Cookie is a Star!

        My friend Cookie Crumbles stars in this video. Check her out. She’s the smashing one in the green suit.

This American Life, Season 2

        Season 2 of This American Life begins on Showtime this Sunday. I’ve got mixed feelings about the TV show because I love the radio show so much. I love the radio show because it’s so unique in how it is delivered. Almost as if you, as a listener, is sitting around a dinner table, listening to these very real, touching stories. And while the TV show accomplishes the same storytelling technique -- and does so very beautifully -- it looses the intimacy of radio.
        Instead of a voice, clear, crisp, coming to your ear, you look into a box and see visual images that coordinate with the story line. There is a certain distance created between a viewer and the images on a TV, almost as if they are not really happening. Like 9/11. When the Towers came down. It just wasn’t comprehensible.
        Because the radio show was so unique, the TV show, while different, just feels ordinary, like everything else.
        Still, I’ll be downloading the show from the iTunes store on Sunday.

Vote for David

In our household, we're in love.

Love Me, Love My Doll

Tonight on BBC America, 10 p.m. Eastern. I love when he launches into the "used to be sex, sex, sex, but now we're just there for each other all the time." Thanks, Buckhead John for the heads-up.

Leno Apologizes

        Following up on an earlier post with my gayest look, it seems that Jay Leno has apologized for his failed attempt at humor when he asked guest Ryan Phillippe to give the camera his “gayest look.”
        There is a great article posted on Edge that summarizes the drama that unfolded, and points to the site that Melissa McEwan and Jeff Whitty created to give gays, lesbians, and straights everywhere to give Jay Leno their gayest look.
        GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) is taking credit for the apology, but they waited a week before speaking out -- long after the blogosphere hopped on the story. Whitty calls out GLAAD as well.

Ugh.

        I had to contact iPowerWeb support. They transferred our e-mail and web hosting to a new platform. The help files regarding changes have been less than adequate, and I finally reached the point where I had to spend the time waiting for Tech Support to get them resolved. I first tried their live chat.

