Results?!?!

Sweaty G near the end of my journey. Across from the house of W. I mean Whitey. Yo, I'll take my own damn picture!


Lincoln Mem/Wash. Monument shot from Arlington


Kennedy Center shot from Teddy Roosevelt Bridge

No, I did not join the gay gym. Not that there's anything wrong with it.
Certainly would be nice to isolate those chest muscles in an air conditioned environment. But after 90 minutes of the total gym experience (per sessipon, not lifetime) and I'm done, right? Bored.
So i get on the bike and conquer the town. Strap on my man-bag (whose contents I will not reveal) and book, baby. The town's a breeze,and much free stuff to do. Unfortunately i must share it with tourists and if it is my wish, partake of their entertainment. I found Kennedy Center to be most accomodating, elegant and cool. But the Millenium festival of free shows has been quite lame I must say. Yesterday, Catfish Hodge's elderly Blue Ridge folk blues was affable, friendly, safe and somnambulant. The crowd drawled in approval. I tried to wait until the sun went well down to get some vivid twilight photos along Ladybird Johnson Park, along the Potomac facing the monuments, so I was in Arlington, VA for about a mile's trek and back in towards Lincoln Mem.
Today I did the same shlep. Bruto Roy (no relation to Badal Roy) had his little fusion group. I'm just too wise for this stuff. Couldn't stay. I was hungry and decided to ride home in heavy rain. It's soft warm, comforting pellets and I see business people walking home soaked to the gills.
Me and J watched Gosford Park, proving that I can endure a movie with jodphurs. I just pretended it was Renoir's Rules of the Game, which it practically is.No offense, I like Robert Altman, keep it up old fellow.

Another day, another suicide mission

Yesterday I took a bike ride up a dreaded steady uphill slope to American University to go to an acting audition of all things. Had to stop halway, sit under a tree, peel off all my sweaty clothes and catch my breath. But I made it fine, made a good impression, if they're looking for the sweaty, scruffy funny type to play chess with death.
The heat index is 105 today. This successful shuttle launch today has me curious again about the history of space travel, so perhaps a nice "hot walk" to the mall will absolve me of any and all loafing. Burn a few fat cells, get some color, enjoy freedom to do things just for the hell of it.

More humidity...

Yes it's humid out there folks. Strap a plant, maybe some self secreting aloe to keep you from dehydrating. Did my customary Afro/Cuban jam session in the park. The older guys were spent, trying to entertain their homeless amigos. The high point had to have been my distorted electric mandolin shred. I'm surprised how far they like my taking it the melodicism far far out. Everytime I picked up my fruit shakers they felt like exploding with hot juice.
And if that doesn't get you hot, wait til I expound upon the big gay play in the nabe. Perhaps I still feel culturally isolated within my own habitues. Yes I attended the DC Pride parade, yes I go to Smart Ass slightly queer trivia night and you betcha I nail the questions on musicals. And did I mention I've filmed 3 way male scenes? So to go to a community theater in a full house of mostly gay communit(ees) and see nude actors showering up...I feel part of something different.
It was called TAKE ME OUT. Depicted a superstar baseball player outing himself to his teammates (the media apparently quite accepting) dealing with a redneck closer and an unrequited M lover was well done indeed.

What 'cha gonna doo??

Hmmm...
Now we got rain, brother. I swear, it hit me as I was getting out of Safeway yesterday. I got soaked, Southern style. Now today I get out just long enough to drop the Netflix in the box. Rain, thunder, only thunder, then, now, hard rain. It actually feels kinda soft when it hits you though, so it's not all bad.

Good thing I got friends in places with friends in high places. I'm hiding under a new rock apparently, but a more public one. In a town with such a wealth of famed granite, they take their stone seriously. But never forget the roots you pulled, the dirt you so enjoyed caking in your insoles,the gravel making your first steps so uncomfortable, for they are but the building blocks of your tree to be. And feel free to carve whatever you like on the tree. Be it a valentine, the makings of a guitar or a really fine pair of breasts. Mark yourself whole and damn what the neighbors think.

Sneaky Heat

The forecast all week called for rain, which I saw little of. This however is some strange southern humidity down here. Once I got on the bike to head to the post office it hit me hard. Maybe it was the long exercise pants, maybe the slightly low front tire pressure, maybe a lack of protein in my breakfast (Wheaties, organic banana, peanut butter, coffee). This was one of those days I feel like a zombie half-tourist. But not dead enough to endure a lunch in the food court of the OLD post office, which was one of the lamer tourist destinations I've seen, and I'm a bit tired of museums right now.

