Random Freedom.

As I type the title of this blog entry, I realize that I could take this narrative in so many different directions. Random freedom. Freedom really is random once you think about it.

My friend Terry would be so proud of me this afternoon; I am writing from the closest internet cafe to our home, our local Panera Bread. After my lunchtime entry (which for some reason I deleted by mistake. It was just a rant about the stupidity of “Tab Energy Drink” and the fact that I’m not trendy at all.) I figured I would do something that could really be called trendy and that involves sitting at Panera, typing away on my PowerBook and enjoying a Chai Tea Latte. In an effort to keep it butch, I’ve added a Bear Claw as the pastry of choice. With the often mentioned “on-call” coming to an end this morning, I am enjoying the freedom of being able to leave the house with my pager turned off and left on the nightstand. The internet connection here is not nearly as speedy as the one at home, but I don’t care, I’m enjoying a little bit of freedom and shaking the worries out of my brain. The change of pace is good.

As I was driving over I was listening to the news reports about the recent suicides of detainees at Guantanamo Bay. How sad. I realize that they are prisoners and that they have done heinous things to fellow human beings, but to be pushed to the point of taking one’s own life is just sad. No matter the reason for deciding to waste the gift of life, it is just that, a waste. And don’t get me started by the administration’s response, I’m just going to file it with the rest of it, in the “assinine column”.

I’ve mentioned before that I’m a big fan of Rosie O’Donnell and her blog. One of her regular features, “Ask Ro”, is very interesting in that the questions that people ask her are so ecclectic. For example, today:

iyanne writes:
my church is treating me from my gayness. It is not working. I am doing it for mom and her very special priest “friend”. what should I do?

To which Rosie responds:

pray for ur mom
and her friend

I find the question very, very frustrating on many levels. First of all, the church is trying to scare the wits out of this person and most likely damning them to hell for following their instincts. So much a God that’s all-loving. Secondly, the church is trying to cure the person from themselves. What if some nut back in the day decided that instead of homosexuality, blue eyes were evil and wrong. If you had blue eyes, you were sick and needed to be cured. Would we be gouging out all the blue eyes and tell those that refused to submit that they were going to hell for gazing upon others with their deficiency? No, of course not. That’s ridiculous. It’s a shame that lyanne’s church won’t allow her the freedom of being herself.

And lastly, I suppose it’s a good thing that I am sitting in Panera while this thought dances around my head. Thank goodness for the few shreds of deceny I have left. For while we’re told that as Americans we are free, there’s a chance that the government is watching what I type, what I say and what I do on the internet and on my telephone. For if I was not sitting at Panera right now, I would be expressing my freedom of expression, by sitting on my flat bed scanner and mooning whomever happens to be spying on me right now.

12 June 2006 by Ponderings and Musings 1

Outlook.

I took a peek at the beta version of Microsoft’s latest version of their operating system, “Windows Vista”. I figured I needed to see what the fuss is all about since I’m going to end up supporting it at work. I planned on writing a detailed review of what I thought and sharing it on my other blog, The Geekdom.

I couldn’t stand using it long enough to garner enough to write a review. Granted, it’s a beta (pre-release software) and not indicative of the final product, but I saw enough. After wading through security screen after security screen and being chastized for not having an anti-virus program installed when I first installed the program, I decided I had had enough.

I hate it. Absolutely hate it.

I approached the experience with an open mind and a desire to love it, hoping this would finally be the bees’ knees of Windows experiences. I mean after all, Microsoft has been working on this beast for the better part of a decade.

I hate it. Absolutely hate it.

At work we have to use Windows as our operating system. While I’ve kicked and screamed about this for the past year, my arguments will pale in comparison to what I will do if I’m told I need to switch my work computer to Windows Vista.

I hate it. Absolutely hate it.

So here’s the deal. I will never touch Vista again unless I’m a) being paid a lot of money or b) being held at gun point. However, if a friend or family member wishes to learn the virtues of becoming a Maccie or wants to know what this Linux people are mentioning is about, then I’m your man, I’ll be glad to show you for free.

