Friday, June 30, 2006

Travel Wire

In less than 24 hours, I'll be in the Charlotte area. Likely I'll be attending the WNBA game where Charlotte plays Sacremento at the Bobcats Arena. I actually got a good seat at the lower level. The seat is close to the front. Too bad it's not being televised...I might've recorded it in case they caught me in some screenshots. I imagine WNBA games don't sell as well as NBA but nonetheless I'm stoked as it's my first WNBA game. I've of course seen the Bulls at United Center last year & years before that I saw the Bulls in Milwaukee.

Beyond that, I'm pretty much playing it by ear how I spend my time. I do have an acquaintance down there that I may hang out with briefly but otherwise my time will mostly be my own. I do know I'll be hitting the Bally's there and I usually make a trip to a local Border's and find a travel book to get ideas for restaurants and nightspots (if I'm so inclined) to hit.

Since I'm thinking about possibly moving there next year, I do want to spend some time driving around the different neighborhoods to get a feel for the real estate. If I do move, though, I'll likely move into an apartment first & spend that year seriously looking. That way, I'm not rushed into getting a home I may not like.

I'm a bit bummed that I won't see Ladynay but I'll likely be visiting again later in the year just to get another feel for the area. So hopefully we'll meet then. I mean, I can't make a decision in one weekend, right?

I so need to pack. I need to get a quick workout in too. I have clothes to wash. I need to get a good night's sleep. So much to do, so little time.

Maybe the hotel I'm staying at will have an internet kiosk so I can check in. Otherwise I probably won't be posting again until after July 4th.

Happy 4th of July everyone!

Labels:

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Fallen Star

"I was walking along Wall Street minding my own business. I was in a bit of a funk and thought the walk would do me some good.

The sky was quite menacing, threatening to send teardrops at any minute. I decided to duck into a local Mickey D's. Imagine my surprise when I saw Star Jones sitting in a corner of the restaurant. She looked a bit subdued. I noticed her boytoy jerk Jabari was nowhere to be seen. What a disappointment he turned out to be. He seemed to be looking for a sugardaddy. I didn't have no time for that. Hell, I need my own sugardaddy.

I guess I should've known, considering he worked for Star and well Star has a habit of latching on to needy man. (*COUGH* BIG GAY AL *COUGH*)

I was going to place my order when I heard Star call out to me."


"Yoo hoo. E. Come here a minute."






"Considering our past exchanges, I have to say I was a bit leery to be called out by her. But I was in a public place. I figured she wouldn't attack me in McDonald's of all places. So I walked over to her.

'What's up, Star?' I asked."


"I'm on top of the world E. As you saw in the show, I one-upped that biatch, not bitch, that's me a Babe In Total Control of Herself. The biatch is that Bawa Wawa. She is a Bitter Ingrateful Arrogant Toad with Crappy Hemmorhoids."


" 'Well....you should know about her hemmorhoids, seeing that you've kissed her ass for so long.' "



Star: "Fuck you."


E: "Damn...must we go there again. Hemingway I see you're full of clever acronyms still. So how did you one-up her?"


Star: "You didn't see the show?"


E: "Actually I did but I wasn't gonna give Star the satisfaction. So I said...'No I didn't.'"


Star (rolling her eyes): "Whatever. I decided to leave the show and announce it before that biatch had a chance to. I could tell the biatch was pissed."

E: " 'That's good for you Star.' "


: "Who does she think she is, bringing that fat cow Rosie to the show. A woman I hate. I guess I could say the writing was on the wall at that point. You know, you must've been clarivoyant not to print that interview we did. I was pissed off at first but now I realize you were looking out for my best interests. To think, I called that biatch an inspiration."

E: " 'Ummm, ok.' "

Star: "That old bitty is getting crazier by the day. Mark my words, that show will go down without my expert leadership."


" 'You know. I was gonna order a Big Mac...'"




