THE LAST DAYS OF DER FÜHRER.

I tells ya, history is a fascinating subject. Around this date, sixty-three years ago...

The last days of history's most famous madman fascist dictator Adolf Hitler were nothing short of dramatic. As the Soviet Red Army slowly moved in, destroying the last vestiges of Nazi power, Hitler and his mistress Eva Braun, along with other Nazi officials and personnel hid in an underground bunker, aware that their "glorious perfect Aryan German utopia" was crumbling and that they were about to face the Allied victors who were going to make them pay for their horrific crimes against humanity. I especially resent the Nazis for the terrible things done to my fellow gay men, hence the now common use of the pink triangle as a sign of unity, born out of that terrible time.

An excellent film depicting these events is Der Untergang, which almost faithfully re-creates those harrowing events, and my first ever film from Netflix some two years ago. Hitler was a deeply emotional man, well aware of his evil, totally in control of what he had done and what he was about to do: commit suicide in order to avoid the severe punishments which awaited him. His mistress Eva Braun on the other hand, was a woman whom many see as an innocent victim, unaware of the barbaric regime the Nazis had implemented, a carefree young woman who lived a very short but leisure-filled existence. Personally, I abhor the woman, for I am not entirely convinced the bitch was that out of it, or had no idea of what was really going on. In that German film I just previously mentioned, her portrayal is that of a very happy carefree and most irritating individual; she encourages the others in the Führerbunker with her to continue dancing, as the sound of gunfire and bombs above from the approaching Soviets rocks the place and disturbs the peace! MY GOD WOMAN! COULD SHE HAVE REALLY BEEN THAT AIRHEADISH?! I just don't buy it! I JUST DON'T! F**K HER! Even more frightening are the comments on YouTube clips such as this one praising the wench!

With certain defeat and the Soviets practically at the bunker's entrance, Adolf and Eva decided they would end it all, but not without having a small civil ceremony to get married, so that they could die as husband and wife. To make sure the cyanide pills he had were the real deal, Hitler had his adoring and loyal German Shepherd dog Blondi poisoned. She effectively died, which many say broke Hitler's heart and others who witnessed the innocent canine's tragic demise. Ironically, Hitler loved animals, especially dogs, and rumor has it Eva hated Blondi, often kicking her. In his private study, Hitler bit into a cyanide capsule and shot himself in the head. Eva followed, but she only swallowed the fatal pill, and did not blow her airhead noggin off. Interestingly, Eva was only 33 years old. Both confirmed dead, Nazi officers took the bodies outside and tried to burn them, but only got so far as the Red Army moved in. Their semi-charred corpses were in a bomb crater for a good while I believe, then dug up some years later and thoroughly burned to ashes and thrown in the Elbe River so as to not have a gravesite to attract modern-day psycho Hitler supporters.

There's a lot more to this incredible story, but this post has been long enough. Watch that movie I mentioned above. It is quite compelling.

MUSIC, MOVIES, & MONARCHY ON THIS MONDAY.

Greetings ye fellow humanoids!

I had to clean out my iTunes/iPod this weekend of some of the music I really don't listen to anymore or care to have on there. Gone are the annoying tribal gay club hits, the Star Wars soundtracks, and some of that heavy flamenco Spanish style B-Tribe elevator musak. I have them on CD anyway, if I ever wanna go back to that stuff. I had to make room for new sounds like music by The Shins, The Hives, The Strokes, Of Montreal, Bob Dylan, The Ramones, Iggy Pop, Madonna, The Flaming Lips, and The White Stripes. Yeah, "new" stuff to me like Bob Dylan's classic masterpiece Blonde on Blonde! I know Bob has been a tremendously influential force/songwriter in modern music thanks to his profound lyrics and social consciousness back in the 60s, but I have never been able to get past his really whiny nasal voice! He's slowly grown on me I suppose, and I do thank him for steering The Beatles towards a more mature sound and eventually inspiring them to come up with a tremendous album like Rubber Soul! I am also happy to have Madonna's latest Hard Candy! Yes, this new album of hers takes a while to grow on you (unlike the last one which got me from the start), but it is pretty catchy once you give it a chance. So far I am really liking the songs, Candy Shop, Incredible, and Beat Goes On where that dumbass, but still talented Kanye West does a rap. Grandma still excites me, and if she goes on tour soon, I will go see her before the bad arthritis sets in. LOL!

