Filed by Bil at 10:12 pm under Shameless Plugs
1 Comment

Just so the whole world knows…I’ve half-defected. I am the proud new owner of a MacBook. I will, at least for the time being, continue doing the work that I do and wasting the time that I waste on two other, older Windows laptops, but only for convenience’s sake. When I finally have my whole life onto this new monster, chances are high that they will slowly disappear, just like Marty McFly.

This is my first post on my new computer. Ooh, isn’t it lovely?

Filed by Trevor at 1:38 am under General
1 Comment

See? I’m not in hiding. I can’t let Bil have all the fun around here, you know. For lack of more engaging material, here are some random points of interest I need to get off my chest before I attempt to get some sleep, despite the ridiculous heat:

1. Tyson does the same frowny-smirk thing as Dwight on The Office, only the tragic thing is that the former is an actual person and not an actor. More, I say!

2. Pro-lifers, I hereby give you the distinction between being pro-choice and pro-abortion. Now let this silence your confusion on the matter.

3. For some reason, over the course of the past decade it seems that somehow, somewhere in Southern California is on fire.

4. Did I mention it’s frigging hot? And would you believe I wore a sweater to church on Sunday? This weather scares the crap out of me. Seriously. And poor Frank has been sprawled out (rather immodestly, I might add) on the bathroom tile all evening in order to cope. Would that I could do likewise.

5. I cut the shit out of my lip last Friday while shaving, so now everyone thinks I have herpes. And my guests have been too polite (mortified?) to comment either way.

That is all.

Filed by Bil at 9:26 pm under The Arts
3 Comments

Tonight I went to an invited dress rehearsal for the Chicago Opera Theatre’s latest production, courtesy of my hard-working wife. I will be honest. I am no opera expert. This is in fact the second opera I have attended. Like, ever. In my whole life. Just two.

How can I describe it? I know: I’ll use Disneyland metaphors.
(Keep reading…)

Filed by Bil at 9:54 pm under Damn Hippies, Fightin' Words, GOP, Politics, Religion
1 Comment

John McCain has a MySpace page, further proving my theory that if you’re not on MySpace, then you don’t actually exist. And the people who support McCain (on MySpace, mind you, not as a whole) seem — and please forgive me — fucking stupid. For example, one of his “friends” writes:

I definately agree that setting a date for withdrawal would be a devasting mistake for sure. I have my husband in Afghanistan and I don’t like the fact that he and other troops are over there, but this is something that needs to be finished. If we pulled out without finishing the job, they will come over here and destroy this country. They proved it before on 9/11 and they will do more damage if they are not stopped. And besides, I feel that the one that will stop this and says when it is finished is God Almighty Himself. I am not pushing religion on anyone, but it’s time that someone says it. Only God will say if and when it is over!!!! Not the politicians!!!! I did sign the petition and hopefully others will too. I will email this to others in AZ to sign if they agree with us all. We will win this fight and Sen. McCain has my vote in 2008 for US President!!!!!!!! Thank you Sen. McCain for your dedication and your service years ago.

Now look, it’s not that I think anyone is stupid for being religious, but — with rolling eyes, all together now — COME ON. Only God will say if and when it is over!!!! As though God started the war, and not the Bush administration.
(Keep reading…)

Filed by Devon at 6:19 pm under Damn Hippies, Religion
2 Comments

So there will, at some point be a dresser’s manifesto in the works following the last two weeks of insanity with Hats! Chicago. But for now let me just share with you all that I am at home, on my couch/futon thing, on my computer, waiting for food to be delivered to me and it is now 8:13 PM. I worked a short 7 hour day today. And I have no idea what to do with myself.
And the best part is that I don’t have to work again until 4:15 PM on Sunday. Joyous!
“Why 4:15 PM?” you may well be asking yourself…well, dear reader(s), I cannot actually physically get into the space where I’m working until that time on Sunday because there’s someone else in there until 4 PM… and I do not actually have the security clearance to get in. And in my delirium of the last couple of weeks, I found myself wondering, “Does the Dalai Lama ever throw his saffron robes at his dresser when the quick change doesn’t go just right?” I think this 2.5 day break is much needed.

That is all.

Filed by Trevor at 10:53 am under Activism, Atheism, Religion, Shameless Plugs, Social Issues, UU
No Comments

I performed at the Newport Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council’s National Day of Prayer Breakfast this morning at the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach. As part of a two-member Unitarian Universalist delegation, it would seem, as my minister apparently opted to sleep in. Oh well. I was impressed by the diversity and sensitivity of the occasion; they even had the chafing dishes of bacon and sausage clear on the other side of the room from the eggs and potatoes out of respect for the Jews and Muslims in attendance. I was also impressed by the presence of a local imam, particularly by his quoting of the Holy Qur’an, as the current state of world affairs behooves us all to increase our awareness of the true Islamic faith. I mean this sincerely — I have next to zero knowledge about that particular religion and even less about its holy book. Finally, I was glad to see a significant Mormon presence, surprising to me as they’ve been conspicuously absent from most of the other interfaith activities I’ve attended. But maybe that was just a fluke.