Star: "The nerve of her. Does she know who I am? The public can't live without me just like I can't live without Mickey D's fries. Could you get me some more?"

E: " 'Umm, where's Al?' "

Star: "Oh him? He said something about needing to work out at the Y. He said he wanted to find some lost muscles."



E: " 'Umm, riiiggght.' "

===============================================

"You know, as much as I longed for the day Star would be put in her place, I wasn't feeling too keen about her departure from the show. Like her or not, she was an important element to the show whenever she wasn't self-promoting. She accomplished quite a bit considering her past weight issues. I imagine she had to fight every step of the way to get to where she was. It was too bad she became a victim of her own ego. But in retrospect, I think it was wrong for Barbara Walters and the producers of the show to force her out the way they did. It wouldn't surprise me if part of Rosie's contract stated that Star shouldn't be part of the team.

I'm glad she at least one-upped them, which is what I'm convinced she did, by announcing her departure days before the so-called official announcement, which the press was saying to be sometime later in the week.

So you know what? I ordered Star some Mickey D fries and I wished her the best of luck in her career. I even sat with her while we bitched about the show and men.

Damn, I'm such a softie."

Labels:

Monday, June 26, 2006

Trains, Autos, Taxis (TAT)

When Eugene came to visit a couple weeks back, he was reliant on several modes of transportation. He took a plane to fly into Chicago. He then took a taxi to get to the Metra. He took the Metra to Union Station where he then rented a car to continue his vacation plans. It's amazing how important different modes of transportation are needed to get to places you need to go.

I flash back to the movie Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, which was released almost 20 years ago. It was a comedy of errors about a man trying to get home to his family during the holidays. It starred two comedic profilers John Candy and Steve Martin.

It's funny how life sometimes imitates art. A comedy of errors was what I had Sunday. The day already started off crappy. This month I'm on support at my job for various processes that run on a daily basis. Unfortunately one of those jobs went down due to a data error. Luckily for me, I was able to log into work from home to work on the problem. I spent almost three hours doing that. Unluckily for me, I had to go to the office still because in order to test my changes, I had to go into a system I didn't have access to at home. That was another two hours (including the ride to the office). The clunker was that the system I needed to test was actually down for some weekend conversions. This means I was unable to test my changes. I needed to make a decision whether to chance moving my changes in and risk those changes causing another data error or wait until Monday, which meant I was going to get the same data error.

I was reasonably confident that the code changes I did would be fine, so I contacted Witty so that he could approve my changes. He made the approvals and fast forward briefly....the job ran fine this morning...so yay me!

Hemingway let's rewind back to Sunday. So I decide as a treat to myself & to relieve my frustration from a crappy weekend, including Saturday night (another story onto itself...*LOL*), I decided to go bowling.

I wound up going to the same alley where I bowled last season. So I'm bowling my six games, desperately trying for a 200 game, which I didn't get. Again. Sigh. I pay for my games and make my way to my car. I reach in my pocket for my keys and can't find them.

I freak out for a minute. I decide to check to see if I left the doors unlocked. No such luck. I went back into the alley to see if I left my keys in the lanes I bowled. I didn't see them. I went back outside and tried opening my car door with my house keys. Heh...don't laugh! Years back I actually managed to open my car door with Allie's car keys. It was a good thing that time because I had left the engine running in the car while putting something that Allie borrowed in the trunk.

So I go back inside the alley (again) and look where I was playing to see if I left my keys there. They were nowhere to be found.

I was really freaked now, not believing that I could've locked them in the car. I stepped back outside and despartely tried my house keys again. No luck...*LOL*.

I was trying to think what I should do. The few folks that I interact with live anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour from me. Then I remembered my friend Stan. I contacted him but unfortunately he didn't pick up. I left him a voicemail but didn't explain the particulars of my situation.

