Thursday, June 12th - Circle City IN Pride, Day 5 and Successful Cyber-Stalking

Ohhhhh lord! The talk of my bewigged performance of Dark Lady on Tuesday was haunting me left and right last night. Lordy, Lordy, LORDY! Ah well, my crazy drunken side needed to be exposed to these folks eventually!

Anyway, last night was marked by deep discussions and men in dresses, and I probably couldn't have been happier. The deep discussion took the form of a town hall meeting to talk about the need for a LBGT Community Center in Indianapolis. I was very pleasantly surprised at the number of people who attended, and most importantly, how diverse the crowd was. While it is great that IndyPride is starting the talk, it is very important that everyone is involved in the process and it doesn't become the IndyPride Community Center.

I wouldn't say anything was really decided last night, but it was good to hear that everyone was supportive of a Center and what they felt it would house. I have a feeling that the eventual bricks and mortar version of the building will be quite different from what was talked about last night, but once we come together as a community and become organized in a way that is far beyond what we have achieved to this point, the dream will become a reality.

After the town hall, I went to the reception at Aesop's Tables, and then I went on to Greg's to meet up with Romeo and Blanche for the Bag Lady Calendar Launch. The calendar itself is wonderful, and I wish I could post pictures of it here, but I'm going to make you all buy it. Here are some pictures of the ladies that I took last night:



The rest of the night is pretty much a blur thanks to the $1.50 well drinks at Greg's. Thankfully, I had the day off today!

Circle City IN Pride Tonight: Volunteer Meeting & Paint the Town Red Fashion Show

I was finally able to track down the hot USA diver who used to live in my building. The Olympic Trials are in Indy next week, and they were interviewing him on the news today. Perfection, thy name is Justin Wilcock (te he...):

Wednesday, June 11th - Circle City IN Pride, Day 4 or When All Hell Breaks Loose

Now that is more like it. Up until now, Pride has been pretty low key. Fun (especially the skate), but low key in regards to the drinking. Whewww...we made up for that last night.

After finally getting some confirmation that it was going to be a beautiful night, Blanche, Mom, and myself started planning the tailgate for the Big Gay Band concert. We've been on a tailgating jag as of late, and since the concert was outside on Mass Ave (the closest thing to a gay district that Indy has), we decided this was a wonderful opportunity to do it.

When I left work, I hopped into the car and drove up to Costco to get some suitable grub, and then when I got home around 4:45, I decided I would make some Mixed Berry Crisp. I hadn't baked anything in a while. So, as Romeo would say, my inner Martha took hold. Once I took that out of the oven, I piled everything into the car, and I went off to meet everyone else.

While we were waiting for Mom (and the tailgate) to get there, it seemed as soon as I started to prepare my 64 ounce, sippy cup, like the call of the wild, Maestro walks over from where the band is getting ready. The rest of the night is pretty much a blur...hmmm alcohol

1. Band Concert - Check
2. More Drinking - Check
3. Go to Metro - Check
4. Sing Dark Lady Again - Check (I have NO idea where the wig came from...honest)
5. Tell the Mayor of Gay Town that he is now being called The Wonderful Wizard of Gay Town - Check
6. Get more details on the float I am on in the Parade (!)
   
7. Pass Out - Check

Hmmm....it has been a long time since I've been THAT drunk, but it was good time. Heck, it is always a good thing to prime the liver. You don't want it to go into shock during the Pride festival.

Circle City IN Pride Tonight: Town Hall Meeting to discuss the creation of a Community Center; Bag Lady Calendar Launch @ Gregs

Just for giggles: SHIRTLESS GYMNASTS!

Wednesday, April 30th - Hump Day Wrap Up

I didn't post today because I really didn't have that much to say. Plus, it was the last day of the month, which means I needed to finish some things before the dreaded report cycle begins again.

Anyway, after thinking that this coming weekend would be a low key one, which I was really hoping for because I literally have something happening every weekend after that until late June, I found out that it was not to be the case. I really should have known better since it is the weekend before the primary, but hey, this is all new to this slack jawed yokel.

Anyway, after forcing myself to go to the gym last night, taking a shower there (which I loath), and then going directly to karaoke, I met up with the Mean Girls (minus Maestro but adding Brooklyn), and we proceeded to have our normal Tuesday night out. Then Sebastian, my friend with the Clinton Campaign, came in with invitations to a party on Friday in support of LGBT Hoosiers for Hillary. There goes the low key weekend!

On top of having the party at a local socialites house, we will have two special guests, which may not be the biggest named stars in the world, but it is a nice thing to have people to add some pizazz to the night. We have Ronnie Kroell (Make Me a Supermodel) and Ellen Greene (Little Shop of Horrors and Pushing Daisies), and frankly, I loved both those shows. Hell, the only reason I watched Make Me a Supermodel is because I thought Ronnie was HOT, and Little Shop of Horrors is one of the earliest live action movies I remember going to see with my family. Ellen played Audrey (not the plant), and now she plays one of the Aunt Vivian on Pushing Daisies, which was one of my favorite shows before the writer's strike cut the season short.

