Sportstainment, among other things.

Note: I have chosen a suggestion from the previous post and will be posting my mix in the coming week. I hope to make this a regular feature here at the Outré Lounge, so don't worry if I don't pick yours this time around, there will be more opportunities. And if you didn't suggest anything, you vouyeristic creep, start thinking of one for next time.

This past weekend, Adam and I attended a Harlem Globetrotters game because we are winners! You can read all about how we won this glorious prize in Adam's blog. I say "we" won the tickets even though "they" chose Adam's name out of the bucket because Adam wouldn't have won anything if I hadn't invited him to the free beer party. Okay, sure, fine, I'm justifying my winner status in life through Harlem Globetrotters tickets.

So, right, the game. "The Game".

It was an intense game, good thing there was beer to calm my nerves. On the subject of beer, way to go Hartford Civic Center for having a wide selection of beer. I appreciate your concern for me, a worldly-wise beer drinking snob. Your beer selection is the best thing Connecticut has going for it.

As I said, the game was intense...Adam can't stop biting his nails he's so nervous about who is going to win the game:

The Harlem Globetrotters who have named themselves the True Ambassadors of Goodwill or somesuch have been around for 80 years. They are currently on their Unstoppable Tour which sounds like the latest Britney Spears tour, if she were still culturally relevant. And speaking of culturally relevant, is the "bump" hairstyle still culturally relevant:

So not only are those Globetrotters stellar athletes, they're comedians too! They stole a ladies purse then made Whitey on the other team run around playing basketball with it! They also know how to dance in unison to Kanye West songs: Athletes, ambassadors of goodwill, comedians, AND boys with rhythm!

They also had a weird, dancing Globie the Inflatable Dancing Globetrotter mascot, which simultaneously thrilled, entertained, and headbutted:
Too much beer obviously had effect on my photography skillz. This photo came out upside-down!

SO IN CONCLUSION, the Globetrotters won the game and Adam and I spent too much money on beer. El Fin.

Other points of interest to me and nobody else:
I am not religious at all, nor am I Catholic and thus not required to sacrifice a comfort of my life to symbolize something that Mr. Jesus suffered through in those old timey years, however, I have decided that I'm going to be a vegetarian (for real this time) under the guise of Lent. Its a relatively short term commitment this way and if I choose, I can stick with it beyond Easter or whenever the sacrificial time ends.

And in honor of being a true blue vegetarian again, I would like to share with you all, my deeeelicious recipe for Veggie Chili:

1 small zucchini, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 big carrot or a few baby carrots, chopped
1/4 cup of frozen corn
1 big can of diced tomatoes
3 small cans of tomato juice
1 can of kidney beans (don't drain)
1 clove of chopped garlic (small teaspoon of minced garlic is okay)
oregano
basil
chili powder
salt
pepper
garlic salt
paprika
cumin

Sauteé the celery, carrots, onions, and garlic in olive oil. While they're cooking, chop up your peppers and throw those in the pot too. Add the can of kidney beans in their beany juice, corn, zucchini, and the diced tomatoes in their juice to the mix. Stir it up. Add one can of tomato juice at a time, letting the mixture cook a bit between adding cans of tomato juice. Add a smidge of oregano, basil, salt pepper, garlic salt, paprika, and cumin. Add the chili powder to your desired chili flavor. Stir and bring to a boil. Once its boiling, turn the heat down and simmer uncovered for at least 20 minutes or to your desired thickness(I usually let simmer for about 40ish, the longer it cooks the more the flavors mesh together.). Let cool and serve with your preferred cheese (I was born in Wisconsin, so I prefer cheddar). Add chopped green onions and/or sour cream if you like. Yummy!

This freezes really well, so make extra and throw it in the freezer.

Man, that gets me so hot.
I attended a business luncheon that would make anyone who knew me in college laugh because I always said how lame business luncheons were. But I love them now because I get out of work free, free food, learning, AND networking! Today's Tourism Tuesday was about marketing research in the Berk-sheers. In related news, we have a big important meeting with our Board of Directors at work this week, so I've been preparing bar graphs and pie charts, and other statistically oriented information which I haven't had an opportunity to do since that Head Count project for the Student Center in my glorious, youthful college days. But man, I can't even tell you how much I love putting stats and charts and graphs together. LOVE IT. I'm in it for the analysis. Please don't tell my creatively-minded self that I secrely adore bar graphs and pie charts. And now that I've revealed my inner nerd...

