wacky video :: clue

this has got to be one of my favorite moments in a movie - ever! i just love 'clue' so much - enjoy!

wacky video :: steve irwin and gay intern

aww - it's so sad that steve irwin (aka. the crocodile hunter) is dead. this video - however - is funnier than most i've seen in a while.

the agenda revisited :: argentina recap

i know i know - i totally blanked out on updates after i left for iguazu falls. i'm sorry about that - so now that i'm back at work - let me take a few moments of my lunch break to give you the rundown.

first off let me tell you that if you ever get the opportunity to visit the falls - it's truly breathtaking! we were there for 3 days of our trip - while there of course we had the falls - 115 degree subtropical weather - a pool - a casino - and pretty good food. we explored the jungles of the area and saw brazil and paraguay. at the falls we had butterflies galore flying around - beautiful plants - beautiful birds - and we even saw a couple of monkeys. we all got a little sunburned but it was well worth it because this was one of the highlights of the trip.

we got back to buenos aires on thursday evening and headed to dinner to celebrate thanksgiving. i had duck. it made me sick. but i got over it. we did the usual drinks and nightlife after dinner (i mean why not - it was afterall our first night back).

anyway - long story short - it was indeed a great trip. there were some issues here and there but for the most part we all had a great time and all want to go back sometime soon. i even became better friends with camilo - the waiter at sitges. oh wow - that's all i'll say about that - boy - do i ever want to learn spanish now!

more pictures to come. if you have the opportunity - go to buenos aires - it was truly spectacular!

the agenda revisited :: argentina day 5

quick recap:

yesterday was a spa day - we all went to markus for massage and pampering - well worth the money in my opinion but others may have a different view.

dinner - casa cruz - most expensive yet but we had 2 extra people with us (todd's uncle and cousin from california) - bill came out to $1100 peso - i successfully ordered a steak - yumm - with foie gras for starters - double yumm. we understand that sammy sosa was there - whoever that is.

today we fly to iguazu falls - about to leave in a second - so this will be short. i'll be out of touch until thursday when we fly back - so don't worry - i'll update then.

till then - xoxo and happy thanksgiving.

the agenda revisited :: argentina day 4

after the usual showers and other morning routines - we headed out in search of the '5th avenue' of buenos aires. darris had other plans and went off on his own. being that it was a sunday there were outdoor markets and fairs all over the city. so we went to take in a few of those on the way. many interesting arts and crafts as well as traditional yerba matte mugs and straws (i bought 3).

we made it down to the 'posh' shopping area - only to find out that the shops were closed - but they were having a photo shoot where it looked like a super model had ran into the back of a chicken truck with feathers all over herself and the car - lord only knows what they were trying to 'sell'.

since the shops were closed - we opted to have a nice lunch outside on the strip outside of the cemetery. it was lovely! such a beautiful day - very warm - very nice.

after lunch - we headed to another part of the city for more markets - puppet theatre - tango dancing - and mimes. at 5:30 our tango lesson was scheduled - so we headed to the hotel to secure our spots. it was outside on a patio at this bed and breakfast. todd and i watched as the others started their lesson. the class had the 5 of us - and 4 from nyc - and a couple of spanish speaking people.

afterwards all of the new yorkers headed to a cafe to meet and greet - found out that one of them actually works at iag with nick - small world gets smaller everyday. we made plans to meet with them later at 'palacio' - parted ways - and headed home for a power nap and dinner.

fast food empanadas for dinner - omg - so good and like a penny a piece - lol. we headed over to 'palacio' and met up with our new friends from nyc. 'palacio' i have to admit - is my personal hell. i had about 10 minutes of 'fun' before i was ready to head out the door - i guess i am just super-clubbed out. about 3 hours later - i think we headed out - well - nick, todd, and i did - we left darris and anthony there to 'hunt' some more.

i don't know what time the other boys got home - but it was noisy and there were 'guests' this morning when i woke up - lol - god love them (someone here is 4 for 4 - my god).

today we head back to '5th avenue' and perhaps a spa. we decided not to go to uraguay as we'll be heading to iguazu falls tomorrow and we have so much more in buenos aires we want to take in.

more later - off to shower.

the agenda revisited :: argentina day 3

a day of shopping. we spent most of the day walking around the various shopping districts of buenos aires - each of us found some great deals and i'm sure that there will be more shopping to come before we leave to head back home. why not? everything here by comparison is dirt cheap.

we treated ourselves to another 'fancy' meal - this time with a danish kick. the venue this time around was 'olsen' - a danish restaurant with great architecture and a selection of 'exotic' vodkas - most of us were just glad they had ketel one on the menu. i had a fantastic frozen mint drink with a goat cheese appetizer and seared and blackened tuna for dinner. in all the food was pretty good - i though the goat cheese lacked a 'zing' to it but i was happy with all the selections.

after dinner we opted to walk off our food and hike down to sitges yet again for drinks before 'going out'. the cute waiter was there - we said hello - had a couple of rounds - one of us left with a 'friend' (that's 3 for 3 for him if i were taking score but i'm not - lol) - the rest of the lot went back to 'glam' for one more - and then left for home early (compared to the other evenings) and went to bed. fortunately the 'friend' had been and gone by the time we arrived home.

day 4 is about to begin - we're talking about more shopping and perhaps a museum and some tango lessons - fun - we'll see!

the agenda revisited :: argentina day 2

evita!

once out and about - we took in a lunch at a cafe not far from the house. we then headed to 'cemeterio de la recoleta' to visit our friend evita - well - the tomb of eva peron. wow - some great photos were taken - i will share soon!

from there we headed to la plaza de mayo to visit 'the balcony'. it was as if madonna as evita was there with us - lol - not really - but one can dream.

headed home to have a quick nap and freshen up for dinner.

dinner - a steakhouse called miranda. eating here is a challenge for me - one - i don't speak or read spanish so i'm not 100% sure what exactly i'm eating - two - everything seems to be meat - fried potatoes - and more meat. dinner was a challenge for all of us - even the ones who speak spanish. our appetizers were a medley of various innards of the cow - tripe - kidneys - the works - and yumm - blood sausage - what the hell? needless to say we didn't clean our plates of that one. our main courses were very good - though - i ordered what i thought was the fillet - turned out to be a pork chop. none of us successfully ordered a steak - except for nick - but his came covered with mozzarella cheese and sun dried tomatoes. we each ordered dessert which was fantastic - paired with coffees and 2 bottles of moderately priced wine - our total bill was just over $400 peso - which roughly makes $135 us dollars with tip - not bad for what was considered a really nice meal by argentinian standards.

we headed out to 'sitges' for all you can drink happy hour. that place is festive and i'm sure we'll be heading there again tonight. the waiter took a liking to me and i took a liking to him. of course he spoke no english - but i got his email address - lol. we met a few locals who suggested a place for afterwards - so at about 3am we moved down the road to a place called 'palacio' - which was a dance club that reminded me of velvetnation in dc. totally not my scene but it was fun nonetheless.

