Shifty, Shifty, Shift....

So, I have learned my lesson twice now (three if you count a repeat experience) that people who try to start their own theatre companies stemming from egomaniacal and personal gains un-skillfully hidden behind larger picture motives of enrishing the public are really only after their own goals and have absolutely nothing to offer but treouble.

What I find disgusting, but what I do understand from a marketing/image perspective, is HOW and to what lengths these people and companies go to to make themselves llok better. Everything from putting down previous employees and actors to fudging, editing and rewriting negative reviews to be positive.

Now as a reporter, if you are going to reprint my entire piece and hack it to pieces....that is NOT a good idea. Taking selected quotes out is one thing. Changing the whole perspective of the article, just because I slam you, is NOT a good thing.

Very shifty and shady and very disrespectful of your press community.

So is it wrong that I like eating red beets? As is? With nothing to accompany it?

Something about the earthy rooty flava about it. Part sweet, part musk.

Eh..


By the way, I am well aware that Tarzan was first a book, but I am sure we can all agree that the Disney movie is a FAR cry from the book.

Playbill News: Disney Presents Tarzan to Arrive on Broadway in 2006

WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY??????


Why must we be perpetually subjected to shitty ass musicals like this???? TARZAN!!?!?!??


Have we really run the gamut of ideas? What has happened to the Golden Age? Why is DISNEY allowed to do this????

BUT:

Playbill News: The Color Purple Musical Readies for Broadway with Summer Workshop

That I think is a good idea. At least it is based on a book and has some meat to it. You won't find any dancing and singing monkeys in here unless you plan on being REALLY racially insensitive and old hat.

Shave and a Haircut, To BANG!!

Heard about this on the way home from working out and just had to read about it.

The Seattle Times: Nation & World: Iraqi insurgents targeting barbers

I cannot believe how far some extremists go. I have shown my disdain previously for the religious right in this country and those of the Bible Belt who dare to call themselves Christians when they are nothing more than overzealous charlatans of faith, but I have an equal problem with Islamic Extremists who take their old-world, antiquated religious tracts SO seriously that they cannot bring themselves to come into the modern world. I am not saying they need to be colonized Admiral Perry-like, but they need to realize that they do not live in temples cut into the side of mountains and are no longer just roving bedouins trading in camels and goats. Fanatics scare me and they have proven themselves historically to be the most unsound, unreligious people. They call for peace and understanding, yet follow none of that.

I am telling you, Eastern Mysticism is the way to go (or Paganism). Just look at the monks in China who fought religiously by setting themsevles alight in protest. Did they harm anyone? No. Were they suicide bombers? No. Where they rigging cars to explode upon ignition. No. Where they banning gay pride library displays. No.

And they most certainly were not killing people for giving haircuts and shaving beards.

And on that note...my Gillette calls to me.

Preaching Intolerance...or Why Rhonda Storms is an Evil Fucking Bitch

Well, it finally happened. I went to a parade. I have never been to a Pride Parade, and I have never had any interest in it. Not because I did not want to support what I think is a good cause, but because I don't like large groups of people. However, Jorge dragged me out because he did not want to go alone, so I went.

Note: My mother has been to a pride parade thing before I ever have. There is something just hysterically wrong about that.

Anyway, I enjoyed myself going to all the booths, reading the literature, preaching equality, and viewing a bad excuse for a parade. I was going to go protest today, but decided not to.

Apparently, pride celebrations are and used to be a lot wilder than what I saw, but it was a good experience nevertheles.

What was most interesting about the whole thing was learning more about Rhonda Storms and realizing just how much she needs to be shut down. For more and detailed info, go here. She has really overstepped all kinds of humanitarian bounds and has used thinly veiled excuses to hide behind her own prejudice. To ban a display and consequently ANY pride celebrations in Hillsborough County because she did not think it was approproate and did not want to field questions from curious children because that would be wrong is the most insane thing I have ever heard. She claims that this should not be about politics, which it most certainly is. But her reasons for wanting to ban the stuff are the very reasons why OTHER things have displays, like African American or Hispanic pride stuff. There is no difference to people with half a brain, but apparently it is ok to defend and support racial and ethnic equality, but not sexual preference.

