Hi Laura. About to go into Newsies!!

Carrie: This is how is starts

See this is how it starts for me....
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I saw Crazy, Just Like Me at the New York Musical Theater Festival.  I loved it.  In particular, I loved Andy Meintus.  He was great.
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Next up, he will be in Carrie, off Broadway.  So I will have to see that.
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And so on, and so on, and so on.
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I am going to see "Sons Of The Prophet" - not because of Joanna Gleason (Tony Award winning wonder actress), but because of Charles Socarides who I reviewed in a little show off Broadway (Letters To The End OF The World), and he was amazing. This is how I get sucked in.

Crazy, Just LIke Me Leads

(I thought to put their bios here...from last night's post).

Andrew Kober (Mike)

Andrew Kober is thrilled to return to NYMF after appearing in last year's Most Likely to Die and If It Only Even Runs a Minute. Previous credits include the original Shakespeare in the Park, Broadway, and West End revival casts of Hair (2009 Tony Award for Best Revival), and the First National Tour of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, as well as many readings, workshops, and concerts around New York City. He has also performed his solo show, Koberet, to sold-out crowds at Joe's Pub, (le) Poisson Rouge, and Feinstein's. You can see him in the second season of HBO's "Boardwalk Empire" and the upcoming short film, Chin Up. Thanks to Drew, Stephen, Farra, Bubsy, and Murray. Follow him on Twitter @andrewkober.   

 

Andy Mientus (Simon)

Andy Mientus is thrilled to return to NYMF after starring in last year's SHINE!(Outstanding Individual Performance Award) and Academy in Daegu, South Korea. Other credits include Spring Awakening (Original Touring Company, dir. Michael Mayer), Rent (Mark, Pioneer Theatre Company), February House (NYSF), and many NYC workshops including new work for Roundabout, MCC, the McCarter, and "Peter" in Bare. Film: Central Park Joker. Training from UofM. Next up: Carrie at MCC.

 

Lexie Papedo (Lauren)

Lexie Papedo is delighted to be a part of the cast of Crazy, Just Like Me! She was recently a part of the ensemble of American Conservatory Theater's World Premiere of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City. Papedo was also recently seen in Songs of the Dragons Flying to Heaven as White Person 1 at Crowded Fire Theatre Company and in In The Wound and Of The Earth (The Salt Plays) as Penelope with Shotgun Players in San Francisco. Other regional credits include Mira in Brendon Simon'sTorch, Shirley in Lady Be Good, Dora Bailey in Singing in the Rain, Erzulie in Once On This Island, Dionne in Hair, and Susan Dickenson in Wild Nights With Emily. Papedo is a graduate of UCLA's World Arts and Cultures Department with an emphasis on Acting and Playwriting, and is a proud member of Actors' Equity Association.

So everything is nice today....

So today is a great day.  Sunshine and butterflies. Constitutional Rights for all Americas are safe.  Yessiree.  Nothing going on today...  Nothing I am afraid to blog about... Nope everything is good...
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Will
Not
Let
Head
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...explode.

Crazy, Just Like Me at the NYMF

Yearly there is the New York Musical Theater Festival - which is an amazing showcase of new musicals.  These are new and a lot of them go nowhere.  But some are great.  It's hit or miss.
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Tonight was totally a hit.  I saw Crazy, Just Like Me.
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It is about 2 Best Friends - one of whom discovers he's gay as his roommate / best friend (who he has an unspoken crush on) falls in love and gets married to a girl.  It's a fun, sweet, nicely sung piece.
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I loved the guy who played Simon (the guy who comes out), and in searching for a picture online, I found out he started the first Fan Page for Spring Awaking - and then stared in the first touring company.  Wieird, but true story here.
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The girl is played by Lexie Papedo (from UCLA!!).  The Best Friend, Married guy is Andrew Kober who was in the revival of Hair in Central Park, Broadway and the West End on Broadway.
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It was a kick and really fun.  There are a few more shows, but seeing this show isn't really the point.  The point is there are so many amazing performers and artists that I am glad there are festivals like this to showcase them.

Floating House on Lake Huron

Apparently Lake Huron water levels rises and falls a fair amount.  I did not know this, but apparently so.  This house actually floats on the lake (it is on huge ass steel pylons that anchor it).  It is beautiful (but I can't even imagine how cold it must be in the winter. Link

I always thought these shoes would be soooo cool

I just someone wearing them.
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I was wrong.

