P.S. I didn't win.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
My iTunes Shuffle Baker's Dozen - The Madonna Edition
Die Another Day
White Heat
Forbidden Love (from "Bedtime Stories")
Forbidden Love (from "Confessions on a Dance Floor")
Take A Bow
Bad Girl (extended version)
Goodbye To Innocence
American Pie (Richard “Humpty” Vission Radio Mix)
Frozen (Stereo MC’s Remix)
Erotica (Kenlou B-boy Mix)
Music (HQ2 Club Mix)
Amazing
Like A Prayer (12” Dance Mix)
Monday, March 26, 2012
Killer* Bee In My Bed
I hereby declare that I am officially the only person to have ever been stung by a bee.
On the right pinky finger.
At 5 in the morning.
While lying in bed.
This was the result, perhaps, of opening my window the night before because it had gotten so warm that my bedroom was stuffy. I can only assume that at some point the little thing found a crack in the screen or something. But there I was early Saturday, having only gone to bed an hour or so earlier, waking up with a weird feeling along my side. I moved my hand to pick up whatever it was and suddenly felt a stab on my finger. I thought I cut myself on some sort of metal object (although what it could have been and how it got into my bed, who knows). I freaked out, did a combined swatting/throwing motion, jumped up, turned on the light and looked on the floor in the direction I swatted/threw, only to see nothing.
I looked at my finger. It was a bit red but I saw no cut. It sort of hurt, but it was a very odd feeling, like it was about to swell or go numb. I started to panic. I thought maybe some sort of exotic bedbug bit me and infected me with some sort of rare disease that was going to kill me. But nothing else happened in the next minute or so. I went into my bathroom and ran the finger under water. As if that would help. It wasn't even that cold. But I wasn't going downstairs to get ice.
Finally I started to settle down and got back into bed. As I lay there I started imaging more things on me. On my leg, my arms, my back...then I realized something actually was under me. I freaked out again, jumping up and turning on the light, and then finally seeing the cause of all my troubles. The bee was pretty mangled, between my swatting at it and then lying down on it, but still sort of alive. I grabbed a paper towel, picked it up and crushed it, and tossed it away.
Seriously. This is my life.
*Disclaimer: bee may not have actually been a killer, seeing as how I'm not dead.
On the right pinky finger.
At 5 in the morning.
While lying in bed.
This was the result, perhaps, of opening my window the night before because it had gotten so warm that my bedroom was stuffy. I can only assume that at some point the little thing found a crack in the screen or something. But there I was early Saturday, having only gone to bed an hour or so earlier, waking up with a weird feeling along my side. I moved my hand to pick up whatever it was and suddenly felt a stab on my finger. I thought I cut myself on some sort of metal object (although what it could have been and how it got into my bed, who knows). I freaked out, did a combined swatting/throwing motion, jumped up, turned on the light and looked on the floor in the direction I swatted/threw, only to see nothing.
I looked at my finger. It was a bit red but I saw no cut. It sort of hurt, but it was a very odd feeling, like it was about to swell or go numb. I started to panic. I thought maybe some sort of exotic bedbug bit me and infected me with some sort of rare disease that was going to kill me. But nothing else happened in the next minute or so. I went into my bathroom and ran the finger under water. As if that would help. It wasn't even that cold. But I wasn't going downstairs to get ice.Finally I started to settle down and got back into bed. As I lay there I started imaging more things on me. On my leg, my arms, my back...then I realized something actually was under me. I freaked out again, jumping up and turning on the light, and then finally seeing the cause of all my troubles. The bee was pretty mangled, between my swatting at it and then lying down on it, but still sort of alive. I grabbed a paper towel, picked it up and crushed it, and tossed it away.
Seriously. This is my life.
*Disclaimer: bee may not have actually been a killer, seeing as how I'm not dead.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
My iTunes Not-Quite-Shuffled Baker's Dozen 3-16-11
It started with a radio playing at work on Friday, on a desk an aisle or two away from me. I only heard it faintly but it was enough for me to recognize the song...
