Record of the Month

I figured I’d do a monthly ‘what I’m listening to’ kind of thing. This could be viewed as a lame placeholder kind of post. And probably it is. But it’s my blog! So there!

These may or may not be newly released disks. They might not even be a good disk – just what is been in heavy rotation in my car (as usually the iPod is playing anywhere else). I was not expecting a Lucinda Williams disk so soon after West was released. I didn’t even know Little Honey was coming until I stumbled across a review in a Sunday paper a few days prior to its release date.

Unlike many, I really liked West, save a few songs. I thought it had some unique elements for a Williams disk. It was supposedly her ’sad’ album, as opposed to her ‘angry’ album or this one, which people are calling her ‘happy’ disk. Whatever.

Williams sings with such conviction on any of her releases, that I don’t really go for the emotional labels people & reviewers insist putting on her.

But I will say – after a month or so of playing, this disk is not grabbing me. Not entirely. It has its moments, but all of her disks have moments (World Without Tears, anyone??). I will also say, the iPod has made full “album” listening much more difficult. I lament the loss of the needle hitting vinyl and listening to a disk song by song. Some of the issue is my time, or lack thereof.

I’m not surprised at folks like Jim Lauderdale & Elvis Costello on the disk. A little more at Matthew Sweet and much more so of Susanna Hoffs (though when you get Sweet, sometimes you get Hoffs), and then can’t quite over a cover of any AC/DC song (“It’s a Long Way to the Top”). It was a surprise to see a little known singer, Gia Ciambotti, from an 80’s group called the Graces, doing background vocals.

As with the last few albums, Williams has some stand-outs, some ok songs and some clunkers.
I love “Knowing”, “Circle and X’s” and “Rarity”.  I really like “Real Love” and “Little Rock Star” too.  But in my opinion, when the songs clunk, they clunk.  I’m not a fan of “Well Well Well” or “Honey Bee” – and don’t get me started on that AC/DC song.

My only true problem with Lucinda’s last few disks is that she is consistently inconsistent.  And that is an issue I had not seen in her before World Without Tears.  I’m hoping she can rectify that.  Like I said, all of her disks have moments – I want more than that.

Hot Shaved Asian Teens

Ok, ok…..the title here has nothing to do with anything, except that I have no other song titles that have anything to do with Asian culture other than the Vapors’ “Turning Japanese”.   …and that wasn’t the geographical location I was going for.  However, the title might trigger a whole new readership.

I’m sure you’ve all been reading / hearing /watching the goings on in Mumbai.  Horrible circumstances.

But you know,  Thailand is getting some protesters.  Tens of thousands out there wanting the end to the current government.  So many are out there protesting, they shut down Bankok’s airport.

What does this mean to me?   Absolutely nothing.

What I found amusing is that the group is called People’s Alliance for Democracy.

Yes, they are:  Pad Thai.

Song by: Glenn Tilbrook

Thanks to You

Ugh.  Another T-giving post.  This makes what – five now?

I feel when I get to holidays like this, the posts are forced – as I’m supposed to have something insightful to say.  And I don’t.

….haven’t you people been paying attention???????

Sure, I’m grateful for having a great partner and two somewhat loving cats.  I have a decent family – and incredible friends.  And fuck – this year, I still have a job, so that’s saying something in these dark times.   I ain’t complaining.

I’m thankful that it is almost January 20th.  …and that I’ve only been to the ER once this year and that my permanent crown is going to be on in less than two weeks.

So this afternoon, I’ll have to endure two of my sisters – but that can be done….and even with no alcohol, if I chose.  IF.    And yes, I’ll have to eat the blandest, monochromatic meal that was ever devised.

I’m making salad.

What?  Not a big deal to you?   It is to me.  We don’t have salad traditionally on T-giving.  So fuck if I’m not bringing something I’ll eat…..or that I’ll want to eat.    But there will be pie also.  No pumpkin for me though.  I can spackle the walls with that stuff, but I ain’t ingesting it.

But whatever your traditions are, and whatever you’re thankful for – enjoy the day.

Song by: Emmylou Harris

I Have Forgiven Jesus

This is a bumper sticker on a car that parks near me every morning.

I’m not a fan believer in the big JC, but I think we’ve covered that here more than once. Clearly, many other folks out there are. I won’t offend your beliefs if you don’t offend mine.  Deal?

But yet the sticker amused me. It immediately made me think of Dickface GWB’s statements a term or so back regarding his decision to head into the Middle East avenge his father’s failure……ummm….I mean, to bring peace to the world:

‘I am driven with a mission from God’. God would tell me, ‘George go and fight these terrorists in Afghanistan’. And I did. And then God would tell me ‘George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq’. And I did.”

