echeblog

Online Dating Tips

2009-11-19T00:21:00.000-07:00

And now, a guest post for your enjoyment!

Have you or someone you know ever tried dating online? Many people have and have been successful, yet just as many come away from the experience unsatisfied and vowing they would never try dating online again.

Gay dating online is difficult, especially if the site is expensive or doesn’t have updated information. It’s frustrating to find someone online and then realize that your gay or lesbian match isn’t even a member of the site anymore.

There are lots of online dating sites out there, but finding the right one can take a lot of trial and error. When looking for a gay dating site, there are some things you can do first to help narrow down your choices.

To start with, be sure to check out the site and see if it offers everything you’re looking for – make a checklist of the membership benefits you want and then eliminate the sites that don’t offer them.

If possible, sign up for a free trial membership to the sites you like. This can give you access to bios, personals, and pics of other members. If you see someone interesting make a note of where you found them and use the data to help make your choice.

Last but not least, when you’re trying gay dating online, make sure you are honest in your profile. Finding the right homosexual partner will only happen if you are truthful about your own likes, dislikes, and personality.

For example, if you love dance music or you’re into pop culture make sure you put that in your profile. Being completely honest when using a gay dating site like PrideDating.com for instance, will help you find the right gay or lesbian match. Whenever you choose online gay dating sites, use these tips and avoid the disappointment.

Two Weeks

2009-08-24T10:42:00.000-07:00

An amazing fan video of "Two Weeks" by the group, "Grizzly Bear." Great song, incredible video!

July and August 09 Top 10 Trance Picks

2009-08-04T14:47:00.002-07:00

I love me some trance and progressive house, here's my top 10 picks for July & August.

July and August 09 Top House Picks

2009-08-04T14:40:00.004-07:00

My top pics are back -- this time you can listen to them right from the player. Lots of good stuff for the ears and dancefloor.

Neutrality

2009-07-21T17:22:00.003-07:00

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

The Word - Neutral Man's Burden

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

Mark Sanford

I love Stephen Colbert. He manages to get to the heart of things with ease.

Tuesday Morning

2009-07-21T05:03:00.003-07:00

Thunder splits the sky
Nature in its majesty
Life in the desert

Hope

2009-03-12T13:24:00.002-07:00

I know a lot of people are still troubled by Prop 8 but sometimes you have to look past the big things to see the real progress.

When you have a bunch of straight FRAT BOYS who are standing up to the bigots, you can see that the change we've all been hoping for is in the works. It's not going to be by a court ruling, it's going to be because the younger generations are leading the way, they know that everyone deserves to be treated with respect. That's what real change looks like, it doesn't come through lobbying groups and celebrity fundraisers, it's real people who recognize our common humanity.

Oh, and frat boys are hot.

True.

2009-03-10T19:13:00.002-07:00

(Thanks to The Daily Slab.)

Bizarre Zombies

2009-03-04T10:43:00.002-07:00

Okay, I've been a little quiet lately and I think it's because I've had far too little zombie contact lately. I remedy that immediately.

Nothing says "joy" like zombies and a 90's one hit wonder from New Zealand.

OMG! Billy Herrington!

2009-02-16T12:41:00.007-07:00

It all started with an insane video that Adam from This Boy Elroy posted... insanity like only the Japanese can conjure. Sadly, YouTube has already removed the video. Nonetheless, in the past 24 hours I came to learn much more about the bizarre elements of Japanese pop-culture, notably that they have an obsession with porn star Billy Herrington, who was big in the late 90s. (I remember seeing him dance here in Phoenix around 2001 -- he was even hotter in person!)

I don't claim to understand the whys and hows, but he now has his own action figure (figma for the purists)(even creepier than normal action figures) and is known as "Aniki" or Big Brother. Even though Billy is getting older and isn't close to being in porn shape anymore, it's great to see him back in the limelight, even though the whole phenomenon seems bizarre.

Porn stars with their own "action" figures. Ah, the insanity of the Japanese. You can read even MORE insanity about Billy's recent Tokyo appearance.