That led me to take my iPod and let the DJ save my life, and then I realized that, technically speaking, I was my own DJ. So I started cherry-picking some songs from my 1980s playlist, many of them with an urban-contemporary vibe and all of them with a beat, at least to some extent. No out-and-out ballads. Nice for a Friday afternoon...
Last Night A DJ Saved My Life - Indeep
Funky Little Beat - Connie
One More Shot - C-Bank
Right On Track (Remix) - Breakfast Club
I Wonder If I Take You Home - Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam with Full Force
Thinking About Your Love - Skipworth & Turner
I Feel For You - Chaka Khan
Monkey - George Michael
Solid - Ashford & Simpson
Fall Down (Spirit Of Love) - Tramaine Hawkins
Nite And Day - Al B. Sure!
She Works Hard For The Money (LP Mix) - Donna Summer
Kiss - Prince and the Revolution
That led me to take my iPod and let the DJ save my life, and then I realized that, technically speaking, I was my own DJ. So I started cherry-picking some songs from my 1980s playlist, many of them with an urban-contemporary vibe and all of them with a beat, at least to some extent. No out-and-out ballads. Nice for a Friday afternoon...
Last Night A DJ Saved My Life - Indeep
Funky Little Beat - Connie
One More Shot - C-Bank
Right On Track (Remix) - Breakfast Club
I Wonder If I Take You Home - Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam with Full Force
Thinking About Your Love - Skipworth & Turner
I Feel For You - Chaka Khan
Monkey - George Michael
Solid - Ashford & Simpson
Fall Down (Spirit Of Love) - Tramaine Hawkins
Nite And Day - Al B. Sure!
She Works Hard For The Money (LP Mix) - Donna Summer
Kiss - Prince and the Revolution
Monday, March 19, 2012
Self-Promotion And Other Randomness
I once thought, not seriously, about wearing a t-shirt or hat with the URL of this blog, just to see if people asked about it or if it created more traffic. I suppose I could still do that. It's certainly a better method than this:
That's on a stall in the men's room at the AMC Franklin Mills theaters. (Yes, I actually saw movies this weekend! I may write about them someday.) And it's an actual Twitter account, although not one I'd ever follow, unless they followed me first.
Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for the heating assistance funding to be completely spent so they'll lay me off from work. As I understand it I would be eligible for unemployment but they have a bunch of rules for new applicants requiring them to jump through hoops applying for other jobs. I'm not sure I want to bother with all of that. I'm going to look for work once I'm laid off, but I want to do it on my terms. Does that seem weird?
Anyway, until then my free time is still rather limited, and with other stuff going on lately I've really been struggling mentally. I just need to hang on a little while longer.
Just wanted to throw a TV note in here: I tried to watch the premiere of "GCB," but after two different attempts I just can't get into it, so it's now deleted from my DVR. Sorry, Kristin Chenoweth.
That's on a stall in the men's room at the AMC Franklin Mills theaters. (Yes, I actually saw movies this weekend! I may write about them someday.) And it's an actual Twitter account, although not one I'd ever follow, unless they followed me first.
Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for the heating assistance funding to be completely spent so they'll lay me off from work. As I understand it I would be eligible for unemployment but they have a bunch of rules for new applicants requiring them to jump through hoops applying for other jobs. I'm not sure I want to bother with all of that. I'm going to look for work once I'm laid off, but I want to do it on my terms. Does that seem weird?
Anyway, until then my free time is still rather limited, and with other stuff going on lately I've really been struggling mentally. I just need to hang on a little while longer.
Just wanted to throw a TV note in here: I tried to watch the premiere of "GCB," but after two different attempts I just can't get into it, so it's now deleted from my DVR. Sorry, Kristin Chenoweth.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Mystery Box, Mystery Water
Remember when I wrote about this box on a pole near the spot where I catch the bus to begin my long trip to work every day? I still don't know what it is, or what the equipment inside does, but not too long after I wrote that post it was covered again. The panel that had been lying on the ground was now back on the box, secured by some sort of strap or band wrapped around it.
Cut to Friday, March 10th. I got to the corner and...