But I do love how politicians bring g-d into the picture. And yeah, I’m talkin’ about S. Palin. Because if g-d wants oil, it is his will to have a pipeline. He couldn’t figure any other way to do it if he wanted his earth raped and pillaged to run your Escalade.

Folks like W and Sarah (and trust me, it really isn’t limited to politicians) fail to see the irony or outright stupidity in the things they say.  They take liberties with the 10 Commandments when they see fit, but want to stick to the letter of the “law” in Leviticus when they want state laws banning men to lay down with men.

Anyway, the bumper sticker amused me.

Song by: Morrissey

Site of the Month

Whatta do when there is a writer’s strike, but you’re a “creative” type and just need to keep working?

Make viral videos.  4 of them. Musical ones.

That’s what Joss Whedon did.   We love Josh.  Let’s face it, he created the 2nd greatest series ever – Buffy, the Vampire Slayer.

Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-Long Blog stars NPH – yes, Doogie Howser himself.   But it also has Whedon’s Firefly star, Nathon Fillon (hubba hubba!)

The episodes are for sale on iTunes, but you can certainly see some of them (if not all) on YouTube.   There is also an official website, but it not longer shows them – just tells you how to buy them.

Silent Partner

Cleveland is attempting to pass a Domestic Partner Registry program.  Snore.

First – they are a little past the time for this.  Too little, too late.  Cleveland Heights did it about six years ago and one of the first cities in the nation to do it.  Cleveland proper turned their back on it then.

Secondly – Ohio passed a ban on gay marriage back in 2004, in the whole let’s throw off voters with a non-measure to get them riled up for ‘family values’ and the GOP.

So now, Cleveland admittedly is trying to stop ‘brain drain’ from NE Ohio and hope that smart folks who can move anywhere, because they can (i.e. homos).   And for this right – which is non-binding and provides absolutely nothing by law, or can be enforced by anyone or for anyone – we would get to pay the low low price of $75!

Yes, Cleveland is extremely cash-strapped, so why not prey on the folks who might have disposable income that four years ago they helped decide to exclude.

FUCK YOU CLEVELAND.

But because gays do bring cash to the table – Cleveland is also vying for the 2014 Gay Games.  This one I’m slightly better with.  A few 100 gay athletes and a few 1000 of their admirers coming to town to make the straights uncomfortable, all while they profit from the poofs.

….and clearly it is already making some locals uncomfortable – like Juanita Solis, who wrote this letter to the Plain Dealer:

Is Cleveland so hard up for money that we need to push aside our morals and integrity and vie to host the 2014 Gay Games (Plain Dealer, Oct. 16)? Are we condoning homosexuality by courting this event? It’s bad enough that gay marriages are being legalized.

I’m sure that I am going to upset a lot of people, but I’m sorry. I’m no Bible thumper, but please tell me where in the Bible it says that men are to be with men and women are to be with women? If there is such a passage in the Bible, then I will gladly shut up.

Now, I considered writing a response to this.  Something like this:

“I’m sure I’m going to upset a lot of people, but I’m sorry.  Solon (the uber-white Cleveland suburb where Ms Solis lives) is not comfortable with hispanics living in its borders.  We are fine with you coming once, every other week, to do the floors, baseboards, tubs and sinks, but I do not see anything in the city charter where you people should be residing within city limits.

Clearly, I have nothing against hispanics, but if Juanita insists on making broad, uninformed, prejudicial statements about one group of people, I don’t have much issue with pointing this out in language she might understand.   Might.  To be honest, I don’t think she is that intelligent to pick up on it, even when hit over the head with it.

The only actual response in the PD I saw was better than anything I came up with.  The guy suggested Ms. Solis move to Iran where there are no homosexuals at all!    I’m for that.

But I do find both Cleveland initiatives to be hypocritical.

We certainly will not be shelling out any cash for the registry.  I see some issues with not doing this too.  In a way, I feel the need to show a force in numbers on how many queer couples are here – but the bigger picture problem for me is, the city presenting me with a $75 piece of worthless paper. By the way – cost of a marriage license?  $40!!!!!!!

Bite me.

Song by:  Marti Jones

Part Missing

I’m not.  Missing that is. No reason to take out ads on milk cartons or anything.

In a way, not blogging for two days was kind of liberating and kind of disconcerting.  I felt the need to continue my streak, butje had nothing really to say.   I guess that could be argued with my entire 1200+ posts.  But I did like not trying to craft something amusing to say.

