Exiled in Guyville

Best Albums of the Decade - an 'off the top of my head list'

2009-09-16T23:30:00.000-07:00

This is nowhere near complete, but since it's late in the night and I have insomnia, I might as well start throwing these out for my pick for 'albums of the decade' - I'm giving myself ten minutes to come up with as many entries as I can think of that will land in the Top 100 in no particular order. The other rule - don't think, just keep writing. Here goes...

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Outkast-Stankonia
Radiohead - Kid A
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Neko Case - Blacklisted
Beck - Sea Change
Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
YeahYeahYeahs - Fever to Tell
Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake It's Morning
The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
Jay-Z - The Blueprint
Sleater-Kinney-The Woods
Kanye West - The College Dropout
Arcade Fire - Funeral
LCD Soundsystem-Sound of Silver
The Strokes-Is This It?
Tool - Lateralus
My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade
Yo La Tengo-And Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out
A.C. Newman-Get Guilty
Pulp - We Love Life
The New Pornographers-Twin Cinema
Drive-By-Truckers - The Dirty South
The Hold Steady - Separation Sunday
Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow
Lucinda Williams - World Without Tears
PJ Harvey - Stories From The City Stories From The Sea
Gorillaz-Demon Days
Eagle*Seagull - s/t
Bob Dylan - Love and Theft

Editor's note - 1:39 a.m. - wow...this is harder than I thought...

Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP
TV On the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain
Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head
Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
Spoon - Kill the Moonlight
Tori Amos - Scarlet's Walk
Spoon - Gimmie Fiction
Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
Sigur Ros - ( )
The Shins - Oh Inverted World

Okay...that's all I could think of - I know there are tons more out there, but that's what I could think of at the top of my head on an early Thursday morning

Unemployment - 2 weeks in

2009-09-09T12:26:00.000-07:00

I'm listening to Titus Andronicus' The Airing of Grievances and nursing a coffee while searching for any company that will have me. I took a bit of time to work out yesterday and realized the wreckage a job can have on you. I'm not blaming the company, but it certainly fe...

Just got a call from a company - awesome! They're sending my information to the hiring manager. One step, but at least it's momentum.

Anyway -
I'm not blaming the company for my softness, but it certainly didn't help. Long hours at a desk with chairs not designed for sitting in for long hours does a major number on your back. Long hours also makes you more likely to want to sprawl in front of a couch and veg instead of doing some laps in the pool. The stress of wondering if you have a job or not does wonders on your diet as well - as I went from a 'cauliflower and broccoli-eating' unit to a 'organic sea salt and vinegar chips with a vodka tonic before bed' unit.

It didn't take me overnight to go from 225 to 165. Now I know it's going to take me awhile to go from 200 to about 175. A lot has happened though since that 225 weight. I was just out of college, filled with energy, vigor and even desperation. Now, settled into early middle-age, it takes a lot more to energize - and when you're energized, such as when I saw Neko Case in concert a few weeks ago, that euphoric momentum you left the concert with has a much shorter shelf life. And that euphoric momentum is so critical to drive you to blog, to write a cover letter that doesn't sound like the other 70 cover letters you've written and to track down any freelance writing chances you can get.

Can you be a catch and still be unemployed?

2009-08-24T07:40:00.001-07:00

I'm listening to Mos Def's The Ecstatic right now on my first day of unemployment. I know an earlier blog post said 'whack' - but I was actually moved to corporate and I did some administrative work for about two months. But yeah, it's official - this is my first day of unemployment.

The day so far: Got up about a half-hour later than my typical workday. Scheduled a dentist appointment before insurance goes. Curse at Nebraska Workforce's Web Site - an hour of registration only to be met with an 'Error' message after you click 'Submit' - apparently the site has been up since last Friday and is still going through some glitches.

Plans of the day - I have a few freelance projects to work on that I didn't get a chance to work on when I was working 60-hour weeks at the old job. Clean up my place and clean out my box of stuff from my desk. Take my dog on a few more walks than usual. Update my Netflix queue and go to Nebraska Workforce and register in person.

Two years ago, I read a gay-themed comic where one of the characters just wanted a "nice guy with a steady job and who isn't a psychotic." Unemployment is a definite turn-off. The only exception (for guys and girls) are those hot musicians who are great in the sack and are great philosophizers like Ethan Hawke's character in Reality Bites. Otherwise, it's a definite strike against you. But in this economy, are people cutting people a bit more slack?

I haven't been unemployed in 19 years. I'm 35 now. But still, the fact I'm 35 in the gay community is probably far more of a strike against me than the loss of a job. I'm not saying that's a sign to give up on the dating community, but it's definitely the norm.

Whack

2009-06-04T12:09:00.000-07:00

Well - at least I have something to write about.

I'm at the Blue Line Coffee House, drinking an espresso and eating a baguette with butter and jam, listening to Animal Collective Feels. Yesterday, I would have been at work, but I was let go. I now share the same pain as millions of Americans and tens of millions throughout the world. I've never been laid off before.