So this party will be my next Adventure in Hillaryland, and then on Saturday night, Hillary is making an appearance with John Mellencamp on The Lawn at White River State Park in the heart of Downtown Indy.

Below are pictures of Ronnie and Ellen. Take a wild guess which one I'm adding to my (not so) regular feature of Beefcake of the Week:

Thursday, March 20th - Thursday Musings

This is an odd week. After the festivities of Monday night, drinking away most of the day on Tuesday (but staying solidly on diet....well, except for the alcohol), and then tending to my apartment yesterday, I am finally ready for a normal day at work, just in time for the weekend!

• The Speech - Yes, I've been avoiding the "MAJOR SPEECH ON RACE" that Barack Obama gave on Tuesday mainly because I think it has been well covered by other people. I will say I am annoyed that we kept getting inundated with news of the "MAJOR SPEECH ON RACE." When was the last time a politically expedient stump speech was given this much hype? And yes, while I agree race in America is a conversation worth having, the fact of the matter is that Barack Obama would not have given the "MAJOR SPEECH ON RACE" if the videos of the good Reverend Wright hadn't been released and not fallen out of the news cycle as David Axelrod assumed they would. I will give him props for the sentiment, but it would have been a lot more meaningful if it was not an avenue to staunch the bloodletting of Wright. Additionally, if I stood up and delivered a wonderfully nuanced speech defending Don Imus (assuming I had listened to him for 20 years), would I be considered a visionary leader?
• Hillary in Indiana - Hillary Clinton is stumping in Indiana today, and I have to say I'm excited just that she is here. I was on the bike at the gym today at 5:45 am, and the news was broadcasting live from the Saratoga Restaurant in Terre Haute, where Hillary will be at 10:30 today. There was already a very long line outside nearly 5 hours before the event. It is exciting to see Hoosier's involved in the process, and I hope this means we will see an uptick in turnout come May 6th. As I expected, Hillary's first visits in the state are in mostly white, blue collar areas, such as, Terre Haute, Anderson, and Evansville. While I hoped she would stop in Indianapolis, so I could see her, the fact of the matter is that the 7th District, which covers most of Indy and just elected Andre Carson to fill out the term of his grandmother, went for John Kerry in 2004, and I would expect will be a heavily favoring Obama. I'll have to see what I can do about that...
  
• Fitness - In the past 16 days, I have worked out 13 of them, and despite being a bit tired from getting up early to do it, I have to say I feel pretty good. While I have not started to shed the pounds that I hoped I would on the Metabolism Advantage diet, I have started to feel that initial shift in the body composition that comes from eating well and working out. It would be nice to see some weight loss though and my clothes fitting better, but I just need to be patient and continue to hit the gym. I want to keep this torrid pace up until my birthday on May 17th.
  
• American Idol - I am beside myself pissed at all the little girls across this country. I am not going to say Amanda Overmeyer is the best singer in the world, but at least she brought something different to the competition, and to think that Carly Smithson, who is by far the best vocalist in the competition, was in the bottom three, well, it just makes me wonder why I actually get excited for this infuriating show every season. Ugh!
• Beefcake of the Week - Robert Buckley. This, my friends, is really the only reason I watch Lipstick Jungle, though I do have to say that Kim Raver is pretty fierce as the older woman getting schtuped by this hottie. Go her!
  

Well there you have my scattershot musings of the week...

Tuesday, March 11th - Tuesday Musings - Hot Flash Edition

Well, I survived the first full day of the Metabolism Advantage diet, and I have to say it wasn't too terrible, though I did end up leaving the book at home which lead to me eating a meal out of place. For that, I blame Romeo who passed out drunk on my couch Sunday night and interfered with my morning routine. I think it is because he is winning The Mean Girls Biggest Loser, and he doesn't want me to be Hillary to his Barack! Anyway, I am a bit appalled at the sheer volume of food consumed, and I understand that is something I just need to adjust to. However, I know something is wonky with their serving sizes when you start out with a pound of ground beef and add copious other ingredients for a meat loaf, and that is two servings. Now, I'm a big guy, and there was no way I was going to be able to pack away half a meatloaf. It was good though. I honestly can't remember the last time I consumed red meat. Oh, life without coffee in favor of green tea is so not working for me. I feel like a zombie today...

I think the easiest way for me to continue this diet is repetition, which I do not have a problem with. I could see myself making a big batch of the bean salad and eating that as part of my lunch everyday. I could also see going back to chicken for lunch, and then just varying the dinner with more fish and red meat. What I really need to do is just plan on eating more and more veggies, and then, of course, probably investing in the company that makes Beano, which is all I'm going to say about that.

One side effect of all this is the hot flashes. At least I hope it is a side effect and not that I am going through menopause. You know how sometimes after you eat you feel all warm and ready for a nap? Well, multiply that by eating 6 times a day with foods specifically chosen to boost your metabolism. I was sitting on the couch last night with the heat off, ceiling fan on, feeling like I was about to spontaneously combust. Now, I am generally a warm person. I usually do not sleep with any blankets, until maybe the middle of the night when I get a chill and pull a sheet over me, but wow, it certainly was an intense warming.