Yankees & Rays

So, I have been to baseball games three times this year.  Once was at the Mets - and was rather forgettable.
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The other two games were at Yankee Stadium to see the Yankees play the Tamp Bay Rays.  Now, both the Yankees and Rays are in the playoffs.
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My 2cents.
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First, I liked Tamp Bay better when they were the TB Devil Rays - I think the TB Rays is a stupid change to placate the Christian Right (the new symbol is a Ray of Light), although they still have the picture of a Devil Ray on their uniform sleeve - and a tank of rays in the outfield - but whatever.
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I am rooting for the Yankees - because of course, a) I live in New York right now, and b) A-Rod and Jetter are a cutie 1 2 punch.
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But Sean Rodriguez is a hell of a cutie for Tampa Bay.  If they had a good-looking number two they would give the Yankees a run for their money.
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OMG - House built from 747

So so so cool.  In Malibu

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Get In Line Kids!

If you visited us in LA when we lived in Hancock Park, we probably dorve you buy the weird house with all the statues of David out front.
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Well, ladies and germs, it didn't sell right away, so he has dropped the price and decided to sell off the knick knacks separately.  Yes, kids.  That includes the Davids!!!  Sales in October - be there or be square.
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Sale Dates

Automation Funny

So you know those doors that lock, and you unlock from outside with your card key - and from the inside with the old "Press To Exit" button.
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My company used to have those, but they have changed to proximity doors on the exit side.  So as you get close, it automatically unlocks.  And they have removed the little "Press To Exit" buttons.
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So far so good.
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But our lights are remarkably similar in look to the "Press To Exit" buttons - and are unmarked.  So about once every few days, someone turns off all the lights, out of habit.  Luckily, I work in a office with glass windows all the way around, so it is no big deal.  But on a day like today, very overcast and about to rain, it is a big difference when the lights go off.
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Normally you are working, the lights go off..  Then there is the faint grumbling and the tinkling sound of someone making a very embarrassed comment "Sorry Everyone". It hasn't been me yet (I wasn't here with the buttons).

What the United States "Anti-Terrorism" Laws are really used for

In the name of terrorism, we passed laws to removed searches from constitutional protections.
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They are overwhelmingly NOT used for terrorism.  These are arrests from these types of searches.
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Look, I am not crazy person, but we have lost the ability to complain in any meaningful way in this country.
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People who merely linked a post to Wikileaks were detained for 9 - 12 hours for leaking state secrets (forget they were linking to public sites and newspaper).
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The government passes laws we accept in the name of fighting terrorism - that aren't used for terrorism at all.
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And, as the Wall Street protesters, Republican and Democratic Convention Protesters and other found out, protesting leads to arrests.  Arrests lead to an arrest record, which can be easily found  used to fire you and for future employers not to hire you.
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There is a front page story on how people around the world (including a lot of young people in our country) no longer believe that voting is an effective way to register views or effect change.
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Given the results of Obama's "huge" win, and the subsequent escalation in Afghanistan, increase of terror laws and shielding of the previous administration, can you blame people for thinking that voting is a sucker's game.
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And yes, I know I sound like a dumb kid, because nothing will change. And I will personally continue to work to make money and keep my family safe.
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But it is sad.

Di'Ja'Eva Wonder?

Andy Rooner - America's Cranky old Uncle from the Attic, ends his last regularly scheduled 60 Minutes segment on Sunday.  My best guess is that he ends using a broom handle to hit the ceiling and yell "Keep It Down, Up There!"

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Ed is happy - Andy's Eyebrows creep him out.

Say it ain't so, Joe.

(from Salon - cuz it's funny)
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There are certain culinary boundaries you just don't mess with -- beloved foods that are not just synonymous with their native lands, but a source of deep local love and pride. You don't kvetch to New Yorkers about the carbs in bagels. You don’t chide Napa Valley residents about the benefits of teetotaling. And you will pry the cheddar out of Wisconsin's cold, dead, non-beer holding hands. 

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is trying to do just that.

Led by Neal D. Barnard, the nonprofit PCRM shares similar goals with PETA: the promotion of veganism for the benefit of both health and animal rights. And lately, it's had something else in common with it --attention-getting stunts. Where better to pick a fight than the heart of dairy country, with a big billboard near Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers, featuring a cheesehead grim reaper. The sign warns football fans that "Cheese can sack your health. Fat. Cholesterol. Sodium." Don't forget deliciousness!

Cheese, of course, is to Wisconsin what suicide-inducing rain is to Seattle: a way of life. So it's unlikely that too many Packers fans driving Route 41 this weekend to watch the Super Bowl champions do their thing will screech to a halt in the road and declare, "Maybe I'll just have a Miller and some soy feta today." What the PCRM is shrewdly banking on here is the power of  location. By defiantly taking its case to the heart of dairy country with an in-your-face, "cheese kills" message, the organization knows it's sure to rile up controversy -- and spark conversation.

