It's just a jump to the left . . .

I'm heading home to see a bunch of high school friends who I haven't seen in about 20 years. As a friend of mine said, "it's inevitable that we will all be 18 again, if only for the day."

Timewarp. Scary thought.

I wasn't a popular kid. As anxious and insecure as I am now, I was much worse back then. And even after 20 years, it worries me to think that I'm going to be excluded again. That the cool kids won't want me to hang out with them, even if we're just talking about two days.

It amazes me that after 20 years of living, of college, of grad school, of jobs, of friends, that I can still be cowed by the thought of a mean look or word from someone who I used to consider my better.

When do I get to grow up and leave all that shit behind?

Talk to you guys some time next week.

Funkytown

I'm in a bit of a funk.

I keep writing and then deleting this post, so I'll leave it at that for now.

Finally

A horoscope that knows me (from The Onion):

Sagittarius: (Nov. 22—Dec. 21)
After swearing lifelong fellatio to the Marine Corps of the United States of America, you'll be introduced to a red-faced young recruiter who mistakenly believes you don't know what the word means.

I'm turning into one of those people

You know those people. The ones who write letters to the editor. The people who write their elected representatives. Or other peoples'. The ones who are constantly complaining about and to their government.

Well, it seems that I'm becoming one. I wrote an e-mail to the Parks Department to complain about Jase's ticket (They actually called me back). I wrote letters to the editor when newspapers ran insulting and misinformed articles about gay pride parades and the Harvey Milk High School (I was actually offered the chance to write an Op/Ed piece about Harvey Milk. I declined, but the newspapers printed my letters). Today I wrote to a city councilman in Denver who's trying to get a local rugby club thrown out of the city parks because of something two of their members did (not in the park, nor even the city or state). I wrote to Bill Frist to express my disappointment in his backing of the teaching of intelligent design in biology classes (not that I'm against intelligent design, but it isn't science and has no place being taught in science classes).

I write to my congressmen, senators, councilmen, state representatives and mayor several times a year when I agree or disagree with something they do.

Does it accomplish anything? No, probably not. One of the sad facts of a democracy is that the individual voice doesn't get heard.

But when I send a letter, perhaps it's just one of many. And those letters combined might accomplish something.

I'm not an activist. I'm just a grumpy guy with maybe a little too much time on his hands and an internet connection. But maybe I'm doing a little bit of good.

It Takes a Fucktard

Another shining example of why we should never, ever live in a red state comes in today's Dear Abby (Aug. 19th in case you have to look in the archives). The letter writer, no surprise, is from Pennsylvania, the home state of Dick Santorum.

The writer, called 'Righteous in New Castle, PA', asks Abby's advice on how to deal with her gay neighbor who is destroying life as they know it in her nice neighborhood "devoted to children's morals and the way life should be."

What did he do? Molest neighborhood children? Keep the neighbors up playing unholy disco music and dance mixes? Throw naked bear parties in his pool? Pass out cockrings and meth at Halloween?

No. He has a gay pride flag in his front yard. That's it. Just like all those other little flags that dot the Pennsylvania suburbs, only his has a rainbow instead of a pineapple or flower.

And she (and I'm assuming it's a she) was so upset by this affront and what it might do to the children, that she threatened to call the police.

What a stupid, fucking cow.

I really feel sorry for the gay guy she lives next to. You know that she's going to be harassing that man for as long as they're neighbors. Well, with any luck she's old and frail and this will send her over the edge.

Walk toward the light, you vicious, ignorant bitch.

Catching up

Catching up a little.

Sat: Went to CT. Went to various craft stores to buy art supplies.

Sun: Went to Long Island; helped Jess and Marc with some moving. Took the train back to Jamaica; subway got flooded; wandered around some place called Forest Hills at midnight trying to figure how the fuck I was going to get back to my apartment; started walking since there were hundreds of people waiting for the hourly bus (fuck you, MTA); finally flagged down an off-duty cab which took me home. The part at Jess and Marc's house was, however, more than worth dealing with the rain and MTA.

Mon-Wed: Work. Working out.

Week two of the new 'get in shape before the reunion' plan. So far, lots of weight lifting and lots of cardio have been offset by eating poorly. Therefore, I've only lost a few pounds. Add to that the constant muscle aches and the hip that has decided to quit working from time to time and I'd have to say that this pretty much sucks. I suppose I should just deal with the fact that I'm going to be talked about as 'the one who got fat'; I mean they're already going to be talking about me behind my back since I appear to be the only one who also 'got gay'.

Well, as Oscar Wilde said, "The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about." But then look how that turned out for him . . .

