Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Rough Week

It's been a rough week going back to my day job after having last week off. Is this week over yet? Has my four-day weekend started yet? Unfortunately, it has not. One more day on the grind before I'm free. I shouldn't complain. A lot of people are still on vacation this week, so at least it's been relatively quiet at the office. I'm so ready for 2014 to be over. It kind of sucked, especially toward the end. I'm certainly looking forward to positive changes ahead in 2015. Keep hope alive, folks!

Friday, December 26, 2014

Post-Christmas Greetings

I certainly hope everyone has had a great week. Hopefully, you got a day (or more) off to relax and enjoy some time with family and/or friends. I have been off from my day job all week and it's been pretty chill. A shout out to the El Rey network for their Godzilla marathon showing since Christmas Eve. I love Godzilla movies, particularly the old ones from the 60s. Good stuff. After countless days of cloudy, gloomy weather here in the Chicago area, we actually had sunshine yesterday and we seem to have it today. Woo hoo!

Monday, December 22, 2014

Pivot - Coming in January 2015

My new book, Pivot, is coming January 25, 2015 from JMS Books. It has truly been a struggle to get this one done (for a variety of reasons), but it has been a labor of love. Here's a summary:


After being robbed and assaulted at gunpoint by a black man two years ago, white Chicago dentist Mark Cross is hesitant to go out at night, let alone get involved in an interracial relationship…until he meets Darren Nichols, a black public high school Spanish teacher and basketball coach. Introduced by mutual friends, Mark and Darren soon become a couple, fall in love, and eventually move in together. Despite pushback from their families and an ugly confrontation with Darren’s ex, Mark and Darren start to build a life together. Mark thinks everything is great until he meets Darren’s friend Terrance and suspects that Terrance is the same man who robbed and assaulted him. Mark’s suspicion throws his and Darren’s relationship into a tailspin and forces him to come to terms with his own racial prejudices.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Bubbly and Babs

I totally missed Michael Buble's Christmas special on TV last night. I didn't even know about it until one of my coworkers emailed me this morning asking if I'd seen it. Doh! While I was wasting time watching episodes from the second season of Grey's Anatomy on DVD (and I'm done with that, by the way), Buble was spreading some holiday cheer. Thank God for On Demand because I was able to watch the special tonight. It was cheesy and a little lame, as usual, but I loved it. I like Buble being cheesy and corny. I even enjoyed that Grande girl. She can sing! But the highlight had to be Buble and Barbra Streisand. Babs sounded great in her duet of "It Had to Be You" with Buble. I need a little Michael Buble during the holiday season. With all of the bad news and just awful stuff going on in the world, it's nice to sit back, relax, and enjoy some Christmas music with Mikey Bubbles.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Red Light, Green Light

So Sony made the decision today to pull the movie The Interview from theaters because of anonymous threats, so the film won't be released on Christmas Day. What I can't understand is how this movie got a green light to be made in the first place. Who is the audience for a movie (a comedy!) about an assassination of a real foreign dictator? I don't know. Are there enough fans of Seth Rogan and/or James Franco who would support such a film? Who knows. What I want to know is how many films didn't get the green light from Sony because the studio was too busy working on The Interview? It's a shame independent, minority, and LGBT movies have such a hard time finding funding when schlock like The Interview gets backing from a major studio. The same goes for the book market. Whose book proposals were rejected so James Franco, Ethan Hawke, Nicole Richie, and a variety of other celebrities could have book deals? I know the thinking is that celebrities have a built-in audience, but it's still not right that people who don't have a big name or want to tell a story that isn't cookie-cutter aren't able to get their foot in the door.

Monday, December 15, 2014

The Year Without a Santa Claus

I'm watching The Year Without a Santa Claus for the gazillonith time, but the Hear Miser and Cold Miser songs just never get old. Both Misers are so campy and entertaining. These old cartoons from the 60s and 70s would never make the cut today.

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Multi-Culti Casting

I'm in the process of watching the first season of Grey's Anatomy on DVD now (mainly to see Patrick Dempsey), but what I'm really enjoying about the show is the multicultural casting. Shonda Rhimes created a show that has a variety of ethnicities and I like that. There are so many shows on TV that have all white or almost all white casts and Grey's shows that a show can be successful with a cast of people who aren't all white. The real world is multicultural and it's nice to see a show that realizes this.



Monday, December 8, 2014

All Cash

I got a call today from my credit union that there was "suspicious activity" on my debit card. Apparently, someone used my card number to make a purchase today at a Speedway gas station in Ann Arbor. I (A) wasn't in Ann Arbor today and (B) didn't buy any gas. I also have the card in question on me, so apparently someone created a fake card with my number. This is frustrating! With all of the data breaches we keep hearing about in the news lately, I'm seriously considering going all cash for purchases that I'd normally make with a debit card, like for gas and groceries. My father doesn't have a debit card and I laughed at him for being old fashioned. Now that I've been hacked, I'm no longer laughing. But using a card, particularly when buying gas, is so convenient. Will I be forced to go back to the old days when I had to go inside of the gas station and ask for "twenty on pump one"? Ugh.

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Little Children

I watched the film Little Children this weekend because Patrick Wilson is on my mind at the moment. (As an aside, I actually saw Patrick Wilson once in Brooklyn. I was on my way home from Trader Joe's and he was there on Bergen Street waiting to start filming for the TV show A Gifted Man. He's very tall and looks exactly like he looks on TV and in the movies. He also has a great ass, something you can see in all its glory in the Little Children.)


But back to Little Children. I saw this movie when it came out and I also read the book. (Both are very good, by the way.) What really fascinated me this time around was the way the movie really captured suburban life. The bored stay-at-home moms who gossip about everyone and everything. The handsome stay-at-home dad who is in a state of arrested development and feels emasculated by his wife. The people who are far too involved in the lives of their neighbors. Watching the movie made me want to reread the book by Tom Perrotta. Maybe I will. I enjoy his work.

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Outraged!

This week has been filled with one thing after another for me to be outraged about. First, someone swiped my car on the driver's side rear bumper leaving streaks of red paint. Annoying! Unfortunately, when you have to park on the street, as I do, these things happen, but I'm still pissed. Grrr! Second, my sister's landlord (he's not my landlord because I'm not on the lease!) came by today claiming he hadn't received our rent check in the mail and asking for another check. This guy is such a flake.  My sister thinks he's a nice guy, but to me, he's a flake who's one step above being a slumlord. Seriously. I would never have rented a place from him. And, third, but certainly not least, the lack of an indictment in the Staten Island chokehold case is ridiculous. I could go on, but I won't.


But, in spite of all of the fuckery going on lately, I am still hopeful that things will improve, not just for me personally, but for society as a whole in the new year. I'm about ready to write 2014 off and just move on already.

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Turkey Trip

I am back from my Thanksgiving holiday trip to my hometown of Detroit. Thankfully the weather was pretty good so there weren't any travel delays. Going back to Detroit is always bittersweet for me because it's my hometown and I love it, but it's been so beaten down over the years that some parts of the city are just so sad to look at. My old neighborhood looked okay, but my grandmother's block  wasn't in good shape at all. Downtown looked great though. During a visit to the Renaissance Center yesterday, I got a nice shot of Windsor.



Monday, November 24, 2014

Do As I Say, Not As I Do

I hate a hypocrite. If you talk the talk, you should walk the walk, right? Two recent bits of news I read on my gossip sites are perfect examples of the kind of hypocrisy I despise.


First, the British Royal Family has a dress code for journalists to follow when interviewing any member of their clan. The media is all a flutter about William and Kate coming to the United States next year for a visit so these dress codes have been in the news. The Royals request that no one (including technicians) wear "trainers" (that's gymshoes/sneakers for us in the US). Let me see if I understand this correctly. Duchess Kate can't even bother to put on drawers half the time she's out and about, yet journalists and their staff can't wear gymshoes??? Right. I understand a journalist dressing appropriately to interview anyone, but should a cameraman have to adhere to these same standards? I don't think so. If Kate can run around flashing her behind to the public whenever a stiff breeze blows her skirt, then I think a technician interviewing her should be allowed to wear what he or she feels comfortable in.


Second, I read about Halle Berry taking her first baby's daddy to court over straightening and dyeing their daughter's hair in an effort, she claimed, to make the child look "white." That little girl doesn't look white no matter what you do to her hair, but I digress. People choosing to straighten their child's hair (whether chemically or through some other process) is their business, but Halle is a hypocrite. Does she not straighten and dye her own hair??? I'm sure she does. So that's okay for her, but not for her child by the child's own father? Whatever. 