For Laura and Eddie

Newsies opened in a very odd place.  The show opened Sunday in New Jersey at the Papermill Playhouse.  It is a venue way out of the way.  I haven't ever been, so I can't comment on the place.

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Much like the movie, Disney is kind of dumping it here - but it will take on it's own life.
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It is due to run for 4 weeks - and can't run much longer than that with this cast, since the lead spends his days working on Bonnie and Clyde on Broadway, where he is set to star right after this show.
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So Harvey Firestein (who adapted La Cage aux Folles for the stage) made some tweaks.  The love interest is now a NewsPaper woman (kind of melding the Bill Pullman / Poor sister characters into 1 - and beefing it up). And - surprise to no one, it got good reviews and got people off guard.
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Jeremy Jordan as Jack

The new Jack (Jeremy Jordan) is cute and can sing - but he is no Christine Bale with a horrible New Yawk accident.

Christian Bale as Jack

Cubicles are a bad idea when....

I don't like being in a cubicle when my sinuses are draining.  It's kind of disgusting.
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Also, don't put "draining sinuses" into google and search for a picture to go with a post.  That gets some vile pictures.
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Don't do it!

New Landmarks Contest at Travel and Leisure

There is a contest of very cool new Landmarks around the world.  You can vote, but even better is you get to check them out. (link)
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I voted for the High Line - but I love this 57th floor public pool in Singapore.

Nice to know we don't have the ONLY dysfunctional legislature

So I was about to say....

So, I was about to say that, I think it is odd that when people visit other offices they bring sweets from their homeland.  I mean, really!  Who does that, and do they think i really want candy from Argentina?
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But then I had a couple of these babies - and I think instead.. Thank you Gonzalo!

Without going into it TO much

I was questioned on a post with, like, 30 other people in (honestly) Bangalore (India), Minsk (Belorus), New York, Boston, London and San Francisco.
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When I was added to the email thread, it was already approximately 6 messages long.  It said (essentially) systems A & B need to match and the wording that is a little off between them (including the difference of the word International vs. Inter'nl) Should we change A to match B or B to match A.
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I do have a little knowledge and so I said, "System B can only handle messages of 30 characters, since System A uses longer messages, we should change System A to match B".
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A response quickly came back that System A cannot change.  Okay, this begs the point of why ask a question if you know the answer....but ..whatever....  The System A folks quickly say we should change System B.
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The system B folks just as quickly pipe up and say that "System B feeds other systems that can't change - so System B can't change."
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We are now at about 25 messages from various people, copied to many other people around the world.  After asking what to do, they have agreed they can't do either option. Mails are forwarded.  CAPS ARE USED.  Exclamation points!! run riot!! #cantimplement
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I suggest maybe we have a little program that "translates" the words in system A to system B.
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Brilliant!
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And that is why, ladies and germs, I get the big bucks.

Team Mascots that should be...

So in looking at South Dakota State, the jackrabbits, I realized that, if they really want a mascot, they should change to the South Dakota Jackalopes.  Now that would be cool.

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Also we saw Eastern Michigan play on TV (they played Penn State) and they are the EMU Eagles.  Well that is just stupid.  They should clearly be the EMU Emus!   Duh!

We Won!

It may only be the Beavers, but it is a win.  And it is the first time we have won a conference opener in 4 years (although it is not a league opener, but why quibble).
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So, good for Rick Neuheisel. So far so good.  (Stanford comes to Pasadena next week - wha whaaa).

Saw "Week-end" this week-end

I don't like titles like this.  The movie we went to see this week-end was actually titled "Week-End".  (which is like the bar named "Here" - I hate those cutsie names...).
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Any-who, I did really really like the move.
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It is all about two guys meeting, talking, hanging out (and having sex) over the course of the week-end.  It is very non-traditional in that it is much more along the lines of an American Independent move, instead of a "gay" movie.
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It's kind of odd, because Glen (the guy above on the right) is doing a project where he records people after having sex. And he says, "Straight people won't come because the idea of gay sex freaks them out, and gay people won't come because there aren't pictures of penis (although he uses a more direct word)".  That problem kind of sums up the movie.  I don't think straight people will come because it has gay sex, but the gays won't come because the sex isn't particularly graphic, nor are the boys particularly hot.
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What it is though, is a totally real feel of two people making a connection, almost against their own sterotypes of what a relationship should be.  The ending is ambiguous and not pat at all.
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I liked it quite a bit, although it is talky talky talky, and starts a little slow.
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After the show, the writer / editor / director had a Q&A session that was interesting.  He understands the limits of the movie, but specifically set out to make a movie that speaks to people like him -and most gay movies don't.  They either make the gays victims or saints.  It is set in kind of "generic" England outside of London - but it was actually filmed in Nottingham (as in Sheriff of).
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Funny aside, the writer / director (Andrew Haight) describes his first crush in the picture.  Yep - Rupert Graves in Room With a View.

