Friday, September 30, 2011

September 30th, 2011 - Chapel of Love; My Poor Babies

Friday! I love Fridays. Doesn’t everyone? I guess as long as you’re a weekday worker you do, but if you work on the weekends, well… Hey, I know what it’s like, believe me. I’ve done plenty of weekends of working in my time and now… Yeah, baby, I just love the weekends!

Today’s the last day of September and it is absolutely gorgeous outside, and here I sit indoors typing away…oh well!


Source: Grooms and Brides

Going to the Chapel

Tomorrow my friend Lori is getting married to her one and only, Pasquale. Lori is a coworker of mine that I truly adore and I couldn’t be happier for her. She’s been planning this almost as long as I know her and I’m sure the time has gone by much quicker for her than it has for me.

This is the first wedding I’m going to in about ten years and much to my surprise I’m looking forward to it. I hope everything goes well…I’m sure it will be beautiful! So Lori and Pasquale, this one’s for you!



Chapel of Love - Chapel of Love




My Poor Babies

I think I have…well, had (I hope anyway!) a problem with my two kitties, Dylan and Diego. Within the last week I noticed first Diego and then Dylan scratching an awful lot. At first I didn’t think anything of it until I noticed scabs on the backs of both of their necks. Uh oh! Yep, I had high suspicions that it was those dreaded little buggers: fleas.

How could my cats get fleas? They’re both indoor tabbies. I remember once my old cat, Spike, who was also an indoor cat, got them. In his case, Joe and I figured out that those fleas came in on our houseplants that we had had outside for the summer and brought back into the house for the colder months, but that didn’t happen this time.

Honestly, I don’t know how they got em’, and though I haven’t seen any, I’m pretty sure they just came in through the screens of my back door and/or my windows. I took a trip to Petco yesterday to see what I could find and the girl working there said that ever since Hurricane Irene came through, they’ve had a lot of cases of fleas on indoor cats. Hmm?

Poor Me

I’ve kinda sorta been freaking out about it, as you can imagine. My friend Rich told me that I should put Borax, the soap detergent, on all of my rugs and let it sit for a couple of hours before vacuuming it up. So after buying the store brand of Frontline for the kitties, I stopped at the supermarket and went about my busy-ness in de-fleaing my home before it got bad. I washed all of my bed linens and sprinkled the powdery detergent literally everywhere. I applied the serum on both kitties, which was no easy task, believe me, and went about cleaning up all of that dusty mess with the vacuum cleaner. Five hours worth of cleaning!

I think, I hope, it worked. I haven’t seen either Dylan or Diego scratch once, although they still seem a little frazzled by the stuff I put on them yesterday. Keeping my fingers crossed…

Well, as always I’ve got more to share, but time is running short. Going out for a little birthday cake for Nancy Lou in a bit, and I’ve gotta get my workout in first. Here’s hoping you all have a great freakin’ weekend!





Thursday, September 29, 2011

Song of the Day - I'm Every Woman - Whitney Houston


Source: collegecandy


We celebrate Friday with a classic dance song. This is Whitney Houston's 1992 remake of Chaka Kahn's "I'm Every Woman." It's from the soundtrack to the movie "The Bodyguard" and it took the original to new heights. I remember the dance floor always filled when I played it as a deejay and I was always boogeying right along with everyone else. Great tune!





I'm Every Woman - The Bodyguard (Original Soundtrack Album)






Song of the Day - Just Be Good to Me - The SOS Band


Source: Music on Vinyl

People always talkin' bout
reputation
I don't care bout your other girls
just be good to me


The S.O.S. Band had several hits in the late 70's, early 80's and today's "Song of the Day" by them is a classic! I heard it on the radio yesterday and knew I had to feature it today, and I had to search through several YouTube videos to find one that had decent video with a good version of the song. Of course, back in those days I had the 12" version, which was so full of funky good beats you didn't even notice it was nine minutes long! There was a vid for that one, but only as an audio. So take a listen and a look at the one I chose, an appearance by the band on the classic show, "Soul Train," and see if you remember this one:


Just Be Good to Me (12






Wednesday, September 28, 2011

September 28th, 2011 - Writing Wednesday; Smells Like Teen Spirit; Happy Birthday Nancy Lou

Happy Hump Day all! Actually, it’s already Wednesday night and so at the moment we’re all past that proverbial work-week hump, so hooray for that! It’s already been a long work week for me, with three long days so far, but tomorrow is the first day of Rosh Hashanah, and so there’s no school. I’m going to celebrate by heading out to Circus for the first time since summer and I am really looking forward to it, but first I’ve got some stuff to share…




Writing Wednesday

Johnny’s been a busy little writer this week, with stuff on all three sites. Check out my latest:

Y!CN

Rihanna gains steam with “We Found Love”

This was an article originally penned for Gather, but another writer beat me to the punch, so I did the next best thing and posted it to Y!CN. It’s all about the singer’s newest single, “We Found Love,” which I posted here as Song of the Day the other day, but had to take down when her record company deleted it. The tune is from her upcoming album and it’s one of those songs that’s got a great chorus that stays in your head long after listening to it. The link to the iTunes track is still on Friday’s blog post here, so you can preview it and buy it there or you can just wait til it hits radio stations on October 11th.