People like this disgust me. People who say wre are more accepting nowadays than ever before are sadly deluded. As I tell my students every year, we are more prejudiced and racist now than ever...we are just more secretive about it and operate on a lower less-obvious level. Just look at the actions of the former and current administration. It is not that hard to believe.

Take the whole issue of budget cuts for NPR and PBS....because some claimed it was too liberal and does not good for Americans....ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!?

Ah, the signals of an empire doomed to fall are cropping up sooner than expected.

In support of pride and in protest of any kind of inequality around the world:

No Day But Today

Well, the RENT site has officialy been launched. I cannot WAIT to see this movie as I have been chomping at the bit since 1996. This was the first musical that I truly went ga ga over. I mean I loved other musicals before it, but for about a year I played and sang along to this recording non-stop. This show also holds a special place in my heart because it is the first Broadway show I ever saw in NY. I went with my girlfriend at the time who also loved the show and we saw it. I love the show, the music, the messages, the characters and I am so jazzed that all but two of the original cast members are in the movie. You MUST go see this movie. The trailer just looks amazing.

Just Call Me A FREAK Why Don't You?

So a couple of days ago I was cleaning my glasses and they slipped so I caught them quickly but managed to bend them ever so slightly that I could tell they were not set right. And since I have an astigmatism in my left eye, the slightest change screws with my vision.

So I go to Visionworks today with Jorge, figuring I need an eye exam and new glasses anyway. And they are having a primo sale: 1) Any frame, and I mean ANY, including designer, for $60 plus your lens fee, or 2) Buy one, get one free plus lens for only one frame (other one gets em for free).

I found a GREAT frame. I mean very modern, nice shape and color. So after waiting for almost 40 minutes, I get helped. I had three frames to choose from. The guy was all about making the aesthetics match my face too. He was very good. He did not like the color of one of my choices so he went to go find the same style in a differnt color. He comes back with different styles and has me try them on. Then he says to me:

To be really honest with you, and I am just saying this to help you out, you don't want these frames because your left eye is set farther than your right and they make it obvious.

WHAT THE HELL!?!?!

But he is right!!! I am dumbfounded and Jorge looks at me and agrees and I look in the mirror and lo and behold...I am an ocular freak. Almost 30 years in this body and I never noticed it before but my left eye is farther from my nose than my right.

And now you can all stare at me and point at laugh at the village freak.

I'm going to go ring a tower bell now...

This is my niece Funk Master Grace. She is like 2 and some change and though it sucks I never get to see her, at least I get some pics once in a while.

Ain't she cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute???

She should be a dancer...then I can choreograph her....and then she can be some big Broadway star. Living vicariously much?? LOL.

JEFFRIKA!!!

Stop leaving inane and banal comments on my blog you doofus...

No really...stop...

Speaking of banal...got my AVEN shirt in. I like baseball t-shirts. They are fun.

Speaking of inane...this so-called new community AVEN has a bunch of wankers on the discussion boards who must be living some kind of utopic hippie life and seem to take any kind of need and search for identity and definition as an affront. I am especially spurred on by this rabid bitch of an ex-lesbian named Sister K (yes, I know...I laughed heartily as well) who took it upen herself to take a lovely, yet heated, discussion, and become an insulting bitch throwing her weight around (she actually suggested I was intimidated by her CV) and all but calling me an idiot. So you know what THE bitch had to me (that's me)...

...and I did...and quite respectfully. I see no need to reduce myself to someone else's base level. I do something prefer to be a respectful asshole when rendering my opponent's ass to shtred and handing it to them in a hoagie.

fuckingbitchcockass

Had a lovely day with Sara. Was nice spending time her and the kitties again. No euphamism to be found in the last statement people.