A smaller salad with chopped chicken breast; trying to go lighter on the dressing.
That said, there are some randomizing factors in both directions. I tend to fluctuate between 168 and 172 anyway; when I got back from Charlottesville after two days of stuffing myself and no exercise, I was up to 172. On the other hand, about 3 weeks ago I resumed lifting weights in earnest, after probably a year of just going and lifting the same amount without really having a plan or keeping track, and I'm doing 20-25 lbs more on all the leg presses and 10-15 on most upper body stuff, so one would hope that I've gained a couple pounds of muscle in the deal too. But of course men, -- especially as we get older -- lose the weight from around our midsection last.
At first I thought just 20 carbs a day was insane, but then I find out about this Atkins voodoo 'net carbs' thing. I have here a tasty Atkins bar that says the total carbs is 22g. However, they say you subtract the fiber and the glycerin carbs and you are down to 3. Magic!
I've also come to realize that I already was eating a pretty healthy diet. I ate 5 small meals a day:
Breakfast:
A glass of OJ in the morning (carb-o-rama, sadly)
whole grain cereal with skim milk
half a teaspoon of sugar in my coffee
Second Breakfast: (sin time, Pippin!)
Either eggs and a little bacon at work
-- or --
a Jimmy Dean Egg/sausage/cheese muffin at Java Shack
and a huge coffee with at least a teaspoon of sugar
Lunch:
lean meat, a slice of cheese and leaf lettuce on whole wheat bread with a little mayo and mustard.
After-workout snack:
Low-fat yogurt.
Dinner:
Usually a big salad with some meat and cheese, (probably too much) dressing, a couple glasses of wine.
---
I've made the following changes:
Breakfast:
Small protein bar (150 calories, 2 net carb grams).
Splenda® in my coffee
Second Breakfast: (now at work because of my new schedule)
eggs and a little bacon from a food bar
coffee, black
Lunch:
Same sandwich, but now on a small whole wheat pita.
After-workout snack:
That yogurt had TONS of carbs! Now another small protein bar.
Dinner:
A smaller salad with chopped chicken breast; trying to go lighter on the dressing.
Totally Random Buffy Quote
(You have to know Buffy the Vampire Slayer to get it)
Evil Willow rocked.
Willow: I felt it surging through me, in every fiber of my being. Pure, undiluted evil. I could taste it.
Kennedy: How's evil taste?
Willow: A little chalky.
Evil Willow rocked.
Well, darn
The ICE RPG CruiseCon on which I was going to get to go free as a celebrity guest this February has been delayed until fall, or maybe even cancelled. This axes my glorious plan for a 5-day cruise followed by a day in Ft. Lauderdale followed by my seven-day RSVP Cruise.
On the plus side, I don't have to worry about some wacky delay on the first cruise (don't laugh; on my last cruise we were fogged in to the Port of New Orleans for almost a full day) costing me the big fun cruise. So now I think I'll just plan to spend a few days in Ft. Lauderdale beforehand.
Which reminds me... I've been wondering. My posts on this blog run the gamut from political rants to tv viewing, to minutae of my personal life. I'm just curious what my readers think: is variety good or distracting/annoying?
On the plus side, I don't have to worry about some wacky delay on the first cruise (don't laugh; on my last cruise we were fogged in to the Port of New Orleans for almost a full day) costing me the big fun cruise. So now I think I'll just plan to spend a few days in Ft. Lauderdale beforehand.
Which reminds me... I've been wondering. My posts on this blog run the gamut from political rants to tv viewing, to minutae of my personal life. I'm just curious what my readers think: is variety good or distracting/annoying?
Smallville
Watched the season premiere last night, and boy have I missed a lot... Dad was in a coma, Chloe was supposedly dead, Lana was in Paris, and Clark was Kal-el.
Oh and there was all this Lex stuff. He was in Egypt finding some magic crystal... shades of Stargate!
Of course the highlight was Tom Welling wandering around totally nekkid. What an ass that boy has. I love all the funny little homages they do, like the blanket Lois Lane gives Clark is thin and bright red, looking very capelike as it slides off his bare shoulders.
And they are shamelessly gratuitous about him being naked. He flies at hundreds of miles an hour (nicely done, btw) and his shirt remains intact. But when he has this weird duel with himself in the cave, his shirt vanishes, so he can lounge sexily with he head on mommy's lap. Hm.
And what's with all the Lana France crap? Guess we'll see.
You know, even Lex is kinda hot.
Oh and there was all this Lex stuff. He was in Egypt finding some magic crystal... shades of Stargate!
Of course the highlight was Tom Welling wandering around totally nekkid. What an ass that boy has. I love all the funny little homages they do, like the blanket Lois Lane gives Clark is thin and bright red, looking very capelike as it slides off his bare shoulders.
And they are shamelessly gratuitous about him being naked. He flies at hundreds of miles an hour (nicely done, btw) and his shirt remains intact. But when he has this weird duel with himself in the cave, his shirt vanishes, so he can lounge sexily with he head on mommy's lap. Hm.
And what's with all the Lana France crap? Guess we'll see.
You know, even Lex is kinda hot.
Thursday, September 23, 2004
Ah, the classic Apple HAL 9000 ad!
Who remembers this great old ad? (Warning: it's about an 8mb QT movie)
The finale of "Big Brother 5"
Yes I watched Big Brother this year (though I'm glad for TiVo, so I can fast-forward through most of the tedium).
Anyway, Will the kinda cute gay guy didn't win, but Drew the hottie did. And it was wild at the end because his twin brother Ben appeared to give him a big brotherly hug, dressed in an identical shirt. The odd thing is, they are almost identical, except Ben appears to be a few inches shorter... and in some odd way, very slightly cuter... even though side by side they look exactly the same.
And now I'm done with reality TV for awhile.
Anyway, Will the kinda cute gay guy didn't win, but Drew the hottie did. And it was wild at the end because his twin brother Ben appeared to give him a big brotherly hug, dressed in an identical shirt. The odd thing is, they are almost identical, except Ben appears to be a few inches shorter... and in some odd way, very slightly cuter... even though side by side they look exactly the same.
And now I'm done with reality TV for awhile.
Trauma!
Yoicks. I hate it when something goes wrong with my Mac. Especially now with OS X, which I must admit I am not nearly as good with as far as being able to ferret out problems. All that UNIX and terminals and mysterious files. Sometimes I long for the simple single preferences folder.
Anyway, my Mac crashed yesterday. It rarely does it, but it's creepy when it does: the screen becomes tinted grey like a windowshade rolling down, and it tells you to restart.