Albert Lewis: Hi Timothy, I apologize for the wait time. My name is Albert, how are you today?
Timothy State: Hi Albert. I'm having all sorts of e-mail troubles.
Timothy State: The help files on the new platform are not very helpful.
Albert Lewis: Can you please hold while I review your account and get back within 2 to 3 minutes?  
Timothy State: Sure.
Albert Lewis: Thank you for holding.
Albert Lewis: To protect your account from unauthorized changes, can you please verify for me the answer to the Security Question:
Albert Lewis: SECURITY QUESTION?
Timothy State: SECURITY ANSWER.
Albert Lewis: Thank you for the authentication.
Albert Lewis: I apologize. What exactly seems to be the issue?
Timothy State: I have a couple of issues with e-mail -- and the help files on the new platform are of little use.
Timothy State: The first is that my e-mail box tim.state@barnesplace.com is "full". The sender gets a message saying it's full.
Timothy State: When I look at it, it says I've used 15 MB of 25 MB. What gives? And how do I fix this?
Albert Lewis: Okay.
Albert Lewis: Can you please hold while I look into this for you? I should have some more information regarding your issue in 2-4 minutes.
Timothy State: Sure.
Albert Lewis: Thank you for holding.
Timothy State: No problem.
Albert Lewis: Can you please test your mailbox tim.state@barnesplace.com now?
Timothy State: Send a message to it?
Timothy State: Sent a message.
Timothy State: Okay, it's come through.
Timothy State: And there was no bounce error.
Timothy State: Was there a problem on my end?
Albert Lewis: Please note that there will be a file size set on our backend for your mailbox.
Timothy State: What does that mean?
Albert Lewis: I have updated it and fixed your issue.
Albert Lewis: It is certain size limit set for a certain mailbox on our end.
Timothy State: Does that mean that there is a limit to the size of the e-mail people can send to me?
Albert Lewis: However, you can increase your mailbox size following the steps provided below:
Albert Lewis: 1. Log into your vDeck 3.0 going to: http://ipower.com/controlpanel .
Albert Lewis: 2. Click on 'Details' under Disk Usage.
Albert Lewis: 3. On your Disk Usage page click on 'Set mailbox quotas individually' increase your mailbox size to that you wish and click on 'Save changes' button.
Albert Lewis: Yes, you can receive a 25 MB large e-mail from your client.
Timothy State: I have my e-mail program set to delete the mail files when it downloads them from the server. So my mail box should never get full. I download e-mail daily. So is my mailbox filled with messages?
Timothy State: I don't understand why this problem occurred. In theory, I'm emptying the mail box as it fills up.
Albert Lewis: Yes, your mailbox is 15.10 MB out of 25 MB available.
Albert Lewis: Okay.
Timothy State: So it's not being cleared out as I download then, correct?
Albert Lewis: Currently, I have updated the changes and you will not experience any issue further.
Albert Lewis: Yes, if you have configured your e-mail client and unchecked the option Leave a copy of message on Server then as soon as you download the e-mails will be deleted from the server.
Timothy State: That last sentence is not grammatically correct and makes no sense.
Timothy State: What are you saying?
Albert Lewis: Okay.
Albert Lewis: I have just provide you with the information.
Timothy State: My e-mail client is set to "remove copy from server after retrieving a message right away." So why did the box get full? And why does it have 15 MB in it?
Albert Lewis: If you have receive any large e-mail then you may have experienced this issue.
Albert Lewis: This may have be one of the reason why you have experienced the issue.
Albert Lewis: Please test your mailbox once again on your end.
Timothy State: It came through fine. But according to the control panel, there is 15 MB in my mail box. Why? There should be no messages there.
Albert Lewis: Yes, it should be.
Albert Lewis: Please check logging into your mailbox via WebMail and confirm this.
Timothy State: Yes, what? It should have 15 MB in use even though there should be no messages?
Timothy State: "Inbox has no messages." Again, I'll repeat the question I'd like answered: why does the control panel say there are 15 MB of space used when there are no messages in the account?
Albert Lewis: Please check the folder option on your WebMail and confirm that there are no e-mails associated with any of the folders.
Timothy State: There are 2 in the deleted folder and 2998 in the spam folder. Why are the deleted ones not deleted? Why are the spam ones not deleted?
Albert Lewis: I am not sure.
Albert Lewis: While upgrading the accounts to vDeck 3.0 we had backed up the mailboxes.
Timothy State: And?
Albert Lewis: Because of this the backed up e-mail were not deleted.
Timothy State: Okay. That was never mentioned in the help files for the transition.
Albert Lewis: You can delete all the email associated with your mailbox.
Albert Lewis: Oh okay.
Timothy State: I have opened the two messages in the deleted folder and I have individually deleted them. They are still there.
Timothy State: The spam folder messages don't want to load.
Timothy State: What do I have to do to get the spam folder to be deleted regularly?
Timothy State: I am loosing confidence in your knowledge and your ability to communicate clearly. Would you please pass me on to a supervisor who has more experience?
Timothy State: Are you there?
Albert Lewis: Thank you for holding.
Albert Lewis: Can you please provide me with your mailbox password.
Timothy State: No.
Timothy State: You can't get to my password?
Albert Lewis: However, non our our supervisor is avilable currently at our Chat support Department you can contact our Phone support and ask them to forward your call to our supervisor.
Albert Lewis: No.
Timothy State: So you are saying that you can't help me?
Albert Lewis: Timothy, I have already resolved your issue and I am trying to resolved all your issues.
Albert Lewis: However, I need your mailbox password to log into your mailbox.
Timothy State: Every internet service I've ever been associated with has instructed me that a service representative will never ask for a password. I don't feel comfortable giving you the password. Please contact your supervisor so that he or she may assist you.
Albert Lewis: Unfortunately, as I have mentioned you above non our our supervisor is available currently at our Chat support Department.
Albert Lewis: Please contact our Phone support and ask them to forward your call to our supervisor.
Timothy State: This is outrageous.
Albert Lewis: You can contact our Phone support at: 888-511-4678 . International customers can call us at: 602-716-5399 .
Albert Lewis:
Timothy State: Aren't you logged into my e-mail account?
Albert Lewis: No.

Jesus and Gay Orgies

        An etching that depicts Jesus Christ and his disciples having a gay orgy during the biblical Last Supper?
        Well, of course. Get 12 hot guys in a room together, feed them only bread and wine, offer it up with statements like, “This is my body, eat it,” and what do you think’s going to happen.
        Wow. Why didn’t we see anything like that at the Vatican Museum?

