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Go on Down Home
The BF and I are listening to the live stream of Down Home from KCSN at CSU-Northridge. This fun show is hosted by none other than Chuck of Looka! Check out KCSN's web page (bad link fixed 04/03/01) or look up their live stream through the Windows Media site.
Nice Range of topics
Fredo(another new link!) certainly covers a range of subjects this week.. from his new job, to open relationships, to a history of Washington DC's Metro System.
Reading his site makes me happy. I know why, but any attempt to explain will probably sound condescending or grandiose. I'll just leave it at that... reading Fredo's site makes me happy.
Happy days are here again...
Laura Schlessinger's TV show has (finally) been CANCELLED! Read the story from Salon.com here.
New link:
Check out somnolent.org. (4/30/01- Bad link fixed.. thanks, Tim.
Blog Voices and theBuzz. .:
UPDATED 4/30/01:.BV is back.. and smokin'! The Javascript is now loading on my server and the comment count has been permanently ditched. Apparently, most of the traffic bogging down BV has to do with calculating comment counts, so fuhgeddaboudit!
BV functionality has been commented out of my code until further notice. I know there are other ways to include a commenting function, but I'm clueless as to how to implement them. I want to check out Greymatter, but don't have the energy or time to devote to learning and implementing it right now. For now, click on the "email comments" link, and e-mail with a preformatted subject line will appear.
Although I love the idea of the (free) Blog Voices application, and greatly respect Chris for all the work he does to keep it available, I'm a damn impatient Queen. Load time for theBuzz should now be greatly improved.
Ya gotta hand it to...
...Jocko, who can describe a mundane activity like shaving in such a way as to leave me breathing heavily. "Daily Delight", indeed.
I'm so conflicted about this story, I can't even think of any way to intelligently comment. Read the story now.
I understand, you don't know him, and you really don't know me all that well yet, but , go ahead, check out the "Anniversary" poll to the right. Which idea strikes you as the most romantic? The poll is set up to allow you to make your own suggestions, too.. click on "results" without voting, then follow the hyperlink.
(Note: this poll is now closed. Click on either of the links above to see final results.)
Mousekalayoffs.
No one is immune. Disney plans to eliminate 4,000 jobs.
Digital delirium.
The BF is buying new computer equipment, and is taking the old one to his business. I've been helping him get the old one ready for the move, cleaning up files, etc. He also asked me to take home his digital camera, install it on my system, and use it so I can tell him how to set it up.
This is my first experience playing with a digital camera.. It was FUN... I acted like a kid in a candy store! Here's a picture I took today:
Call me a juvenile perv if you like, but I couldn't resist taking some "below the waist" shots to show the BF. I have a feeling we're going to have fun with this thing...
Do not pass GO...
...do not collect $200.00, turn in your Fairy Shoes immediately.
I did not watch 1 second of the Oscars last night. Do I have to turn in my queer membership card now??
I'm in the Wrong Movie...
Marsh Rose writes a story that I used to be able to relate to. What if your life is unrecognizable from that which you forsaw as a child or young adult? Read the story here.
Eyebrow Blues...
Funny you should mention brows, Beau. I just got a haircut today, and I had to have the barber trim the damn things 'cuz the f***ers are getting LONG and coarse. We won't even discuss the damn back hair.
I went for the first time to a barber shop in Steelton (Steelton Hair1). At first I was annoyed about having to make an appointment, but I feel differently now that I see the results. I now have a virtually perfect fade, thank's to Brian's deliberateness and attention to detail. I mean, I can't remember the last time someone took that much time with a pair of clippers on my head.2
1.Owned by Andy... this very butch and 20-something hetero Hunky. Brian's about the same age and type.. So they're straight... it's just eye candy.
2.Well, there was one other time...and I was wearing chaps, and ...Oops, I've revealed too much!
Another new link:
overyourhead (Jonathan)
This is just WRONG...
