cgm13.net :: the boy wonder: September 2003

And, it's now a little over one month to my three year anniversary.

And, at some point in the near future, I will be adding photo galleries of some of the shows I have directed ("A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," "Rope," "Closer") and been in ("The Fantasticks," "Robin Hood: The Legen of Sherwood," "Titanic: The Musical," "A Little Night Music," etc.). Hmmmm. I'll have to see if I can find some photos of when I played Charlie Brown in "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown." I actually had hair back then. Shocker!!!

And now, for some strange reason, Internet Explorer is being a bitch and not bringing up any sites that have heavy coding or content ... such as Blogger. I am now being forced to use Netscape while I figure the problem out. Ugh ... I really hate Netscape. Oh, well. Back to trying to figure the problem out. Whee!

Yeah, you guessed it. I could win a million dollars and still find something to be sad and fucked up over.

Ten things to be happy about:
1) I am a new home owner.
2) I have a job.
3) I bought some horror films this past weekend.
4) I went on a really nice hike yesterday.
5) My birthday is just around the corner.
6) I own a Powerbook.
7) I go at the end of October to visit Mitch and Jen.
8) I am taking a break from theater.
9) I have new shoes.
10) I have a lot of really super cool friends.

And, have I mentioned lately just how much ass BJ kicks?

Loved by many. Loved by none.

I got so exited. But, then I kept waiting for the rest of the picture to show up. Humph! Seems like I have been suckered by clever cropping. Oh, well ...

It's official. All the papers have been signed by all the parties concerned and I am now a home owner! Yep ... 1/2 acre of land, one large storage shed and one house that measures in at around 1,300 square feet (three bedrooms, two baths, kitchen, dining and living area). Dear lord, I am gonna be in debt for the rest of my life.

Did you know that there is a very famous cookbook written by Vincent and Mary Price?
[via Mitch]

You know ... this would make the perfect house warming gift. Yeah!
[via Corky]

"It's all about not getting blunt, keeping sharp, keeping pragmatic in the editing process," said Scott. "You've got seventeen minutes where everything's flying and the dynamics are terrific: everyone's dead and Sigourney's on her own. The seventeen minutes seemed to have great dynamics, and I went to the lab and I tried that scene in and out and in and out. And I thought, 'Well, it doesn't suck. It intrudes.' And having looked at it recently within the last year, I thought, 'Oh, it actually works pretty well.' So... back it goes."
It does appear that Ridley Scott is indeed going to fuck up his masterpiece. Oh, well ... time to start hunting from an older dvd release before the "Director's Cut" becomes the only version available.
[via Keith]

One week down, ten more to go. Yes, somebody needs to smack me.

"Now I've heard everything ..."
Aimee Mann - Say Anything [4.54 MB]

And now, a list for the one, the only Corky!
The wallet: Here's a run-down of what's hugging my right ass cheek today:
1) Expired Metro Card from NYC
2) Library Card
3) ATM Card
4) Driver's License
5) Two Video Store Membership Cards
6) Pocket Calendar
7) Citibank MasterCard
8) American Express Blue Card
9) "Quick Tipper" Card
10) Various Receipts
11) Various Movie Stubs
12) Various Phone Numbers
13) $5.00

Charlotte (The Long and The Short):
You know there's not really that much to tell about my trip to Charlotte this past weekend. I got to hang out with David and meet a lot of his friends. I got to eat at some cool restaurants. Went to most of the gay hangouts ... Liasons, the Charlotte Eagle and Velocity. Went shopping at South Park mall where they were having some great 75% off sales. I didn't speak to one single girl the entire trip ... nothing but guys, guys, guys. Plus, I now know not to move there, as I can't complete with all those in shape, gorgeous men.

"Hi. My name is George and I need your help. Iraq needs your help as well. I know that the economy in my country is in horrific shape, but I need my government and fellow countrymen to somehow fund an additional $87 billion to make sure my imperial vision for that poor little country holds true. And now that our troops stationed there are being slowly picked off one by one ... I need you, other nations of the world, to put your men in harm's way as well so that my global vision of democracy can get a foot hold in the Middle East. Sure, I exaggerated about the WMDs and Saddam's capabilities of making/using them. Sure, I lied about the ties between 9/11 terrorists and Iraq. Can't we just let that go? Now is your chance to step up to the plate and show me support I so richly deserve. Because, with me at the helm, we can not fail in our mission for an American global structure, whether anyone likes it or not."

There's a dog sittin' at the door watchin' it rain.

Camille Rose Garcia has a new exhibit currently showing at the Roq la Rue Gallery in Seattle, Washington. Check it out!