Whitty Interview on the Advocate

        Earlier this week, there was a great interview in the Advocate, featuring Jeff Whitty, famous Cat Club Member. He’s adapting Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City in to a musical.

Summer is Near

        Sunday had temperatures in the 60s. The day was beautiful, which had me thinking of all the summer festivals in the city. I put together a list of neighborhood festivals by date. Check it out.
        We also headed to the Dog Park. Long John loved it. Buster, not so much. If he would just calm down and not freak out every time a dog walks towards him, he’d be okay. We might have to get him some medication for hyperactivity. Check out the photos.

Shelter Solid Cover for Gay Romance

        Shelter is the next gay movie hit. We went to go see it last night at the Music Box Theatre. The movie follows the struggles of a young man, coming to terms with his sexual identity as he balances the responsibilities in his life -- caring for his nephew in the absence of his looser sister -- with his dreams of art school. The predictable nature of the romance plot is cancelled out by smart dialogue, great acting, and beautiful boys. There is a lot of skin in this movie, but its far from gratuitous, surfing being a major theme throughout the movie.
        Shelter is in movies theaters now, as well as on the here! television network.

Ponderable...

        We were at Hamburger Mary’s last night, enjoying a light snack and a drink after a movie, and Justice League Unlimited was playing on a TV behind the bar. As Wonder Woman was getting her ass kicked by a blue villain with green eyes, I wondered, Does Wonder Woman use hairspray to keep the one-piece costume from riding up the ass cheeks?
        What do you think?

Chicagoist Posts for the Day

        Check out my Chicagoist posts for the day:

• “Angel of Death” and Boss Charged for Alleged Overdoses
• Skybus Shuts Down Operations
• CTA Bus Tracker System Adds Bus Lines

