Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Chris Chase is not stupid, you are.

Yahoo.com tennis section employs this guy Chris Chase as a blogger/writer. His articles are not like news that are purely factual but rather a blog with his opinions and take of what has been happening around the professional tennis world. I read his blog and sometimes I do not agree with what he says. I may write a comment to contradict his claims but never to attach him as a person. Often I will see comments from other people calling Chris stupid and other undesirable things. I often see these guys saying Chris needs to be fired or Chris is so stupid for what he wrote or Chris does not know what he is talking about. Sure these detractors are entitled to their opinion but what is funny is the fact that they still keeps on reading Chris' blog in Yahoo tennis page. If they think Chris' blogs are worthless, why do they still read it and post nasty comments? Is it just because they can remain anonymous that they choose to be so nasty in their comments. But in reality, they are the stupid ones and not Chris. As long as Chris gets comments, positive or negative, it means that he has readership. And as long as Chris has readership, Yahoo will likely retain him.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Anything Goes ?

As my departure for NYC approaches, I am reminded that I will be watching Anything Goes revival in broadway starring Sutton Foster. Here is a video of her performing at the 2011 Tony Awards.



And here is the 1987 version of Anything Goes with Patti LuPone.


It is so obvious that Sutton is the more talented actress. She can sing just as well as Patti but she can dance far much better than that has been diva Patti. And Sutton is prettier too!

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Scott from gay.com

Often when I chat, I actually am doing something else besides chatting. So that means the person I am chatting with may not received a prompt reply and if something comes up, I may have left the chat without properly ending the chat. Other times, I may be away from my computer and did not see the message of somebody trying to chat with me. I understand this happens and I do not fret if this was done to me.

I chatted with this guy Scott in gay.com. It was a very pleasant chat that we decided to register each other on our friends' list. But lately, I have been dreading chatting with Scott. He accused me once of not replying to his chat and actually "unfriend" me in gay.com. But later he "friend" me again after I told him that I do not recall receiving any of his message. I did apologize even though I do not believe the accusation was well founded. And other times, he gets very prissy if I am not so prompt with my reply. He accused me again of just "vanishing" from the chat. To be fair, this prolly happened twice. He also at one point "vanished" himself when we were chatting but I did not make a big deal out of it. And lately, I have been paying more attention when he chats me up so I may not upset him again. But despite of this, he still accused me of "vanishing" from the chat which I think was not true. This started to annoy me that I do not even really like chatting with him anymore cause he gets upset easily. I am almost hoping he will just "unfriend" me so I do not have to deal with him. On the bright side, I am glad that we are just internet friends cause I can not deal with such a demanding friend in person.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Blogging and me: Thanks blogger.com!!!

Several months ago, Blogger had technical issues that they end up restoring the whole blogger site to an earlier version. This meant that some of the blogs I did right around the problem were deleted. This amounts to hours of work lost. Blogger tried to restore these lost work but I still had several blog entries missing. I used the proper channel and wrote to the administrator about my missing entries several times. Even to this day, those lost entries remained lost. Thanks blogger.com staff for being so very uber tres good at what you do!

Sunday, August 21, 2011

My first Rodeo, gay rodeo.


I have been curious about the Windy City gay rodeo that happens at Crete, IL for a couple of years now. This year I told myself to check it out. I asked 3 friends ahead of time to go with me. One said he did not feel well. Another told me last minute that he got to sleep off the hang over for drinking too much the night before at a party. And the third said he has to do chores. So what am I to do when my friends gives me excuses for not going? I went alone. It was about an hour of easy drive from Chicago thanks to my GPS. It started at noon and I got there around quarter to one. The entrance fee to get into the rodeo compound was $15 which I thought was a little steep for what it offered. There was a big pen where the Rodeo contest with the cows and horses happened. Some bleacher benches for the spectators on one side. Some booths for cowboy wear, leather wear and food vendors were positioned around the perimeter of the rodeo fair ground. There was a big tent with tables and chairs for dinning and another tent for dancing with country western music. During my stay at the fair grounds for about 2 hours, I got to see some gay cheerleaders and gay cowboys perform and dance. I also watched 3 events. One was trying to rope the calf on its feet (calf roping on foot), another was trying to tumble down the steer/bull from its horns (chute dogging) and the third was trying to lasso the running cow (mounted breakaway roping). Contestants were from all over north america from what I heard when they were introduced. The variety of men around there were mostly 30 to 50 something. Most were bearish in built and white. Some lesbians were also there. Everybody was regular looking and definitely not in the category of eye candy.

