Monday, Monday, Monday

It has been a great day. There was a group of classes that I took a while ago and in them, we were presented with the idea over and over again of sharing. Share with everyone, with in reason, what is going on in your life. You never know who needs help and who can assist you. That is the cosmic joke of the world is that we don't know what we don't know. In these classes I took, there was one more addition to this thought though: You don't know what you don't know and you don't know that. It really does make sense when you think about it.

Well with that said. Our new show is up on hottalkla.com and on itunes. Please check us out. This new move to Hot Talk LA has definitely made a difference. Here's the link. Ann Walker stopped in and made it even crazier, as always.
http://http//hottalkla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=137&Itemid=211option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=137&Itemid=211

Yesterday we lost one of my favorite actress, Dixie Carter passed away yesterday. I know it sounds a little nuts, but I saw so much in her character Julia. Even as a young child, I noticed how this put together woman always had control of every situation. I also loved how once in a while, when she was pushed about something she was passionate about, she would then lose her cool. Even then, when she would get pissed, she still had her intellegence, stanima and sophistication with her. I like to think that is how I am. With a little less situational comedic writing. Or maybe a little more. Well, here are a couple videos. One of a famous Julia break down. The other is about the ladies of Designing Women talk about gay marraige. It still prides me that so many sit coms in the late 80's and 90's had so much knowledge and forsight on this topic.

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Life isn’t always the space you take up.

Life isn’t always the space you take up. Much of the time, it’s the space you take up with others. When I first started hanging out with Regan that is exactly how it began. I was new to UNLV, and I was put in with a beginning class of freshman in order to make it into the theatre performance concentration. This was exceptionally hard for me because I was 22, going on 23 and had come so far in my maturity so fast that being submersed with a bunch of 18 year olds felt like complete emotional back peddling. How was I to know that when my time was finished at UNLV, some of these youngsters would be closer to me than some of my friends back in WI? One of these people would be a confidant for the rest of my life, no matter how long we go without talking.

When I officially transferred to UNLV, I was still living with the beautiful Helena and her daughter way out of town in North Las Vegas. This meant that when I wasn’t working, or wasn’t in school, I was hanging out somewhere in North Las Vegas. One of my favorite spots was the Borders at the corner of Rainbow and Lake Mead. I would sit there for hours, writing, reading, talking to strangers. One night though, as I was walking to my car, I heard my name and it baffled me that someone would know who I was way out here. I turned around and I looked at this cute, dark haired, very white skinned girl that I honestly had no idea who she was. She introduced herself and told me that we were in the same class. I acted as if I then knew who she was, said it was nice to meet her, turned around, and speed walked to my car.

Thankfully the next day Regan did not have any opinion on how I left her introduction and we then began our friendship. She had grown up in Vegas so she began to introduce me to other people in the department among other people who were attending UNLV. This made things go really easy for the release into my new surroundings. I’m not sure she knows that she helped my transition like that, even before we had a full conversation. At the end of that day, we made plans to meet back at Borders, at the corner of Rainbow and Lake Mead where we would talk with coffee.

I find it so funny that the best dates that I have ever had are with my friends whom are rooted into my life. I remind myself every time I talk about those people in my life, and how every time I’ve met one of them, it has been impactful: Simple but impactful and very much full of substance. That is how the encounter at Borders was with Regan that night: Simple, impactful and full of substance. A great first date for anyone, no matter what sex or sexual orientation.

That year Regan and I were joined at the hip. We talked for hours every day, went through bottles of wine, and grew as adults and it happened that we were two individuals who really needed each other at that time. We even have the best memento of that year. A random picture was taken of us, on a plain, unimportant ordinary day. This picture ended up as the cover of the UNLV school directory for the following school year. It is so odd, being just a random moment, at how much meaning this snap shot has. As in the Tori Amos song, A Sorta Fairytale,

“And I knew then it would
be a life long thing
but I didn't know that we
we could break a silver lining”

That is exactly how I felt that year hanging out, growing and having so much fun with Regan. A few years ago I was witness to the amazing wedding ceremony between Regan and our friend Cody. That day, as well as every time her and I talk, I still have that feeling. With her, as well as other beautiful people in my life, it isn’t the space I take up by myself, but the space I take up when these people are in it with me.