The speech I was given and the manner I was disposed of was sharp and quick. I was given less than four minutes to clean out my cube and I was told not to make a scene. There were signs. By chance, the last book I read was And Then We Came to the End. I was too stunned to make a scene. It was like the feeling you experience when you wake up after minor surgery.

Now comes this great, vast unknown. I have a condo that I can't sell in this market. I could rent it and move to an area in the country that's more accommodating, but if it doesn't get rented, I'm sunk. I'm envisioning myself in my PJs, searching out job tip sites and forming a greater appreciation of Matlock.

The biggest obstacle is 'the fear.' I see homeless people in my neighborhood and I keep thinking how close many are to that level of despair. I think 'a few months of missed condo payments and that could be you...' I think this is a great time to really focus on freelancing, but then I hear that the average professional freelancer makes $6,000 a year. That's awesome if I lived in Egypt. I think of the areas I would like to move to - this is the perfect excuse to get out of Omaha. Then I think of the money it's going to cost for just such an act. And not having a job in a strange area is never a good thing.

But all I can think about right now is how routines change when you don't have a job. I'm at the coffee house right now and I see students enjoying their summer off. I see people who drop in for a quick pick me up before their work shift begins. And on a few discussion boards, I never thought the phrase "anyway - gotta get back to work" would elicit such a response of longing and even jealousy from me.

I have some savings. I have plenty of CDs and food in the fridge to last a while. Here begins a new chapter in my life. There are things that every adult usually goes through...their first car crash, their first divorce and, of course, their first layoff. I'm hoping this is a brief journey of discovery.

Don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out

2009-01-19T18:33:00.001-08:00

First off, happy MLK day all. It's fitting that on the same day we honor our greatest civil rights leader, the worst president in US history has his last day in office. I'm headed to Brothers to have a scotch for this occasion. I'm a tad disappointed I haven't seen too many (actually, none) 'Bush's last day' parties in Omaha.

I woke up to KFacistAB last week and I heard Jim "brown nose" Rose boasted that no one watches MSNBC and it sickened him how the media treated Bush as the spawn of Satan. What the hell did these people do with Clinton during his eight years in office? The hosts tried to say that Iraq was his only mistake and it may not be a mistake a few years down the road. So, in essence, we may see a bit of Truman with Rush...err - Bush.

The only thing is those 'other' mistakes:
Katrina
The economy (no, the President didn't cause the recession, but much of the regulation he was against could have prevented some of this disaster)
The desecration of our stance in the world
The pissing on the Constitution
The hiring of two major ideologues on the Supreme Court that favors big business over individual rights

Yet, like a drunk, loser brother or uncle, you want to cut the guy some slack. Maybe he'll come around... but then he turns around and gives another dickish reason why this guy's absense from the world state can't be soon enough.

Is Children of Men better than Blade Runner?

2008-11-16T20:47:00.001-08:00

First off - a special thanks to the Dundee theater for putting Children of Men on its midnight movie screening. I caught it Saturday/early Sunday with about 20 other patrons. I definitely put this movie in a different perspective than I did a few years ago - given the administration change. Still, virtually all of this movie takes place in the UK, not the U.S.

A few months ago, I caught the re-remastered Blade Runner at the Film Streams. I fell in love with the film in 1992 when I saw the director's cut at a discount theater in Lincoln, NE. But more than 15 years later, I saw a film that was basically a film noir mystery in the backdrop of a sci-fi world. But what a world it was.

Still, even with a greater sense of hope for our world, Children of Men still packs an emotional whallop on the big screen that still shakes me to my core.

In 15 years, who knows what people will say of Children of Men. Will it be regarded as well as Blade Runner? I can truly say it's better acted and written than Ridley Scott's film. But it will no doubt be less influential than Scott's film. Still, Alfonso Cuaron's film leaves me shaken like few other films this decade. The film wasn't nominated for best picture. That award went to The Departed. And though I celebrated that film's win, it goes without saying that in 15 years, that film's impact will not approach the impact of Children of Men. Kudos to the Dundee theater for bringing this moving back to the big screen for two nights.

What the hell is my blog about anymore?

2008-10-04T22:18:00.001-07:00

If I were a freelance blogger - I would be baffled about what exactly this blog has turned into. The original title was and still is 'Exiled in Guyville.' It still is about feeling like an exile in the gay AND straight community in the midwest. But like many reclusive, geeky bisexuals - I'm not a fan of talking about sex - even in the comfortable world of anonymity. It's not like it freaks me out. Hell, I just saw Choke last night and didn't flinch. It was worse than vulgar. It was boring.

But I got tired of writing about near dating experiences - about griping about the gay community in Omaha. I wanted to blog more about stuff I truly cared about - like music, books, politics - life in general. Which is I guess sort of the whole point of the bisexual thing - I really don't want that to be the focal thing that defines me to people.

Hence - the infrequency of the posts. I'm just trying to figure out where to go next. Us bisexuals are a restless bunch. Many of us (myself included) may be intensely monogamous - but restless in the sense of not being satisfied with their current position in life.