I watched The Mist yesterday on DVD. Based on a story by Stephen King, it is an excellent film I must say, but pretty f**king depressing and quite creepy. Lead actor/hero Thomas Jane is fun to watch because he is a hottie and a good actor, and Marcia Gay Harden is terrific playing a kooky irritating fundamentalist Christian woman. Last week, I watched the highly violent but suspenseful No Country For Old Men, and this was a very tense movie with a psychotic brilliant performance by the Spaniard Javier Bardem. Part of me had to suspend disbelief that he could get away with killing so many people (especially in broad daylight), but alas, art imitates life much more often than we would like to think, so this movie could most certainly be possible.

They're showing this really interesting program as I write this post about King Henry VIII. This guy was a major egomaniacal mentally unstable jerk! Because these women did not give him the male heirs he desired, he'd have them executed?! YEESH! How many wives and mistresses did he amass anyway? I guess they had no idea back then that it is the male's sperm that has the deciding chromosome which ultimately defines the sex of the child! Henry did everything in his power to move on to the next woman whenever his insane will pleased, including working with the Pope and against him to suit his needs/desires. What a character! Unreal! A real lustful womanizing fiend! I guess the one cool thing he did do was father Elizabeth I, who became one of the greatest English monarchs in history.

I'm done with this, my 727th post! Can you believe it?

ROBERT DOWNEY JR. HAS ONE SON.

It's Friday! The weekend is here! What am I going to do though, besides watch There Will Be Blood, Being Julia, and The Mist on DVD? I adore you all for taking the time to read and comment. You are all wonderful loyal fans. I try to go visit yer blogs as best possible too!

I have nothing to write about! Zilch! Well, since Robert Downey Jr. is going to be in the new upcoming Iron Man movie, I guess I can talk about him again. I was looking at pictures of him online throughout the years, and he is utterly fascinating to me. Why am I drawn to Robert I ask? Why?! He is handsome right? Please tell me Robert is handsome. He is also a great actor, is he not? I know, I know he's had drug issues, but just look at Robert. I mean, there is such a strong charismatic draw to him. I can't help it. I just can't. And I haven't even seen many of his films to be honest, and yet I am most intrigued by him now, more than ever before. Someone had said to me that I currently kind of look like him when he was a lot younger, but I dunno about that. Anyway, someone please try to explain to me why I am fascinated and strangely attracted to Robert Downey Jr. Why?! Is it those large expressive eyes? Must be the eyes man. He is endlessly interesting, and I don't even f**king know why anymore. He's got a big year ahead of him, appearing in at least three major films! I don't think my attraction to him is even sexual, more of just being slightly smitten to be honest.

I guess I could talk about reproducing. Am I ever going to have a child? I've thought about it a lot before, and sometimes I think not breeding is a great thing because I am helping to save the Earth and avoiding another human the pain and suffering that goes with living. It is certainly nice to be spoiled and be able to dispose of my time the way I want to without having to worry about changing diapers, help with homework, or play with those mini humans. I mean, if I really wanted all that responsibility, I'd adopt a dog or cat! There is however a part of me that does feel a bit lonely and unaccomplished not having kids, and I fear that THAT urge/desire may intensify as I grow older. It'd be nice to raise one of those things I suppose. Play with him/her. Watch it go through school and perhaps become an accomplished citizen/member of society who would hopefully be there for me as I get older and stuff, but alas there is no guarantee nor obligation for one's kids to really care for you in old age. Well, I shouldn't say that because it's different in Hispanic culture, but whatever. There's no guarantee my child will even turn out an awesome adult either; I'd hate to be the sperm responsible for bringing a serial killer, the Anti-Christ, or an evil dictator to the planet! And who tha hell would the mother of my child be anyway?! I am gay and all, so this is a bit more complicated I guess. The world is a scarier place now, and I dunno. I really just don't know to be honest. Maybe adopt a child? We'll just have to see if my paternal instinct will ever be strong enough to make me even wanna go there.

Don't kid yourself, Jaws was not a fictional movie. Sharks do attack people, and I sure as hell would not want to be a victim, which is why I never go into the ocean! HELLS NO! I don't ski, bungee jump, race car drive, mountain climb, or go on any other risky dangerous adventures for that matter if I can avoid them.

