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Friday, January 31, 2003
I'm a little disappointed... ... because I literally have nothing to write about. I have been running around work like mad. I had a few big deadlines today for a project and then a proposal due. *shrug* I'm glad to say I made all my deadlines, though I had to work through lunch to do it. About the only thing I can write about is my experience last night at the pool tournament. It was my first time competing... so I was a little nervous. But I was making some great shots and people were making comments like, 'Where did HE come from?' which of course stroked my ego and confidence. I lost my first match against Peter, who, by everyone's account is a great player. (But I didn't lose by much which surprised everyone including me. We were both going after the eight ball when he won.) Then, I managed to play and win two more games to maintain my place in the losers' bracket. I ended up being the sixth or seventh eliminated out of 12... not bad for a rookie. All in all, it was fun. I'll definitely play in the tournament again. I did send an email to the Nan Miller gallery yesterday to ask them about Romero Britto's 'Prick Tease' painting. I haven't heard a word back yet... Surprise, surprise. | private feedback | (0) public comments Thursday, January 30, 2003 Prick Tease I gave up looking for a picture of this painting by Romero Britto. Instead, I took a picture of the picture in Genre magazine with my digital camera. Sorry about the quality, but you'll get the idea... Don't you think that would look great hanging behind my couch!? 
Wednesday, January 29, 2003 Nigger and Faggot Last night I fnished reading Randall Kennedy's book, Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word. It's small, but powerful. As you're probably aware if you've read my blog frequently (or even infrequently), I am interested in the intellectual study of Race, ever since an eye-opening class I took at Cornell. So, you can imagine that I didn't waste a minute in buying the book when I saw 'Nigger' emblazoned in white on a stark brown background. (I didn't know this when I bought it, but Kennedy's book has been featured prominently in an episode of Boston Public, and random other popular culture forums that I regret to say I've missed.) Randall Kennedy approaches the word 'Nigger' from a scholarly angle. He discusses its history, usage, abuse, the legal ramifications of the word, the movement to eradicate it altogether (even to have it removed from the dictionary) and the unfortunate stories of individuals (mostly non-black) who have suffered from an overly zealous prosecution of all things involving the word 'Nigger.' Kennedy raises the bar of discussion on the topic to a very respectable and logical level. And while some people may not agree with him, he presents some very sound arguments for evaluating every usage of the word within its context (both intended and unintended). Which leads me to a quote that stood out the most (and indicative, I would assume, of what Kennedy wants us to take away from this book since it is included twice) from Justice Oliver Wendall Holmes, 'a word is not a crystal, transparent and unchanged,' but is instead, 'the skin of a living thought [that] may vary greatly in color and content according to the circumstances and time in which it is used.' Kennedy gives credible examples of whites using the word Nigger, Quentin Tarantino's manuscripts and Mark Twain novels as just two of many. While some would say that's not 'OK' under any circumstance, he argues that these people in particular (and many others) have found a way to use a word with such a strong connotation and emotional baggage not to diminish blacks, but to underscore a character's ignorance or frame a time period in which this was socially acceptable language. Since I'm neither Quentin Tarantino nor Mark Twain, you'll never hear me use that word outside of this post... I had originally written the whole thing with 'N-word' in place of every 'Nigger' you read above, but then I realized that Randall Kennedy would be very disappointed with me, and that I was actually doing the opposite of what I intended to do with this post... 'An intelligent conversation about a word that you're AFRAID to type out!? Get real!' And perhaps, most interestingly, is that the book made me reflect about my own use of the word Faggot. I have wavered back and forth about this, but I am strongly in the camp that believes any minority group ought to be able to embrace the very words that are meant to demean them and recreate their own meanings and even celebrate the words as a source of power... while still scorning anyone outside of their community that uses them. An appropriate use of the word Faggot, in my opinion? I was visiting a museum with my mother and we didn't have to pay admission because it was a 'sponsored' day. Part of the sponsorship also entailed installing a Red Cross blood donation station near the door where you were accosted by volunteers asking if you were interested in donating blood. When it came my turn to be asked, I looked at the woman square in the eyes and said very calmly, 'I'm sorry. You don't take blood from Faggots.' My mother was mortified and the only response I could muster up for her benefit was, 'Well, they don't.' Her response? 'But you didn't have to say that!' Well, I DID have to say that. As a rule, most of those volunteers would probably never consider calling someone a Faggot. But at the same time, they'd donate their effort to an organization that does, in fact, make broad-based generalizations about gay men and in turn discriminates against them by not allowing them to donate blood. So yes, I was using the word Faggot to underscore and perhaps magnify the discrimination that the organization displays. And I would hope it had more effect than a polite, 'No, Thank you.' Well... all that to was just to say that I truly believe Oliver Wendall Holmes's quote... and that it stimulated all kinds of thought for me. If you're so inclined, check out the book. It's a short read for $12.00 but worth it. | private feedback | Meanwhile, back in Albany... Pataki endorses a plan that will INCREASE TUITION at SUNY schools by nearly half while at the same time proposing to DECREASE STUDENT AID by half. Smart move, George. Who were the stupid Democrats who voted for him, anyway? | private feedback | (0) public comments State of the Union Instead of sitting home and mocking Dubbya's State of the Union, I went to Syracuse to cheer on my friends in an attempt to beat the #1 ranked team in their volleyball league (they are currently #2). They played an amazing first game and then lost the next three in a row in a best of five set. Oh well, better luck next time, guys! (And Rodney, you had some great blocks...) I did have enough luck to catch about ten minutes of Dubbya's speech while wolfing down cheeseburgers at evil McD's. Much of my reaction was much like Nancy Pelosi's... fits of laughter interrupted by shaking my head disapprovingly. I don't know what Nancy was thinking, but I'm pretty sure she and I are on the same page. *grin* There were a few double-take 'Did he actually say that?' moments like, 'Did he actually say invest money in Hydrogen fueled cars!? To DECREASE our DEPENDENCE on foreign oil!?' I'll have to go back and read the transcripts, I guess. Following volleyball, we went to RAIN... had some drinks and played pool. The usual. I played VERY badly. I think my partner and I only won one game out of four, and it was because the other team scratched on the 8-ball. *shakes head* | private feedback | (0) public comments Tuesday, January 28, 2003 Pin Divas Drop to #9 My bowling team, the 'Harlem Pin Divas' dropped in the rankings from #8 to #9 this week following our dismal performance against 'Gene's Barber Shop' last week in which we took only one of four points. This week, however, we took 2 of 4 points in games played against 'The Jeff Strykers' (Gee, is this a gay bowling league?). Meanwhile my average jumped a pin to 128... slow but steady progress. :-) | private feedback | (0) public comments Still waiting on Carol Moseley-Braun A little while ago I wrote that I was on pins and needles waiting to see whether former senator and ambassador Carol Moseley-Braun (Illinois) would throw her hat into the ring for the Democratic nomination for president in '04. The Chicago-Sun Times reported today that Moseley-Braun will announce her intentions by February 20th, the date of the DNC Winter Meeting featuring the line-up of democratic contenders. | private feedback | (0) public comments The Propaganda Remix Project 'Anti-War in Iraq' military and goverment poster spoofs. A must-see! | private feedback | (0) public comments Monday, January 27, 2003 Who knew? Reba McEntire has a rose named after her. | private feedback | (0) public comments Office of Global Communications On Jan. 21st, Dubbya announced a new office aimed at disseminating propoganda... err, information to every corner of the globe. And he decreed it shall be called 'The Office of Global Communications'. (Wow, doesn't that sound important?) Their stated mission? '...better coordination of our international communications will help convey the truth about america' and 'to communicate our policies and values to the world.' And apparently, the first truth about america this office would like to communicate (judging by the prominent links on their home page) is just how much lying the Iraqi government is doing. Complete and utter bullshit. (Pardon my french.) Can we just call this what it is? One more lame attempt by Dubbya to give his propaganda a shred of credibility. I'm probably going to end up in some database for this post. ;-) | private feedback | (0) public comments My mother and I may have something ELSE in common... ... besides both being romantically interested in men.  My mother's favorite artist, bar none, is Romero Britto. (For some reason I used to confuse him with Keith Haring, no offense to either of them.) Britto is well-known for his very colorful, modern, and in my unsophisticated description, almost cartoony art. My mother's walls are covered with framed prints, and they're almost all autographed to her personally... she's met him many times since he has a gallery in Rochester.