I suppose I shouldn't bitch too much about the weightlifting. My clothes do fit better now. And I can still put on muscle fairly quickly (judging by my progress in the last two weeks), which is pretty good for a guy on the cusp of middle age.

But between work and the gym, I have little time for anything else which kind of sucks. I'm seeing a play this Friday (Seduction at the Fringe Festival) which should be fun. And I'm going to a party this weekend which will certainly be fun. It's just the weekdays that are kind of sucky.

Ain't NYC grand?

The other night there was a breeder couple sitting across from me. Chatting. The female was sitting with her legs across the male's lap. They were chatting about something . . . who knows what. I can't even remember if they were speaking English. What was distracting me? The fact that during the ride, the female was grooming the male like a chimpanzee. And by grooming, I mean methodically popping the zits on the side of his face, taking occasional breaks to check her black shirt for stray puss or whatever.

WTF?

There are times when I really, really hate this city.

Rugby

Tonight:

FDNY vs. NYPD rugby match, Gaelic Park (240th St. and Broadway in the Bronx) at 6:30.

If anyone wants to join me at the game, let me know.

For those of you keeping score: Update

Now He's just getting mean.

To use a sports analogy, you may be pissed off at the team, but it's uncool to go after the fans. Especially when you go after them with a tree.

Thanks, FARB

Why do you hate Jesus?

As you may have read, a Virginia based anti-gay group has decided to oppose Bush's nomination of John Roberts for the Supreme Court because he once assisted on a pro-gay legal matter.

Other uber-conservative, anti-gay groups haven't jumped on the bandwagon, because they know that they can't bite the hand that ever-so-generously feeds them.

That's where you come in.

If you have a minute, click here to send an e-mail to the AFA site (Donald Wildmon's odious little group of gay bashers). Basically, just send a little note asking Donald why he has turned his back on Jesus and all things decent to support the pro-homosexual lobby that wants to get John Roberts on the Supreme Court. And you should add (as the fundies often do), that you are praying that Donald returns to Jesus and that you forgive him for having become a tool (tee hee) for the anti-family homosexuals who are trying to deliver America to Satan/Osama/Sadam/France.

Now mind you, I don't really care that much about John Roberts. I'm just curious to see what Don Wildmon will do if he starts getting called pro-gay. And a tool.

If you do send an e-mail to Don, you'll probably get stuck on the AFA e-mail list, but those things are fun to read. Not as fun as the batshit crazy e-mails I used to get from Alan Keyes' campaign, but fun nonetheless.

Memes: 'Cause sometimes it's just easier

Movies I've seen are in bold.