Gather

New Music for the Week of 9/26/11

My weekly bit on Gather with new stuff from Blink 182, Lee Ann Rimes and a celebratory 20th Anniversary release of Nirvana’s "Nevermind."

Nirvana's "Nevermind" is a classic album and this is the song that started a whole new movement:

Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana


Nevermind (Deluxe Edition) - Nirvana


Ten New Roller Coasters for 2011

After a slow summer of 2011, theme parks everywhere are adding new coasters to their rosters next year. Click the link to check out what’s in store.

Examiner

The best Halloween spookfests on Long Island

Ah, I love the Halloween season, and I love going to haunted houses and getting the bejesus scared out of me! This one’s a review of four of the best haunted attractions Long Island has to offer.

The 2011 Long Island GLBT Expo

I went to this one last year and ended up running into some old friends who hadn’t known my ‘secret,’ hehe. No, they aren’t PLU’s, but they were working the Citibank booth at the Expo and were in for a pleasant reunion and surprise when I walked by. Actually, this was a pretty good event, and I’m hoping to go again this Sunday.

Metro Fridays come to Lizard Lounge

We’re a little more than a week away from the Grand Opening of Metro Fridays at Lizard Lounge, home of Circus Wednesdays. I’m very excited about it because I miss going there every week and I think I actually convinced my buddy Dita to come with me to opening night. Let’s hope it’s a success!

Happy Birthday Nancy Lou!

Today is my pal Nancy Lou’s birthday, so I couldn’t let this go without mention. Here’s to you Nancy Lou! Hope you have a mahvellous birthday! Boop boop bee doop!



Well, that's all she wrote for today folks! Have a good one!





Song of the Day - Fly By II - Blue


Source: stargate

I've been listening to a lot of R&B lately and for some reason this one keeps sticking in my head long after every listen. I have no idea who these guys are or where I know the song from, but it's some great rhythm and blues and it's got a very catchy hook.








Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Song of the Day - Love Sex Magic - Ciara & Justin Timberlake


Source: tibohiphop

Just a little Tuesday funk for y'all with Ciara and Justin T. Love this one!


Love Sex Magic (feat. Justin Timberlake) - Ciara






Monday, September 26, 2011

September 26th, 2011 - Facebook Stories; Walmartian of the Day: A Friend No More

Ah, Monday night! I don’t know, there’s something about a Monday night that I like. Maybe because the first workday of the week is now behind me, or that it’s usually at the beginning of the week when I start doing things off right, like working out, eating a nice dinner, and getting things done. Anyway, it’s a short week for me, thanks to Rosh Hashanah, and so instead of four more days, there are only three. Yay!



Facebook

Sometimes I just love Facebook. There’s just something about it that I get a kick out of, whether it’s having great mini-conversations with people I wouldn’t ordinarily get to talk to, reading funny posts that make me smile, and just staying in touch with people I like (and sometimes not!). Anyway, there’ve been a few cool things happening on Facebook recently that I figured I’d share.

Facebook at a Price? Nah!

Yesterday, the latest FB rumor was making its rounds, this time saying that beginning today they were going to start charging a monthly fee for the use of the site. This all had to do with the monumental changes being made to the site, which by the way I’m kind of excited and not so excited about. I have to admit, some of the posts I read had me believing it, but I was skeptical at best.

There was even a post going around saying that you had to repost the post before this morning in order to not get charged a $9.99 monthly fee. Yeah right! Any who, right before I was going to copy and paste the post to my status I came across this article that finally made sense of it all. The title grabbed my attention:

No, Facebook will not make you pay to get the new profiles

The piece, written by Mashable Social Media’s Ben Parr, reposted some of the idiotic statuses that were being circulated and then proceeded to clear the air, which of course, is that Facebook is not going to begin charging fees to use their site. Whew!

My good friend and fellow writer Sherri Thornhill mocked the ridiculousness today with a status which I reposted to my own page. I think it is a perfect way to put those idiotic rumors to rest:

On September 31st, 2011 Facebook will start charging you for your account. To avoid this, you MUST get NAKED, stand on your dining room table and do the Macarena, all the while singing ”I Will Survive”. After filming and posting it to your Facebook wall and YouTube, then, and only then, will Mark Zuckerberg come down your chimney to tell you that your account will stay free. Pass it on, it must be true because someone on Facebook I hardly know told me!

I love it!

A Facebook Blast from the Past

Here’s one of those things I love about Facebook. On Saturday, I received a friend request from someone I hadn’t seen in years. He was a guy that grew up on my block and I’ve known him since I was 8 years old. His name is Marc and I haven’t seen him or heard from him since we were in our late teens/early twenties (a long time ago!).

When I saw the friend request I couldn’t help but smile. How cool is it that you can reconnect with people in such a way? Anyway, we’ve had brief correspondence since Saturday, but I’m sure that we will definitely be chatting some more. Ah, so ,many memories!

A Facebook Joke

Now FB is not usually a place where I would find a good joke, but tonight my pal Bessie posted something that perked my interest. It began…

After nearly 50 years of marriage, a couple was lying in bed one evening, when the wife felt her husband, begin to massage her in ways he hadn't in quite some time. It almost tickled as his fingers started at her neck, and then began moving down past the small of her back.

