French Sex

Ok, so my recent condom post illustrated to me that, if I want to increase the readership of my blog, all I need to do is follow the Margaret Cho business model and talk as bluntly and as often as possible about sex. So, here is my most recent attempt to please the shallow masses (that's my affectionate term for you, my readers).

A while back, I spent two years living in Belgium and France, during which time I studied French both under a private tutor (no, not like that, she was old....ew) and at the Université de Mons-Hainaut. Since this education was rather formal, I discovered--after my time in Europe--that I had been deprived of learning some of the more "colorful" French terminology.

It has been rather chic (if I may show off my nifty French-speaking skills for a moment) in America of late to rip on the French. But there are several things that the French do well, particularly sexually. Of course, we all know and appreciate French kissing, and perhaps some of you less-conservative types get turned on by French lace. One of the first things on my list of French sex advantages would be that they have Karim Nadir, one of the most beautiful porn stars ever (see picture above and Jean Daniel Cadinot's Nomades, in which Nadir appears in most of the scenes).

But additionally, as I alluded to earlier, the French have an amazingly large array of terms that they use to refer to sexual activities. Having been rather conservative myself while I was living in Europe, I did not have much opportunity to use these terms, so I cannot vouch for which ones are used commonly or which ones would be taken as cheesy pick-up lines. So, use at your own risk. But, in the interest of advancing cross-cultural sexual liasons, here is a quick primer in la terminologie sexuelle francaise. My apologies in advance to any fluent French speaker, as I am certain there are numerous errors in my typing or grammar below:

• NECESSARY EQUIPMENT:
• Balcon - Literal translation is "balcony", but it is used also as a term for a female breast.
• Y'a du monde au balcon, literally translated "There are people on the balcony," is a colloquial expression for "She has large breasts."
• Doudounes, Nénés, Nichons, Roberts, Sein- More words for breasts
  
• Bloblos - Large, fat, drooping boobs
  
• Biroute, Bistouquette, Bitte, Braquemart, Chinois, Cigare, Pénis, Pine, Popaul, Quéquette, Queue, Service Trois Pièces, Sexe, Verge, Veuve, La Veuve et les deux Orphenlines, Vit, Zizi, Zob- Penis (do you think the French have a certain preoccupation with this anatomical part?)
  
• A couple notes....Chinois is the normal word for a person of Chinese ethnicity but is used in crass French slang for penis because the opening at the head of a penis is more like a slit than a hole (giving rise to the rather-rude slang phrase se polir le Chinois, meaning to masturbate, literally, "to polish the Chinaman").
• Cigare is the normal word for [yes, you guessed it], "cigar" (thus the slang fumer le cigare, meaning to give a blowjob, literally "to smoke the cigar")
• The term Veuve is the normal word for "widow" but sexually refers to a dick that has not seen any real action for so long that it has been reduced to wanking.
  
• Chauve à col roulé - Yet another term for "penis," but this one deserves special mention. It is specifically referring to an uncircumcised penis (as is common in France), and it is literally translated as "the bald one with a turtleneck."
  
• Chatte - Normal translation is the basic French word for "cat"; slang sexual use is very similar to how English speakers might use a form of the word "cat" in a sexual sense (for you gay guys who have never seen one, it's a term for vagina).
• Cramouille, Con, Cresson, Moule, Noune, Vulve - More terms for female genitalia, varying in appropriateness or vulgarity
  
• Couilles, Testicule - Balls
• Orpheline - Common term for "orphan," but also sexual slang for "testicles"
• Sometimes a guy's balls will be referred to as les deux orphelines, or "the two orphans."
  
• Cul, Oignon - Ass
• Some translations just don't make sense to the non-native speaker. I have no idea why, but oignon can be translated as either "ass" or "onion."
  
• THE PLAYERS:
• Boudin - Another word that is translated as two English words with no apparent connection. It can be translated either as "a slim woman" or as "blood sausage."
• Vache - Normal word translated "cow"; can also mean "a large-breasted woman"
  
• Cocotte, Demi-mondaine, femme publique, fille de joie, gourgandine, grue, morue, péripatéticienne, poule, professionnelle, prostituée, putain, pute - Prostitute; Whore
  
• Courtisane - Prostitute for rich people (as in Moulin Rouge)
• Maquereau - Pimp
  
• Folle - Effeminate gay man ("queen", used with grande folle, meaning "drag queen")
• Poilu - A stud; A real hunk (in gay-specific terminology, probably a hairy, moustached guy who attends IML)
  
