god bless america (but not geo. bush or a. scalia)
anyway, it's friday and kids, you know what that means: LIST-MANIA!!!
* aaron * the supremes * finally, michael alvear writes an article that i 100% agree with.
* gurl is on fire!
* joan armatrading -- lover's speak
* venturing to gay-lo last night. catching up with the gays. copping compliments. feeling like it time to exercise my new rights.
* um, liz phair?
* i really like the new madonna "hollywood" video. i know, i've not been the hugest fan of american life, but hey, when i'm horny, i too go home and sit and spin on the t.v. don't you?
* morning wood.
* gus got into the trash last night, again. ate all the chicken innards. if he's sick, serves him right.
* i fought the washer and the washer won.
* michael cunningham -- at home at the end of the world
* i'm gonna have the biggest, gayest, weekend possible. gay gay gay gay gay gay GAY! i may even wear a dress...
boy i must have been feelin' pretty gay this morning, huh?
JTBjr
12:53 link it
pride (in the name of love)
so another gay pride is upon us....it would be far too easy for me to sit back and cop a cynical attitude -- you know, bemoan the corporate sponsorships (subaru pride sweepstakes!), rue the general lack of creativity (even she's not donning a dress) or otherwise bitch about seemingly what a farce it's all become -- YAWN. now, maybe it's because i've missed the past two Pride celebrations (ptown, dontchaknow), but i'm excited about it this year. it brings back memories of watching a small parade and gathering of 30,000 in 1992; marching on washington with the masses in 1993, witnessing the first time atlanta broke the 100,000 mark and driving the swim team float, rounding the corner at peachtree and 10th street and hearing our sound system suddenly blare "we are fam-i-ly!" and i know it's ciche' to say it's all worth it when that 20 or 30 or 40-year old who sees it all for the first time and decides to come out. but it is, really. and so i hung my rainbow flag on the front of my house yesterday. now, more than ever, i think it's critical that lesbians and gays are visible, each and every one of us. look around, we are under attack. so, from the shirtless circuit-boy to the leather daddy and slave to the dykes on bikes, it's important to show up, to be counted, to be who you are and to be proud, not ashamed, of how you were created.
JTBjr
09:53 link it
6.25.2003
like a bridge
be afraid, be very afraid. i've suddenly and unexpectedly become butch and am attempting to fix my washing machine myself. don't ask. i mean, how hard could it be, right?
JTBjr
09:57 link it
6.24.2003
dead letter office i've been known to hop right up on the old soapbox rather quickly, especially after reading some piece of nonsense, which means something put out by the republicans or Fox or some idiot flying the confederate flag. after reading George Will's column on sunday, i fired off a letter to the atlanta Journal-Constitution. it reads as follows:
Re: George Will's Sunday column:
George Will's suggestion that Saddam Hussein made easy disposal of his arsenal of WMD on the eve of the U.S. invasion of Iraq is the biggest bunch of horse hooey to be printed on your pages in months. Can he really expect a country that barely keeps the power on for 2 hours a day to dispose of very messy armaments without so much as a trace? Why even in our own country, right up the road in Anniston, Alabama, we are 15 YEARS behind schedule trying to find a way to get rid of the very same kinds of weapons. The only thing more shocking than Will's suggestion will be the American public's flacid acceptance of this explanation.
Sincerely,
John T. Brown, Jr.
pretty good letter, i thought. and i managed to use the word "hooey" correctly -- score +2 for arcane word usage. well, it hasn't been published, meaning i'm losing my edge, now falling to 5 of 8 letters sent making it in print. oh well, like cooked spaghetti thrown to the wall, one of these days something'll stick.