Saturday, I was flipping through the new Genre magazine and came across a photo spread of an apartment. There was a painting in one of the rooms of two t-shirts side by side... both with erect penises on them. And one of the t-shirts said 'prick' and the other said 'tease.' And I thought to myself, 'That's what I want on MY walls!' So I quickly flipped to the credits and it said... 'Prick Tease' by... Romero Britto!? I was in a bit of shock and had to make sure I read that right. I had. No amount of googling has turned up a picture of the painting or a location that I can purchase a print... Maybe I should email the gallery in Rochester or ask mom. She may have connections. ;-) | private feedback | (0) public comments Friday, January 24, 2003 The Search for Love in Manhattan ... A particularly witty post today at a blog I love. The Sex Film Project Brought to you by John Cameron Mitchell (writer, director, star of Hedwig and the Angry Inch). From the Web Site: 'A question: Why can't there be a movie that tells a strong story, is full of humor and pathos, is packed with powerful performances, and features a lot of explicit sex — hard-ons, cum and all? Sex is a conversation. Why can't a scene with two people having real sex be as dramatically interesting as a scene with them talking in a restaurant? Why can't there be a film that makes you say, "I laughed, I cried, I came!"' Hmmmm. For any of you wanna-be actors, they're accepting audition tapes until Feb. 15th. | private feedback | (0) public comments Our future president... Just thought this was a great picture, thats all.  Mini-celebrations Last night turned out to be not as bad as I thought. Lori called to ask if I wanted to hang out with her and Keelinn for a while after work. I didn't even hesitate, 'Absolutely!' I said. We picked Keelinn up from school, got dinner at McD's and then went back to my place to watch cartoons. But unfortunately, shortly after we got to my place, Dar Dar called to have them pick her up from work. So after the dynamic duo left, I sort of just stood there and looked around the apartment. I let out a deep sigh. There were a bunch of things I wanted to do... watch must see TV (even though it was mostly reruns), clean out my spare room to prepare for the futon, and finish reading this phenomenal book that I haven't been able to put down since I started it only a few days ago. I decided to finish Fool's Errand by Louid Bayard first. I was almost giddy knowing that I was only 50 pages or so from the end. The story: Patrick sneaks away to take a nap at a house party... As he's drifting off, a stranger finds him as he's nodding off and apologizes profusely for interrupting his nap. Patrick falls asleep quickly but he develops an indelible vision of this man and he begins to romanticize the brief interaction. Somehow, Patrick gets it stuck in his head that this is Mr. Right and he has to do everything he can to find him. In the process, he enlists the help of the ex of his ex-boyfriend's new lover. I won't spoil the rest for you, but just like Endangered Species (also by Bayard), this is a very easy read and Bayard has a way of writing that makes his characters so familiar and so easy to relate to. The dialogue just flows... and I constantly found myself identifying with Patrick... right down to our favorite drink (Gin and Tonic). Patrick is a guy who chases an idea of perfection in his head, and doesn't let go. Well, at least... no, I can't tell you. You'll see for yourself. ;-) Then it was on to cleaning out the spare room (after I decided that Must See TV really wasn't worth my time after all). I started cleaning and then organized everything so that I had room to set up the futon. And I got to my last task... filing the unruly stack of bills. Every month when the bills come I pay them and then stack up the statements in a pile on top of the filing cabinet... So, after about six months, I have this huge stack of stuff that I need to sort and then file. I sat down indian style on the carpet in front of the filing cabinet... and then I thought... this COULD be more fun if I had some music going. So I put on a Mamas and Papas CD and sat back down. Then a few minutes later I thought... I could really use something to drink. I went to the fridge and I saw a bottle of champagne way in the back that my co-worker had given me as a birthday. I had been saving it since LAST JUNE for a special occasion (what exactly? a romantic dinner with a boyfriend... like that's going to happen anytime soon?)... and I thought, why isn't THIS special occaision enough? So I popped open the bottle and poured myself a glass of champagne. (I swear, it was just ONE glass. *grin* It was just a symbolic gesture that *I'm* important enough to crack open this bottle of champagne for.) California Dreamin' was playing in the spare room when I got back there with my glass. And somehow, just for that minute, everything seemed alright in the world. | private feedback | (0) public comments Thursday, January 23, 2003 And then there were four... Last night on The Bachelorette, Trista narrowed the field of bachelors down to four. From the beginning of the show, I had picked a field of 5 guys that I would prefer to see move on in this round and she picked 4 of them! Charlie, Greg T., Russell, and Ryan. (The fifth was Jamie.) I guess that means I'll keep watching the show. :-)  
 
And as for Celebrity Mole... Corbin Bernson is out... leaving hysterical Kathy with Michael, Eric, and Frederique. A while back I said I didn't think even celebrities could turn me on to this show. Well, I admit I was wrong. :-) But if it wasn't for Kathy Griffin, I dunno if I would be watching it. | private feedback | (0) public comments Wednesday, January 22, 2003 Reality TV News Site The Reality TV whore in me loves this site... Reality News Online. And thanks for the link to it, Brian. | private feedback | (0) public comments Headaches Have you ever had a headache that was sooo bad that even the sound of the tylenol coming out of the bottle was too much to bear? Yeah, that was last night before bed for me... Hey, I have an idea... Why don't they pad the inside of pill bottles so they don't assault your headache any more than they have to? Sperm Donors Cheri called last night to tell me she did NOT pick the sperm donor I wanted her to. She read the entire profile of the guy she picked over the phone. He sounds great, but for some reason I just had this gut instinct about the one I liked. But then it is *her* baby, right? So I guess, in all fairness, it should be *her* gut instinct as well. *grin* Futon Friday Yesterday, I ordered and paid for my futon... it will be delivered to my apartment Friday morning. Simple mission style, natural wood finish, and really well-built. I decided that someday if I am ever going to live in a studio apartment or move again (Hey, you never know), I should splurge now on a GOOD futon that I can actually use as a piece of furniture further on down the road instead of skimping out on a cheap one. (Right now, it will only be for overnight guests.) I ended up getting it at the Unfinished Furniture place... but don't let the name of the place I bought it fool you... it *is* finished. The saleswoman said something like, 'Oh gosh no, we'd never make you stain and finish all those slats!!' Unfortunately, I had to settle for the hunter green mattress... but I guess that's what they make futon covers for, right? I'm very excited... I have exactly two days to find a new home for all the trash I've been storing in the spare room. | private feedback | (0) public comments Tuesday, January 21, 2003 Signs Last night Brian brought