• Homosexuel, gay, enculé, lope, pédale, pédé, serin, tante, tapette, trick - Gay man (pédé is likely the most common term)
• Pousse-crotte - Gay man; very blunt term, though as far as I can tell not considered particularly offensive; literally means "a push-shit"
  
• Homosexuelle, brouteuse (lit.-"a nibbler"), gouine, lesbienne, litter, gomorrhéene, tribade - Lesbian
• Ménage à trois - French phrase commonly used in English meaning "threesome"
  
• PREPARATION:
• Allumé - Slang term for "drunk"
• Faire la drague - Cruising (used only for gay men)
• Un champ de tir - Literally means "shooting gallery"; used to describe the bedroom of an "active" person
  
• FOREPLAY:
• Bécoter; Embrasser - To kiss (common noun form for "kiss" would be bisou)
  
• Bander - Common use: "to draw a bow taut to let the arrow fly"; Sexual use: "to have a hard-on"
  
• One of those idioms that just doesn't translate into English but is kinda funny is Je bande comme un tigre or "I have a hard-on like a tiger."
• And, of course, there is the helpful antonym debander meaning "to go limp," commonly used in conjunction with Y'a du monde au balcon (at least in my world...if you don't remember that phrase, it's mentioned in the very first definition of this list).
• Avoir la tringle - Another phrase meaning "to have a boner"
  
• Pipe, Turlute - blowjob
• Of similar etymology to pipe is faire pipi, meaning "to pee."
  
• Fumer le cigare - To give a blowjob (lit. - to smoke the cigar)
• Sucer - To suck
  
• Gode (or Godemichet) - Dildo
• Mouiller - Normal word meaning "to get wet"; sexually refers to pre-cum
  
• THE ACT ITSELF:
• Accouplement, Coït, Copulation, Tringler - Sexual intercourse (the more "formal" terms)
  
• Ça va ça-vient - One of my favorites, meaning sexual intercourse, but literally, "it goes, it comes"
• Niquer - Common verb equivalent in force and in use to the English "to fuck"
• Ramoner - To fuck (literally, "to sweep the chimney")
  
• Enculer - To perform anal sex
• This term is incorporated into the phrase, Va t'faire enculer chez les Grecs!, meaning, "Go get fucked up the ass by the Greeks!" As I am sure my Greek expert friend James could tell you, the ancient Greeks had a great appreciation for gay sex.
• Jouir - Normal French verb meaning "to rejoice"; In sexual slang - "to cum" (how romantic)
  
• Foutre - Gay slang word for shooting your cum on someone:
• Example 1 - "Donne-moi ton foutre!" (translated, "Cum on me!" )
  
• Example 2 - "Je veux lecher ton foutre!" (translated, "I want to swallow your cum!")
• Example 3 - "Merde! Tu as tire ton foutre sur mon oreiller!" (translated, "Shit! You shot your load on my pillow!")
  
• EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES:
• Auto-Gratification - Masturbation
• In addition to being the inspiration for this blog, the term was used by French religious leaders who felt the term "masturbation," which is the same in French and English, was too crass.
• Masturbation, Branlage (lit. - to shake), se Branler (lit. - to brandish one's sword), Branlette (lit. - a wank), se polir le Chinois (lit. - to polish the Chinaman), se palucher (lit. - to give oneself a handjob... paluche being a French word for "hand") - All terms for jerking off
  
• HELPFUL PHRASES:
• When you have had a few too many drinks and are bold enough to make a fool of yourself but not sober enough to come up with anything witty to say to the cute guy at the bar: "T'es trop sexy. On se connaît?" (translated, "You are really sexy. Do we know each other?")
• When you are the cute guy at the bar: "Tu t'es pas regardé!" (meaning, "Take a good look at yourself!")
• Alternatively, you could use "Va voir ailleurs si j'y suis!" (essentially, this means "Get the hell out of here"; literally, it means "Go somewhere else--see if I'm there!")
• Confirming with your poilu before he gets to your place: "N'oublie pas tes menottes" (translated, "Don't forget your handcuffs").
  
• When you wake up after sex and your partner has taken the whole blanket leaving you naked and exposed: "Putain, je me caille!" (translated, "Shit, I'm cold!")
• Sitting with your best friend at Caribou on Sunday afternoon describing the guy from the night before: "On s'est mis à poil..." (essentially, "We got naked"; literally, "We wore only our body hair") "...et nous avons niqué" (translated, "...and we fucked").
• And, if it was really good, you might say "Je me suis envoyé en l'air" (translated, "I went to heaven").
  