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Foxcatcher

I saw Foxcatcher today and walked out of the theater feeling annoyed because (A) the movie was too long and (B) this couple seated behind me in the theater kept whispering to each other throughout the movie. The acting in the film was very good. Steve Carrell was certainly creepy and effective as John du Pont, but I just didn't understand why the movie needed to go on for more than two hours. How many wrestling matches did we need to see? Oy! Aside from being annoyed, I was also interested in reading more about du Pont. I'm surprised the du Pont family didn't sue to keep this movie off the big screen, but maybe they figured it wasn't worth the time or money. And, speaking of money, the film does do a good job of showing the amount of control someone with money can have over those who don't.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Christmas Music

I love Christmas music and I'm not ashamed to admit it. So I was quite glad to hear that one if the radio stations here switched to an all Christmas all the time format last Friday. Yea! In addition to the radio music, I've been listening to my assortment of Christmas music CDs by Josh Grobin, Michael Buble, and Luther Vandross. I cannot, however, put my hands on my beloved Celine Dion Christmas CD. When I opened the jewel case today, it was empty! I have no idea where the disc is. I'm hoping I can find it. If you've heard Celine's versions of "O Come All Ye Faithful" and "Ave Maria" you'd understand how distraught I am over this missing CD. (And I'm not ashamed of liking Celine Dion either! I hate I never got the chance to see her in Vegas!)

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Morning TV

I've been reading about all of the infighting at the Today Show. I don't watch any of the morning shows (except for a little Morning Joe before I leave for work...when I can stand it), but I don't need to watch them to know that the real problem at Today is Matt Lauer. That dude needs to go quickly and take Al Roker with him. They both are played out and their game is tired. And, speaking of Roker, let's take a look at his Weather Channel buddy Sam "Daddy" Champion. Since Daddy flew the coop from Good Morning America to the Weather Channel, he's been doing nothing but bad-mouthing the had the fed him. He made fun of the Weather Channels' made up winter storm names and now he endorses them. "Storm Hercules is roaring through the Midwest bringing twenty feet of snow!" Sam criticized the morning shows, clearly forgetting that without GMA, he wouldn't be where he is today. What a hypocrite. (I still like you, Daddy!)

Saturday, November 15, 2014

A Push and a Shove

When I read a great book, I give it a good review on Goodreads (and Amazon if I bought it there), but some books deserve a little extra attention and A Push and a Shove by Christopher Kelly is one of those books. I just finished this book today and I'm still thinking about it. It's the story of a gay man, Ben, who was bullied during junior and high school by a guy named Terrence. Ben tracks Terrence down as an adult and the two men start to become friends. What's so fascinating about this book is Ben's desire for Terrence as a teenager and as an adult. After Terrence torments him day in and day out while they're kids and then pushes him down a flight of stairs causing him to have a concussion, Ben still longs to be with him. Oy! I highly recommend giving this book a read if you can get your hands on a copy. (It's out of print because the publisher went under and it doesn't seem to be available as an ebook either. I got my copy from the library but I also was able to buy a copy online because I really wanted to have my own book.)


While I was reading A Push and a Shove, I kept thinking about incidents of bullying that occurred while I was in middle school during the 1980s. I remember a girl I went to middle school with named Tameka. She was a small girl, but her size didn't matter because she'd just threaten to get her older, bigger sisters to beat other kids down on her behalf. (Thankfully, I was not one of the kids she set her sights on.) One day, one girl she picked on relentlessly just got fed up with it and cut her with a knife, slashing her forehead and leaving her permanently disfigured. You would think that this incident would have made her stop bullying other kids, but it didn't! She continued her reign of terror. I heard a few years ago that Tameka suffered a terrible loss in her family. Her son and some other family members were killed in a terrible automobile accident. As awful as this tragedy must have been for Tameka and her family, I couldn't help but wonder if her years of abuse inflicted upon others were coming back to haunt her.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Dead Skunk

Today was just one of those days that started on a bad note and never improved. We all have those days when it seems like everyone and everything is working against you and trying your nerves in the process. When I finally left my day job (good riddance), I had to drive over a dead skunk in the road to get to the freeway. Gross, yet strangely appropriate for the day I had.

Monday, November 10, 2014

New Ownership

Land that had been in my family since the early 1900s is now under new ownership because my father sold it. He wasn't planning to move onto the land in rural Alabama and none of his siblings expressed any interest, so he finally sold it. Even though I know it's a relief to my father to have the land off his hands, it's kind of sad to see it go to someone who isn't part of the Davis family. I'm glad I got the chance to see it one last time while he still owned it when I in Alabama a few weeks ago. Nothing lasts forever, I guess.



Sunday, November 9, 2014

Done!

I finally finished the last book I was working on and it's a relief to have that hurdle jumped. I had a really hard time with it, but the struggle was worth it in the end. Hopefully, readers will enjoy it. It's an interracial gay relationship novel with a bit of mystery involved. More info to come.

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Oversharing

I've been reading about Lena Dunham's latest scandal involving text in her book where she experimented sexually with her sister when they were both children. She refers to herself (jokingly, she says) as a sexual predator, then, when she's criticized for her behavior, she blows a gasket and says she's being attacked unfairly. If I had an opportunity to speak with Ms. Dunham, I would say, "Girl, stop oversharing! No one would know about your childhood weirdness if you didn't share every aspect of your freaking life with the public!" Oy! I can roll my eyes at Dunham, but I really want to know what editor allowed her to publish this stuff? Did no one proof her book? Did no one advise her that maybe she was making a mistake in discussing these matters publicly? Maybe someone did and she pushed back, but the publisher usually has the final right to make editorial decisions so I can't imagine a publisher couldn't have prevented this story from being published. Also, I'm no fan of Dunham or the right-wing publication that criticized her behavior (I vote for Team No One in this case), but I do wonder why no other critics who reviewed her book didn't bring this issue to the forefront? Was the entire episode just glossed over or not deemed worthy of discussion?

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Musical Maladies

My iPhone hasn't been working right in my car again. All of a sudden, the touch screen won't work and I have to use the actual phone to do anything. That's not convenient when I'm trying to drive! I'm so frustrated with the Volkswagen radio system right now. I'm tempted to put the car back in the shop, but I'm afraid it will cost me big bucks this time. When I had the radio fixed a few months ago, I didn't
have to pay because the car was still under warranty. I don't know if that warranty still applies now though.

In other disappointing music news, how come iTunes Radio sucks so bad? Every time I tune in, I find myself quickly tuning back out because their sing selections are so lousy. Every iRadio station I have set seems to play songs I don't want to hear. Mindy Abair on the smooth jazz station? No thanks. Elton John in the 70s station? I don't need to hear "Dont Let the Sun Go Down on Me" again, thank you. This is why I prefer Pandora. At least they know what I like.

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Whiplash

I saw the movie Whiplash today and thought it was great. The movie focused on a drummer at a Juilliard-like school in New York and his demanding teacher. (Demanding is too nice of word, but it's all I can come up with now.) As the movie progresses, you see the student just become more and more unhinged in his determination to be the best. When I walked out of the movie, my initial thought was that you can't let someone else control your mind. The teacher in the film just played so many head games with the kid and the kid wasn't able to handle it, mainly because he just didn't understand what the teacher was doing to him. He was being manipulated and moved like a puppet by the teacher. Sad.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Last Day

Today is my last full day at the beach. Wah! It's been great though so I can complain. The weather had been spectacular and I keep thinking, I could live like this! But life as I know it will be back before I know it, so I'd better enjoy my remaining hours of freedom while I have them.


Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Another Day at the Beach

It's another relaxing day at the beach for me. I'm getting some work done on my book and getting some reading done too. Speaking of reading, I finished a great book called Guys on Top by Darien Cox. I highly recommend it if you like m/m romances and you don't have hang ups about men in open relationships. 

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Vacation

I'm taking a little vacation this week to try and relax and finish the novel I've been working on. So far, so good!


Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Trickle Down

Another day, another Ebola victim. I hate to be fixated on this health crisis, but I am. No, I'm not glued to CNN for 24-hour Ebola updates, but I am concerned about the nurses in Texas and the spread of disease. I keep wondering how many people will be affected by this trickle down epidemic before it's under control. I don't know what the hell went on at that hospital in Texas, but I certainly hope that the place has some serious changes instituted as a result of this mess. What I can't understand is how hospital staff contracted Ebola when Duncan's family members seem to be Ebola-free. Duncan's family members were stuck in a two-bedroom apartment with him during the start of his illness, yet I haven't heard that any of them have come become ill. Was he not at the most contagious period in his illness when he was still at home and that's why the family members didn't contract Ebola? I find it hard to believe that the sanitary standards at Duncan's family's apartment were better than those at the hospital.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

From Hello to Hola!

With all of the bad news out there lately (Ebola anyone??), I was happy to see an actual bit of good news on the Internet today. A British man living in California who lost his African parrot four years ago was reunited with the bird recently. Apparently, he'd fitted the bird with a microchip and someone discovered that chip and returned the bird to its proper owner. The British owner had trained the bird to speak English that the parrot spoke with a British accent. However, when the bird came back after his four-year absence, he spoke Spanish rather than the British-accented English he used to speak. Clearly, this bird had been taken care of by someone who spoke Spanish and picked that language up during his disappearance. (The parrot also, unfortunately, bit his former owner when returned to his care.) I'm glad the owner was reunited with his parrot, but I wonder if the bird will eventually switch back to English and drop the Spanish he picked up.