Signs on DVD over to watch on my new home theater system. While the movie sort of sucked, the surround sound was such a cool experience. My favorite surround sound moment was during that scene where they first discover the crop circles... and there are dogs barking. The dogs are behind you, so the barking is coming out of the rear speakers... and then all of the sudden your perspective switches so that the dogs are right in front of you and the barking comes out of the front speakers! How cool is that!? I'm worse than a kid. :-) But yeah, what was up with those aliens? (Were they even computer animated?) Remember when you see the leg going into the corn field or the hand under the door earlier in the movie, and they are both very realistic looking... and then when the alien is standing only a few feet from them, in plain view... its all dark and blurry. What's up with that? I was not impressed. Seeing Signs just confirms my preference for independent movies. Clone High Last night, after the movie and RW/RR Battle of the Sexes was over, I caught the premiere of a new cartoon on MTV, Clone High. As best as I can tell, 'Clone High' educates the incarnations of celebrities, leaders and other famous folks from the past. The cast revolves around clones of... let me see if I can get them all... Abe Lincoln, Joan of Arc, Cleopatra, Gandhi, and JFK... all cast as stereotypical teenagers. But not only do they have the typical teenage issues to deal with, they also have the pressure of living up to their namesakes. Last night's episode also included amusing cameo appearances by clones of Van Gogh, Elvis (both fat and thin), Genghis Khan, and George Washington Carver, as well as many others I'm sure I'm forgetting. The show has some really intelligent and funny writing including gay material... A clone of Eleanor Roosevelt is a lesbian gym teacher, and JFK is raised by a gay couple who lament that his heterosexuality must be genetic. With all the 'celebreality' programming on television, we should have expected a celebanimation series... even if the characters are just clones. :-) | private feedback | (0) public comments Monday, January 20, 2003 Wall Street Journal... You may have missed the 'Lucky Duckies' editorial in the Wall Street Journal a while back. I had as well, until one of my favorite cartoonists mocked it here, and here. I wonder if the editors of the Wall Street Journal even read their own trash, sometimes. Today, it was 'Lucky Duckies Again.' (Yes, they actually called it that.) The Journal is bitching because Bush's tax plan only cuts the taxes on the most wealthy by 11% but cuts the lowest tax brackets by between 17 and 20%. And then they go even further, attempting to cite disparities (weakly, I might add) among taxpayers in the same lower tax brackets, like this quote from that sad editorial... '... the folks at the Tax Foundation have looked at how two single moms--each earning $30,000 a year--would fare under the Bush plan. In 2003, the single mom with one child would have to pay income tax of $1,028; the mom with two children would not only pay no taxes, she'd also receive a check from the federal government, under the earned income tax credit, for $680. Compared to the single mom who must pay taxes, the single mom who does not is, well, a lucky ducky.' A mother with ONE kid being compared to a mother with TWO kids at the same measly salary? Hmmmmph. The Wall Street Journal has the balls to call a single mother attempting to raise not one, but TWO children and only earning $30,000 a year a lucky ducky!? Pardon my rage just one moment... *begin sarcasm* Man, these poor single mothers get all the breaks!! I wish I was a single mother raising two kids on $30,000/yr!! Then I'd pay no taxes and get a check back from the government for $680!! Just imagine what that would be like. *end sarcasm* | private feedback | (0) public comments Awwwwwwwwwww Picture book for children has a gay theme | private feedback | (0) public comments Holiday I hope you all had a wonderful Sanctity of Human Life Day yesterday. I know I sure did. *end sarcasm* Now, we can all get back to celebrating a REAL holiday... and reflect on all the important things Martin Luther King, Jr. accomplished and said. And without further ado... *ahem* My weekend... Finally making my house a home The only goal I had this weekend was to buy a futon. I have a spare room which I wanted to turn into a cozy little reading room and place for overnight guests. (My mom might be coming for a visit next week.) I shopped with Lori (Saturday) and Cheri (Sunday). But, as I didn't find the perfect futon, I ended up with... A coatrack... Instead of living like an animal and throwing my coat down on the first open space I see in my apartment, I now have a coatrack. This is a big deal because its the one thing that I have wanted since the day I moved into my apartment (a year-and-a-half ago). I had even bought some single hooks and a peice of wood in hopes of making my own that I could paint and hang on the wall. I didn't get around to that... so, enter the freestanding, contemporary-looking coatrack from Target. A DVD player with a surround-sound home theater system... I was the first person I knew to have an MP3 player, the second to have a handspring visor, I had a tangerine apple ibook when they first came out... but until Saturday I still didn't have a DVD player. Frankly, I was sick of taking shit for it, and it was on sale. I got that home and got it all hooked up only to find that my VCR and my TV are both so old they don't have white and red audio jacks on them. Ugh. That will probably take me months to figure out how to get all that working. In the meantime I'll only have surround sound with any DVD I watch... I currently only own one... Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Out on the town Friday night I went out to Common Ground... boring. Saturday night I went out with Josh, Jon and Juan to Angles in Elmira. I love hanging out with Josh and Jon, so that was a real treat to get to spend some time with them. Angles was pretty lame. The music was phenomenal, but other than that, the place is a real dump. I'm glad I went, if only to remind me why I DON'T go. I hadn't been out there for about two years... it hadn't changed a bit and hardly any of the faces changed. This just goes to support my theory that Elmira is a black hole... only the very strongest survive and escape its death grip. Harlem Pin Divas In some miraculous turn of events, our bowling team was ranked #8 this week. This won't last long because we won only 1 of 4 points yesterday. And the teams below us only lagged by one or two points total. So I predict next week we'll slide back down to #10... I, however, had a pretty good day. I bowled above my average, with two 140-something games out of three. Yahoo! Donor profiles Yesterday, Cheri and I stopped off at her place before going futon shopping. She's currently in the process of trying to have a baby and is choosing a sperm donor. I was mad curious about the process and so I wanted to take a look and see what kind of information you could possibly get from a profile about potential fathers for your children. I am happy to report that I have found THE father for Cheri's baby. He is of German descent, is 6'0", has blonde hair, blue eyes. He's a PhD who went to MIT, plays soccer, drinks beer rarely, doesn't smoke, and his note to the recipient of his sperm was, 'Read The Road Less Traveled as though I had written it for you.' I was reading his profile and my heart skipped a beat. I may be projecting... maybe I read his donor profile a little bit too much like a personal ad and