I want to live.

NETFLIX HATH FORSAKEN ME, BUT THE CITY OF L.A. HASN'T YET.

I have to admit, I'm perhaps way too sensitive; my feelings get hurt easily over stupid shit. I became a member of the fantastic DVD-by-mail service Netflix some two and half years ago, and four actual personal friends of mine added me to their lists so that we could all share and compare our movie choices and ratings. Sadly, I now only have one friend left though! One of my buds got rid of me a while back because his movie choices always conflicted with mine and I guess he got tired of me trashing lots of his films; I do still keep in touch with him however. The other two have personal issues with me and just dropped me all together, which really makes me feel inferior and unwanted; one of them hates me now, the other I see at work and he acts aloof around me period, yet they still talk to each other regularly. I have but only one Netflix bud left. I hope she doesn't drop me anytime soon. Amazing how one moment you can be friends, and the next, people just move on!

I must be getting old. I'm turning into an old gay man and I'm only in my early thirties here. I'm slowly but surely discovering the fantastic culturally vibrant and highly artistic city that I live in, Los Angeles. We've got such great venues, museums, theaters, and happenings all over the place and only now am I starting to realize and hopefully soon enjoy what this amazing city has to offer. As it is, I'm already pissed off that I missed Plácido Domingo last week at a special concert event, which must have been incredible. I really admire him tremendously, and hope to at least catch a glimpse of him conducting this upcoming opera show. There's also this great Bette Davis tribute going on next month which sounds really fun; I'd love to see some of her films in a real movie theater to get the full impact. For years, I've held out on watching Lawrence of Arabia in favor of catching it on the big screen, where it was meant to be seen. There's two wonderful screenings of it in my area coming soon, so I can't wait! Add several concerts/events at the Hollywood Bowl I'd like to attend, and you've got me broke by the end of the year! AHAHAHAHA! Oh there's just so much good stuff going on, I can hardly contain myself. L.A. is truly a culturally rich artistic world class city!

It all takes money of course, but I'm trying to spoil/educate/entertain myself before the world all ends in 2012.

;)

SIR ELTON: LIVE AND IN FULL GLORY.

Here I am, still humming those tunes, and hearing them all loud and clear in mee brain. WHEW! Elton John folks, has left me stupefied. A short chubby man in his early sixties now, with the digital dexterity to still play that piano the way he does, makes him nothing short of amazing/extraordinary. Yes, the venue was beautiful; a big yet still intimately small hockey stadium, sold out with some 17,000 fans. Elton's band is top-notch, many of them seasoned veterans who have played with him since the beginning, like Nigel Olsson who is still drumming with him after all these years and is the one you'll hear even on the studio recordings from the 70s. I was armed and ready: had my binoculars, borrowed digital cam, my bud S.J., and my enthusiasm! A great 2-hour & 15 minute show ladies and gentlemen! All the hits were there of course: Tiny Dancer, Rocket Man, Candle in the Wind, etc. and yet it was the shock and giddiness of hearing the obscure tracks like Madman Across the Water, Holiday Inn, and All the Young Girls Love Alice that made for a great concert too! How could Elton and his famous lyricist Bernie Taupin have composed such diverse songs: ballads to glam rock? It is an astounding music catalogue indeed! Oh I enjoyed myself thoroughly as did my concert buddy S.J. and yes we danced and sang along with gusto! Thank you Elton. HOT DIGGITY DAMN I SAY THANKS MAN! WOW! Levon, Pinball Wizard, Benny and the Jets, and the crowd massively singing along to Crocodile Rock was way too cool. I have seen a legend! He has pacemaker too I believe! HAHA! He loves fan adulation; gets up to point and receive fierce applause from his adoring groupies every so often and he even went as far as to sign shirts, cell phones, pictures, and albums for the ones in the front section. Overall, a four-star show! I is so giddy I can hardly contain myself!

A petite slideshow of Saturday night's events. Enjoy:

FROM CARS TO TELENOVELAS.

