Saturday, October 20, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
Totally awesome 80s night! (with a little gay pride thrown in for good measure)
Anyone who has ever lived in a smaller city knows that pride events in said cities can often times be a little lacking. It seems like you pay whatever the ridiculous cover charge is, (this year it was $15!) simply so you can be forced to buy over-priced carnival food and stand in line for a half hour to buy a 12 oz beer that costs $5, while perusing the overpriced niche-market goods. (Need a rainbow beach towel? Or an outfit for your chihuahua with a pink triangle somehow stitched onto it?) Essentially it always ends up turning into mostly an all-day beer-bust that just so happens to be in a park instead of a bar.
Despite all this, John and I decided to go ahead and head out to the park on Saturday. Part of that decision was based on the fact that Expose (you know...Seasons Change...Point of No Return...etc) was gong to be performing. Which any true 80's nut (ahem...John) would be all about. I won't lie and say I wasn't excited about seeing them too, but given that I was still in elementary school when their music was at it's most popular, I couldn't have quite the same appreciation.
The performance was good, and it was made even more entertaining when our local mother-of-all-drag-queens Aja Simone got up on stage and started doing all of Expose's dance moves with them. There were times when it looked like SHE was the performer...and they were her back-up singers.
So after that it was on to The Loft (Tucson's local art-house theater type place) for what was called The Totally Awesome 80's Sing-along). Essentially what happened was that they showed a series of four 80's music videos by a specific artist after which they'd have a commercial break. The commercial break was filled with all the cheesy, poorly acted schlock-fests that you remember from 80's advertising. (Remember the kiss-a-thon ads from Big Red? Or the Doublemint Twins? My Little Pony?)
After the music videos portion, there was a dance-off/costume contest. Then it was onto singing along to your favorite 80's TV-show themes (Facts of life, Charles in Charge, Golden Girls, etc). Then musical montages from 80's movies like Dirty Dancing, Fame, Flashdance and Footloose. (I think there were some other letters of the alphabet represented too, I just can't remember which).
Oddly enough, the $5 80's sing-along was every bit as gay as, and a little bit more fun than, the $15 pride event. I guess it just goes to show that sometimes it's the little things that go a long way toward making an event enjoyable.
Despite all this, John and I decided to go ahead and head out to the park on Saturday. Part of that decision was based on the fact that Expose (you know...Seasons Change...Point of No Return...etc) was gong to be performing. Which any true 80's nut (ahem...John) would be all about. I won't lie and say I wasn't excited about seeing them too, but given that I was still in elementary school when their music was at it's most popular, I couldn't have quite the same appreciation.
The performance was good, and it was made even more entertaining when our local mother-of-all-drag-queens Aja Simone got up on stage and started doing all of Expose's dance moves with them. There were times when it looked like SHE was the performer...and they were her back-up singers.
So after that it was on to The Loft (Tucson's local art-house theater type place) for what was called The Totally Awesome 80's Sing-along). Essentially what happened was that they showed a series of four 80's music videos by a specific artist after which they'd have a commercial break. The commercial break was filled with all the cheesy, poorly acted schlock-fests that you remember from 80's advertising. (Remember the kiss-a-thon ads from Big Red? Or the Doublemint Twins? My Little Pony?)
After the music videos portion, there was a dance-off/costume contest. Then it was onto singing along to your favorite 80's TV-show themes (Facts of life, Charles in Charge, Golden Girls, etc). Then musical montages from 80's movies like Dirty Dancing, Fame, Flashdance and Footloose. (I think there were some other letters of the alphabet represented too, I just can't remember which).
Oddly enough, the $5 80's sing-along was every bit as gay as, and a little bit more fun than, the $15 pride event. I guess it just goes to show that sometimes it's the little things that go a long way toward making an event enjoyable.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Monday, October 8, 2007
Hot! Hot! Hot!
So the other day John, while perusing the part of Craigslist that ISN'T filled with random body parts asking to have untoward things done to them, ran across an 80 gig Ipod for $140. I have an Ipod already, but it's a 30 gig...and, believe it or not, I've already filled it beyond maximum capacity. So the idea of trading up for less money than I paid for the old one (which was also found on Craigslist, by the way) certainly appealed.