One thing I would like to write about is what happened during the debates. I was watching it at one of the bars in Omaha. I struck up a conversation with a guy. An immensely cute, 30-ish, intelligent, somewhat guarded transplant from Denver. It was one of those great conversations where after the debate, both of us instinctively opted to go to a quieter place and continue our conversation for another hour and a half.

There were lots of "can I ask you a question..." "I don't say this to everyone..." type of segways. And absolutely no scripting - e.g. ice breakers you use - you know they are lines - but you almost have to use them if absolutely no conversation is flowing but you want to get to know this person better - so you're forced to use them - just to keep the conversation flowing and keep him/her interested (see "so...what are you studying?" "where do you work?" "how long have you lived in Omaha?").

I couldn't stop looking into his eyes - it was then I knew I was in trouble. I've been single for about a year and have gone on about 3 dates in that year. Now I find someone I've clicked with - to me - almost on a magnetic level. We're having coffee tomorrow. I know he got to me when certain songs - both edgy and corny started to run through my head and take on another meaning entirely (such as Bonnie Raitt's "Feeling of Falling" and The Replacements' "Valentine" - from Rhino's reissue of Pleased to Meet Me). I praise this development in my life because it comes at a time where music - no matter how good - just wasn't having an impact for me. It was just background material to the soundtrack of a guy who was frustrated at gaining 30 pounds over the year partly due to a back injury, partly due to overwork. Then, suddenly - you have certain feelings reawakened - and music starts to actually have an impact again. You start to relate to the artist - what Jarvis Cocker was thinking when he wrote "Sylvia" or what Lucinda Williams was going through when she wrote "Essence."

But the guarded part of me is starting to appear - just in time. I keep reminding myself I haven't even gone out on a date with this guy. I still have to go through the coffee meeting - the preseason of dating. Having coffee is a cheap way of determining whether or not a person is worthy of an actual date - where dressing up and money is invested in a person. I keep thinking of PJ Harvey. Will the next week put me in the Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea mood, where a person known for singing about heartbreak finds love in a new setting, but doesn't sacrifice much of what made her PJ Harvey? Or will a series of "I don't want to tie myself down" and "Well, you have my email..." put me in a Rid of Me or To Bring You My Love mood?

Gay, straight, bisexual - every single folk out there will hopefully have that one initial spark with someone - who within 30 minutes of conversation - you could just see yourself with them - maybe not your entire life - but definitely for a long time. And at the same time, knowing the terrible fear of plunging off the deep end to someone who may not be recripocating those feelings. But you have to find out. So - here goes the biggest challenge - putting all of that shit aside and getting that exact person to have dinner with you.

If I was to select a doctor the way the Right tells me how I should select a president

2008-09-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

First and foremost, I would want a doctor who was not an 'elitist.' Before I look at things like "credentials" - I would want to make sure I could have a beer with this doctor after my procedure.

I would also want the doctor to be devoutly religious. Preferably born-again. And despite my doctor's constant exposure to "science" - I would want to make sure he or she believed in Creationism.

OK - those two big things are out of the way. Let's keep going.

I would want a doctor who would not waver. If a new study comes out, saying a certain drug is known to have harmful side effects, I would want my doctor to be steadfast in his or her belief that the drug prescribed to me will help me. Regardless of the adverse effects. Any second-guessing of his prescriptions is a sign of weakness. No flip-flopping on diagnosis either - even if new tests come out.

Speaking of come out. No homos. That should go without saying. I'd be afraid of what would happen to me when I'm unconscious during surgery.

Finally, I want a doctor who has pride in the hospital he or she works. You say another hospital can do a certain task better? Nonsense. I hate doctors who do not have pride in their own hospital. Their hospital is the best at everything. From the cafeteria to burn treatment to cancer screenings - the hospital I go to is the best. End of story.

Barack Obama - This is what you have to deal withd

2008-08-26T19:08:00.000-07:00

August sucked for Obama. And McCain hasn't even really hit that hard. He doesn't need to. There's all this talk about how Obama is beating McCain in fundraising, but who needs fundraising when one party (the Republican party) has pretty much an entire AM radio format for free advertising. You can flood radio with 30-second ads for Obama - but you still have to deal with three hour blocks of Limbaugh, Hannity, Ingram, O'Reilly and Savage.

In addition, anti-Obama books are flooding the New York Times bestseller list. Even if they are preaching to the choir, where the hell are the anti-McCain books?

I'm watching the Democratic convention right now and Michelle Obama is saying Americans are tired of "red meat" and they want something more substantive. I wish I could believe that. Face it, negative sells. No matter how positive a campaign's message is, when it comes down to the last few weeks and the race is tight, it always resorts to negative.

It must work because currently, Obama and McCain are tied in polls conducted by CNN. By now, due to Bush's popularity ratings, Obama should have an easy road to the White House. The reality shows another story entirely. Ads linking Obama to terrorists, constantly questioning his patriotism and even his food choices (since when the fuck did liking arugula become a crime?) are being attacked - and the "news" of these attacks are landing on CBS, NBC and ABC - which equates to even more free air time for the anti-Obama attack machine. Who cares if most of the attacks are hyperbole? The moment it lands on the news, you're guilty in the eyes of most of the public.

