Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Song of the Day - Sugar Walls - Sheena Easton


Anyone who was around in the 80's surely remembers Sheena Easton. Sheena was a Scottish singer who started out kinda/sorta like a Marie Osmond, with a squeaky clean image that was punctuated by her song, 'Morning Train (9-5).' Somewhere around the mid-eighties, though, Ms. Easton hooked up with the very hot Prince and her clean image was clean no longer.

She went on to record a string of nice dance/pop hits including 'Telefone,' 'Strut,' and this one, the very dirty 'Sugar Walls.' I used to LOVE this one!!!!


Sugar Walls - Sheena Easton: Greatest Hits



Monday, May 30, 2011

Song of the Day - Hey Baby (Drop It To The Floor) Pitbull ft. T-Pain


Today's 'Song of the Day' is a fun song by smoking hot Latino rap star Pitbull and features fellow singer/rapper T-Pain on vocals. "Ooh baby, baby!"


Hey Baby (Drop It to the Floor) [feat. T-Pain] - Single - Pitbull & T-Pain



X is for Extra, extra, read all about it


Okay, okay, so none of the words in this post really start with the letter "X." It's been awhile since I've added to the Z-A Bloggers Challenge, for two reasons: busy-ness with other stuff and difficulty trying to find something musically to go with the next letter of the alphabet, "X." All I kept hearing in my head while I was trying to think of an "X" word was the line from this song:

"Extra, extra, read all about it. Wanted, young man single and free."

So since this is my blog and I can do anything I want, today's post is my post for the letter: X is for Extra, extra, read all about it, lol. This is a fun, funky song typical of the girl group sound of the 60's. I first learned it when LI native Taylor Dayne recorded it for her first CD and I've loved it ever since. So enjoy 'Want Ads,' by the Honey Cones:


Honey Cone: Greatest Hits - Honey Cone



May 30, 2011 - A Night at the Grove, Part 2

How perfect! Today is Monday, May 30, 2011, Memorial Day and it’s overcast and a bit rainy. After three almost perfect days of beautiful sunny weather, the one day I need to stay inside and get things done it’s crappy out. I know it’ll probably ruin some barbecues and other holiday events and I’m sorry for anyone wanting to enjoy it, but as for me, the cloudy skies are a good thing.



A Night at the Grove, Part 2

Sunday of both Memorial Day and Labor Day Weekends are THE days to get to the Grove, for whatever reason. I think that yesterday was the most crowded I’d ever seen it, which is probably not really a good thing…it was still fun, though!

What is usually a whole little crew of us that goes on Memorial Day Sundays turned out to be just Blanche and I. My friend Rich had other obligations and at least three others were feeling under the weather in one way or another. At first I thought maybe that it wouldn’t be as fun, but as it turned out, Blanchie and I had a great time together.

As I said, the place was crowded! Everywhere you turned there were people. For much of the night, it made dancing very frustrating, but it’s to be expected on a beautiful holiday weekend. As is the norm, these days are the days where you see people you haven’t seen in a long time, and some you even forgot you knew.

Fire Island Characters

There was Lisa, a real character who, when she saw me, gave me a big hug and kiss. “Where do I know you from?” I asked.

“Religion class,” was her response. Then I remembered that we had met at the Grove last year and had the same conversation. That religion class was during the 2nd grade! I have no idea how she could have remembered me, even from last year, because I had very little recollection of her from last year’s conversation, much less religion class in 2nd grade!

And then there was Vim. Vim is this absolutely beautiful, absolutely cool chick I met at the Grove last year. She kind of reminds me of that Malaysian rap chick, MIA, but prettier. She smokes the same cigarettes as I do, Djarum Black, and she’s got a friend Eric who asked me out a couple of times. Of course we met on the dance floor early on last year and we would see each other often and share a chat or a dance. I had forgotten all about her until I saw her.

Vim was alone and waiting for Eric to get there. When she left me, she promised me a dance, but I never saw her again. No worries, though, cause I’m sure I’ll see her again.

Stephen, the best bud of my bud’s niece Erin, was there too. He saw Blanchie and I on line waiting to get into Ice Palace and came right over to us. We hung out with him for awhile…poor dude had been at the beach all day and was literally burnt to a crisp!

I saw my sometimes buddy with whom I had that terrible night at Splash a few weeks ago. We’d made amends since, though we really haven’t caught up in awhile. What a cutie he is! I don’t know, but I kind of have a soft spot for him. Whatever social skills he’s lacking, I just chalk it up to his age, but deep down, he’s a really nice, cool person. I first saw him on the dance floor at Cherry’s and he flashed me a big smile when he looked my way. We shared a dance or two and some chatter, and then he was off with his bud into the night.