But I have officially slammed the Windows shut.

12 June 2006 by Geek 0

Idle.

Today was one of those Sundays where you’re looking forward to work on Monday. The weather was not conducive to any sort of outdoor activity, in fact, I think the leaves are changing to their autumn colors. We couldn’t go on a road trip to find a warmer spot because I’m on-call through tomorrow morning. The house is surprisingly not in disarray. The laundry is caught up.

So what does one on a day like today?

Well, I rearranged the clocks in my school clock collection and installed a clock in the master bathroom. We now know what time it is whether we’re showering, shaving or shitting.

I ran the dust-buster over the kitchen table (trying to get little specks of schmutz out of the cracks in the wood), over the moulding in the hallway, over the leaves of all the house plants and over Earl.

I recorded a couple of numbers in my home studio, pretending I was standing in front of the American Idol judges. We all agreed the recordings were not fit for human consumption, but Paula barked like a seal in an effort to make me feel better.

Earl and I watched “A Chorus Line” on Logo. I’ve never seen the show, live, on stage or on television, so that was a first. I did know quite a few numbers, having performed “What I Did For Love” for an all-county chorus audition back in my sophomore year of high school. After supper Earl then split to hang with his work buddies and play poker.

I spent a few minutes standing in front of the mirror putting my fingers over my mustache trying to figure out how I’d look with a beard that didn’t have a mustache.

I brushed the cat and tried to teach him to jump up on the step stool and dance. He wasn’t having any of it.

In between all this fun today I garned a few hours of overtime as I played Mr. Telephone Man.

Tomorrow morning it’s back to work and back to the social schedule as on-call ends at 8 a.m. I feel like I’ll be taking the finger off the pause button.

11 June 2006 by Ponderings and Musings 1

Real Summer.

roddysmallkiss.jpg

Reality television season, and I use the term “reality” loosely, is once again upon us. Looking around on the internet tonight, I came across an old fan site from one of the hottest men ever to grace a reality TV show, Roddy Mancuso from Big Brother 3 back in 2002.

I see he was at one time striving to be a writer but his website domain roddymancuso.com has been parked and is being held ransom I guess. Perhaps he’ll turn up on “Big Brother All Stars” this summer; personally that’s the only reason I’d watch it.

Since he doesn’t have a website, I guess we’ll just have to enjoy his picture.

10 June 2006 by Gayish. 0

Pride.

Today was the big gay pride parade in Boston. Earl and I were hoping to attend this year as we have in the past, but on-call fell on the same weekend and well, work won. It’s kind of disappointing, because I would have loved to meet up with some fellow bloggers in Boston. Oh well.

I’ve been to Boston’s pride parade on several occasions, having lived there for a while in the late 1980s. One year I marched in the gay pride parade, 1989 I believe, as a member of DECplus, or Digital Equipment Corporation People Like US. Working for DEC at the time (obviously), I was fortunate to be part of DECplus and a smaller social group, BGLAD (Bisexual, Gay & Lesbian At Digital), that got together from time to time. Unfortunately, I’ve lost touch with everyone I used to hang out with. I sometimes wonder whatever happened to all those folks.

Gay pride is an interesting experience for those participating and those that are just watching the parade from the sidelines. You see every type of person on the street, the outrageous, the gorgeous, the conservative and the mundane. At the 1990 parade, a woman literally hit me upside the head with a Bible as I we were nearing the end of the march at Boston Common. She told me I was going to hell and then hit my right up side the head with a very worn Bible. I retaliated by spitting in her face. I looked her in the eye and actually spit in her face. She didn’t care, as she apparently had been given the same treatment by others in the parade ahead of me; she just continued to scream at everyone around her.

I was such a rebel back in the day.

The news coverage of gay pride always highlights the Dikes on Bikes, the 300 pound men dressed up like Wonder Woman and the leathermen that forgot to cover their ass cheeks when they put their chaps on that morning. News isn’t news unless it’s outrageous apparently, so the camera skims over 98% of the crowd, never focusing on the families, the couples, the gay firefighters or the lesbian cops. As far as television coverage is concerned it’s all about those wild and zany homosexuals that like to wear pink peacock feathers on a headdress.