An Object on the Tracks

        Scrolling announcement on the message board at the train station: “The North Line is currently not operating due to a trespasser at Wellington.”
        Ticket agent: “I don’t know when the North line will be operating again. Just as soon as they remove the body from the tracks.”
        The 7:04 had been cancelled, so I wondered if the 7:25 would leave or not. Since I had arrived in plenty time to purchase my ticket, I figured I should use the restroom and get some food -- just in case. I’m optimistic though, as we just pulled out of the station, only 4 minutes late.
        Update 7:37 a.m.: We’re stopped on the tracks. Not even at the Clybourn stop yet. Somewhere near the Miller Lite sign that can be seen from the Kennedy Expressway. No announcement. Thank goodness I grabbed some food before hopping on board.
        Update 7:43 a.m.: Apologies for the delay just announced over the public address system. Due to an earlier incident, they are running a single track. We’ve not seen a train come from the other direction, though.
        Update 7:51 a.m.: “Metra does apologize for the delay due to the single track operation because of the earlier incident.”
        Update 7:53 a.m.: A southbound train just passed. There are a number of express trains that still come into the city at this hour, so don’t know that we will be able to move forward just because one train has passed. Other passengers appear to be relatively calm. If this were taking place in the evening, people would be going crazy. Now, they are just going to sleep.
        Update 8:00 a.m.: More apologies. Waiting for an opening so that we can continue to go North. I just realized if they are running on one track, I’m sitting on the wrong side of the train to see the body.
        Update 8:02 a.m.: Second southbound train just went by.
        Update 8:07 a.m.: Third southbound train.
        Update 8:12 a.m.: I think a fourth train just went by. Not that I can’t count to four, but I wasn’t paying attention. Went off in la-la land.
        Update 8:19 a.m.: An announcement saying they will keep us informed.
        Update 8:26 a.m.: This is the time we normally pull into Lake Forest. Or at least are scheduled to pull into Lake Forest. Another train just passed. The fifth? The Chicago Tribune is reporting that a pedestrian was struck near the Clyborn station, and the vague closing statement, “Details to come.”
        Update 8:38 a.m.: We’ve been stopped for an hour now. What I think is the sixth inbound train just passed. The ladies on the lower level have turned the seats around to face each other. One has a laptop with a wireless card. She’s surfing the Internet for information. The others are on their blackberries. I’m surprised they haven’t pulled out their knitting needles, but then these women don’t have time to knit.
        Here on the upper level, we’re still isolationists. The Twins are at the end of the row. One is sleeping. The other just finished the Red Eye’s sudoko.
        Update 8:44 a.m.: We will not be moving until 9:10 a.m., they just announced. This train will stop at Clybourn, and then run express to Waukegan. Then the next train will go express to Highland Park. The train following that will make all stops. No one--not even the conductor--is clear if the Highland Park train will continue to make stops, or if it will stop. People are starting to get restless. I am reminded, at times like this, that social order balances on a razor’s edge.
        Update 8:57 a.m.: The seventh inbound train -- the train with the club car where they smoke and drink cocktails -- just went by us. A sixth train went by while I got up to use the restroom. An announcement just clarified the train behind this one will run express to Highland Park, and then stop. But there won’t be anyone on that train because most people get on at Ravenswood and Evanston.
        Update 9:05 a.m.: My friend Liz called after I sent her a text message. She normally gets on at Ravenswood. She said she finally had to take refuge in the Golden Nugget Diner. I could so use a BLT right now. If I survive this, please, somebody, let my mama know I loved her.
        Update 9:10 a.m.: The eighth train just passed. I’m growing a beard while I sit here and wait.
        Update 9:13 a.m.: Still not moving. They reminded us of the train logistics and apologized. They said it was due to a “fatality suicide.”
        Update 9:14 a.m. The ninth train just passed. I am thinking this is an April Fool’s joke, and any moment we’ll all be laughing.
        Update 9:15 a.m.: Oh, the humanity! We’re moving!
        Update 9:31 a.m.: I’m on a train that is moving north. We got off at Clybourn. Another train arrived--one we were told was going to Highland Park. The conductor said everyone was getting off this train.
        “There is a train directly behind us. It will be making all stops.”
        “We were told this train is going to Highland Park!” a woman yelled.
        “This train is not going to Highland Park. The next train will go to Highland Park.”
        “We were told this train is going to Highland Park. Where is this train going?”
        “This train is not going to Highland Park. The next train will go to Highland Park.”
        The wind was blowing. It’s only 39 degrees. I was only on the platform for 15 minutes, and I was feeling hypothermic. I don’t know how the people who stood there for ninety minutes could tolerate it.
        Total chaos was about to erupt.
        Update 9:45 a.m.: This train is full. There are people standing in the aisles. I don’t know how we’re going to pick up all the people we need to pick up. This train is filling the void of three trains. People are jockeying for seats.
        Update 10:45 a.m.: I just arrived at work.

My Gayest Look, Ever

        My childhood friend Jeff Whitty is after Jay Leno again. Two years ago, he called Mr. Leno on his inappropriate and homophobic jokes. He wrote an open letter to Mr. Leno. CNN caught wind of it, and produced a story about it. Mr. Leno called Jeff to chat about it. Jeff gave him the benefit of the doubt.
        Until last week when Mr. Leno was at it again, asking Ryan Phillippe to look into the camera and give viewers his gayest look. Jeff is on the rampage now, and is co-creator in this new site, which features the gayest look of several gay men and lesbian women. Jeff, thanks for staying mad. Here’s my gayest look, ever.

Is This For Real?

Pregnant Man... How?

        Our friend Buckhead John came across this story about a pregnant man. Apparently the man was born female, but identified as male. He had surgery for breast modification, and took hormones and now has the hairy chest of a man. He did not have his sex organs modified. So now he’s pregnant.
        But the article references his wife. So one could deduce there is not a penis in the household. So how did he get pregnant? The article mentions that some doctors refused to care for him once they found out he was pregnant. But how did he get pregnant?
        And without breasts, how will he breast feed?
        So many questions...

Delta Dave is a Star

        Our friend in Atlanta, Delta Dave, has a cameo appearance in Delta Airline’s new in-flight safety video. He’s the attractive guy demonstrating the use of a seat belt. His performance in this cheeky new flick moved me. And I absolutely love the female pilot closing the show.

