28 Days Later

So I'm surfing around on the net today -- totally excited for the movie 28 Days Later that comes out tomorrow -- and I'm reading this review on CNN -- and I click on the wrong link and honestly think I'm looking at a picture of 28 Days Later thinking "oh yuk, realistic looking zombies!" Only to find out that it was really Strom Thurman. Oops, my bad. (And I'm probably sooo going to Hell for saying that.) But man -- if I live to be 100, I really hope I don't look like that. I'm thinking "concealer" or at least something to smooth out that skin tone.

Gay Texans can now have anal sex in places other than prison.

Miramax just secured the rights for the musical Pippin by Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Children of Eden, The Baker's Wife). The also have the rights to Damn Yankees and Guys and Dolls. Wish they'd produce an ORIGINAL musical . . . oh well. Can't win em all.

I'm on page 400 now in Harry Potter. Umbridge woman is a BITCH. All there is to say. Someone needs to pop her in the pooper.

Reminder!!!

Just a reminder that "The Hours" comes out on DVD tomorrow.

This movie like seriously moved me. Enough that I read the book. And saw the movie again after I read it. Maybe it's just because I'mto the situations in the movie at this point in my life . . . I dunno . . . or maybe it's just because I like those really somber and sad movies . . . who can say?

Needless to say, it was amazing. Go buy it. Meryl Streep was awesome.

Bleh bleh

I'm tired. Bleh.

Not sure why exactly. True, I've had my head in a book for the past 5 hours -- be it a school text book or Harry Potter -- (and I can tell you that I'm by far more amused by Harry Potter.)

I was quite shocked tho. It said " ... " Ron ejaculated loudly.

Couldn't Rowling have come up with a better descriptive exclamation than ejaculated?

Tonite has been somewhat of a melancholy nite. I don't really know why. I think it has something to do with the weather. I'm typically very sensitive to atmospheric changes and we've been under a heat warning (head index above 108 degrees for more than two days) and we had a big storm system come through with flood warnings.

Ryan called today. He's having to have his transmission replaced. I'd tell you more, but I'm honestly not sure what a transmission is or what it does. I'm sure has something to do with making the car move -- but I can't really tell you what it is -- but it is quite expensive.

Yes, I'm gay -- I know nothing about cars except how to put Gas in and (possibly) how to change my oil. Yes, I can change a tire. (I think.)

My kitty loves me. She sleeps on me while I read Harry Potter, and cuddles with me when I go to bed at night. It's such a good feeling to know that an animal trusts you and loves you and is dependent on you. Except when it shits on the floor.

I'm including another song. This is by Yaz featuring the almost-lovely Alison Moyet. Everyone knows this song -- and it's quite nostaligic.

Only You -- Yaz
Only You -- Gregorian

River Deep, Mountain High

I went out to visit my mother last weekend (on Father's Day) to give her some beer bread and for just casual visit. They moved last December into this very nice 3 story house (complete with airplane hanger). As I'm leaving, she says "Oh, I have some boxes for you to take." I'm thinking "great, like I have room in my apartment for two MORE boxes."

I get them home and break them out. Baby pictures galore. Crap from when I was in college. Programs from various theatrical productions. It was nostalgia in a box, people.

So I'm looking through my baby pictures and thinking wow, look how red all these pictures are. Bad photo processing. So -- I scanned them and dumped them into Photoshop for some color correction. Such adorable little pictures.

No football comments, please.

Anywho, I'm back in school for another five weeks and ready to take over the world -- or at least a small country with a weak government.

Harry is almost here!

So I'm about to go to bed and I decide to read CNN to see what horrific and saddening things happened in the world today.

There was an article from TIME in there about Harry Potter, and the first page was just so warming. It didn't really talk about the book -- it talked about this little girl who loved Harry Potter. She had developed a tumor on her kidney and it was spreading quickly. She was very young and J.K. Rowling e-mailed her and talked with her regularly -- sent her gifts in the mail -- and told her things about the 4th book when it was being written.

Of course, it never tells you what happens to Katie . . . but it was so heart-warming to see that someone who is very famous has a heart enough to talk to a child and give her strength and inspiration when she is terminally ill.

Amazing and inspiring.

Of course the rest of the article was mostly about religious tolerance how some people use it to teach scripture and others condemn it to hell.

Stupid lunitics. Quit reading into everything.

Anyway, I'm totally pumped for this next book. Got it preordered and everything.

Thanksgiving

Ok, so I had a really odd dream last nite. It was very realistic feeling -- and when I woke up, I thought it was Thanksgiving.