• During a fight with your lover who is causing drama again because you "take him for granted": "Que tu es emmerdant!" (translated, "You really piss me off!")
• Letting him down as easy as possible: "Soyons amis" (translated, "Let's just be friends").
  
• When you realize a couple days later that your trick gave you more than just a good time: "Fils de pute!" (translated, "Son of a bitch!")
• When you are drunk dialing all your ex-boyfriends: "Va te faire foutre!" (translated, "Fuck off!")
• When you really want to be offensive to a French person: "Nique ta mère!" (essentially, "Fuck you"; literally, "Fuck your mother")
• When you pull out and something doesn't smell quite right: "Qui a pète?" (translated, "Who farted?")
• An interesting idiomatic French phrase uses the same verb (péter, "to fart"): péter plus haut que son cul, which is literally translated as "to fart higher than one's asshole," but idiomatically means "to have an inflated opinion of oneself."
• Suddenly I'm glad my parents didn't name me Peter; seems languages just have it out for that name.
  

My gratitude goes to the following two excellent resources, from which I drew most of the information for this post:

• Orbis Latinus The Uncensored French Language
• Berlitz Hide This French Book
  

Seafood and the Midwest

Charlie blogged today about the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company restaurant at Navy Pier here in Chicago, and his post got me thinking about one of the few complaints I have about living in Chicago. My biggest complaint has always been (and likely always will be) the snow. Not a fan. But close behind that is is the complaint about seafood in the Midwest.

I was born and raised near Los Angeles, California, living about 15 miles from the Pacific Ocean (between Malibu and Santa Monica). Consequently, in addition to a Mexican restaurant on every corner (my second-favorite type of food), I grew to love seafood and, as a child, just assumed that easy access to inexpensive and always-fresh fish was normal and expected.

However, when my family moved to Schaumburg, Illinois, about 2,024 miles from the Pacific Ocean, I found that my assumption was incorrect. Suddenly, real quality seafood went from a staple of my diet to a very special treat to be anticipated and longed for. No longer could we drive to a little fisherman's stand on the side of the road and buy fresh crab that he caught that morning and take it back home to eat for dinner. Instead, I found myself stuck in a place where Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen was considered to be high-end seafood. Don't get me wrong, Pappadeaux is fine as far as it goes, but it's just not the same.

There is, however, one restaurant that I have found that excels in their seafood preparation and presentation. That is Dover Straits in Hoffman Estates, next to Schaumburg. As I understand it, they fly in fresh seafood on a regular basis so that their fish is never frozen. The menu selections are wonderful (I love their crab cakes), although I love going and just trying their daily specials, which are almost always amazing. On my most recent visit, I had some of the best Tilapia I have ever tasted from their specials list. The ambience is great, certainly formal (you'll see a lot of suits and dresses, though a dressy casual outfit would not seem out of place) but still with that seafood restaurant flair (think Red Lobster if their decorator had taste). You will pay for the experience, though. My brother and I took my parents there for their 25th wedding anniversary, and the bill for the four of us was about $225. But, although it's not a place I could afford to go outside of special occasions, I think it was worth the price.

So, if there are any coastal refugees stuck with me here in the landlocked Chicagoland area, or if you corn-fed home-grown boys want to experience something akin to real seafood without traveling across the country, check out Dover Straits (sorry, they don't have Forrest Gump playing while you eat there, though).

Pandora

This is one of the cooler sites I have seen on the internet in quite a while. If you are not already familiar with The Music Genome Project, it is an absolutely incredible project begun about 6 years ago to assemble a database analyzing music to an extent never imagined before. Those involved in this project have listened to and analyzed music by over 10,000 artists, cataloguing every conceivable aspect of their music (in their terminology, the music's "genes").

Until now, this database and concept had been quite fascinating for me to think about, and as a musician by training, I would love to cuddle up in front of a warm fire with that database. However, I wasn't certain how it would be put to practical use. But then a friend of mine showed me Pandora, what is certain to be only one of the first of many amazing uses of the research.

Essentially, Pandora is an internet radio (currently free and ad-free, but eventually it will include advertisements for the free version with the option to avoid ads by subscribing to the site). But it is radio designed to help you find music that you will like. You enter the name of an artist or album that you like, and the program creates a streaming radio "station" that plays music that is "genetically similar" to your selected artist or album. For example, I typed in one of my favorite groups, Bond, and the program played music by Bond, Tiesto, Moby, and others. A number of the groups I had never heard of, which is one of the cool things about the program, because it introduces you to music that you may not have heard of before but would likely be interested in.

