Coffee Buzz

I love coffee. I hate being addicted to it, it's true, and I ween myself off it at the end of every winter. But I love the way I feel about 10 minutes after I finish a cup. I feel artistic and powerful and creative. I have a zillion ideas and the feeling that I can accomplish them all. Why can't I keep that feeling all the time, and why can't i achieve it without a cup of coffee?

No More Movies

The Taipei Times asks "Are movies dying?" because people aren't going to Movie Theaters anymore. Hmmm. Why could that be? Well, let me tell you why *I* don't go as often as I used to. And I'll say from the get go, I *love* seeing movies on the big screen. There are many movies that just aren't worth watching on DVD.

1. Movies cost $10+ anymore. I don't know who these people are who can afford $10 a pop for a movie (imagine taking a family of 5!), but I sure as heck ain't one of them. Where are the 2nd run theaters in Philly, anyway? I'd be glad to see 4 or 5 movies a month at $5 each, the way I used to. In order to justify the expense of seeing a movie (not to mention refreshments), a movie has to be basically *critical* to my life in order for me to justify seeing it. LOTR, Star Wars, etc. There were a bunch of movies I gladly would have seen on the big screen, but not for the kind of dough it would cost.

2. So many movies released today are crap. This alone isn't TOO much of a reason not to see movies, but in conjunction with price it's a total deal breaker. Hollywood pretty much just pumps out remakes of old classics (I'd much rather just see the old classic. If it was good enough to spend millions remaking it, then it's probably not going to be easy to improve on.) and whatever crappy little stories it can make a bunch of money on in merchandising and product placement even if the movie bombs in the theaters. Occasionally I see an ad for one and think, "that sounds OK, I guess. I'd watch it if someone else paid for it." but it's not good enough to justify spending $10 on.

3. People talk during movies. I don't know when this started happening, but people are incredibly rude. A quick whisper here or there to a friend is one thing, but for Pete's sake people actually have conversations! They answer their freaking phones (which should have been turned off in the first place)! We pretty much only see movies in the suburbs now, because everything in Philly is filled with people who talk, and (again with the money, I know) I'm not paying $10 to hear someone talk to their friend during the whole movie.

4. DVD and Netflix. I'll admit it, there are often films out where we say, "Eh. We'll get it on video." There are movies that, if they weren't available later on DVD, we would probably go see in the theater instead.

Ask not for whom the DNC Calls. The DNC calls for you (and your money)

I just got off the phone. The Democratic National Committee just called to ask for my financial support (I gave money before the last presidential election, which went horribly awry, as you may recall). First the guy goes on and on and on (clearly trying to prevent being cut off) giving me reasons I should give money. Reasons I already know, of course. I told him I couldn't do it and I gave my money to HRC this year. He launched into another spiel for what seemed like several minutes before I could finally get a word in edgewise. I told him I don't really have confidence any more in the Democratic Party. They don't stand up to the President or the GOP. They criticized Dean for speaking the truth and for criticizing the GOP.

The neocons are ruining our country, undoing decades of progress, and all the Democrats can do is criticize each other, already posturing for the next Presidential Election (Biden, Edwards). Until they actually start banding together, fighting back, and standing up for all the things a progressive party should stand up for, damned if they're going to get any of MY money.

I essentially told this to the guy from the DNC, who continued talking non-stop, speaking right over what I was saying. I finally gave up and just hung up on the guy. Not letting me respond to what he's saying is not the way to get me to give him money.

Attention Span

On the way home from work today I passed a little girl sitting outside her mother's store, watching Fresh Prince of Bel Air while simultaneously playing her GameBoy Advanced. Her eyes were darting wildly back and forth between the two. I was slightly horrified. No, wait. I was completely horrified. (Ok, I *WAS* completely horrified before I realized that I'm typing this as I watch the Simpsons. But at least I'm doing it during the commercials.) What kind of brains are our children going to have if they fire a laser at a space alien, and get so bored during the next three tenths of a second before the next space alien appears that they need to watch TV while they wait? Multitasking is a necessary evil at times in todays world, but not a skill to be cultivated. Learn patience, do one thing at a time.

DashBlog Test

Hi All. Just testing the DashBlog widget for OSX to see how well it works!

