Established Disestablishmentarian

My Favorite Rediscovered Songs Currently

2009-04-13T16:42:00.002-05:00

1. Just Can't Get Enough - Depeche Mode
2. Only You - Yaz
3. Always - Erasure

End trans
And here is the rest of it.

Hold the Mayo

2009-04-05T23:44:00.001-05:00

So as it turns out, my mother needs a kidney transplant. She was given the choice of going to Jacksonville or Gainesville for it. I would have preferred Gainesville as a location since I used to live there and have friends nearby. Unfortunately, the Gainesville hospital does not have a good reputation. The Jacksonville hospital, on the other hand, has a sterling reputation. It's a little place called the Mayo Clinic. Before she can be approved for a transplant she has to go there for a weeklong evaluation. We are in the middle of that right now, and I am sitting in a dinky hotel room where I've been for most of the week and will be for a few more days.

We've basically spent all day, everyday at Mayo going from one specialist to another. It's been exhausting and at times a bit frustrating. We spent all afternoon Friday waiting for a procedure and after a series of misunderstandings, miscommunications, and mismanagement, we found out that she didn't even need the procedure. Today, my mother spent all afternoon consuming four liters of a liquid concoction for a procedure in the morning. It wasn't easy. And it wasn't easy to watch. I also had to be the "bad guy" and prepare the glasses and stick them before her and tell her to drink. She got sick once and vomited, but she finally got through it all.

I keep telling myself that it's all worth it. But then again, it's only worth it if she gets approved. If she isn't, she'll be on dialysis for the rest of her life. She desperately wants that to not happen, and I desperately want that to not happen for her. So while I'm appreciative that people are trying to help her, I can't help but resent these people who are sitting in judgment of her and making her jump through hoops to get their approval. That may not be logical, but there it is.

We did get a bit of free time this weekend, and my mother has always wanted to see St. Augustine. We were close, so I took her down there. St. Augustine, if you don't know, is the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the continental United States. My hometown, Pensacola, was actually settled before St. Augustine, but was unfortunately blown away a few times, thus losing the "continuously occupied" label. Having gone to St. Augustine, I think I'm now happy about that. Apparently, St. Augustine was established centuries ago to provide a place to sell overpriced knickknacks, T-shirts, and other crap that absolutely no one needs. I can't tell you how glad I am that my town never whored out it's historic district the way that St. Augustine has. I left there feeling kind of dirty. I felt that by visiting and spending money in the area, I had contributed to the rape of history by commercialism. I don't recommend a visit.

Tomorrow, it's back to Mayo for another half-week of runaround. I really can't wait to get back home. I miss my boys (oh, by the way, I got a puppy to go with my cats). I actually miss not being able to sleep so well because they're all over me. And I definitely miss my privacy. But I'll survive. And, hopefully, so will my mother.

My Favorite Songs Currently

2009-04-02T23:00:00.006-05:00

1. Echo - Cyndi Lauper
2. Poker Face - Lady GaGa
3. My Life Would Suck Without You - Kelly Clarkson

End trans

I'm Still Around

2008-09-30T15:46:00.003-05:00

Well, due to disaster after disaster in this torturous exercise we call life, I haven't been posting lately. I really had every intention of getting back to it regularly, but things like air conditioners dying and sinks falling out of walls (seriously) have taken up much of my time recently and not left me with much energy to devote towards this blog or the subjects in which I'm usually interested. I do have every intention of getting back to it, so, to those two people who give a damn, be strong until my triumphant return!

Fall TV Schedule: Freaky Friday

2008-09-19T17:20:00.004-05:00

It turns out that Friday actually isn't so freaky, with only one show that I'm moderately interested in watching. In case the picture hasn't given it away, it's The Starter Wife (Oct. 10) at 10/9 on USA, although it'll likely run a few more times because it's on USA. I enjoyed the miniseries last year, so I'm looking forward to see where they're going with it now. And Judy Davis is sublime. Other shows on the night are listed after the click. In case you're wondering, there won't be any post for Saturday, which is generally a barren wasteland for television. We should all be out partying anyway! Or working to catch up on stuff on which we got behind during the week because we were watching television. Whatever.

Returning Network Shows:

Wife Swap (Oct. 3) ABC 8/7
Supernanny (Oct. 3) ABC 9/8
20/20 (underway) ABC 10/9
Ghost Whisperer (Oct. 3) CBS 8/7
Numb3rs (Oct. 3) CBS 10/9
Life (Sept. 29) NBC 10/9
Everybody Hates Chris (Oct. 3) CW 8/7
The Game (Oct. 3) CW 8:30/7:30
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (underway) FOX 8/7
Don't Forget the Lyrics! (underway) FOX 9/8

New Network Shows:

The Ex List (Oct. 3) CBS 9/8 - Woman revisits exes after psychic tells her that she's met the one. [Does she ever consider that the psychic might be hitting on her?]
America's Toughest Jobs (underway) NBC 8/7 - Ordinary people attempt dangerous jobs.
Crusoe (Oct. 17) NBC 9/8 - Like Robinson Crusoe, as primitive as can be. Just like Robinson Crusoe.

Cable:

Crash (Oct. 17) Starz 10/9 - Based on the film that ~~stole~~ won the Oscar.

Fall TV Schedule: Thursday

2008-09-18T14:37:00.006-05:00

Yup, it's time to give Thursday a good going-over. This is the best-looking night on television (and I'm not talking about the programming), so I may not always be thinking coherently. To find out what I'm getting at (or would like to), click it. [As always, Eastern/Central time and (premiere date) are given.]

I should probably feel guilty for the way I feel about the programs on Thursday nights, but I figure that I should be allowed to be shallow for one night out of the week. For me, Thursday is all about the pretty. First up at 8/7 on the CW is Smallville (Sept. 18) starring Tom Welling, who is possibly the most beautiful man walking the Earth. As an added bonus, Justin Hartley (also very pretty) is supposed to be returning as a series regular in his role as Green Arrow. Now, this show has sagged somewhat in recent years, but I felt that it made something of a comeback last season. Hopefully, they can keep the momentum going. As much as I do enjoy the pretty, it's nice to enjoy the show for other qualities every now and then. After that, at 9/8 on the CW is Supernatural (Sept. 18) starring Jensen Ackles (pretty) and Jared Padalecki (more pretty). As much as I do enjoy the gorgeous boys, the show is actually worth watching for other reasons. The guys have excellent chemistry and, in an extreme rarity for a television show, it's actually managed to scare the hell out of me a time or two. If this type of show isn't your thing, however, there is always the scenery to enjoy. And if we're really lucky, the scenery will take off an article of clothing or two every now and then. Okay, NOW I feel guilty. By the way, if you didn't notice those premiere dates are TONIGHT! Anyway, the last hour of primetime is empty for me, which is good, because I can use it to pursue very serious issues as my penance for the previous few hours. Other Thursday shows are below.

Returning Network Shows:

Ugly Betty (Sept. 25) ABC 8/7
Grey's Anatomy (Sept. 25) ABC 9/8
Survivor: Gabon (Sept. 25) CBS 8/7
CSI (Oct. 9) CBS 9/8
My Name Is Earl (Sept. 25) NBC 8/7
The Office (Sept. 25) NBC 9/8
30 Rock (Oct. 30) NBC 9:30/8:30
ER (Sept. 25) NBC 10/9
Kitchen Nightmares (underway) Fox 9/8

New Network Shows:

Life on Mars (Oct. 9) ABC 10/9 - Modern cop finds himself in the 1970's.
Eleventh Hour (Oct. 9) CBS 10/9 - Biophysicist solves crimes like pretty much everyone else on TV.
Kath & Kim (Oct. 9) NBC 8:30/7:30 - A mother deals with her adult but immature daughter returning home.
Hole in the Wall (underway) Fox 8/7 - Game show where people fit through a hole in a wall. Seriously. [Hey, network guys, if you're THIS desperate for crappy show ideas, give me a ring. I'd be happy to give you crap in exchange for your money.]

Cable:

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Sept. 18) FX 10/9
The Sarah Silverman Program (Oct. 16) Comedy Central 10:30/9:30

Fall TV Schedule: Wednesday

2008-09-17T15:00:00.006-05:00

Judging from my inability to come up with a pop-culture referencing title, Wednesday may be the most boring day of the week. Although, Thursday is still in the running. I thought about making some questionable reference to "Hump Day," but I have far too much class for that. (You, in Illinois, stop snickering!) As for the schedule, it looks better than Tuesday, but not by much. The same rules still apply [East./Cent., (premiere date)]. Click on through to the other side!

Starting off Wednesday will be one of my most anticipated returns, Pushing Daisies (Oct. 1), at 8/7 on ABC. I've missed the pie maker, the pie-serving chanteuse, the surly detective, the one-eyed mermaid, the two-eyed mermaid, and the living-dead girl (and dog). Yes, it's just your typical collection of characters, but they somehow make it fresh and enjoyable. After that, there is an empty hour where nothing interests me. Then at 10/9, I have tentative plans to watch Dirty Sexy Money (Oct. 1) on ABC. I say "tentative" because I watched this show last year and I was just about ready to give it up when the writers' strike occurred. I'm going to give it another chance this season and see if they've managed to pep it up a bit. It wasn't bad, it just failed to hold my interest for an hour. There would be interesting parts and then parts to snooze through. I really hope they cut back heavily on Nick's wife, who manages to suck all of the energy out of every scene in which she appears. I'd like to see this show succeed because there is a lot of legitimate talent here (and because Peter Krause and Seth Gabel are nice to look at). If it doesn't do it for me, then there is always South Park (Oct. 8) on Comedy Central. Of course, I'll be watching it anyway at some point since Comedy Central is nice enough to rerun it frequently. As usual, other shows of the night can be found below.

Returning Network Shows:

Private Practice (Oct. 1) ABC 9/8
The New Adventures of Old Christine (Sept. 24) CBS 8/7
Criminal Minds (Sept. 24) CBS 9/8
CSI: NY (Sept. 24) CBS 10/9
Deal or No Deal (underway) NBC 9/8
Lipstick Jungle (Sept. 24) NBC 10/9
America's Next Top Model (underway) CW 8/7
Bones (underway) Fox 8/7
'Til Death (underway) Fox 9/8

New Network Shows:

Gary Unmarried (Sept. 24) CBS 8:30/7:30 - Divorced dad takes a swing at finding love while being a divorced dad.
Knight Rider (Sept. 24) NBC 8/7 - ~~Retread~~ Update of the 80's show.
Stylista (Oct. 22) CW 9/8 - A bunch of fame-hungry fools humiliate themselves to impress Elle editor who probably has no business judging anyone. [Can you tell that I am SO sick of this "reality" crap?]
Do Not Disturb (underway) Fox 9:30/8:30 - Follows the wacky antics at a Manhattan hotel.

Cable:

Sons of Anarchy (underway) FX 10/9 - Biker gang drama.
Chocolate News (Oct. 15) Comedy Central 10:30/9:30 - Sketch comedy.

Fall TV Schedule: Ruby Tuesday

2008-09-16T15:50:00.014-05:00

Yes, it's Tuesday, so I'll be taking a look at what is on Tuesdays this Fall. (As it turns out, not much.) Time is East./Cent. and (premiere date) is, yeah, like that.

Despite the title of this post, Tuesday doesn't look like a gem to me. That night seems pretty empty, which is good because I'm sure I can use those few hours to catch up on something important, like any shows I'm behind on viewing. The only thing I'll be watching Tuesday is Eli Stone (Oct. 14) at 10/9 on ABC. I've basically fallen in really-like with the charming Jonny Lee Miller as the title character who has prophetic visions. He will apparently still be having them after undergoing surgery for the aneurysm that was thought to cause them. I'm wondering if they'll continue the George Michael theme or move to something else. I could probably find the answer online, but I want to be surprised! Other Tuesday night shows follow below.

Returning Network Shows:

NCIS (Sept. 23) CBS 8/7
Without a Trace (Sept. 23) CBS 10/9
The Biggest Loser: Families (Sept. 16) NBC 8/7
Law & Order: SVU (Sept. 23) NBC 10/9
House (Sept. 16) Fox 8/7

New Network Shows:

Opportunity Knocks (Sept. 23) ABC 8/7 - Game show that tests family knowledge.
The Mentalist (Sept. 23) CBS 9/8 - A Psych ripoff with a guy who thinks that all gay men and/or only gay men get pedicures.
90210 (underway) CW 8/7 - ~~A retread~~ An update of Beverly Hills, 90210.
Privileged (underway) CW 9/8 - College grad tutors a pair of teenage heiresses.
Fringe (underway) Fox 9/8 - Follows investigators of "fringe" science cases. [Seems very X-Files-ish and I thought about giving it a shot, but Joshua Jackson annoys me for some reason that I can't explain.]

Cable:

The Real Housewives of Atlanta (Oct. 7) Bravo 9/8 - The latest in the Real Housewives franchise.

Fall TV Schedule: Manic Monday

2008-09-15T14:24:00.007-05:00

Today, I continue my look at the Fall TV schedule by going over what is playing on Mondays. As before, times are shown in Eastern/Central format with expected season-premiere dates in parentheses. After the click, you can see what I'll be watching.

My Monday night will be all about NBC. It actually could be a full night of viewing for me if the new show NBC is rolling out is any good. First, at 8/7, I'll be tuned to Chuck (Sept. 29) to see what spy shenanigans Chuck and the gang are into this season. Then, at 9/8, I'll stay on NBC for the return of Heroes (Sept. 22). I'm hoping the show can recapture the magic of the first season after seemingly going off track a bit last year and that they continue to exploit the wholesome goodness that is Milo Ventimiglia in some state of undress. Finally, I plan to check out the new show, My Own Worst Enemy (Oct. 13) starring Christian Slater, that is scheduled after Heroes. Slater stars as a man with two distinct personalities sharing his body, one of which is a spy. It's all a part of some secret government project. I'm looking forward to seeing what Slater can do in the role and whether the material is worthy of him. You can see what else is on Mondays below.

Returning Network Shows:

Dancing With the Stars (Sept. 22) ABC 8/7
Samantha Who? (Oct. 13) ABC 9:30/8:30
Boston Legal (Sept. 22) ABC 10/9
The Big Bang Theory (Sept. 22) CBS 8/7
How I Met Your Mother (Sept. 22) CBS 8:30/7:30
Two and a Half Men (Sept. 22) CBS 9/8
CSI: Miami (Sept. 22) CBS 10/9
Gossip Girl (underway) CW 8/7
One Tree Hill (underway) CW 9/8
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (underway) Fox 8/7
Prison Break (underway) Fox 9/8

New Network Shows:

Worst Week (Sept. 22) CBS 9:30/8:30 - Accident-prone schlub tries to impress future in-laws.