(From BoingBoing via QueerClick)

Masterbeat New Releases - Pop - 2/15/09

2009-02-15T22:22:00.004-07:00

There's been a whole lot of new releases over at Masterbeat in the past month. I'm going to break them down into a few posts.

Masterbeat New Releases - Pop - 2/15/08

Britney Spears - Circus (Linus Loves Mix)
Okay, Britney's still a mess but I know The Gays still love her, so I can't ignore her latest release. For the record, I may not be the biggest Britney fan but she's had some memorable tracks over the years and some have been downright enjoyable. In stark contrast, Womanizer made my ears bleed. Fortunately, Circus is a definite step up from that. This is a mediocre track, so it's all up to the remixer to make it interesting. Junior Vasquez has three mixes, the Ringleader Mix has a funky bass line that separates it from the Club mix and Electric Circus mix which are solid but a bit plodding for my tastes. The release includes two mixes by David Morales -- the Camp David Remix and the Camp Epic Remix, the Camp David Remix is a bit lighter has more energy. Friscia and Lamboy have a mix with more of an electro feel that's got a good feel. My favorite of the bunch was the Linus Loves mix, which, like Morales's Camp David Remix is a bit lighter with good energy.
Beyonce - Diva (Jeff Barringer vs. Fingaz Extended Mix), (Redcap Mix) & (Maurice Joshua Extended Mojo Remix)
Okay, I REALLY don't care for this track, so I chose mixes that had elements that made the track interesting. First off was Maurice Joshua's groovy style that seems to work with just about any track he works on. Classic groovy house feel with healthy doses of piano and groovy bass line. So silky smooth that it almost makes me ignore the rest... almost. The Redcap Mix goes for the other extreme -- the word that comes to my mind for this track is gothic. Something about it really worked for me. Finally, I really dug the Jeff Barringer vs. Fingaz Extended Mix -- it has a dubby feel at points with more of a techno feel. Definitely not what I'd expect from a Beyonce remix, which is probably why I like it.
Deborah Cox - Beautiful U R (Soulseekerz Club Mix) & (Yinon Yahel Club Mix)
Praise Jesus, Deborah Cox is back! Okay, I love this track for all the reasons that I disliked Beyonce's Diva -- that is, Deborah Cox comes through with a track that is beautiful, uplifting and shows that pop music doesn't have to be crass and jaded. This release includes a mix by the Soulseekerz who I absolutely adore. This isn't one of my favorite of their remixes but it's solid and high energy. Massimo Nocito comes through with more of an electro-ish feel, though it's not straight up electro. My favorite is the Yinon Yahel Club Mix that manages to feel grand and soaring and has some more trance elements. I know there are some tracks from the early 2000s that this reminds me of, though I can't put my finger on them right now. Welcome back, Deborah, I missed you!
Solange - T.O.N.Y (Lost Daze Extended Remix)
Ah, listening to Solange is so refreshing because it's like hearing Beyonce before she started taking herself SO seriously. I love the Lost Daze Remix -- it's like listening to something from the Motown days. The other remixes are solid, but they end up sounding very routine and contemporary, where the Lost Daze mix ends up coming off sounding classic, very much in line with the original track.
Brandy - Long Distance (Jody denBroeder Club Mix)
Another solid track from Brandy. This release only has two remixes -- the JodyBroeder Club Mix and the Dub. denBroeder comes up with a solid pop remix, doing a good job moving the track from a slow ballad to the dance floor. I was surprised at the energy the track managed to find considering the original. This isn't a peak hour track but it's definitely something that would be great to help bring a crowd to a more relaxed place.

Whoa! Big Cats on Hallucinogens!

2009-02-11T16:49:00.002-07:00

Jaguar eating ayahausca
Uploaded by ayadocs

In a related story, Kellog's has decided to replace Tony the Tiger as the Frosted Flakes mascot of "They're GRRRRREAT!" fame after photos showing him tripping out after eating ayahausca.

OMG, Chris Evans!

