left brain

Hot Times.. Summer in Florida

It all begins with Matt and I sitting down on our fabulous little Jet Blue plane to overhear a fight behind us between an old beefy Italian man who supposedly pushed the child of an old African American guy who supposedly pushed his wife. "I'm gonna fu*k you up once we deplane!" Deplane? What is that idea, anyway. Do you decar? Dehouse? Deboat? It becomes especially odd once you start thinking about it, instead of zoning out on the entirity of what the flight attendants are saying. Then it was zoning out with some Direct TV, blue potato chips, and Bend it like Beckham. Upon arrival and deplaning in Fort Lauderdale, the trip was instantly a success. Our hotel was across the street from the beach and our room overlooked the pool. Without hesitation, we quickly headed down the strip to find a place to get some drinks and to check out the scene. Well, after 2 whole pitchers of beer on an empty stomach, both of us were drunk and watching a thunderstorm in a trashy (gross trashy) straight bar. The beginning of what I think of Florida starts here.

We crawled our way home and went to bed early after a night of Sex and the City. The next day was spent not moving on the beach, where the boys were weird and the water was like a bathtub. For one of the very few times in my life, I saw a man totally dressed up in this diving suit with a metal detector looking for random change or whatever he thinks he is going to find under the water. Then, a woman waving a gigantic stick over her head, screaming out some praise-like junk. That night we continued to get boozed up before going out to a local bar called George's Alibi where we were the youngest two people by about 10 years. It was fun though, $3.00 long island ice tea's in like jam containers! We then decided to head into this club called Boom which was a little out of control packed but the music was good. After a moment of being on the box, we decided we had enough. The following night (Friday), we decided to hit up a strip club after experiencing the local Chili's. Which seems to be the hot spot on a Friday night in Wilton Manners. Chili's not the strip club, lol. Though, there was definitely some trashy fun had in the club. Some more drinking and we were ready to do Coliseum. The huge club that was packed with young boys. I felt old but that is another story. They also played more Madonna then even Matt or I could bare. But, it was fun. We left and then decided to try to find another gay little place (for which one this is, you need to know me well) but ended up getting a tour of Southern Florida, including the sketchy neighborhoods with groups of people, otherwise known as gangs in the streets. Yes, it was great. 3am and two white boys driving around in some little bottom car with club music blasting as we are passing drug houses and what seems to be bombed out buildings. After spending two whole days at the beach, and overdosing on gay night life in Fort. Lauderdale, we were ready for some culture in Miami and South Beach. Shopping, Shopping, and OMG, it is hot down here, more shopping. We drooled over a boy who was amazingly beautiful and was working in the Diesel Store. We came to know him as Mark. We had lunch at some really cute Roman pizza place on Lincoln Road which amusingly was a memorable meal.

On Sunday night, we headed back into South Beach to a club called Mansion that was the most amazing night we had in Florida. Junior Vasquez was spinning and it was amazing. We danced for like 4 hours. The club, the boys, the music, ahhh.. it was great. The hot shaved headed DG model dancing next to us! After a whole three hours of sleep back at our hotel, we were forced to check out a scary shopping mall where one of the main stores was a JC Penny Outlet. Yes, an outlet. We then decided that shopping in this mall was pointless so we drove around until it was time to head to the airport. On our return Jetblue flight, after boarding the plane from the tarmac, I had the chance to see my x-gf from high school on MSNBC.

Justin Votes Democrat!

Washington | July 16, 2004 2:34:35 PM IST

Pop star Justin Timberlake is actively getting involved in politics and supporting the Democrats as the American presidential elections draw near.

The 'Rock Your Body' singer will host an exclusive party at a Democratic Convention in Boston later this month in honour of Tennessee politician Harold Ford Jnr.

According to insiders, the Democrats are extremely happy to have another high-profile celebrity publically helping with their bid to replace incumbent President George Bush with their leader John Kerry.

"The Democrats are delighted to have Justin on board," rate the music quoted a source as saying. Other vocal democrat celebrities include Ben Affleck, Barbara Streisand and Bon Jovi. (ANI)

What Happens In Vegas ......

As the plane's wheels hit the tarmac, the ability to see what we know as the "strip" is right outside of the window. I mean, with a turn of the head to the left, right outside of the 757's window. An Egyptian pyramid next to a New York City skyline all being dwarfed by some freak Seattle sky tower thing. It seems that the airport is on the "strip" itself. How is this possible? It seems unrealistic that an international airport is so close to "so much." Vegas baby.

Or, actually.. Clark County. Las Vegas, as the world or actually the United States knows it, is not actually in the city of Las Vegas. It is in a county due south known as Clark County. Unbelievable? Well, it is only the beginning of the unbelievable. Vegas is pure fluff. It makes even L.A. feel believable. ((http://www.co.clark.nv.us/Public_communications/About_clark_county.htm)) Clark County, in fact, is one of the fastest-growing areas in the country, with more than 5,000 people moving here each month. How is it that 5,000 people move to this god forsaken strip of land a month? Don’t you wonder? Well, if it helps, after visiting Clark County and the city of Las Vegas and other suburbs, I still have no idea. Just one block behind The Venetian or The Bellagio or The Hard Rock Hotel are some of the scariest city blocks I have ever seen. Actually, calling them blocks is a reach. They are more like empty strips of shitty land. Death. And, well, a gas station. But don’t think that the cheap suburbs are a better idea. The entire city of Henderson is basically a track house dream come true. More fake.

