What I Say

Sorry for the protracted absence, folks. I've been very busy making sure that I'm not going to be homeless come June 30th. The good news is that it appears that I won't be. Despite my well-stated hatred for Williamsburg, I've signed a lease on a little two bedroom (to be shared with Beth and her cats) in fashion-y old billyburg. But here's the thing, the apartment is gorgeous, we overlook the park (where there is a pool- that is a big selling point to a heat-phobe like myself, what with summer coming up and all!), we have our own washer/dryer in the apartment and we're real close to Northsix (so at least I can take advantage of my hipster-y new nabe). Whatever. Long story short: I'm gonna be a Kings County resident again. Ah, Lower East Side, I hardly knew ya! (I'll tell you what I won't miss about my current apartment- the jack-ass bridge and tunnelers puking on my doorstep on Saturday night! Yeah, I know that is kinda the pot calling the kettle black- what with me moving to a neighborhood OVER a bridge, but someone actually did puke right on my doorstep so I couldn't get out the door! That's just gross. Honey, if you can't hold your liqour, please stay in Jersey and puke on your own stoop in Hoboken!)

I really wanted to blog the other day about the death of Ray Charles because I thought it was so sad. I actually cried at work when Beth sent me an email telling me of his passing. Now, I know the country has been "in mourning" for like a week already for our old president but this was so much sadder to me. I've already wasted a lot of space here ranting about Reagan so I won't bore you with my opinions (that have been much better stated by real journalists by now), but I did want to pay tribute to ol' Ray. I mean all I could think about was the amazing music that he left us with and the hardships that he faced during his lifetime. I mean, we are talking about one of the inventors of R&B (and rock n'roll) as we know it and he was a blind man in a seeing world who had to tour the South playing theaters he couldn't sit in himself as a black man. I found myself sappily crying the other day reading the new Rolling Stone's "Most Important Moments in Rock History" when they talked about the Motown tour. I mean, people actually got out of the pool when the Supremes got in in Florida. I'm not so naive to NOT have known about that kind of institutional prejudice but it really breaks my heart. And it was all I could think about when I heard that Ray died.

Also, I've gotta say that after all of my anticipation and excitement that MTV Movie Awards really bit the big one. I'm still having nightmares about the midget they hired to live the podum and hand out awards for the first half of the show. I'm kinda surprised that no little people media watchdog groups complained about it, frankly! The YYYs were great, as always and their performance added such much needed whimsy and theatricality to an otherwise ho hum show. Lindsay Lohan- and I'm come out in support of her before here on the blog- was a terrible host. Unfunny, uncoordinated and unable to read a telepromter! Bring back Jimmy Fallon or Chris Rock or someone remotely funny. If we were just hiring the biggest boobs to host the show, I'd throw my hat into the ring. Or they could at least get Pam Anderson! C'mon a host should be able to make off the cuff jokes and banter. I vote they get Will Ferrel next year cuz at least his bits this year were funny. Speaking of his bits.... did anyone else think that Jim Caveziel looked like JC Chasez's gayer younger brother?! Those highlights! That ENORMOUS gold cross choker! His mandals! At least he didn't win an award! I could complain about this show forever. But let me just say this: Does everybody else think it is sad too when people accept their MTV award and are actually, like, touched? This isn't the Oscars, folks! You don't need to thank your agent and hair and makeup. Just give a big up to someone and get the hell offstage. I guess people like Carmen Elektra need to take kudos where they can get them. I mean, c'mon, she's not gonna be winning the New York Critics Circle Award anytime soon....

I also wanted to give my two loyal readers a heads up that a)the Killers album came out today, b)they are playing on Jimmy Kimmel's excuse for a talk show tonight and c)they are playing the WB Pepsi smash this weekend but today has come and gone so this isn't so much a reminder to tune in to Jimmy and run out to Tower to be an opening day buyer as it is a nananabooboo that I did both. (Well, it's still an hour until Kimmel comes on but I think I can break my embargo on his shitty show to see the Killers play- especially since I'm really fucked up now.... Well, I guess anything'll be good now!) I'm really trying to pitch the album to my editors because it is so rare that an album's release is an event to me now and I feel like I should channel some of that excitement to my writing while I have the chance.

While I'm gloating I just wanted to make note here that this week's EW Must List listed the Vh1, I Love the 90s promo as their #4. I told you guys, it's hilarious. The costumes, the casting of Joe E. Tata, the Peach Pit set, the use of the bumblebee girl.....GENIUS. Yes, it's too soon, but that doesn't mean that I won't be glued to my tv the week of July 12!

PS: If anyone is thinking of a housewarming gift, Beth and I want the Simpsons Season 4 DVD for our non-existant new DVD player!