Michael, whom I had seen the night before was there, as were the other Michael and Christian. I kind of feel bad because I met someone last night and it all happened right in front of Christian, whom I was flirting/dancing with. I’d seen Christian around for a long time now and I find him attractive. I never was the kind of guy to pursue others, but if he had ever asked me out, I would’ve gone. He never did, so our relationship has always been simply flirtatious, until we finally spoke the night before.

I Met a Guy

Anyway, back to the guy I met. I was dancing on the dance floor right in front of the elevated stage at Cherry’s. Christian was in front of me, on the stage, and to his right was a guy named Matthew. Matthew was adorable and we were smiling at each other a lot as we danced. Before you knew it, he was dancing right up to me and after that, he had all my attention, lol.

It’s a shame, because after only a little while, Matthew and his friends had to catch the ferry back to the island, so we didn’t have much time to talk. As his friends dragged him out of the bar he grabbed my hand and dragged me along with him. (It was cute how he did that!) We exchanged #’s before he left and I later found out that he had to leave because he had a flight this morning. I hope we connect when he gets back from wherever he is!

Back to feeling bad about Christian…a little later on, Blanchie and I went over to the Ice Palace and we saw Christian and Michael again. I walked over to chat with them…Michael was chatty, but Christian just walked away without a word. He was obviously annoyed at me. That really sucks because as I said yesterday I would’ve loved to be friends with the two of them, but now I think that’s over. He probably hates me, but I guess I can’t worry about it. Hopefully we’ll get to mend some fences soon…

Blanchie

I’ve said this many times before, but for whatever it’s worth my best buddies Blanche and Dita don’t like to go out too often. I guess since I missed out on being single in my twenties, I’m catching up for it now and since they’ve already done that, they don’t feel the need as I do. I was a little reluctant going over with just Blanche because I know that I like to roam around and mingle and I wanted him to have a good time. I even gave him an out, telling him that he didn’t have to go if he didn’t want to or that he could leave me there if he wanted to go home early. I was afraid I’d be leaving him too often and that he wouldn’t have a good time, but in the end I was pleasantly surprised.

He knew a few people there, too, and was able to do his own thing here and there and still have fun with me. At first I don’t think he was having the greatest time, mostly because of the crowd, but eventually his plans to leave at 11:30 changed when his night did. He and I had a lot of fun together and I was actually thankful to have him around because he had to ‘save’ me a few times from some of the leeches on the dance floor.

Touchy, Touchy

I don’t know what it is, but why do people feel that just because you’re shirtless they are allowed to touch you? I’m really shocked at the amount of people who took the liberty to put their hands on me just because I had my shirt off. At one point I went to the bar to order a drink and this creepy guy felt the need to grab my nipple with one hand and my butt with the other as I leaned over to talk to the bartender. I wish I was the type to slap his hands away and say something nasty, but that’s just not me. All I could do was look away and walk away….grrrr!

I’m telling you, my nipples were touched so many times last night they started to hurt after awhile. The worst was when I was dancing alone and this older dude who had been staring at me made a move the moment I turned my back on him. He put one arm around my waist and again, touched my nipple with the other. Thankfully Blanche was within sight and I mouthed the words “help me” to him. Thanks Blanchie!

I can only imagine how girls feel when these leeches take liberties such as they did with me, a 46 year old guy. These guys (and sometimes girls!) are nothing but creeps.

Anyway, the rest of the night was spent dancing, of course and having a great time. I’m glad it’s Monday because I’m gonna need the week to recoup from the last two nights over there. I think it’s gonna be a great summer! Thanks, as always, for reading!

Here’s a little Fatboy Slim:

Right about now, the funk soul brother….



Rockafeller Skank 'The Bootlegs' - EP - Fatboy Slim



Song of the Day - Hello - Martin Solveig & Dragonette


Today's 'Song of the Day' has been posted on this blog before. It's a fast-moving, frenzied electronic tune that reminds me of the kind of song Fatboy Slim used to do with such success. They played it a couple of times yesterday at the Grove and so it's still in my head. Enjoy 'Hello':


Hello - Hello - Single



Sunday, May 29, 2011

May 29, 2011 - Great to be back at the Grove, finally!


