Hey ya’ll. My old computer that I used to make music with has finally seen its last days. I mean, it turns on, but can only hang for a bit before calling it quits. So! My new computer, with Dual-Core Processing, 4 GB memory and 1 Terrabyte of hard drive space for $400! — should be arriving in the mail this week. So, we have to take a short break from recording music this week. It’s too bad too ’cause I have a little more free time until then. But! I’m still working on music!
Yes, I’m arranging one more song for the University of Colorado Denver’s A Cappella groups. That’s what I’m taking a break from right now anyway. Arranging is like writing an essay. I can get it done in 4 or 5 hours, but my brain is a little soggy by the time everything is finished. It’s a little like taking a math test with no time limit. You want to make sure you get it right, but you don’t want to spend too much time on one thing. If you do, you’ll never get done and you’ll probably just make more mistakes than you would have had you moved on.
Breaks here and there help, but taking too much time out will force you to reacquaint yourself with what you were doing. So quick breaks are best. lol
Anyway, I’m arranging this piece of music:
If any of you are gamers, you will probably recognize this right away from the Fallout 3 music soundtrack. I was asked to do an Andrews Sisters tune and when I did some research, I recognized the voice of those ladies (having been playing F3 all summer long).
I would also like to share the recording I did earlier this week for Sabrina’s Going Away Party. She’s going to Scotland for her M.F.A. It’s a very beautiful song!
Oh, and hell, while we’re at it, why don’t I just show you the Individual Piece I created and performed all through the weekends in August. It was a show directed by Kenny Storms and the music you hear in this video is by Joey Mancuso, a.k.a. DJ Jamon. It’s a little sexy and scary so watch out, sucka!
Happy #samesexsunday to you! I know that for me, #samesexsunday is a nice distraction for me when I am at work, waiting tables. Sometimes I have to deal with a lot of homophobic elements at my day job and Sundays are usually the worst day for that. So, it’s nice for me to be able to check my iPhone while I’m taking a smoke break and check out Twitter. It’s a way for me to find strength by connecting with my people.
How cool is it to see children taking a stand for something they believe in! Both of the children in the interview were extremely smart. Whoever the guy is who does the interview — well, he sounded baffled. Perhaps he was blown away by the passion. Those people obviously loved their teacher who, because she got married to a woman, was fired.
I never realized that one of the starring heroes of 9/11 was a gay guy. Mark Bingham was an amazing guy and I wish I could have gotten the opportunity to know him. This video is reminder to all of those out there who think Gay people don’t have anything to offer society other than art. We also save lives.
How few noted Gay Heros are recognized in society. I applaud the gentleman, Michael B., who travels the world for work, but still takes the time to make a video about Equality now and then. It’s nice to know that Amsterdam has some respect for equal rights.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my pleasure to introduce to you the UFO Casebook!
http://www.ufocasebook.com
It’s an excellent resource for finding accounts of UFO’s. You’d be surprised to find that they are being reported near you on a regular basis! Here’s a recent video I found from this web site that I particularly liked. It’s where two people simultaneously filmed a UFO ‘spitting out’ balls in the air and then retreating into the clouds. Strange!
I don’t know if this next one is real. It could be easily added through graphic enhancement. But it did give my heart a jump.
This last video came up and I couldn’t help but click on the link. I’m not sure how I feel about the words “Anti-Christ” because I don’t feel that his theory contradicts religion. Others could see it that way, I suppose, so whatever. But I did think his theory was logical and creative and probably one of the more original theories related to 2012. I would have like to have heard more thoughts about the spiritual evolution that might take place under such destruction.
We’ve already established that there are two main characters throughout this story. Patience & Joshua.
Patience:
37 year old black woman. She used to be a fitness trainer, but secretly wished she spent more time dancing, like she did when she was a girl. But Fitness Training is what paid the bills. That was her life before her oldest daughter, while drug-induced, shot down her youngest daughter and sexually abusive husband before killing herself. All that was left was Patience. Patience was interviewed by the corporate media and her story became a speaking point for talking heads all over the nation. Some people honored her for her courage. Other people regarded her with disdain and questioned her commitment to motherhood. They said she was cold and emotionless. Too distant. She didn’t cry enough. She neglected her family. That’s why it happened.
Meanwhile, Patience slipped through the cracks and lost her home. No one was willing or able to help her. Depression and confusion came with the shock of losing everything. She lost her job when she stopped being able to make it to work on time. Most of her clients felt uncomfortable around her anyway. She was dead inside.
She spent her days on the streets. She did drugs. She had sex with guys and women for drugs. She eventually came to know a man named The Believer.
This week’s #followfriday is Stephanie Zissimos a.k.a. @shotzaouzo!
Stephanie Zissimos a.k.a. Shotza Ouzo!
Why Shotza Ouzo? ‘Cause she’s Greek! Opa! ::::break::: Stephanie just joined Twitter so PLEASE follow her.
The relationship that I have with this woman is quite unlike any other I’ve had before. We are a living “Laverne & Shirley.” She gets my jokes. And if she doesn’t, she doesn’t care anyway. She just loves me for the ‘faggoty’ way that I am. In fact, she’s nearly as faggoty as I am … if not more. The running joke in my life is that I have a black woman trapped inside a gay white man’s body. While Steph’s is that she’s a gay man trapped in a woman’s body. We’re a perfect match! In fact, her birthday is the day after mine. I wrote her in as a leading star of My Big Phat Gay Musical.
The best part of the show is when Stephanie takes the stage all by herself and does a FABULOUS Burlesque number! It’s the song before the finale, so her part was the most exciting, for sure! Check this scene out! For those of you who fancy the female kind, you’ll be well rewarded at the end of this vid. But it’s actually really funny too. She’s a total riot and anytime she is on stage, she holds the attention of her audience!