Monday, October 13, 2014

Gone Girl

I saw Gone Girl over the weekend and thought it was okay. I read the book more than a year ago and really enjoyed it (except for the ending). The movie, while a little too long, did stick pretty closely to the book and was largely entertaining. Although I was initially annoyed with Affleck playing the role of Nick (my first choice for Nick remains Armie Hammer), Ben did a good job in the role. I was amazed at the size of Affleck's head throughout the movie. He has huge dome! I hadn't really noticed it before, but it was noticeable in the movie to me because it seemed like his head was double the size of many of the other actors. Oy!

Saturday, October 11, 2014

Brown Apples

I read an article in the Wall Street Journal about genetically modified apples that wouldn't turn brown as apples normally do after being exposed to the air. As much as I don't like the idea of having Frankenfruit, I hate brown apples even more. I know they're still good to eat even if they turn brown, but a brown apple is just not appealing to me. That's why I hurry up and eat one before it turns or I get those pre-sliced apples that have been treated with lemon juice or whatever so they don't turn brown so fast. I am one of those freaks who don't want flawed fruits or vegetables. A grape has a spot on it? I won't eat it. An orange is bruised? Ugh. I don't want it. (Consequently, I don't eat a lot of fruit although I should.) I prefer perfect fruits and veggies. I love the pre-packaged orange slices from Dole that cost far too much and frozen vegetables. Damaged food is just not my thing so you'd never find me Dumpster diving for grub. But genetically modified and overprocessed foods are scary to think about. What, exactly, are we eating when we eat that stuff? Maybe it's better not to think about it. But, given the choice, would I go for the brown apple or the genetically modified non-brown one? Sadly, I'd probably choose the Frankenfruit, created in a lab by some scientist.



Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Jeopardized

The Dallas Ebola patient, Eric Duncan, died and it's unfortunate that this man lost his life, but I can't help wondering if Duncan had any idea of the jeopardy he put his fiancée and others in when he traveled to the United States. I don't know if he realized he was ill when he left Liberia, but he did know he had been in direct contact with an Ebola victim in Africa. He clearly used poor judgment and endangered the lives of others. I'm not trying to blame the victim here because the man is dead and the hospital he went to didn't do him any favors either by turning him away with antibiotics when he first went through Emergency for help.

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Three Weeks

I've had three weeks of swimming lessons so far and I haven't drowned yet! Woo hoo! I'm still not entirely comfortable with having my head totally submerged, but I'm getting there slowly but surely. I know I'll have to take another class once this one ends, but that's okay. I need all the help I can get. As I told my swim teacher, "I don't need to be Michael Phelps. I just need to know how to save my life." I also want to be able to go to the Y and use the pool on occasion without feeling like I'm going to drown.


There are very young children taking lessons at the Y before my class starts and when I see those kids in the pool, I'm totally envious. I wish my parents had taken me to the Y or some other kind of activity center for swimming lessons at a young age when I was fearless and wouldn't hesitate to try new things. Fear certainly does get worse for some of us as we age.

Thursday, October 2, 2014

What to Do? What to Do?

The Ebola outbreak is kind of freaking me out. It's scary that the guy in Dallas was initially sent home from the hospital and came into contact with so many people before he was finally quarantined. I don't know what can be done to try and stop the spread of this disease throughout the country and throughout the world. I would hate to see entire communities of people quarantined but how else can the spread of disease be contained? 

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Stranger Danger

My sister sent me a link to a story about a woman who encountered a stranger in her home. The homeowner walked into her kitchen and found a strange woman there putting jars of food in her refrigerator. The strange woman was clearly mentally ill and seemed to believe she had a reason to be in the homeowner's kitchen. The homeowner calmly called the police who came and removed the woman and no harm was done to anyone, but the story made me wonder how I'd react in a similar situation. If I just walked into my kitchen and saw a strange woman there rummaging through my refrigerator, what would I do? I'd probably ask her what she was doing there, tell her to get the f out, and, if that didn't work, break out the pepper spray. No matter what, I'd either get the woman out of my house or vacate the premises myself and, in either case, I'd call the police and have the woman arrested. The woman in the story didn't press charges because her own teenaged son had allowed the strange woman into their home, figuring she was a friend of his mother's, so trying to press charges probably would have been difficult. But if nothing is done, this woman continues to walk the streets and enter the homes of others and that doesn't seem like a good solution to the problem.

Friday, September 26, 2014

This Week

My three-month free trial for Sirius radio came to an end this week. I decided not to sign up for a longer subscription for two reasons. 1. I'm not in my car for terribly long periods of time that would justify having this service. 2. The music on the stations wasn't that great to me.Musical taste is such a subjective thing and, while Sirius offered a vast array of channels, I found a lot of the music on those channels repetitive and/or not to my liking. The Lithium station played too much Foo Fighters, the Bridge station played too much Jim Croce, the Watercolors station didn't play a lot of the smooth jazz music that I like, the New Wave station didn't play a lot of the 80s New Wave music that I like. So, my decision not to subscribe to Sirius wasn't really a difficult one. Now it's back to my CDs, iPhone music, and (sigh) the radio.


This week also brought an end to Derek Jeter's baseball playing career. I'm glad Jeter went out on a high note. Go Kalamazoo!


I had my second swimming lesson this week and it went quite well. I was actually able to put my face under water and that's a huge step for me. My swimming teacher is very patient and she really helped me to relax and get my breathing together. I certainly hope the four remaining lessons are productive for me. I'm sure I'll take the course again, but I hope the second time around I can go in with some of the basics nailed down.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Van Morrison, Where Have You Been All My Life?

Lately, I've been listening to a lot of Van Morrison's music mainly because his songs keep popping up on one of the Sirius stations I have programmed on my radio. (Sadly, or maybe not so sadly, my three-month free subscription to Sirius will be coming to an end this week, but more about that later.) I've always liked Van Morrison, but if I have to hear "Brown-Eyed Girl" one more time, I'll lose it. "Brown-Eyed Girl" is truly one of those songs that I just can't stand to hear anymore because it's been played too much. Like "Tainted Love," "Piano Man," "Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow," and a host of other songs I can't think of right now, these tunes have been overplayed for years. They simply won't die. However, I've only recently discovered some Van Morrison songs that don't have me reaching to change the station as I often do when "Brown-Eyed Girl" comes on. I recently downloaded Van Morrison's "Caravan" and it is a great addition to the Morrison songs I already have, "Jackie Wilson Said" and "And It Stoned Me." I was not old enough to enjoy Van Morrison during his heyday, but I appreciate him now as an adult. His voice is very soothing and soulful and I enjoy it.

Monday, September 22, 2014

Release the Hounds!

After hearing that some nut job hopped the White House fence last week and through an unlocked door, I, like many Americans, wondered where the hell was the Secret Service? Sitting around eating donuts? Cracking jokes while this dude sprinted across the lawn and opened an unlocked door? "We've got a live one!" In addition to wanting some answers about the lack of Secret Service agents, I want to know why the hounds weren't released on the intruder. Where were the dogs? Doesn't the White House have a canine unit to go after these fence jumpers and subdue them? Granted, seeing a guy attacked by a pack of German Shepherds won't be pretty (and I've seen a guy taken down by one and it was no bueno), but security is needed and those hounds can surely take care of business.

Thursday, September 18, 2014

U2? Not Me!

I'm officially jumping on the bandwagon to complain about Apple dumping U2's new album into my iTunes cloud last week. Now I like U2. The Joshua Tree is one of the best albums out there. However, I think it should be my choice whether or not I want to download the band's new album. The beauty of iTunes is that I can select the music I like to listen to. When Apple made the decision to give all iTunes users the new U2 album they assumed everyone wanted to have it. We're not all the same people and we don't all have the same taste in music! Why didn't Apple simply make the album available as a free download to anyone who wanted it rather than forcing it on everyone? 

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Sorry, I'm Hanging Up

Some guy from Verizon called me the other day and started talking about a survey. I could barely understand what he was saying because his accent was so thick, so I hung up. He called back. I tried to understand what he was saying (apparently he had a series of questions he wanted to ask me), but trying to comprehend each word without constantly asking "Can you repeat that?" was just too much of a hassle for me, so I apologized, told the rep to send me an e-mail, and hung up...again. He didn't call back again. If I'm struggling to understand what you're saying, it's pointless for me (and you) to try and have a conversation. Put it in writing and send me an e-mail or forget it. I don't want to waste my time or yours any longer than necessary.

Sunday, September 14, 2014

The Struggle Is Almost Over

My next book is about 75% done. Aside from struggling with the book itself, I've also been struggling with finding a title for it. I think I finally have one that will work and that won't break my self-imposed rule of not having a book title over two words. Plus, it's easier to put a shorter title on the cover. I don't know why I've had such a hard time with this latest book. Maybe because it's the first book I've written since I moved from New York. (Daddy Issues was pretty much done by the time I moved last year.) Whatever the reason, I finally feel like I've got a grip on this one and it's just a matter of time before I can crank out the last of it and get a final draft finished. Despite my struggles with this book, I do love it and I love the characters. I'm writing an interracial gay romance this time around and I'm excited about it. Although my books always have racially diverse characters, I've never written about an interracial gay couple before. I think there's a need to have more diversity in m/m romance books and romance books in general and I certainly hope readers agree.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Interrogated!