Cable:

Raising the Bar (underway) TNT 10/9 - Another lawyer show.

Fall TV Schedule: Sunday Bloody Sunday

2008-09-14T13:22:00.013-05:00

This week I'm going to be going over the Fall TV schedule day by day. Today, of course, is Sunday, so I'll be looking at what Sundays will have to offer. Mainly, I'll be telling you what shows I'm looking forward to watching with some information about the other shows, new and returning. All times will be listed as Eastern/Central with expected season premiere dates in parentheses. Click on through for the Sunday lowdown.

My viewing schedule won't change at all from the last few seasons on Sunday. At 8/7, I'll be watching The Simpsons (Sept. 28) on Fox. If I stick with last year's schedule, I'll probably be taking a shower during the next half hour, but, if I decide to stay in front of the TV, I'll be watching King of the Hill (Sept. 28) on Fox to burn time until Desperate Housewives (Sept. 28) comes on at 9/8 on ABC, where I'll stay to view my beloved Brothers and Sisters (Sept. 28) during the following hour. Desperate Housewives is taking a five-year leap forward this year, and I'm curious to see how that will be handled. Gale Harold, best known as Brian on Queer As Folk, and Lily Tomlin will be making appearances this season. I'm also looking forward to checking in on the Walker clan on Brothers and Sisters. Are Scotty and Kevin living in marital bliss? Who the hell is Ryan? And will I be able to stomach Justin and Rebecca, who used to think they were siblings, in a romantic relationship? We shall see. Other shows scheduled for the night are below.

Returning Network Shows:
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (Sept. 28) ABC 8/7
The Amazing Race (Sept. 28) CBS 8/7
Cold Case (Sept. 28) CBS 9/8
The Unit (Sept. 28) CBS 10/9
Family Guy (Sept. 28) Fox 10/9 [I'll be watching on Adult Swim at some point.]
American Dad (Sept. 28) Fox 10:30/9:30 [Ditto.]
NBC will be showing Sunday Night Football all night. [Yawn.]

New Network Shows:

Valentine (Oct. 5) CW 8/7 - Greek gods come to L.A. and play matchmaker.
Easy Money (Oct. 5) CW 9/8 - Guy from wacky family works on discovering biological roots.

Cable:

Dexter (Sept. 28) Showtime 9/8
Californication (Sept. 28) Showtime 10/9
True Blood (underway) HBO 9/8 - Telepaths and vampires and synthetic blood, oh my!
Entourage (underway) HBO 10/9
Little Britain USA (Sept. 28) HBO 10:30/9:30

The Dancing of Politics

2008-09-08T20:30:00.007-05:00

I’ve been pretty quiet on the topic of politics on this blog and for good reason: I can get pretty passionate about my views, and I can piss people off. I’ve had a lot of things bouncing around in my head with conventions happening and elections looming. I’ve decided to just spit them all out in one post and be done with it (well, unless someone does something else incredibly stupid to expound upon). In the end, I’ve decided that it’s my blog and I can write whatever I want, so I might as well take advantage of it. And on the blog, people can only comment and not try to stab me through the heart with a campaign-sign stake. Don’t expect any deep political analysis as that, frankly, bores me to tears. These are just my opinions and observations. Where to begin? (Click through to find out.)

So Sarah Palin is McCain’s choice of a running mate. Of course, she is an obvious ploy to grab Clinton supporters, but most of us aren’t that stupid. It’s like trying to trade a match for a flashlight. With the match, you might be able to see for a bit, but you’re going to get burned and be back in the dark soon enough. She doesn’t even make sense in that context since there are definitely more qualified women that could have taken the spot. She also appeals to those Americans with backwards views (of which there are far too many) since she claims to hold many of them herself. No birth control, sex education, or abortion for her, and, thus, she has a 17 year-old daughter who is knocked up. You can burn me in effigy if you want, but the claim that her family isn’t relevant to the political debate is pure garbage. When policies that a person wants to forward on a national level don’t even work in her own household, how in the hell is that not relevant? She doesn't even think abortion should be allowed in the cases of rape and incest. As far as I'm concerned, someone who would force a woman to carry a child after a rapist has forced it inside of her is no better than the rapist, who is among the lowest scum on Earth. And then there’s also the fact that she is under investigation for unethical behavior in her gubernatorial role in Alaska. This is the woman that supposedly fights corruption. From what I can tell, with her personally motivated firings of officials, the only reason she fights corruption is to eliminate the competition. The truly corrupt like the field all to themselves. Yet, people are actually falling for her rubbish. Frankly, Obama’s choice wasn’t much better. In Biden, he chose someone who flies in the face of his message of change. Biden is about as old-school politics as you can get. Obama had a chance to impress with his first major decision and blew it with his selection.

By the way, can you tell that I didn’t drink the Obama Kool-Aid? Yes, I was a Clinton supporter despite the fact that I’m not a Democrat. I thought our country could use a real leader for a change, but the Democrats wanted Dr. Feelgood instead. Although I am not a racist, honestly, race does play into my opinion, because I find it extremely galling that a black man would endorse a separate but equal solution for anything, which is exactly what he has done for the gay marriage issue. Shame on you, Senator Obama. Shame on you. And shame on you for further explaining your stance as a product of your faith. Faith should never decide policy. That’s exactly why many of us want power out of the hands of the conservative nutjobs, so we don’t have to deal with that kind of garbage. That being said, I probably will vote for him only as a vote against McCain. I was hoping to actually cast a vote for someone that I wanted to be President for a change instead of casting a vote against someone, but that wasn’t to be. I’m beginning to think it never will be. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind sitting out this election, but there’s a gay-marriage amendment I have to vote against.

Yes, you read right in that last paragraph, I am not a Democrat. I am not a Republican either. I have no party affiliation. It is my opinion that it is the parties together that comprise the greatest single threat to America. In their efforts to preserve their power, they pervert our system for their own gain and fundamentally change that system so they can continue to rule. Yes, the Democrats may be the lesser of two evils, but make no mistake about it, they are evil and bear a large part of the responsibility for the decay of our government right along with the Republicans. We have a situation in this country now where people are more loyal to party than nation. It’s no longer about what’s right, it’s about what the party wants, and people think the party needs to win because they are members. In that sense, the system has become like a football game where people cheer for their team and are more concerned about winning than putting someone competent in power. This was never clearer than in 2000 when everyone just wanted their side to win and seemed totally unconcerned with having a fair and accurate election. Real Americans would have wanted the real story, but, unfortunately, there don’t seem to be many left. Lest you think that my opinion of the parties is revolutionary or outlandish, I leave you with the words of a guy named George Washington in his Farewell Address in 1796:

I have already intimated to you the danger of parties in the State, with particular reference to the founding of them on geographical discriminations. Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally.

This spirit, unfortunately, is inseparable from our nature, having its root in the strongest passions of the human mind. It exists under different shapes in all governments, more or less stifled, controlled, or repressed; but, in those of the popular form, it is seen in its greatest rankness, and is truly their worst enemy.

The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty.

Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight), the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.

It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another.

There is an opinion that parties in free countries are useful checks upon the administration of the government and serve to keep alive the spirit of liberty. This within certain limits is probably true; and in governments of a monarchical cast, patriotism may look with indulgence, if not with favor, upon the spirit of party. But in those of the popular character, in governments purely elective, it is a spirit not to be encouraged. From their natural tendency, it is certain there will always be enough of that spirit for every salutary purpose. And there being constant danger of excess, the effort ought to be by force of public opinion, to mitigate and assuage it. A fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into a flame, lest, instead of warming, it should consume.

Returning to the Scene of the Crime

2008-09-05T13:37:00.003-05:00

Boo! Yes, I've been absent for a while, and I apologize to the two of you who can't wait to see what I post next. I just needed a break. I would think, "I need to post something about that in my blog," and then I would think, "I'd rather take a sharp stick to the eye." I enjoy the blog overall, but it started to seem more of a chore than anything, so I stepped away for a bit. I think I'm feeling it again, so readers should be able to get their recommended dose of inanity once again. Enjoy!

Luke and Noah: Does Anyone Care Anymore?

2008-08-26T00:52:00.005-05:00

So, yeah, according to Monday's preview, Luke and Noah will be on As the World Turns today. Do I even have to mention that they are still celibate? For a while, I was dealing with the crappy way this show treats the characters and the fans by making fun of it. Now, it seems to have gotten too pathetic to even do that. Recently, there was a spoiler released saying that the couple would move to another stage in their relationship. Fans waited and nothing happened. Supposedly, the spoiler referred to Noah asking Luke on a date, as if they've never dated. To add insult to injury, the date ended up as a double date with Luke's granny, so, apparently, they can only go on chaperoned dates now. Yeah, that would be a new stage, although a very disturbing one.

The people behind this show are dishonest and obviously think very little of the fans. As much as I want to support Van Hansis and Jake Silbermann, who do a terrific job with what they're given in the roles, it's getting harder and harder to justify supporting anything about this show run by people with nothing but disdain for their audience. It's also getting harder to justify buying anything that Procter & Gamble makes, since they are the company behind the show. Personally, I'm planning to stop buying several Procter & Gamble products. I don't want these people to get my money or my viewership, which is why I'll only be watching on YouTube if I do continue to follow their story. If you care, there are clips after the click from the last episode with the couple and a preview for today. I honestly don't know how long I'll continue to cover them like this, as I just feel pretty disgusted with the whole thing right now.

Clips from August 20:

Preview for Tuesday:

The Cho Show Is Go

2008-08-22T01:27:00.003-05:00

Margaret Cho's new show, The Cho Show, debuted on VH1 Thursday night. I've been a fan of Cho for years, so I had to check it out. It looks like I'll be adding another reality show to my viewing roster after declaring that Kathy Griffin's was the only one that I watched. Actually, Cho's show is very similar to Griffin's My Life on the D-List. She has an entourage consisting of her assistant and glam squad (responsible for hair, makeup, and wardrobe), as well as her parents. Like Griffin, Cho is something of an acquired taste with a large gay following, so it makes sense that there is a similar vibe. Is Cho's show as good as Griffin's? Based upon the first episode, I'd say no. Cho is working with the handicap of only having a half-hour show instead of Griffin's allotment of an hour, but, overall, The Cho Show comes off as D-List Lite. Given the fact that Griffin's show is over for the season, however, a show with a similar vibe is just what the doctor ordered, and there is always the chance that it will improve.

Nathan Bites It (And Not in a Good Way)

2008-08-20T23:30:00.005-05:00

A few weeks back, I wrote about the season premiere of the Sci Fi show Eureka. In that post, I also wrote about what a hottie Ed Quinn was. Quinn portrays Nathan Stark, the foil for the hapless hero, Sheriff Jack Carter. In this week's episode, which premiered Tuesday night, Nathan bit the dust in a heroic manner. Apparently, this came about because Ed Quinn wanted to leave the show. After the click, I take a look at the good and the bad (mostly bad) of this development.

With Stark's death, the show really takes a hit in the beefcake department, but it also has no real foil for Sheriff Carter anymore. Frances Fisher's character, the business whiz that has pretty much taken over everything on the show, isn't going to cut it. Besides, she is only supposed to be around for several episodes. The show just won't be the same without someone continually busting the sheriff's chops the way that Stark did. It seems like there is going to be a gaping hole that should be filled by someone. The problem is that it can't be just any someone. It's going to have to be someone who can live up to Nathan Stark's snarky standard, and there doesn't seem to be anyone on the horizon that can do that.

His death does, however, resolve the issue of his impending marriage to Allison. I felt that their reconciliation was really forced, and it just didn't work for me. Now, it's not a problem. That being said, I'm going to miss the egotistical gasbag that was Nathan Stark, and I'm definitely going to miss watching Ed Quinn.

Luke and Noah: Back in the Closet?

2008-08-20T11:15:00.002-05:00

Luke and Noah, the still-celibate gay couple on As the World Turns, will be on today, and the new director of Luke's charity will recommend that Luke tone it down with Noah because the non-profit world can be pretty conservative. Of course, if they tone it down any more, they'll practically be family instead of "family." Then again, on this show, that would mean they could sleep together. Which reminds me: Liberty and Parker alert! Drink lots of coffee before watching and you should be okay. Clips from the last episode can be seen after the click.

Upcoming CBS Show Starts Off on Wrong Foot

2008-08-19T01:52:00.006-05:00

Being the pop-culture lover that I am, I think it goes without saying that I can't wait until the new Fall Season begins on television bringing new shows to watch and, in most cases, reject. One show, which has found itself firmly in my rejection pile before even debuting, is the CBS show The Mentalist. In a series of promos for the show, the title character, played by Simon Baker, declares a dead man is gay because he has a pedicure with clear polish. I actually had to see this thing a few times to make sure that what I thought I was hearing was correct. I couldn't (and still can't) believe that the show would have such a ridiculous line, and I really couldn't (and still can't) believe that they would actually put it in a promo. Not only is it offensive, but it makes the guy's supposed powers of observation and deduction look absolutely pathetic. It also doesn't help that those supposed powers of observation and deduction are an obvious rip-off of Psych. More on the show's offense and a clip including the ridiculous moment can be found after the click.

In today's world, it is ridiculous to assume that a pedicure has anything to do with someone's sexual orientation. I happen to be a gay man, and, the last time I checked, I've never had a pedicure in my life. Furthermore, in this age of metrosexuality, it's not so rare anymore for a straight man to get a pedicure. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me at all if Simon Baker was sporting recently pedicured feet while spouting that garbage. As a pretty-boy actor, it would very much be in the realm of possibility, and, as far as I know, he isn't gay. (Baker has a wife and children, which doesn't necessarily mean he is straight, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.) It's not very smart to market a show in a way that could alienate a segment of the viewing audience, especially if said segment would enjoy watching someone like Simon Baker as many gay men would. Unfortunately, the sheer stupidity of including that line in the show and the promo while totally failing to recognize how offensive and just plain incorrect such a statement is means that this is one gay man that won't be watching.

Luke and Noah: Together Again

2008-08-18T12:25:00.004-05:00

If Granny Lu gets some before me, I'm gonna cut a bitch!