JTBjr
09:56 link it
6.23.2003
knock knock knock on wood all in all, not the most thrilling weekend or the most boring, but just a good, old-fashioned weekend. like weekends were meant to be. whatever. friday after work (which, by the way, rocked all week), i met up with steve and walt for drinks at fontaine's. it was gorgeous and we sat out back and drank and drank and drank. good times. did a drive-by at jb's and ended up on the porch with him and stephen and senor rios. good times. was home in bed by 10:30. i played the role of white tornado saturday, getting more done by 3pm than most people do in a week. got some quality pool time in at trey's then home for a power nap and back out again for ms. neal's litte fete by ladky's pool. by the way elizabeth, new boyfriend is cute! i got caught up with old swimming buddies. good times. then i made my way to brandi's house, lord, for the most glamorous, lip-stickin' lesbian party since, well, the last swa-raa. geez, made me want to change teams. i discussed plans to open a lipstick bar with cliff and several potential backers. good times. made it to the gym yesterday and back to trey's to finish up pool-time. the usual sunday suspects were there. had to leave at 4 as the reverend and mrs. were stopping over. we checked out the symphony in the park and drank white wine under the stars. good times, y'all, good times. this week promises to be busy at work then this weekend, it's atlanta pride, which i'll be a part of for the first time in 3 years. bagels and bloodies on my porch sunday if you can make it.
oh, and in the category of "why didn't anyone tell me about this group earlier:" what's up with the white stripes?! um, LOVE! this will be a good cd for me to make my sexual comeback to (the drought is NOT over). beware.
JTBjr
11:10 link it
6.20.2003
time after time the thing about my friends that amazes me most is that one minute you think they are total crack whores who couldn't find their way out of paper bag even if you were in it with them directing traffic, which you usually are and in the same mental state, then the next minute there's a flash of brilliance and productivity and ingenuity and kindness and All! That! Jazz! and all you want to do is open the bottle of veuve, do a line, turn up the chaka-kahn re-mix, dance a jig and jump right in. really, it's people like this, and i seem to have surrounded myself with them, that go marching right up to the edge, flirt with it for a while, pretend to lose their footing, then grab the hang-glider and soar off into the chasm, laughing maniacally, leaving you there, feeling like a nine-to-fiver who isn't quite sure what he wants or how to get it but all you know is that you're safe with your 401K and cushy salary and almost-paid-for, poorly-built german sports sedan that you have only 5 more payments on before you can sink yourself into newer debt for the new kitchen when, really, yours is just fine.
love to love you baby it cracks me up when people criticize me...behind my back. um, i'm a big boy, i can take it. c'mon now, don't be shy.
JTBjr
12:20 link it
you must be my lucky star let's hope that the light that i see at the end of the proverbial tunnel is not the proverbial train. trust. no really, not that i've been in the dumps (real or proverbial), but i just haven't been myself for, oh, say 6 months. i had a revelation over my bland chicken breast sandwich today, one in which these dark clouds (real and proverbial) cleared and there i was, my id, my me, the self that i've come to know and love these past 38 years. we were both glad to see each other. and as i extended my hand and pulled me up onto my cart, i knew i was going to be alright.
now y'all come along, we gots lots to do! as julie andrews once said to a brood of young nazis austrians, "quickly children, quickly."
JTBjr
13:20 link it
6.16.2003
send a rocket today dog licking in the wee hours. pillows slipping behind headboards. alcohol metabolizing in the brain. npr blaring at 6:45am. fat boy walking and talking on a cell phone much too loudly. crazy homeless man walking in squares. humidity like a hot wet wool sheet thrown onto your hugo boss suit. the same 9 o'clock phone call for absolutely no reason, still. an assistant can't remember shit and still demands to be a manager. where the fuck is my coffee?
JTBjr
10:11 link it
6.15.2003
so beautiful, won't you come with me the older i get, it seems the more beautiful weddings become. i'm pretty sure it's a result of the fact my friend-set is older, wiser, more self-knowledgable and generally much better off (in all ways) than the average 23-year old bride-and-groom-marrying-in-the-church-on-daddy's-money. and so it was yesterday. ake and phaedra's wedding day was stunning. the ceremony was held in a lovely, hidden ravine park, framed by giant oaks and the giant skyscrapers of midtown beyond. blankets and quilts were spread on a sloping green hillside overlooking a brook and waterfall. on each blanket was a white umbrella and a basket and in each basket were packets of birdseed to throw, white paper fans and the service program. the groom arrived in his antique white volvo accompanied by an escort of bugati motorcyles and a lone vespa. it was warm and humid and small drops of rain fell on the seersucker and linen-clad crowd, but not enough to make anyone wet. phae's friend annie officiated; her brothers were listed as her bridesmaids and ake's sister was his best man. juliet sang accapella, her sweet alto voice filling the small valley. her brown skin and lime green dress were as much a part of the garden as the towering trees. there were readings by friends and family, glasses were broken and the broom was jumped. they sealed the deal with a handshake and a passionate kiss. there was laughter and tears and applause and rose petals on stone paths. it was a perfect, clear reflection of the who these two people are and what they mean to their friends and family and to each other. it was a beautiful beginning to a beautiful relationship. i can think of no better way to start a life together.
