Labor Day Weekend

I have taken the entire last weekend of the summer off from work. I'm not due back in until Tuesday afternoon. The weekend won't be all fun and games. There's the serious matter of a visit by the family to deal with. My brother, sister, their mates along with my 13 year old niece all rolled in to town yesterday around lunchtime. It is my niece's first trip to the city. And the pressure is on to create a good impression and make sure she has a wonderful time. I think day one was successful after an unfortunate incident with some Coney Island bumper cars and a broken pair of sunglasses. Today's agenda includes more shopping (yay!) and a trip to the Central Park Zoo, and finally a Yankees game. I've already taken some pictures and I'm sure this will lead to some great, if not borderline tragic, stories. One thing. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I ended up singing karaoke live on stage, broadcast on a jumbotron across all of Broadway. There's video. I'll see if I can find it for you.

Have a great weekend all!

In The News ...

The passing of a legend of sorts ...

Hilly Kristal, founder of the legendary lower east side punk-rock club CBGB's has died of lung cancer. The club's initials, which I've always wondered about, stand for County BlueGrass Blues, which was the type of music Hilly initially intended to present when he opened the club, among other things. But he agreed to book many artistically ambitious, edgy bands throughout the 70's and it became the home and birthplace of a multitude of punk and rock legends. CBGB's closed last October, after a lengthy and highly public court battle over unpaid rent.

I had gone to shows and see bands many times at CBGB's over the years. And despite my decidedly white, non-punk, homo-core sensibilities, I always had fun. The vibe in that building was overwhelmingly positive, and you literally felt the history when you walked around. A truly great dump.

Also,

A 23 year old Dumb-ski Ass-ovich was recently found dead and half-eaten in a Serbian bear cage. Belgrade Zoo officials speculate that drugs or alcohol may have played a part. YA THINK?

And in case you were wondering, ABC News breaks it down and tells the world how "Gay men cruise for sex". Of course, it's not until about five paragraphs in that the article casually mentions this would apply mostly to married men, bisexuals and other closet cases. Or unattractive, ill-tempered, self-hating Senators suffering from an apparently untreated case of Restless Leg Syndrome.

This just in ...

One of New York City's oldest gay bars has closed. Julius, the W 10 st. institution and/or dirty dump depending on who you talk to, has apparently closed for good. Signs posted in the window report the property has been shuttered and seized for non-payment of taxes.

A Round For The House

I've spent the last couple of weeks developing a non-alcoholic drink menu for the restaurant. It really has very little to do with the fact that I no longer drink. It's just that I've become aware that non-alcoholic cocktails have become very popular for people that either don't drink or don't want to get drunk as well as for underage restaurant patrons. And we get more than our share of those. The karaoke concept is very popular with young people and teens. And the fact that American Idol is such a phenomenon makes everyone willing to potentially make an ass of themselves on stage. So it makes sense that we would want to come up with an overpriced glorified juice menu to overcharge the masses with. And a lot of our parents are of the "My Super Sweet Sixteen" ilk. Why indulge when you can over-indulge?

"I want a feast. I want a bean feast!"

And if Tiffany-Amber wants a $7 lychee puree and cranberry with fresh ginger root because I thought it up and named it a "Teen Idol" than by god she'll have one. At least, that's what I'm counting on. I printed the final menu tonight and it will be out on Wednesday.




In Other News...

I got bit by Mr. Tails the other night after work. I totally blame myself, and my roommate for not taking care of her dog. So I'm not mad at the little fucker.

Monday Moment Of (Audio) Zen

This lady really, really doesn't like telemarketers ...

Nothing Says Summer Like An Overdose

Via Gawker:

We regret to inform the Fire Island Pines Community that there was a death this morning, Saturday, August 18, 2007, of a 31 year old healthy man from a reaction to GHB.
This tragic incident follows an unprecendented number of GHB overdoses at the Pines Party, July 29.

Putting this together there is a strong liklihood that the GHB being distributed in the community is particularly toxic and dangerous.

We circulate this information to encourage all Pines and Grove residents to stay away from any GHB.

Of course it is better not to take any illegal drugs as there are no known ways to reverse their side effects. But all the overdoses we have seen in the last four weeks have included GHB.

Sincerely,
Dr. Ed Schulhafer, M.D.
President
Board of Directors
Pines Care Center, Inc.