I sighed as I called roadside assistance (which actually expired on my Cavalier). After getting my information, I was told that the cost for them coming to unlock my door would be $60.50. I almost gagged. It was then I started thinking, what would Eugene do in this situation. Then it hit me. The Metra line wasn't far from the bowling alley. I decided I would take the train back to my nearest station and if Stan hadn't called me back by then, I would have a taxi take me home so I could get my spare keys & then take me back to the station.

In a nutshell, the whole thing took over three hours, that included waiting an hour and a half in total for both trains. While I was trekking it to the train stop, I had called Eugene to tell him about my situation. He was nice enough to keep me company throughout the majority of my wait. He even called the taxi for me, which I thought was nice.

The embarassing part was that I wound up not leaving the car keys in the car. I actually did leave it in the bowling alley but it was at the counter where I paid. That, of course, led me to wonder why the worker couldn't have noticed me looking for something earlier. (I picked up my keys this evening.) I guess I should be glad I didn't pay $60.50. My total cost for the train rides was $4.30 & the taxi was $24 (including tip). That was $28.30 in total, which at least saved some of the unnecessary spending.

And I guess I realized how resourceful I could be if I had to.

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Have You Confessed?

My last confession was 06/14/2006 at 8:50 PM.

WARNING!!!! Some of the links may give you pop-ups.

I'm grateful that I can Live to Tell about this last confession. Where do I begin? It was Sally who suggested we Get Together for lunch a month or so back. I had a feeling that meeting would be different from all the other ones. She seemed to be giving me a gentle Push to get me to confess something. I was feeling the urge already. Like It Or Not, the time had come to tell her that "I Love New York".

Sally gave me this quizzical look. I think she knew that wasn't the big secret. She played along and told me about her New York experiences and how she got Hung Up over this dude named Isaac. He told her How High to Jump and she would comply. She realized the errors of her ways and finally broke free of his spell. She thanked her Lucky Star she had a flight back to Chicago to get him out of her mind.

"But enough about that jerk," she said to me. "I wanna know your Secret."

It didn't take Sherlock Holmes to figure out what she was getting at. My urge to confess was strong Hemingway. It was as if she knew the time was right. Do I tell her about my Forbidden Love for men? I felt Like A Virgin as I contemplated revealing this to her.

While thinking about the right way to do this, I paced back and forth. Sally popped in some Music. I could hear old school Madonna's "La Isla Bonita" playing in the background.

Madonna sang:
"I want to be where the sun warms the sky
When its time for siesta, you can watch them go by

Beautiful faces, no cares in this
world
Where a girl loves a boy, and a boy...."

"....loves a boy!" I shouted.

Sally smiled. She gave me a hug and told me that she knew. I shared some of my experiences. She let me know I didn't need to tell her about all of my Future Lovers, just the one that's right for me.

Sally asked me if I wanted to go with her to Madonna's concert. I could see the excitement in Sally's voice as she was telling me about it. I told her yes. She gave me a copy of Madonna's Confessions On A Dance Floor CD to listen to and study for the big day.

I took the copy of her CD and made my way out the door. Before I left, I told her that I was Sorry it took me this long to confess.

"Let It Will Be," she said. "You'll be confessing to the world come June 14th."

I gave her a puzzled look but managed to give her a wry smile as I left.

The story below was part fiction, part truth. I listed all the songs (with the exception of a couple I couldn't figure out) that was played at the Madonna concert I attended. It was a great show, lack of A/C aside.

Sunday, June 18, 2006

Keeping Up Appearances

I was wrapping up on week 8 (and a half) of working out in the gym Saturday. I was doing my time on the elliptical machines near the entryway. I couldn't help but notice a number of older folks coming to work out. Men and women in their 60s and 70s. There's one particular older gentleman that I see almost everytime I'm in the gym. Whenever I see him, I always think to myself, if I'm lucky enough to live that long, I hope I'm still able to trek it to the gym.

I inevitably start thinking of my parents, especially my Dad. I'd love to see them go into a Bally's. My Mom does do some exercising at home, which is cool. My Dad has good intentions but hasn't really done much. He used to sport a 29 inch waist before marriage and is now a 42.

