Hot off the press!

In the news today I read that the Pope says gay marriage is "evil." It must be a slow news day for that to make the headlines. Does he ever have anything good to say about advancing the rights of women or gays? Real news would be the Pope converting to Islam.

Actually, he says it's part of an ideology of evil. Just what is that anyway? And I wonder how so many people I know subscribe to this ideology of evil without knowing it? I mean, if I was truly that evil myself, I'd read the Pope's comment and say "Shit! He's on to me." Then I'd call my evil friends, plan an evil diversion and start work on a new evil plot.

It's taken me years to understand and accept myself as gay and I think I'm a better man for it. I really don't give a fuck about what the Pope has to say about it and I'm not about to change my mind. Besides, if the omniscient, all-forgiving god of Christianity exists he accepts me with my all my flaws and I'm sure he forgives me for following my heart.

Is this man gay?

If he's not, his shorts are. I had a crush on Steve Guttenburg in the 80's. I thought he was cute and I loved his hairy chest. But he never did anything to set off my gaydar.



Then again, there was that role in Can't Stop the Music where he roller skated with a tight "I Love San Francisco" t-shirt and kept a scantily clad houseboy. Hmmm....

Disco Trivia

Listening to Guy Lafleur made me feel nostalgic about some early disco classics. Back in grade school I bought my first record player started my vinyl collection. I brought my own record to the same school dance I wrote about in my last post. It was the Bee Gees' Spirits Having Flown album which I bought for the song Tragedy.

Despite our young age, the homophobia surrounding disco had already been accepted and internalized. I remember some kid saw the record cover through my plastic bag and started to call me a fag. He was an asshole. I'm sure the teacher overheard because he asked what I brought and told everyone what a great record it was. The asshole shut up and some of other kids began to show their own records including The Trammps' Disco Inferno and Patrick Hernandez' Born to be Alive.

I loved all those songs like most kids there but none of us danced. I think we just ate chips, drank pop and played games. What else could supervised geeky pre-teens do in a well lit room?

Anyhow, I decided to do some reading on Patrick Hernandez and learned that Madonna of all people got her start as a back up singer on Born to be Alive. The link I put here is obviously not to the original version so I'm going to have to look for another copy do download. I want to see if I can pick her voice out. (After that, I'll try listening for Cher in an early Phil Spector song).

Power Play

On my way home from work today I was listening to DNTO on CBC. It's a bit artsy and nerdy I know but I like it.

Today they played a song that I had long forgotten about. In the 70's, Guy Lafleur did a hockey-instructional themed disco song called Scoring (please listen). I remember the song from when I was in grade 4 or 5 when some kid brought it to school for a dance. We all thought it was very cool of course.

What I wouldn't give to have a copy of it now. Not for the picture booklet or the posters of a hairy-chested Guy that came with the album but for the sheer joy of knowing I was the custodian of such a rare vinyl treasure.

I must have it. I think I'll try to talk D into going to the flea market with me some time soon to see if I can find a copy of my own.

Sabath Mode

If you ever feel like there's no one watching you while you're shopping, just open a fridge door and the sales staff will descend on you like a plague of locusts. We've had to shoo a few salesmen away this week while we browsed (except when they were cute).

I prefer to look at stuff on my own and talk to sales staff only when I have questions.

I noticed one oven from Fridgidaire that had Sabath Mode. Apparently cooked food can now be kept warm on the Sabath and holidays! Maybe there were always ovens with Sabath mode but I never noticed because I never shopped for ovens before and because all my close friends are goyim.

I've arrived?

I've finally taken the plunge and signed a purchase agreement for a new condo. I could have afforded it a few years ago but I've dragged my feet. I'm not sure what I was affraid of. But now I know I'm sick to fucking death of hearing my neighbour's music emanating through my ceiling.

I decided to let him win and I'll be giving my 2 month's notice to my property manager with March's rent. It's not like it's a really nice place here anyway. The fireplace and hardwood floors are the only redeeming factors. After three years I'm still puzzled as to why the hallway smells like Kraft powdered cheese-sauce mix. Febreeze has only masked the odour.

My new place has 14 foot ceilings and feels bigger than my apartment. It won't be that much more expensive for us every month. I had to pay an extra fifteen thousand for a parking spot but at least my car will be steps from my front door. I was going to have to pay an extra 40 or 50 dollars per month for municipal parking so mortgaging a parking spot actually made sense.

I'm shopping for appliances now. If my kitchen wasn't open concept I'd get white appliances for sure. But my new building is sort of industrial looking and I'm leaning towards stainless because I want the appliances to go with the rest of the condo. A friend commented that there's something about having matching stainless appliances that says "you've arrived." I think there's something about matching stainless appliances that says you owe someone a lot of money.