I read on:

He then caressed her shoulders and neck, slowly worked his hand down, stopping just over her stomach. He then proceeded to place his hand on her left inner arm, working down her side, passing gently over her buttock and down her leg to her calf. ... Then, he proceeded up her thigh, stopping just at the uppermost portion of her leg. He continued in the same manner on her right side, then suddenly stopped, rolled over and became silent. As she had become quite aroused by this caressing, she asked in a loving voice, 'Honey, that was wonderful. Why did you stop?' To which he responded: 'I found the remote'

Now that was funny!

Walmartian of the Day

Mondays are going to be Walmartian Mondays from here on in. For the record, I never shop at Walmart and judging from the real life pictures I’ve seen (and will share!), the only thing I’m missing is some nausea from looking at some pretty disgusting fellow customers. Just check out this hot tomato:



Eeeeewwwww!!!!

A Friend No More

Last week I told you about a surprise visit I was getting from Johnny’s old friend Kona. Well, I haven’t mentioned it til now, but as of this moment, Johnny’s done. He and Kona last had contact on Wednesday, when they made plans to get together for dinner on Thursday in the city, but that was it! Johnny got home from work early, showered and changed for his trip into the city and….nothing! Kona simply disappeared. Oh no, she didn’t fly home or anything. He could see from her FB posts that she was indeed in the city, and now she’s on Long Island, but for whatever reason she chose not to follow through on her plans with Johnny and that’s that!

From the little he knows about her personal life, he knows that she’s always had a way of alienating people around her, and she finally did it to Johnny, for whatever reason. Now he can’t wait to write the newest episode of the Johnny Driver series…

Well that's all she wrote folks. Time to hit the shower and then the pillow! Have a great Tuesday and I'll see some of you on Facebook! Ciao!





Song of the Day - Manic Monday - The Bangles



Source: solarnavigator

Yes, it's just another Manic Monday folks! You knew I had to play this one eventually, and since the Bangles are coming out with a new album soon, the timing is good. This was such a wonderfully written song by Prince and Suzanna and the gang made one heck of a hit out of it! Enjoy your Monday!

Manic Monday

Six o'clock already
I was just in the middle of a dream
I was kissin' Valentino
By a crystal blue Italian stream
But I can't be late
'Cause then I guess I just won't get paid
These are the days
When you wish your bed was already made

It's just another manic Monday
I wish it were Sunday
'Cause that's my fun day
My I don't have to run day
It's just another manic Monday

Have to catch an early train
Got to be to work by nine
And if I had an aeroplane
I still couldn't make it on time
'Cause it takes me so long just to figure out what I'm gonna wear
Blame it on the train
But the boss is already there

It's just another manic Monday
Wish it were Sunday
'Cause that's my fun day
My I don't have to run day
It's just another manic Monday

All of the nights
Why did my lover have to pick last night
To get down?
(Last night, last night)
Doesn't it matter
That I have to feed the both of us
Employment's down
He tells me in his bedroom voice
"C'mon honey, let's go make some noise"
Time it goes so fast
(When you're having fun)

It's just another manic Monday
I wish it were Sunday
'Cause that's my fun day
I don't have to run day

It's just another manic Monday
I wish it was Sunday
'Cause that's my fun day
It's just a manic Monday




Manic Monday - Bangles: Greatest Hits






Sunday, September 25, 2011

Sunday, September 25th, 2011 - An apology, some tension and an eerie familiarity; A straight girl goes to Splash


Sunday morning is quickly becoming early Sunday afternoon and I’ve got to get my butt in gear. Lots to take advantage of on a day off and there’s no time like the present, but I wanted to catch up here first…

An apology, some tension and an eerie familiarity

Since I had the day off on Friday and we didn’t go to Six Flags, I had a lot of time on my hands, and I figured I’d pay a surprise visit to my friend Nancy Lou. It had been a long time since I’d seen or spoken to him, a month in fact since he took me for my colonoscopy. I wanted to break the ice by paying him a visit. When I knocked on his door and he yelled out “who is it?,” I acted out a little nervous humor by answering “Charlie.”

Well, at first I think he believed I was a stranger named Charlie, but he soon realized it was me. Honestly, for a minute there I didn’t think he was going to let me in. He did though, after a tense couple of minutes, and once I got in he let me have it in his own way, which I deserved. As he did so, I was brought back to my days living with my grandparents in the Bronx.

Lou reminds me a lot of my grandfather. They’re both Sicilian, both large, imposing guys, and they both have tough exteriors on the outside and warm fuzzy hearts on the inside. Now my grandfather passed away in 2007 and he’d long since mellowed with age, but at one time he and I butted heads all the time and the way he used to yell at me often caused me heartache. In fact, it was an argument with him that caused me to leave his house and quit going to Fordham University, but that’s a whole other story.

Lou is not a lot like grandpa, but sometimes he reminds me of him and Friday he brought me back to tense moments with Joe Randazzo. I loved my grandfather and I love Lou, and this was the first time I think I ever made him angry with me. By the end of my visit, we were okay and I want to say publicly here to Nance that I’m sorry. Sometimes it just happens where we lose touch and I should have known better than to stay away for so long.