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A catch up with Dina and Gregg

We just got done recording our next show and I wanted to share some of the great things that are going on in our world so that you can share in some of the fun. 1st, our friend Ben Roman got his video all finished and it is out on youtube. The song is "Again (Otra Vez)" I hope you love it.

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Another one of our friends, Deven Green, has her new video up. It is her alia Betty Bowers: Americas Best Christian. God love her wit and her humor. You can always check out all of her stuff on Youtube and devengreen.com

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Ann Walker was on the show with us and she brought up the Rock for Equality campaign that is fighting to get same sex couples rights to social security benefits for their loved ones when they pass away. Social Security is something that we all have to pay into, yet when this happens, we do not have access to this. That is not fair, as are other things dealing with same sex marriage, but this topic is definitely something that needs to be taken care of a bit more urgently. Here is the commercial for it...

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For a brief moment, we talked for a moment about the LA Weekly and their April 1st issue. For everyone that lives in LA, its funny to see this view of West Hollywood. So here is the article for you. http://http//www.laweekly.com/2010-04-01/news/west-follywood/

As for that, make sure that you are checking out our new station, Hottalkla.com. We are loving our new location and we hope that you are loving the new location too.

Have a great Saturday night everyone. Thanks for checking out my little home on the world wide web.

Some times we just need a little Nirvana

This week has been so crazy, it's Thursday night, I'm about to go to bed and I just want a little moment to completely feel alive. So, therefore, I want a little Kurt Cobain.

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As for the rest of the week, its been busy and I will give more updates in my next blog. Have a great evening. To even things out though, I'm putting my favorite Hole song up too. Take care everyone.

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Shaking

There has been a lot of shaking lately and being here in Southern California, we can't help to wonder if somethings going to happen here soon. I guess if it does, we just grab a beer and hold on tight. I like to think that I am able to anticipate and prepare for most of what happens in my world, but I acknowledge when I can not. In this sort of situation, I completely recognize that I am helpless so it really does come down to grabbing some beer, hopefully you've got some ice, and find a nice open place until the shaking stops.

Speaking of metaphorical shaking. Erykah Badu's Window Seat video. She goes along the same path that JFK was on in Dallas the day that he was assasinated. I understand that she did this in broad day light in front of many random onlookers, but it is her art. I love her and appreciate her for forcing people to see something more than just a music video. Well, this is for you to watch.

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The other video that I would like to bring to the attention of my readers is the new You Tube video featuring a few celebrities making a point on equal rights. I appreciate it. I just wish that there wasn't such a time lapse between major public notices. In order for there to be a real change made, there has to be continuous attention brought to the issue. Unfortunately, I don't have any solutions this evening, so I will just say good night, and let you watch the video. Thank you for reading. Oh, and by the way, these are two different videos.

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Happy Easter

Well on this Easter Sunday, I find myself taking a personal day. I miss my family tremendously but there is something to be said for being alone on the holidays. Nothing is happening and nothing is expected out of you from the rest of the world so you truly can take the day for yourself. That is precisely what I am doing.
The first thing that I want to pay some attention to right now is this fun little video I found on youtube. The Easter Bunny Hates You. I hope you get a laugh out of it.

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The next thing that I want to share is a video from my birthday trip to Palm Springs. So many people couldn't make it, but thankfully my friend Levi did a great job of capturing the trip on his cute new Flip by Apple. So this video is from an evening where we were at Fiesta Cantina in West Hollywood and I was half in the conversation. When they mentioned Dog the Bounty Hunter from A&E, I heard "Doug the Bunny Hunter" Well, here you go.