I caught a most fascinating program on National Geographic about car accidents and the way car design/safety has improved in the last few decades to try and protect the driver and passengers. Ya know, we get into our cars daily, and yet we rarely stop to think how really freakin' dangerous vehicles are! As much as many hate flying (including yours truly), it is still the safest way to travel, because you rarely hear of planes crashing; they make big headlines however, and scare people to death because it's so rare a plane explodes or crashes. Car accidents on the other hand, happen all the damn time! A scary thought, but for someone like me living in car capital Los Angeles, I have no choice but to get into that death trap and pray for my safety going to work and coming back home. Thank God for seatbelts and airbags nowadays, but even they cannot guarantee you complete safety. Airbags can actually hurt people more than protect them sometimes! On the show I was watching, they mentioned that sex symbol actress Jane Mansfield. She was in some Buick with two other people in the front and they hit the back of a truck. The car's roof was sliced off and the top of Mansfield's skull came right off! OH HOW GROTESQUE! Oh we are fragile little creatures aren't we? All three in the front of the vehicle were killed; Jane's kids were in the back apparently and they survived, including that now famous TV star Mariska Hargitay. Reckless driving and human error are to blame for all this crap, and I pray we are all spared any and all car accidents!

OH. MY. GOD. As I write this post, I'm watching this most ridiculous laughable new reality show on VH1 called Viva Hollywood! with aspiring young Latino actors and actresses living in the same house who want to win the grand prize of $100,000 and a role in a Telemundo telenovela, which are Spanish-speaking soap operas, and very popular around the world. They're put through the usual dumbass contests and challenges, and of course I can already see there'll be conflicts and drama galore! María Conchita Alonso and Carlos Ponce are the hosts; Carlos is good looking I suppose, but a bore! He's like a Ryan Seacrest on Telemundo, and has even put out shitty sappy music albums, but WHATEVER! María was quite a beauty in her youth, has recorded albums, and even crossed over into English-speaking films like The Running Man with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Colors with Sean Penn. She looks very face lifted now however! YIKES! And this very famous Hispanic UBER GAY hilariously bad astrologer Walter Mercado also makes a casual cameo on the show. JESUS IT'S JUST AWFUL! LOLOLOL! Ya know something, the young competing dudes are quite hot. DAMN! And not everyone in the house can speak very good English. I've watched my fair share of telenovelas in the past, but the same formula of poor girl meets rich dude, then loses him, then gets him back is so tired and overdone, that I gave up on them years ago! They're certainly much more over-the-top and actually have an end, unlike American soap operas.

Quick music news: Mariah Carey's new album is already selling big and she was a big part of American Idol this past week. She honestly looks like a man in drag as of late! Thanks to Marko, I got a chance to listen to a preview of Madonna's new album, and I think it sounds really good! That music artist Moby's great-great-great-great uncle was Herman Melville, the author of course of Moby Dick! WHO KNEW?! I just found that fact out, and it's kind of cool. And tomorrow night, as I have mentioned ad nauseam already, I get to go see Sir Elton live!

My excitement is almost too much to bear.

YOU ARE WHAT COMPANY YOU KEEP/TEXT?

Bananas taste real good right after having an orange. Profound thoughts from yours truly, I know!

Text messaging is really cool and all, but I find some people really overdo it. For a quick hello or emergency type message I guess it's fine, but I often find certain folks using it to have entire conversations! It gets annoying after a while just trying to keep up, so I often will just dial them to try and speak to them, instead of going through the whole entire bull! Ain't it easier kids to just call the person up?! I mean, really! This is all due to the new technology we all enjoy nowadays, as is the case with the Internet, which opened up normally shy people (like myself) to start a relationship with someone without all the uncomfortable motions of having to deal with a person live and in the flesh, but I think certain people still take it too far, and having social interaction with someone is still the best way to go. You can't say you know someone purely on having conversations over instant messenger, chat rooms, or text messaging, unless you really spend quality time with someone face-to-face. I guess I'm guilty of it too mind you, for it is at times much easier to talk to someone via a text message than to make a phone call, but the phone call is way better and much more personal in the end. I know I know, some of us have a hard time talking to someone on the phone and get past the, "How are you?" ;)