Rolling Stone had a decent article about how Bush ruined the Republican Party in its latest issue. I won't believe that statement until Election Night. A McCain win pretty much right now equates to an American endorsement of Bush's last eight years in office.

2008 - The Summer Where My Cinematic Cynicism Melted

2008-07-28T18:44:00.000-07:00

Your age is most likely going to affect your judgment of the crop of summer movies. I'm 34 - and for a good portion of this decade, I thought the crop of summer movies were absolute crap with the exception of one or two decent crowd pleasers (see Spiderman 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban). For me, each crop of summer movies had to measure up against two years in summer movie yore: 1984 and 1989. 1984 gave us Ghostbusters, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Gremlins. 1989 gave us Batman (which nearly all summer blockbusters since then have attempted to replicate in terms of crass marketing), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Lethal Weapon 2. OK, Temple of Doom sucked, but as a fourth grader, the heart-ripping scene was totally badass.

Years change, tastes become more refined and cynicism serves as a great bullshit detector when the big blockbusters come rolling out and asking you for $8.50 plus another $10 for a small soda and a small popcorn. But this year is different. It's like what 1967 or 1977 was for music. Folks - we are currently experiencing the greatest crop of summer movies...ever. And audiences deserve nearly as much praise as the filmmakers and actors.

It started off with Iron Man - a hugely entertaining movie where the director went for talent rather than popularity or "big name draw" for a leading role.

Then came Wall-E. Even if you didn't care for the not so subtle "big business bad - sincerely Pixar - partially owned by Disney" message, it was a marvel to look at and in a time where everyone is saying kids are suffering from rampant ADD - having a movie that was virtually dialogue free for nearly 45 minutes is a feat worth celebrating.

Then Batman came - and Jesus - did it come with a vengeance. It looks like it's going to breeze by the ghastly Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and the just as bad Shrek 2 for box office gross.

So, we have three great movies, but even the lesser ones have been great. Hellboy 2 was stellar. And regardless of what your opinions of the series are, Sex in the City was no better or worse than an average episode, which is usually funnier than most comedies out there.

The only real piece of cinematic trash that cleaned up was Indiana Jones, proving that you can still market a movie that absolutely no one likes to $300 mill.

Audiences have more to look forward to. Barring a major disappointment, Pineapple Express looks like a sure lock for best comedy of the summer. And if it's written as well as previous Apatow projects, it'll mean four blockbusters that didn't stoop to the usual dumbness (e.g. fart jokes and gay jokes) of most comedies.

Just as surprising as the quality, audiences have stepped up as well, kicking well deserved turkeys like The Love Guru and Speed Racer to the curb.

Most summers, you'd be lucky to get a film with the quality of an Iron Man or definitely one Dark Knight. This year, we've had about four. Enjoy this year folks - chances are you won't see another crop like this for a good 20 or so odd years.

Jesse Jackson - Dumbass of the week

2008-07-10T18:01:00.000-07:00

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this.
You were one of the instrumental movers in the Civil Rights movement. You were a presidential contender.

And someone - you thought if you were utter that you'd like to cut Barack Obama's nuts off on FOX NEWS - even with the mike off - the people at FOX would not hear that and jump all over that statement.

Brilliant -

Jesse Helms

2008-07-07T17:53:00.001-07:00

I guess I abide to that typical adage that you shouldn't speak ill of the dead. So...Jesse Helms is dead. That's it -

No, wait -
I guess I should credit Helms for at least alerting me of my sexuality. I remember watching his rants against Robert Mapplethorpe and "sick homosexuals" "when I was a teenager. Of course, I scoffed at the images of a cross soaked in urine and a bullwhip up someone's ass - but when Helms made his remarks about gays - it cut. I winced, not knowing really why as I was still trying to get girls to go out with me.

But it's not just gays that Helms targeted. Throughout much of his career, his deftly dodged his bigotedness. Running an ad where a pair of white hands crumple a rejection letter because he lost his job to "a minority." He joked that he was going to make Carol Mosley Braun, the first African American woman elected to the Senate "I'm going to sing 'Dixie' until she cries."

Republican reaction has been mixed. Senator McCain had probably the best response of the high-profile lot: "At this time, let us remember a life dedicated to serving this nation."

The further right on the Republican spectrum, the more glowing the obits. George W. Bush said "Throughout his long public career, Senator Jesse Helms was a tireless advocate for the people of North Carolina, a stalwart defender of limited government and free enterprise, a fearless defender of a culture of life, and an unwavering champion of those struggling for liberty." Well...excluding those pinko Communist civil rights advocates of the '60s.

Right-wing gasbag Rush Limbaugh, high off of his own cover story in the New York Times magazine, had the stones to compare Helms to Lincoln and Adams. Why? Because he spoke his mind and didn't back down from what he believed was true. If you're a bigoted homophobe, should that trait of stubbornness really be celebrated? I've been to enough funerals for people who just plain weren't good people. Some abused their kids. Some were racists. Some were simply assholes. All shared the same phrase at the funeral: "At least you know where you stood with ." I would put Helms in that category.