Happy summer everyone! It’s Sunday morning of Memorial Day weekend and I’ve finally got a few minutes to sit down and write. It seems like God has smiled down upon us this weekend because after what seemed like weeks and weeks of rain,, the past three days have been spectacular weather-wise. The sun is shining, the temperatures are warm, and it’s a great weekend to celebrate the start of summer.

At the moment, I’m feeling absolutely giddy about life. I guess it’s a combination of the great weather, the prospect of being off for the summer, and finally being able to stick around more here on the island rather than schlep into the city every weekend. Whatever, I’m feeling awesome and I deserve to have a great summer after the shitty winter I’ve had.



Moving Day

Yesterday was moving day for my buddy Rich. After five-plus months of wrangling and waiting over selling his old place and buying a new one, his ordeal is finally over, thank goodness. The whole thing threw a wrinkle into the weekend’s plans because he was actually supposed to move last week, but it’s no biggie, really.

The day started out rough. Blanche and I had to meet Rich at 8:30 so we could go and rent the U-Haul. I was chatting with a guy online the night before for over three hours…until the wee hours of the morning, which wasn’t smart, I know. So by the time I got to Rich’s, I had only had about 3 hours worth of sleep. Needless to say I pooped out early.

Anyway, the move went as smooth as a move could go. It was funny, cause all I could think about in my head as we went along was my upcoming move, whenever that may be. Blanche moved around three years ago and it was the same three of us doing it, and here we were yesterday doing the same for Dita (Rich’s alter-ego, lol). I guess it will be the same when I do mine, although going from a house on Long Island to an apartment in NYC won’t be as easy as either of their moves. I’m lucky to have not one, but two friends that we each know will always be there for each other. My breakup with Joe thankfully brought me back to this, and I consider myself fortunate.

Back to the Grove, finally!

After the move, I really wanted to go to the Grove, even though I was tired. I had helped Rich the night before, as well, and never made it out, though I could have considering how late I stayed up anyway. We finished early enough so that I could take a power nap, which I did, and I made it to the 7:20 ferry.

I’m so glad I went because I had one of the best times I’ve ever had over there and I’m still basking as I prepare myself for another day out there today. Though I went alone, it didn’t stay that way for long. Throughout the night I’d end up meeting and conversing with old acquaintances and made some new ones. Between the two main bars over at the Grove, Cherry’s was definitely the place to be last night, so that’s where I started out.

I’d seen this couple on the boat that I’d seen before. A really adorable guy whose name escapes me (only because I didn’t hear him when he told me what it was and I was embarrassed to ask him a third time) and his girl friend, a cute dark-skinned Dominican named Paola. Anyhoo, I’d actually danced with them at the Bunkhouse a few weeks ago and I saw him at Splash not long after that, but we never spoke, just danced. I ended up again right near them on the dance floor and before long we all got to dancing, chatting, and having a good time, but not before I met Evelyn.



Happy 50th Evelyn!

Evelyn is a black lesbian from Virginia. I met her on the dance floor early on as she was making somewhat of a spectacle of herself with some very strange, albeit energetic dance moves. People around her were watching and chuckling (including me!) as she flitted about, clearly enjoying herself and not giving a damn about who was watching.

At one point she came over to me at the side of the dance floor and pulled me on with her. Being the happy-go-lucky kind of guy I am, I went with it. She and I danced and had a great time chatting as we did. Yesterday was her 50th birthday and when her family and friends asked her what she wanted to do for it, she told them she wanted to come to Fire Island and let loose, which was exactly what she did. She’s originally from NY and she misses it here very much. I’m glad I got to help her celebrate her birthday for the time that I did. After I lost her, I never saw her again for the rest of the night, but wherever you are, Happy Birthday Evelyn! I hope you had a great time!

Spreadin’ Joy

The rest of the night was pure joy! I did a lot of hanging out with my two new friends. Paola actually met a really cute straight guy (whose name also escapes me, lol) that reminded me of a very young Nicholas Cage. He was as sweet as sweet can be and I enjoyed his company, as well. They weren’t the only ones to come along last night as there were plenty of other people who would bring me joy, as well.

At one point I ran into someone I met last Memorial Day Weekend. His name is Michael Lavers and he’s a professional writer. At first, he and I seemed to have some potential, but that was lost somewhere through the summer. He met someone since and has been dating the guy since last August, I believe. His boyfriend lives in DC, so Michael was alone last night. (Michael lives in Brooklyn, but covers Fire Island for a website called The Edge, so he’s always there.)