I HATE Thanksgiving. Well, I suppose HATE is a strong word - but it is by far not my favorite holiday.

Anyway -- it was weird. I was in Chicago or some other city, and a lot of my family (from both sides of the family) were there as well as some of my close friends (all as a partof the family). The mother from Queer as Folk was the mother or grandmother in this dream and insisted that everyone eat.

I hate to make some sort of apple dumpling cake . . . and went to a grocery store carrying this big box full of various bottles of shampoo and wine. I dropped the box (of course) while looking for the stuff to make this cake. For some reason, this grocery store only sold x-brand foods . . . maybe that's an unconcious statement of my hate for labels.

Anyway -- weird.

I'm done with school and working on a project now for my former employer. It's a big messy portal. I'll be working the rest of this weekend and Monday and Tuesday on it. Glory be, praise Jesus.

Speaking of which, I need to run to the office.

Heartbreak vs. Heartburn

This is dedicated to all those wonderful people who hurt like hell because of some asshole who has decided to quickly move on and torture your life because you thought they loved you -- but they were really just a trick that lasted a year. (No, Ryan and I are fine.)

Is this heartbreak?
Or is this heartburn?
Have I been played?
Or do I need a Rolaid™?

Gotta learn the difference 'tween I love ya --
The difference 'tween I love ya
And the syptoms of Ebola.

Is this heartbreak?
Or is this heartburn?
Can I be spared
From being so dramatic?

Gotta learn the difference 'tween I love ya --
The difference 'tween I love ya
And a derailed roller coaster.

Gonna rain down on my sunny Sunday shoes
Guess best I get some galoshes

Let me tell you that this song's useful.
Yes this song's useful when you're really drunk.
And you gotta learn the difference 'tween I love ya
The difference 'tween I love ya and whatever.

Adaptation

Watched a little film last nite with Ryan. It was called 'Adapatation' and starred Nicolas Cage (who I don't care for) and Meryl Streep (who I thought I loved).

What a flacid movie. I was bored and all I can seem to remember is Meryl Streep trapsing through a swamp looking for this Ghost Orchid and she sees it and says "it's a flower."

Well no shit it's a flower.

Although, I have to admit that her fascination with the phone dialtone when she was high was quite amusing.

The box art for the film is great. But the quality stopped there. Guess they had to sell it somehow.

Might Have to Wait

Sunday nite -- 3:30am. I'm still up -- should definitly be in bed.

I've been toying with some ideas for my site and I've decided on a final theme (which is a surprise, of course.) Now it is simply a matter of knocking my ass out to get it done.

I have 3 more days of class (HOORAY!) then a week off. However, I also am working on a project at the moment to help me get by until I get a solid job. It will be eating my lunch in a hardcore way. It's a portal (nothing really major), but I am behind all design aspects. You can see what I've done here: www.mydevspace.com. This is still very much in progress, but you'll get the general feel of it.

So -- I will be working on the site as I get around to it. Might even try to skin it . . . but I'm not sure if I really want to take that route. I do for the experience, but I don't know how much it would get used and/or if it's worth the effort.

Anyway -- I'm off to bed. But before I go, I have a new song for ya.

Bring Me Edelweiss (by Edelweiss)

Time to Redecorate

Ok -- I'm bored with this look. It's time for me to redecorate.

Keep your eyes peeled, gents.

Mp3 kick, baby.

Ok -- so I was sitting here being super silly and all of sudden I had this massive musical epiphany and now I'm having to include all these songs as *bonus* tracks for my song list on the left. These are seriously great songs.

Kiss Me With Your Mouth -- Steven Tin Tin Duffy
(I just have to ask . . . what else would you kiss someone with . . .?)

Walk the Dinosaur -- Was Not Was
(boom boom lacka lacka lacka boom)

Boom Boom (Let's Go Back To My Room) -- Paul Lekakis
(Hey babe, I'd like to talk to you . . .) -- they sound a whole lot like Dead Alive, no?

Hole In My Heart (That Goes All The Way To China) -- Cynda Lauper
(Kind'a gives you a reminiscient Vibe, no? Makes you wonder Celine Dion didn't cover this one . . .)

Papa . . . Papa, Can You Hear Me?

For your amusement . . . *smooch*

This could be k.d. lang's future hit, peeps.

Long Lost Friends

I received a phone call two nights ago from a very close friend who lives in Utah. We went to college together back in 1997 and were in the same performing group. We became very close.