Omaha Pride recap 2008

2008-06-22T17:18:00.000-07:00

So, another Pride has come to an end. And so far, I've heard no positive things about the event. Because it was held at Lewis and Clark landing, people complained about the lack of parking. Other people, single people, hate it because they call it a total meat market.

For years, I was in that boat. But no more.
I already know what the night Pride festivities are like. Overpriced beer, entertainment that's not my cup of tea and lots of people looking for the hookup. So I opted to go in the afternoon. It's free - and I had a chance to catch the action going on at the booths.

I stopped by the Human Rights Campaign booth, the Obama campaign booth (I'm a sucker for politically active gay geek boys) and Front Runners (a group that runs/walks together twice a week). I kept thinking about how I badmouth Pride for so many years while these volunteers pretty much gave up their Saturday and a few other days to set up their booths). A lot of these booths are great sources of information and add some substance to what many see as a day "where the homos parade down the street in leather chaps, waving rainbow flags." So...for those who read this - and who volunteer - thanks for doing what you do.

Second item -
I adopted a ten-year-old weimaraner. He's at home on my couch, he digs Pulp and is an all-around cool-ass pup. I don't expect this dog to cause me 'to break out of my shell and find a mate' or become a better person. He needed a place to retire - I needed a low-key dog who is as comfortable on the couch as he is running in the park.

Sonofabitch

2008-05-31T23:46:00.000-07:00

I'm in Vallejo California right now for a convetion. I was hoping to go to San Francisco this evening and go to the beach, grab some decent sushi and roam Chinatown for a bit. I got in and I decided that a nap would be most beneficial because I could barely keep awake driving from the airport. I set my alarm to 6:15 p.m. - apparently, I hit 'off' and not snooze because four-and-a-half hours later at 11:01 p.m. I woke up.

So, my evening went from doing that in San Francisco to bumming around in the hotel room in my pajamas and reading the last chapter of Frank Rich's The Greatest Story Ever Sold.

Fucking brilliant...

Drive-by post - New York Dispatch No. 3

2008-04-30T14:21:00.000-07:00

I went to St. Paul's Church yesterday as well as World Trade Center 3.
Going to catch Chris Rock tonight.
Eating sushi at Ruby Foo's.
Wishing I could find a record store around here.

Review - The Verve at WaMu (Madison Sq. Garden)

2008-04-29T14:15:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up, I used to mock any band that reunited. Most of these bands were baby boomer types and the reunions were either Spinal Tap-like or soulless exercises in extreme marketing (see The Who, Rolling Stones). Now, some of the bands that gave me the soundtrack of my life are doing the same - right down to doing promos with 50 Cent for Monday Night Football.

So, when The Verve announced that they were reuniting and coming out with a new album, I kept wondering if they were still relevant. I know some people HAVE to get back together to pay the bills, but dammit, other bands like The Clash and Sleater-Kinney have packed it in and kept their reputation intact (well, the Clash made the abysmal Cut the Crap - so one could argue they stayed around at least one album too late).

To cut bands that reunite some slack, we are not nearly as critical for writers and actors who do their craft well into their '60s and '70s. Could it be that rock will forever be thought of as a young person's game? Or is it simply that other actors and writers opt not to fall into the trap of saying "this is my last movie" or "this is the final book I'm writing" - and then when he or she gives it another go - the scrutiny spotlight is that much more intense.

So, at 9 p.m. at the WaMu Theater in Madison Square Garden, the reunited Verve took the stage and opened with "A New Decade." The audience roared in approval. Ashcroft, sporting a tightly-cropped haircut oftentimes gestured like a rapper, reaching his hands out to the audience, making stabbing gestures at each important lyric.

And then the band settled into its groove. "Sonnet" came on and by the fifth song, it looked like The Verve had never left judging by some of the audience behavior - some were going to get more beers, some were text messaging the event to friends. One person who was next to me even gave a 'so so' motion in response to one of the songs.

If the show was a bit on the predictable side, Richard Ashcroft can still sing like a wounded angel. And Nick McCabe's guitar work proves that while Ashcroft is a capable solo performer, McCabe gives him the psychedelic energy he so needs to give his songs additional heft.

The band closed with "Come On" before coming back with a three-song encore: "History," "Bittersweet Symphony" and "Love is Pain." Ashcroft, in his modest way, gave a brief introduction to the last two songs: "The first one's a classic and the next one's going to be a classic."

Time will tell. While it was great to say you were one of the folks who saw the Verve live, I'm still kicking myself that I didn't do more to scope out this band in their 1997 heyday. They put on a good show, but it was strictly by the numbers. For many in the audience, that was enough.

New York City Saga - Day 1

2008-04-28T08:21:00.000-07:00

I don't think there's a sweeter word right now than 'Free Wireless Connectivity!'
I'm staying at a hotel around West 77th st. and the bastards are charging $10 a day for Wireless. Fortunately, I found out about Ruby Foo's - at 2182 Broadway. In addition to a decent selection of Japanese-style cuisine, they also have free Wireless and a decent glass of wine to boot.