But, as with any good deal, not everything seemed 100% right. For one, the Ipod wasn't in any stand alone listing, but rather part of a "yard sale" type ad that included alot of other random stuff.
Secondly, we had to drive down to Green Valley (about 40 miles south of Tucson) to check it out. That, in and of itself, wasn't bad, but the guy pretty much blew off the idea of giving us directions, instead giving us the address, and telling us to google map it. I'm all well and good with using technology to it's fullest, but you'd think a person would know how best to get to their own house from the freeway.
Anyway, so we drove down, found the street, and located houses on one side of the street with 1751 and 1753 addresses, but across the street (where his address of 1750 should have been) was an apartment complex. Since we were given no unit number, we called the guy back. He told us to drive into the apartment complex, drive all the way to the back, and we'd find 1750.
We did...and it was the office for said apartment complex. And they looked at us like we were absent a chromosome when we asked about the Ipod for sale. We called back again, and the guy said he didn't like the managers of the complex, and didn't want to do the sale in front of them. He told us to drive up to the sidewalk in front of the last building before you exit the complex, and he'd send someone out with the item.
By now I was not only irritated but flabbergasted. Could anyone actually be THIS incredibly horrible at giving directions? Or was he being intentionally vague and mysterious for a reason? I was actually genuinely worried a little about this being some elaborate robbery scheme, as the "seller" would know that the buyer would be showing up with cash in hand. But by this time, after all that we'd done to get here, I was willing to at least see this through.
So out trots a 15 year old kid with the Ipod and a pair of headphones. This was most certainly NOT who we'd talked to on the phone about the sale. Knowing this had to be the guy's nephew or son, I took a look at the Ipod, saw that it actually WAS what it was supposed to be...and that it played music successfully. Finally, I told the kid we'd take it, but asked about the USB cable that was advertised to come with it. He said it was upstairs in the apartment, and he would have to have the money in hand before he returned with it.
After all of the shady phone dealings and vagueness, this kid had the nerve to imply he thought that WE were the ones that were untrustworthy in the situation. I also wondered momentarily what possible angle could be worked from this new wrinkle to somehow rob us blind, steal our car, and leave our charred bodies somewhere in the desert. Deciding there weren't too many, and I just wanted to buy the Ipod and get the hell out of there, I forked over the money. Shortly the kid returned with the cord, and we were on our way.
I left the dealings feeling lot more dirty and shady than I really care for (and that's saying something). Buying an electronic entertainment device shouldn't really feel like a drug deal. I was also left wondering "what, exactly, just happened?".
So, dear readers, you tell me...did I just buy some hot merchandise, or am I just misinterpreting due to paranoia? In other words, WHOSE Ipod will I be listening to at the gym later?
But, as with any good deal, not everything seemed 100% right. For one, the Ipod wasn't in any stand alone listing, but rather part of a "yard sale" type ad that included alot of other random stuff.
Secondly, we had to drive down to Green Valley (about 40 miles south of Tucson) to check it out. That, in and of itself, wasn't bad, but the guy pretty much blew off the idea of giving us directions, instead giving us the address, and telling us to google map it. I'm all well and good with using technology to it's fullest, but you'd think a person would know how best to get to their own house from the freeway.
Anyway, so we drove down, found the street, and located houses on one side of the street with 1751 and 1753 addresses, but across the street (where his address of 1750 should have been) was an apartment complex. Since we were given no unit number, we called the guy back. He told us to drive into the apartment complex, drive all the way to the back, and we'd find 1750.
We did...and it was the office for said apartment complex. And they looked at us like we were absent a chromosome when we asked about the Ipod for sale. We called back again, and the guy said he didn't like the managers of the complex, and didn't want to do the sale in front of them. He told us to drive up to the sidewalk in front of the last building before you exit the complex, and he'd send someone out with the item.
By now I was not only irritated but flabbergasted. Could anyone actually be THIS incredibly horrible at giving directions? Or was he being intentionally vague and mysterious for a reason? I was actually genuinely worried a little about this being some elaborate robbery scheme, as the "seller" would know that the buyer would be showing up with cash in hand. But by this time, after all that we'd done to get here, I was willing to at least see this through.