2009-02-06T23:47:00.002-07:00

I went with Adam and my friend Chris to see Push tonight. Adam had directed me to the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and they were pretty grim. Adam was particularly put off by the presence of Dakota Fanning. Nevertheless, the movie starred Chris Evans, so after Chris envited me, I was determined to go and enjoy it simply for the presence of Chris Evans.

While my expectations were low, I have to say that the movie itself wasn't half bad. No, it's nothing award winning and the plot was a little thin in parts, but I'd give it a 6.5 or so, probably something best experienced at a matinee or on DVD for those of you who don't drool over Chris Evans (maybe just lesbians), but I'd have raised the rating to a 7.5-8 if he had taken his shirt off. That's right, he kept his shirt on for the entire movie. Nonetheless, Chris Evans was amazingly hot and I have to admit that he's come a long way as an actor. So, if you don't mind admiring him with his shirt on, Push is worth a look.

I'm My Own Hero

2009-02-05T19:12:00.001-07:00

(Thanks Madhouse @Pluto Drive)

It's Good to Wait?

2009-02-05T17:49:00.006-07:00

I suppose I'm like a lot of people out there, I hate to wait. I want what I want and I want it NOW. Unfortunately, that doesn't work out for me, just like the rest of the world. Anyway, I've always been a sci-fi/fantasy geek at heart, that hasn't changed over the years. I've played RPGs all my life but I've gotten bored with the current crop of MMORPGs, Vanguard: Saga of Heros being my last one, although I dabbled a bit in the soon-to-be-defunct Tabula Rasa. While the whole MMORPG phenomenon has been interesting, I'm big on story and most of the games out there just don't really give you much depth, it's all about "Kill x creatures" or "Get _____ loot." /yawn. I had been playing Dungeons & Dragons Online for about a year, and that's honestly been the most fun I've had in the MMORPG genre but I haven't really felt the urge to go back.

I've usually preferred the traditional one-player RPG. It's just nicer for me because I can decide when I want to play, how much I want to play and usually I have a much richer experience. The only problem has been that there hasn't been any game in a while that's really caught my attention, until recently. Toward the end of last year I received an e-mail from Bioware announcing the development of Dragon Age:Origins, and I knew I had to have it.

I went looking for updates on the game and found out the release was pushed back to the second half of 2009. Initially I was disappointed, but I realized that the push back is actually very beneficial for me... especially because my machine is SO slow and I've not yet figured out how I'm going to get a new one. This gives me some time to work before I have to rush to the store and buy Dragon Age: Origins. So, despite that I want both a new computer and the game NOW, I suppose it's a good thing that I'm able to have some time to work it all out. I suppose I could look a little deeper at some of the other things where I want the things I want that I haven't yet gotten and think about how the time lag is actually benefiting me, but I think I'll skip that for now.

Up In Smoke?

2009-02-01T11:38:00.002-07:00

I'm not sure how many of you have been keeping track of this, but the latest scandal regards photos published of Michael Phelps sparking it up at a party at the University of South Carolina. There was a resulting furor that the 23-year old Phelps is acting, well, like a 23 year old. Some have opined that this is just horrible and shocking and that this somehow erases all of Phelps's accomplishments and spells the end of his career. Phelps recently released a statement acknowledging the truth of the photo and expressing his regret over his "bad judgment" and "regrettable" behavior and swears never to do it again. Mea culpa, mea culpa.

How insane is this? Phelps should have released a statement explaining that all he does is eat, sleep and swim and if he decides he wants to spark up a bowl and act like a normal college-aged student, then congratulations for trying to have some semblance of a normal life. Yes, it sounds like he was a bit out of control but that's what happens when you spend your life trying to be superhuman and miss all the things that make life enjoyable. These outraged moralizers need to get a life and mind their own damn business.

BALLS!

2009-01-27T20:13:00.003-07:00

For those of you who think that a little teabagging might be hazardous to your health, turns out you might be right. Well, at least it is if you're talking about blowfish testicles. The AP is reporting that seven people were sickened with blowfish poison when an unlicensed chef prepared the dish. It just goes to show, be very choosy about the balls you put in your mouth. Personally, I prefer balls that aren't likely to cause paralysis.