It’s been a long time since I’d seen Michael, and it was nice to have a friendly chat and a couple of dances together. He regaled me with stories of recent trips to Chile and Hungary and I..well I, I don’t know if I regaled him with anything, but it was fun.

In between all of the dancing and merriment, I also ran into these two guys I know, but never really knew. They were always at the Bunkhouse when I used to go and we’ve shared dances and some shots, but never got to talking. There are actually three of them, but only two were there last night. As it turns out, their names are Michael and Christian and they’re as cool to talk to as they are to dance with and I think I may have just made some really cool new friends for the summer and beyond, perhaps.

The remainder of the evening was full of great fun. I danced and flirted with so many people I can’t remember them all, but all I do remember were all of the smiles that met mine the whole night through.

I rode home with my new friends on the ferry and it was a festive atmosphere the whole ride. At the other end, we all said our goodbyes and parted ways. I hope I see them all again…maybe even today. Sunday is always the busiest day on a three-day weekend, for whatever reason, and I’m sure there will be more stories to tell mañana.

Workout!

I have to add something, and I hope I’m not sounding too narcissistic, but working out is definitely worth the sacrifice. Being Italian and thus very warm-blooded, lol, I sweat a lot! So not long after I started dancing I had to remove my shirt, which I have never been able to do in public before. I was always embarrassed about it because of my weight, so I always used to suffer through a soaking wet t-shirt all night.

I am no longer embarrassed by my body…in fact, I’m kind of proud of it and I have to say that when I do, it gets me a lot of attention that I’ve never ever had in my whole life. Both women and men were coming up to me as if I were some sort of magnet and it felt really good. (This 24 year-old, beautiful black dude even asked me out…we exchanged numbers, so we’ll see if he calls.) So for anyone who’s reading this and doesn’t like the way they look, I highly recommend getting into shape. It does wonders for your ego!


A shirtless photo of me at the Grove from last year...kind of embarassing, but oh well!

Well, of course I’ve written way too much as always. For any of you who’ve read this far, I want to thank you for finding an interest in my blabbering. Here’s another video by the Venga Boys to finish things off. This one’s called ‘Going to Ibiza.’ It’s another silly, campy song that’s just plain fun. It’s funny, because when I first heard it, I thought they were saying “we’re going to eat pizza,” lol, and it’s what I sing in my head whenever I hear it. Enjoy!




Song of the Day - We like to Party! - Vengaboys


Today's song is as campy as campy can be, but it's still fun. It was really popular during my deejay days in the late 90's. Whenever I needed to fill up the dance floor, I could always go to this catchy tune to get their butts on the floor. The video is as sunny as the song and is perfect for our summer Memorial Day-themed weekend. Who likes to party?

The Venga bus is coming
The Venga bus is coming...



We Like to Party! (the Vengabus) - EP (Single) - Vengaboys



Saturday, May 28, 2011

Song of the Day - World, Hold On - Bob Sinclair


Cherry's at Night

This song always makes me think of Cherry Grove whenever I hear it. They've got it on a mix tape at Cherry's on the Bay that they play before the deejay starts playing live music and it always gets people up and dancing. Since I'll be heading on out to Cherry's later I'm sure I'll hear it. I always refer to it as "the whistle song" for obvious reasons. Anyway, it's fast and it's fun and it makes for a great summer song so enjoy!


World, Hold On - Noah's Arc (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)



Friday, May 27, 2011

Y is for Yaz

It's been such a terribly busy week that I haven't had too much time to post anything other than my "Song of the Day," and though I do have other catching up to do, I wanted to take this opportunity to get a leg up on the Z-A Blogger's Challenge. So far, I've only done "Z," and the rest of the pack is somewhere around "E" or even "D" by now, but whatever. I'll get to it in my own time. As I said earlier, this Z-A Challenge, for me, will center around the subject of music, and I actually had to pen a piece for Y!CN before I could do "Y."



Y is for Yaz

Yaz, or Yazoo as they were called in the UK, was a very short-lived new wave duo back in the early 1980's and though they were only around for two years or so, they definitely left their mark. I remember this Puerto Rican kid I went to Fordham University with. His name was Ritchie Rodriguez and he was one of my best friends during my time at Fordham. Anyway, Ritchie was heavy into music, especially new wave music which was just beginning to blossom back in 1982-83. He turned me on to Culture Club and Yaz, two groups that definitely hold a lot of memories for me.

Yaz had an album called 'Upstairs at Eric's,' which was absolutely epic. The album was very new wave, with lots of synthesizers n' such, but all of the songs were very well written and just awesome. I even got Joe to love them during our time together, the music was so good.