I went to the optometrist's office today to get my eyeglass prescription because I want to get another pair of glasses. I've been wearing glasses since the third grade and I'm always paranoid now about breaking my glasses and not having a backup pair (because this happened to me while I was in high school). The receptionist at the optometrist's office tried to interrogate me for asking for my prescription. Is there something wrong with your prescription? No. I just want to get another pair of glasses. Where are you going to get them from? Lens Crafters. We can match whatever price you'd pay at Lens Crafters. At this point, I had to shut the guy down so I just asked him, "Are you going to give me my prescription or not?" He gave it to me. I understand the guy wants to make a sale at the optometrist's office, but I'd already purchased the glasses I'm wearing now there, so it's not like I left them high and dry. These folks made a few hundred dollars off of me already! The office is small and the selection of frames that they carry is small also, so I'm looking to go somewhere with a bigger inventory. Plus, I have a coupon for Lens Crafters. But none of this should matter. I believe I'm entitled to get my own eyeglass prescription without any questions, commentary, or feedback.  Jeez, such drama.

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Wednesday Whine

I don't really have one topic to blog about today, so I figured I'd just make list of things that are annoying me today.


1. Why can't I find a copy of the September issue of British GQ around anywhere? The August issue was everywhere, but September? So far, no luck in getting a copy with the lovely Jon Hamm on the cover.


2. Enough with the Biblical rains around here.


3. Why did Ray Rice have to go to my alma mater? Ugh.


4. Temps are supposed to drop into the 50s and 40s here this week. Bummer. The snow will be falling again soon.


5. Why isn't my new boyfriend Coby Bell on television more often? Must I be forced to watch The Game just to see him? Esquire TV needs to bring back more reruns of Burn Notice (but only the episodes that feature Coby/Jesse).

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Beat This!

I went to see the English Beat perform at a local venue last night and the show was excellent. Dave Wakeling and the band brought it! They did all of the band favorites like "Hands Off She's Mine," "Twist and Crawl," "Too Nice to Talk To," Ranking Full Stop," Stand Down Margaret," and " Save It for Later." They closed the two-hour show with Mirror in the Bathroom." The crowd was pumped and I was pleasantly surprised to see folks my age (who actually grew up listening to the Beat) in attendance.




Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Twisting in the Wind

I just returned from a quick road trip out of town to attend the funeral of a family member (who will be sorely missed) and during the drive to and from Indianapolis where the services were held, I drove past a swath of wind turbines. These contraptions, frankly, frighten me. I don't know what it is about them that creeps me out. Maybe it's their size; I don't know. If I had to live in an area where wind turbines were used and I was forced to watch those huge blades twisting (often slowly) in the wind, I'd probably go insane. I'm sure they're doing good things for the environment, but they're mucho creepy.

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Love Is Strange

I saw the film Love Is Strange today. It's about an older gay couple, played by John Lithgow and Alfred Molina, who are forced to live apart after Molina's character loses his job at a Catholic school after he marries Lithgow and the school, etc. find out about it. With the loss of income, the couple is no longer able to stay in their Manhattan co-op and are forced to sell it and live apart while they try to find new accommodations. The film should have been titled How New York Real Estate (Nearly) Ruined My Life because that, to me, was the crux of the story. The characters here didn't make a killing when they sold their co-op either. After flip taxes and everything else, they ended up with less than $20,000, a paltry sum that's not nearly enough to put into play in the New York (i.e. Manhattan) real estate market. However, the two men could have found another place to live outside of Manhattan. What about renting in Inwood, Queens, or an unfashionable part of Brooklyn (like Kensington, where I lived)? These options were never explored because then the movie would have been over with in about half an hour.


The movie was sad and funny and the acting was great, but the whole real estate thing just hung over it like a rain cloud. New York real estate is so ridiculous, but also fascinating. The things that people are able to get away with regarding real estate in New York are unbelievable. Apartments that wouldn't even be deemed inhabitable anywhere else are legal and rented in New York. (Or even if they're not legal, they're still rented.) No stove? No problem. Get a hotplate and/or a microwave and go to town. Bathtub in the kitchen? That's a win-win. You can bathe and wash dishes at the same time. Multitasking! Dorm-sized fridge? Wonderful. Who needs to freeze food anyway? Yes, New York is great, but it's not so great when you don't have any money and are living in a room with a toilet, a sink, and a view of a brick wall. (Sounds like a prison; maybe it is.) (For the record, the picture below was my living room in Brooklyn and I didn't think it was a prison [despite the bars on the window by the fire escape]. I thought it was a nice place actually.)


Friday, August 29, 2014

Crazyville

People seem to be losing their shit more and more these days. I just read about two cases of people flipping out during flights over reclined seats. I suspect most people hate it when the person in front of them reclines his/her seat on a flight. It's annoying. However, is this something worth getting into a fight about? Is this something that the flight should be diverted to deal with? No and No. I do, however, think the device that prevents a person from reclining the seat in front of you is kind of ingenious. It's like those devices that block a person's cell phone connection. Sneaky, yet effective. But these devices can also cause trouble. Can't people find ways to solve problems that don't result on physical violence or diverted flights?

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Teacher Removed

I read this story today about a teacher who was removed from his job because he'd written two novels (under a pseudonym) that dealt with school shootings. Here's a link to read more about the story:




http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/english-teacher-under-investigation-for-writing-a-fiction-featuring-school-shootings_b89654




I find it bizarre that this man would be suspended from his job for fictional books that he wrote. What was the basis for his suspension? Is he a threat to students and/or faculty? Has he shown violent tendencies in the classroom in the past or had any kind of disciplinary action brought against him? I certainly hope this guy's union helps him to keep his job. So many things come back to bite us and it's a shame when your own fictional writing leads to something like this.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Huh?

Why did the Emmys suck last night? Because so many of the winners weren't that great. Why do these award show judges keep picking the same shows and the same stars over and over? There are a lot of new, interesting shows that aren't on network TV, but the Emmys must be run by network honchos because the non-network stuff just seems to get passed over. Does Jim Parsons really need another Emmy? Does Modern Family? I don't think so, but that's just my opinion. (I don't actually watch the Big Bang Theory or Modern Family.) Only one (well-deserved) award for True Detective? Huh? Emmy awards won't stop people from turning to cable or Netflix to watch shows that are innovative and willing to push the envelope. And, speaking of shows, when are Colbert and the Daily Show back on? They've been on vacation for nearly a month now. Grr!

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Grow Up

As I've said in the past, I lurk on a few websites daily for celebrity gossip, etc. I also read many of the comments posted. Normally, I don't put a lot of stock in these comments. Some are funny, some are mean, some are offensive, and some don't make any sense to me at all, but I read one comment recently that really made me want to tell the writer to grow up. The writer, who posted that he was male, stated that he wanted to read gay-themed books, but not ones written by women.(He also didn't want to read any sci-fi, but I'm dealing with the gender issue.) Okay. I've heard this song before. Some gay men don't want to read gay romance (or any kind of gay-themed book) that's written by a woman. Some blacks don't want to read books about black people that are written by whites. Some women don't want to read books about women that are written by men. And the list goes on. To all of these folks, I would simply say, "Grow up!" I would never let the race or gender of an author dissuade me from reading a book. I'm interested in the story, not the author. Can women not write about men? Can men not write about women? Can blacks not write about blacks? These same people who have such rigid views about what they'll read are probably the first ones who would jump up and shout to the heavens if they were discriminated against because of their race, gender, or sexual orientation. So how can they justify practicing that exact same discrimination against someone else?

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Writing Classes

I took a non-credit writing class a few years ago at NYU and largely enjoyed it. The class members were diverse in sex, age, and race (hey, our instructor was half Mexican!). The class provided me with a great opportunity to workshop my own writing, but also read the writing of others whose work was in progress. I keep flirting with the idea of taking a screenwriting class because I want to learn how to write a screenplay. I checked into an introductory screenwriting course at a local community college, but I was disappointed that the same woman was teaching every section of the class. Also, it didn't look like anyone had signed up for any of the four courses offered--a bad sign for a prospective student like myself. I wish writing classes had more diversity in terms of the instructors. Too often, I feel like the instructors for these workshop courses are basically the same: middle to upper class white women in their 30s who write literary fiction. No disrespect to these ladies, but is there a way to open the door and let a little more diversity into these writing courses? Can course administrators work a little harder to try and recruit more men, more people of color, and just more people who write in different genres? 

Sunday, August 17, 2014

Public Spaces

I'm not the kind of writer who can set up my laptop in a Starbucks and just write. I prefer to write in my own space rather than in a public space. However, I do, on occasion, go to the library to write because it seems to be quieter than a Starbucks or some other coffee house. So today I spent a few hours working on my current novel at the local public library and everything started out great. I found a nice cubicle to sit in by the window and I was good to go. Then, about an hour or so in, some woman sat on the other side of the cubicle wall from me. First, she was on her cell phone. She wasn't speaking in a loud voice, but still, it was annoying. Whatever. I had on headphones, so I was able to tune her out. Then, once she gets off the phone, she starts setting up her work station. I don't know what she had over there, but she seemed to having a hell of a time getting it all together. Okay. Whatever. Eventually, she settles down and starts writing or typing or something. Soon after that, the coughing starts. She coughed a lot. Perhaps she was or is a smoker. Maybe she had a cold. I don't know, but the she kept coughing and the joined cubicles shook every time she did. After about half an hour, I couldn't take it anymore, so I packed it in for the day. 