I arrived and I was still tired and a bit hung over from the night before. One of my good friends got married and against my better judgment, I went out with them after the reception at around 11 p.m. - even though my flight was 8:30. A London Porter, a vodka tonic, a Jager bomb (not my idea, but two loud ladies were insistent) and two vodka tonics later, I managed to fall asleep around 2 a.m. - and I woke up around 6:15 for the 7 a.m. shuttle. I knew I was in trouble when I didn't have a headache. The hangover hadn't even started yet.

Anyway - I tried my best to sleep on the flights and I arrived in New York City around 8 p.m. I got to my hotel, got my Metro card and tried to find a Wireless spot, but to no avail. I ate an unagi rice bowl at some sushi spot and went to The Boiler Room. I was at home. First, the reality of $8.50 beers has so far escaped me. All drinks were around $3 and no covers. And the jukebox was playing The Velvet Underground and The Sex Pistols. And it's a gay bar.

Today, I was going to see Ground Zero, but the deluge of rain may keep me from doing that. After I finish a bit of blogging, and this glass of wine, I'm headed to MOMA then a few hours later, I'm going to catch The Verve.

New York Bound

2008-04-25T21:02:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a few days off to go to New York.
To see The Verve. To see Chris Rock.
And hopefully to have lunch with a former New York Times writer.

I haven't posted for awhile because I don't really know where to take this Blog. I still love writing it. I still love commenting on music, politics and what not. But the basic point of it - expressing it from a bisexual point of view, has been somewhat neutered because I haven't really brought up the topic.

But I can still deliver content. Such as the new Aimee Mann song - '31 Today' - easily my frontrunner for 'song of the year.' Although the lyrics hit a bit too close to home.

Aimee Mann: 31 Today
http://download.stereogum.com/mp3/Aimee%20Mann%20-%20Thirty%20One%20Today.mp3

Exile in Guyville getting the deluxe treatment

2008-03-31T08:35:00.000-07:00

It looks like Liz Phair's seminal Exile in Guyville album is getting the deluxe treatment. Here's the link to the Pitchfork article about the rereleased album, which is supposed to hit the streets

The rerelease will feature interviews by Ira Glass, John Cusak and Steve Albani. The album will also feature some unreleased tracks. Right now, I'll take any Liz Phair rerelease (up to Whitechocolatespaceegg) than any new album of her more suburban-friendly "mom rock."

Each time I see these rereleases, I think how much of a sucker I am for these in-depth, filled-to-the-gills "deluxe editions." I bought the double-CD rerelease of Pulp's This is Hardcore, His and Hers and Different Class. I restrained myself from buying Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation and DJ Shadow's Endtroducing. But I will likely cave for Exile in Guyville. It is the inspiration for this site. It's still has my vote for "best album of the '90s" and it's mercifully hasn't aged much since its release. Plus, my CD copy is scratched to hell. A new purchase of it was long overdue.

Henry Rollins - Provoked

2008-03-13T09:04:00.000-07:00

I'm groggy as hell today - I got back to Omaha around 1:30 a.m. after seeing Henry Rollins at the Rococo. He was touring for his "Provoked" stand-up tour. I've seen Rollins live with the Rollins Band as well as his spoken word. Both are well worth seeing, but I tend to like his spoken word stuff more than his hard rock stuff.

One thought about stand up before I get into my review. I saw Bobcat Goldwait at the Funny Bone a few weeks ago. He was on stage for about 90 minutes. That's typically what I expect for stand up. Chris Rock's best specials have run 90 minutes. George Carlin's so-so latest HBO special ran over an hour. You're talking - no band is supporting you - so it seems that 90 minutes is just the right length.

Henry Rollins was about 20 minutes short from hitting the three hour mark. Yup - take your favorite stand up performance you've seen - be it a Richard Pryor, Robin Williams (please say vintage) or Chris Rock routine - and double it. And Rollins pretty much had me riveted for most of the set (despite the fact that my ass was killing toward the end of the show).

So, what does one talk about for three hours? If you're Rollins, you talk about politics, his life touring and a very extended, but still engaging, story about his anxiety about having to be the lead vocalist for the Ruts for a benefit show. Three hours and not a single mention about male/female relationships or a "didya ever notice..." type of setup. That has to be a record.

Some of his stuff was a tad dated. I could have done without his referring to the Internet as "the Internets" for the 30th time in the show. Rollins playfully used that term because he insisted on using the same language the President uses when it comes to the Web. He kept his Bush bashing to a minimum, mainly because, to paraphrase Rollins, making fun of George W. Bush is sort of like punching an 8-year-old.

Some highlights...
- Retelling a deadbeat dad story in which one kid used the condom his friend was using (when he was 'finished') on his girlfriend because he forgot his condom.
- Rollins pouring over his anxiety of being the lead vocalist of the Ruts, a band he idolized as a kid. Few artists nail male anxiety like Rollins. The YouTube video was the performance he was talking about.
- Rollins on guilty pleasure listening. His story about breaking his Steve Miller Band and Boston records after he discovered punk, only to later buy them later on in life struck a bit too close to home (substitute U2's Rattle and Hum for Boston's self-titled).