Leavitt out.

The Outré Lounge goes interactive.

Okay friends, strangers, readers. I'm starting a new project. And little did you know that when you came to the Outré Lounge today that you'd get to participate in fun, interactive blogging!

Making mix CDs is fun, but I need to be challenged. Much like ExplodingDog.com except with music instead of words, you- yes!- YOU!, will leave a comment or email me or IM me or send me secret messages written in lemon juice which I will then iron to reveal your secret message a thought, idea, feeling, story, anything. And then I will make a mix using your suggestion and post it here in internetland. I will even upload this mix to the intraweb where you can then download it and pop it into your iTunes or for the 30% of mp3 owners who bought a not iPod- you can pop it into...whatever you use. See! You get something out of it too!

If you would prefer to post your suggestion anonymously, please do.

Its like Tiny Mix Tapes, except, you know, you'll actually be able to download the mix for real and uhhhhh...it came from me and not....someone else.

I'm taking suggestions until Monday, February 27 and then I'll choose someone's suggestion. Maybe it will be yours. Maybe it will be my granny's suggestion.

HA! You didn't really think my granny read this page did you?

Let's go to the movies!

The Washington Post have given their suggestions on how to throw an Oscar themed party for this year's festivities. Basically, its a how to of dressing like the main characters from the movie and what to drink. I was put off by their suggestion that to dress like Johnny Cash in Walk the Line, you should look like Johnny Depp impersonating Andy Warhol dressed like Neo from the Matrix. The Washington Post has their movies mixed up- gay cowboys are in Brokeback Mountain, not Walk the Line.

What my gay cowboy party would be like:
1. Disco mirror ball.
2. Madonna's The Immaculate Collection and that ABBA/disco junk she's all about these days.
3. Lassos.
4. Cowboy shirts in a print with cowboy boots. That shirt is more Midwestern Suburban Mom than gay cowboy. (And I don't care how allegedly gay you are, cowboys drink beer.)

Were I to throw an Oscar Party, I'd probably go with a Springtime for Hitler theme- I mean, Munich.

Not about art, or is it?

The subject of copyright laws, specifically as they pertain to the following: artists, visual art, the internet, and Creative Commons license has been on my mind of late as I have been thinking of getting another tattoo. Undoubtedly, the internet has given us the ability to access the world at large. The internet capabilities for social networking, marketing, and buying/selling goods and services have made some great strides for artists, musicians, etc. And this is merely the surface of the internet's capabilities. Technology has made it possible for musicians, visual artists, and writers to make a name for themselves internationally when they may have only been able to reach to a geographically local audience before.

Hypothetical: An artist uploads images of her work onto her personal website. Now that this artist has put her work into a public forum, does this mean her work is up for grabs? What is the moral framework for someone else to download this artist's work, print it out and make and sell t-shirts of her work?

Does the intention of the downloader alter the ethical compass? For example, if I want to get a tattoo of Artist X's painting he has put into the public domain on his website, is that acceptable without asking permission first? Perhaps I really admire this artist and want to immortalize their work on my body- am I within grounds to do so without asking permission?

Sure, artsists could choose not to showcase any of their work online, but in the current framework of culture, many artists can not afford to not have even a small portfolio of their work online.

From an artists' perspective, allowing strangers to take artwork (even on a personal website) and permanently engrave it into their skin without permission could potentially take away the artistic merit, intention, and artist's personal statement.

While many tattoo artists specialize in recreating artwork, there is still room for reinterpretation and error. When situations like this occur, is it the tattoo artist's responsibility to not do the tattoo or do their loyalties lie with their client and making their customer happy? If a piece has a copyright mark on the work itself, does the tattoo artist have an obligation to deny the customer's request and honor the original artist's copyright?

Especially within the visual arts, anyone with the knowledge can take someone else's photo, manipulate it, and call it their own without ever seeking permission from the orginal photographer. In an academic realm, one would consider this plagarism. Depending on the artistic context, this could be considered artistic statement. For example, the dialogue that occured in the 80s with the revolution of computers in a graphic context focused largely on this: If I take a photo of the Mona Lisa and manipulate it and make an entirely different work of art, am I stealing?