Speaking of social interaction, one of my co-workers and someone close to my heart have said that I often make room for people in my life that I really should not be associating with. Sure, it's fine they say to speak to everyone and be friendly, but that I need to learn to set boundaries with certain people who can perhaps have a negative impact in my life. For example, there's this really attitude-ridden girl at work whom everyone pretty much hates here, but for some reason she has come to like me and regularly visits my cubicle. My co-worker says it reflects poorly on me for even having her hang around me, but what am I to do? We do laugh and talk about stuff I guess, and even though she is not highly intellectual, I guess I don't see anything wrong with semi-befriending her at this point. I'm like Jesus here! I welcome all who value me and appreciate my advice or good sense of humor! LOL! And then there's the dudes/friends I know who have drug issues and stuff, who are genuinely good people, but have addiction problems and crap. Yeah, I've been told to sever ties with those people too, but my thing is, if I were to become so damn selective and picky, I wouldn't have friends or anyone to talk to period! But anyway, yeah, I've been told I make a bad selection when it comes to certain people in my life, so there! Not that they're affecting me really, but that's the opinion of some I suppose. My opinion being, if you're generally nice and seek my company, why shall I reject thee, unless you're a serious psychopath, serial killer, or just a plain asshole with me.

The Pope is in America. Big freakin' deal right?

TALENTED MEN.

It was a hot weekend here in L.A. WHEW! A preview of the summer to come I suppose.

Yesterday morning, I was listening to tracks from two of Elton John's great albums from the 1970s, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy! I mean, you talk about amazing audio, these songs are just beautifully written, performed, arranged, and produced! They sound as fresh as if they were recorded yesterday! Elton used to have a great tenor voice! He's much older now of course, so this coming Saturday's concert in Anaheim, CA will have him singing in a much lower key, but I am still excited to go see him nonetheless! YEEHA! I can hardly contain myself, as I keep telling everyone about how I'm going! Not to rub it in or anything, but I AM GOING! AHAHAHAHAAHAH! I'd say Sir Elton is on my list of top favorite artists of all time, along with The Beatles, Madonna, and Radiohead. And Radiohead is coming to L.A. in the fall too! OH I CAN'T WAIT!
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I've been slow in discovering Ringo Starr's post-Beatles solo career, but I'm finding that a lot of his stuff is actually not that bad. Everyone has always been critical of Ringo just going along for the ride with the other amazing talented juggernaut Beatles, and although he was never that great a songwriter or singer, the man was just lovable and charismatic, and how can ya not like his solo stuff just for the silly pop fluff that it is? Besides, Ringo is just one of only two Beatles still alive! And he's prolly gonna be the last one standing too! Oh I hate to say that when Sir Paul is still putting out some pretty decent albums and stuff, but he's looking very old and withered. The recent divorce surely did not help matters either.

Last but not least, I am very very excited about the new Iron Man movie! OH MY GOD! The trailer for it looks most inviting, but besides all that good stuff, look at the main actor in the picture! It's none other than that absolutely fabulous acting genius, Mr. Robert Downey Jr! He is so great, and I have always admired his work, even though I have yet to see many of his movies. Even with his drug abuse issues, I don't think there's anyone who can deny how truly gifted Robert is; he is good even in the worst movies like Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Ain't he an admitted bisexual too? Yes, Robert Downey, I admire thee indeed. He's actually kinda handsome too, and remember him in this great music video? Yes, ironically, it was for an Elton John song just a few years back too!

A happy week to ye all, and enjoy these awesome Elton and Ringo songs:

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30UuyFbCNXk
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0WCQadt864

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQF3qlSoeWk

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKFGSVnLYTQ

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_hY80oaQWE

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDCFjj4La_E

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43Ho_6C_fM4

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7-2Etc6c_0

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76O6tuJPe3w

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8PT2Crl56w

FEEL THE QUEER AND DO IT ANYWAY.

Joyous Friday is here!

So I redecorated my blog again. Like the Sir Elton and Sir Paul pic? Ain't it great? Two music legends posing oh so gayly! And above you see Jakey G. and some of his stats. Ain't he a stud? He makes just about anyone drooooooool!