we left at about 6am with the sun out as if it was noon. it becomes light right around 5-530am each morning - granted we are staying out much later than we are used to in the states - but what the hell - we are on vacation.

about to shower and head out to day 3 - who knows what will happen today - maybe cute waiter will email me back - hehe.

the agenda revisited :: argentina day 1

ok so i didn't actually post an agenda but here's a recap.

we arrived safely around 11am buenos aires time and quickly made it though customs where our driver was waiting with a mercedes van to take us to our apartment. about an hour later we arrive to a gorgeous 2 bedroom apartment - completely modern - with great views from each window. we got the run-down from claudia - our housing agent - and we were then free to explore buenos aires on our own.

we set out to find two things - an atm and a place to eat. within blocks we found both. talk about funny money - for less than $700 - i was able to get $1500 ar peso. everything here is so cheap. we ate simple sandwiches at this place around the corner - all beef - but yumm.

showered and changed - we relaxed and waited for the 'witching hour' to arrive.

we started our search around 4:00 - the goal - to find the gay rag 'la ronda'. this was to be the source of all things 'gay' for the week. we went from one corner of the city to the next - no luck. like a needle in a haystack. we could not find a gay bar that was open - a bar that served alcohol - and it was pouring rain. we thought our night was going to be a bust.

we snuck into a random cafe after we had a suggestion from the gay hotel (and also a map) to collect ourselves. our muse - madonna - began to play - we felt this was a sign. we decided to go to a club called 'titanic' - we felt that would lift our spirits. but no - it was closed for a private party. deflated - we headed back to the apartment for internet and research.

around midnight we found it - the perfect place - 'sitges'. finally we found the other gays in the village - we weren't alone - in fact - this place was damn near perfect - for one - it had alcohol - and drag - and cute people! we said a toast and enjoyed the evening.

we ended the evening at the bar 'glam' - and it was. we met about 8 new yorkers and dominated the outside patio. one of the guys actually goes to my tattoo guy on 23rd street - small world. we watched the sun come up and headed home.

about to start day 2 - great so far - will update again soon!

don't cry for me

this evening i board a plane bound for buenos aires, argentina! every year - my friend anthony and i take a trip to somewhere 'exotic' and every year we bring along a cast of characters. this year - we'll be joined by nick, todd, and darris. i'm looking forward to the adventure and hope to be able to update the blog while i'm there to keep the stories rolling. if not - i'll share the stories and the pictures when i return.

happy thanksgiving!

wacky video :: faith hill is pissed

ok so i can't let the week go by without showcasing yet another celebrity moment gone wrong - faith hill - country superstar - made a complete ass out of herself when she basically freaked to the camera when carrie underwood (of american idol fame) beat her out of an award at the cma's earlier this week. check out the video on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyZRiEJnIag

wacky video :: k-fed got dumped

poor kevin federline (the ex mister britney spears) - to be dumped over text message - your cd sales are awful - and no one wants to go to your shows - what else can possibly happen - wow - sucks to be you - i can't imagine why no one didn't think this would happen - check it out on youtube!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkq0w6ua_Sg

rumsfeldisms

i received this in an email today - thanks darris - but it was so funny i had to post it. see - as we say good-bye to mister rumsfeld - it only makes sense that we go back and look at his most profound quotes over the years. enjoy!

1. 'i would not say that the future is necessarily less predictable than the past. i think the past was not predictable when it started.'

2. 'we do know of certain knowledge that he [osama bin laden] is either in afghanistan, or in some other country, or dead.'
3. 'we know where they are. they're in the area around tikrit andbaghdad and east, west, south and north somewhat.' -on iraq's weapons of mass destruction
4. 'death has a tendency to encourage a depressing view of war.'
5. 'freedom's untidy, and free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things.' -on looting in iraq after the u.s. invasion, adding 'stuff happens'
6. 'as you know, you go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time.'
7. 'i am not going to give you a number for it because it's not my business to do intelligent work.' -asked to estimate the number of iraqi insurgents while testifying before congress
8. 'i believe what i said yesterday. i don't know what i said, but i know what i think, and, well, i assume it's what i said.'
9. 'needless to say, the president is correct. whatever it was he said.'
10. 'reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. we also know there are known unknowns; that isto say we know there are some things we do not know. but there are also unknown unknowns - the ones we don't know we don't know.'
11. 'if i said yes, that would then suggest that that might be the only place where it might be done which would not be accurate, necessarily accurate. it might also not be inaccurate, but i'm disinclined to mislead anyone.'
12. 'there's another way to phrase that and that is that the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence. it is basically saying the same thing in a different way. simply because you do not have evidence that something does exist does not mean that you have evidence that it doesn't exist.' -on iraq's weapons of mass destruction
13. 'it is unknowable how long that conflict [the war in iraq] will last. it could last six days, six weeks. i doubt six months." -in feb. 2003
14. 'well, um, you know, something's neither good nor bad but thinking makes it so, i suppose, as shakespeare said.'
15. 'secretary powell and i agree on every single issue that has ever been before this administration except for those instances where colin's still learning.'
16. 'learn to say 'i don't know.' if used when appropriate, it will be often.'
17. 'i don't know what the facts are but somebody's certainly going to sit down with him and find out what he knows that they may not know, and make sure he knows what they know that he may not know.'
18. 'i'm not into this detail stuff. i'm more concepty.'
19. 'i don't do quagmires.'
20. 'i don't do diplomacy.'
21. 'i don't do foreign policy.'
22. 'now, settle down, settle down. hell, i'm an old man, it's early in the morning and i'm gathering my thoughts here.'
23. 'if i know the answer i'll tell you the answer, and if i don't, i'll just respond, cleverly.'
looking back on all of this - it's no wonder he was bush's man of war - these quotes sound like they come from the 'president' himself - the morons - makes you proud to be an american - or scared shitless - one of the two. adios rumsfeld!

a week :: a recap

what a week (and it's only thursday) - my god - political change - celebrity drama - and rumsfeld.

knowing that this week was mid-term elections for many states - i already knew it was going to be a humdinger. the democrats had a great opportunity to take back the house, senate, and the top seats of the states and they did - smack that ass mister bush - i guess we will be in this week to measure for drapes! (on a side-bar - did you hear bush's comment in his post-election speech yesterday talking about how he could recommend a replublican decorator to help nancy pelosi measure for drapes - what a dick - anyway - here's a quote from the herald tribune - 'the president joked that he had given house minority leader nancy pelosi, in line to become the first female speaker of the house, the name of a republican interior decorator to help her pick out drapes for her new office. the comment was poke at the california democrat's pre-election remark about having her pick of capitol building suites.') it's truly exciting times indeed. the losers were of course the republicans (yay) and the gays (boo).