I just want to date this guy... Now, I'm pressuring Cheri to get his extended profile, audio interview, and baby pictures (if they're available) so that we can see what this guy really has to offer. | private feedback | (0) public comments Friday, January 17, 2003 I'm on the edge of my seat... ... waiting to hear if Democrat Carol Moseley-Braun will be making a run at the White House in '04. Her candidacy would certainly infuse some energy into a field that currently contains no women and only one minority with no previous elected experience. Today, she announced that she will NOT seek her old job (she was a Senator from Illinois until 1998) and hinted at higher ambitions. It sounds like she's got a little baggage (you know, the normal political drama and scandals) but who doesn't. I don't know much about her personally, but it would be great to see a little diversity in the presidential nominee contenders. | private feedback | (0) public comments Barbara Lifton Sworn Into Office Just about every local Democratic elected official was at the Women's Community Building today for the local swearing-in of our newly elected Assemblywoman, Barbara Lifton. I had volunteered for Barbara's campaign, so there were a number of familiar faces in the crowd. Judge John Rowley (also a Dem) administered the oath of office and then Barbara gave an amazing speech, centering around the statistic that New York has THE LARGEST gap between our poorest and richest citizens and that this manifests itself in ways that need to be addressed immediately... including access to health care and education, etc. It was definitely one of the best (and most progressive) speeches I have heard a politician of any magnitude deliver. Well done, Barbara! Look for some amazing things to come out of Barbara Lifton in the coming sessions of State Assembly. | private feedback | (0) public comments Thursday, January 16, 2003 Unitarian Church I just noticed that Ithaca's Unitarian Church has recently installed a rainbow flag on their signage with a line that says something like, 'We value diversity in all its forms.' I'm not one for organized religion, but from what I understand the unitarian church is more about philosophy and morals than one particular religion per se. I'm also intrigued by the fact that they call their gatherings, 'Sunday Celebrations.' Maybe this is worth checking out... | private feedback | (0) public comments Now, I'm just angry... The more I read about this University of Michigan Affirmative Action lawsuit, the angrier I'm getting. As I'm sure you all know by now, the University of Michigan is being sued by some white students who thought they were entitled to an education there... (Bush, of course, sides with the white students.) I was reading CNN.com today and found the University of Michigan's admissions policies particularly interesting... As much as Bush wants to throw the word 'quota' around (and he sure does), the policy at the University of Michigan is FAR from a quota. The university bases admissions decisions on a 150-point scale with various attributes being assigned various points... If you look at the following chart, athletes get the SAME bump in points as minority applicants. Perhaps those white students should sue the less-than-deserving football players. Here's the list of admissions criteria: GEOGRAPHY 10 points - Michigan resident 6 points - Underrepresented Michigan county 2 points - Underrepresented state ALUMNI 4 points - "Legacy" (parents, step-parents) 1 point - Other (grandparents, siblings, spouses) ESSAY 1 point - Outstanding essay (since 1999, 3 points) [An essay is only worth 1-3 points out of 150!? Why the hell did I worry about it so much in high school!?] PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT 1 point - State 3 points - Regional 5 points - National LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE 1 point - State 3 points - Regional 5 points - National MISCELLANEOUS 20 points - Socio-economic disadvantage 20 points - Underrepresented racial-ethnic minority identification or education 5 points - Men in nursing 20 points - Scholarship athlete 20 points - Provost's discretion | private feedback | (0) public comments Last night... ... Rodney called sometime as I was finishing up work to see if I wanted to go with him to Common Ground and play in the dart tournament. I haven't been to CG on a Wednesday in quite some time so I thought, 'Why the hell not?' We got up there a little late... my first match was against someone else named Shayn (although you can see they spell it differently). I can't even remember if I beat him or not. I must have, 'cause I went on to play Richard and he kicked my butt... and then Phong who also beat me but by a smaller margin... So all in all, my re-entry into the dart tournament was less than stellar. Rodney did well, he won first place. :-) The highlight of the evening was definitely seeing friends who i don't see nearly enough... Jon and Joshua, Julie, and Terri... Jon and Joshua asked if I would go to Angles with them Saturday. I hope that works out, I haven't been to Angles in... *thinks*... over a year and a half. It would be fun to go out somplace different and see some new faces! I got home just in time to catch The Bachelorette. I missed most of the get-to-know-the-bachelors stuff in the first half-hour cause I was on the phone with mom (we both lamented how we wished we were the bachelorette *grin*), but I caught all the rose ceremony drama. Since the beginning, I have thought that Brian H. was pretty handsome and I would definitely keep him around until near the end... And then he shocked the hell out of me by walking up to Trista and dismissing himself from consideration. I was VERY sorry to see him go. And what was up with that horse guy... promising to get rid of his horses if she chose him? Dude... you're a cowboy, get a grip. But at the end of the day, having to narrow down the field to 8 guys definitely separated the wheat from the chaff. (If you're just dying to read more opinions about The Bachelorette, follow Brian's blog (No, not Brian H. who was previously mentioned). Celebrity Mole... Is there anything funnier than Kathy Griffin? She's a trip! My favorite Kathy Griffin quote from last night was something like... 'There's just something weird about digging up Harrison Ford's grave with the kid from Dinotopia.' *laugh* Anyway, I'm so glad to see Stephen Baldwin (i.e. Mr. obnoxious-abrasive-and-disgusting) get eliminated. I so hope Kathy Griffin is the mole cause I want to see her there until the end. Well that was my fun and exciting evening. I so need to slow down, right? :-) | private feedback | (0) public comments Wednesday, January 15, 2003 Interesting News About Race... The White House (i.e. Bush) is expected to file a brief in support of the white students' law suit against the University of Michigan. A New study says that if you have a 'white sounding' name, you are more likely to get a response from potential employers. In summary... when the SAME resumes were sent to employers with either a 'white sounding' name or 'black sounding' name at the top, those with 'white-sounding' names saw a response rate 50% higher than the 'black sounding' names. Hmmmm... Do you still think affirmative action is unnecessary? And why did I have to go to BBC news to read about this study that took place in the U.S.? And, locally, Ithaca Mayor Alan Cohen confirmed he won't seek a third term. In his press conference he added he would like to see more women and minorities run for public office including the city's top job. Gesturing at the walls of Common Council Chambers, covered with photographs