2 Fast, 2 Furious
8 Mile
10 Things I Hate About You
28 Days Later
40 Days and 40 Nights
101 Dalmatians
2001: A Space Odyssey
About a Boy
Ace Ventura - Pet Detective
Ace Ventura 2: When Nature Calls
Adaptation
Adventures in Babysitting
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Aladdin
Alien
Alien 3
Aliens
All I Want
Almost Famous
Along Came A Spider
Amelie
American Pie
American Beauty
American History X
American Pie 2
Anastasia
And Starring Pancho Villa As Himself
Andrei Rublev
The Animatrix
Anne of the Thousand Days
Annie (1982 version)
As Good As It Gets
Austin Powers
Back to the future I
Back to the future II
Back to the future III
Bad Boys
Bad Boys 2
Bambi
Battle Royale
Beauty and the Beast
Bedazzled
Being John Malkovich
Bend It Like Beckham
Benny and Joon
Better than Chocolate
The Beyond
Big Chill
Big Daddy
Big Fish
The Big Lebowski
Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure
Billy Madison
Billy Elliot
The Birdcage
Black Hawk Down
The Black Stallion
Blade
Blade II
Blood Simple
Blue
Boondock Saints
Bowling For Columbine
Boys Don't Cry
Bram Stoker's Dracula
Braveheart
Breakfast At Tiffany's
Bridges of Madison County
Bridget Jones's Diary
Bring It On
Brother Bear
Bruce Almighty
But I'm a Cheerleader!
Camelot
Captain Horatio Hornblower
Carrie
Carrie 2: The Rage
Casablanca
Casper
Cast Away
Catch Me if You Can
Casualties of War
Center Stage
Charade
Chasing Amy
Chicago
Chocolat
Citizen Kane
Claire of the Moon
Clerks
A Clockwork Orange
Closet Land
Clueless
Cold Mountain
The Contender
Cookie's Fortune
The Count of Monte Cristo
Cowboy Bebop
The Craft
Crazy In Alabama
Crossroads
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Cruel Intentions
Daddy Day Care
Dancer In The Dark
Darkness
Das Boot
Dave
Dawn of the Dead
Dead Man Walking
Dead Man
Death Becomes Her
Deep Impact
The Delta Force
Dick
Die Hard
Die Hard - Die Harder
Die Hard - With a Vengeance
Dil Se
Dirty Dancing
Doctor Zhivago
Dogma
Donnie Darko
Don't Worry, It's Only A Phase
Double Indemnity
Down With Love
Drop Dead Fred
Dumb & Dumber
Earth Girls Are Easy
East of Eden
Ed Wood
Edward Scissorhands
Elf
Elizabeth
Empire Records
The Empire Strikes Back
Enemy at the Gates
Enemy of the State
The English Patient
Equilibrium
Escape From Sobibor
The Exorcist
Extreme Ops
Eyes Wide Shut
A Face In the Crowd
Face/Off
The Faculty
Fame
Fargo
Fast and the Furious
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Fellowship of the Ring
Fierce Creatures
The Fifth Element
Fight Club
Final Destination
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
Finding Nemo
Forrest Gump
Fog, The
The Fox and the Hound
Frailty
Frankenstein
Frequency
Fried Green Tomatoes
From Hell
Funny Girl
Galaxy Quest
Gallipoli
Gangster No
Gaslight
The Ghost And The Darkness
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters 2
Ghost Ship
Gia
Giant
Girl
Girl, Interrupted
Gladiator
Gone With the Wind
The Good Son
The Goonies
Gothika
Great Expectations
Grease
Groundhog Day
Hamlet (Mel Gibson version)
Hamlet (Kenneth Branagh version)
Happiness
Happy Gilmore
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Heartbreakers
Heathers
Heavy Metal
Hedwig & the Angry Inch
Hellraiser
Henry V
Hercules
Highlander
Holes
Home Alone
The Horse Whisperer
The Horseman on Roof
The Hot Chick
The Hours
The House of Mirth
House of Sand & Fog
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
The Hudsucker Proxy
I Know What You Did Last Summer
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
I am Sam
Igby Goes Down
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Indochine
Intermission
Interview with the Vampire
Inventing the Abbotts
Italian Job
Jane Eyre
Jersey Girl
Josie and the Pussycats
Jurassic Park
Just Married
Kiki's Delivery Service
Kill Bill Vol. 1
The Killer
Koyaanisqatsi
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
La Vita e Bella
Labyrinth
Ladyhawke
Lake Placid
Land Before Time
Laputa - Castle in the Sky
The Last of the Mohicans
The Last Unicorn
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
A League of Their Own
Legally Blonde
Legend of the Red Dragon
Lethal Weapon
Lethal Weapon 2
Liar Liar
Life as a House
Life Is Beautiful
Lilo and Stitch
The Lion King
Lion King 2
The Little Mermaid
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Look Who's Talking
Lost Boys, The
Lost World
Lost In Translation
Love Actually
Love Song
M
Magnolia
Mallrats
The Man from Snowy River
The Man in the Iron Mask
Man with a Movie Camera
Manhunter
Mary Poppins
Mask
Master & Commander - The Far Side of the World
The Matrix
The Matrix: Reloaded
The Matrix: Revolutions
A Matter of Life and Death
Meet the Parents
Men of Honor
Metropolis
Mighty Ducks
Minority Report
Miss Congeniality
The Mists of Avalon
Mona Lisa Smile
Monster Ball
Monsters, Inc.
Monty Python & the Holy Grail
Moonstruck
Moulin Rouge
Mrs. Doubtfire
Much Ado About Nothing
Mulan
The Mummy
The Mummy Returns
Muppets Take Manhattan
Murder by Death
Murder By Numbers
Muriel's Wedding
My Best Friend's Wedding
My Girl
My Girl 2
My Dog Skip
My Beautiful Laundrette
My Fair Lady
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Mystery, Alaska
Nausicaa
Never Been Kissed
The New Guy
Niagara Niagara
Nightflier
The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Ninth Gate
Not Another Teen Movie
Notting Hill
Now and Then
Nurse Betty
Nuts
O
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
October Sky
The Odd Couple
Oliver and Company
Oliver!
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
One Hour Photo
Ordinary People
The Others
The Outsiders
Parent Trap
Pearl Harbor
Perfect Storm
Perfect Blue
Peter Pan (Disney)
Peter Pan (2003)
The Philadelphia Story
The Philadelphia Experiment
Philadelphia
Phone Booth
Pi
Pink Flamingos
Pitch Black
Plata Quemada
Playing Mona Lisa
Pocahontas
Poltergeist
Practical Magic
Pride and Prejudice
Prince of Tides
The Princess Bride
The Princess Diaries
Princess Mononoke
Prince of Egypt
Pulp Fiction
Pump Up The Volume
Quills
Rabbit Proof Fence
Radio Flyer
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Rat Race
Rear Window
The Recruit
Red
The Remains of Day
Remember the Titans
Remo Williams
Requiem for a Dream
Reservoir Dogs
Resident Evil 1
Return of the King
Return to Me
Riki-Oh - Story Of Ricky
The Ring
The Road to El Dorado
Road Trip
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Robin Hood: Men in Tights
The Rock
Rocky Horror Picture Show
Rollerball
Roman Holiday
Romeo & Juliet
Romper Stomper
The Rose
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
Royal Tenenbaums
Rushmore
Save the Last Dance
Scary Movie
Schindler's List
Scooby Doo
Scooby Doo 2
Scream
Scream 2
Scream 3
Seabiscuit
The Secret Garden
Secretary
Sense and Sensibility
Seventh Seal
Shallow Hal
She's All That
The Shining
Shining Through
Shrek
Sid and Nancy
Singing in the Rain
Simon Birch
Sixth Sense
Sleeping Beauty
Sleepy Hollow
Small Soldiers
Snatch
Some Like It Hot
The Sound of Music
Spaceballs
Spartacus
Speed
Spiceworld
Spider-man
Spirited Away
Spun
Star Wars
Steel Magnolias
Stepmom
Storm of the Century
Strictly Ballroom
Sunset Blvd.
Sunshine State
Super Mario Brothers
Suspiria
SWAT
Sweet November
Sweethearts
Swimfan
Swimming Pool
Tampopo
Terms of Endearment
Tigerland
Titan A.E.
Titanic
To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything!
Tombstone
Tonari No Totoro
Toy Story
Triumph of the Will
Truly Madly Deeply
Tuck Everlasting
Twelve Monkeys
The Two Towers
Two Weeks' Notice
Two or Three Things I Know About Her
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Unbreakable
Unman, Wittering and Zigo
The Unsaid
Urban Legends
Valentine
Vanilla Sky
Velvet Goldmine
Vertigo
Victor/Victoria
Wag the Dog
A Walk To Remember
The War At Home
We Were Soldiers
The Wedding Singer
Weekend at Bernie's
West Side Story
Whale Rider
What Dreams May Come
What Lies Beneath
What a Girl Wants
Whatever It Takes
White Oleander
White
Wild Things
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Win a Date with Tad Hamilton
Wit
The Wizard of Oz
A Wrinkle In Time
The X-Files: Fight the Future
X-Men
X2
XXX
Y Tu Mama Tambien
Zombie Flesh Eaters
Zoolander