That is when the trouble began. I repaired the permissions, which I do frequently, but the CD burner started misbehaving. I went ahead and downloaded the new security upddates from Apple and rebooted, all seemed ok.
Then this morning, both Safari and IE would randomly deny me access to about half the websites I tried to go to. Fortunately there was a thread about it on Apple Discussions (which I had to access through my iMac on the side deck that I usually just use to see the stupid AS400 and to play streaming music).
After clearing caches and deleting this and that, I finally tried this thing where you reapply the DNS in the TCP/IP panel and it SEEMS to have fixed it -- in Safari at least. IE is still a mess.
Anyway, my Mac crashed yesterday. It rarely does it, but it's creepy when it does: the screen becomes tinted grey like a windowshade rolling down, and it tells you to restart.
That is when the trouble began. I repaired the permissions, which I do frequently, but the CD burner started misbehaving. I went ahead and downloaded the new security upddates from Apple and rebooted, all seemed ok.
Then this morning, both Safari and IE would randomly deny me access to about half the websites I tried to go to. Fortunately there was a thread about it on Apple Discussions (which I had to access through my iMac on the side deck that I usually just use to see the stupid AS400 and to play streaming music).
After clearing caches and deleting this and that, I finally tried this thing where you reapply the DNS in the TCP/IP panel and it SEEMS to have fixed it -- in Safari at least. IE is still a mess.
More Doug... am I obsessed?
Another thing Doug was rambling about this morning was reality shows (even though he says he doesn't have a tv) and the fact that his college roomate Latane was currently on The Benefactor.
Hmm.
Hmm.
'Lost' mini review (with spoilers)
The first thing that bugged me was the plane engine still running even though the thing was basically wreckage. I find this to be highly unlikely; they just wanted to show someone getting sucked into the engine.
And the whole marauding creature tearing down palm trees thing... huh? It seemed silly. But not as silly as the pilot, who, after hearing the crashing sound of some huge creature, stood up and tried to climb out of the cockpit right where the thing was! Silly, silly man. Dead now.
I don't know, but I was disappointed. I kept flashing back to Jurassic Park III. Plane crash + dinosaurs = running and screaming.
We'll see.
And the whole marauding creature tearing down palm trees thing... huh? It seemed silly. But not as silly as the pilot, who, after hearing the crashing sound of some huge creature, stood up and tried to climb out of the cockpit right where the thing was! Silly, silly man. Dead now.
I don't know, but I was disappointed. I kept flashing back to Jurassic Park III. Plane crash + dinosaurs = running and screaming.
We'll see.
Doug the Dud
He arrived 5 minutes late again today, in warmup pants, t-shirt and denim jacket (collar up). He continues to be charming but that is just rude. He spent the next several minutes leading a discussion on everything from Britney Spears' wedding to reality tv (and he doesn't own a tv). He's starting to remind me more of Justin Timberlake now for some reason too.
And *gasp* there were six empty bikes. I think even he was a little taken aback by that.
And *gasp* there were six empty bikes. I think even he was a little taken aback by that.
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
Lost!
ABC's 'Lost' is premiering tonight, and it's getting good reviews. If only Merry -- I mean Dominic -- wasn't so scruffy looking. But there's also Daniel Dae Kim...
Kevin and Andrew!
In just two weeks Enviroboi and I are going to see Varekai, featuring the extremely hot Atherton Twins! Whay are they hot? Is it because they are twins? Because they are buff and wear those kinky outfits? Because they have those sexy cockney Brit accents? Because they perform Aerial Straps, an intimate routine usually reserved for a male/female couple?
Hmm...
All of the above!
Hmm...
All of the above!
Spirit & Opportunity Phoned Home!
JPL has re-established contact with both rovers! And, since they are apparently holding up well, NASA has extended the mission another six months!
A cloud has been lifted
I fired my assistant/digital operator Monday. I don't feel bad about it at all. We extended his probation once, and warned him about being more attentive to his work, but he would rush through jobs so he could get back to Instant Messaging, talking on his cell, and drawing superheroes.
Worse, he would not listen to my instructions, and sometimes it seemed like he just didn't hear me. He was also moody and sullen, and copped an attitude when he was asked to do something. And he got in a shouting fight with our normally mild-mannered salesperson.
Oh and when we fired him, he claimed that it was a 'personality' thing with me and he was never given a chance. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since whenever he screwed up, he never showed any kind of remorse or accepted any responsibility.
So now I'm on my own doing all the work, but it's way better than dealing with his attitude. I miss my last assistant, Marine Ken.
Worse, he would not listen to my instructions, and sometimes it seemed like he just didn't hear me. He was also moody and sullen, and copped an attitude when he was asked to do something. And he got in a shouting fight with our normally mild-mannered salesperson.
Oh and when we fired him, he claimed that it was a 'personality' thing with me and he was never given a chance. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since whenever he screwed up, he never showed any kind of remorse or accepted any responsibility.
So now I'm on my own doing all the work, but it's way better than dealing with his attitude. I miss my last assistant, Marine Ken.
A cloud has been lifted
I fired my assistant/digital operator Monday. I don't feel bad about it at all. We extended his probation once, and warned him about being more attentive to his work, but he would rush through jobs so he could get back to Instant Messaging, talking on his cell, and drawing superheroes.
Worse, he would not listen to my instructions, and sometimes it seemed like he just didn't hear me. He was also moody and sullen, and copped an attitude when he was asked to do something. And he got in a shouting fight with our normally mild-mannered salesperson.
Oh and when we fired him, he claimed that it was a 'personality' thing with me and he was never given a chance. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since whenever he screwed up, he never showed any kind of remorse or accepted any responsibility.
So now I'm on my own doing all the work, but it's way better than dealing with his attitude. I miss my last assistant, Marine Ken.
Worse, he would not listen to my instructions, and sometimes it seemed like he just didn't hear me. He was also moody and sullen, and copped an attitude when he was asked to do something. And he got in a shouting fight with our normally mild-mannered salesperson.
Oh and when we fired him, he claimed that it was a 'personality' thing with me and he was never given a chance. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since whenever he screwed up, he never showed any kind of remorse or accepted any responsibility.
So now I'm on my own doing all the work, but it's way better than dealing with his attitude. I miss my last assistant, Marine Ken.
A cloud has been lifted
I fired my assistant/digital operator Monday. I don't feel bad about it at all. We extended his probation once, and warned him about being more attentive to his work, but he would rush through jobs so he could get back to Instant Messaging, talking on his cell, and drawing superheroes.