of Ithaca's former mayors, he pointed out that all of them were white males like himself. | private feedback | (0) public comments Happy Sanctity of Human Life Day!!! Ok, Ok, so it's not for four more days... but in perhaps one of his lamest moves (but who's keeping track, right?), Bush has declared January 19th as 'National Sanctity of Human Life Day.' Bush urged people to celebrate the day by holding ceremonies at home or at places of worship. Is there no end to this man's lunacy? | private feedback | (0) public comments Syracuse Volleyballers Did you know Syracuse had a gay/lesbian volleyball league? Well they do... and my friends are on a team called the Seven "1" Ders. So... last night I went to cheer them on. They're currently tied for 2nd place if I'm not mistaken. It was fun, a little longer than I would like to have to sit on uncomfortable bleachers. They played best of five games against a team called The Court Jesters, and were tied 2 winning games each before playing the last 'rally point' game (I think this means it doesn't matter who serves the ball, you still get the point if the other team messes up.) But the Seven"1" Ders pulled it out in the end. Congrats, team! Then afterwards we went out for a drink at RAIN and played pool. I have to say, I'm getting pretty good at pool. And I enjoy it. Everytime I play I have this one really great shot that stands out from the rest. Last night it was hitting the cue ball from one end of the pool table, banking it to the middle of the other side to come back and hit a ball sitting on the edge of a pocket at the opposite end. (There was a ball in the way so I couldn't make a straight-on shot.) And I made it perfectly without scratching!... I know! It blew my mind, too. :-) I'm not SUPER-good, though. I got spanked by the first player who put quarters up after us. | private feedback | (0) public comments Tuesday, January 14, 2003 A light at the end of the tunnel... From CNN.com: Bush's job approval rating is currently at 58 percent, a five-point decline since last week and the first time it has dipped below 60 percent since the terrorist attacks. The poll points to falling confidence in his handling of world affairs and a perception that his economic policies favor the rich. Well, duh. Asked whether they would support Bush if he runs for re-election in 2004, one-third of the respondents said they would definitely vote for him, while another third said they would definitely vote against him. One-third described themselves as undecided. | private feedback | (0) public comments  Adaptation
Last night Mikey, Aaron and I went to see Adaptation at Fall Creek. All I've seen and read about this movie got me excited despite the fact that Nicholas Cage stars in it. *smile* (I've never been a fan of his, in fact I've outright avoided movies he's been in.) But just as strongly as I dislike Nicholas Cage, I adore Meryl Streep. And I don't think she's picked a bad movie in recent memory... at least not one that I've seen. The story, in a nutshell... A screenwriter, Charlie (Nicholas Cage), is hired to adapt a book that is full of interesting life truths and beautiful narrative but lacking in any successful movie elements... drama, conflict, etc. The book is called 'The Orchid Thief' and was itself an elaboration on a New Yorker article written by Susan (Meryl Streep). As far as I can tell, when Susan goes to write the book version of her article she finds that it lacks heft unless she writes about how getting to know the subject of the article changed her life. In struggling to adapt the book, Charlie begins doing the same... writing himself and his difficulty adapting the screenplay into the actual screenplay. The story of 'The Orchid Thief' becomes background to exploring Susan's relationship with the thief (I forget his name)... which becomes background to Charlie's self-discovery. I'm not sure if I got the right message out of the movie... but here's what I took away... Life is full of things that you can't control and will change you as a person. You can either ignore them, lie about the resulting changes, or let yourself adapt. As Darwin said, things in nature are constantly adapting in a pursuit of perfection. Each adaptation brings a living being closer to that goal. So as opposed to fighting change, we should embrace it without remorse and leave the 'less than perfect' behind... | private feedback | (0) public comments Monday, January 13, 2003 Harlem Pin Divas Movin' On Up!! I am happy to report that my bowling team, the Harlem Pin Divas are now ranked #10! (We call ourselves a 'top-ten bowling team'... nevermind that there are only 13 teams in the league.) We feared we'd be stuck at #11 for the entire season since we hadn't budged in the rankings for weeks. And my average is coming up, too! I've been bowling above it pretty consistently. A few short weeks ago my average was hovering around 123... and now its 127. (If you're laughing at my 4-pin increase you're obviously not aware of how hard it is to budge your averages after you've bowled a million games over what seems like years.) I'm not kidding around anymore... and neither are my teammates -- Lisa, Rodney and Mikey. Go Divas! | private feedback | (0) public comments Bookcrossing.com Hey, Todd... bookcrossing.com *does* look like a super cool idea! What a noble concept... setting books free, for another bibliophile to find... and tracking the journey. Although I might become a bit jealous if somewhere down the line, I discovered my dog-eared copy of Animal Farm is more well-travelled than I am. (For example, I would be heartbroken if I found out it wound up in California before I did.) And I can't help but wonder if unleashing my copy of Marcia Clark's autobiography upon an unsuspecting world is just plain wrong. | private feedback | (0) public comments Finally some research... ...on how online polls are *almost always* skewed towards the conservative. | private feedback | (0) public comments Illinois emptying out death row... What a ballsy move, to announce in your last 48 hours of office that you are so convinced there are inherent errors in the death penalty punitive system that you're willing to commute the death sentences of all death row inmates in your state. Well, I'm sure you know by now, but that's exactly what Gov. Ryan of Illinois did on Saturday afternoon. In a speech carried live on most all the news channels and then repeated later on C-Span, Gov. Ryan gave a heartfelt and courageous justification for the historic decision. And the most surprising of all, he's a Republican (yes, I'll use a capital R for him). As you can imagine, some people are thrilled (innocent sentenced to die and death penalty opponents) with this decision. And some people are pissed (families of victims mostly). I fall firmly in the camp of those who are thrilled. I think the risk of executing ANY individual who is innocent is too much of a risk. It is very egotistical to think that a human system that weighs life and death can reach an acceptable level of perfection or does any good. And while I can sympathize with victims' families and their losses, I would hope that we can move beyond gaining closure by committing another wrong. My hope is that this decision begins a trend among states and not a negative, pro-death penalty backlash. Kudos to Gov. Ryan. | private feedback | (0) public comments Friday, January 10, 2003 CONGRATULATIONS... To my good friend Mikey for turning in the final draft of his dissertation today!!! | private feedback | (0) public comments Christmas Pictures... I'm finally getting around to taking the Christmas pics off my camera... My cutie patootie nephew... here, here, here, and here. My mom's new puppies, Jinx and Jewel. One of my favorite pics... Cheri with Jason Bradley. And, the cuteness factor is just too much here... my nephew WITH the puppies... 