The internet's greatest asset and hinderance is anonymity: we can be whomever we choose, we can project ourselves in whatever light we decide. Ultimately, there is no punishment for stealing another's work online. I won't be thrown out of university, I won't be fired from my job for lifting a photo from a photographer's website. Unless the work being stolen is used for personal profit, what retribution can an artist seek?

Tangentially, where is the line between a person taking your work and using it on their website or in some other internet context and viewing this as publicity for an artist's work?

While program such as iTunes have attempted to mainstream downloading of music in line with copyright laws, the beauty of programs such as Napster (when it was free), Limewire, etc. have reframed music as a stream of information, as an artistic expression and not a financial commodity. At the very core, this is why the RIAA is fighting against illegal downloading and not artists (except Lars Ulrich and he hasn't been culturally relevant in at least a decade...).

So why are musicians more in favor "illegal" distribution of their music, whereas visual artists are much likelier to oppose illegal distribution of their work? One notion is that musicians stand to gain more from their live performances, merchandise, and even though their music may be illegaly distributed- ultimately, they still receive credit for their work in that the users know who created the work and in many cases, the musician's name still appears on the file. For artists who rely upon their art as a source of income, someone taking their work without permission rarely gives them the credit and when the art IS the merchandise being sold, you are no longer making money for your work.

And then there's the entire issue of creative commons. Briefly, creative commons allows ANYONE to distribute their work for noncommercial purposes with the understanding that others may share the work for free without any risk of being sued. For example, writers can share the text of their novel, but sell the print copies. Creative commons actually protects the audience more than the artists. Why would anyone share their work under a creative commons license? Some see it as a way to maintain art as shared information not a capitalistic venture for others outside of the artist to gain financially. Some artists have actually been quite financially successful with their use of creative commons. Initially, Wilco released their album, Yankee Hotel Fox Trot under a creative commons license when their record label refused to distribute the album. When the album became popular, a label decided to distribute it and the record become one of their most popular. The issue of creative commons is a complex one, one that is especially hard for one to wrap their head around having been raised in a capitalistic society. How can giving your work away for free be profitable?

That being said, if you didn't stand to gain financially from your artistic work, would you consider distributing under a creative commons license? Is this a way to help get your name out there as a writer, a poet, a musician? Again the fine line of sharing work on the internet and publicity comes into play. With creative commons though, it seems that the integrity of the artist's work is preserved as the work can only be reproduced exactly.

A few summary thoughts: Once an artist has released his or her work into the public domain (internet or otherwise), that the work is no longer their own? Do artists who do not care about the sharing or copyrights of their work hurt other artists who do take great care to copyright their own work? If a person takes an artists work from the internet and reuses it (but not for financial gain), is this still within the limits of copyrights AND how does this fit within a moral framework? With the vastness of the internet, how would an organization police the use and re-use of other's art work? Will we ever get to a point where it will be possible and/or necessary to police the free flow on information on the internet or is it happening already?

And now, tips on naming your pets, with Jen:

1. Human names are always acceptable. People personify their pets. Why not give your pet a person's name? Try to avoid naming your pet after somebody your know, like your Great Aunt Mildred or your Uncle Nancy. Try names like Barry, Norman, and Steve.

2. Names of food are cute when your pet is a baby, but are you really going to be comfortable calling your kitty, Kitten Burrito, or your puppy, Tuna, forever?

3. Racial slurs are generally not very cute. Jewie the kitty, I'm looking at you. Jewie, one day you'll grow up and you'll have to be an accoutant because of your "heritage". Blame it on your human parents.

4. Mr. or Mrs. anything is fucking funny and I don't care what anybody says. A dog named Mr. Wiggles? A hamster named Mrs. Noodles? Hilarious.

5. When all else fails, name your pet after a random object in the room. Examples: Ball, Lamp, Panasonic 2-in-1 Combination DVD and VCR.

6. Movie and literary characters and musical references are always a good option. My fighting beta fish was named Mugatu. Frankenstein, Lloyd Dobler, and Sting (not Stung and not Stinging, but Sting) would all make excellent names for your animal friend.

7. If your animal has a distinguishing trait, you can always go that route. One eye, the pirate puppy or Sir Diddles-a-Lot would be nice names.

8. And for the love of Pete, don't name your animal, Fffffffffffffffffff! That's a terrible name. (Thanks Jeffrey!)

History Nerd.