Memorial Day Speech

From an AP news story today:

Before his Memorial Day remarks in 2003, Bush had declared major combat operations at an end, the U.S. government confidently predicted that weapons of mass destruction would be found and American generals said troops were in the process of stabilizing Iraq.

At that time, some 160 American soldiers had been killed in Iraq. Today, the total is over 1,650.

7th Heaven Suggestion

Am I the only one who hates Lucy Camden?? I was expecting there to be a "I Hate Lucy Camden" club out there somewhere, but I haven't been able to locate one so far. I just want to slap the living s**t out of her sometimes! I have NEVER understood what the hell Kevin sees in her. As far as I can tell, she has no positive qualities whatsoever unless she's constantly getting everything she wants.

I would like to suggest an episode of 7th Heaven where Kevin finally gets fed up and leaves Lucy, who spends the next week sitting alone on her bed, sobbing, yelling over and over, "Why was I such a whiny, petty, posessive, snobby, jealous, hyper-emotional immature ungrateful BITCH! If only I'd acted like a reasonable human being my husband, who worshipped the ground I walk on and did everything I ever asked him too until I finally pushed him too far, never would have left me! I can't believe anyone as wonderful as Kevin ever wanted a piece of crap like me in the first place!"

Later in the episode, we see Simon and Martin wrestling shirtless and pantless, until finally one of them slips and they end up making out for the rest of the show. (They'll leave their boxers on, of course, because this is a family show.) But that Lucy Camden bit is the important thing. In fact, the Simon/Martin wrestling match probably deserves an episode of its own anyway.

If the producers of 7th Heaven read this post and are interested, i'll be glad to help write either or both episodes. And I'll be glad to work the close-up camera on the Simon/Martin wrestle-and-kiss episode.

TvDetective Quote #3

Wow. She's really full of good ones these days. Drum roll please...

"I hope that's food and not poop."

TvDetective Quote #2

"Ew! No! That would be like having your brother do you. And not a sexy brother, either."

TvDetective Quote #1

"This happens at restaurants sometimes. All the cute people leave and get replaced by stank people."

Fishy quote #7

"I dreamt my life was more exciting than it is"

Fishy Quote #6

On seeing a full-sized photo of a guy who looked cute in a thumbnail:

"You know, he looks better as a small person."

Fishy quote #5

"Hurry up and get dressed while I call 911 so I don't have to explain anything."

The Big Three Three

Happy Birthday to me! I'm 33 but I don't feel a day over 32. It's been a really nice day--everyone has wished me happy birthday--even the vice-provost! And friends I haven't seen in years have emailed me happy birthday. Hopefully they'll be forgiving when they found out that I don't remember theirs. :)

Gay Podcasting

I've been looking everywhere tonite for gay-related podcasts. Anyone know of any? Or did you find this blog entry because you were searching for the same thing?

Sounds like a fair trade to me.

Alas, the post has been removed by craigslist, and google doesn't have a cached copy, but you've got to admit, the title is a total winner:

Needs a web master to Build Male Gay sexsite 4 Free* - Will cook 4 U

Devastating

I just wanted to share:

Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., a medical doctor and Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-Louisiana, visited tsunami-stricken southern Sri Lanka on Thursday, tying up two of the five U.S. Military helicopters presently available, reports CBS News Correspondent Allen Pizzey[...]

Just before his helicopter lifted off, Frist and aides took snapshots of each other near a pile of tsunami debris.

"Get some devastation in the back," Frist told a photographer.


There? was that so hard? See, I didn't even make a nasty comment; sometimes people do my job for me.

Stick a yellow ribbon...

Is it me? Or is there more than a little bit of irony slapping a yellow "Support Our Troups" ribbon on the back of a vehicle which runs on the substance that finances most of the terrorism our troops are fighting this war over in the first place? This is especially offensive on the back of a Hummer or SUV.

Also, in what way does spending $1.95 at Walmart (which is a questionably unpatriotic act in and of itself, given the thousands and thousands of jobs that have been exported thanks to Walmart) support the troops? In fact, many of the ribbons themselves are made in China. No joke.