But funny as hell. Check out Tourette's Syndrome Barbie (NOTE:Link is to a Flash Site!). To his credit, the author of the site links to serious resource material regarding Tourette's. (Link via Ian.)
Almost There!
Since Labor Day, 2000, I've been helping my best buddy Joe renovate the kitchen in his 80 year-old house. We learned tons about demolition, and how to compensate for walls and floors wildly out of square. As of tonight, after more than six months, Joe once again has running water in the kitchen...the new sink, disposal, and dishwasher installations were completed today.
We both agreed that this had dragged on long enough...with no idea how we were going to coordinate schedules to finish things, Joe hired someone to attend to those details and make the room functional again.
Although there is still tile, paint, and lighting to be done, my "sister" can once again cook. Hurray!
Sad, odd Coincidence.
Reading my daily dose of Swish Cottage, I came across a reference to David's friend Jonathan who "is going through hell with his poor cat". Since I am also going through the "end of life" decision about my cat, I followed the link in search of solace or wisdom.
Turns out his cat is named Oliver as well. And although my Ollie isn't quite as ill, I can relate to many of the feelings he was describing.
Jittery today...
Every so often, I have a day like this. I feel all jumpy. Today, I think it's cuz my body is re-adjusting to meds after several days off for illness...plus, I took my first dose on an empty stomach. Oh well... tomorrow is another day.
Accessibility...Hm.
How is this post supposed to be interpreted? Is John just being droll or does he really not give a rat's ass whether his site is accessible to people with disabilities? (or the "upwardly hobbled", per the post, whateverthefuck that's supposed to mean. Ouch!)
I know Ron is very committed to accessible sites. I've been trying to make my new pages as accessible design-compliant as I can, and have run my pages through the "Bobby" validators a few times already. Fortunately, I've also got a "test reader".. my long - time buddy Don, who has been blind much of his life and uses text-to-speech conversion to surf the web. He is going to take my new site "for a spin" after the bulk of the redesign is complete.
buzzLink Additions, 3/20/2001:
House of Woo.. the vigil.
Sending positive thoughts and psychic hand holding to bobo and ggwoo while they wait to finalize their home purchase.
Happy, Happy Birthday, Baby...
The BF got one year older today! We went out for lunch at the Brownstone Cafe in Middletown, during which he received the predictably mushy cards from me, we made goo-goo eyes at each other and played footsie under the table. We raced back to his business, locked ourselves in the (under renovation) upstairs office, and had "dessert".
His gift from me? Mark Knopfler's Sailing to Philadelphia, which has been receiving ample airplay on our favorite Radio station, WXPN FM 88.5 Philadelphia/88.1 Harrisburg.
Jumpin' on the Homo Bandwagon...
DataLounge.com article indicates that there has been a significant rise in the number of people reporting same-gender sexual activity. Hmm...more people, or proportionally the same but more admitting what's going on? Read the article.
*shudder*
During a weekend performance by the Vancouver Lesbian and Gay Choir, an audience member opened a canister of "bear spray" (similar to tear gas, from the description of the effects). Although the group's director was taken to the hospital, apparently, no one was seriously injured. Click here for one report of the incident.
How frightening. As a member of a GALA Chorus, I performed on public stages for 11 years. I can't remember ever worrying about my personal safety while doing so. What a shame that we may have to start.
Farewell, Papa John... (1935 - 2001)
John Phillips, principal songwriter and founding member of the Mamas and the Papas, died early in the morning of March 18th. Click here to go to the ABC News.com story.
My parents were "too old" for most 60's music (and generally not into "that hippie music" ), so there were no record collections to reference, yet the Mamas and the Papas music was interwoven throughout my childhood by the radio. I know that their music was some of my first exposure to multi-part harmony. I remember trying to separate out parts and sing along in turn with Cass, Michelle, and Denny... although I didn't know their names at the time. How many 9 year old boys remember feeling sad when Mama Cass died in 1974? I was SUCH a Baby Queer! Of course, any of us went to school in the 70's and 80's and sang in choir ended up singing cheesy, simplified choral arrangements of Monday, Monday and/or California Dreamin'.