My friend of two years exactly (no more and no less to the very day), Adam, informed me that he must work on Monday, President's Day. And to this I say,

"You have to work on President’s Day? Didn’t you know that is the day we should all spend thinking about our favorite Presidents and writing poems about Presidents and making arts and crafts projects about Presidents and watching movies about Presidents and drinking El Presidente margaritas at Chilis??? Why do you hate Ohmerica?"

THAT is how I will be celebrating President's Day. Does anybody in Illinois remember the days when we used to observe Washington's birthday and Lincoln's birthday as two separate days and thus TWO days off from school? When did that switch happen? Why did Illinois stop loving Mr. Lincoln so hard? I know there's a new museum for our 16th President in Springfield (IL), but the people deserve an entire day to celebrate a President, who unlike our current President, did love black people. Real hard.

And am I the only one who finds Mr. Lincoln incredibly sexy? His good looks match his wit, but that goes without saying, really.

A note to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts:
Please consider observing Count General Casimir Pulaski Day (the first Monday in March). If you love the man enough to erect a statue of him on Main Street in Northampton, please be kind and honor him with his own day which I will spend listening to Casimir Pulaski Day by Sufjan Stevens and holding a candlelight vigil by his statue. Perhaps Sufjan himself will show and sing that song! (Okay, that last part is idealistic dreaming- I really want to love Sufjan long time.)

He is a true American hero, even if he was Polish and fought in the Revolutionary War because he hated France and was not actually an American, but really, who was American back then? Nobody, that's who. And France? When has anybody liked them? Never, that's when.

How is it possible that you, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, can have the World's Largest Pancake Breakfast Festival, but nary a day for Casimir Pulaski? Why do you hate Ohmerica?

This town in Georgia is showing us up- they have an entire parde for the dude. And quite frankly, its embarasssing that we can't show a little more pride for our Revolutionary War heroes.

Love Letters/Dear John Letters

Dear Weather,

Please stay warm like this until summer. Or forever. Sixty degrees in February makes me happy.

Warmly,
Jen

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Dear Lady Who Is Sitting Outside My Office,

Stop staring at me. You're creeping me out. Read a magazine. You should know you're making yourself fodder for future performance art. Boy, won't that give you reasons to be in therapy!

Paranoid,
Jen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Makeout Couple at the Electric Six Show the Other Night,

You make me uncomfortable. I know it was Valentine's Day, but if you're not there for the rocking and rolling, then go home and listen to a CD and makeout there.

Uncomfortably,
Jen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Electric Six,

You guys rock. I am glad you played my jam, Synthesizer. I wish you could have played it ten times. Your dance moves are the best too! Please consider getting new opening bands.

You can trip on my synthesizer,
Jen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Boy Who Works in the Pharmacy,

You should have asked me out while you were flirting with me last night. Last night I dreamt about us holding hands and frollicking in a field of posies and then spinning in circles and falling down. I've got a fever, and the only prescription is you!

I secretly love you,
Jen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Daniel Vosovic,

I adore you. I hope you win Project Runway. I hate Santino and his ugly dresses too. I don't even care if you have become a bitchy little McBitch and sold Chloe out (she sold herself out really). Let's be friends!

Can't wait to see your final collection!
Jen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Roller Skating Rink + Yucky Octopus,

I cannot wait to skate with you tonight. Thank you for thinking of this genius idea of bring live music and roller skating together. I am overwhelmingly excited to bust out my rollerskates tonight.

Love,
Jen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Coworker,

I disagree with your assesment that I am dressed like a Bay City Bomber roller derby girl today, however I do find that oddly appropriate considering my calendar this evening. Have you been spying on me?

Your Coworker,
Jen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Construction Guys,

Thanks for letting me wearing a green hardhat, not shamelessly flirting with me even though you're old men, and giving me a tour of my significantly larger office while I was at the theater today. It makes me feel like I'm part of the team! Like I'm helping demolish and rebuild this historic theater! Like I took a sledgehammer to the wall! Like I found that dead body in the basement! Please clean up my office when you're done demolishing everything.

High fives to you,
Jen

P.S. I like that your nickname for me is Gracie.
P.S.S. Thanks for getting that pink hardhat for me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Napkin & Duck,

Stop scooting your bum in your own poo. I don't want to be obsessed with your bum or your poo. Also, please stop eating so much you puke kitty food on the floor. Bulimia is not the way to make me to love you harder. Helping me recreate the opening scene from the Lion King while I am intoxicated is the way to make me love you harder.