Milestones

2009-01-22T19:13:00.005-07:00

This is a bit of a milestone here at echeblog -- my 1000th entry. I thought about commemorating it right after the Inauguration or with a beef haiku... but neither of those felt right. After all, above anything else, this blog is about ME. It's my story, it's a reflection of me, not of beeves, of politics or celebrities or even of music. I wanted to use this moment to do something special. I thought about it for a few days and the idea really crystalized this afternoon. I had been trying to figure out how to pull it off, and then circumstance intervened. I received this comment a few minutes ago that was just perfect:

"Your blog is absolutely pointless. Have you realized that you live a trite and meaningless life, or has the fact continued to evade your conscious mind? What a waste of natural resources your (as well as you family's I presume) existence represents. Do the world a favor and bring an abrupt cessation to your existence."

So, you might think to yourself, "That's horrible!" or "What a dick!" or "Hey, he's right!" At earlier parts in my life, maybe I would have felt hurt, angry, annoyed or maybe defensive... deep down, I might have even agreed. What struck me was that I didn't feel any of these things. Rather, I found myself to be incredibly amused... Amused because for the first time in my life, I have the deep knowingness that this comment is the most absurd thing someone could say about me or anything I do. Someone could tell me that I have fifteen heads, purple scales and legs made of cotton candy and it would STILL make more sense than that.

I'll be honest here, I've spent plenty of time questioning my own value, whether it's because I haven't found the success I want, or look the way I'd like to, or manifested the stuff and relationships I've always wanted... and through the whole process, I kept wondering why it seemed like other people got to determine what I was worth and how valuable my ideas, work, music and LIFE were. How 'come all these other people get to set the hoops through which I must jump?

Finally, in the past few days, it finally hit me: Your opinions don't mean zip. I mean that in the most loving way. I'm the one who gets to choose, I'm the one who decides how I feel. Maybe I didn't see it before, but I do now and that's a wonderful thing. I couldn't think of a better use of an important milestone. Even more importantly, it's just the beginning -- I'm only just letting it sink in just how many amazing things about myself are there, how much I've grown and achieved and what mind blowing things are yet to come. I really am doing remarkably well. And so are you.

That's, 'Mr. President,' to you.

2009-01-20T10:58:00.002-07:00

Believe It!

2009-01-19T01:24:00.002-07:00

The Arizona Cardinals are going to the Super Bowl! It's just amazing what can happen when you give yourself a chance and start to believe... What an amazing reminder that the pieces can all fall into place when you let them.

So Sweaty!

2009-01-12T20:52:00.005-07:00

The latest episode of Legend of the Seeker was a very sweaty one, as the Seeker spends almost the entire episode shirtless, sweaty and glistening. That's my kind of television. It should get even sweatier this week as BSG returns on Friday. Helo usually winds up real sweaty one way or another.

And on a related BSG note, especially for those of you who watched the recent Webisodes -- could Gaeta have proven to be any more of a douchebag? I think not.

Masterbeat New Year, New Releases!

2009-01-12T17:54:00.005-07:00

Masterbeat New Releases - 1/12/09

It's 2009 and while many have been busy with the holidays, I was rather pleased that Masterbeat has a number of great new tracks. Here's hoping their second year in existence is even better than the first!

