Or at least I’m trying to be.

I had to write a guest post on Howard’s blog as the result of a bet I lost.  For those of you who have been saying you miss my humorous (or was that humorless?) posts, you’ll want to head over there and check it out.

Just make sure you find your way back here again!

I’ll go ahead and post this today since many of you are heading out already to go home for the holiday…

I hope that you find you have a lot to be thankful for this year. I know I do. Although I tend to rant on sometimes, I still have a pretty good life. I’m thankful that I have Buckaroo to share it with. I’m thankful for my pets that bring me so much joy. I’m thankful that I have a nice, comfortable home. I’m thankful for my friends and family.

And I’m especially thankful for you, my loyal blog readers, who have been so kind and supportive over the years.

UPDATE - MORE CD’s AVAILABLE (See below)

Yay… or should I say, Boo!  It’s Halloween!

This year, thanks to some friendly publicists, we can play a game of virtual trick or treat.  I have been given copies of the following CD’s and DVD’s which I am passing on to you, my loyal blog readers. 

The trick part is really simple: All you have to do is be the first person to e-mail me the correct answer to the question below.  You can choose which prize you want by the subject line of your e-mail, but you can only have one treat.  Only one answer per e-mail.  For example if you think the answer to the question below is either "asparagus" or "dental floss," you would have to send me two different e-mails, each with a different answer.  You can try for different prizes, but each entry requires a separate e-mail as well with the name of the prize you are trying to win in the subject line (just use the e-mail link below each prize description).

Here’s the question you need to correctly answer to win: What candy are Buckaroo and I giving out to the trick-or-treaters this year?

Here’s a hint: I specifically chose a type of candy that I wouldn’t be tempted to snack on before Halloween night rolled around.  I think the candy is too sweet, but maybe that’s the way the rainbow tastes.

Now that you know the trick, here’s Don Pardo to tell you about the treats (uhhh… what’s that?  Okay sorry, Don Pardo is not available, so I’ll tell you about them):
 

Bubbles and Cheesecake is the result of a collaboration between singer-songwriter Holly Palmer (Gnarls Barkley, Dr. Dre, David Bowie) and Grammy award winning Songwriter Allee Willis (Earth, Wind and Fire’s “September” and “Boogie Wonderland,” The Pointer Sisters, The Theme to Friends). The group is completely independent (the very definition of DIY), and the music is just one aspect of B&C. The crazy name aside the music is quite excellent: think Gnarls Barkley meets doo wop 50’s girl group.  Their zany website is a completely unique artistic foreground with the goal of inspiring citizens artists top create and share. All in all Bubbles and Cheesecake can’t really be described; it is better experienced. Be sure to watch the video for the single It’s a Woman Thang and you’ll be hooked.

This prize has been claimed.  Congratulations Howard!

The 2007 movie musical ACROSS THE UNIVERSE celebrates beloved songs by the Beatles in the context of a fictional romantic tale from director Julie Taymor. Anchored by young love-struck characters named Jude (Jim Sturgess) and Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood), the film features the cast, which also includes Joe Cocker and U2’s Bono, performing Fab Four tunes with great gusto. Among the many highlights of the soundtrack are Sturgess’s emotive rendition of the title track, Cocker’s stomping version of "Come Together," and an energetic take on "I Am the Walrus" by Bono and the Secret Machines. Like Cirque du Soleil’s LOVE show, UNIVERSE presents Beatles classics cast in a dramatic light, giving the album a wide appeal with its boisterous, Broadway veneer.

This prize has been claimed.  Congratulations Mike!

Show Business: The Road To Broadway presents a never-before-seen look at the inner workings of four high-profile Broadway musicals (Wicked, Taboo, Caroline, Or Change and Avenue Q) on their fearless journey to the Tony Awards. Director Dori Berinsteins unprecedented backstage access grants viewers a rare behind-the-scenes view of the creative process - from casting call to the curtain call that captures all the heartbreak and hilarity. Every element is explored from costume design to choreography, as critics and creators use their own words to describe the glorious business of show. A star-studded cast of theatre icons and fresh new faces prove that the real drama happens behind the curtain.  Now available on DVD from here!, America’s premium gay television network.