Progress Report

Didn't get much done on my weekend. I've been thinking I've been putting too much pressure on myself to "get things done". As happy as I always am when my weekend or any day off comes, I always spend the entire time rushing from one "appointment" to the next. Granted, some of my appointments consist of tanning or shopping, but the point is I make an effort to schedule a block of time where I need to get this done, before I come home and walk/brush the dog, or buy the week's groceries, or clean the bathroom and tub and then rush out to the gym for an hour. I never seem to be able to make time for a Gay-A meeting lately. Haven't been in weeks.

It all ends up making my day(s) off way more stressful than I know they need to be. And it's a major flaw in my character that I rarely take enough time to just ... be. To experience the world around me. To bubble up to the surface and take stock of what's really happening, and by extension, what's important. Anyway, there's no time for this now ...

So the living room re-do is almost finished. I found these cute candle holder wall sconces at my favorite thrift store two weeks ago. I got the pair for $25, and put them up last week. I added ivory colored tapered candles. Sunday while it was raining I finally sat down and worked on a photo I've been seeing in my head. It's a gorgeous shot of a flowering tree from the park next door. I took it last year in the spring, and it's taken me all this time to figure out how I wanted to use it. I ordered an 11X17 print that should be here in a day or two. It's going between the sconces. I also ordered a cheval mirror that matches the sconces that will go in the corner of the room. I've been a gay man without a full length mirror for the last several months, and only my innate sense of style has carried me through without a serious fashion faux pas. Best not to tempt fate much longer.

The floor is re-stained, the walls and ceiling have been repainted. The only trouble spot remains the wall directly over the couch. It's been repainted, but it can use some serious spackling again and another coat. Plus, I'm temporarily out of ideas for artwork. I did find a very cool service that will transfer digital images to wallpaper. And while I love the idea, I can't wrap my head around anything I've photographed that I would like to see on an entire wall. Besides that, I'm currently trying to decide if the bookcase in the corner might be a little over sized. If I decide to keep it, it needs to be repainted to match the rest of the furniture. When that happens, all my living room furniture will match a single design, probably for the first time in my adult life. I'll take some pictures.

Gotta run ...

Monday Moment Of Zen

Britney Spears has really let herself go. But she still has time to scream at the "illegal photographers".

Cashed Out

I've been following the meltdown in the mortgage lending markets and the resulting stock market roller coaster ride all week. Coincidentally, I recently cashed out of my stock fund. Oh how I wish I could say I'm some financial genius that was able to read the signs and stay ahead of the curve. The truth is I was broke and needed the money. I do, however think that there are plenty of buying opportunities out there if you're careful. I don't have any liquid holdings to back that up with an investment to tell you about. I did organize my bills and mountain of credit debt today. I'm in much better shape now than the full panic I was in a couple weeks ago. I'll have to stay lean and mean for the next couple of months in order to really be out of the woods.

Which is not to say I can't have any fun at all. After all, it's Sunday and my day off, so I'm off to church.

Sabra, huh? OK ....

I would have preferred someone with a penis, but then again, I always do.

Made You Look!

VULVA ORIGINAL - Unique and Exclusive to the Adult Market
The erotic and intimate scent of an irresistible woman has been encapsulated into a small glass bottle, not as a perfume but purely as a substance for your own smelling pleasure.
The bottle is to be shaken gently and when only a tiny amount of this intoxicating substance is applied to the back of the hand the irresistible smell of a moist, sensuous vagina exudes and immediately intensifies your erotic fantasies, stimulating the cinematic visions of the imagination.

Breathe in and enjoy the scent of a beautiful woman anytime, anywhere!

So You Think You Can ...

Although I haven't been posting about it weekly, I have been following this season of SYTYCD. Through the magic of DVR, I've been able to enjoy the show no matter my work schedule or how late I get back home. Plus, I'm able to fast forward whenever it gets to the yucky girl solos. (Cooties!) I was horribly disappointed to find I wasn't getting a fix last week, only to be pleasantly surprised by an unexpected semi-final episode tonight.

As it turns out, I'll be totally satisfied no matter which guy ends up winning it all (that's assuming a yucky girl doesn't win). Of course, I do have a favorite. And while Neil gets some points for being a Buffalo native, anyone who knows me would realize I absolutely loves me some Danny. Besides the fact that he is technically a better over-all dancer than Neil, he's got those pretty brown eyes and a chest I'd like to start licking at his feet.