So some good international news

Just thought I would bring up a little good international news I saw today.
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First off is Zambia.
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10 years ago when Ed, Lynn and I went to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe was the country you stayed at to see the falls and animals.  Zambia, across the river, was a little dicey.  Eddie and I walked over the bridge (for passport stamps :-), but you really didn't go.
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Well, in the interviening 10 years, Zimbabwe has been beset by a horrible government gone corrupt - and Zambia has become more and more a country of laws.
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This year, after 20 years of rule by one party, there was an election in Zambia.  The governing party lost.  But the amazing part is that there was an orderly change of government - and the losers left.  It doesn't sound like much to us in America, but it is a big deal in Africa.
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The second news is more in the line of don't believe what you hear.
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Turkey is a democratic country, and it's civilian government is acting in ways that annoy Israel and her unquestioning supporters in the United States.  They have downgraded relations with Israel after the attack on the freighter trying to break the blockade of Gaza.  The Israeli military killed 7 Turkish citizens, plus an American of Turkish descent.  Turkey wants an apology from Israel (since the all investigations, including the Israeli one - said there was excessive use of force).  Israel said no, and relations have gone south.
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Well, this has to do with Turkey and Syria.  Turkey is appalled by the Syrian government's attack on their own citizens.  They have not only broke off diplomatic relations with Syria but have imposed a naval blockade to prevent arms being delivered, since they are being used to kill civilians.  Turkey just stopped a second shipment of small arms from Iran to Syria.  Good for them.

Random photos

I was moving off my pictures from my iPhone and I saw these random pics.  Click to Expand if you like....
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 So these were what it looked like 12 hours before the hurricane, during the hurricane and the next morning.

The evening before.

During

Almost done

Next Morning

Last week-end we bumbled around Dumbo and saw some sights.

"Artsy" Wedding photographer

Cool picture of Gehry's New Skyscraper

From Madison

Suzanne, Eddie, Perron and Perron's Nephew, Wesley

Pronunciation guides should not be incomprehensible

Pronunciation guides should not be incomprehensible
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I mean really, if you publish the pronunciation guide to this word in the way Wikipedia does - you should be shot.
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Epistemology ⁱ/ɨˌpɪstɨˈmɒlədʒi/ (from Greek ἐπιστήμη (epistēmē), meaning "knowledge, science", and λόγος (logos), meaning "study of") 
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What is that?!  That guide to pronunciation is just silly.  If you don't know how to pronunce the word - that will certainly not help.
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This isn't even English
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lower case i with a dash through it? ɨ
alpha character? ɒ
upside down e? ə
zed?  Is that a zed? ʒ
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I wonder how the Big 10 will do this week-end...

This is a big time conference and they play big time opponents.
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This week the Big 10 Teams play, (drum roll please) ... San Diego State, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, Louisiana-Monroe, North Texas, Wyoming and Colorado.
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I would make a lot of fun - except my team sucks and we barely beat San Jose State.
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Although, I gotta say, I LOVE the Jack Rabbits logo. Didn't they used to be the Fightin' Sioux?

I totally love the Blue and Gold Bunny!

UPDATE:


Oh Dang it!  Wisconsin is playing South Dakota Coyotes, NOT the Jack Rabbits.  But I am not changing out the picture, because I think the Jack Rabbits are my new favorite!

Apparently Republicans love soldiers - unless they are gay

So, there was another Republican Debate last night.  In case you missed it, this is Army Solider Stephen Hill - who volunteered to go to Iraq.  He is gay and he had to lie to serve his country. He asked if the candidates would "do anything to circumvent the progress that's been made for gay and lesbian soldiers".
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Well that brought on loud Boo's from the audience.
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Really.  Damn, Republicans hate fags!  I mean when you boo a solider who is risking his life - because he doesn't lie anymore - you have some weird ass priorities.
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So, to recap;
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- Republicans cheer when a governor has more executions that any other state. (Debate 2)
- Republicans cheer the idea of a 30 year old without insurance being left to die (Debate 3)
- Republicans boo a solider because he is gay and wants to serve his country (Debate 4)
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Republicans are not evil, but they are sure given themselves some bad press.
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FYI: A Note: I am not "All Gay, All The Time".  That is neither how I feel about myself, nor how I present myself.  But Nincompoopery does give me a chance to vent a little.  So rather than take my annoyance out on the street - or my honey - I tend to let it blow off here. And, if Republicans Candidates would just shut up about what pieces of dirt we are,. then we could all move on.