gays still can't get married - no shock there - not sure what it'll take to gain those kinds of rights. i'm not even sure i'd even jump on the marriage thing even if we were able to but to deny the right to anyone to do what they wish when they are in love isn't right. who knows - one day it may happen. hopefully by then i will have found love and have different views of the subject - until then - i'll stay bitter and single - lol. but not neil patrick harris - that's right - dr. doogie howser came out of the closet this week stating that '(he is) quite proud to say that (he is) a very content gay man living my life to the fullest.' - not a big shock there but good for him - hey neil - wanna get married?

on the subject of marriage - what the hell is up with britney spears (who i like to call shitney brears) and k-fed (aka loser)? come on now - divorce - like we didn't see that coming. i think britney finally looked in the mirror and realized how pathetic her life had become. she went from being pop princess back to poor white trash in a matter of 9+ months (a baby or two can do that to you). she did marry an talentless hack who has been mooching off of what's left of her fame for way too long. she's no longer cute - she's fat - and let's just say - tragic. someone yesterday even told me that k-fed's tickets were being given away in chicago because no one cared to buy them.

i think this is potentially a great move for britney - her loyal fans will come to her rescue - leave it to the gays to take a tragic someone and turn them back into a grand diva (i submit donna summer as exhibit a). i expect this could mean a 'comeback' for our dear pop princess? at least a vegas show - or - branson! [read more on gawker]

last but not least - let's take this time to say good-bye to an old fart - donald rumsfeld. evidently 'president' bush had to have a fall guy for how poorly the war in iraq was going - so - let's put it all on don's head. why not - he's only been in his post longer than anyone ever in the history of our country.

now now - i don't think this is a bad idea - the guy should have been pushed out years ago - i just think it'll be a mess to clean up and i would hate to be in robert gates' shoes right now. if confirmed - gates will take the place of rumsfeld as the secretary of defense. this task will be like trying to clean an oil spill the size of texas with an sos sponge and some pledge.

with the democrats back in power - we just have to play nice for two more years when we can fully take back the white house. hillary clinton for president anyone? won't that be fun!

theatrical thoughts :: a chorus line

a chorus line
gerald schoenfeld theatre :: new york, ny
attended :: november 7, 2006

months ago when i purchased my ticket to see the remounted production of 'a chorus line' - i was beside myself with glee and thought - 'my god - november can't get here quick enough'. boy was i wrong - november got here quicker than ever (ps - what the hell happened to summer?) and last night was the night i had been waiting for.

in my true fashion - i was running late. a work meeting kept me later than i wanted - so at about 7:15 i bolted over to meet my companions at john's pizzeria on 44th street for a quick makers on the rocks and headed to the show.

it's rare that i ever pay full price for any tickets to shows - this was an exception. $111 for seats in the balcony - wow - it does cost a lot to support the arts - haha. it was a hundred million degrees in the theatre. fun right?

so far so - eh.

the lights dim - you see the cast quietly hand in hand walk across 'the line' - the mirrors spin around - and the show's famous first line - 'again!' - is uttered and off they go with a running start (or a ballet leap) - regardless - flawless. instant chills. the dancing was spot on and the energy was amazing.

eliminations begin and the dancers on the line are reduced down to 17. now - this is where the audience can really take a good look at the leads of the show. if the director of the show (bob avian) intended this to happen - i don't know - but here on the line - were 17 plain people. none of them particularly stunning (don't get me wrong - there are some hotties in the cast) - none of them stood out - it was as if they went out of the way to cast 'bland' people.

because bland-looking people generally give bland performances - this is exactly what happened. suddenly and without warning - the show just took a nose dive. nothing had changed from the original production - so there really wasn't a lot to keep the audience interested in what was going on. some of the better numbers performed by the ensemble were 'at the ballet' and 'hello twelve...' - but individually - the cast fell apart.

very weak performances by charlotte d'amboise (cassie - wasn't strong enough in the roll - she didn't connect with the audience enough to make us feel sorry for her situation - and for christ's sake - 'the music and the mirror' dance break has always been about two and a half minutes too long) - jessica lee goldyn (val - for having tits and ass she had a lot of 'fat' everywhere else - should could have milked it a little more and belted to the hills - just simply a bad casting decision) - and natalie cortez (diana - had potential if she didn't sing in the back of her throat) - while others shined above them all - jason tam (paul - absolutely flawless execution of the 'drag' monologue) - mara davi (maggie - so perky - eyes on her the entire time - great voice - great energy) - and deidre goodwin (sheila - absolutely perfect for the role - one of the more solid entertainers on the stage).

the closing number was - as always - visually spectacular. again - the ensemble was solid - individually is where the cast fell flat.

i'd recommend this show to anyone who truly loves the show/movie - but keep in mind - nothing has changed - it's pretty much the same experience to watch it on your tv - and with that - you can at least pause to pee or get a drink - 'a chorus line' on broadway is performed without an intermission! and whatever you do - just don't pay full price for your ticket.

thanks to manna for the inspiration and thoughts that added to this post. lol - we usually see it eye to eye!

buy the cd from amazon.com - a chorus line :: the new broadway cast recording

attack of the celebrity troll dolls

ok so i was sitting in my office today watching tv - come on - don't you all watch tv in your office? anyway - i tuned into the very underwhelming megan mullally show (why megan why - bring back karen or come back to broadway - talk shows just aren't for you) and her special guest was the legendary barry manilow.

now you have to hand it to the man - at 147 years old (give or take) he's still out there singing and doing his thing. he's been on every major talk show lately. he even was on martha stewart (used to hate her but her new post-prison image makes me laugh) and rachel ray (who i think should die in a sea of acidic 'peppiness' - hate her) at the same time on the same day - talk about 'could it be magic'! but seeing him over and over has really made me believe that barry - is - in reality - a troll doll.

years of plastic surgery have really not done this aging singer very well. take a look at the photo at the top - notice the family resemblance? small chin - big ears - awkward eyes - and sculpted cheeks - i think we have a winner. aging celebrities almost always start to look alike anyway.

another troll to be on the look-out for is the ever-aging rod stewart. one could almost argue that he and barry go to the same plastic surgeon. take a look at the picture to the right - if it's not the same surgeon - they must go to the same barber!

why are these musicians still making music anyway. both barry and rod's latest releases (the great songs of the sixtiesand thanks for the memory...the great american songbook iv) are compilations created by other artists - tributes if you will - of times long since past. in a way - ironic - as their time seems to have past too. oldy - moldy - troll-like. but for most women over 50 - two of the sexiest men alive - i don't get it - but then again - i'm not a 50+ woman - yet - lol.

say something photo :: oprah and madonna

this made me laugh so hard - it's a funny gif based on the oprah / madonna interview. click on the photo to the left to see the animation - enjoy.