I have signed up to take the CBEST exam in about two months time, which is required to get into our public school district and other institutions to begin the application process for teaching and credentials and stuff. I've told several co-workers about my plans and while some have met with approval and congratulated me, I am also surprised at how many of them sound discouraging and negative! People are truly pessimistic! "But children are impossible to work with!" "I don't think you'd make a good teacher!" "That sounds like so much trouble!" While I have taken many of their comments and suggestions into consideration, isn't it remarkable how everyone immediately limits themselves in life? Isn't this why so many never achieve what they really want to out of life, because they're too busy listening to other people dashing their hopes/dreams or that terrible negative inner voice that tells us we can't do it? I've been tormented by that stupid inner party-pooping voice for way too long, and I'm sick of it! I'm taking baby steps here, but at least doing something right? Wish me luck readers! I pray and hope all my fears and doubts will be minimal and not get in my way like they did in the past. Isn't this why successful people make it? Because they never listened to others who told them they couldn't, and they never let fear stop them. Amen!

Another issue relating to work is something my fellow co-worker brought up which is very true. Lots of the gay dudes here don't really talk to each other or get along as they maybe should which is kind of sad and creates a feeling of division in a way. I guess not everyone is gonna get along just because they have certain/some traits in common, but he is right in that it would be nicer if more of us did talk to each other and try to hang out and stuff like one big giant queer family, which is not going to happen anytime soon, because gay men have so many emotional issues and baggage and cover those up by just being conceited or stuck up and aloof with others. I find gay men at times to be very distant/cold towards each other and a bit presumptuous; we tend to be very superficial about GQ model looks, hung up on youth, and the size of a dude's tool! I tried to become friendly with a previous co-worker who I knew was gay, but he just never let me in, no matter how hard I tried. He was always aloof and put a barrier up when time came for me to socialize with him. Maybe it was the sexual tension perhaps? I dunno, but this happens a lot, and it is a bit disappointing. It's bad enough the hetero world is against us, it'd be nicer if we were more united and not so against each other within our own community.

Nothing too exciting in this post to discuss I'm afraid. I'm a bit blank and suffering from writer's block to be frank. I was upset though at the honest Hispanic dude who turned in $140,000 he found from an armored truck. I mean, DAMN! I wouldn't have turned in such a fine amount of cash at all, because times are tough, but more power to him I guess for being a good guy. UGH! Why wasn't it me who found that MONEY?! ARGH!

A good weekend to thee, wherever you may be. Comment freely, even if it has nothing to do with my topic/s at hand.

EAU DE TOILETTE!

That smart blogging feline over there at Tangled Up in L'Heure Bleue devotes much of his time to the art of fine perfume; he's me inspired to write out this post and also reminded me of my late father and his favorite cologne of all time! Dad's signature fragrance was Paco Rabanne Pour Homme. Yeah, I'll never forget that. That stuff smelled pretty darn good, a more potent version I believe of Brut 33. I remember my mom buying him those huge $100 bottles every year for Xmas or his birthday in June. I like wearing cologne too, but don't usually want to spend too much on it, so Axe Bodyspray works just fine! LOLOL! I keep hearing how I smell good, so it does the trick I suppose. What fragrance/perfume/cologne do y'all out there like to use?

I'm feeling very French today for some odd reason, as I'm sure you are as well. HEE! I took four years of French back in high school and still remember much of it, thanks to the fact that it's related to Spanish, which is already part of my essence. Yeah yeah, I've heard for years that the French are quite proud/conceited and anti-American because they're fiercely protective of their culture against the Anglo onslaught of the past fifty years or so, but their language is truly beautiful, romantic, and poetic. Mais oui, c'est la langue de l'amour et la diplomacie! Well, French used to be the diplomatic language par excellence, before English came and basically took over the world. Still, le français is very much still spoken and studied a lot in Europe, and I try to watch lots of French films when possible, to keep my ear accustomed to hearing it and as a good way to learn new expressions and such. I'd honestly like to have someone to practice it with more often though. Malheuresement, il est dificile de trouver quelqu'un dans ce ville qui le parle! Translation: Unfortunately, it's hard to find someone in this city that speaks it. I apologize if my writing is a bit rusty; my reading comprehension and speaking skils are much better. French is notoriously horrid to write out; the accents and spelling can drive just about anyone mad!

To end this very French post, I'd like to dedicate it to a marvelous actress: Fanny Ardant. Fanny played the rival French queen in Elizabeth starring Cate Blanchett, was in a marvelous film called Ridicule, and another great one called Don't Tempt Me. I still have many more of her flicks to catch, but she is one fine classy grande dame! If you ever get a chance dear faitfhful reader, do get a hold of one of Fanny's movies. She is terrific. Magnifique, et je l'aime beaucoup!