Hemingway I occasionally run into a co-employee that attends the same Bally's I do. Everytime he's at the Bally's, he's with his supposed girlfriend. He's in his forties and his lady looks to be in her mid-20's. I notice that after each set, he proceeds to kiss his lady. When I say after each set, I mean after each set. Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against showing affection but his actions border on showing off. I could be cynical because I'll never have that but that much displaying seems to be more for show than anything else. I especially think that because I see him jogging by his lonesome on the sidewalk sometimes when I'm heading home from work and he looks gay as he wants to be.

By nature we are showy creatures. I grew up with the notion that appearance is everything. I mean, my Mom used to tell me all the time to wear clean underwear in case of an accident. But in an episode of Soul Food when Ahmad reminds his Mom that he tells her that all the time, he makes a valid point that if he was in a car accident, he'd likely shit all over his pant and the hospital would have to rip them off anyway, so what's the point of having clean underwear. (Well aside from not stinking in front of everybody...*LOL*)

Society contributes to this as well. If you want a job, you typically need to be clean shaven, dressed in a business suit, and hiding any tattoos you may have. You wanna catch a mate, you typically need to be in shape (or at least appear to be).

Even if your whole world is crumbling apart, you have to look on top of your game. Never let em see you sweat.

I think I had a point but I kinda lost it.

Hemingway I met fellow bloggers Maurice and Cash at Pappadeaux. It was great meeting them. Maurice especially managed to bring me a little bit out of my shell. I'm typically reserved when initially meeting folks, even if we have known each other in the blogworld for a minute. I've always been more of an observer in past encounters, which can make folks edgy because they don't know what I'm thinking or if I'm having an attitude. But sometimes I don't really have much to say at times.

After Pappadeaux, I headed to TGIF's to meet a potential friend for drinks. (Yeah, I left the "potential" word out Cash...*LOL*.) Hemingway the dude was nice looking wearing a tight brown t-shirt that accentuated his body well. He stood at 5"11 and weighed around 225 with a nice build.

I don't know if we'll see each other again so I won't give him a name on here. But it was hilarious as he was talking about his encounters with men at the Bally's he works out. Supposedly he's been chased by a married guy for over a year. They've chatted here and there and he noted that married dude had a smoking body. (You know, I never have guys chasing me at the Bally's I workout at. Though I did have a dude jack off while suggestively leering at me at the River City Bally's.) My potential friend was nice but the one negative is that he smokes. He proceeded to light two cigarettes while we sat at the bar. I mean, we were at the bar so I really couldn't argue much, even though he didn't ask either.

Hemingway I felt bad because I hadn't shaved and was looking shaggy. Hmmm, did I just get back on topic? Hemingway after our drinks, we parted ways. That was pretty much it.

Matt and I chatted today just generally. We were supposed to go bowling last week but he had to work late. He is still so into me. Why can't I be feeling the same?

Sigh...is it Monday already?

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Chad's Return

I continue to be baffled by the dudes I've encountered in Chicago over the last several years.

These dudes have serious issues. Guys claiming to not want drama or games in their lives unless they're the ones with the drama and the games. Guys that say one thing but really mean another. Guys that expect you to bend over backwards for them and give them all the attention in the world but you're lucky to get a few seconds of their time when you're in need of attention. Men suck.

So who am I bitching about today? Well it's a little rant...*LOL*.

Hemingway you guys remember Chad. Yeah, he had me singing old school Paula Abdul. You know. Wishing. Dreaming. What a fool!

Chad had issues up to the wazoo. Whether it was a crush on a stringy dude or his family drama that I learned about during our first date, it was one thing after another. Chad's way of dealing with these issues was to shut out completely the folks that care about him. Things with us went south immediately after our second date. The end of the date was pretty awkward. He kissed me, I freaked & drove off, and basically I tried contacting him but he dropped all contact with me.

Until tonight.