Worse, he would not listen to my instructions, and sometimes it seemed like he just didn't hear me. He was also moody and sullen, and copped an attitude when he was asked to do something. And he got in a shouting fight with our normally mild-mannered salesperson.
Oh and when we fired him, he claimed that it was a 'personality' thing with me and he was never given a chance. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since whenever he screwed up, he never showed any kind of remorse or accepted any responsibility.
So now I'm on my own doing all the work, but it's way better than dealing with his attitude. I miss my last assistant, Marine Ken.
Worse, he would not listen to my instructions, and sometimes it seemed like he just didn't hear me. He was also moody and sullen, and copped an attitude when he was asked to do something. And he got in a shouting fight with our normally mild-mannered salesperson.
Oh and when we fired him, he claimed that it was a 'personality' thing with me and he was never given a chance. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since whenever he screwed up, he never showed any kind of remorse or accepted any responsibility.
So now I'm on my own doing all the work, but it's way better than dealing with his attitude. I miss my last assistant, Marine Ken.
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
Dude!
I'm glad that cutie Ben Curtis is keeping busy. Urban Cowboy's Colella and "Dell Dude" to Be Part of Gay Sex Reading
Star Wars!
The Trilogy is out! (Feel free to order it from the link down and to the right ). I already ordered mine, can't wait to blast it on my widescreen!
Monday, September 20, 2004
Memories
Ah, I smell fireplace wood smoke through my open window tonight. It's finally a bit cool outside, though I think some people may be a bit overeager if they are having fires. I really should use my fireplace more, as much as I like having one. I had one in Ashtree back in Charlottesville too and rarely took advantage of it. Maybe because it's one of those things that is more fun shared.
For some reason tonight I was remembering back to my childhood, when there were 3 networks and PBS, and Masterpiece Theatre was a big deal. I was thinking about my favorite series. And Upstairs Downstairs wasn't one of them (too long and soapy). Mine were:
The Moonstone, based on the novel by Wilke Collins. So cool and spooky, it may have been my first M.T. experience.
The Six Wives of Henry VIII: wow this seemed so big and alive to me, and I think it was a major factor in my ongoing Anglophilia. Kieth Michell was so good as Henry through all six chapters
Elizabeth R: Probably inspired by the previous, this one was just as cool, as Elizabeth had an amazing reign.
I, Claudius: My all time favorite, this series, based on novels by Robert Graves and starring the wonderful Derek Jacobi. Here's a great overview
For some reason tonight I was remembering back to my childhood, when there were 3 networks and PBS, and Masterpiece Theatre was a big deal. I was thinking about my favorite series. And Upstairs Downstairs wasn't one of them (too long and soapy). Mine were:
The Moonstone, based on the novel by Wilke Collins. So cool and spooky, it may have been my first M.T. experience.
The Six Wives of Henry VIII: wow this seemed so big and alive to me, and I think it was a major factor in my ongoing Anglophilia. Kieth Michell was so good as Henry through all six chapters
Elizabeth R: Probably inspired by the previous, this one was just as cool, as Elizabeth had an amazing reign.
I, Claudius: My all time favorite, this series, based on novels by Robert Graves and starring the wonderful Derek Jacobi. Here's a great overview
Here we go
I had a wonderful weekend in Charlottesville, both at the Alumni events and visiting with Bill and Becka and their kids.
At one point Bill mentioned that he and Becka had done the low-carb thing and it had worked really well for them. He'd lost 40 lbs in a month and a half! I had noticed the last time I was there that he had put on a few but I didn't know that much. He's at like 185 now I think he said, which is 15 more than me but he's an inch or two taller too.
Anyway, after being stuck in this 170 rut for way too long, I'm going to try to go low carb for a couple of weeks and see what happens. It's interesting and surprising to see what has a lot of carbs. My daily OJ is about 25, the whole-wheat bread on my usual lunch sandwich: 32. One little lowfat yogurt: 44 (44!)
To do Atkins you are supposed to go down to 20 carbs a day for the first week; I don't know if I can go that low.
As an aside, did you know that wine has almost no carbs? I figured that since it was like a fruit juice it would be loaded, but not the case.
At one point Bill mentioned that he and Becka had done the low-carb thing and it had worked really well for them. He'd lost 40 lbs in a month and a half! I had noticed the last time I was there that he had put on a few but I didn't know that much. He's at like 185 now I think he said, which is 15 more than me but he's an inch or two taller too.
Anyway, after being stuck in this 170 rut for way too long, I'm going to try to go low carb for a couple of weeks and see what happens. It's interesting and surprising to see what has a lot of carbs. My daily OJ is about 25, the whole-wheat bread on my usual lunch sandwich: 32. One little lowfat yogurt: 44 (44!)
To do Atkins you are supposed to go down to 20 carbs a day for the first week; I don't know if I can go that low.
As an aside, did you know that wine has almost no carbs? I figured that since it was like a fruit juice it would be loaded, but not the case.
Jack and Bobby
(Warning, show spoilers ahead) I finally got around to watching the WB's new show Jack and Bobby last night. It was good, but I found their self-absorbed 'the world is against us' mother too reminiscent of my own mother, and the nerdy, eager-to-please-her Bobby too reminiscent of me at that age. I wish I'd had an older brother like Jack. Anyway, I don't think I'll watch it again, for those reasons, and I think they revealed too much of the future. One reviewer was upset that they tell (in one of many 'flash-aheads' to the future) which brother becomes president, while Tom Shales thought it was a gimmick and was glad that they did tell. The fact that a girl in high school who Jack is wooing eventually becomes Bobby's wife is also kind of creepy. But the reveal that was like a punch in the stomach to me was that Jack dies.
It's like, why watch now; we know what happens?
Besides I'm overbooked on TV anyway, with two DVRs swiftly filling up...
It's like, why watch now; we know what happens?
Besides I'm overbooked on TV anyway, with two DVRs swiftly filling up...
Thursday, September 16, 2004
I don't mean to brag...
...but I still feel pretty privileged that I attended U.Va., which grew out of Mr Jefferson's beautiful Academical Village. I attended concerts and lectures in the Dome Room of the Rotunda and even studied in there. The Pavilion gardens are gorgeous, and the Lawn is still such a cool place to me. I'm looking foward to seeing it again.
Sky Captain!
Excerpts from Entertainment Weekly's glowing review of Sky Captain:
I must see this movie!
...And when they're joined by Angelina Jolie, sporting a kinky black eye patch and a fetishcompatible tight uniform as a kick-butt naval captain ambiguously named Franky Cook, the confection is irresistible: three of Hollywood's most polished stars, assuming the contours of 2-D characters without irony or condescension...