Even more, you can tweak the programming by giving feedback. If you give a song a "thumbs up", the database will try to emphasize music that is similar to that song. If you give a song a "thumbs down" it will ban that song forever and try to avoid similar songs. If you just get tired of a song, you can put it to sleep, and the station won't play it for a month. You can create up to 100 different stations. And you can add more than one artist/album to a particular station.

Try it, I can almost guarantee you will be hooked!

And this one is just right....

I'm sure nobody will believe this and I'll get teased for saying it, but the truth is that there is no significance behind my doing this blog post at this particular time, other than just a funny conversation I had with a friend that reminded me of this and a need to blog something since I've been slacking off on my posting this week. My personal sex life has been so tame lately that any condoms I have are probably expired. And I only jerk off bareback. In fact, I believe that I have gone so long without sex that I am technically a virgin again.

But, for those times in that long-distant past (and perhaps if I'm lucky, someday again in the future) when condoms were needed in my life, everything changed when I discovered the "They Fit" condoms.

How do I explain this without seeming to be completely lacking in taste or arrogant? Let's just say that my personal, um...equipment, is not extremely compatible with the typical "one-size-fits-all" condoms that are handed out along the parade route at Pride weekend. In the interest of saving this post from being entirely gratuitous, I will go no further in my description.

Until I was told of this company, I assumed that the store-bought condoms were just how sex was going to be for me. Functional, though constricting and slightly distracting (no, I'm not a runner-up for the Guinness Book of Records or anything, just perhaps a bit beyond the generic size). So, it was only out of humor and fun that I looked at this site. "They Fit" has created 55 custom-sized condoms for guys of all lengths and thicknesses. You simply print out the "Fit Kit" and measure for length and thickness. This will give you a size code with which you place your order.

On a whim a year ago, I tried this out. I figured it couldn't hurt to try. But wow, I did not expect the difference I found when they arrived! The condom was neither too tight nor too loose, too short nor too long. It fit securely, but wow, what an amazing difference it made in the sensitivity and sensations I felt! For me, who had gone my whole life frustrated with condoms because they were so tight that they almost cut off circulation, that drastically reduced the sensations of sex because of their tightness, and that ended up pinching me in places I didn't like, these condoms changed my life forever (now isn't that melodramatic). Perhaps it is coincidence, but when I mentally review my sex life, I have topped far more often since having these than before. And the quality is as good as any you would buy at the store. Again, I will attempt to avoid being too graphic, but if you think about it, it is logical that a custom-fit condom could only benefit an activity in which much of its success or failure is dependent upon physical sensation.

As an article in Men's Health magazine stated, "Once you have been custom-suited, an off-the-rack condom feels like punishment." Oh, by the way, I'm sure all my friends who read this are hung like horses, but if you have a friend who happens to be smaller than average, he would appreciate these, also. In the past (long, long ago in the days of my debauchery), I have been with a guy who was lightly-endowed, and he had the opposite problem than I; that is, rather than being too tight, store-bought condoms were too loose. This ruins the sensation as much as a too-tight condom, plus he had to constantly hold the base of the condom so it wouldn't slip off. Once again, these custom-fit condoms will help guys on both ends of the penis spectrum.

I can't believe I just did this post.

Lucky Number Slevin

For the second time in recent weeks, I have gone to see a movie that I thought looked great largely on the basis of the cast, and for the second time I have been pleased with the result. The first of the movies was Inside Man, which you can read about at my earlier blog post. On Monday, though, I went to see Lucky Number Slevin, which I enjoyed every bit as much as Inside Man.

First, the cast of the movie is great. Josh Hartnett is, of course, one of the hottest stars in Hollywood, so much so that I have forgiven his often mediocre acting and still get excited to see movies he is in. And, on that basis alone, this movie does not disappoint. For Josh (yes, he and I are on a first-name basis in my fantasy world) spends most of his first 30 or 40 minutes of screen time wearing nothing but a towel (which frustratingly never seems to fall off). However, beyond my shallow desire for eye candy, I am glad to say that Josh actually does a great job of acting in this movie! His casual, almost flippant, approach fits perfectly with the feel of the movie. His interaction with any of the other characters, but especially with Lucy Liu, is enough to carry the movie alone.