1 and 2 (Notice the pink trim in my mom's kitchen. *grin*) Oh yeah, and just for you Mikey, my brother playing pool. | private feedback | (0) public comments Thursday, January 09, 2003 'Joe Millionaire' used to be an underwear model? See for yourself... | private feedback | (0) public comments Super Cool Two of my favorite Rochester drag queens are going to be subjects in a documentary filmed by VH-1. (Now why didn't they pick Lexxus?) The news from gayrochester.com follows... 'VH1 will be in town January 9th and 10th to film a special documentary. VH1 went on a search for drag queens for a new upcoming reality based special. Two were chosen from Rochester, NY. Pandora Boxx and Darienne Lake have been chosen as part of this documentary. They will be filming a special "DIVAS" edition of the ever-popular "Salad Bar Revue" on Friday January 10th at Muther's located at 40 South Union Street in downtown Rochester. Showtime at 11 PM. They will also be filiming Pandora hosting the drag king show "Kingdom Cum" on Thursday January 9th at 11 PM.' | private feedback | (0) public comments I'm all about the empowerment of women... I got the latest edition of New York Magazine today. The cover story is about the rise in casual sex, and how the internet spurred this recent revolution in the straight community. [I was aware that gay men are promiscuous and fall on the extreme end of the 'whore spectrum' in general. (Please, no letters from disgruntled relationship-minded folks. I know there are a few of you out there. But come on.) And I was also aware that gay men are hooking up all over the 'net... but now the straights!? Surprise!] But the coolest thing about this (when done responsibly), hooking up on the internet is allowing women to be as adventurous as they'd like to be and allowing them to call the shots, just like men have always pretended to do in the past. (And, FYI, this particular New York Magazine article was written by a woman.) My favorite quote (I love when women say fierce things...) "Look, I would like to make babies, but this is primo genetic material we're dealing with here--quality control is a big issue. As much as I hope there's some lurking jewel out there, right now, I'm just lonely, curious, and horny." Amen, sister! [Read the article online, if you're so inclined.] And while we're on the topic of empowering women in dating/sexual situations... did y'all catch The Bachelorette premiere last night on ABC? I had no interest in The Bachelor, whatsoever. But I HAD to see this new show, in which Trista, our bachelorette, gets to pick amongst 25 eligible bachelors (apparently all in a marriage state of mind). I was mostly curious how men would handle the competition... Time will tell when the number of competitors dwindle. I guess I have a bit of a double standard. I feel genuinely bad for the women who fight for the chance to marry one guy (how much more demeaning can it get than watching 20 women fight over 20 dresses on Joe Millionaire), but I don't feel the least bit sorry for 25 men who have decided to scrap it out on television for Trista. Now, that's entertainment! | private feedback | (0) public comments Wednesday, January 08, 2003 Bittersweet News Bill Maher, one of my heroes and fellow Cornell Alums (class of '78) will return to television with a show "To keep everybody honest; to note that what public figures say, they then have to do; and when they don't, to point out that discrepancy and to mock it." What's the bitter part, you ask? Its gonna be on HBO... I don't get HBO. | private feedback | (0) public comments Everyone has a double in Ithaca... A friend of mine thinks this guy Jeff is my double (and Jeff concurs)... or since he was born before me then I guess that would make me HIS double. Either way... I thought I'd let the pictures speak for themselves. I'm just not sure... I can't be partial as a judge. Do me a favor and tell me (and Jeff) what you think by leaving comments... Capish? P.S. There may be some more pics, including baby pics to come later. We'll solve this once and for all... ME 
HIM, a.k.a. JEFF 
The Bush Tax Plan Vs. The Democrats' Tax Plan Bush announced his economic stimulus plan yesterday in Chicago. As if we didn't expect this already... a whopping 58.3% (I did the math myself) of W's tax plan is targeted at folks who make more than $100,000/year. (This does *not* include me or many of my friends in case you're wondering.) Only 14.6% of the Democrats' tax plan is targeted at these same folks. Almost a fifth of W's tax plan is targeted at those who make over a million dollars a year!! (FYI, The Dems target millionaires with 0.2% of THEIR plan. I think that's a bit more appropriate, as I -- and my friends -- should certainly get help making ends meet before millionaires should.) And the saddest part is, Bush still has the balls to call any criticism of his plan 'class warfare.' I think the numbers speak for themselves... (P.S. Mario Cuomo agrees with me.) Check out the plan comparison for yourself at the Tax Policy Center online. | private feedback | (0) public comments Joe Lieberman is in... Sources say Joe Lieberman is set to announce very shortly that he will, indeed, seek the presidential nomination of the Democratic party in '04. I was all about him as V.P. candidate, but his outspoken support for many of W's plans (especially Faith-Based Initiatives) has him sinking like a rock in my book. Time will only tell, how things play out... | private feedback | (0) public comments Googlin' and meta-blogging You're all familiar with the word 'google' as an action, right? Putting your or someone else's name into the best search engine ever to see how often your name pops up on various Web sites and pages... The results can either be an ego boost or a big let down depending on how you look at it. My friend Leslyn just found out you could do this... and when she googled herself, she found that she was mentioned on MY site. She had never read my site before, but Lori (who I heard this whole story from) told me that she enjoyed reading a few of my entries. This is a big relief. I'm always a little hesitant to give out my URL to friends... cause I do lay my life out here, warts and all. It's funny, I would rather have complete strangers read this (if they judge me who cares, right?) than the people I see on a daily or semi-frequent basis. Hmmm.... Blogging about my blog. How very 'meta' of me. Confidential to Leslyn (in case you 'google' yourself again): Lori also told me about your 2nd piece of big news! CONGRATULATIONS!!! I wish you all the best!! | private feedback | (0) public comments Tuesday, January 07, 2003 FYI Tom Daschle will NOT run for President... Hmmmmm. | private feedback | (0) public comments Random Thoughts... Joe Millionaire... LAME!!! That will teach me to show interest in the mating habits of breeders. Real World/Road Rules Battle of The Sexes... I was on the phone with the TV muted, but it looked like there was LOTS of drama in the first episode! I am definitely looking forward to catching the premiere in repeats since it will be on at least 50 times this week alone. Reason #1,623 for loving Ithaca... Some industrious person goes around scribbling 'Bush is a Nazi' on random buildings in downtown Ithaca. Not that I necessarily subscribe to this extreme idea or vandalizing buildings in general... But, it's a fun game to play to see how many new 'Bush is a Nazi' slogans you can spot on any