...Indeed, for all the grandeur of Sky Captain visible on screen, hidden in behind-the-scenes technical specs, and audible in the stirring, enveloping score of Edward Shearmur, it's the little, low-tech grace notes that stand out. I love that Dex (Giovanni Ribisi), Sky Captain's trusty, tinkering sidekick, chews gum like an all-American boy. That Polly's charm bracelet becomes a liability. And that Franky barks "Alert the Amphibious Squad!" Ooh, yes, please do! we reply, bouncing with happiness.
I must see this movie!
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
Ivan and Jonno
Thinking about Ivan bearing down on New Orleans makes me think of my visit there (warning, scandalous pictures!) a couple of years ago, and of my old favorite blogger Jonno, and of the rather silly but fun book by Anne Rice's cute gay son Christopher, and of my sister, who loves that city like no other.
My favorite town in America isn't likely to be flooded, but it is susceptible to earthquakes...
My favorite town in America isn't likely to be flooded, but it is susceptible to earthquakes...
Monday, September 13, 2004
The Rosemount Hotel
And this is the cute little hotel we stayed in when we were in the little town of Pitlochry, Scotland!
Warwick Castle
Check out this very cool Warwick Castle Website. My sister and mother and I went there many years ago as part of a big trip all over England and Scotland.
I think I want to go back.
I think I want to go back.
Sunday, September 12, 2004
Saturday, September 11, 2004
Richard's Poor Almanac
Another dryly witty entry. You probably have to live in or near D.C. to really get it though...
Another Customer Service Happy Ending!
Today I went grocery shopping and as I headed for the checkout, this checker who I particularly do not like (he's incredibly slow and somehow... creepy) waved me to his empty aisle. I reluctantly entered and started to unload. He carded me of all things... I'm old enough to have kids who'd be legal to drink! Anyway, that and using Amex for the first time at Safeway instead of my debit card (They just started accepting it. Amex = flyer miles = good!) got me disconbobulated and I forgot to run my Safeway discount card in the machine. And creepy checker didn't ask; they always ask!
So I was in the car by the time I thought the total was a little high and I hadn't seem my discounts come up on the screen, and I remembered. I stewed for a few minutes then decided to head back and at least ask if they could re-run it, since the discounts were probably near $20 -- I'd bought a nice bottle of wine for my hosts in Charlottesville among other things that was a few dollars off.
So I go back in and politely ask the manager if it was possible to do something. He was like "Sure!" He took my receipt and card and ran them through and instantly came up with the discount (almost $20!) and handed me cash. Wow, that was way easier than I expected.
Makes you kind of wonder though how they have all that stored in their computers that they can easily access it. I knew that they tracked what we purchased, but still...
So I was in the car by the time I thought the total was a little high and I hadn't seem my discounts come up on the screen, and I remembered. I stewed for a few minutes then decided to head back and at least ask if they could re-run it, since the discounts were probably near $20 -- I'd bought a nice bottle of wine for my hosts in Charlottesville among other things that was a few dollars off.
So I go back in and politely ask the manager if it was possible to do something. He was like "Sure!" He took my receipt and card and ran them through and instantly came up with the discount (almost $20!) and handed me cash. Wow, that was way easier than I expected.
Makes you kind of wonder though how they have all that stored in their computers that they can easily access it. I knew that they tracked what we purchased, but still...
Comcast vs. Verizon
Last night my cable went out. I called the service number, and after pressing only two buttons on the phone (no speaking! yay!) I was informed that there was technical trouble in North Arlington, and technicians were working on it.
Thank you, that's all I wanted to know: it's not just my cable, the company is aware of the problem and they are working on it.
They had that message on the system within minutes of the cable going off, and they had my cable working again inside of an hour. A much better customer service experience than Verizon, without ever talking to a human in either case.
Thank you, that's all I wanted to know: it's not just my cable, the company is aware of the problem and they are working on it.
They had that message on the system within minutes of the cable going off, and they had my cable working again inside of an hour. A much better customer service experience than Verizon, without ever talking to a human in either case.
I guess I need to watch more of the WB
From Tom Shales' review in the Washington Post of the new WB show Jack and Bobby:
Now I would not call Tom Welling (Clark Kent in Smallville) a 'boy,' but he is a handsome young man with a very nice body, and of the few episodes of the show I have seen, they do seem to like him with his shirt off. One episode from the first season featured the high school boys' locker room, with Tom and friend in towels, and one the other night had Clark captured for some memory experiment that for no reason I could fathom, involved immersion in a green liquid while wearing nothing but a pair of snugly fitting bike shorts. Clark's were bright red (young Lex Luthor's -- he voluntarily submitted to this experiment earlier -- were a more modest black). And when they first captured Clark, the evil scientist said with a particular zeal... "strip him!" Oh, my.
And in the preview for next season, we see a nude Clark standing in a cornfield meeting Lois lane. We even get a glimpse of his butt! Apparently he's learning to fly now and kind of screwed up and turned himself into a fireball, burning his clothes off. Convenient. But this set me to thinking: why wasn't his shock of beautiful hair burned off? Is it 'super-hair'? If it is super-hair, how does he get it cut? Questions that need answering!
I was also very interested to learn that they are indeed doing audience research that includes the 'gay men' demographic...
Noble, portentous and often achingly predictable, "Jack & Bobby," a new drama series about a boy who grows up to be president in the year 2040, represents a step up for the WB, Time-Warner's kiddie-car network, which has previously catered mainly to teenage girls and, according to audience research, gay men.
That's because WB shows usually involve "cute" teenage boys who manage to become disrobed on the same unsubtle pretexts as starlets in movies have done for years. The score has sort of been settled. But in the handsome-looking premiere of "Jack & Bobby," tomorrow night at 9 on Channel 50, the teenage boy is shirtless only briefly, and the drama's aims are clearly earnest and substantial.
Now I would not call Tom Welling (Clark Kent in Smallville) a 'boy,' but he is a handsome young man with a very nice body, and of the few episodes of the show I have seen, they do seem to like him with his shirt off. One episode from the first season featured the high school boys' locker room, with Tom and friend in towels, and one the other night had Clark captured for some memory experiment that for no reason I could fathom, involved immersion in a green liquid while wearing nothing but a pair of snugly fitting bike shorts. Clark's were bright red (young Lex Luthor's -- he voluntarily submitted to this experiment earlier -- were a more modest black). And when they first captured Clark, the evil scientist said with a particular zeal... "strip him!" Oh, my.