However, the brilliant cast continues far beyond Josh Hartnett. Lucy Liu does a wonderful job with her role in a very non-intuitive romantic pairing with Josh that actually works very well. Bruce Willis fits his role so perfectly that you must assume the writers had him in mind when they created the character. Morgan Freeman does what Morgan Freeman always does, continuing his long-running streak of stellar performances (just for my own curiosity, I looked up Freeman on IMDB, and was amazed at the number of movies in which he performed that I loved, including, but not limited to, Lean on Me, Driving Miss Daisy, Glory, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, The Power of One [my favorite movie of all time and, along with Glory, my favorite Freeman performances], Unforgiven, The Shawshank Redemption, Outbreak, Deep Impact, Bruce Almighty, and even as narrator on March of the Penguins). And Ben Kingsley (excuse me, Sir Ben Kingsley) is always exceptional.

What makes this movie stand out, though, and what the cast pulls off brilliantly, is the amazing dialogue. The big surprise ending of the movie isn't necessarily a big surprise, but the path that takes you there is so much fun that you don't mind. I find myself having difficulty making many detailed comments without giving away elements of the plot, so I will refrain from saying much more. One thing to be aware of, if you happen to be going with anyone who is squeamish about violence, is that it is rather in-your-face with the violence, within shooting distance (no pun intended) of a Quentin Tarantino film's level of gruesomeness (though not with the gratuitousness of Tarantino). But, if you appreciate great dialogue and dark humor, this film is sure to be enjoyable time spent! Highly recommended.

Cool Rich People

There is this annoying idea, almost certainly motivated by pure jealousy, that people who work their butts off and get rich should then feel guilty for being rich and apologize for it. And many wealthy people (especially actors and actresses it seems) have fallen prey to this way of thinking.

So I love it when there are rich people who are not apologetic for their wealth. Time magazine got it right last year when they named "The Good Samaritans" Bono and Bill and Melinda Gates as their Persons of the Year. These are extremely wealthy people who, without apology for their success, have used their wealth to accomplish great things. And they go to bed at night in their multi-million dollar homes knowing that they have accomplished more than most of us will ever dream for the good of the world.

If I were to think of two celebrities who, in my mind, best personify a great balance in this regard, the two that I would instantly think of could not be more different from each other, yet they both are, in my opinion, "cool rich people." These two are Oprah Winfrey and Rush Limbaugh. Oprah has used her amazing fortune and status to start schools for children in South Africa, to build homes for many people in the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast, and to lend weight and impact to many other worthy causes. And, according to a recent People magazine article, she has no problem being rich. Said Oprah:

"I was coming back from Africa on one of my trips. I had taken one of my wealthy friends with me. She said, 'Don't you just feel guilty? Don't you just feel terrible?' I said, 'No, I don't. I do not know how me being destitute is going to help them.' Then I said when we got home, 'I'm going home to sleep on my Pratesi sheets right now and I'll feel good about it.' "

Very cool.

The other person, on probably the opposite end of the political spectrum is conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh. He is the most wealthy radio personality in the world, and he uses that wealth and his influence to bring attention to some wonderful non-political causes. He is one of the leading spokespeople for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and his annual fundraising drive is the single-largest fundraiser for Leukemia research in America. He also helps to raise funds for a non-political group that provides college scholarships for the children of American soldiers who are killed while on duty. But Limbaugh also constantly loves to "tweak" his audience by talking about his wealth. In his case, it often has a political implication, since he is accused of being "out of touch," so he, in good humor, plays along with the idea and talks about the privileges that come with being (as he says it), "a wealthy and powerful influential member of the media."

Entirely apart from politics, Oprah and Rush are two very cool rich people.

Self-Conscious

I just noticed that nobody except my one consistent reader Charlie has left a comment on this blog since March 6. So, I'm wondering, am I not comment-provoking in my posts, or is it just that nobody is actually reading my blog? So, this post here is just to feed my self-confidence and see if this is really worthwhile or not. Anyone out there?

Gay Families to Attend Annual White House Easter Egg Roll

About 200 gay families are going to attend the annual White House Easter egg roll next Monday (April 17). Here again is an example of why (as I mentioned in my previous post about American Idol's Mandisa) I get so irritated with people who try to cloak their prejudice in the name of religion. Is there anything less benign or less religious than an Easter egg roll? And yet, like clockwork, the religious organizations come out and oppose the gay families.