Borrowed from Marc

Working out

I've been continuing my workouts with Stuff. We've been going to one of the NYSC's near Grand Central.

Let's review my progress thus far. Arms . . . sore. Legs . . . really sore. Hip . . . feels like I'm being stabbed by a knitting needle, but not all the time; just randomly. Back . . . sore. Shoulders . . . sore. Abs . . . sore.

Tonight is chest and triceps or something. Who knows? But whatever it is, it will be sore soon. We've also been doing 30 min or so of cardio (except last night, because Stuff was feeling lazy/tired . . . thank God).

I've also been making an effort to bring my lunch to work (saving money and empty calories). Today was a turkey and cheese sandwich, tomatoes, carrots and fruit. And I have my fridge filled with fresh fruit, veggies, and other low-cal snack food.

All in all, moving sluggishly in the right direction.

I'm sure it's just my imagination, but after two bicep workouts, I swear they've gotten bigger. Maybe . . . just maybe, I'll play in the East Coast Invitational this fall on our old boys' side (assuming we will have one). Part of me is really itching to get back on the rugby pitch.

Don't it make my kelp eyes cobain?

I was shopping at Old Navy.com yesterday. Here are some of their colors:

Brooklyn
Cobain
Buffalo Herd
Chelsea
Hendrix
Redskins
Wheeling
Modesto
Rockingchair
Castro
Kelp

For a little while, I was worried that I'd been struck with aphasia or that I was in that Twilight Zone episode where words suddenly start meaning other things.

I mean, come on. Castro? Rockingchair?

Public Service Announcement

For those of you keeping score

It's God - 7, Boy Scouts - 0.

More updates as the story develops.

UPDATE: I should point out that I do not take pleasure in the death of children. However, 1) 5 of the 7 killed were adults and 2) a good friend of mine was kicked out of the Scouts after more than a decade as a Scout and a Scout leader when they found out he was gay. I think I'm allowed a little schadenfreude.