Weekend News:
Charlotte. So. Much. Gayness. Mmmmmmm. Details to follow ...

In Other News:
I will be signing my life away as of this coming Thursday at 9:00 a.m. Yes. Home ownership is now only a mere three days away.

*Sigh* It's been one of "those" days. It's too bad that the men of Titan aren't hangin' out in my "woods" for some quality camp fire time, swimming, boating, hiking or ... er, fishing. *Sigh* Reeling in a catch ... indeed.

Whee! Another weekend "out of town" approaches. Seem to be the traveling fool lately ... don't I? This time it's off to Charlotte to see what kind of mayhem I can reek. As BJ can attest, I am a real wild one. Right. Oh yeah, and I will be spending some "catch-up" time with my friend David. So, all in all, it should be a fun weekend.

Dang it. He got gone before I could be crafty with the camera! Maybe next time ...

Dear lord ... there is a cute, shirtless fella doing work out in the yard here at work. I have been trying to figure out how to be super crafty and get a picture to post here. Damn, I need a life. Damn, I need to get laid.

So close ... so close to being a home owner. You know what that means don't you? Lots of "before and after" pictures for this site.

Hmmm. I'll grant that "Alien" is probably the best sci-fi/horror hybrid movie ever made. Good lord is it scary. But now Fox is set to ruin it with a new "Alien: The Director's Cut" coming out next month. If the added footage contains any of the deleted scenes that were included as extras on the original laser disc/dvd "Special Editions" then, man, is it gonna suck. Watching the deleted footage you could really see why it was cut from the movie. "Alien" is a tightly wound, very claustrophobic movie. I do think that "more" would make it "less." Seems like we're being dumbed down once again to re-visit a "re-imagined" classic ... just like that ultra-crappy "Version You Have Never Seen" of "The Exorcist." (Yes. I used a lot of quote marks in this post.)

Well, today is the start of 2+ months being "G"-less. Lynnette wants me to take up yoga to relieve stress and keep my mind off the obvious.

The new album "Thirteenth Step" by A Perfect Circle is only $9.99 right now at the local Best Buy. You know, if the RIAA forced the price of cds down to $9.99 (all the time and not just in the initial release week) they would sell a lot more of them and put a major dent in the "illegal" file sharing that goes on. Yeah. I am stating the obvious. Mmmmm, $9.99 compact discs.

So, while romping through Wal-Mart this morning to find a new decanter for my friend Mr. Coffee, I stumbled upon a sweet model car kit in the toy department. Yes. You now can also make The Homer. How can you not love the car designed by Homer Simpson that totally destroys his half-brother Herb's automobile company in the episode "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou." I so almost purchased it for myself. But then I found copies of Roman Polanski's "The Tenant" and William Peter Blatty's "Exorcist III" on dvd for $5.88 each and got those instead. Mmmmmm, horror films. You know, it's a pretty sad day when horror wins out over The Simpsons.

How the hell am I gonna find happiness and peace of mind when I'm losin' all the time?
Annie Lennox - Bitter Pill [5.5 MB]

ARGH! Have I mentioned that I really, really hate PC's, Microsoft Windows and everything related to them. Damn unreliable, unresponsive, constantly fucking up machines. It's Apple all the way, baby!

Another trip out of town is scheduled ... finally going down to Charlotte this coming weekend to experience the gayness of the city with my friend David. Yes. I actually have friends.

With my birthday a little less than a month from now, it's time to be shameless and say, "Get off your asses and buy me something from my DVD Wishlist!" Yes. Help make my 32nd birthday an even more special day! Lavish me with one of the many quality movies or programs that I so richly deserve. And, if the birthday isn't a good enough reason to spend money on me ... don't forget that (Lord willing) there will be a housing warming very soon as well. C'mon and be nice to your favorite, balding, neurotic, self-obsessed, self-deprecating, low self-esteem bastard!

School is back in session with the fourth installment of Teen Girl Squad.

Argh. My nerves are not any better today. The outlay of cash for the Jeep coupled with the money just spent in NYC and the closing on the house looming in the very near future has made me very nervous about money. Plus, imminent expenses are going to be heating oil and weather proofing for the house. I suppose that it isn't helping that a "certain person" is leaving in two days. Whee.

What a shitty weekend. The brakes went out on the Jeep very unexpectedly on Saturday. The cost of repairs this morning was $250. Ugh.

6-Pack of Beer.
"The Two Towers" on dvd.
Pizza.
Hot Tub.
Y'all be as good as I am gonna be.