I remember reading about "father-daughter" rehab stays for Philips and daughter Mackenzie. I saw the pre- Hall of Fame documentaries, the "Behind the Music" segment. I wondered how any of them had survived the crazy world they built and inhabited for so many years.
According to reports, there is new music scheduled for release. I'm looking forward to hearing more about that.
Yet another funny Onion story...
This one is about Starbuck's .beginning the "second phase" of their plan for World Domination.
Blah...
Ended up being down with a helluva stomach bug since late Wednesday night. Finally back on the road to normalcy tonight. Looking forward to catching up with reading and posting.
I was able to finish another section of my redesigned site and get it posted. Click here to learn about a few of my friends. Also, I am using another blog on my site's main page to alert readers to updates, special stuff, etc.
Now, off to cook dinner for the first time in days and days.
(A special bear hug to my shweetie for taking such good care of me all Saturday...thanks, baby...)
Archive Hell Followup...
Attention Perma-Linkers!Due to the aforementioned archive trouble, it's likely that any links made to a particular post on this blog (before this morning) will be invalid. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Taking a break.
I will be away from Blogland for a few days. I have been spending a lot of time writing my blog and reading others over the past two weeks. While I've enjoyed every minute, I need to step back, work on the rest of my website, and do other necessary things, like sleep, eat, etc. I'll be back early the week of 3/18.
Looking for something else to read? If you haven't seen it already, check out the newly redesigned and updated "Who Am I" section. (bad link fixed 03/14/2001 19:28 EST) As others have said, you may find out more than you need to know about me. Enjoy.
Archive Hell.
I've spent the last 3 hours trying to put my archive listing on the same page as my posts. What a frickin' mess... but, they are working... finally. Good Night!
How embarrassing...
I misspelled the word "pronunciation" incorrectly several times on this page.. corrected now.
Thanks...
...for the link, Steve....
My Turn..Click here to hear my pronunciation primer for several Central Pennsylvania place names. Ying, I'll leave it up to you to do the Western PA version.
MST3K fans....Go on, Take the poll... You know you want to...
The BF and I have an unrequited lust for Mike Nelson, the only human aboard the Satellite of Love. Being the pigs we are, our thoughts turned to the dark side: we found ourselves thinking... "gee, what do you think Mike wears under those coveralls?" (yes, I know... you can see the neckband of his white t-shirt showing... I'm talking about below the waist...).
Today, while responding to an e-mail from Tim, I was telling him how much I enjoyed MST3K, when the thought suddenly struck me.."hey, why not do a poll about the "Under - the - coveralls" thing?"
So, go on... take the poll. Feedback? email me at undercoveralls@matteecentral.com.
Amen, Jonno...
Your post from November pretty accurately describes the parameters that the BF and I have agreed upon. I think the whole issue is intensely personal, though, and there are plenty of options available, without classifying any of them as "right" or "wrong".
There's just no such thang...
Keith has posted an audio blog entry. In it, he says he has to keep the post short because he worries it'll "be too big". Heh. < size queen > "NEVER too big, darlin'.." < /size queen >
You say Missouri, I say Miss-oorah...
Here is Matt's commentary. The pronunciation thing is interesting.. there are scads of "local" versions of place names in PA, not to mention some of the interesting Pennsylvania Dutch vocabulary. Hmmm... I feel a meme coming on....
All Aboot Steve...
Hey, this is cool. Listen to Steve talk in a 3min11Sec audio entry. (requires Real Audio.) I concur with Matt... Steve has a great-sounding voice.. and the "about" thing... mmmmm-HMMMMM!
This sounds like a great meme... now if I can just overcome my own "I hate the way my recorded voice sounds" issues (and figure out how to record a file and save it in real audio format), you may soon hear me as well.