given walk around Ithaca. Last night it was ONE -- on the wall of a bookstore... This morning it was ONE -- on the wall of a bank. Gay Porn on Public Access!?!?... In Rochester, NY no less! | private feedback | (0) public comments Monday, January 06, 2003 Whenever I feel down... ... I visit Todd's Web page and roll over the link to my site. It always makes me smile. ;-) Thanks, Todd! | private feedback | (0) public comments Super Mario Kart Saved An Old Woman's Life Friday night I was bored out of my mind. It had snowed so much that cable went out right in the middle of Reba. I couldn't go out cause roads were being shut down... What's a guy to do? At first I thought, 'Well, I can watch You've Got Mail for the billionth time.' But then I remembered that I haven't cracked out the Super Nintendo in quite some time. So I spent all night playing (becoming obsessed with, really) Super Mario Kart... trash-talking the other racers (especially that Princess chick) and avoiding the little traps that the other Karts leave in their wake. You know... mushrooms, fireballs, banana peels, shit like that. I became a finely-tuned racing machine. And thank god I did. I had no idea my new skill set would come in handy so soon. The next day, I was pushing the shopping cart at the grocery store. Thanks to my quick reflexes and new attention to small things my path, I was able to avoid running over this little old lady squeezing fresh produce. (Though I did find it hard not to make squealing tire noises with my mouth as I turned corners.) | private feedback | (0) public comments I think I predicted... ... that despite any drawbacks, the republican party would NOT pass up a chance at having their 2004 nominating convention in post-9/11 NYC. I mean, after all, the republican party *is* the most patriotic so this only makes sense. [Pardon my sarcasm.] Well, I was right... the 2004 GOP convention will be in New York City. The Dems, meanwhile, are set to convene in Boston. And, no surprises yet... The Democratic field of contenders for the 2004 presidential nomination is lining up as expected. Howard Dean, John Kerry, Al Sharpton, and John Edwards have all filed their exploratory committee paperwork. Richard Gephardt is supposed to file his today. Joe Lieberman and Tom Daschle are both looking like definites. And there are a few other rumors floating around. The Dems are in for some fun this primary season! | private feedback | (0) public comments Even celebrities have bad dates... By now you know that I am a reality television whore. I'll watch just about anything (except Survivor... and maybe The Mole). Yesterday, during my normal Sunday morning routine, I was reading the New York Times... there was an article about the influx of 'celebreality' shows... as if we weren't happy enough with making normal everyday people into pseudo-celebrities, now we need to show how celebrities are just like everyone else. You see, we're not much different than celebrities. And when I say 'celebrities' I don't mean folks like Brad Pitt and Leo DiCaprio. No, I don't have much in common with THEM. They're REAL celebrities. I'm talking about B-listers. You know, like Tootie from the Facts of Life... or Screech from Saved By The Bell. This all hit home in a very near-and-dear-to-my-heart kinda way when I watched one of the newest installations of celebreality shows, Star Dates on E!. If you haven't seen it yet, used-to-be celebrities are set up with Joe (or Josephine) Schmo for a blind date. There are two dates per celebrity per half-hour show. And naturally the camera follows them along. The one thing I'm not quite sure of yet is if E! *intends* this to be a big joke or if they really are trying to make some single lonely people happy. (Hey, B-list celebs need lovin' too, right?). It usually works out that the first of the two dates are REALLY BAD... and the second dates are MUCH better. I think I've already seen two celebs that are going to have second dates with their Star-Date Match-Ups. AND, the usual host (not the guy from last night) is usually really funny, making off-the-cuff comments to the celebrities when he has them alone. So, I *can* relate to Tootie from Facts of Life. We both have had REALLY BAD dates. We both share this common-denomnator type of experience. (Although... I'm a little bit more polite about handling it. *I*, for instance would not take 23 cell phone calls during my dates.) I could totally relate to Tootie (Yes, I know she has a real name, I just choose not to use it...) when she's sitting in the restaurant and she's completely disgusted with the comments her 'date' is making. I could totally relate when she asked, 'How long is this date supposed to be?' or when she said, 'You can get yourself to the door, right?' *Laugh* Anyway, Star dates is a really funny show. Catch it if you can. (Sunday nights at 10:30 on E!) And since I couldn't sleep last night, I also caught Taildaters on MTV, and E-Love on the Oxygen network. Taildaters is kinda fun, but I don't relate with 18-24 year olds much anymore. And as for E-Love... I like the concept, but I have lived it... so I don't need to watch it on television. Guy and Girl meet on the 'net. Guy and Girl talk for months on the phone. Girl flies thousands of miles to meet Guy. And don'tcha know it... Guy feels chemistry and Girl doesn't. (Been there, done that a few times... except with 'Second Guy' instead of 'Girl' and no cameras to document the experience.) My life really *could* be a reality TV series. | private feedback | (0) public comments Friday, January 03, 2003 Wasting Away a Friday Afternoon The Michael Jackson Baby Drop Game!!! Props to MadBlast.com! | private feedback | (0) public comments Rhetorical Question Just how many Bush stimulus packages will it take to actually stimulate the economy? | private feedback | (0) public comments The envelope, please... The nominees for this year’s 'Fattest Right-Wing Moralizer' are... William Bennett. Jerry Falwell. And Rush Limbaugh. And the winner is... OK, I can't take credit for coming up with this one... as much as I wish I could. Read Michelangelo Signorile's column about why William Bennett is this year's 'Fattest Right-Wing Moralizer' and why its OK to call him that. :-) | private feedback | (0) public comments Yikes! Watch out who's personal ads you're responding to online. I thought for sure this news story was made up, but then here it is again on a completely different news site. | private feedback | (0) public comments Thursday, January 02, 2003 News you might have missed... Senator John Edwards of North Carolina launched his bid for the White House, hoping to be the 2004 Democratic nominee. Meanwhile, Senator Minority Leader Tom Daschle is mulling his options for the same job. And, Lake Superior State University released their list of 'banished' words due to overuse, misuse, or just general abuse. A lot of 'Bush-isms' made the cut this year. Check out their site to read their list of 'banished words.' | private feedback | (0) public comments I was going to make some New Year's Resolutions... ... until Entertainment Weekly said resolutions are 'Out.' I love reading that little chart that tells you what's 'In,' what's 'Five Minutes Ago,' and what's 'Out.' So I'll just resolve not to make resolutions... cause we know I won't be able to stick to them that long anyway. | private feedback | (0) public comments Catching up... My holidays ended up being a very quiet week... mostly spent at the office or at home watching TV, punctuated by a few great times... more specifically Date Night, Christmas, A Night Out In Syracuse, and New Year's Eve... Date Night Before going to Applebee's