O.k. I'm leaving Paris/Québec now. Au revoir!

SIR ELTON JOHN AND HIS MARIACHI BAND!

It's Monday, and traffic this morn was a nightmare due to a horrible accident involving some police cars on my freeway to work. But your positive and inspiring comments on my last post make up for today's mess! Thanks a million to all ye who take the time to read and share your thoughts!
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Saturday night, we took my visiting cousin from Oklahoma (she used to live with me, then got married) to La Fonda, a well-known Mexican restaurant on Wilshire Blvd. near Alvarado, very close to Downtown Los Angeles. The area is kind of scuzzy, but not too bad once you get into the place. It'd been at least over a decade since I last went there and their food is pretty mediocre and a bit expensive, but it's the live mariachi show one pays for really. I mean, DAMN; about 10 well-trained professional mariachi band performers, who all take turns singing one tune after another and each of them is well-versed and expertly trained in their respective instrument; a mariachi group typically consists of trumpets, violins, a giant bass guitar, and basic guitars. These guys know how to play and it is a real treat to hear them live! They are simply fantastic, and anyone living in or visiting L.A. must go see them! They're all in sync, the one girl in the band sings beautifully, and some of those young boys in their charro uniforms look rather handsome/hot I must say! They play so well, it was almost like listening to a perfectly produced recording! The crowd was loving them (Spanish and non-Spanish speaking alike), and the dancing and carrying on was very lively! I had a great great time, as did my whole family. I think I may upload some pics of this event soon.
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I watched a terrific movie that I'd like to recommend starring the always superb Judi Dench called Mrs. Henderson Presents. Bob Hoskins co-stars as well as does the very cute winner of British Pop Idol Will Young, and they, along with the rest of the cast are amazing! What an entertaining film this was, and pretty much based on true events that happened in London just as WWII was about to break out. I urge you to see this flick; a musical similar to Cabaret! The kid-friendly Alvin and the Chipmunks was light and fun to sit through. Yes I know, a grown man like me watching these children's movies, but they take me away from some of the dreariness of the world and uplift me really.

Charlton Heston was a very fortunate man and had an extraordinary life. A bit too wooden and over-the-top in his acting style for me, but he sure was in some truly unforgettable movies, and now he has left our dimension as an immortal Hollywood legend. Remember how controversial he was in his last few years for being president of the NRA?

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Last tidbit to share with you: I was lucky enough to find pretty decent seats to Sir Elton John's upcoming concert in Anaheim, CA on April 19th! I AM SO EXCITED! Ain't it freakin' sweet?!

UN BOLETO POR FAVOR.

This is the blog post that I fully expect to rack up more than 20 comments on, just because my ego says it should. HAHA!

That handsome teaching stud Gary over there in New York, has inspired me further that it's never too late and that the time has hopefully come for me to perhaps pursue a career in education! I am praying I finally stop procrastinating and can start taking the required tests and go for my teaching credential like I meant to do originally some ten years ago, before "the dark times, before the Empire", to quote Obi-Wan Kenobi. Ya see kids, yours truly has been doing boring office work for a decade now, just because I was sorely lacking in true work experience when I graduated college back in 1997 with my B.A. Yeah, I have a Bachelor's! Big whoop I know, but it's something I guess I am kinda proud of. I was a Spanish major, which is why I often dedicate posts to the language and culture, because not only is it part of my cultural family heritage, but also because it's something I passionately adore and studied like an English major would Shakespeare; Spanish is quite the beautiful and highly rich literary tongue. Yeah, I remember all that reading, term papers, and essays only to be majorly burned out by the time I got my degree. I suddenly felt lost and stopped it all to join the working world and then got socked with horrible anxiety disorder and other issues and why bore you with all the gory details other than to reiterate the fact that I am now thinking of going back to my original plan of teaching Spanish. Or maybe English as a Second Language!? I do have a great command of both languages; something must finally come out of this as I keep hearing my co-workers constantly say to me, "You'd make a great teacher, what are you still doing here working in this office?" Mind you, I use my language skills at the office all the time and get paid extra for it, but it's not what I want to nor should be doing. One becomes complacent and conforms in life I suppose due to pressing financial responsibilities, but I hope I'm motivated to change my life soon and start on the road to teaching the world the language of Cervantes, whose classic masterpiece book Don Quixote I am almost halfway done with by the way! YEEHA!