Luke and Noah, the ever-celibate gay couple on As the World Turns, will actually be together today after a week of banishment (possibly for thinking about having sex) for Luke and two weeks in homo limbo for Noah. Yes, they will be a pair once again working together to avoid any kind of behavior that would indicate that they are any more than roommates who kiss every once in a while. Apparently, they will be celebrating the beginning of Luke's foundation that will help sick children (a cause chosen because they couldn't think of anything more vague). Luke's grandmother will bring in a guy to help manage the foundation, and he is possibly a romantic interest for her, as well. That's right, with the way this show works, Luke's grandma will probably be getting more action than he will. After the click, you can watch clips from Luke's last episode a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, where gay couples don't have sex.

Ellen and Portia Wed, World Doesn't End

2008-08-18T01:23:00.003-05:00

Talk-show host Ellen Degeneres and actress Portia de Rossi were married Saturday in a small ceremony at their home in Beverly Hills. As far as I can tell, the world hasn't ceased to exist and the nation hasn't descended into lawless chaos, despite the fact that they and other same-sex couples have wed. In the event that either does occur, I won't be here to comment on it since I'll either be dead or busy defending my life and property with deadly force. Congratulations, ladies! And remember me when it comes time to choose officials after you take over the nation as scheduled in the Gay Agenda.

D-List Finale Tonight

2008-08-14T03:49:00.006-05:00

The season finale of Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List airs tonight on Bravo. Kathy will be going to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and visiting with injured soldiers. It looks to be a more serious episode than one would usually expect from this show. This season has been a bit uneven, but even at its worst, the show is still better than a large majority of what passes for television shows these days, especially in the reality arena. This is the only reality show that I watch, because I just can't stomach the rest. I fully understand, however, that one either loves Kathy or hates her. If you're lucky enough to be one of the people who love her, then you'll probably get an entertaining hour no matter what mess (probably of her own creation) she finds herself in.

Unnatural Silliness

2008-08-08T15:45:00.008-05:00

So I ran across a place on the web where someone was yet again claiming that gay marriage is wrong because it's "not natural." (I won't even go into the hilarity of this person claiming that gay marriage hurts him.) I was moved to give a response against my better judgment. Sometimes, I just get so riled that I have to respond to something I know should be too silly for me to respond to. Anyway, I decided to make a few changes and add it here as a public service message for those who are still embarrassing themselves by claiming such things and because I'm a big supporter of recycling. After the click, you can read all of my indignation in all of its glory.

I cannot believe that people still use the unnatural argument for homosexuality and/or gay marriage being wrong. If they thought about it for two seconds, they should realize that it's absolutely ridiculous. Not only is homosexuality found throughout nature in many species, but many of the things that these people support, use, and participate in are unnatural. When you get right down to it, marriage and religion are unnatural. I'm not saying these things are bad, but that raises another point: whether something is unnatural or not has absolutely nothing to do with whether it's good or bad. Our society would collapse if it had to let go of everything unnatural. In addition, the argument that something unnatural is necessarily bad makes pretty much everyone who uses it a flaming hypocrite because, if they live in a civilized society, it's guaranteed that they do something unnatural (like use a computer to spread their ridiculous arguments to people all around the world). Thus, the unnatural argument is a colossal failure for (not just one but) three reasons:

1. It's untrue.
2. It's completely irrelevant to whether something is good or bad.
3. It makes the user a hypocrite.

Therefore, it is my sincere advice that people stop using the "unnatural" reasoning as an argument against homosexuality. It doesn't arise from logic. It arises from bigotry. It doesn't work, and it doesn't make the user look good on top of it. I'm really only trying to save them from embarrassing themselves.

Where Art Thou, Noah?

2008-08-08T03:12:00.008-05:00

If I don't have sex soon, I'm gonna open up a can on someone!

Word is that Luke will be back on As the World Turns today to try to convince his mother to give her marriage another try after working on his dad yesterday. Once again, Noah will be nowhere to be found. Hopefully, he's stocking up on supplies for Luke's Grand Opening. After the click, you can find the Luke scenes from yesterday's show. All two minutes of them.

Luke Goes Noahless Today

2008-08-07T03:34:00.004-05:00

Word is that Luke will appear on As the World Turns today to try to help his parents mend their marriage. Noah is expected to be missing in action this week. No, he didn't change his mind (again) about joining the Army. He just won't be on the show. The one good thing about Luke not having his man around is that it won't be so obvious that they're living the lives of celibate monks at the Snyder ~~monastery~~ farm. After the click, there are clips of scenes from the last Luke and Noah episode with Luke being absolutely dorkalicious. I'm beginning to think Van Hansis isn't human with the way he actually makes a lot of this watchable. Or maybe the acting fairy just sprinkled him with extra fairy dust.

The World Has Had Enough of Silly Love Songs

2008-08-03T00:12:00.002-05:00

This week I fell in love once again. The object of my affection is a French film entitled Les Chansons d'amour, or Love Songs in English, and it's not silly at all. It's a musical, although only in the loosest sense of the term. There are no lavish musical numbers here, just people singing while walking, sitting, and talking. That may sound a bit silly, but it's all really low key and the characters ease into the songs rather than break out into them. At the beginning, Ismaël (played by Louis Garrel, on whom I've had a bit of a crush since The Dreamers) is in a relationship with Julie. They live together and they sleep together with Alice. There are problems in the relationship, which are rendered moot when tragedy strikes. After the tragedy, Ismaël must deal with his grief which he doesn't always do in the most constructive manner. Working through his grief leads him to find love once again in an unexpected place, the arms of Alice's new boyfriend's brother. The film could be described as unabashedly bisexual in it's content. However, it's less about sexuality and more about how there really are no rules to falling in love. We just do. After the click, there is a clip of my favorite scene and a bit more on the film.

I'm very disappointed in the way this film was marketed. It was made to seem like it was all about a threesome. The threesome, ironically, is only a third of the film, which is told in three distinct parts with each one having it's own title. The threesome is followed by grieving, which is then followed by finding love once again. If you're in the market for a film all about three people getting it on, then you'll be sorely disappointed. If, however, you are interested in a film about love, loss, grief, and family with the most romantic gay scene possibly ever, then this is the film for you. Well, it's the film for you if you know French or aren't allergic to subtitles.

It's Official: Massachusetts Marriage Open to All

2008-07-31T20:32:00.004-05:00

Today, Governor Deval Patrick signed the bill repealing the 1913 law which prevented non-resident same-sex couples from marrying in Massachusetts, as covered here and here. Now many couples don't have to trek all the way across the country to tie the knot! Hopefully, the coasts won't be the only options for betrothed gay couples in the future.

Luke and Noah: A Celebration of Celibacy

2008-07-31T02:41:00.013-05:00

Due to being ridiculously busy last week, I actually missed posting about a day that Luke and Noah, the ever celibate gay couple, appeared on As the World Turns. On that day, Luke and Noah agreed to (GASP!) not have sex. Meanwhile across town, Luke's 15-year-old cousin was losing his virginity to a girl that he's known for a couple of months. The actor in that little scenario is 15. The actress is 21. This viewer is thoroughly disgusted. Luke and Noah will be on again today, most certainly not getting any action. There are clips after the click of the past two episodes involving Luke and/or Noah. And to anyone who was holding their breath until Luke and Noah had sex, I'm sorry I missed your funeral.

Don't mention gay sex! You'll make God cry!

Trailer Trash

2008-07-29T21:47:00.009-05:00

Exciting things are coming to movie theaters. After the jump, you can view trailers for the upcoming Harry Potter and James Bond films (with two of my favorite Daniels, Radcliffe and Craig), as well as the trailer for the film adaption of what is possibly the greatest work in comics. Watch and drool!

Quantum of Solace (Opens November 7, 2008)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Opens November 21, 2008)

Watchmen (Opens March 6, 2009)

Springfield Now an Option for Many Betrothed Gays

2008-07-29T18:33:00.011-05:00

The Massachusetts House voted today to repeal the 1913 law which prevented same-sex couples residing in other states from marrying there. The Senate had previously voted to repeal the measure. Governor Deval Patrick has said that he will sign the bill repealing the law. When that happens, the state will join California in allowing non-residents to marry someone of the same sex. A major reason behind the repeal is that the state is expected to reap huge economic benefits from the action as couples converge on the state to wed. That's right, the bad economy turned out to be good for gays. It's too bad that it couldn't be done just because it's the right thing to do, but I think most of us will gladly take this victory regardless.

Eureka!

2008-07-29T11:13:00.007-05:00

The third season of Eureka begins tonight on Sci Fi at 9 Eastern. It's a quirky show about a town of geniuses that work for the government and the sheriff who tries to keep everything from blowing up when one of the super-science projects inevitably goes awry. Colin Ferguson winningly portrays the sometimes clueless but always reliable Sheriff Carter. He is also pretty easy on the eyes, as is Ed Quinn, who portrays the sheriff's rival, Nathan Stark. I appreciate eye candy as long as it's someone who can do his job competently, and these guys have no problem in that area. The show isn't going to win any major awards anytime soon, but, overall, it's an entertaining way to spend an hour in a somewhat barren season for television.

She's Not the First One to Kiss a Girl

2008-07-28T18:46:00.005-05:00

So after the umpthousandth time of hearing Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl," I just have to say that I'm not impressed. Musically, it's vapid. Lyrically, it's uninspired. Overall, Perry seems overly impressed with herself and the song reeks of that faux-lesbian-to-turn-guys-on routine, which is fine if your career goal is to end up in a volume of Girls Gone Wild. To top it off, it's already been done and much better. After the jump, you can watch the video for Jill Sobule's "I Kissed a Girl" from 1995, which is vastly superior. Oh, and "Ur So Gay" sucks, too.

Estelle Getty: 1923 - 2008

2008-07-23T19:28:00.005-05:00

Picture it: NBC, 1985. A little show called The Golden Girls debuts. In the show, a little old lady by the name of Sophia Petrillo moves in with her daughter and her roommates after her retirement home burns down. A little boy watches and laughs. He especially enjoys the antics of "that crazy old lady." The show continues as he enters his teens and he continues watching and laughing. Later, he watches reruns of the show as an adult and still laughs. Then, one day, the laughter stops in the wake of sad news. He then realizes that would probably be the last thing the woman behind "that crazy old lady" would want. And he watches and laughs.

Dr. Horrible Ends on a High Low Note

2008-07-20T03:54:00.005-05:00

The third and final act of Joss Whedon's Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, with Neil Patrick Harris in the title role, debuted Saturday. It continues in the darker tone that was set in the second installment and proceeds to get even darker while still managing to provide laughs. I can't really get into what happened because I don't want to spoil anything for anyone who may happen to read this and plans to watch it at some point (and if that's you, then why haven't you already?!). Overall, I think it's a triumph. What began as a fairly silly concept turned into something that managed to be funny and dramatic with characters to cheer for and root against independent of what side of the hero/villain line they may stand. Of course, anyone who watched Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer shouldn't be surprised. The show is only going to be up until midnight Sunday, so if you want to watch it for free, get to watching! Otherwise, you'll probably have to shell out some money down the road on a DVD or a download. Although it didn't escape my notice that the total time of the show when all three acts are added together is about the same as an hour long television episode without the commercials. I wouldn't be surprised to see it pop up on television at some point.

Psyched

2008-07-18T14:50:00.002-05:00

Psych begins its third season tonight on USA at 10 Eastern. Shawn and Gus are back to investigate more cases in a not so psychic manner. Honestly, if this show starred anyone other than James Roday and Dule Hill, I don't know if it would be one of my favorites. These guys just look like they're having too much fun, and they're cute, too. I don't know if I'll be able to break away from City of Villains, but I'll have it on nonetheless.

Luke and Noah vs. Carly and Holden

2008-07-18T03:31:00.006-05:00

Luke and Noah, the sexless gay couple on As the World Turns, will come across yet another couple that has had sex repeatedly after getting together long after the boys did. Yes, Luke will discover that his father, Holden, has been schtupping his mother's best friend, Carly. Will he be sad? Will he be angry? Will he even know what that means? Well, we'll find out today, and, unlike Wednesday, Noah will be tagging along. Speaking of Wednesday, after the jump you can see a clip of Luke's scenes interspersed with some Holden and Carly drama. I smell a tag-team cage match in the works!

Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun

2008-07-17T17:53:00.005-05:00

This weekend (Friday - Sunday) is a Double XP Weekend in City of Heroes and City of Villains. What's that mean? Well, basically that no one will see much of me. Really, it means that the rewards for defeating foes and completing missions are doubled allowing one to level a character much faster than usual. This weekend, I will be concentrating on my highest non-50 character, an Ice Blast/Cold Domination Corruptor (yeah, I know, Greek to you if you don't play) and trying to get her to the ultimate level for my second level 50 villain. (I already have two heroes.) Turnout is usually huge for these things so I'm looking forward to a lot of teaming. I'm also looking forward to reading all the gay chatter on the Pride channel. I mostly just lurk, but I pipe up sometimes if something really interests me. To all the heroes and villains out there that will be pushing the servers' capacities this weekend, good luck!

Dr. Horrible is Definitely Not

2008-07-17T13:05:00.004-05:00

The second episode of Joss Whedon's Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is up, and this time there doesn't seem to be any major technological snafus as I've been able to successfully access it twice. It's a good thing, too, because this installment is too good to make people wait. I gave the first installment a bit of a mixed review. The second installment, however, is nothing but sweet, gooey goodness. The story takes something of a darker turn with Captain Hammer dating the girl of Dr. Horrible's dreams and proving himself to be a major tool in the process. The not-so-bad Dr. has also been given an ultimatum: if he wants to join the villainous society of his dreams, he'll have to take a life. With Captain Hammer having a less than gentlemanly attitude towards the object of his affection, the target becomes clear. Neil Patrick Harris and Nathan Fillion give superb performances in roles that could fall flat in lesser hands. After the first episode, it's gratifying to see the material rise to their level.

Luke (and Noah?) Today

2008-07-16T03:11:00.008-05:00

Surprisingly, Luke will apparently appear on today's As the World Turns. He appeared in a scene with his mother (UnLily, as some call her, including me) on Tuesday's preview for today's show. I don't know if Noah will be around or not as I didn't expect them to appear again until Friday. One thing of which I am pretty sure is that they won't have sex. Just in case their story does go forward, I've got a clip of Monday's show to help catch up after the jump.

If you ever need to catch up or relive the good times (which you have to go back a ways for), check out LukeVanFan's channel on YouTube.