Chicken Stipe

        Michael Stipe came out last week. Lead singer of R.E.M. Michael stipe. Says he wants to be a role model and inspiration to young children.
        Where were you, Michael Stipe, in the ‘80s, when all we had was Boy George? Why weren’t you a role model and an inspiration then, when it would have really mattered. When you could have shown that being gay doesn’t mean you have to wear makeup and color your hair? When it was important to show the world that being gay doesn’t mean you have AIDS.
        Why bother coming out now, Michael Stipe. Does your music no longer hold its own? Are you looking for a media bump? Cover stories in all the gay press to help sell a new album?
        I hope the gay media sees right through this, as this is not news. You and your sexuality are not news, Michael Stipe. There are many gay performers who have been true to themselves for years. People who have already forged the path you are now telling everyone you’re going to travel down. You’re not a leader, but a follower.
        So thank you, Michael Stipe, for doing us all a favor. Come out now, eleven years after Ellen. A decade after Will and Grace. Come out now so that you can be an inspiration and a role model? I wanted to shred ever R.E.M. cassette tape I have.

Vantage Point Counter Point

        I realize Little Merry Sunshine didn’t care much for Vantage Point, and I have to admit her review swayed us and we seriously thought about skipping the movie. But, mid-Sunday afternoon, we found ourselves in the mood for a movie. Something we could check into and be entertained by the visual stimulation. We didn’t want to have to think too much, as in Funny Games. And we didn’t want to be rolling our eyes at sappy self-realization motivated by the innocent wisdom of a 5-year-old, as in Definitely, Maybe. So when we arrived at the box office and Vantage Point was just starting, we decided to give it a try.
        Unlike Merry Sunshine, we enjoyed it.
        Vantage Point employs an interesting technique, showing the same scene, but from the different perspectives of the key characters. As we go through each character’s version, the viewer obtains new pieces of the puzzle, until you have a cohesive story line. It’s not as much work as it sounds, as the director has been careful to provide cues to help you figure out where you are at throughout.
        There are some perspectives that I was left wanting a bit more of, though. When Dennis Quaid, the lead Secret Service Agent storms into the television control room, he has a phone conversation revealing inside information. Sigourney Weaver, who plays the stunning news producer who directs the live broadcast passes the information on to her live reporter. We never see the consequences of that action. We learn later the information is incorrect, but it would have certainly gone out on the airwaves. So does it lead to more confusion? Or does the press piece together a different story than what was being fed to them. Sigourney is too great of an actor to have just a minor role. We should have seen more of her, and that sassy new hairdo she was sporting.
        More important than plot, the portrayal of terrorists as ruthlessly arresting studs and studettes, had me sympathizing for their noble, yet misguided principles. The stunning beauty and romance of a sweating stud in a Spanish plaza more than makes up for the logic wormholes that plague the plot throughout. To go with the story, one really has to suspend any sense of reality, space and time -- when the viewer sees the wormhole, they just have to jump through it with the dark-featured, handsome, glistening terrorist. As long as the viewer can do that, then you’ll enjoy the trip Vantage Point has to offer.

Happy Easter!

Hope your Easter is a scream!

Crib Shots Grab Attention

        In the fall, just days before Roger and Lori’s baby arrived, we headed up to Lake Forest to shoot a few pictures of the crib Roger had painted by hand. It’s very cool, and he was pretty proud of his handiwork. He should be--it is beautiful.
        Roger had used some environmentally friendly paint, something that would make it totally safe for a baby to gnaw on. The paint manufacturer was holding a contest, asking people to submit photos of things they had painted. Well, I just found out my photos we submitted got third place.
        In the mean time, the photos on my Flickr account were also discovered by a blog that highlights child-friendly home crafts, ohdeedoh. They have featured some of the photos in a post about painting cribs.

Oklahoma Sally, One Last Time

        Oklahoma Representative Sally Kern has been flamed on a number of blogs for her hateful words against the GLBT community, saying that we’re worse than terrorist. She, herself, is a terrorist with the hateful rhetoric she so willingly will spout out from her mouth.
        It’s hard to move beyond her vicious attacks to arrive at a place of pity for Sally and the pathetic life she must live in order for her to spout off in as casual a manner as smoking a cigarette after a really good f**k. But a high school student who lost his mother in the bombing of the Oklahoma Federal Building was able to find a place of pity and compassionately put Sally in her place. Check it out.