Stephanie and I are also buddies in the recording studio (“IN A BAND”) and have collaborated on numerous occasions. On top of that, we have enjoyed impromptu photo shoots while being employed at the breakfast/lunch restaurant. One day, I realized that absolute magic can take place when you put both the music of The Stellar Gays (“OUR BAND”) and the photos from one of our impromptu shoots. Ladies and Gentlemen, I bring you “These are the Holidays.”
Finally, we can’t finish this up without a video of Shotza Ouzo performing “Banana Phone” at Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret! Enjoy this one!
I asked her three questions:
JPS: What did you like best about My Big Phat Gay Musical? What was one of your favorite moments? Do you feel like you’ve changed at all because of the show? What was it like to play a symbol of yourself on stage?
SZ: Being in My Big Phat Gay Musical was definitely a dream come true for me. I’ve always wanted to be in a musical and to have someone as talented as John Paul Sharp let me be a part of his original work was just wonderful! I don’t think I have a favorite part, per say because the entire experience made my dream a reality. So the whole thing was my favorite!
I don’t feel like I’ve changed because of the show, I did however grow personally and learn to believe in myself where there was doubt. Singing in front of people is very intimate to me so that was a challenge but I got through it! (with the help of John Paul Sharp, of course!)
It was fun to play the role of myself because it was an extremely exaggerrated personality, very flamboyant fun and silly. I’m all those things but this took me to the next level of fun-kay!
JPS: I hear you are recently freed up from the binds of a relationship. Any advice for those gentlemen callers out there who might consider suiting you?
SZ: Oh my goodness haha! I like this question. Yes, it’s true I’m now single!!
I am attracted to someone who is positive, sincere, funny, behaves like a gentleman and please have your own car! LOL I know chivalry isn’t dead so bring it my way fellas!!! =)
JPS: I’m really sad that I won’t be working Tuesdays & Wednesdays after November is over, but I know it’s for the best. And I hope the best for you and your dreams and want to make sure we actually HANG OUT outside of work here and there. Would you tell the world what your dreams are and what you want out of life? Maybe somebody out there and can help you achieve your goals and get you (“US?”) out of that restaurant!
SZ: I’m so sad I won’t be spending those days with you too! :’( Boo hoo squish squish. It is for the best and I’m so happy for you to be moving forward with your life.
It’s hard to move and grow when you’re stuck on autopilot, as they say. My ultimate goal in life is to be happy. Working in a restaurant forever will only make me a bitter biatch – and no one likes a bitter bitch. Something I do love though is performing at Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret where I’m surrounded by amazingly talented and positive people. It is a chance to express my own personal creativity and get out that little exhibitionist in me. I am honored to be a part of it and will do it as long as I can!
A long term career goal comes from my heart: I have a passion for animals. I love their spirit, playfulness, loyalty, love and happiness that they bring to humans. I would like to be an animal behavior specialist, specializing in dogs. I could be a dog trainer, maybe helping them in shelters and helping them get adopted. I’ve been looking into schools but have only found online certification. I would like to find a place where I can go to get hands on training… maybe PetSmart? It’s a risk because I have my own house and need to pay the bills, and want to make sure I’ll be able to live comfortably. But for now I love my life, where I am and who I have become. I try to take every challenge as an experience to learn and grow from it.
I am a creative person. I fill much of my day thinking creative thoughts. I think about stories. I think about people. I imagine and focus on my heart. Music is probably the most satisfying way to express myself. So this week, I’m thankful that I am able to write and record music and sing. It makes my life so much more worth it.
And I’m thankful to be able to hear. I know that is a luxury of human existence and so I’m grateful that I have it today to do what I do with music. Thank you, God!
This isn’t really world news related, but it is related to a good friend of mine going to Scotland to get her M.F.A. Plus, I wasn’t able to deliver any of my own original music on Monday, so I thought I’d take the opportunity to bring it to you now! (Though, it is technically 1:37 a.m. on a Thursday morning … my life moves in strange cycles this week.)
Anyway! We had a going-away party at Lucky Strikes Lanes in downtown Denver on Tuesday night. Here is some of the footage of that set to my new song called, “Sabrina.” I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! It’s simply beautiful to me – just like Sabrina herself! We’ll miss you! Do good!
“You’ve come a long way, baby.” That’s what I think about when I think of this card. Now is the time to look and see how far you’ve come in your life. There’s a good chance that you’re about to achieve success in some sort of goal very soon. Of course, it’s chance we’re talking about, so it’s up to you to choose success.
It is important to reflect on your life so that you can set things up for your future, but sometimes, the best thing you can do is simply be in the moment.
This could be a moment of stasis in your life, so go ahead and take the time to meditate. Clear your mind and prepare yourself for the new challenges ahead. You’ve worked hard so do yourself a favor and relax. Let go of the challenges, let go of the successes. Discover your inner thoughts and feelings by clearing out the junk in your mind, body and soul.
Maybe it’s time for a vacation. But if you can’t get away, meditation is the next best thing.
This is very fascinating to me. I am a pretty big fan of some rap and hip-hop. But I do feel it is a shame that so many rappers and hip-hop artists are extremely homophobic. The above video is worth watching!
I discovered this girl on YouTube after looking up information about No Homo. I just had to include it because I thought that her message was pretty cool. She’s also very talented and funny! Keep an eye on this gal!!
It’s too bad too ’cause I have a little more free time until then. But! I’m still working on music!
But it’s actually really funny too. She’s a total riot and anytime she is on stage, she holds the attention of her audience!