Dr. Horrible Has a Crashing Debut

2008-07-15T23:52:00.009-05:00

Joss Whedon's online show, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, debuted Tuesday with a server-crashing turnout from viewers. I finally got to view the first episode Tuesday night after attempting to do so all day. Out actor Neil Patrick Harris stars as the title villain looking to conquer the world and the heart of the girl at the laundromat (Felicia Day). Nathan Fillion co-stars as Dr. Horrible's nemesis, Captain Hammer, a narcissistic superhero who is obviously overly fond of the glory of superherodom. All of them are prone to breaking out into song. It's a somewhat silly premise to be sure, and the material really isn't all that strong, but Harris rises to the challenge brilliantly and sells it like nobody's business, making it an enjoyable thirteen minutes overall. The second episode will debut July 17, with the final episode scheduled to be available July 19. You can download the episodes on iTunes or watch them at Dr. Horrible's website for free.

Heads Massachusetts, Tails California?

2008-07-15T15:38:00.004-05:00

The Massachusetts Senate has voted to repeal a law enacted in 1913 that has prohibited the marriage of same-sex couples from other states. The House is expected to vote on a repeal of the law later this week. The law prohibits marriages that would be illegal in the couple's home state. It was applied to same-sex marriage because it wasn't legal anywhere else in the nation. The legalization of same-sex marriage in California with no residency requirement seems to have spurred the state to action. It didn't hurt that repealing the law is expected to bring millions to the state as couples rush there to wed. We're lucky to be living at such a progressive time, but my hope is that gay people will be luckier years from now when their unions are accepted without question.

A New Day for Luke and Noah

2008-07-14T02:02:00.004-05:00

When we last left Luke and Noah on As the World Turns, they were reunited after Noah decided it wouldn't be a good idea to join the Army. He apparently came to this conclusion after realizing that the writers had to be smoking crack when they decided that he should enlist in the first place. Today, the boys are set to embark on a new story. Maybe it'll involve them finally getting some action, although I doubt it, since young gay guys in committed relationships apparently don't have sex in whatever universe this show exists. After the jump, you can catch up with last week's episode and hope, like the rest of us, that the crapfest is over and the new direction will be reminiscent of the glory days.

The List Strikes Back!

2008-07-13T16:13:00.005-05:00

I'm putting together another list this weekend. This time I'm counting down the Top Ten Horror Films. You might be thinking that Halloween would be a better time to bust this list out, but, being the horror fan that I am, I think anytime is a good time for a scary flick. Also, this gives you time to build up your collection, so you can have that Halloween horror marathon I know you're dying to show. I've included the year of release to prevent confusion with any of the crappy remakes that were inflicted upon the legacy of many of these films. What's on the list? You can find out after the jump and watch trailers of the films! I see you shiver with antici......pation.

10. The Exorcist (1973) - A little girl gets possessed by a demon, humps a crucifix, and vomits pea soup. It is iconic, creepy, and more than a little disturbing. This film tops many lists, and it is no doubt a great horror film, but the religious angle lessens it's impact a bit for me since I am not a religious person. Even so, it still packs a nice punch.

9. Carnival of Souls (1962) - An often overlooked B-movie, this film doesn't really contain a big scare. Rather, it's all about atmosphere with an eerie aura pervading throughout the film. It speaks to the fear of being a non-entity in a world with which you desperately long to connect and of which you desperately wish to be a part. The ending is no surprise, but the film is really all about the journey (and the detours it takes) to the destination for which it's named.

8. Jaws (1975) - A big fish eats a lot of people. It's premise is simple, yes, but told by one of the modern masters of story-telling, Steven Spielberg, it becomes a superb mix of creature feature and Moby Dick. I'm tempted to resent this film since it started the summer blockbuster era responsible for so much garbage, but every time that theme starts to play, I'm hooked.

7. Psycho (1960) - A cross-dressing psychopath takes a knife to anyone who stokes his desire or sticks his nose where it doesn't belong. Hitchcock is the master, and a second film of his, The Birds, barely missed making this list. Having a star like Janet Leigh being murdered early in the film was absolutely revolutionary at the time (and isn't that common even today). This film is a lesson that brave choices can pay huge dividends. It's also the reason why, when I take a shower, I either make sure the door is locked or bring a friend.

6. Night of the Living Dead (1968) - More than a zombie flick, this film is not only a great horror film, but also an important film for its sly racial commentary at a pivotal time for race relations. The choices of a black man as the hero and an ending that is anything but happy only add to impact of the film, considering when it was made. Social commentary may have been done elsewhere in horror, but I don't know if it's been done better.

5. Rosemary's Baby (1968) - There might be no greater fear than a mother's fear that something will be wrong with her baby. Coming somewhere not far behind would probably be the fear that someone we love and trust would betray us in a heinous fashion. This film speaks to both fears, and brutally so. And every time I watch Rosemary's one-night stand with Satan, I can't get those damn eyes out of my head.

4. Scream (1996) - Some might disagree with how high this film places, but I think it's a monumental achievement to be able to make people laugh one minute and scare the hell out of them the next. This film succeeds admirably in that department. It somehow manages to be a send-up of horror films and a legitimate horror film at the same time. That's no easy task. Also, like Rosemary's Baby, it could make people paranoid about who they let into their lives. I don't recommend watching them back to back despite their placement here. It's enough to make someone go hermit!

3. Suspiria (1977) - Horror as high art is how I describe this film. Each shot is almost like a painting with surreal lighting and disturbing graphics. Every time I watch it, I become more enamored. Don't get me wrong, there is plenty of horror to go around here, but if you enjoy a feast for the eyes as well as a good scare and an occasional gross-out, then this is the film for you.

2. The Haunting (1963) - This film is vastly underrated in the horror genre. That may be partially because it transcends horror and is a great film period. It's easily enjoyed by both horror fans and film fans in general, making it less of a horror staple. Those that make horror films today could learn a lot from watching it, however. We never really see the Big Bad, but the tension is tremendous. It's that tension that is sorely missed in more modern fare. It earns extra kudos for including a lesbian character at a time when that love dared not speak its name. Oh, its name still isn't spoken, but it's made quite clear nonetheless.

1. Halloween (1978) - It's not considered the original slasher flick, but, in my opinion, it's the film that perfected the concept. Black Christmas and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre came before, with Psycho providing an early inspiration. These films, however, contained murderers who were like spiders, setting up their webs someplace and snatching whoever happened to get too close. If you didn't get too close, you didn't have to worry. If you did get too close and got far enough away, you were probably safe. If Michael Myers decided you needed to die, on the other hand, he was going to track you down until you were dead. I find that to be more terrifying, especially when accompanied by that terrific score.

Recommended song download: Just Dance - Lady GaGa featuring Colby O'Donis

On Notice

2008-07-10T18:07:00.004-05:00

The second season of Burn Notice starts tonight on USA at 10 Eastern. When I first saw the ads for this show last year, it didn't seem like something in which I'd be interested. I happened to catch it a few times, and before I knew it, I was hooked. It's well-performed, witty, and just plain fun. If you're unfamiliar with the show, it's about a secret agent who has been booted by his agency and ends up in Miami where he has to deal with his mother and ex(?)-girlfriend. He becomes an equalizer of sorts, helping people who have been put into bad situations by bad people. Last season ended with him on the verge of finding out why he had been so unceremoniously ejected from the agency. I've got my fingers crossed that there won't be a sophomore slump. Join me, won't you?

Nuke Day

2008-07-07T11:25:00.007-05:00

Everyone's favorite (and the only) gay American soap couple, Luke and Noah, will be on As the World Turns today. In case you missed it last week, the guys were visited by one of my favorite artists, Cyndi Lauper. Appearing as herself, she performed "Into the Nightlife" and "True Colors" and also had a few scenes with the guys. The Emmy-winning actress more than held her own. If you missed it and would like to catch up, you can see the wonderful LukeVanFan's clips of the episode after the jump.

There was also a bonus Luke appearance the next day. Just to get you all caught up, here it is:

I don't have all the specifics, but I expect the aftermath of Ameera story to be over this week. The sooner they get away from anything to do with her storyline the better it will be for everyone.

For the Birds

2008-07-06T22:57:00.007-05:00

A classic doll gets her Hitchcock on, and I decide to get experimental. To find out what the hell I'm talking about, click on through to the other side.

Mattel is releasing a Barbie doll based on the Hitchcock classic, The Birds, later this year. Someone at Mattel should be commended for this, because it's an inspired choice. Finally, there will be a Barbie doll that pleases everyone, those that want to see her in glamorous outfits and iconic scenarios and those that want to see her get her eyes pecked out. I also can't help but think that Hitchcock would wholeheartedly approve. After all, Barbie would make a great Hitchcock blonde, the kind of woman with which he seemed to be obsessed in his films. Maybe in the future we'll get a Barbie on Mount Rushmore, a Barbie falling off a church (with spiral effects, of course), or Barbie in a shower getting stabbed by Ken in grandma drag. The possibilities are practically endless!

_________________________

I've decided to experiment a little this week with the blog. All week long, I'll be posting items that I find elsewhere and I think deserve a little attention, and I will, of course, be making my own comments on them. They'll be short little posts for the most part that I'm going to try to make throughout the day each day of the week. I don't want my five loyal readers to get too excited as I don't know if I'll continue that way, but we'll see how it goes. Anyway, I hope that everyone in the U. S. had a happy holiday weekend! 'Til next time, which shouldn't be nearly as long as usual.

Recommended Song Download: Let's Just Get Naked - Joan Osborne

How's My Driving?

2008-06-29T17:23:00.002-05:00

Okay, so I've been behind the wheel of this blog for several months now, and I've been posting weekly for a few months. Recently, I've noticed that I seem to have more than the two loyal readers that I used to. In an effort to make it easier for new visitors to check out older posts that might interest them and to help me evaluate where I've been and where I want to go with this thing, I'm posting a little review this week. Click on through for Established Disestablishmentarian 101.

I started at the beginning with my reasons for starting the blog.

I've posted about how much I loved Luke and Noah on As the World Turns, how much I was pissed off by the treatment of Luke and Noah, and how much I was disgusted by Luke, Noah, and Ameera.

I've written about my love of City of Heroes/City of Villains.

I've expounded upon my obsession with The Golden Girls.

I've told the ugly story of the guy with whom I fell in love in relation to Luke and Noah.

I've argued why Madonna belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and listed Madonna's Top Ten Songs.

I've talked about hate groups that disguise themselves as family groups.

I've covered my distaste for weddings and celebrated the legalization of same-sex marriage in California.

I've detailed coming out to my best friend in college.

And I've reported how my mother tried to die on me (twice).

I haven't listed everything that I've written, just the more substantial entries that I've done. There are still tidbits scattered throughout that you can search for like Easter eggs, because if you're anything like me, you're looking for something to fill the time in between those annoying things that you have to do in order to keep this thing called life going in a somewhat respectable manner.

If you look over the blog, you can see that I've played with different formats and ideas, although you might not see just how much I've played with them, since I've scrapped a few failures. I'm a lot more savvy with this stuff now than when I started, although I still think I have a long way to go. I freely welcome comments and advice. (That little comments link down there isn't for nothing, you know.) If you have any views on anything I've said, feel free to send them my way. If you have any advice or ideas for things about which you might like to see me write or features for the page, let me know. I'm in a period of re-evaluation right now as far as the blog is concerned. I need to decide where to take it and on what kinds of things I want to concentrate. Don't panic, devoted fans! I have every intention of continuing it, so you'll have something to fill those two empty minutes every week of your lives if not more. I'm just not quite sure how yet. I am considering going full time instead of weekly. Oh, not that I will devote full time to it, just that I will post daily or on most days with posts that aren't that substantial, although I would still like to try to post something a bit more substantial once or twice a week. I'm in a bit of a fog right now and waiting for my lighthouse or foghorn to guide me out of it. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that the bulb may be blown and I won't be able to hear the horn over the sound of the screeching from those people being victimized somehow by the gays getting married.

And apropos of nothing, whoever came up with that "Viva Viagra" ad campaign should be taken out, blindfolded, and shot. On second thought, they shouldn't be blindfolded. They should have to see it coming.

Finally, since this is a look back, I've decided to repost all of my Recommended Song Downloads:

1234 - Feist

Big Spender (NorthxNWest Remix) - Shirley Bassey

Stand Back (Tracy Takes You Home Radio) - Stevie Nicks

Chelsea - Stefy

Mesmerized (Freemasons Radio Edit) - Faith Evans

Popular - Kristin Chenoweth (from the Original Broadway production of Wicked)

Satellites (Electro Mix Short) - September

Proud Mary - Tina Turner

Drives Me Crazy - Dolly Parton

You Should Be Dancing (Jason Bentley/Philip Steir Remix) - Bee Gees

Funplex - The B-52's

Cologne - Dolly Parton

Unchained Melody - Cyndi Lauper

Heartbeat - Madonna

Walking (Pull Edit) - Pocket Size

Into the Nightlife - Cyndi Lauper

Stamp Your Feet - Donna Summer

Give It 2 Me - Madonna

Hmmmmm. I think I might be gay.

A Little Follow-up

2008-06-21T22:39:00.011-05:00

Due to events that will become clear if you keep reading, I have neither the time nor the energy for a substantial entry this week, so I'm following up on a few things about which I've already written. If you're interested in some updated tidbits legal, pop, and personal, click on through.

Legal same-sex marriages began taking place in California this week. This is a momentous occasion, not only because an oppressed people has won a major victory, but also because it's going to propose some very interesting legal questions which will have to be addressed around the nation. Massachusetts required their same-sex marriages to be between residents. California has no such requirement, so same-sex couples are coming to California from across the nation to wed. When many of these couples return to their homes, they are going to find that their state won't recognize this union. Interestingly, New Yorkers won't have this problem as their state will recognize same-sex marriages from other states and other countries making three states where same-sex unions will be recognized even if they can only wed in two. I expect a lot of legal challenges in other states, however. Although the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the U. S. Constitution generally requires states to recognize public acts and records of other states, in which marriage is included, courts have traditionally placed a limitation on that declaring that states aren't required to recognize marriages of couples that wed in another state to circumvent the laws of their home state. Having said that, however, the issue is still far from settled. And congratulations once more to all the newlyweds!

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The Daytime Emmy Awards were held Friday night, and as I somewhat expected, Van Hansis of As the World Turns did not win in the Younger Actor category. Instead, the award went to Guiding Light's Tom Pelphry, who has apparently never met a piece of scenery that he didn't want to devour. (Hey, I call 'em like I see 'em.) Further proof that the awards have nothing to do with quality arose when Van's co-star Jennifer Landon won in the Younger Actress category partially for her portrayal of Cleo. Now, I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with Landon as an actress overall and maybe she has put in some fine performances in the past, but winning for THAT? Please. On the plus side, veteran Jeanne Cooper of The Young and the Restless picked up her first Emmy. Cooper was actually involved in an aborted lesbian storyline about thirty years ago, so at least someone who is a decent actor and has been somewhat involved in a gay storyline got an award.