Nancy Lou is one of the most avid readers of this blog and for that I am grateful, as well as for the friendship he and I share. This one’s for him:


From a Distance - Experience the Divine - Greatest Hits (Deluxe Version)


A straight girl goes to a Splash

I have to say, last night was one of the best times I’ve had at Splash in recent memory. My pal Reet was going to be in the city last night and she asked me if I wanted to meet her for dinner before I headed to the club, so I went. We met in Chelsea and had a really nice Mexican dinner at Maryanne’s on 8th Avenue, and then walked around for a bit before I asked her if she wanted to hit Splash with me. It was early and she had to pick some people up at a wedding downtown afterwards, and I figured I’d show her where I hung out before she had to go. Also, it was only 10PM, so I thought that I’d get in for free, or at least cheaper, which I did.

Just like Labor Day Sunday at Cherry Grove, I think Rita had a great time…no, check that, I know she did. It’s always funny bringing a fruit fly to a predominantly male gay bar for the first time. It makes you realize that some of the things you’re used to are very different from what they’re used to seeing. I remember when I first took my pal Vera to Thunders back in the day and I forgot to tell her that when gay friends greet each other, they usually give a kiss rather than a handshake, or that the restrooms, whether it says "Men" or "Women" on the door, are usually open to anybody. Her bulging eyes back then were hysterically funny to watch, as were Reet’s last night, only for different reasons.

Now I’ll preface this by stating that the uniform for most of the workers in Splash, especially the bartenders, is underwear, and not only are they working in their skimpy skivvies, but each of them could be a runway model. We went downstairs to use the restroom and get a drink when we first arrived, and as soon as we got down there, Rita’s eyes began to bulge big time, lol. It was cute because I’m just so used to seeing that that I never really even pay any attention to them, but for someone who’s never been…I could understand.

We soon went upstairs and the go-go dancers were doing their things on their little stages, providing eye candy for the packed house and Rita. We danced to some really good music and Rita was as giddy as one could be. She kept joking that she was one of only a couple of women amongst about 200 men and not one of them was ever gonna hit on her. Of course Reet, hehe, it’s the world of PLU’s.



Anyway, we had a great time dancing and getting sweaty (it’s a real curse…I’ve actually taken to bringing two shirts nowadays so I can change into a dry one after the first one gets wet…ewww!). My two Chinese admirers were there and Rita got to witness what I had said way back when I first met them. It was kind of cute, though, in a way. The little one waved to me first from across the floor, but when he saw Rita he kept his distance. A little while later, she got a phone call and had to run outside to take it and he was on me in literally three seconds.

Rita came back shortly, but I assured him that he could stay and dance with us, which he did. The looks and the laughter on her face were making me laugh as the little guy bumped and grinded on me. It was all in good fun, though! Another bout of laughter came when my friend Ivan walked right by us and I yelled out “There’s Ivan,” to Rita. She quickly turned around and poked another person on the shoulder. Ivan had already walked away into the crowd and I curiously never saw him again.

Anyway, a little after 12, Rita had to leave and I stayed and kept on dancing. The music was really great for a Saturday night, but as always, I found myself heading to Ritz around 1:30. I’m starting to think I’m done with that place. The guys there are really cute and all, but it gets way too crowded, so much so that it’s hard to make your way around or even dance. All in all, though, it was a great Saturday night. I wish they all could be like that!

Well that’s all for now. There’s lots to be done today so I’ve gotta get on with it. Thanks for reading and have a great Sunday!





Song of the Day - Doo-Wop (That Thing) - Lauren Hill


Image Source: wzak cleveland

Girls you know you'd better, watch out
Cause guys, some guys are only about
That thing, that thing, that thi-i-i-ing...


We have a Fugee thing going on here this weekend on John's World. After yesterday's Wyclef tune, it's only fitting that I share a Lauren Hill one here today. We have not heard from Miss Lauren for quite a long time, but I rememember when this one was everywhere and her "Miseducation of Lauren Hill" CD rocked the charts.

The words "doo wop" do not come up in the song, I believe, but the words describe the song well. It's a pleasant doo-woppy ditty (and video!) that combines both the old and the new with great success. Check it out:


Doo Wop (That Thing) - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill






Saturday, September 24, 2011

Song of the Day - Perfect Gentleman - Wyclef Jean


Image Source: Pop Cultured

Just cause she dances go-go
That don't make her a ho no
Maxine, put your red shoes on
We going to the disco
We gonna elope to Mexico
Called up my mama, said I'm in love with a stripper, yo


The chorus to this song about being in love with a stripper is so catchy! Yeah, I know, it's not the most romantic of love songs, but I've always loved it.


Perfect Gentleman - The Ecleftic -2 Sides II a Book






Friday, September 23, 2011

Song of the Day Redux - Only Girl in the World - Rihanna


Source: Rap Up

Since posting this morning's "Song of the Day," I learned that Rihanna's record company pulled all postings of "We Found Love," and so I've removed the video link, though I am leaving the iTunes link for those who might want to purchase this awesome song. It'll probably be made available again sometime in October, when it makes its radio debut on or around the 11th and I will feature it then. In the meantime, here's a new "Song of the Day," Rihanna's debut smash from her last album, "Loud."