Can you believe this shit? He called me out of the blue about an hour ago from his best friend's place. I guess he hasn't fallen out with her lately. Hemingway he confirmed that he was mad because of how our second date ended. Apparently so mad that he waited two and a half months to get over it.

He didn't stay on the line long, telling me that he'll call me later tonight.

Geesh. I just thought I'd share.

Labels:

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Charlotte's Web

Sally and I had a lot to chat about after my revelation to her a few weeks back. One of those things was where we saw ourselves living in the future. Neither of us seemed to see much of a future in Chicago. Basically we don't have any ties (meaning men...*LOL*) that's keeping us here.

She told me that she was thinking about living in Vegas. She's been there a couple times and really enjoyed it. She's planning on going there with her sister on Thursday. It's her way of treating her sister, who hasn't taken much time for vacations being a single Mom.

Vegas is cool. I'm actually thinking about flying there for my birthday this year. I even thought about living there but didn't think Vegas and I would be a good fit.

I told Sally that the south was calling my name, specifically Charlotte, NC. I haven't even been to the area but I was basing my opinions on the positive feedback I've read and heard about it.

It's an up and coming metropolis that according to some quick stats, there's over half a million folks living in Charlotte. It's about four hours Northeast of Atlanta. The major highways are I-77 and I-85. The name of their transit system is CATS.

I've heard nothing but good things so far about the city. It's no Atlanta or Chicago obviously, but it's a progressive city. They are experiencing a population boom and I have a feeling it'll continue for a few more years.

I decided to purchase a ticket and check Charlotte out for myself. I head down there on the 1st for the 4th of July weekend.

Oh well...let me get ready to head to Sally's. Tonight is our Madonna concert.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Shaka Shocked

While in Detroit, my Dad flipped to ABC to watch their coverage of the FIFA World Soccer Games. To tell you the truth, I don't know why I'm not a regular watcher of soccer. The game has plenty of intrigue and lots of action. Also unlike football (which is actually what soccer is in Europe...futbol), the rules of soccer are easy to understand. Plus some of the guys playing actually are nice eye candy for viewing. You can see the fire in their eyes as the minutes roll by and they desperately seek making as many goals as possible.

The game we were watching was Sweden vs. Trinidad & Tobago. Sweden was heavily favored to win against first time in the finals Trinidad & Tobago. But T&T didn't give in as easily as the Swedes thought, even with one man less on their side.

I naturally was rooting for the T&T underdogs. I found myself cheering each time T&T got close to making a goal and groaning when they missed. I was estactic when goalie Shaka Hislop blocked each and every one of Sweden's numerous attempts at making a goal.

The game wound up being a draw with each team picking up a point.

ABC was passing one of their money making polls via T-Mobile asking who was the "Man of the Game" (or something like that). Shaka wound up winning hands down.

The whole team definitely deserves credit for their victory. However, Shaka ultimately gave his all and was pivotal in preventing a Sweden victory.

As I looked at Shaka, I couldn't help but notice how handsome and hot he is. Even more amazing is that based on his bio, it appears that he's 37 years old. The way he was playing, I thought he was in his 20s. He definitely doesn't look 37. He's around 6"4, weighing in around 220 pounds.

Hemingway I'm going to have to record some of their future games. It appears that their next game will be on the 15th against England, the current leader in their group. Here's hoping they hold their own against England. Hopefully I'll get to see Shaka in action again. Yum.