The duo consisted of writer/keyboardist Vince Clark, formerly of Depeche Mode and afterwards Erasure, and powerhouse soul singer Alyson Moyet. Alyson was sort of like an Adele of her time, with that British soul and powerful pipes. The combination of well-written songs and her fantastic vocals was simply classic.

You probably already know the song 'Situation,' which has been sampled many times over, and maybe even their other club hit, the fast and furious 'Don't Go.' There aren't too many videos for their songs, and I want to share a couple of my favorites, so I'm going to place a combination of vids and audio for you to check out. The first one is actually off of the band's second and final album, 'You and Me Both,' and I absolutely love the almost rap-like in your face vocals by Alyson. I couldn't find the original audio version of this song, and of course the live version doesn't do it justice, but check it out:

Don't mind me honey I'm just looking
I'm just looking
Smelt your chicken
And I watched you cooking
Souped up, jacked up, cracked up, stacked up
You're a bad stain
And you need to be cleaned up



State Farm - The Best of Yaz


Here's my absolute favorite...so heartfelt and authentic. This one still gives me goosebumps when I hear it. Check out 'Midnight':

Midnight, it's raining outside
He must be soaking wet
Everyone is sleeping tight
God knows I've tried my best, but
Darling you know it looks bad
Just lost the best thing that I ever had
Still I don't know why I did him wrong
it's too late now he's gone to say

I said baby, ooh no,
Can't leave me now, say
So think about me please
Cause I love you'
And I need you
And I should have thought about that
Before I did you wrong




Finally, here's 'Don't Go,' a fast moving club song that hit #1 on Billboard's Hot Dance charts back in 1982:

Living for the city Walked into the door
I turned around when I heard the sound of footsteps on the floor
Love just like addiction now Im hooked on you
I need some time to get it right
Your love gonna see me through



Pick up 'Upstairs at Eric's' below:
Upstairs At Eric's - Yaz



I published a full review of the album, which you can see by clicking the picture below...




Song of the Day - Sun Is Up - Inna


Okay, it's Friday of Memorial Day Weekend....summer is finally here folks! The past couple of days I've been trying to choose songs that hearken those wonderful summer days and the feeling of joy that comes with them. This one is a wonderful, feel good type of summer jam that just oozes sunshine. Check out 'Sun is Up':


Sun Is Up (Play & Win Radio Edit) - Sun Is Up (Play & Win Radio Edit) - Single



Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Song of the Day - Surprise - Gnarls Barkley


It's not often that I post a "Song of the Day" that doesn't have a video to it, and for this one I really tried to find one that would work. Unfortunately this song by favorite group Gnarls Barkley never had a video and the only things I could find on the net were a couple of anime homemades that I wasn't crazy about and a few live performances of this song, 'Surprise.' Since I really wanted to share the album version without the anime, I simply chose a non-video video of it.



This song is off of Gnarls' last, most-fabulous album, 'The Odd Couple,' and it's perfect for the days leading up to the unofficial start of summer. As I've spoken about earlier, Gnarls Barkley is a duo made up of 'F**k You' singer, Cee Lo Green and his partner, Danger Mouse. Together, they put out two albums of innovative, enjoyable and deep stuff.



'The Odd Couple' is full of great tunes including this fun, 'surf's up' kinda song, very reminscent of what a Beach Boys or a Mammas and Pappas tune would sound like if it were made today. The "la, la, la's" permeating the tune scream 1960's California fun-in-the-sun and make this a perfect choice for impending days at the beach. So please, if you were ever going to try a song on this blog that ya didn't know, this might just be the one that catches your ear. Enjoy 'Surprise'!


The Odd Couple - Gnarls Barkley




Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Song of the Day - Club Can't Handle Me - Flo Rida ft. David Guetta


Okay, so we're working towards Memorial Day Weekend and so we're definitely getting into party mode. This one from Flo Rida was a big hit last year and it's still fun to listen to! Enjoy!


Club Can't Handle Me (feat. David Guetta) [From



Monday, May 23, 2011

Song of the Day - Judas - Lady Gaga on SNL


It's been a busy week for Lady Gaga. Yesterday her long-awaited album 'Born This Way' was finally released and hype is all over the place. She's been making appearances here, there and everywhere to promote the album, culminating with the opening mini-show to the Good Morning America Summer Concert Series this Friday. She was the musical guest on the season finale of SNL this past Saturday and this is one of her two performances.