This prize has been claimed.  Congratulations Chuck!

Project Runway - The Complete Third Season: International Supermodel Heidi Klum returns as host with mentor Tim Gunn for Project Runway – Season 3, heading up a glamorous panel of celebrities and fashion icons in search of the next great fashion designer.  Featuring an all-new cast of 15 talented fashion designers selected from thousands of hopefuls, the third season of Bravo’s Emmy Nominated reality series is coming to DVD on November 6th. And don’t forget Season Four premiers on Bravo TV Wednesday, November 14th at 10/9c.

This prize has been claimed.  Congratulations Adam!

The Lair - The Complete First Season:   When bodies of young men are discovered with bite marks on their necks, an ambitious young journalist (David Moretti) uncovers a secret private gentleman’s club christened "The Lair." There, a devilishly seductive group of vampires await to test the limits of the flesh. Starring Peter Sickle (Shortbus) and Colton Ford (Naked Flame), The Lair is the fiendishly sexy new series from the creators of the smash hit Dante’s Cove. Now available on DVD from here!, America’s premium gay television network.

This prize has been claimed.  Congratulations Greg!

Long-Term Relationship: After years of the single scene in Los Angeles and hanging out with his sassy friends, Glenn has finally found his soul mate through the personals - a cute Southern boy named Adam. From the moment they met, it was instant attraction. But there’s more than a few differences between the two and the word ‘compatibility’ comes into play. Are their problems big enough deal-breakers, or can Glenn and Adam work through their differences to embark on a Long-Term Relationship?  Available on DVD November 6th.

This prize has been claimed.  Congratulations Scot!

Cut Sleeve Boys: Two Chinese British Gay Men have been romping around London for years without a care. After attending a fellow college friend’s funeral, however, the two begin to realize that the lines on their faces seem to be adding up quicker than their party invites these days. Mel is an aging scene queen who won’t accept that his best chance at happiness may be with a provincial Welsh boy. Ash, tired of the jaded gay scene decides that the tranny life may be the most direct route to the man of his dreams. This witty film from director Ray Yeung is a quirky journey to self-discovery and an interesting comment on the Chinese British gay experience.  Available on DVD November 13th from here! films.

This prize has been claimed.  Congratulations Dennis!

Nine Lives:  Ronnie meets Carlos who cleans pools for Corey and Daniel. Daniel rents Bo, a hustler who later picks up Mikey. Mikey leaves abruptly to bring crystal to James. During James’ high, he has a run-in at a bathhouse with Ralph who is actually married to Lisa. Nine lives interconnect in these monologues about sex, drugs, gay life, aging, being closeted or HIV+. Now available on DVD from here! TV.

This prize has been claimed.  Congratulations Phillip!

Trantasia is a no-holds-barred behind-the-scenes look at the first-ever ‘World’s Most Beautiful Transsexual Pageant.’ With a starring role in a sensational new Vegas Revue as a high-stakes backdrop, TRANTASIA explores the intensely private and moving stories of its extraordinary contestants. Told through provocative hometown profiles and heartbreaking one-on-one interviews, the film documents the often humorous, always personal journeys of these true survivors. United by common histories of hardship and persecution, these women will finally realize their diva dreams. Their ultimate triumph is a moving celebration of the human spirit.  Available on DVD.

This prize has been claimed.  Congratulations Dave!

A couple of boring rules: Contest begins at 7:00am MST and ends win all prizes have been claimed.  You must be 18 or older to enter.  You must reside in the USA or Canada.  As stated above, each guess at the correct answer requires a separate e-mail entry.  E-mails containing multiple guesses will be disqualified even if they contain the correct answer.  You can play for different prizes; the subject line of your e-mail will determine which prize you are playing for.  Entries will be determined by the time I receive the e-mail, not what time it was sent.  I cannot be responsible for lost, delayed, or misdirected e-mail entries.  Only one prize per person.  Once you have been determined a winner of a prize, you will be disqualified for all other prizes.  No changing prizes once awarded.  My determination and interpretation of the rules is final.  Special thanks to the fine folks at here! networks, The Karpel Group, and Sideways Media who made this giveaway possible.
 