The panel was back on the ground. The last pic is a closeup of the label on the inside. A day or two later, the panel was gone. It's not back on the box, and it's no longer lying around. Did someone take it or did the wind just blow it away somehow? Anyway, as of now the top cover that's sticking up in the first photo is back down on top, but it's still open, at least as of two days ago.
Meanwhile, I have another mystery. I took some video for the first time with B.T. (Baby Tablet, or my HTC Evo View 4G tablet with the 7-inch screen)...
Cut to Friday, March 10th. I got to the corner and...
The panel was back on the ground. The last pic is a closeup of the label on the inside. A day or two later, the panel was gone. It's not back on the box, and it's no longer lying around. Did someone take it or did the wind just blow it away somehow? Anyway, as of now the top cover that's sticking up in the first photo is back down on top, but it's still open, at least as of two days ago.
Meanwhile, I have another mystery. I took some video for the first time with B.T. (Baby Tablet, or my HTC Evo View 4G tablet with the 7-inch screen)...
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Too Long For Twitter: Today's Random Advice
 |
| Not "Not Nicki Minaj"...in other words, the real deal |
Confidential to "Not Nicki Minaj" on the Broad Street Subway this week: in order to avoid having someone tell you that you look like Nicki Minaj, which angered you so much you spent the next 15 minutes screaming about it and making your fellow commuters' rides a nightmare, please avoid wearing pink hair (wig or dye job, not sure which you had), short-shorts and long fishnet pantyhose. Thank you, and have a nice day.
Gay-Friendly "Dancin'"
Back in the 1980s "Dancin' On Air" was a hit show on Channel 17 (WPHL), airing live every weekday afternoon. I never really got to watch it much because I was at work, but now and then I got to see it. It spun off a national broadcast as well, "Dance Party USA."
Think of it as an updated "American Bandstand," with kids dancing to the latest music and occasional appearances by performers lip-syncing their hits (one of those was Madonna, before she became a star -- that CityPaper article tells an amusing Madonna story, by the way). One of those kids was Kelly Ripa. I think she's done a thing or two in the entertainment industry...anyway, in the last year, capitalizing on the 30th anniversary of the show's debut, WPHL aired a few "Dancin'" specials, rebroadcasting old episodes as well as clip shows packaged with interviews with some of those kids (but not Kelly Ripa), now well into their 40s at the least.
Those specials got surprisingly strong ratings, so the station and the show's producers are bringing it back, with a few twists. It's no longer going to be broadcast live, nor will it be shown every weekday. Instead, it will air on Saturday mornings beginning March 31. The article states they'll mix in music from the show's era with today's hits. And producer Mike Nise mentioned out one other key difference:
"Audiences are more tolerant than ever, and if there are gay couples, we'll show that, too."
Well done, "Dancin' On Air."
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
You Can Play, But How About Simmonds?
Needless to say, I'm pleased about the You Can Play project, with its simple yet clear message encouraging equality for LGBT athletes: "If you can play, you can play." It's spearheaded by Flyers scout Patrick Burke, powerfully carrying on his brother Brendan's legacy. The fact that two Flyers (at least so far), Claude Giroux and Scott Hartnell, have taken part in the initial public-service announcement (see below) is even better.
(Hartnell's comments to the Philadelphia Daily News, by the way: "It was a no-brainer...we live in a diverse country. It's not a white man's sport. There's all sorts of nationalities in our sport. We encourage everyone to play. It's a great sport. Everyone has fun with it, especially when you're a kid. It's not just about sport, but you learn a lot of things about real life and becoming a team.")
I've been ambivalent about the Flyers this season because of the Wayne Simmonds preseason f-bomb incident. I do feel less ambivalent now, but I still can't entirely let go of it. The fact remains that after that game his stance was "you say things in the heat of battle" and the next day, on advice of -- well, who knows? NHL players' union? Team official? Agent? - he lied that he didn't saying it. The phony non-apology we often get in these situations would have been preferable to this. And it still bothers me that, at least for public consumption, Patrick Burke hasn't gone beyond what he was quoted as saying in the article I discussed in the above-linked post. I can understand why -- he works for the Flyers, after all -- but it still irks me.