Monday, June 12, 2006

Fright Night

Thriller - Michael Jackson

It's Close To Midnight and Something Evil's Lurking In The Dark
Under The Moonlight You See A Sight That Almost Stops Your Heart
You Try To Scream But Terror Takes The Sound Before You Make It

You Start To Freeze as Horror Looks You Right Between The Eyes,

You're Paralyzed

[CHORUS]
Cause This Is Thriller, Thriller Night
And No One's Gonna Save You
From The Beast About
To Strike
You Know It's Thriller, Thriller Night
You're Fighting For Your Life Inside a
Kiler, Diller, Chiller,Thriller
Here Tonight

I was driving along I-94 Sunday night returning home from a busy weekend trip in Detroit. Earlier that day, I went with my Dad to Micro Center to pick up a new flat-screen monitor for his PC. He insisted that I stop at this one place for gas since it was $2.75 a gallon (which was the cheapest I've seen in a minute). I take advantage but only fill it up just past the half-way mark. After Micro Center and hooking the monitor for my Dad, I went to drop off some Tylenol at my Godmother's place. Later I went to visit my sister Trina & her boyfriend's new home. So all in all, a busy day.

So it's after 8PM Eastern time when I finally leave Detroit to make my way home. Traffic is flowing nice with the exception of one brief construction slowdown, which is way better than it was coming into Detroit Friday evening.

As I near the Michigan/Indiana border sometime before 10PM, I realize that I'm about Five Miles To Empty (link has no relation to this current post but since I have a post under that title...*LOL*). I see there's an Exit 12 Sawyer that has several gas stations to choose from. There's a lot of construction around and I somehow miss the exit.

I'm inching real close to the E (not me...*LOL*) so I decide that I need to get off at the next exit regardless and try to find a station.

That exit turns out to be Exit 6 Union Pier. So I get off and there's a sign with an arrow pointing to Union Pier but it looks like a park of some sort. So I foolishly go the opposite way. I'm driving along this one lane road, no other cars in sight, and all I see is woods everywhere with the occasional farm house.

I'm freaking out because I'm right on the E and there isn't a gas station in sight. Twice last year I found myself out of gas. Of course both of those situations I was in a heavily populated area. It wouldn't be like this situation where I literally feared for my life.

I had images of this one movie where two young women, one white/one black, wind up in some women's slave prison after running out of gas in the middle of the boonies. I'm a black man in the middle of the boonies, I couldn't even imagine my fate. Well I could. But I didn't want to imagine it.

It's not like I could walk up to one of those farm doors and ring the doorbell and go 'hey, I need some gas.' Before I even got half-way there, I'd be shot dead from Billy Bob shooting out his second floor window.

I'm probably exaggerating but hey, as a black male, you can't just freely roam in unknown territory, which made my current adventure all the more foolish.

Who would I call if I were stuck out here? And would they find me before some trigger happy hick did?

I turned off my A/C and my music and just screamed 'Oh my God' over and over and over and over. It was totally pitch dark on this road except for the occasional farm house and numerous woods.

I'm thinking if I run out of gas, what am I gonna do? I didn't feel safe exiting my car and I didn't even know where I would go and find a station.

I keep on driving, thanking my lucky stars that my car found the strength to keep going. After what seemed like an eternity, I hit a fork in the road. I'm not sure where to go but decide to head towards where I think the freeway would be.

So I continue trekking for several miles, screaming 'Oh my God' continiously. I see bright lights after a couple miles and for a moment I feel relief. But as I drive on, I hit this area that seemed straight out of House of Wax (the remake...*LOL*). The small town was all lit up. I saw some deranged dude in braids on a bike. I kept driving and screaming. Moments later, I saw another random guy just walking. I saw him look at me and I screamed, thanking my lucky stars that my car didn't run out of gas.

Another mile of driving and no gas station was in sight. I didn't know how much longer my car was gonna hang on.

As I looked to the right, yet again, I screamed. This time it was a scream of joy. I finally hit a gas station and what appeared to be a semi-major intersection. I was never so happy in my life to see a gas station. I gratefully paid the $2.79 a gallon and filled up my tank. At that point, I would've paid $10 a gallon. Just get me some fucking gas and get the hell out of dodge.

I then decided to take the semi-major intersection and pray that I hit I-94. God was on my side and I soon found the entryway for I-94 and I made my way home.

I'll be heading to work in a few minutes and for once, I won't be bitching. It feels great to be alive.