Public spaces are great when the public isn't annoying the hell out of you.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Profiled

One of my coworkers told me about an author who made an inappropriate comment about an editor with whom he'd worked in the past. The author, apparently, had some issues with his former editor and commented that she just needed to "get laid" because that would have solved all of her problems. Now you'd think that this was just a conversation between two dudes, but it wasn't! There was another editor present, a woman who'd replaced the editor the author was badmouthing. The woman was, rightly, offended by the author's statement. Now I wondered why an author would say be so crude, particularly in front of another woman.Then it occurred to me that the author said what he said in front of the woman because the woman has tattoos. I am confident he would not have said something so inappropriate in front of a woman who wasn't all tatted up. People often think that people, particularly women, with tattoos are down for whatever. Consider the common slang of calling a back tattoo a "tramp stamp." It's all related and it's unfair to stereotype and profile someone based on their body art. (For the record, I do not have any tattoos nor do I ever want any, but I feel that adults should do what they want to decorate their own bodies.)

Monday, August 11, 2014

Advise and Consent

I watched the 1960s film Advise and Consent over the weekend and enjoyed it once the story actually got cranked up and going. Watching a movie about trying to get a Secretary of State confirmed sounds like a snoozer (and parts of the film were snooze-worthy), but the backstory was interesting, particularly the story of the Brig, the senator from Utah who ended up getting blackmailed for his vote because he'd had a homosexual affair before he got married. Seeing Brig walk into a dark, smoky New York gay bar looking for the ex-lover who sold him out is both sad and ridiculous. Sinatra is playing on the jukebox, the bartender is filling glasses, and men are drinking and having a good time in the company of other men. It looks like a place where the boys are free to be who they are. But to the closeted Senator Brig, it's a hellhole. Disgusted and horrified, he runs from the bar only to be chased after by his former lover, Ray. Ray, buff and blond, like a 1960s Sam Champion, tries to explain to Brig that he only sold him out to the blackmailers because he needed money, but Brig doesn't want to hear it. He shoves his former lover in the gutter and hops a cab out of Queertown. Then he goes back to DC and kills himself. So much drama.

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Learning to Swim

I regret never learning how to swim when I was younger and fearless. Swimming was offered at my high school, but I took dance instead. What a waste. I can still remember the awful routine my classmates and I did to the tune of "Sweet Dreams" by the Eurythmics. (To this day, I cannot stand to hear that song, partially because it was overplayed but mainly because of that stupid dance routine, but I digress.) I know it's still not too late to learn how to swim and I'm considering taking classes in the fall. I don't need to be the next Michael Phelps. I just need to know how to swim to shore in the event I'm thrown overboard or something.


In other news, I'm finally on track with my writing. I have been working on a new novel for months and I just couldn't seem to get focused, but now I have a conflict and the words are flowing pretty well for a change. I hope the momentum continues and that I can have it done before the end of the year.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

True Detective: Season 1 Over and Done

I finally watched the last two episodes of True Detective over the weekend and enjoyed them, but I was also a little let down. I had questions that weren't answered. (Who was the Yellow King? Who were the other guys in the video? Why did the last episode feel like an X-Files episode, particularly the one titled Home?) Despite my minor quibbles, I did enjoy the series and I liked that Woody and Matthew ended up alone (meaning no chicks) and had to rely on each other in the end. (Seeing Woody eating his frozen dinner in front of the television was especially satisfying.) I've read there are plagiarism charges being levied against the series creator now. That's unfortunate because a lot of the show's dialogue was really very smart and engaging. Anyway, on to the next season that, I hope, is as good as the first (but probably won't be).





Monday, August 4, 2014

The Qualms

I went to see The Qualms this past weekend at the Steppenwolf Theater and  I enjoyed the play. It centered around a recently married couple who agree to attend a swingers' party at the home of another couple they met previously in Cabo. The married couple had never participated in anything like this before and, lo and behold, chaos ensues! The dialogue was sharp and the playwright, Bruce Norris, does a great job of showing the angst of white, middle-class
Americans who aren't as liberal and progressive as they claim to be. He dealt with this also in his Tony-award winning play Clybourne Park (that I also saw and enjoyed).


Saturday, August 2, 2014

Pugnacious!

I had an encounter with an aggressive pug this morning while I was on my way to the Y. I was walking down the street minding my own business when I came upon a woman and her two small dogs. She was sitting on the ground outside of an apartment/condo building and she had a small light colored dog on her arms. The other dog, a black pug, was on the other side of the sidewalk away from her. The pug had a leash around its neck, but no one had control of it. The leash was just dragging behind the dog. As I proceeded to pass the woman and the dogs, the pug came after me, growling and barking. I kept walking and the pug followed. The woman called to him, but he ignored her. Finally, I stopped and told the woman to get her dog and finally she got off her ass and moved to get the pug. Now if that dog had attacked me, he would have gotten a swift kick to the face and, if he had bitten me, I would have sued that woman. Team Kim was ready to step up and take care of business had this situation escalated. Thankfully it didn't and the pug retreated.

I like dogs and one day when I stop living in apartments, I plan to have my own, preferably a beagle. Part of being a responsible dog owner means controlling your pet. The woman I dealt with this morning never should have allowed her dog to roam free. She should have maintained control of the pug's leash at all times while he was outside in a public area like that. 

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Language Problems

A writer posed a question in one of the Linked In groups I'm a member of asking if he, as a white guy, would be seen as racist for featuring a black female character in his work who used a lot of slang and ungrammatical speech. I understand this man's hesitation in writing anything that would appear racist or derogatory toward any group, but I also think characters need to be who they are. Some people speak the King's English and some don't. Writers should be free to write the voices they hear in their heads.

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

True Detective - Intro / Opening Song - Theme (The Handsome Family - Far...






I'm still enjoying the first season of True Detective (although I have a problem with some of the women on the show). (Is Woody Harrelson really that much of a chick magnet? Huh? Hot young women are tripping over themselves to be with a middle-aged cop? I find that hard to believe. That's some serious middle-age-man fantasy stuff there, folks.) Anyway, I have two more episodes to go! The theme song has really grown on me. I thought T Bone Burnett was doing the singing on this track, but he isn't. It's a husband and wife duo named The Handsome Family. The song is very "O Brother Where Art Thou-y" to me, hence the Burnett connection (since he's the musical director for the series). Creepy country music (with a little Southwestern kick).

Monday, July 28, 2014

Airbnb

I keep reading these horror stories about people who allowed strangers to inhabit their homes via Airbnb only to end up with a slew of problems in the end. (The renter turned into a squatter, the person trashed the homeowner's home, etc.) I just could not imagine allowing strangers to rent my home. However, I do think people should be allowed to rent out their homes if they want. Hey, if you want to make a little scratch by allowing strangers to sleep in your bed, use your toilet, and cook in your kitchen, more power to you. As a homeowner, you should be free to use your home for extra income. Just be aware of the potential problems that come with allowing strangers to have access to your space.



Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Beastie Boys - So What Cha Want






I have a three-month free subscription to Sirius Radio that came with my new (used) car. (Apparently the previous owner was a subscriber.) I'm enjoying the music and this Beastie Boys song came on while I was driving home from work today. I'd forgotten how great this song is and the hook is especially infectious. "I think I'm losing my mind this time. This time I'm losing my mind." I feel you, Beasties. I've felt like this for the past two days!

Monday, July 21, 2014

True Detective

Because I don't have HBO, I have to wait for HBO shows and movies to come on DVD via Netflix before I can see them. I finally got a chance to see the first three episodes of True Detective and I loved them! I know I'm late to the party on this, but the series is really great. The acting is good, the writing is excellent, and the scenery is amazing. I was telling a coworker who recommended the series to me that there's crazy and there's Southern crazy. Southern crazy is a different kind of crazy and True Detective, in my opinion, does a good job of showing Southern crazy. I don't know if it's the heat, the history, or something in the air that just makes the South different from other parts of the county, but it is unique.


I can't wait to get the next episodes of True Detective on DVD so I can find out what happens with the case. I am disappointed to learn that Woody and Matthew won't be back for the next season. I guess the show is going to continue with new detectives working on a new case. That's a shame.

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Retreated!

It's the last day of my weekend writing retreat and, overall, the experience has been good. I found out that a lot of women seem to want to write about their lives. I am not one of those women. One woman at the retreat who works for a conservative Christian publisher told me (jokingly?) that they wouldn't be interested in my work. Damn. I was hoping to submit some work to them. My dreams are crushed! (Insert eye roll here.)

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Retreat!

I'm spending the weekend at a writing retreat to try and get my writing back on track. It's a lovely place filled with grass and trees and chipmunks so I hope the environment and the daily workshops will inspire me to get past the block I've been having with the novel I'm working on.