On a side note, although George W. Bush often irritates me, I think Laura's a pretty classy person, probably far more balanced than her husband. I have a feeling that, if she wasn't constrained by political reality, she would be opposed to a lot of the policies of her husband's administration toward gay rights. Just a hunch, I have nothing to support that, though.

Mandisa Speaks to The Advocate

Since Mandisa was eliminated this week, I have lost nearly all interest in watching American Idol for the rest of the season, though I am sure I will continue watching simply out of habit. I'm sick of a music competition where the people who make it through are progressing more because of their good looks or blonde personality than for actual musical ability. Maybe that's why I like classical music so much....it's music for ugly people!

Anyway, Mandisa was, in my opinion, the most polished, able, and dead-on musician in the competition. Unlike "Didn't you sing that same song last week" Chris (who I would vote for if this was Boy Meets Boy, but not for his limited stylistic range of music), she could take on any style, any genre, and make it shine. She didn't have to change the song to make it fit one area of comfort, because she was comfortable in all the areas. But, because she has a big butt, and perhaps because she speaks up about her religious beliefs, she gets eliminated.

So, speaking of her religious beliefs, she has taken some heat for comments she made on the American Idol website concerning her appreciation for some author who has made anti-gay comments. Frankly, I never even heard about this "controversy" until today, so I'm not sure how big the controversy actually was, but I read the interview she (I must say bravely) gave to The Advocate today, and I have to say, I am frankly impressed with her.

If all those who held religious beliefs were to act as she does, there would be far less antipathy between the gay and religious communities. Speaking as someone who does find value in my personal faith, I long for more Mandisa's in churches in America. Because, realistically, I know that many religious people will never approve of homosexuality, but those whose faith (particularly speaking of the evangelical/Protestant faith of my background) is truly authentic would live in love and without judgment toward the gay community. They would state their disagreement then go to dinner with their gay friends, their differences understood but not interfering with their care and love for each other. It's a great interview from a lady who seems truly to be humble, firm in her beliefs, yet treating others with respect and dignity even when they do not agree with her.

Dry

Last fall I was introduced to author Augusten Burroughs when a friend of mine loaned me his copy of Running with Scissors. It was one of the most humorous, bizarre, and oddly captivating books I have read in a long time--one of those books where you wouldn't believe it was non-fiction except for the fact that nobody could be creative enough to make that stuff up.

Then, as I was finishing up Running with Scissors, another friend gave me Burroughs' book Dry as a gift, and I completed reading that book last night. It is basically the author's account of his struggle with alcoholism, from his employer's intervention to rehab to relapse and recovery. Although I enjoyed Scissors plenty, I have to say that Dry surpasses it in excellence at every turn. His witty, sometimes comical recounting of his experiences draws the reader into the story, and you feel his struggle along with him.

Then, as he keeps you laughing throughout the book, in the final pages, he suddenly ends the story with a conclusion that is so touching, I was moved to tears. If you have never read Running with Scissors, that is a great introduction to Burroughs, but Dry is the book that has made me a loyal reader of his. If his other books come anywhere close, I will be reading all of them.

Battlestar Galactica

Because I'm a big sci-fi fan (a list of my favorite TV shows of all time would include Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Quantum Leap, among others), I figured I would enjoy Battlestar Galactica by default. And, I did watch the first season faithfully and enjoyed it for the most part, though it did not blow me away. In fact, because of all the other shows I was trying to keep up with, I did not watch the second season as it aired.

However, as the second season progressed, I began to think I had made a mistake in not watching it. Two friends of mine, Brian and Guy, who share similar viewing tastes as me kept talking about how amazing the second season was, so I finally broke down and borrowed the DVDs from Guy last week.

Let me say this is one of the coolest TV shows to come out for a long time. I have been flying through the episodes, putting any hope of a social life on hold and shirking on my work at times going through the shows. If you want a good show to watch, get the DVD's and catch up on this show in time for the start of the third season in October!

April Fool's Day

I enjoy playing April Fool's Day jokes on my family, though if you were in the Lakeview neighbhorhood of Chicago Saturday evening and heard a "whoosh" sound, that was my brother sucking all the fun out of the room when he walked in and saw what I had left for him this year. Admittedly, the idea for the Post-It notes decoration was something from an e-mail that had been sent to me that someone else had done, but it worked pretty effectively. And, in spite of a grumpy brother, I had fun. Of course, I think I probably ought to lock all my doors for a while until he forgets about it.