And in the preview for next season, we see a nude Clark standing in a cornfield meeting Lois lane. We even get a glimpse of his butt! Apparently he's learning to fly now and kind of screwed up and turned himself into a fireball, burning his clothes off. Convenient. But this set me to thinking: why wasn't his shock of beautiful hair burned off? Is it 'super-hair'? If it is super-hair, how does he get it cut? Questions that need answering!
I was also very interested to learn that they are indeed doing audience research that includes the 'gay men' demographic...
Friday, September 10, 2004
See you soon, Rovers!
The Mars Rovers are still trundling around on the Red Planet's surface, exploring and photographing amazing sights. However, because the Sun is moving between the Earth and Mars, they will be out of communication for eleven days!
Customer Disservice
I was so freaking pissed I could have killed someone... if I could have reached someone.
My Verizon DSL was down last night. It happens; I can deal with that. BUT when I called customer service I discovered that they have installed one of those goddamn voice recognition things.
The last time there was a problem, I called and I got a message there was a problem in the DC service area right after I punched in my phone number. That would have been great.
Oh no not now. I got that annoying voice who asks me to 'say' my phone number and doesn't understand me. It NEVER understands me. After an eternity of prompts and arguing with a machine about whether I had tried rebooting my computer and my DSL modem (of course) and asking my my operating system (it didn't understand "Macintosh"), I finally learned that the DSL was down.
A far cry from the friendly, helpful human service I got only a year ago from verizon DSL. I got the same infuriating thing when I called TiVo several months ago. When I finally got a human, I kind of went off. He told me that EVERYONE hates it. Yet companies continue to use it
Civilization is coming to an end, and when we are all dead, an incredibly annoying female voice will keep saying, with that blood-boiling little half-laugh "I'm sorry, I didn't understand you; could you please repeat your 24 digit account number?"
This is the end of civilization as we know it. We are being made slaves to the machines by cheap-ass, greedy corporations
My Boston friend (who gets it when he calls Sprint) let me in on a little secret (which I had learned from the TiVo mess, but forgot): just keep saying "Operator" (or press "0") and eventually you'll get a real human. Though he'll probably be in Bangalore.
My Verizon DSL was down last night. It happens; I can deal with that. BUT when I called customer service I discovered that they have installed one of those goddamn voice recognition things.
The last time there was a problem, I called and I got a message there was a problem in the DC service area right after I punched in my phone number. That would have been great.
Oh no not now. I got that annoying voice who asks me to 'say' my phone number and doesn't understand me. It NEVER understands me. After an eternity of prompts and arguing with a machine about whether I had tried rebooting my computer and my DSL modem (of course) and asking my my operating system (it didn't understand "Macintosh"), I finally learned that the DSL was down.
A far cry from the friendly, helpful human service I got only a year ago from verizon DSL. I got the same infuriating thing when I called TiVo several months ago. When I finally got a human, I kind of went off. He told me that EVERYONE hates it. Yet companies continue to use it
Civilization is coming to an end, and when we are all dead, an incredibly annoying female voice will keep saying, with that blood-boiling little half-laugh "I'm sorry, I didn't understand you; could you please repeat your 24 digit account number?"
This is the end of civilization as we know it. We are being made slaves to the machines by cheap-ass, greedy corporations
My Boston friend (who gets it when he calls Sprint) let me in on a little secret (which I had learned from the TiVo mess, but forgot): just keep saying "Operator" (or press "0") and eventually you'll get a real human. Though he'll probably be in Bangalore.
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
1000 American Dead
As of today, more than one thousand American men and women have died fighting Bush's war in Iraq. Most died after Bush staged his ridiculous aircraft carrier stunt and so glibly declared "Mission Accomplished," saying that major hostilites had ended.
An open letter to John Kerry
Dear Senator Kerry,
Let's face it, things aren't looking good. I humbly offer the following suggestions to get your campaign back on track:
1. You must have a voice coach. Fire him. Your speech patterns are monotonous, Blaaaah-blah-blaaah-blah blaaah. You sound like you are rambling in a monotone. Clip your words! Use short sentences! Percussive consonants! Bark!
2. Follow Bill's advice: attack! You are on the defensive; get on the offensive! Specifics:
3. Have Edwards or Dean call out Dick Cheney for the liar that he is. There is no evidence of a connection between Saddam and the terrorists that attacked the US. But he keeps saying there is. There were no weapons of mass destruction! They LIED! Cheney is still lying! Make implications about his corruption!
4. Cheney has said that electing you puts us in danger! Ask how dangerous re-electing Bush is! Who will he attack next? Iran? Syria? North Korea?
5. Bush tries to say he is better at protecting us from terrorism. How, exactly? This is the guy that, after being told the second plane hit the World Trade Center, sat for SEVEN MINUTES with a class of children. The only viable explanation for why he did not spring into action is that he was paralyzed by fear and/or indecision. (I am quite confident that Cheney actually illegally authorized the military to shoot down passenger liners becase Bush couldn't do it.) When we have a crisis like this we need a man of action who can make quick decisions, take charge, give the tough orders! This would supposedly be YOU, Vietnam vet and swift-boat commander, not that wimp who was scared to move when he must have KNOWN that this was a terror attack. use some of that Fahrenheit 9/11 footage fo Bush sitting there... and sitting there... What if Bush was told that a nuclear missile was headed toward the US, or there was some other immininent danger that required quick action!?! You need to show that he is not strong, but WEAK.
6. The Bush people try to shield him from criticism by saying that you are attacking the Presidency and being disrespectful. Take a page from the Repubs when they attacked Clinton and say you respect the presidency; it's BUSH you have no respect for. Remind the voters that this man did not even win the popular vote.
Mr Kerry, I want you to win, but you need to get on the ball! Ask Dean and Gore to go on the offensive!
Thanks you, and best of luck.
Let's face it, things aren't looking good. I humbly offer the following suggestions to get your campaign back on track:
1. You must have a voice coach. Fire him. Your speech patterns are monotonous, Blaaaah-blah-blaaah-blah blaaah. You sound like you are rambling in a monotone. Clip your words! Use short sentences! Percussive consonants! Bark!
2. Follow Bill's advice: attack! You are on the defensive; get on the offensive! Specifics:
3. Have Edwards or Dean call out Dick Cheney for the liar that he is. There is no evidence of a connection between Saddam and the terrorists that attacked the US. But he keeps saying there is. There were no weapons of mass destruction! They LIED! Cheney is still lying! Make implications about his corruption!
