1st Anniversary

July 29th marked my blog's one year anniversary. I can hardly believe that I've been blogging for one whole year already. Ok, so I've only posted 84 times in 365 days, but hey that’s better than nothing, right?

Looking back over the year's worth of posts basically shows me that I am still stuck in the same place I was back then. I am still at the same dead-end job, seeking a more creative position, still looking for love, etc... That makes me sad when I think about it?

But I think this year has been a great lesson for me. I've learned what not to do!

And knowing this is the first step to getting where I want.

On Friday I went for a much over-due HIV test. Fortunately, I am negative. I was really worried about an incident that occurred last summer...drugs are bad...enough said about that. Oh, don't worry I wasn't doing any...but the guy I was with apparently was.

So with this information I have a new lease on life. I will attempt not to repeat the same mistakes, but I am only human after all.

So stay tuned folks. Let's see what fun and excitement this year brings.

New Music (new to me at least)

I am really in love with KT Tunstall's song "Suddenly I See". Those of you who have seen The Devil Wears Prada will recognize the song from the open sequence of the movie. And those of you who watch So You Think You Can Dance will recognize it as the song they play when saying goodbye to the female who gets kicked off the show each week.

Last night, I spent time in Virgin Mega store. While there I listened to Morningwood's entire album. What a fun record. I have copy of their first single "Nth Degree", which I enjoy, but it is not really representational of the rest of the album. The high energy rock n roll, borders on Punk! But Chantal's, the lead singer, vocal stylings make the music very easy on the ears. I love the hard rocking guitars. I also like the campy "Take Off Your Clothes", drag queens every where should be adding this to their acts, and I imagine it would work well in the strip club as well -- I'll be sure to suggest it to the girls at Mr. Wiggles World.

So go forth and listen! Enjoy!

Random Thoughts of the Day

I watch too much Reality TV (Top picks right now: So You Think You Can Dance, Project Runway, Kathy Griffin: My Life On the D-List and Making The Band 3).

I was surprised to find out tonight that Vincent, a contestant on Project Runway, isn’t gay – in fact he has a wife. Seriously, he’s not gay?

America should not be in charge of voting on So You Think They Can Dance! America doesn’t know anything about dance.

Why are there six Pussycats, the other five don’t do anything…its all about Nicole.

If I were straight, I would marry Nicole (from The Pussycat Dolls). She’s is hot!

P. Diddy, Puff Daddy, Sean John…what ever you call him, he’s still an ass.

I am so glad I didn’t have a film crew watching my every move while recording my record.

Remember Making the Band One? O-Town, what a mess!

Ashley Angel is on tour with Ashlee Simpson. Can you say MTV generation?

Am I too old for MTV? Where is the Music on Music Television anyways.

I think I am going to use a faux British accent from now on. I would use an Australian one, but I can’t quit figure it out yet.

I want to go out tonight, but have no one to go with.

I told you these were random thoughts…

The Great American TV Talk Show

I am sitting here watching Larry King Live on CNN. Tonight’s guest is Kathy Griffin. I will admit I really enjoy her comedy, she is one funny lady.

I don’t think it is any secret that I want to be famous. Mostly, because I want free shit and secondly because I really want to be on programs like Larry King, Ellen and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

When I first moved to NYC, I dreamed about being on The Rosie O’Donnell Show. But then she up and quit the show before I became famous (damn her!) And that Caroline Ray didn’t make a good replacement. But it seems I’ll have one more chance now that she is joining the ladies of The View.

Currently, I have my sights on Ms. Tyra Banks and Megan Mullally’s new show.

So how do I become famous? What’s my special talent?

I used to think that I was going to be a famous Broadway star – that didn’t work out because I don’t like the life of the staving artist.

Next, I thought I was going to be a Pop Star. And you guessed it, that didn’t work out either – my producer was unable to secure new music for me to record because I wasn’t signed, but I couldn’t get signed without a demo of new music. What a vicious circle.

But honestly, I’ve already had my 45 minutes of fame – that’s three 15 minute installments of temporary fame.

My first brush with fame came in 1998. I was an extra in the movie Mickey Blue Eyes staring Hugh Grant. I can be seen walking down the street in the final scene, which we shot in Central Park. I was in Charleston, SC when the movie came out. My friend and I went to see the very long, but funny movie. As I said I don’t appear until the very final scene. On the big screen I was larger than life…when my friend saw me, she screamed, “Oh my god, there you are!” Of course, everyone in the theater turned around and wondered what all the commotion was about.