Labels:

Thursday, June 08, 2006

Polite Strangers

Yesterday marked my parent's 37th wedding anniversary. 37 years. Can you imagine that? These days, folks break up over the stupidest of things. Actually it probably is better to break up before getting married. But Hemingway it is great that my folks are still together.

Trina called me earlier today wanting to find out what year my parents got married. I quickly informed her and then headed out to TGIF's to meet a prospective date.

While I was in the car, I decided to phone my parents to congratulate them on their years together. My Dad answered the phone and I immediately congratulated him. Our conversations were pretty general. You know, weather, car, work, etc. After a while, my Mom came on the phone and I gave the same message. The conversation with her was pretty much the same except I added dinner to the equation.

As we chatted, I started thinking about how I don't share a lot of what's going with me with them. I even felt a bit sad briefly. Eventually we ran out of things to say and we hung up.

Eugene was sitting in the passenger seat (ohh...did I forget to mention Eugene is in town for a few days staying with me?) silently listening to my conversation with my parents. He told me that my conversation with them reminded me a lot of his conversations with his parents.

He went on to tell how his sister has her kids to talk about to his parents & typically married kids defer to chatting about their spouses and children. For his friend in Wisconsin, he mentioned that his friend got closer to his family after buying a house. But for Eugene, he doesn't really discuss his love life with his family or even who he's seeing. And other than general topics, doesn't share much.

It was as if his parents and himself were as he termed it, polite strangers. Basically just making friendly conversation without causing any rifts.

It was an interesting observation and one that I could relate to.

Of course all this talk led to whether we would tell our folks about our same-sex loving ways. He added that my Mom tried to open that door to freeing us from the polite when she asked me if I was gay. However I quickly closed it by saying that I wasn't. Although I wasn't ready for that door to be open yet.

Once again, it was cool that Eugene related to what I was thinking and put into words what I was feeling. I suppose a lot of in the closet (to themselves..though some people in the world just know...*LOL*) guys if they still chat with their parents feel the same way.

I'm actually going home to Detroit Friday afternoon. Maybe I'll open the door a little bit. We'll see.

So Hemingway Eugene's in town until Saturday when he himself will head to Detroit (by rental car) for a wedding and then to Dayton, OH to visit his brother.

As for the date? It was cool. I don't think I'm totally attracted to Matt but he does seem like a nice person. Matt's definitely into me. He left me a voicemail after getting home. We're supposed to be hanging out again next week. I'm going to focus on trying to cultivate a friendship.

It was interesting having Eugene there with me. Eugene served as the comic relief in the group, which made the evening go by smoother.

Later today Eugene wants to take me shopping for clothes. Heaven help me!

Labels:

Sunday, June 04, 2006

Piven & Me

Since I first saw Jeremy Piven on Ellen, I had the biggest crush on him. The things I remembered liking about him was his voice, general style, and body. He just had this charisma about him whenever he appeared on screen. He kept me riveted to the screen and I would eagerly wonder what words or actions would come next. I always wondered if I'd get to see him shirtless. He was just so cute.

I even remember his short lived series Cupid. Apparently even though that show didn't last, it endeared him in the hearts of many, gay men included I'm sure.

He's now starring in the popular HBO series Entourage. I'm too cheap to get HBO but if I did, I'd so be Piven's bitch. Hmmm....I see that Season 1's already released with Season 2 just moments away. I so need to acquaint myself with the show.

Something about Piven always pinged my faulty gaydar. Apparently mine wasn't the only one that was being pinged. One blogger in her open letter to Piven expressed concern that he bought his Mom as his date at the Globes last year (that's so sweet) and how that might be construed in Hollywood. He later assured everyone that he wasn't gay. But I don't know. It wouldn't surprise me at all if he made some kind of announcement years from now.

But I definitely don't want to be adding fuel to that speculation since Sally told me that everyone knows I'm gay. Basically I'm a walking advertisement. No matter what I do, people just know. Actually my personal situation made me think about Piven and hence this entry.