Am I being too stubborn, or ridiculous? Is it too much to ask for Wayne Simmonds to at least be honest, if not contrite? Maybe at some point he should join the other players participating in the You Can Play videos. Maybe then I'd feel better.
(Hartnell's comments to the Philadelphia Daily News, by the way: "It was a no-brainer...we live in a diverse country. It's not a white man's sport. There's all sorts of nationalities in our sport. We encourage everyone to play. It's a great sport. Everyone has fun with it, especially when you're a kid. It's not just about sport, but you learn a lot of things about real life and becoming a team.")
I've been ambivalent about the Flyers this season because of the Wayne Simmonds preseason f-bomb incident. I do feel less ambivalent now, but I still can't entirely let go of it. The fact remains that after that game his stance was "you say things in the heat of battle" and the next day, on advice of -- well, who knows? NHL players' union? Team official? Agent? - he lied that he didn't saying it. The phony non-apology we often get in these situations would have been preferable to this. And it still bothers me that, at least for public consumption, Patrick Burke hasn't gone beyond what he was quoted as saying in the article I discussed in the above-linked post. I can understand why -- he works for the Flyers, after all -- but it still irks me.
Am I being too stubborn, or ridiculous? Is it too much to ask for Wayne Simmonds to at least be honest, if not contrite? Maybe at some point he should join the other players participating in the You Can Play videos. Maybe then I'd feel better.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
My iTunes Shuffle Baker's Dozen 3-4-12*
I Might Have Been Queen - Tina Turner
Looking Through My Window - The Mamas & the Papas
Coloured Bedspread - Annie Lennox (I think this turned out to be my favorite from "Songs of Mass Destruction")
Don't Make Me Dream About You - Chris Isaak (I bought the album for this song, really, and because he was hot in the video, which came out before "Wicked Game")
Hey Boy - Mark Ronson & The Business Intl (feat. Rose Elinor Dougall/Theophilus London)
I Miss You - Incubus
The Other Side of the World - Chaka Khan
Sunday Morning (Questlove Remix) - Maroon 5
Sold on Love - Frankie Knuckles (feat. Lisa Michaelis)
Right in the Middle (Of Falling In Love) - Bettye Lavette
Candy Everybody Wants (live) - Michael Stipe and 10,000 Maniacs
Bridge Over Troubled Water - Annie Lennox
Transmit Your Love - Live
Friday, March 2, 2012
How Would You Respond?
Feb 17, 2012 – 1:21pm
Hi,
How are you?
Feb 17, 2012 – 7:29pm
I'm fine...and a bit confused...
Feb 20, 2012 – 2:11pm
Why?
Feb 20, 2012 – 3:40pm
Well, because your profile says you're looking for girls who like guys, and the last time I checked, I wasn't a girl. ;-)
Feb 21, 2012 – 10:55am
Hahaha :0...Well I am not open about it here and hence the reason....
Feb 21, 2012 – 8:16pm
Okay...well, I kinda need to know what I'm getting into here, especially since another straight guy on this site sent me a message recently and we went back and forth a bit before he flaked out, so I don't want to waste time again unless you're serious. So are you saying you're gay or bi but closeted or is it more like you're mostly straight but you like a guy to give you a blowjob now and then? ;-)
If we're going to meet in person, it'll have to be in a public place and it needs to be accessible to public transit since I don't drive. It would also help if you have a picture; since mine is on my profile it only seems fair.
McRising From The Ground
Remember this picture from January?
Here's a picture I took this week...
I wonder how quickly they'll be open, and if I'll still be working nearby when they do? Or will I have to wait until I return in the fall in order to see it? (If I'm not employed elsewhere, or hit the lottery, that is?)
Here's a picture I took this week...
I wonder how quickly they'll be open, and if I'll still be working nearby when they do? Or will I have to wait until I return in the fall in order to see it? (If I'm not employed elsewhere, or hit the lottery, that is?)
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