Mariah Carey - I Stay In Love (Jody den Broeder Club Mix)
I've never been the biggest Mariah Carey fan, but she's had some good tracks, especially recently. I Stay In Love is a light ballad that translates well onto the dance floor. Not as catchy as Touch My Body, but still worth a listen. Jody den Broeder's Club Mix keeps things relatively light, which feels right for this song, in my opinion. den Broeder also has a House Mix, which is piano-based and has more energy than the Club Mix. Ralphi Rosario's Big Vocal Mix feels a little heavy for this track. I like his Melodic Radio Mix, I'd have preferred a full length version.
Solange - Sandcastle Disco (Lost Daze Extended Club Mix)
Yes, she's Beyoncé's little sister and I'm a little (okay a LOT) tired of Beyoncé at the moment, but I dig Sandcastle Disco. I enjoyed her last single - I Decided, as well as the videos for both tracks. They've both got a good dose of whimsy to them, which makes Solange more fun on the ears than her sister right now. There are some decent tracks in this release, none of them quite capture the vibe of the original track. The Freemasons have a remix and normally I love their stuff. This one is pretty standard for them -- very Freemasons, but they're not able to pull off the marriage of this track with their style. It sounds okay, but it came off sounding somewhat formulaic. DJ Escape and Tony Collucio offer a more dramatic Circuit-style feel, which gives the track more of feeling of angst. Lost Daze is my favorite, with an almost electro-vibe that's got a little more juice to it but still ends up being fun.
The Pussycat Dolls - I Hate This Part (Moto Blanco Club Mix)
I have a confession: I like this track. I know, while I didn't officially swear to secretly hate every PCD track, I UNOFFICIALLY swore and I just broke that vow. It just goes to show you that a good remixer can work wonders. In particular, Moto Blanco goes with their standard groovy vibe and makes this track FUN. Pussycat Dolls with disco-y goodness! While the Freemasons weren't able to marry their style with Mariah, Moto Blanco succeeds here. Dave Audé and Digital Dog have tracks that just plod along... Karmatronic goes with a more trancey feeling, which works for a while but ends up sounding a little whiney. Moto Blanco all the way.
Matt Zarley - Here I Am (Ayhan Sahin Crystal Ball Mix) and (Love to Infinity UK Club Mix)
I have a some friends who take an instant disliking to male vocals, but Matt Zarley comes up with a feel good track that I'm very glad to have found. He's got a great voice and on top of it all, he's hot, gay and I'd TOTALLY sleep with him. While Matt's had other releases and has been hitting the gay scene recently, this was my first exposure to any of his stuff and I'm hooked. My favorite is the Ayhan Sahin Crystal Ball Mix that's a little more stripped down, featuring piano and acoustic guitar that I love. Love to Infinity, Solar City and Rafael M each have good mixes. Love to Infinity is a more mainstream sound with high energy and lots of piano. Solar City also comes up with another strong effort.
Wemixer - Revival Changes (Starplayerz Vocal House Mix)
Taking a break from the more pop-oriented tracks, I was really struck by the vocals, that reminded me somewhat of Annie Lennox. The track is very lush and and the synths flow well, supporting the vocals really well. Not a long track, but something I really enjoyed.
Stefano Prada - Forever Young (Extended Vocal Mix)
Okay, I know there are still some children of the 80s out there. Alphaville's Forever Young was one of my favorites. Stefano Prada's no Alphaville, his vocals aren't great and being Swiss, his slight accent ends up leaving the lyrics feeling a tad off... but he gets so many points for reviving this track that I like it anyway. The electric guitar also reminds me of Peter Presta's revival of Boston's More Than A Feeling. Prada doesn't pull it off quite that well, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Until next time, remember -- someone should be dancin' up in here.

I Wish I Knew...

2009-01-06T22:01:00.003-07:00

I wish I knew how it would feel to be free...

Over at Rick's blog, he's talking about the many reasons he's not able to be himself in his day to day life. I won't elaborate because it's not my story to tell, but it's something I can definitely to which I can relate. I commented on his last entry with a question: What would it be like to be free? I've been asking myself that question a lot these days... but compared to the many moments I automatically conclude that it's just not possible, I don't ask that question nearly enough.

I wish I could break all the chains holding me...

Once upon a time I perhaps I believed that it was just about my sexuality -- I've known since a very early age and it was hard for me to deal with such a profound feeling of difference, that on a fundamental level I wasn't who I was told I was supposed to be. Of course I think it always went deeper than that. It was hard for me to walk into Kindergarten as one of the youngest students there and feel like, "Wait, I already get this and the people around me don't... something's not right here." Not sure how I came to the conclusion that if I could just try hard enough, be perfect enough, smart enough, maybe I could overcome the "different" part and earn the love I've always wanted.