(BTW, you're right, Steve, that's a mighty fine ass.)
They'll be back...
Queer as Folk has been renewed for another season! Click here to check out the Yahoo! news item.
link via the ever-so-plugged-in Keith
Note to my sweetie...
What a day you've had. Hang in there... you know I love you.
Is this not universal?
David's A to Z of the Vauxhall Tavern has been hilarious so far. Check out I is for Incestuous.
Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this diagram applies in virtually every homo bar on the planet.
2 men who are stunningly handsome, incredibly intelligent, AND funny as hell...
It's easy to see why TinMan is confused.
I about fell off my chair laughing at work today when I saw Jonno's guide on how to tell Jonno and Jocko apart.
Oooh, I feel tingly all over...
Did anybody else besides me ( a relative blog newbie) get goosebumpy and tingly when they first started seeing themselves mentioned in someone else's blog? What does that make me? a blogslut??
UPDATE: 3.9.01 21:49 Yet another reference... mmmm.... oh YES! YES! YES!
(apologies to Meg Ryan)
I've made it to the portal!
I've arrived!Ron was kind enough to add me to his list o' links recently. No wonder my site stats have bumped up sharply. Thanks, honey... *mwah *mwah.
Finally.. just the accessory I'm looking for.
I've recently wondered what I need to do that will tell the world I'm a MAN, that I'm butch, strong, large-and in-charge. Leave it to Jillmatrix to provide the solution...a big ol' pair o' gonads for my vehicle.
All the pictures show them attached to trucks. Geezus. the damn things would probably be scraping the ground hanging off the ass of my sedate Saturn sedan. Would that be a bad thing? Or would I just be creating yet another oxymoron in my life?
What a small world.
I've been recently corresponding with the beautiful Beau (aka Bobo Woo) of ggwoo. Imagine my surprise to learn that THE GGWoo (the equally handsome Jeff) is a Harrisburg native who is here frequently on family visits.
Since we're all pretty much married (and I'm getting up there in years), I doubt we'll be dancing the night away at the local cha-cha palace. I've proposed more sedate activities.. shopping.. dinner at a nice restaurant...the stuff we queens live for.
Teasing=revenge=gunfire???
Ok, I've been reading all day about how the shooter in California had been teased taunted, and tortured by schoolmates incessantly before acting out with a gun.
I'm really divided on this issue. On the one hand, my heart aches for these kids and the pain they're going through. I've lived that hell already, as the 5 year-old in leg braces, as the middle schooler who walked funny AND had bucky beaver teeth, and as the gawky high school still - walkin' funny baby queer. It pains me, even now to remember how alienated and alone I felt*, how much I dreaded going to school, and how I felt I had nowhere to turn for help. My parents did the best they could, but they felt it best that I handled these issues myself instead of running to the school to stamp their feet. (in retrospect, I have to agree with them.) If I ever had fantasies of blowing people away, I've blocked them out. Additionally, I had absolutely no access to or experience with guns, so shooting people was not an option.
See, the shooting part is where my sympathy sorta dries up. I'm sorry, killing or wounding people solves your problems... how? So, you may have gotten rid of a tormentor or two, but now you gotta spend the rest of your productive life in jail being some bad man's jail bitch. Come on, with all the resources out there, there has to be somewhere kids can turn before shooting. Where and when did kids learn that you kill the people that bother you?
Next question: How the hell are these kids getting the guns? From parents? friends? On the street? When are we going to wake up and smell the coffee regarding gun control? I mean, ok, it's one thing if you need guns as part of your work, or you want to hunt for game. Yet the NRA goes nuts any time someone suggests that guns be trigger-locked, or otherwise secured.
Of course, there's no easy answer... but I wish these incidents would result in coherent policy instead of meaningless platitudes mouthed by those in power and half-assed, off target reactions.
*I also now realize how the loneliness and alienation turned me into such a little sex fiend once I was given the opportunity to get laid... but that's another post...