UPDATE - MORE CD’s AVAILABLE:

I have the following CDs available for giveaway:

• Scissors for Lefty - Underhanded Romance
• R. Kelly - Double Up
• Tiffany - Just Me
• Andre 3000 - Class of 3000: Music Volume One
• UGK - Underground King

The giveaway of these CD’s is unrelated to the contest above.  To request one or more of these CD’s, all you have to do is e-mail me.  First come, first served.  There is one catch: If you receive one of these CD’s, you must agree to write a one to two paragraph review of the CD for my blog.  Contact me for details.

I posted this last year, but I just can’t help myself, I love this song and video:

The version here was redone by Marilyn Manson for the re-release of Tim Burton’s "The Nightmare Before Christmas" last year.  It’s playing again in theatres this year.

Here’s another one I love that I posted last year too from "So You Think You Can Dance" (Season 2).  It’s "Ramalama (Bang Bang)" by Roísín Murphy.  It earned choreographer Wade Robson an Emmy nomination.

Finally, if you need some music to scare the kiddies while you give out candy, here’s a Halloween mix I put together last year.  You can download it by right-clicking on this link and choosing "Save Target (Link) As…" or you can listen to it here by pressing the play button below.  It contains both of the songs above as well as lots of creepy sound effects and music.

I love Halloween, can you tell?  Hope you have a happy one… if the zombies, witches, and ghosts don’t get ya first!

A spammer tried to hack my blog this morning.  Comment moderation has been turned on temporarily as a safeguard.  I don’t plan on using comment moderation permanently however; only until I can look at the attack in more detail later today.

Update: Everything should be hunky dory now.  I strengthened the security of my site a bit, upgraded to WordPress 2.3.1, and changed around some plug-ins and options.  I don’t think anyone was successful in actually hacking into my WordPress account, but some spammer managed to slip by my comment spam guards overnight and bombard my blog with comment spam.

I’m reluctant to use too many anti-spam techniques that place the burden on you, the commenter.  An example of that is the popular anti-spam technique called "captcha."  With captcha, the person leaving the comment is shown a series of letters and numbers.  He must then type the series in a box in order for his comment to be accepted.  While highly effective, I have lost too many comments I’ve tried to leave on other blogs because I accidentally transposed a number or letter (maybe I’m mildly dyslexic… or just an idiot who can’t type).  To me, losing a comment that I wrote is extremely annoying.  It’s rare that I will rewrite the comment again when that happens.  I don’t want that to happen to you all when you try to leave a comment on my blog, so I’ve never put in place a captcha system.

I’m also reluctant to institute across the board moderation of comments.  I like to see the comment I’ve left on a blog go live immediately.  Using the moderation technique seems to diminish the back and forth spontaneity of the conversation in a comments thread.  I’ve seen some blogs where the blog owner doesn’t get around to approving the comments until days later.  By then most people have stopped checking back to see if any new comments have been left.

That being said, I am making one concession to fight spam: If you have never left a comment on my blog before, your first comment will go into moderation until I approve it.  Once you have at least one approved comment on my site, all your future comments should go live immediately.  Also, all pingbacks/trackbacks will go into moderation since these are the largest source of comment spam on my blog.  I certainly hope that instituting this change won’t hurt the lively discussions we sometimes get into in the comments on something I’ve posted.  If you feel that it does, I’m open to your feedback.

BTW, for those of you using WordPress (not the hosted-version at WordPress.com), I highly recommend using this plug-in to automate all your WordPress upgrades.  It worked like a charm for me.

How stupid is this?

 
Rockies aim to trademark ‘Rocktober’
Slogan describes club’s run to National League Wild Card, World Series
Associated Press

 

DENVER - "Rocktober," the new shorthand for the Colorado Rockies’ amazing playoff run, is showing up everywhere from newspaper headlines to handmade ballpark signs. But now the team wants a trademark to keep anyone else from selling keepsakes bearing the word.

(continue reading)

C’mon! That’s like trying to trademark the word Octoberfest or something. I’ve heard of "rocktober" promotions since I was knee-high.

I guess the air really is too thin up there in Denver, but what can you expect from a city that chose to name their baseball team after a geological mass of rock?