scissor sisters :: live at the hammerstein ballroom

i was very fortunate to attend the scissor sisters concert at the hammerstein ballroom in new york city last evening - here's a video i shot from their opening number 'take your mama' - more to come - enjoy!

posted on motionbox: http://www.motionbox.com/video/player/a09fd5ba1e28

say something photo :: the 'breast' wedding ever

the 'breast' wedding pic ever - reason why you should never wear a strapless dress to catch a bouquet - thanks jackie!

i just love the woman to the left in the horrible black and white 80s dress (which one i know there's a ton) - that seems to be the only one who sees what's going on. do you think this made it into the final photo album?

something to add to your holiday wish list

christmas cums early - oh wait - no - that's you - that is if you ask santa to stuff this little gadget into your stocking. if the ipod craze hasn't hit every corner of the globe - here's the accessory that every sexaholic and ipod-head needs. it's called the ohmibod. it's a music powered vibrator - jammin' out for the puss or anus on the go! too much!

this little toy pulsates to your favorite music - so you can 'get off' to your favorite beats. it comes with a handy carrying case and a wide range of accessories available on their website.

you'll be able to get your big 'o' with madonna, the sex pistols, butthole surfers, or the pussycat dolls (haha couldn't resist) - the choice is yours. of course you could put your ipod on random and have a veritable cornucopia of excitement in your ears and between your legs.

what will they think of next - humm...i wonder if it comes with a gift receipt?

daily music download

shirley bassey :: the remix album :: diamonds are forever

i'm feeling a little retro, gay, disco and overall coffee-buzzed today - so i've been jamming out to shirley bassey. the remix album - it's great for some classic music by a classy lady remastered and remixed by some of the hottest dj's and electronica acts on the planet. it's groovy - it feels great - and you know the songs well enough that you can sing along.

buy it now on amazon.com :: the remix album

a rant :: revolving doors

ok come on now - who does not know how to use a revolving door? i mean really - most of them are designed for one person - that's one - singular - uno - you get my point.

as i was rushing to get to work today - still hungover from last night's sake overdose - i turn the corner to go through the revolving door and i can't - there are 2 tourists - i'm assuming a mother and daughter - caught in the revolving door because their fat mid-american asses were too big to get both of them safely through. so like dumbasses - they are stuck - wedged between freedom and sbarro.

now why would anyone think that in that size space - 2 people could fit through. granted - it was a mother and her kid - but the kid was in her 20s and was a full grown adult. there's no excuse. even if they were scared for their lives being in the big dangerous big city - no one is going to mug you in a revolving door - why - because they aren't made for 2 people!

tourists take note - don't even try to put 2 people in a revolving door, stand on the right and walk on the left of escalators (and some of you should walk regardless - my god - so much mid-america cottage cheese ass freaks running around - exercise for christ's sake), when you reach the top of the escalator - keep walking - chances are there are people behind you who'd like to safely exit the moving platform, and - don't put 2 people in revolving doors - can't stress this enough - we are new yorkers - we won't bite - it's not cute - it's not 'fun' - if you want 'fun' - take your fat ass to disney world and ride the tea cups!

welcome to new york baby!

10 reasons why gay marriage is wrong

10 reasons why gay marriage is wrong

1. being gay is not natural. real americans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, and air conditioning.

2. gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.

3. legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. people may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.

4. straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn't changed at all; women are still property, blacks still can't marry whites, and divorce is still illegal.

5. straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of britany spears' 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed.

6. straight marriages are valid because they produce children. gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn't be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren't full yet, and the world needs more children.

7. obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.

8. gay marriage is not supported by religion. in a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. that's why we have only one religion in america.

9. children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. that's why we as a society expressly forbid single parents to raise children.

10. gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms. just like we haven't adapted to cars, the service-sector economy, or longer life spans.

wacky video :: flushing kitty

found this on motionbox - so cute - check it out.

http://www.motionbox.com/video/player/4c9cdeb51dc3

movie musts :: shortbus

shortbus
a film by john cameron mitchell

rush right out to you local cinema to take in this fantastic film by 'hedwig and the angry inch' creator - john cameron mitchell. it's been a while since i've seen a film that was actually worth watching and paying $11+ for.

this pretty much underground indy film stars no one in particular but has an excellent art quality to it - not only in the way it was shot (fantastic paper mache transitions and interesting camera angles and lighting) but the realistic and very real sex scenes that were peppered throughout. now - i'm not a fan of porn - and knowing that there would be an auto-fellatio scene in the movie did concern me just a bit going into it - but john cameron has somehow been able to capture class in the common act of sex and masturbation.

in brief - 'shortbus' is a story of a hetero married couple, a homo couple, the 3rd, a stalker, and a dominatrix finding their answers to sexual frustrations at a party called shortbus somewhere in new york city. the party - hosted by 'kiki and herb' star justin bond (kiki) - is nothing short of a free for all orgy where sex is the game and art surrounds the moment. sounds seedy right? actually it's a great exploration of human sexuality in it's rawest sense.

two performances shocked me - justin bond and pj deboy. i saw the 'kiki and herb alive on broadway' show a few months back and hated it - didn't think there was any way that duo could ever pull themselves out of the muck i saw - but low and behold - justin captivated me in every scene - i was delighted at the role he played and how he interacted with the other characters. another shock was pj deboy. now - if you've been reading along at home - you know from the archive i've spoken of mr. deboy before (from the archives :: a random monday retold) - well he's now one of the leads in this movie. he didn't do a bad job - i can say he's a better actor than singer - and thankfully - we didn't have to hear him sing a single tune in the movie - praise god!

some of new york's microlebrities were choice cameos: the world famous *bob*, dirty martini, and murray hill - and then some better knowns like jake shears of the scissor sisters as well as 'the l word's' daniela sea.

it was a delightful movie - and one that i'd even consider purchasing on dvd when it's released - though i don't think that john cameron mitchell will be nominated for another academy award with this one - the 'nr' rating would make for a very interesting nod from the academy if they are feeling bold. nonetheless - run - don't walk - and go see this film - you'll be glad you did!

such is life

for the 12 of you who may be actually reading this (and i'm sure that 12 is an ambitious number) - i feel it's only necessary to explain why there's been a lack of posts lately. i've been totally burning my candle at both ends - it's not a pleasant feeling for sure. work has got me working non-stop on this and that - personal life has got me traveling up and down the east coast - and all the while - it's suddenly mid october and there's talk of the holidays just around the corner. where did this year go?

i took a trip back home to nc this past weekend to visit the family. joseph angelo (jak) was christened on saturday. it was a nice family service held in my sister's home. my father was absent as he and his junior bride were on their anniversary trip. my grandmother was there as well as my mother, suddenly psychic sandra, the konars from poland and beyond, and of course other random friends and family members. in all - a great time with the family - it was the 'going home' thing i had the issue with.