Your roommate,
Jen

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Dear Dick Cheney,

Stop shooting people in the heart.
A fearful citizen,
Jen

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Dear DeGrassi Junior High,

Thank you for teaching me that I CAN get knocked up the first time I do it. That I should not listen to my friends who say that you can't get a baby inside you the first time.

I would be preggers without you,
Jen

P.S. The Zit Remedy is the best name for a band, don't you think?

Happy VD Day.

I feel that I should tell you that I don't actually think you are destined to die alone heavy with the tang of cat wee (except Jeffrey who currently lives in an apartment heavy with the tang of cat wee...love you Simone!). But "the tang of cat wee" makes me laugh. That being said, I think Ice T and Richard Belzer express my love for you more accurately:

The Nor'Easter of 1883.

In the Midwest we call them blizzards. New England is a fickle lady who refuses to take shit from anybody, so here we call them Nor'Easters. We're raging against the 'th'.

On the one hand, this means I can sit in my pjs and drink coffee with Bailey's, read books, watch movies, knit some rectangles, paint, make a snow fort, and have dance parties to this amazing record which I purchased at my favorite, Night Owl, yesterday:

Unfortunately, this means I won't be finishing my list of things to accomplish this weekend. Sure, I could have done them yesterday, but we all know that Saturdays are for fun and carefree and lackadasical times. Sundays are the lima beans I push around on my plate and hope my mum won't notice the green mush I haven't eaten. Lima beans are disgusting.

Books on my bookshelf I have yet to read but will likely start during this epic Nor'Easter:

• Killing Yourself to Live: 85% a True Story, Chuck Klosterman.
• Fierce Invalids From Hot Climates, Tom Robbins.
• The Andy Warhol Diaries, Andy Warhol.
• How We Are Hungry, David Eggers.
• Glamourama, Bret Easton Ellis.
• Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
• The Botany of Desire: A Plant's Eye View of the World, Michael Pollan.
• Hey Nostradamus!, Douglas Coupland.
• Atonement, Ian McEwan.
• Urban Tribes, Ethan Watters.
• The History of Hip, John Leland.

Well shit, it looks like I need to start reading.

Mewmew. Thanks for helping make my little lemur a winner.

My day in the Modern Art wing of the Met, etc.

While in New York for the APAP conference a few weeks ago, I had a lovely free day to myself. I decided to head to the Met as I wanted to check out the Rara Avis, the Iris Barrel Apfel special fashion exhibit. She is a fashion icon, to say the very least. Her husband was a giant in the textile industry and they travelled around the world. She was a pioneer of crossing couture fashion with thrifty finds- and with a sense of style that is inspirational. I spent the morning there, lunched in Central Park (it was an unseasonably warm and beautiful January day!) and then spent the afternoon in the modern art wing.

The Met is a monstrous complex; one could spend weeks exploring and still never see everything. My time was limited so I chugged through the Egyptian mummies quickly on the way to the modern art wing.

I really love New York. Its the sort of place where a person really has to go out there and make things happen for themselves. A city with endless possibilities.

Laundry list of things that improved my day, this the eighth day in the second month in the year of our lord, two thousand and six:

• Brokeback to the Future
• Construction paper, scissors, and glue
• An email from a friend using old-timey, secret agent talk
• The phrase "old-timey"
• Snuggle time with Napkin while we guffawed at Project Runway
• The girl in step aerobics class wearing a Chile's shirt listing 14 kinds of margaritas
• Step aerobics with old ladies
• Finishing 3 mixes I've been working on for 3 lovely people
• The return of Mark Hoppus' podcast (Fuck yeah 2006 bitches! 2005 can suck a $)*&$%!!)
• Waking up with the smell of fresh tulips in my nose
• Mr. Benjamin Gibbard looking all adorable at the Grammys

Non Sequitur: Starf*cker

Aidan, I know you liked staying at your cabin in the country which only further drove a wedge between you and Carrie, but dressing like Jesus and calling yourself a country singer?

Carrie and the girls would not approve.









This is the best and most credible story (with real quotes and everything!) regarding that whole JT Leroy debacle.

Gedanken sind frei.