So while I’m sitting at home, enjoying a mundane weekend loathing the weather and busying myself with work in comfortable jeans and a plain old t-shirt, I still can say “Happy Pride”.

I just can’t say it on television.

10 June 2006 by Gayish. 0

Jingle All The Way.

Today I received a call from the radio station I worked at a couple of years ago. They needed some helping fixing a server I had built for them when I worked there and apparently I hadn’t shared all of my secrets with the necessary people so they were a little confused by my wizardry. I snuck over during my lunch hour and had them up and running in no time.

While I was there, I met up with the owner of the company and we chatted a bit just like old times, like that time I had to sit in his office and tell him that DJ Repulsive had told listeners that Britney Spears was at the station for an interview and when they found out she wasn’t, they had mobbed the parking lot and were disassembling the van.

Anyways, while I was there, I asked him if I could borrow the jingle CDs from over the years so I could make copies for my growing collection of radio jingles.

I think I’ve mentioned before that my absolute favorite part of being Program Director of a Top 40 radio station was orchestrating the sound of the station. I loved being clever with those little “Mr. Voice” thingees you heard between songs (i.e., “Let’s keep it simple, the other station sucks. This is Wow FM, The Beat of Central New York.”) Once I was bestowed with a budget for that sort of thing, I went for the big time and bought professionally made jingles every year.

I love radio station jingles. You can travel all over the country and hear the same jingles from your favorite station back home, just with different words. I knew that I had picked the right jingles for the station when I heard a group of kids singing them in the mall. I called this jingle “The Anthem”.

The Anthem. If you lived in Seattle in the mid 1990s, this probably sounds familiar from KUBE 93.

I first introduced the area to the screaming diva jingles with this one. This would sound familiar to someone living in Indianapolis and listening to “99 and a half ZPL”.

I picked another jingle to play every hour beginning at Friday 5:00 p.m. and going right through until Sunday at midnight. That would Weekends Sound Best. If you listened to 103.5 ‘KTU in New York in the late 1990s, that one probably sounds a little familiar.

I have a generic version of the jingle I call Move To It, and I often play it between songs while I’m spinning in a club. Another ‘KTU favorite.

And of course, simple is always best, as illustrated with one of the basic jingles you’d hear sprinkled between your two favorite songs.

Back in the day Earl would occasionally comment that I had the gayest sounding radio station in the land (go figure), as we’d kick off commercial free music with “Get ready for another Wow FM Beat Blitz (random sound clip, for example “Thank You Sir, may I have another!” or “Oh Zephyr Winds which blow on high, lift me now so I can fly!”) and then segue into a screaming diva jingle*.

Ah, the good ol’ days.

* When I first contacted Reelworld Productions to produce our jingles based on what I had heard elsewhere, I found out the female singer’s name was Karen. I was surprised by this, because I always thought she sounded like a Shaniqua and I told them so. They’d heard that before.

9 June 2006 by Geek 0

Style.

I have been receiving comments all week at work from various individuals about the fact that I’m relatively clean shaven after my beard trimming accident last weekend. The feedback has been interesting in that most people notice something different about my appearance but can’t put their finger on what it is; several people have noticed that I’ve lost weight (that fact is no longer hidden by my beard apparently) and while most wondered when I was growing my beard back, one or two thought I looked better clean shaven.

Personally I don’t like the completely clean shaven look, so that’s not an option. It doesn’t fit my style.

The beard is growing again and I plan on keeping it that way for a long, long time for a number of reasons, including the fact that my face does not like to be shaved and expresses it’s complaint by feeling raw and looking red. In addition, I am quite proud of the fact that I am a natural redhead and since I don’t have much going for me on top anymore, the best I can do is show it off through my auburn beard.

Unless of course I show it off with the rest of my body but then this would make others uncomfortable and me chilly because I’d have to walk around naked.

8 June 2006 by Ponderings and Musings 0

Shut Up.

