OH, MARIAH-ISSUES & MY FRIDAY/SATURDAY ADVENTURES...


...pondering mimi's emancipation

A cool new friend of mine, who I ran into this morning as he stood in a line with approximately 25,000 other homosexual men waiting for the cinema to open so each could secure his ticket to see Heath and Jake get it on on BAREBACK, uh -- BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (sorry, can't help it!), recently told me that I HAD to get over my annoyance with Mariah Carey and check out her latest CD, "The Imancipation of Mimi" --- which has gotten a great many positive music reviews and has sold a zillion copies. He convinced me that if I could see past the vocal aerobics I would embrace my Inner Mimi.

So, when I saw it on sale for $9.99 I picked it up. The production values are quite good and I like the general HipHop vibe, but that voice just doesn't seem to match the music. It seems like I should hear a more soulful voice -- say one Ms. Mary J. Blige who I love! Somehow Mariah seems like she is in the wrong genre or something. I don't know. Maybe I've become too old or white. It is not a bad album and she isn't holding butterflies or wearing roller skates on the cover, but it just doesn't work for me. ...Sorry, Jaime -- but I will continue to listen to it as I've rippied it to my iPod. Oh, new Mary J. Blige for 12/20!!!!

But, I digress. BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN is totally sold out for the weekend in San Francisco. I swear -- the line of gay men started at the first door of the Embacadero cinema all the way to the ice skating rink! One would have thought that Margaret Cho was about to give a concert! But, no --- just Heath and jake as gay cowboys. My pal, Thomas, has pondered what cowboys of the early 60's would have used for lube. I hear that Jake is the 'bottom' of the romance. I wonder if that came up in research?


can my wall get any more gay?!?!?!?

Anyway, I hear that the film is a masterpiece of modern cinema. I am looking forward to seeing it. Maybe this Tuesday night. If Milford, Mark and I go --- we need to buy our tix tomorrow or we probably won't get in. I think it only opened in LA, NYC and San Francisco. This really sweet, sexy and generally perfect guy I am getting to know who lives in LA told me it was sold out there as well. ...but, like jaime, he got his tix in advance. Sigh. Everone is saying it is a beautiful film. Ang Lee has only ever let me down once. But, I think HULK was just a way to make some money. All is forgiven. Plus that lead actor was really hot.

Friday night I stepped off the MUNI "M" train to quite a lovely site. There is a rather scary package store about a block from our house. I always fear I am going to get shot whenever I walk past it. Anyway, it really came as no great surprise when I found 8 cop cars, a huge man pushed face down in handcuffs on the pavement infront of the store and a slimmer young man handcuffed to the utility pole as all the cops walked about taking notes and pictures. It was such a cool photo op that I pulled out my trusty cell phone for a picture for my blog when a hulking cop stormed over to me before I could even press "capture" and said, "No pictures, Sir. Please move along."

Damn.

Well, I walked a few feet and asked a frightened looking little woman about what had gone down and she told me, in broken english (and really is there any better form?) that the big guy had tried to shoot the skinny guy but missed and the bullet had hit the building --- and, i think, the owner (her english lost me a bit at this point) of the package store must have come out with his gun and told them both to stay put as he called the cops. Hmmm...

Another fun evening in Ingleside!! Really, it isn't all that bad here. It is a pretty nice area but there are still some members of the hood who just don't wanna play nice. I think they should close that package store and open up a Pottery Barn -- that would get everybody with the program!



Today I decided to do what little holiday shopping I need to do. We're doing one of those "secret santa" things at the office. I pulled the name of a very sweet young lady who adores anything of Walt Disney origin. I was going to just get a gift card, but a member of my staff convinced me that I should just go to the Disney store and get her something with more of a personal touch. My ex always warned me of the dangers to be found in a Disney store during the holidays. He wasn't wrong. I feel safer outside the package store at midnight than in that Disney store. Manic children and even more manic parents all wearing shits covered with cartoon characters. And, there was barely any room to move. It was so noisy I missed a rather important phone call from someone with whom I really wanted to chat. But, I was quite disoriented in this sort of multi-colored cult.

Now, I can go to a club, bar or a party and no one will bat an eye at me -- but send me on public transit, to a store, for a walk down the street, to a cafe -- and, now, to a Disney store and I get hit on from all directions. Seriously. I don't understand it, but it is true. And, I don't know what to do anymore because the guys in San Francisco really come on strong. How am I meant to respond. This cute child who works for the cult of Disney approached me. He flirted with abandon. I did "that" smile that probably conveys my confusion. Anyway, he began to tease me when he realized that the only characters of Disney I knew were Mickey, his biatch, that depressed donkey and Winnie the Pooh. I was just not exposed to child appropriate entertainment when I was a kid. But this "child" turned out to be 28. He offered to pick out a good gift if I gave him my number. I told him that I needed to see how good the gift was first. (I wasn't giving him my number!) -- but he picked out a cute gift that I think she will enjoy. Then I told him I couldn't give him my number because I was old enough to be his father -- then he told me he was 28. So, i guess he wasn't TOO young, but no number was given.

Then I proceeded to Tower to pick up something for two other friends. I got their gifts and then spotted something which I did not know existed! 4AD has just released a 4 CD box set retrospective of Cocteau Twins called "Lullabies of Violaine" ...the package is pretty, but cheap. However, that is cool because the cost is really pretty low -- approx $9 a CD.


Yes, kids, I bought it for myself. Ugh! I MUST stop spending money!!!

Anyway, my head hurts but there are about 20 holiday cards I need to fill out. I am just not sure my holiday cards are going out this year. I am just so lazy about it. It does not seem like Christmas to me. Not cold enough. No snow.

Oh, and I tried on some clothes at Paul Frank. I wanted all of them, but they were just too much money. I am a man on a budget (minus Cocteau Twins CD box sets) --- so, if there are any clothes to be purchased it will be funky thrift shop wear which I honestly rather like or H&M.

Well, that is my rambling for the weekend!

I hope you have all had a great weekend!
matt