i'm not sure if this happens to everyone - but i feel every time i go home - i've moved light years ahead while certain aspects of 'home' have stayed right there in some kind of random time-warp (and not the good rocky horror kind.) raleigh is blowing up - housing and development is on the rise and the city is alive with a different kind of energy - it's everywhere and very apparent. the people in raleigh - however - seem to just 'be' - never changing - always constant - and stuck in some kind of dimension between 1990 and 2010.

i keep reminding myself that it is after all a red state - it is jesse helms country - and as my friend chris calls it - the deep south (though it's really too far from the actual deep south to be called that but it does make me laugh.) the town is growing - changing - the people aren't - beautiful homes - poorly decorated - new shopping experiences - loaded with nothing but the same - fashion forward - does not exist in this world.

for example - you can go to breakfast on a saturday morning in the new arts space area of town. there - big ed's - you'll find traditional breakfast - biscuits, ham, grits, sweet tea - the usual. here - in the middle of the new and trendy - the old and stale line up to eat. something old something new perhaps - i don't know.

then on the flip side of this was the nightlife. my ex - matt - was nice enough to play night host to me for 2 nights out on the town. somethings change - somethings stay the same. here were legends and cc - the 2 gay bars in which i grew up into my present gay life - the memories of both are massive and both have special places in my heart. both have had special face lifts over the years - cc added a new light up disco platform and scaffolding things flanking the dance floor (why i have no clue neither serves a purpose but to tacky up the place) - while legends added and addition (well they just took the old garage next door and turned it into a nonsmoking pool hall) - slight changes to the physical - but the people - were the same people from 10 years ago doing the same things - drinking the same beers - and talking about the same drama. but the crazy part of it - they were all new faces - the younger faces had replaced the faces of my past but the circumstances were exactly the same as i had remembered. granted - some of the faces were indeed the ones of my past - all of us had flashed forward 10 years - but nonetheless - same old same old. lots of old navy, abercrombie, and what me and my friend wes like to call n-double-c-g (north carolina club gear - you know the stuff - it'll melt before it burns and is made from fibers only a scientist could create.) long story short - not a damn person i'd want to sleep with.

am i a 'big city snob?' i felt so detached by the whole experience. it upset me that i felt above it all. i told matt that the next time i came to the area i more than likely would remove myself from that scene all together. hanging out is fine - but the bar scene - wow - depressing. thomas wolfe wrote a book - ' you can't go home again' - i believe it's true. i feel as if i've grown so far away from my roots - it saddens me but not for me - that the world that i once loved has been unable to grow with me. stranger in a strange land - but then again - that's why i live in nyc.

wacky video :: future of fashion?

this has got to be the craziest fashion forward show i've ever seen in my life - check it out for yourself - it's found on youtube.

daily music download

regina spektor :: begin to hope

i think it's only fitting that since i'll be seeing her in concert tonight that today's featured music download would be selections from begin to hope by regina spektor. regina is quickly coming one of the top played in my list of musts on my ipod. she has a unique sound that reminds you of fiona apple, bjork, and tori amos - but mashed up together in a blender and poured into a beer glass. it's great. check it out.

buy it now on amazon.com :: begin to hope

the agenda

1. wake up (done)
2. shower (done)
3. get dressed (done)
4. eat cheerios (done)
5. head to the city (done)
6. workout with julia at thirdpower fitness (done)
7. go to work (done)
8. work (in progress)
9. dinner (i hope)
10. regina spektor concert at the town hall
11. go home
12. sleep

i'm most excited about the concert tonight. as always - i'm going with my concert buddy ames (aka tixgirl.) we've been sitting on these regina spektor tickets for a couple months now and tonight we finally get to go and i can't wait!

wacky video :: kathie lee gifford sings to a monkey

well it's not really kathie lee gifford but she's still pretending to be the jesus-loving freak and it is a real monkey. check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bjeZhhAXf8

h-to-the-o-to-the-double-t video

mario lopez has definitely grown up. the former saved by the bell star (ac slater) and his near perfect body appeared in last night's episode of nip/tuck - what a fantastic show - and had a very nice shower scene with dr. troy. check it out on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYEZ8ta96Ik



to purchase season 3 of nip/tuck: nip/tuck
to purchase saved by the bell seasons 1 & 2: saved by the bell

the agenda revisited :: weekend edition

ok so it's been a while since i've posted. crazy busy at work and i've actually had not much to talk about. it amazes me how little energy one has for the 'everyday' when the 'routine' is kicking your ass. it could be the fact that i'm still trying to void this head cold from my body.

i did manage to have a pretty good date last night - even under the circumstances of the week and the cold. did the dinner thing - then to barracuda - then to maries crisis. he went home and i headed down to the hangar in the evill for a friend's birthday party.

saturday morning was all about errands. laundry and dry cleaning. i headed back to the evill for a late brunch. on avenue c between 8th and 9th streets was the destination - the place was called the sunburnt cow. there's where i met melissa, brent, tommy, and scott. the sunburnt cow is an australian restaurant complete with vegemite sandwiches for their guests (they were all out today though.) i had a bessie - a fantastic bb-q steak sandwich. omg - so so good - that combined with unlimited bloody marys made me a happy boy.

onto the san gennaro festival. an annual italian festival held in little italy every year. they block off the main streets and the people come out in masses to eat sausage and peppers, calamari, fried dough of all shapes and sizes and the occasional fried oreo or candy bar. we got zipolli - fried dough balls with powdered sugar.

subway home - casual evening on the couch - trying not to have a hangover from the unlimited bloody marys.

sunday was brunch at cafe loup with scott, grady, and nick. scott and grady were in town on route from boston to dc. it was good seeing them both and we had a great meal at cafe loup. apple store afterward for some shopping then we split into our own paths - nick to union square - scott and grady - on the road back to dc and me to the west village for a coffee date at soy luck club on greenwich ave.

it was crowded so me and my date headed to grounded around the corner - so nice. i had a drink called just dew me - it was odd ordering such a drink on a first date but it was great nonetheless. honeydew and mint smoothie - yumm!!!

great date - great time hanging out with him - got a little smooch as we parted ways. i came home - and here i am - about to head to bed and start my week all over again. fun times - god i hope so - but something tells me that work is going to really kick my ass - why would this week be any different than it usually is?

wish me luck.

eric himan :: bitter end :: nyc

once again - i'm a slack ass and posted no agenda. what's to post really - i worked all day. but here's what i did:

this evening - i went to see my friend eric himan perform at the bitter end in nyc. he played with his band (dan, rich, and andy) - great show - but in my true dumb-assed fashion - i thought the show was for 8:00 when in reality it was at 7:00 - so my friend justin and i managed to show up about 15 minutes late.

the show was his nyc performance for his new cd - everywhere all at once. it was so great to see him playing with a band. we were talking about 'the old days' in frederickburg, va - man he's come a long way - so proud of his success and this cd rocks!