This morning my alarm went off at 7:30, right on schedule, to the unnerving tones of Bush Lite. With all the money that is being spent by our government you’d think that someone could work up a few thousand dollars and get this man some public speaking lessons. I know we were spoiled with President Clinton’s speeches because he was one smooth speaker that was easy to listen to. I’ve completely given up Bush Lite, because he always has this “I can’t believe I’m president” look on his face, sort of like a bewildered child fascinated by all the bright lights and loud noises in the middle of Wal*mart. Listening to him speak isn’t any better and quite frankly whomever writes his speeches should be fired because they’re obviously using words that are entirely beyond his comprehension. I’ve never heard a public speaker mangle so many consecutive polysyllabic words in my life.

I’d like to think that I was able to shrug off the effects of my alarm clock this morning, but it’s lingered with me throughout the day. Working with a customer over the phone, the customer kept firing off question after question while I kept saying “Please bear with me as I look up that information” to no avail. He asked one question right after another without hesitation, in this whiny, completely unbecoming fake-Italian accent until I finally said, “SIR. Please give me a moment while I look up this information for you.” I thought I was quite reasonable because I really wanted to say “Would you please shut the fuck up for a moment and let me do my job?!?”. His chattering finally ceased and I was able to help him a little bit.

Now I’ve just realized that I’m going on and on so I’m going to take my own advice and just sit and think for a moment.

8 June 2006 by Political BS. 0

Happiness.




Home.

Originally uploaded by macwarriorny.

Earl was gone on business for only two nights. He was just an e-mail or phone call away the entire time.

My week changed for the better just because he walked through the door an hour ago. My spirit soared.

Happiness.

7 June 2006 by Love. 1

Ewww.

Earl doesn’t know this yet but we are never stepping foot in the local chain-run movie theatres again. It’s too gross.

These theatres have been around for three years or so and basically put the other big theatres out of business because they’re the only ones that have stadium seating. The popcorn sucks and they don’t show any previews on the big projection screen in the lobby because the theatre workers find it annoying, but the sound in each theatre is decent and hey, it’s basically the only modern game in town.

The problem with this theatre is the with the advertisements they show prior to the previews. Now, the ads are basically a PowerPoint presentation repeating over and over again, so sometimes you get to see the same ads multiple times before the show starts. I don’t mind the ads for the local colleges very much, especially because there’s a really cute bear in a hardhat working in a powerplant in one of them. And I’ve mentioned before that I despise the ads for Open MRIs. “Sweetheart, I must leave RIGHT NOW and get an MRI. I must GO! Watch MI:III without me, I need to have my head examined RIGHT NOW with an Open MRI!” Well now they’ve added ads for varicose vein removals.

Make me barf my buttered and lightly salted popcorn up.

I must be out of touch with reality or something, but I really don’t see the need to have some person’s nasty looking, bump covered, hairy leg plastered up on a movie screen while a doctor draws maps on it with a magic marker, followed by a bird’s eye view of some new medical gizmo that goes down through the vein and pops them out. Why? Why! Why?

Medically related advertisements shouldn’t exist and at the very least they shouldn’t be up on a movie screen in glorious technicolor. I don’t want to hear that you may get explosive bowels if you take a pill that cures acne. I don’t want to perk myself up with a happy purple pill just because it’s raining outside. And I certainly don’t want a bird’s eye view of the innards of someone’s veins while I’m trying to enjoy my popcorn, strategically balanced diet pop and Junior Mints.

So we are going to the local theatre when we stay in town to catch a movie. I don’t care if they forget to turn off the lights when the movie starts. I don’t mind the fact that the screen is in the southeast corner of the theatre and the seats point southwest.

At least I don’t have to watch anyone getting dissected before the show.

7 June 2006 by Ponderings and Musings 0

About J.P.

Just a guy with a husband. We’ve been together 28 years and he still makes me see fireworks on a daily basis. Hiker. Storm Chaser. Private Pilot. Tech Guy. Hackerish.

Weird? Eccentric!

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