where I had an amazing vanilla-ice-cream-mudslide, Amy and I went to see Die Another Day. I'm not a huge fan of action adventure movies as a genre, I would have much rather seen Two Weeks Notice. But... Amy insisted on not seeing a 'chick flic' and I do LOVE Halle Berry so I gave in. In fact, this was the first James Bond movie I have ever seen. It was pretty good, but I think action movies have run out of ideas when you see pretty near the same type of stunt in the Charlie's Angels preview as you see in the James Bond movie you paid to see. And I am STILL so over commercials before movies. What is up with that!?! Christmas Cheri and I drove to Rochester for Christmas. Mom had to work 12 hours on Christmas Day, so we had dinner and opened gifts Christmas Eve. Mom's boyfriend was bein' crabby as usual so he didn't join us, but Jason Bradley (my cutie patootie nephew for those that don't know) was getting into opening presents so much he was opening everyone else's! I had double duty of handing out the gifts AND playing defense to keep him out from under the tree. He's also just starting to talk so that you can understand him... and I think I heard him try to say 'Uncle Shane' a few times. (Andy and Michelle had been coaching him all afternoon before I got there.) It was either 'Uncle Shane' or 'Oh Shit.' We *know* he says 'Oh Shit,' so perhaps 'Uncle Shane' was just my wishful thinking. :-) The cute factor in Mom's house was immense. Besides my cutie patootie nephew, Mom had just picked out two seven-week-old puppies a few days before Christmas. Siberian Husky/German Shephard mix. Awwwwww. Babies and puppies. It doesn't get any better than that. (I have pictures, I'll try to get them up soon.) Santa was good to me... considering I always tell everyone I don't know what I want. I got jeans that I desperately needed, a few shirts, bottles of wine from my brother ('Shane, I know you said you don't like red, but the lady at the winery said the red and white taste the same.' *eye roll*), and a set of stoneware dishes that I adore (half-white-half-black, very contemporary). Mom had just bought a pool table and installed it in the bar room... so, once the gift-opening finished, my nephew passed out, and Mom went to bed... Andy, Michelle, Cheri and I stayed up late making random alcoholic beverages and playing pool. We found a bartender's guide from 1956 complete with bar tricks that presumably would keep your patrons captive and tipping generously, and so we tried out all the tricks and wanted to see what kind of old-fashioned drinks we could make. Not having a recipe for an apple martini, we improvised... there was so much alcohol in it, though... it can't be the way REAL martinis are made. It had snowed something near 8 inches overnight. So Cheri and I decided to try to beat some of the storm and travel home Christmas morning. The ride took almost twice as long... but that included our half-hour stop at the thruway Cinabon, so I guess it wasn't THAT bad. Cheri had promised her co-worker Lee (who just moved here from Texas) that she would have Christmas dinner with Lee, her husband, and her mother who had flown in for the holidays. I went along. The accents were flying all night (Cheri quickly slipped back into hers) ... so much so, that I could have been easily convinced that I was in Texas for Christmas! Lee and Jeff have a beautiful house that they're renting and they had cooked an authentic southern Christmas feast! We passed the hours talking. Lee's mother assumed I was straight, as evidenced by her frequent comments about how I probably only liked romantic comedies because of the 'ladies' in them, which was always followed by a playful wink. She probably thought Cheri and I were a couple now that I think about it. Its been a while since anyone assumed I was straight, so it jarred me for a second. Lee quickly whispered that her mother is a 'dyed-in-the-wool Republican' so I took everything she said with a large grain of salt. ;-) It was a treat to round out my Christmas by making new friends out of real Texan Republicans. A Night Out In Syracuse Last Saturday, Brad and I decided to go see The Lion King re-released for IMAX theaters. The closest IMAX theater to us is in Syracuse, so we called ahead for tickets and planned on going out to RAIN after the movie. Luckily, Mike, Aaron, Rodney and Don were also going out in Syracuse, so we could meet up with them afterwards. I had never seen an IMAX movie before, but I still kinda knew what to expect...a big movie, right? But the movie was SO BIG I couldn't help but turn my head from side to side to see the whole thing, especially when one of the characters heads filled the ENTIRE screen. (At some points it freaked me out that I could only see Mufasa's mouth moving in my field of vision. Yes, apparently, my peripheral vision is THAT bad... even when I laid back to try to take in the entire screen I couldn't.) I sort of assumed that the center part of the screen would have the action in it and the rest of the screen would be used for background, etc. I'm sure its a little different with movies that are actually MADE for IMAX, but it was still a pretty intense movie-going experience, and I was reminded how much I LOVE the Lion King movie. My favorite scene/song is still Scar's 'Be Prepared' as strange as that might sound since it's the most 'evil' song in the movie. Then off to RAIN. I played pool and darts with friends. I wasn't doing well at all. :-( I had another really funny interaction with a guy, but I don't really feel like typing it out. Bottom line, I think he was drunk. We closed RAIN, and then went to Serpicos to get breakfast... saw Jackie but didn't get waited on by her... and then I must have passed out in my own bed sometime around 4:30 AM. *yawn* I'm gettin' tired just thinking about it. New Year's Eve Rodney and I had made up our minds that the LAST thing we wanted to do was go to Common Ground's New Year's Eve party. Rodney has never gone, and I have gone every year since I've lived in Ithaca. I thought perhaps if I broke my tradition, then I might start out my year on a different foot... everything that follows will go swimmingly, etc. etc. But, what would we do if we didn't go to the Common Ground? Luckily, Chris and Dennis, my Rochester friends, came to the rescue. Chris suggested coming up for Dinner and the High Falls Laser light/Fireworks show... So Chris came to Ithaca to pick Rodney and me up (bless his heart) and we had dinner at Dinosaur BBQ in Rochester (Yum!). Then we played darts for a bit at Tara's (interesting place, but I probably wouldn't go back by choice), where Chris whooped our butts the first game but I won the second. Then we got a police escort to High Falls to see the fireworks (shhh, I probably wasn't supposed to say that...) where we stood outside for like four hours (OK. OK. Maybe ONE hour, but it felt like four) waiting to see ten minutes worth of fireworks that didn't start until midnight. (I'm just giving you a hard time, Chris! It was great, hon! Really!) I am so glad that I got to spend my New Year's with Rodney, Chris, and Dennis. They are great people! And then it was back to work this morning. Ugh. Much love and thanks to all of those who helped make my holiday such a great time!!! Remind me if I forgot anything/anyone and I'll make sure you get a mention. *Big Grin* | private feedback | (0) public comments |
Hey! I'm Shane... a proud gay progressive Democrat who has recently relocated to New York City from Ithaca, NY. As I am no longer in Ithaca, I haven't quite decided the fate of this blog. Drop me a line!
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