I wish I could say all the things that I should say,
say 'em loud, say 'em clear for the whole world to hear.

But as the years roll on, it's become painfully clear that I'm not perfect. No matter how hard I've tried, it's never been enough. Somewhere along the line I went from, "How come I get this when the people around me don't?" to "Why don't things work for me? What am I missing?" Can't be that I haven't jumped through the right hoops... because I have. Can't be that I'm not willing to work hard... because I am.

I wish I could share all the love that's in my heart...

There've been so many people in my life whom I respect and love for so many reasons. Whether it's men or women, romantic or not... Maybe it's life as a Scorpio, but sometimes it's hard to explain what exactly what that means. At one point or another, I think I described myself as "loving fiercely." There are people I've encountered that I love with a depth I cannot possibly explain. But it's more than just being "in love" and romantic squooshiness. I've always wanted to be able to find that beautiful place, that love and joy and express it to the world. At my best, that's what I aspire to in my music.

Remove all the bars that keep us apart...

And yet, aside from family, it seems that the people I've loved the most have been the ones with whom I've been least able to express myself. Wherever my passion has been the strongest, so too has been my fear. The greater the love, the stronger the chains. For the past few years, it seems, my only solution is just not to love. In that, all that's left is disappointment, criticism, judgment and doubt. For too long it seems like arms' length is the closest I can come.

I wish you could know what it means to be me...

But that's not what's in my heart; it's never been who I really am. My voice has always been meant to be a voice of joy, of love, of celebration. Often times I seem to see things others don't -- I suppose I've wondered if maybe that's what has scared off some of those with whom I've longed to be close. Again, maybe it's just the Scorpio stereotype. Usually, what I've seen isn't something to be feared or despised. Rather, usually I see people trying to be strong even when they're scared, when they're doing the best they can. Sometimes it's where someone lets me catch them being themselves when they think other people aren't watching. Once in a while, it's someone sharing things they've not shared with someone else. Often, it's that the vulnerability, awkwardness and imperfection we try to hide is what makes us most beautiful.

then you'd see and agree that every man should be free.

Fresh Veal

2009-01-04T23:39:00.007-07:00

Alex introduced me to a new show available on Hulu - Legend of the Seeker. One of the executive producers of the show is Sam Raimi, who was executive producer of Xena, Hercules, directed the Spiderman movies, Army of Darkness, and has also written quite a lot. I've always enjoyed his work and this is another in a long line of fluffy, entertaining fantasy TV filmed in New Zealand.

Of course, the only thing I knew about it before I watched was Alex's admonishment to check out the tasty new veal in this show. He was right -- they had him shirtless and sweaty while chopping wood while within the first 5 minutes of the first episode. That's my kind of show.

The lead is played by Craig Horner, an Australian actor who, while not as tasty as my previous (also Australian) fantasy TV favorite -- Daniel Goddard who played Dar in the Beastmaster, is still a nice veal that gives me a good excuse to follow this show.

Speaking of Daniel Goddard and Beastmaster, I was quite sorry to see that show go. Daniel Goddard shirtless throughout every episode was a special treat. I was glad to find that Goddard has gone on to The Young and the Restless -- it's great that he's found steady work and I'm sure that they have him shirtless frequently as well, but it's not something I'd bring myself to watch. Goddard is definitely within that physical type that really works for me, has a smile that can melt your heart... and it's nice having a hot guy that's near my age. (Goddard is a couple of years older than I am...)

Still, the one nice thing about not watching the Beastmaster anymore is that there's no annoying sidekick, Tao, who I basically describe as Beastmaster's Lt. Gaeta. Let's hope that Legend of the Seeker doesn't fall into the trap of having the annoying, intelligent but ultimately useless sidekick.

Back to LotS, I'm hoping they find many reasons for Horner to lose his shirt and get all sweaty.

Job Security

2009-01-04T19:14:00.002-07:00