Friday, July 18, 2014

Observations

Is this week over yet? I feel like it's been filled with bad news and more bad news. Wars, plane crashes. Enough already.


Because I write primarily about gay men, I try to keep up with news in the gay community and I've been reading about the drug Truvada that's being prescribed now as an alternative to condoms in the fight against HIV. There have been a number of articles about Truvada lately and from what I've read the drug is expensive (although it is covered by insurance), it has some serious side effects, and information about it doesn't seem to be reaching the hard-hit minority communities who would probably benefit from access to it.


There's a debate about the use of Truvada versus condoms. On one side, you have some arguing that using Truvada and dealing with its side effects is unnecessary when condoms could just be used while others argue that being able to have sex without condoms is worth the risk of whatever side effects Truvada could cause. I'm still on the fence about where I fall in this debate, but I'll continue to read up on this.

Monday, July 14, 2014

Road Trip

I returned yesterday from a road trip to the Memphis area for a family reunion and, although I had a great time, I'm exhausted. I used to enjoy driving, but not anymore. As I get older, I much prefer being a passenger rather than a driver. The drive south from Chicago down I-55 was long and rather dull. How many corn fields can you look at before you go completely insane?? Anyway, I'm glad to be home.

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Abraham Lincoln Museum

I visited the Abraham Lincoln Museum in Springfield, IL today and found it both fascinating and a little creepy. The wax statues were the creepy part. Judge for yourself.

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

RIP Crumbs

I was sad to hear that all of the Crumbs stores closed yesterday for good. They made a tasty cupcake. Yes, their cupcakes were huge and full of calories, but I liked them. I didn't go for the fancy versions with cookies stuck in the icing or  sprinkles. I preferred a simple vanilla cupcake. I hate that I didn't stop by a store the last time I was in New York. I passed by two while I was there and avoided them. Curses! I'm actually surprised Crumbs stayed in business as long as they did. The cupcake frenzy has been over and done with for some time now. Rest in peace, Crumbs!

Monday, July 7, 2014

Back to the Grind

After a fairly uneventful Fourth of July weekend, today I, like many folks, returned to the grind. Apparently more than 50 people were shot in Chicago over the weekend. Sigh. Turning on the news around here after a weekend (particularly if that weekend was a good weather weekend) is bummer. Usually the broadcast opens with the number of shootings that happened. Sad. The violence is truly out of control in Chicago.

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Ravinia


I saw two concerts recently at suburban Chicago's Ravinia Park: Maxwell and Hall & Oates. Both shows were good, but the Hall & Oates show was slightly better because (a) the weather was better and (b) they performed their songs the way folks remembered them. The weather was terrible last night for Maxwell's show and I was glad my sister got pavilion seats for is rather than lawn. Maxwell is a great performer but I just wished he would have performed a little more and talked a little less.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

No, It's Not Me

My new used Jetta is in the shop. The problems with the radio/CD/MP3 system were not due to my technical ignorance. There's really something wrong with my system. I've only had the car for one week and one day and it's already in for service. Sigh. At least it's nothing major. I do hope I'm back on the road soon with a fully functioning stereo system.

Monday, June 30, 2014

Is It Me?

I bought a used (but new to me) Jetta last week and while I largely love it, I cannot seem to operate the radio system correctly. I don't know if it's me or the contraption, but the CD player won't automatically flip to the next track and the iPhone USB connection seems temperamental. Sometimes I can play music from my phone, and sometimes the system just keeps recalibrating, like it can't make up its mind what to do. It gets confused when trying to switch from one mode to another. I had to go on Google just to figure out how to put CDs in the player. I don't feel I'm that technologically challenged, but this stereo system is making me feel like I'm a luddite. I'm going back to the dealer so my salesman or someone can help me out. I'm not totally convinced I'm causing the problems here. I want to believe there's some kind of malfunction with the player. Then again, it could be me.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Eliane Elias - My Cherie Amour









My new favorite song of the moment. The arrangement is very nice. I'll always love the Stevie Wonder version, but Eliane Elias puts a smooth, samba-like spin on the song.

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Black Velvet

As the Custer Street Fair draws to a close, I wanted to post a picture of the black velvet painting I purchased yesterday. I like clowns and think they get a bad wrap. This one is a little creepy though. He looks like he's giving everyone the side eye.

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Creepy and Crunchy

I went to the always crunchy Custer Art Fair in Evanston today and stumbled on this creepy piece of artwork for sale. I didn't take this Night Gallery contender home with me, but I did pick up a black velvet painting that I'll showcase later.


Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Here You Come Again

"Here You Come Again" by Dolly Parton is such a great song. I was listening to it while driving home from work today and it made the commute much more pleasant.


And speaking of things coming again, GM has recalled even more cars for ignition problems. As the child of an American auto worker (for Ford, not GM), I have always been supportive of Ford, Chrysler, and GM. (I've had cars from each of the Big Three automakers, too.) But this latest ignition thing with GM has certainly turned me off from GM cars at least for the time being. I'm going to have to get a car soon and I'm leaning toward a Volkswagen. Whatever I get when that time comes, I'm fairly certain it won't be a GM car. I am still a fan of American cars, but GM needs to get its house in order, fix these recalled cars, and stop the lies.

Monday, June 16, 2014

Chutes and Ladders

I'm reading a gay erotic short story collection now and the word "chute" keeps coming up. Chute. Okay. Every time I see it, I wonder, Would no other word work here? Apparently not. I do commend the author for stepping out of the box and using a word that isn't commonly used (or at least I don't think it's commonly used) to describe an orifice.

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Public Water Fountains

I saw a video today of a woman using a public water fountain in Central Park as a bidet for her dog. Gross. When I lived in Brooklyn, I sometimes saw people allowing their dogs to drink from public water fountains. Again, gross. I'm not a germaphobe. (Really, living in New York or in any large metropolitan area and riding public transit makes you get over a lot of issues with germs.) However, I draw the line with public water fountains. Aside from these examples of people using them for their pets, what about people who abuse the fountains themselves? What about the person who puts his or her mouth all over the spout? Ugh. This is why I don't drink from public water fountains. Yes, I know bottled water bottles are bad for the environment, but at least if I buy a bottle of water, I don't have to worry about someone else's (or some dog's) germs floating in that water. (I do normally use my own bottle that's filled with water I poured at home, so I'm not drinking bottled water all the time.)


As for the woman washing her dog's ass in the public fountain, someone did confront her about it, but the damage had been done. She should be ashamed of herself for doing what she did, but let her bad behavior be a lesson for us all. Avoid the public water fountains, folks, and bring your own beverage.

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Rainbow Book Reviews

The kind people at Rainbow Book Reviews have an author page for me and an interview I did last year. Check them both out here:


http://www.rainbowbookreviews.com/authors/kim-davis/

http://www.rainbowbookreviews.com/authors/interviews/interview-with-kim-davis/

Hollywood Nonsense

I just finished watching the movie Prisoners with Hugh Jackman this morning. What a load of nonsense. First, it was too long, clocking in at about 2.5 hours. Second, it had a bunch of scenes that didn't seem to make sense. What was the deal with the dude in the priest's basement? What were those necklaces with the mazes on them about? Were these guys part of some secret society? Third, the casting was all wrong. In what world would Hugh Jackman and Terrance Howard's characters be friends? And not just casual acquaintance friends who lived in the same neighborhood. These folks were having Thanksgiving dinner together! Aside from the obvious racial differences, Hugh's family was clearly on the downslope of the middle class. He had his own business that wasn't doing well. Terrance seemed to be doing better financially. His house sure looked a lot nicer than Hugh's. I say all of this not to say that people of different races and economic backgrounds can't be friends, but I found the setup hard to believe in Prisoners. The casting of this movie was ridiculous on so many levels. I'm supposed to believe that Terrance Howard and Viola Davis were the parents of two bi-racial-looking daughters, one of whom looked partly Asian? Yeah, okay. And Jake Gyllenhaal as a tough cop who constantly curses at his boss? Sure, that's totally believable. I think these Hollywood executives figure if they just put some high-profile actors in a movie, the masses will come and often they do. Oh well. On to the next Netflix film.

Monday, June 2, 2014

Monday Monday

Just some observations for this first Monday of June.


1. That Michael Jackson/Justin Timberlake version of "Love Never Felt So Good" is really...good! I love the video, too. It's so happy and multicultural.


2. Being a huge Steely Dan fan, I love so many of their songs that I don't normally pick a favorite, by my top Dan song right now is "Daddy Don't Live in That New York City No More." Fagen and Becker are geniuses!


3. The Blackhawks lost their chance to go to the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year and many folks around Chicago are bummed. I'm not one of them. Not that I dislike the team or anything, but I was tired of hearing about this team and the series. I felt the same way when I lived in New York with the Yankees.


4. I am eagerly anticipating the book The Farm by Tom Rob Smith. The book comes out tomorrow and I read the first 25 pages on my Kindle and thought they were great. Unfortunately, the publisher is Hachette and they're having issues with Amazon right now, so I don't think the book will be available for Kindles, but that's okay with me. I'll get a hard copy from a bookstore.