Oddly enough, my parents and I stayed with them on a vacation trip, and my parents noticed my friend's (Kristin is her name) parents' marriage certificate. It turns out her mother is from the Greene family which is the same family my great-grandmother is from. So after doing some checking, we found out that we're actually 5th cousins. How weird is that?

Anyway -- she called me just to catch up, and it was SO great to shoot the shit with her. We talked for at least an hour, gossping on all our other friends -- who's gay -- who's got 20 children now (you know those Mormons . . .) -- who's married -- and such. Unfortunately, I found out that one of friends has Lukemia -- or at least is rumored to have Lukemia. Sad news. Very disheartening.

We talked about movies -- what to see, what not to see. She recommended "The Tall Man" -- has anyone seen it? Jeff Goldbloom is in it. Apparently he gets a part in the musical "The Elephant Man" . . . or something like that. Sounds fascinating. LOL. But she said it was worth checking out.

It was great to hear from her tho. And hopefully she'll start checking my blog so we can talk more and have fun juicy conversations.

One More . . .

A young man’s car developed a flat tire as he was driving along a deserted street. He pulled over to the curb and did all the usual things: removed the hub cap, unscrewed the lugs and rested them carefully in the hub cap, jacked up the car. As he was putting the spare tire onto the axle he accidentally kicked the hub cap. The lugs rolled out, and all five of them fell down a nearby grate. Peering through the bars of the grate the man thought that he could see the lugs about 6 feet below in a shallow water puddle. He had a problem. How do you think he solved it?

I'm clueless on this one. *thinks* call AAA?

*UPDATE!* Yes, that is correct! Take one of the lug nuts from each of the other wheels to compensate for the lost nuts.

Help, please.

So I have this question for school that I need help with. I know some of you people out there are that brainy type -- can you help? I need to know by Tuesday.

An anthropologist discovers an isolated tribe whose written alphabet contains only six letters (call the letters A, B, C, D, E, and F). The tribe has a taboo against using the same letter twice in the same word. It’s never done. If each different sequence of letters constitutes a different word in the language, what is the maximum number of six-letter words that the language can employ?

*UPDATE!* Very good! It is, in fact, a factorial problem (6*5*4*3*2*1). So the answer is 720.

New Music

Being a new month, I posted a new song list. I guess I was particularly gay when I chose these. This is like the "Come out, come out, wherever you are!" song list.

Got a little bit of everything. Torch songs, bubble-gum techno, chill, persian, and the mandatory Madonna.

Hope you enjoy! (The songs are uploading as we speak -- at 3:02pm)

Once Upon a Time . . .

So we finished off the 6 Feet Under Season 1 DVD set tonite. Amazing show.

Ya know, it reminds me a lot of the time when I was a missionary. Bet ya didn't I was a missionary, did ya? Oh yes. I was one of those little Mormon missionaries who irritate the hell out of everyone. I spent half of my mission in Brazil until I got sick and was then sent to New Jersey.

'Tis true, I shit you not. I spent 6 months of my time in Harrison, New Jersey. I lived on the 3rd floor of a funeral home. It was not as elaborate as the home in 6 feet under. Was a 1 bedroom apartment with a kitchen, living room, and a weird little den thing. We would have to go downstairs everyday to get our mail. This meant taking a trip past the viewing room.

Sometimes there would be bodies there. Sometimes there would be unfinished bodies there -- like their makeup was half done -- and that was a cracked out feeling, let me tell you. We would go into the basement to where the embalming room was. It was very cold and sterile feeling.

I remember once there was a funeral for an 18 year old girl. It was very sad and there were a lot of friends that came to the viewing. The night before the viewing, we (as missionaries) went downstairs. The flowers had been arranged and such and it was very nice. I believe she had been shot.

It was so sad. But at the same time . . . it wasn't sad at all. It was a sort of spiritual experience in an odd sort'a way.

We sang. We just kind'a sat there and sang -- in the dark -- to a corpse. I guess that is really weird now that I think about it. But it was comforting, nonetheless.

One of the things I hated about being a missionary in New Jersey was that we were encouraged to "prey" (at least that's what I called it) on those who recently experienced a death in the family as they are typically emotionally in need and more "to spiritual experiences." We were encouraged to get them to make a commitment to join the Mormon church at this time -- which I felt was highly inappropriate. It is a time for comforting and being thankful for what you have -- not a time to make life-altering decisions.

But this isn't a rant against the Mormon church. Just a . . . well . . . a lot of blubbering brought on because of 6 Feet Under. Great show. All I can say. Just a great show.