The performances were fun and gay. The contests were interesting. I took loads of videos and pictures. All in all I had a positive experience. Definitely more fun if I was with friends but what can I do if they won't oblige me with their company. I just have to remember not to be as obliging next time they need my company.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Israel Trip - Gethsemani

This was the site of the Olive trees that is believed to be one of the tree where Jesus prayed just before he was captured. Seems plausible since Olive trees can and do live for more that thousands of years. Now it is just a matter of which tree did Jesus use to pray as narrated in the bible. And like any other places that is believed to have anything to do with Jesus or any other biblical characters, there was a church erected within its vicinity.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Bathroom Dance

Here is a parody of Lady Gaga's Bad Romance song done by a Filipino comedian Michael V. It is brilliant but I am afraid you have to speak filipino to grasp the genius of his work.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Market Days hotties

Some hot guys entertaining the throngs of gay guys and hete women at the Market days festival today. The third guy is the hottest I say. So adorable face. Thank God it is my blog so I am able to post pics like these. Hahaha.








Sunday, August 14, 2011

I saw Tony Hadley of Spandau Ballet


Today I went back to the Market Days festival to check out the happenings and the boys more. I pass by the north stage and heard "true" being sang. I just remembered that Tony Hadley of Spandau Ballet was scheduled to perform so I stayed and watch him. Tony looks older and plumper than that Tony I remember from my old Spandau Ballet poster in college. Of course it is natural that his appearance changed since that was more than 20 years ago. His voice though was still strong, bold and full. It was such a pleasure to hear him sing those songs that I am familiar with growing up. He even sang some U2 and Duran Duran song. His final song was "Gold". The band that played with him was also just as talented and entertaining. Awesome show and even better that it was free. I was literally 15 feet away from the stage and that was the icing to an already tasty cake.


Saturday, August 13, 2011

Things I do for Darren


Today, Tom and I went to the Market Days Festival in Halsted to check out Darren Criss performing. It started to drizzle so Tom bailed but I stayed and persevered. And my perseverance was paid off handsomely by a great show from Darren. He sang some familiar songs and some new songs from his album. He was playing the guitar while singing which really showcased his musical talents not just in singing but also in playing a musical instrument. He was very charming and charismatic which was very endearing indeed. He was even sometimes animated which just made the show more fun to watch. It was raining on and off in the beginning of his show but the rain stopped towards the end giving all his adoring fans a chance to dry up, myself included. I was glad I waited in the rain for over an hour just to see him. It was a good performance indeed and on top of that, I got to see hot guys at the street fest.

Friday, August 12, 2011

Poetry by J: Because of the rain...

The clouds advance,
towards me by the pond.
I see as I glance,
the sight I'm so fond.

Slowly it trickles,
to my naked neck.
Feels like a tickle,
making me a wreck.

Homeward I run.
Mother thinks I'm asleep.
Think so I can?
To bed I must creep.

I'm sure I'll be scolded,
for frolicking by the fields.
My character myst be molded,
to be a gentleman I must yield.

This because of the rain.
How it makes me so dreamy.
An excuse I can't retain.
Converting this side of me.


PS: Another High School Poetry.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Ergo, they are not for you!

People lie. Whether in real life or online. And which ever gay website I go that required a profile, people will either lie about their age. Or they might just show their body picture and hide their face pics. Or they might not reveal their ethnicity if not easily discernable (e.g. hidden pics, no face pics). I have heard many excuses for this practice. Many would say that if they put their real age, they hardly get any interest or response. But they add that if they put a younger age, they get more response and interest from people. Same reasoning many give for keeping their ethnicity mysterious. They say that way people will not dismiss them initially base on their ethnicity. They want people to get to know them as a person and not as a stereotype of a certain ethnic background. And for those who hide their face pic, it is either they are closeted or that their best feature are not their face but their body or dick.

My take on this is simple. It is stupid! If that person you are interested in will dismiss you base on your numerical age rather than on what you look like, then do you really want to attract those kind of ageist? If that person will discriminate you base on your ethnic background, do you still think a racist is the right guy for you? If that person is so far only interested in your body or dick, do you still think they will be interested with you if your face is not their type to begin with? So why bother hiding things initially cause if these hidden facts matters, it will matter now or later. It is just a futile practice.

Tuesday, August 09, 2011

West Side Story, the review

I saw the West Side Story at the Cadillac Palace last Saturday with my friend Millie and her bf Luis. Millie and Luis are Puerto Rican so they were really psyched to see this on stage. I have seen the movie since I was little so I know I like the story and the songs and the dancing. I was hoping I would have the same pleasant experience with the stage production.