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Finally, on a personal note, my mother is once again in the hospital. She called very early this morning saying that she couldn't breathe again. Once again, I took her to the emergency room. This time there doesn't seem to be any pneumonia as there was the last visit, although the doctor said it could have been bronchial spasms related to the last time. The prevailing theory among family and friends is that it was brought on by stress and anxiety from finding out that her sister may only have days or weeks to live instead of the months that the doctors had originally predicted. We're all bracing ourselves for the inevitable blow now.

Recommended Song Download: Give It 2 Me - Madonna

Mama, Can You Hear Me?

2008-06-15T21:29:00.006-05:00

Yes, I'm pretty late this weekend with this post. I've known what I wanted to write this time, but I put it off intentionally for as long as I could. I want to warn you, I get very serious here, but this is something that I really wanted to get out of my system. Really, it's something I need to get out of my system. Basically, my mother tried to die on me this week. Again. So if you aren't scared off by seriousness or life-or-death situations, click on through.

A little over two years ago, I came home for my birthday, which happened to fall on a weekend that year. At the time, I was living across the state and didn’t really make it home all that much. Anyway, one day while I was there, I went to wake my mother because she had an appointment that afternoon, and she had gone to lie down for a while. I entered her room, and she was lying across the bed with her feet on the floor, which I thought was a little weird. When I went to rouse her, it became apparent that something was wrong. At first, I thought the way that she was talking (or was trying to talk) was a symptom of her drowsiness upon waking. Soon, however, it was evident that something more was happening. Her eyes were wide and looking around like she was lost. She kept trying to speak and her words were very slurred. I kept asking her if she was okay and she wasn’t really responding to what I was saying. She has diabetes and I figured that something must be wrong with her blood sugar, although other explanations such as a stroke or worse flitted through my mind.

Right when I was about to freak out, the telephone rang and the caller ID said that it was my aunt. I answered and she asked how things were going. In a very shaky voice, I told her that they weren’t going too well. She recognized that there was something wrong in my voice, and asked what was going on. When I told her what my mother was doing, she told me to hang up and call 911 and that she would be on her way.

Upon hanging up, I dialed 911. They asked their questions, which I answered the best that I could. Honestly, most of that call is a blur. I then realized that the paramedics would most likely be coming to the front door. We don’t really use the front door at my mother’s house. Everyone uses the side door at the carport. While going to the front door, I had to stumble my way over the carpet lying in the living room. My mother was doing some renovating and the carpet had been taken up in the room. Its intended replacement was lying in a large roll in the middle of the room directly in the walkway from the front door. I knew I’d have to move that. I went to the front door and unlocked and opened it, and then unlocked the screen door outside of it. I then moved the carpet to the other side of the room. I then went back to my mother, who had begun to foam at the mouth somewhat.

My other aunt then arrived, informing me that the first aunt had called her. Soon after, the paramedics arrived. They seemed to be moving in slow motion while unloading. They made their way inside asking questions, which my aunt and I tried to answer to the best of our ability. The aunt who had called then showed up at the door and then my uncle, who she had also called. The paramedics tested her blood sugar, which was low. They stuck her with an IV and began to administer some solution. When my mother came back to consciousness, she looked around at all the people around her bed and asked, “What’s going on?”

A paramedic said that she would have been dead within half an hour. If she hadn’t had the appointment, or if I hadn’t been there, she would have died. A short time later, I moved back to my hometown and that had a lot to do with it. Other than having to rush her to the emergency room for what turned out to be pneumonia, there were no more scares like that. Until this week.

I was at my mother’s house Wednesday morning and found her in her bed with her arm in the air in a very odd position. I asked her what she was doing, and she didn’t reply. I walked into her room and approached her bed, where it became clear that something was once again wrong. She was lying in the middle of a huge wet spot in her bed, which outlined her body. She was sweating profusely and her eyes were wide open and searching again. Recognizing these symptoms, I quickly got some juice and made her drink. While doing this, the phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, I could see that it was the same aunt that called the first time. This time, however, I didn’t answer. My aunt had recently been diagnosed with liver cancer, which is probably terminal. She had been in and out of the hospital in the past few weeks and the last thing she needed was any more stress.

Once the phone stopped ringing, I picked it up and dialed 911 once again. I gave the details they requested and hung up. Once again, I ran to unlock and open the front door. The phone rang again and it was a close friend of ours. I answered and she asked me what was happening. Her daughter is an emergency dispatcher and called her when she saw the address pop up. I told her the situation and she said she was on her way, and we hung up. While I was waiting for the ambulance, she arrived. I then continued to wait for the ambulance, which seemed to be taking forever this time. I waited and then waited some more. Finally, I decided to get her testing materials together and test her myself to see how bad the situation was. While gathering the things, I heard a siren. I ran to the door and in a few seconds, the ambulance came into view. Once again, the paramedics came into my mother’s home and saved her life. Once again, she came back to consciousness not having any idea what was occurring. Once again, my mother was alive because I happened to be there at the right time.

I can’t even describe what it feels like to see my mother like that. Okay, I probably can, but, honestly, I don’t really want to. I just keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. I know that one day I might not be around at the right time. So I stay. And I watch. And I fear.

Recommended Song Download: Stamp Your Feet - Donna Summer

I'm Making a List and Checking It Twice

2008-06-08T18:22:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I seem to be in the midst of a hellacious case of writer's block. I can't seem to think of anything to write about, and when a possible topic comes to me, I can't think of anything to write about it. So I've decided to fall back on that time-honored substitute for writers that can't write, the list. This is my first one here on ED (you know, like ET for Entertainment Tonight and EW for Entertainment Weekly, except without the entertainment -- er -- I mean "Entertainment"), but I'm sure it won't be my last. This week's list: The Top Ten Madonna Songs. If you give a damn about my choices (and, really, why wouldn't you?), click on through.

10. Frozen - Hauntingly beautiful and beautifully haunting, there may be other songs of hers that are better listens, but I don't know if there are any with more artistry.

9. Crazy for You - Oh, song, every line I'm deeper into you, and soon we two are standing still in time. It's just a good old-fashioned torch song, but, damn, that torch burns bright.

8. Holiday - If we took a holiday, just some time to celebrate, just one song out of life, I could think of worst choices than this one. Deeper than it appears on the surface, it's more than a song about having a good time, it's a song wishing that everyone could have a good time in a world where many people don't. There's nothing wrong with that.

7. Beautiful Stranger - I listened to this song, and my world came tumbling down. It's the devil in disguise, and that's why I can't help singing it. The guitar, the reverb, and the trippy retro sounds combined with the lyrics make this aptly titled song feel just like falling for a beautiful stranger does.

6. Material Girl - If you don't give this song proper credit, I'll just walk away. Bouncy and infectious, it's not the deepest song out there, but it's pure candy for the eardrums.

5. Vogue - When all else fails and you long to be something better than you are today, give this song a spin and it should at least cheer you up if it doesn't get your booty moving in whatever direction it should. This song is what you make of it: a song about escaping pain and hardship through dance and dreaming of a better day or just a dancefloor anthem. There is no wrong choice really.

4. Music - It's like riding on the wind and it never goes away. This celebration of music and the booty-shaking that it can inspire still sounds surprisingly fresh several years later. It's pure aural pleasure, and if the ears could orgasm, I'd have this on a constant loop.

3. Into the Groove - Music can be such a revelation as this song proves time and again. It's not just another Madonna song celebrating music and dance, it's THE Madonna song celebrating music and dance.

2. Ray of Light - Faster than a speeding light I'm flying, trying to remember where it all began. That's hard to do considering that after a decade this song still feels brand new and even seems to get better every time I hear it. One thing is for sure, this song will be there through the endless years.

1. Like a Prayer - This song takes me there. It SO takes me there. Practically a religious experience in itself, it could almost make an atheist believe in God through it's sheer beauty. Like a child, it whispers softly to me, and it's in control, just like a child.

Recommended Song Download: Into the Nightlife - Cyndi Lauper

The Best Night I Ever Spent in Bed

2008-05-31T00:36:00.005-05:00

Okay, so here's the deal. I'm out of town staying at the home of a couple of friends. I've been looking after the place and the pets while they are gone on a cruise. It's basically a palace with a pool (which I haven't used), a weight room (which I haven't used), and a fully stocked bar (which I've used). I needed a vacation, they were going on a vacation, and it seemed like a perfect opportunity to get away for a while. Its been relaxing, but it has also left me devoid of any inspiration to write about anything going on in the the world recently. My friends get back tomorrow, so I'll probably spend the rest of the weekend with them, and then head back home Monday, giving me no time to write this weekend. So I've decided to pull out something from my past. It was a very important night for me in my development into an adult, and, yes, it is probably the best night I ever spent in bed. So if any of that crap sounds like it interests you, click on through to the other side.

One night when I was in college, my roommate and I had gone to bed and began to discuss things in the dark as we often did, he on his side of the room and I on mine. We shared a small dorm room with a double-sided desk between our bed areas. Some of the best conversations I've ever had in my life were with him in the middle of the night, with only the sound of our voices passing back and forth over the desk in the dark. My college roommate had also been my best friend since middle school, and I was scared to death that he wouldn't be for much longer.

I had finally accepted that I was gay. Oh, I hadn't accepted that it was okay or that I could still be a good person with a full life, but I had accepted that it was true after a brief period of trying to convince myself that I was bisexual and, therefore, still had a chance at a "normal" life. The fact that I liked boys had long been undeniable. It was even more so now that I had fallen head over heels for one. He was a friend of ours who lived just down the hall, and he was the cause of a lot of self-loathing and anxiety. So much, in fact, that I was finally willing to talk to my friend and roommate.

We chatted about God knows what for a while as usual, but then I started to push the conversation in a new direction. I started asking things like, "What would make you not want to be my friend anymore?" and "What if you found out something horrible about me?" He was reassuring as he always was. Losing his friendship was probably the thing that scared me more than anything in the world at that point. Eventually, after a bit of this, he said something like, "Is there something you want to tell me?" Always the pragmatist, that one.

Then I began rambling about how there was, but I didn't think that I could and I didn't want him to hate me. He said that he never could, and this went on for a while more. I was trying my damnedest to be strong and not shed a tear. Then he just asked me, "Are you gay?"

I lost it right then and blubbered an affirmative response in some manner that I can't remember. I was literally sobbing and had to be the most pathetic thing that anyone could ever see, if they could see me in the dark. I don't think I even realized how scared and ashamed I had been feeling up until that point. I cried with the force of emotions that had been bottled up inside for years.

The next thing I knew he was there sitting beside me and trying to grab me. To my horror, I realized that he was trying to pull me to him in a hug. I resisted and even moaned, "Noooooooooooo," because I didn't think I deserved it. But he didn't relent and he pulled me to him and hugged me and held me. He told me that it didn't matter to him and that I was still his best friend. I honestly have no idea how long we remained that way. It could have been seconds or it could have been several minutes. I settled down and he returned to his bed.

We remained awake much of the night talking openly and honestly. For the first time since before I was a teenager, I felt like things might just be okay. For the first time since before I was a teenager, I felt like I might be okay. I felt hopeful and thought things possible that I never had before. In a way, it felt like I'd been reborn or like I had awakened fully to who I was and what my life could be. I could never thank him enough for giving that to me.

So, yeah, that's the best night I ever spent in bed. Sorry if I disappointed you.

Recommended Song Download: Walking (Pull Edit) - Pocket Size

There Is Much Joy in Nukeville Today

2008-05-25T14:10:00.006-05:00

It's been reported this week that Tala Ashe, the actress who portrays Ameera on As the World Turns, has been released from the show. I've heard that Tala is a very nice girl and it's normally not a pleasant thing when a nice person loses his or her job, but I am thoroughly thrilled by this announcement. I'll detail why that is and my exact feelings about the show and the Luke and Noah storyline after the jump.

Ameera was nothing more than a plot device introduced to keep Luke and Noah from getting their swerve on. It's been obvious from day one and it still is today. It didn't help that the writers never developed Ameera. They never allowed us to know her at all and never made her into an actual character. She has remained a walking, talking plot device throughout the story and never grew into anything more. Viewers were never given an opportunity to actually care about her. We were given reasons that we should care about her (dead mother, life in danger if she goes back to Iraq), but those were external reasons that were shoved down our throats. Ameera never gave us a reason to care about her herself. When there is no character there, there is no character about which to care.

I feel sorry for Tala, because none of this was really her fault. The writing was absolutely lousy. Ameera was introduced with one goal in mind: keep Luke and Noah apart. They never seemed to have any idea what to do with her beyond that. They quickly threw her into a marriage with Noah that made absolutely no sense and didn't bother to write any actual story. Luke and Noah couldn't truly be together simply because she was there. When the writers had Ameera actually try to seduce Noah, it destroyed any chance whatsoever that we could feel any sympathy for her. Luke had sacrificed so much for her, and his family had given her absolutely everything. It was absolutely reprehensible for her to do that. That's when the writers made the biggest mistake of the whole story: they didn't treat it like a big deal even though it was an absolutely detestable thing to do. Ameera faced no repercussions and Luke laughed it off. At this point, Ameera and the story became absolutely irredeemable. Everything that followed was illogical, contrived, and just plain stupid. It didn't help that everyone seemed to be acting out of character and tolerating things that no sane person would tolerate.

Honestly, it amazes me that someone could do their jobs as badly as the writers and producer of the show do their jobs and still get paid for it. If everyone I know performed their jobs this badly, they wouldn't be working for very long. There are apparently two areas where you can be absolutely horrible at your job and continue to get paid: entertainment and politics.

I'm not just basing this on Luke and Noah either. This week, for the first time in a while, I actually watched whole episodes of the show, and it's overall quality has dropped like George Michael's pants in a park. I don't think it's a coincidence that the show has been hemorrhaging viewers in recent weeks.

It's really sad that we've finally gotten over the whole non-kissing controversy only to have the boys stuck in this debacle of a storyline. I only demand two things for Luke and Noah: they do what couples actually do and they get a decent storyline. Now I know that maybe I shouldn't be too picky because for a while they didn't have either. Now that they're kissing again, one of those areas has improved, although it's still ridiculous that guys that age that have been together that long aren't going at it like bunnies. Unfortunately, the fact that they are kissing again only shines a spotlight on just how truly horrible their story is right now.