Some major veteran music artists are coming to the L.A. area in the coming weeks! Oh boy, oh boy! Concerts are expensive though, but I'd love to go see Elton John, George Michael, and R.E.M., all on their merry way to my town! I'm almost certain I am going to go see Elton, just because I know his body of work pretty well and my bud says he'll be singing all of his hits, so it should be pretty f*cking entertaining and fun to sing-a-long to Elton's amazing melodies and Bernie Taupin's crazy intricate lyrics; Elton's concert is coming to Anaheim on April 19 which is just around the corner, so I better get tix pronto which I'm pretty sure I can still find! Then there's R.E.M., a band from my high school days, and they have written some pretty cool catchy songs throughout their career; they should be fun to go see at the end of May at the Hollywood Bowl. And George Michael? I mean, what a songwriter, and what an amazing voice! Some great pop tunes by that dude indeed! He hasn't toured in over a decade, so this is a very big deal and he'll be here late June. Let's see, that's three major artists and about $600 bucks total for me to go to all three shows with decent seats that is! What to do, what to do? Funny how Elton, lead R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe, and George Michael are all gay too; the rainbow pride is overflowing here, which is why the talent is so enormous! They should've all just toured together damnit, and saved me some cash! LOL!

My co-worker J.S. was nice enough to surprise me on my return to work earlier this week with this really cool Beatles book gift chock full of amazing photos of the boys! They just never knew privacy again once they become hugely famous did they? Gorgeous glossy crystal clear pics in this amazing little coffee table mini-book! I may try and scan some of these photos sometime soon, so y'all can see them traveling the world, swimming in the pool, smoking, thinking, performing, and doing all kinds of other mundane things.

Too bad The Beatles ain't coming to L.A. to perform. An impossible dream in this modern age, which is left to footage from the past, when all four were still alive and on top of the world.

You have to read this article about the pregnant half man/half woman. You just have to! WOW!

The weekend is mercifully here! ¡Gracias a Dios!

ELVIS IS ROLLING OVER IN HIS GRAVE.

I'm so hating my job right now. I wish the supervisor over my main one would just drop dead to be honest. I just paid my mortgage, car registration, and cell phone bill online and over the phone. There's more stuff to be paid this month including my auto insurance, the cable bill, and property taxes. They must think I shit money or something; is there any more you'd like to siphon out of me you greedy f*cking pricks?! The fact that respected and well-known entertainers/athletes can make so much money at one gig is depressing to me, when compared to most of us mere mortals and our measly salaries.

Speaking of well-known entertainers, Mariah SCAREY has just broken Elvis' record of 17 number one hit singles! She is now the solo artist with the most #1's on the Billboard 100, the still reigning female with the most number ones, and second now only to The Beatles for most top singles. She may just tie or break their record with her new CD. A rundown of what's going on here in case you're interested:

Artists with the most number one singles ever in the U.S.A.

The Beatles (20)

Mariah Carey (18)

Elvis Presley (17)

Michael Jackson (13)

Madonna (12)

The Supremes (12)

------------------------Whitney Houston (11)

------------------------Janet Jackson (10)

------------------------Stevie Wonder (10)

------------------------Bee Gees (9)

------------------------Elton John (9)

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Yeah, all pretty damn amazing people there, but I dunno how Mariah holds up to be honest. I've mentioned before; her body of work is just not that memorable and often forgettable. She was quoted as saying:

“I really can never put myself in the category of people who have not only revolutionized music but also changed the world,” Carey told The Associated Press on Tuesday via phone from London. “That’s a completely different era and time ... I’m just feeling really happy and grateful.”

Um, okay Mariah.

Fear not ye Madonna fans, 'cause she's just broken a record also, held by Elvis as well! Her new mediocre track "4 Minutes" sung with "Hawk Nose" Timberlake becomes her 37th top 10 hit beating Elvis' previous record of 36 top tens. And the song itself is at #3 on the Billboard 100. Will Mariah keep Madge from the top spot; Madonna hasn't had a #1 hit since 2000's "Music" and she badly wants another one to make it lucky 13.

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All this Billboard chart talk has made me weary. Discuss.