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Stacey Kent

I was listening to the jazz station on Music Choice today and came across a version of "This Happy Madness" by Stacey Kent. I love this song, particularly the version by Karrin Allyson, but Stacey Kent's version is pretty great, too. I'd never heard of Stacey before today, but I am now a fan. She has a very soothing voice. The link below on You Tube has her version of "One Note Samba" from her latest CD.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZNErPix7gU



Saturday, May 24, 2014

Too Much Testosterone

I witnessed two guys get into an altercation this evening and the whole thing was kind of frightening. One guy was on a bicycle that had some kind of wagon-like contraption attached to the back of it. The bicycle guy was crossing an intersection and a guy driving a car crossed the intersection and nearly hit the bicycle guy...nearly. Thankfully, the car didn't hit the cyclist. The cyclist was angry with the driver and yelled at the driver before purposely backing his bicycle contraption into the driver's door. This caused the driver to become enraged and chase the cyclist down the street. At one point, the passenger in the car got out and started chasing the cyclist on foot. The cyclist had been riding with a woman who was begging him to just stop making the situation worse than it was, but he ignored her. The three guys (the cyclist, the driver, and the passenger on foot) all took off down the street. The entire situation was just an example of two guys letting their anger control them. Everyone needed to just walk (or ride) away from the situation, yet no one did. Too much testosterone was flowing, I guess.


In an unrelated matter, I'm so annoyed that I won't be able to see The Normal Heart on HBO tomorrow night. I don't have HBO. However, my father is visiting this weekend and staying in a hotel that does have HBO. I really want to take over his hotel room TV tomorrow night so I can see The Normal Heart, but that isn't going to happen and there's no way he's going to sit up with me so we can watch it together. "Hey, Daddy, let's watch this cable movie about the AIDS crisis in the 1980s! It's got gay sex and everything!" Yeah. No. (Sigh.) I guess I'll have to wait for it to (hopefully) come out on DVD so I can get it on Netflix or check myself into a hotel that has HBO.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Poor Bob Benson

When Bob Benson proposed to Joan on Sunday's "Mad Men" episode, I just shook my head. Poor Bob. He knows he can't be an openly gay man and a Buick executive so he wants to give the illusion that he's a straight man with a family by marrying Joan and making her and her son his new family. Thankfully, Joan rejected his proposal. Even though she clearly likes Bob and her mother and son seem to like him also, she knows marrying him is a recipe for disaster for both of them. Yes, a sham marriage would have gotten her a nice house (away from her mother), financial security, and a father for her son, but it also would have probably made her (and Bob) miserable. I suspect Sunday's episode was Bob Benson's last for the series, but I hope it wasn't. I'd like to see him again. I enjoy watching actor (and suburban Detroiter) James Wolk in the role, but there really isn't a place for him now that Joan has turned him down. I'm still holding out hope that he and Pete Campbell will hook up as I'm thoroughly convinced that Pete is really in the closet and just hasn't figured that out yet.

Sunday, May 18, 2014

Thursday, May 15, 2014

You Don't Love Everyone, So Stop Saying You Do

I'm tired of people coming out and saying something stupid and offensive and then apologizing for their ignorance with the classic line "I love everyone" thrown in. Why can't people just stop the charade and admit the truth: that they don't like certain people and they don't love everyone. If these bigots/homophobes/whatever are so honest in admitting what they hate about people different from themselves, why can't they show that same honesty when confronted with that hatred?

Monday, May 12, 2014

Scrub Daddy


Being the Shark Tank fan that I am, I broke down today and bought my first show item: the Scrub Daddy. It's so cute that I hate to use it!


Saturday, May 10, 2014

Lurking

I'll admit it, I like to lurk on various sites. I largely enjoy reading what people are saying about various topics: celebrity gossip, writing, life in general. As I stated in my previous blog post, there is a lot of garbage on the Internet, but there's also a lot of entertaining stuff. I lurk on all kinds of sites: DataLounge, DListed, Celebitchy, Gawker, Jezebel, NPR, and the list goes on.


I was lurking earlier today on the Absolute Water Cooler site and came upon a thread about writers dealing with safe sex issues in their work. If you write sex scenes (whether they're between a monogamous couple or not), should safe sex practices be included? I feel like they should. I think having a man put on a condom won't detract from a sexual scene that follows. But, in reality, safe sex isn't always practiced and I think it's fine to have characters who aren't Ã¼ber responsible also. However, I believe those irresponsible characters should have to deal with the ramifications of their irresponsibility.

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Per the Internet, My Babies Are Not Cute

As most of us know, the Internet is pretty much an essential part of our daily lives now. So, for all of the good information and helpful services provided via the World Wide Web, there's also a lot of anger and hate out there to be posted and shared. My current beef with the Interwebs is with the low rankings of some of my books on Goodreads. I normally don't even bother reading reviews anywhere, but I clicked over to see the ratings for two of my books and they both were around two stars. Oy! I didn't read any written views because, frankly, seeing the low starred ratings was enough of a letdown. However, I am a big girl and I know that when you put your work out there for the public, you have to take the good and the bad. If you didn't want people to judge your work, you wouldn't put your work on display. I review many books I've read myself on Goodreads and Amazon and while I do try not to be particularly nasty, I do write what I think: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Still, when you work hard and put out a product that you're proud of and someone comes along and shits on it, it's hard not to be annoyed. It's like someone saying your baby is ugly. If someone doesn't like my work (aka my baby), I feel like screaming, "But I birthed that baby and I love that baby! Why don't you love it, too???" But we're all different people who like different things, so I guess we have to agree to disagree.

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Ciao, New York

My short trip to New York is over and I have no idea when I'll be back, but I had a great time seeing friends and coworkers in the city. I didn't make it back to Brooklyn, but I'll certainly try to get there the next time I visit. For now, I must bid farewell to NYC.



Saturday, May 3, 2014

Back in New York

I'm in New York briefly for work and I can't believe how great the weather is here. I got into town Thursday so I missed the monsoon that happened Wednesday.

Monday, April 28, 2014

Urban Dictionary

I'm ashamed to admit I love the site www.urbandictionary.com. It's hilarious! If you ever want to find out what slang terms mean, I'm sure Urban Dictionary can help you out. Aside from the funny definitions that people post, the examples provided where people use the terms in a sentence are even more hilarious. For example, the definition for "next level bullshit" is as follows: When the bullshit that comes out of a person's mouth reaches a point of absolute nonsense.
Example: "Dude the shit that's coming out of your mouth isn't just bullshit. It's some next level bullshit. Like there is no point of going any further with this explanation, dude."


Or the definition for "Craigslist gay" is: A straight acting, possibly married man, who hooks up with men on the down low. He's straight in his every day life but gay on Craigslist.
Example: Geoff had a happy family until his wife went through his emails and found out he was Craigslist gay.

My personal favorite of the moment is the definition of a "salt daddy." The complete opposite of a sugar daddy, one who tries, but is broke and fronting.
Example: "Man, I said I wanted a new comforter set from Macy's not the Goodwill....he is such a salt daddy!"

I have to find a way to work "salt daddy" into my next book or write a book with that title. It's great. 

Sunday, April 27, 2014

The Happy Sad

I saw an independent movie called The Happy Sad today and I largely enjoyed it. It's about two couples: one white and heterosexual and one black and gay. The movie focuses on how the lives of the couples become entwined when the white guy and one of the black gay guys become involved. What I liked about the film was that it showed a black male couple who were in a long-term relationship that didn't involve a lot of drama or self-loathing. All of the film's actors were good, but the two actors playing the gay couple had great chemistry together. The film was shot in Brooklyn and it was nice to see my former hometown featured even though it looked like the film was shot in hipster-ish areas of the city like Williamsburg (although I did see the Grand Army Plaza in one shot).


Since I write gay fiction, I tend to watch a lot of gay-themed movies and a lot of them, unfortunately, just aren't very good. But, when I come across a film that steps out of the box and provides an interesting story and realistic acting, I'm more than willing to give it praise.

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Big Pimping

Even though I told myself I was going to stop watching the Real Housewives of Atlanta after last season, I tuned in for yet another season of tomfoolery that, thankfully, is coming to an end tomorrow night. (I did wean myself from the other Housewives franchise I used to watch.) I really need to kick the Housewives habit for good this time. The show isn't even entertaining anymore. It's just a look at the ugly side of reality television fame and the desperate measures people will go through in order to stay in the limelight.


What is interesting to me is watching Andy Cohen during these reunion shows where the women all gather to complain and fight with each other. Andy is supposed to be the moderator of these events, but I see him as more of a carnival barker. I don't believe for one moment that he cares what these women do to each other. He's only concerned about making money for Bravo and himself. He's essentially big pimping. No, he's not responsible for these women making fools of themselves on national television; he simply provides them with the rope and they basically hang themselves.