afterwards - we all went to dinner at sammy's on 7th ave. joining us was renowned photographer john arsenault. john did the photography for eric's last cd - dark horse.

it was great to connect with great friends for the evening over big martini glasses of sashimi. we returned home to catch up and gossip. now it's late - time to go to bed for i have an appointment with julia at 7:30am tomorrow. sleepy time - over and out.

the agenda revisited

ok so yeah - i did the sushi - worst sushi ever and sooooooo expensive! ain't eating there again. left rehearsal at the half way with manna, loopee, and new member tom. we went to manna's and helped him move boxes then on to splash for musical mondays. fun! me and new member hit it off. at around 11 we went to monster to meet up with the chorus boys. fun times as always. now i'm home - new day tomorrow - yee haw. sleepy time.

daily music download

madonna :: i'm going to tell you a secret

download, buy, steal - just get this cd. hot hot hot - and i'm not even much of a madonna fan. definitely a treat - it's her first live cd ever released. it comes with a dvd that actually brought tears to my eyes - and i'm not just saying that! it's a must for any madonna fan out there - or even if you aren't.

buy it now on amazon.com :: madonna: i'm going to tell you a secret

project runway :: fashion week

project runway finalists showed their spring 2007 collections at fashion week in bryant park here in nyc. the finalists are michael knight (favored to win), uli herzner, laura bennett, and jeffery sebelia. you can check out all of the finalists' collections courtesy of new york magazine by checking out their website at the following link:

new york magazine - project runway

it's sure to be a bloodbath to the end. notice in the slide show laura about to burst from her announced pregnancy. it really does show the viewer exactly how much time passes from shoot to production.

project runway airs every wednesday at 10:00pm on bravo. check your local listings for exact times and channels.

the agenda

the agenda *

1. wake up (done)
2. shower (done)
3. dress (done)
4. pack for the day (done)
5. eat cheerios (done)
6. head to the city (done)
7. work out with julia (done)
8. head to work (done)
9. work (in progress)
10. dinner - hopefully sushi by the center on 13th street
11. nycgmc rehearsal until 10:30
12. drinks at the monster
13. travel home to brooklyn
14. sleepy time

* as always - the agenda is subject to change - please check your local listings for show times and updates. ok - back to work.

my savior

zicam - if i could marry it i would. it's the only thing that's been able to release the sinus tension. i'm not back to 100% but nearly there.

it really does suck being sick on the weekend - especially since we are on limited time until it's too cold to do anything. it's mid-september - the weather is going to kick our asses any week now. this weekend was a lovely break from the monsoon-like rain we've been having the week prior. this week should be lovely too - but mother nature has been known to change her mind at any time.

say something photo :: sick on a saturday

being sick on a saturday sucks!

i'm sick

it hit me out of nowhere. woke up this morning and felt like a truck hit me. still had to go to work. it's not getting better as the day goes on. work is kicking my ass which does not add to it. weather is rainy and gross. ugh. this sucks.

daily music download

jenny lewis and the watson twins: rabbit fur coat

the download of the day is 'rabbit fur coat' by jenny lewis and the watson twins. absolute delight!

buy it now on amazon.com:
jenny lewis and the watson twins: rabbit fur coat

welcome jak

my sister gave birth to a healthy baby boy this morning. joseph angelo konar (jak for short) - pics will be coming as soon as i get them. lovely addition to the family. can't wait!

say something photo :: fab picture

i am in love with this photograph - so new york - so fab! it features one of my favorite cabaret stars - our lady j.

wacky video :: new numa

the numa numa kid gary brolsma has done it again - check out his latest video on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gg5LOd_Zus

9/11 remembered

it's hard to believe that 5 years have passed since that terrible morning in september 2001. at the time - i was living in washington, dc at the time and watched as the plane hit the pentagon. i just remember thinking 'what the hell is happening in the world today?' i think the entire world asked the same thing.

it's strange to think that we now speak of times as being pre or post 9/11. that single day did change our lives - the world's lives. it became a new era in our history. i vowed that i would never let the events on that day effect me - yet - as i sit here at my desk and i hear the names being said over the television - the names of all of the people who lost their lives on that morning - it makes me so very emotional.

can the world mend itself?

the agenda revisited

ok so you all well know that pretty much the agenda of yesterday was to drink - and drink we did. the party was a success - lots of cute people gathering at anthony's place for drinks and conversation. at 9pm the school bus picked us up and took us to mainestreet in ogunquit, me.

while on the bus - i got a kiss from some guy named kyle who later pulled out his privates to prove he could do a 'helicopter' to the bus as his audience - don't drink and drive kids - you may end up on a bus naked performing stupid dick tricks.

in all - a great evening. paying for it today - woah - hangover. soon - we'll be heading back to nyc - i have to admit i'm not looking forward to the journey but will be glad to get home.

new hampshire update

3:30 - drunk - party isn't until 5:00 - watching guys gone wild - um - yeah - soft porn on a saturday.

the agenda revisited

my god the b train sucks! it took nearly an hour to get home from work - remind you - i've got an appointment with my friends to head to new hampshire - this was to happen at 6pm - it's now 6:30 and i'm sitting on the bridge waiting for a train in front of us to 'close it's doors' - technical problems i guess. finally get home - garrett is there with nick - they have the zipcar - it's a volvo - i pack a bag and it's off to get darris.

obstacle no. 2 - getting to darris' house. who knew that you could only escape carroll gardens? being a new yorker - it's very rare that i'm in a situation where i need to know how to drive to a place on my own. i usually rely on the knowledge (or lack there of) of new york's finest taxi drivers to get me to my destination. here we were - on a seemingly innocent jaunt down the street - only to discover all of the bridges getting to carroll gardens - go in the other direction - which means - we did concentric circles to try to find passage. one hour later - we are at darris' front door and we set out for our journey.

4 fags - in a volvo - heading north. friday. traffic in nyc is always something to predict. it's either bad or gridlock bad. it was just bad for a friday. one more hour on the road - we are still just barely out of the nyc area. this is hour 3 and we are still closer to home than to our destination.

somewhere in westchester - we stopped for gas and - ugh - dare i even admit - mcdonald's. i mean really - what do you eat on a road trip? why - shitty fast food of course. so i went overboard and then some - being that i reserve eating that slop maybe 2 times a year - 2 cheeseburgers and 2 4-piece mcnuggets, fries and coke. yeah that's right - a fat girl's dream. ate that shit like a champ too.

i took over at the wheel so that nick could eat his flurry - see - i wasn't that bad. this proved to be in our favor because i hate driving - so i try to get to the destination as quickly as possible - aka - i drive like a bat out of hell and wanted to gain back some of the 3+ hours already spent on the road.

how did we entertain ourselves - i know this is what you are asking yourself? well let me tell you - no traditional road trip songs sung here - no 'wheels on the bus' - no '99 bottles of beer' - no - for us - we sang along to our goddess - madonna - provided by our ipods via broadcast by this little thing called an itrip - fun times. when the signal went bad - we switched over to xm radio and listened to random 'pop vomit' as nick called it.