Don't get me wrong. My trip to Las Vegas, oops, Clark County was entertaining and a lot of fun. I don't know anywhere else in the world where you can get a take out margarita from a window in one of the world's largest hotel‘s restaurant right before you walk down the street to be snapped at from Mexican woman and children trying to tempt you to see naked woman or live sex shows. Oh wait, I forgot to mention that it is 115 degrees outside. So, you actually don't want to walk down the street. You need to be inside. Inside a huge hotel whose air conditioning budget, just the A/C, is I would have to believe more than the GDP of some small countries.

But, nothing will beat the feeling of putting a quarter into a machine titled "Triple Cherry" and winning 4 more quarters. Then 5. Then to having $5.00 worth of quarters before losing it all. Yes, all.. of my $2.00. It was great. The highs, the lows, the feeling of wanting to spend all of my cash, the feeling of being addicted to something all in the matter of 10 minutes. Then it is over until you wake up the next morning and have to pass through the casino in order to get anywhere. Food, Pool, Outdoors... Civilization. Er wait, maybe this is. There is a St. Marks square around the corner, gondola's, even a Bridge of Sighs. Down the street there is a volcano and even a pirate's ship. In the other direction, rising above the steaming pavement is an Eiffel Tower and a South Sea's island. It seems like reality. Until you notice that the trees are fake. And so are the stone walkways.

The water fountains in front of Hotel Bellagio are beautiful. The lions being in your face at the MGM was unbelievable. A restaurant called Renoir with real (one of the few things in Clark County) Renoirs. A volcano that erupts every 15 minutes. A Hummer every 6 cars. The exclusiveness of the Mandalay Bay Pool. Every shopping area having a Gucci and a Banana Republic. America, at this moment, is not this beautiful though. You get the idea that she and its citizens are overweight. I'm telling you, everyone over the age of 16 was overweight. You get the idea that we are obsessed with spending money. Money that most of the people in Vegas don’t even have. You get the idea that we don’t give a shit.

At the time of stepping onto the plane, I was ready to come home. It is said, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. I am not sure if I agree with that. What happens in Vegas needs to be talked about. Because, it is one hell of a story. No, really, I had fun. Check out the pics. Its surreal!

Holiday!!!

I went to Madonna this week after being offered a free ticket three times.
For some reason, I had no urge to go. But, on the third offer, I went.
And, it was incredible! But, to best sum up my experience, I turn to my friend Nick who already has:

The video installation stuff that played during "The Beast Within" was truly haunting and moving. "Vogue" was an astonishing opening number, followed by "Nobody Knows Me." Then came "Frozen" which was one of the most intense numbers of the night. Christian and I just kept looking at each other, mouths wide open, both thinking, "I didn't know she was such a good singer!" Her voice was just -- uncharacteristically powerful. "Giiiiiiiiive yourself to meeeee."

Then came the military-themed anti-Bush portion of the program, highlighted by "American Life" and "Express Yourself." She stalked around a descended catwalk for these songs and, as Christian pointed out, used her fingers to gesture a "W" to the audience, which she then dropped for a single middle finger for our good old Prez. Go you, bitch! They played additional footage from the withdrawn "American Life" video in the background -- a running Iraqi woman on fire, models beating one another on the catwalk, and a final shot of Bush and Saddam lookalikes cuddling up to one another as blood drips down and covers the screen. She closed that heavy set with "Burning Up" and "Material Girl" which lightened the mood.

As she changed outfits, her dancers (including a skateboarder and some amazing man that did some amazing things with his body - that's the only way I can describe it) wowed the audience while a remix of "Hollywood" played. Then Madonna and her female dancers returned for a snarky version of "Hanky Panky" followed by a subdued, ballad version of "Deeper and Deeper." Then they were doing the tango to "Die Another Day" (with some really intense video images), followed by "The Lament" (from Evita) as she was strapped into an electric chair. This was another vocal highlight for the evening. She just sounded amazing. As she descended into the floor for her execution, a remarkable new video for "Bedtime Story" played on the screen as her dancers, suspended in the air and dangling on large swings, entertained us.

Then, Madonna was back - this time strumming an acoustic guitar for "Nothing Fails." It was a truly gorgeous rendition, followed by line-dancing for "Don't Tell Me." Then she ordered everybody to get off their asses (I can't imagine anybody was sitting down, we really never even had a chance to, neither did anybody around us) for a show-stopping rendition of "Like a Prayer." That performance, by itself, was a bit of a religious experience. Then she segued into a really gorgeous version of "Mother & Father" (minus the treated vocals) with a snippet of "Intervention" thrown in for good measure, before closing the set with her much-criticized cover of Lennon's "Imagine." I'd agree that this was probably the low-point of the evening in a few ways. Number one, nobody but John Lennon sounds any good singing this song. It belongs to him, period. That having been said, her covering the song seemed genuinely sincere and heartfelt, and the video screens showed the consequences of our policies and our wars on children: from starving and malnourished African infants to young, Middle-Eastern boys toting machine guns.

The final portion of the show began with two bagpipe players and a makeshift marching band getting the audience riled up before an amazing rendition of "Into the Groove." Missy Elliott popped up on a video screen and Madonna and her six dancers wore kilts. At the song's conclusion, they bent over, lifted their kilts, and "mooned" the audience to spell the word FREEDOM with the letters on their underpants. It was adorable. Next came a powerful rendition of "Papa Don't Preach" and then a soulful "Crazy for You" which she dedicated to "all my fans who have been with me through thick and fucking thin for the last twenty years." The show closed with reinvented, remixed versions of "Music" and "Holiday." Confetti cannons showered the audience and made the mark that all good things must come to an end. But in my mind, folks, that was one night that will keep going and going and going...