Loud - Rihanna






Rihanna's new song, "We Found Love" - I shoulda known better!


Source: Killer HipHop

This post was originally done as a song of the day, but within a couple of hours, Rihanna's record company had YouTube remove all postings of it, so I had to remove it altogether and post a new "Song of the Day." I'm leaving this here because I think this song rocks and there's a link below to buy it if you like it. You can preview it on iTunes by clicking the link below...


I couldn't resist sharing this one today. Yesterday, out of nowhere, Rihanna made an announcement that she's putting out a new album in November, and at the same time she released a new song from it. The song is called "We Found Love," and it's as catchy as anything she's done. It was released on iTunes yesterday and so I downloaded it and immediately loved it! Rihanna has a knack for making great, catchy songs and this one is the kind of song you love at first listen. So if you haven't heard it yet, press play below and enjoy! Oh, and have a great Friday!

We Found Love (feat. Calvin Harris) - We Found Love (feat. Calvin Harris) - Single





Thursday, September 22, 2011

Eminem - Without Me


Source: Green Lantern Corps

Two trailer park girls go round the outside
round the outside
round the outside


Whether you like Eminem or not, you gotta admit this one was so irresistable! I heard it on the radio yesterday and knew I wanted to share it today. Cool video, too!

nya nya nya nya nya, nya nya nya nya nya...


Without Me - The Eminem Show






Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Writing Wednesday, September 21st, 2011

Well, it's Wednesday night and we're just about over that hump...I'm a little out of gas...been a long week, but I wanted to put up some links to what I've been writing lately. It's been too long since the last Writing Wednesday...


Magnum XL-200 at Cedar Point - My favorite roller coaster and #3 on the list of the top 25 of 2011

Roller Coasters

Well, since I WAS going to go to Out at Night at Great Adventure this Friday, I've had coasters on my mind recently. I've done several pieces on roller coasters on both Examiner and Gather:

Out in the Park Events (at Six Flags New England and Great Adventure)

Halloween Fright Fests at Theme Parks Across America

This one got featured on Examiner's special Halloween page. Hoping for lots of page views! Besides, I love Fright Fest and I may just have to go this year.

Top 25 Wooden Coasters of 2011

Top 25 Steel Coasters of 2011

World's Best Amusement Parks for 2011

Fire Island

End of Season Fun at Cherry Grove

There are still a couple of parties going on at Cherry Grove before it closes for the season. I'm hoping to go to the Halloween Party at Cherry's on October 1st.

Gather Music

It seems I am now writing for Gather what I used to write for AC, or Y!CN. I kind of miss writing as much for them, but ever since they turned me down for their Featured Music Contributor position, things just haven't been the same! Anyway, here are some of those pieces:

New Music: Week of August 29th with Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lenny Kravitz, Edwin McCain and Jill Scott.

New Music: Week of September 12th with Lady Antebellum, Bush and Blondie.

New Music: Week of September 19th with Pearl Jam, Tori Amos, Demi Lovato, Tony Bennett and new mega-super group Superheavy.

There were two articles on David Guetta's fantastic "Nothing But the Beat," a general review and a track by track listing:

Guetta On Fire

"Nothing But the Beat: Track by Track"

If you don't already have this one, get it!!!!

Tony Bennett's "Duets II"

I previewed this one because it's got Amy Winehouse's very last recording with Bennett on "Body and Soul." The rest of it sounds pretty cool, too, if you're into that, and besides Mr. Bennett made news today with his remarks about 911. Tsk tsk!

Miscellaneous pieces from Y!CN

I posted a few pieces here and there for Yahoo Contributor Network recently on different topics. Check em out:

Remembering 9/11

I've linked this one here before. It started as an assignment, and then I flubbed it, lol. I think it's a pretty good piece, though!

My Fitness Routine

Another assignment piece...on how I keep fit...dancing's the word, mostly!

Volunteer's Corner: Feeding the Hungry

My latest in the series, this time on food pantries where people can volunteer for a really good cause. My neighbor and friend Terry has been doing it for years and she rocks!

So that's about it! It's really not a lot for three or four weeks, right? Makes me want to recharge my tired batteries and do something more pointed and consistent. Anyway, I'm heading on out to the city tomorrow night, hopefully to meet with Kona (still don't know for sure!), but even if I don't, at least I have Splash to look forward to. I'm off Friday...woo hoo!





Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Song of the Day - That's the Way Love Is - Ten City


Image Source: Strike Curious Poses

Today's "Song of the Day" inspiration came from RuPaul, of all places! I follow her on Twitter and this morning she posteed a Byron Stingly tune as her "Workout Song of the Day." I remember Byron...he once belonged to this group called Ten City and Joe and I both loved their one and only album, "Foundation" way back in the early 90's. A few years later, he put out his own solo album, which I also played out.

When I first heard Cee Lo Green sing a few years back, I thought it was Byron Stingly making a comeback. They both have those rich, high, soulful voices that work just great with House/R&B/Pop music.