Monday, April 21, 2014

Solving the Problem

I was reading my usual gossip blogs and came across the lovely Jon Hamm complaining, yet again, about people making fun of his junk. I know I've said it once, but I'll say it again: Jon, people wouldn't talk about your penis if you'd just wear some underwear beneath your pants! Stop free-balling and wrap your junk up! Problem solved.  And, speaking of Hamm, Mad Men was really good last night. After a disappointing season opener, last night's episode with the office drama between Dawn, Lou, Shirley, Peggy, and Joan was great. Watching how the people in charge of the firm actually run the firm makes me shake my head. I don't want the black secretary because I'm angry with her, but I can't fire her because that would be seen as a discrimination thing, so can she be moved but not moved to the front desk where people would actually see her. Oy! The scenes with Don and Sally were good also especially when Don joked with Sally about skipping out on the restaurant bill. Oh, Dad! Such a kidder!


Another problem in need of solving is the whole GM car recall thing. I am currently the driver of one of these ill-fated vehicles and it's bad enough I already take my life in my hands just getting on the road, but now I've got an extra level of paranoia to deal with. I can't have more than one key on the key ring I use for the car (because that extra key weight could trigger ignition problems). As long as GM has known about these issues, you'd think they would have the parts available to fix the problem ASAP. Instead, all we get are promises to increase production in Mexico where the repair parts are being manufactured. Meanwhile, drivers like me are driving the already dangerous roads with an extra layer of danger. Thanks, GM! You suck.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Music for Writing

Usually when I'm working on a book, I have a soundtrack of sorts running through my mind while I write. For example, when I was working on Clean Hands, I listened to a lot of Erykah Badu and Maria Rita. During Daddy Issues, I listened to a lot of Tori Amos. Just today, while I was at the Y, I heard Tori's song "Leather" and it instantly reminded me of Jason, the main character in Daddy Issues because I had that song in heavy rotation during the writing process. As I'm struggling with my current unnamed novel, I've been listening to a lot of Maxwell and Mariah Carey. Sometimes the music will work its way into the writing. In Collusion, I have the three main characters all listening to a samba song that I listened to constantly as I wrote the book. But, normally, the music just stays in my head and doesn't carry over onto the page.


For me, music is an integral part of the writing process. I usually have music playing as I write because I find it helps me get into the mental space I need to get into in order to put words on the page.

Monday, April 14, 2014

Billie Holiday

I read a review today of Audra McDonald's Billie Holiday show and this prompted me to think about my feelings toward Billie Holiday. I don't like Billie Holiday's singing. Yes, I said it. Her voice annoys me. I always read people praising her singing, but I just can't. She had, by all accounts, a terrible life, but does that mean I have to enjoy her singing? She sounds consistently boozy and slightly kooky on many of the songs I've heard her sing. The words of the songs are often sad and serious, but her voice just makes me forget all of that. I feel like I should enjoy her singing because she's such an icon, but I don't. Oh well. Sorry, Lady Day.

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Mad Men

Count me as one of the many people who are looking forward to the return of Mad Men tonight on AMC. I'm not a die hard fan, but I have enjoyed the show. (There are seasons I've never even seen, but I don't feel I need to at this point.) There aren't many shows on TV these days that I do enjoy, so when I find a show that I like, I'm happy to tune in. I really hope Bob Benson comes back for the final season. The actor, James Wolk, who plays Bob is from Farmington Hills, Michigan, so he gets a special shout out from me just for that. If I were a writer for the show, I would throw Bob and Pete into a relationship. I think Pete needs what Bob is willing to give him. Yeah.


As for Don "I Grew Up in a Whorehouse" Draper, I've had enough of him. How can someone be so smart and so stupid at the same time? I am ready for Mad Men to come to an end so Jon Hamm can be free to do other things. As great as he is in the role of Don Draper, he's a funny guy and I'd like to see him be funny and we all know Don isn't exactly a crackup. Free Jon Hamm!


While I like Mad Men, I'm not someone who years for the 1960s. (I wasn't even born in the 1960s!) I think Matthew Weiner secretly enjoys the awfulness of that era (i.e. repressed women, racial segregation, and men running everyone and everything). I can watch Mad Men and appreciate how far we've come as a society since then, but I don't long for those days to return.




Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Christopher T. Leland

I was sad to discover that one of my former Wayne State writing professors, Christopher Leland, had passed away in 2012. I didn't realize he had died until I saw a notice in a recent alumni newsletter about a scholarship fund named in his memory. He was a really great teacher and a nice guy. I also enjoyed his writing, something I can't say for some of the other writing professors I've studied under (whose names won't be mentioned here). Rest in peace, Dr. Leland.

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Dr. Odd

I went to an event Saturday morning for a health program in Evanston called "Women Out Walking" that encourages women to exercise and eat well. A doctor of otolaryngology gave a presentation to the walking women of Evanston and his PowerPoint demo was just odd. This guy went from trying to make a connection between your health and your spirit (complete with some bizarre picture of a supposed ghost seated in a church behind a praying woman) to hating on Dr. Oz and telling us how he was unable to maintain a healthy diet while his wife was out of town. Huh? What kind of doctor needs his wife to tell him what to eat? Not any kind of doctor that I'd ever want! And, after his presentation, Dr. Odd encouraged us to take a yoga class run by, guess who, his wife! I took a pass on that one.



Thursday, April 3, 2014

Circling

My manager complained to me today about his flight yesterday from New York to Chicago. Apparently his flight was delayed from landing at O'Hare because President Obama was in town for a fund raiser and there were issues with restricted air space and his plane was forced to circle the airport as a result. While I understand and sympathize with my manager's frustration over this flight delay, I totally disagreed with his feeling that the POTUS shouldn't have this kind of power. My manager felt that his life should not have been inconvenienced because the POTUS was in town. (My manager is also not an Obama fan, but claimed that had nothing to do with his outrage.) I told him I didn't care if Obama flew into town to go to McDonald's, he's the President and he needs that level of security and that goes for any POTUS, regardless of party affiliation. 

Monday, March 31, 2014

Lincoln Park


Since we've actually had some unbelievably good weather around here for the past few days, I was able to get out and see a little of Lincoln Park yesterday.


Sunday, March 30, 2014

The Hard Way

So last week, Stephen Colbert found out the hard way that, sometimes, that joke just isn't funny. He did a bit on one of his shows that attempted to show the hypocrisy of the Washington Redskins' management for creating a fund to help Native Americans. (Yes, we want to help you while we continue to refer to our team as the "redskins." Right.) But Colbert's mistake was to use Asian stereotypes to get this point across. This is what happens when you have a writing team comprised of primarily white men. I don't know if Colbert's team has any people of color or even any women on its writing staff, but I suspect if he did have some minorities, maybe (hopefully) one of them would have spoken up when this skit was put on the table and argued that a joke involving Asian stereotypes isn't the best way to expose racism against Native Americans. "But it's satire!" Colbert's fans argue. Yes, but at one point are you laughing AT me rather than laughing WITH me? That's what these folks don't get.


I am a big Colbert fan, but I think he failed with this one and people (Asian and non-Asians alike) were right to call him out on his bullshit. When you're at the helm, you need to steer the ship and Colbert needs to step up this week, admit an error in judgment was made, and apologize.

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Chicagoland

Since I now live outside of Chicago, I have been eagerly watching CNN's "Chicagoland" series so I can learn more about my new community. I read criticism of the series before it even aired, mainly that the series episodes are very pro-Rahm Emanuel---and they are! This week's episode was particularly Rahm-friendly in that it showed Chicago's Mayor mentoring a young black man and attending community workshops designed to help young black men. Not to say that Rahm doesn't care about inner-city kids, but as I watched Rahm and his young black protégé get out of his SUV limo and walk together to City Hall, I felt like the entire scene was a photo-op for the mayor. As he greeted folks on the street, I felt like he was thinking, Look at me out here on the streets of Chicago with this black guy! I'm helping him! We're friends! Take a picture of us together! Also, when he met one-on-one with the principal of a failing Chicago high school, I wondered how he had the time to meet with this woman. Maybe he meets with public school principals all the time. Or maybe he just had time for her because she's featured in the CNN series. Likely, it's the latter of these two scenarios.


I like Rahm, but I'm critical of this series and the way he's presented in it. "Chicagoland" does seem, at time, like one long campaign commercial for the mayor.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Math Is Essential

I stopped at Boston Market to pick up some dinner for my sister and me and the total order was $15.24. I gave the cashier $20.25. How come she counted out $4.98 to give me back in change? Then, when I alerted her of her error, she said that she punched the wrong amount into the register. Okay. Regardless, my change is $5.01. I gave her the .24 cents so I wouldn't get back a load of change and a bunch of ones. Math is essential, folks!

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Sheena Easton

During my commutes to and from work, I often listen to CDs since Chicago radio largely sucks. (I know I've mentioned this before, but it bears repeating.) This week, I broke out Sheena Easton's greatest hits. I hadn't really given a lot of thought to Ms. Easton, but in listening to her greatest hits, I realized that (A) "Strut" is a great song and (B) "Sugar Walls" is ridiculous. Come spend the night inside my sugar walls. Heaven on earth inside my sugar walls. Really? Isn't Prince the genius behind these inspiring lyrics? He must have written this song on one of his off days. In other singer-related news, I read Kate Bush is planning to perform again. Good for her. I like Kate Bush. Her voice is an acquired taste, but I love "Hounds of Love." Maybe I should put that CD in the car for next week's drive (if I can find it).