I happen to like Gaga, as you probably already knew, and I just may have a few things to say about the album once I've had more than just a couple of listens. In the meantime, I love the title cut and this one, her latest hit 'Judas.' So enjoy the performance and stay tuned for more Gaga...


Born This Way - Lady GaGa



May 23, 2011 - Invasion of the Men's Dept. Redux, Splash/Ritz Saturdays, Adele and Robyn in Out

Well it’s Monday afternoon and the third time I’m giving this post a try. Another weekend has come and gone, but that’s okay, though, cause summer’s right around the corner and I’ll have plenty of time to sleep and relax then, lol. It was a pretty good weekend, albeit a tiring one…



Macy’s Private Men’s Sale

This weekend was Macy’s semi-annual private men’s sale, which is usually the time I buy most of the clothes I have. This sale is the best Macy’s has, as it’s the one sale that I know of where there are (almost) no exclusions. Since I normally like to buy designer clothes, this one’s always a win-win for me, and so every time they have one I take the opportunity to get to Macys. The problem is, at first they used to have them two, maybe three times a year and now they’re running them way too often, luring me in almost bi-monthly with the promise of 25% off.

I wouldn’t normally bring up a shopping excursion such as this, but I experienced once again something I’ve written about before. In the article Invasion of the Men’s Department: Who’s to Blame?, I discuss an issue that has plagued me for years. Every time I go shopping for clothes, I always seem to have to fight with women everywhere, at the clothes racks, the underwear department and yes, even in the fitting room. It’s a pet peeve that never ceases, and I experienced it once again on Saturday.



After gathering some new frocks to try on in the Inc., Ecko and Calvin Klein areas, I headed off to the fitting room to try everything on. I hopped into a stall near the entrance and started to change. Within moments I heard a couple right outside my door.

“Is it okay if I come in?’ a woman’s voice whispered.

“Yeah, don’t worry about it,” her apparent boyfriend answered.

My blood began to boil as the woman stood right outside my stall, making the usual commentary on the clueless male shopper. I had wanted to scream “no” in answer to her question, but that’s not my style. The two of them continued on in his little fashion show as if there were nothing extraordinary about it.

“Ooh, that makes your butt look hot!”

“Nope….I don’t like the color.”

“Those are too long.”

As this went on I was screaming inside my head. I so wanted to tell the woman to get the heck outta there. If I were to walk into the ladies fitting room while she was trying things on, I’m sure she would have freaked out and the authorities would’ve been called in.

When I was done, though, the young, pretty woman gave me a smile and all I could do was smile back and think “bitch” under my breath. Nah, this wasn’t worth fighting for, but still: grrrrrrr!!!!!

Splash/Ritz Saturdays

After resting up at home on Friday night, I headed out to the city one last time before Fire Island summer weekends start next week. (Not that I won’t be going into the city anymore, just not as much, which I’m thankful for, especially with the price of gas these days.) I got off to a late start, but that was okay because I beat the midnight deadline when the Splash cover doubles from $10 to $20.

Splash was great fun from the get go. It was more crowded than usual and the music was smoking. I’m not sure if it was just because I was in a good mood or what last night, but I was just having such a good time dancing and talking with people I really could’ve stayed at Splash all night. I did have one uncomfortable moment when this dude kept grabbing me on the dance floor around the waist every time I put my hands in the air, but I handled him okay and escaped downstairs to my favorite bartender.

I’m not sure if I’ve ever mentioned him before, but there’s this guy who works downstairs behind the bar. I have no idea how he came to be my bartender, but he is. Now all (or most) of the bartenders at Splash are good looking and their uniform is a pair of skivvies, and this dude is no exception. He’s tall, sculpted, beautiful, and a heck of a nice guy. I’ve been going to him for months, but I have no idea what his name is, lol.



Anyway, as I sat at the bar for a drink, this really big, shirtless dude came and sat next to me. We exchanged a glance or two and just as I thought to myself that he really should put his shirt back on, he turned to me and asked me if he looked gross. Being the good liar that I am, I told him that he wasn’t and turned back towards my drink. The dude then leaned over the bar and whispered something to my bartender. All he did was shake his head and the guy walked away.

“But your face is…” the bartender said aloud once the dude had moved away. He turned to me and smiled. Ah, we had a moment, lol!