Gay or not, Piven is definitely a hottie. It seems he even has a Chicago connection. He was raised in Evanston, IL. He is said to have a place in downtown Chicago. Scavenger hunt anyone? *LOL*

I look forward to reacquainting myself with his work, even if he did play an overly flambouyant gay guy in Rush Hour 2. Speaking of Rush Hour, Part 3 is slated to come out sometime in 2007.

Thursday, June 01, 2006

Brother's Keeper

I read the most disturbing article on the May 29th edition of the Black Voices Buzz. It was in regards to the CW's decision to renew All of Us. I'm copying the article that was written by Jawn Murray (just so you know that I'm not trying to take any credit for it...*LOL*)

* * * * * * * * * R E P O S T E D * * * * A R T I C L E * * * * * * * * * *
Close Call
Did Chris Rock rescue 'All of Us' from cancellation? That's the word in Tinseltown!

Sources say that the series, which stars Duane Martin, LisaRaye McCoy and Tony Rock (Chris' brother) and is produced by Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, was set to be cancelled and was not planned to be on the fall roster for the new CW Network. Insiders told BV Buzz that it was actually 'Half & Half' that was supposed to join the urban-lineup at the CW, until Rock placed a call to CBS Chairman Les Moonves and asked him to save his sibling's series.

Apparently, at the eleventh hour, 'Half & Half' was given the ax-despite its executive producer Yvette Lee Bowser wowing the CW brass with her presentation-and the struggling 'All of Us' was given the green light. A rep for CW said the decision to bring 'All of Us' back just fit what the network was trying to do with that two-hour show block. "I don't believe there's anything to that," Paul McGuire said about the rumors.

Nonetheless, Hollywood insiders are likening 'All of Us' to a cat, joking that the series has nine lives. Apparently, this would be the second time that 'All of Us' was slated to be cancelled but was spared. The show was not supposed to return for the 2005-2006 TV season and producers at Warner Bros. were moments from pulling the plug on the show. That time, it was Smith who supposedly placed the call and had the series saved. It returned without co-stars Elise Neal and Terri J. Vaughn.

In another CW Network controversy, online chat rooms and blogs alike have been buzzing about the news that 'Girlfriends' star Jill Marie Jones may not be returning to the show. We broke news last week that Jones may be out when the show premieres on CW this fall. Now we hear that it was actually Jones' decision to leave the hit former UPN series. Despite her being absent from the CW Network's upfront rollout in New York City, and Jones' image and bio being removed from the 'Girlfriends' website, a rep for the network said nothing is finalized. "It remains to be seen," McGuire said.

Tracee Ellis Ross, Golden Brooks, Persia White and Reggie Hayes will return for the sitcom's unprecedented seventh season. Wouldn't it be nice to see a full-figured friend added to the 'Girlfriends' mix? Just asking…

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * E N D * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This is E now.

All I can say is that I am truly disturbed if what transpired is true. On the one hand, it's nice that Mr. Chris Rock cares for the welfare of his brother and didn't want to see him unemployed. But on the other hand, All Of Us got renewed. Why? What is the point of this show with Elise Neal's character being gone? What was the point when she was there? Okay, the little boy is adorable. But he alone a show not make.

Boo Chris! If you wanted to, you could've given your unfunny brother a job on Everybody Hates Chris. You are one of the executive producers of that show. Geesh.

I may have to boycott Everybody Hates Chris because of this, despite my crush on Terry Crews and my embarassing "I need my ass sent to jail" crush on Tequan Richmond. That picture of him is so from when he was nine. He's around thirteen now. That boy is so going to be a heartbreaker, as if he ain't now.

I can't believe that Half & Half was so close to getting renewed but got stiffed at the last minute. It just goes to show the office politics that are involved even in Hollywood.

Things are looking dim as far as Half & Half getting saved by another network. It's a shame that a show in its prime got cut to its knees due to possible nepotism.