Here's a great article about a bar closing. Well, of course, it's about more than that, although there's an important point that's not lingered upon for too long - does a crackdown on nightlife truly improve the "quality of life" of the general population? And why does the city that never sleeps suddenly treat bars and clubs as a nuissance? You don't make friends and have hilarious discussions with random strangers at banks or Jamba Juice.

I love a parade. Well, actually, I could care less about most of them, but I particularly enjoy the Gay Pride parade. This is because:

-In my daily life, one so rarely has the opportunity to cheer and clap for people walking down the street that they've never met before. Doing so fills me with the warm and satisfying feeling that I am an altruistic person.
-I like to watch the lesbians try to get all the free stuff they can.
-I like to watch people dance on top of moving platforms while trying not to fall.
-I like to yell "woo." I like to yell "woo" a lot.

Plus, I think it's just a crime to not go out and support the thing. Despite how homophobic the country seems today, it's easy to forget how much things have actually improved over the years. Joe My God posted the Daily News' reporting of the Stonewall Riots today, get ready for your stomach to churn.

It's equally important to go out drinking right after the parade (how could you not!), so after a couple boring beers at Nowhere, xes ended up being the best place to go, with a nice mix of natives and tourists whooping it up.

Just as we were about to leave at a responsible hour, Peppermint Gummybear and her karaoke extravaganza had to come along and make sure I had a really difficult Monday.

Peppermint began the show by requesting the audience provide the word of the day. In pure Pee Wee's Playhouse fashion, whenever anyone said or sang the word of the day, the crowd was to scream real loud. Of course, the crowd starts shouting suggestions like hookers at a fishnet stocking convention. The husbear continues to suggest a certain part of the male anatomy. But it was my suggestion that ultimately won Ms. Gummybear over. After explaining the meaning of the word to her and much of the crowd, it was deemed word of the evening. I felt honored and famous.

The word was "odgeda."

I didn't actually get up on stage to perform any songs (my voice was a bit hoarse after a day of wooing), but if requested I was prepared to go up and seriously work it out to Felix Da Housecat's "Silver Screen." It's important to have a back-up plan at all times.

Felix Da Housecat - Silver Screen

Nifty Blog alert: 1000 Bars. Concept: Go to 1000 different bars in a year.

Since I'm always going to the same bars, maybe this guy will end up finding some hidden jems. His latest entry was all about my block, and his assessment of Village 227 is head on; that place is weird and it should be destroyed via baby giraffe stampede.

in 2003, the most rebellious thing you can do, apparently, is bust out to vanity 6 and beyonce in a bar. i really hope these guys make some headway soon.

oh dear, i've become an irresponsible blogger again. right now, i'm on a short breather from school, and it feels grrrreat!!!

basically, this summer has sucked eggs. check this out!

-right around the summer solstice, my wallet got stolen at the gym, and $3000 worth of sporting goods and computer equipment got charged while i was benchin', curlin', and pressin'. i wasn't held responsible for any of it, but it took weeks for me to get all my identification and platinum purchasing power back.
-field day fest was $100, and it rained all day!
-it then rained every weekend in june!
-we got bed bugs! yes, bed bugs. because of some stupid hippychicks who've since left the building next to us, we're now paying $2000 a month for third world conditions. do you know what it's like going to bed at night knowing that something is going to creep out and suck blood out of you?
-the siren fest was a total letdown! the music was just not loud enough to overpower the sound of the cyclone and the stage wasn't high enough to actually see the bands performing. thus, you had a bunch of kids who thought they were the hottest thing since sliced bread for standing around in a trucker hat and acting as miserable as possible.
-i had one day of fun in the sun, and got the worst sunburn of my life! so for a week, i went to bed in pain while waiting to get the blood sucked out of me.
-we're converting from oracle to s.a.p. at work, so inbetween cramming for my midterms and finals (which in summer semesters, come every two weeks), i had to sit in on meetings everyday while trying to not nod off in a visible manner.

it hasn't been all bad, i've had a blast hanging out at the bars. as homer said, alcohol is the cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems ;)