JTBjr
13:52 link it
6.13.2003
hit that perfect beat boy friday's list update:
* not only does hottie mchotterton work at the mattress firm, apparently his twin brother delivers the mattresses. i almost asked if we could go for a "test drive." yowzah!
JTBjr
15:29 link it
in the dark "is it possible to feel the color green?" i asked myself that question last night as i took gus on his walk. the weight of the giant oaks and the closeness of a neighbor's hydrangea mixed with sounds of people on porches talking, arguing, laughing, eating and it all swirled around me in thick slow motion. gus' collar chimed and clanked as we made our way across the blocks. the din of the far-off highway and the noises of the city were shut out by this lush pocket of late spring. even the humidity was kept at bay. it was warm, calm, still, close...green.
oh yeah, friday's list:
* i had a great workout with my trainer last night. we developed an 8-week plan to whip this bod into shape for........you guessed it, P-TOWN. let the countdown begin!
* new mattress day.
* fyi, hottie mchotterton works at the mattress firm in midtown. (thought you'd like to know).
* npr * party at buschie's tonight. yay!
* i'll be seersucker clad for tomorrow's outdoor wedding festivities. white bucks, anyone?
* happy birthday william butler yeats.
* ms. neal got the kitten punched. way to go elizabeth!
* liz phair. liz phair. liz phair.
JTBjr
09:36 link it
6.11.2003
werk it what is it with the elevators around here? first, coming back from lunch i'm totally cruised by a hunky guy from the eighth floor (computer geeks). then, after the monthly marketing meeting, my friend andy (who's looking damn fine) just about comes on to me and in the process, we end up having lunch scheduled for tuesday. i must be putting out a vibe or something....and lemme tell ya, it doesn't suck.
JTBjr
15:51 link it
spinning on a dime
i mean, i'm not sayin'. i'm just sayin'.
in other news, the reverend delivered the bed that he and i have been working on for the past 3 months. it's queen-sized, made of american walnut with a massive headboard and a low-rail footboard. the damn thing weighs a ton, it's bolted together and is solid as a rock. it needs another coat of polyurethane but other than that, it's quite beautiful. collaborating with my dad on this project has been a great process....he learning more about aesthetics, me learning woodworking technique and structure. but i think most importantly, he and i, after 38 years, have finally learned to communicate without getting frustrated or angry with each other. and this marvelous piece of work is testament to that. now if i can just quit banging my shins on the footboard posts, i'll be alright. oh yeah, it needs to be broken in, if you get my drift....
JTBjr
10:49 link it
lemme get this straight....the bush administration plans to build an offshore prison on a military base that is off-limits to 99.99% of the population (not to mention the objective press) and we're going to set up a "court" to "try" terror "suspects?" and an execution chamber?? right off the bat, this brings to mind german gas chambers, siberian gulags, yugoslavian mass graves and iraqi torture chambers. WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE?
actually, none of this is surprising. what IS surprising, is that the american people are systematically letting this happen. we've been duped into thinking that we are so threatened by "terrorists" that we need to scuttle everything the consitution stands for. dismantle it to protect it. it's astounding. when are people going to wake up?
JTBjr
10:11 link it
6.09.2003
hit me with your best shot let the games begin:
johnbrown - 0
jim ellis volkswagen - 0
JTBjr
16:43 link it
red wine is fast at the lip of your glass sorry for the paucity (one of my favorite words. ever) of posts lately. here's a few things that have been going on lately:
* heard julie taymor speak on friday. for those of you that don't know, she's the creative genius behind such visual feasts as the broadway adaptation of The Lion King and, more recently, the movie Frida. there have been times in my life when i recognize, plain and simple, the presence of greatness. this was one of them. if you ever have the chance to hear her speak, you must.