Inside the Beltway Talk re: PAC 12 & Expansion

Totally not for the uninitiated, I understand.  But for those that get it.
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I LOVE the fact that the PAC 12 told Texas to pound sand if it wants to keep the Longhorn Network.  Texas essentially caused the latest shuffle, first driving out Nebraska and Colorado as it tried to grab more revenue - then driving out Texas A&M with the revenue split and their own network.
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So, when the Austin papers published, in Texas, the terms that they would come to the PAC12, our PAC 12 commissioner told Texas - thanks, but Not So Fast. The PAC 8, PAC 10 and PAC 12 have always split evenly.  Always.
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We will change that when Bevo flies and farts gold dust.
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I'm not saying Texas won't join.  They may easily join - or we might just go with the Oklahoma schools.  But I do like that our commissioner says we don't have to go with anything.  We are fine right now if everyone doesn't want to share and play nice.

One thing I find just vile, at least here in New York

I am positive it is a combination of proximity & density (too many idle young men floating between the Papaya Dog, the $0.99 Pizza and the Port Authority) and a hip hop culture that sees no problem is calling women bitches and whores (ho's) and lack of someone to smack them leads to behavior that is one of the truly vile things about living in New York.  The way men - and not just young men - in this city anonymously speak at women is .. well it's past disgusting.
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Of course the situation feeds itself with women on TV screaming at women and calling them names that I am offended by.  And, when I have seen women interviewed about this, they seem alright with other women being called bitches - because they aren't the bitches - they other bitch is.
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What?
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My father had a lot of bad habits, but more than once when I was growing up he would step in a admonish a youth who he caught cat-calling someone.  But those days are long past - at least in New York.  Groups of men, often with a few women hanging out with them, will hoot and proposition women in the most disgusting ways possible.  Graphically, loudly and often.
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Sure, in the old days there were jokes, always with guys at construction sites whistling at women.  But these guys are just on the street, inches away from women using language that is just offensive.  And they aren't ashamed of their behavior.  When I was dating girls in LA, this was one of the things you had to confront - but it has gotten so prevalent in New York confronting it would be a full time job, and dangerous to your health.
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And it happens right in front of the police, who ignore the obvious discomfort of the women most times.
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I occasionally hate this city.

Dentist this afternoon. Yankees tonight

UN Week in NYC

It's UN Week in New York.  We are marginally affected only because we don't drive here.  However, walking Trevor a little earlier than usual today (we both got up a little early), I saw lots and lots of diplomatic rides.
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There were a couple of Suburbans with Diplomatic plates, which a couple of different  black gentlemen from our condo got into.  And the basic Lincoln Continental limos.  That wasn't surprising, but what I want to know is who has the Audi A8.
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This morning there was a beautiful black Audi A8, waiting out front.  And the driver was snappy as hell. A good looking young man - very youthful model-ish, in a pinstripe suit, waiting outside the car to open the door. That is pretty rare for your limo drivers in New York - so I want to know who the passenger was.  But no matter how longer Trevor and I lingered, we didn't see the passenger.  Once we crossed the street, the trunk popped and the pinstripe guy put a small rolly in the truck, but I couldn't see the passenger.
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Someone in our building has pull extraordinaire!

Howard? No - How Odd

Burton Lane and Alan Jay Lerner’s On a Clear Day You Can See Forever has generally been regarded as a problem musical since its debut on Broadway in 1965. This opinion may change with the “reconceived” version directed by Michael Mayer. The “revisal” of On a Clear Day enhances the score with Lane’s music from the 1970 movie adaptation (which starred Barbra Streisand) and the 1951 movieRoyal Wedding, and it introduces a new book by playwright Peter Parnell. Harry Connick Jr. (who starred in the 2006 revival of The Pajama Game) plays a psychiatrist who is helping a patient to quit smoking through hypnosis. In this version’s significant gender-bending change, the patient is now a young gay man who regresses under treatment into a past life as a female jazz singer from the 1940s.
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Now the weird part.  Harry falls in love with Melinda - the female jazz singer alter ego of the gay lead...

Touchable Street Art in NYC

Around Astor Place in New York is touchable street art.  In fact "touchable" might be too loose a definition.  It is "please touch" street art.  It is designed to get city inhabitants more involved tactically with the street in a positive way.  It's kind-o-fun.
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It's called "Urban Cacti".