Sequel spasms

As I read the headlines at ew.com this morning, all I could think was, ‘Ugggh.’

To wit:
-Sly Stallone is developing a 5th Rambo movie. Did anyone care after the second one? Did he not learn from Rocky sequels? Is he such a meat head that he’s painted himself into a corner and when he dies, will only be remembered as Rocky, Rambo… and the guy who starred in ‘Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot!’ ?
-The Rob Zombie reboot of the ‘Halloween’ series, which got spanked by another sequel at the box office this weekend, is going 3D for the next film. Because the Final Destination film that spanked it this weekend was in 3D. Gee, is that why it won? I thought it was because, oh, I don’t know, we saw Jamie Lee Curtis do the Michael Myers thing so much better nearly 30 years ago?! Why not skip the 3D, and just have Michael Myers kill Rush Limbaugh and Dick Cheney in a haunted house, and broadcast that? Now THAT I would pay to see…
-Bad Boys 3 is in the works… okay, what did Martin Lawrence do this time that he needs to pay for? Why subject us to him and Will Smith again, and just have Martin do another Big Momma’s House film. Wow, I suggested that? Scratch that…let’s just collect donations for the Save Martin Lawrence from doing Stupid Things campaign so we don’t have to be subjected.
-Twilight: New Moon comes out November 20th, but they are already showing pics from the third film… zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
– DJ AM nearly died this weekend… Oh, wait, he actually died this weekend.
Sorry, that sounded a bit crass, it’s actually really sad that he loss his fight with drug addiction. Even worse, the summer of death continues. Michael, Farrah, Teddy, Bea, Karl, my friend Billy, and so many more.

Now this is a sequel that I wish really would stop.

Intentionally Rude

I don’t enjoy working Sunday mornings, which thankfully will not be an issue in about a week. But it’s my last week at my current job, and I need to review a bunch of admin stuff with the team before I leave. So Sunday is a necessity.

The commute was quite for the most part. A strange and creepy mix of people are out at 9
am Sunday morning. There’s the church goers,the random couple making out on the platform (Get a room!), the drunks stumbling home from last night, and the working class like me.

And then there are just some rude people.

As I departed from the Davis Street station this morning, I headed for the south door. As I approached, I saw an older guy approaching as well. But as pushed to open the door, the guy, after watching me for a beat, ripped the same door open, pushed his way past me, and stepped on my foot, all in a way that really looked and felt deliberate.

I, naturally, was pissed. ‘Uh, excuse me, what the fuck is your problem?’ I exclaimed.

His reaction? ‘Oh, nice language, I hope you are proud of yourself,’ he smirked.

But I wasn’t done. I was wronged here, and my foot is throbbing. ‘Umm, you saw me opening the door, you pushed through, and stepped on my foot. What’s the problem??!’

No reply, just a smirk.

In a moment of fantasy, I imagined taking my grocery bag with my lunch in it and swinging it, clocking him across the smug looking face. But restraint took over. So I just issued a terse ‘Go fuck yourself’ and headed to work.

Yeah, my Sunday best language wasn’t appropriate, but neither was stepping on my foot and shoving your way past me when you see I’m exiting a building. Not to mention, these are double doors, but he chose to yank open the exact door I was pushing open to exit through. He was deliberately being rude. And of course, tried to act superior by reprimanding me for my obscenities.

Should have let my fantasy take over. The thought of food splattered all over that smug face is so fulfilling. I guess I hope karma does the job for me.

It's hip to be round…Finally!!

As I approach middle age (*Gasp* I know), I am always a bit self conscious of how I look, particularly my weight.
As a pre-teen and well into high school, I was not the slimmest guy. Actually I was not very popular all around, and being made fun of by the preps or the cool kids lowered my self-esteem, so food was always my respite. When I went to college, and finally figured out who I was, my self-esteem grew, my personality blossomed, I came out of the closet and, to boot, I lost a great bit of weight between my freshman and sophomore year. Nearly 50 pounds to be exact and a 32 waist pant. I was popular, attractive, and a fun guy to be around. Not that I wasn’t before, it just was easier to exude it when I felt great about the way I looked too.
After college, I kept my weight off pretty well until I entered my thirties, at which point I began to gain back all the weight I had shed over ten years prior. I really didn’t change anything- I still ate the same way, worked out, well, okay, a little less, but by the time I went in for my last checkup a few months back, I was back to just over 200 and a size 36 waist jean.
For some guys, no big deal. My shorter stature and frame, however, accentuate this, so I have a belly. I’m not the skinny boy I used to be. And as a gay man especially, it puts me a bit more under the microscope in gay culture, because every twentysomething and his daddy are skinny, Abercrombie and Bitch runway models. It’s annoying, it’s a bit daunting, and frankly I feel like a big fat ass when at a bar next to them. Intimidating. And suddenly I’m back to being that fat high schooler all over again.
I shouldn’t worry too much, my friends say. I’m in a relationship. Well, should my partner not be privileged to have a semi-hot looking guy without his stomach hanging out like a muffin top? And truth be told, he has a tummy on him too. I actually find that attractive in men, and drawn to that kind of guy with a bit more meat on his bones rather than a chisel-chested gym bunny. Meanwhile, I haven’t completely retreated back into a shell of shyness, I’m still the loud and outgoing guy I’ve been. I just wish it was in a slimmer form.
Then as I was browsing the web today, I saw this lovely little article from the New York Times that is called ‘It’s Hip to be Round’, and am feeling quite a bit better about myself. While the ‘Ralph Kramden’ nickname isn’t very fashionable, I do like that more and more guys are comfortable in just being who we are, and not trying to conform to the skinny twinks we once were. And I’m not condoning not exercising or flat out obesity, but neither is this article. It’s just nice that guys with a bit more around the middle are being celebrated by both sexes, not being ridiculed.
Hail to us guys with a bit around the belly, we’re hip!!

As seen on the bus…

I love a good rat's nest, don't you?

Would you be caught dead wearing this?

Just a few hairdo-nots seen on the CTA today. Thought it needed to be shared.

And they were sitting right next to each other! Who says fashion disasters don’t stick together?