Anyway, back to the song...this one was the one that immediately came to mind when I saw Ru's tweet. I even responded to it, hoping for maybe some kind of answer back, but...maybe next time. I love Byron's song, "Get Up" and "Sing a Song," and maybe I'll post those one day, but for now I'm sharing this old Ten City record. It's sweet and melodic and it's been covered pretty well by other artists in later years. The lyrics are awesome (see below!) and I'm sorry there's no video for it, only song! Enjoy!


That's the Way Love Is - Club Stories



That's the Way Love Is

Two people take a vow to be together
and live and love each other forever.
They promise to love a lifetime
funny thing

then they change their minds.
They both go their seperate ways and love is just a memory.
But a young heart doesn't stay sad long

another love soon comes along.

That's the way love is
that's the way love is

that's the way love is.

Two people don't get along
deep down in

both have feelings very strong

They try hard to conceal it.
Their hearts burn 'cause they both know they can feel it.

That's the way love is
that's the way love is

that's the way love is.

Lovers leave without a reason
feelings change just like seasons.
In love nothing's for certain

There's no use in pretending what's behind the curtain.

That's the way love is
that's the way love is

that's the way love is.

No one knows how this feeling goes
it's hard to believe

Even stranger to conceive.
It's so gratifying
love's feeling
ain't no denying.
Yet it's so unfair when the feeling's no longer there.






September 20th, 2011 - Walmartian of the Day; Still Hurting: A Reunion?!?!

The time is running late and here I am once again at my pc, working feverishly to get stuff out there. I’ve got so many articles in my head and not enough time to write them, which is so frustrating, especially since I didn’t have the same ideas over the summer when I was off. Oh well, we do what we can, right?

Walmartian of the Day

I just got an idea for a new feature, which won’t be daily, but it’ll show up often enough. It’s inspired by my good friend Dita, who’s always sending me these “Walmartian” emails…you know, the ones showing real Walmart shoppers, truly ugly Americans looking for a bargain. They always give me a good chuckle, so I thought I’d share. Here’s the first one, which speaks for itself!


Ain't that America?

Still Hurting

I think that this time I really did it with the fall I took on Saturday. The pain is much worse than last time and in two different places, no less. My tailbone, which I think I hit squarely on the lower step, makes it hard for me to sit, and my mid-back area seems to be the place that’s killing me even more. Laughing, coughing, sneezing, and practically everything else leads to shooting pains that make me want to scream!

The worst part of it all is that it happened this week. I just told you last week about all of the good stuff I was looking forward to and I think that some of them may have to be cancelled, most notably “Out at Night” at Great Adventure. Somehow I don’t think that riding scream machines will do anything to help my back! That sucks!

A Johnny – Kona Reunion?!?!

I believe, though I am still not absolutely positively sure, that my old friend, Kona is coming for a visit. In fact, she may be here already. She shot me a message last week on Facebook telling me that she was coming to NY (she lives in Colorado) this week. Kona and Johnny Driver worked together Johnny’s first year at Wellington’s and they had one of the greatest summers ever! Johnny misses his Kona and he’s hoping to catch her in the city on Thursday night for some dinner and maybe a trip to Splash. At least taking the day off for roller coasters won’t be that much of a waste! I can’t wait, although I haven’t heard from her so I don’t know where she is at the moment.

Til next time...Have a great Hump Day!




Monday, September 19, 2011

Song of the Day - You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) - Dead or Alive


TechnoDisco

Oh man, I remember when this was THE song! It was way back in 1985 and I was just in my prime clubbing it at Crystals in Smithtown. I remember not knowing what the heck they were saying in the song until way after it was popular, but every time it came on the dance floor was packed, and it was the kind of song they'd even play twice in one night sometimes.

Dead or Alive became very popular after that, with a great album called "Youthquake," which featured other great songs like "My Heart Goes Bang," "Lover Come Back to Me," and "In Too Deep." All of my friends were big into them and Joe and I once drove all the way out to Sag Harbor to see them play a show. Ah, those were the days! Awesome times!


You Spin Me Round - Single - Dead or Alive






Sunday, September 18, 2011

Song of the Day - Unwritten - Natasha Bedingfield



idolimageFeel the rain on your skin

No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips

Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten


This is one of my favorite songs of all time. I love inspirational songs and this one's about as divine as you can get. I've used the song many times in my lessons with my students, and they love it too. It's heavenly!





Unwritten - The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Music from the Motion Picture)





Song of the Day - Hurt - Christina Aguilera


Creative Bits

Okay, there's a reason for today's selection...well a couple of reasons. Of course I love the song. It's one of Christina's best ballads, to me right on par with "Beautiful," and it can be found on her awesome "Back to Basics" set.

The other reason I chose this particular song for today is because that's exactly how I feel right now: hurt! No, I didn't fall in love and get jilted overnight...I am literally hurting physically. I know what it sounds like, and I should not have put it as a status on Facebook when it happened, but once again late on a Saturday night, I fell. Of course the first thing that might come to mind is "again?" And the second is, "Oh he was probably drunk."

Well, for the record I wasn't drunk at all, either time! The last time I slipped on wet pavement while running to my car in the pouring rain and this time it was a wet step that got me. I was in the Ritz around 2 AM, and for the first time I tried out the room upstairs (for the longest time I didn't even know there was an upstairs, lol). It was as crowded as it gets downstairs, wall to wall people, and the area is separated into two levels, a bar area and a dance floor, two or three steps up.