I had planned to remark on the requisite lack of atheist representation this morning, but it’s becoming clearer to me that the Unitarian Universalists are essentially the atheist — or failing that, deeply cynical agnostic — presence at the interfaith table. And how fitting that only two of us showed up! While neither Beth (my Music Director, who played piano with me today) nor I are atheists, we sat there unconsciously muttering corrections under our breath during the keynote address, given by Peter Vidmar, a former Olympian and active Latter-Day Saint. Not out of disrespect or even irritation — more out of habit than anything else. All things considered, it was a good way to start the day. It even made me forget the fact that I’ve got to drive back down this afternoon and do it all again.

Today is the National Day of Prayer; in this time of war, make the observance of this day a priority. Regardless of religion — you too, atheists and pagans — please contact your local blood bank and give blood today. Get off your knees on and on your feet, and let your actions be your prayer.

Filed by Trevor at 8:15 pm under Damn Hippies, General, The Arts
No Comments

I got an email at around midnight last night from a colleague asking me for my bio, to be used in a program for an event in Costa Mesa this coming Monday. Which was news to me, seeing as how the last time this event was mentioned to me was in January, but I’m pretty flexible. It’s too late to request the day off and no one in their right mind wants to pick up a Monday day shift, so I’d be facing a pretty tight schedule, as I’d have to be back up here no later than 10:00 in the morning. Nevertheless, I figured everything would work out fine and besides, you never know who might be in attendance at these functions.

So imagine my surprise when she called me back mid-morning and told me that — oops — the event is actually tomorrow morning. Ha!

So, as we must be there no later than 6:30 a.m. at a location roughly an hour from my home, and I don’t trust myself to actually get up at 5:00, I’m driving down tonight and crashing on her couch. And then I get to do it all over again tomorrow afternoon for choir rehearsal! Convenient, since I am independently wealthy and can afford to pay $3.35/gallon to make two 100-mile round-trips to Orange County in less than a 24-hour span of time. And then another one Sunday morning. Crap.

O, prithee forgive me, Al Gore. But yea, for I drive a (newly fixed) Toyota Corolla that still gets about 30 mpg on highway. Requiem et terra pax, amen.

Filed by Trevor at 2:03 am under Fightin' Words, Homophobia, Social Issues
2 Comments

As a single man who’s interested in finding a partner, I’d long been intrigued by the upbeat eHarmony commercials featuring a plethora of smiling, racially diverse couples who had found their spouses using the service. My curiosity hit a fever pitch when my friend Byron indicated that he was using it and having some luck, so I logged on and tried it out.

How do I put into words what I discovered next? Let’s just say the conspicuous lack of same-sex couples in the advertisements should have tipped me off to the fact that my kind isn’t welcome on the site. Silly me.
(Keep reading…)

Filed by Trevor at 12:48 am under Gay Agenda, Pop Culture
No Comments

A while back I wrote about my frustration with television, specifically citing reality television as the major target:

Despite the premonition of disaster I felt when Survivor hit the airwaves seven years ago, I feel like I gave the genre a fair run…And naturally, like any good gay man, I’ve had a torrid love affair with the gold and frankincense of the Bravo reality show lineup: Project Runway and Top Chef.

Before I say anything further, I urge you not to lose heart, gentle readers, for I fought the good fight. I even sat out the entire season of Top Design in protest, despite the total dearth of fresh conversation material between my mother and myself. And oh, how I tried to fight off this latest show. Well, I’m here to say that a new dawn has broken, and Top Chef has officially been downgraded to myrrh status. Really, who am I to criticize the nucleus of quality homo programming? We all knew I couldn’t stay away. I’m a little late, but I’ll catch up.

Thoughts for the moment:

1.) Theodore made me realize that swishy men aren’t irritating if they have substance and aren’t completely superficial, plus it helps if they’re super cute. And of course, the first episode I watch is the one where he gets eliminated. Dammit.

2.) Tabatha is totally the Laura of the show, and therefore I adore her. I also love the head-to-toe black, the cool rings, the Lagerfeld-white hair, and the exotic cat-eyes. Really, she looks like she stepped straight out of an episode of Inuyasha.

3.) Danna’s accent is my single favorite thing about this show, especially the way she pronounces the word “hair”. Seriously, if any of you out there are from South Africa, please call me up and just talk to me for an hour or so — your accent is hot.

4.) The editors have told us to hate Tyson. I think. Also, it’s fitting that there’s so much sabre-rattling between he and Tabatha since they totally look like siblings. Love.

That’s it for now — my TiVo is on pause.

Filed by Trevor at 6:08 pm under General
1 Comment

I had to pop into Best Buy this afternoon, and as I was walking through the parking lot a black SUV pulled up next to me:

DRIVER: (grinning) Hey, do you need a home theater system for your house?
ME: No, I’m good.
DRIVER: (beat) No, seriously.
ME: No, seriously. I’m good. Thanks.
DRIVER: Whatever.

In hindsight, I remember seeing a number of boxes (all of the windows were down), but I was so busy trying to figure out why the hell this dude thought I would be willing to pay for a theater system in a goddamn parking lot, let alone why he thought some doughy guy in a waiter’s uniform would have thousands in cash on his person, that it didn’t process until after he drove off.

The best part? As he drove by the front entrance he started yelling his sales pitch at people from his window. So confused.