pop vomit -noun 1. any type of song that has been put through the 'pop machine' which makes all pop music sound the same: this new christina song sounds just like this britney song - must be pop vomit.

hours and hours later and many many toll booths and one sharp jab on the breaks and several hours of pop vomit, showtunes, talking like the martians on 'mars attacks' - we arrive in portsmouth, nh.

we try to head to the bar - it was closed. mind you it's nearly 12:30 at this point and most of new england goes to bed somewhere around 10:30 - so they roll up the streets by 1am just to make sure all is safe and secure. so - back to anthony's for drinks and finally at around 3:30 - we drift to sleep on our air mattresses.

yay. safe and sound in new england. party is tonight - who knows what adventures are ahead.

brad pitt :: the newest gay activist?

brad pitt - international superstar heartthrob - admits to 'esquire' that he and angelina won't marry until restrictions on who can marry are dropped - go brad! love the gays - we love you! the story will be in the sept. 19th issue of 'esquire'.

read the story

the agenda

1. wake up (done)
2. eat daily cheerios (done)
3. travel to the city (done)
4. workout with julia (done)
5. go to work (done)
6. work (in progress)
7. head home
8. pack for the weekend
9. head to portsmouth, new hampshire with nick, darris and garrett
10. party party party

today we are headed north to portsmouth, nh. anthony (aka miss kitty chanel) is having a house-warming party tomorrow. expect a ton of pictures. it'll be a great weekend filled with friends and i'm sure - tons of drinks. i'm not sure how often if at all i'll be updating this while away - so expect stories when i return (if not sooner.)

wacky video :: smackfest

these two bitches smack the shit out of each other - it makes me laugh but also sad for the world - what a bitch won't do for $500.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYQtSbwSeSM

project runway :: bye-bye vincent

i'd like to take this opportunity and thank the good lord above (if he or she indeed exists) for finally allowing vincent (pictured on the left courtesy of bravo) to be kicked off of project runway. my question is - how the hell did he survive this long? he was a mess - a freak - and a horrible designer.

overall this season is the one to watch. i'm so excited to sit in front of my tv and watch (and re-watch) the episodes over and over. i have a feeling that it'll be down to michael, jeffrey (even though i can't stand his ass), and uli.

off the bat my favorite was kayne - but - he's been disappointing me lately. most of his clothes have been looking like a disaster, a drag queen, a ho-down, or a disaster of a drag queen at a ho-down. last night - however - i thought his couture gown was fantastic.

jeffrey's gown won the challenge. yes colorful - yes interesting - but i still think it looked like something you'd sooner buy at hot topic than at a high end shop on 5th ave.

i really think kayne's time on the runway is coming to an end. we'll have to see how it shakes out next week.

the agenda revisited

ok - it's crazy late - quick recap: tattoo went well - got more done than i was expecting. basically sat for about 2.5 hours. mark met up with me and we went to whole foods for groceries and then taxi to park slope. my new macbook was there at the house - glorious! mark made stuffed peppers and he, nick and i watched project runway. so glad that vincent was kicked off - long overdue in my opinion. i think kayne may be the next to go - his work is lacking the last few challenges.

anyway - love my new computer - can't wait to finish uploading everything i need.

sleepy time.

say something photo :: lance bass

poor lance bass - former singer now gayest member of the pop boy band n*sync - or as we call them - in*stink - lol. what a horrible picture complete with puffy retard eyes, toothy grin, and a radio shack mock turtle neck. come on man - gays don't wear that kinda shit - you are making us look bad!

i'm wondering if the gays are going to help rescue this lost soul. time will tell.

vanity fair :: baby cruise

so she does exist! vanity fair magazine has the exclusive. suri cruise - the mystery child of actors tom cruise and katie holmes is now out there for the world to see in a 22-page family portfolio by famed photographer annie leibovitz.

ok - so i know that ms leibovitz is a very credible photographer - and the kid to the left does indeed look like it could have been spawned from the gay cruise and his bad-acting wife - but i don't get it. i feel like photoshop may be to blame.

rumors about celebrities are a dime a dozen - especially about dear old tom - but - let's think about it just for a sec - i mean i'm no cruise expert and never care to be - but this is how i pieced it together (let me know if i left anything out):

1. tom marries nicole kidman
2. they adopt kids
3. rumors fly that he's gay and she's a lesbian (duh)
4. they become scientologists
5. nicole and tom split she wins an academy award and we love her
6. tom goes nuts for bad actress katie holmes
7. rumors fly that it's a publicity stunt (still think it is)
8. tom goes crazy on oprah's couch
9. katie becomes 'pregnant'
10. katie has the kid
11. no pictures or friends are allowed to see this child
12. tom loses his job because he's a crazy gay scientologist
13. bam - pictures of the baby are ready for the world (humm - another publicity stunt?)

result? tom cruise is gay - baby suri is a photoshop job - katie holmes is a bad actress.

the agenda

1. wake up (done)
2. take shower (done)
3. get dressed (done)
   
4. eat cheerios (done)
5. subway to the city (done)
6. workout with julia (done)
7. head to work (done)
8. work (in progress)
9. tattoo appointment with juao at rising dragon
10. dinner
    
11. project runway
12. play with new macbook (oh i can't wait)
13. sleepy time

i'm so excited about the delivery of my new baby macbook so all of this may be null and void after the tattoo appointment. yes - more tattoos - its addicting i tell ya! i'll be going today to get some work done on my other arm. i've waited all summer for this moment - and it just happens to be on the same day as my delivery - ugh - guess that's what happens when mac takes several weeks to deliver something that's on back order. but i'm a happy miser!

and no...

...mark isn't my partner, boyfriend, or love interest - he's my best friend - lol - so quit asking!

home again home again

i'm now back from my labor day vacation to rehoboth beach. in all it was a great vacation with a little bit of a rocky start.


mark and i left out of nyc around 7pm on friday - after we were finished with work - had dinner - and packed enough coffee, water, and snacks for the road ahead. the weather was expected to be a bit nasty due to the fact that there was a hurricane coming up the cost. so as expected - it rained most of the way there (pictured above inside the holland tunnel) but got really bad once we got to rehoboth beach proper. the winds had picked up and the rain was coming down in buckets. we arrive at the billingsleys and head to a party at the next door neighbors - the lingos - and just hung out until the power went out. the drunk guests at the party had to get down from dancing on the coffee table (yes - straight men and women dancing on a coffee table - it was a scene out of 'animal house') and we went back to the house to dry off and hang out. candles lit - fireplace going - we sat and talked for a bit and as we were about to call it a night - the power came back on.