The next moment came in the summer of 2001. I made an appearance on The Ricki Lake Show. Now I was not on an episode called “That Tranny is My Baby Daddy!” Actually, I was featured as one of the choreographers for Ricki’s Pop Star Boot Camp. You might think no one respectable watched that show, but everyone I knew saw the episode. Messages on my answering machine went something like this: “Um, Pablo, I was on the treadmill at the gym tonight, and I think I saw you on Ricki Lake…was that you?”

My final moment of fame came when I worked as the Publicist/Spokesperson for a nationally recognized entertainment attraction located in the heart of Times Square. I made appearances on local news stations and on a few nationally syndicated entertainment programs. My favorite appearance was on Access Hollywood. Once when I went to get my car fixed by my local Pakistani mechanic, Rocky, he told me that he saw me on the show and asked, “So if your famous, why do you still drive this piece of crap car?” He was referring to my 1988 Dodge Omni, which he had pretty much rebuilt over the years. I had to tell him that I just got to talk about famous people, and that I wasn’t famous myself…not yet at least.

Feel The Burn

No this post is not going to be about my insane workout schedule (I work out six times a week with one day of rest every three days!) or is it about how I didn’t use sun screen and got a bad sunburn. The story I am about to tell is comical, yet the reason that I am home on a beautiful day posting a new entry in my Blog.

I am Italian (viva Italia…winners of the 2006 World Cup!) and like many men of Italian heritage we have what is known as a Uni-Brow. To prevent myself from looking like a Neanderthal or Bert from Sesame Street, I make sure to maintain the area between my eyes. My trusty tweezers usually do the trick and are the most painless option (waxing hurts!).
For the past few days one very thick hair decided that it would take root right smack dab in the middle of my brow. This hair obviously liked its home, because no mater how hard I tried, I could not get it to budge.

In a moment of blind rage I decided to try some Nair (a hair removal product). I thought, since I can’t pull you out, I burn you out.

I applied the wonder product on the little devil, hoping for success. After a few minutes I wiped off the area as directed. Unfortunately, Nair was no match for this hair, it was still in place -- taunting me.

I reapplied the depletory lotion in hopes that a second application would do the trick. After 4 minutes, I once again rinsed of the product and the hair was still there!! Aggh!

And apparently the skin in this area of my face is very sensitive (duh!!!). Now not only was the hair left in place, but I managed to burn off a layer of my epidermis. I was mortified as not only did I not get rid of the hair; I now made it look 10 times worse.

I didn’t go out last night, because I look like a monster. And I chose to stay home again today because I am embarrassed by the red mark that has developed right between my eyes.

I’ve tried icing it, antibiotic creams and now have applied some Aloe Vera in hopes of getting the red out.

If it looks the same in the morning, I think I’ll take a sick day. I am sick after all -- sick in the head for being so vain that one little hair drove me over the edge. But what’s a boy to do?

Please don’t make this same mistake, you’ve been warned. Nair is the spawn of the devil. Take heed.

Where's the Beef?

Yesterday, I was treated to a lovely lunch at BLT Steak.

Here is what I had:
N.Y. Strip Steak (16oz): $42.00
Asparagus: $8.00
Iced Tea: $3.50
Peach Cobbler w/ Almond Sorbet: $10.00

So like me, you are probably wondering why a steak would cost so much. Well thanks to the folks at Wikipedia.org I have learned all about this special cut of meat.

“The strip steak, Kansas City or New York strip steak, is one of the highest quality beef steaks on the market. Cut off of the back of the cow from the strip loin, the strip steak consists of a muscle that does little work, and so it is particularly tender. Unlike the nearby filet mignon, the strip loin is a sizable muscle, allowing it to be cut into the larger portions favored by many steak eaters.” (Courtesy of Wikipedia.org)

I did some more research and found out that you can buy a live cow for $1.17 per lb. That is quite a mark up right? In comparison, if I bought 16oz of Gold that would cost $10,036.80, so it looks like I got a bargain.

On a side note, because the strip steak is cut from a part of the cow that is close to the spinal column, it has been one of the steaks that attracts the most concern with regards to Bovine spongiform encephalopathy, AKA Mad Cow Disease. Like that will ever stop me from eating it, right?