Some things to ponder

Several days ago Joel Olsteen, that smarmy television preacher, announced that homosexuality was a sin. This from a gentleman whose entire ministry can be basically boiled down to getting as much cash through Jesus as you can grab. Now I'm no biblical scholar, but I seem to remember that the Bible has more references to greed being a sin and a generally bad thing than being a homo. Just saying.

I didn't watch the State of the Union address last night, but I have read excerpts of it. There seems to be a move afoot to stop some of the environmental regulations to appease the chamber of commerce. I know President Obama wants to get re-elected and all, but this still distresses me. There was a letter in the Post Gazette yesterday from a man from Hermitage who still buys the corporate, right-wing swill that climate change is a hoax. Sorry buddy but at age 47 I can tell you how different the winters are than how they were when I was a kid. And this has been one of the snowier ones we have had in quite awhile and still not nearly enough on a consistent basis to sled ride. So I really hope they keep up with the environmental regulations so my niece and nephew have a planet to live on when they reach my age.

As I write this I am having to fend off two pissed off cats who want in my lap. I'm sure they will take revenge on me sometime later, oh, say, around 2-3 am.

And now a few words about Music. According to Pitchforkmusic.com the CD by The Decemberists is the number one album in the U.S.selling 96,567 copies and holding the top spot on the billboard top 200. I got turned onto them by listening to WYEP and have acquired most of their albums/CDs. I like a band who is literate and I love the new CD "The King is Dead." Sue and I saw them in concert a few years ago when they toured behind their Hazards of Love CD. It was one of the best concerts I have seen in a long time. And, even though the critics didn't like that CD, I liked it. So there.

Speaking of WYEP, I am really digging their new "bloc party" format on the weeknights between 8 pm and midnight. They are finally, finally playing some great new music mixed in with some great old music. I just think it's a great thing for the station and the listeners. I may even renew my membership. Although I am fast approaching the big 50 and geezerdom, I'm not one of those people stuck in the 70s and 80s and who will only listen to Barry Manilow and Foreigner (mind you I love some of the stuff from the 70s and 80s--Rolling Stones, Prince come to mind) but I also think there is some great music being made in this decade too. And now with WYEPs new format I can get to listen to some of it. Animal Collective, Outkast, The Thermals, just some of the newer bands they are playing.

I am also a big fan of the website Pitchforkmedia.com. They can be a bit precious and hipstery, but their reviews are excellent and I have found a lot of great music by reading their website/blog.   

I listened to Iron and Wine in concert on nprmusic.org and heard them play their new CD "Kiss Each Other Clean." I liked it and Pitchfork gave the CD a respectable rating of 7.7 out of 10. The sound on the album is fuller but I felt like the songs were still the same as far as the quality of the story telling. I also listened to a new CD by a "band" called Destroyer, which is really Dan Bejar a member of The New Pornographers (another great, favorite band). Destroyer's new CD is called "Kaputt" and Pitchfork gave it an 8.8 rating. I liked it--the songs are very long and involved and he's another literate storyteller. I first heard about Destroyer by reading one of Post Gazette columnist Tony Norman's year end music lists a few years ago. Intrigued I bought the CD "Rubies" and became a fan. Tony frequents my favorite record store Paul's CDS in Bloomfield and I ocassionally run into him. By the way, I don't think Tony did a year end music list this year? 

Okay, I covered all the bases, religion, politics, music.
 

Sunday Already Part Two

This past Monday I went to my home town to take my mom for a medical test. I grew up in a tiny town called West Middlesex which is an hour and fifteen  minutes away from Pittsburgh, my current home town. Things are very different in West Middlesex. The hospital, which is actually located outside West Middlesex in Farrell is two levels. There is a big parking lot where you can park for free. I could have lived there, my maternal grandfather really wanted me to live there after I graduated from law school. I did not. I knew I was gay in college and wanted to live some place where I could be out and safe. I didn't feel my home town/Mercer County was the place. But I sometimes regret not living there because I was close to my grandparents (my grandfather died in 2007 and my grandmother in 2008) and I feel guilty for not living closer to them and seeing them more. 

Despite these feelings, I decided to move to Pittsburgh. So I'm here living in a 1870's row house in Manchester with my partner and asssorted cats and dogs. And I'm happy here. I like Pittsburgh because there are many cultural things to do here, great parks, a decent music scene (hopefully with the new American Eagle venue there will be more concerts coming to town) a great "record" store in Bloomfield and many other things to do. Back in my hometown, not so much. I have also seen a big change in the LGBT community here in Pittsburgh since I moved here in 1991. People are more out and visible, we have a gay councilman in Bruce Kraus, county human rights benefits and gay youth, especially in the African-American community are showing up at more events and making our community more diverse than when I first came here.  

I got the new Decemberists CD on Saturday and listened to it several times yesterday. It's closer to their earlier work like the Crane Wife with a little bit of country twang to it. I'm also trying to get the new CD by a young band called the Smith Westerns, And next week the new CD by Iron and Wine comes out. Lot of good music coming out to look forward to. With this long cold winter, I need things to look forward to.

Tonight my partner and I are watching the Steelers play the Jets to see who gets into the superbowl. I'm more of a college/Penn State football fan, but I hope the Steelers win.    

Sunday already

As I write this my cat, Boris, keeps attempting to climb onto my lap which contains my laptop. I am watching the Golden Globes. I love award shows and am looking forward to the Grammy's. They are even going to have some decent bands play at the Grammys this year, such as Arcade Fire which, so far, has not graced Pittsburgh with its presence. Chris Colfert (sp?) just won for Glee and made a great shout out to all of us who are misfits in our own socieites.

Tomorrow is going to be a long day. I am taking my mom to get a test done and have to leave the warmth of my house at 6 am in order to drive to Mercer County to get here there in time for a 9 am test. Oh, well, I think of it as doing service.  

I am looking forward this week to some great music releases. The new CD by the Decemberists -- which I have heard a preview of on NPR -- is coming out on Tuesday along with a new CD by a young band called the Smith Westerns. I also heard a preview of their new CD on NPR. NPRmusic is a great website to hear new music, read reviews, etc. A great site for music lovers.

Is it only 8:33 p.m.? It seems like it should be later. Time for me to sign off and turn all of my attention to watching the Golden Globes.

Hello hello

When I was a child, I printed a newspaper. I can't remember the name but it was made on an old mimeograph machine and I was the writer, editor and publisher. It was a lot of fun. Now as an adult I wanted and needed to have a space to sound off again on topics that I find interesting. Music, politics, current events. Sarah Palin. So this is the first step.

By the way, I'm watching some program called the Defenders which is pretty awful. I hate it when they glamorize the lawyer profession. Lawyers, of which I was once one, rarely are glamorous. And, why is there nothing but crappy re-runs on television on Saturday nights? Do they expect everyone to be out drinking on Saturday nights?

Well, that's all for now folks.