* glad to see that Hairspray did so well at the Tonys. if you'll recall, i saw it back in september. what a great show!
* i had a celebrity sighting saturday night: matthew mcconaughey "out" with a "friend." hmmmmmmm. and yes, he's better looking in person.
* watched raising arizona for like the 400th time. i laughed, i cried....
* i spent some quality time with my friends beth and tom and their son, connor. you know, there are times when i realize that my friendships are really the most amazing things in the world. this one with beth is certainly at the top of that list. friends since college, she and i have been through so much together and still are able to pick up exactly where we left off. she's the first straight friend i came out to, she bailed me out of jail (don't ask), i helped scheme and plan tom's proposing, i was in their wedding, i've seen their son in neo-natal intensive care and her parents are close to surrogates for my own. she's a bit crazy, she's high-maintenance and she's opinionated, but aren't we all. needless to say, i love you, beth!
* i think a great deal of the anger i've been dealing with over the past few months has finally disappated. it's like a dark cloud has lifted, really. a cloud of my own making (insofar as not dealing with things earlier). hearing julie taymor speak opened my eyes further to how the creative mind processes and the demands of art on a person's life. the greatness that surrounds her reminds me of the talent and passion that the playwright possesses. she also reinforced some things in me that needed reinforcing....such as not compromising one's self and/or sense of self. so to hear and see these things that i can so easily point to in that failed relationship brings some greater understanding and acceptance. it doesn't make failure any less disappointing or upsetting, but it provides some explanation of why we act like we do and why some things don't work as hoped or planned. and i can accept that without being bitter or resentful -- finally. thank god!
good morning, good morning, good morning-uh! friday's list, entitled "things i hate about NBC's Today Show:"
* katie couric
* katie couric's voice
* katie couric's condescending attitude
* katie couric's hair
* katie couric's teeth (gurl, they have bleach for that)
* al roker
* matt lauer's haircut (hey Auschwitz!)
* anne curry's subserviant, meek, innocent attitude.
* friday bands
* the overall tone, geared to really stupid, paranoid, white, middle class, soccer moms
* the screaming
* the screaming
* THE SCREAMING!
JTBjr
11:47 link it
6.04.2003
like i know that i should i'm with her, i feel great! up this morning early, worked out, ate well, and am ready ready ready to tackle the day. i'm even contemplating starting swimming again. 38 is the new 18 28 and i'm gonna show y'all how it's done!
JTBjr
11:49 link it
6.02.2003
it's a new dawn, it's a new day what a fantastic weekend. really. in the span of 72 hours, i:
* ate a somewhat healthy dinner with friends * was awakened by my 13 year-old neighbor's first slumber party (at 2am and 6:15am, respectively. child may not reach 14)
* hit the gym
* cleaned house
* chatted with my old roommate jason, the artist
* flirted shamelessly with butch, my future boyfriend, in the parking lot of krogay. his boyfriend was not happy.
* napped
* ate dinner with a fabulousgroupoffreaks at a goofy, hookie, fun, wonderful, cheap new greek place. O-pah!
* marvelled at the beautiful womyn at My Sister's Room * did illegal things in the garden with Tamee
* swung through the Harry Dick. talked to the stalker. left in 7.6 minutes.
* slept like i had no right to sleep. awoke stunningly NON-hungover
* cooked a full-on, bacon and eggs breakfast for me and ms. b, who happened to be passing through the hood, making the world a prettier place
* shopped for a mattress
ed. note on mattress shopping: is this the worst shopping experience ever or what? there's no rhyme or reason to pricing or quality. you have to lie prone in front of perfect strangers on some mattress that god-knows-who has been on. and do i really need individually wrapped coils? i mean, c'mon. * oggled a shaggy college boy with hairy muscular legs and an ass to kill....at eatzi's in the heart of straight buckhead. lord.....
* lounged by the pool at the st. james.
* yukked it up with chicken, buschy, walt and phyllis, 'twon, jeremy, david, J-square and many others whose names i can't remember.
* went to t-dance with doug and twin. it was refreshingly fun and just what i needed to cap off a pretty stellar weekend.
* was home in bed by midnight!
JTBjr
10:57 link it