the storm raged on - mark and i tucked ourselves in and got settled in the guest apartment over the garage and fell asleep. we woke up the next morning to a war zone - or what looked like one. overturned trees (pictured above from the neighbor's yard) - branches - pine cones - you name it - all over the place. day one on vacation we cleaned the yard - fixed the wisteria which had fallen from the porch - and made piles of rubbage for the chippers to come and take away. after we went on a walk to see how the town looked.


the town pretty much popped back into shape in no time. the beach however - was gone. there was water all the way up to the dunes and that forced the town's officials to close the beach. we walked around a little longer and then went shopping. pretty uneventful - crabs and chicken for dinner and then we went out to bar hop.

i ran into a few friends i have not seen in quite some time at cloud9 - a restaurant that turns into a bar after hours - and we danced the night away to trendy music. we had a pretty fun evening - and somehow i managed to stay sober even after drinking an entire bottle of sake with dinner - lol.

we did manage to get 2 days at the beach when it finally came back. the waves were out of control - but a blast to try to tackle. because of the storm - there were all kinds of rocks and shells on the beach that normally wouldn't be there - so i spent a lot of my time gathering and collecting.

its always a pleasure to share time with the billingsleys. i made a pasta feast on sunday night complete with meatballs, sausage, and homemade sauce. we had meatball subs as leftovers before we headed back to nyc. i ended up spending way too much money at the outlets but it's all good - winter is coming and waterproof timberland snow/hiking boots is totally what i'll need to get through the winter ahead.


check out all of the pictures from the trip by clicking on the feed to my photos on the right.

taking off

for the 5 of you who actually read this - i just wanted to inform you that this being labor day weekend - i'm heading down south to rehoboth beach for the weekend. i won't be taking the laptop - shock i know - so there'll not be any updates until i return. hopefully i'll have tons of great tales for you all - but in typical jonathan fashion - i just anticipate a quiet time with the billingsley's.

have a good labor day and safe travels to all who may be going somewhere fabu!

back to normal

well the aftermath of the vma's is upon us. as i arrived to work today - and peered out of my office window - things looked back to 'normal.' the tents that lined the streets behind the radio city building are gone. just random pieces of evidence remain that there was even anything going on here last night. even the rigging that supported the lights that were mounted to the sides of the building are gone.

new york city never ceases to amaze me. it always seems to be alive with this odd energy you never find anywhere else. they can throw up a stage in times square one afternoon and by the next morning - woosh - it's like nothing was ever there. totally the case today. the union workers had to have been working overtime to get the state of the plaza back to it's usual self. i think this constant change is good for the city - it's kind of like a kaleidoscope - never the same image twice.

anyway - that was just a random thought. carry on.

the agenda revisited :: vma's :: russian vodka :: side show

ok so normally i'd like to place an agenda before my readers get to the revisited - simply put - i didn't - so sue me - but i feel it's only fair to recap my night - briefly - as it is nearing 2am.

so the crowds outside of work today were out of this world. the vma's really pulled in a lot of spectators. some of them were old enough to be my kids. i guess mtv has been able to get younger every year as i grow older - but goddammit - i was a member of the first mtv generation - so i outrank all those bitches. damn i just dated myself. regardless - i was there the day it launched and it was a moment in time that really defined a generation. i'm so out of touch with that world now. half of the people being honored i have never even heard of - most with one names spelled like a vanity plate on a souped-up yugo - those of you my age know what that is - for the children reading - look it up.

i met ames away from the crowd and headed west - our mission - dinner - followed by a show - 'side show.' dinner was at island burger - fantastic burgers if you are ever out on 9th avenue and wanting a side of beef and chips - but keep in mind that it's cash only - no credit cards allowed - well worth it - and pretty reasonable.

the show started at 8pm so we had a few minutes to spare so we popped into uncle vanyas across the street from the theatre for a drink. 2 choices - beer or vodka - i mean hell - what do you expect from an authentic russian eatery. it was like we had stepped completely out of nyc and landed somewhere outside of moscow. ames orders a cranberry vodka and sprite - you would have thought she killed the bartender's comrade. 'you don't mix vodka with sodas - you drink straight - like it supposed to be' says the bartender. he made the drink anyway - for fear of being pulled in by the kgb - i just ordered horseradish flavored vodka. don't ask - it was the first thing that came to mind and i feared to order anything else. i must say - it wasn't bad.

after our drinks - we paid the tab and headed across the street for 'side show.' 'side show' was originally produced for broadway in 1997. it's the story of a pair of conjoined twins who are pulled out of a side show act by a vaudeville producer named terry connor (played by my ex in this particular production.) classic story of love and betrayal and finding one's true self while looking beyond the 'freak' within.

the show was surprisingly good - a few technical flaws with the sound and ill fitting costumes - but on the whole - for a low budget - off off off off broadway show - not too bad at all. well it was about a million degrees in the theatre. evidently they can't run the a/c when the lights are on - it is after all a converted courthouse.

after the show we went back to uncle vanyas for another round of vodka (this time ames ordered her sprite on the side and i opted for garlic/dill - bad decision - should have stuck with horseradish) and waited for the ex to meet us. he did - he looked good - happy - and it was good to see him. we told him we enjoyed the show - hung out for a minute or two - and then he left to attend opening night party festivities.

ames and i finished our drinks - and then headed for home.

it was good to see that the ex is following his dream - i look forward to seeing him get better and better at his craft. it was good to discover horseradish vodka - even though i doubt i'll be rushing to get any of my own anytime soon - although i think it would make a hell of a bloody mary. it was good as always to hang out with ames. now it's late - time for bed.

weeworld

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mtv video music awards

mtv is gearing up for their annual video music awards tonight at radio city music hall. i work at rockefeller plaza - so i've been getting the bird's eye take on the action all week - as well as hearing the thumps and rehearsals - makes for a great working environment with hip-hop blasting through the windows. the mtv folks have completely taken over the plaza downstairs including the today show's outdoor studio.

the view from my office faces out towards 50th street. when i look down - i see the gateway of the red carpet. notice the guards making sure all is secure. i did notice a horse pulled wagon a few minutes ago dropping someone off and lots of interesting things going on. there's also been a random queen's guardsman walking around - where am i - london - hell no this is new york - what the fuck?

the chaos continues on into tents that stretch across the other side of the plaza to 51st street and then there are holding tents that go up and down the radio city music hall building on 50th street. looks like it'll be a grand event.


here's the sea of people in yellow screaming on top of their lungs for whoever may be walking by - yes - you can hear them all the way up on the 14th floor - lucky us! they are changing 'jay-z' as i am typing - yee haw!

this is the view of the today show's stage - now transformed into something that looks like a nightclub complete with a red carpet runway.

up close and personal of the stage. looks completely different than when al, anne, and matt are up there doing their morning thing.

setting up the event - it must be hard work. thank god it's not raining anymore and it's actually cool outside. the stage looks cool. too bad i'll miss it tonight. i'm sure it'll be on re-runs for the next month.