So out trots a 15 year old kid with the Ipod and a pair of headphones. This was most certainly NOT who we'd talked to on the phone about the sale. Knowing this had to be the guy's nephew or son, I took a look at the Ipod, saw that it actually WAS what it was supposed to be...and that it played music successfully. Finally, I told the kid we'd take it, but asked about the USB cable that was advertised to come with it. He said it was upstairs in the apartment, and he would have to have the money in hand before he returned with it.
After all of the shady phone dealings and vagueness, this kid had the nerve to imply he thought that WE were the ones that were untrustworthy in the situation. I also wondered momentarily what possible angle could be worked from this new wrinkle to somehow rob us blind, steal our car, and leave our charred bodies somewhere in the desert. Deciding there weren't too many, and I just wanted to buy the Ipod and get the hell out of there, I forked over the money. Shortly the kid returned with the cord, and we were on our way.
I left the dealings feeling lot more dirty and shady than I really care for (and that's saying something). Buying an electronic entertainment device shouldn't really feel like a drug deal. I was also left wondering "what, exactly, just happened?".
So, dear readers, you tell me...did I just buy some hot merchandise, or am I just misinterpreting due to paranoia? In other words, WHOSE Ipod will I be listening to at the gym later?
Saturday, October 6, 2007
I want a Tonka truck!
If anyone was wondering what I'd like for X-mas this year (you know, aside from world peace and all that) this bad-ass little truck from Suzuki (called an X-Head) would work for sure!
The review says: "This Tonka toy-looking concept maximizes versatility by using different beds for different purposes. A camper bed would make it a recreational vehicle, while its Fashion bed lets you cart people around the city. It also has a bed intended for emergency rescue work."
I think I like the idea of the camper bed for...you know...fun time. I mean it has tie down notches under all that somewhere...you know it does.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Not so well traveled after all
I went and did one of those silly "where have you been" websites. (No, you pervs..."what physical locations have you visited", so not BMB) Turns out that I really haven't been that many places after all.
Of our 50 states, I've only visited a mere 27% (14 of them). You'd think a guy with free flight benefits would have seen a little more of the country by now. LOL
And when it comes to the world in general...
I've only seen 3%! (7 countries).
*Sigh*
Looks like I have some traveling to do!
***Update***
So John reminded me of a few that I'd forgotten about...apparently my Alzheimer's is kicking in early. So the new tally is 16 states, 31% (and I don't count anywhere that I've simply driven through...I have to have spent a little time there...other than in a hotel room).
create your own visited states map
or check out these Google Hacks.
Of our 50 states, I've only visited a mere 27% (14 of them). You'd think a guy with free flight benefits would have seen a little more of the country by now. LOL
And when it comes to the world in general...
I've only seen 3%! (7 countries).
*Sigh*
Looks like I have some traveling to do!
***Update***
So John reminded me of a few that I'd forgotten about...apparently my Alzheimer's is kicking in early. So the new tally is 16 states, 31% (and I don't count anywhere that I've simply driven through...I have to have spent a little time there...other than in a hotel room).
create your own visited states map
or check out these Google Hacks.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Fur n' fangs instead of leather and chains
For a number of reasons, John and I didn't end up making it to Folsom this year. Though we had a really good time last year, and would've liked to have hung out with Moby while seeing it, it just wasn't in the cards this time around.
Since we were in town, our buddy Kevin from Atlanta came to visit for the weekend. We wound up taking him to see Nogales, Sonora and the Desert Museum here in Tucson. It was his first time ever in Mexico, and his first time seeing a good number of the desert critters that the museum has to offer.
Though I'm not sure that Nogales is anything that one would necessarily be impressed by, fun was still had by all. The Desert Museum, however, Kevin seemed to really like. And I can't say as I blame him. I feel like I learn something new every time I go to that place. And I've been there alot. Maybe that just means I need to pay better attention when I'm there one of these times.
Pretty but don't try to pick em.
This looked to me like something you'd see in the concept art for Monsters Inc.
This looked to me like something you'd see in the concept art for Monsters Inc.
BTW, if you'd like to see any of the other pics I took while we were at the museum, you can see them here.
Monday, October 1, 2007
So i just set up
So i just set up mobile blogging, and can now blog from my phone....I think. This will act as my test-blog, so we'll see how it goes!
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