4. Cheney has said that electing you puts us in danger! Ask how dangerous re-electing Bush is! Who will he attack next? Iran? Syria? North Korea?
5. Bush tries to say he is better at protecting us from terrorism. How, exactly? This is the guy that, after being told the second plane hit the World Trade Center, sat for SEVEN MINUTES with a class of children. The only viable explanation for why he did not spring into action is that he was paralyzed by fear and/or indecision. (I am quite confident that Cheney actually illegally authorized the military to shoot down passenger liners becase Bush couldn't do it.) When we have a crisis like this we need a man of action who can make quick decisions, take charge, give the tough orders! This would supposedly be YOU, Vietnam vet and swift-boat commander, not that wimp who was scared to move when he must have KNOWN that this was a terror attack. use some of that Fahrenheit 9/11 footage fo Bush sitting there... and sitting there... What if Bush was told that a nuclear missile was headed toward the US, or there was some other immininent danger that required quick action!?! You need to show that he is not strong, but WEAK.
6. The Bush people try to shield him from criticism by saying that you are attacking the Presidency and being disrespectful. Take a page from the Repubs when they attacked Clinton and say you respect the presidency; it's BUSH you have no respect for. Remind the voters that this man did not even win the popular vote.
Mr Kerry, I want you to win, but you need to get on the ball! Ask Dean and Gore to go on the offensive!
Thanks you, and best of luck.
The Genesis Torpedo
Courtesy of Steven, news of the return of the Genesis Probe.
They better watch out or Khan may swoop in with the Defiant and try to steal the Genesis Device!
They better watch out or Khan may swoop in with the Defiant and try to steal the Genesis Device!
Happy Birthday, David
Michaelangelo's amazing sculpture was unveiled 500 years ago today. At first of course, it was outdoors in a Florence courtyard, but now he is safely ensconced in the Accadamia nearby. I feel very fortunate that I was able to see him in person.
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
NPR : Book Revisits Golden Age of School Filmstrips
OMG, School Filmstrips! I remember that *beep* and I of course was the budding A/V nerd who wanted to run the film-strip machine, or help the fumbling teacher when they couldn't get the thing loaded right.
The Truth Hurts
Ooof! A scathing review of JR's by a visitor from L.A. (or, as Ted C. calls it, 'Hell-aye'). In my mis-spent (relative) youth when I lived in Dupont, I went to JR's pretty often. This was, after all, my first real gay bar, the one that a friend took me to when I was visiting D.C. and job hunting. The first time were were there it was packed, and we were standing on the balcony looking down on this sea of young men (the clientele was younger back then) and I said "are all these guys gay?" Yes, I was that naive. Back in the old days they played music videos; in the late 90's it was boybands remixes and Britney Spears and Cher and gay-ish groups like Steps. More high-energy stuff and nonstop music.
Now I go maybe once or twice a year. It is kind of tired.
Now I go maybe once or twice a year. It is kind of tired.
My Favorite Queen
Today is the birthday of Elizabeth Tudor, daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, who transformed England during her tumultuous reign. If she had not been queen -- and the strong-willed, brilliant monarch that she was -- the world as we know it would not exist.
Monday, September 06, 2004
Pucker up, Justin.
Excerpt from an interview with J.C. Chasez, member of the boyband 'N Sync with Justin Timberlake...
Outside of the US (where All Day Long I Dream About Sex is yet to get a single release) Chasez has been working the crowds. He recently flew to London to perform at the notorious G.A.Y., an experience he says he enjoyed very much: “The crowd was rowdy, man, and I love that.
“You’re always gonna play the crowd. All my shows are different. If I’m playing middle America, it’s different to a big US city. If I’m in London, it changes again. Obviously when I’m singing in middle America I know they love the ballads. If I’m performing in a gay club they wanna hear All Day Long I Dream About Sex.”
So would JC ever consider doing a Madonna and Britney MTV-style pash with Justin Timberlake in order to create some similar hype?
“I’m not sure it would sell many albums. I’d do it, why not? I can’t speak for Justin though.”
But there haven’t been any N*Sync kisses to date, he says.
“We are very close, they’re some of my best friends in the world, but none of us were ever that close. Sorry!”
Bill's Surgery...
...is underway. I hope everything goes okay; Kerry needs his help.
I'd be curious to see a poll of voters, who they would vote for between Clinton and Bush, if they could. I'd much rather have Clinton back in the White House than Kerry. Those Republicans hate Clinton so much; I wouldn't be surprised if Falwell and Robertson were praying for him not to make it. They've done sicker things.
I'd be curious to see a poll of voters, who they would vote for between Clinton and Bush, if they could. I'd much rather have Clinton back in the White House than Kerry. Those Republicans hate Clinton so much; I wouldn't be surprised if Falwell and Robertson were praying for him not to make it. They've done sicker things.
Don't be silly.
Those Abercrombie & Fitch ads were absolutey not aimed at gay men. Nosiree. Then upper management went all homophobic and bit the gay hands that were paying them. Tsk.
Saturday, September 04, 2004
Sigh
I was just rooting through the .mpgs and .movs on my computer and came across the 'Lord of the Rings Supertrailer' that was a new promo for the entire trilogy, and it made me appreciate once again what Peter Jackson and his crew have accomplished. The casting, the digesting of an epic into a few hours of film, the costumes, the special effects, and most of all the bringing to life of characters I have loved for so many years. Sure, I have minor quibbles, but as I look back, the characters were so awesome. Elijah, Sean Astin, Billy and Dom, Orlando perfectly beautiful yet kickass as Legolas, Ian McKellan wonderfully grumpy and human as Gandalf, Liv Tyler so luminous as Arwen, Cate Blanchett ethereal as Galadriel, Viggo scruffy and studly as Aragorn, Ian Holm as Bilbo, Christopher Lee as Saruman! They brought such life to these characters.
And the places! WETA did full justice to Rivendell, Barad-dur, Isengard, Lorien, and all the other magical places that Tolkien created. I could hardly be more happy with the results.
And now, when the extended edition of RotK comes out, I want to host a little gathering to watch all three extended movies in one great marathon on my big-ass tv...
And the places! WETA did full justice to Rivendell, Barad-dur, Isengard, Lorien, and all the other magical places that Tolkien created. I could hardly be more happy with the results.
And now, when the extended edition of RotK comes out, I want to host a little gathering to watch all three extended movies in one great marathon on my big-ass tv...
Sexy
Walking home I just saw a guy on a motorcycle. He was young (or at least he appeared young from his body; can't see inside that helmet) with a lean body and muscular legs, wearing shorts. The bike was a Japanese 'crotch-rocket,' the slang term for the racing style of bike where you are leaning forward straddling it. As he roared by the wind was riding his t-shirt way up his back, showing off his little waist. Very nice.