What does it even mean to support our troops? Should we send them care packages? Should we send them the armor the government hasn't seen fit to equip them with? Should we help them with legal expenses when they fight the army's back-door draft policy? Should we say a prayer (or light a candle if you're Catholic) for them each night before we go to sleep? Should we volunteer for the Army and encourage our sons and daughters to do the same so that we can provide military support? Should we write to the President and ask him to take some of the $50 million he plans on raising for his inaugural parties and spend it on improving life for the troops he has put in harm's way? Should we write them letters letting them know we're thinking of them? Should we return our tax refund to the government to help finance equipment for the troops? Should we write to the President and to our Congressmen and Senators and tell them to end the war that's killing our troops?

Which things on this list do you suppose the people with the yellow ribbons did?

The 4 Types of Republicans

The way I figure it, there are four types of republicans.

1. Greedy rich people. These are people who already have lots of money and want the government to leave them and their money alone so they can make more money, even if it's at the expense of other people. They have deluded themselves into thinking that the richer they get, the better off America is. "Yes! I just made my second billion! Now all those poor black people I have no connection to will have a better education, medical insurance, and a chance to become President one day!" Note that these people must be rich. If they vote Republican and they're greedy but poor, then they fall into group 3, "Unintelligent or extremely naive people."

2. Christians. These are people who think America is a Christian nation, and that God has chosen America to spread the gospel to the heathen nations of the world. Remember what Ann Coulter said (and continues to say) after 9-11: We should invade their countries, kill their leaders, and convert them to Christianity. (Clearly our President agrees with her.) It brings a tear to my eye to hear such compassion. In fairness, there are many good Christians in our country who do not think that Jesus would have been an NRA member, but I gotta tell you: I certainly don't hear them speaking out against the evils that their "Christian" brethren are perpetrating in God's name. Seems to me that Jesus would've spoken out. But hey, what do i know, I'm not Christian. Why is it that the only activist "Christians" are the ones killing abortion doctors and protesting two loving people's legal right to get married? These are people who blindly believe George Bush when he claims to be Christian despite the fact he launched a pre-emptive war on a nation that he knew was not an imminent threat, killing over 100,000 Iraqis so far, despite the fact that he takes from the poor and gives to the wealthy, despite the fact that in one of the greatest humanitarian crises we've ever seen (the recent Tsunami, which has decimated various countries and left over 120,000 dead), George Bush stayed on vacation and didn't say a word until 3 days after the event, and when he did, it was to pledge an amount of money equal to what we spend in 5 hours in Iraq, only increasing that amount after being shamed by the UN. If that's Christianity, then I don't want to be Saved.

3. Unintelligent or extremely naive People. These are generally speaking poor, working-class people who believe the hype from the current administration that somehow sending American jobs overseas, making it harder to get a good education, slashing taxes for the rich while raising the tax burden on people who actually do work for a living, destroying the air we breathe and water we drink in the name of higher corporate profits, sending our sons and daughters overseas to kill innocent people in an unjust war based on lies the President told the American people, gutting the bill of rights, torturing prisoners and then trying to justify the torture of prisoners, hand over the tax dollars of hard-working Americans to religious institutions, perpetrating massive voter fraud, making life increasingly unpleasant and even dangerous for Americans overseas through unjust policies and strongarming weaker nations into joining the war in Iraq, destroying Social Security, and bankrupting America while simultaneously putting us at the financial mercy of countries like China will somehow improve the lives of the average citizen.

4. Mean Spirited People. These are racists, sexists, anti-semites, xenophobes, homophobes, and other assholes who vote in favor of policies that are detrimental to non-whites, immigrants, jews, foreigners, gay people, and women. Let's face it people: The Klan doesn't vote for democrats.

You could possibly include a 5th type of Republican, Gun nuts. These are people who demand an absolute right to any firearm they want. They seem to have no problem justifying ownership of an Uzi, Mac-19, or AK-47, presumably to go deer hunting or to protect themselves in the event of judgment day. However, I've never met a gun nut who wasn't also a member of one of the 4-above groups. If you're a gun nut, but you aren't mean spirited, greedy, stupid, or Christian, please let me know and I will amend my categorization.

Fishy Quote #4

Me: Did you hear that Jerry Orbach died?
Fishy: Was he the popcorn guy?