And I did have a good experience watching it. The dance numbers were fantastic and I can really see the ballet/dance prowess of the cast. The fight scenes that were done as a dance was a little chessy but it comes with the territory. The singing of the cast was good enough. The guy who played Tony (Kyle Harris) did have a superb voice. So strong and pleasing to hear. On the otherhand, I did not care for the suprano/operatic voice of the girl who played Maria (Ali Ewoldt). And she did not look Puerto Rican to me too. My friend Millie commented that she looked Filipino which I agree with the assessment. Alicia Charles played a very relatable Anita and really reminded me of Rita Moreno who played Anita in the movie. I was very entertained watching the songs I have long loved like 'Tonight', 'America', 'I feel Pretty', 'Somewhere' and 'Gee Officer Krupke'. And another thing that I did like about the stage production was the fact that they incorporated more spanish in the dialogue and songs as oppose to the movie which was almost all english. I think it made the stage production more realistic when you hear Puerto Ricans speaking spanish. I know spanish so I have no problem following what they said. I wondered how the non spanish speaker felt about it. To boot the good show was the fact that we had good seats on our price range. Woohoo.

Saturday, August 06, 2011

Bahai Garden

The Bahai Garden is this garden/park on the side of the mountain in Haifa facing the Mediterranean Sea. It was very cool and pretty up there. On a clear day you could even see Lebanon. Other than a nice look out, there was nothing spectacular about it.

Thursday, August 04, 2011

Ugly side of computer/internet.

All these things we now do online definitely makes global communication easier. Anybody who has a computer/internet can post comments to articles/blogs and it does not matter where they are. Anybody can make a profile and join a social networking site and chat with other members across the continent/world. One can say it is a good thing. It is a sign of progress thru the use of technology. On the other hand, this global communication thru the internet/computer has a definite ugly side. For starters, there is no accountability one assumes when he says something in person. It is because anybody can make an account and post nasty comments on an article/blog. They do not have to be ashamed of what they say cause nobody knows who they are. They can remain anonymous. And another thing, those who join chat sites can get away without posting their true face pictures. They can just have their torso, butt or dick as their picture. Or they can post another person's picture. Or they can post their picture from 20 years ago. These people can easily deceived another during a chat into thinking he is one thing when in person he is not. If these interactions were in person, everybody has to show their true likeness in order to engage another. Have you every chatted in person to another person who has his head covered by a paper bag? I don't think so.

It is just very sad how people out there can use computer/internet into something unbecoming. It ruins it for the rest of us.

Wednesday, August 03, 2011

Idiotic Craigslist post during bad weather.

It was a very stormy night the other night. I braved it out but I should have stayed home. The wind was gusting really hard and there was thunder and lightning all over. The streets were halfway flooded. Definitely a night to stay at home. It reminded me of the big snow storm we had in Chicago this past January. Cars were buried in several feet of snow. Most street were impassable. Those several days most of us were stranded at home. And it is during these stay in kind of weather that I sometimes check out the Romance M4M section of Chicago Craigslist. I have noticed that it is during bad weather times when most people stay in that the M4M section would be flooded by guys looking to hook up. Obviously they are bored indoors and wants some entertainment. And most of these craigslist posting will be looking to stay in for the hook up. Meaning they want the other guy to come to their place. So if they can't step out because of the weather, why would they think somebody can come to their place??? Why even bother posting for a hook up during bad weather? It is rather unrealistic and superbly moronic to even have these post then. I often wonder how many of these post that are looking for "stay in hook up" during bad weather actually get to have a hook up. I venture to say NONE.

Tuesday, August 02, 2011

Good deed for the needy feels good.

I am not the type who would normally give money to a street peddler or beggar. Specially if they look able bodied. Even if they are children, I won't give money cause I am always afraid those kids have a ring leader that actually collects the money and they just use the kids to beg for it. If anything else, I might give food to a beggar so that I know it will be eaten rather than used to buy drugs or alcohol.

Today at the Filipino Grocery, there was a elderly beggar asking for food. He looked sickly and hungry so I gave him the free meal I got for spending more than $75 of grocery. It was rice and beef afritada dish. I figured the food I gave him would at least fill his stomach and not used for alcohol. And also, I did not really have an excuse to be selfish. I got the meal for free so it did not even cost me anything. It was the perfect moment to be generous to the needy. I am not always altruistic but I must admit doing a good deed does feels good.

Monday, August 01, 2011

workout but not doing all the work?

Why do we go to the gym? Some say they want to be healthy and have a good cardiopulmonary health. Many want to be more muscular. Most want to lose some fat/weight. And how do we achieved all these? Of course by doing exercise either in the form of cardio and weight lifting to burn more calorie and to work the muscle for hypertrophy. Therefore I do not understand why some people would not bother to do the extra work in their workout by returning the equipment or weights to their proper places? Would you not think that by returning the weight to the proper rack constitute more calories burned and more work for the muscle to hypertrophy? Instead they choose to be slovenly and just leave the equipment or weights behind when they finish using it. Obviously if they are lazy and untidy in the gym, they are also like that in their day to day living. They would take the elevator instead of the stairs. They would not clean/tidy up the house as often as it needs to. This will probably explain why they are flabby or fat to begin with. So my point is this. When at the gym, tidy up after yourself cause that extra work adds up to make you burn more calorie and develop more muscle.