I used to have a bike like that, a Kawasaki EX500. It was great for riding around Charlottesville but way to dangerous in D.C. with the maniacs.
I used to have a bike like that, a Kawasaki EX500. It was great for riding around Charlottesville but way to dangerous in D.C. with the maniacs.
Three Days!
Let's see how much I accomplish. Things didn't start off well when I arrived at the Cap Hill Washington Sports to find several staff and members loitering around outside. Seems that they abruptly changed the lock and neglected to give keys to all teh managers. I'm seeing a poor communications trend in WSC management. Fortunately a manager got there and my class started only a few minutes late.
Then I went on a 'coffee date' with a guy I met on Gay.com. Not even really a date, cause I'm looking more for friends than boyfriends. He was nice enough, and he just emailed me to say that I was 'very handsome,' which was flattering. We'll see.
Now back home and determined to get some chores around the house done.
Then I went on a 'coffee date' with a guy I met on Gay.com. Not even really a date, cause I'm looking more for friends than boyfriends. He was nice enough, and he just emailed me to say that I was 'very handsome,' which was flattering. We'll see.
Now back home and determined to get some chores around the house done.
Friday, September 03, 2004
Spin Anxiety
So, I was all nervous about doing my first Thursday evening spin class for no reason. I was worried about getting there from work on time; I was there over half an hour before class started (though of course that was with the Metro running smoothly).
And as far as comparisons with the cycle stud, it turns out he's not teaching Thursday nights anymore, and a lot of people thought the class was cancelled completely because of miscommunication in the club. And I had hardly any people in my class, which was weird because like a month ago it was packed. I asked the people and they said it used to be well attended but the regular teacher had vanished and it was always subbed so people stopped going. So I told them I was their new guy and they seemed happy/relieved.
It's true, I was less inclined to go to a class if I knew a sub was teaching it instead of the regular person. You like to know what you're getting into, how they teach, what music they play, etc.
And as far as comparisons with the cycle stud, it turns out he's not teaching Thursday nights anymore, and a lot of people thought the class was cancelled completely because of miscommunication in the club. And I had hardly any people in my class, which was weird because like a month ago it was packed. I asked the people and they said it used to be well attended but the regular teacher had vanished and it was always subbed so people stopped going. So I told them I was their new guy and they seemed happy/relieved.
It's true, I was less inclined to go to a class if I knew a sub was teaching it instead of the regular person. You like to know what you're getting into, how they teach, what music they play, etc.
Thursday, September 02, 2004
I'm getting out of Dodge
After dithering for what seemed like weeks, I finally decided to suck it up and go to this at my Alma Mater. Now that it's settled (and I got a spin sub for that Saturday), I'm looking forward to getting out of DC for a weekend and returning to the (relatively) bucolic environment of Charlottesville. And all those U.Va students crawling all over the place should provide some additional... scenery.
It will be cool to visit my old friend Billy and is family as well; they've generously offered to let me stay with them.
It will be cool to visit my old friend Billy and is family as well; they've generously offered to let me stay with them.
Oh god, my baby has been hit!!
For some reason this letter to Dr. Gridlock at the Post annoyed me and made me suspicious that this woman was not telling the whole story...
First of all, it's nice that they were holding hands, but were they hogging the entire sidewalk as they did it? Perhaps the man was frustrated that he couldn't get by them. I am a fast walker and am frequently faced with groups of meandering individuals who seem completely oblivious to the possibility that someone may be going faster and would like to get by. Did the man say anything as he passed, such as 'excuse me?' She doesn't say that he didn't.
Also, I'm wondering how hard this guy could have hit her son on the head by 'sideswiping' him. Did he hit the kid with his hand? Body? Was it a hip-check? I just don't see how he could have hit the kid hard enough for it to hurt "really bad." Instead it sounds like the mother was indignant and encouraged the child to make a scene, 'sobbing and sobbing while she cradled him in her arms.' Jesus christ, why not rush him to the emergency room? Oh no wait, all he needed was a treat from some woman's bag and he was all better! A miracle! And what a nice vindictive wish that the jogger 'falls down.' And somehow I doubt that her son 'asked her to write the letter.'
I would write a letter back to the Post, but the last time I did that (saying that I didn't think traffic should have to yield to funeral processions) they printed my name and I got hate mail.
Run-In With a Jogger Leaves One Mother Upset
Thursday, September 2, 2004; Page VA05
Dear Dr. Gridlock:
My two sons, ages 4 and 6, were walking with me to the Cleveland Park Metro station about 6 p.m. on Aug. 10 after enjoying a day at the National Zoo.
We were walking hand in hand along Connecticut Avenue, discussing the highlights of the day, when a jogger in a tan short set sideswiped my 6-year-old, striking him on the head.
The jogger did not stop to see whether my son was all right. He just kept running, weaving in and out of the pedestrians. I cradled my son in my arms as he sobbed and sobbed. He told me his head hurt "really bad." I think he was also hurt that the man did not stop to apologize and see if he was okay.
I held my son there on the sidewalk for a long time and let him cry as people walked by, staring curiously. A kind lady stopped to help and offered my boys a treat from her bag. That brought a smile, as did her parting words, "I hope that jogger falls down!"
My son asked me to write this letter because he wants the jogger to know that he hurt him and that if you hurt someone -- even by accident -- you should say you're sorry and make sure the person is all right.
I'd like to add, "Be more careful in the future, and shame on you!"
Sarah-Jayne Wallman
Arlington
(and Dr. Gridlock's response:
I suspect the jogger didn't realize what happened. Or else he didn't care that he struck a child, providing one more example that our civilization is coming to an end.
I'm glad your children are okay.
First of all, it's nice that they were holding hands, but were they hogging the entire sidewalk as they did it? Perhaps the man was frustrated that he couldn't get by them. I am a fast walker and am frequently faced with groups of meandering individuals who seem completely oblivious to the possibility that someone may be going faster and would like to get by. Did the man say anything as he passed, such as 'excuse me?' She doesn't say that he didn't.
Also, I'm wondering how hard this guy could have hit her son on the head by 'sideswiping' him. Did he hit the kid with his hand? Body? Was it a hip-check? I just don't see how he could have hit the kid hard enough for it to hurt "really bad." Instead it sounds like the mother was indignant and encouraged the child to make a scene, 'sobbing and sobbing while she cradled him in her arms.' Jesus christ, why not rush him to the emergency room? Oh no wait, all he needed was a treat from some woman's bag and he was all better! A miracle! And what a nice vindictive wish that the jogger 'falls down.' And somehow I doubt that her son 'asked her to write the letter.'