Wild Night at Ritz

As I said earlier, I was having such a good time at Splash I really could’ve stayed there all night, but at around 1:30 I had a sudden urge to go to the Ritz. I have yet to have a bad time there and I guess I was just curious enough to check out the scene. All I can say here was that I’m glad I went, because I had one of the best times in recent memory. For the first time in like forever, I was up and dancing with these two guys when suddenly the lights went on and the music stopped.

At first, I thought it might be a raid or something, but then I realized it was 4AM. The bar was closing and it was time to go home, but not before spilling out on to the street and chatting with the guys I had been dancing with earlier. By the time I got home, it was almost 6AM. I can’t wait to move into the city!

Out Magazine

This month’s Out Magazine features two of my favorite female singers. Cover girl and piping hot songstress Adele sat down for an interview with the gay periodical’s Aaron Hicklin on the eve of her current US tour. The interview is a great read and the photos, by photographer Perry Ogden, are slamming, especially the cover shot. Click the pic below to check it out:



The other singer featured in the June issue is none other than Robyn, who played such a big part of my life just a few short months ago. The talented Swedish pop star talks to Out’s Noah Michelson about her very un-pop-like approach to being successful, as well as her popularity within the gay culture. It’s another great read!



It’s too bad that lately I no longer listen to either of these lovely and talented young ladies. I’m afraid their music, although absolutely wonderful, brings up too many painful memories for me and I can’t help but hit the ‘next’ button whenever one of their songs comes into play on my iPod. Maybe one day I’ll listen again!

Well, I think I’ve said more than a mouthful today and I’m going to finish up with a new semi-regular feature. I recently published a piece on Y!CN called Retweeting Great Quotes on Twitter for Both Inspiration and Followers. It features some of my favorite things about Twitter: great quotes. Since there are so many great quotes tweeted each and every day, I figured I may just have to share a good one or two at the end of my posts. Today I share two quotes that I believe in wholeheartedly. Hopefully they will give you inspiration:

Find your passion, whatever it may be. Become it and let it become you and you will find great things happen for you, to you and because of you.”

@InflictTheTruth

Life is too short so kiss slowly, laugh insanely, love truly and forgive quickly.”

@OMGloveislouder

I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s post and once again, thanks for reading! Enjoy Adele's 'Rolling in the Deep':


21 - ADELE



Sunday, May 22, 2011

Song of the Day - Hold On - Wilson Phillips


Okay, I knew early on yesterday what today's "Song of the Day" was going to be. Now this isn't something I would ordinarily post on this blog, but if you've seen 'Bridesmaids,' you'll definitely appreciate it, lol...and if you haven't, check out my mini-review of the film, go see it, and then you'll know. (Hint: Wilson Phillips make a cameo in the feelgood final scene of the movie.) So, for whatever it's worth, enjoy 'Hold On':


Hold On - Wilson Phillips





Bridesmaids



Today was a rarity for me. I actually went to see a movie, ‘Bridesmaids.’ I had heard it was hysterically funny and so I decided to give it a try. I’m so happy I did! The film stars Kristen Wiig as Annie, the maid of honor for her childhood friend Lillian, played by Maya Rudolph. Annie’s life is a mess, she’s flat broke after the failure of her bakery business, she’s unlucky in love, and she’s got to compete with Lillian’s new best bud, the rich and beautiful Helen (played by Rose Byrne) for top spot in Lillian’s pre-wedding planning.

As the title would suggest, the bridesmaids are the central figures in this often hysterically funny movie. Aside from Annie and Helen, we have Rita, Lillian’s cousin (Wendi McLendon-Covey), a sexually frustrated mother of three boys, Becca (Ellie Kemper), a wide-eyed, overly naive newlywed, and Megan (Melissa McCarthy), Lillian’s over the top, soon to be sister-in-law.

Without giving away too much, this one’s kinda sorta like a female version of ‘The Hangover,’ with sidesplitting scenes that will have your sides hurting from the laughter. One of the funniest scenes in the film was when the girls go for their dress fittings after an exotic, authentic Brazilian lunch. Hilarious! The airplane scenes are genuinely good comedy, as well. Many of the funniest scenes involve the lovable Megan, whose one-liners are well worth the price of admission.

Annie, our heroine, is someone you want to root for, continually digging herself deeper and deeper towards rock bottom, before finally coming through in the end. So if you enjoy good comedies, I highly recommend ‘Bridesmaids.’ Click the pic below and be directed to the movie's web page for trailers, background and more!