I had been having a good time, dancing to some really great music up there and when a song came on that I wasn't loving, I decided to go back downstairs. That's when it happened! I was squeezing past a couple of people at the top of those steps and again, my foot slipped on the second step and I went backwards, hitting my mid-back area on the upper step and my tailbone on the lower one. Out of fear of embarassment, I immediately righted myself and got the hell out of there. The pain was immediate and intense, and it's still pretty strong as I sit here. Damn, and my back was just starting to feel better after last time...

I hope that this isn't going to become a habit as I get older, hehe. I'm just going to chalk it up to some bad walking on some wet floor. So much for my great night!

Anyway, have a great Sunday and enjoy "Hurt":


Hurt - Back to Basics






Saturday, September 17, 2011

Cheers to the Freakin' Weekend...and then some!

I don’t know why, but life seems pretty good right at the moment. Though I haven’t had the opportunity yet to deal directly with my latest problem, I’m confident enough that I will handle it in a way that I wouldn’t have done in the past when the time comes. I had a great time last night with two of my best friends and right now, I’m feeling hella cool tonight…


A fuzzy picture, but a big smile to match my mood! (Sorry Lisa!)

Bella Vino

Last night Rita, Rich and I went to a wine bar called Bella Vino in Patchogue. It’s been there for awhile but I’d never been. One of Rita’s high school friends was performing and so she invited us. The place was really cool and I’m thinking of writing a piece on it very soon. The evening was filled with “flights” of wine, some fondue nice music and an all around good time!


Source: Standard Hotels

Some Things to Look Forward To

To me, life is all about planning things to look forward to, whether it’s dinner with a friend, a night out on the town or a weekend getaway. With summer gone and me being back at work, I’ve still managed to keep my social activities around and sometimes when I’m having a rough day it’s helpful to think of the things I’ve got coming up. Here’s some of what I’m looking forward to:

A Surprise Visit from a Special Person?

I got an email the other night that one of my bestest friends, who lives out of state and that I miss terribly, might, just might be coming to NY this week. I won’t say who it is just yet, but I am very excited!


Kingda Ka at SFGA

Out in the Park at Great Adventure

This Friday, my friend Rich and I, and possibly my pal Reet, are taking our annual jaunt to Six Flags Great Adventure for their annual Gay Night. Dita and I have been going for the past five or six years and it’s always a blast. If you want more information on the event, check out this article I wrote on Examiner:

Out in the Park Events at Long Island Area Six Flags

Lori’s Wedding and a Halloween Party

On October 1st, my fellow teacher and good friend Lori is going to be getting married. Though I’ve never been a big fan of weddings and I haven’t been to one in years, I am definitely looking forward to this one. Lori is such a sweetheart…good peeps!...and she’s invited several other great folks from work, as well, so it should be a blast, and by coincidence Cherry’s is having their season finale, Halloween Party that same evening, so if things go as planned, the afternoon party will segue into an equally fun evening fiesta finale at Fire Island. I’ve never gone that late in the season, but I hear it’s really cool, and of course, there’s an article about that, too:

End of Season Fun at Cherry Grove this September

There are also smaller things to look forward to, like a movie night or two and some dinners with friends, of course some jaunts into Splash and maybe even a trip to Luxe, and there’s the tiniest possibility that I might be going to New Orleans in October…stay tuned for that one. It should be hella cool if it happens.

An Exciting Prospect

There’s another exciting thing that happened earlier this week at school. I met this woman, Christine, one day at school while manning the welcome desk. She was there to pick up her daughter from class and we were having a friendly chat when all of a sudden she asked me what I did at the school. When I told her I was an ESL teacher, she got all excited and told me that she used to do that type of work for Literacy Volunteers of America and other places.

She mentioned how there was such a need on the North Fork for adult ESL classes, which I’ve known for a long time, and that she’d been seriously thinking of starting a school somewhere out there. We both began to speak excitedly as we discussed the issue. I told her I had twice tried to secure grants for such a project, but was turned down both times. “We don’t need grants,” she exclaimed. “We can do it ourselves.”

A light bulb went off in my head. The North Fork of Long Island has plenty of foreign language speaking immigrants, especially migrant workers who work the farms and vineyards out there, yet there’s no place for them to go but Suffolk Community College in Riverhead which is expensive and miles away. Christine is an entrepreneur and she seems to have the know-how to get us started. We exchanged numbers and are planning to meet soon to discuss how we move forward from here. Very exciting!


Metro Fridays ad from Circus' Facebook Page

Metro Fridays at Lizard Lounge

There was yet another piece of good news this week, and it comes from Jay Antonio at Lizard Lounge / Circus Wednesdays. Beginning on October 7th, the Lizard Lounge is going to be opening up to the gay community for a second night with a “Metro Fridays” night every week. For a sad Long Island gay nightlife scene, this is most welcome news. Though they’ll be competing with Glass Fridays in Blue Point, not too far away, I think that choices are just what we need to maybe get things going again. I for one miss going to Circus since school started and now I’m excited that I’ll get to start going there once again. I plan on doing a piece on it, so stay tuned…

Well, how’s about that? A whole blog post with nothing but good stuff! I’ve got to go jump in the shower soon cause I’m heading on out to Splash tonight. Hopefully all this excitement I have right now will turn this into a great night. We’ll see. In the meantime, here’s Rihanna’s latest, a song I’ve been singing in my head nearly every Friday since last fall, when her “Loud” album came out.