I would write a letter back to the Post, but the last time I did that (saying that I didn't think traffic should have to yield to funeral processions) they printed my name and I got hate mail.
We are everywhere
After watching Queer Eye and before my disturbing dream last night, I was flipping channels and happened to stop on HGTV (Home and Garden TV) where they were showing a promo for the show coming up: Hernandez and Hile's New Deck and Pergola.
I thought, Hmm, hardbody white and latino guys sharing the same spotless decorated-to-the-hilt-house, that they bought together? Could they be...gay? And indeed as the show progressed (I've only watched the first 15 minutes; TiVo'd the rest) it became quite obvious that they were a gay couple. Even one of their 'buddies' who came over to help was wearing an RSVP anchor t-shirt identical to the one I got on my last gay cruise.
What struck me was how casually they were presented as what anyone with a brain would realize was a gay couple. I guess in many ways we've come pretty far. In many ways, we haven't, however. I'm thinking about the hateful laws recently passed here in Virginia.
I thought, Hmm, hardbody white and latino guys sharing the same spotless decorated-to-the-hilt-house, that they bought together? Could they be...gay? And indeed as the show progressed (I've only watched the first 15 minutes; TiVo'd the rest) it became quite obvious that they were a gay couple. Even one of their 'buddies' who came over to help was wearing an RSVP anchor t-shirt identical to the one I got on my last gay cruise.
What struck me was how casually they were presented as what anyone with a brain would realize was a gay couple. I guess in many ways we've come pretty far. In many ways, we haven't, however. I'm thinking about the hateful laws recently passed here in Virginia.
Past Imperfect... or... Total Recall?
I had a really bizarre dream last night (after watching a particularly sweet Queer Eye, abut Sean K., a cute young designer who was insecure and spent all his time on the computer -- no explanation on where he got the buff body -- and kept crying when they showed him his new place and his clothes and makeover).
Anyway, I dreamed I was in Russia visiting a friend and there was some kind of national scandal they needed to keep secret, so they threw us in this shelter prison. Most of the dream took place there, with us wondering what they would do with us. Then they decided to start experimenting with this technique where they could erase our memories of the previous day. This apparently was only partally successful, though we didn't know since we didn't remember. I was getting worried about what they would do next, but my friend said "well, they are holding Jessica Simpson too, and they can't just make her disappear! Sure enough, across the room, her hair and clothes perfect, was Jessica Simpson. Weird.
Then there was ominous talk that they would erase all our memories and replace them.
The next thing I knew I was walking home with my friend, who was apparently visiting me. It was dark and things were vaguely unfamiliar but I figured it was because I had been away awhile. We got to my building and there was a security door, something new, but the desk person gave me a new key. We get to my apt and things were the same... but not quite. Most strangely, my dog was there... even though my dog died almost 3 years ago.
I went back outside and the dream ended with me wandering around in an incresingly unfamilair neighborhood as I came to realize that they had given me fake memories but they hadn't fully 'taken,' and that I must still be somewhere imprisoned in Russia...
Anyway, I dreamed I was in Russia visiting a friend and there was some kind of national scandal they needed to keep secret, so they threw us in this shelter prison. Most of the dream took place there, with us wondering what they would do with us. Then they decided to start experimenting with this technique where they could erase our memories of the previous day. This apparently was only partally successful, though we didn't know since we didn't remember. I was getting worried about what they would do next, but my friend said "well, they are holding Jessica Simpson too, and they can't just make her disappear! Sure enough, across the room, her hair and clothes perfect, was Jessica Simpson. Weird.
Then there was ominous talk that they would erase all our memories and replace them.
The next thing I knew I was walking home with my friend, who was apparently visiting me. It was dark and things were vaguely unfamiliar but I figured it was because I had been away awhile. We got to my building and there was a security door, something new, but the desk person gave me a new key. We get to my apt and things were the same... but not quite. Most strangely, my dog was there... even though my dog died almost 3 years ago.
I went back outside and the dream ended with me wandering around in an incresingly unfamilair neighborhood as I came to realize that they had given me fake memories but they hadn't fully 'taken,' and that I must still be somewhere imprisoned in Russia...
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
TiVo Trivia
From my TiVo email newsletter:
TiVo Top 10: Most Recorded Shows
Go USA! Here are the top 10 recordings among TiVo subscribers, based on anonymous, aggregated data, for the week of 08/21/04.
1. Six Feet Under
2. XXVIII Summer Olympics (Various events)
3. The Amazing Race 5
4. XXVIII Summer Olympics (Various events)
5. Nip/Tuck
6. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
7. XXVIII Summer Olympics (Various events)
8. XXVIII Summer Olympics (Various events)
9. XXVIII Summer Olympics (Various events)
10. Big Brother 5
Pandora's Box
Along with digital high definition TV came a slew of new (or at least new to me) channels. This is a mixed blessing. For instance I stumbled on Soapnet. Bad. I'm not a fan of daytime soaps (too much of a committment) but I was completely addicted to Falcon Crest (oooh, Lorenzo Lamas! Jane Wyman the Matriarch-bitch! The Napa -- oh, sorry -- 'Tuscany' Valley! Wine! What's not to love?) and I also watched Dynasty pretty regularly. So when I saw Dynasty on the Soapnet schedule, I set my new DVR to record it. Last night it was recorded so I thought I'd watch... maybe just the theme and a few minutes for old times' sake.
I was riveted. Hot and pouty Al Corley was playing gay son Steven (but inexplicably married to Sammie-Joe, played by -- OMG! -- Heather Locklear!). Blake was blind, caused by the mysterious Logan Rhinewood (really the scheming Cecil Colby), Krystle sleeping with creepy, DeLorean-driving shrink James Farentino, though Fallon was in love with him... It's too much! I watched the whole hour.
It's probably a good thing that Soapnet isn't showing Falcon Crest anymore, dammit.
I was riveted. Hot and pouty Al Corley was playing gay son Steven (but inexplicably married to Sammie-Joe, played by -- OMG! -- Heather Locklear!). Blake was blind, caused by the mysterious Logan Rhinewood (really the scheming Cecil Colby), Krystle sleeping with creepy, DeLorean-driving shrink James Farentino, though Fallon was in love with him... It's too much! I watched the whole hour.
It's probably a good thing that Soapnet isn't showing Falcon Crest anymore, dammit.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)