Recommended song download: Heartbeat - Madonna

California, Sweet!

2008-05-16T15:18:00.011-05:00

It's funny how things work out. Just last week, when writing about the commitment ceremony on Brothers & Sisters, I mentioned how same-sex marriage wasn't recognized in the state of California. Well, here we are one week later, and the situation is totally different. In case you've been under a rock for the past few days and didn't know, the California Supreme Court overturned the ban on gay marriage in the state. In as little as a month, gay couples could be able to finally tie the knot in a legally recognized marriage ceremony. Ellen Degeneres made an announcement on the episode of her show that broadcast the day after the ruling that she and Portia de Rossi were engaged to be married. I'm sure that they are far from the only couple to get engaged, and I'm sure that gays across the state celebrated with the joy that can only come with being recognized as human beings with rights equal to others. It didn't take the bigots long, however, to try to rain on the parade, as they have pledged to get a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage up for a vote later in the year.

I just don't understand why these people can't leave other people alone to live their lives. It's not like they have a single valid argument against gay marriage, because they don't. It's also not like they will be affected at all by two guys getting married, because they won't. A huge part of the "argument" against gay marriage is religion-based. Last time I checked, we had a First Amendment in the U. S. Constitution that guarantees freedom of religion and allows everyone to believe how they want to believe. Trying to force their religious beliefs upon the rest of their countrymen by getting the government to endorse those beliefs is just downright un-American. They also can't seem to get it through their heads that religious marriage and legal marriage are two different things. Even now churches don't recognize certain marriages that are legally valid. No one is keeping them from doing so, and no one is talking about keeping them from doing so. Churches can recognize or not recognize any marriage that they want to, but they should not be able to influence what marriages the government can recognize per our constitution. Frankly, it's just disgusting what many of these people have made of their religion that is supposed to be all about love. As Hurley's mom said on this week's Lost, "Jesus Christ is not a weapon."

And how exactly is two people of the same-sex getting married supposed to "weaken" marriage? I'm sorry, but straight people have done a damn good job weakening marriage all on their own, thank you very much. It seems to me that bringing people into the institution that would actually value it and not take it for granted because it's something that they've never had and something that they had to fight for could only strengthen it. Marriage is actually something precious to those for whom it's never before been an option. It's not just a chance to have a big party like it seems to be for many straight people, who often turn around and get a divorce and/or marry as many times as they possibly can before they die, thereby weakening and devaluing marriage. For the newcomers to the institution, it's a chance to be first-class citizens for the first time and enjoy the privileges, rights, and responsibilities that come along with that. These people won't be looking for the easy way to get out because they had to pass through the hard way just to get in. I don't see how that could weaken marriage at all.

The rights of a minority should NEVER be put up for a popular vote. The terms involved such as "minority" and "popular" should be clue enough why that is. There is a reason that pretty much every major advance in civil rights in the past century has come about because of a court decision and not a vote. We have a dirty little secret in this country, and it's that the majority usually likes keeping the minority down. I don't know why this is. Maybe it makes people feel special knowing that they have something that others don't. Regardless, this is unacceptable in a nation that purports to hold freedom and equality in such high esteem. It's also unconscionable.

Frankly, the whole protest seems a bit silly from my viewpoint. For a while now, I have considered gay marriage to be an inevitability. It is going to happen. I have every confidence that it will be recognized federally at some point and couples will be able to marry anywhere in the country. That scenario may be years down the road, but I know it's there. The opponents of gay marriage are fighting progress, and if there is one thing that history has shown us, it's that progress usually wins.

A shocking retirement, a shocking F-bomb, and a not so shocking outburst after the jump!

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TIDBITS

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JUSTINE HENIN RETIRES

I don't recall if I've mentioned it here, but I am a HUGE tennis fan. I was shocked this week when I read that Justine Henin, the #1 ranked woman in the world, announced her retirement. She is the first woman to ever retire while ranked at the top. The Belgian alienated many fans during the course of her career because of some questionable behavior which appeared to be bad sportsmanship, but watching her play was always a treat regardless. The women's tour is losing a real bright spot as Henin was one of the very few players left with an actual game. Too many players now try to blow their opponents off the court with sheer power. Henin, being one of the smaller women on tour, couldn't do that, although she could still pack a wallop despite having such a small frame. She had to run a lot and move the ball around a lot and create opportunities by working the court, the ball, and her opponent. Perhaps it was the effort that went into her game that caused her to burn out so early (she's only 25), but whatever the case, there is no denying that she was a champion. She won seven Grand Slam tournaments (4 French Opens, 2 U. S. Opens, 1 Australian Open), with Wimbledon being the only major title she failed to win, although she was runner-up twice. Only Serena Williams has more Slam singles titles among active players with eight, and they are tied for the most Slam singles titles this decade with seven each. I'm really going to miss her every time I have to watch two girls trying to knock the cover off the ball.

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YOUTUBE FUN TIME!

Just because it makes me laugh every time, here is news anchor Sue Simmons dropping the F-bomb on television: http://youtube.com/watch?v=ETnp8Tq3CFw.

Just because it provides more evidence that he's a sociopath, here's Bill O'Reilly losing it a few decades ago: http://youtube.com/watch?v=2tJjNVVwRCY.

Recommended song download: Unchained Melody - Cyndi Lauper

With This Ring, I See Red

2008-05-11T15:15:00.004-05:00

Weddings have never been my favorite things, but as I've gotten older, they've become even less enjoyable. Being reminded that I can't do the same thing with someone that I love and enjoy the rights and privileges that the married couple will have isn't exactly my idea of a good time. Of course, there would be no threat of me walking down the aisle anytime soon anyway seeing as there's no special someone in my life right now, but that doesn't really help.

It just so happens that I went to a wedding this weekend. It was my cousin's wedding. It was already depressing enough knowing how much younger she was than I was, and that I could remember her as a toddler and here she was looking like a gorgeous young woman in a beautiful mermaid-style gown. Being reminded that time has basically slaughtered whatever was left of my youth is bad enough, but I also had to be reminded of how any union of mine would be considered to be so much less than theirs.

Then I started thinking about the people who scream about "protecting marriage" and my blood started to boil. They like to pretend that straight people haven't already done a lot of damage themselves. I just don't see how letting a bunch of people marry who would appreciate the value of marriage and not take it for granted could hurt it. It seems like it could only help to me.

Furthermore, this ceremony was very Christian and pretty much amounted to a sermon instead of a wedding. That wasn't particularly enjoyable, but when they had the little ceremony within a ceremony recognizing that she had saved herself for marriage, I felt so uncomfortable it was like my internal organs wanted to burst from my body and run screaming from the church. That was my little cousin! I didn't want to know whether she's a virgin or not, thank you very much! "Creepy" wasn't even the word for it. I was mortified.

I now have a little trick that helps me get through these things, however. When I find myself attending an agonizing ceremony in a church, there will usually be a hymnbook somewhere in front of me. I look at it and then think about Eddie Izzard talking about white people singing in church. Works everytime!

Brothers & Sisters, Nine Inch Nails, and more after the jump!

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TIDBITS

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Speaking of getting hitched, Kevin and Scotty will be taking the plunge on tonight's Brothers & Sisters on ABC. Of course, they aren't getting married because the show is set in California where same-sex marriages aren't recognized, but they are having a commitment ceremony to celebrate their domestic partnership. ("Domestic partnership" just drips with romance, doesn't it?) Last week's episode was very moving with Kevin proposing to Scotty, and Matthew Rhys and Luke McFarlane gave wonderful performances during the scene. Uncle Saul, played by Ron Rifkin, also came out to Kevin in a touching scene. This is one of the best shows on television right now with a phenomenal cast. Although, to be honest, I could really do without any hookups between Justin and Rebecca, who thought that they were siblings at one point. Ick.

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There is a new Nine Inch Nails album out right now entitled The Slip. However, it's only available by download, and, oh yeah, IT'S FREE! So if you're a big fan, a casual listener, or just want to check out some new tunes, you might want to look into it. You can't beat free! I have downloaded it, and I'm currently enjoying "Discipline" very much. You can download the album at http://dl.nin.com/theslip/.

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I would just like to say here that, no, I am NOT ignoring the elephant in the room. I am perfectly aware of a certain celebrity blogger announcing that a certain actor is in a certain kind of relationship. I think that it's wonderful that this actor has someone to be with and I think it is in NO WAY shameful or something that should be swept under the rug. I'm not mentioning any names, however, because I don't want to give the gasbag of a blogger any more publicity than he already has. I wish the actor and his boyfriend nothing but the best and I hope that he knows that he has plenty of support!

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I'd like to take this moment for a little clarification about my post schedule. I will be posting weekly as I said in last week's entry, but the post will appear sometime during the weekend (Fri-Sun) and not on any particular day. Have a great week!

Recommended Song Download: Cologne - Dolly Parton

Tune In Next Week!

2008-05-02T21:42:00.017-05:00

At the beginning of the year I resolved to post at least once a month. I’ve successfully kept the resolution and am looking forward to many more posts. What’s that? I just posted last week? That’s right, I did! Did I forget? Am I finally losing what little I have left of my mind? What is this madness? Well, let me start by assuring you that I am in full possession of my faculties (or at least in as much possession of my faculties as I have ever been while writing here).

I want to welcome everyone to a new and exciting phase of this blog’s life. But before I get into that too much, let me tell you how it all began! I was pondering deep philosophical questions that affect the very foundation of our lives on this planet as I often do, when I presented myself with a worrisome query, “Whatever are those two people who read my blog doing all these weeks in between my postings?” I immediately fell into a state of panic as realization hit me! Those poor things! They must have been suffering tremendously without a more reliable stream of worthless opinions presented through hackneyed writing! I was sure that in between my monthly ramblings they had devoured everything else new on the Internet, leaving them listless and questioning the value of their own lives. Well, I was having none of that! I was going to provide them with the sustenance that their hungry minds required! Thus, I made an important decision, the impact of which historians will be debating for centuries to come I’m sure. I was going to feed them a more steady supply of insignificant observations on often-unimportant topics! That’s right, I’m going weekly!

So, you poor, neglected readers out there won’t have to go weeks without a heaping helping of tedium anymore! No longer will you have to question whether or not you should go on living not knowing when you’d get your next dose of irrelevant reflections on things about which you probably don’t care! Once a week, I’ll be here for you! What you do with the rest of the week is your problem.

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TIDBITS

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Madonna’s new album, Hard Candy, was released this past Tuesday. Being a fan, I purchased it as soon as I could and put it on an infinite loop as I do every new Madonna release. I was especially excited after really enjoying “4 Minutes” after expecting not to with Justin Timberlake and Timbaland involved. Not that I have anything against those guys as I’ve enjoyed some of their work, but I just didn’t think they would be a good fit with Madonna, and the enterprise reeked of “selling out” to get some radio play. Well, I was pleasantly surprised and couldn’t wait for the album to drop expecting more pleasant surprises. Unfortunately, there weren’t many to be had. The rest of the album is pretty much what I expected before hearing “4 Minutes.” This is the first Madonna album with which I’ve been really disappointed. Frankly, I think that this is the worst album of her career. Of course, that’s not saying that much considering how consistently she has put out quality material for the past 25 years. The album isn’t really bad; it’s just a bit blah. Many of the tracks seem to be percussive exercises that end up being totally forgettable and include that most annoying of trends where producers have to pipe up on every tune. Can’t these people just produce? Frankly, much of the album is just the kind of thing that I stopped listening to radio to escape. There are a few decent tracks, all of which are at the beginning of the album. In addition to “4 Minutes,” tracks worth giving a spin are “Candy Shop,” “Give It 2 Me,” and “Heartbeat.” “She’s Not Me” would be a pretty good choice as well, but it’s about two minutes too long in my opinion. If it happens to be released as a single, hopefully it will get an edit, which would be an improvement. The other seven tracks range from mediocre to just plain bad (I’d recommend avoiding “Spanish Lesson” at all costs). One problem is that some of the songs sound like other works by other artists. “Incredible” sounds like a Gwen Stefani castoff, “Devil Wouldn’t Recognize You” sounds like Justin Timberlake’s “What Goes Around…Comes Around” and "Cry Me a River," and other tracks sound like they came off of a N.E.R.D. album. Much of Hard Candy just doesn’t feel like Madonna, and, ultimately, Madonna is the reason that I buy the albums.

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Although the Luke and Noah story on As the World Turns got nowhere fast this week, with Luke moving in and out faster than you could say "Astroglide" and the guys getting less screen time than pretty much anyone else, there was some good news when the Daytime Emmy nominations were revealed. Van Hansis (Luke) was nominated for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series. Honestly, his performance is what has made the Luke and Noah story bearable in the rough patches of bad writing (although even he hasn’t been able to fully overcome this Ameera debacle). Although he should definitely win, I’m not too optimistic with the new voting system in effect this year where there is only one vote that determines the nominees and winners. In other words, if Van Hansis wasn’t the lead vote getter when the nominations were announced, he didn’t win. There were also reports of many voters not watching the tapes that they were supposed to. The Academy needs to drastically overhaul the rules for next year. He was already robbed last year when he should have won for his poignant performance during Luke’s coming-out story. I’m afraid that this system will only contribute to another undeserved award for someone else, especially since many of the acting nominees this year are questionable choices and deserve to be nowhere near an award.

Recommended Song Download: Funplex - The B-52's

We Are Family, You Are Not

2008-04-26T18:29:00.013-05:00

After a scare this week with my mother spending a few days in the hospital, I reflected upon how lucky I am to have her in my life and her love, acceptance, and support. Despite my complaints at times, she’s been a very good mother, and although I may not be perfect, I’ve tried to be a loving and supportive son. That’s what family is about after all, being there for each other with love and support. Or at least that’s what it means to me. Some others, however, seem to have a different view.

There are groups out there using the word “family” in their names and their mission statements, yet their actions seem to have no real regard for families. They are thinly-veiled hate groups out to eradicate homosexuals, homosexuality, and the dreaded “homosexual agenda” (which I have yet to see as I must not rank high enough in the homosexual organization to which we all supposedly belong with the apparent goal of world domination). They often assault companies with threats of boycotts if they do something even slightly gay-friendly because they are supposedly anti-family by doing so. Last time I checked, a lot of homosexuals were family members and others were members of families of homosexuals, which means (gasp!) that homosexuals must be a part of many families. To produce rhetoric encouraging people to reject those that might be a part of their families, these organizations are essentially espousing views that could tear families apart. Encouraging views that could lead to families casting out their own or to family members doing something drastic like committing suicide seems very anti-family to me.