Catholic Schoolgirl with a gun in Williamsport...
God, it sounds like a bad movie title. The whole situation is horrifying, but I don't have a solution. What should the school do? It'd be a sad day indeed if a private (what's Bush's term? oh, faith-based) school ends up installing metal detectors and having security checkpoints. Click here to read the Salon story.
What's your Hobbit name?
Today's meme is the Hobbit name Generator. Click here to find out your name.
I was hoping for a better experience the I had with the Mob Name Generator meme of a few weeks ago. Here's my name:
Gorbulas Bracegirdle of Nobottle (with first name entered as "Matthew")
Wilibald Bracegirdle of Nobottle (with first name entered as "Matt")
At first I thought,"Geez... screwed again!". Then I remembered.... Hobbit names generally aren't sexy.
link via 'Bred Crumbs.
Salon.com News | Deadly ambivalence
Meredith Maran: "Schools need to teach our kids how much they matter. If they don't, we will see Santana and Columbine copycat shootings again and again." Read the full story on Salon.com.
'bye, Miss M...
Such a shame... I thought Bette really showed some promise, at first. Unfortunately, (link via Keithers) the show has been yanked. Personally,I liked Kevin Dunn (who started the season as Bette's husband) a great deal... and I feel the show has suffered since his departure.
Well, here's a virus I'll never have to worry about...
The latest e-mail worm is out and about. I received an e-mail at work today:
DO NOT OPEN ANY EMAIL WITH A SUBJECT LINE OF "YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN PICTURES OF YOUR WIFE LIKE THIS" OR AN ATTACHMENT ENTITLED NAKEDWIFE.EXE.
Heh. No problem.
Yeeee- Hah!
I've been linked!Thanks to Beau for linking to my blog. I'm so excited... that means that people are actually reading this....whoo-hoo!
I'm holding out for a hero...Actually, this meme made the rounds about 3 weeks ago, but I lost the link to the site. With all the site-moving stress, I haven't had time to find it again. The Heromachine allows you to make your own superhero. Although StorTroopers are cool, this is REALLY kick-ass. I'll be posting my hero (named Ian) within a day or two. (RE-link via 'Bred Crumbs)
Welcome to Seventies Decorating Hell.
Lileks strikes again. I'm ashamed to admit that my adolescent bedroom was decorated in precisely this shade of green, with a similar plant-patterned bedspread and drapes.
I'm a convert...
The BF convinced me to listen to Limp Bizkit's latest CD (Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavored Water (edited version)) over the weekend.
Go ahead, ask the question: Why on earth would a gay man (who is quickly approaching middle age) be interested in LB? After listening, here are my reasons:
1. Fred Durst. Oh. My. God. For some reason, I find him incredibly hot.
2. The band has good strong voices that actually sound trained...I heard good breath control, and excellent enunciation. Unlike most music out there (rap, pop, or otherwise) I listened and could understand EVERY word they sang.
3. Putting out an "edited" version of the album shows both marketing savvy and some level of responsible thinking on the band's part.
4. The BF and I agree: Edited or not, it's great background music when you're having sleazy, trashy sex.
How Gay are You?
Take this test and find out. Link courtesy of Brad, test courtesy of Britain's Channel 4. I got a 48%, which they say is a 'well adjusted homo'. No comments from the Peanut Gallery are necessary, thankyouverymuch.
"I'm so glad, I'm tellin' all the world..."
The Beatles' I Feel Fine was number one on the charts in both the US and the UK on the day I was born. Want to know the number one song the day you were born? Go to This Day in Music (link via Evhead).
(3/5/01: OK, I butchered the lyrics, so sue me..)
I've been stickered...
Yay... my Blogger stickers came in the mail. Now, where should I put them? I'm open to suggestions.
The newest political appointee:
Check out this funny article on The Onion - link good for a limited time!
Thank god...
I purposely chose not to purchase a Pentium 4 processor in my new computer. Here's why.