I have been reading the rest of Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" series. I can claim to be less of a dork for never having read them all before. Anyway, there is a scene in "The Return of the King" where Frodo is captured by Orcs and the strip him of all his clothing and possessions. Hmmmmm. I wonder if that means we will get to see a naked Elijah Wood in the third film? Ah, cheap thrills ...

I had a dream about "G" last night. We were riding in his car, heading back to my house after having been somewhere. Suddenly, about a mile from my house, he pulls over to the side of the road and says that he has to go and I have to get out. We exchange words. As he drives back down the road away from me I am screaming "Asshole!" as loudly as I can.

Yow! I now have a real estate attorney and am in the process of getting Home Owner's Insurance and a termite inspection. The bank says that closing should occur in the next couple of weeks. Then I will be a responsible adult and own a car and a house. Hot tub here I come. Whee!

The official site of the remake of "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" has gotten a face-lift. In an interesting marketing twist, the filmakers are saying that the film is a fictional take on actual events. Hmmmm ... it's sorta true since the first film is very loosely based on maniac Ed Gein. But somehow I don't think they will repliacate the coolness of the marketing campaign for "The Blair Witch Project." So, groove on over and check out all the chainsaw and meathook induced carnage ... especially the kick-ass trailer.

Wow! We have had the door open at work this afternoon and there is a definate feel of Autumn in the air. That means my favorite time of year is at hand ... cooler temps which means more hikes in the woods with fall colors on the trees. Oh, yeah. And my birthday hits in a little over a month.

NYC 2003: On top of the world at the Empire State Building.

So, "G" (as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named shall now be known) leaves next week for his extended job hunting trip/vacation to Florida. I have mixed feelings about this. He's gonna be gone a little over two months. This is for the best. He'll go down there, re-establish ties to his friends there, get a job and I'll never hear from him again ... hopefully. He hasn't taken the hint so far that I can't do the friendship thing with him anymore. I never call or e-mail him about anything. He is always the one that contacts me first about doing stuff. It seems like he would have realized that I have placed a barrier (albeit a small one) between us. But, I can't seem to help myself. Whenever he calls my resolve always breaks and I agree to hang out with him. Yeesh. I know, I know ... I shouldn't be telling you all this information. I should suck it up and tell him that I can do "friendship" with him. I am way too much of a Libra-ish pussy to do that. I know that if I started "that" conversation with him that I would end up a weepy mess begging him to care for me the way I care for him ... better to keep the status quo and bide my time until he is gone for good and I don't have to deal with him anymore.

The NYC 2003 Report:
Thursday: Arrived at the airport on time and then promptly had to sit for an extra two hours because the flight was delayed (weather and Newark is repaving one of their main runways). So, we didn't actually get to the hotel until about 7:30 pm. A quick check of the TKTS board informed us that "Avenue Q" would not be seen that evening. Walked around the tourist area (Times Square) and reaclimated myself to the hustle and bustle and was reminded just how expensive stuff is in that part of the city (2 Beers = $11.00 + Tip). Yeesh. I did get to see Mel Brook on 42nd Street. Whoo! Met BJ in the lobby of the hotel at 11:00 pm for a night out on the town. All I can say is he is so adorable in person. We hit a local "trendy" bar for a quick beer and the made trips through The Eagle, The Phoenix and finally stopping off at The Cock. The Eagle was really sweet. It was leather night (and I had left my harness back home). I was harassed into going shirtless to fit in. Eeeep! After a few beers and watching some fellas make out we headed down to BJ's neighborhood. The Phoenix was really laid back (and has a hot bartender and a Simpsons Pinball machine). The Cock was crowded, noisy, full of smoke and had a really bad Go-Go Dancer. But when the gorgeous, bright yellow speedos-wearing bartender pours a shot down your throat ... you know things can't be all that bad. BJ and I parted company around four in the morning and I cabbed it back to the hotel. Times Square is nice at 4 a.m. because all the annoying tourists are in bed.

Friday: Three hours of sleep later I am up for a full day in the city. Had breakfast and went to Lincoln Center, strolled though Central Park and took a tour through the Metropolitan Museum of Art (a really cool Lichtenstein exhibit was on display in the Roof Garden). There was time for a quick nap and then we were off to the Village to eat at Bella Pasta (one of my favorite restaurants in the city). Well, they have switch to food, prices and service around enough that I doubt I will go back there. Oh, well. Then it was off to the Shubert Theatre to see Bernadette Peters in "Gypsy." The show is really well done. Afterwards it was drink and then bed.