I was planning on doing some bullet musings today, but I think I'll hold off on that. Tomorrow, I will probably try to figure out a way to comment on the Mississippi Primary and a American Idol review. How's that for a broad range!

In closing, the Beefcake of the Week: Daniel Conn - an Australian Rugby Player (Are we seeing a trend here?)

With Shirt

Without Shirt (and buzzed head...I started a trend)

Wednesday, March 5th - American Idol Recap - The Guys (second post)

As promised, I am doing a puffery piece to offset my political wonkiness from the first post of the day.

First, a moment of AI Zen:

I'm filing this under "If strippers in Indy looked like this, I would go to that ugly troll farm, The Unicorn, more often."

Anyway, here are my thoughts, keeping in mind I fast forwarded through the performances if they bored me, and some of it was in Picture-in-a-Picture while I watched the election returns:

Top 3 - Davids-a-poppin!

1. David Cook - I never really thought I would say "Hello" by Lionel Richie rocks, but this rendition certainly did. Now, if he'd only get rid of his jank hair, he would actually be someone I could root for (yes, all about vocal ability, right?)
2. David Archuleta - Phil Collins...seriously? The sad thing about all this is the fact that he is 17, which means he wasn't even born in the 80s. Ugh. Anyway, yes, he sang it well, but he's just so damned earnest. Unlike Paula, who wants to pop off his head and hang him from her rearview mirror, I kinda want to kick him into a mud puddle so he gets dirty. I texted Blanche and said that his song choice was going to annoy me for the next 13 weeks, but since that would put him into the finals, I suppose he's getting my approval.
3. David Hernandez (pictured) - Obviously, I would be okay if he didn't sing and just sat in my living room for a few hours (or forever), but he actually is a pretty good singer. He has some tics when he sings that really need to be smacked out of him (pick me, pick me!), but I think he has a place in the Top 12. HOWEVER, I have this sick feeling that he might be a surprise ejection (ha!). He was good, but it wasn't exactly memorable (not to mention the Celine song was from 1996), and since Simon was so evil to some of the bad/cute/Sanjayas, they're going to get that annoying, little girl, sympathy vote.

The Meh-iddle

• Jason Castro - The boy is beautiful, despite the horrible dreadlocks. Though I have to think that if he lost the dreads, he would look pretty fem. I was pretty shocked when Michael Slezak on Entertainment Weekly said that this was one of those iconic Idol moments that will be talked about for years. It was pretty "meh" for me, which has everything to do with the fact that I think "Hallelujah" is a treacly, overused mess which will forever be associated with the two hours of my life that I will never get back from Shrek.
• Chikezie - I really have nothing against the guy, but his singing is just a bit overwrought. Plus, this is the third week of the contest, and he is already recycling the song he auditioned with?
• Michael Johns - Most of my friends are gaga over him, and while I love his speaking voice, his singing is just "okay." His rendition of "Don't You Forget About Me" from The Breakfast Club, was basically karaoke. He'll be around because he's older and cute, which will get the MILF vote.

My Bottom Two - (These are my opinion -- not necessarily a prediction)

1. Danny Noriega - He's so annoyingly gay, and frankly, he is more feminine than Kristy Lee Cook. I have no issue with fem guys, other than it irritates me that many of bigots in this world consider all gay men to be like that. He can sing pretty well, but his song choice leaves a lot to be desire. Add that to the finger snapping, neck cocking, BIG GAY ATTITUDE and I frankly want to send him off to live on a desert island with the big lesbian parrot from Project Runway (that would be Christian).
2. Luke Menard - Sorry, fellow Hoosier. You are quite hot until you attempt to speak or sing, but that is not enough for you to get through. Your song choice is ghastly, and I really question whether you have testicles considering some of the high notes. If I muted Danny, I would think he was a girl. If I shut my eyes, you sound like Dinah Shore without the chicken.

With all that being said, I'm not sure either of these two will get voted off. Danny has the girl vote, Luke has the sympathy for the maligned vote. So, it really could be a toss up. Luke could obviously be the Haley Scarnato of this season....if only he took off more clothes WITH David Hernandez, it would be a happy season for me. If David H gets voted off, I'm going to be severely annoyed, but I suppose I will survive. Maybe he'll go on a stripping tour....

I'll talk about the ladies tomorrow...

Tuesday, March 4th - Beefcake of the Week

For those of you who aren't into my political posts, for which another one is brewing, I am giving you a shirtless man to comment about. Aren't I thoughtful blog host?

As with anything that I hope to make a regular feature, you have no guarantee that this will ever happen again, but hey, ya never know. That is all part in parcel of what makes this blog interesting.

Shirtless Man of the Week: Luke Jericho, Aussie Rules Football

Not only does he have the name that sounds like a superhero alias, he looks like one, too. Way to go, Luke. Way to win the genetic lottery!

Le sigh...