Frankly, the fact that these people hate gays is actually much less offensive to me than their use of the word “family” as some sort of defense for their actions and as a weapon for attacking others. If I were a heterosexual with a family, I would be offended that these people would presume to speak for me and offended by the notion that hate is a family value that I should embrace. They also like to spout off about “family values” a lot, which I find to be absolutely ridiculous. Show me a hundred different families and I’ll show you a hundred different sets of values. The very suggestion that all families have or should have the same set of values is frighteningly Orwellian in nature. These people often claim to be patriots as well, but their views that everyone should live their lives within their strict boundaries and believe what they do is antithetical to the freedoms about which Americans are often quick to boast.

You’ll notice that I haven’t named any of these groups, and I won’t. They get far too much publicity as it is. Reputable companies have figured out that these groups are, to borrow a phrase from Shakespeare, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. To actually entertain thoughts of bowing to their pressure is to risk credibility. Yet, we still hear about these groups in the media and from their opponents. The media just likes to stir the pot to make it appear that there is some controversy worth watching or reading about. Many opponents think that we have to counteract their efforts. Frankly, I think these groups are worthy of nothing but being ignored. As for counteracting them, that would imply that we are somehow on the same level, just on different sides of an issue. I NEVER want to be considered to be on the same level as these people. I won’t lower myself to that.

I am gay. I am family. I am a son, a grandson, a cousin, and a nephew. Other gays are sons, grandsons, cousins, and nephews, as well as daughters, granddaughters, nieces, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, and even grandmothers and grandfathers. To be told that we are anti-family is an insult of the highest degree as well as completely erroneous. We ARE family! These groups’ efforts to tear our families apart through hateful propaganda betray their pro-family façade and reveal them to be the ones who are anti-family. Family is not about hate and rejection. Family is about love and acceptance. Those are the family values that I learned.

After the click: Luke and Noah and Madonna's new album.

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On a somewhat related note, Luke and Noah on As the World Turns were allowed to kiss this week after not being allowed to do so for seven months. (You can see it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dd9xCntVqc4.) They engaged in a big, wet, sloppy one one day and had an affectionate peck the next. Now, I have actually stopped watching the show because I was tired of the insulting way that the show was handling these guys. I have not returned to watching the show, however, because I need to know that they will be handled better CONSISTENTLY. I'm keeping my ear to the ground, and if it appears that the show is indeed consistent in its improved treatment of the couple, then I will gladly return. I'm just a little gun shy after being betrayed by the show far too often. Recent statements from a producer and publicists for the show do not instill confidence in me, however, since their complete lack of honesty and/or an ability to grasp the reality of the way that they've been handling the couple are about as insulting as anything that I've seen on the show.

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For any Madonna fans out there, her new album, Hard Candy, drops April 29. It includes the infectious first single, "4 Minutes," which features Justin Timberlake and Timbaland. I actually didn't want to like this song as I felt that she was sort of selling out by putting JT and Tim on there, but damn if it isn't catchy! You can watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9ciR9qR1dU. It's fun AND disturbing, but I wouldn't expect anything less.

Recommended song download: You Should Be Dancing (Jason Bentley/Philip Steir Remix) - Bee Gees

Madonna on the Rock

2008-03-10T14:34:00.009-05:00

Tonight, Madonna is scheduled to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Being a fan of hers, I couldn't be more pleased with the decision. However, there are those that have been grumbling about it, basically claiming that she isn't "rock and roll" enough. Admittedly, Madonna is firmly planted in the dance/pop region of the musical genre jungle, but that doesn't make her any less deserving of her place in the Hall of Fame.

Today's "rock" isn't anymore "rock and roll" than Madonna is. In the beginning, rock and roll was a raucous, rebellious, roaring sound that caused young people to move and shake. That's right, it made people DANCE! Today, most of what is called "rock music" is less danceable than the sound of a dishwasher cycling. I should stress that I don't think that there is necessarily anything wrong with that. I like music from all genres, rock included, but it bothers me when rock snobs claim to be the true heirs of the genre. I really wonder if some of these people have ever listened to a song by the likes of Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ike Turner, or Elvis Presley. And if they have, and they didn't want to twist and shout, did they just have no souls? Booty shaking was as much a part of rock and roll originally as drums and guitars. It's this sense of the style that dance music keeps alive today. I would argue that no genre today really has ownership of what rock and roll was, but instead that several subgenres have emerged, each catering to different aspects of the original sound. Dance music more than any other caters to that part of the rock and roll legacy that just makes people want to get up and shake what they've got. Therefore, dance music is a legitimate genre to recognize in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a form of music that keeps a part of rock and roll alive. As the undisputed Queen of Dance (as well as Pop), no one deserves to represent that genre more in the Hall than Madonna.

In addition to the above, although she is firmly associated with dance/pop music, her best work has been at the very least rock-tinged. There is no mistaking the influence of rock and roll music on albums such as Like a Prayer, Ray of Light, or Madonna. Madonna is at her best when mashing up musical genres into an orgiastic, rhythmic explosion. Rock is definitely one of the genres she employs to do that. She has been doing it for 25 years now, and not many can validly claim to do it as well as she has.

Finally, who has exhibited the rock and roll attitude better than Madonna? The woman made rebellious, in-your-face provocation an art form. From songs such as "Like A Virgin," "Papa Don't Preach," and "Human Nature" to scandalous concert performances that have included the threat of arrest and videos that were banned or cost her commercial exposure, Madonna didn't back down and kept pushing buttons. She was going to do what she wanted to do and you were going to like it. Or not. Either way, everyone was going to hear about it.

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Today's recommended song download comes from Dolly Parton's new album, Backwoods Barbie. I really recommend it as it has some damn good stuff on it. My recommendation is a cover of "She Drives Me Crazy" by The Fine Young Cannibals. Once again, Dolly proves herself to be not only one of the best singer/songwriters around, but one of the best interpreters of songs as well.

Recommended song download: Drives Me Crazy - Dolly Parton

Kissed off!

2008-02-24T15:41:00.016-06:00

If anyone has perused this blog at all, they know that I'm a fan of the Luke and Noah story on As the World Turns on CBS. Recently, the show had a special Valentine's Day "what-if" episode where every featured couple (and a few characters who weren't even a couple) kissed as any couple in love might do on Valentine's day. Well, almost every couple kissed. Luke and Noah did not. They had a cute little vignette of their own, which was nice enough, but then it ended with a hug. That didn't even bother me that much because it actually made some sort of sense in the context of their story. The problem is that, earlier in the episode in "real-life" (as opposed to the "what-if"), the boys had yet another near-kiss in a long line of near-kisses, leading some to hope that they were saving it for their what-if segment, only to be denied once again. What was even more ridiculous was that it was out-and-proud Luke who pulled away when some anonymous extra walked by.

I and many other fans are getting sick of all the missed kisses. They had the one mega-hyped kiss before the boys were even an actual couple, and then the show clearly backed off from any such displays. They had one more very short kiss that was interrupted by Noah's psycho father, and then nothing else of the mouth-to mouth variety. Only recently have they even begun to hug. After the Christmas incident where the camera panned to the mistletoe when the boys were going in for the smooch, the show seems intent on alienating many of the story's fans by indulging in similar kiss-avoiding tactics. Some fans have already given up viewing the show according to various posts on various websites. Many more are hanging by a thread according to their posts. Fans of the storyline have gone so far as to send copious amounts of Hershey's kisses to The Powers That Be (TPTB) in hopes that they might get the message. More recently, they've started a media campaign where they are contacting media outlets to hopefully bring some attention to the shameful handling of the story. A few outlets have responded and produced articles, usually with inaccuracies or only telling part of the story.

Despite the belief of some that the whole brouhaha is all about a prurient interest in only seeing two hot boys kiss, that is not the case. Oh, sure, a lot of people would like to see hot boys kiss, but there is much more to the situation than that. The main issue is the discriminatory treatment of the storyline, which seems to suggest that there is something horribly wrong with two guys in love showing their affection with each other honestly. The other issue, which isn't as important in a broader social context but should be very important to TPTB, is a lack of credibility in the story.

Not allowing Luke and Noah to kiss when appropriate sends a very discriminatory message to those watching the show. Every tease and every non-kiss says that the show can't portray the boys' relationship in an honest fashion because someone somewhere might not like it and that gay relationships are somehow less valid than others. It sends a very disturbing message that homophobes should be catered to, and it is outright insulting to gays. Can you imagine if they did this with racists? What if the show said that they can't portray an interracial couple honestly because they have to take all of their viewers into consideration? There would be one huge firestorm, that's what would happen. Yet, that's exactly what they do with the gay storyline. A spokesman has said repeatedly that they have to take all of their viewers into consideration, which translates to, "We have to cave to the homophobes." If they said what equaled to "We have to cave to the racists," would those people have their jobs for very long? The fact that there are people out there with these kinds of views makes it even more important that the show be honest in its portrayal of this story, because, as silly as it sounds, something like this can change minds. And, really, if these people continue to have a problem with two people being in love but don't have a problem with the adulterers, pornographers, murderers, prostitutes and drug addicts on the show, should anyone really place that much importance on their views in the first place?

The other problem with the inept treatment of the boys' affection is that it really hurts the story and, thus, the show. The kiss avoidance has become a distraction more than anything. The first time I saw a scene with an obviously missing kiss, I thought, "Okay, whatever," and went on with the show. However, when a second time and a third time and a fourth time occurred, it was hard to focus on the story and give it much credence since these two young guys were not acting like two people who were absolutely crazy about each other. The problem is only exacerbated when their segments are juxtaposed with those of their straight counterparts who are diving down each others' throats and jumping on each other in elevators and cars. What makes it even worse is that Luke and Noah are just about the most stable couple on the show right now. They are one of the few couples who aren't scheming against each other, cheating on each other, blaming each other for a myriad of problems or lying to each other. If anyone should be kissing as a display of their coupledom, it's them.

I think one mistake is that TPTB think that this is only an issue for gay fans. This is not the case at all. Polls on the most popular fansites for the couple show that a majority of fans are actually female, and most of them young ones. In other words, they are the exact demographic that the show supposedly values. Also, the ratings have improved since Luke and Noah began their story. How much they have helped with the ratings may be uncertain, but they definitely haven't hurt them, making the skittishness appear even sillier.

The blame seems to lie squarely with Procter & Gamble, which produces the show. It's Procter & Gamble that keeps beating around the bush when confronted with questions about the story. It's Procter & Gamble that makes the statements about considering the entire audience. CBS, on the other hand, has made a very straightforward statement about doing nothing to censor the story's content. It seems obvious to many that they wanted all of the glory of including a gay couple on the show, with none of the responsibility of portraying it accurately and honestly. It is 2008. I, frankly, vacillate between being angry with TPTB and embarrassed for them because they seem to be stuck in the 1980's. Watching them trying to deal with this story is sometimes like watching your grandpa trying to figure out how to work an iPhone in a public place while loudly professing his confusion about it. I can turn on an episode of Brothers & Sisters and see men kissing with no problem. If I were Procter & Gamble, I'd be more careful about the message I'm sending, because if its ideas and views are outdated, then what are we to think of its products that they use their soaps to push? It's very dangerous for any company to appear to be obsolete, but that's the message that seems to be getting broadcast.

So, to the fans out there, keep sending kisses, letters, and emails. I've sent a few myself and will probably send a few more before it's over and done. Also keep watching as long as you can, but know that I and many others don't begrudge you at all for throwing in the towel if you just can't stomach the dishonesty anymore. Some of us will just begrudge TPTB that much more for alienating you in the first place.

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Today's recommended download is my favorite song ever, so, hopefully, you'll excuse the fact that it's a bit long in the tooth. I figured that I had to put it on here at some point. Actually, let me take the opportunity to say that there will be no rules for my recommended songs. I'm free to recommend new ones, old ones, alternate versions, songs that were popular, and songs that didn't get enough attention. After all, it is my blog which no one is probably reading anyway. Now that that's out of the way....

Recommended song download: Proud Mary - Tina Turner

Contrition, Resolution, and Other Fun Diversions

2008-01-04T04:03:00.002-06:00

I've been a bad, bad boy. I've been careless with a delicate blog. (Thank you, Fiona Apple, wherever you are!) I have completely neglected my little corner of the Internet. I've recently discovered that a few people have actually read the things that I've written here. More surprisingly, they seemed to like it! So, I have taken it upon myself to rev this baby back up. Oh, I'm not going to come charging out of the gate and post every day. I have to start slow. I don't want to sprain anything! My new New Year's resolution is to post at least one new entry on here a month. And, yes, this one counts for January. I'm not saying that I won't post more frequently than that, but that is the absolute minimum acceptable. So, I'm sorry, dear blog, if I haven't given you the attention that you deserve. I promise to be more attentive in the future. Please forgive me.

Now, there is a reason that I haven't been writing so much on here. I have started writing a novel. Yes, I am finally writing the novel that I have dreamed of writing all of my life. I also post here and there on Internet forums. So, I have other writing outlets, and that was the original purpose for this blog. However, I've decided to change that purpose and make this blog an escape instead of an outlet. I'll use it to escape my outlets, since those outlets have begun to consume me somewhat. Well, I will not be consumed! I have to show that novel who's boss! (Hopefully, it's me.)

And so, I now move in a brave new direction of insignificant observations on often insignificant topics on a somewhat regular basis! Now there's a slogan! And, no, Fox News, you can't use it.

Recommended song download: Satellites (Electro Mix Short) - September

More entertainment and more Nuke

2007-10-29T15:03:00.002-05:00

Here's the second part of the Luke and Noah Story in music video form as presented by me. And for some insight into why the Luke and Noah storyline resonates with me so much, here is a post that I made on a forum that I frequent (cleaned up a bit) in response to why I like Noah:

The reason I like Noah is the same reason that I fell for the story in the first place: I used to be a guy like Luke in love with a Noah. For a while, there were a lot of similarities between their story and mine. When I was in college, I met a boy. He was tall, good-looking, and from a strict, religious family. At first, I didn't even like him! Then we became friends, and then I fell head-over-heels in love with him. I knew that I was gay by this point although I hadn't come out to anyone. So basically I was torturing myself for a while because I thought it could never be (much like Luke did with Noah early on). I can't even tell you the horrible things I thought about myself, because I thought I was betraying someone who trusted me by having these feelings.

