Assuredly, that's the Skinniest Leather Tie I've Ever Seen!

Okay, so once again I have fallen into that rut where I don't end up updating when I want to. There have been a lot of things I've had on my mind that I wanted to bring up here, for anyone who was interested, but alas. That has not happened.

Briefly, I had the wonderful opportunity of going home for almost a full week for Thanksgiving. As my mother kindly reminded me, it was the first time I've seen my parents in 13 weeks. I suppose that is a fairly long time. It was nice being home...I had wanted to work on my senior project, but extended family that I haven't seen in years were in town/staying with us, so not very much of that happened. You can read more detailed accounts of my break in my Journal of Extreme Emotions, though.


I seem to keep on rediscovering the fact that tv on the interweb is one of the greatest creations ever. I was FINALLY able to watch full episodes of Weeds, and I ended up watching the entire first season in a two day period [so really, maybe THAT's why i didn't get anything done on my senior project...]. I mean, i've always been interested in seeing the show, and it DEFINITELY didn't let me down. It was even more funny than I thought it would be [and also...they're only half hour episodes. for some reason i was under the impression it was an hour-long show]. AND they use AMAZING music which is always fantastic. It was...episode 8 i want to say...where ALL of the music was by The Mountain Goats. That excited me severely.

[I somewhat-recently saw them live at The Mad Hatter in Covington, Kentucky (it's an old converted 'gentlemen's club' if you must know...and it shows. it seems somewhat reminiscent of an X-Rated Bowling Alley). The following picture is courtesy of Kathee without her permission from her sketchbook documenting the entire concert in all its glory.

The concert ended with us talking to The Mountain Goats Bass player, Peter Peter Hughes [click for free downloads of some of his solo stuff, straight from the artist himself!], who I think we all kind of fell in Love with quite a bit. he was very attractive, and has amazing taste in vests. The opening band, the Bowerbirds, also had someone crush worthy. Mark, the violinist and sometimes drum player. He was very attractive and smarmy. couldn't ask for anything more. maybe quote of the night? "We're not here for a history lesson!"]

Anyway, Weeds uses some really awesome music. I'm excited to start season 2 when they have the guest artists perform the theme song.

Also during break I saw Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. I don't really pay too much attention to critics, but my brother had said that something he saw didn't give it very good reviews. I'm going to have to disagree severely. Granted, the storyline itself isn't anything too exciting or intense or brilliant. But Dustin Hoffman + Jason Bateman + Natalie Portman + Zach Mills made for a fantastic troupe of actors to watch. The movie was a LOT more funny than I thought it was going to be, and it had some incredibly clever writing. There were also a lot of references to other cultural happenings such as little indie bands and Monty Python and things of that nature, which was really exciting to pick up on, and made for some really funny moments if you DO pick up on them. It's also one of those movies that it pays to really pay attention to what is going on in individual frames of the movie. There is some fantastically humorous events that just happen in passing in the background of a lot of the scenes that really add a lot to the movie. So all in all- I really liked this movie, mostly just because of the fact that it was so incredibly entertaining. There's nothing all that deep or particularly amazing about it- it's just really fun to watch. So that's my two cents. howdy do.

and now, doing a transitional piece, is the rather svelte Jay Brannan of Shortbus acting fame and "Soda Shop" singing fame doing a duet with Terra Naomi in London.



I say transitional because now we move onto a whole lot of gay. okay, maybe just a little gay. From The Visible Vote 08 on LogoOnline.com:

GOP Candidates Put to the Gay Question

By: Jennifer Vanasco

When I first heard that Wednesday’s CNN/YouTube Republican debate will include at least one gay question, I was skeptical.

I thought - Well, whatever someone asks, we know the answers already. No gay marriage, no gays in the military, no, no, no, etc., etc., etc.

But then I learned what the question was.

Lynn Michaels, whose son Ryan Skipper was killed because he was gay, will ask the candidates how they will foster a climate of understanding and respect for gay and transgendered people.

It’s a good question And I wish they would answer honestly. Because really, Republican candidates, how DO you foster of culture and respect when you are against any laws that would make GLBTs equal in the eyes of the government - and therefore equal in the eyes of ordinary Americans?

I'm very interested to see what the results of this will be, and I hope that it receives more than just some kind of obligatory lip service. Also from the world o' gay-

College: Pet Insurance Yes, Gay Partner Insurance No
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

(Palm Beach, Florida) After rejecting a proposal earlier this year to provide health benefits to the same-sex domestic partners of its employees Palm Beach Community College has decided to offer workers insurance for their pets.

Anyone who works for the college would be able to enroll in the pet insurance plan, through Veterinary Pet Insurance. It would cost employees between $22 and $28 per month for dogs and $15 to $18 per month for cats.

The plan will come into effect on January 8.

LGBT civil rights group the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council called the decision an outrage coming just months after the college's Board of Trustees deadlocked on domestic partner benefits.

"While many pet owners consider their dogs and cats part of their families, there is a basic disconnect when an employer will insure an employee's pet but not an employee's partner," Deidre Newton, a PBCC alumnus who is now vice president of the human rights council, told the Sun-Sentinel.

Last August a proposal to provide domestic partner benefits died when the trustees deadlocked in a 2-2 vote.

Partner benefits would not cost the college any additional money. It pays only the premiums for employees. Under the current scheme workers pay the added premium for spouses or children. The domestic partner proposal would have mirrored that - making gay and lesbian employees responsible for paying the added premium costs.

When the board deadlocked the trustees asked staff to collect more information on the potential impact of the benefits and another vote is expected in 2008 to add the benefits the following year.

Still the human rights council says taking up pet insurance now was highly insensitive.

"The only distinction I can see is one covers human beings in committed relationships, and the other covers animals in committed relationships," said council president Rand Hoch.

A majority of the nation’s largest corporations, and a growing number of universities and colleges provide health insurance for domestic partners of employees.

This makes me really kind of sad. I mean, I love pets and all, but I think that people are pretty important too. This brings to mind that whole argument some people seem to have that allowing gay marriage is going to lead to legalized beastiality and animal-people weddings. Something that I will never understand. And I'm not even going to get into that. Surprisingly enough, Miami University has a decent partner-benefits policy from what I understand, which I really appreciate. The school was even sued by that one loser of a representative that we have saying that the policies went against the constitution. That also seemed incredibly ridiculous, and thankfully the Ohio Supreme Court thought so too. Some of those details might be a little off.

QOTD: Another quote from Tom, my boss [and it's from a long time ago]:

"You guys are going to wish you had hardhats...Tom is fucking crazy today!"

Third person AND swears. ahluvit.


And now, those mp3s!

• Jam Eater Blues [Live] - The Mountain Goats
• Living Room - Tegan and Sara
• Leading Man - The Long Goodbye [Michael Cera's Band!]

kthanksbye
brandon.m.c.