Blobby was on the road again.  Not flying, but driving.  I got to hit (kind of) my old stomping grounds of Columbus.  Yeah, it was mostly work – but I got to see Morty, George and Tom G.  We had a nice dinner – right across from where Morty and I (andDith) used to live.  Then it was a furniture store. Now you get italian-like food there.  And alcohol.   The ‘hood has changed so much since we lived there…..omg, 15-18 years ago!

But what we mostly got was just some great face-time.  It’s always good to see those guys – even if Dith ditched us for something better to do.   ……as IF!

My job is just a job.  I am getting closer to knowing my fate about a position I have been in discussions with for the last five months.  I know I’m the guy – and it is a good job, but I’m not overly “jazzed” about it.  Probably more stability – which in these days is saying something.

We are now in preliminary discussions about salary and benefits – so if they can’t match what I need (or want), I will probably stay put….at least for now.

It’s cold.  Colder than it should be for November.  Teens cold.  This is usually late December weather….and even mid-January for the last few years.  It’s too early.

That’s it folks.  No major stories.  No major revelations.

Continue on as normal……..

Song by:  Lori Carson

“40″

40 straight days of blogging – and now I got nothing to say.

The election is over. There was no good news of the day to rip on. My job search is in some kind of suspended animation. The holidays have not begun – not really.  No dental woes.

I’m just kind of at a loss. I heard a really crude Sarah Palin joke. Anyone wanna hear it?

Song by: U2

The Married Man

There have been some half-baked thoughts out there on Prop 8 – on both sides.  Maybe not that bad, but more wrought with emotion than logic.   My Keith Olbermann post from the other day was one I liked, but for the demographic who watch his show – he was preaching to the choir.  He was not really bringing one over to the Gay Side of marriage.

Last Saturday, on Real Time with Bill Maher, Dan Savage was on (again) – his first time after Prop 8 failed.  I’m not a huge fan of Savage’s written column – it’s a bit over the top for me – but as a commentator, he’s articulate, and has well thought-out ideas and if need be, arguments.

Take this clip.  Yeah, you have to sit through Ashton Kutcher, and his borderline homophobic response (about 50 seconds in) – he almost redeems himself (1:45 in).   Almost!

It is really about 4:10 into the video where Savage presents one of the best counterpoints to the Right, or the Mormons, or the Catholics rationale on why same sex marriage is a threat to the institution.   It’s a fun thing to watch – but maybe that’s just me.

Fall-out from Prop 8 continues.  The multiple protests that happened last weekend (admittedly, I did not attend in the 35 degree pouring rain) - which was coordinated in days via FaceBook or MySpace.  They got hundreds of thousands of people protesting – something HRC couldn’t do in a year’s worth of planning.

There is a push for Hollywood to boycott the Sundance Film Festival – as the latter is full of Mormons (major instigators to push Prop 8 to pass) and the former is full of homosexuals.  No – it’s true!  I swear!!!

I’m ok with the boycott.  Nothing good has come out of Sundance since sex, lies and videotape anyway.

Song by: the Roches

Lifeboat

It’s been a coon’s age forever since I’ve written about a dream I’ve had. It’s not that I haven’t had good ones, it is just that I wasn’t really remembering them too much in detail.

Saturday night it was one that has just stuck with me…..for no good reason.

The dream was a hybrid of the stories of the Edmund Fitzgerald and the Exxon Valdez. …and it was done in computer graphic simulation, as if being recreated by the Discovery channel or something. ….and it was in its entirety…from leaving port to sinking – even though the Valdez, in real life, did not sink. There was music (no, not Gordon Lightfoot) and narration. This was a quality production.

The boat, which in my dream it was the Valdez, roars out of port, out of control, scrapes along the sides of rivers and break walls, tearing chunks of the hull away from said ship and eventually sinks. The background was pitch black, but the ship and buildings and maps used to portray this “tragedy” was done in almost neon like displays – something like Tron.

(you can click on the image to make it ‘go’, I believe)

There was also a part of the dream that included my contact case – and the bottom of each compartment had black sludge on them. Spilled oil in Prince William Sound? Or my subconscious telling me that I just didn’t clean the lenses good enough when I took them out before bedtime?

Yes, I could have called this post ‘The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald’, but that seemed too easy.  And I have a better story about that anyway.   Years ago, in sports bar in Monterey, they had live entertainment (instead of the NBA semi-finals – not that I really cared about those).  The “entertainment” was a guy and his guitar.   He opened his set (opened!) with that Gordon Lightfoot chestnut.  I could not stop laughing.

Seriously, where does one go from there?

Song by: Marti Jones