The negatives -
Well, it was three hours. I don't care who you are, three hours on stage, you're going to get repetitive. He could have easily trimmed a half hour from the show and it still would have been great. But then he wouldn't be Henry Rollins. His tangents may be long, rambling and sometimes unnecessary, but they are almost always worth following.

I have one day to recover before Bruce Springsteen - another artist who's notorious about going on for hours at a time. And like Rollins, it'll be worth the sore butt and leg numbness.

Goodbye, Brett

2008-03-04T07:59:00.000-08:00

The news is out. Brett Favre is retiring from the game. I won't even bother you to send a link to any news sites because it's all over the Internet. However, if you want to get a good analysis of Favre, check out ESPN's Page 2 - I'm sure they'll eventually have something.

Coming from a die hard Packer fan, I have to say this is a sad day. But he went out as close to the top of his game as anyone could have imagined. Ok, a Super Bowl ring was imaginable, but still, during his last few games, I was on the edge of my couch, hoping Favre wouldn't have a career-capping game like Dan Marino - face down after one too many sacks and a 62-7 drubbing on the scoreboard.

Favre's gameplaying was maddeningly inconsistent. For half of last year's comeback, I opted not to watch any Packer games because whenever I watched, they were losing. Favre was throwing interceptions and making bad decisions on the field. But when he was on...wow. The game he played after his father died will go down in football lore.

Watching Favre play wasn't like watching Manning or Brady play. No matter how flawless his performance was, you always had the uneasy feeling in the back of your mind ... "don't throw an interception...don't throw an interception." It was sort of like watching the Red Sox win their first championship in 2004 - when even with a commanding lead in the World Series, you kept thinking "they're going to implode...this is where it starts - with a stupid error that results in a base run" - even up to the ninth inning.

I'll miss his interviews on Jim Rome (although he'll no doubt return, just not as a current quarterback), I'll miss his elated fist-pumping on the field and I'll miss the presence of one of the few players left in the NFL who truely seems like he would be doing this for free because he loves the game so much.

Thanks, Brett -

Way Down in the Hole

2008-03-03T12:52:00.000-08:00

I watched the second to the last episode of The Wire last night and I couldn't help but feel a bit bummed after watching it. Not bummed in that it was depressing, bummed as in watching Sleater-Kinney perform in one of their last shows before they disbanded.

It's so rare that there comes a show that's as fiercely intelligent, poignant and well-written and acted as The Wire. It's even more rare that a show goes out at the top of its game. Critics may say season 4 was The Wire's best season, but as a journalist, I have a soft spot for this season. And even if this isn't The Wire's best season, it's certainly the best series on television right now.

Whether you're a cop, student, politician, dock worker, teacher or copy editor, David Simon blurred the lines of good and bad in The Wire. Instead of the "good guys vs. bad guys" setup, Simon went for a "system vs. individual" approach. And no matter the person in that show, the system wound up chewing up and spitting out its victims.

**Much Delayed Spoiler Alert**
One character that exemplified The Wire was Omar Little, played flawlessly and courageously by Micahel Kenneth Williams. A fearless stickup man, Little robbed from drug dealers, adhered to a strict moral code and even took his grandmother to church once a month. However, his brutal actions resulted in the deaths of his mentor, his friends and his lover. He was gay, was not ashamed of his sexuality, but it did not define his character. In the most dangerous areas of Baltimore, Omar brazenly walked through the streets in his pajamas, carrying a shotgun - and people scattered.

On many planes, Omar's character was the direct opposite of Marlo Stanfield, also played to perfection by Jamie Hector. Marlo is as calculating and cautious as he is ruthless and unfeeling. It seemed to be a perfect "High Noon" - style showdown between Omar and Marlo (The Wire did a sort of "High Noon" style showdown between Omar and Brother Mouzone). It would have been an appropriate end to one of these characters, and even with its contrived showdown setting, I'm sure Simon could have done the scene justice with few grumbles from fans.

But like most of The Wire, there are few things that would lead up to such a definitive resolution. So in pure Simon fashion, Omar was unceremoniously shown the exit for the show by a head shot courtesy of a kid who isn't even a teenager. With this exit, Simon shows how the random violence of the streets affects even the most "untouchable" characters of the series.

Another exit was in yesterday's (March 2) episode. Snoop was dispatched in similar fashion (but she at least was able to face her killer). Snoop's character, played by Felician Pearson, seemed to be a typical "thug" character at first glance. It actually took two episodes before I found out that Snoop was female. It took almost an entire season to decipher what she was saying. But her swagger and her gallows humor won me over. And now, it's a bummer to see that she won't be part of the finale.

I'm looking forward to Sunday's finale. Mercifully, it's not on HBO On Demand, because I'm pretty sure I and every other Wire fan out there would be spending Monday night watching now it ends.