The funny thing is that even though he lived openly as a totally straight guy and dated girls, I still got this vibe off of him, but I would often discount it as wishful thinking. And other people would say things. Our "Maddie" (a friend of mine that even looked a lot like her, they were never really boyfriend/girlfriend, but did date for a bit, and she was always around, interrupting at what seemed to be very inopportune times) made a remark once about how the only person she'd ever seen him flirt with was me. And this was before she knew about me or him. Then sometime during this period, I came out to my best friend and roommate at the time (who was absolutely WONDERFUL about everything). He could read me like a book (he was even pretty sure that I was gay before I told him), and one night, he told me that it was obvious to him that I was crazy about this guy. And then he said something even more shocking to me than that: he thought that the guy was into me, too. He said that sometimes when we were all hanging out together and the guy and I started goofing around, he felt like he should leave the room! Anyway, I eventually came out to all my friends, including this guy. And he was very cool with it, even though he had acted previously like being gay wasn't a very cool thing.

Sometime later, something huge happened. I happened to catch sight of the guy....um...enjoying himself....to....um.....a gay film of a certain kind. Well, I confronted him and he confessed things to me. Like how he would find guys on the Internet and hook up with them for fun (which was sort of humiliating, because it turned out that he was more experienced than me, the out gay guy). He still insisted that he wasn't gay, however. He dated girls and wanted to find one with whom to settle down and start a family. Girls were for something serious, guys were just for fun. This was not good news for me, because as it happened, he actually had feelings for me, so, therefore, according to his warped logic he could never be with me, because then it would mean something and THEN he would be gay. (Don't bother trying to figure it out, I gave up a LONG time ago.) There were embraces and even a kiss here and there, but we could never really be together because of what he believed.

So then there was this period of pushing and pulling, which actually began even before either one of us knew about the other now that I think about it. I would basically kick him out of my life for something he'd do which I'd blow out of proportion, because I knew that what was happening was not healthy and we were probably better off apart. But he would always come begging and pleading to me to forgive him and let him back in. Of course, because of the way I felt, I did. I always did. But he had a problem with lying. It was basically second nature to him, because he had to lie about so much of his life all the time. I just didn't like it when he lied to me. And I always knew or found out and I would always call him on it. He said that I was the only one who could ever really see through him, and I was the only one who knew the truth about him, so even he couldn't explain why he would lie to me about things. Anyway, after one more round of him begging me to forgive him and let him back in, I made him promise not to lie to me ever again. And he lied to me 5 minutes later (no exaggeration). And, like always, I knew it. That was it, I couldn't do it anymore. So, I did something horrible to completely alienate him, so he wouldn't come begging again, and it worked. (God, I just realized how much this part of my life sounds like a damn soap.)

I was pretty much shattered afterwards. I went to grad school and made a wonderful group of friends that reaffirmed my faith in humanity and really helped me to heal. About 2 years after that whole episode, we chatted for a bit, and we both seemed to let bygones be bygones and caught up a bit, but we were both on our way in different directions in life, so that was the last time we talked. So you see, we never actually got to be together like Luke and Noah, even though there was definitely something there. But, then again, that whole saga lasted a lot longer than their similar period did. I think even Luke would have completely given up after that long. The sad thing is that I've never felt about anyone since the way I did about him. I've had boyfriends that I've liked, but nothing even close to what I felt for him. I sometimes think about him and know now (being older and wiser) that there were probably other ways of going about things, but it's all water under the bridge.

Then I come upon this story, and I tell you, some of the scenes between Luke and Noah were so similar to scenes between us that it was just scary. I wanted to know who was using my life for soap material! And Noah reminded me of him, and those bittersweet memories came back. And poor well-meaning Luke reminded me of me (although he was admittedly a LOT cuter). And as a gay man, having such a story that seemed ripped from my life in mainstream entertainment was such a unique experience. Seriously, I never come across anything I can REALLY relate to as a gay man in mainstream media. I could relate to this story completely (at least until they actually got together). So it may not be a good enough answer to some, but the reason I like Noah is because he reminds me so much of the one that got away.

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A word now about this week's recommended download. I have been greatly enjoying the show, Pushing Daisies, and Kristin Chenoweth who portrays Olive. Kristin was the original Galinda/Glinda in the Broadway production of Wicked in which she performed the tune "Popular." It's an enjoyable little ditty that has been one of my favorite songs of the past few years. I know that not everyone is into show tunes, but I recommend that everyone give this a spin to see if it's their cup of tea. And check out Kristin on Pushing Daisies if you get a chance. She broke out into "Hopelessly Devoted to You" a few weeks ago, and it was magnificent!

Recommended song download: Popular - Kristin Chenoweth (from the Original Broadway production of Wicked)

Just a little entertainment

2007-10-13T00:04:00.003-05:00

This is a little video that I made while I was bored. It pairs up the Luke and Noah saga, about which I've already written, with Feist's "1, 2, 3, 4".

I'm hoping to get back to writing on here, but nothing is tickling my writing fancy right now as far as the blog goes. To be honest, I've actually got an idea for a story to write. I don't know if it will be a novel, a play, or a short story, but I've been developing it, and it's coming along nicely. The biggest hurdle up to this point was to figure out how it would start, and I think I've finally got it. So, hopefully, I'll be off and running on that. I don't really want to give away any details because it's about something about which I've never seen anything written. Oh, I'm sure someone has written about something similar, but I've never seen it, and it's not something you see on every shelf, every stage, or every screen. So I'm a bit excited and a bit trepidatious to be honest. I probably put too much pressure on myself over these things, since there's a good chance that no one else will ever see them, but if I'm going to put this much time and effort into something I just want it to be good. And I am my toughest critic, so it's got to be really good to make me think I wasn't wasting my time.

Recommended song download: Mesmerized (Freemasons Radio Edit) - Faith Evans

Golden Oldies

2007-09-26T03:10:00.004-05:00

So at the risk of making myself seem like even more of a dork than I already have, I am going to write about my favorite television show ever. So what classic ranks at the top of my list? Of all of the television shows I've ever seen, nothing compares to the hilarity of The Golden Girls. When I think of Blanche, Rose, Dorothy, and Sophia, I become filled with the the warm fuzzies. They remind me of my childhood, when I absolutely had to watch them every Saturday. They also remind me of my late grandmother who would often watch me watch them and cackle gleefully at my gleeful cackling. And believe it or not, Rose reminds me of a wonderful friend of mine from Minnesota, who is sometimes so much like Rose that it's scary. Beyond the memories associated with the show, the good times that seem to be had by the girls themselves are enough to keep me watching again and again.

My favorite girl has changed countless times over the years. As a child, I absolutely adored Sophia, or "that crazy old lady" as I referred to her at the time. Her wisecracks and her stories that always began with the words "picture it" kept me amused to no end and still do to a surprising degree. As I got older and began to watch the reruns, Dorothy became my favorite with her dry wit and sarcasm. She reminded me of me to a large degree, and still does really. I've always got a smart remark for family and friends, and I'm usually considered to be "the intelligent one." A little later, however, I entered my wild phase, staying out all night and ending up in more than one bed. Of course, Blanche then became my favorite and the one with which I most identified. I'll just say it: she was a slut and so was I. Although I do have some fond memories from that time and sometimes think about revisiting the past, I'm mostly glad that I'm as boring as I am today. A little of that kind of living goes a long way. So that brings me to Rose. Although funny in her own way with her St. Olaf stories and wide-eyed innocence, she is a bit of a fuddy-duddy who finds joy in some very mundane things. That is basically me today. I can't guarantee I'll stay there, however. I, like life, and like the world, am constantly changing. I may revert to a previous incarnation or I may grow in a new and unexpected way that brings me back to being a disciple of one of the other girls. One thing I do know is that I'll keep watching the show (especially as I've shelled out good money for the DVDs) and enjoying it. Finally, although they'll probably never see this, I'd like to give a heartfelt thanks to those wonderful actresses, and everyone else who brought the show to life, for bringing a little life to what shows on my television. It's been over twenty years since it's debut, and I still enjoy getting on the ride again and again like a favorite roller coaster at a favorite amusement park.

Recommended song download: Chelsea - Stefy

Addiction Pt. 2

2007-09-19T02:04:00.002-05:00

Yes, there is yet another thing of which I can't get enough. I guess I just have an addictive personality, getting hooked on these things so easily. No, I'm not talking about drugs. Sure, I've tried a few things, but I never really understood the whole drug thing. They never seemed to do anything for me, and I never felt like I had to do it again. In fact, I always felt like I never needed to do that again. Alcohol can be nice, but I don't drink that much. I have a very fine line between being drunk and feeling good and being drunk and praying to the porcelain god. Unfortunately, I'm not very good at recognizing that line, so I now keep drinking to a minimum. No my great vice is a computer game of the MMO variety. And, no, it is not World of Warcraft. I'd rather play a game as Paris Hilton (blech) than an elf or whatever the hell else you can be on there. My other addiction right now is City of Heroes/City of Villains (supposedly stand alone games, but really two sides of the same game). Worse, I am a total altoholic. For those that don't know, an altoholic is someone who can't just play one character and enjoy the game but has to make character after character (or alts as they're known). In this game creating other characters is especially addictive because it has the best character customization in the industry, at least as far as appearance goes. You can play as a superhero (City of Heroes) or a supervillain (City of Villains, duh). You can also choose from plenty of powers (and the developers have recently announced that more are coming, so I have to make even MORE characters now). This game appealed to me from the start because I am a long-time fan of comics and the whole world of superheroes and supervillains. It continues to appeal to me because it's just a blast to play. Depending on your mood, you can solo or team with other players. When I originally started, I was a total soloer, as I usually am in real life (I just prefer to not interact with people anymore than I have to, not to sound bitchy or anything). Then I started teaming and found the challenge of working with others and devising the best ways to use our combinations of powers enjoyable. I've been playing the game for more than 15 months now, and that's not counting a break I took for several months. I decided to come back and found so many new things to do and more being added all the time. I consciously work on not playing it too much, though, and I make sure that I spend time with the people that I should and doing the things that I need to do, as well as doing other things that I enjoy (check the previous post). But there is no denying that part of me wants to play 24/7! I think it's that kid inside who used to read the comics and dreamed about being someone just like the characters that I play in the game. Damn kid.

Recommended song download: Stand Back (Tracy Takes You Home Radio) - Stevie Nicks

Addiction

2007-09-17T21:49:00.002-05:00

I have a new addiction. Well, it's relatively new. I've had it for a few weeks now. I watch the Luke/Noah storyline from "As the World Turns" on YouTube, often repeatedly. Every once in a while, I'll catch an episode on television to see if it's on there, but I'm usually disappointed. It's just so damn good. It's probably the best thing I've ever seen on a soap and it's the first thing I can actually relate to on one. Believe it or not, I actually had a similar episode in college. I've seen others comment on similarities in their own lives as well. To sum up, Luke is a gay teen who came out not too long ago, and Noah is a (relatively) new guy in town, who begins a relationship with Luke's friend, Maddie. Luke is attracted to Noah but thinks he's straight, then Noah kisses him revealing otherwise. Noah feels pressured by his homophobic father to live the straight life and tries to make a go of it with Maddie. Doubt, unspoken feelings, and secrets abound. I won't give away any more in case any readers would like to check it out for themselves. (Yes, it's probably a little naive to assume that there are readers, but someone could stumble across this little corner of the Internet someday and, hopefully, they'll be entertained, but it's more likely they'll be horrified.) The writing is surprisingly good for a soap, and the performances have been surprising as well. Van Hansis as Luke is absolutely brilliant. In fact, he is so good that it makes me nervous that he won't be on much longer because someone has to snap him up for bigger and better things soon. He's just WAY too good for a soap. Alexandra Chando (as Maddie) has also stepped up to the plate recently delivering when it was most important. I highly recommend following the saga. However, I don't really recommend tuning into the show everyday, since, as mentioned before, this storyline isn't on nearly enough and the other storylines are pretty much what you would expect on a run-of-the-mill soap. A wonderful individual has put the Luke/Noah story on YouTube with only the scenes relating to their story, for which I will be eternally grateful. You can find them at http://www.youtube.com/user/LukeVanFan. Enjoy!

Recommended song download: Big Spender (NorthxNWest Remix) - Shirley Bassey

Where to begin?

2007-09-16T01:39:00.003-05:00

Why am I doing this? Well, I've recently decided that I would like to write, definitely as a hobby and possibly as a profession. The problem, however, is that I'm pretty rusty in that department. I used to write all kinds of thing when I was younger, but then "real life" came along as it does to all young idealists eventually, and it was pushed to the wayside. I have ideas popping around in my head, but actually putting them into words has been a bit tricky. I decided that I just need to write. It doesn't matter what it is or what it's about, I just need to write. That's where the blog comes in. It gives me an outlet to write about anything that I want to. Now, having said that, I hope anyone reading this (if, in fact, anyone does read this) doesn't think this is going to be all serious with intellectual discussion and poetry unveilings. It's not. While I hope that what I write about is done in a way that is somewhat intellectual, most of my posts won't be on intellectual topics. To put it simply: I'm a total pop-culture junkie. So I will be discussing music, television, movies, and even the coverage of such things. Oh, I'm not limiting myself to those topics, I'm just giving examples. I may write about politics now and then, but be forewarned, I can get pretty passionate (some would say livid) about such things, as well as general societal observations that I might make now and then. You might notice that there is no profile information either. I would like to reveal myself through the writing here, and, let's face it, a little mystery is a good thing anyway.

As for the name of the blog, well it was what is probably a poorly chosen play on words (see, like I said, I need to tune-up my writing). It isn't exactly untrue, however, in that I am definitely someone who would have to be classified as a disestablishmentarian. Don't know what that is? Look it up with this handy reference: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/disestablishmentarian

With every post, I'm going to recommend a song to download. Of course, my taste in music isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, but maybe someone will come along and find something here and there that he or she might like and decide to check it out. After all, trying to find decent music today is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Often I won't make any comment about the selection, I'll just have it listed at the end. I like all kinds of music, which is a big reason I can't really listen to radio anymore. Every station is so narrow in it's music selection. I need variety! That being said, I do gravitate a lot towards music that makes my booty shake. I'm not going to get into how you download, but legally might be preferable I think. Anyway, my first selection may be familiar because it's on the iPod commercial that's played every 5 minutes. After getting the section in the commercial stuck in my head, I had to find it. I did and now I listen to it repeatedly. It has sunk it's musical claws into my little brain and won't let go. Oh, and check out the video if you get a chance. Fun! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8Z-DIAthbM

To anyone who was bored enough to read this, I'd like to say thank you. Or sorry. It's up to you which one I guess.

Recommended song download: 1234 - Feist