Song of the Day - Not Fair - Lily Allen


I love Lily Allen! She has a knack for putting modern, silly spins to more traditional sounding music. This one has a country sound to it, and unless you listen to it carefully, you would think it's a simple sounding, fun tune, but if you take a look at the words you'll see that it is actually kinda dirty. 'It's Not Fair' that her man is sooo good in so many ways except one! Take a listen...


Not Fair - It's Not Me, It's You


It's Not Fair

Oh he treats me with respect
he says he loves me all the time
he calls me fifteen times a day
he likes to make sure that I'm fine

You know I've never met a man
who's made me feel quite so secure
he's not like all them other boys
they're all so dumb and immature

There's just one thing
that's getting in the way
when we go up to bed
you're just no good
it's such a shame

I look into your eyes
I want to get to know you
and then you make this noise
and it's apparent it's all over

It's not fair
and I think you're really mean
I think you're really mean
I think you're really mean

Oh, you're supposed to care
don't you never make me scream
you never make me scream

Oh, it's not fair
and it's really not ok
it's really not ok
it's really not ok

Oh, you're supposed to care
but all you do is take
yeah all you do is take

Oh I lie here in the wet patch
in the middle of the bed
I'm feeling pretty damn hard done by
I spent ages giving head

Then I remember all the nice things
that you've ever said to me
maybe I'm just overreacting
maybe you're the one for me

There's just one thing
that's getting in the way
when we go up to bed
you're just no good
it's such a shame

I look into your eyes
I want to get to know you
and then you make this noise
and it's apparent it's all over

It's not fair
and I think you're really mean
I think you're really mean
I think you're really mean

Oh, you're supposed to care
don't you never make me scream
you never make me scream

Oh, it's not fair
and it's really not ok
it's really not ok
it's really not ok

Oh, you're supposed to care
but all you do is take
yeah all you do is take

There's just one thing
that's getting in the way
when we go up to bed
you're just no good
it's such a shame

I look into your eyes
I want to get to know you
and then you make this noise
and it's apparent it's all over

It's not fair
and I think you're really mean
I think you're really mean
I think you're really mean

Oh, you're supposed to care
don't you never make me scream
you never make me scream

Oh, it's not fair
and it's really not ok
it's really not ok
it's really not ok

Oh, you're supposed to care
but all you do is take
yeah all you do is take



Saturday, May 21, 2011

Song of the Day - Ojos Así - Shakira


Today's "Song of the Day" is one of my favorite Shakira songs. It's called 'Ojos Asi',' which means 'eyes like yours' and what I love about it is the mix of international influences heard on it. The song is sung in mostly Spanish, but it's got a strong Middle Eastern sound to it as well. I'm not sure what language is being spokenn during the chorus, Arabic maybe, but it's catchy nonetheless and good for a fast moving bellydance.

The song is from the singer's 'Laundry Service' album and is found on there in both Spanish and English, but my favorite version is from a mix CD called 'Let's Dance.' The version is 'Meme's 2001 Night Mix' and unfortunately there is no video for this version of the track. I did find an audio, which you can listen to at the end if you like. To me it's the most danceable and the most fun.


Laundry Service - Shakira


Meme's 2001 Night Mix (audio)




Friday, May 20, 2011

Z is for Zunga Zeng

We begin the Z-A Blogger's Challenge with my own little spin. I'm doing this one with a sub-theme: music, of course! I'm going to begin my way backwards through the alphabet posting items related to music that I like, music that I listen to. The letters will relate to songs, artists, genres, and pretty much anything that could have to do with my favorite thing in life. The posts will be easier to do, since they'll be shorter and besides, my music posts are amongst the most popular on this blog. No worries, though, I'll still be posting other stuff, too, like my "Song of the Day," (almost)daily journals, and whatever else tickles my fancy. So let's begin the Z-A Blogger's Challenge:



Z is for Zunga Zeng

What the heck is 'Zunga Zeng?' you ask. Well it's the name of a song, of course! 'Zunga Zeng' is a 1993 rap/dance tune by the former TKA singer known as
K7. Now TKA was a very popular freestyle group during the 1980's and soon after the movement had ebbed, the band sort of disappeared. In the early 90's the dance/rap movement began and K7 put out a solo album that was full of these kinds of songs.

The album, 'Swing, Batta, Swing' had three singles, 'Come, Baby, Come' (the biggest of the three), 'Hi De Ho' (which was featured in the Jim Carey movie 'Mask'), and this one. I have no idea what the heck zunga zeng means...gibberish obviously, but the song is smokin'. Take a look and a listen, and holla if ya like it!


Swing Batta Swing! - K7