Cheers to the freakin’ weekend. I’ll drink to that!


Cheers (Drink to That) - Loud






September 17th, 2011 - Dealing with life's inner struggles


Source: Angry Gray Rainbows

Today is Saturday, September 17th, and I’m really trying to get my stuff together. It seems like every day there are new challenges to be met and the key is all in how you approach em…

A Constant Battle

As is the case each and every day, I’m in a constant struggle with myself in trying to change my own negative character traits. As I’ve told you before, reading Dan Millman’s book, “The Life You Were Born to Live,” has given me cause to take a step back and look at my life in a different way. Whether or not you believe in numerology, and I cannot say whether I do or I don’t, this book is eerily spot-on when it comes to what is seemingly the truth about my nature. I’ve shared it with several friends over the past couple of weeks and they’ve all had similar things to say about it.

What has made it so hard is that I am now recognizing things I really knew all along, only the difference now is that I’m trying to force myself to confront the negative in hopes of making my life better, which is very difficult. This has been the case especially in my relationships with men.

Over the past several weeks, my ego has taken a boost with the attention I’ve been getting from guys. Whereas in the past I would just go with the flow and eventually get myself into sticky situations, I am trying very hard to resist the way I would normally deal with them and handle it like I should, avoiding unnecessary problems, and as I said, it’s so hard to do.

A Slightly Different Role Reversal

A few months ago, I was in a very different place than where I stand today. It was the end of January and his last visit to my house, and after watching a movie, we had a little talk. Though I already knew from what he told me that a relationship between us was out of the question, he felt that he needed to reiterate that point and tell me that all he wanted was friendship. He asked me if I had had any hopes that it would change and I said that yes, of course I had hoped for that. I had strong feelings for him at the time, and I did think that he was special enough to have been the next best thing in my life. He told me that any sort of romantic idea between us was over and that friendship was all he could offer.

Though I had said I did harbor some hope that things might change, I had already prepared myself for the new direction our relationship had taken and was okay with keeping him in my life. I knew there was still an attraction there on both sides, and I felt I could move on in a different way with him, with no commitment or strings attached. I believed we could still see each other, but not necessarily in a purely platonic way. When he told me that was not possible, I decided that staying away might be the best route for me, even though I had a change of heart in just 24 hours.

The day after our conversation was truly a fun day spent enjoying each other’s company and by the end of it, I told him that I didn’t think I could keep away from him altogether. I went to bed that night believing things would somehow work themselves out in one way or another. Things took a turn for the worse a couple of days later following a blog post in which I lamented my own situation. He responded with an email trying to assure me that I was indeed special to him, though another reminder of his happiness with his decision brought things right back to despair for me and the first bit of ugliness between us ensued. The end result was that a week later he cut me off for good, not responding to the last two emails I had sent him. I don’t know, but I am guessing he felt that after what had transpired, he had decided that I could not handle a friendship with him and this was the best way for him to handle it.

Alone Again, Naturally

I was left to go about my life once again alone, in search of my own happiness. The sting of what happened had been less severe than the first time, and although I hurt for a long time afterwards, I think I’ve finally come into my own again and I am no longer the hurting sap I had been. The question back then was whether or not I could stay friends with someone I was interested in romantically, and I sincerely believed I would have done alright, though no one can know for sure what might have transpired afterwards. Today I find myself in a similar situation, only with the proverbial shoe on the other foot.

Can Friendship Happen When One-Sided Physical Attraction Exists?

I’ve already told you about two people with whom I’ve had recent contact with, who both said they wanted to remain friends with me even though they too harbored hopes in a possible romantic relationship. Nick was one who I’d been connected with a long time ago and after a couple of months of wrangling with the issue I was finally able to tell him the truth, that I no longer wanted any contact with him at all. Ozzie is a different story altogether, and I’m finding myself in a tough spot because he’s someone I really wanted as my friend, but I’m beginning to believe that’s no longer possible.

Within this question lies the difference between my situation now and back then. For whatever reason, I harbor no physical attractions towards Oz, though I am attracted to his sweet spirit. I’ve struggled with my own inner demons to convey that to him by being as direct as I can be and without hurting his feelings. On a few occasions I thought I had done just that, only to be reminded once again that maybe as long as I am around he will always struggle with his feelings for me.

Just this week I’m getting inklings that whatever it is he’s feeling for me will get in the way of a possible friendship, and it’s wearing on my mind. Once again I’m going to have to be upfront and direct and I’m afraid that maybe this time I may have to do the same as thing he did to me way back in January, but I need to do it in a better way. I have to understand that maybe hurt is going to happen, but for the sake of my own well being, it is what I must do. I don’t know what else to do, and I just hope I can keep my inner struggles in check this time. It’s not going to be easy!

Life sure sucks sometimes!