In short, Neil's cute and all but every time I watch Danny, all I can think of is how I'd like to eat the corn out his butt. And that's a good thing.

Monday Moment Of Zen

That's a lot of pussy.

Hey! I Almost Forgot...

On August 7 I reached a minor milestone and almost let it pass without noticing. It's been 6 months since I quit drinking, and that's something I haven't been able to say in decades. Seriously. I'll write on the subject when I get properly inspired, but my life and my mental health have improved by leaps and bounds. Just wanted to say that ...

I know, quit with the "look at me, I'm better" talk and make with the hot guys in underwear. Here ya' go ...

National Underwear Day (part 2)

It turns out I have quite a few pictures I want you to see, but these are a few of my favorites:

It took some time, but I finally managed to work my way to the backstage area, where some of the more interesting pictures were.

PLEASE DO NOT FEED OR TEASE THE UNDERWEAR MODELS

LOOK! IT'S VAPID MEAT PUPPET ETHAN REYNOLDS AND MIRROR RIVAL BEN BRADLEY!

OH, TO BE BEHIND THAT 8 BALL!

More later ...

National Underwear Day

The things I do for you. Tuesday at lunchtime found me in Times Square snapping pix to bring you some shots from National Underwear Day. It featured a fashion show and a separate tent where you could get a fresh pair to put on and keep. I wasn't wearing any at the time so I certainly could have used the free undies. But I was busy documenting the show. All. For. You.

Much more to follow later. For now, I have one of those headaches that feels like someone is repeatedly jamming an ice pick into your skull. It's been going on since last night. Or I'm about to have an aneurysm. I'll let you know.

NSFW

Holy accessory to murder after the fact, Batman!

Well, At Least She's Pretty

I'm not going to begin one of those posts where I say sorry I haven't posted in a while, I'm so uninspired, I have nothing to say blah blah blah. I have plenty to say I'm just ridiculously busy. But I will try and do better and make some time for my tens of readers.

I was going to write a product review for my Mint Chocolate phone, now that I've had it for a couple of months. And aside from the fact that I still love the cool metallic color, it was going to be mostly negative. But I've been finding that most of my problems with the phone are user mistakes. I suppose it would have helped if I had done more than scan the operating instructions but I'm a guy...we don't read instructions. Not when I can repeatedly stab at the buttons and pound the phone with my fist like an ape with a remote control he doesn't understand. I would even occasionally waved it in the air and make unintelligible screeching noises. But I bought the phone mainly because I wanted a music player and phone in one device. I didn't want to have to switch repeatedly between the two when I was going to the gym or about to take a particularly boring subway ride. So I was crushingly disappointed and told anyone who would listen about how distressed I was at the absolutely lousy sound quality of the music coming out of the player. And this from someone who isn't particularly picky about audio quality. If it's loud enough with a decent bass beat I'm a happy homo. This phone, after I finally got the Micro SD storage device and the earphone adapter that plugs into the other adapter that plays the MP3's that all need to be converted to WMA files before they play, was sorely lacking on either front. Or so I believed. So much so that I had begun shopping for a new music player, thinking that I would have to put up with carrying two devices.

Until I found the other, separate volume control wheel attached to the earphone adapter. Almost a month after buying and using it.

The sound is fine now.

Speaking of phones, I was in one of my favorite thrift stores on 3rd Ave. this afternoon. I was shopping for some vintage shirts but instead found some cute picture frames. While I was paying for my purchases I noticed this sign posted next to the cash register:

"We cannot provide you service while you are talking on your cell phone. Please let us know when you are ready."

Fucking brilliant. While I was employed briefly in my retail career, I can't tell you how much it frosted my butt to have somebody come to the register to pay for their purchases (sometimes an entire cart full) all the while yakking on their phone. They frequently wouldn't even deign to say hello, let alone thank you or goodnight. It's unbelievably rude. Of course, I've been fighting this battle ever since cell phones became prevalent during my days as a bartender, so I realize this is impossible to win. But hoping against hope I still may be able to convert even one person, when paying at a register, ordering drinks or having any other interaction with a human service provider, GET OFF THE FUCKING PHONE!

And Now For Something Truly Horrid

Why porn stars shouldn't sing.



I want to find the lid to that little box he's in, throw in his clothing "stylist" and slam it shut. Then I want to dump it in the river. What a piece of crap.