Long John Banged Up

        Long John got in the way of the door this morning -- as it was opening.  Another dog barked, and he turned into the door to bark at him, his foot getting stuck underneath the door.
        The resulting flesh wound wasn't too bad, but the flapping scrap of skin and fur about made me vomit, especially when he plopped down after eating his breakfast to lick the wound.
        So I scooped him up and we were off to a 6:30 a.m. visit to the animal E.R.  I won't tell you what they did, but here you can see his new look with the lampshade and a coordinating gauze bow.  I'm concerned that tomorrow's Oprah fans are going to eat him for breakfast, he looks so cute.

Oklahoma Sally Update

        Seems like Hateful Oklahoma Sally has raised a gay son. An allegedly bathroom-cruising gay son. Right now, reading this just makes me angry. But hopefully, I’ll soon reach a place of pity. How soulless she must be to allow the bigotry of religion override motherly love.
        It is people like Sally Kern who should not be allowed to raise children. How can we protect society from people like Sally?

Wiener Gone Wrong

        Oh, the humanity! One slick wiener slid off the road!

People Can Be So Hateful

Drop Sally an e-mail at sallykern@okhouse.gov and let her know what you think.

Bikini Bull Riding is Dead

        The Frontier Casino and Hotel is gone. At night, a desert back whole fills the space where it once sat, the only remnant is the sign. Big, gaudy, it stands as a grave stone to the second casino and hotel that broke away from downtown Las Vegas, establishing what now has become The Strip. It hosted the first Vegas appearance of Elvis, and Diana Ross and the Supremes.
        “It was a sad day when that thing closed.” Our cab driver was taking us to the older hotels that originally established Vegas as a gambling town. “It was the end of an era.”
        “Vegas just isn’t as tawdry as it used to be,” Tony said.
        “Nowhere is town can you witness bikini bull riding or mud wrestling anymore.”
        “Seriously?” I asked. “They had mud wrestling?”
        “You bet. No where can you see that kind of entertainment.”
        “That’s a shame.”
        “I once had a women in my cab. From Connecticut. She says, ‘I’ve never seen a bull wear a bikini. At first I thought she was joking, so I said, ‘Oh, yeah.’ And she says, ‘Must have to be an awful big bikini.’ I couldn’t believe she was serious. And she wasn’t even a blonde.”

Balancing Boyfriends Featured in Japanese English Book

        Balancing Boyfriends.com has been included in the Japanese English book, Try Reading Blogs in English, published by Kosaido Publishing Company, Tokyo. The book features blog posts from “26 ordinary Americans” written in “living English.” Blog posts appear on one page in Japanese, with the English translation on the opposite page. Footnotes help to explain euphemisms and slang. The publisher of the book has found that blog reading is one of the best ways for Japanese to learn English because of the conversational nature of blogs, which allow the reader to begin to understand English in the context of real situations.
        Sandwiched between “The Tale of Two Hookers” and the story of a triage nurse in an emergency room is Timothy State’s post, “Everything Goes. The Move is Complete,” a post highlighting the final negotiation involved in moving from Lake Forest to Chicago.
        The book even includes Japanese translations of LMAO, LOL, ROFL, TTYL, How R U?, and BRB.
        The publishers expressed gratitude to all the bloggers they featured: “We expect your contribution will have a positive impact on the English language skills of our Japanese readers. We hope that, together, we can help foster a higher degree of international communication and understanding.”

We Just Need a Little More Gay

I love the message of this video.

Jesus vs. Wiener Poopy

I love this.

It's a Blue Day

It's a blue day.

"Abs On Demand" and "Go-Go Guy in a Bye-Bye World" Published

        Two stories by Timothy State, “Abs on Demand” and “Go-Go Guy in a Bye-Bye World” have been published in the winter issue of the e-zine, Swell.
        “One of our writers finds himself in front of the mirror, admiring his progress after a hilarious and sadistic exercise program,” says Swell Editor Kevin Standifer of “Abs on Demand.”
        “Go-Go Guy” tells the story of an empowered stripper in New Orleans French Quarter.
        This is the third time Timothy State has been featured in Swell. This issue also features writer Jason Hendrix, poets Ann Tweedy and Ed Madden, blogger Ryan Smith, and cover art by Umayyah Cable.