Saturday: After breakfast, I beat it down to So-Ho to go to the Apple Store and drool all over the nice Macintosh products. I got back to hotel in time to change and make it to the Eugene O'Neil Theatre for the revival of "Nine" with Antonio Banderas. The show was good and I now have some respect for Banderas because he was really, really good in the show. After that I ended up at Gabriella's on 75th and Amsterdam for a nice meal. Mmmmmmm. Then it was back down to the Walter Kerr Theatre for "Take Me Out" and much naked penis. A really good show ... and not just because of the naked men. More drinks afterwards and then to bed.

Sunday: Times Square hosted the annual "Broadway on Broadway" concert at 11:30 am and that was a lot of fun. I took Sherry down to the Empire State Building and we got to fight though the crowds and see the city for on high. New York is so spectacular. We almost died in the cab on the way back to meet the bus to go back to the airport. Ah, cab rides! We got on the bus and on the way out of town I could of sworn that I saw The Minx walking down Eighth Avenue. Got to the airport on time and then was delayed almost two hours leaving. Yeesh. I am really starting to hate air travel.

So, here I am back wasting time at work. The trip was a lot of fun though waaaaaay too short. Next year I think I will skip the theatre trip and go on my own so that I can stay in a hotel outside of the major tourist center and stay longer.

Well, I am back in the wilds of North Carolina after a rush through the Big City. Fun time, but way too short a visit. A more detailed post will follow ...

Heh, heh ... all packed and ready to go. NYC is mere hours away! Catch y'all on Monday.

Ugh. I got to see a tape of the last episode of "Boy Meets Boy" last night and was totally disgusted by it. The producers of the show tried to spin it like some great experiment to show that gays and straights really aren't different than each other. The only difference is who they sleep with. Duh. What do you think the gay rights movement has been screaming about for years? And what's up with the gay men being all cool that straight men, pretending to be gay, were playing the game as well? Sheesh! Half of the playing field were straight. They were all there to try and dupe the gay man out of that big cash prize and one almost succeeded.

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy to be shown in theaters this December
From December 5 - 11, the studio will release 100-150 35mm prints of the Special Extended Edition of The Fellowship of the Ring in cities across the country. On December 12 - 15, these prints will be replaced with Special Extended Edition prints of The Two Towers. On Monday, December 8, and Monday, December 15, both films will be presented back-to-back. Then, on Tuesday, December 16, participating theaters will show a one-time-only marathon of both Extended Edition prints followed by an 11pm screening of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. The official opening of the film will commence at 12:01 AM on Wednesday, December 17, 2003.

Geez. While growing up, my friends and I always thought that watching the three Star Wars films (at that time it was just SW, ESB, ROTJ) back to back would be a daunting prospect.

And the featured personal today on Queer Day is none other than Keith.

Quite possibly the most evil man in America ... besides Dubya and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, that is. Damn the cute guys that prey on gay men, whether it be just for attention or a big pile of cash.

Tonight brings the five greatest words in the English language together ... All-You-Can-Eat Steak. Yeah! Then tomorrow I am off to the big city. I don't think that I have mentioned that ... have I? Heh, heh.

In a mere 48 hours I will be in New York City. Whoo!

Oh, yeah. I should probably talk about the rest of the weekend besides the psudo-date with that certain fella on Friday night.

Saturday ... spent the day watching "The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season," "Mystery of the Wax Museum" and "House of Wax." That certain fella called and I was a dumbass and invited him over to hang out. Man, am I weak willed. We got all eighties and watched "V: The Original Miniseries."

Sunday ... finally got some much needed work done on the computer. Got to hang out with David (a friend from Charlotte) and catch up on what's going on with him.

Monday ... Slept most of the day away and had a nice dinner with friends. Got all bummed out because that certain fella didn't call me like he said he would. Yeah. Drank a little too much late in the evening. Viva-la-Paid-Holiday!

Labor Day Movie Update:
He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named (I really need to get a new nickname for this guy) and I went to see "Freddy vs Jason" on Friday night. What a fun movie. It's not a great film by any stretch of the imagination but a nice little romp none-the-less. Not scary at all, but the bodies pile up at a rapid pace. Mmmmmm, blood. The reall treat was getting to see the trailer of the remake of "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" on the big screen. That movie looks really promising ... but, then again, so did "Jeepers Creepers." We'll all find out on October 17th.

Also rented "Final Destination 2" over the holiday and really, really dug this movie. It's basically a showcase for elaborate and really grusome death scenes. Man, is it fun! How could you not like a movie that puts a mother and her teenage son in peril. Yes! I am sure that this movie is gonna become a cult item for fans of the "splatter" genre.