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So that is whats going on right now. I'll add a little more later today. I hope that everyone has an amazing day. And Don't forget, The Dina and Gregg Show go up fully this week on Hot Talk LA wih two new shows. Thank you for listening.

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When I got my apartment in down town Madison, something inside me shifted immediately.

When I got my apartment in down town Madison, something inside me shifted immediately. I have no exact clue of what it was, but something definitely moved. Having the comfort of some place that you can actually call home will do that to anybody. The first time that you have the ability to leave your home and come back to it and have it be in the exact same shape is a very empowering feeling. I was king or if you prefer, queen of my one bedroom, vaulted ceilings, hard wood floors, kind of creaky castle….. And I loved every moment of that year.
Getting to this decision to move came quickly after I had spent 2 extremely long months living with a friend outside of Madison. The city was named Sun Prairie and that’s exactly what it was to me, a prairie; A prairie with in at least a 30 minute drive to anything remotely interesting to me. Every day grew more and more mundane and the only thought that continued to beat me in the brain was “you did this once, it was called high school.” So, I just had to tell my friend who had so graciously let me move in there, that it was time for me to leave. It came out kind of like a falling dam. “I have something to tell you” dribble dribble, “I’m realizing that it wasn’t the best idea to move this far out of town”. The cracks are getting bigger. “It’s not you, it’s me.” And then the dam just bursts. “I’m a gay man. I need more things close to me like boys, sex, my gym, bars I can walk to. I don’t even feel comfortable here because your hardly here. I might as well live by myself. I’m going to move downtown as soon as I find something.” So the dam had broke. Did I mention that it was a gay dam?
So my search began and immediately it was one hell hole after another. One day, my friend Alyssa was with me and we went to see a studio on the lake. It was such a small piece of poop that the parking spot that I would have to rent was as expensive as the apartment was. I was getting nowhere fast because the gap between college apartment prices and nice apartments was huge. So, finally, I found something. It was in a great young neighborhood, around some great galleries, coffee shops, and wonderful restaurants and bars I could walk to. Yes, I lost it. I lost it because every other twenty something who had a salary that wasn’t anything to brag about was looking at it too. Disappointed about what had happened, I met a friend for a beer, then another and then it’s an after bar at her house.
While at her house, I checked my email and found a response to an ad for a one bedroom in the East Johnson district. I made an appointment to meet up with the landlord the next day and that was that, nothing more to it because I was already defeated. It is so humorous how we can equate house hunting to a new, about ready to bloom relationship. Many of us get so disappointed house hunting that we completely crumble when the situation doesn’t work out. The exact same thing happens when we start dating someone who we think could progressively turn into our significant other. All of a sudden, they don’t call back and what happens? Devastation
At 1:30 the next afternoon, I pulled up to this two story house with a white picket fence on Gorham street and walked to the door. I knocked, looked up the stairway to where the apartment was and was startled when I heard “you can tell that lazy mother fucker to get those pipes cleaned in the next hour or I’ll come over and stick my hose in there myself”. How was I to continue this when I haven’t even met this possible landlord? So I did what any normal person would; I started laughing my ass off.
The voice then responded by laughing and screamed down, “well you might as well come up now that you’ve heard that.” I ventured upstairs and was greeted by a big jolly man. He had a big thick beard, dirty work cloths and a fantastic disposition. He introduced himself and said here’s the apartment. I fell in love immediately.
I took a few moments to look at the basics, noticed the track lighting, the amazing light from both sides of the apartment, Lake Mendota was visible through the bare fall trees, and how this space felt warm immediately. I then got into a little more conversation with my soon to be landlord and I learned that he has a plumbing business. That would put our not formal introduction into context then. I also learned in that brief conversation that if a party happens, be respectable and that he doesn’t want any drugs in this apartment besides pot, if I smoke pot. This jolly man was just a big ole hippy and he ended our conversation with this. “Take some time with the space, I’ll be downstairs. If it speaks to you, come down stairs and write me a check.” With that said, I had my new apartment.