"Can’t repeat the past?…Why of course you can!" — The Great Gatsby

We drove around the brownish-greyish months long depression known as Winter, getting high night after night, drinking ourselves stupid. I rest my forehead against the chilly Honda's window watching as the gravel road disappears beneath us. Mile after mile, I felt myself so uncertain of all the promises made; I wanted to jump out of that car in the cold February night, I wanted to tell you that we didn't need any of this: the shots of whiskey, the drugs, the music that kept us glued in those toxic teenage years. This wasn't fun anymore, this was not what it once was (and rarely does life ever stay a static course). I begged, I pleaded with you that to take my hand and let's head for the border, far away. But you didn't understand why anyone would leave, and I couldn't understand why anyone would stay.

And the words of two years earlier came back to haunt me: "there is nothing for me there" but what you heard was "There are no reasons for me to be there- not even you."

The last five years are a fuzzy memory, but I am stronger than ever.

Who would win in a fight: Chuck Norris v. MacGyver?

Because, you, my dear readers (all 4 of you), are internet savvy people, I assume you're familiar with Chuck Norris' newfound internet cult status. Personally, I enjoy this student's English class project on the subject of Mr. Norris.

That MacGyver commercial during the Superbowl last night was one of my favorites. If you missed it, check out the commercial here. Poor MacGyver, retiring from getting out of hairy situations with only a paperclip and a piece of string has left him a bit out of shape. But that Botox seems to have kept his face dashing and wrinkle-free. Also, where did the other tube sock go, MacGyver?


And speaking of the Superbowl...
My football knowledge is limited to Mike Ditka, Brett Favre (my dad comandeered our vacation to Canada one summer and forced my sister, mum, and I to worship at the altar of the Green Bay Packers...), and uhhhh....the Fifth Quarter of the University of Wisconsin football games (the Fifth Quarter, incidentally, is the marching band's big show and tribute to BEER!CHEESE!and all things Wisconsin). ANYWAYS, I had absolutely nothing at stake with this year's game since Mike Ditka will always be a winner in my book. Last year, I did not watch the Super!Bowl, but opted for The Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet. Check out the preview from this year's Puppy Bowl. And for extra fun, check out the Kitty Halftime show too. Don't you love the old-timey music? Can you imagine the puppies and kitties should be wearing flapper dresses and doing the Charleston? If anyone can find a picture of a puppy dressed like a flapper, I will make you a tribute mix CD. Extra points to anyone who dresses their own puppy like a flapper and takes a photo.


And while we're on the subject of puppies and kitties. Everyone, go vote for my kitten, Napkin, at Kittenwars.



Don't you want to eat this kitty? I do. Because I eat kittens for breakfast.

VD Day is coming (Or: Adventures in Ebay shopping).
I'm going to buy this and send it to Jake Gyllenhaal to show him how much I love him.
This would make a perfect gift for your loved ones. Or maybe these for your girlfriend with size 9 feet.

Special Valentine's Unit: The perfect way to show you care...about the criminal justice system.

Speaking of gay.
I can't really get enough of Project Runway. Daniel V. is the most adorable gay man ever. I want to put him in my pocket and keep him. I have fantasies where we are best friends and we go to gay clubs together and make sassy remarks about the other gay men and then we dance until the sun comes up. Clearly, Daniel must win this season, his designs are always among the best.


I was watching a recent episode and the judges were deliberating over the designs and Heidi Klum said, "I am ready to give Santino my Auf Wiedersahen!" From now on, when I get mad or I disagree, I'm going to voice my argument-ending opinion thusly: "I'm giving you my Auf Wiedersahen!"

And just so you don't forget to Never Forget...

I can breath for the first time.

This is where I'll live (internetially speaking). Yeah, I just internetially. I'm still decorating the Lounge, so give me some time.

Likewise, if I forgot the link to you in internetland, my sincere apologies. Let me know, and I'll put you over there on the right too.

And hey, if you have any badass HTML skillz, I need help. I have an artistic vision and I need your help.

And now a joke, courtesy of my friend Will. (If you don't find it funny, its because Will doesn't know funny.)

An octopus walks into a bar with a set of bagpipes. The bartender asks the octopus if he'll play a song.

"Of course not! I'm going to fuck the thing when I figure out how to get its pajamas off."

It gets funnier each time I read or tell this joke.