Movie-wise, some 'views of 2 cult-gone mainstream flicks that fell into said netherworld between limited theatrical release and direct to video:
BUBBA HO TEP: Had to watch it twice to fully appreciate it. I dug Bruce Campbell's commentary track as the king. Tough to get past some initail stylistic shortcomings. But the concept is brilliant and the chemistry with BC and Ossie Davis sufficient to keep interest afloat.Good DVD extras. Theatrically it would have sunk quickly as would...

A DIRTY SHAME: Did John Waters finish this movie fully? Where's the Arc? Cut some of the sex jokes, puns, simulations and what-not and ruminate on why suburban society is so opressed, but that would not be his forte so why bother. He believes in simple revolutionary cartoonish executions and everyone digs the movement. Concussions galore, all become sex addicts over and over again, the neuters remain highly ineffectual and google-eyed. All a bit repetitious. Great DVD extras, Selma Blair is super-hot.

stay tuned for a review of Team America...

Finally...pictures

Chez julie, love of my life. On the mall during the Smithsonian Folklife festival.
Or as the CityPaper related "Hot as Folk". She seems to be having a ...in Wonderland moment, hoping for a bit of shade under massive faux 'shroom.


Peter F, of Port Wizzleshizzle, LI. Intrepid songwriter in the works, who induced me to blog. And Teddy, a wet terrier. Huuhh!!Rumble young man rumble. Huuhh!!!


C'est moi. Strolling the boardwalk, Coney Island with Spyro over my left shoulder. He is on his phone trying to contact every single one of his avaiaible old friends to join/abet/attend/enable/endure the festivities and witness his magnetism and power at the signifying event of the coming of summer. The mermaid parade.
Webmaster, I have more pictures, can I show pulchtritude? Mams? Cans? Jugz?

OBBS-Ervations

Nothing like tooling around on a bicycle through the new town to elicit inspiration, or well, an excuse to write about it. Girlfriend J was in Copenhagen for a day last week. I told her to look for the Tivoli Gardens, locale of countless legendary shows by all the 60s & 70s great, just a regular stop on the European jaunt. She got some pub shots and some rainy pics of the local architecture, which I may include here. I however found the local Tivoli Market, or Theater, or something, in the decayed neighborhood of Columbia Heights, up the hill in the normally flat DC area north of U street. So I tooled around, eyed the 9:30 club, then headed uphill on 14th st. Passed some projects until I finally came to the Tivoli.

Actually I wanted to see the Giant G supermarket that just openened. Only to find it attached to this semi-active theater, hosting the Miss DC pageant this month. I swear it reminded me of Brooklyn, and it's first attempt of revitalization, the Atlantic Mall. Colossal failure in the middle of a dilapidated and overworked intersection of Atlantic and Flatbush Aves. That had a Caldor and a Sports authority which both closed up in short time. The Pathmark was moderately successful. Now the intersection is more built up with stores and potentially the new Nets arena, but it's still ugly as can be, if not at least functional.
Tivoli however is still several steps behind, keep track of those shopping carts. So much of DC has hoods that still haven't fuly recovered from the 60s riots. The homeless are well entrenched in the city parks. Most are somewhat more placid than NY homeless. You got southern religion running most of the shelters here.
It's a very divided town. The outer neighborhoods are screaming for inner amenities. More shops, restaurants, fighting over development down in SE Anacostia, but the ole likka store boys don't wanna leave. It's the opposite of Williamsburgh. Build it up baby, sell sell sell. It all means more money for the Feds who run DC. It's not a state! I'll be pissed when I start working and see how much is taken out of my taxes, and it all goes straight to Bush, who moves it straight to Iraq.
Hey people, he is not looking out for your best interests! It's a very expensive publicity stunt for Democracy in the name of oil conquest. Impeach Bush!!!

That's all for politics for me, for now that is. You can find me jamming in Dupont Circle most Sundays, weekdays as well, as I take breaks from internet job hunting and hot walks to the mall, museum shuffling with a purpose. I am no tourist! I'm getting use of the tax money I haven't even earned yet. Actually I'd like to work for the Smithsonian in some capacity worthy of my intel. Toot Toot.