Finally, A Fundamentalist That's Fun

2008-02-24T16:59:00.000-08:00

First off, since this site is partially Transformered-themed (due to email addy), I suppose I need to drop a Transformers reference. Just going to say that if I hear "And the Oscar goes to Transformers, " I'm sure that there will be a rip in the universe's fiber because I just can't see that phrase being uttered in reality. But we'll see.

Other topics - I saw this on the Web this weekend and had to post it. First off, there's no way I can vote for a guy who doesn't believe in evolution, but damned if Mike Huckabee isn't a hilarious cat when he has to be. Unlike other fundamentalists out there (read James Dobson, Pat Robertson), Huckabee actually has a true Christian humbleness about him that actually enables him to have a 'humor' trait due to his ability to not take himself too seriously. I will miss this guy when the race is finally over. Plus, as a dude who himself lost 60 pounds due to running and diet, I have a soft spot for a dude who dropped 100 pounds by sheer will.

SNL Battle Royale

2008-02-21T12:48:00.000-08:00

The Chicago Tribune is doing an interesting bracket match up, pitting the best SNL performers against one another.

I can't help but think of basketball when I'm looking at this, so I'm thinking more along the lines of SNL MVPs than ones that may have been great with a great cast (e.g. Belushi, Phil Hartman). Such as Eddie Murphy, who almost singlehandedly carried SNL through its leanest years of talent or Tina Fey, whose sharp writing help revitalize SNL after they lost Will Ferrell.

By the way - the voting process sucks all ass on the Chicago Tribune site.

Me Angry White Man Too

2008-02-19T11:04:00.000-08:00

I was listening to my daily two-minute blast of Rush Limbaugh (know thy enemy) today when he read the following column from Gary Hubbell from the Aspen Times:
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/2008198091324

The article states how the angry white man will be the deciding factor in the 2008 election. Much like the angry white man helped bring the Republicans back in control of the Senate and House in 1994.

Only problem is that it looks like there's some gaps in the logic...

He’s a man’s man, the kind of guy who likes to play poker, watch football, hunt white-tailed deer, call turkeys, play golf, spend a few bucks at a strip club once in a blue moon, change his own oil and build things. He coaches baseball, soccer and football teams and doesn’t ask for a penny. He’s the kind of guy who can put an addition on his house with a couple of friends, drill an oil well, weld a new bumper for his truck, design a factory and publish books. He can fill a train with 100,000 tons of coal and get it to the power plant on time so that you keep the lights on and never know what it took to flip that light switch.

Woah - He quickly went from summing up 99 percent of the guy population to summing up about .09 percent of the population. Play poker, watch football, hunt - check, check check. Put an addition on his house with a few friends, drill an oil well, fill a train with 100,000 tons of coal? That's not an average angry white male, that's Paul Bunyan.

The Angry White Man is not a metrosexual, a homosexual or a victim. Nobody like him drowned in Hurricane Katrina — he got his people together and got the hell out, then went back in to rescue those too helpless and stupid to help themselves, often as a police officer, a National Guard soldier or a volunteer firefighter.

Heyah! Though I've had fulfilling relationships with BOTH sexes, I guess I'll say I'm gay for this response. Are you ABSOLUTELY sure not one person who was killed in Katrina wasn't an angry white man? What about those who HAD to stay (be it those rugged guys and gals who had to stay behind to do damage control like EMTs or people who worked at hospitals? Not a metrosexual or a homosexual? So, those are bad things? Bill Maher said it best when he said metrosexuals were just guys who liked to look good. You don't have to drag your knuckles and smell like shit to prove you're a guy. If you look at old photos of the "rugged" men of the '40s - many of them have more creme in their hair than Mitt Romney and wore heavy perfume, they would shame many-a-metrosexuals of today.

And as a gay guy (though I'm more into ladies so far this year), I do get angry as well. Not "Lipstick Jungle is going to be in reruns" angry. I mean angry when I see bullshit columns like this desperately try to generalize swaths of the population. Angry when I see people vote against their economic interests because the candidate is more of a person of God than his opponent. Angry when he sees another murder victim in a city get chalked up as another stat if their death is in the wrong area of town, but if the area is in a prominent area of the city, the death gets continuous coverage in the paper and on radio. A true person of anger would get pissed off when they hear the news that the richest 1 percent in the U.S. desperately needs another tax cut when they see their wages stagnate for the fifth straight year.

He also votes, and the Angry White Man loathes Hillary Clinton. Her voice reminds him of a shovel scraping a rock. He recoils at the mere sight of her on television. Her very image disgusts him, and he cannot fathom why anyone would want her as their leader.

For a column that prides itself on these angry white men not being victims, it sure sounds like these guys are the some of the whiniest victims in our society. A true, intelligent angry person (I think anger doesn't subscribe to a specific race) would not lay the blame for their anger at the feet of Hillary Clinton. They would look at her voting record and realize that her record is very similar to a lot of Republicans. A true, intelligent angry person would not be swayed to loath the very sight of Hillary just because Beck, Limbaugh and Hannity tell them that's what they should feel when they see Hillary on the tele.